Water electrolysis provides efficient and cost-effective production of hydrogen from renewable energy. Currently, the oxidation half-cell reaction relies on noble-metal catalysts, impeding widespread application. In order to adopt water electrolyzers as the main hydrogen production systems, it is critical to develop inexpensive and earth-abundant catalysts. This review discusses the proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis (WE) and the progress in replacing the noble-metal catalysts with earth-abundant ones. Researchers within this field are aiming to improve the efficiency and stability of earth-abundant catalysts (EACs), as well as to discover new ones. The latter is particularly important for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) under acidic media, where the only stable and efficient catalysts are noble-metal oxides, such as IrO_x and RuO_x. On the other hand, there is significant progress on EACs for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in acidic conditions, but how many of these EACs have been used in PEM WEs and tested under realistic conditions? What is the current status on the development of EACs for the OER? These are the two main questions this review addresses.

There are currently around 78 Nuclear Power Plants (NPP) in the world based on Boiling Water Reactors (BWR). The current parameter to assess BWR instability issues is the linear Decay Ratio (DR). However, it is well known that BWRs are complex non-linear dynamical systems that may even exhibit chaotic dynamics that normally preclude the use of the DR when the BWR is working at a specific operating point during instability. In this work a novel methodology based on an adaptive Shannon Entropy estimator and on Noise Assisted Empirical Mode Decomposition variants is presented. This methodology was developed for real-time implementation of a stability monitor. This methodology was applied to a set of signals stemming from several NPPs reactors (Ringhals-Sweden, Forsmark-Sweden and Laguna Verde-Mexico) under commercial operating conditions, that experienced instabilities events, each one of a different nature

Here we compile a detailed record of eddies and examine their intra-annual variability over the Spitsbergen Bank in the northwestern Barents Sea using spaceborne Sentinel-1 A/B synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data acquired in 2018. Analysis of 3070 SAR images enabled to register 1758 eddy manifestations in the marginal ice zone (MIZ) and 1631 signatures in the open water (OW). Submesoscale and small mesoscale eddies were observed within a range 0.2-40 km with the range of MIZ eddies being twice larger than that of OW eddies. We note a strong seasonal variability of eddy diameters and the ratio of cyclones to anticyclones. The eddies were present in all seasons showing an approximate parity in eddy generation intensity in the surface layer between winter and summer. The peak eddy activity is observed during the first (January to March) and third (July-September) quarters of the year. A well-pronounced seasonality of SAR-derived eddy intensity correlates with that of eddy kinetic energy in the surface layer of the Eurasian Arctic. Eddies were detected most frequently in Storfjorden, south of Edge Island, near Hopen Island and along the entire eastern flank of the Spitsbergen Bank. Very low eddy activity was observed in the central part of the bank. The MIZ eddies were recorded during eight months of the year peaking in February, and being spatially limited by a 200-m isobath. The OW eddies were widely dispersed across the study domain peaking in August and tending to accumulate in regions of relatively weak surface currents. In summer, about 20-25% of them were observed within the Barents Sea Polar Front.

Surface processes such as coatings, corrosion, photocatalysis, and tribology are greatly diversified by acid-base interaction at the surface overlayer. This study focuses on the action of metallic copper surface as an electron donor/acceptor related to inactivation of viruses; it was found that regarding Cu2O or Cu materials electrostatic interaction plays a major role in virus inactivation. We applied TPPE method to clarify the mechanism of electron transfer (ET) occurring at light irradiated copper surfaces. The TPPE characteristics was strongly influenced by the environments, which correspond to the temperature and environment dependence of the total count of emitted electrons in the incident light wavelength scan (PE total count, NT), the photothreshold, and further the activation energy (E) analyzed from Arrhenius plot of NT values obtained in the temperature-increase and subsequent temperature-decrease processes. In this study we reexamined the dependence of the TPPE data from two types of Cu metal surfaces: Sample A, which was mechanically abraded in alcohols, water, and air, and Sample C, which was only ultrasonically cleaned in these liquids. The NT for both Samples slowly increased with increasing temperature, reached a maximum (NTmax) at 250C (maximum temperature, Tmax), and after that decreased. For Sample A the NTmax value decreased in the order H2O > CH3OH > C2H5OH > (CH3)2CHOH > C3H7OH, although the last alcohol gave Tmax = 100C, while with Sample C the NTmax value decreased in the order: C3H7OH > (CH3)2CHOH > C2H5OH > CH3OH > H2O. Interestingly, both orders of the liquids were completely opposite: this means that Cu surface can possess two-way character. The NT intensity was found to be strongly associated with the change of the hydroxyl group (Cu-OH) to the oxide oxygen (O2) in the O1s spectra in the XPS measurement. The difference between the above orders was explained by the acid-base interaction mode of the Cu-OH group with the adsorbed molecule on the surfaces. The H2O adsorbed on Sample A produces the electric dipole Cu-OH+---:OH2 (--- hydrogen bond), while the C3H7OH and (CH3)2CHOH adsorbed on Sample C produce ROH+---:O(H)-Cu (R = alkyl groups). Gutmann’s acceptor number (AN) representing the basicity of the liquid molecules was found to be related to the TPPE characteristics: (CH3)2CHOH (33.5), C2H5OH (37.1), CH3OH (41.3), H2O (54.8) (the AN of C3H7OH could not be confirmed). With Sample A the values of NTmaxa and EaUp1 both increased with increasing AN (Up1 means the 1st temperature-increase process). On the other hand, with Sample C the values of NTmaxc and EcUp1 both decreased with increasing AN. These findings suggest that Sample A acts as an acid, while Sample C functions as a base. However, in the case of both types of Samples A and C the NTmax values were found to increase with increasing EUp1. It was explained that the EUp1 values depending on the liquids originate from the difference in the energy level of the hydroxyl group radical at the surface denoted. This is able to attract electrons in the neighborhood of the Fermi level of the base metal by tunnelling. After that due to Auger emission electrons are released, leading to the ET in the overlayer. These electrons are considered to have a strong ability of reducibility.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common gastrointestinal diseases in humans. It is characterized by visceral pain and/or discomfort, hypersensitivity and abnormal motor responses along with change in gut habits. Although the etio-pathogenesis of IBS is only partially understood, a main role has been attributed to psychosocial stress of different origin. Animals models such as neonatal maternal separation, water avoidance stress and wrap restraint stress have been developed as psychosocial stressors in the attempt to reproduce the IBS symptomatology and identify the cellular mechanisms responsible for the disease. The study of these models has led to the production of drugs potentially useful for IBS treatment. This review intends to give an overview on the results obtained with the animal models; to emphasize the role of the enteric nervous system in IBS appearance and evolution and as a possible target of drug therapies.

This review explores the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the entire winemaking process, from viticulture to bottling, with a particular focus on enhancing food safety and traceability. It discusses AI’s applications in optimizing grape cultivation, fermentation, bottling, and quality control, while emphasizing its critical role in managing microbiological risks such as mycotoxins. The review aims to show how AI technologies not only refine operational efficiencies but also raise safety standards and ensure traceability from vineyard to consumer. Challenges in AI implementation and future directions for integrating more advanced AI solutions into the winemaking industry will also be discussed, providing a comprehensive overview of AI's potential to revolutionize traditional practices.

This paper investigates the effects that rain drop erosion has on the integrity of wind turbine materials. This research involves analysis of impact models and theoretical equations to simulate the impact phenomena when a raindrop collides with a wind turbine blade at high speed. Impact phenomena that occur when a raindrop impacts with a wind turbine blade were evaluated. Additionally, the use of various types of software was considered to simulate this impact event. The model results of the raindrop impact with respect to a comparison of the governing equations and impact behaviour are addressed. Future work is outlined including adding variables to the erosion modelling algorithms.

Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOF) analysis between the anomalies of Lake Titicaca water levels (WLs) and the Pacific Interdecadal Oscillation (IPO) reveals a correlation coefficient of 0.71 between the WLs and the principal component (PC1). These findings demonstrate the high accuracy of the IPO in representing the positive and negative phases of the water levels. By utilizing wavelet functions, we identified multi-decadal variability with periods ranging between 20 and 30 years. The statistical techniques employed indicate a relationship between IPO and ENSO; however, they operate on different timescales of climate variability. The IPO exhibits longer-term variability, typically spanning 20-30 years, while ENSO events occur on average every 2-7 years. Nevertheless, the IPO has the ability to modulate the strength and frequency of El Niño and La Niña events, and vice versa. During the positive phase of the IPO, there is a tendency for more frequent and intense El Niño events, accompanied by fewer La Niña events. This can be attributed to warmer sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific, which create favorable conditions for El Niño development. Conversely, during the negative phase of the IPO, there is a tendency for more frequent and intense La Niña events, with fewer occurrences of El Niño events, due to cooler sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific.

Tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus) is an edible perennial grass-like plant that has long been recognized for its health benefits as it is rich in fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals and natural sugars. It can be eaten raw, roasted or made into a refreshing milk which is very nutritive and healthy for consumption. There were several efforts to mass-produce the locally prepared tiger nut milk in our locality, but the fact that it has a shorter shelf-life, brings about a hindrance. The main objective of the present study is to unveil the cause for the easily spoilage of tiger nut milk and device ways to promote its production using different treatments. Tiger nut milk products were prepared using different methods; water soaked tiger nut milk (WSTM), toasted tiger nut milk (TTM), methanol soaked tiger nut milk (MSTM), and the pasteurised tiger nut milk (PTM). Each of these milk proucts prepared was divided into two portions; the first portion is treated with an antibiotic preservative, Nisin and the second portion was left untreated. The two portions were further divided into two; one stored at refrigerating temperature and the other at room temperature, making four different treatments per mixture and a total of 16 samples. These samples were subjected to proximate analysis; protein, fat, moisture, ash and carbohydrate. The chemical composition of the samples was significantly (P < 0.05) affected by processing treatment. All the samples had high moisture content, and a considerable amount of fat. The preservative treated samples that received pasteurized treatment were found to stay more than a week with fair quality. Findings from the study shows that the chemical characteristics of the various milk products were significantly affected by the different processing treatments.

Many studies have demonstrated hydrogen's therapeutic and preventive effects on various diseases. Its selective antioxidant properties against hydroxyl radicals, which are responsible for the indirect effects of ionizing radiation, may make it worthy of attention as a new radio-protector. We recently developed new hydrogen water that is more stable and has higher antioxidant activity by using ultra-fine bubbles. In this study, female C57BL/6J mice given ad libitum access to ultra-fine bubble hydrogen water (UBHW) were subjected to whole-body irradiation (WBI) with X-rays, and the radio-protective effect of UBHW was evaluated. Sub-lethal WBI resulted in a 30-day survival rate of 100% in UBHW-fed mice, compared with 37% in control mice. In the case of lethal WBI, while the control mice died out in about 3 weeks, the 30-day survival rate improved to 40% by UBHW due to the high scavenging activity of hydroxy radicals. Twenty-six serum proteins involved in inflammatory and immune responses were significantly identified in UBHW-fed mice by proteomics, and UBHW may enhance and regulate these functions, resulting in reduced damage in mice exposed to WBI. We conclude that UBHW has good potential in radio-protection, with evidence that warrants further research efforts in this field.

The rehabilitation of the road embankments alongside the irrigation canal, which is constructed on a Bangkok soft clay foundation, has resulted from land use growth for several decades. As a result, the embankment is always confronted with the problem of instability. Numerous articles have demonstrated that rapid drawdown of the water level in the canal could be one of the most significant reasons, whereas vehicle cyclic loading may potentially contribute to some effect of the embankment failure. To explore and assess the effects of the influence factors, the finite element method (FEM) and conventional and dynamic triaxial approaches were employed. The study also investigated the consequences of varying thicknesses of soft clay and cyclic loading with different magnitudes and frequencies. Consequently, cyclic loading can lead to an augmentation in strain distribution and excess pore water pressure. Likewise, more significant deformation and excess pore water pressure were induced by a lower frequency and deeper thickness of soft clay compared to a higher frequency and thinner thickness. In brief, vehicle repetitive loading is one of the primary factors contributing to embankment failure, with the threshold stress being approximately three-fourths of the undrained shear strength. In contrast, threshold strain is approximately one to two-fold of the monotonic strain condition.

Throughout the world, salinity is a major environmental issue that limits agricultural productivity, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. In addition, climate change is the most important reason for the salinization of agricultural soils in the world, so it is now essential to find solutions to increase salinity tolerance in plants. This study investigated the potential of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation to enhance the growth and yield performances of flax under different salinity levels by conducting a pot experiment. The experiment was laid out in a two-factor completely randomized design including AMF inoculation (AMF+: with and AMF-: without inoculation) and irrigation water salinity (0, 50, 100, and 150 mM NaCl). According to the results, it is evident that salt stress caused negative physiological effects, including limited growth, reduced photosynthesis, and decreased nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) content in shoots and roots of flax plants. Moreover, mycorrhizal association improved the salt tolerance of the plants by increasing chlorophyll content, enhancing N and P shoot and root contents, and consequently yield parameters, such as seed, and stem fiber yield, particularly at moderate salt concentrations (50 and 100 mM NaCl). As a result of using AMF, flax plants grown under salt stress exhibited tolerance, suggesting that AMF could be applied in saline environments to maintain ecological stability.

Earth Observation (EO) techniques have significantly evolved over time, covering a wide range of applications in different domains. The scope of this study is to review the research conducted on EO in the Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East, and North Africa (EMMENA) region and to identify the main knowledge gaps. We searched through the Web of Science database for papers published between 2018 and 2022 for EO studies in the EMMENA. We categorized the papers in the following thematic areas: Atmosphere, Water, Agriculture, Land, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Cultural Heritage, Energy, Marine Safety and Security (MSS) and Big Earth Data (BED); 6647 papers were found with the highest number of publications in the thematic areas of BED (27%) and Land (22%). Most of the EMMENA countries are surrounded by sea, yet there was a very small number of studies on MSS (0.9% of total number of papers). This study detected a gap in fundamental research in the BED thematic area. Other future needs identified by this study are the limited availability of very high resolution and near real time remote sensing data, the lack of harmonized methodologies and the need for further development of models, algorithms, early warning systems and services.

In the implementation of thermal enhanced oil recovery (TEOR) techniques, the temperature impact on relative permeability in oil - water systems is of special concern. Hence, developing a fast and reliable tool to model the temperature effect on two-phase oil - water relative permeability is still a major challenge for precise studying and evaluation of TEOR processes. To reach the goal of this work, two promising soft-computing algorithms, namely Group Method of Data Handling (GMDH) and Gene Expression Programming (GEP) were employed to develop reliable, accurate, simple and quick to use paradigms to predict the temperature dependency of relative permeability in oil - water systems (K_rw and K_ro). To do so, a large database encompassing wide-ranging temperatures and fluids/rock parameters, including oil and water viscosities, absolute permeability and water saturation, was considered to establish these correlations. Statistical results and graphical analyses disclosed the high degree of accuracy for the proposed correlations in emulating the experimental results. In addition, GEP based correlations were found to be the most consistent with root mean square error (RMSE) values of 0.0284 and 0.0636 for K_rw and K_ro, respectively. Lastly, the comparison of the performances of our correlations against those of the preexisting ones indicated the large superiority of the introduced correlations compared to previously published methods. The findings of this study can help for better understanding and studying the temperature dependency of oil - water relative permeability in thermal enhanced oil recovery processes.

Forecasting streamflow accurately is essential to achieve an efficient integrated water resources management strategy and provide consistent support to water decision-makers. We present a simple, low-cost and robust approach for forecasting monthly and yearly streamflow during the hydrological year in course, applicable to headwater catchments. It combines the use of regression analysis techniques, the two-parameter Gamma continuous cumulative probability distribution function and the Monte Carlo method. It is based on a probabilistic comparison of the progression of the current hydrological year with the historic observed series. The methodology has been successfully applied to two headwater reservoirs within the Guadalquivir River Basin in southern Spain. The root-mean-square error and correlation coefficient were used to measure the accuracy of the model and the results showed good levels of reliability. The outputs are the probabilistic monthly and yearly streamflow and 80% confidence interval. Further reductions in prediction errors may be achieved from increasing the number of observed years. These risk-based predictions are of great value, especially, before the intensive irrigation campaign starts (usually in April), when Water Authorities are to take responsible management decisions about the best allocation of the available water volume between the different water users and environmental needs.

The demands for high power and low emissions put focus on energy efficiency when developing new engines. An important part is the UAV engine cooling system, which cools the engine structure below damaging temperatures. For high temperatures in the cooling system there is a risk that boiling occurs and while the initial nucleate boiling enhances the cooling effect, the subsequent Film boiling decreases the heat transfer drastically. It is important to understand the benefits and limitations of various fluids when designing a two-phase cooling system. This paper proposes an alternative organic coolant. Its normal application range is 15°C to 400°C, and its pressure range is from atmospheric to 10.6 bar. DOWTHERM A fluid possesses unsurpassed thermal stability at temperatures of 400°C. This fluid, in both the liquid and vapor form, is noncorrosive toward common metals and alloys. Even at the high temperatures involved, the equipment usually exhibits excellent service life. Original equipment in many systems is still being used after 30 years of continuous service. The numerical results, described in this paper, show the potential of DOWTHERM A as a good alternative for cooling a UAV engine. It will extend the working temperature range of the Diesel engine and will maintain the structural integrity of the piston, cylinder and the piston rings.

Achieving Urban Flood Resilience (UFR) is essential for modern societies, requiring the implementation of effective practices in different countries to mitigate hydrological events. Green Water Systems (GWS) emerge as a promising alternative to achieve UFR, but they are still poorly explored and present varied definitions. This article aims to define GWS within the framework of sustainable practices and propose a regulation that promotes UFR. Through a systematic review of existing definitions and an analy-sis of international regulations on Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS), the study reveals diverse perceptions and applications of GWS and their role in Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI). The research proposes a standardized definition of GWS and their role in Blue – Green Infrastructure (BGI). The research proposes a standardized definition of GWS and the implementation of SuDS in Peru, addressing the current knowledge gap and contributing to the development of sustainable urban infrastructure.

We extended our model of the S1 tubular segment to address the mechanisms by which SGLT1 interacts with lateral Na/K pumps and tight junctional complexes to generate isosmotic fluid reabsorption via tubular segment S3. The strategy applied allowed simulation of laboratory experiments. Reproducing known experimental results constrained the range of acceptable model outputs and contributed to minimizing the free parameter space. 1. In experimental conditions, published Na and K concentrations of proximal kidney cells were found to deviate substantially from their normal physiological levels. Analysis of the mechanisms involved suggested insufficient oxygen supply as the cause and indirectly, that a main function of the Na/H exchanger (NHE3) is to extrude protons stemming from mitochondrial energy metabolism. 2. The water path from the lumen to the peritubular space is through aquaporins on the cell membrane and claudin-2 at paracellular tight junctions, with a smaller additional contribution to water transport by the coupling of 1 glucose:2 Na:200 H2O in SGLT1. 3. A Na+-uptake component passed through paracellular junctions by solvent drag in Na- and water-permeable claudin-2, thus bypassing the Na/K-pump, in agreement with the findings of early studies. 4. Electrical cross talk between apical rheogenic SGLT1 and lateral rheogenic Na/K pumps results in tight coupling of luminal glucose uptake and transepithelial water flow. 5. Isosmotic transport is achieved by Na-mediated ion recirculation at the peritubular membrane.

It is estimated that 3 billion tons of concrete are used globally each year. Cement is a critical component of concrete, and its production accounts for nearly 5-7% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Producing one ton of concrete (OPC) releases approximately one ton of CO2. These CO2 emissions contribute to the greenhouse effect, leading to global warming, polar ice cap melting, sea level rise, coastal city flooding, land desertification, decreased agricultural productivity, ecosystem damage, and adverse effects on human health. This situation is concerning, and there is an urgent need to minimize CO2 emissions from the cement industry. This paper focuses on incorporating various materials into concrete to increase its strength and reduce emissions of CO2 and other harmful substances, thereby mitigating the impacts of the greenhouse effect and achieving the great vision of carbon neutrality. The study theoretically analyzes the issues of coconut shell disposal in Southeast Asia and waste tire disposal in Europe and the United States. This paper uses Abaqus to model and analyze various green concretes and compares the data with that of ordinary concrete.

Consciousness is a special type of interaction between subjects exchanging by lingua quanta (phonemes). A set of lingua quanta composes a thesaurus placed on the edge of chaos. Its library is a memory, modification of which is due to tuning of memristive neural elements scattered in the brain volume. The memristive neural model takes into consideration two types of neurons - excitatory and inhibitory and the current leakage, all at the body temperature, T = 309 K. At such temperatures only heavy ions like hydrogen ions - protons can pass robustly through the water medium of the brain. The robust ion transport is proton water wires supported by the Grotthuss mechanism. Final aims of the ions are the gap junctions (electric synapses) linking nearest neurons. Following these observations, a model of excitable nervous tissue is constructed. Namely, a difference mapping on the basis of sigmoid curves can reproduce chaotic modes of neural activity proved by positive values of the Lyapunov exponent. The edge of chaos is placed near the bifurcation boundary dividing the chaos and the periodic convulsive activity typical at the epileptic discharges. In this region the self-sustained spiral waves occur. An intermittent activity of the competing excitatory and inhibitory neurons is observed on the edge of chaos. The intermittent electrical activity of neural tissues is demonstrated by records both from different literature issues and records made by the author together with DR. A. Dudkin on slices of CA1 field of the hippocampus.

Sanitation, water supply and their governance remain major challenges in many Pacific Island Countries. National sustainable development strategies (NSDSs) are promoted throughout the Pacific as overarching improved governance instruments to identify priorities, plan solutions and fulfill commitments to sustainable development. Their relevance to local village-level development priorities is uncertain. The Kingdom of Tonga provides opportunities to compare both. Tonga’s Strategic Development Frameworks (TSDFI 2011-2014 and TSDFII 2015-2025) were developed to focus government and its agencies on national outcomes. From 2007 to 2016, 136 villages throughout Tonga’s five Island Divisions (IDs) formulated Community Development Plans (CDPs) involving separately 80% of women, youth and men in each village. Censuses in 2006 and 2016 show linked improvements in water supply and sanitation systems but reveal IDs with continuing challenges. Sanitation and water are prominent in TSDFI but absent from the current TSDFII. In contrast, CDPs show in one ID, 53% of villages ranked sanitation as a priority with marked differences between IDs and between women, youth and men. CDPs’ sanitation priorities in IDs mostly correspond to sanitation and water metrics in the Censuses, but some reflect impacts of natural disasters. Explanations for differences in sanitation priorities between national and local development plans, as well as suggestions for improving NSDS processes in island countries, are advanced.

Fecal contamination is a common cause of impairment of surface waters. In monitoring studies, it usually is assessed by measuring concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), a common monitoring target in freshwater systems. In this study, we assess the advantages and disadvantages of two common methods for monitoring E. coli concentrations at freshwater beaches: Colilert-18®, with a turnaround time of ca. 18 h, and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR), with a turnaround time of ca. 3–4 h. Based on data comprising 3081 pairs of Colilert-18 and qPCR estimates of E. coli concentrations in split samples from Michigan’s annual beach monitoring program in 2019 and 2020, we found that qPCR monitoring detected a high percentage of exceedances of the state’s water quality standard for E. coli contamination that went undetected on the day of sampling with Colilert-18 monitoring, because qPCR concentration estimates were available on the day of sampling but Colilert-18 estimates were not. However, Colilert-18 data were more useful than qPCR data for statistical comparison of contamination levels at different beaches, probably in part because Colilert-18 data showed a much lower percentage of censored concentration estimates (estimates outside the range of quantification).

There is a growing need to implement modern technologies, such as digital twinning, to improve the efficiency of transport fleet maintenance processes and maintain the company's operational capacity at the required level. Therefore, the paper reviews the existing literature to present an up-to-date and content-relevant analysis in this field. The proposed methodology is a systematic literature review using the Primo multi-search tool following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes (PRISMA) guidelines. The main inclusion criteria included the publication dates (studies published from 2012–2024) and studies published in English. This resulted in the selection of 201 of the most relevant papers in the area of investigation. Finally, selected articles in this review were categorized into seven groups: a) air transportation, b) railway transportation, c) land transportation (road), d) in-house logistics, e) water and intermodal transportation, f) supply chain operation, and g) other applications. One of the main advantages of the study is that the results are obtained from different scientific sources/databases thanks to using the multi-search tool. Moreover, a bibliometric analysis of the selected papers was performed. The results have led the authors to specify the main research problems and trends related to the analyzed area and to identify the main research gaps for future investigation from academic and engineering perspectives. In addition, based on the review results, a framework for DT in transportation system maintenance was developed. The study ends with conclusions and future research directions.

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most frequent form of kidney cancer. Metastatic stages of ccRCC reduce the five-year survival rate to 15%. In this report we analyze the ccRCC-induced remodeling of the five KEGG-constructed excretory functional pathways in a surgically removed right kidney and its metastasis in the chest wall from the perspective of the Genomic Fabric Paradigm (GFP). GFP characterizes every single gene in each region by the independent variables: average expression level (AVE), relative expression variability (REV) and expression correlation (COR) with each other gene. While traditional approach is limited to only AVE analysis, the novel REV analysis indicates genes whose correct expression level is critical for cell survival and proliferation. COR analysis determines the real gene networks responsible for functional pathways. The analyses covered the pathways: aldosterone-regulated sodium reabsorption, collecting duct acid secretion, endocrine and other factor-regulated sodium reabsorption, proximal tubule bicarbonate reclamation, and vasopressin-regulated water reabsorption. The present study confirms the conclusion of our previously published articles on prostate and kidney cancers that even equally graded cancer nodules from the same tumor have different transcriptomic topologies. Therefore, the personalization of the anti-cancer therapy should go beyond the individual to his/her major cancer nodules.

Paving blocks are concrete pieces placed in exposed places to the weather, which are sub-jected to loads and wear. Hence, quality control in the manufacture of paving blocks is es-sential to guarantee the properties and durability of the product in construction projects. In Ecuador, the requirements are described in the Ecuadorian technical standard "NTE INEN 3040", and tensile splitting strength is a fundamental requirement to guarantee product quality. It is analyzed using quality control measurements such as dimensions, the weight of the fresh paving block in the vibro-compacted process, and the percentage of water absorption in order to know how the variables influence and manage to predict the tensile splitting strength to avoid product non-conformity in advance, having a timely and better control of the manufacturing process. The data was obtained from a company that can produce 30 000 units per day of rectangular paving blocks with 6 cm thickness. Mul-tivariate models such as multiple linear regression, regression trees, random forests and neural networks are performed to predict the tensile splitting strength variable through two groups of predictors; the first group is the thickness mm, width mm, length mm, mass of fresh paving block g and percentage of water absorption %. The second group of pre-dictor variables is the density of the fresh paving block kg/m3 and the percentage of water absorption %. It is concluded that the multiple linear regression method performs better in predicting the first group of predictor variables with a mean square error (MSE) of 0.110086, followed by the neural network without hidden layers resulting in an MSE of 0.112198. The best method for the second set of predictors was the neural network with-out hidden layers with a mean square error ( MSE ) of 0.112402, closely followed by the multiple linear regression model with an MSE of 0.115044.

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.

A method for calibrating models of agricultural production and resource use presented by Howitt [1] for policy analysis is proposed to leverage multidisciplinary agricultural research at the National Center for Alluvial Aquifer Research (NCAAR). An illustrative example for Sunflower County, MS is presented to show how plot-level research can be extended to draw systemic region or basin wide implications. A hypothetical improvement in yields for dryland soybean varieties is incorporated to the model and shown to have a positive impact on aquifer outcomes and producer profits. The example illustrates that a change in one practice-crop combination can have system-wide impacts as evidenced by the change in acreages for all crops and practices.

Red plum apricot is the best apricot over the world. Since having been introduced into Guyuan county in 1987 from Shaanxi province, red plum apricot grows well and then has been selected as good varieties to popularize in semirid loess hilly regions because the color of red plum apricot is beautiful, aroma fragrant , and taste is the mix of sour and sweet and nutrition is rich. Since 1995, the yield, benefits and planting area of red plum apricot increase doubly, and the distribution range of red plum apricot increased from Guyuan to the whole Ningxia, and then to Gansu province and so on in the water-limited regions, China. However, there are still some problems in the sustainable produce of red plum apricot. In order to promote the development of red plum apricot and meet people's increasing demand, we should do intensive study of the relationship between red plum apricot and environment and the comparison of possible methods to reduce the bad influence of drought, low temperature and frost on quality and production of red plum apricot, and determine the soil water resources use limit by red plum apricot and the suitable leaf amount of red plum apricot when the planting density equal soil water carrying capacity for red plum apricot and select the best method to reduce or evade the bad influence of soil drought, low temperature, frost and soil drought on red plum apricot to ensure the sustainable produce of red plum apricot in Sustainable Produce of red plum apricot in water-limited regions.

Reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) are ubiquitous technologies in modern water treatment, finding applications across various sectors. However, the availability of high-quality water suitable for RO/NF feed is diminishing due to droughts caused by global warming, increasing demand, and water pollution. As concerns grow over the depletion of precious freshwater resources, a global movement is gaining momentum to utilize previously overlooked or challenging water sources, collectively known as “marginal water.” Fouling is a serious concern when treating marginal water. In RO/NF, biofouling, organic and colloidal fouling, and scaling are particularly problematic. Of these, organic fouling, along with biofouling, has been considered difficult to manage. The major organic foulants studied are natural organic matter (NOM) for surface water and groundwater and effluent organic matter (EfOM) for municipal wastewater reuse. Polymeric substances such as sodium alginate, humic acid, and proteins have been used as model substances of EfOM. Fouling by low molecular weight organic compounds (LMWOCs) such as surfactants, phenolics, and plasticizers is known, but there have been few comprehensive reports. This review aims to shed light on fouling behavior by LMWOCs and its mechanism. LMWOC foulants reported so far are summarized, and the role of LMWOCs is also outlined for other polymeric membranes, e.g., UF, gas separation membranes, etc. Regarding the mechanism of fouling, it is explained that the fouling is caused by the strong interaction between LMWOC and the membrane, which causes the water permeation to be hindered by LMWOCs adsorbed on the membrane surface (surface fouling) and sorbed inside the membrane pores (internal fouling). Adsorption amounts and flow loss caused by the LMWOC fouling were well correlated with the octanol-water partition coefficient (log P). In part 2, countermeasures to solve this problem and applications using the LMWOCs will be outlined.

In 2021, an operational research study in two tertiary hospitals, Freetown, showed poor hand hygiene compliance. Recommended actions were taken to improve the situation. Between February-April 2023, a cross-sectional study was conducted in the same two hospitals using the WHO Hand Hygiene tool to assess hand hygiene practices and compare hand hygiene compliance with that observed between June-August 2021. In Connaught hospital, overall hand hygiene compliance improved from 51% to 60% (P&lt;0.001), and this applied to both handwash actions with soap and water and alcohol-based-hand-rub: significant improvements were found in all hospital departments and amongst all healthcare worker cadres. In 34 Military Hospital (34MH), overall hand hygiene compliance decreased from 40% to 32% (P&lt;0.001), with significant decreases observed in all departments and amongst nurses and nursing students. The improvements in Connaught Hospital were attributed to more hand hygiene reminders, better handwash infrastructure and more frequent supervision assessments compared with 34MH where interventions were less well applied, possibly due to extensive hospital reconstruction at the time. In conclusion, improved distribution of hand hygiene reminders, better handwash infrastructure and frequent supervision assessments are effective, and need to be strengthened, scaled-up and combined with other innovative ways to promote good hand hygiene practices.

The construction industry is shifting towards more sustainable practices to address environmental concerns. This review examines the impact of LEED certification on design-build projects, highlighting how the two work together to promote sustainability. By analyzing the article under review, we explore how LEED standards—such as energy efficiency, water conservation, and the use of sustainable materials—are incorporated into design-build projects to create environmentally responsible buildings. The article also discusses the benefits of the design- build approach, which encourages collaboration and early integration of sustainability principles. The review critically assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the article, emphasizing the importance of cost considerations and scalability. Ultimately, it underscores the value of combining LEED certification with design-build to promote green building practices.

This article explores the intersection of innovative leadership and climate change, aiming to provide outstanding contributions to the existing body of knowledge in this field. The article identifies the critical role of innovative leadership in driving sustainable solutions and strategies for addressing climate change. It examines the defining characteristics and behaviors of innovative leaders and explores how their transformative leadership approaches can create a positive impact on climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. The article also highlights the importance of fostering innovation within organizations and societies to tackle the complex challenges posed by climate change. Through a comprehensive review of relevant literature and case studies, this article presents novel insights, theoretical frameworks, and practical implications for policymakers, organizations, and individuals involved in climate change leadership.

Platelets have long been associated with sustaining the balance between hemostasis and thrombosis. Platelets, however, are also involved in a wide range of biological activities, including inflammation, immunology, wound healing, cancer biology, and angiogenesis. Platelets' diverse roles are mediated by the expression of various adhesive and immune receptors and the secretion of a diverse array of bioactive proteins, ions stored in granules, and several lipid mediators. Platelets also release pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory, and angiogenic factors and shed microparticles into the bloodstream. The challenge for therapeutic intervention in non-hemostatic disease is identifying the factors that primarily inhibit specific targets implicated in platelets' complicated contribution to inflammation or tumor growth while leaving their hemostatic function intact. In addition, blood platelets are involved in infection and innate and adaptive immunity by mediating complicated vascular homeostasis via specialized receptors and granule release, RNA transfer, and mitochondrial secretion. Anti-platelet drugs/bioactive compounds are developed based on their platelet anti-aggregatory properties; however, very little information is available on their effects on non-hemostatic function. Therefore, a better understanding of the impact of the anti-platelet bioactive on the platelets' diverse roles and mechanisms may help develop new strategies and prevent CVD and other diseases. In this review, a comprehensive overview of platelet multifunctional roles in CVD and other diseases and dietary factors' modulatory effects are described.

Perhaps the greatest challenge in the graft copolymerization of acrylic acid onto starch initiated by Fenton’s is the selectivity of the grafting reaction. Low selectivity means that too much of unwanted homopolymer polyacrylic acid is produced. In this paper, it has been analyzed why with this reaction system, involving a water soluble monomer and indirect initiation, the graft selectivity is such a challenge. Several other grafting reactions, especially with monomers of low water solubility or when direct initiation is applied, show a better grafting performance. A scheme is presented based on reaction engineering principles, that supports an explanation of the observed differences. A more selective activation of starch is a factor, but perhaps even more important is a low monomer to starch ratio at the starting sites of graft reactions. Based on these insights, several methods to improve the graft selectivity are evaluated, with the help of literature data but mostly by experimental explorations in our laboratory. Most promising appears to be a dedicated dosage method, to add monomer in portions over time, tested in a batch reactor with gelatinized cassava starch. This way, both grafting percentage and graft selectivity could be improved. Such could not be realized with the more conventional dosage, which is to add all monomer before the start of the reaction. This can be considered a principal breaktrough. Still, more research and development would be needed to refine the method and to implement the idea also in a continuous reactor at larger scale.

This research delves into the intricate challenges confronting the agricultural sector, with a specialized focus on mitigating infections in tomato crops, particularly powdery mildew induced by the Leveillula Taurica pathogen. Tomatoes, renowned for their nutritional richness, are vital to global food security. However, conventional methodologies for disease detection exhibit both laborious processes and limited accuracy. In response to these challenges, this study advocates for an innovative fusion of hyperspectral imaging and deep learning methodologies to detect crop disease and its severity. The systematic workflow commenced with the curation of a dataset, involving the acquisition of live images through OpenCV, followed by conversion to RGB format and subsequent feature extraction utilizing a pre-trained visual geometry group (VGG-16) model for enhanced analysis. Sequentially, RGB images were transformed into simulated hyperspectral images (SHSI) leveraging a Neural Network generator model, offering a distinctive viewpoint on spectral information. This novel approach transcends conventional constraints by delivering a three-dimensional perspective, seamlessly integrating spatial and spectral dimensions for holistic data acquisition. The SHSI is further transmuted into a 3D visualization cube comprehensive grasp of spatial and spectral aspects encompassing spectral, spatial, and Haralick features. The research concludes with severity detection, categorized as low, moderate, or high, employing a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) and K-means for visualization.

Recent technological advancements in produced water for the oil and gas industry have a long history that spreads over centuries and has roots with many mathematicians, physicists, engineers, and inventors. Working to understand the many ideas and questions has helped to bring the produced water technologies to where we are today. Fluid mechanics is an essential factor in the world of engineering because it comes with significant benefits when designing the necessary equipment to overcome the challenging endeavors of daily operations. Many of us believe certain ideas or products were developed within a specific year not fully understanding the idea or concept might be hundreds of years old. For example, when we think of fluid mechanics, we do not think of Archimedes' immersing King Hiero II crown in water. Archimedes did this to determine the displacement of the water as he knew gold was denser than silver. Archimedes was one of the pioneers who was part of the beginning of fluid mechanics. Another interesting fact is the first valve invented was in 1 AD by Heron of Alexandria. This valve can be described as the very first hydraulic valve. The evolution of technology over hundreds of years has made considerable innovations benefiting engineers all over the world. These innovations come in the form of PLCs, RTUs, PIDs, mathematical formulas, processing methods, and SCADA systems.

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant spike RBD epitopes in complex with spike (S) -protein D614G mutations now predominate globally and increase infectivity by assembling more functional S proteins into the virion. On average, homeopathic medicine contains less than one molecule per dose on average. Single variable SphericalHarmonicY, LaguerreL, WhittakerM, SphericalBesselJ, LegendreP, LegendreQ, LaguerreL, ChebyshevT, and Hypergeometric1F1 Functions pFqarise in connection with the power series solution of the Schrodinger equation or in the summation of perturbation expansions in quantum mechanics. A quantum interpretation of the homeopathic method is presented here through a novel algebraic topology approach to supersymmetry and symmetry breaking in quantum fields and quantum gravity theory with the aim of developing a wide range of physical-based drug design applications in a Small Molecule Quantized Water Memory Network suggesting that the Hidden Black Hole Paradox of Information Loss might be solved under suitable conditions.