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3D EM data driven surrogate based design optimization of traveling wave antennas for beam scanning in X-band: an application example
No full textIn this paper, design and optimization of a microstrip elliptic traveling wave antenna (TWA) are presented for the beam scanning in X-band as an application of 3D data driven surrogate based design optimization technique. A novel Modified Multi-Layer Perceptron (M2LP) algorithm is utilized as a fast and accurate black-box modeling and compared to the alternative Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), Support Vector Regression Machine (SVRM), Gradient Boosted Tree algorithms for the generation of surrogate model of the TWA design. In order to have a computationally efficient modeling, Latin-Hyper Cube Sampling LHS method is utilized to obtain the training and test data from 3D CST Microwave numerical computation tool. A novel meta-heuristic, population based optimization algorithm, Invasive Weed Optimization (IWO) is applied to build up M2LP model for the determination of the optimal geometric design parameters. The optimum TWA model has total physical size of 100 mm × 20 mm with the operation frequency band between 8.5 and 12 GHz and measured overall gain of 7.1–11.8 dBi. The steerable radiation pattern characteristic is measured to be between −70 and 25 degrees. Thus, the proposed TWA design points out superior radiation performance for X band radar applications. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature
Individual effect of scit on bipolar disorder in terms of clinical and practical significance
No full textIndividual effect of scit on bipolar disorder in terms of clinical and practical significanc
Entropy of the quantum fluctuations of fermionic instantons in the Universe
No full textThe aim of this paper is to study the entropy of quantum fluctuations of fermionic instantons. For this purpose, we focus on the spinor-type instanton solution family of the massless pure fermionic Thirring model because it is a well-known quantized toy model in the quantum field theory since 1958. We calculate the Boltzmann-Gibbs-Shannon (BGS) entropy of the Thirring model by the normalized inner scalogram (NIS) and find that the entropy of quantum fluctuations of Thirring fermionic instantons increase slightly just after the big bang. This result leads us to discuss the relation between the increasing entropy in the Universe due to quantum fluctuations of the fermionic Thirring instantons during the creation of fermionic type particles
The relationship between the conflict management strategies and ethical leadership behaviours of nurse managers perceived by nurses
No full textAim: The aims of this study were to determine nurse managers' level of ethical leadership perceived by nurses and to examine its relationship with conflict management strategies. Background: Ethical leadership is about how managers use their power in their decisions and actions, and its source is based on moral and ethical authority. Therefore, it is important to understand the impact of ethical behaviours of nurse managers in the work environment on determining conflict management strategies. Method: The data of this descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional study were collected face-to-face from 285 nurses between April–June 2019. The data collection instruments included the introductory information form, the Ethical Leadership Scale, and The Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory-II. Results: Ethical leadership scores perceived by nurses in nurse managers were found 3.78, and the highest score was obtained from the behavioural ethics subscale (3.81 ±.91). In conflict management strategies perceived by nurses, it was determined that they got highest scores from collaborating style (3.76 ±.90) and lowest scores from competing style (2.90 ±.94). There was no significant relationship only between ethical leadership and its subscales and competing (r: −.038/−.041, p >.05). In other subscales, there were positive, moderate, and highly significant relationships (r:.466–.747, p <.001). The rate of explanatoriness of communicative ethics subscale in conflict management strategies ranged from 22.3% to 58.0%. Conclusions: The study shows that communicative ethics subscale significantly affects the conflict management strategies of nurse managers. Therefore, it is important for nurse managers to communicate bilaterally and be a role model for nurses. Implications for Nursing Management: Ethical leaders value trust and respect in their interactions with employees and reflect what appropriate behaviour to the situation is. Nurses who perceive that their managers demonstrate ethical leadership behaviours will also evaluate their role in conflict resolution. On the other hand, the power-based, aggressive, noncompromising domination approach that the person imposes on others is not associated with the ethical leadership perception towards their managers by nurses and is a strategy that should not be preferred. Therefore, nurse managers who use appropriate conflict management strategies were seen as a role model by nurses. © 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd
A Proposed Methodology for Risk Classification Using Fuzzy Group Decision Making and Fuzzy C-Means
No full textClean production and resource efficiency are two major concerns of contemporary manufacturing processes. The main reason is that the resources and environment are significant concerns for the future. The study proposes the assessment of risks in a butchery unit in a major retail company. The regular assessment using impact and probability requires concrete input from the relevant expert. The possible impact and probability are challenging to measure because of their vagueness in nature. The proposed study uses the aggregation of fuzzy opinions under group decisions to assess the impact and probability of each risk in the butchery unit for the first phase. The outputs of the first phase are the impact and probability values for each risk based on group decisions under fuzzy logic. The second phase involves converting global risk values to classified risk groups. In our study, Fuzzy-C-Means will be used to classify risks based on their importance to 3 groups. By applying classification, the responsible for the relevant actions can take preventive actions for the risks that deserve the most attention. The proposed methodology is applied to a real data set of risk analysis. Results of the research demonstrate that the use of fuzzy logic in the assessment of risk analysis shows a promising approach and is accepted as an improvement over the existing practice to define the risk and classify it. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Anterior cruciate ligament repair using dynamic intraligamentary stabilization provides a similarly successful outcome as all-inside anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with a faster psychological recovery in moderately active patients
No full textObjectives: This study aims to comparatively evaluate early to mid-term clinical results of case-matched patient groups of primary repairs with dynamic intraligamentary stabilization (DIS) or all-inside anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR) by an independent group. Patients and methods: Between March 2015 and September 2018, a total of 16 patients operated for ACL injuries with the repair technique were retrospectively identified. Cases were stratified by treatment: DIS technique versus all-inside ACLR and matched at a ratio of 1:2. The ACLR patients were selected from a patient group with an injury-to -operation time interval of fewer than three months. A total of 32 patients were included in the all inside ACLR group. Pre-injury and postoperative International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective score, Tegner and Lysholm scores had been obtained. Additionally, ACL-Return to Sport after Injury (ACL-RSI) scale scores, clinical results, and complications were noted. Results: One (6%) patient in the DIS group and two (6%) patients in the ACLR group were lost-to-follow-up and, for a total of 45 patients, 15 in the DIS group and 30 in the ACLR group, were included in the study. The mean postoperative follow-up was 50.8 +/- 13.5 months and 48.2 +/- 11.4 months in the DIS and ACLR groups, respectively. The Tegner, Lysholm, and IKDC subjective scores were non-significantly different between the groups at any time points. The ACL-RSI scale scores were significantly higher at six (p<0.001) and 12 (p=0.01) months in the repair group. The pivot-shift test was negative in all cases postoperatively. One re-rupture occurred in each group. The reoperation rate at any cause was 25% for the repair and 10% for the ACLR group. Conclusion: Primary ACL repair using the DIS technique provides a similar clinical outcome to these by an all-inside ACLR technique in moderately active patients. The DIS technique is reliable and reproducible, and associated with an early and speedier psychological recovery in a carefully selected, non-athlete patient group as observed by an independent group
The European Union's Conflict Resolution Capability: The Cases of Mali and the Central African Republic
Get PDFThis article analyzes the conflict resolution approach of the European Union (EU) based on conflict resolution processes in Mali and the Central African Republic in light of Whitman and Wolff's "capabilities" model. First, it focuses on the concept of conflict resolution and the "capabilities" model. Second, it discusses the historical development of the EU conflict resolution approach. Finally, it analyzes the EU's conflict resolution capability in the context of the capabilities to act, fund, and cooperate and coordinate, focusing on two case studies where the EU has military and civilian missions
Pandemi Sürecindeki Zaman Yönetimi ve Çalışan Performansı İlişkisinde İşe Adanmışlık Kavramının Aracı Rolü
No full textBu araştırmada işe adanmışlığın işletme başarısının kilit kavramları olan zaman yönetimi ve çalışan performansı ilişkisine etkisi, pandemiden en çok etkilenen hizmet sektöründe güvenlik firmaları özelinde incelenmiştir. Bu kapsamda çalışanların performansını artırabilmek amacıyla zaman yönetimi algısını etkileyen faktörler tespit edilmeye çalışılmıştır. Yöntem – Araştırmanın teorik kısmında, araştırmanın değişkenlerine yönelik literatür çalışmaları incelenmiş ve araştırma kısmında ise yapılandırılmış anket tekniği kullanılmıştır. Çalışmanın evrenini, hizmet sektöründe yer alan güvenlik firmaları oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmanın örneklemi ise güvenlik şirketi çalışanlarından basit tesadüfi yöntem ile belirlenen 384 katılımcı oluşturmaktadır. Anket yanıtlarının analizi ile elde edilen verilerden bilimsel sonuç ve öneriler geliştirilerek araştırma tamamlanmıştır. Bulgular – Araştırmanın sonucunda, zaman yönetiminin çalışan performansı üzerine olan olumlu etkisinde iş adanmışlığın kısmi aracılık rolü olduğu bulunmuştur. Araştırmanın sonuçlarına göre hizmet sektöründe işe adanmışlığı artırabilmek ve zamanı iyi değerlendirerek çalışan performansını artırabilmek için inovatif aksiyonlar alınması önerilmektedir. Tartışma – İşletmelerin varlığını sürdürülebilmesi için yeniliklere açık olması, değişen piyasa koşullarına hızlı adapte olmaları ve proaktif davranmalarını gerektirmektedir. Araştırmalara göre bunu ancak zaman ve performans kavramlarını doğru yönetebilen ve işletme hedefini benimsemiş çalışanlara sahip işletmeler başarabilmektedir. Bu nedenle işletmelerin zamanı iyi değerlendirmeye ve performansı doğru ölçmeye yönelik yenilikçi sistemler kurması ve verimlilik esasına dayanan sürdürülebilir bir örgütsel yapı oluşturmasını gereklidir. Pandemi ortamı ile çalışanına değer veren, inovatif yaklaşımlarla onlara değer katan işletme olmanın önemi artmıştır. Dolayısıyla çalışan performansını etkileyen faktörlerin araştırılmasının özellikle pandemi sürecinde verimliliği artırabilmek açısından literatüre önemli faydalar sağlayacağı düşünüldüğünden bu çalışma kapsamında, bir diğer verimlilik bileşeni olan zaman yönetimi algısının çalışan performansı üzerine etkisi ve işe adanmışlık düzeylerinin bu etkileşimdeki aracı rolü incelenmiştir
Evaluation of The Language Development of Children With Cochlear Implant Users Living in A Multilingual Environment
No full textTo evaluate the effect of second language exposure on Turkish speaking skills in cochlear implant (CI) users. Methods: Children living in mono and bilingual families, who underwent unilateral cochlear implant due to congenital severe to profound, or profound hearing loss, were examined. The fifty six children with a chronological age younger than 8 and a language age of 2–6 years were included the study. The Denver II Developmental Screening Test was used for identifying of pre-implant speech and development. The duration of implant use was also documented. Languages spoken at the patients' homes were divided into 4 categories: T/K: Predominantly Turkish/Kurdish, K/T: Predominantly Kurdish/Turkish, T/T: Just Turkish, A/T: Predominantly Arabic/Turkish. The CAP (Categories of Auditory Performance), SIR (Speech Intelligibility Rating), The Turkish Version Test of The Early Language Development (TELD-3:T),. The IT-MAIS (Infant Toddler Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale), MUSS (Meaningful Use of Speech Scale) were used to evaluate the language development of the patients. Changes in IT-MAIS and MUSS scores in the last two years were also evaluated. Results: The all children received their implants before age of 6 years. The average duration of cochlear implant use of children was 38,43 ± 11,64 months. The mean pre-implant speech age was 6,8 ± 2,13 months. There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of the CAP and SIR scores. In TELD-3:T scores, there was no significant difference between the groups except for the receptive raw scores. The Arabic/Turkish group had significantly lower receptive raw scores. This group also had significantly lower mother educational level. In IT-MAIS and MUSS scores, no significant difference was found between the groups. Conclusions: Our study supports the opinion that exposure to a second language at home does not affect the acquisition of the language of education in children using CI
Cut-Off Values of 6-min Walk Test and Sit-to-Stand Test for Determining Symptom Burden in Atrial Fibrillation
Get PDFBackground Since symptomatology is a major predictor of quality of life and an endpoint for the management of atrial fibrillation (AF), practical approaches for objectively interpreting symptom burden and functional impairment are needed. Aims We aimed to provide cut-off values for two frequently used field tests to be able to objectively interpret symptom burden in atrial fibrillation. Methods One hundred twenty-five patients with AF were evaluated with European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) score, 6-min walk test (6MWT), 30 s sit-to-stand test (30 s-STST), Short-Form 36 (SF-36), International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), and spirometry. Patients with EHRA 1 were classified as "asymptomatic", and those with EHRA 2-4 as "symptomatic". Cut-off values of 6MWT and 30 s-STST for discriminating between these patients were calculated. Results The optimal cut-off value was "450 m" for 6MWT (sensitivity: 0.71; specificity of 0.79) and "11 repetitions" for 30 s-STST (sensitivity 0.77; specificity of 0.70). Area under ROC curve was 0.75 for both tests (p < 0.001). Discriminative properties of the two tests were similar, and they were significantly correlated (r = 0.58; p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis revealed patients below cut-off values also had worse outcomes in SF-36, IPAQ-SF, and spirometry. Conclusions In patients with AF, walking < 450 m in 6MWT or performing < 11 repetitions in 30 s-STST indicates increased symptom burden, as well as impaired exercise capacity, quality of life, physical activity participation, and pulmonary function. These cut-off values may help identifying patients who may require adjustments in their routine treatment or who may benefit from additional rehabilitative approaches