Contact Network Research Articles

Modeling the effect of observational social learning on parental decision-making for childhood vaccination and diseases spread over household networks.

In this paper, we introduce a novel model for parental decision-making about vaccinations against a childhood disease that spreads through a contact network. This model considers a bilayer network comprising two overlapping networks, which are either Erdős-Rényi (random) networks or Barabási-Albert networks. The model also employs a Bayesian aggregation rule for observational social learning on a social network. This new model encompasses other decision models, such as voting and DeGroot models, as special cases. Using our model, we demonstrate how certain levels of social learning about vaccination preferences can converge opinions, influencing vaccine uptake and ultimately disease spread. In addition, we explore how two different cultures of social learning affect the establishment of social norms of vaccination and the uptake of vaccines. In every scenario, the interplay between the dynamics of observational social learning and disease spread is influenced by the network's topology, along with vaccine safety and availability.

Membrane computing simulation of sexually transmitted bacterial infections in hotspots of individuals with various risk behaviors.

The epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is complex due to the coexistence of various pathogens, the variety of transmission modes derived from sexual orientations and behaviors at different ages and genders, and sexual contact hotspots resulting in network transmission. There is also a growing proportion of recreational drug users engaged in high-risk sexual activities, as well as pharmacological self-protection routines fostering non-condom practices. The frequency of asymptomatic patients makes it difficult to develop a comprehensive approach to STI epidemiology. Modeling approaches are required to deal with such complexity. Membrane computing is a natural computing methodology for the virtual reproduction of epidemics under the influence of deterministic and stochastic events with an unprecedented level of granularity. The application of the LOIMOS program to STI epidemiology illustrates the possibility of using it to shape appropriate interventions. Under the conditions of our basic landscape, including sexual hotspots of individuals with various risk behaviors, an increase in condom use reduces STIs in a larger proportion of heterosexuals than in same-gender sexual contacts and is much more efficient for reducing Neisseria gonorrhoeae than Chlamydia and lymphogranuloma venereum infections. Amelioration from diagnostic STI screening could be instrumental in reducing N. gonorrhoeae infections, particularly in men having sex with men (MSM), and Chlamydia trachomatis infections in the heterosexual population; however, screening was less effective in decreasing lymphogranuloma venereum infections in MSM. The influence of STI epidemiology of sexual contacts between different age groups (<35 and ≥35 years) and in bisexual populations was also submitted for simulation.IMPORTANCEThe epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is complex and significantly influences sexual and reproductive health worldwide. Gender, age, sexual orientation, sexual behavior (including recreational drug use and physical and pharmacological protection practices), the structure of sexual contact networks, and the limited application or efficiency of diagnostic screening procedures create variable landscapes in different countries. Modeling techniques are required to deal with such complexity. We propose the use of a simulation technology based on membrane computing, mimicking in silico STI epidemics under various local conditions with an unprecedented level of detail. This approach allows us to evaluate the relative weight of the various epidemic drivers in various populations at risk and the possible outcomes of interventions in particular epidemiological landscapes.

Review Paper- “A STUDY ON THE FACTORS AFFECTING CUSTOMER PREFERENCE OF ONLINE BANKING SERVICES WITH GP PARSIK BANK”

E-Banking and a decent budgeting application at your fingertips makes budgeting and handling your account even easier. When making payments or calculating your monthly savings and expenditures, you can keep track of real-time expenses. Online banking allows consumers to access general information and accounts of bank products and services through PC or other intelligent systems, which has a significant impact on the growth of more convenient payment mechanisms and user-friendly banking services in the banking industry. When every day is a race against time in our hectic lives, we look for ways to save time as much as we can. E-Banking is one of the technology advancements that help consumers to perform their financial transactions on a secured platform from a retail or automated bank, credit union, or any financial institution. E-Banking, also known as electronic banking, is the digital distribution of new banking services and products to customers directly through electronic, interactive contact networks. There are various types of banks such as commercial banks (which are engaged solely in banking activities), investment banks (for capital market activities), cooperative banks (non-profit banks), postal savings banks (associated with postal systems) and private banks (managing the assets of high-net-worth people). Keywords – CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, DIGITAL BANKING, CUSTOMER FEEDBACK, COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS, CUSTOMER SUPPORT

Intelligent response protection of a multi-phase shear thickening fluid based on ZIF-8 modulated rheological properties for impact loading

The application of shear thickening fluids (STFs) in impact protection has attracted increasing attention as an innovative material capable of promptly perceiving and reacting to external stimuli. Herein, we synthesized the zeolitic imidazolium ester-like skeletal structure material ZIF-8 and employed it to create a new multi-phase STF. This involved incorporating ZIF-8 particles as a third dispersed phase and using a single-phase SiO2-based STF as the base liquid. The critical shear thickening rates of multi-phase STFs that contain ZIF-8 are lower, while their peak viscosities are higher. Additionally, a new method to characterize the mechanical properties of STF was established by constructing a light-load impact testing platform. The ZIF-8-based multi-phase STFs exhibit excellent energy dissipation ability, and an increased ZIF-8 content can improve the resistance to impact wear and energy absorption ability of the STFs. In particular, the impact crater volume is only 574 µm3 (reduced by 89.76%) when the ZIF-8 content is 7.5 wt%. The mechanism study shows that the nanoparticles inside the multi-phase STF are able to form a stable frictional contact network, thereby bolstering the shear thickening effect and rapid responsiveness during the impact process. This study introduces novel concepts for the design of impact protection materials.

Ecological study of atmospheric air on the territory of the Trans-Baikal Territory “Charsky territorial mountain-metallurgical complex”

The article describes the impact on the atmospheric air, which are acute negative nature of mining enterprises and their infrastructure industries of the North of the Trans-Baikal Territory, which actualizes this problem in society. The object of the study is the territory of the advanced development of the Trans-Baikal region “Charsky territorial mountain-metallurgical complex”. The subject of the study is the current ecological state of atmospheric air. The aim of the study is to analyse the negative impacts of mining production, as well as the accompanying infrastructural factors that have a complex impact on the ecology of the atmospheric air in the northern territory. The research tasks are reduced to the identification of sources and types of atmospheric air pollution during the quarrying of ore, its enrichment, and the impact of the supporting industries of mining industrial production. The methodological basis of the study is integrated, structural, factological principles and approaches. The article uses general methods of research (analysis, synthesis, generalization), as well as private-scientific-factor analysis, which means the methodology of complex and system study of interaction of factors on the size of the effective indicators and others. The factor analysis of published and stock materials on title issues allowed to perform a complex analysis of the influence of the main factors of quarry production on the air of the adjacent territory. Features of atmospheric air pollution during the quarrying of sites, ore enrichment and work of service industries have been identified. Identified toxic pollutants cause the occurrence and exacerbation of various human diseases. The urgency of solving the issue of dust suppression during the quarry development of the deposits of the Udokan hearth of mineral resources, as well as the issue of transferring quarry vehicles to the consumption of replenished fuel, i.e. electricity - replacing diesel dump trucks with dump trucks powered by a contact network (trolleybuses, diesel trolleybuses, trolleynoac-cumulative). The urgency of solving the issue of dust transfer at the quarrying development of deposits of the Udokanskiy hotbed of mineral resources was substantiated, as well as the development of the question of the transfer of career vehicles for the consumption of renewable fuels, t. e. Electric power - replacement of diesel pit dump trucks with dump trucks powered by a contact network (trolley vehicles, diesel-trolley-vehicles, troll-batteries).

Temporal clustering of social interactions trades-off disease spreading and knowledge diffusion.

Non-pharmaceutical measures such as preventive quarantines, remote working, school and workplace closures, lockdowns, etc. have shown effectiveness from an epidemic control perspective; however, they have also significant negative consequences on social life and relationships, work routines and community engagement. In particular, complex ideas, work and school collaborations, innovative discoveries and resilient norms formation and maintenance, which often require face-to-face interactions of two or more parties to be developed and synergically coordinated, are particularly affected. In this study, we propose an alternative hybrid solution that balances the slowdown of epidemic diffusion with the preservation of face-to-face interactions, that we test simulating a disease and a knowledge spreading simultaneously on a network of contacts. Our approach involves a two-step partitioning of the population. First, we tune the level of node clustering, creating 'social bubbles' with increased contacts within each bubble and fewer outside, while maintaining the average number of contacts in each network. Second, we tune the level of temporal clustering by pairing, for a certain time interval, nodes from specific social bubbles. Our results demonstrate that a hybrid approach can achieve better trade-offs between epidemic control and complex knowledge diffusion. The versatility of our model enables tuning and refining clustering levels to optimally achieve the desired trade-off, based on the potentially changing characteristics of a disease or knowledge diffusion process.

Fabric-based jamming phase diagram for frictional granular materials.

A jamming phase diagram maps the phase states of granular materials to their intensive properties such as shear stress and density (or packing fraction). We investigate how different phases in a jamming phase diagram of granular materials are related to their fabric structure via three-dimensional discrete element method simulations. Constant-volume quasi-static simple shear tests ensuring uniform shear strain field are conducted on bi-disperse spherical frictional particles. Specimens with different initial solid fractions are sheared until reaching steady state at a large shear strain (200%). The jamming threshold in terms of stress, non-rattler fraction, and coordination numbers (Z's) of different contact networks is discussed. The evolution of fabric anisotropy (F) of each contact network during shearing is also examined. By plotting the fabric data in the F-Z space, a unique critical fabric surface (CFS) becomes apparent across all specimens, irrespective of their initial phase states. Through the correlation of this CFS with fabric signals corresponding to jamming transitions, we introduce a novel jamming phase diagram in the fabric F-Z space, offering a convenient approach to distinguish the various phases of granular materials solely through the direct observation of geometrical arrangements of particles. This jamming phase diagram underscores the importance of the microstructure underlying the conventional jamming phenomenon and introduces a novel standpoint for interpreting the phase transitions of granular materials that have been exposed to processes such as compaction, shearing, and other complex loading histories.

Ordering dynamics and aging in the symmetrical threshold model

The so-called Granovetter–Watts model was introduced to capture a situation in which the adoption of new ideas or technologies requires a certain redundancy in the social environment of each agent to take effect. This model has become a paradigm for complex contagion. Here we investigate a symmetric version of the model: agents may be in two states that can spread equally through the system via complex contagion. We find three possible phases: a mixed one (dynamically active disordered state), an ordered one, and a heterogeneous frozen phase. These phases exist for several configurations of the contact network. Then, we consider the effect of introducing aging as a non-Markovian mechanism in the model, where agents become increasingly resistant to change their state the longer they remain in it. We show that when aging is present, the mixed phase is replaced, for sparse networks, by a new phase with different dynamical properties. This new phase is characterized by an initial disordering stage followed by a slow ordering process toward a fully ordered absorbing state. In the ordered phase, aging modifies the dynamical properties. For random contact networks, we develop a theoretical description based on an approximate master equation that describes with good accuracy the results of numerical simulations for the model with and without aging.

Contact networks and force transmission in aggregates of hexapod-shaped particles.

Hexapods, consisting of three mutually orthogonal arms, have been utilized as a representative nonconvex shape to demonstrate the impact of interlocking on the strength properties of granular materials. Nevertheless, the microstructural characteristics of hexapod packings, which underlie their strength, have remained insufficiently characterized. We use particle dynamics simulations to build isotropically-packed aggregates of hexapods and we analyze the effects of aspect ratio and interparticle friction on the microstructure and force transmission. We find that the packing fraction is an unmonotonic function of aspect ratio due to competition between steric exclusions and interlocking. Interestingly, the contact coordination number declines considerably with friction coefficient, showing the stronger effect of friction on the stability of hexapod packings as compared with sphere packings. The pair distribution functions show that local ordering due to steric exclusions disappears beyond the aspect ratio 3 and the hexapods touch their second neighbors. Remarkably, hexapods of aspect ratio 3 tend to align with their neighbors and form locally ordered structures, implying a contact coordination number which is highly sensitive to the confining pressure. We also show that the probability density function of forces between hexapods is similar to that of sphere packings but with broadening exponential fall-off of strong forces as aspect ratio increases. Finally, the elastic bulk modulus of the aggregates is found to increase considerably with aspect ratio as a consequence of the rapid increase of contact density and the number of contacts with second neighbors.

Pimenta ornamental: gosto se discute

ABSTRACT Consumer preference and acceptance surveys associated with genetic improvement programs contribute to greater acceptance of new cultivars, in the competitive and dynamic ornamental plants market. Thus, the present work aimed to evaluate Brazilian habits related to the home cul-tivation of Capsicum spp. and preferences regarding four pre-cultivars of ornamental pepper, and the relationship with different socioeconomic factors. A virtual questionnaire containing 18 multiple-choice questions was shared by the authors in their contact networks, via social media and email. The responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The influence of socioeconomic factors on the respondents' habits and preferences was analyzed using the Chi-Square test. The survey included 1045 respondents from all Brazilian states, of all age groups, income levels and education levels. It was found that home cultivation of peppers is widespread throughout Brazil, in rural and urban areas, mostly in pots. Ornamental peppers were widely ac-cepted among men and women of all income classes. Although a greater preference was observed for white flowers and elongated, triangular fruits, with five stages of maturity, regional, social, and economic differences influenced the choice for these attributes. Greater acceptance was also observed for the medium vessel (2 dm3) and the hybrid HPO 03. After registration, this will be an important technological product adapted to Brazilian conditions.

Simulations of electric multiple unit series 413/417 drives on the electrified tracks of "Serbian Railways"

In the paper, the Matlab-Simulink model of simulation of operation of the ŽS 413/417 series electric multiple unit (EMU) in traction and braking mode is exposed where changes are observed: stator currents of three-phase traction motors, traction electric motor speeds and electric multiple unit, electromagnetic torque on the rotor shaft of the traction electric motor and DC bus voltage. The model allowed review of the listed parameters for: different allowed values of contact network voltage and total voltage distortion at the place of connection of the electric multiple unit to the contact network, different mechanical loads of electric multiple unit and traction electric motor and different train speeds and rotation of traction electric motors. Appropriate conclusions were made through the analysis of the simulation results obtained.

Mikrohistoria Bronisława Zielińskiego w polu translatorsko-literackim

Translators and interpreters have always played a key role as intercultural mediators, however, their biographies and functions as active agents of cultural change have only recently started to be studied. Following the sociological and material turn in translation studies, there has been a growing interest in the figure of the literary translator, not as a category of the translation process, but as a living human being who not „only” produces texts, but influences cultural transfer, introduces new poetics and shapes literary canons. Nowadays, researchers point to the necessity of describing the place and role of translators not only within Translation Studies, but above all, in the network of social contacts and relationships. The sociology of translators includes such issues as the status of translators in different cultures, pay rates, place and conditions of work, the public discourse of translation, i.e. the manifestations of the public image of the translating profession, which is visible, for example, in the press or in literary works. This area also encompasses research on translators’ attitudes towards their work, as revealed in essays, interviews, prefaces and translators’ archives. The paper focuses on the biography of the translator, placed in a broad historical and social context and thus, in the cultural and sociological dimensions of translator studies. In examining the biography of the Polish translator Bronisław Zieliński, the methodology of microhistory (adapted for translation studies by Jeremy Munday) will be used and combined with Anthony Chesterman’s theoretical proposal of translator studies.

Refractive-index and density-matched emulsions with programmable DNA interactions.

Emulsion droplets on the colloidal length scale are a model system of frictionless compliant spheres. Direct imaging studies of the microscopic structure and dynamics of emulsions offer valuable insights into fundamental processes, such as gelation, jamming, and self-assembly. A microscope, however, can only resolve the individual droplets in a densely packed emulsion if the droplets are closely index-matched to their fluid medium. Mitigating perturbations due to gravity additionally requires the droplets to be density-matched to the medium. Creating droplets that are simultaneously index-matched and density-matched has been a long-standing challenge for the soft-matter community. The present study introduces a method for synthesizing monodisperse micrometer-sized siloxane droplets whose density and refractive index can be precisely and independently tuned by adjusting the volume fraction of three silane precursors. A systematic optimization protocol yields fluorescently labeled ternary droplets whose densities and refractive indexes match, to the fourth decimal place, those of aqueous solutions of glycerol or dimethylsiloxane. Because all of the materials in this system are biocompatible, we functionalize the droplets with DNA strands to endow them with programmed inter-droplet interactions. Confocal microscopy then reveals both the three-dimensional structure and the network of droplet-droplet contacts in a class of self-assembled droplet gels, free from gravitational effects. This experimental toolbox creates opportunities for studying the microscopic mechanisms that govern viscoelastic properties and self-assembly in soft materials.

Translatorska biografia Heinricha Nitschmanna: niemiecki polonofil w czasach germanizacji i antypolskiej propagandy

The article attempts to reconstruct the translator biography of Heinrich Nitschmann (1826– 1905) and explain the role he played in Polish-German literary contacts. Nitschmann made German readers familiar with Polish literature firstly through his translations of Polish poetry, and secondly through his popular compendium “History of Polish Literature,” aimed at the German Bildungsbürgertum. Although his translations are not outstanding in quality, they suited the literary tastes of the era and contributed to shaping the German discourse on Poland in the second half of the 19th century. The article traces Nitschmann’s linguistic biography and topobiography, characterizes and situates his translation work against the background of his other activities as a writer, publicist and composer; it attempts to reconstruct his aesthetics and worldview, his translation poetics and self-awareness as a translator. Nitschmann’s modus operandi in his network of literary contacts is shown, exemplified by his relationships with the Danzig publisher Karl Theodor Bertling and with the Lemberg-based Germanist Albert Zipper.

Development of Freelancer Market Software System Based on JavaScript

With the continuous development of the Internet, people are looking forward to establishing a network of contacts between employees and employers in the service industry through the Internet [1-2]. To this end, the TaskDigger online platform has been designed and developed. The front end includes Express JavaScript, JavaScript, JQuery, CSS3, Bootstrap, and a few NPM packages. The back end includes Node JavaScript, EJB, and more NPM packages for back-end development. It runs on the V8 engine, Execute JavaScript code outside of a web browser. Visitors can search for performance services or recruitment information at any time, publish assignments, and both buyers and sellers can communicate and sign contracts at any time. This platform has maintainability, portability, repeatability, flexibility, safety, and reliability, providing a helping hand for the gig economy.

Управление электротяговыми нагрузками на основе взаимодействия с системой электроснабжения железных дорог

Currently, the principles of electric rolling stock management do not involve consideration of the instantaneous load of traction substations and the operating mode parameters of other electric traction loads in the inter-substation zone of an electrified section of railways. The inter-train travel intervals on the section are set based on the preliminary software-based calculation of the traction power supply system for trains with a given range of train weight. The article provides the reasonable approach to managing electric traction loads based on their interaction both with each other and the railway power supply system in real time with instantaneous limitations of the energy infrastructure. The results of experimental synchronized measurements with two trains in the substation area of an electrified AC section are presented. Using a mathematical model of the pilot site and measurement data, the coefficients of the influence of electric traction loads on the voltage in arbitrary nodes and on the loading of the feeders of the contact network are calculated.

Методология диагностических испытаний центрифугированных железобетонных опор контактной сети

The article discusses various methods of non-destructive diagnostics of defects in contact network supports, examines the principles of operation of existing diagnostic methods, gives the reasons for the appearance of defects in reinforced concrete pillars, and proposes a conceptual idea for a diagnostic test journal based on a local QR code.

Hotspots and Trends in International of international forest ecological compensation research: A knowledge mapping analysis using CiteSpace

Forest ecological compensation has received widespread attention from the academic community and has become an important knowledge field that is constantly developing and evolving. Analyzing its academic situation and knowledge structure relationship can provide reference for subsequent theoretical research and practical exploration. Using the Web of Science Core Collection as the data source and the CiteSpace tool, this study mapped the current knowledge domain of international forest ecological compensation research from 1990 to 2020. The following results are derived: The paper issuing countrieswith “the United States, China, the United Kingdom and Germany” as the core, form a close contact network; Research hotspot evolution trend overview for the initial stage (1990-2001), mature stage (2002-2011) and expansion stage (2012-2020).

Unmanned aerial vehicle for monitoring transport infrastructure

We consider the unmanned aerial vehicle of a multicopter type, in which the on-board battery is recharged using the energy of an external electromagnetic field created by the currents flowing through the wires of the contact network of an electrified railway transport or an overhead power line. This process is carried out without interrupting the flight of the aerial vehicle. The process of transferring this energy to the board of the multicopter is carried out by inductive method using an electric winding placed on it. This winding is connected to the battery. We constructed the finite element mathematical model. We performed the calculations of the EMF induced in the winding at the different trajectories of the aerial vehicle near the contact wire of the railway. It is revealed that the highest EMF values in the winding are induced when flying under the alternating current contact wire. When the winding moves under the direct current wire the frequency and amplitude of the induced EMF depend on the period of deviations of the aerial vehicle from the direction of the axis of its straightline movement. The EMF curve is non-sinusoidal. The degree of distortion of the EMF curve depends on the amplitude of the deviation of the winding from the axis of the direction of movement. At the alternating current through the contact wire the amplitude of the induced EMF mainly depends on the amplitude and frequency of the external magnetic field created by this current. The movement parameters of the aerial vehicle have a negligible effect on the EMF value.

Устройство токосъема с контактного провода трехфазной системы электрической тяги

The article deals with the opportunity of using three-phase electric traction system which was operated from the end of XIX century to 1976. A comparison of the suggested system to one-phase electric traction system of alternating current has been conducted. During the research the ratio of the currents and the power losses in the traction networks of one-phase and three-phase systems has been determined. The calculations show that the losses of the electric power in the contact network of one-phase electric traction system is 3.35 times more than in the three-phase system. The influence of current on electro erosion, wear and tear of a contact wire and electric power collector of the runner of an electric rolling stock current-collector, and also, the influence of the intensiveness of the current-collection and the suspension zigzag of the contact wire on the gauge of the current-collector has been researched. The results of the experimental and calculated values of the coefficient of the wear and tear of the contact wire depending on the current of the current-collector have been presented. Three variants of the size of the runner for a small-sized current-collector of an electric locomotive of AC three-phase electric traction system have been suggested.