Journals
2025 EN
Kalyanasundaram P. · Arunachalam Rajesh · Mohan E.
+1 more
ABSTRACT Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) are utilized mostly for the collection of data, specifically to perform complex schemes. Thus, the issues of sensor networks and mission‐critical sensors are the implementation of Energy Efficiency (EE) routing protocols. Thus, the EE routing protocol in the WSN model is developed in this work to improve the lifespan of the network for the WSN. The Fuzzy C‐Means (FCM) clustering is performed for generating cluster groups and here the CHs are optimized using the Best and Worst Fitness of Sailfish Whale Optimization (BWF‐SWO). To further evaluate the efficacy of the network, the fitness function is considered by Intra and Inter‐cluster Distance and Residual Energy. To determine the efficiency of the routing process, diverse constraints like shortest path distance, throughput, energy consumption, hop count, latency, and Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR) are considered. In the end, the performance is calculated using divergent parameters and contrasted against existing methodologies. From the results, the energy consumption of the implemented EE protocol in WSN is minimized by 55% of RPO, 10% of COA, 20% of SFO, and 50% of WOA appropriately when the node count is 100. Thus, the findings explored that the proposed protocol achieved enriched outcomes on energy‐efficient routing in the WSN model.
Journals
2025 EN
Russell James · Rajagopal Manikandan · Veals Peter
+3 more
Abstract Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCSs) are often quantified via surface‐based radar network, geostationary satellite, or low earth orbit satellite observations. However, each of these has drawbacks for detecting cloud systems such as a lack of global coverage, a lack of variables to quantify deep convective cloud and precipitation properties, and a lack of continuous observations of individual MCSs, respectively. To generate a dataset of tropical Tracked IMERG Mesoscale Precipitation Systems (TIMPS), we use the Forward in Time tracking algorithm to track precipitation systems in the Integrated Multi‐satellitE Retrievals for the Global Precipitation Mission (IMERG). IMERG is a global gridded precipitation product that incorporates observations from a constellation of satellites with passive microwave sensors and other sources, allowing the TIMPS dataset to have continuous temporal precipitation information for MCSs in a global tropical strip with data every 30 min in time and 0.1° in space. TIMPS are provided in a publicly available data base with a variety of variables including MCS size, motion, and precipitation properties, estimations of MCS life cycle stages, and their proximity to the nearest tropical cyclone. By combining the TIMPS dataset with the University of Washington Convective Features database, we also provide snapshots of information from more spatially detailed space‐borne radar coverage. The TIMPS dataset provides the means for detailed long‐term and large‐scale study of MCSs in all regions of the tropics with applications such as composite studies of MCS life cycles and the evaluation of model performance.
Journals
2025 EN
Finnis James · Miles Helen C. · Ladegaard Ariel
+1 more
Abstract PCOT is a Python program and library which allows users to manipulate multispectral images and associated data. It is in active development in support of the ExoMars mission and intended to be used on data from the Rosalind Franklin rover, but it has much greater potential for use beyond this specific context. PCOT operates on a graph model – the data are processed through a set of nodes which manipulate it in various ways (e.g. add regions of interest, perform maths, splice images together, merge image channels, plot spectra). A PCOT document describes this graph, and we intend that documents are distributed along with the data they generate to help reproducibility. PCOT is open‐source, and contributions can be made to the core software, as plugins, or by using PCOT as a library in your own code.
Journals
2025 EN
Bai Bingxin · Mu Lixia · Tan Yumin
ABSTRACT The surface water extent of global lakes/reservoirs is a fundamental input data for many studies. Although some datasets are currently available, issues such as incomplete data or spatial inconsistencies persist. In this study, a new Global Lakes/Reservoirs Surface Extent Dataset (GLRSED), which provides a more comprehensive spatial extent and basic attributes (e.g., name, area, source, depth and type) of 2.17 million individual features, was developed based on HydroLAKES and OpenStreetMap (OSM). In addition, by spatially overlaying with mountainous polygon, lakes/reservoirs in mountainous areas were identified. The Global Reservoir and Dam database (GRanD), GlObal geOreferenced Database of Dams (GOODD), Georeferenced global Dams and Reserves (GeoDAR) dataset, and OSM were used to distinguish reservoirs from natural lakes. The lakes/reservoirs in the rivers were identified by overlaying them with the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) Mission River Database (SWORD). Similarly, endorheic, glacier‐fed and permafrost‐fed lakes/reservoirs were identified using the same method. Furthermore, the coverage of the SWOT ground track for each lake/reservoir in the GLRSED was calculated to explore the potential of SWOT in monitoring water resources. Although preliminary and with some limitations, this dataset is promising. It can provide essential data for monitoring global lakes/reservoirs, support refined water resource management, and facilitate comprehensive studies on the impacts of human activities and climate change on these water bodies.
Journals
2025 EN
Gratz Erin · Looney Lisa
ABSTRACT Higher education institutions are in a state of flux. To remain viable, faculty and administrators need to work together through a healthy shared governance process to implement changes that reflect their institutions’ mission, market, and organizational culture, which requires trust. Trust has been shown to be a critical component of the workplace yet has remained under‐researched within higher education. This gap in the literature necessitates the exploration of how trust operates amongst higher education faculty. This study explored the relationship between interpersonal and institutional trust, and whether interpersonal trust predicts institutional trust in faculty members at mid‐sized universities. Eighty‐nine faculty from all ranks across multiple institutions were surveyed on their trust in colleagues, deans, and their institution. Results showed significant relationships between faculty trust in colleagues and faculty trust in deans, between faculty trust in colleagues and institutional trust, and between faculty trust in deans and institutional trust. Faculty trust in colleagues and deans was determined to be a predictor of institutional trust; however, faculty rank was a higher predictor, indicating that faculty with higher rank reported less trust. Implications for these findings are discussed, with an emphasis on how administrators’ focus on trust can benefit the university.
Journals
2025 EN
Varshney Karan · Khatri Chirag · Lamichhane Prabhat
ABSTRACT Background and Aims Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) is a major initiative led by the Government of Bharat (India) in 2014 to improve sanitation across the country. While the government has received international praise for SBM's achievements, the health impacts of this initiative are not well understood, and to date, no systematic review has been conducted on the topic. In this protocol, we aim to describe our methodology for systematically reviewing the literature to determine the impacts of SBM on communicable disease control and population health outcomes across Bharat. Methods This protocol describes the process that will be taken for our systematic review. The review will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta‐Analysis guidelines. Searches will be conducted in Scopus, Embase, Medline, Web of Science, Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PubMed, and Global Health. Original, full‐text research articles conducted after October 2014 (the enactment of SBM) will be eligible for inclusion, as will be gray literature. Modeling studies will be excluded from this review. Studies which analyze impacts/trends relating to health or communicable disease control in any region of Bharat will be eligible for inclusion Included studies will assess at least one of the following: impact on infectious disease incidence/prevalence and morbidity/mortality, infant and under‐five mortality, nutritional impacts (including stunting, underweight and wasting) or non‐communicable disease rates. Study quality will be assessed using the Kmet checklist. Where possible, data will be pooled and synthesized to determine overall findings and trends. Discussion This review will highlight the extent to which SBM has, or has not, had lasting impacts on health and communicable disease control. The findings of this review can have important implications in shaping and guiding the ongoing implementation of SBM across Bharat.
Journals
2025 EN
Appiah Samuel Kwasi · Boateng Bosomtwi · Nkansah Charles
+18 more
ABSTRACT Background and Aim Currently, available evidence suggests prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) is highly sensitive but poorly specific for prostate cancer detection in symptomatic patients and those with lower urinary tract symptoms. Serum ferritin and hepcidin, which are implicated in the pathogenesis of prostate cancers, may complement the diagnostic value of PSA. This study explored the correlation of serum PSA with ferritin and hepcidin as new and complementary diagnostic biomarkers for prostate disease. Methods This hospital‐based case–control study was conducted at Methodist Hospital, Wenchi, with 90 participants. Venous blood sample was taken for complete blood count, PSA, ferritin, and hepcidin measurements using Mindray automated hematology analyzer and ELISA, respectively. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 27, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Serum PSA levels were significantly higher among the Prostate Cancer patients compared to BPE patients [32.1 (18.2–47.6) vs. 18.3 (12.2–0.6), p < 0.001]. Levels of serum ferritin and hepcidin were found to be significantly higher in PCa patients compared to BPE and controls (p < 0.001). Serum PSA of prostate disease patients showed a strong positive correlation with levels of ferritin ( r = 0.739, p < 0.001) but moderately correlated with serum hepcidin levels ( r = 0.670, p < 0.001). Serum ferritin was found to be an excellent diagnostic marker for prostate cancer (AUC = 0.972, p < 0.001) and BPE (AUC = 0.900, p < 0.001). Serum hepcidin was a better marker for PCa (AUC = 0.911) but a poor BPE (AUC = 0.664, p = 0.023). Significant reduction in the levels of Hb, RBC, MCHC, and HCT but higher counts of TWBC and RDW‐CV were observed in patients with prostate cancers compared to those with BPE and the normal control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion High levels of serum ferritin and hepcidin significantly correlated directly with increased serum total PSA levels and could play a valuable role to complement the noninvasive total PSA to improve diagnostic accuracy.
Journals
2025 EN
Alabdaly Ibrahim K. · Azzawi Itimad D. J. · Aldamook Amer
+1 more
ABSTRACT Free convection and entropy generation inside a complex annular pipe were vital for different applied thermal engineering systems. The current study investigated the thermal and flow characteristics inside a porous Cassini oval annular pipe, considering response surface methodology (RSM) joint with CFD. The multi‐objective optimum design was a novel consideration to improve heat transfer in terms of Nusselt number ( Nu m R ) and heat transfer rate ( QR ) with a reduction in entropy generation ( EnR ) and frictional losses ( SFCR ) under different design parameters, such as aspect ratio (0.08 ≤ AR ≤ 0.2), angular rotation (0° ≤ θ ≤ 90°), porosity (0.15 ≤ ɛ ≤ 0.95), and pore per inch (10 ≤ PPI ≤ 30). The main data indicate that the aim optimum design is achieved in the enhancement of Nu m R and QR by nearly 23.78 times and the reduction in SCFR by approximately 91.45% with appropriate EnR by about 1.0227 times. This demonstrate the resilience of design's hydrothermal performance under different applied operation temperatures (10 ≤ ΔT ≤ 30). Thus, the multi‐objective optimization function is a useful and novel proposed process for optimizing the hydrothermal and entropy performance of a porous Cassini oval annular pipe under several design and operation parameters.
Journals
2025 EN
Garcia Jose Torres · Alai Shashank · Gonzalez David Fernandez
+3 more
Abstract The emergence of model‐based methods in systems engineering has been at the forefront of the discourse in complex system development in recent years. While MBSE is broadly seen as a model‐centric approach to systems engineering, its implementation across industries has varied in terms of model usability and the extent of the SE processes covered by employing these models to use. Generally, MBSE methodologies promote using models to capture and allocate requirements, describe system's functional and structural definition, associated parametric constraints and in some cases, enable localized simulation capabilities. While such approaches have proven beneficial, MBSE still faces significant scalability challenges across the system development lifecycle, especially in the naval and maritime industries. This study explores a model‐based system verification approach centered on developing multidomain system models that capture safety‐critical functional behavior required to deliver mission capabilities while using those as orchestrators of functional failure assessment across multiple stakeholders through a cross‐domain lifecycle collaboration platform. Using multiphysics control models, functional failures are analyzed, and results are captured in a configurable verification dataset that can be shared across the enterprise stakeholders. In a submarine program, the approach offers significant benefits such as granular model development, model‐based communication across stakeholders, early detection of functional flaws and agility in complex system development programs to name a few.
Journals
2025 EN
Topcu Taylan G. · Shefa Jannatul
Abstract Complex systems‐of‐systems (SoS) such as Navy platforms are designed to execute counterbalancing mission objectives; and are operated for uncertain, and often extended lifecy‐cles that may exceed fifty years. This necessitates numerous post‐production design changes over time to facilitate new technological developments or to counter emerging threats. How‐ever, system engineering (SE) research prioritizes earlier design studies, and research on post‐production design changes and sustainment of SoS is nascent. This study presents findings from a case study of a Navy SE team that is tasked with executing the post‐production design projects for a diverse set of Navy assets. More specifically, we focus on the preliminary design phase and document the socio‐technical complexity of these projects through interviews and on‐site observations. We find that these projects necessitate careful management of a diverse set of external and internal stakeholders; along with executing an array of disciplinary analyses in conjunction with each other. We then analyze our findings to characterize four archetypical inefficiency modes that might be generalizable to all post‐production design change projects for SoS. These include loss of configuration control, volatile requirements, handoffs between disciplinary analysis, and a lack of a digital authoritative source of truth. Although neither of these inefficiency modes is surprising, this study documents the intricate nature of how these mechanisms influence the process and why they are difficult to counter.