A variable annuity is a popular life insurance product that comes with financial guarantees. Using Monte Carlo simulation to value a large variable annuity portfolio is extremely time-consuming. Metamodeling approaches have been proposed in the literature to speed up the valuation process. In metamodeling, a metamodel is first fitted to a small number of variable annuity contracts and then used to predict the values of all other contracts. However, metamodels that have been investigated in the literature are sophisticated predictive models. In this paper, we investigate the use of linear regression models with interaction effects for the valuation of large variable annuity portfolios. Our numerical results show that linear regression models with interactions are able to produce accurate predictions and can be useful additions to the toolbox of metamodels that insurance companies can use to speed up the valuation of large VA portfolios.

Dynamic hedging has been adopted by many insurance companies to mitigate the financial risks associated with variable annuity guarantees. In order to simulate the performance of dynamic hedging for variable annuity products, insurance companies rely on nested stochastic projections, which is highly computationally intensive and often prohibitive for large variable annuity portfolios. Metamodeling techniques have recently been proposed to address the computational issues. However, it is difficult for researchers to obtain real datasets from insurance companies to test metamodeling techniques and publish the results in academic journals. In this paper, we create synthetic datasets that can be used for the purpose of addressing the computational issues associated with the nested stochastic valuation of large variable annuity portfolios. The runtime used to create these synthetic datasets would be about 3 years if a single CPU were used. These datasets are readily available to researchers and practitioners so that they can focus on testing metamodeling techniques.

The Doppler band compensated by the keystone transform (KT) is limited. Therefore, it needs to be used in conjunction with the Doppler ambiguity compensation function to correct the range migration (RM) caused by maneuvering targets with Doppler ambiguity. However, the KT implemented by sinc interpolation suffers from significant performance loss at boundaries of compensation Doppler bands. Additionally, in a multi-target scenario, KT implementation methods occupy high complexity when the Doppler range of targets spans over two compensation Doppler bands. To address aforementioned issues, this study presents a variable Doppler starting point keystone transform (VDSPKT) method, where a new form of ambiguity compensation function is constructed, turning the Doppler starting point of the compensation band in KT variable. Firstly, the position of the compensation Doppler band is changed from fixed to adjustable as needed, enhancing the flexibility of KT. Crucially, the connection points of the compensation Doppler bands in sinc interpolation are reset, avoiding the performance loss at their boundaries. Also, the compensation band is adjusted to cover the narrow Doppler frequency range caused by targets, significantly improving the computational efficiency. Finally, the simulation results demonstrate that the proposed approach effectively addresses the performance degradation and high computational complexity of KT in the aforementioned scenarios, resulting in a computational load reduced by approximately 50% compared to traditional methods.

With the rapid development of wind power generations, the inertial response of wind turbines (WTs) are widely concerned recently, which is important for grid frequency dynamic and stability. This paper recognizes and understands the inertial response of type-3 and type-4 WTs from the view of equivalent internal voltage, in analogy with typical synchronous generators (SGs). Due to the dynamic of the equivalent inertial voltage different from SGs, the electromechanical inertia of WTs is completely hidden. The rapid power control loop and synchronization control loop is the main reasons that the WT's inertial response is disenabled. On the basis of the equivalent internal voltage's dynamic, the existing inertia control method for WTs are reviewed and summarized as three approaches from the view of WT's control, i.e. optimizing the power control or synchronization control or both. At last, the main challenges and issues of these inertia controls are attempted to explain and address.

Semi-continuous data are very common in the social science and economics. In this paper, a Bayesian variable selection procedure is developed to assess the influence of exogenous factors including observed and unobserved on the semi-continuous data. Our formulation is based on the two-part latent variable model with polytomous response. We consider two schemes for the penalties of regression coefficients and factor loadings: the Bayesian spike and slab bimodal prior and the Bayesian lasso prior. Within the Bayesian framework, we implement Markov Chains Monte Carlo sampling method to conduct posterior inference. To facilitate posterior sampling, we recast the logistic model in part one as the norm-like mixture model. Gibbs sampler is designed to draw observations from the posterior. Our empirical results show that with suitable hyper-parameters, the spike and slab bimodal method slightly outperforms the Bayesian lasso in the current analysis. Finally, a real example related to the China household finance survey is analyzed to illustrate the application of the methodology.. .

ABSTRACT After locavore was chosen as “the best word of the year” in 2007, its popularity increased gradually. Today great number of locavores consciously prefer locally produced food for the benefit of themselves and their community. Undoubtedly this conscious movement has its consequences in marketing discipline. Accordingly, this paper is purposed to examine the how locavore perceptions affect loyalty towards retailers that sell locally produced food. In this context, a survey was applied to people residing in Istanbul and Kocaeli districts to measure the robustness of these effects. Furthermore, attitude towards locavore is used as a control variable to reveal to what extend locavorism affects these proposed connections. According to results, for participants with low attitude, Social Responsibility and Health Consciousness variables have significant effect on local retailer shopping loyalty. However, for participants with high attitude, all independent variables proved to have substantial effect on local retailer shopping loyalty. As the first empirical study in Turkey on the subject, this paper will provide important insight to academia and practicioners due to today’s ever-increasing consciousness in green marketing.

In order to improve the stiffness of the flexible robot,this paper proposes a variable-stiffness elastic actuator to improve the rigidity of flexible robots. The actuator integrates the working principles of a pneumatic drive, wedge structure, and particle blockage. the tensile stiffness of the actuator is nonlinearly negatively correlated with the air pressure because of the structural and material properties.The compressive stiffness and lateral stiffness increases nonlinearly as air pressure increases, being 3and 121 times greater at 0.17 MPa compared to 0 MPa, respectively. Beyond 0.17 MPa, the two stiffness of the actuator experiences incremental growth due to wedge impedance forces.

: To improve the efficiency of rhizobial inoculation operations and address the current situation of rhizobial inoculation being labor-intensive, a spraying and control system for variable rate application (VRA) of liquid rhizobia was developed. The system can accurately regulate the spraying rate of liquid rhizobia according to the desired rate of rhizobia by incremental Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) closed-loop control algorithm, making it particularly suitable for precise spraying with small amounts. In the laboratory experiment of precise flow control, variation coefficient of spraying nozzle from 0.10 MP to 0.20 MP pressure were no more than 1.2%. A clear linear relationship was observed between the spraying rate and pressure. The maximum response time was 1.93 seconds, while the average response time was 1.62 seconds when controlling the spraying system for small amounts. Field trial was conducted in Heilongjiang Agricultural Xianghe Farm of China. Average seeds number and 100-seed weight of soybean plant with rhizobia inoculation treatment were better than control group, and average yield of spraying liquid rhizobia agent with full base fertilizer increased by 232.5 kg/hm2, representing a significant 7.4% improvement over the control group. The results of these trails clearly showed the positive effect of the spraying and control system for liquid rhizobial inoculation, which has superior to existing inoculation manners, and provides an important technical support for the widespread adoption of rhizobia technology.

In the Formula Student Racing Car, the anti-deformation ability of the frame will affect the four-wheel positioning parameters of the racing car, and then affect the handling and stability performance of the racing car. The quality of the frame directly determines the power and economy of the racing car, so the performance of the frame is very important to the performance of the race. In order to improve the performance of the frame and reduce the total weight of the frame, the research on the lightweight design of the frame is particularly important. In this paper, based on the variable density method, the global topology optimization of the frame is carried out to obtain the distribution of the frame material, realize the efficient use of the material, and improve the torsional stiffness of the frame. Based on the adjoint variable method, the sensitivity analysis of the frame is carried out. According to the sensitivity analysis results, the size of the frame is optimized. The total mass of the frame is reduced by 12.8 %, and the performance of the maximum displacement and maximum stress is improved. The lightweight design of the frame is realized as a whole.

In this work we looked for a stable and accurate procedure to perform feature selection in datasets with a much higher number of predictors than individuals, as in Genome-Wide Association Studies. Due to the instability in feature selection when many potential predictors are measured, a variable selection procedure is proposed that combines several replications of shrinkage regression models. A weighted formulation is used to define the final predictors. The procedure is applied to investigate Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) predictors associated to Alzheimer’s disease in the Alzheimer’s disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) dataset. Two data scenarios are investigated: one considering only the set of SNPs and another with the covariates age, sex, educational level and APOE4 genotype. The SNP rs2075650 and the APOE4 genotype are given as risk factors for AD, which is in line with the literature, and other four new SNPs are pointed, opening new hypotheses for in vivo analyses. These experiments demonstrate the potential of the new method for stable feature selection.

Over the last two decades, a considerable amount of equipment has been acquired (spreaders, seeders, sprayers, among others) to respond to the challenges of Precision Agriculture (PA) concept. Most of this equipment has been purchased at a high cost. However, many of them, despite still being functional and equipped with sensors, actuators, and electronic processing units capable of adjusting to variations in speed, have become obsolete in terms of communication, and incompatible with new monitoring and control systems based on the “Isobus” protocol. This work aims to present a solution for updating the control system (“Ferticontrol”) of a “Vicon RS-EDW” spreader with variable rate application (VRA), making it compatible with the “InCommand” system from “Ag Leader”. The solution includes low-cost “Arduino” and “Raspberry Pi” microcontrollers and open-source software. The development shows that it is possible to implement a solution that is accessible to farmers in general. It also provides a niche business opportunity for young researchers to set up small technology-based enterprises associated with universities and research centers. These partnerships guarantee permanent innovation and represent a decisive step towards modern, technological, competitive, and sustainable agriculture.

In a bid to resolve lingering problems in cosmology, more focus is being tilted towards cosmological models in which physical constants of nature are not necessarily real constants, but varying with cosmic time. In this paper we have study cosmology in nonlinear electrodynamics with the Newton's gravitational constant $G$ not a constant but vary in form of power-law of the scale factor of the universe. The evolution of the scale factor $a (t)$ is studied in this model which depends on nonlinear electrodynamics fine tuning term of $\alpha$. Then we check the stability of the model using the speed of sound.

Variable-Angle Tow (VAT) laminates can improve straight fiber composites mechanical properties thanks to the application of curvilinear fibers. This characteristic allows to achieve ambitious objectives for design and performance purposes. Nevertheless, the wider design space and the higher number of parameters result in a more complex structural problem. Among the various approaches that have been used for VATs study, Carrera’s Unified Formulation (CUF) allows to obtain multiple theories within the same framework, guaranteeing a good compromise between the results accuracy and the computational cost. In this article, the linear buckling behavior of VAT laminates is analyzed through the extension of CUF 2D plate models within the Reissner’s Mixed Variational Theorem (RMVT). Results show that RMVT can better approximate the prebuckling non-uniform stress field of the plate when compared to standard approaches, thus improving the prediction of the linear buckling loads of VAT composites.

Abstract: Autoimmune encephalitis is a complex and multifaceted pathology that involves the immune-mediated inflammation of the brain. It is characterized by the body's immune system mistakenly attacking the brain tissue, leading to a cascade of inflammatory processes. What makes autoimmune encephalitis vast is the wide range of causes, mechanisms, clinical presentations, and diagnostic challenges associated with the condition. The clinical presentations of autoimmune encephalitis are broad and can mimic other neurological disorders, making it a challenging differential diagnosis. This diverse clinical presentation can overlap with other conditions, making it crucial for healthcare professionals to maintain a high level of suspicion for autoimmune encephalitis when evaluating patients. The diagnostic challenges associated with autoimmune encephalitis further contribute to its vastness. Due to the variable nature of the condition, there is no definitive diagnostic test that can confirm autoimmune encephalitis in all cases. In this context, personalized patient management is crucial for achieving favorable outcomes. Each patient's treatment plan should be tailored to their specific clinical presentation, underlying cause, and immune response. Our objective is to raise awareness about the frequent yet under-diagnosed nature of autoimmune encephalitis by sharing five cases we encountered, along with a brief literature review.

In most studies reported in literature, a flat, constant coefficient is used to convert the amount of optical power required at the input of an optical link into the effective power consumption. This constant coefficient approach is very simple to apply but not accurate, since laser efficiencies are dependent on the optical output power in addition to the operating temperature. In this paper the relationship between laser wall plug efficiency and optical power output is investigated and the effect of this variance on optical links and on-chip laser source electric power consumption is presented

An axiomatic theory is proposed that reconciles the existence of an absolute scale for time (Planck time) and special relativity. According to this theory speed of light c becomes a variable which is proposed to be taken as the fifth dimension.

pump as turbine (PAT); computational fluid dynamics; variable rotational nominal speed; OpenFoam.

Effective sports training should be attuned to the athlete's specific conditionings and characteristics. In motor learning research, two often neglected factors that influence this resonance are the learner's athletic background and the structural diversity of exercises (e.g., relative similarity). This study examines the effects of three learning approaches (i.e., contextual interference (CI), differential learning (DL), and free-play control condition (CO)) on the parallel learning of Handball (HB), Volleyball (VB), and Basketball (BB) skills, considering participants' prior sport backgrounds. Forty-five males (15 HB, 15 VB, and 15 BB players) with a mean age of 22±1.4 years and at least 6 years of experience in the mastered discipline voluntarily participated in this study. A pre-post-retention test design including a 6-week-intervention program was employed. In terms of short-term (pre-post) gain, only the DL- group significantly improved their performance in both non-mastered disciplines (p=0.03 for the BB free-throw and p=0.05 for the HB shooting tests), with a trend (ES=0.53) towards an improvement in the performance of the mastered VB underarm-pass skill. In terms of relatively permanent gains, the CI group significantly improved their performances from pre- to retention-test only in the non-mastered BB free-throw skill (p=0.018). In contrast, the DL group significantly improved their performance at retention compared to the pre-test in both non-mastered BB (p=0.004) and HB (p=0.003) skills, with a trend (ES=0.4) towards improvement in the mastered VB test. In both short, and relatively permanent terms, higher composite score gains were observed in DL compared to CI (p=0.001 and 0.002) and CO (p=0.001 and <0.0001). In conclusion, the present findings provide additional support for the potential advantages of the DL model over those of CI. These findings can serve as the basis for tailored training and intervention strategies and provide a new perspective for addressing various issues related to individual and situational learning.

Twining stems are an important form of plant stems. Twining stems can exhibit two different chiralities: right-handed and left-handed, with right-handed twining stems being much more common than left-handed ones. The determination of chirality in twining stems has always been a fascinating topic. Many people believe that the direction of twining stems in a given species is fixed, but this is not the case. Some species have twining stems that exhibit both chirality types, i.e. the chirality is variable. Moreover, such species or genera are not rare and can be commonly encountered in everyday life. Here, we report the presence of variable-chirality twining stems (VCTS) in several species or genera within the Asteraceae, Campanulaceae, Rubiaceae, Lamiaceae, Polygonaceae, Santalaceae, and Ranunculaceae families, including common plants such as Mikania micrantha and Pleuropterus multiflorus. VCTS is an objectively existing phenomenon, but often overlooked. Understanding and accepting this concept will greatly assist future research in this field.

The constant ħ is elevated to a dynamical field, coupling to other fields, and itself, through the Lagrangian density derivative terms. The spatial and temporal dependence of ħ falls directly out of the field equations themselves. Three solutions are found: a free field with a tadpole term; a standing-wave non-propagating mode; a non-oscillating non-propagating mode. The first two could be quantized. The third corresponds to a zero-momentum classical field that naturally decays spatially to a constant with no ad-hoc terms added to the Lagrangian. An attempt is made to calibrate the constants in the third solution based on experimental data. The three fields are referred to as actons. It is tentatively concluded that the acton origin coincides with a massive body, or point of infinite density, though is not mass dependent. An expression for the positional dependence of Planck’s constant is derived from a field theory in this work that matches in functional form that of one derived from considerations of Local Position Invariance violation in GR in another paper by this author. Astrophysical and Cosmological interpretations are provided. A derivation is shown for how the integrand in the path integral exponent becomes Lc/ħ(r), where Lc is the classical action. The path that makes stationary the integral in the exponent is termed the “dominant” path, and deviates from the classical path systematically due to the position dependence of ħ. The meaning of variable ħ is seen to be related to the rate of time passage along each path increment. The changes resulting in the Euler-Lagrange equation, Newton’s first and second laws, Newtonian gravity, Friedmann equation with a Cosmological Constant, and the impact on gravitational radiation for the dominant path are shown and discussed.

In this research article we solve the problem of synchronization and anti-synchronization of chaotic systems described by discrete and time-delayed variable fractional order differential equations. To guarantee the synchronization and anti-synchronization of these systems, we use the well-known PID control theory and the Lyapunov-Krasovskii stability theory for discrete systems of variable fractional order.We illustrate the results obtained through simulation with examples, in which it can be seen that our results are satisfactory, thus achieving synchronization and anti-synchronization of chaotic systems of variable fractional order with discrete time delay.

In recent times, the soft robotics field is gaining numerous research focus owing to its high level of manipulation capabilities unlike traditional rigid robots, which gives room for an increasing use in other areas. However, compared to traditional rigid gripper robots, being capable of controlling/obtaining overall body stiffness when required is yet to be further explored since soft gripper robots have inherently less rigid properties. unlike previous designs with very complex variable stiffness systems, this paper demonstrates a soft gripper design with minimum system complexity while being capable of varying the stiffness of a continuum soft robotic actuator and proves to have potential applications in gripping objects of various shapes, weights &amp; sizes. The soft gripper actuator comprises two separate mechanisms; the pneumatic mechanism for bending control and the mechanical structure for stiffness variation by pulling tendons using stepper motors which compresses the actuator, thereby changing the overall stiffness. The pneumatic mechanism was first fabricated and then embedded into another silicon layer during which it was as well merged with the mechanical structure for stiffness control. By first pneumatically actuating the actuator which causes bending and then pulling the tendons, we found out that the actuator stiffness value can be increased up to 145 % its initial value, and the gripper can grasp &amp; lift a weight of up to 2.075 kg.

The prohibitive costs of small-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) racks decreases PV adoption velocity. To overcome these costs challenges, an open hardware design method is used to develop two novel variable tilt racking designs. These are the first stilt mounted racking designs that allow manual change of tilt angle from zero to 90 degrees by varying the length of cables. The racks are designed using the calculated dead, wind and snow loads for Canada as conservative design for most of the rest of the world. Structural capacities of the wooden members are then ascertained and resisting bending moment, shear force, tensile force, and compressive force for them is calculated. A structural and truss analysis is performed to ensure that racking design with-stands the applicable forces. Moreover, implications of changing the tilt angle on the wooden members/cables used to build the system are also determined. The systems offer significant economic savings ranging from 1/3rd to 2/3rd the capital expenses of the commercially available alternatives. In addition, the racking designs are easy-to-build and require minimal manufacturing operations, which increases their accessibility. The stilt-mounted designs can be employed for agrivoltaic settings while allowing farm workers shaded ergonomic access to perform planting, weeding, and harvesting.

We present a new penalized method for estimation in sparse logistic regression models with group structure. Group sparsity suggests us to consider the Group Lasso penalty. Being different from penalized log-likelihood estimation, our method can be viewed as a penalized weighted score function method. Under some mild conditions, we provide non-asymptotic oracle inequalities promoting group sparsity of predictors. A modified block coordinate descent algorithm based on a weighted score function is also employed. The net advantage of our algorithm over the existing Group Lasso-type procedures is that the tuning parameter can be pre-specified. The simulations show that this algorithm is considerably faster and more stable than competing methods. Finally, we illustrate our methodology with two real data sets.

Variable cross-section arch is widely used in practical engineering because of its beautiful arc and excellent mechanical properties. However, there is still no systematic and comprehensive study on the out-plane buckling of variable cross-section arch. In view of this, this paper is concentrated on an elastic analytical research of out-plane buckling of arches with variable cross-section under a uniformly distributed radial local load. The pre-buckling and out-plane buckling behaviour of a variable cross-sectional arch under an external load is quite different from that of an arch with uniform cross-section. The Castigliano's second theorem is used to establish pre-buckling force method equilibrium equations for variable cross-sectional arches under a uniformly distributed radial local load, and corresponding analytical solutions of normal stress, axial compression and the bending moment are obtained. Based on the energy method and the Ritz method, analytical solutions of the critical load for the elastic out-plane buckling of arches with variable cross-section are derived. Comparisons with ANSYS results indicated that the analytical solutions are able to accurately predict the pre-buckling internal forces and critical out-plane buckling load of variable cross-section arches subjected to a uniformly distributed radial local load. It is found that the internal forces and the out-plane buckling load of an arch are significantly affected by the variation of cross-sectional height. With the ratio of cross-sectional height of the top to the end increase, the bending moment decreases and the axial force and critical out-plane buckling load increase. Analytical solutions of pre-buckling internal force and critical out-plane buckling load problems for arches with variable cross-section have a wider significance, since they can provide an effective explicit analytic method for the optimal design of arch structure.

The fixed stroke fatigue test can not simulate the real load condition of the landing gear, and the variable stroke fatigue test has increasingly become the mainstream. A modular test device for fatigue test for aircraft landing gears was designed, the automatic control of the buffer stroke was realized with ectopic displacement control technology effectively, the horizontal loading cylinder could follow the wheel axis actively with the displacement active control technology, follow-up loading along the vertical direction was realized through constructing a polar coordinate system and making the load line automatic alignment, a split-type dummy wheel was designed to improve the loading accuracy, a booster cylinder was designed to realize the control loading of high pressure combined with the hydraulic control system. The test shows that the technical scheme meets the design requirements, and the fatigue test was completed successfully. The device for landing gear variable stroke fatigue testing can be applied to other landing gear static / fatigue tests.

Oncological patients need the proper doses of medications to facilitate their recovery. The two basic approaches used in dosing Monoclonal Antibodies (mAbs) are fixed-dose combination and variable dosing. In Fixed-Dose Combination Drugs (FDCs), two or more active components are combined in a single formulation at a predetermined dose. Variable dosage, which has long been the industry standard, is the polar opposite of this approach. The body changes over time; the Body Surface Area (BSA) in square meters is often used as a Measure (m2). This study uses a systematic review. Most mAbs used in oncology are predominantly given as cytotoxic anticancer drugs using body-size-based (variable) regimens. Despite the benefits of fixed-dose, variable dosing has become the industry standard, despite being criticized for ineffectiveness. While variable dosing has some advantages, the prevalent view is that continuous dosing has significant advantages based on the balance of probabilities. After assessing each alternative, including its benefits and drawbacks, history of use, and suitability in the current context, fixed dosing emerges as a viable option.

The development of the automotive industry leads to the improvement of the designs of automatic transmissions and drives and to the development of methods for monitoring and diagnosing their condition. The trend of improving transmissions comes down mainly to the endless improvement of existing designs of CVTs and variators, which inevitably leads to the complication of designs and methods for their control and diagnostics.There is a need to create a fundamentally new simplified gearbox based on the scientific achievements of mechanics. However, the created structures remained inoperable due to the lack of theoretical justification.The adaptive gear variator developed by the author, which has CVT functions, is a mechanism with two degrees of freedom and with an additional constraint of a fundamentally new type, called a force - speed constraint. The force - speed constraint imposes a force restriction on the movement of links, while maintaining the number of degrees of freedom in the kinematics. Monitoring the state of the developed gearbox in the form of a non-switchable gear variator is greatly simplified, since the largest number of faults occur in the control system, and there is no control system in the gear variator. It seems possible to apply the digital twin method to diagnose the developed simplified CVT.The proposed article is devoted to a theoretical description of a fundamentally new adaptive gearbox, created on the basis of the latest achievements in mechanics, with the prospect of developing a simplified monitoring and diagnostic system for it

Improving the operational reliability of nuclear power plants, combined heat and power plants (CHP), as well as oil and gas pipelines is a priority task in the development of a variable-speed drive for lock valves used at these facilities. The paper analyzes technical requirements for such devices; the motor has been selected, its electrical equilibrium and moment equations have been obtained; recommendations for the selection of the kinematic drive scheme have been formulated. Based on the theoretical data obtained, a prototype has been developed, manufactured and tested.

In this paper, the Group Method of Data Handling (GMDH) type of neural networks is used for the inductance calculation of variable inductors. The relation between the inductance of the inductor in the linear and nonlinear regions is investigated, and parameters such as the voltage across the inductor, bias current, and ac current are taken into account. The experimental setup is used for generating the data needed for training the neural network. Over 800 experiments were conducted and were used for training and validation of the neural network results. The results are compared with the reluctance equivalent circuit method, and they show a much better accuracy. The proposed method can be used for the calculation of various magnetic components, and it is not limited to variable inductors.

We analyze the modular geometry of the variable exponent Lebesgue space L^p(.). We show that L^p(.) possesses a modular uniform convexity property. Part of the novelty is that the property holds even in the case supp(x) = ∞ . We present specific applications to fixed point theory. xÆΩ

This paper presents the symmetries of differential equations associated with one-variable and Bivariate Hermite polynomials by proposing a representation of Lie algebra for these differential operators. Applying the Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula to these algebras, results in new relations and generating functions in one-variable and Bivariate Hermite polynomials. A general form of representation for other orthogonal polynomials such as Laguerre polynomials is introduced.

A variable speed anti-tangling reel mechanism was designed to address the problems of tangling, hanging and rewinding of the tassel wheel and the high paddling loss in the current Chinese rape combine harvester cutting table. The kinematic equations of the reel mechanism were developed, and the analysis showed that the speed in the entry stage is low and the speed in the exit stage is high, and the attitude of the reel teeth change with the rape plant movement during the whole paddling process. A single-factor test and a multi-factor regression orthogonal combination test were carried out using the cutting table loss rate of rape harvesting as the evaluation index. The main and secondary factors affecting the cutting table loss of the variable speed reel were obtained as the reel speed, the machine travel speed and the ground angle of the frame. A mathematical model of regression of cutter loss and the main influencing factors was established, with the coefficient of determination R2 = 0.9918. The optimal combination of parameters for the variable speed reel was obtained with the lowest cutting table loss rate in rape harvesting as the optimization target: reel speed 25r/min, frame parallel to the ground and implement travel speed 0.7m/s. Field validation tests and comparative tests of cutting table loss of the two reels were carried out. The test results show that the regression mathematical model of the cutting table loss is more accurate, and the cutting table loss is reduced by 13.9% with the variable speed reel compared to the cam-action reel, and there are no problems with the paddle teeth hanging and tangling during the paddling process.

The improvement of energy efficiency of hydraulic systems remains to be an essential challenge for the industry, and the demand for more sustainable solutions is increasing. A main focus in this endeavor is the ability to eliminate or strongly reduce the use of throttle control valves which have been the preferred control element in industrial hydraulic systems for decades. Components have been subject to continuous evolution, and current industrial grade hydraulic pumps and motors are both efficient and reliable. Even though few percentages of energy efficiency can still be achieved, the main achievements in terms of efficiency is associated with novel system designs rather than further development of components. An area subject to increasing attention is the field of variable-speed displacement control, allowing to avoid the main control valve throttle losses. Systems using this technology are, however, mainly developed as standalone drive systems, necessitating maximum force, speed and power installed in each axis, with limited hydraulic power distribution capability as compared to valve controlled systems. An emerging field addressing this challenge is so-called electro-hydraulic variable-speed drive networks which allow to completely eliminate the use of control valves and enables power sharing both electrically and hydraulically, potentially reducing the necessary installed power in many cases. The idea of such a technology was first proposed in 2022, and so far developments reported in literature have mainly been of theoretical nature. This article presents the first ever experimental results for a dual cylinder electro-hydraulic variable-speed drive network prototype. The prototype has been developed for an industrial application, but has initially been implemented in a laboratory testbench. Extensive data acquisition has been conducted while subject to the associated industrial motion cycle, under different load conditions. The data is further used in combination with models to predict the total efficiency of the drive network prototype under higher loads than what could be achieved in the laboratory, suggesting a total efficiency from the electric supply to the cylinder pistons of 68 %. Re-configuring the prototype to a known standalone drive system structure implies comparable efficiencies. Finally, the drive network is theoretically compared to a valve drive solution, generally suggesting the prototype drive network to provide efficiency improvements of at least 40 % in comparison.

The intelligent morphing wing structure has the characteristics of flexibility, large deformation and adaptive change, which are different from those of the conventional wing. The motion law of the variable-camber leading edge is analysed by the numerical simulation method based on kinematics theory to solve the problem of verifying the motion function and structural strength of the variable camber wing. The driving deformation and aerodynamic load simulation of the variable camber leading edge are realised by designing a follow-up load test apparatus. Based on the numerical simulation of the mechanical boundary, the motion trajectory of the upper and lower wing loading points was predicted, and a multi-point cooperative control system was developed. Multi-sensor iteration was used to ensure the loading accuracy of the test control. The test results show that the average error of the deflection angle is 4.59% in the variable camber leading edge motion test. In the variable camber leading edge strength test, the average error of applied load magnitude and direction is 0.54% and 0.24%, respectively.

The number of Internet of Things (IoT) applications is increasing at a fast-paced and so is the interest in blockchain-enabled IoT ecosystem. IoT applications make our day-to-day life more efficient, while integrating blockchain into the IoT ecosystem (blockchain-IoT) brings security, transparency, trust, and privacy to IoT applications. Perhaps, smart logistics, smart health, and smart city are some of the potential blockchain-enabled IoT application domains. One of the reasons that is hindering the mass adoption of blockchain-IoT into mainstream applications is the lack of a dedicated governance. Without proper governance and regulations, and because of the obfuscated and concealed cryptographic nature of blockchain, blockchain can be used for various illicit activities such as ransomware, money laundering, fraud and so on. Furthermore, blockchain and IoT are relatively contemporary technologies and paucity of exclusive governance can ultimately lead to lack of confidence in these technologies. Therefore, in order to fully avail from blockchain and IoT integration (blockchain-IoT) and as well as further prevail this integration, governance can play an important role. Proper regulations and standarization are required to benefit from the novel characteristics of blockchain-IoT and avoid blockchain being used for malicious purposes. In this research, we address the role of blockchain in governance mechanisms, governance for blockchain, and finally proposed a vigorous governance framework for blockchain-enabled IoT ecosystem. We also demonstrate the applications of our proposed governance framework through a smart logistics case study. We anticipate that our proposed governance framework can facilitate and encourage blockchain and IoT integration in various application domains.

Within this paper, a machine learning algorithm is used to investigate the importance of certain setpoints and parameters in the filtration processes of a large-scale water treatment facility. Previously, a model for the filtration process based on Run-to-Run Control was proposed and tested against sample data from the treatment plant, but it was quickly found that such a model was incompatible for successfully computing setpoints of operation which minimize the energy cost of running the filtration systems. The machine learning model described herein is an attempt to elucidate the importance of the available data on the filtration systems and to identify the most important variables that influence the filtration run time.

Sepsis is a serious and life-threatening medical emergency associated with dysregulated host immune responses to infection. Like cerebral vascular or acute cardiovascular incidents, sepsis is considered a time-dependent condition having severe and long-term consequences on human health. Apart from organ support, prompt administration of appropriate antimicrobial therapy is crucial to limit the burden of complications related to sepsis in ICU patients. The management of septic patients requires comprehensive and multi-disciplinary strategies for an adequate diagnosis. Most of the ICU population receives empirical antibiotic therapy without having a confirmed diagnosis. The misuse of antibiotics in intensive care units may increase the possibility of developing multidrug resistance along with considerable ecological side effects. The first doses of empirical anti-microbial therapy are slightly higher, regardless of the presence or absence of organ dysfunction, which may upregulate the production of circulating pro-and-anti-inflammatory mediators, having negative effects on the general well-being of the patients. This notion supports the introduction of individualized antimicrobial approaches based on local patterns of resistance to ensure the appropriate dosage of empirical therapy, as well as to limit the emergence of multidrug resistance in advanced-care patients. The adequacy and treatment duration must be viewed at regular intervals for effective de-escalation, and novel diagnostic approaches must be introduced to improve the quality of care in the ICU population.

Traditional winglets are designed as fixed devices attached at the tips of the wings. The primary purpose of the winglets is to reduce the lift-induced drag, therefore improving aircraft performance and fuel efficiency. However, because winglets are fixed surfaces, they cannot be used to control lift-induced drag reductions or to obtain the largest lift-induced drag reductions at different flight conditions (take-off, climb, cruise, loitering, descent, approach, landing, and so on). In this work, we propose the use of variable cant angle winglets which could potentially allow aircraft to get the best all-around performance (in terms of lift-induced drag reduction), at different flight phases. By using computational fluid dynamics, we study the influence of the winglet cant angle and sweep angle on the performance of a benchmark wing at Mach numbers of 0.3 and 0.8395. The results obtained demonstrate that by adjusting the cant angle, the aerodynamic performance can be improved at different flight conditions.

In a depolarizing instrument, such as a broadband imaging spectrometer, the depolarizers are placed on the system for stabilization the optical signal. They are also used to reduce measurements offsets due to strong polarization dependence, which produce drastic deterioration of the signal to noise ratio. Dynamic depolarizer with a controllable degree of polarization is also required to study the effect of noise on quantum information. The article described a new instrument for characterization the variable depolarizer with features which make it different from a polarimetric system. The analysing system based on the simple structural design and has good stability for real-time measurement. A practical application of the described interferometer system for variable depolarizer characterization is also presented.

In this paper, a new approach is proposed for designing ultra-low-power FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) system suitable for use in energy harvesting powered sensors. Bit-serial architecture is adopted to reduce the power consumption of butterfly operation. Simulation results show that, compared with state-of-the-art bit-serial and conventional parallel processors, the proposed technique is superior in terms of silicon area, power consumption, dynamic energy use due to variable precision arithmetic. A sample design of a 64-point FFT shows that the implementation can save about 40% area and 36% leakage power compared with a conventional parallel counterpart, accordingly achieving significant power benefits at a low sample rate and low voltage domain. The dynamic variation of the arithmetic precision can be achieved through a simple modification of the controller with hardware area overhead of 10% gate count.

In this paper, a class of nonlinear ordinary differential equations with impulses at variable times is considered. The existence and uniqueness of solution are given. At the same time, modifying the classical definitions of continuous dependence and Ga^teaux differentiability, some results on continuous dependence and Ga^teaux differentiable of solution relative to the initial value also are presented in new topology sense. For the autonomous impulsive system, the periodicity of solution is given. As an application, properties of solution for a type of controlled nonlinear ordinary differential equation with impulses at variable times is obtained. These results are foundation to study optimal control problems of systems governed by the differential equations with impulses at variable times.

This paper discusses the theoretical and experimental correlations between fatigue and static strength statistical distributions. We use a two-parameter residual strength model that obeys the qualitative Strenght-Life Equal-Rank (SLERA) assumption for guidance. The modeling approach consists of recovering the model's parameters by best fitting the constant amplitude (CA) fatigue data at a given stress ratio, R, and the experimental Weibull parameters of the static strength distribution function. Once the model's parameters are fixed, its capabilities, potential, and limits are discussed by comparing its predictions with residual strength and fatigue data obtained at different stress ratios, R. Moreover, from a preliminary analysis, the theoretical extension of the model's capabilities to variable amplitude loadings is conceptualized. The application of Miner's rule is also discussed and compared with a new damage rule to analyze the fatigue responses under variable amplitude loadings.

Hydro generator sets serve as the peak and frequency regulation of the power system,and play a very important role in maintaining system stability and improving power quality.Based on the internal characteristics model of a specific type of hydro generator,this paper constructs a hydroelectric coupling model for hydropower units,studies the influence of the regulation system of hydropower units on low-frequency oscillations under different load conditions,and adopts variable speed reaching law and fuzzy sliding mode control strategy to improve the regulation quality of the system and ensure the stable operation of the units.Results of simulation and water turbine set under different load conditions show that varible speed reaching law can effectively improve the power-angle oscillation behavior of the hydropower set and suppress the occurrence of low-frequency oscillations of the system when the system is subject to power disturbance,which provide a new theoretical basis and solution for the vibration analysis and control optimization of hydraulic turbine units.

CAD-CAE software companies have introduced numerous tools aimed at facilitating topology optimization through Finite Element Simulation, thereby enhancing accessibility for designers via user-friendly interfaces. However, the imposition of intricate constraint conditions or additional restrictions during calculations may introduce instability into the resultant outcomes. In this paper, an algorithm for updating the design variables called Adaptive Variable Design is proposed to keep the final design space volume of the optimized part always under the target value while giving the main algorithm multiple chances to update the optimization parameters and search for a valid design. This algorithm aims to producing results that are more conducive to manufacturability and potentially more straightforward in interpretation. A comparison between several commercial software and the proposed algorithm, implemented in MATLAB, is carried out to prove the robustness of the latter. By simulating identical parts under similar conditions, we seek to generate comparable results and underscore the advantages stemming from the adoption and comprehension of the proposed topology optimization methodology. Our findings reveal that the integrated enhancements within MATLAB pertaining to the topology optimization process yield favourable outcomes with respect to discretization, and the manufacturability of resultant geometries. Furthermore, we assert that the methodology evaluated within MATLAB holds promise for potential integration into commercial packages, thereby enhancing the efficiency of topology optimization processes.

Continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CV-QKD) shows potential for the rapid development of an information-theoretic secure global communications network; however, the complexities of CV-QKD implementation remain a restrictive factor. Machine learning (ML) has recently shown promise in alleviating these complexities. ML has been applied to almost every stage of CV-QKD protocols, including ML-assisted phase error estimation, excess noise estimation, state discrimination, parameter estimation and optimization, key sifting, information reconciliation, and key rate estimation. This survey provides a comprehensive analysis of the current literature on ML-assisted CV-QKD. In addition, the survey compares the ML algorithms assisting CV-QKD with the traditional algorithms they aim to augment, as well as providing recommendations for future directions for ML-assisted CV-QKD research.

General Variable Neighborhood Search (GVNS) is a well known and widely used metaheuristic for efficiently solving many NP-hard combinatorial optimization problems. Quantum General Variable Neighborhood Search (qGVNS) is a novel, quantum inspired extension of the conventional GVNS. Its quantum nature derives from the fact that it takes advantage and incorporates tools and techniques from the field of quantum computation. Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP) is a well known NP-Hard problem which has broadly been used for modelling many real life routing cases. As a consequence, TSP can be used as a basis for modelling and finding routes for Geographical Systems (GPS). In this paper, we examine the potential use of this method for the GPS system of garbage trucks. Specifically, we provide a thorough presentation of our method accompanied with extensive computational results. The experimental data accumulated on a plethora of symmetric TSP instances (symmetric in order to faithfully simulate GPS problems), which are shown in a series of figures and tables, allow us to conclude that the novel qGVNS algorithm can provide an efficient solution for this type of geographical problems.

This study investigates the impact of rotor spacing on the aerodynamic performance of a coaxialcopter. It has been observed that a small distance between two rotors can result in significant interaction between the propellers, consequently affecting the rotor's aerodynamic efficiency. Exploiting this characteristic, the present research introduces a coaxialcopter with variable rotor spacing. Employing finite element numerical simulations, we assess the aerodynamic behavior of this novel configuration. Through comprehensive measurements and analysis of its aerodynamic performance across varying rotor spacings from 0.1R to 1R, we validate the effectiveness of a rotor spacing control strategy for enhancing takeoff maneuvers. Our numerical simulation results reveal that the performance characteristics of both upper and lower rotor converges toward that of a single rotor as pitch ratio increases, along with the reduce of their thrust fluctuations and aerodynamic performance periodicity. Considering stable power consumption patterns and endurance performance, we analysis the interrelations binding of pitch distance of the rotors, rotational speed, and pitch angle, vis-à-vis the thrust coefficient and power coefficient. Through parameter optimization method, we demonstrate that adjusting rotor spacing offers a practical means to enhance payload capacity without increasing power input, thereby improving the efficiency, which validates the practicality and efficacy of the parameter optimization approach. Furthermore, optimizing rotor spacing for specific operational scenarios enhances overall aerodynamic performance, suggesting a viable flight control strategy for takeoff and landing conditions.

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is most dramatically manifested in the rare and severely debilitating disease, fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), in which heterotopic bone progressively accumulates in skeletal muscles and associated soft tissues. The great majority of FOP cases are caused by a single amino acid substitution in the type 1 bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) receptor ACVR1, a mutation that imparts responsiveness to activin A. Although it is well-established that biological sex is a critical variable in a range of physiological and disease processes, the impact of sex on HO in animal models of FOP has not been explored. We show that female FOP mice exhibit both significantly greater and more variable HO responses after muscle injury. Additionally, the incidence of spontaneous HO was significantly greater in female mice. This sex dimorphism is not dependent on gonadally-derived sex hormones, and reciprocal cell transplantations indicate that apparent differences in osteogenic activity are intrinsic to the sex of the transplanted cells. By circumventing the absolute requirement for activin A using an agonist of mutant ACVR1, we show that the female-specific response to muscle injury or BMP2 implantation is dependent on activin A. These data identify sex as a critical variable in basic and preclinical studies of FOP.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture are significant contributors to global change. We experimentally manipulated biogeochemical control points of irrigation and nitrogen (N) to examine management strategies that could impact GHG flux, i.e., carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) and soil physiochemical changes over a growing season in an arid New Mexico sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) cropping system. Sorghum is water and N efficient and amenable to environmental stress. Interrogating how crop systems perform in intense heat, aridity and ultraviolet stress of the southwestern US climate can inform future management in areas that produce more food currently, but that will undergo these stresses in the near future. Water was applied at regionally typical rates, or at ~30% below those rates. Timing N to plant needs may reduce N loss and N2O emissions, and we tested this hypothesis by adding equal amounts of fertilizer to all plots, with half receiving all fertilizer at planting versus plots fertilized at 50:50 planting and 30 days post-planting. Gas flux from soil was analyzed via FTIR. More biomass was harvested from the fully irrigated plots; N timing did not significantly affect biomass. Soil pH fluctuated throughout the season in response to both treatments. Carbon dioxide emissions significantly increased in fully irrigated plots through time. Methane uptake was depressed by full irrigation. Nitrous oxide flux was lower in split N plots, but N2O emissions were not impacted by reduced irrigation. These results suggest that arid adapted crops can maintain economically feasible yield, and biogeochemical monitoring within a growing season can help manage for GHG flux.

Anterior segment dysgenesis (ASD) encompasses a wide spectrum of developmental abnormalities of the anterior ocular segment, including congenital cataract, iris hypoplasia, aniridia, iridocorneal synechiae, as well as Peters, Axenfeld, and Rieger anomalies. Here, we report a large five-generation Caucasian family exhibiting atypical syndromic ASD segregating with a novel truncating variant of FOXC1. The family history is consistent with highly variable autosomal dominant symptoms including isolated glaucoma, iris hypoplasia, aniridia, cataract, hypothyroidism, congenital heart anomalies, and cystic kidney disease. Whole exome sequencing revealed a novel variant [c.313_314insA; p.(Tyr105*)] in FOXC1 that disrupts the alpha-helical region of the DNA-binding forkhead box domain. In vitro studies using a heterologous cell system revealed aberrant cytoplasmic localization of FOXC1 harboring the Tyr105* variant, likely precluding downstream transcription function. Meta-analysis of the literature highlighted the intrafamilial variability related to FOXC1 truncating alleles. This study highlights the clinical variability in ASD and signifies the importance of combining both clinical and molecular analysis approaches to establish a complete diagnosis.

We propose a model for medium-term hydropower scheduling (MTHS) with variable head and uncertainty in inflow, reserve capacity, and energy price. With an increase of intermittent energy sources in the generation mix, it is expected that a flexible hydropower producer can obtain added profits by participating in other markets than just the energy market. To capture this added potential the hydropower system should be modeled with a higher level of details. In this context, we apply an algorithm based on stochastic dual dynamic programming (SDDP) to solve the nonconvex MTHS problem, and show that the use of Strengthened Benders (SB) cuts to represent the expected future profit (EFP) function provide accurate scheduling results for slightly nonconvex problems. A method to visualize the EFP function in a dynamic programming setting is provided, serving as a useful tool for a priori inspection of the EFP shape and its nonconvexity.

Mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] in Australia has been transformed from a niche opportunistic crop into a major summer cropping option for dryland growers in the summer-dominant rainfall regions of Queensland and New South Wales. This transformation followed stepwise genetic improvements in both grain yields and disease resistance. For example, more recent cultivars such as ‘Crystal’, ‘Satin II’ and ‘Jade-AU‘ have provided up to a 20% yield advantage over initial introductions. Improved agronomic management to enable mechanised management and cultivation in narrow (<50 cm) rows has further promised to increase yields. Nevertheless, average yields achieved by growers for their mungbean crops remain less than 1 t/ha, and are much more variable than other broad acre crops. Further increases in yield and crop resilience in mungbean are vital. In this review, opportunities to improve mungbean have been analysed at four key levels including phenology, leaf area development, dry matter accumulation and its partitioning into grain yield. Improving the prediction of phenology in mungbean may provide further scope for genetic improvements that better match crop duration to the characteristics of target environments. There is also scope to improve grain yields by increasing dry matter production through the development of more efficient leaf canopies. This may introduce additional production risks as dry matter production depends on the amount of available water, which varies considerably within and across growing regions in Australia. Improving crop yields by exploiting photo-thermal sensitivities to increase dry matter is likely a less risky strategy for these variable environments. Improved characterisation of growing environments using modelling approaches could also better define and identify the risks of major abiotic constraints. This would assist in optimising breeding and management strategies to increase grain yield and crop resilience in mungbean for the benefit of growers and industry.

This review covers the last 25 years literature on analogs of suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA, known also as Vorinostat) acting as HDAC inhibitor. In particular, the topic has been focused on the synthesis and biological activity of compounds where the phenyl group (the surface recognition moiety, CAP) of SAHA has been replaced by an azaheterocycle through a direct bond with amide nitrogen atom, and the methylene chain in the linker region is of variable length. Most of the compounds reported displayed good to excellent inhibitory activity against HDACs and in many cases showed anti-proliferative activity against human cancer cell lines.

Quantile regression model is widely used in variable relationship research of general size data, due to strong robustness and more comprehensive description of the response variables' characteristics. With the increase of data size and data dimension, there have been some studies on high-dimensional quantile regression under the classical statistical framework, including higher-efficient frequency perspective, which is however at cost of randomness quantification, or lower-efficient Bayesian method based on MCMC sampling. To overcome these problems, we propose the high-dimensional quantile regression with Spike-and-Slab Lasso penalty based on variational Bayesian (VBSSLQR), which can not only improve the computational efficiency but also measure the randomness via variational distributions. The simulation studies and real data analysis illustrate that the proposed VBSSLQR method is superior to or equivalent to other quantile and non-quantile regression methods (including Bayesian and non-Bayesian methods), and its efficiency is higher than any other method.

In this paper a new approximate procedure is developed for calculating the inclination angle of the end points of statically determinate beams. The method is based on the topology comparison of simple (hinge-roller combination) supported beam and a resemblant cantilever beam. Assuming that the support reactions of the beam are active forces, the virtual displacements at the points of the reaction forces are calculated. Based on these values the inclination angle is calculated. Several examples are considered and the suggested in this paper, while the procedure is applied for various types of structures and loadings. The results, obtained by the suggested numerical procedure, are compared with analytical ones, and they are in good agreement.

This paper presents Chebyshev Type inequalities for the Riemann-Liouville variable-order fractional integral operator using two synchronous functions on the set of real numbers. It is the first result of its kind in the current literature using variable-order Riemann-Liouville fractional integral operator. Some special cases for the result obtained in the paper are discussed.

We investigate the relationship between social isolation and subjective health, considering that this relationship is potentially affected by endogeneity due to the presence of self-reported measures. Thus, if an increase in social isolation may impact the perception on health, alternative paths of causality may also be hypothesized. Using data from round 7 of the European Social Survey, we estimate an instrumental variable model in which isolation is explained as being a member of an ethnic minority and having experienced some serious family conflicts in the past. Our results confirm that changes in social isolation influence subjective general health. In particular, greater isolation produces a strong and significant deterioration of the perceived health status. With respect to the literature on social isolation and health, we try to advance it by supporting a path of causality running from social isolation to subjective health.

We work within a Winterberg framework where space, i.e., the vacuum, consists of a two component superfluid/super-solid made up of a vast assembly (sea) of positive and negative mass Planck particles, called planckions. These material particles interact indirectly, and have very strong restoring forces keeping them a finite distance apart from each other within their respective species. Because of their mass compensating effect, the vacuum appears massless, charge-less, without pressure, net energy density or entropy. In addition, we consider two variable models, where, , is Newton’s constant, and, , increases with an increase in cosmological time. We argue that there are at least two competing models for the quantum vacuum within such a framework. The first follows a strict extension of Winterberg’s model. This leads to nonsensible results, if increases, going back in cosmological time, as the length scale inherent in such a model will not scale properly. The second model introduces a different length scale, which does scale properly, but keeps the mass of the Planck particle as, the Planck mass. Moreover we establish a connection between ordinary matter, dark matter, and dark energy, where all three mass densities within the Friedman equation must be interpreted as residual vacuum energies, which only surface, once aggregate matter has formed, at relatively low temperatures. The symmetry of the vacuum will be shown to be broken, because of the different scaling laws, beginning with the formation of elementary particles. Much like waves on an ocean where positive and negative planckion mass densities effectively cancel each other out and form a zero vacuum energy density/ zero vacuum pressure surface, these positive mass densities are very small perturbations (anomalies) about the mean. This greatly alleviates, i.e., minimizes the cosmological constant problem, a long standing problem associated with the vacuum.

Long-span steel structure trusses are widely used in factory buildings, but with the growth of service time and the increase of dynamic load fatigue, a considerable part of the long-span truss with dynamic load appears serious transverse cracks at the bottom of the middle span and oblique deformation of the abdomen in the operation process. The U-shaped cracks at the bottom and belly, as well as the mid-span down deflection of the main truss, reduced the functional function of the factory building truss structure, and had to limit the original crane load, which affected the normal safety and durability of the structure. Therefore, the application principle of the variable axial force cable system in the long-span factory building truss structure and 3D3S software modeling [1] were used. Analyzing and studying the reinforcement method of large-span powerhouse truss can provide practical experience for subsequent similar projects. In view of the above phenomenon, the large-span powerhouse trusses of Hongcheng Powerhouse 1 and No.2 located in Tonglu, Zhejiang Province are used as the research object, and the variable axial force cable method is proposed to strengthen and lift the load. Considering the span of large-span powerhouse truss, the cable system with 22m controlling force of 400kN is proposed to be selected for powerhouse 1, and the cable system with variable axial force of 24m is proposed to be selected for Powerhouse 2. The force model of large-span truss is established by using the finite element method commonly used to analyze the force of truss. Under two working conditions, The influence of reinforcement effect is analyzed and compared from three aspects: stiffness, bearing capacity and stability. And the phenomenon of uneven stress distribution is analyzed. The stress distribution characteristics of each node are understood by simulating the most disadvantageous node plates with the greatest internal force before and after reinforcement.

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV2 (CoV2) emerged in December 2019. This virus has 88% genomic similarity with SARS-CoV (CoV), and both viruses largely depend on their main protease (M^pro) to regulate infection. M^pro thus represents an attractive target for anti-SARS drug design. The CoV and CoV2 M^pro are 97% identical at the sequence level, with 12 variable residues, and their X-ray structures appear similar. We thus structurally analysed how these variable residues affect the intra-molecular interactions between key residues in the CoV2 M^pro active-site. Compared to CoV M^pro, the 12 divergent residues in CoV2 M^pro exhibit modified intra-molecular interaction networks that ultimately restructure the molecular micro-environment. These altered networks also indirectly affect the networks of other active-site residues at the entrance (T26, M49 and Q192) and near the catalytic region (F140, H163, H164, M165 and H172) of the M^pro. This suggest CoV2 indirectly (via neighbours) reshape key molecular networks around the M^pro active-site. It seems that the CoV2 M^pro deceives us with its apparent structurally identical to the CoV M^pro while this viral system accumulates mass mutations (12 variable residues) at key positions. Some of these identified CoV2 M^pro networks at the active-site might guide design of efficient CoV2 M^pro inhibitors.

Variable-DOF (or kinematotropic) mechanisms are a class of reconfigurable mechanisms. The number of variable-DOF multi-loop planar mechanisms proposed so far is very limited. This paper proposes a novel 8-link variable-DOF planar mechanism with five motion modes. Firstly, a description of the 8-link variable-DOF planar mechanism is presented. Reconfiguration analysis of the 8-link mechanism is then carried out using an elimination and algebraic geometry hybrid approach. The analysis shows that the 8-link mechanism has one 2-DOF motion mode and four 1-DOF motion modes and can switch among three motion modes at four transition configurations and between two motion modes at the remaining four transition configurations. Geometric characteristics of the mechanism in different motion modes are also revealed. Unlike the variable-DOF planar mechanisms found in literature, the proposed 8-link mechanism has two inactive joints in one of its 1-DOF motion modes, and both 4R kinematic sub-chains of the mechanism must appear as parallelograms in a pair or anti-parallelograms in a pair in the same motion mode. As a by-product, a method for factoring trigonometric functions in two angles is proposed.

This work probes the combined effects of magnetic field and viscous dissipation on heat field and examine the second law analysis (entropy generation) in an electrically conducting fluid under the effect of wall mass transfer over continuous stretched non-isothermal surface with variable viscosity. The viscosity of the fluid is assumed to be an inverse linear function of temperature. The governing equation for the problem are changed to dimensionless ordinary differential equations by using similarity transformation and solved numerically by using Rung Kutta and Shooting technique. Velocity, concentration and temperature distribution are obtained and used to compute the entropy generation and the Bejan number in the flow field. The effect of variable viscosity, Schmidt number, Hartman and Reynolds number on the velocity, concentration, temperature, entropy generation and Bejan number are studied and discussed.

Optical beam splitter is used for dividing an input optical beam into several separate beams with specific power ratio. Usually, conventional beam splitters have bulky dimensions and fixed dividing ratio which significantly limit the design of new miniaturized optical devices and integrated optical circuits. We propose and investigate a novel physical concept of a miniaturized planar optical splitter/coupler with a switching element in the form of a photonic molecule (PM) pair dispersing input optical fluxes along multiple ways with variable power proportions. The structural design of the proposed splitter is based on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform and composed of high-quality resonators in the form of electromagnetically coupled submicron-sized microcylinders. The control on the power division ratio and the selection of optical beam directions is realized by tuning the photonic splitter structure to the corresponding resonance of PM supermode. Compared to known analogues, the proposed design is easy to fabricate, suitable for integration into a "System-on-a-chip" platform and can dynamically change the beam power division ratio by input wave-phase manipulation.

This paper presents a comparison of two methods to represent variable blade inertia in two codes for aero-servo-elastic simulations of wind turbines: the nonlinear aeroelastic multi-body model HAWC2 and the nonlinear geometrically exact beam model BeamDyn for OpenFAST. The main goal is to enable these tools to simulate the dynamic behavior of a wind turbine with variable blade inertia. However, in order to simulate the structural response of wind turbines with variable blade inertias, the source code of load simulation tools need to be modified. This is due to the fact that, currently, state-of-the-art load simulation tools for wind turbines are unable to simulate variable rotor blade inertias. The validity of the modified codes is proven based on a simple beam model. The validation shows very good agreement between the modified codes of HAWC2, BeamDyn and an analytical calculation. The add-on of variable blade inertias is applied to reduce the mechanical loads of a 5 megawatt reference wind turbine with an integrated hydraulic-pneumatic flywheel in its rotor blades.

: Electric air conditioning and heating systems capacity is growing rapidly. So does the nameplate capacity of PV power plants. While demand in cooling has a positive correlation with solar irradiationirradiance, the demand in heating has an opposite relation. In this study, different approaches of to design (aggregation; energy storagethermal, battery and implicit systems storage) and control (frequency conversion; variable and adaptive load) and their effects on the efficiency of an off-grid active thermal stabilisation system based on a solar-powered heat pump are analysed. The case considered is permafrost thermal stabilisation system in Norway. It is shown that proper layout and control of the system with an adaptive load can reduce the capital expenses expenditures and the total cost of ownership by 30-40%. Increase in the efficiency capacity factor and cooling stability of the systems with the aggregated and threshold power consumervariable load due to the principle of aggregation is studied. The downside of that is the increase in compressors operation time by 50% with variable load and by 25% per unit with aggregation which means more frequent replacement in terms of motor-hours. But The the feasibility of this approaches considered are applicable for a wide range of solar-powered facilities, but the results are is quite case sensitive and depends on the prices for low-power heat pumps. The prospects of using the excess refrigerant and soil for thermal energy storage instead of traditional electrochemical batteries are considered.

Variable Angle Tow (VAT) laminates offer a promising alternative to classical straight fiber composites in terms of design and performance. However, analyzing these structures can be more complex due to the introduction of new design variables. Carrera's Unified Formulation (CUF) has been successful in previous works for buckling, vibrational, and stress analysis of VAT plates. Typically, one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) CUF models are used, with a linear law describing the fiber orientation variation in the main plane of the structure. The objective of this article is to expand the CUF 2D plate finite elements family to perform free vibration analysis of composite laminated plate structures with curvilinear fibers. The primary contribution is the application of Reissner's Mixed Variational Theorem (RMVT) to a CUF finite element model. The Principle of Virtual Displacements (PVD) and RMVT are both used as variational statements for the study of monolayer and multilayer VAT plates dynamic behavior. The proposed approach is compared to Abaqus three-dimensional (3D) reference solutions, classical theories and literature results to investigate the effectiveness of the developed models. Results demonstrate that mixed theories provide the best approximation of the reference solution in all cases.

In the speed control system of Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (IPMSM) without a speed sensor, the speed under the traditional PI control suffers from poor tracking performance and step response overshoot. This paper proposes a Compound Variable Structure PI (CVSPI) controller to improve the system control performance. It can choose whether to include an integral term according to the size of the system deviation to speed up the response. It also introduces a Model Reference Adaptive System (MRAS) speed observer in the controller to estimate the speed and adaptively adjust the size of the anti-integration saturation gain to improve the dynamic response following performance and immunity of the system. A feed-forward link is added for a given input differential to achieve an accurate answer to time-varying inputs. As the linear compensation matrix of the conventional MRAS is a unit matrix, the speed can only be accurately observed in a specific speed range. In this paper, a new linear compensation matrix is designed, and a new speed adaptive law is derived, allowing the improved MRAS to measure speed over a wide range accurately. Simulation results validate the excellent control performance of the CVSPI and the accuracy of the enhanced MRAS over a wide speed range.

In the speed control system of Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (IPMSM) without a speed sensor, the speed under the traditional PI control suffers from poor tracking performance and step response overshoot. This paper proposes a Compound Variable Structure PI (CVSPI) controller to improve the system control performance. It can choose whether to include an integral term according to the size of the system deviation to speed up the response. It also introduces a Model Reference Adaptive System (MRAS) speed observer in the controller to estimate the speed and adaptively adjust the size of the anti-integration saturation gain to improve the dynamic response following performance and immunity of the system. A feed-forward link is added for a given input differential to achieve an accurate answer to time-varying inputs. As the linear compensation matrix of the conventional MRAS is a unit matrix, the speed can only be accurately observed in a specific speed range. In this paper, a new linear compensation matrix is designed, and a new speed adaptive law is derived, allowing the improved MRAS to measure speed over a wide range accurately. Simulation results validate the excellent control performance of the CVSPI and the accuracy of the enhanced MRAS over a wide speed range.

The variable-length arbitrary Lagrange-Euler (ALE)-ANCF finite element, which employ nonrational interpolating polynomials, cannot exactly describe the rational cubic Bezier curves such as conic and circular curves. The rational absolute nodal coordinate formulation (RANCF) finite element, whose reference length (undeformed length) is constant, can exactly represent the rational cubic Bezier curves. A new variable-length finite element called the ALE-RANCF finite element, which is capable of accurately describe the rational cubic Bezier curves, is proposed by combining the desirable features of the ALE-ANCF and RANCF finite element. In order to control the reference length of ALE-RANCF element within a suitable range, element segmentation and merging schemes are proposed. It is demonstrated that exact geometry and mechanic is maintained after the ALE-RANCF element is divided into two shorter ones, and compared with the ALE-ANCF elements, there are smaller deviations and oscillations after two ALE-RANCF elements are merged into a longer one. Numerical examples are presented and the feasibility and advantages of the ALE-RANCF finite element are demonstrated.

In this paper, we have shown the electronic circuit equivalence of a mechanical system consists of two oscillators coupled with each other. The mechanical design has the effects of the magnetic, resistance forces and the spring constant of the system is periodically varying. We have shown that the system’s state variables, such as the displacements and the velocities, under the effects of different forces, lead to some nonlinear behaviors, like a transition from the fixed point attractor to the chaotic attractor through the periodic and quasi-periodic attractors. We have constructed the equivalent electronic circuit of this mechanical system and have verified the numerically obtained behaviors using the electronic circuit.

Establishing global high-rate secure communications is a potential application of continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CVQKD) but also challenging for long-distance transmissions in metropolitan areas. The discrete modulation(DM) can make up for the shortage of transmission distance that has a unique advantage against all side-channel attacks, however its further performance improvement requires source preparation in the presence of noise and loss. Here, we consider the effects of photon catalysis (PC) on the DM-involved source preparation for lengthening the maximal transmission distance of the CVQKD system. We address a zero-photon catalysis (ZPC)-based source preparation for enhancing the DM-CVQKD system. The statistical fluctuation due to the finite length of data is taken into account for the practical security analysis. Numerical simulations show that the ZPC-based DM-CVQKD system can not only achieve the extended maximal transmission distance, but also contributes to the reasonable increase of the secret key rate. This approach enables the DM-CVQKD to tolerate lower reconciliation efficiency, which may promote the practical implementation solutions compatible with classical optical communications using state-of-the-art technology.

I localize gravity to match its measurements with the local inertial frame of special relativity. I find a geometric interpretation of the speed of light and mass. I find also a relation between every mass measured and the black hole entropy which introduces information-matter equation from gravity. Through localization of gravity, a timeless state of the universe emerges and the uncertainty principle does not hold since the velocity concept is replaced by distance in this timeless state. This would resolve the problem of time because timeless state of the universe emerges naturally and mathematically consistent. This would suggest that gravity form the hidden one variable of quantum mechanics which would complete the relation between quantum mechanics and gravity. The experimental evidence of timeless state of the universe is the quantum entanglement. Since the spin measurement is the manifestation of quantum entanglement. Therefore, the spin of quantum particle can be originated from geometrical or gravitational red-shift. We introduce also a principle of least computation which is achieved when the ratio equal to the difference in the process of local gravitational measurements.

Liability to prevent consequences of an unhealthy situation due to accumulating toxic and hazardous emissions caused by open dumping of municipal solid waste with increasing urbanization has necessitated a renewed thinking on waste disposal. Grate fired incineration systems were adopted by urban managements in past and present but with criticisms due to formation of air borne emissions. Improved combustion methods like fluidized bed are now propagated because of current requirements like efficient energy recovery potential, stricter emission norms, adaptability with urban growth, adaptability to co-firing with other waste like biomass, edible oil wastes or industrial effluent and integration with conventional energy generation. Such a comprehensive and futuristic approach is more sustainable for the community. Multi-criteria decision-making tool is used to identify the best technology option among grate combustion and fluidized bed combustion for disposing and energy recovery from waste. Ten different collection and disposal options involving two combustion methods, namely, grate combustion and fluidized bed method are considered. Utilization of the energy is done for three end uses, namely, power generation, water distillation and district cooling. Two different regions in Saudi Arabia are considered for this study under two types of scenario, namely with recycling and without recycling. The different options are prioritized based on their overall ranking using five major performance factors.

Abstract: This research aims at developing a virtual reality destination experience (VRDE) model as a moderating variable between sustainable tourist behavior (STB) and tourist visit intention (TVI). The portability variable strengthens VRDE, and the content quality variable supports VRDE. The research method used was purposive convenience sampling covering 204 respondents who visited the vicinity of Kebon batik village in Klaten, Central Java, Indonesia. The research findings were H1: STB has a significant effect on VRDE, H2: VDRE has an impact on TRVI, H3: portability has a significant effect on VRDE, and H4: content quality did not have an impact on VRDE. The novelty of this research is the VRDE application applied to Community Sustainable Tourist Behavior in developing countries.

Evolutionary, sequence and structural analyses of tRNA variable (V) loops provides a new understanding. Type I tRNA V loops have a primordial length of 5 nt, and type II tRNA V loops have a primordial length of 14 nt. Sequence-based alignments of type I and type II V loops gave deceptive results. Type II V loops are characterized by the trajectory of the V arm, the size and sequence of the loop and the first and last V loop nucleotides and their known contacts. Depending on the V arm trajectory, type II V stems and loops can be interaction sites for aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. So, type II V arms for tRNALeu, tRNASer and tRNATyr (found in Bacteria) were coevolved and selected to distinguish determinants to support cognate tRNA charging. The alignment of type I and type II V loops was adjusted based on tRNA evolution. Results are consistent with Archaea being an older and simpler life form than Bacteria. TRNAome sequences were derived from radiation of an ordered tRNAPri (Pri for primordial) sequence comprised of known RNA repeats and inverted repeats. V loop and tRNA sequences, therefore, convey a history of the primary successful pathway in the origin of life.

Due to the increasing global importance of decarbonizing human activities, especially the production of electricity, the optimal deployment of renewable energy technologies will play a crucial role in future energy systems. To accomplish this, particular attention must be accorded to the geospatial and temporal distribution of variable renewable energy sources (VRES) such as wind and solar radiation in order to match electricity supply and demand. This study presents a techno-economical assessment of four energy technologies in the hypothetical context of Mexico in 2050, namely: onshore and offshore wind turbines, and open-field and rooftop photovoltaics. A land eligibility analysis incorporating physical, environmental, and socio-political eligibility constraints and individual turbine and photovoltaic park simulations, drawing on 39 years of climate data, is performed for individual sites across the country in an effort to determine the installable potential and the associated levelized costs of electricity. The results reveal that up to 54 PWh of renewable electricity can be produced as a cost of less than 70 EUR/MWh. Around 91% (49 PWh) of this would originate from 23 TW of open-field photovoltaic parks that could occupy up to 578,000 km2 of eligible land across the country. The remaining 9% (4.8 PWh) could be produced by 1.9 TW of onshore wind installations allocated to approximately 68,500 km2 of eligible land that is almost fully adjacent to three mountainous zones. The combination of rooftop photovoltaic and offshore wind turbines account for a very small share of less than 0.03% of the overall techno-economical potential.

In this work, a mixture of Elzaki transform and projected differential transform method is applied to solve a nonlinear wave-like equations with variable coefficients. Nonlinear terms can be easily manipulated by using the projected differential transformation method. The method gives the results show that the proposed method is very efficient, simple and can be applied to other applications.

Therapeutics antibodies have increasingly shifted the paradigm of disease treatments, from small molecules to biologics, especially in cancer therapy. Despite the increasing number of antibody candidates, much remains unknown about the antibody and how its various regions interact. In fact, the constant region can govern effects that might be useful in reducing the unwanted consequences resulted from systemic circulation. For this reason, apart from the commonly used IgG isotypes, IgA antibodies are promising therapeutics drugs, given its localized mucosal effects. While the antibody Fc effector cell activity has been well explored, recent research has shown evidences that the constant region of the antibody can also influence antigen binding, challenging the conventional idea of region-specific antibody functions. To further investigate this, we analyzed the IgA antibody constant and its allosteric effects onto the antigen binding regions, using recombinant Pertuzumab IgA1 and IgA2 variants. We found mutations in the C-region to reduce Her2 binding, and our computational structural analysis showed that such allosteric communications were highly dependent on the antibody hinge, providing the evidence to consider antibodies as a whole protein rather than a sum of functional regions.

Solid-state fermentation (SSF) is the bioprocess where microorganisms are cultivated in the absence of free water under control conditions. Lactic acid can be produced by fermenting grape stalks with Rhizopus oryzae in SSF. During the microorganism growth, the temperature and water content of the solid bed fluctuate, leading to areas of either dry or excessive moisture in the solid substrate. Therefore, it's crucial to control the supply of water to the matrix. In this work, we obtain lactic acid through SSF of grape stalks using Rhizopus oryzae NCIM 1299. The SSF was conducted at a fixed temperature of 35 °C, with three constant relative humidity levels: 50, 65, and 80 %RH. Mathematical models, including the Logistic and First Order Plus Dead Time models for fungal biomass growth and the Luedeking and Piret with Delay Time model for lactic acid production, were adjusted to kinetic curves. Growth kinetic parameters (Xmax, μmax, Tp, T0, Yp/x and td) were determined for all conditions. These kinetic parameters were then correlated with relative humidity using a second-degree polynomial relationship. We observed a decrease in Xmax with increasing %RH, while the value of Yp/x increased at higher %RH. Finally, the optimal variable relative humidity profile was obtained by applying the Dynamic Optimization Technique, resulting in a 15.30% increase in lactic acid production.

This study aimed to simulate dynamic irrigation management zones (MZs) in two maize fields for a variable rate hose-reel fertigation machine (VRFM) with a 4-section boom control. Soil moisture content was measured from nine and four soil moisture sensors in Field 1 (8.2 ha) and Field 2 (2.5 ha), respectively in different dates during the 2022 crop season. Three- and five-MZs scenarios were simulated per irrigation and the theoretical maps were processed for implementation. The application maps fitted to the VRFM showed significant spatiotemporal variations in irrigation requirements. For instance, in Field 1, 3-MZs modelling showed that the areas requiring High (H), Medium (M), and Low (L) level irrigation on July 21 were 1.60, 4.84, and 1.85 ha, respectively, whereas the farmer applied uniform rate over the whole field. H level sub-areas ranged between 1.22 ha (July 25) and 3.25 ha (July 7), showing a coefficient of variation (CV) of 43.32% for the 3-MZs, whereas H level sub-areas for 5-MZs varied from 0.41 ha (July 2) to 1.49 ha (July 7) with a CV value of 48.84%. High levels of within-field variability can be addressed using precise and dynamic irrigation MZs fitted to the irrigation technology used.

There has been growing interest in using permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) for pumping applications to improve energy efficiency. One promising approach for powering these motors in variable speed applications is using modular multilevel cascaded converters based on a Triple-Star Bridge Cell (M3C) due to their inherent fault tolerance capability. However, M3C converters require a more complex control system than simpler converters. For instance, A basic M3C control system for power transmission requires seventeen (17) PI controllers, whose adjustment depends on the M3C’s dynamical model parameters’ value knowledge needing extensive and time-consuming testing to obtain them. To solve this control system issue, we propose an adaptive M3C control system for variable speed drives powering multiple PMSM-driven centrifugal pumps that reduces the number of controllers to six (6). Furthermore, the proposal does not require knowledge of the converter, motor, or load parameters, making it more practical and versatile. The proposal introduces an ad-hoc hybrid passivity-based model reference adaptive controller in cascade with a passivity-based control. It has been validated through theoretical stability proof and comparative simulation results with a basic control system under normal and fault operations. As a result, the proposal effectively follows the required rotor speed while enhancing performance by decreasing the current consumption and recovering from a 10% input phase imbalance, a cell short circuit, and an open cell.

Ship pilots and maritime safety administration have an urgent need for more accurate and earlier warnings on strong wind gusts. This study firstly investigates the “Oriental Star” cruise ship cap-sizing event in 2015, one of the deadliest shipwreck events in recent years, and explores all related hydro-meteorological components in a global mesoscale model. It is found that, rather than the missing signal in raw surface wind prediction, the cumulus precipitation variable (CP) increases dramatically during the accident occurrence, which significantly corresponds to the sub-grid strong wind gust. The effective lead-time can be extended from 24hr (deterministic model) to 48hr (en-semble model). This finding is then verified in another two recent deadly cruise boat accidents. The introduction of the new variable is bearing the hope of improvement to the current maritime safeguard system, on predicting sub-grid strong wind gusts for small-size cruise boats in offshore and inland rivers. Finally, an automatic-response system is developed to provide economical con-vection prediction via Inmarsat email communication, aiming to explore operational severe con-vective gust early-warning and appropriate numerical mesoscale model application.

Aiming at the problem that soft robots are challenging to take into account both flexibility and bearing capacity, Using the software Pneu-Net driver as the deformation mode, magnetorheological fluid material phase transformation to achieve variable stiffness, A pneumatic modular soft joint structure with dynamically adjustable deformation and stiffness in all directions is proposed. In this paper, mathematical models of deformation and variable stiffness are established. The correspondence between gas pressure and deformation and applied current and joint stiffness is obtained. The finite element analysis method was used to simulate the deformation characteristics and variable stiffness characteristics of modular joints based on the Yeoh model. Finally, the theoretical and simulation results are verified by deformation and variable stiffness tests. It is proved that the modular joint has good rigid-flexible coupling characteristics.

Complex colloidal fluids, depending on particulates’ shapes and packing fractions, may have a wide range of shear thinning and thickening behaviors. A particular interesting way to transition between different types of such behavior is by infusing functional complex particles that can be manufactured using modern techicques such as 3D printing. In this paper, we display 2D molecular dynamics simulations of such fluids with infused star-shaped functional particles, with variable leg length and number of legs, as they are infused in a non-interacting, coarse-grained fluid. We vary the packing fraction (ϕ) of the system, and for each different system we apply shear with various strain rate that turns the fluid into a jammed state and rise the apparent viscosity of fluid. We demonstrate the dependence of viscosity with the particles’ packing fraction. We show the role of shape and design dependence of the functional particles towards the transition to a shear thickening fluid .

Colours act as stimuli capable of inducing physiological and psychological responses, impacting on human life by influencing behaviour, cognition and emotion. Designers frequently draw upon colour association cues in designing products, packaging and marketing materials to exploit the reported human reactions to them. To date, clinicians and foot orthoses manufacturers appear to have given little thought to how the colour of foot orthoses may have impact within the broader context of a biopsychosocial model of healthcare. Here we examine research regarding colour perception and association and provide rationale for how the use of colour in foot orthoses therapy might be better exploited to improve patient outcomes and to form a focus for future research.

Irrigated agriculture determines large blue water withdrawals, and it is considered a key intervention area to reach sustainable development objectives. Precision agriculture technologies have the potential to mitigate water resource depletion that often characterizes conventional agricultural approaches. This study investigates the factors influencing farmers' intentions to adopt variable rate irrigation (VRI) technology. The Technology Acceptance Model 3 (TAM-3) was employed as a theoretical framework to design a survey to identify the factors influencing farmers' decision-making process when adopting VRI. Data were gathered through quantitative face-to-face interviews with a sample of 138 fruit and grapevine producers from the Northeast of Italy (Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia). Data were analyzed using partial least squares path modelling (PLS-PM). The results highlight that personal attitudes, such as perceived usefulness and subjective norm, positively influence the intention to adopt VRI. Also, the perceived ease of use positively affects intention, but it is moderated by subject experience.

Canopy characteristics are crucial for accurately and safely determining the pesticide quantity and volume of water used for spray applications in vineyards. The inevitably high degree of intra-plot variability makes it difficult to develop a global solution for the optimal volume application rate. Here, the design procedure of, and the results obtained from, a variable rate application (VRA) sprayer are presented. Prescription maps were generated after detailed canopy characterization, using a multispectral camera embedded on an unmanned aerial vehicle, throughout the entire growing season in Torrelavit (Barcelona) in four vineyard plots of Chardonnay (2.35 ha), Merlot (2.97 ha), and Cabernet Sauvignonn (4.67 ha). The maps were obtained by merging multispectral images with information provided by DOSAVIÑA®, a decision support system, to determine the optimal volume rate. They were then uploaded to the VRA prototype, obtaining actual variable application maps after the application processes were complete. The prototype had an adequate spray distribution quality and exhibited similar results in terms of biological efficacy on powdery mildew compared to conventional (and constant) application volumes. The VRA results demonstrated an accurate and reasonable pesticide distribution, with potential for reduced disease damage even in cases with reduced amounts of plant protection products and water.

Self-phase modulation (SPM) broadening of laser spectra was studied in a transmission mode in natural and synthetic diamonds at variable laser wavelengths (515 and 1030 nm), pulse energies and widths (0.3 - 12 ps, positively chirped pulses), providing their filamentary propagation. Besides the monotonous SPM broadening of the laser spectra versus pulse energy, more pronounced for the (sub)picosecond pulsewiths and more doped natural diamond, periodical low-frequency modulation was observed in the spectra at the shorter laser pulsewidths, indicating dynamic Bragg filtering of the supercontinuum due to ultrafast plasma and nanoplasmonic effects. Damping of broadening and ultramodulation for the longer picosecond pulsewidths was related to thermalized electron-hole plasma regime established for the laser pulsewidths longer, than 2 ps. Unexpectedly, at higher pulse energies and corresponding longer microfilaments, the number of spectral modulation features increases, indicating dynamic variation of the periods in the longitudinal plasma Bragg gratings along the filaments due to prompt secondary laser-plasmon interactions.

Atmospheric lightning is an outcome of extreme complex physical processes occurring in the atmosphere. Cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning is considered as a natural disaster. Understanding the importance of CG lightning and implication of the lightning phenomena, Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), world meteorological organization, in its report in the year 2016, introduced the lightning as an Essential Climate Variable (ECV). The present report uses the Lightning Detection Sensor Network (LDSN) established by the National Remote Sensing Centre, Indian Space Research Organization over India to generate the Lightning ECV. A use case of these ECVs are also showcased for an event in Bihar, India, when 42 deaths were reported at locations with large number of CG occurrences.

Complex diseases such as cancer are caused by changes in the Gene Regulatory Networks. Systems that model the complex dynamics of these networks along with adapting to real gene expression data are closer to reality and can help understand the creation and treatment of cancer. In this paper, for the first time, modelling of gene regulatory networks is performed using delayed nonlinear variable order fractional systems in the state space by a new tool called GENAVOS. This tool uses gene expression time series data to identify and optimize system parameters. This software has several tools for analyzing system dynamics. The results show that the nonlinear variable order fractional systems have very good flexibility in adapting to real data. We found that regulatory networks in cancer cells actually have a larger delay parameter than in normal cells. It is also possible to create chaos, periodic and quasi-periodic oscillations by changing the delay, degradation and synthesis rates. Our findings indicate a profound effect of time-varying order on these networks, which may be related to a type of cellular memory due to epigenetic and environmental factors. We showed that by changing the delay parameter and the variable order function for a normal cell system, its behavior changes and becomes quite similar to the behavior of a cancer cell. This work also confirms the effective role of the miR-17-92 cluster in the cancer cell cycle. GENAVOS is available at https://github.com/hanif-y/GENAVOS with its user guide and MATLAB codes.

The gelation time tg necessary for a solution of functional (associating) molecules to reach its gel point after a temperature jump, or a sudden concentration change, is theoretically calculated as a function of the concentration and temperature for the molecules carrying the number f of functional groups. Quite generally, tg is given by the product of the relaxation time tR and a thermodynamic factor Q. For pairwise cross-linking, and cross-linking with a fixed multiplicity k, precise values of tg are derived. For cross-linking with variable multiplicity, kinetic equation of stepwise association is derived for the reactivity pk of the functional groups, on the basis of which tg and tR are estimated. The thermodynamic factor Q is shown to generate a singularity of logarithmic divergence as the temperature (concentration) approaches the equilibrium gel point, while the relaxation time tR changes continuously across it. The retardation effect on the gelation time due to the reversibility of the cross-linking is explicitly calculated for some specific models of cross-linking. For a micellar cross-linking covering a wide range of the multiplicity, as seen in hydrophobically-modified water-soluble polymers, tR is shown to obey a formula similar to the Aniansson-Wall law.

In this paper, the functional variable method is used to establish solitary wave solutions and periodic wave solutions of the loaded quadratic non-linear Klein-Gordon equation, the loaded cubic non-linear Klein-Gordon equation and the loaded coupled non-linear Klein-Gordon equation. All solutions of these equations have been examined and three dimensional graphics of the obtained solutions have been drawn by using the Matlab software. The main advantage of the proposed functional variable method over other methods is that it provides more new exact traveling wave solutions along with additional free parameters. The graphical representations of the soliton solutions and the periodic wave solutions by using distinct values of random parameter are demonstrated to better understand their physical features. The exact solutions have its great importance to reveal the internal mechanism of the physical phenomena.

Many Caribbean island nations have historically been heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels for both power and transportation, while at the same time being at an enhanced risk from the impacts of climate change, although their emissions represent a very tiny fraction of the global total responsible for climate change. Small island developing states (SIDS) are among the leaders in advocating for the ambitious 1.5°C Paris Agreement target and the transition to 100% sustainable, renewable energy systems. In this work we present three central results. First, we show through GIS mapping of all Caribbean islands the potential for near-coastal deep-water as a resource for Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) and couple these results with an estimate of the countries for which OTEC would be most advantageous due to a lack of other dispatchable renewable power options. Second, hourly data have been utilized to explicitly show the trade-offs between battery storage needs and dispatchable renewable sources such as OTEC in 100% renewable electricity systems, both in technological and economic terms. Finally, the utility of near-shore, open-cycle OTEC with accompanying desalination is shown to enable a higher penetration of renewable energy and lead to lower system levelized costs than those of a conventional fossil fuel system.

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.

In this paper, a modular wire-actuated robotic arm was designed to improve the safety and adaptability of service robots during human-robot interaction. To raise the stiffness adjustment range of the robotic arm, a symmetric variable-stiffness unit was designed based on flexure, which had compact and simple structure, and lowly nonlinear stiffness-force relationship. In this paper, we focused on the research of the symmetric 1-DOF joint module. Based on the kinematics and stiffness analysis, the pose of the joint module could be adjusted by controlling the length of the wires, and the stiffness of the joint module could be adjusted by controlling the tension of the wires. Because of the actuation redundancy, the pose and stiffness of the joint module could be controlled synchronously. Furthermore, a directly method was proposed for the stiffness-oriented wire tension distribution problem of the 1-DOF joint module. A simulation was carried out to verify the proposed method.

Although lymphoma is the most frequent malignancy in common variable immunodeficiency (CVID), solid tumors, especially under influence of oncogenic viruses, are not considered. Furthermore, in vitro genetic studies and cell cultures are not adequate for immune system and HBV interaction. We adopted previously introduced clinical model of host-virus interaction (i.e. infectious process in immunodeficiency) for analysis of B cells and specific IgG role (observational study of a CVID patient who received intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG)) Suddenly, the patient deteriorated with positive result of HBs, HBV-DNA (369x106copies). In spite of lamivudine therapy and IVIG escalation (from 0.3 to 0.4g/kg), CT showed 11cm intrahepatic tumor (hepatocellular carcinoma). Anti-HBs had been positive in time-lapse analysis (range 111-220 IU/ml). Replacement therapy intensification was complicated by immune complex disease with renal failure. The fulminant HCC in CVID and the development of the tumor as the first sign is interesting. Unfortunately, treatment with hepatitis B immune globulins (HBIG) plays a major role in posttransplant maintenance therapy. Anti-HBs substitution has not been proven to be effective, oncoprotective nor safe. Therefore, immunosuppression in HBV-infected recipients should be carefully minimized, patient selection more precise with the exclusion of HBV-positive donors. Our clinical model show HCC pathway with important humoral host factors, contrary to epidemiological/cohort studies highlighting risk factors only (e.g. chronic hepatitis). Lack of cell cooperation, B cell deficiency observed in CVID plays a crucial role in high HBV replication, especially in carcinogenesis.

Coal permeability data are critical in the prevention and control of coal and gas outbursts in mines and are an important reservoir parameter for the development of coalbed methane. The mechanism by which permeability is affected by gas pressure is complex. We used a self-developed true triaxial seepage experimental device that collects lignite and anthracite coal samples, sets fixed axial pressure and confining pressure, and changes gas pressure by changing the orientation of the coal seam to study the influence of the gas pressure on the permeability of the coal seam under the conditions of different coal types and different bedding orientations. Coal permeability decreased rapidly and then decreased slowly and tended to be stable with the increase in gas pressure. This conforms to the power exponential fitting relationship, and the fitting degree reaches more than 99%. The permeabilities of lignite and anthracite were basically the same under various pressure conditions, indicating that the influence of coal type on coal permeability was not significant. The comparison of the two anthracite coal samples showed that the sample's permeability with a bedding plane vertical to the seepage direction was significantly lower than that of the bedding plane parallel to the seepage direction, indicating that gas seeped more easily along the bedding. The sensitivity coefficient of permeability with the change in gas pressure was calculated. The analysis showed that coal permeability was sensitive to changes in gas pressure during the low-pressure stage. When the gas pressure was greater than 0.8 MPa, the sensitivity coefficient was significantly reduced, which may be related to the slow increase in the amount of gas absorbed by the coal seam in the high-pressure stage. A theoretical calculation model of coal seam permeability considering adsorption/desorption and seepage effects was proposed and then verified with experimental results showing that the theoretical model better reflected the permeability characteristics of coal and predicted its permeability. Using the finite element simulation software COMSOL, the extraction efficiency of the coal seam gas under different gas pressure conditions was simulated. The results showed that with an increase in gas pressure, coal permeability and extraction efficiency decreased. In the low-pressure stage, the reduction in the extraction efficiency was more obvious than that in the high-pressure stage.

The survival rate of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) remains overall at 60 %. Research and development is slow, partly due to the lack of sophisticated experimental models. This publication introduces a dedicated rodent oxygenator (“RatOx”) and shows preliminary in vitro classification tests. The RatOx has an adaptable fiber module size for various rodent models. Gas transfer performance over the fiber module for different blood flows and fiber module sizes were tested according to DIN EN ISO 7199.At the maximum possible amount of effective fiber surface and a blood flow of 100 ml/min, the oxygenator performance has been tested to a maximum of 6.27 ml O2/min and 8.2 ml CO2/min, respectively. The priming volume for this the largest fiber module is 5.4 ml, while the smallest possible configuration with a single fiber mat layer has 1.1 ml of priming volume. The novel RatOx ECLS system has been evaluated in-vitro to comply to a high degree with all predefined functionality criteria for rodent sized animal models. We intend for the RatOx to become a standard testing platform for scientific studies on ECLS therapy and technology.

The corrosion behavior of Fe-containing directionally solidified (DS) and centrifugally cast (CC) Al-Si-Cu-Zn alloys with either Co or Ni additions has been investigated. Electrochemical and immersion corrosion methods were used to investigate the corrosion behavior in 0.6 M NaCl after short (1-hour) and long (30-day) exposure periods. The employed solidification methods allowed the production of samples with a wide range of secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) while preserving Si and Fe-containing phases. The 0.5 wt.% Ni and Co additions led to the growth of the AlFeSi(Ni) and AlFeSi(Co) phases, but no binary AlNi nor AlCo intermetallic par-ticles have been generated. Potentiodynamic polarization studies at early exposure revealed an increase in the corrosion potential as the Ni was added for either fast or slow solidified samples. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy at early exposure demonstrated that the Ni-modified alloy, on the other hand, was associated to smaller charge transfer resistances, in-dicating a reduction in corrosion resistance after short elapsed time into the electrolyte. Howev-er, 30-day immersion tests revealed much lower corrosion rate of the Ni-modified alloy than the other alloys, while the corrosion rates of the Co-modified and non-modified alloys were simi-lar. In the Ni-containing alloy, decreased corrosion rate under long-term corrosion process was attributed to the formation of a thick and dense alumina layer, effectively protecting the surface under such conditions. This work contributes to a better knowledge of the corrosion behavior of Ni- and Co-corrected Al industrial scrap compositions.