Development Of Methodology Research Articles

Typology of Terrorist Profiling Using Centrality Metrics: Hinge Figures, Influential Operatives and Trusted Assets

ABSTRACT The increase in terrorist activity worldwide has prompted the development of research tools and methodologies to study the phenomenon of terrorism. Among them, social network analysis (SNA) has found its way into the security studies discipline, which, despite its still timid presence, has increasingly been proven to be a useful tool for detecting underlying structures and key actors. This article seeks to contribute to the body of knowledge on the uses of SNA in the study of covert networks by testing the usefulness of metrics such as betweenness, closeness, and eigenvector centrality in identifying terrorist roles and functions in the cells that were behind the major terrorist attacks orchestrated by the Islamic State’s external operations apparatus. The study ends with the proposal of a new typology of terrorist profiling according to the results obtained from centrality measures: hinge figures, influential operatives and trusted assets.

Brief of Amici Curiae economists in support of respondents in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.

A pillar of Mississippi's argument in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health was that there is no evidence of "societal reliance" on abortion, meaning no reason to believe that access to abortion impacts the ability of women to participate in the economic and social life of the nation. Led by economist Caitlin Myers and attorney Anjali Srinivasan, more than 150 economists filed an amicus brief seeking to assist the Court in understanding that this assertion is erroneous. The economists describe developments in causal inference methodologies over the last three decades, and the ways in which these tools have been used to isolate the measure of the effects of abortion legalization in the 1970s and of abortion policies and access over the ensuing decades. The economists argue that there is a substantial body of well-developed and credible research that shows that abortion access has had and continues to have a significant effect on birth rates as well as broad downstream social and economic effects, including on women's educational attainment and job opportunities. What follows is a reprint of this brief.

Enabling nucleophilic reactivity in molecular calcium fluoride complexes.

Calcium fluoride is the ultimate source of all fluorochemicals. Current synthetic approaches rely on the use of HF, generated from naturally occurring fluorspar and sulfuric acid. Methods for constructing E-F bonds directly from CaF2 have long been frustrated by its high lattice energy, low solubility and impaired fluoride ion nucleophilicity. Little fundamental understanding of the reactivity of Ca-F moieties is available to guide methodology development; well-defined molecular species containing Ca-F bonds are extremely rare, and existing examples are strongly aggregated and evidence no nucleophilic fluoride delivery. Here, by contrast, we show that by targeting anionic systems of the type [Ln(X)2CaF]-, monomeric calcium fluoride complexes containing single Ca-F bonds can be synthesized, including via routes involving fluoride abstraction from existing C-F bonds. Comparative structural and spectroscopic studies of mono- and dinuclear systems allow us to define structure-activity relationships for E-F bond formation from molecular calcium fluorides.

Role of Vena Cava Filter in the Prophylaxis and Treatment of Venous Thromboembolism in Injured Adult Patients: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Practice Management Guideline from the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma [RETRACTED

Injured patients are at an increased risk of developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). Inferior vena cava (IVC) filters have been used in injured patients to prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE), but current evidence-based guidelines are lacking. Questions regarding IVC filter use in injured patients with clearly defined Population(s), Intervention(s), Comparison(s), and appropriately selected Outcomes (PICO) were formulated. The study sought to understand the evidence behind use of ultra short term IVC filters and use of IVC filters in injured patients with and without known VTE who are unable to receive therapeutic anticoagulation and chemoprophylaxis, respectively. A literature search and review was conducted, followed by meta-analysis. The quality of evidence was assessed per Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology. There were twenty-one studies that were analyzed. Three studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), three were observational studies, and fifteen studies were retrospective studies. In injured patients without known acute VTE who cannot receive chemoprophylaxis, we recommend against placement of an IVC filter due to associated higher rate of mortality, DVT, PE, and length of stay. The quality of evidence was assessed to be low. In injured patients with known DVT who cannot receive chemoprophylaxis we conditionally recommend against placement of an IVC filter. The quality of evidence was assessed to be very low. No recommendations can be made with respect to placement of ultra short term IVC filters based upon available data. IVC filters should not be placed routinely for prophylaxis in injured adult patients without known VTE who cannot receive chemoprophylaxis. The taskforce conditionally recommends against the placement of IVC filter in injured adult patients with known DVT who cannot receive chemoprophylaxis. Guideline; Systematic review/meta-analysis, level IV.

4‐Methyltetrahydropyran: a Versatile Alternative Solvent for the Preparation of Chiral BINOL Catalysts and the Asymmetric Alkylation of Aldehydes

We herein report that the highly hydrophobic ether 4‐MeTHP constitutes a promising resource for the development of sustainable synthetic methodologies grounded on the use of organometallic reagents. The beneficial effects of 4‐MeTHP as reaction media are illustrated in the organolithium‐promoted anionic ortho‐Fries rearrangement of 1,1’‐bi‐2‐naphthol (BINOL)‐based carbamates under bench‐type conditions. The use of 4‐MeTHP induces a remarkable and unexpected stability of the organolithiums species, enabling the efficient preparation of chiral (bis)carboxamide catalysts. Furthermore, superior performances of 4‐MeTHP than other environmentally responsible solvents are observed using the synthesized BINOL catalysts in the asymmetric addition of organozinc reagents to aldehydes. Spectroscopic studies in solution suggest that 4‐MeTHP plays a key role in these reactions by inducing the preferential formation of a reactive monomeric dinuclear complex. This methodology allows for the asymmetric assembly of enantioenriched secondary alcohols in good yields and high stereoselectivity, working at 0 °C and under air.

Functional typology of settlements in the Srem region, Serbia

Abstract The development of the functional settlement typology methodology is of academic and practical importance as it incorporates the social, economic, and demographic dimensions of regional development. Rural settlements are seen as a base for labor; traditional urban centers have become a base for commuters, while at the same time, new economic centers are emerging where capital investment is accumulating. This article presents the research conducted in the Srem region (located in the province of Vojvodina) to determine the functional typology of the settlement, which is of social, economic, and demographic importance for the region itself and for Serbia as a whole. This well-known immigration area in Serbia has been inhabited for centuries for its specific economic and political reasons. The very intensive economic activities of the last two decades have been influenced by development investments and contributed to the functional transformation of the settlements. The census data from 2022 make it possible to determine a functional typology of settlements in the Srem region using the factor method (principal component analysis). The article aims to explain the basic characteristics of functional types of settlements and to determine the mechanisms of their territorial distribution, which would be helpful in the future planning and organization of local and regional development of the Republic of Serbia.

WEBSITE DESIGN INFORMATION SYSTEM OF RECORDING OFFENS AND PUNISHMENT STUDENTS SMK MUHAMMADIYAH 8 SILIRAGUNG USE WATERFALL DEVELOPMENT METHOD

Educational institutions as learning centers are prepared so they keep up through developments, especially regarding the use of information systems which are expected to facilitate the completion of work effectively and in an efficient time so institutions can improve their quality achievements. In this case, SMK Muhammadiyah 8 Siliragung experienced issues in the counselling division regarding recording violations and sanctions which required plenty of time to process and search for the required documents manually. To overcome issues, an information system for recording, as well as storing the history of violations carried out in a computerized manner efficiently to search for history data. This system development uses waterfall development methodology with a MySQL storage database and WEB-based PHP programming language. This research succeeded in identifying the needs through data collection methods, analysis of needs planning and observation meanwhile the system is equipped with a login and logout, a student data, a record, an administration letter, as well as a problematic student data report feature with a violation filter. This information system have been to overcome the issues.

Pengembangan Sistem Oracle Forms untuk Optimisasi Proses Penjualan di PT.XYZ

This research focuses on the development of an efficient sales system for PT. XYZ a retail company in Indonesia. The company faces challenges in its sales processes due to the lack of efficiency in the manual system, which is susceptible to errors. The research aims to optimize the sales process by utilizing Oracle Forms 10g and implementing the Rapid Application Development (RAD) methodology to ensure timely solutions. The developed system demonstrates a significant improvement in efficiency, accuracy, and speed. The use of Oracle Forms and SQL Developer simplifies data entry and management processes, while the implementation of List of Values (LOV) reduces errors and enhances data consistency. Furthermore, the system provides real-time insights into sales performance, enabling better decision-making and strategic planning for the company.

Dental Dynamics: a fast new tool for quantifying tooth and jaw biomechanics in 3D Slicer

Abstract Teeth reveal how organisms interact with their environment. Biologists have long looked at the diverse form and function of teeth to study the evolution of feeding, fighting, and development. The exponential rise in the quantity and accessibility of computed tomography (CT) data has enabled morphologists to study teeth at finer resolutions and larger macroevolutionary scales. Measuring tooth function is no easy task, in fact, much of our mechanical understanding is derived from dental shape. Categorical descriptors of tooth shape such as morphological homodonty and heterodonty, overlook nuances in function by reducing tooth diversity for comparative analysis. The functional homodonty method quantitatively assesses the functional diversity of whole dentitions from tooth shape. This method uses tooth surface area and position to calculate the transmission of stress and estimates a threshold for functionally homodont teeth through bootstrapping and clustering techniques. However, some vertebrates have hundreds or thousands of teeth and measuring the shape and function of every individual tooth can be a painstaking task. Here we present Dental Dynamics, a module for 3D slicer that allows for the fast and precise quantification of dentitions and jaws. The tool automates the calculation of several tooth traits classically used to describe form and function (i.e., aspect ratio, mechanical advantage, force, etc.). To demonstrate the usefulness of our module we used Dental Dynamics to quantify 745 teeth across 20 salamanders that exhibit diverse ecologies. We coupled these data with the functional homodonty method to investigate the hypothesis that arboreal Aneides salamanders have novel tooth functions. Dental Dynamics provides a new and fast way to measure teeth and increases the accessibility of the functional homodonty method. We hope Dental Dynamics will encourage further theoretical and methodological development for quantifying and studying teeth.

Synthesis of Versatile Aryliodine Synthons by Aryliodonium Rearrangement Reactions

The excellent reactivity of diaryliodonium salts has primarily been attributed to the efficient departure of the iodoarene unit, facilitating a variety of arylation reactions. However, one equivalent of iodoarene as a side‐product is a chemical waste in these reactions, which was criticized by chemists for hindering its popularity. Recently, the development of synthetic methodology that preserve the aryl iodine moiety received increasing attention. Oxidative rearrangement reactions involving aryliodonium reagents have significantly addressed the atom‐economic issue, thereby broadening the reaction scope. The resulting intricate aryliodine products are viewed as valuable synthons for the synthesis of natural products, pharmaceutical intermediates and other fine chemicals.

Advances in the Synthesis of Poly(phenolic ester)s via Ring‐Opening Polymerization

The poly(phenolic ester)s are attracting growing attention due to their essential role in the application as biodegradable plastics. Thus, extensive efforts have been devoted to the development of methodology that allows facile preparation of poly(phenolic ester)s with controlled molecular weights for widespread utilities. However, it is highly challenging to introduce phenolic ester bond structure into polyesters from ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) to yield aromatic/semiaromatic poly(phenolic ester)s due to severe transesterification reactions. To synthesize poly(phenolic ester)s with desired structures and properties, scientists have developed various ring‐opening polymerization systems with distinct advantages. Here, we have summarized basic features and recent progresses of these methods, including the cyclic phenolic lactone polymerization system, the salicylic acid O‐carboxyanhydride polymerization system, and the dissymmetric cyclic phenolic lactide polymerization system, as well as other copolymerization routes. Furthermore, the advantages and unsettled problems in various synthetic ways are discussed for readers to choose fast and controllable ROP systems for poly(phenolic ester)s.

The Cellular Response Is Determined by a Combination of Different ELF-EMF Exposure Parameters: A Scope Review

Since the establishment of regulations for exposure to extremely low-frequency (0–300) Hz electromagnetic fields, scientific opinion has prioritised the hypothesis that the most important parameter determining cellular behaviour has been intensity, ignoring the other exposure parameters (frequency, time, mode, waveform). This has been reflected in the methodologies of the in vitro articles published and the reviews in which they are included. A scope review was carried out, grouping a total of 79 articles that met the proposed inclusion criteria and studying the effects of the different experiments on viability, proliferation, apoptosis, oxidative stress and the cell cycle. These results have been divided and classified by frequency, intensity, exposure time and exposure mode (continuous/intermittent). The results obtained for each of the processes according to the exposure parameter used are shown graphically to highlight the importance of a good methodology in experimental development and the search for mechanisms of action that explain the experimental results, considering not only the criterion of intensity. The consequence of this is a more than necessary revision of current exposure protection regulations for the general population based on the reductionist criterion of intensity.

Chemical bonding and electronic properties along Group 13 metal oxides

ContextThe present work provides a systematic theoretical analysis of the nature of the chemical bond in Al2O3, Ga2O3, and In2O3 group 13 cubic crystal structure metal oxides. The influence of the functional in the resulting band gap is assessed. The topological analysis of the electron density provides unambiguous information about the degree of ionicity along the group which is linearly correlated with the band gap values and with the cost of forming a single oxygen vacancy. Overall, this study offers a comprehensive insight into the electronic structure of metal oxides and their interrelations. This will help researchers to harness information effectively, boosting the development of novel metal oxide catalysts or innovative methodologies for their preparation.MethodsPeriodic density functional theory was used to predict the atomic structure of the materials of interest. Structure optimization was carried out using the PBE functional, using a plane wave basis set and the PAW representation of the atomic cores, using the VASP code. Next, the electronic properties were computed by carrying out single point calculations employing PBE, PBE + U functionals using VASP and also with PBE and the hybrid HSE06 functionals using the FHI-AIMS software. For the hybrid HSE06, the impact of the screening parameter, ω, and mixing parameter, α, on the calculated band gap has also been assessed.

Characterization of Freezing Processes in Drug Substance Bottles by Ice Core Sampling

Freezing of biological drug substance (DS) is a critical unit operation that may impact product quality, potentially leading to protein aggregation and sub-visible particle formation. Cryo-concentration has been identified as a critical parameter to impact protein stability during freezing and should therefore be minimized. The macroscopic cryo-concentration, in the following only referred to as cryo-concentration, is majorly influenced by the freezing rate, which is in turn impacted by product independent process parameters such as the DS container, its size and fill level, and the freezing equipment. (At-scale) process characterization studies are crucial to understand and optimize freezing processes. However, evaluating cryo-concentration requires sampling of the frozen bulk, which is typically performed by cutting the ice block into pieces for subsequent analysis. Also, the large amount of product requirement for these studies is a major limitation. In this study, we report the development of a simple methodology for experimental characterization of frozen DS in bottles at relevant scale using a surrogate solution. The novel ice core sampling technique identifies the axial ice core in the center to be indicative for cryo-concentration, which was measured by osmolality, and concentrations of histidine and polysorbate 80 (PS80), whereas osmolality revealed to be a sensitive read-out. Finally, we exemplify the suitability of the method to study cryo-concentration in DS bottles by comparing cryo-concentrations from different freezing protocols (-80°C vs -40°C). Prolonged stress times during freezing correlated to a higher extent of cryo-concentration quantified by osmolality in the axial center of a 2 L DS bottle.Graphical

A metagenomics-based workflow for the detection and genomic characterization of GBS in raw freshwater fish.

The need for a rapid and accurate food microbiological testing method is apparent for a timely and effective foodborne outbreak response. This is particularly relevant for emerging foodborne pathogens such as Group B Streptococcus (GBS) whose associated food safety risk might be undercharacterized. By using GBS in raw freshwater fish as a case example, this study describes the development of a metagenomics-based workflow for rapid food microbiological safety testing and surveillance. This study can inform as a working model for various foodborne pathogens in other complex food matrices, paving the way for future methodological development of metagenomics for food microbiological safety testing.

Correction to: Biomass and bioenergy potentials of bioresidues: assessment methodology development and application to the region of Lafões

Correction to: Biomass and bioenergy potentials of bioresidues: assessment methodology development and application to the region of Lafões

Long-Chain Lipids Facilitate Insertion of Large Nanoparticles into Membranes of Small Unilamellar Vesicles.

Insertion of hydrophobic nanoparticles into phospholipid bilayers is limited to small particles that can incorporate into a hydrophobic membrane core between two lipid leaflets. Incorporation of nanoparticles above this size limit requires the development of challenging surface engineering methodologies. In principle, increasing the long-chain lipid component in the lipid mixture should facilitate incorporation of larger nanoparticles. Here, we explore the effect of incorporating very long phospholipids (C24:1) into small unilamellar vesicles on the membrane insertion efficiency of hydrophobic nanoparticles that are 5-11 nm in diameter. To this end, we improve an existing vesicle preparation protocol and utilized cryogenic electron microscopy imaging to examine the mode of interaction and evaluate the insertion efficiency of membrane-inserted nanoparticles. We also perform classical coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to identify changes in lipid membrane structural properties that may increase insertion efficiency. Our results indicate that long-chain lipids increase the insertion efficiency by preferentially accumulating near membrane-inserted nanoparticles to reduce the thermodynamically unfavorable disruption of the membrane.

A New Fluorene-Based Fluorescent Probe for Recognition of Hypochlorite Ions and its Applications.

Oxidative stress is a trigger for many diseases and occurs with the unstable hypochlorite (ClO-), known as one of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) in organisms. Then, HOCI is acknowledged as an oxidizing species that eliminates a variety of environmental pollutants. Hence, the development of novel methodologies for the selective and precise identification of HOCl/ ClO- is considered to be of utmost importance. In this study, the design, characterization, and applications of a fluorene-based fluorescent probe (FHBP) dependent on the ESIPT mechanism with a "turn-on" response for the sensitive/selective determination of ClO- against other competing samples were reported. The experimental results indicated that the detection limit for ClO-could be quantitatively determined by the probe to be 8.2 × 10-7M. The binding constant of the probe FHBP with ClO- was computed as 9.75 × 103M-1. In addition, the response time of FHBP was appointed to be 30s, indicating a rapid reaction with ClO-. It has also been demonstrated that this probe can be successfully used for the detection of ClO- on filter papers, TLC sheets, cotton swabs, and real samples.

Development of a Coupled Depletion Perturbation Theory Methodology in Continuous-Energy Monte Carlo Depletion Simulations

This work develops a depletion perturbation theory methodology coupled with generalized perturbation theory to produce fully coupled nuclide number density sensitivity coefficients for cross sections, initial nuclide number densities, and decay constants. The method is implemented into OpenMC, a high-fidelity Monte Carlo simulation code, utilizing continuous-energy cross sections to produced high resolution sensitivity coefficients over the energy spectrum.

Materials Development for Teaching English using Quizizz to the 10th Graders of Modeling Design and Building Information Department in Vocational High School 3 Mataram

General English is not considered adequate for vocational students. They need a curriculum built around "English for Specific Purposes" (ESP) to develop the targeted language skills required for their chosen field especially in Modeling Design and Building Information Department. This study examines the development of ESP-Based English material using Quizizz for vocational schools, along with student opinions on the material with Quizizz. Using R&D (Research and Development) methodology with ADDIE model, the study progressed through data collection, analyzing data, designing new materials, expert validation, developing the materials, implementing the ESP-based English material using Quizizz, and giving the final questionnaire students to find out student’s opinions. The research involved 30 participants who were X DPIB A at SMKN 3 Mataram. The data were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. The result of this research are; 1) The design of ESP-Based English material is developed into 4 distinc thematic topics (The introduction of the material, Professional Profiles, Object Identification, and Describing Places) by inserting vocabulary appropriate to the major and the materials were delivered to students via the interactive learning platform Quizizz. Interactive features such as; multiple choice, fill-in-the-blanks, polls, picture-matching, open-ended questions, and drag-and-drop activities enriched the exercise design. 2) The total score of 79.083% in the student’s opinions questionnaire suggests that students are highly interested and engaged with the English ESP materials developed using Quizizz.