Modelling and Simulation of Tactical Team Behaviour

Realistic military simulations are needed for analysis, planning, and training. Intelligentagent technology is a valuable software concept with the potential of being widely used inmilitary simulation applications. They provide a powerful abstraction mechanism required fordesigning simulations of complex and dynamic battlefields. Their ability to model the tacticaldecision-making behaviour of simulated battlefield entities gives them an edge over othertechniques. During battlefield simulation, these entities generally represent individualisticbehaviour, taking operational order from higher control and executing relevant plans. However,since a complex battlefield scenario typically involves thousands of entities, their coordinatedteam behaviour should also be considered to make the simulation more realistic. This paperdemonstrates the use of intelligent agent-based team behaviour modelling concepts in simulatingthe armoured tanks in a tactical masking scenario

APSO based automated planning in Constructive Simulation

Constructive simulations are the applications used by the military for the training of their commanders in planning and analysis of various threats and Courses of Action. In the ‘analysis wargames’, there are need to automate many of the tasks of the commander which are carried out by subunit commanders on the ground. Deployment of defence units is one of such important decision making by commander. Deployments of units (and sub units) is dependent on multiple factors which needs to be satisfied/optimised for meeting the given objective of the unit. In this paper we have attempted to solve the multi criterion decision problem of optimal deployment of defence units in mountainous terrain using Particle Swarm Optimization(PSO) and Adaptive Particle Swarm Optimization(APSO). The algorithm has been tested with varied number of decision parameters and their weights using digital elevation and vector data of the terrain features. The auto deployment outcomes are found satisfactory. Our solution approach has potential in automated planning in constructive simulations.   &nbsp

Command Agent Belief Architecture to Support Commander Decision Making in Military Simulation

In the war, military conflicts have many aspects that are consistent with complexity theory e.g., the higher commander’s decision is directed at animate entity that react under hierarchical and self-organised structure in decentralised command and control for the collectivist dynamism of decomposed elements due to nonlinear complexity of warfare on the battlefield. Agent technology have been found to be suitable for modelling tactical behaviour of entities at multiple level of resolution under hierarchical command and control (C2) structure and provide a powerful abstraction mechanism required for designing simulations of complex and dynamic battlefield situations. Intelligent agents can potentially reduce the overhead on such experiments and studies. Command agents, plan how to carry out the operation and assign tasks to subordinate agents. They receive information from battlefield environment and use such information to build situation awareness and also to respond to unforeseen situations. In the paper, we have proposed a mechanism for modelling tactical behaviour of an intelligent agent by which higher command level entities should be able to synthesize their beliefs derived from the lower level sub ordinates entities. This paper presents a role-based belief, desire and intention mechanism to facilitate in the representation of military hierarchy, modelling of tactical behaviour based on agent current belief, teammate’s belief propagation, and coordination issues. Higher commander can view the battlefield information at different levels of abstraction based on concept of aggregation and disaggregation and take appropriate reactive response to any unforeseen circumstances happening in battlefield

EFFECT OF EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTION MEASURES ON KNOWLEDGE ABOUT RABIES AND ITS PREVENTIVE MEASURES AMONG FINAL YEAR NURSING STUDENTS OF A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN CENTRAL INDIA

Background: Rabies continues to be a major public health challenge with around 55,000 deaths every year. Amongst the health care providers nursing personnel are often the first point of contact and hence need to be well trained in the management of rabies cases. Methods: The present study was an educational intervention study conducted among 100 final year nursing students of a Medical College Hospital to assess the knowledge regarding rabies and its transmission, first aid measures undertaken, and pre and post exposure prophylaxis measures employed to prevent the infection. Results: 66% of the students knew about the signs and symptoms of the disease, post intervention this increased to 87%. Knowledge regarding animal bites which transmit rabies improved by 86 % mode of transmission by 49 % and first aid measures undertaken following an animal bite by 12%. 15% of the students knew about the correct site and route of PEP; post intervention 91% knew about it, 87% increase was observed as regards the dose of vaccine to be administered and 73% students correctly knew about the PEP schedule post educational intervention. Knowledge regarding groups / individuals who need to receive pre-exposure prophylaxis increased by 33% and that of the schedule of pre-exposure prophylaxis by 53%. The mean pre-intervention score was 6.95 and mean post-intervention score was 13.51; the results being statistically significant. Conclusion: Substantial improvement in knowledge about the disease was noted amongst the nursing students following the educational intervention session

The dynamic connectedness between risk and return in the Fintech market of India : evidence using the GARCH-M approach

Fintech allows investors to explore previously unavailable investment opportunities; it provides new return opportunities while also introducing new risks. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between risk and return in the fintech industry in the Indian stock market. This article is based on market-based research that focuses on demonstrating the volatility in the fintech market’s prices and demystifying the opportunities. Secondary data were collected from the Bombay Stock Exchange’s official fintech industry website from January 2017 to July 2022 to determine whether there is any dynamic link between risk and return in the Indian fintech market. The variance-based Mean-GARCH (GARCH-M) model was used to determine whether there is a dynamic link between risk and return in the Indian fintech market. The findings emphasize the importance of taking the risk of investing in India’s fintech industry. The implications for stock investors’ and fund managers’ portfolio composition and holding periods of equities or market exposure are significant. Finally, depending on their investment horizons, the Indian fintech industry may yield significant profits for risk-taking individuals.peer-reviewe

Solid Electrolytic Substrates for High Performance Transistors and Circuits

Ionic liquids/gels have been used to realize field-effect-transistors (FETs) with two dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) [1]. Although near ideal gating has been reported with this biasing scheme, it suffers from several issues such as, liquid nature of the electrolyte, its humidity dependency and freezing at low temperatures [2]. Recently, air-stable solid electrolytes have been developed, thanks to the advancement in battery technology [3]. Although insulator-to-metal transition has been reported, the realization of 2D TMD FETs on solid electrolytic substrate has not been reported so far to the best of our knowledge [4]. In this work, we demonstrate a lithium ion (Liion) solid electrolytic substrate based TMD transistor and a CMOS amplifier, with near ideal gating efficiency reaching 60 mV/dec subthreshold swing, and amplifier gain ~34, the highest among comparable inverte

Lithium-ion electrolytic substrates for sub-1V high-performance transition metal dichalcogenide transistors and amplifiers

Electrostatic gating of two-dimensional (2D) materials with ionic liquids (ILs), leading to the accumulation of high surface charge carrier densities, has been often exploited in 2D devices. However, the intrinsic liquid nature of ILs, their sensitivity to humidity, and the stress induced in frozen liquids inhibit ILs from constituting an ideal platform for electrostatic gating. Here we report a lithium-ion solid electrolyte substrate, demonstrating its application in high-performance back-gated n-type MoS2 and p-type WSe2 transistors with sub-threshold values approaching the ideal limit of 60 mV/dec and complementary inverter amplifier gain of 34, the highest among comparable amplifiers. Remarkably, these outstanding values were obtained under 1 V power supply. Microscopic studies of the transistor channel using microwave impedance microscopy reveal a homogeneous channel formation, indicative of a smooth interface between the TMD and underlying electrolytic substrate. These results establish lithium-ion substrates as a promising alternative to ILs for advanced thin-film devices

Insurance as an agricultural disaster risk management tool: evidence and lessons learned from South Asia

Pilot projects in India and Bangladesh demonstrate that index-based weather insurance products, developed using satellite technology, can reduce the financial risks to smallholder farmers from floods and droughts. Scaling up such schemes has the potential to meet the needs of very vulnerable groups, especially women and assist governments in meeting global development goals

Efficacy of a monovalent human-bovine (116E) rotavirus vaccine in Indian children in the second year of life

Rotavirus gastroenteritis is one of the leading causes of diarrhea in Indian children less than 2 years of age. The 116E rotavirus strain was developed as part of the Indo-US Vaccine Action Program and has undergone efficacy trials. This paper reports the efficacy and additional safety data in children up to 2 years of age. In a double-blind placebo controlled multicenter trial, 6799 infants aged 6-7 weeks were randomized to receive three doses of an oral human-bovine natural reassortant vaccine (116E) or placebo at ages 6, 10, and 14 weeks. The primary outcome was severe (≥11 on the Vesikari scale) rotavirus gastroenteritis. Efficacy outcomes and adverse events were ascertained through active surveillance. We randomly assigned 4532 and 2267 subjects to receive vaccine and placebo, respectively, with over 96% subjects receiving all three doses of the vaccine or placebo. The per protocol analyses included 4354 subjects in the vaccine and 2187 subjects in the placebo group. The overall incidence of severe RVGE per 100 person years was 1.3 in the vaccine group and 2.9 in the placebo recipients. Vaccine efficacy against severe rotavirus gastroenteritis in children up to 2 years of age was 55.1% (95% CI 39.9 to 66.4; p<0.0001); vaccine efficacy in the second year of life of 48.9% (95% CI 17.4 to 68.4; p=0.0056) was only marginally less than in the first year of life [56.3% (95% CI 36.7 to 69.9; p<0.0001)]. The number of infants needed to be immunized to prevent one episode of severe RVGE in the first 2 years of life was 40 (95% CI 28.0 to 63.0) and for RVGE of any severity, it was 21 (95% CI 16.0 to 32.0). Serious adverse events were observed at the same rates in the two groups. None of the eight intussusception events occurred within 30 days of a vaccine dose and all were reported only after the third dose. The sustained efficacy of the 116E in the second year of life is reassuring