Digital machine intelligence has evolved from its inception in the form of computation of numbers to AI, which is centered around performing cognitive tasks that humans can perform, such as predictive reasoning or complex calculations. The state of the art includes tasks that are easily described by a list of formal, mathematical rules or a sequence of event-driven actions such as modeling, simulation, business workflows, interaction with devices, etc., and also tasks that are easy to do “intuitively”, but are hard to describe formally or as a sequence of event-driven actions such as recognizing spoken words or faces. While these tasks are impressive, they fall short in applying common sense reasoning to new situations, filling in information gaps, or understanding and applying unspoken rules or norms. Human intelligence uses both associative memory and event-driven transaction history to make sense of what they are observing fast enough to do something about it while they are still observing it. In addition to this cognitive ability, all bio-logical systems exhibit autopoiesis and self-regulation. In this paper, we demonstrate how machine intelligence can be enhanced to include both associative memory and event-driven transaction history to create a new class of knowledge-based assistants to augment human intelligence. The digital assistants use global knowledge derived from the Large Language Models to bridge the knowledge gap between various participants interacting with each other. We use the general theory of information and schema-based knowledge representation to create the memory and history of various transactions involved in the interactions.

The physical roots, interpretation, controversies and precise meaning of the Landauer Principle are surveyed. Landauer's principle is a physical principle pertaining to the lower theoretical limit of energy consumption of computation. It states that an irreversible change in information stored in a computer, such as merging two computational paths, dissipates a minimum amount of heat kBTln2 per a bit of information to its surrounding. The Landauer Principle is discussed in the context of fundamental physical limiting principles, such as the Abbe diffraction limit, the Margolus-Levitin limit and the Bekenstein limit. Synthesis of the Landauer bound with the Abbe, Margolus-Levitin limit and Bekenstein limits yields the minimal time of computation, which scales as τmin~hkBT. Decrease in a temperature of a thermal bath will decrease the energy consumption of a single computation, but, in parallel, it will slow the computation. The Landauer principle bridges between John Archibald Wheeler “it from bit” paradigm and thermodynamics. Experimental verifications of the Landauer Principle are surveyed. Interrelation between thermodynamic and logical irreversibility is addressed. Generalization of the Landauer principle to the quantum and non-equilibrium systems is addressed. Landauer Principle represents the powerful heuristic principle bridging the physics, information theory and computer engineering.

The holy grail of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been to mimic human intelligence using computing machines. Autopoiesis which refers to a system with well-defined identity and is capable of re-producing and maintaining itself and cognition which is the ability to process information, apply knowledge, and change the circumstance are associated with resilience and intelligence. While classical computer science (CCS) with symbolic and sub-symbolic computing has given us tools to decipher the mysteries of physical, chemical and biological systems in nature and allowed us to model, analyze various observations and use information to optimize our interactions with each other and with our environment, it falls short in reproducing even the basic behaviors of living organisms. We present the foundational shortcomings of CCS and discuss the science of infor-mation processing structures (SIPS) that allows us to fill the gaps. SIPS allows us to model su-per-symbolic computations and infuse autopoietic and cognitive behaviors into digital machines. They use common knowledge representation from the information gained using both symbolic and sub-symbolic computations in the form of system-wide knowledge networks consisting of knowledge nodes and information sharing channels with other knowledge nodes. The knowledge nodes wired together fire together to exhibit autopoietic and cognitive behaviors.

Firstly, the author do dynamic analysis for reaction-diffusion Gilpin-Ayala competition model with Dirichlet boundary value, involved in harmful species. Existence of multiple stationary solutions is verified by way of Mountain Pass lemma, and the local stability result of the null solution is obtained by employing linear approximation principle. Secondly, the author utilize variational methods and LMI technique to deduce the LMI-based global exponential stability criterion on the null solution which becomes the unique stationary solution of the ecosystem with delayed feedback under a reasonable boundedness assumption on population densities. Particularly, LMI criterion is involved in free weight coefficient matrix, which reduces the conservatism of the algorithm. In addition, a new impulse control stabilization criterion is also derived. Finally, two numerical examples show the effectiveness of the proposed methods. It is worth mentioning that the obtained stability criteria of null solution presented some useful hints on how to eliminate pests and bacteria.

Making computing machines mimic living organisms has captured the imagination of many since the dawn of digital computers. However, today’s artificial intelligence technologies fall short in replicating even the basic autopoietic and cognitive behaviors found in primitive biological systems. According Charles Darwin, the difference in mind between humans and the higher animals, great as it is, certainly is one of degree and not of kind. Autopoiesis refers to the behavior of a system that replicates itself and maintains its own identity and stability while facing fluctuations caused by external influences. Cognitive behaviors model the system’s state, sense internal and external changes, analyze, predict and take action to mitigate any risk to its functional fulfilment. How did intelligence evolve? what is the relationship between the mind and body? Answers to these questions should guide us to infuse autopoietic and cognitive behaviors into digital machines. In this paper we use recent advances in our understanding of general theory of information, and the role of structures in managing the transformations between information and knowledge to pave the path to infuse autopoietic and cognitive functions into digital computing and build a new class of intelligent machines going beyond the current state of the art.

Understanding mechanisms of ageing remains a complex challenge for biogerontologists, but recent adaptations of evolutionary ageing theories offer a compelling lens in which to view both age-related molecular and physiological deterioration. Ageing is commonly associated with a progressive loss of biochemical processes and degeneration of molecular material, however, the mechanisms of diminishing function are not simply a result of aberrant expression of these pathways. Natural selection pressures are at their highest in youthful periods to select genes advantageous to maximising reproductive capacity. After sexual maturation, selective pressure diminishes, subjecting individuals to maladaptive pleiotropic gene function once beneficial for developmental growth, but pathogenic later in life. Due to this selective ‘shadowing’ in ageing, mechanisms to counter hyperfunctional genes are unlikely to evolve within a given species. These genetic ‘run-on’ programmes are not dysfunctional per se and, in fact, remain highly robust. Thus, interventions capable of optimising gene function during the ageing process represent as attractive therapeutic modalities. Caenorhabditis elegans offers a unique model to explore high-throughput screening of interventions to combat hyperfunctional pathways involved in ageing. However, the majority of research to date employ whole-life vs late-life pathway manipulation of developmental/growth-related systems to claim ageing attenuation, despite significant impairments in early-life fitness and discordance with healthspan. Here, we discuss data supporting hyperfunctional changes at a global molecular and functional level in C. elegans, and how classical lifespan-extension mutants alter these dynamics. We later discuss the relevance of such mutant models for exploring mechanisms of ageing, highlighting that post-reproductive gene manipulation represents a far more translatable approach for C. elegans research not routed within pleiotropic constraints. More so, lifespan has become a routine readout for quantifying ‘ageing’, however, we make the argument that a compression of gerospan vs lifespan extension is a more meaningful goal for anti-ageing regimes with current knowledge. Similarly, mechanisms governing lifespan are distinct from those regulating health, and slowing senescent pathology accumulation appears more applicable for the abstraction to human ageing.

In this paper, by using the variational method, a sufficient condition for the unique existence of the stationary solution of the reaction-diffusion ecosystem is obtained, which directly leads to the global asymptotic stability of the unique equilibrium point. Moreover, delayed feedback ecosystem with reaction-diffusion item is considered, and utilizing impulse control results in the globally exponential stability criterion of the delayed ecosystem. It is worth mentioning that the Neumann zero-boundary value that the infected and the susceptible people or animals should be controlled in the epidemic prevention area and not allowed to cross the border, which is a good simulation of the actual situation of epidemic prevention. And numerical examples illuminate the effectiveness of impulse control, which has a certain enlightening effect on the actual epidemic prevention work . That is, in the face of the epidemic situation, taking a certain frequency of positive and effective epidemic prevention measures is conducive to the stability and control of the epidemic situation. Particularly, the newly-obtained theorems quantifies this feasible step. Besides, utilizing Laplacian semigroup derives the $p$th moment stability criterion for the impulsive ecosystem.

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.

With 500+ papers and 20+ books spanning many scientific disciplines, Mark Burgin has left an indelible mark and legacy for future explorers of human thought and information technology professionals. In this paper, I discuss his contribution to the evolution of machine intelligence using his general theory of information (GTI) based on my discussions with him and various papers I co-authored during the past eight years. His construction of a new class of digital automata to overcome the barrier posed by the Church-Turing Thesis, and his contribution to Super-Symbolic Computing with Knowledge Structures, Cognizing Oracles, and Structural Machines are leading to practical applications changing the future landscape of information systems. GTI provides a model for the operational knowledge of biological systems to build, operate, and manage life processes using 30+ trillion cells capable of replication and metabolism. The schema, and associated operations derived from GTI are also used to model a digital genome specifying the operational knowledge of algorithms executing the software life processes with specific purposes using replication and metabolism. The result is a digital software system with a super-symbolic computing structure exhibiting autopoietic and cognitive behaviors that biological systems also exhibit. We discuss here one of these applications.

This paper reports applying Minimax principle and impulsive differential inequality to derive the existence of multiple stationary solutions and the global stability of a positive stationary solution for a delayed feedback Gilpin-Ayala competition model with impulsive disturbance. The conclusion obtained in this paper reduces the conservatism of the algorithm compared with the known literature, for the impulsive disturbance is not limited to impulsive control.

In real financial market, the delayed market feedback and the delayed effect of government macro-control are inevitable. And both the delay of market feedback and the delay of macro-control effect bring about the mathematical difficulties in studying stabilization and synchronization of the hyper-chaotic financial system. However, employing Lyapunov function method, differential mean value theorem, suitable bounded hypotheses and pulse control technology results in the globally asymptotical stabilization and synchronization criteria. It is the first paper to drive the stabilization and synchronization criteria under the assumptions of the double delays. Finally, numerical examples illuminate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

In this paper, the existence of two nontrivial stationary solutions for the nonlinear Gilpin Ayala two species competition model is given by using the mountain pass lemma, and the local stability criterion of the trivial solution is given by using Lyapunov function method. Based on the local stability criterion, we give some suggestions on how to avoid the population extinction. This is, when the population is on the verge of extinction, we should try our best to avoid the diffusion behavior and reduce the diffusion coefficient, otherwise the species are easy to go extinct. Numerical example shows the effectiveness of the proposed method.

In this paper, the author utilizes Saddle Theorem and variational methods to deduce existence of at least six stationary solutions for reaction-diffusion Gilpin-Ayala competition model (RDGACM). To obtain the global stabilization of the positive stationary solution of the RDGACM, the author designs a suitable impulsive event triggered mechanism (IETM) to derive the global exponential stability of the the positive stationary solution. It is worth mentioning that the new mechanism can exclude Zeno behavior and effectively reduce the cost of impulse control through event triggering mechanism. Besides, compared with existing literature, the restrictions on the parameters of the RDGACM are relaxed so that the methods used in existing literature can not be applied to the relaxed case of this paper, and so the author makes comprehensive use of Saddle Theorem, orthogonal decomposition of Sobolev space $H_0^1(\Omega)$ and variational methods to overcome the mathematical difficulty. Numerical examples show the effectiveness of the methods proposed in this paper.

In this paper, Lyapunov-Razumikhin technique, design of state-dependent switching laws, a fixed point theorem and variational methods are employed to derive the existence and the unique existence results of (globally) exponentially stable positive stationary solution of delayed reaction-diffusion cell neural networks under Dirichlet zero boundary value, including the global stability criteria \textbf{in the classical meaning}. Next, sufficient conditions are proposed to guarantee the global stability invariance of ordinary differential systems under the influence of diffusions. New theorems show that the diffusion is a double-edged sword in judging the stability of diffusion systems. Besides, an example is constructed to illuminate that any non-zero constant equilibrium point must be not in the phase plane of dynamic system under Dirichlet zero boundary value, or it must lead to a contradiction. Next, under Lipschitz assumptions on active function, another example is designed to prove that the small diffusion effect will cause the essential change of the phase plane structure of the dynamic behavior of the delayed neural networks via a Saddle point theorem. Finally, a numerical example illustrates the feasibility of the proposed methods.

While investigating the outcomes of balloon dilatation procedures in patients with congenital obstructive lesions of the heart, several parallel observations have been made. The purpose of this review is to present these observations/phenomena/innovations related to balloon dilatation of pulmonary stenosis (PS), aortic stenosis (AS), and aortic coarctation (AC). In subjects who had balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty (BPV), development of infundibular obstruction, electrocardiographic (ECG) changes, changes in right ventricular filling, role of balloon/annulus ratios on the results of BPV, and double balloon vs. single balloon BPV will be reviewed. In patients who had balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV), causes of aortic insufficiency and trans-umbilical venous approach for BAV will be tackled. In children who had balloon angioplasty (BA) of AC, aortic remodeling and biophysical response after BA of AC will be discussed.

The energies of spin singlet and triplet bound electron pairs are reckoned for electrons interacting through the Coulomb interaction, while sitting on neigbouring lattice sites. It is concluded that triplet pairs are unlikely to be observed due to screening. The interplay of inter-electron couplings of different spatial range is investigated. High-pressure induced superconductivity is analysed and qualitative agreement is achieved with observed results by working out the dependence of the critical temperature on the microscopic parameters, characterising the electron motion. This approach can be applied to other kinds of inter-electron interactions.

The NP method was used to elucidate the contributions of vehicles and coal combustion to seasonal and long-term atmospheric PM-bound Pyr and 1-NP concentrations in Kanazawa, Kitakyushu, Shenyang, and Shanghai in the Western Pacific region from 1997 to 2021. Among the four cities, Kanazawa demonstrated the lowest Pyr concentration. The contribution of vehicles to Pyr before and after 2010 were 35% and 5%, respectively. The 1-NP concentration reduced by a factor of more than 1/10. These changes can be attributed to the emission control from vehicles. Kitakyushu revealed the second lowest Pyr and the lowest 1-NP concentrations. Coal combustion was found to be the main contributor to Pyr, while its contribution to 1-NP increased from 9% to 19%. The large contribution of coal combustion is attributed to iron manufactures. Shenyang demonstrated the highest atmospheric Pyr concentration with its largest seasonal change. Vehicles are the largest contributors to 1-NP. However, coal combustion, including winter coal heating, contributed 97% or more to Pyr and more than 14% to 1-NP. Shanghai revealed the second highest Pyr and 1-NP concentrations, but the former was substantially lower than in Shenyang. Coal combustion was the major contributor, but the contribution of vehicles to Pyr was larger before 2010 similar to Kanazawa.

In this paper, the authors employ Mountain Pass Lemma, the method of weak solution regularization and Lyapunov function method to derive the unique existence of globally exponential stable positive stationary solution of a single-species model with diffusion and delayed feedback. The obtained stability criterion illuminates that under some suitable conditions, a certain internal competition is conducive to the overall stability of the population, and a certain amount of family planning is conducive to the overall stability of the population. A numerical example and three tables show the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one the most common sexually transmitted infections (STI), spreading through direct sexual contact to oropharynx and anogenital regions. Although most infected individuals may be asymptomatic and naturally undergo viral clearance, in some individuals’ HPV infection causes carcinogenesis of the infected epithelia. HPV now accounts for over 70% of oropharyngeal carcinomas (OPC). Over 90% of these OPC are associated with HPV 16, one of the 14 high-risk subtypes. In recent years, HPV positive (HPV+) OPC has been one of the most rapidly rising cancers, by new cancer incidence rates, especially among men. They present some unique infection driven cellular and molecular features, in comparison to other head and neck carcinomas (HNC), constituting distinct preventive, therapeutic and prognostic strategies - with significant strides made in this area. However, HPV+OPC are routinely detected at a later stage, adding to the disease burden and overall survival. In this review, we provide a summary of HPV from a STI to malignant transformation, while also parsing through the immune response environment. We further collate key literature around infection sites, diagnostics and clinical management, while throwing light on the current state of epidemiology, transmission, screening and prevention strategies. Indeed, our improving understanding of the disease’s molecular biology has added some success to the prognostic outcomes of certain HPV+OPC across clinical trials examining targeted therapeutics and immunotherapy. This work is directed towards improving our current understanding of HPV and associated oncogenic landscape, to guide screening, early detection, triaging and further prevention and management strategies.

Let $(Omega, mu)$ be a measure space and $\{\tau_\alpha\}_{\alpha\in \Omega}$ be a normalized continuous Bessel family for a real Hilbert space $\mathcal{H}$. If the diagonal $\Delta \{(\alpha, \alpha):\alpha \in \Omega\}$ is measurable in the measure space $\Omega\times \Omega$, then we show that \begin{align}\label{CRBA} \sup _{\alpha, \beta \in \Omega, \alpha\neq \beta}\langle \tau_\alpha, \tau_\beta\rangle \geq \frac{-(\mu\times\mu)(\Delta)}{(\mu\times\mu)((\Omega\times\Omega)\setminus\Delta)}. \end{align} We call Inequality (1) as continuous Rankin bound. It improves 76 years old result of Rankin [Ann. of Math., 1947]. It also answers one of the questions asked by K. M. Krishna in the paper [Continuous Welch bounds with applications, Commun. Korean Math. Soc., 2023]. We also derive Banach space version of Inequality (1).

This is a report on a dynamic autonomous magnetic interaction which does not depend on polarities resulting in short ranged repulsion involving one or more inertial bodies and a new class of bound state based on this interaction. Both effects are new to the literature, found so far. Experimental results are generalized and reported qualitatively. Working principles of these effects are provided within classical mechanics and found consistent with observations and simulations. The effects are based on the interaction of a rigid and finite inertial body (an object having mass and moment of inertia) endowed with a magnetic moment with a cyclic inhomogeneous magnetic field which does not require to have a local minimum. Such a body having some DoF involved in driven harmonic motion by this interaction can experience a net force in the direction of the weak field regardless of its position and orientation or can find stable equilibrium with the field itself autonomously. The former is called polarity free magnetic repulsion and the latter magnetic bound state. Experiments show that a bound state can be obtained between two free bodies having magnetic dipole moment. Various schemes of trapping bodies having magnetic moments by rotating fields are realized as well as rotating bodies trapped by a static dipole field in presence of gravity. Also, a special case of bound state called bipolar bound state between free dipole bodies is investigated.

By partly generalizing the Lipschitz condition of existing results to the generalized Lipschitz one, the author utilizes a fixed point theorem, variational method and Lyapunov function method to derive the unique existence of globally asymptotical input-to-state stability of positive stationary solution for Gilpin-Ayala competition model with diffusion and delayed feedback under Dirichlet zero boundary value. Remarkably, it is the first paper to derive the unique existence of the stationary solution of reaction-diffusion Gilpin-Ayala competition model, which is globally asymptotical input-to-state stability. And numerical examples illuminate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed methods.

Background: People with Down syndrome (DS) have a trisomy of chromosome 21 and marked deficits in verbal memory but relatively preserved visuospatial perception. Verbal memories are related to semantic knowledge. Little is known about the organization of semantic knowledge in people with DS, which was the aim of this study. Aims: The extent of false memory in people with DS was examined. Possible differences in the number of false memories induced by nominal and verbal themes were examined. Methods and Procedures: In the study phase, ten word lists with semantically related associates were presented. In the recognition phase, participants made judgments on whether each word had been represented previously as semantically related lures, old words, and semantically unrelated new words. Outcomes and Results: Differences in the processing of nominal and verbal theme-related lures were observed among people with DS. When processing nominal theme-related lures, people with DS showed delayed false positives. When processing verbal theme-related lures, people with DS showed no differences compared to controls. Similar patterns have been observed in people with DS when processing nominal theme-related associates and verbal theme-related associates. People with DS have delayed recognition of associates. When processing unrelated words, they showed significantly higher false positives than controls for both nominal and verbal eliciting themes. Further analyses of the themes revealed differences in false positives across syntactic categories among groups. Conclusions and Implications: People with DS showed a delayed recognition of associates and deviance in recognizing unrelated words in the nominal and verbal theme categories. People with DS were delayed in terms of nouns, but deviated with verbs in associated and unrelated words. Additionally, people with DS showed distinct patterns in processing five nominal lures and three verbal lures, suggesting that they formed false memories differently based on distinct syntactic categories. Thus, it was concluded that people with DS develop a deviant semantic structure. Category-based interventions for people with DS should be implemented in order to improve their semantic knowledge through lexical connections.

Poxviridae have been successful pathogens throughout recorded history, infecting humans among a variety of other hosts. Although eradication of the notorious smallpox has been a globally successful healthcare phenomenon, the recent emergence of Monkeypox virus, also belonging to the Orthopoxvirus genus and causing human disease, albeit milder than smallpox, is a cause of significant public health concern. The ongoing outbreak of monkeypox, demonstrating human-human transmission, in previously non-endemic countries, calls for critical need into further research in the areas of viral biology, ecology and epidemiology to better understand, prevent and treat human infections. In the wake of these recent events, it becomes important to revisit poxviral infections, their pathogenesis and ability to cause infection across multiple non-human hosts and leap to a human host. The poxviruses that cause human diseases include Monkeypox virus, Molluscum contagiosum virus and Orf virus. In this review we summarize the current understanding of various poxviruses causing human diseases, provide insights into their replication and pathogenicity, disease progression and symptoms, preventive and treatment options and their importance in shaping modern medicine through application in gene therapy, oncolytic viral therapies for human cancers or as poxvirus vectors for vaccines.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive condition of kidney dysfunction due to diverse causes of injury. In healthy kidneys, protein-bound uremic toxins (PBUTs) are cleared from the systemic circulation by proximal tubule cells through the concerted action of plasma membrane transporters that facilitate their urinary excretion, but the endogenous metabolites are hardly removed with kidney dysfunction and may contribute to CKD progression. Accumulating evidence suggests that senescence of kidney tubule cells influences kidney fibrosis, the common endpoint for CKD with an excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM). Senescence is a special state of cells characterized by permanent cell cycle arrest and limitation of proliferation, which promotes fibrosis by releasing senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factors. The accumulation of PBUTs in CKD causes oxidative stress and increases the production of inflammatory (SASP) factors that could trigger fibrosis. Recent studies provide some clues that PBUTs may also promote senescence in kidney tubular cells. This review provides an overview on how senescence contributes to CKD and the involvement of PBUTs in this process, and how kidney senescence can be studied, Finally, some suggestions for future therapeutic options for CKD while targeting senescence are given.

To answer Wheeler's question "Why the quantum?" via quantum information theory according to Bub, one must explain both why the world is quantum rather than classical and why the world is quantum rather than superquantum, i.e., "Why the Tsirelson bound?" We show that the quantum correlations and quantum states corresponding to the Bell basis states, which uniquely produce the Tsirelson bound for the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt quantity, can be derived from conservation per no preferred reference frame (NPRF). A reference frame in this context is defined by a measurement configuration, just as with the light postulate of special relativity. We therefore argue that the Tsirelson bound is ultimately based on NPRF just as the postulates of special relativity. This constraint-based/principle answer to Bub's question addresses Fuchs' desideratum that we "take the structure of quantum theory and change it from this very overt mathematical speak ... into something like [special relativity]." Thus, the answer to Bub's question per Fuchs' desideratum is, "the Tsirelson bound obtains due to conservation per NPRF."

The diffraction-like process displayed by a spatially localized matter wave is here analyzed in a case where the free evolution is frustrated by the presence of hard-wall-type boundaries (beyond the initial localization region). The phenomenon is investigated in the context of a nonrelativistic, spinless particle with mass m confined in a one-dimensional box, combining the spectral decomposition of the initially localized wave function (treated as a coherent superposition of energy eigenfunctions) with a dynamical analysis based on the hydrodynamic or Bohmian formulation of quantum mechanics. Actually, such a decomposition has been used to devise a simple and efficient analytical algorithm that simplifies the computation of velocity fields (flows) and trajectories. As it is shown, the development of space-time patters inside the cavity depends on three key elements: the shape of the initial wave function, the mass of the particle considered, and the relative extension of the initial state with respect to the total length spanned by the cavity. From the spectral decomposition it is possible to identify how each one of these elements contribute to the localized matter wave and its evolution; the Bohmian analysis, on the other hand, reveals aspects connected to the diffraction dynamics and the subsequent appearance of interference traits, particularly recurrences and full revivals of the initial state, which constitute the source of the characteristic symmetries displayed by these patterns. It is also found that, because of the presence of confining boundaries, even in cases of increasingly large box lengths, no Fraunhofer-like diffraction features can be observed, as happens when the same wave evolves in free space. Although the analysis here is applied to matter waves, its methodology and conclusions are also applicable to confined modes of electromagnetic radiation (e.g., light propagating through optical fibers).

Novel pH responsive semi-interpenetrating polymer hydrogels based on tamarind gum-co-poly(acrylamidoglycolic acid) (TMGA) polymers have been synthesized using simple free radical polymerization in the presence of bis[2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] phosphate as a crosslinker and potassium persulfate as a initiator. In addition, these hydrogels have been used as templates for green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (13.4±3.6 nm in diameter, TMGA-Ag) by using leaf extract of Teminalia bellirica as reducing agent. Swelling kinetics and equilibrium swelling behavior of the TMGA hydrogels have been investigated in various pH environment the maxium % equilibrium swelling behavior observed i.e., 2882±1.2. The synthesized hydrogels and silver nanocomposites have been characterized by the UV, FTIR, XRD, SEM and TEM. TMGA and TMGA-Ag hydrogels have been investigated to study the characteristics of drug delivery and antimicrobial study. Doxorubicin hydrochloride, a chemotherapeutic agent successfully encapsulated with maximum encapulstaion efficiency i.e., 69.20±1.2 and performed in vitro release studies in pH physiological and gastric environment at 37 ℃. The drug release behavior is examined with kinetic models such as zero order, first order, Higuchi, Hixson Crowell, Korsmeyer-Peppas. These release data was the best fitted with the Korsemeyer-Peppas transport mechanism with n=0.91. Treatment effect on HCT116 Cell, human colon cancer cells were assessed with cell viability and cell cycle analysis. Antimicrobial activity of TMGA-Ag hydrogels is studied against to Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumonia. Finally, the results demonstrate that TMGA and TMGA-Ag are promising candidates for anti-cancer drug delivery and inactivation of pathogenic bacteria, respectively.

The newly emerged variants of SARS-CoV-2 created a potential threat among societies and highlighted one of the significant concerns in facing the pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 variants harboring mutations in the structural protein, especially in the RBD domain of spike protein, have raised concern about potential immune escape. The spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 play a vital role in infection and is an important target for neutralizing antibodies. The mutations that occur in the structural proteins, especially in the spike protein, lead to changes in the virus attributes of transmissibility, an increase in disease severity, a notable reduction in neutralizing antibodies generated, and thus a decreased response to vaccines and therapy. The immune response against SARS-CoV-2 has been reported mainly through innate immune responses rather than adaptive immune responses. SARS-CoV-2 invades the host's innate immunity, possibly through inducing cytokine storm, impairing type I IFN responses, and suppressing antigens presentation to T cells. Therefore, the adaptive immune response is required to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection. The SARS-CoV-2 infections activated both arms of adaptive immunity; humoral and cell-mediated immunity. The observed multiple mutations in the RBD domain of the spike protein compromised the adaptive immune response and showed immune escape because it increases the affinity of spike protein binding with the ACE-2 receptor of host cells and increases resistance to neutralizing antibodies. Cytotoxic T-cell responses are crucial in controlling SARS-CoV-2 infections from the infected tissues and clearing them from circulation. CD8+cytotoxic T cells identify and directly kill the infected cells by releasing soluble mediators perforin and granzymes. The functional exhaustion of cytotoxic T cells may increase the severity of the disease. The expression of activation markers of T cells could indicate hyperactivation or functional exhaustion; the exact implication is not yet understood in SARS-CoV-2 infections. These mutations at critical residues influence the antigenic profile of SARS-CoV-2, which may evade the immune responses and thus reduce the immunogenicity and efficacy of vaccines. Therefore, the spike protein may be recognized as a primary target for vaccines and drugs. This review article summarizes the impact of mutations in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, especially mutations of RBD, on immunogenicity, immune escape, and vaccine-induced immunity, which could potentially contribute to future studies focusing on vaccine design and immunotherapy.

Cancer being a multi-factorial disease, a multi-target approach is needed to treat it with minimal side-effects. Therefore, combined use of a proven herbal formula with chemo-therapy could be the better therapeutic. It may maintain homeostasis by synergistically targeting multiple signaling pathways involved in tumorigenesis, thus circumventing recurrence, resistance, and immunosuppression. Here we aim to determine the effectiveness and safety of an FDA-approved herbal formula, SR033 in combination with 5-fluorouracil (5FU) and paclitaxel (PTX). We report chemo-sensitization and chemo-synergy in HeLa and MCF-7 cell lines, immunomodulation of COX-2, PD-L1, VEGF and TGFβ and overall survival in-vitro and in-vivo via oral and topical delivery of SR033. In-vitro, SR033/5FU significantly reverses 5FU and PTX-resistance, lower COX-2, and PD-L1, resulting in TGFβ/ VEGF axis modulation. Furthermore, the study suggests that due to anti-oxidative potential of SR033, oral administration exerts chemo-preventive activity and restores cellular compartment in solid tumor and ascites-bearing mice models. Furthermore, the topical application, SR033L with low-dose 5FU increases survival rate, reduces tumor growth, and completely restores local and peripheral neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in solid tumor mice model. The study indicates that SR033 could be a strong candidate in combination with low-dose 5FU and PTX for a holistic approach to cancer management.

Amidst the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) applications, determining the alignment between AI evaluations and human judgment remains crucial, especially in sectors like finance, healthcare, and education. This study delves into a unique scenario—a teenage entrepreneur pitch competition, mirroring real-world challenges faced by these young innovators. The objective was to assess the congruence between evaluations by ChatGPT, an AI model, and human judges. The results indicate a remarkable alignment between AI and human evaluations across several criteria. The implications of this study are far-reaching, highlighting AI's potential in ensuring unbiased and reliable evaluations in pitch competitions and beyond. However, navigating the juncture of AI and human judgment mandates continued research and ethical considerations.

In this paper, impulsive control on a single-species Markovian jumping ecosystem leads to a stability criterion, and the newly-obtained theorems improve the related existing results. Numerical examples illuminate the effectiveness.

Financial system is essentially chaotic and unstable if there is not any external inputs. By means of Lyapunov function method, design of switching law, novel fuzzy assumption, $L^p$ estimation technique and Laplace semigroup theory, the author presents the boundedness and LMI-based (globally) asymptotical input-to-state stability criteria of financial systems. Particularly, the globally asymptotical stability in the meaning of switching implies that when the time $t$ is big enough, the dynamic of any subsystem must approach its unique equilibrium point. Besides, the global financial crisis often erupts periodically, which illuminates that the global stability in the classical sense is actually meaningless. So the stability in the meaning of switching proposed in this paper is suitable and appropriate. Numerical examples illuminate the effectiveness of the obtained results.

Cellular membranes are essential for compartmentalization, maintenance of membrane permeability and fluidity in all three domains of life. Archaea belong to the third domain of life and have a distinct phospholipid composition. Membrane lipids of archaea are ether-linked molecules, specifically dialkyl glycerol diethers (DGDs) and glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs). Terbinafine has been proposed as an inhibitor of GDGT biosynthesis in Archaea based on radiolabel incorporation studies. Here, we have studied the early cellular responses of the archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius to terbinafine whose membrane is mostly composed of the membrane-spanning GDGTs. Depletion of GDGTs and an accompanying accumulation of DGDs upon treatment with terbinafine was growth phase and dose dependent. Additionally, a major shift in the saturation of caldariellaquinones was observed, resulting in the accumulation of unsaturated molecules. Transcriptomic data indicated that terbinafine primarily targets the respiratory complex along with genes involved in motility, fatty acid metabolism and GDGT cyclization. Combined, these findings suggest that respiratory stress is the preliminary response of S.acidocaldarius to terbinafine while targeting multiple proteins involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis and saturation.

The calculation of the collapse load of spherical domes is addressed using a semi-analytical approach under the hypotheses of small displacements and perfect plasticity. The procedure is based on the numerical approximation of the self-stress that represents the projection of the balance equilibrium null space on a finite dimensional manifold. The so obtained self-equilibrated stress span is superimposed to a finite element linear elastic solution to the prescribed loads yielding to the statically admissible set accordingly to Melan’s theorem. The compatibility of the stress with the constitutive law of the material has been enforced using linearized limit domain in terms of generalized stress, namely axial force and bending moment along the local spherical curvilinear coordinates. The procedure has been tested with reference to numerical and experimental data from the literature confirming the accuracy of the proposed method. The comparison with the literature confirms that the buckling load is much greater than the plastic collapse loads both calculated through the proposed procedure and reported in the quoted literature.

Residential dust is recognized as a major source of environmental contaminants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and phthalic acid esters (PAEs). To characterize the thoracic dust fraction (PM10), a sampling campaign was carried out with an in-situ resuspension chamber in three rooms (kitchen, living room and bedroom) of four Spanish houses. Two samples per room were collected with, at least, a one-week interval. The PM₁₀ samples were analyzed for their carbonaceous content by a thermo-optical technique and, after solvent extraction, for 20 PAHs, 8 phthalate plasticizers (PAEs) and one non-phthalate plasticizer (DEHA) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In general, higher dust loads were observed for parquet flooring compared with tile. The highest dust loads were obtained for rugs. Total carbon accounted for 9.3 to 51%wt of the PM₁₀ mass. Plasticizer mass fractions varied from 5 µg g-1 to 17 mg g^-1 PM₁₀, whereas lower contributions were registered for PAHs (0.98–116 µg g^-1). The plasticizer and PAH daily intakes for children and adults via dust ingestion were estimated to be 3–4 orders of magnitude higher than those via inhalation and dermal contact. Potential carcinogenic and negligible non-carcinogenic risks arising from exposure to PAHs were found.

Objective: To compare the incidence of skin abrasions caused by traditional straight edge flip flop straps versus rolled inner seam (RIS) designs in a controlled laboratory setting using preserved fetal pig skin as a proxy for human skin.Methods: This study utilized a custom-built apparatus to apply friction from two flip flop strap designs to preserved fetal pig skin samples. Three trials were conducted for each strap design to determine the time to initial abrasion onset. A paired t-test was employed for statistical analysis.Results: The RIS design demonstrated a statistically significant delay in abrasion onset compared to the standard design across all trials (p < 0.05), indicating a gentler interaction with the skin.Conclusion: The RIS strap design may offer a beneficial alternative to traditional straps by reducing the friction that can lead to skin abrasions, suggesting a potential to decrease the risk of dorsal foot ulcers. Further studies involving human subjects are warranted to validate these findings in a real-world context.Keywords: Flip flop strap design, skin abrasions, dorsal foot ulcers, footwear design, developing countries, diabetic foot care.

The benefits of event-driven architecture (EDA) derive from how systems and components are loosely coupled, which can facilitate independent development and deployment of systems, improved scaling and fault tolerance, and integration with external systems, especially in comparison to monolithic architectures. With the advent of new technologies such as containers, and microservices, a new generation of distributed event streaming platforms are commonly used in event-driven architecture for efficient event-driven communication. However, the asynchronous and distributed nature of EDA poses several problems that include handling failures, the dependence of an end-to-end transaction on individual component stability, etc. In this paper, we describe a new approach to designing self-regulating distributed applications with autopoietic and cognitive workflow management. This approach is based on the new science of information processing structures derived from the General Theory of Information. Just as a genome enables self-organizing and self-regulating biological structures, a digital genome enables a specific software application with several components, the ability to use distributed resources and self-regulate the evolution of the system based on functional and non-functional requirements, and best-practice policies that maintain the stability, safety, and survival under non-deterministic fluctuations in the demand for resources. In addition, cognitive workflow management assures end-to-end transaction delivery.

The escalating global population and subsequent demand for agricultural products have led to a surge in agricultural waste generation, posing significant disposal challenges. Conventional disposal methods such as burning and dumping not only harm the environment but also jeopardize human health and safety. Recognizing the urgent need for sustainable waste management, researchers have increasingly focused on repurposing agricultural plant waste as a valuable resource. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the potential of agricultural plant waste in wealth creation and sustainable development. It highlights the detrimental impacts of current disposal methods and emphasizes the necessity for alternative approaches. By analyzing the physical, mechanical, and chemical properties of plant fibers, particularly cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, this review underscores their suitability for diverse applications. Moreover, it explores the emerging trend of utilizing pineapple leaf fiber, a sustainable and lightweight material, in structural applications such as UAV construction. With its exceptional mechanical properties and biodegradability, pineapple leaf fiber holds promise as a viable alternative to traditional materials, contributing to a more sustainable future. In conclusion, this review advocates for a paradigm shift towards embracing agricultural plant waste as a valuable asset for economic prosperity and environmental sustainability. It underscores the importance of continued research and technological advancements to unlock the full potential of agricultural waste in fostering a circular economy and driving sustainable development globally.

Most of the research in data mining concentrated on finding the positive associations that exist in frequent patterns. Frequent patterns have no bearing on the time duration and, therefore, lose interestingness. The Regularity of an itemset is related to the time at which the transaction occurred and the time distance between the transactions. Frequent Regular item sets can be generated considering the Frequency and the Regularity of the occurrence of the Item Sets. The frequent and regular Item sets will be so huge that they cannot be handled in real time. The count of Frequent and regular item sets gets reduced drastically when the properties “closed” and “Maximality” are applied. Finding negative associations among such patterns are important in the field of medicine. Many drugs administered to cure some diseases have counter reactions leading to many other diseases. Negative associations among the mined patterns are important as they reveal significant contradictions frequently among medical drugs administered by medical practitioners to cure some diseases. This paper proposes a method that mines medical databases to find regular, frequent patterns applied with closed and maximal properties and find negative associations among those patterns. The proposed algorithm is accurate to 98% and performs 9% more efficiently than the other algorithms presented in the literature.

Let $S=\left(s_1, \ldots, s_n\right)$ be a finite sequence of integers. Then $S$ is a Gilbreath sequence of length $n$, $S\in\mathbb{G}_n$, iff $s_1$ is even or odd and $s_2, \ldots, s_n$ are respectively odd or even and $\min\mathbb{K}_{\left(s_1, \ldots, s_m\right)}\leq s_{m+1}\leq\max\mathbb{K}_{\left(s_1, \ldots, s_m\right)}\forall m\in\left[\left.1, n\right)\right.$. This, applied to the order sequence of prime number $P$, defines Gilbreath polynomials and two integer sequences A347924 \cite{oeisA347924} and A347925 \cite{oeisA347925} which are used to prove that Gilbreath conjecture $GC$ is implied by $p_n-2^{n-1}\leqslant\mathcal{P}_{n-1}\left(1\right)$ where $\mathcal{P}_{n-1}\left(1\right)$ is the $n-1$-th Gilbreath polynomial at 1.

In this paper, we examine the weak deflection angle and greybody factor of magnetized regular black hole. We implement the Gauss-Bonnet theorem on magnetized regular black hole to get the deflection angle. Moreover, we analyze the influence of plasma and non-plasma mediums on deflection angle of magnetized regular black hole. We observe the graphical behaviour of plasma and non-plasma mediums on deflection angle of magnetized regular black hole. Lastly, we study the rigorous bound phenomenon of the greybody factor of magnetized regular black hole. For this purpose we calculate greybody factor results and analyze the graphical behaviour of greybody bound for the different values of the parameters.

The mission here is to see if we can find bound states for tachyons in some gravitational environment. That could provide an explanation for the phenomena called Dark Matter. Starting with the standard Schwarzschild metric in General Relativity, which is for a static and spherically symmetric source, it appears unlikely that such localized orbits exist. In this work the usual assumption of isotropic pressure is replaced by a model that has different pressures in the radial and angular directions. This should be relevant to the study of neutrinos, especially if they are tachyons, in cosmological models. We do find an arrangement that allows bound orbits for tachyons in a galaxy. This is a qualitative breakthrough. Then we go on to estimate the numbers involved and find that we do have a fair quantitative fit to the experimental data on the Galaxy Rotation Curve. Additionally we are led to look in the neighborhood of a Black Hole and there we find novel orbits for tachyons.

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for the health and immunity of cattle. Double-muscled Belgian Blue cows are well known to be prone to nutritional deficiencies. Colostrum Se level is also a key factor to promote immunoglobulin intake in young calves. The main objectives of this study were to assess (1) the plasma and colostrum Se statuses of properly-supplemented Belgian-Blue cows on commercial farms and (2) the relationship between Se concentrations in plasma and colostrum. Secondary objectives were to assess relationships between plasma or colostrum Se concentrations and dietary Se supplementation as well as blood biomarkers. Blood and colostrum samples were collected from 49 Belgian Blue cows on 5 commercial farms in Belgium. They received 5 different rations with Se supplementation ranging from 0.5 to 2 ppm including 20% to 83% of organic form. Results showed that average Se concentration was 90 +- 15 µg/L in plasma and 79 +- 26 µg/L in colostrum, consistent with previous studies on well-supplemented cows. No relationship was observed between Se concentrations in plasma and colostrum, suggesting that colostrum Se testing would be a complementary indicator for improving calf Se supplementation. Relationships between plasma or colostrum Se and dietary Se or blood biomarkers emphasized the complexity of Se metabolism in observational studies under field conditions.

Background: Trichomoniasis is the most common non-viral STI globally and yet is not a reportable disease. Trichomonas Vaginalis is an important source of reproductive morbidity and may increase risk of acquisition and transmission of HIV. WHO and CDC recommend various regimens of Nitro-Imidazoles for treatment. The common Nitro-Imidazoles used for Trichomoniasis are Metronidazole and Tinidazole, which vary in their cost, efficacy and side effect profile and it is relevant to study these factors, for better management of the patients. Objectives: This study aims to compare and study the efficacy, compliance of various treatment regimens, their outcomes and side-effects for Trichomoniasis, among STI clinic attendees in Trinidad. Methods: A clinical trial study was designed and after obtaining the informed consent a routine clinical examination was conducted and the swabs for Trichomoniasis tests were collected for diagnosis from the 692 participants. Out of 692 participants, Eighty two (82) patients with established diagnosis of Trichomonas infection were quasi-randomly treated using different regimens. Compliance to treatment, side effects and outcome were evaluated. Results: The prevalence of the Trichomoniasis in population attending our STI clinic is 11.9% and prevalence of HIV is 9%. Of the total 82 participants for the treatment, 80% were females; nearly 90% of the patients belonged to age group 15-45 years and over 60% were below 30 yrs. Among those diagnosed for Trichomonas vaginalis, 13.3% had associated HIV infection. The compliance with respect to single dose treatment was significantly better than the long duration oral regimen and has significant relation with side effects of the treatment. The outcome is generally better and comparable and shows no significant difference between different treatment regimens used in the study. Conclusions: Metronidazole and Tinidazole are commonly used drugs in various regimens. compliance is better with those treated with Tinidazole and Metronidazole stat, than with other groups. Outcome is comparable between these regimens, especially when combined with other important factors like abstinence and treatment of the partners. The treatment regimens mainly differ in the compliance and side effects profile, which suggests that to improve the compliance the drugs with less side effects, short course regimen would be a preferred choice.

This investigation aimed to knowledge of the presence of Brucella spp .in the samples from Babylon province and the relationship with environmental factors. The seasonal collection of animal soil samples for various villages in the middle, south, and north of Babylon province, Hilla City, Iraq, with physicochemical parameters (air and soil temperature, pH, EC, TDS, salinity, TOC), as well as heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Cd, and Pb). The results showed the presence of Brucella species in some of soil samples and its percentage varies according to the four seasons, where the highest percentage of Brucella spp. was in summer season and the lowest in winter season and these percentages were related to seasonal environmental indicators. After sending the positive bacterial samples isolated from the soil for sequencing analysis, it was found that the bacterial samples isolated from the soil have new strains recorded in Genbank as following: five strains for Brucella intermedia and one strain for Brucella rhizosphaerae, Also, phylogenetic analysis was for the drawing of phylogenetic tree and the determination of phylogenetic relationship for Knowledge the degree of convergence between species and their source. Through our research, we concluded that proportion of Brucella spp. presence in summer was high and also environmental factors which included (Air and Soil temperature, pH, EC, TDS and Salinity) were high, except TOC was lower in summer season whereas heavy metals for Cu, Fe, Cd were lower in summer except Pb was high. This indicated that differences of seasons affect to Brucella ratio in soil. The findings of sequencing for the bacterial samples from soil demonstrated that B. intermedia was found in both the spring and fall seasons while B.rhizosphaerae found in the spring season , These types of Brucella had genetic variations. Also concluded that during phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA sequences indicated that B.intermedia was nearest to Pakistan and other strain of B.intermedia was nearest to Russia while B.rhizosphaerae was nearest to Ukraine and Pakistan.

Gene editing is now easy to make new disease models through in-vivo and in vitro tests. It can potentially be used to make animals with single-gene or multiple-gene changes. The mutant strains with changed germlines are no longer needed with in vivo gene editing, which uses the CRISPR-Cas9 system to target cells of interest in their normal tissues. Whereas, the AAVs and other viral vectors have made it possible to change cells selectively. Gene editing hade made it possible to use human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) to model diseases that run in families. Researchers can compare and contrast the human genomes of many different ethnic and racial groups using this method. Scientists may be able to make a disease in a lab dish using iPSCs from a patient. Using CRISPR, iPSCs made from patient cells can be fixed if they have certain problems. This shows that gene therapy is possible and shows what happens when cells aren't working right. The fact that CRISPR-Cas9 can change the DNA by just one nucleotide has had a huge effect on biological studies. CRISPR is becoming more and more popular, which shows how useful, easy, and effective it is. With the broad use of CRISPR-based apps, the tool is now used for much more than just changing genes. This method can be used to screen the whole genome, control the translation of genes based on their sequence, and edit several genes at the same time. Scientists can now model diseases in different species and learn more about how genes work because of these advances. Genome-wide association studies and genome-editing tools like CRISPR are giving us a good look at the future of personalized medicine.

With the increasing concern of environment, the energy-efficiency scheduling of manufacturing industry is becoming urgent and popular. In turning processes, both spindle speed and processing time can affect the final energy consumption and thus the spindle speed and scheduling scheme need to be optimized simultaneously. Since the turning workshop can be regarded as the flexible flow shop, this paper formulates a mixed integer linear programming model for energy-efficient scheduling of flexible flow shop. Accordingly, a new decoding method is developed by considering of the optimization of spindle speed and scheduling scheme simultaneously, and an estimation of distribution algorithm adopting the new decoding method is proposed to solve large-size problems. The parameters of this algorithm are determined by statistical technique with a simplified practical case. In order to validate the proposed method, a case from practical factories is studied, in which the makespan can be shortened by 25.22%, and the consumed energy can be saved by 5.48%. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed mathematical model and algorithm.

Abstract:Background: Foot ulcers, especially dorsal foot ulcers caused by straps in footwear, can lead to discomfort, pain, and severe complications, particularly in individuals with diabetes and leprosy. While plantar foot pressure measurements have been extensively studied, research on the impact of strap-induced pressure on the dorsal foot aspect remains limited.Research question: The main research question of this prospective study is: Does the implementation of a rolled inner seam strap design (RIS) in flip-flops result in reduced pressure at the toehold area compared to traditional strap designs (Control) in healthy volunteers?Methods: We studied healthy female volunteers, with 10 feet (5 left and 5 right) per arm of the study. Two types of flip-flops, RIS and Control, were compared in a standardized 5-step walk trial on a hardwood floor. Pressure at the toehold was measured using Pressure Sensitive Switches with portable, accurate, ultra-thin pressure sensors. Paired t-tests compared the maximum pressure at the toehold between RIS and Control flip-flops (p < 0.05).Results: The study revealed a statistically significant difference in pressure at the toehold between the RIS and Control flip-flops (p = 0.0014). The mean difference of -40.90 grams (95% CI: -61.22 to -20.58) indicated that the RIS exerted significantly lower pressure than the Control flip flops. The RIS group had a mean pressure of 29.30 grams. The Control group had a mean pressure of 70.20 grams at the toehold area.Significance: The findings of this study have significant clinical implications for individuals at risk of foot ulcers, particularly those with neuropathic conditions such as diabetes and leprosy. The implementation of the RIS design in flip-flops may offer a practical and cost-effective solution to reduce strap-induced pressure and mitigate the risk of strap-related foot ulcers, especially in resource-limited settings where comprehensive foot care is lacking.

The General Theory of Information (GTI) tells us that information is represented, processed and communicated using physical structures. The physical universe is made up of structures combining matter and energy. According to GTI, “Information is related to knowledge as energy is related to matter.” GTI also provides tools to deal with transformation of information and knowledge. We present here, the application of these tools for the design of digital autopoietic machines with higher efficiency, resiliency and scalability than the information processing systems based on the Turing machines. We discuss the utilization of these machines for building autopoietic and cognitive applications in a multi-cloud infrastructure.

Knowledge processing is an important feature of intelligence in general and artificial intelligence in particular. To develop computing systems working with knowledge, it is necessary to elaborate means of working with knowledge representations (as opposed to data) because knowledge is an abstract structure. There are different forms of knowledge representations derived from data. One of the basic forms is called a schema. The goal of this paper is the development of theoretical and practical tools for processing schemas. To achieve this goal, we use schema representations elaborated in the mathematical theory of schemas and use structural machine as a powerful theoretical tool for modeling parallel and concurrent computational processes. We describe the schema of autopoietic machines as physical realizations of structural machines. An autopoietic Machine is a technical system capable of regenerating, reproducing and maintaining itself by production, transformation and destruction of its components and the networks of processes downstream contained in them. We present the theory and practice of designing and implementing autopoietic machines as information processing structures integrating both symbolic computing and neural networks. Autopoietic machines use knowledge structures containing the behavioral evolution of the system and its interactions with the environment to maintain stability by counteracting fluctuations.

A new generation of universal tools and languages for modeling and simulation multi-physical domain applications emerged and became widely accepted, which generate large-scale systems of differential algebraic equations (DAEs) automatically. Motivated by the characteristics of DAEs systems with large dimension, high index or block structures, we first propose a modified Pantelides’ algorithm (MPA) for any high order DAEs based on its Σ matrix, which is similar to Pryce’s Σ method. By introducing a vital parameter vector, a modified Pantelides’ algorithm with parameter has been presented.It leads to a block Pantelides’ algorithm (BPA) naturally which can immediately compute the crucial canonical offsets for whole (coupled) systems with block-triangular form. We illustrate these algorithms by some examples. And numerical experiments show that the time complexity of BPA can be reduced by at least O(ℓ) compared to the MPA, which is mainly consistent with the results of our analysis.

As reported by us and others previously (1, 2), the D614G mutation appeared in the spike glycoprotein (SPG) of the SARS-CoV-2 (the pathogen behind COVID-19) at the early stages of the pandemic and then G614 containing variant of SARS-CoV-2 became the predominant strain in most human populations across the world. However, one of the most recent reports from India (3) stated the incidence of G614 to be only 26% in the Indian population. This report is contradictory to the information available through the GenBank (4) SARS-CoV-2 sequence deposits made by various laboratories from India. The above stated report currently circulating in the Indian media is likely to create a public perception that the Indian strain is less contagious and such a notion could be harmful to people’s welfare. In view of this concern we have re-evaluated, updated and recalculated the incidence of the G614 variant in the Indian population by analyzing 395 Indian SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences available in the GenBank as of June 26, 2020. In our analysis we have categorized the samples by the month in which the samples were collected. We have used an alignment-free software tool named Compare (5, 6), and the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) (7) in the present analysis. We finally inspected each of the 395 sequences physically for the presence of aspartic acid (D) or glycine (G) at the 614^th position of the spike glycoprotein. We analyzed an Australian cohort in parallel for comparison. We have found that the prevalence of G614 variant in the Indian samples for the month of June 2020 is 90.6%. The trends are similar with the Australian samples.

Against the backdrop of the current carbon peaking and carbon neutrality policies, higher requirements have been put forward for the upgrading and construction of smart grids. Non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM) technology is a key technology for advanced measurement systems at the end of the power grid. It obtains detailed power information of the load, without the need for traditional hardware deployment. The key step to solve this problem is load decomposition and identification. This paper first utilized Long Short Term Memory-Denoising Autoencoder(LSTM-DAE) to decompose the mixed current signal on the household busbar and obtain the current signals of multiple independent loads that constituted the mixed current. Then, the obtained independent current signals were combined with voltage signals to generate multi-cycle colored Voltage-Current(VI) trajectories, which were color-coded according to the background. These colored VI trajectories with background colors formed a feature library. When the CNN network was used for load recognition, considering the influence of hyperparameters on recognition results, the BOA algorithm was used for optimization, and the optimized CNN network was employed for VI trajectory recognition. Finally, the proposed method was validated using the PLAID dataset. Experimental results showed that the proposed method exhibited better performance in load decomposition and identification.

The enzymology of the key steps in the archaeal phospholipid biosynthetic pathway has been elucidated in recent years. In contrast, the complete biosynthetic pathways for proposed membrane regulators consisting of polyterpenes such as carotenoids, respiratory quinones and polyprenols remain unknown. Notably, the multiplicity of geranylgeranyl reductases (GGRs) in archaeal genomes has been correlated with the saturation of polyterpenes. Although GGRs, which are responsible for the saturation of the isoprene chains of phospholipids have been identified and studied in detail, there is little information regarding the structure and function of the paralogs. Here, we discuss the diversity of archaeal membrane-associated polyterpenes which is correlated with the genomic loci, structural and sequence-based analyses of GGR paralogs.

Monkeypox, once a rare zoonotic disease, was endemic to some African countries since its original identification among humans in 1970. Since then, cases in non endemic regions were linked to returning travelers or those who had contact with transported animals. The causative agent, Monkeypox virus, belongs to Orthopoxviruses, the same family as Variola; the causative organism for smallpox. Although most Monkeypox outbreaks until recently were linked to zoonotic transmission, secondary human-human transmission in smallpox unvaccinated individuals was observed in a small proportion of overall cases. Smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980 and since its eradication, monkeypox virus is the most significant poxvirus to cause human disease. The 2022 monkeypox outbreak marks a significant paradigm shift in the human and poxvirus association, with new modes of transmission, concerns of viral evolution and entrenchment as a sexually transmitted disease. Monkeypox clinically resembles smallpox but is far milder. At this time there are no approved therapies for monkeypox and antiviral agents effective against smallpox are being utilized. Additionally, preventive strategies being utilized include smallpox vaccination like JYNNEOS and ACAM2000. In this narrative review, we discuss the virology, epidemiology, transmission, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, management and prevention strategies associated with monkeypox.

Increased smart devices in various industries is creating numerous sensors in each of the equipment prompting the need for methods and models for sensor data. Current research proposes a systematic approach to analyze the data generated from sensors attached to industrial equipment. The methodology involves data cleaning, preprocessing, basics statistics, outlier, and anomaly detection. Present study presents the prediction of RUL by using various Machine Learning models like Regression, Polynomial Regression, Random Forest, Decision Tree, XG Boost. Hyper Parameter Optimization is performed to find the optimal parameters for each variable. In each of the model for RUL prediction RMSE, MAE are compared. Outcome of the RUL prediction should be useful for decision maker to drive the business decision; hence Binary classification is performed, and business case analysis is performed. Business case analysis includes the cost of maintenance and cost of non-maintaining a particular asset. Current research is aimed at integrating the machine intelligence and business intelligence so that the industrial operations optimized both in resource and profit.

Globally 30% of landslides occur in the northeastern part of India [1]. One of the major earthquake events in Sikkim, India occurred on 18th September 2011 (Mw 6.9) led to over 300 landslides and 122 human deaths [2]. These landslides not only controlled by natural disasters but initiated due to human activities. The present study considered Lungchok landslide occurred in south district of Sikkim due to 2011 seismic event. The study focused on the failure mechanism of the landslide based on finite element analysis by adopting eight different cases. The deformation characteristic was investigated for dry and saturated slope conditions under static and dynamic behavior considering vehicle loads using GeoStudio software. The FEM analysis has been carried out using load deformation and linear elastic. The analysis shows that the failure of the slope was not sudden due to the 2011 earthquake event, but progressive failure was observed with time and construction activity. The paper demonstrates that, an increase in infrastructure development including construction by hill cutting increased the initiation of landslide with soil erosion. The cracks developed after 2011 earthquake event led to further deformations during future disasters required effective stabilization measures.

Using the OCT platform, we can generate high-resolution data on retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in a given eye at a large number of angular-points defined on a circular coordinate system. However, insightful characteristics of OCT RNFL data such as its circularity and granularity generally remain unutilized in its common downstream statistical analyses. We present a new circular statistical framework that defines an Angular Decay function and thereby provides a directional representation of an eye in terms of its focused RNFL loss. By applying to a clinical cohort of Asian Indian eyes, the generated circular data was modeled with a finite mixture of von Mises distributions, which led to unsupervised identification in different age-groups of 2 recurrent clusters of glaucomatous eyes with distinct directional signatures of RNFL decay. New indices of global and local RNFL loss were computed for comparing the structural differences between these glaucoma clusters across the age-groups.

Tolman VII solution \citep{ref-journal 2} is an exact analytic solution to the Einstein field equations describing the space-time of a static spherically symmetric distribution of matter. The solution has been shown to be capable of describing the interior of compact objects like neutron stars. Generalized \cite{ref-journal 13} and modified \cite{ref-journal 10} versions of the solution are also available in the literature, which have been subsequently developed to accommodate more realistic descriptions of neutron stars. The stability of the modified Tolman VII solution has recently been analyzed by Posada {\em et al} \cite{ref-journal 9 }, who evaluated a critical value of the adiabatic index above which the stellar configuration becomes unstable against radial oscillations. In this paper, making use of the generalized version of the Tolman VII solution, we prescribe an upper bound on the compactness ($M/R$) beyond which the star becomes unstable. Our investigation is based on the stability analysis of a star against radial oscillations developed by Chandrasekhar \cite{ref-journal 1}. The analysis brings out to attention the role of a particular model parameter in the generalized Tolman VII solution which can be linked to the inhomogeneity of the matter distribution vis-a-vis equation of state (EOS).

This paper considers the general ocean circulation within the thermodynamical closure of our climate theory, which aims to deduce the generic climate state from first principles. The preceding papers of the theory have reduced planetary fluids to warm/cold masses and determined their bulk thermal properties, which provide prior constraints for the derivation of the upper-bound circulation when the potential vorticity is homogenized in moving masses. In a companion paper on the atmosphere, this upper bound is seen to reproduce the prevailing wind, forsaking therefore previous discordant explanations of the easterly trade and the polar jet stream. In this paper on the ocean, we again show that this upper bound may replicate broad features of the observed circulation, including a western-intensified subtropical gyre and a counter-rotating tropical gyre feeding the equatorial undercurrent. Together, we posit that PV homogenization may provide a unifying dynamical principle of the large-scale planetary circulation, which may be interpreted as the maximum macroscopic motion extractable by microscopic stirring --- within the confine of the thermal differentiation.

Sterol homeostasis in mammalian cells and tissues involves balancing three fundamental processes: de novo sterol biosynthesis; sterol import (e.g., from blood-borne lipoproteins); and sterol export. In complex tissues, composed of multiple different cell types (such as the retina), import and export also may involve intra-tissue, inter-cellular sterol exchange. Disruption of any of these processes can result in pathologies that impact the normal structure and function of the retina. Here, we provide a brief overview of what is known currently about sterol homeostasis in the vertebrate retina and offer a proposed path for future experimental work to further our understanding of these processes, with relevance to the development of novel therapeutic interventions for human diseases involving defective sterol homeostasis.

Background: People with Williams syndrome (WS) are characterized with hypersociability, fluency in languages, and advantageous face-processing skills, leading to the proposal of a social module. Previous studies on the mentalizing abilities of people with WS using two-dimensional pictures and mindreading from eyes, including normal-like, delayed, and deviant behaviors, have yielded mixed results. This study thus examined the mentalizing ability of people with WS through structured computerized animations of false belief tasks to investigate whether inferences about other people’s minds can be improved in this population. Method: Participants were shown animations with unexpected location and content changes. After viewing each animation, participants had to answer four types of questions: character identification, reality, memory, and false belief. Their responses were recorded and analyzed. Results: Comprehension of false belief was observed in 4-year-old healthy children, whereas children with WS showed unsuccessful comprehension of false belief (until they attained a mental age of 5.3 years), suggesting an improvement in theory of mind resulting from viewing structured computerized animations. This age is earlier than that reported by previous studies for using theory of mind to pass false belief tests (8.5 years old), even challenging the age at which individuals failed to pass the tests (12.10 years old). Conclusions: Structured computerized animations enhanced the mentalizing ability of people with WS to a certain extent. Compared to the typically developing controls, people with WS presented with a lower developmental level in processing false belief tasks. The educational implication of this study is to develop computerized social skills interventions for people with WS.

The developed microstructure features a long with mechanical properties in vacuum brazing of commercially pure Ti-alloy using Ti₂₀Zr₂₀Cu_60-x-Ni_x (x=10, 20, 30, 40 and 50) metallic filler. Brazing temperatures and holding times employed in this study were 1240-1279 K (967-1006^oC) for a period of 10 min, respectively. The mechanical properties of brazed joints were evaluated by nanoindention at a constant peak load of 5000 μN and tensile tests. The number of intermetallic phase, such as NiTi₂, Ti₂Cu, (Ti, Zr)₂Cu, (Ti, Zr)₂Ni, β(Ti, Zr), α-Ti and NiTi. The solid solution matrix have been identified at 1279 K out of these different regions the NiTi₂ rich region had the highest nanohardness of 17 GPa, It is interesting to note that among five different glasses, the Ti₂₀Zr₂₀Cu₁₀Ni₅₀ has the highest yield strength of 17 GPa, which is mainly due to NiTi₂ phase. Based on the tensile test results all cracks propagate along the brittle intermetallic compounds like NiTi₂ in the reaction layer the reduction of the strength of the joints and fracture behaviour upon propagation of the crack, which shows the morphological cleavage including facets characteristics.

This review paper aims to understand the current processing plant maintenance systems and further identify on-stream phased array corrosion mapping (PACM) to reduce turnaround maintenance (TAM) activity during plant operations. Reducing the TAM duration and extending the TAM interval are common goals of most researchers. Thus, a detailed review was performed to understand the maintenance systems and the problems faced. Furthermore, a review of the current PACM application and the possibility of applying it during on-stream inspection was also per-formed. PACM has better detectability for localized corrosion, and the results can be obtained for a range of thicknesses, which is the main advantage of this method. The challenge is to apply it to a surface with high temperatures, owing to the greater probe contact and the limitation of ultrasonic properties. This literature review provides a more precise direction for future research to evaluate PACM on piping that can be utilized in inspection during plant operation at elevated temperatures. Detecting and monitoring corrosion growth without shutdown.

Abstract. Graphene family (GF)-Calcium phosphate (CaP) composites, holds great potential as components of bone regeneration materials. GF nanomaterials can be modified physically as well as chemically, which are to be biomimetic, mechanically to be hard due to their capability to support exceptional mechanical, thermal and electronic properties. These biocompatible GF composites coated on the calcium phosphate can enhance and tolerate stem cell growth and differentiation, proliferation into various lineages or interact with bioorganisms. The development in CF-CaP materials and their physicochemical/biointeractions and strategies towards osteoblasts is a great concern to promote faster healing and reconstructions of large bone imperfections or defects. In this review, we explain the influence of the CF-CaP and summarize recent developments on designing CF-CaP architectures as multifunctional bone regeneration platforms. We have also explored the typical biological applications concerning these CF-CaP based bioactive nanocomposites. Furthermore, the future viewpoints and evolving challenges will also be emphasized. Due to the shortage of full-length reviews in this emerging research field, this review would be caught great attention and encourage various new chances across a wider range of disciplines.

: Mistrust, amplified by numerous artificial intelligence (AI) related incidents, has caused the energy and industrial sectors to be amongst the slowest adopter of AI methods. Central to this issue is the black-box problem of AI, which impedes investments and fast becoming a legal hazard for users. Explainable AI (XAI) is a recent paradigm to tackle this challenge. Being the backbone of the industry, the prognostic and health management (PHM) domain has recently been introduced to XAI. However, many deficiencies, particularly lack of explanation assessment methods and uncertainty quantification, plague this young field. In this paper, we elaborate a framework on explainable anomaly detection and failure prognostic employing a Bayesian deep learning model to generate local and global explanations from the PHM tasks. An uncertainty measure of the Bayesian model is utilized as marker for anomalies expanding the prognostic explanation scope to include model’s confidence. Also, the global explanation is used to improve prognostic performance, an aspect neglected from the handful of PHM-XAI publications. The quality of the explanation is finally examined employing local accuracy and consistency properties. The method is tested on real-world gas turbine anomalies and synthetic turbofan data failure prediction. Seven out of eight of the tested anomalies were successfully identified. Additionally, the prognostic outcome showed 19% improvement in statistical terms and achieved the highest prognostic score amongst best published results on the topic.

This study explores the correlation between payment statistics and sector-wise Gross Value Added (GVA) in the Indian economy from 2011 to 2022, assessing the importance of payment and settlement systems. Through regression analysis, the impact of payment statistics on GVA across diverse sectors is assessed. The results indicate that, during the specified period, payment statistics exhibit a significant influence on sector-wise GVA. These findings underscore the pivotal role of payment and settlement systems in the Indian financial landscape.

In this study, we investigate the existence of positive solutions within a system of Riemann-Liouville fractional differential equations that incorporate the (r1,r2,r3)-Laplacian operator while being subject to three-point boundary conditions. These equations incorporate various fractional derivatives and are influenced by parameters represented as (ψ1,ψ2,ψ3). Our approach involves employing techniques such as cone expansion and compression of the functional type, in conjunction with the Leggett-Williams fixed point theorem, to establish the existence of positive solutions. To emphasize the practical significance of our findings in the realm of fractional differential equations, we provide two illustrative examples.

Neuron degeneration is the most common old age complications worldwide. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative condition with limited drug options and significant adverse effects. Hence, there is a growing interest in exploring natural products for their potential pharmacological activities against AD. This study investigates the efficacy of Verbesina encelioides flower extract (VFE) in alleviating neurobehavioral damage induced by Scopolamine in rat mimicking AD model. GC-MS analysis showed that V. encelioides flower extract is rich in carotenoids like spirilloxanthin. Various behavioural models were used to assess the rats' learning and memory capabilities. Additionally, biochemical tests were conducted on the AD rat models to evaluate oxidative stress in the brain, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), nitric oxide (NO), reduced glutathione (GSH), and anti-acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme assays. Findings from this study suggest that the VFE significantly improved the rats' cognitive aptitude and alleviated them from oxidative stress by reducing free radical generation. Based on the results obtained from GC-MS analysis, in silico interaction analysis of gingkolide A and spirilloxanthin with acetylcholinesterase was carried out. In summary, this study suggests that V. enceloides flower extract improves learning abilities and mitigates cognitive deficits caused by scopolamine. Thus V. enceloides could be potentially seen as natural therapeutic intervention against neurodegenerative disorders likes Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Seasonal variations in atmospheric ultrafine particulate matter (PM0.1) were monitored in Bangkok, Thailand, from 2016 to 2017. PM0.1 bound organic carbon (OC), and elemental carbon (EC) were collected by a cascade air sampler that can collect PM0.1 and estimated by a thermal-optical carbon analyzer following the IMPROVE-TOR protocol. The annual average PM0.1 in Bangkok was 14.5 ± 4.7 µg/m3, higher than in large Asian cities like Shanghai and Hanoi. Biomass burning from neighboring areas was shown to increase the particle concentration. Apparent risings in carbon species as OC, EC, and OC/EC ratios in the wet and dry seasons were observed, and Char-EC/Soot-EC displayed that the PM0.1 in the Bangkok atmosphere was influenced mainly by the vehicle exhaust, even though the influence of biomass burning was more sensitive during the dry season. The effective carbon ratio (ECR) displays that carbonaceous aerosol is light-absorbing; the dry season increase contributed to climate and air quality. The finding of this work is of great importance to air pollutants control policies in urban areas.

The goal of this study was to determine the relative susceptibility of four common equine wound pathogens to ten different types of antimicrobial agents based on minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). Additionally, to describe the comparison of bactericidal activity of medical grade Manuka honey, local honey, and commercial, food-grade honey to other commonly used wound dressings. The objective is to provide veterinary practitioners with comparative data on the use of a variety of antimicrobial dressings for inhibiting growth of common wound bacteria. MIC and MBC for Manuka, store, and local honeys were comparable to those of sterile gauze, sugar, and hypertonic saline. Across bacterial species, local honey proved to have more bactericidal activity when compared to Manuka and commercial, food-grade honey. The MIC and MBC for PHMB gauze and foam was consistently at a higher dilution compared to the other antimicrobials. The majority of antimicrobials exhibited stronger inhibitory and bactericidal activity against a Streptococcus zooepidemicus isolate obtained from a wound compared to other bacteria that were ATCC lab acclimated. Additional research for in-vivo applications needs to be done to see whether differences exist in effective wound management.

Babchi (Psoralea corylifolia) oil is an important essential oil used in several traditional medicines to cure various disorders. This phytotherapeutic agent possesses number of pharmacological activities including antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and antitumor. However, volatile nature, poor stability and solubility of babchi oil (BO) restrict its pharmaceutical applications. Hence, the aim of the present work was to encapsulate this oil in β-cyclodextrin nanosponges (NS) in order to overcome above limitations. To fabricate nanosponges, β-cyclodextrin was crosslinked with diphenyl carbonate in different molar ratios viz.1:2, 1:4, 1:6, 1:8 and 1:10. The blank nanosponges were loaded with babchi oil using freeze-drying method. Particle size of the babchi oil loaded nanosponges was found to lie between 200-500 nm, with low polydispersity index. Further, zeta potential, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis and electron microscopy were carried out for characterization of babchi oil nanosponges. Results obtained from spectral analysis ascertained the formation of inclusion complexes. Additionally, solubilisation efficiency of the babchi oil was checked in distilled water and found enhanced by 4.95 times with optimized β-cyclodextrin nanosponges. The cytotoxicity study was carried out by MTT assay using HaCaT cell lines. A significant improvement in photostability of essential oil was also observed by inclusion in nanosponges. Lastly, the optimized formulation was tested for antibacterial activity using Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. Hence, encapsulation of BO in nanosponges resulted in efficacious carrier system in terms of solubility, photostability as well as safety of this oil along with handling benefits.

Sentinel-1 SAR data preprocessing is essential for several earth observation applications, including land cover classification, change detection, vegetation monitoring, urban growth, natural hazards, etc. The information can be extracted from the 2x2 covariance matrix [C2] of Sentinel-1 dual-pol (VV-VH) acquisitions. To generate the covariance matrix from Sentinel-1 single look complex (SLC) data, several preprocessing steps are required. The ESA SNAP S-1 toolbox can be used to preprocess the data to generate a [C2] matrix. The polarimetric analysis in respective application fields often starts with the covariance matrix. However, due to limited availability of Sentinel-1 SLC data preprocessing workflow standards for polarimetric applications in contemporary research methods, downstream applications unable to comply with these workflows directly. In this paper, we propose a couple of generic practices to preprocess Sentinel-1 SLC data in SNAP S-1 toolbox, which would be beneficial for the radar remote sensing user community.

The invariant mass of free particles is used to derive a bound-state equation for several particle atomic systems at rest. This relativistic-kinematic bound-state equation is applied to the hydrogen and helium atoms. The derived equation has the well-known solutions for the single-electron bound states of the hydrogen atom, and the two-electron states of the helium atom. For the hydrogen atom, existence of the two-particle bound states, for which the electron and the proton kinetic energies are of the same order of magnitude, is predicted. The three-particle bound states with the same feature of the kinetic energies can exist in the helium atom. Radiative operators for processes involving the hydrogen two-particle bound states, are obtained. It is discussed that these new two- and three-particle bound states should be optically inactive.

An all-dielectric metasurface composed of orthogonal-slit silicon disks is proposed in this study. By modifying the unit structure of the metasurface with the bound states in the continuum (BIC) theory, a sharp Fano resonance can be generated. The resonance properties of the metasurface are investigated by analyzing the effects of the structural parameters on the resonance using the eigenmode analysis method. The Q factor and the resonance wavelength can be adjusted by varying the slit width, the disk thickness, and the disk radius. The electromagnetic characteristics and mechanism of the toroidal dipole-BIC (TD-BIC) are explored in depth through an analysis of the multipole expansion of the scattered power, along with the electromagnetic field and the current distribution at resonance. This research provides a novel approach for excitation of a strong TD-BIC resonance and proposes potential applications in optical switches, high-sensitivity optical sensors, and related areas.

Higher-order topological insulators (HOTIs) are recently discovered topological phases, possessing symmetry-protected corner states with fractional charges. An unexpected connection between these states and the seemingly unrelated phenomenon of bound states in the continuum (BICs) was recently unveiled. When nonlinearity is added to a HOTI system, a number of fundamentally important questions arise. For example, how does nonlinearity couple higher-order topological BICs with the rest of the system, including continuum states? In fact, thus far BICs in nonlinear HOTIs have remained unexplored. Here, we unveil the interplay of nonlinearity, higher-order topology, and BICs in a photonic platform. We observe topological corner states which are also BICs in a laser-written second-order topological lattice, and further demonstrate their nonlinear coupling with edge (but not bulk) modes under the proper action of both self-focusing and defocusing nonlinearities. Theoretically, we calculate the eigenvalue spectrum and analog of the Zak phase in the nonlinear regime, illustrating that a topological BIC can be actively tuned by nonlinearity in such an HOTI. Our studies are applicable to other nonlinear HOTI systems, with promising applications in emerging topology-driven devices.

Majorana bound states in topological superconductors have attracted intense research activity in view of applications in topological quantum computation. However, they are not the only example of topological bound states that can occur in such systems. We here study a model in which both Majorana and Tamm bound states compete. We show both numerically and analytically that, surprisingly, the Tamm state remains partially localized even when the spectrum becomes gapless. Despite this fact, we demonstrate that the Majorana polarization shows a clear transition between the two regimes.

We construct a novel family of summation-integral type hybrid operators in terms of shape parameter $\alpha\in \lbrack 0,1]$ in this paper. Basic estimates, rate of convergence, and order of approximation are also studied using the Korovkin theorem and the modulus of smoothness. We investigate the local approximation findings for these sequences of positive linear operators utilising Peetre's K-functional, Lipschitz class, and second-order modulus of smoothness.

Australia has the highest small-mammal extinction rate in the world, and there are ample of reasons that have led to the higher extinction rates such as introduction of feral species, wildfires, climate change and uneven population distribution. All these factors instil a dire need to protect the species in captive environment. Stress has a major role to play in maintaining an adequate welfare conditions for wildlife, hence quantification of the stress levels in captive animals help us understand the effectiveness of the methods used to house the animals. In this study, we assessed the stress levels of captive marsupials namely Rufous bettongs (Aepyprymnus rufescens) (n=9), Long-nosed potoroo (Potorous tridactylus) (n=4) and Greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) (n=5) by measuring the faecal cortisol metabolites using the Enzyme-Immuno assay (EIA) (R4866). We carried out a laboratory validation of the EIA for the Rufous bettongs and long-nosed potoroo by demonstrating parallelism between the pooled faecal samples and the standard curve. We also used the iterative baseline approach to calculate the baseline levels and detect peak concentrations of FCM in all the studied species. No significant differences were found in the FCM and baseline levels in the potoroos. Results highlighted a significant difference (p &lt; 0.05) in the individual FCM and baseline levels of the bettongs. Additionally, significant differences (p &lt; 0.05) were found in the FCM and baseline levels between male and female bettongs. In case of bilbies, the FCM and baseline levels showed no significant differences, however the male and female baseline levels were significantly different (p &lt; 0.05). Our study provides the baseline and peak FCM concentrations in Long-nosed potoroos and Rufous bettongs under captive management. Future studies can use the iterative baseline approach and validated EIA to detect any possible variations in the FCM concentration and baseline values in captive marsupials created due to factors like sex, grouping, and housing conditions.

Video lectures are becoming more popular and in demand as online classroom teaching is becoming more prevalent. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), such as NPTEL, have been creating high-quality educational content that is freely accessible to students online. A large number of colleges across the country are now using NPTEL videos in their classrooms. So more video lectures are being recorded, maintained, and uploaded. These videos generally contain information about that video before the lecture begins. We generally observe that these educational videos have metadata containing five to six attributes: Institute Name, Publisher Name, Department Name, Professor Name, Subject Name, and Topic Name. It would be easy to maintain these videos if we could organize them according to their categories. The indexing of these videos based on this information is beneficial for students all around the world to efficiently utilise these videos. In this project, we are trying to get the metadata information mentioned above from the video lectures.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant of concern has been the dominant cause of worldwide COVID-19 cases since 2022. All the Omicron sublineage viruses have demonstrated high transmissibility and an ability to escape vaccine-induced immunity. While first-generation vaccines, including monovalent vaccines, continue to provide protection against severe disease, hospitalization and mortality, their efficacy against Omicron sub variants remains sparse. These vaccines have also been associated with rapidly waning protection against primary COVID-19 and COVID-19 reinfections conferred by evolving Omicron sublineages.. This led to the development and deployment of updated vaccines and the introduction of the bivalent booster. Through this review, we highlight the brief journey of the variants of concern leading to the dominance of Omicron and the effectiveness of the key vaccines against these variants, including the updated (bivalent) boosters.

The present study investigation, our results on characterization of commercially pure-Ti alloy brazed with metallic glass ribbons of Ti20Zr20Cu60-xNix (x = 30, 40, and 50) metallic glass ribbons were produced using a vacuum melt spinner. These ribbons were then used as filler materials for vacuum brazing of two Ti alloy plates at 1268, 1277 and 1279 K for a period of 10 min. Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and the energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The as-spun ribbons showed fully amorphous structure when examined on both surfaces by XRD and also verified by TEM investigation. The brazing joint of two Ti-plates using the metallic glass ribbon when brazed with Ni50 was found to be of very high strength. FESEM characterization of the cross-section of the brazed joints shows sub-micron size grains uniformly distributed in the matrix with brighter appearance. FESEM and EDX analysis revealed that the sub-micron grains are rich in Ti & Ni while the matrix phase mainly consisted of Ti. BSE image along with EDS Analysis indicated that the brazed joint has a presence of NiTi2 and Cu2 (Ni Zr) phases which could be responsible for increase in the strength of the brazed joint.

Taste signaling is a complex process that is linked to obesity and its associated metabolic syndromes. The sweet taste is mediated through a heterodimeric G protein coupled receptor (GPRC) in a species-specific manner and at multi-tissue specific levels. The sweet receptor recognizes a large number of ligands with structural and functional diversities to modulate different amplitudes of downstream signaling pathway(s). The human sweet-taste receptor has been extremely difficult to study by biophysical methods due to inadequate methods for producing large homogeneous quantities of the taste-receptor protein and a lack of reliable in vitro assays to precisely measure productive ligand binding modes leading to activity upon their interactions with the receptor protein. We report a multimodal high throughput assays to monitor ligand binding, receptor stability and conformational changes to model the molecular interactions between ligand-receptor. We applied saturation transfer difference nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (STD-NMR) complemented by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, and intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy (IF) to characterize binding interactions. Our method using complementary NMR and biophysical analysis is advantageous to study the mechanism of ligand binding and signaling processes in other GPCRs.

Coaxial rotors can be found in multirotor vehicles for the added thrust compared to independent rotors while keeping similar area footprints but, performance losses should be considered. This experimental study analyzes the effects of varying motor throttle and propeller pitch values in motor-propeller systems with two to four coaxial rotors. The results show that in a two-rotor coaxial system, to lessen the adverse effects of a front rotor’s backwash and to operate at the maximum performance, only the back motor should be operated initially up to 75% duty cycle before using the front motor up to its 75% duty cycle. Additional thrust requirements should be generated from the back rotor and then from the front rotor up to their maximum duty cycles. In two, three, and four-rotor coaxial setups, total thrust output generated is 1.6, 2.1, and 2.5 times the thrust output at system thrust performance of 86%, 76%, and 66%, respectively of that of an isolated rotor. In a four-rotor coaxial setup, maximum system performance is achieved when the propeller pitch values are gradually increased from the first to the last rotor. The gradual increments in propeller pitch values also result in more uniform thrust sharing among rotors.

The redox chemistry of copper(II) is strongly modulated by the coordination to amyloid-β peptides and by the stability of the resulting complexes. Amino terminal copper and nickel binding motifs (ATCUN) identified in truncated Aβ sequences starting with Phe4 show very high affinity for copper(II) ions. Herein, we study the oxidase activity of [Cu-Aβ4-x] and [Cu-Aβ1-x] complexes toward dopamine and other catechols. The results show that the CuII-ATCUN site is not redox-inert, the reduction of the metal is induced by coordination of catechol to the metal and occurs through an inner sphere reaction. The generation of a ternary [CuII-Aβ-catechol] species determines the efficiency of the oxidation, although the reaction rate is ruled by re-oxidation of the CuI complex. In addition to the N-terminal coordination site, the two vicinal histidines, His13 and His14, provide a second Cu-binding motif. Catechol oxidation studies together with structural insight from the mixed dinuclear complexes Ni/Cu-Aβ4-x reveal that the His-tandem is able to bind CuII ions independently of the ATCUN site, but the N-terminal metal complexation reduces the conformational mobility of the peptide chain, preventing the binding and oxidative reactivity toward catechol of CuII bound to the secondary site.

In this work, we study gravitational lensing in the weak field limits and the shadow by charged black holes in non-linear electrodynamics corrections. To find the deflection angle in vacuum (non-plasma) up to the leading order terms, we compute the optical Gaussian curvature from optical metric and utilize the Gauss-Bonnet theorem by applying Gibbons and Werner’s technique. Also, we derive the bending angle in plasma and dark matter mediums and observe that the bending angle increases by increasing the effects of these mediums. Further, in vacuum and plasma mediums, we investigate the graphical behavior of the bending angle with respect to the impact parameter u and notice that the bending angle exponentially decreases. Moreover, we calculate the Hawking temperature using the Gauss-Bonnet theorem and compare it with a standard method of computing the Hawking temperature. Furthermore, we investigate the bound of the greybody factor and graphically examine that bound converges to the 1. We relate our obtained results with the results of black holes given in the literature. Finally, we have considered exploring the effect of NLED, plasma, and dark matter on the black hole’s shadow radius to broaden the study’s scope. Results for the shadow indicate that the three parameters give different deviations to the shadow radius. Interestingly, while plasma affects both the photonsphere and shadow, dark matter only influences the shadow.

Iron deficiency in the fetal and neonatal period (perinatal iron deficiency) bodes poorly to neuro-development. Given its common occurrence and the negative impact on brain development, a screening and treatment strategy that is focused on optimizing brain development in perinatal iron deficiency is necessary. Pediatric societies currently recommend a universal iron supple-mentation strategy for full-term and preterm infants that does not consider individual variation in the body iron status and could lead to under-treatment or over-treatment. Moreover, the focus is on hematological normalcy and not optimal brain development. Several serum iron indices and hematological parameters in the perinatal period are associated with risk of abnormal neurodevelopment, suggesting their potential use as biomarkers for screening and monitoring treatment in infants at risk for perinatal iron deficiency. A biomarker-based screening and treatment strategy that is focused on optimizing brain development will likely improve outcome in perinatal iron deficiency.

This paper reveals the physical properties of Jeffery nanofluid flow past a moving plate embedded in porous medium under the existence of radiation and thermal diffusion. The analysis is carried out in three cases of moving plate, namely stationary plate λ = 0, forth-moving plate λ = 1, back-moving plate λ = −1. Finite difference method is applied to solve the governing equations of the flow and pointed out the variations in velocity, temperature and concentration with the use of graphical presentations. The impact of several parameters on local skin friction, Nusselt number and Sherwood number is also noticed and discussed. Enhancement of velocity is observed under the impact of Jeffery parameter for the cases of stationary plate and back-moving plate, whereas reverse nature is found in the case of forth-moving plate. The velocity enhances as the values of porosity parameter increases for the case of stationary plate and forth-moving plate but a reverse nature is noticed in the case of back-moving plate.

Bipolar plates significantly contribute in the development of the polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells technology due to their ability to produce high electrical conductivity based on type of materials used. Mismatching of inappropriate materials and manufacture may lead to the inferior performance of PEM fuel cells. Hence, material development was determined crucial to balance the overall performance of PEM fuels including the mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of the materials. Studies on conductive polymer composites (CPCs) offered filler orientation as an alternative method to enhance the overall performance of bipolar plate. Filler orientations permit an excellent conductivity network formation while controlling the filler alignment based on required applications. This paper reviewed various studies of filler orientations including materials used and methods of manufacture of CPC materials for the effective development of bipolar plate.

The promotion of plant growth and suppression of plant disease using beneficial microorganisms is considered an alternative to the application of chemical fertilizers or pesticides in the field. In this study, a coconut-scented antagonistic Trichoderma strain LZ42, previously isolated from Genoderma lucidum-cultivated soil, was investigated for biostimulatory and biocontrol functions in tomato seedlings. Morphological and phylogenetic analyses suggested that strain LZ42 is closely related to T. atroviride. Tomato plants showed increased aerial and root dry weights in greenhouse trials after treatment with T. atroviride LZ42 formulated in talc, indicating the biostimulatory function of this fungus. T. atroviride LZ42 effectively suppressed Fusarium wilt disease in tomato seedlings, with an 82.69% control efficiency, which is similar to that of fungicide treatment. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by T. atroviride LZ42 were found to affect the primary root growth direction and promote the root growth of tomato seedlings in root Y-tube olfactometer assays. The fungal VOCs from T. atroviride LZ42 were observed to significantly inhibit F. oxysporum in a sandwiched Petri dish assay. SPME-GC-MS analysis revealed several VOCs emitted by T. atroviride LZ42; the dominant compound was tentatively identified as 6-pentyl-2H-pyran-2-one (6-PP). 6-PP exhibited a stronger ability to influence the direction of the primary roots of tomato seedlings but not the length of the primary roots. The inhibitory effect of 6-PP on F. oxysporum was the highest among the tested pure VOCs, showing a 50% effective concentration (EC50) of 5.76 μL mL-1 headspace. In conclusion, T. atroviride LZ42, which emits VOCs with multiple functions, is a promising agent for the biostimulation of vegetable plants and integrated management of Fusarium wilt disease.

We investigate the influence of a self-propelling, out-of-equilibrium active particle on generalized elastic systems, including flexible and semiflexible polymers, fluid membranes, and fluctuating interfaces, while accounting for long-ranged hydrodynamic effects. We derive the fractional Langevin equation governing the dynamics of the active particle, as well as that of any other passive particle (or probe) bound to the elastic system. Our study explores the diffusional behavior emerging for both the active particle and a distant probe.

S100 proteins are multifunctional calcium-binding proteins of vertebrates that act intracellularly, extracellularly, or both, and are engaged in the progression of many socially significant diseases. Their extracellular action is typically mediated by the recognition of specific receptor proteins. Besides, recent studies indicate the ability of some S100 proteins to affect cytokine signaling through direct interaction with cytokines. S100P was shown to be the S100 protein most actively involved in interactions with some of four-helical cytokines. To assess selectivity of S100P protein binding to four-helical cytokines, we have probed interaction of Ca2+-bound recombinant human S100P with a panel of 32 four-helical human cytokines covering all structural families of this fold, using surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy. 22 cytokines from all families of four-helical cytokines are S100P binders with the equilibrium dissociation constants, Kd, ranging from 1 nM to 3 µM (below the Kd value for the S100P complex with the V domain of its conventional receptor, receptor for advanced glycation end products, RAGE). Molecular docking and mutagenesis studies revealed the presence in the S100P molecule of a cytokine-binding site, which overlaps with the RAGE-binding site. Since S100 binding to four-helical cytokines inhibits their signaling in some cases, the revealed ability of S100P protein to interact with ca 71% of the four-helical cytokines indicates that S100P may serve as a poorly selective inhibitor of their action.

The experimental realization of twisted bilayer graphene strongly pushed the inspection of bilayer systems. In this context, it was recently shown that a two layer Haldane model with a thirty degree rotation angle between the layers represents a higher order topological insulator, with zero-dimensional states isolated in energy and localized at the physical vertices of the nanostructure. We show, within a numerical tight binding approach, that the energy of the zero dimensional states strongly depends on the geometrical structure of the vertices. In the most extreme cases, once a specific band gap is considered, these bound states can even disappear just by changing the vertex structure.

We show how some concentration inequalities for sampling without replacement can be used for bounding future samples. This process can be extended to bound the sum of future samples from multiple populations, and we analyse an illustrative sample allocation problem.

In the paper, by convolution theorem for the Laplace transforms and analytic techniques, the author finds necessary and sufficient conditions for complete monotonicity, monotonicity, and inequalities of several functions involving polygamma functions. By these results, the author derives a lower bound of a function related to the sectional curvature of the manifold of the beta distributions. Finally, the author poses several guesses and open problems related to monotonicity, complete monotonicity, and inequalities of several functions involving polygamma functions.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in street dust pose a serious problem threatening both environment and human health. Street dust were collected from five different land use patterns (traffic areas TRA, urban area URA, residential areas REA, mixed residential commercial areas MCRA and suburban areas SUA) in a Saudi coastal city, Jeddah, and one in rural area (RUA) in Hada Al Sham. This study aimed to investigate the status, profile, sources of PAHs and estimate their human health risk. The results revealed an average concentration of total PAHs of 3320 ng/g in street dust of Jeddah and 223 ng/g in RUA dust. PAHs with high molecular weight represented 83.38% of total PAHs in street dust of Jeddah, while the carcinogenic PAH compounds accounted 57.84%. The highest average concentration of total PAHs in street dust of Jeddah was found in TRA (4980 ng/g) and the lowest in REA (1660 ng/g). PAHs ratios indicated that the principal source of PAHs in street dust of Jeddah is pyrogenic, mainly traffic emission. Benzo(a)anthracene/ chrysene (BaA/CHR) ratio suggests that PAHs in street dusts of Jeddah come mainly from emission of local sources, while PAHs in RUA might be transported from the surrounding urban areas. The estimated Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) associated with exposure to PAHs in street dusts indicated that both dermal contact and ingestion pathways are major contributed to cancer risk for both children and adults. Based on BaP_equivalence concentrations of total PAHs, ILCR_Ingestion, ILCR_dermal and cancer risk values for children and adults exposed to PAHs in street dust of different areas in Jeddah were found between 10⁻⁶ and 10⁻⁴, indicating potential risk. The sequence of cancer risk was TRA > URA > MCRA > SUA > REA. Only exposure to BaP and DBA compounds had potential risk for both children and adults.

The transportation system has evolved into a complex cyber-physical system with the introduction of wireless communication and the emergence of connected travelers and connected automated vehicles. Such applications create an urgent need to develop high-fidelity transportation modeling tools that capture the mutual interaction of the communication and transportation systems. This paper addresses this need by developing a high-fidelity, large-scale dynamic and integrated traffic and direct cellullar vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure (collectively known as V2X) modeling tool. The unique contributions of this work are (1) we developed a scalable analytical communication model that captures packet movement at the millisecond level; (2) we coupled the communication and traffic simulation models in real-time to develop a fully integrated dynamic connected vehicle modeling tool; and (3) we developed scalable approaches that adjust the frequency of model coupling depending on the number of concurrent vehicles in the network. The proposed scalable modeling framework is demonstrated by running on the Los Angeles downtown network considering the morning peak hour traffic demand (145,000 vehicles), running faster than real-time on a regular personal computer (1.5 hours to run 1.86 hours of simulation time). Spatiotemporal estimates of packet delivery ratios for downtown Los Angeles are presented. This novel modeling framework provides a breakthrough in the development of urgently needed tools for large-scale testing of Direct C-V2X enabled applications.

A hand-held laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy device was used to acquire spectral emission data from laser-induced plasmas created on the surface of cerium-gallium alloy samples with Ga concentrations ranging from 0 to 3 weight percent. Ionic and neutral emission lines of the two constituent elements were then extracted and used to generate calibration curves relating the emission line intensity ratios to the gallium concentration of the alloy. The Ga I 287.4 nm emission line was determined to be superior for the purposes of Ga detection and concentration determination.A limit of detection below 0.25% was achieved using a multivariate regression model of the Ga I287.4 nm line ratio versus two separate Ce II emission lines. This LOD is considered a conservative estimation of technique’s capability given the type of the calibration samples available and low power( 5 mJ per 1 ns pulse) and resolving power (λ/∆λ= 4000) of this handheld device. Nonetheless, the utility of the technique is demonstrated via a detailed mapping analysis of the surface Ga distribution of a Ce-Ga sample which reveals significant heterogeneity resulting from the sample production process.

A hydrophilic silica-based stationary phase with surface bound N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc-silica) was prepared in house and characterized physically via Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and chromatographically over a wide range of mobile phase compositions. While both FTIR and TGA confirmed the attachment of the GlcNAc ligands to the silica surface, the chromatographic evaluation of the GlcNAc-silica with polar and slightly polar standard solutes (e.g., sugars, nucleic acid fragments, phenolic and benzoic acid derivatives) yielded the typical hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) behaviors in the sense that retention increased with increased solute’s polarity and the organic content (i.e., acetonitrile) of the hydro-organic mobile phase (i.e., ACN-rich mobile phase). Sugars derivatized with 1-naphthylamine (1-NA) and 2-aminoanthrcene (2-AA) such as xylose, glucose and short chains maltooligosaccharides constituted the most polar species for HILIC retention evaluation, and in addition the maltooligosaccharides offered a polar homologous series for gauging the hydrophilicity of the GlcNAc-silica in analogy with alkylbenzene homologous series and other nonpolar homologous for evaluating the hydrophobicity of non-polar stationary phases. On the other hand, the benzoic acid and phenolic acid derivatives were the probe solutes for evaluating the HILIC retention dependence of ionizable solutes on the pH of the mobile phase. Similarly, the nucleobase and nucleoside weak basic solutes as well as some typical cyclic nucleotide acidic solutes allowed the examination of the dependence of solute retention on the pH of the mobile as well as the polarity of the species.