The “memory of water” experiments suggested the existence of molecular-like effects without molecules. Although no convincing evidence of modifications of water – specific of biologically-active molecules – has been reported up to now, consistent changes of biological systems were nevertheless recorded. We propose an alternate explanation based on classical conditioning of the experimenter. Using a probabilistic model, we describe not only the biological system, but also the experimenter engaged in an elementary dose-response experiment. We assume that during conventional experiments involving genuine biologically-active molecules, the experimenter is involuntarily conditioned to expect a pattern, namely a relationship between descriptions (or “labels”) of experimental conditions and corresponding biological system states. The model predicts that the conditioned experimenter could continue to record the learned pattern even in the absence of the initial cause, namely the biologically-active molecules. The phenomenon is self-sustained because the observation of the expected pattern reinforces the initial conditioning. A necessary requirement is the use of a system submitted to random fluctuations with autocorrelated successive states (no forced return to the initial position). The relationship recorded by the conditioned experimenter is, however, not causal in this model because blind experiments with an “outside” supervisor lead to a loss of correlations (i.e., system states randomly associated to “labels”). In conclusion, this psychophysical model allows explaining the results of “memory of water” experiments without referring to water or another local cause. It could be extended to other scientific fields in biology, medicine and psychology when suspecting an experimenter effect.

A methodological similarity between Thomas Hobbes and Pëtr Kropotkin is the intention to spread a theoretical foundation to everyone, in the sense that they are willing to give to all the people a clear description of the reality and a subsequent political view. To do so, they use a scientific method, deductive (starting from empirical observations) in the case of Hobbes, inductive-deductive in the case of Kropotkin. Kropotkin underlines the educational value of the scientific method.In this work we want to highlight that, although they both start their argumentations from a materialist ontology, Hobbes and Kropotkin conjecture two completely different states of nature. Hobbes describes the state of nature through the two famous metaphors homo homini lupus (citing Plautus) and bellum omnium contra omnes, while Kropotkin introduced the theory of mutual aid. Both the theory of a state of war by Hobbes and the theory of mutual aid by Kropotkin have been revolutionary. Hobbes has been influenced by the scientific revolution initiated by Francis Bacon, one of his mentors, and Galileo Galilei, together with a criticism towards the ancient Greece philosophers, in particular Aristotle. Kropotkin has been influenced by the ground-breaking writings of Charles Darwin together with a very fruitful Russian scientific environment.We want to stress here that the disenchanted view of the human nature in Hobbes, a state of war due to the fact that everyone has rights on everything, helps him to legitimate sovereignty, while the positive view of human nature in Kropotkin, a spontaneous mutual aid among people in a community, helps him to legitimate anarchy. Therefore, the fascinating scientific methods of the two materialists Hobbes and Kropotkin to structure a solid political theory cannot neglect different views on human nature due to their historical contexts.

Implications of the novel usage adoption of the internet of things in various sectors of works and life are researched and documented at pace. This is related to the overall high rate at which new technologies are adopted in modern society. Healthcare is a vital aspect of everyday activities and as such overlaps with the increasingly important role played by use of the internet and associated technologies. The purpose of this review article is to draw attention to the potential social, ethical, legal and professional limitations to using IoT in the context of healthcare. The social and ethical aspects in particular, focus on IoT usage in care of the elderly with relevant case studies as reference.

In order to synchronize foreign policies of governments, firm actions in the form of economic sanctions have long been employed by western countries. Those countries that tend to have independent views and policies are made to undergo economic adversity to fall in line. But the hardest hit by these coercive actions are the ordinary citizens who have to endure immense difficulty with social and economic issues not to mention the human rights violations. This paper provides a review regarding the effect of economic sanctions on mental health and quality of life of Iranian citizens based on data available from Iran post-sanctions. From 2012 stronger sanctions have been implemented on Iran as its nuclear program failed to draw faith in terms of its peaceful execution. Evidence have pointed out that economic sanctions imposed by western countries have a detrimental and destructive effect on the health of individual Iranians and they violated some basic human rights.

Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder triggered by the ingestion of gluten and affects approximately 1% of the global population. Currently, the only treatment available is lifelong strict adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD). Chronic diseases such as CD affect patients and their family members’ quality of life (QoL); particularly parents and caregivers who play an essential role in the child’s care and treatment. A higher level of psychological distress has been found in the parents of children with chronic ailments due to limited control over the child’s daily activities and the child’s illness. In this context, the validation of a specific questionnaire of QoL is a valuable tool to evaluate the difficulties faced by parents or caregivers of children with this chronic illness. A specific questionnaire for this population can elucidate the reasons for stress in their daily lives as well as the physical, mental, emotional, and social impact caused by CD. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and validate a specific questionnaire to evaluate the QoL of parents and caregivers of children and adolescents with CD. The study was developed in six steps: (i) development of the CD parent/caregiver QoL questionnaire (CDPC-QoL); (ii) subjective evaluation; (iii) validation of the questionnaire by the Delphi method; (iv) evaluation of the internal consistency and reproducibility of the CDPC-QoL; (v) application of the questionnaire to Brazilian CD parents or caregivers; and (vi) statistical analysis. Overall results showed that a higher family income resulted in a higher score of the worries domain. In addition, having another illness besides CD decreased the QoL (except in the worries domain). The other variables studied did not present a statistically significant impact on the QoL, which was shown to be low in all aspects. Knowledge of the QoL is important to help implement effective strategies to improve celiac patients’ quality of life and reduce their physical, emotional, and social burden.

We received an Honorable Mention at the Gravity Research Foundation 2018 Awards for Essays on Gravitation by showing that a correct general relativistic interpretation of the Mössbauer rotor experiment represents a new, strong and independent, proof of Einstein's general theory relativity (GTR). Here we correct a mistake which was present in our previous computations on this important issue by deriving a rigorous computation of the additional effect of clock synchronization. Finally, we show that some recent criticisms on our general relativistic approach to the Mössbauer rotor experiment are incorrect, by ultimately confirming our important result.

Hydrogels incorporated with hydrophobic motifs have received considerable attention to recapitulate the cellular microenvironments, specifically for the bio-mineralization of a 3D matrix. Introduction of hydrophobic motifs into a hydrogel often results in irregular arrangement of the motifs, and further phase separation of hydrophobic domains, but limited efforts have been made to resolve this challenge in the hydrophobically-modified hydrogel. Therefore, this study presents an advanced integrative strategy to incorporate hydrophobic domains regularly in a hydrogel by self-assembling of polymer cross-linkers, building blocks of a hydrogel. Self-assemblies between polymer cross-linkers were examined as micro-domains to incorporate hydrophobic motifs in a hydrogel. The self-assembled structures in a pre-gelled solution were confirmed with the fluorescence analysis and the hydrophobicity of a hydrogel could be tuned by incorporating the motifs in a controlled manner. Overall, the results of this study would greatly serve to tuning performance of a wide array of hydrophobically-modified hydrogels in drug delivery, cell therapies and tissue engineering.

This article will provide an overview on internet of things (IoT), 5G communication System and Distributed Clouds. The basic concepts and benefits will be briefly presented, along with current standardization activities. In a nutshell, but the research will focus on relating internet of things, 5G and Distributed Cloud Computing.

Current cellular facts allow us to follow the link from chemical to biochemical metabolites, from the ancient to the modern world. In this context, the "RNA world" hypothesis proposes that early in the evolution of life, the ribozyme was responsible for the storage and transfer of genetic information and for the catalysis of biochemical reactions. Accordingly, the hammerhead ribozyme (HHR) and the hairpin ribozyme, belong to a family of endonucleolytic RNAs performing self-cleavage that might occur during replication. Furthermore, regarding the ultraconserved occurrence of HHR in several genomes of modern organisms (from mammals to small parasites and elsewhere), these small ribozymes have been regarded as living fossils of a primitive RNA world. They fold into 3D structures that generally require long-range intramolecular interactions to adopt the catalytically active conformation under specific physicochemical conditions. By studying viroids as plausible remains of ancient RNA, we recently demonstrated that they replicate in non-specific hosts, emphasizing their adaptability to different environments, which enhanced their survival probability over the ages. All these results exemplify ubiquitously features of life. Those are the versatility and efficiency of small RNAs, viroids and ribozymes, as well as their diversity and adaptability to various extreme conditions. All these traits must have originated in early life to generate novel RNA populations.

In recent decades, organizational research has given special attention to the mechanisms promoting the health and wellbeing of nursing professionals. In this context, self-esteem is a personal resource which influences wellbeing at work and psychological wellbeing of nurses. The purpose of this study was to analyze the mediating role of eating in the effect of sleep quality on self-esteem in nursing professionals. The sample of 1073 nurses were administered the Rosenberg General Self-Esteem Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18. The results show that poor sleep quality and type of eating directly and indirectly affect self-esteem. More so, poor sleep quality deteriorated self-esteem through emotional eating, and even though emotional eating facilitated disinhibited eating, this relationship had no significant effects on self-esteem. The findings of this study suggest that hospital management should implement employee health awareness programs on the importance of healthy sleep and design educational interventions for improving the quality of their diet.

The legend of Atlantis was almost certainly invented by Plato to promote the political ideal of his masterwork The Republic, while praising the heroism of his own ancestors. This paper suggests that, in assembling the story, Plato might have reworked the myth of the foundation of Egypt, attributed to divine invaders bringing agriculture and unknown technologies to the country. The key issue explored is the curious coincidence between the period of the alleged foundation of Egypt (according to traditional Egyptian sources) and some remarkable events that characterized the end of the Ice Age. Indeed, besides the sudden increase in temperature and the consequent rise in sea level, the period was also marked by the birth of agriculture and the appearance of totally new technologies in diverse Middle Eastern locations. The memory of these events would have been handed down through the myth of the foundation of Egypt and, through this, to Greek culture, enabling Plato to exaggerate the antiquity of his noble ancestors while embellishing the characteristics of the invaders. Such occasional technological leaps may also have occurred elsewhere in the world, for instance on the deltas of the Indus or the Yangtze, driven by the same change in climate that affected the whole planet. Although today there is no archaeological evidence of such events besides in the Middle East, the article suggests that the possible discovery of obsidian in a submerged site would be a strong indication of a local technological leap. To this end it examines, amongst suspected Mediterranean sites, some flooded islands in the Strait of Sicily, which, lying on the route to Pantelleria, may retain traces of ancient obsidian exploitation.

It is shown that quantum entanglement is the only force able to maintain the fourth state of matter, possessing fixed shape at an arbitrary volume. Accordingly, a new relativistic Schrödinger equation is derived and transformed further to the relativistic Bohmian mechanics via the Madelung transformation. Three dissipative models are proposed as extensions of the quantum relativistic Hamilton-Jacobi equation. The corresponding dispersion relations are obtained.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of discoursal approach on Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ reading comprehension ability. Quick Placement Test (QPT) was used to select 60 intermediate EFL learners as the participants of this study. Then, they were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. Each consisted of 30 learners. Prior to the treatment, the participants of both groups were given a pretest to ensure their reading comprehension. The experimental group was exposed to the Hymes’ model. In the control group the researcher used placebo for teaching reading skill. Then a posttest was administered to both groups. An Independent samples t-test between posttests of the study and a paired-samples t-test between the pretest and posttest of the groups of the study were run. The results of the study revealed and emphasized that the Hymes’ model improved the learners’ reading comprehension.

Spirit of science is one of the important components of science education theory. It not only directly affects the level of science education, but also indirectly affects the selection, education and evaluation of scientific researchers, and the development of science and technology in a country or region. Although more than a century ago, the researchers began to discuss the topic of spirit of science. However, to date, the research of the definition, attribute, structural model and its characteristics of the spirit of science has not yet made a breakthrough. Based on the detailed literature review, the related theoretical analysis and the research of the structural model of the spirit of science, this paper puts forward the new definition, the attribute and the establishment of the structural model of the spirit of science, and analyzes the match the situation from new structural model of the spirit of science and the scientific nature published by the American Society for the Advancement of Science. The results of this study are of great significance for raising the level of scientific education and cultivating future scientific researchers, enhancing their motivation and skills in innovation in scientific research and promoting the development of future scientific undertakings.

Biofilms are usually defined as surface-associated microbial communities, surrounded by an extracellular polymeric substance matrix. There are three major steps that are observed in biofilm formation: initial attachment events, microcolony formation and construction of mushroom-like structure with secretion of extracelluar polymeric substances. These substances can be considered a mechanism to protect the bacterial community from external insults.Biofilms, significantly increase the ability of the pathogen to evade both host defenses and antibiotics and they are being implicated in the pathogenesis and also clinical manifestation of several infections. They cause a variety of persistent infections, such as native valve endocarditis, osteomyelitis, dental caries, middle ear infections, ocular implant infections, urinary tract infections and cystic fibrosis. Established biofilms can tolerate antimicrobial agents at concentrations of 10–1000-times that needed to kill genetically equivalent planktonic bacteria, and are also resistant to phagocytosis, making biofilms extremely difficult to eradicate from living hosts. Consequently, biofilm-related infections that appear to respond to a therapeutic course of antibiotics may relapse weeks or even months later, making surgical removal and replacement of the infected tissue or medical device a frequent and unfortunate necessity.Several pathogens associated with chronic infections, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis pneumonia, Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae in chronic otitis media and Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in recurrent urinary tract infections, are linked to biofilm formation.

Cardamom is one of important spice commodities in the world; however, Indonesia’s export contribution to global market is considered low. Cardamom production in Central Java contributes to the export of Indonesian cardamom. Central Java has the potential of human and natural resource for cardamom cultivation, but it has not been optimally utilized. This article aims to study the comparative advantages of cardamom and its sustainability. The design of this study is exploratory research, in which a research aims to obtain description or study on the condition of comparative advantage of cardamom in Central Java. Revealed Comparative Agency (RCA) belongs to one of methods used to find out competitiveness of commodity export of a country viewed from a comparative advantage. Cardamom sustainability is analyzed descriptively based on the actual situation and by using RCA result analysis. The result shows that the RCA value above 1 means in that period the cardamom commodity of Central Java has a strong comparative advantage in the international market. Despite the strong comparative advantage, its value tends to decrease. A serious concern should be given, considering the sharp decline. Therefore, the sustainability of cardamom comparative advantage needs to be improved.

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between levels of leisure-time sports and physical activity and the stages of change in high school students with goal orientations. Methods: The sample consisted of 2168 students randomly selected to participate in a longitudinal study in Costa Rica (423), Mexico (408) and Spain (1337), with 1052 being boys, 1037 girls and 79 who did not specify sex, aged between 11 and 16 years old (M = 12.49, SD = .81). We used a questionnaire to ask students about their leisure-time sports and physical activity, about stages of change and to measure achievement goals. Results: The results show that students are more active in Costa Rica, most of them being in the stage of active change. Conclusions: We found significant differences in achievement goals in all three countries, which shows that students in active stages have higher values than those in the inactive stage.

The analysis of the morphological features can be framed in different temporal and spatial scales, depending on the specific objectives and methodologies of the various scientific fields that find in them a valuable source of information. The inventory and assessment of the geomorphological heritage may be based not exclusively in geophysical factors, but also in its contribution to the structuring of the biosphere, in its interrelation with other types of heritage or even in its potential for research or education purposes. In this article, we proceeded to the selection of a set of geomorphosites, at different scales, in Serra do Alvão (northern Portugal), seeking to demonstrate the importance of the broad lines of relief and intermediate and detailed landforms to the organization of the cultural landscape. Based on a questionnaire applied to a sample of 104 persons, it was intended to assess the value of the geomorphosites, concerning the scientific, preservation, use, cultural and educational dimensions.

The fact that real dissipative (entropy producing) processes may be detected by non–comoving observers (tilted), in systems that appear to be isentropic for comoving observers, in general relativity, is explained in terms of the information theory, in analogy with the explanation of the Maxwell's demon paradox.

Astronomical X-ray polarimetry was first explored in the end of the 60's by pioneering rocket instruments. The craze arising from the first discoveries on stellar and supernova remnant X-ray polarization led to the addition of X-ray polarimeters on-board of early satellites. Unfortunately, the inadequacy of the diffraction and scattering technologies required to measure polarization with respect to the constraints driven by X-ray mirrors and detectors, coupled to long integration times, slowed down the field for almost 40 years. Thanks to the development of new, highly sensitive, compact X-ray polarimeters in the beginning of the 2000's, the possibility to observe astronomical X-ray polarization is rising again and scientists are now ready to explore the high energy sky thanks to modern X-ray polarimeters. In the forthcoming years, several X-ray missions (both rockets, balloons and satellites) will open a new observational windows. A wind of renewal blows over the area of X-ray polarimetry and this paper presents for the first time a quantitative assessment, all based on scientific literature, of the growth of interest for astronomical X-ray polarimetry.

We aimed to estimate for the first time the burden of fungal infections in Uruguay. Data on population characteristics and underlying conditions were extracted from the National Statistics Institute, the World Bank, national registries and published articles. When no data existed, risk populations were used to estimate frequencies extrapolating from the literature. Population structure: total 3,444,006; 73% adults; 35% women younger than 50 years. Size of populations at risk: HIV infected 12,000; acute myeloid leukemia 126; hematopoietic stem cell transplantation 30; solid organ transplants 134; COPD 272,006 (19.7% of older than 40); asthma in adults 223,431 (prevalence 9%); cystic fibrosis in adults 48; tuberculosis 613 (incidence 26.2%), lung cancer 1,400 (ASR incidence 27.4). Annual incidence estimations per 100,000: 22.4 invasive aspergillosis, 16.4 candidaemia, 3.7 Candida peritonitis, 1.62 Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, 0.75 cryptococcosis, severe asthma with fungal sensitisation 217, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis 165, recurrent Candida vaginitis 6,323, oral candidiasis 74.5 and oesophageal candidiasis 25.7. Although some under and overestimations could have been made, we expect that at least 127,525 people suffer from serious fungal infections each year. Sporothrichosis, histoplasmosis, paracoccidioidomycosis and dermatophytosis are known to be frequent but no data are available to make accurate estimations. Given the magnitude of the burden of fungal infections in Uruguay, efforts should be made to improve surveillance, strengthen laboratory diagnosis and warrant access to first line antifungals.

The era of Internet of Things (IoT) has begun to evolve and with this the devices around us are getting more and more connected. Vehicular Ad-hoc NETworks (VANETs) is one of the applications of IoT. VANET allow vehicles within these networks to communicate effectively with each another. VANETs can provide an extensive range of applications that support and enhance passenger safety and comfort. It is important that VANETs are applied within a safe and reliable network topology; however, the challenging nature of reaching reliable and trustworthy agreement in such distributed systems is one of the most important issues in designing a fault-tolerant system. Therefore, protocols are required so that systems can still be correctly executed, reaching agreement on the same values in a distributed system, even if certain components in the system fail. In this study, the agreement problem is revisited in a VANET with multiple damages. The proposed protocol allows all fault-free nodes (vehicles) to reach agreement with minimal rounds of message exchanges, and tolerates the maximal number of allowable faulty components in the VANET.

Nickel molybdate, NiMoO₄, nanoparticles were synthesized via calcination of an oxalate complex in static air at 500 °C. The oxalate complex was analyzed by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The as-synthesized nickel molybdate was characterized by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller technique (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and its catalytic efficiency was tested in the reduction reaction of the three-nitrophenol isomers. The nickel molybdate displays a very high activity in the catalytic reduction of the nitro functional group to an amino. The reduction progress was controlled using UV-Vis absorption.

Architecture is more than just buildings. Its associated production and reception pro­cesses take place through a variety of different media. Among those media, the model is of special significance: because architecture, like almost every science or art, works with models as representa­tionally or theoretically simplified images mediating between the abstract and the reality. The properties that characterise models give them a special significance in archi­tecture—both in the abstract, as well as in the concrete. The following article sketches out the history of the architectural model as a medium in a short tour d’horizon. A special focus is placed on showing the versatility of the model—for design and presentation and as an artefact, teaching resource and research medium. It transmits a specific form of knowledge which can be replaced by no other medium.

Considering the impact of religiosity on the perceptions regarding life quality, in this paper we focus on the effects of the appurtenance to a religion on the standard of living in several economically developing countries (Turkey, Ukraine, Senegal and Morocco). The data have been collected using a survey carried out in 2012 and the empirical analysis was based on non-parametric tests and multinomial logistic regression. The results indicate there are differences between religious persons and atheists regarding gender, marital status, perceptions of daily life and standards of living. Females and officially married people or single people tend to be more religious. A person claiming to belong to a religion has 2-4-fold more chances to achieve a considerable improvement in the standards of living as compared to an atheist. Moreover, religious people from the analyzed countries are more optimistic about their life overall. Taking into account the sample’s characteristics and the countries chosen, we can claim that the results obtained are truly cross-cultural in nature. Moreover, most of the conclusions reached would be to some extent relevant to other developing economies of Eastern Europe, North Africa and Middle East.

In modern mathematics, many concepts and ideas are described in terms of category theory. From this viewpoint, it is desirable to analyze what can be determined if, instead of the basic category of sets, we consider a similar category of fuzzy sets. In this paper, we describe a natural fuzzy analog of the category of sets and functions, and we show that, in this category, fuzzy relations (a natural fuzzy analogue of functions) can be determined in category terms -- of course, modulo 1-1 mapping of the corresponding universe of discourse and 1-1 re-scaling of fuzzy degrees.

In this paper it is examined how, if at all, logical laws can be normative for human reasoning, wherein the notion of normativity is analysed with respect to approaches to logic given in works of Aristotle, Descartes, Kant, Frege and Wittgenstein. During the ancient and medieval period, logic was being considered in terms of discourse and dialogical practice, but since Descartes and especially Kant it has been treated as a system of laws with which the process of individual human reasoning has been compared. Therefore, normativity can be investigated in private sphere (for thinking and reasoning) and in public sphere (for dialogic practices in a community). Wittgenstein discussed both aspects of normativity: in Tractatus, a focus is on laws of logic that are primarily normative for the state of affairs in the world, while in Philosophical Investigations an emphasis is on a social aspect of normativity (which is closer to Aristotle’s view), which is derived from adopted rules that have been applied in a certain community. Taken that way, logic is certainly normative in the public sphere, but the more difficult issue is whether logic is normative for thinking, regarding to the difference between the logical laws and those of thought.

This research project was funded by the Masterplan for Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesia's Economic Development (MP3EI). The objective of this study was to examine the role of indigenous people of Marind in the agricultural development of rice cultivation in Merauke. A survey was conducted in three villages in Merauke using stratified random sampling. The finding suggest that indigenous people of Marind have a crucial role in the agricultural development of rice cultivation in Papua.

Interrelationships between traditional dental variables are becoming more evident in far reaching aspects of life such as psychosocial interaction, self-esteem, overall health and even occupational performance. This study compares quality of life (QoL) in postmenopausal women (PMW) with poor oral health (POH) with QoL in PMW with good oral health. 200 randomly recruited PMW received a dental evaluation and completed Utian Quality of Life Survey. The participants were divided into POH and healthy groups based on dental exam. Mean scores were calculated for each QoL item, domain and the overall summary score. For each of the four parameters for periodontitis diagnosis, periodontitis patients’ QoL outcomes were compared to those of healthy patients using T-test with threshold of significance at p<0.05. QoL in all fields measured were significantly poorer in the POH compared to the healthy patients, occupational (19.95±5.35vs. 27.56±6.13), health (18.02±8.23 vs. 26.59 ±6.45), emotional (15.68±10.22vs. 21.15±9.15), sexual (6.2±5.98vs. 10.02±5.35), and total score (60.21±25.85 vs. 84.26±22.35). This study finds that PMW with POH, report significantly poorer quality of life. Clinicians caring for PMW should be aware of that oral health impacts QoL and make appropriate referral decisions for patients’ dental care. Keywords: Quality of Life, Oral Health, Post-menopause, Women

It is known that the class of p-normed spaces (0 < p ≤ 1) is an important generalization of usual normed spaces with rich topological and geometrical structure, but the most of tools and general principles in nature with nonlinearity have not been developed yet, thus the main goal of this paper is to develop tools for nonlinear analysis under the framework of p-vector spaces. In particular, we first develop the general fixed point theorems which provide solutions to answer Schauder conjecture since 1930’s in the affirmative for p-vector spaces when p = 1 (which is just general topological vector spaces); then the one best approximation result for upper semi-continuous mappings is given, which is used as a powerful tool to establish fixed points for non-self set-valued mappings with either inward or outward set conditions; and finally we establish comprehensive existence results of solutions for Birkhoff-Kellogg Problems, and the general principle of nonlinear alternative by including Leray-Schauder alternative and related results. The results given in this paper not only include the corresponding results in the existing literature as special cases, but also expected to be useful tools for the study of nonlinear problems arising from theory to practice.

The goal of farmers operating in a market economy is to maximise profit. In the face of the changing political situation, the main social interest, besides food security, should be energy security. This article aims to indicate the direction of agricultural policy development so that it guarantees both the economic security of producers—farmers—and Europe’s energy security. The work uses data obtained from the agri benchmark Cash Crop database. DEA method and stepwise multiple regression were used. The research showed that plants are already grown in Europe which will ensure high energy efficiency of production without compromising farm financial results (including oats, peas and winter rye) and that improving the involvement of certain inputs results in improved production efficiency (among others, by expenditure on agricultural advisory services). The significance of the presented research results from the fact that the recent COVID pandemic and escalation of the military conflict in Ukraine have led to a renewed interest in the concept of EU energy security, i.e. generation of generating the greatest possible amount of energy within the EU, to be used both for food and non-food purposes.

For this research we are selected three indicators of wheat: yield (t/ha), producer price (USD/t) and share of the harvested area under wheat in relation to the total land area of country (%). The mentioned indicators were analyzed for the period 2006-2021 in thirty-two European countries. The purpose of the research is to determine which of the mentioned indicators achieve average annual growth/decrease rates, what is the correlation between them, how European countries are grouped with their similarities and differences. The research examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mentioned indicators in a two time phases: Phase I, before the pandemic (2006-2019); Phase II, during the pandemic (2020-2021). The methodological approach to the research topic involved the application of descriptive statistics, as the method of principal components analysis (abbr. PCA) with graphics. A positive correlation exists only between the yield of wheat and the share of the harvested area under wheat in the total area of the land (0.291). PCA method showed that countries are grouped differently depending on the observed indicator and the analyzed time phase.

The Internet of Things (IoT) has a growing presence in society's daily lives. These lightweight devices can be easily deployed and maintained, enabling extensive adoption in different environments. Furthermore, one of the most promising areas for using IoT devices is healthcare, comprising devices referred to as the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT). Several examples of healthcare services are supported by IoMT devices, e.g., continuous health monitoring. Conversely, there is an increasing concern with the cybersecurity aspects of these devices, and several attacks against IoT infrastructures have been launched in the past few years. These cybersecurity concerns also apply to healthcare applications, where the tradeoff between the benefits and security of IoMT devices must be observed. Given the complexity and amount of data IoMT network traffic generates, advanced methods become especially useful in these environments. Although Machine Learning (ML) brings various techniques and solutions to improve cyberattack detection, prevention, and mitigation, essential features are not addressed in the current state-of-the-art benchmark dataset contributions. Thereupon, the main goal of this research is to propose a realistic benchmark dataset to enable the development and evaluation of IoMT security solutions. In order to accomplish this, 18 attacks were executed against an IoMT testbed composed of 40 IoMT devices (25 real devices and 15 simulated devices), considering the plurality of protocols used in healthcare (e.g., Wi-Fi, MQTT, and Bluetooth). These attacks are categorized into five classes: DDoS, DoS, Recon, MQTT, and spoofing. This effort aims to establish a baseline complementary to the state-of-the-art contributions. The outcome supports researchers in investigating and developing new solutions to make healthcare systems more secure using different mechanisms (e.g., machine learning - ML). This research goes beyond merely conducting attacks on IoMT devices. We also attempt to capture the lifecycle of these devices in different vital phases, from the moment they join the network until they leave, which is called profiling. Profiling allows the different classifiers to identify anomalies of each device individually in the healthcare network. The CICIoMT2024 dataset has been published on CIC's dataset page, making it available for other researchers to use.

This study investigates the specific factors affecting the usage intention of distributed ledger technology (DLT), such as availability, diversity and economic value from the perspective of a unified theory of technology acceptance. Users of DLT in public and private sectors were surveyed. Availability and economic value affect performance expectancy, while availability, diversity, and profitability have an influence on effort expectancy. Performance expectancy and transparency have a positive effect on the intention to use DLT which in turn exerts a positive effect on usage behavior. This study provides implications for researchers in that it attempts to investigate the factors affecting the usage intention of DLT based on the extended unified theory of acceptance and encompassing diverse industries that adopt DLT, such as the public, financial, medial, and logistics sectors.

This article presents a hybrid approach to assessing students’ foreign language proficiency in a cyber-physical educational environment. It focuses on the advantages of integrated assessment of student knowledge by considering the impact of automatic assessment, learners’ independent work, and their achievements to date. An assessment approach is described using the mathematical theory of fuzzy functions, which are employed to ensure fair evaluation of students. The largest possible number of students, whose re-evaluation of test results will not affect the overall performance of the student group, is automatically determined. The study also models the assessment process in the cyber-physical educational environment through the formal semantics of calculus of context-aware ambients (CCA).

Contact inhibition (CI) represents a crucial tumor-suppressive mechanism responsible for controlling the unbridled growth of cells, thus preventing the formation of cancerous tissues. CI can be further categorized into two distinct yet interrelated components: CI of locomotion (CIL) and CI of proliferation (CIP). These two components of CI have historically been viewed as separate processes, but emerging research indicates that they share both distinctive and common pathways. Moreover, they exhibit intriguing intersections with mechanotransduction, a process that involves cells sensing and responding to mechanical forces. This review article describes the intricate interplay between mechanical forces and CI, shedding light on how these forces regulate CIL and CIP. Emphasis is placed on filamin A (FLNA)-mediated mechanotransduction, elucidating how FLNA senses mechanical forces and translates them into crucial biochemical signals that regulate cell locomotion and proliferation. In addition to FLNA, trans-acting factors (TAFs) emerge as sensitive players in both CI and the mechanotransduction process. This article presents methods for identifying these TAFs and profiling the associated changes in chromatin structure, offering valuable insights into CI and mechanotransduction regulation. Finally, it addresses unanswered research questions in these fields and delineates their possible future directions.

In this paper, two types of the general fractional derivatives of distributed order as well as a corresponding fractional integral of distributed type are defined and their basic properties are investigated. The general fractional derivatives of distributed order are constructed for a special class of the one-parametric Sonin kernels with a power law singularities at the origin. The conventional fractional derivatives of distributed order based on the Riemann-Liouville and the Caputo fractional derivatives are particular cases of the general fractional derivatives of distributed order introduced in this paper.

By conjugating a radioantigen (o-quinone) with a protein - Esherichia coli endotoxin, a stable polyantigen complex-protein-quinoid radioantigen (BChA) - o-quinone imine (C6H10O-NH - protein) was obtained, including haptenic (o-quinone) and protein part of the antigenic complex (Esherichia coli endotoxin). Using the above components (hyperimmune antiradiotoxic serum, ethanol extract of the Vita-Force apiphitopreparation, metabolic products of Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bacillus subtilis and a highly dispersed fraction of bentonite), a polyfunctional composition «Polyapisogen» was compiled, including polyglobulins (500 cm3 per 1 L),500 cm3 of 4% ethanol extract of the Vita-Force apiphitopreparation, in which a highly dispersed fraction of bentonite (20 g), metabolism products (2 g powder) and Bacillus subtilis metabolism products (4 g) are dissolved. The polyfunctional preparation obtained by the above-described technology is used as an activator of the immune system against the background of its imbalance induced by agents of a radiogenic nature. It was found that a single subcutaneous injection of the drug at a dose of 25 mg / kg of live weight (dry matter basis) had a radioprotective effect increasing the survival rate of affected animals upto 75%. The studies carried out can serve as a basis for the creation of polyfunctional radioprotective, immunoprotective and bioprotective agents not only for isolated, but also for combined lesions of the body by agents of radiogenic and non-radiogenic nature using polyglobulins, convalescent serums, bee products, metabolic products of probiotic microorganisms and mineral sorbents.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic and relapsing biopsychosocial condition that leads to a wide range of medical, psychological, social, economic, and personal issues. The study investigated the predictors of quality of life (QoL) among male patients seeking treatment for AUD based on attention, cognitive instability, motor impulsiveness, perseverance, and self-control dimensions of trait impulsivity. The study also investigated the potential mediating effect of anxiety and alcohol use severity in this relationship. After an initial assessment, participants underwent comprehensive evaluations, including sociodemographic data, clinical history, and QoL domains. Evaluations also covered AUD severity, impulsivity dimensions, cognitive functions, craving intensity, depression, anxiety and self-efficacy. Multiple linear regressions were employed to identify associations between independent variables and QoL. Attention dimension of impulsivity and anxiety symptoms significantly predicted physical health QoL. Self-control dimension and severity of alcohol use disorder predicted psychological QoL. Indirect effect of attention dimension on physical health was significant [effect =-1.082,95% CI (-2.008, -0.3598)].The significance of impulsivity in influencing QoL for individuals with AUD has profound clinical implications. These findings underscore the importance of addressing anxiety and impulsivity in managing AUD, given their considerable impact, particularly on QoL, ultimately shaping treatment outcomes.

The incidence of breast cancer and therefore need for breast reconstruction is expected to increase. The many reconstructive options available and the changing aspects of the field make this a complex area of plastic surgery, requiring knowledge and expertise. Two major types of breast reconstruction can be distinguished: Breast Implants and Autologous Flaps. Both present advantages and disadvantages. Autologous fat grafting is also commonly used. MRI is the modality of choice for evaluating breast reconstruction. Knowledge of the type of reconstruction is preferable to provide the maximum of pertinent information and avoid false positives. Early complications include seroma, hematoma, and infection. Late complications depend on the type of reconstruction. Implant rupture and implant capsular contracture are frequently encountered. Depending on the implant type, specific MRI signs can be depicted. In case of myocutaneous flap, fat necrosis, fibrosis and vascular compromise represent the most common complications. Late cancer recurrence is much less common. Rare reported late complications include breast implant associated large cell anaplastic lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) and, recently described and even rarer, Breast implant-associated squamous cell carcinoma (BIA-SCC). In this review article, the various types of breast reconstruction will be presented, with emphasis on pertinent imaging findings and complications.

Several tumor types have been efficiently treated with PARPis, which are now approved for the treatment of ovarian, breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancer. The BRCA1/2 genes and mutations in many additional genes involved in the HR pathway may be responsible for the HRD phenomenon. In the present study, an NGS assay was used to analyze 513 genes associated with targeted and immuno-oncology therapies in 406 samples. In addition, the %gLOH values of 24 samples were also calculated using the Affymetrix technology to compare the results obtained by the two methodologies. HR variations occurred in 20.93% of the malignancies, while BRCA1/2 gene alterations in 5.17%. %LOH was highly correlated with alterations in the BRCA1/2 genes since 76.19% (16/21) of the BRCA1/2 positive tumors had a high %LOH value (p=0.007). Moreover, the LOH status was highly correlated with the TP53 and KRAS statuses, but there was no association with the TMB value. Lin's Concordance Correlation Coefficient for the 24 evaluable samples simultaneously examined by both assays was 0.87, indicating a nearly perfect agreement. In conclusion, the addition of gLOH analysis could assist the detection of additional patients eligible for PARPis

Low-Level Virtual Machine (LLVM) compiler infrastructure is a useful tool for building Just-in-time (JIT) compilers, besides its reliable front-end represented by clang compiler and its elaborated middle-end containing different optimizations that improve the runtime performance. This paper addresses specifically the part of building a JIT compiler using LLVM with the scope of getting the hardware architecture details of the underlying machine such as the number of cores and the number of logical cores per processing unit and providing them to NUMA-BTLP static thread classification algorithm and to NUMA-BTDM static thread mapping algorithm. Afterwards, the hardware-aware algorithms are run by the JIT compiler within an optimization pass. JIT compiler in this paper is designed to run on a parallel C/C++ application (which creates threads using Pthreads), before the first time the application is executed on a machine. To do that, the JIT compiler takes the native code of the application, gets the corresponding LLVM IR (Intermediate Representation) for the native code and executes the hardware-aware thread classification and the thread mapping algorithms on the IR. The NUMA-Balanced Task and Loop Parallelism (NUMA-BTLP) and NUMA-Balanced Thread and Data Mapping (NUMA-BTDM) are expected to optimize the energy consumption up to 15%, on NUMA systems.

This study was to determine the effects of different irrigation, fertigation and mulching applications on the yield and quality parameters of strawberries. The study was conducted at the Bursa Uludağ University Yenişehir Ibrahim Orhan Vocational School Agricultural Research Field in 2019-2020. In the research, four different irrigation topics, three different fertigation and three different mulching topics were selected The maximum and minimum yield values of the study years were calculated as 5.05-18.70 t ha-1 and 1.20-8.7 t ha-1, respectively, from I100F100M1 and I25F50M0 treatments. As a result, a three-factor study determined that irrigation, fertigation, and mulching had a significant effect on the yield and quality characteristics of strawberries. However, when the reductions in yield and quality losses are evaluated together, despite the reductions in irrigation water and fertigation levels, I75 and F75 topics can be recommended. Also, in mulching treatments, black mulch material (M1) should be chosen over clear mulch material (M1) and no mulch (M0).

INT-FFT algorithm presented in this work uses an interpolation methodology to densify 3D-GPR datasets to sharpen images obtained in GPR surveys obtained in an archaeological context. It allows the reconstruction of missing data from the combined use of mathematical transforms (e.g., the Fourier and Curvelet transform) and predictive filters. This technique makes it possible to calculate the missing signal simply by meeting two requirements: the data in the frequency domain must be limited in a range of values and must be able to be represented by a distribution of Fourier coefficients (verified conditions). The INT-FFT algorithm uses an open-access routine (Suinterp, Seismic Unix) to interpolate the GPR profiles based on seismic trace interpolation. This process uses automatic event identification routines by calculating spatial derivatives to identify discontinuities in space by detecting very subtle changes in the signal, thus allowing for more efficient interpolation without artifacts or signal deterioration. We successfully tested the approach using GPR datasets from the Roman Villa of Horta da Torre (Fronteira, Portugal). The results show an increase in the geometric sharpness of the GPR reflectors and have not produced any numerical artifacts. The tests performed to apply the methodology to GPR-3D data allowed for assessing the interpolation efficiency, the level of recovery of missing data, and the level of information lost when one chooses to increase the distance between profiles in the acquisition stage of the data.

The paper considers the symmetries of a bit of information corresponding to one, two or three qubits of quantum information and identifiable as the three basic symmetries of the Standard model, U(1), SU(2), and SU(3) accordingly. They refer to “empty qubits” (or the free variable of quantum information), i.e. those in which no point is chosen (recorded). The choice of a certain point violates those symmetries. It can be represented furthermore as the choice of a privileged reference frame (e.g. that of the Big Bang), which can be described exhaustively by means of 16 numbers (4 for position, 4 for velocity, and 8 for acceleration) independently of time, but in space-time continuum, and still one, 17th number is necessary for the mass of rest of the observer in it. The same 17 numbers describing exhaustively a privileged reference frame thus granted to be “zero”, respectively a certain violation of all the three symmetries of the Standard model or the “record” in a qubit in general, can be represented as 17 elementary wave functions (or classes of wave functions) after the bijection of natural and transfinite natural (ordinal) numbers in Hilbert arithmetic and further identified as those corresponding to the 17 elementary of particles of the Standard model. Two generalizations of the relevant concepts of general relativity are introduced: (1) “discrete reference frame” to the class of all arbitrarily accelerated reference frame constituting a smooth manifold; (2) a still more general principle of relativity to the general principle of relativity, and meaning the conservation of quantum information as to all discrete reference frames as to the smooth manifold of all reference frames of general relativity. Then, the bijective transition from an accelerated reference frame to the 17 elementary wave functions of the Standard model can be interpreted by the still more general principle of relativity as the equivalent redescription of a privileged reference frame: smooth into a discrete one. The conservation of quantum information related to the generalization of the concept of reference frame can be interpreted as restoring the concept of the ether, an absolutely immovable medium and reference frame in Newtonian mechanics, to which the relative motion can be interpreted as an absolute one, or logically: the relations, as properties. The new ether is to consist of qubits (or quantum information). One can track the conceptual pathway of the “ether” from Newtonian mechanics via special relativity, via general relativity, via quantum mechanics to the theory of quantum information (or “quantum mechanics and information”). The identification of entanglement and gravity can be considered also as a ‘byproduct” implied by the transition from the smooth “ether of special and general relativity’ to the “flat” ether of quantum mechanics and information. The qubit ether is out of the “temporal screen” in general and is depicted on it as both matter and energy, both dark and visible.

Cells receive external stimuli to incur structural and functional damages. On scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM), speed-of-sound (SOS), attenuation-of-sound (AOS), and thickness values are plotted on the screen to create cellular images, which are related to stiffness, viscosity, and cell size, respectively. The obtained digital data compared using statistical analysis. We aimed to investigate the effects of anticancer drugs, acidic fluids, and heat effects on the cells by using SAM. Anticancer drug cisplatin induced cancer cell apoptosis/necrosis and regeneration in culture, causing elevated SOS, reduced AOS, and thickness. During a more prolonged incubation, the SAM values fluctuated differently between the cisplatin-treated and untreated cells. The tannic and acetic acid and microwave stimuli induced SOS and AOS elevations. These stimuli altered the cell size, number, differentiation, viscosity, and stiffness, which corresponded well to the fluctuation of the SOS and AOS values after incubation. Different anticancer drugs interacted with cancer cells to induce the characteristic alterations of the SAM values. These structural and mechanical alterations induced in cells was difficult to observe on light microscopy. Cellular damages were statistically compared between different stimuli and time-lapse cellular changes were observed using a SAM analysis. SAM is a useful modality to evaluate cellular damage.

One of the rapidly developing research areas is the creation of systems. which are commonly referred to as cyberphysical complexes. In such systems, devices and complexes interact with a completely different physical nature. The role of a person in such systems usually consists in the formation of final tasks for “artificial intelligence” and executive mechanisms. The functioning of actuators is controlled by accurate information systems.

The history of health records (later also called medical records), including ones regarding individual patients, is thousands of years old. It finds it roots in the first ancient civilisations. Up until the 19^th century the records’ purpose was mainly an educational one. In the 19^th and 20^th century they started becoming significant in other roles as well, including those not strictly limited to medicine. In particular, to account for medical procedures, insurance proceeds or legal action. Currently we are living in a revolutionary era when it comes to health records, in which their character has changed from a “paper-based” to an electronic one. This paper presents the development of health records from the ancient to modern times, mainly in Europe and North America. Other cultures and civilisations, including China and India, are not discussed. An analysis of available sources was conducted, inter alia digital versions of manuscripts up to hundreds of years old. The analysis was based on PubMed and Google Scholar (several key words, all the available sources). Sources published in non-international languages (e.g. Dutch) were also investigated. Overall, approximately 600 articles were analysed, 158 of which were used and cited in this paper. The conclusions drawn from the analysis are as follows: (1) Health records, priorly used mostly for educational purposes, for about 100 years now have acquired a fully formal status. (2) We are currently facing the most revolutionary changes regarding the transformation of paper-based records into electronic ones. (3) The consequences of this process include systematic applications of solutions within the area of e-health, which allow us to make medical services more flexible, improve the health of individual patients and entire populations and potentially limit expenditure. (4) In the light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, introducing electronic health records could be beneficial in terms of limiting the potential sources of contamination (physical copies of health records), saving time and resources, and improving the network of communication between medical centres.

The article describes the results of comparison of occurence of buildings (and address points) in Poland with delimitations of land use belonging to particular classes in the CORINE Land Cover (CLC) 2018 dataset. Large discrepancies have been identified, which reach on average approx. 34% of addresses and 35% of buildings located outside class 1 (artificial surfaces), mainly on terrains of class 2 (agricultural areas). Among single-family buildings it was 37% and among new addresses (forecasted or ‘under construction’ buildings) – as much as 50%. This puts a question mark over the possibility of using CLC data with resolution of 25 ha for monitoring of spatial planning and development in Poland for purposes of the diagnosis and assessment of the scale of dispersion of built-up areas. It is worth carrying out similar analyses in other countries, known for the deconcentration processes and a relatively large share of dispersed settlement e.g. other CEE countries, Spain, Portugal, Italy.

In previous work, a quantum mathematical formalism associated an element of experience with a single sensory neuron, as a local reduction of a global mental state. In contrast to the binary objective states of neuronal polarisation/depolarisation, neuronal experience was modeled as a continuous variable, the instantaneous value of which could only be estimated statistically from an ensemble of evoked responses to stereotyped stimulus presentation. In the present work, the quantum operations formalism of energy dissipation through amplitude damping is adopted to explain how smooth evolution of conscious experience might arise from discrete spikes and discontinuous synaptic transmission between neurons.

The article presents the original derivation method of transformations for kinematics with a universal reference system. This method allows to derive transformations that meet the results of the Michelson-Morley and Kennedy-Thorndike experiments only in some frame of reference, e.g. in laboratories moving in relation to a universal frame of reference with small speeds. The obtained transformations are the basis for the derivation of the new physical theory, which has been called the Special Theory of Ether. The generalized transformations can be expressed by relative speeds (26)-(27) or by the parameter δ (v) (37)-(38). Based on conclusions of the Michelson-Morley’s and Kennedy-Thorndike’s experiments, the parameter δ (v) was determined. This allows the transformations to take a special form (81)-(82), which is consistent with experiments in which velocity of light is measured. On the basis of obtained transformations, the formulas for summing speed and relative speed were also determined. The entire article includes only original research conducted by its author.

Forces and mechanical energy are prevalent in living cells. This may be because forces and mechanical energy preceded chemical energy at life’s origins. Mechanical energy is more readily available in non-living systems than the various other forms of energy used by living systems. Two possible prebiotic environments that might have provided mechanical energy are hot pools that experience wet/dry cycles and mica sheets as they move, open and shut, as heat pumps or in response to water movements.

Although general relativity has been successful in explaining many astronomical phenomena, few problems about the contents and evolution of the universe have remained mysterious since last century. Most important of them is the cosmological constant problem in which conventional calculation of vacuum (or dark) energy density using quantum mechanics leads to a value ~10¹¹⁴ J/m³ which is ~10¹²³ times more than the vacuum energy (5.3×10^-10 J/m³) estimated from astronomical observations of expanding universe. Similarly, cosmic coincidence problem questions why the matter energy density (ordinary plus dark matter) is of the same order as the vacuum energy density at present time. Finally, the mechanism responsible for spatial flatness and expansion of the universe are not clearly understood. In this paper, by taking the vacuum as a finite and closed quantum oscillator, we solve all of the above-mentioned problems. At first, by using purely quantum mechanical approach, we predict that the dark energy density is c⁴/(GR²) = 5.27×10^-10 J/m³ (where R is radius of 3-sphere of universe) and matter energy density is c⁴/(2GR²) = 2.6×10^-10 J/m³ which match well with astronomical observations. We also prove that the dark energy has always been ~66.7% and matter energy has been ~33.3% of total energy and hence, the so called cosmic coincidence problem doesn’t exist. Next, we show how flatness of space could be maintained since the early stage of universe. Finally, using our model, we derive the expression for age and radius of universe which match well with the astronomical data.

In crystal structure prediction, Newton's second law can always be applied to particles (atoms or ions) in a cell to determine their positions. However the values of the period vectors (crystal cell edge vectors) should be determined as well. Here we applied the dynamical equations of period vectors derived recently based on Newton's laws (doi:/10.1139/cjp-2014-0518) for that purpose, where the period vectors are driven by the imbalance between the internal and external pressures/stresses. For equilibrium states, they became equations of state, which essentially turn out the equilibrium conditions of crystals from mechanical point of view. For external pressure, by ignoring some effects, they reduced to the Mie-Gruneisen equation. Since the internal stress has both a full kinetic energy term and a full interaction term, the influences of both external temperature and stress/pressure on crystal structures can be calculated, then thermodynamical properties and processes were presented. Contrary to usual ideas, the equations show that pure harmonic vibrating phonons can result in thermal expansion in crystals when the external temperature is changed. Finally, crystal system collapse due to temperature and/or stress/pressure change was discussed.

The anode of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) was formed on a graphite electrode and immobilized Gluconobacter oxydans VKM-1280 bacterial cells. Immobilization was performed in chitosan, poly(vinyl alcohol) or N-vinylpyrrolidone-modified poly(vinyl alcohol). Ethanol was used as substrate. The anode was modified using multiwalled carbon nanotubes. The aim of the modification was to create a conductive network between cell lipid membranes, containing exposed PQQ-dependent alcoholdehydrogenases, and the electrode to facilitate electron transfer in the system. The bioelectrochemical characteristics of modified anodes at various cell/polymer ratios were assessed via current density, power density, polarization curves and impedance spectres. MFCs based on chitosan at a matrix/cell volume ratio of 5:1 produced maximal power characteristics of the system (8.3 μW/cm2) at a minimal resistance (1111 Ohm cm2). Modification of the anode by multiwalled carbon nanotubes led to a slight decrease of internal resistance (down to 1078 Ohm cm2) and to an increase of generated power density up to 10.6 μW/cm2. We explored the possibility of accumulating electric energy from an MFC on a 6,800-μF capacitor via a boost converter. Generated voltage was increased from 0.3 V up to 3.2 V. Accumulated energy was used to power a Clark-type biosensor and a bluetooth transmitter with three sensors, a miniature electric motor and a light-emitting diode.

Currently, there are two approaches to the foundations of thermodynamics. One, associated with the mechanistical Clausius-Boltzmann tradition, is favored by the physics community. The other, associated with the post-mechanical Carnot tradition, is favored by the engineering community. The bold hypothesis is that the conceptual foundation of engineering thermodynamics is the more comprehensive. Therefore, contrary to the dominant consensus, engineering thermodynamics (ET) represents the true foundation of thermodynamics. The foundational issue is crucial to a number of unresolved current and historical issues in thermodynamic theory and practice. ET formally explains the limited successes of the ‘rational mechanical’ approaches as idealizing special cases. Thermodynamic phenomena are uniquely dissymmetric and can never be completely understood in terms of symmetry-based mechanical concepts. Consequently, ET understands thermodynamic phenomena in new way, in terms of the post-mechanical formulation of action. The ET concept of action and the action framework trace back to Maupertuis’s Principle of Least Action, both clarified in the engineering worldview research program of Lazare and Sadi Carnot. Despite the intervening Lagrangian ‘mechanical idealization of action’, the original dualistic, indeterminate engineering understanding of action, somewhat unexpectedly, re-emerged in Planck’s quantum of action. The link between engineering thermodynamics and quantum theory is not spurious and each of our current formulations helps us develop our understanding of the other. Both the ET and quantum theory understandings of thermodynamic phenomena, as essentially dissymmetric (viz. embracing complementary), entail that there must be an irreducible, cumulative historical, qualitatively emergent, aspect of reality.

Light and heat resources are ample in Xinjiang plain oasis region. Planting structure is single in irrigation area, which leads to severe seasonal water shortages due to high concentration of water utilization. Therefore, how to make full use of light and heat resources to develop oasis agriculture without expanding planting scale has become the focus of research. The biannual cropping patterns are possible solutions to the problem. Manas River Irrigation area, which is located on the northern slope of Tianshan Mountain in Xinjiang in China is regarded as a typical case study to analyze the suitable planting structure and planting scale for biannual cropping pattern. The effects of optimizing planting patterns on alleviating the contradiction between water supply and water need，and the efficiency of water resources utilization was also studied. The results of the study show that：(1) the suitable planting scales of Manas River irrigation area in wet year (P = 25%), normal year (P = 50%), and low flow year (P = 75%) are about 72.66%, 78.73% and 83.91% of the current planting scale. (2) After the planting structure was optimized, the water use process in the irrigation area extends from May to August at present to April to November. The water use ratio at the peak period of water use decreased from 0.847 to 0.601, and the water use peak was significantly dispersed. (3) Economic benefits per cubic metre of water of the biannual cropping patterns increased from 8.65 yuan·m⁻³ at present to 9.45 yuan·m⁻³, 10.31 yuan·m⁻³ and 11.43 yuan·m⁻³ in wet year (P = 25%), in normal year (P = 50%) and low flow year (P = 75%) respectively, which proved that replanting crops could improve the efficiency of water resources utilization in irrigated areas. Therefore, the optimal planting pattern can be implemented to improve the utilization efficiency of soil and water resources in irrigation area in the arid oasis with single planting pattern with excessive concentration of water use peak and serious water shortage.

This scoping review investigated how consumers perceive and interpret serving size information on food packages. A search of seven databases (2010 to September 2017) was followed by title and abstract screening, with relevant articles assessed for eligibility in full-text. Fourteen studies met inclusion criteria, with relevant data extracted by one reviewer and checked for consistency by a second reviewer. Five studies reported poor understanding of nutrition facts labelling and portion size, with information to ‘benchmark’ serving size against reported as helpful in two studies. Consumer attitudes towards serving size labelling were measured in six studies and identified that serving size information was interpreted as indicative of nutrient intake regardless of portion size recommendations. Increased labelled serving sizes resulted in increased portion sizes in three studies, with three studies reporting the opposite or neutral effect for discretionary food portion sizes. The influence of labelled serving size on consumer attitudes and consumption is complex and sometimes counterintuitive. As labelled serving size can impact on consumption, any changes may result in unintended public health consequences. The effects of labelled serving size format changes should be tested carefully within experimental and ecological contexts and accompanied by tailored, comprehensive and serving size-specific food literacy initiatives.

Three dimension (3D) Multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) scheme, which exploits another dimension of the spatial resource, is one of the enabling technologies for the next generation mobile communication. As the elevation angle in 3D-MIMO channel model might varies against the height of the base station transmit antenna, it has to be taken into account carefully. In this paper, the impact of antenna height on the channel characteristics of 3D MIMO channel is investigated by using the intelligent ray launching algorithm (IRLA). Three typical street scenarios, i.e., the straight street, the fork road and the cross road, are selected as benchmarks. On the basis of simulations, joint and marginal probability density functions (PDFs) of both the elevation angle of departure (EAoD) and the elevation angle of arrival (EAoA) are obtained. The elevation angle spread (AS) and the delay spread (DS) under various antenna heights are also discussed. Simulation results indicate that the PDFs of EAoD and EAoA vary characteristics under different street scenarios. Moreover, the minimum value of the DS can be achieved when the antenna height is half of the building height.

A typhoon-induced storm surge is considered one of the most severe coastal disasters in Taiwan. However, the combination of the storm surge and the astronomical tide called the storm tide can actually cause extreme flooding in coastal areas. This study implemented a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model to account for the interaction between tides and storm surges on the coast of Taiwan. The model was validated with observed water levels at Sauo Fish Port, Hualien Port, and Chenggong Fish Port under different historical typhoon events. The model results are in reasonable agreement with the measured data. The validated model was then used to evaluate the effects of the typhoon's intensity, bathymetric change, and the combination of the typhoon’s intensity and bathymetric change on the maximum storm tide and its distribution along the east coast of Taiwan. The results indicated that the maximum storm tide rises to 1.92 m under a typhoon with an intensity of a 100-year return period. The maximum storm tide increased from a baseline of 1.26 m to 2.63 m for a 90% bathymetric rise at Sauo Fish Port under the conditions of Typhoon Jangmi (2008). The combination of the intensity of a typhoon with a 100-year return period and a 90% bathymetric rise will result in a maximum storm tide exceeding 4 m, 2 m, and 3 m at Sauo Fish Port, Hualien Port, and Chenggong Fish Port, respectively. We also found that the distribution of the maximum storm tide on the east coast of Taiwan can expand significantly subject to the bathymetric rise.

The awareness of the existence in plants of bioactive compounds namely phytochemicals (PHYs), having health properties is progressively expanding. Therefore, their massive introduction in the normal diet, in food supplements, and their use as natural therapeutics to treat several diseases are increasingly emphasized by several sectors. Particularly, most PHYs possessing antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiulcer, anti-cholesterol, hypoglycemic, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant properties have been isolated from plants. Additionally, their secondary modification with new functionalities, to further improve their intrinsic beneficial effects, is extensively investigated. Unfortunately, although the idea of exploiting PHYs as therapeutics is amazing, its realization is far from simple, and the possibility of exploiting them as effective orally administrable drugs is almost utopic. Most PHYs are insoluble in water and, when introduced orally, they scarcely reach the site of action in therapeutic concentrations. Degradation by enzymatic and microbial digestion, occurring in the mouth, stomach, and intestine, as well as fast metabolism and rapid excretion via the kidney, biliary, or lung, strongly limit their in vivo activity. To overcome these drawbacks, several nanotechnological approaches have been used and many PHYs-loaded delivery systems with dimensions of nanometers have been developed. This paper, also by reporting various recent case studies, reviews the foremost nano-suspension and nano-emulsion-based techniques developed for formulating the most relevant PHYs in more bioavailable nanoparticles (NPs), suitable or promising for clinical application. Also, the acute and chronic toxic effects due to the exposure to NPs reported so far, the possible nanotoxicity which could derive by their massive employment, as well as the ongoing actions to improve the knowledge in the field were discussed. The state of the art concerning the actual clinical application of both PHYs and the nanotechnologically engineered PHYs was also reviewed.

We point out an inconsistency in Newton's equations of celestial mechanics. A set of differential equations implied by Newton's equations are shown to be free of this inconsistency. We then investigate the integrals of motion associated with this relative difference system.

Alkyl moieties—open chain or cyclic—are common in drug molecules and can be internal or terminal. The open-chain alkyls can be linear or branched; the cyclic alkyls may be substituted. Usually, the branches in open-chain alkyls and substituents in cycloalkyls influence both the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of a drug molecule. The hydrophobicity of alkyl moieties in drug molecules is modified by metabolic hydroxy functionalization via free-radical intermediates to give primary, secondary, or tertiary alcohols depending on the class of the substrate carbon. The hydroxymethyl groups resulting from the functionalization of methyl groups are mostly oxidized further to carboxyl groups to give carboxy metabolites. As observed from the surveyed cases in this review, hydroxy functionalization leads to loss, attenuation, or retention of pharmacologic activity with respect to the parent drug. On the other hand, carboxy functionalization leads to a loss of activity with the exception of only a few cases in which activity is retained. The exceptions are those groups in which the carboxy functionalization occurs at a position distant from a well-defined primary pharmacophore. Some parent-drug equiactive hydroxy metabolites have been developed into metabolite ester prodrugs, while some of the parent-drug carboxy metabolites have been developed into metabolite drugs. In this review, we present and discuss the above state of affairs for a variety of drug classes, using selected drug members to show the effect on pharmacologic activity as well as dependence of the metabolic change on drug molecular structure. Some subtexts found to manifest from the hydroxy and carboxy functionalization of alkyl moieties in drug molecules are presented and discussed. The review provides basis for informed predictions of (i) structural features required for metabolic hydroxy and carboxy functionalization of alkyl moieties in existing or planned small drug molecules; and (ii) whether the resulting metabolites will possess pharmacologic activity or be devoid of it.

This paper introduces the AltumView Sentinare smart activity sensor for senior care and patient monitoring. The sensor uses an AI chip and deep learning algorithms to monitor the activity of people, collect activity statistics, and notify caregivers when emergencies such as falls are detected. To protect privacy, only skeleton (stick figure) animations are transmitted instead of videos. The sensor is highly affordable, accessible, and versatile. It was a CES 2021 Innovation Award Honoree, and has been selected by Amazon as one of only three fall detection devices integrated into its Alexa Together urgent response service, and has received very positive reviews from Amazon customers. It has also been used in different senior care settings in about ten different countries. The paper presents the main features of the system, the evidences and lessons learned from its practical applications, and future directions.

Individuals with low health literacy (HL) are known to have poorer health outcomes and to have higher mortality rates compared to individuals with higher HL: hence, the improvement of HL is a key outcome in modern healthcare systems. Healthcare providers are therefore asked to support patients’ literacy skills by encouraging the implementation of autonomy-supportive patient centered communication (PCC), which in turn requires the enhancement of patient engagement. Our main hypothesis is that the well-known relationship between autonomy-supportive PCC and HL is mediated by patient engagement which is known to play a role in HL promotion and that is related to PCC as well. The purpose of this study was to formulate a hypothetical structural equation model (SEM) linking PCC to patient engagement and HL. A cross-sectional survey design was employed involving 1007 Italian chronic patients. The hypothetical model was tested using SEM to verify the hypothesized mediation of patient engagement between PCC and HL. Results show that the theoretical model has a good fit indexes and that patient engagement fully mediates the relationship between PCC and HL. This finding suggests healthcare systems to implement a new paradigm where patients are supported to play an autonomous role in their own healthcare.

It is well known that the photon trajectories follow a curved path in a gravitational field. We explore here the gravitational bending of electric field lines. It seems that the electric field lines of a charge, supported in a gravitational field, follow exactly the trajectories of photons emitted isotropically from a source situated at the charge location. From a detailed examination of the electrostatic field of a charge accelerated uniformly in the instantaneous rest frame, exploiting the strong principle of equivalence, one can determine the bending of the electric field lines of a charge in a gravitational field. The fraction of electric field lines crossing a surface, stationary above or below the charge in the gravitational field, is shown to be exactly similar to the fraction of photon trajectories, emitted from a source placed at the charge location, intersecting that surface. On the other hand, for a freely falling charge in the gravitational field there is no such bending of electric field lines. The field lines continue to extend in radial straight lines from the instantaneous 'present' position of the charge, as do the trajectories of photons streaming away from the instantaneous position of a freely falling source in the gravitational field. The electric field configuration of a freely falling charge in the gravitational field is shown to be exactly the same as that of a charge moving uniformly in an inertial frame with velocity equal to the instantaneous ``present'' velocity of the freely falling charge.

Abstract: The conundrum of Latin American countries in the green transition unveils new opportunities and old structural problems. There is a clear advantage in the energy grid for Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico, coming mainly from hydropower, solar, and wind energy. In 2022, Brazil had the largest solar photovoltaic energy generation capacity in Latin America and the Caribbean, with over 24 gigawatts. Mexico ranked second, with some 9 gigawatts, and Chile ranked third, with a capacity of around 6 gigawatts. The window of opportunity for the industrialized Latin American countries resides chiefly in greening the natural resources industries and agriculture and husbandry, mainly for Brazil and Argentina. Latin America faces the dual challenge of promoting renewable energy and upgrading its value chains while managing the socioeconomic dynamics inherent in its developmental stages. It poses an enormous challenge for Latin American countries because of the phenomenon of "time compression" (Whittaker et al., 2020). Developing country's innovation and technology-intensive segments coexist with informal labor and low-skilled workers. Far from disappearing with economic growth, such coexistence becomes reinforced through an increasingly wide array of temporary and insecure jobs. Time compression condenses different stages of industrial and economic development within the same space and time, directly affecting the indicators related to the reduction of environmental impacts. Instead of locking in one path for this transition, Latin American countries had better not cling to panaceas but consider the threats, the risks, and the need to experiment with multiple paths and solutions simultaneously. However, this change implies the formation of a genuine developmental and environmental coalition guided by rigorous strategic considerations not captured by immediate interests.

Infrastructure development is rapidly increasing, driving up demand for concrete, a key construction material. Cement and aggregate are essential constituents, with global cement production reaching 4.1 billion metric tons in 2011 and CO2 emissions hitting 1.7 billion metric tons by 2024, a significant contributor to carbon emissions. To address this, alternative constituents like Rice Husk Ash (RHA) and Animal Bone Powder (ABP) are proposed. With rice husk comprising 20% of rice weight and a substantial cattle population in Bangladesh, RHA and ABP offer promising alternatives. This study examines the benefits and limitations of incorporating RHA and ABP into cement, focusing on concrete strength and permeability. By replacing varying percentages of cement with RHA and ABP simultaneously, experiments evaluate their impact on concrete properties after 28 days of curing. The research aims to identify the optimal combination for sustainable concrete production, reducing environmental impact by curbing waste generation and pollution. Results show that compressive strength increases and permeability decreases with up to 5% replacement of RHA and ABP, highlighting their potential for enhancing concrete performance while mitigating environmental concerns.

The main objective is to offer a functionally coherent counter-narrative to the polarized views prevailing now about the complex ‘Eukaryogenesis problem’ versus the “primitive” nature ascribed to so-called “Prokaryotes” (termed Akaryotes herein). The paradigm shift presented aims at bridging the conceptual gap between the rudimentary beginnings of biomolecular cooperativity on a pristine Earth (the Origins of Life or OoL) and the beginnings of lineage-wise diversification toward Darwinean speciation in the Tree of Life (or ToL). Although the research field as a whole is not aware of a corresponding ‘Prokaryogenesis problem’, the evolutionary process resulting in the partly independent archaeal and bacterial cell types is not fully understood. The present paper provides an explanation for these problems based on coevolutionary complementarity at multiple levels. The unconventional model connects various stages from “neighborhood selection” in film-like layers of unbounded “surface protoplasm” based on short “statistical proteins”, via a closely knit “peptide/RNA partnership” in the “making of genes”, toward the “making of genomes” in several RNA-to-DNA transitions. Three virus-related plasmids carrying different DNA replicases may have initiated the vertical stability of hereditable lineages that led to the three “domains” of organismal life, with a fourth lineage ending in eukaryotic organelles. These partly independent transitions established DNA as a late-comer of fundamental biomolecules.

This article provides a general overview of the bio-inspired computing method called DNA-Based Computing (DBC), including its theory and applications. The main theme of DBC is the central dogma of molecular biology (once information of DNA/RNA has got into a protein, it can’t get out again), i.e., DNA to RNA (sequences of four types of nucleotides) and DNA/RNA to protein (sequence of twenty types of amino acids) are allowed, not the reverse ones. Thus, DBC transfers few-element information (DNA/RAN-like) to many-element information (protein-like), solving a given cognitive problem. DBC can take many forms; this article elucidates two main forms, denoted as DBC-1 and DBC-2. Using arbitrary numerical examples, it is shown that DBC-1 can solve the following cognitive problems: “similarity indexing between seemingly different but inherently identical objects” and “recognizing regions of an image separated by a complex boundary.” DBC-2 can solve the following cognitive problem: “pattern recognition when the relevant information is insufficient.” Smart manufacturing-based systems (digital twins and big data analytics) must solve the abovementioned problems to make the manufacturing enablers (machine tools and monitoring systems) more self-reliant and autonomous. Consequently, DBC can improve the cognitive problem-solving ability of smart manufacturing-relevant systems and, thereby, can enhance its biologicalization.

Gentiopicroside (GPS) is a leading component of several plant species from Gentianaceae botanical family. As a compound with plenty biological activities and a component that is often consumed in dietary supplements and herbal drugs, GPS has an important role in the regulation of physiological processes in humans. Recent studies on the type 2 receptors shed new light on GPS applications showing its agonistic properties that could be meaningful in the future therapeutic strategies of Parkinson’s disease, thyroid disorders or cancer states. This review aims to collect previously published reports on the biological properties of GPS as a single compound that were confirmed by in vitro and in vivo studies, and to draw attention at the newly discovered role of this bitter-tasting secoiridoid as a type 2 receptor agonist. Thanks to these properties, the research on this substance could be revisited.

This article is the first part of a scientific project under the general title "Geometrized Vacuum Physics". This study is based on two main postulates: 1) independence of the propagation velocity of electromagnetic waves in vacuum from their frequency; 2) the constancy of the averaged zero vacuum balance, associated with the assertion that only mutually opposite formations are born from vacuum, so that on average they completely compensate for each other's manifestations. In this part of the "Geometrized Vacuum Physics" the foundations of the Algebra of Stignatures are laid, which is the mathematical and logical foundation of the entire project. In the next articles of this project it will be shown that the Algebra of Stignatures can be used for the development of "zero" (vacuum) technologies, algebraic genetics, vacuum cosmology, the vacuum standard model of "elementary particles", vacuum gravity and levitation, vacuum energy, ethics and aesthetics and many other branches of knowledge. At the end of this article, one of the many possible applications of the Algebra of Stignatures is given, in particular, the basics of the stignature-spectral analysis are outlined, with the help of which the possibilities of communication channels can be significantly expanded.

Currently, the majority of industrial metal processing involves the use of taps for cutting. However, existing tap machines require relocation to specialized inspection stations and only assess the con-dition of the cutting edges for defects. They do not evaluate the quality of the cutting angles and the amount of removed material. Machine vision, a key component of smart manufacturing, is com-monly used for visual inspection. Taps are employed for processing various materials. Traditional tap replacement relies on the technician's accumulated empirical experience to determine the ser-vice life of the tap. Typically, inspecting tooth wear involves removing the tap and evaluating the degree of wear to determine if regrinding or replacement is necessary. Therefore, we propose the use of visual inspection of the tap's external features to determine whether replacement or regrinding is needed. We examined the bearing surface of the tap and utilized single images to identify the cutting angle, clearance angle, and cone angles. By inspecting the side of the tap, we calculated the wear of each cusp. We further investigated whether the cutting portion affected the length of the tool by measuring changes in tooth surface area and the amount of removed thread. This inspection process can facilitate the development of a tap life system, allowing for the estimation of the durability and wear of taps and nuts made of different materials. Statistical analysis can be employed to predict the lifespan of taps in production lines.

Initial evaluations of the System of Rice Intensification in India and elsewhere have mainly fo-cused on its impact on yield and income and have usually covered just one or two seasons. Re-searchers at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research conducted a more comprehensive evalua-tion of SRI methods over six years (six wet and six dry seasons), comparing these methods with three other rice crop management systems: modified, partially mechanized SRI (MSRI); direct-seeded rice (DSR); and normal transplanting with inundated fields (NTP). SRI grain yield was found to be about 50% higher than with NTP (6.35 t ha-1 vs 4.27 t ha-1), while the MSRI yield was essentially the same (6.34 t ha-1) and 16% higher than with DSR (5.45 t ha-1). Compared to NTP, SRI methods significantly enhanced soil microbial populations over time, bacteria by 12%, fungi by 8%, and actinomycetes by 20%. Indicators of biological activity in the rhizosphere were also higher, dehydrogenase by 8.5% and FDA enzymes by 16%. Glucosidase activity, an indicator of soil organic matter, was 78% higher. Relative to normal transplanting methods, SRI reduced GHG emissions by 21%, while DSR reduced them by 23% and MSRI by 13%, which indicated pos-itive effects of the alternate and improved methods over normal transplanting. Economic analy-sis showed that both gross and net economic returns to be higher with SRI than with MSRI and the other management systems evaluated. While the six-year study documented many ad-vantages of SRI crop management, the MSRI version evaluated is a promising adaptation that provide similar benefits but with lower labor requirements.

In this paper, we demonstrate a useful interaction between the theory of clique partitions, edge clique covers of a graph, and the spectra of graphs. Using a clique partition and an edge clique cover of a graph we introduce the notion of a vertex-clique incidence matrix for a graph and produce new lower bounds for the negative eigenvalues and negative inertia of a graph. Moreover, utilizing these vertex-clique incidence matrices, we generalize several notions such as the signless Laplacian matrix, and develop bounds on the incidence energy and the signless Laplacian energy of the graph. %The tight upper bounds for the energies of a graph and its line graph are given. More generally, we also consider the set $S(G)$ of all real-valued symmetric matrices whose off-diagonal entries are nonzero precisely when the corresponding vertices of the graph are adjacent. An important parameter in this setting is $q(G)$, and is defined to be the minimum number of distinct eigenvalues over all matrices in $S(G)$. For a given graph $G$ the concept of a vertex-clique incidence matrix associated with an edge clique cover is applied to establish several classes of graphs with $q(G)=2$.

The land subsidence occurring in goafs after coal mining is a protracted process. The accurate prediction of long-term land subsidence in goafs relies heavily on the availability of long-term monitoring data. However, the scarcity of continuous long-term land subsidence monitoring data subsequent to the cessation of mining significantly hinders the accurate prediction of long-term land subsidence in goafs. To address this challenge, this study proposes an innovative method based on Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) for predicting long-term land subsidence of goafs following coal mining. The proposed method employs a concatenation approach that integrates multiple short-term monitoring data from different coal faces, each with distinct cessation times, into a cohesive and uniform long-term sequence by normalizing the subsidence rates. The method was verified using actual monitoring data from the Yangquan No.2 mine in Shanxi Province, China. Initially, coal faces with same shapes but varying cessation times were selected for analysis. Using InSAR monitoring data collected between June and December of 2016, the average subsidence rate corresponding to the duration after coal mining cessation of each coal face was back-calculated. Subsequently, a function relating subsidence rate to the duration after coal mining cessation was fitted to the data. Finally, the relationship between cumulative subsidence and the duration after coal mining cessation was derived by integrating the function. The results indicated that the relationship between subsidence rate and duration after coal mining cessation followed an exponential function for a given coal face, whereas the relationship between cumulative subsidence and duration after coal mining cessation conformed to the Knothe time function. Notably, after the cessation of coal mining, significant land subsidence persisted in the goaf of the Yangquan No.2 mine for a duration ranging from 5 to 10 years. The cumulative subsidence curve along the long axis of the coal face ultimately exhibited an inclined W-shape. The proposed method enables the quantitative prediction of residual land subsidence in goafs, even in cases where continuous long-term monitoring data are insufficient, thus providing valuable guidance for construction decisions above the goaf.

Based on the engineering background of Daliuta mining area, the fracture distribution and water movement within the weakly cemented overlay strata are studied through liquid-solid coupling physical simulation and COMSOL numerical simulation test. 3D fracture network of overburden strata in mining is plotted based on the result of the physical simulation test. The results showed that the ‘fractured zone’ of the weakly cemented overburden strata in the western area develops more evidently than that in the eastern area ---- wide-opened fractures form at both ends of the working area and this leads to a wide distribution of fractures in the overlying strata.After the initial caving of the roof, height of the penetrating fractures increases rapidly and the separated strata space becomes the main channel for water flow. Under the action of water flow and rock strata movement, mining-induced fractures in overlying rock display cyclic change of expansion, penetration and closure. When the working face is fully mined, the penetrating fractures in the overlying strata and mining-induced fractures up in the working face become the main passages for water flow. The experimental result provides a reference for underground reservoirs layout and maintenance and water-conserved mining in western China.

We employ hierarchy of models (HoM) with 2, 3 and 4 parameters to reanalyze the nucleation kinetics in the electrodeposition as quantified by n(t) - “the number of nuclei vs. time” data obtained at different overvoltages from precise experiments on electrodeposition of Hg on two different types of Pt-cathodes by Ivan V. Markov and Evgenia Stoycheva [1]. The obtained two scales, nmax and , are used to rescale the original data mapping it on a master curve in coordinates . Our main result is obtained by studying further the dependence of these two scales on the overvoltage (analogue of supersaturation). Surprisingly, for one of the two cathode types - the “hemispherical single-crystal electrode” (as defined by the authors), there is discontinuity in the “ vs. overvoltage” dependence – an almost horizontal jump from 85 to 86 mV accompanied by a change in the slope of the dependence - it is ~ -1 and ~ -0.5 after. For the other cathode - “plane structureless platinum electrode”,  decreases smoothly. Combined, these two behaviors point at the so called “cusp catastrophe”. We compare our findings with published results on protein nucleation.

Electrochemical Promotion was used to modify the activity and selectivity of a Rh catalyst-electrode in the CO2 hydrogenation reaction. The experiments were carried out in a temperature range of 350-430οC at ambient pressure and at different CO2 to H2 gas feeding ratios (1:2 to 4:1). The only reaction products observed were CO and CH4, both under open and closed-circuit conditions. The CH4 formation rate was found to increase with both positive and negative potential or current application. The CO formation rate followed the opposite trend. The selectivity to CH4 increased under high values of hydrogen partial pressure and decreased at high pressures of CO2. The results demonstrate how Electrochemical Promotion can be used to finely tune activity and selectivity for a reaction of high technical and environmental importance.

The theory of special relativity has reexamined and reconstructed the concepts of space and time, which are indispensable for describing physical laws, consequently instigating a major revolution in physics in general. Although the correctness of the special theory of relativity has been con-firmed by many observations and experiments, it is unclear why the "principle of relativity" and the "principle of the constant speed of light," which form the basis of the idea, are valid. Moreo-ver, although special relativity has advanced our understanding of time, our understanding of the fundamental question, "What is time?" is still limited. The theory of special relativity regards space as a four-dimensional construct consisting of one-dimensional time and three-dimensional space. This paper proposes an alternative framework, wherein real space is uniform and isotropic four-dimensional space, and elementary particles are waves that propagate through this four-dimensional space at a constant speed. This new perspective provides evidence to support two of Einstein’s key principles—the "principle of relativity" and the "principle of the constant speed of light." Furthermore, this model clarifies what time is and why time flows at a constant rate from the past to the future.

In this paper, we investigate the effects of mean stress, multiaxial loading, and residual stresses on the fatigue life of springs. We study the fatigue life of a homogeneously stressed material subjected to cyclic loading with nonzero mean stress. Traditional methods for estimating fatigue life are based on Goodman and HAIGH diagrams. The formal analytical descriptions, namely "stress-life" and "strain-life" approaches, are found to be more suitable for the numerical methods. The fatigue analysis method described above, which describes crack growth per cycle, is extended. The extensions allow consideration of the mean stress of a load cycle. Closed-form expressions for crack length versus number of cycles are derived. The complementary effects on the fatigue life of springs, which ultimately have a significant influence on the fatigue life of springs, are summarized. For the proposed unified fatigue life functions, the ranges for the stress loading factor are extended by introducing the effective stress intensity. The solution leads to the factor range for the effective stress intensity, the effective mean value of the stress intensity factor and the effective stress ratio. The developed method assumes the homogeneous stress state in the whole spring element. For the non-homogeneously loaded structural elements, the weak-link concept is applied to account for fatigue.

The storage of biochemical information, which is a prerequisite for the development of the first cell, is an unsolved problem affecting all concepts of the origin of life. However, if the protected environment in the continental crust is taken into account, completely new possibilities emerge for identifying processes that may have been crucial for the formation of the first cell. Under this background, we can hypothesize that cellular life began, with a self-sustaining cycle of molecular reaction steps and information storage of peptide sequences in RNA in a crustal depth of approximately 1000 m. This cycle was made possible in an open system bound to gas-permeable tectonic fracture zones with a high proportion of CO₂ and/or N₂. It can be assumed that a large number of RNA-like molecular strands formed in the crustal environment, from which a special RNA was selected by flotation processes, which formed the basis of a proto-tRNA. The formation of peptides and vesicles in supercritical CO₂ and the chemical evolution of peptides have already been proven at conditions of the upper continental crust. The behavior of individual amino acids in connection with vesicle formation deserves special interest. Hydrophobic amino acids accumulate in the vesicle membrane, with their position in the membrane depending on the degree of hydrophobicity. Selection of a proto-tRNA with an acceptor arm ending with the bases CCA resulted in a distinctive property. The position of adenine at the tip of the acceptor arm permitted it to penetrate the membrane, allowing it to be linked to an amino acid at the 3'-OH position of the terminal ribose. The penetration depth was controlled by the hydrophobicity of the opposite anti-codon, with adenine always occupying the middle position for the hydrothermally formed hydrophobic amino acids. When the vesicle membrane was closely occupied by proto-tRNAs, the anti-codons acted as templates and stored the sequence of the peptides that form. In the cases of hydrophilic anti-codons, the acceptor arm does not reach far enough into the membrane. This allowed hydrophilic amino acids to be linked to 2´-OH.

Abstract: A new method for constructing exact solutions of the General Relativity equations for a dusty matter with fractal property is proposed. This method allows to find the solution of the GR-equations in terms of matter velocities : the connection coefficients and the Ricci tensor of space-time are expressed in terms of matter velocities; the metric tensor and the matter density are found as functions of velocity from the GR-equations. The connection coefficients and the Ricci tensor are invariant with respect to the discrete scaling transformation of velocity , where is constant. Therefore, the found solution can be used to simulate the fractal properties of the cosmic web in terms of matter velocities. This solution includes isotropic and anisotropic distributions of matter density. In an isotropic case, there is a class of exact solutions including both the well-known Friedmann’s solution and a solution with a periodic distribution of the matter density in space. This last solution may be used to simulate the quasi-periodic distribution of matter in the cosmic web. It is possible that, the cosmic web and its fractal properties are the space-time primary properties. These properties are described with a deformation tensor of the space-time.

This work presents the results of a comprehensive physico-chemical and biological study of hu-mic substances samples – an extract of humic and fulvic acids. The performed loss on drying test showed a 22 times different dry matter content between EHS and FA. The morphology and dis-tribution of particles in the dry residue of the samples assessed using the methods of optical and digital microscopy demonstrated differences in the qualitative features of the microstructures of their surfaces and granulometries. Shimadzu X-ray fluorescence spectrometry revealed Si (8.1 and 1.7%), P (33.5 and 2.7%), S (4.3 and 59.5%), K (1.35 and 2.5%), Ca (10.9 and 3.2%), Mn (0.27 and 0.06%), Fe (11 and 0.05%), Cu (0.16 and 0.45%), Zn (0.06 and 0.02%) in the dry residues of the EHS and FA samples, respectively. A high intensity of the X-ray fluorescence signal for Fe atoms in the EHS sample was demonstrated. The FT-IR spectra for EHS and FA are characterized by simi-lar vibration frequencies that are characteristic of the chromone derivatives (1-benzopyran-4-one). The UV absorption spectrum is characterized by max = 281 nm for FA. The EHS solution showed a fluorescence maximum at em = 560 nm at ex = 280 nm. Using the DLS method, nanoparticles of 1 nm and 200 nm were detected in EHS and FA diluted solutions, which are likely to condition the biochemical and physical properties of humic acids. Using the Spiro-tox-test method, the absence of the toxic effect of humic acids on the cell model of ciliates Sp. am-bigua was established. When the cell model was incubated in a solution of a toxicant of the fluo-roquinolone group, a decrease in toxicity was demonstrated when diluted with the EHS solu-tion. The results of the study of the antiviral activity of EHS and FA showed that the study ob-jects in the culture of Vero-E6 cells, in doses non-toxic to cells, suppress the reproduction of the SARS-CoV-2 virus both in the study of the virucidal effect and in the study of the antiviral activ-ity according to the therapeutic and prophylactic model scheme of injection. The results obtained suggest that standardized drugs based on humic acids may open up new perspectives in their biomedical application as antiviral drugs.

We suggest that despite McLuhan’s claim not to have a theory of communication that in fact the body of his work does indeed constitute a theory of media and their effects which I have called his General Theory of Media (GToM) that also includes his Laws of Media (LoM). Both McLuhan’s GToM and his LoM are described. A comparison is made of three notions of law: i. McLuhan’s notion of law as used in his Laws of Media; ii. the notions of the Law in the legal sense and iii. the notion of law as formulated in scientific laws. McLuhan’s understanding of media is used to analyze some of the negative effects of social media suggesting that laws need to be formulated to prevent the misuse of social media that are antithetical to democracy and the invasion of the privacy of the individual users of these apps. McLuhan’s Laws of Media are then used to provide insights into the nature of scientific laws, the Law in the legal sense and his own Laws of Media.

The main focus of this work is to extend the knowledge about the complexity of issues of oxidative stress. Natural compounds play a serious role in multiple aspects of both human, leading to clear health-promoting effects. This work is focused on the potential application cosmetic formulations containing including but not limited to of clove water and isolated clove oils on their aid in the control of the diseases. The aim of our work was to prepare to evaluate cosmetic formulations containing clove oil, eugenol or new eugenol ester derivative (eugenyl dichloroacetate - EDChA) but also cosmetic formulations containing the aqueous phase obtained after separation of essential oil following the clove buds steam distillation. To evaluate the antioxidants transdermal delivery system, in vitro permeation experiments in a Franz diffusion cell were performed using pig skin. The antioxidative capacity of the cosmetic formulations obtained was determined by the DPPH free radical reduction method. In the next stage, the antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS, and Folin–Ciocalteu methods) of the fluid that penetrated through pig skin and of the fluid obtained after skin extraction, were also evaluated. For comparison, studies of cosmetic formulation containing alone dichloroacetic acid (DChAA) were as well carried out. The obtained cosmetic formulations were characterized by of antioxidant activity estimated after 24 hours of conducting the experiment, which indicates long-term protection against reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the deeper layers of the skin. The results of this work contribute to the development of cosmetic formulations with antioxidant potential, emphasizing that the water phases are waste from the process of cloves steam distillation and are not used to prepare cosmetic formulations. The use of waste water from the clove buds steam distillation process is environmentally friendly and not allows us to waste, containing however valuable biologically active compounds (furfural, methyl salicylate, 4-allilofenol, eugenol, α- and β-caryophyllene, eugenyl acetate, β-caryophyllene oxide). Together, these results suggest that cosmetic formulations may be potential drug candidates for chemopreventive, antineoplastic and antimutagenic therapy.

The fluid seepage in local-saturated zone of subgrade promotes the migration of fine particles in the filler, resulting in the change of pore structure and morphology of the filler and the deformation of solid skeleton, which affects the fluid seepage characteristics. Repeatedly, the muddy interlayer, mud pumping and other diseases are finally formed. Based on the theory of two-phase seepage, the theory of porous media seepage, and the principle of effective stress in porous media, a two-phase fluid-solid coupling mathematical model in local-saturated zone of subgrade considering the effect of fine particles migration is established. The mathematical model is numerically calculated with the software COMSOL Multiphysics○R, the two-phase seepage characteristics and the deformation characteristics of the solid skeleton in local-saturated zone of the subgrade are studied. The research results show that due to the continuous erosion and migration of fine particles in local-saturated zone of the subgrade, the volume fraction of fine particles first increases then decreases and finally becomes stable with the increase of time. And the volume fraction of fine particles for the upper part of the subgrade is larger than that for the lower part of the subgrade. The porosity, the velocity of fluid, the velocity of fine particles, and the permeability show a trend of increasing first and then stabilizing with time; the pore water pressure has no significant changes with time. The vertical displacement increase first and then decrease slightly with the increase of time, and finally tend to be stable. For a filler with a larger initial volume fraction of fine particles, the maximum value of the volume fraction of fine particles caused by fluid seepage is larger, and the time required to reach the maximum value is shorter. It can be concluded that in actual engineering, the volume fraction of fine particles in the subgrade filler should be minimized on the premise that the filler gradation meets the requirements of the specification.

This research paper aims to explicate the complex issue of the Riemann's Hypothesis and ultimately presents its elementary proof. The method implements one of the binomial coefficients, to demonstrate the maximal prime gaps bound. Maximal prime gaps bound constitutes a comprehensive improvement over the Bertrand's result, and becomes one of the key elements of the theory. Subsequently, implementing the theory of the primorial function and its error bounds, an improved version of the Gauss' offset logarithmic integral is developed. This integral serves as a Supremum bound of the prime counting function Pi(n). Due to its very high precision, it permits to verify the relationship between the prime counting function Pi(n) and the offset logarithmic integral of Carl Gauss. The collective mathematical theory, via the Niels F. Helge von Koch equation, enables to prove the RIemann's Hypothesis conclusively.

Mechanical forces and mechanical energy are prevalent in living cells. This may be because mechanical forces and mechanical energy preceded chemical energy at life’s origins. Mechanical energy is more readily available in non-living systems than the various forms of chemical energy used by living systems. Two possible prebiotic environments that might have provided mechanical energy are hot pools that experience wet/dry cycles and mica sheets as they move, open and shut, as heat pumps or in response to water movements.

Manipulating autophagy is a promising strategy for treating cancer as several autophagy inhibitors shown to induce autophagic cell death. One of these, autophagonizer (APZ), induces apoptosis-independent cell death by binding an unknown target via an unknown mechanism. To identify APZ targets we used a label-free drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) approach with a liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) readout. Of 35 protein interactors, we identified Hsp70 as a key target protein of unmodified APZ in autophagy. Either APZ treatment or Hsp70 inhibition attenuates integrity of lysosomes, which leads to autophagic cell death exhibiting an excellent synergism with a clinical drug, temozolomide, in vitro, in vivo, and orthotropic glioma xenograft model. These findings demonstrate the potential of APZ to induce autophagic cell death and its development to combinational chemotherapeutic agent for glioma treatment. Collectively, our study demonstrated that APZ, a new autophagy inhibitor, can be used as a potent antitumor drug candidate to get over unassailable glioma and revealed a novel function of Hsp70 in lysosomal integrity regulation of autophagy.

Deep learning (DL) and machine learning (ML) methods have recently contributed to the advancement of models in the various aspects of prediction, planning, and uncertainty analysis of smart cities and urban development. This paper presents the state of the art of DL and ML methods used in this realm. Through a novel taxonomy, the advances in model development and new application domains in urban sustainability and smart cities are presented. Findings reveal that five DL and ML methods have been most applied to address the different aspects of smart cities. These are artificial neural networks; support vector machines; decision trees; ensembles, Bayesians, hybrids, and neuro-fuzzy; and deep learning. It is also disclosed that energy, health, and urban transport are the main domains of smart cities that DL and ML methods contributed in to address their problems.

From 1964 to the early 1970s, Orson Anderson led a research program at the Lamont Geological Observatory in the newly-emerging field of “mineral physics”. In collaboration with colleagues Edward Schreiber and Naohiro Soga, Orson exploited the techniques of physical acoustics to study the behavior of the sound velocities of minerals at elevated pressures and temperatures. This research program also included semi-empirical studies of relationships between the bulk modulus and the molar volume of solids and the use of lattice dynamics to calculate the elastic moduli of cubic structures as a function of pressure to predict instabilities, as well as theoretical investigations of the Lagrangian vs. Eulerian formulations of finite strain equations of state.

I review previous attempts, including recent ones, to introduce technical aspects of digital information and computation into the discussion of ethics. I survey some limitations and advantages of these attempts to produce guiding principles at different scales. In particular, I briefly introduce and discuss questions, approaches, challenges, and limitations based on, or related to, simulation, information theory, integrated information, computer simulation, intractability, algorithmic complexity, and measures of computational organisation and sophistication. I discuss and propose a set of features that ethical frameworks must possess in order to be considered well-grounded, both in theoretical and methodological terms. I will show that while global ethical frameworks that are uncomputable are desirable because they provide non-teleological direction and open-ended meaning, constrained versions should be able to provide guidelines at more local and immediate time scales. In connection to the ethics of artificial intelligence, one point that must be underscored about computational approaches is that (General) AI should only embrace an ethical framework that we humans are willing to adopt. I think that such a framework is possible, taking the form of a general and universal (in the sense of computation) framework built from first computational principles.

In this paper, we investigate the new degenerate Daehee polynomials and numbers which are called the degenerate Daehee polynomials of the second kind, and derive some new and interesting identities and properties of those polynomials.

We examine how observations can be used to evaluate an air quality analysis by verifying against passive observations (i.e. cross-validation) that are not used to create the analysis and we compare these verifications to those made against the same set of (active) observations that were used to generate the analysis. The results show that both active and passive observations can be used to evaluate of first moment metrics (e.g. bias) but only passive observations are useful to evaluate second moment metrics such as variance of observed-minus-analysis and correlation between observations and analysis. We derive a set of diagnostics based on passive observation–minus-analysis residuals and we show that the true analysis error variance can be estimated, without relying on any statistical optimality assumption. This diagnostic is used to obtain near optimal analyses that are then used to evaluate the analysis error using several different methods. We compare the estimates according to the method of Hollingsworth Lonnberg, Desroziers, a diagnostic we introduce, and the perceived analysis error computed from the analysis scheme, to conclude that as long as the analysis is optimal, all estimates agrees within a certain error margin. The analysis error variance at passive observation sites is also obtained.

This article presents six probability distributions from the Gamma family with three parameters, for the flood frequency analysis in hydrology. The choice of the Gamma family of statistical dis-tributions was driven by its frequent use in hydrology. In the Faculty of Hydrotechnics, the im-provement of the estimation of maximum flows and including the methodological bases for the realization of a regionalization study with the linear moments method with the corrected pa-rameters was researched, being an element of novelty. The linear moments method is better than MOM because it avoids the choice of skewness depending on the origin of the flows, practiced in Romania. The L-moments method conforms to the current trend for estimating the parameters of statistical distributions. Observed data from hydrometric stations are of relatively short length, so the statistical parameters that characterize them are of a sample that requires correction. The correction of the statistical parameters is proposed, using the method of least squares based on the inverse functions of the statistical distributions expressed with the frequency factor for L-moments. All the necessary elements for their use are presented like, quantile functions, the exact and ap-proximate relations for estimating parameters and frequency factors. A flood frequency analysis case study was carried out for the Ialomita river, to verify the proposed methodology. The per-formance of this distributions is evaluated using Kiling-Gupta and Nash-Sutcliff coefficients.

Despite great technical capabilities, the theory of non-contact temperature measurement is usually not fully applicable to the use of measuring instruments in practice. While black body calibrations are in practice well established and easy to accomplish, this calibration protocol is never fully applicable to measurements of real objects under real conditions. Currently, the best approximation to real world radiation thermometry is grey body radiation thermometry, which is supported by most measuring instruments to date. Nevertheless, the metrological requirements necessitate traceability, therefore real body radiation thermometry is required for temperature measurements of real bodies. This article documents the current state of temperature calculation algorithms for radiation-thermometers and the creation of a traceable model for radiation thermometry of real bodies that uses a digital twin model of the system of measurement to compensate for the loss of data, caused by spectral integration, which occurs when thermal radiation is absorbed on the active surface of the sensor. To solve this problem, a hybrid model with variable scalar inputs is proposed, in which the scalar input parameters are calculated to correspond to the system of measurement. The method for calculating the effective parameters is proposed and verified with the theoretical model of non-contact thermometry. The sum of effective instrumental parameters is presented for different temperatures to show that the rule of radiation thermometry of grey bodies, according to which the sum of instrumental emissivity and instrumental reflectivity equals to 1, does not hold in radiation thermometry for real bodies. Using the derived models of radiation thermometry, the uncertainty of radiation thermometry due to the uncertainty of spectral emissivity is analysed by simulated measurements along the temperature ranges of various radiation thermometers, enabling traceable non-contact temperature measurements with known measurement uncertainty under any known conditions.

The large and interconnected nature of the Internet of Things (IoT) presents unique security challenges, even as it revolutionizes various sectors. With numerous devices, often limited in resources, traditional perimeter-based security methods struggle to keep pace. The "never trust, always verify" principle of zero trust security offers a viable solution. Zero trust security is a concept which has become increasingly popular, using key exchange techniques to ensure secure and authenticated communication within the network, especially in managing risks in critical infrastructure. Authentication is a process to identify an entity, a prerequisite for authorization, and essential for granting access control. It fundamentally relies on trust management and various methods to generate and manage cryptographic keys for authentication. The aim of this study is to enhance zero trust security in the context of the Internet of Things by investigating authentication methods and discussing several potential solutions for successful implementation. This study also presents the performance evaluation criteria for authentication in IoT and introduces advanced approaches for different scenarios, including lightweight cryptography, mutual authentication, and blockchain technology. Finally, we address challenges related to implementation and future directions for research.

Kyrgyzstan, a landlocked nation in Central Asia, is characterized by its rugged mountainous terrain, which covers approximately 90% of its land area. This unique geography poses specific challenges related to climate vulnerability. To address these challenges, we propose a comprehensive approach that involves gathering meteorological data and making it accessible to decision-makers. By leveraging LoRaWAN communication technology, which efficiently transmits sparse and low-speed data over long distances while minimizing power consumption, we can enhance climate resilience. The Internet Society Kyrgyz Chapter, in collaboration with the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) and the Central Asia Institute for Applied Geosciences (CAIAG), has initiated the installation of meteorological sensors and disaster mitigation devices, including river water level sensors, terrain moisture sensors, and tilt detectors. These sensors collect critical data, which is stored within the country on an ad hoc server. Stakeholders can access this data according to their specific requirements. This paper outlines the criteria for selecting the deployed equipment and provides details on the installation process at pilot sites, along with the challenges encountered during project execution.

Abstract: Patients with Cleft Lip Palate (CLP) require comprehensive treatment, so the people who take care of them must constantly provide care and support, along with continuous care and support from their caregivers, often extending until youth. The purpose was to compare the Quality of Life (QoL) of caregivers of children with CLP with those without the condition. A cross-sectional paired study was conducted at the Dental Clinic of the Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores (ENES León), National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), from May to December 2021. Primary caregivers of patients with CLP (n=70) were included as well as those of the patients without CLP (n=70) of the same institution. Sample size was calculated considering an OR=2.5, establishing a convenience selection. Caregivers answered the WHOQoL Bref instrument to assess QoL. Of the total sample analyzed, 88.6% of the caregivers were female (p>0.05). Caregivers of patients with CLP reported poor QoL (64.8%), compared to caregivers in the control group (p