Child and adolescent sexual abuse (CSA) is an international public health problem. Despite the importance of the CSA, there is no consensus definition, and the lack of consensus is related to difficulties in conducting prevalence studies, as well as research in other areas. To establish a consensual definition, legal aspects such as the age of sexual consent and the difference in age or power between victim and aggressor, aspects related to sexual freedom and sexual indemnity must be considered. Therefore, the main goal of this research was to analyze the age of sexual consent in the legal systems of Spanish-speaking countries and to examine whether the Romeo and Juliet clause is established. To achieve the proposed aims, we employed the legal interpretation method, and we analyzed the current Criminal Codes of the 21 Spanish-speaking countries. From the results, it is found that the age of sexual consent varies between countries, establishing valid sexual consent between 13 and 18 years. In addition, only six countries have the Romeo and Juliet clause that protects sexual freedom in adolescents. Finally, we discussed the lack of consensus on the age of sexual consent and the limitations presented by the Romeo and Juliet clause.

Survivors of severe brain injury may require care in a neurointensive care unit (neuro-ICU), where the brain is vulnerable to secondary brain injury. Thus, there is a need for noninvasive, bedside, continuous cerebral blood flow monitoring approaches in the neuro-ICU. Our goal is to address this need through combined measurements of EEG and functional optical spectroscopy (EEG-Optical) instrumentation and analysis to provide a complementary fusion of data about brain activity and function. The present case demonstrates in a patient with traumatic brain injury, noninvasive cerebral blood flow transients can be recorded that correlate with gold-standard invasive measurements and with the frequency content changes in the EEG data during clinical care.

Family Phyllanthaceae is one of the largest segregates of the eudicot order Malpighiales and its species are herb, shrub, and tree, which are mostly distributed in tropical regions. Certain taxonomic discrepancies exist at genus and family level. Here, we report chloroplast genomes of three Phyllanthaceae species—Phyllanthus emblica, Flueggea virosa, and Leptopus cordifolius— and compare them with six others previously reported Phyllanthaceae chloroplast genomes. The species of Phyllanthaceae displayed quadripartite structure, comprising inverted repeat regions (IRa and IRb) that separate large single copy (LSC) and small single copy (SSC) regions. The length of complete chloroplast genome ranged from 154,707 bp to 161,093 bp; LSC from 83,627 bp to 89,932 bp; IRs from 23,921 bp to 27,128 bp; and SSC from 17,424 bp to 19,441 bp. Chloroplast genomes contained 111 to 112 unique genes, including 77 to 78 protein-coding, 30 transfer RNA (tRNA), and 4 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) that showed similarities in arrangement. The number of protein-coding genes varied due to deletion/pseudogenization of rps16 genes in Baccaurea ramiflora and Leptopus cordifolius. High variability was seen in number of oligonucleotide repeats while analysis of guanine-cytosine (GC) content, codon usage, amino acid frequency, simple sequence repeats analysis, synonymous and non-synonymous substitutions, and transition and transversion substitutions showed similarities in all Phyllanthaceae species. We detected a higher number of transition substitutions in the coding sequences than non-coding sequences. Moreover, the high number of transition substitutions was determined among the distantly related species in comparison to closely related species. Phylogenetic analysis shows the polyphyletic nature of the genus Phyllanthus which requires further verification. We also determined suitable polymorphic coding genes, including rpl22, ycf1, matK, ndhF, and rps15 which may be helpful for the reconstruction of the high-resolution phylogenetic tree of the family Phyllanthaceae using a large number of species in the future. Overall, the current study provides insight into chloroplast genome evolution in Phyllanthaceae.

Combined systems for power production and thermally activated cooling have a high potential for improving the efficiency and utilisation of thermal systems. In this regard, various configurations have been proposed and are comprehensively reviewed. They are primarily based on absorption systems and the implementation of multiple levels of complexity and flexibility. The configuration of the absorption power and cooling combined cycle proposed herein has wide commercial applicability owing to its simplicity. The configuration of the components is not new. However, the utilisation of aqueous salt solutions, the comparison with ammonia chiller and with absorption power cycles, the focus on parameters that are important for real-life applications, and the comparison of the performances for constant heat input and waste heat recovery are novel. The proposed cycle is also compared with a system based on the organic Rankine cycle and vapour compression cycle. An investigation of its performance proves that the system is suitable for a given range of boundary conditions from a thermodynamic standpoint, as well as in terms of system complexity and technical feasibility. New possibilities with regard to added power production have the potential to improve the economics and promote the use of absorption chiller systems.

In mountain communities like Sebei, Uganda, that are highly vulnerable to emerging and reemerging infectious diseases, community-based surveillance plays an important role in the monitoring of public health hazards. In this survey, we explored capacities of Village Health Teams (VHTs) in Sebei communities of Mount Elgon in undertaking surveillance tasks for emerging and reemerging infectious diseases in the context of a changing climate. We used participatory epidemiology techniques to elucidate VHTs’ perceptions on climate change and public health and assess their capacities in conducting surveillance for emerging and reemerging infectious diseases. Overall, VHTs perceived climate change to be occurring with wider impacts on public health. However, they have inadequate capacities in collecting sur-veillance data. The VHTs lack transport to navigate through their communities and have in-sufficient capacities in using mobile phones for sending alerts. They do not engage in reporting other hazards related with the environment, wildlife and domestic livestock that would ac-celerate infectious disease outbreaks. Records are not maintained for disease surveillance ac-tivities and the abilities of VHTs to analyze data are also limited. However, VHTs have access to platforms that can enable them to disseminate public health information. The VHTs thus need to be retooled to conduct their work effectively and efficiently through equipping them with adequate logistics and knowledge on collecting, storing, analyzing, and relaying data, which will improve infectious disease response and mitigation efforts.

Low-cost miniature hyperspectral and thermal cameras onboard lightweight unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) bring new opportunities for monitoring land surface variables at unprecedented fine spatial resolution with acceptable accuracy. This research applies hyperspectral and thermal imagery from a drone to quantify upland rice growth and water use efficiency (WUE) after biochar application in a Costa Rican dry region. The field flights were conducted over two experimental groups with bamboo biochar and sugarcane biochar amendments and one control group without biochar application. Rice canopy biophysical variables were estimated by inversion of a canopy radiative transfer model on hyperspectral reflectance. Variations in gross primary production (GPP) and WUE across treatments were estimated from the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), canopy chlorophyll content (CCC), and evapotranspiration. We found that GPP was increased by 41.9±3.4 % when using bamboo biochar and 17.5±3.4 % when using sugarcane biochar, which was probably due to higher soil moisture in the biochar-amended plots and led to significantly higher WUE by 40.8±3.5 % in bamboo biochar and 13.4±3.5 % in sugarcane biochar. This study demonstrated the use of hyperspectral and thermal imagery from drone to provide indicators for quantifying biochar effects on tropical dry cropland by integrating with ground point samples and physical models.

To identify gender- and age-related associations between adult dental checkups and unmet dental care needs, we analyzed data of 14,000 participants, ages ≥ 19, from the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016–2018) (KNHANES VII). Data was collected via self-report questionnaires and interviews. Complex sample chi-square test and multiple logistic regression analysis indicated 31.7% of participants had unmet dental care needs; in the prior 12months, 67.1% had not utilized dental services, and 43.3% had not received dental checkups. Odds ratios (ORs) for dental checkups and unmet dental needs were 8.87 (CI:7.80–10.09, p < 0.001) for those who used dental services and 1.28 (CI: 1.13–1.44, p < 0.001) for those who had not. Significant age-dependent associations between those not receiving dental checkups and the rate of unmet dental care include men and women aged 50–59 years (OR: 1.77; CI = 1.22–2.58 and OR: 1.43; CI: 1.02–2.02; p = 0.040, respectively) and women ≥ 70 years (OR = 1.79, CI = 1.20–2.66, p = 0.004). Reducing unmet dental care needs requires greater public health promotion and education regarding regular dental checkups; additional practical strategies could enhance dental checkup compliance.

Proper treatment of infectious air could potentially mitigate the spread of airborne viruses such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). The objective of this research is to test the effectiveness of ultraviolet (UV) in inactivating aerosolized PRRSV, specifically, four UV lamps, UV-A (365 nm, both fluorescent and LED-based), "excimer" UV-C (222 nm), and germicidal UV-C (254 nm), were tested. The two UV-C lamps effectively irradiated fast-moving PRRSV aerosols with short treatment times (<2 s). One-stage and two-stage UV inactivation models estimated the UV doses needed for target percentage (%) reductions on PRRSV titer. UV-C (254 nm) dose needed for 3-log (99.9%) reduction was 0.521 and 0.0943 mJ/cm2, respectively, based on one-stage and two-stage models. An order of magnitude lower UV-C (222 nm) doses were needed for a 3-log reduction, i.e., 0.0882 and 0.048 mJ/cm2, based on one-stage and two-stage models, respectively. However, the cost of 222-nm excimer lamps is still economically prohibitive for scaling-up trials. The UV-A (365 nm) lamps could not reduce PRRSV titers for tested doses up to 4.11 mJ/cm2. Pilot-scale or farm-scale testing of UV-C on PRRSV aerosols simulating barn ventilation rates are recommended based on its effectiveness and reasonable costs comparable to HEPA filtration.

Nanotechnology is an emerging field of modern science based on the use of nanoparticles (NPs) with a huge potential in many sectors, including nanomedicine. Their small size confers them unique properties because they are subject to physical laws that are in the middle between classical and quantum physics. In this context, NPs project plays a pivotal role because the composition, size, shape and surface proprieties need to be carefully considered for their optimal design and application. As reported in this review, NPs are classified in inorganic (metallic NPs; quantum dots; carbon-based nanostructures; mesoporous silica nanoparticles) and organic (liposomes and micelles, dendrimers and polymer nanoparticles) ones. Here, we report an accurate description of the potential of each NPs type focusing on their multiple areas of application like theranostics drug delivery, imaging, tissue engineering, antimicrobial techniques and nanovaccines, and therefore they represent a promise to revolutionize the new era of nanomedicine, especially in cancer research.

In the last decades, intensive crop management has involved excessive use of pesticides or fertilizers, compromising environmental integrity and public health. Accordingly, there has been worldwide pressure to find an eco-friendly and safe strategy to ensure agricultural productivity. Recently, Plant Growth-Promoting (PGP) rhizobacteria are receiving increasing attention as suitable biocontrol agents against agricultural pests. In the present study, 22 spore-forming bacteria were selected among a salt-pan rhizobacteria collection for their PGP traits and their antagonistic activity against the plant pathogen fungus Macrophomina phaseolina. Based on the higher antifungal activity, strain RHFS10, identified as Bacillus vallismortis, was furtherly examined and cell-free supernatants assays, column purification, and tandem mass spectrometry employed to purify and preliminarily identify the antifungal metabolites. Interestingly, the minimum inhibitory concentration assessed for the fractions active against M. phaseolina, resulted 10 times lower and more stable than the one estimated for the commercial fungicide pentachloronitrobenzene. These results suggest the use of B. vallismortis strain RHFS10 as a potential Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria to efficiently control phytopathogenic fungus M. phaseolina, in alternative to chemical pesticides.

Mapping forest extent and forest cover classification are important for the assessment of forest resources in socio-economic as well as ecological terms. Novel developments in the availability of remotely sensed data, computational resources, and advances in areas of statistical learning have enabled fusion of multi-sensor data, often yielding superior classification results. Most former studies of nemoral forests fusing multi-sensor and multi-temporal data have been limited in spatial extent and typically to a simple classification of landscapes into major land cover classes. We hypothesize that multi-temporal, multi-censor data will have a specific strength in further classification of nemoral forest landscapes owing to the distinct seasonal patterns of the phenology of broadleaves. This study aimed to classify the Danish landscape into forest/non-forest and further into forest types (broadleaved/coniferous) and species groups, using a cloud-based approach based on multi-temporal Sentinel 1 and 2 data and machine learning (random forest) trained with National Forest Inventory (NFI) data. Mapping of non-forest and forest resulted in producer accuracies of 99% and 90 %, respectively. The mapping of forest types (broadleaf and conifer) within the forested area resulted in producer accuracies of 95% for conifer and 96% for broadleaf forest. Tree species groups were classified with producer accuracies ranging 34-74%. Species groups with coniferous species were the least confused whereas the broadleaf groups, especially Oak, had higher error rates. The results are applied in Danish National accounting of greenhouse gas emissions from forests, resource assessment and assessment of forest biodiversity potentials.

This paper presents a discrete compartmental Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Recovered/Dead (SEIR/D) model to address the expansion of Covid-19 pandemic. When time passes, the status of the cells is determined by binary rules that update following both a neighbourhood and a delay pattern. The model assumes the environmental parameters have a crucial impact on the expansion of the disease so a grid is assigned to each parameter to model the single effect caused by this parameter. The expansion is then the weighted sum of all the grids. This proposal shows how the grid architecture, along with an update rule and a neighbourhood pattern is a valuable tool to model the pandemic expansion. This model has already been analyzed in previous works and compared with the corresponding continuous models solved by ordinary differential equations (ODE), coming to find the homologous parameters between both approaches. Thus, it has been possible to prove that the combination neighborhood-update rule is responsible for the rate of expansion and recovering/death of the illness. The delays (between Susceptible and Asymptomatic, Asymptomatic and Infected, Infected and Recovered/Dead) may have a crucial impact on both the peak of Infected and the Recovery/Death rate. This theoretical model has been successfully tested in the case of the dissemination of information through mobile social networks and in the case of plant pests.

The Coastal Patrol and Surveillance Application (CPSA) is developed and deployed to detect, track and monitor water vessel traffic using automated devices. Latest advancements of marine technologies, including the Automatic Underwater Vehicles, have allowed the development of this type of applications. To facilitate their operations, installation of a Coastal Patrol and Surveillance Network (CPSN) is mandatory. One of the primary design objectives of this network is to deliver adequate amount of data within an effective time period. This is particularly essential for reporting a detection and notifying the current status of an intruder’s vessel through the adverse underwater communication channels. Additionally, intermittent connectivity of the nodes remain another important obstacle to overcome to allow smooth functioning of CPSA. Taking these objectives and obstacles into account, this work proposes a new protocol, named UDTN-RS, which is developed by ensembling forward error correction technique (namely Reed-Solomon codes or RS) in Underwater Delay Tolerant Network (UDTN) routing protocol with probabilistic spraying technique. In addition, the existing binary packet spraying technique is enhanced for supporting encoded packet exchange between the contacting nodes. A comprehensive simulation campaign is performed in identifying the effectiveness of the proposed protocol. The obtained results suggest that the proposed UDTN-RS protocol can be considered a suitable alternative of the existing protocols for sparse networks like CPSN.

We address security and privacy problems for digital devices and biometrics from an information-theoretic optimality perspective, where a secret key is generated for authentication, identification, message encryption/decryption, or secure computations. A physical unclonable function (PUF) is a promising solution for local security in digital devices and this review gives the most relevant summary for information theorists, coding theorists, and signal processing community members who are interested in optimal PUF constructions. Low-complexity signal processing methods such as transform coding that are developed to make the information-theoretic analysis tractable are discussed. The optimal trade-offs between the secret-key, privacy-leakage, and storage rates for multiple PUF measurements are given. Proposed optimal code constructions that jointly design the vector quantizer and error-correction code parameters are listed. These constructions include modern and algebraic codes such as polar codes and convolutional codes, both of which can achieve small block-error probabilities at short block lengths, corresponding to a small number of PUF circuits. Open problems in the PUF literature from a signal processing, information theory, coding theory, and hardware complexity perspectives and their combinations are listed to stimulate further advancements in the research on local privacy and security.

This paper discovers that current variational principle and Noether theorem for different physics systems with (in)finite freedom systems have missed the double extremum processes of the general extremum functional that both is deduced by variational principle and is necessarily taken in deducing all the physics laws, but these have not been corrected for over a century since Noether's proposing her famous theorem, which result in the crisis deducing relevant mathematical laws and all physics laws. This paper discovers there is the hidden logic cycle that one assumes Euler-Lagrange equations, and then he finally deduces Euler-Lagrange equations via the equivalent relation in the whole processes in all relevant current references. This paper corrects the current key mistakes that when physics systems choose the variational extreme values, the appearing processes of the physics systems are real physics processes, otherwise, are virtual processes in all current articles, reviews and (text)books. The real physics should be after choosing the variational extreme values of physics systems, the general extremum functional of the physics systems needs to further choose the minimum absolute extremum zero of the general extremum functional, otherwise, the appearing processes of physics systems are still virtual processes. Using the double extremum processes of the general extremum functionals, the crisis and the hidden logic cycle in current variational principle and current Noether theorem are solved. Furthermore, the new mathematical and physical double extremum processes and their new mathematical pictures and physics for (in)finite freedom systems are discovered. This paper gives both general variational principle and general Noether theorem as well as their classical and quantum new physics, which would rewrite all relevant current different branches of science, as key tools of studying and processing them.

Conventional mechanical Fourier Transform Spectrometers (FTS) are able to simultaneously measure absorption and dispersion spectra of gas-phase samples. However, they usually need very long measurement times to achieve time-resolved spectra with a good spectral and temporal resolution. Here, we present a mid-infrared dual-comb-based FTS in an asymmetric configuration, providing broadband absorption and dispersion spectra with a spectral resolution of 5 GHz, a temporal resolution of 20 μs, and a total measurement time of a few minutes. We used the dual-comb spectrometer to monitor the reaction dynamics of methane and ethane in an electrical plasma discharge. We observed ethane/methane formation as a recombination reaction of hydrocarbon radicals in the discharge in various static and dynamic conditions. The results demonstrate a new analytical approach for measuring fast molecular absorption and dispersion changes and monitoring fast dynamics of chemical reactions, which can be interesting for chemical kinetic research and particularly for the combustion and plasma analysis community.

The Autopoiesis and Cognition Theory (ACT), by Maturana and Varela, based on the notions of Biological Closure and Structural Coupling, is a well-known theory on how to understand biological organization [1, 2, 3]. Although, for example, the Free Energy Principle framework evokes some entailments of autopoiesis in a more formal setting [4, 5]; and ACT has been used in many fields, its impact has been restricted because it lacks quantitative analysis. Here we present a theoretical framework grounded in accepted and well-developed ideas from Mathematics and Physics which advance the understanding of the Principles of Biological Organization under the guidance of Biological Closure and Structural Coupling. The disciplines of Differential Geometry/Topology, Mechanics and Complex Dynamical Systems provide a powerful, elegant, and well-established body of knowledge to support our Biological Organization Principles (BOP) framework. In particular, Stochastic Mechanics and KAM theory (from Kolmogorov, Arnold and Moser theorem) allow us to develop, using the notions of Biological Closure and Structural Coupling, a central core of BOP termed Dynamical Closure Mechanism. Under the proposed framework, a wide variety of bio- logical phenomena can be understood, shedding new light on biological explanations. However, an understanding of biological organization may require the re-evaluation of dogmas on how we think on biology as it seems inescapable that what is needed is an integration of analysis and notions derived from mathematics, physics, and biology to generate a new landscape of ideas.

The KcsA is a prokaryotic potassium-oriented channel, which is sourced from the Streptomyces lividans soil bacteria. From extensive studies that have been carried over the KcsA potassium channel, it has been proved that various factors enable the gating and shuttling of the potassium ions into and out of the cells. Some of the factors include the different concentration of protons in the inside and outside membrane. The other factor is the existence of the selectivity filter equipped in the exit of channel pore, which enables the movement of the K⁺ ions. Not only are potassium ions present in the channel but also sodium ions. Potassium and sodium ions are the ions that are essential in the conductivity of a cell because of their charge. An intuitive idea about why K⁺ ions are at least 10,000 times more permeant than Na⁺ ions is presented in various entities. The hypothesis is that the selectivity ratio is probably related to the successive entry of Na⁺ ions, based on the premise that the ratio seems to be relevant to unpredictable quantities caused by Brownian corrosion of ions.

Distributed Systems architectures are becoming the standard computational model for processing and transportation of information, especially for Cloud Computing environments. The increase in demand for application processing and data management from enterprise and end-user workloads continues to move from a single-node client-server architecture to a distributed multitier design where data processing and transmission are segregated. Software development must considerer the orchestration required to provision its core components in order to deploy the services efficiently in many independent, loosely coupled - physically and virtually interconnected - data centers spread geographically, across the globe. This network routing challenge can be modeled as a variation of the Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP). This paper proposes a new optimization algorithm for optimum route selection using Algorithmic Information Theory. The Kelly criterion for a Shannon-Bernoulli process is used to generate a reliable quantitative algorithm to find a near optimal solution tour. The algorithm is then verified by comparing the results with heuristic solutions in 3 test cases. A statistical analysis is designed to measure the significance of the results between the algorithms and the entropy function can be derived from the distribution. The tested results shown an improvement in the solution quality by producing routes with smaller length and time requirements. The quality of the results proves the flexibility of the proposed algorithm for problems with different complexities without relying in nature-inspired models such as Genetic Algorithms and Simulated Annealing. This algorithm can be used by orchestration applications to deploy services across large cluster of nodes by making better decision in the route design.

Reduced nutrient mineralization rates under minimum tillage are usually compensated by mineral fertilizer application. These cannot be applied in organic farming systems, however. We hypothesized that organic minimum tillage based on frequent cover cropping and application of dead mulch will improve soil fertility and can compensate for the potential negative effects of minimum tillage. Two long-term field experiments were set up in 2010 and 2011 comparing plough versus minimum tillage including application of transferred mulch. As second factor, the application of compost versus mineral potassium and phosphorus was compared. In 2019, soils were analyzed for soil pH, organic carbon, macro-, micronutrients, microbial biomass, microbial activity and total nematode abundance. In addition, performance of pea in the same soils was determined under greenhouse conditions. Across both experiments, macronutrients (+52%), micronutrients (+11%), microbial biomass (+51%), microbial activity (+86%), and bacterivorous nematodes (+112%) increased in minimum tillage compared with the plough-based system. In the greenhouse, pea biomass was 45% higher in the soil that had been subjected to minimum tillage compared to the plough. In conclusion, soil fertility can be improved in organic minimum tillage systems by intensive cover cropping and application of dead mulch to levels higher than in a plough-based system.

Corona virus disease (COVID-19) has infected over more than 10 million people around the globe and killed at least 500K worldwide by the end of June 2020. As this disease continues to evolve and scientists and researchers around the world now trying to find out the way to combat this disease in most effective way. Chest X-rays are widely available modality for immediate care in diagnosing COVID-19. Precise detection and diagnosis of COVID-19 from these chest X-rays would be practical for the current situation. This paper proposes one shot cluster based approach for the accurate detection of COVID-19 chest x-rays. The main objective of one shot learning (OSL) is to mimic the way humans learn in order to make classification or prediction on a wide range of similar but novel problems. The core constraint of this type of task is that the algorithm should decide on the class of a test instance after seeing just one test example. For this purpose we have experimented with widely known Generalized Regression and Probabilistic Neural Networks. Experiments conducted with publicly available chest x-ray images demonstrate that the method can detect COVID-19 accurately with high precision. The obtained results have outperformed many of the convolutional neural network based existing methods proposed in the literature.

The COVID-19 infections in Pakistan are spreading at an exponential rate and a point may soon be reached where rigorous prevention measures would need to be adopted. Mathematical models can help define the scale of an epidemic and the rate at which an infection can spread in a community. I used ARIMA Model, Diffusion Model, SIRD Model and Prophet Model to forecast the magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan and compared the numbers with the reported cases on the national database. Results depicts that Pakistan could hit peak number of infectious cases between June 2020 and July, 2020.

Analyses of the Hubble diagrams are presented for SN1a supernovae and gamma ray bursts in the redshift ranges z = 0.01–1.3 and 0.034–8.1, respectively. Data are presented on the typical z/μ scale and also on the less common yet increasingly sensitive photon flight time t/(z+1) scale. The primary conclusion is that on the basis of the presently accessible data in the redshift range z = 0.01–8.1, the slope of the Hubble diagram is, or is extremely close to, exponential.

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, we introduce a geometric approach to study the circular orbit of a particle in static and spherically symmetric spacetime based on Jacobi metric. Second, we apply the circular orbit to study the weak gravitational deflection of null and time-like particles based on Gauss-Bonnet theorem. By this way, we obtain an expression of deflection angle and extend the study of deflection angle to asymptotically non-flat black hole spacetimes. Some black holes as lens are considered such as a static and spherically symmetric black hole in the conformal Weyl gravity and a Schwarzschild-like black hole in bumblebee gravity. Our results are consistent with the previous literature. In particular, we find that the connection between Gaussian curvature and the radius of a circular orbit greatly simplifies the calculation.

This note first summarizes the history of the manuscript "On a Continuum Model for Avalanche Flow and Its Simplified Variants" by Grigorian and Ostroumov―published in the Special Issue on snow avalanche dynamics of Geosciences―since the early 1990s and explains the guiding principles in editing it for publication. The changes are then detailed and some explanatory notes given for the benefit of readers who are not familiar with the early Russian work on snow avalanche dynamics. Finally, the editor's personal views as to why he still considers this paper of relevance for avalanche dynamics research today are presented in brief essays on key aspects of the paper, namely the role of simple and complex models in avalanche research and mitigation work, the status and possible applications of Grigorian's stress-limited friction law, and non-monotonicity of the dynamics of the Grigorian–Ostroumov model in the friction coefficient. A comparison of the erosion model proposed by those authors with two other models suggests to enhance it with an additional equation for the balance of tangential momentum across the shock front. A preliminary analysis indicates that continuous scouring entrainment is possible only in a restricted parameter range and that there is a second erosion regime with delayed entrainment.

Most police Mental Health Act (Section 136) detentions in England and Wales relate to suicide prevention. Despite attempts to reduce detention rates, numbers have risen almost continually. Although Section 136 has been subject to much academic and public policy scrutiny, the topic of individuals being detained on multiple occasions remains under-researched and thus poorly understood. A mixed methods study combined six in-depth interviews with people who had experienced numerous suicidal crises and police intervention, with detailed police and mental health records. A national police survey provided wider context. Consultants with lived experience of complex mental health problems jointly analysed interviews. Repeated detention is a nationally recognised issue. In South East England it almost exclusively relates to suicide or self-harm and accounts for a third of all detentions. Females are detained with the highest frequencies. The qualitative accounts revealed complex histories of unresolved trauma that had catastrophically damaged interviewee’s relational foundations, rendering them disenfranchised from services and consigned to relying on police intervention in repeated suicidal crises. A model is proposed that offers a way to conceptualise the phenomenon of repeated detention, highlighting that long-term solutions to sustain change are imperative, as reactive-only responses can perpetuate crisis cycles.

Children’s beneficial relationships with animals are well known. Companion animals, particularly dogs have become an integral part of family life and children’s material culture. Aside the proven physiological benefits there is little research about what children say about their relationships with animals and how they describe them. In this paper we bring together both horse-human and dog-human interactions, finding common ground for understanding the complexity of human development, well-being and flourishing. Dogs in schools are fast becoming a trend in helping support and enhance children’s learning as well as their social and emotional well-being. Studies have shown that the very presence of a dog can increase children’s concentration, executive function and behavior. Also, equine therapy is gaining momentum and empirical studies are showing noteworthy benefits to children and young people. However, the lack of children’s voices means that the mechanisms for these benefits are somewhat unknown and unclear. In seeking to explore this, the authors utilize a visual, sensory and diffractive ethnographic approach to illuminate and illustrate, experiment and re-enact, how the children relate, share spaces and multiple subjectivities with their classroom canine, “Ted” and companion horse “Henry”. ”Henry” is part of a programme in which youngsters care for and engage in activities with horses.

Farm activities continued sand winning operations and the allocation of plots of land to prospective developers in Ghana pose a serious threat to the forest covers and lifespan of the Forest and game reserves. With all the positive add ups to the country from forests, Ghana has lost more than 33.7%(equivalent to 2,500,000 hectares) of its forest, since the early 1990s between 2005 and 2010, the rate of deforestation in Ghana was estimated at 2.19% per annum; the sixth highest deforestation rate globally for that period. This shows how important forest monitoring can be to the forestry commission in Ghana. Despite the frameworks which have been developed to help Ghana to protect and restore its forest resources, inadequate monitoring systems remain a barrier to effective implementation. In this study, Google earth engine was used to map and analyze the structural changes of forest cover using JavaScript to query and compute Landsat, MODIS and NOAA AVHRR satellite imageries of the study area (Ghana) with spatial resolutions 30m, 250m and 7km respectively. A supervised classification was performed on three multi-temporal satellite imageries and a total of six major land use and land cover classes were identified and mapped. By using random Forest-classification technique, from 1985 to 2018 recorded by NOAA AVHRR, forest cover has decreased by 66% and 2000 to 2018 recorded by Landsat and MODIS 61% and 47% respectively. A decrease in the forest has been as a result of anthropogenic activities in Ghana. A change detection analysis was performed on these images and it was noted that Ghana is losing forest reserves in every 5years. Overlay of the reserved forest of the 2000 and the classified map of 2018 shows vegetation changed during 2000-2018 remarkably. Therefore, forest-related institutions like the Forestry Commission can employ and use this monitoring system on Google Earth Engine for processing satellite images particularly Landsat, MODIS and NOAA AVHRR for forest cover monitoring and analysis for fast, efficient and reliable results.

In emergency scenarios service vehicles must identify potential route(s) and use the best available route. However, route identification requires intelligent decision-support systems which generally use non-traditional approaches with tools characterised by flexible non-hierarchical structures. Conventional models using group decision-support systems have been applied; however, when used in smart urban environments, emergency response services have limitations in their ability to identify unobstructed paths (routes) in dynamic operating environments. In this paper we introduce a novel path planning method for autonomous vehicle control in emergency situations. The proposed model uses self-organizing maps in an integrated Spiral STC algorithm termed the: Hybrid SOM-Spiral STC model which uses hedge algebras and \emph{Kansei} evaluation in group decision-support. The proposed model has been designed to quantify qualitative factors using sensor derived data processed with human sensibilities and preferences in emergency decision support. The experimental results show that the proposed model achieves significant improvements in group decision-support under dynamic uncertainty. We posit that our novel approach holds the prospect of improvements in the provision of emergency services.

The contribution of extra-tropical synoptic cyclones to the formation of summer-mean atmospheric circulation patterns in the Arctic is investigated by clustering the dominant Arctic circulation patterns by the self-organizing maps (SOMs) using the daily mean sea level pressure (MSLP) in the Arctic domain (≥ 60°N). Three SOM patterns are identified: one with prevalent low pressure anomalies in the Arctic Circle (SOM1) and two opposite dipoles with primary high pressure anomalies covering the Arctic Ocean (SOM2 and SOM3). The time series of summertime occurrence frequencies demonstrate the largest inter-annual variation in the SOM1, the slight decreasing trend in the SOM2, and the abrupt upswing after 2007 in the SOM3. The relevant analyses with produced cyclone track data confirm that the vital contribution. The Arctic cyclone activity is enhanced in the SOM1 because the meridional temperature gradient increases over the land–Arctic Ocean boundaries co-located with major extra-tropical cyclone pathways. The composite daily synoptic evolutions for each SOM reveal that the persistence of all the three SOMs is less than 5 days on average. These evolutionary short-term weather patterns have substantial variability at inter-annual and longer timescales. Therefore, the synoptic-scale activity is central to forming the seasonal-mean climate of the Arctic.

No research to date has explored the possibility of context-specific, within-relationship fluctuation in attachment security. In this present article, two cross-sectional studies were designed (1) to develop and validate context-specific attachment scales in Traditional-Chinese, and (2) to explore fluctuations in within-parent attachment security between the contexts of sport and academics, in relation to global attachment patterns and indicators of psychological wellbeing. Results indicated that youth can and do perceive within-parent attachment patterns differently depending upon context but that the relationship of such differences to context-specific outcomes is complex. Of particular interest was that the degree of within-parent attachment variability between contexts was clearly and negatively related to indices of psychological wellbeing. This suggests that contextual variation may be a meaningful and useful way to explore within-parent attachment fluctuation.

Strip-mined land (SML) disturbed by coal-mining is the non-crop land resource that can be utilized to cultivate high-yielding energy crops such as miscanthus for bioenergy applications. However, the biomass yield potential, annual availability and environmental impacts on growing energy crops in SML are less understood. In this study, we estimated the yield potential of miscanthus (Miscanthus sinensis) in SML and its environmental impacts on local streams using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). After calibration and validation of the SWAT model, the results demonstrated that miscanthus yield potentials were 2.6 (0.8−5.53), 10.0 (1.3−16.0) and 16.0 (1.34−26.0) Mg ha^-1 with the fertilizer application rate of 0, 100, and 200 kg-N ha^-1 respectively. Furthermore, cultivation of miscanthus in the SML has the potential to reduce sediment (~20%) and nitrate (2.5%−10.0 %) loads reaching to water streams with a marginal increase in phosphorus load. The available SML in the United States could produce about 10 to 16 dry Tg of biomass per year without negatively impacting the water quality. In conclusion, SML can provide a unique opportunity to produce biomass for bioenergy applications, while improving stream water quality in highly dense mining area (the Appalachian region) in the United States.

The aim of this article has been to evaluate the impact of a physical-sport education programme, based on the pedagogical model of Sport Education within the framework of quality Physical Education and approached from the field of social and emotional learning, on a set of psychological variables: subjective well-being (quality of life related to health, positive affect and negative affect); trait emotional intelligence and social anxiety. A total number of 113 Compulsory Secondary Education students were involved, aged 12 to 15 years old, 44 of whom belonged to the control group (CG) and 69 to the experimental group (EG). A quasiexperimental design of repeated pretest and posttest measures with the CG was used. The results obtained in this investigation revealed that the intervention programme caused significant improvements in the subjective well-being and the trait emotional intelligence for the EG. These findings reinforce the pedagogical efficiency of the programme with regards to the aim that has been set. Likewise, the findings also highlight the suitability and appropriateness in terms of innovative teaching proposals. In the same way, the results showed relevant empirical contributions in this given school context due to its psychological benefits and the encouragement of healthy living.

The origination of most free-living animal species is predictable. ‘Light’ order production in the trophic levels below is the key. Absent from the abiotic environment (pre-primary level) and prokaryotes, ‘light’ order consists of differences in species composition between highly-developed, species-packed communities in which extinction may be the precursor to speciation, particularly ecologically comparable tropical continental lowland ones of Africa, Australia, India, and South America. Based on but not itself of matter and non-burnable, its nil waste heat content ‘compensates’ for burned-up food energy. Where the amounts of it on infra-apical trophic levels form an inverted pyramid like waste heat’s, occupancy of trophic levels from primary to apical is predictable (variation and selection assumed). Terminal non-inversion predicts post-apical vacancy. Examined communities were from grasslands (grasses, large grazing mammals, large carnivores), and woodlands (woody plants, butterflies, insect-eating birds, raptorial birds). Linnaeus’s binomial classificational system turned out to be unexpectedly rich in new content. A new object of study, the neoLinnaean, is recognised and a new process, the neoLyellian, advanced to explain it. Relations to Darwin’s and Lyell’s non-predictive theories of change, to ecology and evolution, to thermodynamics, statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics, and to neurology are discussed.

In this short review paper we have assembled the main characteristics of partial oxidation reactions (oxidative dehydrogenation and selective oxidation to olefins or oxygenates, as aldehydes and carboxylic acids and nitriles), as well as total oxidation, particularly for depollution, environmental issues and wastewater treatments. Both gas-solid and liquid-solid media have been considered with recent and representative examples within these fields. We have also discussed about their potential and prospective industrial applications. Particular attention has been brought to new raw materials stemming from biomass and to liquid-solid catalysts cases. This review paper also summarizes the progresses made in the use of unconventional activation methods for performing oxidation reactions, highlighting the synergy of these technologies with heterogeneous catalysis. Focus has been centered on usual catalysts activation methods but also on less usual ones, such as the use of ultrasounds, microwaves, grinding (mechanochemistry) and photo-activated processes, as well as their combined use.

The paper is considering of the basic differential equations of hydrodynamics: the equation of continuity and motion. On the simplest example, it is shown that the equation of continuity in a system with the equation of motion leads to contradictions and erroneous results of modeling. A more correct form of the continuity equation is described. It is shown that the equations of motion can be written in the form of complete differentials. Three possible integral forms of the equations of motion are presented. As a conclusion, the existence and smoothness of the solution of the Navier-Stokes equations are considered.

Ninety percent of the existing building stock in Europe was built before 1990. These buildings are in urgent need for a significant improvement of energy-efficiency through renovation. Regrettably, so far only five percent of renovation projects have been able to yield energy-saving at deep renovation level. State-of-the-art renovation solutions are available, but costly and lengthy renovation processes and incomprehensible technical complexities hinder the achievement of a wide impact at a European scale. This paper presents research on Plug-and-Play (PnP) technologies supported by Building Information Modelling (BIM) to provide affordable, interchangeable and quick-installation solutions to overcome the main barriers of building deep renovation.

Promoter is a small region of DNA sequence in response to various transcription factors, which initiates a particular gene expression. The promoter-engineered bio-sensor can activate or repress gene expression through transcription factor recognizing specific molecules, such as polyamine, sugars, lactams, amino acids, organic acids or redox molecule, however, the reported applications of promoter enhanced bio-sensor are not too much. This review paper highlights the strategies of construction of promoter-gene engineered bio-sensor with human and bacteria’s genetic promoter array for high-throughput screening (HTS) molecular drugs, study of membrane protein’s localization and nucleocytoplasmic shuttling mechanism of regulating factor, enzyme activity, detection of the toxicity of intermediate chemicals, and probing bacteria density to improve value-added product titer. These bio-sensors’s sensitivity and specificity can be further improved by proposed approaches of Mn²⁺ and Mg²⁺ added random Error-prone PCR and site-directed mutagenesis which is applied for construction of bacteria’s “mutant library”. It is expected to establish flexible HTS platform (Bio-sensor array) to large-scale screen transcription factor-acting drugs, reducing the toxicity of intermediate compounds, and constructing gene dynamic regulatory system in “push and pull” mode to effectively regulate the valuable medicinal product production. This proposed novel promoter-engineered biosensors aided synthetic genetic circuit construction will maximize the efficiency of bio-synthesis of medicinal compound, which will greatly promote the development of microbial metabolic engineering and biomedical science.

We report the results of an analysis of the functional capabilities of the KTP crystal and its isomorphs for nonlinear-optical frequency conversion of all types of interaction in the transparency range of the crystal. The possibility of implementing angle-, wavelength- (frequency-) and temperature-noncritical phase matching is shown.

The design of biomaterial platforms able to release bioactive molecules is mandatory in tissue repair and regenerative medicine. In this context, electrospinning is a user-friendly, versatile and low-cost technique, able to process different kinds of materials in micro- and nano-fibers with a large surface area-to-volume ratio for an optimal release of gaseous signalling molecules. Recently, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of the endogenous gasotramsmitter hydrogen sulfide (H2S), as well as its ability to stimulate relevant biochemical processes on the growth of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), have been investigated. Therefore, in this work, new poly(lactic) acid fibrous membranes (PFM), doped and functionalized with H2S slow-releasing donors extracted from garlic, were synthetized. These innovative H2S-releasing mats were characterized for their morphological, thermal, mechanical and biological properties. Their antimicrobial activity and effects on the in vitro human cardiac MSC growth, either in the presence or in the absence of oxidative stress, were here assessed. On the basis of the results here presented, these new H2S-releasing PFM could represent promising and low-cost scaffolds or patches for biomedical applications in tissue repair.

Chronic pain is a serious health concern and potentially debilitating condition, leading to anxiety, depression, reduced productivity and functionality, and poor quality of life. This condition can be even more detrimental and incapacitating in the pediatric patient population. In low and middle income countries (LMICs), pain services are inadequate or unavailable, leaving most of the world's pediatric population with chronic pain untreated. Many of these children in LMICs are suffering without treatment, and often die in pain. Awareness and advocacy for this population must be prioritized. We reviewed the available literature on the chronic pediatric pain burden in LMICs, barriers to treatments, and current efforts to treat these patients.

Polymer flooding is one of the most successful chemical EOR methods, and is primarily implemented to accelerate oil production by sweep improvement. However, other benefits have extended the utility of polymers. During the last decade, it has been evaluated for an increasing number of fields, both offshore and onshore. This is a consequence of improved polymer properties, which extends the use to HTHS (high temperature high salinity) conditions and of improved understanding of flow mechanisms such as for heavy oil mobilization. A key issue in understanding polymer performance is to control and predict in-situ porous medium rheology. The first part of this paper reviews recent developments in understanding polymer flow in porous medium. Especially, polymer in-situ rheology and injectivity is discussed. The second part of this paper reports polymer flow experiments using the most applied polymer for EOR processes, HPAM (partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide). The experiments address high rate near-wellbore behavior (radial flow) as well as reservoir rate steady state flow (linear flow) and discuss differences observed in terms of flow conditions. In addition, impact of oil on polymer rheology was investigated, and compared to single-phase polymer flow in Bentheimer sandstone rock material. Presence of oil leads to a reduction in apparent viscosity.

This study investigated whether biogas reactor performance, including microbial community development, in response to a change in substrate composition is influenced by initial inoculum source. Test reactors were first started with two different inocula and operated with the same grass-manure mixture for more than 120 days. These reactors initially showed great differences depending on inoculum source, but eventually showed similar performance and overall microbial community structure. At the start of the present experiment, the substrate was complemented with milled feed wheat, added all at once or divided into two portions. The starting hypothesis was that process performance depends on initial inoculum source and microbial diversity, and thus that reactor performance is influenced by the feeding regime. In response to the substrate change, all reactors showed increases and decreases in volumetric and specific methane production, respectively. However, specific methane yield and development of the microbial community showed differences related to initial inoculum source, confirming the hypothesis. The different feeding strategies had however only minor effects on process performance and overall community structure, but still induced differences in the cellulose-degrading community and in cellulose degradation.

The operation of electricity and natural gas transmission networks in the U.S. are increasingly interdependent, due to the growing number of installations of gas fired generators and the penetration of renewable energy sources. This development suggests the need for closer communication and coordination between gas and power transmission system operators in order to improve the efficiency and reliability of the combined energy system. In this paper, we present a co-simulation platform for examining the interdependence between natural gas and electricity transmission networks based on a direct current unit-commitment and economic dispatch model for the power system and a transient hydraulic gas model for the gas system. We analyze the value of day-ahead coordination of power and natural gas network operations and show the importance of considering gas system constraints when analyzing power systems operation with high penetration of gas generators and renewable energy sources. Results show that day-ahead coordination contributes to a reduction in curtailed gas during high stress periods (e.g., large gas offtake ramps) and a reduction in energy consumption of gas compressor stations.

This paper describes a novel thruster fault-tolerant control system (FTC) for open-frame remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). The proposed FTC consists of two subsystems: a model-free thruster fault detection and isolation subsystem (FDI) and a fault accommodation subsystem (FA). The FDI subsystem employs fault detection units (FDUs), associated with each thruster, to monitor their state. The robust, reliable and adaptive FDUs use a model-free pattern recognition neural network (PRNN) to detect internal and external faulty states of the thrusters in real time. The FA subsystem combines information provided by the FDI subsystem with predefined, user-configurable actions to accommodate partial and total faults and to perform an appropriate control reallocation. Software-level actions include penalisation of faulty thrusters in solution of control allocation problem and reallocation of control energy among the operable thrusters. Hardware-level actions include power isolation of faulty thrusters (total faults only) such that the entire ROV power system is not compromised. The proposed FTC system is implemented as a LabVIEW virtual instrument (VI) and evaluated in virtual (simulated) and real-world environments. The proposed FTC module can be used for open frame ROVs with up to 12 thrusters: eight horizontal thrusters configured in two horizontal layers of four thrusters each, and four vertical thrusters configured in one vertical layer. Results from both environments show that the ROV control system, enhanced with the FDI and FA subsystems, is capable of maintaining full 6 DOF control of ROV in the presence of up to 6 simultaneous total faults in the thrusters. With the FDI and FA subsystems in place the control energy distribution of the healthy thrusters is optimised so that the ROV can still operate in difficult conditions under fault scenarios.

Relying on Random Utility Theory (RUT) as the guiding mechanism for the Data Generating Process (DGP), this paper uses households consumption choices on cooking fuel, drinking water, and sanitation from the 2014 United States Agency for International Development's (USAID) Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data on Burkina Faso, to characterize and investigate the inter-linkages between health consciousness and environmental consciousness, and their relationship with wealth in a low income country context. We achieve this by specifying sequentially three econometric modeling frameworks: the first one being independent binary probit (IBP) models to describe each choice process, followed by a fully parametric trivariate probit (FPTP) model to account for choice dependency, and finally by a semi-parametric trivariate probit (SPTP) model to further relax the linearity assumption. Based on the Akaike Information criteria (AIC) and the estimated Trivariate model correlation coefficients, the SPTP framework is found to be the best specification for describing the observed consumption behaviors. The results show that increased wealth level raises households health and environmental consciousness, while leaving the relative preference ordering over the elements in the household consumption basket unchanged.

Telemedicine is the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for clinical health care from a distance. The exchange of radiographic images and electronic patient health information/records (ePHI/R) for diagnostic purposes has the risk of confidentiality, ownership identity, and authenticity. In this paper, a data hiding technique for ePHI/R is proposed. The color information in the cover image is used for key generation, and stego-images are produced with ideal case. As a result, the whole stego-system is perfectly secure. This method includes the features of watermarking and steganography techniques. The method is applied to radiographic images. For the radiographic images, this method resembles watermarking, which is an ePHI/R data system. Experiments show promising results for the application of this method to radiographic images in ePHI/R for both transmission and storage purpose.

Previous research has shown that the effectiveness of selecting filter set from a large set of commercial broadband filters by vector analyzing method based on maximum linear independence (MLI). However, the traditional MLI is suboptimal due to predefining the first filter of the selected filter set being the maximum ℓ2 norm among all those of the filters. An exhaustive imaging simulation is conducted to investigate the features of the most competent filter set. In the simulation, every filter in a subset of all the filters is selected serving as the first filter in turn. From the results of the simulation, we found there are remarkable characteristics for the most competent filter set. Besides smaller condition number, the geometric features of the best-performed filter set comprise the distinct peak of the transmittance of the first filter, the generally uniform distributing of the peaks of the transmittance curve of the filters, the substantial overlapping of the transmittance curves with those of the adjacent filer sets. Therefore, the best-performed filter sets can be decided intuitively by simple vector analyzing and just a few experimental verifications. This work would be useful for optimizing spectral sensitivity of broadband multispectral imaging sensors or SFA sensors.

We have studied the relative positions of the frontier levels determine the main electronic properties and reaction ability, there is important necessity to compare the MO of the purine and рyrimidine bases: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), thymine (T) and uracil (U). The donor and acceptor properties are the fundamental characteristic of the conjugated molecules and can be quantitatively estimated by relative positions of the frontier molecular orbitals. The MO’s energies can be estimated experimentally or quantum-chemically. Analysis of the relative position of the frontier levels (calibrated by the energy gap) enables the investigation of the donor/acceptor properties of the RNA/DNA bases more detailed. The index φ0 is proposed for the quantitative quantum-chemical estimation of the donor ability of the conjugated molecules: it points on the shifting of the energy gap relative to the reference electron balanced system. The RNA/DNA bases divided strictly by two groups: predominantly donors (φ0 > 0.5) and predominantly acceptors (φ0 > 0.5). Each representative base of the first group forms the stable base pair the representative base of the second group the difference of indices Δφ0 should be optimal to enables the DNA replication.

Lp16-PSP from Lentinula edodes strain C91-3 has been reported previously in our laboratory to have selective cytotoxic activity against a panel of human cell lines. Herein, we have used several parameters in order to characterize the Lp16-PSP-induced cell death using HL-60 as model cancer. The results of phase contrast microscopy, nuclear examination, DNA fragmentation detection and flow cytometry revealed that high doses of Lp16-PSP resulted in the induction of apoptosis in HL-60 cells. The colorimetric assay showed the activation of caspase-8, -9 and -3 cascade highlighting the involvement of Fas/FasL-related pathway. Whereas, western blot revealed the cleavage of caspase-3, increased expression of Bax, the release of cytochrome c and decreased expression of Bcl-2 in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting the intrinsic pathway might be involved in Lp16-PSP-induced apoptosis either. Low doses of Lp16-PSP resulted in the anchorage-independent growth inhibition, induction of G1 phase arrest accompanied by the increased expression of p21WAF1/CIP1 along with the decreased expression of cyclin D, E, and cdk6. Our findings suggest that induction of apoptosis and p21WAF1/CIP1 mediated G1 arrest might be one of the mechanisms of the action of Lp16-PSP, however, further investigations on multiple leukemia cell lines and in vivo models are of ultimate need.

Increasingly, there is a focus on utilising renewable energy resources in a bid to fulfil increasing energy requirements and mitigate the climate change impacts of fossil fuels. While most renewable resources are free, the technology used to usefully convert such resources is not and there is an increasing focus on improving the conversion economy and efficiency. To this end, advanced control technologies can have a significant impact and is already a relatively mature technology for wind turbines. Though hydroelectric plants can use simple regulation systems, significant benefits have been shown to accrue from the appropriate use of the same control methods designed for wind turbine plants. This represents the key point of the paper. In fact, to date, the application communities connected with wind and hydraulic energies have had little communication, resulting in little cross fertilisation of control ideas and experience, particularly from the more mature wind area to hydrodynamic systems. Therefore, this paper examines the models and the application of control technology across both domains, both from a comparative and contrasting point of view, with the aim of identifying commonalities in models and control objectives, as well as potential solutions. Key comparative reference points include the articulation of the exployed models, specification of control objectives, development of high--fidelity simulators, and development of solution concepts. Not least, in terms of realistic system requirements are the set of physical and constraints under which such renewable energy systems must operate, and the need to provide reliable and robust control solutions, which respect the often remote and relatively inaccessible location of many onshore and offshore deployments.

This paper presents a thermal runaway prognosis scheme based on the big-data platform and entropy method for battery systems in electric vehicles. It can simultaneously realize the diagnosis and prognosis of thermal runaway caused by the temperature fault through monitoring battery temperature during vehicular operations. A vast quantity of real-time voltage monitoring data was collected in the National Service and Management Center for Electric Vehicles (NSMC-EV) in Beijing to verify the effectiveness of the presented method. The results show that the proposed method can accurately forecast both the time and location of the temperature fault within battery packs. Furthermore, a temperature security management strategy for thermal runaway is proposed on the basis of the Z-score approach and the abnormity coefficient is set to make real-time precaution of temperature abnormity.

The understanding of various health-oriented vital sign data generated from body sensor networks (BSN) and discovery of the association between the generated parameters is an important task that may assist and promote important decision making in healthcare. For example, in a smart home scenario where the occupants’ health status is continuously monitored remotely, it is essential to provide required assistance when an unusual or critical situation is detected in their vital sign data. In this paper, we present an efficient approach to mine the incomplete (partial) periodic patterns obtained from BSN data. In addition, we employ a correlation test on the generated patterns and introduce the productive-associated partial periodic frequent patterns as the set of correlated partial periodical frequent items. The combination of these measures has the advantage of empowering healthcare providers and patients for quality of diagnosis, and also for better treatment and smart care, especially for the elderly people at smart home. We developed an efficient algorithm named PPFP-Growth (Productive Periodic Frequent Pattern growth) to discover all productive associated partial periodic patterns using these measures. PPFP-Growth is efficient, and the productiveness measure removes uncorrelated periodic items. An experimental evaluation on synthetic and real datasets shows the efficiency of the proposed PPFP-Growth algorithm, and can filter a huge number of partial periodic patterns to reveal only the correlated ones.

Gas and power networks are tightly coupled and interact with each other due to physically interconnected facilities. In an integrated gas and power network, a contingency observed in one system may cause iterative cascading failures, resulting in network wide disruptions. Therefore, understanding the impacts of the interactions in both systems is crucial for governments, system operators, regulators and operational planners, particularly, to ensure security of supply for the overall energy system. Although simulation has been widely used in the assessment of gas systems as well as power systems, there is a significant gap in simulation models that are able to address the coupling of both systems. In this paper, a simulation framework that models and simulates the gas and power network in an integrated manner is proposed. The framework consist of a transient model for the gas system and a steady state model for the power system based on AC-Optimal Power Flow. The gas and power system model are coupled through an interface which uses the coupling equations to establish the data exchange and coordination between the individual models. The bidirectional interlink between both systems considered in this studies are the fuel gas offtake of gas fired power plants for power generation and the power supply to LNG terminals and electric drivers installed in gas compressor stations and underground gas storage facilities. The simulation framework is implemented into an innovative simulation tool named SAInt (Scenario Analysis Interface for Energy Systems) and the capabilities of the tool are demonstrated by performing a contingency analysis for a real world example. Results indicate how a disruption triggered in one system propagates to the other system and affects the operation of critical facilities. In addition, the studies show the importance of using transient gas models for security of supply studies instead of successions of steady state models, where the time evolution of the line pack is not captured correctly.

Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and many of the observed changes are unprecedented over five decades to millennia. Globally the atmosphere and ocean is increasingly getting warmer, the amount of ice on the earth is decreasing over the oceans, and the sea level has risen. According to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the total increasing temperature globally averaged combined land and surface between the average of the 1850-1900 period and the 2003 to 2012 period is 0.78 °C (0.72 to 0.85). But should we prepare for such the relatively small change? The importance is not the mean of the warming but the considerable likelihood of climate change that could trigger extreme natural hazards. The impact and the risk of climate change associated with railway infrastructure have not been fully addressed in the literature due to the difference in local environmental parameters. On the other hand, the current railway network in Malaysia, over the last decade, has been significantly affected by severe weather conditions such as rainfall, lightning, wind and very high temperatures. Our research findings point out the extremes that can lead to asset system failure, degraded operation and ultimately, delays to train services. During the period of flood, the embankment of the track can be swept away and bridge can be demolished, while during drought, the embankment of the track can suffer from soil desiccation and embankment deterioration, high temperature increases the risk of track buckling and high winds can result in vegetation or foreign object incursion on to the infrastructure as well as additional quasi-static burden exerted. This review is of significant importance for planning and design of the newly proposed high speed rail link between Malaysia and Singapore.

More than half a century has passed since the discovery of the genetic code, but its origin is still one of the greatest mysteries in life science, although a plenty of theories have been proposed so far, as none can explain satisfactorily why the genetic code evolved in such a way, especially in the context of the biochemical system, a relation of part to whole. Here, a new hypothesis is proposed, according to which ATP is at the origin of the genetic code by its coevolution with the pristine biochemical system of the protocell. This hypothesis shows how primitive life with its genetic code emerged through a series of processes from energy flow to information communication mediated by ATP. First, ATP is the only energetic product of photosynthesis, and is at the energetic heart of the extant biochemical systems. Second, ATP serves as not only an energy carrier but also an informatization molecule, as ATP could energetically elongate chains of both polynucleotides and polypeptides, thus providing a bridge between these molecules and eventually mediating biochemical innovation in the protocell from energy transformation to informatization, a process for creating and managing information. Informatization was inevitably coupled with structuralization (processes for organizing or incorporating cellular structures), cyclizing polynucleotides and polypeptides into a feedback loop of reciprocal causation. The triplet codon might be only for stereochemical handling of amino acids through, e.g., Watson–Crick pairing interactions. It is only the evolutionary completion of the genetic code from RNA to DNA that, contrary to the central dogma, marked the dawn of cellular life, when Darwinian evolution began to operate. The ATP hypothesis sheds light on the origin of life, together with the formation of both photosynthetic and biochemical systems, which remains largely unknown thus far.

Disasters, whether natural or human-induced, pose significant threats to human lives, property, and infrastructure. This study examines the effectiveness of search and rescue (SAR) dogs in locating survivors during disasters, with a focus on the experiences in Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. The primary goals are to evaluate training protocols, operational challenges, success rates, and the overall impact of SAR dogs in disaster scenarios. The findings indicate that SAR dogs greatly enhance the efficiency of disaster response operations. Their superior sense of smell, agility, and ability to manoeuvre through complex terrains make them crucial for quickly locating survivors. However, the performance of SAR dogs is affected by various factors, including the quality of their training, environmental conditions, and the coordination between handlers and dogs. The research highlights several challenges encountered by SAR dogs, such as extreme weather conditions, hazardous terrains, fatigue, and psychological stress. Additionally, limited resources and inconsistent training standards can hinder their effectiveness. The study underscores the importance of standardized training protocols, increased resource allocation, and better coordination among SAR teams. By addressing these challenges, the efficiency of SAR dogs can be further optimized, resulting in more effective disaster responses and higher survival rates. SAR dogs play an essential role in disaster management in Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Ongoing investment in their training and welfare, along with improved operational protocols, will ensure their crucial contribution to saving lives during disasters. This study contributes to a broader understanding of the effectiveness of SAR dogs and provides practical recommendations for enhancing disaster response strategies.

Mortality in children accounts for 15% of all AIDS-related deaths globally, with a higher burden among Cameroonian children (25%), likely due to poor virological response. We sought to evaluate viral suppression (VS) and its determinants in a nationally representative paediatric and young adult population receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). A cross-sectional and multicentric study was conducted among Cameroonian children (

Abstract: Palynomorph assemblages and mineral microfossils from five southern Red Sea coastal environments were studied to demonstrate their distribution pattern and suggest their source. The environments studied were 1. mangrove swamp 2. middle Holocene paleochannel 3. algal mat, 4. Sabia Island coral reef, and intertidal zone. The samples studied were from the top 3 cm semi-consolidated sediments from various environments. Standard palynological maceration technique was used to isolate palynomorphs. These sediment samples are mainly clay and fine sand and yielded low numbers but high diversity of palynomorph assemblages. They are grouped into pollen and spores, dinoflagellate cysts, and algal remains, fungal spores, hyphae and fruit bodies, protists, and invertebrates. A few Ascidian and sponge spicules, and phytoliths (mineral microfossils) occur in the Sabia Island coral reef environment. The protists and invertebrate remain include microforaminifera, thecamoebians, tintinnomorphs, crustacean and annelid palynomorphs. The assemblage also includes six form taxa belonging to the form genera Katora and Mangrovia. These palynomorphs belong to both marine and terrestrial environments and are of autochthonous and allochthonous origins. The source and genetic relationship of each palynomorphs is discussed.

This paper proposes a methodology for the development and its Verification and Validation(V&amp;V) of safety-rated software. The development methodology is based on the structured analysis and structured design methodology, which has been proven in the field of safety software development during long period. The suggested the development and the V&amp;V methodology additionally focuses on the quality attributes 3C+T (completeness, Correctness, Consistency and traceability), which are important criteria in IEC international standards. The software development life cycle is compiled from IEC international standardization, which are of the requirements analysis phase, design phase, implementation phase, testing phase, installation/commissioning phase, and operation &amp; maintenance phases. The activities of the development process method were defined from requirements analysis to implementation, and the activities of the verification and validation were defined to include the scope of the developer's activities and then to include the test phase, installation/commissioning phase, and operation phases additionally. In other words, testing phase performed by the developer was defined as informal testing, and testing performed by the verifier according to test criteria, test plans, and test procedures was defined as formal testing. According to proposed methodology, the requirements phase defines the sequence of Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD)-Context Diagram-Data Flow Diagram (DFD), functional decomposition process and defines operational scenario. In the design phase, module design such as task analysis and task allocation were defined. In the implementation phase, we listed the coding guidelines that must be followed for safety-related system. The test phase defined the test criteria, test plan, test procedure, and test result report activities. In the installation/commissioning and operation phases, recommendations for improving reliability, quality, and safety were proposed for deliverables such as user documentation and technical documentation.

Background: Gluten and casein-containing foods could aggravate the symptoms of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and subsequently impact their quality of life. However, there is a mixed opinion among researchers concerning the impact of alternative diet on reducing ASD symptoms. Objective: This scoping review aimed at examining the impact of the ‘’gluten-free, casein-free’’ (GFCF) diet on health outcomes and the quality of life among autistic children and adolescents. Methods: A scoping review of the literature was performed following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines. Four databases including EbscoHost, Medline, CINAHL and ProQuest were used to obtain subject-specific studies relevant to the research question and published between July 2013 and March 2024. A comprehensive search using keywords such as “autism spectrum disorder”, “gluten-free diet”, and “casein-free diet” was conducted to obtain articles related to the research focus area. Only full-text, peer-reviewed, written in English articles were selected. Data extraction and data analysis were performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses- extension to Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR) protocol. Results: From the initial 586 studies a total of 27 articles were included in the final analysis of the review. The thematic analysis included ‘GFCF diet and improvement of the core autistic symptoms’’, “the gut-brain link’’, ‘’dietary interventions and autism’’, ‘’possible side effects due to the GCFC diet’’, and ‘’ inconclusive studies and mixed opinions’’. Majority of the studies showed positive effect of the GFCF diet on a variety of autistic symptoms including positive changes in cognitive skills, behaviour, and gastrointestinal symptoms while some showed conflicting evidence. Conclusion: The currently available evidence on the impact of ‘GFCF’’ diet on the quality of life of autistic children and adolescents may warrant potentially effective interventions for alleviating symptoms of autism spectrum disorders. However, this scoping review highlighted the need for more research to provide more reliable evidence on the health outcomes and quality of life of ASD sufferers to guide practice.

This study presents an in-depth analysis of land use and land cover change on the Kerch Peninsula over a period spanning three decades. Utilizing convolutional neural networks alongside satellite imagery analysis, we have mapped and quantified the changes in land use and cover, revealing significant trends and transformations within the peninsula's landscape. The research aims to elucidate the interplay between anthropogenic activities, climatic variations, and policy interventions in shaping land cover dynamics, thereby providing insights into the environmental and socio-economic impacts of these changes. Our findings indicate a marked increase in urban expansion at the expense of natural ecosystems, including forests and wetlands, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable land management strategies. The study highlights the role of agricultural intensification and expansion in altering the peninsula's ecological balance and emphasizes the critical importance of integrating change analysis and prediction. By leveraging advanced remote sensing and GIS technologies, our analysis not only enhances the understanding of the complex dynamics driving land use and land cover change but also showcases the potential of predictive modeling in forecasting future land cover scenarios. The implications of this study extend beyond the Kerch Peninsula, offering valuable lessons for managing land use changes and conserving natural landscapes in similar regions globally.

This study focuses on the impact of collaboration on reducing price inflation in renewable energy supply chains. The study utilises in-depth interviews and theme analysis to reveal the complex dynamics of collaboration among stakeholders and the resulting implications for addressing difficulties in the renewable energy sector. Trust is a key factor in successful collaboration, whereas legal frameworks and policy incentives are important in influencing collaborative activities. Collaborative procurement, cooperative research and development, strategic alliances, and collaborative supply chain management are recognised as crucial measures for decreasing expenses, promoting innovation, and improving resilience in renewable energy supply chains. Nevertheless, in order to achieve successful collaboration, it is necessary to overcome obstacles such as lack of trust, uncertainty in regulations, and competitive dynamics. Creating a cooperative environment that prioritises common objectives, openness, and reciprocal advantages is crucial for fully harnessing the potential of renewable energy supply chains in promoting sustainable energy transitions. The report provides practical insights and recommendations for policymakers, industry professionals, and academics who aim to encourage collaboration and reduce price inflation in renewable energy supply chains.

Energy storage systems play a crucial role in the overall performance of hybrid electric vehicles. Therefore, the state of the art in energy storage systems for hybrid electric vehicles has been discussed in this paper along with appropriate background information for facilitating future research in this domain. Specifically, we have compared the key parameters such as cost, power density, energy density, cycle life, and response time for various energy storage systems. For the energy storage systems employing ultra capacitors, we have presented the characteristics such as cell voltage, cycle life, power density and energy density. Furthermore, we have discussed and evaluated the interconnection topologies for the existing energy storage systems. We have also discussed the hybrid battery-flywheel energy storage system as well as the mathematical modeling of the battery-ultracapacitor energy storage system. Toward the end, we have discussed energy efficient powertrain for hybrid electric vehicles.

Among earth’s microbial populations are the genes, functional capacities, generational memory and sentient cognition that enable microorganisms to adapt and thrive in the full range of ecological conditions found on planet earth. In prior sequential publications, we considered fundamental properties (e.g., use of and responses to sound, light, vibrations) and features of microorganisms that cause them to be critical co-partners of human and other holobionts as well as the potential benefits for humanity that can be gained by fully applying quantum-related and novel capacities of microbial life. In this narrative review we: 1) discuss key concepts concerning a microbially-enhanced and sustainable future, and 2) focus on electric- and magnetic- based features of microorganisms that make them pivotal for myriad benefits ranging from beyond pharma-based health and wellness to free- and/or renewable energy and restorative agriculture to improved human networking. While the benefits are many, the risks posed by hazardous electric or magnetic field exposures to both holobionts and microbial communities are significant. This review concludes that microbes and their remarkable capacities offer both humanity and the planet a much brighter future if we reverse the demonization of microbes and wanton microbiome degradation that has predominated much of the past century.

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a complex neuromodulatory network in the human body that have enormous impact in developing the central nervous system, as well as modulates various physiological processes. The ECS is made up of anandamide, 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), which are responsible for the synthesis and degradation of endocannabinoids, and enzymes such as FAAH and MAGL ensures the precise control over endocannabinoid levels. The ECS relies on CB1 receptors found in the central nervous system (CNS), and CB2 receptors found in the peripheral nervous system and immune cells. Dysregulation of the ECS has been associated with several health conditions, prompting investigations into its association with phytocannabinoids to harness their therapeutic potential. The ECS is intricately linked with the nervous system, and it is known to modulate neuronal activities in the CNS, influencing pain and mood modulation. The ECS is also associated with neuropathies-peripheral nerve damage leading to symptoms such as weakness, numbness and pain as evidenced in diabetic neuropathy, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, peripheral neuropathy, and postherpetic neuralgia. The focus of this review is on the interplay between 2-arachidonoylglycerol and anandamide amidohydrolase in neuropathy, elucidating their roles in pain regulation, inflammation, and specific neuropathies. The knowledge generated is expected to have broad implications, providing comprehensive insights into neuropathic conditions and how to improve on them. Ultimately, this understanding may lead to more effective treatments and improved quality of life for individuals affected by these conditions.

This paper presents a comprehensive simulation study of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) in a fabricated production environment for toy car assembly. This paper uses Petri Nets for modeling and the General Petri Net Simulator (GPenSIM) for model implementation on MATLAB and simulation. The primary focus of this research is to analyze the operational efficiency of AGVs under varying conditions, particularly examining the impact of battery charge reduction rates and the strategic placement of charging stations within the production line. By employing Colored Petri Nets (CPN) within GPenSIM, we have developed a detailed and dynamic model that captures the intricate movements and interactions of AGVs in a simulated manufacturing setting. By presenting an approach to simulating AGVs in a production environment, this paper specifically focuses on two critical operational parameters: the battery charge reduction rate of AGVs and the number of charging stations available in the production line. Unlike previous studies that have primarily concentrated on general path planning or bottleneck detection in manufacturing systems, this paper delves into the intricate balance between AGV operational efficiency and the logistical constraints imposed by battery life and charging infrastructure.

The present study aims to evaluate the antibacterial activity of five commercially available essential oils (EOs): Lavender (LEO), Clove (CEO), Oregano (OEO), Eucalyptus (EEO), and Peppermint (PEO) against the most-known MDR Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria - Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) - alone and in various combinations. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis established their complex composition. Then, the antibacterial activity was investigated in vitro by diffusimetric antibiogram method, using sterile cellulose discs with Ø 6 mm impregnated with 10 µl of sample and sterile borosilicate glass cylinders loaded with 100 µl of sample; MIC (µg/mL) for each EO was calculated from IZD values (mm) measured after 24 hours. The following EO combinations were evaluated: OEO+CEO, CEO+EEO, CEO+PEO, LEO+EEO, and EEO+PEO. Then, the influence of each dual combination on 3 conventional antibacterial drugs – Neomycin (NEO), Tetracycline (TET), and Bacitracin (BAC) - activity was investigated. The most active EOs against S. aureus and E. coli were LEO and OEO (IZD = 40 mm). They were followed by the CEO and EEO (IZD = 20-27 mm); PEO exhibited the lowest antibacterial activity (IZD = 15-20 mm). EEO alone showed the highest inhibitory activity on P. aeruginosa (IZD = 25-35 mm). It was followed by the CEO, LEO, and EEO (IZD = 7-11 mm), while PEO proved no antibacterial action against it (IZD = 0 mm). Only one synergic action was recorded (OEO+CEO against P. aeruginosa); EEO+PEO revealed partial synergism against S. aureus and CEO+PEO additive behavior against E. coli. Two triple associations with TET showed partial synergism against E. coli, and the other 2 ones (with NEO and TET) evidenced the same behavior against S. aureus; all contained EEO+PEO or CEO+PEO. Most combinations reported indifference. However, numerous cases were of antagonism between constituents included in double and triple combinations, and EOs with the strongest antibacterial activities belong to the highest antagonistic combinations. A consistent statistical analysis supports our results, showing that EOs with moderate antibacterial activities could generate combinations with higher inhibitory effects based on synergistic or additive interactions.

Undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies such as anemia are considered significant public health challenges in Bangladesh, which enhancing fish consumption is a well-established food-based intervention to address these. This paper documents the establishment of community-based fish chutney production and reports the impact of its consumption on mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) and hemoglobin (Hb) levels among targeted 150 pregnant and lactating women (PLW) in rural Bangladesh. A fish chutney was developed using locally available ingredients followed by a series of laboratory tests, including nutrient composition, shelf-life and food safety. A community-based fish chutney production process was designed to: 1) supply locally available ingredients for processing; 2) establish two fish drying sites; 3) initiate a community-based production site, and 4) distribute fish chutney to PLW by six women nutrition field facilitators for one year. Then a pre- and post-intervention study was designed for a selected 150 PLW to receive 30g of fish chutney daily for 12 months. Differences in mean mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) and hemoglobin (Hb) levels pre- and post-consumption were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance. Consumption of 30g of fish-chutney resulted in significant increases of the mean values of Hb levels and MUAC among the targeted PLW.

The enhancement of early diagnosis of lung cancer is mandatory to improve prognosis. We observed the increase cancer stem cells (CSC) and circulating tumor cells (CTC) in blood of mice on d3 after Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cell implantation before disease symptom. Besides we have developed an approach to reprogramming immune cells by inhibiting the MAPK/ERK pathway through MEKi and the PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint signaling pathway. We hypothesized that reprogramming of spleen CD8+ T-cells could also create a population of immune cells with high antitumor activity. We reprogrammed CD8+ T-cells derived from the spleen of C57BL/6 mice (rsCD8+T-cells). The rsCD8+T-cells were able to migrate to lung and were more resistant after the exhaustion in vitro in comparison with naïve sCD8+T-cells. In the orthotopic LLC model, the rsCD8+T-cells therapy increased the amount of proliferating CD8+ and CD4+ T-cells in blood and lung from mice. The amount of CSC decreased in the blood and lung of mice treated with rsCD8+ T-cells. A morphological study revealed a decrease in the number of metastases in lung tissue. The antitumor effects of rsCD8+T-cells are based on the activation of the host immune response by increasing the populations of CD8+ and CD4+ T-cells and apoptosis of CSCs.

Fast Field-Cycling (FFC) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) relaxometry is a powerful non-destructive magnetic resonance technique that enables, among other things, the investigation of slow molecular dynamics at low magnetic field intensities. FFC-NMR relaxometry measurements provide insight into molecular motion across various timescales within a single experiment. This study focuses on a \textit{model-free} approach, representing the NMRD profile $R_1$ as a linear combination of Lorentzian functions, thereby addressing the challenges of fitting data within an ill-conditioned linear least-squares framework. Tackling this problem, we present a comprehensive review and experimental validation of three regularization approaches to implement the model-free approach to analysing NMRD profiles. These include: (1) \nameUpe, utilizing locally adapted $L_2$ regularization; (2) \nameL, based on $L_1$ penalties; and (3) a hybrid approach combining locally adapted $L_2$ and global $L_1$ penalties. Each method's regularization parameters are determined automatically, according to the Balancing and Uniform Penalty principles. % Our contributions include the implementation and experimental validation of the \nameUpe{} and \nameUp{} algorithms, and the development of a "dispersion analysis" technique to assess the existence range of the estimated parameters. The objective of this work is to delineate the variance in fit quality and correlation time distribution yielded by each algorithm, thus broadening the set of software tools for the analysis of sample structures in FFC-NMR studies. The findings underline the efficacy and applicability of these algorithms in the analysis of NMRD profiles from samples representing different potential scenarios. 1

It is already known that a simple nonlocal de Sitter gravity model, which we denote as dS gravity, contains an exact vacuum cosmological solution which mimics dark energy and dark matter and is in very good agreement with the standard model of cosmology. This success of dS gravity motivated us to investigate how it works at lower than cosmic scale – galactic and the solar system. This paper contains our investigation of the corresponding Schwarzschild-de Sitter metric of the dS gravity model. To get exact solution, it is necessary to solve the corresponding nonlinear differential equation, what is a very complicated and difficult problem. What we obtained is a solution of linearized equation, which is related to space metric far from the massive body, where gravitational field is weak. The obtained approximate solution is of particular interest for examining the possible role of non-local de Sitter gravity dS in describing the effects in galactic dynamics that are usually attributed to dark matter. The solution has been tested on the Milky Way and the spiral galaxy M33 and is in good agreement with observational measurements.

Pediatric psychology action in the pediatric clinical-surgical high complexity unit has become increasingly necessary. It allows for the possibility of integrating complex pediatric clinical-surgical operations by reducing painful effects on the emotional world of children and adolescents. The pediatric psychologist in a pediatric unit continuously oversees children and adolescents (C/A) throughout the entire therapeutic process, extending activity to parents and healthcare personnel. In ill children and adolescents, physical pain and psychological suffering follow, with minimal temporary variations, the same clinical path with continuous changes which put a strain on the ability of children, adolescents, parents and healthcare staff to cope with stress.

Preventing childhood obesity and associated comorbidities is often hampered by disproportionate disparity in healthcare provision in minority ethnic populations. This study contextualised lifestyle factors influencing childhood obesity and related comorbidity from the perspectives and experiences of parents of ethnic minority children with obesity comorbidity. Families of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnicities (BAME) in the Northeast of England (n=180) were contacted, and families with a child diagnosed with obesity and comorbidity (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, musculoskeletal problems, respiratory disorder, or polycystic ovarian disease) were interviewed (n=11). Semi-structured interviews and qualitative thematic analysis included parents’ perspective and experience on how their children were impacted by obesity and comorbidities, healthcare preventative interventions including lifestyle physical activity and nutrition, and views on tackling obesity. Parents’ perspectives and experience revealed eleven themes centred around living with a child with obesity, risks and impact of obesity diseases; access to lifestyle nutritional and physical activity, and ethnicity specific barriers. Parents revealed social disadvantage, fear of victimisation by social services, perceptions on their cultural and religious traditions when dealing with nutrition and exercise, and child’s weight racial stigmatisation. Parents reported closer bonding with their children than health authorities to protect from obesity consequences. Work pressure, time, and lack of professionals’ guidance were seen as barriers to healthy lifestyle, while support from friends and family bond in adopting healthy lifestyle behaviours were facilitators. Parents reported no awareness of health service provision of nutritional and physical activity obesity prevention programmes. Minority ethnic communities’ perspective on childhood obesity prevention does not match the healthcare system preventative offerings. Community and family-oriented obesity preventative approaches, especially lifestyle nutrition and physical activity interventions are needed beyond those administered by the primary healthcare system.

Using both GRACE satellite data and statistical records, we apply the advanced Super-SBM model in this study to evaluate the efficiency of water resource utilization in 34 prefecture-level cities across three provinces in Northeast China from 2003 to 2020. Furthermore, we employ the Tobit model to examine the factors influencing efficiency. Our findings suggest that while spatial clustering is moderately low, the efficiency of water resource utilization in the Northeast Region is praiseworthy and significantly correlates with the level of technological advancement. Four distinct categories can be identified among the prefecture-level cities based on the scale and technological efficiency of water resource utilization. To promote enhanced utilization of water resources, different regions should implement measures that are specifically tailored to their unique circumstances.

The new unique technology for granulation of metals and nonmetallic melts is presented in the paper. It was created on the newly developed controlled film flow disintegration with rapid cooling of the droplets and solidified granules in amorphous state. Three new phenomena discovered by us created the base for 3 different methods for granulation of metals and nonmetallic melts in a wide range of granules’ sizes. Electromagnetic resonance method allows producing granules of metals in the range of 1 mm and over. The soliton-like vibrational regime is available for production of any granulation material in the range 0.1-1 mm. Moreover, the shockwave regime is applicable for producing particles from 10 micrometers by size. All methods produce particles of the stated size with a narrow distribution by size: deviation from the average size no more than 50%. The other known methods do not produce granules with such high cooling rate, which can realize the amorphous state and cannot regulate size of particles in such bright but narrow range from 10 micrometers to 1-2 mm.

The temperature effect plays an important role for an accurate determination of the polar free energy, polar thermodynamic parameters, and enthalpic and entropic Lewis’s acid base properties of oxides, polymers and composites polymers/oxides. The adsorption of polymers on other solid surfaces is crucial in many industrial applications, coatings, paints, catalysis, colloids and adhesion processes. (1) Background: Inverse gas chromatography at infinite was used for the physico-chemical characterization of solid substrates by determining the thermodynamic parameters of adsorption of model organic solvents on solid surfaces such as polymers, metallic oxides, carbon fibers, pharmaceutical or 3D/4D printing substrates. (2) Methods: A new method based on the London dispersion equation was applied with a new parameter associating the deformation po-larizability and the harmonic mean of the ionization energies of solvent. More accurate values of the dispersive and polar interaction energies of the various organic solvents adsorbed on PMMA in bulk phase and PMMA/silica at different recovery fractions were obtained as well as the Lewis acid-base parameters and the transition temperatures of the different composites. (3) Results: This new methodology gave very interesting results on the behavior of PMMA adsorbed on silica. An important effect of the temperature and the recovery fraction on the various physicochemical and thermodynamic properties was highlighted. The variations of all interaction parameters showed the presence of three transition temperatures for the different PMMA adsorbed on silica with the various coverage rates with a shift of these temperatures for a recovery fraction of 31% (4) Con-clusions: An important variation of the polar enthalpy and entropy of adsorption, the Lewis ac-id-base parameters and the intermolecular separation distance as a function of the temperature and the recovery fraction of PMMA on silica.

We presented a fractional order model to capture the transmission dynamics of Anthrax infection with a nonlinear force of infection and its long-term impacts. Analysis by the standard Fabrizio Caputo approach established the model is well-posed and investigation on the stability of the model, Anthrax-free equilibrium as connected to the basic reproduction number R0

This article describes the history of research and development of surface-penetrating radar, starting from the 60s in the USSR, and ending today in Russia and neighboring states formed after the collapse of the USSR. The outstanding role played in the initial period of this technology development by Prof. M.I. Finkelstein and his colleagues is highlighted. Their research had a significant impact on subsequent developments in modern Russia and the neighboring countries.

This paper presents a quantum formulation for classical abstract dynamical systems (ADS), defined by coupled sets of first order differential equations. They are referred as “abstract” because their dynamical variables can be of different interrelated nature, not necessarily corresponding to physics, such as populations, socioeconomic variables, behavioural variables, etc. A first order classical Hamiltonian in canonical moments can be derived for ADS by using Dirac’s dynamics for singular Hamiltonian systems. And also a corresponding first order Schrödinger equation (which involves the existence of a system Planck constant particular of each system) can be derived from this Hamiltonian. However, Bohm and Hiley’s reinterpretation of quantum mechanics produces no further information about the mathematical formulation of ADS. However, a second order classical Hamiltonian in canonical moments can be also derived for ADS, as well as a corresponding second order Schrödinger equation. In this case, Bohm and Hiley’s reinterpretation of quantum mechanics provides a quantum Hamiltonian that does provide the quantum formulation for ADS, which provides new quantum variables interrelated dynamically with the classical variables. An application case is presented: the one-dimensional autonomous system given by the logistic dynamics, where the differences between the classical and the quantum trajectories are highlighted.

The availability of current land cover and land use (LCLU) information for monitoring the status of land resources has considerable value in ensuring sustainable land use planning. Similarly, the need to provide updated information on the extent of LCLU change in West Africa has become apparent, given the increasing demand for land resources driven by the rapid population growth in the sub-region. SERVIR West Africa, a regional consortium jointly supported by USAID and NASA to foster the use of geospatial and earth observation data and science for decision-making on critical environmental and food security challenges, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), is building technical capacity in the sub-region to develop and implement harmonized regional land cover classification system for LULC change monitoring in West Africa, based on the Land Cover Meta Language (LCML-ISO 19144-2). This article focuses on the process, potential opportunities, outputs of this collaboration, exemplary use cases, and recommendations for the next steps.

Capturing atmospheric CO2 and storing it in natural rock systems (i.e., alkaline earth silicate and hydroxide minerals) through carbonation reactions is a promising greenhouse gas mitigation research, and largely depends on the use of hydrated ultramafic rocks (serpentinites), which are widespread in orogenic belts around the globe. The Jurassic ophiolites in the Southern Apennines represent a natural analogue and a great opportunity for the mineralogical sequestration of CO2. Serpentinites of the Pollino ophiolite Massif have been widely studied for their mineralogical, petrographic, and chemical characteristics, providing major findings on their impact on environmental and human health issues. Serpentinites here have been divided into cataclastic and massive types based on their structures and are characterized by pseudomorphic and vein textures. The mineralogy of the studied serpentinites consists of lizardite, antigorite, clino-crysotile, Cr-chlorite, magnetite, tremolite, actinolite, pyroxene and calcite, and the most commonly occurring serpentine minerals are polymorphs of serpentine including lizardite, clino-crysotile and antigorite. Systematic petrographic and mineralogical studies of serpentinites in ophiolites, such as those outcropping in the Southern Apennines can represent a starting point for the study of natural materials, which can be used for CO2 storage and sequestration. A particular attention must be given to those carbonate phases, produced by carbonation processes to check whether the serpentinites of the Pollino Massif can be used for the induced mineral Carbon Capture Storage (CCS). If successful, this technique and the Pollino Massif serpentinites can become highly significant in safeguarding the health of our planet's climate.

The Serra da Estrela Natural Park (NPSEs) in Portugal stands out as a well-preserved region abundant in medicinal plants, particularly known for their pharmaceutical applications in diabetes prevention and treatment. This comprehensive review explores these plants' botanical diversity, traditional uses, pharmacological applications, and chemical composition. The NPSEs boast a rich diversity with 138 medicinal plants across 55 families identified as traditionally and pharmacologically used against diabetes globally. Notably, the Asteraceae and Lamiaceae families are prevalent in anti-diabetic applications. In vitro studies reveal their significant inhibition of carbohydrate-metabolizing enzymes, and certain plant co-products regulate genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism and insulin secretion. In vivo trials demonstrate anti-diabetic effects, including glycaemia regulation, insulin secretion, antioxidant activity, and lipid profile modulation. Medicinal plants in NPSE exhibit various activities beyond anti-diabetic, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticancer, and more. Chemical analysis identifies over fifty compounds like phenolic acids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and polysaccharides responsible for their efficacy against diabetes. The findings underscore the potential of NPSE medicinal plants as anti-diabetic candidates, urging further research to develop effective plant-based anti-diabetic drugs, beverages, and supplements.

Commuting is a vital travel channel for college students throughout their higher education career; nevertheless, excessive commute time negatively impacts students’ school satisfaction, academic achievement, health, and quality of life. Meanwhile, few studies have explored students’ commute time, covering a large population and scope. Therefore, this study analyzes the dwelling type that influences college and graduate students’ school commute times in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, using data from the 2016 Household Travel Diary Survey. This study uses spatial data on housing development to classify five dwelling types (i.e., new town, housing site development, Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi-do). A multiple linear regression model empirically analyses students’ household and personal characteristics. The results reveal that dwelling type significantly affects students’ commute time. Specifically, Students living in Seoul have a shorter commute to school than those living in new towns. Socioeconomic characteristics have less effect on college and graduate students' school commute time. This study discusses the problem of excessive commuting of college and graduate students in new towns.

Tail-sitters aim to combine the advantages of fixed-wing and rotor-craft, but demand a robust and fast stabilization strategy to perform vertical maneuvers and transitions to and from aerodynamic flight. The research conducted in this work intends to assess the performance of nonlinear control strategies to stabilize the attitude of a X-Vert VTOL aircraft when hovering, comparing existing solutions to applications of Nonlinear Dynamics Inversion (NDI) and its incremental version, INDI. Such controllers are implemented and tuned in simulation in order to stabilize a model of the tail-sitter , complemented by estimation methods that allow to feed back the necessary variables. These estimators and controllers are then implemented in a microcontroller, validating them in a Hardware-in-the-Loop (HITL) scenario, with simple maneuvers in vertical flight. Lastly, the developed control solutions are used to stabilize the aircraft in experimental flight, being monitored by a motion capture system. The experimental results allow to validate the model of the X-Vert and compare the effectiveness of the different control solutions in stabilizing it, with the INDI presenting itself as a more robust control strategy, with better tracking capabilities and less actuator demands.

A novel educational platform called Shared Modeling and Simulation Environment (SMSE) was initiated in the ERASMUS+ “CybPhys” project. It integrates the Jupyter platform, including Ju-pyter Notebooks, for e-learning in the STEM field. A novel platform enhances e-learning by combining Moodle with Jupyter's capabilities to create virtual labs. A survey was conducted in the spring of 2023 among bachelor and master students of Chernihiv National Polytechnic Uni-versity aimed to gather feedback from students using SMSE in their e-learning process. Two student groups were involved: one of them consisted of students using SMSE in both the autumn and spring semesters and another represented the students starting with SMSE in the spring se-mester. The survey based on the adjusted Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was conducted to understand the acceptance of this e-learning approach. A comprehensive analysis of students’ answers based on the TAM approach revealed the inside of the process of transformation of stu-dents’ perceptions during the acquisition of the SMSE platform. Our research demonstrates that SMSE effectively merges Moodle's online learning capabilities with Jupyter notebooks, provid-ing a flexible and interactive learning experience for both in-class and remote students. It pro-vides a web-based, multifunctional e-learning environment that combines a variety of tools and technologies, giving students the possibility to be involved in all sorts of teaching activities, such as lectures, exercises, simulations, etc., through the use of one single online environment.

The current work reports the upper bound of the state variable of the of the Pointwise Steady Fluid Flow Approximation (PSFFA) model of non-stationary M/Ek/1 queueing system.

The altitude of the habitat is one of the important regulators of species survival. Kaçkar Mountains National Park is located in the Eastern Black Sea region of Turkey. This is the first study on the benthic diatom flora of the high mountain lakes in Kaçkar Mountains National Park, which is situated between 2782 and 3075 m a.s.l. A total of 84 diatom species were identified from benthic communities of 15 habitats in summer (19 July, 28 August) and autumn (10 September) months of 2020. The genus Pinnularia (13 species) formed the basis of the taxonomic list followed by Eunotia (5 species), Navicula (5 species), and Frustulia (4 species) genera, respectively. The waters in all the studied lakes were fresh, low-saline, with low-alkaline or circumneutral pH and organically uncontaminated as evidenced by prevailed bioindicator groups. Statistical methods and comparative floristic results confirm the role of the lake altitude for the diatom species distribution. Species richness was higher in lakes with lower altitude, but a statistical approach also revealed a tendency for it to increase with altitude if species richness increased. Further studies will be needed to continue exploring this pattern. In the first round of analysis, diatom species groups were categorized according to IUCN categories, revealing one potentially threatened and one rare species. To protect studied high mountain lakes, their ecological conditions must be constantly monitored in the Kaçkar Mountains National Park.

The paper is devoted to the study of a high-pressure short-arc xenon discharge, which is widely used as a light source. Cathodes of such lamps are often doped with thorium for better cathode operation. As a result, thorium can evaporate into a discharge. The study is based on a model of a short-arc xenon discharge plasma, which includes presence of thorium atoms in the plasma. The data obtained show that thorium atoms strongly affect the characteristics of the plasma, reducing its temperature, changing the ionic composition near the cathode, energy balance and generation of optical radiation. Especially interesting is the case when the discharge electrodes have a different shape of the working surface: the anode has a convex or concave shape; the cathode has a different cone angle. The obtained data make it possible to propose a new way to increase the luminous efficiency of xenon lamps due to the appropriate choice of the electrodes working surface shape, which turned out to be an unexpectedly strong factor of affecting plasma characteristics. This, in turn, allows us to develop xenon lamps with the desired characteristics providing optical radiation in the required range of the spectrum and better use of energy.

This research examines how rainfall and mining affect the slope damage resulting from the transition from open-pit mining to underground mining. Using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the Huangniu slope of Dexing Copper Mine was fully characterized, and experiments were conducted on rock samples from appropriate sites. First, the mechanical properties of the samples were measured. Then, the parameters of the similarity simulation experiments were derived based on the similarity theory. Subsequently, the rainfall, rock slope, data acquisition and monitoring systems were designed. Finally, the rock mass failure with different slope angles was analyzed, and the deformation and damage patterns under the coupling effect were obtained. The results show that rainfall increases pore water pressure and moisture content. Rainfall and slope-slip water have more impact on the open-pit platform. The pore water pressure values on the upper rock mass rise faster than inside. In the open-pit mining stage, the rock mass shifts slightly to the upper left. In the room mining stage, vertical fractures and goaf sinking occur. The fractures above the mine room form a semi-ellipse. In the pillar mining stage, the overlying rock displacement is evident, and fractures persist. In the continuous pillar mining stage, the overlying rock collapses massively. The 65° slope model is the most damaged, while the 55° slope model is the least damaged. The results also suggest that the UAV guides sample selection.

This paper explores the application of fisheries management theories to broader environmental issues, including climate change and biodiversity conservation. It underscores the inherent trade-off in fisheries between yield and resource conservation, identifying harvesting as a significant environmental burden. Early recognition of the sustainability concept aimed to address challenges like economic discounts and the tragedy of the commons, contributing to the issue of overfishing. These insights extend beyond fisries to other environmental concerns, particularly climate change. The development of adaptive management, initially tailored to address uncertainties and non-stationarity in fisheries, has found application in diverse environmental issues. Recognizing humans as integral parts of ecosystems highlights the impossibility of achieving zero environmental impact when utilizing natural resources. The paper advocates for passive restoration to prevent overfishing, leveraging nature's resilience. While goals like complete biodiversity restoration are inherent in fisheries, their relevance may not be immediately apparent to other environmentalists. Despite ongoing discussions on the sustainability of ecosystem services, legislation often tends to favor the long-term maximization of fisheries yield. The paper calls for mutual understanding of theories and experiences across various environmental fields, including fisheries, to enhance collaborative efforts in each field.

The procedures used to create modern cars require extensive thought in various relevant scientific domains. Arguably, the most challenging obstacle facing the automobile sector is managing production facilities by integrating software production lines and CI/CD. All this is determined by market demands, the engine of a vehicle, and the complexity of assembling the entire car and installing its corresponding embedded software. As a result, concerns about various types of global change have grown, as well as the lack of the ability to use fossil fuels, creating a substantial impact on the purchase and sale of modern automobiles. The research foundation is reflected in covering strategies for the deployment and administration of software, as well as opportunities for business improvement in particular production processes. This article strives to provide a summary of a scientific investigation of original equipment manufacturers, market segmentation, and the effects of global market changes on automotive manufacturing by examining the correlation between certain changes in the purchase of a specific brand and the powertrain of a vehicle. The research tries to examine numerous datasets from the United States of America and Washington State, on the basis of which we may estimate possible future changes in the automotive industry’s sales.

Integrating photovoltaic (PV) systems plays a pivotal role in the global shift toward renewable energy, offering significant environmental benefits. In many instances, utility companies pay for both energy and peak demand. PV systems can effectively reduce energy consumption during their operational periods, while, their contribution during peak hours, particularly in the early morning and late evening, is often limited. To address this issue, battery storage systems are utilized for storing energy during off-peak hours and releasing it during peak times. However, finding the optimal size of PV-battery systems remains a challenge. This study proposes a novel statistical model to optimize PV-battery system sizing for enhanced peak demand reduction. The model aims to flatten 95% of peak demand days up to a certain demand threshold, ensuring consistent energy supply and financial benefit for utility companies. A straightforward and effective search methodology is employed to determine the optimal system sizes. Additionally, the model effectiveness is rigorously tested through a modified Monte Carlo simulation coupled with time series clustering to generate various scenarios to assess performance under different conditions. The results indicate that the optimal PV-battery system successfully flattens 95% of daily peak demand up to 2000 kW, yielding a financial benefit of $812,648 over 20 years.

Abstract The relationship between cancer and neurodegeneration has spurred extensive scientific discourse, challenging their historical classification as distinct disorders. While cancer signifies uncontrolled cellular proliferation and neurodegeneration marks progressive neuronal loss, recent insights highlight intriguing interconnections between these seemingly disparate conditions. Cancer entails perpetual signaling for growth, evasion of growth inhibitors, resistance to cell death, acquisition of replicative immortality, stimulation of blood vessel growth (angiogenesis), and initiation of invasion and metastasis. Conversely, investigations emphasize disrupted cellular energy regulation and evasion of immune surveillance as key traits arising from genome instability, mutations, and inflammation driving tumorigenesis. Neurodegeneration involves neuronal malfunction and depletion, synaptic impairment, and protein abnormalities aggregations contributing to muscle atrophy and cognitive deficits. Varied clinical studies underscore contrasting correlations between cancer and neurodegeneration, hinting at mirrored molecular pathways that foster cell resilience or vulnerability. Research explores cellular signaling in tumorigenesis, shared with neurodegenerative disorders. Aberrant expression or mutations in crucial genes implicated in neurodegeneration also surface in cancer contexts. Debates persist on the nature of the relationship between cancer and neurodegeneration, contemplating inverse associations or shared pathways. Understanding their complex interplay, encompassing genetics, cellular mechanisms, and environmental influences, remains pivotal in unraveling their connections. This review explores the intriguing perspective that neurodegeneration and cancer might share fundamental genetic links, delving into potential implications for their onset and progression.

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), previously known as Devic disease or neuromyelitis optica (NMO), represents inflammatory conditions affecting the central nervous system. These disorders are characterized by severe immune-mediated demyelination and axonal damage, with a predilection for targeting optic nerves and the spinal cord. Key clinical features of NMOSD encompass acute episodes of bilateral or rapid sequential optic neuritis and transverse myelitis, typically exhibiting a relapsing course. These attacks endure for several days, and recovery varies, spanning from weeks to months. In this report, we present the case of a 35-year-old individual who initially complained of urinary retention, followed by decreasing vision in the left eye and subsequently in the right eye. These visual symptoms were succeeded by weakness in the right upper and lower limbs.

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).

This article develops duality principles, a related convex dual formulation and primal dual formulations suitable for the local and global optimization of non-convex primal formulations for a large class of models in physics and engineering. The results are based on standard tools of functional analysis, calculus of variations and duality theory. In particular, we develop applications to a Ginzburg-Landau type equation. Other applications include primal dual variational formulations for a Burger's type equation and a Navier-Stokes system. We emphasize the novelty here is that the first dual variational formulation developed is convex for a primal formulation which is originally non-convex. Finally, we also highlight the primal dual variational formulations presented have a large region of convexity around any of their critical points.

A Staudinger reaction on solid phase between an electronodeficit organic azide such as sulfonyl azide, and the phosphite triester formed upon phosphoramidite coupling is a convenient method for chemical modification of oligonucleotides at the internucleotidic phosphate position. In this work, 4-carboxybenzenesulfonyl azide either with a free carboxy group or in the form of an activated ester such as pentafluorophenyl, 4-nitrophenyl, or pentafluorobenzyl ester were used to introduce a carboxylic acid function to the terminal or internal internucleotidic phosphate of an oligonucleotide via Staudinger reaction. A subsequent treatment with excess primary alkyl amine followed by usual work-up, after prior activation with a suitable peptide coupling agent such as HBTU/HOBt in the case of a free carboxyl, afforded amide-linked oligonucleotide conjugates in good yields including multiple conjugations of up to the exhaustive modification at each phosphate position for a weakly activated pentafluorobenzyl ester, whereas more strongly activated and, thus, more reactive aryl esters provided only single conjugations at the 5′-end. The conjugates synthesized include those with di- and polyamines that introduce a positively charged side-chain to potentially assist intracellular delivery of the oligonucleotide.

Hungary's first national park was created in 1973 in the Hortobágy area to protect Europe's largest contiguous steppe area with its flora and fauna. The Hortobágy National Park - the Puszta was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a cultural landscape in 1999. The park's outstanding importance is due to the predominantly non-arboreal steppe vegetation, home to a unique bird fauna, and the alkaline and chernozem soils with a complex, mosaic-like spatial structure. In addition, the landscape of the Hortobágy has a pastoral history stretching back thousands of years. Several hypotheses have been put forward, which suggest that the alkaline soils and the habitats that cover them were formed as a result of human activities related to river regulation that began in the second half of the 19th century. However, palaeoecological and palaeobiological studies over the last 30-40 years have pointed to the natural origin of the alkaline steppes, dating back to the end of the Ice Age. For thousands of years human activities, in particular grazing by domestic animals, hardly influenced the natural evolution of the area. Drainage of marshy and flooded areas began in the 19th century, and the introduction of more and more intensive agriculture, had a significant impact on the landscape. This paper aims to describe the past natural development of this special alkaline steppe ecosystem, with particular reference to the impacts of past and present human activities, including conservation measures.