This study explores the application of the Laban/Bartenieff Movement System (® LBMS), particularly its Effort component, to analyze the biomechanical dynamics of the golf swing. Focusing on the initiation of the downswing, this paper investigates how the instantaneous screw axis (ISA) with rotational and linear motions contributes to subsequent movements, such as the hip turn. We propose that the physical forces generated by the golf club, characterized by mass moment inertia, extend beyond the body's boundaries, such as through the hand grip. A skilled golfer’s ability to 'allow' these forces to influence body dynamics without opposing them is analyzed through the lens of LBMS's Free Flow Effort, suggesting an indulgent and expansive use of movement energy.

This study explores the application of the Laban/Bartenieff Movement System (® LBMS), particularly its Effort component, to analyze the biomechanical dynamics of the golf swing. Focusing on the initiation of the downswing, this paper investigates how the instantaneous screw axis (ISA) with rotational and linear motions contributes to subsequent movements, such as the hip turn. We propose that the physical forces generated by the golf club, characterized by mass moment inertia, extend beyond the body's boundaries, such as through the hand grip. A skilled golfer’s ability to 'allow' these forces to influence body dynamics without opposing them is analyzed through the lens of LBMS's Free Flow Effort, suggesting an indulgent and expansive use of movement energy.

This research presents a novel algorithmic implementation to improve the analysis of visually controlled interception and accompanying motor action through the computational application of harmonic ratios and stimulation invariants. Unlike traditional models that focus mainly on psychological aspects, our approach integrates the relevant constructs into a practical mathematical framework. This allows for dynamic prediction of interception points with improved accuracy and real-time perception-action capabilities, essential for applications in neurorehabilitation and virtual reality. Our methodology uses stimulation invariants as key parameters within a mathematical model to quantitatively predict and improve interception outcomes. The results demonstrate the superior performance of our algorithms over conventional methods, confirming their potential for ad-vancing robotic vision systems and adaptive virtual environments. By translating complex theo-ries of visual perception into algorithmic solutions, this study provides innovative ways to im-prove motion perception and interactive systems. This study aims to articulate the complex inter-play of geometry, perception, and technology in understanding and utilizing cross-ratios at infin-ity, emphasizing their practical applications in virtual and augmented reality settings.

Low efficiency of in vivo transfection of a few fibers revealed a novel tissue network which temporally amplified growth stimulation in the entire regenerating rat soleus muscle. This acupuncture-like effect was demonstrated when the fibers began to grow after complete fiber degradation, synchronous inflammation, myoblast and myotube formation. The first detection of neonatal sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum ATPase (SERCA1b) has been made in this system. The neonatal, fast and slow SERCA isoforms displayed consequent change with innervation and differentiation, recapitulating events in muscle development. In vivo transfection of myotubes with plasmids expressing dominant negative Ras or a calcineurin inhibitor peptide (Cain/cabin) proved that the expression of the slow myosin heavy chain and the slow muscle type SERCA2a are dif-ferently regulated. In vivo transfection of a few nuclei of myotubes with dnRas or SER-CA1b shRNA stimulated fiber size growth in the whole regenerating muscle but only until the full size had been reached. Growth stimulation by Ras and SERCA1b antisense was abolished in co-transfection with Cain or in case of perimuscular injection with IL4 antibody. This revealed a novel signalling network resembling to scale-free networks which, starting from transfected fiber myonuclei as “hubs”, can amplify growth stimula-tion uniformly in the entire regenerating muscle.

Lamin A, B and C, the nuclear intermediate-filament proteins, play a role in epigenetic regulation. While Lamin B is expressed in all nucleated cells studied, Lamin A/C are transcribed in most somatic cell types except mature B lymphocytes. Since Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a human gammaherpesvirus, is associated with tumorigenic processes and is known to alter the epigenotype of its host cells, we studied the expression of the LMNA gene and its epigenetic marks in EBV-carrying human lymphoid cell lines. We observed a high lamin A/C mRNA and protein expression in EBV-immortalized lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) and in group III Burkitt lymphoma (BL) lines where hypomethylated first exons were observed with activating histone marks. In most cell lines with low promoter activity a highly methylated first exon could be detected. Our data showed that methylation of the first exon of LMNA was associated with the downregulation of LMNA expression whereas euchromatic histone marks were enriched at active LMNA promoters in EBV-immortalized LCLs. These data suggest a role for viral latency products to activate LMNAp in EBV-infected latency type III B cells in vitro. Expression of lamin A/C may contribute to the establishment of activated B cell phenotype that needs further explorations.

Over the past decades, overweight and obesity has become a global epidemic and the leading threat for death. To prevent the serious risk, an overweight or obese individual must apply a long-term weight-management strategy to control food intake and physical activities, which is however, not easy. Recently, with the advances of information technology, more and more people can use wearable devices and smartphones to obtain physical activity information, while they can also access various health-related information from Internet online social networks (OSNs). Nevertheless, there is a lack of an integrated approach that can combine these two methods in an efficient way. In this paper, we address this issue and propose a novel mobile-social framework for health recognition and recommendation, namely, H-Rec². The main ideas of H-Rec² include (1) to recognize the individual's health status using smartphone as a general platform, and (2) to recommend physical activity and food intake based on personal health information, life science principles, and health-related information obtained from OSNs. To demonstrate the potentials of the H-Rec² framework, we develop a prototype that consists of four important components: (1) an activity recognition module that senses physical activity using accelerometer, (2) a health status modeling module that applies a novel algorithm to generate personalized health status index, (3) a restaurant information collection module that collects relevant information from OSN, and (4) a restaurant recommendation module that provides personalized and context-aware recommendation. To evaluate the prototype, we conduct both objective and subjective experiments, which confirm the performance and effectiveness of the proposed system.

The article is devoted to issues related to the propagation and transformation of vortexes in the optical range of frequency. Within the framework of the traditional and modified model of slowly varying envelope approximation (SVEA), the process of converting vortex beams of the optical domain into vortex beams of the terahertz radio range based on nonlinear generation of a difference frequency in a medium with a second-order susceptibility is considered. The modified SVEA splits a slowly varying amplitude into two factors, which makes it possible to more accurately describe the three-wave mixing process. The theoretical substantiation of the rule of vortex beams topological charges conversion is given – the topological charge of the output radio-vortex beam is equal to the difference between the topological charges of the input optical vortex beams. A numerical simulation model of the processes under consideration has been implemented and analyzed.

Demand for green technologies and energy is in continuous growth in the last years. Compact efficient antennas are crucial for energy harvesting portable systems. Small antennas have low efficiency. The efficiency of communication and energy harvesting systems may be improved by using efficient passive and active antennas. The system dynamic range may be improved by connecting amplifiers to the printed antenna feed line. Design, design considerations, computed and measured results of wearable meta-materials antennas with high efficiency for energy harvesting applications are presented in this paper. All antennas were analyzed by using 3D full-wave software. The antennas electrical parameters on human body are presented. The directivity and gain of the antennas with Split-ring resonators, SRR, is higher by 2.5dB than the antennas without SRR. The resonant frequency of the antennas with SRR is lower by 5% to 10% than the antennas without SRR.

This article introduces a novel payload structure, which has been experimentally proven to have smaller impact force while the carried internal electronics remains intact. The study describes in details how materials and geometric structures were chosen based on information analysis. It is clarified how possible geometric structures and materials can be chosen to yield optimal efficiency. Finite element method simulations were carried out to investigate the mechanical properties of several geometric structures, which has led to the dodecahedron form. For the frame, Polylactic Acid were chosen as an optimal material. A low air pressure test for parts of the structure, and also the whole structure were carried out with successful results. Drop tests, with force measuring sensors and high speed videos, were carried out for measuring and comparing the maximal impact force of classical payloads and the novel one. Laboratory and real life tests demonstrated that the developed new structure is safer and it is applicable.

In this paper, inspired by recent articles of G. Anatriello and G. Vincenzi (see \cite{Ana}), and G. Cerda-Morales (see \cite{Cer1,Cer2}), we will introduce the third-order $\overline{h}$-Jacobsthal and third-order $\overline{h}$-Jacobsthal--Lucas sequences and their associated quaternions. The new results that we have obtained extend most of those obtained in \cite{Cer2}.

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.), a member of the Fabaceae family, is one of the important food legumes cultivated in cool temperate regions. It holds great importance for human consumption and livestock feed because of its high protein content, dietary fibre, and nutritional value. Major faba bean breeding challenges include its mixed breeding system, unknown wild progenitor, and genome size of ~13 Gb, which is the largest among diploid field crops. The key breeding objectives in faba bean include improved resistance to biotic and abiotic stress and enhanced seed quality traits. Major progress on reduction of vicine-convicine and seed coat tannins, the main anti-nutritional factors limiting faba bean seed usage, have been recently achieved through gene discovery. Genomic resources are relatively less advanced compared to other grain legume species, but significant improvements are underway due to a recent significant increase in research activities. A number of bi-parental populations have been constructed and mapped for targeted traits in the last decade. Faba bean now benefits from saturated synteny‐based genetic maps, along with next-generation sequencing and high-throughput genotyping technologies that are paving the way for marker-assisted selection. Developing a reference genome, and ultimately a pan-genome, will provide a foundational resource for molecular breeding. In this review, we cover the recent development and deployment of genomic tools for faba bean breeding.

The first two decades of the 21st-century have seen the emergence of the modern citizen science movement, increased demand for niche eco and wildlife tourism experiences, and the willingness of people to voluntarily share information and photographs online. To varying extents, the rapid growth of these three phenomena has been driven by the availability of portable smart devices, access to the Web 2.0 internet from almost anywhere on the planet, and the development of applications and services, including social media/networking sites (SNSs). In addition, the number of peer-reviewed publications that explore how text and images shared on SNSs can be data-mined for academic research has surged in recent years. This systematic quantitative review has two goals. The first goal is to provide an oversight of how the photographs that ecotourists share online are contributing to wildlife tourism research. The second goal is to promote the emerging photovoice technique as a theoretical context for social research based on the photographs and comments that ecotourists share on SNSs. From the perspectives of community benefits, conservation behaviours, and environmental education, there are many similarities between authentic ecotourism experiences and quality ecological citizen science programs. Much of the literature regarding the theory and practice of citizen science reports on the difficulties of attracting, training, motivating and retaining community members. The synthesis of this review is that crowdsourcing wildlife and tourism data from comments and photographs that ecotourists share on SNSs is a credible method of research that provides a self-replenishing pool of citizen scientists.

We have investigated the antiferromagnetic phase transition in the frustrated and multiferroic hexagonal manganites $h$-(Y$_{0.98}$ Eu$_{0.02}$)MnO$_3$ (YEMO) and $h$-YMnO$_3$ (YMO). Elastic neutron scattering has been used to study in detail the phase transition in YMO and YEMO in zero pressure and in YMO at a hydrostatic pressure of 1.5~GPa. In zero pressure, we find the critical temperature $T_{\rm N} = 72.11(5)$~K and 71.3(1)~K and the critical exponent $\beta = 0.206(3)$ and 0.22(2), for YEMO and YMO, respectively. This is in agreement with earlier work by Roessli {\em et al.}. In applied hydrostatic pressure of 1.5~GPa, the ordering temperature increases to $T_{\rm N} = 75.2(5)$~K, in agreement with earlier reports, while $\beta$ is unchanged. Inelastic neutron scattering was used to determine the anisotropy spin wave gap at the phase transition, expected from spin wave theory to close with a critical exponent $\beta'$ identical to the one of the order parameter, $\beta' = \beta$. Our results indicate that the gap in YEMO indeed closes at $T_{\rm N}=72.4(3)$~K with $\beta' = 0.24(2)$, while the in-pressure gap in YMO closes at 75.2(5)~K with an exponent of $\beta' =0.19(3)$. In addition, the low-temperature anisotropy gap was found to have a slightly higher absolute value under pressure. The consistent values obtained for $\beta$ in the two systems support the likelihood of a new universality class for triangular, frustrated antiferromagnets.

High concentrations of sodium (Na+), chloride (Cl-), calcium (Ca2+), and sulphate (SO42-) are fre-quently found in saline soils. Crop plants cannot successfully develop and produce because salt stress impairs the uptake of calcium, potassium, and water into plant cells. Different intracellular and extracellular ionic concentration changes by salinity, including those of calcium, potassium, and protons. These cations serve as stress signaling molecules in addition to being essential for ionic homeostasis and nutrition. Maintaining an appropriate K+: Na+ ratio is one crucial plant mechanism for salt tolerance, which is a complicated trait. Another important mechanism is the ability for fast extrusion of Na+ from the cytosol. Calcium is established as a ubiquitous secondary messenger, which transmits various stress signals into metabolic alterations that cause adaptive responses. When plants are under stress, the cytosolic-free Ca2+ concentration can rise to 10 times or more from its resting level of 50-100 nanomolar. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are linked to the calcium alterations, and are produced by stress. Depending on the type, frequency and intensity of the stress, the cytosolic calcium signals oscillate, are transient, or persist for a longer period and exhibit specific "signatures". Both the input and efflux of Ca2+ from the cytosol affect the length and amplitude of the signal. According to several reports, under stress calcium alterations can occur not only in the cytoplasm of the cell but also in the cell walls, nucleus and other cell organelles and the calcium waves propagate through the whole plant. Here, we will focus on how wheat and other important crops absorb Na+, K+ and Cl- when plants are under salt stress, as well as how calcium, potassium, and pH cause intracellular signaling and homeostasis. Similar mechanisms in the model plant Arabidopsis will also be considered.

The treatment of the bulky Rind-based dibromosilanes, (Rind)2SiBr2 (2) [Rind = 1,1,7,7-tetra-R1-3,3,5,5-tetra-R2-s-hydrindacen-4-yl: EMind (a: R1 = Et, R2 = Me) and Eind (b: R1 = R2 = Et)], with two equivalents of tBuLi in Et2O at low temperatures resulted in the formation of blue solutions derived from the diarylsilylenes, (Rind)2Si: (3). Upon warming the solutions above −20 °C, the blue color gradually faded, accompanying the decomposition of 3 and yielding the cyclic hydrosilanes (4) via intramolecular C−H bond insertion at the Si(II) center. The molecular structures of the bulky Eind-based 3b and 4b were confirmed by X-ray crystallography. Thus, at −20 °C, blue crystals were formed (Crystal-A), which were identified as mixed crystals of 3b and 4b. Additionally, colorless crystals of 4b as a singular component were isolated (Crystal-B), whose structure was also determined by an X-ray diffraction analysis. Although the isolation of 3 was difficult due to their thermally-labile nature, their structural characteristics and electronic properties were discussed based on the experimental findings complemented by computational results. We also examined the hydrolysis of 3b to afford the silanol, (Eind)2SiH(OH) (5b).

The human landscape transforming activity contributes to the global change of vegetation in different forms. Hunting is one of the most ancient human landscape-shaping activities. Feeders for hunting are particularly disruptive to vegetation. In the present study, we conducted a vegetation survey in these highly disturbed places. We are investigating the vegetation dynamics over several years in in the turkey oak–sessile oak zone, in two areas with different moisture and shade conditions (forest and clearing). One important background factor is changes in precipitation and temperature. The novelty of our present study lies in the fact that the observation takes place with continuous disturbance, where the human influence is very large. Our results confirm that the weed infestation be detectable at bait sites over a long period, and the interannual changes were typical in every year, according to the fact that in August, more weed species are usually present with a greater cover at the bait sites. The main meteorological factors played a role in the degree of weed infestation in each year. There was a higher proportion of vegetation regeneration in wetter years, while dry periods do not favor successional processes. With the drying of the climate, the disturbed areas are constantly losing their natural value, but wetter weather is not an automatic solution either. A more precise understanding of vulnerable systems and careful planning of treatment interventions is necessary.

A large number of novel treatments for myeloma have been developed and approved, however alkylating drugs continue to be part of standard regimens, additionally, novel alkylators are currently being developed. We performed a non-systematized literary search for relevant papers and communications at large conferences, as well as exploiting the authors knowledge of the field to review the history, current use and novel concepts around traditional alkylators cyclophosphamide, bendamustine and melphalan and current data on the newly developed pro-drug melflufen. Even in the era of targeted treatment and personalized medicine, alkylating drugs continue to be part of standard-of-care in myeloma, and new alkylators are coming to the market.

We report on the occurrence of natural Magnesium Alumina Silicate Hydrate (M-(A)-S-H) cement at Feragen and Leka in eastern and western Trøndelag Norway, respectively. Both occurrences are located in the sub-arctic climate zone and form in glacial till and moraine material deposited on ultramafic rock during the Weichselian glaciation. Weathering of serpentinized peridotite dissolve brucite and result in a relative high pH alkaline fluid that subsequently reacts with the felsic minerals of the till (quartz, plagioclase, K-feldspar) to form a cement consisting of an amorphous material or a mixture of nanocrystalline Mg-rich phyllosilicates, including illite. The presence of plagioclase in the till results in the enrichment of alumina in the cement, i.e., forms M-A-S-H instead of the M-S-H cement. Dissolution of quartz results in numerous etch-pits and negative quartz crystals filled with M-A-S-H cement. Where the quartz dissolution is faster that the cement precipitation, a honeycomb-like texture is formed. Compositionally the cemented till (tillite) contains more MgO and has a higher loss of ignition than the till, suggesting that the cement is formed by a MgO fluid that previously reacted with the peridotite. The M-(A)-S-H cemented till represent a new type of duricrust, coined magsilcrete. The study of natural Mg-cement provides information on peridotites as a Mg-source for Mg-cement and as a feedstock for CO2 sequestration.

During the 2008 Great Recession, many families with children relied on cash assistance from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The present study applied Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA) tools to analyze geographically varying spatial clusters of states’ unemployment rates, TANF caseload growth rates, TANF policy choices such as benefit levels and TANF responsiveness rates to the recession. We analyzed 45 contiguous states and Washington D.C. A standardized TANF responsiveness index was developed to compare states’ TANF growth rates relative to their labor market conditions. The western states were found to be very responsive to the recession with ratios greater than one. In contrast, Texas and Arizona, with ratios below 1, were unresponsive to the recession. The presence of strong spatial clusters in unemployment rate and TANF maximum aid were found. In the case of maximum aid, there was a strong presence of Low-Low spatial clusters in Southern States and High-High clusters in Northeastern States. The findings suggest that several neighboring states in the northeast and some in the south had similar levels of financial commitment during the 2008 recessionary as the ones found by earlier research conducted during non-recessionary periods. The findings have implications for future federal actions and for state level collaboration.

In the context of growing global political tension and introduction of world trade barriers, the urgent task is to develop new tools for assessing their consequences. In the paper we present the agent-based model of trade wars, considering organizations, states and residents generated using initial statistical data. Simulation determines changes in output and supplies of organizations under trade restrictions. Results of calculations on the developed model and comparison of various model complexes forecasts with real consequences of trade wars between the USA and China in 2018 and Western countries against Russia in 2022 are presented. Within calculations four scenarios were considered: (1) baseline, (2) new restrictions between China and the USA, (3) more serious sanctions against China and Russia by the USA and the EU, (4) a global trade war. In the second scenario deviation GDP of the USA and China from the baseline scenario does not exceed 0.5%. In the third scenario, the range of countries involved is expanding, and the fall in GDP in them is expected at the level of 0.7-1%. In the fourth scenario, the entire world economy experiences a serious slowdown, and the EU are facing the most severe consequences, going into recession.

Here we explore the emerging role of NKG2D CAR-T cell therapy in the realm of solid tumor treatment. Unique capabilities of NKG2D CAR-T cells to recognize stress-induced ligands on cancer cells are discussed, highlighting the therapy's potential for targeted and precise antitumor responses. We also examine the challenges and opportunities associated with NKG2D CAR-T cell therapy, emphasizing the ongoing advancements and clinical trial progress shaping its future. Ultimately, the discussion underscores the transformative promise of NKG2D CAR-T cell therapy in revolutionizing the landscape of solid tumor treatment and enhancing the prospects for improved patient outcomes.

In this paper a full state feedback control of a double inverted pendulum on a cart (DIPC) are designed and compared. Modeling is based on Euler-Lagrange equations derived by specifying a Lagrangian, difference between kinetic and potential energy of the DIPC system. A full state feedback control with H infinity and H 2 is addressed. Two approaches are tested: open loop impulse response and a double inverted pendulum on a cart with full state feedback H infinity and H 2 controllers. Simulations reveal superior performance of the double inverted pendulum on a cart with full state feedback H infinity controller.

Popular devotions are reflections and expressions of the people’s faith. They are expressions of how people recognize God in their lives, and as a shared experience, they foster expressions of devotion and thus become a manifestation of prayer. Popular devotions as forms of prayer and worship do not contradict the Sacred Liturgy but are acknowledged as legitimate by the Apostolic See. Moreover, popular devotions, in general, lead to the cultivation of some values. One of the most popular devotions among Filipino Catholics is the devotion to the Black Nazarene, a life-sized statue of Jesus Christ kneeling in one knee carrying the cross-dressed in a maroon robe. His face is marked with wounds and blood. His head is crowned with thorns with three gold-plated metal rays on the top of his head, with his eyes looking up to heaven. The Black Nazarene devotion balances Christology from below and above, i.e., Christ does not remain crucified. Instead, he brings the hope of resurrection to those who fervently approach him with faith, hope, and love. It suffices to say that the Black Nazarene serves as a means for the Filipino faithful to encounter Christ in their lives. Given this, this paper aims to appraise the Black Nazarene Devotion as a means that contributes to the New Evangelization among Filipino Catholics. More specifically, this paper seeks to answer how the devotion to the Black Nazarene aids Filipino Catholics in their desire to sustain and grow in their faith amidst the crises and problems they are facing.

Grape foods fermented with probiotics are sources of beneficial bacteria for the GI tract and also have a high antioxidant capacity. The addition of probiotics to ferment food has always been a traditional process; therefore, probiotic dairy and non-dairy products might contribute to a daily antioxidant diet to improve consumers’ life quality and health. This research was undertaken to determine the viability of 4 wild isolates of Lactobacillus for storage at 5 and 25ºC within 90 days in simulated synthetic grape media and a standard grape marmalade formulation. Changes in active culture numbers, pH level, glucose concentration, and antioxidant properties were evaluated. Most of the isolates demonstrated higher growth in the grape marmalade than the synthetic grape marmalade, which was greater than 7 Log cfu/g within 90 days of storage at 5ºC. In addition, most of the wild isolates grew beyond the critical count of 106 cfu/g in sampling between 60 and 90 days of storage. Moreover, fermented grape marmalade with probiotics showed a strong antioxidant capacity that failed to differ significantly with the synthetic medium. The study confirmed L. paraplantarum, L. plantarum, W. paramesenteroides, and E. feacalis were ideal probiotics for fermentation process of grape marmalade.

Clinical rehabilitation and sports performance analysis both require the objectification of movement. Kinovea^© is a free 2D motion analysis software that enables the establishment of kinematics parameters. This low-cost technology has been used in sports sciences, as well as clinical field and research work. Although it has been validated as a tool with which to assess time-related variables, this is not yet the case regarding angular and distance variables. The main objective of this study was to determine the validity and reliability of the Kinovea software in obtaining angular and distance data at different perspectives of 90°, 75°, 60° and 45°. For this purpose, a figure with 29 points was designed (in AutoCAD) and 24 frames analysed. Each frame was examined by three observers who each made two attempts. For each export data item, 20 angles and 20 distance variables were calculated, with intra- and inter-observer reliability also analysed. To evaluate Kinovea reliability and validity a multiple approach was applied involving the following analysis: -systematic error with a two-way ANOVA 2x4; -relative reliability with ICC and CV (95% confidence interval); -absolute reliability with Standard Error. The results thus obtained indicate that the Kinovea software is a valid and reliable tool that is able to measure accurately at distances up to 5 m from the object and at an angle range of 90°–45°. Nevertheless, for optimum results an angle of 90° is suggested.

Abstract: This study presents a methodological framework for AD and MCI diagnosis using radiomic analysis of 18FDG-PET imaging and conducts non-invasive predictions and in-depth analysis of AD and MCI and the associated small number of regions and features. Our methodology follows a structured process commencing with data preprocessing and labeling, facilitating segmentation through FastSurfer, a tool that efficiently segments the brain into 95 ROIs using the DKT-atlas. Subsequently, Feature extraction was carried out using PyRadiomics, calculating 120 features for each of the 95 ROIs (11,400 per image). These extracted features form the foundation of our radiomics analysis, primarily for early diagnostic purposes. In the feature selection phase, we explored a set of eight commonly employed techniques, including ANOVA, PCA, and LASSO, originating from the four main categories, namely filtered, embedded, wrapper, and hybrid methods, to identify a pertinent subset of features. Our evaluation assessed the performance of nine classification methods, such as GradientBoosting, RandomForest, and GaussianNB, in conjunction with eight feature selection techniques. The choice of feature selection method and classifiers was predicated on their ability to achieve the best area under the ROC curve with independent data. For all three predictions AD vs. CN, AD vs. MCI, and CN vs. MCI the Random Forest (RF) classifier with LASSO feature selection demonstrated the highest accuracy with an AUC of 0.976 for AD vs CN, AUC=0.917 for AD vs MCI, and AUC=0.877 for MCI vs CN. In conclusion, our RAB-PET platform enables efficient AD and MCI diagnosis from FDG-PET images using a radiomics pipeline. It also offers a general hardware and software tool for the investigation of other brain disorders.

Using the h-index to assess individual researchers is not only unethical and unfair but also inaccurate and misleading. This index fails to offer a reliable measure of a researcher's impact based on their citation scores. Beyond statistical and conceptual considerations, authorship practices, especially in the case of multi-authored publications, give rise to significant problems that often go unnoticed. While some modifications of the h-index have been proposed to mitigate these weaknesses, the fundamental deficiencies persist. Most of these flaws have been effectively addressed by the c-score, a composite citation index. The c-score excludes self-citations, normalizes the number of citations by considering the number of authors in each paper, and takes into account first, single, and last authorship. This approach provides a more realistic measure of the impact of each individual researcher based on raw citations.

In this paper, we investigate a new $q$-analogue of the higher order degenerate Changhee polynomials and numbers, which are called the Witt-type formula for the $q$-analogue of degenerate Changhee polynomials of order $r$. We can derive some new interesting identities related to the degenerate $(h,q)$-Changhee polynomials and numbers.

In this paper, we investigate a new $q$-analogue of the higher order degenerate Changhee polynomials and numbers, which are called the Witt-type formula for the $q$-analogue of degenerate Changhee polynomials of order $r$. We can derive some new interesting identities related to the degenerate $(h,q)$-Changhee polynomials and numbers.

In this data deposit, I describe a dataset that is the result of content mining 167,318 published articles for statistical test results. As a result of this content mining, 688,112 results from 50,845 articles were extracted. In order to provide a comprehensive set of data, the statistical results are supplemented with metadata from the article they originate from. The dataset is provided in a comma separated file (CSV) in long-format. For each of the 688,112 results, 20 variables are included, of which seven are article metadata and 13 pertain to the individual statistical results (e.g., reported and recalculated p-value). A five-pronged approach was taken to generate the dataset: (i) collect journal lists, (ii) spider journal pages for articles, (iii) download articles, (iv) add article metadata, and (v) mine articles for statistical results.

Studies on crop response to light quality [red (R) to far-red (FR) light ratio] often recommend early weed removal to reduce the effects of shade avoidance responses on crop yield. However, it is unclear whether crops are able to distinguish reflected light quality of kin from that of non-kin. We evaluated the response of sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.) to reflected FR light from sugarbeet, common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), and bare soil (control) under outdoor conditions in 2016 and 2017. Treatments were completely randomized with 10 replications per treatment. The study methods ensured there was no direct resource competition. The reflected R:FR of plant species ranged from 0.06 (common lambsquarters) to 0.24 (sugarbeet) compared to 0.7 for the bare soil. In both 2016 and 2017, there were 2 to 4 more leaves in the sugarbeet surrounded by soil compared to sugarbeet surrounded by neighboring species. There was up to 47, 57, 43, and 23% reduction in sugarbeet leaf area, shoot dry weight, root diameter, and root dry weight, respectively, due to reflected R:FR light from neighboring species. Sugarbeet did not respond differently to reflected light quality of kin compared to non-kin.

Enteric viruses are the major cause of gastroenteritis and enteric hepatitis worldwide, but in some areas like Saudi Arabia little data is known about their presence in water sources. The available information from clinical samples is not enough to figure their actual prevalence. The aim of this study was to gather information for the first time in Saudi Arabia on the presence of Norovirus (NoV) genogroup GI and GII, hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) in water. For this purpose, thirteen monthly samples were collected in lake Wadi Hanifa and surrounding wells from December 2014 to November 2015. Viruses were detected and quantified by Real-time RT-qPCR. Despite HEV findings were anecdotic, our results highlight interesting behaviors of the other viruses. There was a higher prevalence of noroviruses in Wadi Hanifa samples than in well water samples (46.43% vs12.5% of NoV GI; 66.67% vs8.33% of NoV GII). On the contrary, similar levels of HAV positivity were observed (40.48% in surface water vs 43.06% in well water). Also, a strong influence of flooding events on HAV and NoV GI occurrence was observed in both surface and well water samples, being NoV GII apparently not affected.

In this paper, we propose an imagined speech-based brain wave pattern recognition using deep learning. Multiple features were extracted concurrently from eight-channel Electroencephalography (EEG) signals. To obtain classifiable EEG data with fewer number of sensors, we placed the EEG sensors on carefully selected spots on the scalp. To decrease the dimensions and complexity of the EEG dataset and to avoid overfitting during the deep learning algorithm, we utilized the wavelet scattering transformation. A low-cost 8-channel EEG headset was used with MATLAB 2023a to acquire the EEG data. The Long-Short Term Memory Recurrent Neural Network (LSTM-RNN) was used to decode the identified EEG signals into four audio commands: Up, Down, Left, and Right. Wavelet scattering transformation was applied to extract the most stable features by passing the EEG dataset through a series of filtration processes. Filtration has been implemented for each individual command in the EEG datasets. The proposed imagined speech-based brain wave pattern recognition approach achieved a 92.50% overall classification accuracy. This accuracy is promising for designing a trustworthy imagined speech-based Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) future real-time systems. For better evaluation of the classification performance, other metrics were considered, and we obtained 92.74%, 92.50% and 92.62% for precision, recall, and F1-score, respectively.

A modular approach to the construction of electric machines, drive systems, power supply systems is a new direction of modern technology development. Especially, the modular approach is promising for electric vehicles due to such positive aspects as increased efficiency, fault tolerance, overall reliability, safety, enhanced control capabilities, etc. In this work, the modular approach is comprehensively applied to an EV powertrain system, which includes a dual three-phase (DTP) BLDC motor with two machine modules of an asymmetric configuration, two battery modules and a supercapacitor module (SCM). The proposed H–H configuration of modular EV powertrain system includes four voltage source inverters that combine the power modules with the open ends of the windings (OEW) of the module machine armature, and provide control of their operation. Based on the developed mode system of the OEW machine module operation for EV traction and braking, a general control algorithm for the proposed configuration of the modular EV powertrain system has been developed. It combines the control of the operating modes with the functions of maintaining the required SOC level of the SCM and equalizing the SOCs of the two battery modules. The conducted simulation and experimental studies confirmed the workability and effectiveness of the proposed solutions.

In this paper, the design and analysis of coupled tank water level control system is done using robust control theory. The main aim of this work is to improve level controlling mechanisms in industries and household areas. In this paper, H ∞ and μ –synthesis controllers are designed to improve the level control system. The coupled tank water level control system is designed using the proposed controller’s comparison and tested for tracking a reference level signals (step, sine wave and random) and simulation results have been analyzed successfully. Finally the comparative simulation results prove the effectiveness of the proposed coupled tank water level control system with H ∞ controller for improving the tracking mechanism performance of the system.

In this work, we introduce the class of h-MN-convex functions by generalizing the concept of MN-convexity and combining it with h-convexity. Namely, let M : [0, 1] → [a, b] be a Mean function given by M (t) = M (t; a, b); where by M (t; a, b) we mean one of the following functions: A_t (a, b) := (1 − t) a + tb, G_t (a, b) = a^1−tb^t and H_t (a, b) := $\frac{ab}{ta+\left(1-t\right)b}=\frac{1}{A_t\left(\frac{1}{a},\frac{1}{b}\right)}$ with the property that M (0; a, b) = a and M (1; a, b) = b. Let I, J be two intervals subset of (0, ∞) such that (0, 1) ⊆ J and [a, b] ⊆ I. Consider a non-negative function h : J → (0, ∞), a function f : I → (0, ∞) is said to be h-MN-convex (concave) if the inequality f (M (t; x, y)) ≤ (≥) N (h(t); f (x), f (y)), holds for all x, y ∈ I and t ∈ [0, 1]. In this way, nine classes of h-MN-convex functions are established, and therefore some analytic properties for each class of functions are explored and investigated. Characterizations of each type are given. Various Jensen’s type inequalities and their converses are proved.

One of the main challenges of cultured meat is reducing the costs of production, often described as scaling. The main components of the cultivation process include: cells, media, scaffolds and bioreactors. This work presents an alternative to current stainless steel or glass bioreactors and uses food-grade plant-based scaffolds. Bioreactors must be sterile and leak-free to maintain a proper environment for cell growth. Thermoplastic films are a popular material for constructing these fluidic systems, but traditional methods of welding these film are expensive and do not allow rapid prototyping resulting in high research and development costs for companies. In this study, a laser welding method was developed to join thermoplastic films in a way that prevents contamination and leaks, affording effective macro-fluidics fabrication. This technique was tested using polyethylene (PET) films and a laser cutter operating with settings calibrated for the material to be welded or cut. The laser welding method was found to produce strong, leak-free seals in PET films with minimal heat-induced damage to the films. The ability to design fluidics, chambers and ports of various size. Using this method afforded the incorporation of plant-based scaffolds from food-grade plants (Rice). The laser welding method developed in this study provides a reliable, contamination-free method for the rapid fabrication of fluidic systems for cell cultivation. This technique has the potential to be compatible with a vast range of cell types and scaffolds and to be widely adopted in tissue engineering for regenerative medicine and food applications such as cultured meat.

Detecting and monitoring changes in soil salinity through remote sensing provides an opportunity for field assessment in regions where on-site measurements are limited. This investigation, carried out in Siwa Oasis, Egypt, aimed to assess the efficacy of several soil salinity indices derived from Landsat 5 and 7 satellite images. To achieve this, 56 on-site ground measurements were utilized for evaluation purposes. The study aimed to improve the correlation between EC and index values and explore the relationship between salinity and changes in land cover. Eleven spectral indices were calculated for nine scenes captured in different months from August to December. The first approach involved stacking the data to identify the index with the strongest correlation with ground EC values, without the need for complex analysis or EC value ranging. In the second approach, the ground EC measurements were classified into seven different salinity categories, and the correlation coefficient was calculated between each index and each salinity category. The third approach analyzed the data temporally, considering different salinity levels. Lastly, a spatial correlation analysis was conducted between EC and index values in the fourth scenario. The initial approach revealed a weak correlation due to substantial variation in EC values. However, the SI index demonstrated the highest correlation coefficient of 0.38. In the second scenario, the S2 index exhibited the highest correlation of 0.96 for moderate salinity samples. The third scenario showed that the S1 index achieved the highest correlation value of 0.99 for moderately saline areas. In the fourth scenario, the SI index exhibited the strongest correlation among all four ponds with correlation coefficients of 0.23, 0.23, 0.18, and 0.61. Notably, the correlations observed in the second and third scenarios demonstrated higher correlation coefficients compared to both the first and fourth scenarios. The study highlighted significant variations in EC levels related to land cover types and pond elevation. Additionally, remote sensing methods detected a 48% increase in total vegetated area over 17 years, showing the potential of remote sensing techniques in salinity monitoring for expanding agriculture and improving land management.

Metal nanoparticles are used to modify/enhance the properties of a polymer matrix for a broad range of applications in bio-nanotechnology. Here, we study the properties of polymer/gold nanoparticle (NP) nanocomposites through atomistic molecular dynamics, MD, simulations. We probe the structural, conformational and dynamical properties of polymer chains at the vicinity of a gold (Au) NP and a functionalized (core/shell) Au NP, and compare them against the behavior of bulk PE. The bare Au NPs were constructed via a systematic methodology starting from ab-initio calculations and an atomistic Wulff construction algorithm resulting in the crystal shape with the minimum surface energy. For the functionalized NPs the interactions between gold atoms and chemically adsorbed functional groups change their shape. As a model polymer matrix we consider polyethylene of different molecular lengths, from the oligomer to unentangled Rouse like systems. By computing the different properties the concept of the interface, and the interphase as well, in polymer nanocomposites with metal NPs are critically examined. Results concerning polymer density profiles, bond order parameter, segmental and terminal dynamics show clearly that the size of the interface / interphase, depends on the actual property under study. In addition, the anchored polymeric chains change the behavior/properties, and especially the chain density profile and the dynamics, of the polymer chain at the vicinity of the Au NP.

A useful and increasingly common additive manufacturing (AM) process is the selective laser melting (SLM) or direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) process. SLM/DMLS can produce full-density metal parts from difficult materials, but it tends to suffer from severe residual stresses introduced during processing. This limits the usefulness and applicability of the process, particularly in the fabrication of parts with delicate overhanging and protruding features. The purpose of this study was to examine the current insight and progress made toward understanding and eliminating the problem in overhanging and protruding structures. To accomplish this, a survey of literature was undertaken, focusing on process modeling (general, heat transfer, stress and distortion, and material models), direct process control (input and environmental control, hardware-in-the-loop monitoring, parameter optimization, and post-processing), experiment development (methods for evaluation, optical and mechanical process monitoring, imaging, and design-of-experiments), support structure optimization, and overhang feature design; approximately 140 published works were examined. The major findings of this study were that a small minority of the literature on SLM/DMLS deals explicitly with the overhanging stress problem, but some fundamental work has been done on the problem. Implications, needs, and potential future research directions are discussed in-depth in light of the present review.

This paper aims to unify q-derivative/q-integral and h-derivative/h-integral in a single definition, this will be called q−h-derivative/q−h-integral. These notions are further extended on finite interval [a,b] in the form of left and right q−h-derivatives and q−h-integrals. Some inequalities are studied for q−h-integrals which are directly connected with well known results. In diverse fields of science and engineering the theory based on q-derivatives/q-integrals and h-derivatives/h-integrals can be unified by using the concept of q−h-derivative/q−h-integral.

Ependymoma is responsible for 8–10% of all pediatric brain tumors and constitutes the third most common brain tumor in children. No robust molecular markers are yet in routine clinical use. Surgical resection and adjuvant radiotherapy cure approximately 40-70% of pediatric patients with ependymoma. In our centre, we have been using prophylactic valproic acid treatment for brain tumor patients. Initial observations indicated that valproate could have a beneficial effect in the survival of patients. Recent observations by other authors have shown that patients with glioblastoma benefited from the treatment with valproic acid, a histone deacetylase inhibitor. We have used random survival forest, a novel ensemble survival modelling method to study a single- center, small number cohort of pediatric patients with ependymoma. This analysis has confirmed surgery resection extent and treatment with radiotherapy as independent predictors of overall survival. Treatment with valproic acid was also a predictor of higher survival in this cohort. These results highlight the potential usefullness of the random survival forest model in gathering information from retrospective data. More data is needed about the possible influence of histone deacetylase inhibition by valproic acid in the survival of patients with ependymoma.

Twelve overnight fasted, healthy, male volunteers received on separate days a test breakfast consisting of (A) 100 g fresh white bread (providing 50 g starch) and 250 mL drinking water, (B) the same bread with a supplement of 10 g alpha-cyclodextrin dissolved in the drinking water (250 mL), and (C) 250 mL drinking water containing 25 g alpha-cyclodextrin. Capillary and venous blood samples were collected before breakfast and at regular intervals for a period of 3 hours thereafter. Plasma glucose was determined in capillary blood and plasma insulin in venous blood samples. Breakfast (A) let to the expected rise in blood glucose and insulin concentrations. Breakfast (C) did not produce a significant glycemic and insulinemic response, demonstrating that alpha-cyclodextrin is not hydrolyzed to glucose in the human digestive tract. Mild intestinal symptoms after the ingestion of alpha-cyclodextrin were reported by 4 subjects. The postprandial rises of plasma glucose and insulin were significantly smaller after breakfast (B) than (A). Under the conditions of this study, alpha-cyclodextrin reduced the glycemic and insulinemic index of white bread by 57 and 55 %, respectively. The postprandial time profile of plasma glucose and insulin suggests that, in an initial phase, the digestion of starch is inhibited by alpha-cyclodextrin almost completely. Yet, despite the delayed and reduced digestion of starch, the intake of breakfast (B) was not associated with flatulence or any other gastrointestinal symptoms.

In this study, we define new classes of convexity called of h-Godunova-Levin and h-Godunova-Levin preinvexity, through which some new inequalities of Hermite-Hadamard type were established. These new classes are the generalisation of several known convexity including the s-convex, P-function, Godunova-Levin. Further, the properties of h-Godunova-Levin function were also discussed. Meanwhile, the applications of h-Godunova-Levin Preinvex function are given

In this work, several inequalities of Popoviciu type for h-MN-convex functions are proved, where M and N are denote to Arithmetic, Geometric and Harmonic means and h is a non-negative superadditive or subadditive function.

The paper examines design and operating data of current concentrated solar power (CSP) solar tower (ST) plants. The study includes CSP with or without boost by combustion of natural gas (NG), and with or without thermal energy storage (TES). The latest, actual specific costs per installed capacity are very high, 6085 $/kW for Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System (ISEGS) with no TES, and 9227 $/kW for Crescent Dunes with TES. The actual production of electricity is very low and much less than the expected. The actual capacity factors are 22% for ISEGS, despite combustion of a significant amount of NG largely exceeding the planned values, and 13% for Crescent Dunes. The design values were 33% and 52%. The study then reviews the proposed technology updates to produce better ratio of solar field power to electric power, better capacity factor, better matching of production and demand, lower plant’s cost, improved reliability and increased life span of plant’s components. The key areas of progress are found in materials and manufacturing processes, design of solar field and receiver, receiver and power block fluids, power cycle parameters, optimal management of daily and seasonal operation of the plant, new TES concepts, integration of solar plant with thermal desalination, integration of solar plant with combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) installations and finally, specialization and regionalization of the project specification.

The spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global challenge. Close and continuous surveillance for quick detection of AMR can be difficult, especially in remote places. This narrative review focuses on the contributions of pharmacovigilance (PV) as an auxiliary tool for identifying and monitoring the ineffectiveness of, resistance to, and inappropriate use of antibiotics (ABs). The terms “drug ineffective,” “therapeutic failure,” “drug resistance,” “pathogen resistance,” and “multidrug resistance” were found in PV databases and dictionnaires, and denote ineffectiveness. These terms cover a range of problems that should be better investigated because they are useful in warning about possible causes of AMR. “Medication errors,” especially those related to dose and indication, are highlighted in the literature, suggesting inappropriate use of ABs. Hence, the included studies show that the terms of interest related to AMR are not only present but frequent in PV surveillance programs. This review illustrates the feasibility of using PV as a complementary tool for antimicrobial stewardship activities, especially in scenarios where other resources are scarce.

Renewable resources gain increasing interest as source for environmentally benign biomaterials, such as drug encapsulation/release compounds, and scaffolds for tissue engineering in regenerative medicine. Being the second largest naturally abundant polymer, the interest in lignin valorization for biomedical utilization is rapidly growing. Depending on resource and isolation procedure, lignin shows specific antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. Today, efforts in research and industry are directed toward lignin utilization as renewable macromolecular building block for the preparation of polymeric drug encapsulation and scaffold materials. Within the last five years, remarkable progress has been made in isolation, functionalization and modification of lignin and lignin-derived compounds. However, literature so far mainly focuses lignin-derived fuels, lubricants and resins. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current state of the art and to highlight the most important results in the field of lignin-based materials for potential use in biomedicine (reported in 2014–2018). Special focus is drawn on lignin-derived nanomaterials for drug encapsulation and release as well as lignin hybrid materials used as scaffolds for guided bone regeneration in stem cell-based therapies.

Many reported sea level records are often not a single measurement. They are then a composition of different records from several tide gauges. Sometimes, they are from the same tide gauge, but the tide gauge stability has been affected by earthquakes. This is the case of Guam as discussed in the present manuscript. The claimed sea level acceleration of Guam is only the result of two earthquakes that have compromised the stability of the tide gauge.

This work presents the computation of reliable warming trends for central Australia around Alice Springs within a circle of radius 1,000 km. Between 1880 and 2011, the average warming for the centre of Australia is +0.166 ºC/century, slightly smaller than the warming of Alice Springs, that is +0.176 ºC/century. Over a shorter time between 1910 and 2011, the centre of Australia is warming +0.794 ºC/century, slightly more than the warming of Alice Springs, that is +0.719 ºC/century.

Abstract Antibacterial activities can be improved using mixed ligands. Mixed ligands involved in this research are sodium sulfadiazine (Na-sfz) and dithiocarbamate (ai-dtc). One-pot synthesis was used to synthesize ligand of aniline dithiocarbamate (ai-dtc) and the corresponding coordination compounds of [VO(sfz)(ai-dtc)] and [Zn(sfz)(ai-dtc)]. Crystals of ai-dtc, which grew from the solution when refrigerated after five days, were diffracted with technique of single crystal x-ray crystallography to reveal the structure. Other characterization techniques involving physicochemical parameters, FT-IR, UV-Vis and NMR (1H NMR and 13C NMR) were carried out on ligands of ai-dtc, sfz and corresponding coordination compounds. Differences in results of FT-IR, UV-Vis and NMR between ligands and their respective metal ions confirmed the coordination. The in vitro antibacterial studies showed that the ligands (not the metal complexes) had modest activity against Gram negative bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus, whereas, the coordination compounds had modest activities against the Gram negative bacteria: Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

This pilot study explores the potential of using a citizen science approach for sourcing volunteered geographic information via social media to research wildlife tourism interactions with endangered Borneo Pygmy Elephants on the lower Kinabatangan River in Sabah, Malaysia. Such information is critical if the lower Kinabatangan region is to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through a sustainable tourism industry based around viewing the pygmy elephants. Guests and guides from the Sukau Rainforest Lodge were encouraged to become close-range remote sensors by sharing geotagged photographs of pygmy elephant sightings on Flickr. A ten week on-ground trail generated 247 photographs shared by 17 individual contributors with approximately two-thirds (65%) of photographs being georeferenced for the time and location of the elephant sighting. Plotting those sighting to explore the vegetation matrix (i.e. remnant forest or oil palm plantation) showed almost three-quarter (73%) of the sightings occurred within 1 km of an oil palm plantation. Of greater concern is that one in two sightings (50%) along the river occurred within the 500 m of an oil palm planation, which is inside the riparian buffer that the Sabah Government recommended for conservation of the elephants in their Lower Kinabatangan range. This study therefore demonstrates proof of concept for this research method and its further application at the nexus of wildlife conservation and sustainable ecotourism research.

Peri-urban forests often have extensive networks of greenways that allow for outdoor recreation. However, information associated with these greenways often does not include their degree of naturalness, which is usually reduced to descriptions of flora and fauna and often overlook the factors that reduce naturalness. Therefore, in some cases, the naturalness of these greenways is not as high as expected. Having a quantification of their naturalness would be useful, especially for hikers interested in appreciating and enjoying nature. Additionally, this information would help outdoor recreation managers to design trails or decide which ones to promote as "greenways". The objectives of this study are (1) to design a method to calculate and map the naturalness of greenways using two approaches, one based on perceptual fieldwork and the other on Geographic Information Systems (GIS); (2) to apply the designed method to a specific greenway; and (3) to compare both methodological approaches. The results show that, for the greenway studied, the naturalness scores obtained are low in all three types of analyses used. Around 70% of the greenway sections in the GIS visibility analysis and 80% in the GIS proximity analysis have a low naturalness index, while this value is reduced to 40% with the fieldwork analysis. Although the results of the GIS approach (proximity and visibility) generate naturalness indices and spatial patterns that are very similar, they differ significantly from those derived from the fieldwork analysis. The discussion of the results suggests that the three methodologies used are valid for analysing the degree of naturalness of the trails, but if used together, it would be possible to add flexibility to the type of variables incorporated in the analysis.

Silicates are among the most abundant and important inorganic materials, not only in the Earth’s crust but also in the interstellar medium in the form of micro-/nano-particles or embedded in the matrices of comets, meteorites and other asteroidal bodies. Although the crystalline phases of silicates are indeed present in Nature, amorphous forms are also highly abundant. Here we report a theoretical investigation of the structural, dielectric and vibrational properties of the amorphous bulk for forsterite (Mg₂SiO₄) as a silicate test case by a combined approach of classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for structure evolution, and periodic quantum mechanical DFT calculations for electronic structure analysis. Using classical MD based on an empirical partial charge rigid ionic model within a melt-quenching scheme at different temperatures performed with the GULP 4.0 code amorphous bulk structures for Mg₂SiO₄ were generated using as initial guess the crystalline phase. This has been done for bulks with three different unit cell sizes adopting a super-cell approach; i.e., 1×1×2, 2×1×2 and 2×2×2. The radial distribution functions indicated a good degree of amorphisation of the structures. Periodic B3LYP-geometry optimizations performed with the CRYSTAL14 code on the generated amorphous systems were used to analyze their structure, to calculate their high frequency dielectric constants (ε_∞), and to simulate the IR, Raman and reflectance spectra, which were compared with the experimental and theoretical crystalline Mg₂SiO₄. The most significant changes of the physico-chemical properties of the amorphous systems compared to the crystalline ones are presented and discussed (e.g., larger deviations in the bond distances and angles, broadening of the IR bands, etc.), which are consistent with their disordered nature. It is also shown that by increasing the unit cell size the bulk structures present larger degree of amorphisation.

On the H-type group G⊂Rm×Rn, we study the existence of solutions for the Brezis-Nirenberg problem

Most Acinetobacter baumannii strains are naturally competent. Although some information is available about factors that enhance or reduce the frequency of transformation of this bacterium, the regulatory elements and mechanisms are barely understood. In this article, we describe studies on the role of H-NS in the regulation of expression of genes related to natural competency and the ability to uptake foreign DNA. The expression levels of the natural transformation-related genes pilA, pilT, pilQ, comEA, comEC, comF, and drpA were significantly increased in a Δhns derivative of Acinetobacter baumannii A118. Complementation of the mutant with a recombinant plasmid harboring hns restored expression levels of six of these genes (pilT remained expressed at high levels) to those of the wild-type strain. The transformation frequency of the A. baumannii A118 Δhns strain was significantly higher than that of the wild-type. Similar, albeit not identical, effects occurred when hns was deleted from the hypervirulent A. baumannii AB5075 strain. Reduction of gene expression in a few cases was not as pronounced as to reach wild-type levels, and expression of comEA was enhanced further. In conclusion, the expression of all seven transformation-related genes was enhanced after deleting hns in A. baumannii A118 and AB5075, and these modifications are accompanied by an increase in the cells’ transformability. The results demonstrate a role of H-NS in A. baumannii’s natural competence.

Graphene is a remarkable material with numerous applications. Due to its thin and lightweight design, it is ideal for a variety of applications. The synthesis of high-quality graphene in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner continues to be a significant challenge. Chemical reduction is considered to be the most advantageous method for preparing reduced graphene oxide (rGO). However, this process necessitates the use of toxic and harmful substances, which can have a detrimental effect on the environment and human health. Thus, to accomplish the objective, the green synthesis principle has prompted researchers worldwide to develop a simple method for green reduction of graphene oxide (GO), which is readily accessible, sustainable, economical, renewable, and environmentally friendly in nature. For example, the use of natural materials such as plants is generally considered safe. Furthermore, plants contain reducing and capping agents. The current review will focus on the discovery and application of rGO synthesis using extracts from a variety of different parts of the plant. The review aims to aid current and future researchers in their search for a novel plant extract that acts as a reductant in the green synthesis of rGO. The review aims to assist current and future researchers in their research for a novel plant extract that acts as a reductant in the green synthesis of rGO as well as their potential applications in a variety of industries.

Introduction: The trophoblast derived angiogenic factors are considered to play an important role in the pathophysiology of various complications of pregnancy. The aim of this study was to establish relationship between concentrations of soluble Human Leukocyte Antigen-G (sHLA-G) in maternal serum and amniotic fluid at 16-22 weeks of gestation and the sonographic measurements of the fetal and placental growth. Materials and methods: sHLA-G in serum and amniotic fluid, as well as fetal biometric data and placental volume and perfusion indices were determined in 41 uncomplicated singleton pregnancies. Results: The sHLA-G levels were unchanged both in amniotic fluid and in serum during mid-pregnancy. The sHLA-G level in serum correlated positively with amniotic sHLA-G level (β=0.63, p<0.01). Significant correlation was found between serum sHLA-G level and abdominal measurement (β=0.41, p<0.05) and estimated fetal weight (β=0.41, p<0.05). The amniotic sHLA-G level and placental perfusion (VI: β = -0.34, p<0.01 and VFI: β = -0.44, p<0.01, respectively) were negatively interrelated. A low amniotic sHLA-G level was significantly associated with nuchal translucency (r = -0.102, p<0.05). Conclusions: sHLA-G assayed in amniotic fluid might be a potential indicator for placental function, whereas the sHLA-G level in serum can be a prognostic modality for feto-placental insufficiency.

Obesity-associated metabolic abnormalities comprise of a cluster of conditions including dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases that has affected more than 650 million people all over the globe. Obesity results from accumulation of white adipose tissues mainly due to the chronic imbalance of energy intake and energy expenditure. Variety of approaches to treat or prevent obesity, including lifestyle interventions, surgical weight loss procedures and pharmacological approaches to reduce energy intake and increase energy expenditure have failed to substantially decrease the prevalence of obesity. Brown adipose tissue (BAT), the primary source of thermogenesis in infants and small mammals may represent a promising therapeutic target to treat obesity by promoting energy expenditure through non-shivering thermogenesis mediated by mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). Since the confirmation of functional BAT in adult humans by several groups, approximately a decade ago and its association with a favorable metabolic phenotype, intense interest on the significance of BAT in adult human physiology and metabolic health has emerged within the scientific community to explore its therapeutic potential for the treatment of obesity and metabolic diseases. Substantially decreased BAT activity in individuals with obesity indicates a role for BAT in setting of human obesity. On the other hand, BAT mass and its prevalence has been reported to correlate with lower body mass index (BMI), decreased age and glucose levels, leading to lower incidence of cardio metabolic diseases. Increased cold exposure in adult humans with undetectable BAT was associated with decreased body fat mass and increased insulin sensitivity. Deeper understanding of the role of BAT in human metabolic health and its inter-relationship with body fat distribution and deciphering proper strategies to increase energy expenditure by either increasing functional BAT mass, or inducing white adipose browning holds the promise for possible therapeutic avenues for the treatment of obesity and associated metabolic disorders.

Reactions in water between the Cu2(µ-EGTA) chelate (EGTA = ethylene-bis(oxyethyleneimino)tetraacetate(4-) ion) and 2,6-diaminopurine (Hdap) in molar ratios 1:1 and 1:2 yield only blue crystals of the ternary compound [Cu4(μ-EGTA)2(μ-H(N3)dap)2(H2O)2]·7H2O (1) that has been studied by single crystal X-ray diffractometry, various physical methods (thermal stability, spectral and magnetic properties), as well as DFT theoretical calculations. In the crystal, uncoordinated water is disordered. The tetranuclear complex molecule also has some irrelevant disorder in an EGTA-ethylene moiety. In the complex molecule, both bridging organic molecules act as binucleating ligands. There are two distorted five- (type 4+1) and two six- (type 4+1+1) Cu(II) centres. Each half EGTA acts as a tripodal tetradentate Cu(II) chelator, with mer-NO2+O(ether, distal) conformation. Hdap exhibits the tautomer H(N3)dap, with the dissociable H-atom on its less basic N-heterocyclic atom. These features favour the efficient cooperation between Cu-N7 or Cu-N9 bonds with appropriate O-EGTA atoms, as N6-H···O or N3-H···O interligand interactions respectively. Bridging role of both organics determines the tetranuclear dimensionality of the complex in 1. In this crystal, such molecules associate in zig-zag chains, built by alternating ,-interactions between the five- or six-atom rings of Hdap ligands of adjacent molecules. DFT theoretical calculations (using two different theoretical models and characterized by the quantum theory of “atoms in molecules”) reveal the importance of these ,-interactions between Hdap ligands, as well as that corresponding to the referred hydrogen bonds in the contributed tetranuclear molecule.

Today, more than 70 million tons of lignin are produced by the pulp and paper industry every year. However, the utilization of lignin as a source for chemical synthesis is still limited due to the complex and heterogeneous lignin structure. The purpose of this study was a selective photodegradation of industrially available kraft lignin in order to obtain appropriate fragments and building block chemicals for further utilization, e.g. polymerization. Thus, kraft lignin obtained from soft wood black liquor by acidification was dissolved in sodium hydroxide and irradiated at a wavelength of 254 nm with and without the presence of titanium dioxide in various concentrations. Analyses of the irradiated products via SEC showed decreasing molar masses and decreasing polydispersity indices over time. At the end of the irradiation period the lignin was depolymerised to form fragments as small as the lignin monomers. TOC analyses showed minimal mineralisation due to the depolymerisation process.

Most studies modelling population mobility and the spread of infectious diseases, particularly using meta-population-multi-patched models, tend to focus on theoretical properties and numerical simulations of such models. There is relatively scanty literature published on fit, inference and uncertainty quantification on epidemic models with population mobility. In this research, we have used three estimation techniques to solve an inverse problem and quantify its uncertainty on a human mobility-based multi-patched epidemic model, using mobile phone sensing data and COVID-19 confirmed positive cases in Hermosillo, Mexico. First, we have utilized a Brownian bridge model using mobile phone GPS data to estimate residence and mobility parameters of the epidemic model. In the second step, we have estimated the optimal model epidemiological parameters by deterministically inverting the model using a Darwinian inspired evolutionary algorithm (EA) known as the genetic algorithm (GA). The third part of the analysis involves performing inference and uncertainty quantification on the epidemic model using two Bayesian Monte Carlo sampling methods: t-walk and Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC). The results show that the estimated model parameters and incidence adequately fit the observed daily COVID-19 incidence in Hermosillo. Moreover, the estimated parameters from HMC result into large credible intervals, improving their coverage for the observed and predicted daily incidences. We also observe improved predictions when using multi-patch model with mobility against the single-patch model.

Infections contribute to carcinogenesis through inflammation-related mechanisms. It is well established that H. pylori infection is an etiological factor in gastric carcinogenesis. However, the mechanism through which H. pylori infection contributes to the development of gastric cancer has not been fully elucidated. H. pylori-associated chronic inflammation is linked to genomic instability via reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). In this article, we summarize the current knowledge of H. pylori-induced double strand breaks (DSBs). Further, we will provide mechanistic insight into how processing of oxidative DNA damage via base excision repair (BER) leads to double strand breaks (DSBs). We review the recent progress how H. pylori infection triggers NF-kB /iNOS versus NF-kB/nucleotide excision repair (NER) axis mediated DSBs to drive genomic instability. Taken together, this review discusses current findings related to DSBs and their implications for the mechanisms of DSB repair.

In this paper we obtain some inequalities of Hermite-Hadamard type for composite convex functions. Applications for AG, AH-h-convex functions, GA, GG, GH-h-convex functions and HA, HG, HH-h-convex function are given.

During the last 100 years the planet has increased its temperature rapidly, this climate change could bring catastrophic effects for organisms and natural systems. One of the most affected groups is the ectotherms, due to their direct dependence on the environmental temperature. In recent years several studies analyse the effects of temperature and the thermal tolerance on several species of ectotherms. However, there are species whose thermal tolerances are still unknown. Such is the case of critically endangered species the Montseny Brook Newt (Calotriton arnoldi), endemic from the Montseny massif in Spain and whose thermal biology is unknown. Its critical situation makes essential to know its tolerance to cooling, warming and thermopreferendum in water environment where the newt lives. Three experimental procedures were conducted from the western and eastern subpopulations of C. arnoldi considering four classes separately (males, females, juveniles and larvae). The results obtained showed that the CTmax of the species exceeded 31°C, with a significant difference between the two populations. We found that the species tolerates well low temperatures (&lt;1°C), because of the genera Calotriton is adapted to lives in cold waters with temperatures below 15º. Although the thermopreference of the species was expected to trend to cold temperatures, some individuals chose relatively high temperatures, obtaining a range of 11.7°C to 21.6°C. The results presented in this study are an advance in the knowledge of the thermal physiology of this species and support the importance of the temperature of the torrent on its survival. Knowing their thermal limits and their preferred temperature range will help to propose management measures that promote the conservation of streams and its riparian forest cover to mitigate the temperature increase due to climate change.

Background: Perinatal anxiety and related disorders are common (20%), distressing and impairing. Fear of childbirth (FoB) is a common type of perinatal anxiety associated with negative mental health, obstetrical, childbirth and child outcomes. Screening can facilitate treatment access for those most in need. Objectives: The purpose of this research was to evaluate the accuracy of the Childbirth Fear Questionnaire (CFQ) and the Wijma Delivery Expectations Questionnaire (W-DEQ) of FoB as screening tools for specific phobia, FoB. Methods: A total of 659 English-speaking pregnant women living in Canada and over the age of 18 were recruited to the study. Participants completed an online survey of demographic, current pregnancy, and reproductive history information, as well as the CFQ and the W-DEQ, and a telephone interview to assess specific phobia FoB. Results: Symptoms meeting full and subclinical diagnostic criteria for specific phobia, FoB were reported by 3.3% and 7.1% of participants, respectively. The W-DEQ met or exceeded the criteria for a “good enough” screening tool across several analyses, whereas the CFQ only met these criteria in one analysis, and came close in three others. Conclusions: The W-DEQ demonstrated high performance as a screening tool for specific phobia, FoB, with accuracy superior to that of the CFQ. Additional research, to ensure the stability of these findings, is needed.

In this study, the degradable superhydrophobic Mg/P/Z/F/H (magnesi-um/poly(-caprolactone)/zinc oxide/1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane (PFDTES)/ heating process) composite materials were prepared through one-step method for enhancing the corrosion resistance of AZ91D magnesium alloys. Electrochemical measurements showed that Mg/P/Z/F/H materials significantly improved the corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys in 3.5 wt.% NaCl. The self-cleaning, adhesion and stability tests suggested that Mg/P/Z/F/H composite materials had well self-cleaning properties, good adhesion strength and stability in wet atmosphere.

The 70/30 copper–nickel alloy is mainly used in critical parts with more demanding conditions in marine settings. There is a need for innovative methods that offer fast production and cost-effectiveness to supplement current copper–nickel alloy manufacturing processes. In this study, we employ wire-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) to fabricate the 70/30 copper–nickel alloy. The as-built microstructure is characterized by columnar grains with prominent dendrites and chemical segregation in the inter-dendritic area. The aspect ratio of the columnar grain increases with increasing travel speed (TS) at the same wire feed speed (WFS). This is in contrast to an equiaxed grain structure with a more random orientation of conventional sample. The sample built with a WFS of 8 m/min, TS of 1000 mm/min, and a track distance of 3.85 mm exhibits superior corrosion properties in the 3.5 wt% NaCl solution compared to the conventional one, as evidenced by a higher film resistance and breakdown potential, along with a lower passive current density of the WAAM sample. The corrosion morphology reveals the critical roles played by the nickel element unevenly distributed between the dendrite core and inter-dendritic area.

The antiradical and antimicrobial activity of lignin and lignin-based films are both of great interest for applications such as food packaging additives. The polyphenol structure of lignin in addition to the presence of O-containing functional groups is potentially responsible for these activities. This study used DPPH assays to discuss the antiradical activity of HPMC/lignin and HPMC/lignin/chitosan films. The scavenging activity (SA) of both binary (HPMC/lignin) and ternary (HPMC/lignin/chitosan) systems was affected by the percentage of the added lignin: the 5% addition showed the highest activity and the 30% addition had the lowest. Both, scavenging activity and antimicrobial activity are depending on the biomass source showing the following trend: organosolv of softwood > Kraft of softwood > organosolv of grass. Testing the antimicrobial activities of lignins and lignin-containing films showed high antimicrobial activities against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria at 35 °C and at low temperatures (0-7 °C). Purification of kraft lignin has a negative effect on the antimicrobial activity while storage has positive effect. The lignin release in the produced films affected the activity positively and the chitosan addition enhances the activity even more for both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Testing the films against spoilage bacteria that grow at low temperatures revealed the activity of the 30% addition on HPMC/L1 film against both B. thermosphacta and P. fluorescens while L5 was active only against B. thermosphacta. In HPMC/lignin/chitosan films the 5% addition exhibited activity against both B. thermosphacta and P. fluorescens.

Water sustainability has become one of the most severe issues in the 21st Century due to dramatic urban population growth and climate change. This paper reviews some of the critical key water issues that need to be considered/incorporated in the quest for water sustainability for the upcoming decades. The purpose is to recognize the critical circumstances for maintaining water sustainability and recognize that many regions in the world have passed the ‘tipping point’ of balancing their water sustainability and failing to realize that restoring sustainability will be extremely difficult. From the water quantity perspective, several examples are used to demonstrate situations which, in hindsight, have been initially shown to be effective but highly problematic in the long term. The review considers, amongst others, the 1960s India example shows that an agricultural ‘success’ starting in the 1960s has subsequently become an environmental disaster. Additional issues, including the impacts of dietary adjustments, upstream diversions raising downstream shortfalls, and transfers of water from agriculture to urban areas, are examples that demonstrate that to achieve water sustainability, lessons must be learned from the past, and adaptive measures must be adopted to help humanity avoid adverse and irreversible environmental tragedies. Government authorities can learn from this critical review of some approaches and realize their responsibility to proactively promote better water resource management strategies (domestic and international collaborations) and strictly regulate water use practices to better manage water sustainability.

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) was considered a minor crop in the Canadian prairies until recently, but its potential for cultivation is increasing due to its positive environmental impact and economic value. This review provides a historical summary of faba bean improvement in western Canada. Although traditional breeding methods have proved useful, in the last decade faba bean improvement has benefited from advances in genetics, biochemistry and molecular breeding tools. The overall breeding goal is to develop high yielding germplasm with improved agronomic characteristics that will be of economic value to the emerging faba bean sectors, including the plant protein industry. To maximize value and acceptance by producers, processors and the food industry as a source of protein and dietary fibre, future faba bean varieties need to be high-yielding, have diverse seed size classes, disease resistance, genetically low vicine-convicine concentration, and have wider adaptation to different agro-ecological zones of Canada. The experiences over the last 40 years of faba bean improvement in western Canada may be useful to other breeding programs globally located in regions with similar agroecology. In the past 10–15 years, faba bean genetic development in Canada has benefited greatly from research and development interactions with most of the faba bean research programs in northern Europe.

Graphene oxide (GO), nanographene oxide (nGO) and partially reduced graphene oxide (rGO) have been studied as possible foam stabilizing agents for CO₂ based enhanced oil recovery (EOR). GO was able to stabilize CO₂/synthetic sea water foams. rGO was not able to stabilize foams likely due to the high reduction degree of the material. Particle size had a strong influence on foamability and stability. GO hydrophilicity increased as the particle size decreased and no foams were created when particle size was below 1 µm (nGO). GO brine dispersions showed immediate gel formation, which improved foam stability. Particle growth due to layer stacking was also observed. This mechanism was detrimental for foam formation and stabilization. nGO dispersed in synthetic sea water rapidly formed hydrogels and was not filterable. This work indicates that the particles studied are not suitable for CO₂ EOR purposes.

The production and secretion of very-low density lipoproteins (VLDL) by hepatocytes has a direct impact on liver fat content as well as the concentration of cholesterol and triglycerides in the circulation and thus affects liver and cardiovascular health, respectively. Importantly, excess caloric intake and lack of physical activity are associated with overproduction of VLDL, hepatic steatosis, and increased levels of atherogenic lipoproteins. Cholesterol as well as triglycerides in remnant particles after VLDL lipolysis are risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and have garnered increasing attention over the last few decades. To date, however, increased risk of ASCVD is not the only concern when considering today’s cardiometabolic patients, as they often also suffer from hepatic steatosis. This notion highlights the importance of understanding the molecular regulation of VLDL biogenesis. Fortunately, there has been a resurgence of interest in the intracellular assembly, trafficking, degradation, and secretion of VLDL by hepatocytes, that has led to many exciting new molecular insights, the topic of this review. We think that increasing our understanding of the biology of this pathway will help improve the health of the cardiometabolic patient in the long term.

Modern Monte-Carlo-based rendering systems still suffer from the computational complexity involved in the generation of noise-free images, making it challenging to synthesize interactive previews. We present a framework suited for rendering such previews of static scenes using a caching technique that builds upon a linkless octree. Our approach allows for memory-efficient storage and constant-time lookup to cache diffuse illumination at multiple hitpoints along the traced paths. Non-diffuse surfaces are dealt with in a hybrid way in order to reconstruct view-dependent illumination while maintaining interactive frame rates. By evaluating the visual fidelity against ground truth sequences and by benchmarking, we show that our approach compares well to low-noise path traced results, but with a greatly reduced computational complexity allowing for interactive frame rates. This way, our caching technique provides a useful tool for global illumination previews and multi-view rendering.

The focus of our study was the changes in the composition of semi-natural dry grasslands in Hungary. Since these valuable habitats were created with the help of humans, their preservation also requires regular treatment. Our mowing experiment aimed to investigate the suppression of the native Calamagrostis epigejos L. Roth. In Hungary, in the Cserhát Mountains, eight permanent plots were mowed twice a year. The vegetation was sampled annually between 2001 and 2011. The effects of mowing were investigated with repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). After 10 years, the C. epigejos cover of the mowed plots decreased significantly, from the initial average of 62.38 to 7.50%. Surprisingly, we also experienced a similar decrease in the control plots. Regular treatment also had a positive effect on the number of species and diversity. Species richness increased continuously in both treatment types, which indicates the combined effect of vegetation succession and treatment. The biomass growth of other Poaceae and Fabaceae species, which are important from a grassland management perspective, was also facilitated by mowing. Our results suggest that long-term in situ experiments and continuous botanical studies are needed to establish a reliable utilization of grasslands.

This paper addresses a mode-dependent state-feedback H∞ control for descriptor hybrid systems, considering both the absence and presence of actuator saturation. Firstly, the necessary and sufficient conditions for the stochastic admissibility criterion with H∞ performance ? of the closed-loop system is proposed. Given the proposed non-convex condition, the author reformulates it into linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Then, to extend the result to the systems with actuator saturation, the actuator saturated control input is expressed as a linear combination of given state-feedback control input and a virtual control input that remains under the saturation level. To verify this expression, the set invariant condition is also suggested by using the singular mode-dependent Lyapunov function candidate. Therefore, the LMI conditions for the existence of the mode-dependent state-feedback H∞ control and the ellipsoidal shape of invariant set are successfully derived. Two numerical examples demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in optimizing H∞ performance $\gamma$ and identifying the largest invariant set.

The purpose of this study is to estimate the mean transitioning probabilities from a Healthy state to malaria positive uncomplicated state or to malaria positive severe state. It also classifies the various transitioning probabilities of moving through the various states based on some baseline characteristics. Malaria test results for 2019 over a 12-month period were collected from the University of Ghana school clinic. An H-U model for the study was developed and the transition rates from the cross-sectional data are indicated. With two states Healthy (H) and Uncomplicated (U) forming a state space, there were four possible transitions. The results show that the probability of transitioning from a Healthy state to a malaria positive state is 0.03% while the probability that an individual will remain at Healthy state (H) after the test is 99.73%. It was found that if an individual is already positive and has taken medication the probability that its second test came out negative is 6.45% while the chances that it will remain positive but uncomplicated is 93.55%. The study also showed that in the long run, about 95.98% of persons who visited the student clinic with malaria symptoms recorded negative tests for malaria parasite while about 4% recorded positive for malaria. In terms of disaggregation by gender, it was realized that the number of reported negative test results were higher for females (97.08%) than for males (96.13%). However, the infection rate is higher for males (3.87%) than females (2.92%). It is recommended that in as much as the University of Ghana has two health centers (a clinic and hospital), there should be a centralized system to track students’ health so research done would not be biased.

In this paper, modelling designing and simulation of a Ward Leonard layout system is done using robust control theory. In order to increase the performance of the Ward Leonard layout system with H infinity optimal control synthesis and H infinity optimal control synthesis via gamma-iteration controllers are used. The open loop response of the Ward Leonard layout system shows that the system needs to be improved. Comparison of the Ward Leonard layout system with H∞ optimal control synthesis and H infinity optimal control synthesis via gamma-iteration controllers to track a desired step speed input have been done. Finally, the comparative simulation results prove the effectiveness of the proposed Ward Leonard layout system with H infinity optimal control synthesis controller in improving the percentage overshoot and the settling time.

Papain-like lysosomal cysteine proteases include 11 human cysteine cathepsins which act as endopeptidases and/or exopeptidases. They are involved in numerous physiological and pathological processes. Among them, only cathepsins B, H, C, and X/Z exhibit exopeptidase activity. Their activities are tightly regulated in various ways to prevent potentially hazardous effects on the cell. In this review, we focus on the structural and functional aspects of these four cysteine cathepsins and their role in neurodegeneration and cancer. Neurodegenerative disorders of aging share an endolysosomal dysfunction and accumulation and spread of oligomeric forms of neurotoxic proteins. The accumulation of various protein aggregates activates the microglia, thus inducing the activation and release of cysteine cathepsins and proinflammatory cytokines, leading to neurodegeneration. In cancer, cysteine cathepsins participate in tumor progression and metastasis. Tumor–stromal crosstalk leads to activation of the stroma and overexpression and secretion of proteolytic enzymes, triggering extracellular matrix degradation and the release of soluble factors. Activated stromal cells (i.e., macrophages, fibroblasts, mast cells) secrete additional growth factors, cytokines, and chemokines that are responsible for the regulation of processes leading to tumor progression and metastasis. Therefore, a better understanding of the role of cysteine cathepsins in neurodegeneration and cancer could lead to novel targeted therapeutic approaches.

In this paper, the design and control of a hydraulic system based tire changer machine have been analyzed and simulated using Matlab/Simulink Toolbox successfully. The machine have a displacement input which is a leg pedal displacement in order to push the piston of the pump to fed the motor with a pressured hydraulic fluid to rotate the tire with an angular speed to mount and dismount it. Augmentation based H_∞ and H₂ optimal synthesis controllers have been used to improve the performance of the machine. Comparison of the proposed controllers for tracking a reference input speed have been done using two reference inputs (step and random) signals. Finally the comparative simulation results proved the effectiveness of the proposed tire changer with H synthesis controller in improving the settling time and percentage overshoot.

For gravitational wave (GW) detected neutron star mergers, one of the leading candidates for electromagnetic (EM) counterparts is the afterglow from an ultra-relativistic jet. Where this afterglow is observed, it will likely be viewed off-axis, such as the afterglow following GW170817/GRB 170817A. The temporal behaviour of an off-axis observed GRB afterglow can be used to reveal the lateral jet structure, and statistical model fits can put constraints on the various model free-parameters. Amongst these parameters is the inclination of the system to the line of sight. Along with the GW detection, the afterglow modelling provides the best constraint on the inclination to the line-of-sight and can improve the estimates of cosmological parameters e.g. the Hubble constant, from GW-EM events. However, modelling of the afterglow depends on the assumed jet structure and, often overlooked, the effects of lateral spreading. Here we show how the inclusion of lateral spreading in the afterglow models can affect the estimated inclination of GW-EM events.

This work reports the first nanocrystalline SnON (7.6 % Nitrogen content) n-type nanosheet Field-Effect Transistor (nFET) with transistor’s effective mobility (µeff) as high as 357 and 325 cm2/V-s at electron density (Qe) of 5×1012 cm-2 and ultra-thin body thickness (Tbody) of 7 and 5 nm, respectively. At the same Tbody and Qe, these µeff values are significantly higher than single crystalline Si, InGaAs, thin-body Si-on-Insulator (SOI), two-dimensional (2D) MoS2 and WS2. New discovery of slower µeff decay rate at high Qe than SiO2/bulk-Si universal curve was found, owing to one order of magnitude lower effective field (Eeff) by more than 10 times higher dielectric constant () in channel material, which keeps the electron wave-function away from the gate-oxide/semiconductor interface and lowers the gate-oxide surface scattering. In addition, the high µeff is also due to the overlapped large radius s-orbitals, low 0.29 mo effective mass (me*) and low polar optical phonon scattering. SnON nFETs with record-breaking µeff and quasi-2D thickness enable potential monolithic three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuit (IC) and embedded memory for 3D biological brain-mimicking structures.

Recent studies have revealed that several cancer cell types can upregulate inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and iNOS-derived nitric oxide (NO) after a moderate photodynamic challenge sensitized by 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-induced protoporphyrin-IX. The NO signaled for cell resistance to photokilling as well as greater growth and migration/invasion aggressiveness of surviving cells. On this basis, it was predicted that diffusible NO from PDT-targeted cells in a tumor might enhance growth, migration, and invasiveness of non- or poorly PDT-targeted bystander cells. This was tested using a novel approach in which ALA-PDT targeted cancer cells on a culture dish were initially segregated from non-targeted bystander cells of the same type via impermeable silicone-rimmed rings. Several hours after LED irradiation, the rings were removed, and both cell populations analyzed in the dark for various responses. After a moderate extent of targeted cell killing (~25%), bystander proliferation and migration were evaluated, and both were found to be significantly enhanced. Enhancement corelated with iNOS/NO upregulation in surviving PDT-targeted cancer cells in the following cell type order: PC3 > MDA-MB-231 >U87 > BLM. If occurring in an actual PDT-challenged tumor, such bystander effects might compromise treatment efficacy by stimulating tumor growth and/or metastatic dissemination. Possible mitigation of these negative effects by using pharmacologic inhibitors of iNOS expression or activity as PDT adjuvants will be discussed.

We utilized all Spanish marriage records available at the municipality level from 2005-2007 to model spatial variations in intermarriage. We constructed a spatial regime zero inflated Poisson model and grouped-data probit model, with spatially lagged regressors, to predict the absolute and relative presence of intermarriage between Spaniards and migrants based on structural characteristics of the local marriage markets and their neighboring areas (i.e., relative group size, homogeneity of national origins, and sex ratio indicators). Our models do not assume collapsibility of the marriage market. Instead, they incorporate the local dimension of the marriage market and examine the association between intermarriage and structural variables at the spatial local level. The model also investigates intermarriage variation by size of place. The local characteristics of the marriage markets are robust indicators of both the absolute and relative importance of intermarriage, but their impact varies by size of municipality. The relative size of the migrant community positively impacts intermarriage. The homogeneity of the origins of migrants is negatively related to it. The impact of sex ratios in the migrant and native communities on intermarriage is not uniform across all municipalities and is not always related to more intermarriage.

Many corporations have now revised their value statements to showcase their commitment to sustainable development and green business due to the pressing issues of climate and environmental damage. Despite the importance of value statements that can direct companies to achieve sustainable goals, what kind of values can be perceived as organizational orientations to sustainability remains unknown. This study explores how the general public views the inclusion of sustainable components in value statements from the listed companies in Hong Kong by using Q-sort methodology (n = 30). Analyzing the final sample of 40 value statements extracted from 27 listed companies, we identified three factors related to sustainability, namely, Empowering business process management, Empowering customer-centric excellence, and Empowering sustainable progress. This study provides an additional component to the traditional triple bottom line by suggesting that internal operation of a company is an emerging idea to understand corporate sustainability.

The reaction of mercaptoacetic acid esters with pentachloro-2-nitro-1,3-butadiene provides appropriate precursors for the synthesis of 2,3,4-trisubstituted benzo[h]quinolines. These heterocycles are easily accessible via a single-step reaction with 1-naphthyl- or 1-anthracenylamine, respectively. Due to steric bulk and high electron density ring closure to benzo[h]quinolines takes place, exclusively. Such highly substituted annelated pyridine systems can be modified in subsequent, selective reactions to build up new N-heterocycles with promising microbiological properties. Antibacterial and antiproliferative assays against four cell mammalian cell lines demonstrate that some of the sulfur-substituted benzo[h]quinolines analogs display potent phenotypic bioactivities in the single-digit micromolar range.

Hypotrochoidal profile contours have been produced in industrial applications in recent years using twin-spindle processes, and they are considered effective high-quality solutions for positive shaft–hub connections. This study mainly concerns analytical approaches to determine the bending stresses in hypotrochoidal profile shafts. The formulation was developed according to bending principles using the mathematical theory of elasticity and conformal mappings. The loading was further used to investigate the rotating bending behaviour. The stress factors for the classical calculation of maximum bending stresses were also determined for all those profiles presented and compiled in the German standard DIN3689-1 for practical applications. The results were also compared with the corresponding numerical and experimental results, and very good agreement was observed. Additionally, based on previous work, the stress factor was determined for the case of torsional loading to calculate the maximum torsional stresses in the standardised profiles, and the results are listed in a table. This study contributes to the further refinement of the current DIN3689 standard.

The enhancement of human living conditions has resulted in an increase in average life expectancy, giving rise to a novel social and medical challenge: aging, which diminishes the overall quality of human life. The aging process of the body begins through the activation of effector signaling pathways of aging in cells, loss of their normal functions and deleterious effects on the microenvironment, which leads to chronic inflammation and similar transformation of neighboring cells. The cumulative retention of these senescent cells over a prolonged period results in the deterioration of tissues and organs, ultimately leading to a reduced quality of life and an elevated mortality risk. Among the most encouraging methods for addressing aging and age-related illnesses are pharmacological, genetic, and cellular therapies. Elevating the activity of aging-suppressing genes, employing specific groups of native and genetically modified cells, and utilizing senolytic medications may offer the potential to delay aging and age-related ailments over the long term. The review explores the strategies and advancements in the field of anti-aging therapies that are currently under investigation, with a particular emphasis on gene therapy involving adeno-associated vectors and cell-based therapeutic approaches.

As wind turbine power requirements have evolved from the order of kilowatts (kW) to the order of several megawatts (MW), wind turbine components have been subjected to more demanding and critical operating conditions. The wind turbine must cope with higher wind loads due to larger blade sizes, which are also time-varying and ultimately higher power levels. One of the challenges in the manufacture of high-power wind turbines lies in the gearbox and consists of achieving ever greater power density without compromising efficiency, i.e., greater load capacity with lower weight (and production cost) and reduced power losses. In this paper we will analyze the influence that certain design parameters have on the size and weight of the gearbox components and therefore of the gearbox itself. For this purpose, the theoretical model of the gearbox will be planned and the influence of calculation parameters on the gearbox design will be analyzed. The influence of material, modulus and tooth width on the size and weight of the gearbox will be observed. Critical stresses are also calculated. The goal is to prepare the theoretical basis for an optimization process that will result in a gearbox as compact as possible without compromising the service life of the components.

(1) Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) requires urgent multidisciplinary solutions, and Pharmacovigilance (PV) has the potential to strengthen current antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) strategies. This study aimed to characterise AMR-relevant adverse drug reaction (ADR) reports submitted to The Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Centre (Lareb); (2) Methods: We carried out a descriptive analysis of ADR reports submitted to Lareb, coded with AMR-relevant MedDRA Preferred Terms (PTs).; (3) Results: Between 1998 and Jan 2019, 252 AMR-relevant ADR reports were submitted to Lareb. The most frequent antibiotics were tobramycin (n=89; 35%), colistin (n=30; 11,9%), ciprofloxacin (n=16; 6,35%), doxycycline (n=14; 5,5%) and aztreonam (n=12; 4,76%). The most frequently used PTs were drug ineffective (n=71; 28%), pathogen resistance (n=14; 5%) and drug resistance (n=13; 13%). A total of 119 reports (74%) suggested use-related issues. Watch antibiotics were in 54% of the reports and Reserve antibiotics were in 19%. In the Watch group, “Off label use” and “Product use in unapproved indication” were the most frequent PTs and majority of reports on Reserve antibiotics were coded as “Off label”. (4) Conclusions: Addressing AMR using the PV methods will provide an opportunity for PV expansion and could encourage further investment in both in AMS programs and PV systems.

Cervical cancer is one of the ailments that endangers the health of women all over the world and causes infertility. Fortunately, this disease can be avoided. Both the results and participation rates of the current preventative strategy remain poor. Hence, preventative or early detection methods remain challenging and open. In gynecology and computer science fields, few studies on identifying cervical cancer are based on behavior risk factor and machine learning. Moreover, various social and behavioral aspects might often make it more difficult to detect cervical cancer especially in low‑ and middle‑income countries (LMICs). Accordingly, focus on predicting the presence of cervical cancer through behavioral risk factors is the basic structure of this research. We proposed an approach to classify cervical cancer from a social-behavioral perspective using logistic regression to predict cervical cancer. We got significantly improved outcomes than the existing methods. Moreover, we used feature engineering to formulate less dimensionality as a pre-processing step and optimized parameters to be prepared for classification phase. The results proved that using the logistic regression with regularization type L1 had a promising performance. The accuracy of Logistic Regression (LR) L1 was 97.2%. Such results support the proposed work as a reliable classification predictive tool.

Due to the digitization and Internet of Things revolutions, the present electronic world has a wealth of cybersecurity data. Efficiently resolving cyber anomalies and attacks is becoming a growing concern in today's cyber security industry all over the world. Traditional security solutions are insufficient to address contemporary security issues due to the rapid proliferation of many sorts of cyber-attacks and threats. Utilizing artificial intelligence knowledge, especially machine learning technology, is essential to providing a dynamically enhanced, automated, and up-to-date security system through analyzing security data. In this paper, we provide an extensive view of machine learning algorithms, emphasizing how they can be employed for intelligent data analysis and automation in cybersecurity through their potential to extract valuable insights from cyber data. We also explore a number of potential real-world use cases where data-driven intelligence, automation, and decision-making enable next-generation cyber protection that is more proactive than traditional approaches. The future prospects of machine learning in cybersecurity are eventually emphasized based on our study, along with relevant research directions. Overall, our goal is to explore not only the current state of machine learning and relevant methodologies but also their applicability for future cybersecurity breakthroughs.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a leading technology of the current age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0 or 4IR), with the capability of incorporating human behavior and intelligence into machines or systems. Thus AI-based modeling is the key to building automated, intelligent, and smart systems according to today's needs. To solve real-world issues various types of AI such as analytical, functional, interactive, textual, and visual AI can be applied to enhance the intelligence and capabilities of an application. However, developing an effective AI model is a challenging task due to the dynamic nature and variation in real-world problems and data. In this paper, we present a comprehensive view on "AI-based Modeling" with the principles and capabilities of potential AI techniques that can play an important role in developing intelligent and smart systems in various real-world application areas including business, finance, healthcare, agriculture, smart cities, cybersecurity and many more. We also emphasize and highlight the research issues within the scope of our study. Overall, the goal of this paper is to provide a broad overview of AI-based modeling that can be used as a reference guide by academics and industry people as well as decision-makers in various real-world scenarios and application domains.

Educational institutions must identify students who are academically struggling to provide them with necessary support to improve their performance. In this context, recommendation systems powered by deep learning techniques are vital for detecting and categorizing such students. These systems help students plan their future by uncovering patterns in their historical academic data. This study introduces a new deep learning model designed to classify academically underperforming students in educational settings. The model incorporates a Gated Recurrent Neural Network (GRU) and includes specific neural network features like a dense layer, max-pooling layer, and the ADAM optimization algorithm. The model's training and evaluation were conducted using a dataset comprising 15,165 student assessment records from various academic institutions. The performance of the developed GRU model was benchmarked against other educational recommendation systems, including Recurrent Neural Network models, AdaBoost, and the Artificial Immune Recognition System v2. The proposed GRU model demonstrated remarkable accuracy, achieving an overall rate of 99.70%.

: Extra- and intra-cellular activity occurs under the direction of numerous inter-molecular interactions, and in any tissue or cell, molecules are densely packed, thus promoting those molecular interactions. Galectins and chemokines, the focus of this review, are small, protein effector molecules that mediate various cellular functions, in particular cell adhesion and migration, as well as cell signaling/activation. In the past, researchers have reported that combinations of these (and other) effector molecules act separately, yet sometimes in concert, but nevertheless physically apart and via their individual cell receptors. This view that each effector molecule functions independently of the other limits our thinking about functional versatility and cooperation, and, in turn, ignores the prospect of physiologically important inter-molecular interactions, especially when both molecules are present or co-expressed in the same cellular environment. This review is focused on such protein-protein interactions with chemokines and galectins, their homo- and hetero-oligomeric structures that they can form, and the functional consequences of those paired interactions.

Due to the rising dependency on digital technology, cybersecurity has emerged as a more prominent field of research and application that typically focuses on securing devices, networks, systems, data and other resources from various cyber-attacks, threats, risks, damages, or unauthorized access. Artificial Intelligence (AI), also referred to as a crucial technology of the current Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0 or 4IR), could be the key to intelligently dealing with these cyber issues. Various forms of AI methodologies, such as analytical, functional, interactive, textual as well as visual AI can be employed to get the desired cyber solutions according to their computational capabilities. However, the dynamic nature and complexity of real-world situations and data gathered from various cyber sources make it challenging nowadays to build an effective AI-based security model. Moreover, defending robustly against adversarial attacks is still an open question in the area. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive view on "Cybersecurity Intelligence and Robustness", emphasizing multi-aspects AI-based modeling and adversarial learning that could lead to addressing diverse issues in various cyber applications areas such as detecting malware or intrusions, zero-day attacks, phishing, data breach, cyberbullying and other cybercrimes. Thus the eventual security modeling process could be automated, intelligent, and robust compared to traditional security systems. We also emphasize and draw attention to the future aspects of cybersecurity intelligence and robustness along with the research direction within the context of our study. Overall, our goal is not only to explore AI-based modeling and pertinent methodologies but also to focus on the resulting model's applicability for securing our digital systems and society.

The digital world has a wealth of data, such as Internet of Things (IoT) data, business data, health data, mobile data, urban data, security data, and many more, in the current age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0 or 4IR). Extracting knowledge or useful insights from these data can be used for smart decision-making in various applications domains. In the area of data science, advanced analytics methods including machine learning modeling can provide actionable insights or deeper knowledge about data, which makes the computing process automatic and smart. In this paper, we present a comprehensive view on "Data Science'' including various types of advanced analytics methods that can be applied to enhance the intelligence and capabilities of an application through smart decision-making in different scenarios. We also discuss and summarize ten potential real-world application domains including business, healthcare, cybersecurity, urban and rural data science, and so on by taking into account data-driven smart computing and decision making. Based on this, we finally highlight the challenges and potential research directions within the scope of our study. Overall, this paper aims to serve as a reference point on data science and advanced analytics to the researchers and decision-makers as well as application developers, particularly from the data-driven solution point of view for real-world problems.

Vehicle windshield wiper system increases the driving safety by contributing a clear shot viewing to the driver. In this paper, modelling, designing and simulation of a vehicle windshield wiper system with robust control theory is done successfully. H∞ loop shaping and robust pole placement controllers are used to improve the wiping speed by tracking a reference speed signals. The reference speed signals used in this paper are step and sine wave signals. Comparison of the H∞ loop shaping and robust pole placement controllers based on the two reference signals is done and convincing results have been obtained. Finally the comparative results prove the effectiveness of the proposed H∞ Loop Shaping controller to improve the wiping mechanism for the given two reference signals.

Nanoindentation load-depth (P-h) plots is the basis for determination of mechanical properties of the samples and is especially vital for thin coatings deposited on substrates of various mechanical makeup from amorphous-brittle (borosilicate glass) to Silicon (having different crystallographic texture) to ductile substrates like stainless steel as well other aspects like indenter tip shape. The elastic-plastic response by simulated P-h plots as per modified empirical relations have been presented. The outcomes of this computational studies enlighten the database on the P-h plots for various coating/substrate systems and shall aid in the analysis of experimental P-h plots obtained,

Na⁺/H⁺ exchangers (NHEs) are known to be important regulators of pH in multiple intracellular compartments of eukaryotic cells. Sperm function is especially dependent on changes in pH and thus it has been postulated that NHEs play important roles in regulating the intracellular pH of these cells. For example, in order to achieve fertilization, mature sperm must maintain a basal pH in the male reproductive tract and then alkalize in response to specific signals in the female reproductive tract during the capacitation process. Eight NHE isoforms are expressed in mammalian testis/sperm: NHE1, NHE3, NHE5, NHE8, NHA1, NHA2, NHE10, and NHE11. These NHE isoforms are expressed at varying times during spermatogenesis and localize to different subcellular structures in developing and mature sperm where they contribute to multiple aspects of sperm physiology and male fertility including proper sperm development/morphogenesis, motility, capacitation, and the acrosome reaction. Previous work has provided evidence for NHE3, NHE8, NHA1, NHA2, and NHE10 being critical for male fertility in mice and NHE10 has recently been shown to be essential for male fertility in humans. In this article we review what is known about each NHE isoform expressed in mammalian sperm and discuss the physiological significance of each NHE isoform with respect to male fertility.