Motivated by the PEACOC project on metal recovery from solid wastes, an innovative magnetic density separation (MDS) process has been developed for granular material sorting. It has intrinsic advantages over the existing industrialized MDS by eliminating fluid turbulence and particle jamming problems. The new MDS applies an inclined planar magnet and a horizontal basin containing a static magnetic fluid as the separation medium. A particle sliding phenomenon is identified as a feature of the process which could help the separation. The MDS successfully sorted shredded PCBAs to concentrate valuable metals and sorted shredded wires to reduce metallic contaminants in the plastic fractions. A pilot scale facility is introduced to show the design to achieve continuous production and to reduce the consumption of ferrofluid.

As the number of end-of-life vehicles continues to grow, the field of separation technology for broken copper and aluminium parts of end-of-life vehicles has emerged as a significant area of research. As a key technology for the separation of non-magnetic non-ferrous metals, such as copper and aluminium, eddy current separation can achieve efficient separation of non-magnetic non-ferrous metals according to their differing conductivity and density. Nevertheless, further research is required in the separation of large-scale broken copper and aluminium parts of end-of-life vehicles. This paper presents a novel magnetic roller model comprising circumferential and axial periodic arrangements of permanent magnets. A single permanent magnet was constructed as an equivalent current model, and the magnetic scalar potential equations were solved using simulation tools. This allowed the distribution of the magnetic field outside the magnetic roller to be studied. The results demonstrate that the novel permanent magnet array magnetic roller can enhance the magnetic field intensity and action distance of the external magnetic field, which is more conducive to the separation of large-scale broken copper and aluminium parts of scrap cars. The findings of this research provide a theoretical foundation for the separation of scrap car broken copper and aluminium parts.

Lactoperoxidase (LP), which is a high-value minor whey protein, has recently drawn extensive attention from research scientists and industry due to its multi-function and potential therapeutic applications. In this study, the separation and optimization of two similar-sized proteins, LP and lactoferrin (LF) were investigated using strong cation exchange column chromatography. Optimization was started with central composite design based experiments to characterize the importance of different decision variables. The three variables used in the optimization were flow rate, length of gradient and final salt concentration in the linear elution gradient step. The obtained empiric functional model represented the effect of the significant factors on the yield as the objective function. Afterwards, the calibrated mechanistic model was employed to predict accurate optimal set of variables. The optimal operating points were found and the results were compared with validation experiments. Predictions respecting yield confirmed a very good agreement with experimental results while keeping purity, a product quality characteristic, equal or above to a predefined value.

In the case of a Cu-Mo-W polymetallic ore, the wastewater from the scheelite cleaning flowsheet contains large amounts of residual flocculants and metal ions, and the separation of chalcopyrite and molybdenite require a large number of environmentally harmful depressants. Therefore, it is necessary to find new methods to reduce the environmental and cost pressures of wastewater treatment and the use of depressants. In this work, the flotation wastewater from scheelite cleaning flowsheet for the separation of chalcopyrite and molybdenite by selective surface passivation was investigated for the first time. Flotations of single minerals and artificially mixed minerals with or without immersion pretreatment in the presence and absence of aeration were performed. The results showed that pulp pH had no effect on the flotation of either mineral, and a molybdenite recovery of 93.22% with chalcopyrite recovery of 10.77% was achieved under the conditions of 10 days of immersion pretreatment with aeration, 350 mg/L of kerosene, and 100 mg/L of MIBC. By combining the electrochemical cyclic voltammetry analysis and characterization by XRD and SEM, the selective surface passivation mechanism of chalcopyrite was discussed, which could be due to the coverage of the insoluble oxidation products, especially jarosite. This work has simultaneously achieved the depressant-free flotation separation of molybdenite and chalcopyrite and the reuse of scheelite flotation wastewater, which is of great significance for environmental protection and cost saving.

Abstract: Toxicity of emerging organic pollutants to photosystems of aquatic plants are still not well clarified. This study aimed to develop a novel ecotoxicological experimental protocol based on nanoscale electrochemical mapping of photosynthetic oxygen evolution of aquatic plants by SECM (scanning electrochemical microscopy). The protocol was also checked by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), the traditional Clark oxygen electrode method and chlorophyll fluorescence technique. The typical persistent organic pollutant 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) in water environment and the common aquatic Microsorium pteropus (M. pteropus) were chosen as the model organic pollutant and tested plant, respectively. It was found that the SECM method could well discriminated the responses of stoma micromorphology and spatial pattens of photosynthetic oxygen evolution on single stoma. The shape of stoma blurred with increasing 2,4-DCP concentration, which was in good agreement with the CLSM images. The dose-response curves and IC50 values obtained from the SECM data were verified by the data measured by the traditional Clark oxygen electrode method and chlorophyll fluorescence test. The IC50 value of single stoma oxygen emission of 24 h exposed plant leave, which was derived from the SECM current data (32535 μg L-1), was close to those calculated from the maximum photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) measured by chlorophyll fluorescence test (33963 μg L-1), and the Clark oxygen electrode method photosynthetic oxygen evolution rate (32375 μg L-1). The 72 h and 96 h 2,4-DCP exposure data further confirmed the reliability of the nanoscale stoma oxygen emission mapping methodology for ecotoxicological assessment. In this protocol, the procedures for how to collect effective electrochemical data and how to extract useful information from the single stoma oxygen emission pattern were well established. This study showed that SECM is a feasible and reliable ecotoxicological tool for evaluation of toxicity of organic pollutants to higher plants with unique nanoscale visualization advantage over the conventional methods.

Fabrication of durable materials with excellent oil adsorption capacity and separation performance for the treatment of oily wastewater is meaningful based on smart responsiveness. Herein, a solvent-responsive melamine sponge (MS) was developed via silanization followed by the in-situ growth of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8). Detailed characterization of the resultant composite MS was conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The multiscale hierarchical MS substrate exhibited highly hydrophobic property in the pH range of 1-11, along with a satisfactory adsorption capacity in the range of 65.4-134.2 g/g for different oils. The modified surface transformed from superhydrophobicity/superlipophilicity to superhydrophilicity/underwater superoleophobicity upon ethanol wetting, reverting to its original superhydrophobic state upon drying. The separation flux of the MS substrate was above 1.5×104L/m2h for both oil and water removal, along with the separation efficiency more than 98.7%. No obvious changes of the separation performance after 50 successive immiscible oil/water separation indicated the excellent durability and robustness of the anchored ZIF-8 nanoparticles on the surface of modified MS substrate. More importantly, oil-in-water emulsion separation was successfully carried out via the ZIF-8 MS composite with a high separation efficiency over 99.1%. The developed smart sponge with high oil absorption capacity, excellent chemical stability and fire resistance exhibited a wide range of potential practical applications in the convenient treatment of oily wastewater.

This research investigates the application of Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) in producing WC-10Co hardmetals, focusing binder formulations and understanding its influence on extrusion force and the influence of printing variables on green density of the samples. By examining the interplay between different binder compositions and backbone contents, the study aims to enhance the mechanical properties of the sintered parts while reducing defects inherent in the printing process. Evidence suggested that formulated feedstocks influenced the hardness of the sintered hardmetal, not due to microstructural changes but to macrostructural responses like macro defects introduced during printing, debinding and sintering of the samples. The results demonstrate the critical role of PP-MA content in improving part density and sintered hardness, suggesting the need for specific thermal debinding protocols tailored to each feedstock. The study provides insights into the formulation of feedstocks for hardmetal FFF, proposing a path toward refining manufacturing processes for better quality and performance of 3D printed hardmetal components.

Conditional Independence (CI) testing is fundamental in statistical analysis. For example, CI testing helps validate causal graphs or longitudinal data analysis with repeated measures in causal inference. CI testing is difficult, especially when testing involves categorical variables conditioned on a mixture of continuous and categorical variables. Current parametric and non-parametric testing methods designed for continuous variables and can quickly fall short in the categorical case. This paper presents a computational approach for CI testing for categorical data types, which we call computational conditional independence (CCI) testing. The test procedure is based on permutation and combines machine learning prediction algorithms and Monte Carlo Cross-Validation. We evaluated the approach through simulation studies and assessed the performance against alternative methods; the generalized covariance measure (GCM) test, the kernel conditional independence (KCI) test, and testing with multinomial regression. We find that the computational approach to testing has utility over the alternative methods, and we can achieve better control over type-I-error rates. We hope this work can expand the toolkit for CI testing for practitioners and researchers.

The DEAD-box RNA helicase DDX3X is a multifunctional protein involved in RNA metabolism and stress responses. In this study, we investigated the role of RG/RGG motifs in the dynamic process of liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of DDX3X using cell-free assays and explored their potential link to cancer development through bioinformatic analysis. Our results demonstrate that the number, location, and composition of RG/RGG motifs significantly influence the ability of DDX3X to undergo phase separation and form self-aggregates. Mutational analysis revealed that the spacing between RG/RGG motifs and the number of glycine residues within each motif are critical factors in determining the extent of phase separation. Bioinformatic analysis of cancer genomic datasets uncovered a significant enrichment of DDX3X mutations in RG/RGG motifs across multiple cancer types, particularly in the N-terminal region of the protein. Furthermore, we found that DDX3X is co-expressed with the stress granule protein G3BP1 in several cancer types and can undergo co-phase separation with G3BP1 in a cell-free system, suggesting a potential functional interaction between these proteins in phase-separated structures. DDX3X and G3BP1 may interact through their RG/RGG domains and subsequently exert important cellular functions under stress situation. Collectively, our findings provide novel insights into the role of RG/RGG motifs in modulating DDX3X phase separation and their potential contribution to cancer pathogenesis.

Dye/salt separation has gained increasing attention in recent years, prompting the quest for cost-effective and environmentally-friendly raw materials for synthesis high performance nanofiltration (NF) membrane for effective dye/salt separation. Herein, a high-performance loose structured NF membrane was fabricated by via a simple vacuum filtration method using a green nanomaterial, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxide radical (TEMPO)-oxidized cellulose nanofiber (TOCNF), by sequentially filtrating larger-size and finer-size TOCNFs on a microporous substrate, followed by cross-linked with trimesoyl chloride. The resultant TCM membrane possesses a separating layer composed entirely of pure TOCNF, eliminating the need for other polymer or nanomaterials additives. TCM membranes exhibits high performance and effective dye/salt selectivity. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis shows that the TCM membrane with Fine-TOCNF layer has a tight layered structure. Further characterizations via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirm the presence of functional groups and chemical bonds of the crosslinked membrane. Notably, the optimized TCM-5 membrane exhibits a rejection rate of over 99% for various dyes (Congo red, orange yellow) and 14.2% for NaCl, showcasing a potential candidate for efficient dye wastewater treatment.

Although the water absorption feature (WAF) at 970 nm is not very well-defined, it may be used alongside other indices to estimate the canopy water content. The individual performance of a number of existing vegetation water content (VWC) indices against the WAF is assessed using linear regression model. We developed a new Combined Vegetation Water Index (CVWI) by merging indices to boost the weak absorption feature. CVWI showed a promise in assessing the vegetation water status derived from the 970 nm absorption wavelength. CVWI was able to differentiate two groups of dataset when regressed against the absorption feature. CVWI could be seen as an easy and robust method for vegetation water content studies using hyperspectral field data.

Crash prediction of the sharp horizontal curve segment (SHCS) of a freeway is an important tool in analyzing safety of SHCSs and in building a crash prediction model (CPM). The design and crash report data of 88 SHCSs from different institutions were surveyed and three negative binomial (NB) regression models and three generalized negative binomial (GNB) regression models were built to prove that the interactive influence of explanatory variables plays an important role in fitting goodness. The study demonstrates the effective use of the GNB model in analyzing the interactive influence of explanatory variables and in predicting freeway basic segments. Traffic volume, highway horizontal radius, and curve length have been formulated as explanatory variables. Subsequently, we performed statistical analysis to determine the model parameters and conducted sensitivity analysis. Among the six models, the result of model 6, which considered interactive influence, is much better than those of the other models by fitting rules. We also compared the actual results from crashes of 88 SHCSs with those predicted by models 1, 3, and 6. Results demonstrate that model 6 is much more reasonable than models 1 and 3.

The presented work offers a novel process scheme for valorizing historical Pb-Zn slag, which involves crushing, grinding, and then using separation techniques to concentrate valuable components (nonferrous metals). This methodology could have a significant impact on the global beneficiation of metallurgical slags since, in theory, it is significantly more simple, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective than standard pyrometallurgical or hydrometallurgical procedures. According to previous physicochemical and mineralogical studies, Pb-Zn slag from "Topilnica" Veles is a valuable secondary raw material. This inhomogeneous technogenic resource contains substantial amounts of nonferrous metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, and Ag). However, laboratory tests have indicated that the Pb-Zn slag contains a very uneven valuable metals amounts, ranging from several g/ton to several tens of g/ton. The main issue is that traditional metallurgical procedures for releasing beneficial elements are not commercially viable since the valuable elements are "trapped" within amorphous aluminosilicates or intergrowths of alloy grains and glassy phases. Gravity concentration (Wilfley 13 shaking table) and magnetic separation (Davis separator and disk separator) were used to obtain the final concentrate following comminution and grindability testing. The gravity concentration proved more effective. This streamlined approach of valorizing Pb-Zn slag can reduce the need for hazardous chemicals used in hydrometallurgical refinement operations, as well as the extremely high temperatures required for pyrometallurgical processing. This is the first investigation into the feasibility of this novel approach, which includes direct investigations of the Pb-Zn slag feed using these alternative technologies. After extracting the valuable metals, the amorphous aluminosilicate part of the Pb-Zn slag can be reapplied as an alternative raw material in the building sector, adding to the circularity of the suggested approach..

Tennis is an individual sport characterised by high intensity action, including sprints and changes of direction (COD). There is a gap in the knowledge of limb asymmetries in adolescent tennis players and their association with performance. This study aimed to examine the relationship between asymmetry in vertical and horizontal jump tests (CMJ and HJ) and COD with lower limb performance variables in adolescent tennis players. Forty-five adolescent tennis players (age: 13.81 ± 1.08 years; height: 167.64 ± 9.9 cm; body mass: 57.48 ± 10.94 kg; body mass index: 20.27 ± 2.18 kg/m2) performed the CMJ test (unilateral and bilateral), horizontal jumps (unilateral and bilateral), 25 m sprint and 180º COD test. The single-leg countermovement jump showed the greatest asymmetries among the different tests (6.62 ± 9.35%). Significant negative relationships were found between CMJ asymmetry and COD asymmetry with unilateral horizontal jump variables (r = -0.30 to -0.53). In addition, CMJ asymmetry showed significant relationships with CMJR (r=0.49) and COD180R (r=0.29), whereas COD asymmetry showed a significant relationship with COD180L (r=0.40). On the other hand, HJ asymmetry showed no significant relationships with any variable. The main findings of this study indicate that greater imbalances in the CMJ and COD tests are associated with a reduced capacity to perform unilateral horizontal jumps. These results suggest the need to incorporate training protocols that reduce interlimb asymmetries in growing athletes to improve their performance.

Introduction: Substance-induced psychotic disorder (SIPD) is a mental health condition linked to the use of a psychotropic substance whose pathogenesis has not been totally clarified. The present retrospective observational study has the objective to identify differences in clinical features and peripheral biomarkers in SIPD patients according to the main substance of abuse.Methods: A total sample of 218 patients was divided in 3 groups according to the type of consumed substance: alcohol, cannabis and psychostimulants. The 3 groups were compared for continuous variables by one-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) and for qualitative variables by χ² tests. After removing alcohol-induced psychotic disorder group, the same analyses were repeated. Statistically significant variables from these latter analyses were included in a binary logistic regression model to confirm their reliability as predictors for cannabis- or psychostimulants-induced psychotic disorders. Results: Psychotic cannabis abusers were younger (p<0.01) and had an earlier age at onset (p<0.01). On the contrary, alcohol consumers resulted to have a longer duration of illness (p<0.01), more previous hospitalizations (p=0.04), more frequent medical comorbidity (p<0.01), higher mean Modified Sad Person Scale scores (p<0.01). Finally, psychostimulant abusers had more frequently a lifetime history of poly-substance use disorders (p<0.01). Binary logistic regression revealed that higher mean Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale scores (p<0.01) higher sodium (p=0.012) and haemoglobin(p=0.040) plasma levels were predictors of cannabis misuse in SIPD patients.Conclusions: Different clinical factors and biochemical parameters con be associated to SIPD according to the main substance of abuse, thus requiring a specific management by clinicians.

Membranes are a selective barrier that allows certain species (molecules and ions) to pass through while blocking others. Some rely on size exclusion, where larger molecules get stuck while smaller ones permeate through. Others use differences in charge or polarity to attract and repel specific species. Membranes can be used to purify air and water by allowing only air and water molecules to pass through but preventing contaminants such as microorganisms and particles or to separate target gas or vapor, such as H2, CO₂, from other gases. The higher the flux and selectivity, the better a material is for membranes. The desirable performance can be tuned through material type (polymers, ceramics, and biobased materials), microstructure (porosity and tortuosity), and surface chemistry. Most membranes are made from plastic from petroleum-based resources, which contribute to global climate change and plastic pollution. Cellulose can be an alternative sustainable resource to make renewable membranes. Cellulose exists in plant cell walls as natural fibers, which can be broken down into smaller components such as cellulose fibrils, nanofibrils, nanocrystals, and cellulose macromolecules through mechanical and chemical processing. Membranes made from reassembling these particles and molecules have variable pore architecture, porosity, and separation properties and therefore have a wide range of applications in nano-, micro-, and ultrafiltration or forward osmosis. Despite their advantages, cellulose membranes face some challenges. Improving the selectivity of membranes for specific molecules often comes at the expense of permeability. The stability of cellulose membranes in harsh environments or under continuous operation needs further improvement. Research is ongoing to address these challenges and develop advanced cellulose membranes with enhanced performance. This article reviews the microstructure, fabrication methods, and potential applications of cellulose membranes, providing some critical insights into processing-structure-property relationships for current state-of-the-art cellulosic membranes that could be used to rationally improve their performance.

To encourage proper waste management from electrical and electronic devices (e-waste), it is necessary to invest heavily in the development of recycling technologies. One way to improve the process is to automate separating the shredded parts of e-waste using a robot. This paper's literature review, utilizing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, showcases potential robotic technologies for e-waste separation. However, the intricate design of these devices can pose significant challenges in their implementation. Various legal, organizational, and sociological obstacles have left Serbia's e-waste management practice underdeveloped, resulting in an unsatisfactory recycling rate. In this paper we examined the possibility of using robots on the precise example of recycling refrigerators in a recycling center in Eastern Serbia, concluding that such a solution would have multiple positive effects, both on the employees and the working environment, on the operations of the recycling center itself, and on increasing the e-waste recycling rate in the country.

The combination of neural network and beamforming has been proved to be very effective in multi-channel speech separation. But its performance faces a challenge in complex environment. In this paper, an iteratively refined multi-channel speech separation method is proposed for the challenge, where the proposed is composed of initial separation and iterative separation. In initial separation, the time-frequency domain dual-path recurrent neural network neural network (TFDPRNN), minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamformer and post-separation (also TFDPRNN) are cascaded for obtaining the first additional input in iterative separation. In iterative separation, the MVDR beamformer and post-separation are iteratively used, where the output of the MVDR beamformer is used as an additional input of the post-separation network and the final output comes from post-separation module. This iteration of the beamformer and post-separation is fully employed for promoting their individual optimization, which ultimately improves the overall performance of speech separation in multi-speaker scenarios. Experiments on the spatialized version of the WSJ0-2mix corpus show that our proposed method is significantly better than the current popular methods. In addition, the method also has a good effect on the dereverberation task.

This article presents research on selected materials with the aim of determining their rare earth element (REE) content and attempting to intensify it. The test material was coal slurry, which is a waste product from the operation of a preparation plant of a closed coal mine. Research on REE concentration intensification tests was carried out using magnetic separation. Laboratory analyses determining the REE content in the samples obtained, were carried out using the inductively coupled plasma ionisation mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) technique. Carrying out this research by the KOMAG Institute of Mining Technology, is a continuation of work related to making mining waste economically useful and determining a new source of REE recovery. Previous research and development work showed REE content (scandium 40.49 ppm) in the coal slurries studied. The result of the work carried out is the determination of the economic utility of REE recovery from the studied waste.

We aimed to investigate the relationship between membrane material and development of membrane fouling in a membrane bioreactor (MBR) using membranes with different pore sizes and hydrophilicities. Batch filtration tests were performed using submerged single hollow fiber membrane ultrafiltration (UF) modules with different polymeric membrane materials including cellulose acetate (CA), polyethersulfone (PES), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) with activated sludge taken from a municipal wastewater treatment plant. The three UF hollow fiber membranes were prepared by a non-solvent-induced phase separation method and had similar water permeabilities and pore sizes. The results revealed that transmembrane pressure (TMP) increased more sharply for the hydrophobic PVDF membrane than for the hydrophilic CA membrane in batch filtration tests, even when membranes with similar permeabilities and pore sizes were used. PVDF hollow fiber membranes with smaller pores had greater fouling propensity than those with larger pores. In contrast, CA hollow fiber membranes showed good mitigation of membrane fouling regardless of pore size. The results obtained in this study suggest that the surface hydrophilicity and pore size of UF membranes clearly affect the fouling properties in MBR operation when using activated sludge.

In this article, we first defined a stronger form of (r,s)-generalized fuzzy semi-closed sets (briefly, (r,s)-gfsc sets) called (r,s)-g*fsc sets and investigated some of its features. Moreover, we showed that (r,s)-fsc set → (r,s)-g*fsc set → (r,s)-gfsc set, but the converse may not be true. In addition, we explored novel types of fuzzy generalized mappings between double fuzzy topological spaces (U, τ, τ*) and (V, η, η*), and the relationships between these classes of mappings were examined with the help of some illustrative examples. Thereafter, we introduced novel types of higher separation axioms called (r,s)-GFS-regular and (r,s)-GFS-normal spaces with the help of (r,s)-gfsc sets and discussed some topological properties of them. Finally, some novel types of compactness via (r,s)-gfso sets were defined and the relationships between them were introduced.

This study describes the synthesis and characterization of mixed hydrotalcite–organosilica membrane for gas separation. Hydrotalcite exhibits the capability to adsorb carbon dioxide at elevated temperatures. High surface area and favorable coating properties are essential to harness its potential for practical applications. Stable alcohol-based dispersions are needed for thin film applications of mixed membranes containing hydrotalcite. Currently, producing such dispersions without the need for delamination and dispersion agents is a challenging task. This work introduces for the first time a manufacturing approach to overcoming the drawbacks mentioned above. It includes a synthesis of hydrotalcite nanoparticles, followed by agent-free delamination of their layers and final dispersion into alcohol without dispersion agents. Further, the hydrotalcite-derived sorption agent is dispersed in a matrix based on organo-silica gels derived from 1,2-bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane (BTESE). The analytical results indicate that the interconnection between hydrotalcite and BTESE-derived gel occurs via forming a strong hydrogen bonding system between the interlayer species (OH groups, CO32-) of hydrotalcite and oxygen and silanol active gel centers. These findings lay the foundation for applications involving incorporating hydrotalcite-like compounds into silica matrices, ultimately enabling the development of materials with exceptional mass transfer properties. In part 2 of this study, gas separation performance of the organo-silica and the hydrotalcite-like materials and their combined form will be investigated

This study introduces an innovative approach to designing membranes capable of separating CO2 from industrial gas streams at higher temperatures. The novel membrane design seeks to leverage the well-researched high-temperature CO2 adsorbent, hydrotalcite, by transforming it into a membrane. This is achieved by combining it with an amorphous organo-silica-based matrix, extending the polymer-based Mixed Matrix Membrane concept to inorganic compounds. Following the membrane material preparation and investigation of the individual membrane in Part 1 of this study, we examine its permeation and selectivity here. The pure 200 nm thick hydrotalcite membrane exhibits Knudsen behavior due to large intercrystalline pores. In contrast, the organo-silica membrane demonstrates a permselectivity of 13.5 and permeance for CO2 of 1.3 107 mol m2 s1 Pa1 at 25°C, at 150°C the good separation behavior is reduced. Combining both components results in a hybrid microstructure, featuring selective surface diffusion in the microporous regions and unselective Knudsen diffusion in the mesoporous regions. Further attempts to bridge both components to form a purely microporous microstructure are outlined.

This study explores the relationship between job satisfaction, employee loyalty and two types of flexible employment arrangements; teleworking and flexi-time. The analysis relies on data derived by the Workplace Employee Relations Survey (WERS) in 2004 and 2011. A propensity score matching and least squares regressions are applied. Furthermore, Bayesian Networks (BN) and Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs) are employed in order to confirm the causality between employment types explored and the outcomes of interest. Finally, an instrumental variables (IV) approach based on the BN framework is proposed and applied in this study. The results support that there is a positive causal effect from these employment arrangements on job satisfaction and employee loyalty.

Vibro-fluidized dry coal beneficiation involves the unavoidable mixing of -1 mm coal dust into the fluidized bed, which compromises the stability and homogeneity of the bed density and reduces the effectiveness of fine-grained coal separation. In order to understand the features of coal powder separation and mixing (-1 mm) in a vibrating fluidized bed, as well as to achieve a uniform and stable bed density, a wide-grained dense medium consisting of -1 mm coal dust and 0.3-0.15 mm magnetite powder was homogeneously mixed in this work. The degree of density separation in the entire bed was examined, as well as the local mixing properties of the Wide-grained Dense Medium. It was discovered that when low vibrational energy was introduced at the same gas velocity, particle separation was enhanced in comparison to the usual fluidized bed. Little bubbles were found to ensnare fine coal dust and migrate upward, increasing density separation. The introduction of high vibrational energy leads to particle disorder within the bed and an increase in the level of particle mixing. The beneficial effects of vibration on the bed are diminished when the gas velocity is gradually increased under specified vibration circumstances. This causes big bubbles to develop more frequently, which increases particle mixing. Among them, the 1-0.5 mm fine-grained coal exhibits the best mixing state; it is less impacted by variations in air velocity and vibration levels, whereas the -0.5 mm coal dust is more affected by each of these variables. Furthermore, a wide range of air velocity regulation without a significant segregation state change was discovered to be achievable by the particle system under vibration circumstances of f=25Hz A=1mm and f=25Hz A=2mm.

Temperature-responsive separation membranes can significantly change their permeability and separation properties in response to changes in their surrounding temperature, improving efficiency and reducing membrane costs. This study focuses on the modification of commercial polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes with amphiphilic temperature-responsive copolymer and inorganic nanoparticles. We prepared an amphiphilic temperature-responsive copolymer which the hydrophilic poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAAm) was side-linked to a hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) skeleton. Subsequently, PVDF-g-NIPAAm polymer and graphene oxide (GO) blended with PVDF to prepare temperature-responsive separation membranes. The results showed that temperature-responsive polymers with different NIPAAm grafting ratios were successfully prepared by adjusting the material ratio of PVDF to NIPAAm. PVDF-g-NIPAAm was blended with PVDF with different grafting ratios to obtain separate membranes with different temperature responses. GO and PVDF-g-NIPAAm formed a relatively stable hydrogen bond network, which improved the internal structure and mechanical properties of the membrane without affecting the temperature response, thus extending the service life of the membrane.

Efficient utilization of biomass requires conversion into forms that can be optimally applied in energy generation. Briquetting involves compaction of biomass into solid blocks that are more efficient than raw biomass and provides for ease of transport and handling. These are improved when the briquettes possess high shatter index and compressive strength. Due to difference in nature and composition, it is imperative to define optimum conditions for the production of quality and durable briquettes for individual biomass compacted into briquettes. This study studied the effects of process variables on the strength and durability of biomass briquettes produced using Abura sawdust. The lateral compressive strength and drop shatter index were investigated whilst varying the temperature (100-150 °C), pressure (9-15 MPa) and hold time (15-30 min). The compressive strength ranged between 2.06 and 5.15 MPa whilst the shatter index was between 50 and 600. The pressure was significant to the determination of the compressive strength (p &lt; 0.1) and the shatter index (p &lt; 0.05). Mechanical characteristics of the binderless Abura sawdust briquettes can be improved by optimizing the densification variables during the briquetting process when moderate pressures are used for compaction.

A random variable X that is base b Benford will not in general be base c Benford when c is not equal to b. This paper builds on two of my earlier papers and is an attempt to cast some light on the issue of base dependence. Following some introductory material, the “Benford spectrum” of a positive random variable is introduced and known analytic results about Benford spectra are summarized. Some standard machinery for a “Benford analysis” is introduced and combined with my method of “seed functions” to yield tools to analyze the base c Benford properties of a base b Benford random variable. Examples are generated by applying these general methods to several families of Benford random variables. Berger and Hill's concept of “base-invariant significant digits” is discussed. Some potential extensions are sketched.

Land plants have undergone their great diversification and evolution in the past 400 million years. Although appearing complex and hard to grasp, the evolution of plants centers around an invariable core development process, SRC (Sexual Reproductive Cycle). Various modifications have been added sequentially to this core process, and thus creating various novel organs and distinguishing their bearers one from another. Reproductive organs of all land plants, including sporangium, megasporangium, metamegasporangium (= ovule), and various metamegasporangium complexes, are derived from terminal sporangia in the earliest land plants. Throughout the million-year-long evolution, plants sequentially recruit associating accessories to protect their vulnerable core parts (spore and gamete). The occurrence of every single of these novelties is a stair marking land plant reproduction evolution and leads to enhanced offspring development conditioning (ODC).

Several specific types of ordinary and generalized separation axioms of a generalized topological space have been defined and investigated for various purposes from time to time in the literature of topological spaces. Our recent research in the field of a new class of generalized separation axioms of a generalized topological space is reported herein as a starting point for more generalized classes.

Different variants of thinning for discrete random variables are studied. The thinning procedure allows to introduce an analog of scale parameter for positive integer-valued random variables. Sufficient and necessary conditions for the existence of such a scale are given.

Separation Distances are used throughout the world to protect people and assets from the potential hazardous effects from propellants, explosives, and pyrotechnics. The current separation distances for Hazard Division (HD) 1.3 substances and articles used in the United States, in some cases, may not adequately protect against the effects from heat flux and debris when those substances and articles are ignited in a confined structure. Multiple tests in such a confined scenario with HD 1.3 substances have shown that the heat flux and debris hazards could result in injury at distances beyond the current specified explosives safety separation distance (ESSD). Herein are recommended ESSD’s for confined as well as unconfined HD 1.3 articles and substances based on the analysis of hundreds of tests. Recommended ESSD’s include a smaller value for unconfined quantities less than 145 kilograms and ESSD’s that are consistent with NATO distances for confined substances and articles.

Bisphenol A production plant possesses considerable potential risks in the top of the methanol separation column, as pressurized acetone, methanol and water are processed at an elevated temperature, especially in the event of an abnormal pressure increase due to sudden power outage. This study assesses the potential risks in the methanol separation column through hazard and operability assessment and evaluates the damages in the case of fire and explosion accident scenarios. The study chooses three leakage scenarios: a 5-mm puncture on the methanol separation column, a 50-mm diameter fracture of a discharge pipe and a catastrophic rupture, and simulates using Phast (Ver. 6.531) the concentration distribution of scattered methanol, thermal radiation distribution of fires and overpressure distribution of vapor cloud explosions. Implementation of safety instrumented system equipped with two-out-of-three voting as a safety measure can detect overpressure at the top of the column and shut down the main control valve and the emergency shutoff valve simultaneously, all at the same time. By applying safety integrity level of three, the maximal release volume of the safety relief valve can be reduced and therefore, the design capacity of the flare stack can also be reduced. Such integration will lead to improved safety at a reduced cost.

Although Shannon mutual information has been widely used, its effective calculation is often difficult for many practical problems, including those in neural population coding. Asymptotic formulas based on Fisher information sometimes provide accurate approximations to the mutual information but this approach is restricted to continuous variables because the calculation of Fisher information requires derivatives with respect to the encoded variables. In this paper, we consider information-theoretic bounds and approximations of the mutual information based on Kullback--Leibler divergence and Rényi divergence. We propose several information metrics to approximate Shannon mutual information in the context of neural population coding. While our asymptotic formulas all work for discrete variables, one of them has consistent performance and high accuracy regardless of whether the encoded variables are discrete or continuous. We performed numerical simulations and confirmed that our approximation formulas were highly accurate for approximating the mutual information between the stimuli and the responses of a large neural population. These approximation formulas may potentially bring convenience to the applications of information theory to many practical and theoretical problems.

The study examines academic burnout syndrome and its relation to personal and academic variables among university students in nursing and early childhood education programs in Spain. A total of 606 university students (Primary Education: 49.7%; Nursing: 49.7%) of both sexes (71.5% female), and average age 20.68 years (SD = 1.65) participated. An ex post facto retrospective single-group design was planned. The instruments used were the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS) and the NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). Nursing students, who showed more study hours, less sleep, and lower grades, had higher academic burnout scores. Linear regression models were proposed to analyze the relationship between academic burnout, personality, and sociodemographic variables. Nursing students scored higher in emotional exhaustion and lower in cynicism, and they scored higher in neuroticism and openness. Furthermore, 16.1% of the variance in academic burnout was explained by personality variables as degree, course and study hours. These findings suggest the importance of considering both academic and personality variables in understanding academic burnout in university students.

Background: Despite the abundant scientific literature on entrepreneurship, there is still only limited information on young students’ entrepreneurial intentions. The reasons may be generally found in the different conceptual approaches to entrepreneurial intention and particularly in the variables that regulate and act as antecedents to such intentions. This bias has generated different lines of investigation into the factors relating to entrepreneurial intention among students: one is centered on the variables that influence entrepreneurial intention, in particular, relational, educational, and psychological variables; and the other is centered on the antecedents of entrepreneurial intention, among which is entrepreneurial interest. Methods: In the present paper, we seek to analyze the relationship between the entrepreneurial interest of Spanish youth and a set of socio-educational, psychological, and health-related variables using principal component analysis. A previously validated ad hoc questionnaire was administered to 1764 students (15–18 years old). Results: Notably, few Spanish youth expressed significantly high entrepreneurial interest; those who did were mostly men with a family tradition of entrepreneurial parents, who held high perceptions of their health and quality of life and considered it important in business to detect opportunities beforehand and to create employment. Conclusions: Their principal motives were to improve their professional development, to put their ideas into practice, and to achieve economic independence. This paper proposes the early detection of entrepreneurial interests in young people in order to reinforce these interests as potential long-term initiatives.

With the widespread use of electric machines there is a growing need to extract information from the machines to optimize their control systems and maintenance management. The present work shows the development of an embedded system to perform the monitoring of an squirrel cage induction motor rotor physical variables. The system comprises: circuit to acquire desirable rotor variable(s) value(s) and send it to the computer; a rectifier and power storage circuit that besides converting an alternating current in continuous also store energy for a certain amount of time to wait the motor engine shutdown; and magnetic generator that harvest energy from rotating field to power the circuits mentioned above. The embedded system is set on the rotor, making it difficult to power the system because it is rotating, problem solved with the construction of the magnetic generator eliminating the need of using batteries or collector rings and send data to the computer using a wireless NRF24L01 module. For the proposed system validation a temperature sensor (DS18b20) was used, variable known as the most important when identifying the need for maintenance and control systems. Tests were made getting satisfactory results proving the viability of using sensors on the rotor.

The recent Planck Legacy release confirmed the existence of an enhanced lensing amplitude in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) power spectra, which endorses the positive curvature of the early Universe with a confidence level exceeding 99%. In this study, the pre-existing curvature is incorporated to extend the field equations where the derived wave function of the Universe is utilized to model Universe evolution with reference to the scale factor of the early Universe and its radius of curvature upon the emission of the CMB. The wave function reveals both positive and negative solutions, implying that matter and antimatter of early Universe plasma evolve in opposite directions as distinct Universe sides. The wave function indicates that a nascent hyperbolic expansion is followed by a first phase of decelerating expansion away from early plasma during the first 10 Gyr, and then, a second phase of accelerating expansion in reverse directions, whereby both Universe sides free-fall towards each other under gravitational acceleration. Simulations of the predicted conformal curvature evolution demonstrate the fast orbital speed of outer stars owing to the external fields exerted on galaxies as they travel through conformally curved space-time. Finally, the wave function predicts an eventual time-reversal phase comprising rapid spatial contraction that culminates in a Big Crunch, signalling a cyclic Universe. These findings reveal that early plasma could have separated and evolved into distinct sides that collectively and geometrically influencing the Universe evolution, physically explanting the effects attributed to dark matter and energy.

When describing the tribological behaviour of technical surfaces, the need for full length scale microtopographic characterization often arises. The self-affine of surfaces and the characterization of self-affine by a fractal dimension and its implantation into tribological models are commonly used. The goal of our present work was to determine the frequency range of fractal behaviour of surfaces by analysing the microtopographic measurements of a brake plunger. We also wanted to know if the bifractal and multifractal behaviour can be detected in real machine parts. As a result, we developed a new methodology for determining the fractal range boundaries to separate the nano- and micro-roughness. In order to reach our goals, we used atomic force microscope (AFM) and stylus instrument to provide measurements in wide frequency range (19 nm - 3 mm). As a result of the power spectral density (PSD) based fractal evaluation, it was found that the examined surface could not be characterized by a single fractal dimension and that we developed a methodology for stopping the margin of validity of each fractal dimension, and we also developed a methodology for determining the limits of validity of certain fractal dimensions.

The purpose of this work is to define optimal growth conditions for batch culture of the cyanobacterium Arthrospira maxima and the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris, Isochrysis galbana and Nannochloropsis gaditana. Thus, we study the effect of three variables on algae growth: i.e., inoculum:culture medium ratio, light:darkness photoperiod and type of culture medium, including both synthetic media and wastewaters. The results showed that the initial inoculum volume did not affect the amount of biomass at the end of the growth (14 days), whereas an excess (18 h) or defect (6 h) in the number of hours of light is determinant for its development. The contribution of nutrients from different culture media modified the growth of the different species. A. maxima was favoured in seawater enriched with Guillard's F/2 as well as C. vulgaris and N. gaditana but in fresh water medium. I. galbana had the greatest growth in the marine environment enriched with Walne’s media. Nitrate was the limiting growth reagent at the end of the exponential phase of growth for C. vulgaris and N. gaditana, while iron was for A. maxima and I. galbana. All species demonstrated their capability to grow in effluents from a wastewater treatment plant and they efficiently consume nitrogen, especially the three microalgae species.

Chromatographic separation is a critical technique in the manufacturing processes of both chemical products and biopharmaceuticals. Its principle relies on exploiting the differences in distribution between the stationary and mobile phases to achieve the separation of mixtures. The precision of substance concentration during separation directly impacts the quality and usability of the final product. Therefore, the development of an effective and precise separation control technique has long been a vital concern in the field of chromatographic separation control. Currently, the employment of Simulated Moving Bed (SMB) technology for chromatographic separation, which allows for continuous feed, has been recognized as a cutting-edge technique. SMB is a continuous process technology that enhances the efficiency of adsorbents within the bed. This sequential multi-column SMB technology not only increases production capacity but also reduces the consumption of solvents and water. It is acknowledged as one of the cleanest manufacturing technologies in the biopharmaceutical industry. However, multi-column SMB involves various variables such as flow rates in multiple sections and valve switching times, rendering its system control highly complex. Unlike traditional control objectives that aim to minimize control output errors, the control objective of SMB is to achieve a specific proportion of substance concentration. Consequently, designing and implementing traditional control theories for SMB is challenging, leading to SMB systems largely being controlled based on simple PLC controls. Moreover, these controls are often applicable only to single or a few-column SMB setups, limiting the effectiveness of high-capacity applications. To achieve effective control of SMB, this study employs an adjustable intelligent fuzzy controller with a structure like an approximate neural network (NN) for SMB control research. Simulation results demonstrate that the intelligent controller effectively achieves desirable control outcomes for the SMB system.

Gradients of smooth functions with non-independent variables are relevant for exploring complex models and for the optimization of functions subjected to constraints. In this paper, we investigate new and simple approximations and computations of such gradients by making use of independent, central and symmetric variables. Such approximations are well-suited for applications in which the computations of the gradients are too expansive or impossible. The derived upper-bounds of the biases of our approximations do not suffer from the curse of dimensionality for any $2$-smooth function, and theoretically improve the known results. Also, our estimators of such gradients reach the optimal (mean squared error) rate of convergence (i.e., $\mathcal{O}(N^{-1})$) for the same class of functions. Numerical comparisons based on a test case and a high-dimensional PDE model show the efficiency of our approach.

The technique of superposition of motions in the space of Lagrange variables is described, which allows us to obtain the equations of combined motion by replacing the Lagrange variables of superimposed (external) motion with Euler variables of nested (internal) motion. The components of velocity and acceleration in the combined motion obtained as a result of differentiating the equations of motion in time coincide with the results of vector addition of the velocities and accelerations of the particles involved in the superimposed motions at each moment of time. Examples of motion and superposition descriptions for absolutely solid and deformable bodies with equations for the main kinematic characteristics of motion, including for robot manipulators with three independent drives, pressing with torsion, bending with tension, and cross– helical rolling, are given. For example, given the fragment of calculation of forces in the kinematic pairs shown the advantages of the description of motion in Lagrangian form for the dynamic analysis of lever mechanisms, allows to determine the required external exposure when performing the energy conservation law at any time in any part of the mechanism.

This article investigated whether the atmospheric temperature had any role in the spread and vulnerability to COVID-19 worldwide and how that knowledge can be utilized to contain the fast-spreading disease. It highlighted that temperature was an important factor in transmitting the virus, and a moderately cool environment was the most favourable state for its susceptibility. In fact, the risk from the virus is reduced significantly in high temperature environment. Warm countries and places were likely to be less vulnerable. We identified various degrees of vulnerability based on temperature and specified countries for March and April. The maximum reported case, as well as death, was noted when the temperature was in the range of around 275°K (2°C) to 290°K (17°C). Countries like the USA, UK, Italy and Spain belonged to this category. The vulnerability was moderate when the temperature was less than around 275°K (2°C) and countries in that category were Russia, parts of Canada and few Scandinavian countries. For temperature 300°K (27°C) and above, a significantly lesser degree of vulnerability was noted. Countries from SAARC, South East Asia, the African continent and Australia fell in that category. In fact, when the temperature was more than 305°K (32°C), there was a unusually low number of reported cases and deaths. For warm countries, further analyses on the degree of vulnerability were conducted for the group of countries from SAARC and South East Asia and individual countries were compared. We also showed countries can switch from one vulnerability state to another based on the variability of temperature. We provided maps of temperature to identify countries of different vulnerability states in different months of the year. That influence of temperature on the virus and previous results of clinical trials with similar viruses gave us a useful insight that regulating the level of temperature can provide remarkable results to arrest and stop the outbreak. Based on that knowledge, some urgent solutions are proposed, which are practically without side effects and very cost-effective too.

Mill scale is the by-product of iron and steel industry. It can be recycled via sinter plant or solid as sinter feed materials. 85 to 90% of the constituent particles are more than 0.008 inches. The iron content is near around 70 %, with a very small amount of alkaline compounds and non-ferrous metals. Mill scale is polluted and contaminated with lubricants, oils and greases from the equipment. In this experiment for recovering of oil from mill scale, it is treated with three different methods. Then all methods were compared according to the ability of oil elimination and iron recovered. After washing and boiling with surfactants, large amount of polluted waste water becomes a problem for environment so this wastewater was utilized for making of Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs), production of electricity in MFC depends on the biodegradation of organic materials, so different waste were added in wastewater for making MFC. The remaining of MFC was converted in bioethanol, biodiesel and biofertilizer. So this research is economical and environmentally friendly and fulfilled the important aspect of green environment with zero waste. It will be a mile stone in the research of metallurgy, environmental engineering, recycling technology and zero waste management.

We studied generalization of a method for extending configurational studies to variables that are not exclusively geographical, in order to allow investigation of generic relationships in the built environment. We observed a number of limitations of the classical approach of configurational studies and we considered how a complex analytical method could be implemented in the study of non-topological variables, such as land use, noise pollution and financial or property rents. In order to do this we established a system of relationships based on a labeled primary graph. Categorization of the labels of the links was performed on a generic variable, specifically, the predominant use of roads. The graph was then contracted using an optimization algorithm, which we describe. The algorithm allows the network to be reduced to a more streamlined system that can better analyze the relationships between the different categories. Application of the method showed that it is faster to identify weaknesses in urban networks, and then take measures to resolve them. The case study concerns the pedestrianization of the Colosseum area in Rome.

This article delves into the complex landscape of Bitcoin halving events, analyzing the historical context and implications of these pivotal occurrences within the cryptocurrency ecosystem and on its sustainability within the landscape of financial technologies. Through an examination of past halving events in 2012, 2016, and 2020, this study meticulously scrutinizes the conditions and prices of Bitcoin before and after each halving. By synthesizing data and trends from previous events, this article aims to uncover patterns and insights that illuminate the impact of Bitcoin halving on market dynamics and sustainability, movement of the price level, reached peaks and price troughs. Furthermore, this research presents a comparative analysis of past halving events, drawing parallels and distinctions to elucidate the evolving nature of Bitcoin's price movements and market sentiment surrounding these milestone events. Looking towards the future, this study estimates predictions and expectations for the upcoming Bitcoin halving. By unraveling the intricate relationship between Bitcoin halving events and market behavior, this article seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of the broader implications for Bitcoin's trajectory and the evolving landscape of the cryptocurrency market and its sustainability.

The study tries to find out the impact of investors demographic variables on the return from the stock market. The data has been collected from the brokerage and Marchant banks for individual investors investments, return and demographic characteristics. The research covers the period from 2009 to 2021 and have a decade long enough to identify the trend. The structural break in the data also been adjusted to avoid any kind of endogeneity. The regression results suggest that demographic variables affect the investment pattern and beta return for the investors. the demographic variables such as education, location and experience have positive links with the beta whereas age and income show negative association. The education, income and experience variables are also found to be significant in the empirical analysis.

In this paper, we introduce two discrete degenerate random variables, namely the degenerate binomial and degenerate Poisson random variables. We deduce the expectations of the degenerate binomial random variables. We compute the generating function of the moments of the degenerate Poisson random variables, which leads us to define the new type degenerate Bell polynomials, and hence obtain explicit expressions for the moments of those random variables in terms of such polynomials. We also get the variances of the degenerate Poisson random variables. Finally, we illustrate two examples of the degenerate Poisson random variables.

Bioprocesses for the production of renewable energies and materials lack efficient separation processes for the utilized microorganisms such as algae and yeasts. Dissolved air flotation (DAF) and microflotation are promising approaches to overcome this problem. The efficiency of these processes depends on the ability of microorganisms to aggregate with microbubbles in the flotation tank. In this study, different new or adapted aggregation models for microbubbles and microorganisms are compared and investigated for their range of suitability to predict the separation efficiency of microorganisms from fermentation broths. The complexity of the heteroaggregation models range from an algebraic model to a 2D population balance model (PBM) including the formation of clusters containing several bubbles and microorganisms. The effect of bubble and cell size distributions on the flotation efficiency is considered by applying PBMs, as well. To determine the impact of the model assumptions, the modeling approaches are compared and classified for their range of applicability. Evaluating computational fluid dynamics (CFD) of a DAF system shows the heterogeneity of the fluid dynamics in the flotation tank. Since analysis of the streamlines of the tank show negligible backmixing, the proposed aggregation models are coupled to the CFD data by applying a Lagrangian approach.

The paper focuses on the application of a multilevel, integrative and territorial approach to the protection of cultural heritage through planning instruments in Serbia. It points out the problems of the sectoral approach and discusses international recommendations that can be integrated into the planning methodology. The case study is the area of Djerdap National Park, which has an already established international and national importance. The research suggests that the cultural heritage in the area, with the exception of the Roman limes, is still recognized at the level of individual localities. The study emphasizes the importance of aligning all levels of governance to safeguard the whole spatial entity rather than focusing solely on its particular areas. The interna-tional and national importance of the planning area contributes to the strengthening of awareness of heritage and its institutional protection. However, the vitality of the area, which is key to its sustainable development, comes from the local level. Planning documents contribute to the inte-gration of local values and local communities into development programs and projects.

Superior fiber quality is one of the most important objectives in cotton breeding. To detect the genetic basis underlying fiber quality, an F2 population containing 413 plants was constructed by crossing Jifeng 914 and Jifeng 173, both of which have superior fiber quality, with Jifeng 173 being better. Five fiber quality traits were investigated in the F2, F2:3, F2:4, and F2:5 populations. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping was conducted based on a high-density genetic map containing 11,488 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and spanning 4,202.12 cM in length. Transgressive segregation patterns and complex correlations in the five tested traits were observed. A total of 108 QTLs were found, including 27 for fiber length (FL), 16 for fiber strength (FS), 24 for micronaire (MC), 17 for fiber uniformity (FU), and 24 for fiber elongation rate (FE). Chromosome A7 contained 12 QTL, ranking the first. No QTL was found on chromosome D1 and D11. Each QTL contributed 1.98%–21.45% to the phenotypic variation (PV), including 13 major effect QTLs that contributed more than 10% toward PV. Two QTLs could be repeatedly detected in three populations, including qFL-D3-2 in F2, F2:4, and F2:5 with 9.18%–21.45% of PV, qFS-A11-1 in F2:3, F2:4 and F2:5 with 6.05%–10.41% of PV. Another seven stable QTLs could be detected in two populations, including four major effect QTLs: qFL-A12-3, qFS-D10-2, qMC-D6-2, and qMC-D8-1. Fourteen QTL-overlapping regions were found, which might explain the complex correlations among the five phenotypic traits. Four regions on chromosome A11, D3, D6, and D10 covered by both stable and major effect QTLs are promising for further fine mapping. The genomic regions of the two QTLs detected in three populations and the four major effect QTLs contain 810 genes. Gene functional analysis revealed that the annotated genes are mainly involved in protein binding and metabolic pathways. Fifteen candidate genes in the qFL-D3-2 region are highly expressed in fiber or ovules during fiber initiation, elongation, secondary cell wall thickening, or maturation stages. qRT-PCR revealed that Ghir_D03G005440.1 and Ghir_D03G011310.1 may play a role in promoting fiber initiation, Ghir_D03G006470.1 may be beneficial for promoting fiber elongation. This study provides more information for revealing the molecular genetic basis underlying cotton fiber quality.

The Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (SLAM) scanner is an easy and portable Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) data acquisition device. Its main output is a 3D point cloud covering the scanned scene. Regarding the importance of accuracy in the survey domain, this paper aims to assess the accuracy of two SLAM scanners: the NavVis VLX and the BLK2GO Scanner. This assessment is conducted for both outdoor and indoor environments. In this context, two types of reference data are used: the Total Station (TS) and the static scanner Z+F Imager 5016. To carry out the assessment, four comparisons are tested: cloud to cloud, cloud to mesh, mesh to mesh, and edge detection board assessment. However, the results of the assessments confirm that the accuracy of indoor SLAM scanner measurements (5 mm) is greater than that of outdoor ones (between 10 mm and 60 mm). Moreover, the comparison of cloud to cloud provides the best accuracy regarding direct accuracy measurement without manipulations. Finally, based on the high accuracy, scanning speed, flexibility, and the accuracy differences between tested cases, it is confirmed that SLAM scanners are effective tools for data acquisition.

This study assessed the hydrological performance and runoff water quality of 12 green roof (GR) modular systems located at the Universidad de los Andes campus (Bogotá, Colombia). Based on 223 rainfall events spanning a 3-year period, average rainfall retention was 85% (SD = 25%). T-tests, Welch Test, multiple linear regressions and correlation analysis were performed in order to assess the potential effect of air temperature, substrate type, vegetation cover, relative humidity, antecedent dry weather period (ADWP), rainfall duration and rainfall maximum intensity. In some cases, GR design variables (i.e. growing media and type of vegetation) were found to be significant for describing rainfall retention efficiencies and, depending on the GR type, some hydrological variables were also correlated with the rainfall retention. Rainfall and GR runoff were monitored for Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN), Nitrates, Nitrites, Ammonia, Total Phosphorus (TP), Phosphates, pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Color, Turbidity, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Coliforms, metals and Poliaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). The results obtained confirmed that GR systems have the ability to neutralize pH, but are source of the rest of the aforementioned parameters, excluding PAHs (with concentrations below detection limits), Ammonia, TSS, Se and Li, where differences with reference values (rainfall and plastic panel runoff) were not statistically significant. Substrate type, event size and rainfall regime are relevant variables for explaining runoff water quality.

The profile of secondary metabolites occurring in apple cuticular layer is not only characteristic for particular apple cultivar, but also dynamically reflects various external factors in growing environment. In this study, the possibility to authenticate apple samples based on analysis of their cuticular layer extracts was investigated. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS/MS) was employed for obtaining metabolomic fingerprints. In total, 274 authentic apple samples, four cultivars harvested within the seasons 2020 to 2022 in the Czech Republic and Poland were analysed. The generated complex data processed by univariate and multivariate statistical methods enabled to build classification models for discrimination of apple cultivars as well as their geographical origin. The models showed very good performance in differentiation of Czech and Polish samples for three of four cultivars: ‘Gala’, ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Idared’, moreover, the validity of the models was verified over harvest seasons. The diagnostic markers, besides metabolites of triterpene biosynthetic pathway, mainly represented wax esters. ‘Jonagold’, which is known to be susceptible to mutations, was the only cultivar for which the unambiguous classification of geographical origin was not possible.

Pyrops candelaria is one of the common pests of fruit trees, but the research on the pathogenic microorganisms it may carry is very limited. Therefore, it is essential to reveal the pathogenic microbes it carries and their potential hazards. This study found a new virus from the transcriptome of P. candelaria, which was first reported in P. candelaria and named as PyCaV (Pyrops candelaria associated virus). RACE and bioinformatics assay revealed that the full-length of PyCaV is 10855 bp with the polyA tail, containing a single open reading frame (ORF) encoding a polyprotein consisting of 3171 amino acid (aa). The virus has a typical Iflavirus structure, including two rhv domains, a RNA helicase domain (HEL), a 3C cysteine protease domain (Pro), and a RNA-dependent RNA polymerase domain (RdRp). Further phylogenetic analysis revealed that this virus belongs to family Iflaviridae and sequence alignements analysis suggedted PyCaV is new member in unassigned genus of family Iflaviridae. Further in-depth analysis of virus-infection-part showed that PyCaV is distributing in the whole longan lanternfly, including its head, chest, and abdomen, but more PyCaV was identified in the chest. The distribution of PyCaV in different parts of P. candelaria was further explored, which showed that more PyCaV were detected in its piercing-sucking mouthparts and chest viscera. Statistical analysis showed that the PyCaV infection was affected by time and locations.

COVID-19 emerged in Wuhan and is later declared as a pandemic by World Health Organization. Different-aged people have varying gender-wise immunity control properties that necessitates understanding COVID-19 impact on age and gender which does not exist, currently. In this paper, COVID-19 surveillance variables are extensively studied along with hospitalization, tests-performed, and recovery data. Dataset is curated from three sources; however, age and gender data belong to Belgium, particularly. Visualizations, frequencies, Pearson’s and polyserial correlation, student’s t-test, and Cramer’s V are used for enhanced analysis. Results show higher mortality rate in males and need of more ventilators to combat severe symptoms.

The widespread integration and growing dependence among currency, stock and commodity markets make these markets often very vulnerable to shocks and at risk of collapse at the same time. As a result, these trends threaten the sustainability of the entire financial system. In this study, we explore the spillovers and nonlinear dependences between the seven major foreign ex-change rates, crude oil and gold prices, a global stock price index, and oil and stock implied volatility indices as proxy variables for global risk factors by em-ploying directional spillover network approach. We also use multi-scale de-composition method and nonlinear causality test between these variables to capture multi-level relationships at short and long horizons. Major findings are summarized as follows. First, from the multi-scale decomposition analysis, we identify that Granger causality test results and the direction and strength of return spillovers change with the level of decomposition. Second, the results of nonlinear causality tests show variation in both the significance and direction of Granger causality relationships between the decomposed currency and other series at different timescales, especially for the decomposed oil, gold, and OVX series. Third, the measured directional spillover indices identify the EUR as the largest contributor of connectedness to the other series. The central role of the EUR is a net transmitter of connectedness to gold, oil, the GBP, JPY, and CHF.

Background: The bacterium Capnocytophaga spp. is a part of the oral microbiome of dogs, which has zoonotic potential. This study aimed to assess factors that influence the prevalence of Capnocytophaga cynodegmi and Capnocytophaga canimorsus in Wrocaw’s dog population. Methods: Molecular detection (PCR) involved 105 swabs, examining parameters such as oral cavity condition, underlying health issues, recent antibiotics, age, medications, material collection, and dog chews. Results: The study highlighted significant associations between the presence of Capnocytophaga cynodegmi and oral cavity condition, material collection method, and use of dog’s chews. Conclusions: Correlations obtained in this study between the oral health of Wroclaw's dog population and the presence of Capnocytophaga cynodegmi suggest its significance in the oral microbiome of dogs. Limitations, including the small sample size, highlight the need for more research to comprehensively understand additional factors that affect the prevalence of Capnocytophaga spp. in dogs

As the world population grows, fulfilling the need for biomaterials in the healthcare system becomes increasingly important. Biomaterials, which include metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites, play an important role in the creation of medical devices that improve people's lives. The European Society for Biomaterials described biomaterials as non-biological materials used in medical devices to interact with biological systems. This definition has developed to encompass materials that treat, assess, or replace tissues or bodily functions. Biocompatibility, as defined by the FDA, is a key feature of biomaterials, as is the requirement to fulfil design requirements such as mechanical performance, geometry, and electrical control. Over the last decade, advances in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering have boosted biomaterials' usage in medical applications dramatically. Despite its promise, scientists, engineers, and physicians continue to face significant challenges due to the complexity of biomaterials. Biomaterials have various benefits, including biodegradability, non-toxicity, and biocompatibility, making them extremely useful for replacing, sustaining, or improving biological activities in damaged tissues. They are used in a wide range of applications, including tissue engineering implants, human tissue healing and regeneration, medication delivery systems, and biosensors. This study gives insights into the fundamental characteristics, case studies, and ethical issues associated with the usage and use of biomaterials, further examining their potential and significance in healthcare and medicine.

Background: Educating college students about the importance of good sleep habits could lead to the adoption of healthier sleep routines, including sufficient sleep duration and sleep quality. The current pre-post study examines the impact of completing a sleep education program called “Sleep 101” on (1) sleep hygiene practices, (2) sleep quality, and (3) weekday and weekend sleep behaviors among college students. “Sleep 101” is an interactive online course developed to educate college students about the importance of sleep by addressing basic sleep physiology, the impact of sleep on mood, academic and physical performance, the interactions between sleep and various substances, and common sleep disorders. Methods: 338 college students were recruited from a midsized public university in the US and invited to participate in “Sleep 101”, of which 25 participants completed the baseline and post-intervention questionnaire. The Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI) was utilized to evaluate sleep hygiene practices, while standard questions were employed to assess weekday and weekend sleep behaviors and overall sleep quality. Results: Those who completed the study demonstrated a significant increase in weekday sleep duration and were less likely to engage in negative prior bedtime activities. In addition, 40% of those who completed baseline and post-intervention assessments noticed improvements in their sleep quality. Conclusion: These findings suggest that a brief online program is beneficial in improving sleep behaviors among college and could be a scalable approach to addressing current sleep issues and preventing future sleep problems in college students.

In this paper we study a class of impulsive delayed neural networks with parameter uncertainties and reaction-diffusion terms. Using the properties of M-matrices and some inequality techniques, some sufficient conditions are derived to guarantee the global exponential stability of the given system. The results obtained are presented by simple algebraic inequalities, which are certainly more concise than previous methods. Finally, the validity and usefulness of our results are illustrated by arithmetic examples.

Strawberry root rot caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora is one of the main diseases of strawberry and significantly impacts the yield and quality of strawberry fruit. There are now no effective control techniques available except for fungicide sprays, which may directly impact consumers. Biological control is becoming an alternative method for the control of plant diseases to replace or decrease the application of traditional synthetic chemical fungicides. Trichoderma is widely used as a biological agent for controlling strawberry root rot. In order to provide resources for screening the highly effective biocontrol fungus for controlling strawberry root rot caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora, the biocontrol mechanism,the control effects of Trichoderma asperellum CMT10 against strawberry root rot and growth-promoting effects on strawberry seedlings were investigated by plate culture, microscopy observation and root drenching methods.The results showed that CMT10 had obvious competitive, antibiotic and hyperparasitism effects on Neopestalotiopsis clavispora CMGF3. The CMT10 could quickly occupy nutritional space, and the inhibition rates of CMT10 against CMGF3 in confrontation culture on 7 d was 65.49%. The inhibition rates of volatile metabolite and fermentation metabolite produced by CMT10 against CMGF3 were 79.67% and 69.84%, respectively. The mycelium of strain CMT10 can act as hyperparasites by making contacting, winding and penetrating hyphae of CMGF3. Pot experiment showed that the biocontrol efficacy of CMT10 on strawberry root rot caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora was 63.00%. CMT10 had obvious promotion effect on strawberry growth, the plant height, root length, total fresh weight, root fresh weight, stem fresh weight and root dry weight, with the promotion rates were 20.09%, 22.39%, 87.11%, 101.58%, 79.82% and 72.33%, respectively. Overall, this study showed the ability of Trichoderma asperellum CMT10 to control strawberry root rot and their potential to develop as novel biocontrol agents to replace chemical fungicides for eco-friendly, sustainable agriculture.

Climate change is challenging the agricultural sector worldwide. The pressure exerted by the altered thermal conditions drives the zonal shift for various cultivations. This study presents the multiyear analysis of the Growing Degree Days (GDD) index over the Northern Mediterranean Basin (NMB), focused on the high-value vine cultivation derived from the E-OBS dataset. To handle this extensive environmental dataset, R-language scripts and packages were applied, along with the capabilities of the GIS software. The investigated time period spans from 1969 to 2018, and the performed analysis indicates a broad shift/expansion in areas of GDD exceeding 2000 heat units. The extracted results specify the viticultural areas where the GDD index surpasses the suitable values for vine cultivation, owing to the increase of the thermal stress risk. In addition to mapping areas with GDD ≥ 2000, spatial calculations of the surface of areas meeting this criterion per country in the study area were made. In the northern parts of the NMB, the rise of the GDD index values indicates the establishment of vine plantations in the future.

The properties of the annual, semiannual and triennial oscillations (AO, SAO and TO) in the middle atmosphere have been investigated using the TIMED/SABER temperature data. The Lomb-Scargle and wavelet spectra were used to determine the dominant oscillations in the background temperature field. The AO is prominent at the mid-latitudes. The AO amplitudes present an asymmetry between the two Hemispheres, being larger in the mesosphere than in the stratosphere. The SAO dominates the tropical regions, with three amplitude maxima at altitudes of 45, 75, and 85 km. The SAOs in the upper mesosphere (75 km) are out of phase with those in the mesopause (85 km) in the tropical regions, which can generate an enhancement of 11 K at each equinox, contributing to the lower mesospheric inversion layer. The TO is significant in the tropical region, with amplitude being maximum at 35, 45 and 85 km. Result shows that there may be potential interaction by the TO with SAO at 85km at the equator. The relation between ENSO and TO has also been discussed. The ENSO signal may modulate the amplitude of the TO, mainly in the lower stratosphere. The real origin of the TO may lie in the wave-mean-flow interaction.

Internal and mesoscopic variables differ from each other fundamentally: both are state space variables, but mesoscopic variables are additional equipped with a distribution function introducing a statistical item into consideration which is missing in connection with internal variables. Thus, the alignment tensor of liquid crystal theory can be introduced as an internal variable or as one generated by a mesoscopic background using the microscopic director as mesoscopic variable. Because the mesoscopic variable is part of the state space, the corresponding balance equations change into mesoscopic balances, and additionally an evolution equation of the mesoscopic distribution function appears. The flexibility of the mesoscopic concept is not only demonstrated for liquid crystals, but is also discussed for dipolar media and flexible fibers.

The studied solar pot is a recent invention, which gained a utility model protection in 2021 from the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office under patent number 5489. The device is made for environmentally friendly cooking or heating (by utilizing solar energy) of foods and liquids. Its structure is similar to a double pipe heat exchanger, it has an outer mantle and an inner cooking tank. The goals of the paper are proposing a new physically-based mathematical model describing the solar pot and carrying out computer experiments with it, assembling an experimental system of the pot connected with a solar collector and performing measurements on it. Based on the results, the solar pot can successfully be used for cooking or sterilizing foods or liquids during the studied time period, in Hungary.

The separation of Li+ and [Bmim]+(1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium) by electrically driven membrane technology was studied. The effects of the types and modification processes of cation exchange membranes, current density, total cation concentration, temperature, and anion types on separation efficiency were investigated. The results indicated that it is feasible to achieve efficient separation of Li+ and [Bmim]+ using the selectivity of cation exchange membranes under electric field. Membrane CMX and the modified membrane A and B which obtained from the CMX showed obvious selective of Li+ from [Bmim]+. When the current density is 5 mA/cm2 and the feed concentrations of Li+ and [Bmim]+ are 0.3 mol/L and 0.2 mol/L, the selective transport coefficient of the modified membrane B can reach 6.2 in the first 120 minutes of the process. Reducing current density and increasing total cation concentration can improve separation efficiency. Lowering the temperature can improve the separation effect, but improvement is not obviously. Changing the anion of the feed from chloride ion to acetate has no effect on the separation.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) represent the largest class of materials among the crystalline porous materials ever developed and have attracted attention as core materials for separation technology. Their extremely uniform pore aperture and nearly unlimited structural and chemical characteristics have attracted great interest and promise in applying MOFs to adsorptive and membrane–based separations. This paper reviews the recent research and development of MOF membranes for gas separation. Strategies for polycrystalline membranes and mixed matrix membranes are discussed, with a focus on separation systems involving hydrocarbon separation and CO2 capture. Challenges and opportunities for the industrial deployment of MOF membranes are also be discussed, providing guidance for the design and fabrication of future high-performance membranes. The contributions of the underlying mechanism to separation performances, and the adopted strategies and membrane processing technologies for breaking the selectivity/permeability trade–off are discussed.

Several studies in computer vision have examined specular removal, which is crucial for object detection and recognition. This research has traditionally been divided into two tasks: specular highlight removal, which focuses on removing specular highlights on object surfaces, and reflection removal, which deals with specular reflections occurring on glass surfaces. In reality, however, both types of specular effects often coexist, making it a fundamental challenge that has not been adequately addressed. Recognizing the necessity of integrating specular components handled in both tasks, we constructed a Specular-Light (S-Light) DB for training single-image-based deep learning models. Moreover, considering the absence of benchmark datasets for quantitative evaluation, the Multi-Scale Normalized Cross Correlation (MS-NCC) metric, which considers the correlation between specular and diffuse components, was introduced to assess the learning outcomes.

Active flow control of canonical laminar separation bubbles by steady and harmonic vortex generator jets (VGJs) was investigated using direct numerical simulations. Both control strategies were found to be effective in controlling the laminar boundary-layer separation. However, the present results indicate that using the same blowing amplitude, harmonic VGJs were more effective and efficient in reducing the separated region than the steady VGJs considering the fact that the harmonic VGJs use less momentum than the steady case. For steady VGJs, longitudinal structures formed immediately downstream of injection location led to formation of hairpin-type vortices causing an earlier transition to turbulence. Symmetric hairpin vortices were shown to develop downstream of the forcing location for the harmonic VGJs as well. However, the increased control effectiveness for harmonic VGJs flow control strategy is attributed to the fact that shear-layer instability mechanism was exploited. As a result, disturbances introduced by VGJs were strongly amplified leading to development of large-scale coherent structures, which are very effective in increasing the momentum exchange, thus, limiting the separated region.

With the burgeoning growth of online retail, the issue of counterfeit products has become a significant threat to both consumer trust and brand integrity, posing challenges to sustainable market practices. Online retail platforms are promoted to redesign their channel structures and enhance brand traceability to tackle counterfeits using blockchain technology. To investigate the interactions between blockchain technology and the channel structures of online retail platforms, we design a game theory model incorporating a manufacturer with(out) blockchain participation selling products via an online retail platform that operates an agency channel and/or a reselling channel. We show that the critical trade-off of blockchain participation comprises the brand assurance effect of the blockchain, the channel competition intensification effect, and the blockchain adoption cost. The platform is capable of strategically designing the channel structure to encourage (while discouraging) blockchain participation by the manufacturer. Our analysis highlights the complementarity between blockchain participation and the channel structure. Furthermore, the effect of the consumer’s belief in the reselling channel, the commission fee in the agency channel, and the substitutability between channels are investigated in depth. The research provides valuable insights for online retail platforms and policymakers seeking to foster a sustainable and trustworthy e-commerce ecosystem.

Apis mellifera, especially weak ones, are highly vulnerable to Carpoglyphus lactis mites, which can rapidly infest and consume stored pollen, leading to weakened colonies and potentially colony collapse. This study aimed to ascertain and investigate the prevalence of this mite in honeybee colonies across 9 provinces in the Republic of Korea (ROK). A total of 615 honeybee colonies were collected, from 66 apiaries during the spring and 58 apiaries during the summer of 2023. A 1,242 bp segment of the the Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction method. The detection levels of C. lactis in the honeybees were compared between winter and summer. Based on the COI sequence analysis, the nucleotide sequence similarity of C. lactis mites isolated in the ROK with those from China (NC048990.1) was found to be 99.5%, and with those from the United Kingdom (KY922482.1) was 99.3%. This study is the first report of C. lactis in Korean apiaries. The findings in this study demonstrate a significantly higher detection rate in winter, which is 4.1 times greater than that in summer (p &lt; 0.001). Furthermore, the results underscore the usefulness of molecular diagnostic techniques for detecting C. lactis mites.

The use of risk measures such as the Value at Risk (VaR) or Tail Conditional Expectation (TCE) is required by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision in determining a bank’s risk profile. However, both measures can be shown to have shortcomings in the information that they provide to regulators and investors. In this paper we present an introduction to risk measure calculations before demonstrating the weaknesses of these measures. Through the exploration of specific cases we show how familiar yet differing risk profiles have identical values for combinations of these measures. From this evidence we recommend that a sequence of several risk measures should be used to give a more accurate representation of the risk contained on banking balance sheet.

Carotid atherosclerotic lesions are a major cause of cerebrovascular disease (CVD). Identification and quantification of carotid plaques are important for categorizing the vulnerability of plaques for rupture and assessing the impact of treatments. The irregularity of plaque surface is associated with previous plaque rupture and plays an important role in the risk of stroke. Thus, the aim of this study is to develop and validate novel vulnerability biomarkers from three-dimensional ultrasound (3DUS) images by analyzing the surface morphological characterization of carotid plaque using fractal geometry features. 3D box-counting and 3D blanket are the two types of 3D fractal dimension that were employed to describe the smoothness of plaques. This fractal dimension analysis tool was used to evaluate the effect of atorvastatin using 3DUS carotid images, which were acquired from 6 patients treated with atorvastatin with 80 mg daily and 5 patients with placebo. The Student's T Test results showed that those two fractal features were effective for detecting the statin-related changes in carotid atherosclerosis with p<0.0068 and p<0.015 respectively, suggesting that 3D fractal dimension measurements can be used effectively to analyze the surface characteristics of carotid plaques, especially for evaluating the impact of the treatment.

Addressing the significant challenge in high-speed cotton dibbling operations in Xinjiang—specifically, the duck bill’s ("Duck bill" is a type of duck-billed bunch planting mechanism or component). shortened opening duration leading to seed throwing and floating—a new crawler-type delayed hole-forming mechanism has been designed. This mechanism extends the duck bill horizontally, thereby prolonging its opening time, enabling cotton sowing speeds of up to 6 km/h. Following agronomic principles for cotton planting, the overall layout of the crawler-type hole-forming mechanism, the structural parameters of the key components and the trajectory of the hole-forming are determined. We use the Discrete Element Method (DEM) and multi-body dynamics coupling method to simulate and analyze the motion process of the device. The fixed the tilt angle of the duck bill α(A), the depth of the duck bill hole-forming into the soil h(B), and the angle of rotation of the moving duck bill β(C) were taken as the experimental factors, with the longitudinal length of cotton seed hole (Y1) and the hole-forming depth of cotton seed hole (Y2) as the response values. The parameter range of each factor and the preliminary influence on the response value were determined through pre-experiments and single-factor simulation test. Based on RecurDyn-EDEM coupling, a quadratic regression orthogonal rotation combination simulation test was carried out. The results show that the order of the primary and secondary factors affecting the Y1 of the time-lapse hole-forming device was: A > C > B. The order of primary and secondary factors affecting the Y2 of the delayed hole forming device was: B > C > A. When the A was 2.4 °, the B was 42.4 mm, and the C was 30.5 °, the performance of the hole-forming was the best, and the Y1 was 26.4 mm, and the Y2 was 25.0 mm. The bench verification test results show that under the optimized combination of operating parameters, the average Y1 was 29.1 mm, and the average Y2 was 23.2 mm. Compared with the results of the previous coupled simulation model, the average relative errors of the two are 7.23 % and 4.36 %, respectively, indicating the accuracy and effectiveness of the established DEM simulation model and virtual test analysis. The hole-forming area and the opening time of the duck bill after the stable operation of the machine were recorded and measured. The calculated hole dislocation rate Hc was 4.33 %, which did not exceed the national standard requirement of 6 %. The qualified rate of hole distance Hx was 94.33 %, which was much higher than the national standard requirement of 80 %. The average opening time of the duck bill at a speed of 6 km/h is 0.45 s, which is much longer than the time required for cotton seeds to fall from the duck bill 0.11 s. It meets the requirements of high-speed cotton planting in China and facilitating advancements in future high-speed planter technology.

A simple design of an ultrathin six-band polarization-insensitive terahertz perfect metamaterial absorber (PMMA) composed of a metal cross-cave-patch resonator (CCPR) placed over a ground plane was proposed and investigated numerically. The numerical simulation results demonstrate that the average absorption peaks are up to 95% at six resonance frequencies with high quality-factors (>65). In addition, the absorption properties can be kept stability for both normal incident transverse magnetic (TM) and transverse electric (TE) waves. The physical mechanism behind the observed high level absorption is illustrated by the electric and power loss density distributions. The different absorption mainly originates from the higher order multipolar and multipolar plasmon resonance of the structure, which are sharp different to the most previous studies of the PMMAs. Furthermore, the resonance absorption of the PMMA can be tunable by varying the geometric parameters of the unit cell.

Within environmental perception, automatic navigation and object detection, computer vision is a crucial and demanding field with many applications in modern industries, such as multi-target long-term visual tracking in automated production, defect detection, and driverless robotic vehicles with sensing ability. The performance of computer vision has greatly improved recently thanks to developments in deep learning algorithms and hardware computing capabilities, which has spawned the creation of a large number of related applications. This paper presents the results of a detailed review of over 50 papers published over the course of two decades (1999–2024), with a primary focus on the technical advancement of computer vision. To elucidate the foundational principles, an examination of typical visual algorithms based on traditional correlation filtering was initially conducted. Subsequently, a comprehensive overview of the most recent advancements in deep learning-based computer vision techniques was compiled. Furthermore, a comparative analysis between conventional and novel algorithms was undertaken to discuss the future trends and directions of computer vision. Lastly, the feasibility of employing visual SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) algorithms in the context of autonomous vehicles with sensing capability was explored. Furthermore, we explored a thorough and efficient architecture for utilizing these techniques in autonomous robotic vehicles into unmanned green and low-carbon smart factories, underlining novel advances as well as potential prospects for future research.

Xylooligosaccharides (XOS) are components of hemicellulose and can be found in wheat bran, and barley hulls. Structurally, XOS consist of two to six xylose residues linked by β-(1,4) bonds. This makes them susceptible to subsequent treatment by intestinal bacteria, but the concentration of XOS is too low to show any prebiotic effects. Some industrial wastes, including brewers’ spent grain (BSG) and wheat bran peels (WBP), represent a major source of xylan, from which XOS is produced to provide a prebiotic effect in populations of colonic commensal microbiota. WBPs and BSGs were treated by microwave and enzymatic hydrolysis. Using the designed microwave pretreated enzymatic hydrolysis, 5.4 g of dry XOS was produced from 50 g WBP powder and 3.6 g dry XOS was produced from 50 g BSG powder. A single microwave treatment on WBP and BSG before enzymatic hydrolysis and 0.25 g/100 g enzyme raw material ratio were determined to be optimal. Effective microwave-assisted enzymatic hydrolysis of WBP and BSG were investigated, and contribute to improving the effectiveness of xylanase on WBP and BSG. Microwave-assisted enzymatic hydrolysis with xylanase and purification, obtaining food-grade XOS, was demonstrated as a step toward industrial-scale production.

The paper describes the new method for image compression based on coordinated group signal transformation. The algorithm is a type of difference coding. Coordinated processing significantly simplifies the difference signal conversion scheme using a single group codec for all signals. The described method considers color channels as correlated signals of a multi-channel communication system. The specifics of the processed data required modification of the coordinated group processing algorithm. First, we changed how to calculate the difference signals to prevent data loss. Secondly, the group codec was supplemented with a neural network to improve the quality of reconstructed images. We considered the following types of neural networks: fully connected, recurrent, convolution, and convolution in the Fourier space. Based on the simulation results, it is best to use fully connected neural networks if the goal is to minimize processing delay time. These networks have a response time of 13 ms. On the other hand, if the priority is to improve quality in cases where delays are not critical, then convolution neural networks in the Fourier space should be used. These networks have a response time of 140 ms and are of significant interest.

The North China Plain is among the regions most afflicted by ground fissure disasters in China. Recent urbanization has accelerated ground fissure activity in the three counties of the northern North China Plain, posing significant threats to both the natural environment and socioeconomic sustainability. Despite the increased attention, a lack of comprehensive understanding persists due to delayed recognition and limited research. This study conducted field visits and geological surveys across 43 villages and 80 sites to elucidate the spatial distribution patterns of ground fissures in the aforementioned counties. By integrating these findings with regional geological data, we formulated a causative model to explain ground fissure formation. Our analysis reveals a concentration of ground fissures near the Niuxi and Rongxi faults, with the former exhibiting the most extensive distribution. The primary manifestations of ground fissures include linear cracks and patch-shaped collapse pits, predominantly oriented in east-west and north-south directions, indicating tensile failure with minimal vertical displacement. Various factors contribute to ground fissure development, including fault activity, ancient river channel distribution, bedrock undulations, rainfall, and ground settlement. Fault activity establishes a concealed fracture system in shallow geotechnical layers, laying the groundwork for ground fissure formation. Additionally, the distribution of ancient river channels and bedrock undulations modifies regional stress fields, further facilitating ground fissure emergence. Rainfall and differential ground settlement serve as triggering mechanisms, exposing ground fissures at the surface. This research offers novel insights into the causative mechanisms of ground fissures in the northern North China Plain, providing valuable scientific evidence for mitigating ground fissure disasters during the urbanization process in the region.

The assortment of low-cost 3D printers for “in-practice” use, e.g., for clear aligner therapies, is ever increasing. To address concerns about the accuracy of orthodontic models produced on such printers when cost efficient modes of 3D printing are employed, this study examined the effect of print model body type and print angulation on accuracy. Six printing-configuration groups were included: 2 model types (solid or hollow shell) combined with 3 print angles (0°, 70°, or 90°) with 10 models/group; all models were printed with 100-µm layer thickness using a digital light processing-based 3-dimensional printer. Eleven selected structures and distances were measured on the printed models with a digital microscope and compared to the same measures on a digitized master model. The clinically-acceptability range was set at ±0.25 mm difference from the master model for single tooth measurements (intra-tooth) and ±0.5 mm for cross-arch measurements (inter-tooth). For individual measurements across all models, 98% fell within clinical acceptability. For mean measurements within each model group, only canine height for the shell-0° model had a mean difference (0.26 mm ± 0.03) outside the clinically acceptable range for intra-tooth measurements. Standard deviations for all intra-tooth measurements were within 0.07 mm. While none of the mean inter-tooth measurements exceeded the acceptability range, the standard deviations were larger (0.04 to 0.30 mm). Accuracy of orthodontic models for clear aligner therapies was not impacted beyond the clinically acceptable range when altering model body type and print angulation to improve efficiency of 3D printing. These findings suggest greater flexibility of the practitioner to alter print settings to address time and cost efficiency in various clinical scenarios and still maintain clinically acceptable model accuracy.

Here, we report a simple and effective method for separation of gram-negative bacteria using aptamer-modified microbeads and acoustophoresis. As acoustophoresis allows for simultaneous washing and size-dependent separation in continuous flow mode, we efficiently obtained gram-negative bacteria that showed high affinity without any additional washing steps. The proposed device has a simple and efficient channel design, utilizing a long, square-shaped microchannel that shows excellent separation performance in terms of the purity, recovery, and concentration factor. Microbeads (10 µm) coated with the GN6 aptamer can specifically bind gram-negative bacteria. Using acoustophoresis, gram-negative bacteria-bound microbeads and other unbound/contaminants can be separated by size with high purity and recovery. The device demonstrated excellent separation performance, with high recovery (up to 98%), high purity (up to 99%), and a high volume rate (500 µL/min), and a concentration factor of up to 20×. The acoustophoresis microfluidic device also showed binding affinity to multiple strains of gram-negative bacteria, but not to gram-positive bacteria. This study presents a new paradigm for early diagnosis of bacterial infectious diseases. In addition to detecting living bacteria or bacteria-derived biomarkers, this protocol can be extended to monitoring the contamination of water resources, and may aid quick responses to bioterrorism and pathogenic bacterial infections.

Current VAT rules for cross-border e-commerce companies in the EU are not sustainable, because they are extremely complex and often opaque, due to the lack of tax harmonization. The aim of the research is to explore, using a qualitative method, what kind of harmonization would make the current legislation more uniform, simpler, more transparent, and easier to understand, without conflicting with the rules of any Member State. To this end, the aspects of the new platform regulation introduced on 1 July 2021 and its potential for expansion are assessed through information from possible sales models. The research suggests that the rules on platforms do not cover all possible sales models, which in our view imposes an unnecessary extra administrative burden on some businesses and makes their tax activities less transparent. In the light of the results of the research, we propose that the current EU platform regulation should be extended to cover B2B, B2C transactions and services. As a result of this suggested harmonization, a simpler, more transparent, uniform and sustainable tax system would contribute to the whitening of the economy, generating additional tax revenue for Member States.

To secure logic circuits against the illegal copying the insertion of the so-called key bit inputs using XOR/XNOR gates has been proposed in . The inserted gates modify (lock) the behavior of the original circuit and only the correct choice of the secret key bits guarantees the equivalent behaviour of the locked circuit to the original circuit. To break this kind of security, i.e. to find the secret key bits, there was a SAT solver based attack proposed in . The aim of this work is to experimentally verify this attack on several locked circuits with various number of primary inputs and outputs and with various number of gates. Except for the random placement of the key gates we evaluate also the positioning with chaining elimination. The obtained and presented results show that we were able to unlock 10 of 11 circuits within few minutes on a common PC.

The necessity for precise and current data concerning the dynamics of land cover change in Indonesia is crucial for efforts to reduce natural vegetation cover due to agricultural expansion. The functionality of monitoring systems that incorporate Terra-MODIS is currently compromised by the limited availability of data for the immediate future. This study seeks to assess the potential of VIIRS satellite imagery in developing an early warning system for monitoring vegetation cover change in Indonesia. The Normalized Differential Open Area Index (NDOAI) computed from the 8-day’ VIIRS data was employed to detect changes in vegetation cover based on pixel-by-pixel subtraction in the NDOAI data time series. Evaluating the pixel-level accuracy of change detection is complicated due to the fact that we evaluate a change map at a coarser resolution than the Landsat-based reference map. The results revealed that increasing the threshold percentage is associated with improved accuracy. In change detection, there is often a trade-off between accuracy and sensitivity. A threshold that is too low may result in false positives, while a threshold that is too high may lead to missed changes. This study demonstrates that when a threshold value of less than 20% is applied, Landsat can identify vegetation cover changes at an earlier stage. Conversely, when a threshold value greater than 20% is employed, VIIRS will detect the change 4.5 days earlier than Landsat. Additionally, VIIRS is capable of detecting changes 25.4 days and 54.8 days faster than Landsat, respectively, when using thresholds of 40% and 75%.

Cocoa (Theobroma Cacao, L.) represents an important market that gained relevance and became an esteemed commodity thanks to cocoa powder, chocolate, and other related products. This work has analyzed 59 cocoa powder samples from the European market. Three distinct subgroups were identified: organic or conventional, alkalized or not alkalized, and raw or roasted processing. The impact of the technological process was evaluated on the pH, color, and compositional traits, as content of biogenic amines and salsolinol. The phenolic fraction was also investigated trough both common and emerging methods. Results depict that the influence of the agronomical practices (organic/conventional) did not affect significatively (p&lt;0.05) the composition of cocoa powders; similarly, the roasting process was not discriminative for the compounds traced. On the other hand, the alkalinization process greatly impacted on color, and pH, no matter of cocoa provenience, obtention, or other processes, also resulting reducing the phenolic fraction of treated samples. Principal components analysis confirmed that the alkali process acts on pH, color, and phenolic composition, but not on other bioactives molecules (BAs and salsolinol). All samples resulted safe while alkalized powders have a great reduction in beneficial biocompounds. A novel strategy could be to emphasize non-alkalized powders in the label, to meet the demand for more beneficial products.

This paper is focused on typical rural settlements in the Stara Planina Mountain area in Serbia. They are distinguished by their authenticity, identity and character, and they have still not been destroyed by inappropriate development as is the case in some other mountain areas in Serbia, where the effects of urbanization, globalization and homogenization are obvious. Consequently, there is a need to prevent these effects in mountain areas where there is a threat of disbalance between development and the inherited natural and cultural values. The paper starts from several important concepts that relate contemporary approaches to cultural heritage preservation, place morphology and planning future development. The concept definitions from recent documents from related fields are used. These concepts are then applied to the area of Stara Planina Mountain and its rural settlements. The necessity for an integrative approach to planning this area with significant natural and anthropogenic potential is pointed out, including its integration into international programs of sustainable development.

The polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phase (CSP) columns for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were applied in the separation of liquid crystalline racemic mixtures obtained based on (R,S)-2-octanol and were found to be highly effective in recognizing isomers of minor structural differences. The mobile phase (MP), which consists of acetonitrile (ACN)/water (H2O) at different volume ratios, was used. All measurements were made at room temperature. The order of the elution was also determined. The chromatographic parameters such as resolution - (Rs), selectivity - (α), and the number of theoretical plates, i.e., column efficiency - (N), were determined. The polysaccharide-based CSP columns have unique advantages in separation technology, and this study has shown the potential usefulness of the CSP columns in separating liquid crystalline racemic mixtures belonging to the same homologous series.

The utilization of natural waxes to form oleogels has emerged as a new and efficient technique for structuring liquid edible oil into solid-like structures for diverse food applications. The objective of this study was to investigate the interaction between sunflower wax (SW) and monoglycerides (MGs) in olive oil oleogels and to assess their physical characteristics and storage stability. To achieve this, pure SW and a combination of SW with MGs in a 1:1 ratio were examined within a total concentration range of 6-12% w/w. The formed oleogels were characterized based on their microstructure, melting and crystallization properties, textural characteristics, and oxidative stability during storage. All the oleogels were shelf-stable, and as the concentration increased, the hardness of the oleogels also increased. The crystals of SW oleogels were long needle-like, while the combination of SW and MGs led to the formation of crystal aggregates and rosette-like crystals. The differential scanning calorimetry and FTIR showed that the addition of MGs led to different crystal structures. The oxidation results revealed that oleogels had low peroxide and TBARS values throughout the 28-day storage. These results provide useful insights about the utilization of SW and MGs oleogels for potential applications in the food industry.

Malaria parasites increase their host erythrocyte’s permeability to obtain essential nutrients from plasma and facilitate intracellular growth. In the human P. falciparum pathogen, this increase is mediated by the plasmodial surface anion channel (PSAC) and has been linked to CLAG3, as encoded by one member of the conserved clag multigene family. Whether paralogs encoded by other clag genes also contribute to PSAC formation or serve unrelated roles remains unknown. Here, we generated transfectant lines carrying epitope-tagged versions of each CLAG. Each paralog colocalized with CLAG3, with concordant trafficking via merozoite rhoptries to the host erythrocyte membrane of newly-invaded erythrocytes. Each also exists within infected cells in at least two forms: an alkaline-extractable soluble form and a form integral to the host membrane. Like CLAG3, CLAG2 has a variant region cleaved by extracellular protease but CLAG8 and CLAG9 are protease-resistant. Paralog knockout lines, generated through CRISPR/Cas9 transfection, exhibited uncompromised growth in PGIM, a modified medium with more physiological nutrient levels; this finding is in marked contrast to a recently reported CLAG3 knockout parasite. CLAG2 and CLAG8 knockout lines exhibited compensatory increases in transcription of remaining clags and associated rhoph genes, yielding increased PSAC-mediated uptake to specific solutes. We also report distinct transport properties of these knockout lines, suggesting partially overlapping roles of CLAG paralogs in PSAC activity. We propose that the nutrient channel pore is formed by a higher order assembly of CLAG proteins at the host membrane.

The term “conservation,” as it relates to biodiversity in a Western context, has a storied past and as conservation science and societal values have evolved, consensus over its precise meaning has remained elusive. The broad scope of contemporary definitions hampers effective communication during a period of environmental crisis and is troublesome for any derivative concept which aims to empirically quantify the efforts of the conservation sector. This presents an avoidable hindrance to the systematic planning of the conservation field. To help remedy this situation, we provide an outcome separation framework that is based on the expected degree of separation between an action’s proximate outcome, from its intended, ultimate outcome for a habitat and/or species. Framing a definition of conservation through this lens of outcome separation allows for conservation-related actions to be clearly categorized into one of three discrete tiers: primary, secondary, and tertiary. A distillation of this tiered framework also provides a new definition of biodiversity conservation that is more rigorous and adaptable to future conceptual evolutions of the field.

Separation and detection of cells and particles in a suspension are essential for various applications, including biomedical investigations and clinical diagnostics. Microfluidics realizes the miniaturization of analytical devices by controlling the motion of a small volume of fluids in microchannels and microchambers. Accordingly, microfluidic devices have been widely used in particle/ cell manipulation processes. Different microfluidic methods for particle separation include dielectrophoretic, magnetic, optical, acoustic, hydrodynamic, and chemical techniques. Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is a method for manipulating polarizable particles’ trajectories in non-uniform electric fields using unique dielectric characteristics. It provides several advantages for dealing with neutral bioparticles owing to its sensitivity, selectivity, and noninvasive nature. This review provides a detailed study on the signal-based DEP methods that use the applied signal parameters, including frequency, amplitude, phase, and shape for cell/particle separation and manipulation. Rather than employing complex channels or time-consuming fabrication procedures, these methods realize sorting and detecting the cells/particles by modifying the signal parameters while using a simple device. In addition, these methods can significantly impact clinical diagnostics by making low-cost and rapid separation possible.

Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) encompasses the comprehensive evaluation of an indi-vidual's health and well-being across multiple dimensions. Mindfulness, recognized as a scientifi-cally supported strategy for anxiety management, plays a role in enhancing both physical and mental health. The Gut-Brain Axis (GBA) serves as the bidirectional communication link between the gastrointestinal system and the central nervous system. This study aims to explore the associa-tion between Mindfulness and factors influencing the GBA in both healthy individuals and those with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). A cross-sectional investigation involved 338 adults, in-cluding 50 IBD patients, utilizing validated Greek scales for Mindfulness (MAAS-15), Mediterra-nean Diet (14-MEDAS), and HRQoL (EQ-5D-5L). The questionnaire gathered demographic, an-thropometric, and lifestyle data. Among healthy participants, EQ-5D-5L showed a moderate cor-relation with the MAAS-15 scale (r=0.389, p

The continuous casting process of helical fiber reinforced metal matrix composites was proposed, and the experimental equipment was designed and manufactured. The relationship model be-tween the process parameters and the helical shape of the fibers in the metal matrix is analyzed by differential geometry. Helical carbon fiber reinforced lead matrix composites were prepared under different conditions. When the melting temperature and cooling intensity were increased, the helical radius of helical carbon fiber in lead matrix was increased. When the fiber rotation speed was increased, the helical radius was decreased, and the helical pitch was de-creased proportionally. The experimental results are consistent with the process model. Carbon fiber rein-forced aluminum composites were prepared. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the infiltration between the aluminum matrix and the carbon fiber was not complete. As the volume fraction of carbon fiber which was added in composites is too small, the mechanical properties of the composites have not been significantly improved.

This article presents an innovative approach to the design of a safe adaptive backstepping control system. Tailored specifically for underactuated marine robots, the system utilizes simple sensors for enhanced practicality and efficiency. Given their operation in diverse oceanic environments fraught with various sources of uncertainties, ensuring the system's safe and robust behavior holds paramount importance in the control literature. To address this concern, this paper introduces a control strategy designed to ensure robustness at both the kinematic and dynamic levels. By emphasizing the compensation for the system uncertainties, the design integrates a straightforward fuzzy system structure. To further ensure the system's safety, a funnel surface is defined, followed by the design of a suitable nonlinear sliding surface as a function of the funnel and tracking error. Specifically leveraging the Lyapunov function, the study formally establishes the Semi-globally Practically Finite-time Stability of the closed-loop system, validated through simulations conducted on underactuated marine robots.

Promoting green development has become an important way to optimize the ecological and economic structure and promote sustainable development. The Yangtze River Economic Belt is an important economic corridor in China, and it remains to be examined whether the implementation of environmental regulations has enhanced the green total factor productivity (GTFP) of cities. This paper calculates the green total factor productivity of 107 cities within the Yangtze River Economic Belt by using the super-efficient SBM model and the GML index with Chinese city panel data from 2007-2019 and measures the intensity of environmental regulations through textual analysis. The bidirectional fixed-effects model constructed in this paper suggests an inverted U-shaped relationship between environmental regulation and GTFP, which is confirmed by a series of robustness tests. Green technology innovation and advanced industrial structure play a mechanism role in this. In regions with lower levels of green technology and industrial structure, the inverted U-shaped relationship between environmental regulation and green total factor productivity is more significant. In addition, the phenomenon of GTFP rising and then falling because of environmental regulation is more obvious in cities in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River and outside the urban agglomerations. Therefore, when formulating environmental regulation policies, it is necessary to balance the relationship between economic development and environmental protection and harmonize the environment and economic development of the entire Yangtze River Basin.

Dust storms play a crucial role in the climate system and the space environment of Mars and have a great impact on human’s Mars exploration activities. The Martian dust storms exhibit significant regional, seasonal and interannual variations due to various controlling factors such as the large-scale atmospheric circulation, varying solar radiation forcing, and Martial orbital and rotational motions and their coupling to the atmospheric dynamics. This paper focuses on the review of cur-rent understandings on Martian dust storms. This paper begins by elucidating the basic properties of dust storms, and their driving mechanisms and impacts on atmospheric dynamics, atmospheric electric property, space environment, topography, and Mars explorations. Then it introduces the observation methods on different platforms including orbiters and landers/rovers, and the da-tasets constructed based on these historical observations for Martian dust storms. Finally, we pro-posed the dust storm monitoring and forecasting for the upcoming Chinese Tianwen-3 Mars sam-pling returning mission. It concludes by depicting the future research topics to systematically un-derstand the Martian dust storms.

Statistical denoising techniques have been well studied, however many challenges still remain. This 9 article focuses on determining the least necessary number of significant samples in a statistical pop-10 ulation sampling, while minimizing the impact on the statistical detection of the fiber Bragg grating 11 (FBG) power spectra. This is achieved by using Bayesian decision making, small population statis-12 tics while excluding false detection. First, we investigate the impact of two-sided sliding window 13 technique applied near the cell under the test. The window size varies from 8 to 60 samples. The 14 considered maximum size of population sampling is connected with the number of wavelength 15 samples within the bandwidth of the symmetrical FBG power spectra peaks. Regarding the sym-16 metry of FBG power spectra peaks and the possible reduction of computational demands, we inves-17 tigate the impact of a one-sided sliding window. This enables to achieve less processing latency for 18 real time applications thus brings benefits to FBG-based fiber optical sensing. Both, two- and one-19 sided small population sampling techniques are then experimentally verified. Detection results are 20 analyzed in depth via calculating detection thresholds by using the small size window sliding along-21 side the waveband. From results achieved, it was found that the normality three-sigma rule does 22 not need to be followed while using the small population sampling. Experimental demonstrations 23 and analyses showed that the proposed concept of denoising and statistical threshold detection 24 based on the sliding window does not depend on the prior knowledge of probability distribution 25 functions of the FBG power spectra peaks level and background noise. We have also found that the 26 thresholds’ adaptability mainly depends on the statistical numerical characteristics of the above ad-27 ditive mixture of the FBG power spectra peaks signals and background noise.

With the increasing concern of environment, the energy-efficiency scheduling of manufacturing industry is becoming urgent and popular. In turning processes, both spindle speed and processing time can affect the final energy consumption and thus the spindle speed and scheduling scheme need to be optimized simultaneously. Since the turning workshop can be regarded as the flexible flow shop, this paper formulates a mixed integer linear programming model for energy-efficient scheduling of flexible flow shop. Accordingly, a new decoding method is developed by considering of the optimization of spindle speed and scheduling scheme simultaneously, and an estimation of distribution algorithm adopting the new decoding method is proposed to solve large-size problems. The parameters of this algorithm are determined by statistical technique with a simplified practical case. In order to validate the proposed method, a case from practical factories is studied, in which the makespan can be shortened by 25.22%, and the consumed energy can be saved by 5.48%. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed mathematical model and algorithm.