Search

Validity and reliability are crucial when conducting research to ensure the truthfulness of an instrument. This study investigated the measurement functioning of an instrument on students' awareness of space science. The instrument was administered to 206 secondary school students involved in the Sudden Ionospheric Disturbance p outreach program. Two experts evaluated the content validity of the instrument. Data were analyzed using the Winsteps 3.71.0.1 software to obtain the Rasch model analysis (RMA) on item reliability and persons' separation, item measure, item fit based on PTMEA CORR, polarity items, misfit items, unidimensionality, and a person-item map. The findings revealed that the items are valid, reliable, and appropriate to measure awareness of space science.

This article proposed a labyrinth shape circular split ring resonator (LC-SRR) based microwave sensor for material permittivity characterization at L to S-band applications. The proposed sensor achieved miniaturized dimensions of only 25 × 20 mm2 by utilizing fractal technology. This new design strategy adopts a unique and compact structure and high electromagnetic (EM) field intensity, contributing to a more precise sensing mechanism in the microwave frequency range. The design geometry achieved resonant frequency at 2.57 GHz with a notch depth of −29.5 dB. The design evolution, metamaterial characteristics, equivalent circuit model, and electric (E) and magnetic (H) fields are presented to understand the stopband characteristics at the resonant frequency. A high sensitivity of 10.50 % is achieved for the proposed sensor for the permittivity range from 1 to 2. The reflection and transmission characteristics of the proposed LC-SRR based sensor are validated by fabricating and measuring the prototype. Moreover, the sensor performance is validated using different dielectric materials (Roger RT5880, Roger RO4350B, and FR-4) The measurement results show consistency with simulation results. Finally, the miniaturized low-profile sensor structure and high sensitivity to characterize the permittivity of the material makes the proposed sensor suitable for low-permittivity sensing applications.

This paper explores the implications of Indonesia's agreement to delegate the Flight Information Region (FIR) of air navigation services to Singapore, specifically in the airspace of the Riau and Natuna islands, as stated in Presidential Regulation Number 109 of 2022. Using the normative juridical method, this study examines the intricate details of the agreement, with a focus on its potential legal consequences for Indonesia's national and international obligations.Although Indonesia retains sovereignty over its territory, this analysis scrutinizes the nuanced provisions of the agreement and their implications, particularly in terms of the technical aspects of air traffic services provided by the Singapore Air Traffic Services Provider above Indonesia's territories, which the agreement does not explicitly delineate the responsibilities or shared consequences in law. The purpose of this paper is to elucidate Indonesia's increased responsibility under the new agreement and emphasize the importance of a careful approach to its implementation. By exploring the multifaceted dimensions of national and international interests, this study seeks to highlight the imperative for Indonesia to navigate the agreement prudently.Ultimately, this analysis aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of Indonesia's obligations, potential challenges, and essential considerations under the renewed agreement of 2022, underscoring the significance of a balanced approach in safeguarding Indonesia's interests on both national and international fronts.

BackgroundA low socioeconomic status is associated with a vulnerable health status (VHS) through the accumulation of health-related risk factors, such as poor lifestyle behaviors (eg, inadequate nutrition, chronic stress, and impaired health literacy). For pregnant women, a VHS translates into a high incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes and therefore pregnancy-related inequity. We hypothesize that stimulating adequate pregnancy preparation, targeting lifestyle behaviors and preconception care (PCC) uptake, can reduce these inequities and improve the pregnancy outcomes of women with a VHS. A nudge is a behavioral intervention aimed at making healthy choices easier and more attractive and may therefore be a feasible way to stimulate engagement in pregnancy preparation and PCC uptake, especially in women with a VHS. To support adequate pregnancy preparation, we designed a mobile health (mHealth) app, Pregnant Faster, that fits the preferences of women with a VHS and uses nudging to encourage PCC consultation visits and engagement in education on healthy lifestyle behaviors. ObjectiveThis study aimed to test the feasibility of Pregnant Faster by determining usability and user satisfaction, the number of visited PCC consultations, and the course of practical study conduction. MethodsWomen aged 18-45 years, with low-to-intermediate educational attainment, who were trying to become pregnant within 12 months were included in this open cohort. Recruitment took place through social media, health care professionals, and distribution of flyers and posters from September 2021 until June 2022. Participants used Pregnant Faster daily for 4 weeks, earning coins by reading blogs on pregnancy preparation, filling out a daily questionnaire on healthy lifestyle choices, and registering for a PCC consultation with a midwife. Earned coins could be spent on rewards, such as fruit, mascara, and baby products. Evaluation took place through the mHealth App Usability Questionnaire (MAUQ), an additional interview or questionnaire, and assessment of overall study conduction. ResultsDue to limited inclusions, the inclusion criterion “living in a deprived neighborhood” was dropped. This resulted in the inclusion of 47 women, of whom 39 (83%) completed the intervention. In total, 16 (41%) of 39 participants visited a PCC consultation, with their main motivation being obtaining personalized information. The majority of participants agreed with 16 (88.9%) of 18 statements of the MAUQ, indicating high user satisfaction. The mean rating was 7.7 (SD 1.0) out of 10. Points of improvement included recruitment of the target group, simplification of the log-in system, and automation of manual tasks. ConclusionsNudging women through Pregnant Faster to stimulate pregnancy preparation and PCC uptake has proven feasible, but the inclusion criteria must be revised. A substantial number of PCC consultations were conducted, and this study will therefore be continued with an open cohort of 400 women, aiming to establish the (cost-)effectiveness of an updated version, named Pregnant Faster 2. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)RR2-10.2196/45293

Let $\Pi $ denote the upper half-plane. In this article, we prove that every vertical operator on the Bergman space $\mathcal{A}^2(\Pi )$ over the upper half-plane can be uniquely represented as an integral operator of the form \begin{equation*} \left(S_\varphi f\right)(z) = \int _{\Pi } f(w) \varphi (z-\overline{w}) d\mu (w),~~\forall f\in \mathcal{A}^2(\Pi ),~z\in \Pi , \end{equation*} where $\varphi $ is an analytic function on $\Pi $ given by \begin{equation*} \varphi (z) = \int _{\mathbb{R}_+}\xi \sigma (\xi ) e^{iz\xi } d\xi , \ \forall z\in \Pi \end{equation*} for some $\sigma \in L^\infty (\mathbb{R}_+)$. Here $d\mu (w)$ is the Lebesgue measure on $\Pi $. Later on, with the help of above integral representation, we obtain various operator theoretic properties of the vertical operators.Also, we give integral representation of the form $S_\varphi $ for all the operators in the $C^\ast $-algebra generated by Toeplitz operators $T_{\mathbf{a}}$ with vertical symbols ${\mathbf{a}}\in L^\infty (\Pi )$.

Abstract This study aims to enhance the CZTS device's overall efficiency, the key research area has been identified in this study is to explore the effects of a novel, low-cost, and simplified, deposition method to improve the optoelectronic properties of the buffer layer in the fabrication of CZTS thin film solar cells. Herein, an effective way of addressing this challenge is through adjusting the absorbers' structure by the concept of doping, sensitized CdS thin film by the bi-functional linker, and an environmentally friendly catalytic green agent. The Linker Assisted and Chemical Bath Deposition (LA-CBD) method was introduced as an innovative and effective hybrid sensitization approach. In the one-step synthesis process, Salvia dye, Ag, and 3-Mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) were used. Generally, the results for all samples displayed varying bandgap as achieved between (2.21–2.46) eV, hexagonal structure with considerably decreased strain level, broader grain size, and dramatically enhanced crystalline property. Hence, the rudimentary CdS/CZTS solar cell devices were fabricated for the application of these novel CdS films. Preliminary CZTS thin film solar cell fabrication results in the highest conversion efficiency of 0.266% obtained CdS + Salvia dye, indicating the potential use of the CdS films as a buffer layer for CZTS photovoltaic devices.

Abstract Spaceflight microgravity and modeled-microgravity analogs (MMA) broadly alter gene expression and physiology in both pathogens and plants. Research elucidating plant and bacterial responses to normal gravity or microgravity has shown the involvement of both physiological and molecular mechanisms. Under true and simulated microgravity, plants display differential expression of pathogen-defense genes while human bacterial pathogens exhibit increased virulence, antibiotic resistance, stress tolerance, and reduced LD50 in animal hosts. Human bacterial pathogens including Salmonella enterica and E. coli act as cross-kingdom foodborne pathogens by evading and suppressing the innate immunity of plants for colonization of intracellular spaces. It is unknown if evasion and colonization of plants by human pathogens occurs under microgravity and if there is increased infection capability as demonstrated using animal hosts. Understanding the relationship between microgravity, plant immunity, and human pathogens could prevent potentially deadly outbreaks of foodborne disease during spaceflight. This review will summarize (1) alterations to the virulency of human pathogens under microgravity and MMA, (2) alterations to plant physiology and gene expression under microgravity and MMA, (3) suppression and evasion of plant immunity by human pathogens under normal gravity, (4) studies of plant-microbe interactions under microgravity and MMA. A conclusion suggests future study of interactions between plants and human pathogens under microgravity is beneficial to human safety, and an investment in humanity’s long and short-term space travel goals.

In cultural heritage, paint stratigraphies are complex systems typically consisting of various paint layers with fine crystalline phases mixed with coarse pigment and filler grains. This complexity poses significant challenges for X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. In this work, we employed synchrotron radiation micro-X-ray diffraction in transmission geometry (SR-µTXRD) with linear mapping to develop a novel approach for studying the crystalline phases (pigments and fillers) in mock-up paint stratigraphies. A targeted approach was followed for qualitative, quantitative, and microstructural analysis, combining signals from micrometric crystallites and coarse single crystals as well as from randomly oriented and iso-oriented crystalline phases. This allows for identifying, localizing, and quantifying these phases even in low fractions and distinguishes the same phases across different layers with varying grain sizes or spatial orientations. Critical analysis of 2D XRD patterns, coupled with full-profile fitting performed by the Rietveld method, provides insights into material preparation (e.g., grinding), painting technique (e.g., color palette, use of fillers, brushing), and crystallo-chemical modifications over time. This analytical approach, integrating spatially resolved investigation with high-quality phase characterization, enhances the potential of specific XRD methodologies for a 2D investigation of multi-phase materials in cultural heritage, even without dedicated micro-mapping techniques.

The Mediterranean, and particularly its Eastern basin, is a crossroad of air masses advected from Europe, Asia and Africa. Anthropogenic emissions from its megacities meet over the Eastern Mediterranean, with natural emissions from the Saharan and Middle East deserts, smoke from frequent forest fires, background marine and pollen particles emitted from ocean and vegetation, respectively. This mixture of natural aerosols and gaseous precursors (Short-Lived Climate Forcers—SLCFs in IPCC has short atmospheric residence times but strongly affects radiation and cloud formation, contributing the largest uncertainty to estimates and interpretations of the changing cloud and precipitation patterns across the basin. The SLCFs’ global forcing is comparable in magnitude to that of the long-lived greenhouse gases; however, the local forcing by SLCFs can far exceed those of the long-lived gases, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Monitoring the spatiotemporal distribution of SLCFs using remote sensing techniques is important for understanding their properties along with aging processes and impacts on radiation, clouds, weather and climate. This article reviews the current state of scientific know-how on the properties and trends of SLCFs in the Eastern Mediterranean along with their regional interactions and impacts, depicted by ground- and space-based remote sensing techniques.

Introduction: Hepatitis B surface Antigen (HBsAGg) prevalence among pregnant women in India is between 0.9-3.1%. The most important factor in determining the prevalence is transmission from asymptomatic chronic Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) mother to newborn. This study was done to observe antiviral treatment and fetomaternal outcome in asymptomatic HBV mothers. Aim: To study fetomaternal outcomes in asymptomatic chronic hepatitis B pregnant women. Materials and Methods: This prospective cohort study enrolled 125 HBsAg seropositive singleton pregnancy over a period of 18 months from October 2020 to March 2022 at Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, India. Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) was diagnosed when HBsAg, HBeAg or HBV DNA was present and IgM antiHBc was absent. Tenofovir was started in consultation with the Gastroenterologist in women with HBeAg positivity or with high HBV DNA titre ≥200,000 IU/mL or Alanine Transaminase (ALT)> two times the Upper Normal Limit (UNL). All women were followed with Liver Function Test (LFT) till delivery and six weeks postpartum and their fetomaternal outcome were noted. The p-value 2 times the ULN can replace the need of HBV DNA titres for initiation of antiviral therapy in India.

This paper provides a metamaterial for microwave absorbers relying on asymmetric square split rings with a partial E shape in the centre-based resonator. The wideband frequency range shows its sensing capabilities in identifying various oil samples. The optimized MTM unit cell has electrical dimensions of 0.122λο × 0.122λο, where is λο the predicted wavelength at 3.64 GHz resonance frequency, for a total size of 10 × 10 mm2. The FR-4 dielectric substrate, 1.6 mm in thickness, produces the unit cell. The MTM has a maximum absorption peak of 91.46 % at 3.64 GHz, 99.72 % at 5.99 GHz, 96.89 % at 7.47 GHz, and 98.45 % at 10.01 GHz. This MMA has four absorption peaks, making it suitable for use in the triple band (S, C, and X). The centre split gaps and partial E shapes increase unit cell absorption, and the defective CSRR back layer structure improves the transmission coefficient. High absorption is influenced by the central split gaps and an appropriate electric field and magnetic field optimized in the centre ring when the structure is in an Orthogonal orientation. The research used a frequency domain solver operating between 2 and 12 GHz. The scattering characteristics (coefficient of transmission) of the relevant unit cell's equivalent circuit were confirmed using ADS software and the CST result. At frequencies between 3 and 5 GHz, the proposed asymmetric unit cell functions as a double negative (DNG) metamaterial absorber due to its negative permeability and permittivity. Since oil samples have different dielectric constants, the resonance frequency and Q factor are likewise different. Here, we receive a spectrum of frequencies that can be adjusted for use in sensing. The data showed that the suggested sensor is sensitive enough to pick up a variety of oils. The proposed sensor is useful for various applications, from liquid detection to microfluidic sensing and beyond, due to its cheap cost, high sensitivity, high-quality factor, and high electromagnetic radiation (EMR).