Electrochemical methods are used for the treatment of both municipal and industrial wastewater, either independently or in conjunction with biological methods. This conjunction is used for pretreatment or posttreatment of biologically treated wastewater. In our work, we focused on the combination of these processes, where pre-electrolysis was used to produce dissolved iron before the activation process. Electrolysis was also directly introduced into the activation using either iron or carbon electrodes. The surface of one iron electrode was 32.2 cm2, the applied voltage was 21 V, and the supplied current was 270 mA. The surface of one carbon electrode was 7.54 cm2, the supplied current was 82.5 mA, and the applied voltage was 21 V. From laboratory research on the treatment of synthetic municipal wastewater using a combination of electrolysis and activation processes, it resulted that the use of iron electrodes increased the efficiency of phosphorus removal compared to its precipitation with iron salts. The electrolysis had a positive effect on the sedimentation properties of sludge and the destruction of filamentous microorganisms. Electrolysis negatively affected the respiration rates of activated sludge and the efficiency of denitrification. However, it did not have a negative impact on the nitrification activity of the sludge.

Rare earth elements (REEs) and Sc are concentrated in aluminum production byproducts. The novel REEs recovery approach, which involves leaching by acid at a pH > 3 in the presence of MgSO4, results in the formation of a pregnant leach solution (PLS) with a low concentration of iron (Fe) and titanium (Ti) and a large quantity of valuable elements. The ion exchange method was acknowledged as the most favorable method used to separate the REEs from PLS. This work studies the application of chelating resin Puromet МТS9580 in the sorption recovery of Sc from sulfate solutions. To analyze the static Sc sorption data, Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin isotherm models were used. The Langmuir isotherm model was the best fitted to the experimental data, with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.983. The dynamic adsorption experiment was conducted using a PLS and a simulate solution without contaminants. Adsorption of Sc from the simulate solution was better fitted to the Thomas model with a Sc capacity greater than 7 mg mL–1. Because Ti had a gradual decrease in C/C0, which the Thomas model was unable to simulate, the modified dose-response (MDR) model fitted better with PLS. The NaHCO3 solution (200 g L–1) effectively desorbed Sc (>98 %) from simulated and PLS solutions after 1.5 h of stirring in a batch mode.

An experimental platform for laser-driven ion (sub-MeV) acceleration and potential applications was recently commissioned at the HiLASE laser facility. The auxiliary beam of the Bivoj laser system operating at GW peak power (~10 J in 5-10 ns) and 1-10 Hz repetition rate enabled a sta-ble production of high-current ion beams of multiple species (Al, Ti, Fe, Si, Cu, Sn). The pro-duced laser-plasma ion sources were fully characterized against the laser intensity on target (1013-1015 W/cm2) by varying the laser energy, focal spot size, and pulse duration. This al-lowed to provide accurate scaling laws of the maximum ion energy for the different target ma-terials investigated. Such experimental scaling laws are presented for the first time in the inves-tigated laser intensity range and for ns-class laser pulses, and allow to provide a qualitative in-terpretation of the laser-plasma interaction underpinning physics, thus to tune the main features of the accelerated ion beams (energy, temperature, and current). Such a detailed study was facil-itated by the large amount of data acquired at high repetition rate (1-10 Hz) provided by the Bivoj laser system. The versatility and tuneability of such high-repetition-rate laser-plasma ion sources are of po-tential interest for multidisciplinary user applications.

Dendrite growth and parasitic reactions with liquid electrolyte are the two key factors that restrict the practical application of the lithium metal anode. Herein, a bis(benzene sulfonyl)imide based single-ion polymer artificial layer for lithium metal anode is successfully constructed, which is prepared via blending the as-prepared copolymer of lithiated 4, 4’-dicarboxyl bis(benzene sulfonyl)imide and 4,4’-diaminodiphenyl ether on the surface of lithium foil. This single-ion polymer artificial layer enables compact structure with unique continuous aggregated Li+ clusters, thus reducing the direct contact between lithium metal and electrolyte, and ensuring Li+ transport fast and homogeneous simultaneously. Based on which, the coulombic efficiency of the Li|Cu half-cell is effectively improved, and the cycle stability of the Li|Li symmetric cell can be prolonged from 160 h to 240 h. Surficial morphology and elemental valence analysis confirm that the bis(benzene sulfonyl)imide based single-ion polymer artificial layer effectively facilitates the Li+ uniform deposition and suppresses parasitic reactions between lithium metal anode and liquid electrolyte in the LFP|Li full-cell. This strategy provides a new perspective to achieve steady lithium metal anode, which can be a promising candidate in practical application.

The clinical significance of carbon-ion radiotherapy (CIRT) for adenocarcinoma (AC) of the uterine cervix has been assessed in several single-institutional studies. To validate the significance, we conducted a multi-institutional survey of CIRT for locally advanced AC (LAAC) of the uterine cervix. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical outcomes of patients with stage IIB–IVA LAAC of the uterine cervix who underwent chemo-CIRT or CIRT alone between April 2010 and April 2016. Patients received 74.4 Gy (relative biological effectiveness [RBE]) in 20 fractions of CIRT or 55.2 Gy (RBE) in 16 fractions of CIRT plus 3 sessions of brachytherapy. Patients aged ≤70 years with adequate bone marrow and organ function were administered cisplatin weekly (40 mg/m2 per week for up to 5 weeks). Fifty-five patients were enrolled in this study. The median follow-up period was 67.5 months. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and local control (LC) rates were 68.6% and 65.2%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that the initial tumor response within 6 months was significantly associated with LC and OS. The present study represents promising outcomes of CIRT or chemo-CIRT for LAAC of the uterine cervix, especially in the cases showing initial rapid regression of the tumor.

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a significant threat to society in recent times, endangering human health, life, and economic well-being. The disease spreads quickly due to the highly infectious SARS-CoV-2 virus, which has undergone numerous mutations. Despite intense research efforts by the scientific community since its emergence in 2019, no effective therapeutics have been discovered yet. While some repurposed drugs have been used to control the global outbreak and save lives, none have proven universally effective, particularly for severely infected patients. Although the spread of the disease is generally under control, anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents are still needed to combat current and future infections. This study reviews some of the most promising repurposed drugs containing indolyl heterocycle, which is an essential scaffold of many alkaloids with diverse bio-properties in various biological fields. The study also discusses natural and synthetic indole-containing compounds with anti-SARS-CoV-2 properties, as well as computer-aided drug design (in-silico studies) for optimizing anti-SARS-CoV-2 hits/leads.

The traffic light detection and recognition are crucial for enhancing the security of unmanned systems. This study proposes a YOLOv5-based traffic light detection algorithm to tackle the challenges posed by small targets and complex urban backgrounds. Initially, the mosaic-9 method is employed to enhance the training dataset, thereby boosting the network’s ability to generalize and adapt to real-world scenarios. Furthermore, the network incorporates the Squeezed-and-Excitation (SE) attention mechanism to improve. Moreover, the YOLOv5 algorithm’s loss function has been optimized by substituting it with EIoU_loss, which addresses issues like missed detection and false alarms. Experimental results demonstrate that the model , trained with this enhanced network, achieves a 99.4% mAP on a custom dataset, which is 6.3% higher than the original YOLOv5, while maintaining a detection speed of 74 f/s. Therefore, this algorithm offers higher detection accuracy and effectively meets real-time operational requirements.

Objectives: The term "inflammageing” describes the process of inflammation-induced aging that leads living cells to a state of permanent cell cycle arrest due to chronic antigenic irritation. This in vitro study aimed to shed light on the mechanisms of “inflammageing” on human oral cells. Methods: Primary cultures of human gingival fibroblasts (hGFs) were exposed to variable pro-inflammatory stimuli, including lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNFa), and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) collected from active periodontal pockets of systemically healthy patients. Inflammageing was studied through two experimental models, employing either late-passage (“aged”) cells (p.10) that were exposed to the pro-inflammatory stimuli or early-passage (“young”) cells (p.1) continuously exposed during a period of several passages (up to p.10) to the above-mentioned stimuli. Cells were evaluated for the expression of beta-galactosidase activity (histochemical staining), senescence-associated genes (qPCR analysis), and biomarkers related to a Senescence Associated Secretory Phenotype (SASP), through proteome profile analysis and bioinformatics. Results: A significant increase (p<0.05) of beta-galactosidase-positive cells was observed after exposure to each pro-inflammatory stimulus. The senescence-associated gene expression included upregulation for CCND1 and downregulation for SUSD6, and STAG1, a profile typical for cellular senescence. Overall, pro-inflammatory priming of late-passage cells caused more pronounced effects in terms of senescence, than long-term exposure of early-passage cells to these stimuli. Proteomic analysis showed induction of SASP, evidenced by upregulation of several pro-inflammatory proteins (IL-6, IL-10, IL-16, IP-10, MCP-1, MCP-2, M-CSF, MIP-1a, MIP-1b, TNFb, sTNF-RI, sTNF-RII, TIMP-2) implicated in cellular aging and immune responses. The least potent impact on the induction of SASP was provoked by LPS and the most pronounced by GCF. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that long-term exposure of hGFs to various pro-inflammatory signals induced or accelerated cellular senescence with the most pronounced impact noted for the late-passage cells. The outcome of this analyses provides insights into oral chronic inflammation, as a potential confounder of age-related diseases.

Reducing office buildings’ energy consumption can contribute significantly towards carbon reduction commitments since it represents 10% of total energy consumption. Major components are lighting (40% of consumption), electrical equipment (35%), and heating and central cooling systems (25\%). Occupants’ behaviours impact these energy consumption components, with solid evidence on the role of individual behaviours. In this work, we propose a methodology that uses virtual choreographies to identify and prioritize behaviour-change interventions towards office users based on the potential impact on energy consumption. The data shows that some behaviours with significant consumption have little potential for behavioural change impact, while other behaviours hold substantial potential for lowering energy consumption via behavioural change.

Carbon sequestration is associated with plant biomass and soils. The amount of carbon sequestration in the Atewa Range Forest Reserve (ARFR) is affected by varied anthropogenic activities like logging, mining and farming. This study estimate the above and below ground carbon stock and assess human-induced stress impacts on the Highly Stressed Vegetation (HSV), Moderately Stressed Vegetation (MSV), and Non-Stressed Vegetation (NSV) in the ARFR. The above ground biomass of trees was determined using the allometric model of (Henry, et al., 2010) whereas plants root biomass was calculated using Cairns et al. (1997). Soil organic carbon was determined using the Walkley–Black method. We observed that carbon stock was higher in the above-ground than the below-ground component. The MSV, recorded the highest stock of carbon followed by the NSV and the HSV whilst sequestrated carbon stocks was generally high and varied across the three stress levels. Within the forest, the intensity of anthropogenic activities has negatively impacted the amounts of carbon sequestrated at various levels.

The high dimensions and governing non linear dynamics in wind farm systems make the design of numerical optimal controllers computationally expensive. A possible pathway to circumvent this challenge lies in finding reduced order models which can accurately embed the existing non linearities. The work here presented applies the ideas motivated by non linear dynamical systems theory - the Koopman Operator - to an innovative algorithm in the context of wind farm systems - Input Output Dynamic Mode Decomposition - to improve on the ability to model the aerodynamic interaction between wind turbines in a wind farm and uncover insights into the existing dynamics. It is shown that a reduced order linear state space model can reproduce the downstream turbine generator power dynamics and reconstruct the upstream turbine wake. It is further shown that the fit can be improved by judiciously choosing the Koopman observables used in the IODMD algorithm without jeopardizing the models ability to rebuild the turbine wake. The extensions to the IODMD algorithm provide an important step towards the design of linear reduced order models which can accurately reproduce the dynamics in a wind farm.

In this study is reported the optical, structural and dielectric properties of Poly (vinyl alcohol) thin films membranes with embedded ZnO nanoparticles (PVA/ZnO) obtained by solution casting method at low temperature of deposition. Fourier Transform Infrared spectra showed the characteristics peaks, which correspond to O-H and Zn-O bonds present in the hybrid material. The X-ray diffraction patterns indicated the presence of ZnO structure into the films. The composite material showed low absorbance and a wide band gap energy from 5.6 to 5.9 eV. The surface morphology for the thin films of PVA/ZnO was studied by Atomic Force Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The dielectric properties of the nanocomposites were measured from low to high frequencies, the results showed a high dielectric constant (ε) in the order of 10⁴ at low frequency and values from ε ≈ 2000 to 100 in the range of 1KHz-1MHz respectively, the properties of PVA/ZnO such as the high permittivity and the low temperature of processing make it a suitable material for potential applications in the development of flexible electronic devices.

The article presents the author’s works in the field of modifications and modeling of the PQC CSIDH algorithm on non-cyclic supersingular Edwards curves and its predecessor CRS scheme on ordinary non-cyclic Edwards curves are reviewed. Lower estimates of the computational speed gains of the modified algorithms over the original ones are obtained. The most significant results were obtained by choosing classes of non-cyclic Edwards curves connected as quadratic twist pairs instead of cyclic complete Edwards curves, as well as the method of algorithm randomization as an alternative to “constant time CSIDH.” It is shown that in the CSIDH and CSIKE algorithms, there are two independent cryptosystems with the possibility of parallel computation, eliminating the threat of side-channel attacks. For the CRS scheme, there are four such cryptosystems. Integral lower bound estimates of the performance gain of the modified CSIDH algorithm are obtained at 1.5 ∙ 29, and for the CRS scheme are 3 ∙ 29.

(1) Background: better mechanistic understanding of desmosome disruption and acantholysis in Grover disease (GD) may improve management of this disease. Recent molecular studies highlighted promising pathways to be explored, by directly comparing GD and selected features of associated skin diseases. The association between GD and cutaneous keratinocyte carcinomas, the most prevalent non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC), is not completely characterized. (2) Objective: To review the medical literature regarding GD-associated cutaneous keratinocyte cancers, focusing on molecular features, pathophysiological mechanisms and disease associations, to help guide future research and patient management. (3) Result: GD has been associated with a variety of skin conditions, but its association with skin cancers has been rarely reported. Between 1983 and 2024 only 9 scientific papers presented data supporting this association. Interestingly, we found that GD may mimic multiple NMSCs, as few authors reported GD cases misdiagnosed as multiple cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas for more than 4 years, or the presence of superficial basal cell carcinoma–like areas associated with focal acantholysis. (4) Conclusions: (a) GD may be an imitator of multiple NMSCs and (b) the relationship between GD and NMSCs may reveal promising pathways for the mechanistic understanding of desmosome disruption and acantholysis in GD and may even lead to its reclassification as a distinctive syndrome.

Under the new pattern of “double carbon” development, good ESG performance is the best way to promote the sustainable development of enterprises, and the ESG investment strategies are directly affected by the strategic vision of managers. Based on the upper echelons theory and stakeholder theory, this paper takes Chinese A-share listed companies from 2011 to 2022 as samples to empirically analyze the impact of managerial myopia on corporate ESG performance. The results show that managerial myopia significantly inhibits corporate ESG performance, mainly by inhibiting corporate green investment and green innovation sustainability. Furthermore, for state-owned enterprises (SOE), heavy polluting enterprises (HPE) and non-high-tech enterprises, the inhibitory effect of manager myopia on ESG performance is stronger. When the enterprise is in the growth stage, the above inhibition effect is more severe. For external governance, the greater the analyst attention and public environmental attention are, the more conducive they are to alleviating the restraining effect of managerial myopia on enterprise ESG performance. Therefore, effectively improving the time cognition level of managers and strengthening external supervision have become important measures for comprehensively optimizing the ESG performance.

Abstract: Due to sever land degradation throughout Ethiopia, the government has been implementing massive soil and water conservation works at the watershed scale since 2010 to conserve soil and water resources. However, most of the rivers in Ethiopia carry huge amount of sediment in rainy season and streams dried up in the dry period. Planned research was conducted on two paired micro-catchments Mt.Yewel with the main objective of evaluating the impact of soil and water conservation measures on base flow modification. Stream flow and rainfall data were collected from 22/11/2020 to 8/11/2022 on both micro-catchments at their outlets and center respectively. Base flow separation was done using Sp. Hydro base flow separation tool and SPSS Ver.21 statistical software was employed for data analysis. Flow duration curve (FDC) for both watersheds were developed. The FDC indicated that the base flow from treated micro-catchment ishigher and sustained in the dry season while it is low and un-sustained in untreated micro-catchment. From statistical analysis, there is a significant difference in base flow enhancement between the treated and untreated micro-catchment (P<0.001). Hence, catchment treatment contributed to improve groundwater recharge and sustain base flow in the dry season by reduce surface runoff during rainy season.

Iron (Fe) is co-factor for enzymes of the developing brain necessitating sufficient supply. We investigated the effects of administering ferric derisomaltose/Fe isomaltoside (FDI) subcutaneously to Fe deficient (ID) pregnant rats on cerebral and hepatic concentrations of essential metals and gene expression of ferroportin and hepcidin. Pregnant rats subjected to ID were injected with FDI on the day of mating (E0), 14 days into pregnancy (E14), or the day of birth (Postnatal (P0)). The efficacy was evaluated by determination of cerebral and hepatic Fe in pups on P0 and as adults on P70, and the concentration of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn). Females fed an ID diet (5.2 mg/kg Fe) had offspring with significantly lower cerebral and hepatic Fe compared to female controls fed a standard diet (158 mg/kg Fe). Cerebral Cu increased irrespective of supplying a standard diet or administering FDI combined with the standard diet. Hepatic hepcidin was significantly lower following ID, whereas cerebral hepcidin was virtually undetectable in all experimental groups. In conclusion, administering FDI subcutaneously to ID pregnant rats on EO normalizes cerebral Fe in the fetus, but when applied at later gestational ages, additional Fe to the offspring is needed to normalize cerebral and hepatic Fe.

Extracellular vesicles represent a large heterogeneous class of near and long-distance intercellular communication mediators, released by both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Specifically, the scientific community has shown a growing interest in exosomes, which are nano-sized vesicles with an endosomal origin. Not so long ago, the physiological goal of exosome generation was largely unknown and required more investigation; at first, it was hypothesized that exosomes are able to remove excess, rejects and unnecessary constituents from cells to preserve cellular homeostasis. However, thanks to recent studies, the central role of exosomes in regulating cellular dialogue has emerged. Exosomes act as vectors on cell-cell signaling by their cargo, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, and influence physiological and pathological processes. The findings on exosomes are widespread in a large spectrum of biomedical applications from diagnosis and prognosis to thera-pies. In this review, we describe exosome biogenesis and the current methods for their isolation and characterization, emphasizing the role of their cargo in female reproductive processes, from gametogenesis to implantation, and the potential involvement in human female disorders.

A two-year experiment was conducted with a local maize hybrid under full irrigation (F), deficit irrigation (D) and rainfed conditions (R) to estimate maize evapotranspiration in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Three approaches (Allen & Pereira (A&P), SIMDualKc (SD), and Vegetation Index (VI)) were used to estimate the actual crop coefficient (Kc act), actual basal crop coefficient (Kcb act), and actual crop evapotranspiration (ETc act) were applied with the dual crop coefficient method and remote sensing (RS) data. While Kcb act from all approaches matched FAO56 tabulated values, SD showed differences, in comparison to A&P, of up to 0.24 in D and R conditions, especially in initial and mid-season stages. VI demonstrated very good performance in all treatments. In F, the obtained Kc act for all approaches during the initial and end stages were higher than the tabulated values, ranging from 0.71-0.87 for Kc ini act and from 0.80-1.06 for Kc end act, while the mid-season period showed very good agreement with the literature. Maize crop evapotranspiration range is 769-813 mm, 480-752 mm, and 332-618 mm for F, D and R, respectively. The results confirmed the suitability of both approaches (SD and VI) to estimate maize crop evapotranspiration under F, with the VI approach demonstrating an advantage in calculating Kcb act, Kc act, and ETc act values under water stress conditions. The 67.6% increase in grain yields with irrigation emphasizes the need to transition from rainfed to irrigation-dependent agriculture, even for drought-resistant crops like maize.

In our previous published papers, considering 3 large atomic gravitational constants assumed to be associated with weak, strong and electromagnetic interactions, we have proposed the existence of a nuclear charge of magnitude, e_n=2.95e and developed a nuclear mass formula associated with strong and weak interactions having 4 simple terms and only one energy coefficient. Two important assumptions are, there exists a weak fermion of rest energy 585 GeV and strong coupling constant is the squared ratio of electromagnetic charge and nuclear charge. The aim of this paper is associated with understanding the mystery of quantum of magnetic flux, Planck’s quantum radiation constant and Reduced Planck’s constant. Proceeding further, quark charges, strong coupling constant, nuclear stability, nuclear binding energy, medium and heavy atomic X-ray levels and celestial magnetic moments can be understood in a unified approach. It may also be noted that, by considering integral nature of elementary particle masses, it seems possible to understand the discreteness of angular momentum. Considering our proposed e_n=2.95e=3e as a characteristic nuclear charge, it seems possible to understand the integral nature of quarks electromagnetic charge. With this idea, neutron, proton and pions decay can be understood very easily. In all the cases, up quark of charge (±2e) seems to play a crucial role with the internal transformation of down quark of charge (±e) and external observable elementary basic elementary particles. It needs further study at fundamental level.

One of the most important subjects of hydraulic engineering is the reliable estimation of the transverse distribution in rectangular channel of bed and wall shear stresses. This study makes use of the Tsallis entropy, Genetic Programming (GP) and (ANFIS) methods to assess the shear stress distribution (SSD) in rectangular channel. To evaluate the results of the Tsallis entropy, GP and ANFIS models, laboratory observations were used in which shear stress was measured using an optimized Preston tube. This is then used to measure the SSD in various aspect ratios in the rectangular channel. To investigate the shear stress percentage, 10 data series with a total of 112 different data for were used. The results of the sensitivity analysis show that the most influential parameter for the SSD in smooth rectangular channel is the dimensionless parameter B/H, Where the transverse co-ordinate is B, and the flow depth is H. With the parameters (b/B), (B/H) for the bed and (z/H), (B/H) for the wall as inputs, the modeling of the GP was better than the other one. Based on the analysis, it can be concluded that the use of GP and ANFIS algorithms is more effective in estimating shear stress in smooth rectangular channels than the Tsallis entropy-based equations.

This research focuses on the customer orientation of insurance brokers, whose activity is regulated by the Law of 26/2006 of July 17 on the mediation of private insurances and reinsurances. The goal is to ascertain whether the intermediation inherent in the insurance broker’s activity, which implies a customer-oriented service, entails a positive behaviour that transcends the immediate environment, reaching society. This study presents a comparative analysis between the insurance brokerage society, characterised by providing a personalised customer service, and banks’ advisory services on insurance. To this end, we study the evolution of the total volume of business and new production, compared for a portfolio of insurance products. The results presented in this research suggest that the customer values the advisory service provided by the broker. However, for a particular business segment in standardised insurance products and products related to banking assets, customers are more likely to resort to the bank’s services. In addition, the results indicate that the commission percentages applied by the entities operating in the banking insurance channel exceed those perceived by the insurance broker. With all this, intermediation in the development of the insurer’s activity can entail an ethical and social behaviour that involves customer-orientation and, possibly, social service, which does not always benefit the insurer.

The state estimation for lithium-ion battery cells has been the topic of many publications concerning the different states of a battery cell. They often focus on a battery cell’s state of charge (SOC) or state of health (SOH). Therefore this paper introduces a, on one hand, a new lithium-ion battery data set with dynamic validation data over degradation and on the other hand a model-based SOC and SOH estimation based on this dataset as a reference. An unscented Kalman filter-based approach was used for SOC estimation and extended with a holistic ageing model to handle the SOH estimation. The paper describes the dataset, the models, the parameterisation, the implementation of the state estimations, and their validation using parts of the dataset resulting in a SOC and SOH estimation over battery life. The results show that the dataset can be used to extract parameters, design models based on it and validate with dynamically degraded battery cells.

Structural self-organizing and pattern formation are universal and key phenomena observed during growth and cluster-assembling of the carbyne-enriched nanostructured metamaterials at the ion-assisted pulse-plasma deposition. Fine tuning these universal phenomena opens access to designing the properties of the growing carbyne-enriched nano-matrix. The structure of bonds in the grown carbyne-enriched nano-matrices can be programmed by the processes of self-organization and auto-synchronization of nanostructures. We propose the innovative concept, connected with application of the universal Cymatics phenomena during the predictive growth of the carbyne-enriched nanostructured metamaterials. We also propose the self-organization approach for increase stability of the long linear carbon chains. The main idea of suggested concept is manipulating by the self-organized wave patterns excitation phenomenon and their distribution by the spatial structure and properties of the nanostructured metamaterial grows region through the new synergistic effect. Mentioned effect will be provided through the vibration-assisted self-organized wave patterns excitation along with simultaneous manipulating by their properties through the electric field. We propose to use acoustic activation of the plasma zone of nano-matrix growing. Interaction between the inhomogeneous electric field distribution generated on the vibrating layer and the plasma ions will serve as the additional energizing factor controlling the local pattern formation and self-organizing of the nano-structures. Suggested concept makes it possible to provide precise predictive designing the spatial structure and properties of the advanced carbyne-enriched nanostructured metamaterials.

Starfish are keystone species as predators in benthic ecosystems, but when population outbreaks occur this can have devastating consequences ecologically. Furthermore, starfish outbreaks and invasions can have adverse impact economically by impacting shellfish aquaculture. Addressing the imperative need to proactively mitigate starfish invasions requires comprehensive research on their behavior and the underlying mechanisms of outbreaks. This review scrutinizes the historical patterns of outbreaks among diverse starfish species across various regions, delineates the factors contributing to the proliferation of Asterias amurensis in Chinese waters, articulates preventive and remedial strategies, and outlines the potential for sustainable utilization of starfish.

To address the problems of insufficient semantic fusion between text and questions and the lack of consideration of global semantic information encountered in machine reading comprehension models, we proposed a machine reading comprehension model called BERT_hybrid based on BERT and hybrid attention mechanism. In this model, BERT is utilized to separately map the text and questions into the feature space. Through the integration of Bi-LSTM, attention mechanism, and self-attention mechanism, the proposed model achieves comprehensive semantic fusion between text and questions. The probabilities distribution of answers is computed using Softmax. Experimental results on the public dataset DuReader demonstrate that the proposed model achieves improvements in BLEU-4 and ROUGE-L scores compared to existing models. Furthermore, to validate the effectiveness of the proposed model design, we analyze the factors influencing the model’s performance.

The primary objective of this research was to assess the energy consumption of the gas treatment units at Bonny NLNG Refinery, the first Gas Refinery in Rivers State, Nigeria, while utilizing semi-lean amine. To achieve this goal, a simulation of the units was conducted using the advanced software package Aspen Hysys (V.8.3). The simulation was designed to accurately represent the dynamic behavior of the refinery's gas treatment units, allowing for a comprehensive analysis of their energy usage. The research aimed to quantify the energy consumption of the gas treatment units and identify opportunities for energy optimization. By utilizing semi-lean amine, which is known to improve energy efficiency, the study sought to evaluate the potential energy savings that could be achieved in the refinery's operations. The simulation model incorporated the specific design and operational parameters of the gas treatment units at Bonny NLNG Refinery, including the gas flow rate, lean amine concentration, absorber pressure, stripping temperature, amine circulation rate, and acid gas removal efficiency. By considering these parameters, the simulation accurately represented the dynamic behavior of the gas treatment units, enabling a detailed analysis of their energy consumption. Through the simulation, various scenarios and operational conditions were evaluated to determine the optimal set of parameters that minimized energy consumption. The research also examined the trade-offs between energy consumption, acid gas removal efficiency, and other performance indicators, such as amine circulation rate and regeneration efficiency. The findings of this research have significant implications for the energy efficiency and sustainability of gas treatment operations at Bonny NLNG Refinery. By identifying opportunities for energy optimization and providing recommendations for the utilization of semi-lean amine, the study contributes to the development of more efficient and environmentally friendly gas treatment processes. Overall, this research combines advanced simulation techniques with a comprehensive analysis of energy consumption to provide valuable insights into the energy efficiency of gas treatment units at Bonny NLNG Refinery, enabling informed decision-making and potential improvements in energy utilization. By utilizing the percentage-based unit simulation approach, a detailed examination of the energy consumption patterns was obtained. This analysis provides valuable insights into the operational efficiency and determination of potential energy-saving opportunities within the gas treatment units. This study specifically focuses on the integration of an absorption column split stream (stream flow) and a flash unit as a potential means to reduce the energy consumption of gas treatment devices. The integration of these units aims to optimize the overall energy efficiency of the gas treatment process by recovering and utilizing waste heat and reducing energy losses. The absorption column split stream allows for the diversion of a portion of the gas stream to a flash unit before entering the absorber. The flash unit operates at a lower pressure, which facilitates the release of entrained hydrocarbons and reduces the overall energy requirements for gas treatment. By separating and recovering the hydrocarbons in the flash unit, energy losses associated with their absorption and subsequent regeneration are minimized. Through the simulation, the study analyzes the energy consumption patterns of the gas treatment units with and without the integration of the absorption column split stream and flash unit. Comparative assessments are conducted to evaluate the energy savings and overall operational efficiency achieved through this integration. The findings of this research will provide valuable insights into the potential energy-saving opportunities offered by the integration of the absorption column split stream and flash unit in gas treatment devices. It will help refine the design and operation of gas treatment units, enabling more energy-efficient processes in the gas refining industry. By optimizing energy consumption in gas treatment units, the study contributes to the industry's goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving sustainability. The integration of the absorption column split stream and flash unit offers a promising approach to enhance energy efficiency, reduce operational costs, and minimize environmental impact. Overall, this research underscores the importance of exploring innovative solutions, such as the integration of different process units, to achieve energy savings in gas treatment operations. Through a comprehensive analysis of energy consumption patterns, this study aims to provide practical recommendations for optimizing energy efficiency in gas treatment units, fostering a more sustainable and efficient gas refining industry.The research specifically explores the impact of integrating the absorption column split stream and flash unit when dealing with sour gas streams containing carbon dioxide concentrations of less than mole ℅, while utilizing MDEA fluid as the solvent. Through comprehensive analysis and simulation using advanced software tools, the study demonstrates that by incorporating the absorption column split stream and flash unit, a significant reduction in device energy consumption of up to 10% can be achieved. The integration of the absorption column split stream and flash unit offers promising opportunities to enhance the energy efficiency of gas treatment devices. By diverting a portion of the gas stream to the flash unit, the separation of hydrocarbons and the subsequent release of entrained hydrocarbons at lower pressure significantly reduce the overall energy requirements for gas treatment. The comprehensive analysis and simulation conducted in the research provide concrete evidence of the energy-saving potential of this integration. By quantifying the energy consumption patterns and comparing scenarios with and without integration, the study establishes the effectiveness of the approach and its impact on operational efficiency. The findings of the research highlight the importance of considering the specific gas composition and utilizing appropriate solvents, such as MDEA, for optimizing energy efficiency. The integration of the absorption column split stream and flash unit not only reduces energy consumption but also offers the potential for cost savings and environmental benefits. Overall, the research demonstrates that by incorporating the absorption column split stream

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in education has the potential to revolutionize the learning experience for international students, who face unique challenges when studying in a foreign country. This paper explores various examples of AI applications in education and their potential impact on international students. AI applications such as personalized learning experiences, adaptive testing, predictive analytics, and chatbots for learning and research are examined for their potential to improve learning efficiency and provide customized education support. It also explores the significant risks and limitations associated with AI technologies, such as privacy, cultural differences, language proficiency, and ethical implications. To maximize the potential benefits of AI applications in higher education, it is crucial to implement appropriate safeguards and regulations. This paper provides a starting point for research on the potential impact of artificial intelligence on international students’ educational experiences and how AI may be integrated into educational administration and learning processes.

Bacterial antibiotic resistance has become a major global health concern. One of the main reasons for the development of multi-drug resistance properties in bacteria is due to the bacterial efflux pump systems. They are important transport proteins, mainly involved in the removal of toxic substrates like antibiotics from inner cell environment. These pumps are responsible for the intrinsic ability of bacteria to get resistant to the antibiotic. Various types of efflux pumps are present in the Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Plant-derived products like Capsaicin, Olympicin A, and Indirubicin were found to be inhibitors of an efflux pump in Staphylococcus aureus similarly Ursolic acid derivatives; Daidzein and Lanatoside C were plant-derived inhibitors of an efflux pump in Escherichia coli. In this review detail information have been provided about efflux pump inhibitors that have been found to be effective in the Gram-positive bacteria and Gram-negative bacteria. The aim of this review is to focus on the role of plant-derived compounds as effective efflux pumps inhibitors with reference to mainly Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

Keywords: cranberry, exercise, proteomics, oxylipins, gut microbiome, metabolomics, immunity

Blood-derived products (BP) like citrate-platelet-rich plasma (CPRP) or hyperacute serum (HAS) are known to contain many growth factors. Combined mitogenic and DNA damaging stimuli might lead to increased senescent cell burden and altered senescence-associated secretory pheno-type (SASP). Therefore, the senescent state was extensively tested by γH2AX staining, p21 Q-PCR and western blot, growth curves and senescence associated ß-galactosidase staining. Two main treatments with BP were performed early (immediately after etoposide) and late (after addition-al 11days). Effects of the BP treatment was evaluated by IL-6 and IL-8 measurement as well as collagen (COL1) and p21 mRNA expression. Additionally, XTT assays, cell size measurements, viability assays, and cell number calculations were performed. HAS treated cells in early treat-ment had the lowest observed IL-6 and IL-8. In contrast, there was a clear inflammatory response for IL-8 on HAS and CPRP treated cells in late treatment. For COL1 expression an upregulation in early treatment could be shown, meanwhile cells in the late treatment group remained unaf-fected. In CPRP treated cells, the COL1 expression decreased. All in all, BP treatment seems to have slightly positive effects regarding skin rejuvenation.

The modeling of flood-induced bend scour near embankment toes can provide important information for river engineering, embankment safety warnings, and emergency action management. During the rainy seasons, short-term general scour and bend scour are the most common causes for the failure of reinforced concrete embankments in Taiwan. To gain a deeper understanding of the scouring process near levee foundations, this study proposed a straightforward and practical method for bend scour simulation. The proposed simulation method is subdivided into three stages: two-dimensional flow simulation, general scour estimation, and bend scour estimation. A new bend-scour computation equation is proposed and incorporated into a two-dimensional hydraulic finite-volume model for simulating the evolution of bend scour depth around embankment toes. The proposed method is applied to simulate the temporal evolution of bend scouring near the Shuideliaw Embankment on the Cho-Shui River in Taiwan, where serious failure occurred during the June 2012 monsoon. Field data were gathered using the numbered-brick technique at the Shuideliaw Embankment to demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed method. The results of the bend scour simulations compared reasonably well with field measurements, indicating close agreement in terms of water levels and bend scour depths near the Shuideliaw Embankment. The proposed method was found to quickly estimate the maximum short-term general scour and bend scour depths for further enhancement of the safety of the embankment toe.

Background: People with Down syndrome (DS) have a trisomy of chromosome 21 and marked deficits in verbal memory but relatively preserved visuospatial perception. Verbal memories are related to semantic knowledge. Little is known about the organization of semantic knowledge in people with DS, which was the aim of this study. Aims: The extent of false memory in people with DS was examined. Possible differences in the number of false memories induced by nominal and verbal themes were examined. Methods and Procedures: In the study phase, ten word lists with semantically related associates were presented. In the recognition phase, participants made judgments on whether each word had been represented previously as semantically related lures, old words, and semantically unrelated new words. Outcomes and Results: Differences in the processing of nominal and verbal theme-related lures were observed among people with DS. When processing nominal theme-related lures, people with DS showed delayed false positives. When processing verbal theme-related lures, people with DS showed no differences compared to controls. Similar patterns have been observed in people with DS when processing nominal theme-related associates and verbal theme-related associates. People with DS have delayed recognition of associates. When processing unrelated words, they showed significantly higher false positives than controls for both nominal and verbal eliciting themes. Further analyses of the themes revealed differences in false positives across syntactic categories among groups. Conclusions and Implications: People with DS showed a delayed recognition of associates and deviance in recognizing unrelated words in the nominal and verbal theme categories. People with DS were delayed in terms of nouns, but deviated with verbs in associated and unrelated words. Additionally, people with DS showed distinct patterns in processing five nominal lures and three verbal lures, suggesting that they formed false memories differently based on distinct syntactic categories. Thus, it was concluded that people with DS develop a deviant semantic structure. Category-based interventions for people with DS should be implemented in order to improve their semantic knowledge through lexical connections.

The compositions of metalliferous sediments which is associated with hydrothermal vents can provide reliable geochemical indicators for the exploration of seafloor sulfides. In this study, surface sediments from the Xunmei hydrothermal field (HF) on the South Mid-Atlantic Ridge (SMAR) were selected, and their major and trace elements were analysed. The results showed that the sediments are composed of pelagic material (calcium biogenic components), basaltic debris, iron-manganese oxides, and a mixture of hydrothermal components. Additionally, the sediments were found to be significantly enriched in Cu, Zn, Fe and Co derived from hydrothermal sources, as well as Mn, V, Mo, U and P, which are primarily scavenged from seawater. The Cu and Zn concentrations are highest in the northeastern part of Xunmei, while the northeastern, northern, and southern parts are characterized by great inputs of hydrothermal Fe. Manganese and Mo are mainly enriched in the western and southern parts and show a strong positive correlation, indicating that Mo is mainly scavenged by Mn oxides. There are high positive correlations among U, P, and Fe, indicating their coprecipitation with Fe from hydrothermal plumes. Vanadium and Co are introduced into sediments in two ways, i.e., V is scavenged and coprecipitates from hydrothermal plumes, and Co is derived from sulfide debris. Based on the variations in Cu and Zn contents and in the Cu/Fe (0.159), Zn/Fe (0.158), and Fe/Mn (1440) ratios, it can be inferred that a high-temperature hydrothermal vent existed in northeastern Xunmei. In combination with the distribution patterns of the above elements, the hydrothermal vents in the southern part ceased erupting after a short period of activity. In addition, the high Mn anomaly and the high U/Fe ratios at the boundaries of the investigated area indicate the presence of a relatively oxidized environment in southwestern Xunmei.

Optical artificial neural networks (ONNs) have significant potential for ultra-high computing speed and energy efficiency. We report a novel approach to ONNs that uses integrated Kerr optical micro-combs. This approach is programmable and scalable and is capable of reaching ultra-high speeds. We demonstrate the basic building block ONNs — a single neuron perceptron — by mapping synapses onto 49 wavelengths to achieve an operating speed of 11.9 x 10⁹ operations per second, or Giga-OPS, at 8 bits per operation, which equates to 95.2 gigabits/s (Gbps). We test the perceptron on handwritten-digit recognition and cancer-cell detection — achieving over 90% and 85% accuracy, respectively. By scaling the perceptron to a deep learning network using off-the-shelf telecom technology we can achieve high throughput operation for matrix multiplication for real-time massive data processing.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more prevalent across industries as diverse as healthcare, finance, and transportation. Artificial intelligence is based on the analysis of large data sets and requires a continuous supply of high-quality data. However, using data for AI is not without its challenges. This paper comprehensively reviews and critically examine the challenges of using data for AI, including data quality, data volume, privacy and security, bias and fairness, interpretability and explainability, ethical concern, and technical expertise and skills. This paper examines e these challenges in details and offers advices on how companies can address them. By understanding and addressing these challenges, organizations can harness the power of AI to make smarter decisions and gain a competitive advantage in the digital age.

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.

The Covid-19 health crisis and its related confinement measures and policies has had a significant impact on the telework adoptions rates, where many businesses were affected abruptly without being prepared, resulting in numerous ad-hoc applications especially while assessing employee’s performance and productivity while working remotely. The difficulties that have emerged with the pandemic have revealed the fragility of the traditional performance appraisal process and the unintentional existence of proximity bias. The Lebanese liquidity crisis is an ongoing financial crisis affecting Lebanon that became fully apparent toward late-2019 when large demonstrations erupted amid acute political instability and economic challenges. In light of the compounded simultaneous occurrence of recurring episodes of COVID-19 outbreaks and the ongoing country’s financial liquidity crisis, the standing of the Lebanese banking sector – who played key roles in the Lebanese economy and were long considered as financially sound and stable – has drastically changed. Faced with such a situation, Lebanese commercial banks started contracting both their branch network and human capital base, and thus they been forced to rethink their human capital strategies by implementing new practices allowing them to adapt to this context of crisis. It is in this perspective that the present research work is inscribed, where we explore the main managerial practices and processes implemented within top Lebanese banks to assess their employee’s performance during the compounded simultaneous crises. A thematic qualitative analysis method of an exploratory nature was adopted, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior managers from top Lebanese commercial banks. Results were processed using a deductive approach for themes identifications. Accordingly, it was concluded that in such times of acute crisis, Lebanese banks have altered the purpose of their Performance Appraisal Review (PAR) process and have implicitly or explicitly adopted a Forced Ranking method to primarily focus on retaining just the top performers, while placing those at the bottom on probation with the risk of termination.

Vitamin D, unlike the micronutrients, vitamins A, E and K, is largely obtained, not from food, but by the action of solar UV light on its precursor, 7-dehydrocholesterol, in skin. With the decline in UV light intensity in winter, most skin production of vitamin D occurs in summer. Because no defined storage organ or tissue has been found for vitamin D, it has been assumed that adequate vitamin D status in winter can only be maintained by oral supplementation. Skeletal muscle cells have now been shown to incorporate the vitamin D-binding protein (DBP) from blood into the cell cytoplasm where it binds to cytoplasmic actin. This intracellular DBP provides an array of specific binding sites for 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) which diffuses into the cell from the extracellular fluid. When intracellular DBP undergoes proteolytic breakdown, the bound 25(OH)D is then released and diffuses back into blood. This uptake and release of 25(OH)D by muscle, accounts for the very long half-life of this metabolite in the circulation. As 25(OH)D concentration in blood declines in winter, its cycling in and out of muscle cells appears to be upregulated. Parathyroid hormone is the most likely factor enhancing the repeated cycling of 25(OH)D between skeletal muscle and blood. This mechanism appears to have evolved to maintain adequate vitamin D status in winter.

Vitamin D, unlike the micronutrients, vitamins A, E and K, is largely obtained, not from food, but by the action of solar UV light on its precursor, 7-dehydrocholesterol, in skin. With the decline in UV light intensity in winter, most skin production of vitamin D occurs in summer. Because no defined storage organ or tissue has been found for vitamin D, it has been assumed that adequate vitamin D status in winter can only be maintained by oral supplementation. Skeletal muscle cells have now been shown to incorporate the vitamin D-binding protein (DBP) from blood into the cell cytoplasm where it binds to cytoplasmic actin. This intracellular DBP provides an array of specific binding sites for 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) which diffuses into the cell from the extracellular fluid. When intracellular DBP undergoes proteolytic breakdown, the bound 25(OH)D is then released and diffuses back into blood. This uptake and release of 25(OH)D by muscle, accounts for the very long half-life of this metabolite in the circulation. As 25(OH)D concentration in blood declines in winter, its cycling in and out of muscle cells appears to be upregulated. Parathyroid hormone is the most likely factor enhancing the repeated cycling of 25(OH)D between skeletal muscle and blood. This mechanism appears to have evolved to maintain adequate vitamin D status in winter.

A survey of the trends in metal-ligand coordination and hydrogen bonding has been carried out on complexes of singly deprotonated cyanuric acid CY− and alkaline earth metals, synthesised from aqueous solution and characterised by X-ray crystallography. Involvement of cyanurate in the metal coordination increases from Mg through Ca and Sr to Ba relative to coordination by water, in parallel with the increasing ionic radius and coordination number. The incidence of bridging of metal centres by both water and cyanurate also increases in this series. The Mg complex contains hexaaqua-coordinated cations, uncoordinated CY− anions, and additional water molecules. Ca and Sr complexes feature polymeric chains of coordinated metal ions, the Ca complex with uncoordinated anions and the Sr complex with all potential ligands coordinated. The Ba complex has a two-dimensional coordination network. Extensive hydrogen bonding plays a key role in generating a three-dimensional network in all four structures. The competition between cyanurate and water for coordination to the alkaline earth metal cations, and that between coordination and hydrogen bonding propensities of the cyanurate anion, appear to be finely balanced, with the structural outcomes depending on the relative sizes and degrees of hardness of the four cations of the group.

Nucleation is a fundamental and general process at the initial stage of first order phase transition. Although various models based on the classical nucleation theory (CNT) have been proposed to explain the energetics and kinetics of nucleation, detailed understanding on nanoscales are still required. Here we focus on homogeneous bubble nucleation, in which evaluation of the size dependence of bubble free energy is the key issue. We propose application of a formula in stochastic thermodynamics, the Jarzynski’s equality, for data analysis of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to evaluate the free energy of bubble nucleation. As a test case, we performed a series of MD simulations with Lennard-Jones (LJ) fluid system. By applying an external spherical force field to equilibrated LJ liquid, we evaluated the free energy change during bubble growth as the Jarzynski’s ensemble average of required works. A fairly smooth free energy curve was obtained as a function of bubble radius in metastable liquid of mildly negative pressure conditions.

Tumid Lupus Erythematosus has been the subject of heated debate as to its correct nosographic classification. In particular, its definition has changed over time, depending on the different studies performed. In this review we address the initial definition of TLE, the changes that have taken place in the understanding and placement within the classification of Lupus Erythematosus (LE), and focus on clinical, histopathological, immunophenotypical and differential diagnosis aspects.

The aim of this study is to investigate and determine the key factors guiding customer attitudes towards social media influencers, and on that base to explore their effects on purchase intentions towards advertised products or services. A total of 376 fulfilled questionnaires from an online survey were analysed. The main characteristics of digital influencers’ behaviour, affecting consumer perceptions have been systematized and categorized through a combination of both traditional and advanced data analysis methods. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), machine learning and multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods were selected to uncover the hidden dependencies between variables from the perspective of social media users. The developed models elucidate the underlying relationships that shape the acceptance mechanism of influencers’ messages. The results obtained provide specific recommendations for stakeholders across the social media marketing value chain. Marketers can make informed decisions and optimize influencer marketing strategies to enhance user experience and increase conversion rates. Working collaboratively, marketers and influencers can create impactful and successful marketing campaigns that resonate with the target audience and drive meaningful results. Customers benefit from more tailored and engaging influencer content that aligns with their interests and preferences, fostering a stronger connection with brands and potentially affecting their purchase decisions. As the perception of customer satisfaction is individual and evolving process, stakeholders should organize regular evaluations of influencer marketing data and explore the possibilities to ensure continuous improvement of this e-marketing channel.

To enhance the applicability of dual-phase high-entropy alloys (HEAs) like Fe32Cr33Ni29Al3Ti3, fabricated via selective laser melting (SLM), a focus on improving their mechanical properties is essential. As part of this effort, heat treatment was explored. This study compares the microstructure and mechanical properties of the as-printed sample with those cooled in water after undergoing heat treatment at temperatures ranging from 1000 to 1200 ℃ for 1 hour. Both pre- and post-treatment samples reveal a dual-phase microstructure comprising FCC and BCC phases. Although heat treatment led to a reduction in tensile and yield strength, it significantly increased ductility compared to the as-printed sample. This strength-ductility trade-off is related to changes in grain sizes with ultrafine grains enhancing strength and micron grains optimizing ductility, also the influence of the content of FCC/BCC phases and dislocation density. In particular, the sample heat-treated at 1000 °C for 1 hour and then water-cooled exhibited a better combination of strength and ductility, a yield strength of 790 MPa, and an elongation of 13%. This research offers innovative perspectives on crafting dual-phase HEA of Fe32Cr33Ni29Al3Ti3, allowing for tailorable microstructure and mechanical properties through a synergistic approach involving SLM and heat treatment.

This paper presents and demonstrates the development of a new lightweight coating for aluminium alloy using a novel multicomponent alloy based on the AlSiMgCu system. This coating was applied using a newly designed approach that combined High-Velocity Oxy-Fuel (HVOF) and Plasma Spraying processes. This hybrid technique enables the deposition of coatings with enhanced performance characteristics. The microstructure was studied using optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM+EDS) microscopy, revealing good adhesion and compaction between the multicomponent coating and the A6061 substrate with 50 to 150 µm thickness. Vickers indentations were performed on the substrate and the new coating material, revealing a 50% improvement in the material's hardness compared to the casted alloy. Additionally, electrical conductivity measurements showed approximative x3.3 times values compared to the alloy in as-cast condition due to high solidification rates altering the morphology of the phases. Corrosion tests demonstrated a lower corrosion rate compared to other multicomponent aluminium alloys and similar to thermal treated A6061 alloy. Finally, tribological results obtained using ball on disc (BOD) test and laser scanning confocal microscopy, confirmed that the new multicomponent coating exhibited reductions in both friction coefficient and wear rate by more than 20% and 50%, respectively. This study demonstrates that using multi-component aluminium coatings could lead to developing of new automotive parts with enhanced properties for corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity, and wear conditions. Optimizing the thermal spraying parameters could further enhance the coating, achieving greater and more homogeneous thicknesses and yielding even higher performance properties.

Melanoma, one of the most aggressive forms of skin cancer, is also one of the most diagnosed cancer types. While surgical excision of the lesions is the primary treatment for melanoma, not all cases are candidates for surgical procedures. New treatments and complementary options are necessary, given the increasing diagnosis rate. In the present study, a norcantharidin-containing nanoemulsion was developed and evaluated in vivo using a syngeneic graft murine model. Our model contemplates an amputation surgery simulating the standard treatment and the role of the nanoemulsion as a potential adjuvant therapy. We observed a significant decrease in the growth rate of the melanoma lesion in the treated groups compared to the control group, both at the 20th and 30th days of treatment. Moreover, we evaluated the drug bioavailability in serum samples, and the results showed that norcantharidin was detectable in a range of 0.1 to 0.18 mg per mL in the treated groups. Furthermore, histopathological analysis was performed on the amputated tumors, where significant differences were found regarding size, mitosis rate, lymphocytic infiltration, and multispectral quantitative image analysis compared to the control group. The norcantharidin-containing nanoemulsion could be a potential alternative or adjuvant therapy if more clinical studies are conducted. Topical nanosystems can become or complement standard therapies, which is needed as melanoma affects not only in terms of mortality but also the patient's morbidity and life quality.

Microorganisms present in fermented foods and beverages play a vital role in enhancing both nutritive and non-nutritive components. During the fermentation, microorganisms can either naturally occur in the food through spontaneous fermentation or be intentionally added as starter cultures with a variety of species and strains. In this review, the focus is placed on micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, and three major macromolecules – prebiotics, bioactive peptides, and functional fatty acids. During fermentation, non-digestible carbohydrates like fructooligosaccharides and galactooligosaccharides are synthesized, imparting prebiotic properties that support gut health. Enzymatic hydrolysis of proteins by microorganisms yields bioactive peptides with diverse health benefits. Furthermore, fermentation facilitates the formation of fatty acids, including short-chain fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid, potentially exerting physiological effects. By harnessing the power of microbial fermentation, nutrient-rich and bioactive compounds can be enhanced, offering a promising approach to address global malnutrition concerns.

Microbiome research has gained considerable interest due to the emerging evidence of its impact on human and animal health. Similar to higher organisms, the gut-associated microbiota of mosquitoes affect host fitness and other phenotypes. It is now well established that microbes can alter pathogen transmission in mosquitoes, either positively or negatively, and avenues are being explored to exploit microbes for vector control. However, less attention has been paid to how microbiota affect phenotypes that impact vectorial capacity. Several mosquito and pathogen components, such as vector density, biting rate, survival, vector competence and pathogen extrinsic incubation period all influence pathogen transmission. Interestingly, the mosquito gut-associated microbes can impact each of these components, and therefore ultimately modulate vectorial capacity. Promisingly, this expands the options available to exploit microbes for vector control by also targeting parameters that affect vectorial capacity. However, there are still many knowledge gaps in the biology of the mosquito – microbe symbiosis that need to be addressed in order to understand these interactions more thoroughly and exploit them efficiently. Here, we review current evidence of the impacts of the microbiome on aspects of vectorial capacity highlighting opportunities for novel vector control strategies and areas where further studies are required.

A proposed low-temperature forging method aims to enhance stainless steel bearings by creating a martensitic subsurface layer, significantly boosting bearing fatigue life due to increased surface hardness. This technique induces beneficial residual stresses, particularly in axial bearings, streamlining their construction and improving machine elements. Challenges persist, especially with radial bearings, but simplicity in axial bearing forging promotes compact, resource-efficient facility construction. Future research will focus on applying this technique to axial bearing washers, potentially replicating success in other bearing components. Despite the energy ex-penditure for cooling during forging, the substantial increase in bearing fatigue life offsets this, enhancing overall longevity and reliability of critical machine components. Integration of this forging technique into bearing fabrication appears seamless, offering a promising trade-off be-tween energy use and enhanced performance.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disease, the incidence of which is increasing worldwide. However, the etiology and pathogenesis of UC remains unclear. The n-butanol extract of pulsatilla decoction (BEPD) of the traditional Chinese medicine herbal formula has been shown to be effective in treating UC. We aimed to explore the molecular mechanism underlying the effects of BEPD on UC, in particular its effects on neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation by neutrophils. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to determine the principal compounds of BEPD. UC was induced in mice using dextran sodium sulfate, and mice were treated with 20, 40, or 80 mg/kg BEPD daily for seven days. Colonic inflammation was determined by assessing the disease activity index, histopathology, colonic mucosal damage index, colonic mucosal permeability, and pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels. The infiltration and activation status of neutrophils in the colon were determined by analyzing the levels of chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand (CXCL)1 and CXCL2, reactive oxygen species, Ly6G, and numerous NET proteins. Our results showed that BEPD improved the disease activity index, histopathology, and colonic mucosal damage index scores of mice with UC, and restored colonic mucosal permeability compared with untreated mice. The expression levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α in colon tissues were significantly decreased, while the expression levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines in colon tissues were significantly increased, exceeding those of control mice. In addition, BEPD reduce the expression of the neutrophil chemokines CXCL1 and CXCL2 in the colon tissue of mice with UC, reduced neutrophil infiltration, reduced reactive oxygen species levels, and significantly reduced the expression of NET proteins. BEPD also significantly reduced NET formation. The results of this study suggest that BEPD exerts therapeutic effects in a murine model of UC by inhibiting neutrophil infiltration and activation in the colon, as well as by inhibiting the expression of key proteins involved in NET formation and reducing NET formation, thereby alleviating local tissue damage and disease manifestations.

Pregnancy is a complex biological process which is associated with significant metabolic and hemodynamic changes of the maternal body which allow a normal fetal growth. The inability to adapt to these changes can affect the cardiovascular health. During pregnancy, women may experience mood swings, anxiety and emotional ambivalence. These symptoms can lead to stress and have a negative impact on the mental well-being of expectant mothers. It is crucial to know the aspects that can influence the development of cardiovascular problems among pregnant women in order to manage these cases properly. The current narrative review explores and summarizes the evidence regarding the impact of stress and anxiety on cardiovascular health in pregnant women. Understanding the physiological adaptations that the body undergoes throughout pregnancy is crucial for educating and supporting individuals as well as healthcare professionals. This enables them to recognize any risk factors or pathological conditions that may exacerbate pregnant women's health. In order to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease, a psychological and cardiovascular risk factor screening that is done either before or during pregnancy may be able to identify situations that call for particular medical and/or psychological therapies.

This study aimed to learn disturbance information to effectively control multiple small unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) for marine research purposes at sea. The learned disturbance information was used to investigate the control of multiple USV swarms based on the leading–following formation technique. Numerous studies have already been conducted on swarm control using drones in the air; however, there has been a paucity of studies on swarm control in the sea. Contrary to swarm control in aviation, the fluid density of the sea is high, and the environment is constantly changing; thus, a robot system would be significantly affected by disturbances. This ultimately influences the maintenance of swarm formations and the accomplishment of missions [1,2]. Therefore, it is difficult to control numerous moving objects while maintaining a formation at sea by using the existing aerial drone swarm control technology. To solve this problem, we learned a long short-term memory (LSTM) model with time-series marine environmental data to predict maritime disturbances. Thereafter, the model was applied to a mission-based position control algorithm of each USV constituting the swarm to design a marine unmanned floating vessel swarm control system that can be applied to various marine environments. Specifically, to effectively control numerous small USVs for marine research purposes, ocean currents are learned using the LSTM algorithm, and the predicted ocean currents are used to generate a swarm USV control system for USV formations. In this study, a control system model of several small USVs equipped with two rear thrusters and a front lateral thruster was designed. The LSTM algorithm was learned using the previous ocean current data, and the velocity of the following ocean currents was predicted. The predictions were then used as a system disturbance to determine the thrust of the controller. To measure ocean currents in the sea when each USV moves, the velocity, azimuth, and position (latitude, longitude) data from the GPS mounted on the USV were used to measure the velocity and direction of the hull's movement. Further, the flow rate was measured using a flow rate sensor on a small USV. The USV movement and position were controlled using an artificial neural network-PID (ANN-PID) controller. This study entailed a comparative analysis of the designed USV model results and those generated by the simulator, including the behavior control rule of the USV swarm and the path of the actual USV swarm at sea. It was verified that the effectiveness of the USV mathematical model and behavior control rules. By comparing the movement path of the swarm USV with and without the disturbance learning algorithm and ANN-PID control algorithm applied to the designed simulator, the position error and maintenance performance of the swarm formation were analyzed, and the application results were compared.

Background and objectives: Chronic Kidney Disease and Mineral Bone Disorders (CKD-MBD) are frequently associated with an increased risk of both Vascular Calcifications (VCs) and bone fractures (BFs). The complex pathogenesis of VCs and BFs involves various factors such as calcium overload, phosphate imbalance, and secondary hyperparathyroidism. Key players, such as the vitamin K-dependent proteins (VKDPs) matrix Gla protein (MGP) and osteocalcin (BGP), have pivotal roles both for VCs and BFs. The Vitamin K Italian (VIKI) dialysis study, highlighted that hemodialysis patients treated with calcimimetics had higher levels of total BGP and MGP as compared to those untreated, suggesting a potential protective effect of these drugs on BFs and VCs, beyond the beneficial effect to reduce PTH levels. Methods: ETERNITY-ITA is a multi-center, comparative effectiveness, observational, longitudinal study that will enroll 160 hemodialysis patients (80 patients treated with Etelcalcetide and 80 age and sex-matched patients treated with Calcitriol or vitamin D analogs). Nephrologists will tailor the target dose of Etelcalcetide on individual level to achieve the KDIGO PTH target. In the Etelcalcetide-treated group, the addition of calcitriol will be allowed when required by clinical practice (for correction of hypocalcemia). Conclusion: The study will evaluate the real-world effect of Etelcalcetide on VKDP levels, such as BGP and MGP, at 3, 9, and 18 months from baseline. The resulting preservation of vascular and bone health will be assessed for the first time by examining aortic and iliac artery calcifications and vertebral fractures, respectively. Keywords: bone fractures; etecalcetide; hemodialysis; vascular calcification; vitamin K

Abstract: Severe land degradation is the principal environmental problem in Ethiopian highlands in the form of soil erosion, and soil fertility loss, which is caused by human intervention for food, shelter, and energy demands. Soil erosion contributes to the loss of precious soil and water resources which are the basis of agricultural production and provide numerous other eco-system services. The Ethiopian highlands are one of the most degraded regions in the world. To combat such problems, the government of Ethiopia has been implementing massive soil and water conservation works at the watershed scale since 2010 to conserve soil and water resources. Mount Yewel is one of the highlands in Northeastern Ethiopia where intensive soil and water conserva-tion has been implemented. Despite the massive investment in soil and water conservation measures, most of the rivers in the highlands of Ethiopia carry huge amounts of sediment with high flood risks in the wet season and streams are dried up in the dry period. Nonetheless, the impact of soil and water conservation measures on flood reduction and dry season flow en-hancement has not yet been quantified and evaluated. This research was then conducted on paired micro-catchments of Mount Yewel with the main objective of evaluating the impact of soil and water conservation measures on base flow modification. Stream flow and rainfall data were col-lected from 22/11/2020 to 8/11/2022 on paired micro-catchments of Mount Yewel at their outlets and centers respectively. Base flow separation was done from the stream hydrograph using Sp. Hydro base flow separation tool and SPSS Ver.21 statistical software were employed for data analysis. Flow duration curves (FDC) for both watersheds were developed to compare the stream flow patterns between treated and untreated micro-catchments of Mount Yewel. The FDC indi-cated that the base flow from treated micro-catchment is higher and sustained in the dry season while it is low and unsustained in untreated micro-catchment. From statistical analysis, there is a significant (P

Background: Ice formation on power transmission lines presents significant risks, including structural damage and power outages. Traditional methods for detecting ice on these lines have limitations, particularly in challenging environmental conditions. This study aims to enhance ice detection accuracy by introducing a novel image segmentation and edge detection methodology using improved multi-scale Retinex and advanced morphological operations. Method: The proposed method integrates multi-stage image processing techniques, including image enhancement, grayscale conversion, thresholding, segmentation, object isolation, and edge detection. High-resolution binocular cameras were used to capture images of ice formations on transmission lines. The effectiveness of the method was assessed through a series of metrics, including accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and precision, and compared with existing methodologies. Results: The proposed method demonstrated superior performance in both ice detection and thickness measurement. The method effectively identified and isolated ice formations under various conditions with an average accuracy of 98.35%, sensitivity of 91.63%, specificity of 99.42%, and precision of 96.03%. Additionally, the analysis of ice thickness measurements further highlighted the method’s accuracy, with a notably low root mean squared error (RMSE) of 1.20 mm and mean absolute error (MAE) of 1.10 mm, along with a strong R-squared value of 0.95. These statistical metrics show that the proposed method not only outperforms previous methods in consistency and alignment with manual measurements but also stands out as the most reliable option for tasks requiring precise measurements, offering significant advancements in accuracy and reliability over existing methodologies. Conclusions: The enhanced image segmentation and edge detection approach provides a more accurate and reliable method for monitoring ice formations on power transmission lines.

Selecting road networks in cartographic generalization has consistently posed formidable challenges, driving research towards the application of intelligent models. Despite previous efforts, the accuracy and connectivity preservation in these studies, particularly when dealing with road types of similar sample sizes, still warrant improvement. To address these shortcomings, we introduce a Heterogeneous Graph Attention Network (HAN) for road selection, where feature masking method is initially utilized to assess the significance of road features. Concentrating on the most relevant features, two meta-paths are introduced within the HAN framework: one for aggregating features of the same road type within the first-order neighborhood, emphasizing local connectivity, and another extending this aggregation to the second-order neighborhood, capturing a broader spatial context. For a comprehensive evaluation, we introduce a set of metrics considering both quantitative and qualitative aspects of the road network. Compared to traditional neural networks, our HAN model demonstrates superior accuracy and F1-score, particularly for road types with comparable samples. Additionally, it enhances the overall connectivity of the selected network. In summary, our HAN-based method provides an advanced solution for road network selection, surpassing previous approaches in terms of accuracy and connectivity preservation.

An area has been designated for demonstrating the utility of marine hydrokinetic turbines in Minas Passage, Bay of Fundy. Marine renewable energy may be useful for the transition from carbon-based energy sources but there is concern for the safety of fish that might encounter turbines. Acoustic receivers that detect signals from acoustically tagged fish that pass through the tidal demonstration area and detection efficiency of tag signals might be used to estimate the likelihood of fish encountering marine hydrokinetic turbines. The method requires that tagged fish passing through the development area will be reliably detected by a receiver array. The present research tests the reliability with which passing tags are detected by suspending tags beneath GPS-tracked drifters. Drifters carrying high residency Innovasea tags that transmitted every 2 seconds were usually detected by the receiver array even in fast currents during spring tides but pulse position modulation tags were inadequate. Sometimes very few high residency tag signals were detected when fast tidal currents swept a drifter through the receiver array, so increasing the transmission interval degrades performance at the tidal energy development area. High residency tags suspended close to the sea surface were slightly less likely to be detected if they passed by during calm conditions. Previously measured detection efficiencies were found to slightly overestimate the chances of a high residency tag carried by a drifter being detected as it passed by a receiver. This works elucidates the effectiveness with which acoustically tagged fish are detected in fast, highly turbulent tidal currents and informs the application of detection efficiency measurements to calculate the probability that fish encounter a marine hydrokinetic turbine.

Background: Liver failure profoundly affects the immune system, leading to dysregulation of innate and adaptive immune responses. Body: This review explores the intricate relationship between liver function and immune homeostasis. The role of the liver as a central hub in immune response initiation is elucidated, emphasizing its involvement in hepatic inflammation induction and subsequent systemic inflammation. Cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, and lipid mediators orchestrate these immune processes, serving as both prognostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets in liver failure-associated immune dysregulation. Furthermore, the review delves into the mechanisms underlying immunosuppression in liver failure, encompassing alterations in innate immune cell functions such as neutrophils, macrophages, and natural killer cells (NK cells), as well as perturbations in adaptive immune responses mediated by B and T cells. Conclusion: Understanding the immunological consequences of liver failure is crucial for developing targeted therapeutic interventions and improving patient outcomes in liver disease management.

β3-Adrenoceptors mediate several functions in rodents that could be beneficial for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes. This includes promotion of insulin release from the pancreas, of cellular glucose uptake, of lipolysis, and of thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue. In combination, they lead to a reduction of body weight in several rodent models including ob/ob mice and Zucker diabetic fatty rats. These findings stimulated drug development programs in various pharmaceutical companies, and at least nine β3-adrenoceptor agonists have been tested in clinical trials. However, all of these projects were discontinued due to lack of clinically relevant changes of body weight. Following a concise historical account of discoveries leading to such drug development programs we discuss species differences that explain why β3-adrenoceptors are not a meaningful drug target for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes in humans.

This article examines the impact of some system parameters on an industrial system composed of two dissimilar parallel units with one repairman. The active unit may fail due to essential factors like aging or deteriorating, or exterior phenomena such as Poisson shocks that occur at various time periods. Whenever the value of a shock is larger than the specified threshold of the active unit, the active unit will fail. The article assumes that the repairman has the right to take any of two decisions at the beginning of the system operation: either a takes a vacation if the two units work in a normal way, or stay in the system to monitor the system until the first system failure. In case of having a failure in any of the two units during the absence of the repairman, the failing unit will have to wait until the repairman is called back to work. We suppose that the value of every shock is assumed to be i.i.d. with some known distribution. The length of the repairman’s vacation, repair time, and recall time are arbitrary distributions. Various reliability measures have been calculated by the supplementary variable technique and the Markov’s vector process theory. At last, numerical computation and graphical analysis have been given for a particular case to validate the derived indices.

Although a lot of research has been carried out on hand sanitizer as an effort to prevent Covid-19, there is still limited research on non-alcoholic hand sanitizer lotion from the brown algae Scytosiphon lomentaria (S. lomentaria) as a raw material that provides antibacterial effects and maintains healthy skin. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze microbial inhibitory ability, physical and chemical characteristics of hand sanitizer lotion made from S. lomentaria algae. S. lomentaria powder was tested for phytochemicals, total phenolic content, free radical scavenging activity (IC50), and antibacterial tests. S. lomentaria slurry was prepared by adding distilled water (1:1) for lotion preparations in four treatment groups, such as normal control (lotion base without adding algae), lotion with the addition of algae 20%, 30%, and 40%. The lotion preparations for each treatment group were tested for antibacterial activity of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, phytochemicals, pH, adhesion, spreadability, homogeneity, emulsion type, and hedonic. S. lomentaria powder contains bioactive polyphenolic compounds with a total phenolic content of 117.70±1.40 mg GAE/g dry weight and an IC50 value of 455±3.4 ppm, while lotion with the addition of S. lomentaria contains polyphenols and saponins The best treatment was shown by 40% S. lomentaria hand sanitizer lotion with inhibition of 6.30 ± 0.64 mm E. coli, 6.85 ± 1.12 mm S. aureus, hedonic test for color, texture and absorption with likes to likes very much level, neutral pH, greenish-white color, O/W emulsion type, high adhesion, homogeneous, and easily absorbed by the skin. This research can be an alternative reference in making non-alcoholic hand sanitizer lotion that is safe for the skin.

The question of what generates conscious experience has mesmerized thinkers since the dawn of humanity, yet its origins remain a mystery. The topic of consciousness has gained traction in recent years, thanks to the development of large language models that now arguably pass the Turing test, an operational test for intelligence. However, intelligence and consciousness are not related in obvious ways, as anyone who suffers from a bad toothache can attest - pain generates intense feelings and absorbs all our conscious awareness yet nothing particularly intelligent is going on. Still, in the hard sciences, this topic is frequently met with skepticism because to date no protocol to measure the content or intensity of conscious experiences in an observer-independent manner has been agreed upon. Here we present a novel proposal: Conscious experience arises whenever a quantum mechanical superposition forms. Our proposal has several implications: First, it suggests that the structure of the superposition determines the qualia of the experience. Second, quantum entanglement naturally solves the binding problem, ensuring the unity of phenomenal experience. Finally, a moment of agency may coincide with the formation of a superposition state. We outline a research program to experimentally test our conjecture via a sequence of quantum biology experiments. Applying these ideas opens up the possibility of expanding human experience through brain-quantum computer interfaces.

Gelsolin is an actin-binding protein that is competitively bound by lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a possible biomarker for the early detection of ovarian cancer. Our group has previously shown the usage of gelsolin 1-3 (a fragment of gelsolin composed of the first three of its six subdomains) along with actin to detect the presence of lysophosphatidic acid. This histidine-tagged gelsolin 1-3 fragment is synthesized in our lab using bl21 Rosetta cells but required further characterization. This study aims to provide sufficient characterization of gelsolin 1-3 synthesized in our lab via both sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and mass spectrometry using a Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FTICR-MS). Both techniques show the presence of protein at the expected mass of approximately 41 kDa. Additionally, the dissociation of a smaller fragment of the complex when introduced into the gas phase which was equivalent to the approximate mass of one subdomain of gelsolin 1-3 further supports this conclusion.

Untargeted and targeted approaches are the traditional metabolomics workflows acquired for a wider understanding of the metabolome under focus. Both approaches have their strengths and weaknesses. The untargeted, for example, is maximizing the detection and accurate identification of thousands of metabolites, while the targeted is maximizing the linear dynamic range and quantification sensitivity. These workflows, however, are acquired separately, so researchers compromise either a low-accuracy overview of total molecular changes (i.e., untargeted analysis) or a detailed yet blinkered snapshot of a selected group of metabolites (i.e., targeted analysis) by selecting one of the workflows over the other. In this review, we present a novel single injection simultaneous quantitation and discovery (SQUAD) metabolomics that combines targeted and untargeted workflows. It is used to identify and accurately quantify a targeted set of metabolites. It also allows data retro-mining to look for global metabolic changes that were not part of the original focus. This offers a way to strike the balance between targeted and untargeted approaches in one single experiment and address the two’s limitations. This simultaneous acquisition of hypothesis-led and discovery-led datasets allows scientists to gain more knowledge about biological systems in a single experiment.

To assure the opacity, an optimal problem is to retain the occurring events sequences as many as possible. Contrary to such problem, the other optimal problem is to preserve the minimal occurring events sequences. In the paper, based on the choosing cost, an optimal opacity-enforcing model is presented to minimize the sum of discount choosing cost, which is not only to preserve the opacity, but also to retain the secret to the maximum. To solve the model, two scenarios on opacity are considered. For the two scenarios, some algorithms are presented to achieve the optimal solution for the model by using the method of dynamic programming. And then, the solutions produced by the algorithms are proved correctly by theoretical proof. Finally, some illustrations for the algorithms are given.

The microbiota–gut–brain axis has garnered increasing attention in recent years for its role in various health conditions, including neuroinflammatory disorders like complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). CRPS is a debilitating condition characterized by chronic neuropathic pain, and its etiology and pathophysiology remain elusive. Emerging research suggests that alterations in the gut microbiota composition and function could play a significant role in CRPS development and progression. Our paper explores the implications of microbiota in CRPS and the potential therapeutic role of boron (B). Studies have demonstrated that individuals with CRPS often exhibit dysbiosis, with imbalances in beneficial and pathogenic gut bacteria. Dysbiosis can lead to increased gut permeability and systemic inflammation, contributing to the chronic pain experienced in CRPS. B, an essential trace element, has shown promise in modulating the gut microbiome positively and exerting anti-inflammatory effects. Recent preclinical and clinical studies suggest that B supplementation may alleviate neuropathic pain and improve CRPS symptoms by restoring microbiota balance and reducing inflammation. Our review highlights the complex interplay between microbiota, inflammation, and neuropathic pain in CRPS and underscores the potential of B as a novel therapeutic approach to target the microbiota–gut–brain axis, offering hope for improved management of this challenging condition.

In Saudi Arabia’s mountainous regions, debris flow is a natural hazard that poses a threat to in-frastructure and human lives. To assess the potential zones of landslide in the Al-Hada Road ar-ea, a study was conducted using Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis and remote sensing (RS) data. The study took into account various factors that could affect landslide, such as drainage density, elevation, slope, precipitation, land use, geology, soil, and aspect. The study also included a field trip to identify 11 previous landslide events that were influenced by high-density drainage and slope. The study utilized weighted overlay analysis in a GIS environment to create a map indicating the potential landslide zones in the area. According to the analysis, low-risk areas cover 35,354,062.5 square meters, medium-risk areas cover 60,646,250 square meters, and high-risk zones cover an area of 8,633,281 square meters. This result was verified using the locations of previous landslide events. The study’s findings can help planners and decision-makers identify and prioritize areas for mitigation and prevention measures. Additionally, the study contributes to understanding landslide hazards in arid and semi-arid regions.

In this research, the concept of the instability of tension in Microgrid still becomes the focus of study and purpose. Scrutinously, First-Swing Instability occurs in the system in noted changes with properties of making the system unstable or restore to a state of stability. The latter calls itself as a phenomenon of re-synchronization. Allied to aspects of system instability, it is evident that by connecting fast electric chargers for battery-electric vehicles to the distribution system from microgrids, they increase the necessary basic electrical charges and reduce the stability of the electrical energy system. Transient electrical currents have the characteristic of severely impacting microgrids not prepared in connected states or island of the main system. The occurrences of the electromagnetic incompatibility of the inrush current, due to their unpredictability and intermittent characteristic, have complex identification studies. With the elevation of electricity demand by battery-electric vehicle chargers, concerns about the effects of the integration of the electricity grid increase proportionally. The research described in this article emphasizes the influence of fast chargers’ initialization on the power variation related to the re-synchronization phenomenon and its mitigation of the stability of electricity microgrid. An optimization algorithm based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) implements the development of virtual impedances. The PSO optimization algorithm analyzes all possible operating points and aims to maximize the stability index of microgrid, maintaining reactive energy incompatibilities at the minimum level supported. The fractional objective function facilitates the service to these goals simultaneously. The optimization algorithm is implemented in a case study and the corresponding virtual impedance is incorporated into the microgrid. Voltage levels are verified as a condition in the optimization process, comparing system effectiveness.

Background: Recent studies have found forward head posture (FHP) to be associated with altered physiology, however, there is a lack of research into whether FHP is associated with altered gait parameters when cognitively challenged. The current study was undertaken to investigate the changes in gait parameters in asymptomatic individuals with FHP when a cognitive dual task is introduced during walking. Methods: Ninety asymptomatic participants were recruited, 45 having FHP defined as having a craniovertebral angle (CVA) &lt; 50, and 45 sex and age-matched controls having normal head posture (NHP) defined as CVA &gt; 55. All participants walked along a 10 meter platform under a control condition (no cognitive load) with 3 consecutive trials while an optical motion-capture system consisting of 8 infrared cameras was used to assess gait kinematics. Secondly, participants were assessed under a dual task cognitive load condition (3 trials while performing simple addition, counting backwards, and answering yes or no questions) to identify the impact on gait kinematics compared to the control condition. Results: Under the single task condition, there were no significant differences for any gait parameter, however, under the dual task condition, 12/13 gait parameters were significantly altered for the FHP group compared to the NHP group (p &lt; .01). A calculation of dual task cost (DTC) percentage showed significant increases in all gait parameters in participants with FHP (p &lt; .02). Correlations between the CVA and gait parameters were not significant for the single task condition, but all gait parameters were correlated to CVA for the dual task condition (p &lt; .01). The correlation between CVA and DTC for all gait variables were also significant (p &lt; .04). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that FHP significantly increases the cognitive cost during walking, highlighting the importance of proper postural alignment for maintaining cognitive function under a dual task condition. Addressing FHP through targeted interventions could improve both physical and cognitive health, enhancing overall well-being and daily functioning.

Elizabethkingia anophelis is an opportunistic pathogen causing lifethreatening infections in humans, particularly in immunocompromised patients, neonates and elderly. Infections caused by this species are exceptionally challenging to treat due to its multiresistance to antimicrobials. We report a case of central line-associated bloodstream infection by E. anophelis in a 2.5-year-old girl with acute lymphoblastic leukemia successfully treated with a combination of piperacillin/tazobactam and amikacin. The literature was also reviewed on paediatric infections caused by E. anophelis. Accurate identification with MALDI-TOF, or using molecular techniques, is crucial because of varying susceptibilities among species. Early, accurate diagnosis and prompt effective treatment optimize outcomes.

This study investigates the effects of Zinc (4wt.%) and severe plastic deformation on the mechanical properties of AZ61 magnesium alloy through the stir-casting process. The severe plastic deformation (equal channel angular pressing (ECAP)) has been done followed by T4 heat treatment. The microstructural examinations revealed that the addition of 4wt.%Zn enhances the uniform distribution of β-phase, contributing to a more uniformly corroded surface in corrosive environments. Additionally, dynamic recrystallization (DRX) significantly reduces the grain size of as-cast alloys after undergoing ECAP. The attained mechanical properties demonstrate that after a single ECAP pass, AZ61 + 4wt.%Zn alloy exhibits optimal yield strength (YS), ultimate compression strength (UCS), and hardness. This research highlights the promising potential of AZ61 + 4wt.%Zn alloy for enhanced mechanical and corrosion-resistant properties, offering valuable insights for applications in diverse engineering fields.

Clock Network Design (CDN) is a critical step while designing any Integrated-Circuits (ICs). It holds vital importance in the performance of entire circuit. Due to continuous scaling, 3D ICs stacked with TSV are gaining importance, with an objective to continue with the Moore's law. Through-Silicon-Via (TSV) provides the vertical interconnection between two die, which allows the electrical signal to flow through it. 3D ICs has many advantages over conventional 2D planar ICs like reduced power, area, cost, wire-length etc. The proposed work is mainly focused on power reduction and obstacle avoidance for 3D ICs. Various techniques have already been introduced for minimizing clock power within specified clock constraints of the 3D CND network. Proposed 3D Clock Tree Synthesis (CTS) is a combination of various algorithms with an objective to meet reduction in power as well as avoidance of obstacle or blockages while routing the clock signal from one sink to other sink. These blockages like RAM, ROM, PLL etc. are fixed during the placement process. The work is carried out mainly in three steps- first is Generation of 3D Clock tree avoiding the blockages, then Buffering and Embedding and finally validating the results by SPICE simulation. The experimental result shows that our CTS approach results in significant 9% reduction in power as compare to the existing work.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for approximately 90-95% of all kidney cancers in adults, with the clear cell RCC (ccRCC) the most frequently identified subtype. RCC is known for its responsiveness to immunotherapy, making it an area of significant research interest. Immune checkpoint (IC) molecules, which regulate immune surveillance, are established therapeutic targets in RCC. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of polymorphisms in genes HVEM and CD160 on susceptibility to ccRCC and patient overall survival (OS) with over a ten-year period of observation. We genotyped three HVEM single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): rs1886730, rs2234167, and rs8725, and two CD160 SNPs: rs744877 and rs2231375, in 238 ccRCC patients and 521 controls. Our findings indicated that heterozygosity within rs2231375 and/or rs2234167 increases ccRCC risk. Furthermore, in women, heterozygosity within additional HVEM SNPs, rs8725 and rs1886730, is associated with an increased ccRCC risk. The presence of a minor allele for rs1886730, rs2234167, rs8725, and rs2231375 was also correlated with certain clinical features of the disease. Moreover, the rs1886730 SNP was found to be associated with patients' OS. In conclusion, our study highlights an association between HVEM and CD160 polymorphisms and the risk of developing ccRCC as well as patient’s OS.

Cognitive interventions vary in their level of structure, encompassing standardized and unstandardized tasks, person-centered tasks. Addressing semantic knowledge/semantic memory/semantics is important, mainly because its efficiency impacts other cognitive domains. Semantic tasks are commonly included in preventive and rehabilitation programs, typically as standardized tasks with pre-defined semantic referents. In contrast, person-centered approaches have introduced personally relevant semantics, allowing for expressive language to share thoughts and experiences. Although these approaches offer benefits beyond cognitive improvement, their lack of structure may pose challenges. Our CQ program blends structured activities with personally relevant semantics, aiming to harness the advantages of both methods. Additionally, in this review we discuss future challenges and directions in the field of semantic interventions.

Food and Agricultural Organisation estimates from 2014 suggest 64% of the high seas migratory stocks are either overfished or undergoing overfishing. Illegal fishing exacerbates the damage to marine ecosystems, human rights, and food security, and is yet to be included in the recent United Nations (UN) draft agreement to protect high seas biodiversity. We used catch data from the Sea Around Us Project to determine trends in fishing gear use and the catches of countries fishing in the high seas. Using Two-way ANOVA, Principal Coordinates Analysis, and SIMPER Test, we found that Spain, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, and Ecuador had the highest catches in 2004-2014. Each decade, only 1 in 10 countries (10.8%) caught over 500,000 tonnes, leaving the remaining 90% of countries catching less than 500,000 tonnes. Further analysis showed the mean high seas catch per fishery decreased 55% between the 2000s and the 2010s. Purse seine and longline were increasingly used towards the 2010s. Catch from purse seine and longline accounted for 70.5% and 78.4% of total high seas catch in 1950-2014 and 2004-2014, respectively. Discards were unreported throughout 1950-2014, and the reporting levels of landings varied greatly between countries and gears. We call for immediate action and recommend (1) including international, overarching high seas governance to end illegal and unsustainable fishing in the high seas in the UN draft agreement, and (2) using large mobile marine protected areas in high seas fisheries management through the UN draft agreement.

Critically the paper argues that a truly people-centered technology supported chronic care system can only be designed by understanding and responding to the needs, attributes and capabilities of the most vulnerable in society. The paper suggests innovative ways of supporting interactions with these ‘end-users’ and highlights how reflection on these approaches can contribute to emancipating both the health system to move towards more socially inclusive e-health solutions.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) and contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) are common complications following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary angiography (CAG), presenting significant clinical challenges. Machine learning (ML) models offer promise for improving patient outcomes through early detection and intervention strategies. Methods: A comprehensive literature search following PRISMA guidelines was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Embase from inception to June 11, 2024. Study characteristics, ML Models, performance metrics (AUC, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, precision), and risk of bias assessment using the PROBAST tool were extracted. Statistical analysis used a random-effects model to pool AUC values, with heterogeneity assessed via the I² statistic. Results: From 431 initial studies, 14 met the inclusion criteria. Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) models showed the highest pooled AUCs of 0.87 (95% CI: 0.82-0.92) and 0.85 (95% CI: 0.80-0.90), respectively, with low heterogeneity (I² < 30%). Random Forest (RF) had a similar AUC of 0.85 (95% CI: 0.78-0.92) but significant heterogeneity (I² > 90%). Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) and XGBoost models had moderate pooled AUCs of 0.79 (95% CI: 0.74-0.84) with high heterogeneity. RF showed strong accuracy (0.83, 95% CI: 0.70-0.96), while SVM had balanced sensitivity (0.69, 95% CI: 0.63-0.75) and specificity (0.73, 95% CI: 0.60-0.86). Age, serum creatinine, left ventricular ejection fraction, and hemoglobin consistently influenced model efficacy. Conclusions: GBM and SVM models, with robust AUCs and low heterogeneity, are effective in predicting AKI and CIN post-PCI/CAG. RF, MLP, and XGBoost, despite competitive AUCs, showed considerable heterogeneity, emphasizing the need for further validation.

Volumetric modification of transparent materials by femtosecond laser pulses is successfully used in a wide range of practical applications. The level of modification is determined by the locally absorbed energy density, which depends on numerous factors. In this work, it is shown experimentally and theoretically that, in a certain range of laser pulse energies, the peak of absorption of laser radiation for doughnut-shaped (DS) pulses is several times higher than for Gaussian ones. This makes the DS pulses very attractive for material modification and direct laser writing applications. Details of the interaction of laser pulses of Gaussian and doughnut shapes with fused silica obtained by numerical simulations are presented for different pulse energies and compared with the experimentally obtained data. The effect of absorbed energy delocalization with increasing laser pulse energy is demonstrated for both beam shapes while, at relatively low pulse energies, the DS beam geometry provides a stronger local absorption compared to Gaussian one. Implications of a DS pulse action on post-irradiation material evolution are discussed based on thermoelastoplastic modeling.

Background: The biofilm-forming bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) is primarily responsible for periodontal disorders, which continue to be a global health issue. Despite the widespread use of antibiotics like metronidazole, other potent therapeutic a crucial quorum sensing molecule implicated in the formation of P. gingivalis biofilm. Approaches are now being explored due to the growing challenge of antibiotic resistance. Objective: In particular, chemicals from Symphytum Officinale (S) and Panax Ginseng (G) plants will be examined in this study to assess if they have the ability to inhibit biofilm and to prevent the development of acylated homoserine lactones (AHLs), a quorum sensing molecule. Materials and Methods: With Metronidazole serving as a control, the antibacterial effects of these substances (Symphytum Officinale and Panax Ginseng) were examined against a standard strain and a clinical isolate of P. gingivalis. Dilutions of these plant extracts were used either alone (G+S) or in conjunction with metronidazole (G+S+F), to assess their antibacterial activity using antibacterial susceptibility test (inhibition zone), biofilm inhibition and disruption assay (optical density) and quorum sensing inhibition assay (AHL). Results: The combinations of Symphytum officinale, Panax Ginseng and metronidazole (S+G+F) showed the maximum effectiveness with highest zone of inhibition (25.000±0.001 mm) and biofilm inhibition (98.46%), and were comparable to G+S (inhibition zone of 24.341±0.593 mm and biofilm inhibition of 97.76%), and significantly different in the degree of biofilm inhibition with different treatment scenarios. Additionally, the plant's extracts and combinations are specific concentrations had a significant effect on the suppression of the generation of AHL (p &lt; 0.05). Conclusion: According to preliminary research, these plant-derived substances, especially when paired with metronidazole, significantly inhibited the growth of P. gingivalis biofilm providing valuable information for the development of innovative therapeutic approaches for periodontitis and other biofilm-associated illnesses.

The physical properties of a structure such stiffness although can be determined by some statical tests, the identification of damping parameter requires a dynamic test. In general, both theoretical prediction and experimental identification of damping are quite difficult. There are many different techniques available for damping identification, and each method gives a different damping parameter. The dynamic indentation method, rheometry, atomic force microscopy, and resonant vibration tests are commonly used to identify the damping of materials, including soft materials. While the viscous damping ratio, loss factor, complex modulus and viscosity are quite common to describe damping of materials, there are also other parameters such as the specific damping capacity, loss angle, half-power bandwidth, and logarithmic decrement to describe damping of various materials. Often one of these parameters is measured in practical applications and the measured damping parameter needs to be converted into another damping parameter for comparison purposes. In this review, the theoretical derivations of different parameters for the description and quantification of damping and their relationships, and the methods for damping identification are presented. The expressions for both high damping and low damping are included and evaluated. This paper could be a primary resource for damping research and teaching.

In Saudi Arabia’s mountainous regions, debris flow is a natural hazard that poses a threat to infrastructure and human lives. To assess the potential zones of debris flow in the Al-Hada Road area, a study was conducted using Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis and remote sensing (RS) data. The study took into account various factors that could affect debris flow, such as drainage density, elevation, slope, precipitation, land use, geology, soil, and aspect. The study also included a field trip to identify 11 previous debris flow events that were influenced by high-density drainage and slope. The study utilized weighted overlay analysis in a GIS environment to create a map indicating the potential debris flow zones in the area. According to the analysis, low-risk areas cover 35,354,062.5 square meters, medium-risk areas cover 60,646,250 square meters, and high-risk zones cover an area of 8,633,281 square meters. This result was verified using the locations of previous debris flow events. The study’s findings can help planners and decision-makers identify and prioritize areas for mitigation and prevention measures. Additionally, the study contributes to understanding debris flow hazards in arid and semi-arid regions.

The Populus L. genus unites tree species, which are botanically grouped into several sections. The species successfully hybridize both in the same section and between some sections. The poplar hybridization widely occurs in nature and in variety breeding. Therefore, the development of poplar species specific molecular markers is very actual. The effective markers for trees of the Aigeiros Daby section have been recently developed using the polymorphism of the 5S rDNA non-transcribed spacers (NTSs). In this article, the 5S rDNA NTS based markers were designed for several species of the Leuce Daby section. The alb9 marker amplifies one fragment with DNA matrix of P. alba and P. × canescens (natural hybrid P. alba × P. tremula). The alb2 marker works the same way except the case with P. bolleana. In this case, the amplification of three fragments was observed. The tremu1 marker amplification is detected with DNA matrix of P. tremula and P. × canescens. Thus, the developed markers may be applied as useful tool for the P. alba, P. tremula, P. × canescens and P. bolleana identification in such areas of plant science as botany, dendrology, genetics of populations, variety breeding etc.

With online wildlife trade increasing and viral videos increasing demand, the trade in primates on TikTok is becoming more prevalent. Despite wildlife trade being banned on most social media platforms, the trade in primates persists. TikTok’s policies ban the sale of live animals, and specific terms related to wildlife trade are banned; however, these search term bans are easy to get around, and sellers are still prolific on the site. This study documented primates for sale on TikTok using the search term “for sale monkey” over a four-month period (from mid-July to mid-November 2023) with the aim of determining how widespread primate trade is on TikTok, the legality of advertisements, and which countries advertise the most primates for sale. 42 individual advertisements were identified, spanning 6 different genera of primates and 5 different countries. Spider monkeys, rhesus macaques, and common marmosets were found to be the most commonly advertised species on TikTok. All spider monkeys were advertised from the USA, while the majority of the marmosets were advertised from the UK, and all of the rhesus macaques were advertised from Pakistan. The USA was the only country identified in this study that advertised a range of species, and the only species found in this study that was not advertised in the USA was the mona monkey. 44% of all species recorded were classified as either Endangered or Critically Endangered, and it was found that endangered species were more frequently sold illegally than non-endangered species. The findings of this study underline a need for stricter primate legislation and wildlife law enforcement, especially if the UN’s sustainable development goals are to be achieved by 2030. They also show a need for TikTok to broaden their restrictions on wildlife trade on their app.

Both SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and SARS coronaviruses (CoVs) are members of the subgenus Sarbecovirus. To understand the origin of SARS-CoV-2, protein sequences from sarbecoviruses were analyzed to identify highly-specific molecular markers consisting of conserved inserts or deletions (termed CSIs) in the spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins that are specific for either particular clusters/lineages of these viruses or are commonly shared by specific lineages. Three novel CSIs in the N-terminal domain of the spike protein S1-subunit (S1-NTD) are uniquely shared by the SARS-CoV-2, BatCoV-RaTG13 and most pangolin CoVs, distinguishing this cluster of viruses (SARS-CoV-2r) from all others. In the same positions, where these CSIs are found, related CSIs are also present in two other sarbecoviruses (viz. CoVZXC21 and CoVZC45 forming CoVZC cluster), which form an out group of the SARS-CoV-2r cluster. These three CSIs are not found in the SARS-CoVs. However, both SARS and SARS-CoV-2r CoVs contain two large CSIs in the C-terminal domain of S1 (S1-CTD), which binds the human ACE-2 receptor, that are absent in the CoVZC cluster of CoVs. These results indicate that while the S1-NTD of the SARS-CoV-2r viruses possesses the sequence characteristics of the CoVZC cluster of CoVs, their S1-CTD resembles the SARS viruses. Thus, the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2r viruses has likely originated from a recombination event between the S1-NTD of the CoVZC viruses and the S1-CTD of SARS viruses. This inference is also supported by the amino acid sequence similarity of the S1-NTD and S1-CTD from SARS-CoV-2 compared to the CoVZC and SARS CoVs. We also present evidence that one of the pangolin-CoV_MP789, whose receptor-binding domain is most similar to the SARS-CoV-2, is also derived by a recent recombination between the S1-NTD of the CoVZC CoVs and the S1-CTD of a SARS-CoV-2 related virus. Several other identified CSIs are specific for others clusters of sarbecoviruses including a clade consisting of bat SARS-CoVs (BM48-31/BGR/2008 and SARS_BtKY72). Structural mappings studies show that the identified CSIs are located within surface-exposed loops and form distinct patches on the surface of the spike protein. These surface loops/patches are predicted to interact with other host components and play important role in the biology/pathology of SARS-CoV-2 virus. Lastly, the CSIs specific for the SARS-CoV-2r clade provide novel means for development of new diagnostic and therapeutic targets for these viruses.

De novo regeneration of Cannabis sativa L. (cannabis) using tissue culture techniques remains unreliable and infrequent. Conventional methods for the regeneration and transformation of cannabis have not achieved the reliability and replicability needed to be integrated into research and breeding programs. Protoplast systems are effective for gene expression studies, transformation and genome editing technologies, and opens the possibility of somatic hybridization to create interspecific hybrids. To date, leaf-derived protoplast have been isolated for transient gene expression studies, but attempts at protoplast-to-plant regeneration have not been reported. The present study aims to test the efficacy of using a callus culture system, as an abundant source for protoplast isolation and lays the groundwork for a protoplast-to-plant regeneration system. Using hypocotyl-derived callus cultures, which are known to have relatively greater regenerative potential, the efficacy of protoplast isolation and initial cell division were assessed. In this study, the effect of 2-aminoindane-2-phosphonic acid (AIP) in callus culture media and the effect of subculture frequency on protoplast yield were assessed. This study found that inclusion of AIP at 1 mM resulted in a 334% increase in protoplast yield compared with AIP-free medium, representing the first known use of AIP in cannabis tissue culture. Inclusion of AIP led to a 28% decrease in total soluble phenolics and 52% decrease in tissue browning compared to the control medium. Lastly, a two-phase culture system for protoplast regeneration was tested. At a concentration of 2.0×10^5 protoplasts per mL, division was observed, providing the first know report of cell division from cannabis protoplasts and setting the stage for future development of a protoplast-to-plant regeneration system.

This work presents the results of optimizing the physicochemical properties of composite briquettes based on microsilica for metallurgical-grade silicon production. Microsilica, a waste product of silicon production, contains a sufficiently high amount of silicon dioxide (96-97%). This fact makes microsilica a promising composite material for metallurgical processing. However, its granulometric composition limits its direct use. The method of briquetting on an industrial briquetting press was used. The influence of the granulometric composition of the composite mixture on the heat tolerance and strength of the finished briquettes was studied. The methods of obtaining and testing the briquettes, their composition, and the briquetting and drying process are described. The obtained briquettes were tested for the smelting of metallurgical silicon. The silicon recovery rate in the metal with the standard charge was 71%, while the recovery rate with the briquetted monocharge was 85%. The results of silicon smelting from the briquettes demonstrated the high quality of the obtained metal, corresponding to the standards of metallurgical-grade silicon. The implementation of these technologies not only improves the quality of the final product but also addresses environmental issues related to the disposal of microsilica, reducing its accumulation and minimizing its impact on the environment.

Fagao is one of China's traditional gluten free staple foods made by rice or corn flour. Corn Fagao prepared by co-fermentation with sourdough and yeast exhibits better quality and less staling compared to traditional yeast-fermented Fagao. The physicochemical properties of corn Fagao batter during the sourdough-yeast co-fermentation were investigated. The results showed that compared with yeast fermentation, the gas production and viscosity of the batter increased by co-fermentation. The co-fermented batter shows higher hydrolysis of starch and less amylose content. The integrity of starch granules in co-fermented batter was damaged more seriously, the crystallinity and short-range ordered structure were less than yeast fermented batter, even though the crystal structure type of starch did not change obviously. The peak viscosity, minimum viscosity, final viscosity, decay value and recovery value of corn batter are reduced by co-fermentation, which can improve the thermal stability of the batter and slow down the aging. Co-fermentation also results in a more pronounced reduction in protein subunit contents than yeast fermentation. The changes in the physicochemical properties of corn Fagao batter help explain the quality improvement of corn Fagao made from co-fermentation method, and may provide theoretical references for co-fermentation with sourdough and yeast to other gluten free foods.

This study introduces an advanced dual-mode composite attitude control framework for reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), underpinned by an enhanced particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. This innovative strategy is tailored to meet the stringent demands for precision and robust anti-interference capabilities across the entire flight envelope of RLVs. The research commences with the formulation of a comprehensive attitude dynamics model and diverse heterogeneous actuator representations, meticulously crafted to reflect the distinct phases of RLV flight. Building upon this foundation, a synergistic control paradigm is engineered, integrating PID and fuzzy PID controllers, complemented by a refined fitness evaluation function. The crux of the study is the application of an upgraded PSO algorithm to fine-tune the controllers' weighting coefficients, culminating in an optimized dual-mode composite attitude control system. A series of comparative simulation analyses are meticulously executed to appraise the system's responsiveness, stability, precision, and resilience to interference. The findings unequivocally substantiate the superior performance of the proposed control system, affirming its substantial contribution to the advancement of RLV attitude control.

For a long time, a company's Product Development Process (PDP) was seen as supporting the operations department, although PDP decisions and mistakes have a considerable impact on market performance. This is critical even in agriculture where bad habits and practices in the PDP can lead rural producers to great losses. Therefore, this research investigated the effect on the market performance of rural products (banana) in the southern region of Brazil, based on two analyses: (i) how sustainability practices support the PDP phases and (ii) how the phases of the Product Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) mediate sustainability practices and PDP phases. This study presents a quantitative analysis using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and hierarchical ordinary least squares (OLS) regression of data obtained from a survey of 110 rural producers who directly participate in the banana production and planning process in southern Brazil. Our results shows that sustainability practices support the PDP, and we confirm that the product development and post-development phase has an effect on market performance. In addition, we identified that in the pre-development phase of the PDP, dealing with rural products (bananas), the maturity stage of the LCA mediates sustainability. In the PDP development phase, we concluded that rural families that develop economic and environmental practices with their products in the market growth phase may have reduced results. As for the post-development phase of the PDP, we conclude that when companies invest in environmental and social practices, there is a complete mediation of the effect, where these practices lose strength if the product is in the introduction and maturity phases in the market. As originality, our study contributed to demonstrate value on the product life cycle for the product development process in agriculture using sustainability practices through a systemic approach, filling the gap in the literature due to the lack of research on these areas seen in an integrated way.

Heterometallic rare-earth clusters have garnered much attention because of their interest-ing solid-state structures and versatile applications in catalysis and material and polymer chemistry over the last four decades. Particular interest is rare earth–transition metal co-ordination compounds that behave as single-molecule magnets (SMMs) because of their potential use in information storage, spintronic devices, and magnetic refrigeration sys-tems. Another implementation involves using lanthanide clusters in luminescent-based sensing for environmental protection and security screening or in photocatalytic energy conversion reactions. Heterometallic rare earth complexes offer the promise of catalytic performance of many organic reactions due to their high oxygenophilicity, Lewis acidity, high coordination numbers, and ability to change the coordination environment quickly. Therefore, they are commonly applied as catalysts in asymmetric synthesis, oxidation re-actions, and CO2 conversions or as initiators in ring-opening polymerization and copoly-merization of cyclic monomers. They are also attractive single-source molecular precur-sors for functional inorganic materials. This review focused on the unique features and properties of the heterometallic rare earth complexes, which are closely correlated with their molecular structure. Our summary is a valuable resource, providing researchers with an insightful exploration of the heterometallic rare-earth complexes that demonstrated multimetallic synergy and cooperativity effects in various applications.

The decarbonization of the electricity grid as one among the actions to reduce fossil fuel emissions, and thus their impact on global warming in the future, will be achieved mainly via the integration and widespread diffusion of renewable power sources. This is going to be supported also by the shift from the paradigm production-transmission-distribution, where electricity production oversees large-size power plants, to renewable-based distributed/diffused production, where electricity is generated very close or even by the same (group of) user(s) (or prosumers in the latter case). The number of mid-/small-size installations based on renewable energy technologies will therefore increase substantially, and the related renewable generation will be dominant against that from large-size power plants. Unfortunately, this will reduce the reliability of the grid very likely, unless appropriate countermeasures are taken/implemented, hopefully at the same time the paradigm shift is being achieved. To this aim, it is important to identify the anomalies and main fault causes that might determine in renewable-based power systems. This paper surveys the current state-of-the-art on anomalies and faults affecting wind-PV-storage hybrid power systems, i.e., the main renewable technology ensemble that will establish the future grid, and highlights possible research directions that may help to fill the literature gaps.

Soft magnetic composites cores were produced by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) from Ni3Fe@ZnFe2O4 and NiFeMo@ZnFe2O4 pseudo-core-shell powders. In the Fe-Ni alloys@ZnFe2O4 pseudo-core-shell composite powders, the core is a large nanocrystalline Permalloy or Supermalloy particle obtained by mechanical alloying, and the shell is a pseudo continuously layer of Zn ferrite particles. The pseudo-core-shell powders have been compacted by SPS at temperatures between 500-700 ºC, with a holding time of 0 minutes. Several techniques were used for the characterisation of the powders and sintered compacts: X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, magnetic hysteresis measurements (DC and AC) and electrical resistivity. The electrical resistivity is stabilised at values of about 7·10-3 Ω·m for sintering temperatures between 600-700 °C and this value is 3 orders of magnitude higher than the electrical resistivity of sintered Fe compacts. The best relative initial permeability was obtained for the Supermalloy/ZnFe2O4 composite compacts sintered at 600 ºC, which decreases linearly for the entire frequency range studied, from around 95 to 50. Up a frequency of 2,000 Hz the power losses are lower than 1.5 W/kg. At the frequency of 10 kHz, the power losses are larger, but they remain at a low level. In the case of Supermalloy/ZnFe2O4 composite compact SPS-ed at 700 °C, the specific power losses are even lower than 5 W/kg. The power losses decomposition proved that intra-particles losses give the main part of the losses.

The article presents the results of studies aimed to identify the effect of foliar treatments of winter wheat, sugar beets and soybeans with mineral and bioorganic fertilizers. Their positive effect on increasing the concentration of mineral forms of nitrogen in soil was revealed. The crop types have a greater influence on the size of nitrous oxide emissions: in winter wheat crops - 679 µg/m3, soybeans - 637.2 µg/m3, sugar beets - 576.8 µg/m3. The amounts of nitrous oxide emissions were lower in the variants without the use of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. The Ruter AA fertilizer showed the greatest efficiency on winter wheat crops - 42.7 c/ha. Soybean grain yield of 44.2 c/ha was also achieved by using Ruter AA, as well as Geo-humate together with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. On the background of the actual supply of phosphorus and potassium, maximum yield was obtained when using N30 on the leaf - 39.3 c/ha. Foliar feeding ensured a yield of sugar beet root crops of up to 67.1-77.4 c/ha on the backdrop of the application of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers with the advantage of using Amino turbo. The largest yield of sugar beet roots without use of mineral phosphorus and potassium was ensured by N30 treatment of the leaf in the phases of 4-6 and 8 leaves - 63.2 t/ha. Of the organo-mineral fertilizers and biostimulants, the best result was shown by the use of Ruter A - 62.6 t/ha. We believe that foliar feeding of crops can be a sustainable farming method that can increase crop yields and reduce N2O emissions.

As the most serious of the many worse new pathological changes caused by diabetes, there are many risk factors for the occurrence and development of DR. It mainly includes hyperglycemia, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and so on. Among them, hyperglycemia is the most critical cause, which plays a key role in the pathological changes of DR.High-sucrose diets(HSDs) lead to elevated blood glucose levels in vivo, which, through oxidative stress, inflammation, the production of AGEs and VEGF, causes plenty of pathological damages to the retina and ultimately bring about loss of vision. The existing therapies for DR primarily target the terminal stage of the disease, when irreversible visual impairment has appeared. Therefore, early prevention is particularly critical. Early prevention of DR-related vision loss requires adjustments to dietary habits, mainly by reducing sugar intake. This article primarily discusses the risk factors, pathophysiological processes, and molecular mechanisms associated with the development of DR caused by HSDs. It aims to raise awareness of the crucial role of diet in the occurrence and progression of DR, promote timely changes in dietary habits, prevent vision loss, and improve the quality of life. The aim is to make people aware of the importance of diet in the occurrence and progression of DR. According to the dietary modification strategies we give, patients can change their poor eating habits timely, avoid the retinopathy that can be avoided theoretically, and obtain a excellent outcome.

Determining the estrous cycle stages in mice is essential for optimizing breeding strategies, synchronizing experimental time lines, and facilitating studies in behavior, drug testing, and genetics. It is critical for reducing the production of genetically unmodified offspring in the generation and investigation of genetically modified animal models. An accurate detection of the estrus cycle is particularly relevant in the context of the 3Rs—Replacement, Reduction and Refinement. The estrous cycle, encompassing the reproductive phases of mice, is key to refining experimental designs and addressing ethical issues related to the use of animals in research. This study presents results from two independent laboratories on the efficacy of the Mouse Estrus Detector (MED) from Elmi Ltd. (Latvia) for the accurate determination of the estrus phase. The female mice of five strains/stocks (CD1, FVB/N, C57Bl6/J, B6D2F1, and Swiss) were used. The results showed that the MEDProTM is a low -traumatic, simple, rapid and painless method of estrus detection that supports the principles of the 3Rs. The use of the MEDProTM for estrus detection in mice caused minimal stress, enhanced mating efficiency, facilitated an increase in the number of embryos for the in vitro fertilization and allowed the production of the desired number of foster animals.

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of the premixed ethanol ratio based on the same total heating value in-cylinder on the equivalence ratio distributions and the injected fuel droplet behavior in the cylinder of the RCCI engine. The spray simulation was conducted by dividing two-part. First, the spray validation simulations progressed to find the spray-influenced factor of the test injector. Next, the engine simulations were performed with the spray-influenced factor obtained from spray validation simulations to investigate the effect of the premixed ethanol ratio based on the same total heating value in-cylinder on the injected fuel atomization and the equivalence ratio distributions. The introduced total heating value was fixed at 595J based on the lower heating value of diesel 14mg. The heating value of the premixed ethanol ratio varied from 0% to 40% based on the same total heating value in-cylinder in steps of 10%. It was revealed that when the premixed ethanol ratio based on the same total heating value in-cylinder was increased, the spray tip penetration value was reduced from the time after 4deg of diesel injection start because of the short injection duration by the small amount of diesel fuel. The SMD value was also more enormous up to 32.58% with increasing the premixed ethanol ratio because of the low kinetic energy of the injected fuel by the short injection duration and the slow evaporation of the injected fuel by the low cylinder temperature.

Purpose of research was to determine changes in optical quality for monthly disposable soft contact lenses (SCL) wearers with new and monthly worn SCL. Retinal straylight was assessed in SCL wearers using a C-Quant straylight meter. The study included 33 participants (age 22 ± 1.4 years) who wore monthly disposable silicone hydrogel contact lenses. Measurements were taken with month-old SCL that had been worn for no more than 4 hours. Participants then replaced the old lenses with new ones. After a 15-minute adaptation period, straylight measurements were taken with the new SCL. A questionnaire was administered to all participants, inquiring about vision complaints and the type of contact lens material used. The decimal logarithm of the stray-light parameter, log(s), was notably higher with month-old SCL (log(s) = 0.97±0.17) than with brand-new SCL (log(s) = 0.86±0.15), p < 0.001. The average increase in retinal straylight after a month of SCL use was log(s) = 0.11 ± 0.08. The questionnaire revealed that 35% of participants observed a reduction in visual quality after wearing the contact lenses for a month. Results showed that monthly disposable soft contact lenses could reduce visual quality when scheduled replacement time has been reached.

This paper presents a mathematically rigorous investigation into the incompleteness of Einstein-de Sitter spacetime. The incompleteness of the spacetime is proved using results regarding isometries between connected Semi-Riemannian manifolds following the computation of the Einstein tensor of the Einstein-de Sitter spacetime. Various properties of the Einstein-de Sitter spacetime apart from its incompleteness is also discussed based on its incompleteness with the help of various results of Semi-Riemannian manifolds. Also, few properties of spacetime which cannot be concluded from the incompleteness of the spacetime is also discussed.

The increasing variability of precipitation, higher temperatures and recurring droughts in the semi-arid regions due to climate change are leading to increased aridity, resulting in scarcer water resources for crops. The present study aimed to analyse the spatial distribution of climate variables related to water resources in the olive-growing areas throughout Extremadura, southwestern Spain. To perform this task, three climate variables were used: potential evapotranspiration of the crop, the FAO aridity index and the annual water requirement. Considering data from 58 weather stations located throughout Extremadura and 17 along boundaries with at least 30-year length (within the 1991-2021 period), each variable was computed at each station. After calculating some descriptive statistics, a multivariate geostatistical (regression-kriging) algorithm, incorporating secondary information on elevation and latitude, was used to accurately map each climate variable. Later, temporal trends and their magnitude were analysed using the Mann-Kendall test and the Sen’s estimator, respectively. The highest evapotranspiration and water requirements are located in the southern part of the region, which has large areas dedicated to olive cultivation. In the northern part of the region, there is greater spatial variability in evapotranspiration and, consequently, in water requirements for olive groves due to the more rugged topography. Similarly, the olive-growing areas with the highest aridity are also in the south of Extremadura. In most areas of Extremadura, olive cultivation requires appropriate irrigation for optimal productivity. According to evapotranspiration trends, the water requirements will become greater in the future. However, it is not guaranteed that the water supply will be sufficient in olive-growing areas where aridity is higher and water resources are scarce. The results of this study are very important for evaluating water deficit and water resources in vulnerable olive-growing areas throughout Extremadura.