Fire detection from satellite sensors relies on an accurate estimation of the unperturbed state of a target pixel, from which an anomaly can be isolated. Methods for estimating the radiation budget of a pixel without fire depend upon training data derived from the location's recent history of brightness temperature variation over the diurnal cycle, which can be vulnerable to cloud contamination and the effects of weather. This study proposes a new method that utilises the common solar budget found at a given latitude in conjunction with an area's local solar time to aggregate a broad-area training dataset, which can be used to model the expected diurnal temperature cycle of a location. This training data is then used in a temperature fitting process with the measured brightness temperatures in a pixel, and compared to pixel-derived training data and contextual methods of background temperature determination. Results of this study show similar accuracy between clear-sky medium wave infrared upwelling radiation and the diurnal temperature cycle estimation compared to previous methods, with demonstrable improvements in processing time and training data availability. This method can be used in conjunction with brightness temperature thresholds to provide a baseline for upwelling radiation, from which positive thermal anomalies such as fire can be isolated.

Contemporary literature dealing with the governance and exploitation of common-pool natural resources was initiated by Elinor Ostrom in 1990, and has been growing fast ever since. On the contrary, within the same research stream, the study of the presence and economic role of common resources in entrepreneurial organizations is, to date, under-researched. This work endeavors to fill some gaps in this research perspective by: (i) spelling out a new-institutionalist framework for the analysis of the accumulation and governance of common capital resources within organizational boundaries; (ii) considering co-operative enterprises as the organizational form that, on the basis of historical record, and of behavioral and institutional characteristics, demonstrated to be most compatible with a substantial role for common and non-divided asset-ownership and with its governance thereof; (iii) evidencing and explaining the strong connection between cooperative longevity and the presence of non-divided asset ownership. The economic forces influencing the optimal level of self-financed common capital resources in co-operatives are enquired. Conclusions to the paper evidence the main reasons why the new approach can better explain than preceding ones the economic sustainability and longevity of cooperative enterprises.

Despite the growing capabilities of large language models, concerns exist about the biases they develop. In this paper, we propose a novel, automated mechanism for debiasing through specified dataset augmentation in the lens of bias producers that can be useful in a variety of industries, especially ones that are “restricted” and have limited data. We consider that bias can occur due to intrinsic model architecture and dataset quality. The two aspects are evaluated using two different metrics we created. We show that our dataset augmentation algorithm reduces bias as measured by our metrics.

Hybrid materials are a recent addition in the field of Restorative Dentistry for computer-assisted design/ computer-assisted manufacturing (CAD/CAM) indirect restorations. The long–term clinical success of modern dental restorative materials follows a multifactorial pattern. Among the characteristics, affecting the longevity of a restoration, mechanical properties and physicο – chemical interactions are of utmost importance. While numerous researchers constantly evaluate the mechanical properties, the biological background of resin–based CAD/CAM biomaterials is scarcely investigated and, therefore, less described in the literature. This review aims to analyze the biofilm formation on the surfaces of novel hybrid, resin–based CAD/CAM materials and evaluate the methodological protocols followed to assess microbial growth. It is demonstrated that the surface structure, the composition and the finishing and polishing procedures on the surface of a dental restorative material influence the initial bacterial adhesion; however most studies focus on in vitro protocols, whereas in vivo and/or in situ research of microbiomics in CAD/CAM restorative materials is lacking, obstructing in that manner the accurate understanding of the bioadhesion phenomenon in the oral cavity.

This Systematic Review examines studies focusing on tooth bleaching and its effect on healthy enamel or incipient caries and bacterial adhesion. The aim is to explore the impact of different bleaching agents on incipient caries lesions and healthy enamel. Randomized controlled trials, clinical trials, observational studies, and in vitro studies that compared at least two groups were included. A comprehensive search strategy was used to select studies from Pubmed and Scopus databases. Two evaluators performed data extraction, screening, and quality assessment independently. Only studies written in English were included. From 968 initial records, 28 studies were selected for a full-text evaluation. 7 studies were classified as cluster 1 (bacterial adherence on teeth), 12 studies as cluster 2 (no bacteria involved), 4 studies as cluster 3 (no teeth deployment), and 5 clinical studies were cluster 4. Of the selected studies, 6 (21.43%) supported increased bacterial attachment capacity and cariogenic dynamics, 4 (14.29%) decreased adhesion and cariogenic activity, 7 (25%) no difference, and 11 (39.28%) followed a differentiated methodological approach and could not be categorized. Due to different methodology strategies used in the studies of all clusters, the risk of bias was high. Thus, we cannot reach a confident conclusion.

Background: Health insurance (HI) run by government is providing health care service to large population. Due to poor accountability, participation and sustainability, cooperative health insurance is becoming more popular and effective in low and middle income and some high-income countries too. In Nepal, there are public and cooperative HI is in practice. The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of public (government) and cooperative HI in relation to benefit packages, population coverage, inclusiveness, health care utilization, and promptness for treatment in these two health insurance models in Nepal. Method: This is an institution based concurrent mixed study consists of qualitative and quantitative variables from public and cooperative groups. We included all public HI operated by government hospitals and cooperatives groups those purchased hospital service in contract. Two separate study tools were applied to access the effectiveness of insurance models. The key questions were asked for the representatives of government and private health insurance. The numeric information consisted of in quantitative data and subjective response was included in qualitative approach. Descriptive statistics and Mean Whitney U test was applied in numeric data and qualitative information were analyzed by inductive approach Results: The study revealed that new enrolment was not increased, health care utilization rate was increased and the benefit package was almost same in both groups. The overall inclusiveness was higher for the government HI, but enrolment from the religious minority, proportion of negotiated amount during treatment were significantly higher (p<0.05). During illness, the response time to reach hospital was significantly faster in cooperative health insurance than government health insurance. Qualitative findings showed that level of participation, accountability, transparency and recording system was better in cooperative health insurance than public. Conclusion: Cooperative HI could be more sustainable and accountable to the community for all; low, middle and high-income countries.

RNA sequencing techniques, like bulk RNA-seq and Single Cell (sc) RNA-seq, are critical tools for the biologist looking to analyze the genetic activity/transcriptome of a tissue or cell during an experimental procedure. Platforms like Illumina's next-generation sequencing (NGS) are used to produce the raw data for this experimental procedure. This raw FASTQ data must then be prepared via a complex series of data manipulations by bioinformaticians. This process currently takes place on an unwieldy textual user interface like a terminal/command line that requires the user to install and import multiple program packages, preventing the untrained biologist from initiating data analysis. Open-source platforms like Galaxy have produced a more user-friendly pipeline, yet the visual interface remains cluttered and highly technical, remaining uninviting for the natural scientist. To address this, SeqMate is a user-friendly tool that allows for one-click analytics by utilizing the power of a large language model (LLM) to automate both data preparation and analysis (differential expression, trajectory analysis, etc). Furthermore, by utilizing the power of generative AI, SeqMate is also capable of analyzing such findings and producing written reports of upregulated/downregulated/user-prompted genes with sources cited from known repositories like PubMed, PDB, and Uniprot.

This study aimed to review the dietary risk factors for root caries prevalence in older adults, from socially active people to frail patients. A comprehensive search strategy was used to select studies from PubMed and Scopus databases. Two evalua-tors performed data extraction, screening, and quality assessment independently. Only studies written in English were included. Caries is very common in the elderly, as there are several aggravating factors such as the decrease of the ability to self-care and, by extension, insufficient oral hygiene, a carious diet, limited exposure to fluoride, xero-stomia, gingival recession, limited access to dental care. Root caries is prevalent in the elderly due to gingival recession and root exposure to the oral environment. Dietary risk factors significantly affect root caries prevalence in older adults, including high intake of sugars and an alteration of their composition preference in this age group. Caries risk appears more significant in frail, standardized patients who feed with even softer food or supplements.

Acoustic Radiation Forced Impulse (ARFI) is an ultrasound integrated method, measuring stiff-ness by point shear wave elastography. To evaluate the diagnostic performance of ARFI of the liver and of the spleen, combined with spleen dimension and platelet count, in predicting clinical events in cirrhosis, a prospective and cross-sectional study was conducted between February 2017 and February 2021. The following ratio scores with ARFI measurements were performed: ALSDP (ARFI Liver-Spleen Diameter-to-Platelets ratio score), ASSDP (ARFI Spleen-Spleen Diam-eter-to-Platelets ratio score), ASSAP (ARFI Spleen-Spleen Area-to-Platelets ratio score), ALSAP (ARFI Liver-Spleen Area-to-Platelets ratio score). In 100 enrolled subjects, spleen ARFI, ASSDP, ASSAP, were significantly associated with high-risk oesophageal varices (HRVs) in the prospec-tive short- and long-term follow-up and in the cross-sectional study (p 0.7). ARFI-ratio scores can predict, in cirrhotic patients, the risk of developing HVRs in short and long-term period.

In the context of restorative dentistry and the use of different techniques and dental adhesive systems, this study was to designed to assess the degree of adhesive absorption and wetting for each dental micro applicator; and also quantify the amount of lost fiber flocks after three applications of dental adhesive on the inside surface of a plastic veneer tooth in order to reveal a potential contaminating factor at the adhesive interface. Initially, one drop of dental adhesive was dispensed into a glass dental mixing well. The dental adhesive was then applied onto the inside surface of the veneer restoration for 30s using a dental micro applicator which was weighed afterwards. For each dental micro applicator, this sequence was repeated three times and measured again by the same operator. Each adhesive application was analyzed separately, to show the values independently and compare them to the initial weight. The samples of Fiber-Free Elastomer Bristle Micro Applicators (FEBM) demonstrated the best performance with a good degree of absorption and wetting of the dental adhesive without the loss fiber flocks and release-induced weight loss. The samples of Conventional Fiber Flocked Micro Applicators (CFFM) demonstrated good initial absorption and wetting of the dental adhesive, but visually shed several fiber flocks which resulted in significant weight loss and can also be considered a contaminating factor at the adhesive interface.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to be a global threat due to its ability to evolve and generate new subvariants, leading to new waves of infection. Additionally, other coronaviruses like Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV, formerly known as hCoV-EMC) which first emerged in 2012, persists and continues to present a threat of severe illness to humans. The continued identification of novel coronaviruses, coupled with the potential for genetic recombination between different strains, raises the possibility of new coronavirus clades of global concern emerging. As a result, there is a pressing need for pan-CoV therapeutic drugs and vaccines. After extensive optimization of an HCV protease inhibitor screening hit, a novel 3CLPro inhibitor (MK-7845) was discovered and subsequently profiled. MK-7845 exhibited nanomolar in vitro potency with broad spectrum activity against a panel of clinical SARS-CoV-2 subvariants and MERS-CoV. Furthermore, when administered orally, MK-7845 demonstrated a notable reduction of viral burdens by &gt;6 log orders in the lungs of transgenic mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 (K18-hACE2 mice) and MERS-CoV (K18-hDDP4 mice).

In recent decades, the aquaculture industry has experienced significant growth worldwide, surpassing other food production sectors. This review aims to explore the dynamics of aquafeed production, particularly the shift from conventional to local feed production in Africa, driven by cost-effectiveness and the availability of raw materials. The review examines various scientific publications on aquafeed, focusing on both conventional and novel feed formulations and their impact on aquaculture and the environment. Commonly used aquafeed ingredients among African farmers include cassava, maize gluten, groundnut oilcake, sunflower oilcake, soybean meal, kale, peas, garlic, shrimp wastes, and waste blood. Novel ingredients such as insect-based diets and micro-algae formulations are also explored. Aquafeed composition impacts aqua-waste, water quality, algae, oxygen demand, fish mortality, and eutrophication. The findings highlight the need to reorient feed formulation methods and ingredients to achieve a circular economy in Africa, promoting increased fish production at minimal costs, creating employment while supporting climate adaptation and mitigation efforts. Ultimately, the aquafeed sector has the potential to grow sustainably through the adoption of feed alternatives that prioritise sustainable production and encourage beneficiation studies.

The risk classification of barrier lake is the key to conducting emergency treatment in a scientific manner. Such difficulties are faced as short time for risk evaluation, complex evaluation indicators, difficulty in obtaining information quickly and quantifying index weights. Based on this, this paper constructs a quantitative risk classification model for barrier lakes based on D-AHP. On the basis of studies on nearly 100 cases of barrier lakes, an 8-factor evaluation index system and quantitative classification are proposed. The methods of rapid calculation of reservoir capacity curve of barrier lake and intelligent identification of particles on the surface of barrier body were developed, which realized the rapid acquisition of 8-factor evaluation index information in emergency environment. The D-AHP method dealt with inconsistent weight assignment to evaluation factors by experts, which helped achieve weight quantification of 8 factors. The risk assessment on15 barrier lakes such as Tangjiashan barrier lake show that the conclusion drawn with risk classification method proposed in this paper is basically consistent with that of the traditional table-lookup method. However, the table-lookup method ignores cumulative loss’s impacts on the risk level of barrier lakes, and considers the extremely severe loss of barrier lakes as a sufficient condition for the evaluation level to be grade I, and thus a deviation in the evaluation. The risk classification method proposed in this paper is more reasonable and reliable.

A proportion of osteoarthritis (OA) patients are unsatisfied with post-operative outcomes following total joint replacement surgery (TJR), with insufficient pain relief or poor functional improvement. Predicting those will have poor outcomes would be beneficial for patients and clinicians. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between baseline anthropometric data and the concentration of pre-operative serum and peri-operative synovial fluid (SF) cytokines with 7-month post-operative outcomes in a cohort of knee and hip OA patients. 160 OA patients were recruited who were scheduled for TJR. The concentration of 24 cytokines were measured in blood and SF by multiplex assay. EQ5Dindex health status was assessed pre-operatively and at 7-months post-operatively. 13% of patients were identified as non-responders based on EQ5Dindex. Compared to responders, non-responders were of higher BMI, had greater waist and hip circumference and had higher levels of SF leptin but lower levels of SF Resistin (p&lt;0.05). Linear regression analysis found a significant relationship between pre-operative body weight and post-operative response (ΔEQ5Dindex; r=0.222, p=0.049). The combination of body weight with SF amphiregulin and SF IL-6 provided an improved predictive model of post-operative response (r=0.470, p=0.035).

Marine sand, in addition to oil and gas resources, is the second largest marine mineral resource. The rational development and utilization of marine sand resources are conducive to the growth of the marine economy. Marine sand can be categorized into surface marine sand and buried marine sand. Buried marine sand deposits are buried beneath the sea floor, making it challenging to locate them due to their thin distribution. Consequently, there exist numerous technical difficulties associated with marine sand exploration. In this study, various geophysical methods such as sub-bottom profile survey and single-channel seismic survey were employed in the northern offshore waters of the South China Sea along with offshore engineering geological drilling. As a result, two distinct marine sand bodies were delineated within the study area. Additionally, five reflective interfaces (R0, R1, R2, R3 and R4) were identified from top to bottom. These interfaces can be divided into five seismic sequences: A2, B2, C2, D2 and E2 respectively. Three sets of strata were recognized: the Quaternary Holocene Marine sedimentary layer (Q4m), the Upper Pleistocene alluvial layer, and the diluvial sedimentary layer (Q3al+pl) as well as the Upper Pleistocene Marine sedimentary layer (Q3m). Sequence A2 and B2 corresponded to Quaternary Holocene Formation (Q4m) within the study area while sequence C2 corresponded to B2 as well as upper Pleistocene alluvial and alluvial deposits (Q3al+pl), which represent one of the main occurring layers of sand in this region. Lastly, E2 represents a layer composed mainly of silty clay and round gravel known as upper Pleistocene marine sediment layer (Q3m). In total, two ore bodies containing marine sand have been discovered during this study. The estimated total resource amounts approximately 46 million m³ with an average thickness around 11 meters.

Bandsaw blades are typical band-shaped cutting tools characterized by low stiffness and micro-level cutting depth, resulting in distinct wear mechanisms compared to rigid cutting tools. In this study, the wear curve and wear mechanisms of bandsaw tooth during the bandsawing of Cr12MoV cold-working steel was investigated. The tool life was divided into two stages: a rapid wear stage (Stage I) and a homogeneous wear stage (Stage II). In Stage I, the wear was dominated by chipping although multiple wear mechanisms were found due to the relatively poor manufacturing accuracy compared to rigid cutting tools, which results in remarkable differences among the cutting depths of individual teeth. In Stage II, abrasive and adhesive wear were the primary wear mechanisms instead of chipping, which was related to the microstructure of Cr12MoV. Furthermore, methods for increasing the bandsaw performance were proposed based on the tooth wear mechanisms.

In this paper, the deformation behavior of S32750 duplex stainless steel during low cycle fatigue was studied by controlling number of cycles. The microstructure of the specimens under different cycles was characterized by optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Microhardness of two phases was measured by a digital microhardness instrument. The results showed that the microhardness of ferrite increases significantly after the first 4000 cycles, while the austenite shows a higher strain hardening rate after fatigue fracture, and the microhardness of ferrite and austenite increases by 23 HV and 87 HV, respectively. Two-phase kernel average misorientation (KAM) diagram showed that the continuous accumulation of plastic deformation easily leads to the initiation of cracks inside the austenite and at the phase boundaries. The evolution of dislocation morphology in two phases was obviously different. With the increase of cycle number, the dislocation in ferrite gradually transforms from dislocation bundles and dislocation array to sub-grain structure, while the dislocation in austenite gradually develops from dipole array to ordered Taylor lattice network structure.

This review examines additive manufacturing for refractory tungsten (W) and its alloys. It emphasizes the primary challenges and determining factors involved in additive manufacturing pure W, W alloys, and composites. Our focus in this regard extends to both process and alloying strategies designed to address critical issues such as densification, micro-cracking, and mechanical properties in tungsten-based components produced through additive techniques. Throughout the review, we organize existing knowledge and insights into convenient tables, serving as valuable resources for researchers embarking on a deeper exploration of these topics.

This paper presents design and optimization of a small-size electromagnetic induction heating control system powered by a 3.7V-900mAh lithium battery and featuring an LC series resonant full bridge inverter circuit, which can be used in small size materials heating applications, such as micro medical devices. The effects of resonant capacitance, inductor wire diameter, heating tube material and wall thickness are studied to maximize the heating rate of the workpiece and meantime reduce the temperature rise of the NMOS transistor. The optimal circuit configuration meeting the design requirements was finally identified via comparing the operational parameters and NMOS transistor loss under different circuit conditions. The validation experiments were conducted on a designed electromagnetic induction smoking devices. The results indicate that under an output current of 4.6A, the heating tube can reach up to the temperature target of 250℃ within 11 seconds, and all NMOS transistors stay below 50°C in a 5 minutes heating process.

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is an important deciduous species in western U.S. forests. Existing maps of aspen distribution are based on Landsat imagery and often miss small stands (&lt;0.09 ha or 30 m²), which rapidly regrow when managed or following disturbance. In this study, we present methods for deriving a new regional map of aspen forests using one year of Sentinel-1 (S1) and Sentinel-2 (S2) imagery in Google Earth Engine. We assessed the annual phenology of aspen in the Southern Rockies and leveraged the frequent temporal resolution of S1 and S2 to create ecologically relevant seasonal composites. Additionally, we derived spectral indices and radar textural features targeting the canopy structure, moisture, and chlorophyll content. Using spatial block cross-validation and Random Forests, we assessed the accuracy of different scenarios and selected the best performing set of features for classification. Comparisons were then made with existing landcover products across the study region. The resulting map improves on existing landcover products in both accuracy (average F1-score = 93.1%) and detection of smaller forest patches. These methods enable accurate mapping at spatial and temporal scales relevant to forest management for one of the most widely distributed tree species in North America.

High dimensional statistical analysis for the yield of large-scale circuits is quite difficult due to expensive simulations, especially for the memory circuits with high sigma requirement (e.g., SRAM). In this paper, we developed an efficient sparse additive model to substitute simulations. To fit high sigma region accurately, the modeling center is moved to near failure boundary searched by scaling the shape of sampling function. To solve the model efficiently, the process variables are grouped by standard cells so that the model can be solved by our developed blockwise greedy algorithm. The experiments on the 28nm memory circuits validate that our method achieves high accuracy and efficiency compared with other state-of-art works.

Large Language Models (LLMs) have demonstrated promising capabilities to solve complex tasks in critical sectors such as healthcare. However, LLMs are limited by their training data which is often outdated, the tendency to generate inaccurate ("hallucinated") content and a lack of transparency in the content they generate. To address these limitations, retrieval augmented generation (RAG) grounds the responses of LLMs by exposing them to external knowledge sources. However, in the healthcare domain there is currently a lack of systematic understanding of which datasets, RAG methodologies and evaluation frameworks are available. This review aims to bridge this gap by assessing RAG-based approaches employed by LLMs in healthcare, focusing on the different steps of retrieval, augmentation and generation. Additionally, we identify the limitations, strengths and gaps in the existing literature. Our synthesis shows that proprietary models such as GPT-3.5/4 are the most used for RAG applications in healthcare. Also, there is a lack of standardized evaluation frameworks for RAG-based applications. In addition, the majority of the studies do not assess or address ethical considerations related to RAG in healthcare. It is important to account for ethical challenges that are inherent when AI systems are implemented in the clinical setting. Lastly, we highlight the need for further research and development to ensure responsible and effective adoption of RAG in the medical domain.

The monitoring of coastal waters using satellite data, from sensors including Sentinel-3 OLCI, has become a vital tool in the management of these water environments; especially when it comes to improving our understanding of the effects of climate change on these regions. In this study, Level-2 water products derived from different OLCI Sentinel-3 processors were validated against a comprehensive in situ dataset from the NW Baltic Sea proper region. The products validated were those of the regionally adapted Case-2 Regional Coast Colour (C2RCC) OLCI processor (v1.0 and v2.1), as well as the latest standard Level-2 OLCI case 2 (Neural Network) products from Sentinel-3’s processing baseline: Baseline Collection 003 (BC003), including “CHL_NN”, “TSM_NN”, and “ADG443_NN”. Furthermore, the effect of the current EUMETSAT system vicarious calibration (SVC) on the Level-2 water products was also validated. Results showed that the system vicarious calibration (SVC) reduces the reliability of the Level-2 OLCI products. For example, the application of these SVC gains to the OLCI data for the regionally adapted v2.1 C2RCC products resulted in RMSD increases of 36% for “conc_tsm”; 118% for “conc_chl”; 33% for “iop_agelb”; 50% for “iop_adg”; and 10% for “kd_z90max” using a ±3h validation window. The findings indicate that the current EUMETSAT SVC gains should be applied and interpreted with caution in the region of study at present. A key outcome of the paper recommends the development of a regionally specific SVC against AERONET-OC data for the region.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, highly aggressive skin cancer characterized by two etiologies: the first one, observed in most cases, is attributed to Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), a DNA tumor virus, while the second one is due to ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure. Currently, there are limited diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic biomarkers available for MCC. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNA molecules that do not code for proteins but regulate various cellular processes, including cell cycle progression, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. The dysregulation of miRNAs has been associated with a wide range of cancers since they can act as either tumor suppressors or oncogenes. This paper aims to collect, summarize and re-organize the recent discoveries concerning miRNAs, whose dysregulation in the pathogenesis and progression of MCC is slowly emerging. Furthermore, the potential clinical applications of miRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers, possible differentiation between MCPyV-related and unrelated MCC, predictors of response to therapy and prognostics are also discussed. From this review, it emerges that miRNAs may have, in the near future, the potential to become clinically significant in improving the diagnostic accuracy, prognostic evaluation, and therapeutic options of MCCs. Finally, the new perspectives on the poorly explored field of artificial intelligence in MCC are provided.

The activated carbons (ACs) derived from okara powder waste with high surface areas were modified with ammonia aqueous solution impregnation in an autoclave to enhance their CO2 adsorption properties toward CO2. The impregnated ACs were characterized in which surface chemical composition and properties of the ACs were analyzed by SEM-EDS, FTIR. Activated carbons were functionalized with ammonia aqueous solution (25%) through a hydrothermal process within 24; 48, and 72 hours. The adsorption performance of CO2 onto carbon samples was experimentally evaluated through a breakthrough adsorption experimental setup at room temperature. FTIR spectra confirm the N-containing in N-modified activated carbons and the presence of the –C = O stretch and N-H groups. CO2 uptakes of N-modified activated carbons are 0.24; 1.47; and 1.20 mmol/g, which are relatively comparable with those of activated carbons studied in in the literature.

Grand challenges represent wicked problems that affect many people globally. To overcome grand challenges and sustain our existence as human beings, issues have become increasingly central, and in recent years have led to an increase in research and literature on grand challenges affecting both international business areas and multinational enterprises. The aim of this study is to assess the status of literature in all areas connected to multinational corporations and grand challenges, which are global issues with significant implications. From 2013 to 2023, the WoS database was used to investigate eight search terms from literature, and bibliometric and thematic analyses were carried out based on the principles of systematic literature analysis. The most focused areas of the research are performance, multinational enterprises, foreign direct investment, management, firms’ innovation, knowledge, international business, and impact. Asian, African, European, and other countries may emerge together in different clusters depending on whether the major challenges they are struggling with are similar or identical. the terms of grand challenges and innovation (open and social), technology transfer, R&amp;D internalization, digital transformation or technology and artificial intelligence in the literature of multinational enterprises indicates that these themes are used as a tool to solve grand challenges.

Extracting the economic value by integrated utilization of space in old communities is crucial for encouraging independent participation from enterprises and residents, reducing reliance on government leadership and fiscal investment. This study starts from the active perspective of spatial assets, constructs a value activation framework for old community spatial assets by balancing "endogenous demand" and "exogenous opportunities." By enhancing "economic value" through "use value," five methods for value extraction and overall project utilization paths are proposed, guided by a dynamic "cost-revenue" balance. Using multi-source data, we identify the spatial assets of 1,096 old communities in central Guangzhou and apply a market comparison method for economic value assessment. Additionally, the study offers recommendations on timing and project portfolios for regeneration efforts, along with strategies for establishing a coordinating implementation entity and fund account. This research provides strategic insights for advancing the regeneration of old communities by tapping into their macro-level economic potential.

The Food and Drug Administration’s 2011 Process Validation Guidance and International Council for Harmonization Quality Guidelines recommend continued process verification (CPV) as a mandatory requirement for pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, and other regulated industries. As a part of product life cycle management, after process characterization in stage 1 and process qualification and validation in stage-2, CPV is performed as stage-3 validation during commercial manufacturing. CPV ensures that the process continues to remain within a validated state. CPV requires the collection and analysis of data related to critical quality attributes, critical material attributes, and critical process parameters on a minimum basis. Data is then used to elucidate process control regarding the capability to meet predefined specifications and stability via statistical process control tools. In statistical process control, control charts and Nelson rules are commonly used throughout the industry to monitor and trend data to ensure that a process remains in control. In the control chart, the mean value is taken as the center line, and 3σ limits are placed on either side of the center line. In CPV, manufactured lots are summarized, trended, and discussed at a cross-functional level at pre-defined intervals (either weekly, bi-weekly, or even monthly) based on the batch run rate. A cross-functional team assesses details regarding 1) violation frequency, 2) statistical strength of the signal, 3) violation magnitude and its impact on process or quality, and 4) any potential root causes for out-of-expectation or out-of-trend signals. The cross-functional team must analyze whether any signal identified by the control chart is reliable and must determine whether corrective action should be taken and justify the decision in the CPV meeting minutes based on statistical strength and reliability of the signal. However, basic control charts are susceptible to false alarms and nuisance alarms. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the assumptions behind control charts and the inherent false alarm rates for different Nelson rules. In this article, the authors have detailed the assumptions behind the usage of control charts, the rate of false alarms for different Nelson rules, the impact of skewness and kurtosis of a data distribution on the false alarm rate, and methods for optimizing control chart design by reducing false alarm rates and nuisance signals.

In the process of oil and gas development and production, when the flow rate in the wellbore is large, the materials underground will be eroded, causing the operation to be unable to proceed smoothly and reducing the efficiency of oil and gas production. Therefore, optimizing the anti-erosion coating under high-speed flow conditions in wellbore is a very interesting thing. It can greatly improve operational efficiency. In this paper, laser cladding was used to prepare the new coating used in the PDC drill bit. Then, the effects of tungsten carbide and multi-layer graphene on the microstructure and properties of the tungsten carbide coating were studied. The research results indicate that, for new coatings, 60% tungsten carbide and 0.3% graphene are the optimal ratios. After adding WC, the hardness has significantly improved. However, when the WC content further increases more than 30%, the increase in hardness is relatively small. In addition, when the content of graphene is more than 0.3%, the branched structure became thicker, and not only the segregation of Cr, Si and W became very obvious again, but also the segregation of Fe occurred at the Ni enrichment site. The research results contribute to improving oil and gas production and operational efficiency under high-speed fluid flow conditions in the wellbore.

The aerospace industry has made extensive use of titanium alloy material due to its exceptional qualities, which include high strength, low weight, and resistance to corrosion. However, these qualities also pose challenges for the material's processing. This paper examines the Ti6Al4V milling endmills coating. First, an analysis is done on the solubility of Ti and Si elements. It is discovered that W and Co elements are far more soluble in Ti than Si and Zr elements, which can effectively stop element diffusion. Next, the base's composition was planned. It was discovered that when the amount of Al increased, the base's surface roughness increased while its hardness and elastic modulus decreased. The binding force between the substrate and the base was greater at 50: 50 Ti:Al ratio. TiSiN and TiSiN/ZrN functional layer properties are examined. When Zr is added to TiSiN/ZrN coating, it improves the coating's hardness and elastic modulus, increases density, and decreases surface roughness and friction coefficient when compared to TiSiN coating. Lastly, an analysis of the initial and intermediate tool wear was done using the Ti6Al4V milling experiment. It was discovered that adding Zr element could successfully extend the tool's cutting life by preventing adhesive wear.

This study aimed to solve the problems of sealing and tearing failure of packer’s rubber cylinders during CO2 downhole injection. Using the simulation software, Comsol, a rubber cylinder model in a supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2) environment was established. The thermal analogy method was used to simulate the CO2 diffusion and rubber cylinder swelling process, thus we analyzed the deformation and stress of the rubber cylinder caused by temperature, pressure and CO2 as swelling agent. Results showed that, in the SC-CO2 environment, under the influence of CO2 diffusion and the consequent swelling, the rubber cylinder body is prone to large deformation, and the maximum shear stress is significantly increased, leading to shear failure of the rubber cylinder. The reduction of the initial seating pressure can alleviate the impact of deformation, whereas the reduction of the maximum contact pressure could cause the rubber cylinder to lose its seal. We also analyzed the change rules between various factors and the maximum contact pressure of the rubber cylinder, which provides a theoretical basis and technical support for improving the sealing performance of the packer’s rubber cylinder in the SC-CO2 environment.

Automobile industry is recognized as one of the most influential sectors shaping the global economies, societies, and individual lifestyles. Therefore, fierce competitions among different companies are continuously undergoing, and innovations deserve special attention to improve the competitiveness. In the past several years, additive manufacturing (AM) is emerging as an innovative technology in the applications of automobile industry with significant advantages over traditional techniques. As a result, increasing attention has been attracted to combining AM technology with the development of automobile industry. Currently, many automobile players are optimizing their industrial layout by incorporating with innovative AM techniques, and meanwhile, many research progresses have been achieved to meet the market demand. This article aims at presenting a timely review to conclude the recent advances in the application of AM techniques in automobile industry, focusing on the available AM techniques, printable materials, and the industry applications. The future research opportunities and challenges are also outlooked. Hopefully, this work can be useful to the related researchers, as well as the game players in the industry of this field.

The evolution of the H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses has led to the emergence of distinct groups with genetically similar clusters of hemagglutinin (HA) sequences. In this study, a consensus H5 HA sequence was cloned into the baculovirus expression system. The HA protein was expressed in baculovirus-infected insect cells and utilized as the antigen for the production of an oil emulsion-based H5 avian influenza vaccine (rBacH5Con5Mut). 21-day old SPF chickens were immunized with this vaccine and then challenged at 21 days post-vaccination (dpv) with clade 2.3.2.1, clade 2.3.4.4 and clade 7.2 of H5 HPAI virus, respectively. The chicken sera of vaccinated chickens exhibited high hemagglutination inhibition (HI) titers against the rBacH5 vaccine antigen, while lower HI titers were observed against the different challenge virus H5 hemagglutinins. Furthermore, the rBacH5Con5Mut vaccine provided 100% protection from mortality and clinical signs. Virus isolation results showed that oropharyngeal and cloacal shedding was prevented in 100% of the vaccinated chickens when challenged with clade 2.3.2.1 and clade 2.3.4.4 H5 viruses. When the rBacH5Con5Mut vaccine candidate was administrated at one day of age, 100% protection was demonstrated against challenge of clade 2.3.4.4 virus at 3 weeks of age, indicating the potential of this vaccine for hatchery vaccination. Overall, the rBacH5Con5Mut vaccine candidate with a consensus HA antigen and a single dose can protect chickens against different clades of H5 HPAI viruses throughout the rearing period of broiler chickens without a boost, thus fulfilling the criteria for an efficacious broad-spectrum H5 avian influenza vaccine.

High-power lasers play an important role in modern science, industry, and medicine. A signifi-cant milestone was reached on December 5, 2022, when Inertial Confinement Nuclear Fusion (ICF) achieved scientific breakeven, releasing more energy than the input laser energy. Additionally, Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUVL) has enabled the development of microchips with 3 nm process nodes, marking a leap in semiconductor technology. These examples together with the recent achievement of a 10 PW (1015 W) laser output heralds remarkable advancements in technology and science soon. Laser systems are broadly classified based on their operating re-gimes into two main categories: Continuous Wave (CW) operation, where the laser is continuously pumped and emits a steady beam of light, and the pulsed regime, in which the laser pro-duces single or multiple pulses at various repetition rates. This review will primarily focus on pulsed laser systems, exploring their various types and recent technological advancements.

Clinical trials often involve new substances characterized or developed for a specific pathology or class of pathologies. At other times, a clinical trial is observational; in other words, a known sub-stance has a range of effects on a given cohort of subjects. The types of trials are different and complex, and often, young clinical novice and the inexperienced researchers may struggle to evaluate how to proceed correctly. In this paper, we aim to create a mini-guide for beginners in clinical trials and provide elements for designing a clinical trial. Our intention is to highlight where to find the materials and how to adapt, even in the absence of sponsors, so that even the most inexperienced and under-resourced researcher can gain an understqanding of the complexi-ty of the process andaddress it appropriately. We do not claim to be exhaustive or cover all ele-ments, but rather, we aim to create a checklist. With this approach, starting discussioms about the experimental phases of the drug and concluding with the clinical trial, we aim to assist those facing this challenging "world."

Post-operative pain is the unpleasant sensory and emotional experience after surgery, its origin being both the inflammatory reaction induced by the surgical trauma on the abdominal wall, and the splanchnic pain, induced by the activation of nociceptors of the viscera, which are highly sensi-tive to distension, ischemia and inflammation. Nowadays, it is well recognized that there is a close relationship between the gut microbiome and pain perception, and that microbiome is highly af-fected by both anaesthesia and surgical manipulation. Thus, efforts to restore the disturbed micro-biome by supplementation with beneficial bacteria, namely probiotics, seems to be effective. In this article the knowledge gained mainly from experimental research on this topic is analyzed, the con-cluding message being that each probiotic strain works in its own way towards pain relief.

The digital transformation of the global economy presents new challenges and opportunities for businesses and nations. With the growing role of digital technologies and the dynamic changes in the structure of the economy, there is a need for a better understanding of the processes shaping contemporary enterprises. This article analyzes the impact of digital transformation on businesses and the global economy, identifying key areas where these changes are most evident. As part of this discussion, a modification of the “9 Pillars of Industry 4.0” concept is proposed, incorporating solutions that have emerged since its inception. The resulting model, “11 Pillars of Industry 4.0,” enabled the analysis of the “born digital” and “born global” concepts, highlighting their numerous common features in the context of the digital transformation of economies. This became the basis for proposing a new concept: “born digibal” — enterprises that from the outset operate in multiple markets, with their main sphere of activity based on digital solutions.The conclusions of the article provide an assessment of the changes occurring in businesses and the global economy in the digital age. They suggest that the dynamics of globalization in the 21st century will be shaped by complex interactions between digital transformation and the actions of businesses and nations, requiring flexibility and innovation in adapting to new economic realities.

Traditional seismic wave-based tunnel advanced geological forecasting techniques are primarily designed for drill and blast method construction tunnels. However, given the fast excavation speed and limited prediction space in Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) construction tunnels, traditional methods have significant technical limitations. This paper analyzes the characteristics of different types of TBM construction tunnels and, considering the practical construction conditions, identifies an effective observation system and data acquisition method. Utilizing numerical simulation, a model for advanced detection of typical unfavorable geological formations is established by obtaining the wave field response characteristics of seismic waves in three-dimensional space. The seismic wave reflection method can effectively receive information from unfavorable geological formations in front of the tunnel face. To address the challenges in advanced forecasting for TBM construction tunnels, a method of ellipsoid positioning velocity analysis, which takes into account the constraints of three-component data directions, is proposed. Based on the characteristics of the advanced forecasting observation system, the method compares the maximum values on the spatial isochronous ellipsoidal surface to determine the average velocity of the geological layer rays, thereby enabling accurate inversion of the spatial distribution ahead. Field verification of advanced geological forecasting based on ellipsoid positioning velocity analysis for TBM tunnels is conducted. The results indicate that this method can be used to obtain the three-dimensional velocity of the predicted unfavorable geological formations in front of the tunnel and is effective for the application of geological forecasting in TBM construction tunnels, thus providing crucial references and assurances for construction.

The volatility and uncertainty associated with the high proportion of wind and PV output in the new power system significantly impact power and energy balance, making it challenging to accurately assess the risks related to renewable energy abandonment and supply guarante. Therefore, a probabilistic power and energy balance risk analysis method based on distributed robust optimization is proposed. Firstly, the affine factor and the flexible ramp reserve capacity of thermal power are combined to establish a probabilistic index, which serves to characterize the risk associated with power and energy balance. Drawing upon the principles of conditional value at risk theory, the risk indexes of load shedding power and curtailment power under a certain confidence probability are proposed. Secondly, the probability distribution fuzzy sets of uncertain variables are constructed using the distributionally robust method to measure the Wasserstein distance between different probability distributions. Finally, aiming at minimizing the operation cost of thermal power, the risk cost of power abandonment and the risk cost of load shedding, a distributed robust optimal scheduling model based on flexible ramp reserve of thermal power is established.

Deep learning (DL) algorithms used for DOTATATE PET lesion detection typically require large, well-annotated training datasets. These are difficult to obtain due to low incidence of gastroenteopancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs), and the high cost of manual annotation. Furthermore, networks trained and tested with data acquired from site specific PET/CT instrumentation, acquisition and processing protocols have reduced performance when tested with offsite data. This lack of generalizability requires even larger, more diverse training datasets. The objective of this study is to investigate the feasibility of improving DL algorithm performance by better matching the background noise in training datasets to higher noise, out-of-domain testing datasets. 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT datasets were obtained from two scanners: Scanner1, a state-of-the-art digital PET/CT (GE DMI PET/CT; n=83 subjects), and Scanner2, an older-generation analog PET/CT (GE STE; n=123 subjects). Set1, the data set from Scanner1 was reconstructed with standard clinical parameters (5 minutes; Q.Clear) and list-mode reconstructions (VPFXS 2, 3, 4, and 5-minutes). Set2, data from Scanner2, representing out-of-domain clinical scans, used standard iterative reconstruction (5 minutes; OSEM). Reconstructed datasets were divided into training, validation, and testing datasets in a 60%, 20%, 20% proportion, and a deep neural network was trained with each: Network1 for Scanner1 and Network2 for Scanner2. DL performance (Network1) was tested with out-of-domain test data (Set2). To evaluate the effect of training sample size, we tested DL model performance using a fraction (25%, 50%, and 75%) of Set1 for training. Scanner1, list-mode 2-minute reconstructed data demonstrated the most similar noise level compared that of Set2, resulting in the best performance (F1=0.713). This was not significantly different compared to the highest performance, upper-bound limit using in-domain training for Network2 (F1=0.755; p-value=0.103). Regarding sample size, the F1 score significantly increased from 25% training data (F1=0.478) to 100% training data (F1=0.713; p&lt;0.001). List-mode data from modern PET scanners can be reconstructed to better match the noise properties of older scanners. Using existing data and their associated annotations dramatically reduces the cost and effort in generating these datasets, and significantly improves the performance of existing DL algorithms. List-mode reconstructions can provide an efficient, low-cost method to improve DL algorithm generalizability.

The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci MEAM1, is a pest known to significantly impact tomato development and yields through direct damage and virus transmission. To manage this pest, the current study compared the effectiveness of various insecticide rotations. Field trials included rotations involving synthetic insecticides, biochemicals, and microbial agents, applied according to their labeled highest concentrations. Results indicated that while standard synthetic insecticides consistently reduced whitefly egg and nymph counts significantly, microbial biopesticide rotations also achieved reductions, although less consistently. This study demonstrated that while traditional chemical treatments remain highly effective, integrating microbial biopesticides containing Beauveria bassiana and Cordyceps javanica present a viable alternative that could mitigate resistance development and reduce environmental impact. The findings suggest the potential for optimizing integrated pest management (IPM) and Insecticide Resistance Management (IRM) strategies by incorporating a variety of modes of action to sustainably manage B. tabaci MEAM1 populations in agricultural settings.

The digital revolution has significantly impacted many Chinese Time-Honored businesses, particularly those slow to adapt to environmental changes, resulting in challenges related to long-term marketing capabilities and declining performance. This study explores the relationship between ambidextrous marketing capabilities and corporate performance. Utilizing a survey involving 91.8% of middle and upper-level managers across 47 Chinese time-honored firms, we construct a research model that demonstrates how the application of ambidextrous marketing capabilities can foster the development of Sustainable marketing capability, which in turn positively influence corporate performance. Sustainable marketing capability mediate the effect of ambidextrous marketing capabilities on corporate performance. Additionally, enhancements in market conditions or legislation may further amplify the impact of Sustainable marketing capability on business performance. In the context of Chinese time-honored firms, these findings offer managerial insights into building Sustainable marketing capability, enhancing performance, and achieving competitive advantages.

Background/Objectives: Meconopsis has long been used in traditional Tibetan medicine to treat various diseases. However, blue-flowered Meconopsis (M. betonicifolia) is becoming increasingly scarce due to overharvesting. As a potential alternative, yellow-flowered Meconopsis (M. integrifolia) shows promise but requires comprehensive characterization. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the anti-inflammatory potential of yellow- and blue-flowered Meconopsis species. Methods: LC-MS was used to analyze the chemical profiles of yellow- and blue-flowered Meconopsis. Putative targets of shared constituents were subjected to GO and disease enrichment analysis. The LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophage model was employed to assess anti-inflammatory effects. Metabolomics was applied to gain mechanistic insights. Results: LC-MS revealed over 70% chemical similarity between species. Enrichment analysis associated targets with inflammation-related pathways. In macrophage assays, both species demonstrated dose-dependent anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities, with yellow Meconopsis exhibiting superior efficacy. Metabolomics showed modulation of key inflammatory metabolic pathways. Conclusions: This integrative study validated yellow-flowered Meconopsis as a credible alternative to its blue-flowered counterpart for anti-inflammatory applications. Metabolic profiling provided initial clues regarding their multi-targeted modes of action, highlighting clinical relevance and potential for sustainable utilization and biodiversity conservation.

Strong yet ductile alloys have long been desired for industrial applications to enhance structural reliability. This work produced two (CoCrNi)93.5Al3Ti3C0.5 medium-entropy alloys with exceptional strength-ductility combinations, via short/medium (3 min/30 min)-time annealing after hot-rolling. Three types of intergranular precipitates including MC, M23C6 carbides, and L12 phase were detected in both the samples. Noticeably, the high density of intragranular L12 precipitates were only founded in the medium-time annealed sample but not in another one. Upon inspection of deformed substructure, it was revealed that the plane slip is the dominant deformation mechanism of both the alloys. This is related to the lower stacking fault energy, higher lattice friction induced by C solute, and slip plane softening caused by intragranular dense L12 precipitates. Additionally, we noted that the stacking fault and twinning act as the mediated mechanisms in deformation of the short-time annealed alloy, while only the former in the medium-time annealed one. It is attributed to the higher energy stacking faults and the increased critical twinning stress caused by intragranular dense L12 precipitates that inhibited the twinning tendency. Our present findings provide not only a guidance for optimizing the mechanical properties of high/medium-entropy alloys, but also a fundamental understanding of deformation mechanisms.

In tropical developing regions, typhoid fever and malaria often co-occur, posing serious health risks. The two illnesses have similar symptoms, which makes diagnosis and treatment more difficult. Through a thorough analysis of existing literature on typhoid fever, malaria, and co-infection, including research articles, case studies, and review papers, this review seeks to understand the dynamic interactions between typhoid fever and malaria co-infection. The review highlights important problems with co-infection between typhoid and malaria, such as higher morbidity and death, diagnostics-related challenges, and antibiotic resistance. Overlapping symptoms and limitations in current diagnostic tests impede accuracy. Treatment plans are made more difficult by the advent of typhoid strains that are resistant to drugs. The analysis concludes by highlighting the necessity of developing more sensitive and specific diagnostic methods in order to accurately diagnose co-infections. Going forward, the review emphasizes the need for more investigation into the immunological connections between malaria and typhoid illnesses. Essentially, this paper offers a thorough summary of the difficulties and possibilities related to co-infection between typhoid and malaria. It provides a framework for upcoming studies and initiatives that seek to improve public health and patient outcomes in the face of these intricately linked health problems.

This study was conducted to determine the role of pre-operative 2 weeks use of Finasteride in reducing intra-operative blood loss in patients undergoing monopolar TURP. Number of enrolled patients were 120, on the basis of inclusion criteria. Patients who were candidates of monopolar TURP were given 5mg Finasteride for 2 weeks before the surgery. On the 13th day of medicine, they got admitted in ward and prepared for surgery. During surgery intra-operative irrigation fluid was measured and gathered, then tested for Hemoglobin and the blood loss was calculated with equation formula. Blood loss evaluation was done on the basis of irrigation fluid, hemoglobin in irrigation fluid, preoperative hemoglobin and resected tissue weight. Significant reduction in blood loss was observed in interventional group as compared to the control group. Mean blood loss was 296ml in Group-A and 370ml in Group-B while blood loss per gram was 11.7ml/g in Group-A and 14.7 ml/g in Group-B. Mean operative time was measured 42 minutes in Group-A and 49 minutes in Group-B. This research proclaims a clear-cut supremacy of pre-operative use of Finasteride for two weeks. It significantly reduces intraoperative blood loss and blood loss per gram in patients undergoing monopolar TURP.

This study aimed to develop a state-of-the-art method for assessing chemical risks. The method combined desk research findings and the authors' practical knowledge to identify the major shortcomings in performing risk assessments at the workplace. Data were collected from nine SMEs across three sectors: agriculture, laboratory research, and conservation and restoration laboratories. The results of the discussions with the workers and on-site observations were used to develop the method to assess chemical risks. The method uses numerical factors to account for the level of conformity and the duration of exposure to support an estimation of the probability of an incident. The developed method was designed to enhance risk assessment practices and tackle common issues encountered by enterprises, including SMEs.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are recognized as the main drivers of economic growth and development in many countries throughout the world. SMEs represent about 90% of the manufacturing sector and contribute about 14% of the total manufacturing contribution to GDP. Despite SMEs’ potential to change Nigeria’s status from a consumer economy to a production economy, policies that will ensure that environmentally- friendly manufacturing processes and production technology are not implemented or complied with. SMEs’ operational activities may be deleterious to human health and the ecosystem if environmental management practices are not adopted or prioritized. This paper evaluated the perception and adoption of the Environmental Management System, mainly ISO 14001, by SMEs in Nigeria. One hundred and fifty (150) SMEs in the manufacturing sector in Lagos and Ogun State, Southwestern Nigeria, were randomly selected for this study. The paper posits that environmental management literacy and advocacy should be carried out in SMEs. Environmental management practices involve engaging both industries and product end-users in sustainable practices. The paper concludes that the implementation of environmental management practices and culture by SMEs will abate environmental pollution and its concomitant health risks to humans, the environment, flora, and fauna. Mandatory and voluntary environmental measures are suggested as a means of engendering eco-friendly innovation for sustainable development, triggering employment, job security, and gross domestic product.

The article presents a model for optimizing biomass supply chains using the linear programming framework integrated with a Geographic Information System. Based on the distance from a given type of biomass resource, its calorific value, price, and transportation costs, the model identifies the optimal source of biomass, allowing it to cover the demand for the required total energy value with the lowest possible costs. The case study includes the Połaniec power plant in southeastern Poland and potential sources of forest biomass and agricultural straw within 100 km of the plant. Unit costs of biomass varied depending on biomass availability and energy demands. For energy demand on the level of 1 PJ yearly, the lowest unit costs of biomass (4.08 €/MJ) were when all kinds of biomass were available, and the highest (5.47 €/MJ) was when only stacked wood was available. As energy demand increased, unit costs increased, and the ability to meet this demand with just one type of biomass decreased. The energy biomass sector can utilize the model to benefit both biomass producers and their final buyers.

Background/Objectives: Vascular invasion, especially extramural vascular invasion (EMVI) has emerged as prognostic parameter for rectal cancer (RC) in recent years. Prediction of reccurence and metastases development poses a significant challenge for oncologists, needing markers for prediction of adverse outcome. The aim of this study was to examine the prognostic significance of pathohistologically detected EMVI in untreated rectal cancer and its implications in separate reporting. Methods: We examined 100 untreated RC patients who underwent curative resection from January 2016 to June 2018 with follow up of 5 years. Patients were divided in equal EMVI- and EMVI+ groups based on histological re-examination of H&E stained postoperative surgical samples. Results: The presence of EMVI within the selected cohort was significantly associated with female gender, T3/T4 and N1/N2 post-operative stages, positive lymph nodes, lymph node ratio LNR2 and LNR3 groups, abundant tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, positive lympho-vascular invasion (LVI), perineural (PNI), and circumferential resection margin (CRM) (p

Understanding whether the long-term follow-up (LTFU) system is working for families is critical to measuring the success of newborn screening (NBS) and understanding why some families are lost to follow-up. Caregivers were recruited from six pediatric specialty care clinics. Data was gathered from caregivers via six focus groups (n=24) and open-ended responses on a survey (n=33). Caregiver participants represented a wide range of NBS-related conditions and children’s ages. While this is not the first study to gather caregivers’ input, it is unique in its breadth of perspectives (e.g., metabolic, endocrine, hemoglobinopathy, etc.) and its focus on LTFU. When asked about goals for their children, caregivers identified health-related goals (i.e., ability for children to care for themselves, not being hindered by diagnosis) and non-health related goals (i.e., defining themselves outside of disease, participating in sports, making friends). In qualifying the LTFU care they want and need for their child and the key factors that influence access and engagement, caregivers identified three themes: communication and relationships with providers; care team roles and factors; and care access and utilization factors. The themes identified are not disjoint; they are intertwined and collectively illustrate the lived experiences of families at the epicenter of LTFU care.

The study aimed to review the management of pediatric digestive duplications (DD) with regards to clinical presentation, operative procedures and complications in a single institution in Bucharest, Romania. A retrospective analysis was performed using patient records from ‘Grigore Alexandrescu’ Emergency Children’s Hospital from 2013 to 2023. All patients with a postoperative diagnosis of DD were selected. A total of 39 children (19 boys, 20 girls) with DD have been treated in our hospital in the past 10 years. Only N=5 of them have been diagnosed antenatally. In N=22 cases patients were referred to our hospital for tumors, while N=17 cases involved an acute setting. Comorbidities were encountered in N=16 patients. Duplications involved several parts of the digestive tract: ileal (N=19), colonic (N=10), esophageal (N=2), jejunal (N=2), gastric (N=2), duodenal (N=1), ileocecal (N=1), esogastric (N=1) and rectal (N=1). Two of the duplications were intraluminal, while the rest were cystic. There were N=28 open interventions and N=11 laparoscopies. Conversion was needed in N=2 cases due to (a) overdistended bowel and (b) dense adhesions between the ileum and the tumor. The tumor was resected in N=17 cases, while intestinal resection was required in N=22 cases. A drain was used in N=21 patients. The average hospital stay for open procedures was 10 days and for laparoscopic procedures 8 days. Complications arose in N=7 patients who had an open procedure and N=1 patient who had a laparoscopic procedure. There were no mortalities. With a low rate of antenatal diagnosis (12.82%), 43.58% of DD appeared in an acute setting. Open procedures were favored in acute cases and patients with comorbidities, but required a longer hospital stay. Laparoscopic management had a 18.18% conversion rate and a low rate of complications (9.09%).

Intense climate change and rapid urbanization have increased the risk of urban flooding, seriously affecting urban economic and social stability. Enhancing the urban flood resilience (UFR) has required a new solution to cope with urban flood disasters. In this study, taking Yingtan city as an example, a system of indicators for evaluating UFR was constructed, with 17 representative indicators, comprising three subsystems: socio-economic, ecological and infrastructural. A hybrid (FAHP-EWM)-TOPSIS model was applied, to develop an index-based measurement to compare and evaluate UFR, and Gray Relational Analysis (GRA) was used to discover the main factors affecting UFR. In addition, the natural discontinuous method was innovatively used to divide the UFR grade interval into levels, and the grade change was evaluated based on the TOPSIS method. The results showed that (1) from 2010 to 2022, the UFR in Yingtan City increased by 80.69%, and the factors affecting UFR are highly correlated with urban infrastructure development. However, the ecological resilience in the subsystem showed a fluctuating downward trend, because of the influence of the surface area of lakes and rivers. (2) The grades of UFR for Yingtan City increased from Level III (2010 and 2016) to Level IV (2022), with local financial expenditures and the age structure of the population being the main factors currently limiting the development of UFR. The study provides a theoretical basis for the construction of an indicator system for assessing the UFR of Yingtan and proposes practical improvement directions for UFR.

The zinc oxide (ZnO) arrester is positioned on locomotive roof preventing other onboard electrical equipment from the harm caused by external and internal overvoltages. A number of locomotive arrester burnout and explosion accidents occur during traction supply network harmonic resonance causing train stoppages and power outages in the network. This study firstly carries out high-frequency tests to investigate the wide frequency band electrical characteristics of the locomotive arrester, explaining that the arrester is prone to fault during resonance. Consequently, a prognostics and health management (PHM) for locomotive arrester is proposed providing on online monitoring, fault warning and health assessment solutions, which is beneficial to the operation and maintenance of arresters in the future. The testing method and PHM scheme presented in this paper can be not only applied to the arrester, also readily expanded to other high-voltage electrical equipment on the electric locomotive.

To enhance the peak-shaving capability of the boiler, a mathematical model of hydrodynamic and wall temperature characteristics for the water-cooled wall of a 1000 MW boiler was established. The attributes pertaining to the mass flow distribution, the temperature of the effluent working fluid, pressure drop, and the thermal distribution across the wall surfaces at 30% of the boiler's maximum continuous rating (BMCR) were meticulously computed and subjected to a thorough analytical review. The findings suggest that, under the operation at 30% BMCR load, there is a substantial equilibrium in the flow distribution across the quartet of walls that constitute the water-cooled wall assembly. The maximum mass flow rate deviations in the helical and vertical sections are 1.95% and 3.47%, respectively, showing small flow deviations and reasonable distribution. The temperature deviation in the helical section is 0.3 °C, reflecting the characteristic low thermal deviation in helical tubes. While the temperature deviation at the outlet of the vertical section is higher, it remains within safe limits. The pressure loss across the water-cooled wall system amounts to 0.4 MPa. The peak wall temperature reaches 337.5°C, remaining within the material's permissible safety limits. In-depth performance analysis ensures the safe operating conditions of the water-cooled wall during low load conditions.

Commercial protein supplements are the main sources for the sports nutrition. Nowadays, those protein supplements mainly differ in the ingredients and formulations, possibly affecting the digestion behavior and protein absorption during gastrointestinal digestion. Herein, this work aimed to investigate the gastric digestion behavior and protein hydrolysis of commercial protein supplements by using an in vitro dynamic digestion model. Five commercial protein supplements were selected, including three protein powders and two liquid protein beverages. The results indicated that liquid protein beverages had smaller particle size than protein powder dispersions, and one of the protein powders existed as the microcapsules. During gastric digestion, all samples tended to form aggregates as the pH decreased, and the degree of aggregation was more pronounced in liquid protein beverages than in protein powders, where the intact structure of the microcapsules was gradually disrupted. Protein hydrolysis degree in liquid protein beverages was higher than that in protein powders. One of the liquid products (M20) had the highest protein hydrolysis degree of around 35.74% after 120 min gastric digestion and a half-empty time of 37.82 min. These findings suggest that the formulation and ingredients of commercial protein supplements will affect their digestion behavior, resulting in varying degree of protein hydrolysis. Hence, sports supplements should be carefully designed to provide precise nutrition for the athletes and exercisers.

BACKGROUND: Qu-aroma is a critical quality indicator for medium-high temperature Daqu (MT-Daqu), significantly influencing the aroma profile of strong-aroma Baijiu (SAB). SAB is produced across various regions in China, each with unique environmental conditions and production techniques. These regional differences are likely to cause variations in the Qu-aroma of MT-Daqu. Despite this, comprehensive research on the variations in Qu-aroma across different regions has been lacking. This study aims to address this gap by utilizing Gas Chromatography-Olfactometry-Mass Spectrometry (GC-O-MS) and electronic nose (E-nose) technology, combined with sensory evaluation, to analyze the differences in Qu-aroma characteristics and volatile compound profiles of MT-Daqu from seven distinct production areas.RESULTS: Sensory analysis identified seven broad aroma categories and 25 specific aromas characterizing the Qu-aroma of MT-Daqu samples. Chen aroma and roasted aroma were notably more prevalent in MT-Daqu samples from Sichuan compared to those from other regions (P < 0.05), while the fermentation aroma was less prominent in Sichuan samples. In total, 123 volatile compounds were detected in MT-Daqu, with 46 classified as aroma-active compounds. Among these, 21 aroma-active compounds were identified as markers distinguishing Sichuan MT-Daqu from those produced in non-Sichuan regions, showing significant differences in their concentrations (P < 0.05). Additionally, six major aroma-active compounds-ethyl isovalerate, ethyl heptanoate, hexanal, 1-nonanal, (E)-2,4-decadienal, and 2,3-dimethyl-5-ethylpyrazine-were found to significantly contribute to the aroma differences between Sichuan and non-Sichuan MT-Daqu.CONCLUSION: This study delineates the distinct Qu-aroma characteristics of MT-Daqu from various SAB production areas and identifies the aroma-active compounds responsible for these differences. The insights gained from this research offer valuable guidance for optimizing flavor profiles in MT-Daqu production, potentially enhancing the overall quality and regional distinctiveness of the product.

Energy transition is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity today. All micro, small, medium and large enterprises in operation will have to face it, and some can al-ready boast the first successes in this regard. This paper focuses on the involvement of these smallest players in energy transition. Micro and small entities are the largest part of the economy, having a great influence on its development. Looking at the wide scale of their activities, these entities are distinguished by a specific owner-manager relationship. This means that the final decision-making is influenced by business goals, but also by the manager's approach, their awareness of changes, and personal and other factors. Based on a structured and standardized survey questionnaire, the research was carried out using the Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing technique between April and May 2022 among owners of micro and small enterprises operating in Poland. The survey showed that active engagement of micro and small enterprises in energy efficiency initiatives is related to their market success and financial health.

Responding to changing value creation processes in the sheet metal working sec-tor, where the complexity and interchangeability of products challenge traditional dif-ferentiation strategies, this empirical analysis explores integrating service-oriented and data-driven business models as new paths to ensure competitiveness, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This study aims to capture the current state and challenges associated with the implementation of these business models in this sector. The research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with SMEs in the industry. The findings indicate that service-oriented and data-driven business models are not yet widely adopted and that manufacturing companies re-quire support in their implementation. Fields of action were identified for the industry. These are "Creating awareness and understanding", "Recognizing added value", "In-creasing company maturity" and "Understanding the change process". Cooperation between science and industry is essential in tackling these fields of action to ensure the successful integration of such business models in manufacturing companies. This pa-per identifies challenges in the fields of action that companies must address through a structured approach promoting awareness, recognizing value, improving organiza-tional maturity, and understanding the change process to successfully implement ser-vice-oriented and data-driven business models.

Accordingly, a lot of dry direct seeding rice would be dense planted, that the initial seedling quantity could approach or even exceed the targeted effective panicle number. While limit information is available to evaluate the effects of involved novel nitrogen application methods, that total nitrogen once applied at a determined leaf age stage, on the yield formation traits of such dense planted dry direct seeding rice. The two-year experiments with total 180 kg ha-1 nitrogen once applied time treatments at sixth (L6), seventh (L7), eighth (L8), ninth (L9) and tenth (L10) leaf age stages were carried out. Results showed that the above-ground dry matter weight at maturity and grain yield of L8 was 2.1% ~ 11.8% and 4.0% ~ 9.9% higher than those of other treatments. Compared to other treatments, the higher above-ground dry matter weight after heading stage, bigger mean leaf area index with higher leaf area index at heading stage, increased leaf area duration, crop growth rate and net assimilation rate from jointing to heading period were important traits of higher grain yield formation of L8. In addition, the L8 had relative higher grain-leaf ratio traits than other treatments. Overall, a total 180 kg ha-1 nitrogen with mixed urea and compound fertilizer once applied at eighth leaf age stage would be suggest a useful high yield cultivation method for dense planted dry direct seeding rice in rice-wheat rotation system.

: The activated carbons (ACs) derived from okara powder waste with high surface areas were modified with ammonia aqueous solution impregnation in an autoclave to enhance their CO2 adsorption properties toward CO2. The impregnated ACs were characterized in which surface chemical composition and properties of the ACs were analyzed by SEM-EDX, FTIR. Activated carbons were functionalized with ammonia aqueous solution (25%) through a hydrothermal process within 24; 48, and 72 hours. The adsorption performance of CO2 onto carbon samples was experimentally evaluated through a TPD CO2 measurement. FTIR spectra confirm the N-containing in N-modified activated carbons and the presence of the –C = O stretch and N-H groups. CO2 uptakes of N-modified activated carbons are 0.24; 1.78; 2.24 and 1.26 mmol/g, which are relatively comparable with those of activated carbons studied in in the literature.

The multi-stage, multi-level assembly job shop scheduling problem (MsMlAJSP) is commonly encountered in the manufacturing of complex customized products. Ensuring production efficiency while effectively improving energy utilization is a key focus in the industry. For the energy-efficient MsMlAJSP (EEMsMlAJSP), an improved imperialist competitive algorithm based on Q-learning (IICA-QL) is proposed to minimize the maximum completion time and total energy consumption. In IICA-QL, a decoding strategy with energy-efficient triggers based on problem characteristics is designed to ensure solution quality while effectively enhancing search efficiency. Additionally, an assimilation operation with operator parameter self-adaptation based on Q-learning is devised to overcome the challenge of balancing exploration and exploitation with fixed parameters, thus the convergence and diversity of the algorithmic search is enhanced. Finally, the effectiveness of the energy-efficient strategy decoding trigger mechanism and the operator parameter self-adaptation operation based on Q-learning is demonstrated through experimental results, and the effectiveness of IICA-QL for solving EEMsMlAJSP is verified by comparing with other algorithms.

Introduction Delayed intra-operative neuro-monitoring (IOM) events can be defined as loss of responses, after baseline traces were present upon completion of instrumentation and deformity correction. This study reports this subgroup of events, assesses their incidence and evaluates potential causative factors. Methods We reviewed 1881 consecutive patients who underwent spinal deformity correction between 2011 and 2021. Surgeries were performed using a standardised anaesthetic regimen and multimodal IOM protocol. Results 44 patients (2.4%) had an IOM event. 9 patients (6F:3M) had a true positive delayed event after posterior segmental pedicle screw instrumentation. Mean age was 12.5 (2-17) years with mean thoracic Cobb angle of 78° (51-94°). Mean estimated blood loss was 28%. Titanium beam shaped rods were utilised in 3 patients and 5.5mm titanium rods in 5 patients. Motor evoked potentials were lost on average 18 (10-30) minutes after completion of instrumentation. 7 patients had bilateral loss and 2 patients had unilateral loss of MEP traces. Sensory evoked potential amplitude was preserved in all cases. There was a transient latency shift in one patient. MEPs returned within 20 minutes of rod release. The rod was re-contoured to incorporate more scoliosis in 1 patient. 2 patients had beam rods exchanged to 5.5mm titanium rods. 6 patients had rod removal with retention of pedicle screws and staged completion of instrumentation at mean 5 (1-7) days later. No patients had a postoperative neurological deficit. Conclusion Delayed IOM loss represented 15% of all events. Increased cord tension and hypo-perfusion were considered likely mechanisms. Rod release restored MEPs in all cases. The timing of events emphasises the importance of continued monitoring for minimum 30 minutes after completion of spinal instrumentation or until wound closure.

Reducing CO2 emissions is urgently needed to slow down the impacts of climate change. CO2 capture using an amine solution has been developed and implemented on pilot and commercial scales. However, amine scrubbing, in particular, produces a lot of degraded solvent as waste and is energy intensive. Solid sorbents have been called to overcome those drawbacks. In this work, waste biomass-derived carbon materials were developed and tested for CO2 capture and conversion. Advanced thermal chemical processes i.e. hydrothermal and pyrolysis were applied to produce materials from agri-food waste such as soybean and okara. It was found that the number of functional groups (-C=O and -OH) in activated carbon appears in the synthesized materials, implying the generation of surface oxygenated groups. Preliminary results showed that the synthesized activated carbons are obtained with good yields, and a relatively high surface area, which may be applied as CO2 adsorption materials to solve the CO2 emission problems.

With advancements in digital technologies such as 5G communications, big data, and cloud computing, the components of network operation systems have become increasingly complex, significantly complicating system monitoring and maintenance. Correspondingly, automated log anomaly detection has become a crucial means to ensure stable network operation and protect them from malicious attacks or failures. Conventional machine learning and deep learning methods assume consistent distributions between the training and testing data, adhering to a closed-set recognition paradigm. Nevertheless, in realistic scenarios, systems may encounter new anomalies that were not present in the training data, especially in log anomaly detection. Inspired by evidential learning, we propose a novel anomaly detector called LogEDL, which supervises training of the model through an evidential loss function. Unlike traditional loss functions, the evidential loss function not only focuses on correct classification, but also quantifies the uncertainty of predictions. This enhances the robustness and accuracy of the model in handling anomaly detection tasks, while achieving functionality similar to open-set recognition. To evaluate the proposed LogEDL method, we conduct extensive experiments on three datasets, i.e., HDFS, BGL, and Thunderbird, to detect anomalous log sequences. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed LogEDL achieves state-of-the-art performance in anomaly detection.

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to develop a logistic regression model to predict post-operative in-hospital mortality rates for patients undergoing emergency cardiac surgeries, with the aim of improving predictive accuracy over traditional risk assessment tools and enhancing patient outcomes and clinical decision-making. Methods: Data were collected from 4,855 patients who underwent emergency cardiac surgeries at a tertiary hospital between 2008 and 2017. The analysis incorporated demographic, anthropomet- ric, and clinical factors, including the ASA classification, emergency status, and various preoperative laboratory values. A logistic regression model was developed, and the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index was calculated using standard ICD-10 codes for its comprehensive assessment of comorbidities. Model performance was evaluated using metrics such as AUROC, AUPRC, accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score. Results: The logistic regression model demonstrated strong predictive performance, with an AUROC of 0.939 and an AUPRC of 0.350. Key pre-operative factors identified included emergency operation status, ASA classification, and preoperative prothrombin time. The model significantly outperformed the traditional ASA classification system, which showed an AUROC of 0.524 and an AUPRC of 0.010. These findings suggest a substantial improvement in predicting post-operative mortality. Conclusion: The logistic regression model significantly improves the prediction of post-operative mortality in emergency cardiac surgeries compared to the ASA classification system. These findings highlight the potential of incorporating comprehensive pre-operative factors into predictive models to enhance clinical decision-making and patient outcomes. Implementing such models in routine clinical practice could lead to more accurate risk assessments, better resource allocation, and improved patient care.

Locoregional anaesthetic techniques are invaluable for providing multimodal analgesia for painful surgical procedures. This prospective, randomised study describes a nerve stimulator-guided bra-chial plexus blockade (BPB) in rabbits undergoing orthopaedic surgery in comparison to systemic lidocaine. Premedication was provided with intramuscular (IM) medetomidine, fentanyl and midazolam. Anaesthesia was induced (propofol IV) and maintained with isoflurane. Nine rabbits received a lidocaine BPB (2%; 0.3 ml kg-1), and eight received lidocaine constant rate infusion (CRI) (2 mg kg-1 IV, followed by 100 µg kg-1 minute-1). Rescue analgesia was provided with Fentanyl IV. Carprofen was administered at the end of surgery. Post-operative pain was determined using the Rabbit Grimace Scale (RGS) and a composite pain scale. Buprenorphine was administered accord-ing to pain score for two hours after extubation. Rabbits were filmed during the first two hours to measure distance travelled and behaviours. Food intake and faeces output were compared. Every rabbit in CRI required intraoperative rescue analgesia compared to no rabbits in BPB. How-ever, rabbits in both groups had similar pain scores and there was no difference in administration of postoperative analgesia. There were no significant differences in food intake or faeces produc-tion over 18 hours, and no significant differences in distance travelled, or behaviours examined during the first two hours. BPB seems superior for intraoperative analgesia. Postoperatively both groups were comparable.

The existing PDC(Polycrystalline Diamond Compacts) -cone hybrid bit bearing adopts a unilateral support structure, which is prone to stress concentration in the journal area, resulting in fracture and wear failure of the bearing, thus reducing the service life of the hybrid bit. In this paper, a new type of double supported bearing hybrid bit is proposed. The static strength analysis of unilateral and bilateral support bearing structures is carried out by finite element simulation, and the stress and strain distribution of the two structures under the load of 20KN-100KN is obtained. Experimental devices for unilateral and bilateral support bearing structures are designed and manufactured to complete 50KN-100KN static pressure loading experiments. The results showed that the stress and strain of unilateral and bilateral support bearing increased linearly with the increase of load. Compared with unilateral bearing, when the load was 100KN, the maximum Mises stress of bilateral bearing decreased from 358.80MPa to 211.10MPa, with a decrease of 41.16%. The maximum contact stress decreased from 415.20MPa to 378.10MPa, decreased by 8.94%, and the maximum principal strain decreased from 11.01e-4 to 9.71e-4, decreased by 11.81%. The axial strain in the danger zone was reduced by 14.68% and 17.35%, respectively. It is found that the contact stress of the simulation data is highly correlated with the bearing life, and the service life of the bilateral bearing bit is increased by 8.94%. The simulation data and experimental results provide data support for the production of hybrid bits with bilateral bearing support.

The determinants of enterprises providing ICT training in Europe are analyzed in this article. Data are collected from the European Innovation Scoreboard-EIS of the European Commission for 36 European countries in the period 2000-2019. Data are analyzed with Panel Data with Fixed Effects, Panel Data with Random Effects, Dynamic Panel, WLS and Pooled OLS. Results show that the number of enterprises providing ICT training in Europe is positively associate with “Innovation Index”, “Innovators”, “New Doctorate Graduates”, “Tertiary Education” and negatively associated with “Government Procurement of Advanced Technology Products”, “Human Resources”, and “Marketing or Organisational Innovators”. In adjunct a cluster analysis is performed by using k-Means algorithm optimized with the Silhouette Coefficient and we find the presence of four clusters. Finally, we use eight different machine learning algorithms to predict the value of the enterprises providing ICT training in Europe. We found that the Simple Tree Regression is the best predictor and that the number of enterprises providing ICT training in Europe is expected to growth of the 5,02%.

To achieve n-type doping in diamond, extensive investigations employing first principles have been conducted on various models of phosphorus doping and boron-phosphorus co-doping. The primary focus of this study is to comprehensively analyze the formation energy, band structure, density of states, and ionization energy of these structures. It is observed that within a diamond structure solely composed of phosphorus atoms, the formation energy of an individual carbon atom is excessively high. However, the substitution of two carbon atoms leads to the conversion of diamond into a p-type semiconductor. Upon examining the P-B co-doping structure, it is revealed that the doped impurities exhibit a tendency to form more stable cluster configurations. As the separation between the freely doped atoms and the cluster impurity structure increases, the overall stability of the structure diminishes, consequently resulting in an elevation of the ionization energy. Analysis of the electronic density of states demonstrates that the electron orbit of the B atom makes negligible contributions to the impurity levels during P-B doping.

The rebound behaviors of rubber balls based on ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) / chlorinated butyl rubber (CIIR) blends were investigated systematically. A novel method was proposed to characterize the damping capacity of the EPDM/CIIR blends. The damping capacity can be represented by the rebound height of rubber balls, and lower rebound height corresponds to better damping capacity. A mathematical model expressed by an equation obtained through theoretical derivation has been proposed to predict the rebound height of the rubber balls. The energy dissipation rate (EDR) defined by the ratio of the height loss to the rebound time was proposed to further characterize the damping capacity. The EDR value shows the highest for the pure CIIR and lowest for the pure EPDM, showing a decrease trend with the increase of EPDM content in the rubber blends. By comparison one can obtain that the damping capacity of the EPDM/CIIR blends decreases with the decrease of external excitation, the conclusion of which plays a key role in the formulation design of viscoelastic damping rubber materials.

Waste cooking oil (WCO) recycled asphalt is facing issues regarding insufficient thermal oxidation stability and aging resistance. In this research, glycerol esterification was adopted to pretreat WCO, and the consequences of this treatment on the aging resistance and thermal stability of WCO were analyzed. The impacts of varying levels of esterification of WCO on the high-temperature, low-temperature performances, fatigue properties, as well as aging resistance of recycled asphalt were investigated. Furthermore, the mechanisms of regeneration and anti-aging of deeply esterified WCO recycled asphalt were revealed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) tests. The results indicated that variations in the physical properties of WCO during the aging process were reduced, and its aging resistance was improved following glycerol esterification therapy. The initial thermal decomposition temperature was increased by approximately 115°C, which resulted in the enhancement of thermal stability significantly. Recycled asphalt obtained from deeply esterified WCO exhibited superior high-temperature, low-temperature performances and fatigue properties. Moreover, the thermal oxidation stability and aging resistance of recycled asphalt with deep-esterified WCO could be promoted by reducing the oxidation and volatilization of light components during the aging process.

The Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) is transforming the global economy, necessitating mall and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to adopt new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, and cloud computing. Therefore, SMEs need to assess their readiness to identify capabilities and areas for improvement to remain competitive. However, existing IR4.0 readiness assessment such as the Industry4WRD Readiness Assessment and Industry 4.0-Readiness by IMPULS German are time-consuming and restrict the participation of various sectors. Using the understanding of theories such as Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), Technology Readiness Index (TRI), and Diffusion Of Innovation (DOI), this study developed an initial research model that identifies the dimensions of IR4.0 readiness; (i) organization, (ii) data, (iii) infrastructure, (iv) analytics, and (v) IT, development and operations. This study carried out qualitative methods through four different phases. The first phase is a systematic literature review, and data collection through participant observation (PO) in IR4.0 skills training programs, seminars, and workshops. The second phase is the development of an initial research model to identify the dimensions of IR4.0 readiness that will be used in the next phase. The third phase is a survey on SME’s IR4.0 readiness via the IR4.0 e-Readiness Checker (IR4.0 eRC) readiness assessment system, which produces the final research model, IR4.0 SME Readiness Model. In the fourth phase, the IR4.0 Readiness Model is confirmed for use by SMEs in Malaysia through interviews with three industry experts in Malaysia. Based on the 50 responses in the IR4.0 eRC evaluation, the average IR4.0 readiness of SMEs is 66%, and only 10 SMEs with less than 50%, showing room and improvement opportunities for the continuous research and development of IR4.0 transformation. This study developed IR4.0 readiness model for SMEs to assess readiness for IR4.0 transformation, support investments in IoT projects and employee upskilling programs.

The commercial oxygen-free copper sheets were cold-rolled with reduction rates ranging from 20% to 87% reduction rate and annealed at 400, 500 and 600 °C. The microstructure and texture evolution during cold-rolling and annealing processes were studied using optical microscopy (OM), the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD). The results show that the deformation textures of {123} (S) , {112} (Copper) and {110} (Brass) were continuously enhanced with the increase of cold-rolling reduction. The orientations along the α-oriented fiber converged towards Brass and the orientation density of β fiber obviously increased when the rolling reduction exceeded 60%. The recrystallization texture was significantly affected by the cold-rolling reduction. After 60% cold-rolling reduction, Copper and S textures components gradually decreased and {011} recrystallization texture component formed with the increase of annealing temperature. After 87% cold-rolling reduction, a strong Cube texture formed and other textures were inhibited with the increase of annealing temperature. The strong Brass and S deformation texture was conducive to the formation of a strong Cube annealing texture. The density of annealing twin boundary decreased with the increase of annealing temperature, and more annealing twin boundaries formed in the oxygen-free copper sheets with the increase of cold rolling reduction.

In small data set learning, obtaining a large number of training samples from the source class for transfer learning is a challenge for fine-grained visual classification. Based on the fact that fine-grained concepts can be learned with very few samples, we use very few labeled samples (for example, three) in each category. However, due to the difficulty in distinguishing the subtle differences between fine-grained images, we propose a local structure information extraction method of SDFGVC based on spatial frequency features. The proposed learning module enhances the ability of the network to find significant regions and shows excellent performance in experiments on six datasets.

Materials engineering based on metal oxides for manipulating the solar spectrum and producing solar energy have been under intense investigation over the last years. In this work, we present NiO thin films double-doped with niobium (Nb) and nitrogen (N) as cation and anion dopants (NiO:(Nb,N)) to be used as p-type layers in all oxide transparent solar cells. The films were grown by sputtering a composite Ni-Nb target on room-temperature substrates in plasma containing 50% Ar, 25% O2 and 25% N2 gases. The existence of Nb and N dopants in the NiO structure was confirmed by the Energy Dispersive X-Ray and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy techniques. The nominally undoped NiO film, which was deposited by sputtering a Ni target and used as the reference film, was oxygen-rich, single-phase cubic NiO, having a visible transmittance of less than 20%. Upon double doping with Nb and N the visible transmittance of NiO:(Nb,N) film increased to 60%, which was further improved after thermal treatment to around 85%. The respective values of the direct band gap in the undoped and double-doped films were 3.28 eV and 3.73 eV just after deposition and 3.67 eV and 3.76 eV after thermal treatment. The changes in the properties of the films such as structural disorder, direct and indirect energy band gaps, Urbach tail states and resistivity were correlated with the incorporation of Nb and N in their structure. The thermally treated NiO:(Nb,N) film was used to form a diode with a spin-coated two-layer, mesoporous on top of a compact, TiO2 film. The NiO:(Nb,N)/TiO2 heterojunction exhibited visible transparency of around 80%, showed rectifying characteristics and the diode’s parameters were deduced using the I-V method. The diode revealed photovoltaic behavior upon illumination with UV light exhibiting a short circuit current density of 0.2 mA/cm2 and open-circuit voltage of 500 mV. Improvements of the output characteristics of the NiO:(Nb,N)/TiO2 UV-photovoltaic by proper engineering of the individual layers and device processing procedures are addressed. Transparent NiO:(Nb,N) films can be potential candidates in all-oxide ultraviolet photovoltaics for tandem solar cells, smart windows and other optoelectronic devices.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) triggers alterations in the maternal gut microbiome. Alongside metabolic shifts, microbial products may impact clinical factors and influence pregnancy outcomes. Here, we performed two separate analyses to integrate the maternal microbiome-metabolomic differences from a subset of the “Choosing Healthy Options in Carbohydrate Energy” (CHOICE) study. Women diagnosed with GDM were randomized to a diet higher in complex carbohydrates (CHOICE, n=18, 60% complex carbohydrate/25% fat/15% protein) or a conventional GDM diet (CONV, n=16, 40% carbohydrate/45% fat/15% protein). All meals were provided, diets were eucaloric, and fiber content was similar. CHOICE diet was associated with increases in TMAO, lysophosphotidylcholines, indoxyl sulfate, and several triglyceride (TG) species, while CONV diet was associated with higher plasma hippuric acid, aspartic acid, betaine, glutamic acid, indole propionic acid, and indoleacetic acid, suggesting that differences in lipid metabolism and tryptophan utilization pathways are linked to specific maternal diets. We also identified two latent metabolic groups not associated with either diet treatment: one metabolome associated with higher fasting glucose, and the other associated with higher fasting TGs after 7 weeks on either diet. Our study underscores the importance of utilizing dietary approaches to optimize maternal-fetal health outcomes in GDM treatment.

Over the coming decades, global freshwater withdrawals are expected to grow, especially in low and middle-income countries. Unless there are significant improvements in the efficiency of water use by economies, freshwater stress, crises and scarcity will worsen. This paper explores further the economic relationship between water use efficiency and scarcity. Because growing scarcity of freshwater in many regions and countries is not adequately reflected in markets, there is often insufficient incentives for investment and innovation to improve the efficiency of water use. To explore further changes in water use efficiency across countries, we conduct a panel analysis of water productivity changes for 130 countries over 1995 to 2020. Countries with lower initial levels of water use efficiency tended to have higher water productivity growth, whereas more agriculturally dependent economies displayed lower improvements in water use efficiency. Better institutional quality and capacity for innovation may also increase water use efficiency. We discuss the implications of these results for improving water use productivity in economies, and in particular, the opportunities and challenges for improving water markets and trades to alleviate water scarcity. We conclude by identifying further areas of research.

Civic participation is of great significance to urban management decision-making. In order to facilitate citizens to participate in city management decision-making, this paper proposes a large-scale group decision-making (LSGDM) method based on multi-granular probabilistic linguistic preference relations (MG-PLPRs). First, each decision maker selects a language terms set from the multi-granularity language terms set to represent individual preference relations and the MG-PLPRs are obtained by statistical calculation to represent sub-group’s preferences information. Then, an optimization model based on the expected consistency of PLPR and consensus measure of groups is established to achieving consensus reaching processes, which can ensure satisfactory individual consistency and group consensus. Finally, the validity and applicability of the proposed method is verified by a case of a city "shared garden" site selection with the participation of citizens.

In this study, carbon-quantum-dot (CQD)-decorated TiO2 was prepared using an ultrasonic doping method and applied in the photocatalytic degradation of naphthalene under sunlight irradiation. The CQDs were synthesized from a typical macroalgae via diluted sulfuric acid pretreatment and hydrothermal synthesis using an optimal design, i.e., 3 wt% and 200 oC, respectively. The CQD/TiO2 composite remarkably enhanced the photocatalytic activity. The degradation of naphthalene under a visible light environment indicated that there is a synergistic mechanism between CQDs and TiO2, in which the generation of reactive oxygen species is significantly triggered; in addition, the N that originated from the macroalgae accelerated the photocatalytic efficiency. Kinetic analysis showed that the photo-catalytic behavior of the CQD/TiO2 composite followed a pseudo-first-order equation. Consequently, our combined experimental approach not only provides a facile pretreatment process for bio-CQDs synthesis, but also delivers a suitable TiO2 photocatalyst for up-conversion, along with critical insights into the development of harmful macroalgae resources.

This study aims to enhance the detection and assessment of safety hazards in small-scale reservoir engineering using advanced image processing and deep learning techniques. Given the critical importance of small reservoirs in flood management, water supply, and ecological balance, the effective monitoring of their structural integrity is crucial. This paper developed a fully convolutional semantic segmentation method for hidden danger images of small reservoirs using an encoding-decoding structure, utilizing a deep learning framework of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to process and analyze high-resolution images captured by UAVs. The method incorporated data augmentation and adaptive learning techniques to improve model accuracy under diverse environmental conditions. Finally, the quantification data of hidden dangers (length, width, area, etc.) was obtained by converting the image pixels to the actual size. Results demonstrate significant improvements in detecting structural deficiencies, such as cracks and seepage areas, with increased precision and recall rates compared to conventional methods, and the HHSN-25 network (Hidden Hazard Segmentation Network with 25 layers)proposed in this paper outperforms other methods. The main evaluation indicator mIoU of HHSN-25 is higher than other methods, reaching 87.00%, and Unet is 85.50%, Unet++is 85.55%. The proposed model achieves reliable real-time performance, allowing for early warning and effective management of potential risks. This study contributes to the development of more efficient monitoring systems for small-scale reservoirs, enhancing their safety and operational sustainability.

Among the major systems of high-speed rail, the arch network relationship, wheel-rail relationship and fluid-structure coupling relationship are important links affecting the performance of high-speed rail, and also the main control factors affecting the speed limit of high-speed rail. From this perspective, the contact state and interactive relationship between pantograph and catenary are the key factors affecting the forward performance of high-speed rail. As a key component in the pantograph system, the actuator is responsible for adjusting the contact force and position between the pantograph and the contact line. The performance characteristics of the actuator, such as response speed, accuracy, stability and durability, directly affect the control performance of the whole pantograph system. In this paper, the research status of the active control technology of high-speed railway pantograph is reviewed, and the future development direction is pointed out, which provides a new idea for the development of pantograph technology.

The objective of this study is to investigate the aquatic-toxic effects of glyoxal-containing cellulose ether with four different glyoxal concentrations (0, 1.4, 2.3 and 6.3%) in response to global chemical regulations, e.g., European Union Classification, Labeling and Packaging (EU CLP). Tests of the aquatic-toxic effects of glyoxal-containing cellulose ether on 11 freeze-dried microbial strains, Microcystis aeruginosa, Daphnia magna and zebrafish embryos were designed as an initial stage for toxicity screening, and were performed with the standardized toxicity test guidelines. Glyoxal-containing cellulose ether showed no significant toxic effects in the toxicity tests for the 11 freeze-dried microbial strains, Daphnia magna and zebrafish embryos. Alternatively, 6.3% glyoxal-containing cellulose ether led to more than a 60% reduction of Microcystis aeruginosa growth after 7 days of exposure. Approximately 10% developmental abnormalities (e.g., bent spine) in zebrafish embryos were also observed in the group exposed to 6.3% glyoxal-containing cellulose ether after 6 days of exposure. These results imply that <6.3% glyoxal-containing cellulose ether results in non-toxic effects on the acute toxicity of aquatic organisms. However, ≥6.3% glyoxal-containing cellulose ether may affect the health of aquatic organisms with long-term exposure. In order to better evaluate the eco-safety of cellulosic products contained in glyoxal, further studies regarding the toxic effects of glyoxal-containing cellulose ether with long-term exposure are required. The results from this study allow us to evaluate the auatic-toxic effects of glyoxal-containing cellulosic products, under EU chemical regulations, on the health of aquatic organisms.

The risk of a fatal outcome was 41% in unvaccinated patients (p = 0.713), which increased by 2.66% with co-infection with two pathogens (p = 0.342) and by 26% with three pathogens (p = 0.005). Additionally, 50% of ICU patients had a triple infection, compared with only 1.3% in the inpatient unit (p = 0.0029). The risk of death and/or ICU admission was 12 times higher (p = 0.042) with an additional pathogen and increased by 95% (p = 0.003) with a third concomitant pathogen. Regular multiplex testing is important for prompt treatment and targeted antibiotic use.

The magnetic properties of 0.10 mm ultra-thin grain-oriented (UTGO) silicon steel and Fe-based amorphous (FBA) alloy under sinusoidal excitation were measured experimentally, and the magnetic field strength and iron loss of the two materials under different frequencies and magnetic densities were obtained. Based on the measured data, the magnetization and loss characteristics of the two materials were analyzed and compared. Furthermore, two Epstein square ring models of the same specification and different materials were designed, and the reliability of the models was verified. Then, the electromagnetic characteristics of the two Epstein square ring models at higher and lower frequencies were calculated by using the finite element method, and the iron loss was obtained and compared. The results show that the FBA alloy has good application characteristics at low frequency and low power, and the 0.10 mm UTGO silicon steel has good application characteristics at high frequency and high power. This research can provide important data basis to promote the application of these two materials in new energy equipment.

The nuclear reactor measurement system is a crucial component of the nuclear measurement system in a nuclear power plant. Its primary function is to measure the power distribution within the reactor core using detectors, calibrate, and provide data on core fuel consumption. Therefore, the study of the detectors' reliability is crucial for ensuring the safe operation of the nuclear power system. The article describes the operational mechanism of the gas ionization chamber detector utilized in the intermediate-range detector of the off-board nuclear measurement system. It also analyzes the movement of particles between the plates during the ionization process of the nuclear reaction taking place in the detector. The functional relationship between the current in the recombination region and the ionization region involved in the actual working condition, and the change with the increase of voltage between the plates, is deduced. A mathematical model is established for the number of pulses generated between the plates and the magnitude of the voltage between the plates. Subsequently, the change in the offset of the voltage corresponding to the inflection point of the ping curve and the change rule of the slope of the ping curve are investigated. Combined with the analysis of experimental data, the results show that the initial particle energy of Ar+, the primary sensitive particle on the detector surface, follows a normal distribution and is influenced by the energy loss associated with the initial velocity and the voltage between the plates. The trends of the inflection points and slopes of the ping curves can be utilized to evaluate the performance and operational status of the detector. Combined with the results of the experimental data analysis, the fit is good, and the inflection point currents in the normal state decrease by about 1.5% annually. The intelligent diagnostic system, based on the method studied in this paper, has been successfully implemented in the RPN digital retrofit and upgrade project at Qinshan No. 2 Plant.

The thesis proposes a argument that a mass point moving in a horizontal circle on the Earth’s surface can generate a radial centrifugal force of the Earth’s center of mass, thus realizing an unconventional anti-gravity path. Based on the author’s theory of absolute airspace and its reference system, and through the theoretical analysis of the difference in the distribution of gravitational acceleration at different latitudes caused by the rotation of the earth, and the centrifugal force of a mass point moving in a horizontal circle on the earth’s surface is analyzed, the validity of the argument is demonstrated. At the same time, the paper puts forward two possible basic principles, and makes theoretical analysis and demonstration. Conceive of the concrete experimental verification of principle two is proposed. Four technical schemes for anti-gravity ascent are proposed and basic analysis is made. On the premise of not fully considering the practical technical ability, it is theoretically proved that three of them have realistic operability and development potential. In theory, this paper opens up a different way of anti-gravity for human beings, which will bring new ideas and prospects for human beings to get rid of the bondage of gravity.

This paper is based on the concept of absolute airspace and its local absolute stationary reference system proposed by the author, on the premise of abandoning space concept and the relativity principle of relativity theory, It is proposed that general relativity and special relativity can be unified into Simple and practical a space-time transformation theory which fully includes other basic physical principles of relativity. And the unified and simple expression of the time transformation effect is proved and deduced. By comparing with the theoretical derivation and checking calculation of Hafele-Keating experiment in an ideal state, It is proved that the expression of time transformation effect proposed in this paper is completely correct. Compared with the theory of relativity, the calculation is simpler and more accurate. The paper also puts forward two checking prediction of physical cases about the time transformation effect, which are left for the capable competent unit or individual to verify in practice.

The paper suggests that the physical priciple of special relativity's space-time transformation effect is wrong, Uniform linear motion without acceleration does not exist objectively, nor does its same reference frames. Therefore, it is inferred that the space-time transformation effect of special relativity is caused by the acceleration of moving objects, special relativity is only a part of general relativity, not a theoretical system that exists independently from general relativity. The corresponding mathematical demonstration and calculation verification are carried out, and the result proves that the inference of the paper is correct. At the same time, it further explains that the concept of absolute airspace is correct. Special relativity has serious errors in the concept of space, the principle of relativity and the physical principle of space-time transformation effect. Therefore, it is necessary to make a series of revisions to the theory of relativity and to reinterpret some related physical problems.

In this paper, the Hafele‐Keating experiment and the geostationary orbit satellite of related physics problems of are analyzed and discussed in detail. If researchers read the paper and think about it, It will be found that the Hafele‐Keating experiment and the geostationary satellite problem prove that some of the core ideas and theories of relativity are seriously wrong. Isnʹt that a very serious problem in physics? Canʹt this cause the academic circles to pay great attention to it? Isnʹt this worthy of in‐depth analysis and research? The core of the paper is to point out that there are problems with the space concept and the reference system theory of classical physics and relativity, And that would bring up a whole host of physics problems. It takes a concerted effort from the academic community, Do furtherin‐depth analysis and research. Strive forthe further discovery and perfection of physics theory.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disease characterized by inflammation, demyelination, and neurodegeneration within the central nervous system. Brain plasticity, the brain's ability to adapt its structure and function, plays a crucial role in mitigating MS's impact. This paper explores the potential benefits of lifestyle changes and nutraceuticals on brain plasticity in MS population. Lifestyle modifications, including physical activity and dietary adjustments, can enhance brain plasticity by upregulating neurotrophic factors, promoting synaptogenesis, and reducing oxidative stress. Nutraceuticals, such as vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants like alpha-lipoic acid, have shown promise in supporting brain health through anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective mechanisms. Regular physical activity has been linked to increased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and improved cognitive function. Dietary interventions, including caloric restriction and the intake of polyphenols, can also positively influence brain plasticity. Integrating these lifestyle changes and nutraceuticals into the management of MS could provide a complementary approach to traditional therapies, potentially improving neurological outcomes and enhancing the quality of life for MS population.

This case study examined performance of rural cassava SMEs managed by small scale farmers in Busia and Kisumu Counties in the lake region of Kenya. Formal survey, focus group discussions and key informant interviews were used to collect data from farmers and stakeholders in the region. The data were analysed descriptively using proportions (percentages and proportions), means and standard deviation and inferentially, using statistical tests of significance. The findings revealed gross inefficiencies in the management of cassava SMEs. Grass-root SMEs lack professional managers and exhibit inadequate organizational, quantity and quality management, high operational costs, lack of trust from farmers, inadequate financing, weak technical, agribusiness skills and weak linkages with markets. The findings challenge promotion of farmer-led organizations in rural areas to perform additional roles such as processing and marketing functions beyond their core business which is production. To remain relevant in a competitive value chain, grass-root farmer-led SMEs need to be re structured into viable economic entities with clear market-orientation. Ordinary smallholder farmers should specialize in producing sufficient quantity and quality of agricultural commodities, while processing and marketing functions are taken up by professional entrepreneurs. This study recommends an entrepreneur model rather than farmer-led SMEs as potentially best suited in creating efficiency in the cassava value chain in the lake region of Kenya.

To reduce the cost of small wind turbines, a prototype of a butterfly wind turbine (6.92 m in diameter), a small vertical-axis type, was developed with many parts made of extruded aluminum suitable for mass production. An over-speed control system with movable arms that operated using centrifugal and aerodynamic forces was installed for further cost reduction. Introducing this mechanism eliminates the need for large active brakes and expands the operating wind speed range of the wind turbine. However, although the mechanism involving the use of only bearings is simple, the violent movement of the movable arms can be a challenge. To address this in the present study, dampers were introduced on the movable arm rotation axes to improve the movement of the movable arms. To predict the behavior of a movable arm and the performance of the wind turbine with the mechanism, a simulation method was developed based on the blade element momentum theory and the equation of motion of the movable arm system. Comparison of experiments and predictions with and without dampers demonstrated qualitative agreement. In the case with dampers, measurements confirmed the predicted increase in the rotor rotational speed when the shorter ailerons installed perpendicularly to the movable arms were used to achieve the inclination. The movable arm system with dampers is expected to be a useful device for vertical-axis wind turbines that are difficult to control.

Accurate and reliable mid-long runoff prediction (MLTRP) is of great importance in water re-sources management. However the MLTRP is not suitable in each basin and how to evaluate the applicability of MLTRP is still a question. Therefore, the total mutual information (TMI) index is developed in this study based on the predictor selection method using mutual information (MI) and partial MI (PMI). The relationship between the TMI and the predictive performance of five models is analyzed by applying five models in 222 forecasting scenarios in Australia. The results over 222 forecasting scenarios demonstrate that, compared with the MI, the developed TMI index can better represent the available information in the predictors, and has more significant negative correlation with the RRMSE with the correlation coefficient between -0.62 and -0.85. This means the model's predictive performance will become better along with the increase of TMI, and there-fore the developed TMI index can be used to evaluate the applicability of MLTRP. When TMI is more than 0.1, the available information in the predictors can support the construction of MLTRP models. In addition, the TMI is used to partly explain the difference of predictive performance among five models. In general, the complex models, which can better utilize the contained infor-mation, are more sensitive to the TMI, and have more significant improvement in terms of predic-tive performance along with the increase of TMI. This research can provide support for the study of MLTRP.

The Songpan-Ganze Orogenic Belt (SGOB) is bounded by the South China, North China, and Qiang-tang blocks and forms the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. The Tiechanghe granite is located at the junction of the southeast margin of the SGOB and the western margin of the Yangtze Block. To elucidate the genetic relationship between the Tiechanghe granite and the surrounding molybdenum deposits in Western Sichuan, in this study, we conducted U-Pb zircon and molybdenite Re-Os isotopic dating. The results indicate that the Tiechanghe granite predominantly consists of monzogranite, with minor occur-rences of syenogranite, while the molybdenum deposits are mainly found in skarn and quartz veins. The laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) U-Pb zircon ages of the Tiechanghe granite range from 162.9±0.7 Ma to 163.4±0.6 Ma, and the zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb age of the pegmatite veins is 164.1±0.9 Ma. These ages are consistent with the weighted average Re-Os age of the Ziershi molybdenite (160.3±1.6 Ma) within the error margins. These findings and previously ob-tained magmatic and metallogenic ages for the region suggest that a magmatic and mineralization event involving granite, molybdenum, tungsten, and copper occurred at around 162–164 Ma in the study area. This discovery broadens the exploration perspective for mineral resources in the Jiulong area of Western Sichuan and the entirety of Western Sichuan.

COVID-19 infection is extremely dangerous for persons with comorbidities such as kidney disease and diabetes. Although many people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds have suffered due to this pandemic, those with underlying medical conditions like kidney disease and diabetes are more vulnerable to becoming infected with COVID-19 related to weak immunity. However, the role of vaccination in the co-infection of COVID-19 with diabetics is not available in the literature. Therefore, we examine the unique challenges presented by the co-infection of COVID-19 in individuals with diabetes, focusing on its disease transmission dynamics. A mathematical modelling technique is to be employed in this work to analyse the dynamics of COVID-19 outbreaks with seven compartments, including vaccination with comorbidities such as diabetes. We also investigated analytically by displaying the solutions' existence, boundedness, positivity and sensitivity. After calculating the basic reproduction numbers, the stability analysis of model equilibrium points is also covered. If the reproduction numbers are less than unity, the disease-free equilibrium points of the model appear to be both locally and globally stable. The findings of this study are that as the vaccination rate rises, the incidence of COVID-19 and its co-infections with diabetes decreases. Effective disease treatment strategies may be based partly on the possible impact of vaccination on the co-infection of COVID-19 related to diabetic disease insights.

Fagao is one of China's traditional gluten free staple foods made by rice or corn flour. Corn Fagao prepared by co-fermentation with sourdough and yeast exhibits better quality and less staling compared to traditional yeast-fermented Fagao. The physicochemical properties of corn Fagao batter during the sourdough-yeast co-fermentation were investigated. The results showed that compared with yeast fermentation, the gas production and viscosity of the batter increased by co-fermentation. The co-fermented batter shows higher hydrolysis of starch and less amylose content. The integrity of starch granules in co-fermented batter was damaged more seriously, the crystallinity and short-range ordered structure were less than yeast fermented batter, even though the crystal structure type of starch did not change obviously. The peak viscosity, minimum viscosity, final viscosity, decay value and recovery value of corn batter are reduced by co-fermentation, which can improve the thermal stability of the batter and slow down the aging. Co-fermentation also results in a more pronounced reduction in protein subunit contents than yeast fermentation. The changes in the physicochemical properties of corn Fagao batter help explain the quality improvement of corn Fagao made from co-fermentation method, and may provide theoretical references for co-fermentation with sourdough and yeast to other gluten free foods.

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

Chromosome elimination resulting in haploids is achieved by rapid loss of chromosomes from one parent during zygote stage, and is an important procedure to produce doubled haploid (DH) lines in plants. During crosses between an emasculated wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and a maize (Zea mays L.) as pollen donor, the complete loss of maize chromosomes results in wheat haploid embryos. Through embryo rescue and chromosome doubling process, pure lines with stable traits can be quickly obtained. We here term it as the maize-obligated wheat doubled haploids (mowDH). Although this technology is not new, it remains a practical approach to date. In order to optimize and improve this technology, and to achieve its maximum potential in the winter wheat area of China, this paper reviews the previous and on-going research, proposes a technical scheme for production of wheat DH lines via the maize pollen induction, and presents outlooks on DH research and its application in wheat breeding.

Alterations in the composition and diversity, metabolism, and products of the microbiome, and of the gut microbiome (GM), have been shown to be closely associated with the onset and progression of many human diseases, including cancer (i.e. hematological neoplasms). Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common form of childhood malignancy. Affected cases present typical alterations of GM, followed by inflammation, which contribute to its progression, response to therapy, as well as possible relapses. Recent evidence also reports that GM influences the development and functions of the newborn's hematopoietic system through the process of developmental programming during fetal life, as well as its susceptibility to the onset of onco-hematological pathologies, namely ALL. Furthermore, in children with ALL, GM has been found to vary in composition, variety, and functions during the clinical stages of ALL, and such variation may influence and predict the complications and prognosis of ALL after chemotherapy treatment or stem cell hematopoietic transplant. Here, we suggest some therapeutic strategies, which can be applied at two levels of intervention to recover the microbiome, and consequently prevent/delay ALL or arrest its progression.