Bike sharing systems are a key element of a smart city as they have the potential for reducing pollutant emissions and traffic congestion thus substantially improving citizens’ quality of life. In these systems, bicycles are made available for shared use to individuals on a very short-term basis. They are rented in a station and returned in any other station with free docks. However, to achieve a satisfactory user experience, all the stations in the system must be neither overloaded nor empty. The occupancy level of the stations can be constantly monitored through IoT-based services. The goal of this work is to analyze occupancy level data acquired from real systems to discover situations of dock overload in multiple stations which could lead to service disruption. The proposed methodology relies on a pattern mining approach. A new pattern type, called Occupancy Monitoring Pattern (OMPs), is proposed to characterize situations of dock overload in multiple stations. Since stations are geo-referenced and their occupancy levels are periodically monitored, OMPs can be filtered and evaluated by considering also the spatial and temporal correlation of the acquired measurements. The results achieved on real Smart City data highlight the potential of these techniques in supporting domain experts in maintenance activities, such as periodic re-balancing of the occupancy levels of the stations, as well as in improving the user experience, such as suggesting alternative stations in the neighborhood.

Plasma being the fourth and most abundant form of matter extensively exists in the universe in the inter-galactic regions. It provides an electrically neutral medium of unbound negative and positive charged particles, which has been produced by subjecting air and various other gaseous mixtures to strengthen the electromagnetic field and by heating compressed air or inert gasses for creating negative and positive charged particles known as ions. Nowadays, many researchers are paying attention to the formation of artificial Plasma and its potential benefits for mankind. The literature is sparsely populated with the applications of Plasma. This paper presents specific methods of generation and applications of Plasma, which benefits humankind in various fields, such as in electrical, mechanical, chemical and medical fields. These applications include hydrogen production from alcohol, copper bonding, semiconductor processing, surface treatment, Plasma polymerization, coating, Plasma display panels, antenna beam forming, nanotechnology, Plasma Torch, Plasma pencils, low-current non-thermal Plasmatron, treatment of prostate cancer, Plasma source ion implantation, cutting by Plasma, Plasma etching, pollution control, neutralization of liquid radioactive waste, etc. Resultantly, worth of Plasma technology in the medical industry is increasing exponentially that is closing the gap between its benefits and cost of equipment used for generating and controlling it.

Gas-liquid reactors pose transfer difficulties due to diffusion effects. It is necessary to master the aeration and hydrodynamics of the medium to conduct the reaction well and get a good performance. For this purpose, a study in a submerged membrane bioreactor with a useful volume of 30L, consisting of a microfiltration membrane with an average pore size of 0.14 mm having an effective surface area of 0.2 m2 and a PVC cylindrical air diffuser of radius 4 cm has been studied. The saline tracing method associated with a conductimetric follow-up made it possible to determine the residence times and the mixing time in the reactor at 4 different points both in recirculation and in the absence of recirculation. Gas retention was measured by the manometric method. The experiments were carried out at different temperatures of 25 ° C, at 45 ° C, with a variable air flow rate of 0.5 to 16 mL / s and different solutions (osmosis water, ammonium formate solution, solution ammonium formate + salt, synthetic rubber effluent). The results show that the mixing time varies from one point to another and the recirculation of the mixture reduces the mixing time. One of the positions is limiting, the transfer is done most by diffusion with a mixing time of 115 min without circulation and 65 min with circulation. Gas retention increases with aeration rate and temperature. On the other hand, the more the medium becomes rich in organic substances, the more the gaseous retention decreases. The homogeneous fine-bubble regime is obtained for an air flow rate of between 3 and 10 mL / s of aeration. Beyond this flow rate, the regime becomes heterogeneous without a transition phase for ammonium formate and formate ammonium + salt solutions.

This article evaluates the macroeconomic implications of commercial bank seigniorage, which emerges from the commercial banks’ power to create money in a fractional reserves regime. After evaluating the impact on aggregate output of commercial bank money relative to alternative exchange arrangements, the article identifies the determinants of commercial bank seigniorage and analyzes how equilibrium prices are determined in an economy where commercial banks extract seigniorage. The article also identifies the conditions under which commercial banks extract seigniorage, clarifies the relationship between seigniorage from commercial bank money creation and profits from pure financial intermediation, and shows how commercial bank seigniorage changes with different types of interbank payments settlement.

Climate change has a inevitable impacts on tree radial growth, particularly at mountain timeberlines. To understand climate effects on conifer radial growth in the central Hengduan Mountains and potential impacts of future climate change on conifer forest, we studied growth responses to climate variables in Abies georgei, the major tree species of conifer forest in Hengduan Mountains. We collected tree ring samples from four sites near the timberlines and analyzed the relationship between principle components (PC#1) of four chronologies and climatic variables by using response function analysis (RFA), redundancy analysis (RDA) and moving interval analysis (MIA). A. georgei growth was affected by both temperature (positive effects) and precipitation (negative effects). Specifically, the radial growth of A. georgei was significantly and positively correlated with current July and previous November temperature (detected by both RFA and RDA), while precipitation of current June and September inhibited tree growth (detected by RDA). More rapid warming in recent 20 years (1990–2010) clearly enhanced growth responses to July and November temperature, whereas the relationship was weaken for June and September precipitation according to MIA. Under the climate trend of the study area, if the increasing temperature could offset the negative effects of excessive precipitation, A. georgei radial growth would likely benefit from warming, the dynamics of conifer forest should also consider indirect impacts of climate change.

Abstract Due to the relatively low efficiency of thermoelectric (TE) generators, they have mostly been used in niche applications where the unique properties of TE generators outweigh their lack of efficiency, or conditions where it is more reasonable to base the optimal design on maximum generated power rather than maximum efficiency. The aim of this work is to investigate how the different fundamental transport properties (Seebeck coefficient, thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity) in materials with equal figure of merit (ZT) impact TE module design and maximum power output. Further, we discuss and review the strategies to enhance material properties and the latest studies on the TE module performance. It is shown, that by increasing the power factor by a factor of 15 and decreasing the thermal conductivity by 13.33 in order to maintain ZT=1, power output is increased by 45%. This effect is stronger in lower module fill factor and thermal resistance of the heat source and heat sink.

Water resources, especially safe, potable water, are limited for many Haitians. In areas where shallow groundwater is available, many household water needs such as laundry, bathing, and cooking are supplied by hand-dug wells. In order to better understand the water quality and prevalence of these household wells, 35 hand-dug wells were surveyed and sampled near the Hôpital Albert Schweitzer (HAS) in Deschapelles, Haiti. Water samples were collected and tested for fecal coliform and E. coli using the IDEXX Colilert-18 method. Of the samples collected, 89 percent were determined unsafe to use as a drinking water source based on the World Health Organization standard of 1.0 colony-forming unit (cfu) Escherichia Coli (E. coli) per 100 mL. 66 percent of the wells exceeded recreational/body contact standards for the state of Michigan (130 cfu/100 mL). Some of these wells were deemed suitable for conversion to a new well type called In-Situ Filtration (ISF) wells. ISF wells are installed with an internal sand filter pack, PVC casing, pump, and cap which seals the well from surface contamination and provides additional water treatment as water is pumped. Previous ISF installations have reduced E. coli to safe drinking water levels within 90 days.

An important aspect of PET imaging in clinical application is the localization and detection of tumors and lesions by administering a predetermined amount of radiotracer. This allows for example, a detailed view of what is going inside the patient body in cellular level. The quality of PET image is strongly dependent on the amount of administrated radiotracer and the patient’s body parameters. As the amount of injection radiotracer increases, the quality of resulting image increases and the lesion detection efficiency increases. The PET examiner society recognizes that any dose of radiotracer is associated with some possible radiation risks. It can harmful to the patient if essential PET imaging session is not made due to fear of radiation risk. In order to ensure the highest quality diagnosis and the smallest radiation risk, the patient should receive the smallest amount of radiotracer that provide image with sufficient quality. Our study is focused on proposing an efficient PET simulation tool that predict the smallest possible amount of administrated radiotracer to provides the appropriate diagnostic information based on significant patient’s body parameters (weight, age) at fixed scanning to improve the clinical diagnostic process in term of tumor detecting and localization. We have built a model of particular PET scanner and model of patient based on real MRI image and digital anthropomorphic phantom of our region of interest (brain). We have performed Monte Carlo simulation for whole PET procedure with special parameter In evaluating stage, a dataset of 60 patient is used and 11 independent dose prediction simulation for each patient are performed. We conclude that our simulator perform a desirable and efficient prediction of injection radiotracer amount that optimizes the current clinical amount up to 28%. In addition, we found that the total injected radiotracer dosage for adult patients are mostly affected when considering patient weight rather than patient age.

A phenomenological constitutive model is developed to describe the uniaxial transformation ratcheting behaviors of super–elastic shape memory alloy (SMA) by employing a cosine–type phase transformation equation with the initial martensite evolution coefficient that can capture the feature of the predictive residual martensite accumulation evolution and the nonlinear hysteresis loop on a finite element (FE) analysis framework. The effect of the applied loading level on transformation ratcheting are considered in the proposed model. The evolutions of transformation ratcheting and transformation stresses are constructed as the function of the accumulated residual martensite volume fraction. The FE implementation of the proposed model is carried out for the numerical analysis of transformation ratcheting of the SMA bar element. The integration algorithm and the expression of consistent tangent modulus are deduced in a new form for the forward and reverse transformation. The numerical results are compared with those of existing model and the experimental results to show the validity of the proposed model and its FE implementation in transformation ratcheting. Finally, a FE modeling is established for a repeated preload analysis of SMA bolted joint

Rice production is important for global food security but given its large water footprint, efficient irrigation management strategies need to be developed. Expansion of rice growing area is larger than any other crop in Africa due to increasing demand for rice. Three rice irrigation management alternatives with the system of rice intensification (SRI) were field-evaluated against the conventional continuously flooded system (CF) in Tanzania. Production systems included: (1) CF (50 mm ponding depth for the entire season); (2) SRI (40 mm ponding for 3 days and no irrigation for next 5 days); (3) 80% SRI (80% of the SRI ponding); and (4) 50% SRI (50% of the SRI ponding). Experimental evaluation of the four systems was conducted for both wet and dry seasons. For the dry season, the SRI and 80% SRI produced higher yields of 9.68 tons/ha and 11.45 tons/ha and saved 26% and 35% of water, respectively compared to the CF (8.69 tons/ha). The yield advantage of the 80% SRI and SRI over the CF was less during the wet season with 6.01 tons/ha and 5.99 tons/ha of production, and water savings of 30% and 14%, respectively compared to the CF (5.64 tons/ha). The 50% SRI had lowest yield of all for both seasons, 7.48 tons/ha and 4.99 tons/ha for the dry and wet seasons, respectively. Statistically, the 80% SRI treatment outperformed all other treatments over the two seasons with an additional yield of 1.57 tons/ha and 33% (345 mm) water savings compared to the CF. Economic productivity of water (US$/ha-cm) over two seasons was highest for the 80% SRI ($20.27/ha-cm), while it was lowest for the CF ($12.89/ha-cm). Water saved by converting from the CF to the 80% SRI (1.98 million ha-cm) can support a 50% expansion in the current rice irrigated area in Tanzania. Even without irrigation expansion, the 80% SRI can increase rice production by 1.5 million tons annually while enhancing water availability for industrial and environmental uses (e.g., ecological preserves) and help achieve food security in Tanzania and the greater sub-Saharan Africa.

The development of a novel and simple inhibition biosensor array for detection of water pollutants based on immobilized bacteria is the main goal of this work. A series of electrochemical measurements (i.e. cyclic voltammograms) were carried out on screen-printed gold electrodes with three types of bacteria, namely Escherichia coli, Shewanella oneidensis, and Methylococcus capsulatus, immobilized via poly L-lysine. For comparison purposes, similar measurements were carried out on bacteria samples in solutions,; also optical measurements (fluorescence microscopy, optical density, and flow cytometry) were performed on the same bacteria in both liquid and immobilized forms. The study of the effect of heavy metal ions (lead), pesticides (atrazine) and petrochemicals (hexane) on DC electrochemical characteristics of immobilized bacteria revealed a possibility of pattern recognition of the above inhibition agents in aquatic environment.

We construct a real square system related to a given over-determined real system. We prove that the simple real zeros of the over-determined system are the simple real zeros of the related square system and the real zeros of the two systems are one-to-one correspondence with the constraint that the value of the sum of squares of the polynomials in the over-determined system at the real zeros is identically zero. After certifying the simple real zeros of the related square system with the interval methods, we assert that the certified zero is a local minimum of the sum of squares of the input polynomials. If the value of the sum of the squares of the input polynomials at the certified zero is equal to zero, it is a zero of the input system. As an application, we also consider the heuristic verification of the isolated zeros of polynomial systems and their multiplicity structures. Notice that a complex system with complex zeros can be transformed into a real system with real zeros.

The catalytic decomposition of methane (CDM) process produces hydrogen in a single stage and avoids the CO₂ emission thanks to the formation of high added value carbon nanofilaments as by-product. In this work, Ni monometallic and Ni-Co, Ni-Cu and Ni-Fe bimetallic catalysts are tested in the CDM reaction for the obtention of fishbone carbon nanofibers (CNF). Catalysts, in which Al₂O₃ is used as textural promoter in their formulation, are based on Ni as main active phase for the carbon formation and on Co, Cu or Fe as dopants in order to obtain alloys with an improved catalytic behaviour. Characterization of bimetallic catalysts showed the formation of particles of Ni alloys with a bimodal size distribution. For the doping content studied (5 mol. %), only Cu formed an alloy with a lattice constant high enough to be able to favor the carbon diffusion through the catalytic particle against surface diffusion, resulting in higher carbon formations, longer activity times and activity at 750 °C, where Ni, Ni-Co and Ni-Fe catalysts were inactive. On the other hand, Fe also improved the undoped catalyst performance presenting a higher carbon formation at 700 °C and the obtention of narrow carbon nanofilaments from active Ni₃Fe crystallites.

Nowadays asymmetric thin film composite (TFC) polymeric hollow fiber (HF) membranes are extensively used in industrial gas/vapor separations, water treatment etc. There are numerous advantages to use hollow fibers such as: low energy requirements, simplicity of operation, and high specificity. In the present article we discuss the progress made during the past decade in the preparation of the HF substrate and preparation/modification of the thin selective layer. Their applications in water treatment, dehydration of alcohols via pervaporation and gas/vapor separation are also demonstrated.

A Pogorelov polytope is a combinatorial simple 3-polytope realizable in the Lobachevsky (hyperbolic) space as a bounded right-angled polytope. It has no 3- and 4-gons and may have any prescribed numbers of k-gons, k ≥ 7. Any polytope with only 5-, 6- and at most one 7-gon is Pogorelov. For any other prescribed numbers of k-gons, k ≥ 7, we give an explicit construction of a Pogorelov and a non-Pogorelov polytopes. Any Pogorelov polytope different from Löbel polytopes can be constructed from the 5- or the 6-barrel by cuttings off pairs of adjacent edges and connected sums with the 5-barrel along a 5-gon with the intermediate polytopes being Pogorelov. For fullerenes there is a stronger result. Any fullerene different from the 5-barrel and the (5, 0)-nanotubes can be constructed by only cuttings off adjacent edges from the 6-barrel with all the intermediate polytopes having 5-, 6- and at most one additional 7-gon adjacent to a 5-gon. This result can not be literally extended to the latter class of polytopes. We prove that it becomes valid if we additionally allow connected sums with the 5-barrel and 3 new operations, which are compositions of cuttings off adjacent edges. We generalize this result to the case when the 7-gon may be isolated from 5-gons.

Revitalization of open water bodies into recreational areas are becoming widely popular in many parts of Sri Lanka. Understanding community perception and expectation on recreational development have important policy and cost-effectiveness implications. This paper explores the public perspectives on development, conservation and value of the open water recreational development at Diyatha Uyana and surrounding area. Contingent Valuation Method has been applied to estimate peoples’ Willingness To Pay for recreational spaces in the selected area. A total of 300 residents from different socioeconomic backgrounds were selected randomly for the study. Enjoying peace and relaxation, taking children to play and breath clean air were mentioned as most important aspects of open water body areas. More frequent visits occur to enjoy peace and relaxation, breath clean air and enjoy the natural landscape. Almost all the participants were agreed upon conserving open water body areas in urban settings. Willingness to pay was significantly associated with income and occupation status. It yielded a monthly average payment of Rs.446.93 per household for another five years’ time. The limited budget was the main reason for not willing to pay. This paper is significant as there is no contingent valuation method study has been carried on water body development in Sri Lanka.

Wave steepness is presented as an extension and a valuable add-on to the conventional set of sea state parameters retrieved from satellite altimetry data. Following physical model based on recent advances of weak turbulence theory wave steepness is estimated from directly measured spatial gradient of wave height. In this way the method works with altimetry trajectories rather than with point-wise data. Moreover, in contrast to widely used parametric models this approach provides us with instantaneous values of wave steepness and period. Relevance of single-track estimates of wave steepness (period) is shown for wave climate studies and confirmed by a simple probabilistic model. The approach is verified via comparison against buoy and satellite data including crossover points for standard 1 second data of Ku-band altimeters. High quality of the physical model and robustness of the parametric ones are examined in terms of global wave statistics. Prospects and relevance of both approaches in the ocean wave climate studies are discussed.

Supply chain management requires regular updates of the location of assets, which can be enabled by low power wide area networks, such as Sigfox. While it is useful to localize a device simply by its communication signals, this is very difficult to do with Sigfox because of wide area and ultra narrowband nature. On the other hand, installing a satellite localization element on the device greatly increases its power consumption. We investigated using information about nearby Wi-Fi access points as a way to localize the asset over the Sigfox network, so without connecting to those Wi-Fi networks. This paper reports the location error that can be achieved by this type of outdoor localization. By using a combination of two databases, we could localize the device on all 36 test locations with a median location error of 39 m. This shows that the localization accuracy of this method is promising enough to warrant further study, most specifically the minimal power consumption.

For older adults, approaching end-of-life (EOL) brings unique transitions related to family relationships. Unfortunately, most families greatly underestimate the need to discuss these difficult issues. For example, parents approaching EOL issues often struggle with receiving assistance from others, avoiding family conflict, and maintaining their sense of personhood. In addition, discussions of EOL issues force family members to face their parents’ mortality, which can be particularly difficult for the adult children to process emotionally. This study explored aging issues identified by aging parents and their families as they traverse these impending EOL changes. Ten focus groups of seniors (n = 65) were conducted. Focus groups were organized according to race (African American/Caucasian), gender, and whether the older adult was living independently or in an assisted care facility. When asked open-ended questions about discussing aging and EOL issues with family members, participants revealed tensions that led us to consider Relational Dialectics Theory as a framework for analysis. The predominant tension highlighted in this report was certainty versus uncertainty, with the two sub-themes of sustained life versus sustained personhood and confronting versus avoiding EOL issues. For these data, there were more similarities than differences as a result of gender, race, or living situation than one might expect, although culture and financial status were found to be influential in the avoidance of EOL discussions. The results of this study help to provide additional insight into relational dialectics related to aging, EOL, and the importance of communication in facilitating family coping.

The violation of Bell's theorem is a very simple way to see that there is no underlying classical interpretation of quantum mechanics. The measurements made on the photons shows that light signal (information) could travel between them, hence completely eliminating any chance that the result was due to anything other than entanglement. Entanglement has been studied extensively for understanding the mysteries of non-classical correlations between quantum systems. It was found that violation of Bell's inequalities could be trivially calculated and for sets of nonmaximally entangled states of two qubits, comparing these entanglement measures may lead to different entanglement orderings of the states. On the other hand, although it is not an entanglement measure and not monotonic under local operations, due to its ability of detecting multipartite entanglement, quantum Fisher information (QFI) has recently received an intense attraction generally with entanglement in the focus. In this work, we visit violation of Bell's inequalities problem with a different approach. Generating a thousand random quantum states and performing an optimization based on local general rotations of each qubit, we calculate the maximal QFI for each state. We analyze the maximized QFI in comparison with violation in Bell's inequalities and we make similar comparison of this violation with commonly studied entanglement measures, negativity and relative entropy of entanglement. We show that there are interesting orderings for system states.

First, this paper broaches the epistemological status of scientific tenets and approaches: phenomenological (descriptive only), well-founded (solid first principles, conducive to deep understanding), provisional (can be falsified if universal and verified if existential), and imaginary (fictitious entities or processes, conducive to empirically unsupported beliefs). The ΛCDM “concordance model” involves such beliefs: the emanation of the universe out of a non-physical stage, cosmic inflation (invented ad hoc), Λ (fictitious energy), and exotic dark matter. Big Bang cosmology further faces conceptual and pragmatic problems in delimiting what expands from what does not. The problems dissolve after untying inertia from space. The cosmology that emerges appears immediately compatible with the considered observations and the ‘perfect cosmological principle’. Waves and field perturbations that propagate at c expand exponentially with distance (a gravitational effect). The cosmic web of galaxies does not. Potential -Φ varies as H/(cz) instead of 1/r. Inertial forces arise from the gravitational action of the rest of the universe. Due to dilatation, they are reduced disproportionately at low accelerations. A cut-off value a₀ = 0.168 cH is deduced. This explains the successful description of galaxy rotation curves by MoND. A fully elaborated physical theory is still pending. Wider implications are briefly discussed.

It is argued that if the non-unitary measurement transition, as codified by Von Neumann, is a real physical process, then the ‘probability assumption’ needed to derive the Second Law of Thermodynamics naturally enters at that point. The existence of a real, indeterministic physical process underlying the measurement transition would therefore provide an ontological basis for Boltzmann’s Stosszahlansatz and thereby explain the unidirectional increase of entropy against a backdrop of otherwise time-reversible laws. It is noted that the Transactional Interpretation (TI) of quantum mechanics provides such a physical account of the non-unitary measurement transition, and TI is brought to bear in finding a physically complete, non-ad hoc grounding for the Second Law.

Globalization and industrialization have significantly disturbed the environmental ecosystem, leading to critical challenges such as global warming, extreme weather events, and water scarcity. Forecasting temperature trends is crucial for enhancing the resilience and quality of life in smart sustainable cities, enabling informed decision-making and proactive urban planning. This research specifically targets Ahmedabad city in India and employs the Seasonal Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average with eXogenous factors (SARIMAX) model to forecast temperatures over a ten-year horizon using two decades of real-time temperature data. The stationarity of the dataset was confirmed using the Augmented Dickey-Fuller test, and the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) method helped identify the optimal seasonal parameters of the model, ensuring a balance between fidelity and predictive accuracy. The model achieved an RMSE of 1.0265, indicating high accuracy within the typical range for urban temperature forecasting. This robust measure of error underscores the model’s precision in predicting temperature deviations, which is particularly relevant for urban planning and environmental management. The findings provide city planners and policymakers with valuable insights and tools for preempting adverse environmental impacts, marking a significant step towards operational efficiency and enhanced governance in future smart urban ecosystems. Future work may extend the model's applicability to broader geographical areas and incorporate additional environmental variables to refine predictive accuracy further.

This study explores the limitations of current AI systems, which predominantly function in the digital realm, and investigates the transformative potential of embodied AI. Embodied AI involves AI agents equipped with physical bodies, enabling them to interact directly with the physical world. This research focuses on how embodied AI can bridge the "embodiment gap" and enhance human-machine collaboration and learning in dynamic environments. The research examines the fundamental differences between traditional AI systems and embodied AI, emphasizing the importance of physical interaction for contextual understanding, adaptive learning, and intuitive human-machine collaboration. It explores various applications of embodied AI, including robotics, autonomous vehicles, and assistive technologies, demonstrating how physical embodiment can improve performance, safety, and user experience. Through experimental studies and real-world case analyses, the study highlights the advantages of embodied AI in tasks requiring situational awareness, dexterity, and real-time decision-making. It also addresses the challenges associated with developing and deploying embodied AI systems, such as sensor integration, real-time processing, and human-machine interface design. Findings indicate that embodied AI can significantly improve the efficacy of AI systems in dynamic and unpredictable environments. By leveraging physical embodiment, AI agents can better understand and respond to their surroundings, facilitating more natural and effective interactions with humans. The research concludes with recommendations for advancing embodied AI, including interdisciplinary collaboration, investment in sensor and actuator technologies, and the development of standardized frameworks for embodied intelligence.

A groundbreaking integrated predictive model, termed Cyber Forensics Behavioral Analysis (CFBA), has been developed in an environment characterized by rapidly evolving and increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. This model merges Cyber Behavioral Sciences with Digital Forensics to enhance the prediction accuracy and effectiveness of cyber threats originating from specific Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs). It has been observed that traditional cybersecurity strategies, predominantly focused on technical aspects, must be improved in addressing the complex landscape of cyber threats. Consequently, a novel approach has been proposed in this research, combining technical expertise with insights into the behavior of cybercriminals, thereby addressing a significant gap in existing methodologies. A mixed-methods approach has been employed in the study, integrating quantitative and qualitative research methods. This approach has created a comprehensive framework incorporating digital forensics, cybersecurity, computer science, forensic psychology, and the cyber behavioral sciences which incorporates disciplines scuch as cyberpsychology and forensic cyberpsychology. The study is anchored around four key concepts: (1) Forensic Cyberpsychology, which focuses on understanding psychological aspects of cybercriminal behavior; (2) Digital Forensics, involving the collection and analysis of digital evidence from cyber incidents; (3) Predictive Modeling, which utilizes historical data and patterns to anticipate potential cyber threats; and (4) the Cyber Behavioral Analysis Metric (CBAM) and Cyber Behavioral Score (CBS), tools designed for evaluating and scoring ASNs based on their behavior in terms of cybersecurity threat risks. Challenges encountered in the development of this integration have been significant. Initial setbacks included the misalignment of traditional cyber defense methods with the evolving nature of cyber threats and the absence of a holistic approach in pre-existing models. Through the narrative of these challenges and the subsequent development of the CFBA model, the research highlights the necessity for an interdisciplinary approach to cybersecurity. The outcomes of this study are not merely theoretical but provide practical, actionable tools and frameworks that markedly improve the precision of predicting cyber threats, especially from ASNs. The CFBA model represents a significant shift in cybersecurity strategies, highlighting the importance of integrating behavioral insights with technical knowledge. The study emphasizes the need for ongoing research and collaboration in cybersecurity, advocating for an approach that is as comprehensive and multifaceted as the cyber threats it seeks to mitigate. This research has been conducted to contribute significantly to cybersecurity, offering new perspectives and methodologies in a rapidly changing domain.

The combination of interstitial hyperthermia treatment (IHT) with high dose rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) for prostate cancer treatment and has the potential to improve clinical outcome, since it highly enhances the efficiency of cell kill, especially when applied simultaneously. Therefore, we have developed the ThermoBrachy applicators. To effectively apply optimal targeted IHT, treatment planning is considered essential. However, treatment planning in IHT is rarely applied since it is regarded difficult to accurately calculate the deposited energy in the tissue in a short enough time for clinical practice. In this study, we investigated various time-efficient methods for fast computation of the electromagnetic (EM) energy deposition resulting from the ThermoBrachy applicators. Initially, we investigated the use of an electro-quasistatic solver. Next, we extended our investigation to the application of geometric simplifications. Furthermore, we investigated the validity of the superpositioning principle, which can enable adaptive treatment plan optimization without the need for continuous recomputation of the EM field. Finally, we evaluated the accuracy of the methods by comparing them to the golden standard Finite-Difference Time-Domain calculation method using gamma-index analysis. The simplifications considerably reduced the computation time needed, improving from >12 h to a few seconds. All investigated methods showed excellent agreement with the golden standard by showing a >99% passing rate with 1%/0.5 mm Dose Difference and Distance-to-Agreement criteria. These results allow the proposed electromagnetic simulation method to be used for fast and accurate adaptive treatment planning.

Abstract: Nonlinear spectrum distortions are caused by the peculiarities of the operation of charge-coupled device elements (CCD), in which the signal exposition time (TINT) is one of the significant parameters. A change of TINT on a CCD leads to a nonlinear distortion of the resulting spectrum. Nonlinear distortion of the spectrum, in its turn, leads to errors in determining the central wavelength of Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBG) and spectrally sensitive sensors, which, in general, negatively affects the accuracy of measuring systems. The paper proposes an algorithm for correcting nonlinear distortions of the spectrum obtained on a spectrum analyzer using CCD as a receiver. It is shown that preliminary calibration of the optical spectrum analyzer with subsequent mathematical processing of the signal makes it possible to make corrections in the resulting spectrum, thereby leveling the errors caused by measurements at different TINT.

If we assume that: a. The four fundamental forces of nature are independent waves without rest masses, and their speeds are constant in a vacuum, just like light. b. Light or electromagnetic waves and gravity are comparable in structures. Weak and strong interactions are similar in structures. c. Light and weak interaction have the same speed c_L with spin number +1 or –1. d. Gravity and strong interaction have the same speed c_G without spin. e. The primary particles, namely electrons, electron neutrinos, and dark neutrinos in this paper, are made by the above four waves. We can find and describe some fundamental characteristics of the primary particles (e.g., their sizes, energies, and interactions) and introduce new attractive results from them (e.g., the source of the Pauli exclusion principle, the solution to the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox, and c_G slightly faster than c_L).

At 100% penetration, intermittent renewable energy causes outages. To flatten the leaping supply and demand curves of renewable energy, an energy storage medium and carrier are required. The Hydrogen energy stotrage system (HydESS), which combines a proton exchange membrane (PEM)-based water electrolysis (WE) system and a fuel cell (FC), has the quickest response time, the longest duration, and the greatest storage capacity. HOMER tools for techno-economic analysis are used to evaluate the HydESS hybrid system. Kyiv, Ukraine, is appealing due to its spatial-temporal wind speed, solar irradiance, and energy security. With an LCOE of $0.245 kWh−1 and 9.3% fuel cell power output, the most feasible solution is onshore wind turbine-coupled PEMFC HydESS. As a result 1,000-kW wind power, 250-kW PEMFC, 250-kW PEMWE, and 441-kW BESS are optimized to serve a 3,900 kWh day academic residence load. When compared to a diesel generator and a BESS, the hybrid HydESS reduces CO2 emissions by 4,132 tons over a 25-year period. The LCOE of a hybrid HydESS system is determined by the SOFC lifetime rather than the PEMFC's 2% difference between 40,000 and 50,000 h with the same rated power. This study recommends accelerating PEMFC development with fluctuation-endurable materials and design.

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

: Considering that Einstein's relation between the diffusion coefficient and the drift mobility of the free randomly moving charge carriers in homogeneous materials including metals is always valid, it is shown that the effective electric force acting on free electrons in metal depends on the ratio between the kinetic free electron energy at the Fermi surface to the classical particle energy 3kT/2. The electrical resistivity of elemental metals dependence on very low temperatures has the quadratic term, which has been explained by electron-electron scattering. In this paper, it is shown that the quadratic term of the electrical resistivity at low temperatures is caused by scattering of the free RM electrons by electronic defects due to linear effective free electron scattering cross-section dependence on temperature, but not by electron-electron scattering.

There are no theorems (proven theories) in the biological sciences. We propose that the 3 31 nt minihelix tRNA evolution theorem be universally accepted as one. The 3 31 nt minihelix theorem completely describes evolution of type I and type II tRNAs from ordered precursors (RNA repeats and inverted repeats). Despite diversification of tRNAome sequences, statistical tests overwhelmingly support the theorem. Furthermore, the theorem relates the dominant pathway for the origin of life on Earth, specifically, how tRNAomes and the genetic code may have coevolved. Alternate models for tRNA evolution (i.e., 2 minihelix, convergent and accretion models) are falsified. In the context of the pre-life world, tRNA was a molecule that via mutation could modify anticodon sequences and teach itself to code. We relate the clearest history to date of the chemical evolution of life on Earth. From analysis of tRNA evolution, ribozyme-mediated RNA ligation was a primary driving force in evolution of complexity during the pre-life to life transition on Earth.

We report a case of colloid carcinoma (CC) arising from an intestinal-type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm with high-grade dysplasia (IPMNHGD) of the pancreas, diagnosed with serial pancreatic juice aspiration cytological examination (SPACE). A rapidly growing intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) in a 71-year-old Japanese man accelerated his hospitalization in our institute. Clinically, a large, ruptured pancreatic cyst was suspected. Cytologically, several mucin-positive signet-ring cells were scattered in the inflammatory, necrotic, or mucinous background. Signet-ring cells in cell block specimens were immunoreactive for MUC2, MUC5AC, maspin, S100P, and claudin-18. The final cytologic diagnosis was CC arising in an intestinal-type IPMNHGD with intraperitoneal penetration. The patient died two months postoperatively. The cytologic diagnosis was achieved through SPACE, and the presence of signet-ring cells was characteristic. Anti-claudin-18.2-specific monoclonal antibody therapy will likely be used to treat patients with IPMNHGD in the future. To our knowledge, this is the first report in English on mucin-positive signet-ring cells of CC arising in an intestinal-type IPMNHGD evaluated by SPACE cytology.

In this article we estimate the level of Control of Corruption for 193 countries in the period 2011-2020 using data from the ESG World Bank Database. Various econometric techniques are applied i.e.: Panel Data with Random Effects, Panel Data with Fixed Effects, Pooled OLS, WLS. Results show that “Control of Corruption” is positively associated, among others, to “Government Effectiveness” and “Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism”, while it is negatively associated among others to “Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Value Added as Percentage of GDP” and “GHG Net Emissions/Removals by LUCF”. A cluster analysis implemented with the k-Means algorithm optimized with the Elbow Method shows four clusters. A confrontation among eight Machine Learning algorithms is proposed for the prediction of Control of Corruption. Polynomial Regression is the best predictor for the training data. The level of Control of Corruption is expected to growth by 10.36% on average.

The reversible computation paradigm aims to provide a new foundation for general classical digital computing that is capable of circumventing the thermodynamic limits to the energy efficiency of the conventional, non-reversible paradigm. However, to date, the essential rationale for and analysis of classical reversible computing (RC) has not yet been expressed in terms that leverage the modern formal methods of non-equilibrium quantum thermodynamics (NEQT). In this paper, we begin developing an NEQT-based foundation for the physics of reversible computing. We use the framework of Gorini-Kossakowski-Sudarshan-Lindblad dynamics (a.k.a. Lindbladians) with multiple asymptotic states, incorporating recent results from resource theory, full counting statistics, and stochastic thermodynamics. Important conclusions include that, as expected: (1) Landauer's Principle indeed sets a strict lower bound on entropy generation in traditional non-reversible architectures for deterministic computing machines when we account for the loss of correlations; and (2) implementations of the alternative reversible computation paradigm can potentially avoid such losses, and thereby circumvent the Landauer limit, potentially allowing the efficiency of future digital computing technologies to continue improving indefinitely. We also outline a research plan for identifying the fundamental minimum energy dissipation of reversible computing machines as a function of speed.

Very well into the dawn of the fourth industrial revolution (industry 4.0), we hardly distinguish between what is artificial and what is natural (e.g. man-made virus and natural virus). Thus, the level of discombobulation among people, companies or countries is indeed unprecedented. The fact that industry 4.0 is explosively disrupting or retrofitting each and every industrial sector, makes industry 4.0 the famous buzzword amongst researchers today. However, the insight of industry 4.0 disruption in the industrial sectors remains ill-defined in both academic and non-academic literature. The present study aimed at identifying industry 4.0 neologisms, understanding the industry 4.0 disruption and illustrating the disruptive technologies convergence in the major industrial sectors. A total of 99 neologisms of industry 4.0 were identified. Industry 4.0 disruption in Education industry (Education 4.0), Energy industry (Energy 4.0), Agriculture industry (Agriculture 4.0), Healthcare industry (Healthcare 4.0), and Logistics industry (Logistics 4.0) are described. The convergence of 12 disruptive technologies including 3D printing, Artificial intelligence, Augmented reality, Big Data, Blockchain, Cloud computing, Drones, Internet of things, Nanotechnology, Robotics, Simulation and Synthetic biology in agriculture, healthcare and logistics industries are illustrated.

The recent Google’s claim on breakthrough in quantum computing is a gong signal for further analysis of foundational roots of (possible) superiority of some quantum algorithms over the corresponding classical algorithms. This note is a step in this direction. We start with critical analysis of rather common reference to entanglement and quantum nonlocality as the basic sources of quantum superiority. We elevate the role of the Bohr’s principle of complementarity¹ (PCOM) by interpreting the Bell-experiments as statistical tests of this principle. (Our analysis also includes comparison of classical vs genuine quantum entanglements.) After a brief presentation of PCOM and endowing it with the information interpretation, we analyze its computational counterpart. The main implication of PCOM is that by using the quantum representation of probability, one need not compute the joint probability distribution (jpd) for observables involved in the process of computation. Jpd’s calculation is exponentially time consuming. Consequently, classical probabilistic algorithms involving calculation of jpd for n random variables can be over-performed by quantum algorithms (for big values of n). Quantum algorithms are based on quantum probability calculus. It is crucial that the latter modifies the classical formula of total probability (FTP). Probability inference based on the quantum version of FTP leads to constructive interference of probabilities increasing probabilities of some events. We also stress the role the basic feature of the genuine quantum superposition comparing with the classical wave superposition: generation of discrete events in measurements on superposition states. Finally, the problem of superiority of quantum computations is coupled with the quantum measurement problem and linearity of dynamics of the quantum state update.

In this study, we explored the manipulation of optical properties in the terahertz (THz) frequency band of radio-frequency (RF) sputtered indium-tin-oxide (ITO) thin-films on highly resistive silicon substrate by rapid thermal annealing (RTA). The optical constants of as-deposited and RTA-processed ITO films annealed at 400°C, 600°C and 800°C are determined in the frequency range of 0.2 to 1.0 THz. The transmittance can be changed from ~ 27% for as-deposited to ~ 10% and ~ 39% for ITO films heat-treated at different annealing temperatures, T_a’s. Such variations of optical properties in the far infrared for the samples under study are correlated with their mobility and carrier concentration, which are extracted from Drude-Smith modeling of THz conductivity with plasma frequency, scattering time and the c-parameters as fitting parameters. Resistivities of the films are in the range of 10^-3 to 10^-4 W-cm, confirming that annealed ITO films can potentially be used as transparent conducting electrodes for photonic devices operating at THz frequencies. The highest mobility, m = 47 cm²/V∙s, with carrier concentration, N_c = 1.31´10²¹ cm^-3, was observed for ITO films annealed at T_a = 600°C. The scattering times of the samples were in the range of 8 – 21 fs, with c-values of -0.63 to -0.87, indicating strong back scattering of the carriers, mainly by grain boundaries in the polycrystalline film. To better understand the nature of these films, we have also characterized the surface morphology, microscopic structural properties and chemical composition of as-deposited and RTA-processed ITO thin-films. For comparison, we have summarized the optical properties of ITO films sputtered on fused silica substrates, as-deposited and RTA-annealed, in the visible transparency window of 400-800nm. The optical bandgaps of the ITO thin films were evaluated with a Tauc plot from the absorption spectra.

Experiments to measure a single molecule/particle, i.e. an individual molecule/particle, at room temperature or under physiological conditions without immobilization, for example on a surface, or without significant hydrodynamic flow have so far failed. This failure has given impetus to the underlying theory of Brownian molecular motion towards its stochastic due to diffusion. Quantifying the thermodynamic jitter of molecules/particles inspires many and forms the theoretical basis of single-molecule/single-particle biophysics and biochemistry. For the first time, our simulation results for a live cell (cytoplasm) show that the tracks of individual single molecules are localized in Brownian motion, while there is fanning out in fractal diffusion (anomalous diffusion).

The next-generation communication systems demand integration of sensing, communication, and power transfer (PT) capabilities, requiring high spectral efficiency, energy efficiency, and low cost, while also necessitating robustness in high-speed scenarios. Integrated sensing and communication systems (ISACS) exhibit the ability to simultaneously perform communication and sensing tasks using a single RF signal, while simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) systems can handle simultaneous information and energy transmission, and orthogonal time frequency space (OTFS) signals are adept at handling high Doppler scenarios. Combining the advantages of these three technologies, a novel cyclic prefix (CP) OTFS based integrated simultaneous wireless sensing, communication, and power transfer system (ISWSCPTS) framework is proposed in this work. Within the ISWSCPTS, the CP-OTFS matched filter (MF) based target detection and parameters estimation (MF-TDaPE) algorithm is proposed to endow the system with sensing capabilities. To enhance the system’s sensing capability, a waveform design algorithm based on CP-OTFS ambiguity function shaping (AFS) is proposed, which is solved by iteratively method. Furthermore, to maximize the system’s sensing performance under communication and PT Quality of Service (QoS) constraints, a semidefinite relaxation (SDR) beamforming design (SDR-BD) algorithm is proposed, solved using through SDR technique. Simulation results demonstrate that the ISWSCPTS exhibits stronger parameter estimation performance in high-speed scenarios compared to orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), waveform designed by CP-OTFS AFS demonstrates superior interference resilience, and beamforming designed by SDR-BD strikes a balance in the overall performance of the ISWSCPTS.

Dextro-transposition of the great arteries (D-TGA) is a critical congenital heart defect that can impact neurodevelopment due to cerebral perfusion and oxygenation disorders. Materials and Methods: In a retrospective study conducted at a tertiary center between 2016 and 2023, we investigated the early effects of Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) administration and balloon atrial septostomy (BAS) on cerebral blood flow and oxygenation in inborn neonates with D-TGA. Cerebral Doppler Ultrasound in the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) was performed to assess resistive index (RI), Peak Systolic Velocity (PSV), and End-Diastolic Velocity (EVD) before PGE1, before the BAS procedure and 24 hours after birth. Cerebral regional saturations of oxygen (crSO2) and cerebral fractional tissue oxygen extraction (cFTOE) were evaluated. D-TGA patients were divided into the PGE1 group and the PGE1+BAS group. Age-matched healthy controls were used for comparison. Results: All 83 D-TGA newborns received PGE1 within two hours after delivery, of whom 46 (55.42%) underwent BAS. 77 newborns composed the control group. PGE1 administration increased crSO2 from 47% to 50% in the PGE1 group but lower than in controls at 24 hours of life, while cFTOE remained elevated. The RI increased 24 hours after delivery (0.718 vs. 0.769; p=0.000002) due to decreased EDV (10.71 vs. 8.74; p<0.0001) following PGE1 treatment. The BAS procedure resulted in a significant increase in crSO2 from 42% to 51% at 24 hours of life in the PGE1+BAS group. Doppler parameters exhibited a similar trend as observed in the PGE1 group. Conclusion: PGE1 treatment and BAS are lifesaving interventions that may improve cerebral perfusion and oxygenation in newborns with D-TGA during the transition period.

Mixed plastic packaging waste sorting residues (MPO323) were treated by thermal pyrolysis to utilize pyrolysis oil and char. The pyrolysis oil was found to contain aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons. Chlorine and bromine contents were up to 40,000 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg, respectively. Additionally, other elements like sulfur, phosphorous, iron, aluminum, and lead were detected, which can be interpreted as impurities regarding the utilization of the oils by means of chemical recycling. The pyrolysis char showed high contents of potentially active species like silicon, calcium, aluminum, iron, and others. To enhance the content of aromatic hydrocarbons and to reduce the level of contaminants, the pyrolysis oil was reformed with the corresponding pyrolysis char to act as an active material in a fixed bed. The temperature of the reactor and the flow rate of the pyrolysis oil feed were varied to gain insights on cracking and reforming reactions as well as on the performance with regard to decontamination.

The presence of cloud and cloud shadows in satellite images affects the accuracy of land cover classification and object detection. Therefore, their existence is considered noise and a target for removal by many researchers. This paper focuses on precise cloud shadow detection from ortho-rectified images. The directions of cloud shadows in original satellite images are determined by the sensor and sun illumination directions. However, those in ortho-rectified images have not been studied explicitly. This study proposes that the directions of cloud shadow in ortho-rectified images are also determined by both sensor and sun directions. This is because relief displacements due to cloud height above ground are not corrected through ortho-rectification processes. This study also proposed to detect cloud shadows by shifting a bounding box of a cloud region through the cloud shadow direction and identifying dark pixels within the shifted box. This study utilized Rapideye images acquired in various viewing angles and viewing directions. The proposed method improved the accuracy of estimating cloud shadow directions and extracting cloud shadow regions greatly. The outcomes of this study are expected to be utilized as precise cloud shadow detection and correction. As a future work, there is a need to enhance accuracy of cloud shadow detection through post-processing methods such as watershed algorithm. Additionally, an interesting future study would be to check whether the findings of this study are applicable to other objects in ortho- or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images with uncorrected relief displacements, such as high-rise buildings.

Choline and essential fatty acids (EFA) are vital for fetal brain development, supporting pregnancy, and maintaining hormonal balance. They also promote overall health. The childbearing years present a window of opportunity to increase the intake of these key nutrients and develop healthy dietary habits. Survey data were collected for the Estudio Latinoamericano de Nutrición y Salud (ELANS), including participants from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela (n=9,218; 15-65 years old). Women of childbearing age were extracted from the largest database (n=3,704). The aims of this study were to evaluate the intake of choline and essential fatty acids in women of childbearing age, identify their food sources, and determine if supplements containing choline and EFA were available across the ELANS countries. In general, choline intake was inadequate in all countries, while essential fatty acids intake was normal or above requirements. Chile had the lowest intake of choline and Colombia the highest. The results showed that some countries had more inadequate choline intake than others. Consuming a larger quantity of eggs helped reduce choline inadequacy, as did including eggs and fish in the diet. The intake of essential fatty acids, including ALA, EPA, and DHA, showed variability. The contributions of EPA and DHA were lower than that of ALA, and the results differed by age group. In conclusion, choline intake is inadequate and EFA intake is variable among women of childbearing age in the ELANS study. More awareness and education are needed to achieve better intake of these nutrients.

This paper presents a co-designed solution aimed at improving community healthcare assistance management. To enhance patients’ self-awareness of their health status, encouraging active participation in care process, and to support nurses in delivering patient-centered care, we have developed an innovative platform with a highly customized app. This platform was designed using a multi-disciplinary bottom-up approach. Patient data collection and processing facilitate the automation of care timeline planning, based on real time patients’ needs and the available resources. To achieve this goal different components have been considered: real-time health data collection and processing, patient care planning, decision support for nurses, secure communication for data transmission, and user-friendly interfaces to ensure easy access to platform functionalities.

Calcretes are indurated terrestrial carbonates that are widespread in arid and semi-arid settings and serve as important archives of present and past environments. Here we use geochemical tools to explore the nature and origin of calcretes documented from tropical Niue Island in the Southwest Pacific. The study recognizes two types of calcretes that differ in their mineral assemblage, microfabrics, elemental chemistry and carbon and oxygen isotopes. The calcretes common in the paleo-lagoon soils consist of 90% low-Mg calcite and ~10% highly weathered Mg-Al silicates. These pedogenic calcretes formed in the soil profiles within the vadose zone and bear the following distinctions: (i) Fe/Al ratio of 0.75, identical to the ratio in soils (Fe/Al=0.76 ±0.5), substantiates the link between the calcretes and soils; (ii) presence of rhizoliths, root voids, micritic nodules and clasts are consistent with a pedogenic calcrete fabric, and (iii) 13C and 18O depletions of -10.6‰ and -5.3‰, respectively, are compatible with carbon sources from microbial and roots respiration, and formation in oxygen isotope equilibrium with vadose waters. Unlike the pedogenic calcrete, a rare calcrete from the coastal terrace contains an exceptionally rare hydrotalcite mineral (65%) coated by microbial films. We contend that the hydrotalcite-rich calcrete was deposited through interaction of dolomite with seawater, similar to the method of producing hydrotalcite in the laboratory. 13C and 18O enrichments of 0.8 to 1.7‰ and -1.0 to -1.6‰, respectively, are in agreement with (i) mixed carbon sources consisting of microbial CO2 degassing, seawater HCO3 and dolomite dissolution, and (ii) oxygen isotope equilibration with a seawater-derived fluid.

Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes (SMC) complexes are an evolutionary conserved protein family. In most eukaryotes, three SMC complexes have been characterized: cohesin, condensin, and SMC5-6 complexes. These complexes are involved in a plethora of functions and defects in SMC genes can lead to increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities, infertility, and cancer. To investigate th evolution of SMC complex genes in mammals, we analyzed their selective patterns in an extended phylogeny. Signals of positive selection were identified for condensin NCAPG, for two SMC5/6 complex genes (SMC5 and NSMCE4A) and for all cohesin genes with almost exclusive meiotic expression (RAD21L1, REC8, SMC1B, and STAG3). For the latter, evolutionary rates correlate with expression during female meiosis and most positively selected sites fall in intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs). Our results support growing evidence that IDRs are fast evolving and that most likely contribute to adaptation through modulation of phase separation. We suggest that the natural selection signals identified in SMC complexes may be the result of different selective pressures: a host-pathogen arms race in the condensin and SMC5/6 complexes, and an intragenomic conflict similar to that described for centromeres and telomeres for meiotic cohesin genes.

Measurements of the properties of soft materials are important from the point of view of medical diagnostics of soft tissues as well as testing the quality of food products and many technical materials. One of the frequently used techniques for testing such materials, attractive due to its non-invasive nature, is the indentation technique, which does not puncture the material. The difficulty of testing soft materials, which affects the objectivity of its results, is related to the problems of stable positioning of the studied material in relation to the indentation apparatus, especially with a device held by the operator. This work concerns the comparison of test results using an indentation apparatus mounted in mobile and stationary handles. The tested materials are cylindrical samples of polyurethane foams with three different stiffnesses and the same samples with a 0.5- or 1-mm-thick silicone layer. The presented research uses an apparatus with a flat cylindrical indenter, with a surface area of 1 cm2, pressed to a depth of 10 mm (so-called deep tests). Based on the recorded force changes over time, five descriptors of the indentation test were determined and compared for both types of handles. The tests performed showed that the elastic properties of foam materials alone and with a silicone layer can be effectively characterized by the maximum forces during recessing and retraction, and the slopes of the recessing and retraction curves. In the case of two-layer materials, these descriptors reflect both the characteristics of the foams and the silicone layer. The results showed that the above property of the deep indentation method distinguishes it from the shallow indentation method. The repeatability of tests performed in the mobile and stationary holders were determined to be comparable.

In the bar of our Milky Way, there should be another supermassive black hole B which is with the mass almost 10−2~10−5 the Sgr A* and with a distance almost 10,000 lightyears from the Sgr A*. The bar is formed by the stars that are orbiting around the two black holes Sgr A* and B. And, in the bar, a lots of stars orbit around B while another lots of stars around Sgr A*. The two orbits form the peanut shape with “x-shaped structure” in the bar, while the boxy core is formed with all of the three orbits. And, the orbits of the stars out of the bar could be repulsed to a distant place by the black hole B to form the galactic spiral arms.

Despite copious research, the methods for assessing upper- and lower-limb motor coordination are limited. We devised a simplified evaluation method based on upper- and lower-limb motor coordination jumping and conducted a practical examination of the characteristics of the motion and applicability of the evaluation method. Overall, 88 high-school athletes with comparable competitive abilities were included in this study. The participants were divided into two groups based on their prior experience with motor coordination training (24 in the experienced group; 64 in the inexperienced group). First, a population proportion test was employed to assess the success rate of the four upper- and lower-limb motions in each task. This revealed significant difference between all tasks, except for the fourth motion, indicating that different motions have varying degrees of difficulty and that the combination of motions with differing difficulty coefficients can result in the creation of entirely new tasks with varying degrees of difficulty. Second, the experienced group demonstrated significantly superior performance compared to the inexperienced group by a t-test. These results confirmed that athletes (with the same level of competitive ability) trained in upper and lower limb motor coordination were able to excel in this evaluation method, confirming its validity.

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.

Periodontal disease, a multifactorial inflammatory condition affecting the supporting structures of the teeth, has been increasingly recognized for its association with various systemic diseases. Understanding the molecular comorbidities of periodontal disease is crucial for elucidating shared pathogenic mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets. In this study, we conducted comprehensive literature and biological database mining utilizing tools such as DisGeNET2R, Romin, and Rentrez R libraries to identify diseases sharing associated genes, proteins, or molecular pathways with periodontitis. Our analysis revealed significant molecular overlaps between periodontal disease and several systemic conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel diseases. Shared molecular mechanisms implicated in the pathogenesis of these diseases and periodontitis encompassed dysregulation of inflammatory mediators, immune response pathways, oxidative stress pathways, and alterations in the extracellular matrix. Furthermore, network analysis unveiled key hub genes and proteins that play pivotal roles in the crosstalk between periodontal disease and its comorbidities, offering potential targets for therapeutic intervention. Insights gained from this integrative approach shed light on the intricate interplay between periodontal health and systemic well-being, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in developing personalized treatment strategies for patients with periodontal disease and associated comorbidities.

This study aimed to analyse the relationship between environmental, social, and governance disclosure (ESG disclosure) and the performance of Saudi Arabian companies. Looking at the Saudi Arabian context, ESG disclosure guidelines were issued in 2018 to encourage Saudi companies to disclose their ESG practices. Grounded in the frameworks of agency and signalling theory, this study bears profound implications for stakeholders, decision makers, policymakers, and academics alike. Our findings underscore the paramount significance of ESG disclosure practices in enhancing corporate performance and creating long-term value for stakeholders within the Saudi Arabian context. The analysis is based on panel data spanning from 2017 to 2022. Rigorous econometric methods, including fixed effects (FEs), random effects (REs), the Hausman test, and the Generalised Method of Moments (GMM), were employed in the analysis. Furthermore, to evaluate corporate performance, we also used vital indicators, such as the return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE), and Tobin’s Q. To score companies’ sustainability practices, we created an ESG index that was obtained through a principal component analysis of individual environmental, social, and governance scores using a sample extracted from the annual reports of the top 100 non-financial listed companies in the Saudi Arabian stock exchange (Tadawul). The results of this study provide a strong confirmation of the significantly positive relationship between ESG disclosure and companies’ key performance variables. These results are consistent with stakeholder theory, which argues that companies that actively manage their stakeholders through comprehensive ESG practices have better financial performance; this is also in agreement with signalling theory, which argues that the positive relations found in this study can be a signal sent to policymakers and decision makers. This finding should instil confidence in the potential of ESG practices to drive companies’ success. Recommendations include strengthened regulatory frameworks, awareness-raising campaigns for ESG philosophies among investors and potential target companies, capability enhancement programs, arrangements for engagement with stakeholders, and effective reward/confirmation mechanisms in credit/debit plans, if possible, to encourage more companies to adopt ESG disclosure and to help stakeholders, decision makers, policymakers, and academics improve their awareness. These measures, if implemented, can significantly enhance the ESG landscape in Saudi Arabia, inspiring a more sustainable and responsible business environment. This research sheds light on the complex processes by which ESG considerations and corporate strategy remain integrated by using advanced econometric methodologies that suggest important policy implications. The findings of this study underscore the critical role of sustainable business practices in enhancing corporate performance, fostering societal development, and ensuring sustainability within the context of Saudi Arabian enterprises.

This qualitative study explores the dynamics of customer satisfaction and supplier collaboration within Italian restaurant operations. Through in-depth interviews, participant observations, and document analysis, the research investigates key factors influencing these relationships. Trust and communication emerged as foundational elements, crucial for ensuring reliable ingredient supply and maintaining culinary authenticity. Quality and authenticity of ingredients were identified as primary drivers of customer satisfaction, underscoring the strategic role of suppliers in delivering superior dining experiences. Customer feedback played a pivotal role in shaping operational practices, highlighting the iterative process of adapting to customer preferences to enhance service delivery and loyalty. Emotional intelligence among managers facilitated effective supplier relationships, fostering collaborative partnerships and navigating operational challenges with empathy and skill. Economic considerations were vital in balancing cost efficiencies with quality standards, guiding strategic decisions in supplier management. Technological integration enhanced supply chain management, optimizing logistics and responsiveness to market demands. The adoption of sustainable sourcing practices reinforced restaurants’ commitment to environmental stewardship and community engagement, aligning with consumer preferences for ethical dining options. The findings suggest actionable insights for restaurant managers to optimize supplier collaborations, enhance operational efficiency, and sustain competitive advantage in the hospitality industry.

The present study is to address performance of the dairy supply chain and emphasizes the significance of reliability of the chain as a fundamental and critical attribute for fulfilling the safety requirements. In order to evaluate the performance of the dairy supply chain, the present study utilizes the reliability attribute, which is an essential and informative system performance indicator. The study considers not only the inputs and outputs but also internal activities and relationships between customers, manufacturers, and suppliers. To minimize calculations and resolve uncertainties and vagueness that may be experienced in the performance evaluation process, this study proposes the use of the Fuzzy Inference System (FIS) approach and evaluates the reliability at each level of the supply chain: supply, manufacturing, and distribution. Combining the reliability of different levels, the study finally calculates the reliability of the entire supply chain. The proposed methodology offers a practical approach for evaluating the reliability performance of a dairy supply chain and can be easily extended to other industries as well. To verify the proposed methodology, a real case in the Iranian dairy industry is chosen to be studied. Results indicate that the proposed methodology can effectively identify bottlenecks or weaknesses in the dairy supply chain and help develop effective strategies to address them. Analyzing factors influencing supply chain reliability can optimize operations, reduce costs, and improve the overall quality of dairy product quality delivered to consumers.

Over the last fifty years, management plans have become more descriptive with regard to potential sustainability of forest systems, raising questions about the feasibility of implementing management activities and ensuring sustainability of a wide variety of ecosystem services. To assess this issue, we conducted a survey among forest planning and operation research communities to understand their perceptions regarding the potential of a sample of sustainability statements currently used in forest plans to be incorporated into optimization models or other mathematical operations. The results revealed that only a few statements from the sample were deemed to have relatively mature or firm methodologies and data to enable inclusion in modern mathematical models for land use optimization. These statements were mostly related to economic sustainability, offering quantifiable information such as a non-declining flow of wood products over time and limits on the amount of timber harvested per decade. In contrast, sociocultural and, to some extent, ecological statements regarding sustainability were generally perceived to be more difficult to translate into mathematical modeling efforts. Particularly challenging were statements corresponding to sustaining natural or scenic characteristics of a forest. These findings may be attributed to various factors, including a lack of measurable indicators for sustainability and a potential lack of understanding about the modeling components and their interactions with planned management activities.

Glioblastoma (GBM) presents a significant public health challenge as the deadliest and most common malignant brain tumor in adults. Despite standard-of-care treatment, which includes surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, mortality rates are high, underscoring the critical need for advancing GBM therapy. Over the past two decades, numerous clinical trials have been performed, yet only a small fraction demonstrated benefit, raising concerns about the predictability of current preclinical models. Traditionally, preclinical studies utilize treatment-naïve tumors, failing to model the clinical scenario where patients undergo standard-of-care treatment prior to recurrence. Recurrent GBM generally exhibits distinct molecular alterations influenced by treatment selection pressures. In this review, we discuss the impact of treatment - surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy - on GBM. We also provide a summary of treatments used in preclinical models, advocating for their integration to enhance the translation of novel strategies to improve therapeutic outcomes in GBM.

Gradients of smooth functions with non-independent variables are relevant for exploring complex models and for the optimization of functions subjected to constraints. In this paper, we investigate new and simple approximations and computations of such gradients by making use of independent, central and symmetric variables. Such approximations are well-suited for applications in which the computations of the gradients are too expansive or impossible. The derived upper-bounds of the biases of our approximations do not suffer from the curse of dimensionality for any $2$-smooth function, and theoretically improve the known results. Also, our estimators of such gradients reach the optimal (mean squared error) rate of convergence (i.e., $\mathcal{O}(N^{-1})$) for the same class of functions. Numerical comparisons based on a test case and a high-dimensional PDE model show the efficiency of our approach.

According to the ECCB, cancer represents the transition of a genomically damaged multicellular cell to a lower level of cell organization, controlled by the ancestral gene regulatory network (GRN) from the ancestral compartment of human and metazoan genomes. Cancer adopts ancient mechanisms and rules of the common ancestor, similar to those observed in parasitic amoebae. In cancer, the productive cell line generating CSCs is a non-gametogenic cancer germline. This germline proliferates through asymmetric cell division (ACD phenotype). CSCs lack proliferative capacity; they persist in hypoxic niches in a quiescent cell state or transition to an amplifying cell state that performs cyst-like polyploidization cycles, giving rise to precursors and CSCs capable of differentiation. Malignization arises from genomically dysfunctional tetraploid germline cells (DSCD phenotype) that proliferate in a precancerous stage through symmetric cell cycles. DSCD progeny undergo homotypic fusion, forming multinucleated genome repair syncytia (MGRS pathway) driving carcinogenesis. During tumorigenesis, metastasis, and recurrence, subsequent germline clones initiate a cascade of increasingly pathogenic CSCs through mechanisms such as heterotypic cell fusion, soma-to-germ transition, and polyploid giant cell structures (PGCCs). Irradiation and chemotherapies drive some of the very few surviving but dysfunctional CSCs through a PGCC repair pathway homologous to the MGRS pathway of carcinogenesis. The large number of PGCCs during metastasis and recurrence results from the perpetual germline cell damage and CSC poverty induced by oxygen levels above 6.0% O2 (germline hyperoxia).

This study focuses on a biogas dry reforming to produce H2. Biogas contains CO2 of 40 vol% approximately, indicating that the efficiency of the power generation is reduced because of the smaller heating value compared with a natural gas. The authors have proposed the combination system consisting of biogas dry reforming reactor and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). Since a biogas dry reforming is an endothermic reaction, this study adopts a membrane reactor which can be operated by causing the non-equilibrium state with H2 separation from the reaction space. This study aims to clarify the impact of thickness of Pd/Cu membrane on the characteristics of the biogas dry reforming membrane reactor using Pd/Cu membrane and Ni/Cr catalyst. The impact of the operation temperature, the molar ratio of CH4:CO2 and the differential pressure between the reaction chamber and the sweep chamber on the characteristics of the biogas dry reforming membrane reactor using Pd/Cu membrane and Ni/Cr catalyst is examined changing the thickness of Pd/Cu membrane. As a result, the highest concentration of H2 is 122711 ppmV which is obtained in case of CH4:CO2 =1:1 at the reaction temperature of 600 ℃ and the differential pressure of 0 MPa using the Pd/Cu membrane whose thickness of 40 m.

Extreme climates such as droughts and hot extremes, may result in marked damage to crop yields and threaten regional and global food security. Maize is a major grain crop in Liaoning Province, severely affected by drought and hot events. The objective of this study is to advance an approach to estimate the risk of crop yield reduction under the compound dry-hot events (CDHE) in Liaoning Province. Results show that the ratio of stations experiencing compound dry-hot events during the twelfth leaf and maturity stage tended to increase on the time scale. On a spatial scale, the frequency of compound dry-hot events in central Liaoning Province was relatively low during the whole and various reproductive periods of maize. In addition to the twelfth leaf, western Liaoning Province is prone to compound dry-hot events. The high-risk area for the occurrence of the compound dry-hot events in maize is Chaoyang City, located in the western part of Liaoning Province, and the cities in the low-risk area account for about 64.3% of the total number of cities in Liaoning Province, mainly in the central and northern parts of Liaoning Province. Generally, this study emphasizes focusing on the impacts of compound dry-hot events on agricultural production and provides an index to assess the risk of compound dry-hot events on maize production.

The article aims to present the results of research on anaerobic digestion (AD) of waste wafers (WF - control) and co-substrate system - waste wafers and cheese (WFC - control), combined with digested sewage sludge. The aim of the study was to evaluate the physicochemical parameters of the chitosan/perlite (Ch/P; 3:1) carrier material and to verify its effect on the directions of change of the bacterial microbiome, removal kinetics of organic matter and AD process efficiency. The experiment was conducted in a laboratory, in a periodical mode of operation of bioreactors, under mesophilic conditions. The results of analyses of morphological-dispersive, spectroscopic, adsorption, thermal and microbiological properties confirmed that the tested carrier material can be an excellent option to implement in biotechnological processes, especially in anaerobic digestion. The microstructural properties of the carrier were influenced by both components: perlite determined the development of the specific surface area, while chitosan shaped the porosity of the system. The thermal properties were determined by the less heat-resistant component, present in a threefold higher weight proportion, i.e. chitosan. The evaluation of quantitative and qualitative changes in the genetic diversity of bacterial communities, carried out using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), showed that the material has a modifying effect on the bacterial microbiome. Amount of bacteria from phyla Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Campilobacterota, Chloroflexi, Euryarchaeota, Planctomycetes, and Proteobacteria decreased while Firmicutes, Synergistetes, and Thermotogae increased during the course of the experiment. The shapes of the FT-IR spectra indicated a dependence of the degradation rate on both the presence of the carrier and the cosubstrate system. Monitoring of the course of AD was carried out by measuring key parameters for the stability of the process: pH, VFA and VFA/TA ratio (volatile fatty acids/total alkalinity). As a result, an increase in the volume of biogas/methane produced, under the influence of the carrier, was recorded for WF-control by 12.05% and for WFC-control by 19.16%. The volume of methane for the WF-control increased from 351.72 m3 Mg-1 VS to 411.14 m3 Mg-1 VS, while for the cosubstrate sample it increased from 476.84 m3 Mg-1 VS to 518.08 m3 Mg-1 VS, confirming the validity of combining the respective cosubstrate with microbial carrier in anaerobic bioreactor.

In this paper, we introduce new formulas for calculating the restoring and repulsive magnetic forces between two non-coaxial circular loops with parallel axes. These formulas are derived from a modified version of Grover’s formula for mutual inductance between the coils in question. Utilizing these formulas, we compute the restoring and repulsive magnetic forces between two non-coaxial thick coils of rectangular cross-sections with parallel axes. In these calculations, we apply the filament method and conduct investigations to determine the optimal number of subdivisions for the coils in terms of computational time and accuracy. The method presented in this paper is also applicable to all conventional non-coaxial coils, such as disks, solenoids, and non-conventional coils like Bitter coils, all with parallel axes. This paper emphasizes the accuracy and computational efficiency of the calculations. Furthermore, the new method is validated according to several previously established methods

A hallmark of eutherian pregnancy is its dependency on elevated progesterone levels for its entire length. This fact substantially affected the evolution of pregnancy and even the life history of eutherians. Progesterone synthesis by the ovarian corpus luteum, however, long predates all origins of vertebrate viviparity, which requires reconsidering the role of the corpus luteum and progesterone before and beyond placental mammals. Pregnancy originated repeatedly by co-opting the ancestral luteal phase of the ovarian cycle. Therefore, it represents a physiological equivalent and “serial homolog” of the nonpregnant luteal phase. Because of this relationship, we argue that understanding the origin and evolution of pregnancy can substantially benefit from examining the evolution and regulation of the corpus luteum during nonpregnancy. In the first part of this paper, we investigate what is known about the evolution of the corpus luteum and its changing regulation and function across vertebrates, covering both pregnant and nonpregnant cycles wherever possible. Studying pregnancy in the context of the nonpregnant cycle reveals the key evolutionary innovation that facilitated the characteristically long eutherian pregnancies: the regulatory decoupling of the pregnant and nonpregnant cycle, that is, the evolution of maternal recognition of pregnancy. Only after the two cycles became separately modifiable, could gestation length increase without deleteriously extending the time to the next fertile phase. In this review, we argue that, assuming selection for body size increase, the origin of MRP led to a punctuated increase of gestation length, which could imply that we overestimate pregnancy length in the eutherian ancestor when using conventional phylogenetic inference methods. Mechanistically, decoupling between cycles means that the progesterone-dominated phase in pregnancy is extended beyond that of nonpregnancy. In eutherians, this is achieved by extending the lifespan of progesterone-producing corpus luteum, providing additional corpora lutea, extraovarian sources of progesterone, or a combination of these. Alternatively, it can also be accomplished by shortening the nonpregnant cycle. The differences in underlying mechanisms for decoupling among the major eutherian lineages suggest that they originated independently, which leads us to conclude that eutherian gestation consists of parts that are not homologous across eutherians. Consequently, eutherian gestation length is not a homologous trait that can be productively compared across species directly. Finally, we find no evidence for an increase in gestational length due to maternal-fetal conflict. Rather, as long appreciated, body size explains a major portion of the variation in gestation length in eutherians. This suggests that the increase in eutherian gestation length was driven by the need to accommodate an increasing body size, a well-documented trend (Cope’s rule), once independent evolution of pregnant and non-pregnant cycles became possible.

We conducted a study exploring the potential of the medicinal plant Ziziphus spina-christi as a source of antimicrobial compounds. With the growing threat of antibiotic resistance, we were particularly interested in evaluating plant-derived natural products for their ability to fight infections. We collected Z. spina-christi leaves from four different regions in Sudan and extracted them with ethanol. Our phytochemical screening revealed the presence of several secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, triterpenes, sterols, tannins, saponins, cardiac glycosides, and reducing sugars. Alkaloids and anthraquinones were not detected. We then tested the ethanolic extracts for antimicrobial activity against a range of bacterial and fungal pathogens using the agar well diffusion method. Interestingly, we observed significant differences between the extracts from different locations. The extract from Khartoum city exhibited the highest antimicrobial potency, followed by the extracts from Al-Rahad, Al-Hidiba, and finally Al Damazin. Based on these findings, we concluded that Z. spina-christi leaves contain a diverse array of phytochemicals with potential medicinal applications. The variation in antimicrobial effects between the extracts may be attributed to environmental factors influencing the plant's chemical composition. Further research is warranted to identify the specific bioactive compounds responsible for the observed antimicrobial activities. This could pave the way for the development of plant-based antimicrobial agents to combat drug-resistant pathogens and alleviate the global public health crisis posed by the rise of antibiotic resistance.

Previous control methods developed by our research team cannot satisfy the high-accuracy requirements of unmanned surface vessel (USV) path-tracking during bathymetric mapping because of the excessive overshoot and slow convergence speed. For this reason, this study developed an adaptive fuzzy integral-derivative line-of-sight (AFIDLOS) guidance law for USV path-tracking control. Integral and derivative terms were added to counteract the effect of the sideslip angle, with which the USV could be quickly guided to converge to the planned path for bathymetric mapping. To obtain a high-accuracy of the look-ahead distance, a fuzzy control method was proposed. The proposed method was verified using simulations and outdoor experiments. The results demonstrate that the AFIDLOS guidance law can reduce the overshoot by 79.85%, shorten the settling time by 55.32% in simulation experiments, and reduce the average cross-track error by 10.91%, and can ensure a 30% overlap of neighboring strips of bathymetric LiDAR outdoor mapping when compared with the traditional method.

This research focuses on examining the responses of interest groups listed in the European Transparency Register to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Its aim is to investigate the nuanced reactions of 2,579 commercial and business associations and 2,957 companies and groups to the conflict, as expressed through their X (Twitter) activities. Utilizing advanced text mining, NLP and LDA techniques, this study conducts a comprehensive analysis encompassing language dynamics, thematic shifts, sentiment variations, and activity levels exhibited by these entities both before and after the outbreak of the war. The results obtained reflect a progressive decreasing in negative emotions regarding the conflict over time. Likewise, multiple forms of outside lobbying are identified in the communication strategies of interest groups. All in all, this empirical inquiry into how interest groups adapt their messaging in response to complex geopolitical events holds the potential to provide invaluable insights into the multifaceted role of lobbying in shaping public policies.

The goal of this study is to create regression models estimating the daily Penman–Monteith reference evapotranspiration (PMR) using latitude–temperature data for the state of Sinaloa, Mexico. Daily series of minimum–maximum temperature (1979–2017) were obtained from seven weather stations in Sinaloa. The reference evapotranspiration was calculated by the methods of Penman–Monteith using empirical equations (PMC), Hargreaves (HAC), and PMR. Prior to calculating PMC, the incident solar radiation (SR) was calculated. From the Acaponeta station (2005–2008, 2011–2013 and 2015–2017), all complete observed variables were obtained: mean temperature, incident solar radiation (SRg), average relative humidity and average wind speed at a height of 10 m. The data from the eight weather stations were provided by the National Meteorological Service and the National Water Commission. The daily observed Penman–Monteith reference evapotranspiration (PMO) was calculated. For validation, three simple linear regressions (SLR) were applied: SR vs SRg, PMC vs PMO and PMR vs PMO. hypothesis tests were applied to each SLR: Pearson correlation (Pr) vs critical Pearson correlation (Pcr). All rP were significantly different from zero (> |0.576|): SRg vs SR (Pr = 0.951), PMC vs PMO (Pr = 0.592), and PMR vs PMO (Pr = 0.625). This study provides new models that can motivate and support the design and implementation of intelligent irrigation in the state considered “the breadbasket of Mexico.”

Problem:Palestinian demographic landscape is undergoing an increase in the elderly population like many regions across the world. The elderly Palestinians face a unique challenges and problems of limited access to traditional care due to restricted movement, checkpoints, and also for limited healthcare resources. Therefore, the need arose to develop a sensitive and adaptable smart health monitoring system for Palestinian elderly to provide accurate and timely health data to improve well-being and prevent complications. Method: The proposed system (SHMS) leverages the Internet of Things (IoT) with appropriate sensors to track vital signs like heart rate, blood oximeter, body temperature and signal from a patient heart. Advanced algorithms analyze the data, generating alerts for potential health risks, triggering timely interventions, and enabling remote consultations. Results: This system has the potential to contributes to SDG 3 to significantly improve the health and well-being of elderly Palestinians by providing an accurate, low-power, and low-cost system for remote health monitoring. The system, being wearable, reads vital signs in real-time, overcoming geographical barriers and facilitating remote monitoring, especially in areas with limited healthcare centers and suffered from barriers along the way. The Doctor can suggest the patient’s prescription needed based on the momentary condition of the elderly and on previous readings of the sensors, if necessary. Which will also be notified via messages. Moreover, the doctor can take immediate intervention in case of an emergency. By implementing the system, it will be unnecessary for more than 50\% of the elderly to visit health care, thus reducing the cost to 50\%.}

Background and Objectives: Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) is a clinical condition with high mortality rates, particularly in patients over 65. Current guidelines recommend assessing the Probability of Pulmonary Hypertension (PHP) using advanced echocardiography, before pro-ceeding to right heart catheterization. This study proposes using the common femoral vein (CFV), an accessible vein that reflects right atrial pressure, as an alternative method to assess the like-lihood of severe PHP. Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study included 175 emergency patients from three hospitals. Ultrasound assessed the Pulsed Wave Doppler (PW-Doppler) morphology of the CFV. This diagnostic yield for high PHP was evaluated along-side traditional ultrasound parameters (right-to-left ventricular basal diameter ratio greater than 1 (RV>LV), septal flattening, right ventricular outflow acceleration time of less than 105 ms and/or mesosystolic notching, pulmonary artery diameter greater than the aortic root diameter or over 25 mm, early pulmonary regurgitation maximum velocity >2.2 m/s, TAPSE/PASP less than 0.55, in-ferior vena cava (IVC) diameter over 21 mm with decreased inspiratory collapse, and right atrial (RA) area over 18 cm²). Results: The CFV's PW-Doppler cardiac pattern correlated strongly with high PHP, showing a sensitivity (Sn) of 72% and a specificity (Sp) of 96%. RA dilation and TAPSE/PASP < 0.55 also played significant diagnostic roles. Conclusions: The CFV's PW-Doppler cardiac pattern is an effective indicator of high PHP, allowing reliable exclusion of this condition when absent. This approach could simplify initial PHP evaluation in emergency settings or where echocardiographic resources are limited.

Serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) levels have been proposed as a biomarker of the clinical activity, disability progression, and response to treatment of people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS); however, questions remain about its implementation in clinical practice. Ocrelizumab (OCR) has proven effective to improve clinical and radiological outcomes and to reduce sNfL levels. This real-life study followed the sNfL levels of 30 PwMS treated for 12 months with OCR and evaluated the usefulness of this biomarker for the short-term prognosis, considering expanded disability status scale (EDSS), annualized relapse rate (ARR), radiological activity, and NEDA-3 values. OCR reduced the ARR in 83% of PwMS and the radiological activity in 80%. Their EDSS was maintained, while NEDA-3 was achieved in 70% at 12 months. OCR produced an early reduction in sNfL levels (at 3 months). At baseline, greater MRI-evaluated radiological activity was associated with higher sNfL levels. sNFL levels over the first 12 months of treatment did not predict a suboptimal response or sustained control of the disease. Longer-term studies are needed to explore the predictive usefulness of sNfL levels in PwMS treated with high-efficacy drugs

Hamstring injuries present a notable challenge to the performance and durability of soccer athletes, particularly those situated in rural areas where access to specialized training facilities may be scarce. This literature review delves into the amalgamation of resistance and flexibility training as a holistic strategy for averting hamstring injuries among rural-based soccer athletes. Utilizing existing scholarly works, this review underscores the significance of resistance training in enhancing hamstring strength, power, and stamina, while flexibility training augments muscle pliability and range of motion, thus diminishing the likelihood of injuries. Furthermore, it scrutinizes a range of resistance and flexibility routines customized to meet the specific requirements of soccer and the limitations of rural settings. Through the amalgamation of evidence-based methodologies, this review puts forth the mechanisms of injury and pragmatic suggestions for coaches, trainers, and athletes to implement efficient injury prevention protocols. Highlighting the collaborative advantages of resistance and flexibility training, this methodology strives to enhance performance and shield against hamstring injuries in rural-based soccer athletes.

Visible light communication (VLC) has attracted much attention in recent years among industrial and academic researchers. The large scale use of energy efficient light emitting diodes (LEDs) in lighting applications offers a unique opportunity to use license free visible light as the carrier in wireless communications. It has many potentials to complement radio frequency (RF) based communication systems. Researchers working on VLC have mainly concentrated on improving the communication speeds to match with Wi-Fi though the latest generation Wi-Fi standards offer significantly higher capacity at longer communication distances. Thus, market penetration is challenging for VLC as Wi-Fi is already quite mature and ubiquitous. Commercialization of VLC can only be successful if VLC can offer applications where VLC is more advantageous over the existing RF-based solutions. Once VLC enters the market through specific applications and becomes more mature in the process, the ecosystem may gradually adopt VLC in broader applications. In this article, the state of the art of the three promising VLC applications, their issues, and possible solutions have been discussed.

Trichoderma has been widely studied for its potential as a biocontrol agent against plant pathogenic organisms. Trichoderma's biological control mechanisms include competition, modification of environmental conditions, antibiosis, induction of plant defensive mechanisms, and mycoparasitism. Trichoderma species are known to produce a variety of secondary metabolites that have antifungal activity. These metabolites include peptaibols, gliotoxin, and trichokonins. Trichoderma also produces chitinases and β-1,3-glucanases that can degrade the cell walls of fungal pathogens. In addition to direct antagonism against fungal pathogens, Trichoderma can also induce systemic or localised resistance in plants, which is achieved through the production of elicitors such as chitin oligosaccharides and β-glucans that activate plant defence responses. Trichoderma can also form mutualistic associations with plants. In these associations, Trichoderma colonises the roots of plants and promotes plant growth by increasing nutrient uptake and inducing systemic resistance. Using Trichoderma as a biocontrol agent has several advantages over conventional crop protection techniques based on applying synthetic pesticides.

The bentonite slurry trenches are becoming increasingly popular in the excavation process of trenches, especially for diaphragm wall construction. The problem that needs to be addressed is the stability of bentonite slurry trenches. This paper presents a stability analysis of trenches with temporary support of bentonite slurry, with unit weights ranging from 10.5 to 12.0 kN/m3, in the realistic stratum: C3 in the Hue city area. The analysis employs the shear strength reduction technique (SSR) with Mohr-Coulomb materials for the numerical method to evaluate the factor of safety (FS). The finite element method (FEM) software program (RS) and the finite difference method (FDM) FLAC software were applied. Additionally, the limit equilibrium method (LEM) of Bell-Washbourne and three-dimensional (3D) Bishop are used for calculating trench stability. The analysis results show a good agreement between RS2 and FLAC2D and RS3 and FLAC3D. Secondly, upon comparison, it is noted that the safety factors of the 3D software programs (RS3, FLAC3D) are higher than those of the 2D software programs (RS2, FLAC2D), ranging from 52.3 to 63.0% for trench lengths of 6m. However, for trench lengths of 54m, the safety factor values in 2D and 3D are nearly equal. Thirdly, the safety factor of the Bell-Washbourne method (LEM) is lower than the numerical analysis methods (FLAC and RS programs). Using the three-dimensional numerical method appears to be effective for estimating stability.

This short report extends our previous paper “Multiplicity of human scent signature” and transfers canine identification to digital processing of data. The question is whether current GCxGC-MS technology and computer-based identification can perform identification as well as canines. This would objectify the identification of persons. Working with digital scent samples enables the use of multiple scent signatures for more exact identification. More differently constructed signatures during the identification process may represent the key point in identification of persons in olfactronics. Several types of scent signatures were considered in this article. The digital scent signatures were constructed based on the relative contents of the chemical compounds in the samples and relative ratios of compounds in the samples. Further on the signatures were made from the parts of the original samples fractioned by the volatility of compounds and by the relative abundance of the compounds in the samples. These results confirm the scent multiplicity phenomenon in digital scent samples. Using differently constructed signatures may be the key point in identification of persons using digital scent samples. This approach enables a transition from subjectivity to objectivity and a change from physical olfactory to olfactronic processing of digital scent samples.

Pinus occidentalis, Swartz is the primary timber species in the Dominican Republic (DR). Despite its economic importance, studies conducted on this species are very scarce, making it difficult to estimate current inventory levels. This study aims to enhance the accuracy of estimating total bole volume of P. occidentalis in different ecological zones (EZs) within La Sierra, evaluating and comparing two established volume equations—combined variable and Schumacher-Hall—across nine modeling variants (MVs). An indicator variables analysis determined the necessity of distinct equations for two EZs. Fitting included both linear and nonlinear models. Our comprehensive statistical analysis included goodness-of-fit metrics to evaluate each model variant's performance rigorously. Modeling variant SH02 was most effective in the Dry Ecological Zone, showing superior performance in both fitting and validation phases. Similarly, SH03 emerged as the best fit for the Combined Intermediate and Humid Ecological Zones, achieving the lowest overall ranking sum among tested variants. The SH equation variants SH02 and SH03, provide reliable and precise volume estimations, allowing optimization of forestry management practices for P. occidentalis trees. The SH models outperformed the CV model variants' consistency in parameter estimation. This tailored approach employed ensures more accurate volume predictions, which is crucial for sustainable management and conservation efforts.

An important issue concerning the inspection of the technical condition of electrical power components and systems is thermal imaging investigation. This paper presents how the thermograms obtained from these measurements should be interpreted correctly according different standards and how operators should react when a specific anomaly is detected. It is also a review article in which all currently applicable international standards are referred to. The motivation of the article relates to the fact that these standards seems to be too general and not cover all practical situations even though in many countries thermal imaging diagnostics of overhead lines or overhead outdoor and indoor power stations has been used for years on the basis of industry standards or good practices. The purpose of writing this article is precisely to encourage and provoke the global community of metrologists, scientists and engineers involved in thermographic measurements to discuss, strengthen efforts and establish relevant international standards for the interpretation of thermograms containing the relevant temperature anomalies.

Procurement plays a central and defining role in the efficiency of supply chains. In recent years, the understanding and practice of procurement management have changed significantly due to increasing emphasis on and demand for agility and sustainability within supply chain management systems. Meanwhile, traditional supply chain systems, characterized by siloed processes, limited visibility, and inefficiencies due to manual interventions, can no longer cope with the current dynamic market conditions. Besides, the increasing requirements of sustainability, ethical sourcing, and environmental impact have intensified, making more responsible, transparent, and traceable procurement practices unnegotiable requirements for modern systems. In this paper, we examine the potential of emerging technologies and innovations such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT) in filling these gaps within the supply chain systems of enterprises in the US. The study employs a comprehensive review of relevant literature and case studies to discover and provide insights on how these technologies can improve procurement processes, optimize resource allocation and utilization, and improve sustainability. The findings of this study highlight the need for stakeholders to embrace technological advancements to effectively navigate the dynamic landscape of supply chain management.

Based on the goals of "high reliability, high frequency, rapid launch, and low cost" for space launch site, and drawing inspiration from the design principles of SpaceX's Starship launch test facility, an integrated dual-sided deflector system for convective cooling and thermal protection is presented. The interaction process between the gas jet and liquid water jet and its effect on the flow field environment are thoroughly studied using numerical calculation methods. Furthermore, Regarding the phase-change heat transfer issue in a compressible gas-liquid two-phase flow and the varying distribution of different bubble shapes and sizes at the gas-liquid interface, a modified Lee model is derived. The rationality and accuracy of the phase-change mass-transfer coefficient values can be improved by adjusting the equivalent diameter and shape factor of the bubbles. The research results demonstrate that compared to the classical Lee model, the modified Lee model can achieve a higher numerical accuracy in predicting the heat and mass transfer processes in gas-liquid two-phase flows. Through comparative analysis with traditional dual-sided deflector and conventional cooling system, the integrated dual-sided deflector system for convective cooling and thermal protection exhibits significant performance advantages in gas flow regulation, flow field environment improvement and erosion protection in the near-ground region of the launch site. Particularly, regarding the thermal environment of the dual-sided deflector, it not only achieves effective flow deflection, but also mitigates the degree of erosion caused by the gas jet on the deflector. This conclusion can provide theoretical references for the thermal protection design of commercial launch vehicle system at space launch site.

In this study, I will present some documentary evidence that Carlos Drummond de Andrade’s poem “A Máquina do Mundo” [The Machine of the World] (1949) was based on prior reflections contained in a forgotten newspaper article entitled “Poesia e Pesadelo” [Poetry and Nightmare] (1949). In that article, Drummond critically analyzed some of the theses of Stephen Spender's essay “What Is Modern in Modern Poetry” (1948), which had just been published in The Tiger's Eye magazine. As soon as he read Spender's text, Drummond wrote “Poetry and Nightmare” and began to elaborate a narrative poem whose protagonist would be a machine. All the documentary evidence indicates that Drummond took Spender's lessons as touchstones for the elaboration of the narrative and allegorical structure of “The Machine of the World.” According to the interpretation I am proposing here, Drummond, in writing the machine poem, put into practice at least six lessons drawn from Spender’s essay, namely: 1) the modern poet must represent the tension between the external machinelike landscape and the landscape of the inner world of the creative imagination; 2) he must also represent the machinelike, ugly, and urban world around him in a beautiful and poetic way; 3) he must avoid the misconceptions of excessive utopian visionarism, as well as creeping realism; 4) he must reject the imperative of political engagement, whose principle of action states that poetry has a transformative mission in society; 5) he must free himself from the obsession with free verse as the only form of modern poetry and start using the traditional fixed forms; 6) he must understand machines as poetic symbols of human passions, and not just as exotic objects foreign to human reality. My conclusion is that, after reading Spender’s essay, Drummond changed his aesthetic and philosophical understanding of what defines the essence of modern poetry, both in terms of form and content.

The mortality of birds resulting from collisions and electrocutions with overhead lines, such as power lines, and phone line among others, has been implicated in the decline of various avian species globally. Specifically, overhead line collisions pose a significant threat to the conserva-tion of the Canarian houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata fuertaventurae), an endangered sub-species endemic to the Canary Islands. This study centres on the postmortem findings of Canarian houbara bustards that have collided with overhead lines, providing insights into the post-collision outcomes for these birds. A com-plete standardized necropsy of nine Canarian houbara bustards revealed that polytrauma was the cause of death in all cases. The most notable gross lesions associated with trauma included bone fractures, soft tissue lacerations, haemorrhages, luxations, and hemocoelom, with certain body regions being more frequently affected. Histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and en-tomology analysis confirmed that numerous birds survived the initial trauma, exhibiting varia-ble survival intervals before succumbing to their injuries. We concluded that when a houbara bustard collide with an overhead line it frequently survives the initial trauma. The histopathology, immunohistochemistry, or entomologic analysis may be helpful to approximate the timing interval between trauma and death.

Diet-related diseases impact populations across the globe. While intertemporal preferences—a fundamental preference for the distribution of benefits across time—have been used to explain low-quality food choices, recent literature proposes another cause: inattention to future implications (or opportunity costs) of the options faced. Food choices tend to become habitual to conserve cognitive resources, rather than carefully modeling future health impacts. Both low discount rates for future benefits and attention to future health impacts predict healthier decisions. While intertemporal preferences are stable, attention may provide an opportunity to intervene in the decision process to promote healthier decisions. In this study, we test the impact of a simple message that highlights health during food choice on the healthiness of foods chosen and on health consideration and intertemporal preferences. Our results show that actively considering health outcomes and lower discount rates lead to healthier food choices. We find that messaging increases the consideration of health outcomes during food choice but does not affect intertemporal preferences, suggesting that simple prompts may be an effective way to promote decisions balancing short and long-term benefits by drawing attention to overlooked opportunity costs of choices.

China's economic development has shifted from high speed to high quality. This study constructs an evaluation index for China’s high-quality development utilizing a new development concept. The entropy method and cluster analysis were used to assess the level of high-quality development in China between 2015 and 2021. Kernel density estimation method was employed to explore spatiotemporal dynamics. The results reveal significant differences in the level of economic development among provinces in China; the eastern region is significantly better than the central, northeastern, and western regions. From the perspective of the sub-item evaluation, challenges with uneven, uncoordinated, and insufficient economic development exist in various Chinese provinces.

Major (exo)planetary and satellite bodies seem to concentrate at intermediate areas of the radial 1 distributions of all the objects orbiting in each (sub)system. We show that angular-momentum transport during secular evolution of (exo)planets and satellites necessarily results in the observed intermediate accumulation of the massive objects. We quantify the ‘middle’ as the mean of mean motions (orbital angular velocities) when three or more massive objects are involved. Radial evolution of the orbits is expected to be halted when the survivors settle near mean-motion resonances and angular-momentum transfer between them ceases (gravitational Landau damping). This dynamical behavior is opposite in direction to what has been theorized for viscous and magnetized accretion disks, in which gas spreads out and away from either side of any conceivable intermediate area. We present angular momentum transfer simulations in few-body systems, and we calculate the tidal dissipation timescales and the physical properties of the mean tidal field in planetary and satellite (sub)systems.

This paper studies the maximum reliability of multi-hop relay UAV, in which UAV provides wireless services for remote users without direct communication link on the ground as a coded cooperative relay. In this paper, the analytical expressions of total power loss and total bit error rate are derived as reliability measures. Firstly, based on the environmental statistical parameters, a LOS probability model is proposed. Then the problem of minimizing the bit error rate of static and mobile UAVs is studied. The goal is to minimize the total bit error rate by jointly optimizing the height, elevation, power and path loss, and subject to the maximum allowable path loss con-straints, transmission power allocation constraints and UAV height and elevation constraints. At the same time the total path loss is minimized to achieve maximum ground communication cov-erage. However, the formulated joint optimization problem is non-convex and generally difficult to solve. Therefore, we decomposed the problem into two subproblems and proposed an effective joint optimization iteration algorithm. Finally, the simulation results are given, and the analysis shows that the optimal height of different reliability measures is slightly different, and using the mobility of UAVs can improve the reliability of communication performance.

Media thermal conductivity is important in various heat-transfer processes. Many conventional fluid conductors suffered low conductivity and environmental issues. Therefore, researchers developed efficient aqueous nanofluid conductors. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are widely studied to reach efficient, stable, low-cost and environmentally-friendly aqueous-nanofluids. This review provides a clear understanding of how CNTs improve thermal conductivity of aqueous nanofluids. A qualitative model is presented to explain literature mechanisms behind improvement. CNT type effects are discussed with other factors such as aspect ratio, Reynold number, dispersion quality, composition, temperature and additives. CNT functionalization is described. Relations to estimate nanofluid thermal conductivity are discussed. The model will help specialists to tailor CNT aqueous nanofluids as desired.

In a hyperconnected society, computer networks play a pivotal role in all activities that permeate our daily lives. In the context of smart cities, theses networks play a pivotal role in enhancing urban efficiency and sustainability. The continuous flow of packets in these networks poses security challenges, from personal data leakage to service unavailability. Anomaly-based methods are commonly used to detect network attacks. In this context, Software-Defined Networking (SDN) emerges as a solution for anomaly detection in network traffic, facilitating comprehensive, real-time analyses and dynamic adaptation to changes. This study aims to present a systematic review of feature selection techniques and evaluate the effectiveness of attribute selection with a multi-class classifier in network anomaly detection. The objective of this paper is to inspire future research and identify trade-offs among these techniques for detecting Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. Based on the findings, the analysis of the entire dataset yields superior results in terms of precision (99%), but using the output of OneR, although resulting in a slight loss of precision compared to the complete dataset, presents the highest precision among other studied techniques, indicating a trade-off between precision and processing time efficiency.

Few studies have examined the dietary protein intake and sources in combination with the longitudinal changes in brain structure markers. Our study aimed to examine the association between dietary protein intake and different sources of dietary protein with the longitudinal rate of change in brain structural markers. A total of 2723 and 2679 participants from the UK Biobank were included in the analysis. The relative and absolute amounts of dietary protein intake were calculated through a 24-hour dietary recall questionnaire. The longitudinal change rates of brain structural biomarkers were computed using two waves of brain imaging data. We utilized multiple linear regression to examine the association between dietary protein and different sources and the longitudinal changes in brain structural biomarkers. Restrictive cubic splines were used to explore nonlinear relationships, and stratified and sensitivity analyses were conducted. Increasing the proportion of animal protein in dietary protein intake is associated with a slower reduction in the total hippocampus volume (THV, β: -0.02524, P&lt;0.05), left hippocampus volume (LHV, β: -0.02435, P&lt;0.01) and right hippocampus volume (RHV, β: -0.02544, P&lt;0.05).Higher intake of animal protein relative to plant protein is linked to a lower atrophy rate in THV (β: -0.01249, P&lt;0.05) and LHV (β: -0.01173, P&lt;0.05) and RHV (β: -0.01193, P&lt;0.05). Individuals with higher intake of seafood exhibit lower longitudinal rate of change in HV compared to those with no consume (THV, β: -0.004514; P&lt;0.05; RHV, β: -0.005527, P&lt;0.05). In subgroup and sensitivity analyses, there was not a significantly alteration. A moderate increase in the intake and proportion of animal protein in the diet, especially from seafood, is associated with a lower longitudinal change rate in hippocampus volume.

The development of a Digital Track Model (DTM) within Kazakhstan's railway system presents an innovative approach to enhancing efficiency and safety across the network. This paper investigates the economic viability of DTM implementation, offering a comprehensive mathematical model that highlights potential reductions in maintenance costs and improvements in system accuracy and durability. The findings advocate for DTM's potential to significantly elevate railway operations, suggesting a pivotal step towards modernizing Kazakhstan's transit infrastructure.

(1) Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges for patients and healthcare providers, especially for those working with obesity and related health problems. E-health has emerged as a crucial tool for the follow-up of users undergoing bariatric surgery during this period, allowing remote monitoring of users' health status and providing access to virtual consultation with health professionals. This study aims to analyze the impact of the use of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic on the results of bariatric surgery and user satisfac-tion with this follow-up. (2) Method: Observational study with retrospective data collection. The variables were divided into several groups: health data, associated comorbidities, quality of life, quality of sleep and satisfaction with telemedicine monitoring. (3) Results: Surgery significantly affected weight loss, in general more than 75% loss of excess weight. Comorbidities, like the qual-ity of life, were reversed over time, with 50% of subjects maintaining excellent levels. Although most users were satisfied with the monitoring, the variables had no relationship. (4) Conclusions: The follow-up assured by telemedicine did not alter the results of bariatric surgery, which may allow us to infer that it may be an option to consider for regular monitoring of the post-bariatric surgery process.

The research on the excavation mechanical properties of underpass tunnels has already had certain results, but fewer of them consider the effects of dynamic and static loads on the excavation mechanical properties of underground tunnels at the same time, especially the lack of research cases of double-line highway tunnels with angled underpasses of existing railway tunnels. In this paper, based on the tunnel project of the new double-line Shiqian Highway Tunnel passing under the Hurong Railway at an oblique angle, the mechanical parameters of the rock body in the cross-tunneling area under the influence of static and dynamic load coupling are obtained by using the disturbance quantification coefficients and the Hoek-Brown criterion based on the method of over-advanced geological prediction and the investigation of the surrounding rock on the palisade face, and the engineering-scale finite element model is constructed and the mechanical characteristics of the excavation in the tunnel of the double-lane highway tunnel passing under the existing railroad under the influence of the static and dynamic loads are analyzed. The results show that: the new tunnel rock movement law for the top of the arch sinking, bottom plate bulging, side wall to move outward, the height and width of the arch and bottom plate arch with the tunnel excavation and increase, the side wall rock displacement effect is smaller; left and right lines of the tunnel disturbed area of the rule of change is similar; the existing tunnel bottom plate displacement is more than the top plate and the left and right side walls by the excavation of the time step influence is larger. Typical profile displacement is mainly determined by the distance from the excavation surface; the new tunnel in the four types of calculation conditions of the rock disturbance angle is the same; the existing tunnel roof and side wall Von Mises stress extreme occurs in the tunnel structure, the bottom plate there are pressure relief and pressure-bearing areas; based on the displacement control criteria, the recommended upper and lower step blasting method.

Technological advancements in the Internet of Things (IoT), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and novel technological tools have transformed disaster management practices from localized approaches to a global framework. These innovations necessitate a unified understanding and application of diverse methodologies at an international level, ensuring they are accessible and operational across different sectors. This integration is crucial not only for technical personnel but also for medical teams, who play a pivotal role in disaster response and management. By fostering a comprehensive grasp of these methods, we can enhance coordination, efficiency, and effectiveness in addressing disasters on a global scale. The authors aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of emerging techniques that are driving shifts in strategic approaches and treatment technologies. Recognized as a domain of continuous research and development, this overview, by necessity, remains an incomplete snapshot of an evolving field. It highlights the dynamic nature of technological and strategic advancements, underscoring the importance of ongoing investigation and innovation to stay abreast of current trends and future directions. The article also highlights the importance of international collaboration beyond societal and national boundaries A single paragraph of about 200 words maximum. For research articles, abstracts should give a pertinent overview of the work. We strongly encourage authors to use the following style of structured abstracts, but without headings: (1) Background: Place the question addressed in a broad context and highlight the purpose of the study; (2) Methods: briefly describe the main methods or treatments applied; (3) Results: summarize the article’s main findings; (4) Conclusions: indicate the main conclusions or interpretations. The abstract should be an objective representation of the article and it must not contain results that are not presented and substantiated in the main text and should not exaggerate the main conclusions.

The review explores the therapeutic potential of mangrove plants as sources of bioactive compounds, particularly focusing on their anti-inflammatory properties. Mangroves, found in tropical and sub-tropical tidal coasts, exhibit unique ecological and biological activities. The review compiles and examines 136 research findings published between 1982 and 2018, with 41 studies specifically addressing the anti-inflammatory properties of mangroves in Indian coastal regions, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It summarizes the chemical structures, molecular weights, formulas, solvents, and biological activities of these mangroves, as reported by various researchers over time. The data underscore the significant potential of tropical Indian mangroves in anti-inflammatory applications. However, a notable research gap exists regarding the extraction of bioactive compounds from mangrove species in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands compared to other regions such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, and Puducherry. Overall, the compilation provides valuable insights into mangrove-based studies for drug discovery research, emphasizing the need for further exploration and exploitation of these natural resources.

The quality prediction of quaternary structure models of a protein complex, in the absence of its true structure, is known as the Estimation of Model Accuracy (EMA). EMA is useful for ranking predicted protein complex structures and using them appropriately in biomedical research, such as protein-protein interaction studies, protein design, and drug discovery. With the advent of more accurate protein complex (multimer) prediction tools, such as AlphaFold2-Multimer and ESMFold, the estimation of the accuracy of protein complex structures has attracted increasing attention. Many deep learning methods have been developed to tackle this problem; however, there is a noticeable absence of a comprehensive overview of these methods to facilitate future development. Addressing this gap, we present a review of deep learning EMA methods for protein complex structures developed in the past several years, analyzing their methodologies and impacts. We also provide a prospective summary of some potential new developments for further improving the accuracy of the EMA methods.

Until recently, no disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQoL) instrument existed for pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI). In this revalidation study, the psychometric properties and the validity of the final German version of the 35-item QOLIBRI-KID/ADO questionnaire were examined in 300 children and adolescents. It is the first self-reported TBI-specific instrument for measuring pediatric HRQoL in individuals aged 8–17 years. The six-factor model fits the data adequately. Internal consistencies were excellent for the total score and satisfactory to excellent for the scale scores. Intraclass correlations indicated good test-retest reliability. Construct validity was supported by overlaps between the QOLBRI-KID/ADO and the PedsQL, which measures generic HRQoL. Discriminant validity indicated that HRQoL was significantly lower in older children and girls, and in those with anxiety, depression, and post-concussion symptoms than in comparison groups, replicating the results of the questionnaire’s first development study. Our results suggest that the QOLIBRI-KID/ADO is a valid and reliable multidimensional instrument for assessing disease-specific HRQoL after pediatric TBI in clinical and research settings, which can additionally be used across the lifespan in combination with the adult version. This may help to improve care, treatment, daily functioning and HRQoL after TBI.

This paper provides a new discovery that adds to the contemporary theory of modelling of non-stationary queues, by capturing analytically the behavior of the root parameter, for the G1/M/1 PSFFA model of non-stationary Ek/M/1 queue. Additionally, it has been also revealed that the resulting root parameter reduces to the PSFFA model of non-stationary queue. Potential applications of PSFFA to Computer engineering are provided. Some challenging open problems are addressed combined with closing remarks and future research directions.

Whether and how P2X7 receptor knockout (KO) modulates central post-stroke pain (CPSP) induced by lesions of the ventrobasal complex (VBC) of the thalamus regarding behavioral, molecular, and electrical recording parameters remains unclear. Following the experimental protocols of a rat hemorrhage CPSP model, the VBC of the thalamus of wild-type and P2X7 receptor KO mice was injected with 10 mU/0.2 μl type IV collagenase to produce an animal model of stroke-like thalamic hemorrhage. Behavioral data showed that the CPSP group induced thermal and mechanical pain, while the P2X7 receptor KO group showed reduced thermal and mechanical pain behaviors. Molecular assessments revealed that the CPSP group had lower expression of NeuN and KCC2 and higher expression of GFAP, IBA1, and BDNF. The P2X7 KO group showed lower expression of GFAP, IBA1, and BDNF and higher expression of KCC2 than the CPSP group. The expression of NKCC1, GABAa receptor, and TrkB did not differ significantly between the control, CPSP, and P2X7 receptor KO groups. Muscimol application increased multiunit numbers and [Cl-] influx in the membrane in the CPSP group, while P2X7 receptor KO reduced multiunit activity and [Cl-] outflux. P2X4 receptor expression was significantly decreased in the 100 kb but not the 50 kb site in the P2X7 receptor KO group. Altogether, the P2X7 hypothesis of CPSP was proposed, wherein P2X7 receptor KO changed the CPSP pain behavior, numbers of astrocytes and microglia, CSD amplitude of the anterior cingulate cortex and the medial dorsal thalamus, BDNF and KCC2 expression, [Cl-], and P2X4 activation in 100 kb with P2X7 receptors. The present findings have implications for the clinical treatment of CPSP symptoms.

Background: Olecranon fractures are common injuries of the upper limb in adults. Simple dis-placed trasverse fractures are generally surgically treated with tension-band wiring (TBW) or plate fixation (PF). The purpose of this retrospective study is to compare the clinical-functional outcome, complications and reoperation rates between TBW and PF for Mayo IIA fractures. Methods: 72 patients treated with PF or TBW at our institution, completed our survey and clinical evaluation and their demographic and clinical data were recorded and analysed. The clini-cal-functional outcomes were evaluated assessing ROMs and three validated scoring systems: the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH), the Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS) and the Patient American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Elbow Assess-ment score (pASES-e). Results: 38 patients (53%) underwent TBW and 34 (47%) PF. The mean DASH, MEPS and pASES-e scores were respectively 14.5±17.2, 80.5±14.7 and 83.6±12.4 in the TBW group and 21±21.7, 75.6±15.3 and 75.1±19.2 in the PF group (p=0.16, p=0.17 and p=0.03). The mean duration of surgery and hospitalisation period were longer in the PF group (p=0.002, p=0.37) whereas the complication and reoperation rates were higher after TBW (p=0.15, p=0.24). Conclusion: According to the literature, both TBW and PF resulted comparable valid surgical op-tions for the treatment of simple isolated displaced olecranon fractures, revealing that they both provide good/excellent outcomes with no significant differences.

This paper proposes an electric vehicle routing problem with considering states of charging stations and suggests solution strategies. Charging of electric vehicles is a main issue in the field of electric vehicle routing problem. There are many studies to find locations of charging stations, recharging functions for batteries of vehicles, and so on. However, states of charging stations significantly affect the routes of electric vehicles, which is not much explored. The states may include open or close of charging stations, occupied or empty of charging slots, and so on. This paper investigates how the states of charging stations are estimated and routing strategies are determined. We formulate a mixed integer programming model and suggest how to solve the problem with exact method. Numerical examples provide the optimal routing strategies of electric vehicles in the changing environments of the states of charging stations.