Background: Nutritional rickets is still considered as a global health problem especially in low-resource countries and immigrant societies of developed countries. Generalized skeletal deformities including angular knee deformities as genu varum and genu valgum are prominent features of nutritional rickets. Angular knee deformities can cause gait difficulties. However, the true remodelling potential of the healed knee deformities is largely unknown to the pediatric and orthopedic community. Aims: The primary objective of this study protocol is to investigate the natural history of disease in regard to the remodelling potential of angular knee deformities in children and adolescents with healed nutritional rickets. And determine the potential patient- and deformity-related factors that are associated with a favorable deformity remodelling as age and sex of patients and type, severity, laterality of deformities etc. Methods: This will be a prospective observational analytical cohort natural history of disease study. A minimum of at least 140 knees with healed nutritional rickets and angular knee deformities will be observed at regular three-monthly intervals over a period of at least one year. We will report two outcome variables namely; clinical and radiological tibio-femoral angle. And independent patient and deformity-related variables as age, sex, deformity type, severity and laterality. Inferential statistics namely bivariate and multivariate analysis will be employed accordingly to identify the relation between outcome variables and the different independent variables. Ethics and dissemination: This protocol study has been approved by the institutional research ethics committee. Results will be presented at conferences and submitted to relevant international and society publications. Authors will also communicate the results to their scholarly networks and post them on scholarly networking sites. Conclusions: This study has the potential for improving the decision-making process as to which patients deserve conservative treatment and which deserve surgical deformity correction. Results are expected to have an impact on the clinical practice of pediatricians, orthopedic surgeons and family physicians alike.

Background: Inappropriate use of antibiotics has been reported to contribute to the emergence and increase of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the world. Antibiotics are prescription-only medicines to be dispensed to a person with a legal prescription inscribed by a qualified medical practitioner. Enforcing the dispensing of antibiotics with prescription is a way to promote the rational use of antibiotics and preventing the development and spread of AMR. It is, therefore, the responsibility of a pharmacist to dispense or supervise the dispensing of antibiotics in pharmacies and ensure its rational use. This study aimed to assess pharmacists’ knowledge, attitude and practice regarding the dispensing of antibiotics without prescription in Tanzania. Methods: An online semi-structured questionnaire was designed, tested and shared with licensed pharmacists in Tanzania through an invitation link sent in their official WhatsApp groups. A list of names, contacts and emails of licensed pharmacists obtained from the Pharmacy Council was used to directly contact and request pharmacist to fill the questionnaire, in case the pharmacist contact was not on WhatsApp, a text SMS invitation was sent. Study data were collected and managed using REDCap electronic data capture tools hosted at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Data were then downloaded and exported into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 for data analysis; Chi-square test was used to test association for categorical data, where a p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: More than 75% of pharmacists had excellent knowledge about the legal requirements for dispensing antibiotics and of the AMR challenge. Of the interviewed pharmacists, seventy-four percent admitted to dispensing antibiotics without prescription in their daily practice. The main reasons for administering antibiotics without prescription were the profitability nature of pharmacy business, a failure of the patient to get a prescription and lack of stringent regulatory authorities. Penicillins, macrolides and floroquinolones were the classes of antibiotics mostly dispensed without a prescription. Conclusion: The study shows that the dispensing of antibiotics without prescription is a common practice in Tanzania. The regulatory authorities should make regular inspections in pharmacies to detect this malpractice. The community should be trained on the importance of taking laboratory tests before getting medications for their sickness by a qualified medical practitioner.

Titania is one of the most comprehensively studied nanostructures due to its widespread applications in production of catalytic, gas- sensing and corrosion- resistance materials [1]. M-polynomial of nanotubes has been vastly investigated as it produces many degree-based topological indices which are numerical parameters capturing structural and chemical properties. These indices are used in the development of quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) in which the biological activity and other properties of molecules are correlated with their structure like boiling point, stability, strain energy etc of chemical compounds. In this paper, we determine M-polynomials of single-walled titanium (SW TiO2) nanotubes and recover important topological degree based indices of them to theoretically judge these nanotubes. We also use Maple to plot surfaces associated to different types of single-walled titanium (SW TiO2) nanotubes.

Forty-five of intact three sheep breeds (Awassi, Harri, and Najdi) were used in this study (15 animals of each breed), with weight ranged from 23.40 to 25.87 kg. Five animals from each group at the end of growth trial were used for digestibility and nitrogen balance trials. The three groups of sheep had effect (p > 0.05) in the final live weight (FLW). Average daily feed intake (ADI), average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were significantly (p < 0.05) different among the three groups. For digestibility coefficients, the three breeds of sheep had no effect (p > 0.05) in dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), crude fiber (CF), nitrogen free extract (NFE), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF). In the similar approach, no significant differences were founds among three breeds of sheep in digestible organic matter, digestible of crude protein, total digestible nutrients and nitrogen retention. The current study concluded that the sheep breeds affected average daily feed intake, average daily gain and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Awassi breed showed the best of average daily gain and feed conversion ratio followed by Najdi then Harri breeds. The breed of sheep had no effect on digestibility coefficients and nitrogen retention.

As practiced in Africa, urban agriculture (UA) has been examined in the literature and by architecture and urban planning experts, revealing both advantages and disadvantages for health. While the recognized disadvantages are not negligible, the literature focuses mainly on the positive outcomes about food security and improved socio-economic conditions for farmers. However, little research has focused on farmers' perceptions of the effect of this practice on their psychological well-being. This study seeks to delve into this aspect by surveying 733 farmers in Dar es Salaam and Greater Lomé to map UA's distribution, assess its benefits and challenges, study its psychosocial associations, and demonstrate how architectural design and urban planning can enhance its spatial distribution and overall benefits. The standardized Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF) and non-standardized questionnaires are used to evaluate their responses. Using logistic regression and spatial analysis techniques with Python and QGIS 3.32.2-Lima, the analysis uncovers that farmers attribute improved psychological well-being to their involvement in UA. The study found that farmers' happiness due to UA varies by location within a city, with those on the outskirts generally more satisfied than those in urban centers. Additionally, women farmers reported greater happiness than men farmers, highlighting UA's role in empowering women. The research underscores UA's positive association with practitioners' psychological health in Africa and advocates for its integration into urban planning to promote equitable and beneficial urban spaces.

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the principal catechin in green tea, exhibits diverse therapeutic properties. However, its clinical efficacy is hindered by poor stability and low bioavailability. This study investigated solid particle-in-oil-in-water (S/O/W) emulsions stabilized by whey protein isolate (WPI) and sodium caseinate (NaCas) as carriers to enhance the bioavailability and intestinal absorption of EGCG. Molecular docking revealed binding interactions between EGCG and these macromolecules. The emulsions exhibited high encapsulation efficiencies and augmented EGCG bioaccessibility by 64% compared to free EGCG in a simulated gastrointestinal digestion model. EGCG-loaded emulsions demonstrated minimal cytotoxicity towards Caco-2 cells and facilitated EGCG transport across the intestinal epithelial layer without compromising tight junction integrity. Notably, EGCG-loaded emulsions protected Caco-2 cells against oxidative stress by suppressing intracellular reactive oxygen species generation. The results demonstrate the potential of WPI- and NaCas-stabilized S/O/W emulsions to enhance the bioavailability, intestinal absorption, and bioactivity of EGCG, expanding its applications in functional foods and nutraceuticals.

Strain induced melt activation process (SIMA) creates a globular microstructure which improves the hardness and ultimate tensile stress (UTS) of 7075 aluminum alloys. But, at the grain boundaries of SIMA processed 7075 aluminum alloy, presence of continuous and brittle intermetallic compounds and the eutectic structure result in decreasing mechanical properties, such as elongation, formability and etc. Hence, in order to improve microstructure and formability of 7075 aluminum alloy respect to SIMA process, a new process was done that is called two-step strain induced melt activation (TSSIMA). This process, which has been mentioned in the experimental procedure section, both organized globular structure and significantly modified the microstructure of the alloy compared to that of the SIMA method. It promoted discontinuity and more homogeneity in distribution of the precipitates and, approximately removed the eutectic mixture. Performing the rolling process on the alloy also revealed that it is more effective in formability enhancement in comparison with SIMA process. Also, it increased the hardness of 7075 aluminum alloy respect to that of SIMA process.

Continuum robots play the role of end-effector in various surgical robots and endoscopic devices. The robots may be categorized as rigid or soft continuum robots (SCRs). While the SCRs have proven advantages such as safety and compliance, more research and development are required to enhance their capability for specific medical scenarios. This research aims at designing a soft robot considering concepts of geometric and kinematic similarities. The chosen application is a semi-invasive medical application known as Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE), but the methodology can be implemented in other similar applications. Since established rigid carrier construction make use of principles we find as well embodied in vertebral spines, the paragon for soft robot solution can be the phylogenetic precursor of the spine, the Chorda dorsalis. The feasibility of fabrication of a soft endoscopic device derived from that paragon within a robotics laboratory was shown empirically by producing a three-segment pneumatic SCR. The kinematic model was proposed based on the method of transformation matrices, and an algorithm based on a self-organizing map (SOM) was proposed and applied to realize kinematic similarity. The simulation results indicate that the algorithm acting as an open-loop controller forces the soft robot tip to follow the desired path which in this case is the path of the rigid probe. It is concluded that the solution provides a soft robot that can surrogate and succeed the traditional rigid counterpart owing to size, workspace, and kinematics.

In this project, we use a statistical multiple regression to study the impact of eight various predictors (relative compactness, surface area, wall area, roof area, overall height, orientation, glazing area, glazing area distribution) to estimate the cooling load energy efficiency of residential buildings. We try to analyze and visualize the effect of each predictor with each of the response variable using different classical statistical analysis tools used in describing linear models, in such a way so that we can find out the most strongly related predictor variables. Before starting all of this, we use the idea of model selection by stepwise regression technique and compare the AIC of these models and identified a better model between all of them. Then, we compare a classical linear regression approach by simulations on 768 diverse residential buildings show that we can predict CL with low mean absolute error. By using ANOVA we determine variation in the different residuals. Also, we use non constant variance test to verify it. Furthermore, we check leverage and influence points as well as outliers as well as determined cook distance for influential points. By taking box cox transformation and weights, we also introduce WLS technique to fit the model for better results and did all type of important analysis to understand the energy efficiency. Finally, we show 5-fold cross validation to verify our model.

Salinity, resulting from climate change and excessive mineral fertilization, burdens farmers and negatively impacts soil and water ecosystems in the Northeastern Nile Delta. Organic and biological approaches are crucial for addressing these issues. This study examined the effects of individual and combined inoculations with cyanobacteria, yeast, and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF), with or without K-humate, on enhancing salinity tolerance, increasing yield, and improving crop quality of wheat and faba bean. The aim was to reduce NPK mineral fertilizer application rates to 25% of recommended doses. An economic evaluation was also conducted. In a preliminary laboratory experiment, the interactive effects of these microbiomes on the production of plant antioxidant enzymes and soil enzymes were investigated under salinity stress. Results showed that co-inoculation, especially with K-humate, yielded superior outcomes compared to individual inoculations. The laboratory experiment findings were confirmed by a field trial conducted in saline-alkaline soil in the Northeastern Nile Delta region. The study found that the integrated inoculation of cyanobacteria, yeast, and mycorrhizae with K-humate, along with 25% mineral NPK fertilization enhanced microbial activity, including AMF colonization, spore density, and total bacteria, cyanobacteria, and yeast counts in the plant rhizosphere. It also increased soil enzyme activity, improving soil fertility compared to individual or mineral control treatments. This integration resulted in wheat yields of 2.77 tons/ha and faba bean yields of 4.75 tons/ha. Crop quality improved, with higher levels of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and protein in wheat grains and faba bean seeds. Microbiomes inoculation increased potassium uptake over sodium, enhancing the potassium/sodium ratio and salt stress tolerance. This approach reduces reliance on costly mineral fertilizers by up to 75%, enabling economically viable cultivation in marginal lands. These sustainable practices optimize resource utilization, maximize economic efficiency, and preserve natural resources.

Metabolite transport across cellular membranes is a key feature of living organisms. Specialized proteins or protein complexes mediate such transport processes and are accessible to genetic engineering approaches. This special issue will reflect on the different transport between cellular compartments. It will provide an overview about different transporter classes and metabolic engineering approaches in different organisms ranging from Bacteria to Eukarya. The transport mechanisms energetics of these compounds were thought little of, and most consideration was given to the designing of metabolic pathways. Gram-negative microbes discharge a wide scope of proteins whose capacities incorporate biogenesis of organelles, for example, pilli and flagella, supplement securing, destructiveness, and efflux of medications and different poisons. Six particular emission frameworks have been appeared to intervene protein send out through the inward and external layers of Gram-negative microbes. These pathways are exceptionally monitored all through the Gram-negative bacterial species. In Gram-positive microscopic organisms, discharged proteins are usually moved across the single layer by the Sec pathway or the two-arginine (Tat) pathway. Recently efforts focused on transporter and metabolite engineering, visualize the improvement and enhancement of microbial cell to pass such metabolites these metabolite carrier proteins are inserted into the inner membrane of mitochondria across the inner membrane, specialized carrier proteins are necessary that mediate the transport into and out of the mitochondrial matrix. Two main strategies for metabolic engineering in plants: the introduction of genes encoding new enzymes and the use of TFs controlling specialized metabolic pathways

Urban agriculture is an early practice, especially for cities in the Global South that are expanding at an unprecedented rate, and in African cities, it can be a way to attend to essential social and health needs. However, it is unclear whether architects and urban planners have expressed interest or already incorporated urban farming within their designs of African cities. This literature review was conducted to understand to what extent architects and urban planners have researched urban agriculture and health. Comprehensive searches based on urban agriculture, health, and Africa were conducted in Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science from 2000 to December 2020. Zotero, Mozilla Firefox search engine, and Google Chrome were used to collect paper metadata. The duplicate articles were excluded, and all the n = 240 publications remaining were included in the analysis. Food security and the immediate health impact of urban agriculture on health were the most addressed topics. These studies reported the harmful effects of urban agriculture on malaria and the wastewater irrigation of plants. The evidence on urban agriculture is increasing from public health researchers, but not in the field of urban planning or architecture. Future research on urban agriculture's impacts on urban health should be increasingly done by architects and planners to help shape urban planning practices and regulations that could help create urban agriculture that benefits urban health.

Chitosan decorated copper nanoparticles (CS/CuNPs) catalysts were synthesized via reduction methods utilizing green protocol. The CS/CuNPs hybrid catalysts were tested for the synthesis of quinoline derivatives utilizing one-pot multicomponent reaction (MCR) under ultrasonic irradiation. The best catalyst (CS/CuNPs) that provided good conversion reaction yield and high turnover frequency (TOF) was characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), , scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. Generalization of the scope of the proposed catalytic process was studied using different aldehydes. Excellent products yield and high TOF in even shorter reaction time (~5 min) was attained. Recyclability performance of the catalyst over five times re-use without detectable loss in product yield was recorded. The current method is green process utilizing environmentally benign catalyst and considered to be promising sustainable protocol for the synthesis of fine chemicals.

Abstract: As a low-input crop, Miscanthus offers numerous advantages that, in addition to agricultural applications, permits its exploitation for energy, fuel, and material production. Depending on the Miscanthus genotype, season, and harvest time as well as plant component (leaf versus stem), correlations between structure and properties of the corresponding isolated lignins differ. Here, a comparative study is presented between lignins isolated from M. x giganteus, M. sinensis, M. robustus and M. nagara using a catalyst-free organosolv pulping process. The lignins from different plant constituents are also compared regarding their similarities and differences regarding monolignol ratio and important linkages. Results showed that the plant genotype has the weakest influence on monolignol content and interunit linkages. In contrast, structural differences are more significant among lignins of different harvest time and/or season. Analyses were performed using fast and simple methods such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Data was assigned to four different linkages (A: b-O-4 linkage, B: phenylcoumaran, C: resinol, D: b-unsaturated ester). In conclusion, A content is particularly high in leaf-derived lignins at just under 70 % and significantly lower in stem and mixture lignins at around 60 % and almost 65 %. The second most common linkage pattern is D in all isolated lignins, the proportion of which is also strongly dependent on the crop portion. Both stem and mixture lignins, have a relatively high share of approximately 20 % or more (maximum is M. sinensis Sin2 with over 30 %). In the leaf-derived lignins, the proportions are significantly lower on average. Stem samples should be chosen if the highest possible lignin content is desired, specifically from the M. x giganteus genotype, which revealed lignin contents up to 27 %. Due to the better frost resistance and higher stem stability, M. nagara offers some advantages compared to M. x giganteus. Miscanthus crops are shown to be very attractive lignocellulose feedstock (LCF) for second generation biorefineries and lignin generation in Europe.

In this letter, instead of choosing the Einstein Rosen bridge between two black holes as in ER=EPR, we consider a wormhole between a black hole and a closed edge of the wormhole. We assume that information in a black hole travels through a wormhole, turns to mass (dark matter) in the closed region. This study is in contradiction with the existence of the white hole in our Universe. We replace the notion of the white hole with the massive closed region. We prove the metric of the closed region by the Hopf fibration, this new metric generalizes the $AdS_{5}$\ metric.

In this paper, we present a technique to unify the Reissner–Nordstr¨om metric and the Kerr–Newman metric. We construct a specifific model and calculate the entanglement entropy of black horizon. We are interested in the entangled particle and antiparticle spinning on the black hole horizon. The two Reissner-Nordstr¨om horizons r±, are the results of the rotation of several entangled particle-antiparticle on the real horizon. The energy absorbed by a black hole is transformed into a kinetic energy of the entangled particle-antiparticles. This study provides a new type of black hole metric. We show that the rotation of an entangled system of a particle and an antiparticle can create a extremal black hole. We also explore some of the implications of this point of view for the black hole entanglement.

In this paper, we study the symmetry between the supersingular prime number according to smallest sphenic number. With this symmetry, we show that the elements of sporadic group generates all prime numbers with the order by a simple application.

The preparation of transition metal salt ammine complexes having oxidizing anions is a great challenge due to the reaction between the ammonia and oxidizing anions during the synthesis of these materials. However, they have an important role in the development of new oxidants in organic chemistry and especially as precursors in the preparation of mixed metal oxides and alloys in controlled temperature thermal decomposition reactions. Therefore, the synthetic procedures to prepare the complexes of transition metal permanganate, pertechnetate, and perrhenate (VIIB group tetraoxometallates) salts with ammonia as ligand or co-ligand have been comprehensively reviewed. The available data about the structure and spectroscopic properties of these compounds, including the hydrogen bonds that act as redox reaction centers under their thermal decomposition are given and evaluated. Their thermal decomposition processes and products have been summarized. The available pieces of information about their role in organic oxidation reactions like the oxidation of benzyl alcohols, and regeneration of oxo-compounds from oximes and phenylhydrazones including the kinetics of these processes have also been collected.

The aim of this research is to investigate the influence of model height employed in the deep drawing of orthodontic aligner sheets on force transmission and aligner thickness. Forty sheets (Zendura FLX) were thermoformed over four models of varying heights (15, 20, 25, and 30 mm). Normal contact force generated on the facial surface of the upper right central incisor (Tooth 11) was measured using pressure-sensitive films. Aligner thickness around Tooth 11 was measured at five points. A digital caliper and a micro-computed tomography (µ-CT) were employed for thickness measurements. The normal contact force exhibited an uneven distribution across the facial surface of Tooth 11. Model 15 displayed the highest force (88.9±23.2 N), while Model 30 exhibited the lowest (45.7±15.8 N). The force distribution was more favorable for bodily movement with Model 15. Thickness measurements, conducted using a digital caliper and µ-CT, revealed substantial thinning of the aligner after thermoforming. This thinning was most pronounced at the incisal edge (50% of the original thickness) and least at the gingivo-facial part (85%). Additionally, there was a progressive reduction in aligner thickness with increasing model height, which was most significant on the facial tooth surfaces. We conclude that the thermoplastic aligner sheets undergo substantial thinning during the thermoforming process, which becomes more pronounced as the height of the model increases. As a result, there is a decrease in both overall and localized force transmission, which could lead to increased tipping by the aligner and a diminished ability to achieve bodily movement.

In this work, we explore a the different forms of a new type of modified gravity, namely f(φ) gravity. We construct the Big Rip type for the energy density and the curvature of the universe. We show that dark energy is a result of the transformation of the field φ mass (dark matter) to energy. In addition, we provide that Ω_{m}≈0,050, Ω_{DM}≈0,2, Ω_{DE}≈0,746, is in excellent agreement with observation data. We explore a generalized formalism of braneworld modified gravity. We also construct a new field equations, which generalize the Einstein field equations. We provide a relation between the extra dimension in 3-brane with the vacuum energy density. We show that the energy density of matter depends directly on the number of dimensions. We manage to find the value of the Gauss-Bonnet coupling α=1/4 which is a good agreement with the results in the literature, this correspondence creates a passage between f(R) gravity and Gauss-Bonnet gravity, this comparison leads to a number of bulk dimensions equal to D=10¹²¹+4.

From a differential geometric perspective, information geometry (IG) aims to characterise the structure of statistical geodesic models. The research done for this paper offers a novel method for modelling the information geometry of a queuing system. From the perspective of IG, the manifold of the transient M/M/infinity queue is described in this context. The Fisher Information matrix (FIM) as well as the inverse of (FIM), (IFIM) of transient M/M/infinity QM are devised. In addition to that, new results that uncovered the significant impact of stability of QM on the existence of (IFIM) are obtained. Moreover, the Geodesic equations of motion of the coordinates of the underlying transient are obtained. Also, it is revealed that stable QM is developable (i.e., has a zero Gaussian curvature) and has a non-zero Ricci Curvature Tensor (RCT). Novel stability dynamics of transient M/M/iInfinity queue manifold is revealed by discovering the mutual dual impact between the behaviour of (RCT) and the stability(instability) phases of M/M/Infinity QM. Furthermore, a new discovery that presents the significant impact of stability of queue manifold and the continuity of the unique representation between M/G/1 queue manifold and Ricci Curvature Tensor (RCT). The information matrix exponential (IME) is devised. Also, it is shown that stability of the devised (IME) enforces the instability of M/M/ Infinity QM. More interestingly, novel relativistic info-geometric queueing theoretic links are revealed .

Citrus Greening, which is mainly caused by bacteria, is one of the severe citrus diseases affecting all citrus cultivars and causing the deliberate abolition of trees worldwide. This infectious disease cannot be spread by wind, rain, or contact by contaminated personnel. The primary vector that spreads this disease through feeding citrus leaves is the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), a minuscule insect. The management of citrus greening is also very costly as there is no fruitful technique is developed to cure this disease except removing all infected plants from good ones to eliminate the dissemination of the pathogen. Citrus greening identification is also the most difficult job, as the symptoms are similar to other citrus diseases and nutrient deficiency. Asymmetrical blotchy mottling patterns on leaves are the main symptoms to detect this disease. Here we have discussed some visual signs of citrus greening, which will ultimately help root level farmers to identify and prevent this disease before it drastically impacts citrus plants. Whether it is affected by citrus greening or lack of nutrients, we have also discussed the pen test method of determining the symptoms as symmetrical or asymmetrical across the mid-vein.

Urbanization affects all elements of the pre-urban environment, including soils, hydrology, vegetation, and microclimate. Recently, Saudi Arabia has experienced rapid urbanization and growth. Thus, the country's biodiversity has been threatened. In Riyadh, beetle assemblages were assessed along a rural-suburban-urban gradient. A total of 2,791 individuals from 94 species belonging to seven families were collected at 15 sites along three different gradients of urbanization in Wadi Hanifa. Tenebrionidae dominated abundance (60.1%) and richness (38%). Beetle abundance, evenness, and diversity were not different among habitats; however, species richness was higher in rural habitats. DCA and CCA analyses showed distinct differences among sites along gradients. Urbanization intensity, soil variables, and land cover were significantly correlated with DCA axis 1, while elevation and flora were significantly correlated with DCA axis 2. The most critical operating environmental variables in Wadi Hanifa were buildings, elevation, soil organic carbon, litter cover, and litter depth, as well as plants such as Launaea capitata, Lycium shawii, Alhagi graecorum, and Heliotropium currasavicum. Ten species in our study are associated with urban habitats, six with suburban habitats, and seven with rural habitats. Consequently, expanding urban areas may negatively affect the richness and composition of beetles and may result in the loss of some native species.

As an on-going pandemic caused by the out-break of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or simply COVID-19 sweeps through the globe at an unprecedented rate leaving behind trails of high infection and mortality, it is crucial to understand the propagation dynamics of the virus in a host population in order to take urgent and effective remedial and mitigating steps to save life. It is already observed in many countries and communities that accurate and timely testing, tracing, and tracking of the infection lead to better containment and slowing down of the spread. In this exploratory research, the early growth dynamics of infection within a population is pursued based on real data. The study posits that the early growth in a homogenous population follows an exponential pattern motivating further rigorous quantitative treatment based on a number of analytical models such as logistic model, Richard’s model, and Gompertz model– the acceleration pattern of the outbreak is ascertained from the daily inflection data, and regression analysis against population models yields dynamic growth indices which allow very accurate prediction of the successive outbreak size when calibrated continually with updated data. The performance of the various models is evaluated with the real dataset. More, the basic reproduction number of the COVID-19 virus propagation in the community is estimated based on the on-set phase dataset using multi-compartmental epidemiological model. Also, the maximum infection size, infection doubling time and the scope of the herd immunity are also inferred for COVID-19 in a population.

A new set of basis functions is presented. The foundation in mathematics is established. To reconstruct a signal, it is compared to the Fourier basis functions. The M-basis functions' potential applications are also presented.

Curcumin and trans-cinnamaldehyde are acrolein-based Michael acceptor compounds that are commonly found in domestic condiments, and known to cause cancer cell death via redox mechanisms. Based on the structural features of these compounds we designed and synthesized several 2-cinnamamido-N-substituted-cinnamamide (bis-cinnamamide) compounds. One of the derivatives, (Z)-2-[(E)-cinnamamido]-3-phenyl-N-propylacrylamide 1512 showed a moderate antiproliferative potency (HCT-116 cell line inhibition of 32.0 µM), good selectivity profile (no inhibition of normal cell lines), and proven cellular activities leading to apoptosis. SAR studies led to more than 10-fold increase in activity. Our most promising compound, [(Z)-3-(1H-indol-3-yl)-N-propyl-2-[(E)-3-(thien-2-yl)propenamido)propenamide] 4112 killed colon cancer cells at IC50 = 0.89 µM (Caco-2), 2.85 µM (HCT-116) and 1.65 µM (HT-29), while exhibiting much weaker potency on C-166 and BHK normal cell lines (IC50 = 71 µM and 77.6 µM, respectively). Cellular studies towards identifying the compounds mechanism of cytotoxic activities revealed that apoptotic induction occurs in part as a result of oxidative stress. Importantly, the compounds showed inhibition of cancer stem cells that are critical for maintaining the potential for self-renewal and stemness. The results presented here show discovery of covalently-acting Michael addition compounds that potently kill cancer cells by a defined mechanism, with minimal effect on normal noncancerous cell.

Bacteria a Microscopic organisms are the most inexhaustible and flexible of microorganisms and constitute a huge division of the whole living earthly biomass, certain microorganisms were found to amass metallic components at a high limit Was Known as Bacterial Bio-sorption Due to their little size, capacity to become under controlled conditions, and their Accommodation to an extensive variety of ecological situations; Potent metal bio-sorbents among microorganisms, at low pH esteems, cell divider ligands are protonated and contend essentially with metals for official. With expanding pH, more ligands, such as amino and carboxyl groups, could be exposed, leading to attraction between these negative charges and the metals, and consequently increment bio-sorption onto the cell surface. Starting with Isolation and identification of heavy metal-resistant bacteria from rock Ore. Studying Factors Affecting Uranium Bio-sorption, Optimization of bacterial growth conditions and optimum for metal uptake by free and immobilized bacterial cells and Desorption ratio of uranium ions adsorbed by Coli. /alginate, All this evidence suggest that functions groups Represented in our study are responsible for metal uptake in our bacterial biomass beside change in peaks position which assigned for it's groups confirm bio-sorption of metal ions from waste due to ions charge interaction comparing with immobilized we found increase in no of binding sites indicate that immobilized bacterial have high efficiency for metal up take which also change in peaks position which assigned for its groups confirm bio-sorption of metal ions from waste due to ions charge interaction, Where the high bio-sorption yield obtained by bacteria, the Uranium & heavy metal bioremediation process expects microorganisms to be joined to a strong surface.

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.

The misuse of antibiotics during the last decades led to the emergence of multidrug resistant pathogenic bacteria. This phenomenon constitutes a major public health issue. Consequently, the discovery of new antibacterials in the short term is crucial. Colicins, due to their antibacterial properties, thus constitute good candidates. These toxin proteins, produced by E. coli to kill enteric relative competitors, exhibit cytotoxicity through ionophoric activity or essential macromolecule degradation. Among the 25-colicin types known to date, colicin M (ColM) is the only one colicin interfering with peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Accordingly, ColM develops its lethal activity in E. coli periplasm by hydrolyzing the last peptidoglycan precursor, lipid II, into two dead-end products, thereby leading to cell lysis. Since the discovery of its unusual mode of action, several ColM orthologs have also been identified based on sequence alignments; all of the characterized ColM-like proteins display the same enzymatic activity of lipid II degradation and narrow antibacterial spectra. This publication aims at being an exhaustive review about what is currently known on this new family of antibacterial enzymes as well as on their potential use of food preservatives or therapeutic agents.

D-type cyclins encode G1/S cell cycle checkpoint proteins, that play a crucial role in defining cell cycle exit and progression. Precise control of cell cycle exit is vital during embryonic development, with defects in the pathways regulating intracellular D-type cyclins resulting in abnormal initiation of stem cell differentiation in a variety of different organ systems. Furthermore, stabilisation of D-type cyclins is observed in a wide range of disorders characterised by cellular over-proliferation, including cancers and overgrowth disorders. In this review, we will summarise and compare the roles played by each D-type cyclin during development and provide examples of how their intracellular dysregulation can be an underlying cause of disease.

Production and transport of reactive species through plasma-liquid interactions plays a significant role in multiple applications in biomedicine, environment, and agriculture. We experimentally investigated the transport mechanisms of hydrogen peroxide H2O2 and ozone O3, as the typical plasma species, into water. We measured the solvation of gaseous H2O2 and O3 in airflow into water bulk vs. electrosprayed microdroplets while changing the gas and water flow rates, applied voltage that determines the gas-liquid interface area, and treatment time. The solvation rate of H2O2 and O3 increased with the treatment time and the gas-liquid interface area. The total surface area of the electrosprayed microdroplets was larger than that of the bulk, but their lifetime was much shorter. We estimated that only microdroplets with diameters below ~ 40 µm could achieve the saturation by O3 during their lifetime, while the saturation by H2O2 was impossible due to its depletion from air. Besides the short-lived flying microdroplets, the longer-lived bottom microdroplets substantially contributed to H2O2 and O3 solvation in water electrospray. This study contributes to a better understanding of the gaseous H2O2 and O3 transport into water as a function of different parameters and will lead to design optimization of the plasma-liquid interaction systems.

The utilization of fuel cells (FC) in automotive technology has experienced significant growth in recent years. Fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles (FCHEVs) are powered by a combination of fuel cells, batteries, or/and ultracapacitors (UCs). By integrating power converters with these power sources, the FCHEV system can overcome the limitations of using them separately. The performance of an FCHEV is influenced by the efficiency of the power electronics converter controller, as well as the technical efficiency of the power sources. FCHEVs need intricate energy management systems (EMSs) to function effectively. Poor EMS can lead to low efficiency and accelerated fuel cell and battery degradation. The literature discussed various types of EMSs, such as equivalent consumption minimization strategy, classical PI controller, fuzzy logic controller, and Mutative Fuzzy Logic Controller (MFLC). However, comparing different EMSs can be challenging due to the varying vehicle and system parameters, which might lead to false claims being made regarding system performance. This research aims to categorize and discuss the various topologies of FCHEVs, highlighting their pros and cons, and comparing several EMSs based on performance metrics such as State of Charge (SOC) and FC deterioration.

The energy stored in an electric vehicle's battery would be drawn and distributed to the electrical grid to better drive energy consumption within a microgrid that includes a renewable generator(s) managed by a specific energy management strategy. This concept, known as vehicle-to-grid technology: V2G, makes the energy stored in the electric vehicle's battery more beneficial by discharging it to the public grid during periods of high demand. In this study, we will consider a vehicle system connected to a microgrid, which includes a photovoltaic generator reported from the <<PROPRE.MA>> project in the city of Tangier. We will elaborate the study of a strategy of the car connected to this V2G network. This allows electricity to be stored when rates are low (off-peak hours) and then used when prices rise (peak hours). Otherwise, the solar energy will cover the owner's needs, and the surplus will be injected into the distribution network. This strategy will manage the solar power, the load power, the state of charge of the EV battery, the time of day and the driving scenario. Using two driving profiles, we will show the performance of the proposed energy management strategy and the percentage contribution of the photovoltaic array of the <<PROPRE.MA>> project in the city of Tangier.

Compton cameras detect scattered gamma rays and estimate the distribution of gamma-ray sources. Nonetheless, crafting a camera tailored to a specific application presents formidable challenges, often necessitating the implementation of diverse image reconstruction techniques. Delving into the factors influencing these cameras can pave the way for design optimization and performance enhancement. This study introduces an inventive detector design for Compton imaging systems, building upon the achievements of prior designs. The proposed system contains eight scatterer detectors and a semiconductor absorber detector, spaced at 1 mm and 30 mm intervals, respectively. The source-to-first-scatterer-detector distance is 5 mm, with scatterer and absorber detector plates measuring 70× 70× 2.125 mm³ and 70× 70× 10 mm³, respectively. Geant4 simulation toolkit models the Compton imaging system, and an analytical method reconstructs Compton camera images. Unlike more straightforward techniques, the analytical method directly reconstructs Compton camera images by solving the equation relating to the reflected image data. This approach is implemented in the C++ programming language. The study's findings reveal that the analytical method discerns optimal conditions and parameters that significantly influence efficiency, yielding a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 3.7 mm with an angular uncertainty of approximately 2.7 degrees at an energy level of 0.662 MeV. Compared to another experimental design employing the analytical image reconstruction approach, the FWHM value decreased by 0.7 mm. This study presents an innovative detector design and an analytical reconstruction method for Compton imaging systems, showcasing improved efficiency and accuracy.

The use of drones for various applications has become increasingly popular in recent years, and machine learning has played a significant role in this trend. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive survey of the classification and application of machine learning in drones. The paper begins with an overview of the different types of machine learning algorithms and their applications in drones, including supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and reinforcement learning. Next, we present a detailed analysis of various real-world applications of machine learning in drones, such as object recognition, route planning, obstacle avoidance, search area optimization, and autonomous search. The paper also discusses the challenges and limitations of using machine learning in drones, such as data privacy, data quality, and computational requirements. Finally, the paper concludes with a discussion of the future directions of machine learning in drones and its potential impact on various industries and fields. This paper provides a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners, and students interested in the intersection of machine learning and drones.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, and despite advances in treatment, survival rates are still low; therefore, the development of novel drugs is imperative. Acetylcorynoline (ACN) is derived from Corydalis ambigua. The effect of ACN on colon cancer is still unknown. Therefore, we investigated its potential effects. Our data showed that ACN inhibited cell viability and proliferation. Moreover, ACN induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest by inhibiting cell growth. In the present study, we hypothesized that ACN regulates c-Myc through CNOT2 or MID1IP1. ACN reduced the protein expression of oncogenic genes, decreased c-Myc half-life, and rapidly inhibited the serum stimulation response. Moreover, knockdown of CNOT2 and MID1IP1 with ACN increased apoptosis and further reduced the expression of oncogenes. In addition, ACN exhibited a synergistic effect with low-dose of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and doxorubicin (Dox). Collectively, our data demonstrates that ACN inhibited c-Myc expression through CNOT2 and MID1IP1 and induced apoptosis. These findings indicate the potential of ACN as a therapeutic agent against colon cancer.

Within the framework of multiblock data analysis, a unified approach of supervised methods is discussed. It encompasses multiblock redundancy analysis (MB-RA) and multiblock partial least squares (MB-PLS) regression. Moreover, we develop new supervised strategies of multiblock data analysis, which can be seen as variants of one or the other of these two methods. They are respectively refered to as multiblock weighted redundancy analysis (MB-WRA) and multiblock weighted covariate analysis (MB-WCov). The four methods are based on the determination of latent variables associated with the various blocks of variables. They are derived from clear optimization criteria whose aim is to maximize either the sum of the covariances or the sum of squared covariances between the latent variable associated with the response block of variables and the block latent variables associated with the various explanatory blocks of variables. We also propose indices to help better interpreting the outcomes of the analyses. The methods are illustrated and compared based on simulated and real datasets.

The World Health Organization(WHO) in 2016 considered mHealth as: “the use of mobile wireless technologies including smart devices such as smartphones and smartwatches for public health” as an important resource for health services delivery and public health given their ease of use, broad reach and acceptance. WHO emphasizes the potential of this technology to increase access to health information, services and skills as well as promoting positive changes in health behaviors and management of diseases. In this regard, the capability of smartphones and smartwatches for m-health monitoring as well as verification of the patient the signal has become an important component of mHealth system. Most of the smartwatches could extract more than one bioelectrical signal therefore, therefore they provide suitable platform for extracting health data for e-monitoring. The existing approaches have not considered the integrity of data obtained from these smart devices. Therefore, it is important that the integrity of the collected data be verified continuously through user authentication. This could be done using any of the bioelectrical signals extracted and transmitted for e-monitoring. In this article, a smartwatch is used for extracting bioelectrical signal before decomposing the signal into sub-bands of Detail and Approximation Coefficient for user authentication. To select suitable features using biorthogonal wavelet decomposition of signal from a non-intrusive extraction, a detailed experiment is conducted extracting suitable statistical features from the bioelectrical signal from 30 subjects using different biorthogonal wavelet family. Ten features are extracted using Biorthogonal wavelet to decompose the signal into three levels of sub-band Detail and Approximation Coefficient and features extracted from each level the decomposed Detail and Approximation Coefficients. Comparison analysis is done after the classification of the extracted features based on the Equal Error Rate (EER). Using Neural Network (NN) classifier, Biorthogonal Wavelet Detail Coefficient Sub-band level 3 of bior1.1 achieved the best result of EER 13.80% with the fusion of the best sub-band three levels of bior1.1 achieving a better result of 12.42% EER.

Extensive genome structure variation, such as copy number variations (CNVs) and presence/absence variations, is the basis for the remarkable maize genetic diversity; however, the effect of CNVs on maize herbivory defense remains largely underexplored. Here, we report that the naturally occurring duplication of the maize 9-lipoxygenase gene, ZmLOX5, leads to increased resistance of maize to herbivory by fall armyworms (FAW). Previously, we showed that ZmLOX5-derived oxylipins are required for defense against chewing insect herbivores and identified several inbred lines, including Yu796, that contained duplicated CNVs of ZmLOX5, referred to as Yu796-2×LOX5. To test whether introgression of the Yu796-2×LOX5 locus into the herbivore-susceptible B73 background that contains a single ZmLOX5 gene is a feasible approach to increase resistance, we generated a series of near-isogenic lines that contained either 2, 1 or 0 copies of the Yu796-2×LOX5 locus in the B73 background by six back crosses (BC6). Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) confirmed the successful introgression of the Yu796-2×LOX5 locus in B73. The resulting B73-2×LOX5 inbred line displayed increased resistance against FAW associated with increased expression of ZmLOX5, increased wound-induced production of its primary oxylipin product, the α-ketol, 9-hydroxy-10-oxo-12(Z),15(Z)-octadecadienoic acid (9,10-KODA), and the downstream defense hormones regulated by this molecule, 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (12-OPDA) and abscisic acid (ABA). Surprisingly, wound-induced JA-Ile production was not increased in B73-2×LOX5, resulting from the increased JA catabolism. Furthermore, B73-2×LOX5 displayed enhanced drought tolerance likely due to increased ABA and 12-OPDA content. Taken together, this study revealed that the duplicated CNV of ZmLOX5 quantitively contributes to maize antiherbivore defense and presents proof-of-concept evidence that the introgression of naturally occurring duplicated CNVs of a defensive gene into the productive, but susceptible, crop varieties is a feasible breeding approach for enhancing plant resistance to herbivory and tolerance to abiotic stress.

Let R be a commutative ring with identity and m, n be positive integers. In this paper, we introduce the class of (m,n)-prime ideals which lies properly between the classes of prime and (m,n)-closed ideals. A proper ideal I of R is called (m,n)-prime if for a,b∈R, a^{m}b∈I implies either aⁿ∈I or b∈I. Several characterizations of this new class with many examples are given. Analougus to primary decomposition, we define the (m,n)-decomposition of ideals and show that every ideal in an n-Noetherian ring has an (m,n)-decomposition. Furthermore, the (m,n)-prime avoidance theorem is proved.

We report on metastable defects introduced in n-type 4H-SiC material by epithermal and fast neutron irradiation. The epithermal and fast neutron irradiation defects in 4H-SiC are much less explored compared to electron or proton irradiation induced defects. In addition to silicon vacancy (Vsi) and carbon antisite-carbon vacancy (CAV) complex, the neutron irradiation has introduced four deep level defects, all arising from the metastable defect, the M-center. The metastable deep level defects were investigated by deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), high-resolution Laplace DLTS (L-DLTS) and isothermal DLTS. The existence of the fourth deep level M4, recently observed in ion implanted 4H-SiC, has been additionally confirmed in neutron irradiated samples. The isothermal DLTS technique has been proven as a useful tool for studying the metastable defects.

The current work reports the upper bound of the state variable of the of the Pointwise Steady Fluid Flow Approximation (PSFFA) model of non-stationary M/Ek/1 queueing system.

In this paper, an extensive study on the operation, control and performance of a hybrid photovoltaic and wind turbine (PV-WT) system is presented. The study includes the operation of the hybrid systems under different weather conditions which are reflected on a change in the wind speed and irradiance. Various loading conditions are investigated such a change in active and reactive power demands for static and dynamic loads. The performance of the hybrid system is examined via MATLAB/SIMULINK simulations.

This study comprehensively investigates Al2O3's mechanical properties, focusing on fracture toughness, surface energy, Young's modulus, and crack propagation. The density functional theory (DFT) is employed to model the vacancies in Al2O3, providing essential insights into this material’s structural stability and defect formation. The DFT simulations reveal a deep understanding of vacancy-related properties and their impact on mechanical behavior. In conjunction with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, the fracture toughness and crack propagation in Al2O3 are explored, offering valuable information on material strength and durability. The surface energy of Al2O3 is also assessed using DFT, shedding light on its interactions with the surrounding environment. The combination of DFT and MD simulations provides a robust framework for a comprehensive understanding of Al2O3's mechanical properties, with implications for material science and engineering applications.

E-scooters are a micromobility transportation option for completing short trips. In recent years, many ‎cities welcomed shared e-scooters in an effort to offer more mode choices, increase travelers' ‎convenience, and reduce automobile use in their service areas. However, a knowledge gap still remains ‎regarding the acceptability of shared e-scooters as a transportation option, which motivates additional ‎research on user and non-user preferences and attitudes toward e-scooter use. This study investigates ‎latent variables impacting the adoption of shared e-scooters in urban areas, focusing on mode choice ‎factors and attitudes towards e-scooter use and car use. The study utilizes machine learning (ML) ‎techniques and SHAP analysis to analyze survey data (N=1196) collected from travelers in Washington, ‎D.C., Miami, FL, and Los Angeles, CA, in 2021 and 2022. A comparative analysis is performed to develop ‎comprehensive demographic profiles of e-scooter users. The analysis reveals gender (male), age (25-39 ‎years age group), higher income, and educational background as the most relevant factors toward e-‎scooter use. Attitudinal variations among e-scooter users and non-users underscore the complexity of ‎perceptions toward e-scooter use, with significant differences in mode choice factors and attitudes ‎toward the use of e-scooters and private vehicles. Notably, educational background ranked as a significant ‎factor in Washington, D.C., and Miami, while Factor 3, derived from factor analysis and encompassing car ‎use attitudes and the utilization of technology, emerged as influential in Los Angeles. This research ‎contributes fresh insights into factors shaping e-scooter adoption, offering a foundation for informed ‎urban transportation planning and policymaking. The holistic approach showcased in this study enhances ‎understanding of shared micromobility and its implications for urban mobility.

Perovskite type (Pb1-1.5x Lax0.5x)TiO3 (PLT) ceramics with x = 0.21, 0.22, 0.23, 0.24, 0.25 were prepared by the sol-gel method. Their structural, optical, and dielectric properties were investigated. The crystallite compounds were obtained by calcinating the mixture of PbCO3, TiO2, and La2O3 at 1000ºC for different time periods. After 4 h annealing, PLT23 sample, no secondary phases have been observed in the XRD spectrum of the PLT sample with 23% La content (PLT23). This sample appears to be notably distinguished in its structural, optical, and dielectric characteristics compared with other samples.

Most of the literature on the optimization problem of transportation in supply chain networks (SCN) considered fixed costs (FC). However, in the practical applications of this problem it is important to study the effect of FC. This paper examines the impact of fixed cost increase as well as the variable cost on the optimization of a Two-Stage SCN. To do so, two mathematical models for mixed-integer nonlinear programming are developed. The first model optimizes fixed and variable costs in addition to the opening cost, whereas the second model only optimizes variable and opening costs. To evaluate the effect of considering FC on the optimization supply chain problem, four groups of instances are randomly generated, and solved using Lingo. The results of the two models are compared utilizing the average percentage deviation. In addition, sensitivity analysis is performed to determine the impact of changes in opening and variable costs on the considered optimization problem. The computational results and the sensitivity analysis show that the first model with minimized FC outperforms the second model, which does not consider the FC in minimization and FC affect the optimization.

Recently, with the rapid advancement of technology, Internet of Things (IoT‏‏‏‏) security has become more efficient and more complex, especially for resource-limited devices such as embedded devices, wireless sensors and radio frequency identification tags (RFID). Lightweight block ciphers (LBCs) provide security for these technologies to protect them against adversaries, but the need for low power consumption in LBCs is one of the most important challenges for IoT‏ technologies. Furthermore, these LBCs are subject to multiple attacks and side channel attacks (SCAs) are among the mentioned threats to these cryptosystems. A type of SCA is correlation power analysis (CPA) in which the attacker tries to reach the key using the relationship between the power consumption of the chip during the algorithm running, data processing, and operations. In this article, a CPA attack is designed to discover master key of the Midori-64 block cipher. According to the proposed method, an attack is done to the first round S-boxes to get half of the key bits. Then, the second round S-boxes were attacked to other half of key bits just use 300 plain text samples. Finally, the most important physical attacks performed on the Midori, are compared to our proposed CPA attack.

Some α-Pyrone derivatives isolated from Alternaria phragmospora fungus showed promising anti leukemic activities, while others were inactive. CRM1/XPO1 (chromosome region maintenance 1 protein, also called exportin1 or PO1 in humans) has been chosen as a target for antileukemic molecular docking study for those compounds to understand their modes of interaction and structure activity relationships. The results showed that two (2 and 4), out of six, natural α-Pyrone derivatives exhibited well-established interactions with the amino acids of the receptor, which was in agreement with the experimental anti-leukemic results of these compounds. Moreover, twenty hypothetical chemically modified α-Pyrone derivatives (7-27) have been designed. Compounds 7, 8, 22 and 24 showed more efficient docking properties than the previously considered natural compounds.

We analyze the modular geometry of the variable exponent Lebesgue space L^p(.). We show that L^p(.) possesses a modular uniform convexity property. Part of the novelty is that the property holds even in the case supp(x) = ∞ . We present specific applications to fixed point theory. xÆΩ

Soil-borne Trichoderma spp. have been extensively studied for their biocontrol activities against pathogens and growth promotion ability with plants. However, the beneficial effect of Trichoderma on inducing resistance against insect herbivores has been considered only recently. Among diverse Trichoderma species, consistent with previous reports, we showed that root colonization by T. virens triggered induced systemic resistance (ISR) to leaf-infecting fungal pathogens. Whether T. virens induces ISR to insect pests has not been tested before. In this study, we investigated whether T. virens affects jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis and defense against fall armyworm (FAW) and western corn rootworm (WCR). Unexpectedly, the results showed that T. virens colonization of maize seedlings grown in autoclaved soil suppressed wound-induced production of JA, resulting in reduced resistance to FAW. Similarly, the bacterial endophyte Pseudomonas chlororaphis 30-84 suppressed systemic resistance to FAW due to reduced JA. Further comparative analyses of the systemic effects of these endophytes when applied into sterile or non-sterile field soil showed that both T. virens and P. chlororaphis 30-84 triggered ISR against hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen Colletotrichum graminicola in both soil conditions, but only suppressed resistance to FAW in sterile soil. In contrast to the effect on FAW defense, T. virens colonization of maize roots suppressed WCR larvae survival and weight gain. This is the first report suggesting the potential role of T. virens as a biocontrol agent against WCR.

Pulmonary infections with Mycobacterium avium occur in susceptible individuals following exposure to the bacterium in the environment, where it often persists in biofilms. Many methods have been used to generate biofilms of M. avium, and it is unknown whether different approaches generate similar structures and cell phenotypes. To make a parallel comparison of in vitro biofilm ultrastructure, extracellular matrix (ECM) composition, and drug susceptibility of biofilm resident bacteria, we used two published methods to generate M. avium biofilms: four week incubation in M63 medium or 24 hour exposure to dithiothreitol (DTT). Scanning electron microscopy revealed differences in biofilm ultrastructure between the two methods, including variation in appearance of ECM materials and morphology of resident cells, while light microscopy and staining with calcofluor white indicated that both biofilms contained polysaccharides characteristic of cellulose. Measuring susceptibility of biofilms to degradation by enzymes suggested differences in structurally important ECM molecules, with DTT biofilms having important protein and, to a lesser extent, cellulose components, and M63 biofilms having moderate protein, cellulose, and DNA components. Both biofilms conferred resistance to the bactericidal effects of amikacin and clarithromycin, with resident cells being killed at &gt;10-fold lower rates than planktonic cells at almost all concentrations. Though these comparisons indicate differences in biofilm responses by M. avium under differing conditions, they also suggest common features of biofilm formation including cellulose production and antimicrobial resistance.

The topological index is a numerical quantity based on the characteristics of various invariants or molecular graph. For ease of discussion, these indices are classified according to their logical derivation from topological invariants rather than their temporal development. Degree based topological indices depends upon the degree of vertices. This paper computes degree based topological indices of Bismuth Tri-Iodide chains and sheets with the help of M-polynomial.

Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to simulate five glacierized river basins that are global in coverage and vary in climate. The river basins included the Narayani (Nepal), Vakhsh (Central Asia), Rhone (Switzerland), Mendoza (Central Andes, Argentina), and Central Dry Andes (Chile) with a total area of 85,000 km2. A modified SWAT snow algorithm was applied in order to consider spatial variation of associated snow melt /accumulation by elevation band across each subbasin. In the previous studies, melt rates varied as a function of elevation resulting from an air temperature gradient while the snow parameters were constant throughout the entire basin. A major improvement of the new snow algorithm is separating the glaciers from seasonal snow based on their characteristics. Two SWAT snow algorithms were evaluated in simulation of monthly runoff from glaciered watershed: 1) the snow parameters are lumped (i.e. constant throughout the entire basin) and 2) the snow parameters are spatially variable based on elevation band-subbasin (i.e. modified snow algorithm). Applying the distributed SWAT snow algorithm improved the model performance in simulation of monthly runoff with snow-glacial regime, so that mean RSR decreased to 0.49 from 0.55 and NSE increased to 0.75 from 0.69. Improvement of model performance was negligible in simulation of monthly runoff from the basins with monsoon runoff regime.

By using the new recently proposed extended rational methods, we set some solitary and multi wave solutions of the coupled Higgs system in the present study. Some new families of hyperbolic and trigonometric solutions of the coupled Higgs equations are successfully obtained. Some solutions are real as some are complex valued functions. Particular forms of some solutions derived by choice of some parameters are demonstrated in three dimensional spaces. The complex valued solutions are also depicted by plotting both real and complex component.

A single paragraph of about 200 words maximum. For research articles, abstracts should give a pertinent overview of the work. We strongly encourage authors to use the following style of structured abstracts, but without headings: (1) Background: Place the question addressed in a broad context and highlight the purpose of the study; (2) Methods: briefly describe the main methods or treatments applied; (3) Results: summarize the article’s main findings; (4) Conclusions: indicate the main conclusions or interpretations. The abstract should be an objective representation of the article and it must not contain results that are not presented and substantiated in the main text and should not exaggerate the main conclusions.

Employing numerical methods to simulate manufacturing processes and study their influential factors is increasing. The development of computers and engineering software has increased the ability and accuracy of numerical methods in simulating various aspects of different processes. One of the manufacturing processes that has been considered by many industries in recent years to join metals in solid-state with unique properties is called friction stir welding. It is challenging and, in some cases, impossible to experimentally study the various aspects of this process, such as temperature distribution, stress distribution, and material flow, due to severe plastic deformation in the weld zone. In this case, numerical methods are used to investigate these parameters and better understand the process. This study first investigates various numerical methods researchers use to simulate the process. The ability, pros, and cons of these methods to simulate the process are also examined. Then, the applications of numerical models in simulating the temperature distribution during the process as well as the effects of input parameters on the temperature history of the process, are deeply considered. Next, the application of numerical methods in material flow modeling during the process is investigated. Finally, the modeling of the microstructure of the welding zone is investigated using numerical methods that help significantly in predicting the weld microstructure.

Freezing of Gait (FOG) is an impairment that affects the majority of patients in the advanced stages of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). FOG can lead to sudden falls and injuries, negatively impacting the quality of life for the patients and their families. Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAS) can be used to help patients recover from FOG and resume normal gait. RAS might be ineffective due to the latency between the start of a FOG event, it’s detection and initialization of RAS. We propose a system capable of both FOG prediction and detection using signals from tri-axial accelerometer sensors that will be useful in initializing RAS with minimal latency. We compared the performance of several time frequency analysis techniques, including moving windows extracted from the signals, handcrafted features, Recurrence Plots (RP), Short Time Fourier Transform (STFT), Discreet Wavelet Transform (DWT) and Pseudo Wigner Ville Distribution (PWVD) with Deep Learning (DL) based Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN). We also propose three Ensemble Network Architectures that combine all the time frequency representations and DL architectures. Experimental results show that our ensemble architectures significantly improve the performance compared with existing techniques. We also present the results of applying our method trained on publicly available dataset to data collected from patients using wearable sensors in collaboration with A.T. Still University.

Energy storage systems (ESSs) are the key elements to improve the operation of power systems. On the other hand, these elements challenge the power system planners. The difficulties arise as a result of the ESSs' economic and technological features. The cycle life of ESSs is a critical aspect that influences the choices made during expansion planning processes. In this manuscript, we have focused on a new model for the expansion planning of ESSs considering the impacts of technical properties, such as the cycle life and depth of discharge. For this purpose, the proposed model consists of the hourly operation planning of ESSs in the sample days of year. A new indicator is proposed to determine the daily charging/discharging cycles of ESSs. Numerical results show the ability of the proposed model to determine the optimal technology and capacity of ESSs.

Interval-valued functions have been widely used to accommodate data inexactness in optimization and decision theory. In this paper, we study interval-valued vector optimization problems, and derive their relationships to interval variational inequality problems, of both Stampacchia and Minty types. Using the concept of interval approximate convexity, we establish necessary and sufficient optimality conditions for local strong quasi and approximate $LU$-efficient solutions to nonsmooth optimization problems with interval-valued multiobjective functions.

Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) are receiving more and more attention as they involve simple design, cope better with turbulence and are insensitive to wind direction which has a huge impact on the cost since the yaw mechanism is not needed. However, VAWTs still suffer from low conversion efficiency. As a results tremendous efforts are exerted to improve its efficiency which mainly focus on two methods regardless of whether the study is a CFD simulation or a field test or lab test experiment. An active approach which involves the modification of the rotor itself such as the blade design, angle, trailing and leading edges, inner blades, chord thickness, contra-rotating rotor, etc. While the second approach involves passive techniques where the flow is directed to optimally face the downwind rotor by mounting a guiding vane such as a diffuser or other shapes at the upwind position of the rotor. Among all techniques undertaken, the CRWT rotor technique seems to be the most effective with an output even comparable to that of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWT), while the Savonius rotor received more attention compared to other designs of VAWTs. Apart from technological issues, it was also suggested that geographical issues such as proper site siting of the wind turbine rotor at a particular location where a uniform flow could be guaranteed is of paramount importance to ensure an effective conversion capacity of wind turbines.

The scope of this study was twofold: first, to introduce a new method in examining measurement invariance, especially with large-scale studies where a large number of group comparisons are involved: the alignment approach, where only configural invariance is necessary to achieve measurement invariance. Second, to evaluate the psychometric robustness of this approach using real-life data. Particularly, we applied this approach to examine whether the factor structure of a cognitive ability test (PGAT) exhibits measurement invariance across the 26 universities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The sample consisted of 9,849 graduate students from 26 universities around the Kingdom. The results indicated a robust configural model suggesting that the P-GAT subscales were invariant across the 26 universities. Finally, the aligned factor mean values were estimated, and factor mean comparisons of every group’s mean with all other group means were conducted for both cognitive domains (Verbal and Quantitative). In both domains, King Saud University had the highest mean score among all universities. Moreover, its mean factor score was significantly higher than any other university besides Dammam University. On the other hand, several universities allocated at the northern and Southern borders of the country exhibited the lowest factor mean scores.

Myxobacteria represent a viable source of chemically diverse and biologically active secondary metabolites. The myxochelins are a well-studied family of catecholate-type siderophores produced by various myxobacterial strains. Here, we report the discovery, isolation and structure elucidation of three new myxochelins N1–N3 from the terrestrial myxobacterium Corallococcus sp. MCy9049, featuring an unusual nicotinic acid moiety. Precursor-directed biosynthesis (PDB) experiments and total synthesis were performed in order to confirm structures, improve access to pure compounds for bioactivity testing and to devise a biosynthesis proposal. The combined evaluation of metabolome and genome data covering myxobacteria supports the notion that the new myxochelin congeners reported here are in fact frequent side products of the known myxochelin A biosynthetic pathway in myxobacteria.

Background: diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a serious complication of diabetes mellitus and a common cause for end stage renal disease. Autophagy has a defensive role against kidney damage caused by hyperglycemia. The mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived exosomes are currently considered as a new promising therapy in chronic renal injury. However, the renal protective mechanism of exosomes on DN has not been completely understood. We examined the potential role of MSCs derived exosomes in enhancement of autophagy activity and its effect on DN. In our study we used five groups of rats; control, DN, DN treated with exosomes, DN treated with 3-methyladenine (3-MA) and chloroquine (inhibitors of autophagy) and DN treated with 3-methyladenine (3-MA) and chloroquine and exosomes groups. We assessed renal functions, morphology and fibrosis. Moreover, autophagy markers; mTOR, Beclin-1, light chain-3 (LC3-II), and LC3-II/LC3-I ratio were detected. Additionally, electron microscopy was used for detection of autophagosomes. Results: Exosomes markedly improved the renal functions and showed histological restoration of renal tissues with significant increase in LC3 and Beclin-1 besides the significant decrease in mTOR and fibrotic markers expression in renal tissue. All previous effects were partially abolished by the autophagy inhibitor, chloroquine and 3-MA. Conclusions: we conclude that autophagy induction by exosomes could attenuate DN in a rat model of streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus.

The seismic damage in reinforced concrete bridges is identified in this study using the "M and P" hybrid technique initially developed for planar frames. The proposed methodology involves a series of pushover and instantaneous modal analyses with a progressively increasing target deck displacement along the longitudinal direction of the bridge. From the results of these analyses, the diagram of the instantaneous eigenfrequency of the bridge, ranging from the health state to near collapse, is plotted against the inelastic seismic deck displacement. By pre-determining the eigen-frequency of an existing bridge along its longitudinal direction through "monitoring and frequency identification", the target deck displacement corresponding to the damage state can directly be found from this diagram. Subsequently, the damage can be identified by examining the results of the pushover analysis at the step where the target deck displacement is indicated. The effectiveness of this proposed technique is evaluated in the context of multiple span bridges with unequal pier heights, illustrated through an example of a four-span bridge. The findings demonstrate that the damage potential in bridge piers can be successfully identified by combining the results of a monitoring process and pushover analysis.

Let R be a commutative ring and m, n be positive integers. We define a proper submodule N of an R-module M to be (m,n)-closed if for r∈R and b∈M, r^{m}b∈N implies rⁿ∈(N:_{R}M) or b∈N. This class of submodules lies properly between the classes of prime and primary submodules. Many characterizations, properties and supporting examples concerning this class of submodules are provided. The notion of (m,n)-modules is introduced and characterized. Furhermore, the (m,n)-closed avoidance theorem is proved. Finally, the (m,n)-closed submodules in amalgamated modules are studied.

It has been more than a century since Erlang published his paper in 1909. The classical queueing system for the M/D/c queue has been investigated by many authors. The key is to find the roots of an equation using explicit or numerical methods. We present an alternate form of explicit solution(s) of this/these root(s) using the Lambert-W function in this paper. In addition, the unsaturated probabilities of the number of customers in the system is derived explicitly in terms of this/these root(s). Finally, the mean number of customers in the system and the mean queueing delay are obtained from these probabilities. The exact queueing delay formula for the M/D/c queue is expressed in closed-form in terms of the root(s). Numerical results show that they are in excellent agreement with the numerical results published by Seelen, Tijms and Van Hoorn.

Acid proteins capable of nucleating Ca2+ and displaying aggregation capacity play key roles in the formation of calcium carbonate biominerals. EF-hands are among the largest Ca2+-binding motif in proteins. Gad m 1, an Atlantic cod β-parvalbumin isoform, is a monomeric EF-hand protein that acts as a Ca2+ buffer in fish muscle and is able to form amyloids under acidic conditions. Since nucleating Ca2+ protein have a propensity to form extended β-strand structures, we wondered whether amyloid assemblies of a protein containing refolded EF-hand motifs were able to influence the in vitro calcium carbonate crystallization. Here we have used the Gad m 1 chain as model to generate monomeric and amyloid assemblies and analyze their effect on in vitro calcite formation. We found that only amyloid assemblies alter calcite morphology.

In this paper, the effect of preheating on the mechanical properties and micro structure of similar friction stir welded AA6061 aluminum alloys sheets was investigated. Aluminum alloy 6061 sheets with a thickness of 5 mm and threaded cylindrical pins were used. Rotation and traverse speeds were 1200 rpm and 75 mm/min, respectively. The results of tensile tests performed on the welded samples showed that compared to the non-preheated samples, preheating had increased the strength and elongation of the joints by 58% and 46%, respectively. In the present study, during the welding process preheating cause emerged heat with lower slope from stir zone. This phenomenon may result in Increase the deformation resistance of material and consequently decrease of grain size. This grain refinement can improve the mechanical properties of welds. Accordingly, hardness and strength of the material will be increased.

The current study characterizes the transient M/M/1 queue manifold info-geometrically, through devising Fisher Information matrix(FIM) and its inverse(IFIM). Additionally, the impact of stability on the existence of IFIM and explore the geodesic equations of motion has been revealed. More potentially, the paper discusses some info-geometric applications to Machine Learning are highlighted. Closing remarks with some challenging open problems combined with the next phase of research are given.

Cotton is the most ubiquitous and profitable fiber with diverse industrial and domestic applications. Grown in over 100 countries, it has a global market value of about $40 billion and employs over 350 million people from fields to textile mills, contributing about 7% of total labor-force recruitment in developing economies. Cotton has an indeterminate growth habit and an extensive tap root system affected by soil physicochemical and environmental conditions. There is a consensus among experts that conventional cotton cultivation still has a long way to attain sustainability, which is essential if cotton will maintain its competitive edge over other natural and synthetic fibers like hemp, polyesters, and rayon. Despite several efforts already committed to growing cotton sustainably, sustainability has eluded cotton cultivation globally because of the intense farm inputs (freshwater, pesticides, and heavy-duty equipment) needs, especially in developing economies. Some of the technological advancements towards achieving the goal of sustainable cotton cultivation include the development of new varieties, improved irrigation and mulching and precision agriculture techniques, application of remote sensing and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) combined with image processing, and the introduction of autonomous and multi-purpose robotic platforms for growing and harvesting cotton. This review attempts to evaluate the successes already achieved by stakeholders in moving cotton towards sustainable production and identify areas where efforts are still needed to reach sustainable production and improved profitability goals for cotton with projections for future research directions.

We summarize structural instabilities exhibited by the one dimensional (1D) (arene)2X family of organic conductors in relation with their electronic and magnetic properties. With a charge transfer of one electron to each anion X these salts exhibit a quarter-filled (hole) conduction band located on the donor stacks. Compounds built with donors such as fluorenthene and perylene derivatives and anions X such PF6 or AsF6 exhibit a high temperature (TP~170K) conventional Peierls transition which is announced by a sizeable regime of 1D 2kF charge density wave fluctuations (kF is the Fermi wave vector of the 1D electron gas located on Per stacks). Surprisingly, and probably because of the presence of a multi-sheet warped Fermi surface, the Peierls transition is considerably reduced in the perylene series α-(Per)2[M(mnt)2] where X is the dithiolate molecule with M=Au, Cu, Co and Fe. A special attention is devoted in this paper to physical properties of α-(Per)2[M(mnt)2] salts which with M=Pt, Pd and Ni incorporate segregated S=1/2 1D antiferromagnetic (AF) dithiolate stacks with 1D metallic Per stacks. We analyse conjointly the structural and magnetic properties of these salts in relation with the 1D spin-Peierls (SP) instability located on the dithiolate stacks. We show that the SP instability of the Pd and Ni derivatives occurs in the classical (adiabatic limit) while the SP instability of the Pt derivative occurs in the quantum (anti-adiabatic limit). Furthermore we show that in the Pd and Ni derivatives frustrated 1st neighbour direct and 2nd neighbour indirect (through a fine tuning with the mediated 2kF RKKY coupling interaction on Per stacks) AF interactions add their contribution to the SP instability to open a singlet-triplet gap. Our analysis of the data show unambiguously that magnetic α-(Per)2[M(mnt)2] salts are a typical realization of the physics predicted for two chain 1D Kondo lattices.

We report on the isolation of the previously uncultured Neocallimastigomycota SK4 lineage by two independent research groups from a wild aoudad sheep rumen sample (Texas, USA) and an alpaca fecal sample (Baden-Württemberg, Germany). Isolates from both locations showed near identical morphological and microscopic features, forming medium-sized white filamentous colonies with a white center of sporangia on agar roll tubes and a heavy biofilm in liquid media. Microscopic analysis revealed monocentric thalli, and spherical polyflagellated zoospores with 7–20 flagella. Zoospore release occurred through an apical pore as well as by sporangial wall rupturing, a duality that is unique amongst described AGF strains. Isolates were capable of growing on a wide range of mono-, oligo-, and polysaccharides substrates. Phylogenetic assessment based on the D1-D2 large rRNA subunit (D1-D2 LSU) and internal transcribed spacer-1 (ITS-1) regions demonstrated high sequence identity (minimum identity of 99.07% and 96.96%, respectively) between all isolates; but low sequence identity (92.4% and 86.7%, respectively) to their closest cultured relatives. D1-D2 LSU phylogenetic trees grouped the isolates as a new monophyletic clade within the Orpinomyces-Neocallimastix-Pecoramyces-Feramyces-Ghazallamyces supragenus group. D1-D2 LSU and ITS-1 sequences from the obtained isolates were either identical, or displayed extremely high sequence similarity to sequences recovered from the same Aoudad sheep sample on which isolation was conducted, as well as several sequences recovered from domestic sheep and few other herbivores. Interestingly, members of the SK4 clade seem to be encountered in animals grazing on summer pasture. We hence propose accommodating these novel isolates in a new genus, Aestipascuomyces (derived from the Latin word for “summer pasture”), and a new species, A. dupliciliberatus. The type strain is Aestipascuomyces dupliciliberatus strain R4.

IoT system becomes hot topic nowadays for smart home, IoT helps devices to communicate together without human intervention inside home, so it is offering many challenges. A new smart home IoT platform powered using electromagnetic energy harvesting is proposed in this paper. It contains a high gain transmitted antenna array and efficient circular polarized array rectenna system to harvest enough power from any direction to increase life time of the batteries used in IoT system. Optimized energy consumption, the software with adopting the Zigbee protocol of the sensor node and low power microcontroller are used to operate in lower power modes. The proposed system has an 84.6 days lifetime which is approximately 10 times the lifetime for similar system. On the other hand, the proposed power management circuit operated at 0.3 V DC to boost the voltage to ~3.7V from radio frequency energy harvesting and manage battery level to increase the batteries lifetime. A predictive indoor environment monitoring system is designed based on a novel hybrid system to provide a non-static plan, approve energy consumption and avoiding failure of sensor nodes in smart home.

Clarifying the impact mechanism of digital transformation of enterprises on the M&A efficiency of listed companies can provide a factual basis for improving capital market regulatory policies. Taking the mergers and acquisitions of listed companies from 2007 to 2021 as a research sample, the influence mechanism of the digital transformation degree of companies on their M&A efficiency was studied. The research results show that the digital transformation of listed companies will improve their M&A efficiency. Digital transformation will reduce the degree of mispricing of stocks of M&A companies, curb conflicts between managers and agents of M&A companies, and improve their M&A efficiency. Further research finds that the promotion effect of digital transformation on M&A efficiency is more significant in non-state-owned companies, with a higher degree of financing constraint and high analyst attention. In the future, regulatory authorities should actively promote the digital transformation of listed companies, curb mispricing and management agency problems in the capital market with digital governance, and improve the efficiency of mergers and acquisitions in the capital market.

Purpose. Moraxella is an ocular bacterial pathogen isolated in cases of keratitis, conjunctivitis, and endophthalmitis. Gram-negative brick-shaped diplobacilli from ocular specimens, and slow growth in culture, are early indications of Moraxella ocular infection; however, identifying Moraxella to species can be complex and inconsistent. Methods. In this study, bacteria consistent with Moraxella were identified to species using: 1) DNA sequencing coupled with vancomycin susceptibility, 2) MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry, and 3) Biolog ID System. Study samples consisted of 9 ATCC Moraxella controls, 82 isolates from keratitis, 21 isolates from conjunctivitis, and 4 isolates from endophthalmitis. Results. The ATCC controls were correctly identified. For keratitis, 66 (80.5%) were identified as M. nonliquefaciens, 7 (9.0%) as M. lacunata, 5 (6%) as M. osloensis, 2 (2.5%) as Acinetobacter lwoffi, 1 (1.0%) as M. bovis/nonliquefaciens, and 1 (1.0%) as M. osloensis/nonliquefaciens. For conjunctivitis, 9 (43.0%) were identified as M. osloensis, 6 (29.0%) as M. nonliquefaciens, 3 (14.3%) as Roseomonas, 2 (9.5%) as Acinetobacter (parvus, junii), and 1 (4.5%) as M. catarrhalis/M. nonliquefaciens. From endophthalmitis, 3 of 4 of the isolates were M. nonliquefaciens. Overall, M. nonliquefaciens and M. osloensis were identified in 70% (75 of 107) and 13% (14 of 107) of cases, respectively, totaling 83% (89 of 107). Conclusions. M. nonliquefaciens and M. osloensis are important bacterial pathogens of the eye as determined by DNA sequencing, MALDI-TOF MS, and Biolog. Although Moraxella catarrhalis is a clinical pathogen, other species of Moraxella appear to have a prominent role in eye infections.

Graph theory plays a crucial role in modeling and designing of chemical structure or chemical network. Chemical Graph theory helps to understand the molecular structure of molecular graph. The molecular graph consists of atoms as vertices and bonds as edges. Topological indices capture symmetry of molecular structures and give it a mathematical language to predict properties such as boiling points, viscosity, the radius of gyrations etc. In this article, we study the chemical graph of carbon Crystal structure of graphite and cubic carbon and compute several degree-based topological indices. Firstly we compute M-Polynomials of these structures and then from these M-polynomials we recover nine degree-based topological indices.

The paper deals with the problem of choosing the best O&M strategy for wind power plants. Current maintenance theory considers just production opportunities and minimizes the maintenance costs, but with the liberalization of the electricity market also the electricity price has become an important variable to take into account in the O&M scheduling. Another important variables that is often neglected by the existing maintenance theory is the weather condition. This paper proposes a new strategy that takes into account the electricity price and weather conditions, improves the expected profit of the systems, and reduce the overall maintenance and logistic costs. The maintenance schedule is formalized as an optimization problem where the discounted cumulative profit of a wind generation portfolio in a fixed-time horizon (e.g. two years ahead), subject to the technologically-derived maintenance time constraints is optimized. Both the theoretical and computational aspects of the proposed O&M strategy are discussed. Results show that taking into account market and weather opportunities in the design of the maintenance strategy, it is possible to achieve a more complete scheduling for a given set of wind power plants.

The Drosophila spermatogenesis has the renewal of germline stem cells, meiosis of spermatocytes, and morphological transformation of spermatids into mature sperm. We previously demonstrated that Ocnus (ocn) plays an essential role in spermatogenesis. ValRS-m (Valyl-tRNA synthetase, mito-chondrial) gene was downregulated in ocn RNAi testes. By hatchability testing, we found that ValRS-m-knockdown induced complete sterility of male flies. We also concluded that ValRS-m-knockdown inhibited the transition from spermatogonia to spermatocytes and caused accumulated spermatogonia in testes. To understand the intrinsic reason for this destruction, we further conducted transcriptome sequencing analysis in ValRS-m RNAi testes. A total of 7710 dif-ferentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified to have at least a 2-fold change with a p-value of

In order to investigate the coordination chemistry of O-alkyl N-aryl thiocarbamate ligands, BiI3 has been reacted with two equivalents of MeOC(=S)N(H)Ph in MeCN solution to afford the dinuclear title compound complexes [{I2Bi(μ2-I)2BiI2}{1-MeOC(=S)N(H)Ph}4] 1. Compound 1 has been characterized by IR, UV and NMR spectroscopy, the dinuclear framework has be ascertained by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction study performed at 100 K.

Cyclin dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) has been primarily identified as a key cell cycle regulator in both mitosis and meiosis. Recently, an extramitotic function of CDK1 emerged when evidence was found that CDK1 is involved in many cellular events that are essential for cell proliferation and survival. In this review we summarize the involvement of active CDK1 in the initiation and elongation steps of protein synthesis in eukaryotes. During its activation CDK1 influences the initiation of protein synthesis, promotes the activity of specific translational initiation factors and affects the functioning of a subset of elongation factors. Our review provides insights into gene expression regulation during the transcriptionally silent cell cycle/M-phase and describes quantitative and qualitative translational changes based on the extramitotic role of the cell cycle master regulator CDK1, to optimize temporal synthesis of proteins to sustain division-related processes: mitosis and cytokinesis.

An expansion method based on time fractional Sine-Gordon equation is implemented to construct some real and complex valued exact solutions to the Korteweg-de Vries and modified Korteweg-de Vries equation in time fractional forms. Compatible fractional traveling wave transform plays a key role to be able to apply homogeneous balance technique to set the predicted solution. The relation between trigonometric and hyperbolic functions based on fractional Sine-Gordon equation allows to form the exact solutions with multiplication of powers of hyperbolic functions.

As professionals, social workers have a special position in relation to considering the needs of children with cancer and their families. Hence, it is important to recognize the experiences and challenges of social workers to improve care of their clients. This study was a qualitative content analysis that aimed to determine a comprehensive understanding of 19 pediatric oncology social workers’ experiences in Iran. Data were collected using semi structured interviews and field observations, analyzed through face content analysis. Concepts extracted from social workers’ experiences consisted of the nature of oncology work, lack of professional competence, low organizational support and professional inferiority that were related to main concept of "exhausting and stressful service". The results indicated that social workers' involvement in stressful and emotionally demanding situations and professional and organizational challenges caused personal exhaustion. In addition to explaining the social workers’ experiences and related factors, the results emphasize the importance of taking care of service providers to prevent them becoming stressed and exhausted. It is also important to protect patients from the consequences of stressed and exhausted care providers so further research is recommended to develop specific intervention.

We apply utilized the extended form of the auxiliary equation method to obtain extensively reliable exact travelling wave solutions of perturbed Gerdjikov–Ivanov equation (GIE) that is widely used as a model in the field theory of quanta and non-linear optics. The method is based on a simple first order second degree ODE. The new form of the approach gives more solutions to the governing equation efficiently.

Polyamides (PAs) are one of the most important engineering polymers; however, the difficulty in dissolving them hinders their applications. Formic acid (FA) is the most common solvent for PAs, but it has industrial limitations. In this contribution, we proposed a new solvent system for PAs by replacing a portion of the FA with urea and calcium chloride (FAUCa). Urea imparts the hydrogen bonding and calcium ion from the calcium chloride, as a Lewis acid was added to the system to compensate for the pH decrease due to the addition of urea. The results showed that the proposed solvent (FAUCa) could readily dissolve PAs, resulting in less decrease in the mechanical properties during the dissolution. The composite prepared using the FAUCa has almost the same properties like the one prepared using the FA solution. The solution was applied on a polyamide 66 fabric to make an all-polyamide composite coated-fabric, which then was characterized. The FAUCa solution had a higher viscosity than the one prepared using the neat FA solvent, which can be an advantage in the applications which needs higher viscosity like preparing the all-polyamide composite coated-fabric. A more viscouse solution makes a denser coating which will increase the water-/gas-tightness. In conclusion, using the FAUCa solvent has two merits: 1. replacement of 40 % of the FA with less harmful and environmentally-friendly chemicals and 2. enabling for the preparation of more viscouse solutions, which makes denser coating.

Critically ill patients treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) can present many abdominal conditions that need a prompt diagnosis and timely treatment because of their general frailty. Clinical evaluation and diagnostic tools like ultrasound or CT scan are not reliable or feasible in these patients. Bedside laparoscopy (BSL) is a minimally invasive procedure that allows surgeons to assess the abdominal cavity directly in the ICU, thus avoiding unnecessary exploratory laparotomy or incidence related to intra-hospital transfer. We conducted a review of the literature to summarize the state-of-the-art of BSL. Medline, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Scopus databases were utilized to identify all relevant publications. Indications, contraindications, technical aspects, and outcomes are discussed. The procedure is safe, feasible, and effective. When other diagnostic tools fail to diagnose or exclude an intra-abdominal condition in ICU patients, BSL should be preferred over exploratory laparotomy.

The application potential of cellulosic materials in natural composites and other fields needs to be explored to develop innovative, sustainable, lightweight, functional biomass materials that are also environmentally friendly. This study investigated Typha augostifolia (Typha sp.) as a potential new raw material for extracting cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) for application in wastewater treatment composites. Alkaline treatments and bleaching were used to remove cellulose from the stem fibers. The CNCs were then isolated from the recovered cellulose using acid hydrolysis. The study showed a few distinct functional groups (O-H, -C-H, =C-H and C-O, and C-O-C) in the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) revealed the smooth surface of CPC and CNCs that resulted from removing lignin and hemicellulose from powdered Typha augostifolia. Based on the crystalline index, the powdered Typha augostifolia, CPC, and CNCs were 42.86%, 66.94% and 77.41%. The loss of the amorphous section of the Typha sp. fiber resulted in a decrease in particle size. It may be inferred from the features of a Typha sp. CNC that CNCs may be employed as reinforcement in composites for wastewater treatment.

Cells respond to DNA double-strand breaks by initiating DSB repair and ensuing a cell cycle checkpoint. The primary responder to DSB repair is non-homologous end joining, an error prone repair pathway. However, when DSBs are generated after DNA replication in the G2 phase of the cell cycle, a second DSB repair pathway, homologous recombination, can come into action. Both ATM and ATR are important for DSB-induced DSB repair and checkpoint responses. One method of ATM and ATR working together is through the DNA end-resection of DSBs. As a readout and marker of DNA end-resection, RPA is phosphorylated at Ser4/Ser8 of the N-terminus of RPA32 in response to DSBs. Here, the significance of RPA32 Ser4/Ser8 phosphorylation in response to DNA damage, specifically in S phase to G2 phase of the cell cycle is examined. RPA32 Ser4/Ser8 phosphorylation in G2 synchronized cells is necessary for increases in TopBP1 and Rad9 accumulation on chromatin and full activation of the ATR-dependent G2 checkpoint. In addition, our data suggest RPA Ser4/Ser8 phosphorylation modulates ATM-dependent KAP-1 phosphorylation and Rad51 chromatin loading in G2 cells.

In present paper, spatial Minkowski Pythagorean Hodograph (MPH) curves are characterized with Rational Rotation Minimizing Frames (RRMFs). We define Euler-Rodrigues Frame (ERF) for MPH curves and by means of this concept, we reach the definition of MPH curves of type (n, m). Expressing the conditions provided by these curves in the form of Minkowski-Hopf map that we define, it is aimed to establish a connection with the Lorentz force which occurs during the process of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) type sinker Electronic Discharge Machines (EDMs). This approach is reinforced by split quaternion polynomials. Finally, we give conditons satisfied by MPH curves of low degree to be type (n, m) and construct illustrative examples.

In this work, we derive the spectral efficiency, secrecy outage probability, and bit error rate of a communication system assisted by a large intelligent surface (LIS). We consider a single-antenna user and an array of antennas at the transmitter side and the possibility of a direct link between transmitter and receiver. Additionally, there is a single-antenna eavesdropper with a direct link to the transmitter, which is modeled as a Nakagami-m distributed fading coefficient. The channels from transmitter to the LIS and from the LIS to the user may or may not have the line-of-sight (LoS) and are modeled by the Nakagami- m distribution. Moreover, we assume that the LIS elements perform non-ideal phase cancellation leading to a residual phase error that assumes a Von Mises distribution. We show that the resulting channel can be accurately approximated by a Gamma distribution whose parameters are analytically estimated using the moments of the equivalent signal-to-noise ratio. We also provide an upper bound for the error probability for M-QAM modulations. With the derived formulas, we analyze the effect of the strength of the LoS link by varying the Nakagami parameter, m.

Background: As the impacts of diabetes-induced reproductive damage are now evident in young people, we are now in an urgent need to devise new ways to protect and enhance the reproductive health of diabetic people. The purpose of this study was to assess the protective impact of enalapril (an ACE inhibitor) and paricalcitol (a vitamin D analogue) alone and in combination, on streptozotocin (STZ) diabetes-induced testicular dysfunction in rats. Material and methods: This study was carried on 50 male Sprague-Dawley rats; 10 normal rats were allocated as non-diabetic control group. 40 rats developed diabetes after receiving a single dose of STZ, then the diabetic rats were divided into four groups of equivalent number assigned as diabetic control, enalapril treated, paricalcitol treated, in addition to combined enalapril and paricalcitol treated groups. The effects of mono and combined therapy with paricalcitol and enalapril on testicular functions, sperm activity, glycemic state oxidative stress and inflammatory parameters as well as histopathological examination were assessed when compared to the normal and diabetic control rats. Results: As a result of diabetes induction, epididymal sperm count, sperm motility, serum levels of testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) as well as luteinizing hormone (LH) and the antioxidant enzyme activities were significantly decreased, while abnormal sperm (%), insulin resistance, nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), interleukin-6 (IL-6) as well as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were significantly increased, along with sever distortion of testicular structure. Interestingly, treatment with paricalcitol and enalapril either alone or in combination significantly improved the sperm parameters, increased antioxidant enzyme activities in addition to serum levels of testosterone, FSH and LH, reduced insulin resistance, IL-6 and TNF-α levels and finally ameliorated the diabetes-induced testicular oxidative stress and histopathological damage with somewhat superior effect for paricalcitol monotherapy and combined therapy with both drugs than monotherapy with enalapril alone. Conclusion: Monotherapy with paricalcitol and its combination therapy with enalapril has a somewhat superior effect in improving the diabetes-induced testicular dysfunction (most probably as a result of their hypoglycemic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties), than monotherapy with enalapril alone in male rats, recommending a synergistic impact of both drugs.

This study delves into the intricate interplay of economic growth components, specifically focusing on Consumption and investment in Saudi Arabia from 2000 to 2022. Employing vector error correction models and cointegration techniques, we analyze the short- and long-term dynamics within the relationship of Consumption, investment, and economic growth. Granger causality analysis is also used to discern these pivotal variables' causal connections. Our empirical analysis reveals a persistent long-term cointegration relationship among the variables, underscoring the enduring nature of their interdependency. Furthermore, our findings highlight Consumption and investment's statistically significant positive impact on economic growth. Notably, the short-term analysis unveils a stable model characterized by an annual adjustment to equilibrium of 100%.Moreover, the Granger causality study demonstrates unidirectional causal linkages between Consumption, investment, and economic growth. These findings hold substantial implications for policy formulation in Saudi Arabia. Policymakers must grasp the ramifications of burgeoning prosperity and evolving private consumption patterns on future environmental outcomes. Achieving sustainable long-term results necessitates equal emphasis on bolstering private Consumption and fostering other facets of economic growth.

To solve large scale linear equations involved in the Fast Multipole Boundary Element Method (FM-BEM) efficiently, an iterative method named the generalized minimal residual method (GMRES)(m)algorithm with Variable Restart Parameter (VRP-GMRES(m) algorithm) is proposed. By properly changing a variable restart parameter for the GMRES(m) algorithm, the iteration stagnation problem resulting from improper selection of the parameter is resolved efficiently. Based on the framework of the VRP-GMRES(m) algorithm and the relevant properties of generalized inverse matrix, the projection of the error vector r_m+1 on r_m is deduced. The result proves that the proposed algorithm is not only rapidly convergent but also highly accurate. Numerical experiments further show that the new algorithm can significantly improve the computational efficiency and accuracy. Its superiorities will be much more remarkable when it is used to solve larger scale problems. Therefore, it has extensive prospects in the FM-BEM field and other scientific and engineering computing.

Background: Waterborne diseases pose a significant global public health threat, compelling enhanced comprehensive surveillance. This study investigates the current infectious disease and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance systems, including wastewater and environmental surveillance (WES), in three sub-Saharan African countries: Tanzania, Burkina Faso, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The three countries have their specificities regarding wastewater networks and logistic systems. So, emphasizing the need to strengthen existing disease surveillance, the paper advocates for incorporating WES systems specifically designed for countries' context to monitor waterborne and re-emerging pathogens, as well as AMR.Methods: National workshops were conducted to assess the current clinical and environmental surveillance systems and identify priority pathogens for new environmental monitoring. Data were collected through surveys from experts in academia, research, policy, and healthcare. Results: Prioritized pathogens for WES include waterborne (poliovirus, Salmonella Typhi, Vibrio cholerae), respiratory (influenza A&B, SARS-CoV-2), other (Measles and Rubella, Mycobacterium tuberculosis). Recommended AMR pathogens include drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Salmonella spp., methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase and carbapenemase-producing E. coli. Tanzania, Burkina Faso, and the DRC employ DHSI2-based centralized electronic systems for clinical data collection, complemented by Excel and paper-based registries. The WES approach is commonly employed for monitoring poliovirus and rarely for AMR and other pathogens. Discussion and conclusions: WES is a valuable tool for early detection of locally circulating human-derived pathogens, aiding in outbreak detection, data-driven epidemic response, and prevention. The availability of WES results underscores the importance of effective sanitation for safeguarding human, animal, and environmental health. WES is a pivotal tool for integrated risk management, preventing waterborne outbreaks, protecting drinking water sources, and ultimately gaining various UN Sustainable Development Goals. The study highlights the importance of customized WES systems in line with each country's context, emphasizing localized approaches for effective monitoring of waterborne pathogens and AMR.

In every agricultural setting, weed seeds can be found in every cubic centimeter of soil. Weed seeds, as a valuable trait underlying the fate of weed populations, exhibit differing levels of seed dormancy, ensuring their survival under uncertain conditions. Seed dormancy is considered as an innate mechanism that constrains germination under suitable conditions that would otherwise stimulate germination of non-dormant seeds. This work provides new insight into changes in germination patterns along the dormant to nondormancy continuum in seeds with physiological dormancy. Notable findings are: (1) germination synchrony can act as a new parameter that quantitatively describes dormancy patterns and subsequently weed population dynamics, (2) germination synchrony is dynamic, suggesting that the more dormancy decreases, the more synchrony is obtainable, (3) after-ripening and stratification can function as a synchronizing agent that regulates germination behavior. Brassica napus showed the most synchronous germination with the value of 3.14, while lower level of germination asynchrony was for Sinapis arvensis, with the asynchrony value of 2.25. After-ripening and stratification can act as a synchronizing factor through decreasing asynchrony level and increasing synchrony. Weed establish a firm relationship between dormancy cycling and germination synchrony patterns, ensuring their survival and reproductive strategies. By germinating in synchrony, which is accompanied by cycling mechanisms, weeds have more opportunities to persist. The synchrony model used in the present study predicts germination behavior and synchrony along the dormant to nondormancy continuum in weed seeds with physiological dormancy, suggesting a useful method for quantification of germination strategies and weed population dynamics.

Phospholipases are among the important elements involved in lipid-dependent cell signaling that lead to the induction of downstream pathways. In the current study, phospholipases D (PLDs) gene family was characterized and compared in two important oilseeds crops, Brassica napus and Camelina sativa. The results revealed that PLD has 33 members in Camelina sativa (CsPLD) and 41 members in Brassica napus (BnPLD). All studied PLDs showed a negative GRAVY value, indicating that PLDs are probably hydrophilic proteins. Phylogenetic analysis separated PLDs into five subfamilies; gamma, delta, beta, alpha, and zeta. According to evolution analysis, a different evolution process was observed between CsPLD and BnPLD. In addition, the results disclosed that the most of the PLD genes have been segmentally duplicated under purifying selection. Cis-regulatory elements related to ABA and auxin responsiveness were more found in upstream region of CsPLDs, while elements linked with MeJA responsiveness were more dis-tributed in promoter region of BnPLDs. Analysis of the expression data showed that PLD alpha genes have a wide expression and are expressed in most tissues. Quantitative expression analysis (qPCR) of CsPLD genes under salt stress, 200 mM of NaCl, was done in different time series. The results revealed that the CsPLD genes are involved in the response to salinity stress and their expression levels enhance with the increase of salinity stress time. The outcomes of this research will be useful for future molecular work related to lipid signaling in oilseed plants.

In metal additive manufacturing (AM), precise temperature field prediction is crucial for process monitoring, automation, control, and optimization. Traditional methods, primarily offline and data-driven, struggle with adapting to real-time changes and new process scenarios, which limits their applicability for effective AM process control. To address these challenges, this paper introduces the first physics-informed (PI) online learning framework specifically designed for temperature prediction in metal AM. Utilizing a physics-informed neural network (PINN), this framework integrates a neural network architecture with physics-informed inputs and loss functions. Pretrained on a known process to establish a baseline, the PINN transitions to an online learning phase, dynamically updating its weights in response to new, unseen data. This adaptation allows the model to continuously refine its predictions in real-time. By integrating physics-informed components, the PINN leverages prior knowledge about the manufacturing processes, enabling rapid adjustments to process parameters, geometries, deposition patterns, and materials. Empirical results confirm the robust performance of this PI online learning framework in accurately predicting temperature fields for unseen processes across various conditions. It notably surpasses traditional data-driven models, especially in critical areas like the Heat Affected Zone (HAZ) and melt pool. The PINN’s use of physical laws and prior knowledge not only provides a significant advantage over conventional models but also ensures more accurate predictions under diverse conditions. Furthermore, our analysis of key hyper-parameters—learning rate and batch size of the online learning phase—highlights their roles in optimizing the learning process and enhancing the framework’s overall effectiveness. This approach demonstrates significant potential to improve the online control and optimization of metal AM processes.

Epichloë species form bioprotective endophytic symbioses with many cool-season grasses, including agriculturally important forage grasses. Despite its importance, relatively little is known about the molecular details of the interaction and the regulatory genes involved. VelA is a key global regulator in fungal secondary metabolism and development. In previous studies, we showed the requirement of velA for E. festucae to form a mutualistic interaction with Lolium perenne. We showed that VelA regulates the expression of genes encoding proteins involved in membrane transport, fungal cell wall biosynthesis, host cell wall degradation and secondary metabolism, along with several small-secreted proteins in Epichloë festucae. Here, by a comparative transcriptomics analysis on perennial ryegrass seedlings and mature plants, which are endophyte free or infected with wild type (mutualistic interaction) or mutant ∆velA E. festucae (antagonistic or incompatible interaction), regulatory effects of the endophytic interaction on perennial ryegrass development was studied. We show that ∆velA mutant associations influence the expression of genes involved in primary metabolism, secondary metabolism and response to biotic and abiotic stresses compared to wild type associations, providing an insight into processes defining mutualistic versus antagonistic interactions.

This investigation was conducted to determine the chemical composition and nutritional value of five plant species commonly used as ruminant feeds namely: Artemisia herba-alba, Acer monspessulanum, Amygdalus lycoides, Amygdalus scoparia, and Atriplex leucoclada. After the collecting samples, the chemical compositions of plants included dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), ash (CA), cell wall (NDF), and non-lignin cell wall (ADF) were determined according to standard methods. For degradation testing, the nylon bag technique was applied using three native Sistani fistula calves. Organic matter digestibility (OMD) and metabolisable energy (ME) were determined through the gas production technique. The CP value ranged from 5.30 (Amygdalus scoparia) to 11.72% (Atriplex leucoclada) while NDF value ranged from 52.62 (Amygdalus lycoides) to 69.05% (Amygdalus scoparia). The range of OMD, DOMD, and ME was from 36.67 to 53.27%, 34.67 to 49.11%, and 5.57 to 8.08 (MJ/kg), respectively. The results showed a positive correlation between cell wall composition and dry matter digestibility in plant species. The nutritional value of Amygdalus lycoides, Atriplex leucoclada, Acer monspessulanum, and Artemisia herba-alba was acceptable composition and digestibility.

We prove an analog of the removable singularity theorem for bounded harmonic functions on stratified sets. The harmonic functions are understood in the sense of the soft Laplacian. The result can become one of the main technical components for extending the well-known Poincaré–Perron’s method of proving the solvability of the Dirichlet problem for the soft Laplacian.