The oscillating heat pipe (OHP) is a new member in the family of heat pipes, and it has great potential applications in energy conservation. However, the fluid flow and heat transfer in the OHP as well as the fundamental effects of inner diameter on them have not been fully understood, which are essential to the design and optimization of the OHP in real applications. Therefore, by combining the high-speed visualization method and infrared thermal imaging technique, the fluid flow and thermal performance in the OHPs with inner diameters of 1, 2 and 3 mm are presented and analyzed. The results indicate that three fluid flow motions, including small oscillation, bulk oscillation and circulation, coexist or, respectively, exist alone with the increasing heating load under different inner diameters, with three flow patterns occurring in the OHPs, viz. bubbly flow, slug flow and annular flow. These fluid flow motions are closely correlated with the heat and mass transfer performance in the OHPs, which can be reflected by the characteristics of infrared thermal images of condensers. The decrease in the inner diameter increases the frictional flow resistance and capillary instability while restricting the nucleate boiling in OHPs, which leads to a smaller proportion of bubbly flow, a larger proportion of short slug flow, a poorer thermal performance, and easier dry-out of working fluid. In addition, when compared with the 2 mm OHP, the increasing role of gravity induces the thermosyphon effect and weakens the 'bubble pumping' action, which results in a little smaller and bigger thermal resistances of 3 mm OHP under small and bulk oscillation of working fluid, respectively.

: In this paper we present an optimization of the planar manufacturing scheme for stretch-free, shape induced metal interconnects to simplify the fabrication with the aim of maximizing the flexibility in the structure regarding to stress and strain. The Formation of trenches between silicon islands are actively used in the lithographic process to create arc shape structures by spin coating resist into the trenches. The resulting resist form is used as a template for the metal lines, which are structured on top. Because this arc shape is beneficial for the flexibility of these bridges. The trench depth as a key parameter for the stress distribution is investigated by applying numerical simulations. The simulated results show that the increase in penetration depth of the metal bridge into the trench increases the tensile load which is converted into a shear Force Q(x), that usually leads to increased strains the structure can generate. For the fabrication the filling of the trenches with resist is optimized by varying the spin speed. Compared to the theoretical resistance, the current-voltage measurements of the metal bridges show a similar behavior and almost every structural variation is capable of functioning as a flexible electrical interconnect in a complete island-bridge array.

Background: Complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) are widely used, with pharmacies accounting for a significant share of the distribution market. Despite their popularity, many CAMs lack scientific evidence for effectiveness, and some can cause adverse health effects. Limited research exists on CAM-related adverse events and the effectiveness of CAM labels in conveying crucial information. Methods: This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate CAM utilization, consumer perspectives, and the influence of labels on CAM usage in Melbourne, Australia. Data were collected through an online questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, MANOVA, and regression analyses. Results: The study enrolled 125 current CAM users, primarily recruited from pharmacy and supermarket customers (age: predominantly 31-50; gender: 20.8% male, 79.2% female). Participants' perceptions of effectiveness and safety were positively correlated. Label warnings prompted information-seeking, but consultation with healthcare professionals (HCPs), particularly pharmacists, was infrequent (24%). Adverse reactions were reported by 18.5% of participants, with 8.3% experiencing severe reactions. The analysis revealed relationships between CAM usage and demographics. Ordinal logistic regression showed a significant association between calcium consumption and higher age groups (coefficient = 1.658, p = 0.006), while binary logistic regression identified higher iron consumption among females (coefficient = 2.177, p = 0.007). Conclusions: Label warnings significantly prompted consumers to seek more information about CAMs. However, a limited engagement of HCPs, especially pharmacists, suggests an opportunity for improved consumer education and pharmacist involvement in CAMs-related discussions. The findings highlight demographic influences on CAM usage being essential for developing targeted health interventions and policies. Addressing these aspects may lead to safer CAM practices and informed consumer decision-making.

Human serum albumin (HSA) corona formation at polymer microparticles of a spheroidal shape was studied using dynamic light scattering and laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV). Physicochemical characteristics of the albumin comprising, the zeta potential and the isoelectric point were determined as a function of pH for various ionic strengths. Analogous characteristics of the polymer particles were carried out. The adsorption of albumin on the particles was monitored by electrophoretic mobility measurements (LDV). The stability of the HSA functionalized particle suspensions under various pHs and their electrokinetic properties were determined. The deposition kinetics of the particles on mica, silica and gold sensors were determined in situ by optical microscopy, AFM and by the quartz microbalance (QCM) under diffusion and flow conditions. The obtained results were interpreted in terms of the coarse-grained random sequential adsorption model that allowed to estimate the range of applicability of QCM for determining deposition kinetics of virus and bacteria at abiotic surfaces.

Hyperspectral images (HSI) contain abundant spectral information. Efficient extraction and utilization of this information for image classification remain prominent research topics. Previously, hyperspectral classification techniques primarily relied on statistical attributes and mathematical models of spectral data. Deep learning classification techniques have recently been extensively utilized for hyperspectral data classification, yielding promising outcomes. This study proposes a deep learning approach that uses polarization feature maps for classification. Initially, the polar coordinate transformation method is employed to convert the spectral information of all pixels in the image into spectral feature maps. Subsequently, the proposed Deep Context Feature Fusion Network (DCFF-NET) is utilized to classify these feature maps. The model is validated using three open-source hyperspectral datasets: Indian Pines, Pavia University, and Salinas. The experimental results indicated that DCFF-NET achieves excellent classification performance. Experimental results on three public HSI datasets demonstrate that the proposed method accurately recognizes different objects with an overall accuracy (OA) of 86.68%, 94.73%, and 95.14% based on the pixel method, and 98.15%, 99.86%, and 99.98% based on the pixel-patch method.

The Atmospheric Dynamics Mission ADM-Aeolus was successfully launched in August 2018 by the European Space Agency (ESA). The Aeolus mission carried a single instrument, the first-ever Doppler Wind Lidar (DWL) in space, called Atmospheric LAser Doppler INstrument (ALADIN). Aeolus circled the Earth in a polar sun-synchronous orbit at about 320 km altitude with a repeat cycle of 7 days, providing vertical profiles of horizontal line-of-sight (HLOS) winds on a global scale. Exceeding scientific expectations, Aeolus, initially designed for a 3-year lifetime, provided global coverage of wind profiles for almost five years. In this long-term validation study, we assessed the accuracy of the Level 2B (L2B) Rayleigh-clear and Mie-cloudy wind products by collecting radiosonde data from three stations in the Brazilian Amazon: Cruzeiro do Sul (7.62° S, 72.67° W), Porto Velho (8.76° S, 63.91° W), and Rio Branco (10.00° S, 67.80° W). Statistical validation was conducted by comparing Aeolus L2B wind products and radiosonde data, launched daily at 12:00 UTC from October 2018 to March 2023. Considering all data collected during the mission period, Pearson’s coefficient (R) of 0.73 was observed in Rayleigh-clear and 0.85 in Mie-cloudy, revealing a strong correlation between Aeolus and radiosonde winds. No significant biases were detected, with values of -0.14 m/s for Rayleigh-clear and -0.40 m/s for Mie-cloud, fulfilling the mission requirement of having absolute biases below 0.7 m/s. However, when analyzed annually, in 2022, the bias for Rayleigh-clear was -0.95 m/s, exceeding the mission requirements.

In the intersection of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine Learning (ML), the choice between high-level and low-level programming libraries presents a significant dilemma for developers, impacting not only the efficiency and effectiveness of ML models but also their environmental footprint. We have proposed a comprehensive framework to aid in this decision-making process, underpinned by a detailed comparative analysis of both types of libraries on one of the key IoT ML task; image classification. We have introduced a novel algorithm designed to calculate the green footprint of ML model training, factoring in execution time, memory utilization, power consumption, and CPU temperature, addressing the urgent need for sustainable ML practices. Through an empirical evaluation of popular libraries such as PyTorch for high-level and Libtorch for low-level development, we have assessed their performance, development efficiency, and hardware compatibility. The culmination of our research is a decision support system that synthesizes the experimental findings to guide developers toward choices that harmonize model performance with environmental sustainability.

(1) Background: Parents of children with autism spectrum disorders often experience psychological distress, which can affect the quality of childcare they provide. It is crucial to screen for psychiatric symptoms among these parents. The Core Symptom Index (CSI) is a widely used tool for assessing general symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms, with demonstrated validity and reliability across various populations. However, there is limited research on the validity and reliability of the CSI in the general Chinese population. This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the CSI among parents of children with autism spectrum disorders using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). (2) Methods: A total of 794 Chinese parents raising children with autism participated in this study. All completed the CSI, along with the social inhibition subscale of the Interpersonal Problems Inventory and the Couple Satisfaction Index. Factorial validity was assessed using CFA to determine how well the bifactor three-factor model fits the data. Various structural models were compared using model fit indices. Convergent and discriminant validity were examined by exploring correlations with the social inhibition subscale and the Couple Satisfaction Index. Invariance testing of the CSI was conducted across multiple groups based on gender, age, and education using CFA. The reliability of the CSI was evaluated using McDonald’s omega coefficients. (3) Results: The bifactor model emerged as the best-fitting model for the data, suggesting that the total score of the CSI adequately represents overall psychiatric symptoms. The CSI exhibited significant correlations with the social inhibition subscale (r = 0.41, p < 0.01) and smaller correlation coefficients with the Couple Satisfaction Index (r = -0.16, p < 0.05), indicating both convergent and discriminant validity. Invariant tests supported scalar invariance levels based on gender and age but only partial invariance for education. The Chinese version of the CSI demonstrated high consistency, with McDonald's omega coefficients ranging between 0.86 and 0.95. (4) Conclusions: The bifactor model of the Chinese version of the CSI is validated, making it a suitable tool for measuring depression, anxiety, and somatization symptoms among parents of children with autism spectrum disorders. Further research on other Chinese populations is encouraged.

Improvement of hydrophysical properties and corrosion resistance of self-compacting concrete to the effects of alternate freezing-thawing and aggressive soils of southern and central Kazakhstan is of interest to a wide range of researchers from the side of practical application of the obtained results in construction practice. It is proposed to form a spatially reinforced fine crystalline structure of cement matrix with maximum dense packing by using a complex modifier (Hyperplasticiser + Polymer + Microsilica + Fibro fibers) in the composition of self-compacting concretes (SCC). The introduction of the calculated amount of the above additives increases the operational reliability of the current SCC compositions, increasing the water resistance to W16, frost resistance to F=500, increasing the compressive strength by 20%, reducing the mass loss of samples during corrosion leaching to 50%. It has been experimentally established that the proposed addition of complex modifier (Hyperplasticiser + Polymer + Microsilica + Fiber fibers) to the SCC composition allows obtaining self-compacting concrete of high quality with improved performance characteristics (compressive strength, water resistance, frost resistance and corrosion resistance). Studies have shown that the complex modifier-modified SCC compositions have a high degree of resistance in aggressive environments and leaching corrosion. Based on the results of the conducted tests, it is possible to recommend the obtained SCC compositions for production of building products working in the zone of alternating freezing-thawing and aggressive soils.

Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) are receiving more and more attention as they involve simple design, cope better with turbulence and are insensitive to wind direction which has a huge impact on the cost since the yaw mechanism is not needed. However, VAWTs still suffer from low conversion efficiency. As a results tremendous efforts are exerted to improve its efficiency which mainly focus on two methods regardless of whether the study is a CFD simulation or a field test or lab test experiment. An active approach which involves the modification of the rotor itself such as the blade design, angle, trailing and leading edges, inner blades, chord thickness, contra-rotating rotor, etc. While the second approach involves passive techniques where the flow is directed to optimally face the downwind rotor by mounting a guiding vane such as a diffuser or other shapes at the upwind position of the rotor. Among all techniques undertaken, the CRWT rotor technique seems to be the most effective with an output even comparable to that of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWT), while the Savonius rotor received more attention compared to other designs of VAWTs. Apart from technological issues, it was also suggested that geographical issues such as proper site siting of the wind turbine rotor at a particular location where a uniform flow could be guaranteed is of paramount importance to ensure an effective conversion capacity of wind turbines.

In current transportation hubs, it is a common phenomenon that passengers travel with necessary wheeled-luggage or suitcases. Due to the fact that most luggage occupies certain space within dense passenger crowds with giant mass inertia, its abnormal motions, such as drifting, frequently trig unavoidable local disturbances and turbulence in surrounding pedestrian flows, further increasing security risk. While, current researches primarily concentrate on examining the impact of luggage on crowd evacuation efficiency through scenario-based experiments and analyzing the spatial characteristics of crowd distribution in surveillance videos. There still lacks of the dynamic disturbance mechanisms and crowd stability associated with the combined motion of passengers and luggage. Therefore, this study considers the luggage-laden passenger as a deformable particle, the resulting disturbance on surrounding non-luggage passengers is analyzed and quantified into a nonlinear pressure term. Subsequently, the disturbance propagation model of passenger-luggage is developed by adapting the classical Aw-Rascle traffic flow model with incorporation of the pressure term. Simulation experiments of disturbances caused by luggage drifting and retrograding validate that the proposed propagation model aligns with real-world situations in transportation hubs. Quantitively, when luggage-laden passenger drifted left, the disturbing force of left side crowd can reach a peak of 238N in the passenger density of 3.0 p/m2, and the maximum difference between the left and right sides disturbing force can reach 153N. Furthermore, it is recommended that the proposed model can be applied to crowd flow analysis and risk assessment.

Biological neural network (BNN) is the core brain for creature to accomplish its intelligent behaviors through unique network structure and mechanisms. It also inspires controlling human-designed autonomous agents including robots to generate more advanced intelligent behaviors by mimicking the neural control mechanism of creatures at a deeper and more interactive level. Here, we constructed a whole-brain neural network model of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), which characterizes the electrochemical processes at the level of cellular synapse. The neural network simulation integrates computational programming and visualization of neurons and synapse connections of C. elegans, containing the specific controllable circuits summarization with their dynamic characteristics within the whole network. To illustrate its particular intelligent control capability in terms of robotics, we introduce the first innovative methodology for applying the BNN model to a 12-legged robot’s movement control based on the established numerical simulation platforms. We accomplished and designed two methods and corresponding encoding processes, one involving orientation control and the other involving locomotion generation, to demonstrate the intelligent control performance of BNN. Both simulation and experiment results indicate that the robot exhibits stronger autonomy and more intelligent moving performance under the control of BNN. We then summarized the contributions for digitalizing the C. elegans’ whole-brain neural network in real-time and utilizing it to control robot in a closed loop to validate its advanced intelligence control ability in terms of a scientific robot.

Sunflower is one of the oil crops and its planting areas was listed behind Soybean, peanut and rapeseeds in China. It will encounter different kind of diseases during planting, thus limited the seeds yield. Fusarium species are the major threat to different crops nowadays, it is very important to identify the species caused diseases on different hosts, so that the potential control measures may be explored. In Inner mongolia, Sunflower Disk Rot (SDR) was found in different sunflower planting field, the average infection ratio around 8.50%, typically in some verieties, its infection ratio reach to 11.67%. The diseased receptacle were collected from different locations and Koch’s postulate was conducted. The results showed that Fusarium verticillioides was the main causal agent caused SDR. Fungicide toxicity tests shown that Fludioxonil and Flutolanil were screened out from six fungicides for controlling F. verticillioides, with EC50 values of 0.05 µg/mL (R = 0.9825) and 0.96 µg/mL (R = 0.9964) , respectively. This is the first report of SDR caused by F. verticillioides, and it will alert sunflower reseachers to include SDR in the disease list, so as to control sunflower diseases with integrated management strategy successfully.

In the case of a Cu-Mo-W polymetallic ore, the wastewater from the scheelite cleaning flowsheet contains large amounts of residual flocculants and metal ions, and the separation of chalcopyrite and molybdenite require a large number of environmentally harmful depressants. Therefore, it is necessary to find new methods to reduce the environmental and cost pressures of wastewater treatment and the use of depressants. In this work, the flotation wastewater from scheelite cleaning flowsheet for the separation of chalcopyrite and molybdenite by selective surface passivation was investigated for the first time. Flotations of single minerals and artificially mixed minerals with or without immersion pretreatment in the presence and absence of aeration were performed. The results showed that pulp pH had no effect on the flotation of either mineral, and a molybdenite recovery of 93.22% with chalcopyrite recovery of 10.77% was achieved under the conditions of 10 days of immersion pretreatment with aeration, 350 mg/L of kerosene, and 100 mg/L of MIBC. By combining the electrochemical cyclic voltammetry analysis and characterization by XRD and SEM, the selective surface passivation mechanism of chalcopyrite was discussed, which could be due to the coverage of the insoluble oxidation products, especially jarosite. This work has simultaneously achieved the depressant-free flotation separation of molybdenite and chalcopyrite and the reuse of scheelite flotation wastewater, which is of great significance for environmental protection and cost saving.

There is evidence that kidney involvement is frequently observed in COVID-19 patients, and can manifest as mild proteinuria to advancing acute kidney injury (AKI). One of the mechanisms is microvascular and macrovascular thrombosis caused by the hypercoagulation phase of the disease. Thromboelastography (TEG) is a valuable examination to detect significant hemostatic abnormalities, including the hypercoagulable state. This study analyzed the coagulation profiles, including TEG parameters, in COVID-19 patients who developed AKI compared to those who did not during their intensive care unit (ICU) stay, to identify predictors of AKI. Our single-center cohort retrospective study involved adult patients of COVID-19 in the ICU of Sardjito Hospital in Yogyakarta, Indonesia between May and September 2021. Patients were divided into two groups of AKI and non-AKI based on 2012 KDIGO definition and the elaboration by Indonesian Society of Nephrology. Variables showing a significant difference in the two groups were then analyzed using univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression. A total of 60 COVID-19 patients were included in the study, and 35% of them developed AKI. Compared to non-AKI patients, those with AKI exhibited a greater prevalence of diabetes mellitus (66.7% versus 35.9%, P = 0.023), higher D-Dimer levels (970 versus 685 ng/mL, P = 0.045), and higher values in TEG parameters of maximum amplitude/MA (74.6 versus 65.9 mm, P = 0.001) and coagulation index/CI (2.3 versus 1.0, P = 0.033). TEG parameter of MA emerged as the sole significant predictor for the development of AKI (OR, 6.33; 95% CI, 1.56 to 25.64). Our study validated the kidney involvement of COVID-19 infection, and showed that diabetes mellitus, high D-Dimer levels, and hypercoagulability serve as prominent risk factors in the development of AKI. Furthermore, TEG parameter of MA exceeding 70 mm is the single independent significant predictor of AKI.

Ambulatory heart rate (HR) monitors that acquire electrocardiogram (ECG) or/and photoplethysmographm (PPG) signals from the torso, wrists, or ears are notably less accurate in tasks associated with high levels of movement compared to clinical measurements. However, reliable estimation of HR can be obtained through data fusion from different sensors. These methods are especially suitable for multimodal hearable devices, where heart rate can be tracked from different modalities, including electrical ECG, optical PPG, and sounds (heart tones). Combined information from different modalities can compensate for single source limitations. In this paper, we evaluate the possible application of data fusion methods in hearables. We assess data fusion for heart rate estimation from simultaneous in-ear ECG and in-ear PPG, recorded on eight subjects while performing 5-minute sitting and walking tasks. Our findings show that data fusion methods provide a similar level of mean absolute error as the best single-source heart rate estimation but with much lower intra-subject variability, especially during walking activities. We conclude that data fusion methods provide more robust HR estimation than a single cardiovascular signal. These methods can enhance the performance of wearable devices, especially multimodal hearables, in heart rate tracking during physical activity.

Surface initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) is one of the most versatile technique to modify the surface properties of material. Recent developed metal free SI-ATRP makes such technique more widely applicable. Herein photo-induced metal-free SI-ATRP of methacrylates, such as methyl methacrylate, N-isopropanyl acrylamide, and N,N- dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, on the surface of SBA-15 was reported to fabricate organic-inorganic hybrid materials. SBA-15 based polymeric composite with adjustable graft ratio was obtained. The structure evolution during the SI-ATRP modification of SBA-15 was monitored and verified by FT-IR, XPS, TGA, BET, and TEM. The obtained polymeric composite showed enhanced adsorption ability for the model compound toluene in aqueous. This procedure provides a low cost, ready availability, and facile modification way to synthesize the polymeric composites without the contamination of metal.

In eastern part of Ethiopia groundnut is very commonly intercropped with sorghum. Even though intercropping of sorghum with groundnut is practiced in the eastern part of Ethiopia the population density at what ratio should not be known. Therefore determining the population ratio is found to be crucial to draw management options. The study was conducted at two locations at Fadis (on station) and Babile (sub- station). Sorghum variety (Teshale) and groundnut (Fetene) were used as planting materials. All agronomic data were collected and analyzed by using GenStat software. Significant different were obtained among the treatments. The research result showed that, there were significance difference for both sorghum and ground nut yield per hectare in the years (2014 and 2015) among treatments. The result over time(in 2014 and 2015) at Fadis and Erer showed that the highest sorghum and groundnut yield per hectare were obtained/harvested from the intra row spacing of 25cmx20cm and 30cmx20cm intercropping sorghum with ground nut system with (1.27 and 1.31) respectively. The highest LER (1.31) and highest GMV (10218.00 ETBr/ha) were obtained from the intercropping of 30cmx20cm (Sorghum & groundnut). Clearly showed that, with intercropping of sorghum and Groundnut, it is possible to produce additional yield of sorghum without significant reduction in groundnut yield. As a result of this, the intra spacing of the main crop (sorghum) 25cm and 30cm and for the subsidiary crop (groundnut) 20cm was recommended for further production in the study areas of eastern Harerghe zone and similar agro-ecologies.

Laser Photoacoustic Spectrometers (LPAS), which provide photoacoustic spectra for detecting food frauds or adulteration, and fluorescence-based systems for recognition of contamination by heavy metal ions in water are two important families of sensors for health and environmental purposes. Both sensor families require one or more low-frequency Lock-In Amplifiers (LIAs) to extract the signal of interest from background noise. In the cited applications, the required LIA frequency is quite low (up to 1kHz), and this leads to a simplification of the hardware with consequent good results in portability, economy, reduced size, weight and low-cost characteristics. The present system, called ENEA DSP Box Due, is based on a very inexpensive microcontroller proto-board and can replace four commercial LIAs, resulting in significant savings in both cost and space. Furthermore, it incorporates a dual-channel oscilloscope and a sinusoidal function generator. This article outlines the architecture of the ENEA DSP Box Due, its electrical characterization and its applications within a project concerning laser techniques for food and water safety.

In this work, dry and hydrothermal carbonization (DC and HTC) of RDF pellets were conducted to evaluate the physical, chemical, and fuel properties of the produced chars. In the dry carbonization tests, biomass sawdust was incorporated in different proportions on the samples to minimize agglomeration caused by the melting of the plastic fraction. The experiments were carried out in a temperature of 400°C (DC) and 250-300°C (HTC), in a residence time of 30 minutes. The respective chars and hydrochars were characterized according to their mass yield, apparent density, proximate, elemental, and mineral composition, chlorine content, high heating value, thermogravimetric profile, and surface functional groups. The results showed that dry carbonization of RDF pellets with biomass incorporation, followed by a washing step, resulted in the production of chars with improved properties such as higher fixed carbon and HHV (25-26 MJ/kg) and lower ash and chlorine content. Additionally, the HTC experiments demonstrated that hydrochars showed improved properties without the need for biomass addition and washing, however, with no significant difference in the HHV (20-21 MJ/kg). Therefore, DC of RDF pellets with 10% biomass incorporation seems to be a promising option to overcome the constraints of RDF utilization as an alternative fuel.

Clinical and laboratory diagnostics are particularly important in monitoring the internal homeostasis of the body in high-yielding animals, especially in dairy cows, whose metabolism is under constant pressure to obtain high parameters of milk production and reproduction. Knowledge of laboratory test results and relationships based on significant correlations between various milk and blood parameters may be very useful in veterinary diagnostics and helpful in cattle practice in order to protect animal health and the quality of milk production. The aim of the study was to analyze the correlation between selected hematological biomarkers such as white blood corpuscles (WBC), red blood corpuscles (RBC), hemoglobin concentration (HGB), hematocrit (HCT), platelets (PLT), erythrocyte mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin content (MHC), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and selected quantitative-qualitative parameters of cow’s milk such as current milk production, somatic cells count (SCC), colony of bacteria forming units (CFU), milk fat (MF), milk protein (MP), milk lactose (ML), milk solids (S), solids non-fat in milk (SNF), daily milk production. Samples were collected three times at daily intervals from 11 clinically healthy late-lactation dairy cows obtaining 33 sets of test results. This repeated study of cows allowed for obtaining a homogeneous group in order to determine statistical correlations between selected blood and milk parameters. Many significant correlations were found between the examined parameters. In cows, significant positive correlations were recorded between milk production and HGB, HCT, MCV or MHC. Significant negative correlations were also found between SCC and HGB, SCC and HCT, SNF and MCV, SNF and MHC, and between MF and RBC.

This study describes a novel method for grading pathological sections of gliomas. Our own integrated hyperspectral imaging system was employed to characterize 270 bands of cancerous tissue samples from microarray slides of gliomas. These samples were then classified according to the guidelines developed by the World Health Organization, which define the subtypes and grades of diffuse gliomas. We explored a hyperspectral feature extraction model called SMLME-Resnet using microscopic hyperspectral images of brain gliomas of different malignancy grades. The model combines the channel attention mechanism and multi-scale image features to automatically learn the pathological organization of gliomas and obtain hierarchical feature representations, effectively removing the interference of redundant information. It also completes multi-modal, multi-scale spatial and spectral feature extraction to improve the automatic classification of glioma subtypes. The proposed classification method demonstrated high average classification accuracy (>97.3\%) and Kappa coefficient (0.954), indicating its effectiveness in improving the automatic classification of hyperspectral gliomas. The method is readily applicable in a wide range of clinical settings, offering valuable assistance in alleviating the workload of clinical pathologists. Furthermore, the study contributes to the development of more personalized and refined treatment plans, as well as subsequent follow-up and adjustment of treatment, by providing physicians with insights into the underlying pathological organization of gliomas.

Immunosuppressed individuals, such as people living with HIV (PLWH), remain vulnerable to severe COVID-19. We analyzed the persistence of specific SARS-CoV-2 humoral and cellular immune responses in a retrospective, cross-sectional study in PLWH on antiretroviral therapy. Among 104 participants, 70.2% had anti-S IgG antibodies and 55.8% had significant neutralizing activity against the Omicron variant in a surrogate virus neutralization test. Only 38.5% were vaccinated (8.76 ± 4.1 months prior), all displaying anti-S IgG, 75% with neutralizing antibodies and anti-S IgA. 29.8% had no SARS-CoV-2 serologic markers and displayed significantly lower CD4 counts and HIV viral load. Severe immunosuppression (present in 12.5% of participants) was linked to lower levels of detectable anti-S IgG (0.0003), anti-S IgA (p < 0.0001) and lack of neutralizing activity against Omicron variant (p < 0.0001). T-cell responses were present in 86.7% of tested participants, even in those lacking serological markers. In PLWH without severe immunosuppression, neutralizing antibodies and T-cell responses persisted for up to 9 months post-infection or vaccination. Advanced immunosuppression led to diminished humoral immunity, but retained cellular immune.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ɷ-3 PUFAs) offer diverse health benefits, such as supporting cardiovascular health, improving cognitive function, promoting joint and musculoskeletal health, and contributing to healthy aging. Despite their advantages, challenges like oxidation susceptibility, low bioavailability, and potential adverse effects at high doses persist. Nanoparticle encapsulation emerges as a promising avenue to address these limitations while preserving stability, enhanced bioavailability, and controlled release. This comprehensive review explores the therapeutic roles of omega-3 fatty acids, critically appraising their shortcomings and delving into modern encapsulation strategies. Furthermore, it explores the potential advantages of Metal-organic framework nanoparticles (MOF NPs) compared to other commonly utilized nanoparticles in improving the therapeutic effectiveness of omega-3 fatty acids within drug delivery systems (DDS). Additionally, it outlines future research directions to fully exploit the therapeutic benefits of these encapsulated omega-3 formulations for cardiovascular disease treatment.

One of the industries with the fastest rate of growth is healthcare, and this industry's enormous data requires extensive cloud storage. The cloud may offer some protection, but there is no assurance that data owners can rely on it for refuge and privacy amenities. Therefore, it is essential to offer security and privacy protection. Increased customer satisfaction with security and privacy preservation is crucial since healthcare big data and its sources are stored in the cloud and contain increasingly private and sensitive information. However, maintaining privacy and security in an untrusted green cloud environment is difficult, thus the data owner should have complete data control. A new work SecPri-BGMPOP(security and privacy of Boost graph Convolutional Network -Pinpointing-Optimization Performance) is suggested that can offer a solution that involves several different steps in order to handle the numerous problems relating to security and protecting privacy. Initially Boost Graph Convolutional Network Clustering (BGCNC) algorithm, which reduces computational complexity in terms of time and memory measurements, is first applied to the input dataset to begin the clustering process. Second, enlarge by employing a piece of the magnifying bit string to generate a safe key, pinpointing based encryption avoids amplify leakage even if a rival or attacker decrypts the key or asymmetric encryption. Finally, to determine the accuracy of the method, an optimal key was created using a meta-heuristic algorithmic framework called Hybrid fragment horde bland lobo Optimization (HFHBLO). Our proposed method currently kept in a cloud environment, allowing analytics users to utilize it without risking their privacy or security.

This study explores the complexities involved in the extraction and purification of catechins, prominent bioactive compounds found in plant extracts and tea. It addresses challenges arising from the intricate molecular structure of catechins and their inherent variability across botanical sources. Despite these obstacles, catechins present significant potential, particularly in healthcare. Their potent antioxidant properties have been extensively investigated and associated with numerous health benefits, positioning them as promising therapeutic agents for combating chronic diseases. Furthermore, catechins have diverse applications across various industries, including food and beverage, cosmetics, agriculture, and materials science. This abstract emphasizes the importance of continued research and innovation in catechin extraction and utilization, which hold promise for advancing human health and technological progress across multiple domains.

Background. Cervical esophageal reconstruction is vital for improving the quality of life in cancer surgery patients. Microsurgery is crucial, providing vascularized tissue for defect repair, particularly in secondary cases with a higher risk of failure due to larger defects and damage from previous surgery and radiotherapy. The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of a series of patients who underwent secondary repair of esophageal defects and provide practical information for the management and treatment of such cases based on the authors' experience and the literature review. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of the Plastic Surgery Clinic at the University of Trieste to identify cases of patients who underwent secondary esophageal microsurgical reconstructions following oncological surgery. Patient demographics, etiology of esophageal defects, previous surgical history, and preoperative assessments were collected from medical records. Surgical techniques employed for reconstruction, such as pedicled flaps or free tissue transfers, were documented along with intraoperative details. Postoperative outcomes, including complications, graft viability, and functional outcomes, were evaluated during follow-up. Results. We treated 13 cases of secondary esophageal reconstructions from 2011 to 2022. Most commonly, Antero-Lateral Thigh (ALT) flaps were used in 10 cases, while 2 cases employed Radial Forearm Flap (RFF), and 1 a chimeric parascapular flap. No flap failures occurred during a median 50-month follow-up. One ALT flap patient experienced post-op stricture but maintained swallowing ability. A single tracheoesophageal fistula occurred in a RFF patient with a history of radiotherapy and completion lymph node dissection. Conclusions. Cervical esophageal reconstruction significantly impacts patients' quality of life by restoring oral feeding and phonation. When local flaps fall short, microsurgical reconstruction with intestinal flaps is valuable, but burdened by limitations. For challenging secondary cases, ALT or RFF flaps emerge as safer options due to their robust pedicles, yielding low complication rates and positive functional outcomes.

Electrical contacts are important circuit components with diverse industrial applications, and their failure can lead to multiple unwanted effects. Hence, the behavior of electrical contacts is a widely studied topic in scientific literature based on various approaches, tools, and techniques. The present study proposes a numerical modeling and simulation approach based on the Holm contact theory to study the dependence between the electric potential and the temperature within an electrical contact. Structured in 5 sections, the research was conducted using COMSOL Multiphysics software and its solid-state mechanics, electric current, and heat transfer modules in order to highlight contact behavior from mechanical, electrical and thermal points of view: the von Mises stress, contact force, the electric field amplitude, the variation of the electrical potential along the current path, the temperature gradient, and dependence of temperature along the contact elements edges were obtained by simulation and graphically represented. The results are in line with the expectations and with past research that was studied in the literature review.

As the adoption of renewable energy sources grows, ensuring a stable power balance across various time frames has become a central challenge for modern power systems. In line with the "dual carbon" objectives and the seamless integration of renewable energy sources, harnessing the advantages of various energy storage resources and coordinating the operation of long-term and short-term storage have become pivotal directions for future energy storage deployment. To address the complexities arising from the coupling of different time scales in optimizing energy storage capacity, this paper proposes a method for energy storage planning that accounts for power imbalance risks across multiple time scales. Initially, the Seasonal and Trend decomposition using the Loess (STL) decomposition method is utilized to temporally decouple actual operational data. Subsequently, power balance computations are performed based on the obtained data at various time scales to optimize the allocation of different types of energy storage capacities and assess the associated imbalance risks. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed approach is validated through hourly applications using real-world data from a province in China over recent years.

The analysis of chemical warfare agents and their degradation products has become increasingly important for public and military safety in recent years. In the article, we drew attention to the possibilities of the HPLC-ICP-MS analytical technique, which has been relatively rarely used for identifying and quantitatively analyzing highly toxic and hazardous substances in environmental samples. This technique enables the identification and determination of minimal amounts (ppt range) of chemicals in various matrices. This fact is important for the analysis of chemical warfare agents and other highly harmful compounds, even small amounts of which can have serious consequences for living organisms. The article critically analyzes the results of scientific research on the identification and quantitative analysis of extremely toxic organophosphorus, organosulfur and organoarsenic substances, their derivatives and degradation products using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).

This paper presents a comparative study of fundamental similarity functions for Siamese networks in semantic textual similarity (STS) tasks. We evaluate various similarity functions using the STS Benchmark dataset, analyzing their performance and stability. Additionally, we introduce a multi-objective approach for optimal threshold selection. Our findings provide insights into the effectiveness of different similarity functions and offer a straightforward method for threshold selection optimization, contributing to the advancement of Siamese network architectures in STS applications.

Following technological advances, autonomous and remote-controlled ships are performing trials in some sea areas; a mandatory goal-based MASS code, expected to enter into force on 1 January 2032, is under discussion in the International Maritime Organization (IMO). However, there are no unified standards regarding verification methods to define operating limitations for cutting-edge technologies, which are expected to be elements of MASS, so it is difficult to assess the risk factors for the management and operation of MASS. This paper outlines the regulatory framework for MASS, followed by a discussion of its application, considering the differences between MASS and automated driving, and how to develop safety management and operation using standards for automated driving. A requirements management framework developed as a system and software engineering standards to build safety management and operation of MASS is proposed. It is also suggested that the requirements management framework could be used not only for MASS development but also for regulatory review from a requirements management view.

Researchers have explored primary colour-geometric shape associations since Kandinsky's correspondence theory. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding interior colour applications on surface shapes. To address this gap, an online study was employed to gather data with one hundred participants who were asked to choose their preferred colours for shapes on bedroom walls with follow-up questions on the colour-shape semantic associations, their preference of colours and shapes on bedroom walls independently in addition to their favourite colour, their favourite shape, and colour-shape pairs without interior context. The results revealed that colour-shape preferences in interiors differ from those found in psychology studies, other colour applications on bedroom walls, and other preferences, indicating that colour preference is context-dependent. Interestingly, the most popular colour for surface shapes on bedroom walls is purple, followed by brown and blue. The study contributes to the existing literature by providing colour charts for bedroom applications for professionals in the industry, their clients/users, and future studies.

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.

According to the requirement of 20kg load of casting barrel, we design a three-dimensional model of the robot and analyze the three stages of liquid level change in the casting barrel during the casting process. Through the analysis, it is determined that the time and angle function is an implicit function, and it is impossible to find the analytical expression of time about angle. The kinetic function of the casting barrel is simulated by MATLAB, and it is found that the function image has mutation points, and when the original function is fitted and approximated by fifth-degree polynomial interpolation, the fifth-degree polynomial function image of the time versus the angular acceleration has a large amplitude of oscillation, especially the mutation points. A PID algorithm based on the discretization of the time and acceleration function is introduced for correction, and the results show that this method effectively reduces the oscillation amplitude of the image and improves the coincidence with the original function.

In the decarbonization of the steel, cement, and chemical industry in Germany, green hydrogen is expected to play a crucial role. The utilization of green hydrogen in the production processes of said industries requires organizations to modify their business model, requiring sustainable business model innovation (SBMI). Numerous tools and frameworks that support organizations in the process of SBMI have been proposed in the literature in recent years. However, the applicability of these tools and frameworks for steel, cement, and chemical companies that intend to utilize green hydrogen to produce their goods remains unexplored. By conducting a systematic literature review on tools and frameworks for SBMI, a literature and practice review to identify and analyze existing green hydrogen projects of steel, cement, and chemical companies, and an evaluation of the identified tools and frameworks in an evaluation matrix, this paper aims to assess the suitability of SBMI tools and frameworks for steel, cement, and chemical companies that plan to use green hydrogen to produce their goods. Based on the evaluation, the Cambridge Business Model Innovation Process (CBMIP) was identified as the most suitable SBMI framework.

Thermal camouflage is a highly sought-after technology to increase the survivability of military equipment against infrared (IR) detectors. Recently, two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have shown low IR emissivity, widely tunable opto-electronic properties and compatibility with stealth-applications. Among them, graphene and graphene-like materials are the most attractive 2D materials used for thermal camouflage applications. In particular, in multilayer graphene (MLG) charge density can be effectively tuned through sufficiently intense electric fields or through electrolytic gating. Therefore, MLG optical properties, like infrared emissivity and absorbance, can be controlled in a wide range by voltage bias. The large emissivity modulation achievable with this material makes it suitable in the design of thermal dynamic camouflage devices. Generally, the emissivity modulation in the multilayered graphene medium is governed by an intercalation process of non-volatile ionic liquids under a voltage bias. The electrically-driven reduction of emissivity leads to a decrease in the apparent temperature of the surface, which can match that of the background enabling thermal camouflaging. Since this property is common to other graphene-based materials, here we present a review specifically focused on the recent advances in the field of the thermal camouflage properties of graphene in the form of composite film and aerogel structures. A summary of the current understanding of the working principle of thermal camouflage materials, current limitations, and future opportunities is presented and discussed.

This research investigates precision enhancement in regional quasi-geoid refinement through ADS80 tri-linear array scanning stereoscopic imagery for aerial triangulation, coupled with GNSS gravity-potential modeling. Acquiring stereoscopic imagery and analyzing triangulation accuracy with the ADS80 camera, we performed this study over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau's elevated, desolate terrain, collecting 593 GNSS points following high-precision stereoscopic imagery model. Utilizing 12 gravity satellite models, we computed geoid heights and China 1985 Yellow Sea elevations for 28 benchmarks and GNSS points, thereby refining the Qinghai Province Quasi-Geoid Model (QPQM) using geometric techniques. The findings reveal that POS-assisted ADS80 stereoscopic imagery yields high-precision triangulation with maximal horizontal and elevation accuracies of 0.083/0.116 cm and 0.053/0.09 cm, respectively, across five control point arrangements. The RMSE of normal heights for 1985, processed via these GNSS points, achieved decimeter precision. By applying error corrections from benchmarks to the 1985 elevation data from gravity satellites and performing weighted averaging, the precision of EGM2008, SGG-UGM-2, and SGG-UGM-1 models improved to 8.61 cm, 9.09 cm, and 9.38 cm, respectively, surpassing the QPQM by 9.22 cm to 9.99 cm. This research demonstrates that the proposed methods can significantly enhance the precision of regional quasi-geoid surfaces. Additionally, these methods offer a novel approach for rapidly establishing regional quasi-geoid models in the uninhabited areas of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Salinity stress emerges as an important menace to global food security, particularly affecting susceptible crops such as common bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). The disruption of ion balances caused by salt stress withing plants cells reduces water and nutrient absorption, and hampers growth and productivity. Sacchorhiza polyschides, a brown macroalga rich in essential elements, and macrominerals, has drawn attention as a natural biostimulant, being a potential remedy to bolster crop resilience against salt stress. This study delves into the effect of water extracts of Sacchorhiza polyschides (SPE) across varying concentrations (1%, 2%, and 5%) in common bean plants under salt stress (68.4 mM NaCl) conditions. Two different methods of application were used: by spraying the aerial part of the plant or by irrigation together with the watering solution. The effects of both systems of application were studied on the aerial parts of the plants. SPE exhibited significant enhancements in morphological parameters, chlorophyll content, carbon-nitrogen activities, and antioxidant enzymatic system activities, alongside increasing osmolyte accumulation, compared to salt-stressed plants without biostimulation. Moreover, SPE reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels caused by salt stress, mitigating lipid peroxidation. The concentrations of 2% and 5% SPE applied by spraying showed the most significant results in most of the parameters analyzed. By shedding light on the underlying science behind this biostimulant effect, this research underscores the potential of SPE to enhance crop resilience and augment food production in salt-challenged environments.

We are currently facing a potential ‘polycrisis’, a critical inflection point that requires a whole-of-society response aimed at building collective foresight and preparedness for short-, medium-, and long-term risks. The role of higher education institutions and social stakeholders is decisive to make an impact. This paper depicts the alignment of academia, governance, and industry with the aim to challenge, inspire, and encourage universities to go beyond commodified courses and mere employability, enhance student growth and bind macro-scale measures that lead to a sustainable future. A modest teaching innovation project has served as a transforming lever, with the private sector joining in, to create a platform that reaches more than 50 000 undergraduate students and teaching staff. The resulting structure, rooted in the University’s strategic plan, has served to channel local and regional initiatives, establish effective partnerships with broad social members, raise awareness and promote actions to advance in the pursuit of Sustainable Development Goals. Chronology, materials and methodology, together with a description of the different courses, programmes and actions are provided. The paper concludes with some recommendations for future research, policy and cooperation among stakeholders. Research methodology posted on clinicaltrials.gov under ID NCT04392869, NCT05598944, and NCT05775978.

We are currently facing a potential ‘polycrisis’, a critical inflection point that requires a whole-of-society response aimed at building collective foresight and preparedness for short-, medium-, and long-term risks. The role of higher education institutions and social stakeholders is decisive to make an impact. This paper depicts the alignment of academia, governance, and industry with the aim to challenge, inspire, and encourage universities to go beyond commodified courses and mere employability, enhance student growth and bind macro-scale measures that lead to a sustainable future. A modest teaching innovation project has served as a transforming lever, with the private sector joining in, to create a platform that reaches more than 50 000 undergraduate students and teaching staff. The resulting structure, rooted in the University’s strategic plan, has served to channel local and regional initiatives, establish effective partnerships with broad social members, raise awareness and promote actions to advance in the pursuit of Sustainable Development Goals. Chronology, materials and methodology, together with a description of the different courses, programmes and actions are provided. The paper concludes with some recommendations for future research, policy and cooperation among stakeholders. Research methodology posted on clinicaltrials.gov under ID NCT04392869, NCT05598944, and NCT05775978.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) play a significant role in the aging processes, further regarding as a hallmark of aging. Despite the importance, a lack of monitoring tools has hampered the study of relationship between AGEs and aging. Here, we firstly report a novel AGEs-selective probe, AGO. AGO presented its ability to detect AGEs more sensitively than a conventional approach of measuring autofluorescence from AGEs. In addition, we confirmed that AGO can detect AGEs depending on kinetics, reflecting by a preference to ribose-derived AGEs. Finally, AGO revealed its competence to visualize glycation products in glycation mimicking model, made by collagen framework. We believe that this study will enrich molecular toolboxes to understand physiological processes of AGEs during aging processes.

Managing Water, Energy, and Food (WEF) resources within socio-environmental systems demands innovative strategies that provide decision-makers with actionable insights. This article explores the challenges and potential solutions of employing Focus Maps and choremes as a novel approach for assessing anthropogenic impacts and enhancing the visualization of the WEF Nexus in specific geographic areas. By integrating geospatial data, multi-criteria analysis, and involving stakeholders, our research aims to develop Choreomatic Focus Maps (CFMs) that offer a comprehensive spatial representation of the WEF Nexus, facilitating better-informed decision-making at the community level. Our current work outlines visualization of WEF Nexus, as an initial stages of creating CFMs through a detailed step-by-step process. This includes identifying the main drivers for WEF nexus, such as anthropogenic activities and their distribution, evaluating environmental factors, linking anthropogenic impact with environmental indicators over time, and conducting on-site validation. Our focus is on advancing through these crucial steps, particularly emphasizing field validation within the Local Decision-Makers Tools, visualized here by using Focus Maps. This phase is vital for ensuring our approach is grounded in reality and meets the needs of the communities within the Danube Delta region. By doing so, we aim to provide a visual summary of the WEF Nexus that not only captures the complexity of this fragile ecosystem but also incorporates local insights and priorities, identifying key areas where human activities have significant impacts.

Three-dimensional V₂O₅ hollow structures have been prepared through a simple synthesis strategy combining solvothermal treatment and a subsequent thermal annealing. The V₂O₅ materials are composed of microspheres 2–3 μm in diameter and with a distinct hollow interior. The as-synthesized V₂O₅ hollow microspheres, when evaluated as a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries, can deliver a specific capacity as high as 273 mAh·g⁻¹ at 0.2 C. Benefiting from the hollow structures that afford fast electrolyte transport and volume accommodation, the V₂O₅ cathode also exhibits a superior rate capability and excellent cycling stability. The good Li-ion storage performance demonstrates the great potential of this unique V₂O₅ hollow material as a high-performance cathode for lithium-ion batteries.

Rasagiline (Azilect®) is a selective monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) inhibitor that provides symp-tomatic benefit in Parkinson’s disease (PD) treatment and found to exert preclinical neuroprotec-tive effects. Here, we investigated the neuroprotective signaling pathways of rasagiline in the PC12 neuronal cultures exposed to an ischemic-like insult. Exposure of neurons to oxy-gen-glucose deprivation for 4 h followed by 18 h of reoxygenation caused 40% aponecrotic cell death. Rasagiline induced dose-dependent neuroprotection by decreasing cell death and produc-tion of the neurotoxic reactive oxygen species, and reducing the nuclear translocation of glycer-aldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). Rasagiline increased protein kinase B (Akt) phosphorylation and decreased protein expression of the ischemia-induced α-synuclein protein, in correlation to the neuroprotective effect. Treatment with rasagiline induced nuclear shuttling of transcription factor Nrf2 and increased the mRNA levels of the antioxidant enzymes heme oxy-genase-1, (NAD (P) H- quinone dehydrogenase, and catalase. These results indicate that rasagiline provides neuroprotection in the ischemic neuronal cultures with inhibition of α-synuclein and GAPDH-mediated aponecrotic cell death, and via mitochondrial protection, as by increasing mi-tochondria-specific antioxidant enzymes by a mechanism involving the Akt/Nrf2 redox-signaling pathway. These findings may be exploited for neuroprotective drug development in PD and stroke therapy.

Introduction: Most industrialized and developed countries now working to implement more advanced transportation systems. These include autonomous vehicle(AV) systems of various forms, such as delivery vehicles, which eliminate the crashes, injuries, and fatalities associated with human-operated machinery. Self-driving vehicles have the potential to make roads safer, but some safety concerns need to be addressed. Before AV systems become commonplace in developing countries, society needs to determine how safe they truly are. Objectives: This paper provides brief descriptions and examines the realities for AV in developing countries using results from infrastructure-based assessment of countries worldwide and from a questionnaire-based survey. Methods: Relevant research papers, articles, reports, and departmental websites were used as the main data sources. Ethiopia was chosen as a representative case. Different aspects of AV infrastructure, its current status in developing countries, and perspectives on AV systems are explored through interviews with approximately 1500 randomly selected individuals. The main variables in the assessment were physical infrastructure, digital infrastructure, and societal perceptions on AV systems. Results: Surprisingly, the results indicated that 55.82%, 78.58%, 87.78%, and 86.09% of Ethiopian interviewees agreed with statements regarding high ease of use, usefulness, positive attitude, and benefits, respectively, of AV. However, it should be noted that some interviewees did not provide a response to certain questions.

In response to the fairness issue arising from the unequal delay of vehicles in different phases at intersections, considering the actual situation of small and variable delays for vehicles in low-saturation intersection phases, this paper proposes the concept of "sacrificing efficiency for fairness." Firstly, the universality of unfair delay phenomena at intersection phases is explained, especially at low-saturation intersections where the fluctuation in phase delays is 1.87 times higher than at other intersections. Then, a fairness evaluation index is constructed using information entropy, and the feasibility of the proposed approach is demonstrated. Subsequently, a signal optimization model that balances efficiency and fairness is proposed. Finally, the proposed model is validated through case studies, showing that it not only simultaneously considers efficiency and fairness but also has minimal impact on efficiency. Moreover, the changes to timing schemes in the efficiency model are much smaller compared to the model that only considers fairness. Sensitivity analysis reveals that the model performs better under low-saturation intersection conditions.

Applied talent is not only a builder of human civilization but also a promoter of economic development. They not only need systematic and solid engineering theoretical knowledge but also rich engineering practical experience. Applied undergraduate colleges are the cradle for cultivating applied talent and shoulder the important mission of cultivating various types of applied talent for society. With the rapid development of higher education, the number of applied undergraduate institutions has sharply increased, but the quality of applied talent cultivated by them has shown a significant decline, which greatly restricts the pace of industrial development in the world. This article proposes a new concept of promoting the "three certificates" (graduation certificate, degree certificate, and skill certificate) education model in applied undergraduate colleges, which is of great significance for the country to cultivate composite talents with the ability of "product design, production management, and product processing" at the same time.

Examining contemporary developments and cutting-edge approaches in the field, this literature review explores how antenna design for transmission lines is changing. Review findings are compiled from a variety of academic sources, including pertinent technical reports published as recently as 2018, conference papers, journal articles, and reports. A variety of antenna topologies suited for transmission lines are evaluated in this paper, including microstrip, slot, and patch antennas, with a focus on theoretical frameworks and practical implementations. This overview clarifies the complex relationship between antenna design and transmission line characteristics by looking at important factors like impedance matching, bandwidth, and radiation pattern management. Notable developments in materials, fabrication methods, and numerical simulations are also examined and their effects on antenna performance explained. Through a comprehensive analysis of the literature, this review offers valuable insights into the state-of-the-art antenna design practices for transmission lines, facilitating informed decision-making and inspiring future research endeavors in this field.

Abstract: With the growing integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) in smart buildings, it is crucial to ensure the precise implementation and operation of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). This paper aims to study the implementation aspect of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) in a commercial multi-story building, specifically addressing the difficulty of dealing with variable environmental conditions on each floor. This research addresses the disparity between simulated situations and actual deployments, offering valuable insights that have the potential to signifi-cantly improve the efficiency and responsiveness of building management systems. We obtain real-time sensor data to analyze and evaluate the system’s performance. Our investigation is grounded in the growing importance of incorporating WSNs into buildings to create intelligent environments. By leveraging the capabilities of Contiki operating system, this study employs a specialized simulator to generate simulated data, allowing for a comparison between real-world and simulated scenarios. We provide an in-depth analysis to scrutinize the disparities and commonalities between the datasets obtained from real-world deployments and simulated en-vironments. We highlight the necessity of precise simulation to validate real-life sensor data, shedding light on the challenges and opportunities associated with implementing WSNs in in-telligent buildings. Results obtained show the significance of accurate simulation models for re-liable data representation, providing a roadmap for further developments in the integration of WSNs into intelligent building scenarios. The findings highlight the potential for optimizing living and working conditions based on the real-time monitoring of critical environmental pa-rameters. This includes insights into temperature, humidity, and light intensity, offering oppor-tunities for enhanced comfort and efficiency in intelligent environments.

Theoretical studies on the generation of nondiffracting and nondispersive light pulses and their experimental implementation are one of the renowned problems within electromagnetics. Current technologies enable creation of short-duration pulses of a few cycles with high power and fluency. An application of these techniques to the field of nondiffracting and nondispersive pulses requires a proper mathematical description of highly focused vector pulses. In this work, we study vector optical bullets in a dielectric medium with different polarization structures: linear, azimuthal, and radial. We report the differences caused by the vector model compared to the scalar model. We analyze effects caused by superluminal, subluminal, or even negative group velocity on properties of vector optical bullets inside a dielectric material.

Understanding morphological and genetic diversity of forest trees is essential to facilitate their conservation, sustainable management and genetic improvement for addressing the economic and environmental demands and challenges. We have examined variation in morphometric seed and pod traits and seed germination of multipurpose and widely distributed forest tree Albizia lebbek (Indian siris) from 12 provenances covering the species’ range in northern India and its relationships with bioclimatic factors. Highly significant inter-provenance variation was observed in seed size (seed length (SL), seed width (SW), SW/SL, SL×SW), seed mass (1000 seed weight), pod size (pod length (PL), pod width (PW), PW/PL), seed germination, number of seeds per pod, and insect infected seeds (IIS). The provenance effect contributed a major portion to the total phenotypic variance. Morphometric variation in all traits except for IIS was not clinal related to longitude, latitude, altitude or rainfall. There was an indication of the presence of ecotypic variation. IIS showed clinal variation with significant negative correlation with latitude. Most seed size and pod size traits showed positive correlations with several temperature bioclimatic factors and negative correlations with several precipitation bioclimatic factors. Our results have significance for genetic improvement, population genetics and genomics studies and conservation and sustainable management of A. lebbek genetic resources.

Our work is regarding the analysis of land use changes, in the light of “saving soil” against the expansion due to unearned plus value of land: The loss of natural and agricultural surface in front of the expanding urban environment is a critical aspect of unsustainability of urban development, especially in the way it was carried out in the past decades. The measure of the physical transition of land use and characters from a more natural condition of land surface to a new artificial one, joint with a parallel analysis of the increase of land value due to such change is nowadays a major land-policy tool. The interplay of urban economics regulation with planning, reveals new key issues in urban governance and environmental preservation. In this paper it will be shown some experiment about the impact assessment of soil take, related with the seek of valorization of property inside the planning process. Our paper reports as well about the experimental activity carried out inside the MITO Lab of the Polytechnic of Bari, where reports about property values and environmental values have been produced, specially looking at the reality of the Apulia, a southern Italian Region, that is rich of farmlands and coastlines, often invaded by constructions with a severe loss of nature, landscape and ecosystems services.

Background: Stress hyperglycemia (SH) is common is patients with ST-elevation myocardial infraction (STEMI). The aims of the study were to analyze the impact of SH on the incidence of all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE-cardiovascular death, non-fatal reinfarction, target vessel revascularization and stroke) in STEMI patients without diabetes mellitus (DM) who have been treated successfully with primary PCI (pPCI). Method: we analyzed 2,362 STEMI patients treated with successful pPCI (post-procedural flow TIMI=3) and without DM and cardiogenic shock at admission. SH was defined as plasma glucose level above 7.8mmol/L at admission. The follow-up period was 8 years. Results: Incidence of SH was 26.9%. Eight-year all-cause mortality and MACE rates were significantly higher in patients with SH, as compared to patients without SH (9.7% vs 4.2%, p<0.001 and 15.7% vs 9.4%, p<0.001). SH was an independent predictor of short and long-term all-cause mortality (HR 2.19, 95%CI 1.16-4.18 and HR 1.99, 95%CI 1.03-3.85) and MACE (HR 1.49, 95%CI 1.03-2.03 and HR 1.35, 95%CI 1.03-1.89). Conclusion: Despite successful revascularization, SH at admission was an independent predictor of short-term and long-term (up to eight years) all-cause mortality and MACE, but its negative prognostic impact was stronger in short-term follow-up.

This paper introduces a new adaptation of the enthalpic lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) tailored to simulate the intricate dynamics of conjugate heat transfer in non-homogeneous media, showcasing considerable potential for enhancing heat exchanger designs. This approach expands upon the conventional enthalpic LBM framework by seamlessly incorporating tailored source terms, enabling precise representation of local and transient variations in the medium’s thermophysical properties. The resulting LBM model comprehensively captures the energy conservation equation, with exceptions made only for flow compressibility and viscous dissipation, thereby significantly augmenting its versatility in analyzing heat exchanger configurations. Verification tests, comprising assessments of both transient and steady-state solutions, unequivocally validate the accuracy of the proposed model, further bolstering its reliability for analyzing heat exchange processes within intricate heat exchanger geometries. To demonstrate its efficacy, simulations of conjugate heat transfer processes involving fluid natural convection within structured cavities were performed, imposing both Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions to emulate scenarios encountered in practical heat exchanger operations. The findings yield compelling insights, particularly in the transient regime, revealing the beneficial impact of structured cavities on enhancing heat transfer processes. These insights inform potential design optimizations for heat exchangers. The results emphasize the potential of the modified enthalpic LBM approach to elucidate complex heat transfer phenomena in non-homogeneous media and structured geometries, offering valuable implications for heat exchanger engineering and optimization.

Using UAV-based multispectral images for quickly and accurately monitoring chlorophyll content is critical for field management and yield estimation. However, the lower model accuracy and the poor robustness of the estimation models are still preventing the widespread application of UAV-based multispectral images. We carried out two field trials at various experimental sites to further enhance the precision and applicability of the model used to estimate the chlorophyll content of potato plants. Firstly, the texture features and vegetation indices derived from multispectral images were screened using the Pearson correlation coefficient method, and Normalized difference red edge (NDRE) performed the best over the two growth periods. Secondly, principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to recombine five bands of multispectral images, and third PCA results (PCA3) was selected to combined with NDRE according to the construction principle of NDRE, and the newly constructed parameter was named improved NDRE (INDRE). Finally, INDRE was used to establish a chlorophyll content estimation model of potato plants, and compared with some traditional parameters. The results demonstrated that the INDRE had the maximum accuracy (R2 = 0.7865, RMSE = 2.1378), and corresponding R2 increased by 0.1481 and RMSE decreased by 1.2994 than NDRE. Additionally, the model was validated using independent data from Experiment 2, and INDRE considerably increased estimation accuracy compared to other factors. In conclusions, the INDRE suggested in this study significantly enhances the accuracy and applicability of the chlorophyll content inversion model and can serve as an additional reference for fertilization management.

Climate change, recognized as a global crisis, is not only altering our environment but also significantly impacting human health. Particularly, its influence on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), a leading cause of global mortality, is becoming increasingly evident yet underexplored. This review aims to synthesize current research on the impact of climate change on NCDs, addressing a critical gap in our understanding of how environmental changes affect human health. We examine the complex interplay between climate change and NCDs, drawing insights from recent studies that highlight the adverse effects of climate variables on chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular and kidney diseases, and the role of food and nutrition security in this nexus. Furthermore, the review explores the disproportionate impact on vulnerable regions and populations, particularly in Pacific Island countries and territories, underscoring the urgent need for context-specific solutions and a cross-sectoral approach. By integrating findings from various disciplines, this review aims to inform policy and public health interventions, highlighting the necessity of collaborative efforts to mitigate the burgeoning burden of NCDs in a rapidly changing climate.

The in silico studies were performed in order to assess the binding affinity of selected organophosphorus compounds towards the acetylcholinesterase enzyme (AChE). Quantum mechanical calculations, molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) with molecular mechanics Generalized-Born surface area (MM/GBSA) were applied to assess quantitatively differences between the binding energies of acetylcholine (ACh; the natural agonist of AChE) and neurotoxic, synthetic correlatives (so-called “Novichoks”, and selected compounds from the G- and V-series). Several additional quantitative descriptors like root mean square fluctuation (RMSF) and the solvent accessible surface area (SASA) were briefly discussed to give – to the best of our knowledge – the first quantitative in silico description of AChE – Novichok non-covalent binding process and thus facilitate the search for an efficient and effective treatment for Novichok intoxication and in a broader sense - intoxication with other warfare nerve agents as well.

Nowadays, when milling complex parts or curved surfaces, we encounter several problems that must be taken into account in the production process. There are various factors that affect the quality and accuracy of production. The main objective of this paper was to analyze the size of the effective tool diameter when machining a shaped surface with respect to the selected position, namely at the perpendicular position of the tool. At the same time, the distribution of the engagement area on the tool surface was evaluated by extracting the area content and volume data at the point of contact. The experiment was also intended to highlight the importance of the choice of finishing strategy in a CAM system. The results showed that the tool engagement size corresponded to the extracted data describing the area and volume size for each tool position with respect to the curvature of the surface. The negative deviations obtained by the scanning method were due to machining close to the tool centre, which was affected by the changing effective tool diameter.

Spatial interpolation of meteorological data can have immense implications on risk management and climate change planning. Kriging with external drift (KED) is a spatial interpolation variant that uses auxiliary information in the estimation of target variable at unobserved locations. However, the traditional KED methods with linear trend functions may not be able to capture the complex and non-linear interdependence between target and auxiliary variables, which can lead to an inaccurate estimation. In this work, a novel KED method using least squares support vector regression (LSSVR) is proposed. This machine learning algorithm is employed to construct trend functions regardless of the type of variable interrelations being considered. To evaluate the efficiency of the proposed method (KED with LSSVR) relative to the traditional method (KED with a linear trend function), a systematic simulation study for estimating the monthly means temperature and pressure in Thailand in 2017 was conducted. The KED with LSSVR is shown to have superior performance over the KED with the linear trend function.

Introduction: The objective of the study is to assess the failure of therapies with HFNO (High-Flow Nasal Oxygen), CPAP, Bilevel or combined therapy in patients with hypoxemic acute respiratory failure due to SARS-CoV-2 during their hospitalization. Methods: Retrospective and observational study of SARS-CoV-2 positive patients who required non-invasive respiratory support (NIRS), at the Reina Sofía General University Hospital of Murcia between March 2020 and May 2021. Results: Of 7355 patients, 197 (11,8%) were included. 95 of them failed this therapy (48,3%). We objectivated that during hospitalization in the ward the combined therapy with HFNO and CPAP had a lower failure rate overall and the highest treatment purely with Bilevel (p = 0,005). In the comparison of failure in therapy without two levels of airway pressure, HFNO, CPAP and combined therapy of HFNO with CPAP, (35,6% of patients) presented a 24,2% failure compared to those who did have two levels of pressure with Bilevel and combined therapy of HFNO with Bilevel (64,4% of patients) with 75,8% associated failure (OR: 0, 374; CI 95%: 0,203-0,688. p=0,001).Conclusions: The use of NIRS in conventional hospitalization is safe and effective in patients with respiratory failure secondary to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The therapeutic strategy with Bilevel increases the probability of failure, with the combined therapy strategy with CPAP and HFNO being the most promising option.

This paper describes the design and implementation of an ultrasonic non-contact air-coupled technique (UNCACT) using antisymmetric Lamb waves (ALW) for NDT assessment in novel composite sandwich plates of the car body shell. This technique is complemented with a C-Scan image implementation using this kind of guided waves. The finite element method using Comsol 6.1 is developed for the interpretation of the several wave modes presented in the experiments, including the ALW mode. The phase velocity method (PVM) is applied for the verification of the ALW mode in the portion of the RF signal necessary in the C-Scan image.

Myofascial pain is the most common cause of chronic pain in the masticatory region and can be assessed through clinical analysis and muscle palpation. Generally, it appears with headache and orofacial pain associated with sensitive points (trigger points) due to the excessive contraction of the masticatory muscle fibres. The study aims to evaluate how a correct treatment of myofascial pain can improve the life quality of the affected patients. In this case series, 300 patients with myofascial pain were divided into two groups: 150 with intra- and extra-articular disorder and 150 with the only extra-articular disorder. Each group included 75 males and 75 females. All the patients were treated with gnathological therapy through passive aligners and biofeedback exercises for 4 months. They underwent pain assessment (through a visual analogue scale and muscular palpation test) before, during and after the treatment, and nuclear magnetic resonance of the temporomandibular joint before and after the gnathological treatment. The treatment considerably reduced the pain in all patients, without drugs, in 4 months, according to the visual analogue scales and the palpation test. The temporomandibular magnetic resonance in each patient was similar before and after the gnathological treatment. The improvement in pain did not depend on a change in the relationship between the articular condyle and the disc.

Antibiotic-loaded bone cements are widely used in orthopedic surgery. However, they present issues such as a short antibiotic release time and the antibiotic resistance. These challenges necessitate the development of novel antibacterial bone cements. Non-leaching bone cement containing antibacterial motifs represents a promising advancement in this direction. Antibacterial motifs are incorporated into the cement either covalently or non-covalently, and while they will not be released, they will still exhibit surface antibacterial activity. This review comprehensively examines the structure and antimicrobial activity of prevalent non-leaching antimicrobial bone cements. Additionally, it delves into the characteristics of current methods employed for detecting surface antimicrobial activity. Finally, the future research direction of non-leaching antibacterial bone cement is discussed, with a specific focus on innovative antibacterial motifs, the mechanisms underlying non-leaching antibacterial properties, and the potential synergies achievable by combining non-leaching antibacterial bone cement with traditional antibiotics.

Open-source 3-D printing has played a pivotal role in revolutionizing the additive manufacturing (AM) landscape, by making distributed manufacturing economic, democratizing access, and fostering far more rapid innovation than antiquated proprietary systems. Unfortunately, some 3-D printing manufacturing companies began deviating from open-source principles and violating licenses for the detriment of the community. To determine if a pattern has emerged of companies patenting clearly open-source innovations, this study presents three case studies from the three primary regions of open-source 3-D printing development (EU, U.S. and China) as well as three aspects of 3-D printing technology (AM materials, an open-source 3-D printer, and core open-source 3-D printing concepts used in most 3-D printers). The results of this review have shown that non-inventing entities called patent parasites are patenting open-source inventions already well-established in the open source community and in the most egregious cases commercialized by one (or several) firms at the time of the patent filing. Patent parasites are able to patent open-source innovations by using a different language, vague patent titles and broad claims that encompass enormous swaths of widely diffused open-source innovation space. This practice poses a severe threat to innovation and several approaches to irradicate the threat are discussed.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a liver disorder that has become a global health concern due to its increasing prevalence. Currently, there is a need for reliable biomarkers to aid in the diagnosis and prognosis of NAFLD. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are promising candidates in biomarker discovery, as they carry proteins that reflect the pathophysiological state of the liver. In this review, we developed a list of EV proteins that could be used as diagnostic biomarkers for NAFLD. We employed a multi-step strategy that involved reviewing and comparing various sources of information. Firstly, we reviewed papers that have studied EVs proteins as biomarkers in NAFLD, as well as papers that have studied circulating proteins as biomarkers in NAFLD. To further identify potential candidates, we utilized the EV database Vesiclepedia.org to qualify each protein. Finally, we consulted the Human Protein Atlas to search for candidates' localization, focusing on membrane proteins. By integrating these sources of information, we developed a comprehensive list of potential EVs membrane protein biomarkers that could aid in the diagnosis and monitoring of NAFLD. In conclusion, our multi-step strategy for identifying EV-based protein biomarkers for NAFLD provides a comprehensive approach that can also be applied for other diseases. The protein candidates identified through this approach could have significant implications for the development of non-invasive diagnostic tests for NAFLD and improve the management and treatment of this prevalent liver disorder.

Based on the Generalized bracket, or Beris-Edwards, formalism of non-equilibrium thermodynamics, we have recently proposed [Stephanou et al. Materials, 13, 2867 (2020)] a new differential constitutive model for the rheology of entangled polymer melts and solutions. It has amended the shortcomings of a previous model that was too strict in the values of the convective constraint release parameter for the model not to violate the second law of thermodynamics and has been shown capable of predicting a transient stress undershoot (following the overshoot) at high shear rates. In this work, we wish to further examine this model’s capability of predicting the rheological response of industrial polymer systems by extending it to its multiple-mode version. The comparison against industrial rheological data (High-Density Polyethylene resins), as compared against available experimental data in (a) Small Amplitude Oscillatory shear, (b) start-up shear, and (c) start-up uniaxial elongation, is noted to be good.

'Huangguan' pear has significant social and economic value, and phosphorus, as one of the three main mineral elements of plants, has an irreplaceable effect on the normal growth of 'Huangguan' pear trees. The objective of this study was to predict the content of phosphorus in the pulp and peel of ‘Huangguan’ pears nondestructively and conveniently by using near-infrared spectroscopy (900–1700 nm) technology. First, twelve algorithms are used to preprocess the original spectral data, and the partial least squares regression algorithm and the gradient boosting regression tree algorithm are used to build a full-band prediction model based on the original spectral data and the processed spectral data. The characteristic wavelengths were extracted using genetic algorithms, followed by establishing a characteristic wavelength prediction model. The prediction accuracy of the models was evaluated according to the coefficient of determination R² and the relative analysis error RPD. The study found that the best prediction model for predicting phosphorus content in the pulp of 'Huangguan' pear was MSC-GA-PLSR, which had R²=0.843 and RPD=1.857 in the modelling set and R²=0.989 and RPD=7.041 in the prediction set. The best prediction model for predicting phosphorus content in the peel of ‘Huangguan’ pear was SG+SNV+FD-GA-PLSR, which had R²=0.991 and RPD=7.470 in the modelling set and R²=0.974 and RPD=4.414 in the prediction set, and the effect was good and met expectations. The results demonstrated that near-infrared spectroscopy could successfully achieve nondestructive detection of phosphorus content in the pulp and peel of 'Huangguan' pears.

Polyglycolic acid (PGA) is a promising polymer in the packaging field owing to excellent hydrolysis, heat resistance and gas barrier properties, but there are limited in application due to poor toughness. For this reason, a covalently bonded chain extender is introduced to increase compatibility with flexible polymers. However, covalent bonds are unfavorable for application to degradable plastics because of require a lot of energy for reverse reactions. Therefore, it is intended to effectively control the ductility of blending plastics by using a novel ionic chain extender having a relatively weaker non-covalent bond than the existing covalent bond. Polycaprolactone (PCL), which has biodegradability and flexibility, was selected as a blending polymer. For comparison, a covalently reactive chain extender (G-CE) and a non-covalently ionic chain extender (D-CE) were synthesized and compounded to blending plastics. Each chain extenders were improved the compatibility between PGA and PCL, and the ductility of the PGA/PCL blending plastics were greatly enhanced with non-covalently bonding D-CE than with covalently bonding G-CE. At this time, the ductility of PGA/PCL blending plastic without CE is 7.2%, the ductility of 10D with D-CE is 26.6%, and the ductility of 10G with G-CE is 18.45%. Therefore, it was confirmed that the novel ionic chain extender inducing non-covalent bonds improves the compatibility between PGA and PCL and is more advantageous in enhancing ductility through a reversible reaction.

This paper proposes an algorithm for transmitting and reconstructing the estimated point cloud using temporally estimating a dynamic point cloud sequence. When a non-rigid 3D point cloud sequence (PCS) is input, the sequence is divided into groups of point cloud frames (PCF), and a key PCF is selected. After the 3D skeleton is predicted through 3D pose estimation, the motion of the skeleton is estimated by analyzing the joints and bones of the 3D skeleton. For the deformation of the non-rigid human PC, the 3D PC model is transformed into a mesh model, and the key PCF is rigged using the 3D skeleton. After deforming the key PCF into the target PCF utilizing the motion vector of the estimated skeleton, the residual PC between the motion compensation PCF and the target PCF is generated. If there is a key PCF, the motion vector of the target PCF, and a residual PC, the target PCF can be reconstructed. Just as compression is performed using pixel correlation between frames in a 2D video, this paper compresses 3D PCF by estimating the non-rigid 3D motion of a 3D object in a 3D PC. The proposed algorithm can be regarded as an extension of the 2D motion estimation of a rigid local region in a 2D plane to the 3D motion estimation of a non-rigid object (human) in 3D space. Experimental results show that the proposed method can successfully compress 3D PC sequences. If it is used together with a PC compression technique such as MPEG PCC (point cloud compression) in the future, a system with high compression efficiency may be configured.

This article develops dual variational formulations for a large class of models in variational optimization. The results are established through basic tools of functional analysis, convex analysis and duality theory. The main duality principle is developed as an application to a Ginzburg-Landau type system in superconductivity in the absence of a magnetic field. In the first sections, we develop new general dual convex variational formulations, more specifically, dual formulations with a large region of convexity around the critical points which are suitable for the non-convex optimization for a large class of models in physics and engineering. Finally, in the last section we present some numerical results concerning the generalized method of lines applied to a Ginzburg-Landau type equation.

Leptospirosis is an important zoonotic disease that is transmitted worldwide through infected small mammals such as rodents. In Malaysia, there is paucity of information on the animal reservoirs that are responsible for leptospirosis transmission, with only few studies focusing on leptospirosis risk in recreational areas. Therefore, in this study, we characterized the species composition and the prevalence of pathogenic Leptospira spp. in non-volant small mammals of Hutan Lipur Sekayu, Terengganu. We performed ten trapping sessions totaling 3,000 trapping efforts between September 2019 and October 2020. Kidney samples from captured individuals were extracted for the PCR detection of pathogenic Leptospira spp. Overall, we captured 45 individuals from 8 species (1.56% successful trapping effort), with 9 individuals testing positive for pathogenic Leptospira, that is 20% (n = 9/45) prevalence rate. Rattus tiomanicus (n = 22) was the most dominant captured species and was found to harbour the highest positive individual with pathogenic Leptospira (44.4%, n = 4/9). Despite the low successful trapping effort in this study, the result shows that the non-volant small mammals of Hutan Lipur Sekayu are capable of maintaining and transmitting pathogenic Leptospira, thus making this recreational area a potential infestation ground for leptospirosis.

In this work, we have developed a non-ordinary state-based peridynamic model for multiple crack initiation and propagation due to compression-compression fatigue load. In each loading cycle, the fatigue loading is redistributed among the peridynamic solid body, leading to the progressive fatigue damage initiation and propagation in an autonomous fashion. The proposed fatigue model parameters are firstly validated by 3D numerical benchmark tests, and then it is applied to simulate widespread fatigue damage evolution of the aircraft wing corner box. The modified constitutive damage model has been implemented into the peridynamics framework at finite strain. Furthermore, the criterion algorithm from multiple initiation to propagation is discussed. It is shown that the numerical results obtained from peridynamics simulations are in general agreement with those from the experiment data. The comparison of experimental and numerical results indicates that the proposed non-ordinary state-based peridynamics fatigue model has the ability to capture the multiple crack initiation and propagation and other features of the aluminium alloy material.

Recently, a rising use of wireless internet technologies has been demonstrated. The devices 18 which use these technologies emit in new spectral regions an electromagnetic radiation (EMFs) 19 which could interact with the male reproductive system. The aim of this study was to investigate in 20 vitro influence of electromagnetic fields at 27 GHz on sperm quality in Mytilus galloprovincialis. 21 Sperm samples, were collected from sexually mature males of M. galloprovincialis and placed in sea- 22 water. Once evaluated the number and quality of spermatozoa, sperm cells were exposed to elec- 23 tromagnetic fields radiated by a pyramidal horn antenna. The effect of exposure was evaluated after 24 10, 20, 30, 40 and 60 minutes with light microscope and using Eosin test. Ten replications were per- 25 formed for each time series, and statistical analysis was carried out byt-test. A significative decrease 26 in sperm motility was observed after 10 minutes of exposure and after 30 minutes most of sperms 27 were immobile and not vital. This study provides useful data on potential ecological impact of the 28 5G high-band on animal fertility, whose effect is currently under investigation.

Consistent calibration and monitoring is a basic prerequisite for providing reliable time series of global and regional sea level variations from altimetry. The precision of sea level measurements and regional biases for six altimeter missions (Jason-1/2/3, Envisat, Saral, Sentinel-3A) is assessed at eleven GNSS-controlled tide gauge stations in the German Bight (SE North Sea) for the period 2002 to 2019. The gauges are partly located at the open water, partly at the coast close to mudflats. The altimetry is extracted at virtual stations with distances from 2 to 24 km from the gauges. The processing is optimized for the region and adjusted for the comparison with instantaneous tide gauges readings. An empirical correction is developed to account for mean height gradients and slight differences of the tidal dynamics between gauge and altimetry which improves the agreement between the two data sets by 15-75%. The precision of the altimeters is depending on location and mission and is shown to be at least 1.8 to 3.7 cm based on an assumed precision of 2 cm for the gauges. The accuracy of the regional mission biases is strongly dependent on the mean sea surface heights near the stations. The most consistent biases are obtained based on the CLS2011 model with mission dependent accuracies from 1.3 to 3.4 cm. Hence, the GNSS-controlled tide gauges operated operationally by WSV might complement the calibration and monitoring activities at dedicated CalVal stations.

This paper presents an approach to the vibration analysis of axially functionally graded (AFG) non-prismatic Euler-Bernoulli beams using the finite difference method (FDM). The characteristics (cross-sectional area, moment of inertia, elastic moduli, and mass density) of AFG beams vary along the longitudinal axis. The FDM is an approximate method for solving problems described with differential equations. It does not involve solving differential equations; equations are formulated with values at selected points of the structure. In addition, the boundary conditions and not the governing equations are applied at the beam’s ends. In this paper, differential equations were formulated with finite differences, and additional points were introduced at the beam’s ends and at positions of discontinuity (supports, hinges, springs, concentrated mass, spring-mass system, etc.). The introduction of additional points allowed us to apply the governing equations at the beam’s ends and to satisfy the boundary and continuity conditions. Moreover, grid points with variable spacing were also considered, the grid being uniform within beam segments. Vibration analysis of AFG non-prismatic Euler-Bernoulli beams was conducted with this model, and natural frequencies were determined. Finally, a direct time integration method (DTIM) was presented. The FDM-based DTIM enabled the analysis of forced vibration of AFG non-prismatic Euler-Bernoulli beams, considering the damping. The results obtained in this paper showed good agreement with those of other studies, and the accuracy was always increased through a grid refinement.

The aim of the present study is to investigate themes related to visitors’ perceptions of captive wildlife in particular, attitudes towards non-human primates (henceforth, primates). This research took place in free-roaming, multi-species primate sanctuary, Monkeyland (South Africa), where 400 visitors were interviewed using an anonymous survey both before and after attending a guided tour. The answers were divided into different categories, in order to standardize the motivations behind tourists’ choices. The results of the survey demonstrated that most visitors agree that a primate would not be a good companion animal. Visitors’ desire to touch primates was found to be positively correlated with desire for companion primates and inversely associated with visitor age. In response to: “would you like to touch a monkey?”, the majority of tourists who expressed this desire seemed aware that such interactions are not appropriate, with concern for animal welfare and human health. Of the various primate species present in the sanctuary, visitors preferred the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) and, generally speaking, expressed appreciation for primates’ “cuteness”. Our results indicate a general awareness by the visitors on the importance of animal welfare in the human interactions with captive wildlife, in agreement with the “hands-off” policy of Monkeyland primate sanctuary. We discuss the findings from a general to zooanthropological point of view, proposing some reflections on the attitudes of visitors toward non-human primates.

Obesity is a problem in the last decades since the development of different technologies forced the submission of a faster pace of life, resulting in nutrition style changes. In turn, domestic pigs are an excellent animal model in recognition of adiposity-related processes, corresponding to the size of individual organs, the distribution of body fat in the organism, and similar metabolism. The present study applied the next-generation sequencing method to identify adipose tissue (AT) transcriptomic signals related to increased fat content by identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs), included long-non coding RNA molecules. The Freiburg RNA tool was applied to recognise predicting hybridisation energy of RNA-RNA interactions. The results indicated several long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) whose expression was significantly positively or negatively associated with fat deposition. lncRNAs play an essential role in regulating gene expression by sponging miRNA, binding transcripts, facilitating translation, or coding other smaller RNA regulatory elements. In the pig fat tissue of obese group, increased expression of lncRNAs corresponding to human MALAT1 was observed that previously recognised in the obesity-related context. Moreover, hybridisation energy analyses pinpointed numerous potential interactions between identified differentially expressed lncRNAs, and obesity-related genes and miRNAs expressed in AT.

In this paper, we study the gravitational lensing by some black hole classes within the non-linear electrodynamics in weak field limits. First, we calculate an optical geometry of the non-linear electrodynamics black hole then we use the Gauss-Bonnet theorem for finding deflection angle in weak field limits. The effect of non-linear electrodynamics on the deflection angle in leading order terms is studied. Furthermore, we discuss the effects of the plasma medium on the weak deflection angle.

A small phylogenetically conserved sequence of 11,231 bp termed FAM247 is repeated in human chromosome 22 by segmental duplications. This sequence forms part of diverse genes that span evolutionary time, the protein genes being the earliest as they are present in zebrafish and/or mice genomes, the long non-coding RNA genes and pseudogenes the most recent as they appear to be present only in the human genome. We propose that the conserved sequence provides a nucleation site for new gene development at evolutionary conserved chromosomal loci where the FAM247 sequences reside. The FAM247 sequence also carries information in its open reading frames that provides protein exon amino acid sequences; one exon plays an integral role in immune system regulation, specifically, the function of ubiquitin specific protease (USP18) in the regulation of interferon. An analysis of this multifaceted sequence and the genesis of genes that contain it are presented.

Salmonella, especially invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella (iNTS) are responsible for developing various invasive diseases, and possess higher mortality rate, due to their higher antibiotic resistance profile than the other bacteria. Therefore, the present study was concerned to develop epitope based peptide vaccine against iNTS species as a successive and substitute protective measures. The study considered comprehensive Immunoinformatic approaches, followed by molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation to predict the efficient vaccine candidate T cell and B cell epitopes, based on the outer membrane proteins. The study identified two best epitopes YGIFAITAL and KVLYGIFAI from total iNTS outer membrane proteins, which showed higher immunity, non-allergenicity, non-toxicity and also showed higher conservancy and population coverage values. Both epitopes showed higher binding affinity and stability towards HLA-C* 03:03. The MM-PBSA binding free energy showed the YGIFAITAL epitope binds more tightly with both MHC-I and MHC-II molecules. The total contact, H-bond analysis and RMSF results also validate the efficiency of these epitopes as vaccine candidate. The projected B cell epitopes AAPVQVGEAAGS, TGGGDGSNT and TGGGDGSNTGTTTT showed higher antigenicity. Overall, the study concluded that these epitopes can be considered as the potential vaccine candidate to make a successive vaccine against iNTS species. However, this result further needs to be validate by wet lab research to make successive vaccine with these projected epitopes.

The present article addresses the long-standing problem of the polymer brush bilayers under stationary shear flow at non-linear response regime where the system gets a non-Newtonian fluid. The main idea behind this research would be the fact that the immense lubricity of the polymer brush bilayers originates from a global restructuring that takes place at large shear rates. It is shown here that physical quantities like, stress tensor, viscosity tensor, the friction coefficient and the chain extensions could become dependent on the shear rate at non-Newtonian regime. Apparently, the sub-linear scaling of the physical quantities at large shear rates is solely due to the fact that the chains stretch in the shear direction.

Cooperative non-orthogonal multi access communication is a promising paradigm for the future wireless networks because of its advantages in terms of energy efficiency, wider coverage and interference mitigating. In this paper, we study the secrecy performance of a downlink cooperative non-orthogonal multi access (NOMA) communication system under the presence of an eavesdropper node. Smart node selection based on feed forward neural networks (FFNN) is proposed in order to improve the physical layer security (PLS) of a cooperative NOMA network. The selected cooperative relay node is employed to enhance the channel capacity of the legal users, where the selected cooperative jammer is employed to degrade the capacity of the wiretapped channel. Simulations of the secrecy performance metric namely the secrecy capacity ($C_S$) are presented and compared with the conventional technique based on fuzzy logic node selection technique. Based on our simulations and discussions the proposed technique outperforms the existing technique in term the of secrecy performance.

The cardioprotective effects of volatile anesthetics versus total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) are controversial, especially in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery. Using current generation high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn), we aimed to evaluate the effect of anesthetics on the occurrence of myocardial injury after non-cardiac surgery (MINS). From February 2010 to December 2016, 3555 patients without preoperative hs-cTn elevation underwent non-cardiac surgery under general anesthesia. Patients were grouped according to anesthetic agent; 659 patients were classified into a propofol-remifentanil total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) group, and 2896 patients were classified into into a volatile group. To balance the use of remifentanil between groups, a balanced group (n=1622) was generated with patients who received remifentanil infusion in the volatile group, and two separate comparisons were performed (TIVA vs. volatile and TIVA vs. balanced). The primary outcome was occurrence of MINS, defined as rise of hs-cTn I ≥ 0.04 ng/mL within postoperative 48 hours. The secondary outcomes were 30-day mortality, postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI), and adverse events during hospital stay (mortality, type I myocardial infarction (MI), and new-onset arrhythmia). In propensity-matched analyses, the occurrence of MINS was lower in the TIVA group compared to the volatile group (OR 0.642; 95% CI 0.450-0.914; p = 0.014). However, after balancing the use of remifentanil, there was no difference between groups in the risk of MINS (OR 0.832; 95% CI 0.554-1.251; p-value = 0.377). There were no significant associations between the two groups in type 1 MI, new-onset atrial fibrillation, in-hospital and 30-day mortality before and after balancing the use of remifentanil. However, the incidence of postoperative AKI was lower in the TIVA group (OR 0.362; 95% CI 0.194-0.675; p-value = 0.001). After balancing the use of remifentanil, volatile anesthesia and TIVA showed comparable effects on MINS in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery without preoperative myocardial injury. Further studies are needed on the benefit of remifentanil infusion.

This paper discusses a cross-disciplinary, international collaboration aimed at researching a series of 15th century choir books at the abbey of San Giorgio Maggiore on the homonymous island in Venice. Produced for the abbey itself, the books have never left the island during their 500-years history, thereby allowing a unique opportunity to analyse historic artefacts, which have undergone little modification over time. Prompted by ongoing cataloguing work on the manuscripts, a week-long analytical campaign using a combination of non-invasive analytical methods used in portable configuration allowed the comprehensive characterisation of ten volumes. The manuscripts’ palette and painting techniques were analysed using near-infrared imaging, reflectance spectroscopy in the UV-vis-NIR range, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence mapping and digital microscopy. The paper will discuss the challenges linked to the fragility and the large dimensions of the volumes as well as the most interesting results of the investigation. These include the detection of unusual painting materials such as bismuth ink, as well as the discovery of a less homogeneous palette than originally expected, which prompted a partial revision of the attribution of the decoration in one of the volumes to a single artist.

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) aberrant expression have been found in several types of cancer, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), but lncRNA mapped in transcribed ultraconserved regions (T-UCRs) are little explored. The T-UCRs uc.112, uc.122, uc.160 and uc.262 were evaluated in pediatric ALL and uc.112 expression was higher in T-ALL compared to patients with B-ALL and in patients with hyperdiploid karyotype. These findings suggest a potential role of this uc.112 in pediatric ALL and emphasize the need for further investigation of T-UCR in pediatric ALL.

Vegetation has a significant influence on velocity distribution and turbulent energy in a confluence channel. A laboratory measurement with ADV was used to investigate the flow through a Y-shaped confluence channel partially covered with rigid vegetation on its inner bank. In this study, the flow velocities in cases with and without vegetation were measured by the ADV in a Y-shaped confluence channel. The results clearly show that the existence of non-submerged rigid plants has changed the internal flow structure, that the velocity in the non-vegetated area is greater than in the vegetated area, and that there is a large exchange of mass and momentum between the vegetated and non-vegetated areas. The velocity on both sides is significantly reduced when vegetation is present. In the vicinity of tributaries, due to the presence of vegetation, the high-velocity area moved rapidly to the middle of the non-vegetated area, and the secondary flow phenomenon disappeared. In the mainstream, when vegetation was present, circulation disappeared, and the degree of lateral mixing decreased. The presence of vegetation caused a great change in the internal flow structure and made the flow in non-vegetated areas more intense.

The performance of modified electrode of nanocomposite film consisting of polypyrrole-chitosan-titanium dioxide (Ppy-CS-TiO2) has been explored as non-enzymatic glucose biosensors. The synergy effect of TiO2 nanoparticles and conducting polymer on the current response of electrode resulted in higher sensitivity for nanocomposite modified electrode. The incorporation of TiO2 nanoparticles in the nanocomposite films were confirmed by XPS spectra. The FESEM and HR-TEM provided more evidences for the presence of TiO2 in Ppy-CS structure. Glucose biosensing properties were determined by amperommetry and cyclic voltammetry (CV) methods. The interfacial properties of nanocomposite electrodes were studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The developed biosensors showed a good sensitivity over the liner range of 1-14 mM with a detection limit of 614 μM for glucose. It also exhibited good selectivity and long term stability with no interference effect. The Ppy-CS-TiO2 nanocomposites film presented high electron transfer kinetics.

Emerging infectious diseases are a major threat to biodiversity and an important public health issue. West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging vector-borne zoonotic arbovirus that is currently broadening its distribution in Europe. The evidence of WNV circulating in resident and migratory species has implications for both animal and public health, and should therefore be studied in depth. An integrated surveillance program, namely in birds, is essential for reducing the risk of infection in human populations within the One Health principles. In the present study, wild birds admitted to wildlife rehabilitation centres in Portugal were sampled. Two-hundred and eight blood samples were assayed serologically to antibodies to WNV, by using a commercial ELISA kit. An overall seroprevalence of 19.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 13.7-26.7%) was observed. Antibodies to WNV were detected in 13 (35.1%) different species of wild birds. Accipitriformes (26.7%; 95% CI: 18.5-36.2%) and Strigiformes (26.7%; 95% CI: 14.6-42.0%) were the orders with the highest seroprevalence recorded. There were no statistically significant differences (p = 0.725) between the geographical regions (NUTS II) studied, but statistically significant difference (p = 0.017) was found between gender (male: 34.4%; female: 4.8%). A higher seroprevalence was found in adults (32.1%) compared to juvenile birds (9.3%) (p = 0.014), and age was considered a risk factor to WNV infection in wild birds (odds ratio 1.4; 95% CI: 0.5–4.0). More epidemiological studies are needed in Portugal, since the actual spread of the WNV throughout the country is unknown.

Quantum thermal engines are receiving much attention in recent years, due to their potential applications.~For a candidate group, harmonically trapped gases under Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC), we see little investigation on the energy transference around that transition.~Therefore, we present an empirical study with rubidium-87 gas samples in a magnetic harmonic trap.~We developed an empirical Equation of State model to fit to our experimental dataset, expressing the pressure parameter ($\mathcal{P}$) in terms of temperature ($T$) and six technical coeffcients ($\{a_i\}_{0,\dots,4}$, $T_\mathrm{th}$), functions of volume parameter ($\mathcal{V}$) and number of atoms ($N$).~For weakly interacting gases, the internal energy is $U\cong3\mathcal{P}\mathcal{V}$, thus we determine the entropy with $U = TS - \mathcal{P}\mathcal{V}$ for fixed $N$.~As expected, we show that the entropy at the BEC transition ($S_c$) is constant for varying $\mathcal{V}$.~Being isentropic makes BEC transition an energy source for non-mechanical work.~Hence, we observed that the enthalpy at the BEC transition $H_c = E_c + \mathcal{P}_c\mathcal{V} = T_cS_c$, at fixed values of $\mathcal{V}$ and varying $N$, grows fairly linearly with $N$.~We fitted $H_c=\eta{N}-H_c^0$ to that data, being $\eta$ the specific enthalpy of BEC transformation and $H_c^0$ an intrinsic enthalpic loss.~We deem this study to be a step closer to practical quantum-based engines.

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.

This paper presents the mathematical modeling for designing a 10[kW] DC-AC inverter system from 48 [V] DC to 120 V ACrms, considering its non-linear operation, allowing to obtain a detailed simulation to assess the proposed fuzzy PI control (with anti-windup action) and its optimal operation. The performance assessment of the converter was carried out with the discrete treatment of the voltage and current signals using spectral analysis, filtering considerations, and evaluation of limit cycle technique to determine the system's stability. The main results showed that THD at the filter output (transformer and capacitor) was around 0.0322% and 0.0632% at nominal load in open loop and closed loop, respectively. The inverter system presented more sensitivity in the current signal with a ripple at 120 [Hz] of 2.02% and at 5000 [Hz] of 10.62% (at nominal load). However, when the system operates in a closed loop, the current ripple at 120 [Hz] is 2.38% and at 5000 [Hz] is 10.62%.

(1) Background: It is crucial to provide safe and knowledgeable healthcare practices because no research has been done on the knowledge and usage patterns of NSAIDs among the Hail population. (2) Method: Structured questionnaires were utilized to gather data from 399 individuals in Hail, Saudi Arabia for the cross-sectional analysis. The study assessed participants' knowledge regarding NSAIDs, patterns of use, reasons for use, and awareness of potential side effects. (3) Results: In the study, the gender distribution indicated that 170 participants (42.61%) were male, while 229 (57.39%) were female. Gender, occupation, and marital status showed non-significant associations (p>0.01), except for menstrual cycle and joint pain, where marital status displayed significant associations. Age had significant associations with muscle pain, menstrual cycle, and joint pain (p<0.01). Education and monthly income exhibited non-significant associations for all the reasons. The regression analysis demonstrated that gender played a significant role, with females having higher odds of knowledge (AOR = 1.75, 95% CI 1.10-2.88) than males. Age also had a notable impact, with individuals aged 50-59 (AOR = 0.21, 95% CI 0.07-0.66) exhibiting lower odds of knowledge. Education holding a Ph.D (AOR = 3.50, 95% CI 0.54-22.51) and business as an occupation (AOR = 6.12, 95% CI 1.10-35.10) had significantly higher odds of knowledge while housewives (AOR = 0.76, 95% CI 0.25-2.27) had lower odds. Meanwhile, >50% of the participants had knowledge of adverse events related to the use of NSAIDs while 25% had no knowledge. Moreover, 59 (25.766%) participants reported discomfort with the use of NSAIDs. In addition, 50% and >75% of participants’ considered NSAIDs can cause peptic ulcers and damage kidneys, respectively (4) Conclusions: This study shed light on the knowledge and patterns of NSAIDs use in the population of Hail, Saudi Arabia. While NSAIDs are commonly utilized for pain management, there exists a need for improved public awareness regarding potential risks and safe usage practices. Healthcare providers and policymakers should consider these insights to develop targeted educational initiatives and healthcare interventions to promote safe and informed NSAID utilization in the region.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of jet-milling on lutein extraction contents of spinach powder (SP) and pulsed electric fields as a non-thermal pasteurization technology on spinach juice (SJ) to preserve lutein contents. SP particles were divided into SP-coarse (Dv50 = 315.2 μm), SP-fine (Dv50 = 125.20 μm), and SP-superfine (Dv50 = 5.59 μm) fractions and SP-superfine was added to SJ due to the highest contents of lutein extract. The PEF and thermal treatment were applied to evaluate the effects of preserving the lutein content of PEF during storage (25 days). The juice after being designated to untreated (no pasteurization), PEF1,2 (SJ treated with PEF 20 kV/cm 110 kJ/L, 150 kJ/L), Thermal1,2 (SJ treated with 90 ℃, 10 min and 121 ℃, 15 min). The sizes and surface shapes of superfine SP particles were more homogeneous and smoother than the other samples. SJ made with SP-superfine and treated by PEF had the highest lutein content and antioxidant activities among the group. Complex of jet-milling and PEF pasteurization could be great potential technologies to improve the lutein contents of lutein-enriched juice in the food industry.

Preterm infants often experience frequent intermittent hypoxia (IH) episodes which is associated with neuroinflammation. We tested the hypotheses that early caffeine and/or non-steroidal in-flammatory drugs (NSAIDs) confer superior therapeutic benefits for protection against IH-induced neuroinflammation than late treatment. Newborn rats were exposed to IH or hy-peroxia (50% O2) from birth (P0) to P14. For early treatment, the pups were administered: 1) dai-ly caffeine citrate (Cafcit, 20 mg/kg IP loading on P0, followed by 5 mg/kg from P1-P14); 2) ke-torolac topical ocular solution in both eyes from P0 to P14; 3) ibuprofen (Neoprofen, 10 mg/kg loading dose on P0 followed by 5 mg/kg/day on P1 and P2); 4) caffeine+ketorolac co-treatment; 5) caffeine+ibuprofen co-treatment; or 6) equivalent volume saline. On P14, animals were placed in room air (RA) with no further treatment. For late treatment, pups received similar treatments from P15-P21 (caffeine and/or ketorolac), or P15-P17 (ibuprofen). RA control were similarly treated. At P21, whole brains were assessed for histopathology, apoptosis, mye-lination, and biomarkers of inflammation. IH caused significant inflammation, reduced mye-lination, and apoptosis in preterm rat brains, an effect that was improved predominantly with combined caffeine/NSAID early treatment. Early caffeine/NSAID co-treatment confers syner-gistic neuroprotection against IH-induced damage.

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a major impact on the mental and physical health of hospitalized patients. In our study we focused on the onset of symptoms correlated with Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and physical disabilities in patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) because of a severe respiratory distress related to COVID-19 (COVID Group) compared with patients admitted to the same ICU for trauma and other medical conditions than COVID-19 (No-COVID Group). The physical symptoms and the level of disability were evaluated with the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOS-E), the Quality of Life after Brain Injury (QOLIBRI) and the 3 levels version of EQ-5D (EQ-5D-3L) questionnaire; psychiatric symptoms were investigated using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised 22-item (IES-R), the Patient Health Questionnaire, 9-Item Version (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment, 7-items version (GAD-7). These questionnaires were administered 6 months after discharge. Patients in the No-COVID Group showed statistically significant more severe scores in all the physical assessments while similar relevant PTSD and depressive symptoms were reported in both groups. The results of the present study underline the psychopathological impact of being hospitalized in ICU because of COVID-19 even after 6 months from discharge ,suggesting the importance of assessing the psychiatric effects of COVID-19 in the long term in order to create supportive measures.

This paper presents an analysis of the sensitivity of controlling an autonomous surface object among a group of encountered objects to the inaccuracy of state control process data. For this purpose, a safe and optimal model of the control process was defined. An algorithm for determining the optimal and safe trajectory of an object, based on the multi-object game model, was developed; for comparative analysis, an algorithm for calculating only the optimal trajectory, not taking into account the maneuverability of other objects, was additionally developed. First, simulation-based studies of the algorithms enabled a comparative analysis of a number of different acceptable strategies for optimally shifting the trajectory of maneuvering objects from a single initial direction. Thereafter, the main goal of this paper was implemented: an analysis of the sensitivity characteristics of safe control, assessed with the risk of collision, both on the inaccuracy of navigation data and on the number of possible control strategies. Finally, final conclusions and a plan for further research on the subject of the paper were formulated.

Poverty alleviation must be carried out in a planned and sustainable manner by the central government and regional governments, the private sector, and the entire community to achieve a prosperous society by getting special attention from the government. This study aims to analyze the impact of the non-cash food assistance program on poverty alleviation, stunting and economic problems using a public private partnership (PPP) approach that involves the role of the government, the private sector and the community. This study uses a qualitative-explorative research method to examine Indonesia's non-cash food assistance program as a national initiative to fight poverty in the form of food. Data were collected from interviews, field observations, and relevant literature, then Nvivo 12 Pro was used to analyze the results. The location of this research is in Indonesia, namely Takalar Regency. The results of the study show that the implementation of the non-cash basic food assistance program has been effective. The involvement of the government, the private sector, and the community shows this. The success factors for the basic food assistance program are alleviating poverty in Indonesia, reducing stunting rates, and increasing economic growth because people are given a place to be part of small businesses. From the results of this analysis it was concluded that the non-cash basic food assistance program is a special program that can overcome various social problems in society. So that poverty alleviation programs are expected to be sustainable and improved to provide benefits for people's welfare. The implementation of the food aid program also involved several cross-sectoral efforts to channel government assistance.

This lack of information is due to the primary role of HSTs in fungal pathogenesis, which often masks the functions of NSTs and CWDEs. So, the toxic effects of A. alternata metabolites due to NSTs and CWDEs have received minor attention than those reported for HSTs mycotoxins [11]. A wider study of the activity of isolated fungal metabolites can allow the identification of compounds directly related to the pathogenic activity of the fungus, making it possible to create chemo libraries that facilitate the linking of the structure of the compounds with the species that produce it and its effect on host and non-host crops, as well as with biosynthetic features [12]. In this context, our work reports a study focused on NSTs and CWDEs used by an A. alternata strain isolated from infected pears in Italy. To this aim, the characterization of hydrolytic enzyme activities of A. alternata and the identification of the metabolites produced in vitro were performed. Furthermore, the phytotoxic activity of the isolated compounds was evaluated on pear (host and non-host varieties) and lemon fruits [13]. Finally, the competition of A. alternata with other pathogens was evaluated to investigate the role of NSTs on co-infections.

Renewable active sludge is a smart material for wastewater treatment and the protection of surface water bodies. The generated pellets (dried and pelletised dehydrated anaerobically stabilised excess sludge) are produced in a quantity of 31.4 g ± 5.6 g dry matter (DM) per one Population equivalent (PE) calculated to COD (PE_COD) in one day. As pellets are combustible material, their energy utilisation must reach sustainable development goals (SDGs) - a bridge must be created between »treated sewage sludge as the tool to remove pollutants and nutrients from wastewater« and »preparation of the valuable material as a solid recovered fuel (SRF) that meets customer-specific requirements«. Technical Report CEN/TR 15508 and Technical Standard EN ISO 21640 set up methods for specifying and classifying pellets as an SRF. In the last eleven years (2010 – 2021), pellets' net calorific value (NCV) is 13.0 ± 0.7 MJ kg^-1 as received (ar). In 2021, the 80^th percentile of the Hg/NCV ratio was 0.079 mg Hg MJ^-1. In 2010 – 2021, the annual amount of Hg transferred to stakeholders reduced by 64.3 % m/m - from 10.1 kg to 3.67 kg. The halogen contents of the pellets do not threaten corrosion to the incineration facility. Stable pellets' energy potential and perspective ash composition for critical raw materials recovery qualify pellets as a specific waste stream and a renewable material for SRF production.