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Images of eschatology of Antanas Vivulskis’ (1877-1919) Saint Mary Apparition Chapel in Šiluva /
No full textThe advantages and drawbacks of online teaching methods /
No full textThe advantages of information technology allow people to communicate more efficiently. Seeking to improve teaching quality, Rīga Aeronautical Institute has decided to include online teaching elements in the education process. The laboratory work in Physics classes is being used for testing. Every instance of laboratory work includes a prerecorded experiment, uploaded to YouTube, and a detailed description. The purpose of the introduced laboratory work is to help students master the laws and phenomena of physics in their future professions. The laboratory work suits both synchronous and asynchronous learning modes. During the synchronous learning mode, all students learn the subject at the same time under the supervision of a lecturer, while during the asynchronous learning mode students learn the subject independently at the time most convenient to them. The first mode guarantees students professional feedback on their academic performance, while the second mode promotes the development of self-study skills that are becoming increasingly beneficial in the working environment after graduation
Hybrid GA-PSO optimization for controller placement in large-scale smart city IoT networks /
No full textThe Internet of Things (IoT) plays an important role in the development of smart cities. IoT forms a large network, and optimal controller placement plays a crucial role in ensuring network performance and resilience. This paper proposes a hybrid optimization approach that combines Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) to strategically place controllers. Kaunas (Lithuania) was selected as a real-world smart city model. A large-scale Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network with 2000 nodes was simulated, and 10 controllers were optimally placed in the network to minimize latency, balance load, enhance energy efficiency, and redundancy. The performance of the proposed hybrid GA-PSO algorithm was compared with random and K-Means clustering placements under three scenarios: normal operation, node failures, and traffic spikes. Simulation results demonstrate that the hybrid approach outperforms the other two methods in terms of load balancing, packet loss, energy efficiency, scalability, and redundancy. These findings highlight the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed hybrid algorithm in optimizing controller placement for smart city environments
Association of blood-based biomarkers and 6-month patient-reported outcomes in patients with mild TBI: a CENTER-TBI analysis /
No full textBackground and Objectives There is seemingly contradictory evidence concerning relationships between day-of-injury biomarkers and outcomes after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). To address this issue, we examined the association between a panel of biomarkers and multidimensional TBI outcomes. Methods Participants with mTBI (Glasgow coma scores [GCSs] 13-15) were selected from Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury, a European observational study recruiting patients with TBI with indication for brain CT and presentation within 24 hours. Exclusion criteria for this secondary analysis were age younger than 16 years, incomplete biomarker panel, death, or no recorded outcomes. Participants were separated into 2 groups, CT-negative and CT-positive. Multivariable binary logistic regression was used to assess the relation between the log biomarker level (glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP], neurofilament light [NfL], neuron-specific enolase [NSE], S100 calcium-binding protein B [S100B], tau, ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 [UCH-L1]) and dichotomized 6-month outcomes (functional outcomes [GOSE score <8], health-related quality of life [HRQoL; Quality of Life after Brain Injury-Overall Scale (QOLIBRI-OS) score <52, Short-Form 12-Item Survey version 2 Mental Component Summary (SF12v2 MCS) score <40, Short-Form 12-Item Survey version 2 Physical Component Summary (SF12v2 PCS) score <40], persistent postconcussion symptoms [Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire score ≥16], anxiety disorder [Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) score ≥8], depression [Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score ≥10], and post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) score ≥33]). Results A total of 1,589 participants (865 CT-negative, 724 CT-positive) were included (77% GCS 15, median age 52 years, 66% male). Higher biomarker levels were associated with a GOSE score <8: CT-negative: S100B (odds ratio [OR] 1.78, 95% CI 1.43-2.23) and UCH-L1 (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.01-1.33); CT-positive: GFAP (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.11-1.36), NfL (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.11-1.52), S100B (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.23-1.86), tau (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.17-1.59), and UCH-L1 (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.17-1.53). In CT-positive participants, positive association was seen between NfL (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.06-1.60) and UCH-L1 (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.07-1.54) with QOLIBRI-OS; S100B (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.02-1.70) with SF12v2 PCS; and NSE (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.06-2.18) and UCH-L1 (OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.01-1.46) with the GAD-7. However, in CT-negative participants only, negative associations were seen between GFAP and impairment on the QOLIBRI-OS (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.66-0.88), SF12v2 MCS (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.61-0.82), SF12v2 PCS (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.68-0.91), GAD-7 (OR 0.80, 0.68-0.95), PHQ-9 (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.68-0.93), and PCL-5 (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.66-0.97). Discussion Participants with higher biomarker levels had greater odds of impaired functional recovery. However, in CT-negative participants, higher GFAP concentrations were associated with better HRQoL and less impaired mental health. Further exploration is required of the patient phenotypes that may explain the relationships observed in this analysis
Integration of information literacy training across university /
No full textObjective. The purpose of this article is to present information literacy integration into university curriculum at all levels and to provide insights into how artificial intelligence is changing information retrieval and information behaviour. Methods. The methodology used in this article was a case study. As a case analysed Kaunas University of Technology information literacy integration into all study levels. The literature review, analysis of documents, and results of students' surveys were used as methods to collect data and gain a more in-depth understanding of certain issues of a targeted group of individuals. Results.The library plays a key role in supporting the development of information literacy at all levels of study.In order to strengthen collaboration with academics and assist students in developing information literacy skills, new positions were established in the library, such as subject librarians and data librarians. Information literacy (IL) training is fully integrated into all levels of study. Bachelor and master’s students receive six hours of compulsory IL training, while doctoral students take an optional course in Research Data Management (RDM). University students, researchers, and academic staff can improve their information literacy skills by participating in stand-alone training courses provided by the library. The library also offers Moodle-based self-paced courses in Lithuanian and English, as well as training on artificial intelligence tools and ethical information use. Students rate the training courses high value and very high value the competence of librarians in delivering training and providing assistance on various information literacy issues. Conclusions.Integration of information literacy training across all levels of university study programmes is essential to prepare students for academic and professional success in an information-rich society. Libraries play a key role as educators, facilitators, partners, and resource providers in this endeavour. A disciplinary and developmental approach ensures that IL skills are relevant, meaningful, and effectively embedded within the curriculum. The content and scope of information literacy education must be improved in line with the emergence and development of information technology and artificial intelligence. By adopting strategic, collaborative, and innovative practices, universities can cultivate a culture of information competence that benefits students throughout their academic journey and beyond
Images of eschatology in Antanas Vivulskis’ (1877–1919) Apparition Chapel in Šiluva /
No full textThis article aims to discuss, through the method of hermeneutic analysis, the nature of Christian eschatology as an observer’s choice in perceiving architectural objects and how this process expands the semantic meanings of an original architectural creation. These meanings may have been implied by the architect but are not necessarily intentional. To explore this issue, the study focuses on the only surviving architectural work by the Lithuanian-Polish architect Antanas Vivulskis-the Chapel of the Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Šiluva (1903–1924)-and the visual solution from the Šiluva Pilgrimage Centre’s communication campaign: the conceptual architectural work titled The Cube
Efficient transformer-based road scene segmentation approach with attention-guided decoding for memory-constrained systems /
No full textAccurate object detection and an understanding of the surroundings are key requirements when applying computer vision systems in the automotive or robotics industries, namely with autonomous vehicles or self-driving robots. A precise understanding of road users or obstacles is essential to avoid potential accidents. Due to the presence of many objects and the diversity of the environment, the segmentation of the road scene remains a challenging task. In our approach, a Transformer-based backbone is employed for robust feature extraction in the encoder module. In addition, we have developed a custom decoder module in which we implement attention-based fusion mechanisms to effectively combine features. The decoder modification is specifically designed to maintain fine spatial details and enhance the global context understanding, setting our method apart from conventional approaches that typically use simple projection layers or standard query-based decoders. The implemented model consists of 17.2 million parameters and achieves competitive performance, with a mean intersection over union (mIoU) of 76.41% on the Cityscapes validation set. The results gathered indicate the ability of the model to capture both the global context and fine spatial details that are critical to the accurate segmentation of urban scenes. Furthermore, the lightweight design makes the approach suitable for deployment on memory-limited devices
Sustainability aesthetics of hybrid environments: creation and perception by the emerging generation of designers /
No full textIn the contemporary sustainability discourse, the interplay between the aesthetic sensibilities of youth and sustainability presents a fertile ground for innovative exploration, particularly through the lens of experimental design and qualitative research. This study explores the concept of sustainability aesthetics and its application for the assessment and development of hybrid spatial environments, focusing on how this aesthetics is created, perceived, and evaluated by an emerging generation of designers (second-semester design students from Kaunas University of Technology (Lithuania)). As this generation of emerging designers will be increasingly responsible for making sustainable and aesthetic decisions in both daily life and creative endeavours, understanding their engagement and empathy towards the environment is crucial. This study addresses a significant research gap by investigating trends in the expression of sustainability aesthetics in design and architectural objects and their interactions with contextual environments as well as youth aesthetic sensibilities in this context. Through qualitative assessments and reflective analysis, the study provides insights into the students’ evolving appreciation for sustainability and their ability to express this through aesthetically pleasing and environmentally conscious designs. This research includes a literature review on the application of experimental design in sustainability aesthetics research, the elaborated research methodology for analyzing and evaluating students’ works and their written reflections and primary research findings from the first stage of research – from the sample of more than 20 student works
Management of triplet electronic excitations in derivatives of phenoxathiin and benzophenone /
No full textA series of donor-acceptor (D-A) compounds consisting of phenoxathiin, phenothiazine, or dimethylacridan electron donating moieties and a benzophenone electron accepting core are designed and synthesized via the Suzuki or Buchwald-Hartwig cross-coupling reaction. By varying the donor units, as well as by introducing heavy bromine atoms into the molecular structure, the impact of nature of the donor moieties on the thermal, electrochemical, and photophysical properties of the benzophenones is studied by theoretical and experimental means. The compounds containing two donor units exhibit higher glass transition temperatures than monosubstituted benzophenones. For molecularly doped polymeric matrices containing 1 wt % of the derivatives with only phenoxathiin units and bromine atoms in their structures, room-temperature phosphorescence is observed. Meanwhile, asymmetric compounds that have phenothiazine or dimethylacridan donor units show thermally activated delayed fluorescence when doped in a polymeric matrix. The polymer molecularly doped with 4-phenoxathiin-4-yl-benzophenone exhibits high sensitivity to oxygen reaching up to 1.8 × 10-3 ppm-1. 4-(9,9-Dimethylacridan-10-yl)-4′-(phenoxathiin-4-yl)benzophenone exhibits high hole and electron drift mobilities of 6.9 × 10-4 cm2/(V s) and 7.8 × 10-4 cm2/(V s), respectively at the electric field of 5.14 × 105 V/cm. It also shows good performance in the emissive layer of the organic light emitting diode characterized by an external quantum efficiency of 17%. This work signifies the importance of the rational design of derivatives of phenoxathiin and benzophenone as emitters for the effective utilization of triplet energy in optical and optoelectronic applications
The forecast of the wind turbine generated power using hybrid (LTC + XGBoost) model /
No full textThis publication presents a novel approach to predicting the amount of electricity generated by wind power plants. The research focuses on data-driven models such as XGBoost, Liquid Time-constant Networks, and covers both the analysis of properties of individual forecasting models as well as aspects of their integration into a hybrid model. By analyzing real-world weather scenarios, the approach aims to identify the highest accuracy forecasting model for the short-term 24-h forecast of wind farm power output. A more accurate forecast allows for more efficient resource planning and better distribution of resources on the electricity grids, thus ensuring a greener approach to energy production. The study shows that the proposed Hybrid (XGBoost + LTC) model predicts wind power generation with an nMAE of 0.0856, representing an improvement over standalone XGBoost and LTC models, and outperforming classical approaches such as LSTM and statistical models like ARIMAX in terms of forecasting accuracy