The aim of this study was to investigate the physicochemical characterization and biological activities of chitosan (CH) based composite films with the incorporation of chestnut flower essential oil (CFEO). The composite films were prepared by casting method and characterized in terms of structural, morphological and mechanical properties via FT-IR, XRD, UV, SEM and TGA. The results proved the significantly increased water vapor permeability (WVP), heat resistance, antibacterial and antioxidant capabilities of CH-CFEO films. The incorporation of CH and CFEO enhanced the UV blocking, which made the film shield almost all UV light. Films with the tensile strength of 6.37 ± 0.41 MPa and elongation at break of 22.57 ± 0.35% were got with 6 mg mL-1 CFEO. Subsequently, the fruit preservation experiments also confirmed that the composite films could effectively extend the shelf life of bananas through their excellent water vapor and oxygen barrier. These desirable performances enable our newly developed composite films to be a remarkable packaging material to solve the fresh fruit preservation dilemma.

Predictive studies are essential to establish fundamental data for monitoring and controlling Xylella fastidiosa infections in our country. Limited knowledge exists about how Xylella fastidiosa interacts with the plant host's immune system, leaving numerous unanswered questions regarding Xylella fastidiosa biology and its interactions with national plant hosts. Key inquiries include understanding of how the plant immune system interfaces with Xylella fastidiosa in the xylem and identifying the specific or shared mechanisms underlying the susceptibility of different hosts. Factors such as the presence of insect vectors, abundance of host plants, and climate suitability play pivotal roles in Xylella fastidiosa dispersal. We recommend that countries identified with relatively high risk, like Portugal, undertake thorough individual risk analyses. The implementation of preventive measures and, if necessary, the enhancement of surveillance systems for early detection of Xylella fastidiosa in plants and insect vectors are crucial steps. Additionally, raising awareness is of equal importance to mitigate socioeconomic and ecological impacts on their ecosystems.

Outdoor lighting is becoming increasingly widespread, and residents are suffering from serious light pollution as a result. Residents’ awareness of their rights to protection has gradually increased. However, due to the sometimes-inaccessible nature of residential vertical light incidence intensity data and the high cost of obtaining specific measurements, there is no appropriate hierarchic compensation for residents suffering from different degrees of light pollution. It is therefore important to measure light pollution levels and their damage at the neighborhood scale to provide residents with basic materials for proper protection and to create more politically suitable solutions. This article presents a light pollution assessment method that is easy to perform, is low-cost, and has a short data-processing cycle. This method can be used to monitor residential zone light pollution in other cities. We chose three open areas to test the spatial variation pattern of light intensity. The results are in accordance with spatial interpolation patterns and can be fit, with high precision, using the IDW method. This approach can also be used in 3 dimensions to quantitatively evaluate the distribution of light intensity distribution. We use a mixed-use zone in Beijing known as The Place as our case study area. The vertical illumination at the windows of residential buildings ranges from 2 lux to 23 lux; the illumination in some areas is far higher than the value recommended by CIE. Such severe light pollution can seriously interfere with people's daily lives and has a serious influence on their rest and health. The results of this survey will serve as an important database to assess whether the planning of night-time lighting is scientific and whether it provides residents with a basis for the protection of their rights.

Integrating ecosystem services (ESs) to delineate ecological functional zones (EFZs) is a fundamental work in terrestrial spatial planning and ecosystem management. However, existing studies have largely overlooked the refinement of EFZs at local scales, which hinders targeted and multi-scale ecosystem management. This study introduced a "two-step refinement zoning method" to address this gap, first using the self-organizing feature mapping method to delineate EFZs based on ESs at a township scale, and then applying hotspot overlay analysis to identify hotspots of dominant ESs within EFZs at a village scale. By overlaying the outcomes of these two steps, EFZs can be further graded by designating villages with hotspots of dominant ESs as level I and those without as level II. The proposed method was applied in Wuhan City, dividing it into five types of EFZs with different ESs combinations and land use compositions. Furthermore, 5.23% of villages were identified as Level I of EFZs, serving as advantageous areas of dominant ESs in the study area. On this basis, diversified management strategies and conservation priorities were proposed. This study provides a theoretical and methodological reference for terrestrial spatial planning and sustainable ecosystem management.

In this paper, we present a method for estimating GPS signals from visual information captured by a monocular camera mounted on a fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. The main challenge in visual odometry from aerial images is the computation of scale due to irregularities in the elevation of the terrain. That is, it is not possible to accurately convert from pixels in the image to meters in space, and the error accumulates. The contribution of this work is to reduce the accumulated error by comparing the images from the camera with satellite images. The algorithm has been tested in real-time experiments, and the results show that it is possible to eliminate the accumulated error using satellite images.

The importance of conflict analysis and safety considerations during work zone intervals at signalized intersections cannot be overstated, as these periods pose unique challenges and safety risks for both motorists and pedestrians. Work zones introduce temporary changes to traffic patterns, lane configurations, and signal timings, which can disrupt the flow of traffic and increase the likelihood of conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians. By conducting comprehensive conflict analysis, it is possible to identify potential conflict points, such as merging areas, pedestrian crossings, and lane transitions, and implement targeted safety measures to mitigate risks. Additionally, considering safety considerations during work zone intervals is paramount to safeguarding the well-being of road users and minimizing the occurrence of conflicts or collisions. Measures such as enhanced signage, temporary traffic control devices, and increased enforcement efforts can help promote compliance with traffic regulations and ensure the safe passage of vehicles and pedestrians through work zones. This study investigates the dynamics of traffic behavior and safety implications within work zones at signalized intersections, aiming to address key challenges and enhance intersection management strategies. Through comprehensive analysis, varying frequencies of Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) conflicts were observed across different movement directions, with significant occurrences identified in specific phases of the traffic signal cycle. Specifically, 69 V2V conflicts in phase #1, 181 in phase #2, 31 in phase #3, 207 in phase #4, 1 in phase #5, 274 in phase #6, 93 in phase #7, and 186 in phase #8 were recorded. Furthermore, the examination of Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P) conflicts underscored the importance of prioritizing pedestrian safety, with notable occurrences observed in phases associated with pedestrian crossing movements. Meanwhile, despite the closure of left-turn movements, instances of red light running persisted, with 69 red light running events in phase #1, 181 in phase #2, 31 in phase #3, 207 in phase #4, 1 in phase #5, 274 in phase #6, 93 in phase #7, and 186 in phase #8.To mitigate these safety concerns during work zone intervals, proactive measures are essential. Strategies include improving communication through clear signage and advanced warning systems, enhancing enforcement efforts with red light cameras and increased police presence, and investing in infrastructure improvements such as temporary pedestrian facilities. Integration of real-time data from sensors, particularly LiDAR technology, offers significant advantages in detecting conflicts and red light runners during work zone intervals. LiDAR's precise, real-time data on vehicle and pedestrian movements, combined with its 360-degree coverage and high spatial resolution, facilitates accurate detection and tracking of potential conflict scenarios, contributing to enhanced intersection safety and traffic management efficiency. This study endeavored to conduct a traffic safety analysis during work zone intervals at a signalized intersection in Baltimore City, known for its high rate of traffic crashes, utilizing LiDAR sensor technology.

(1) Background: The rapid expansion of 4G and 5G networks has raised public concerns about potential health risks associated with electromagnetic radiation. This study addresses these fears by investigating electromagnetic measurements in crowded squares, where human exposure is heightened. Despite rigorous scientific methodologies showing generally low levels of radiation from these technologies, public apprehension persists; (2) Methods: We conducted 496 measurements in Larissa's major squares, using a portable field strength analyzer and GIS mapping. Squares were categorized by traffic and population density; (3) Results: Low-traffic squares exhibited exposure ratios consistently below ICNIRP limits, with median values of 0.0012 and 0.00173 in non-active and active mobile phone cases, respectively. In high-traffic squares, the median exposure ratio was 0.00335 in non-active mobile phone cases, remaining below recommended limits; (4) Conclusions: These findings indicate no significant risk of electromagnetic radiation in crowded squares in Larissa, emphasizing the importance of factual communication and dispelling public misconceptions.

1) Background: Several studies have shown the benefit of drawing when learning anatomy. Virtual Reality (VR) also appears to be useful to increase the understanding of the location of anatomical structures. This study aims to describe how students in an Operating Room Nursing (OR nursing) master study program perceive the benefit of active learning methods, including drawing and the use of VR. 2) Methods: We combined these two methods in a class of 29 students. 38 half-finished drawings of anatomical structures were made. The students were to complete these during lectures with guidance from the teacher. The students also attended a two-hour VR session where they were to find various anatomical structures. A paper questionnaire was applied to evaluate the teaching program. Data were analyzed statistically. 3) Results: The students highly appreciated these learning methods. They reported that drawing made them work more actively during lectures and increased their learning outcome. They also perceived that the use of VR technology increased their understanding of the location of anatomical structures. 4) Conclusion: The combination of drawing and VR technology may be of benefit to OR Nursing students when learning anatomy by both increasing student activity and learning outcomes.

Riparian zones represent ecotones between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and are of utmost importance to biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Modelling/mapping of these valuable and fragile areas is needed for an improved ecosystem management, based on an accounting of changes and on monitoring of their functioning in time. In Europe, the main legislative driver behind this goal is the European Commission’s Biodiversity Strategy to 2020, on one hand aiming at reducing biodiversity loss, on the other hand enhancing ecosystem services by 2020, and restoring them as far as feasible. A model, based on Earth Observation data, including Digital Elevation Models, hydrological, soil, land cover/land use data, and vegetation indices is employed in a multi-modular and stratified approach, based on fuzzy logic and object based image analysis, to delineate potential, observed and actual riparian zones. The approach is designed in an open modular way, allowing future modifications and repeatability. The results represent a first step of a future monitoring and assessment campaign for European riparian zones and their implications on biodiversity and on ecosystem functions and services. Considering the complexity and the enormous extent of the area, covering 39 European countries, including Turkey, the level of detail is unprecedented. Depending on the accounting modus, 0.95%–1.19% of the study area can be attributed as actual riparian area (considering Strahler’s stream orders 3-8, based on the Copernicus EU-Hydro dataset), corresponding to 55,558–69.128 km². Similarly depending on the accounting approach, the potential riparian zones are accounted for about 3-5 times larger. Land cover/land use in detected riparian areas was mainly of semi-natural characteristics, while the potential riparian areas are predominately covered by agriculture, followed by semi-natural and urban areas.

The Active Distribution Networks (ADNs) are Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) systems with coupled dynamics which cause interactions among the control loops of the Distributed Energy Resources (DERs). This undesired effect lead to performance degradation in the voltage control. To mitigate the effects of these unavoidable coupling, the present paper proposes a systematic design procedure based on the analysis of the interaction's sources. In details, each DER is equipped with a double loop PI to control the active and reactive powers output by the Voltage Source Converter (VSC) which connects the DER to the network's node. Furthermore, to guarantee Ancillary Services (ASs), the two loops are coupled by a simple mechanism of cooperation of the active power to voltage regulation realized by a filtered droop law. To achieve voltage regulation with reduced loop interactions, the PI parameters and the filter's pulse are designed according to a two sequential steps procedure based on the (Internal Model Control) IMC technique. Simulation studies are finally presented to demonstrate that the proposed design method achieves both reduction of the loop interaction and robust voltage control in presence of model parameter uncertainty in the MIMO model.

Transition zones are in the places on the track, with a change in the basic composition of the railway body. There are many sections with a sudden change in the stiffness of the structures built. When the trains are running, a longitudinal shock wave is created from the wheels, which hits these building objects with a higher stiffness and deforms the surroundings of these zones. The greatest attention should be paid mainly to the transition points from the fixed track to the classic track with a track bed, including objects of the railway substructure such as bridges, portals of tunnels, etc. As part of the research sections on the main corridor lines, a long-term inspection and monitoring was carried out with a continuous measurement system using the KRAB trolley. Height changes in the deflections of rails are evidence of their behavior. The measurements took place on a fixed track and a track with a ballast. Changes in the height jumps between the fixed railway track and the track with a gravel bed are significant and have been recorded since the tracks were put into operation. These certain height deflections allow designers to develop new, more durable construction designs.

Determining precise boundaries and protective zones for historical and cultural objects enables their effective preservation. This is particularly crucial in the face of increasing tourism, urbanization, and natural disasters. Accurately defining boundaries and protective zones can aid in the planning of scientific research, archaeological excavations, and other studies aimed at exploring the history and cultural significance of these objects. The article presents the framework for establishing protective zones around historical and cultural heritage sites existing in Ukraine, using the example of the Citadel defensive complex located in Lviv (Ukraine). It proposes general and detailed conceptual models for the combined application of remote and non-invasive methods for investigating historical and cultural heritage sites. This conceptual article introduces the theory of integrating radar satellite imaging with ground-based georadar imaging. Additionally, it presents a software module that has been developed to analyze collected data on two-dimensional historical and cultural heritage objects, refine their boundaries, and establish protective zones around them.

The autonomous displacement and displacement measurement functions of the maglev ruler are performed by the mover core. The stability of the four magnetic field in air gaps and the levitation position of the maglev ruler is one of the key factors for the stability of the thrust force on the power core, and it is also one of the key factors for ensuring the precision of the maglev ruler. There is cross-coupling between the two ends of the mover core of the maglev ruler, resulting in a strongly coupled, nonlinear, multi-input and multi-output system for the levitating system of the maglev ruler. This paper establishes a mathematical model for the levitating system of the maglev ruler, and designs a levitating control system for the maglev ruler based on ADRC control algorithm to achieve decoupling and disturbance suppression. Through simulation analysis and experimental testing of the levitating system with starting and disturbance, it is proved that the levitating control system of the maglev ruler has good dynamic characteristics, static characteristics, and robustness.

This research concerns in to understand the link between urban heat and cool island, the Local Climatic Zones (LCZ) and atmospheric systems during the winter season in the city of Balneário Camboriú, Southern Brazil. To collect meteorological data on urban environmental, 11 permanent points in the Balneário Camboriú metropolitan region were installed. To understand the atmos-pheric systems operating in the region, a synoptic analysis of the dates was performed, and then, the LCZs map created for the city in World Urban Database and Acess Portal Tools was used to cor-relate the magnitudes of the heat and cool islands found in Balneário Camboriú in the winter period. The results indicate that the increasing verticalization with the construction of skyscrapers in Balneário Camboriú has a significant influence on local conditions for the occurrence of heat and cold islands. The findings indicate that LCZs with sparsely distributed buildings (LCZs 6, 8 and 9) and LCZs with dense vegetation (LCZ A) have lower intensity magnitudes of heat and cool con-ditions. The biggest magnitudes of heat and cool islands were reported in LCZs 1 and 3 during the timeframe. The synoptic analysis supports earlier researches that points to atmospheric stability (Anticyclonic domain) as a favorable atmospheric setting for the emergence of urban hear and coolness islands.

In this paper we explore the known connection among sustainability, resilience, and well-being within the framework of active inference. Initially, we revisit how the notions of well-being and resilience intersect within active inference before defining sustainability. We adopt a holistic concept of sustainability denoting the enduring capacity to meet needs over time without depleting crucial resources. It extends beyond material wealth to encompass community networks, labor, and knowledge. Using the Free Energy Principle, we can emphasize the role of fostering resource renewal, harmonious system-entity exchanges, and practices that encourage self-organization and resilience as pathways to achieving sustainability, both in an agent and in collectives. We start by connecting Active Inference with well-being, building on exsiting work. We then attempt to link resilience with sustainability, asserting that resilience alone is insufficient for sustainable outcomes. While crucial for absorbing shocks and stresses, resilience must be intrinsically linked with sustainability to ensure that adaptive capacities do not merely perpetuate existing vulnerabilities. Rather, it should facilitate transformative processes that address the root causes of unsustainability. Sustainability, therefore, must manifest across extended timescales and all system strata, from individual components to the broader system, to uphold ecological integrity, economic stability, and social well-being. We explain how sustainability manifests at the level of an agent, and then at the level of collectives and systems. To model and quantify the interdependencies between resources and their impact on overall system sustainability, we introduce the application of network theory and dynamical systems theory. We emphasize the optimization of precision or learning rates through the active inference framework, advocating for an approach that fosters the elastic and plastic resilience necessary for long-term sustainability and abundance.

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of solution of ethanol extractions of different microalgae species: Spirulina sp., Dunaliella sp. and Chlorella sp. on the accumulation of biologically active compounds in tomato fruits. Ethanol solution as well as treatment with drinking water were used as a control. Tomato cultivar ‘Belle’ F1 (Enza Zaden) was grown in 25 L pots, in peat substrate (pHKCl 5.5, producer Laflora LTd), polycarbonate greenhouse. Chemical composition – total carotenoids, lycopene and β-carotene content, total phenolics and anthocyanins, organic acids, vitamin C as well as dry matter, pH and soluble solids content – was determined in tomato fruits at the stage of full ripen. The influence of tested extracts on biologically active compounds on quality parameters of tomatoes was different, but no negative effect was observed. As only pH values as well as total phenol content and total soluble solids had statistically significant differences, results can be described with genetical stability of the cultivar.

The investigation of exoplanetary habitability is integral to advancing our knowledge of extraterrestrial life potential and detailing the environmental conditions of distant worlds. In this analysis, we explore the properties of exoplanets situated with respect to circumstellar habitable zones by implementing a sophisticated filtering methodology on data from the NASA Exoplanet Archive. This research encompasses a thorough examination of 5,595 confirmed exoplanets listed in the Archive as of March 10th, 2024, systematically evaluated according to their calculated surface temperatures and stellar classifications of their host stars, taking into account the biases implicit in the methodologies used for their discovery. Our findings elucidate distinctive patterns in exoplanetary attributes, which are significantly shaped by the spectral classifications and mass of the host stars. The insights garnered from our study not only enhance the existing models for managing burgeoning exoplanetary datasets, but also lay foundational groundwork for future explorations into the dynamic relationships between exoplanets and their stellar environments.

Retinal vein cannulation involves puncturing an occluded vessel on the micron scale. Even single millinewton force can cause permanent damage. An ophthalmic robot with a piezo-driven injector is precious enough to perform this delicate procedure, but the uncertain viscoelastic characteristics of the vessel makes it difficult to achieve the desired contact force without harming the retina. The paper utilizes a viscoelastic contact model to explain the mechanical characteristics of retinal blood vessels in order to tackle this issue. The uncertainty in the viscoelastic properties is considered an internal disturbance of the contact model, and an active disturbance rejection controller is then proposed to precisely control the contact force. The experimental results show that this method can precisely adjust the contact force at the millinewton level even when the viscoelastic parameters vary significantly (up to 403.8%). The root mean square (RMS) and maximum value of steady-state error are 0.32 mN and 0.41 mN. The response time below 2.51 s with no obvious overshoot.

An active power dispatch method for a microgrid (MG) with multi-type loads, renewable energy sources (RESs) and distributed energy storage devices (DESDs) is the focus of this paper. The MG operates in a grid-connected model, and distributed power sources contribute to the service for load demands. The outputs of multiple DESDs are controlled to optimize the active power dispatch. Our goal with optimization is to reduce the economic cost under time-of-use (TOU) price, and to adjust the excessively high or low load rate of distributed transformers (DTs) caused by the peak-valley demand and load uncertainties. To simulate a practical environment, the stochastic characteristics of multi-type loads are formulated. The transition matrix of system state is provided. Then, a finite-horizon Markov decision process (FHMDP) model is established to describe the dispatch optimization problem. A learning-based technique is adopted to search the optimal joint control policy of multiple DESDs. Finally, simulation experiments are performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, and the fuzzification analysis of the method is presented.

New furan, thiophene and triazole oximes were synthesized through several-step reaction paths to investigate their potential for development of central nervous systems (CNS)-active and cholinesterase-targeted therapeutics in organophosphorus compound (OP) poisonings. Acute OP poisoning is still a challenge in treating patients despite the development of a large number of oxime compounds that should have the capacity to reactivate acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). The activity of these two enzymes, crucial for neurotransmission, are blocked by the OP, which has the consequence of disturbing normal cholinergic nerve signal transduction in the peripheral and CNS, leading to cholinergic crisis. Oximes in use have one or two pyridinium rings and cross the brain–blood barrier poorly due to the quaternary nitrogen. Following our recent study on 2-thienostilbene oximes, in this paper we described the synthesis of 63 heterostilbene derivatives out of which 26 oximes were tested as inhibitors and reactivators of AChE and BChE inhibited by OP nerve agents – sarin and cyclosarin. While the majority of oximes were potent inhibitors of both enzymes in micromolar range, we identified several oximes as BChE or AChE selective inhibitors with a potential for drug development. Moreover, even oximes were poor reactivators of AChE, four heterocyclic derivatives reactivated the cyclosarin-inhibited BChE up to 70%, and cis,trans-5 [2-((Z)-2-(5-((E)-(hydroxyimino)methyl)thiophen-2-yl)vinyl)benzonitrile] had comparable reactivation efficacy to the standard oxime HI-6. In silico analysis and molecular docking studies connected the kinetic data to the structural features of these oximes, and confirmed their productive interactions with the active site of the cyclosarin-inhibited BChE. Based on inhibition and reactivation and their ADMET properties regarding lipophilicity, CNS activity, and hepatotoxicity, these compounds could be considered for further development of CNS-active reactivators in OP poisoning as well as cholinesterase-targeted therapeutics in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Analyzing the impacts of urban landscape patterns on the thermal environment has become one of the key research areas in addressing urban heat islands (UHI) and improving the living environment. A case study was carried out in Fuzhou, Fujian Province of China, to quantify the spatial patterns of urban landscape and land surface temperature (LST) in different development areas. The contribution of the thermal environment and the factors influencing the heterogeneity of LST were analyzed and discussed. In this study, bi-temporal Landsat imagery was selected to calculate LST, percent impervious surface area (ISA), and fractional vegetation cover (FVC). The urban area was further divided into three concentric urban zones, ranging from the city center to the urban periphery, based on urban development densities. The spatial pattern of LST and its variance were analyzed and compared between different zones and different dates. The thermal environment contribution of different zones was also quantified to indicate the change in urban landscape pattern resulting from urban expansion in different zones. Furthermore, Geodetector was used to explore the single factors and interaction factors controlling the spatial patterns of LST in each zone. The results showed that (ⅰ) Urban expansion primarily increased in zone 2 and zone 3, and the areal proportion of high and sub-high LST areas increased from 56.11% and 21.08% to 62.03% and 32.49% in zone 2 and zone 3, respectively, from 2004 to 2021; (ⅱ) The heat effect contribution of zones 2 and 3 reached from 75.16% in 2004 to 89.40% in 2021, indicating that the increase of ISA with >LSTmean was more pronounced in zone 3 and zone 2 during the period; (ⅲ) The driving factors of LST spatial distribution were regionally different because of the different landscape patterns, and the explanatory power for the heterogeneity of LST in zone 1 was weaker than that in zone 2 and zone 3 in the study area; (ⅳ) The interaction of different factors had a higher explanatory power on the spatial distribution of LST than a single factor in each zone because the distributions of land cover types are heterogeneous in urban area. The results of the study can be used to improve urban planning for urban ecology and UHI mitigation.

The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomic analysis was applied to investigate the differences within nineteen Sicilian Nocellara del Belice mono varietal Extra Virgin Olive Oils (EVOO), grown in two zones different for altitude and soil composition. Several classes of endogenous olive oil metabolites were quantified through a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) three-experiment protocol coupled with a yet developed data-processing called MARA-NMR. This method, taking around one-hour experimental time per sample, faces the possible quantification of different class of compounds at different concentration’s range which would require at least three alternative traditional methods. NMR results were compared with the data of traditional analytical methods to quantify free fatty acidity (FFA), fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), and total phenol content. The presented NMR methodology is compared with traditional analytical practices and its consistency is also tested through slightly different data treatment. Despite the rich literature about the NMR of EVOOs, the paper points out that there are still several advances potentially improving this general analysis and overcoming the other cumbersome and multi-devices analytical strategies. Monovarietal EVOO’s composition is mainly affected by pedoclimatic conditions in turn relaying upon the nutritional properties, quality, and authenticity. Data collection, analysis and statistical processing are discussed touching the important issues related to the climate changes in Sicily and to the specific influence of pedoclimatic conditions.

Obesity is related to the establishment of chronic inflammation and metabolic diseases, but it can be positively influenced by the regular practice of physical activity. The study aimed to compare the anthropometric, metabolic, and inflammatory parameters of physically active Military Police Officers (MPOs) with those who are less physically active. Sixty male MPOs, low activity (n=28) and physically active (n=32) participated. The following parameters were measured: plasma cytokine levels, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, circulating glucose triglyceride (TAG) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, and plasma glutamic oxalacetate transaminase (GOT), glutamic-pyruvate transaminase (GPT), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) activities. The physically active group presented lower body fat and reduced TAG and IL-8 levels compared to the low activity group. Moreover, a negative correlation between SPE and SBP, DBP, BPM was detected for the physically active group (p<0.05) but not in the low activity group. Furthermore, the physically active group's work time (WT) values were not correlated with the important metabolic markers SBP, DBP, BPM, GLU, TAG (p>0.05) but could be in the low activity group (p<0.05). These findings highlight the fundamental protective role of physical activity in controlling body composition, subclinical inflammation, and cardiovascular risk in MPOs.

Energy harvesting is an emerging topic recently. This harvested energy is used to operate wireless sensors for different industrial monitoring and automation. To maximize the harvested energy in spinning systems, the harvester should vibrate at resonance for different spinning frequencies which can be achieved by active fitting. In this research, a novel methodology was developed by actively customizing the length of vibrating element beam to manipulate its natural frequency according to the spinning frequency. Different models were investigated numerically and experimentally to verify the proposed methodology. COMSOL Multiphysics software V5.1 was used to develop the numerical model, then and tip deformation and voltage difference results were benchmarked. The numerical model was verified experimentally by attaching a piezoelectric MIDE PPA 1021 which its vibrating length was varied by changing the supporting length from 0 mm to 12 mm to a spinning object having variable frequency from 0-200 Hz. It is found that the MIDE PPA 1021 beam vibrated at its resonance throughout the specified spinning frequencies. The proposed harvester can be applied in battery-free sensors being used in automotives, wind-mills blades, and rotating machinery.

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.

Vehicular traffic in urban areas continues to be a constant challenge today, due to the continuous population growth and the increase of vehicles in circulation. Vehicular congestion, as a recurrent problem, generates a negative impact on urban mobility and citizens’ quality of life. It is hypothesized that a dynamic clustering method of vehicle trajectory data can provide an accurate and up-to-date representation of real-time traffic behavior. To evaluate this hypothesis, data were collected from three different cities: San Francisco, Rome and Guayaquil. A dynamic clustering algorithm was applied to identify traffic congestion patterns and an indicator was applied to identify and evaluate the congestion conditions of the areas. The results show a high precision and recall in congestion classification compared to a method based on static cells.

Trematode infections cause long-term suffering and debilitation, posing a significant threat to global animal health and production and leading to considerable economic losses. Studies on the epidemiology and control of these infections in Tanzania are limited, and most have been conducted in abattoir settings. The study aims to fill the knowledge gap by determining the prevalence, distribution, and risk factors for trematode infections in domesticated ruminants in two ecological zones of Tanzania. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Lake Victoria and the southern highlands of Tanzania. Rectal fecal samples were collected and examined for Fasciola spp., paramphistomes, and schistosome infections using the sedimentation technique. A total of 1367 domesticated ruminants were sampled and examined for trematode infections. Prevalence of trematode infections was found to be 65.7%. The individual frequency of F. gigantica, paramphistomes, and S. bovis (based on egg morphology only,) was 35.1%, 60.2% and 3.1%, respectively. Adult cattle were more likely to be infected with paramphistomes (AOR: 1.98; 95% CI: 1.40-2.78) and S. bovis (AOR: 8.5; 95% CI: 1.12–64.19) than weaners. It was found that trematode infections in domesticated ruminants are prevalent across Tanzania, therefore effective and community-acceptable prevention and control strategies are highly needed.

In the Ebro Delta, the abundance of burrowing bivalves has dramatically decreased, with the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, being blamed by shellfish collectors. Trends from 2010 evidence a decrease in the capture of clams (Ruditapes spp.) before 2016 (start of blue crab fisheries), although further decline of both clam and cockle (Cerastoderma glaucum) occurred in 2018. In contrast, captures of razor clam (Ensis siliqua) have increased by 3.6-fold since 2016. Predation risk for these taxa with contrasting burrowing capacities (1.7 ± 0.3cm, 0.4 ± 0.2cm, and 26.3 ± 0.1cm, respectively), was assessed using predation preference (N= 5 tanks; 5 individuals of each species) and no-choice experiments (N= 5 tanks; 15 individuals) in the absence and in the presence of sand. Results showed that in the absence of sand, the razor clam, was fully preyed in 24h, clams in 96h, and cockles reached 60% after 144h. Conversely, when sand was present, only 4% of razor clams were predated, while clams and cockles reached 60-100% in 120-144h. No-choice results featured similar patterns depending on substrate availability. Overall, clams and cockles appear to be greatly vulnerable to blue crab predation, whereas the razor clam may escape thanks to its deeper burrowing capacity.

Student-centered active learning (SCAL) shifts the focus from the teacher to the student. Implementing SCAL requires the development of new forms of assessment beyond memorization and comprehension. This paper aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of SCAL by analyzing student performance at different cognitive levels. In flipped classrooms, students completed tasks with varying cognitive demands. The tests measured knowledge (level 1), comprehension (level 2), application (level 3) and analysis (level 4). This approach to assessment assesses not only the acquisition of content, but also skills that are critical to a health science student's future career. The results of expository learning were compared with student-centered collaborative learning in the Anatomy and Embryology I course over three academic years. Student opinions were collected through 326 anonymous Wooclap® surveys. No differences in performance were found for low cognitive level questions. However, SCAL significantly improved performance on higher cognitive level questions that required problem solving and application of knowledge. Despite the benefits of SCAL, it requires more effort from both teachers and students. The current assessment system, which measures the quality of teaching, penalizes this effort and requires teachers to believe strongly in the effectiveness of SCAL.

Sea cucumber peptides are small molecular peptides with biological function obtained from fresh sea cucumber as feedstock, which were hydrolyzed by protease, separated ,and purified. As the main product of sea cucumber refinement, it more accurately expresses the nutritional effect of sea cucumber and has a wide range of potential applications. It has been demonstrated that sea cucumber has a certain value-added effect on bone mineral density regulation, but the differences in bone mineral density regulation of extracts from different parts of sea cucumber and the techniques contributing to the efficient isolation of bone sea cucumber peptides have not been reported. Firstly, the aim of this study was to reveal the differences in osteogenic activities of enzymatic peptides from three major parts of sea cucumber: the body wall, the egg protein, and the intestinal protein. Then, the bone-enhancing sea cucumber peptides were isolated based on the characteristics of the dif-ferences in molecular weight distribution, hydrophilicity, and ionisation degree of sea cucumber, and to explore the possible mechanisms of their action. The findings indicated that sea cucumber peptides extracted from three distinct sites exhibited a dose-dependent enhancement of osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. Upon evaluating the three methods of sea cucumber peptide separation based on molecular weight distribution, hydrophilicity, and ionization, it was observed that the fraction isolated by hydrophobicity and

Underreporting is the main limitation of the spontaneous reporting systems. This study aims to reduce underreporting enhancing public participation in vaccinovigilance through an SMS-based reporting system integrated with electronic immunization registries (IRs). Using the VigiVax software, parents of vaccinated children aged 2 years or younger received a single SMS inquiry about adverse events following immunization (AEFI). Responses were collected, validated by health operators and integrated with the information on IRs. AEFI reports were automatically submitted to the Italian Pharmacovigilance system. Among 254,160 SMS messages sent, corre-sponding to 451,656 administered doses (AD), 71,643 responses were collected (28.2% response rate), 21,231of them (8.3%) reporting an AEFI. After seriousness assessment based on clinical criteria, 50 reports (0,24%) were classified as serious. Among these, causality assessment identi-fied 31 reports at least potentially related to the vaccination (RR: 6.86/100,000 AD). Febrile seizures following MMRV vaccination accounted for 11 of these 31 cases, with an incidence of 32 per 100,000 AD. No fatal outcomes were reported. Our findings support the highly favorable risk profile of pediatric vaccinations and the possibility to improve spontaneous reporting through the integration of digital technologies.

Identifying locations of landslide slip surfaces provides critical information for understanding the volume of landslides and the scale of disasters, which is essential for formulating disaster preparedness and mitigation strategies. Based on hydrogeological survey data from 24 deep-seated landslide-prone sites in Taiwan's mountainous regions, this study first developed the hydraulic conductivity potential index (HCPI) using principal component analysis to quantify hydraulic properties of disturbed rock formation with six geological factors. Then, The regression analysis was performed to construct a permeability estimation model for the geological environment of landslides. Finally, the established model was utilized to develop an identification method for potential slip depths in landslide-prone sites. Results indicated a strong relation between HCPI and hydraulic conductivity with a determination coefficient of 0.895. The relation equation confirmed that its generated data concerning the depths of significant changes in hydraulic conductivity could be used to identify potential slip surfaces. Additionally, this study successfully establishes a rule for identifying potential slip zones by summarizing data concerning the generated hydraulic conductivity profiles, stratigraphic lithology, existing inclinometer slip depth records, and groundwater level of landslide sites. This identification method was then applied to predict potential slip depths for ten landslide sites where slip surfaces have not yet occurred. These findings offer a new alternative to having early information on potential sliding depths for timely disaster management and control implementation.

Electrowetting display (EWD) device is a new type of electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) equipment which can achieve a paper-like display effect under the control of electric field. In this microfluidic system, the stability of grayscale could be affected by various factors, such as the physicochemical properties of materials, device structure, and electric field distribution. To improve the grayscale stability of active matrix electrowetting displays (AM-EWDs), the impact of different polarities of driving voltage on oil backflow was investigated in this study. Based on the driving principles of AM-EWD, an optimized inter-frame bipolar reset driving waveform was designed to overcome oil backflow. The proposed driving waveform maintained the stability of the oil state by periodically and rapidly releasing trapped charges in the dielectric layer through a reverse driving voltage. Additionally, the effect of feed through voltage on the pixel driving voltage was eliminated by compensating for the driving voltage on common electrode. Finally, the performance of the designed driving waveform was evaluated with a 6-inch AM-EWD driving platform. Compared to the conventional unipolar reset driving waveform, the backflow speed decreased by 2.70 a.u./s. The standard deviation of the display luminance was also reduced by 11.24 a.u. Experimental results indicated that both the oil backflow speed and the fluctuation range of luminance were effectively suppressed by the proposed driving waveform.

This academic article examines the effectiveness of international humanitarian intervention in conflict zones. Humanitarian intervention refers to the use of military, diplomatic, or economic measures by external actors to protect civilians, promote human rights, and alleviate suffering in areas affected by armed conflict. The research employs a comprehensive approach, incorporating content analysis, case study, and historical analysis in its methodology. It explores the key challenges faced by international actors in implementing humanitarian interventions and evaluates their impact on conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction. Through this thorough analysis of case studies and scholarly literature, this article contributes to the ongoing debate surrounding the efficacy of international humanitarian intervention.

Unevenly distributed rainfall leads to reduced potato water productivity (WP) under rainfed production. Understanding practices that can increase WP is vital. Objectives were to (i) understand seasonal variables that influence WP under rainfed conditions and (ii) the effect of the integration of cultivar, locality, mulch on potato WP. The study was under two agroecological zones Appelsbosch (Mbalenhle locality), and Swayimane (Stezi, and Mbhava locality), under smallholder. A split plot, in a randomized complete block design experiment, consists of mulching (mulch and not mulch), and selected cultivars. Soil water content (SWC), yield, and climatic conditions were collected, water use (ET) and WP were calculated. Rainfall, ET, and SWC had a significant influence on seasonal WP. Cultivar x mulch x locality had an insignificant effect on WP, however, locality x cultivars significantly altered potato WP. Localities that had lower vapor pressure deficit (VPD), low relative humidity, and sandy soil had higher potato WP of 14.53 kg m-3. The findings suggest that localities that have less atmospheric dryness and cultivars that show stability of yield across seasons can be an easy-to-apply practice for increasing potato WP under a resource-limited environment. Mulch is important when the distribution of intra-annual rainfall does not match crop water requirements.

L-gulonolactone oxidase enzyme (GULO) catalyzes the last step of L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) biosynthesis. This enzymatic activity is lost in primates. The full-length rat GULO has been previously produced in plants and demonstrated to be active. In this study, we compare activity of two variants of GULO produced in Escheriachia coli cells, full-length rat GULO (fGULO) and its C-terminal catalytic domain (cGULO). The expression and purification of the recombinant proteins were optimised and their biological activity was confirmed by two methods, the GULO activity assay in the protein extracts and the ‘in-gel’ staining for GULO activity. Both variants of recombinant GULO were biologically active in both assays. However, cGULO is more promising than fGULO for ascorbic acid production because it is more efficiently produced by bacteria.

The objective of this study was to carry out the extraction and characterization of chitin and chitosan from the exoskeletons of the Farfantepenaeus californiensis species of shrimp, as well as its application in the formulation of polymeric films plasticized with glycerol used in the process of food packaging. The characterization of the extracted polymer was made by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and physicochemical analysis of chitin and chitosan, resulting in a theoretical performance of 29.33% and 16.46%, respectively. In terms of quality, it was determined that the extracted chitosan had a molecular weight of 1.10 x105 g/mol and a deacetylation degree of 80.23%, which classifies it as a low-molecular weight chitosan, suitable for food packaging. It was shown that the extracted chitosan is fit for the production of the films by using the casting method, presenting a tension resistance of 1 MPa. The Antibacterial analysis was carried out using Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli), bacterial models commonly found in food. The results showed an effective inhibition capability of the polymeric materials. Overall, the results for both chitosan and the films indicate a high potential for application in the food packaging sector.

Global warming and climate change have been the major concern for multiple disciplines. Population growth, urbanization, and industrialization are major contributing factors to such a problem by escalating the use of fossil fuels to meet their energy demands. The building sector has the largest share in using the total globally produced energy and emitting tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Emerging eco-friendly technologies such as solar and wind energy harvesting are being extensively explored but still, they are insufficient. Nature-inspired technologies can be the solution to our problem. For instance, algae are microorganisms that use water, light, and CO2 to produce energy and sustain life. Exploiting such characteristics in the built environment is termed algae building technology, a very efficient and green application for a sustainable future. Algae-integrated façades show great versatility through biomass and energy production, wastewater treatment, shading, and thermal and acoustic insulation. In this paper, algae will be introduced as a robust tool toward a greener and more sustainable future, The algae-building technology and its implementation will be demonstrated. Steps for applying this sustainable approach in Egypt will be discussed.

In contemporary construction, the prevalence of vibration serviceability issues in lightweight and slender structures has become increasingly common, owing to advancements in building materials and construction methods. While these structures often meet the criteria for ultimate limit states, they can still elicit complaints due to excessive vibrations induced by human activity. To address this challenge, the Integral Resonant Control (IRC) technique has emerged as a favored approach for actively damping vibrations in various systems. This study introduces a fresh perspective on implementing a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) IRC scheme for active vibration control (AVC) specifically tailored for pedestrian structures utilizing inertial mass actuators. Building upon a common framework and design methodology outlined in previous research, this work presents a novel application of MIMO IRC for AVC. The designed controller is rigorously tested and implemented on a laboratory floor structure to validate its efficacy.

The pharmacological effects of the fruiting body of Ophiocordyceps sinensis (Os) exerted antioxidant, anti-virus, and immunomodulatory, whereas the anti-inflammatory effects and active components of Os mycelial submerged culture (OMSC) are not known. This study aimed to investigate the active compounds in the fermented liquid (FLOS), hot water (WEOS), and 50-95% (EEOS-50, EEOS-95) ethanol extracts of OMSC and their anti-inflammatory effects and potential mechanisms in LPS-stimulated microglial BV2 cells. The results demonstrated that all of the OMSC extracts could inhibit NO production in BV2 cells. EEOS-95 exhibited the strongest inhibitory effects (41 % inhibitory ability at 500 µg/mL), and its ergosterol, GABA, total phenolic, and total flavonoid contents were significantly higher than those of the other extracts (18.60, 18.60, 2.28, and 2.14 mg/g, p &lt; 0.05, respectively). EEOS-95 also has a strong inhibitory ability against IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α with IC50 of 617, 277 and 507 µg/mL, respectively, which is higher than that of 1 mM melatonin. The anti-inflammatory mechanism of EEOS-95 seems to be associated with up-regulation of PPAR-γ/Nrf-2/HO-1 antioxidant-related expression and down-regulation of NF-κB/COX-2/iNOS pro-inflammatory expression signaling. Therefore, we hypothesized that EEOS-95 can prevent neurodegenerative diseases, but the effect on the application in vivo should be further investigated.

No matter where we reside, the issue of greenhouse gas emissions impacts us all. Their influence has a disastrous effect on the earth's climate, producing global warming and many other irreversible environmental impacts, even though it is occasionally invisible to the independent eye. Phase change materials (PCMs) can store and release heat when it is abundant during the day (e.g., from solar radiation), for use at night, or on chilly days when the building needs to be heated. As a consequence, buildings use less energy to heat and cool, which lowers greenhouse gas emissions. Consequently, research on thermally active medium-density fiberboard (MDF) with PCMs is presented in this work. MDF is useful for interior design and furniture manufacturing. The boards were created using pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and spruce (Picea abies L.) fibers, urea-formaldehyde resin, and PCM powder, with a phase transition temperature of 22 oC, density of 785 kg m−3, the latent heat capacity of 160 kJ kg−1, the volumetric heat capacity of 126 MJ m−3, the specific heat capacity of 2.2 kJ kgK−1, the thermal conductivity of 0.18 W mK−1, and a maximum operating temperature of 200 °C. Five variants of MDF with PCM additive were developed: 0%, 5%, 10%, 30%, and 50%. According to the study, scores at the MOR, MOE, IB, and Screw Withdrawal Resistance (SWR) tests decreased when PCM content was added. However, the results of the thickness swelling and water absorption tests indicate that the PCM particles do not exhibit a substantial capacity to absorb water, retaining the dimensional stability of the MDF boards. The panel's thermal characteristics improved with increasing PCM concentration, according to the data. The density profiles of all the variations under consideration had a somewhat U-shaped appearance; however, the version with a 50% PCM content had a flatter form and no obvious layer compaction on the panel surface. Therefore, certain of the mechanical and physical characteristics of the manufactured panels can be enhanced by a well-chosen PCM addition.

Unsupported sleepers or void zones in ballasted tracks are one of the most recent and frequent track failures. The void failures have the property of intensive development that, without timely maintenance measures, can cause the appearance of cost-expensive local instabilities like subgrade damages. The reason of the intensive void development lies in the mechanics of the sleeper and ballast bed interaction. The particularity of the interaction is a dynamic impact that occur due to void closure. Additionally, void zones cause inhomogeneous ballast pressure distribution between the void zone and fully supported neighbour zones. The present paper is devoted studying the mechanism of the sleeper-ballast dynamic impact in the void zone. The results of experimental in-situ measurements of rail deflections showed the significant impact accelerations in the zone even for light-weight slow vehicles. A simple 3-beam numerical model of track and rolling stock interaction has shown the similar to the experimental measurements dynamic interaction. Moreover, the model shows that the sleeper accelerations are more than 3 times higher than the corresponding wheel accelerations and the impact point appear before the wheel enters the impact point. The analysis of ballast loadings shows the specific impact behaviour in combination with the quasistatic part that is different for void and neighbour zones, which are characterised with high ballast pre-stressed conditions. The analysis of void sizes influence demonstrate that the impact loadings, wheel and sleeper maximal accelerations appear at certain void depth after which the values decrease. The ballast quasistatic loading analysis indicates more than twice increase of the ballast loading in neighbour zones for long voids and almost full quasistatic unloading for short length voids. However, the used imitation model cannot explain the nature of the dynamic impact. The mechanism of the void impact is clearly explained by the analytic solution using a simple clamped beam. A simplified analytical expression of the void impact velocity shows that it is linearly related to the wheel speed and loading. The comparison to the numerically simulated impact velocities shows a good agreement and the existence of the void depth with the maximal impact. An estimation of the long-term influences for the cases of normal sleeper loading, high ballast pre-stress and quasistatic loading in the neighbour zones and high impact inside the void are performed.

A comprehensive multi-jet physics program is anticipated for experiments at future colliders. Key physics processes necessitate detectors that can distinguish signals from W and Z bosons and the recently discovered Higgs boson. Typical examples include channels with W^{+}W^{-} or Z^{o}Z^{o} pairs and processes involving New Physics, in those cases where neutral particles must be disentangled from charged ones due to the presence of W or Z bosons in their final states. Such a physics program demands calorimetric energy resolution at or beyond the limits of traditional calorimetric techniques. Multiple-readout calorimetry, which aims to reduce fluctuations in energy measurements of hadronic showers, is a promising approach. The first part of this article reviews dual and triple readout calorimetry within a mathematical framework describing the underlying compensating mechanism. The second part proposes a potential implementation using an integrally active and total absorption detector. This model serves as the basis for several Monte Carlo studies, illustrating how the response of a multiple-readout calorimeter depends on construction parameters. Among the layouts considered, one configuration operating in triple-readout mode shows the potential to achieve an energy resolution approaching 20\%/\sqrt{E}.

A discharge mixing zone (DMZ) is a defined geographical area or volume of water in the receiving environment of a discharge where initial dilution of the effluent occurs and where exceedance of water quality criteria may be permitted. DMZs are essential to inform determination of discharge consent conditions and an important element of risk management frameworks to reduce any effects of the discharges on the environment and human health. In this review, we describe the principles and technical application of DMZs. We present an overview of the physical processes that govern the dispersion and dilution of wastewater discharges and the fate of contaminants in coastal environments and define key criteria for determining the size of DMZs. We summarize DMZ requirements in international legislation and guidance and exemplify their application to different types of discharges by means of case studies. The selected case studies illustrate different modelling tools for defining DMZs and different monitoring approaches to assess their effectiveness in achieving ecological and human health objectives.

Mixed plastic packaging waste sorting residues (MPO323) were treated by thermal pyrolysis to utilize pyrolysis oil and char. The pyrolysis oil was found to contain aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons. Chlorine and bromine contents were up to 40,000 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg, respectively. Additionally, other elements like sulfur, phosphorous, iron, aluminum, and lead were detected, which can be interpreted as impurities regarding the utilization of the oils by means of chemical recycling. The pyrolysis char showed high contents of potentially active species like silicon, calcium, aluminum, iron, and others. To enhance the content of aromatic hydrocarbons and to reduce the level of contaminants, the pyrolysis oil was reformed with the corresponding pyrolysis char to act as an active material in a fixed bed. The temperature of the reactor and the flow rate of the pyrolysis oil feed were varied to gain insights on cracking and reforming reactions as well as on the performance with regard to decontamination.

Rhodiola rosea, a perennial herb from the Crassulaceae family, contains the bioactive compound salidroside, recognized as an adaptogen with significant therapeutic potential for bone metabolism. Salidroside promotes osteoblast proliferation and differentiation by activating critical signaling pathways, including bone morphogenetic protein-2 and adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, essential for bone formation and growth. It enhances osteogenic activity by increasing alkaline phosphatase activity and mineralization markers, while upregulating key transcription factors such as runt-related transcription factor 2 and osterix. Additionally, salidroside facilitates angiogenesis via the hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha and vascular endothelial growth factor pathway, crucial for coupling bone formation with vascular support. Its antioxidant properties offer protection against bone loss by reducing oxidative stress and promoting osteogenic differentiation through the nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 pathway. Salidroside's ability to counteract the negative effects of glucocorticoids on bone cells and prevent steroid-induced osteonecrosis, along with its anti-inflammatory properties, enhances its potential in treating conditions like osteoarthritis. These attributes underscore its multifaceted role in bone metabolism. This article reviews the literature, including in vitro and in vivo studies primarily on rodent models, demonstrating salidroside's efficacy in mitigating bone loss, preserving bone microarchitecture, and accelerating fracture healing. Future research directions to explore salidroside’s applications in bone-related diseases are also highlighted.

Climate change, increasing global food needs, and decreasing global resources brought a new era to human every-day live with a strong turn to circular economy and sustainability. Food packaging and preservation is an important global sector where enchanced research is carried out. New methods such as active packaging and chemical preservatives replacement are of major interest. Many researchers were published studies about active packaging films, replacement of chemical preservatives with natural originated extracts, and novel incorporation procedures. Sequentially to our and other scientists’ previous work, in this paper we present the results of the improvement which was achieved by incorporating the developed nanohybrid of natural-halloysite/carvacrol-extract, the pure natural carvacrol extract and the commonly used low-density-polyethylene. The well known corona-treatment procedure was employed to produced the optimum final film and the results shown that the low-density-polyethylene incorporated with natural-halloysite/carvacrol-extract nanohybrid and coated external with extra carvacrol extract exhibited aproximatelly 100% higher Young-Modulus values, slightly decreased ultimate strength by 20%, and almost stable elonation at break properties. The water-vapor and oxygen barrier increased by 40%. Finally, the antioxidant activity of the corrona-treated film increased by 28% compared to the similar but untreated product because of the lower release rate of the carvacrol.

Abstract Depending upon altitudinal gradient in the Himalayas, the rate of climate change varies from lowland to upland. The Chitwan Annapurna Landscape (CHAL) is the central part of the Himalayas and covers all bioclimatic zones. Analysis of time series data (1970-2019) of temperature and precipitation was carried out in seven bioclimatic zones extending from lowland Terai to higher Himalayas. The non-parametric Mann-Kendall test was applied to determine the trend, which was quantified by Sen’s slope. Annual and decade interval average temperature, precipitation trends, and lapse rate were analyzed in each bioclimatic zone. Out of seven bioclimatic zones, four zones showed a decreasing precipitation trend (lower tropical, upper tropical, upper subtropical, and alpine bioclimatic zones)at the rate of 1.8, 1.98, 2.06, and 1.80 mm/year, and in lower sub-tropical, temperate, and lower subalpine bioclimatic zones, increasing at the rate of 0.45, 1.81 and 1.28mm/year, respectively. Precipitation did not show any particular trend at decade intervals. The average annual temperature at different bioclimatic zones clearly indicates that temperature at higher elevations is significantly increasing more than at lower elevations. In lower tropical bioclimatic zone (LTBZ), upper tropical bioclimatic zone(UTBZ), lower subtropical bioclimatic zone (LSBZ), upper subtropical bioclimatic zone(USBZ), and temperate bioclimatic zone(TBZ), the average temperature increased by 0.022, 0.030, 0.036, 0.042 and 0.051oC/year, respectively. The decade level temperature scenario revealed that the hottest decade was from 1999-2009. The average temperature was found as 24.1, 21.8, 19.7, 17.5, and 13.3oC in LTBZ, UTBZ, LSBZ, USBZ, and TBZ, respectively, and the average annual precipitation in LTBZ, UTBZ, LSBZ, USBZ, TBZ, LBZ, and ABZ was 2002.1, 2613.1, 2223.9, 3146.9, 1447.2, 952.1, and 361.7mm/year, respectively, in CHAL. With the impact of climate change site and region-specific, this information highlights the need to mitigate climate change in different bioclimatic zones.

In the last 20 years, an increasing number of studies have been reported on membrane active peptides, which exert their biological activity by interacting with the cell membrane either to disrupt it and lead to cell lysis or to translocate through it to deliver cargos into the cell and reach their target. These peptides are attractive alternatives to currently used pharmaceuticals. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and peptides designed for drug and gene delivery currently in the drug pipeline suggest that these membrane active peptides will soon constitute a significant percentage of the drug market. Here, we focus on two most prominent classes of membrane active peptides; AMPs and cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs). AMPs are a group of membrane active peptides that disrupt the membrane integrity or inhibit the cellular functions of bacteria, virus and fungi. CPPs are another group of membrane active peptides that mainly function as cargo-carriers even though they may also show antimicrobial activity to some extent. Biophysical techniques to understand how they interact with the membrane have shed light on the peptide–membrane interaction at various levels of detail. Structural investigation of membrane active peptides in the presence of the membrane provides important clues on the effect of the membrane environment on peptide conformations. Advances in live imaging techniques have allowed examination of peptide action at a single cell or single molecule level. In addition to these experimental biophysical techniques, molecular dynamics simulations provided clues on the peptide-lipid interactions and dynamics of the cell entry process at atomic detail. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in experimental and computational investigation of membrane active peptides with particular emphasis on two amphipathic membrane active peptides, the AMP melittin and the CPP pVEC.

Open source software such as OpenDSS has given a lot of help to distribution network researchers and educators. With high penetration of distributed renewable energy resources into distribution network, tradition distribution steady state analysis software such as OpenDSS is faced with difficulty in handling distributed generators. Three-phase distributed generators are often modeled in sequence frame while unbalanced distribution network are usually modeled in phase frame. So a load flow in sequence-phase coupled frame is proposed to handle models described in both frames. Voltage controlled DGs which are difficult to cope with in OpenDSS are handled in proposed program. The steady state analysis platform is programmed with open source Modelica language and the main aim of this paper is to introduce an open source platform for active distribution network steady analysis include load flow and short circuit analysis which can be easily adopted and improved by other educators and researchers.

A three-year survey was conducted to estimate the incidence of grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) in Greece and identify fungi associated with the disease complex. In total, 310 vineyards in different geographical regions in northern, central, and southern Greece were surveyed, and 533 fungal strains were isolated from diseased vines. Morphological, physiological and molecular (5.8S rRNA gene-ITS sequencing) analyses revealed that isolates belonged to 35 distinct fungal genera, including well-known (e.g. Botryosphaeria sp, Diaporthe spp., Eutypa sp., Diplodia sp., Fomitiporia sp., Phaeoacremonium spp., Phaeomoniella sp.) and lesser-known (e.g. Neosetophoma sp., Seimatosporium sp., Didymosphaeria sp., Kalmusia sp.) grapevine wood inhabitants. GTDs-inducing population structure differed significantly among the discrete geographical zones. Phaeomoniella chlamydospora (26.62%, n=70), Diaporthe spp. (18.25%, n=48) and F. mediterranea (10.27%, n=27) were the most prevalent in Heraklion, whereas D. seriata, Alternaria spp., P. chlamydospora and Fusarium spp. were predominant in Nemea (central Greece). In Amyntaio and Kavala (northern Greece), D. seriata was the most frequently isolated species (&gt;50% frequency). Multi-genes (rDNA-ITS, LSU, tef1-α, tub2, act) sequencing of selected isolates, followed by pathogenicity tests revealed that Neosetophoma italica, Seimatosporium vitis, Didymosphaeria variabile and Kalmusia variispora caused wood infection with the former being the most virulent. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of N. italica associated with GTDs worldwide. This is also the first record of K. variispora, S. vitis and D. variabile associated with wood infection of grapevine in Greece. The potential associations of disease indices with vine age, cultivar, GTD-associated population structure and the prevailed meteorological conditions in different viticultural zones in Greece are presented and discussed.

Huperzine A is an herbal reversible inhibitor of Acetylcholinesterase (AChE). A molecular docking analysis on Huperzine A molecule has been carried out to understand its structure, conformational flexibility, intermolecular interaction and the binding affinity in the active site of AChE enzyme. Further, the charge density distribution of huperzine A molecule (lifted from the active site of AChE) was determined from the high level quantum chemical calculations coupled with charge density analysis. The binding affinity of Huperzine A towards AChE was calculated from the molecular docking; the lowest docked energy is -8.46 kcal/mol. In the active site, huperzine A molecule interacts with acyl binding pocket-Phe330 of AChE, that is, the bicyclo ring group of huperzine A forms an intermolecular interaction with the oxygen atom of main chain of the amino acid residue Phe330 at the distances 3.02 and 3.25 Å respectively. On the other hand, a gas phase study on huperzine A molecule also performed using HF and DFT (B3LYP) methods with the basis set 6-311G**. The molecular structure, conformation, and the charge density distribution of huperzine A molecule in the gas phase have determined using quantum chemical calculations and the charge density analysis. The comparative studies between the gas phase and the active site forms of huperzine A molecule, explicitly reveals the degree of conformational modification and the charge density redistribution of huperzine A when present in the active site. The dipole moment of the molecule in the active site is 6.85 D, which is slightly higher than its gas phase value (5.91 D). The electrostatic potential (ESP) surface of active site molecule clearly shows the strong electronegative and positive ESP regions of the molecule, which are the expected strong reactive locations of the molecule.

Originally developed to image the shadow region of the central black hole in Sagittarius A* and in the nearby galaxy M87, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) provides deep, very high angular resolution data on other AGN sources too. The challenges of working with EHT data have spurred the development of new image reconstruction algorithms. This work briefly reviews the status of the EHT and its utility for observing AGN sources, with emphasis on novel imaging techniques that offer the promise of better reconstructions at 1.3 mm and other wavelengths.

Today, enhancing food preservation and safety in the spirit of the bioeconomy suggests the use of biodegradable polymers such as poly-L-lactic acid (PLA) in food packaging and the replacement of chemical additives with natural antioxidant/antibacterial agents such as essential oils and their derivatives. Herein a novel carvacrol (CV) @ natural zeolite (NZ) nanohybrid was developed by employing a new vacuum adsorption desorption method which results in the adsorption of a high CV amount on NZ equal to 61.7 %wt. This CV@NZ nanohybrid was successfully dispersed in a PLA/triethyl citrate (TEC) matrix via a melt-extrusion process to obtain PLA/TEC/xCV@NZ nanocomposite films with 5, 10 and 15 CV@NZ %wt. content. PLA/TEC/xNZ films were also de-veloped for comparison. The overall study resulted in a biodegradable active film with the fol-lowing properties: 10%wt. CV@NZ content (PLA/TEC/10CV@NZ), self-healable properties, 22% higher tensile strength and 40% higher elongation at break, 45% higher water barrier and 40% higher oxygen barrier than pure PLA/TEC matrix. This film also provides high CV release content, high CV control release rate as well as significant antioxidant activity and antibacterial activity against the food pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enterica spp. enterica serovar Typhimurium. This film not only succeeds in extending the shelf-life of fresh pork minced, as shown by total variable count measurements in four days, but also prevents lipid oxidation of fresh minced pork and maintains the minced meat in higher nutritional conditions, as revealed by the heme iron content determination, and in a much better and acceptable sensory condition than the commercial packaging paper.

The object of study in the article is the auxiliary variable-frequency electric drive onboard of an AC electric locomotive, and more precisely, the structure and parameters of the control system of the active corrector of power factor (ACPF), which is part of the electric drive, as a unit that ensures electromagnetic compatibility of the electric drive with other equipment on board the electric locomotive and catenary and its energy efficiency. The topic of the article's research is the substantiation of the structure of the ACPF control system, the choice of types (transfer functions) of controllers and the calculation of their parameters. The research method chosen was the calculation of the transfer functions of the controllers of the cascaded loops control system, followed by computer simulation using the OrCAD software. The results of simulating a cascaded two loops control system of an ACPF with different types of controllers are presented and analytically compared. It is concluded that it is advisable to use a cascaded two loops control system, containing a voltage control loop and a current control loop. The best results show the simulation when using an aperiodic current controller (A-controller) and a proportional-integral voltage controller (PI-controller). The data obtained serve as the basis for further improvement of the operation of the ACPF by enhancing and optimizing the settings, structure and algorithms of the control system, which, with the selected hardware of power converter unit, will allow the ACPF to perform its functions with a high degree of reliability in an entire range of disturbing and control influences.

The olive wide genetic variability can be used to overcome some of the challenges faced by olive growing, including climate warming. One effect of climate warming in olive is the difficulty to fulfill the chilling requirements for flowering due to high winter temperatures. In the present work, we evaluate seven olive cultivars for their adaptation to high winter temperatures by comparing their flowering phenology in the standard Mediterranean climate of Cordoba, Southern Iberian Peninsula, with the Subtropical climate of Tenerife, Canary Islands. Flowering phenology in Tenerife was significantly earlier and longer than in Cordoba. However, genotype seems to have little influence on the effects of lack of winter chilling temperatures as in Tenerife. This even though the cultivars studied have a high genetic distance between them. In fact, all the cultivars tested in Tenerife flowered the three years under study but showing asynchronous flowering bud burst. Only ‘Arbequina’ showed an earlier day of full flowering than the rest of cultivars. The results observed here could be of interest to refine the phenological simulation models and including of the length of the flowering period. More genetic variability should be evaluated in warm winter conditions to look for adaptation to climate warming.

Current study was to estimation the post-harvest loss of avocado at the producer level using cross-sectional data obtained from 385 proportionately sampled respondents from Wolaita and Kembata Tembaro Zones, the SNNPR of Ethiopia. Descriptive and multiple regression analysis were used to the amount and determinant of post harvest loss of avocado fruits. Estimated total post harvest- loss of avocados was 24%; of which 5.7% unacceptable harvesting methods and 4.9% of improper storage practices. The respondent's sex, education, income, training, contact with extension agents, distance from the nearest road, and off-farm income were found to be negative determinants, whereas storage accessibility and avocado harvest techniques were found to be positive determinants of post-harvest loss of avocado fruits. Post-harvest management techniques for avocados need to be better understood and used by avocado growers if they are to minimize losses. Post-harvest losses contribute considerably to food insecurity and create a problem for the source of revenue for people and the economy of the country as well. Therefore, the use of a practical and effective post-harvest loss reduction technique could be a sustainable solution to increase food availability, eliminate hunger and improve farmers' livelihoods.

Current trends in systemic risk literature provide new insights into multi-hazard risks that interact and compound with built environments, creating more significant impacts on socio-economic and human systems. Recurrent natural hazards and extreme weather events are more likely to compound and cascade into more impactful events, especially in vulnerable societies. In small-island communities (SICS), including large archipelagos and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the long-term impact of multi-, compounding-, and cascading-hazards (MCC hazards) can result in persistent vulnerability and residual risks. This is due to delayed responses, limited resources, poverty, fewer evacuation options, and inadequate markets and infrastructure. Using Ternate, a densely populated small volcanic island in North Maluku, Indonesia, as a case study, this paper assesses the impacts of seven types of natural hazards: flash floods, landslides, extreme weather, extreme waves and abrasion, earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. The research focuses on the multi-hazard impact on population, land use, and infrastructure exposures in 60 villages in Ternate. The findings highlight population density, land use, and infrastructure exposure to multi-hazard risks, providing valuable information on potential losses in future hazard events.

The species Lactococcus lactis is the bacterium extensively used in dairy industry. This bacterium is generally recognized as safe which was added to the European Food Safety Authority Qualified Presumption of Safety list. The major functions of this species in dairy fermentation are production of lactic acid from lactose, citric acid fermentation and hydrolysis of casein. But the representatives of this species producing bacteriocin substances can exert an inhibitory effect against spoilage bacteria. The aim of this study was to test three lactococcal strains isolated from raw goat milk for their postbiotic activity and to test their stability in goat milk yogurts in encapsulated form for further application. To reach the aims, validated methods were used. Three postbiotic active Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis strains (identified by Blastn 16S rRNA analysis) from raw goat milk produced bacteriocin substances which in their concentrated form inhibited the growth of indicator enterococci and staphylococci up to 97.8 % with inhibitory activity up to 800 AU/mL. The encapsulated (freeze dried) lactococci fortified goat milk yogurts showed sufficient stability and survival in yogurts. The highest amount was reached using the strain MK2/8 (8.1 ± 0.0 cfu/g log 10) not influencing yogurt pH.

The Land Surface Temperature (LST) is an essential indicator for analyzing the Surface Urban Heat Island (SUHI). A factor contributing to its occurrence is the reflections of the different materials in urban and rural areas, which significantly affect the energy balance near the surface. Therefore, recent studies have increasingly used the Local Climate Zones (LCZ) classification system to discriminate those urban areas. Therefore, our study aims to do a systematic review using the PRISMA method of LCZ classification applied to understand the LST and the SUHI phenomenon. At first, it was found in the scientific literature 10,403 articles which, after passing through filtering stages, resulted in 51 that were further analyzed. Our results showed that these articles were very recent, beginning in 2016. However, presenting an increasing trend. China was the country with more studies. Landsat and TERRA/AQUA sensors appeared in 82% of the studies. The method that appears the most to LCZ definitions is from the World Urban Database. Finally, considering the current climatic changes, this systematic review can help new studies on SUHI identification through LCZ in different world areas using remote sensing data to estimate the LST.

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) manages an in-situ solar irradiance radiometric network of 13 stations and a very dense sunshine recording network; located in all six macro-climate zones of South Africa. A sparsely distributed radiometric network and over a landscape with dynamic climate and weather shifts is inadequate for solar energy studies and applications. Therefore, there is a need to develop mathematical models to estimate solar irradiation for a multitude of diverse climates. In this study, the annual regression coefficients, a and b, of the Ångström-Prescott (AP) model that can be used to estimate global horizontal irradiance from observed sunshine hours were calibrated and validated with observed station data. The AP regression coefficients were calibrated and validated for each of the six macro-climate zones of South Africa using the observation data that spans 2013 to 2019. The predictive effectiveness of the calibrated AP model coefficients was evaluated by comparing estimated and observed daily global horizontal irradiance. The maximum annual relative Mean Bias Error (rMBE) was 0.371 %, relative Mean Absolute Error (rMAE) was 0.745 %, relative Root Mean Square Error (rRMSE) was 0.910 % and the worst-case correlation coefficient (R2) was 0.910. The statistical validation metrics results show that there is a strong correlation and linear relation between observed and estimated solar radiation values. The AP model coefficients calculated in this study can be used with quantitative confidence in estimating daily GHI data at locations in South Africa where the daily observation sunshine duration data is available.

Active ageing is defined as the process of optimizing opportunities for physical, social and mental health to enable older people to take an active part in society without discrimination and to enjoy an independent and good quality of life. The World Health Organization assumed this as a process for increasing and maintaining an individual’s participation in activities to enhance his/her quality of life. In this survey, the authors addressed the following question: “Is assistive technology (AT) for mobility contributing to enhancement of lifelong capacity and performance?”. From June 2015 until February 2016, 96 community dwelling adults, AT users for mobility (powered wheelchairs, manual wheelchairs, lower limb prostheses, walkers, crutches and canes), aged 45-97, mean 67.02 +/- 14.24 years old, 56.3% female, were interviewed using the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale (P-PIADS), the Activities and Participation Profile related to Mobility (APPM) and demographics, clinical and questions about AT use and training. The participants’ profiles revealed moderate limitation and restrictions in participation, measured by the APPM (2.03). Most participants showed positive impact of AT; average scores obtained from the P-PIADS subscales were: Self-esteem 0.62, Competency 1.11 and Adaptability 1.10. P-PIADS total was 0.96, with the powered wheelchair users scoring the highest (1.53) and the walker users scoring the lowest (0.73). All subscales and P-PIADS total were positively correlated with the activities and participation profile. There was no relation between age and the psychosocial impact of AT or activities and participation profile. These results encourage the authors to follow these participants up for a lifelong intervention. To accomplish that aim, currently, the protocol is implemented at the AT prescribing centers in Coimbra, Portugal in order to assess the impact of AT on participation in society, one of the domains of the Active Ageing Index, a new analytical tool to help policy makers in developing policies for active and healthy ageing.

During public health events, Active Mobility (walking and cycling) plays an important role in securing residents' travel. To enhance the resilience of urban transportation, this article integrates the travel environment elements for walking and cycling and constructs a travel environment for Active Mobility evaluation index system. This article uses survey data from the main urban area of Harbin in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2022, and combines the Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT) and Impact-Asymmetry Analysis (IAA) methods to analyze the satisfaction of the travel environment for Active Mobility. It proposes strategies for optimizing the travel environment for Active Mobility, ensuring residents' travel during public health events, guiding them to adopt Active Mobility, and improving urban transportation resilience. This research shows that Active Mobility can enhance urban transportation resilience. In addition, there are differences in resident demand for walking and cycling environments in the travel environment for Active Mobility. Residents are more concerned about the comfort of the walking environment, while they prioritize the convenience of the cycling environment.

The free energy principle (FEP) is a mathematical and scientific principle that describes the relationship between the physical behavior of a dynamical system and the interpretation of such behavior as carrying out inference. It blurs the boundary between the ontological mode of the system of interest and the epistemological significance it acquires through its dynamic interaction with the environment. New materialism (or neo-materialism), despite lacking a single definition, refers to a range of emerging perspectives that attempt to dismantle the long-held divisions between ontology, epistemology, and even ethics, with the aim of achieving a comprehensive transformation of naturalized thinking. In this context, new materialism provides powerful tools to reframe some of the conceptual foundations of the FEP. This paper is the first in a series that aims to systematically construct a neo-materialistic perspective for the FEP, exploring its wide-ranging implications. It serves as an introduction to the series, arguing for the justification of deploying new materialism to reframe the FEP and introducing some essential concepts to be utilized in developing a neo-materialistic account of the FEP.

The spread of ideas is a fundamental concern of today’s news ecology. Understanding the dynamics of the spread of information and its co-option by interested parties is of critical importance. Research on this topic has shown that individuals tend to cluster in echo-chambers and are driven by confirmation bias. In this paper, we leverage the active inference framework to provide an in silico model of confirmation bias and its effect on echo-chamber formation. We build a model based on active inference, where agents tend to sample information in order to justify their own view of reality, which eventually leads to them to have a high degree of certainty about their own beliefs. We show that, once agents have reached a certain level of certainty about their beliefs, it becomes very difficult to get them to change their views. This system of self-confirming beliefs is upheld and reinforced by the evolving relationship between agent's beliefs and its observations, which over time will continue to provide evidence for their ingrained ideas about the world. The epistemic communities that are consolidated by these shared beliefs, in turn, tend to produce perceptions of reality that reinforce those shared beliefs. We provide an active inference account of this community formation mechanism. We postulate that agents are driven by the epistemic value that they obtain from sampling or observing the behaviors of other agents. Inspired by digital social networks like Twitter, we build a generative model in which agents generate observable social claims or posts (e.g. `tweets') while reading the socially-observable claims of other agents, that lend support towards one of two mutually-exclusive abstract topics. Agents can choose which other agent they pay attention to at each timestep, and crucially who they attend to and what they choose to read influences their beliefs about the world. Agents also assess their local network’s perspective, influencing which kinds of posts they expect to see other agents making. The model was built and simulated simulated using the freely-available Python package pymdp. The proposed active inference model can reproduce the formation of echo-chambers over social networks, and gives us insight into the cognitive processes that lead to this phenomenon.

Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacter spp. Serratia marcescens, Citrobacter freundii, Providencia spp. and Morganella morganii (CP-ESCPM) are increasingly identified as causative agents of nosocomial infections but are still not under systematic genomic surveillance. In this study, using a combination of whole genome sequencing and conjugation experiments, we sought to elucidate the genomic characteristics and transferability of resistance genes in clinical CP-ESCPM isolates from Bulgaria. Among the 36 sequenced isolates, NDM-1 (12/36), VIM-4 (11/36), VIM-86 (8/36) and OXA-48 (7/36) carbapenemases were identified; two isolates carried both NDM-1 and VIM-86. The majority of carbapenemase genes were found on self-conjugative plasmids. IncL plasmids were responsible for the spread of OXA-48 among E. hormaechei, C. freundii and S. marcescens. IncM2 plasmids were generally associated with the spread of NDM-1 in C. freundii and S. marcescens, and also of VIM-4 in C. freundii. IncC plasmids were involved in the spread of the recently described VIM-86 in P. stuartii isolates. IncC plasmids carrying blaNDM-1 and blaVIM-86 have been observed too. blaNDM-1 was also detected on IncX3 in S. marcescens and on IncT plasmid in M. morganii. The significant resistance transfer rates highlight the role of the ESCPM group as a reservoir of resistance determinants and stress the need for strengthening the infection control measures.

In recent decades, the cultivation of avocados has expanded throughout the Iberian Peninsula, with most of the production occurring on the southern Atlantic and Mediterranean coast, as well as in the Canary Islands and the north. This expansion is due to high demand and high prices, which have made the crop very attractive. However, climatic suitability criteria have not always been followed, putting sustainability at risk. Avocados originate from tropical and subtropical areas and have very specific climatic requirements that must be met to ensure good production. This study analyzed key climatic variables, including winter cold damage, pollen viability, and flowering and fruit set temperatures. Using daily climate data from 1975 to 2022, advanced spatial analysis techniques were applied to produce suitability maps. The results indicate that the ex-pansion of the crop is possible in certain areas of southern Andalusia, but not in the rest of the peninsula. Minimum winter and March temperatures are the main limiting factors. This work provides valuable insights into the potential for sustainable agricultural intensification, the sus-tainability of agricultural decision-making, and resilience to climate change.

Aedes aegypti is the main vector of various arboviruses including dengue, yellow fever, Zika and chikungunya virus. This mosquito species originated in Africa but has a wide range of distribution, colonising various ecological zones. The transmission dynamics of arboviruses depends on environmental factors, but also on mosquito life history traits including development time, fecundity, and longevity. The objective of the current study was to assess the Aedes aegypti immature development time, adult longevity, fecundity and body variation from different sampling localities. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were collected as eggs from different geographical zones and cohorts of mosquitoes were reared in standardized laboratory conditions to assess the life history traits parameters. Emerged adults were discriminated into morphotypes according to the density of white scales on the first abdominal tergite. The means of fecundity, longevity, development time and body size were assessed, and linear models were fitted to the traits parameters to assess the effects of other covariables. Average Aedes aegypti development time was estimated to 7.35 days; 7.40 days; 6.98 days and 7.40 days respectively for Dori, 1200 logements, Bobo-Dioulasso and Toudweogo. The fecundity did not vary across study sites and was not associated with the body size. The longevity varied according to the study sites with the mosquitoes from Bobo-Dioulasso having the longest longevity while the shortest longevity was found at Dori. Fed mosquitoes had longer longevity compared to unfed ones. Morphological identification showed that Aedes aegypti aegypti-like mosquitoes were more predominant than Aedes aegypti formosus-like mosquitoes in all the study sites, suggesting the predominance of Aedes aegypti in the urban environment. Our data suggest that the geographical origin of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in Burkina Faso has a little effect on its life history traits.

The cities of the future are places of sustainable mobility and a continuous reduction in the amount of harmful substances entering the surrounding environment. Current emission models are mainly dedicated to fully combustion vehicles and do not fully reflect the actual emissions of vehicles in the fleet, which is becoming increasingly diverse. The increasing share of hybrid and electric vehicles is generating the need to measure emissions and energy consumption from these vehicles and to develop new emission models that are accurate. This problem mainly concerns low-emission zones in cities, where mobility planning should be based on simulation models that are based on a continuously updated database. This work concerns the proposal of a two-dimensional model of emissions from hybrid vehicles using artificial neural networks for low-emission zones. The results can be used to further develop such emission models.

In tropical Africa, forests and savannas are the two most widespread biomes and potentially represent alternative stable states with divergent species composition. A classic, but untested, hypothesis posited by White (1983) suggests that the transition zones between forests and savannas contain a floristically impoverished assemblage with few representatives from each biome. Further, the evolutionary dimension of diversity has received limited attention, despite its importance for understanding the biogeographic history of biomes. Here, we quantify species richness and several measures of evolutionary diversity in 1° grid cells, using c. 300K occurrence records of trees and shrubs combined with biome affiliation data for 3,125 species. We find that assemblages in transition zones hold fewer woody species than assemblages in forest and savanna zones, as posited by White. However, transition zones hold more phylogenetic diversity than expected given their species richness, whether one considers forest and savanna assemblages separately or together. We also show that the Congo basin forest has low levels of phylogenetic diversity given the number of species and highlight south-eastern African savannas as a centre of savanna woody species richness and phylogenetic diversity. Regions with high phylogenetic diversity given the number of both forest and savanna species were centred around the Dahomey Gap and Cameroon, mainly in transition zones. Overall, our study shows that even if floristically impoverished, transition zones lead to unexpectedly high evolutionary diversity, suggesting they are important centres of evolutionary innovation and diversification.

Canistel (Pouteria campechiana (Kunth) Baehni) (yellow sapote, canistel). Originally from Mexico, the fruit is edible, and the tree is used as an ornamental and medicinal plant. Descriptive studies were carried out with the objective of morphologically characterizing the fruits and leaves of trees located in different regions of Mexico to select outstanding specimens and propose their massive reproduction. The trees were selected in three zones. In zone 2 from flower anthesis to harvest 11 months, fruits with 3 seeds, greater weight (180 to 330 g) and quantity of pulp (198.88 g), subglobose shape, total soluble solids 33 %. The fruits of zone 1 at harvest 8 months and zone 3 took 9 months to be harvested, in the rest of the characteristics evaluated were exceeded by the fruits of zone 2. To characterize the canistel (P. campechiana) leaf and identify accessions or cultivars, the three main variables, according to the principal component analysis were: leaf area, perimeter, and minor diameter. The three zones where canistel fruits and leaves were characterized are important and can be recommended for propagation in zones with favorable climatic conditions for fruiting in tropical and subtropical regions of Mexico.

In recent years, wireless networks have undoubtedly become a convenient way to connect to the Internet and provide connection to everyone in any corner of the world. In fact, in this era, people are connected to the internet almost everyday and wireless networks give us this privilege in a seamless manner. A wireless network normally consists of access points and nodes where the access points are responsible to amplify the wireless signals, while the nodes are the gadgets that are receiving these signals. However, with such great convenience provided, many challenges are also faced by the users and stakeholders. With no physical connection to devices, wireless networks are evidently more vulnerable to invisible cyber attacks. In this research paper, it the security issues that cause issues in the wireless networks are discussed. Furthermore, an analytical review of privacy challenges found in these networks is performed; these challenges are segregated into security issues and privacy issues. The paper will then present the methods used in conducting a survey and gathering the research results along with further discussion on the results obtained through this study. Finally, a suitable solution is proposed to prevent and overcome the intrusions faced in terms of security and privacy in wireless network scenarios through detection and response mechanism for mitigation of the problems.

Type two diabetes mellitus (T2DM) represents a chronic condition with increasing prevalence worldwide among the older population. T2DM condition increases the risk of micro and macro-vascular complications as well as the risk of geriatric syndromes as falls, fractures and cognitive impairment. The management of T2DM in the older population represents a challenge for the cli-nician, and a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment should always be prioritized, in order to tailor the glycate haemoglobin target according to functional and cognitive status comorbidities, life ex-pectancy and type of therapy. According to the most recent guidelines, older adults with T2DM should be cathegorized in three groups: healthy patients with good functional status, patients with complications and reduced functionality and patients at the end of life; for each group the target for the glycemic control is different, also according to the type of treatment drug. The therapeutic ap-proach should always begin with lifestyle changes; after that, several lines of therapies are available, with different mechanism of action and potential effect other than glucose level reduction. Partic-ular interest is growing around sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors, due to their effect on the cardiovascular system. In this review we evaluate the therapeutic options available for the treat-ment of older diabetic patients, to ensure a correct treatment approach

Background: Few studies have assessed built environment correlates of active commuting in low-and-middle-income countries, but the different context could yield distinct findings. This cross-sectional study investigated associations between home neighbourhood environment characteristics and active commuting in Chennai, India. Methods: Adults (N = 370, 47.2% female, mean age = 37.9 years) were recruited from 155 wards in the metropolitan area of Chennai in southern India between January and June 2015. Participants self-reported their usual mode of commute to work, with responses recoded into three categories: (1) multi-modal or active commuting (walking and bicycling); (2) public transit; and (3) private transport. Environmental attributes around participants’ homes were assessed using the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale-India (NEWS-India). Associations between environmental characteristics and likelihood of active commuting and public transit use were modelled using logistic regression with private transport (driving alone or carpool) as the reference category, adjusting for age, gender, and household car ownership. Results: Consistent with other international studies, participants living in neighbourhoods with a mix of land-uses and a transit stop within a 10-minute walk from home were more likely to use active commuting (both p < 0.01). Land-use mix was significantly associated with the use of public transit compared to private transport (aOR = 5.2, p = 0.002). Contrary to findings in high-income countries, the odds of active commuting were reduced with improved safety from crime (aOR = 0.2, p = 0.003), aesthetics (aOR = 0.2, p = 0.05) and street connectivity (aOR = 0.2, p = 0.003). Conclusions: Different environmental attributes were associated with active commuting, suggesting that these relationships are complex and may distinctly differ from those in high-income countries. Unexpected inverse associations of perceived safety from crime and aesthetics with active commuting emphasize the need for high quality epidemiologic studies with greater context-specificity in the study of physical activity in LMICs. Findings have public health implications for India and suggest that caution should be taken when translating evidence across countries.

The production of high-quality wines is one of the primary goals of modern oenology. In this regard, it is known that the potential quality of a wine begins to be determined in the vineyard, where the quality of the grape, initially, and later that of the wine, will be influenced by the soil properties. Given the spatial variability of the fundamental soil properties related to the potential grape production, such as texture, soil organic matter content, or cation exchange capacity, it seems that a uniform management of a vineyard is not the most optimal way to achieve higher grape quality. In this sense, the delineation of zones with similar soil characteristics to implement site-specific management is essential, reinforcing the interest to incorporate technologies and methods to determine these homogeneous zones. A case study was conducted in a 3.3 ha vineyard located near Évora, South of Portugal. A non-contact sensor (DUALEM 1S) was used to measure soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) in the vineyard, and later, a kriged ECa map was generated. ECa and elevation maps were utilised to delineate homogeneous zones (management zones, MZs) in the field through a clustering process. MZs were validated using some soil properties (texture, pH, organic matter -OM, phosphorous -P2O5, potassium -K2O, sum of the exchange bases -SEB; and cation exchange capacity -CEC) which were determined from 20 soil samples taken in the different MZs. Additionally, validation was also performed using Rasch measures, which were defined based on the formula-tion of the objective and probabilistic Rasch model, integrating the information from the afore-mentioned soil properties at each sampling location. The comparison of the MZs was more evident with the use of the Rasch model, as only one value was to be employed in each MZ. The use of ECa constitutes an efficient technological tool for implementing site-specific man-agement in viticulture, which allows for the improvement of decision-making processes by con-sidering the inherent spatial variability of the soil.

The subject of the research is the investigation of the behavior of railway tracks in locations with a significant change in the stiffness of the track. These locations can be designed from various structural elements and their materials, and this mainly results in a height change of the track level during its operation. These transition zones are monitored and expertly examined in order to detect undesirable deformations of the geometrical position of the track caused by the trains running. The transition zones are at the points where the fixed track transitions to the classic track bed, in our case it is their combination with bridge structures, especially at their supports. In Slovakia, under the conditions of the Railways of the Slovak Republic, the issue is topical within the framework of the modernization of trans-European railway corridors. The results of experimental measurements and their analysis will provide relevant data for subsequent research solutions for their new numerical modeling, which will ensure a smooth passage through these points of change without height fluctuations, vibrations, and shocks from the wheels of train sets.

Over the last three decades, special economic zones (SEZs) have given new impetus to the ever-growing export-oriented industrialization in developing countries. Where various economies have benefited from SEZs, many zones have ended up becoming enclaves with trifling advantage. The SEZs in Pakistan have experienced the same fate and failed to contribute to exports, employment and creating linkages with the domestic economy. Recently under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), SEZs are proposed to be set up in Pakistan; with a hope to fuel the stuttering economy. However, it is pertinent to first understand the local context and device policies considering stakeholders' perspectives. This study aims to identify the factors for the successful implementation of SEZs derived from the regional context of Pakistan. In-depth interviews are conducted from most relevant stakeholders, who have been involved in the development of SEZs. The results pointed towards the removal of political influence over zones and government taking the lead role in deciding the types of industry to be invited in these zones. Each zone should have a clear vision of development based on its regional advantage. The zone promotions should be based on competitiveness rather than fiscal incentives. Joint ventures and PPP to be encouraged inside the zones for sustainable operations.

This study proposes a flexible and adaptable protocol for the establishment of agricultural management zones that utilises remote sensing, ground truthing (apparent electrical conductivity and soil sampling), the IRRIGOPTIMAL® system and machine learning. This protocol could contribute significantly to the rational use of inputs (water, fertilizers and pesticides) and to the further efficient development of an optimal irrigation system with variable irrigation rates. The methodology to develop this protocol was applied to olive and alfalfa plots in Heraklion (Crete, Greece) to monitor soil and crop responses for the period 2022-2024. Spatial and temporal assessment of selected soil and plant parameters (moisture, photosynthetic activity) using ground and vegetation reflectance mapping by satellites and unmanned aerial systems provides important information in both the pre- and main phases of the management zone delineation. Geophysical methods such as electromagnetic induction, applied in the main phase of management zone delineation, provide a robust technique to determine the spatial and temporal distribution of apparent electrical conductivity. The Random Forest machine learning model was found to be most suitable for predicting soil electrical conductivity based on satellite-derived salinity indices and ground electromagnetic induction. Finally, the IRRIGOPTIMAL® system provides real-time monitoring of a variety of weather and soil parameters to determine the optimal cultivation of crops based on the creation of agricultural management zones.

Calcium (Ca) is an essential element constituting sedimentary carbonate in subducting sediments. Ca isotopic characteristics of subduction-related rocks could provide insight into the behavior and budget of carbonate and carbon cycles in subduction zones, due to the distinctive δ^44/40Ca ranges of sedimentary carbonate with respect to the mantle. Here, we studied the Ca isotopic compositions of arc magmas from the Northern Luzon arc (NLA), which are evolved from a depleted mantle metasomatized by slab-derived fluids and sediment melts. The δ^44/40Ca values range from 0.76 ± 0.04‰ to 1.01 ± 0.03‰ and cover the typical ranges for bulk silica earth (BSE, ~ 0.94‰) and fresh mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB, ~ 0.83‰). The Ca isotopes of NLA volcanics are not dominantly determined by the effects of mantle partial melting or fractional crystallization, nor significantly modified by secondary alteration. Instead, the δ^44/40Ca values of NLA volcanics are controlled by the subduction-related metasomatism. The metasomatism by slab-derived fluids (mainly expelled from altered oceanic crust, AOC) dramatically elevated the contents of fluid-mobile elements (e.g., Ba and Pb) with respect to fluid-immobile elements (e.g., Ce). This process, however, rarely modified the Ca isotopes, possibly ascribed to the δ^44/40Ca similarity between AOC and the depleted mantle. The δ^44/40Ca values significantly correlated with subduction indicators (e.g., Sr-Nd isotopes, Ba/Nb, Ce/Pb, and Nb/La), demonstrating the Ca isotopes of NLA volcanics are mainly controlled by the metasomatism of sediment melts subducting from the South China Sea (SCS). Based on the thermal structures and chemical compositions of sediments subducting into global trenches, we propose that carbonate Ca isotopic signals can only be observed in the arcs with high sedimentary Ca fluxes and temperature-pressure conditions well beyond the solidus of H₂O-saturated sediment melting, e.g., NLA, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, South Chile, North Vanuatu, New Zealand, and Kermadec. The absence of such signals in other arcs suggests either limited sedimentary fluxes or much of the subducting sedimentary carbonate has been survived during plate subduction to enter the deep mantle.

Selecting the optimal activation function for training deep neural networks has always been challenging because it significantly impacts the neural network’s performance and training speed. At this point, researchers are more likely to employ RELU than other well-known activation functions. After RELU, researchers have proposed many activation functions to improve RELU. None of them was capable of surpassing RELU as their most significant rival. SWISH outperformed RELU in several challenging experiments like classification, object detection, and tracking. Replacing RELU units with SWISH, which improves performance in many tasks. This paper proposed a new activation function surpassing Google’s brain’s SWISH function, Which we named AIF. Experiments indicate that our proposed activation function outperforms SWISH in various tasks.

Due to the rapid development of nanotechnologies, materials, in particular , solid dispersions (SDs), which are actively introduced into the life of modern man, have been obtained. Special progress in this area is observed in industry and medicine. The use of SDs in agriculture is lagging far behind, despite the growing number of scientific papers on this topic. At the same time, the prospects for the introduction of SDs in the agro-industrial complex are obvious. The review presents the results of research on the development of innovative preparations based on SD to protect plants from diseases and pests of cultivated plants, as well as parasiticides to protect animal health based on modern achievements of nanotechnology. One of these technologies is the methods of mechanochemistry, which improve the properties of poorly soluble biologically active substances by their joint mechanical treatment with water-soluble polymers and auxiliary substances.

Risk-based redispatch optimization is proposed as a methodology to support the Transmission System Operator (TSO) with preventive remedial actions obtained by extending the security constrained unit commitment/economic dispatch with constraints resulting from the risk assessed for the power system. Although being heuristic, the methodology is based on comprehensive dynamic security assessment as time-domain simulations are used, allowing to express the degree of all types of instabilities, e.g., caused by contingencies, in monetary terms. Therefore, the risk is assessed as the expected value of the cost incurred by the TSO. Such approach forms a new pathway to including risk in planning procedures already used by TSOs. Results obtained for the IEEE39 dynamic power system, with costs assigned to load shedding and generator tripping due to single transmission lines short-circuits, are shown as a reference case.

Fluxgate magnetometers require calibration methods appropriate to their application levels and particularities; however the development of fully controlled calibration procedures presents a particular challenge regarding the inevitable influence of the local geomagnetic field and other external interferences when a laboratory with magnetically shielded walls is not available. In that context, we discussed the development of an automated calibration method for fluxgate magnetometers, considering those limitations in time and space, and avoiding some of the problems commonly found in other proposed solutions for the same challenge. For this task, we designed and built a new set of high level procedures, electronic systems and software, which perform active testing and automated calibration of fluxgate magnetometers, considering some resource constraints and employing instruments commonly found in electronic calibration laboratories.

Analyzing urban-rural spatial structures and changes are of great significance for under-standing the urban-rural relationship evolution. While previous studies mostly focused on the urban internal spatial structure evolution, less from the regional scale to explore the urban and rural evolution. Here, taking Dezhou city, a rapidly urbanization city in China as a case study, we employed the local contour tree method and nighttime light data to map urban and active rural regions’ range during 2012-2020, and further explored the respective development processes of them. This study found that different from rural regions, internal structures of urban regions are more complex, and there are often multiple hot spots inside them. The urban-rural regions’ area had increased significantly by 39.3% during 2012-2020 (p&lt;0.05). The urban and rural region rankings of the identified counties are basically consistent with the urban and rural population rankings. Particularly, different from perspectives of earlier land use (i.e., built-up land or impervious surface), this study identified urban and active rural regions in view of the scope of active human activities. This study therefore found populations were greatly responsible for affecting changes of urban and active rural region structures. These findings could be helpful for understanding urban-rural dynamics.

This study investigates the role of insulation, in commercial buildings and how it affects energy efficiency and sustainability in different climate regions. Commercial buildings consume an amount of energy making them ideal candidates for energy saving measures. Insulation plays a role in maintaining indoor conditions reducing energy usage and minimizing carbon emissions by limiting heat transfer through the building’s envelope. By conducting simulations using the Hourly Analysis Program (HAP) this research examines how insulation thickness, climate conditions and building characteristics impact energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The study covers climate zones with a focus on Afghanistan, semi-arid, arid and mountainous regions where sustainable construction practices are highly important. The findings demonstrate that insulation has an effect on enhancing energy efficiency particularly when it comes to heating. Additionally, economic factors, future research directions and broader implications, for construction practices are thoroughly discussed. Considering that the construction industry contributes significantly to carbon emissions this research provides insights into promoting sustainable building practices. By optimizing insulation strategies, architects, builders and policymakers can reduce the impact of commercial buildings while advancing energy efficiency and supporting a more sustainable urban future.

Wildland-Urban Interfaces (W-UI) are at high risk of wildfires. Defensible spaces and home ignition zones are the two main aspects to protect lives and livelihoods of W-UI in the United States, Canada and Australia. The different part of the world has different rules and regulations for W-UI land management. We have discussed the defensible spaces in fire-prone areas, current ignition zone distances from structures, building materials, architectural design, the fire resistance trees, ground cover, landscaping and some other precautions to save lives and assets in the prominent fire-prone zones for three different countries (United States, Canada and Australia) of the world.

Solar radiation is closely related to the energy buildings consume for cooling, heating, and lighting purposes. Glazing is the only material of the building envelope that transmits solar radiation and needs to be appropriately designed to reduce energy cㅈonsumption. Currently, smart glass technology is being actively investigated and developed for effective solar radiation control. Among the various types of smart glass, electrochromic glazing is one of the most promising technologies, as it can adjust transmittance on its own, has a wider transmittance range in both the clear and darkened states, and consumes less electricity. Considering the importance of solar radiation adjustment in electrochromic glazing technology, this study attempted to develop an optimal control method for electrochromic glazing. Toward this goal, the solar radiation incident on vertical surfaces and outdoor temperature conditions were controlled in three regions with different climatic characteristics, and the annual cooling, heating, and lighting loads, discomfort glare, and interior illumination were analyzed. This approach enabled the optimal conditions with respect to visual comfort to be determined. Subsequently, the EDPI (Energy and daylight performance index) was used to optimize control conditions for each region, thereby producing integrated evaluations from results with different units and properties. The proposed control method will be utilized to develop a control algorithm and a control system to reduce building energy consumption.

A systematic investigation of the dynamic clustering behavior of active particles under confinement, including the effects of both particle density and active driving force is presented based on a hybrid coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation. First, a series of scaling laws were derived with power relationships for the dynamic clustering time as a function of both particle density and active driving force. Notably, the average number of clusters N ̅ assembled from active particles in the simulation system exhibits a scaling relationship with clustering time t described by N ̅∝t^(-m). Simultaneously, the scaling behavior of the average cluster size S ̅ is characterized by S ̅∝t^m. Our findings reveals the presence of up to four distinct dynamic regions concerning clustering over time, with transitions contingent upon the particle density within the system. Furthermore, as the active driving force increases, the aggregation behavior also accelerates, while an increase in density of active particles induce alterations in the dynamic procession of the system.

Image segmentation and classification still represent an active area of research since no universal solution can be identified. Established segmentation algorithms like thresholding are problem specific, treat well the easy cases and mostly relied on single parameter i.e intensity. Machine learning approaches offer alternatives where predefined features are combined into different classifiers. On the other hand, the outcome of machine learning is only as good as the underlying feature space. Differential geometry can substantially improve the outcome of machine learning since it can enrich the underlying feature space with new geometrical objects, called invariants. In this way, the geometrical features form a high-dimensional feature space for each pixel, where original objects can be resolved. Alternatives based on the geometry of the image scale-invariant interest points have been exploited successfully in the field of computer vision. Here, we integrate geometrical feature extraction based on signal processing, machine learning, and input relying on domain knowledge. The approach is exemplified on the ISBI 2012 image segmentation challenge data set. As a second application, we demonstrate powerful image classification functionality based on the same principles, which was applied to the HeLa and HEp-2 data sets. Obtained results demonstrate that feature space enrichment properly balanced with feature selection functionality can achieve performance comparable to deep learning approaches.

Machine learning applications often need large amounts of training data to perform well. Whereas unlabeled data can be easily gathered, the labeling process is difficult, time-consuming, or expensive in most applications. Active learning can help solve this problem by querying labels for those data points that will improve the performance the most. Thereby, the goal is that the learning algorithm performs sufficiently well with fewer labels. We provide a library called scikit-activeml that covers the most relevant query strategies and implements tools to work with partially labeled data. It is programmed in Python and builds on top of scikit-learn.

This work is aiming to motivation on the prospect of evolving new thiazole dyes with respectable application properties, expected pharmacological activities. Curcumin Coupling with diverse diazonium salts of 2-amino thiazole derivatives as 2-aminobenzothiazole, 2- amino-5-phenylthiazole, 2 amino-5-methylthiazole and 2 amino-5-nitrothiazole to produce novel azo dyes. All synthesised dyes were completely confirmed their structures via elemental and spectroscopic techniques. The synthesised thiazole derivatives were examined for their “antimicrobial, anticancer and antioxidant” activities. All of the synthesized dyes were applied on synthetic fabrics as polyester and successively their dyeing properties, “light, washing, perspiration, rubbing and sublimation” fastness were evaluated. Prepared dyestuffs are suitable for dyeing polyester fabrics. It was initiate that all of prepared dyes own extraordinary colour hue, along with respectable fastness properties. Also the synthesised thiazole derivatives display moral pharmacology activity.

The growing attention for plug-in electric vehicles, and the associated high-performance demands, have initiated a development trend towards highly efficient and compact on-board battery chargers. These isolated ac-dc converters are most commonly realized using two conversion stages, combining a non-isolated power factor correction (PFC) rectifier with an isolated dc-dc converter. This, however, involves two loss stages and a relatively high component count, limiting the achievable efficiency and power density and resulting in high costs. In this paper a single-stage converter approach is analyzed to realize a single-phase ac-dc converter, combining all functionalities into one conversion stage and thus enabling a cost-effective efficiency and power density increase. The converter topology consists of a quasi-lossless synchronous rectifier followed by an isolated dual active bridge (DAB) dc-dc converter, putting a small filter capacitor in between. To show the performance potential of this bidirectional, isolated ac-dc converter, a comprehensive design procedure and multi-objective optimization with respect to efficiency and power density is presented, using detailed loss and volume models. The models and procedures are verified by a 3.7 kW hardware demonstrator, interfacing a 400 V dc-bus with the single-phase 230 V, 50 Hz utility grid. Measurement results indicate a state-of-the-art efficiency of 96.1% and power density of 2.2 kW/dm³, confirming the competitiveness of the investigated single-stage DAB ac-dc converter.

Background: Here, we investigated the inflammaging and physical performance in older adults before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Women(n=18) and men(n=7) older were evaluated before the COVID-19 pandemic(PRE), 12 months after the lockdown(POST), and 10 months after resuming exercise training(POS-TR). Physical tests [gait speed(GS) and timed-up-and-go(TUG)]; muscle strength (handgrip-HG), and serum cytokine levels were assessed. Results: The older women showed higher GS and TUG at POST than PRE and POST-TR, besides lower HG at POST-TR than PRE, whereas older men exhibited lower HG at POST and POST-TR than PRE. Both groups presented (1)lower IL-10 and IL-12p70 values in contrast to higher IL-6/IL-10 and IL-8/IL-10 ratios at POST than PRE; (2)higher IL-10 values and lower IL-8/IL-10 ratio at POST-TR than POST; (3)higher IL-12p70/IL-10 ratio at POST-TR than PRE and POST. Particularly older women showed: (4)lower IL-6 values at POST and POST-TR than PRE; (5)lower IL-8 and IL-10 values at POST-TR than POST; (6)and higher TNF-α/IL-10 and IFN-γ/IL-10 ratios at POST than PRE and POST-TR. Significant correlations between the variables were found in both groups. Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, detraining and resumption of exercise training promoted distinct alterations in physical capacity and inflammaging among older women and older men population.

This study measured the infrared spectra of secondary minerals in the oxidation zones of three types of copper ores: dioptase, malachite, and azurite, and detailedly assigned the peak positions of OH stretching vibrations and the origins of OH combination vibrations. Dioptase contains three types of water molecules with different orientations within its ring channels, which exhibit six kinds of OH stretching vibrations in the 3000-3600 cm-1 range, the bond length range is 2.652-2.887 Å. Among them, the 3443 cm-1 band shows strong near-infrared activity and combines with Si-O vibrations or OH bending vibrations in the structure, resulting in five combination vibration peaks in the 4000-5000 cm-1 range. Malachite contains two inequivalent hydroxyls in its structure, leading to two OH stretching vibrations in the high-frequency region, located at 3314 and 3402 cm-1, respectively. Azurite contains only one type of hydroxyl, thus only one characteristic OH stretching vibration is present, at 3424 cm-1. The OH stretching vibrations of malachite and azurite mainly combine with [CO3]2- vibrations or OH bending vibrations, leading to six and five combination peaks in the OH combination vibration region, respectively. By analyzing the combination of peak positions at 4341 cm-1 in the near-infrared spectrum, the merged OH bending vibration at 921 cm-1 in azurite was discovered. Spectroscopic research on secondary minerals can better provide a basis for ore exploration and geological remote sensing.

Uzbekistan, as an emerging national economy, aims to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to foster the development of its free economic zones (FEZs). While recent policy reforms have enhanced the country's appeal to investors and facilitated the inflow of international capital, challenges persist in attracting investment. This study employs an economic geographical approach to analyze and propose solutions to these obstacles. By examining the spatial patterns of FEZs and FDI through a comprehensive geographical lens, this research utilizes document analysis as an alternative to empirical analysis, considering the broader context rather than focusing on a specific FEZ. The findings reveal that the insufficiency of an innovation-driven environment, logistical systems, energy resource-related issues, among others, negatively impact the inflow of FDI into FEZs. Moreover, the study underscores the significance of economic geography in understanding these factors. Finally, relevant insights and recommendations are provided from an economic geographical perspective.

This paper uses preliminary studies of archaeological sites (burial mounds and settlements) from the Iron Age through Medieval periods (ca. 800 BCE to 1200 CE) in the Juuku Valley on the South side of Lake Issyk-Kul to model land-use across vertical mountain zones. To do so, we have established a radiometric chronology, conducted test excavations of an Iron Age settlement and a Turkic period burial, undertaken preliminary archaeobotanical research, and pedestrian surveys. Seed remains of wheat (Triticum aestivum), barley (Hordeum vulgare), broomcorn millet (Panicum milaceum) and foxtail millet (Setaria italica) and legumes were recovered in very small quantities from an Iron Age upland settlement at 2100 m asl and a Turkic period burial mound at 1934 m asl. These preliminary archaeobotanical results are compared to the Talgar Iron Age settlements on the north side of the Tian Shan Mountain range in Kazakhstan studied earlier by Robert Spengler. Small samples of faunal remains found at the Turkic period kurgan and from a profile at the upland Iron Age settlement indicate livestock herding of sheep/goats, cattle, and horses in Juuku Valley. The goal of this paper is to test the hypothesis that pastoral transhumance and agropastoralism were economic strategies used by ancient societies during the Iron Age through Medieval periods in mountain-river valley areas between 750 m to 2500 m asl. These economic strategies that combined the pasturing of sheep, goats, cattle and horses with the cultivation of cereals were adapted to the use of different vegetational zones along a vertical gradient. This paper based on preliminary research of upland sites of the Juuku Valley in Kyrgyzstan, initiates a long-term research study of four millennia of settlements that ranged from pastoral transhumance, pastoral nomadism, and combined mountain agriculture using survey data and test excavations.

Access to broadband communications in different parts of the world has become a priority for some governments and regulatory authorities around the world in recent years. Building new digital roads and pursuing a connected society includes looking for easier access to the Internet. In general, not all the areas where people congregate are fully covered, especially in rural zones, thus restricting access to data communications and bringing inequality. In the present review article, we have comprehensively surveyed the use of three platforms to deliver broadband services to such remote and low-income areas are proposed: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), Altitude Platforms (APS), and Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. These novel strategies support the connected and accessible world hypothesis. Hence UAVs are considered a noteworthy solution since their efficient maneuverability can aboard the rural coverage issues or not-spots.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)-based communication system is a promising solution to meet coverage and capacity requirements of future wireless networks. However, UAV-enabled communications is constrained with its coverage, energy consumption, and flying regulations, and the number of works focusing on the sustainability aspect of UAV-assisted networking has been limited in the literature so far. In this paper, we propose a solution to this limitation; particularly, we design a $Q$-learning-based UAV positioning scheme for sustainable wireless connectivity considering key constraints, that are, altitude regulations, non-flight zones, and transmit power. The objective is to find the optimal position of the UAV base station (BS) and minimize the energy consumption while maximizing the number of users covered. Moreover, a weighting mechanism is developed, where the energy consumption and number of users covered can be prioritized according to network/battery conditions. The proposed Q-learning-based solution is compared to the baseline k-means clustering method, where the UAV BS is positioned at the centroid location that minimizes the cumulative distance between the UAV BS and the users. The results demonstrate that the proposed solution outperforms the baseline k-means clustering-based method in terms of the number of users covered while achieving the desired minimization of the energy consumption.

The scarcity of surface water resources in the dry season in the Kilinochchi district increases the demand for freshwater. Therefore, the existing groundwater resources should be managed to overcome the situation. Several authors worldwide have published studies on the delineation of potential groundwater zone. However, only a few studies addressed the delineation of potential groundwater zones in the Kilinochchi district. This study aims to delineate potential groundwater zones in Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka using integrated Remote Sensing, Geographic Information Systems, and Analytic Hierarchy Process techniques. Groundwater potential zones are demarcated for the Kilinochchi district by overlaying thematic layers: geology, geomorphology, land use/land cover, soil types, drainage density, slope, lineament, and rainfall. Saaty's scale was applied to the assigned weights of the chosen thematic layers and their features. The thematic layers were integrated into a Geographic Information System, and a weighted overlay analysis is carried out to delineate groundwater zones. Thus the resultant map is categorized into five different potential zones: very low, low, moderate, high, and very high. It was found that the very high groundwater potential zone is mainly found in the north-eastern part of the study area covering 111.26 km2. The upper north-western, middle, and eastern parts of the study area fall within the high groundwater potential zone covering about 507.74 km2. The moderate groundwater potential zones (309.89 km2) mainly occurred in the western part, and the extreme west part of the study area falls under low (207.78 km2) and very low (59.12 km2) zones. The groundwater potential map was validated with the existing seventy-nine wells, which indicated a good prediction accuracy of 81.8%. This research will help policymakers better manage the Kilinochchi district's groundwater resources and gives scope for further research into groundwater exploration in the area.

Knowing the spatial variability of factors that influence crop yield is essential to carry out a localized treatment. The present study aimed to map the spatial variability of apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa) in two cultivation areas, delimit management zones (MZ), characterize the soil density (Sd) at two depths, in each MZ, and assess whether the delimitation of MZ, based on the spatial variability of ECa, was able to identify regions of the productive field with different Sd. Spatial variability of ECa was detected. MZ with the highest mean value of ECa also presented the highest mean values of Sd. The highest Sd values were observed for the 0.1 – 0.2 m layer, regardless of the studied area. Regardless of granulometry, the proposed method was able to detect density differences from ECa. The delimitation of MZ, based on the spatial variability of ECa mapping, was able to differentiate the mean values of Sd between MZ 1 (1.53 g cm-3) and MZ 2 (1.67 g cm-3) in the Area A, in the 0.1 – 0.2 m layer. A statistical difference was observed for the mean values of Sd, in MZ 1, layer 0.1 - 0.2 m, when comparing the two study areas: A (1.53 g cm-3) and B (1.64 g cm-3). We suggest that further studies should be carried out, as the mapping of the spatial variability of the apparent soil electrical conductivity showed potential in the differentiation of soil bulk density at different depths.