Search

Using the Eastern Academic Scholars' Trust (EAST) shared print program as the focus, the authors, both of whom are members of the EAST Program Team, discuss the changes that EAST has experienced in the last few years. This includes significant growth of the membership of EAST, particularly with the addition of large library consortia; advances in the software tools that support shared print; the broadening and deepening of collaboration across shared print programs; and the opportunities that exist for further research in support of preserving and providing access to the print scholarly and cultural record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More commonly today, research ethics and misconduct are ideas that are frequently violated. The availability of information sources and the dissemination of awareness among researchers can help to reduce this kind of violation. This study highlights how YouTube can be used to promote discussions of research misconduct and ethics. The study looked into how many videos there are on research ethics and misconduct, which colleges actively provide such videos, and how satisfied viewers are with the available videos by analyzing comments. Various software tools, including Webometric Analyst, R-studio, and Microsoft Excel, were applied for data collection and analysis. On 01-24-2023, 515 videos and 6984 comments were retrieved using the correct search queries that is "Research ethics" OR "Research misconduct" OR "Research conduct" OR "Scientific integrity" OR "Research integrity" OR "Scientific misconduct." Results indicate that 2020 was the most significant year, since the most videos (241) were posted in this year. The channels titled "PPIRCPSC, ABRIZAH A, and ALHOORI H" upload 10, 9, and 8 videos respectively, placing them in the first, second, and third positions. By analyzing viewer comments, it was determined that the majority of comments were favorable, indicating that viewers are generally pleased with the available videos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LiDAR technology introduced the possibility of indirectly estimating various tree parameters. In 2020, Apple incorporated LiDAR sensors into their iPhone 12 Pro. This brings an opportunity to make data collection and plot scanning incredibly convenient. The main aim is to search for a tool and software to estimate the most accurate Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) for individual trees. Therefore, this study focuses on using an iPhone 12 Pro for data collection of individual trees. The performance of three software tools (ForestScanner, rTLS, RANSAC) for the estimation of DBH with field-estimated DBH was compared. The investigation of the significance of the estimation of DBH for each tree species was performed using the three algorithms. In this context, the scanning of 123 trees comprising six species: pine, oak, beech, hornbeam, spruce, and fir was done. DBH was estimated of the scanned tree point cloud using a built-in algorithm of ForestScanner application in the iPhone 12 Pro, RANSAC (CloudCompare plugin), and rTLS (an R-based package). In this study, ForestScanner showed the best results. Therefore, ForestScanner can be used as a reliable tool for measuring DBH. Inferences confirmed by ANOVA and Tukey post-hoc tests show that species significantly influence DBH. Accurate DBH estimation is crucial, and using lightweight devices like the iPhone can revolutionize the forest inventory sector in terms of the estimation of DBH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The syntheses of 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones by one-pot, three-component condensation of aldehydes, β-ketoesters and urea or thiourea have been made more simple and efficient by using 20 mol% hydrazine sulfate as catalyst. Aldehydes, β-ketoesters and urea are cyclocondensed in the presence of hydrazine sulfate to produce dihydropyrimidines in ethanol under reflux conditions. The advantages of using hydrazine sulfate as a catalyst over the traditional Biginelli reaction conditions include outstanding yields (80–91%) and a shorter (10–15 hours) reaction time. In order to evaluate the antibacterial efficiencies of the synthesized compounds, we have studied the inhibitions of microbial proliferation of both Gram-positive (Bacillus brevis) and Gram-negative (E. coli) bacterial strains in comparison to a control group. The microbial inhibitions occur in the range of 40–98% by different derivatives of dihydropyrimidinones. Molecular docking studies of the synthesized compounds have also been done using software tools such as SwissADME. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light exposure fundamentally influences human physiology and behavior, with light being the most important zeitgeber of the circadian system. Throughout the day, people are exposed to various scenes differing in light level, spectral composition and spatio-temporal properties. Personalized light exposure can be measured through wearable light loggers and dosimeters, including wrist-worn actimeters containing light sensors, yielding time series of an individual's light exposure. There is growing interest in relating light exposure patterns to health outcomes, requiring analytic techniques to summarize light exposure properties. Building on the previously published Python-based pyActigraphy module, here we introduce the module pyLight. This module allows users to extract light exposure data recordings from a wide range of devices. It also includes software tools to clean and filter the data, and to compute common metrics for quantifying and visualizing light exposure data. For this tutorial, we demonstrate the use of pyLight in one example dataset with the following processing steps: (1) loading, accessing and visual inspection of a publicly available dataset, (2) truncation, masking, filtering and binarization of the dataset, (3) calculation of summary metrics, including time above threshold (TAT) and mean light timing above threshold (MLiT). The pyLight module paves the way for open-source, large-scale automated analyses of light-exposure data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of various urban planning scenarios using metrics has enhanced consensus-building in participatory planning. Nevertheless, the integration of scenario planning pedagogy remains limited in Latin American nations. To bridge this disparity, scenario planning was integrated into a graduate planning studio in Bogotá over a two-year period. Our investigation focused on enhancements in students’ comprehension of uncertainty, urban metrics, and negotiation. Findings indicate that students successfully generated multiple scenarios rapidly. However, challenges emerged concerning the interpretation of communicative concepts in planning, data accessibility and constraints, as well as issues related to the user-friendliness and interoperability of available software tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a Python-based software tool called RADIAN (RAnDom spatIal dAta geNerator) developed with the purpose of generating simple synthetic spatial datasets. These datasets can be used in many contexts such as teaching and learning of GIS, testing of spatial algorithms, testing and visualization approaches. This paper provides a motivation for the need for a tool such as RADIAN along with a survey of other similar approaches. The methodological component of how RADIAN generates synthetic spatial datasets is described. We describe experimental results from the comparison of RADIAN with QGIS, which is the most closely comparable tool available at the time of writing. Finally, we provide some conclusions on the impact and potential of RADIAN with some interesting avenues for future work and development. RADIAN is available as open-source software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Challenges, strategies and new technologies in the field of biotransformation were presented and discussed at the 5th European Biotransformation Workshop, which was held on March 14, 2024 on the Novartis Campus in Basel, Switzerland. In this meeting report we summarise the presentations and discussions from this workshop. The topics covered are listed below: Advances in understanding drug induced liver injury (DILI) risks of carboxylic acids and targeted covalent inhibitors. Biotransformation of oligonucleotide-based therapeutics including automated software tools for metabolite identification. Recent advances in metabolite synthesis Qualification and validation of a new compact Low Energy Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (LEA) system for metabolite profiling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work is devoted to discuss the transient wave propagation in an isotropic homogenous thermoelastic spherical body with voids due to harmonically varying heat sources in the context of nonlocal thermoelasticity. The constitutive relations and the governing equations are resolved by applying harmonic variations in time and transformed into coupled ordinary differential equations. The outer and the inner surfaces of the sphere are kept stress-free and free from void concentration. A harmonically varying heat source is supplied on the inner surface along the radial direction and the outer surface is assumed to be isothermal. Numerical simulations are implemented to the analytical results with the support of MATLAB software tool. Numerically, generated data are presented graphically for the field variables of interest (temperature, stresses, cubical dilation, displacement and void volume fraction field) and at the end analysis of these results are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's digital landscape, digital images are widely used for communication across various platforms, but they are also vulnerable to tampering and deception. The proliferation of image editing tools and software has made it easier for individuals to manipulate images, but extensive tampering can compromise the accuracy of conveyed information. The human eye is difficult to distinguish between original and tampered images, leading to potential misinformation. Therefore, robust mechanisms using powerful algorithms are crucial to examining image authenticity and detecting forgery. This is especially important in fields like forensics, where evidence manipulation can have significant implications. This work conducts a survey providing a structured overview of research on image forgery techniques and detection approaches. The survey discusses various approaches, including source camera identification, type-dependent and type-independent methods, and recent deep-learning approaches. The survey also presents benchmark datasets for training and validation. The survey aims to improve understanding of research paths in this field and demonstrate how techniques initially developed for a domain can be applied to other areas. It aims to assist other researchers in enhancing their expertise in digital forensics and forgery detection techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjectiveMethodResultsConclusionEating disorders (EDs) take a life every 52 minutes and treatments are ineffective for ∼50% of individuals. Though EDs are heterogeneous illnesses, current evidence-based treatments take a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Network-Informed Personalized Treatment is a new promising treatment for EDs, but clinician-patient-friendly software tools are needed to integrate this guidance system into routine treatment. Adoption is key for impact, necessitating the inclusion of clinicians in the software development. The current pilot assessed a new data-driven clinician-guidance therapeutic.A two-part pilot was analyzed for quantitative (0-not at all to 10-extremely) and qualitative input on user perception through quantitative and open-ended prompted questions evaluating using personalizing ED treatment with the Awaken Digital Guide therapeutic.Results demonstrated that clinicians in a focus group (N = 9) and clinician/patient dyads within implementation (N = 10) endorsed improved efficiency, effectiveness, self-awareness, and accuracy using Awaken Digital Guide compared to current treatment as suggested by quantitative and qualitative results. Both clinicians and patients rated the tool positively (6.8-9.6/5.8-8.6, respectively) with an average rating of good and excellent.Findings suggest that ED-specialized clinicians desire data-driven guidance on personalizing ED treatment. Users perceive Awaken Digital Guide therapeutic with potential to increase collaboration, motivation, efficiency, and effectiveness of ED personalized treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proper scheduling of track maintenance and renewal operations is dependent on the accuracy of predictive maintenance outputs which, in turn, rely on the appropriate modelling of the track geometry degradation process. This paper explores the incidence and representativeness of the alerts generated due to local defects of track geometry and the modelling of their degradation rates between consecutive tamping operations. A software tool was developed and used to process track inspection data collected over 12 years of operation of the main Portuguese line (Lisbon-Porto) on a total of 727 km of single-track lines where speeds vary between 30 and 220 km/h. Linear regressions are found to be suitable to model the degradation rates of local defects of longitudinal levelling, alignment and twist in the vast majority of cases, although 20–30% of the time degradation patterns prove to be non-linear even in the short term. The local defects of alignment degrade more rapidly and trigger 80% of the unplanned maintenance needs. Modelling the evolution of local defects, and not only the standard deviation on sections 200 m long, allows us to anticipate unplanned maintenance and tackle unavailability costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary Taphonomy aims not only to study the analysis of the degradation of biological remains and their transformation into deposits from the past (Palaeontology and Archaeology) but also, together with other disciplines, such as Forensic sciences and Ecology, the study of depositional and postdepositional events concerning the degradation of biological remains in the present. Due to these interactions, Taphonomy has reached a new status as a transdisciplinary area that supports the interpretation of degradation processes in a broad sense, which would be applicable in the immediate future to other areas such as Material sciences or Medicine. However, such a wide and complex research panorama requires an agreement on common terminology. This is crucial in relation with the use of the concepts preservation and conservation, which are widely used in many scientific areas and represent nowadays a dilemma incorporated into Taphonomy. Using the Scopus database and network software analysis tools, we have explored the relationships between concepts and disciplines implicated in the taphonomic analysis. Our results show that both terms have acquired different nuances over time in each scientific discipline implicated in the study of degradation and, depending on the circumstances and language, are sometimes used as synonymous or even misused. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing interest in being able to automatically extract colours of garments from images. Automatic image analysis may allow the development of data-driven approaches to, for example, colour forecasting. A neural network (pix2pix) was trained on streetstyle fashion images to predict the semantic class of each pixel in the image. The trained network was able to correctly identify the class of each pixel in 93% of cases. A total of 10 participants were each asked to select three colours from each of 10 additional images to represent the clothes being worn. Colour palettes were extracted from the images using cluster analysis of those pixels identified by pix2pix as being clothes and compared with cluster analysis of the whole image. The work shows that pixel-based semantic analysis is effective for automatically generating colour palettes for clothes in digital images. This approach can provide effective software tools for colour designers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioacoustics increasingly relies on large datasets and computational methods. The need to batch-process large amounts of data and the increased focus on algorithmic processing require software tools. To optimally assist in a bioacoustician's workflow, software tools need to be as simple and effective as possible. Five years ago, the Python package Parselmouth was released to provide easy and intuitive access to all functionality in the Praat software. Whereas Praat is principally designed for phonetics and speech processing, plenty of bioacoustics studies have used its advanced acoustic algorithms. Here, we evaluate existing usage of Parselmouth and discuss in detail several studies which used the software library. We argue that Parselmouth has the potential to be used even more in bioacoustics research, and suggest future directions to be pursued with the help of Parselmouth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzing substrate noise for an n-channel MOSFET (NMOS) substrate has been developed using various concepts such as virtual separation concept, p-contact to p-contact model and transistor switching noise model. A design is necessary for the substrate design development to minimize noise in FoMs (Figure Of Merits) and reduce threshold voltage developed noise. In the proposed model, a substrate-induced chip used for finding the noise in drain current has been improved with the increased doping density of an NMOS device. From a substrate noise coupling network with the proposed low signal equivalent circuit, the system measures noise at NMOS substrate using a hot carrier injection model. The proposed concept has been implemented in TCAD-SILVACO software, the design was made in ATHENA, and its corresponding electrical characteristics are simulated by the ATLAS software tool. This model extracts parameters such as overall noise in FoMs, drain current-gate current bias analysis, cross-correlation, and minimized threshold value. After capacitive coupling is achieved over different operation conditions and dimensions, excellent output is from simulated noise data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A PID tuning approach is presented to achieve an optimal compromise among robustness, performance and control effort in terms of measurement noise amplification. The tuning strategy is based on the concept of fixed robustness tuning line, in which the derivative filter parameter is a key point in finding the compromise between control effort due to noise and performance. The approach allows to find the controller that optimises the performance while fulfils a prescribed robustness constraint and a permitted control effort due to noise. The tuning procedure has been implemented in a software tool that can be freely downloaded from . The robustness can be defined in three different ways, involving the phase margin, the gain margin and the sensitivity peak. The performance can be defined in several ways, including the IAE, ITAE, ISE and other. Some examples show the validity of the approach and the use of the tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the service life calculation of high-temperature components the knowledge of the creep behaviour of the materials used remain essential. Over decades, many methods have been developed for extrapolating creep rupture strengths. The challenge with these Creep Rupture Data Assessments (CRDAs), however, always remains evaluating the predictive accuracy of creep life. New computer-aided calculation methods allow the use of extensive data on the casts and other experimental data, as well as the application of probabilistic methods. Within the ECCC, software tools are being developed that both leverage the capabilities of new powerful computer-aided computational methods and allow for simultaneous assessment with post-assessment testing in accordance with ECCC recommendations. The authors would like to point out that despite all available tools and guidelines, the expertise and experience of the assessor is an indispensable guarantor for a reliable evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce VIREO, a web-based software tool for graphical authoring of vibrotactile feedback for mobile and wearable applications. VIREO enables flexible specification of vibrotactile patterns with model-based and free-draw input, and is compatible with devices that run JavaScript, either natively or in a web browser. We demonstrate VIREO with applications developed for smartphones, smartwatches, armbands, and smartglasses, and we present the results of a usability evaluation study with sixteen participants represented by coders with various programming experience. We discuss our contributions in the context of the results of a Systematic Literature Review conducted on the topic of software tools, editors, and platforms developed in the scientific community for authoring vibrotactile feedback. Given that one finding of our review is the little availability of such contributions, we release VIREO as a free resource on the web for researchers and practitioners to author and integrate vibrotactile feedback in mobile and wearable applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crime exploration using geographic information systems (GIS) has been a topic of interest for decades, but a comprehensive appraisal has yet to be published in the domain. This is the first article to thoroughly explain crime exploration using GIS from a global perspective, analyze its large information base, and assess its evolving dynamics. Bibliometric analysis was carried out using the Bibliometric R-tool and VOSviewer, which are both software tools that provide a systematic overview, assisting scholars in acquiring insights into this domain. For this assessment, 755 academic documents published between 1989 and 2022 were retrieved from the SCOPUS metadata. The database has been examined and mapped using various criteria, including yearly publication outputs, production and influence assessment, citations, networks, and keyword analysis. The search revealed numerous intriguing details like the most significant documents, most relevant authors, most notable countries, prominent institutions and their areas of research interest, journals publishing in the domain, and emerging research trends. The use of cluster analysis further delineates three major research areas: the relevance of geospatial technology in spatial crime analysis, crime mapping and visualization, and crime prediction using advanced machine learning techniques. Finally, this bibliometric investigation also reveals that crime forecasting is an emerging trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable business performance is a rapidly growing field of research that encompasses both academia and business. The purpose of this study is to identify current and emerging research trends and provide a comprehensive map of the knowledge structure in the field of sustainable business performance, consistent with recent developments in bibliometric research. Therefore, this article offers a comprehensive bibliometric analysis based on the performance analysis and science mapping of the academic literature related to sustainable business performance published between 1996 and 2021 in 807 publications on the Web of Science. By using two powerful bibliometric visual software tools, VosViewer and CiteSpace, and by applying various bibliometric analyses such as co-citation analysis, co-authorship analysis, bibliographic coupling, co-occurrence of keywords analysis, burst detection analysis, and timeline view analysis, this paper presents the fundamental characteristics of the body of knowledge in this research field, while identifying the most influential publications, institutions, source titles, countries, and authors, and the evolution of keywords these years. The paper concludes with a discussion of the most popular research topics and identification of emerging research pattern areas that should be on the future research agenda for researchers interested in sustainable business performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unprecedented pandemic, named COVID-19, impacts the entire world and has been experienced in 2020. Due to the lack of treatment, all the researchers in each and every field concentrated to deal with it. Primarily in computer science, the contribution involves the development of approaches for detection, diagnosis and prediction of COVID-19 scenarios. In this field, Deep Learning (DL) and Data Science are the most extensively exploited approaches. This review outlines 50 research papers and also presents different approaches to identifying COVID-19. Here, these papers are classified and analysed into various categories and this survey presents details, like software tools employed, utilised datasets, published years and performance metrics, exploited in those papers. Moreover, the collected information is reviewed and graphical information regarding the result and analysis is presented. The research gaps and problems raised in conventional COVID-19 approaches are explained. For this review, the future work is on the basis of the research gaps and issues identified from the research strategies. Additionally, the result and analysis exhibit that the MATLAB software tool is extensively used for detection of COVID-19 and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model is the frequently utilised approach for COVID-19 detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurement bias (MB), or differences in the measurement properties of a latent variable, is often evaluated for a single categorical background variable (e.g., gender). However, recent statistical advances now allow MB to be simultaneously evaluated across multiple continuous and categorical background variables (e.g., gender, age, culture). Regularization has also shown promising results for selecting true differential item functioning (DIF) effects in high-dimensional measurement models. Despite this progress, current software tools make it difficult for applied researchers to implement regularized DIF (Reg-DIF). The regDIF R package is thus introduced and shown to be a relatively fast and flexible implementation of the Reg-DIF method. Namely, regDIF allows for simultaneous modeling of multiple background variables, a variety of different item response functions, and multiple types of penalty methods, among other possibilities. This article demonstrates these features using simulated and real data and provides example code for researchers to use in their own work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calculating power and delay in VLSI circuits are two main challenges in designing CMOS VLSI circuits. The manuscript proposes a lector technique-based foot-driven stack transistor domino logic for power and delay reduction. The lector technique uses two leakage-controlled transistors, PMOS and NMOS. The gate terminal of PMOS is connected to the source of NMOS, and the gate terminal of NMOS is connected to the source of PMOS. NMOS transistor N5 is used in the proposed circuit, driven by a dynamic node, which helps to reduce the power. This manuscript uses the proposed technique to design a buffer, two-input – AND gate, OR gate, and XOR gate circuits. The logic gates are simulated on the gpdk 45 nm cadence virtuoso software tool. The simulation result shows that the proposed domino logic circuit significantly reduces power, delay, energy, and leakage current. Monte Carlo analysis is performed to study the mean and standard deviation of the proposed circuit with 1000 samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce GearWheels, a software tool for studies about gesture input with wearables, including smartwatches, rings, and glasses. GearWheels features an event-based asynchronous software architecture design implemented exclusively with web standards, communications protocols, and data formats, which makes it flexible to support many wearables via HTTP and WebSocket communications. GearWheels differentiates from prior software tools for gesture acquisition, elicitation, recognition, and analysis with its web-based, wearable-oriented, experiment-centered architecture design. We demonstrate GearWheels with a device affixed to the index finger, wrist, and the temple of a pair of glasses to illustrate touch stroke-gesture and motion-gesture input acquisition. We also perform a technical evaluation of GearWheels in the form of a simulation experiment, and report the request-response time performance of the software components of GearWheels with off-the-shelf wearables. We release GearWheels as open source software to assist researchers and practitioners in implementing studies about gesture input with wearables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A power factor correction-based hybrid converter operating in continuous conduction mode with high efficiency and voltage conversion ratio is presented in this publication. The proposed converter is obtained by integrating the single-ended primary inductance converter (SEPIC) and the Cuk converter to produce a DC symmetrical balanced dual output voltage across the load without a common ground between source and load. The modeling of the converter by state space model is derived using the state space averaging technique. The cascaded control strategy using a multiplier approach with a cascaded controller and PI-Hysteresis-based controller is employed for shaping the source current and load voltage. The performance analysis of the suggested converter under steady state and transient conditions is carried out in MATLAB/Simulink software tool. The observed result displays that cascaded control yields excellent performance compared to PI-Hysteresis control in satisfying the IEC 61000-3-2 standard by maintaining a power factor close to unity, and reduced total harmonic distortion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accelerating time–current (ATC) curves of induction motors are normally used for setting, selecting, and coordinating their overcurrent protective devices against heating. Conventionally, the ATC curves can be computed using commercial software tools via a dynamic simulation. This approach always needs a completed set of motor circuit-model parameters, which are typically unavailable to users. To eliminate this problem, this article addresses a direct approach to calculate the ATC curves from commonly available manufacturer data sheets of motors without using the sophisticated simulation tool. Mathematical models of motor's torque and current curves, taking a nonlinear deep-bar effect into account, are proposed for the ATC determination. The computed torque and current profiles are validated by comparison with those generated from the Matlab simulation tool, published equivalent-circuit parameters, and field measurements. An accuracy of the obtained ATC curves is also assessed against those of the dynamic simulations. The satisfactory results are entirely obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of the 'Safe Return to Port' (SRtP) regulations strongly impacted the design of passenger ships. To meet the functional requirements of these regulations, the systems on board reached an extreme level of complexity in terms of redundancy and segregation, considerably increasing the difficulties to assess the compliance of the designs. However, non-compliant designs are a major risk for every design company which must prevent at all costs the possibility of expensive re-designs in later stages of the process. The aim of this research is to address the gap in the literature and in the market of design support tools, presenting a method to effectively mitigate the risks of non-compliant solutions with SRtP. The method comprises a thorough analysis of the spaces on board and a software tool for the assessment of the correct placement of the systems components. The value of the solution proposed was assessed in two case studies in which the method has been proven capable of effectively identifying the non-compliant solutions in a convenient and time-saving manner. Additional features for the suggestion of solutions to achieve the compliance have been implemented in the tool to further support designers during the complex design process of SRtP projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the use of different technological equipment, it becomes a complex challenge to have a fully integrated operating room, with adequate communication between devices. In this paper, we present the Medical Image Guided and Holographic TherapY (MIGHTY) platform, a software development kit for surgical applications that integrates computer-assisted planning, augmented reality, real-time imaging and collaborative robotics in the same environment. To show MIGHTY's capabilities, a representative use case – abdominal biopsy – is addressed. We tested quantitatively the throughput of the involved applications, and the precision of the scene-tracking methods. Throughput results scored satisfactorily high in regards to the system's real-time performance, and the tracking methods, although improvable, were good for the purpose of this work, which aims on the integration and cooperation of all the involved technologies, rather than on the individual accuracy of each one of them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the extraction of lutein and zeaxanthin from Arthrospira Platensis (spirulina), with traditional protocols as a reference and response surface methodology as a tool for optimisation. An enhanced extraction procedure was developed for obtaining higher lutein concentration. The extraction process is further optimised using the central composite method, with the aid of design software tools. Methanol was used as the extracting solvent in a fixed ratio with dry spirulina powder. Saponification and hydrolysis using KOH, water and ethyl acetate/dichloromethane were done for isolating lutein and zeaxanthin from its ester. Ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry was used for analysing the absorbance of the lutein sample at a wavelength of 445 nm. Using the Response Surface Methodology, trials of various combinations are run for finding optimum conditions of saponification. The major variables were reaction time, reaction temperature and concentration of KOH. Temperature range of 45–75°C, the reaction time of 45–70 min and KOH concentrations ranging from 2% to 10% are observed as the optimum range. The sample is filtered using a PVDF membrane and stored in acetone or isopropyl alcohol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An approximate carry select adder (CSLA) with reverse carry propagation (RCSLA) is showed in this work. This RCSLA was designed with reverse carry propagate full adder (RCPFA). In RCPFA structure, the carry signal propagates in the reverse direction that is from MSB part to LSB part, then the carry input has greater importance compared to the output carry. Three types of implementations were designed in RCPFA based on the design parameters. This method was applied to RCA & CSLA to design other types of approximate adders. These designs and simulations were done in CADENCE Software tool with 45 nm COMS technology. The design parameters of the three CSLA implementations with RCPFA are compared with the existing CSLA adders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citation analysis can uncover ways to apply the use of software in different research synergies. A cited reference search on MATLAB in the Web of Science database retrieved 6,873 citing articles from 2000 to 2020. These articles were analyzed by research areas to reveal the use of MATLAB in unexpected subject-specific disciplines. The VOSviewer software tool was used to generate and analyze keyword co-occurrence clusters by research area. The study found that MATLAB not only holds applications in the Technology and the Physical Sciences disciplines but also extends to the Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Social Sciences, and Arts & Humanities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functionality of commercial building thermostats is often not well understood by occupants. This can lead to users feeling discontent and/or frustrated and may contribute to inefficient thermostat operation and related energy outcomes. Thus, the usability of such thermostats is critical to elicit effective operation from users. However, usability principles (e.g., intuitive colors, icon standardization) are rarely prioritized in thermostat interfaces. This study investigates the relationship between usability principles and thermostat interfaces using a comparative study. Two prototype commercial building thermostat interfaces were examined: one that resembles current devices (control thermostat) and one that incorporates usability principles (experimental thermostat). Eighty-five participants participated in an online survey and user test, during which they were asked to perform various tasks on both interfaces. Participants rated various aspects of each interface (e.g., the overall intuitiveness, a specific feature). Human-interface interactions were recorded by Useberry, an interface prototyping software tool. The success rate for usability tasks was largely the same between control and experimental thermostats; however, most participants (78%) preferred the additional features offered by the experimental interface. This paper serves to both explore novel thermostat features that aim to improve usability as well as introducing rapid prototyping as a solution to improve commercial building thermostat usability. Comparative tests between a traditional and a feature-rich thermostat interface Implementation of online survey incorporating software-based prototypes Assessment of software-based prototype thermostat usability Determining important features for commercial building thermostats [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chimeric RNAs are gaining more and more attention as they have broad implications in both cancer and normal physiology. To date, over 40 chimeric RNA prediction methods have been developed to facilitate their identification from RNA sequencing data. However, a limited number of studies have been conducted to compare the performance of these tools; additionally, previous studies have become outdated as more software tools have been developed within the last three years. In this study, we benchmarked 16 chimeric RNA prediction software, including seven top performers in previous benchmarking studies, and nine that were recently developed. We used two simulated and two real RNA-Seq datasets, compared the 16 tools for their sensitivity, positive prediction value (PPV), F-measure, and also documented the computational requirements (time and memory). We noticed that none of the tools are inclusive, and their performance varies depending on the dataset and objects. To increase the detection of true positive events, we also evaluated the pair-wise combination of these methods to suggest the best combination for sensitivity and F-measure. In addition, we compared the performance of the tools for the identification of three classes (read-through, inter-chromosomal and intra-others) of chimeric RNAs. Finally, we performed TOPSIS analyses and ranked the weighted performance of the 16 tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IQ tests provide numerous scores, but valid interpretation of those scores is dependent on how precisely each score reflects its intended construct and whether it provides unique information independent of other constructs. Thus, IQ scores must be evaluated for their reliability and dimensionality to determine their psychometric utility. As a tutorial, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Fifth Edition (WISC-V) scores were evaluated and it was demonstrated that the WISC-V is multidimensional, but only the Full-Scale IQ (FSIQ) was found to be sufficiently reliable for clinical use. WISC-V group factors were not well defined and WISC-V index (i.e., factor) scores were contaminated with variance from other constructs and insufficiently reliable for clinical decisions. Clinicians were encouraged to go beyond structural goodness of fit and evaluate IQ test scores in terms of their reliability and ability to provide information that is not available from the general ability score as well their predictive and treatment validity. Software was provided to assist in that evaluation. Impact Statement IQ tests provide numerous scores, but valid interpretation of those scores is dependent on how precisely each score reflects its intended construct and whether it provides unique information independent of other constructs. Thus, IQ scores must be evaluated for their reliability and dimensionality to determine their psychometric utility. This article describes an evidence-based approach that clinicians can employ to assess the psychometric utility of IQ scores, supplies software tools to assist in that analysis, and provides a tutorial example using Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Fifth Edition (WISC-V) scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

These time-based travel models, Gilbert and Woodcock argue, aim to reduce urban dispersion by concentrating activities within the time-frames in contrast to automobile travel which disperses activity through travel speed. This is the second special issue arising from the 10th State of Australasian Cities Conference (SOAC) hosted by a consortium of Melbourne-based universities: RMIT University, the University of Melbourne, Monash University and Swinburne University of Technology. Kent's paper offers an important point of departure for travel research, such that familial travel has been often overlooked as a key multi-occupant trip component of overall travel demand, despite most travel surveys being conducted at the household scale. [Extracted from the article]

Health protection agencies require scientific information for evidence-based decision-making and guideline development. However, vetting and collating large quantities of published research to identify relevant high-quality studies is a challenge. One approach to address this issue is the use of adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) that provide a framework to assemble toxicological knowledge into causally linked chains of key events (KEs) across levels of biological organization to culminate in an adverse health outcome of significance to regulatory decision-making. Traditionally, AOPs have been constructed using a narrative review approach where the collection of evidence that supports each pathway is based on prior knowledge of influential studies that can also be supplemented by individually selecting and reviewing relevant references. We aimed to create a protocol for AOP weight of evidence gathering that harnesses elements of both scoping review methods and artificial intelligence (AI) tools to increase transparency while reducing bias and workload of human screeners. To develop this protocol, an existing space-health AOP in the workplan of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) AOP Programme was used as a case example. To balance the benefits of both scoping review tools and narrative approaches, a study protocol outlining a screening and search strategy was developed, and three reference collection workflows were tested to identify the most efficient method to inform weight of evidence. The workflows differed in their literature search strategies, and combinations of software tools used. Across the three tested workflows, over 59 literature searches were completed, retrieving over 34,000 references of which over 3300 were human reviewed. The most effective of the three methods used a search strategy with searches across each component of the AOP network, SWIFT Review as a pre-filtering software, and DistillerSR to create structured screening and data extraction forms. This methodology effectively retrieved relevant studies while balancing efficiency in data retrieval without compromising transparency, leading to a well-synthesized evidence base to support the AOP. The workflow is still exploratory in the context of AOP development, and we anticipate adaptations to the protocol with further experience. To further the systematicity, future iterations of the workflow could include structured quality assessment and risk of bias analysis. Overall, the workflow provides a transparent and documented approach to support AOP development, which in turn will support the need for rigorous methods to identify relevant scientific evidence while being practical to allow uptake by the broader community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced Planning Systems (APS) can contribute to improved decision-making and enhanced efficiency along complex food supply chains. This paper presents a systematic literature review of three increasingly important supply chain planning (SCP) tasks supported by APS, namely Supply Chain Network Design (SCND), Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) and Production Planning & Scheduling (PP&S). Furthermore, academic literature on the implementation of software tools for SCP practices is investigated. The literature review reveals that multiple models for SCP practices have been developed. Empirical literature including case studies on the implementation of APS is sparse. The findings suggest that developed models for the examined planning tasks are implemented to a limited extent in practice. The study can help practitioners in the food industry to get insights regarding the opportunities by the areas of SCP examined in this paper. A theoretical framework providing research propositions to enhance the understanding of APS implementation is introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights the use of software agents and simulating real-world medical phenomena. We start with a brief overview of different approaches and tools for developing software agents and running simulations. One of the more recent tools was utilized in this paper to develop a model of disease spread in a population of agents and for performing experiments. We proposed an extension of the SIRD model, which includes a new state for agents, spatial component, and also different risk groups based on age. Multiple factors affect the longevity of a pathogen in a given population, for instance, its infectivity and deadliness. This paper shows interesting results of extensive experiments performed with novel, modified SIRD model and impact of key factors on disease spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our article presents a finely granulated perspective on the technical objects of datafication. We contend that such cross-disciplinary focus provides a more rigorous material grounding for a critical analysis of the socio-cultural and political economic effects of mobile actors expanding and extending personal data economies. We propose a two-part hypothesis. First, that the mobile is enabling a more mature phase of datafication. Second, that this phase is best understood by examining the relationality between mobile permissions and embedded, third party services known as SDKs (software development kits). Our innovative method seeks to cultivate greater technical fluency for humanities and social science researchers and to offer non-experts greater agency over the myriad ways in which datafication increasingly subsumes our everyday lives. We proceed by (i) a review of existing technical and social scientific literatures; (ii) introducing the platform and resources we created, which holds the permissions and SDKs of over 7000 applications; and (iii) presenting preliminary findings from workshops held at 2019 OrgCon Digital Rights conference with Berlin based non-profit organisation, Tactical Tech. We conclude with a call for a microscopic perspective on the technical objects that comprise application infrastructures. We contend that only a more grounded understanding of their generative capacities can improve our understanding how datafication is extended in platforms like Google and Facebook via the app services they provide and thus instantiating themselves across this ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of InGaAsP and InGaAs cap layers in InP n-p-n heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) is presented. The common figures of merit (FOM) in each case are compared to assess their potentials for operation at high frequency. The Gummel-Poon plot of experimental reported result has been used to validate the data obtained from simulation using ATLAS module of Silvaco software tool. After models validation in TCAD tool, the DC and RF characteristics of the HBTs with different cap layers are examined and then a comparative analysis is carried out based on the characteristics such as I–V behaviour, frequency response, minimum noise figure and maximum cut-off frequency. With the change in InGaAs cap to InGaAsP cap, the DC current gain increases from 255 to 300, VCE,offset is reduced from 131 to 76 mV, Early Voltage (VA) increases from −42 to −190 V, cut-off frequency ft is increased from 24.34 MHz to 8.04 GHz, and the maximum oscillation of frequency(fmax) is improves from 13.79 to 37.11 GHz [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archival aerial photographs are among the most common, voluminous, and frequently used collections in map and geography libraries because of the unique and important spatial information that they contain. They are, however, an underutilized resource because they are challenging to work with and due to misconceptions about their quality. Therefore, developing efficient workflows to convert archival aerial photographs into research-quality digital spatial data is an important next step in making them accessible to a broad range of potential users. The present study tested three software to georeference, orthorectify, and mosaic 15 digitized archival photographs. Using positional accuracy and aesthetics of output mosaics as measures of software performance, all three completed the task impressively well. Output image spatial resolution and positional accuracy were found to be comparable to common public-domain contemporary aerial photography datasets like those produced by the National Agricultural Imagery Program. We also assessed software ease of use by geospatial professionals who were not trained photogrammetrists and found all three to be accessible with care and training resources. The software tools to efficiently convert archival aerial photographs into research-quality digital spatial data have finally matured to the point where collection managers can reasonably consider collection scale conversion projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In line with the recent economic growth, especially in developing countries, human concern for the environment has increased over time. This paradigm shift has influenced many developing countries to pay more attention to the issues related to the use of synthetic plastics. Both industry and consumers are intrigued to discover the: economic characteristics, environmental consequences, and social attitudes to the benefits of biodegradable plastics. Biodegradable plastics are useful in packaging, agriculture, gastronomy, consumer electronics, and the automotive industry. This paper seeks to explain the prospects of biodegradable plastics regarding social, economic, and environmental sustainability and recognizes the latest advances in enzyme-based biodegradation of plastics in order to reduce plastics' negative effects and to make the environment safe. A multi-disciplinary strategy is a unique approach, with studies carried out across the triple bottom line (TBL) approach on three distinct sustainability concepts (economic characteristics, environmental consequences, and social attitudes). These three subjects were carefully chosen for their respective targets. This paper has used ATLAS.ti 9 software tools to thoroughly analyze the literature to save, identify, and assess this study's data. Therefore, the research showed that the environmental component was the most critical factor with the economic second and social third. We review bio-based and biodegradable polymers and highlight the value of biodegradable end-of-life management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large percentage of subsurface hydrocarbon reservoirs are characterized as very complex due to presence of small to large scale fractures. Modeling of multi-physics processes like, environmental flow, CO2 sequestration, hydrocarbon flows, and so on, through such geologically complex reservoirs is challenging. Main challenges comes from the large scale variation in the fracture scales. Use of traditional modeling approaches, based on dual-porosity/dual permeability medium, to model such complex systems is complicated and results in incorrect flow patterns. Precise and efficient modeling of the fracture networks requires fractures to be represented as lower dimensional objects, which requires an efficient gridding technique. In last decade alone modeling of flow through discrete fracture systems has attracted attention from a number of researchers. As a result few new gridding and discretization techniques have been proposed to model flow through discrete fracture network systems (DFNs). DFN's usually involve very high or very low angle fracture-fracture intersections and sometime presence of small to very large length scale fracture networks. In this article an efficient workflow for meshing of large scale complex DFN's networks as lower dimensional objects is presented supported by quantitative results with aim of developing a software tool box, which could be coupled to a subsurface multi-phase flow simulator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to inspect the nonlocal Erigen's elasticity model for free vibrations of thermoelastic diffusive sphere in the reference of dual-phase-lag (DPL) model of generalized thermoelasticity. The effect of non-locality and different models of generalized thermoelasticity, i.e. dual-phase-lag (DPL), Lord–Shulman (LS) models and coupled thermoelasticity (CTE) in the presence and absence of diffusion, has been taken under investigation. Due to time harmonic vibrations, the constitutive relations and governing equations are transformed into ordinary differential equations. By applying the stress free thermal boundary conditions, the frequency equation has been taken under investigation for the possible modes of vibrations in compact form. To discover free vibration analysis from frequency equations, the numerical functional iteration technique has been applied for generating numerical data with the assistance of MATLAB software tools. The obtained analytical results have been presented graphically from numerical computations and simulations. The effect of elastic nonlocality on the frequency shift and thermoelastic damping is represented graphically in some cases of interest and analyzed the obtained numerical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carcinogenicity testing is necessary to protect human health and comply with regulations, but testing it with the traditionally used two-year rodent studies is time-consuming and expensive. In certain cases, such as for impurities, alternative methods may be convenient. Thus there is an urgent need for alternative approaches for reliable and robust assessments of carcinogenicity. The Monte Carlo technique with CORAL software is a tool to tackle this task for unknown compounds using available experimental data for a representative set of compounds. The models can be constructed with the simplified molecular input line entry system without additional physicochemical descriptors. We describe here a model based on a data set of 1167 substances. Matthew's correlation coefficient values for calibration and validation sets are 0.747 and 0.577, respectively. Double bonds between carbon atoms and double bonds of oxygen atoms are the molecular features that indicate the carcinogenic potential of a compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stability at the stance phase and near normal able-bodied swing phase kinematics are essential in designing the prosthetic knee mechanism for transfemoral amputees. Primarily, insufficient mid swing toe clearance results in asymmetrical gait patterns, leading to muscular-skeletal pain and joint degeneration. The present work is focused on synthesizing a polycentric knee mechanism to enhance the toe-clearance at mid-swing for safe level ground walking of amputees in developing countries. Both fixed and moving centrodes of the four-bar knee mechanism are considered in optimal synthesis of the mechanism for achieving able-bodied gait patterns using evolutionary algorithms in mechanism design software tools. The knee stability at heel contact, stabilizing moment at push-off, stable knee flexion range, maximum knee flexion and maximum toe-clearance at mid-swing are the parameters used for comparing the knee design with the existing commercially available designs. The optimized results are then verified experimentally by building a functional prototype using a 3 D printing technique. The designed mechanism executes nominal performance in four parameters and offers enhanced toe-clearance during mid-swing. This is a significant improvement over the existing designs for amputees to navigate comfortably on irregular terrain in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural tourism is a vital means of rural development. There exist a great deal of interdependence and complementarity between the two. Rural tourism offers an alternative attraction of rurality as a diversification and regenerative strategy to bring about socio-economic development with minimal adversity. This research presents advancements in research trends for rural tourism and rural development during 2001–2020 by critically reviewing and analysing published academic literature. A systematic bibliometric analysis was conducted on the literature retrieved from the Scopus database using the VOS Viewer software tool. Using the specific keywords "Rural Tourism" and "Rural Development," 225 articles were reviewed and analysed. The results show that studies concerning these keywords have gained momentum and wider acceptability after 2010. China tops the list in publishing most research articles, followed by Spain and Italy. Research findings provide a comprehensive assessment of academic productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary goal of integrating and deploying microgrids in India is to facilitate economic development, increase energy access, enhance energy security, and reduce environmental pollutions. Microgrids have the potential to provide solutions to the long-standing energy problems being faced by developing countries like Iran, India, Nigeria, etc. In this research paper, a review on different generation and storage alternatives of microgrids, major microgrid projects in India, challenges faced by microgrids, protection and control of microgrid, regulatory policies, monitoring of microgrid, and future prospective of microgrids have been presented. The paper also assesses specific software tools and theoretical review of various energy alternatives for microgrid design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]