The definition of UTC in 1972 balanced the needs of the time and frequency community for a universal time scale that was traceable to the definition of frequency in the SI system of units with the needs of the astronomical community for a time scale that was closely linked to UT1, a time scale related to the rotation of Earth. The balance between these two considerations has changed very significantly since 1972, and there is widespread agreement that the method of relating UTC to UT1 should be changed by increasing the maximum tolerance between the two scales to more than the current limit of 0.9 s. I propose to realize this decision by means of an algorithmic adjustment process based on the variation in the length of the day over the previous centuries. I use these historical data to extrapolate the length of the day for a century into the future, and to compute a periodic rate adjustment to UTC based on this extrapolation. The adjustment process will not use time steps. The magnitude of the periodic rate adjustment will be re-considered every century, but the basic adjustment algorithm will not change. I suggest a maximum tolerance between UT1 and UTC that is large enough to absorb the irregular and unpredictable variations in the length of the day with respect to the long-term average increase in this value but plays no role in determining the parameters of the adjustment process that is proposed. I also propose that the adjustment be implemented at 12 UTC on 1 January since that is closest to a universal holiday in all time zones.

MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) radar provides much more flexibility than the traditional radar for its ability to realize far more observation channels than the actual number of T/R (transmit and receive) elements. Designing the array of MIMO imaging radar, the commonly used virtual array theory generally assumes that all elements are placed on the same line. However, due to the physical size of the antennas and coupling effect between T/R elements, a certain height difference between T/R arrays is essential, resulting in the defocusing of edge points of the scene. On the other hand, the virtual array theory implies far-field approximation, leading to inevitable high grating lobes in the imaging result of near-field edge points of the scene observed by common MIMO array. To tackle these problems, this paper derives the relationship between target’s PSF (point spread function) and pattern of T/R arrays, by which the design criterion of near-field imaging MIMO array is presented. Firstly, the proper height between T/R arrays is designed to focus the near-field edge points well. Secondly, the far-field array is modified to suppress the grating lobes in the near-field area. Finally, the validity of the proposed methods is verified by simulations and an experiment.

In this paper, we consider the Cauchy problem of a time fractional nonlinear diffusion equation. According to the Kaplan’s first eigenvalue method, we first prove the blow-up of the solutions in finite time for some sufficient conditions. We next give sufficient conditions for the existence of global solutions by using the result of Zhang and Sun. In conclusions, we find the second critical exponent for the existence of global and non-global solutions via the decay rates of the initial data at spatial infinity.

We have shown that Newton’s third law does not strictly hold in a system with remote elements, due the finite speed of signal propagation and thus force imbalance occurs at the system’s center of mass. As the said system is affected by a total force for a finite duration, mechanical energy and momentums are gained by the system. In early works we assumed that the bodies were macroscopically charge neutral. Later we removed this restriction, thus analyzing the consequences on a possible electric charged relativistic motor. On the first published paper on this subject we studied this phenomena in general but gave only an example of a system reaching a stationary state, in this paper we shall analyze a charged retarded electromagnetic motor in a more general time dependent setting giving specific examples in which the system never reaches a stationary state yet produces steady linear momentum non the less.

The relaxation process of lithium batteries caused by load variation is considered. It is shown that such processes have strong dependence on internal physical and chemical processes and battery technical conditions. Theoretical expressions of the relaxation process caused by a step-like load variation have been obtained for 1^st and 2^nd order equivalent electrical circuits. The experimental investigations show that the obtained models fit the real relaxation processes and the behavior of the identified parameters could be explained by specific features of physical and chemical processes within the lithium battery. It should be noted that the obtained results can be generalized for a different type of electrochemical power source. The proposed approach makes it possible to provide means for electrochemical power source characterization and diagnostic, the main advantages of which are good time localization of measurement procedures and inexpensive apparatus implementation.

Finite-time control theory has been widely used as a mathematical tool to design robust controllers. By manipulating the finite-time convergence proof of this theory, we developed a new control design appropriately tuned for the finite-time control of the chaotic logistics system. In our experimental setup, the logistic equation is programmed into a PIC microcontroller, and a part of the controller was conceived using analog electronics. Because the system to be controlled is in the discrete-time domain, and the finite-time stability proof is stated in the continuous-time representation, our finite-time control approach is a good example for designing control algorithms in both time domain schemes. Hence, our experimental results support our main contribution. Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) is the signal format used to translate digital signals into continuous-time fields.

The exact, non perturbative, response theory developed within the field of nonequilibrium molecular dynamics, also known as TTCF (Transient Time Correlation Function) applies to quite general dynamical systems. Its key element is called dissipation function, because it represents the power dissipated by external fields acting on the particle system of interest, whose coupling with the environment is given by deterministic thermostats. This theory has been initially developed for time independent external perturbations, and then it has been extended to time dependent perturbations. It has also been applied to dynamical systems of different nature, and to oscillator models undergoing phase transitions, which cannot be treated withe.g. linear response theory. The present work includes time dependent stochastic perturbations, in the theory, using the Karhunen-Loeve theorem. This leads to three different investigations of a given process. One in which a single realization of the stochastic coefficients is fixed, and averages are taken only over the initial conditions, as in a deterministic process. In the second, the initial condition is fixed, and averages are taken with respect to the distribution of stochastic coefficients. In the last investigations, one averages over both initial conditions and stochastic coefficients. We conclude illustrating the applicability of the resulting exact response theory with simple examples.

In this study, a numerical simulation of fluid flow through railway ballast in the time domain is presented, providing a model for unsteady-state flow. It is demonstrated that the position of the free surface with respect to time can also be used to solve the steady flow case. The effect of ballast fouling is included in the model to capture the realistic behavior of railway ballast, which is critical to understanding the impact of flooding. A thorough comparison with a range of previous studies, including theoretical and experimental approaches, is made and very close agreement is obtained. The significant impact of ballast fouling on fluid flow and its potential consequences for railway infrastructure are highlighted by the simulation. Valuable insights into the behavior of water flow through porous media and its relevance to railway ballast management are offered by this study.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-intoxicating compound extracted from Cannabis sativa, showing antidepressant-like effects in different rodent models. However, inconsistent results have been described depending on the species and the strain used to assess depressive-like behaviour. Moreover, only a few studies have investigated the effect of CBD in female rodents. Therefore, we aimed to i) investigate the effects of CBD in two different strains of mice (Swiss and C57BL/6) and in a rat model of depression based on selective breeding (Flinders Sensitive and Resistant Lines, FSL and FRL) subjected to tests predictive of antidepressant-like effects; and ii) investigate the influence of sex in the effects of CBD in both mice and rats. CBD induced an antidepressant-like effect in male Swiss but not in female Swiss or C57BL/6 mice in the tail suspension test (TST). In male FSL rats, CBD produced an antidepressant-like effect one-hour post-injection. However, in female FSL, CBD induced a bimodal effect, increasing the immobility time at one hour and decreasing it at two hours. Ketamine produced an antidepressant-like effect in male and female FSL rats at different doses. In conclusion, strain, sex, and administration time affect CBD's behavioural response to rodents exposed to tests predictive of antidepressant effects.

In this paper, a local meshless method (LMM) based on radial basis functions (RBFs) is utilized for the numerical solution of various types of PDEs, due to the flexibility with respect to geometry and high order of convergence rate. In case of global meshless methods, the two major deficiencies are the computational cost and the optimum value of shape parameter. Therefore, research is currently focus towards localized radial basis function approximations, as the local meshless method is proposed here. The local meshless procedures is used for spatial discretization whereas for temporal discretization different time integrators are employed. The proposed local meshless method is testified in terms of efficiency, accuracy and ease of implementation using regular and irregular domains.

A new type of ordinary differential equation is introduced and discussed, namely, the time-dependent order ordinary differential equations. These equations can be solved via fractional calculus and are mapped into Volterra integral equations of second kind with singular integrable kernel. The solutions of the time-dependent order differential equations smoothly deforms solutions of the classical integer order ordinary differential equations into one-another, and can generate or remove singularities. An interesting symmetry of the solution in relation to the Riemann zeta function and Harmonic numbers was also proved.

This study aims to spatially analyze the distribution characteristics of vacant homes in Asan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, and understand the differences in factors causing vacant homes by type. We use a variety of statistical methods to examine these factors and identify key influencing factors such as the number of vacant stores, changes in overall population, land use complexity, and physical characteristics of land and buildings. The findings reveal that the factors contributing to the occurrence of vacant homes vary significantly by region and property type, highlighting the need for region-specific policies. For instance, in old town areas, small lot ratios and land use complexity are significant, while in rural village, the average number of floors and land use complexity play a major role. This study underscores the diversity of factors influencing vacant homes, suggesting that policies should be tailored to the unique characteristics of different regions to effectively address this issue.

In this study, Al-Al4C3 compounds were manufactured by mechanical milling followed by heat treatment. To analyze the microstructural evolution, the composites were sintered at 550°C during different sintering times of 2, 4 and 6 hours. The mechanical results suggest that dislocation density and crystallite size primary contribute to hardening before the sintering process, with a minimal contribution from particle dispersion in this condition. The compound exhibited a significant 75% increase in hardness after 2 hours of sintering, primarily attributed to the nucleation and growth of Al4C3 nanorods. The HRTEM analysis, combined with ge-ometric phase analysis (GPA) at and near the Al-Al4C3 interface of the nanorods, revealed strain field distributions primarily associated with partial screw dislocations and the presence of closely spaced dislocation dipoles. These findings are consistent with the microstructural parameters determined from X-ray diffraction pattern analysis using the convolutional multi-ple whole profile (CMWP) method. This analysis showed that the predominant dislocation character is primarily of the screw type, with the dislocation dipoles being closely correlated. Based on these results, it is suggested that samples with a lower weight percentage of rein-forcement and longer sintering times may experience reduced brittleness in Al/Al4C3 compo-sites. Strengthening contributions were calculated using the Langford–Cohen and Taylor equations.

The motion of a circular elastic plate floating on the surface is investigated in the time–domain. The solution is found from the single frequency solutions and the method to solve for the circular plate is given using the eigenfunction matching method. Simple plane incident waves with a Gaussian profile in wavenumber space are considered and a more complex focused wave group is considered. Results are given for a range of plate and incident wave parameters are investigated. Code is provided to show how to simulate the complex motion.

Maxwell equation for the electric field has been solved for any medium by suggesting the wavenumber and angular frequency be complex quantities. This accounts for the field decay by interaction with the medium.This expression for the time and special decay of the electric field in a medium is used to construct a new wave function sensitive to the medium physical properties. This new wave function, unlike the conventional one, differentiates between a beam of particles in a vacuum and that enters a medium which is an attenuated due to the scattering effect.Another expression for time decaying electric field was obtained using Newton’s laws for frictional medium. This expression shows that the electric field diminishes due to friction.Fortunately, this time decaying part of the electric field is typical to that derived from Maxwell’s equations. Finally, a new Schrodinger equation sensitive to the medium properties was derived. This equation, fortunately, describes some scattering processes for Protein scattering, scattering of x-rays, opto-acoustic phonons, and Raman scattering for some materials successfully .

We derive some Quantum Central Limit Theorems for expectation values of macroscopically coarse-grained observables, which are functions of coarse-grained hermitean operators consisting of non-commuting variables. Thanks to the hermicity constraints, we obtain positive-definite dis- tribution for the expectation values of observables. These probability distributions open some pathway for an emergence of classical behaviours in the limit of innitely large number of identical and non-interacting quantum constituents. This is in contradistinction to other mechanisms of classicality emergence due to environmental decoherence and consistent histories. The probabil- ity distributions so derived also enable us to evaluate the nontrivial time-dependence of certain differential entropies.

The temporal evolution of pandemics described by the susceptible-infectious-recovered (SIR)-compartment model is sensitively determined by the time dependence of the infection (a(t)) and recovery (u(t)) rates regulating the transitions from the susceptible to the infected and from the infected to the recovered compartment, respectively. Here approximated SIR-solutions for different time dependencies of the infection and recovery rates are derived which are based on the adiabatic approximation assuming time-dependent ratios k(t)=u(t)/a(t) varying slowly in comparison to the typical time characteristics of the pandemic wave. For such slow variations the available analytical approximations from the KSSIR-model, valid for a stationary value of the ratio k, are used to insert a-posteriori the adopted time-dependent ratio of the two rates. Instead of investigating endless different combinations of the time dependencies of the two rates a(t) and u(t) a suitably parameterized reduced time dependence of the ratio k(tau) is adopted. Together with the definition of the reduced time this parameterized ratio k(tau) allows us to cover a great variety of different time dependencies of the infection and recovery rates. The agreement between the solutions from the adiabatic approximation in its four different studied variants and the exact numerical solutions of the SIR-equations is remarkably good providing strong confidence in the accuracy of the proposed adiabatic approximation.

A multiscale model that enables quantitative understanding and prediction of the size effect on scattering properties of micro- and nanostructures is crucial for the design of LED surface textures optimized for high light extraction efficiency (LEE). In this paper, a hybrid process for combining full-wave finite-difference time-domain simulation and a ray-tracing technique based on a bidirectional scattering distribution function model is proposed. We apply this method to study the influence of different pattern sizes of a patterned sapphire substrate on GaN-based LED light extraction from the microscale to the nanoscale. The results show that near-wavelength–scaled patterns with strong diffraction are not expected to enhance LEE. By contrast, microscaled patterns with optical diffusion behavior have the highest LEE at a specific aspect ratio, and subwavelength-scaled patterns that have antireflection properties show marked enhancement of LEE for a wide range of aspect ratios.

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

Outliers can influence regression model parameters and change the direction of the estimated effect, over-estimating or under-estimating the strength of the association between a response variable and an exposure of interest. Identifying visit-level outliers from longitudinal data with continuous time-dependent covariates is important especially when the distribution of such variable is highly skewed at follow-up visits. The primary objective was to identify potential outliers at follow-up visits using interquartile range (IQR) statistic, motivated by a large TEDDY dietary longitudinal and time-to-event data with a continuous time varying vitamin B12 intake as the exposure of interest and time to developing Islet Autoimmunity (IA) as the response variable. The IQR method was also applied to simulated data. To assess the impact of IQR-method detected outliers, data was analyzed using Cox-proportional hazard model with robust sandwich estimator. Partial residual diagnostic plots were used to detect highly influential outliers. Results showed how some of the detected outliers had large influence on the Cox regression model and changed both the direction of hazard ratios and the strength of association with the risk of developing IA. In conclusion, the IQR method is useful in identifying potential outliers at visit-level which can be further investigated.

Potential dependent special relativity and Gauss's law for the electric field have been used for gravity by assuming vacuum energy to be generated when the energy is a minimum useful expression for vacuum energy has been found. This expression shows that elementary particles are generated by gravity vacuum filling their hollow balls; using Schrödinger equation for spherically symmetric particles vacuum energy is quantized. Treating mass as vibrating spheres thus solving Schrödinger, coordinate harmonic oscillator energy relation has been found.

In this paper we study the class of mixed-index time fractional differential equations in which different components of the problem have different time fractional derivatives on the left hand side. We prove a theorem on the solution of the linear system of equations, which collapses to the well-known Mittag-Leffler solution in the case the indices are the same, and also generalises the solution of the so-called linear sequential class of time fractional problems. We also investigate the asymptotic stability properties of this class of problems using Laplace transforms and show how Laplace transforms can be used to write solutions as linear combinations of generalisedMittag-Leffler functions in some cases. Finally we illustrate our results with some numerical simulations.

In this study, we actually want to explore the time-fractional Phi-four equation via two methods, the exp _a function method and the hyperbolic function method. We transform a fractional order dierential equation into an ordinary differential equation using a wave transformation and the fractional derivative in conformable form. Then, the resulting equation has successfully been explored for new explicit exact solutions. The procured solutions are simply showed the effectiveness and plainness of the projected methods.

The dynamic response of a Bell-and-Bloom magnetometer to a parallel (to the bias field) time-dependent field is modelled beyond the commonly assumed quasi-static regime. The results unveil features that are related to the parametric nature of the considered system. It is shown that a for low-amplitude time-dependent field different operating conditions are possible and that, beside the commonly reported low-pass-filter behaviour, a band-pass response emerges. Moreover, we numerically show that for larger field amplitude the system, due to its parametric nature, has a kind of ``non-linear'' response.

Real-time estimation of the parameters characterising infectious disease transmission is important for optimization quarantine interventions during outbreaks. One of the most significant parameters is the effective reproduction number - number of secondary cases produced by a single infection. The current study presents an approach for estimating the effective reproduction number and its application to COVID-19 outbreak. The method is based on fitting SIR epidemic model to observation data in a sliding time window and allows to show real-time dynamics of reproduction number at any phase of epidemic for countries globally. Online data on COVID-19 daily cases of infections, recoveries, deaths are used.Finally, time-dependent reproduction number is explored in connection with dynamics of peoples mobility. The method allows to assess the disease transmission potential and understand the effect of interventions on epidemics spread. It also can be easily adapted to future outbreaks of different pathogens. The tool is available online as Python code from the Github repository.

The so-called Born-Huang ansatz is a fundamental tool in the context of ab-initio molecular dynamics, viz., it allows to effectively separate fast and slow degrees of freedom and thus treating electrons and nuclei at different mathematical footings. Here we consider the use of a Born-Huang-like expansion of the three-dimensional time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation to separate transport and confinement degrees of freedom in electron transport problems that involve geometrical constrictions. The resulting scheme consists of an eigenstate problem for the confinement degrees of freedom (in the transverse direction) whose solution constitutes the input for the propagation of a set of coupled one-dimensional equations of motion for the transport degree of freedom (in the longitudinal direction). This technique achieves quantitative accuracy using an order less computational resources than the full dimensional simulation for a prototypical two-dimensional constriction.

Background: Pre-treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) protected the kidney against a later lethal ischemia. To reveal the mechanisms of renal cross-tolerance and septic acute kidney injury we investigated the effects of LPS on miRNA expression in the kidney. Methods: Male NMRI mice were injected with 40 and 10 mg/kg LPS ip. and sacrificed at 1.5 and 6 hours (early preconditioning, EP) and at 24 and 48 hours (late preconditioning, LP). The miRNA profile was established using miRCURY LNA™ microarray and confirmed with qPCR. Results: Plasma urea concentration peaked at 24 hours after LPS and decreased thereafter. Renal TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA were extremely elevated at all time-points. miRNome changes were mild at 1.5 hours, most miRNAs were altered at 6 and 24 hours and declined by 48 hours. Not all miRNAs could be assayed or validated by qPCR. In EP miR-762 was newly identified and validated and was the most elevated miRNA with both methods. In LP miR-21a-5p was the most influenced miRNA followed by miR-451a, miR-144-3p and miR-146a-5p. MiR-21a-3p increased significantly in both EP and LP. Conclusion: miR-762 might attenuate the LPS-induced immune response during EP and the miR-144/451 cluster is involved in LPS-induced renal preconditioning.

We continue our recent endeavor in which a time-dependent black hole solution of a one-loop quantum-corrected Einstein-scalar system was obtained and its near-horizon behavior was analyzed. The energy analysis led to a trans-Planckian scaling behavior near the event horizon. In the present work the analysis is extended to a rotating black hole solution of an Einstein-Maxwell-scalar system with a Higgs potential. Although the analysis becomes much more complex compared to that of the previous, we observe the same basic features, including the quantum-gravitational trans-Planckian energy near the horizon.

For a dynamical system, it is known that the existence of a Lyapunov density implies almost global stability of an equilibrium. It is then natural to ask whether the existence of a common Lyapunov density for a nonlinear switched system implies almost global stability, in the same way as a common Lyapunov function implies global stability for nonlinear switched systems. In this work, the answer to this question is shown to be affirmative as long as switchings satisfy a dwell-time constraint with an arbitrarily small dwell time. As a straightforward extension of this result, we employ multiple Lyapunov densities in analogy with the role of multiple Lyapunov functions for the global stability of switched systems. This gives rise to a minimum dwell time estimate to ensure almost global stability of nonlinear switched systems, when a common Lyapunov density does not exist. The results obtained for continuous-time switched systems are based on some sufficient conditions for the almost global stability of discrete-time non-autonomous systems. These conditions are obtained using the duality between Frobenius-Perron operator and Koopman operator.

Although the empirical Kepler’s laws can be proven by applying Newton’s laws to the dynamics of two particles attracted due to the gravitational interaction, there is no explicit formula for the motion as a function of time. In this paper, a quasi-analytical solution for this problem is proposed. It approximates the real behavior of celestial bodies with an acceptable degree of accuracy. All calculations involved require a low computational cost. This problem is closely related to Kepler’s equation, since, the solution for the equations of motion as a function of time gives us the solution to Kepler’s equation as well. The results are presented for each planet of the solar system (including Pluto), and the solution is compared against the real orbits.

There are many problems based on solving non-autonomous differential equations of the form x¨(t)+ω2(t)x(t)=0, where x(t) represents the coordinate of a material point and ω is the angular frequency. The inverse problem involves finding the bounded coefficient ω. Continuity of the function ω(t) is not required. The trajectory x(t) is unknown, but the initial and final values of the phase variables are given. The variation principle of minimum time for the entire dynamic process allows for the determination of the optimal solution {x(t),ω(t)}. Thus, the inverse problem is an optimal control problem. No simplifying assumptions were made.

The allosteric SERCA (Sarcoplasmic/Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+-ATPase) activator CDN1163 has been recently added to the group of pharmacological tools for probing SERCA function. We chose to investigate the effects of the compound on T lymphocyte Ca2+ stores, using the well-described Jurkat T lymphocyte as a reliable cell system for Ca2+ signaling pathways. Our study identified the lowest concentrations of the SERCA inhibitors thapsigargin (TG) and 2,5-di-(tert butyl)-1,4-benzohydroquinone (tBHQ) capable of releasing Ca2+, permitting the differentiation of the TG-sensitive SERCA 2b Ca2+ store from the tBHQ-sensitive SERCA 3 Ca2+ store. We proceeded to test the effects of CDN1163 on Ca2+ stores, examining specific actions on the SERCA 2b and SERCA 3 Ca2+ pools using our low dose SERCA blocker regimen. In contrast to previous work, we find CDN1163 exerts complex time-sensitive and SERCA isoform-specific actions on Ca2+ stores. Surprisingly, short-term exposure (0-30 minutes) to CDN1163 perturbs T cell Ca2+ stores by suppressing Ca2+ uptake with diminished Ca2+ release from the SERCA 2b-controlled store. Concomitantly, we find evidence for a SERCA-activating effect of CDN1163 on the SERCA 3 regulated store, given the observation of increased Ca2+ release inducible by low dose tBHQ. Intriguingly, longer-term (>12 hours) CDN1163 exposure reversed this pattern, with increased Ca2+ release from SERCA 2b-regulated pools, yet decreased Ca2+ release responses from tBHQ-sensitive SERCA 3 pool. Our results reveal differential effects of CDN1163 on Ca2+ stores regulated by distinct SERCA isoforms, prompting the need for careful interpretation of the compound’s effects, particularly in cells expressing multiple SERCA isoforms.

Few-layer graphene oxide (GO) has shown none or very weak cytotoxicity and anti-proliferative effects in a wide range of cell lines such as glyoma cells and human skin HaCaT cells, in concentrations up to 100 µg/mL However, multi-layer GO has been hardly explored in the biomedical field. Thus, multi-layer GO was examined here in human keratinocyte HaCaT cells treated with different concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 150 µg/mL during different periods of times (3, 12 and 24 hours). The results of this study showed a time-concentration dependence with two non-cytotoxic concentrations (0.01 and 0.05 µg/mL) and a median effective concentration value of 4.087 µg/mL at 24 hours of GO exposure. Contrary to what has been reported for few-layer GO, cell proliferation of the HaCaT cells in contact with the multi-layer GO at 0.01 μg/mL showed identical proliferative activity compared to an epidermal growth factor (1.6-fold greater than the control group) after 96 hours. The effects of the multi-layer GO on the expression of 13 genes (SOD1, CAT, MMP1, TGFB1, GPX1, FN1, HAS2, LAMB1, LUM, CDH1, COL4A1, FBN and VCAN) at the non-cytotoxic concentrations of GO in the HaCaT cells were analyzed after 24 hours. Thus, the lowest non-cytotoxic GO concentration was able to up-regulate the CAT, TGFB1, FN1 and CDH1 genes, which confirms the great potential of multi-layer GO in the biomedical field.

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

In this paper, we consider an epidemiological Susceptible-Infected-Susceptible (SIS) model in which the individuals cured from the infection return back into the group of people endangered by the infection. Delay differential equations were introduced to create more realistic models since many processes depend on past history. Many different mathematical methods, including the Susceptible-Infected-Recovered (SIR) model as well as derivatives thereof, can be used to prognose the spread of many various infectious diseases, including Covid-19.We use a nonlinear differential system with time delay as a mathematical formulation of this model. It is examined by the existence of a positive solution which is bounded by two functions $k_1, k_2\in C([t_0,\infty),(0,\infty))$ with constants $\lambda_1 > 0,\,\lambda_2 > 0$ where $0<\lambda_1\leq \lambda_2$. The conditions are put in place for existence of a positive solution that approaches zero in infinity, if $t\to\infty$. Infectious diseases accompany a person throughout their entire life, and in the history of mankind often appeared in frequent epidemics caused high mortality. The occurrence of infectious diseases in the population represents a serious health, social and economic problem. There is a lot of ambiguity concerning the time span and final spread of the epidemic thus making it very demanding for the governing bodies, healthcare institutions, and economic sector to precisely judge the future development.Several examples are shown at the end of this paper.

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

The differential-equation of second order for space-time oscillation in flat tangential-spacetime of Minkowski-type can be written as an energy-equation. For this energy-equation the analogon of damping energy in two coupled Minkoswki-spacetimes with ftl can be calculated and formulated over Lamberts W-function or via Euler-equation.

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

Information geometry (IG) seeks to characterize the structure of statistical geodesic models from a differential geometric point of view. By considering families of probability distributions as manifolds with coordinate charts determined by the parameters of each individual model, the tools of differential geometry, such as divergences and metric tensors, provide effective means of studying their characteristics. The research undertaken in this paper presents a novel approach to the modelling study of information geometrics of a queueing system. In this context, the manifold of a stable M/G/1queue is characterised from the viewpoint of IG. The Fisher Information matrix (FIM) as well as the inverse of (FIM), (IFIM) of stable M/G/1 queue manifold are devised. In addition to that, new results that uncovered the significant impact of stability of M/G/1 queue manifold on the existence of (IFIM) are obtained. The Kullback’s divergence (KD), and J-divergence (JD).New result has been devised on the significant impact of both server utilization and squared coefficient of variation of the underlying M/G/1 queue manifold on both (KD) and (KD) are devised. Also, it is revealed that stable M/G/1 QM is developable (i.e., has a zero Gaussian curvature) and has a non-zero Ricci Curvature Tensor (RCT). Novel stability dynamics of M/G/1 queue manifold is revealed by discovering the mutual dual impact between the behaviour of (RCT) and the stability and the instability phases of the underlying M/G/1 queue manifold. Furthermore, a new discovery that presents the significant impact of stability of M/G/1 queue manifold and the continuity of the unique representation between M/G/1 queue manifold and Ricci Curvature Tensor (RCT). The information matrix exponential (IME) is devised. It is also shown that the obtained (IME) is unstable. Also, it is shown that stability of the devised (IME) enforces the instability of M/G/1 queue manifold. Unifying IG with Queueing Theory enables the study of dynamics of queueing system from a novel Riemannian Geometric (RG) point of view, leading to the analysis of the stable M/G/1 queue, based on the Theory of Relativity (TR).Extending the study over two new additional divergence measures, namely and together with a complete illustrative numerical results for all these measures including KD, JD. This links Queueing theory, IG with deep machine learning and metric learning. Furthermore, this reveals the revolutionary approach of queue learning. Full analytic study of Gaussian curvatures subject to both Angular and Monge techniques together with the overall stability dynamics impact on these curvatures. Full analytic study of Einestein Tensor and Stress Energy Tensor together with the overall stability dynamics impact on these curvatures. The inclusion of the definitions of Gaussian and Ricci, Ricci scalar curvatures and Einstein Tensor together with their physical interpretations; The proposed novel approach for the pioneer visualization of queueing systems via computational information geometry. The determination of new important links between classical queueing theory and other mathematical disciplines, such as IG, matrix theory Riemannian geometry and the THEORY OF RELATIVITY by providing for first time i) The full detailed derivations of the Gaussian curvature ii) The Ricci curvature tensor and iii) The full physical as well as the geometric interpretation of these new results. The provision of a novel link between Ricci Curvature (RCT) and the stability analysis of the stable M/G/1 QM. The full investigation of the newly introduced QT-IG unifiers together with the impact of stability/ instability of the underlying M/G/1 QM on them. The full investigation of the newly introduced (QIGU) unifiers together with the impact of stability/ instability of the underlying M/G/1 QM on them.

This paper proposed a time two-mesh (TT-M) finite difference numerical scheme to improve the efficiency of solving the symmetric regularized long wave (SRLW) equation. The TT-M Crank-Nicolson discretization and finite difference method are employed in time and space approximation respectively. The scheme involves three main steps: firstly, the time interval is divided into coarse and fine time meshes, then the nonlinear system is solved on the coarse time mesh; secondly, coarse numerical solutions on the fine time mesh are computed using an interpolation formula based on the solutions derived in the step one; lastly, the TT-M finite difference numerical solutions can be obtained through constructing the linearized fine time mesh system using Taylor’s formula. Compared to the currently existing TT-M numerical methods, the novelty of this study is that the nonlinear term including derivatives is linearized by Taylor’s formula for a function with three variables, whose error analysis is more complex. Finally, some numerical examples, including computational time and accuracy, preservation of conservation laws, are given to verify the efficiency of the scheme. By comparing it with the standard nonlinear finite difference scheme, this method can reduce CPU time without sacrificing accuracy.

TThe locality condition of probabilities underpinning the derivation of Bell inequalities can be violated classically. The wave function collapse of an entangled state of single photons results in the factorization of quantum probabilities. It is possible to differentiate, locally, between ensemble probabilities of single detections with and without wave function collapse for the alleged quantum nonlocality. The theoretical concept of photonic quantum nonlocality cannot be implemented physically because of the quantum Rayleigh scattering of single photons. A distinction needs to be made between the correlation of individual, single measurements of pure states and the correlation of the measurement ensemble of the mixed states. The correlation operator of Pauli vector operators delivers the same probabilities of correlated detections of photons for both independent and multi-photon states as for ‘entangled’ states of photons. As single-photon sources are not needed, the design and implementation of quantum computing operations and other devices will be significantly streamlined. © 2024 The Author

The major stress-inducible Hsp70 (HSPA1A) is overexpressed in the cytosol of many highly aggressive tumor cells including glioblastoma multiforme and presented on their plasma membrane. Depending on its intracellular or membrane localization, Hsp70 either promotes tumor growth or serves as a target for NK cells. The kinetics of the membrane Hsp70 (mHsp70) density on human glioma cells (U87) was studied after different irradiation doses to define the optimal therapeutic window for Hsp70-targeting NK cells. To maintain the cells in the exponential growth phase during a cultivation period of 7 days different initial cell counts were seeded. Although cytosolic Hsp70 levels remained unchanged on days 4 and 7 after a sublethal irradiation with 2 Gy, 4 Gy and 6 Gy, a dose of 2 Gy resulted in an upregulated mHsp70 density in U87 cells which peaks on day 4 and starts to decline on day 7. Higher radiation doses (4 Gy, 6 Gy) resulted in an earlier and more rapid onset of the mHsp70 expression on days 2 and 1, respectively, followed by a decline on day 5. Membrane Hsp70 levels are higher in G2/M than in G1, however, an irradiation-induced cell cycle arrest on days 4 and 7, was not associated with an increase in the mHsp70 density. Extracellular Hsp70 concentrations increased significantly compared to sham (0 Gy) irradiated cells on days 4 and 7 but not on day 1. Functionally, elevated mHsp70 densities were associated with a significantly better lysis by Hsp70-targeting NK cells. In summary, the kinetics of changes in the mHsp70 density upon irradiation on tumor cells is time- and dose-dependent.

Dual generalized commutative quaternions have broad application prospects in many fields. Additionally, the matrix equation AXB = C has important applications in mathematics and engineering, especially in control systems, economics, computer science, and other disciplines. However, research on the matrix equation AXB = C over the dual generalized commutative quaternions remains relatively insufficient. In this paper, we derive the necessary and sufficient conditions for the solvability of the dual generalized commutative quaternion matrix equation AXB = C. Furthermore, we provide the general solution expression for this matrix equation, when it is solvable. Finally, a numerical algorithm and an example are provided to confirm the reliability of the main conclusions.

In a multivariable system there are usually a number of relaxation times. When some of the relaxation times are shorter than others, the corresponding variables will decay to their equilibrium value faster than the others. After the fast variables have decayed, the system can be described with a smaller number of variables. From the theory of nonequilibrium thermodynamics, as formulated by Onsager, we know that the coefficients in the linear flux-force relations satisfy the so-called Onsager symmetry relations. The question we will address in this paper is how to eliminate the fast variables such that the coefficients in the reduced description for the slow variables still satisfy the Onsager relations. As the proof Onsager gave of the symmetry relations does not depend on the choice of the variables, it is equally valid for the subset of slow variables. Elimination procedures that lead to symmetry breaking are possible, but do not consider systems that satisfy the laws of nonequilibrium thermodynamics.

This case report describes the successful repair of a radial bone fracture and skin defect in a dog using an ulnar bone graft and an advancement flap. A one-year-old spayed female Poodle dog weighing 1.7 kg was brought in with non-weight-bearing lameness, an open wound, and a frac-ture in the right forelimb. The dog had fallen off the bicycle being ridden by its owner, causing its right forelimb to be caught in the wheel. The treatment included surgical debridement of the necrotic tissue, skin reconstruction with an advancement flap, and radial bone reconstruction with an ulnar bone graft, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), humeral cancellous bone and a ti-tanium T-shaped plate. Postoperative management included antibiotics, pain medication, and activity restriction. The dog made a good recovery and was able to bear weight on the affected limb four months after surgery.

In this paper, we study nonlocal problems for a fractional diffusion equation and a degenerate hyperbolic equation with singular coefficients in the lower terms. The uniqueness of the solution to the problem is proved by the method of energy integrals. The existence of a solution is equivalently reduced to the question of the solvability of Volterra integral equations of the second kind and a fractional differential equation. For a particular solution of the proposed problem, its visualization is carried out for various values of the order of the fractional derivative. It is shown that the order of the derivative affects the intensity of the diffusion process (subdiffusion), as well as the shape of the wave front.

Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR) is known to be a serious problem for concrete worldwide, especially in high humidity and high temperature regions. ASR is a slow process that develops over years to decades and it is influenced by changes in environmental and loading conditions of the structure. The problem becomes even more complicated if one recognizes that other phenomena like creep and shrinkage are coupled with ASR. This results in synergistic mechanisms that can not be easily understood without a comprehensive computational model. In this paper, coupling between creep, shrinkage and ASR is modeled within the Lattice Discrete Particle Model (LDPM) framework. In order to achieve this, a multi-physics formulation is used to compute the evolution of temperature, humidity, cement hydration, and ASR in both space and time, which is then used within physics-based formulations of cracking, creep and shrinkage. The overall model is calibrated and validated on the basis of experimental data available in the literature. Results show that even during free expansions (zero macroscopic stress), a significant degree of coupling exists because ASR induced expansions are relaxed by meso-scale creep driven by self-equilibriated stresses at the meso-scale. This explains and highlights the importance of considering ASR and other time dependent aging and deterioration phenomena at an appropriate length scale in coupled modeling approaches.

By introducing environmental mediator, for avoiding randomness in selecting indicators and subjectivity in deciding interaction path coefficients to reveal interaction mechanism among forest industry, ecology and environmental capacity, structural Pressure–State–Impact–Response (PSIR) and quantitative Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) are utilized with data on thirty–one provinces of China. We can find that: (i) forest industry has a negative influence on ecology, whereas ecology has a positive influence on industry; (ii) the destructive influence that industry has on ecology is much greater than the positive effect ecology has on industry; and (iii) environmental capacity plays a partial mediating role between industry and ecology. According to these results we can conclude that: (i) forest industry and ecology are not in a symbiotic relationship and have not reached a level of ecological security; (ii) the interaction between industry and ecology is in a period of transition from antagonistic to beneficial; and (iii) industry dominates ecology. However, we prospect the following advice: (i) methods of forest industry should be changed; (ii) new modes of industrial integration and circular economy should be developed; and (iii) the ability of the environment to sustain itself should be enhanced. The level of forest ecological security to discuss the symbiotic mechanism of industry and ecology will propose to be measured in future.

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

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

This article describes a simple Susceptible Infected Recovered (SIR) model fitting with COVID-19 data for the month of march 2020 in New York (NY) state. The model is a classical SIR, but is non-autonomous; the rate of susceptible people becoming infected is adjusted over time in order to fit the available data. The death rate is also secondarily adjusted. Our fitting is made under the assumption that due to limiting number of tests, a large part of the infected population has not been tested positive. In the last part, we extend the model to take into account the daily fluxes between New Jersey (NJ) and NY states and fit the data for both states. Our simple model fits the available data, and illustrates typical dynamics of the disease: exponential increase, apex and decrease. The model highlights a decrease in the transmission rate over the period which gives a quantitative illustration about how lockdown policies reduce the spread of the pandemic. The coupled model with NY and NJ states shows a wave in NJ following the NY wave, illustrating the mechanism of spread from one attractive hot spot to its neighbor.

The resilience of towns and cities refers to their ability to adapt and recover when confronted with pressures or challenges. This study employs ten variables as indicators to assess the resilience of urban areas by analyzing official data and constructing a multilevel mixed-effects structural equation model. The empirical findings demonstrate that enhancing resilience significantly influ-ences urban service functions, such as strengthening healthcare systems, stabilizing the real estate market, and addressing socio-economic challenges. Specifically, factors such as healthcare re-sources, housing demand, population structure, and social security exhibit varying levels of resil-ience, which profoundly impact the spatial distribution of these factors and socio-economic de-velopment. Disparities in healthcare resource allocation, demographic aging trends, and shifts in the housing market closely correlate with resilience levels in different regions. Additionally, the study emphasizes that improving resilience not only boosts the reliability and security of urban services but also ensures that communities receive necessary support and protection during times of adversity. Consequently, policymakers should recognize the pivotal role of urban resilience in resource allocation and social equity, devising corresponding strategies to enhance the resilience of these areas.

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

Inverse Sumudu transform multiple shifting properties are used to design methodology for solving ordinary differential equations. Then algorithm applied to solve Whittaker and Zettl equations to get their new exact solutions and profiles which shown through Maple complex graphicals. Table of inverse Sumudu transforms for elementary functions given for supporting the differential equations solving using inverse Sumudu transform.

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

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

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a major role in promoting ripening in sweet cherry, a non-climateric fruit. Exogenous application of ABA has been performed to study fruit ripening and cracking, but this growth regulator is not used for commercial production. To determine the potential of this growth regulator to improve sweet cherry fruit quality, ABA canopy spraying was assayed in four cultivars. Canopy spraying of S-ABA significantly: 1) enhanced sweet cherry fruit color in ‘Glenred’, ‘Lapins’ and 'Bing' cultivars, but not in ‘Royal Rainier’ (a bi-colored cultivar), and 2) decreased fruit size and firmness in ‘Lapins’, ‘Bing’ and ‘Royal Rainier’. Seasonally reproducible effects were seen in ‘Lapins’ (mid/late-maturing) but not in ‘Glenred’ (early-maturing). Canopy spraying of nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) decreased color and increased fruit size in ‘Lapins’, but not in ‘Glenred’. Direct application of ABA on fruits attached to the tree, without application to the foliage, increased Lapins' fruit color without reducing size. These results suggest a localized fruit response to exogenous ABA application on fruit color development, but that a decrease in fruit size may be due to the effects of exogenous ABA on the tree canopy foliage.

Time evolution operators of a strongly ionizing medium are calculated by a time-dependent unitary transformation (TDUT) method. The TDUT method has been employed in quantum mechanical system composed of discrete states. This method is especially helpful for solving molecular rotational dynamics in quasi-adiabatic regimes because the strict unitary nature of the propagation operator allows us to set the temporal step size large; a tight limitation on the temporal step size ($\delta t <<1$) can be circumvented by the strict unitary nature. On the other hand, in a strongly ionizing system where the Hamiltonian is not Hermitian, the same approach cannot be directly applied because it is demanding to define a set of field-dressed eigenstates. In this study, the TDUT method was applied to the ionizing regime using the Kramers-Henneberger frame, in which the strong-field-dressed discrete eigenstates are given by the field-free discrete eigenstates in a moving frame. Although the present work verifies the method for a one-dimensional atom as a prototype, the method can be applied to three-dimensional atoms, and molecules exposed to strong laser fields.

In this paper, initially a mathematical model is formulated for transient frequency of power system considering time delays which occur while transmitting the control signals in open communication infrastructure. Time delay negligence in a power system leads to improper measurement of frequency variation in power system. The study of impact of time delays on the stability of power system is performed by estimating the decay rate of frequency wave form using Kalman Filter (KF). In power system, there is a possibility of multiple time delays. This paper also focusses on developing Interacting Multiple Model (IMM) Algorithm with multiple model space using Kalman Filter (KF) as state estimator tool. The multiple time delays in power system is considered as multiple model space. The result shows that KF provides better estimate of correct model for a particular input-set. The qualitative properties of Riccati difference equation (RDE) in terms of state error covariance of IMMKF are also analyzed and presented.

New exact solutions to conformable time fractional EW and modified EW equations are constructed by using Sine-Gordon expansion approach. The fractional traveling wave transform and homogeneous balance have significant roles in the solution procedure. The predicted solution is of the form of some finite series of multiplication of powers of cos and sin functions. The relation among trigonometric and hyperbolic functions in sense of Sine-Gordon expansion gives opportunity to construct the solutions in terms of hyperbolic functions.

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

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

The fractional advection-dispersion equation FADE plays an important role, especially in explaining the process of solute-transport in natural porous media with different degrees of heterogeneity. However, studies of the flow and transport of contaminants in the underground environment are based on the knowledge of many functional parameters of the subsoil. The delay factor caused by nonlinear absorption is one of these parameters inheriting significant ambiguities in its estimation in heterogeneous media. In the study, a fractional advection-dispersion FADE model was developed by the implicit Euler method, based on a Grunwald and Caputo-Liousville approximation to explicitly evaluate and simulate the transport mechanism of contaminants in media with unsaturated porous materials subjected to a nonlinear sorption model. Better solute mass retention was observed for fractional advection-dispersion FADE model. Moreover, the absorption parameter of the retardation coefficient has a better impact on the motion of the solute in a saturated porous medium. In other words, it has a significant effect on the dispersion of pollutants in aquifers. This study highlights the need to characterize the aquifer to predict solute transport in porous media.

Craniofacial neuropathic pain affects millions of people worldwide and is often difficult to treat. Two key mechanisms underlying this condition are a loss of the negative control exerted by inhibitory interneurons and an early microglial reaction. Basic features of these mechanisms, however, are still poorly understood. Using the chronic constriction injury of the infraorbital nerve (CCI-IoN) model of neuropathic pain in mice, we have examined the changes in the expression of GAD, the synthetic enzyme of GABA, and GlyT2, the membrane transporter of glycine, as well as the microgliosis that occur at early (5 days) and late (21 days) stages post-CCI in the medullary and upper spinal dorsal horn. Our results show that CCI-IoN induces a down-regulation of GAD at both postinjury survival times, uniformly across the superficial laminae. The expression of GlyT2 showed a more discrete and heterogeneous reduction due to the basal presence in lamina III of ‘patches’ of higher expression, interspersed within a less immunoreactive ‘matrix’, which showed a more substantial reduction in the expression of GlyT2. These patches coincided with foci lacking any perceptible microglial reaction, which stood out against a more diffuse areas of strong microgliosis. These findings may provide clues to better understand the neural mechanisms underlying allodynia in neuropathic pain syndromes.

In previous works we have developed the concept of a relativistic engine taking into account the phenomena of retardation of electromagnetic fields. We have shown that Newton’n third law cannot strictly hold in a distributed system, where the different parts are at a finite distance from each other and thus force imbalance is created at the system’s center of mass. As the system is affected by a total force for a finite period, mechanical momentum and energy are acquired by the system. In previous works we relied on the fact that the bodies were macroscopically natural. Lately we relaxed this assumption and studied charged bodies, thus analyzing the consequences on a possible electric relativistic engine. On the first paper on this subject we investigated this phenomena in general but gave an example of a system only at the stage of reaching a stationary state, a second paper was devoted to the same but on the atomic scale, here we shall analyze the charge relativistic engine in a general time dependent setting.

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

By using Modified simple equation method, we study the Cahn Allen equation which arises in many scientific applications such as mathematical biology, quantum mechanics and plasma physics. As a result, the existence of solitary wave solutions of the Cahn Allen equation is obtained. Exact explicit solutions interms of hyperbolic solutions of the associated Cahn Allen equation are characterized with some free parameters. Finally, the variety of structure and graphical representation make the dynamics of the equations visible and provides the mathematical foundation in mathematical biology, quantum mechanics and plasma physics.

We investigate solutions of the classical Mathieu-Hill (MH) equation which characterizes the dynamics of trapped ions, based on the Floquet theory and starting from a well known analytical model. The analytical model we introduce demonstrates that the equations of motion are equivalent to those of the harmonic oscillator (HO). Two independent approaches are used, based on two classes of complex solutions of the MH equation. The paper addresses both the damped HO and parametric oscillator (PO) for an ion confined in an electrodynamic (Paul) trap. Stability and instability regions for the periodic orbits associated to the MH equation which describes a HO (PO) confined in an electrodynamic trap are also discussed, depending on the values of the Floquet exponent, for very small values of the $q$ parameter. The main objective of the paper is to identify stable and bounded solutions for the dynamics of a HO levitated in an electrodynamic trap. This paper represents a follow-up of a recently published article in Photonics, 11 (6) 551.

We consider the financial planning problem of a retiree wishing to enter a retirement village at a future uncertain date. The date of entry is determined by the retiree's utility and bequest maximisation problem within the context of uncertain future health states. In addition, the retiree must choose optimal consumption, investment, bequest and purchase of insurance products prior to her full annuitisation on entry to the retirement village. A hyperbolic absolute risk-aversion (HARA) utility function is used to allow necessary consumption for basic living and medical costs. The retirement village will typically require an initial deposit upon entry. This threshold wealth requirement leads to exercising the replication of an American put option at the uncertain stopping time. From our numerical results, active insurance and annuity markets are shown to be a critical aspect in retirement planning.

Modern physics is situated on the fine line between scientific research and an attempt to answer metaphysical questions. Contemporary scholars such as Henry Stapp and Roger Penrose attempt to create an ontological interpretation of Schrödinger's equation in superposition state and its reduction or collapse to classical state. In this short essay I will try to explore how Immanuel Kant's metaphysics and the concept of noumena can be possibly integrated with quantum physics and Schrödinger's equation.

The stability properties of the Hill equation are discussed, and especially those of the Mathieu equation that characterize ion motion in electrodynamic traps. The solutions of the Mathieu equation for a trapped ion are characterized by using the Floquet theory and Hill's Method solution, which yields an infinite system of linear and homogeneous equations whose coefficients are recursively determined. Stability is discussed for parameters $a$ and $q$ that are real. Characteristic curves are introduced naturally by the Sturm-Liouville problem for the well known even and odd Mathieu equations $ce_m(z,q)$ and $se_m(z,q)$. We illustrate the stability diagram for a combined (Paul and Penning) trap and represent the frontiers of the stability domains for axial and radial motion. In case of a Paul trap the stable solution corresponds to a superposition of harmonic motions. The problem of evaluating the maximum amplitudes of stable oscillations for the ideal conditions (taken into consideration) is also approached. Anharmonic corrections are discussed within the frame of the perturbation theory, while the frontiers of the modified stability domains are determined as a function of the chosen perturbation parameter. The results apply to 2D and 3D ion traps used for different applications in quantum engineering, among which optical clocks, quantum logic and quantum metrology, but not restricted only to these.

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

The time-dependent behavior and long-term stability of deep-buried tunnels in soft rocks have received lots of considerations in tunnel engineering and allied sciences. To better explore and deepen the engineering application of rock creep, extensive research studies are still needed, although fruitful outcomes have already obtained in many related investigations. In this article, the Weilai Tunnel in China’s Guangxi province is studied taking its host rocks as the main research object. In fact, aiming at forecasting the time-varying deformation of this tunnel, a novel elasto-visco-plastic creep constitutive model with two variants is proposed, by exploiting the typical complex load-unload process of rock excavation. The model is well validated and good agreements are found with the relevant experimental data. Moreover, the time-dependent de-formation rules are properly established for the surrounding rocks, by designing two new closed-form solutions based on the proposed creep model and the Hoek-Brown criterion. The convergence deformations calculated from the closed-form solutions conform well to the on-site monitoring data. In only 27 days after excavation, the creep deformation of the Weilai tunnel overtakes 400 mm, which is enormous. To guarantee the long-term stability of this tunnel, a ro-bust support scheme and its long-term monitoring with appropriate remote sensors are strongly suggested.

In this paper, we consider a fourth-order suspension bridge equation with nonlinear damping term |u_t|^m-2u_t and source term |u|^p-2u. We give necessary and sufficient condition for global existence and energy decay results without considering the relation between m and p. Moreover, when p>m, we give sufficient condition for finite time blow-up of solutions. The lower bound of the blow-up time T_max is also established. It worth to mention that our obtained results extend the recent results of Wang (J. Math. Anal. Appl., 2014) to the nonlinear damping case.

In modern times, technology has become more than just a tool; it is a vital component of our lives, driving society and humanity towards new horizons, better living standards, and solu-tions for complex, global challenges. This article explores the world of dependable systems, specifically focusing on system design, software solutions, and architectural decisions that fa-cilitate collaborative work. It aims to dive into the intricacies of designing robust and effective document collaboration software. Throughout this paper, readers will gain insights into the proposed design process, enabling them to understand, learn from, and critically evaluate the examined methodologies and outcomes. Like everything else in the software technology field, there are multiple solutions to any given problem, and this work is no exception to this rule. The objective of this study is to provide a detailed architectural overview of the microservices pattern in an orchestrated cloud environment based on independent containers. To examine the pros and cons of such a system, the paper will detail how a real-time document collaboration system can benefit from such an architecture regarding availability, elasticity, scaling, and disaster recovery. Moreover, the paper will analyze how cloud-native technologies can be used to create a scalable platform solution, capable of handling traffic, dynamic resource storage, asynchronous com-munication, and application scaling. The intricate nature of this system renders this paper a valuable resource for prospective investigations within the domain of dependable systems, cloud computing, and distributed systems. This paper not only showcases the design and implementation process but also sets a founda-tion for future research and innovation in dependable systems, collaborative technologies, sustainable solutions, and distributed system architecture.

Aiming at the problems of inaccurate segmentation of long object and information loss of small object in real-time semantic segmentation algorithm, this paper proposes a lightweight multi-branch real-time semantic segmentation network based on BiseNetV2. The new auxiliary branch makes full use of spatial details and context information to cover the long object in the field of view. Meanwhile, in order to ensure the inference speed of the model, the asymmetric convolution is used in each stage of the auxiliary branch to design a structure with low computational complexity. In the multi-branch fusion stage, the alignment and fusion module is designed to provide guidance information for deep and shallow feature mapping, so as to make up for the problem of feature misalignment in the fusion of information at different scales, and thus reduce the loss of small target information. In order to further improve the model’s awareness of key information, a global context module is designed to capture the most important features in the input data. The proposed network uses NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU experiment, on the road street view data set Cityscapes and CamVid average occurring simultaneously ratio reached 77.1% and 78.4% respectively, with running speed of 127 frames/s respectively and 112 frames/s. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve real-time segmentation and improve the accuracy significantly, showing good semantic segmentation performance

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

In 2018, Iran witnessed approximately 21,000 fatalities resulting from road accidents, ranking it as the fifth leading cause of death across all age groups. These incidents carry substantial economic and social burden for the nation, claiming more than 5% of its GDP. Human behavior emerges as a significant contributing factor to high-risk driving offenses. It has been proposed that by influencing general deterrence, a rigorous defense can be established against such violations. Various theories posit that by reinforcing or diminishing influential factors, general deterrence perception can be molded, presenting a potential avenue for an effective deterrent against traffic infractions. This study examines deterrence perceptions prevailing among the public in Iran regarding the enforcement of traffic laws. Employing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), we delve into the intricate relationships between variables, allowing for a comprehensive exploration of the factors influencing general deterrence. The study draws on the data derived from a survey comprising 548 questionnaires for modeling purposes. An innovative concept, private sector enforcement, is introduced and incorporated into the questioning and modeling process. The findings reveal that socioeconomic status (p-value&lt;0.01), police enforcement (p-value&lt;0.05), private sector enforcement (p-value&lt;0.05), specific deterrence (p-value&lt;0.01), and the use of technology (p-value&lt;0.01) have direct and indirect impacts on the general deterrence perception of drivers.

We apply utilized the extended form of the auxiliary equation method to obtain extensively reliable exact travelling wave solutions of perturbed Gerdjikov–Ivanov equation (GIE) that is widely used as a model in the field theory of quanta and non-linear optics. The method is based on a simple first order second degree ODE. The new form of the approach gives more solutions to the governing equation efficiently.

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

Using a scaling symmetry, it is shown how to compute polynomial conservation laws, generalized symmetries, recursion operators, Lax pairs, and bilinear forms of polynomial nonlinear partial differential equations thereby establishing their complete integrability. The Gardner equation is chosen as the key example for it comprises both the Korteweg-de Vries and modified Korteweg de Vries (mKdV) equations. The Gardner and Miura transformations which connect these equations are also computed using the concept of scaling homogeneity. Exact solitary wave solutions and solitons of the Gardner equation are derived using Hirota’s method and other direct methods. The nature of these solutions depends on the sign of the cubic term in the Gardner equation and the underlying mKdV equation. It is shown that flat (table-top) waves of large amplitude only occur when the sign of the cubic nonlinearity is negative (defocusing case) whereas the focusing Gardner equation has the standard elastically colliding solitons. The paper’s aim is to provide a review of integrability properties and solutions of the Gardner equation and illustrate the applicability of the scaling symmetry approach. The methods and algorithms used in this paper have been implemented in Mathematica but can be adapted for major computer algebra systems.

The reliability of concrete cable-stayed bridge structure is time variant. This is due to strength deterioration and time-variant mechanical and environmental loadings. Demands for keeping concrete cable-stayed bridge structure in functional and reliable states require maintenance interventions. Limited financial resources require optimal maintenance strategies. These strategies have to consider the effects of uncertainties not only on the structural reliability deterioration but also on the maintenance interventions. By analyzing variation of concrete cable-stayed concrete cable-stayed bridge liabilities and benefit expectation through different maintenance programs, on the condition of satisfying the concrete cable-stayed bridge performance, with the maximum expected benefit as the target to discuss repair and reinforcement strategies for the concrete cable-stayed bridges in service. The method takes into account the present performance and future expected benefit, optimizing the performance of the concrete cable-stayed bridge and the expected benefit through determination policies of concrete cable-stayed concrete cable-stayed bridge maintenance program. The proposed method also includes an advanced cost model which takes into account the interaction between costs of maintenance interventions and their effect on reliability. Examples are presented demonstrating the application of the proposed method to a stock of existing deteriorating concrete cable-stayed bridges under various maintenance scenarios.

In conclusion, the present study demonstrated the safety of practicing WFM at different TOD. Furthermore, it appears that practicing WF in the evening is safer, as indicated by HRR60s, [Gl], and MBP findings. The utilization of digital biomarkers for monitoring health status during WFM has been shown to be efficient.

The use of cemented aeolian sand-fly ash backfill (CAFB) material to fill the mining area to improve the surface subsidence damage caused by underground coal mining is in the development stage. Their performance with large overflow water and strength loss is not well understood. Few research has been conducted to understand the effects of aeolian sand and coal gangue on the rheological properties of CAFB with plasticizers. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the effects of a plasticizer on the rheological properties, specifically yield stress and viscosity, of CAFB prepared with aeolian sand and coal gangue. CAFB mixes containing 0%, 0.05%, and 0.1% plasticizer were prepared, and yield stress and viscosity were determined at different time intervals over the period. Additional tests, such as thermal analysis and zeta potential analysis were also conducted. It was found that the rheological properties of CAFB is the comprehensive manifestation of the composite characteristics of various models. Reasonable particle size distribution and less amount of plasticizer can ensure the stability of slurry structure, reduce the slurry settlement and the risk of pipe blocking. The findings of this study will be beneficial in the design and production of CAFB material.

This study explores novel techniques to improve the detection accuracy of skarn iron deposits using advanced image processing methodologies. Leveraging the capabilities of Aster image, Band Ratio (BR) images, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA), alongside the power of 3D Convolutional Neural Networks (3D-CNN), the research aims to enhance the precision and efficiency of ore detection in complex geological environments. The proposed method employs a specific 3D-CNN architecture, accepting input as a 7×7×C image patch, where C represents the combined number of selected Aster image bands, Principal Component (PC) bands, and computed BR images. To evaluate the accuracy of the proposed method, five distinct image bands combinations, including the proposed bands combination, were tested and evaluated based on the overall accuracy (OA), average accuracy (AA), and kappa coefficient. The results demonstrated that while the incorporation of BR images alongside Aster bands initially seemed promising, it introduced significant confusion in certain classifications, leading to unexpected mis-classification rates. Surprisingly, utilizing solely Aster bands as input parameters yielded higher accuracy rates (OA= 93.13%, AA = 91.96%, Kappa = 90.91%) compared to scenarios involving the integration with band ratios (OA = 87.02%, AA = 79.15, and Kappa = 82.60%) or the integration of BR images to PC bands (OA= 87.78%, AA = 82.39%, Kappa = 83.81%). However, the amalgamation of Aster bands with selected PC bands showed slight improvements in accuracy (OA= 94.65%, AA = 92.93%, Kappa = 93.45%), although challenges in accurately classifying certain features persisted. Ultimately, the proposed combination of Aster bands, PC bands, and BR images (proposed bands combination) presented the most visually appealing and statistically accurate results (OA = 96.95%, AA= 94.87%, and Kappa = 95.93%), effectively addressing misclassifications observed in the other combinations. These findings underscore the synergistic contributions of each of the Aster bands, PC bands, and BR images, with Aster bands proving pivotal for optimal skarn classification, PC bands enhancing intrusions classification accuracy, and BR images strengthening wall rock classification accuracy. In conclusion, the proposed combination of input image bands emerges as a robust and comprehensive methodology, demonstrating unparalleled accuracy in the remote sensing detection of skarn iron minerals.

A proof is given showing the Collatz Conjecture is true for all positive integers. The proof was possible once the perspective of the proof was changed from looking at the pattern of the positive integers to looking at the conjecture rules. The conjecture rule for even numbers organizes all positive integers into unique sets and the rule for odd numbers interconnects the unique sets into dendritic pathways to “1.” Infinite loops, other than the minor 4-2-1 loop after reaching “1,” and pathways to infinity are shown to be mathematically impossible. The proof predicted a general equation that shows all positive integers ultimately reach a final value of “1," and calculates the values and locations of the odd positive integers during the iterations for each tested positive integer.

In the framework of the self-consistent Maxwell-Pauli theory, the non-linear Pauli equation is obtained. Stationary and nonstationary solutions of the nonlinear Pauli equation for the hydrogen atom are studied. We show that spontaneous emission and the related rearrangement of the internal structure of an atom, which is traditionally called a spontaneous transition, have a simple and natural description in the framework of classical field theory without any quantization and additional hypotheses. The behavior of the intrinsic magnetic moment (spin) of an electron wave in an external magnetic field is considered. We show that, according to the self-consistent Maxwell-Pauli theory, in a weak magnetic field, the intrinsic magnetic moment of an electron wave is always oriented parallel to the magnetic field strength vector, while in a strong magnetic field, depending on the initial orientation of the intrinsic magnetic moment, two orientations are realized: either parallel or antiparallel to the magnetic field strength vector.

Durability of concrete requires a dense microstructure which can be achieved by using self-compacting concrete (SCC). Both calcined clay (CC) and rice husk ash (RHA) are promising supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) that can partially replace cement, but their use in SCC is critical due to their higher water demand and specific surface area (SSA) compared to cement. Empirical method of SCC design was adopted considering the physical properties of both CC and RHA. The influence of partially substituting cement at 20 vol-% with binary and ternary blends of CC and RHA were investigated. The fresh properties of SCC were investigated using a variety of tests. The time dependent workability was monitored by plunger method and flow resistance determined based on the rheological measurements of SCC. The evolution of the hydrate phases of the binder in SCC was determined by thermogravimetric analysis, while the durability was evaluated by rapid chloride migration test. Cement partial replacement with 20 vol-% CC has no significant effect on SCC fresh, time dependent, compressive strength and durability properties. 20 vol-% RHA on the other hand requires higher dosage of SP to achieve self-compactability and increased the viscosity of SCC. Its workability retention is only up to 30 min after mixing and exhibited higher flow resistance. It consumes more CH and improves compressive strength and chloride resistance of SCC. The ternary blending with CC and RHA yielded better fresh SCC properties compared to the binary blend with RHA, while an improved chloride penetration resistance could be achieved compared to binary CC blend.

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

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

Relationships of the three bryophyte lineages (liverworts, mosses, and hornworts) to vascular plants is a pivotal question in the study of origin and evolution of land plants. In recent decades, this question has been subject to intense phylogenetic analyses using morphological characters, multigene DNA sequences, and genome structural characters. A tentative consensus reached ten years ago suggested that bryophytes are a paraphyletic group, with liverworts being sister to all other land plants and hornworts being sister to vascular plants. However, several more recent nuclear phylogenomic studies have concluded that bryophytes represent a monophyletic group that is sister to vascular plants. A discussion is presented here on strengths and weaknesses of different types of characters (morphological traits, nucleotide sequences, and genome structural arrangements), and their suitability for resolving deep phylogenetic relationships. Moreover, several criteria for credible phylogenetic reconstruction are proposed. Strong statistical support for reconstructed relationships should be derived from high quality, independent characters selected for suitability to the particular question being addressed. The relationships inferred in a study should be congruent with those from as many other lines of phylogenetic evidence as possible. Any incongruities should be explicable by well-understood biological mechanisms. It is concluded that the relationships of the three bryophyte lineages to vascular plants should currently be viewed as unresolved. This is a difficult phylogenetic problem; the land plants underwent a rapid radiation a long time ago. Yet, further exploration of analytical methods and careful choice of characters should lead to eventual elucidation of diversification patterns among early land plants.

The susceptible-infected-recovered/removed-vaccinated (SIRV) epidemics model is an important generalization of the SIR epidemics model as it accounts quantitatively for the effects of vaccination campaigns on the temporal evolution of epidemics outbreaks. Additional to the time-dependent infection ($a(t)$) and recovery ($\mu (t)$) rates, regulating the transitions between the compartments $S\to I$ and $I\to R$, respectively, the time-dependent vaccination rate $v(t)$ accounts for the transition between the compartments $S\to V$ of susceptible to vaccinated fractions. An accurate analytical approximation is derived for arbitrary and different temporal dependencies of the rates which is valid for all times after the start of the epidemics for which the cumulative fraction of new infections $J(t)\ll 1$. As vaccination campaigns automatically reduce the rate of new infections by transferring susceptible to vaccinated persons, the limit $J(t)\ll 1$ is even better fulfilled than in the SIR-epidemics model. The comparison of the analytical approximation for the temporal dependence of the rate of new infections $\jt(t)=a(t)S(t)I(t)$, the corresponding cumulative fraction $J(t)$, and $V(t)$, respectively, with the exact numerical solution of the SIRV-equations for different illustrative examples proves the accuracy of our approach. The considered illustrative examples include the cases of stationary ratios with a delayed start of vaccinations, and an oscillating ratio of recovery to infection rate with a delayed vaccination at constant rate. The proposed analytical approximation is self-regulating as the final analytical expression for the cumulative fraction $\jinf $ after infinite time allows us to check the validity of the original assumption $J(t)\le \jinf \ll 1$.

The dynamical equations of the susceptible-infected-recovered/removed (SIR) epidemics model play an important role to predict and/or analyze the temporal evolution of epidemics outbreaks. Crucial input quantities are the time-dependent infection ($a(t)$) and recovery ($\mu (t)$) rates regulating the transitions between the compartments $S\to I$ and $I\to R$, respectively. Accurate analytical approximations for the temporal dependence of the rate of new infections $\dot{J}(t)=a(t)S(t)I(t)$ and the corresponding cumulative fraction of new infections $J(t)=J(t_0)+\int_{t_0}^tdx\dot{J}(x)$ are available in the literature for either stationary infection and recovery rates and for a stationary value of the ratio $k(t)=\mu (t)/a(t)$. Here a new and original accurate analytical approximation is derived for general, arbitrary and different temporal dependencies of the infection and recovery rates which is valid for not too late times after the start of the infection when the cumulative fraction $J(t)\ll 1$ is much less than unity. The comparison of the analytical approximation with the exact numerical solution of the SIR-equations for different illustrative examples proves the accuracy of the analytical approach.

Chromium poisoning strongly influences the performance of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stacks. A three-dimensional, time-dependent, computational fluid dynamics model of a single channel of a F10 SOFC stack in Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH is developed to investigate chromium poisoning for different stack designs, temperatures and absolute air humidities. The model takes into account both chemical and electrochemical mechanisms of chromium poisoning and is able to predict the spatial distribution of SrCrO4 and Cr2O3. The voltage degradation over 100 kh can be simulated quantitatively. According to the simulation results, chromium poisoning is almost eliminated by the application of the protective coating fabricated by the atmospheric plasma-spraying (APS) technology. Besides, with the help of the APS protective coating, operating a SOFC stack with less dehumidified air at 650 oC is possible according to the simulation.

The digital transformation in Industry 4.0 has revolutionized quality control paradigms, integrating advanced technologies such as augmented reality, deep learning, and computer vision systems into a new era called "Quality 4.0". This study systematically reviews how these technologies are shaping new practices in continuous quality supervision and improvement, adapting to increasingly automated and connected production environments. Through a comprehensive analysis of the literature, practical applications in various industrial sectors, from manufacturing and agriculture to the production of sweets and snacks, are highlighted. Additionally, the conceptual and detailed design of a quality control system using artificial intelligence tools is presented, focusing on the inspection of dimensions, color, weight, and labeling of MDF boxes. The proposed system demonstrates an effective integration of sensors, high-definition cameras, and deep learning algorithms, validated through tests with boxes of different sizes. The results suggest that the adoption of these technologies not only improves the accuracy and efficiency of inspections but is also essential to maintaining high-quality standards in a dynamic and competitive industrial environment.

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

Sharding shows great potential for extending the blockchain. The current challenge facing sharded blockchain technology lies in addressing the extended transaction confirmation times caused by isolated states between shards and unbalanced transaction allocation strategies. These factors contribute to an increase in cross-shard transactions and disproportionate shard workload, ultimately resulting in indefinite confirmation delays for cross-shard transactions. A critical priority for sharded blockchain systems is to conduct a comprehensive qualitative analysis to better understand and mitigate the prolonged transaction confirmation times. We introduce a Product-Form Queue Network (PFQN) model to address the transaction confirmation time problem in sharded blockchains and incorporate a new confirmation queue to more accurately simulate the actual transaction confirmation process in the blockchain. In addition, we provide a detailed quantitative analysis of the relationship between network load, consensus efficiency, and security in sharded blockchains, laying a theoretical foundation for achieving robustness and efficiency in sharded blockchains. This research not only contributes to addressing the scalability issues in sharded blockchains but also offers a new perspective for future research directions.

Cutaneous metastatic melanoma (CMM) is the most aggressive form of skin cancer with a poor prognosis. Drugs-induced secondary tumorigenesis and the emergency of drug resistance worsen the already worrying scenario, thus rendering urgent the development of new treatments, not dealing with mutable cellular processes. Triphenyl phosphonium salts (TPPSs), in addiction to act as cytoplasmic membrane disruptors, are reported to be mitochondria-targeting compounds, exerting anticancer effects mainly by damaging their membranes and causing depolarization, impairing mitochondria functions and their DNA, triggering oxidative stress (OS), and priming primarily apoptotic cell death. TPP-based bola-amphiphiles are capable to self-form nanoparticles (NPs) with enhanced biological properties, as commonly observed for nanomaterials. Already employed in several other biomedical applications, only recently the per se selective potent antibacterial effects of a TPP bola-amphiphile has been demonstrated on 50 multidrug resistant (MDR) clinical superbugs, as well as its exceptional and selective anticancer properties, on sensitive and MDR neuroblastoma cells. Here, aiming at finding new molecules possibly developable as new treatments for counteracting CMM, the effects of this TPP-based bola-amphiphile (BPPB) have been investigated against two BRAF mutants CMM cell lines (MeOV and MeTRAV) with excellent results (even IC50 = 49 nM on MeOV after 72 h treatment). Upon these findings and considered the low cytotoxicity of BPPB against different mammalian not tumoral cell lines and red blood cells (RBCs, selectivity indexes up to 299 on MeOV after 72 h treatment), the possible future development of BPPB as topical treatment for CMM lesions was presumed. In this sight, a biodegradable hyaluronic acid (HA)-based hydrogel formulation (HA-BPPB-HG) was prepared without using any potentially toxic crosslinking agents, but simply dispersing suitable amounts of the two ingredients in water and sonicating under gentle heating. HA-BPPB-HA was completely characterized with promising outcomes, such as high swelling capability, high porosity and viscous elastic rheological behavior.

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

Current physiology attributes the mechanism of membrane potential generation to transmembrane ion transport, but ion adsorption could just as well play this fundamental role. The evidence shows that the ion adsorption mechanism accurately reproduces the experimentally measured membrane potential. The Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz equation (GHK eq.) and the Nernst equation (Nernst eq.) are the typical mathematical formulas representing the membrane potential in current physiology. However, the authors were able to show that the potential formulas by ion adsorption mechanism give identical results to GHK eq. and Nernst. eq. Our experimental and theoretical analyses suggest that there is a special relationship between the membrane potential and the membrane surface charge density, and this unique equation inevitably leads to the establishment of a GHK eq and/or a Nernst eq. The authors found that the unique equation is the foundation of thermodynamics “Boltzmann distribution”. Thus, the GHK eq. and the Nernst eq. are simply the natural consequence of thermodynamics from the view of the ion adsorption mechanism.