Research Tasks Research Articles

Research of Graphene Electronics and its Applications

Imagine a material as thin as a single atom, yet stronger than steel and more conductive than copper. This is graphene, a two-dimensional wonder material with a unique monolayer hexagonal honeycomb lattice structure. Its exceptional electrical properties, particularly its high carrier mobility, have sparked widespread interest in the scientific community for potential applications in electronics.However, because its conduction and valence bands intersect at the Dirac point, it behaves as a zero-bandgap semimetal, limiting its use in electronic devices. Therefore, opening a bandgap has become a focal research task in the scientific community. This paper explains the inherent conductivity of intrinsic graphene and summarizes how doping can theoretically further enhance its conductivity. Through further research on the development of graphene doping methods, this article primarily introduces how adsorption doping and lattice doping techniques can open the bandgap of graphene. It analyzes the stability of different doping types to achieve their application in nanoelectronic devices.

Design of Input Signal for System Identification of a Generic Fighter Configuration

This article investigates the design of time-accurate input signals in the angle-of-attack and pitch rate space to identify the aerodynamic characteristics of a generic triple-delta wing configuration at subsonic speeds. Regression models were created from the time history of signal simulations in DoD HPCMP CREATETM-AV/Kestrel software. The input signals included chirp, Schroeder, pseudorandom binary sequence (PRBS), random, and sinusoidal signals. Although similar in structure, the coefficients of these regression models were estimated based on the specific input signals. The signals covered a wide range of angle-of-attack and pitch rate space, resulting in varying regression coefficients for each signal. After creating and validating the models, they were used to predict static aerodynamic data at a wide range of angles of attack but with zero pitch rate. Next, slope coefficients and dynamic derivatives in the pitch direction were estimated from each signal. These predictions were compared with each other as well as with the ONERA wind tunnel data and some CFD calculations from the DLR TAU code provided by the NATO Science and Technology Organization research task group AVT-351. Subsequently, the models were used to predict different pitch oscillations at various mean angles of attack with given amplitudes and frequencies. Again, the model predictions were compared with wind tunnel data. Final predictions involved responses to new signals from different models. A feed-forward neural network was then used to model pressure coefficients on the upper surface of the vehicle at different spanwise sections for each signal and the validated models were used to predict pressure data at different angles of attack. Overall, the models predict similar integrated forces and moments, with the main discrepancies appearing at higher angles of attack. All models failed to predict the stall behavior observed in the measurements and CFD data. Regarding the pressure data, the PRBS signal provided the best accuracy among all the models.

Development of a digital profile of a university teacher

Currently, digitalization is a cross-cutting business process in the higher education system. Digital transformation has affected both the functioning of the higher education system in general and the activities of each university and participants in the educational process in particular.An important problem is the adaptation of teachers to a dynamically changing digital environment, taking into account the requirements for the level of digital competencies resulting from the specifics of the digital environment, and the already existing level of digital literacy of the teacher. In a modern university, a teacher is a multifunctional subject who performs educational, methodological, research, and administrative tasks, the solution of which is often associated with working in the digital environment of an educational organization.The article presents a model of the digital environment of a university with an emphasis on human resources and digital services is presented, which allows the development of a policy for managing changes and transformation processes in universities. The thesis that the digital environment determines the level of requirements for the digital competencies of teachers is substantiated.The authors propose an evaluation method for the teacher’s digital literacy, which makes it possible to develop the teacher’s digital profile considering the educational, methodological, administrative, and research activities.

Psychometric Assessment of the Temporal Bisection Task with Discrete and Continuous Response Formats

Abstract The temporal bisection task has long been used to study time perception as well as measure individual differences in time perception ability. The task involves training participants on short and long reference durations before presenting intermediate durations and asking participants to classify them as ‘short’ or ‘long’. However, there is little information about how well the bisection task measures individual differences in timing ability. To bridge this gap, we assessed the psychometric properties of measures obtained from a classic temporal bisection task: Weber ratio and percent correct. Because measures with binary responses tend to require many trials to reach adequate reliability, we also assessed the psychometric properties of a modified bisection task which used a continuous response format. In this task, participants represented intermediate durations on a visual analogue scale. Estimation error was used as the outcome measure. Participants (n = 46) completed the classic and modified bisection tasks twice across two sessions approximately one week apart. The modified bisection task had excellent internal consistency and test–retest reliability, while the classic task had fair to good internal consistency and good test–retest reliability. Overall, estimation error had the highest reliability, followed by percent correct, and then Weber ratio. In terms of validity, there was excellent convergent validity between the classic and modified bisection tasks. As an exploratory analysis, we assessed how the number of trials affected the reliability of each outcome measure across the two tasks. Based on this, we make recommendations on how to optimize reliability for both tasks in future research.

Remaining useful life prediction of turbofan engines based on dual attention mechanism guided parallel CNN-LSTM

Abstract Remaining useful life (RUL) prediction is an valuable research task for predictive health management of aero engines, which is crucial to enhance the safety, dependability and economy of the motor. Accurate prediction of remaining engine service life is an important means for the effectively monitoring of engine operating conditions. The forecasting accuracy of turbofan RUL is inadequate with the traditional single-parameter, single-stage mode. To boost the precision of aero-engine RUL anticipation, a novel mode is recommended, based on a parallel convolutional neural network (CNN) with a long and short-term memory neural network (LSTM) and a dual attention mechanism, named PCLD. The degradation information directly from time series sensor data. The advantages of convolutional neural network (CNN) networks and long short-term memory (LSTM) networks in feature mining and time series processing, respectively, are employed to process time series data, which is conducive to preventing the loss of important element in the data. At last, the experimental results on the aero-engine performance recession dataset C-MAPSS demonstrate that the method outperforms the currently popular models with better robustness and higher prediction accuracy.

THE IMPACT OF THE WAR-INDUCED, UNSTABLE LIVING CONDITIONS ON PERSONALITY’S MENTAL HEALTH

The purpose of the article. Our work examines the psychological features of the main types of destructive ways of responding to unstable living conditions and their impact on one’s mental health and personal efficiency. The growing number of people facing unstable life conditions and those needing effective psychological strategies to overcome stress and crises are the basis of our study's relevance. The majority of the trauma studies in the field of psychology are devoted to studying the impact of the most common short-term trauma, but the conditions we find ourselves in recently are forcing people to adjust to uncertainty and the traumatizing events that happen to have no visible ending point. The adjustment to long-term trauma means that one comes to realize that there’s no point in postponing life until after the trauma, but rather learning to live one’s life to the fullest and grab every possible opportunity for self-actualization. It is well known that one’s reactions to stressful and unstable situations can be constructive or destructive. The paper aims to identify and analyze the main types of destructive reactions, such as somatization, distress, depression, and anxiety, as well as to study their impact on personal traits that correspond with personal growth and self-actualization. Research methods. We applied the following methods to meet the research tasks: psychological testing, analysis of psychological literature, and statistical methods of data processing, which enable a deeper understanding of the ways the mechanisms of destructive responses to unstable living conditions are formed. Results. The paper examines theoretical approaches to understanding destructive behavioral patterns and their application in psychological assistance. We were able to prove the suggestion that destructive ways of responding, such as anxiety, distress, depression, and somatization complicate the process of self-actualization significantly, reducing the level of personal growth and self-knowledge. We also offer recommendations on the optional techniques for reducing the impact of destructive reactions and supporting positive personality development for psychological assistance and mental health protection. Conclusions. The study results can be effective for psychology practitioners, psychotherapists, and other mental health professionals. They can also become the basis for further scientific research in stress management psychology and psychotherapy. As such, some of the results were presented at the round table “Mental health during the war: challenges and perspectives”. Keywords: distress, unstable living conditions, self-development, self-actualization, influence

Research capacity and culture: a survey of Australian Orthopaedic Association members

BackgroundStrong research capacity and culture (RCC) within professional groups predict engagement in high-quality research and the integration of evidence into practice. However, factors affecting RCC participation and development are currently unknown in Australian Orthopaedic Surgeons.Study designCross-sectional survey.MethodsAll Australian Orthopaedic Association members were invited to complete the individual domain of the validated Research Capacity and Culture tool.ResultsOne hundred and sixty-three Australian Orthopaedic Association members (9%) provided survey answers. Survey findings indicated that AOA members scored moderate or high for most RCC domains (14 out of 15). Barriers to the completion of research included a lack of time, other work roles taking priority, and a lack of funds for research.ConclusionThe Australian Orthopaedic Association members surveyed in this study demonstrated adequate research skills and experience, although reported they could benefit from additional support securing funding and navigating specific research tasks. Increasing future collaboration with academic institutions and clinician-researcher roles may enhance the output of high-quality orthopaedic research in Australia.

The use of drones for studying the behaviour of mammals

Since the advent and wide use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), they have been increasingly useful in monitoring the abundance, distribution and behaviour of terrestrial and aquatic animals. At present, this technique is actively applied to mammal research. The diversity and relative availability of drones allows for a variety of research tasks to be achieved. The use of UAVs has its advantages and disadvantages, these being discussed in the present review. The study examines the advantages of using UAVs in comparison to other methods, identifies new research opportunities opened up by drones, and emphasizes the advantages of modern analytical tools. The technical limitations of UAVs and the problem of the negative impact of this technique on mammals are discussed. The need to minimize the disturbance of animals during such research is emphasized. In addition, the work summarizes the experience of using UAVs in the studies on Russia’s theriofauna.

Biomedical relation extraction method based on ensemble learning and attention mechanism

BackgroundRelation extraction (RE) plays a crucial role in biomedical research as it is essential for uncovering complex semantic relationships between entities in textual data. Given the significance of RE in biomedical informatics and the increasing volume of literature, there is an urgent need for advanced computational models capable of accurately and efficiently extracting these relationships on a large scale.ResultsThis paper proposes a novel approach, SARE, combining ensemble learning Stacking and attention mechanisms to enhance the performance of biomedical relation extraction. By leveraging multiple pre-trained models, SARE demonstrates improved adaptability and robustness across diverse domains. The attention mechanisms enable the model to capture and utilize key information in the text more accurately. SARE achieved performance improvements of 4.8, 8.7, and 0.8 percentage points on the PPI, DDI, and ChemProt datasets, respectively, compared to the original BERT variant and the domain-specific PubMedBERT model.ConclusionsSARE offers a promising solution for improving the accuracy and efficiency of relation extraction tasks in biomedical research, facilitating advancements in biomedical informatics. The results suggest that combining ensemble learning with attention mechanisms is effective for extracting complex relationships from biomedical texts. Our code and data are publicly available at: https://github.com/GS233/Biomedical.

Features of the development of strength and flexibility of middle school children by means of fitness with elements of martial arts

The article is devoted to the study of the peculiarities of the development of flexibility and strength of schoolchildren aged 13-14 under the influence of martial arts fitness. The purpose of the study is to determine the effectiveness of using fitness exercises with elements of martial arts for the development of flexibility and strength abilities of secondary school children. The research involved 20 boys and 20 girls who studied in the 8th grade of a secondary school. The following methods were used to solve the research tasks: studying and analyzing literary sources on the research topic; pedagogical experiment; pedagogical testing of the level of physical abilities development, methods of mathematical statistics. To conduct the pedagogical experiment all participants of the experiment were divided into two groups: experimental (10 girls and 10 boys) and control (the same composition). The essence of the experiment was that for children who were included in the experimental group during 5 weeks during physical education lessons an experimental variable module on fitness with elements of martial arts was introduced. When developing the variable module on martial arts fitness, we adhered to the requirements for variable modules in the current physical education curriculum for schools. Girls and boys in the control group attended physical education classes based on the educational material of the variable module gymnastics. The study proved that the use of a variable fitness module based on the use of classical aerobics exercises and martial arts elements during physical education lessons in middle school contributes to a statistically significant improvement in flexibility (forward bending) and strength (flexion and extension of the arms in a lying position and lifting the torso from a lying position in 30 seconds). At the same time, such exercises are emotional and can have a positive impact on adolescents' functional fitness, well-being, and mood.

GINGIVAL MARGIN, CORRECTION IN ORTHOPEDIC DENTISTRY

A big problem for obtaining aesthetic and functional results of dental treatment is the condition of the gingival papillae. The effectiveness of orthopedic interventions without high-quality correction of the marginal edge of the gums can lead to an unsatisfactory result and the occurrence of numerous complications Materials and methods. A literature search was conducted in the PubMed and Medline databases for the period 2000-2024, for which the following keywords were used: correction of soft gingival tissues, fixed dentures, effectiveness, front group of teeth. A general search revealed 112 sources regarding gingival margin correction in fixed dentures. The primary exclusion referred to literary sources in which the correction of the gingival margin applied to all types of prosthetics. Literary sources that contained only reference information were included in the secondary exclusion. As a result, only relevant full-text articles in professional journals remained (n=25). The purpose of the research is to analyze the methods of gingival margin correction in orthopedic dentistry at the current stage, to formulate relevant tasks for further research. Research results. Methods of restoration of the aesthetics of the marginal part of the gums during orthopedic treatment are divided into the following groups: plastic of soft and bone tissues; laboratory and technical procedures; use of materials for artificial gums. It has been established that the plastic-surgical method is used for the loss of the gingival papilla, defects of the ridge of the alveolar process, asymmetric contour of the gums, and their unaesthetic shape. Correction of the gums allows to achieve satisfactory aesthetic results both at the final stage of orthopedic treatment (prosthetics with fixed orthopedic prostheses) and at the intermediate stage of temporary prosthetics with plastic fixed prostheses. It was found that the most common methods of gingival margin correction are flap operations on the gums using the technique of lateral movement of the muco-osseous flap. These include the following types of interventions: endothelial modification from the tooth-alveolar ridge; oblique displaced flap; periosteally stimulated flap; partial or complete split flap. The positive effect of hyaluronic acid on the healing of the gingival margin and tissue regeneration has been proven. Several researches have shown the positive effects of hyaluronic acid on gingival margin healing and tissue regeneration due to its properties to stimulate cell adhesion, migration and proliferation, mediate cell signaling. The authors indicate a better effectiveness of hyaluronic acid in relation to periodontal parameters during the correction of the marginal gingival margin. The use of a laser scalpel is characterized by less pronounced traumatization of tissues, lower temporary costs for intervention, reduced blood loss, less pronounced signs of inflammation in the postoperative period, relative simplicity and cost-effectiveness of use. Conclusions. To date, only a combination of various orthopedic and surgical manipulations allows to achieve an optimal aesthetic result during prosthetics with fixed dentures of the front group of teeth.

Autonomous positioning, capturing, and grasping mechanism for robot end effectors based on the attraction domain relationship

Purpose This paper aims to solve the problem of uncertain position and attitude between unstructured terrain robot and grasped target and insufficient control accuracy in extreme environment, a grasping mechanism based on attraction domain relationship is proposed, which can realize autonomous positioning, capturing and grasping of robot under low control accuracy. Design/methodology/approach The grasping mechanism was designed, taking inspiration from fishing behavior this mechanism introduces attraction domains and flexible-elastic structures through the active and passive ends to achieve automatic positioning and capture. After the capture is completed, the grasping mechanism connects the active end and the passive end, simultaneously relying on the gravity of the target object to achieve locking and release between the robot and the target object. This paper adopts theoretical, simulation and experimental verification methods to conduct theoretical and simulation analysis on the autonomous positioning and grasping process of the mechanism, and produces grasping experimental prototypes with different positions and postures. Findings The experiment shows that the gripping mechanism designed in this paper can achieve automatic positioning capture and gripping of large deviation situations under low control accuracy, with a displacement deviation of up to 10 mm (about 1/6 diameter of the end of the mechanism) and an angle deviation of up to 3°. The scientific research task in the extremely high altitude environment has finally been successfully accomplished. Originality/value Inspired by fishing behavior, this paper proposes a positioning, capturing and grasping mechanism. The attraction area built with permanent magnets, coupled with the flexible connection, enables precise capture under low control, while the grasping mechanism can also rely on gravity to self-lock and release.

Reliability of Theory of Mind Tasks in Schizophrenia, ASD, and Nonclinical Populations: A Systematic Review and Reliability Generalization Meta-analysis.

Though theory of mind (ToM) is an important area of study for different disciplines, however, the psychometric evaluations of ToM tasks have yielded inconsistent results across studies and populations, raising the concerns about the accuracy, consistency, and generalizability of these tasks. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the psychometric reliability of 27 distinct ToM tasks across 90 studies involving 2771 schizophrenia (SZ), 690 autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and 15,599 nonclinical populations (NC). Findings revealed that while all ToM tasks exhibited satisfactory internal consistency in ASD and SZ, about half of them were not satisfactory in NC, including the commonly used Reading the Mind in the Eye Test and Hinting Task. Other than that, Reading the Mind in the Eye Test showed acceptable reliability across populations, whereas Hinting Task had poor test-retest reliability. Notably, only Faux Pas Test and Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition had satisfactory reliability across populations albeit limited numbers of studies. However, only ten studies examined the psychometric properties of ToM tasks in ASD adults, warranting additional evaluations. The study offered practical implications for selecting ToM tasks in research and clinical settings, and underscored the importance of having a robust psychometric reliability in ToM tasks across populations.

Problem-based learning with library e-resources to enhance student information literacy self-efficacy

PurposeThis study investigates the effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) in information literacy curricula using library e-resources to enhance information literacy self-efficacy (ILSE) of students in two universities in Indonesia, in Java Island (University A) and Sumatra Island (University B).Design/methodology/approachA comparison of the effectiveness of the approach in the two universities forms the focus of the study, which has adopted a single group quasi-experimental design which was conducted in one online teaching-learning session. The authors compared the pre-test and post-test scores of 65 library and information science (LIS) students from both universities.FindingsThe results show that the treatment enhanced ILSE effectively. After the treatment, University A students performed better than those at University B.Research limitations/implicationsThe factors which affected the success of PBL using library e-resources have not been identified in this study, a task for a future qualitative research study.Practical implicationsThis study will both inspire the use of library e-resources in learning activities and promote ILSE.Originality/valueIntegrating PBL with library e-resources provides opportunity to identify the advantages of library e-resources in supporting student ILSE, resulting a better learning achievement.

Language teacher expertise research: A theoretical case and research agenda

Abstract Expertise exists among all communities of educational practitioners at all levels and in all national contexts. By identifying expert practitioners, learning from them and valuing their professional competence, researchers can support, promote and build upon sustainable, embodied, holistic models of quality in ways that have direct relevance for the classroom, the curriculum and wider educational goals. Yet, despite its potential as a field of research, there have been relatively few studies involving expert language teachers to date. After a brief historical background, this article makes the case for language teacher expertise research, noting its high ecological validity, its great practical utility, its ability to bridge the research–practice divide and its potentially positive impact on teaching communities. Key methodological considerations are also discussed, including defining expertise, identifying expert teachers and looking beyond the limits of subject-specific pedagogy to understand the whole practitioner in their sociocultural context. The article then proposes a framework for future teacher expertise research that spans diverse methodologies. Six example research tasks from within this framework are proposed, each justified and exemplified, incorporating suggestions for research design that are intended to encourage both experienced and novice researchers to engage with teacher expertise as a promising domain for future investigation.

Global Sensitivity Study of a Duffing-Type Nonlinear Vibration System

Abstract An interesting field of studying nonlinear systems is their sensitivity study. With sensitivity study the most influential parameters on a system can be obtained and then the simplification and improvement of the model will be possible. In this paper the global sensitivity study of a Duffing-type vibration system is carried out with Sobol’s variance-based method taking the root mean square of acceleration and the maximum acceleration as output variables. With the sensitivity study it was observed that the parameters of the excitation signal like the amplitude and the angular velocity are the most influential. It was also found that a single parameter has less influence on the system than the parameter combinations. The aim of the research is to carry out the global sensitivity study of a relatively simple nonlinear system. The study is the basis for further research tasks in order to perform the sensitivity study of more complex systems.

PRINCIPLES OF SIMULATION OF ENERGY-EFFICIENT GRANULATION PROCESSES IN A FLUIDIZED BED

The principles of physical and mathematical modeling of inhomogeneous jet-pulsating fluidization in the self-oscillating mode considering the movement of solid granulated particles on the working surfaces of the gas distributing device are investigated. The research tasks include substantiating the method of interaction between the gas phase and granular solids to ensure the implementation of heterogeneous jet-pulsating fluidization in the self-oscillating mode, experimentally determining hydrodynamic parameters to minimize the risk of stagnant zones on the working surface of the gas distributing device and formulating principles for introducing flat gas jets into orthogonal planes through a gas distribution device. The physical model focuses on creating heterogeneous jet-pulsating fluidization which is based on the formation of heterogeneous porosity in the bed of solids within the apparatus chamber. The study highlights the importance of rationally organizing the interaction mode between the gas phase and solids to ensure active circulation of granular material between 3 main technological zones: humidification, active heat exchange and relaxation. This organization enables sufficient mass transfer along the height of the bed and getting a product with the desired properties. Implementing the proposed modeling principles in equipment development will allow increasing the heat utilization coefficient by more than 60 % and will facilitate the implementation of innovative technology. The research contributes to the development of fluidization technology and its application in granulation at temperatures exceeding the melting point of thermolabile components, ensuring efficient use of resources and energy, and enhancing the environmental safety of technological processes. Bibl. 22, Fig. 11.

Beyond the lab: Feasibility of cognitive neuroscience data collection during a speleological expedition

In human cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology studies, laboratory-based research tasks have been important to establish principles of brain function and its relationship to behaviour; however, they differ greatly from real-life experiences. Several elements of real-life situations that impact human performance, such as stressors, are difficult or impossible to replicate in the laboratory. Expeditions offer unique possibilities for studying human cognition in complex environments that can transfer to other situations with similar features. For example, as caves share several of the physical and psychological challenges of safety-critical environments such as spaceflight, underground expeditions have been developed as an analogue for astronaut training purposes, suggesting that they might also be suitable for studying aspects of behaviour and cognition that cannot be fully examined under laboratory conditions. While a large range of topics and tools have been proposed for application in such environments, few have been used in the field. Methods and procedures for maximizing the robustness and scientific value of expedition research designs must first be developed and validated. We tested the feasibility of collecting human physiological, cognitive, and subjective experience data concerning brain state, sleep, cognitive workload, and fatigue, during a speleological expedition in a remote region. We document our approaches and challenges experienced, and provide recommendations and suggestions to aid future work. The data support the idea that cave expeditions are relevant naturalistic paradigms that offer unique possibilities for cognitive neuroscience to complement laboratory work and help improve human performance and safety in operational environments.

Interdisciplinary aspect in the organization of research and project activities of students of a technical university: on the example of the "Graph theory" discipline

The article considers the possibilities of using educational and professional humanitarian-oriented research tasks in the educational process of the university as a means of forming and developing research skills of students of technical specialties. The process of solving educational and professional tasks is considered by the example of constructing an optimal route using graph theory methods.

Chemical composition of sediment and macrozoobenthos of small urban lakes, the Republic of Karelia, Russia

Assessing the benthic communities in water bodies under increasing anthropogenic pressure seems to be an urgent task of scientific research aimed at short-term and long-term monitoring of water bodies. This study focuses on the chemical composition of modern sediment and the current state of macrozoobenthos of small lakes in the Republic of Karelia (Kitaiskoe and Plotichie) influenced by anthropogenic factors. It was discovered that the lakes of Medvezhyegorsk have a higher concentration of heavy metals (such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), molybdenum (Mo), and antimony (Sb),) compared to the Earth’s crust and natural background levels. The current study established the significant impact of industry and transportation on the movement and build up of pollutants in these lakes. The qualitative and quantitative parameters analysed for the benthic communities in the littoral and profundal zones included the species diversity, the structure of dominant species, and their percentage in the samples. According to the level of macrozoobenthos development, both reservoirs (lakes) were classified as mesotrophic, and according to the values of the chironomid index “K” as moderately polluted. The Pantle–Buck method (saprobic index) showed that the lakes can be classified as polluted (water quality class 4). Macrozoobenthos groups most tolerant to environmental conditions, for example, Chironomidae larvae, prevailed in the studied urban lakes. The economic development of the lakes leads to ecosystem transformation and long-term eutrophication over time affecting the biotic indicators of surface water quality. The results obtained can serve as a basis for complex environmental monitoring of the urbanized territories in the taiga zone.