Resilience is a particularly important quality for supply chains in this turbulent environment. Resilience in supply chain is the ability to retain, resume, and recover operations after an intense destructive incident. One of the strategic solutions for managing supply chain disruptions is to establish collaboration and strategic alliances in order to achieve competitive advantage. Therefore, given the increasing publication of articles in areas of strategic alliances and supply chain resilience, it is a good opportunity to review these articles, identify gaps in the current literature, demonstrate links between the two areas, and provide suggestions for future research. For these purposes, a bibliometric analysis has been performed on literature available on the Web of Science database. The distribution of articles based on year and country, influential journals, research areas, authors, affiliations, keywords, citations, and reference co-citation analysis are discussed. Results indicate that studies about strategic alliances, meant to increase resilience, are growing in areas such as “Management”, “Operations research”, “Management science”, and “Business”. Furthermore, the sources could be categorized in five clusters; namely “From knowledge concept to value creation”, “Internal and external relationships”, “Logistics and supply chain performance”, “Intellectual capital and strategic management”, and “Critical success factors and alliances”. This article can be useful for both practitioners and academics who explore the topic of strategic alliances and resilience in supply chain and also offers managers the opportunity to overcome supply chain disruptions and negative consequences of risks by becoming familiar with the key concepts of resilience. The persistence of businesses and supply chains is guaranteed through communicating with partners and even competitors in the light of alliance according to the findings of this research. Managers can pay attention to the integration of the supply chain to improve resilience and increase collaboration between suppliers and customers. Given the research results, strategic alliances can be noted in expanding organizational entrepreneurship, and shaping strategic collaboration networks in light of strategic alliances.

The study is based on the notion that big data predictive analytics is important for developing strategic alliances performance of companies. this study investigates the relationship between big data predictive analytics, big data culture, and competitive strategies 'techniques were adopted, such as descriptive statistics, correlation,regression, etc. using SPSS and SmartPLS statistical software. Hypotheses were tested with bootstrapped analysis using SEM (through SmartPLS). The study developed a structural equation model by using the SEM analysis. The results of the SEM analysis suggested the hypothesized model of the study was valid. The results supported all the hypotheses of the study.Through empirical analysis, demonstrated the conclusion is that the big data predictive analytics has a positive and significant relationship with strategic alliance performance

The literature offers limited information on the effect of obesity on the rate of force development, a critical parameter for mobility in older adults. The objectives of this study were; to explore the influence of obesity on RFD in older adults and to examine the association between this neuromuscular parameter and walking speed. 42 older adults were classified into two groups: the control group (CG, n=22; age=81.13±4.02 years; Body mass index (BMI)=25.13±3.35 kg/m²), and the obese group (OG, n=20; age=77.71±2.95 years; BMI=34.46±3.25 kg/m²). Walking speed (m/s) was measured using the 10-meter walking test. Neuromuscular parameters of the plantar flexors were evaluated during a maximal voluntary contraction test using a dynamometer. The RFD was calculated from the linear slop of the force – time curve in two phases: from the onset of the contraction to 50 ms (RFD50-100) and from 100 to 200 ms (RFD100-200). The gait speed was lower in the OG compared to the CG (p

The article delves into the intricate phase transitions of 1-Octadecanol and n-Nonadecane within a binary system, unveiling dynamic structural changes under varying conditions. Through Fouri-er-transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, specific molecular vibrations were identified, shedding light on the molecular composition and interactions. The study highlights the challenges in detecting subtle phase transitions and emphasizes the individuality of molecular behaviours in closely related compounds. The findings underscore the complexity of phase transitions in binary systems and advocate for a nuanced approach to studying molecular structures and behaviours. Addi-tionally, the research contributes valuable insights into the molecular dynamics of Organic Polymer Functional Adsorption Materials, offering implications for synthetic waxy layers in plant epidermis.

Microscopic vision plays an important role in automated micro-assembly. However, some uncertain factors in the assembly process, such as occlusion and stains can lead to the mistakes of feature extraction. Herein, to solve the problem, the deep learning techniques are introduced into the feature recognition tasks, focusing on the attention mechanism and visualizing CNNs for DL-based microscopic vision. The main contributions are summarized as follows: The CBAM attention mechanism is combined with the YOLOv5 algorithm to improve the accuracy and robustness of feature extraction. The micropart feature occlusion experiment results show that at 70% occlusion degree, YOLOV5-CBAM can reach 97.9% [email protected], which is 4.6% higher than the original one. Visualization analysis of DL-based model is conducted using Grad-CAM to make the decision result more transparent and avoid potential visual detection risks during assembly. The heatmap matching degree between GT area and high-light area is increased by 27.81% on average, which further verify the effectiveness of attention mechanism in micropart feature localization. Additionally, micropart surface stain and droplet quality classification models based on ResNet50 are trained to replace the manual sorting. The visual results are consistent with human eye discernment and judgement, confirming the reliability of parts and droplets sorting.

In this research, the primary goal was to investigate the relationship between strategic planning and organizational performance in Iraq's manufacturing context. The study's primary data sources were 360 manager respondents. The structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data from manufacturing firms located throughout Iraq. To analyze the result, the researcher used descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression analysis. SPSS version 16 software was used to conduct data analysis. The result reveals that the process of strategic planning has a beneficial effect on financial performance. Environmental scanning has a statistically significant positive effect on a company's non-financial performance. Management participation and planning formality positively and statistically significantly affect a business's non-financial performance at the 10 percent level. The domain of strategy and technique has not impacted the company's non-financial performance.

Strategic intelligence covers the examination of what impacts and influences the business and the related SWOT analysis, (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats mapping). Through this research, leaders will be able to properly allocate and re-route resources, identify areas of improvement, and ensure that strategic initiatives are aligned with the organization's mission. Strategic intelligence is, therefore, effective through the use of critical thought and data-driven decisions and seeing the outcomes of different positioned alternatives. It must also form and support a culture of cooperation and open communication within the organizations, stimulating employees' inputs and learning curves. The article's subject is the necessity for strategic intelligence, a crucial competence for leaders, managers, and companies striving to remain competitive, to be utilized and best leveraged in today's volatile and dynamic business contexts. It helps the leadership turn proactive, foresee trends, and make correct, agile decisions that enforce companies' long-term growth and success. This study follows a research design that includes a thorough literature review and bibliometric research, executed via VoSViewer, illustrating the concept of strategic intelligence from a leadership point of view as a driver of competitive advantage. Further, the article points out that the limitations are acknowledged because the literature on the matter is limited, as strategic intelligence is relatively new to the business sector; moreover, more research is required to fully understand and use the potential of strategic intelligence in business growth. By overcoming these limitations and continuing to study this concept, businesses can gain a competitive edge and make informed decisions that fuel their success in an ever-evolving market. As a result, this study contributes to developing strategic intelligence in leadership and business and paves the road for further research and applications of strategic intelligence theories in organizational contexts.

The vast array of interconnected microbes across earth’s ecosystems and within holobionts has been called the “Internet of Microbes.” Research into the fundamental microbial properties has demonstrated that bacteria and archaea are masters of energy and information collection, storage, transformation, and dissemination using both “wired” and wireless (at a distance) capacities. These features suggest that microbes are quantum entangled within and between earth’s holobionts, and that specific tools affecting energy and information functions could provide an effective strategy for managing microbial populations. Microbes use four critically important microbial networking functions (sound, light, electricity, and magnetism). This narrative review focuses on microbial management based on two of the four: sound and light (as well as related vibrations). These are examined as: 1) tools for managing microbial populations, 2) tools to support new technologies, and 3) tools for healing humans and other holobionts. Given microbial sensitivity to sound, light, and vibrations, it is critical that microbial populations and microbe-laden holobionts are protected from potentially damaging exposures. We conclude that sound, light, and vibrations are useful therapeutic tools that can help support useful microbial populations and help to address ongoing challenges of holobiont disease.

This article analyzes the Franco-Spanish invasion of Vietnam from 1858 to 1860. Research is based on documents such as correspondence, reports, archives and diplomatic treaties as well as monographs from the time France intended to invade Vietnam through missionary activities until the end of the Franco-Spanish invasion. The article focuses on three basic issues that are the causes of the alliance, the evolution of the French and Spanish coalition invasion in Vietnam and its impact on stakeholders. The research results on the Franco-Spanish invasion of Vietnam indicated that the invasion carried out by this alliance was more special than that of the other French coalitions before. The invasion was based on an alliance without any commitment to the interests and responsibilities of the parties. The goals of France and Spain in this invasion were different. That led to conflict between France and Spain during the invasion and the fall of the alliance. France achieved its goal through an invasion that turned Vietnam into a colony, while Spain had barely achieved its desire to have commercial and missionary interests in the area.

Isothermal interrupted hot compression tests of 5754 aluminum were conducted on Gleeble-3500 thermo-mechanical simulator at temperature 350 °C and 450 °C, strain rate 0.1 s-1 and 1s−1. These tests simulated flat rolling to investigate how softening behaviors respond to controlled parameters, such as deformation temperature, strain rate and delay times. This data allowed the parameters for the hot rolling process to be optimized. The delay times during interrupted compression vary between 5s and 60s. The dynamic softening at each pass and metadynamic recrystallization at the intervals of deformation passes were analyzed in detail. 0.2% offset yield strength is applied to calculate the softening fraction undergoing metadynamic recrystallization. A kinetic model was developed to describe metadynamic recrystallization behaviors of the hot deformed 5754 aluminum alloy. Furthermore, the time constant for 50% recrystallization was expressed as functions related to the temperature and the strain rate. The experimental and calculated results were found to be in close agreement, which verified the developed model.

The adverse relationship between viral hepatitis and pregnancy in developing countries was seen as a reflection of retrospective biased hospital-based data collection by the West. However, the discovery of HEV from an epidemic of non-A, non-B hepatitis in Kashmir and documenting increased incidence and severity of hepatitis E in pregnancy from a house-to-house survey unmasked the unholy alliance. Among the family of HEV’s, genotype (gt)-1, with a unique ORF4-encoded protein enhancing viral polymerase activity and viral replication, is the sole HEV that shows this adverse relationship. The epidemics caused by HEV-gt1 and not by HEV-gt2 show adverse relationship with pregnancy. The pathogenesis of the unholy alliance is complex and at present not well understood. Possibly multiple factors play a role in causing severe liver disease in the mother including: infection, replication and damage to the maternal-foetal interface by HEV-gt1; vertical transmission of HEV to foetus causing severe foetal/neonatal hepatitis; and combined viral and hormone related immune dysfunction of diverse nature in the mother promoting viral replication. Management is multidisciplinary and needs a close watch for the development and management of ALF. Preliminary data suggest beneficial maternal outcomes by early termination of pregnancy in patients with lower grades of encephalopathy.

Mutual exclusion algorithms are at the heart of concurrent, distributed/parallel, real-time and operating systems. It is well-known that such algorithms are very difficult to analyze and in the literature different conjectures about starvation-freedom and the number of by-passes (also said the overtaking factor), which in turn affects the (hopefully) bounded waiting time that a process competing for entering the critical section has to suffer before accessing the shared resource, have been formulated for specific algorithms. This paper proposes a novel modelling approach based on Timed Automata and the Uppaal toolset, which proves effective for studying all the properties of a mutual exclusion algorithm for N≥2 processes, by exhaustive model checking. Although the approach, as already confirmed by similar experiments reported in the literature, is not scalable due to state explosion problems, and can be practically applied until N≤5, it is of great value for revealing true properties of analyzed algorithms. For dimensions N>5 the statistical model checker of Uppaal can be used which, although based on simulations, can confirm properties by estimations and probabilities. The paper describes the proposed modelling and verification method and applies it to several mutual exclusion algorithms, thus retrieving known properties but also showing new results about properties often studied only by peer-review and intuitive reasoning.

Inflorescence architecture underpins sexual reproduction in wild Musa species and productivity in edible banana cultivars. To establish the functional aspects of inflorescence architecture we identified its three main components and tested their response to environment and internal plant resources in two clone-sets. Five genotypes of edible plantains (Musa AAB) grew for four generations along an elevation gradient (1100 m to 2200 m, 16°C to 24°C) straddling the equator in the humid highlands of East Africa. Measurements of hands per bunch (Hb), fruit per hand (Fh) and peduncle length were made. Peduncle length is determined by the activity of the apical inflorescence meristem and fruit per hand from lateral cushion meristems. However, hands per bunch is determined by a change in flower type. This independence of mechanisms was reflected in their variable responses to site temperature, genet development and genotype. Cooler temperatures reduced the number of fruit-forming flowers in an inflorescence, but not as much as expected, and changed the balance away from female towards male flowers. The genet changed the allocation of resources between Hb and Fh, independently of the effect of site temperature. In banana breeding schemes, manipulating inflorescence components independently raises options for producing genotypes better suited to markets, environments and cultural practices.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the moderating effect of technology configuration capability on the relationship between strategic flexibility and organizational performance through different stages of technological life cycle. Through the empirical research on the 439 Chinese high-tech organizations, it shows that a technological configuration capability has enhanced the effect of strategic flexibility to the organizational performance in the complex dynamic environment. However, the impact on the different stages of technological life cycle is different. In addition, this paper explored strategic flexibility on different stages of technological life cycle on the basis of empirical study.

Based on the resource-based theory, the current study examines the relationship between competitive strategies and strategic alliance performance. Furthermore, big data predictive analytics is treated as a boundary condition between competitive strategies and strategic alliance performance. Big data of predictive analytics in operations and industrial management has been a focal point in the current era. There has been little attention has about big data predictive analytics influences on competitive strategies and strategic alliance performance, especially in developing countries like Pakistan. A survey instrument was used to record the responses from 331 employees of the telecom sectors companies working in Pakistan. Study findings show that big competitive strategies have a positive and significant relationship with strategic alliances performance. It was also found that big data predictive analytics plays the role of moderator between competitive strategies and strategic alliance performance. The study add a new perspective and contribution to the literature on big data predictive analytics, strategic alliance performance, and competitive strategies in Pakistan's telecom sector companies. Further, the study results explain that big data analytics is just like the companies' lifeblood in the current era. The efficient and effective use of big data analytics, companies can boost their standards in a competitive environment.

Polyphenols and fermentable fibers have shown favorable effects on gut microbiota composition and metabolic function. However, few studies have investigated whether combining multiple fermentable fibers or polyphenols may have additive beneficial effects on gut microbial states. Here, an in vitro fer-mentation model, seeded with human stool combined from 30 healthy volunteers, was supplemented with blends of polyphenols (PP), dietary fibers (FB) or their combination (PPFB) to determine influence on gut bacteria growth dynamics and select metabolite changes. PP and FB blends independently lead to significant increases in the absolute abundance of select beneficial taxa, namely Ruminococcus bromii, Bifidobacterium spp., Lactobacillus spp. and Dorea spp. Total short chain fatty acid concentrations, relative to non-supplemented control (F), increased significantly with PPFB and FB supplementation, but not PP. Indole and ammonia concentrations decreased with FB and PPFB supplementation, but not PP alone while increased antioxidant capacity was only evident with both PP and PPFB. These findings demonstrated that, while the independent blends displayed selective positive impacts on gut states, combination of both blends provided an additive effect. The work outlines the potential of mixed substrate blends to elicit a broader positive influence on gut microbial composition and function to build resiliency toward dysbiosis.

The performance of OpenFOAM in strong scaling tests on HPC systems with AMD EPYC processors exhibits a pronounced superlinear speedup. Simple test cases show superlinear speedups of over 300%, which significantly impacts the efficient use of computing resources. With the last generation of HPC architectures, a superlinear speedup of about 10% to 20% was well expected and accepted by CFD users. The measured superlinear speedup is much more pronounced and withstands the communication overhead to even larger scales. A detailed performance analysis of OpenFOAM follows, employing various High-Performance Computing (HPC) architectures, including AMD, ARM and Intel systems. The performance metric FVOPS (Finite VOlumes solved Per Second) is introduced to compare the performance of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) applications when varying the grid size, as occurs in a strong scaling test. The achievable FVOPS depends on various factors, including the simulation type, boundary conditions, and especially the grid size of a use case. Analysing FVOPS on a single node level with varying grid size shows a significant difference in performance and cache utilization, which explains the large superlinear speedups seen in the strong scaling tests. Furthermore, FVOPS can be used as a simple benchmark to determine the optimal number of grid elements per rank to simulate a given use case at peak efficiency on a given platform, resulting in time, energy, and cost savings. The FVOPS metric also facilitates the direct comparison between different HPC architectures. The tests using AMD, ARM, and Intel processors show a peak in performance when employing around 10,000 grid elements per core. The presence of a large L3 cache on AMD processors is particularly advantageous, as indicated by L3 cache miss rates observed on AMD EPYC processors. Our results suggest that future HPC architectures with larger caches and higher memory bandwidth would benefit the CFD community.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a tool to measure the performance of a Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP) based on a Balanced Scorecard (BSC). The SAMP converts organizational objectives into asset management objectives, also specifies the role of the asset management system and brings support to achieve asset management objectives. The SAMP becomes the heart of the organization and integrates with long-term, medium-term, and short-term financial plans integrated with same term activity plans. In the SAMP, the balance among performance, costs and risks is also taken into consideration in order to achieve the organization’s objectives. On the other side, the SAMP is a guide to set the asset management objectives while describing the role of the Asset Management System (AMS) in meeting those objectives. While SAMP is the central figure of AMS, it is important to measure its performance and needs to be build and improved through an iterative process, what means that is not just a document, it is “the document”, and should be treated as a “living being” that needs to adapt to internal and external changes quickly. The BSC is an excellent tool where, through the appropriate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), the progress can be measured, and is supported by four perspectives: Financial; Customer; Internal Process; and Learning and Growth.

Nowadays the dynamism induced by the constant change of strategic decisions on the markets produces an extra difficulty in the management of an organization. The strategic decisions made by managers can become obsolete in a short period of time. One of the major difficulties in managing a commercial organization is to predict, with some precision degree, the impact some strategic decisions have on the financial results. Business Intelligence (BI) is an area widely used to help managers to make strategic decisions. But the methods used, behind the scenes, to achieve the conclusions are kept secret by BI company-based services. Modelling the environment can be a good option to study the impact of an action, provided by a strategic decision, in a real environment. A good model should give an approximate result of an action applied to a previous state of the environment. Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are proven to be excellent in modeling environments with some level of data noise. The same strategic action can have different results in different organizations. A tool that allows an evaluation of a strategic action applied to an environment should have a major importance in the management scope. Modeling the environment should save time and money for the organization to improve the performance of the strategic plan. If one evaluates the state of the environment after a strategic action being applied, it can be possible to mitigate the risk of failure of the strategic plan. As we will be able to verify, it is possible to use ANNs to model strategic environments that should allow the prediction of sales and operating results by the used strategies with some precision, although the level of success will be directly related with the user’s necessity.

Digital transformation provides new drivers for economic performance growth in enterprises, but can it further improve ESG performance and support sustainable development? Based on the perspective of resources and capabilities, this paper uses the relevant data of 1588 listed companies in strategic emerging industries from 2011 to 2021 to study the differential impact of digital transformation on enterprise ESG performance, and further tests the mediating role of absorptive capacity and the moderating role of regional digital level. The research results indicate that: firstly, digital transformation of enterprises can positively promote the improvement of ESG performance; Secondly, there are significant differences in the impact of digital transformation on the ESG performance of enterprises in terms of property rights and industry characteristics. The ESG performance of state-owned enterprises and high-end equipment manufacturing enterprises is more sensitive to digital transformation; Thirdly, absorptive capacity plays a mediating role between digital transformation and corporate ESG performance; Fourthly, the positive regulation of regional digital level promotes the ESG performance of enterprises through digital transformation. The research conclusion is based on a digital perspective, providing relevant insights for improving the ESG performance of strategic emerging industry enterprises and expanding their ESG development paths.

We are currently facing a potential ‘polycrisis’, a critical inflection point that requires a whole-of-society response aimed at building collective foresight and preparedness for short-, medium-, and long-term risks. The role of higher education institutions and social stakeholders is decisive to make an impact. This paper depicts the alignment of academia, governance, and industry with the aim to challenge, inspire, and encourage universities to go beyond commodified courses and mere employability, enhance student growth and bind macro-scale measures that lead to a sustainable future. A modest teaching innovation project has served as a transforming lever, with the private sector joining in, to create a platform that reaches more than 50 000 undergraduate students and teaching staff. The resulting structure, rooted in the University’s strategic plan, has served to channel local and regional initiatives, establish effective partnerships with broad social members, raise awareness and promote actions to advance in the pursuit of Sustainable Development Goals. Chronology, materials and methodology, together with a description of the different courses, programmes and actions are provided. The paper concludes with some recommendations for future research, policy and cooperation among stakeholders. Research methodology posted on clinicaltrials.gov under ID NCT04392869, NCT05598944, and NCT05775978.

New setting is introduced to study the global powerful alliance. Global powerful alliance is about a set of vertices which are applied into the setting of neutrosophic graphs. Neighborhood has the key role to define this notion. Also, neighborhood is defined based on strong edges. Strong edge gets a framework as neighborhood and after that, too close vertices have key role to define global powerful alliance based on strong edges. The structure of set is studied and general results are obtained. Also, some classes of neutrosophic graphs excluding empty, path, star, and wheel and containing complete, cycle and r-regular-strong are investigated in the terms of set, minimal set, number, and neutrosophic number. Neutrosophic number is used in this way. It’s applied to use the type of neutrosophic number in the way that, three values of a vertex are used and they’ve same share to construct this number. It’s called “modified neutrosophic number”. Summation of three values of vertex makes one number and applying it to a set makes neutrosophic number of set. This approach facilitates identifying minimal set and optimal set which forms minimal-global-powerful-alliance number and minimal-global-powerful-alliance-neutrosophic number. Two different types of sets namely global-powerful alliance and minimal-global-powerful alliance are defined. Global-powerful alliance identifies the sets in general vision but minimal-global-powerful alliance takes focus on the sets which deleting a vertex is impossible. Minimal-global-powerful-alliance number is about minimum cardinality amid the cardinalities of all minimal-global-powerful alliances in a given neutrosophic graph. New notions are applied in the settings both individual and family. Family of neutrosophic graphs has an open avenue, in the way that, the family only contains same classes of neutrosophic graphs. The results are about minimal-global-powerful alliance, minimal-global-powerful-alliance number and its corresponded sets, minimal-global-powerful-alliance-neutrosophic number and its corresponded sets, and characterizing all minimal-global-powerful alliances, minimal-t-powerful alliance, minimal-t-powerful-alliance number and its corresponded sets, minimal-t-powerful-alliance-neutrosophic number and its corresponded sets, and characterizing all minimal-t-powerful alliances. The connections amid t-powerful-alliances are obtained. The number of connected components has some relations with this new concept and it gets some results. Some classes of neutrosophic graphs behave differently when the parity of vertices are different and in this case, cycle, and complete illustrate these behaviors. Two applications concerning complete model as individual and family, under the titles of time table and scheduling conclude the results and they give more clarifications and closing remarks. In this study, there’s an open way to extend these results into the family of these classes of neutrosophic graphs. The family of neutrosophic graphs aren’t study deeply and with more results but it seems that analogous results are determined. Slight progress is obtained in the family of these models but there are open avenues to study family of other models as same models and different models. There’s a question. How can be related to each other, two sets partitioning the vertex set of a graph? The ideas of neighborhood and neighbors based on strong edges illustrate open way to get results. A set is global powerful alliance when two sets partitioning vertex set have uniform structure. All members of set have more amount of neighbors in the set than out of set and reversely for non-members of set with less members in the way that the set is simultaneously t-offensive and(t-2)-defensive. A set is global if t=0. It leads us to the notion of global powerful alliance. Different edges make different neighborhoods but it’s used one style edge titled strong edge. These notions are applied into neutrosophic graphs as individuals and family of them. Independent set as an alliance is a special set which has no neighbor inside and it implies some drawbacks for these notions. Finding special sets which are well-known, is an open way to purse this study. Special set which its members have only one neighbor inside, characterize the connected components where the cardinality of its complement is the number of connected components. Some problems are proposed to pursue this study. Basic familiarities with graph theory and neutrosophic graph theory are proposed for this article.

New setting is introduced to study the global offensive alliance. Global offensive alliance is about a set of vertices which are applied into the setting of neutrosophic graphs. Neighborhood has the key role to define this notion. Also, neighborhood is defined based on strong edges. Strong edge gets a framework as neighborhood and after that, too close vertices have key role to define global offensive alliance based on strong edges. The structure of set is studied and general results are obtained. Also, some classes of neutrosophic graphs containing complete, empty, path, cycle, star, and wheel are investigated in the terms of set, minimal set, number, and neutrosophic number. Neutrosophic number is defined in new way. It’s first time to define this type of neutrosophic number in the way that, three values of a vertex are used and they’ve same share to construct this number. It’s called “modified neutrosophic number”. Summation of three values of vertex makes one number and applying it to a set makes neutrosophic number of set. This approach facilitates identifying minimal set and optimal set which forms minimal-global-offensive-alliance number and minimal-global-offensive-alliance-neutrosophic number. Two different types of sets namely global-offensive alliance and minimal-global-offensive alliance are defined. Global-offensive alliance identifies the sets in general vision but minimal-global-offensive alliance takes focus on the sets which deleting a vertex is impossible. Minimal-global-offensive-alliance number is about minimum cardinality amid the cardinalities of all minimal-global-offensive alliances in a given neutrosophic graph. New notions are applied in the settings both individual and family. Family of neutrosophic graphs is studied in the way that, the family only contains same classes of neutrosophic graphs. Three types of family of neutrosophic graphs including m-family of neutrosophic stars with common neutrosophic vertex set, m-family of odd complete graphs with common neutrosophic vertex set, and m-family of odd complete graphs with common neutrosophic vertex set are studied. The results are about minimal-global-offensive alliance, minimal-global-offensive-alliance number and its corresponded sets, minimal-global-offensive-alliance-neutrosophic number and its corresponded sets, and characterizing all minimal-global-offensive alliances. The connection of global-offensive-alliances with dominating set and chromatic number are obtained. The number of connected components has some relations with this new concept and it gets some results. Some classes of neutrosophic graphs behave differently when the parity of vertices are different and in this case, path, cycle, and complete illustrate these behaviors. Two applications concerning complete model as individual and family, under the titles of time table and scheduling conclude the results and they give more clarifications. In this study, there’s an open way to extend these results into the family of these classes of neutrosophic graphs. The family of neutrosophic graphs aren’t study deeply and with more results but it seems that analogous results are determined. Slight progress is obtained in the family of these models but there are open avenues to study family of other models as same models and different models. There’s a question. How can be related to each other, two sets partitioning the vertex set of a graph? The ideas of neighborhood and neighbors based on strong edges illustrate open way to get results. A set is global offensive alliance when two sets partitioning vertex set have uniform structure. All members of set have more amount of neighbors in the set than out of set. It leads us to the notion of global offensive alliance. Different edges make different neighborhoods but it’s used one style edge titled strong edge. These notions are applied into neutrosophic graphs as individuals and family of them. Independent set as an alliance is a special set which has no neighbor inside and it implies some drawbacks for these notions. Finding special sets which are well-known, is an open way to purse this study. Special set which its members have only one neighbor inside, characterize the connected components where the cardinality of its complement is the number of connected components. Some problems are proposed to pursue this study. Basic familiarities with graph theory and neutrosophic graph theory are proposed for this article.

This paper addresses the alliance route network design problem considering uncertainty of unit transportation cost. An alliance route network is constructed based on the hub-and-spoke (HS) network , in which airlines can achieve inter-area passenger transport through their international gateways. The design problem is formulated with a robust model containing a set of uncertain cost parameters. The model is established based on the three-subscript model of the HS network. A case study collected from real-world data is used to test the proposed model. The results show that the robust solution can reduce the impact of cost uncertainty.

The gut-brain axis (GBA) represents a complex, bidirectional communication network that intri-cately connects the gastrointestinal tract with the central nervous system (CNS). Understanding and intervening in this axis opens a pathway for therapeutic advancements. In light of this, the current review assesses the effectiveness of neuromodulation techniques in treating neurological and gastrointestinal disorders by modulating the GBA, involving key elements such as gut micro-biota, neurotrophic factors, and proinflammatory cytokines. Through a comprehensive literature review encompassing PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library, and analyzing 182 relevant articles, this research highlights how neuromodulation can positively impact the management of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), chronic pain, inflammation, and a range of GI disorders like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Despite existing challenges, the ability of neuromodulation to adjust disrupted neural pathways, alleviate pain, and mitigate in-flammation is significant in improving the quality of life for patients, thereby offering exciting prospects for future advancements in patient care.

Many people in the USA have lost their lives or become addicted to opioids via prescription opioids given for chronic pain. The chronic pain epidemic has emerged due to a convergence of factors, including the medicalization of pain as well as injuries happening in the workplace, in the home, or during recreation. Opioid prescriptions rose precipitously from the late 1990’s through to approximately 2020, and despite public awareness, still are increasing. This review examines literature on integrative approaches to chronic pain as delineated by pain type. The review is organized by the most common causes of chronic pain, and randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses and systematic reviews are extracted for each cause of chronic pain. Several promising interventions may alleviate chronic pain of some causes, and some interventions may work across pain causes. Lowering inflammation through dietary or lifestyle regimens may be a general way of reducing pain. Pain can be alleviated through several adjunctive and integrative treatment approaches, which may serve to lower the need for opioid medication.

Water networks are critical infrastructure components, ensuring the continuous supply of high-quality drinking water to consumers. To secure such water supply, regular maintenance, including the replacement of deteriorating pipelines, is essential. In this study, a methodology has been developed for determining optimal pipeline replacement solutions in water supply systems at water utilities with limited data availability. Hydraulic analysis has been conducted on the segment of 25 km of the water supply network using the free software EPANET. Applying water network optimization, eight pipeline replacement projects according to 13 pre-defined criteria have been identified and evaluated. The paper outlines the methods for evaluating the criteria, including defining specific quantitative limits. The Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) method was used in the paper to determine the weights of the criteria. The reason for applying this method refers to problems that involve a set of criteria with a mixed structure, including both quantitative and qualitative aspects. Also, the paper describes the steps of the multi-criteria optimization method VIKOR, used to select the optimal project. This paper, considered as case studie, describes a method, i.e. application of a new principles and an innovative way to solve a problem for developing countries.

The impacts of inflation on international finance are generally reflected in the decline of buying power, risks of investment and deposit loss from currency devaluation. For the purpose of optimized allocation and management of asset values, i.e., annual income or research grants, a framework of a three-level model for static financial management is presented to maximize banking interests, bonuses, and the remaining balance after spending necessary expenditures. Meanwhile, in retrospect to higher-level financial inflation, strategies of dynamic investment, i.e., posing regular tests of flipping coins, exploiting variations of the currency exchange rate, as well as applying the theory of broad money, are presented to increase the appreciation rate of net assets in and post the era of COVID-19. Quantitative evaluations in case studies verify the feasibility of improving the financial situation, indicating broader applications for budgeting and investing when US inflation rate is below 3.0%. Besides, combining approaches of static and dynamic strategies, the expected annual growth rate of individual zero-risk asset investment is predicted as within the range of 8.30~9.62% according to budgeted appreciation on net assets in 12 months, which is capable of overcoming negative impacts from higher level annual inflation, i.e., those as highest as 8.01% in the Year 2022.

As a representative of Exponential Organizations, MI went from obscurity to the Fortune 500 in just ten years. Mi's success is inextricably linked to its outstanding business model. This paper summarizes the elements of MI's business model from four perspectives: value proposition, value creation, value delivery, and value capture, as well as its measures for developing into an exponential organization. Expecting to provide theoretical references for the transformation and upgrading of manufacturing organizations.

Abstract: This study investigates the transition to sustainable shipping industry within the framework of the IMO's 2050 carbon neutrality objective, focusing on socio-technical systems analysis. The research delves into the sustainable paradigm shift towards alternative marine fuels such as LNG, methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen from a socio-technical transition perspective, analyzing the multi-level per-spective challenges and opportunities. Specifically, it scrutinizes the implications of adopting these al-ternative fuels for global shipping, identifying technical uncertainties, financial constraints, and infra-structure needs. Through a comprehensive review of existing literature on ship emissions and alterna-tive fuels, coupled with socio-technical transition theory, the study addresses the multifaceted chal-lenges and opportunities in meeting the IMO's environmental objectives. It emphasizes the necessity of collaborative governance, innovative niche strategies, and a holistic approach to leverage the current window of opportunity in facilitating the maritime industry's transition to sustainable fuel options. Fi-nally, this research enhances our understanding of the intricate interplay between technological, social, industrial, and cultural dynamics in the greening of shipping and offers insights into the strategic adop-tion of environmentally friendly marine fuels for a sustainable future.

Iterated games, in which the same economic interaction is repeatedly played between the same agents, are an important framework for understanding the effectiveness of strategic choices over time. To date very little work has applied information theory to the information sets used by agents in order to decide what action to take next in such strategic situations. This article looks at the mutual information between previous game states and an agent's next action by introducing two new classes of games: ’invertible games’ and ‘cyclical games'. By explicitly expanding out the mutual information between past states and the next action we show under what circumstances these expressions can be simplified. These information measures are then applied to the Traveler's Dilemma game and the Prisoner's Dilemma game, the Prisoner's Dilemma being invertible, to illustrate their use. In the Prisoner's Dilemma a novel connection is made between the computational principles of logic gates and both the structure of games and the agents' decision strategies. This approach is applied to the cyclical game Matching Pennies to analyse the foundations of a behavioural ambiguity between two well studied strategies: ‘Tit-for-Tat' and ’Win-Stay, Lose-Switch'.

The aging populations observed across numerous countries worldwide necessitate a thorough exploration of interventions aimed at promoting healthy aging. As individuals age, they undergo significant physiological changes that impact their functional capacity and often necessitate increased reliance on external support systems. Enhancing the autonomy and well-being of elderly individuals emerges as a critical imperative, serving not only individual interests but also broader societal goals. This review investigates various interventions designed to optimize the health and independence of aging populations, offering insights into effective strategies for promoting healthy aging and mitigating the societal burdens associated with an aging demographic.

Energy consumption modelling is of critical importance for improving energy efficiency in the drive towards sustainable manufacturing. Modern manufacturing processes and machine tools are very complex as they involve interplay of several advanced technologies. Therefore, energy modelling of modern machine tools is a complex multi-disciplinary task. This paper proposes a systematic and practical framework to choose the appropriate modelling approach for a given industrial problem. The framework was validated by applying it to diverse industrial scenarios.

This study analyzes the convergence between artificial intelligence (AI) and management accounting in hospital contexts. Management accounting plays a central role in the effectiveness of planning, control and decision-making in healthcare institutions such as hospitals. The application of AI in this scenario offers powerful tools to improve accounting processes, optimize operational efficiency and maximize the use of available resources, resulting in an improvement in the quality of care provided to patients. Through in-depth analysis, the article explores how AI is bringing about a revolution in hospital management accounting, presenting case studies illustrating its successful implementation, outlining the tangible benefits.

In this dynamic 21st Century global economy, managers of insurance companies cannot afford to ignore the involvement of their employees in strategic change programmes. The employee's voice in strategic change programmes is now a prerequisite for organizational performance. This study seeks to determine the effect of employee involvement in strategic change programmes through participation in decision-making, teamwork, communication, creativity, and innovation. The research approach used was quantitative to collect data from 115 respondents using a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. The study employed the multiple regression method to analyse data using the IBM SPSS V28 software. All five constructs of employee involvement had a significant effect on the performance of insurance companies in Zimbabwe. The study findings will convince top managerial leaders of the insurance industry to acknowledge and appreciate the importance of involving employees in strategic change programmes. Besides, industry regulatory authorities can advocate for policies that encourage employee involvement in decision-making.

The striving for sustainable development has become the goal of actions undertaken not only by representatives of public authorities and institutions representing this sector, but also representatives of private entities who are increasingly recognizing the benefits and sources of long-term development based on the principles and objectives of sustainable development. These are mainly based on the pursuit of synergy in the three basic areas of activities, i.e., in the economic, social, and environmental dimensions as well as in the maintenance of natural resources. The implementation of these activities is connected with the necessity of incurring financial expenditures, which the government (public sector) does not have in the required value. Therefore, in the process of sustainable development for which the government is responsible, the active participation of the financial sector (banks) is necessary. Achieving results within the alliance of the concept of sustainable development requires the setting of a kind of contract, the parties of which are the government, society, and financial institutions. The purpose of the conducted research is to indicate by which means the government and the financial sector can stimulate economic growth towards its sustainable development.

Antidepressants are among the most used medications in the US, with significant deleterious effects on people’s well-being. At any given time, depression impacts approximately 1 in 10 Americans, causing wide and broad societal costs. Interest is developing for non-pharmacological treatments and preventative measures. We summarize the literature on non-invasive dietary and lifestyle approaches for treating depression, including recent work with the psychedelic treatment of depression. This review aims to inform future research and treatment programs for depression. This review provides an evidentiary summary of integrative therapeutic approaches for depression.

The research presented in this article is based on a strategic approach to a rural area in the mountainous region of Romania and is underwritten by specialists in the economy of mountainous regions in order to elaborate relevant solutions to complex problems relating to sustainable development. In essence, the research underlines and promotes the particularities of performing research for the identification and valuation of endogenous resources, that is, creating relevant strategic options for the durable development of the mountainous region, centered on the renewal of economic activities related to the existent endogenous resources, by using methods, work techniques, and instruments of strategic analysis. These factors are subordinate to the process of harmonization to the requirements of community development and environmental protection according to the new strategy for the development of the European Union 2020 (European Green Pact). This pact also emphasizes the necessity of involving the different factor categories of local accountability, promotion, activation, and the development of specific economic activities of different local contexts of sustainability. The research methodology used involves a case study whose complexity necessitated the use of quality and quantity research methods in order to underline specific elements of the rural area in the Romanian mountainous region. Specifically, we used a strategic diagnosis of the Romanian mountainous region using the PESTEL and SWOT models. In order to have relevant strategic options available, the continuity of research was achieved through the use of SOR analysis, creating a problem tree and an objectives tree.

The effects of rare earth Ce on the microstructure and properties of cast pure copper were investigated through thermodynamic calculations, XRD analysis, mechanical testing, metallographic microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The experimental results demonstrate that the reaction between rare earth Ce and oxygen as well as sulfur in copper exhibits a significantly negative Gibbs free energy value, indicating a strong thermodynamic driving force for deoxidation and desulfurization reactions. Ce is capable of removing trace amounts of O and S from copper. Moreover, the maximum solid solubility of Ce in Cu falls within the range of 0.009% to 0.01%. Furthermore, Ce can refine columnar grains while enlarging equiaxed grains in as-cast copper.Upon addition of rare earth Ce, the tensile strength increased by 8.45%, elongation increased by 12.1%, and microhardness rose from 73.5HV to 81.2HV-an increase of 10.5%. Overall, rare earth Ce has been found to enhance both the microstructure and mechanical properties of cast pure copper.

This paper aims to develop a hierarchical risk assessment model using the newly-developed evidential reasoning (ER) rule, which constitutes a generic conjunctive probabilistic reasoning process. In this paper, we first provide a brief introduction to the basics of the ER rule and emphasize the strengths for representing and aggregating uncertain information from multiple experts and sources. Further, we discuss the key steps of developing the hierarchical risk assessment framework systematically, including (1) formulation of risk assessment hierarchy, (2) representation of both qualitative and quantitative information, (3) elicitation of attribute weights and information reliabilities, (4) aggregation of assessment information using the ER rule and (5) quantification and ranking of risks using utility-based transformation. The proposed hierarchical risk assessment framework can potentially be implemented to various complex and uncertain systems. A case study on the fire/explosion risk assessment of marine vessels demonstrates the applicability of the proposed risk assessment model.

(1) Background: The aim of the research was to present and emphasize the importance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosing Achilles tendon (AT) ruptures by presenting case reports. (2) Materials and Methods: The sample of respondents included 7 patients (4 males and 3 females, 2 athletes and 5 non-athletes), aged 25 to 58 years, with AT injuries, who were examined and treated at the Institute for Treatment and Rehabilitation "Niška Banja", Niš, Serbia. Ankle examinations with MRI were conducted using the Esaote O-scan 0.3 T machine. The examinations were performed without the application of a paramagnetic contrast agent and without the use of anesthesia. Results: The MRI method's sensitivity and overall diagnostic accuracy were excellent, with 100% true positives. In our study, the method accurately detected the presence, location, and severity of AT injuries in all cases. MRI is an important and reliable method for detecting AT injuries, classifying them, monitoring the course of recovery, and assessing the effects of therapy. Conclusions: An unrecognized or delayed diagnosis of an AT injury can lead to chronic changes. Timely diagnosis (clinical examination, ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging) and appropriate treatment (conservative or operative) enable patients to return to normal activities, including sports. Unfortunately, the use of MRI is limited by restricted access and the cost of the examination.

The one-dimensional MoS₂/carbon nanofibers (1D MoS₂/CNFs) are synthesized by electrospinning using exfoliated MoS₂ nanosheets and polyacrylonitrile as raw materials. The exfoliated MoS₂ nanosheets with size of about 150 nm are encapsulated in carbon nanofibers, and the free-standing MoS₂/CNFs can be easily cut into flexible tablet and directly used as binder-free anode for lithium storage. The resultant 1D MoS₂/CNFs exhibit a very high reversible capacity of 700 mAh g^-1 at 100 mA g^-1 after 50 cycles, high rate capacity (450 mAh g^-1 at 1000 mA g^-1 after 200 cycles) and good cycle stability.

Psoriasis is a lifelong, systemic, immune mediated inflammatory skin condition, affecting 1-3% of the world’s population, with an impact on quality of life similar to diseases like cancer or diabetes. Genetics are the single largest risk factor in psoriasis, with GWAS studies showing that many psoriasis risk genes lie along the IL23/Th17 axis. Potential psoriasis risk genes determined through GWAS can be annotated and characterised using functional genomics, allowing the identification of novel drug targets and the repurposing of existing drugs. The pathogenesis of psoriasis is complex and focusing on the IL23/Th17 axis can provide insight into key cell types, cytokines and intracellular signaling pathways involved. Examination of currently available biological treatments, time to relapse post drug withdrawal and rates of drug primary/secondary drug failure show the need for greater understanding of the underlying genetic mechanisms of psoriasis and how they can impact treatment. This could allow for patient stratification towards the treatment most likely reduce dis-ease burden for the longest period possible.

The strong competition in the automotive industry has required manufacturers to implement lean production, both with methods and techniques specific to Industry 4.0. At the same time, universities must provide graduates with specific skills for applying these new production methods and techniques. In this context, a Lean Learning Factory was developed in the Pitesti University Center, which allows students to learn, experiment, and research, in an environment similar to that of enterprises, the new Lean Manufacturing methods and techniques, and Industry 4.0. The research presented in this study had as its objective identifying the minimum number of repetitions necessary to train operators who serve two differently organized workstations, one classic, the other including digital techniques, but on which the same assembly operation is performed. Several indicators were considered in the analysis, such as the number of errors, the number of stops, the effective duration of the work cycle, and the percentage ratio between the standard duration of cyclical activities and the effective duration of the work cycle. The evolution of these indicators was mathematically modelled by regression functions, using the least squares method. The obtained results also highlight the usefulness of applying the DOJO method as a Lean manufacturing-specific learning technique and the efficiency of implementing digital techniques in work organization.

The study aimed to know the direct effect of strategic leadership on the quality of service represented by wireless communications services, in addition to knowing the indirect effect of strategic leadership on the quality of service when using performance as an intermediary variable. This research was conducted in government institutions in the Republic of Yemen. Represented by the offices of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in five Yemeni cities, it targeted senior management employees, boards of directors, and middle management concerned with strategic planning and strategic leadership. To measure and evaluate the factors of strategic leadership and service quality in Offices of the Yemeni Ministry of Communications Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of the Republic of Yemen. Moreover, performance. A questionnaire was formulated and distributed to the study sample, and data was collected through questionnaires for 150 individuals in some offices of the Yemeni Ministry of Communications. This study uses structural equation model analysis from the Partial Least Squares program through the Smart Plus 4 programs. The study reached a set of results, including that all models show a direct, positive and significant effect of strategic leadership on the quality of service represented by the quality of services in the offices of the Ministry of Communications. As well as the positive relationship between them, as well as the direct and positive impact of performance on the quality of service, as well as the positive and significant relationship between them. While the results indicated a positive and significant indirect effect of strategic leadership on service quality, there is also a positive and significant indirect relationship between strategic leadership on service quality when using performance as an intermediary variable.

This article provides a comprehensive review of the intersection of 5G technology and Beyond, and Smart Grids, focusing on the potential of Vehicle-to-Fog as an industrial alternative for addressing energy efficiency challenges in data processing. This study aims to investigate relevant articles and patents to understand the collaborative potential between 5G and Smart Grids. It explores how to establish new regulatory standards within the architectural framework of 5G to facilitate decentralized data processing and remodel energy consumption patterns. The hypothesis suggests that decentralized 5G architecture and Smart Grids can be most effectively applied through vehicular fogging powered by solar energy. A combined quantitative and qualitative methodology guides the exploration of articles and patents. The study concludes by advocating for new standards that embrace decentralized 5G data processing, emphasizing the potential of Vehicle-to-Fog and the future deployment of 6G technology in Smart Grids. These advancements can significantly enhance energy efficiency in the context of 5G and pave the way for future innovations.

The purpose of this study is to examine the match-related performance (scores and penalties) of the athletes in the Junior EJC (European Judo Championship) and U23 EJC categories before and immediately after the Covid-19 quarantine, according to gender and weight category groups. Our sample was based on the junior and U23, male and females, 2019-2020 Junior European Judo Championships and 2019-2020 U23 European Judo Championships. A total of 1431 matches in these tournaments were analyzed: male (n=812) and female (n=619). The main findings of this study showed that most matches in both the male and female categories resulted in ippon (2019-2020 average: 64,35% for Junior male, 70,55% for U23 male and 69,3% for Junior female, 64,4% for U23 female). No significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed between gender and age groups concerning the match scores. In the formation phase of the technique, considerations of high- and low-intensity actions, and analysis of the speed of athletes during matches in official competitions can help to better understand the dynamics of the variability of movements in judo matches. In addition, suggestions are presented to be applied to athletes in different age categories who are on the way to become Olympic athletes.

In this paper, a novel permanent magnet-assisted synchronous reluctance machine (PMASynRM) with rare-earth PMs and ferrite magnets is proposed. The performance of PMASynRM is discussed with respected to the different magnet ratio of rare-earth PMs and ferrite magnets. Some characteristics including the flux density, output torque, cogging torque, output power, power factor, torque ripple, loss, efficiency, and demagnetization are calculated by 2-D finite element analysis (FEA). The analysis results show that the excellent performance can be obtained by using hybrid magnet of rare-earth PMs and ferrite magnets with the suitable magnet ratio, and provide some desirable cost-performance trade-off.

The review scrutinizes the currently performed research on the new methods for enhancing bituminous binder performance through radiation and radical grafting of polymer modifers of bitumen. It investigates innovative methods, including using waste polymers as modifiers, and applying radiation for polymer grafting, to overcome challenges like high costs, low aging resistance and storage stability issues, of which separation of phases polymer/bitumen is the most significant obstacle. These advanced modification techniques promise sustainability through the decrease of the carbon footprint of transportation systems by improving the properties and durability of binders. Additionally, the review discusses the parameters and mechanistic aspects from a scientific perspective, shedding light on the underlying processes that contribute to the improved performance of modified bituminous binders.

This research aims to identify the role of the Dyson model for strategic development in achieving strategic success, and the starting point of the research was the following main question: What is the role of the Dyson model in achieving success?The research was applied in the field in the departments of the Baghdad Municipality, where the examination list was relied upon, which included a set of questions that the senior and middle leaders in the Baghdad Municipality answered, and it was the main means by which the information related to the field of research was collected, and the checklist included two variables and three dimensions From each variable, as each dimension included four questions that express indicators that revolve around one of the research hypotheses, and the case study methodology was used, which defined its path and steps, collected and analyzed field data, and linked it to its theoretical framework, in order to reach To achieve the goal of completing this research, and through analyzing, interpreting and discussing the results, the most important results were drawn up: It was found that the principle of motivation within the departments of Baghdad Municipality does not exist and this affects the employees who do not receive it from the higher leaders in their departments, and this shows that the leaderships in The Municipality of Baghdad do not have the skills and experience. Baghdad Municipality seeks to work alone and not to involve employees who have experiences and skills and strive to achieve development in their departments, and this is what the community members expressed. Among them and poor business completion in their departments.

A low-cost bio-mass-derived carbon substrate has been employed to synthesize MoS₂@carbon composites through a hydrothermal method. Carbon fibers derived from natural cotton provide a three-dimensional and open framework for the uniform growth of MoS₂ nanosheets, thus constructing hierarchically coaxial architecture. The unique structure could synergistically benefit fast Li-ion and electron transport from the conductive carbon scaffold and porous MoS₂ nanostructures. As a result, the MoS₂@carbon composites, when served as anodes for Li-ion batteries, exhibit a high reversible specific capacity of 820 mAh g^-1, high-rate capability (457 mAh g^-1 at 2 A g^-1), and excellent cycling stability. The superior electrochemical performance makes the MoS₂@carbon composites to be low-cost and promising anode materials for Li-ion batteries.

Three-dimensional V₂O₅ hollow structures have been prepared through a simple synthesis strategy combining solvothermal treatment and a subsequent thermal annealing. The V₂O₅ materials are composed of microspheres 2–3 μm in diameter and with a distinct hollow interior. The as-synthesized V₂O₅ hollow microspheres, when evaluated as a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries, can deliver a specific capacity as high as 273 mAh·g⁻¹ at 0.2 C. Benefiting from the hollow structures that afford fast electrolyte transport and volume accommodation, the V₂O₅ cathode also exhibits a superior rate capability and excellent cycling stability. The good Li-ion storage performance demonstrates the great potential of this unique V₂O₅ hollow material as a high-performance cathode for lithium-ion batteries.

Nowadays, colon cancer prognosis still difficult to predict, especially in the early stages. Recurrences remain elevated, even in the early stages after curative surgery. Carcidiag Biotechnologies has developed an immunohistochemistry (IHC) kit called ColoSTEM Dx, based on a MIX of biotinylated plant lectins that specifically detects colon cancer stem cells (CSCs) through glycan patterns that they specifically (over)express. A retrospective clinical study was carried out on tumor tissues from 208 non-treated and 21 treated patients with colon cancer, that were stained by IHC with the MIX. Clinical performances of the kit were determined, and prognostic and predictive values were evaluated. With 78.3% and 70.6% of diagnostic sensitivity and specificity respectively, our kit shows great clinical performances. Moreover, patient prognosis is significantly poorer when the MIX staining is “High” compared to “Low”, especially at 5-years of overall survival and for early stages. The ColoSTEM Dx kit allows an earlier and a more precise determination of patients’ outcome. Thus, it affords an innovating clinical tool for predicting tumor aggressiveness earlier and determining prognosis value regarding therapeutic response in colon cancer patients.

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in adopting novel sensing technologies for the continuous monitoring of structural systems. In this respect, Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) sensors are widely used in several applications, including Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). Thanks to their significantly lower cost, ease of installation on the structure, and lower power consumption, they enable extensive, pervasive, and battery-less monitoring systems. This paper presents an innovative high-performance device for SHM applications, based on a low-noise triaxial MEMS accelerometer, providing a guideline and insightful results about the opportunities and capabilities of these devices. Sensor nodes have been designed, developed, and calibrated to meet structural vibration monitoring and modal identification requirements. These components include a protocol for reliable command dissemination through the network and data collection, and improvements to software components for data pipelining, jitter control, and high-frequency sampling. Devices were tested in the lab using shaker excitation. Results demonstrate that MEMS-based accelerometers are a feasible solution to replace expensive piezo-based accelerometers. Deploying MEMS is promising to minimize sensor node energy consumption. Time and frequency domain analysis show that MEMS can correctly detect modal frequencies, useful parameters for damage detection. The acquired data from the test bed were used to examine the functioning of the network, data transmission, and data quality. The proposed architecture has been successfully deployed in a real case study to monitor the structural health of the Marcus Aurelius Exedra Hall within the Capitoline Museum of Rome. The performance robustness was demonstrated and the results showed that the wired sensor network provides dense and accurate vibration data for structural continuous monitoring.

A lead zirconate titanate [PZT;Pb(Zr_0.52Ti_0.48)O₃] layer embedded infrared (IR) detector decorated with wavelength-selective plasmonic crystals has been investigated for high-performance non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) spectroscopy. A plasmonic IR detector with an enhanced IR absorption band has been designed based on numerical simulations, fabricated by conventional microfabrication techniques, and characterized with a broadly tunable quantum cascade laser. The enhanced responsivity of the plasmonic IR detector at specific wavelength band has improved the performance of NDIR spectroscopy and pushed the limit of detection (LOD) by an order of magnitude. In this paper, a 13 fold enhancement in the LOD of a methane gas sensing using NDIR spectroscopy is demonstrated with the plasmonic IR detector.

Precise individual tree or sample-based inventories derived from 3D point cloud data of mobile laser scanning can improve our comprehensive understanding of the structure, function, resilience, biodiversity, and ecosystem services of urban forests. This study assessed the performance of a hand-held laser scanning system for the extraction of tree position, diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree height (H) in an urban area. A total of 2083 trees of 13 species from 34 plots were analyzed. The results showed that the registration of tree positions using ground control points (GCPs) demonstrated high accuracy, with errors consistently below 0.4 m, except for a few instances. The extraction accuracy of DBH for all trees and individual species remained consistently high, with a total root mean square error (RMSE) of 2.06 cm (6.89%) and a bias of 0.62 cm (2.07%). Notably, broad-leaved trees outperformed coniferous trees, with RMSE and bias values of 1.86 cm (6%) and 0.76 cm (2.46%) compared to 2.54 cm (9.46%) and 0.23 cm (0.84%). Tree height extraction accuracy varied significantly among different species, with R2 values ranging from 0.65 to 0.92. Generally, both DBH and height were underestimated. Linear mixed effects models (LME) were applied to evaluate factors affecting the performance of HLS with the plot as a random factor. LME analysis revealed that plant type and terrain significantly influenced the accuracy of DBH and H derived from HLS data. Other fixed factors of plot area, tree density and trajectory length didn’t have significance. With a large sample size, we concluded that the HLS demonstrated sufficient accuracy in extracting individual tree parameters in urban forests.

The relationship between the structure characteristics and performances of coal based hydrogenation isomeric base oil (CTL) and metallocene catalyzed coal based polyalphaolefin (mPAO) base oil was clarified here. CTL and mPAO were compared with typical petroleum based and natural gas based commercial API Class III and IV base oils. Pressurized differential scanning calorimetry (PDSC), Rotary Bomb Oxidation Test (RBOT) and four-balls friction tester were used to evaluate the oxidation stability and lubrication performance of base oils under different working conditions. The sensitivity of different base oils to typical antioxidants and extreme pressure antiwear agents was compared. Specially, the composition and structure of CTL base oil are obviously different from GTL and mineral base oil. The coal-based CTL and mPAO base oils exhibit commendable viscosity-temperature properties, characteristics, coupled with low-temperature fluidity, fire safety, and minimal evaporation loss. The lubricating properties, oxidation stability and the sensitivity to extreme pressure antiwear agents of CTL are close to those of similar base oils. But the sensitivity of CTL to typical antioxidants is relatively poor. Besides, compared with commercial PAO base oil, mPAO has lower isomerization degree and fewer isomerization types. The oxidation stability and sensitivity to typical antioxidants of mPAO base oil are comparable with those of commercial PAO base oil, while its lubrication performance and sensitivity to typical extreme pressure antiwear agents are significantly better than those of commercial PAO base oil.

Maritime data not only identify financial resources that can significantly enhance the efficiency of shipping companies but also play a pivotal role in promoting eco-friendly and sustainable shipping practices. However, active corporate strategies are required to include maritime data essential for the commercial operation of autonomous ships in the form of corporate assets by transparent evaluating the data. The aim of this study is to review previous studies on da-ta-valuation models, identify a valuation model suitable for maritime business, consider the characteristics of maritime data. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method is used to derive priorities for valuing maritime data assets, with emphasis placed on the characteristics of mari-time data, followed by the character of the future-oriented maritime-data market and the da-ta-valuation model. The results obtained that the most important factors in selecting a maritime data-valuation model by analyzing the AHP method were identified as the characteristics of the maritime data(M1). The next most important factors analyzed were the features of the mari-time-data market(M2) and the features of the maritime data-valuation model(M3) in order. In addition, the characteristics of maritime data were preferentially considered among the main criteria, and the market approach (A2) was selected as the most optimal valuation model. The potential impact of this implementation could contribute to the establishment of an intelligent technology market by estimating the value of data and developing a platform for maritime data trading, allowing for more efficient data sharing and utilization by maritime autonomous sur-face ship(MASS).

This study investigates the influence of adding hydrogen as an additive to gasoline in a four-stroke engine, utilizing a comprehensive thermodynamic comparative analysis conducted with self-developed engine model. The research aims to assess the performance, emissions, and efficiency of the engine when using gasoline-hydrogen blends, and to provide insights into the potential benefits of this approach. First the engine performance and emissions under different hydrogen blending levels were examined. A range of different air-to-fuel ratios (rich to lean) and varying percentages of hydrogen were considered. This systematic variation allowed for a detailed evaluation of the influence of hydrogen content on combustion efficiency, power out-put, and emissions characteristics. The analysis results included key parameters such as indicated specific fuel consumption and mean effective pressure. Additionally, the study focused on range prediction of nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions, which are a critical environmental concern asso-ciated with internal combustion engines. The analysis of pressure and temperature profiles throughout the engine cycle shed light on the combustion characteristics and efficiency im-provements associated with hydrogen addition. In terms of emissions, the study projected that all emissions were reduced except NOx, which is highly dependent on hydrogen percentage, and it might be reduced in some cases, but with higher temperatures and pressures associated with hydrogen addition in most cases there is actually NOx increase, especially at higher engine loads.

Understanding the dynamics of teamwork and communication among healthcare professionals is crucial in the face of evolving healthcare challenges. This study assessed relational coordination among healthcare professionals in the South Tyrolean healthcare system in Italy, focusing on communication and teamwork dynamics in a cross-sectional survey. Using the validated Relational Coordination Survey (RCS) instrument and 525 completed online responses, the questionnaire aimed to understand the implications of different levels of relational coordination ratings by general practitioners, hospital physicians, nurses, and administrative personnel (response rate 26%). The demographics of the participants revealed a predominance of female professionals (64%), with an average age of 50 and 18 years of service. The resulting RCS scores varied significantly across professional groups, with nurses reporting the highest within-group scores, indicating moderate coordination, and administrators reporting the lowest scores, reflecting areas of weak coordination. Between-group relational coordination was generally perceived as weak across professional groups, with the least weakness observed between general practitioners and nurses. German or Italian language and health district affiliation emerged as significant factors influencing relational coordination ratings, highlighting the need for differentiated understanding and strategies in multilingual and diverse regional settings. Assessments of interdisciplinary feedback and referral practices highlight the variation in teamwork and communication weaknesses and underscore the need for targeted interventions to improve relational coordination. This study provides insights into the complexity of relational dynamics in health care settings. It suggests that improving relational coordination through tailored strategies could significantly improve team effectiveness, quality of patient care, and overall system efficiency.

Using density functional theory (DFT), the density of states of NH4V3O8 (NVO) was analyzed pre and post-oxygen defects (Od) formation. The findings revealed a reduced bandgap in NVO after Od introduction, emphasizing the role of Od in enhancing conductivity of the material, thus improving its electrochemical attributes. Through the water bath method, both NVO and its oxygen-deficient counterpart, (NH4)2V10O25⸱8H2O (NVOd), were synthesized as potential cathode materials for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). Experimental outcomes resonated with DFT predictions, highlighting the beneficial role of oxygen defects in boosting electrical conductivity. Notably, the refined material displayed a remarkable capacity of 479.3 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1, underscoring its promise for advanced energy storage solutions.

To address the insufficient mechanical properties of calcined phosphogypsum, this research aims to investigate the utilization of basalt fiber and calcium carbonate whiskers as reinforcing agents. The study examines their impact on the flexural and compressive strength, toughness, water resistance, and tensile strength of calcined phosphogypsum. In the individual tests, basalt fibers with different lengths (3 mm, 6 mm, 9 mm, and 18 mm) were added at dosages of 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5% respectively. The findings demonstrate that basalt fiber effectively enhances the flexural and compressive strength, toughness, and tensile strength of calcined phosphogypsum, albeit potentially compromising water resistance. Among the various fiber lengths, the 6 mm fibers exhibit the most advantageous influence on the performance of calcined phosphogypsum. A subsequent test was conducted to investigate the impact of cross-scale fibers on the properties of calcined phosphogypsum by mixing 6 mm basalt fibers and calcium carbonate whiskers. The results illustrate that calcium carbonate whisker refines the pores, thereby improving the flexural strength and toughness of calcined phosphogypsum. Furthermore, it compensates for the water resistance limitations associated with the sole utilization of basalt fiber while further augmenting the tensile strength and strain capacity. However, it should be noted that increasing the dosage of both calcium carbonate whiskers and basalt fibers concurrently leads to increased porosity of phosphogypsum and reduced compressive strength.

The aim of the present trial was to evaluate the growth performance of buffalo calves fed diets characterized by different forage/concentrate ratio with or without the Saccharomyces Cerevisiae supplementation (CBS 493.94, Yea-Sacc®). Twenty-four male buffalo calves (mean age 145.1 ± 16.1 days; mean weight 108.0 ± 18.7) were assigned randomly to 4 groups, homogeneous for age, fed four different diets: diet 1 F:C ratio 50:50; diet 2 F:C ratio 30:70; diet 3 F:C ratio 50:50 + Yea-Sacc® and diet 4 F:C ratio 30:70 + Yea-Sacc®. Buffalo calves were individually weighted before the start of the experiment and the data were used as a covariate, monthly until the end of the trial. Dry matter intake (DMI), daily weight gain (DWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were calculated. The differences in diets’ composition significantly (p

An increasing number of studies have proposed that corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance depends on how companies apply their resources and capabilities to implement CSR. A firm’s ability to integrate, build, and reconfigure internal and external competencies to respond to environmental changes is its dynamic capability. Implementation of CSR at the strategic level will contribute to a firm’s sustainability. However, the research on strategic CSR is incipient. This study explores possible mechanisms to investigate how dynamic capability influences the performance of strategic CSR in China. By analyzing 134 Chinese listed companies in the period 2017–2019, in this study, we found that firms with a high level of dynamic capability were less likely to adopt strategic CSR practices, and had a low strategic CSR adoption performance. The results confirmed the loss aversion channel, indicating that firms with a high dynamic capability level were loss averse and that managers had a decreasing sensibility in decision-making and allocated fewer company resources in CSR projects. These results can help companies to better understand the dynamic capability and how dynamic capability contributes to the adoption of strategic CSR and performance over time. The policy implications of the study are also discussed.

The managers’ strategic behavior of commercial real estate in a competitive environment is discussed. The means of this research are methods of mathematical and experimental game theory. Illustrates an example of a decision-theoretic game problem with two players engaged in the management of competing shopping centers. The strategies of these players are determined by the costs of the development. Since the number of visitors is constantly and changing the quality of shopping centers, managers actually pull visitors from each other, the game-theoretical formulation of the problem of management of shopping centers corresponds to the zero-sum game. The model example shows that with the help of mathematical modeling it is possible to determine the theoretical expected behavior of agents. The model of the software module created specifically for experimental research is described. The experiments are designed to compare the theoretically predicted behavior with the real actions of people. The novelty is that at significant costs of the Manager for the development and promotion of shopping and entertainment centers, the strategies of managers are resistant to each other's actions, in contrast to changes in the external environment is shown.

The performance of the presurgical test (preSurg) for temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) was evaluated via video-electroencephalography (VEEG), electroencephalography (EEG), 99mTc-HmPAO single-photon emission tomography (SPECT) and 1.5 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a group of 112 men (37.0 ± 1.1 years) and 106 women (39.7 ± 1.1 years) operated on for TLE. The epileptic zone (EZ) was adequately identified to determine whether the patient reached an Engel I grade (EI) at least one year postop. Accuracy was evaluated by the coefficient α, ranging from 3 (when result = EZ) to 2 (result in the same hemisphere as the EZ), 1 (noninformative result) or 0 (EZ in the contralateral hemisphere). The simplicity of diagnosis was defined as the number of preSurg surgeries needed to identify the EZ. EI was obtained in 85.8% of patients even though 42.2% of patients had noninformative MRI results. For preSurg α was (mean ± SEM) = VEEG (2.83 ± 0.04) > MRI (2.14 ± 0.08) > EEG (1.87 ± 0.09) > SPECT (1.71 ± 0.09). The accuracy (combination of sensitivity and specificity) was calculated as follows: VEEG (0.797) > MRI (0.518) > EEG (0.446) > SPECT (0.360). The likelihood positive ratio was greater, and the likelihood negative ratio was lower for VEEG. The most relevant factor for the regression model was VEEG (3.106) > MRI (2.558) > EEG (1.905), and the factors were not significantly related to SPECT. EZs in EI patients with low simplicity were identified mainly by VEEG. A very good postoperative outcome can be obtained even in TLE patients with no lesions on MRI. The VEEG is the most reliable preSurg test and may be the only reliable test for patients with very low simplicity (i.e., difficult).single paragraph of about 200 words maximum. For research articles, abstracts should give a pertinent overview of the work. We strongly encourage authors to use the following style of structured abstracts, but without headings: (1) Background: Place the question addressed in a broad context and highlight the purpose of the study; (2) Methods: briefly describe the main methods or treatments applied; (3) Results: summarize the article’s main findings; (4) Conclusions: indicate the main conclusions or interpretations. The abstract should be an objective representation of the article and it must not contain results that are not presented and substantiated in the main text and should not exaggerate the main conclusions.

The accumulation of brown algae from the genus Sargassum has been increasing over the years in coastal regions of the Caribbean, Africa, Brazil, and Mexico. This causes harmful effects to the ecosystem, health, economy, and climate due to gas emissions from its decomposition process. There is the possibility of this biomass being reused in civil construction, and few studies have been carried out on its application to common Portland cement mortar. As such, the objective of this study is to evaluate the potential of sargassum ash as a mineral addition to partial replacement of fine aggregates in Portland cement mortar. Characterizations of the raw materials were carried out through X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, loss on ignition, particle size distribution, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), real density, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and dispersion spectroscopy of electrons. The mortars were prepared by partially replacing the fine aggregate (sand) with sargassum ash, at 0%, 5%, 10% and 20%. Mortar performance was evaluated through water absorption, apparent porosity, apparent specific mass, compressive strength after 7, 28, and 63 days after curing. Lastly, a life cycle assessment in accordance with ISO standards 14040:2006 and 14044:2006. The results showed that replacing sand with sargassum ash increases water absorption, apparent porosity, and decreases the apparent specific mass and compressive strength as replacement increases. Nevertheless, the compressive strength results after 63 days, for 5 and 10% replacement did not differ statistically from reference values. The life cycle assessment indicates that mortars with partial replacement of sand by sargassum ash showed positive environmental impacts when compared to reference values for most categories regardless of the scenario analyzed, especially for mortar with 10% replacement. As such, the use of sargassum ash at 10% does not alter compressive strength values after 63 days while reducing its environmental impact. The application of this biomass in civil construction materials provides a destination for this algae that has been causing several social, environmental, and economic problems.

This article aims to identify the relationship between sustainability and strategic management to determine whether sustainability can be considered a strategic management research fashion. This involves a bibliometric analysis of recent academic literature from 2021 to 2023 to identify the latest academic research, key trends, collaboration and keyword networks within this relationship. The analysis was conducted using two datasets from the Scopus database. These datasets focus on English-language journal articles on business, management and accounting. The first covers academic research on strategic management, while the second expands to sustainability and sustainable development. The results show that strategic management research focusing on sustainability has recently grown faster (24.70%) than the whole strategic management research area (14.30%). Furthermore, the geographical analysis of co-authorship identified articles from 88 countries, suggesting a broad interest in this relationship. Notably, the strategic management network mapping revealed a unique, sustainable development, corporate social responsibility and sustainability cluster. Moreover, extended mapping revealed four clusters covering crisis management, strategic and creative sustainable development, operational and regulatory sustainability, sustainable supply chains, and resource management. The results thus confirm the rapid growth and widespread coverage of research on sustainability and strategic management, highlighting sustainability as a strategic management research fashion.

Free and open source hardware (FOSH) development has been shown to increase innovation and reduce economic costs. This article reviews the opportunity to use FOSH like a sanction to undercut imports and exports from a target criminal country. A formal methodology is presented for selecting strategic national investments in FOSH development to improve both national security and global safety. In this methodology, first the target country that is threatening national security or safety is identified. Next, the top imports from the target country as well as potentially other importing countries (allies) are quantified. Hardware is identified that could undercut imports/exports from the target country. Finally, methods to support the FOSH development are enumerated to support production in a commons-based peer production strategy. To demonstrate how this theoretical method works in practice it is applied as a case study to the current criminal military aggressor nation, who is also a fossil fuel exporter. The results show there are numerous existing FOSH and opportunities to develop new FOSH for energy conservation and renewable energy to reduce fossil fuel energy demand. Widespread deployment would reduce the concomitant pollution, human health impacts, and environmental desecration as well as cut financing of military operations.

Purpose: The goal of the present study was to investigate chief executives’ intention and potential to create a family-supportive culture in the Brazilian context, further assessing the role of their aspirations in their employees’ perceptions. Methodology: Two researchers conducted 60 minutes of online semi-structured interviews with CEOs of seven companies of different sizes (measured by the number of employees), economic sectors, and capital structure. To complement the data gathered from CEOs, we also conducted private and individual 30-minute online interviews with three employees from each company. Findings: A total of four categories and 11 sub-categories emerged from the analysis of CEO interviews, and four categories and six sub-categories emerged from the analysis of employee interviews. Originality: The results suggest that family-supportive culture is promoted through behaviors that are consistent with the organization’s core values, as well as through commitment of the agenda and resources of the company’s leadership team.

In this study, the impact of the addition of high-aspect-ratio nano-ettringite to photocurable epoxy acrylate resin was explored, with a specific focus on the changes observed in viscosity, shrinkage, tensile strength, and elongation at the break of composites formed. Herein, the nano-ettringite samples were modified using KH-570. The 3 wt% or 6 wt% KH-570-modified and unmodified nano-ettringite were dispersed into the resin by ultrasonic treatment in conjunction with mechanical stirring. The grafting effects of nano-ettringite onto KH-570 were analyzed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results demonstrate that increased dosages of unmodified and modified nano-ettringite led to increased viscosity of the composite while reducing shrinkage. At the same dosage, the photocurable resin with modified nano-ettringite demonstrated a lower shrinkage and a higher tensile strength. Notably, when the amount of modified nano-ettringite was 3 wt%, the highest tensile strength of the composite was 64.61 MPa, presenting a 72.57% increase compared to the blank sample. Furthermore, the incorporation of modified nano-ettringite as a filler provides a new perspective for improving the performance of photocurable epoxy acrylate resin composites.

The per capita availability of freshwater resources on a global scale is gradually decreasing due to population growth, rapid urbanization, industrialization, and modern lifestyles. In this situation, wastewater management becomes a major concern. Conventional treatment processes used to treat wastewater discharges are not adequate for the advanced removal of pollutants, especially refractory organic pollutants, which are mainly organic compounds that are not easily biodegradable in the environment. The use of photocatalytic membrane reactors (PMRs) for tertiary wastewater treatment has attracted much interest in recent periods, and various configurations have been investigated. The performance of a PMR using an iron doped titanium photo catalyst and Polysulfone-based polymeric membrane for municipal wastewater treatment was evaluated under natural and simulated solar light. Obtained results proved that solar driven PMRs can remove organic loading (COD) with high efficiencies and may represent a suitable alternative for the tertiary treatment step of municipal wastewater.

This paper proposes an innovative mechatronic piezo-actuated module to control vibrations in modern machine tools. Vibrations represent one of the main issues that compromise seriously the quality of the workpiece. The active vibration control (AVC) device is composed by a host part integrated with sensors and actuators synchronized by a regulator, able to make a self-assessment and adjust to the environmental alteration. This study presents the mechatronic model based on the kinematic and dynamic analysis of the AVC device. To ensure a real time performance, a H2-LQG controller has been developed and validated by simulations involving machine tool, PZT actuator and controller models. The Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) architecture is adopted to control and attenuate the vibrations. A set of experimental tests has been performed to validate the AVC module on a commercial machine tool. The feasibility of the real time vibration damping is demonstrated and the simulation accuracy is evaluated.

The main purpose of the study was to study the effects of a specific rowing ergometer training program on the athletic performance of young adolescents (n=56; 11.73 ± 1.4 years old) com-pared to a workout based on general strength training. Eight-week training program was im-plemented, with four sessions per week and two-hours per session. Sample was divided in two groups: a control group (CG) that performed circuit training with exercises aimed at building general strength and an experimental group (EG) who focused on specifically training on a rowing ergometer (rowing machine). The data obtained in a rowing meter test over the compe-tition distance were analyzed to obtain the average power attained (W) at the beginning of the training, at the middle (4 weeks), at the end of the training (8 weeks) and one year after the ex-perimentation. The results show that, although both forms of training improve the average W obtained in both categories, the EG subjects (+29.94W) obtained better averages in all phases of the study compared to the CG (+5.88W). Furthermore, this increase was greater in male rowers (+ 34.06W) than in female rowers (+24.54W). These results reveal that a specific rower rowing ergometer training program has a significant effect than a general strength program and these effects can even be observed a year after the intervention.

The uncertainty in the secondary path of an Active Noise Control (ANC) headphone affects the waterbed effect and stability of the feedback system. This study focuses on the uncertainty of the secondary path when real users wear headphones, and proposes a new uncertainty constraint based on the measured results of the secondary path transfer function under different wearing conditions of dummy head and limited subjects. This constraint and a cascaded second-order infinite impulse response filter with fixed coefficients are used to formulate a control strategic function, which is optimized by the Improved Grey Wolf Optimizer (IGWO) algorithm to obtain the optimal controller with better noise reduction performance. The proposed method and simulation model are validated based on the experimental test results. The results demonstrate that the safety factor and waterbed suppressing factor contained in the proposed uncertainty constraint ensures more stable noise reduction and effective suppression of the waterbed effect for new subjects without a priori data.

This paper investigates the feasibility of a backend design for real-time, multiple-channel processing digital phased array system, particularly for high-performance embedded computing platforms constructed of using general purpose digital signal processors. Frist, we obtained the lab-scale backend performance benchmark from simulating beamforming, pulse compression, and Doppler filtering based on MicroTCA chassis using Serial RapidIO protocol in backplane communication. Next, a field-scale demonstrator of a multifunctional phased array radar is emulated by using the similar configuration. Interestingly, the performance of a barebone design is compared to that of emerging tools that systematically take advantage of parallelism and multicore capabilities, including Open Computing Language.

A co-curing resin system consisting of 9368 epoxy resin for prepreg and 6808 epoxy resin for resin transfer molding (RTM) was developed. A corresponding preparation method of novel polymer composite bolted T-joint with internal skeleton and external skin was proposed based on prepreg-RTM co-curing process, and novel T-joints were fabricated. A series of conventional configuration T-joints based on RTM process and T-joints made of 2A12 aluminum alloy were prepared simultaneously. Bending performances were studied on these T-joints experimentally. The results indicate that 9368 epoxy resin and 6808 epoxy resin exhibit good compatibility in rheological and thermophysical properties. The novel T-joints prepared with prepreg-RTM co-curing process show no obvious fiber local winding or resin-rich regions inside, and the interface quality between internal skeleton and external skin is excellent. The main failure modes of the novel T-joint under bending load include separation of skin and skeleton and fracture along the thickness on the base panel; the skeleton carries the main bending load, but there is still load transfer between external skin and internal skeleton through their interface. The internal damages of the novel T-joint are highly consistent with surface damages observed visually, facilitating the detection and timely discovery of damages. The initial stiffness, damage initiation load, and ultimate load of the novel T-joint are 1.65 times, 5.89 times, and 3.45 times that of conventional T-joint, respectively. When considering the influence of density, the relative initial stiffness and relative ultimate load of the novel T-joint are 1.44 times and 2.07 times that of aluminum alloy T-joint, respectively.

This brief essay explores both the social and biological dimensions of human sexuality in light of the possibility of a substantial commerce in sexually-enabled robots, and concludes with some potentially strategic considerations for those who find themselves involved with their design, production, and/or marketing.

This study presents the synthesis and electrochemical evaluation of nitrogen-doped vanadium oxide (N-V2O3/C) as a cathode material for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs), using a hydrothermal method. Compared to undoped V2O3/C, N-V2O3/C exhibits enhanced electrical conductivity, capacity, and electrochemical kinetics, attributed to the incorporation of pyridinic and pyrrolic nitrogen. Initial charge-discharge cycles indicate phase transitions to amorphous vanadium oxides, enhancing conductivity. N-V2O3/C shows a high specific capacity of 168.4 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1 and remarkable reversibility, highlighted by the transient existence of intermediate species during cycling. Optimal electrochemical performance is achieved with a vanadium to nitrogen molar ratio of 2:3, indicating the significant impact of nitrogen doping concentration on the material’s efficiency. This work underscores the potential of N-V2O3/C as a superior cathode material for AZIBs.

Redox mediators comprising I–, Co3+, and Ti3C2Tx MXene were applied to dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). In the as-prepared DSCs (I-DSCs), wherein hole conduction occurred via the redox reaction of I−/I3− ions, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) was not altered by the addition of Ti3C2Tx MXene. The I-DSCs were exposed to light to produce Co2+/Co3+-based cells (Co-DSCs), wherein the holes were transferred via the redox reaction of Co2+/Co3+ ions. A PCE of 9.01% was achieved in a Co-DSC with Ti3C2Tx MXene (Ti3C2Tx-Co-DSC), which indicated an improvement from the PCE of a bare Co-DSC without Ti3C2Tx MXene (7.27%). It was also found that the presence of Ti3C2Tx MXene in the redox mediator increased the hole collection, dye regeneration, and electron injection efficiencies of the Ti3C2Tx-Co-DSC, leading to an improvement in both the short-circuit current and the PCE when compared with those of the bare Co-DSC without MXene.

Internationalization and alternative ways for strategic management have been an objective for stakeholders in cultural industry, especially after COVID-19 pandemic crisis. During the past years “internationalization” has been almost exclusively related with promoting creation or content to larger audiences. Such a strategy seemed sufficient, even if empirical data did not always support such a belief. Technological progress and costs reduction in developing Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) applications, provides to cultural industry the opportunity to reach global audiences and to enrich their experience. Current research provides evidence about developing VR and AR tools that can act as internationalization facilitators when it comes to cultural industry. Research conducted during “VARSOCUL” project funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the Greek National Scope Action entitled "RESEARCH-CREATE-INNOVATE". The project’s main result, alongside with VR and AR tools developed are presented.

This study aimed to investigate the fatigue performance and interfacial strengthening mechanisms of Al6061-to-Cu dissimilar lap joints via electromagnetic pulse welding (EMPW). The load-bearing capacity of the joints at discharge voltages of 14 kV and 16 kV was superior to that of 12 kV. Furthermore, the fatigue life of the 14 kV joints was one order of magnitude higher compared to the 12 kV joints. SEM observation of the fatigue fracture surface revealed the presence of typical "tire-mark" fatigue striations only in the 14 kV joint, indicating higher ductility and the ability to withstand extended plastic deformation. Notably, ultra-fine nanocrystalline Al2Cu phase, amorphous phase, and numerous dislocations hindered EBSD acquisition in the transition zone. Nevertheless, dense low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) and refined grains were examined at the bonding interface. This suggests that the high-velocity collision caused severe plastic deformation and led to the formation of substructures. The interfacial strength was attributed not only to the "wave-like" or "inverted hook-like" diffusion layer but also to the presence of refined grains along the interface and nanocrystalline Al2Cu in the transition zone. Furthermore, the hybrid nanocrystalline-amorphous microstructure strengthened the joint by regulating the balance between strength and ductility.

Wireless Powered Communication Networks (WPCN), which has attracted much attention of researchers, also been recently recommended in 5^th generation (5G) wireless networks. With the help of the WPCN, the reliability and battery life of wireless low-power devices can be improved. In this paper, we investigate throughput and ergodic capacity in WPCN-assisted amplify-and-forward (AF) relaying system, considering two transmission modes including delay-tolerant and delay-limited. As important achievement, we propose symmetric energy harvesting protocol, namely time power switching relaying (TPSR) in order to find maximal throughput. In particular, both time switching and power switching coefficients in this schemes are considered. Unlike most of the previous works, we further focus on impact of outdated channel state information (CSI) in this WPCN. In order to evaluate information processing efficiency, the performance can be substantially improved by optimally harvesting time and power coefficients of the received signal at relay node for energy and information extraction, and by deploying several scenarios. By deploying Monte Carlo simulation, it is confirmed that the system performance is more sensitive to CSI estimation error, noise variance, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and resulting in other reasonable computations of TPSR need be deployed to obtain QoS requirement.

The three-pronged sliding universal coupling is a new kind of three-pronged coupling. To study its kinematic and dynamic characteristics, directional cosine matrices are utilized as tools to analyze the coordinate systems by establishing simplified geometric models and corresponding motions. Through the analysis of the motions of the input and output shafts and employing the method of single-force element, a set of equilibrium equations for the forces acting on the output shaft and the input shaft are formulated for solution analysis. The research indicates that during the rotation process, there exists a small angular difference between the input shaft and the intermediate shaft, demonstrating the quasi-constant angular velocity characteristics of the new tripod sliding universal coupling. The curves of the forces and torques acting on each component of the coupling approximate sinusoidal curves. The optimal operating angle range for the new tripod universal coupling is at angle , during which the system exhibits good transmission and mechanical performance.

Capital structure decision plays an imperative role in firm’s performance. Recognizing the importance, there has been many studies inspected the rapport of capital structure with performance of firms and findings of those studies are inconclusive. In addition, there is relative deficiency of empirical studies examining the link of capital structure with performance of banks in Bangladesh. This paper attempted to fill this gap. Using panel data of 22 banks for the period of 2005-2014, this study empirically examined the impacts of capital structure on the performance of Bangladeshi banks assessed by return on equity, return on assets and earnings per share. Results from pooled ordinary least square analysis show that there are inverse impacts of capital structure on bank’s performance. Empirical findings of this study is of greater significance for the developing countries like Bangladesh because it will call upon concentration of the bank management and policy makers to pursue such policies to reduce reliance on debt and to accomplish optimal level capital structure. This research also contributes to empirical literatures by reconfirming (or otherwise) findings of previous studies.

Abstract: Understanding the reliability and sensitivity of jump testing is essential to determine the neuromuscular progress of athletes and make informed decisions. This study aimed to assess the reliability and sensitivity of countermovement jump (CMJ) and drop jump (DJ) tests metrics in female volleyball players. Sixteen semi-professional female volleyball players participated in the study. Intrasession and intersession reliability of CMJ and DJ metrics were evaluated using a randomized cross-over design. Dual force platform was used to collect data, and several dependent variables were calculated using forward dynamics. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), coefficients of variation (CV) and minimum difference (MD) were calculated. The third attempt presented the highest values for both test, and changes in jump strategy in DJ. CMJ is consistent across sessions, while DJ also shows intersession differences (p<0.05) in 11 out of 15 variables. Most CMJ variables exhibit excellent reliability while DJ variables have lower reliability and higher variability. Concentric and eccentric impulses for DJ showed excellent reliability. Most CMJ variables showed excellent reliability and variability, DJ had lower reliability, higher variability, and lower sensitivity. These findings provide valuable information when assessing athletes' performance and highlight the reliability, sensitivity, and variability in jump performance for CMJ and DJ tests.

Despite the recognized influence of maximum or acceleration strength on combat techniques and countermovement jump (CMJ) performance, the relationship between body segment weights and combat techniques remains unexplored. This study aimed to examine the impact of body segment weights, including striking arm weight (SAW), kicking leg weight (KLW), and trunk weight (TW), on the dynamics of direct punches (DP), palm strikes (PS), elbow strikes (ES), front kicks (FK), and CMJ performance. Sixteen male military cadets (22.3±1.8 years, 181.4±7.0 cm, 83.0±8.1 kg) performed combat techniques, with performance measured by using a force plate and body segment weights assessed by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Spearman's correlation analysis was applied. Results indicated a strong correlation between KLW and FK impulse (r = 0.64, p ≤ 0.01) and CMJ impact force (r = 0.80, p ≤ 0.01). SAW showed moderate correlations with DP impulse (r = 0.53, p ≤ 0.05) and ES impulse (r = 0.54, p ≤ 0.05). Additionally, FK peak and impact forces were strongly correlated with CMJ jump height (r = 0.74, p ≤ 0.01; r = 0.77, p ≤ 0.01), and FK peak force moderately correlated with CMJ peak velocity (r = 0.63, p ≤ 0.05). These findings suggest targeted arm strength training could enhance striking abilities, while improvements in leg acceleration strength may directly boost kicking performance and vertical jump capabilities, which are crucial in combat scenarios.

For the first time, this study identified seven potential ligands with high binding energies through the docking approach against the Crystal Structure of human Melanoma-associated antigen B1 (MAGEB1). The ligands—Imatinib, Bafatinib, Diosmin, Ginkgetin, Bilobetin, Amentoflavone, and Hypericin—showing strong binding energies around -10 kcal/mol, indicate a potentially robust interaction with the target protein. Moreover, the additional step of predicting toxicity properties using the pKCSM server provides valuable insights into the safety profiles of these ligands. From these results, the parameters for Diosmin: —Max. tolerated dose (human),- Oral Rat Acute Toxicity (LD50), and - Oral Rat Chronic Toxicity (LOAEL)—suggest a favorable safety profile, making it a potential candidate for further consideration against Melanoma. Moving forward, it's advisable to conduct further experimental validations, including in vitro and in vivo studies, to confirm the efficacy and safety of Diosmin and other potential ligands. Consideration of pharmacokinetics, metabolism, and specific mechanisms of action will contribute to a comprehensive understanding of these compounds' potential as therapeutic agents.

There have been relatively few researches that determine the role of bricolage in mediating the empirical relationship between strategic flexibility and product innovation. However, most of the research has studied strategic flexibility to engage the absorptive capacity and facilitate product innovation. The Bricolage approach emphasizes utilizing existing resources in product innovation and explores the mechanisms behind bricolage. A resource-based approach to product innovation involves combining resources in the development process in a concrete manner. This is a groundbreaking study since it is the first to examine empirically how absorptive capacity affects product innovation through bricolage and the serial mediation of strategic flexibility. As a consequence of presenting our results, we concluded that absorptive capacity positively and significantly influences product innovation through the serial mediation of strategic flexibility and bricolage. For strategic flexibility to play a role in supporting product innovation, bricolage is one of the mechanisms that can be utilized. This study contributes to the literature on strategic flexibility by examining the effect of strategic flexibility on bricolage and product innovation from the standpoint that absorptive capacity enhances the strategic flexibility of high-tech SMEs in China. Furthermore, this research offers new insights into the relationship between absorptive capacity and product innovation. In addition, it also provides insight into the economic opportunities that may result from product innovation in transition economies such as China.

Deforestation and forest degradation mostly caused by human interventions affects the capacity of forest ecosystem to provide ecosystem services and livelihood benefits. Forest Land Restoration (FLR) is an emerging concept which focuses on the improvement of ecosystem as well as livelihood of the people at the landscape level. Nepal has successfully recovered degraded forest land mainly from the hilly region through forest restoration initiatives especially community based forestry. However, the Terai region is still experiencing deforestation and forest degradation. This study navigated the gaps related to forest restoration in the existing policies and practices and revealed that the persistence of deforestation and forest degradation in Terai is a result of a complex socio-economic structure, limitation of government to implement appropriate management modality, unplanned infrastructure, and urban development. We suggest that forest restoration should focus on ecological and social wellbeing pathways at the landscape level, to reverse the trend of deforestation and forest degradation in the Terai regions of Nepal. The study provides a critical insight to the policy makers and practitioners of Nepal and other countries (with similar context) who are engaged in forest/ecosystem restoration enterprise.

: The performance of the students in academics depends on many different factors. One of these factors is the economic status of their families. Education in public schools, though it is free, some parents cannot afford to send their children to school due to financial constraints. Education as a free is every individual's right in society, but it becomes a privilege because of a lack of financial support. This research work is a comparative study of students' or learners' performance in mathematics among students from working and non-working. This research article's ultimate objective is to investigate and compare a significant difference in their performance in the subject mathematics. The research methodology utilizes a t-test to analyze and synthesize primary data sources collected via interview and academic records, and diverse literature on the study area. However, the research findings revealed no significant difference in the two groups (the working and non-working group of learners). Therefore, it is recommended that secondary schools should be provided with adequate books and facilities and faculty school interventions and programs and promote the usage of SIM or Strategic Intervention Materials for learning and memory enhancement among learners.

Objective: In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), household survey data are a main source of information for planning, evaluation, and decision-making. Standard surveys are based on censuses, however, for many LMICs it has been more than ten years since their last census and they face high urban growth rates. Over the last decade, survey designers have begun to use modelled gridded population estimates as sample frames. We summarize the state of the emerging field of gridded population survey sampling, focussing on LMICs. Methods: We performed a systematic review and identified 43 national and sub-national gridded population-based household surveys implemented across 29 LMICs. Findings: Gridded population surveys used automated and manual approaches to derive clusters from WorldPop and LandScan gridded population estimates. After sampling, many surveys interviewed all households in each cluster or segment, though some sampled households from larger clusters. Tools to select gridded population survey clusters include the GridSample R package, Geo-sampling tool, and GridSample.org. In the field, gridded population surveys generally relied on geographically accurate maps based on satellite imagery or OpenStreetMap, and a tablet or GPS technology for navigation. Conclusions: For gridded population survey sampling to be adopted more widely, several strategic questions need answering regarding cell-level accuracy and uncertainty of gridded population estimates, the methods used to group/split cells into sample frame units, design effects of new sample designs, and feasibility of tools and methods to implement surveys across diverse settings.

This work presents significant results obtained by the application of global optimization techniques to the design of finite, normal form games with mixed strategies. To that end, the Fuzzy ASA global optimization method is applied to several design examples of strategic games, demonstrating its effectiveness in obtaining payoff functions whose corresponding games present a previously established Nash equilibrium. In other words, the game designer becomes able to choose a convenient Nash equilibrium for a generic finite state strategic game and the proposed method computes payoff functions that will realize the desired equilibrium, making it possible for the players to reach the favorable conditions represented by the chosen equilibrium. Considering that game theory is a very significant approach for modeling interactions between competing agents, and Nash equilibrium represents a powerful solution concept, portraying situations in which joint strategies are optimal in the sense that players cannot benefit from individually modifying their current strategies provided that other players do not change their strategies as well, it is natural to infer that the proposed method may be very useful for strategists in general. In summary, it is a genuine instance of artificial inference of payoff functions after a process of global machine learning, applied to their numerical components.

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) significantly affect the lives of patients and increase the risk of hospital stay and amputation. We suggest a remote-monitoring platform for better DFU care. This system uses digital health metrics (scaled from 0 to 10, where higher scores indicate a greater risk of slow healing) to provide a comprehensive overview through a visual interface. The platform features smart offloading devices that capture behavioral metrics such as offloading adherence, daily steps, and cadence. Coupled with remotely measurable frailty and phenotypic metrics, it offers an in-depth patient profile. Additional demographic data, wound characteristics, and clinical parameters, such as cognitive function, were integrated, contributing to a comprehensive risk factor profile. We evaluated the feasibility of this platform with 124 DFU patients over 12 weeks; 39% experienced unfavorable outcomes such as dropout, adverse events, or non-healing. Digital biomarkers were benchmarked (0-10), categorized into low, medium, and high risk for unfavorable outcomes, and visually represented using color-coded radar plots. The initial results of case reports illustrate the value of this holistic visualization to pinpoint the underlying risk factors for unfavorable outcomes, including a high number of steps, poor adherence, and cognitive impairment. Although future studies are needed to validate the effectiveness of this visualization in personalizing care and improving wound outcomes, early results in identifying risk factors for unfavorable outcomes are promising.

Emerging autologous cellular therapies that utilize platelet-rich plasma (PRP) applications have the potential to play adjunctive roles in a variety of regenerative medicine treatment plans. There is a global unmet need for tissue repair strategies to treat musculoskeletal (MSK) and spinal disorders, osteoarthritis (OA), and patients with chronic complex and recalcitrant wounds. PRP therapy is based on the fact that platelet growth factors (PGFs) support the three phases of wound healing and repair cascade (inflammation, proliferation, remodeling). Many different PRP formulations have been evaluated, originating from human, in vitro, and animal studies. However, recommendations from in vitro and animal research often lead to different clinical outcomes because it is difficult to translate non-clinical study outcomes and methodology recommendations to human clinical treatment protocols. In recent years, progress has been made in understanding PRP technology and the concepts for bioformulation, and new research directives and new indications have been suggested. In this review, we will discuss recent developments regarding PRP preparation and composition regarding platelet dosing, leukocyte activities concerning innate and adaptive immunomodulation, serotonin (5-HT) effects and pain killing. Furthermore, we discuss PRP mechanisms related to inflammation and angiogenesis in tissue repair and regenerative processes. Lastly, we will review the effect of certain drugs on PRP activity, and the combination of PRP and rehabilitation protocols.

Classical Arabic poetry is a form of Arabic literature, and almost every piece of Arabic poetry follows one of the 16 meters. The rhythmic framework of the poems or the verses is called meters. The deep learning (DL) model was implemented using TensorFlow in this work using a large dataset of Arabic poetry. The character level encoding was used to convert text to integers for classifying the full-verse and half-verse data. The study evaluates the data without removing diacritics from the text. The train-test-split method with a 70-15-15 split was employed for classification. 15% of the total data was considered unseen test data for all models. The work was conducted with multiple deep learning models, including the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Gated Recurrent Units (GRU), and Bidirectional LSTM (Bi-LSTM). The Bi-LSTM model shows the best accuracy of all the models specified, with 97.53% for full-verse and 95.23% for half-verse without removing diacritic data.

The oil and gas industry in Nigeria, a vital contributor to the nation's economy, has long been associated with significant environmental challenges. Pollution, habitat destruction, and greenhouse gas emissions have raised global concerns about sustainability and corporate responsibility. This empirical study explores the relationship between environmental accounting practices and the financial performance of listed oil and gas companies in Nigeria. We investigated eight oil and gas companies that are publicly traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange Market (NGX) as of January 17, 2022, from 2011 to 2022. The study employs Driscoll-Kraay standard errors and reveals that environmental accounting had significant effects on returns on assets, earnings per share, and liquidity ratio. The study revealed that the implementation of environmental accounting practices had diverse effects on the performance of oil and gas companies in Nigeria. The findings encourage policymakers and stakeholders in the sector to utilise the insights and design more effective regulations and incentives that promote environmental corporate responsibility. Also, valuable insights into the potential benefits and challenges associated with adopting environmental accounting practices, and influencing the decision-making processes of corporate stakeholders were provided to ensure sustainability in terms of improved financial performance of the oil and gas sector in Nigeria.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate if tests used to assess core stability could be used to determine success in physiological tests applied to assess dynamic balance and agility for a young active population. Methods: Pearson's r correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship between the core stability tests and the dynamic balance and agility tests. Evaluation of the tests was established using Cronbach's coefficient of variance as part of intra-rater reliability tests. An analysis of 18 active college aged students was conducted (males: n= 13, females: n= 5). The mean ± SD age for males was 19.2 years ± 3.22 years and for females was 19.4 years ± 1.14 years. Conclusion: The results indicate that there is no significant relationship between tests that assess core stability and tests conducted to assess dynamic balance in active young adults. With the exception of the abdominal flexion test, no significant relationship exists between the remaining core stability tests and agility T-Test. Core stability is not a determinant of balance and agility.

The increasing popularity of Robo-Advisors highlights the need for sophisticated systems combining big data analytics and deep learning for portfolio optimization. Despite their potential, these AI-driven platforms face notable challenges such as financial data inaccuracies and the risk of overfitting in deep learning models. Overcoming these hurdles requires a concerted effort to enhance reliability and performance. To tackle these challenges effectively, it is imperative to prioritize real-time data integration while minimizing reliance on historical data. By adopting this approach, Robo-Advisors can better adapt to dynamic market conditions, enabling them to provide informed and timely investment recommendations. This proactive stance not only ensures computational efficiency but also fosters investor confidence in the platform's ability to navigate evolving market dynamics. In conclusion, by continually refining data integration methods and reducing dependencies on historical data, Robo-Advisors can offer more accurate and timely recommendations. This not only enhances the overall investor experience but also upholds ethical standards in automated investment platforms.

Community centers play a crucial role in urban environments, providing physical and educational services to their surrounding communities, particularly for students. Among the many benefits for students are enhanced academic outcomes, improvement of behavioral problems, and increased school attendance. Such centers are also particularly vital for low-income and racial minority students as they are pivotal in giving them outside-of-school learning opportunities. However, determinants influencing attendance at community centers remain largely unexplored. Using census data, Boston Centers for Youth and Families (BCYF) attendance data, and specific center attributes, we develop human mobility gravitational models to predict attendance across the BCYF network. Using those models, we investigate the potential effects on general and student attendance by changing center attributes, such as facilities and operating hours. We also research the impact of changing the walking accessibility to those centers on their respective attendance patterns. After the analysis, we find that the most cost-effective policy to increase BCYF attendance is changing each center’s educational and recreational offerings far beyond any accessibility interventions. Our results provide insights into potential policy changes that could optimize the attendance and reach of BCYF Community Centers to underserved populations.