Point Of View Research Articles

The multiple trajectories of the allergic march.

The allergic march comprises the sequential appearance of a series of allergic comorbidities. However, variability in the onset and progression of allergic diseases generates a heterogeneous scenario that does not follow a linear and single trajectory. Almost half of the pediatric population presents at least 1 allergy symptom. However, only 4%-6% present multimorbidity, with several allergic diseases co-occurring. It has recently been shown that although they share etiological mechanisms and risk factors, allergic diseases arise independently. In most cases, progression is not consecutive, or at least not the same in all patients. TH2- mediated inflammation, epithelial barrier dysfunction, and genetic predisposition play a fundamental role in the etiology of allergic diseases, on which the interaction with the exposome acts decisively. Therefore, studying diseases from an omics point of view is essential when attempting to describe the various trajectories of allergic progression and to propose effective interventions to prevent multimorbidity. In this narrative review, we provide an overview of the current perception of the allergic march, including clinical observations, omics data, risk factors, and measures aimed at modifying its course or even preventing its onset.

Out of Context: “Backdirt” Privatization and Contested Space in East Jerusalem

ABSTRACT Within the social, religious, and political context of present-day Jerusalem, soil is meaningful and marketable. This is evident in the Temple Mount Sifting Project, an archaeological tourist venture in occupied East Jerusalem. There, for almost two decades, archaeologists and many thousands of visitors have sieved through tons of earth—construction debris from building works on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif that were undertaken without archaeological supervision. The Sifting Project has recovered thousands of finds and, yet, come under scrutiny from an archaeological practice point of view, particularly, because the material is out of context. Even though the debris itself is treated and presented as archaeological soil, “backdirt,” it does not actually derive from a controlled excavation. How, then, is the material different from construction debris from other building sites where it would be treated as modern waste, rather than a gateway to the past? Within the soil the Sifting Project is concerned with, the worlds of archaeology, religion, and politics collide. This contribution examines the concept of backdirt within the contexts of archaeological practice, politics, and the heritage industry in occupied East Jerusalem.

A Mobile App for Comprehensive Symptom Management in People With Parkinson's Disease: A Pilot Usability Study.

There is an increasing need for highly accessible health management platforms for comprehensive symptoms of Parkinson disease. Mobile apps encompassing nonmotor symptoms have been rarely developed since these symptoms are often subjective and difficult to reflect what individuals actually experience. The study developed an app for comprehensive symptom management and evaluated its usability and feasibility. A single-group repeated measurement experimental design was used. Twenty-two participants used the app for 6 weeks. Monitoring of nonmotor symptoms, games to address motor symptoms, and medication management were incorporated in the app. Quantitative outcomes were self-assessed through an online questionnaire, and one-on-one telephone interviews were conducted to understand the user's point of view. The successful experience of self-monitoring had improved participants' self-efficacy ( Z = -3.634, P < .001) and medication adherence ( Z = -3.371, P = .001). Facilitators included a simple-to-use interface, entertaining content, and medication helps. Barriers included simple forgetfulness and digital literacy, including unfamiliarity with mobile phone manipulation itself. The study suggested insight into the app use related to acceptability of mobile technology. The preliminary effects on self-efficacy and medication adherence will guide future nursing interventions using mobile health. Our approach will contribute to improving the continuum of care for Parkinson disease by promoting self-monitoring of symptoms.

Poetry and Doctrine

Poetry is one of those things in human language that gives a glimpse into something fundamental about humanity, something not about functional, performance-oriented communication but about the business of creating worlds of recognition. It is, from this point of view, inescapably theological. But thinking about this should also illuminate the sense in which doctrinal statements are ‘poetical’ – not because they are imprecise and non-literal, but because they are constructive of a culture.

A Stepwise Multivariate Granger Causality Method for Constructing Hierarchical Directed Brain Functional Network.

The directed brain functional network construction gives us the new insights into the relationships between brain regions from the causality point of view. The Granger causality analysis is one of the powerful methods to model the directed network. The complex brain network is also hierarchically constructed, which is particularly suited to facilitate segregated functions and the global integration of the segregated functions. Therefore, it is of great interest to explore new approach to model the hierarchical architecture of the directed network. In the present study, we proposed a new approach, namely, stepwise multivariate Granger causality (SMGC), considering both the directed and hierarchical features of brain functional network to explore the stepwise causal relationship in the network. The simulation study demonstrated that the diverse and complex hierarchical organization could be embedded in the apparently simple directed network. The proposed SMGC method could capture the multiple hierarchy of the directed network. When applying to the real functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) datasets, the core triple resting-state networks in human brain showed within-network directed connections in the first-level directed network and rich and diverse between-network pathways in the second-level hierarchical network. The default mode network (DMN) had a prominent role in the resting-state acting as both the causal source and the important relay station. Further exploratory research on the adaption of directed hierarchical network in athletes suggested the enhanced bidirectional communication between the DMN and the central executive network (CEN) and the enhanced directed connections from the salience network (SN) to the CEN in the athlete group. The SMGC approach is capable of capturing the hierarchical architecture of the brain directed functional network, which refreshes the new stepwise causal relationship in the directed network. This might shed light on the potential application for exploring the altered hierarchical organization of brain directed network in neuropsychiatric disorders.

Neural Architecture Search as Multiobjective Optimization Benchmarks: Problem Formulation and Performance Assessment

The ongoing advancements in network architecture design have led to remarkable achievements in deep learning across various challenging computer vision tasks. Meanwhile, the development of neural architecture search (NAS) has provided promising approaches to automating the design of network architectures for lower prediction error. Recently, the emerging application scenarios of deep learning (e.g., autonomous driving) have raised higher demands for network architectures considering multiple design criteria: number of parameters/weights, number of floating-point operations, inference latency, among others. From an optimization point of view, the NAS tasks involving multiple design criteria are intrinsically multiobjective optimization problems; hence, it is reasonable to adopt evolutionary multiobjective optimization (EMO) algorithms for tackling them. Nonetheless, there is still a clear gap confining the related research along this pathway: on the one hand, there is a lack of a general problem formulation of NAS tasks from an optimization point of view; on the other hand, there are challenges in conducting benchmark assessments of EMO algorithms on NAS tasks. To bridge the gap: (i) we formulate NAS tasks into general multi-objective optimization problems and analyze the complex characteristics from an optimization point of view; (ii) we present an end-to-end pipeline, dubbed EvoXBench, to generate benchmark test problems for EMO algorithms to run efficiently -without the requirement of GPUs or Pytorch/Tensorflow; (iii) we instantiate two test suites comprehensively covering two datasets, seven search spaces, and three hardware devices, involving up to eight objectives. Based on the above, we validate the proposed test suites using six representative EMO algorithms and provide some empirical analyses. The code of EvoXBench is available at https://github.com/EMI-Group/EvoXBench.

Voltage Support With PV Inverters in Low-Voltage Distribution Networks: An Overview

Large solar photovoltaic (PV) penetration using inverters in low voltage (LV) distribution networks may pose several challenges, such as reverse power flow and voltage rise situations. These challenges will eventually force grid operators to carry out grid reinforcement to ensure continued safe and reliable operations. However, smart inverters with reactive power control capability enable PV systems to support voltage quality in the distribution network better. This paper gives an overview of the current state-of-the-art control strategies for handling voltage problems through PV inverters and other devices. In addition, the (control) technical issues of PV systems integrated into the LV distribution network are considered from a control point of view. By comparing the control issues of PV integration into the grid, the paper aims to help distribution system operators to expand the volume of PV generation in the distribution system in an efficient and safe manner. Additionally, it will help control engineers and researchers select proper control strategies for PV systems as well as other distributed renewable sources.

The role of kindergarten in promoting the concepts and values of sustainable development from the point of view of female teachers in the State of Kuwait

The role of kindergarten in promoting the concepts and values of sustainable development from the point of view of female teachers in the State of Kuwait

In English

The temperature and interfacial behaviors of individual and mixed liquids are of importance from a practical point of view because changes in the phase state of compounds with decreasing temperature could lead to negative effects (e.g., frost damage of porous materials). However, the use of certain mixtures may prevent these negative effects due to the colligative properties of the solutions (cryscopic effects, CE) that lead to several effects including relative lowering of vapor pressure, boiling point elevation, and freezing point depression (FPD). Confined space effects (CSE) also leading to the freezing point depression can affect the colligative properties of liquid mixtures with respect to FPD. One could assume that for some systems with certain FPD due to CE for bulk solutions, there is no additivity (synergetic effect) of CSE and CE, but for others, the opposite results could be. To elucidate these interfacial phenomena, a set of liquid mixtures bound to different adsorbents could be studied using low-temperature NMR spectroscopy. The solutions included acids, bases, and salts as solutes, some liquids (e.g., dimethylsulfoxide, acetonitrile, n-decane) as co-sorbates and others (e.g., CDCl3, CCl4) as dispersion media. The adsorbents included various porous and highly disperse silicas, fumed alumina, carbons (activated carbons, graphene oxides), and porous polymers. So wide ranges of the systems studied could allow one a deeper insight into competitive or additive CSE and CE influencing the interfacial and temperature behaviors of bound liquids. The results of this analysis are of interest from both practical and theoretical points of view.

The Integrative Relationship between Functional and Aesthetic Values in Modern Interior Design and Their Impact on Space

The study of the multiple design patterns with their different elements, determinants, and forms is considered one of the most important basic factors that affected the formation of the features and identity of modern interior design. Such study aims at analyzing the relation of humans to interior design and exploring the effect of this relation on the design patterns of interior space in which the individual lives. The interior space is a product of an integrated mixture of patterns, elements, determinants and material and non-material influences that affected and were affected by humans. These influences ultimately led to the production of an experience rich with concepts and values ​​that contributed to raising the level of functional and aesthetic potential of the interior space. Thus, the interior space interacts with individuals to form an internal environment characterized by high physical and functional, capacity and unique and distinctive aesthetic appearance. This study attempts to present the concept of modern interior design and its multiple design patterns and to find the integrative relationship between style, function and aesthetics in interior design. It focuses on the modern style of interior design with the purpose of creating a satisfactory design from a functional and aesthetic point of view by relying on analysis, planning and choosing the appropriate design style according to the scientific and practical foundations and determinants that the interior designer resorts to when starting the design process, which contributes to bringing satisfaction and pleasure to the souls of individuals and satisfies their utilitarian and aesthetic needs at the same time. This study used the descriptive analytical approach in its theoretical framework to identify the patterns of modern interior design and their impact on the functional and aesthetic values ​​of the interior space. Then it moved to discussingt the features and principles of each design style and the importance of these patterns in supporting and enhancing the functional and aesthetic aspects of interior spaces with their different types and functions. The study was concluded: with emphasis on the role of multiple design patterns in supporting and enhancing the functional and aesthetic aspects of the interior space according to the foundations and standards defined by each style, and its impact on the interior space and the individual user. Based on these results, this research study called on interior designers to study modern interior design patterns comprehensively and deeply in order to reach a comfortable interior space with features and identity characterized by highly efficient functional values ​​and aesthetic dimensions of a special design character. Keywords: style, Functionality, Aesthetics, Modern interior design.

In English

Atmospheric air pollution is determined by the functioning of both technogenic and natural sources of pollution. The main anthropogenic sources of pollution are: transport, industrial enterprises, energy facilities and agriculture. In order to select a rational and effective method of atmospheric emissions purification from harmful components, systematic study was carried out to identify the potential of natural zeolites of Georgia. In particular, four samples of zeolite-containing rocks were investigated: analcime, clinoptilolite, phillipsite, mordenite and their modified forms. By means of the chromatographic method of researching the adsorption properties of natural zeolites, the best adsorption capability of mordenite and its modified hydrogen form obtained by two methods towards nitrogen oxides has been revealed. The perspective and profitability of using the hydrogen form of mordenite treated with ammonium in the processes of purification of nitrous gases from exhaust gases is shown, as well as the possibility of using the recovered products (aqueous solutions of ammonium salts) obtained from its regeneration as a nitrogen fertilizer in agriculture. The experimental adsorption purification of the sample (H-mordenite) was carried out in the process of research. The sample was taken from the outlet pipe of the contact apparatus in the ammonia oxidation shop of the nitric acid production enterprise of LLC “Rustavi Azoti”. It has been found that the modified mordenites can be proposed as an environmentally friendly, highly efficient sorbent in the processes of air purification from toxic impurities. Of the two forms of H-mordenite investigated, the adsorption data obtained for NH4+-ion-modified mordenite is approximately 20 % better than the acid-modified form. It should be noted that the use of granulated zeolites (mordenite) in adsorbers with dense packing is very effective. It is also important from the economic point of view that it is possible to reuse spent high-silica sorbents after their regeneration by oxidation method, since such zeolites are resistant to oxidants, such as hydroxyl radicals, ozone, etc., and it is possible to regenerate them without removing them from adsorber.

De la epidemiología de la actividad física a la epidemiología crítica de las prácticas corporales: una propuesta desde Latinoamérica.

This essay aims to analyze the epidemiology of physical activity as a practical and epistemological field in dispute, based on the theoretical framework of international critical epidemiology. From this scientific point of view, the epidemiology of physical activity is radically marked by epistemological-health colonialism. This brand is expressed in the theoretical-practical distance from critical epidemiological thinking formulated in the global south, producing an artificial regional dependency and deep frustration in those who want to generate transformations in contemporary ways of living. It is suggested that a critical epidemiology of body practices is possible and necessary. In other words, the epidemiology developed in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean can dialectically understand the determination, distribution and social reproduction of the phenomenon of bodily practices, since it resumes its critical formulations and intercultural science.

Microscopic mechanism of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTS) as a dispersant for alleviating asphaltene aggregation

The flow properties of crude oil have been seriously affected by the aggregation behavior of asphaltenes. The single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) can exhibit positive alleviation effect as a dispersant for asphaltene aggregation, but the influence mechanism at the molecular level is still controversial. With the action of SWCNTs, the rate of asphaltene self-aggregation decreased, and the time to form asphaltene clusters came later. At the same time, the structure of asphaltene clusters became looser. Interestingly, when a small number of asphaltene molecules start to accumulate, the density of asphaltene molecules in the accumulation body is relatively low. In addition, the peak value of RDF between the SWCNTs and asphaltene is much higher than that between asphaltene molecules, which indicates that the interaction between SWCNTs and asphaltene molecules is stronger than that between asphaltene molecules, thus affecting the self-aggregation of asphaltene molecules. In addition to that, it is worth mentioning that in the vmd snapshot, we also observed that the aggregation mode of asphaltene would change to SWCNTs as the core. This work explains the decrease of asphaltene self-aggregation degree and speed with the addition of SWCNTs from the microscopic point of view, which is due to the strong interaction between SWCNTs and asphaltene molecules weakens the interaction between asphaltene molecules.

Fuzzy Modeling Framework Using Sector Non-Linearity Techniques for Fixed-Wing Aircrafts

This paper presents a mathematical modeling approach utilizing a fuzzy modeling framework for fixed-wing aircraft systems with the goal of creating a highly desirable mathematical representation for model-based control design applications. The starting point is a mathematical model comprising fifteen non-linear ordinary differential equations representing the dynamic and kinematic behavior applicable to a wide range of fixed-wing aircraft systems. Here, the proposed mathematical modeling framework is applied to the AIRBUS A310 model developed by ONERA. The proposed fuzzy modeling framework takes advantage of sector non-linearity red techniques to recast all the non-linear terms from the original model to a set of combined fuzzy rules. The result of this fuzzification is a more suitable mathematical description from the control system design point of view. Therefore, the combination of this fuzzy model and the wide range of control techniques available in the literature for such kind of models, like parallel and non-parallel distributed compensation control laws using linear matrix inequality optimization, enables the development of control algorithms that guarantee stability conditions for a wide range of operations points, avoiding the classical gain scheduling schemes, where the stability issues can be extremely challenging.

Role of Strategic Planning in Quality Enhancement of Higher Education Institutions: Case Study of Bamyan University

Afghanistan is a conflict-impacted country with a higher education sector that is undergoing rapid growth in the last two decades. The Ministry of Higher Education established the Quality Assurance &amp; Accreditation Commission in 2009; and established the Quality Assurance &amp; Accreditation Directorate (QAAD) in 2011. This body is to administer and oversee the accreditation process in all public and private HEIs of Afghanistan with a strategic outlook. By providing a comprehensive QA Framework and aiming to meet international standards; QAAD is functioning for Internal and External Quality Assurance of HEIs. This Framework emphasizes the development of a Strategic Plan for Higher Education Institutions in its first main criteria. Since QAAD and its relevant processes of Quality Assurance are newly implemented phenomena for the Higher Education Institutions; the processes of Developing Strategic Plans seem to be ineffective, challenging, and not used as a fundamental tool for quality enhancement. Furthermore, there are considerable challenges facing the implementation level of developed plans. Considering the important role of strategic planning in quality assurance; this study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and impacts of strategic planning on the processes of quality enhancement of Bamyan University as one of the National Higher Education Institutions. Nine major aspects of quality issues focusing on three main levels of strategic planning at the institution, Faculty, and Department are among the core subjects of this study. This study is carried out from the implementers’ point of view and includes the responses of all academic and non-academic members of Departments, Faculties, and Leadership of Bamyan University. Furthermore, this provides lessons learned and recommendations for institutions, policy makers, and other Higher Education Institutions. This study is conducted from February to August 2021 in Bamyan University of Afghanistan. A questionnaire was adopted and developed as the instrument of this study and nine major aspects of the qualification issues were included in the instrument. SPSS tool was employed to descriptively analyze the findings of the study. This study has shown that the exercise and experiences of strategic planning have not meaningfully and satisfactorily contributed to the enhancement of the quality of education of this University. The mean value of all aspects is somehow below average or average level. From the respondents’ point of view; the impact of strategic planning on quality assurance activities is greater than other aspects and this impact is lower in the sustainability of financial resources.

Hotel Receptionists’ Perspective on Crisis Management Preparedness and Practices in Select Hotels in Calapan City

Every business must be equipped with crisis management protocols and procedures to ensure the guests’ safety and experience. It includes management during typhoons, emergencies, natural disasters and data breaches, and the like. Hotel staff and personnel must be able to aid the needs of the guests in times of crisis and emergencies. To fulfill the gap, this research study aimed to determine the Hotel Receptionist’s Perception of Crisis Management Preparedness and Practices in selected hotels in Calapan City. A quantitative approach and descriptive-correlational were chosen as research design and method, to provide static pictures of situations as well as establish the relationship between different variables. To determine the perceptions of hotel receptionists, data was collected through a printed survey questionnaire form. The results revealed that Hotel receptionists are generally satisfied and aware of the crisis management preparedness of their hotels in treceptionists’ point of view, they are capable of practicing and imposing hotel management crises in terms of natural crises, civil conflicts, pandemics, and technology failures crises in terms of Natural crises, Civil Conflicts, Pandemics, and Technology Failures. It was also revealed that the Level of Crisis Management Preparedness and the Practices of Hotel Receptionists have a moderate relationship; indicating that the receptionists are required to have more awareness and continual practices concerning Crisis Management Preparedness to effectively cater to the probability of risk and hazard that can be situated in a Hotel Management. Thus, hotel receptionists and the management should try to use the researchers’ self-made infographic, containing ways how to be aware in preparing and practicing Hotel Management Crisis in terms of Natural Crises, Civil Conflicts, Pandemics, and Technology Failures. This would help them maintain continual knowledge and practices toward a more equitable and safer hotel environment and services.

РАЗВИТИЕ ТЕХНОЛОГИЙ ЦИФРОВОЙ ЭКОНОМИКИ КАК НАПРАВЛЕНИЕ ПОВЫШЕНИЯ УРОВНЯ ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКОЙ БЕЗОПАСНОСТИ РОССИИ В СФЕРЕ ГОСЗАКУПОК

. In the context of a sharp decline in the country’s budget revenues and an increase in its expenses, it is very important to organize the effective use of available resources, including financial ones. Therefore, it is very important to organize a system for regulating the use of budget funds through the system of organizing public procurement. Many enterprises consider this sector of activity economically profitable for themselves, since public procurement is associated with the provision of quality services in the healthcare sector, the agricultural sector and the social sphere, is a motivator of innovative development, a lever to combat environmental pollution, and also provides a factor in sustainable development. Starting in 2020, government procurement was transferred to electronic format. In a study conducted by the Institute of State and Municipal Management of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, which was published on December 20, 2021, an anonymous survey revealed that most representatives of business structures participating in public procurement encounter corruption during the competitive procedures. Based on the results of the analysis, it was revealed that open competition in electronic form and procurement from a single supplier (performer, contractor) are the most susceptible to corruption. And the best from the point of view of anti-corruption is an electronic auction, since it takes place in real time, which creates public control over the auction. As a result of the research, directions for openness and accessibility of information on public procurement for all interested parties, automation of the process of selecting a winner in a limited time without the influence of the customer with the participation of artificial intelligence were proposed. This will help increase the level of economic security of Russia in the field of public procurement.

Least-cost or sustainable? Exploring power sector transition pathways

The 2022 energy crisis augmented the European ambition for RES capacity expansion. However, beyond the issue of “how many” renewables, the research question that remains, is which capacity mixes achieve the emissions reduction, renewable integration, and energy autarky targets in a cost-effective way. This paper tries to answer this inquiry supported by two energy models and one decision support model. The analysis focuses on Greece, as an example country which opted for lignite phase out, turning to temporary heavy reliance on natural gas for power generation. The results indicate that even though from the energy and environmental targets’ perspective, more wind turbines in the RES capacity mix yield better results, when incorporating the economic point of view, balanced wind and solar mixes enable the achievement of targets in a cost-effective way. The most cost-efficient mixes consist of 50–55% wind and 45–50% solar capacity, with cost per additional percentage of RES share in the generation mix, equal to 40 million €. Nevertheless, in order to materialize them in a timely manner, and limit the short-term dependency on imported gas, permitting simplification, tenders for large-scale projects and incentives for small-scale projects are needed to facilitate accelerated RES deployment.

An End-to-End Deep Learning Framework for Predicting Hematoma Expansion in Hemorrhagic Stroke Patients from CT Images

Hematoma expansion (HE) occurs in 20% of patients with hemorrhagic stroke within 24 h of onset, and it is associated with a poorer patient outcome. From a clinical point of view, predicting HE from the initial patient computed tomography (CT) image is useful to improve therapeutic decisions and minimize prognosis errors. In this work, we propose an end-to-end deep learning framework for predicting the final hematoma expansion and its corresponding lesion mask. We also explore the problem of having limited data and propose to augment the available dataset with synthetic images. The obtained results show an improved HE prediction when incorporating the use of synthetic images into the model, with a mean Dice score of the HE growth area of 0.506 and an average prediction error in hematoma volume of −3.44 mL. The proposed approach achieved results in line with state-of-the-art methods with far fewer data by using synthetic image generation and without requiring the inclusion of patient clinical data.

Формирование дизайна интерьера квартиры в стиле чиллаут

The article presents the main ideas and solutions for the formation of the interior design of an apartment in the chillout style, which creates a relaxing and soothing environment for residents, while simultaneously organizing a comfortable living environment. The choice of certain color solutions inside the room is justified from the point of view of psychology. The use of non-standard and unexpected options allows people to perceive an object through the prism of their feelings, inspired by the ideas embodied in life. The use of various types of lighting in the interior of a residential space significantly improves the artistic expressiveness of the designed space.