Turbulence is a fluid dynamic problem refractory to mathematical treatment. Examining a theoretical model of liquid water flowing in a cylinder at different Raleigh numbers, we propose a novel approach to elucidate the first stages of turbulent flows. The weakly bonded molecular assemblies of liquid water form a fluctuating branched polymer in which every micro-cluster displays different density. Against the common view of liquid water as an incompressible and continuous fluid, we suggest that the occurrence of transient local aggregates could be able to generate the vortices and eddies that are the hallmarks of turbulence. We quantify the local changes in velocity, diameter and density required to engender “obstacles” to the average flow. Then, we show how these microstructures, equipped with different Raleigh numbers and characterized by high percolation index, could generate boundary layers that contribute to micro-vortices production. We conclude that the genesis of turbulence cannot be assessed in terms of collective phenomena, rather is sustained, among many other factors, by the underrated microscopic inhomogeneities of fluids like liquid water.

A new frontier in solar thermal panel technology can be a high vacuum collector, thick enough to be equipped with solar concentrators based on non-imaging optics, such as the Compound Parabolic Concentrators (CPC). The high vacuum technology guarantees higher operating temperatures thanks to the enhanced thermal insulation, which leads to pay particular attention to the absorber radiative emission. In this paper by means of numerical simulations we compare the efficiency of a flat selective solar absorber under high vacuum to the efficiency of a CPC under high-vacuum collector.

The Pierre Auger Observatory is the world's largest operating detection system for the observation of ultra high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs). The detector allows detailed measurements of their energy spectrum, mass composition and arrival directions of primary cosmic rays in the energy range above $10^{17}$ eV. The data collected at the Observatory over the last decade show the suppression of the cosmic ray flux at energies above $4\times10^{19}$ eV. However, it is still unclear if this suppression is caused by the propagation of cosmic rays or rather by energy limitation of their sources. The other puzzle is the origin of UHECRs. Some clues can be drawn from studying the distribution of their arrival directions. The recently observed dipole anisotropy has an orientation which indicates an extragalactic origin of UHECRs. The Auger surface detector array is also sensitive to showers due to ultra high energy neutrinos of all flavours and photons, and recent neutrino and photon limits provided by the Observatory can constrain models of the cosmogenic neutrino production and exotic scenarios of the UHECRs origin, such as the decays of super heavy particles. In this paper the recent results on measurements of the energy spectrum, mass composition and arrival directions of cosmic rays, and future prospects are presented.

(1) Background: Applied health services research (AHSR) relies upon coordination across multiple organizational boundaries. Our aim was to understand how competing organizational and professional goals enhance or impede the conduct of high quality AHSR. (2) Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in two local health care systems in the UK, linked to a feasibility trial of a clinic-based intervention in secondary care. Data collection involved 24 semi-structured interviews with research managers, clinical research staff, health professionals, and patients. (3) Results: This study required a dynamic network of interactions between heterogeneous health and social care stakeholders, each characterized by differing ways of organizing activities which constitute their core functions; cultures of collaboration and interaction and understanding of what research involves and how it contributes to patient care. These interrelated factors compounded the occupational and organizational boundaries that hindered communication and coordination. (4) Conclusions: Despite the strategic development of multiple organizations to foster inter-professional collaboration, the competing goals of research and clinical practice can impede the conduct of high quality AHSR. To remedy this requires the alignment and streamlining of organizational goals, so that all agencies involved in AHSR develop a shared understanding and mutual respect for the progress of evidence-based medicine and the complex and often nuanced environments in which it is created and practiced.

The importance of both recycling and additive manufacturing (AM) is increasing, however there has been a limited focus on development of AM alloys that are recyclably compatible with the larger scrap loops of wrought 5xxx, 6xxx and cast 3xx aluminium alloys. In this work the powder bed fusion (PBF) printability of AlMgSi alloys in the interval of 0-30wt%Mg and 0-4wt%Si is screened experimentally with a high throughput method. This method produces PBF mimicked material by PVD co-sputtering followed by laser remelting. Strong evidence was found for AlMgSi alloys being printable in two different composition ranges; Si+Mg<0.7wt% or for Si+2/3Mg>4wt% when Mg < 3wt% and Si > 3wt%. Increasing the amount of Mg and Si influence the grain structure by introducing fine columnar grains at the melt pool boundary, although the melt pool interior was unaffected. Hardness in as-built state increased with both Mg and Si, alt-hough Si had neglectable effect at low levels of Mg. Both evaporative loss of Mg and the amount of Mg in solid solution increased linearly with the amount of Mg.

The general circuit topology and principles of low-noise high-voltage power supply are investigated to meet the requirements of the high-voltage bias application in air kerma meters. Two topologies, flyback converter and Royer converter are simulated using SPICE simulation program. The simulation results indicate that the circuit structure of the Royer converter is more complex, but it obtains lower output high voltage noise. While we develop an adjustable high-voltage power supply according to the circuit structure of the Royer converter, and tested it to ensure the design requirements for continuously adjustable output high-voltage linearity. The test results show that the linear adjustment rate is not more than ±0.0025%, the load regulation rate is less than ±0.1%, and the output ripple noise voltage percentage is less than 0.01%. These tested performance make it more suitable for accurate nuclear measurements.

In this study, we report a new epoxy acrylate based shape memory polymer(SMP) fabricated by Liquid crystal display (LCD) Stereolithographic 3D printing. The printed 3D object has a high resolution and high transparency in visible light region. The uniaxial tensile tests showed enhanced tensile toughness and tunable mechanical properties. The fix-recovery and cycle tests indicated high shape recovery properties including high shape recovery rate and excellent cycling stability. In addition, a smart electrical valve actuator was fabricated that can be used in fast heat or electricity responsive electrical circuits. LCD 3D printing provides a low-cost and high efficient way to fabricate fast responsive SMP, which can be used in wide applications in various fields on aerospace engineering, biomedical devices, soft robots and electronic devices.

The incorporation of polycarboxylate ether superplasticizer (PCE) type polymer and silica fume (SF) in high-performance concretes (HPC) leads to the achievement of remarkable rheological and mechanical improvements. In the fresh state, PCEs are adsorbed on cement particles and dispersants, in turn promoting the workability of the concrete. Silica fume enables a very well compacted concrete to be obtained, which is characterized by high mechanical parameters in its hardened state. Some PCEs are incompatible with silica fume, which can result in the loss of slump and in poor rheological behavior. The main objective of the research is the study of the influence of three types of PCEs, which all have a different molecular architecture, on the rheological and mechanical behavior of high-performance concretes containing 10% of SF as a partial replacement of cement. The results show that the carboxylic density of PCE has an influence on its compatibility with SF.

Canola is the major oilseed crop of Canada. The de-oiled material is an important by-product due to its rich phenolic profile and high protein content. This co-processing stream from canola is primarily utilized as animal feed but represents an invaluable source of nutraceuticals. Microwave-assisted solvent extraction (MAE), as a green extraction method, has received considerable attention in recent times. The ease of use and application of many solvents at the same time makes the MAE one of the best methods for studying multiple solvents at the same time. The formation of canolol, from sinapine and sinapic acid, is primarily dependant on temperature which favors the decarboxylation reaction. Hence, MAE using green extractants can be used to enhance the yield of canolol. This study examined the effects of different pre-treatment temperature-time combinations of 140, 150, 160, and 170℃ for 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 minutes on the extraction of canolol and other canola endogenous phenolic compounds. Three antioxidant assays assessed the antioxidant activity of the different extracts obtained by MAE confirming the microwave as a novel and versatile instrument for enhancing the yield of canolol. Improvements in the antioxidant activity of the different extracts further established the efficacy of the current method for isolating important natural phenolic derivatives for utilization by the nutraceutical industry.

A low-cost medium power carbon dioxide (CO₂) laser system is designed, constructed, and characterized to produce coherent, monochromatic laser radiation in the Infrared region. The laser cavity is simulated and designed by using ZEMAX optic studio. A switch-mode high tension pump source is designed and constructed using a flyback transformer and simulated using NI Multisim to study the voltage behavior at different node points. A prototype cooling system/chiller is designed and built using the Thermo-Electric Coolers (TEC) to remove the excess heat produced during laser action. Various parameters, like pumping mechanism, chiller stability, efficiency, output power, and current at different applied voltages, are studied. The chiller efficiency at different output powers of the laser is analyzed, which clearly shows that the chiller's cooling rate is good enough to compensate for the heat generated by the laser system. The center wavelength of the carbon dioxide laser is 10.6μm with FWHM of 1.2nm simulated in the ZEMAX optic studio. The output beam penetration through salt rock (NaCl), wood, and acrylic sheet at various output powers is analyzed to measure the penetration depth rate of the CO₂ laser.

The high entropy alloy (HEA) of equiatomic composition CrNiFeCoMn and with FCC crystal structure was additively manufactured with a selective laser melting (SLM) process starting from mechanically alloyed powders. The as produced alloy shows finenitride and  phase pre-cipitates, which are Cr-rich and stable up to about 900 K. The precipitates increase in number and dimensions after long-period annealing at 900-1300 K, with a change in the HEA mechanical properties. Higher aging temperatures in furnace, above 1300 K, turn the alloy in a single FCC structure, with disappearance of the nitrate and  phase precipitates inside the grains and at the grain boundaries, but with still a presence of a finer Cr-rich nitride precipitation phase. These re-sults suggest that the as-produced HEA is a supersatured solid solution at low and intermediate temperature with nitrides and  nanostructures.

Cyanobacteria are microorganisms able to adapt to a wide variety of environmental conditions and abiotic stresses. They produce a very large number of metabolites that can participate in the adaptation of cyanobacteria to a large range of resources such as light, temperature, or nutrient. The metabolites variation is one way to understand the physiological status and adaptation of cells. In this study, we aim to understand how the diversity and the dynamics of the whole metabolome is dependent of the growth phases and under control of abiotic factors (e.g. light intensity and temperature). The cyanobacteria Aliinostoc sp. PMC 882.14 was selected for its large number of biosynthetic gene clusters. Metabolomes were analyzed by using mass spectrometry (qTOF-MS/MS) combined with untargeted analysis to investigate the metabolite dynamics. Significant variations were characterized between exponential and stationary phases, whatever the culture conditions (“control”, “higher light”, or “higher temperature”). ”Higher light” and “higher temperature” favored the synthesis of metabolites belonging to the same molecular families. Among highly regulated metabolites, we observe the presence of mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), and various variants of somamides, microginins, and microviridins. Through Aliinostoc sp. PMC 882.14, this study shows the importance of knowing the physiological state of cyanobacteria for comparative global metabolomics and questions the regulation processes involve into metabolite families production. Our results also open up new perspectives in the context of the production of targeted bioactive metabolites.

In the end of December 2019, a new strain of coronavirus was identified in the Wuhan city of Hubei province in China. Within a shorter period of time, an unprecedented outbreak of this strain was witnessed over the entire Wuhan city. This novel coronavirus strain was later officially renamed as COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) by the World Health Organization. The mode of transmission had been found to be human-to-human contact and hence resulted in a rapid surge across the globe where more than 1,100,000 people have been infected with COVID-19. In the current scenario, finding potent drug candidates for the treatment of COVID-19 has emerged as the most challenging task for clinicians and researchers worldwide. Identification of new drugs and vaccine development may take from a few months to years based on the clinical trial processes. To overcome the several limitations involved in identifying and bringing out potent drug candidates for treating COVID-19, in the present study attempts were made to screen the FDA approved drugs using High Throughput Virtual Screening (HTVS). The COVID-19 main protease (COVID-19 Mpro) was chosen as the drug target for which the FDA approved drugs were initially screened with HTVS. The drug candidates that exhibited favorable docking score, energy and emodel calculations were further taken for performing Induced Fit Docking (IFD) using Schrodinger’s GLIDE. From the flexible docking results, the following four FDA approved drugs Sincalide, Pentagastrin, Ritonavir and Phytonadione were identified. In particular, Sincalide and Pentagastrin can be considered potential key players for the treatment of COVID-19 disease.

By using hydrogen quench continuous annealing technology, Stelco Inc. has developed a suite of Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS) grades with tensile strength greater than 1000MPa to meet standard automotive specifications and for unique customer requirements. These grades were optimized by correlating chemical composition and processing parameters with microstructures and mechanical properties. Dual-Phase 980 (Stelco trademarked STELMAXTM 980DP), Multi-Phase 1180 (STELMAXTM 1180MP), Martensitic Steel 1300 (STELMAXTM 1300M) and 1500 (STELMAXTM 1500M) products met strength and formability requirements with excellent flatness and surface quality. Hydrogen quench continuous annealing technology not only ensures all developed AHSS grades have consistent mechanical properties across the entire strip length (from strip head to tail) and width (from edge to edge), but also produces high product yield compared with other continuous annealing processes.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is associated with hyperglycaemia-induced hypoxia and inflammation. The study assessed the effects of a single high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) on glycaemia (BG) and serum level of pro-inflammatory cytokines and an essential mediator of adaptive response to hypoxia in T1D patients. The macronutrients intake was also evaluated. Nine patients suffering from T1D for about 12 years and nine healthy individuals (CG) were enrolled and completed one session of HIIE at the intensity of 120% lactate threshold and duration of 4 x 5 min intermittent with 5 min rest after each bout of exercise. Capillary and venous blood was withdrawn at rest, immediately after and at the 24 h post-HIIE for analysis of BG, hypoxia-inducible factor alpha (HIF-1α), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and vascular-endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Pre-exercise BG was significantly higher in the T1D compared to the CG (p = 0.043). HIIE led to a significant decline in T1D patients’ BG (p = 0.027) and to a tendency for a lower BG at 24-h post-HIIE vs pre-HIIE. HIF-1α was significantly elevated in the T1D compared to CG and there was a trend for HIF-1α to decline, and VEGF, TNF-α to increase in response to HIIE in the T1D group. Both groups consumed higher and lower than recommended amounts of protein and fat, respectively. In T1D group, a tendency for a higher digestible carbohydrate intake and more frequent hyperglycaemic episodes on the day after HIIE were observed. HIIE was effective in reducing T1D patients’ glycaemia and improving the short-term glycaemic control. HIIE has the potential to improve adaptive response to hypoxia by elevating the serum level of VEGF. Patients’ diet and level of physical activity should be screened on a regular basis, and they should be educated on the glycaemic effects of digestible carbohydrates.

This work presents a unique two-element high-isolated orthogonally CPW-fed UWB Multiple Input Multiple Output (Ultra-wideband) antenna. The antenna is supported by the 52.8 × 29 mm2 FR-4 substrate, which has a dielectric constant of 4.3 and a thickness of 1.6 mm. The suggested MIMO antenna reduces mutual coupling by separating the two single UWB antennas that make up the antenna. The suggested antenna achieves a voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) of less than two and more than 86% radiation efficiency over the whole range of interest. The antenna's performance is assessed using both modeling and experimentation. Return loss, efficiency, gain, bandwidth, and Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) are all factors in which the design performs well. The suggested antenna is evaluated using the CST Microwave Studio. The antenna prototype model is constructed, tested, and measured in order to validate the simulation return-loss results. There is good agreement between the measured and simulated results.

With nearly 1,700 species, Microsporidia represent a group of obligate intracellular eukaryotes with veterinary, economic and medical impacts. To help in understanding the biological functions of these microorganisms, complete genome sequencing is used routinely. Nevertheless, the proper prediction of their gene catalogue is challenging due to taxon-specific evolutionary features. As innovative genome annotation strategies are needed to obtain a representative snapshot of the overall lifestyle of these parasites, the MicroAnnot tool, a dedicated workflow for microsporidian sequence annotation using data from curated databases of accurately annotated microsporidian genes, has been developed. Furthermore, specific modules have been implemented to perform small genes (&lt; 300bp) and transposable element identification. Finally, functional annotation was performed using the signature-based InterProScan software. MicroAnnot’s accuracy has been verified by the re-annotation of four microsporidian genomes for which structural annotation had previously been validated. With its comparative approach and transcriptional signal identification method, MicroAnnot provides accurate prediction of translation initiation sites, efficient identification of transposable elements, as well as high specificity and sensitivity for microsporidian genes including those under 300 bp. Thanks to its web interface (https://microannot.org), MicroAnnot is available to the community to ensure high quality annotation of microsporidian genomes.

Infrastructure and urban network operators, city users and industrialists are faced with complex issues to ensure the sustainability of the service, maintain, operate and develop their urban systems, while integrating environmental, economic and societal impacts and being resilient to unexpected geopolitical and climatic upheavals. Digital Twins are now recognized as the cornerstone of digital transformation. In the field of smart cities, they can enable all stakeholders to collaborate across disciplinary silos and foster digital transformation in urban and territorial projects to ensure sustainability, resilience and increased inventiveness. However, the application of the Digital Twin technology to Smart Cities lacks of standards. This paper proposes a high-level architecture for Digital Twins as an enabler of various levels of interoperation between key stakeholders of a Smart City. Such a technology-agnostic architecture, when implemented for a given Smart City, produces a middleware for large scale interoperability between actors involved in multiple supply chains of this territory.

Early-life exposure to high-fat diet (HF) can program metabolic and cognitive alterations in adult offspring. Although the hippocampus plays a crucial role in memory and metabolic homeostasis, few studies reported the impact of maternal HF on this structure. We assessed the effects of maternal HF during lactation on physiological, metabolic and cognitive parameters in young adult offspring mice. To identify early-programming mechanisms in hippocampus, we developed a multi-omics strategy in male and female offspring. Maternal HF induced a transient increased body weight at weaning, a mild glucose intolerance only in 3-month-old male mice with no change in plasma metabolic parameters in adult male and female offspring. Behavioral alterations revealed by Barnes maze test were observed both in 6-month-old male and female mice. Multi-omics strategy unveiled sex-specific transcriptomic and proteomic modifications in the hippocampus of adult offspring. These studies that were confirmed by regulon analysis, showing that, although genes whose expression was modified by maternal HF were different between sexes, the main pathways affected were similar with mitochondria and synapses as main hippocampal targets of maternal HF. The effects of maternal HF reported here may help to better characterize sex-dependent molecular pathways involved in cognitive disorders and neurodegenerative diseases.

The purpose of the current study was the level of the self-confidence among with high musical abilities Student? The randomly selected sample consisted of students (n= 130, M= 65, F= 65) . The analytical descriptive approach was applied in the study and self-confidence Scale developed by the author was administered to participants. Results indicated that: - The self-confidence among the high musical abilities Student students was rated high. There were no statistically significant differences at (α=≤0.05) attributed to effect of sex on the self-confidence overall degree. There were statistically no significant differences at (α≤0.05) attributed to effect of achievement on the self-confidence overall degree,

The coronaviral pandemic has led to a shift in traditional teaching methods to more innovative approaches, such as high-fidelity patient simulation (HFPS), which can improve students’ clinical judgement and decision-making for quality patient care. A modified guideline was introduced to enhance students’ satisfaction and self-confidence in learning through HFPS. The study involved 189 baccalaureate nursing students, with 92 in the intervention group and 97 in the control group. The intervention group received the modified HFPS guideline, while the control group received standard treatment with basic instruction. After the HFPS debriefing session, students provided narrative feedback on their learning experience. The quantitative results showed that students in the intervention group reported a significant improvement in satisfaction and self-confidence in learning compared to the control group. The modified HFPS guideline provided clear guidance for students to learn and apply knowledge and skills more effectively, leading to increased engagement during interactive simulation sessions. The results suggest that the HFPS guideline should be added to the curriculum to enhance students’ satisfaction and self-confidence in learning, even in junior students. Innovative teaching methods, such as HFPS, can be necessary and beneficial for healthcare professional training, after the pandemic.

Hessenberg differential algebraic equations (Hessenberg-DAEs) with high index play a critical role in the modeling of mechanical systems and multibody dynamics. Motivated by the widely used Lie Group Differential Algebraic Equation (LGDAE) method which only handles index 2 systems, we propose a Modified Extended Lie Group Differential Algebraic Equation (MELGDAE) method for solving index 3 Hessenberg-DAEs, and provide theoretical analysis to deepen the foundation of the MELGDAE method.The performance of the MELGDAE method is compared with the standard methods RADAU and MEBDF on index 2 and 3 DAE systems, and it is demonstrated that the MELGDAE integrator exhibits competitive performance in terms of high accuracy and the preservation of algebraic constraints. In particular, all differential variables in index 3 Hessenberg DAEs achieve second-order convergence using the MELGDAE method, which suggests potential for extension to Hessenberg-DAEs with an index of 4 or higher.

UHPC is a cement-based composite that is used in new construction and/or renovation of existing structures to increase their service life. It is a unique composite material that may be used as an alternative to concrete in harsh conditions. Following decades of research and development, a wide range of commercial UHPC compositions are now accessible across the world to fulfill the growing number of applications and demand for high-quality construction materials. Although UHPC has significant advantages over conventional concrete, its use is limited because of rigid design restrictions and excessive pricing. As a consequence, a detailed analysis of UHPC's durability qualities is necessary to provide critical information for material testing requirements and methods, as well as to widen its practical applications. The goal of this study is to learn more about UHPC and to encourage more research and use of UHPC.

The temperature-assisted laser shock process has shown promising prospects in the fields of forming manufacturing and surface strengthening. However, large-scale application of this process is limited by the instability and failure of confinement medium at high temperatures (≥300 ℃). Aiming at this problem, we propose a novel laser shock strategy based on Leidenfrost effect, where the suspended droplets are utilized as the confinement medium. According to the sequence of images acquired by time delay system and high-speed camera, the droplet dynamics behavior is studied. The focusing enhancement effect of the droplet is comprehensively explored. And the correlations between droplet size, ambient temperature, vapor layer thickness and focusing effect are investigated. Combining the dynamics and focusing enhancement effect of droplets, a theoretical model of laser shock pressure under droplet confinement is established. Finally, the effectiveness and feasibility of the droplet-based laser shock strategy in high temperature processing environments are verified by typical applications in laser shock forming and laser shock peening fields. The results show that the droplet-based laser shock process presents better forming effect. And the mechanical property tests demonstrate that this process can obtain the simultaneous improvement of the strength (~51%) and ductility (~6.4%) of annealed Cu. The multiscale plasticity mechanisms of the strengthened material are comprehensively investigated. We believe that this low-energy, low-cost and high-quality process can provide a new solution for the industrial application of laser shock at high temperatures.

To realize precise control of the quantum dots (Qdots) device, multi-channel precision bias source plays the key role. In this paper, the 16-channel high precision bias source with 18-bit resolution for Qdots device was designed. The prototype was made and its performance was tested. The short time fluctuations can reach 50μV. The step response time is less than 3μs. The resolution, stability, linearity and dynamic range of the bias source exhibits good performance. What's more, the bias source can be controlled locally and online. The results show that it is one effective and feasible topology for experiments in Qdots device application.

High temperatures (HT) and high hydrostatic pressures (HHP) are characteristic of deep-sea hydrothermal vents and other deep crustal settings. These environments host vast and diverse microbial populations, yet only a small fraction of those populations have been successfully cultured. This is due, in part, to the difficulty of sampling while maintaining these in situ conditions and also replicating those high-temperature and high-pressure conditions in the laboratory. In an effort to facilitate more HT-HHP cultivation, we present two HT-HHP batch culture incubation systems for cultivating deep-sea vent and subsurface (hyper)thermophilic microorganisms. One HT-HHP system can be used for batch cultivation up to 110 MPa and 121°C, and requires sample decompression during subsampling. The second HT-HHP system can be used to culture microorganisms up to 100 MPa and 160°C with variable-volume, pressure-retaining vessels that negate whole-sample decompression during subsampling. Here, we describe how to build cost effective heating systems for these two types of high-pressure vessels, as well as the protocols for HT-HHP microbial batch cultivation in both systems. Additionally, we demonstrate HHP transfer between the variable-volume vessels, which has utility in sampling and enrichment without decompression, laboratory isolation experiments, as well as HHP filtration.

Significant problems have arisen in the last years, such as climate change, global warming, and hunger. These complications are correlated with the depletion and exploitation of natural resources and environmental contamination. Due to overcrowding, the list of challenges for the next few years is growing. A comprehensive approach was made to the agro-industrial production of Avocado (Persea americana) and the management of all its biomass waste. So, bioprocesses and biorefinery can be used to produce high added-value products. A large number of residues are composed of lignin and cellulose. They have many potentials to be exploited sustainably for chemical and biological conversion; physical, chemical, and natural treatments improve the following operations. There are some applications to many fields such as pharmaceutical, medical, material engineering, and environmental remediation. Possible pathways are mentioned to take advantage of Avocado as biofuels, drugs, bioplastics, and even in the environmental part and emerging technologies such as nanotechnology using bioprocesses and biotech. In conclusion, Avocado and its waste could be transformed into high value-added products in industries above to mitigate global warming and save non-renewable energy.

This paper proposes a forecast-centric adaptive learning model that engages with the past studies on the order book and high-frequency data, with applications to hypothesis testing. In line with the past literature, we produce brackets of summaries of statistics from the high-frequency bid and ask data in the CSI 300 Index Futures market and aim to forecast the one-step-ahead prices. Traditional time series issues, e.g. ARIMA order selection, stationarity, together with potential financial applications are covered in the exploratory data analysis, which pave paths to the adaptive learning model. By designing and running the learning model, we found it to perform well compared to the top fixed models, and some could improve the forecasting accuracy by being more stable and resilient to non-stationarity. Applications to hypothesis testing are shown with a rolling window, and further potential applications to finance and statistics are outlined.

This paper presents a numerical algorithm for solving high-order BVPs. We introduce the construction method of multiscale orthonormal basis in W^m[0; 1] by multiscale orthonormal basis in W¹[0; 1]. We de fine approximate solution, and obtain the approximate solution of high-order BVPs by using the approximate theory. Moreover, the convergence and stability of the algorithm are improved. At last, several numerical experiments show the feasibility of the proposed method.

The exact etiology of myopia remains elusive. The author proposes the particle property of photon in living tissue and the photon-electron theory in living tissue, if the frequency of the photon exceeds the threshold, the photon has enough energy to strike the electron away and forms a hole of a diameter in photon diameter scale in living tissue include the eye. Longer time of high-frequency electromagnetic radiation will cause more holes and a larger radius of holes. The visual light which passes through the radiated hole in the eye cannot be refracted on the macula, this is myopia symptom of blurred vision, shortening the distance of the eye and the object will include more visual light into cornea and lens, this is myopia another symptom of nearsightedness. The particle property of photon causes elongation of the eye and the macular holes.Blue light and X-ray are two kinds of high-frequency electromagnetic radiation which can shot holes in eye and cause myopia.

Bandsaw blades are typical band-shaped cutting tools characterized by a low stiffness and micro-level cutting depth, resulting in distinct wear mechanisms compared to rigid cutting tools. In this study, the evolution of bandsaw tooth wear mechanisms during the bandsawing of Cr12MoV cold-working steel was investigated. The tool life was divided into two stages according to the tooth wear mechanism: a rapid wear stage (Stage I) and a homogeneous wear stage (Stage II). In Stage I, the wear mechanism was dominated by chipping, although multiple wear mechanisms were found because of the relatively poor manufacturing tolerance compared to rigid cutting tools, resulting in remarkable differences between the cutting depths of the individual teeth. In Stage II, abrasive and adhesive wear were the primary wear mechanisms instead of chipping, due to the decreased width and setting magnitude tolerance after Stage I. Furthermore, methods for increasing the bandsaw performance were proposed based on the tooth wear mechanisms.

By means of density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we have investigated the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the structural, electronic and elastic properties of the barium-doped silicon clathrate Ba8Si46 in the type-VIII structure (α phase). Physical properties are calculated under different conditions of pressure (0 GPa to 45 GPa) using the GGA-PBE functional, those calculations have been performed using the Cambridge serial total energy package CASTEP code within the Materials Studio package. Electronic properties have shown that the type-VIII Ba8Si46 has metal-like properties with a fundamental bandgap of 1 eV. Under pressure the fundamental bandgap increases slightly and the positions of the valence band maximum VBM and the conduction band minimum CBM remain unchanged. We found that the compound is mechanically stable under the pressure range, but this needs to be confirmed experimentally through synthesis, a comparison with the type-I and the guest-free counterparts has exhibited promising features for the type-VIII Ba8Si46.

In this paper we provide a highly selected review and synthesis on some of the recent and notable contribution to research in portfolio analysis. A unique perspective on this development in the literature is offered in this paper by judiciously identifying a few sample eigenvalues adjustment patterns in a portfolio that leads to an improvement in the out-of-sample portfolio Sharpe ratio when the population covariance matrix admits a high-dimensional factor model. These patterns unveil a key insight into a portfolio performance improvement and shed an important light on the effectiveness of a few recently introduced ”robust to estimation errors” covariance matrix estimation approaches, which were not originally designed with the goal to improve the out-of-sample portfolio performance.

The superficial quality of the strip is a very important issue in steel production; the profile, flat-ness, and geometry of strip are indicators of supreme quality. Considering the dimensions, the thickness is one of the most important variables in the production of strip. In the present study the elastic curve of Back Up Rolls (BUR) is analyzed, considering them as simply supported beams as well as the effect of rolls on the profile of the strip, specifically in the strip edge pro-ducing edge drop. The analysis is simulated with a model in 3D using a Finite Element Method (FEM) considering +0.039mm crown on Back Up Roll and +0.101mm crown on Work Roll (WR). The results showed that there is an instability zone of 76mm in the strip edge, this geometry is symmetrical in both ends of the strip, it was validated with the results of compact X-ray thick-ness gauge from a 4-high cold mill. This study not only provides a theoretical basis for the edge drop, but also provides the basis for the understanding of deformation on rolls used in rolling mill processes and their effect on the thickness, profile, shape, and dimensional quality of strips.

Although it is known that the gut microbiota (GM) can be modulated by diet, the efficacy of specific dietary interventions in determining its composition and diversity in obese patients remains to be ascertained. The present work aims to evaluate the impact of a moderately hypocaloric Mediterranean diet on the GM of obese and overweight patients (OB). The GM of 23 OB patients (F/M= 20/3) was compared before (T0) and after 3 months (T3) of the nutritional intervention (NI). Fecal samples were analyzed by Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. At baseline, the GM characterization confirmed the typical obesity-associated dysbiosis. After 3 months of NI, patients presented a statistically significant reduction of the body weight and fat mass, along with changes in the relative abundance of many microbial patterns. In fact, we observed an increased abundance in several Bacteroidetes taxa (i.e. Sphingobacteriaceae, Sphingobacterium, Bacteroides spp., Prevotella stercorea) and depletion of many Firmicutes taxa (i.e. Lachnospiraceae members, Ruminococcaceae and Ruminococcus, Veillonellaceae, Catenibacterium, Megamonas). In addition, the phylum Proteobacteria showed an increased abundance, while the genus Sutterella, within the same phylum, decreased after the intervention. Metabolic pathways, predicted by bioinformatic analyses, showed a decrease in membrane transport and cell motility after NI. The present study extends our knowledge of the GM profiles in OB, highlighting the potential benefit of a moderate caloric restriction in counteracting the gut dysbiosis.

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

Towns emerged as dynamic economic and political centers during the Middle Ages, giving rise to the emergence of new social classes. As a result of these functions, a new relationship began to be forged with the rural world, which supplied towns with foodstuffs that satisfied new social demands. Archaeobotanical analysis (carpology) allows us to understand the flow of cash crops by tracing seeds and fruits produced in the countryside that were consumed in and redistributed from the towns. The study of waterlogged contexts from medieval archaeological sites in the Kingdom of Galicia (Santiago de Compostela, Padrón, and Pontevedra) has provided a set of species that played a crucial role in the economy of the urban dwellers and that possibly were related to differential access or food preferences. Evidence for fruits (grapes, chestnuts, figs, apples, and cherries, among others), garden crops (melon), and cereals (foxtail millet, rye, naked wheat, and oat) has been documented. Broomcorn millet is particularly abundant, demonstrating that it was important for subsistence. Some of the species found (medlar and turnip/grelo) are novel in the archaeobotanical literature of the medieval period in the Iberian Peninsula.

To reduce the carbon emissions during heating in the manufacturing process, microwaves have attracted significant attention. Microwave has a lot of advantages rather than traditional heating method such as rapid heating, lower thermal damage and eco-friendly process. In order to apply microwaves to manufacturing process, uniform and efficient heating is required. We have analyzed the effect of various design parameters such as cavity heights, the application of the reflector, and the number and positions of waveguides for uniform and efficient heating by numerical simulation and verified that by experiment. The results showed that a slight change in the cavity height altered the electromagnetic field distribution and heating parameters, such as the coefficient of variance and power absorption efficiency. With reflectors installed, uniform heating was achieved and power absorption was improved, with the spherical reflector showing the maximum efficiency. The use of double waveguides heated the target material in a uniform manner. An increase in the power supply also led to uniform heating. This large-scale analysis will be helpful in applying microwaves to actual industrial sites.

Face routing has been adopted in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) where topological changes occur frequently or maintaining full network information is difficult. For message forwarding in networks, a planar graph is used to prevent looping, and because long edges are removed by planarization and the resulting planar graph is composed of short edges, messages are forwarded along multiple nodes connected by them even though they can be forwarded directly. To solve this, face routing using information on all nodes within 2-hop range was adopted to forward messages directly to the farthest node within radio range. However, as the density of the nodes increases, network performance plunges because message transfer nodes receive and process increased node information. To deal with this problem, we propose a new face routing using the planar graphs of neighboring nodes to improve transfer efficiency. It forwards a message directly to the farthest neighbor and reduces loads and processing time by distributing network graph construction and planarization to the neighbors. It also decreases the amount of location information to be transmitted by sending information on the planar graph nodes rather than on all neighboring nodes. Simulation results show that it significantly improves transfer efficiency.

UNESCO highlights socio-emotional, cognitive, and behavioral learning as critical for advancing sustainability. As major events, sports generate significant social, economic, and environmental impacts. This study analyzed how academic background, gender, age, sport type, and modality influenced elite Colombian Olympic and Paralympic athletes' socio-emotional competencies. Methods: Colombian elite athletes who were members of the “Support to the Excellence Coldeportes Athlete” participated in the study. The total population studied included 334 Colombian elite athletes: mean age 27.10 ± 6.57 years old with 13.66 ± 6.37 years practicing his/her sports modality. The socio-emotional competencies of the participants were assessed using the Socio-emotional Competencies Scale (SECS). Results: Men scored higher in interpersonal regulation, self-awareness, conflict resolution, and emotional regulation. Younger athletes (≤25 years) had higher self-consciousness. Individual versus team sports did not differ. Paralympians showed higher motivation, self-awareness, teamwork, and emotional regulation. University educated athletes scored higher in motivation, self-awareness, teamwork, and empathy. All competencies positively correlated. Conclusion: Individualized interventions targeting improved socio-emotional performance are vital for sustainability and should account for differences across gender, age, education, and disability status.

To address friction and wear challenges in dry contacts, manufacturers often employ self-lubricating materials. Graphite and its derivatives stand out as particularly suitable due to their exceptional tribological properties. However, under intense friction conditions, graphite can experience a decline in lubricating efficiency due to severe abrasive wear. This abrasive damage results in elevated activated carbon surfaces with increased surface energy, fostering greater adhesion between sliding surfaces. The low friction coefficient of graphite is not an inherent property but rather a consequence of water vapor adsorption by the material. Beyond 150°C, desorption of the vapor occurs, leading to a transition in the friction coefficient from µ=0.1 to µ=0.6. To address this issue, impregnation solutions for self-lubricating materials have been developed, with various compositions tailored to specific objectives. Common types include molybdenum disulfide, soft metals, or polymers. In this predominantly experimental study, the impact of polymer impregnation on the evolution of friction force and wear rate in graphite material bearings subjected to a dry fretting contact under severe thermal stresses at 270°C was investigated. Additionally, the mechanical stresses in the bearings throughout different phases of our tests were analyzed using a numerical model.

Cathode materials play a key role in the development and application of lithium-ion batteries, but the unfavorable factors such as structural phase transformation and low conductivity in the cycling process restrict the further improvement of battery performance, so the development and modification of high-performance cathode materials is a current research hotspot. LiNixCoyMn1-x-yO2(x≥0.6), a high-nickel cathode material, has the advantages of high platform potential, high energy density and low cost, and is an ideal material to achieve the goal of 300 Wh kg-1 and above for batteries. However, its poor thermal stability, poor interface stability, safety and life cannot meet the requirements of current power batteries. In this paper, the research status of high-nickel cathode materials is introduced, including bulk doping and surface coating, and the modification method of doping and coating integration is also introduced. Finally, we put forward the prospect of the future development trend of high-nickel cathode materials.

Grouting materials with good insulation and reinforcement performance are key factors in solving the temperature control problem of high temperature tunnels using curtain grouting, while existing grouting materials cannot balance their working performance and insulation performance in high-temperature environments. In response to the above issues, this article uses red mud to prepare high ground temperature red mud based grouting materials (RMGS), and conducts tests on the working performance (viscosity, setting time, compressive strength) and insulation performance (thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity) of grouting materials at different temperatures (20, 40, 60, and 80 ℃), and analyzes the variation patterns and micro mechanisms of various characteristics with temperature. The results indicate that an increase in temperature will accelerate the viscosity development and condensation of the grouting material, and lead to a decrease in thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity. In addition, an appropriate temperature can also improve the compressive strength of the material. The increase in temperature will accelerate the hydration reaction rate of the grouting material and the development of internal pores, which is the reason why temperature affects the performance of the grouting material. In engineering applications, cement slurry is suitable for static water grouting, cement-sodium silicate slurry is suitable for dynamic water grouting, and RMGS is suitable for high-temperature tunnel grouting.

This letter aims to show the connection between the sinc approximation for high-energy absorption cross section and the shadow radius of the spherically symmetric black hole. This connection can give a physical interpretation of the absorption cross section in the eikonal limit parameters. Moreover, the use of this alternative way, one can extract its shadow radius from the absorption cross section in high energy limits to gain more information about the black hole spacetime. Our results indicate that the increasing the value of the shadow radius of the black hole, exponentially increase the the absorption cross section of the black hole in high-energy limits which can be captured by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration.

The detection of temporary color steel buildings and the analysis of their spatiotemporal patterns and characteristics are of great importance in many developing cities, because areas densely distributed with color steel buildings are usually problematic regions with high population density, sustainable development and risk level, which are challenging for local governments. Using the high-resolution satellite images of the Anning District, Lanzhou City, China as the case study, this paper first extracts the information of the color steel buildings for two different periods. Then the spatiotemporal distributional characteristics of the color steel buildings are analyzed, both at small scale (temporary buildings) and large scale (planthouses, warehouses, etc.). Finally, this paper utilizes kernel density estimation, Delaunay triangulation and Voronoi diagrams to examine the spatial distribution, aggregation and proximity characteristics of the color steel buildings. Our experiments show that the temporal and spatial differences of urban development, the phased characteristics and urban space are represented by various types of color steel buildings. Thus, there are some robust coupling relationship between color steel buildings, urban spatial form and urban development.

The effects of rare earth Y content on the microstructure and high-temperature oxidation properties of 47Fe-36Ni-15Cr-1.5Mn alloy at 1000°C were investigated. The results show that 47Fe-36Ni-15Cr-1.5Mn alloy oxidizes at 1000°C under laboratory atmospheric pressure to form an oxide film layer dominated by Cr2O3 and (Fe, Ni, Mn) Cr2O4 spinel, and the oxidation curve of the alloy follows the parabolic law. After the addition of rare earth Y, rare earth phases precipitated along the grain boundaries in the alloy, and the more Y content, the more precipitated phases in the grain boundaries. The alloy with added rare earths was oxidized at a high temperature of 1000 °C for 2160 min, the oxidation law still followed the parabolic law, while the rare earth phase at the grain boundary reacted with the oxygen atoms infiltrated from the outside to generate a rare earth Y-rich oxide residing at the boundary between the grain boundary and the precipitated phase of the alloy. Add 0.5 wt.% rare earth Y 47Fe-36Ni-15Cr-1.5Mn-0.5Y alloy 1000 ° C high temperature oxidation of the formation of spinel oxide crystalline particles, dense and complete oxide film layer, the surface of the addition of a small amount of (0.5 wt.%) rare earth Y after the refinement of the oxide particles, and in the alloy grain boundaries in the form of oxides reside in the alloy to inhibit the cations in the matrix and the oxygen negative ions. and oxygen-negative ions in the alloy matrix, improving the antioxidant performance of the alloy. With the further increase of rare earth Y, during the oxidation of the alloy at high temperature, the precipitation phase at the grain boundary promotes the inward diffusion of oxygen, resulting in the deterioration of the antioxidant property of the alloy.

In order to study the acoustic emission characteristics of sandstone under the action of the high temperature-water cooling cycle, the RMT-150B electro-hydraulic servo rock test system and the DS-5 acoustic emission detection and analysis system were used to conduct a single analysis of the sandstone after the high temperature-water cooling cycle. Experimental study on acoustic emission characteristics under axial compression, analyzing the deformation, strength and acoustic emission characteristics of sandstone under different temperatures and cycles. The results of the study show that the high temperature-water cooling action causes changes in the physical properties of the sandstone. The expansion rate of the rock sample decreases first and then increases when the temperature rises, and the strength first increases and then decreases. The number of cycles has little effect on the physical properties of the rock sample; sandstone acoustic emission ringing count increases with the increase of temperature and cycle times, acoustic emission activities become more frequent with the loading process; with the increase of cycle times and temperature, acoustic emission ringing counts and accumulative acoustic emission energy appear earlier The rock sample enters the elastic deformation stage ahead of schedule, the yielding period increases, and the rock sample presents a trend of transition from brittle failure to ductile failure; the ringing count and cumulative energy increase with the increase in temperature and cycle times, and the high-energy ringing count and cumulative energy increase. The simultaneous sharp increase of the rock sample is the harbinger of the failure and instability of the rock sample.

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) adopts a modular multidomain structure that mediates antigen recognition and effector functions, such as complement-dependent cytotoxicity. IgG molecules are self-assembled into a hexameric ring on antigen-containing membranes, recruiting the complement component, C1q. To provide deeper insights into the initial step of the complement pathway, we report a high-speed atomic force microscopy study for quantitative visualization of the interaction between IgG and the C1 complex composed of C1q, C1r, and C1s. Results showed that C1q in the C1 complex is restricted regarding internal motion and has a stronger binding affinity for on-membrane IgG assemblages than C1q alone, presumably because of smaller conformational entropy loss upon binding. Furthermore, we visualized a 1:1 stoichiometric interaction between C1/C1q and an IgG variant that lacks the entire CH1 domain in the absence of antigen. In addition to the canonical C1q-binding site on Fc, their interactions are mediated through a secondary site on the CL domain that is cryptic in the presence of the CH1 domain. Our findings offer clues for novel-modality therapeutic antibodies.

Ultra-high temperature oxidation-resistant alloys (UTORAs) have received a lot of attention due to the increased research demand for deep space exploration around the world. But UTORAs have the disadvantages of easy oxidation and chalking. So, in this study, a UTORA was prepared by hot-press sintering on VZrHfNbTa (HEA) substrate coated with hafnium. The bonding mechanism, resistance to high-temperature oxidation, and hardness of the sample tests were carried out. The results show that zirconium in the matrix will diffuse into the hafnium coating during the high-temperature sintering process and form the HfZr alloy transition layer, the coating thickness of the composite is about 120 μm, and the diffusion distance of zirconium in the hafnium coating is about 60 μm, this transition layer chemically combines the hafnium coating and the HEA substrate into a monolithic alloy composite. The results of high-temperature oxidation experiments show that the oxidation degree of the hafnium-coated VZrHfNbTa composite material was significantly lower than that of the VZrHfNbTa HEA after oxidation in air at 1600 °C for 5 h. The weight gain of the coated sample after oxidation is 56.56 mg/cm2, which was only 57.7 % compared to the weight gain of the uncoated sample (98.09 mg/cm2 for uncoated), and the surface of the uncoated HEA showed obvious dents, oxidation, and pulverization occurred on the surface and interior of the sample. In contrast, the coated composite alloy sample mainly underwent surface oxidation sintering to form a dense HfO2 protective layer, and the internal oxidation of the hafnium-coated VZrHfNbTa composite alloy was significantly lower than that of the uncoated VZrHfNbTa HEA.

As one of the most promising ablative fillers, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been used to improve the ablative resistance of Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Monomer (EPDM) insulators by facilitating the carbothermal reduction reaction of silica. However, the contribution of MWCNTs to char layer structure of the insulators was unclear. In this work, the effects of MWCNTs on char layer structure and ablative resistance were investigated in different EPDM-based insulators with and without silica. The results showed that adding only 3 phr MWCNTs can reduce the linear ablation rate of EPDM-based insulators without silica by 31.7%, while 6 phr MWCNTs are required to obtain similar results in EPDM-based insulators with silica. Both the char layer morphology of the two insulators gradually evolved into dense porous structure as MWCNTs content increasing, but their formation mechanisms are different. The XRD and Raman spectrum showed that different physicochemical reactions occurred around MWCNTs under different charring components. The proposed ablation mechanism was further verified by designing alternating multilayer distribution of MWCNTs and silica. This work can guide the construction of desirable char layer structure for increasing ablative resistance of EPDM-based insulators.

The use of vitamin D (VitD) supplements has become widespread in the last decade due not only to the dissociation between the blood levels recommended as "optimal" and those shown by the healthy population, but also to its presumed beneficial effects on multiple disorders. This work evaluated the levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in a healthy population of European origin living in a region with high solar irradiation. In serum samples from a population-based study conducted in the Canary Islands, levels of 25(OH)D were analyzed. In 876 individuals who had no history of kidney or malabsorption disorders and who had not been treated with calcium and/or VitD supplementation, the median 25(OH)D level was 26.3 (5th;95th percentile, 14.3;45.8)ng/mL. Notably, 65.4% of the population had 25(OH)D blood levels below 30ng/mL, 23.4% below 20ng/mL and 6.4% below 15ng/mL. Based on the lack of evidence supporting causality between 25(OH)D levels below what is recommended as optimal (≥20ng/mL, or even ≥30ng/mL) and major skeletal and non-skeletal diseases, and in light of the distribution of the concentration of this vitamin in healthy adults living under optimal conditions of solar irradiation, it seems reasonable to consider 25(OH)D levels below 20ng/mL and close to 15ng/mL as adequate for the general population.

High-Rise buildings with their particular features can affects on surrounding environment and makes new microclimates. In the windy conditions, the spaces that are between building blocks changes to passages and affects on the wind velocity, intensity and it’s other parameters.The importance of this effect is different in each level of building height. The Pedestrian-Level is the lowest and one of important areas. Markets, playgrounds and pedestrian access had located in this area and any unwanted microclimate changes like high velocity and turbulence in this level can makes discomfort and dangerous condition for residents. So this research tries to consider the pedestrian- level wind comfort in some High-Rise building complexes arrangement that had located in Tehran district 22 with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling and reaching to a suitable arrangement pattern. It had collected the required data through field study and librarian databases and then compared them with standard guidelines and analyzed them by comparative comparison method. As a result a linear arrangement that placed crossover to wind direction for providing wind comfort and preventing wind danger is been suggested in this region.

This study was carried out to determine the effects of apple vinegar and sodium diacetate addition on the aerobic stability of fermented high moisture maize grain (HMM) silage after opening. In the study, the effect of three different levels (0, 0.5, 1.0%) of apple vinegar (AV) and sodium diacetate (SDA) supplementation to fermented HMM at two different storage conditions (27-29°C, 48% Humidity; 35-37°C, 26% Humidity) were investigated. The material of the study was fermented rolled maize grain with 62% moisture content stored for about 120 days. Silage samples were subjected to aerobic stability test with 3 replicates for each treatment group. Wendee and microbiological analyses were made at 0, 2, 4, 7, and 12 days. Meanwhile, samples were displayed in the T200 IR brand thermal camera. According to the thermogram results, 1% SDA addition positively affected HMM silages at the second and fourth days of aerobic stability at both storage conditions (p<0.05). Aerobic stability and infrared thermography analysis indicated that 1% AV, 0.5%, and 1% SDA additions to HMM silages had promising effects. Due to our results, we concluded that thermal camera images might be used as an alternative quality indicator for silages in laboratory conditions.

The effect of Zr addition on the melting temperature of the CoCrFeMnNi High Entropy Alloy (HEA), known as the “Cantor’s Alloy”, is investigated, together with its microstructure, mechan-ical properties and thermo-mechanical recrystallization process. The base and Zr-modified al-loys are obtained by vacuum induction melting of mechanically pre-alloyed powders followed by recrystallization. The alloys were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmis-sion electron microscopy, thermal analyses, mechanical spectroscopy and indentation measures. The main advantages of Zr addition are: 1) a fast vacuum induction melting (VIM) process; 2) the lower melting temperature, due to Zr eutectics formation with all the Cantor’s alloy elements; 3) the good chemical alloy homogeneity; 4) the mechanical properties improvement of recrystallized grains with a coherent structure. The crystallographic lattice of both alloys resulted to be FCC. Results demonstrate that the Zr-modified HEA presents a higher recrystallization temperature and smaller grain size after recrystallization with respect to the Cantor’s alloy, with precipita-tion of a coherent second phase which enhance the alloy hardness and strength, while maintaining a good tensile ductility.

Big data has revolutionised science and technology leading to the transformation of our societies. High Performance Computing (HPC) provides the necessary computational power for big data analysis using artificial intelligence and methods. Traditionally HPC and big data had focused on different problem domains and had grown into two different ecosystems. Efforts have been underway for the last few years on bringing the best of both paradigms into HPC and big converged architectures. Designing HPC and big data converged systems is a hard task requiring careful placement of data, analytics, and other computational tasks such that the desired performance is achieved with the least amount of resources. Energy efficiency has become the biggest hurdle in the realisation of HPC, big data, and converged systems capable of delivering exascale and beyond performance. Data locality is a key parameter of HPDA system design as moving even a byte costs heavily both in time and energy with an increase in the size of the system. Performance in terms of time and energy are the most important factors for users, particularly energy, due to it being the major hurdle in high performance system design and the increasing focus on green energy systems due to environmental sustainability. Data locality is a broad term that encapsulates different aspects including bringing computations to data, minimizing data movement by efficient exploitation of cache hierarchies, reducing intra- and inter-node communications, locality-aware process and thread mapping, and in-situ and in-transit data analysis. This paper provides an extensive review of the cutting-edge on data locality in HPC, big data, and converged systems. We review the literature on data locality in HPC, big data, and converged environments and discuss challenges, opportunities, and future directions. Subsequently, using the knowledge gained from this extensive review, we propose a system architecture for future HPC and big data converged systems. To the best of our knowledge, there is no such review on data locality in converged HPC and big data systems.

The responses of inflammatory cytokines and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session were compared between 7 postmenopausal (57±2 y) and 8 premenopausal females (44±3 y) during the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle, when estrogen and progesterone are highest, and. HIIT consisted of 10 x 1 min running intervals (90% maximum heart rate) separated by 1 min recovery intervals. Blood samples were collected at baseline (fasted), pre-exercise (postprandial), and 0, 30 and 90 min post-HIIT and analyzed for interleukin (IL-6) and 10 (IL-10), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and BDNF. IL-6 significantly increased from pre-exercise to 0 min post-HIIT in postmenopausal (+40%, p=0.01) but 30 min post-HIIT in premenopausal females (+60%, p=0.02). IL-6 remained elevated at 90 min post-HIIT in premenopausal (+104%, p=0.05) and to a higher degree in postmenopausal (+385%, p&lt;0.001). IL-10 showed no response. TNF-α increased from pre- to 0 min post-HIIT (+10%, p=0.05), then decreased to below pre-exercise at 30 min (-10%, p=0.02) and 90 min (-5%, p=0.04) in both groups. BDNF increased immediate post-HIIT in premenopausal (+60%, p&lt;0.001) but not postmenopausal females. The differences in IL-6 and BDNF response to HIIT between pre and postmenopausal females provide evidence of the role of female reproductive hormones in the regulation of these exercise-induced responses.

High-grade gliomas present a significant challenge in neuro-oncology because of their aggressive nature and resistance to current therapies. Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a potential treatment method; however, the boron carrier compounds used — such as 4-borono-L-phenylalanine (L-BPA) — have limitations. This study evaluated the use of boron-conjugated 4-iodophenylbutanamide (BC-IP), a novel boron compound in BNCT, for the treatment of glioma. Using in vitro drug exposure experiments and in vivo studies, we compared BC-IP and BPA, with a focus on boron uptake and retention characteristics. The results showed that although BC-IP had a lower boron uptake than BPA, it exhibited superior retention. Furthermore, despite lower boron accumulation in tumors, BC-IP showed significant survival improvement in glioma-bearing rats compared to controls. These results suggest that BC-IP, with its unique properties, may be an alternative boron carrier for BNCT. Further research is required to optimize this potential treatment modality, which could significantly contribute to advancing the treatment of high-grade gliomas.

This paper analyzed the main diseases of the friction high-strength bolt (FHSB) joints in order to study the characteristics of the corrosion products of the joints in steel bridge and the influence factors. Seven representative FHSB connection pairs and eight steel plate samples were selected from the Dongying Shengli Yellow River Bridge, which has been in operation for 33 years. Then Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) were used to analyze the microscopic morphology and chemical composition of the corroded surface of the samples. Finally, this paper discussed the relationship between the corroded sample surface and the environmental corrosion. The research results showed that construction quality problems, such as non-standard hole expansion, segmental slab joint dislocation and contact surface pollution, accelerated corrosion of the contact surface. With the increase of corrosion degree of joints, the contact surface of aluminum spraying layer gradually changed from a rugged and dense state to a smooth and porous powder state. With the corrosion of the steel plate substrate, the contact surface gradually changed from a fluffy stratified state to a surface bonding state. It was inferred that the friction coefficient of the FHSB connection node on the corroded aluminum sprayed contact surface first decreased and then increased. The corroded node samples detected not only a large number of S and Cl elements, but also the oxides of Mn, Si and other elements as well as FeS. It was speculated that node corrosion was also related to atmospheric (acid rain) and industrial dust and other corrosive environments. Almost all samples detected the component SiO2 of the Yellow River soil, as well as Mg, Ca, K, Na and other elements at the same time, which is basically consistent with the component elements of the Yellow River soil. Therefore, it was inferred that it was related to the inclusion of the Yellow River soil.

High-dimensional measurement error data are becoming more prevalent across various fields. Research on measurement error regression models has gained increasing attention due to the risk of drawing inaccurate conclusions if measurement errors are ignored. When the dimension p is larger than the sample size n, it is challenging to develop statistical inference methods for high-dimensional measurement error regression models due to the existence of bias, nonconvexity of objective function, high computational cost and many other difficulties. Over the past few years, some works have overcome the aforementioned difficulties and proposed several statistical inference methods. This paper mainly reviews the current development on estimation, hypothesis testing and variable screening methods for high-dimensional measurement error regression models and shows the theoretical results of these methods with some directions worthy of exploring for future research.

Abstract: The high entropy alloy (HEA) of equiatomic composition CrNiFeCoMn and with FCC 11 crystal structure was prepared by either induction melting and additive manufacturing with a se- 12 lective laser melting (SLM) process, starting from mechanically alloyed powders. Unlike induction 13 melting, the as-produced SLM alloy showed fine nitride and Cr-rich s phase precipitates. Mechan- 14 ical spectroscopy measurements were performed on specimens cold worked and/or recrystallized. 15 Young’s modulus values of (140±10) GPa and (90±10) GPa were measured at 300 K for induction 16 melted and SLM samples, respectively. The values increased to (160±10) GPa and (170±10) GPa for 17 recrystallized samples. Damping measurements as a function of temperature showed two peaks 18 which were attributed to dislocations bending and grain boundaries sliding. The peaks were super- 19 posed on a temperature increasing background.

Selective laser melting (SLM) is a commonly used laser powder bed technique where the final properties are influenced by many different powder related properties, such as particle size distribution, chemical composition and flowability. In applications where high hardness, wear resistance, strength and good heat properties are required, high speed steels (HSS) are widely used today. HSS has high carbon content and are therefore considered as unweldable. The rapidly growing implementation of AM technologies has led to a growing range of new applications and demands for new alloys and properties. The interest in being able to manufacture HSS by SLM without cracking is therefore increasing. In SLM, it is possible to preheat the base plate to a few hundred degrees Celsius which has been used for HSS and proved successful due to reduced thermal gradients. In this study, the properties of SLM produced high speed steel PEARL Micro®2012 with a carbon content of 0.61 wt.-% have been investigated and compared to those of a forged and rolled PM-HIP counterpart ASP®2012.

A novel polyphenol‑coated CoFe₂O₄ system was synthesized as a magnetic adsorbent by chemical oxidative polymerization process for magnetic solid-phase extraction of lawsone. The synthesized nanoadsorbent showed a spherical morphology with diameters under 50 nm by scanning electron microscopy images. The extraction efficiency of this adsorbent was studied towards the extraction of lawsone from saline aqueous solution in dispersion mode. Major parameters including the type and volume of desorption solvent, amount of sorbent, desorption time, extraction time, extraction temperature, ionic strength and pH were optimized. Under the optimum conditions the relative standard deviation in 0.005 µg mL^-1 (inter-day n = 6; intra-day: n = 6; and adsorbent to adsorbent n = 4) were obtained as 5.2, 8.07 and 11.7%, respectively. A linear calibration curve in the range of 0.003–0.5 µg mL^-1 with R² = 0.993 was obtained. The limit of detection and limit of quantification of the method were 0.001 µg mL^-1 and 0.003 µg mL^-1, respectively. The relative recovery percentages were in range of 90-96.4% for henna leaves, henna shampoo, and henna dermal lotion real samples.

Pharmaceutical poisoning is a significant global public health concern, causing approximately 190,000 deaths yearly. This scoping review aims to comprehensively map the available literature on pharmaceutical poisoning and compare patterns between high-income countries (HICs) and low-middle-income countries (LMICs). A systematic search was performed across the following databases: Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and CINAHL. Studies included were from 1st January 2011 to 31st December 2020, in English, with full text available. Seventy-nine articles were included in the study; 21 were from LMICs and 58 were from HICs. The toxic exposure was largely intentional (77%) in LMICs and accidental (68%) in HICs. Drugs acting on the nervous system were responsible for 95% of toxicities worldwide with analgesics accounting for the largest subtherapeutic group in both LMICs (40%) and HICs (58%). Notable statistics were that HICs accounted for 99% of opioid overdoses, and LMICs accounted for 19% of anti-epileptic-induced toxicities. Overall, the medical outcomes of poisonings were generally worse in LMICs. The review provides possible interventions to target specific geographic locations, based on the trends identified, to reduce the burden worldwide. Many gaps within the literature were recognised, calling for more robust analytical research.

To reduce the redundant counting of TDC in high-speed applications and thus reduce power consumption, a TDC architecture is proposed to quantify the difference between two adjacent rows of pixel signals. This structure can remove the identical part between two rows of pixel signals by adjusting the start and stop signal of the TDC, which will reduce the number of flipping of D flip-flops in the TDC. In the 110nm CMOS process, simulation results show that this design achieves an effective number of bits (ENOB) of 4.72 bits and a Figure of Merit (FoM) of 104.7 fJ/step - 162.3 fJ/step with a power consumption ranging from 60 µW to 93 µW. Compared with traditional counting methods, the proposed TDC can reduce counting power consumption by 30%.

With rising rates of human obesity, the study aimed to determine the relationship between maternal diet-induced obesity and offspring morphometrics and behaviour in mice. Pregnant and lactating female mice fed a diet high in fat and sugar (HFHS) commonly consumed by human populations showed decreased food, calorie, and protein intake but increased adiposity at the expense of lean mass. The pre-weaning body weight of HFHS offspring was reduced for the first postnatal week but not thereafter with HFHS female offspring having higher body weights by weaning, due to continuing higher fractional growth rates. Post-weaning, there were minor differences in offspring food and protein intake. Maternal diet, however, affected fractional growth rate and total body fat content of male but not female HFHS offspring. Maternal diet did not affect offspring locomotor activity or social behaviour in either sex. Both male and female HFHS offspring displayed reduced anxiety-related behaviours with sex differences in particular aspects of the elevated plus maze task. In the novel object recognition task, performance was impaired in male but not female HFHS offspring. Collectively, the findings demonstrate that maternal obesity alters the growth, adiposity, and behaviour of male and female offspring, with sex-specific differences.

The paper presents a simplified laminar model with which the deformation of soil layers (base, subbase and subgrade courses) under flexible pavements due to repeated traffic load can be determined. In the first step, the cyclic strain amplitude is calculated using a nonlinear material model that is based on particle size distribution parameters (d50 and CU) and dependent on the mean normal stress, relative density and actual strain level. In the second step, the HCA (High Cycle Accumulation) model is used to calculate the residual settlement of each sublayer as a function of the number of cycles. It is shown that the developed model is suitable for describing different types of subgrades and pavement cross-sections. It is also demonstrated with finite element calculations that the developed model describes both the elastic and plastic strains sufficiently accurately. The developed model can predict the settlement and rutting of pavement structures with sufficient accuracy based on easily available particle size distribution parameters without the need of complex laboratory and finite element tests.

Oil-water separation using special wettability materials has received much attention due to its low energy consumption and high separation efficiency. Herein, a fluorine-free superhydrophobic cotton fabric(PDMS/STA -coated cotton fabric) was successfully prepared by a simple impregnation method using hydroxyl-capped polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS-OH), tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and stearic acid (STA) as precursors. The Investigation found that the cross-linking reactions between the hydroxyl groups form PDMS-OH, hydrolyzed TEOS made a strong interact of PDMS-OH and cotton fabric. Besides, a suitable roughness surface of coated cotton fabric was established by introducing STA due to its long chain-structure. The contact angle of this composite can reach 158.7°under optical condition due to its low surface energy and desired roughness. The oil/water separation efficiency of PDMS/STA-coated cotton fabric is higher than 90% even after 10 cycles of oil-water separation, the oil flux can reach 11862.42 L m-2 h-1. In addition, PDMS/STA-coated cotton fabric exhibits excellent chemical stability and durability under extreme conditions such as strong acid (HCl, pH=1~2) and alkali (NaOH, pH=13~14), the hydrophobicity of PDMS/STA-coated cotton fabric was decreased to 147° even after 350 cycles of abrasion testing.

Time series data having low signal-to-noise ratio, non-stationarity and non-linearity are commonly seen in high-frequency stock trading, where the objective is to increase the likelihood of profit by taking advantage of tiny discrepancies in prices and trading on them quickly and in huge quantities. For this purpose, it is essential to apply a trading method that is capable of fast and accurate prediction from such time series data. In this paper, we develop an online time series forecasting method for high-frequency trading (HFT) by integrating three neural network deep learning models, i.e., Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) and Transformer; and we abbreviate the new method to online LGT or O-LGT. The key innovation underlying our method is its efficient storage management, which enables super-fast computing. Specifically, when computing the forecast for the immediate future time, we use only the output calculated from the previous trading data (rather than the previous trading data themselves) together with the current trading data. Thus, the computing involves updating only the current data into the process. We evaluate the performance of O-LGT by analyzing the high-frequency Limit Order Book (LOB) data from the China market. It shows that our model in most cases achieves similar speed with much higher accuracy than the conventional fast supervised learning models for HFT. However, with a slight sacrifice in accuracy, O-LGT is approximately 40 times faster than the existing high-accuracy neural network models for the LOB data in China market.

At present, in the field of aviation industry, titanium alloy is mainly used to manufacture parts such as compressor disc, blade and casing of aircraft engine. When working, titanium alloy parts produce high temperature due to high-speed running friction, which makes the high temperature oxidation resistance and friction resistance of titanium alloy greatly reduced. When their working environment contains salt, titanium alloys are subjected to thermal corrosion, which limits their wider practical applications. This paper introduce the aluminide coating and its preparation methods. The characteristics and functional mechanism of three functional coatings for service environment, such as high temperature resistant alumina-based coating, thermal corrosion resistant alumina-based coating and wear-resistant alumina-based coating are summarized. Finally, the development direction of composite coatings of titanium and titanium alloys for complex service environment is prospected.

Exploring the biological significance of mutations in SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, causing the COVID–19 pandemic, has recently become an area of paramount interest for many researchers, who are pouring their tremendous efforts, in cracking the COVID–19 pandemic code. One of many such mutations that have occurred in the viral genome is V483A mutation, which is a part of the receptor-binding motif (RBM), present in the S1 domain of the spike protein. V483A mutant virus is becoming popular in North America with 36 cases so far, due to its frequent occurrences in recent days. In this review, we have assembled all information, currently available on V483A mutation, and have made a critical analysis based on the perspectives of many researchers all around the world. Comparison is made between the wild type and the V483A mutants to analyze certain factors like the type of interaction between the virus and host cell interface, binding affinity, stability, partition energy, hydrophobicity, occurrence rate, and transmissibility. Insilico dynamic analysis shows minimal alteration in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of V483A mutant protein in free-state and no significant change of mutant tertiary structure of RBM upon binding to the ACE2 receptor. Comprehensive details about infectivity and evasion of the immune system by the virus are discussed. This information can in turn be of monumental importance in the field of vaccine and drug development because the mutants are becoming resistant to the vaccines and monoclonal antibodies.

A twin-screw extruder was used to fabricate poly(butylene succinate) (PBS)/high density polyethylene (HDPE) blends (7:3 weight ratio) and blend-based nanocomposites. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and organoclays (15A and 30B) served as the nanofiller, while maleated HDPE (PEgMA) acted as an efficient compatibilizer for the blend. In the composites, individual nanofillers were mostly localized in HDPE domains, but some fillers were also observed at PBS-HDPE interfaces. The sea-island morphology of compatibilized blend evolved into a pseudo-co-continuous morphology in the composites. Differential scanning calorimetry results confirmed that PEgMA with HDPE evidently accelerated the crystallization of PBS in the blend. The possible nucleation effect of added fillers on PBS crystallization was obscured by the formation of quasi-connected HDPE domains, causing less PBS nucleation sites. The presence of nanofillers improved the thermal stability and burning anti-dripping behavior of the parent blend. The anti-dripping efficiency of added fillers followed the sequence: CNT>15A>30B>GNP. Rigidity of the blend was increased after formation of nanocomposites. In particular, adding GNP resulted in 31% increase in flexural modulus. Development of a pseudo-network structure in the composites was confirmed by measurement of rheological properties. Electrical resistivity of the blend was reduced by more than 6 orders of magnitude at 3 phr CNT loading, demonstrating the achievement of double percolation morphology.

Root research on field grown crops is hindered by the difficulty of estimating root biomass in soil. Root washing, the current standard method is laborious and expensive. Biochemical methods to quantify root biomass in soil, targeting species-specific DNA, have potential as a more efficient assay. We combined an efficient DNA extraction method, designed specifically to extract DNA from soil, with well-established quantitative PCR methods to estimate the root biomass of twenty-two wheat varieties grown in field trials over two seasons. We also developed an assay for estimating root biomass for black-grass, a common weed of wheat cultivation. Two robust qPCR assays were developed to estimate the quantity of plant root DNA in soil samples, one specific to wheat and barley, and a second specific to black-grass. The DNA qPCR method was comparable, with high correlations, with the results of root washing from soil cores taken from winter wheat field trials. The DNA qPCR assay showed both variety and depth as significant factors in the distribution of root biomass in replicated field trials. The results suggest that these DNA qPCR assays are a useful, high throughput tool for investigating the genetic basis of wheat root biomass distribution in field grown crops, and the impact of black-grass root systems on crop production.

Factors affecting the host-virus interaction must be understood for the effective application of bacteriophages to combat bacterial pathogens. Two novel E. coli phages, the T1-like siphophage LL5 and the rV5-like myophage LL12, were subjected to forward genetic screens against the Keio collection, a library of single non-essential gene deletions in E.coli str. BW25113. These genome-wide screens and subsequent experiments identified eight genes required for efficient propagation of phage LL5 and six genes required for propagation of LL12. The majority of the genes identified were involved in production of the phage receptors. E. coli mutants deficient in heptose II and the phosphoryl substituent of heptose I of the inner core lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were unable to propagate phage LL5, as were mutants deficient in the outer membrane protein TolC. Mutants lacking glucose I of the LPS outer core failed to propagate LL12. Two cytoplasmic chaperones, PpiB and SecB, were found to be required for efficient propagation of phage LL5 but not LL12. This approach may be useful for identifying phage receptors and required host factors in other phages, which would provide valuable information for their potential use as therapeutics and for phage engineering.

The present study examined and compared the effects of high- and low-molecular weight (MW) chitosan, a nutraceutical, on intestinal and liver lipid metabolism in rats fed with high-fat diet. Both high- and low-MW chitosan decreased liver weight, elongated small intestine, improved the dysregulation of blood lipids and liver fat accumulation, and increased fecal lipid excretion in high-fat diet-fed rats. Supplementation of both high- and low-MW chitosan significantly inhibited the decreased phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)α and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)α protein expressions and the increased lipogenesis/cholesterogenesis-associated protein expressions (sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP)1c, SREBP2, and PPARγ) and the decreased apolipoprotein (Apo)E and microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTTP) protein expressions in the livers of high-fat diet-fed rats. Both high and low-MW chitosan supplementation could also suppress the increased MTTP protein expression and the decreased angiopoietin-like protein (Angptl)4 protein expression in the intestines of high-fat diet-fed rats. Comparison between high and low-MW chitosan, high-MW chitosan has a higher efficiency than low-MW chitosan on the inhibition of intestinal lipid absorption and the increase of hepatic fatty acid oxidation, which can improve liver lipid biosynthesis and accumulation.

Black barley seeds are a health-beneficial diet resource because of their special chemical composition and antioxidant properties. The black lemma and pericarp (BLP) locus was mapped in a genetic interval of 0.807 Mb on chromosome 1H, but its genetic basis remains unknown. In this study, targeted metabolomics and conjunctive analyses of BSA-seq and BSR-seq were used to identify candidate genes of BLP and the precursors of black pigments. The results revealed that five differentially expressed genes identified on the 1H chromosome were candidate genes of the BLP locus, and 17 differential metabolites, including the precursor and repeating unit of allomelanin, were accumulated in the grain-filling stage of black barley. Phenol nitrogen-free precursors such as catechol (protocatechuic aldehyde) or catecholic acids (caffeic, protocatechuic, and gallic acids) may promote black pigmentation. BLP can manipulate the accumulation of benzoic acid derivatives (salicylic acid, 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, gallic acid, gentisic acid, protocatechuic acid, syringic acid, vanillic acid, protocatechuic aldehyde, and syringaldehyde) through the shikimate/chorismite pathway other than the phenylalanine pathway and alter the metabolism of the phenylpropanoid-monolignol branch. Collectively, it is reasonable to infer that black pigmentation in barley is due to allomelanin biosynthesis in lemma and pericarp, and BLP regulates melanogenesis by manipulating the biosynthesis of its precursors.

This study delves into the atmospheric corrosion behavior of chromium-free complex-phase steel (CP), specifically investigating the influence of wet/dry frequency and ratio in cyclic corrosion tests (CCT). The study employs a modified ISO 14993 standard CCT method, which involves salt spray, dry, and wet stages. After 15 and 30 CCT cycles, mass loss, maximum corrosion depth, and corrosion products were analyzed to gain insights into corrosion mechanisms. In general, increasing the frequency and wet/dry stage ratio in CCT extends the time for autocatalytic reactions to occur, leading to accelerated localized CP corrosion and increased pitting factors. However, as the rust layer thickens, uniform corrosion may also intensify, so careful considerations are necessary. This study underscores the importance of controlling the frequency and ratio of wet/dry stages in CCT for effectively analyzing localized corrosion behavior in specimens.

Cross-sectional survey was conducted to capture the true extent of COVID-19 exposure among students and staff of Polytechnic High School (PHS). Random cluster sampling was carried out between May 19 and August 18, 2022, after the fourth wave of COVID-19 transmission. IgM and IgG SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were screened using WANTAI SARS-CoV-2 ELISA assays. Seroprevalence and descriptive statistics were calculated. Moreo-ver, the association between seropositivity and different factors (age, gender, preventive measures comorbidity, and symptoms, etc.) was determined using Logistic Regression. The overall IgG and IgM seroprevalence were 92% and 6.91% respectively. We found a higher IgM seroprevalence in men than women (9.4% vs. 5.6%) and a lower IgM seroprevalence in (18-25) age group compared to (55-65) years. Low compliance with preventive measures was found with a significant IgM seroprevalence depending on non-respect of social distancing (p = 0.008). A total of 70% of participants presented symptoms linked to COVID-19 at the moment of the survey. Results revealed a significant difference according to IgG seroprevalence among participants who declared fa-tigue symptoms 92.06% compared to those who did not 80.39% (p = 0.0027). IgM seropositivity was associated with Body Mass Indice (BMI) categorized (O.R. 0.238, p = 0.043), ethnic group (O.R. 0.723, p = 0.046) and marital status (O.R. 2.399, p = 0.021). Moreover, IgG seropositivity was associated with Chronic sinusitis comorbidity (O.R. 0.238, p = 0.043) and vaccination status (O.R. 4.741, p < 0.001). The majority of students and staff have al-ready been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 and confirm the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in PHS at the time of the survey. Our results underline the importance of sero-epidemiological surveys to estimate the real impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in a community and to monitor disparities in antibody response in the population.

By drilling periodic thru-holes in a suspended film, the phonon system can be modified. Being motivated by the BCS theory, the technique, so-called phonon engineering, was applied to a niobium sheet. The newly emergent high-T_c superconductivity, however, cannot be accounted for by the BCS theory. Rather, its exposed configuration, namely a square-lattice oxygen network, is reminiscent of the copper--oxygen plane in cuprate high-T_c superconductors. It turns out that its magnetic result is consistent with the principle of giant atom, which was developed by another heroes of superconductivity, Fritz London and John Slater, in the 1930s, several decades earlier than the propagation of BCS theory. The superconducting transition feature is discussed on the basis of a comprehensive theory of the giant atom---the theory of hole superconductivity.

Large epidemiological studies show U-shaped relationships between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and all-cause mortality in individuals without atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD). Association in those with ASCVD by sex is unclear. We examined the association between HDL-C levels and 10-year all-cause mortality in subjects (≥40 years of age) with ASCVD using the 2010 National Health Insurance Service and the National Death Registry of Korea. We categorized HDL-C levels into three groups (low: <40 mg/dL for males, <50 mg/dL for females; high: 40-90 mg/dL for males, 50-90 mg/dL for females; extremely high: >90 mg/dL) and 10 mg/dL intervals. We conducted a sex-stratified and adjusted Cox proportional hazards analysis. Out of 1,711,548 individuals (54% female, mean age 61.4 years), 10-year mortality was observed in 218,252 (12.8%). Males had a higher mortality rate than females (16.2% vs 9.8%; P<0.001). When adjusting for age, body mass index, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and alcohol consumption, the low and extremely high HDL-C groups had significantly higher hazard ratios for 10-year mortality compared to the high HDL-C group in males [1.183 (1.166-1.199), 1.359 (1.288-1.434)] and in females [1.153 (1.138-1.169), 1.095 (1.029-1.167)]. The frequency distribution bars for the 10-year mortality rate showed sex-specific nadirs of 50-59 mg/dL in males and 70-79 mg/dL in females. In this ASCVD cohort, the extremely high HDL-C (>90 mg/dL) group had 35.9% and 9.5% higher 10-year mortality risk than the high HDL-C group for males and females, respectively. There was a slightly U-shaped relationship between baseline HDL-C levels and 10-year mortality rate, with earlier inflection in males than in females.

Three-dimensional reconstruction plays an important role in assisting doctors and surgeons in diagnosing bone defects’ healing progress. Common three-dimensional reconstruction methods include surface and volume rendering. As the focus is on the shape of the bone, volume rendering is omitted. Many improvements have been made on surface rendering methods like Marching Cubes and Marching Tetrahedra, but not many on working towards real-time or near real-time surface rendering for large medical images, and studying the effects of different parameter settings for the improvements. Hence, in this study, an attempt towards near real-time surface rendering for large medical images is made. Different parameter values are experimented on to study their effect on reconstruction accuracy, reconstruction and rendering time, and the number of vertices and faces. The proposed improvement involving three-dimensional data smoothing with convolution kernel Gaussian size 0.5 and mesh simplification reduction factor of 0.1, is the best parameter value combination for achieving a good balance between high reconstruction accuracy, low total execution time, and a low number of vertices and faces. It has successfully increased the reconstruction accuracy by 0.0235%, decreased the total execution time by 69.81%, and decreased the number of vertices and faces by 86.57% and 86.61% respectively.

Breakage and damage of fiber optic cable fibers seriously affect the normal operation of fiber optic networks and it is important to quickly and accurately determine the type and location of faults when they occur. The advantages of wavelet transform in singular signal detection and signal filtering are used to analyze Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) curve signal and the fault detection method of fiber communication link with no relay and large span in high altitude area is given, which realizes the accurate detection and location of optical fiber communication link fault events under strong noise. The theoretical analysis is basically consistent with the experimental data. The accuracy of optical fiber fault location has been greatly improved in performance. The method has been directly applied to the field detection of ultra-long optical fiber links in high altitude areas, which has certain significance for the future real-time monitoring of optical fiber cables.

This paper seeks to optimize the mechanical and durability properties of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC). To meet this objective, concrete specimens were manufactured by using 1,100 kg/m3 of binder, water/binder ratio 0.20, silica sand and last generation of superplasticizer. Silica fume, metakaolin and two types of nano silica were used for improving the performances of the concrete. Additional mixtures included 13mm long OL steel fibers. Compressive strength, electrical resistivity, mercury intrusion porosimetry tests and differential and thermogravimetric thermal analysis were carried out. The binary combination of nano silica and metakaolin, and the ternary combination of nano silica with metakaolin and silica fume, led to the best performances of the UHPC, both mechanical and durable performances.

This paper reviews state of the art Additive Manufactured (AM) IN718 alloy intended for high temperature applications. AM processes have been around for decades and have gained traction in the past five years due to the huge economic benefit it brings to manufacturers. It is crucial for the scientific community to look into AM IN718 applicability in order to see a step-change in the production. Microstructural studies reveal that the grain structure plays a significant role in determining the fatigue lifespan of the material. Controlling IN718 respective phases such as the ϒ’', δ and Laves phase is seen to be crucial. Literature reviews have shown that the mechanical properties of AM IN718 were very close to its wrought counterpart when treated appropriately. Higher homogenization temperature and longer ageing were recommended to dissolve the damaging phases. Various surface enhancement techniques were examined to find out their compatibility to AM IN718 alloy that is intended for high temperature application. Laser shock peening (LSP) technology stands out due to the ability to impart low cold work which helps in containing the beneficial compressive residual stress it brings in high temperature fatigue environment.

Using multi-color flow cytometry analysis, we studied the immunophenotypical differences between leukemic blasts/LSCs from patients with AML/MDS and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) from patients in complete remission (CR) following their successful treatment. The panel of markers included CD34, CD38, CD45RA, CD123 as representatives for a hierarchical hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) classification as well as programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1). Rather than restricting the evaluation on a 2- or 3-dimensional analysis, we applied a t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) approach to get a deeper insight and segregation between leukemic and normal HPSCs. For that purpose, we created a t-SNE map, which resulted in the visualization of 27 cell clusters based on their similarity concerning the composition and intensity of antigen expression. Two of these clusters were “leukemia-related” containing a great proportion of CD34⁺/CD38^- hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) or CD34⁺ cells with a strong coexpression of CD45RA/CD123, respectively. CD34⁺ cells within the latter cluster were also highly positive for PD-L1 reflecting their immunosuppressive capacity. Beyond this proof of principle study, the inclusion of additional markers will be helpful to refine the differentiation between normal HSPCs and leukemic cells, particularly in the context of minimal disease detection and antigen-targeted therapeutic interventions. Furthermore, we suggest a protocol for the assignment of new cell ensembles in quantitative terms, via a numerical value, the Pearson coefficient, based on a similarity comparison of the t-SNE pattern with a reference.

This study investigates the effect of Re addition on the microstructure evolution and oxidation resistance of Co-Cr-Ta-Ti-C alloys. The alloys tested in this study consist of a Co-rich matrix with mixed HCP and FCC phases, together with TaTiC2 and Ti-based carbides. The addition of Re promotes the precipitation and growth of a CoCr-rich σ phase. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) showed that the melting temperatures did not change drastically up to 10 at% Re addition, whereas 15 at% Re addition significantly increased the melting temperature of the alloys. Oxidation tests in air at 1200°C showed that excessive Re content could lead to deterioration in oxidation resistance, mainly due to the accelerated formation of volatile Re oxides.

There are few results about the internal damping ratio of normal and high strength concretes. Hence, this paper presents the expansion of the investigation about internal damping ratio under undamaged and damaged conditions, for usual concretes (NSC) and high strength concretes (HSC). In this way, the study cover a strength range of 42 to 83 MPa. Cyclic load was employed by a servo-controlled hydraulic testing machine and for each cyclic step the dynamic elastic modulus (Ed) and internal damping ratio (ξ) were determinate by acoustic tests. Normal strength concretes (fc = 42MPa) presented undamaged internal damping ratio ξ = 0.5% and achieved the maximum value of ξ = 2.5 for a damage index equal to 0.8. High strength concretes mixtures (fc = 83MPa) presented an undamaged internal damping of ξ=0.29% and maximum internal damping equal to ξ=0.93% (under damage index of 0.32). Porosity and the transition zones were the responsible to the initial internal damping values and how the material behavior under each cyclic load. The progressive damage generates the increase of coulomb damping. There are few studies allowing the quantification and comprehension of internal damping ratio under damage cyclic loading and this approach will lead to improve the understanding of NSC and HSC under dynamical excitation subject to damage evolution, mainly in impact situations.

This article addresses the problem of contact voltage increase caused by the low frequency oscillation of the train-grid system in the phase-separation process of the EMU. The article establishes the EMU-contact line-traction substation model, reveals the mechanism of low-frequency oscillation, and obtains the relationship between the separation phase angle of the pantograph with line and low-frequency oscillations. Methods to suppress the over-voltage during the low-frequency oscillation are proposed. The study shows that when the power phase angle of the pantograph-line separation is within the range of 60°~90° and 240°~270°, the voltage amplitude in the neutral zone is larger, the maximum amplitude can reach 52.2kV, and low-frequency oscillation will occur in the neutral zone. When low frequency oscillation occurs, the contact line voltage in the neutral zone is mainly 1/3 power frequency (16.7Hz). After installing an RC suppression device in the neutral zone, when the EMU enters the neutral zone, the absolute value of the voltage peak drops to below 20 kV. Compared with the situation where the suppression device is not connected, the absolute value of the voltage peak is reduced by nearly 60%. The study provides a basis for the design of the neutral zone of the contact line and the selection of the high-voltage equipment of the EMU.

This paper investigates the use of contactless power ultrasonic excitation to decrease the electrical impedance of the weld in laser welding. The literature extensively documents the impact of em-ploying contact power ultrasonic excitation on the microstructure morphology and refinement of grain in the weld. This study involves characterizing an industrial High Power Ultrasound Transducer (HPUT) by determining the optimal distance and angle for contactless excitation of the fusion zone in the weld, aiming to achieve the maximum amplitude. Subsequently, the transducer is integrated into the laser welding system, resulting in the creation of an ultrasonic-assisted welding system. To find the improvement due to the contactless vibration assistance, the welding area was char-acterised by an impedance ohmmeter device. The results indicate an approximately 6 % im-provement in the welding quality in terms of the impedance value, an important parameter for battery pack welding. In response to the issue of overheating in the industrial transducer during prolonged welding operations, an alternative transducer was proposed to overcome this challenge. Further investigations are carried out by the alternative transducer to find the effect of different wave types, namely, shear and compressional waves, on the welding quality. The contact vibration can excite the plate approximately 50 times higher in acceleration amplitude than contactless ex-citation. Nevertheless, enhancements of 10% and 6% are observed in the impedance value when utilising compressional and shear waves, respectively, as compared to the results obtained with contactless vibration.

INTRODUCTION There have been several advances in the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection which have resulted in major reductions in the morbidity and mortality from liver-associated disease. These are not widely available in the Caribbean, due in part, to lack of knowledge of the epidemiology of infections with HCV. As efforts are made to eliminate HCV from the region, these and other existing barriers such as lack of an established database on HCV must be addressed. This review seeks to identify gaps in the knowledge of HCV in the Caribbean with respect to seroprevalence, genotype distribution and general epidemiologic characteristics. MATERIALS AND METHODS The literature for the period January 1, 2005, to October 2022, was reviewed to gather country specific data on HCV across the Caribbean. References were identified through indexed journals accessed through established databases. The usage pattern of HCV drugs was determined from data obtained from Pharmacists and Infectious Diseases Specialists across the region. RESULTS The prevalence of HCV in the Caribbean was 1.5%; the region should therefore be considered an area of moderate prevalence. Notably, data from specific countries were limited. The prevalence of HCV among intravenous drug users (21.9-58.8%); persons living with HIV/AIDS (0.8 to 58.5%); prisoners (32.8-64%) and men who have sex with men (MSM) (0.8-6.9%) was generally higher than in the general population (0.8-2.3%). Genotype 1 (83% was most prevalent followed by genotypes 2 (7.2%) and 3(2.1%), respectively. Drugs currently being used for treatment of HCV infections across the Caribbean include Epclusa (Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir), and Harvoni (Ledipasvir/sofosbuvir). Some of these drugs, are only available in the private sector and are sourced externally whenever needed. CONCLUSION There is a paucity of current data on the seroprevalence of HCV in the Caribbean and well-designed prospective studies are indicated to drive the implementation of treatment and control programs for HCV in the region. Barriers which need to be first overcome include unavailability and high cost of drugs used to treat HCV infections, injecting drug use and limited access to medical care and laboratory testing.

For our research on droplet deformation and breakup in scaled high-pressure homogenizing units we developed a pressure stable inline droplet generator. It consists of an optically accessible flow channel with a combination of stainless steel and glass capillaries and a 3D printed orifice. The droplet size is determined online by live image analysis. The influence of the orifice diameter, the mass flow of the continuous phase and the mass flow of the disperse phase on the droplet diameter was investigated. Furthermore, the droplet detachment mechanisms were identified. Droplet diameters with small diameter fluctuation between 175 µm and 500 µm could be realized, which allows a precise adjustment of the Ca and We Number in the subsequent scaled high pressure homogenizer disruption unit. The determined influence of geometry and process parameters on the resulting droplet size and droplet detachment mechanism agreed well with literature on microfluidics. Furthermore, droplet trajectories in an exemplary scaled high-pressure homogenizer disruption unit are presented which show that the droplets can be reinjected on a trajectory close to the center axis or close to the wall, which should result in different stresses on the droplets.

Mostly populous city like Chennai is subjected to frequent flooding due to its complex nature of natural and man-made activities. From the analysis of the past records of flood events of 1943,1976,1985,2005 and 2008,it has been observed Adayar watershed is subjected to cataclysmic flooding in low-lying areas of the city and its suburbs because of inoperativeness of the local drainage system, rainfall associated with cyclonic activity, topography of the terrain, encroachments along the floodplain, hugh upstream flow discharge into the river and the highly impervious area which blocked the runoff to flow into the storm water drainage. After looking into these problems of flooding, a study have been conducted on Adayar watershed to develop a 2D hydrodynamic model for the two scenarios of existing condition of storm water drainage network and revised conditions of storm water drainage network using high resolution Lidar DEM to assess the volume of runoff with respect to time and duration on flood peaks for the two flood events of 2005 and 2015.Secondly to develop a 1D flood model to predict the river stages during peak floods using MIKE 11 for the Adayar watershed. Thirdly to integrate the coupled 1D and 2D model using MIKEFLOOD for assessing the extent of inundation in the floodplain area of Adayar river. Finally results from the integrated model have been validated and the results found satisfactory. As a part of mitigation measures, two flood mitigation measures have been adopted. One measure such as revised storm water drainage system which enhances the flood carrying capacity of the drains and results in less inundated area which solves the problem of urban flooding and second measure such as regrading the river bed which reduces the floodplain inundation around the adjacent area of the river. After adopting these measures, the river is free to flow into the sea without any blockades.

Ozonated sunflower oil (OSO) is an established therapeutic agent and nutraceutical harboring various therapeutic values, including antiallergic, derma-protective, and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. Conversely, the medicinal aspects of OSO for wound healing, tissue regeneration, and treatment of inflammation in dyslipidemia have yet to be fully elucidated. Herein, a comparative effect of OSO and sunflower oil (SO) was investigated to heal cutaneous wound and tissue regeneration of zebrafish impediment by carboxymethyllysine (CML) toxicity, following impact on hepatic inflammation and blood lipid profile. After OSO (final 2%, 1 μL) and SO's (final 2%, 1 μL) treatment, substantial healing was elicited by OSO in the cutaneous wound of zebrafish impaired by CML (final 25 mg). As an important event of wound healing, OSO scavenges the reactive oxygen species (ROS), rescues the wound from oxidative injury, and triggers the essential molecular events for the wound closer. Furthermore, the intraperitoneal injection of OSO was noted to counter the CML-induced adversity and prompt tissue regeneration in the amputated tail fin of zebrafish. Additionally, OSO counters the CML-induced neurotoxicity and rescues the zebrafish from acute mortality and paralysis, along with meticulous recovery of hepatic inflammation, fatty liver changes, and diminished ROS and proinflammatory interleukin (IL)-6 production. Besides, OSO efficiently ameliorated CML-induced dyslipidemia by alleviating the total blood cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and increasing high-density lipoproteins cholesterol (HDL-C). The outcome of multivariate assessment employing principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis supports a superior therapeutic potential of OSO over SO against the clinical manifestation of CML. Conclusively, OSO owing to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential, counters CML-induced toxicity and promotes wound healing, tissue regeneration, hepatoprotection, improved blood lipid profile, and survivability of zebrafish.

Background: During the pandemic, Emergency departments were overcrowded with critically ill patients and confronted ethical dilemmas to assign respiratory support to them due to scarce resources. Quick tools to evaluate patients at admission were needed; many scores were used but inaccurate to predict outcomes. The Rox Index is an easy and fast score that reflects the respiratory status in acute respiratory failure patients, this score could predict the outcome of covid 19 patients. Hypothesis: The 24-hour difference in the Rox Index discriminate accurately the mortality and needs for mechanical ventilation of patients with covid-19. Methods: Study design: Prospective analytic study. Population: 204 Patients admitted to the emergency department from May to August 2020. Data were collected from the clinical records. The Rox Index was calculated at admission and 24h later, the difference was used to establish the outcome, a logistic regression model adjusting for age, sex, presence of comorbidities and disease severity to build and perform ROC analysis. Results: Difference in respiratory ROX Index between admission and 24h is a good predictor for death AUC 0.92 and for mechanic ventilation AUC: 0.75. Each decrease in one unit of the difference at 24h had an Odds Ratio for death risk: 1.48 (95%CI: 1.31-1.67) and for mechanic ventilation: 1.16 (95%IC: 1.1-1.23). Conclusion: The 24-hour variation of Rox Index has good predictive value and allows healthcare professionals to identify which patients will benefit from invasive treatment, especially in low resource settings where emergency physicians deal with survival.

In the digital era, enhancing the heritage resources of a tourist route means describing and networking them to promote their visibility and attractiveness. Prior studies mainly assess mountainous region’s natural resources through multi-indicator descriptive evaluation. This study aims to develop a comprehensive measurement of indicator’s value while assessing the tourism development potential of mountainous rural area. It concerns the main tourist route of the UNESCO M'Goun Geopark, located in the central High Atlas of Morocco. It also involves analyzing the criteria for choosing this destination by segmenting tourists' consumption experiences. Statistical analysis of the collected data reveals five dimensions of destination choice and four visitor groups. This article proposes to discuss findings and their applicability in terms of tourism destination management and decision-making, which can help local governments to rationally allocate tourism resources and land use.

Experimental investigations were conducted to uncover the impact of cavitation control - through the use of riblets (mesoscale surface structuring) - on cavitating flows around a circular cylinder. First, the dynamics of cavitation in the flow behind a finite cylinder (without riblets) was unveiled by visualizing the cavitation clouds and measuring the lift force fluctuations acting on the cylinder. Second, as a significant step forward, a comprehensive explanation was provided for the mechanism of cavitation control using two bio-inspired riblet morphologies positioned in different orientations and locations on the cylinder. For the first time, the effects of these tiny structures on the flow dynamics and the associated cavitation process were scrutinized. This showed that scalloped riblets, with their curved design, induced secondary vortices near their tips and distorted primary streamwise vortices, and that high velocity gradients near the jagged pattern peaks of sawtooth riblets delayed flow separation, which affected cavitation.

At Mae-Moh power plant, Thailand, superheater tubes, which are exposed in fly ash environ-ment, often degrade due to solid particle erosion. To extend the service lifetime of the superheater tubes, the high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) thermal spray technique is used to deposit a protective coating on the material, SA213-T22 steel. In this work, the solid particle erosion of the Co-28Cr and WC-12Co coatings was investigated using erodent particle impingement at the angles of 30o and 90o with an average particle size of 60 μm. The erosion behavior of SA213-T22 with and without Co-28Cr and WC-12Co coatings was explained using ductile and brittle erosion modes. The erosion test resulted in the brittle mode for both Co-28Cr and WC-12Co coatings, while SA213-T22 without coating indicated the ductile mode. On the investigation of surface morphology, the Co-28Cr coating showed mostly microcracks in contrast with the WC-12Co coating, fracture, de-bonding and deep cavities were also observed. Erosion resistance of the Co-28Cr coating was significantly higher than the WC-12Co coating, due to high hardness, low porosity and high density of the coating.

Hardaliye, a traditional non-alcoholic beverage, made from red grape pomace from wine production and produced by lactic acid fermentation with addition of different concentrations of whole/ground or heat-treated mustard seeds and of sour cherry leaves. Short shelf life of hardaliye limits its consumption and search in trend to process hardaliye to extend its shelf life. Thus, high hydrostatic pressure treatment of hardaliye drink with determination of changes in physicochemical and sensory properties in addition to microbial inactivation were studied according to Box-Behnken design. Maximum 5.10±0.00, 4.21±0.00, 5.38±0.59 and 5.05±0.22 log reductions were obtained in total mesophilic aerobic bacteria, total mold and yeast, Brettanomyces bruxellensis and Lactobacillus brevis by HHP. Shelf-life studies of the hardaliye samples were conducted with optimum processing parameters of 490 MPa, 29 oC for 15 min with the response variables of OD520 and inactivation of L. brevis. Both control and HHP treated samples were stored at 4 and 22 C for shelf-life studies. While control samples at 4 and 22 °C were spoiled at the 15th and 3rd days, HHP treated samples were spoiled after 108th and 228th days, respectively.

Bauxite residue (BR), also known as red mud, is a by-product of the production of alumina via the Bayer process. Because of the high sodium oxide and other impurities content, this material is not used to obtain iron or other iron-containing products. In this paper, the hydro-chemical conversion of goethite (FeOOH) to magnetite (Fe3O4) in high-iron BR from the Friguia alumina refinery (Guinea) by Fe2+ ions in highly concentrated alkaline media was studied. The simultaneous extraction of Al and Na made it possible to obtain a product containing more than 96% Fe3O4. The results show that the magnetization of Al-goethite and Al-hemetite accelerates the dissolution of the Al from the iron mineral solid matrix and from the desilication product (DSP). After ferrous sulfate (FeSO4·7H2O) was added directly at the FeO:Fe2O3 molar ratio of 1:1 at 120 °C for 150 min in the solution with the 360 g L-1 Na2O concentration, the alumina extraction ratio reached 96.27% for the coarse bauxite residue size fraction (Sands) and 87.06% for fine BR obtained from red mud. The grade of iron (total iron in the form of iron element) in the residue can be increased to 69.55% for Sands and 58.31% for BR. The solid residues obtained after leaching were studied by XRD, XRF, TG-DTA, VSM, Mössbauer spectroscopy and SEM to evaluate the conversion and leaching mechanisms and the recovery ratio of Al from different minerals. The iron-rich residues can be used in the steel industry or as a pigment.

We study the influence of high-order twisting phases on polarization states and optical angular momentum of a vector light field with locally linear polarization and a hybrid state of polarization (SoP). The initial SoP of a twisted vector optical field (TVOF) modulated by the high-order twisting phase possesses various symmetric distributions. The propagating properties of a high-order TVOF with locally linear polarization and hybrid SoP are explored, including the intensity compression, expansion, and conversion between the linear and circular polarization components. In particular, orbital angular momentum (OAM) appears in a high-order TVOF during propagation where no OAM exists in the initial field. The variation of OAM distribution in cross-section becomes more frequent with the increase of the twisting phase order. In addition, a non-symmetric OAM distribution appears in an anisotropic TVOF, leading to the rotation of the beam around the propagation axis during propagation. These results provide a new approach for optical field manipulation in a high-order TVOF.

The fusion of global contextual information with local cropped block details is crucial for segmenting ultra-high resolution images. In this study, we introduce a novel fusion mechanism termed Global-Local Deep Fusion (GL-Deep Fusion) based on an enhanced transformer architecture, which efficiently integrates global contextual information and local details. Specifically, we propose the Global-Local Synthesis Networks (GLSNet), a dual-branch network where one branch processes the entire original image, while the other branch handles cropped local patches as input. The feature fusion of different branches in GLSNet is achieved through GL-Deep Fusion, significantly enhancing the accuracy of ultra-high resolution image segmentation. Particularly effective is GLSNet in identifying tiny overlapping items. To optimize GPU memory utilization, we meticulously design a dual-branch architecture that proficiently leverages the features it extracts, seamlessly integrating them into the enhanced transformer framework of GL-Deep Fusion. Extensive experiments conducted on challenging benchmarks, including DeepGlobe and Vaihingen datasets, demonstrate that GLSNet achieves a new state-of-the-art performance in terms of GPU memory utilization and segmentation accuracy tradeoff.