A Robust Design for Aperture-Level Simultaneous Transmit and Receive with Digital Phased Array

Aperture-level simultaneous transmit and receive (ALSTAR) attempts to utilize adaptive digital transmit and receive beamforming and digital self-interference cancellation methods to establish isolation between the transmit and receive apertures of the single-phase array. However, the existing methods only discuss the isolation of ALSTAR and ignore the radiation efficiency of the transmitter and the sensitivity of the receiver. The ALSTAR array design lacks perfect theoretical support and simplified engineering implementation. This paper proposes an adaptive random group quantum brainstorming optimization (ARGQBSO) algorithm to simplify the array design and improve the overall performance. ARGQBSO is derived from BSO and has been ameliorated in four aspects of the ALSTAR array, including random grouping, initial value presets, dynamic probability functions, and quantum computing. The transmit and receive beamforming carried out by ARGQBSO is robust to all elevation angles, which reduces complexity and is conducive to engineering applications. The simulated results indicate that the ARGQBSO algorithm has an excellent performance, and achieves 166.8 dB of peak EII, 47.1 dBW of peak EIRP, and −94.6 dBm of peak EIS with 1000 W of transmit power in the scenario of an 8-element array.

Assessment of Tobacco Dependence in Al-Bayda City, Libya

Tobacco is the second leading cause of the death in adults in the world today. This is because of tobacco dependence. Therefore, aim of this study is to assess the level of nicotine dependence through a small random group of smokers in the city of Al-Bayda using the Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence and to know the extent of desire to quit and take action. The study included 150 male smokers, with an age group ranging between 18-60 years, in the period between February and June 2020 through a questionnaire containing six questions from the Fagerstrom test and collected smoking risks and presence of smoking cessation medications. Data were collected and statistically evaluated using chi-square. Most of the participants had a family history, they were smoking imitating brother, father and friends. The average number of cigarettes consumed was more than 31 cigarettes per day, with a 5-minute time difference being the highest. The rate of desire to smoke was observed in the morning hours more than others. The proportion was also high for those who were unable to stop in public even while ill. Most of them are aware of the existence of drugs that help in smoking cessation. As for the attempts to quit, there were attempts during different periods of time, most of which failed due to physical and social reasons. Most of the results indicate a high rate of dependence among smokers, for reasons that may be social and economic. Therefore, we need more data and a wider study area through health centers and try to understand the reasons for returning to smoking and treating them. work to validate reliability.

Treatment outcome of an intensive psychiatric home treatment for children and adolescents: a non-randomized controlled pilot evaluation

Home treatment (HT) may offer an effective and cost-efficient alternative to inpatient treatment for children and adolescents with acute mental disorders. This study introduces and evaluates a pilot HT project from Bern, Switzerland, with HT completely replacing an inpatient treatment. A total of n = 133 children and adolescents with acute mental disorders and inpatient treatment needs were treated either in the new HT program (n = 37) or in an active control group with inpatient treatment as usual (I-TAU, n = 96). Psychopathological burden was assessed by the Health of the Nation Outcome Scale for Children and Adolescents clinician-rated (HoNOSCA) and self-rated (HoNOSCA-SR) at the time of admission and at discharge. Treatment effects were assessed and compared using Augmented Inverse Probability Weights to adjust for baseline differences and to control for treatment duration. Participants ranged in age from 6 to 17 years (M = 13.71 years, SD = 2.93), 54% were female. HT resulted in significant improvements in the HoNOSCA (d = 0.79, p < .001) and HoNOSCA-SR (d = 0.63, p = .006). No significant differences on treatment effects were observed between HT and the reference group I-TAU in the HoNOSCA (d = 0.01, p = .96) or the HoNOSCA-SR (d = 0.11, p = .63). Overall, results indicate HT to be an effective alternative for children and adolescents with acute mental health disorders instead of hospitalization. Further evaluation with random group allocation and long-term follow-up should attempt to replicate and extend the current findings.

Anti-bacterial Efficacy of WHO Recommended Locally made Alcohol based Hand Rub in a Resource Constraint Environment

Healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) are a major concern and associated with noticeable morbidity and mortality. To combat this, the simple strategy is hand hygiene (HH). In a resource constraint settings one of the important reason for poor hand hygiene compliance is irregular supply of HH products. This study was done to assess the cost effectiveness and acceptability of WHO recommended locally made alcohol based hand rub. The study was carried out in 28 HCPs working in an IMCU. Samples for the assessment of the microbial hand contamination were collected by direct fingerprint of their dominant hand onto the blood agar plates at three different time point. Group A samples collected in random. Group B samples collected immediately after patient physical examination. Group C were group B representatives collected after cleaning their hands with locally made isopropyl alcohol based hand rub. No significant difference in colony count between the groups A and B was observed. On the other hand, there was a statistically significant difference in colony count between the groups B and C (P=0.05). It means that the rubbing of the hands using locally made WHO recommended hand sanitizer enabled to eradicate the bacterial flora remarkably from the hands of HCPs.

Verbal Manipulation in Political Discourse: Metaphors, Clichés, Emotions and Symbols in F. Tuđman’s Speeches During Wartime Period 1990-1995

This article examines verbal manipulation used in the public speeches of Croatian president Franjo Tuđman between the years 1990-1995 in the beginning of Breakup of Yugoslavia and during the Croatian War of Independence. He had to lead his country through turbulent period of changes and conflicts, and he had to persuade the nation and the international community to believe in his plans and his vision. This analysis presupposes that language is intentionally used instrument, not a random group of words and it is important and interesting to have a closer look on what the leaders are saying. Speechwriting is a specific process of creating a speech tailored to given audience because only then it will serve its purpose of persuasion. The speaker must know to whom and at what occasion he or she is talking to and adapt accordingly. For this thesis, four types of verbal manipulation – metaphors, clichés/stereotypes, emotions, and symbols – used by the president are analysed because they have vast manipulative potential. All of them are put into the context of the events happening around the time they were delivered. Direct excerpts from Tuđman’s speeches are provided as an example of this phenomenon with an attempt to explain their manipulative potential.

Poland–Turkey Comparison of Mobile Payments Quality in Pandemic Time

The main objective of this article is to identify and analyze the use of mobile payments in two countries, Poland and Turkey. The data for the study were collected with the application of the CAWI method in March 2021. The survey covered nearly 650 respondents in total. The basis for comparisons was populations from two culturally distinct countries, Poland and Turkey, which are at a similar level of development as regards the use of the Internet. The studies were carried out simultaneously in both countries and examined the group of young people aged 18–25. The research surveyed the population, which included the most active Internet users who are taking full advantage of the benefits of globalization, which is facilitated by the development of the Internet worldwide. The survey was translated into the respondents’ native languages, initially validated during the pilot studies and then distributed and circulated among the study participants. The obtained findings were subject to comparison, and the differences between the samples were analyzed and commented on to verify the hypotheses formulated in the study. The main limitation of the conducted study was the selection of a random group—the research sample consisted only of members of the academic community. The study presented in the article fills the research gap regarding international comparisons of the use of m-payments in the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. The obtained results indicate the undoubted fact of increased interest in the use of m-payments in e-commerce and e-banking, and even more importantly, differences concerning 40% of the criteria/attributes applied to assess the use of m-payments in both countries. The findings can be used by business practitioners dealing with the development of m-payments. Another potential application is to attempt to bridge the gaps between countries, which may be supported by globalization processes.

Energy Poverty among College Students in Japan in a Survey of Students’ Knowledge, Attitude and Practices towards Energy Use

In order to investigate the problem of energy/fuel poverty in Japan, we examined the knowledge, attitude, and practices towards energy usage of a random group of 447 college students in an international university in Japan. The majority of the students were living independently in private or shared accommodations, depended on portable heating/cooling appliances, and were billed directly for their electricity usage. The responses of 205 Japanese and 236 non-Japanese students to a detailed survey about energy consumption for daily living and its cost were collected. The examined variables included students’ monthly income/allowance, energy bills, attributes of energy use including room temperature setting for cooling in summer and heating in winter, the students’ awareness of energy fees, and their attitude towards energy use vs. saving in energy costs. The results indicate that energy bills were perceived as too high by most non-Japanese students as compared to Japanese students, while for both Japanese and non-Japanese students there was a positive correlation between monthly income/allowance and energy bills. The findings suggest that energy poverty is common among college students living independently in Japan, such that, in future research, they may be included in the category of vulnerable households with respect to energy poverty.

Visual Capture of a Tactile Sensation is Influenced by Repeated, Structured Exposure of a Visual Stimulus in Virtual Reality

Phantom limb pain is commonly known as a neurological condition, where an amputee will continue to feel a limb that is no longer present in a painful fashion. Virtual mirror therapy (VMT) has been suggested as a method for alleviating phantom limb pain. The inclusion of tactile sensation in VMT has shown to be beneficial; however, delivering a tactile sensation to a phantom limb, without the use of invasive procedures, can be difficult. The current approach for transferring a tactile sensation to a phantom limb is called visual capture. The ability to establish visual capture has been demonstrated in VMT applications. However, there is little research into whether an established visual capture effect can be relocated to a more distal location for phantom limb pain management. This paper investigates whether a passive vibrotactile sensation can be moved to a distal location from its veridical location using a series of distally located lights presented in either a random or a structured fashion. Eight non-amputee participants were tasked with localising a static tactile sensation on a virtual arm. These vibrotactile sensations were presented simultaneously with a visual light stimulus, either co-located or located distally at three different locations. Findings show that a tactile sensation without a visual stimulus was difficult for participants to localise; however, when a visual stimulus was added, they were better able to locate the veridical tactile position. The structured group exhibited a larger range of tactile relocation responses than the random group. However, this result was unreliable, with the majority of the responses situated at the vibrotactile actuator. There was a significant difference between the random and structured group’s ability to retain a visual capture at the veridical vibrotactile location when the lights were located distally. The random group did not express a visual capture response when the lights were presented distally while the structured group did, suggesting the structured group developed a more robust association between the visual stimulus and the vibrotactile stimulus. Findings may be of use where increasing tactile acuity without significant alteration of a veridical location is a desired therapeutic outcome.

The Contribution of Socio-Cultural Aspects of Smartphone Applications to Smart City Creation. Poland–Turkey Comparison

The main objective of this article is to analyze the use of modern information technologies, referring to the example of smartphones, paying particular attention to selected cultural aspects of the phenomena that appear to play an important role in creating the concept of a smart city. The authors asked a research question: whether there is a difference in the perception of smart cities between Poland and Turkey in terms of a set of individual criteria and cultural differences in the context of globalization processes. The authors decided to compare the use of smartphones in an international environment. In their analysis, they examined Poland and Turkey, the countries which are characterized by markedly distinct culture and customs, but simultaneously present a similar level of IT development. The research was conducted in two stages at the turn of 2019 and 2020, and it involved more than 600 selected young people aged 18–25. It is important to mention that the study consulted the group of the most active internet users who are taking advantage of the benefits of internet-aided globalization. In order to carry out the survey questionnaire, the authors applied a CAWI (Computer Associated Web Interview) method. The original study aimed at identifying the character traits of smartphone users that appear to be most important from the point of view of implementing the concept of a smart city. As a result of this research, 15 such characteristics were identified, and the impact of smartphones on the strengthening or weakening of such qualities was tested in the course of conducting the survey questionnaire. The survey was translated into native languages and initially tested as part of the pilot studies. The results were compared, and the authors have identified and commented on differences between them. They also assessed the degree to which the hypothesis formulated in the research has been verified. The main limitation of the conducted study was the selection of a random group since the research sample consisted only of members of the academic community. The part of the study which is presented in this article fills the research gap related to the impact of smartphones on selected aspects of user behavior (punctuality, individualism, the quantity and quality of contacts) as well as social behavior (homogenization of cultures, the impact on economic and technological progress, strengthening of social bonds, civic responsibility (both in the social and economic sense), personal development initiatives, increase in social activity, sense of security, technological progress, and achieving prosperity). The examined features are particularly important in shaping the idea of smart cities. The results obtained in the study are conducive to expanding the research in this area.

Performance Management and Student Mathematic Disposition through a Posing Problem Approach

This study aims to determine the performance management and mathematical disposition of students through the problem posing approach. This research uses quasi experimental research. The population in this study were 149 students of SMK Sumber Mulyo. The research sample was the cluster random sampling technique (random group sample), that is, one class was selected as a sample subject to treatment through random selection, namely students of class XI SMK TSM totaling 30 students. The results showed that the level of influence between the problem posing approach variable on performance management and students' mathematical dispositions had a high effect. The results of testing the research hypothesis testing problem posing approach to performance management can be seen that the tcount value is 7.560 and ttabet is 1, 781 so that tcount ≥ ttable then Ha1 is accepted, that is, there is a positive and significant influence between the problem posing approach to performance management. Furthermore, the results of the research hypothesis test of the problem posing approach to mathematical disposition, it is known that the tcount value is 6.630 and the t table is 1.981 so that tcount ≥ ttable then Ha2 is accepted, namely that there is a positive and significant influence between the problem posing approach to mathematical disposition.