The initial dilution generated by the final disposal of untreated wastewater through a submarine outfall in Santa Marta was examined with a near-field dilution model. Northward and eastward seawater velocity, salinity, and temperature profiles from a 3D hydrodynamic model were used to provide the oceanic conditions to calculate the dilution. At the wastewater discharge site, the upwelling phenomenon occurs two times a year, the major from December to March and the minor in July, eliminating the stratification condition of seawater. The results of the dilution model showed that in these periods the plume reaches the water surface achieving dilutions greater than 100. In addition, the external wave effect on the initial dilution of submarine outfall discharge in Santa Marta was determined. Surface waves increase dilution during the dry period of the year when trade winds increase the surge and start the upwelling phenomenon. The Dilution with/without waves factor is up to 1.90 for the center of the plume on the water column.

The urbanization effects on land surface phenology (LSP) have been investigated by many studies, but few studies focused on the temporal variations of urbanization effects on LSP. In this study, we used the MODIS EVI, MODIS LST data and China’s Land Use/Cover Datasets (CLUDs) to investigate the temporal variations of urban heat island intensity and urbanization effects on LSP in Northeast China during 2001–2015. Land surface temperature (LST) and phenology differences between urban and rural areas represented the urban heat island intensity and urbanization effects on LSP, respectively. Mann-kendall nonparametric test and Sen's slope were used to evaluating the trends of urbanization effects on LSP and urban heat island intensity. The results indicated that the average land surface phenology (LSP) during 2001–2015 was characterized by high spatial heterogeneity. The start of the growing season (SOS) in old urban area had become earlier and earlier than rural area and the differences of SOS between urbanized area and the rural area changed greatly during 2001–2015 (−0.79 days/year, p < 0.01). Meanwhile, the length of the growing season (LOS) in urban and adjacent areas had become increasingly longer than rural area especially in urbanized area (0.92 days/year, p < 0.01), but the differences of the end of the growing season (EOS) between urban and adjacent areas did not change significantly. Next, the UHII increased in spring and autumn during the whole study period. Moreover, the correlation analysis indicated that the increasing urban heat island intensity in spring contributed greatly to the increases of urbanization effects on SOS, but the increasing urban heat island intensity in autumn did not lead to the increases of urbanization effects on EOS in Northeast China.

We construct a Bayesian estimator for the dilution of a wastewater sample. When wastewater is diluted by rainwater an estimate of the level of dilution is required if we are to normalise sample measurements of disease markers such as SARS-CoV-2 RNA. We consider the situation where flow measurements are available, but will regularly be unreliable because of the action of combined sewer outflows (CSOs) and wastewater storage tanks, which divert wastewater away from treatment plants when the flow is excessive. However, we also have proxies for the flow from various chemical markers (e.g.\ phosphate, ammonium, electrical conductivity), whose level per unit of population is fixed. The new flow estimator has multiple advantages compared to existing procedures: credible intervals for the estimates; optimal weighting of the chemical markers; systematic handling of missing and censored values; and model based smoothing without lags.

The exceptional performance advantages of the fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) position it as a dominant player in middle and high-end inertial navigation systems. To prevent the loss of sensor precision caused by algorithm design and simplify the complex modeling strategy in traditional methods. We gradually demonstrate the significant role of Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) in the navigation system based on FOG, and utilize the particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) to expedite the convergence of the network. The experimental results demonstrate that the initial alignment method based on deep learning is more accurate than the traditional method. The attitude angle error is reduced by 81.25%, 92.54% and 36.53% respectively. The research provides support for the future application of deep learning in optical navigation systems.

Channel bends are one of the most important characteristic features of natural streams. These bends often create the conditions for a hyporheic zone, which has been recognized as a critical component of stream ecosystems. The streambed vertical hydraulic conductivity (K_v), vertical hydraulic gradient (VHG) and Darcian flux (DF) in the hyporheic zone were estimated at 61 locations along a channel bend of the Beiluo River during July 2015 and January 2016. All the streambed attributes showed great spatial variability along the channel bend. Both upward fluxes and downward fluxes occurred during the two test periods, most of studied stream sections were controlled by downwelling, indicating stream water discharge into the subsurface. The average downward flux was higher at the downstream side than at the upstream side of the channel bend, especially in July 2015. The distribution of streambed sediment grain size has a significant influence on the variability of K_v; high percentages of silt and clay sediments generally lead to low K_v values. Higher K_v at the depositional left bank at the upstream site shifted toward the erosional right bank at the downstream site, with K_v values positively correlated with the water depth. This study suggested that the variabilities of K_v and VHG were influenced by the stream geomorphology and that the distribution of K_v was inversely related, to a certain extent, to the distribution of VHG across the channel bend. K_v and VHG were found to have opposite effects on the DF, and the close relationship between K_v and DF indicated that the water fluxes were mainly controlled by K_v.

In this review, we summarize recent progress in crystal growth and understanding the influence of crystal structure on the superconductivity in pure and Pb-doped Bi2Sr2CuOy (Bi-2201) materials belonging to the overdoped region of high temperature cuprate superconductors. The crystal growth of Bi-2201 superconductors faces challenges due to intricate materials chemistry and lack of knowledge of corresponding phase diagrams. Historically, a crucible-free floating zone method has emerged as the most promising growth approach for these materials, resulting in high-quality single crystals. This review outlines the described in the literature and the authors' synthesis endeavors, encompassing Pb-doped Bi-2201 crystals, detailed structural characterization of as-grown and post-growth annealed samples, and highlights optimal growth conditions that yield large-size, single-phase, and compositionally homogeneous Bi-2201 single crystals.

Chiral interactions play a crucial role in both chemistry and biology. Understanding the behavior of chiral molecules and their interactions with other molecules is essential, and chiral interactions in solutions are particularly important for studying chiral compounds. Chirality influences the physical and chemical properties of molecules, including solubility, reactivity, and biological activity. In this work, we used Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC), a powerful technique for studying molecular interactions, including chiral interactions in solutions. We conducted a series of ITC measurements to investigate the heat of dilution and the heat of racemization of several amino acids (Asn, His, Ser, Ala, Met, and Phe). We also performed ITC measurements under different solute concentrations and temperatures to examine the effects of these parameters on chiral interactions, as well as the heat of dilution and racemization. The results of our measurements indicated that the heat of dilution, specifically the interactions between the solvent (water) and solute (chiral molecules), had a significant impact compared to the chiral interactions in the solution, which were found to be negligible. This suggests that the interactions between chiral molecules and the solvent play a more dominant role in determining the overall behavior and properties of the system. By studying chiral interactions in solutions, we can gain valuable insights into the behavior of chiral compounds, which can have implications in various fields, including drug design, chemical synthesis, and biological processes.

The present study aims at investigating the relationship between Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) variables mainly underpricing on one hand, and the brand value measures on the other. Our final data set is 104 international brand companies. We implement empirical approach using hierarchical OLS regression and descriptive statistics. We show that underpricing is positively related to brand value which emphasizes the marketing role of going public and underpricing in enhancing brand equity through the product market, which additionally confirms some information asymmetry models. We also find that on average brand companies had not been recognized as brands at the IPO time. Moreover, we show the positive role of private equity in enhancing brand value, additionally, the non-linear association between underpricing and brand value is not evident. Finally, we draw some policy implication and suggestions for future research.

The Eastern Kunlun Fault Zone (EKFZ) is located in a seismic blank area. This study investigates the hydrogeochemical characteristics of varied-temperature springs in the EKFZ to understand the relationship between fractures, fluids and earthquakes. It aids in establishing their induction mechanisms and assists in monitoring the earthquake precursors of the EKFZ. In this study, the main elements, trace elements, hydrogen and oxygen isotopes and strontium isotopes of 23 varied-temperature springs in the EKFZ were analyzed. The results reveal the source of groundwater recharge, hydrochemical types, mineral saturation, and for a select few springs indicative of geothermal activity, collected geothermal reservoir temperatures. The study also explores the relationship between earthquakes and springs, identifying sensitive chemical indicators. Based on continuous monitoring at Maqu Station, we found that before the occurrence of the Maerkang Ms 6.0 earthquake, the concentration of Cl− rose by 2.9 times, and 46 days before the Gande earthquake (Ms = 4.7), the concentrations of Na+ and SO42− significantly increased. Finally, a conceptual model of the hydrogeochemistry of springs is presented to describe the groundwater circulation in the study area. This research is of great significance for the analysis of fluid geochemistry in this area and for assessing the seismic hazards of the EKFZ.

This work compared the performance of three methods for constructing a regional ensemble prediction system (EPS) for wind speed forecasts: dynamical downscaling, breeding of growth modes (BGM), and blending method. The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model was used to downscale the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) EPS. In addition, as the BGM method needs observation data for generating scaling factors, an alternative method for generating scaling factors was proposed to eliminate dependence on observation data. One-month tests between October 1st and October 30th, 2020, were implemented to evaluate the performance of three methods in the Gansu province of China. The results demonstrate that the blending method outperforms the other two methods. Furthermore, the difference in performance is evident mainly in early forecast lead time and becomes negligible as forecast time increases.

As one of the typical deposits in Sichuan-Yunnan-Guizhou Pb-Zn metallogenic province, the Daliangzi Pb-Zn deposit has a close genetic relation with the structural system of “black/fracture zone” formed under the action of NWW-approx. EW strike-slip structures in the metallogenic province, but the mechanism of rock and ore-controlling action of the structural system remains unclear. Based on detailed analysis of tectonite-mineralized alteration lithofacies of R1 “black/fracture zone”, the tectonite-mineralized alteration lithofacies zones can be divided into 4 types in succession outward from the Pb-Zn mineralization center, i.e., ① brecciated and stockwork-like Pb-Zn mineralization-complex breccia facies zone, ② stockwork-like Pb-Zn mineralization-simple breccia and cataclasite facies zone, ③ veined pyrite-sulfide-dolomitic cataclasite facies zone, and ④ fine-veined calcite-black carbonized dolomite facies zone; Cl- and SO42--rich high-temperature oxidizing ore-bearing fluid mixes with reducing fluid in Zone ① while migration and precipitation occur in Zone ④. With the evolution of ore-forming fluid, the homogenization temperature decreases from Zone ① to Zone ④, the salinity increases from Zone ① to Zone ② and then decreases to Zones ③ and ④, and the fluid density has little change on the whole; the contents of Zn, Pb, Cu, Ga, Ge, Cd, Ag, and other metallogenic elements, the Zn/Pb ratio, and the CaO/MgO mole ratio decrease gradually from Zone ① to Zone ④; and REE fractionation, calcilization, silicification, and pyritization enhance gradually from Zone ① to Zone ④. This series of changes are the product of diapirism (cryptoexplosion) of strike-slip structures and “black/fracture zone”, among which the second-order structures (F5, F100, and other faults) derived from NWW-approx. EW striking dextral shear-tension faults F1 and F15 control the brecciated and stockwork-like Pb-Zn mineralized complex breccia facies zones and the stockwork-like Pb-Zn mineralized simple breccia and cataclasite facies zones. Therefore, this paper establishes the zoning mode of tectonite-mineralized alteration lithofacies of “black/fracture zone” and proposes that Zones ① and ② are important prospecting criteria. conclusions.

The application of a commonly used computer algorithm based on the group-additivity method for the calculation of the liquid viscosity coefficient at 292.15K and the activity coefficient at infinite dilution in water at 298.15K of organic molecules is presented. The method is based on the complete breakdown of the molecules into their constituting atoms, further subdividing them by their immediate neighbourhood. A fast Gauss-Seidel fitting method using experimental data from literature is applied for the calculation of the atom groups’ contributions. Plausibility tests have been carried out on each of the calculations using a 10-fold cross-validation procedure which confirms the excellent predictive quality of the method. The goodness of fit (Q²) and the standard deviation (σ) of the cross-validation calculations for the viscosity coefficient, expressed as log(η), was 0.9728 and 0.11, respectively, for 413 test molecules, and for the activity coefficient log(γ)^∞ the corresponding values were 0.9736 and 0.31, respectively, for 621 test compounds. The present approach has proven its versatility in that it enabled at once the evaluation of the liquid viscosity of normal organic compounds as well as of ionic liquids.

P-band radar remote sensing applied during the Airborne Microwave Observatory of Subcanopy and Subsurface (AirMOSS) mission has shown great potential for estimation of root zone soil moisture. When retrieving the soil moisture profile (SMP) from P-band radar, a mathematical function describing the vertical moisture distribution is required. Because only a limited number of observations are available, the number of free parameters of the mathematical model must not exceed the number of observed data. For example, a second order polynomial that contains 3 free parameters was presumed based on in-situ SMP data. The polynomial is currently parameterized based on 3 backscatter observations provided by AirMOSS (i.e. one frequency at three polarizations of HH, VV and HV). In this paper, a more realistic, physically-based SMP model containing 3 free parameters is derived based on a solution to Richards’ equation for unsaturated flow in soils. Evaluation of the new SMP model based on both numerical simulations and measured data revealed that it exhibits greater flexibility for fitting measured and simulated SMPs than the currently applied polynomial. It is also demonstrated that the new SMP model can be reduced to a second order polynomial at the expense of fitting accuracy.

The human landscape transforming activity contributes to the global change of vegetation in different forms. Hunting is one of the most ancient human landscape-shaping activities. Feeders for hunting are particularly disruptive to vegetation. In the present study, we conducted a vegetation survey in these highly disturbed places. We are investigating the vegetation dynamics over several years in in the turkey oak–sessile oak zone, in two areas with different moisture and shade conditions (forest and clearing). One important background factor is changes in precipitation and temperature. The novelty of our present study lies in the fact that the observation takes place with continuous disturbance, where the human influence is very large. Our results confirm that the weed infestation be detectable at bait sites over a long period, and the interannual changes were typical in every year, according to the fact that in August, more weed species are usually present with a greater cover at the bait sites. The main meteorological factors played a role in the degree of weed infestation in each year. There was a higher proportion of vegetation regeneration in wetter years, while dry periods do not favor successional processes. With the drying of the climate, the disturbed areas are constantly losing their natural value, but wetter weather is not an automatic solution either. A more precise understanding of vulnerable systems and careful planning of treatment interventions is necessary.

This paper investigates the influence of magnetic field for a two dimensional deformations on a two temperature problem at the free surface of a semi-infinite semiconducting medium under the effect of mechanical force during a photothermal theory and the effect of hydrostatic initial stress on the medium. The Harmonic Wave Method (Normal Mode Analysis) has been used to obtain the equations of elastic waves, heat conduction equation, quasi-static electric field, carrier density, two temperature coefficient, ratios, and constitutive relationships for the thermo-magnetic-electric medium. The effects of several parameters as thermoelastic and thermoelectric coupling parameters and two temperature parameter of this force on the displacement component, force stress, carrier density and temperature distribution has been depicted graphically.

Plant N concentration (PNC) has been commonly used to guide farmers in assessing maize (Zea mays L.) N status and making in-season N fertilization decisions. However, PNC varies based on the development stage and therefore a relationship between biomass and N concentration is needed (i.e., critical N dilution curves; CNDC) to better understand when plants are N deficient. A few CNDC have been developed and used for plant N status diagnoses, but have not been tested in the US Midwest. The objective of this study was to evaluate under highly diverse soil and weather conditions in the US Midwest the performance of CNDCs developed in France and China for assessing maize N status. Maize N rate response trials were conducted across eight US Midwest states over three years. This analysis utilized plant and soil measurements at V9 and VT development stages and final grain yield. Results showed that the French CNDC (y=34.0x-0.37, where y is critical PNC, x is aboveground biomass) was better with a 91% N status classification accuracy compared to only 62% with the Chinese CNDC (y=36.5x-0.48). The N nutrition index (NNI), which is the quotient of the measured PNC and the calculated critical N concentration (Nc), based on the French CNDC was significantly related to soil nitrate-N content (R2=0.38-0.56). Relative grain yield on average reached a plateau at NNI values of 1.36 at V9 and 1.21 at VT, but for individual sites ranged from 0.80 to 1.41 at V9 and from 0.62 to 1.75 at VT. The NNI threshold values or ranges optimal for crop biomass production may not be optimal for grain yield production. It is concluded that the CNDC developed in France is suitable as a general diagnostic tool for assessing maize N status in US Midwest. However, the threshold values of NNI for diagnosing maize N status and guiding N applications vary significantly across the region, making it challenging for guiding specific on-farm N management. More studies are needed to determine how to effectively use CNDC to make in-season N recommendations in the US Midwest.

How hands-on gardening impacts behaviors including healthy eating and physical activity during early childhood can be of critical importance for preventing early onsets of obesity. This research investigates how participating in hands-on gardening impacts preschoolers’ (3-5 years old) physical activity (measured by accelerometers) in childcare centers in the Semi-Arid Climate Zone. The research was conducted in eight licensed childcare centers located in West Texas with 149 children (n=149). Four childcare centers in the experimental group received hands-on garden interventions; the other four in the control group did not. In both experimental (intervention) and control (non-intervention) centers, children wore Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometers continuously for 5 days before and for 5 days after intervention (a total of 10 days). Results show that the duration of sedentary behavior of children in the experimental (intervention) group significantly decreased compared to children in the control (non-intervention) group. The finding suggests that the positive effects of childcare hands-on gardening on physical activity extend to semi-arid climate zones where gardening is challenging due to high temperatures and lack of annual rainfall. The research emphasizes the critical need to incorporate hands-on gardening in childcare centers as an obesity prevention strategy nationally in the U.S. and beyond.

Nonconventional luminescent materials (NLMs) that do not contain traditional aromatic chromophores are of great interest due to their unique chemical structures, optical properties and their potential applications in various areas such as cellular imaging and chemical sensing. However, most reported NLMs show weak or no emission in dilute solutions, severely limiting their applications. In this work, the dynamic hydrogen bonds were utilized to design NLMs with efficient emission in dilute solutions. To further validate the results, polymers P1 and P2 were successfully prepared and investigated. It was found that luminescence quantum efficiency of P1 and P2 at concentration of 0.1 mg/mL in water solution is 8.9 and 0.6%, respectively. The high efficiency can be attributed to the fact that polymer P1 has more intra- or intermolecular dynamic hydrogen bonds and other short interactions than P2 in dilute solutions, allowing P1 to achieve the through-space conjugation effect to increase the degree of system conjugation, restrict molecular motion, and decrease non-radiative transitions, which can effectively improve luminescence. In addition, polymer P2 exhibits the characteristics of clustering-triggered emission, excitation wavelength-dependent and concentration-dependent fluorescence properties, excellent photobleaching resistance, low cytotoxicity and selective recognition of Fe3+. This work is a preliminary study of the luminescence properties of NLMs in dilute solutions via modulating dynamic hydrogen bonds, which can be used as a semi-empirical method to design and construct novel NLMs in future.

Background Nigeria is among the top 5 countries that have the highest gap between people reported as diagnosed and estimated to have developed Tuberculosis (TB). To bridge this gap, there is a need for innovative approaches to identify geographical areas at high risk of TB transmission and targeted Active Case Finding (ACF) interventions. Leveraging community level data together with granular sociodemographic contextual information can unmask local hotspots which could be otherwise missed. This work evaluated if this approach helps to reach communities with higher numbers of undiagnosed TB. Methodology A retrospective analysis of the data generated from an ACF intervention program in 4 south-western states in Nigeria was conducted. Wards (the smallest administrative level in Nigeria) were subdivided into further smaller population clusters. ACF sites and their respective TB screening outputs were mapped to these population clusters. This data was then combined with open-source high resolution contextual data to train a Bayesian inference model. The model predicted TB positivity rates on the community level (population cluster level), and these were visualised on a customised geoportal for use by the local teams to identify communities at high risk of TB transmission and plan ACF interventions. The TB positivity yield (proportion) observed at model-predicted hotspots was compared with the yield obtained at other sites identified based on aggregated notification data. Results The yield in population clusters that were predicted to have high TB positivity rates by the model was at least 1.75 times higher (p-value <0.001) than the yield in other locations in all four states. Conclusion The community level Bayesian predictive model has the potential to guide ACF implementers to high TB positivity areas for finding undiagnosed TB in the communities, thus improving efficiency of interventions.

The thermal surface properties of graphenes and carbon materials are of crucial importance in chemistry of materials, chemical engineering, and many industrial processes. (1) Background: The determination of these surface properties is carried out using inverse gas chromatography at infinite dilution which leads to the retention volume of organic solvents adsorbed on solid surfaces. This experimental and fundamental parameter actually reflects the surface thermodynamic interactions between injected probes and solid substrates. (2) Methods: The London dispersion equation and the Hamieh thermal model were used to quantify the London dispersive and polar surface energy of graphenes and carbon fibers as well their Lewis acid-base constants by introducing the coupling amphoteric constant of materials. (3) Results: The London dispersive and polar acid-base surface energies, the free energy of adsorption, the polar enthalpy and entropy, and the Lewis acid-base constants of graphenes and carbon materials were determined. (4) Conclusions: it was showed that graphene exhibited the highest values of London dispersive surface energy, polar surface energy, and Lewis’s acid-base constants. These highest characteristics of graphene justify its great potentiality and uses in many industrial applications.

Vocational interest inventories are widely used by career counselors to help individuals to make career choices. The most common approach to assess vocational interests is based on verbal or textual stimuli. However, some of them are based on pictorials to overcome reading limits and provide additional information about the working environment and the activities related to a particular job. This article aims to present two studies on the development and first validation of the Multilingual Iconographic Professional Interest Inventory (MIPII) on two samples, one composed of 792 high-school students, and one composed of 366 middle school students. The inventory aimed to assesses the vocational interests of people over 19 areas by illustrations representing 95 jobs, five for each one, combined with their title in six different languages (Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French and Italian in this order). Both illustrations and titles are provided separately in the male and female version on the same page.

The Doig Phosphate Zone (DPZ) is a phosphate-bearing marine unit located at the base of the Doig Formation, in the Triassic section of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. The DPZ has a maximum thickness of 90 m and extends across northeastern British Columbia and western central Alberta. In this study we characterize the significance and interpret the origin of apatite in the DPZ, through mineralogical and geochemical analyses, thin section study and field emission-scanning electron microscopy. The occurrence of apatite in the DPZ is not evenly distributed, but restricted to discrete 10 to 20 cm thick beds, located near the base of the DPZ. Phosphorites are of two types: grainstones composed primarily of unconformity-bounded coated grains, and intraclastic phosphorites composed of detrital silt-sized grains and apatite coated grains in a cryptocrystalline phosphatic matrix. The phosphorite beds are records of stratigraphic condensation due to low detrital input during transgression. The erosionally-truncated phosphatic coated grains and intraclasts are interpreted to be a result of various phases of phosphatization, exhumation, erosion reworking, winnowing and redeposition in alternating quiescence and storms or bottom currents. The abundance of pyrite and chalcophile trace elements, as well as the low concentration of proxy elements for organic matter productivity and preservation, are further evidences of stratigraphic condensation, with sulfidic pore water development and extensive organic recycling promoted by biological activity during the long exposure times. The phosphorites were formed under oxygenated water conditions, as suggested by the depletion in Ce and presence of a diverse benthic fauna.

The global pandemic of COVID-19 accounts for more than 14,000 deaths worldwide. However, little is known about the host genetics interaction with infection and COVID-19 progression. To better understand the role of host genetics, we review the current literature, aggregate readily available genetic resources, and provide some updated analysis relevant to COVID-19 and associated phenotypes. Using the unrelated individuals in UK Biobank (total n = 337,579 across 5 populations), we aggregate human leukocyte antigen and ABO blood type frequencies. We find significant and consistent risk reduction of blood group O reported in Zhao et al. and encourage broad sharing of ABO blood type frequencies that are readily accessible across COVID-19 with mild, moderate, and severe/critical symptoms for robust inferences at https://tinyurl.com/abo-covid19. In addition, we generate polygenic risk scores (PRSs) weights for 29 blood measurements, including clinically relevant haematological measurements for COVID-19, such as lymphocyte count and percentage. Focusing on the 8 most COVID-19 clinically relevant blood measurements, we performed PRS-PheWAS analysis across 44 disease antigen measurements (n = 6,643 unrelated individuals in White British group), infectious diseases and acute respiratory infections (n = 20,928 cases and 349,000 controls across 3 population groups) and deaths (n = 1,846 cases and 368,082 controls), recorded in hospital inpatient record and death registry data, respectively, in UK Biobank, and find host genetic PRS associations with disease risk. Taken together, we anticipate these resources (https://github.com/rivas-lab/covid19) will aid in improving our understanding of host genetic risk factors playing a role in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease severity.

One of the biggest challenges in characterizing 2-D image topographies is finding a low-dimensional parameter set that can succinctly describe, not so much image patterns themselves, but the nature of these patterns. The 2-D Cluster Variation Method (CVM), introduced by Kikuchi in 1951, can characterize very local image pattern distributions using configuration variables, identifying nearest-neighbor, next-nearest-neighbor, and triplet configurations. Using the 2-D CVM, we can characterize 2-D topographies using just two parameters; the activation enthalpy and the interaction enthalpy. Initial investigations with two different representative topographies (``scale-free-like'' and ``rich club-like'') produce interesting results when brought to a CVM free energy minimum. Additional phase space investigations, where one of these two parameters has been set to zero, identify useful parameter ranges. Careful comparison of the analytically-predicted configuration variables versus those obtained when performing computational free energy minimization on a 2-D grid show that the computational results differ significantly from the analytic solution. The 2-D CVM can potentially function as a secondary free energy minimization within the hidden layer of a neural network, providing a basis for extending node activations over time and allowing temporal correlation of patterns.

Background: Cancer has been one of the most critical health problems during the past decades which require serious consideration, especially in developing countries. Methods: 80 parents of the children with different types of cancers were studied via both questionnaire and person-to-person interview after announcing their informed consent. Results: The highest delay in patients' initial referral was due to the following factors: lack of attention or ignoring the first symptoms, delay in referring to the physician, low economic status and even lack of family support for the patient. In addition, visiting several doctors after the initial diagnosis, uncertainty about the first proposed method, and high cost of treatment can be mentioned as the main causes of delays in the start of treatment. Conclusion: Education plays an important role in identifying the signs of cancer. In addition, proper relationship and cooperation between the health system and physicians as well as provision of adequate information to patients could lead to the long-term cooperation of these patients in continuing their treatment.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently added snakebite envenoming to the priority list of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD). It is thought that ~75% of mortality following snakebite occurs outside the hospital setting, making the temporal gap between a bite and antivenom administration a major therapeutic challenge. Small molecule therapeutics (SMTs) have been proposed as potential pre-referral treatments for snakebite to help address this gap. Herein, we discuss the characteristics, potential uses and development of SMTs as potential treatments for snakebite envenomation. We focus on SMTs that are secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) inhibitors and metalloprotease (MP) inhibitors.

The concept of gray-zone lymphoma (GZL) has been progressively refined since its in-troduction in the literature in 1998. For several years, it was applied to a rather broad spectrum of conditions, posing the problem of the differential diagnosis between any type of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, with special reference to primary mediasti-nal forms (PMBL). Officially recognized as a provisional entity in the 4th and revised 4th editions of the WHO Classification of Tumour of Haematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues with the term “B-cell lymphoma unclassifiable with features intermediate between diffuse large B-cell lym-phoma and classical Hodgkin lymphoma”, it was limited to tumours, which showed either morphologic features reminiscent of classical HL (CHL) but carrying a complete B-cell pheno-type or conversely provided with a PMBL morphology but revealing CHL phenotypic charac-teristics. The definition of GZL has been further revised in the recently published International Lymphoma Classification and 5th Edition of the WHO Classification of Haemato-lymphoid Tu-mours, which have limited it to mediastinal neoplasms based on emerging molecular evidences. The aim of this review is to critically discuss the issue of GZL, also in the light of the suboptimal response to current therapies.

This paper combines a literature survey and data analysis. The literature on the Subtropical Front (STF) in the Southern Ocean is reviewed with a two-pronged emphasis on the double-front structure of the STF, hence the existence of a subtropical frontal zone (STFZ), and the circumpolar continuity of the STFZ. The data analysis is based on the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) sections. The STFZ is detected along each section independently from other sections, while moving circum-polarly downstream (eastward). The literature survey and data analysis confirm the circumpolar continuity of the STFZ extending from the Brazil Current across the South Atlantic, South Indian, and South Pacific up to Chile, being bound by the North and South STF. The circumpolar continuity of the STFZ is partly interrupted by South Africa and Tasmania, where the North STF ceases, while the South STF continues eastward. The South Atlantic STFZ is the southern boundary of the well-defined Subtropical Mode Water (STMW) thermostad, which cools eastward from 15°C to 11°C between the Brazil Current and Greenwich Meridian. In the southeast Pacific, the STFZ is the southern boundary of the 17-to-19°C thermostad (South Pacific Eastern STMW). The STFZ’s vertical extent is at maximum in the South Atlantic (>1000 m), decreasing eastward to 300 m in the southeast Pacific off Chile. A special attention is given to the South Pacific and the STFZ’s role in the ecology of Chilean jack mackerel Trachurus murphyi that spawn at the STFZ and migrate along the STFZ from Chile up to New Zealand.

The research is devoted to the study of geotectonic and geodynamics of the Shu-Ile belt and petrographic composition and intrusive complexes geochemical features analysis. The Shu-Ile suture is an important geological structure of Kazakhstan. It is characterized by the presence of various intrusive formations and deep faults. The material composition of these intrusions is of interest for understanding the geological and metallogenic processes in this region. The research used modern scientific methods, including petrographic and geochemical studies of various compositions intrusion samples. Based on the results of material composition studies of intrusive complexes, their possible connections with other geological structures of Kazakhstan and the metallogeny of the region have been established. Based on the data obtained, a conclusion was made about the intrusive complexes origin and evolution of the Shu-Ile belt, which may be important for further geological research and forecasting of mineral resources in the region.

The purpose was to reflect on the sustainability of artisanal and informal mining in the Peruvian Andean zone by 2022. The type of research was basic, non-experimental design, ex post facto scope. The sample consisted of: statistics on crime prevention due to socio-environmental conflicts from the National Prosecutor's Office and the Ombudsman's Office, reports of interventions targeted at artisanal and informal miners. The procedure focused on gathering secondary information for a documentary review analysis that is based on proven and disseminated past facts. Artisanal and informal mining is strengthened in the Peruvian Andean zone by incidence and force: 1) the social license and agreements by community assembly, 2) the flexibility in compliance with the formalization, preventive and environmental protection laws, 3) the 50% increase in socio-environmental conflict due to mining activity, 4) a 25% progressive increase in the production costs of agricultural and livestock activities. The direct consequences on environmental sustainability are: 1) the delimited reconversion of the change in agricultural land use in a third of the communal territories in basin headwaters; 2) displacement of environmentally friendly economic activity by 20% in basin headwaters; 3) the impossibility of modification or intervention in water surfaces, bofedales by communal agreements.

The Krudum granite body comprises highly fractionated granitic rocks ranging from medium-F biotite granites to high-F, high-P₂O₅ Li-mica granites. This unique assemblage is an ideal site to continue recent efforts in petrology to characterize the role of zircon, monazite and xenotime as hosts to REEs. The granitic rocks of the Krudum body analysed in this study were found to contain variable concentrations of monazite and zircon, while xenotime was only found in the high-F, high-P₂O₅ Li-mica granites and in the alkali-feldspar syenites of the Vysoký Kámen stock. For analysed monazites of all magmatic suites cheralite substitution was significant. The highest concentration of cheralite was found in monazites from the high-F, Li-mica granites and from the alkali-feldspar syenites. The proportion of YPO₄ in all analysed xenotimes ranges from 71 to 84 mol. %. Some xenotimes were found to be hydrated and the observed water content estimated from analytical data ranged from 5 to 11 wt. % H₂O. Analysed xenotimes were commonly enriched in HREEs (9.3– 19.5 wt. % HREE₂O₃) and thorite-coffinite and cheralite exchange was observed. Analysed zircons from granite suites of the Krudum granite body contained moderate Hf concentrations (1.0–4.7 wt. % HfO₂; 0.010–0.047 apfu Hf). The highest concentrations of HfO₂ were found in zircons from the high-F, high P₂O₅ Li-mica granites (1.2–4.7 wt. % HfO₂) and from the alkali-feldspar syenites (1.3–4.1 wt. % HfO₂). Zircons from the high-F, high-P₂O₅ Li-mica granites were often hydrated and fluorised. The concentrations of F in zircon from partly greisenised high-F, high-P₂O₅ Li-mica granites reached up to 1.2 wt. % (0.26 apfu F). In zircons from the alkali-feldspar syenites enrichment in P, which is not associated with a simultaneous enrichment in Y + REE, was also observed. Analysed zircons from the high-F, high P₂O₅ Li-mica granites were enriched in Y (up to 5.5 wt. % Y₂O₃; 0.10 apfu Y) and Sc (up to 1.17 wt. % Sc₂O₃; 0.03 apfu Sc).

In strawberry production, the combination of high productive performance and fruits with desirable physicochemical characteristics requires the use of plants of good quality and high initial vigor. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of plants with different crown diameters on the productive performance and fruit quality of strawberry plants of the cultivar 'Pircinque.' The study was conducted in two evaluation cycles (2016/2017 and 2017/2018). The experimental design was in randomized blocks, with four repetitions, and plots consisting of 20 plants. This study evaluated the crown diameters of plants of 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19 mm. The productivity and number of fruit values increased significantly with larger caliber plants, which also provided precocity of productivity. The use of more vigorous plants also favored the production of fruits with higher soluble solids / titratable acidity ratios and with epidermis coloration closer to intense red. For the cultivar 'Pircinque', the plant crown diameters between 15 and 17 mm are the most favorable because they condition the best productive performances in combination with precocity and good fruit quality.

Disinfection byproducts (DBPs) are formed whenever disinfectant ingredients are in contact with organic matter. Due to widespread increase in production and use of disinfectants and antiseptics, the presence of their components in coastal environments is increasing. However, very limited scientific literature is available in regard to the occurrence of DBPs and related compounds in the coastal zone and particularly in seawater. In this context, the aim of this preliminary compilation is to outline the main up-to-date findings and raise awareness on their increasing occurrence in coastal environments. Sampling and analysis of marine samples in the USA, Spain, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Korea, Kuwait and Hong-Kong revealed the presence of several categories of DBPs and related compounds in coastal environments, with the highest levels being detected in urban areas, probably related to the nearby wastewater treatment plants. The investigations considered in this preliminary compilation, report the detection of DBPs and related compounds as well as the formation of toxic brominated and iodinated DBPs in high levels due to chlorination of wastewater, especially after use of seawater for flushing in toilets. New DBP groups have also been detected, namely halogenated phenolic DBPs and halopyrroles.

Mediterranean Ridge accretionary complex (MAC) is one of the most critical subduction zones in the world. It is known that the region exhibits a continuous mass change (horizontal/vertical movements). This process is associated with the devastating and tragic earthquakes shaking the MAC for centuries. Here, we investigate the ocean bottom pressure (OBP) anomalies in the MAC derived from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and GRACE Follow On (GRACE-FO) satellite missions. The OBP time series for the MAC comprises a decreasing trend in addition to 1-, 1.53-, 2.36-, 3.67-, and 9.17-year periodic components partially explained by the atmosphere, oceans, and hydrosphere (AOH) processes, and Earth's pole movement. We noticed that the OBP anomalies appear to link to a rising trend and periods in earthquakes' power time series. This finding sheds new light on the mechanisms controlling the most destructive natural hazard.

The existence of the exclusion zone (EZ), a layer of water in which plastic microspheres are repelled from hydrophilic surfaces, has now been independently demonstrated by several groups. A better understanding of the mechanisms which generate EZs would help with understanding the possible importance of EZs in biology and in engineering applications such as filtration and microfluidics. Pollack theorizes that EZ water exists in a new phase which has a layered structure. We note several problems with Pollack's proposed structure, some of which were noted in the 1960's when a similar structure was proposed for ``polywater''. We argue that Schurr's diffusiophoresis based theory presents a compelling alternative explanation for the core EZ phenomena, although there remain other findings from Pollack's lab it does not explain. Among other things, Schurr's theory makes predictions about the growth of the EZ with time which have been confirmed by Florea et al.\ and others. In this work we also introduce and explore a novel hypothesis - that some aspects of EZ phenomena may be attributable to repulsive van der Waals forces. Finally, we touch on several possible confounding factors that make experimentation on EZs difficult, such as charged surface groups, dissolved solutes, and adsorbed nanobubbles.

The diagnostics of natural landscapes geoecological state in the course of the permafrost zone economic development should be based on the assessment of the destructive cryogenic processes formation. It is expedient to consider it in terms of landscapes resistance to cryogenic processes increase. The choice of lithocryogenic stability parameters is substantiated. These are: permafrost distribution over the area, its annual mean temperature and ice content, protective properties of the vegetation and etc. Cryogenic processes activation is estimated with regard to their area, development rate and attenuation, natural landscapes damage, hazard for engineering facilities operation. The assessment procedure, and the way of improving expert numerical scores are shown. At Geography Faculty of Lomonosov Moscow State University, the authors have developed a number of the approved methods of making evaluation maps of different scales applying the methods of landscape indication, modern methods of space images decoding, methods of expert scores, the method statistical calculations and methods of spatial GIS-analysis. The technique of Atlas geo-information mapping on the landscape basis has been introduced in seven atlases at scales from 1:3 000 000 to 1:20 000 000. These maps are widely used in design and survey organizations and in education.

A new utilization of entropy in the context of buckling is presented. The novel concept connecting strain energy and entropy for a pin-ended strut is derived. This concept rationalizes the ranking of buckling modes based on strain energy under the assumption of given entropy. By assigning identical entropy to all buckling modes, they can be ranked according to their deformation energy. Conversely, with identical strain energy assigned to all modes, ranking according to entropy is possible. Decreasing entropy was found to represent the scaling factors of buckling modes that coincide with the measurement of initial out-of-straightness imperfections in IPE160 beams. Applied to steel plane frames, scaled buckling modes can be used to model initial imperfections. It is demonstrated that the entropy (scale factor) for given energy roughly decreases with the inverse square of the mode index. For practical engineering, the study presents the possibility of using scaled buckling modes of steel plane frames to model initial geometric imperfections. Entropy proves to be a valuable complement to strain energy in structural mechanics.

Recent studies highlight the need to introduce objectives in Initial Teaching Education focused on the development of oral language competence (OLC). The main aim of the study is to examine activities to promote the development of OLC that are carried out in university classrooms and their evaluation, to analyze the relationship between students’ awareness of OLC work and class activities and to identify proposals to improve students’ OLC. Participants were 175 university teachers who teach on the bachelor’s degree in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and the master’s degree in Secondary Education (MSE) at seven Catalan universities. The data collection instrument was an online questionnaire with 69 questions. The results indicate that 92.5% of participants work on OLC in their subjects, that 76.5% propose activities that are specifically linked to OLC and that 65.1% of participants evaluate OLC in their subject. A total of 39.4% of participants reported the need to increase discussions to generate processes of collaborative and interdisciplinary reflection between university teachers from different areas of knowledge, among others. We conclude that professional development processes need to be designed for ITE teachers to reflect on how they help students to develop OLC from a pragmatic perspective.

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries around the world varied in the strength and timeliness of their responses. In Romania, specific challenges were faced with regards to managing the spread and limiting the impact of the disease, ranging from healthcare infrastructure to demographic and sociocultural aspects. As the country has a sizeable diaspora, major difficulties were faced when large numbers of individuals from highly affected areas returned to Romania. However, the fast implementation of control measures successfully averted a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases. This delayed the overburdening of an already challenged healthcare system during the initial phases of the epidemic. Furthermore, early control was facilitated by the exploitation of communication channels that penetrated all layers of society, from ordinary citizens to governmental authorities and high-ranking religious figures. The management of the COVID-19 crisis in Romania illustrates the importance of a fast initial response which takes into account the role played by sociocultural aspects in the context of an epidemic. As the challenges faced by Romania are not unique, these results could inform future public health strategies worldwide.

Quite a number of new metered parking systems have been introduced in recent years by the local authorities of various spa towns in Poland in connection with home zone conversion projects. The traffic signs posted in these locations were limited to the beginning and end of the demarcated parking area. Traffic circle (TC) is an example of traffic calming measures (TCM) used in home zones to slow down the traffic (case study – home zone in a small spa village). This article presents the results of a study investigating the speed reductions obtained with a home zone and traffic circle used as traffic calming measures. The indispensable speed surveys were carried out in relation to this study in two periods: in summer when the streets are crowded with tourists and in September with little pedestrian traffic. Two research hypotheses were formulated as part of the speed data analysis to verify the slowing effect of traffic circle and the relevance of traffic circles design parameters and location, road function and the surrounding streetscape. For each hypothesis statistical analyses were carried out using two nonparametric tests: two-sample Kolmogorov–Smirnov test and median test. The third research hypothesis formulated in this study was related to sustainable development factors related to fuel consumption and traffic-related air pollution including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbons. This hypothesis was verified by estimating the amount of air pollution in the home zone under analysis in three different situations (scenarios): in summer with the travel speed reduced by pedestrian traffic to ca. 8–10 km/h and in September with a small number of pedestrians and 20–25 km/h resulting speed between traffic circles, reduced at traffic circle, and in a theoretical 30 km/h zone with 25–30 km/h assumed speed between traffic circles, dropping at traffic circle. These analyses confirmed the appropriateness of traffic circle as a home zone traffic calming measure, as long as its design is based on a detailed analysis of the relevant factors, including location, road function and the surrounding streetscape.

The need to find the global minimum in multi-dimensional functions is a critical problem in many fields of science and technology. Effectively solving this problem requires the creation of initial solution estimates, which are subsequently used by the optimization algorithm to search for the best solution in the solution space. In the context of this article, a novel approach to generating the initial solution distribution is presented which is applied to a genetic optimization algorithm. Using the k-means clustering algorithm, a distribution based on data similarity is created. This helps in generating initial estimates that may be more tailored to the problem. Additionally, the proposed method employs a rejection sampling algorithm to discard samples that do not yield better solution estimates in the optimization process. This allows the algorithm to focus on potentially optimal solutions, thus improving its performance. Finally, the article presents experimental results from the application of this approach to various optimization problems, providing the scientific community with a new method for addressing this significant problem.

In gravitational theory and astrophysical dynamics, singular initial value problems (IVPs) are frequently encountered. Finding the solutions to this class of IVPs can be challenging due to their complex nature. This study strives to circumvent the complexity by proposing a numerical method for solving such problems. The approach proposed in the current research seeks solutions to the IVP by partitioning the domain [0,L] of the problem into two intervals and solving the problem on each domain. The study seeks a closed-form solution to the IVP in the interval containing the singular point. A linearization technique and piecewise partitioning of the domain not containing the singularity are applied to the nonlinear IVP. The resulting linearized differential equation is solved using the Chebyshev spectral collocation method. Some examples are presented to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed method. Numerical analysis of the solution and residual errors are shown to ascertain convergence and accuracy. The results suggest that the technique gives accurate convergent solutions using a few collocation points.

The measurements of the proton electromagnetic form factors in the time-like region using the initial state radiation technique are reviewed. Recent experimental studies have shown that initial state radiation processes at high luminosity electron-positron colliders can be effectively used to probe the electromagnetic structure of hadrons. The BABAR experiment at the B-factory PEP-II in Stanford and the BESIII experiment at the $\tau$-charm factory BEPC-II in Beijing have measured the time-like form factors of the proton using the initial state radiation process $e^{+}e^{-}\to pbar{p}\gamma$. The two kinematical regions where the photon is emitted from the initial state at small and large polar angles have been investigated. In the first case the photon is in the region not covered by the detector acceptance and is not detected. The Born cross section and the proton effective form factor have been measured over a wide and continuous range of the the momentum transfer squared $q^2$ from threshold up to ~42 (GeV/c)$^2$. The ratio of electric and magnetic form factors of the proton has been also determined. In this report, the theoretical aspect and the experimental studies of the initial state radiation process $e^{+}e^{-}\to p\bar{p}\gamma$ are described. The measurements of the Born cross section and the proton form factors obtained in these analyses near the threshold region and in the relatively large $q^2$ region are examined. The experimental results are compared to the predictions from theory and models. Their impact on our understanding of the nucleon structure is discussed.

The 20–60-μm axon initial segment (AIS) is proximally located at the interface between the axon and cell body. AIS has characteristic molecular and structural properties regulated by the crucial protein, ankyrin-G. The AIS contains a high density of Na+ channels relative to the cell body, which allows low thresholds for initiation of action potential (AP). Molecular and physiological studies have shown that the AIS is also a key domain for the control of neuronal excitability by homeostatic mechanisms. The AIS has high plasticity in normal developmental processes and pathological activities such as injury, neurodegeneration, and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). In the first half of this review, we provide an overview of the molecular, structural, and ion-channel characteristics of AIS, AIS regulation through axo-axonic synapses, and axo-glial interactions. In the second half, to understand the relationship between NDDs and AIS, we discuss the activity-dependent plasticity of AIS, the human mutation of AIS regulatory genes, and the pathophysiological role of the abnormal AIS in the NDD model animals and patients. We propose that AIS may provide a potentially valuable structural biomarker in response to abnormal network activity in vivo as well as a new treatment concept at the neural circuit level.

Typhulaceae Jülich is one of the cold-adapted fungal families in basidiomycetes. Typhula (Pers.) Fr. and Pistillaria Fr. representing the family are distinguished from the morphology of a stipe to a hymenium (Fries 1821). The hymenium of Typhula is distinguishable from the stipe, but indistinguishable and consecutive in the genus Pistillaria. This taxonomic criterion is ambiguous, and consequently the opinion of Karsten (1882) has been widely accepted; I the genus Typhula, basidiomata develop from sclerotia, while basidiomata develop directly from substrata in the genus Pistillaris. But, Corner (1970) observed basidiomata of Pistillaria petasitis S. Imai in Hokkaido, Japan, from sclerotia. We collected irregular sclerotia of Typhula hyperborea H. Ekstr. from Upernavik, West Greenland. This specimen had a stipe-like structure on a Poaceae plant, and sclerotia developed on its tip. In August, P. petasitis in Hokkaido, Japan, formed basidiomata directly from substrates on the ground. Similar phenomena were found from other Typhula spp. in Japan. All of these fungi had the potential to produce sclerotia in culture, and as well as the capacity of mycelial growth at ambient air temperatures in each locality when samples were collected. These findings suggest that Typhula spp. developed basidiomata not only from the sclerotia dispersed by the basidiospores but also mycelia generated by the spore germination formed basidiomata multiple times depending on their growth environments.

This article addresses the problem of contact voltage increase caused by the low frequency oscillation of the train-grid system in the phase-separation process of the EMU. The article establishes the EMU-contact line-traction substation model, reveals the mechanism of low-frequency oscillation, and obtains the relationship between the separation phase angle of the pantograph with line and low-frequency oscillations. Methods to suppress the over-voltage during the low-frequency oscillation are proposed. The study shows that when the power phase angle of the pantograph-line separation is within the range of 60°~90° and 240°~270°, the voltage amplitude in the neutral zone is larger, the maximum amplitude can reach 52.2kV, and low-frequency oscillation will occur in the neutral zone. When low frequency oscillation occurs, the contact line voltage in the neutral zone is mainly 1/3 power frequency (16.7Hz). After installing an RC suppression device in the neutral zone, when the EMU enters the neutral zone, the absolute value of the voltage peak drops to below 20 kV. Compared with the situation where the suppression device is not connected, the absolute value of the voltage peak is reduced by nearly 60%. The study provides a basis for the design of the neutral zone of the contact line and the selection of the high-voltage equipment of the EMU.

Abstract: Development of the fast neutron radiography with higher penetration capability in Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) techniques is rapidly. The detection efficiency and the imaging spatial resolution are the main problem of the radiography detector for many fast neutron imaging systems. In this paper, a detector composed of pixelated EJ200 scintillator array，an 16 × 16 silicon-photomultipliers (SiPM) array, and a capacitive multiplexing network readout electronics is designed. Using Monte-Carlo simulations，the main parameters of the detector was optimization. Then the detector prototype was fabricated and tested at a 14 MeV D-T neutron source. The preliminary test results showed that the prototype has spatial resolution of 1.26 mm. Using pixelated scintillator structure，the conflict between spatial resolution and detect efficiency could improved. Moreover, SiPMs offer a flexibility for the expansion of application field of the imaging system due to their excellent photon detection performance, relatively low price and joint possibility for large area.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a dominant cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recently it was shown that HBV and woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) integrate into hepatocyte genome minutes after invasion. Retrotransposons and transposable sequences were frequent sites of the initial insertions suggesting a mechanism for spontaneous HBV DNA disperse throughout hepatocyte genome. Several somatic genes were also identified as early insertional targets in infected hepatocytes and woodchuck livers. Head-to-tail joints (HTJs) dominated amongst fusions indicating their creation by non-homologous-end-joining (NHEJ). Their formation coincided with robust oxidative damage of hepatocyte DNA. This was associated with activation of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1)-mediated dsDNA repair as reflected by augmented transcription of PARP1 and XRCC1, the PARP1 binding partner, OGG1, a responder to oxidative DNA damage, and by increased activity of NAD+, a marker of PARP1 activation, and HO1, an indicator of cell oxidative stress. The engagement of the PARP1-mediated NHEJ repair pathway explains HTJ format of the initial merges. The findings showed that HBV and WHV are immediate inducers of oxidative DNA damage, hijack dsDNA repair to integrate into hepatocyte genome and by this may initiate pro-oncogenic process. Tracking initial integrations may uncover early markers of HCC and help to explain HBV-associated oncogenesis.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent a central framework to guide sustainable urban development (2030 Agenda). However, it is not clear how and where SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) is being implemented, and how such implementation might be improved. We investigated this subject by analyzing United Nations (UN) SDG Good Practices data from 2018 to 2021. We applied five criteria to the 336 SDG 11 responses: (1) geography; (2) actors; (3) progress toward targets; (4) areas of implementation; and (5) scale of action. Overall, 86 of the 193 countries that adopted the 2030 Agenda submitted at least one SDG 11 good practice. 33 countries contributed 73.8% of the total, and most developing countries did not make submissions. A very small number of responses (between 2.6 and 9.1%) addressed equity-related targets. Good practices from developed countries were usually more technology-based and system-forming; developing countries typically focused on issues of day-to-day concern. Overall, this analysis points to the need for better and more systematic reporting on SDG 11 implementation, a more active public sector role in SDG implementation and reporting, more focus on dimensions related to social equity, and better formulation of urban sustainability targets and indicators in the future.

Students are regarded as frequent users of mobile phones which has proven to be a convenient and acceptable method to promote healthy lifestyle. Students usually engage in relatively high levels of risky behavior and make unhealthy lifestyle choices, a study that investigates how health students access health information is necessary. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional study which was undertaken among third-year nursing students from three nurses training institutions in Ghana. A total of 270 students participated in the study. Most of the respondents who were currently subscribers of the health messages reported that they usually received health information on reproductive health issues, nutrition, and practicing safe sex. Most of the health students revealed that they needed more information on safe sex, diet, managing weight, and stress management. The results also show that health students are likely to remember and share short messages with friends. The findings serve as an ‘eye-opener’ for health educators and mobile service providers concerning factors that should be taken into consideration when framing health text messages that will attract health students.

Gold nanoparticles, were deposited in titanium oxide (TiO2) Degussa-P25 with the Photodeposition method in the presence of UV light at different concentrations. It was determined by diffuse reflectance (DF), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), that the Photodeposition method is effective for the inclusion of gold particles on the surface. The catalyst band gap showed a reduction to 2.9 e.V, as well as it was observed that the gold-doped catalyst shows absorption in the visible light range around 500 to 600 nm. The percentage of deposited gold nanoparticles was determined by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The experimental data were analyzed using different analytical techniques (UV-Vis spectrophotometry, TOC total organic carbon), with these results a carbon-based mass balance and reaction kinetics were generated using the Langmuir-Hinshelwood (LH-HW) heterogeneous catalysis model. For the estimation of the kinetic constants, the non-linear regression of the Levengerd Marquad algorithm was used, with these results, kinetic models of the degradation of the molecule and the generation and consumption of Organic Intermediate Products (OIP) were generated.

SARS-CoV-2 (CoV-2) is a coronavirus which is causing the actual COVID-19 pandemic. The disease caused by 2019 new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was named coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) by the World Health Organization in February 2020. Primary non-specific reported symptoms of 2019-nCoV infection at the prodromal phase are malaise, fever, and dry cough. The most commonly reported signs and symptoms are fever (98%), cough (76%), dyspnea (55%), and myalgia or fatigue (44%). Nonetheless, recent reports suggest an association between COVID-19 and altered olfactory and taste functions, although smell seems to be more affected than taste. These associations of smell and taste dysfunctions and CoV-2 are consistent with case reports describing a patient with SARS with long term anosmia after recovery from respiratory distress, with the observation that olfactory function is commonly altered after infection with endemic coronaviruses, and with data demonstrating that intentional experimental infection of humans with CoV-299 raises the thresholds at which odors can be detected. Post-viral anosmia and is one of the leading causes of loss of sense of smell in adults, accounting for up to 40% cases of anosmia. Viruses that give rise to the common cold are well known to cause post-infectious loss, and over 200 different viruses are known to cause upper respiratory tract infections. I reviewed the possible mechanisms of smell and taste loss in COVID-19. I concluded that since the existence of such a relationship is likely, it is highly recommended that those patients who experience complications such as smell and/or taste loss, even as unique symptoms, should be considered as potential SARS-CoV-2 virus carriers.

Single-level Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and multi-level PCA (mPCA) methods are applied here to a set of (2D frontal) facial images from a group of 80 Finnish subjects (34 male; 46 female) with two different facial expressions (smiling and neutral) per subject. Inspection of eigenvalues gives insight into the importance of different factors affecting shapes, including: biological sex, facial expression (neutral versus smiling), and all other variations. Biological sex and facial expression are shown to be reflected in those components at appropriate levels of the mPCA model. Dynamic 3D shape data for all phases of a smile made up a second dataset sampled from 60 adult British subjects (31 male; 29 female). Modes of variation reflected the act of smiling at the correct level of the mPCA model. Seven phases of the dynamic smiles are identified: rest pre-smile, onset 1 (acceleration), onset 2 (deceleration), apex, offset 1 (acceleration), offset 2 (deceleration), and rest post-smile. A clear cycle is observed in standardized scores at an appropriate level for mPCA and in single-level PCA. mPCA can be used to study static shapes and images, as well as dynamic changes in shape. It gave us much insight into the question “what’s in a smile?”

An ionospheric response at middle latitudes to geomagnetic storms is not yet very well understood. Total electron content (TEC) variations associated with eight strong geomagnetic storms between 2015 and 2022 obtained from GNSS receivers in the western area of the North Atlantic (Portuguese continental and insular territory) are studied in an attempt to fill this gap. It was found that for most of the studied geomagnetic storms TEC variations are synchronous for the longitudinal ranges from 27ºW and 9ºW. In the southern part of the studied region (around 32ºN) the amplitude of TEC variations is, in general, significantly higher than in the northern part (around 39ºN). Some of the studied geomagnetic storms were associated with TEC variations that we interpret as effects of post-sunset equatorial plasma bubbles that travelled well north from their habitual region. Also, while most of the studied storms were accompanied by reports on different kind of malfunction of GNSS systems (GPS; GALILEO and other), there is no clear pattern in their appearance in dependence on the geomagnetic/ionospheric storms’ strength, commencement time, and its characteristics, in general.

Background: Locally advanced rectal cancers (10-20%) can present with infiltration into adjacent viscera. R0 resections remain the key factor for better survival. Traditionally these cases have been managed with open surgery. There are some limitations of laparoscopic surgery in these case, which can potentially be overcome by robotic surgery. Objectives: To determine the feasibility and outcome results of robotic multi-visceral resection of stage T4 rectal carcinoma. Methods: Consecutive patients having locally advanced carcinoma of rectum, who undergone robotic multi-visceral resection as the primary treatment between 2015 -2018 were included, through our database which was maintained prospectively. All perioperative and intraoperative parameters were analyzed. Patient demographics, co-morbidities, preoperative imaging, endoscopic findings, operative data, histopathology results, postoperative hospital course and procedure related postoperative adverse events were noted and analyzed. Results: Twenty-one patients with the diagnosis of nonmetastatic locally advanced rectal cancers were operated with Robotic Si/X platform. The median body mass index was 28.5 kg/m2 (range 21-42). The mean blood loss during operation was 20 ml (range 5-200), and the mean duration of surgery was 280 min (range 240-430). The median hospital stay after operation was 6 days (range 4-25 days). On postoperative histopathology, R0 resection rate was 90.5% (19/21). Conclusions: The robotic multi-visceral en-bloc resection of stage T4 rectal carcinoma is technically feasible and oncologically safe. Advanced technical skills, accurate radiological staging and careful patient selection can allow the extension of minimal access surgery to this challenging group of patients.

In the present paper we introduce three new classes of bi-univalent functions connected with Gregory coefficients. For functions in each of these three bi-univalent function classes we have derived the estimates of the Taylor--Maclaurin coefficients $\left|a_{2}\right|$ and $\left|a_{3}\right|$ and Fekete-Szeg\H{o} functional problems for functions belonging to these new subclasses. We defined three subclasses of the class of the bi-univalent functions $\Sigma$, namely $\mathfrak{HG}_{\Sigma}$, $\mathfrak{GM}_{\Sigma}(\mu)$ and $\mathfrak{G}_{\Sigma}(\lambda)$ by using the subordinations with the function whose coefficients are Gregory's numbers. First, we proved that these classes are not empty, i.e. contains other functions than the identity one. Using the well-known Carath\'eodory Lemma for the functions with real positive parts in the open unit disk, together with an estimation due to P. Zaprawa (see https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/357480) and another one of Libera and Zlotkiewicz, we gave upper bounds for the above mentioned initial coefficients and for the Fekete-Szeg\H{o} functionals. The main results are followed by some particular cases, and the novelty of the definitions and the proofs could involve further studies for such type of similarly defined subclasses.

Two sets of initial conditions are used in the investigation of capital return rate and carbon storage in boreal forests. Firstly, a growth model is applied in young stands as early as the inventory-based model is applicable. Secondly, the growth model is applied to observed wooded stands. Four sets of thinning schedules are investigated in either case. First, the capital return rate is aspired without any restriction. Second, the number of thinnings is restricted to at most one. Third, thinnings are restricted to the removal of only trees thicker than 237 mm. Fourth, commercial thinnings are omitted. The two sets of initial conditions yield similar results. The capital return rate is a weak function of rotation age, which results in variability in the optimal number of thinnings. Reducing the number of thinnings to one increases timber stock but induces a capital return rate deficiency. The deficiency per excess volume unit is smaller if the severity of any thinning is restricted by the removal of large trees only. Omission of thinnings best applies to spruce-dominated stands with stem count less than 2000/ha. Restricted thinning intensity applies to deciduous stands and dense pine stands. The albedo effect increases the benefits of restricted thinnings and increased clearcuttings instead of contradicting the carbon storage.

This study explores the relationship between mental and physical therapeutic through three dimensions: man-environment relationships; a sense of place and symbolic landscapes. The study used a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods. Local residents living in the coastal area of Xinglin Bay are the research objects. Quantitative data analysis revealed that the frequency of residents' visits was an important variable affecting their physical and treatment perceptions. In addition, the significance is higher for females than for males. The text analysis shows that the environment, especially the ecological restoration of water quality and migratory birds, is of great significance to the identity of local residents. Daily activities contribute to a sense of place and are what make the coast a place of therapeutic landscape function.

Aortic aneurysms (AA) occur in 4.8% of people causing 150,000 deaths annually. While endovascular aneurysm repairs reduce surgical morbidity, device-related failures (leak/displacement) are frequent highlighting the need for test models that better represent the mural geometry and compliance changes in human AAs. We aimed to develop and characterise an ex vivo porcine aortic model of AA. The optimal duration of tissue elastase exposure to emulate AA changes in elastin microstructure and content was determined using porcine aortic rings. Elastase-induced changes were quantified morphologically, and mechanical properties assessed via ring tensile testing. Subsequent experiments tested the potential for localised elastase treatment in a 1 cm segment of porcine aorta using a specially designed 3D printed test rig. The effect on pressure-diameter behaviour was investigated via inflation-extension testing. Elastase treatment produced time dependent decreases in elastin, resulting in an increased tensile modulus and circumferential length in the ring samples in the final phase of the J-shaped tissue stress-strain curves. In whole aortic segments, localised elastase-induced luminal degradation was successfully limited to a central region. The degree of elastin degradation achieved was sufficient to cause localised dilation with respect to controls under physiological pressures. Localised elastin degradation in porcine aortic segments is feasible and emulates the changes seen clinically in aortic aneurysms.

Accelerating, exact, explicit and simple solutions of relativistic hydrodynamics allow for a simple and natural description of highly relativistic p+p collisions. These solutions yield a finite rapidity distribution, thus they lead to an advanced estimate of the initial energy density of high energy collisions. We show that such an advanced estimate yields an initial energy density in $\sqrt{s}=7$ and 8 TeV p+p collisions at LHC around or above the critical energy density from lattice QCD, and a corresponding initial temperature above the critical temperature from QCD and the Hagedorn temperature. This suggests that the collision energy of the LHC corresponds to a large enough initial energy density to create a non-hadronic perfect fluid even in pp collisions. %We also show, that several times the %critical energy density may have been reached in high multiplicity events, hinting at a non-hadronic medium created in %high multiplicity $\sqrt{s}=7$ and 8 TeV p+p collisions.

Stochastic modelling of geometrically imperfect steel frame structures requires inputs of statistical values of the imperfection parameters, in some cases also with suitably selected mutual correlations between these input parameters. The paper presents a verification study of two stochastic methods to directly model the initial global geometrical imperfections of the steel frame structures. The stochastic input values of geometrical imperfections are derived from the tolerance criteria of the corresponding European Standard. Two advanced stochastic methods have been developed, referred as #RSS (random story sway) and #RSP (random story position). These methods are verified using random sampling simulations. This study provides useful provisions for the advanced numerical analyses of multi-story steel frames of various geometries. The proposed methods are verified for equidistant story heights and for structures of up to 24 stories, hence might be used for the most types of the standard steel frame structures.

Single particle analysis with cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) can determine high resolution structures of macromolecular assemblies. To reconstruct final three-dimension(3D) density map, a reliable initial model is essential and ab-initio reconstruction usually can avoid model bias. The grand challenge for ab-initio reconstruction is to alignment two-dimension(2D) low signal-to-noise ratio(SNR) of particle images with random and unknown parameters. Here we formulate a fast ab initio reconstruction method(named AlignFM) based on Fourier Mellin transform and particle-swarm intelligence optimization(PSO) algorithm. It enables simultaneous 2D alignment and 3D refinement, which can fast generate a reliable 3D map. After experiments on several real datasets. AlignFM shows high performance on fast ab initio reconstruction with a small amount of data.

We introduce a class of logarithmic wave equation. We study the global existence of week solution for this class of equation. We deal with the initial boundary value problem of this class. Using the Galerkin method and the Gross logarithmic Sobolev inequality we establish the main theorem of existence of week solution for this class of equation arising from Q-Ball Dynamic in particular.

The merge areas of freeway work zones include relatively significant safety hazards that have continuously led to urgent safety issues to be solved by the management departments. In order to make up for the cumbersome process of independent identification of rear-end collision and lane change collision on complex road sections, an appropriate identification method of traffic conflicts in the merge area of freeway work zone was explored, this study collected vehicle running tracking data from the merge areas of multiple work zones, using an unmanned aerial vehicle video technique. Based on an inter-frame difference method and the principle of a spatio-temporal context visual tracking algorithm, the vehicles were detected and tracked, and the coordinate data of the vehicles in continuous motion were parsed using MATLAB extension tools. Based on the behavior characteristics of vehicle conflict avoidance, a new identification method for evading severe traffic conflicts is proposed according to the initial velocity, acceleration and accident rate of section traffic. Then, a statistical analysis was performed on the spatial distribution characteristics of the traffic conflicts in typical merge areas. The impacts of the road conditions in work zones, vehicle factors, and traffic flow factors on the traffic conflicts were analyzed. A binomial logistic model was established to identify the main influencing factors. The results show that in the merge area of the freeway work zone, there are serious traffic conflicts between vehicles in the following two situations: (Ⅰ) v∈[7,13.5] m/s and a∈[-3.96,-0.65]m/s2; and (Ⅱ) v∈[13.5,24.3] m/s, and a∈[-3.96,-1.57] m/s2. The probabilities of serious traffic conflicts in the first and last 25 m of the merge area are greater than those in the other sections. The smaller the space between the upstream work zone and the merge area, the greater the probability of serious traffic conflicts between vehicles. When the average vehicle speed is relatively high, the probability of serious conflicts is the highest, i.e., by a multiple of 5.95 from the baseline. Moreover, the probability of serious conflicts between vehicles is higher for larger vehicles, i.e., 4.765 times that for small vehicles. The research results can serve as a reference for freeway management departments to improve the safety levels of merge areas during road work. For example, the probability of serious conflicts can be effectively reduced by setting up reasonable speed limit signs in the work zone, increasing the spacing between work zone and merge area, and appropriately diverting large vehicles.

Linear elastic fracture modeling coupled with empirical material tension data result in good quantitative agreement with experimental measurements of fracture failure for both brittle and tough epoxy nanocomposites. The nanocomposites comprise diglycidyl ethers of bisphenol A cured with O,O’ bis (2-aminopropylpropylene glycol) (Jeffamine D230) and doped with rubber nanoparticles of varying concentrations. Toughness, critical load, and critical displacement in quasi-static single edge-notched three-point bending are predicted accurately using both surface-based cohesive zone (CZS) and extended finite element (XFEM) methods implemented in Abaqus software. Fracture initiation within a crack is taken at the yield stress from uniaxial tension data. Prediction of fracture processes using a generalized truncated linear traction-separation law was significantly improved by considering the case of a linear softening function. There are no adjustable parameters in the XFEM model. The CZS model requires only optimization of the element displacement at fracture parameter. Thus, these continuum methods describe these materials in mode I fracture with a minimum number of independent parameters.

The association between autoimmune diseases, mostly rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematous, celiac disease and Sjögren syndrome, and lymphoma has been widely demonstrated by several epidemiologic studies. By a not yet entirely elucidated mechanism, chronic activation/stimulation of the immune system, along with the administration of specific treatments, may lead to persistent stimulation of both of B- and T-cells, and to the onset of different types of lymphoma in such patients. Specifically, patients affected by may develop lymphomas may years after the original diagnosis. Several epidemiologic, hematologic and histological factors may anticipate the progression from Sjögren syndrome into lymphoma but, to the best of our knowledge, a definite pathogenetic mechanism for such progression is still missing. In fact, while the association between Sjögren syndrome and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, mostly diffuse large B-cell and extranodal marginal zone lymphomas is well established, many other variables, such as time of onset, gender predilection, sites of occurrence, subtype of lymphoma and predictive factors still remain unclear. We report on a rare case of primary breast lymphoma occurring three years after the diagnosis of Sjögren syndrome in a 57 y.o. patient. The diagnostic work-up, including radiograms, core needle biopsy and histological examination are discussed, along with emerging data from the recent literature, thus highlighting the usefulness of breast surveillance in Sjögren syndrome patients.

The aim of the present study was to provide initial validity evidence of a Greek translation of the 24-item Brunel Mood Scale, referred to as the BRUMS-Greek, a measure of anger, confusion, depression, fatigue, tension, and vigour. Data were collected from 1,417 Greek adult exercise participants and 369 physically inactive adults, totaling 1,786 adults (male = 578, female = 1,208) aged 18–64 years (M = 34.73 ± 11.81 years). Given the large univariate and multivariate non-normality, confirmatory factor analyses treating responses as ordered categorical variables was conducted, which supported the hypothesised six correlated-factor measurement model. Internal consistency reliability of BRUMS-Greek subscales was supported via Cronbach alpha coefficients. Construct validity of scales was supported (a) via correlations in the hypothesised direction with trait positive and negative affect, (b) with more positive and less negative moods reported immediately after participation in a single exercise class compared to pre-exercise mood, and (c) with exercise participants reporting more positive and less negative mood states compared to physically inactive adults. Women reported higher tension and lower vigour scores than men. Tension scores were higher and confusion scores lower among younger participants (≤ 35 years) than older participants (≥ 36 years). Participants with obesity reported higher negative mood scores than those who were underweight or normal weight. In sum, the BRUMS-Greek demonstrated acceptable psychometric characteristics, and is proposed to be a suitable measure for use with exercise participants, physically inactive adults, and other Greek populations to explore research questions related to mood.

Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease that is becoming a pandemic. Hydroxychloroquine in combination with azythromycin are among drugs currently in use to eradicate COVID-19. Despite concerns due to its potential cardiac toxicity, hydroxychloroquine is widely accepted in mild and moderate COVID-19 pneumonia. In this case report, we report a case of a young Indonesian adult male with suspected COVID-19 pneumonia who received hydroxychloroquine and azythromycin therapies and during 24 hour experienced deterioration of atrioventricular block.

Abstract: A two-year study of pearl millet-groundnut cropping systems across two fertilizer levels was conducted at the INRAN/TARNA research station in Maradi, Niger in the Sahelian zone of West Africa. The objective of this study was to identify the best cropping system with and without fertilizer application to optimize pearl millet and groundnut yields, land use efficiency, and economics as measured by value-to-cost ratio. The experiment was conducted with three replications, and ten treatments combination of five pearl millet and groundnut cropping systems (pearl millet and groundnut sole crops, and three pearl millet – groundnut intercrops), and two fertilizer levels. Sole cropping produced the highest pearl millet grain by over 300 kg ha-1 and groundnut pod yields by over 500 kg ha-1, but all the intercropping systems had a LER above 1.0 with land use efficiency increased by 19 to 41%, also intercropping increased diversity, and reduced risk. Fertilizer application increased yields in all cropping systems by 200 to 600 kg ha-1. Government subsidy increased the value-to-cost ratio by 0.5 to 2, 5 units, and was required for economic response for pearl millet sole and intercrops in 2022. The groundnut sole cropping system had the greatest economic response to fertilizer application. Based on the risky environment and multiple end uses needed by producers, the intercrop system M-G: 1:3:1 with fertilizer application is usually the best option to optimize pearl millet and groundnut production.

Landslide is one of the most common geological disasters in China, which is characterized by suddenness and uncertainty, and it is difficult to realize accurate identification, early warning and forecasting of landslide disaster by conventional means. With the development of high-resolution remote sensing satellites and InSAR surface deformation monitoring technology, the traditional means of landslide monitoring data sources are limited, and there is a lack of effective methods to excavate the characteristics of the spatial distribution of landslide hazards and their triggering factors and other issues. In this paper, the area extending 10 km outside the VII isobar of the Gengma earthquake is taken as the study area, and 13 evaluation factors are screened out by integrating the factors of InSAR surface deformation, topography and geological environment, and the Bayesian Optimized Convolutional Neural Network (BO-CNN) is used for the evaluation of landslide susceptibility, and the BO-RF and PSO-SVM models are selected for the comparative analysis. The model accuracy evaluation was carried out by three indexes: ROC curve, AUC value and FR value, in which the ROC curves of PSO-SVM, BO-RF and BO-CNN were all close to the upper-left corner of the corner, and the AUC values were 0.9388, 0.9529, and 0.9535, respectively, and the FR value of landslide in the high susceptibility area of BO-CNN was as high as 14.9, and was higher than that of PSO-SVM and BO-RF, respectively. SVM and BO-RF model is 4.55 and 3.69 higher, the experimental results show that the BO-CNN model used in this paper has a better effect in landslide susceptibility evaluation, and the research results of the local government's disaster prevention and mitigation measures are of great significance.

The odontogenic cysts can lead to a bone destruction that can hamper the dental implant place-ment in the ideal 3D position. Different biomaterials and techniques that allow bone regeneration are described in the literature, each with its advantages and disadvantages. This clinical case with 18 months of follow-up shows the enucleation of an odontogenic cyst fol-lowing the guide bone regeneration with fence technique. After 6 months 2, dental implants were placed at the region of tooth 11 and 21, being rehabilitated nine weeks after. The fence technique allowed the recovery of the bone morphology and the placement of the dental implants in the 3D ideal position.

Hydraulic fracturing for oil-gas and geothermal reservoir stimulation is closely related to the generation and propagation of Mode I crack. Nonlinear deformation due to rock heterogeneity occurs at such crack tip, which causes the fracture process zone (FPZ) to form before the crack propagates unsteadily. However, the relationship between the FPZ characteristics and rock heterogeneity still remain elusive. We used three rock types common in reservoir for experimental investigation, and each of them includes two subtypes with different heterogeneity due to grain size or microstructural characteristics. Drawing on the experiment results, we calculated the FPZ size in each cracked chevron notched Brazilian disk, and we reproduced the formation process of the FPZ in marble by discrete element method. We showed that strong heterogeneity is favorable to large FPZ size, can enhance the ability of crack generation and complicate crack morphology. Coupling the Weibull distribution with fracture mechanics, the dependence of the FPZ size on heterogeneity degree can be theoretically explained, which suggests that inherent heterogeneity of rocks set physical foundation for formation of FPZ. These findings can improve our recognition to formation mechanism of the Mode I crack and provide useful guidelines for evaluating reservoir fracability.

The Greenland Ice Sheet is now the largest land ice contributor to global sea level rise, largely driven by increased surface meltwater runoff from the ablation zone, i.e. areas of the ice sheet where annual mass losses exceed gains. This small but critically important area of the ice sheet has expanded in size by ~50% since the early 1960s, and satellite remote sensing is a powerful tool for monitoring the physical processes that influence its surface mass balance. This review synthesizes key remote sensing methods and scientific findings from satellite remote sensing of the Greenland Ice Sheet ablation zone, covering progress in 1) radar altimetry, 2) laser (lidar) altimetry, 3) gravimetry, 4) multispectral optical imagery and, 5) microwave and thermal imagery. Physical characteristics and quantities examined include surface elevation change, gravimetric mass balance, reflectance, albedo, and mapping of surface melt extent and glaciological facies and zones. The review concludes that future progress will benefit most from methods that combine multi-sensor, multi-wavelength, and cross-platform datasets designed to discriminate the widely varying surface processes in the ablation zone. Specific examples include fusing laser altimetry, radar altimetry, and optical stereophotogrammetry to enhance spatial measurement density, cross-validate surface elevation change, and diagnose radar elevation bias; fusing optical imagery, radar imagery, and microwave scatterometry to discriminate between snow, liquid water, refrozen meltwater, and bare ice near the equilibrium line altitude; combining optical reflectance with laser altimetry to map supraglacial lake, stream, and crevasse bathymetry; and monitoring the inland migration of snowlines, surface melt extent, and supraglacial hydrologic features.

Objective: The key to the success of pedicled skin flaps in the head and neck region is preserved perfusion. The use of thermal imaging can provide an indirect indicator of tissue perfusion, which consecutively would be of interest for perioperative prediction of the viability. The effectiveness of thermal imaging has already been demonstrated for assessing pedicled and free flaps [1]. This work investigates the implementation of SBTI as a noninvasive and cost-efficient method in clinical practice for predicting the vitality and perioperative monitoring of pedicled skin flaps in head and neck surgery. Methods: The FLIR One Pro camera was used for this pilot study (Teledyne FLIR LLC, Wilsonville, Oregon, United States). It is a multispectral camera that contains a near-infrared camera unit with a resolution of 160 x 120 pixels, a temperature range of 0 ° - 400 °C, and a thermal resolution of 70 millikelvin. For the study, after implementing the system, n = 11 skin flaps were photographed by SBTI (n=44) after marking (T1), after elevation (T2), after completed surgery (T3), and 24 hours postoperatively (T4), and the outcome was assessed clinically in correlation after one week by one surgeon. Results: The pedicled skin flaps examined all showed a preserved, uniform thermal image signature peri- and postoperatively for time points T1-4. This corresponded to a good postoperative result regarding the vitality of the tissue transfer in the clinical assessments 24 hours and one week postoperatively. Conclusion: The acquisition of a continuously obtained thermal image signature as a surrogate marker for preserved tissue perfusion by SBTI proved simple, inexpensive, noninvasive, and efficient in the present sentinel study. The application of SBTI has been primarily investigated in identifying perforators in large pedicled or free flaps. [2, 3] The concordance of the obtained thermal image signature with a positive clinical outcome suggests that the presented method is also suitable for perioperative prognostic statements on postoperative flap vitality in pedicled skin flaps and for monitoring those during surgery. Further studies are necessary for the implementation of this method in clinical practice to support the surgeon's intraoperative decision-making in the future.

The Korean Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO)-MAGnetometer (KMAG) consists of three triaxial fluxgate sensors (MAG1, MAG2, and MAG3) to measure the magnetic field around the Moon. The three sensors are mounted in the order of MAG3, MAG2, and MAG1 inside a 1.2 m long boom away from the satellite body. Before it arrived on the Moon, we compared the magnetic field measurements taken by DSCOVR and KPLO in the solar wind to verify the measurement performance of the KMAG instrument. We found that there were artificial disturbances in the KMAG measurement data, such as step-like and spike-like disturbances, which were produced by the spacecraft body. To remove spacecraft-generated disturbances, we applied a multi-sensor method, employing the gradiometer technique and principal component analysis and using KMAG magnetic field data and confirmed the successful elimination of spacecraft-generated disturbances. This indicates that the multi-sensor method is able to clean the magnetic field data measured onboard the KPLO.

The fractional diffusion equations with integrals play a significant role in describing anomalous diffusion phenomena. We first construct an appropriate resolvent family, and use the convolution theorem of Laplace transform, the probability density function, Cauchy integral formula and Fubini theorem to study its related equicontinuity, strongly continuity, compactness, etc. Then, a reasonable mild solution is defined. Finally, by combining some fixed point theorems, we obtain some conclusions on the existence and uniqueness of mild solutions.

A self-consistent charge density-functional tight-binding method combined with molecular dynamics simulations is employed to reveal the effect of polymorph on the thermal decomposition stability of 1,1-Diamino-2,2-Dinitroethylene (FOX-7). Two types of heating, constant temperature heating and temperature-programmed heating, are adopted. Potential evolution indicates that γ-FOX-7 possesses the lowest thermal stability, as it is closer to the decomposition state. Crystal form has an important influence on the thermal decomposition of FOX-7, resulting in different decomposition rates and initial reactions. In general, β- and γ-FOX-7 always decompose more completely than α-FOX-7. This work emphases the importance of polymorph dependent initial decay of an energetic polymorphic compound once heated in a volume constrained condition.

n this article a first attempt at formalizing a new approach to the grand unified theory is introduced. This theory named NUVO is based primarily on considering two aspects of inertia. The first aspect is how a mass couples to space, introducing definitions to distinguish massive particles from massless particles. The second aspect is space’s availability to couple to massive particles. In essence these are the two contributions of inertia; mass and space. Postulates, clarifications, and a mathematical structure are introduced. Part 1 covers the physics of the very large (cos- mic), laying ground work for part two which applies the structure to the very small (quantum). The cosmic application of the theory will show a strong correlation to empirical data and correspondence to General Rela- tivity, including; time dilation, length contraction, and orbital advances. Departing from the canonical findings of General Relativity by predicting a quantization of physical units under the effect of acceleration and or gravity.

This study focuses on one of the most famous open problems in mathematics, namely the Collatz conjecture. The Collatz conjecture or 3x + 1 Problem is perhaps today's most enigmatic unsolved mathematical problem. It is named after Lothar Collatz, who rst proposed it in 1937. It may be stated as as follow: Take any positive integer n. If n is even then divide it by 2, else do \triple plus one" and get 3n + 1. The conjecture is that this process will eventually reach the number 1, regardless of which positive integer is chosen initially. In this paper, we present a simple proof for the Collatz conjecture.

We examine a nonlinear initial value problem both singularly perturbed in a complex parameter and singular in complex time at the origin. The study undertaken in this paper is the continuation of a joined work with A. Lastra published in 2015. A change of balance between the leading and a critical subdominant term of the problem considered in our previous work is performed. It leads to a phenomenon of coalescing singularities to the origin in the Borel plane w.r.t time for a finite set of holomorphic solutions constructed as Fourier series in space on horizontal complex strips. In comparison to our former study, an enlargement of the Gevrey order of the asymptotic expansion for these solutions relatively to the complex parameter is induced.

The biofilm is a conglomerate of cells surrounded by an extracellular matrix, which contributes to the persistence of infections. The difficulty in removing the biofilm drives the research for new therapeutic options. In this work, the effect of terpenes (-)-trans-Caryophyllene, (S)-cis-Verbenol, (S)-(-)-Limonene, (R)-(+)-Limonene, and linalool was evaluated, individually and in combinations on bacterial growth, by assay with resazurin; the formation of biofilm, by assay with violet crystal; and the expression of associated genes, by real-time PCR, in two clinical isolates of S. aureus, ST30-t019 and ST5-t311, responsible for more than 90% of pediatric infections by this pathogen in Paraguay. All combinations of terpenes can inhibit biofilm formation in more than 50% without affecting bacterial growth. The most effective combination was (-)-trans-Caryophyllene and linalool at a 500 μg/mL concentration for each, with an inhibition percentage of 88%. This combination decreased the expression levels of the sdrD, spa, agr, and hld genes associated with the initial cell adhesion stage and quorum sensing. At the same time, it increased the expression levels of the cap5B and cap5C genes related to the production of capsular polysaccharides. The combinations of compounds tested are promising alternatives to inhibit biofilm formation in S. aureus.

In this brief letter we report our initial results on the application of deep-learning to the massive MIMO channel estimation challenge. We show that it is possible to estimate wireless channels and that the possibility of mitigating pilot-contamination with deep-learning is possible given that the leaning model underwent an extensive training-phase and that it has been presented with a large number of different channel conditions.

Solar pasteurization, as a means of treating milk in remote rural areas without electrical power, is based on using solar energy to thermally inactivate pathogenic microorganisms at temperatures below the boiling point to maintain or improve milk quality. A solar milk pasteurizer of flat‐plate water‐heating glass acting as the solar collector, connected to a stainless-steel cylindrical milk vat, was constructed and evaluated in Navrongo, in the tropical savanna zone of Ghana, West Africa. The novel approach taken in this project is to integrate the solar collection and heat exchanger into a single unit using materials and fabrication techniques readily available in the developing world. The vat comprises a 1.5 mm thick stainless steel cylindrical tank, a 2.2 cm wide hot water jacket, and an outer layer of 5.0 mm thick aluminium foil insulation. Hot water produced by the collector was used for pasteurizing milk. The optimum quantity of milk that this device could pasteurize under the study conditions was 8 L. The device could pasteurize raw milk to a maximum temperature of 74 °C at 14:00 h GMT. The ambient temperature during the pasteurization ranged from 30 °C to 43 °C. The microbial analysis before and after the pasteurization was done, and the result shows that the total bacteria count before pasteurization was 6.6x10⁶ log CFU/mL per unit volume, and the total bacteria count after pasteurization was 1.0x10² log CFU/mL. By acceptable standards, the total bacteria count after pasteurization is within a safe range for consumption, and coliform counts were negative. The solar milk pasteurization system is cost-effective. Hence, it is appropriate for milk producers in arid pastoral areas without electricity to adopt the solar pasteurizer as an alternative to firewood as a fuel source for milk pasteurization. This approach can potentially create a cottage industry that may also play a crucial role as a water treatment technology that will improve the health of rural populations.

Quantity-intensity characteristics are among conventional approaches for studying potassium dynamics and its availability; this was assessed to determine availability in four districts: namely, Sodo Zuria, Damot Gale, Damot Sore, and Boloso Sore at three different land use type viz., enset-coffee, crop land, and grazing land. There was water soluble, ammonium acetate, nitric acid extractable potassium, exchangeable potassium, and non-exchangeable potassium studied in soil samples, which were collected from 0-20 cm depth of each land type. The study revealed that water soluble and ammonium acetate extractable potassium concentrations ranged from 0.04 to 0.42 cmolKg-1 soils enset-coffee and grazing land use types, respectively. The study showed that exchangeable potassium constituted the highest proportion of available potassium, while the proportion of water soluble potassium was found to be the lowest. In this study, non-exchangeable potassium concentrations varied from 0.10 to 0.04cmolKg-1soils for enset-coffee, and crop and grazing land use type. Furthermore, available potassium and exchangeable potassium concentrations were positively correlated with OC(r=0.95***), cation exchange capacity, and sand and clay(r=0.98***). In addition, the K dynamics as impacted by land use types found that the highest change in exchangeable potassium (0.31cmolkg-1soils) and potential buffering capacity (1.79cmolkg-1soils) were noted in crop land use types, whereas the lowest change(1.26cmolkg-1 soils) was observed in the enset-coffee system, The varying properties, potassium status, dynamic and land use type of soils identified in the study areas provided adequate information to design soil potassium management options and further research about the soil in each site. Therefore, application of site specific soil fertility management practices and research can improve soil potassium status and quantity intensity parameters to sustain crop productive soils.

We aimed to investigate the ability of children aged 5–14 years old (preschoolers, primary schoolers, and preteens) to assess and anticipate time intervals. 287 Russian children aged 5–14 years old and 26 adults of control group participated in our study. The neuropsychological assessment, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children and a battery of time-related tests were applied. All groups of children overestimated the event’s duration, although the accuracy of the second estimations increased among the participants aged 6–8 years after a prompt was offered. A zone of proximal development for time anticipation task was detected for children aged 9-11 years, when the prompt could significantly improve the accuracy of time perception. The participants overestimated the duration of both upcoming and past events, with the degree of overestimation being found to be negatively correlated with age. Further, a higher degree of accuracy in terms of time estimation was found to be correlated with higher scores on the attention and memory tests, and accuracy of time anticipation was associated with scores of praxis test.

3D surface scans were carried out to determine the shapes of the upper sections of (skeletal) crania of adult Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) from Great Britain. Landmark points were placed on these shapes by using a graphical user interface (GUI) and distance measurements (i.e., the length, height, and width of the crania) could be found by using the landmark points. These “GUI-based” distances were shown to be accurate and reliable in comparison to physical measurements taken on the crania directly by using a digital calliper. The crania of males were 6.85mm, 5.44mm, 1.66mm larger in terms of length, width and height, respectively, than females in our sample (P < 0.001), i.e., male otters had significantly larger skulls than females. Significant differences in size occurred also by geographical area in Great Britain (P < 0.05). Multilevel Principal Components Analysis (mPCA) indicated that sex and geographical area explained 31.1% and 9.6% of shape variation in “unscaled” shape data and that they explained 17.2% and 9.7% of variation in “scaled” data. The first mode of variation at level 1 (sex) correctly reflected size changes between males and females for “unscaled” shape data. Modes at level 2 (geographical area) also showed possible changes in size and shape. Clustering by sex and geographical area was observed in standardised component scores. Such clustering in cranial shape by geographical area might reflect genetic differences that are known to occur in otter populations in Great Britain, although other potentially confounding factors (e.g. population age-structure, diet, etc.) might also drive regional differences. Furthermore, sample sizes per group were small for geographical comparisons. However, this work provides a successful first test of the effectiveness of 3D surface scans and multivariate methods such as mPCA to study the cranial morphology of otters.

We previously reported new superconductivity produced by an electrostatic field and a diffusion current in a semiconductor without refrigeration. In particular, the superconductivity was investigated theoretically and confirmed experimentally. Here, we determine that the derived superconducting quantum state can be reproduced in a capacitor. When circuits are formed with this new-type capacitor and diodes, a magnetic field is applied to the diodes’ depletion layer. The depletion layer is biased because of the conversion from the magnetic-field energy to electric-field energy, resulting in the diodes’ spontaneously emitting a current. Thus, the new-type capacitor is charged using no other energy source. This new phenomenon is described theoretically with assistance of initial experiments.

There is a range of local weather and climate-related factors that contribute to the degradation of cultural heritage buildings, structures and sites over time. Some of these factors are influenced by changes in climate and some of these changes manifest themselves though a speeding up of the rate of degradation. It is the intention of this paper to review this situation with special reference to the Nordic Countries, where typical trends resulting from climate change are shorter winters and increased precipitation all year round. An attempt is made to initially draw up a classification of materials and structures relevant to cultural heritage that are affected, with a proposed numeric scale for the urgency to act. The intention is to provide information on where best to concentrate cultural heritage site preservation resources in the future.

The role of initial state (ISI) and final state (FSI) ion–ion interactions in heavy ion double charge exchange (DCE) reactions A(Z,N)→A(Z±2,N∓2) are studied in the context of double single charge exchange (DSCE) reactions given by sequential actions of the isovector nucleon–nucleon (NN) T–matrix. The second order DSCE reaction amplitude is investigated in momentum representation in a formulation, focused on the extraction of nuclear matrix elements under the conditions of strong initial state (ISI) and final state (FSI) interactions. In closure approximation and using the momentum representation, the reaction amplitude is finally separated into ISI/FSI distortion coefficients and reaction kernels and nuclear matrix elements. The ISI/FSI reaction kernels emerge as the result of the repeated scattering on the avoided volume, introduced by the imaginary parts of the ion–ion optical potential and acting as sinks for the quantal probability current. The closure approximation allows derive a set of induced effective two–body isotensor interactions, given by products of spin–scalar, spin–vector central and rank–2 spin–tensor interactions. The intermediate propagator plays a key role in establishing correlation between the DCE transitions in the projectile and target nucleus. The presented approach emphasizes the special features of DSCE reaction dynamics as proceeding like a system of two coupled isospin dipoles whose strengths are determined by the momentum-space form factors of the NN isovector interaction. The properties of the DSCE interaction form factors are investigated and the approach is applied to data.

The Woka-Cuona rift zone, situated in the easternmost portion of southern Tibet, displays complex geological conditions. It consists of three distinct grabens or half grabens, spanning the Himalayan and Gangdese terranes from south to north. Examining the distribution patterns and genetic mechanism of the geothermal system in the Woka-Cuona rift zone holds significant guidance for studying the genetic mechanisms of geothermal systems and the production and utilization of ge-othermal resources in the rift zones of southern Tibet. Based on the geological conditions of the study area, the mechanism of rift formation and the distribution characteristics of geothermal water in the three distinct grabens were analyzed through data collection, ground surveys, geochemical analysis, and isotope analysis. Alongside topographic, drainage, and structural features, the Woka-Cuona rift zone was subdivided into four zones from north to south - Woka, Qiongduojiang, northern Cuona, and southern Cuona grabens. Additionally, the study investigated the geochemical char-acteristics, recharge sources, and water-rock interactions of geothermal water in different zones, providing a scientific foundation for subsequent geothermal energy production.

Using numerical software to establish a three-dimensional geological model of shield tunneling through fault fracture zones, considering the synchronous grouting effect at the shield tail, the disturbance of various geotechnical structures in the fault fracture zone under deep burial and high water pressure conditions is studied. According to the comparison between the numerical model analysis results and the on-site inspection results of the entire process of Shiziyang B3 section, synchronous grouting at the shield tail is the main reason for the changes in soil and water pressure in the fault fracture zone area. The soil and water pressure changes strongly during shield tunneling, and the maximum excess pore pressure value occurs when the shield tail passes. When the shield tunneling machine is far away, the soil and water stress shows a downward trend. The impact of synchronous grouting decreases with the increase of tunneling distance. Due to the difference in permeability, the variation law of pore pressure in the fault fracture zone is significantly different from the original rock, leading to a faster increase in pore pressure in the fracture zone area and a wider range of influence.

Buildings are responsible for approximately 40% of the world’s energy consumption and 36% of the total carbon dioxide emissions. Building occupancy is essential, enabling Occupant-Centric Control for zero emissions and decarbonization. Although existing machine learning and deep learning methods for building occupancy prediction have achieved remarked progress, their analyses remain limited when applied to complex real-world scenarios. Besides, there is a high expectation for Transformer algorithms to predict building occupancy accurately. Therefore, this paper presents an Occupancy Prediction Transformer network (OPTnet). We fuse and feed multi-sensor data (building occupancy, indoor environmental conditions, HVAC operations) into a Transformer model to forecast the future occupancy presence in multiple zones. We perform experimental analysis and compare it to different occupancy prediction methods (e.g., Decision Tree, Long Short-Term Memory networks, Multi-layer perceptron) and diverse time horizons (1,2,3,5,10,20,30mins). The performance metrics (e.g., Accuracy and Mean Squared Error) are employed to evaluate the effectiveness of prediction algorithms. Our OPTnet method achieves superior performance on our experimental two-week data compared to existing methods. The improved performance signifies its potential to enhance HVAC control systems and energy optimization strategies. We will make the code publicly available at https://github.com/kailaisun/occupancy-prediction-binary to promote transparency and reproducibility.

The sinking of cavities in urban areas is a very important geological risk to which many towns in Puglia are exposed. The study, mapping, geological and speleological description, classification and cataloging of forms and types of cavities is of fundamental importance for each urban center because it is linked to past local anthropic and natural processes, unique to each site. All this could lead to an enhancement of existing underground cavities in urban areas through conservation and continuous monitoring. Unfortunately in many cases these underground cavities have been used as landfills and subsequently abandoned. One of these cavities at the end of March 2007 collapsed in the inhabited center of Gallipoli causing damage to the structures and fortunately not to human lives. In the area relating to the collapsed cavity, a series of geophysical investigations were undertaken with the use of ground penetrating radar methodology in an attempt to delimit the area of collapse and understand the possible types of interventions for restoring the area. In the same area the measures were repeated 16 years later (December 2022) due to another collapse. The results show a much more widespread danger situation.

The agricultural sector is undergoing a revolution that requires sustainable solutions to the challenges that arise from traditional farming methods. To address these challenges, technical and sustainable support is needed to develop projects that improve crop performance. This study focuses on the onion crop and the challenges presented throughout its phenological cycle. Aerial monitoring using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and digital image processing were used to identify patterns in the onion crop, including humid areas, weed growth, vegetation deficits, and decreased harvest performance. An algorithm was developed to identify the patterns that most affected crop growth, as the average local production reported was 40.166 ton/ha, but only 25.00 ton/ha was reached due to blight caused by constant humidity and limited sunlight. This resulted in the death of leaves and poor development of bulbs, with 50% of the production being of medium size. It is estimated that approximately 20% of the production was lost due to blight and unfavorable weather conditions.

Land degradation a serious and nationwide environmental concern in Ethiopia. The problem is its iterative relationship between land degradation, climate change, and agriculture, exacerbating one another via negative and positive feedback loops. Due to the need for an efficient response to land degradation in the country, different sustainable land management practices have been implemented since the late 1980s. The objective of this study was to analyze land degradation neutrality status using remote sensing data in the study area. We have studied the land degradation neutrality conditions of the North Wello Zone by using indicators data, namely land cover change, land productivity dynamics, and soil organic carbon stock. The result shows that the settlement areas consistently expanded at the fifth speed (2010-2018) from 1995 to 2010. Between 1995 and 2010, forestland declined by 18 percent, while an increasing trend of 26.8 percent from 2010 to 2018. The assessment results also indicate that 52.8 percent of the total area is stable and characterized by less stressed land productivity. The soil organic carbon is comparatively abundant in the high and midland vegetation areas but very thin in lowland areas. Most of the highland and midland parts of the study areas are in the conditions of stable and increasing land productivity with high biomass and soil organic content. However, most lowland areas showed a decline in land productivity conditions.

Papua is one of part in Indonesia which is the geology research of that place isn’t developed and limited. It causes the seismotectonic of Papua hasn’t been known. WinITDB was used to determine the dip angle plate which was on the north part of Papua. The determination of angle was done through seismicity’s cross section analysis in the area. To show that seismicity, earthquake history data that ever occurred in the area is needed. The result on the seismicity’s cross section of plane A–A’, was confluence by two plates with angle 150° against horizontal on the depth up to ±68 km. On the seismicity’s cross section of plane B–B’ had angle 135° against horizontal on the ±82 km depth. On the plane C–C’ seismicity’s cross section, was confluence of two plate which located between -1,77°S until -4,97°S subducted until 171 km depth on 1,38°N - 4,97°S. It proved that subduction characteristic in the northern Papua which was Australia continent plate subducted to north, followed by collision and the Pacific plate subduction on New Guinea. It is also confirmed by focus mechanism analysis which showed the earthquake activities are controlled by the not really deep active fault.

Growing crystals of nickel niobate (NiNb2O6), we noticed that changing growth conditions allowed our material to enter different areas of the phase diagram. In particular, we found that excess material accumulated within and above the liquid zone. Analysis showed that this was an unincorporated constituent. Changing the ratio of the constituent oxides - an excess of ~4% of either NiO or Nb2O5 gave us the opportunity to investigate changes in zone stability, melting temperature and quality of the resulting crystal. We found that a small excess of nickel oxide decreases the melting temperature significantly, and created the best pseudo-rutile NiNb2O6 crystal studied, while higher amounts of niobium oxide allowed us to stabilize the NiNb2O6 columbite phase. This research reinforces the idea that self-flux as a travelling solvent can significantly impact crystal growth parameters and quality.

The paper analyzes quasiperiodic upwellings and downwellings on the shelf and upper part of continental slope of the north-eastern Black Sea. It is shown that these processes are related to changes in intensity and direction of alongshore current and the following geostrophic adjustment of density field. The source of such changes is a meandering of the Black Sea Rim Current (RC). It leads to a quasi-periodic change of direction of the alongshore current, from north-western (cyclonic RC meander) to south-eastern (anticyclonic RC meander, or eddy). These cycles, or phases, have average duration about 10 days. During the north-western phase, the permanent Black Sea pycno-halocline (hereafter pycnocline) and seasonal thermocline descend, their thickness increases, and so does the thickness of the upper mixed layer (UML). During the south-eastern phase both pycnocline and seasonal thermocline ascend and become thinner, along with the UML, which also becomes thinner. In both phases, isopycnals in the pycnocline and isotherms in the thermocline demonstrate quasi-in-phase vertical oscillations, which have a good correlation with speed and direction of the alongshore current. These correlations allow estimation of the magnitude of upwellings and downwellings in the shelf-slope area of the north-eastern Black Sea using data series of current velocity profiles.

The conservation of coastal wetland ecosystems, like mangrove forests and salt marshes, represents a critical strategy for mitigating atmospheric emissions and climate change in the 21st century. Yet the existence of these environments is threatened by human-induced disturbances, namely deforestation and accelerated sea-level rise. Coastal systems maintain surface elevation in response to sea-level rise through a combination of physical and biological processes both above and below the ground surface. The quantification and relative contribution of belowground process controls (e.g., seasonal water content, organic matter decomposition) on surface elevation change is largely unexplored but crucial for informing coastal ecosystem sustainability. To address this knowledge deficit, we integrated measurements of surface elevation change of the live root zone (0.5 to 1 m depth) with geotechnical data from co-located sediment cores in the Sundarbans mangrove forest (SMF) of southwest Bangladesh. Core data reveal that the primary belowground controls on surface elevation change include seasonal fluctuations in pore-water content and the relative abundance of fine-grained sediments capable of volumetric expansion and contraction, supporting an elevation gain of ~2.42 ± 0.26 cm yr⁻¹. In contrast to many mangrove environments, the soils of the SMF contain little organic matter and are dominantly composed (>90%) of inorganic clastic sediments. The mineral-rich soil texture likely leads to less compaction-induced subsidence as compared to organic-rich substrates and facilitates surface equilibrium in response to sea level rise. Despite a relatively high soil bulk density, soil carbon (C) density of the SMF is very low owing to the dearth of preserved organic content. However, rates of C accumulation are balanced out by locally high accretion rates, rendering the SMF a greater sink of terrestrial C than the worldwide mangrove average. The findings of this study demonstrate that C accumulation in the SMF, and possibly other alluvial mangrove forests, is highly dependent on the continued delivery of sediment to the mangrove platform and associated settings.

The goal of this study was to characterize the initial growth trajectory of Epicrates assisi, 1 Epicrates cenchria, and Epicrates crassus snakes raised in captivity. An exponential model with 2 parameters for birth weight (A) and growth rate (k) was fitted for each animal. There was a significant 3 difference A and k among the three species, the means (standard error) for A and k parameters were 4 31 (0.3) g and 0.0027 (0.00006) for E. assisi, 27.6 (0.6) g and 0.0046 (0.00013) for E. cenchria and 25.9 5 (1.4) g and 0.0033 (0.00027) for E. crassus. We showed a significative variability between species for 6 initial growth trajectory. In addition, we also demonstrated the existence of variability within species, 7 which can be used to change the growth trajectory of snakes, being a tool for selection and genetic 8 improvement.9