Due to the various types of land cover and large spectral differences in remote sensing images, their high-quality semantic segmentation still faces severe challenges. This study proposes a new improved model based on the TransDeepLab segmentation method. The model introduces the GAM attention mechanism in the encoding stage, which can effectively reduce the information dispersion and enlarge the global interaction features; in the decoding stage, a multi-level linear upsampling strategy is designed to gradually amplify the multi-scale features extracted from the encoder and integrate them with the low-scale features to improve the segmentation effect of different shapes and sizes. The model makes full use of the multi-level semantic information and small target detail information in high-resolution remote sensing images, which can effectively improve the segmentation accuracy of target objects. Using open-source LoveDA large remote sensing image data sets for the validation experiment, the results show that compared to the original model, its Mean Intersection Over Union (MIOU) increased by 2.68 %, Average Pixel Accuracy (aACC), and Mean Pixel Accuracy (mACC) by 3.41% and 4.65%. Compared to other mainstream models, the model also achieved a better segmentation effect.

Background: Conventional audiometry assesses hearing in the frequency range of 250–8,000 Hz, while humans can detect sounds from 20–20,000 Hz. Hearing sensitivity above 8,000 Hz can be assessed through “Extended high-frequency audiometry (EHFA)”, which is useful for early detection and monitoring of hearing loss and counseling for tinnitus patients. Despite its usefulness, age significantly affects hearing sensitivity. Currently, there are no standard hearing thresholds in the EHF range categorized by age groups in Thailand. This study aimed to determine normative EHFA data across different age groups in a healthy Thai population. Methods: The study included 134 participants aged 18–70 years, categorized into five age groups. All participants had normal hearing thresholds and type A tympanograms bilaterally. Following this, EHFA measurement was performed. Results: Across all age groups, there was an observed increase in median hearing thresholds as age increased. In comparison, no significant difference in median hearing thresholds was found between individuals aged 18–30 and >30–40 years. However, those over 40 years had significantly higher median thresholds across all frequencies compared to those under 40 years (p40–70 years. Median hearing thresholds for those aged 18–40 was ≤20 dB HL across most frequencies, except at 16,000 Hz (30 dB HL). In the >40–70 age group, thresholds ranged from 20 dB HL at 9,000 Hz to 70 dB HL at 14,000 and 16,000 Hz. However, no significant differences were found in hearing thresholds between sexes and ear sides. Conclusions: This study establishes normative EHFA data for healthy Thai adults, appropriately divided into two groups (18-40 and >40-70 years) for clinical use. Further studies are needed to assess EHFA thresholds in populations with hearing loss-related risk factors.

This work presents an innovative tri-generation system for the simultaneous production of desalinated water, electrical energy, and cooling, aimed at addressing the growing challenges of water scarcity and climate change. The system integrates an 8-stage MSF process and a 6-effect MED process, along with an expander-generator that improves cycle efficiency by utilizing and reintroducing steam within the desalination stages. A parametric study was conducted using ASPEN PLUS to evaluate the system’s performance. The analysis showed that the system operates over a broader pressure and temperature range than conventional MED systems, from 28.3 to 0.8 kPa and from 68 to 4°C, thanks to a dual ejector-condensation process. In cogeneration mode, the system achieves a PR of 12.06 and an RR of 54%0.54, producing 67,219.2 L/day of desalinated water and reducing electrical consumption by 12.03%. In tri-generation mode, it achieves a PR of 17.81 and an RR of 0.80%, with a cooling capacity of 1225 kW (COP of 3.278), producing 99,273.6 L/day of desalinated water while reducing electrical consumption by 3.69%. This system offers an efficient solution to meet the growing water and energy needs of coastal communities, combining water desalination, energy production, and cooling in a single integrated process.

This study explores the intricate relationship between spectral irradiance variations and polar cap mean vertical total electron content (MVTEC) climatology, using ground-based GNSS measure-ments from the Thule station in the Arctic. The analysis focuses on understanding how different solar and magnetospheric processes drive changes in MVTEC patterns over a 2-year period. Three primary factors are identified as key drivers of MVTEC variations: (1) Russell-McPherron Effect: During equinoxes, enhanced energy transfer from the solar wind to the magnetosphere, governed by the Russell-McPherron effect, leads to increased MVTEC variability. This phenomenon arises due to the changing orientation of the solar magnetospheric coordinate system relative to the solar equatorial system, which affects the efficiency of energy deposition in the magnetosphere. As a result, higher ionospheric disturbances are observed during these periods, highlighting the sea-sonal influence of geomagnetic activity on polar cap TEC patterns. (2) Solar Irradiance Variations: The study identifies a strong correlation between fluctuations in solar EUV and F10.7, both proxies for solar irradiance, and the 27-day oscillations in MVTEC, especially during the summer months. These periodic variations are closely tied to the rotational behavior of the sun, suggesting a direct link between solar activity and ionospheric dynamics. The findings emphasize how solar spectral irradiance influences the ionization levels in the polar cap region, with implications for under-standing seasonal and short-term changes in the high-latitude ionosphere. (3) E-Layer Conductivity: Seasonal changes in the E-layer's conductivity also play a crucial role in modulating MVTEC variability. During summer, the presence of a conductive E-layer enhances cross-field plasma diffusion, leading to faster plasma decay and reduced MVTEC fluctuations. In contrast, the winter months are characterized by an insulating E-layer, which slows down plasma decay and allows F-layer structures to persist longer, resulting in increased MVTEC variability. This seasonal dis-parity underscores the importance of the E-layer's physical properties in shaping high-latitude ionospheric behavior. The findings of this study underscore the complex interplay between solar wind activity, solar irradiance, and ionospheric dynamics in shaping the observed patterns of polar cap MVTEC. By revealing the combined effects of solar and geomagnetic processes, this research contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of high-latitude ionospheric variability. Further investigation is needed to fully elucidate the mechanisms behind these interactions, particularly in terms of their implications for space weather forecasting and the operation of navigation systems in polar regions. Enhanced models that incorporate these insights can improve the prediction and mitigation of space weather effects on satellite-based technologies and communication systems.

In plants, melatonin (MT) and abscisic acid (ABA) are conventionally treated as molecules mitigating stress responses. To understand the mechanisms of ABA–MT interplay, we examined the effects of ABA and MT treatment in loss-of-function ABA and MT mutants exposed to high light (HL) stress. ABA constantly suppressed ASMT encoding N-acetylserotonin methyltransferase in the context of differential responses of other MT biosynthesis genes in both wild type (WT) and mutants. However, this response was absent in the mutant with the disrupted ABI4. Given that the ASMT promoter region contains several potential ABI4-binding elements, these data suggest that ASMT can be a potential target gene for ABI4. A role for ABI4 in the interactions between ABA and MT is supported by the finding that ABI4 is constitutively derepressed in the MT signaling mutants cand2 and gpa1, which exhibited elevated steady state levels of ABI4 transcripts and were not regulated by either stress or melatonin. In addition, the abi4 mutant showed increased modulations in the expression of the MT catabolic genes M2H and M3H in response to ABA treatment inferring that this transcription factor is a negative regulator of ABA-dependent changes in MT content. Furthermore, all tested mutants with impaired ABA synthesis or signaling displayed elevated steady state MT levels compared to WT, while MT treatment contributed to downregulation of key ABA synthesis and signaling genes. Collectively, our results suggest that ABA and melatonin act antagonistically modulating the expression of ABA and MT signaling and metabolism genes.

Olivine-like NaFePO4 glasses and nanocomposites are promising materials for cathodes in sodium batteries. Our previous study concerned the influence of high pressure on DC electric conductivity of NaFePO4 glasses. This work presents the results of AC measurements of glasses and nanocomposites from pressure treatment. Depending on the temperature range, the electronic conduction mechanism changed from variable range hopping (between Fe2+/Fe3+centers) to phonon-assisted hopping. For DC electric conductivity the portrayal via the classic Mott’s Variable Range Hopping is limited to low temperatures. Spectra of AC conductivity for glasses and pressure-formed nanocomposites fulfill Jonscher’s scaling law with power exponents ranging from 0.3 to 0.9 depending on temperature and the electron hopping mechanism. Due to the decrease in distance between hopping centers, an increase of AC conductivity around 2-3 orders of magnitude was observed after high pressure-high temperature treatment. Up to 200 K temperature dependencies of AC conductivity follow the pattern suggested by Mott's theory. Above that temperature corresponds to phonon-assisted hopping with activation energies EAC≈0.40 eV (for glass: amorphous solid) and EAC≈0.18 eV (for glass + nanocrystallites nanocomposite). Notable that they are considerably lower than values of EDC for DC conductivity. Results obtained show that high-temperature compressing, just below the glass temperature, significantly leads to a stable decrease in distance between hopping centers related to nanocrystallites in a glassy matrix. Consequently, it leads to an essential rise in electric conductivity and volumetric capacity. AC spectra of electronic conductivity are disturbed by the conduction of Na+ mobile ions, which impacts polaron conductivity and can be a limiting factor for conductivity.

The comprehensive analysis of cross-country skiing races is a pivotal step in establishing effective training objectives and tactical strategies. This study aimed to establish a method for the classifi-cation of sub-techniques and analyzing skiing characteristics during cross-country skiing skating style timed races on snow using high-precision kinematic GNSS devices. The study involved at-taching GNSS devices to the heads of two athletes during skating style timed races on cross-country ski courses. These devices provided precise positional data and recorded vertical and hor-izontal head movements and ground over velocity (VOG). Sub-techniques were classified by de-fining waveform patterns for G2, G3, G4, and G6 based on these data. The validity of classifica-tion was verified by comparing GNSS data with video analysis, a process that yielded classifica-tion accuracies ranging from 94.0% to 99.3% for G2, G3, G4, and G6. Notably, G4 emerged as the fastest technique, with sub-technique selection varying among skiers and being influenced by skiing velocity and course inclination. The study's findings have practical implications for ath-letes and coaches, as they demonstrate that high-precision kinematic GNSS devices can accurate-ly classify sub-techniques and detect skiing characteristics during skate-style cross-country skiing races, thereby providing valuable insights for training and strategy development.

As high strength and ultra-high strength steels are widely used in all kinds of modern welded constructions, a lot of research is carried out to investigate the mechanical properties of weldments of these steels but there is a scarce information on such important characteristic as their corrosion behaviour. This research focuses on the corrosion behaviour of weld metal of weldments of S906QL and S700MC steels. Weld metal was tested electrochemically in a 3,5% NaCl aqueous solution via potentiodynamic scan to determine corrosion rate and its dependence on welding gap. No influence of welding gap on corrosion rate was found but the experimental results suggested that corrosion rate depended on the chemical composition of filler material and the microstructure of weld metal.

Void fillers are required for osseous gaps generated after orthopedic procedures as medial open-wedge high-tibial osteotomy (MOWHTO) to provide sufficient structural support and a rapid osteosynthesis. We developed a novel three-dimensional (3D) printing-based platform technology using the customized 3D scaffolds covered with polycaprolactone (PCL)/β-tri-calcium phosphates (β-TCP)/bone decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) for use as bone substitute scaffold, which can be effectively exploited to estimate the calculated correction angle with preoperative simulations. PCL/β-TCP/bone dECM scaffolds demonstrated significantly higher cell contain levels in cell seeding efficiency, excellent proliferation capacity, and promotion of early osteogenic differentiation compared with PCL/β-TCP scaffolds. The scaffolds promoted bone mineralization at the early time points of an in vivo study (8 weeks) and exhibited biodegradable properties (38% for 16 weeks). The correction angle measured after osteotomy using 3D printed scaffolds was estimated with high accuracy with low errors (10.3° ± 0.9°), was and was not significantly different even in the presence of lateral cortical hinge fractures. The customized 3D scaffold enriched with PCL/β-TCP/bone dECM yielded excellent cell seeding efficiency, proliferation capacity, early osteogenic differentiation, and bone mineralization outcomes. It is expected to solve the disadvantages related with bone union in MOWHTO, and to replace autografts in the future.

Microsatellite instability (MSI) is a crucial feature in cancer biology, yet its prevalence and significance in canine cancers remain largely unexplored. This study conducted a comprehensive analysis of MSI across 10 distinct canine cancer histotypes using whole-exome sequencing data from 692 tumor-normal sample pairs. MSI was detected in 64% of tumors, with prevalence varying significantly among cancer types. B-cell lymphomas exhibited the highest MSI burden, contrasting with human studies. A novel "MSI-burden" score was developed, correlating significantly with tumor mutational burden. MSI-high (MSI-H) tumors showed elevated somatic mutation counts compared to MSI-low and microsatellite stable tumors. The study identified 3,632 recurrent MSI-affected genomic regions across cancer types. Notably, seven of the ten cancer types exhibited MSI-H tumors, with prevalence ranging from 1.5% in melanomas to 37% in B-cell lymphomas. These findings highlight the potential importance of MSI in canine cancer biology and suggest opportunities for targeted therapies, particularly immunotherapies. The high prevalence of MSI in canine cancers, especially in B-cell lymphomas, warrants further investigation into its mechanistic role and potential as a biomarker for prognosis and treatment response

High entropy alloys have excellent wear resistance, so they have great application prospects in the fields of wear resistance and surface protection. In this study, the wear resistance of FeNiCrCoCu high entropy alloy coating was systematically analyzed by molecular dynamics method. FeNiCrCoCu high entropy alloy was used as a coating material to adhere to the surface of Cu matrix. The friction and nano indentation simulation of this coating material were carried out by controlling the ambient temperature. The influence of temperature on its friction properties was analyzed from five aspects: lattice structure, dislocation evolution, friction coefficient, hardness and elastic modulus. The results show that with the increase of temperature, the disorder of the lattice structure increases, which leads to the increase of the tangential force and the friction coefficient in the friction process. At 300K and 600K, the ordered lattice structure of the high entropy alloy coating material is basically the same, and thus their hardness is basically the same. However, the dislocation density at 600K is significantly reduced compared with that at 300K, resulting in the increase of the elastic modulus of the material from 173GPa to 219GPa. At the temperatures of 900K and 1200k, lattice disorder take place rapidly, and dislocation density also decreases significantly, resulting in a significant decrease in the hardness and elastic modulus of the material. When the temperature reaches 900K, the wear resistance of the FeNiCrCoCu high entropy alloy coating decreases sharply. This work is of great value to the analysis of wear resistance of high entropy alloy at high temperature.

The wide metabolic diversity of microalgae, their fast growth rates, and cost-effective production make these organisms highly promising resources for a variety of biotechnological applications, addressing critical needs in industry, agriculture, and medicine. The utilization of microalgae in consortia with bacteria is proving to be valuable in different biotechnological fields, including treating various types of wastewaters, producing biofertilizers, and extracting various products from their biomass. Monoculture of the microalgae Chlamydomonas has been a prominent research model for many years, extensively utilized in studying photosynthesis, sulfur and phosphorus metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, respiration, and flagella synthesis, among others. Recent re-search has increasingly recognized the potential of Chlamydomonas-bacteria consortia as a bio-technological tool for various applications. Bioremediation of wastewater using Chlamydomonas, and its bacterial consortia presents significant potential for the sustainable reduction of contam-inants, while also facilitating resource recovery and valorization of microalgal biomass. Using Chlamydomonas and its bacterial consortia as biofertilizers can offers several benefits, such as en-hancing crop yield, protecting crops, maintaining soil fertility and stability, aiding in CO2 miti-gation, and contributing to sustainable agriculture practices. Chlamydomonas-bacterial consortia play a significant role in the production of high-value products, particularly in biofuel and en-hancing H2 production. This review aims to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the po-tential of Chlamydomonas monoculture and its bacterial consortia, identifying current applications, and proposing new research and development directions to maximize its potential.

A novel nano-laminated GdB2C2 material was successfully synthesized using GdH2, B4C, and C via an in-situ solid state reaction approach for the first time. The formation mechanism of GdB2C2 was revealed based on the microstructure and phase evolution investigation. A purity of 96.4 wt. % GdB2C2 was obtained at a low temperature of 1500 ℃, while a near full pure GdB2C2 can be obtained at a temperature over 1700 ℃. The as-obtained GdB2C2 presented excellent thermal stability at high temperature of 2100 ℃ in Ar atmosphere due to the stable frame work formed by the high covalent four-members and eight-members B-C rings in GdB2C2. The minimum reflection loss value (RLmin) of -47.01 dB with an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 1.76 GHz at a thickness of 3.44 mm was obtained for the GdB2C2 synthesized at 1500 ℃. The possible EMWA mechanism could be ascribed to the nano-laminated structure and appropriate electrical conductivity, which facilitated to the good impedance matching, remarkable conduction loss, interfacial polarization as well as multiple interface reflection and scattering. The as-obtained GdB2C2, with excellent EMWA performance as well as remarkable ultra-high temperature thermal stability, could be a promising candidate for the EMWA materials applications in extreme ultra-high temperatures.

This study constructs an evaluation system of high-quality utilization of urban land (HUUL) and comprehensively adopts the entropy method, the kernel density estimation, and the geodetector model to analyze the spatio-temporal evolution and driving factors of the HUUL levels of 284 Chinese cities from 2006 to 2020. The measurement results show that during 2006-2020, the HUUL level showed an obvious upward trend, and the eastern region > the central region > the overall region > the western region > the northeastern region. According to the kernel density map, except for the region of the west, there is a trend of different degrees of enlargement of the difference in the main peak position of the HUUL level among cities in the other three regions, and there are individual cities in the eastern and western regions with much higher HUUL levels than the others; According to the results of factor detection, it can be seen that innovative utilization and open utilization are the endogenous dominant factors that promote the improvement of HUUL level, and the level of economic development is the exogenous dominant factor that supports the im-provement of high-quality utilization of urban land.

The partial discharge (PD) event in high voltage insulation releases energy, exerts mechanical pressure, and generates elastic waves. Detecting and locating these PD events through short-duration acoustic pulses is well-established, particularly in gas-insulated systems and oil-insulated transformers. However, its full potential remains untapped in solid insulation systems, where the propagation capability of acoustic pulse and the acoustic reflections pose fundamental challenges to the Acoustic Emission (AE) detection technique. This study investigates the influence of reflections and multiple paths on the propagating acoustic pulse in polymeric insulating materials using a finite element method (FEM) in COMSOL. It was observed that the reflections from the boundary influence the propagating pulse's shape, peak magnitude, and arrival time. An analytical MATLAB model further quantifies the impact of multiple propagation paths on the shape, magnitude, and arrival time of the pulse travelling in a cylinder. Additionally, a Perfect Matched Layer (PML) was implemented in the COMSOL model to eliminate reflections from the boundary, and it revealed that the acoustic pulse magnitude decreases with distance following the inverse square law. In essence, the models aid in measuring how reflections contribute to the observed signals, facilitating the precise identification of the source of the PD event in the tested system.

We investigate the impact of aging on exchangeable inter-arrival times in mixed renewal processes, exploring its implications for reliability and survival analysis. In this study, first, we revisit the definition of renewal point processes, where inter-event time intervals are considered as exchangeable non-negative random variables. Then, we define the concept of statistical aging as latency in the observational process of event counting. Latency affects event detection but preserves exchangeability. However, it may alter the statistical properties of inter-event time intervals. Our analytical and numerical assessments highlight the significance of aging in exchangeable lifetimes, offering insights into key metrics such as the failure survival function, renewal function, and hazard rate function. Through archetypal examples and empirical findings, we illustrate the implications of aging on renewal processes. In particular, employing a Bayesian perspective, we analyze high-frequency currency exchange rate data to assess the impact of aging on volatility risk evaluation. This study contributes novel insights to the literature of renewal theory and survival analysis, emphasizing the role of latency aging in stochastic point processes under exchangeability assumption.

To reduce the redundant counting of TDC in high-speed applications and thus reduce power consumption, a TDC architecture is proposed to quantify the difference between two adjacent rows of pixel signals. This structure can remove the identical part between two rows of pixel signals by adjusting the start and stop signal of the TDC, which will reduce the number of flipping of D flip-flops in the TDC. In the 110nm CMOS process, simulation results show that this design achieves an effective number of bits (ENOB) of 4.72 bits and a Figure of Merit (FoM) of 104.7 fJ/step - 162.3 fJ/step with a power consumption ranging from 60 µW to 93 µW. Compared with traditional counting methods, the proposed TDC can reduce counting power consumption by 30%.

In the process of oil and gas development and production, when the flow rate in the wellbore is large, the materials underground will be eroded, causing the operation to be unable to proceed smoothly and reducing the efficiency of oil and gas production. Therefore, optimizing the anti-erosion coating under high-speed flow conditions in wellbore is a very interesting thing. It can greatly improve operational efficiency. In this paper, laser cladding was used to prepare the new coating used in the PDC drill bit. Then, the effects of tungsten carbide and multi-layer graphene on the microstructure and properties of the tungsten carbide coating were studied. The research results indicate that, for new coatings, 60% tungsten carbide and 0.3% graphene are the optimal ratios. After adding WC, the hardness has significantly improved. However, when the WC content further increases more than 30%, the increase in hardness is relatively small. In addition, when the content of graphene is more than 0.3%, the branched structure became thicker, and not only the segregation of Cr, Si and W became very obvious again, but also the segregation of Fe occurred at the Ni enrichment site. The research results contribute to improving oil and gas production and operational efficiency under high-speed fluid flow conditions in the wellbore.

For 80 years high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been a significant area for medical research. It is a non-invasive procedure which causes cell death in a highly localised area at a defined distance from the transducer. Since 2000, the clinical indications have broadened considerable as the technology has improved. This review looks back at the history of HIFU and the current clinical indications.

Infrastructure and urban network operators, city users and industrialists are faced with complex issues to ensure the sustainability of the service, maintain, operate and develop their urban sys-tems, while integrating environmental, economic and societal impacts and being resilient to un-expected geopolitical and climatic upheavals. Urban Digital Twins (UDTs), i.e., digital twins for smart cities and territories are considered as promising tools that can enable all stakeholders to collaborate across disciplinary silos and foster digital transformation in urban and territorial pro-jects to ensure sustainability, resilience and increased inventiveness. However, a widely acknowledged challenge to address in the application of UDTs is the lack of interoperability. One significant barrier is the difficulty that stakeholders have in understanding the level of complexity hidden behind this challenge, and thus the adoption of an adequate interoperability technique. This paper proposes a conceptual framework, which is unique for understanding the various lev-els of interoperability required in deploying and using the full potentials of UDTs. We show how such a high-level modeling approach supports the symbolic manipulation of UDTs interoperabil-ity notions and requirements, and thus eases the design of appropriate solutions for large-scale in-teroperable UDTs.

To address friction and wear challenges in dry contacts, manufacturers often employ self-lubricating materials. Graphite and its derivatives stand out as particularly suitable due to their exceptional tribological properties. However, under intense friction conditions, graphite can experience a decline in lubricating efficiency due to severe abrasive wear. This abrasive damage results in elevated activated carbon surfaces with increased surface energy, fostering greater adhesion between sliding surfaces. The low friction coefficient of graphite is not an inherent property but rather a consequence of water vapor adsorption by the material. Beyond 150°C, desorption of the vapor occurs, leading to a transition in the friction coefficient from µ=0.1 to µ=0.6. To address this issue, impregnation solutions for self-lubricating materials have been developed, with various compositions tailored to specific objectives. Common types include molybdenum disulfide, soft metals, or polymers. In this predominantly experimental study, the impact of polymer impregnation on the evolution of friction force and wear rate in graphite material bearings subjected to a dry fretting contact under severe thermal stresses at 270°C was investigated. Additionally, the mechanical stresses in the bearings throughout different phases of our tests were analyzed using a numerical model.

Photovoltaic systems and wind energy systems are generally used in distributed system. However, zero-sequence and harmonic currents occur due to photovoltaic systems, and positive-sequence harmonic currents occur due to wind turbines. Thus, the sheath current in high voltage cables increases due to these currents and poor power quality in distributed generation plants. Metal parts of the cable are grounded to prevent the negative effects of sheath currents. When long high voltage cable lines are grounded with the method in the literature, high sheath current and voltage occur on the cable sheath. Therefore, the SSBLR method is designed as a new method for the distributed generation system. The SSBLR method has been optimized with prediction methods and multi-objective optimization methods to prevent negative effects of the sheath current. Pareto optimal method is used as multi-objective optimization method, and artificial neural network, hybrid artificial neural network and regression methods are used as prediction method. The most dominant result is searched using different estimation and optimization methods in pareto optimal method. When the artificial neural network-genetic algorithm hybrid method is used as a prediction method, and genetic algorithm used as optimization method, significant decreases are observed in sheath current and voltage.

The effects of different pulse frequencies on the microstructure grain size and solid solubility of Al-9Si alloy were systematically investigated using OM, SEM, and EDS. The effects on the mechanical properties of the alloy were analyzed using micro-Vickers hardness tester and multifunctional friction tester. During the solidification process, the Al-9Si alloy is exposed to high-frequency electric current pulses with a current density of 300A/cm2 and frequencies of 0Hz, 500Hz, 1 000Hz, and 2 000Hz. The experimental results show that as the high-frequency pulse frequency increases, the Lorentz force also increases. The intense electromagnetic stirring leads to grain refinement. However, as the pulse frequency continues to increase, the combined effect of Joule heating and Lorentz force results in an enlargement of the melt zone and an increase in grain size. At a pulse frequency of 1 000Hz, the eutectic structure size of the Al-9Si alloy is optimal, with the average size reduced to 13.87μm and a dense distribution, effectively eliminating primary Si. The EDS results revealed that the high-frequency pulse led to a more uniform distribution of Si elements within the matrix, and the solid solubility of Si in the α-Al matrix increased to a maximum value of 1.99%, representing a 39.2% increase. At a pulse frequency of 1 000Hz, the sample demonstrates the most favorable mechanical properties, with the friction coefficient reaching a minimum value of 0.302, representing a 37.7% decrease in the average friction coefficient. The results demonstrate that high-frequency pulsing is an effective method for enhancing the mechanical properties of Al-9Si alloy.

Cathode materials play a key role in the development and application of lithium-ion batteries, but the unfavorable factors such as structural phase transformation and low conductivity in the cycling process restrict the further improvement of battery performance, so the development and modification of high-performance cathode materials is a current research hotspot. LiNixCoyMn1-x-yO2(x≥0.6), a high-nickel cathode material, has the advantages of high platform potential, high energy density and low cost, and is an ideal material to achieve the goal of 300 Wh kg-1 and above for batteries. However, its poor thermal stability, poor interface stability, safety and life cannot meet the requirements of current power batteries. In this paper, the research status of high-nickel cathode materials is introduced, including bulk doping and surface coating, and the modification method of doping and coating integration is also introduced. Finally, we put forward the prospect of the future development trend of high-nickel cathode materials.

Background: This study, conducted in October 2017 at two Canadian universities, aimed to explore the relationships between gender expression, protective coping strategies, alcohol saliency, and high-risk alcohol use. Methods: Validated scales were employed to assess these variables using survey data. Multivariate analyses were conducted to investigate the associations between these factors and high-risk drinking. Results: The study revealed significant associations between high-risk drinking and androgynous gender roles (OR=1.58, 95% CI: 1.19-2.10) as well as among self-reported males (OR=2.21; 95% CI: 1.77-2.75). Additionally, protective behavioral strategies were inversely related to high-risk drinking (OR=0.95; 95% CI: 0.94-0.96), while higher alcohol saliency exhibited a positive correlation with high-risk drinking (OR=1.12; 95% CI: 1.11-1.14). Conclusions: These findings underscore the importance of considering gender, alcohol saliency beliefs, and protective behavioral strategies in the development and refinement of interventions aimed at reducing high-risk alcohol use on Canadian campuses.

Bronchiolitis is an acute viral infection of the lower respiratory tract that affects infants and young children. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common causative agent, however other viruses can be the reason of the disease. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical features of infants aged less than 12 months referred to our Pediatric Units of Chivasso, Cirié and Ivrea for acute bronchiolitis requiring hospitalization over two consecutive bronchiolitis seasons. Patient-, disease- and treatment related variables were analyzed in this retrospective study. We were able to show how with the high flow oxygen support (HFNC) only a very low number of children (8 out of 192) need to be trasferred to our HUB referral centers. The probability of success were 96% for all patients and 93% for RSV vs. 98% for non-RSV patients (P=NS). Factor associated to failure of treatment were age below 1 months and the failure of HFNC. The wide and increasing use of HFNC in pediatric inpatients improved management of bronchiolitis in Spoke hospitals, reducing transfer to a Hub hospital provided with Intensive Care Units.

Large epidemiological studies show U-shaped relationships between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and all-cause mortality in individuals without atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD). Association in those with ASCVD by sex is unclear. We examined the association between HDL-C levels and 10-year all-cause mortality in subjects (≥40 years of age) with ASCVD using the 2010 National Health Insurance Service and the National Death Registry of Korea. We categorized HDL-C levels into three groups (low: <40 mg/dL for males, <50 mg/dL for females; high: 40-90 mg/dL for males, 50-90 mg/dL for females; extremely high: >90 mg/dL) and 10 mg/dL intervals. We conducted a sex-stratified and adjusted Cox proportional hazards analysis. Out of 1,711,548 individuals (54% female, mean age 61.4 years), 10-year mortality was observed in 218,252 (12.8%). Males had a higher mortality rate than females (16.2% vs 9.8%; P<0.001). When adjusting for age, body mass index, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and alcohol consumption, the low and extremely high HDL-C groups had significantly higher hazard ratios for 10-year mortality compared to the high HDL-C group in males [1.183 (1.166-1.199), 1.359 (1.288-1.434)] and in females [1.153 (1.138-1.169), 1.095 (1.029-1.167)]. The frequency distribution bars for the 10-year mortality rate showed sex-specific nadirs of 50-59 mg/dL in males and 70-79 mg/dL in females. In this ASCVD cohort, the extremely high HDL-C (>90 mg/dL) group had 35.9% and 9.5% higher 10-year mortality risk than the high HDL-C group for males and females, respectively. There was a slightly U-shaped relationship between baseline HDL-C levels and 10-year mortality rate, with earlier inflection in males than in females.

Nickel is widely used in industrial processes and plays a crucial role in many applications. However, most of the nickel resource mainly exists as nickel oxide in laterite nickel ore with complex composition, resulting in difficulty in upgrading the nickel content using physical separation methods. In this study, high-grade ferronickel concentrates were obtained through a carbothermal reduction and magnetic separation using laterite nickel ore and anthracite as raw materials. The effects of different types of additives (CaF2, Na2SO4 and H3BO3), carbon ratio (nc/no in metal oxides) and grinding time on the recoveries and grades of ferronickel concentrates were experimentally investigated, along with the microstructure and chemical composition of the products. CaF2 was proved to be the primary active additive in the aggregation and growth of the ferronickel particles, and the improvement of the grade of the product. Under the optimal conditions of CaF2 addition of 12 wt.%, carbon ratio of 1.4, and grinding time of 240 s, high-grade magnetically separable ferronickel concentrate with nickel grade 8.93 wt.% and iron grade 63.96 wt.% was successfully prepared. This work presents a practical method for the highly efficient recovery and utilization of iron and nickel from low-grade laterite nickel ore, contributing to the development of strategies for the sustainable extraction and utilization of nickel resources.

With rising rates of human obesity, the study aimed to determine the relationship between maternal diet-induced obesity and offspring morphometrics and behaviour in mice. Pregnant and lactating female mice fed a diet high in fat and sugar (HFHS) commonly consumed by human populations showed decreased food, calorie, and protein intake but increased adiposity at the expense of lean mass. The pre-weaning body weight of HFHS offspring was reduced for the first postnatal week but not thereafter with HFHS female offspring having higher body weights by weaning, due to continuing higher fractional growth rates. Post-weaning, there were minor differences in offspring food and protein intake. Maternal diet, however, affected fractional growth rate and total body fat content of male but not female HFHS offspring. Maternal diet did not affect offspring locomotor activity or social behaviour in either sex. Both male and female HFHS offspring displayed reduced anxiety-related behaviours with sex differences in particular aspects of the elevated plus maze task. In the novel object recognition task, performance was impaired in male but not female HFHS offspring. Collectively, the findings demonstrate that maternal obesity alters the growth, adiposity, and behaviour of male and female offspring, with sex-specific differences.

Trichomonas vaginalis is an extracellular parasite protozoan that causes human trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that affects approximately 200 million people worldwide. The presence of T. vaginalis adhesion to inert substrates has been described in several reports. Still, very few studies on cluster formation and more detailed analyses of the contact regions between the membranes of the parasites in these aggregate formations have not been carried out. We analyzed the formation of parasite monolayers and clusters using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, cytochemistry, TEM tomography, and dye injection. Here, we show the formation of a monolayer of tightly adherent cells, epithelium-like, when the parasites are in contact with an inert material. Based on this observation, we analyzed whether this monolayer behaves as an epithelium, analyzing cell junctions, cell communication, and ultrastructural aspects. We also analyzed the cluster formation and the morphological characteristics of parasite aggregation observed in the culture supernatant. We report that monolayer formation differs from cluster formation in many aspects. The monolayers form strong adhesion, whereas the clusters have fragile attachments. There is no fusion or passage of molecules between neighbor-attached cells; there is no need for different strains to form filopodia, cytonemes, and extracellular vesicles during cluster formation.

: In the automotive industry, high-strength plates have been increasingly used to reduce the vehicle body weight due to stringent regulations on fuel economy and safety. Such plates achieve tensile strengths as high as 1.5 GPa owing to the hot-stamping process. However, these plates suffer from scale generation and surface decarburization because of the surface oxidation of the material. Recently, studies on materials subjected to high-frequency induction heating have reported strength improvement owing to the coil shape and cooling method. This study presents the surface temperature changes, mechanical properties, and microstructures of boron steels subjected to longitudinal heating, which uses eddy currents generated from high-frequency induction heating. The surface temperature data were analyzed under different high-frequency induction heating powers (15, 18, 21, 24, 27, and 30 kW) and distances from the specimen (6, 9, and 15 mm). The mechanical properties and microstructures were also analyzed in different high-frequency induction heating coil directions. The correlations between the high-frequency induction heating power and the distance from the specimen with the maximum tensile strength were determined.

This study presents a comprehensive investigation of the formation, composition, and behaviour of oxide layers during the high-temperature oxidation of four different steel alloys (16Mo3, 13Cr, T24 and P91) at a uniform temperature of 650 °C. The research combines CALPHAD (CALculation of PHAse Diagrams) calculations, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and advanced microscopy techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), to elucidate the complex mechanisms controlling oxidation kinetics and oxide layer development. CALPHAD calculations were used to determine the thermodynamically stable phases for each steel type at 650 °C. The results showed different phase compositions, highlighting the importance of steel composition in the formation of oxide layers. Each steel grade exhibited different kinetics, with 16Mo3 steel showing the highest oxidation rate, followed by 13Cr, T24 and P91. This variability highlights the role of steel composition, particularly chromium content, in determining oxidation behaviour. These results have significant implications for temporary overheating in industrial applications and contribute to a deeper understanding of oxidation processes in steels.

Pharmaceutical poisoning is a significant global public health concern, causing approximately 190,000 deaths yearly. This scoping review aims to comprehensively map the available literature on pharmaceutical poisoning and compare patterns between high-income countries (HICs) and low-middle-income countries (LMICs). A systematic search was performed across the following databases: Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and CINAHL. Studies included were from 1st January 2011 to 31st December 2020, in English, with full text available. Seventy-nine articles were included in the study; 21 were from LMICs and 58 were from HICs. The toxic exposure was largely intentional (77%) in LMICs and accidental (68%) in HICs. Drugs acting on the nervous system were responsible for 95% of toxicities worldwide with analgesics accounting for the largest subtherapeutic group in both LMICs (40%) and HICs (58%). Notable statistics were that HICs accounted for 99% of opioid overdoses, and LMICs accounted for 19% of anti-epileptic-induced toxicities. Overall, the medical outcomes of poisonings were generally worse in LMICs. The review provides possible interventions to target specific geographic locations, based on the trends identified, to reduce the burden worldwide. Many gaps within the literature were recognised, calling for more robust analytical research.

The paper presents a simplified laminar model with which the deformation of soil layers (base, subbase and subgrade courses) under flexible pavements due to repeated traffic load can be determined. In the first step, the cyclic strain amplitude is calculated using a nonlinear material model that is based on particle size distribution parameters (d50 and CU) and dependent on the mean normal stress, relative density and actual strain level. In the second step, the HCA (High Cycle Accumulation) model is used to calculate the residual settlement of each sublayer as a function of the number of cycles. It is shown that the developed model is suitable for describing different types of subgrades and pavement cross-sections. It is also demonstrated with finite element calculations that the developed model describes both the elastic and plastic strains sufficiently accurately. The developed model can predict the settlement and rutting of pavement structures with sufficient accuracy based on easily available particle size distribution parameters without the need of complex laboratory and finite element tests.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is associated with hyperglycaemia-induced hypoxia and inflammation. The study assessed the effects of a single high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) on glycaemia (BG) and serum level of pro-inflammatory cytokines and an essential mediator of adaptive response to hypoxia in T1D patients. The macronutrients intake was also evaluated. Nine patients suffering from T1D for about 12 years and nine healthy individuals (CG) were enrolled and completed one session of HIIE at the intensity of 120% lactate threshold and duration of 4 x 5 min intermittent with 5 min rest after each bout of exercise. Capillary and venous blood was withdrawn at rest, immediately after and at the 24 h post-HIIE for analysis of BG, hypoxia-inducible factor alpha (HIF-1α), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and vascular-endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Pre-exercise BG was significantly higher in the T1D compared to the CG (p = 0.043). HIIE led to a significant decline in T1D patients’ BG (p = 0.027) and to a tendency for a lower BG at 24-h post-HIIE vs pre-HIIE. HIF-1α was significantly elevated in the T1D compared to CG and there was a trend for HIF-1α to decline, and VEGF, TNF-α to increase in response to HIIE in the T1D group. Both groups consumed higher and lower than recommended amounts of protein and fat, respectively. In T1D group, a tendency for a higher digestible carbohydrate intake and more frequent hyperglycaemic episodes on the day after HIIE were observed. HIIE was effective in reducing T1D patients’ glycaemia and improving the short-term glycaemic control. HIIE has the potential to improve adaptive response to hypoxia by elevating the serum level of VEGF. Patients’ diet and level of physical activity should be screened on a regular basis, and they should be educated on the glycaemic effects of digestible carbohydrates.

As an important organelle in eukaryotic cells, Golgi apparatus is responsible for processing and transporting proteins and lipids in cells. Precise monitoring the status of Golgi apparatus by targeting fluorescence imaging technology is of enormous importance but remains an attractive yet dramatically challenging task. In this study, we report the construction of the first Golgi apparatus targeted sensor with bright near-infrared fluorescence, termed as Golgi-Pdots. As a start point of our investigation, hydrophobic CDs with bright NIR fluorescence at 674 nm (fluorescence quantum yield : 12.18%), narrow emission band of 23 nm, and excellent stability were facilely prepared from Magnolia Denudata flowers through an ultrasonic method. Incorporating the CDs into a polymer matrix modified with Golgi-targeting molecules can produce the water-soluble Golgi-Pdots, which showed high colloidal stability and similar optical properties as compared to CDs. Further studies revealed that the Golgi-Pdots showed good biocompatibility and Golgi-targeting ability. Based on these fascinating properties, Golgi-Pdots have been successfully used for long term bioimaging of Golgi apparatus inside live cells.

Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-0.06BaTiO3 (BNT-BT) thin films were prepared by both chemical solution (CSD) and pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The microstructure, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties were investigated. High stability of the dielectric permittivity (∆ɛ/ɛ(150 °C) ≤ ± 15%) over a wide temperature range from room temperature to 300 °C was obtained. Distinctly, the CSD film showed high TCC stability with variation of ± 5% up to 250°C. Furthermore, the CSD film showed an unsaturated ferroelectric hysteresis loop characteristic of the ergodic relaxor phase, however the PLD one exhibited almost saturated loop signature of the coexistence of both ergodic and non-ergodic states. The energy storage properties of the prepared films were determined using the P–E loops obtained at different temperatures. The results showed that these films exhibit stable and improved energy storage density comparable to the ceramic capacitors. Moreover, the CSD film exhibited more rigidity and better energy storage density that exceeds 1.3 J/cm3 under low applied field of 317 KV/cm as well as interesting efficiency in a large temperature range. The obtained results are very promising for energy storage capacitors operating at high temperatures.

Ozonated sunflower oil (OSO) is an established therapeutic agent and nutraceutical harboring various therapeutic values, including antiallergic, derma-protective, and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. Conversely, the medicinal aspects of OSO for wound healing, tissue regeneration, and treatment of inflammation in dyslipidemia have yet to be fully elucidated. Herein, a comparative effect of OSO and sunflower oil (SO) was investigated to heal cutaneous wound and tissue regeneration of zebrafish impediment by carboxymethyllysine (CML) toxicity, following impact on hepatic inflammation and blood lipid profile. After OSO (final 2%, 1 μL) and SO's (final 2%, 1 μL) treatment, substantial healing was elicited by OSO in the cutaneous wound of zebrafish impaired by CML (final 25 mg). As an important event of wound healing, OSO scavenges the reactive oxygen species (ROS), rescues the wound from oxidative injury, and triggers the essential molecular events for the wound closer. Furthermore, the intraperitoneal injection of OSO was noted to counter the CML-induced adversity and prompt tissue regeneration in the amputated tail fin of zebrafish. Additionally, OSO counters the CML-induced neurotoxicity and rescues the zebrafish from acute mortality and paralysis, along with meticulous recovery of hepatic inflammation, fatty liver changes, and diminished ROS and proinflammatory interleukin (IL)-6 production. Besides, OSO efficiently ameliorated CML-induced dyslipidemia by alleviating the total blood cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and increasing high-density lipoproteins cholesterol (HDL-C). The outcome of multivariate assessment employing principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis supports a superior therapeutic potential of OSO over SO against the clinical manifestation of CML. Conclusively, OSO owing to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential, counters CML-induced toxicity and promotes wound healing, tissue regeneration, hepatoprotection, improved blood lipid profile, and survivability of zebrafish.

A CoCrFeNiNb0.65 eutectic high-entropy alloys (EHEAs) prepared by arc melting were irradiated with a 100 keV He+ ion beam. Swelling, helium bubbles and mechanical response induced by irradiation were evaluated. When the ion fluence reached 1.0×1018 ions/cm2, the irradiation-induced swelling occurred on the sample surface, and as the ion fluence increasing, the swelling became increasingly severe and the surface of Nb-rich phase appeared peeling and shedding. Meanwhile, along the boundaries of matrix and Nb-rich phase there was a neat line of helium bubbles. The size of these helium bubbles decreased with distance from the center of the helium bubble layer. This result indicated that the phase boundaries were favorable sites for the nucleation and gathering of helium bubbles. Nanoindentaion results indicated that hardening and softening induced by He+ ion irradiation occurred in various ion fluences. At ion fluence of 5.0×1017 ions/cm2, the CoCrFeNiNb0.65 EHEAs exhibited an obvious hardening behavior, which can be explained by dislocation-dominated hardening effect. When the ion fluence reached 1.0×1018 ions/cm2 and 2.0×1018 ions/cm2, the hardening effect decreased probably due to the helium bubble aggregation and growth, as well as helium bubbles induced noncompact structures. The results of this study provide insights into the effect of helium bubbles on mechanical evolution and pave the way for designing EHEAs suitable for the nuclear industry.

Fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) has been used for decades in certain applications of the construction industry, such as tunnel linings and precast elements, but has experienced an important progress in recent times, boosted by the inclusion of guidelines for their use in some national and international standards. Traditional steel fibres have been studied in depth and their performance is well known although in recent years new materials have been proposed as possible alternatives. Polyolefin macro-fibres, for instance, have proven to enhance the mechanical properties of concrete and the parameters that define their behaviour (fibre length, fibre proportion or casting method, for instance) have been identified. These fibres overcome certain traditional problems related to steel fibres, such as corrosion or their interaction with magnetic fields, which can limit the use of steel in some applications. The behaviour of polyolefin fibre reinforce concrete (PFRC) has been numerically reproduced with success through an embedded cohesive crack formulation that uses a trilinear softening diagram to describe the fracture behaviour of the material. Furthermore, concrete behaves well under high temperatures or fire events, especially when it is compared with other construction materials, but the behaviour of PFRC must be analysed if the use of these fibres is to be extended. To this end, the degradation of PFRC fracture properties has been recently experimentally analysed under a temperature range between 20ºC and 200ºC. As temperature increases, polyolefin fibres modify their mechanical properties and their shape, which reduce their performance as reinforcement of concrete. In this work, those experimental results, which include results of low (3 kg/m3) and high (10 kg/m3) proportion PFRC specimens, are used as reference to study the fracture behaviour of PFRC exposed to high temperatures from a numerical point of view. The experimental load-deflection diagrams are reproduced by modifying the trilinear diagram used in the cohesive model, which helps to understand how the trilinear diagram parameters are affected by high temperature exposure. Finally, some expressions are proposed to adapt the initial trilinear diagram (obtained with specimens not exposed to high temperature) in order to numerically reproduce the fracture behaviour of PFRC affected by high temperature exposure.

The high-speed railway operation environment monitoring network system has a wide variety of sensors and inconsistent business requirements, which have certain requirements for data transmission delay and network life. Most of the previous research focuses only on prolonging network lifetime or reducing data transmission delays when designing or optimizing routing protocols, without co-designing the two. In addition, due to the harsh operating environment of high-speed railways, when the network changes dynamically, the traditional routing algorithm will generate unnecessary redesigns and lead to high overhead. Based on the actual needs of high-speed railway operation environment monitoring, this paper proposes a novel Double Q-values adaptive model combined with the existing reinforcement learning method, which considers the energy balance of the network and real-time data transmission, and constructs energy saving and delay. The two-dimensional reward avoids the extra overhead of maintaining a global routing table while capturing network dynamics. In addition, the adaptive weight coefficient is used to ensure the adaptability of the model to each business of the high-speed railway operation environment monitoring system. Finally, simulations and performance evaluations are carried out and compared with previous studies.Finally, simulations and performance evaluations are carried out and compared with previous studies. The results show that the proposed routing algorithm successfully extends the network’s life cycle and gets good real-time data performance. It also saves energy and has fewer delays than the other three routing protocols in different situations.

Ultra-high temperature oxidation-resistant alloys (UTORAs) have received a lot of attention due to the increased research demand for deep space exploration around the world. But UTORAs have the disadvantages of easy oxidation and chalking. So, in this study, a UTORA was prepared by hot-press sintering on VZrHfNbTa (HEA) substrate coated with hafnium. The bonding mechanism, resistance to high-temperature oxidation, and hardness of the sample tests were carried out. The results show that zirconium in the matrix will diffuse into the hafnium coating during the high-temperature sintering process and form the HfZr alloy transition layer, the coating thickness of the composite is about 120 μm, and the diffusion distance of zirconium in the hafnium coating is about 60 μm, this transition layer chemically combines the hafnium coating and the HEA substrate into a monolithic alloy composite. The results of high-temperature oxidation experiments show that the oxidation degree of the hafnium-coated VZrHfNbTa composite material was significantly lower than that of the VZrHfNbTa HEA after oxidation in air at 1600 °C for 5 h. The weight gain of the coated sample after oxidation is 56.56 mg/cm2, which was only 57.7 % compared to the weight gain of the uncoated sample (98.09 mg/cm2 for uncoated), and the surface of the uncoated HEA showed obvious dents, oxidation, and pulverization occurred on the surface and interior of the sample. In contrast, the coated composite alloy sample mainly underwent surface oxidation sintering to form a dense HfO2 protective layer, and the internal oxidation of the hafnium-coated VZrHfNbTa composite alloy was significantly lower than that of the uncoated VZrHfNbTa HEA.

Based on the survey data of 5 large grain-producing provinces in China, we studied the promo-tion effect of the agricultural production trusteeship on high quality production of grain by using a propensity score matching method. The empirical results show that the high-quality production of grain level increased by 0.292, with an increase of 87.4% after participating in agricultural production trusteeship. Among them, the level of high efficiency, premiumization, greenization and branding of grain production has respectively increased by 0.234, 0.373, 0.208, and 0.158. However, there are differences in the facilitation effects of different trusteeship services, with the best promotion effect of agricultural material supply services, followed by post-harvest services, and then land management services and cultivating and harvesting services, the ATT is 0.287, 0.230, 0.158, and 0.139, respectively. Meanwhile, there are differences in the promotion effects for farm households with different factor endowments. The promotion effect is better for small farm households with 3 laborers or less, a land management scale of 10 mus or less, and 1 type of ag-ricultural machinery or less. Therefore, in order to give full play to the promotion effect of agri-cultural production trusteeship on high quality production of grain, the government should vigorously support its development and guide more smallholders to choose agricultural produc-tion trusteeship.

Background: Low-level (LLLT) and high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) can be beneficial additions to knee osteoarthritis (KOA) rehabilitation exercises; however, it is still being determined which modality is more effective. Aim: To compare the effects of LLLT and HILT as adjuncts to rehabilitation exercise (LL+EX and HL+EX) on clinical outcomes in KOA. Methods: Thirty-four adults with mild to moderate KOA were randomly allocated to either LL+EX (n = 17) or HL+EX (n = 17) groups. All participants underwent their designated laser treatment combined with rehabilitation exercises weekly for twelve consecutive weeks. The Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), active knee flexion, and Timed Up-and-Go test (TUG) were assessed at baseline and immediately post-intervention. Results: Post-intervention, both groups significantly improved their KOOS, NPRS, active knee flexion, and TUG scores compared to baseline (p &lt; 0.01). The mean difference of change in KOOS, NPRS, and active knee flexion scores for the HL+EX group surpassed the minimal clinically important difference threshold. In contrast, the LL+EX group only demonstrated clinical significance in NPRS scores. Conclusions: Incorporating HILT as an adjunct to usual KOA rehabilitation led to significantly higher improvements in pain, physical function, and knee-related disability compared to LLLT.

Black barley seeds are a health-beneficial diet resource because of their special chemical composition and antioxidant properties. The black lemma and pericarp (BLP) locus was mapped in a genetic interval of 0.807 Mb on chromosome 1H, but its genetic basis remains unknown. In this study, targeted metabolomics and conjunctive analyses of BSA-seq and BSR-seq were used to identify candidate genes of BLP and the precursors of black pigments. The results revealed that five differentially expressed genes identified on the 1H chromosome were candidate genes of the BLP locus, and 17 differential metabolites, including the precursor and repeating unit of allomelanin, were accumulated in the grain-filling stage of black barley. Phenol nitrogen-free precursors such as catechol (protocatechuic aldehyde) or catecholic acids (caffeic, protocatechuic, and gallic acids) may promote black pigmentation. BLP can manipulate the accumulation of benzoic acid derivatives (salicylic acid, 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, gallic acid, gentisic acid, protocatechuic acid, syringic acid, vanillic acid, protocatechuic aldehyde, and syringaldehyde) through the shikimate/chorismite pathway other than the phenylalanine pathway and alter the metabolism of the phenylpropanoid-monolignol branch. Collectively, it is reasonable to infer that black pigmentation in barley is due to allomelanin biosynthesis in lemma and pericarp, and BLP regulates melanogenesis by manipulating the biosynthesis of its precursors.

The present work was aimed at the investigation of effect of High Energy Ball Milling (HEBM) time on the sintering kinetics, structure, and properties of heavy tungsten alloy (HTA) W-7%Ni-3%Fe. The HTA samples were obtained from the nanopowders (20-80 nm) by conventional liquid phase sintering (LPS) in hydrogen and by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) in vacuum. The HTA density was shown to depend on the HEBM time non-monotonously that originates from the formation of non-equilibrium solid solutions in the W-Ni-Fe systems during HEBM. The SPS kinetics of the HTA nanopowders was shown to have a two-stage character, the intensity of which depends on the Coble diffusion creep rate and on the intensity of diffusion of the tungsten atoms in the crystal lattice of the -phase. The kinetics of sintering of the initial submicron powders have a single-stage character originating from the intensity of the grain boundary diffusion in the -phase. The dependencies of the hardness and of the yield strength on the grain sizes were found to obey the Hall-Petch relation. The hardness, strength, and dynamic strength in the compression tests of the fine-grained tungsten alloys obtained by SPS and LPS were studied.

Quantile regression model is widely used in variable relationship research of general size data, due to strong robustness and more comprehensive description of the response variables' characteristics. With the increase of data size and data dimension, there have been some studies on high-dimensional quantile regression under the classical statistical framework, including higher-efficient frequency perspective, which is however at cost of randomness quantification, or lower-efficient Bayesian method based on MCMC sampling. To overcome these problems, we propose the high-dimensional quantile regression with Spike-and-Slab Lasso penalty based on variational Bayesian (VBSSLQR), which can not only improve the computational efficiency but also measure the randomness via variational distributions. The simulation studies and real data analysis illustrate that the proposed VBSSLQR method is superior to or equivalent to other quantile and non-quantile regression methods (including Bayesian and non-Bayesian methods), and its efficiency is higher than any other method.

Oil-water separation using special wettability materials has received much attention due to its low energy consumption and high separation efficiency. Herein, a fluorine-free superhydrophobic cotton fabric(PDMS/STA -coated cotton fabric) was successfully prepared by a simple impregnation method using hydroxyl-capped polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS-OH), tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and stearic acid (STA) as precursors. The Investigation found that the cross-linking reactions between the hydroxyl groups form PDMS-OH, hydrolyzed TEOS made a strong interact of PDMS-OH and cotton fabric. Besides, a suitable roughness surface of coated cotton fabric was established by introducing STA due to its long chain-structure. The contact angle of this composite can reach 158.7°under optical condition due to its low surface energy and desired roughness. The oil/water separation efficiency of PDMS/STA-coated cotton fabric is higher than 90% even after 10 cycles of oil-water separation, the oil flux can reach 11862.42 L m-2 h-1. In addition, PDMS/STA-coated cotton fabric exhibits excellent chemical stability and durability under extreme conditions such as strong acid (HCl, pH=1~2) and alkali (NaOH, pH=13~14), the hydrophobicity of PDMS/STA-coated cotton fabric was decreased to 147° even after 350 cycles of abrasion testing.

The importance of both recycling and additive manufacturing (AM) is increasing, however there has been a limited focus on development of AM alloys that are recyclably compatible with the larger scrap loops of wrought 5xxx, 6xxx and cast 3xx aluminium alloys. In this work the powder bed fusion (PBF) printability of AlMgSi alloys in the interval of 0-30wt%Mg and 0-4wt%Si is screened experimentally with a high throughput method. This method produces PBF mimicked material by PVD co-sputtering followed by laser remelting. Strong evidence was found for AlMgSi alloys being printable in two different composition ranges; Si+Mg<0.7wt% or for Si+2/3Mg>4wt% when Mg < 3wt% and Si > 3wt%. Increasing the amount of Mg and Si influence the grain structure by introducing fine columnar grains at the melt pool boundary, although the melt pool interior was unaffected. Hardness in as-built state increased with both Mg and Si, alt-hough Si had neglectable effect at low levels of Mg. Both evaporative loss of Mg and the amount of Mg in solid solution increased linearly with the amount of Mg.

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease worldwide. Exercise therapy has been identified as a first-line treatment option in patients suffering from knee OA. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is an innovative exercise modality with potential in improving various disease-related outcomes. The purpose of this review is to explore the impact of HIIT on knee OA symptoms and physical functioning. A comprehensive search of scientific electronic databases was conducted to identify the articles on the effects of HIIT on knee OA. Thirteen studies were included in this review. Nine compared the effects of HIIT with those of low-intensity training, moderate-intensity continuous training, or a control group. Three evaluated the effects of HIIT alone. Eight reported a decrease in knee OA symptoms, and eight reported an increase in physical functioning. HIIT was shown to improve knee OA symptoms and physical functioning, but also aerobic capacity, muscle strength, and quality of life with minimal or no adverse events. However, compared to other exercise modalities, no clear superiority of HIIT was found. HIIT is a promising exercise strategy in patients with knee OA: anyway, the actual quality of evidence remains very low, and more high-quality studies are needed to confirm these promising outcomes.

The second-order factor effect of burner optical ports and edge inter-matrices (EIM) and the first-order factor of pressure on the soot formation process and behavior of premixed sooting flames in a high-pressure burner are numerically investigated here. Three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of a premixed flame C₂H₄/air at p = 1.01 and 10 bar using a one-step chemistry approach are first performed to justify the satisfied predictability of the prospective axisymmetric two-dimensional (2D) and one-dimensional (1D) simulations. The justified 2D simulation approach shows the generation of an axial vorticity around the EIM and axial multi-vorticities due to the high expansion rate of burnt gases at the high pressure of 10 bar. This leads to the development of axial multi-sooting zones, which are manifested experimentally by visible luminous soot streaks, and to the boosting of soot formation conditions of a relatively low-temperature field, < 1800 K, and a high mixing rate of gases in combustion around and above the EIM location. Nevertheless, a tolerable effect on the centerline soot volume fraction (f_V) profile, f_V < 3%, is manifested only at high heights above the burner of the atmospheric sooting flame C₂H₄/air ϕ = 2.1, and early at the high pressure of 10 bar of this flame, f_V < 10%. Enhancing the combustion process reactivity by decreasing the rich equivalence ratio of the fuel/air mixture and/or rising the pressure results in the prior formation of soot precursors, which shifts the sooting zone upstream.

Time series data having low signal-to-noise ratio, non-stationarity and non-linearity are commonly seen in high-frequency stock trading, where the objective is to increase the likelihood of profit by taking advantage of tiny discrepancies in prices and trading on them quickly and in huge quantities. For this purpose, it is essential to apply a trading method that is capable of fast and accurate prediction from such time series data. In this paper, we develop an online time series forecasting method for high-frequency trading (HFT) by integrating three neural network deep learning models, i.e., Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) and Transformer; and we abbreviate the new method to online LGT or O-LGT. The key innovation underlying our method is its efficient storage management, which enables super-fast computing. Specifically, when computing the forecast for the immediate future time, we use only the output calculated from the previous trading data (rather than the previous trading data themselves) together with the current trading data. Thus, the computing involves updating only the current data into the process. We evaluate the performance of O-LGT by analyzing the high-frequency Limit Order Book (LOB) data from the China market. It shows that our model in most cases achieves similar speed with much higher accuracy than the conventional fast supervised learning models for HFT. However, with a slight sacrifice in accuracy, O-LGT is approximately 40 times faster than the existing high-accuracy neural network models for the LOB data in China market.

This paper presents a comprehensive review that highlights the characteristics of non-isolated step-up converters based on high boost voltage lifting techniques. The paper categorises the high boost techniques: multistage/multilevel, switched capacitor, voltage multiplier, voltage lift, switched inductor, and magnetic coupling. The paper also discusses in detail the advantages and disadvantages for each category such as cost, complexity, power density, reliability and efficiency. The number of passive and active components, voltage gain, voltage stress, switching frequency, efficiency and power rating are also compared. Although the paper considers coupling inductors in the context of the non-isolated converter, the focus of the entire article is on the non-isolated high voltage step-up techniques. The key contribution in this paper is the review of high boosting techniques rather than the DC /DC converters. This allows divergence of new ideas and new power converters that will help provide highly efficient and flexible power converters for several applications where the sending end voltage is very low as photovoltaic systems. In addition, many applications and control techniques of DC/DC converters are summarised in this paper.

The general circuit topology and principles of low-noise high-voltage power supply are investigated to meet the requirements of the high-voltage bias application in air kerma meters. Two topologies, flyback converter and Royer converter are simulated using SPICE simulation program. The simulation results indicate that the circuit structure of the Royer converter is more complex, but it obtains lower output high voltage noise. While we develop an adjustable high-voltage power supply according to the circuit structure of the Royer converter, and tested it to ensure the design requirements for continuously adjustable output high-voltage linearity. The test results show that the linear adjustment rate is not more than ±0.0025%, the load regulation rate is less than ±0.1%, and the output ripple noise voltage percentage is less than 0.01%. These tested performance make it more suitable for accurate nuclear measurements.

Towns emerged as dynamic economic and political centers during the Middle Ages, giving rise to the emergence of new social classes. As a result of these functions, a new relationship began to be forged with the rural world, which supplied towns with foodstuffs that satisfied new social demands. Archaeobotanical analysis (carpology) allows us to understand the flow of cash crops by tracing seeds and fruits produced in the countryside that were consumed in and redistributed from the towns. The study of waterlogged contexts from medieval archaeological sites in the Kingdom of Galicia (Santiago de Compostela, Padrón, and Pontevedra) has provided a set of species that played a crucial role in the economy of the urban dwellers and that possibly were related to differential access or food preferences. Evidence for fruits (grapes, chestnuts, figs, apples, and cherries, among others), garden crops (melon), and cereals (foxtail millet, rye, naked wheat, and oat) has been documented. Broomcorn millet is particularly abundant, demonstrating that it was important for subsistence. Some of the species found (medlar and turnip/grelo) are novel in the archaeobotanical literature of the medieval period in the Iberian Peninsula.

Fringe projection profilometry(FPP) has been extensively applied in various fields for its superior fast speed, high accuracy and high data density. However, measuring some objects with high reflective surfaces or high dynamic range surfaces remains challenging for FPP. Some multiple exposure image fusion methods have been proposed and successfully improved the measurement performance for these kinds of objects. Normally, these methods have a relatively fixed sequence of exposure settings determined by artificial experience or trial and error experiments, which may decrease the efficiency of the entire measurement process and may have less robustness to various environmental lighting conditions and object reflective properties. In this paper, a novel self-adaptive multiple exposure image fusion method is proposed with two main aspects of improvement on adaptively optimizing the initial exposure and the exposure sequence. By introducing the theory of information entropy, combined with the analysis of the characterization of fringe image entropy, an adaptive initial exposure searching method is first proposed. Then, an exposure sequence generation method based on dichotomy is further described. On the base of these two improvements, a novel self-adaptive multiple exposure image fusion method for FPP as well as its detailed procedures are given. Experimental results validate the performance of the proposed self-adaptivity multiple exposure image fusion method by measuring the objects with different surface reflectivity and in different ambient lighting conditions.

Introduction: The combination of Virtual Screening (VS) techniques with in vivo screening in the zebrafish model is currently being used in tandem for drug development in a faster and more efficient way. Areas covered: We review the different virtual screening techniques, the use of zebrafish as a vertebrate model for drug discovery and the synergy that exists between them. Expert opinion: We highlight the advantages of combining virtual and zebrafish larvae screening for drug discovery. On the one hand, VS is a faster and cheaper tool for searching active compounds and possible candidates for therapy than in vivo screening when processing large compound libraries. On the other hand, zebrafish larvae form a vertebrate model which allows in vivo screening of large amounts of the compounds. Importantly physiology and chemical response are mostly conserved between zebrafish and mammals. The availability of the transgenic and mutant zebrafish lines allows an analysis of a specific phenotype upon treatment along with toxicity, off-target effect, side effects, and dosage. Advantages of VS, in vivo whole animal approach screening, and the screening combinations are also reviewed.

A low-cost medium power carbon dioxide (CO₂) laser system is designed, constructed, and characterized to produce coherent, monochromatic laser radiation in the Infrared region. The laser cavity is simulated and designed by using ZEMAX optic studio. A switch-mode high tension pump source is designed and constructed using a flyback transformer and simulated using NI Multisim to study the voltage behavior at different node points. A prototype cooling system/chiller is designed and built using the Thermo-Electric Coolers (TEC) to remove the excess heat produced during laser action. Various parameters, like pumping mechanism, chiller stability, efficiency, output power, and current at different applied voltages, are studied. The chiller efficiency at different output powers of the laser is analyzed, which clearly shows that the chiller's cooling rate is good enough to compensate for the heat generated by the laser system. The center wavelength of the carbon dioxide laser is 10.6μm with FWHM of 1.2nm simulated in the ZEMAX optic studio. The output beam penetration through salt rock (NaCl), wood, and acrylic sheet at various output powers is analyzed to measure the penetration depth rate of the CO₂ laser.

As one of the most promising ablative fillers, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been used to improve the ablative resistance of Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Monomer (EPDM) insulators by facilitating the carbothermal reduction reaction of silica. However, the contribution of MWCNTs to char layer structure of the insulators was unclear. In this work, the effects of MWCNTs on char layer structure and ablative resistance were investigated in different EPDM-based insulators with and without silica. The results showed that adding only 3 phr MWCNTs can reduce the linear ablation rate of EPDM-based insulators without silica by 31.7%, while 6 phr MWCNTs are required to obtain similar results in EPDM-based insulators with silica. Both the char layer morphology of the two insulators gradually evolved into dense porous structure as MWCNTs content increasing, but their formation mechanisms are different. The XRD and Raman spectrum showed that different physicochemical reactions occurred around MWCNTs under different charring components. The proposed ablation mechanism was further verified by designing alternating multilayer distribution of MWCNTs and silica. This work can guide the construction of desirable char layer structure for increasing ablative resistance of EPDM-based insulators.

The high entropy alloy (HEA) of equiatomic composition CrNiFeCoMn and with FCC crystal structure was additively manufactured with a selective laser melting (SLM) process starting from mechanically alloyed powders. The as produced alloy shows finenitride and  phase pre-cipitates, which are Cr-rich and stable up to about 900 K. The precipitates increase in number and dimensions after long-period annealing at 900-1300 K, with a change in the HEA mechanical properties. Higher aging temperatures in furnace, above 1300 K, turn the alloy in a single FCC structure, with disappearance of the nitrate and  phase precipitates inside the grains and at the grain boundaries, but with still a presence of a finer Cr-rich nitride precipitation phase. These re-sults suggest that the as-produced HEA is a supersatured solid solution at low and intermediate temperature with nitrides and  nanostructures.

Few studies have examined the role of mediating mechanisms played by bricolage in the relationship between strategic flexibility and new product development, even though most of the studies view strategic flexibility as a capability to cope with environmental turbulence and promote product innovation. The bricolage approach embraces the resource-based understanding of the product development process as a concrete process of recombining resources in the process and exploring the mechanisms behind the bricolage approach. This study is the first of the kind that has examined the empirical effect of environmental turbulence on new product development through serial mediation of strategic flexibility and bricolage. Based on our results, environmental turbulence positively and significantly affects new product development through the serial mediation of strategic flexibility and bricolage. Bricolage is one of the mechanisms by which strategic flexibility may play a part in supporting product innovation. Our contribution to strategic flexibility research comes from examining the effect of strategic flexibility on bricolage and new product development from the point that environmental turbulence compels the high-tech industries to remain strategically flexible for their sustainability and growth. Besides providing new evidence on the relationship between environmental turbulence and product innovation, this research also provides new insight into the economic opportunity of new product development in transition economies such as China.

Turbulence is a fluid dynamic problem refractory to mathematical treatment. Examining a theoretical model of liquid water flowing in a cylinder at different Raleigh numbers, we propose a novel approach to elucidate the first stages of turbulent flows. The weakly bonded molecular assemblies of liquid water form a fluctuating branched polymer in which every micro-cluster displays different density. Against the common view of liquid water as an incompressible and continuous fluid, we suggest that the occurrence of transient local aggregates could be able to generate the vortices and eddies that are the hallmarks of turbulence. We quantify the local changes in velocity, diameter and density required to engender “obstacles” to the average flow. Then, we show how these microstructures, equipped with different Raleigh numbers and characterized by high percolation index, could generate boundary layers that contribute to micro-vortices production. We conclude that the genesis of turbulence cannot be assessed in terms of collective phenomena, rather is sustained, among many other factors, by the underrated microscopic inhomogeneities of fluids like liquid water.

The electronic structural evolution of LLM-105 crystal and the (101) plane of LLM-105 crystal under different pressures is investigated by the density functional theory (DFT) calculations and the surface properties of seven low-Miller-index planes of LLM-105 crystal were investigated in this study. The result demonstrates that the surface energy of (101) plane of LLM-105 is much smaller when compared with other low-Miller-index planes of LLM-105.In order to further investigate the stability of crystal structure and (101) plane of LLM-105 under different pressures, a series of pressures ranged from 0 GPa to 55 GPa were applied during the DFT calculation, and the result shows that the electronic structures of LLM-105 crystal and the (101) plane changed with the increase of external pressure and the evolution process of (101) plane is different from that of LLM-105 crystal structure.

A summer high school baseball tournament is held every mid-summer in Koshien Stadium. “Koshien Baseball” is very popular in Japan; however, it faces the problem of extremely high temperatures during games. Thus, high school players are threatened by the harsh environment. For this reason, Internet surveys were conducted twice to purposefully engage the same individuals. Then, information on their views regarding the Koshien tournament before and after the provision of information regarding environmental change in Japan was gathered. Using data, this study examined how their views changed after having the information. Compared with the view before, it was found that (1) respondents were more likely to agree that the management rule of the Koshien tournaments should be altered to protect player’s health, and (2) the impact of providing information is larger for female respondents, young people, and highly educated respondents.

To reduce the carbon emissions during heating in the manufacturing process, microwaves have attracted significant attention. Microwave has a lot of advantages rather than traditional heating method such as rapid heating, lower thermal damage and eco-friendly process. In order to apply microwaves to manufacturing process, uniform and efficient heating is required. We have analyzed the effect of various design parameters such as cavity heights, the application of the reflector, and the number and positions of waveguides for uniform and efficient heating by numerical simulation and verified that by experiment. The results showed that a slight change in the cavity height altered the electromagnetic field distribution and heating parameters, such as the coefficient of variance and power absorption efficiency. With reflectors installed, uniform heating was achieved and power absorption was improved, with the spherical reflector showing the maximum efficiency. The use of double waveguides heated the target material in a uniform manner. An increase in the power supply also led to uniform heating. This large-scale analysis will be helpful in applying microwaves to actual industrial sites.

By means of X-ray computed microtomography (XCMT) the existence of a developed microporous structure having an average pore diameter of ~3.5 μm and pore content of ~1.1 vol.% has been revealed in unirradiated polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). It has been found that the combined action of gamma radiation (absorbed dose per PTFE of ~170 kGy) and high temperatures (327-350 °C) leads to the disappearance of the microporous structure and the formation of several large pores with sizes from 30 to 50 μm in the bulk of thermal-radiation modified PTFE (TRM-PTFE). It has been established by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis that the thermal-radiation modification of PTFE leads to an increase in the interplanar spacings, the degree of crystallinity and volume of the unit cell, as well as to a decrease in the size of crystals and the X-ray density of the crystalline phase in comparison with the initial polymer. It is assumed that the previously established effect of improving the deformation-strength and tribological properties of the TRM-PTFE can be due not only to the radiation cross-linking of polymer chains but also to the disappearance of the micropore system and to the ordering of the crystalline phase of PTFE.

Cyanobacteria are microorganisms able to adapt to a wide variety of environmental conditions and abiotic stresses. They produce a very large number of metabolites that can participate in the adaptation of cyanobacteria to a large range of resources such as light, temperature, or nutrient. The metabolites variation is one way to understand the physiological status and adaptation of cells. In this study, we aim to understand how the diversity and the dynamics of the whole metabolome is dependent of the growth phases and under control of abiotic factors (e.g. light intensity and temperature). The cyanobacteria Aliinostoc sp. PMC 882.14 was selected for its large number of biosynthetic gene clusters. Metabolomes were analyzed by using mass spectrometry (qTOF-MS/MS) combined with untargeted analysis to investigate the metabolite dynamics. Significant variations were characterized between exponential and stationary phases, whatever the culture conditions (“control”, “higher light”, or “higher temperature”). ”Higher light” and “higher temperature” favored the synthesis of metabolites belonging to the same molecular families. Among highly regulated metabolites, we observe the presence of mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), and various variants of somamides, microginins, and microviridins. Through Aliinostoc sp. PMC 882.14, this study shows the importance of knowing the physiological state of cyanobacteria for comparative global metabolomics and questions the regulation processes involve into metabolite families production. Our results also open up new perspectives in the context of the production of targeted bioactive metabolites.

This letter aims to show the connection between the sinc approximation for high-energy absorption cross section and the shadow radius of the spherically symmetric black hole. This connection can give a physical interpretation of the absorption cross section in the eikonal limit parameters. Moreover, the use of this alternative way, one can extract its shadow radius from the absorption cross section in high energy limits to gain more information about the black hole spacetime. Our results indicate that the increasing the value of the shadow radius of the black hole, exponentially increase the the absorption cross section of the black hole in high-energy limits which can be captured by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration.

Magnetic sensors are widely used in health management systems for turbomachinery, but their applications in the hot zone are limited due to the loss of magnetic properties by permanent magnets with increasing temperature. The paper presents and verifies models and design solutions aimed at improving the performance of an inductive sensor for measuring the motion of rotating objects operating at elevated temperatures (200-1000C), such as compressor and turbine blades. Physical, analog and mathematical models of the interaction of blades with the sensor were developed. A prototype of the sensor was made and its tests were carried out on the RK-4 rotor rig for the speed of 7000 rpm, in which the temperature of the sensor head was gradually increased to 1100C. The sensor signal level was compared to that of an identical sensor operating at room temperature. The heated sensor works continuously producing the output signal whose level does not change significantly. What is more, a set of six probes passed an initial engine test in an SO-3 turbojet. It was confirmed that the proposed design of the inductive sensor is suitable for blade health monitoring of the last stages of compressors, steam turbines as well as previous generation gas turbines operating below 1000C, even without a dedicated cooling system. In real-engine applications, sensor performance will depend on how the sensor is installed and the available heat dissipation capability

In this paper we provide a highly selected review and synthesis on some of the recent and notable contribution to research in portfolio analysis. A unique perspective on this development in the literature is offered in this paper by judiciously identifying a few sample eigenvalues adjustment patterns in a portfolio that leads to an improvement in the out-of-sample portfolio Sharpe ratio when the population covariance matrix admits a high-dimensional factor model. These patterns unveil a key insight into a portfolio performance improvement and shed an important light on the effectiveness of a few recently introduced ”robust to estimation errors” covariance matrix estimation approaches, which were not originally designed with the goal to improve the out-of-sample portfolio performance.

The use of vitamin D (VitD) supplements has become widespread in the last decade due not only to the dissociation between the blood levels recommended as "optimal" and those shown by the healthy population, but also to its presumed beneficial effects on multiple disorders. This work evaluated the levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in a healthy population of European origin living in a region with high solar irradiation. In serum samples from a population-based study conducted in the Canary Islands, levels of 25(OH)D were analyzed. In 876 individuals who had no history of kidney or malabsorption disorders and who had not been treated with calcium and/or VitD supplementation, the median 25(OH)D level was 26.3 (5th;95th percentile, 14.3;45.8)ng/mL. Notably, 65.4% of the population had 25(OH)D blood levels below 30ng/mL, 23.4% below 20ng/mL and 6.4% below 15ng/mL. Based on the lack of evidence supporting causality between 25(OH)D levels below what is recommended as optimal (≥20ng/mL, or even ≥30ng/mL) and major skeletal and non-skeletal diseases, and in light of the distribution of the concentration of this vitamin in healthy adults living under optimal conditions of solar irradiation, it seems reasonable to consider 25(OH)D levels below 20ng/mL and close to 15ng/mL as adequate for the general population.

In this study, we report a new epoxy acrylate based shape memory polymer(SMP) fabricated by Liquid crystal display (LCD) Stereolithographic 3D printing. The printed 3D object has a high resolution and high transparency in visible light region. The uniaxial tensile tests showed enhanced tensile toughness and tunable mechanical properties. The fix-recovery and cycle tests indicated high shape recovery properties including high shape recovery rate and excellent cycling stability. In addition, a smart electrical valve actuator was fabricated that can be used in fast heat or electricity responsive electrical circuits. LCD 3D printing provides a low-cost and high efficient way to fabricate fast responsive SMP, which can be used in wide applications in various fields on aerospace engineering, biomedical devices, soft robots and electronic devices.

The interest in high homogenization pressure technology has grown over the years. It is a green technology with low energy consumption, not generating high CO2 emissions or polluting effluents. The main food applications derive from its effect on particle size, causing a more homogeneous distribution of fluid elements (particles, globules, droplets, aggregates, etc.) and favouring the release of intracellular components; and its effect on the structure and configuration of chemical components such as polyphenols and macromolecules such as carbohydrates (fibres) and proteins (also microorganisms and enzymes). The challenges of the 21st century lead food industry processing towards obtaining food with high nutritional quality and taking advantage of waste to obtain ingredients with specific properties. For this purpose, soft and non-thermal technologies such as high pressures homogenization have a huge potential. The objective of this work is to review how the need to combine safety, functionality and sustainability in food industry has conditioned the last decade applications of high-pressure homogenization technology.

In the end of December 2019, a new strain of coronavirus was identified in the Wuhan city of Hubei province in China. Within a shorter period of time, an unprecedented outbreak of this strain was witnessed over the entire Wuhan city. This novel coronavirus strain was later officially renamed as COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) by the World Health Organization. The mode of transmission had been found to be human-to-human contact and hence resulted in a rapid surge across the globe where more than 1,100,000 people have been infected with COVID-19. In the current scenario, finding potent drug candidates for the treatment of COVID-19 has emerged as the most challenging task for clinicians and researchers worldwide. Identification of new drugs and vaccine development may take from a few months to years based on the clinical trial processes. To overcome the several limitations involved in identifying and bringing out potent drug candidates for treating COVID-19, in the present study attempts were made to screen the FDA approved drugs using High Throughput Virtual Screening (HTVS). The COVID-19 main protease (COVID-19 Mpro) was chosen as the drug target for which the FDA approved drugs were initially screened with HTVS. The drug candidates that exhibited favorable docking score, energy and emodel calculations were further taken for performing Induced Fit Docking (IFD) using Schrodinger’s GLIDE. From the flexible docking results, the following four FDA approved drugs Sincalide, Pentagastrin, Ritonavir and Phytonadione were identified. In particular, Sincalide and Pentagastrin can be considered potential key players for the treatment of COVID-19 disease.

High-Rise buildings with their particular features can affects on surrounding environment and makes new microclimates. In the windy conditions, the spaces that are between building blocks changes to passages and affects on the wind velocity, intensity and it’s other parameters.The importance of this effect is different in each level of building height. The Pedestrian-Level is the lowest and one of important areas. Markets, playgrounds and pedestrian access had located in this area and any unwanted microclimate changes like high velocity and turbulence in this level can makes discomfort and dangerous condition for residents. So this research tries to consider the pedestrian- level wind comfort in some High-Rise building complexes arrangement that had located in Tehran district 22 with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling and reaching to a suitable arrangement pattern. It had collected the required data through field study and librarian databases and then compared them with standard guidelines and analyzed them by comparative comparison method. As a result a linear arrangement that placed crossover to wind direction for providing wind comfort and preventing wind danger is been suggested in this region.

A new frontier in solar thermal panel technology can be a high vacuum collector, thick enough to be equipped with solar concentrators based on non-imaging optics, such as the Compound Parabolic Concentrators (CPC). The high vacuum technology guarantees higher operating temperatures thanks to the enhanced thermal insulation, which leads to pay particular attention to the absorber radiative emission. In this paper by means of numerical simulations we compare the efficiency of a flat selective solar absorber under high vacuum to the efficiency of a CPC under high-vacuum collector.

Magnetic iron oxide particles are used for in vitro diagnostics for nearly 40 years. Due to their unique physical, chemical, thermal and mechanical properties, as well as biocompatibility and low toxicity in the human body, iron oxide nanoparticles have been used in many biomedical applications, such as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging, carriers for controlled drug delivery and immunoassays, but also in magnetic hyperthermia. Our aim is to investigate the effect of pressure and temperature on the structural, thermal and magnetic properties of iron oxide nanomaterials prepared by hydrothermal synthesis. Iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized at temperatures of 100-200°C and pressures of 20-1000 bar. It has been found that pressure influences the type of iron oxide crystalline phase. Thus, for lower pressure values (< 100 bar), iron oxide is predominantly formed as hematite, while at pressures > 100 bar, the major crystalline phase is goethite. The complex thermal analysis revealed the polymorphic changes of iron oxides at different temperatures. The existence of specific magnetite and hematite phases in all thermally treated samples are evidenced through the specific Verwey and Morin transitions highlighted by ZFC-FC (Zero Field Cooled-Field Cooled) measurements, whereas their relative content is precisely provided by Mössbauer spectroscopy.

By using hydrogen quench continuous annealing technology, Stelco Inc. has developed a suite of Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS) grades with tensile strength greater than 1000MPa to meet standard automotive specifications and for unique customer requirements. These grades were optimized by correlating chemical composition and processing parameters with microstructures and mechanical properties. Dual-Phase 980 (Stelco trademarked STELMAXTM 980DP), Multi-Phase 1180 (STELMAXTM 1180MP), Martensitic Steel 1300 (STELMAXTM 1300M) and 1500 (STELMAXTM 1500M) products met strength and formability requirements with excellent flatness and surface quality. Hydrogen quench continuous annealing technology not only ensures all developed AHSS grades have consistent mechanical properties across the entire strip length (from strip head to tail) and width (from edge to edge), but also produces high product yield compared with other continuous annealing processes.

Root research on field grown crops is hindered by the difficulty of estimating root biomass in soil. Root washing, the current standard method is laborious and expensive. Biochemical methods to quantify root biomass in soil, targeting species-specific DNA, have potential as a more efficient assay. We combined an efficient DNA extraction method, designed specifically to extract DNA from soil, with well-established quantitative PCR methods to estimate the root biomass of twenty-two wheat varieties grown in field trials over two seasons. We also developed an assay for estimating root biomass for black-grass, a common weed of wheat cultivation. Two robust qPCR assays were developed to estimate the quantity of plant root DNA in soil samples, one specific to wheat and barley, and a second specific to black-grass. The DNA qPCR method was comparable, with high correlations, with the results of root washing from soil cores taken from winter wheat field trials. The DNA qPCR assay showed both variety and depth as significant factors in the distribution of root biomass in replicated field trials. The results suggest that these DNA qPCR assays are a useful, high throughput tool for investigating the genetic basis of wheat root biomass distribution in field grown crops, and the impact of black-grass root systems on crop production.

Nitride and carbide are the second phases which play an important role in the performance of bearing steel, and their precipitation behavior is complicated. In this study, TiN-MC_x precipitations in GCr15 bearing steels were obtained by non-aqueous electrolysis, and their precipitation mechanisms were studied. TiN is the effective heterogeneous nucleation site for Fe₇C₃ and Fe₃C, therefore, MC_x can precipitate on the surface of TiN easily, its chemistry component consists of M₃C and M₇C₃ (M = Fe, Cr, Mn) and Cr₃C₂. TiN-MC_x with high TiN volume fraction, TiN forms in early stage of solidification, and MC_x precipitates on TiN surface after TiN engulfed by the solidification advancing front. TiN-MC_x with low TiN volume fraction, TiN and MC_x form in late stage of solidification, TiN can not grow sufficiently and is covered by a large number of precipitated MC_x particles.

The detection of temporary color steel buildings and the analysis of their spatiotemporal patterns and characteristics are of great importance in many developing cities, because areas densely distributed with color steel buildings are usually problematic regions with high population density, sustainable development and risk level, which are challenging for local governments. Using the high-resolution satellite images of the Anning District, Lanzhou City, China as the case study, this paper first extracts the information of the color steel buildings for two different periods. Then the spatiotemporal distributional characteristics of the color steel buildings are analyzed, both at small scale (temporary buildings) and large scale (planthouses, warehouses, etc.). Finally, this paper utilizes kernel density estimation, Delaunay triangulation and Voronoi diagrams to examine the spatial distribution, aggregation and proximity characteristics of the color steel buildings. Our experiments show that the temporal and spatial differences of urban development, the phased characteristics and urban space are represented by various types of color steel buildings. Thus, there are some robust coupling relationship between color steel buildings, urban spatial form and urban development.

By combing continuum topology optimization (TO) method and lattice structure technique, a sandwich aircraft spoiler with a high stiffness-to-weight is designed. TO method is served to produce the shell of the aircraft spoiler and the lattice structure, used as cores, is employed to support the shell. TO problem is established as maximizing the stiffness of the structure with limited material volume. Density-based method is utilized to achieve a 0/1 solution. We then empirically replace the core of the aircraft spoiler by using 3D kagome lattice structure. Two different materials, i.e., aluminum alloy and titanium alloy, are synthetically applied to further reduce the weight and simultaneously improve the strength of the aircraft spoiler. Numerical simulations are conducted to show that the designed aircraft spoiler can meet the service environment with a reduction of its weight by approximately 80% when compared with that of the initial design model. Finally, we have fabricated the designed model with photosensitive resin by using 3D printing technique.

The Pierre Auger Observatory is the world's largest operating detection system for the observation of ultra high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs). The detector allows detailed measurements of their energy spectrum, mass composition and arrival directions of primary cosmic rays in the energy range above $10^{17}$ eV. The data collected at the Observatory over the last decade show the suppression of the cosmic ray flux at energies above $4\times10^{19}$ eV. However, it is still unclear if this suppression is caused by the propagation of cosmic rays or rather by energy limitation of their sources. The other puzzle is the origin of UHECRs. Some clues can be drawn from studying the distribution of their arrival directions. The recently observed dipole anisotropy has an orientation which indicates an extragalactic origin of UHECRs. The Auger surface detector array is also sensitive to showers due to ultra high energy neutrinos of all flavours and photons, and recent neutrino and photon limits provided by the Observatory can constrain models of the cosmogenic neutrino production and exotic scenarios of the UHECRs origin, such as the decays of super heavy particles. In this paper the recent results on measurements of the energy spectrum, mass composition and arrival directions of cosmic rays, and future prospects are presented.

Factors affecting the host-virus interaction must be understood for the effective application of bacteriophages to combat bacterial pathogens. Two novel E. coli phages, the T1-like siphophage LL5 and the rV5-like myophage LL12, were subjected to forward genetic screens against the Keio collection, a library of single non-essential gene deletions in E.coli str. BW25113. These genome-wide screens and subsequent experiments identified eight genes required for efficient propagation of phage LL5 and six genes required for propagation of LL12. The majority of the genes identified were involved in production of the phage receptors. E. coli mutants deficient in heptose II and the phosphoryl substituent of heptose I of the inner core lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were unable to propagate phage LL5, as were mutants deficient in the outer membrane protein TolC. Mutants lacking glucose I of the LPS outer core failed to propagate LL12. Two cytoplasmic chaperones, PpiB and SecB, were found to be required for efficient propagation of phage LL5 but not LL12. This approach may be useful for identifying phage receptors and required host factors in other phages, which would provide valuable information for their potential use as therapeutics and for phage engineering.

The present study examined and compared the effects of high- and low-molecular weight (MW) chitosan, a nutraceutical, on intestinal and liver lipid metabolism in rats fed with high-fat diet. Both high- and low-MW chitosan decreased liver weight, elongated small intestine, improved the dysregulation of blood lipids and liver fat accumulation, and increased fecal lipid excretion in high-fat diet-fed rats. Supplementation of both high- and low-MW chitosan significantly inhibited the decreased phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)α and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)α protein expressions and the increased lipogenesis/cholesterogenesis-associated protein expressions (sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP)1c, SREBP2, and PPARγ) and the decreased apolipoprotein (Apo)E and microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTTP) protein expressions in the livers of high-fat diet-fed rats. Both high and low-MW chitosan supplementation could also suppress the increased MTTP protein expression and the decreased angiopoietin-like protein (Angptl)4 protein expression in the intestines of high-fat diet-fed rats. Comparison between high and low-MW chitosan, high-MW chitosan has a higher efficiency than low-MW chitosan on the inhibition of intestinal lipid absorption and the increase of hepatic fatty acid oxidation, which can improve liver lipid biosynthesis and accumulation.

This review discusses a broad range of recent advances (2013-2017) of chemical imaging using electrochemical methods, with a particular focus on techniques that have been applied to study cellular processes, or techniques that show promise for use in this field in the future. Non-scanning techniques such as microelectrode arrays (MEAs) offer high time-resolution (< 10 ms) imaging, however at reduced spatial resolution. In contrast, scanning electrochemical probe microscopies (SEPMs) offer higher spatial resolution (as low as a few nm per pixel) imaging, with images collected typically over many minutes. Recent significant research efforts to improve the spatial resolution of SEPMs using nanoscale probes, and to improve the temporal resolution using fast scanning have resulted in movie (multiple frame) imaging with frame rates as low as a few seconds per image. Many SEPM techniques lack chemical specificity or have poor selectivity (defined by the choice of applied potential for redox-active species). This can be improved using multifunctional probes, ion-selective electrodes and tip-integrated biosensors, although additional effort may be required to preserve sensor performance after miniaturization of these probes. We discuss advances to the field of electrochemical imaging, and technological developments which are anticipated to extend the range of processes that can be studied. This includes imaging cellular processes with increased sensor selectivity and at much improved spatiotemporal resolution than has been previously customary.

Face routing has been adopted in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) where topological changes occur frequently or maintaining full network information is difficult. For message forwarding in networks, a planar graph is used to prevent looping, and because long edges are removed by planarization and the resulting planar graph is composed of short edges, messages are forwarded along multiple nodes connected by them even though they can be forwarded directly. To solve this, face routing using information on all nodes within 2-hop range was adopted to forward messages directly to the farthest node within radio range. However, as the density of the nodes increases, network performance plunges because message transfer nodes receive and process increased node information. To deal with this problem, we propose a new face routing using the planar graphs of neighboring nodes to improve transfer efficiency. It forwards a message directly to the farthest neighbor and reduces loads and processing time by distributing network graph construction and planarization to the neighbors. It also decreases the amount of location information to be transmitted by sending information on the planar graph nodes rather than on all neighboring nodes. Simulation results show that it significantly improves transfer efficiency.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of constitutive equations on the prediction accuracy for springback in cold stamping with various deformation modes. In this study, two types of yield functions—Hill’48 and Yld2000-2d—were considered to describe yield behavior. Isotropic and kinematic hardening models based on the Yoshida–Uemori model were also adopted to describe hardening behavior. Various material tests (such as uniaxial tension, tension- compression, loading-unloading, and hydraulic bulging tests) were carried out to determine the material parameters of the models. The obtained parameters were implemented in the finite element (FE) simulation to predict springback, and the results were compared with experimental data. U-bending and T-shape drawing were employed to evaluate the springback prediction accuracy. Obviously, the springback prediction accuracy was greatly influenced by constitutive equations. Therefore, it is important to choose appropriate constitutive equations for accurate description of material behaviors in FE simulation.

A high step-up DC-to-DC converter that integrates an isolated transformer and a switched-clamp capacitor is presented in this study. The voltage stress of the main power switch should be clamped to 1/4 V by using the turn ratio and switched-clamp capacitor of an isolated transformer to achieve a high voltage gain. In addition, a passive clamp circuit is employed reduce voltage stress on the main power switch. The energy of the leakage inductor can be recycled by the clamp capacitor because of the passive clamp circuit, thereby improving the power converter efficiency. The converter consists of one isolated transformer, one main switch, three capacitors, and four diodes. Operating principle and steady-state analyses are also discussed. Finally, a 24-V-input voltage to 200-V-output voltage and a 150 W output power prototype converter are fabricated in the laboratory. The maximum efficiency of the converter is 95.1 at 60 W.

Cutaneous metastatic melanoma (CMM) is the most aggressive form of skin cancer with a poor prognosis. Drugs-induced secondary tumorigenesis and the emergency of drug resistance worsen the already worrying scenario, thus rendering urgent the development of new treatments, not dealing with mutable cellular processes. Triphenyl phosphonium salts (TPPSs), in addiction to act as cytoplasmic membrane disruptors, are reported to be mitochondria-targeting compounds, exerting anticancer effects mainly by damaging their membranes and causing depolarization, impairing mitochondria functions and their DNA, triggering oxidative stress (OS), and priming primarily apoptotic cell death. TPP-based bola-amphiphiles are capable to self-form nanoparticles (NPs) with enhanced biological properties, as commonly observed for nanomaterials. Already employed in several other biomedical applications, only recently the per se selective potent antibacterial effects of a TPP bola-amphiphile has been demonstrated on 50 multidrug resistant (MDR) clinical superbugs, as well as its exceptional and selective anticancer properties, on sensitive and MDR neuroblastoma cells. Here, aiming at finding new molecules possibly developable as new treatments for counteracting CMM, the effects of this TPP-based bola-amphiphile (BPPB) have been investigated against two BRAF mutants CMM cell lines (MeOV and MeTRAV) with excellent results (even IC50 = 49 nM on MeOV after 72 h treatment). Upon these findings and considered the low cytotoxicity of BPPB against different mammalian not tumoral cell lines and red blood cells (RBCs, selectivity indexes up to 299 on MeOV after 72 h treatment), the possible future development of BPPB as topical treatment for CMM lesions was presumed. In this sight, a biodegradable hyaluronic acid (HA)-based hydrogel formulation (HA-BPPB-HG) was prepared without using any potentially toxic crosslinking agents, but simply dispersing suitable amounts of the two ingredients in water and sonicating under gentle heating. HA-BPPB-HA was completely characterized with promising outcomes, such as high swelling capability, high porosity and viscous elastic rheological behavior.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been transforming personal and professional domains by enabling creative content generation and interactive problem-solving. However, the influence of users' grammatical abilities on the responses generated by these technologies remains unclear. This exploratory study investigated how language and grammar abilities, particularly in Spanish, affected the quality of responses provided by ChatGPT (free version). While Long Language Models (LLMs) perform well in various tasks, challenges arise with grammatical moods specific to non-English languages, such as the subjunctive in Spanish. Higher education students were chosen due to their familiarity with AI and its potential use in learning. The research assessed ChatGPT's ability to process instructions in Chilean Spanish, focusing on how linguistic complexity, grammatical variations, and informal language impacted output quality. The findings indicate that varied verbal moods and complex sentence structures significantly affect prompt evaluation, response quality, and the length of the responses. Based on these results, a framework is proposed to guide higher education communities in promoting digital literacy among teachers and students and in integrating AI into teaching and learning processes.

The electric vehicle market is constantly evolving, with research and development efforts to improve motor technologies and address current challenges to meet the growing demand for sustainable transportation solutions well underway. Electric vehicles are crucial to the global initiative to reduce carbon emissions. The core component of an electric vehicle is its motor drive technology, which has seen significant advancements and diversification in recent years. Although alternating-current motors, particularly induction and synchronous motors, are widely used for their efficiency and low maintenance, direct-current motors provide high torque and cost-effectiveness advantages. This study examines various electric motor technologies used in electric vehicles and compares them using several parameters such as reliability, cost, and efficiency. This study presents a multi-criteria comparison of the various electric motors used in the electric traction system to provide a picture that enables selecting the appropriate electrical motor for the intended application. Although the permanent magnet synchronous motor appears to be the popular choice among electric car makers, the proposed comparative study demonstrates that the induction motor matches the essential requirements of electric vehicles.

When solar energy is converted into electricity by photovoltaic modules, only 20% of the incident solar radiation is converted into electricity and the remaining 80% is converted into heat, increasing the temperature of the photovoltaic solar cells. The increase in PV module temperature has a negative impact on open-circuit voltage. This leads to a reduction in electrical efficiency and degradation of the photovoltaic modules. In order to maintain their operating temperature under standard test conditions, it is important to remove the excess heat from the photovoltaic solar cells by cooling. After cooling, the temperature of the PV modules decreases and the electrical efficiency is improved. In this article, air cooling techniques for photovoltaic modules are examined. The disadvantages and prospects of the different approaches to these air-cooling techniques are presented. Understanding the different cooling techniques is important for improving the electricity production of photovoltaic modules and for popularising this technology.

Post-exercise recovery is fundamental to optimizing athletic performance, focusing on muscle repair, glycogen replenishment, rehydration, and reducing exercise-induced inflammation. This review examines the evolving landscape of recovery nutrition, highlighting the transition from conventional supplements—such as protein, carbohydrates, creatine, and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs)—to functional foods rich in bioactive compounds. Emerging evidence supports the efficacy of functional foods like tart cherry juice, turmeric, and omega-3 fatty acids in mitigating oxidative stress and inflammation, thus accelerating recovery. Additionally, probiotics and prebiotic-rich foods are gaining recognition for enhancing gut health, promoting nutrient absorption, and strengthening immune function, which are crucial in recovery processes. The concept of personalized nutrition, guided by genetic and metabolic profiling, is explored as a promising approach to tailor recovery strategies to individual physiological needs. Continued research into the long-term effects of supplements, the role of functional foods, and nutrient interactions is essential for developing more comprehensive and individualized recovery protocols. Integrating functional foods with personalized nutrition offers a holistic strategy to enhance recovery, optimize performance, and promote long-term health in athletes.

In this investigation, four distinct by-products of natural materials were used to compose a mix for rammed earth construction. The mix of these materials, which have various granulometry, affords many potential combinations, making the analysis of different combinations highly complex. The Taguchi method, a statistical approach renowned for significantly reducing the number of ex-periments in complex systems, was employed to address this challenge. Each of the four ma-terials was assessed across four different levels, with moisture content also factored in as a pa-rameter within the statistical analysis. Two separate studies were conducted to obtain two optimal com-binations of the materials to enhance the dry density and the Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS). Taguchi method demonstrated its efficacy in predicting the optimal combination of mix-tures for enhancing both objective parameters. A natural by-product mix demonstrated its po-tential for use as a building material. The enhancement of the dry density due to a modification of the mix’s Particle Size Distribution (PSD) did not produce a direct improvement in the mix UCS. The factor to be prioritized should be the mechanical strength, rather than the dry density of the sample.

The main purpose of this paper is to review systematically both theoretical and empirical literature about the relationship between corporate governance variables and the performance of microfinance institutions. The theoretical reviews were: agency theory stakeholders’ theory, resource dependency theory, stewardship theory, and social contract theory which deal with corporate governance mechanism and their effect on the performance of the firm. Empirical studies carried out in different countries at different times together with different findings were reviewed to compare the effect of corporate governance mechanisms on the performance of microfinance institutions and to establish areas of gaps for further studies. Board characteristics which include size, education, meeting frequency, board composition, and board independence, and their effect on the financial performance of microfinance institutions were discussed. The findings of different scholars show a lack of consistency on the effect of corporate governance variables on the financial performance of Microfinance Institutions so further investigation is required from potential scholars. Finally, theoretical, measurement and methodological drawbacks of previous studies were identified, and significant recommendations were forwarded for future studies in this area.

In recent years of technological advancements, the digitization of information has become a crucial factor for the growth and sustainability of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly in developing countries. These enterprises face a growing problem in accessing IT resources due to financial and lack of qualified IT personnel in their regions. This led to a growing interest in database and data warehouse technologies, which serve as foundational tools for organizing, storing, and analyzing vast amounts of data. This systematic review proposes to evaluate the impact of database and data warehouse technologies on organizational performance by employing the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, this review thoroughly synthesizes existing literature to identify the key benefits and challenges associated with the adoption of these technologies in SMEs. The proposed inclusion criteria were bounded by (1) publication date between 2014 and 2024, (2) research written in English, (3) research work focusing on evaluating the impact of database and data warehouse technologies on organizational performance, (4) research with a clear evaluation analysis of database and data warehouse technologies research framework. Following these guidelines, 150 eligible research studies were included. The analysis reveals a wide range of findings concerning the impact of database and data warehouse technologies. Key results include the identification of cost-efficiency trends, improvements in decision-making processes, enhancements in customer relationship management, and gains in operational efficiency. The findings provide actionable guidance for SMEs, policymakers, and IT professionals seeking to leverage these technologies to enhance organizational performance. To the best of our knowledge, this systematic review offers a comprehensive analysis that fills a gap in the existing literature on the impact of these technologies on organizational outcomes.

While being a workaholic supervisor may be viewed as admirable due to their commitment to work, existing findings on its effects on subordinates are mixed. Drawing upon the principle learning perspective and activation theory, we propose a curvilinear relationship between supervisor workaholism and subordinate job performance and investigate the moderating role of subordinate social-related social media usage. Specifically, we suggest that subordinate job performance increases (decreases) as supervisor workaholism increases from low (moderate) to moderate (high) levels and that this inverted U-shaped relationship becomes flatter when subordinates have higher social-related social media usage. The results, based on a multi-source survey collected from 321 supervisor-subordinate dyads, support the predictions. Our research moves beyond linear thinking and suggests that there exists an optimal level of supervisor workaholism that maximizes subordinate job performance. We also provide insights into the ongoing debate and potential ethical concerns surrounding whether employees should use social media at work. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

To enhance the peak-shaving capability of the boiler, a mathematical model of hydrodynamic and wall temperature characteristics for the water-cooled wall of a 1000 MW boiler was established. The attributes pertaining to the mass flow distribution, the temperature of the effluent working fluid, pressure drop, and the thermal distribution across the wall surfaces at 30% of the boiler's maximum continuous rating (BMCR) were meticulously computed and subjected to a thorough analytical review. The findings suggest that, under the operation at 30% BMCR load, there is a substantial equilibrium in the flow distribution across the quartet of walls that constitute the water-cooled wall assembly. The maximum mass flow rate deviations in the helical and vertical sections are 1.95% and 3.47%, respectively, showing small flow deviations and reasonable distribution. The temperature deviation in the helical section is 0.3 °C, reflecting the characteristic low thermal deviation in helical tubes. While the temperature deviation at the outlet of the vertical section is higher, it remains within safe limits. The pressure loss across the water-cooled wall system amounts to 0.4 MPa. The peak wall temperature reaches 337.5°C, remaining within the material's permissible safety limits. In-depth performance analysis ensures the safe operating conditions of the water-cooled wall during low load conditions.

In today’s fast-paced technological landscape, businesses must adapt to evolving business models and harness the power of data to thrive. Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) face significant challenges in aligning IT infrastructure with business objectives while navigating digital transformation. This systematic review, conducted using PRISMA 2020 guidelines, investigates the role of Enterprise Architecture (EA) and Information Management (IM) in driving IT growth and sustaining competitive performance in SMEs. Through a synthesis of academic research, industry analysis, and case studies from the last decade, this review identifies key frameworks—such as TOGAF, Zachman, and FEAF—that support the alignment of IT capabilities with organizational goals. The integration of IM within EA frameworks is found to enhance decision-making, resource allocation, and operational efficiency. Emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud computing are highlighted for their transformative impact, enabling real-time data analysis, improved scalability, and enhanced agility. Our review reports that 43.44% of the studies focused on cloud-based solutions, while 24.59% adopted hybrid models, offering SMEs scalable and flexible IT infrastructures. The findings emphasize the necessity of strong governance frameworks to ensure compliance, adaptability, and long-term sustainability in a dynamic environment. This research contributes to a comprehensive roadmap for SMEs, enabling them to leverage EA and IM for sustained growth and competitive advantage in the digital era.