The goal of farmers operating in a market economy is to maximise profit. In the face of the changing political situation, the main social interest, besides food security, should be energy security. This article aims to indicate the direction of agricultural policy development so that it guarantees both the economic security of producers—farmers—and Europe’s energy security. The work uses data obtained from the agri benchmark Cash Crop database. DEA method and stepwise multiple regression were used. The research showed that plants are already grown in Europe which will ensure high energy efficiency of production without compromising farm financial results (including oats, peas and winter rye) and that improving the involvement of certain inputs results in improved production efficiency (among others, by expenditure on agricultural advisory services). The significance of the presented research results from the fact that the recent COVID pandemic and escalation of the military conflict in Ukraine have led to a renewed interest in the concept of EU energy security, i.e. generation of generating the greatest possible amount of energy within the EU, to be used both for food and non-food purposes.

The emotion of disgust protects individuals against pathogens, and it has been found that during pregnancy, it is elevated. Physiological mechanisms discussed in relation to these changes include immune markers and progesterone levels. The aim of this study is to assess the association between steroids and disgust in pregnancy. In a sample of 179 pregnant women, we have analyzed blood serum steroid concentrations and measured disgust sensitivity by text-based questionnaires in the first and third trimester. We found positive correlations between disgust sensitivity and the levels of C19 steroids, including testosterone, but also its precursors in the Δ5 pathway (androstenediol, DHEA, and their sulfates) and the Δ4 pathway (androstenedione). Furthermore, positive correlations between disgust sensitivity and 5α/β-reduced C19 steroid metabolites were consistently present in both trimesters. In the first trimester, we found a positive association between disgust sensitivity and 17-hydroxypregnanolone as well as some estrogens. In the third trimester, we have observed positive associations between disgust sensitivity and cortisol as well as immunoprotective Δ5 C19 7α/β-hydroxy-steroids. Our study has thus shown that disgust sensitivity is positively correlated with immunomodulatory steroids, and in the third trimester, steroids may reflect potential maternal anxiety-related symptoms.

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

When liquids are confined into nanometer-scale slit, the induced layering-like film structure allows the liquid to sustain non-isotropic stresses and thus being load-bearing. Such anisotropic characteristics of liquid under confinement arise naturally from the liquids’ wave number dependent compressibility that does not need solidification to take place as a prerequisite. In other words, liquids under confinement can still remain fluidity with molecules being (sub-)diffusive. However, the extensively prolonged structural relaxation time can cause hysteresis of stress relaxation of confined molecules in response to the motions of confining walls and thereby yield the quasi-static stress tensor history-dependent. In this work, by means of molecule dynamics, the discrepancy of stress tensor of a highly confined key base-oil component, i.e. 1-decene trimer, is captured after its relaxation from being compressed and decompressed. The results indicate that among the effects (e.g. confinement, molecular structure, and film density) that can potentially affect confined stress tensor, the ordering status of the confined molecules plays a predominant role.

We investigate the existence and representation of the generalized core-EP inverse of some triangular matrices over a Banach algebra. Further, the general representations of the generalized core-EP inverse of a triangular matrix over a $C^*$-algebra are presented. As applications, the generalized core-EP inverses of some block operator matrices over Hilbert spaces are given.

In this work, an operator superquadratic function (in operator sense) for positive Hilbert space operators is defined. Several examples with some important properties together with some observations which are related to the operator convexity are pointed out. Equivalent statements of a non-commutative version of Jensen's inequality for operator superquadratic function are established. A generalization of the main result to any positive unital linear map is also provided.

For the first time, an attempt has been made to present in a systematized form chronologically the development of ornithological studies at the National Museum of Natural History in Sofia (Bulgaria) from its foundation in the last decades of the 19th century to the present day. This 135-year period (1889-2024) includes the work of 12 curators of the ornithological collections. Their major contributions and most-significant ornithological publications are also presented.

Influenced by the pluralistic and open-minded cultural ideologies of shamanism, the rulers of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty emphasized the implementation of religious government policies with an emphasis on coexistence, adaptability, and pragmatism. The Mongol ruling elite formed alliances with religious factions in various regions and worked closely with local spiritual leaders. During the era of the Great Mongol State, Kublai Khan valued the wealth of the Han Chinese territories. To maintain the order of Mongol Yuan rule in northern China, he used Han Chinese Buddhism and other religious forces to balance and suppress Quanzhen Dao. As a result, Chinese Buddhism became increasingly politically influential in Mongolia. Using their religious identity and talent, Chinese Buddhist monks became active in Mongolia to regulate the political activities of the Han Chinese religious forces. This led to a shift in the religious landscape of northern China during the transition from the Jin to Yuan dynasties.

Duct-dependent lesions are classically divided into duct dependent pulmonary circulation which involves severe right sided obstructive lesions such as pulmonary atresia or critical stenosis, and duct dependent systemic circulation which is characterized by malformation of the left side of the heart, and whose severest spectrum is hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Dextro-transposition of the great arteries remains in gray zone between being included in some old classifications as a duct dependent pulmonary circulation lesion or a new category of duct-dependent or independent mixing lesion. We hypothesize that re-classifying duct dependent congenital defects into duct dependent perfusion and oxygenation offers a model to fit D-TGA into the same category of right sided obstructive lesions and reflects the clinical spectrum in a more comprehensive way.

This paper explores indigenous perspectives on the understanding and management of cultural heritage within the Mapungubwe and Makgabeng Cultural landscapes in South Africa. State-based management system paid little attention to indigeneity resulting in contested interpretation of the archaeological past. This by-passing of indigenous input is a product of colonial and apartheid policies that glorified Western practices at the expense of black African heritage stakeholders. World heritage mechanisms are also skewed in favor of modern practice which is overly designed to be sensitive to tangible aspects of the past than the intangible elements that make up much of indigenous African heritage. We used the archaeology of Mapungubwe and Makgabeng Cultural landscapes as a test case for the impact of indigenous voices on heritage, but the results have wider applicability. We employed semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions to gather qualitative data that we calibrated with our lived experiences as products of Tsonga-speakers from this broader landscape. The results expose that indigenous people use physical manifestation of sites, ethnographic inquiry, names, oral history, spirit mediums, landscape memory, genealogy, and praise poetry to identify, interpret, evaluate, and manage their cultural heritage. Additionally, indigenous perspectives which rely on collective memory, ritual practices, and indigenous knowledge systems have huge potential for enriching our understanding of the archaeological heritage. We propose a more inclusive archaeology and heritage management practice that involve indigenous groups in the identification, interpretation, grading, and presentation of the African past.

This study explores the properties and behavior of bi-close-to-convex functions, introducing new subclasses defined by their relationship with fractional differential operator and bi-univalent functions. Using the Faber polynomial technique, we derive upper bounds for the n^{th} coefficient of functions in these classes. We also investigate the erratic behavior of initial coefficients in bi-close-to-convex functions, as characterized by the (λ,q)-fractional differintegral operator. Furthermore, we address Fekete-Szegö problems and present notable findings from our investigation, contributing to the continued growth and refinement of geometric function theory, yielding new insights and practical uses.

The aim of this work was to classify the business incubators in Spain according to the four phases of the startup’s incubation process. Considering that the graduation rate implies greater survival and business success of the incubated companies, they have been identified at each stage of the incubation (spread of entrepreneurship, pre-incubation, advanced incubation, and graduation). The activities that present higher impacts on the success of the incubated companies and the activities carried out by the business incubator that have a greater relevance on the graduation of the companies have concretely been considered. Principal component (PC) cluster analysis has been applied. All the incubation variables were used simultaneously, reducing their number, and grouping them into factors. Finally, the cases were grouped according to these latent variables. Principal components analysis reduced dimensionality to 8 factors with a 74 % of explained variance. Factor 1 was positively related to pre-incubation variables, factor 2 was linked to training and collaboration variables within the entrepreneurship diffusion phase. Factor 3, named activity monitoring and control, was related to phase 3 or basic incubation variables. Cluster analysis facilitates the grouping of business incubators into three clusters: Group 1 (16 % of the total), incubators with strong deficits in incubation phases 1, 2 and 3. They are small sized business incubators, often located in rural areas or cities and low graduation rate. Group 2 (30 %), business incubators with very high graduation rate, and strongly positive values in factors 1 and 2. Factor 3, although positive, it is susceptible to improvement. They are the largest group of business incubators and usually located in industrial and technological parks. Group 3 (54 %) is the majority, with values close to cluster 2 and 3.

The aim of this work was to classify the business incubators in Spain according to the four phases of startups incubation. Taking into account that the graduation rate implies greater survival and business success of the incubated companies, they have been identified at each stage of the incubation (spread of entrepreneurship, pre-incubation, advanced incubation, and graduation). The activities that present higher impacts on the success of the incubated companies and the activities carried out by the incubator that have a greater relevance on the graduation of the companies have concretely been considered. Principal component (PC) cluster analysis have been applied. All the incubation variables were used simultaneously, reducing their number, and grouping them into factors, finally the cases were grouped according to these latent variables. Principal components analysis reduced dimensionality to 8 factors with a 74 % of explained variance. Factor 1 was positively related to pre-incubation variables, factor 2 was linked to training and collaboration variables within the entrepreneurship diffusion phase. Factor 3 called activity monitoring and control and was related to phase 3 or basic incubation variables. Clusters analysis facilitates the grouping of incubators into three clusters: Group 1 (16 % of the total), incubators with strong deficits in incubation phases 1, 2 and 3. They are small Business Incubators, often located in rural areas or cities and low graduation rate. Group 2 (30 %), business incubators with very high graduation rate, and strongly positive values in factor 1 and 2. Factor 3 although positive is susceptible to improvement. They are the largest incubators and usually located in industrial and technological parks. Group 3 (54 %) is the majority, with values close to cluster 2 and 3.

This study aims to investigate the psychological cognitive mechanisms of rural residents amidst the renewal of suburban historical and cultural villages by examining the interplay between nostalgia, collective memory, subjective well-being and place identity in rural tourism destinations. Using Naobao Village as a case study—a suburban historical and cultural village in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, this research employs a comprehensive approach integrating experimental methods and questionnaire surveys. The findings demonstrate that analyzing the interaction among the four emotions can elucidate the psychological cognitive mechanism of residents. Moreover, it uncovers that tourism effects significantly influence residents' perception of their living environment with positive effects on collective memory, subjective well-being and place identity. In the theoretical model for generating psychological cognition among residents in suburban historical and cultural villages, subjective well-being and collective memory play crucial mediating roles. This study provides a theoretical foundation and practical guidance for spatial reconstruction and cultural evolution of tourist landscapes in suburban rural tourist destinations.

Museums are called to respond to contemporary challenges and contribute to the formation of more progressive societies. One of the major challenges of our time is climate change and museums could construct cocreated narratives around climate and implement targeted actions for the audiences through their sensorial and affective experiences. More specifically, Geology and Palaeontology museums are repositories of knowledge on geoheritage and geoconservation, recognized for their scientific, pedagogical, cultural and recreational values. The educational potential of geological and paleontological exhibits could be used in informal education activities regarding the climate emergency. Taking the above into consideration, this study focuses on both the creation and evaluation of an educational program for the Natural History Museum of Arsakeio Campus at Psychicko.

The unified Mittag-Leffler (ML) function is important factor in formulation of compact form of fractional integrals. In this paper estimations of integral operators, with the unified ML function as kernel are given. The Hadamard inequality in the form of fractional integrals is proved by considering refinement of convexities. These estimations provide various inequalities as refinements of recently published results.

The intense motion of a ship can greatly impacts the comfort of crew members and the safety of the vessel. Therefore, accurately estimating and predicting ship attitudes has become an important issue. This paper introduces the latest development in functional deep learning model called DeepOnet. It takes wave height as input and ship motion as output, using a cause-to-result prediction approach. The modeling data used in this study is sourced from publicly available experimental data from the Iowa Institute of Hydraulic Research. Firstly, parameters system tuning was conducted for the neural network's hyperparameters to determine the appropriate combination of parameters. Secondly, the DeepOnet model for wave height and multi-degree-of-freedom motion was established, and the influence of increasing time steps on prediction accuracy was examined. Finally, a comparison was made between the DeepOnet model and the classical time series model LSTM. It was found that the DeepOnet model had a 10-fold improvement in accuracy for roll and heave attitudes. Moreover, as the forecast duration increased, the advantage of DeepOnet showed a trend of strengthening. As a functional prediction model, DeepOnet provides a new promising tool for very short-term prediction of ship motion.

Metals play vital roles in biological systems, with iron/heme being essential for cellular and metabolic functions necessary for survival and/or virulence in many bacterial pathogens. Given the rise of bacterial resistance to current antibiotics, there is an urgent need for the development of non-toxic and novel antibiotics that do not contribute to resistance to other antibiotics. Gallium, which mimics iron, has emerged as a promising antimicrobial agent, offering a novel approach to combat bacterial infections. Gallium does not have any known functions in biological systems. Gallium exerts its effects primarily by replacing iron in redox enzymes, effectively inhibiting bacterial growth by targeting multiple iron/heme-dependent biological processes and suppressing the development of drug resistance. The aim of this review is to highlight recent findings on the mechanisms of action of gallium and provide further insights into the development of gallium-based compounds. Understanding the mechanisms underlying gallium’s biological activities will enhance its therapeutic application across various medical fields, offering promising avenues for the treatment of infectious diseases, cancer, and inflammatory conditions.

In the global carbon cycle, atmospheric carbon emissions, both ‘natural’ and anthropogenic, are balanced by carbon uptake (i.e. sequestration) that mostly occurs via photosynthesis, plus a much smaller proportion via geological processes. Since the formation of the Earth about 4.54 billion years ago the ratio between emitted and sequestered carbon has varied considerably with atmospheric CO₂ levels ranging from 100,000 ppm to a mere 100 ppm. Over this time, a huge amount of carbon has been sequestered due to photosynthesis and essentially removed from the cycle, being buried as fossil deposits of coal, oil and gas. Relatively low atmospheric CO₂ levels were the norm for the past 10 million years, and during the past million years they averaged about 220 ppm. More recently, the Holocene epoch, starting ~11,700 years ago, has been a period of unusual climatic stability with relatively warm, moist conditions and low atmospheric CO₂ levels of between 260 and 280 ppm. During the Holocene, stable conditions facilitated a social revolution with domestication of crops and livestock leading to urbanisation and development of complex technologies. As part of the latter process, immense quantities of sequestered fossil carbon have recently been used as energy sources, resulting in a particularly rapid increase in CO₂ emissions after 1950 CE to the current value of 424 ppm, with further rises to >800 ppm predicted by 2100. This is already perturbing the previously stable Holocene climate and threatening future food production and social stability. Today, the global carbon cycle has been shifted such that carbon sequestration is no longer keeping up with recent anthropogenic emissions. In order to address this imbalance it is important to understand the roles of high-capacity carbon sequestration systems, such as natural forests and tropical croplands, and to devise strategies to facilitate net CO₂ uptake.

By utilizing the Fourier transform, we present a practical method for evaluating a function of a derivative applied to any other arbitrary function of a single complex variable. As an illustration of this approach, we compute the actions of the displacement and squeeze operators on an arbitrary function, as well as the propagation of paraxial fields, Airy and number states, without the need for algebraic quantum operator techniques or the Fresnel integral.

Informal dementia home caregiving is viewed negatively and can result in caregiver depression and anxiety from burnout, potentially compromising caregiving. Solutions are unclear, as caregiving relationships are unique—caregiver creation of a graphic memoir may help to mitigate the negative dementia narrative and reduce experienced burnout. This investigation examines the writing of a graphic memoir by one informal dementia home caregiver, created with the help of a cartoon illustrator and a publisher who edited, printed, and made the graphic memoir available at the psychiatric bookstore considered the largest in North America. Mother of the illustrator and the editor and publisher of this graphic memoir, this author provides the perspective taken in this investigation. The analysis, developed by this author, represents psychoanalytic narrative research, serving as the historical method. Aided by email threads between the publisher/caregiver, publisher/printer, and publisher/bookseller, and a published interview with the dementia caregiver are answers to how writing, illustrating, and publishing the graphic memoir affected the caregiver’s narrative reconstruction and burnout. Providing an example for other informal dementia home caregivers similarly to write and illustrate a publishable graphic memoir for their positive narrative reconstruction and to help decrease their depression and anxiety from burnout is the aim.

Quantum nonlocality represents correlation properties between subsystems of a composite quantum system, usually including the four types: Bell nonlocality, steerability, entanglement, and quantum correlation (quantum discord). Given a basis $e_{AB}=\{|e_{ij}\>\}_{i\in[d_A],j\in[d_B]}$ for the Hilbert space $\H_A\otimes \H_B$ of a bipartite system $AB$, a density operator $\rho^{AB}$ (quantum state) of $AB$ can be represented as a $d_Ad_B\times d_Ad_B$ matrix $\hat{\rho}_{e_{AB}}=[\]$, called the density matrix of a density operator $\rho^{AB}$. A natural question is what is the relationship between the quantum nonlocality of a density operator $\rho^{AB}$ and its corresponding density matrix $\hat{\rho}_{e_{AB}}$? In this work, we discuss the relationships between quantum locality and basis, and prove that one type of quantum locality of density operators and that of their density matrices under a basis are the same if and only if the chosen basis is the tensor product of the bases of subsystems. Consequently, different bases define different quantum nonlocality density operators.

Children—Dependents in Social Construction Theory—are assessed within democracies regarding their ability to self-direct their behavior concerning their associated society. In this regard, childhood represents a lack of self-direction, a life period when people require the guidance and protection of adults. The assumed necessity of adults supervising children in democracies requires substantial social resources, reducing the self-direction of those charged with overseeing children. Given that self-direction defines the optimal experience of people within democratic society, finding ways to increase the self-direction of children is an individual and a social benefit. In this regard, smartphones have improved self-direction in children. How children have become empowered to self-direct their lives with smartphone use considering Social Construction Theory—as Advantaged, Contenders, or Deviants—is the focus of a scoping review conducted on “children, empowerment, smartphones” of the following databases: OVID, JSTOR, ProQuest, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The result is that children permitted to self-direct their activities aided by smartphone technology have comparable social behavior to adults positioned as Advantaged, Contenders, or Deviants and, as such they should be encouraged to utilize smartphone technology to improve their self-direction, as doing so will augment individual and caregiver self-direction, providing increased social benefit.

The binomial nomenclature system, introduced by Carl Linnaeus in the 18th century, has been fundamental for scientific communication and data management. Despite its utility, some scientific names reflect historical biases and ethical issues, including colonial legacies, racism, sexism, and derogatory terms. Recent debates highlight the need to address these injustices, with arguments both for and against revising such names. Critics argue that extensive revisions could disrupt scientific stability, while proponents emphasize the moral imperative to correct these issues. In this opinion paper, we advocate for the establishment of a dedicated committee within international nomenclature bodies to revise taxonomic names with clear ethical concerns and recommend the use of persistent identifiers to effectively manage and track name changes, mitigating potential disruptions to taxonomy and the science that depends on it. By adopting transparent revision processes and making use of digital technology, we can address ethical issues without remarkable upheaval. Science should not perpetuate historical injustices, and it is vital for the scientific community to proactively address social injustices in nomenclature to mitigate ongoing debates and resistance.

The skin beetle Reesa vespulae is regularly found beyond North America where it originated. The larvae cause considerable concern in museums as it damages hides or furs in addition to being a special source of damage to collections of dried plants in herbaria or collections of insects and other zoological specimens. It arrived in Europe in the mid-20th century and was associated mostly with stored food products, but over time it has become recognised as a museum pest. Although still uncommon and may only be observed in a small fraction of museums, where the insect is found in large numbers it can cause problems. As a single female can continue to breed because the beetle is parthenogenetic, presence can persist over long periods of time. Although small populations in museums are typically found as the adult, the larval forms are more common where a site is infested by high numbers, perhaps because the larvae and adults must range more widely for food. Although Reesa vespulae can be controlled using pesticides, it is also possible to kill the larvae within infested materials through freezing or anoxia.

The Third U.S. National Marine Environmental DNA Workshop on June 2–5, 2024 brought together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to overview and discuss: (1) environmental (e)DNA – defined as “DNA in the environment” – as a strategic U.S. national priority, (2) eDNA tool readiness and approaches to support decision-making, (3) emerging eDNA technologies, and (4) plans for implementation and adoption for environmental monitoring and ecosystem assessment “from microbes through whales”. Uses and applications of eDNA have been revolutionizing exploration, measurement, and monitoring of biodiversity across ecosystems, including the marine and freshwater aquatic environments emphasized in the Workshop, as well as terrestrial and aerial systems. The Workshop featured the launch of the new U.S. National Aquatic Environmental DNA Strategy from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (2024), with aquatic defined as freshwater to ocean waters, across all salinities; the Strategy was developed using outputs and a taskforce from the 2022 Second Workshop. The 2.5-day Third Workshop included speaker presentations, panel discussions, and networking on eDNA tools, applications, use, upscaling, and their future. The Workshop led into Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW) events (June 5–6, 2024), during World Ocean Week. Note that this summary paper represents the author’s take-away view and interpretation, and not necessarily the overall views or consensus of the U.S. Government, Smithsonian Institution, workshop organizers, or speakers.

In this paper, the transmutation operator method is used to construct an exact solution to the initial boundary value problem for the equation of multidimensional free transverse vibration of a thin elastic plate with a singular Bessel operator acting on geometric variables. We emphasize that multidimensional Erdélyi–Kober operators of fractional order have the property of a transmutation operator, allowing one to transform more complex multidimensional partial differential equations with singular coefficients acting over all variables into simpler ones. If formulas for solutions are known for a simple equation, then we also obtain representations for solutions to the first complex partial differential equation with singular coefficients. In particular, it is successfully applied to the singular differential equations, especially with Bessel-type operators. Using this operator, the considered problem is reduced to a similar problem without the Bessel operator. Based on the solution to the auxiliary problem, an exact solution to the original problem is constructed and analyzed.

Palytoxins are a group of highly potent and structurally complex marine biotoxins that rank among some of the most toxic substances known to science. Palytoxins are naturally synthesized by a variety of marine organisms, including Palythoa zoanthids, Ostreopsis dinoflagellates, and Trichodesmium cyanobacteria, and are widely distributed in tropical and temperate regions where they can bioaccumulate in marine life. The evolution of research on palytoxins has been an intricate exchange between interdisciplinary fields, drawing insights from chemistry, biology, medicine, and environmental science in efforts to better understand and mitigate the health risks associated with this family of toxins. In this review, we begin with a brief history covering the discovery of this group of toxins and the events that led to its isolation. We then focus on the chemical structure of these compounds and their proposed mechanism of action. Finally, we review in vitro and in vivo studies related to their toxicity, with the aim to provide a broad overview of the current knowledge on palytoxin toxicology.

Sociology and History as consolidated scientific and academic projects have maintained a peculiar and paradoxical relationship. The growing disciplinary and subdisciplinary specialization of these two sciences poses relevant epistemological and methodological challenges to face potential situations of isolation, fragmentation and enable the apology of an interdisciplinary perspective characterized by the historicity of social structures, actions and senses.Several types of reasons shape this diffuse process of approach/distinction between Sociology and History, namely, epistemological and methodological, disciplinary closure, academic, professional, configuring what can be called contained dialogues. This paper, starting from the sociological perspective of the authors, seeks to contribute to the reflection on the relevance of a scientific project aimed at affirming an interdisciplinary perspective that may foster the heuristic potentialities of both Sociology and History in the analysis of the complexity of social reality and human action.

In the dynamic and complex environment of industrial control rooms, operators are often inundated with a multitude of tasks and alerts, which can lead to an overwhelming situation known as task overload. This state can precipitate decision fatigue and a heavier reliance on cognitive biases, potentially compromising the decision-making process. To mitigate such risks, the implementation of decision support systems becomes crucial. These systems are designed to assist operators in making swift and well-informed decisions, particularly when they sense their own judgment may be faltering. Our research introduces an AI-based framework that leverages dynamic influence diagrams and reinforcement learning to construct an effective decision support system. The cornerstone of this framework is the creation of a robust, interpretable, and efficient tool that supports control room operators during critical process disturbances. By integrating expert knowledge, the dynamic influence diagram forms a comprehensive model that captures the uncertainties inherent in complex industrial processes. It is adept at anomaly detection and recommending optimal actions. Moreover, this model is enhanced through a strategic partnership with reinforcement learning algorithms, which fine-tune the recommendations to be more context-specific and precise. The ultimate goal of our framework is to provide operators with a live, reliable decision support system that can significantly improve their response during process upsets. This paper outlines the development of our AI framework and its application within a simulated control room environment. Our findings indicate that the use of decision support systems can lead to improved operator performance and reduced cognitive workload. However, it also reveals a trade-off with situation awareness, which tends to diminish as operators may become overly reliant on the system’s guidance. Trust emerges as a critical factor in the adoption and effectiveness of decision support systems. Our research underscores the importance of balancing the benefits of decision support with the need for maintaining operator engagement and comprehension during process operations.

The validity of our universe as a three-dimensional space (3+1 in relativity) is considered a fundamental fact in physics. In this study, we show that our observed world is thus the output of a prior fundamental operator referred to as an organizer. The organizer is an expansion of projecting operators. It is been shown that identical weighted projecting operators, which are associated with identical particles, generate subspaces of entangled states, whereas groups of unequal weighted coefficients are responsible for finite-size subspaces that are associated with unidentical particles. Considering 3D-subspaces as evidence of the coefficients’ arrangement in our universe, we implement our formalism to describe the implacable vectors, location, momentum, and force within each 3D subspace. By implementing the Heisenberg relation, we drive both the classical and quantum expressions for the laws of motion.

We show that if $f$ is a non-negative superquadratic function, then $A\mapsto\mathrm{Tr}f(A)$ is a superquadratic function on the matrix algebra. In particular, \begin{align*} \tr f\left( {\frac{{A + B}}{2}} \right) +\tr f\left(\left| {\frac{{A - B}}{2}}\right|\right) \leq \frac{{\tr {f\left( A \right)} + \tr {f\left( B \right)} }}{2} \end{align*} holds for all positive matrices $A,B$. In addition, we present a Klein's inequality for superquadratic functions as $$ \mathrm{Tr}[f(A)-f(B)-(A-B)f'(B)]\geq \mathrm{Tr}[f(|A-B|)] $$ for all positive matrices $A,B$. It gives in particular improvement of Klein's inequality for non-negative convex function. As a consequence, some variants of the Jensen trace inequality for superquadratic functions have been presented.

In this paper, we propose a new covering-based set in which the lower and the upper approximation operations are defined by neighborhood systems. We discuss this new type of covering-based set systematically in two steps. First, we study the basic properties of this covering-based set, such as the properties of normality, contraction, and monotone. Second, we discuss the relationship between the new type of covering-based set and the other ten sets proposed.

In this paper, we propose a new covering-based set in which the lower and the upper approximation operation are defined by neighborhood systems. We discuss this new type of covering-based set systematically in two steps. First, we study the basic properties of this covering-based set, such as the properties of normality, contraction, and monotone. Second, we discuss the relationship between the new type of covering-based set and the other ten sets proposed.

The main objective of this present paper is to introduce further extension of extended Caputo fractional derivative operator and establish the extension of an extended fractional derivative of some known elementary functions. Also, we investigate the extended fractional derivative of some familiar special functions, the Mellin transforms of newly defined Caputo fractional derivative operator and generating relations for extension of extended hypergeometric functions.

The main objective of this paper is to introduce k-fractional derivative operator by using the definition of k-beta function. We establish some results related to the newly defined fractional operator such as Mellin transform and relations to k-hypergeometric and k-Appell's functions. Also, we investigate the k-fractional derivative of k-Mittag-Leffler and Wright hypergeometric functions.

The aim of this article is three-fold: firstly, it is to highlight how the different Bantustans with the focus to Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda, and Ciskei also know as the (TBVC) States secured extra territories. However, these Bantustans remained unrecognized in the international community because of their financial dependence to the apartheid regime. Secondly, the successes and failures of this process are fundamental in understanding the territorial monopolies of the Bantustans and thirdly we will interrogate how the Bantustan residents who were against the process mobilized other residents to reject the proposal and attempts of territorial expansion. Furthermore, this article contributes to the broader Bantustan’s historiography on the intended economic spin-offs with these endeavors. We contend that the above have received little scholarly attention. The methodology of this article draws from an historical approach and utilizes a range of different archival documentary sources, most importantly material housed in South Africa’s national archives and British Commonwealth archives. In conclusion, we argue in this article that these developments of territorial expansion had little benefits for the Bantustans and the extended territories adjacent to them.

The characteristics of gap plasmon formed by nanoparticle-on-mirror (NPOM) structure composed of metal nanoparticles (MNP) and metal thin films have aroused the interest of various optoelectronic devices. The resonant spectrum obtained by the internal coupling effect of gap can be flexibly controlled by the polarization of incident light and the thickness of the dielectric layer between MNP and metal thin films. We have theoretically studied the resonance spectra of polarization-dependent gold ellipsoidal nanoparticles (GENP) and gold thin films in the gap region of NPOM structures. GENP and gold thin films are separated by a dielectric layer with a refractive index of 1.36. We observe that the intensity of the local electric field resonance peak in the gap region is inversely proportional to the polarization angle. Similarly, the intensity of the local electric field resonance peak in the gap region is inversely proportional to the thickness of the dielectric layer. We have obtained more than 2200 V/m local electric field intensity (dielectric layer thickness 0.3nm). Finally, the resonant peak wavelength of the electric field in the gap region of the NPOM structure is also controlled by the polarization angle of the incident light and the thickness of the dielectric layer.

A burgeoning body of scholarship identifies and discusses botanic gardens as increasingly important centres of biodiversity conservation and sustainability. Notwithstanding the high quality and richness of this literature, it encompasses relatively autonomous fields of expertise that are neither designed nor expected to promote cross-disciplinary, integrative, accounts of botanic gardens as institutions of conservation and sustainability. Bridging key aspects of the botanic garden literature, this article brings into conversation historical accounts with contemporary scholarship on the matter. In so doing, it unveils dilemmas and challenges faced by botanic gardens as they grapple with their historic legacies, but also renew their relevance in nurturing sustainable socio-environmental futures. The article proceeds by covering three focal points. First, it summarizes the scholarly literature on the history of botanic gardens. Second, it presents accounts of current scientific and biodiversity conservation endeavours as reflexive engagements with their historical legacies. Third, it addresses the recent emergence of socio-cultural missions at botanic gardens as a significant step beyond their historical focus on plants and plant ecosystems.

The Asiatic apple leafminer, Phyllonorycter ringoniella (Matsumura), is a significant secondary pest of apple trees in Northeast Asia. To better understand its population dynamics, a population model based on temperature-developmental relationships was constructed. This model includes three sub-models: spring emergence, immature stage transition, and adult oviposition. Field data were collected from sex-pheromone baited traps in apple orchards in Andong, Korea, dur-ing 2015 and 2016 to validate the model. Simulations under six pesticide-natural enemy scenari-os showed that the population size of each generation was best simulated when weighted mor-tality factors for pesticides and natural enemies were applied. Using daily temperature inputs, the model demonstrated that P. ringoniella typically undergoes five generations per year, with peak times predicted within a seven-day margin of field data. Sensitivity analyses revealed that population size was influenced by total fecundity and the larval stage model, but peak times remained consistent despite parameter changes. Higher temperatures led to earlier adult peak dates, especially in summer generations. This model serves as a fundamental tool for estimating population dynamics and abundance changes of P. ringoniella and can guide the timings of pesti-cide application. Further validation is necessary to test the model's efficacy in controlling pests in apple orchards.

Turmeric starch (TS) has gained significant attention due to its potential health benefits, this study intended to investigate the dose-dependent effects of TS on colonic fermentation in rats. Four experimental diets containing different levels of TS (5%, 10%, and 20% w/w) were formulated and fed to male Fischer 344 rats for two weeks and compared with rats fed 0% TS diet (TS0). The results showed that increasing doses of TS resulted in reduced body weight gain and lower visceral tissue weights compared to the TS0 group. These effects may be attributed to the high content of resistant starch in TS, which contributed to lower caloric intake. Colonic fermentation analysis revealed that higher doses of TS resulted in increased short chain fatty acids (SCFA) production, specifically increased cecal acetate content and decreased cecal pH dose-dependently. Notably, beneficial bacteria from the family Oscillospiraceae, genus Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group, and Ruminococcus spp. were enriched in the TS-fed groups, further supporting its beneficial effects on gut microbiota and SCFA production. Furthermore, these results suggest that TS may have beneficial effects on colonic fermentation in rats.

Burnout represents a concern for all healthcare providers, particularly those specializing in emergency medical care for whom burnout outcomes have been well-documented. What remains unknown is the effect of burnout on redeployed medical specialists during the COVID-19 pandemic from an appointment-centered practice to emergency care directed by public health considerations. This research aims to identify and assess the burnout responses of fourteen medical specialties noted in searched returns of the four most cited articles published since 2020 about non-emergency physicians regarding their burnout brought on by the unanticipated need for them to provide emergency care during the recent pandemic. The hypothesis is that medical specialists accustomed to planning for emergency possibilities in their appointment-centered practice would demonstrate the least burnout regarding COVID-19-related emergencies. Considering coping as a process based on Lazarus's research, comparing and ranking the COVID-19 emergency responses across the various normally appointment-centered medical specialties in their employed coping strategies determines the outcome. With the hypothesis supported, suggested interventions for future pandemics—when these specialists are, again, redeployed to emergency care directed by public health considerations—are those coping strategies identified as most effective in reducing burnout while maintaining the viability of the medical specialty and excellent patient care.

This work aims to introduce a novel concept: the Riesz-Dunkl fractional derivatives, within the context of Dunkl type operators. A particularly noteworthy revelation is that when a specific parameter $\kappa$ equals zero, the Riesz-Dunkl fractional derivative smoothly reduces to both the well-known Riesz fractional derivative and the fractional second-order derivative. Furthermore, we introduce a new concept: the fractional Sobolev space. This space is defined and characterized using the versatile framework of the Dunkl transform.

Endolysin of bacteriophage T5 (EndoT5) is a Zn2+-dependent and Ca2+-activated L-alanyl-D-glutamate peptidase that hydrolyses peptidoglycans during the destruction of the cell wall of the phage host bacterium Escherichia coli. To elucidate the mechanism of calcium activation, the spatial solution structure of EndoT5 in a complex with two ions - catalytic Zn2+ and regulatory Ca2+ (EndoT5-Zn2+Ca2+, PDB ID: 8P3A) was determined by high-resolution NMR and deposited in the Protein Data Bank. We show that coordination of the Ca2+ ion fix the spatial position of polar amino acid residues D113, N115 and S117. As a result, the intramolecular mobility of extended protein loops (residues 40-70 and 111-132) is significantly reduced compared to the mobility of these loops in the structure of an enzyme containing only a catalytic a Zn2+ ion (EndoT5-Zn2+, PDB ID: 2MXZ). In the stabilized EF-like calcium-binding loop (residues 111-132), the number of van der Waals interactions with amino acid residues of the globular core of the protein increases. The binding of the Ca2+ ion is accompanied by the selection of the functional states of both extended loops of the enzyme (residues 40-70 and 111-132), because of which EndoT5-Zn2+Ca2+ acquires the structural integrity necessary for catalysis. Therefore, the mechanism of activation of L-alanyl-D-glutamate peptidase of bacteriophage T5 by Ca2+ ions involves stabilization of the enzyme molecule in a catalytically active “open” conformation. This work sheds light on the structural grounds of the ion-dependent functional proteoforms of this interesting protein.

Few studies have paid attention to the industrial lands along the Chinese Grand Canal from a cultural per-spective, but cities along the route like Hangzhou have relied on the Canal system to promote industrializa-tion over the past hundred years, and relocated, transformed, or demolished the factories to construct cul-tural space or products mostly after industrial recession at the beginning of 21st century. To deeply analyze this process is quite helpful to understand the typical cultural change and its gain and loss along the Canal especially after cultural and creative industries have been established as the pillar industries of China's na-tional economy. Therefore, along the Hangzhou section of the Canal, we dynamically monitored the land use of the selected 10 industrial lands, with the analysis of high-resolution satellite imageries and the in-dustrial past, the areas of different uses in 2022 were compared. Meanwhile, along with archival data, fieldwork, and experts’ consultation, we designed a mark sheet with factors and scores to comprehensively assess cultural changes over those lands, and its reasons and influence also have been argued, and the prob-lems and suggestions have been offered. This study can contribute to a better understanding of public poli-cy choices in China regarding cities along the Grand Canal after the industrial decline, and provide new perspectives for cultural research, heritage conservation, and urban planning of canals or waterfront spaces.

The application of non-uniform spiral gratings to control structure, topological parameters and propagation of orbital angular momentum (OAM) beams was studied experimentally with coherent near-infrared light. Adapted digital spiral grating structures were programmed into the phase map of a high-resolution liquid-crystal-on-silicon spatial light modulator (LCoS-SLM). It is shown that characteristic spatio-spectral anomalies related to Gouy phase shift can be used as pointers to quantify rotational beam properties. Depending on sign and gradient of spatially variable periods of chirped spiral gratings (CSG), variations of rotation angle and angular velocity as a function of propagation distance were measured. Propagation-dependent self-torque is introduced in analogy to known local self-torque phenomena of OAM beams as obtained by the superposition of temporally chirped or phase modulated wavepackets.

Transfer RNA (tRNA) modifications are essential for the temperature adaptation of thermophilic and psychrophilic organisms, as they control the rigidity and flexibility of transcripts. To further understand how specific tRNA modifications are adjusted to maintain functionality in response to temperature fluctuations, we investigated whether tRNA modifications represent an adaptation of bacteria to different growth temperatures (minimal, optimal, and maximal), focusing on closely related psychrophilic (P. halocryophilus and E. sibiricum), mesophilic (B. subtilis), and thermophilic (G. stearothermophilus) Bacillales. Utilizing an RNA sequencing approach combined with chemical pre-treatment of tRNA samples, we systematically profiled dihydrouridine (D), 4-thiouridine (s4U), 7-methyl-guanosine (m7G), and pseudouridine (Ψ) modifications at single-nucleotide resolution. Despite their close relation, each bacterium exhibited a unique tRNA modification profile. Our findings revealed increased tRNA modifications in the thermophilic bacteria at higher temperatures, particularly showing elevated levels of s4U8 and Ψ55 modifications compared to non-thermophilic bacteria, indicating a temperature-dependent regulation that may contribute to thermotolerance. Furthermore, we observed higher levels of D modifications in psychrophilic and mesophilic bacteria indicating an adaptive strategy for cold environments by enhancing local flexibility in tRNAs. Our method demonstrated high effectiveness in identifying tRNA modifications compared to an established tool, highlighting its potential for precise tRNA profiling studies.

Capulus danieli, a distinct member of Capulidae, exhibits a unique ecological behaviour by attaching and drilling onto the pecten, distinguishing itself from other gastropods. Herein, we present the first characterisation of the mitochondrial genome of Capulus danieli. The results showed that the genome spans 15600 base pairs, with an A + T content of 71.12% and a G + C content of 28.88%. Within this genetic makeup, we identified 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and 2 ribosomal RNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a close evolutionary relationship between Capulus danieli and members of the Ficoidea superfamily. The divergence time estimation suggested that Capulus danieli diverged approximately 52.29 million years ago. These findings significantly contribute to our understanding of the evolutionary history and genetic architecture of Capulus danieli, shedding light on its unique ecological adaptations to the marine environment.

Sustainable energy development (SED) is a crucial component of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), aiming to maintain economic and social progress while protecting the environment and mitigating climate change’s effects. SED serves as a transition paradigm for sustainable development, providing a blueprint for energy peace and prosperity for people and all uses. This article presents the history of SED and then uses a critical discourse approach to summarize existing review studies in SED. Ten interlinked themes of SED are identified, with two of them considered to be among the least studied in existing SED reviews and in the current global discussion around climate change. This study explores these two themes, which include energy financing and the need for 100% renewable energy (RE), a sub-theme of decarbonization strategy working towards the 1.5–2.0 °C scenario. The study suggests that the current G20 countries’ contributions, if maintained continuously per annum, in addition to 80% more funding from private investment compared to the amount in the 1.5 °C scenario financial requirements for clean energy, are sufficient to limit global warming. In addition to the present drive for 100% RE, the article also discusses emerging issues, such as energy storage options with an indication of hydrogen as the most promising, other energy-related development agendas, and the need for regional security stability to prevent energy wars. Selected SED decarbonization strategies are presented across the power, transport, building, and industrial sectors. The study concludes with progress and directions for future research, mainly the need for re-defining nationally determined contribution (NDC) through an emissions budgeting and centralized global or regional emissions stock-taking strategy working towards the 1.5 °C scenario.

Existing one-shot neural architecture search (NAS) methods have to conduct a search over a giant super-net, which leads to the huge computational cost. To reduce such cost, in this paper, we propose a method, called FTSO, to divide the whole architecture search into two sub-steps. Specifically, in the first step, we only search for the topology, and in the second step, we search for the operators. FTSO not only reduces NAS’s search time from days to 0.68 seconds, but also significantly improves the found architecture's accuracy. Our extensive experiments on ImageNet show that within 18 seconds, FTSO can achieve a 76.4% testing accuracy, 1.5% higher than the SOTA, PC-DARTS. In addition, FTSO can reach a 97.77% testing accuracy, 0.27% higher than the SOTA, with nearly 100% (99.8%) search time saved, when searching on CIFAR10.

As the natural resources are getting exhausted, the concept of sustainable development of region has received increasing attentions, especially for resource-dependent cities. In this paper an innovative method that emergy analysis and IPAT (Human Impact Population Affluence Technology) model were combined in order to analyze the quantitative relationship of economic growth and energy consumption and further to evaluate its overall sustainability level. Taiyuan, a traditional, resource-dependent city in China, is selected as the case study region. The main results show that total emergy of Taiyuan increased from 9.023× 1023 sej in 2007 to 9.116× 1023sej in 2014, with 38% reduction on non-renewable emergy and 125% growth on imported emergy. Regional emergy money ratio (RMB) was reduced by 48% from 5.31× 1013sej/$ in 2007 to 2.74× 1013sej/$ in 2014, indicating that the increasing speed of consuming resources and energy was faster than the increase of GDP, and that Taiyuan’s money purchasing power declined. The lower emergy sustainability index (ESI) indicates that Taiyuan was explored and produced large quantities of mineral resources, which puts more stress on the environment as a consequence, and that this is not sustainable in the long run. The IPAT analysis demonstrates that Taiyuan sticks to the efforts of energy conservation and environmental protection, in order to promote regional sustainable development, it is necessary to take an integrated effort. Policy insights suggest that resourceful regions should improve include energy and resource efficiency, optimizing energy and resourceful structure.

Background Sarcopenia is a state with progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. It is a serious complication occurring in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients which increases morbidity and mortality rate. Sarcopenia is diagnosed when loss of both compartments - muscle strength and skeletal muscle quality or quantity are present. However, there are still numerous patients, also with CKD, diagnosed as pre-sarcopenic individuals with low muscle strength and normal skeletal muscle quality or quantity and conversely, with correct muscle strength and decreased skeletal muscle mass, who are prone to develop sarcopenia in future life. It is crucial to examine numerous variables possibly associated with changes of skeletal muscle mass and muscle strength in terms of preventing the development of sarcopenia. The aim of the study was to investigate anthropometric and clinical correlates and sources of variation in both skeletal muscle mass and muscle strength in advanced stages of CKD. Methods The study sample consisted of 84 non-dialysis dependent patients of both sexes (including 45.2% of women) with eGFR < 45 ml/min/1.73m²: 26.2% with eGFR 30-44 mL/min/1.73 m², 65.5% with eGFR 15-29 mL/min/1.73 m² and 8.3% with eGFR < 15 mL/min/1.73 m². Muscle strength was estimated by measuring hand grip strength (HGS) with the use of handheld hydraulic dynamometer. Muscle quantity was measured by bioimpedance spectroscopy using Body Composition Monitor. Appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) was calculated according to Lin’s formula. Serum creatinine, urea, uric acid and albumin were measured. Results In bivariate analysis we found that ASM significantly and positively correlated with anthropometric variables such as body mass (r=0.903, p<0.001), NH weight (r=0.882, p<0.001), height (r=0.694, p<0.001), body mass index (BMI) (r=0.701, p<0.001), lean tissue mass (LTM) (r=0.664, p<0.001), lean tissue index (LTI) (r=0.433, p<0.001), fat mass (r=0.614, p<0.001) and fat tissue index (FTI) (r=0.449, p<0.001), and was negatively associated with clinical variable such as hydration status (p<0.001). HGS significantly and positively correlated with anthropometric parameters such as body mass (r=0.319, p=0.003), NH weight (r=0.315, p=0.004), height (r=0.666, p<0.001), LTM (r=0.490, p<0.001), LTI (r=0.238, p=0.029), and ASM (r=0.501, p<0.001), and was negatively associated with clinical variables like uric acid (p=0.039) and urea (p<0.001). After adjustment for age, sex and height, HGS remained significantly and negatively related with uric acid (β=-1.078, p=0.041) and hydration status (β=-0.805, p=0.042). Conclusions In CKD patients, ASM is determined mainly by anthropometric parameters but HGS - both by anthropometric and clinical variables specific for CKD.

ABSTRACTCaffeine is known to impair both growth and development in the model social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. However, little is known about the transcriptional regulation in response to caffeine treatment in Dictyostelium. In yeast cells, caffeine mimics the effect of rapamycin in inhibiting mTORC1 activity. Here, we investigated whether changes in growth and development of Dictyostelium in the presence of caffeine or rapamycin are mediated by mTORC1 and/or mTORC2. Results: Treatment of wild type cells with caffeine or rapamycin resulted in severely impaired growth and in the formation of small aggregates in comparison to untreated cells. rip3‾ cells (lacking a mTORC2 component) and lst8‾cells (lacking a component of both mTOR complexes) showed higher and slower growth rates, respectively, in comparison to parental AX3 cells. Parental AX3 and rip3‾ cells displayed similar sensitivity to rapamycin and caffeine, while lst8‾ cells were more sensitive to these compounds. When developed in the presence of caffeine or rapamycin, AX3 cells formed aggregates after a long delay. Caffeine did not alter the morphology of small rip3‾ mounds and lst8‾ cells continued to remain solitary. However, in the presence of 1µM rapamycin rip3‾cells failed to form mounds while AX3 cells streamed and formed aggregates. Complementation of lst8‾ cells with the wild type lst8 gene rescued the aggregation phenotype. cDNA microarray analysis to uncover the spectrum of differentially regulated genes in response to caffeine treatment revealed 104 and 193 differentially expressed genes at 3-and 6-hours of development, respectively, in comparison to control cells. After 6 hours of starvation in the presence of caffeine, 25 genes encoding ribosomal proteins and 4 encoding elongation factors were up regulated. Furthermore, we identified that upon caffeine treatment at the 3- and 6-hours’ time points, 12 (10 up and 2 down) and 21 (13 up and 8 down) genes, respectively, encoding proteins involved in early development. Conclusion: We conclude that caffeine and rapamycin have similar effects in decreasing the growth rate and in reducing the aggregate size of D. discoideum. Studies with lst8‾ and rip3‾ cells suggest that these compounds affect cell growth and aggregation by acting on both mTOR complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2. Analysis of the differentially expressed genes after caffeine treatment suggests a key role of these genes in growth and aggregation.

Viruses were classically named after the very same Latin word virus, originally meaning poison or venom. Public understanding of viruses reinforces their “malign” aspects, especially nowadays under the COVID-19 global pandemic. It is our aim here to propose a new way to view viruses and understand their origins and evolution. First, viruses are the most abundant biological systems found on Earth. They can be found almost everywhere and form a subtle biological layer named virosphere. Second, viruses are probably the most important drivers of molecular evolution and they are active agents of ecosystems maintenance and homeostasis, allowing and driving their dynamic modification. A significant number of eukaryotic genomes are composed by genome elements similar to viruses and these endogenous viruses are continuously acting for our equilibrium and fitness. They are responsible for the origin of species-specific orphan genes that allow adaptation through the development of specific traits in separate lineages of eukaryotes. Accumulated evidence indicate that a viral infection was responsible to create the eukaryotic nucleus and, also, it is a syncytium structure caused by viral replication that allows the formation of the placenta. Therefore, viruses were fundamental for the evolutionary fate of eukaryotes and mammals. The presence of virus-specific genes that are absent in cellular organisms indicates that viruses existed before cells. Besides, such as progenotes, viruses are simply ribonucleoproteic entities and their capsids are orders of magnitude simpler than proteolipidic membranes. Here, we (i) propose a complete scenario to describe the major transitions in prebiotic evolution, (ii) present the possibility that viruses emerged before LUCA, and (iii) suggest that viruses originated at the age of progenotes. However, viruses do not form a monophyletic clade. They should be seen as an evolutionary stable strategy recurrently achieved by biological systems to survive. We propose that the word “VIRUS”, known as venom, is historically mistaken and introduce a new interpretation for their name as an acronym for “Very Important Replicator Unit and Symbiont”. But more than being “very important”, viruses are of “Utmost” relevance for the maintenance of life in biosphere, by which reason we suggest referring to them as “UIRUS” to reinforce their incredible role in symbiosis and their beneficial characteristics over the infectious ones.

Velvet worms, or onychophorans, include placental species and, as a phylum, have survived all mass extinctions since the Cambrian. They capture prey with an extraordinary adhesive net that appears in an instant. The first naturalist to formally mention them was Lansdown Guilding (1797-1831), a British priest from the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent. His life is as little known as the history of the field he initiated, onychophorology. This is the first general history of onychophorology, and I have divided it into half century periods. The beginning, 1826-1879, was defined by former students of great names in the history of biology, like Cuvier and von Baer. This generation included Milne-Edwars and Blanchard, and the greatest advances came from France, with smaller but still important contributions from England and Germany. In the 1880-1929 period, work concentrated in anatomy, behavior, biogeography and ecology, but of course the most important work was Bouvier’s mammoth monograph. The next half century, 1930-1979, was important for the discovery of Cambrian species; Vachon’s explanation of how ancient distribution defined the existence of two families; Pioneer DNA and electron microscopy from Brazil; and primitive attempts at systematics using embryology or isolated anatomical characteristics. Finally, the 1980-2020 period, with research centered in Australia, Brazil, Costa Rica and Germany, is marked by an evolutionary approach to everything, from body and behavior to distribution; for the solution of the old problem of how they form their adhesive net and how the glue works; the reconstruction of Cambrian onychophoran communities, the first experimental taphonomy; the first country-wide map of conservation status (from Costa Rica); the first model of why they survive in cities; the discovery of new phenomena like food hiding, parental feeding investment and ontogenetic diet shift; and for the birth of a new research branch, Onychophoran Ethnobiology, founded in 2015. While a few names appear often in the literature, most knowledge was produced by a mass of researchers who entered the field only briefly.

CRISPR/Cas9-based gene therapy has gotten a lot of interest during last decade. This treatment protocol tries to fix disease-causing traits by changing the DNA code in the exact spot on the chromosome. Therefore, we have tried to elaborate the most current information that shows how well CRISPR/Cas9-based gene therapy works. In vivo methods, like the ones described in the next two lines, are used to study cells in live creatures, like babies that are growing or animals that are already grown up. It has also been suggested to use ex-vivo methods to change somatic stem cells or progenitor cells in a culture outside of the body before putting them back into the patient. CRISPR/Cas is a good way to change specific genes in the DNA. Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats is the full name for CRISPR. Biotechnologists can use them to fix DNA instead of the body's natural ways of doing so. This helps physicians in treatment diseases that run in families more successfully. Cas9 is an enzyme that, along with a guide RNA, is part of the CRISPR/Cas system. As this new technology grows quickly, it is replacing normal medical processes with treatments that are more cutting-edge and can change people's lives. CRISPR-Cas technology has changed biology by making it possible to change genes quickly. CRISPR molecular tools (Cas9 or Cas12a) have a lot of potential, but they are not very useful right now because they depend on the target cell's own DNA repair systems. With or without a template, the body's natural DNA repair processes can fix DNA breaks caused by Cas9 and Cas12a-based technologies. People use these methods a lot, but their effectiveness ranges from cell type to cell type. HDR-mediated DNA repair is a part of cell division, so tools that target it don't work on cells that don't divide, like neurons. CRISPR-associated transposase (CAST) has recently been studied, which suggests that it may offer new ways to change genes with CRISPR. The CRISPR activator of type V-K that is part of CAST has the same structure as the transposase. This is because CRISPR systems can put DNA in the right place without the help of the cell's own DNA repair systems. But a lot of work is being done right now to improve Cas9 and Cas12a so that DNA can be put into a target gene more precisely. Experts are still working hard to come up with better and more reliable ways to change genes, so even though there may be a problem, both methods have useful uses.

Mallios and Zafiris emphasize that adjoint functors or adjunctions are not only "ubiquitous" in category theory but characterize the naturality of their approach to physical geometry. Hence in this paper, the history and theory of adjoint functors is investigated. Where do adjoint functors come from mathematically and how did the concepts develop historically?

The state of knowledge of properties of the Andromeda Galaxy (also known as M31) is reviewed. The spatial structure of the Andromeda Galaxy, its main source populations and the properties of its gas and dust are discussed. To understand the formation history of the Andromeda Galaxy, the critical issues of its star formation history and the gas streams and dwarf galaxies in its surrounding environment are reviewed. Emphasis is on recent studies with important earlier work described in the references provided here. It is important to understand the Andromeda Galaxy because it is the nearest large external galaxy and is close enough for high resolution studies. This allows the Andromeda Galaxy to be used as a template to understand more distant and less resolved galaxies in the universe.

Over the past decade, research in the field of Deep Learning has brought about novel improvements in image generation and feature learning; one such example being a Generative Adversarial Network. However, these improvements have been coupled with an increasing demand on mathematical literacy and previous knowledge in the field. Therefore, in this literature review, I seek to introduce Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) to a broader audience by explaining their background and intuition at a more foundational level. I begin by discussing the mathematical background of this architecture, specifically topics in linear algebra and probability theory. I then proceed to introduce GANs in a more theoretical framework, along with some of the literature on GANs, including their architectural improvements and image-generation capabilities. Finally, I cover state-of-the-art image generation through style-based methods, as well as their implications on society.

Regardless of country and age, the importance of history education is always being emphasized. Although the importance of history education is being emphasized in Korea, there are many difficulties in getting students to understand history properly through school classes alone, and it is also difficult to attract students to participate in classes. The effectiveness of education using games has been proven 20 years ago, and the demand for game-based education is gradually increasing in the current education world, which is becoming more open. In this paper, based on the effects proven through research on the existing game-based education, the improvement of historical thinking ability, experiential history learning, and the problems of game-based education introduced in the ESN report and the discomfort of teachers who participated in the education were improved. A plan was suggested to select and use games suitable for basic education. In this thesis, we selected a history game with a clear historical and periodic background and without distortion of history, and experimented with teaching using games focusing on historical thinking and empirical history learning. The learning achievement of textbook-based education was compared.

Regardless of country and age, the importance of history education is always being emphasized. Although the importance of history education is being emphasized in Korea, there are many difficulties in getting students to understand history properly through school classes alone, and it is also difficult to attract students to participate in classes. The effectiveness of education using games has been proven 20 years ago, and the demand for game-based education is gradually increasing in the current education world, which is becoming more open. In this paper, based on the effects proven through research on the existing game-based education, the improvement of historical thinking ability, experiential history learning, and the problems of game-based education introduced in the ESN report and the discomfort of teachers who participated in the education were improved. A plan was suggested to select and use games suitable for basic education. In this thesis, we selected a history game with a clear historical and periodic background and without distortion of history, and experimented with teaching using games focusing on historical thinking and empirical history learning. The learning achievement of textbook-based education was compared.

Pakistan is an important country located in South Asia and ranks the world's sixth most populous country. It has diverse landscapes with their own specific vegetation. The country specific vegetative diversity has a great ecological and economic impact on the conservation of local fauna. It has huge potential for sustainable beekeeping industry if properly exploited. Beekeeping in Pakistan is mainly focused in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and central and north regions of Punjab provinces but nowadays it is growing rapidly across the country. Honey produced in Pakistan enjoys good repute in the Middle East due to its unique taste and quality. Pakistan exports around 4000 tons of the honey with the worth of about $ 23.00 million to Arab countries every year.

In the past two decades, metaheuristic optimization algorithms (MOAs) have been increasingly popular, particularly in logistic, science, and engineering problems. The fundamental characteristics of such algorithms are that they are dependent on a parameter or a strategy. Some online and offline strategies are employed in order to obtain optimal configurations of the algorithms. Adaptive operator selection is one of them, and it determines whether or not to update a strategy from the strategy pool during the search process. In the filed of machine learning, Reinforcement Learning (RL) refers to goal-oriented algorithms, which learn from the environment how to achieve a goal. On MOAs, reinforcement learning has been utilised to control the operator selection process. Existing research, however, fails to show that learned information may be transferred from one problem-solving procedure to another. The primary goal of the proposed research is to determine the impact of transfer learning on RL and MOAs. As a test problem, a set union knapsack problem with 30 separate benchmark problem instances is used. The results are statistically compared in depth. The learning process, according to the findings, improved the convergence speed while significantly reducing the CPU time.

There are many criterion to generalize the concept of numerical radius; one of the most recent interesting generalization is what so called the generalized Euclidean operator radius. Simply, it is the numerical radius of multivariable operators. In this work, several new inequalities, refinements and generalizations are established for this kind of numerical radius.

In this paper, we investigate a new subclass of univalent functions defined by a generalized differential operator, and obtain some interesting properties of functions belonging to the class R^m λµ ( α, β, γ, υ ).

Recently, different extensions of the fractional derivative operator are found in many research papers. The main aim of this paper is to establish an extension of the extended Caputo fractional derivative operator. The extension of an extended fractional derivative of some elementary functions derives by considering an extension of beta function which includes the Mittag-Leffler function in the kernel. Further, an extended fractional derivative of some familiar special functions, the Mellin transforms of newly defined Caputo fractional derivative operator and the generating relations for extension of extended hypergeometric functions also presented in this study.

In this study, we consider a Lambert series whose coefficients are the sum of divisors function. Utilizing the Lambert series in the sequel we introduce a normalized linear operator JR_(α,β) (z) by applying the convolution with Rabotnov function. We then, acquire sufficient conditions for JR_(α,β) (z) to be Univalent, Starlike and Convex respectively. In each component of this study, we expand the derived results by applying two Robin's inequalities, one of which is equivalent to the Riemann hypothesis.

The introduction of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ship (MASS) through the development of autonomous navigation technologies is expected to bring about new technologies, new vessel types, and new job roles such as remote operation center (ROC) and remote operator (RO). The MASS Code are currently being discussed through Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) of International Maritime Organization (IMO). This code is expected to be adopted in the form of non-mandatory guidelines until 2025, with the goal of establishing mandatory requirements by 2028. Additionally, revisions to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) related to crew training and qualifications are planned for adoption by 2027, which will include requirements for MASS operators. This paper aims to examine the fundamental competencies required for safe MASS operation by remote operators using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method, considering the emergence of the new profession of RO. Building upon the 66 Knowledge, Understanding &amp; Proficiencies (KUPs) outlined for marine officer in the STCW Convention, the study seeks to identify the additional competencies necessary for RO and contribute to the development of a training model for the future.

Astrocytes, the most abundant glial cells in the brain, are an integral part of the synaptic compartment and contribute to synaptic pruning, a key process for refining neural circuits during early postnatal development (PND). Dysregulations in this process are implicated in various neuropsychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD). To investigate astrocyte functions in a physiologically relevant context, organotypic brain slice cultures (OBSCs) offer a powerful model, reproducing more closely in vivo conditions than traditional cell cultures and preserving complex brain architecture and interactions. Here, we present OBSCs as an ex vivo culturing method to provide a platform to explore astrocyte-mediated synaptic pruning dynamics in the rat prefrontal cortex (PFC) during PND. Our approach is based on assessing the role of MEGF10, a key protein involved in synaptic pruning, alongside the synaptic markers synaptophysin and PSD95, using Western blotting to analyse the expression levels of these markers in the cortex of developing rat pups. Additionally, we combine immunofluorescence staining with confocal imaging and IMARIS 9.8 software-assisted analysis to investigate the co-localization of the lysosomal marker LAMP1 with synaptic and astrocytic markers to evaluate the precise rate of synaptic engulfment. The methods presented here allow a deeper examination of an astrocyte-mediated synaptic remodelling in healthy and pathophysiological conditions.

1) Background: Capturing patients’ medical histories significantly influences clinical decisions. Errors in this process lead to clinical errors, increase costs and dissatisfaction among physicians and patients. Physicians in developing countries are overloaded with patients and cannot always follow the proper history-taking procedure. The challenges are acknowledged; however, a comprehensive understanding of the status and the remedies remained unexplored. 2) Objective: This paper aims to investigate the workload, history-taking challenges, and the willingness of the physicians to accept digital solutions. 3) Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted on 104 physicians across Bangladesh, featuring 22 questions regarding their professional environment, workload, digitization status of health records, challenges in history-taking, and attitudes toward adopting digital solutions for managing patient histories; 4) Results: 92.67% of the physicians face workloads, 88.46% struggle in medical history-taking, and only 4.81% use digital medical records. About 70% struggle to complete the necessary history-taking steps, emphasizing the urgent need for solutions. An AI-based Smart Health Gantt Chart (SHGC) system has been introduced for their instant feedback. 93.27% of physicians expressed their willingness to use such a system. 5) Conclusions: The proposed SHGC has the potential to enhance healthcare efficiency in developing nations, benefit physicians, and improve patient-centered care.

The yak (Poephagus grunniens) has evolved unique adaptations to survive the harsh environment of the Tibetan Plateau, while their gut microorganisms play a crucial role in maintaining the health of the animal. Gut microbes spread through the animal population not only by horizontal transmission but also vertically, which enhances microbial stability and inheritance between generations of the population. Homogenization of gut microbes in different animal species occurs in the same habitat enhancing interspecies coexistence. Using the yak as a model animal, this paper reviews the adaptive strategies under extreme environments and how the gut microbes of the yak circulate throughout the Tibetan Plateau system, which not only affects other plateau animals such as plateau pikas, but can also have a profound impact on the health of people. By examining the relationships between yaks and their gut microbes, this review provides new perspectives in understanding the adaptations of plateau animals and the stability of the ecosystem.

Immunofluorescent methods in vitro have been widely used to characterize the distribution and extent of colocalization of molecules located in various intracellular compartments. These are key processes to better understand the role of those molecules in physiological and pathological conditions.In the brain, interactions of astrocytes with neurons are fundamental for the establishment and proper functioning of neuronal circuits. Among these, the phagocytosis of synapses that need to be removed is a process known as synaptic pruning. When this process is dysregulated, it might lead to the development of several brain disorders. Here, we describe the adaptation of a method to characterize the astrocyte-mediated synaptic phagocytosis and evaluate astrocytic (dys)functions in healthy cells and cells derived from an animal model of major depressive disorder (MDD).

In the paper, we develop some numerical schemes including finite difference scheme and finite volume scheme for the fractional Laplacian operator, and apply the resulted numerical schemes to solve some fractional diffusion equations. First, the fractional Laplacian operator can be characterized as the weak singular integral by a integral operator with zero boundary condition. Second, because of the solution of fractional diffusion equation is usually singular near the boundary, we apply finite difference scheme to discrete fractional Laplacian operator and fractional diffusion equation by fractional interpolation function. Moreover, it is find that the differential matrix of the above scheme is symmetric matrix, and strictly row-wise diagonally dominant in special fractional interpolation function. Third, we show finite volume scheme to discrete fractional diffusion equation by fractional interpolation function, and analyze the properties of differential matrix. Finally, the numerical experiments are given, and verify the correctness of theoretical results and the efficiency of the schemes.

Bringing toghether mathematical and philosophical ideas related to transcendental numbers, this paper begins with a survey on transcendence and transcendental numbers, it then presents several properties of the transcendental numbers e and π, and then it gives the proof of a new inequality for transcendental numbers. Also, in relationship with these topics, we study solutions to the Yang-Baxter equation from hyperbolic functions and from logical implication.

Abstract: Earth’s Phanerozoic history is marked by about 100 major events (“golden spikes”) indicating the beginnings of new stages in the Geologic Time Scale (GTS). Stage boundaries signify major deterministic events that are relatively well-known and can be correlated worldwide, mostly on the basis of appearances or disappearances of fossil species. The latest stage (Anthropocene) is human-made and currently involves rapid (approximately linear) increase in average atmospheric temperature. The main cause of Earth’s past and current temperature increases is addition of CO2 to the atmosphere. There is continuous exchange of greenhouse gases between atmosphere and oceans, which (per unit of volume) contain 50 to 60 times as much CO2 as the atmosphere. Abundance of new very precise worldwide observations is allowing multifractal modeling of weather and climate during the latest Quaternary stages during which some variables like temperature of the atmosphere and frequency of forest fires can be described by using the Pareto-lognormal frequency distribution model with parameters that are subject to continuous (deterministic) changes, similar to those in the earlier Phanerozoic.

Microalgae wastewater treatment has long been promoted as a sustainable method to handle the influx of human waste due to population growth. Initially, in the early 1900’s, microalgae was noted to increase wastewater treatment efficiency by aerating the water and consuming waste. By mid-century, wastewater grown microalgae was being investigated as a way to produce biomass for food, fuel, and other biomaterials. The space race in the 1960’s led to the use of microalgae in life support systems. Technological developments and political pressure in the 1970’s spurred studies of the impact of wastewater on the growth of phytoplankton in the oceans as well as methods to use microalgae wastewater treatment in aquaculture. Simultaneously, the oil crisis of that decade promoted research of alternative fuels, which included microalgae biofuels via the Aquatic Species Program. This program led to research into the use of wastewater as a feedstock for microalgae growth. By the later 2000’s, instability in the oil market caused another energy crisis which further prompted investment in microalgae biofuels, some of which involved combined wastewater treatment. Currently, microalgae wastewater treatment is being researched as a way to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions to curb global warming and produce sustainable biofuels.

Robotic systems are increasingly being used in healthcare to improve patient care and support healthcare professionals. These robots are especially effective at performing repetitive tasks. In complex cancer cases, robots can enhance surgical precision and efficiency, resulting in reduced pain for patients and a lower risk of complications. Robot-assisted surgery offers high-quality 3D imaging, improved clarity, and increased efficiency. This review paper examines the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotic systems in the healthcare domain, specifically focusing on the interaction among operators, patients, and robots. The goal is to promote collaboration and improve healthcare provision through human-robot interaction. We considered already published articles by relevance, to identify the primary safety issues that need addressing for the integration of AI and robots in hospitals. Concluding with insights into understanding the focal points of social errors in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) is crucial for mitigating these errors. While current technologies have reached a certain level of maturity, there are still numerous challenges in utilizing robot-assisted clinical practice, including technological, safety, clinical, financial, insurance, psychological, social, ethical, and legal issues. In addition, there is an urgent issue that needs to be addressed: the alignment of values in artificial intelligence, ensuring that AI systems reflect ethical principles and human values is crucial to avoid negative consequences such as bias, discrimination, and prejudicial decisions. Resolving this complex issue requires collaboration among clinical staff, researchers, programmers, and political decision-makers from various fields.

Advances in technology have introduced remarkable capabilities, particularly in the realm of gathering and accessing vast amounts of data, which has led to the emergence of the "Big Data" era, presenting exciting opportunities to harness the wealth of the generated information. Traffic management centers comprise a stakeholder that can exploit such data towards improving road network operation. This research, explores the utilization of real traffic data, collected by distinct sources on an interurban motorway: static location based aggregate traffic data and probe vehicle data. The first is collected by traffic detectors, while the second involves patrol vehicles’ GNSS data. The traffic quantity analysed is vehicle speed, while specific emphasis has been given on the ap-plication of heatmaps to represent daily traffic patterns and the utilization of k-means clustering. The performed analysis demonstrates the importance of considering spatiotemporal variables as a unified entity when analysing speed in transportation networks. The limitations of using patrol vehicles as estimators of ambient speed, especially in low and heavy traffic conditions, are deline-ated, while the dual purpose of data gathered from these vehicles towards enhancing driving performance and enabling detector maintenance is emphasized. Valuable traffic insights are offered through comprehensive spatiotemporal speed behavior analysis and data combination. The inte-gration of these techniques enhances decision-making for a streamlined and secure transportation system

The main objective of this present paper is to establish the extension of an extended fractional derivative operator by using an extended beta function recently defined by Parmar et al. by considering the Bessel functions in its kernel. Also, we give some results related to the newly defined fractional operator such as Mellin transform and relations to extended hypergeometric and Appell's function via generating functions.

Predicting the thermophysical properties of designed materials at the nanoscale is crucial. However, this remains a significant challenge despite numerous efforts by researchers and scientists. This paper presents a unified thermodynamic model to study the size and shape-dependent cohesive energy and the melting temperature of semiconductor nanosolids, including InSb, ZnSe, CdS, and CdSe. The model provides insight into the thermal stability of nanosolid materials by considering the combined impact of size, shape, and packing density. The finding indicates that smaller nanoparticles exhibit a lower cohesive energy than larger ones. Our unified thermodynamic model yields results consistent with experimental values and demonstrates a closer agreement than those from the universal liquid drop model of size-dependent cohesive energy, which includes a shape factor of α = 2/3 for nanowires. According to the results, the melting temperature of nanoparticles drops as their size decreases. Below a diameter of 5 nm, this trend becomes more noticeable. In the nano-scale domain, the nanoparticle's shape also matters greatly. In particular, compared to tetrahedral nanoparticles, nanowires show a lesser reduction in melting temperature. Also, up to a diameter of roughly 10 nm, the melting temperatures of these nanoparticles rise with particle size. The search results show that, especially in the < 5 nm size range, the size and shape of nanoparticles significantly affect their melting point. The models accurately predict the relationship between particle size and melting point for various semiconductor nanomaterials, aligning with experimental findings. Interestingly, the information indicates a potential preference for these nanomaterials to form nanowire structures in the < 5 nm size range. Our research offers helpful insights into the thermophysical properties of these semiconducting materials, which may have significant implications for their use in a diversity of technological applications.

Currently, there is an increase in the aging of the population, which represents a risk factor for many diseases, including sarcopenia. Sarcopenia involves progressive loss of mass, strength, and function of the skeletal muscle. Some mechanisms include alterations in muscle structure, reduced regenerative capacity, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation. The zebrafish has emerged as a new model for studying skeletal muscle aging because of its numerous advantages, including histological and molecular similarity to human skeletal muscle. In this study, we used fish of 2, 10, 30, and 60 months of age. The older fish showed a higher frailty index because of reduced locomotor activity and alterations in biometric measurements. We observed changes in muscle structure with a decreased number of myocytes and an increase in collagen with aging, corresponding to alterations in the synthesis, degradation, and differentiation pathways. These changes were accompanied by mitochondrial alterations, such as a decrease in intermyofibrillar mitochondria, increased mitochondrial damage, and reduced mitochondrial dynamics. Overall, we demonstrated a similarity in the aging processes of muscle aging between zebrafish and mammals.

This comprehensive overview of the historical milestones in cell culture underscores key breakthroughs that have shaped the field over time. It begins with Wilhelm Roux's seminal experiments in the 1880s, followed by the pioneering efforts of Ross Granville Harrison, who initiated groundbreaking experiments that fundamentally shaped the landscape of cell culture in the early 20th century. Carrel's influential contributions, notably the immortalization of chicken heart cells, mark a significant advancement in cell culture techniques. Holtfreter, Moscona, and Leighton introduced innovations such as 3D cell culture, laying the groundwork for further exploration. The advent of induced pluripotent stem cells by Takahashi and Yamanaka in 2006 was revolutionary, enabling the reprogramming of differentiated cells into a pluripotent state. Since then, recent innovations include spheroids, organoids, and organ-on-a-chip technologies, aiming to mimic the structure and function of tissues and organs in vitro, pushing the boundaries of biological modeling and disease understanding. In this review, we overview the history of cell culture shedding light on the main discoveries, pitfalls and hurdles that were overcome during the transition from 2D to 3D cell culture techniques. Finally, we discussed the future directions for cell culture research that may accelerate the development of more effective and personalized treatments.

In spite of prevalence gaps in several micronutrients supporting immune function, significance of their deficits/supplementation for efficacy of vaccines is underinvestigated. Thus, influence of supplementation combining vitamins C and D, zinc, selenium and manganese, and N-acetyl-cysteine on mouse IgG responses and underlying mechanisms to seasonal quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIV) was investigated. QIV was given in two doses (28 days apart). The supplementation starting 5 days before the first injection increased the total serum IgG titre, through stimulation of germinal centre (GC) reaction in secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs), as indicated by increase in the frequency of GC B cells and follicular CD4+ T helper (Th) cells, and IL-21-producing Th cells. Additionally, the supplementation “optimized” IgG response following the second QIV injection by supporting more favorable (in respect to virus clearance) IgG2a response through favoring Th1 differentiation as indicating by Th1 (INF-γ) /Th2 (IL-4) signature cytokine level ratio upon QIV restimulation in SLO cell cultures. This most likely reflected partly their antioxidant action (as indicated by redox status analyses) on Th cell differentiation. Thus, the study forms solid base for further research aimed at repurposing use this safe and inexpensive micronutrient combination as an adjuvant for virus influenza vaccine.

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.

Historical and Endowment Properties are different from Heritage and cultural Properties, as Historical and Endowment properties are governed by a unique set of laws that Waqf recipients must abide by. Property that is entrusted is usually in the form of buildings, land or valuables which in preservation is not limited to time as long as the property can be utilized. Reliable information technology is needed to ensure data security both digitally and physically, while the rapid development of information technology demands information openness and this will be a challenge in itself. The objectives of this study include examining the collection of historical databases and endowments, the relationship between digital data and physical data and management organizations. The method of how to design a query model to display data is then analyzed whether the data conforms to the rules in waqf management. The results are expected to bring up accurate data between digital data and physical data and if there are differences into findings for the next analysis.

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

Breast cancer is a global health concern, necessitating continuous advancements in diagnostic medical imaging technologies for early detection and improvement of treatment. This paper presents an overview of the past, present and future of breast cancer imaging using light and some results from the current studies. The paper specifically presents the role of Diffuse Optical Tomography (DOT) in breast cancer imaging. Conventional methods, such as X-ray mammography, face limitations. Diffuse Optical Tomography, a non-invasive light-based imaging modality can provide quantitative descriptive and architectural information about breast tissue. The paper discusses the key challenges and recent developments in breast cancer imaging using DOT to overcome some key challenges. This paper aims to contribute to the understanding of the evolving technological landscape in breast cancer imaging using light for improving early detection and patient outcomes.

The article reviews Iranian sports in three periods: prehistoric, ancient, and modern. In prehistoric times, remaining cases have shown the existence of movement activities based on recreational and religious ceremonies. In the period of ancient history, documents such as Hasanlu Golden Cup and Arjan Cup, and in the continuation of architectures leftover from different eras, refer to the prosperity of sports activities with different approaches. Among all kinds of activities, Iranian zoorkhaneh sport has a significant cultural background and effect. Modern sports entered Iran through embassies, oil contractors, Western-educated students, and military representatives in other countries (in the modern era). Iran became a member of the International Olympic Committee in 1947 and won its first Olympic medal in 1948. Entering the 21st century, the sports industry in Iran began to grow and the number of clubs, sports careers, and sports science students in universities increased significantly. The growing dimension of attention and interest in sports among Iranians shows that sports will be one of the main areas in Iran's development in the future.

Domestication had a dramatic influence on the cultural evolution of human histories, and on the biological evolution of domesticated species. Domestic dogs occurred earlier in the Americas than other domesticated animals. Older records in the continent come from North America, dated 11,000-8,400 ybp, and in the Andes from 5,600-5,000 ybp. In order to present an overview of human-dog interaction in the Americas, and to identify gaps in knowledge of this subject, we reviewed 178 publications on zooarchaeological record of burials, genetics, morphology, and ethnological information of American dogs, revisiting the history and interactions across the continent. There is no evidence of an in-situ dog initial domestication. Pre-Columbian diversity in North America includes at least three varieties, whereas in South America six varieties were documented. Historical descriptions of phenotypes (e.g. humped dog) may represent an expression associated with mutations. We find that archaeological, historical, and ethnographic records reveal non-traditional uses and hybridizations with other canids. For example, the Coast Salish people exploited woolly dogs for manufacturing blankets. Dog acquisition by some Amazonian cultures began towards the end of the nineteenth century. Overall more than 41 dog breeds originated in the Americas and are currently recognized by kennel clubs. The main gap in knowledge points to the relationships between American breeds, local hybridizations, migratory routes of dogs following Indigenous peoples’ social networks, historical-cultural contexts, and quantification of morphological diversity. North and Central American dogs have been more intensively studied than those from the Amazon regions or Patagonia. We find that the history of domestication in the Americas is far from simple and integrative studies are needed.

Carcinus maenas (the “shore crab” or “European green crab”) is a very proficient invader (considered to be one of the world’s 100 worst invaders by the IUCN) due to its phenotypic plasticity, wide temperature and salinity tolerance, and an extensive omnivorous diet. Native to Atlantic Europe, it has established two well‐studied nonindigenous populations in the northwestern Atlantic and northeastern Pacific and less‐studied populations in Australia, Argentina and South Africa. Green crabs are eurythermal and euryhaline as adults, but they are limited to temperate coastlines due to more restrictive temperature requirements for breeding and larval development. They cannot tolerate wave‐swept open shores so are found in wave‐protected sheltered bays, estuaries and harbors. Carcinus maenas has been the subject of numerous papers, with over 1000 published in the past decade. This review provides an up‐to‐date account of the current published information on the life history and population dynamics of this very important species, including genetic differentiation, habitat preferences, physical parameter tolerances, reproduction and larval development, sizes of crabs, densities of populations, sex ratios, ecosystem dynamics and ecological impacts in the various established global populations of green crabs.

Hierarchical tungsten oxide assemblies such as spindle-like, flowers with sharp petals, nanowires and regular hexagonal structures are successfully synthesized via a solvothermal reduction method by simply adjusting the reaction conditions. On the basis of the experimental results, it is determined that the reaction time significantly influences the phase transition, microstructure and photocatalytic activity of the prepared samples. The possible mechanisms for the phase transition and morphology evolution process have been systematically proposed. Moreover, the as-prepared products exhibit significant morphology-depended photocatalytic activity. The flower-like W18O49 prepared at 6 h possesses large specific surface area (150.1 m²g^-1), improved separation efficiency of electron-hole pairs and decreased electron-transfer resistance by the photoelectrochemical measurements. As a result, the flower-like W₁₈O₄₉ prepared at 6 h exhibits the highest photocatalytic activity for the degradation of Methyl orange aqueous solution. The radical trap experiments showed that the degradation of MO was driven mainly by the participation of h⁺ and •O²⁻ radicals.

The theory of fractional calculus extends the order of classical integer calculus from integer to non-integer. As a new engineering application tool, it has made many important research achievements in many fields, including image processing. This paper mainly studies the application of fractional calculus theory in image enhancement and denoising, including the basic theory of fractional calculus and its amplitude frequency characteristics, the application of fractional differential operator in image enhancement, and the application of fractional integral operator in image denoising. The experimental results show that the fractional calculus theory has more special advantages in image enhancement and denoising. Compared with the existing integer order image enhancement operators, the fractional differential operator can more effectively enhance the "weak edge" and "strong texture" details of the image. The fractional order integral image denoising operator can not only improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the image compared to traditional denoising methods, but also better preserve detailed information such as edges and textures of the image.

In this paper, we introduce two subclasses of analytic and Spirallike functions and investigate convolution properties, the necessary and sufficient condition, coefficient estimates and inclusion properties for these classes .

Pathogen-host interaction (virus-host, bacteria-host and fungi-host) is analyzed from the perspective of biothermodynamics. A mechanistic model of pathogen-host interactions, which was earlier applied to virus-host interactions, was applied for the first time to bacteria-host and fungi-host interactions. Through a mechanistic model suggested in this research, it is possible to explain the phenomenon of tropism of microorganisms to develop infections in certain tissues. Gibbs energy of biosynthesis represents the driving force for growth of bacteria inside host organisms. A growing bacterial colony represents a thermodynamic system, while the host organism is its surroundings. The permissiveness coefficient determines the possibility of growth of bacteria in an appropriate environment (tissue).

Music cultural heritage, as an important component of cultural heritage, possesses significant cultural value and inheritance significance. With the development of society and the passage of time, these precious traditional music cultural heritages inevitably face the dilemma of gradual depletion or even disappearance. In the digital age, effectively protecting and inheriting these music cultural heritages has become an urgent problem to be addressed. Therefore, this paper proposes an application method based on digital twin technology, exploring how to protect and inherit music cultural heritages through digital twin technology. By leveraging digital twin technology, a virtual museum dedicated to showcasing the richness and historical connotations of music cultures is created, preserving and simulating the soundscapes of historical music eras. Through the integration of audio archives, 3D modeling, and interactive displays, users can immerse themselves in the experience of historical music in the digital space. This paper evaluates the feasibility and cultural preservation value of this digital music history museum through the creation of music digital twin technology instances and user survey feedback, and discusses the prospects of digital twins in the field of music cultural heritage.

A Tamoxifen (TAM) response varies significantly among individuals due to genetic variations in cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6), as well as other TAM pharmacokinetic and/or pharmacodynamic proteins. In this study, 40 ER+ breast cancer patients who received at least 6 months of TAM treatment were prospectively recruited. The study aimed to evaluate, using HPLC-MS/MS, plasma concentrations of TAM and its metabolites, and to study the association with genetic polymorphisms (CYP2D6*4, CYP3A4*1B, CYP3A5*3, UGT2B7*2, UGT2B15*2, SULT1A1*2, and ESR1V364E) and adverse reactions. Bivariable linear regression analyses showed that CYP3A4*1/*1B is significantly associated with an increase of 4-hydroxyTAM plasmatic concentration, a decrease of endoxifen/4-hydroxyTAM ratio and the elimination of 17β estradiol. It was found that the CYP3A4*1/1B genotype alone could explain part of the variability in [4OHTAM], [endoxifen]/[4OHTAM], and 17β-estradiol plasma levels. Similarly, SULT1A1*1/*2 genotype affects the [endoxifen]/[4OHTAM] plasma ratio. Multivariable predictive models, incorporating both polymorphisms and non-genetic variables, are proposed to explain [NdesMeTAM]/[TAM], [4OHTAM]/[TAM], [endoxifen]/[NdesMeTAM], [endoxifen]/[4OHTAM], and 17β-estradiol plasma levels, as well as for predicting hot flashes and cramps. This preliminary study suggests that the genetic variants studied may influence the bioactivation and elimination of TAM, the clinically observed adverse reactions, and potentially the treatment efficacy.

Genetically diverse influenza A viruses (IAV) circulates in wild aquatic birds with relatively frequent spillover (cases of single infections) to other mammals, but only a small proportion of outbreaks. The spillover of IAV to marine mammals such as seals have been reported throughout the last 45 years. Majority of these viruses when reached seals population cased pneumonia and death of infected animals. Until 2016, all avian influenza viruses found in seals were of low pathotype (LP) IAV. The H5Nx clade 2.4.4.4b highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) were found in seals for the first time in 2016/2017. Our review highlights 45 years of AIV history in seals population, showing interesting features of different AIV subtypes and emphasis on avian-to-mammals transmission. Furthermore, we also included phylogenetic characterisation of the representative seal isolates.

In this paper, a multi-operator differential evolution algorithm (MODE) is proposed to solve the Optimal Power Flow (OPF) problem and is called MODE-OPF. The MODE-OPF utilizes the strengths of more than one differential evolution (DE) operator in a single algorithmic framework. Additionally, an adaptive method (AM) is proposed to update the number of solutions evolved by each DE operator based on both the diversity of population and quality of solutions. This adaptive method has the ability to maintain diversity at the early stages of the optimization process and boost convergence at the later ones. The performance of the proposed MODE-OPF is tested by solving OPF problems for both small and large IEEE bus systems (i.e., IEEE-30 and IEEE-118) while considering the intermittent solar and wind power generation. To prove the suitability of this proposed algorithm, its performance has been compared against several state-of-the-art optimization algorithms, where MODE-OPF outperforms other algorithms in all experimental results and thereby improving a network's performance with lower cost. MODE-OPF decreases the total generation cost up to 24.08%, the real power loss up to 6.80% and the total generation cost with emission up to 8.56%.

Tombs and mausoleums as a cultural-religious heritage have a key role in attracting cultural tourists, as a result, they have been of great interest to researchers and academics in recent years. This paper argues the tomb of Sheikh Zahed Gilani, who was once a great mystic and is reputable due to his influence on the formation of the Safavid dynasty. Through a qualitative evaluation, this paper assesses the history, indigenous architecture, brick decorations and the significant geometry of Sheikh Zahed’ tomb. The results indicate that the dome has eight diverse geometric levels with dissimilar decorations, which is a unique design in the region. The paper also investigates the construction inscriptions and preservation projects to better comprehend the history of the tomb. Examination and understanding the characteristics of this monument alongside assessing the typology in comparison to other historical buildings can support the development of a local structure of the tomb as well as the geometric dome in similar climates.

Osteoporosis is a bone condition where bones become weaker, leading to fractures, especially in older adults and postmenopausal women. Bioceramics for bone regeneration have indeed emerged as a promising solution for conditions like osteoporosis. Choosing the right bioceramic depends on how quickly it dissolves, how strong it is, and whether the body will react to it. Studies show that bioceramics can help bones grow back by activating (bone morphogenetic protein) BMP, (mitogen-activated protein kinase) MAPK, and Wingless/integrated (Wnt)/β-catenin pathways in the body when combined with stem cells, drugs, and supports. However, bioceramics have some problems like not being flexible enough and being prone to breaking, as well as difficulties in growing stem cells and finding the right supports for different bone types. While there has been progress in improving bioceramics for bone healing, we need to keep looking for new ideas from other areas of medicine to keep improving them. This review aims to add to the expanding field of scientific research by offering a detailed look at how bioceramics and growth factors contribute to bone regeneration. Ultimately, this knowledge will help in creating new types of bioceramics that can improve bone regrowth, providing new treatment options for people with bone diseases.