The limited availability of water resources worldwide presents obstacles, to the progress of ag-riculture. This situation calls for the implementation of water saving technologies to address these challenges effectively. The quest for technologies that conserve water in agriculture, par-ticularly within the context of cotton production, is related to the study of the impact of drought on the growth, leaf surface area, accumulation of dry matter, boll number, and productivity. The benefits of local drip irrigation have been established. Various models and strategies for opti-mizing and improving the efficiency of how we use water for irrigation purposes. In a market driven economy the effective utilization of water assetsis closely linked to the improvement of managing mineral nutrients. To enhance both the quantity and quality of production, nitrogen is the key factor element that plays a role in the process. The formation of highly efficient cotton crops by adapting the growing technology to the specific soil-climatic conditions of the area, in-cluding controlling nitrogen fertilizing and irrigation, is the primary method to achieve con-sistent harvests. The results of irrigation with water deficit and feeding plants with different fer-tilizer rates are presented. This matter is presently significant, in achieving dependable crop harvests supporting the economic growth of farms and safeguarding the well being of agricul-tural environments.

In recent years, a large-scale afforestation campaign has taken place in Inner Mongolia, China, to control desertification and soil erosion. However, the water consumption associated with large-scale afforestation significantly impacts the water resources in Inner Mongolia, resulting in a substantial ecological risk. This study aimed to evaluate the ecological risk of water resources caused by afforestation in the region. In this study, based on land cover data, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data, and meteorological data, used trend analysis, water balance equation, and Water resources Security Index (WSI) index to analyze the ecological risks of water resources caused by afforestation in Inner Mongolia from 2000 to 2020. The results show that:(1) The afforestation area in Inner Mongolia was 5.37×104 km2 in 2000-2020; (2) Afforestation in arid and semi-arid areas leads to the reduction of water resources. (3) Afforestation reduces water resources in the study area by 0.76×108m3/year; (4) ~76% of afforestation regions face ecological risks of water resources.

The coastal zone of Bangladesh covers an area of 47,201 square km, 32% of the country, around 35 million people are living coastal zone, where about 15 million are women (Ahmad, 2019). Though the women of this area have a significant contribution in aquaculture, food production and economic growth of Bangladesh, still the health issues of women remain ignored, especially sexual and reproductive health issue. Women and girls experience heightened vulnerabilities to reproductive health problems in coastal areas. In aiming to investigate the prevalence of vaginal problems in coastal area the study has been designed. The study followed retrospective cohort study as a study design and use percentile and regression analysis to draw the result of the study. The study found that 94% of women are experiencing vaginal problems in coastal villages in Bangladesh. This number is about 05 times higher than the non-coastal villages and it also found water use for hygiene practice as a significant role for high rate of vaginal diseases in coastal areas of Bangladesh

Cotton is an important plant since it provides raw materials for various in-dustry bracnhes. Even though cotton is generally tolerant of drought, it is af-fected negatively by long-term drought stress. This experiment was conduct-ed according to a completed randomized plots trial design with 3 replications to determine the upland cotton genotype’s reactions against drought under controlled conditions in the 2022 year. All genotypes were watered with 80 mL-1 of water (100% irrigation, Field capacity) until three true leaves ap-peared. After this period water stress was applied at limited irrigation of 75% (60 mL-1), 50% (40 mL-1), and 25% (20 mL-1) of field capacity. After the trial terminated at 52. Days, the cv. G56, elit line G44, G5, and commercial variety G86 genotype, respectively resulted in the highest Root Length (RL), and the G76 genotype resulted in the lowest RL followed by G41 and G35 elite lines. G1 cultivar showed the highest Root Fresh Weight (RFW), followed by G56, G44, G86, G51, and G88, respectively. The lowest RFW was also obtained in elite lines G76 and G41. The third drought morphological marker, the Num-ber of Lateral Roots (NLRs), was the highest in G44, followed by G86, Cv. G56, elite lines G13 and G5 genotype. The lowest NLRs value was obtained in genotype G47 and G76. The highest RDW means was obtained in elite line G5, followed by Cv. G56, elite line G44, G75 and cv. G90, while the lowes RDW mean obtained in elite line G76, G35, and local varieties G20 and G61. In the SL marker, the highest averages were recorded for genotypes G35, G15, G26, G67, and G56, respectively. In the SFW marker, the highest averages were observed in genotypes G15, G52, G60, G31, and G68, respectively. The lowest SL values were observed in genotypes G91, G72, G32, and G22. Simi-larly, the lowest SFW values were found in genotypes G83, G2, G75, and G91. In another shoot drought marker, Shoot Dry Weight (SDW), the highest val-ues were obtained in genotypes G35, G52, G57, G41, and G60, respectively. Conversely, the lowest SDW values were observed in genotypes G65, G91, G4, G20, and G22. In conclusion, the commercial varieties with high averages in roots, namely G86, G56, G88, and G90, and the genotypes G67, G20, G60, and G57 showing tolerance in shoots, are suggested to be potential parent plants for developing cotton varieties resistant to drought. Using the culti-vars found tolerant in the current study as parents in a drought-tolerant vari-ety development Marker-assisted selection (MAS) plant breeding program will increase the chance of success in reaching the target after genetic diversi-ty analyses are performed. It is highly recommended to continue the plant breeding program with the G44, G30, G19, G1, G5, G75, G35, G15, G52, G29, and G76 genotypes which show high tolerance in both root and shoot sys-tems.

The perturbation in water balance rather than any change in salt content is the main cause of hyponatremia, the most frequent electrolyte abnormality defined as serum sodium concentration <135 mEq/L. Hyponatremia may be divided as mild (Na>120 mEq/L) or severe (Na<120 mEq/L) hyponatremia, most frequently observed in elderly ICU hospitalized patients. Based on tonicity hyponatremia may be hypotonic (decreased concentration of solute), isotonic, and hypertonic (falsely low sodium). According to the volume of the extracellular fluid (ECF) hyponatremia is further divided as hypovolemic, euvolemic, or hypervolemic hyponatremia. Finally, hyponatremia may develop rapidly as acute (<48 h) with usually severe symptoms, or slowly as chronic hyponatremia, being usually asymptomatic or with mild symptoms. Patient’s medical history and clinical symptoms and signs could point to a certain diagnostic direction. Acute severe hyponatremia is presented with headaches, vomiting, nausea, fatigue, impaired cognition, gait with increased falls symptoms etc., while the severe symptomatology due to hyponatremic encephalopathy is presented as confusion, agitation, seizures, or even coma and death. Nevertheless, an urgent evaluation of the volume and neurological status is essential for prevention of neurological damages. The treatment of hyponatremia should of course be based on the underlying cause, the duration and degree of hyponatremia, the observed symptoms, and volume status of patient.

It was for long time believed that lidar systems based on the use of high-repetition micro-pulse lasers could be effectively used to only stimulate atmospheric elastic backscatter echoes, and thus only exploited in elastic backscatter lidar systems. Their application to stimulate rotational and roto-vibrational Raman echoes, and consequently their exploitation in atmospheric thermodynamic profiling, was considered not feasible based on the technical specifications possessed by these laser sources until a few years ago. However, recent technological advances in the design and development of micro-pulse lasers, presently achieving high UV average powers (1-5 W) and small divergences (0.3-0.5 mrad), in combination with the use of large aperture telescopes (0.3-0.4 m diameter primary mirrors), allow to presently develop micro-pulse laser-based Raman lidars capable to measure the vertical profiles of atmospheric thermodynamic parameters, namely water vapour and temperature, both in daytime and nighttime. This paper is aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of these measurements and at illustrating and discussing the high achievable performance level, with a specific focus on water vapour profile measurements. The technical solutions identified in the design of the lidar system and their technological implementation within the experimental setup of the lidar prototype are also carefully illustrated and discussed.

Water deficit greatly affects global crop growth and productivity, particularly in water-limited environments like upland rice cultivation, leading to reduced grain yield. Plants activate various defense mechanisms during water deficit, involving numerous genes and complex metabolic pathways. Exploring orthologous genes, linked to enhanced drought tolerance, can aid functional validation in target species using genomic data from model organisms. Here, we studied the OsCPK5 gene in upland rice, an AtCPK6 ortholog from A. thaliana, by overexpressing it in the BRSMG Curinga cultivar. Transformants were assessed under two conditions: water deficit applied 79 days after seeding, lasting 14 days, followed by 7 days of irrigation at 80% field capacity. Physiological data and samples were collected at R3, R6, and R8 stages. GM plants consistently exhibited higher OsCPK5 gene expression across stages, peaking during grain filling. During this phase, GM plants displayed reduced stomatal conductance, photosynthetic rate, and increased water use efficiency compared to non-GM plants under drought. GM plants also exhibited higher filled grain percentage in both irrigation conditions. Their drought susceptibility index was 0.9 times lower than NGM plants, and they maintained a higher chlorophyll a/b index, indicating sustained photosynthesis. NGM plants under water deficit exhibited more leaf senescence, while OsCPK5-overexpressing plants retained green leaves. Overall, OsCPK5 overexpression induced diverse drought tolerance mechanisms, hinting at potential for future development of more drought-tolerant rice cultivars.

Maize, a crop of international relevance, frequently undergoes xylem embolism due to water shortage, negatively impacting growth, yield, and quality. Consequently, a refined comprehension of xylem embolism is vital for enhancing maize cultivation. Notwithstanding extensive research and the generation of analytical models for embolism mechanisms, prevalent models often disregard crop-specific hydraulic processes and the formation of embolisms via air bubbles in the xylem conduit. In this research, we present an inventive model applying pipe cavitation parameters to discern water potential and bubble formation in maize leaf xylem. The model integrates pivotal physiological traits of maize—leaf count, leaf vein count, and average leaf radius—demonstrating robust correlations. Furthermore, we constructed a percentage conductivity loss (PLC) curve based on pre-dawn leaf water potential and compared it with our model, offering interval data to observe embolisation events triggered by air bubbles. Utilizing experimental data, our novel cavitation-parameters based model effectively corresponds with observed bubble phenomena and appropriately characterizes water transport in plant xylem conduits. This method enabled us to observe the transition from bubble occurrence to cavitation embolism microscopically, which aligned with the embolism intervals provided by the model. This procedure reveals potential trends in bubble-induced embolism and deepens our knowledge of microscopic plant hydraulics and crop embolism. This work establishes a basis for understanding the generation of bubble embolisms in maize, assists in evaluating maize plant water status for efficient water supply management throughout the growth cycle, and contributes towards potential water management strategies for maize.

An experiment was conducted in 2016 & 2017 for development of novel rice hybrids for aerobic ecology with lesser yield penalties in comparison to irrigated ecosystem, further with added advantage of reduced methane emissions and water budget as witnessed in irrigated system. Based on the restorer / maintainer reaction and spikelet fertility (%), 10 restorer lines were selected to cross with 3 CMS lines in the line by tester fashion in Yasangi (summer) season 2016-17. Resulting 30 experimental hybrids besides 13 parental lines (10 Restorer lines and 3 B - lines of akin CMS lines) and checks (GK 5022, CR Dhan 201) assessed during Vankalam (rainy) season 2017 at three different places/locations viz., Rajendranagar, Warangal and Kampasagar. The outcome of experiment were two experimental hybrids viz., APMS-6A × HRSV – 7 and IR-79156A × ATR – 372, were categorized as stable hybrids with desirable sca effects, heterosis (ranging from 7% to 13%) over best check GK 5022 along with an in-essence performance for yield and other yield attributing characters.

Polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolyser suffers mainly from slow kinetics regarding oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Noble metal oxides, like IrO2, RuO2, are generally more active for OER than metal electrodes, exhibiting low anodic overpotentials and high catalytic activity. However, issues like electrocatalyst stability under continuous operation and cost minimization through reduction of the catalyst loading are of great importance for the research community. In the present study, unsupported IrO2 of various particle sizes (different calcination temperatures) were evaluated for the OER and as anode electrodes for PEM water electrolyzers [1]. The elec-trocatalysts were synthesized by the modified Adams method [2][3] and the effect of calcination temperature on the properties of IrO2 electrocatalysts is investigated. Physicochemical charac-terization was conducted using X-ray Diffraction, BET, High-Resolution TEM and XPS analyses. For the electrochemical performance of synthesized electrocatalysts in the OER, cyclic voltammetry and linear sweep voltammetry were conducted in a typical 3-cell electrode configuration, using glassy carbon as working electrode, where the synthesized electrocatalysts were casted on, in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution. The materials, as anode PEM water electrolysis electrodes, were further evaluated in a typical electrolytic cell using Nafion®115 membrane as electrolyte and Pt/C as cathode elec-trocatalyst. The IrO2 electrocatalyst calcined at 400°C shows high crystallinity with 1.24 nm particle size, high specific surface area (185 m2 g-1) and a high OER activity of 177 mA cm-2 at 1.8 V as anode electrocatalyst for PEM water electrolyzer.

The gradual decline of the Aral Sea’s water level over the past five decades poses a huge environmental problem in the heart of Central Asia. Uzbekistan, once blessed with abundant water resources, now struggles with water scarcity in certain regions. While global environmental issues contribute to some degree to this dilemma, irrigation mismanagement plays a central role. This study focuses on the widespread problem of irrigation mismanagement in Uzbekistan and specifically addresses the rural district of Oltinsoy in the southern province of Surkhandarya. The main objective of this research project is to propose effective measures that can alleviate the pressing problem of water scarcity in the region while emphasizing the urgent need for well-executed projects and careful maintenance to ensure long-term sustainability at the local level. It is important to note that this study does not include an examination of the impact of global warming on the decline of water resources in Uzbekistan.

Aquifer water is the key staple to develop successful sustainable agricultural activity in newly reclaimed areas in Egypt. Monitoring irrigation water quality is necessary for a proper planning of this exhaustible resources. This work aims to evaluate the groundwater quality in the western newly reclaimed areas of Beni-Suef governorate. Fifty aquifer water sample were collected from wells scattered in the arid western Beni-Suef fringes during May of 2022. Water chemical analyses were conducted to estimate the parameters of Irrigation Water Quality Index (IWQI) namely the Electrical Conductivity (EC), Sodium (Na+), Chloride (Cl-), Bicarbonate (HCO3-) and the Adjusted percentage of Absorbed Sodium (SARo). The Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) technique used to map the spatial distribution of aquifer water chemical characteristics and IWQI. The results showed that EC values were high in the south of the study area and decreased at its north and east borders. The results showed that the average of dissolved cations and anions were 236.4, 102, 77.5, 106.2, 309.6, 148.1 and 113 meq/l for Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, SO42-, HCO3-, and Cl-, respectively. Regarding to IWQI, its' values ranged from 28 to 81. Two-thirds of the study area classified as having moderate limitations for sustainable irrigation purposes. Furthermore, one-thirds of the area classified as having high restrictions.

Neonicotinoids (NEOs) have become the most widely used insecticides in the world since the mid-1990s. According to Chinese dietary habits, rice and water are usually heated before being consumed, but the information about the alteration through the heat treatment process is very limited. In this study, the parents of NEOs (p-NEOs) accounted for >99% of the total NEOs mass (∑NEOs) in both uncooked (median: 66.8 ng/g) and cooked (median: 41.4 ng/g) rice samples from Guangdong Province, China, while the metabolites of NEOs (m-NEOs) involved in this study accounted for less than 1%. We aimed to reveal the concentration changes of NEOs through heat treatment process, thus, several groups of rice and water samples from Guangdong were cooked and boiled, respectively. Significant (p < 0.05) reductions in acetamiprid, imidacloprid (IMI), thiacloprid, and thiamethoxam (THM) have been observed after the heat treatment of the rice samples. In water samples, the concentrations of THM and dinotefuran decreased significantly (p < 0.05) after the heat treatment. These results indicate the degradation of p-NEOs and m-NEOs during the heat treatment process. However, the concentrations of IMI increased significantly in tap water samples (p < 0.05) after heat treatment process, which might be caused by the potential IMI precursors in those industrial pesticide products. The concentrations of NEOs in rice and water can be shifted by the heat treatment process, so this process should be considered in relevant human exposure studies.

Due to the impacts from climate change, the allocation of water resources must urgently be optimized worldwide to ensure that the needs of both water managers and farmers are balanced. In this study, manager-oriented and farmer-oriented assessment models were developed for irrigation water optimization and allocation. The distance from water sources and hydraulic head were the main factors in the manager-oriented assessment model; crop value, water demand of crops, and soil type were additional factors in the farmer-oriented assessment model. The developed assessment models were used to assess irrigation water allocation in five villages in Neimen District. Cadasters at high elevation were discovered to not be suitable for cultivation of crops because of the difficulties in constructing irrigation facilities and the loss of irrigation water during transportation. The result obtained from the manager-oriented assessment system was related to the costs involved in the construction and maintenance of irrigation facilities, which indicated that cadasters located at long distances from water sources and at high elevation are unsuitable for cultivation. By contrast, the result obtained from the farmer-oriented assessment system was related to the profits of farmers and revealed that more cadasters would be suitable for cultivation if suitable crops were chosen.

The suppression of natural spaces due to the urban sprawl and increase of the built and agricultural environments has impacted the water resources quality, especially in areas with high population density, as the metropolitan regions. Considering the advance in Brazilian environmental legal framework, the present study aims to verify whether land use has still significantly affected water quality, through a case study in the Stones River watershed, a peri-urban river basin at a metropolitan region, Brazil. Analysis of physical-chemical indicators, collected at several sample points with different land-use (urban areas, commercial forestry, riparian forestry, mixed vegetation, pasture, and sugar cane plantation) at different seasons of the year (dry and rainy) were carried out. As a result, it was verified some statistically significant spatiotemporal effects on the of water quality caused associated to the land-use. In conclusion, in spite of the advances in the Brazilian law, land-use has still significantly affected the water quality, demanding public policies and decisions, so that effective compliance with legal guidelines is ensured.

Coagulation is the most sensitive step in drinking water treatment. Underdosing may not yield the required water quality, whereas overdosing may result in higher costs and excess sludge. Traditionally, the coagulant dosage is set based on bath experiments performed manually. Therefore, this test does not allow real-time dosing control, and its accuracy is subject to operator experience. Alternatively, solutions based on machine-learning (ML) have been evaluated as a computer-aided alternative. Despite these advances, there is open debate on the most suitable ML method applied to the coagulation process, capable of the most highly accurate prediction. This study addresses this gap, where a comparative analysis between ML methods was performed. As a research hypothesis, a novel data-driven fuzzy inference system (FIS) should provide the best performance due to its ability to deal with uncertainties inherent to complex processes. Although ML methods have been widely investigated, only a few studies report hybrid neuro-fuzzy systems applied to coagulation. Thus, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study thus far to address the accuracy of this novel data-driven FIS for such application. The novel FIS provided the smallest error (0.86), indicating a promising alternative tool for real-time and highly accurate coagulant dosing in drinking water treatment.

This paper develops the study of the effect of powerful ultrasound on the laser breakdown of liquids and a comparative study of the possibilities of acoustic and optical diagnostics of breakdown. The method of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for elemental analysis of liquids, along with high efficiency, continues to be less sensitive compared to traditional chemical methods. The paper develops a method of using additional ultrasound irradiation of the laser breakdown area in order to increase the efficiency of LIBS. Using the developed technique, spectral lines of chemical elements such as potassium, manganese, sodium, calcium, etc. were obtained for the first time depending on the frequency and power of ultrasound. It is shown that a sharp increase in the intensity of spectral lines of elements in water during laser breakdown is observed in the field of high-power ultrasound. It indicates an increase in the sensitivity of the combined method of ultrasonic LIBS. Along with the optical spectrum, the spectral and energy characteristics of acoustic emission were studied. An automated complex for hydrophysical and spectral studies is described, which was tested in the Sea of Japan during the voyage No. 81 of the research vessel RV "Professor Gagarinsky" in August 2022.

Reference evapotranspiration (ETo) is a key agrometeorological index for rational irrigation management. The standard method for ETo estimation, proposed by FAO, is based on a complicated Penman-Monteith equation, requires great number of meteorological inputs thus making it difficult for practical use by farmers. To the moment, there are many alternative simplified approaches for ETo estimation, most of them are directed to cutting the number of required meteorological inputs for calculation. Among them, special attention should be paid to various temperature-based methods of ETo assessment. One of the temperature-based models for ETo computation was realized in free mobile app ETo Calculator (Ukraine). The app gives Ukrainian farmers an opportunity to assess ETo values on daily or monthly scale using mean air temperature as the only input. The goal of the study was to test the app accuracy comparing to FAO-based calculations in five key regions of Ukraine, each of which representing a particular climatic zone of the country. It was established that the app provides relatively good accuracy of ETo estimation even in raw (not adjusted to windspeed and relative air humidity) run; the results of statistical comparison with the FAO-calculated values are: R2 within 0.82-0.87, RMSE within 0.74-0.81 mm, MAE within 0.60-0.70, MAPE within 18.07-25.50% depending on the region. ETo Calculator (Ukraine) is a good alternative for complicated Penman-Monteith method and could be recommended for Ukrainian farmers to be used for irrigation management.

Water distribution networks are vital infrastructure, needed for providing consumers with sufficient water of appropriate quality. The cost of construction, operation, and maintenance of such networks is extremely large. The problem of optimization of a water distribution network is governed by the type of water distribution network and the size of pipelines placed in the distribution network. This problem of the optimal diameter allocation of pipes in a distribution network has been heavily researched over the past few decades. This study describes the development of a computer program, ‘Smart Optimization Program for Water Distribution Networks’ (SOP–WDN), which applies Genetic Algorithm to the problem of the least-cost design of water distribution networks. SOP–WDN demonstrates the application of an evolutionary optimization technique, Genetic Algorithm, linked with a hydraulic simulation solver EPANET, for the optimal design of water distribution networks. The developed program was applied to three benchmark water distribution network optimization problems and produced consistently good results. SOP–WDN can be utilized as a tool for guiding engineers during the design and rehabilitation of water distribution pipelines.

Shallow bathymetry inversion algorithms have long been applied in various types of remote sensing imagery with relative success. However, this approach requires that imagery with increased radiometric resolution in the visible spectrum is available. The recent developments in drones and camera sensors allow for testing current inversion techniques on new types of datasets. This study explores the bathymetric mapping capabilities of fused RGB and multispectral imagery, as an alternative to costly hyperspectral sensors. Combining drone-based RGB and multispectral imagery into a single cube dataset, provides the necessary radiometric detail for shallow bathymetry inversion applications. This technique is based on commercial and open-source software and does not require input of reference depth measurements in contrast to other approaches. The robustness of this method was tested on three different coastal sites with contrasting seafloor types. The use of suitable end-member spectra which are representative of the seafloor types of the study area and the sun zenith angle are important parameters in model tuning. The results of this study show good correlation (R2>0.7) and less than half a meter error when they are compared with sonar depth data. Consequently, integration of various drone-based imagery may be applied for producing centimetre resolution bathymetry maps at low cost for small-scale shallow areas.

Freshwater pond aquaculture is the prevailing fish culture system worldwide, especially in developing countries. Climate change outcomes and inadequate environmental practices challenge its sustainability. This study applies emergy synthesis to assess the environmental performance of freshwater pond aquaculture in Brazil, aiming to identify and propose practices towards sustainability. As a study model, nine semi-intensive lambari farms operating at three levels of management were evaluated: low (LC), moderate (MC) and high (HC) control. Results showed that the main inputs for LC were services (27-46%), feed (7-39%), and water (15-21%), while for the MC and HC farms, they were feed (35-49% and 17-48%, respectively) and services (33-39% and 26-36%, respectively). All farms required more than 60% of their emergy from purchased inputs, resulting in low emergy sustainability index (ESI = 0.1-0.5). Replacing animal protein and oil on diet composition by vegetal sources, using superficial water instead of springwater, increasing juvenile productivity, and controlling pond fertilization can lead all systems to higher efficiency and resilience, increasing sustainability.

Background: The study describes the comparison of different microbial load results of natural falling and dipping of the house fly (Musca domestica) in water and milk to investigate the possibilities of preventing the effect of the transferred pathogens from the house fly to our sources by pointing out the existence of antimicrobial factors within the house fly. Methods: Samples of house fly were collected from Jeddah and Makkah (Makkah region) and were directly transferred to the laboratory. Each house fly was packed in sterile test tubes. Each tube was opened oppositely to a larger test tube containing 10 ml of sterile tap water, and sterile water at pH 4.0 in other similar series of treatments to represent the reactions of stomach fluids. Later, the house flies were left for 20 seconds after reaching the water surface, and then cultured on different microbial media to evaluate the microbial load of the natural falling of the house fly. To evaluate the complete dipping of house flies in the water, two methods were tested by one complete dip for the flies for 20 seconds, and three times complete dipping for 20 seconds in water before evaluating the microbial load. The same methods were achieved on milk in a series of experiments and the microbial load was evaluated after the incubation at room temperature for three hours. Results: It was found that dipping treatments of house flies gave lower microbial contamination in water at pH 4.0 than neutral pH. The lower microbial load was also observed when dipping the house flies three times in water as compared to once dipping and natural falling treatments. It was also found that the complete dipping of house flies’ treatments in milk will reduce the microbial contamination as compared to natural falling treatments. Conclusion: The observed results support the presence of antimicrobial factors on the house fly.

Water mist fire suppression technology has attracted an increasing interest from the field of fire protection services such as fire safety for buildings, ships, spacecraft, libraries and museums due to its non-toxic and high efficiency in the suppression of a wide variety of fires. To support the technological development of water mist fire suppression system and its application areas, this review introduces the concept of water mist system and discusses its suppression mechanisms in comparison with other fire protection systems. The recent application areas of water mist system are surveyed for class A fires involving combustible solid materials such as wood, paper and textiles; class B fires involving flammable liquids such as petrol, oils, lubricants, paints and waxes; class C fires involving flammable gasses such as natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas; fires involving electrical (class E) equipment such as computers and information technology facilities; and the class F fires involving flammable cooking oils and fats. Finally, the paper concludes the review by identifying the current research trends, and providing the future direction for water mist technology and applications.

TiO₂ nanorod as a superior nanostructure has attracted a lot of attention to exert in the photocatalytic and photoelectrocatlytic applications in recent years. Nevertheless, its practical usage is restricted by a number of limitations such as the large band gap energy, the low rate of photo-induced carriers generation and the high rate of charge carriers recombination. Therefore in this study, incorporation of TiO₂ nanorod with WO₃ is proposed as a suitable approach to overcome these defects. In this regard, WO₃-TiO₂ nanorod was constructed by a facile one pot hydrothermal method in two incessant steps and was then employed as a potent photoanode for photoelectrocatalytic hydrogen generation. The morphology, elemental compositions and optical properties were characterized by the FESEM, EDS and DRS analysis, respectively. Furthermore, voltammetry analyses were performed to assay the photoelectrochemical features of WO₃-TiO₂ nanorod. The results confirmed that the incorporation of TiO₂ nanorod with WO₃ not only significantly made the band gap energy narrower (from 3eV to 2eV), but also dramatically intensified the photocurrent density and photoconversion efficiency from 1mA.cm^-2 to 1.8mA.cm^-2 and from 0.3% to 0.45%, respectively. As a consequence of improving optical properties and photoelectrochemical features, WO₃-TiO₂ nanorod could generate 2.43 mmol H₂ during 100 min under UV irradiation, which was 1.71 times more than hydrogen generated over pure TiO₂ nanorod

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, emerged in the human population in December 2019 and spread worldwide within a few short months. Much of the public health focus for preventing and mitigating the spread of COVID-19 has been on individual and collective behaviors, such as social distancing, mask-wearing, and hygiene. Yet it is equally important to recognize that these behaviors and health outcomes occur within broader social and environmental contexts. Factors within local communities, regional policy, race, history, personal beliefs, and natural- and built environmental characteristics affect underlying population health and the spread of disease. For example, COVID-19 has renewed attention to secure water and sanitation services and their importance in protecting human health. Many remote Alaskan communities are particularly vulnerable because of inadequate water and sanitation systems. In this paper, we describe how inadequate water and sewer services may place the inhabitants of remote Alaskan communities at higher risk of COVID spread. We argue that insufficient water security and inadequate sewer systems, along with household overcrowding, multigenerational residences, limited transportation options, limited medical facilities, and higher prevalence of chronic diseases could lead to a greater potential of COVID-19 transmission and to more severe disease outcomes in these communities.

The fabrication and characterisation of photo-anodes based on black-Si (b-Si) are presented using a photo-electrochemical cell in NaOH solution. Black-Si was fabricated by maskless dry plasma etching and was conformally coated by tens-of-nm of TiO2 using atomic layer deposition (ALD) with a top layer of CoO_x cocatalyst deposited by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Low reflectivity R < % of Black-Si over the entire visible and near-IR (λ < 2 µm) spectral range is favourable in better absorption of light while an increased surface area facilities larger current densities. Photoelectrochemical performance of the heterostructured photoanode is discussed in terms of n-n junction between b-Si and TiO₂.

The “memory of water” experiments suggested the existence of molecular-like effects without molecules. Although no convincing evidence of modifications of water – specific of biologically-active molecules – has been reported up to now, consistent changes of biological systems were nevertheless recorded. We propose an alternate explanation based on classical conditioning of the experimenter. Using a probabilistic model, we describe not only the biological system, but also the experimenter engaged in an elementary dose-response experiment. We assume that during conventional experiments involving genuine biologically-active molecules, the experimenter is involuntarily conditioned to expect a pattern, namely a relationship between descriptions (or “labels”) of experimental conditions and corresponding biological system states. The model predicts that the conditioned experimenter could continue to record the learned pattern even in the absence of the initial cause, namely the biologically-active molecules. The phenomenon is self-sustained because the observation of the expected pattern reinforces the initial conditioning. A necessary requirement is the use of a system submitted to random fluctuations with autocorrelated successive states (no forced return to the initial position). The relationship recorded by the conditioned experimenter is, however, not causal in this model because blind experiments with an “outside” supervisor lead to a loss of correlations (i.e., system states randomly associated to “labels”). In conclusion, this psychophysical model allows explaining the results of “memory of water” experiments without referring to water or another local cause. It could be extended to other scientific fields in biology, medicine and psychology when suspecting an experimenter effect.

The megacities´ sewage creates socioeconomic dependence related to water availability in the nearby zones, especially in countries with hydric stress. The present paper studies the water balance progression of realistic scenarios from 2005 to 2050 in the Mezquital Valley, the receptor of Mexico City untreated sewage since 1886, allowing agriculture irrigation in unsustainable conditions. WEAP model calculated the water demand and supply. Validation was performed with outflows data of the Tula River and simulated three scenarios: 1st) Steady-state based on inertial growth rates, 2nd) Transient scenario concerned climate change outcomes, with minor influence in surface water and hydric stress in 2050; 3rd) Transient scenario perturbed with a planned reduction of 36% in the imported wastewater and the start-up of a massive Water Treatment Plant, allowing drip and sprinkler irrigation since 2030. In the 2005-2017 period, 59% of the agriculture depended on the flood irrigation with megacity sewage. The water balance scenarios evaluated the sectorial supply of the ground and superficial water. Drip irrigation would reduce 42% of agriculture demands, but still does not grant the downflow hydroelectric requirements, aggravated by the lack of wastewater supply since 2030. This research alerts about how present policies compromise future Valley demands.

The water and wastewater sectors are energy-intensive, and so a growing number of utility companies are seeking to identify opportunities to reduce energy use. Though England’s water sector is of international interest, in particular due to the early experience with privatisation, for the time being very little published data on energy usage exists. We analyse telemetry data from Thames Water Utilities Ltd. (TWUL), which is the largest water and wastewater company in the UK and serves one of the largest mega-cities in the world, London. In our analysis, we (1) break down sectoral energy use into their components, (2) present a statistical method to analyse the long-term trends in use, as well as the seasonality and irregular effects in the data, (3) derive energy-intensity (kWh m³) figures for the system, and (4) compare the energy-intensity of the network against other regions in the world. Our results show that electricity use grew during the period 2009 to 2014 due to capacity expansions to deal with growing water demand and storm water flooding. The energy-intensity of the system is within the range of reported figures for systems in other OECD countries. Plans to improve the efficiency of the system could yield benefits in lower the energy-intensity, but the overall energy saving would be temporary as external pressures from population and climate change are driving up water and energy use.

Caribbean SIDS are among the most vulnerable to climate change which will have a disproportionate impact on local environments and economies. Whilst there is a growing literature on how Caribbean SIDS can adapt to become more resilient a question that has received little attention is with regard to migration as an unplanned response. It is recognised that events such as hurricanes and flooding can lead to internal relocation in the short term but societal responses to droughts through migration have not generally been investigated. This paper seeks to address this by considering the case of the island of Carriacou, part of the state of Grenada. Carriacou with its small population, limited land area and local economy, historically based on agriculture has had a high degree of migration. This is in part a response to limited economic opportunities. Environmental stress manifest through limited water availability, inappropriate land management and social conditions is likely to be exacerbated by climate change and variability. Resultant increases in the frequency and intensity of droughts, in the absence of proactive interventions, are likely to result in non-linear migration, both to Grenada itself and beyond.

The Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 require community water systems in the United States to send consumers Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs). CCRs contain information on detected contaminants and required educational information about drinking water. The authors of this study developed a survey to evaluate how utilities track consumer feedback, understanding, and the role of the CCR in shaping consumer perceptions about water quality. Responses from this survey indicate it is common for utilities to indirectly track the effectiveness of their CCRs, but few utilities indicated directly evaluating consumer understanding or the effect of CCRs on consumer perceptions.

The emission of mercury (II) from coal combustion and other industrial processes continues to be a concern and have local impact on water resources. The detection of these ions in water with sensitive but rapid testing methods is desirable for environmental screening and fieldwork. Nanoparticles of various chemistries have shown promise for this purpose, as they can be used in simple colorimetric analyses. Silver nanoprisms were chemically synthesized resulting in a blue reagent solution, that transitioned towards yellow and colorless solutions when exposed to Hg²⁺ ions at various concentrations. A rapid galvanic reduction of Hg²⁺ onto the nanoprism surfaces is apparently responsible for a change in shape towards spherical nanoparticles, leading to the change in color. There were no interferences by other metal ions in solution, and pH had minimal effect in the range of 6.5 to 9.8. The silver nanoprism reagent provided a detection limit of approximately 0.5 µM (100 µg/L) for mercury (II), which compares favorably with other nanoparticle-based techniques. Further optimization may reduce this detection limit.

The increasing occurrence of widespread drought phenomena is a global environmental emergency, especially for the effects of ongoing climate change on groundwater availability. Dry years and extreme temperatures are common drivers of current climate impacts all over the world, including, for example, freshwater supply for drinking and agriculture purposes, ecosystems, forestry, health, etc.. In this frame, to ensure temporal water availability in water-stressed areas, a sustainable groundwater management is an increasing challenge. Most of groundwater in the South-East Latium Region, Central Italy, as in the whole Apennine Mountains chain, is stored in karst aquifers. In this area important water resources are present, but even here in the last decades they are affected by groundwater depletion as a consequence of occurring drought events, the upward trend in the globally average temperature and the increasing of anthropogenic activities. Due to the lack of flow rates data of springs in many areas of Italy, the spring response modeling could be a useful tool for supporting a proper water resource management. Several research studies proposed methods based on relationships between spring discharges and rainfall data. The goal of this paper is to propose a model, based on rainfall-discharges cross correlations, in order to assess the spring flow rate patterns of Capodacqua di Spigno Spring, which is the main one in the study area. The results obtained using the developed model has been compared to an existing method that uses the SPI index for the estimation of the minimum annual spring discharge.

Best Management Practices (BMPs) are commonly used to control pollution in the river basins. Prioritization of BMPs helps improve the efficiency and effectiveness of pollution reduction, especially in Critical Source Areas (CSAs) that produce the highest pollution loads. Recently, the Dez River in Khuzestan, Iran, has become highly eutrophic from the overuse of fertilizers and pesticides. In this basin, dry and irrigated farming produce 77.34% and 6.3% of the Total Nitrogen (TN) load, and 83.56% and 4.3% of the Total Phosphorus (TP) load, respectively. In addition, residential, pasture, and forest land uses together account for 16.36% of the TN and 12.14% of the TP load in this area. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was implemented to model the Dez River basin and evaluate the applicability of several BMPs, including point source elimination, filter strips, livestock grazing, and river channel management, in reducing the entry of pollution loads to the river. Sensitivity analysis and calibration/validation of the model was performed using the SUFI-2 algorithm in the SWAT Calibration Uncertainties Program (SWAT-CUP). The CSAs were identified using individual (sediment, TN, TP) and combined indices, based on the amount of pollution produced. Among the BMPs implemented, the 10 m filter strip was most effective in reducing TN load (42.61%), and TP load (39.57%).

Humans may be exposed to microbial pathogens at recreational beaches via environmental sources, such as water, sand, and aerosols. Although infectious disease risk from exposure to waterborne pathogens has been an active area of research for decades, sand is a relatively unexplored reservoir of pathogens and fecal indicator bacteria (FIB). Beach sand and water habitats provide unique advantages and challenges to pathogen introduction, growth, and persistence, as well as continuous exchange between habitats. Models of FIB and pathogen fate and transport in sandy beach habitats can help predict the risk of infectious disease from recreational water use, but filling knowledge gaps such as decay rates and potential for microbial growth in beach habitats is necessary for accurate modeling. Climatic variability, whether natural or anthropogenically-induced, adds complexity to predictive modeling, but may increase human exposure to waterborne pathogens via extreme weather events, warming of water bodies and sea level rise in many regions. The popularity of human recreational beach activities, combined with predicted climate change scenarios, could amplify the risk of human exposure to pathogens and related illnesses. Other global change trends such as increased population growth and urbanization are expected to exacerbate contamination events and the predicted impacts of increasing levels of waterborne pathogens on human health. Such changes will alter microbial population dynamics in beach habitats, and will consequently affect the assumptions and relationships used in population models and quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA). Here, we discuss the literature on microbial population and transport dynamics in sand-water continuum habitats at beaches, how these dynamics can be modeled, and how climate change and other anthropogenic influences (e.g., land use, urbanization) should be considered when using and developing more holistic, beachshed-based models.

In many regions where drinking water supply is intermittent and unreliable, households adapt by storing water in cisterns or rooftop tanks. Both intermittent supply and stored water can be vulnerable to contamination by microorganisms with deleterious health effects. The Guadalajara Metropolitan Area is a rapidly growing urban center with over five million residents where household storage is nearly ubiquitous. This pilot study was conducted in July 2018 to examine the microbiological quality of drinking water in Guadalajara. Samples were tested for free available chlorine residual, total coliform bacteria, and E. coli. A survey on access to water and public perspectives was also conducted. Water exiting rooftop tanks exceeded regulatory limits for total coliform levels in half of the homes studied. Piped water arriving at two homes had total coliform levels that far exceeded regulatory limits. No E. coli were detected in any of the samples. Only 35% of homes had a chlorine residual between the recommended 0.2 and 1.5 mg/L. Many homes reported unpleasant odors and colors. Only 7% of residents drank the piped water. Future studies are needed, especially during April and May when many homes reported a higher disruption to water service.

This paper analyses six major transitions in watershed management in the Lower Mississippi River from the early 19th century till present. A conceptual framework is developed for analysing the role of visions, agency and niches in water management transitions and applied to a historical case on water management in the Lower Mississippi River. It is shown that water management regimes change over time and that major transitions were preceded by niches, in which new visions were developed and empowered. The case shows that: (i) emerging visions play an important role in guiding transitions; (ii) agency enables the further diffusion of visions and niches; (iii) vision champions play an important role in transitions, but are not decisive; (iv) each transition has led to an extension of the number of societal functions provided, which has led to more complex water management regimes in which functions are combined and integrated; and (v) external landscape factors are important, as they can lead to awareness and urgency in important decision making processes.

Development of carbon nanomaterials for adsorption thus removal of organic pollutants from water is a progressive research subject. In this regard, carbon nanomaterials with bifunctionality towards polar and non-polar or even amphiphilic undesired materials is indeed attractive for further study and implementation. Here, we created carbon buckypaper adsorbents comprising amphiphilic (oxygenated amorphous carbon (a-COx)/graphite (G)) nanofilaments that can dynamically adsorb organic biomolecules (i.e. urease enzyme) and thus purify the wastewaters of relevant industries. Given the dynamic conditions of the test, the adsorbent was highly efficient in adsorption of the enzyme (88%) while permeable to water (2382 L.h-1.m-2), thus holds a great promise for further development and upscaling. A subsequent citric acid functionalization declined selectivity of the membrane to urease, implying the biomolecules adsorb mostly via graphitic domains rather than oxidized, polar amorphous carbon ones. The devised platform i.e. the urease functionalized buckypaper is optimally conductive (13 S.cm-1) and can be further employed as a biosensor. Accordingly, water treatment can be linked to biosensing via a nanostructured membrane.

Elastic bodies entering the water might experience Fluid-Structure Interaction phenomena introduced by the mutual interaction between the structural deformation and the fluid motion. Cavity formation, often misleadingly named cavitation, is one of these. This work presents the results of an experimental investigation on the water entry of deformable wedges impacting a quiescent water surface with pure vertical velocity in free fall. The experimental campaign is conducted on flexible wedges parametrically varying the flexural stiffness, deadrise angle, and drop height. It is found that under given experimental conditions cavity pockets forms beneath the wedge. Their generation mechanism is found to be ruled by a differential between structural and fluid velocities, which is introduced by the structural vibrations. Results show that the impact force during water entry of stiff bodies is always opposing gravity, while in case of flexible bodies might temporarily reverse its direction, with the body that is being sucked into the water within the time frame between the cavity formation and its collapse. Severe impacts might also generate a series of cavity generation and collapses.

Water and sanitation facilities in sub-Saharan Africa and Africa in general are appalling and for the most part absent. Progress continues with respect to the development of plant materials as potent adsorbents, disinfectants, coagulants, flocculants, wetland species and lots more as substitutes for the dangerous chemical disinfectants. This research presents the potential of phyto-active components of Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides and Gongronema latifolium as effective biocides against water microbial contaminants. Dry powder of Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides and Gongronema latifolium were extracted and prepared into different concentrations with ethyl acetate and chloroform, ranging from 25 to 500 mg/ml. These fractions were then examined for antimicrobial activities against inherent bacterial and fungal water contaminants using disc diffusion assay. Fractions were afterwards screened for phytochemical active compounds using standard methods. Crude extracts of the different plant examined selectively comprise saponins, tannins, reducing sugars, anthraquinones, flavonoids, terpenoids, phlobatanins and alkaloids. All plant extracts showed broad spectrum antibiosis against selected gram positive and gram negative bacteria including E. coli, P. aeruginosa, Klebsiella sp, S. pneumoniae and B. cereus, as well as tested fungi, including A. niger, A. flavus, Trichoderma sp and Candida sp. While all extracts exhibited maximum antibiosis at 500 mg/ml, the chloroform extracts compared well than ethyl acetate extracts. The overall results revealed that antimicrobial activities of the plant extracts are dose dependent with comparative activity greater than that of commercial antibiotics at the concentration of extracts tested. E.coli was the most susceptible microbial isolate tested and represents the potential of the extract against a group of coliform which are important indicators of microbial pollution in water. Other microbial isolates also recorded sensitivity to extracts tested at varying degrees. The findings indicate that microbes tested were mostly susceptible to chloroform extract of Z. zanthoxyloides and G. latifolium except for the activity of ethyl acetate extract of Z. zanthoxyloide against E.coli. Results of phytochemical screening of the extract also showed the varied presence of alkaloids, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids and anthraquinones The results indicated that plant materials investigated can be developed as effective biocides against water microbial contaminants

Degussa P25 is a benchmark form of TiO₂ used worldwide in photocatalysis studies. Currently no such benchmark exists for co-catalysts, which are essential for many photocatalytic reactions. Here, we present the preparation of Pt nanocluster co-catalysts on TiO₂ using an unmodified commercial source and equipment that is commonly available. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that the procedure produces TiO₂ decorated with Pt atom and nanoclusters (1-5 atoms). Optical reflectance and X-ray diffraction measurements show that the procedure does not affect the TiO₂ polymorph or UV-Vis absorbance. Gas phase photocatalytic splitting of heavy water (D₂O) shows that the Pt nanocluster decorated TiO₂ outperforms Pt nanoparticle (produced by photodeposition) decorated TiO₂ in D₂ production. Pt nanoclusters, produced directly from a commercial source, with high co-catalyst activity are prime candidates to be used in benchmark photocatalytic reactions.

The management of existing water distribution system (WDS) is challenged by ageing of infrastructure, population growth, increasing of urbanization, climate change impacts and environmental pollution. Therefore, there is a need for integrated solutions that support decision makers to plan today, while taking into account the effect of these factors in the mid and long term. The paper is part of a more comprehensive project, where advanced hydraulic analysis for WDS is coupled with a dynamic resources input-output analysis model. The proposed modeling solution can be used to optimize the performance of a water supply system while considering also the energy consumption and consequently the environmental impacts. Therefore, as a support tool in the management of a water supply system also in the intervention planning. Here a possible application is presented for rehabilitation/replacement planning while maximizing the network mechanical reliability and minimizing risk of unsupplied demand and pressure deficit, under given economic constraints.

Urban lakes, especially those of natural origin, provide ecosystem services, recreation being one of the most important and highly valued by the city dwellers. Fulfilling the needs of city residents to relax and have contact with nature has become a priority in urbanized areas and has been proved to positively affect people’s health and well-being. The recreational potential of water bodies was identified to be most important aspect of ecosystem services to the residents of the neighboring areas. An assessment of recreational ecosystem services (RES) provisioning to society based on the real time spent by the citizens and housing values in the rural-urban gradient revealed that the economic benefits of lakes differ in urbanized, suburban and rural landscapes. The growth of cities has led to an increased population density in the surroundings of ecologically valuable areas, resulting in higher pressure from visitors seeking recreational areas. Along with urbanization, the impoverishment of ecosystem functions takes place, limiting their capability to provide ecosystem services. In this work provisioning of recreational ecosystem services of 28 floodplain lakes located along the urban-rural gradient of the Warsaw agglomeration was assessed. The relationship between the ecological value of the water bodies, measured using naturalness indices, and the recreational ecosystem services they can provide was assessed. The results showed that the floodplain lakes located along the urban-rural gradient are of a great importance to the citizens due to their recreational potential. The provisioning of recreational ecosystem services is poorly connected with the ecological characteristics of the floodplain lakes. Only hemeroby, was significantly correlated with provisioning, and there was no relationship with factors such as naturalness of vegetation or water quality, demonstrating that public preference was not generally influenced by high ecological quality. These data should be available to potential buyers and be integrated in spatial planning management plans in order to shape future housing policy.

The German wine sector has encountered new challenges in water management recently. To manage water resources responsibly, it is necessary to understand the relationship between the input of water and the output of wine, in terms of quantity and quality. The objectives of this study are to examine water use at the farm scale at three German wineries, and to develop and apply, for the first time, a quality-based indicator. Water use is analyzed in terms of wine production and wine-making over three years. After the spatial and temporal boundaries of the wineries and the water flows are defined, the farm water productivity indicator is calculated to assess water use at the winery scale. Farm water productivity is calculated using the AgroHyd Farmmodel modeling software. Average productivity on a quantity basis is 3.91 L wine per m3 of water. Productivity on a quality basis is 329.24 °Oechsle per m3 of water. Water input from transpiration for wine production accounts for 99.4–99.7% of total water input in the wineries, and, because irrigation is not used, precipitation is the sole source of transpired water. Future studies should use both quality-based and mass-based indicators of productivity.

Transition-metal-free synthesis of 4-pyrones via TfOH-promoted nucleophilic addition/cyclization of diynones and water has been developed. This transformation is simple, atom economical and environmentally benign, providing rapid and efficient access to substituted 4-pyrones.

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

In air-breathing proton exchange membrane fuel cells (Air PEM FCs), high rate of water evaporation from the cathode might influence the resistance of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA), which is highly dependent on the water content of the Nafion membrane. We propose a dead-end hydrogen anode as a means of intermediate storage of water/humidity for self-humidification of the membrane. Such inflatable bag integrated with the PEM FC has a potential in blimp applications for anode self-humidification. A dynamic numerical water balance model, validated by experimental measurements, is derived to predict the effect of MEA configuration, membrane’s hydration state, and water transfer rate at the anode on MEA resistance and performance. The experimental setup included humidity measurements, polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests to quantify the effect of membrane hydration on its resistance in a lightweight MEA integrated with an inflatable dead-end hydrogen storage bag. Varying current density (20 mA, 40 mA and 60 mA) and cathode humidity (20, 50 and 80%) were examined and compared with the numerical results. The validated model predicts that the hydration state of the membrane and water transfer rate at the anode can be increased by using a thin membrane and thicker gas diffusion layer.

A quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) modelling approach is introduced to mimic transverse mixing of an inflow into a river from one of its banks, either an industrial outfall or a tributary. The concentrations of determinands in the inflow vary greatly from those in the river, leading to very long mixing lengths in the river downstream of the inflow location. Ideally, a two-dimensional (2D) model would be used on a small scale to capture the mixing of the two flow streams. However, for large-scale applications of several hundreds of kilometres of river length, such an approach demands too many computational resources and too much computational time, especially if the application will at some point require ensemble input from climate-change scenario data. However, a one-dimensional (1D) model with variables varying in the longitudinal flow direction but averaged across the cross-sections is too simple of an approach to capture the lateral mixing between different flow streams within the river. Hence, a quasi-2D method is proposed in which a simplified 1D solver is still applied but the discretisation of the model setup can be carried out in such a way as to enable a 2D representation of the model domain. The quasi-2D model setup also allows secondary channels and side lakes in floodplains to be incorporated into the discretisation. To show proof-of-concept, the approach has been tested on a stretch of the lower Athabasca River in Canada flowing through the oil sands region between Fort McMurray and Fort MacKay. A dye tracer and suspended sediments are the constituents modelled in this test case.

Hydrochemical and geophysical data collected during a hydrological survey in September 2017, reveal patterns of small-scale hydrological connectivity in a small water track catchment, north-European Arctic. Elevated tundra patches underlain by sands were disconnected from the stream and stored precipitation water from previous months. At the catchment surface and in the water track thalweg, some circular hollows, from 0.2 to 0.4 m in diameter, acted as evaporative basins with low d-excess values, from 2 to 4‰. Other hollows were connected to shallow subsurface runoff, yielding d-excess values between 12 and 14‰. ‘Connected’ hollows yielded a 50% higher dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content, 17.5±5.3 mg/L, than the ‘disconnected hollows, 11.8±1.7 mg/L. Permafrost distribution across the landscape is continuous, but highly variable. Open taliks exist under fens and small hummocky depressions, as revealed by electric resistivity tomography surveys. Isotopic evidence supports upward subpermafrost groundwater migration through open taliks under water tracks and fens/bogs/depressions, and its supply to streams via shallow sub-surface compartment. Temporal variability of isotopic composition and DOC in water track and a major river system, the Vorkuta R., evidence the widespread occurrence of the described processes in the large river basin. Water tracks effectively drain the tundra terrain and maintain xeric veg-etation over the elevated inter-track tundra patches.

Traditional high pressure mechanical compressors account for over half of the car station’s cost, have insufficient reliability and are not feasible for a large-scale fuel cell market. An alternative technology, employing a two-stage, hybrid system based on electrochemical and metal hydride compression technologies, represents an excellent alternative to conventional compressors. The high-pressure stage, operating at 100-875 bar, is based on a metal hydride thermal system. A techno-economic analysis of the metal hydride system is presented and discussed. A model of the metal hydride system was developed, integrating a lumped parameter mass and energy balance model with an economic model. A novel metal hydride heat exchanger configuration is also presented, based on mini-channel heat transfer systems, allowing for effective high-pressure compression. Several metal hydrides were analyzed and screened, demonstrating that one selected material, namely (Ti_0.97Zr_0.03)_1.1Cr_1.6Mn_0.4, is likely the best candidate material to be employed for high-pressure compressors under the specific conditions. System efficiency and costs were assessed based on the properties of currently available materials at industrial levels. Results show that the system can reach pressures on the order of 875 bar with thermal power provided at approximately 150 °C. The system cost is comparable with the current mechanical compressors and can be reduced in several ways as discussed in the paper.

In this paper, we study the effect of parasitic channel on electrical characteristics and power consumptions of vertically stacked gate-all-around (GAA) silicon nanosheet (NS) MOSFETs of the bulk and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates. Through deliberate control of the bottom parasitic channel coverage, we systematically assess its influence on DC, AC, and RF characteristics including power consumption. The observed findings highlight a significant differentiation among the bottom parasitic channels: GAA (i.e., control sample with 100% coverage), omega-shaped gate NS (70% and 80% coverages), and FinFET (60% coverage). Compared with the device with a 60% coverage channel, the device with a 100% coverage channel possesses 3520% and 8030% normalized leakage current improvement for both NFET and PFET under the bulk substrate, respectively. Compared with bulk-substrate devices, the SOI-substrate devices further significantly improve the leakage current. Due to enhanced off-state current leakages in the 100% covered bulk-substrate device, the static power demonstrates a notable improvement (about 98.1%), compared to 60% covered devices. Hence, the utilization of a 60% covered channel will result in a degradation of both device and circuit performance. The observation of GAA NS MOSFET indicates that an increase in the bottom parasitic channel coverage ratio leads to a positive impact on power consumption and leakage currents. The examination presented here is useful in the fabrication of stacked GAA NS MOSFETs.

Nanoporous membranes promise energy-efficient water desalination. Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), like graphene, exhibits outstanding physical and chemical properties, making it a promising candidate for water treatment. We employed Car–Parrinello molecular dynamics simulations to establish accurate modeling of Na+ and Cl- permeation through hydrogen passivated nanopores in graphene and h-BN membranes. In these complex systems the classical potentials cannot properly account for the physics at play. We demonstrate that ion separation works well for the h-BN by imposing a barrier of 0.13 eV and 0.24 eV for Na+ and Cl- permeation respectively, compared to the graphene where the Cl- ion faces a negative barrier of 0.68 eV and is prone toward blockade and Na+ permeation is associated with a slightly negative barrier of 0.03 eV. From the change in the solvation shell, we get the following trend: Na/h-BN > Na/G > Cl/G > Cl/h-BN. We argue that the trend in the permeation barrier changes to Cl-h-BN > Na-h-BN > Na-G > Cl-G due to a combination of several interactions, including the distortion of the water network induced by the ions, the ion-water interaction, and the ion-nanopore interaction. Overall, the desalination performance of h-BN surpasses that of their graphene counterparts.

Based on the engineering background of Daliuta mining area, the fracture distribution and water movement within the weakly cemented overlay strata are studied through liquid-solid coupling physical simulation and COMSOL numerical simulation test. 3D fracture network of overburden strata in mining is plotted based on the result of the physical simulation test. The results showed that the ‘fractured zone’ of the weakly cemented overburden strata in the western area develops more evidently than that in the eastern area ---- wide-opened fractures form at both ends of the working area and this leads to a wide distribution of fractures in the overlying strata.After the initial caving of the roof, height of the penetrating fractures increases rapidly and the separated strata space becomes the main channel for water flow. Under the action of water flow and rock strata movement, mining-induced fractures in overlying rock display cyclic change of expansion, penetration and closure. When the working face is fully mined, the penetrating fractures in the overlying strata and mining-induced fractures up in the working face become the main passages for water flow. The experimental result provides a reference for underground reservoirs layout and maintenance and water-conserved mining in western China.

It is crucial to forecast the water demand accurately for supplying water efficiently and stably in a water supply system. In particular, accurately forecasting short-term water demand helps in saving energy and reducing operating costs. With the introduction of the Smart Water Grid (SWG) in a water supply system, the amount of water consumption is obtained in real time through an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) sensor, which can be used for forecasting the short-term water demand. The models widely used for water demand forecasting include the autoregressive integrated moving average, radial basis function-artificial neural network, quantitative multi-model predictor plus, and long short-term memory. However, there is a lack of research on assessing the performance of models and forecasting the short-term water demand by applying the data on the amount of water consumption by purpose and the pipe diameter of an end-use level of the SWG demonstration plant in each demand forecasting model. Therefore, in this study, the short-term water demand was forecasted for each model using the data collected from the AMI, and the performance of each model was assessed. The Smart Water Grid Research Group installed ultrasonic-wave-type AMI sensors in the block 112 located in YeongJong Island, Incheon, and the actual data used for operating the SWG demonstration plant were adopted. The performance of the model was assessed by using the residual, root mean square error (RMSE), normalized root mean square error (NRMSE), Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), and Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) as indices. The water demand forecast was slightly underestimated in models that employed the assessment results based on the RMSE and NRMSE. Furthermore, the forecasting accuracy was low for the NSE due to a large number of negative values; the correlation between the observed and forecasted values of the PCC was not high, and it was difficult to forecast the peak amount of water consumption. Therefore, as the short-term water demand forecasting models using only time and the amount of water consumption have limitations in reflecting the characteristics of consumers, a water supply system can be managed more precisely if other factors (weather, customer behavior, etc.) influencing the water demand are applied.

The utilization for water resource has been of great concern to human life. To assess the natural water system in Kangding County, the integrated methods of hydrochemcial analysis, multivariate statistics and geochemical modelling were conducted on surface water, groundwater and thermal water samples. Surface water and groundwater were dominated by Ca-HCO₃ type, while thermal water belonged to Ca-HCO₃ and Na-Cl type. The analyzing results concluded the driving factors that affect hydrochemical components. Following the results of the combined assessments, hydrochemcial process was controlled by the dissolution of carbonate and silicate minerals with slight influence from anthropogenic activity. The mixing model of groundwater and thermal water was calculated using silica-enthalpy method, yielding cold-water fraction of 0.56-0.79 and estimated reservoir temperature of 130-199 ^oC, respectively. δD and δ¹⁸O isotopes suggested surface water, groundwater and thermal springs were of meteoric origin. Thermal water should have deep circulation through the Xianshuihe fault zone, while groundwater flows through secondary fractures where it recharges with thermal water. Those analytical results were used to construct a hydrological conceptual model, providing a better understanding of the natural water system in Kangding County.

Through the geometric relationships and force analysis of the main components of the panto-graph on high-speed trains, coefficients of aerodynamic forces and lift transmission between the pantograph and main components under crosswind conditions were derived. Based on the aer-odynamic forces acting on the pantograph at different crosswind speeds, wind angles, and oper-ating speeds, the aerodynamic lift of the pantograph and main components was ultimately de-termined. The results indicate that the aerodynamic lift of the pantograph is mainly distributed on the bow structure, with the aerodynamic lift of the upper frame all being negative values, while the absolute value of the aerodynamic lift of the lower arm rod is the smallest. The oper-ating speed of the pantograph and the wind angle of the crosswind have a significant impact on the aerodynamic lift of the main components, while the impact of the crosswind speed is rela-tively small. At the same operating speed of the pantograph, the lower the corresponding crosswind speed, the smaller the aerodynamic lift of the pantograph. The aerodynamic lift of the pantograph tends to decrease gradually with the increase of crosswind speed, and the impact of crosswind speed decreases gradually with the increase of pantograph operating speed. A com-prehensive relationship formula between the aerodynamic lift of the pantograph and the oper-ating speed, crosswind speed, and wind angle is obtained, and the empirical formula for the contact force of the bow net and train operating speed is modified. The research results are of great significance and value for the study and application of lift forces on pantographs under crosswind conditions.

Within the phenomenology of particle physics, the theoretical model of 4-zero textures is validated using a chi-square criterion that compares experimental data with the computational results of the model. Traditionally, analytical methods that often imply simplifications, combined with computational analysis, have been used to validate texture models. In this paper, we propose a new meta-heuristic variant of the differential evolution algorithm that incorporates aspects of the particle swarm optimization algorithm called "HE-DEPSO" to obtain chi-squared values are less than a bound value, which exhaustive and traditional algorithms cannot obtain. The results show that the proposed algorithm can optimize the chi-square function according to the required criteria. We compare simulated data with experimental data in the allowed search region, thereby validating the 4-zero texture model.

Constructing a globally consistent high-precision map is essential for the application of mobile robots. Existing optimization-based mapping methods typically constrain robot states in pose space during the graph optimization process, without directly optimizing the structure of the scene, thereby causing the map to be inconsistent. To address the above issues, this paper presents a three-dimensional (3D) LiDAR mapping framework (i.e., BA-CLM) based on LiDAR bundle adjustment (LBA) cost factors. We propose a multivariate LBA cost factor, which is built from a multi-resolution voxel map, to uniformly constrain the robot poses within a submap. The framework proposed in this paper applies the LBA cost factors for both local and global map optimization. Experimental results on several public 3D LiDAR datasets and a self-collected 32-line LiDAR dataset demonstrated that the proposed method achieves accurate trajectory estimation and consistent mapping.

Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of foot pain; in a significant percentage it is also associated with bone edema of the heel. A prospective randomized clinical trial was designed, in which 48 patients suffering from plantar fasciitis, with or without bone edema, were treated with temperature controlled high energy adjustable multi-mode emission laser and exercises (laser group) or with exercises only (control group). Patients were evaluated at recruitment (T0), at 2 (T1) and 6 months (T2), monitoring pain (with Visual Analogue Scale), functionality (with Foot Function Index) and perception of improvement (with Roles and Maudsley Score) and fascia thickness (with ultrasound examination). In both groups there was a significant improvement in pain, functional recovery, perception of remission and a reduction in plantar fascia thickness at T1 and T2. The laser group presented statistically better values at T2 for the Roles and Maudsley Score (z: 2.21; 0.027). Regression analysis showed that a greater reduction in fascia thickness occurred in the laser group (p-value: 0.047). In conclusion, the two conservative treatments were effective in patients suffering from plantar fasciitis, even in the presence of bone edema, but with lesser results.

In order to serve the online monitoring of the aging state of high-voltage (HV) cables, a novel method based on impedance spectroscopy has been proposed. Firstly, the method uses the Debye model to restore the dielectric response of the insulating material from the mechanism. Secondly, based on the transmission line equation, a calculation model for the impedance spectroscopy of HV cables was established. Then, the characteristics of the impedance spectroscopy under different overall aging and local deterioration states were analyzed. Further, the simulation analysis of the influence of factors such as load factor, length, metal resistivity, and geometric parameters on the impedance spectroscopy was carried out. Finally, diagnostic criteria were proposed, which are divided into two major categories: known cable parameters and unknown cable parameters. If the geometric parameters are known, the aging state can be determined using the resonance peak values and the resonance peak frequencies. If the geometric parameters are unknown, it is necessary to test the impedance spectroscopy in the healthy condition of the cable as the baseline curve. By comparing the impedance spectroscopy of the cable under test with the baseline curve, the aging development trend of the cable can also be determined.

In a new construction of a seventeen-storey building, it is necessary to remove a prop on the second floor, which has made it possible to complete the structure of the building. In the drafting of the executive project, no security measures were described, because it was understood that they were not necessary. In the construction phase, the need to monitor the process was raised, and to be able to stop it, or reverse it if necessary. It is a reinforced concrete structure, with metal elements and composite elements, with a torsional behavior of the cores making the slabs serve as horizontal diaphragms, so the final behavior could be different from what was expected. To make this process possible, two pairs of four metallic cantilevers were introduced into which four Hydraulic pistons were inserted. Before starting the process, they were loaded to be sure that they would not fail. Strain gauges were also placed to control the stresses and how the situation changed during the unshoring process. The process of cutting the provisional pillar was a success, obtaining less deformations than expected, having a complementary safety.

This study explores the effects of tempering on the precipitation behavior and impact toughness of high-nickel steel. The specimens underwent double quenching at 870°C and 770°C, followed by tempering at various temperatures. Advanced characterization techniques including optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to elucidate precipitation phenomena. Additionally, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) was employed to assess the misorientation distribution after tempering. Charpy impact tests were performed on specimens tempered at different temperatures to evaluate their toughness. The findings reveal that with increasing tempering temperature, the fraction of low-angle grain boundaries decreases, which correlates positively with enhanced impact toughness. The impact toughness peaks at 580°C and then diminishes with further temperature increases.

Succinate is proposed to be a mediator of muscle exercise-induced adaptations. We studied metabolic health and changes of muscle mass in 6-month-old male mice after 12 weeks of feeding regular diet (RD, 13.4 kcal% fat, 66.8 kcal% carbohydrate, 29.8 kcal% protein), high fat diet (HFD, 60 kcal% fat, 20 kcal% carbohydrates, 20 kcal% protein) and ketogenic diet (KD, 80 kcal% fat, &lt;1 kcal% carbohydrates, 20 kcal% protein) with or without 2% succinate supplements (SUS) in drinking water (n=8-12 per group). Functional overloading of the plantaris muscle (PL) was induced in a group of mice by denervation of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles at week 6 of feeding different diets. HFD induced the greatest (p &lt; 0.001) increase in body and fat mass. HFD and KD lead to significant (p &lt; 0.01) impairment in glucose tolerance compared to RD. SUS blunted (p &lt; 0.01) initial surge in energy intake when mice were switched from RD to HFD, but did not influence any measures of metabolic health after 12 weeks of the study. Functional overloading lead to ~25% increase in PL mass which was not affected by diet or SUS. In conclusion, SUS does not have a long-term effect on metabolic health or muscle mass.

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDMs) is worldly wide pregnancy complication. Gestational Diabetes can significantly impact the fetus development. However, the effects of high glucose on embryological development post-fertilization are yet to be researched. Danio rerio embryos are great model to study the embryonic development. In this study, the effects on embryological (morphological and genetic) development were examined in the presence of a high glucose environment that mimic the developing fetus in pregnant women with GMD. Fertilized Zebrafish embryos were treated with normal media and high glucose for 5 days from 3 hours post-fertilization(hpf) to 96hpf respectively as control and experimental groups. Morphological changes are recorded with Microscope images. Hatch rate and heart rate are compared between groups in set up time points. RNA-Seq is performed to examine the gene changes in experimental group. Glucose delayed the zebrafish embryo development by slowing the hatch rate about 24 hours. The brain, heart, and tail started showing morphology smaller in the glucose group compared to the control group at 24 hpf. Heart rate is faster in the glucose group compared to the control group on day 2 and 3 with a statistically significant difference. Among zebrafish whole genome, the significantly changed genes are 556 genes up-regulated and 1118 genes down-regulated respectively in high glucose group. The metabolic and Wnt pathways are altered under high glucose condition. These conditions contribute to significant physiological differences that may provide insight on functionality post-embryological development.

High temperature stress affects tomato production both in tropical and sub-tropical environments worldwide. To explore genetic variation for heat tolerance in tomato, 329 transcontinental tomato varieties were evaluated at The Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) greenhouses near Doha, Qatar. Preliminary phenotypic analysis identified a diverse set of 71 hybrid and pure line tomato varieties for more detailed studies. The selected subset was examined in the greenhouse in a randomized complete block design under heat stress. The materials were phenotyped for fruit size, fruit weight, fruit hardness, fruit locules, fruit set (%), total soluble solids (TSS), and fruit yield. Significant phenotypic differences among genotypes were observed for all the traits assessed. To explore the genetic basis of variation among varieties the subset was genotyped using 104 SNP markers identified in previous heat tolerance genome wide association studies (GWAS). Nineteen QTL associated SNP markers could reliably select heat tolerant varieties in terms of better fruit yield, fruit set, and TSS. These markers are located on Chromosome 1, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 12. Interestingly, two clusters of markers on chromosome 6 were linked to significant effects on yield, fruit set, and TSS under high temperature. Some markers located within these QTL regions were also reported as associated with heat tolerance in other studies. Eighteen out of nineteen SNP markers were mapped within a gene body. Based on the phenotypic and the genotypic analysis, an elite set of five varieties was selected for approval for heat stress environments in Qatar. These findings have significance not only for Qatar, but they are also valuable for wider application at other locations worldwide. The 19 markers presented here could be adopted by breeders for marker-assisted selection (MAS) for heat tolerance.

Background and Objectives To compare navigator-gated three-dimensional T1-weighted gradient-echo sequences (NG-3D T1W-GRE) with standard breath-hold T1W-GRE (BH T1W-GRE) for the detection of HCC nodules in patients with chronic viral hepatitis which undergo at magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using gadoxetic acid. Methods and materials We evaluated 58 patients with hepatic nodules at least 1 cm in diameter detected by ultrasound who underwent liver MRI including NG-3D T1W-GRE sequences and breath hold T1-weighted gradient-echo sequences with different flip angles(FA) at 10-25-40° after contrast administration of gadoxetic acid at magnetic scanner operating at1.5 Tesla. Image quality and relative hepatic and nodular enhancement were evaluated by three blinded reviewers. Results In these patients, image quality of NG-3D T1W-GRE was assessed significantly better than quality of BHT1W- GRE (P < 0.005) and relative enhancement was significantly higher than that of BH- T1W-GRE ( P

In the context of rapid urbanization, the spatiotemporal patterns of socio-economic exposed to high seismic hazard in large cities lacks quantitative assessment, thus, it is difficult to understand the evolution of earthquake catastrophe risk there. In this paper, exposure change rate, and absolute and relatively exposure indices were proposed to quantitatively study the changes of spatiotemporal exposure to high seismic hazard in urban areas of large cities (i.e., permanent residents in urban areas more than 1 million) in Chinese mainland, using a set of multi-temporal population, GDP, and built-up datasets and a seismic hazard zoning map. The results show that, 64 out of 78 large cities are entirely or partially located in high seismically hazardous zones. Although the urban areas of large cities in high seismically hazardous zones (HSHUAs) cover only 1.73% (167177 km²) of mainland China, their share of population, GDP, and built-up land amounted to 18.14%, 30.24% and 24.55%, respectively, in 2015. Unprecedented urbanization has led to a dramatic exposure growth in HSHUAs between 1990 and 2015. The population, GDP, and built-up land in HSHUAs increased by 110 million people (with an average annual growth rate of 2.37%), 273.71 trillion USD(average annual growth rate of 11.15%), and 10593 km2 (average annual growth rate of 2.02%), respectively. HSHUAs experienced much faster population and GDP growth than the whole country, while relatively slower growth in built-up land. Exposure growth in HSHUAs also was varied for different types of large cities. Megacities had a higher proportion of increased GDP and population in HSHUAs, induced by industry and population agglomeration. Whereas, Type II large cities had a higher proportion of increased built-up land in HSHUAs, driven mainly by urban sprawl. Our analysis indicates that, for large cities under rapid urbanization, it is an urgent need to strengthen resilient urban planning, renewal and construction.

A dynamic impact test was performed on as-rolled AZ31 alloy with gradient microstructure under various strains. The microstructural evolution and mechanical properties were systematically investigated. As the strain rate gradually increases, an increasing number of twins are formed, facilitating dynamic recrystallization (DRX), and the mechanical properties are also gradually improved as well. The microstructure becomes heterogeneous at higher strain rates, but the peak stress decreases. The impact process results in significantly higher performance due to microstructural refinement, work hardening by dislocations and precipitates. In addition, both the adiabatic shear band and the adjacent crack experience a temperature rise that exceeds the recrystallization temperature of the alloy. This observation also explains the presence of ultrafine recrystallized grains within the adiabatic shear band and the appearance of molten metal around the crack.

The objectives of this study was to assess the impact of a reproductive approach in high-yielding nulliparous and parous Holstein cows on the interestrus interval, estrus detection rates, conception rates, and pregnancy rates. The strategy involved giving GnRH on day 5 following artificial insemination (AI). For nulliparous cows, there appears to be no noticeable effect of GnRH therapy on the interestrus interval. In both groups, nearly all of the cows exhibited an 18–25-day cycle interval (P < 0.05). In the 18–25 day cycle period, the untreated multiparous cows exhibited the highest proportion (P < 0.05), while the treated group demonstrated the highest proportion (P < 0.05) in the 26–35 day cycle interval. The study found that the conception rate was higher in repeat breeder nulliparous and 3+ lactation treated Holstein cows compared with untreated ones. However, the cumulative heat detection rate, pregnancy rate and conception rates were similar in both groups (P > 0.05). Also, this study found that in the hottest months of the year, this therapeutic approach can't counteract the negative effect of heat stress in high-yielding dairy cows. Thus, it is not advised of using the hormonal method to create supplementary corpus luteum across the herd.

Global warming and the associated increasing frequency of heatwaves are on the rise leading to numerous health complications. Diabetic patients are more vulnerable to heat exposure than healthy individuals, owing to their impaired sweating ability, however, little is known about how heat exposure may impact the function of skin cells, commonly keratinocytes. Our recent report provided the first proof-of-concept revealing that the metabolic composition of sweat EVs is associated with metabolic changes in healthy individuals and type 2 diabetes patients. Given this and the shared cellular proprieties of eccrine sweat glands with keratinocytes, we questioned whether the metabolic changes in sweat EVs may mirror the responses of keratinocytes upon heat exposure. To this, we exposed HaCat, which were maintained in low (mimicking healthy condition) and high glucose (mimicking diabetes condition) to acute (90 min), chronic (48 h), and repetitive heat exposure at 40 ⁰C. Through conducting a set of experiments including a targeted metabolomics approach, Greiss assay, western blotting analysis, and electron microscopy studies. The data demonstrate that heat exposure results in substantial changes of metabolite levels belonging to amino acids, pyrimidine metabolism, and glycolysis pathways in high glucose maintained HaCat cells when compared to those noted in low glucose condition. Exploring the molecular mechanisms through which heat exposure may impact the metabolic composition in keratinocytes, our discoveries highlight nitric oxide (NO) as a novel biomarker that the level is correlated with heat duration and frequency. Furthermore, data reveal that the HSP-70 protein levels and mitochondrial morphology are consequently altered. This study provides evidence of shared metabolic alterations in keratinocytes and sweat EVs collected from clinical study and proposes, for the first time, NO as a novel biomarker for monitoring changes in health and diabetes upon heat exposure.

Background: high-altitude work exposes individuals to reduced oxygen levels, imposing physi-ological adaptations. These conditions can induce alterations in the cardiovascular system, po-tentially exacerbating pre-existing health issues and impacting overall well-being of workers in such environments. This study has investigated the cardiovascular challenges for the high-altitude worker on Etna volcano. Methods: Through an observational study, ten healthy, non-smoking male participants underwent cardiovascular and pulmonary function tests at alti-tudes below 500m and above 3000m, simulating work conditions on the volcano. Results: signif-icant findings include elevated systemic blood pressure and heart rate, indicating an increased cardiovascular workload necessary for adaptation to hypoxia. Conclusions: the study highlights the importance of acclimatization to high altitude for minimizing cardiovascular risks among workers. It calls for the development of safety protocols, underlining the critical role of preven-tative measures and specific safety protocols for high-altitude workers.

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.

Aiming at the problem of small size of some spots on apple leaves and the difficulty of accurate detection of spot targets brought by the complex background of the orchard, this paper takes the alternaria leaf spot, rust, brown spot, grey spot and frog eye leaf spot on apple leaves as the research object, and proposes a high-accuracy detection model YOLOv5-Res and lightweight detection model YOLOv5-Res4 are proposed. Firstly, a multiscale feature extraction module ResBlock is designed by combining the Inception multi-branch structure and ResNet residual idea. Secondly, a lightweight feature fusion module C4 is designed to reduce the number of model parameters while improving the detection ability of small targets. Finally, a parameter streamlining strategy based on optimized model architecture is proposed. The experimental results show that the performance of YOLOv5-Res model and YOLOv5-Res4 model is significantly improved, the mAP@0.5 value is improved by 2.8% and 2.2% compared with YOLOv5s model and YOLOv5n model, respectively, and the size of YOLOv5-Res model and YOLOv5-Res4 model is only 10.8MB and 2.4MB, and the number of model parameters is reduced compared with YOLOv5s model and YOLOv5n model. counts are reduced by 22% and 38.3% compared to the YOLOv5s model and YOLOv5n model.

Viral contamination in the aquaculture industry is a significant challenge that requires further research. Emerging evidence suggests that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a role in regulating various biological processes, including immunity. However, most studies have focused on model organisms, and little is known about non-coding RNAs in the immune response to viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) in rainbow trout. In this study, we investigated the listing of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in rainbow trout challenged with VHS virus. We explored their potential role in defense-like responses based on transcriptomic analysis of the virus-treated and control groups. As a result of this research, 4207 lncRNAs were identified, of which 182 lncRNAs were differentially expressed between treated and untreated samples. Among 7753 lncRNA transcripts, 1920 were novel intergenic (class code “u”), and 3748 transcripts were potentially novel isoform of lncRNAs. Gene ontology analysis revealed biological pathways associated with the stress response and immune signaling. Pairs of genes such as TP63-MSTRG.62, IL10-MSTRG.9783, IL10-MSTRG.9784, TK1-MSTRG.22826, and MSTRG.17881-GLI1 showed cis interactions, while DOCK10-MSTRG.30015, MSTRG.36357-LOC101268921, and MSTRG.34190-ENPP2 showed trans interactions. In this study, the role of lncRNAs in regulating the expression of the target genes was clearly identified. This finding is consistent with the regulatory processes of immune system responses mediated by cytokines, as well as the regulation of oxygen levels in response to viral infection. The information presented here highlights the various regulatory mechanisms of lncRNAs in the expression of immune system genes in fish treated with VHS virus.

Objective: The goal of this review is to provide a succinct, yet comprehensive, guide to the an-tepartum management of multiple gestations. Methods: This narrative review on twins and multiple gestation provides a concise guide for providers with this ever-growing patient population. PubMED was utilized for literature search. Each reference was evaluated and graded for quality of evidence by US Preventative Services Task Force and Cochrane Review guidelines. Screening, surveillance, and management strategies are delineated succinctly and organized by type of multiple gestation being managed from the lowest risk dichorionic twin pair to the increasingly escalating risks of twins and higher order multiples sharing a placenta and/or amniotic sac. Results: The incidence of twin pregnancies has grown over the past several years, due in large part to delayed reproductive timing and surge in assisted reproductive technologies. Twin pregnancies are associated with higher morbidity for both gravidas and offspring, warranting evidence-based approach in counseling and management. Conclusions: We note the important differences among multiples in chorionicity and amnionicity, in the importance of close surveillance and early delivery. Graded clinical pearls and evi-dence-based recommendations are presented to guide obstetric providers.

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

Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) may convey high current and sustain high breakdown voltages; it may provide high power control. In a sense, how IGBT demonstrates the capability of power control was not specifically described, and the equivalent bipolar junction transistors (BJT) activated by an applied bias to the insulated gate is intriguing. As seen in Figure 1, IGBT shows an equivalent circuit structure containing two types of BJT, (NPN-type Bipolar transistor and PNP-type Bipolar transistor), which can be modeled as diode-associated transistor. Apparently, as a bias applies to the controlling gate, the channel beneath the gate oxide gets strongly inversed and turns out to be conductive just like what happens on metal-oxide-silicon field effect transistor (MOSFET), which provides necessary igniting currents to both BJTs and thus causes high current gain flowing through them-selves from the bottom. A proposed and renewed formula provides addressing the above scenario and successfully fitting the measured data that forms the characteristic curves. Some parameters in the proposed formula, which includes size and mobility associated constant, threshold voltage, and Early-Voltage-related lambda for MOSFET, explain and explore the underlying physics. IGBT thus enjoy high input impedance and high current gain due to MOSFET (Insulated Gate) and BJT, respectively. This formula combines both merits of MOSFET and BJT in order to fit the measured data. Indeed, the formula intimately fits IGBT electrical characteristic curves, and thus may be qualified and served as a model. The new model is then advisable for designing power integrated circuit to exactly achieve power saving, power control, and power efficiency.

Among the major systems of high-speed rail, the arch network relationship, wheel-rail relationship and fluid-structure coupling relationship are important links affecting the performance of high-speed rail, and also the main control factors affecting the speed limit of high-speed rail. From this perspective, the contact state and interactive relationship between pantograph and catenary are the key factors affecting the forward performance of high-speed rail. As a key component in the pantograph system, the actuator is responsible for adjusting the contact force and position between the pantograph and the contact line. The performance characteristics of the actuator, such as response speed, accuracy, stability and durability, directly affect the control performance of the whole pantograph system. In this paper, the research status of the active control technology of high-speed railway pantograph is reviewed, and the future development direction is pointed out, which provides a new idea for the development of pantograph technology.

Background: Early postoperative airway management after laryngo-tracheal surgery is crucial. Acute respiratory failure due to glottis’ oedema may occur, requiring reintubation. This can prolong ventilatory assistance, jeopardizing the anastomosis. To date, only judicious steroid administration and fluid management are available to avoid more invasive procedures. High-Flow-Oxygen-Therapy(HFOT) is a noninvasive O2 support method providing humidification, warmed air, Positive-End-Expiratory-Pressure(AIRVO2). No data exist about HFOT use to prevent early complications after laryngo-tracheal surgery. Methods: Between Sept.2020-Sept.2022, 107 consecutive patients underwent laryngo-tracheal surgery received HFOT(Group A). Data and long-term results were compared with those of 80 patients operated between Sept.2018-Aug.2020(Group B), when HFOT was not available. All patients were operated in a single center. No pre- or post-operative settings changed, except for HFOT introduction. We analyzed and compared the risk for “delayed” reintubation (unexpected reintubation within the first 24-48 hours after extubating/laryngeal mask removal) in the two groups. Results: No patients reported HFOT-related adverse events. Control group(B) presented “delayed” reintubation in 37% (p= 0.027), Intensive Care Unit admission in 67%(p=0.005) and longer hospital stay(p=0.001) compared to HFOT group(A). Minor complications rate was 3% in both group and overall mortality was 0%. Re-stenosis was described in 4.6% of HFOT group, without a statistically significant difference (p=0.7006). Conclusions: Our study is the first to investigate HFOT use in patients undergoing laryngo-tracheal surgery, potentially representing a consistent innovation in the peri-operative management of these patients. With the limit of a retrospective series, we would suggest HFOT use for preventing post-operative reintubation rate, possibly reducing ICU admission and hospital stay.

Semantic segmentation of high-resolution remote sensing images provides detailed and precise feature information, playing a pivotal role in decision-making and analysis in sectors such as water management, agriculture, military, and environmental protection. However, most methods merely combine features from various branches directly, without a mechanism for spatial location feature screening, and treat all extracted features as equally important. To overcome these limitations, we introduce a novel spatially adaptive interaction network (SAINet) for dynamic interaction across different features in remote sensing semantic segmentation task. Specifically, we propose a spatial refined module that leverages local context information to filter spatial locations and extract salient regions. Following this, we introduce an innovative spatial interaction module that uses a spatial adaptive modulation mechanism to dynamically select and allocate spatial position weights. This facilitates interaction between local salient areas and global information, allowing the network to focus more on relevant regions. This flexible approach enables the network to capture more informative features, thereby enhancing segmentation accuracy. Experiments conducted on the DeepGlobe, Vaihingen, and Potsdam public datasets confirm the effectiveness and capability of SAINet. Our code and models will be publicly available

This study aimed to identify miRNA editing sites during adipose tissue development in Ningxiang pigs and analyze their characteristics and functions. Based on the small RNA-seq data from subcutaneous adipose tissue samples of Ningxiang pigs at four stages (30, 90, 150 and 210 days), we constructed a developmental atlas of the miRNA editome in adipose tissue of Ningxiang pigs. The characteristics and functions of this editome were further explored through bioinformatics analysis. The findings revealed that a total of 505 miRNA editing sites were identified with C-to-U editing types being the most prevalent, followed by U-to-C, A-to-G and G-to-U. Importantly, these four types of miRNA editing exhibited a base preference. The number of editing sites showed obvious differences among age groups, with the highest occurrence of miRNA editing events observed at 90 days of age and the lowest at 150 days of age. In the miRNA seed region, a total of 9 miRNA editing sites were identified with significant differences in editing levels (P &lt; 0.05), and located in ssc-miR-23a, ssc-miR-27a, ssc-miR-30b-5p, ssc-miR-15a, ssc-miR-497, ssc-miR-15b, and ssc-miR-425-5p, respectively. Target gene prediction and enrichment analysis revealed that the editing of miR-497 may potentially regulate fat deposition by inhibiting adipose synthesis via influencing target binding. These results provide new insights into the regulatory mechanism of pig fat deposition.

CoCrFeNiMn high-entropy alloy coatings were prepared on compacted graphite iron（CGI） through plasma cladding to strength the CGI substrate. The effects of heat treatment temperatures and times on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the CoCrFeNiMn coatings were investigated. After heat treatment, a single FCC phase was remained in the coating as compared to the deposited one, with smaller dendrites, larger dendritic spacing and more Cr-rich compounds precipitated between dendrites. The coatings’ microhardness was increased after heat treatment. After heat treated at 660°C for 90 minutes, the coating had the highest microhardness of 563±6.9 HV0.2, the lowest frictional coefficient of 0.71 and the smallest wear mass loss of 1.12 mg, and it had the best wear resistance.

During the last few years, advancement in the area of biochemistry, science of the material world, engineering and computer-aided testing has directed towards advancement of high-throughput tools for the sake of profiling information encoded in a gene. Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) tools capable to examine the sequence data from each individual cells and it shows within population variety and permit exploring of cell conditions and transformation by extreme resolution, possibly give out cell sub-types or gene expression fluctuations that are shaded in mass sequencing processes, which shows population-averaged evaluations. Yet, the major disadvantage for this tool is the lack of success to pick out location related details of the RNA transcriptome, as this needs tissue detachment and cell isolation. Location based transcript determination is among the advancements in the area of medical biotechnology as this can find out the molecules like RNA dataset in their intact physical placement in tissue segment with spatial context at the scale of a single-cell, which is very advantageous as compare to single-cell sequencing techniques. These approaches give key observation in the areas of biomedical field sub-disciplines like neurology, embryology, carcinoma study, immune cell investigation and histological activities. Generally, this review mainly focused towards single-cell sequencing methods, technology development, its challenges observed, different expression data analysis mechanisms and their applications in different areas, such as in cancer research, microbes, central nervous system, sex organs and immune-biology, intensifying the essentiality of sequencing tools at single-cell level for the characterization of extremely dynamic individual cells.

Background: In military flight operations fighter pilots work during flights constantly under hyperoxic breathing conditions with supplemental oxygen in varying hypobaric environments. These conditions are suspected to cause oxidative stress to neuronal organ tissues. For civilian flight operations the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also recommends supplemental oxygen for flying under hypobaric conditions equivalent to higher than 3048m altitude and makes it mandatory for conditions equivalent of more than 3657m altitude. Aim: We hypothesized that hypobaric-hyperoxic civilian commercial and private flight conditions with supplemental oxygen in a flight simulation in a hypobaric chamber at 2500m and 4500m equivalent altitude would cause significant oxidative stress in healthy individuals. Methods: 12 healthy subjects (6m, 6f, mean age 35,7yrs) from a larger cohort were selected to perform a 3hrs flight simulation in a hypobaric chamber with increasing supplemental oxygen levels (35%,50%,60% and 100% FiO2 via venturi valve equipped face mask) switching back and force between simulated altitudes of 2500m and 4500m. Arterial blood pressure and oxygen saturation were constantly measured via radial catheter and blood samples for blood gases taken from the catheter at each altitude and oxygen level. Additional blood samples from the arterial catheter at baseline and 60% oxygen at both different altitudes were centrifuged inside the chamber and the serum frozen instantly at minus 21°Celsius for later analysis of the oxidative stress markers malondialdehyde low density lipoprotein (M-LDL) and glutathione-peroxidase (GLP) via elisa test. Results: 11 subjects finished the study without adverse events. Whereas PO2 levels increased in the mean with increasing oxygen levels from baseline 96.2 mmHg to 160.9 mmHg at 2500m altitude and 60% FiO2 and 113.2 mmHg at 4500m altitude and 60% FiO2, there was no significant increase in both oxidative markers from baseline to 60% FiO2 at these simulated altitudes. Some individuals had a slight increase, some not at all or even a slight decrease. A moderate correlation (Pearson correlation coefficient 0,55) existed between subject age and glutathione peroxidase levels at 60% FiO2 at 4500m altitude. Conclusion: Supplemental oxygen of 60% FiO2 in a flight simulation comparing to flying in cabin pressure levels equivalent to 2500m-4500m altitude does not lead to a significant increase or decrease in the oxidative stress markers M-LDL and GLP in serum of arterial blood.

Leaf area estimation is a critical component in the study of plant growth and productivity within agricultural systems. This research introduces the LeafArea package, a specialized tool designed to calculate the leaf area of six distinct Andean fruit species: S. quitoense, S. betaceum, P. peruviana, R. fruticosus, P. ligularis and P. edulis. Leveraging response variables such as species type, leaf length and width, the package employs advanced machine learning algorithms to estimate leaf area accurately. The primary focus of the study is to identify the most effective model for describing the relationship between leaf width, length, and area for each plant species. Currently, the LeafArea package utilizes four different machine learning algorithms, namely generalized linear model (GLM), generalized linear mixed model (GLMM), Random Forest and XGBoost. Among these, XGBoost stands out as a top-performing algorithm, exhibiting exceptional predictive accuracy. The evaluation metrics employed in the program provide valuable insights for researchers, aiding in informed decision-making. Specifically, XGBoost demonstrates significantly lower prediction errors and approaches a near-perfect R2 value, emphasizing its potential to enhance predictive accuracy. These results underscore the efficacy of machine learning techniques, as a compelling choice for researchers seeking precise and robust predictions in leaf area estimation. The LeafArea package thus represents a valuable tool for advancing our understanding of plant growth dynamics, resource allocation, and overall productivity within agricultural ecosystems.

This paper shows the development of a numerical analysis model, which enables the calculation of the cargo transport capacity of a vehicle that circulates through a vacuum tube at high speed, whose effectiveness in transport is analyzed. The simulated transportation system is based on vehicles moving in vacuum tubes at high speed, a concept commonly known as Hyperloop, but assuming the vehicles for cargo containers. For the specific vehicle proposed, which does not include a compressor and levitates on magnets, the system formed by the vehicle and the vacuum tube has been conceptually developed, establishing the corresponding mathematical relationships that define its behavior. To properly model the performance of this transport system, it has been necessary to establish the relationships between the design variables and the associated constraints, such as the Kantrowitz limit, aerodynamics, transport, energy consumption, etc. Once the model was built and validated, it was used to analyze the effects of the variation of the number of containers, the operating speed and the tube length, considering the total and specific consumption of energy. Once the most efficient configuration was found regarding energy consumption and transport effectiveness, the complete system was calculated. The results obtained constitute a first approximation for the pre-design of this transport system and the built model allows different alternatives to be compared according to the design variables.

High-rise buildings represent technological, urban and life-style trends of the modern urban landscape, yet there are limited data regarding their embodied carbon and environmental impacts, particularly when compared to low- or mid-rise buildings. Given that the projected growth of the global urban population by 2050 requires cities with higher density and potentially greater number of high-rise buildings, it is crucial to develop a clear understanding of the embodied carbon and environmental impacts of high-rise buildings. This article utilizes the building in-formation modelling (BIM) based life cycle assessment (LCA) in Revit and Tally to examine the embodied carbon and environmental impacts of an actual high-rise building structure case-study in Chicago that uses hybrid concrete steel structure. The results show that the embodied carbon and environmental impacts of the high-rise building structure are dominated by the impacts of the product stage in the building life cycle, and concrete as the main structural material. Specifically, this study reveals that concrete constitutes a substantial 91% share of the total mass of the building structure, with 74% contribution to life cycle global warming potential, 53% to acidification po-tential, 74% to eutrophication potential, 74% to smog formation potential, and 68% to non-renewable energy. On the other hand, steel accounts for 9% of the building structure mass, estimated to constitute 26% of the global warming potential, 47% to acidification potential, 26% to eutrophication potential, 26% to smog formation potential, and 32% to non-renewable energy.

The layered oxyselenide BiCuSeO has garnered significant interest because of its ability to exhibit low thermal conductivity and a high Seebeck coefficient. This study involved the preparation of Bi1−xNaxCuSeO1−xFx(x=0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20) ceramics through the processes of high energy ball milling and cold isostatic pressing. A systematic study was conducted to investigate the impact of co−doping Na/F on the thermoelectric performance of BiCuSeO ceramics. Replacing Bi3+ with Na+ results in the introduction of a considerable amount of holes, leading to a notable enhancement in the electrical conductivity and power factor. The conductivity was significantly increased from 9.10 S cm−1 in the pure BiCuSeO to 94.5 S cm−1 in Bi0.85Na0.15CuSeO0.85F0.15 at 323 K. At 823 K, the power factor of the Bi0.85Na0.15CuSeO0.85F0.15 sample achieved 44.8×10−5 W/ m K2. Moreover, the Bi1−xNaxCuSeO1−xFx ceramics exhibit a minimum thermal conductivity of 0.43 W m−1 K−1. As a result, the Bi0.85Na0.15CuSeO0.85F0.15 sample achieves a maximum ZT value of 0.78, which is 7.09 times greater than that of the pure BiCuSeO sample (0.11) .

Present study focuses on the synthesis and characterisation of a lightweight ceramic material with electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding properties, achieved using mullite containing micrometer-sized hollow spheres (cenospheres) and CoFe2O4 nanoparticles. The research explores compositions with varying CoFe2O4 content, ranging from 0 up to 20 wt.%. Сonventional sintering in an air atmosphere is carried out at a temperature between 1100-1300 °C. The addition of ferrite nanoparticles was found to enhance the sintering process of cenospheres, resulting in improved material density and mechanical properties. Furthermore, the study reveals a direct correlation between the concentration of ferrite nanoparticles and the electromagnetic properties of the. By increasing the concentration of ferrite nanoparticles, the electromagnetic shielding effect of the material (saturation magnetization (Ms) and remanent magnetization (Mr)) was observed to strengthen. These findings provide valuable insights into the design and development of lightweight ceramic materials with enhanced electromagnetic shielding capabilities. The synthesized ceramic material holds promise for various applications that require effective electromagnetic shielding, such as in electronics, telecommunications, and aerospace industries.

This study investigates the microstructures and deformation mechanism of hetero-structured pure titanium under different high strain rates (500 s-1，1000 s-1，2000 s-1). The influence of strain rate on the deformation mechanism is examined. As the strain rate increases, the dominance of dislocation slip decreases while deformation twinning becomes more prominent. Notably, at a strain rate of 2000s-1, nanoscale twin lamellae are activated within grain with a size of 500nm, which is a rarely observed phenomenon in pure Ti. Additionally, martensitic phase transformation is also identified. These findings can greatly enhance our understanding of the mechanical responses of Ti and broaden the potential applications of Ti in dynamic deformation scenarios.

The use of substances to improve sports performance is a widespread phenomenon among adolescents. Several anti-doping programs have been developed, mainly based on knowledge-based evidence. The main aim of the present study was to implement an anti-doping intervention in sports high school students, based on psychological framework, such as Socio-Cognitive Theory, through the development of a Serious Game (SG), i.e., a digital learning based on the game. The experimental design included an intervention group (n=167; F=37.7%; Meanage=17.5 years) and a control group (n=112; F=42%; Meanage=17.6). Both of groups completed the same questionnaire in two different occasions (i.e., time 1 and time 2), for measuring doping intention, self-regulatory efficacy to resist social pressure for the use of substances, moral disengagement, and doping knowledge. Data were analyzed through repeated measures of Group X Time ANOVA, demonstrating some degree of efficacy of the intervention, in particular, in terms of decrease of doping intention and the strengthening of doping knowledge. Moreover, we demonstrated that the score obtained during the implementation of the Serious Game partially could represent a coherent measure of the participants’ beliefs regarding doping. These results could be considered a starting point for future research to better develop technological anti-doping interventions.

The flow stress of face-centered cubic (FCC) metals exhibits a rapid increase near a strain rate of 104 s-1 under fixed strain conditions. However, many existing constitutive models either fail to capture the mechanical characteristics of this plastic deformation or use piecewise strain rate hardening models to describe this phenomenon. Unfortunately, the piecewise models may suffer from issues such as discontinuity of physical quantities and difficulties in determining segment markers, and struggling to reflect the underlying physical mechanisms that give rise to this mutation phenomenon. In light of this, this paper proposes that the abrupt change in flow stress sensitivity to strain rate in FCC metals can be attributed to microstructural evolution characteristics. To address this, a continuous semi-empirical physical constitutive model for FCC metals is established based on the microstructural size evolution proposed by Molinari-Ravichandran and the dislocation motion slip mechanism. This model effectively describes the mutation behavior of strain rate sensitivity under fixed strain, particularly evident in the annealed OFHC. The predicted results of the model across a wide range of strain rates (10-4 − 106 s-1) and temperatures (77 − 1096 K) demonstrate relative errors generally within ±10% of the experimental values. Furthermore, the model is compared to five other models, including Mechanical Threshold Stress (MTS), Nemat-Nasser-Li (NNL), Preston-Tonks-Wallace (PTW), Johnson-Cook (JC), and Molinari-Ravichandran (MR) models. A comprehensive illustration of errors reveals that the proposed model outperforms the other five models in describing the plastic deformation behavior of OFHC. The error results offer valuable insights for selecting appropriate models for engineering applications and provide significant contributions to the field.

Conclusions: HRCT is a valuable tool in preoperative assessment of cholesteatoma, helping in making surgical decisions. It can accurately predict the extent of disease and is helpful for detecting unapparent dangerous situations. However it is not very accurate in detecting Fallopian canal and stapes erosion.

Emerging evidence has indicated the involvement of extra-hypothalamic kisspeptin and GnRHR in reproductive function. In this study, we evaluate if maternal exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos (CPF) and/or a high-fat diet (HFD) have an impact on the expression of kisspeptin and GnRHR in reproductive organ of offspring’s rats. 16 Pregnant rats are divided into 4 groups, control group (n=4), CPF group (4 rats exposed daily to 1/mg/kg/day), HFD group (4 rats randomly fed a 5,25 kcal/g HFD), co-exposed group (4 rats exposed to CPF and HDF). At postnatal development PND60, males and female offspring were sacrificed. The reproductive organs (ovary and testis) were removed and histological, immunohistological analysis and in silico quantification (software Tissuefax, HistoQuest) was assessed to investigate the impact of different treatment on kisspeptin and GnRHR expression in reproductive organs. The main outcomes of the study showed a significant decrease in rat offspring’s body weight in CPF group from PND30 andPND60 (p&lt;0.05 and p&lt;0.01, respectively). Histological analysis shows a significant increase in atretic follicle and abnormal testis structure with germ cell desquamation at CPF exposed group. The immunodetection quantification of protein shows a significant decrease in GnRHR and kisspeptin in HFD and CPF exposed group, respectively in testis rat offspring. Perinatal exposure to CPF and HFD exposure affect the reproduction function of rat offspring.

Background: A prognostic index validated for the outcomes of advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) patients with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is still lacking. We therefore developed an ovarian neoadjuvant chemotherapy prognostic index (ONCPI) to enhance predictive accuracy. Methods: We analyzed clinicopathologic feature of advanced HGSOC patients receiving platinum-based NACT. Blood inflammatory composite markers were calculated and binary-transformed by optimal cutoffs. The omental hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained slides were selected for the assessment of chemotherapy response score (CRS). Logistic regression analyses and Cox proportional hazard regression model were utilized to develop a prognostic index. Results: Multivariate analysis showed that CRS and neutrophils-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) are independent risk factors for platinum-chemotherapy response. Meanwhile, Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analysis revealed that CRS score was significantly correlated with PFS and OS, and NLR-high patients was associated with poor OS. We further developed an ONCPI model based on the CRS score and NLR level. Survival analysis suggested that patients with score 0 and 1 of ONCPI were significantly associated with improved PFS and OS. Conclusions: The ONCPI score emerges as a significant prognostic marker for predicting NACT outcomes in advanced HGSOC patients. Its integration into clinical practice and risk-stratified trial design is conceivable.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is one of the most prevalent endocrinological diseases among children and young adults, with a growing incidence rate reaching up to 2.9 new cases per year per 100 000 persons below 15 years of age. We report the rare case of a 20-year-old female patient with T1D, hemoglobin D (HbD) heterozygote variant and high myopia of -10,00 spheric diopters and describe the retinal microvascular alterations visible on OCT angiography (angio-OCT). The patient also presented severe stature deficit (less than 3 standard deviations) and delayed puberty, which could not be explained only by suboptimal glycemic control, indicated a possible hypopituitarism. The HbA1c level evaluated with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was 6.5%, a falsely low value due to the HbD hemoglobinopathy. On ophthalmic evaluation the angio-OCT scan showed the following retinal microvascular alterations for the RE: the FAZ area vas 0.39 mm2, the FAZ perimeter was 2.88 mm and the circularity index was 0.58; for the LE: the FAZ area vas 0.34 mm2, the FAZ perimeter was 3.21 mm and the circularity index was 0.41. Clinicians should consider high performance retinal screening methods such angio-OCT evaluation for young T1D patients, especially for those with associated pathologies like high myopia and hemoglobinopathies. Moreover, multiple evaluation methods of the HbA1c values are mandatory as hemoglobinopathies can interfere with HbA1c assay methods accuracy.

Resonant light scattering by mesoscale dielectric spheres has received enormous attention and found many interesting applications. The recently emerged field of Mesotronics provides novel opportunities for wavelength-scaled optics and new fundamental aspects are still being uncovered. It has recently been demonstrated that high-order Mie resonances can be excited in homogeneous low-dissipation mesoscale dielectric spheres, leading to the generation of intense magnetic fields. This Letter describes a simple and effective way to drastically enhance the superresonance effect. Proof-of-principle results for the first time show that yet one more novel phenomenon of increasing the intensity of the magnetic field without changing the resonant Mie size parameter of the sphere by introducing an air cavity. In such a dielectric cenosphere (from two Greek words “kenos” - hollow and “sphaira” - sphere), by correct choosing of the air cavity size, it is possible to increase the intensity of the electromagnetic fields at the poles of the sphere by an order of magnitude due to increasing of amplitude of resonant partial wave coefficient.

This paper presents the design of a miniaturized polyimide-based antenna for Ultra-Wideband (UWB) communication. Miniaturization is achieved through the utilization of adhesive material with a high dielectric constant (high-Dk). The goal of this work is to investigate the impact of such material on the antenna performance and to optimize its design for UWB operation. The manufacturing of the antenna using the proposed structure was developed and the prototype of antenna for UWB high-band (6 - 9 GHz) is measured and analyzed. By leveraging the high Dk of the adhesive material, the simulation and measurement results showed that the proposed antenna with high Dk adhesive film can achieve the compact dimension with good performance in gain, and time domain characteristics. The results of this study show a potential of exhibiting a reduction in the size of the antenna and will contribute to the advancement of miniaturized UWB antenna technology.

The GPA is a universally recognised and utilised metric of academic performance that is considered to also measure a student’s potential for academic performance in the future. In this short communication we examine to what extent the GPA of the first grade of high school predicts performance in the later grades of high school, either generally (as classified in excellent student, strong student, weak student or very weak student) or more accurately (as indicated by the exact GPA in the next grade). We also put to the test the widely held notion that it might be best if core courses such as language and mathematics contributed more to the calculation of the GPA compared to secondary courses such as physical education or music. Our findings confirm the predictive properties of the GPA but strongly rebut the notion that a weighted GPA might achieve a better reflection of students’ potential. The study is based on the academic records of every student in Greece that progressed from first to third grade of high school in the 2016-2019 period. This data set contains records of more than 85,000 students, making it one of the most extensive studies ever conducted on the topic of the properties of the GPA.

High-fidelity patient simulation (HFPS) is widely used in professional training to enhance students’ competence in clinical management. Problem-solving (PS) and clinical reasoning (CR) skills are essential to developing students in professional competence in safe and effective care. These two skills should be initiated at the early training. However, little is known about the effects of HFPS on developing PS and CR skills in first year undergraduate students. Therefore, this pre- and post-experimental study aimed to investigate the effects of HFPS on development of PS and CR skills in first-year nursing students. The students were required to go through four sessions, preparation, pre-briefing and orientation, simulation role-playing, and debriefing, for the HFPS. The study utilized the Problem-Solving Inventory (PSI) and the Nurses Clinical Reasoning Scale (NCRS) to measure problem-solving and clinical reasoning abilities before and after HFPS. Bivariate analysis, one-sample t-test, and independent t-test were performed to evaluate the performance of the PS and CR skills at the two study periods. One hundred eighty-nine students were recruited, with a mean age of 20.56 years, and 73% were female students. The analytic results showed that the PSI, particularly in domains of Problem-Solving Confidence (PSC) (p&lt;0.001) and overall PS (p&lt;0.001), and the CR (p&lt;0.001) had significant improvement after HFPS. The study concluded that HFPS is an effective innovative method to significantly improve students’ problem-solving and clinical reasoning abilities. Nurse educators play an important role in providing explicit learning instructions in a simulation guideline that directs and guides students to learn at each stage of HFPS. Students should take more initiative and engage in their learning through HFPS to enhance their competence in knowledge and higher intellectual skills for personal and professional developments.