Minirhizotron tubes were installed to monitor root growth dynamics of mature Shiraz grapevines in a rootstock trial established in the hot climate Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The vertical root distribution and seasonal root growth dynamics of Shiraz on own-roots and Shiraz grafted on the rootstocks Ramsey, 140 Ruggeri and Schwarzmann was studied for five seasons across a seven-year period to a depth of 60 cm. New root production was significantly influenced by genotype, soil depth, season, growth stage and year. Soil moisture and soil tem-perature were monitored at 10, 30 and 60 cm in the last two seasons. Soil moisture at 30 cm and soil temperature at all three depths were significant predictors of root growth. New root numbers were significantly higher in 140 Ruggeri than the other rootstocks. To the depth studied, 140 Ruggeri roots were evenly distributed from the topsoil down, whereas the majority of roots of Schwarzmann and Shiraz were located at intermediate depths in the 10-40 cm ad 20-40 cm zones respectively, while Ramsey roots were found at 20 cm or below. Depending on genotype, root growth occurred across several phenological stages but tended to peak at flowering. In some years we observed root growth in early and late winter at rates exceeding that of autumn, and this was associated with warmer temperatures during this period. Overall, seasonal rooting dynamics were responsive to abiotic factors but dominated by genotype.

As in any other plant, in the grapevine roots play a vital role in terms of anchorage, uptake of water and nutrients, as well as storage and production of chemicals. Their behaviour and development depend on various factors, namely rootstock genetics, soil physical and chemical features, field agronomic practices. Canopy management, involving techniques such as defoliation and pruning, could greatly influence root growth. To date, most of the studies on grapevine winter pruning have focused on the effects on yield and quality of grapes, achievable by using different pruning systems and techniques, while the knowledge of root distribution, development, and growth in relation to winter pruning is still not well understood. In this contest, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of winter pruning on the root system of field-grown Vitis vinifera cv. Pinot Gris grafted onto rootstock SO4. We compared two pruning treatments (pruning-P and no pruning-NP) and analysed the effect on root distribution and density, root index and on the root sugar reserves. Root data were analysed in relation to canopy growth and yield, to elucidate the effect of winter pruning on the root/yield ratio. Our data indicated that winter pruning stimulated the root growth and distribution without compromising canopy development, while no-pruning treatment produced less growth of roots but a larger canopy. Information regarding root growth and root canopy ratio is important as it gives us an understanding of the relationship between the aerial and subterranean parts of the plant, how they compete, and finally, offers us the possibility to ponder on cultural practices.

Current theories of autoimmunity are diverse, sometimes contradictory, and suffer from incompleteness. Although substantial evidence exists that adaptive and innate immunity, sex, genetic predisposition, and the microbiome all play essential roles in autoimmune disease etiologies and pathogenesis, and that antigen processing is altered during disease induction, no existing theory integrates all of these factors through a single, coherent mechanism. In an attempt to focus the field on the need to elucidate such an integrative mechanism, I propose one possibility here that, if nothing else, helps to identify the nature of the problems that need to be addressed. My theory is that autoimmune diseases are induced by normal immunological responses to unique pairs of complementary antigens, at least one of which is a molecular mimic of a host target. Each antigen in the complementary pair induces a complementary immune response (T or B cell); although each immune response is idiotypic in origin, the antigenic complementarity results in what appears to be an idiotype-anti-idiotype relationship between the responses. Additionally, because of the antigenic complementarity, each immune response mimics one of antigens, abrogating the distinction between self and non-self. If at least one of the antigens mimics a host antigen, then the resulting immunological civil war spreads to a host tissue. Complementary antigens also alter antigen processing so that antigens that would normally be proteolytically digested are presented by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) to T and B cell receptors inducing a cross-reactive immune response. The resulting civil war is supported by the innate immune system due to the complementarity of the initiating antigens.. Complementary antigens stimulate synergistic toll-like receptors (TLR) and/or nucleotide-binding oligomerization receptors (NOD) resulting in up-regulation of cytokine production and further stimulation of the adaptive immune response. Because the immune responses (e.g., antibodies) mimic the initiating antigens, this synergistic activation of innate immunity becomes chronic. Additionally, TLR and NOD function are highly sensitive to sex hormones, some becoming up-regulated and some down-regulated in the presence of either testosterone or estrogens. This sensitivity explains how sex modifies susceptibility to autoimmune diseases. Genetic mutations in TLR, NOD and MHC further alter antigen presentation and the degree to which antigens stimulate an immune response explaining how genetics also modifies susceptibility. Finally, sex hormones also alter the host microbiome, which in turn modulates autoimmune disease risk by shaping the immunological nature of self and by mediating susceptibility to microbial infection. Moreover, it appears that the microbiome camouflages itself from the immune system by mimicking the host antigenic repertoire; the mimicry between the antigens of the microbiome and the host results in selective attacks on microbiome constituents concomitant with any autoimmune attack on host tissues. This antigenic complementarity theory thereby integrates all major elements known to affect, or be affected by, autoimmune diseases and provides a set of testable implications.

Two conundrums have puzzled COVID-19 investigators: 1) morbidity and mortality is rare among Infants and young children and 2) rates of morbidity and mortality exhibit very large variances across nations, locals and even within cities. These differences correlate with rates of Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) and pneumococcal vaccination, which are almost universal among infants and vary widely by geography among adults and the elderly. The higher the rate of vaccination, the lower the COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Vaccination rates with other vaccines, including BCG and poliovirus, do not correlate with COVID-19 risks. Notably, both Hib and pneumoccoci are common co-infections with influenza and coronaviruses and are associated with more severe disease and risk of death. Whether the vaccines simply protect against COVID-19 complications, directly protect against COVID-19 infection by inducing cross-reactive immunity, or are markers for some other types of protection such as availability of better healthcare, is not yet known. What is known is that improving coverage rates of Hib and pneumococcal vaccination has significantly lowered severe morbidity and mortality in influenza epidemics and might have similar efficacy for mitigating coronavirus outbreaks. If infants and children are valid indicators, the beneficial effects might be very significant. The possibility that anti-viral proteins in milk (e.g., lactoferrin) protect against COVID-19 is also explored.

Various studies indicate that vaccination, especially with pneumococcal vaccines, protects against symptomatic cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection and death. This paper explores the possibility that pneumococcal vaccines in particular, but perhaps other vaccines as well, contain antigens that might be cross-reactive with SARS-CoV-2 antigens. Comparison of the glycosylation structures of SARS-CoV-2 with the polysaccharide structures of pneumococcal vaccines yielded no obvious similarities. However, while pneumococcal vaccines are primarily composed of capsular polysaccharides, some are conjugated to CRM197, a modified diphtheria toxin, and all contain about three percent protein contaminants, including the pneumococcal surface proteins PsaA, PspA and probably PspC. All of these proteins have very high degrees of similarity, using very stringent criteria, with several SARS-CoV-2 proteins including the spike protein, membrane protein and replicase 1a. CRM197 is also present in Hib and meningitis vaccines. Equivalent similarities were found at lower rates, or were completely absent, among the proteins in diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, and poliovirus vaccines. Notably, PspA and PspC are highly antigenic and new pneumococcal vaccines based on them are currently in human clinical trials so that their effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 disease is easily testable.

Transfer factor is the name given to material derived from activated lymphocytes that is probably composed of a complex of a peptide and a short segment of RNA and which has the reported ability to transfer specific T cell immunity to uncommitted lymphocytes. Many independent groups around the world reported isolating transfer factors between 1955 and 1990 and demonstrating their ability to transfer passive immunity from one animal or individual to another, often within 24 hours of inoculation. Such activity is potentially revolutionary both in making T cell vaccines readily manufacturable and also because the existence of transfer factors would undermine the basic assumptions of the clonal selection theory, which currently dominates immunological theory. Unfortunately, lack of the microanalytical and synthetic techniques required to properly identify transfer factors, combined with safety factors associated with it derivation from blood sources susceptible to HIV and prion infections, put an end to transfer factor research after 1990. This paper reviews the evidence supporting transfer factor activity and suggests that this potentially revolutionary concept be resurrected and subjected to renewed scrutiny in light of CRISPR-Cas mechanisms and because of its potential to make possible T cell vaccination and provide a novel basis for understanding immunological function.

Atmospheric turbulence characteristics are essential in determining the quality of astronomical images and implementing adaptive optics systems. In this study, the vertical distributions of optical turbulence at the Peak Terskol observatory (43.27472 ° N 42.50083 ° E, 3127 m a.s.l.) using the Era-5 re-analysis and scintillation measurements are investigated. For the closest reanalysis grid node to the observatory, vertical profiles of the structural constant of the air refractive index turbulent fluctuations Cn2 were obtained. The calculated Cn2(z) vertical profiles are compared with the vertical distribution of turbulence intensity obtained from tomographic measurements with Shack-Hartmann sensor. The atmospheric coherence length at the location of Terskol Peak was estimated. Using combination of atmospheric models and scheme paramaterization of turbulence, Cn2(z) profiles at Mt. Kurapdag were obtained. The values of atmospheric coherence length at the Peak Terskol are compared with estimated values of this length at the ten astronomical sites including Ali, Lenghu and Daocheng.

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

Mercury is a neurotoxin, with certain organic forms of the element being particularly harmful to humans. The Minamata Convention was adopted to reduce the intentional use and emission of mercury. Because mercury is an element, it cannot be decomposed. Mercury-containing products and mercury used for various processes will eventually enter the waste stream, and landfill sites will become a mercury sink. While landfill sites can be a source of mercury pollution, the behavior of mercury in solid waste within a landfill site is still not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to determine the depth profile of mercury, the levels of methyl mercury (MeHg), and the factors controlling methylation in an old landfill site that received waste for over 30 years. Three sampling cores were selected, and boring sampling was conducted to a maximum depth of 18 m, which reached the bottom layer of the landfill. Total mercury (THg) and MeHg were measured in the samples to determine the characteristics of mercury at different depths. Bacterial species were identified by 16S rRNA amplification and sequencing, because the methylation process is promoted by a series of genes. It was found that the THg concentration was 19–975 ng/g, with a geometric mean of 298 ng/g, which was slightly less than the 400 ng/g concentration recorded 30 years previously. In some samples, MeHg accounted for up to 15–20% of THg, which is far greater than the general level in soils and sediments, although the source of MeHg was unclear. The genetic data indicated that hgcA was present mostly in the upper and lower layers of the three cores, merA was almost as much as hgcA, while the level of merB was hundreds of times less than those of the other two genes. A significant correlation was found between THg and MeHg as well as between MeHg and MeHg/THg. In addition a negative correlation was found between THg and merA. The coexistence of the three genes indicated that both methylation and demethylation processes could occur, but the lack of merB was a barrier for demethylation.

Default aerosol extinction coefficient profiles are commonly used instead of measured profiles in radiative transfer modelling, increasing the uncertainties in the simulations. The present study aims to determine the magnitude of these uncertainties and contribute towards the understanding of the complex interactions between aerosols and solar radiation. Default, artificial and measured profiles of the aerosol extinction coefficient are used to simulate the profiles of different radiometric quantities in the atmosphere for different surface, atmospheric, and aerosol properties and for four spectral bands: ultraviolet-B, ultraviolet-A, visible, and near infrared. Case studies are performed over different areas in Europe and North Africa. Analysis of the results shows that under cloudless-skies, changing the altitude of an artificial aerosol layer has minor impact on the levels of shortwave radiation at the top and the bottom of the atmosphere, even for high aerosol loads. Differences up to 30% were however detected for individual spectral bands. Using measured instead of default profiles for the simulations leads to more significant differences in the atmosphere, which become very large during dust episodes (10 – 60% for actinic flux at altitudes between 1 and 2 km, and up to 15 K/day for heating rates depending on site and solar elevation).

Ecosystem physical structure, defined by the quantity and spatial distribution of biomass, influences a range of ecosystem functions. Remote sensing tools permit the non-destructive characterization of canopy and root features, potentially providing opportunities to link above- and belowground structure at fine spatial resolution in functionally meaningful ways. To test this possibility, we employed ground-based portable canopy lidar (PCL) and ground penetrating radar (GPR) along co-located transects in forested sites spanning multiple stages of ecosystem development and, consequently, of structural complexity. We examined canopy and root structural data for coherence at multiple spatial scales ≤ 10 m within each site using wavelet analysis. Forest sites varied substantially in vertical canopy and root structure, with leaf area index and root mass more evenly distributed by height and depth, respectively, as forests aged. In all sites, above- and belowground structure, characterized as mean maximum canopy height and root mass, exhibited significant coherence at a scale of 3.5-4 meters, and results suggest that the scale of coherence may increase with stand age. Our findings demonstrate that canopy and root structure are linked at characteristic spatial scales, which provides the basis to optimize scales of observation. Our study highlights the potential, and limitations, for fusing lidar and radar technologies to quantitatively couple above- and belowground ecosystem structure.

The coffee industry loses millions of dollars annually worldwide due to the Coffee Berry Borer (CBB); these losses imply a decrease in quality and production. Traps are used to monitor their flight and for pest control. The main objective was to determine the flight pattern and trap capture percentages of the CBB population over time using column traps (CTs) in two independent field experiments. CTs were composed of four traps installed at four different heights 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5m above ground. Our results demonstrated a significant difference in CBB capture by traps placed at different heights above the ground. The CT capture maintained a pattern throughout this study's lag; the lower the height, the greater the percentage of CBBs captured. In Experiments A and B, the traps placed at 0.5m caught 67% and 85% of the CBBs captured, respectively. Furthermore, the trap set at 1.5m above the ground in the multi-level CT showed a higher capture percentage than the individually placed trap (also at 1.5m). The pattern of the capture and proportion of the CBB in the CTs were maintained throughout the study despite the season, changes in temperature, and relative air humidity. We suggested that CTs could be explored as a useful tool for capturing the CBB, considering its monitoring and management.

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

Free-Living Amoebae (FLA) are widely distributed protozoa in both nature and artificial environments such as drinking water. Besides the ability of all FLA to transport various pathogenic microorganisms, certain species, Acanthamoeba spp. or Balamuthia mandrillaris, have intrinsic pathogenic abilities and cause severe cerebral infections. Previous work has shown an enrichment of FLA cysts in biofilm developed in upper levels of Drinking Water Storage Towers (DWST), suggesting that differences in densities of FLA cysts may play a role in their unequal distribution in the water column. To evaluate this hypothesis, a model of a water column was created for this study and used to analyze the vertical distribution of cysts of the FLA Acanthamoeba castellanii, Vermamoeba vermiformis and Balamuthia mandrillaris from 0 to 23 weeks. Interestingly, our data showed that the cysts of both A. castellanii and V. vermiformis were enriched in upper water levels during their aging. However, B. mandrillaris cysts were equally distributed in the water column during the entire study. These results showed that, besides the role of the water level variation in the DWST, some FLA cysts can become less dense during their aging, which contributes to their enrichment in upper water, and thus biofilm levels.

The present study was performed to examine that transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) in root-surrounding tissues on deciduous teeth during the physiological root resorption regulates the differentiation induction into odontoclast. We prepared root-surrounding tissues with (R) or without (N) physiological root resorption scraped off at three regions (R1-R3 or N1-N3) from the cervical area to the apical area of the tooth and measured both TGF-β and the tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) activities. The TGF-β activity level was increased in N1-N3, whereas the TRAP activity was increased in R2 and R3. In vitro experiments for RANKL-mediated osteoclast differentiation revealed that TGF-β in N1-N3 and R1-R3 enhanced the TRAP activity in RAW264 cells. A genetic study indicated that the mRNA level of TGF-β1 in N1 and N2 was significantly increased, and corresponded with that of osteoprotegerin (OPG). In contrast, the expression level of receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) was increased in R2 and R3. Our findings suggest that TGF-β is closely related to the regulation of OPG induction and RANKL-mediated odontoclast differentiation depending on the timing of RANKL and OPG mRNA expression in the root-surrounding tissues of deciduous teeth during physiological root resorption.

We study a two-echelon supply chain made up of a supplier and a manufacturer, both of which can reduce their component/product carbon emissions. With the vertical technology spillovers, we explore the optimal decisions of centralized and decentralized supply chains with price dependent demand and propose coordination strategy for the decentralized supply chain. Considering the cost contraction effectiveness of the technology spillovers, the centralized and decentralized game theoretic models of a two-echelon supply chain are developed to investigate optimal decisions of pricing and carbon emissions reduction. Through a systematic comparison and numerical analysis, we show that the profits of both players and the entire supply chain improve with the effect of technology spillovers increasing. Carbon emissions reduction will be taken by various protective measures so that the supplier and the manufacturer who do not innovate can hardly share the results of innovating via the “free-riding” methods when the technology spillover is relatively small. We also propose a revenue-cost sharing contract through bargaining to enhance the performance of the decentralized supply chain.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Blazepod technology when incorporated with various training regimens on the essential elements of physical fitness in volleyball, such as agility, speed, visual response time, and vertical leap. Thirty-six participants (age :17.33±0.48 y, height: 183.78±6.34 cm, weight: 77.14±5.16 kg) were in-volved in this study. In randomized design, three equal groups with two experimental groups and one control group were involved in the study over a period of six weeks: (GE1) used Blazepod technology to workout at a low level; (GE2) used Blazepod technology to workout at a higher intensity; (CG) did not employ Blazepod technology, but it adhered to the same fundamental training curriculum. We conducted agility, speed, reaction time, and vertical jump tests before, midway and after the study to determine optimal training volume, intensity, and frequency. A significant main effect of time (P0.01), and time×group interaction (P>0.001) were found for all tests. Post hoc test showed that the two experimental groups gadget significantly improved in all performance variables (P

The Active Distribution Networks (ADNs) are Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) systems with coupled dynamics which cause interactions among the control loops of the Distributed Energy Resources (DERs). This undesired effect lead to performance degradation in the voltage control. To mitigate the effects of these unavoidable coupling, the present paper proposes a systematic design procedure based on the analysis of the interaction's sources. In details, each DER is equipped with a double loop PI to control the active and reactive powers output by the Voltage Source Converter (VSC) which connects the DER to the network's node. Furthermore, to guarantee Ancillary Services (ASs), the two loops are coupled by a simple mechanism of cooperation of the active power to voltage regulation realized by a filtered droop law. To achieve voltage regulation with reduced loop interactions, the PI parameters and the filter's pulse are designed according to a two sequential steps procedure based on the (Internal Model Control) IMC technique. Simulation studies are finally presented to demonstrate that the proposed design method achieves both reduction of the loop interaction and robust voltage control in presence of model parameter uncertainty in the MIMO model.

The objective of this study was to determine the association of physiological responses and root distribution patterns on yield of the second ratoon cane and the relationships among these traits. Seventeen sugarcane genotypes were planted in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The second ratoon crop was evaluated for germination percentage, cane yield, SPAD chlorophyll meter reading (SCMR), chlorophyll fluorescence, relative water content (RWC), specific leaf area (SLA) and stomatal conductance. Root length density (RLD) was evaluated by auger method. The root samples were divided into upper soil layer and lowers soil layers to study root distribution patterns. Sugarcane genotypes were significantly different for RLD, germination percentage and cane yield. Root distribution patterns were classified into three groups based on the RLD. High RLD between plants in the upper soil layers at 90 DAH was positively correlated with high germination, whereas high RLD between rows in the lower soil layers at 90 and 270 DAH was associated with high cane yield. RWC at 90 DAH and stomatal conductance at 180 DAH were closely related to germination percentage, whereas chlorophyll fluorescence and stomatal conductance at 180 DAH were closely related to cane yield.

The paper concerns the distribution of apparent magnetic susceptibility in soil profiles located in the areas of topsoil magnetic susceptibility anomalies in Krakow. The type of land use, possible sources of magnetic carriers, and the type of soil were taken into account. Additionally, at each soil profile, a comparison between soil magnetic susceptibility and the results of geochemical analyzes of soil samples was made. The study shows very characteristic changes in magnetic susceptibility with depth, reflecting the interdependencies between natural and anthropogenic factors. A visible magnetic susceptibility maximum at the depth of 10-30 cm is observed at each soil profile. The maximum is associated mainly with the deposition of atmospheric dust and its vertical range depends on the level of anthropopression and natural conditions of soils. At the depth above 40 cm in the eastern part of Krakow, a correlation between the magnetic susceptibility and the soil type (chernozems de-veloped on loess) was found. All indicates that the thicknesses of contaminated upper horizons are not accidental and they depend on human interactions with the environment and the type of soil. An attempt at template establishment with the sources of magnetic particle carriers for different places in the city was made. As the result, in high urbanized sites, the extreme values of magnet-ic susceptibility rapidly change in short vertical distances can identify the richness of anthropo-genic layers with various types of anthropogenic ferrous material and/or additionally Fe-carrying objects buried in soils. In industrialized sites, anthropogenic input plays the most important role in the creation of soil magnetic characteristics. What is more, industrial pollution hides the natural magnetic properties of chernozems. In opposite, the studies at the sites under low anthropopression (mainly located in forests) allow for better insight into magnetic proper-ties arising during pedogenic processes, indirectly giving information about soil conditions. In the forest areas, the lowest values of soil magnetic susceptibility were measured. Additionally, the influence of pedogenic and lithogenic factors on forest soils is manifested in the results. Among the sites concerned, particular attention should be paid to the vicinity of the steel plant because of the agricultural land in the surroundings.

The Himalayan region is facing frequent cloud burst and flood events during the summer monsoon e.g., Kedarnath flood of 2013. It was one of the most devastating event which claimed thousands of human lives, heavy infrastructure and economic losses. Fast moving monsoon, pre-existing westerlies, and orographic uplifting was reported as the major reason for cloud burst over Kedarnath in previous research. Our study illustrates the vertical distribution of aerosols during this event and its possible role using Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with chemistry (WRF-Chem) simulations. Model performance evaluation shows that simulations can capture the spatial and temporal pattern of observed precipitation during this event. Model simulation at 25km and 4km horizontal grid resolution without any changes in physical parameterization shows very minimal average difference in precipitation. Whereas simulation at convection permitting scale shows de-tailed information related to parcel motion compared to coarser resolution simulation. This indicates parameterization at different resolution needs to examine for better outcome. The result shows up to 20-50% changes in rain over area near Kedarnath due to the presence of aerosols. The simulation at both resolution shows significant vertical transport of natural (increases by 50%+) and anthropo-genic aerosols (increases by 200%+) during the convective event. Which leads to significant changes in cloud property, rain concentration and ice concentration in presence of aerosols. Due to aero-sol–radiation feedback, the important instability indices like convective available potential energy, convective inhibition energy, vorticity etc. shows changes near Kedarnath.

Moso bamboo is famous for fast growing and biomass accumulation, as well as high annual output for timber and bamboo shoots. These high outputs require high nutrient inputs to maintain and improve stand productivity. Soil nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are important micronutrients for plant growth and productivity. Due to high variability of soils, analysing spatial patterns of soil N, P and K stocks is necessary for scientific nutrient management in Moso bamboo forests. In this study, soils were sampled from 138 locations across Yong’an City and ordinary kriging was applied for spatial interpolation of soil N, P and K stocks. Soil N stock showed a strong spatial dependence while soil N and P stocks presented a moderate spatial dependence, indicating soil N was mainly controlled by intrinsic factors while soil N and P stocks were controlled by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Different spatial patterns were observed for soil N, P and K stocks across the whole study area, indicating that fertilizations with different ratios of N:P:K should be applied for different sites to maintain and improve stand productivity. The total soil N, P and K stocks within 0-60 cm were 0.624, 0.020 and 0.583 Tg, respectively.

The interest in virtual fencing, as opposed to traditional physical barriers, has increased since it makes it easier to move the boundaries of animal enclosures for agricultural and rewilding purposes. Despite this, the implementation of virtual fence systems, such as the Nofence© system, requires large financial investments. The necessity of individual collars also makes it more difficult to implement this system on a larger scale. If a herd of cattle tend to maintain cohesive social groups around dominant individuals, it might be possible to use fewer collars thereby making the system more cost efficient. This study investigates the pattern in spatial distribution in a herd of 17 Angus cows on Fanø in Denmark with GPS locations, using a Nofence© system. The aim of this paper is to determine how individuals position themselves in a herd, spatially, and identify a pattern in ranks. The method used in this study examines the distances between an individual to the rest of the herd mates using nearest neighbour and distribution plots. Contrary to the expectations, this study did not show a distinct pattern in herd distribution. While some tendencies in spatial distribution patterns were observed, only a low concordance could be found (W=0.15,p=3.02e−16). Therefore, interactions among individuals should be considered in future studies, rather than only investigating the herd as one unit. A cumulative curves of the ranks estimated over the entire periods allowed however a rough estimation of the hierarchy and allowed the identification of the highest ranked cows. Therefore it might be possible to use fewer collars if the high ranked cows are discovered, but the estimation of the hierarchy will require a period of observation overall several days as the hierarchical positions are fluctuating too much from days to days. Therefore the cumulative rank curves seems to be a valid solution.

Revealing the spatial distribution mechanism of the coupling effect between soil water and salt is essential for managing saline-alkali farmland. This study utilized the multifractal method to analyze soil water and salt under varying water content levels in arid saline-alkali farmland. Soil samples were collected on the second (S1), fifth (S2), eighth (S3), eleventh (S4), and fourteenth (S5) days after a rainfall event. The findings showed that a significant decrease in soil water content, contrasting with an increase in soil salt content throughout the soil layers post-rainfall. As water content decreased, the spatial variability of soil water initially increased from S1-3 and then decreased, while the spatial variability of soil salt decreased. The spatial distribution between soil water and salt exhibited a high correlation at S3-4 (with relative water content of soil ranging from 0.52 to 0.75) due to their coupling effect. However, soil salt was unevenly leached by rainfall at high water content levels (S1-2) and precipitated at low water content levels (S5), resulting in low spatial variability correlations between soil water and salt. This study elucidated the coupling process of soil water and salt, identifying their spatiotemporal distribution mechanism in dryland agricultural areas.

Berberis vulgaris L. (Berberidaceae) is a shrub that has been widely used in European folk medicine as an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent. The purpose of our study was to elucidate the mechanisms of antiproliferative action of the plant’s methanolic root extract (BVR) against colon cancer cells. Cytotoxicity and pro-apoptotic activity were determined in human colon adenocarcinoma cell lines (LS180 and HT-29) and control colon epithelial CCD841 CoN cells. According to the MTT assay, after 48 h of cell exposure, the IC50 values were as follows: 4.3; 46.1 and 50.2 µg/mL for LS180, HT-29, and CCD841 CoN cells, respectively, showing the greater sensitivity of cancer cells to BVR. The Cell Death Detection ELISAPLUS kit demonstrated that BVR induced programmed cell death only against HT-29 cells. RT-qPCR with relative quantification method showed significant changes in the expression of genes related to apoptosis in both colon cancer cell lines. The genes BCL2L1 (126.84-366.66%), BCL2L2 (277.08-330.12%), CASP3 (180.36-261.36%) and CASP9 (158.08-213.46%) had significantly elevated expression, while BCL2 (23.08-52.06%) had reduced expression. Furthermore, in a panel of antioxidant tests, BVR showed positive effects (63.93±0.01, 122.92±0.01, and 220.29±0.02 mg Trolox equivalents (TE)/g in the DPPH•, ABTS•+ and ORAC assays, respectively). In the lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibition test, BVR revealed 62,60±0.87% of enzyme inhibition. The chemical composition of BVR was determined using UHPLC-UV-CAD-MS/MS analysis and confirmed the presence of several known alkaloids, including berberine, as well as other alkaloids and two derivatives of hydroxycinnamic acid (ferulic and sinapic acid hexosides). This is the first such extensive assessment of the biological activity of BVR. The results are very promising and encourage for the use of BVR as a comprehensive chemopreventive agent (anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and pro-apoptotic) in colorectal cancer.

As the adoption of renewable energy sources grows, ensuring a stable power balance across various time frames has become a central challenge for modern power systems. In line with the "dual carbon" objectives and the seamless integration of renewable energy sources, harnessing the advantages of various energy storage resources and coordinating the operation of long-term and short-term storage have become pivotal directions for future energy storage deployment. To address the complexities arising from the coupling of different time scales in optimizing energy storage capacity, this paper proposes a method for energy storage planning that accounts for power imbalance risks across multiple time scales. Initially, the Seasonal and Trend decomposition using the Loess (STL) decomposition method is utilized to temporally decouple actual operational data. Subsequently, power balance computations are performed based on the obtained data at various time scales to optimize the allocation of different types of energy storage capacities and assess the associated imbalance risks. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed approach is validated through hourly applications using real-world data from a province in China over recent years.

Bare slope instability is a prevalent concern. The root system of, herbaceous vegetation enhances the shear strength of shallow–slope soil. Indoor experiments were conducted on rootless undisturbed soil (RUS) and undisturbed soil with a root system (USRS) using a triaxial compression apparatus to analyze the slope stability of composite soil with a Tagetes erecta root system. Significance tests and correlation analysis of the factors affecting shear performance were conducted using R software. The slope reinforcement, effect by the plant root system was simulated under 24 working conditions using the MIDAS finite element method. The results revealed the influence of the–root content (RC), moisture content (MC), and stress on the shear strength of USRS, the contribution degree, and the variables’ influences on slope stability. Both RUS and USRS exhibited strain hardening during shearing. The internal friction angle (φ) and cohesion (c) of USRS were negatively and positively correlated with the RC and MC (root burial depth), respectively, and a good fit was obtained for the relationship. The maximum deviatoric stress during shear failure was 1.29 times higher for USRS than for RUS. The RC (root depth) was positively correlated with the slope safety coefficient and the slope of the line under different working conditions, whereas the slope gradient was negatively correlated with the slope safety coefficient. The reinforcement effect by the root system resulted in a 13.2% increase in the safety coefficient and improved stability of slopes with a gradient larger than 1.5%. This article investigated the mechanism of the root–soil system and, the effects of different influencing factors on the shear strength of the soil, and slope stability. The findings provide new insights into shallow slope stability in practical slope protection projects.

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

Urban rail transit hub platform is the most important area for passenger flow distribution. In order to calculate passenger flow volume in platform and evaluate platform service level during rush hours, this paper presents a method for modeling and simulation of passenger flow distribution in platform. Passenger flow distribution model (PFDM) is proposed based on the basic analysis and the superposition principle of passenger flow. Simulation design for PFDM is proposed by Anylogic, which contains simulation process and simulation model. Experiment results show that PFDM and simulation design are effective and accordant with the reality scenario, and the simulation precision is comparatively ideal. This research could provide a beneficial reference for train scheduling and operation management under the viewpoint of traffic safety and service level.

Unlike trees, shrubs (i.e., multiple-stemmed woody plants) do not need evenly spaced large diameter structural roots and thus can spread further per unit belowground biomass. We therefore hypothesized that compared to trees, shrubs respond more to asymmetric distributions of nutrients and reach nutrient-rich patches of soil faster and with less below-ground biomass. To test these hypotheses we planted individual seedlings of shrubs (Cornus racemosa, Rhus glabra, and Viburnum dentatum) and trees (Acer rubrum, Betula populifera, and Fraxinus americana) in the centers of sand-filled rectangular boxes. In one direction we created stepwise gradients of increasing soil nutrients with slow-release fertilizer; in the other direction no fertilizer was added. Seedlings were harvested when their first root reached the plexiglass-covered fertilized end of their box; time taken as well as above- and below-ground biomass by nutrient segment were determined. There were no consistent differences between the shrubs and trees in belowground architectural plasticity (= ratio of biomass in fertilized and unfertilized volumes of soil) or in the rate and efficiency of lateral growth. Interspecific variation appeared more related to edaphic characteristics of the native habitats than to growth form. The fastest and most efficient roots were produced by the shrub (R. glabra) and the tree (B. populifolia) that are characteristic of poor soils. Root foraging by R. glabra was also facilitated by rapid rhizomatous expansion. The tested shrubs and trees did not consistently differ in nutrient foraging efficiencies or rates but further study is warranted with larger plants and more species.

Motivated by empirical observations, we propose a possible extension of Gibrat's law. By applying it into the random growth theory of income distribution (Gabaix, 2009), we find that the income distribution is described by a generalized Pareto-type distribution (GPD) with three parameters. We observe that there is a parameter /elta in the GPD that plays a key role in determining the shape of income distribution. By using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, we empirically show that, for typical market-economy countries, /elta is close to 0 significantly, such that the income distribution is characterized by a two-class pattern in which the bottom 90% of the population is approximated by an exponential distribution and the richest 1%~3% is approximated by an asymptotic power law. However, we empirically find that, for China both in planned economy period and in early stages of market reformation (from 1978 to 1990), /elta is significantly deviated from 0, such that the bottom of the population no longer conforms to an exponential distribution.

Contact toxicity against Periplaneta americana has never been tested with S. collinsiae root extract. Hexane, dichloromethane, ethanol and water extracts were tested in final-instar nymphs and adult P. americana by topical application method. The dichloromethane extract showed the high-est potency of contact toxicity against the final-instar nymphs (41-100% corrected mortality at 48 hours), lowest LC50 (1.5±0.2 %w/v at 48 hours), and lowest LT50 (36.1±0.8 hours at 10%w/v) while the water crude extract lacked the contact toxicity (0-0% corrected mortality at 48 hours). Signs of toxicity, such as excited movement, trembling body, motionlessness, and swollen abdomen segment including irregularly extended foregut were found at the both stages of P. americana dropping with solutions of dichloromethane extract. Detection of didehydrostemofoline distri-bution using IMS revealed that didehydrostemofoline distributed in the tissue of the dead fi-nal-instar nymph and adult P. americana contacting with dichloromethane extract, but it was not found in tissue of euthanized P. americana which exposed to the water extract. Didehydrostemo-foline in the extract was a cause of toxicity signs and death of P. americana via a contact route. Thus, dichloromethane extract and didehydrostemofoline could be used as an active ingredient and chemical marker in aerosol and spray formulations for cockroach control.

Understanding potential uptake and biodistribution of engineered nanoparticles in soil-grown plants is imperative for toxicity and risk assessment considering the oral exposure of edibles by humans. Herein, we assessed potential influence of particle size (25, 50, and 250 nm) and concentration (0, 50, 100, 200, and 500 mg/kg-soil) of Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) on: (1) the root system architecture, and the physicochemical attributes of soil at the soil-root interface, (2) leading to Cu transport and accumulation in root, stem, leaf and seed in soybean (Glycine max cv Kowsar) grown for entire lifecycle of 120 days, and compared with soluble Cu²⁺ ions and water-only controls, and (3) performed a comparative assessment of total seed Cu levels in soybean with other valuable food sources for Cu intake and discussed its human health implications. Our findings showed particle size- and concentration-dependent influence of CuONPs on Cu uptake and tissue distribution in root, stem, leaf and seed in soybean. Alterations in root architecture (root dry weight, root length, root volume, and root area) were dependent on the Cu compound type, Cu concentrations, and their interactions (p<0.05), except for root density. Concentration-response relationships for all three sized CuONPs, and Cu²⁺ ions, were linear. CuONPs and Cu²⁺ ions had inhibitory effects on root growth and development. Overall, soybean responses to smallest size CuONPs-25 nm were higher for all parameters investigated compared to two larger sized CuONPs (50 nm, 250 nm) or Cu²⁺ ions. Cu uptake/bioaccumulation differed among soybean tissues in the order: root > leaf > stem > seed. Despite reduced root architecture and seed yield, our smallest size CuONPs-25 nm led to increased total seed Cu uptake compared to the larger sized CuONPs and Cu²⁺ ions tested. Our findings also suggest that soil amendment by CuONPs, more so by the smallest size CuONPs-25 nm, could significantly improve nutritional Cu value in soybean seed as reflected by % Daily Values (DV), and are rated “Good” to “Very Good” according to the “World’s Healthiest Foods” rating. However, until the potential toxicity and risk from consumption of soybean seed is characterized in humans, caution should be exercised when the Cu fortified seeds are used for daily human consumption when addressing Cu deficiency and associated illnesses, globally.

Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus is a mosquito native to Southeast Asia. Currently, it has a wide distribution in America where natural infection with arboviruses of medical and veterinary importance has been reported. In spite of their importance in the transmission of endemic arbovirus, basic information of parameters affecting their vectorial capacity is poorly investigated. The aim of the work was to update the distribution range of Ae. albopictus in the Americas, review the blood-feeding patterns and compare the minimum infection rate (MIR) of the dengue virus (DENV) between studies of vertical and horizontal transmission. The current distribution of Ae. albopictus encompasses 21 countries in the Americas. Extensive review has been conducted for the blood-feeding patterns of Ae. albopictus. The results suggest that the mosquito is capable of feeding on 16 species of mammals and five species of avian. Humans, dogs, and rats are the most common host. Eight arboviruses with the potential to infect humans and animals have been isolated in Ae. albopictus. In the United States of America (USA), Eastern equine encephalitis virus, Keystone virus, La Crosse Virus, West Nile virus, and Cache Valley virus were isolated in the Asian mosquito. In Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Costa Rica, DENV (all serotypes) has been frequently identified in field-caught Ae. albopictus. Overall, the estimated MIR in Ae. albopictus infected with DENV is similar between horizontal (10.95) and vertical transmission (8.28). However, in vertical transmission, there is a difference in the MIR values if the DENV is identified from larvae or adults (males and females emerged from a collection of eggs or larvae). MIR estimated from larvae is 14.04 and in adults is 4.04. In conclusion, it has to be highlighted that Ae. albopictus is an invasive mosquito with wide phenotypic plasticity to adapt to broad and new areas, it is highly efficient to transmit the DENV horizontally and vertically, it can participate in the inter-endemic transmission of the dengue disease, and it can spread zoonotic arboviruses across forest and urban settings.

The aim of the work was to update the distribution range of Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus Skuse in the Americas, review the blood-feeding patterns and compare the minimum infection rate (MIR) of the dengue virus (DENV) between studies of vertical and horizontal transmission. The current dis-tribution of Ae. albopictus encompasses 21 countries in the Americas. Extensive review has been conducted for the blood-feeding patterns of Ae. albopictus. The results suggest that the mosquito is capable of feeding on 16 species of mammals and five species of avian. Humans, dogs, and rats are the most common host. Eight arboviruses with the potential to infect humans and animals have been isolated in Ae. albopictus. In the United States of America (USA), Eastern equine encephalitis virus, Keystone virus, La Crosse Virus, West Nile virus, and Cache Valley virus were isolated in the Asian mosquito. In Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Costa Rica, DENV (all serotypes) has been frequently identified in field-caught Ae. albopictus. Overall, the estimated MIR in Ae. albopictus infected with DENV is similar between horizontal (10.95) and vertical transmission (8.28). However, in vertical transmission, there is a difference in the MIR values if the DENV is identified from larvae or adults (males and females emerged from a collection of eggs or larvae). MIR es-timated from larvae is 14.04 and in adults is 4.04. In conclusion, it has to be highlighted that Ae. albopictus is an invasive mosquito with wide phenotypic plasticity to adapt to broad and new areas, it is highly efficient to transmit the DENV horizontally and vertically, it can participate in the inter-endemic transmission of the dengue disease, and it can spread zoonotic arboviruses across forest and urban settings.

Purpose: The goal of this article was to introduce a new technique for root coverage (RC), the Mixed-Thickness Tunnel access (MiTT), approaching a full-split design, showing the results obtained in a case series and demonstrating it step-by-step. Methods: Healthy individuals, non-smokers, and non-diabetics, who were diagnosed with gingival recession (GR) type 1 or 2 (RT1 or RT2). After all necessary evaluations, prophylaxis was performed 14 days before the surgical procedure. Then, after the basics clinical conduct and anesthesia, one or two vertical incision(s) on the mucosa (around 1-2 mm apical to the MGJ), lateral to the papilla base, were done. Initial detachment of the mucosa from the muscles (split design); it was permitted (but not mandatory) to do intrasulcular incisions; from the MGJ to coronal, subperiosteal access was done to raise the full-thickness tunnel. It must communicate up to the gingival sulcus area and the papilla’s base, keeping the papilla’s tip intact. A connective tissue graft was harvested, which was inserted through the linear incision or intrasulcularly. Interrupted sutures were done and may be used as adjunctive material. Results: Nine healthy individuals (7 females and 2 males) aged 19 and 43 years were enrolled. They were treated following the MiTT steps. There were four cases with a single GR, 2 patients with 2 teeth involved, and three with 3 or 4 GR. Seven cases were RT1 and two RT2. All RT1 cases achieved 100% RC, while the mean RC obtained for RT2 was around 80%. Conclusion: MiTT can be considered a more straightforward approach for minimally invasive surgical technique, which is a feasible option to treat RC with a high success rate, predictability, and esthetic preservation. There is a technical sensitivity to performing the full-split design procedure.

The root system plays an irreplaceable role in plant growth. Its improvement can increase crop productivity. However, such system is still mysterious for us. The underlying mechanism has not been fully uncovered. The investigation on proteins related to the root system is an important means to complete this task. In the previous time, lack of root-related proteins makes it impossible to adopt machine learning methods for designing efficient models for the discovery of novel root-related proteins. Recently, a public database on root-related proteins was set up and machine learning methods can be applied in this field. In this study, we proposed a machine learning based model, named Graph-Root, for identification of root-related proteins. The features derived from protein sequences and one network were extracted, where the former features were processed by graph convolutional neural network and multi-head attention, and the later features abstracted the linkage between proteins. These features were fed into the fully connected layer to make prediction. The 5-fold cross-validation and independent tests suggested its good performance. It also outperformed the only one previous model, SVM-Root. Furthermore, the importance of each feature type and component in the proposed model was investigated.

Single-cell RNA sequencing data facilitates investigation of cell heterogeneity and subpopulations as well as differentially abundant states however modern single-cell RNA sequencing datasets are growing in size and complexity requiring advances in the bioinformatic methods that analyze them. Many methods exist for each step of analysis including read alignment, normalization, quality control, batch effect correction, imputation and dimensionality reduction. With so many options to choose from at each step of the analysis, benchmarking and a synthesis of the literature on the methods available is necessary to inform biological researchers on the most optimal workflow for their data. Here, recent key methods of analysis are highlighted with a focus on methods that facilitate identification of cell subpopulations and differentially abundant cell states. With a constantly expanding toolset for each step in single-cell RNA sequencing dataset analysis, biological researchers should stay informed to utilize the most applicable methods for their own analyses.

There are different treatment options in modern dentistry for the replacement of lost dentition. Of these the most upcoming and acceptable treatment option is Dental implants. The common problem usually with immediate implant placement in the anterior region is the post-operative soft tissue contour as a part of the bone modelling during healing. Hurzeler et al in 2010 introduced a new technique called the “socket shield technique”. This technique has been used as an alternative treatment modality for immediate implant placement in the aesthetic zone.This review articles provides a detailed information regarding the clinical concept of Root membrane technique.

In order to investigate the size distributions and seasonal variations of carbonaceous aerosols (OC and EC), the carbonaceous species were collected and then analyzed by using a 9-stage Anderson-type aerosol sampler and DRI Model 2001A Thermal/Optical Carbon Analyzer on the typical industrial city Nanjing in Yangtze River Delta, China in the summer, autumn and winter of 2013 and spring of 2014. OC, EC, SOC and POC exhibited obvious seasonal variations, with the highest level in winter (39.1±14.0, 5.7±2.1, 23.6±11.7 and 14.1±5.7 μg•m^-3) and the lowest level in summer (20.6±6.7, 3.3±2.0, 12.2±3.8 and 8.4±4.1 μg•m^-3), and were mainly centralized in PM_1.1 in four seasons. The concentrations of OC in PM_1.1 varied in the order of winter > autumn > spring > summer, while EC ranked in the order of autumn > winter > summer > spring. In the PM_1.1-2.1 and PM_2.1-10, the concentrations of OC and EC decreased in the sequence of winter > spring > autumn > summer. The size spectra of OC, EC and SOC had bimodal distributions in four seasons, except for EC with four peaks in summer. The size spectra of POC varied greatly with seasons, exhibiting bimodal distribution in winter, trimodal distribution in spring and summer, and four peaks in autumn. The OC/EC ratios were 7.0, 6.3, 7.6 and 6.9 in spring, summer, autumn and winter, respectively, which demonstrated the abundance of secondary organic aerosols in Nanjing. The sources of carbonaceous aerosol varied significantly with seasons, and were dominated by vehicle exhaust, coal and biomass burning in PM_2.1, and dominant by dust, coal and biomass burning in PM_2.1-10.

Abstract: Global ecological concern regarding the transfer of fouling organisms to ship hulls is increasing. This study investigated the species composition, dominant species, distribution patterns, community structure, and life-cycle differences of hull-fouling macroinvertebrates on five research vessels (R/Vs: Isabu, Onnuri, Eardo, Jangmok 1, and Jangmok 2) operated by the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST). Hull-fouling macroinvertebrates were collected three to five times on quadrats from the upper and middle sectors of the hull sides, bottom, and niche areas (the propellers and shafts and the thrusters). A total of 47 macroinvertebrate species were identified, represented by 8,519 individuals(ind.)/m2 and a biomass of 1,967 gWWt/m2 on the five vessels. The number of species, density, and biomass were greater on the coastal vessels the Eardo, Jangmok 1, and Jangmok 2 than on the ocean-going vessels the Isabu and Onnuri. Among the coastal vessels, barnacles were the most abundant and had the greatest density, while mollusks had the highest biomass. Differences between hull sectors showed that the highest species abundance and density appeared on all hulls in ports and bays where the Jangmok 1 operated, while the highest species abundance, density, and biomass were identified in the niche areas of the Eardo, which operated farther from the coast. The hull-fouling macroinvertebrates that exceeded 1% of all organisms were the barnacles Amphibalanus amphitrite, Balanus trigonus, and Amphibalanus improvisus; the polychaete Hydroides ezoensis; the bivalves Magallana gigas and Mytilus galloprovincialis; and the amphipod Jassa slatteryi. The dominant species were cosmopolitan and globally distributed, and many of them were cryptogenic. Six native species were identified: M. gigas, H. ezoensis, the amphipod Melita koreana, the isopod Cirolana ko-reana, and the barnacle B. trigonus and F. kondakovi. Eight non-indigenous species (NIS) were de-tected: barnacles A. amphitrite and A. improvisus, the bivalve M. galloprovincialis, the polychaete Perinereis nuntia, amphipods J. slatteryi and Caprella californica, and bryozoans Bugulina californica and Bugula neritina. Of the fouling macroinvertebrates found on the vessel hulls, 13% were native and 17% were NIS. The nMDS ordination analysis of the five vessels showed four clusters of fouling macroinvertebrate communities: two ocean clusters (the Isabu and Onnuri), one coastal cluster (the Eardo and Jangmok 2), and one local cluster (the Jangmok 1). More diverse communities developed on the hulls of vessels that operated locally rather than globally or in deep oceans. Spearman rank correlation showed that biological indices such as number of species, density, and biomass correlated highly and positively with the numbers of days on coastal operations and negatively with the number days on ocean operations. The species diversity index correlated positively with the total number of anchoring days and coastal operation days and negatively with the total number of operation days and ocean operation days. The macroinvertebrates differed by the area of operation, the port of anchorage, the number of days in operation and at anchor, and the hull sectors. There is no previous research data on hull-fouling macroinvertebrates in the Republic of Korea, and this study provides a basis for future studies to identify introduced species and their differences based on operation area.

Recycling waste products is an environmental-friendly activity that can bring benefits to accompany, saving manufacturing costs and improving economic efficiency. For the beer industry, recycling bottles can reduce manufacturing costs and reduce the industry's carbon footprint. This paper presents a model for a multi-objective collection-distribution center location and allocation problem in a closed loop supply chain for the beer industry, in which the objective is to minimize total costs and transportation pollution. Uncertainties in the form of randomness and fuzziness are jointly handled in this paper to ensure a more practical problem solution, for which returned bottle sand unusable bottles are considered fuzzy random variables. A heuristic algorithm based on priority-based global-local-neighbor particle swarm optimization (pb-glnPSO) is applied to ensure reliable solutions for this NP-hard problem. A case study on a beer operation company is conducted to illustrate the application of the proposed model and demonstrate the priority-based global-local-neighbor particle swarm optimization.

Xinjiang, as a climate-sensitive region in northwest China, holds significant importance in studying extreme weather events for agricultural production and socioeconomic development. Based on data from 52 meteorological stations and 23 extreme climate indicators in Xinjiang from 1960 to 2021, the 5a moving average, linear trend estimation, climate tendency rate, and GIS spatial analysis methods are used to analyze the distribution and change characteristics of extreme climate. The results revealed that from 1960 to 2021, TXx, TNx, TXn, TNn, FD, ID, TN10p, TX10p, and WSDI showed a significant upward trend, while SU, TR, TN90p, TX90p, and CSDI showed a significant downward trend. What is more, the range of changes in the extreme temperature indexes from 1990 to 2021 is higher than that of 1960 to 1989. The high-value areas of extreme indexes are primarily concentrated in the northern part, while the high-value areas of cold event indexes are mainly distributed in the southern part. The upward/downward trends all accounting for over 80.00% of the entire region. The Rx1day, Rx5day, PRCPTOT, R95p, R99p, R10, R20, and R25 showed a significant growth trend from 1960 to 2021, and the range of change in the extreme precipitation indexes from 1990 to 2021 was lower than that from 1960 to 1989. Moreover, their high-value areas and high climate tendency areas are mainly concentrated in the northern and western parts of Xinjiang, with upward trends all accounting for over 71.00% of the entire region. The research results provide theoretical foundations for formulating climate risk strategies in the northwest region of China.

Contemporary financial systems, despite their inherent complexity and resilience, face significant challenges related to transparency, efficiency, and security. Notable deficiencies in transparency and emerging security vulnerabilities underscore the pressing need for innovative solutions in current financial practices. Hence, this paper introduces a financial distribution system based on a consortium blockchain. Given organizations’ preference for keeping sensitive data private, the partially decentralized nature of consortium blockchains plays a pivotal role in the proposed system’s architecture. Moreover, within this system, the proposed smart contract serves a dual role. It functions not only as a transactional tool but also as a specialized solution designed to improve transactional procedures. Its multifaceted capabilities include ensuring data accuracy, facilitating swift execution, and ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements within the dynamic financial distribution landscape. Through rigorous testing and empirical analysis utilizing the Hyperledger Besu platform, it has been observed that the performance of the proposed system surpasses traditional blockchain frameworks. The results unequivocally demonstrate the proposed system’s proficiency in handling high-frequency financial transactions with minimal computational burden.

The quiet-time solar wind electrons feature non-thermal characteristics when viewed from the perspective of their velocity distribution functions. They typically have an appearance of being composed of a denser thermal “core” population plus a tenuous energetic “halo” population. At first, such a feature was empirically fitted with the Kappa velocity space distribution function, but ever since the ground-breaking work by Tsallis, the space physics community has embraced the potential implication of the Kappa distribution as reflecting the non-extensive nature of the space plasma. From the viewpoint of microscopic plasma theory, the formation of non-thermal electron velocity distribution function can be interpreted in terms of the plasma being in a state of turbulent quasi equilibrium. Such a finding brings forth the possible existence of a profound inter-relationship between the non-extensive statistical state and the turbulent quasi-equilibrium state. The present paper further develops the idea of solar wind electrons being in the turbulent equilibrium, but unlike the previous model, which involves the electrostatic turbulence near the plasma oscillation frequency (i.e., Langmuir turbulence), the present paper considers the impact of transverse electromagnetic turbulence, particularly, the turbulence in the whistler-mode frequency range. It is found that the coupling of spontaneously-emitted thermal fluctuations and the background turbulence leads to the formation of non-thermal electron velocity distribution function of the type observed in the solar wind during quiet times. This demonstrates that the whistler-range turbulence represents an alternative mechanism for producing the Kappa-like non-thermal distribution, especially close to the Sun and in the near-Earth space environment.

To estimate the degree of quantum entanglement, it is important to understand the statistical behavior of functions of spectrum of density matrices such as von Neumann entropy, quantum purity, and entanglement capacity. These entangle- ment metrics over different generic state ensembles have been studied intensively in the literature. As an alternative metric, in this work we study sum of square root spectrum of density matrices, which is relevant to negativity and fidelity in quantum information processing. In particular, we derive the exact mean and vari- ance of sum of square root spectrum over the Bures-Hall generic state ensemble extending known results obtained recently over the Hilbert-Schmidt ensemble.

Plants are continually exposed to multiple stresses, which co-occur in nature and the net effects are frequently more non-additive (i.e., synergistic or antagonistic) suggesting ‘unique’ responses respect to that of the individual stress. Further, plant stress responses are not uniforms showing a high spatial and temporal variability among and along the different organs. In this respect, the present work investigated the morphological responses of different root types (seminal, seminal lateral, primary, primary lateral) of maize plants exposed to single (drought and heat) and combined stress (drought + heat). Data were evaluated by a specific root image analysis system (WinRHIZO) and analyzed by uni- and multi-variate statistical analysis. The results indicated that primary root and their laterals were the types more sensitive to the single and combined stresses while the seminal laterals specifically responded to the combined only. Further, antagonistic and synergistic effects were observed for the specific traits in the primary and their laterals and in the seminal lateral roots in response to the combined stress. These results suggested that maize root system modified specific root types and traits to face with different stressful environmental conditions highlighting that the adaptation strategy to the combined stress may be different from that of the individual ones. The knowledge of “unique or shared” responses of plant to multiple stress can be utilized to develop varieties with broad spectrum stress tolerance.

Increasing CO2 concentration ([CO2]) in atmosphere decreases mineral nutrients concentration in crops whereas increasing water use efficiency (WUE) especially in drought conditions. Partial root-zone irrigation (PRI) could stimulate soil nutrient mineralization and improve crop nutrient status. Yet the effect of PRI combined with elevated CO2 concentration (e[CO2]) on the element stoichiometry of tomato leaves remains unknown. This study was to investigate the responses of leaf mineral nutrients status and element stoichiometric ratio in tomato grown at PRI exposed to e[CO2]. Tomato plants (cv. Ailsa Craig) were grown in pots in climate-controlled growth chambers with ambient [CO2] (a[CO2], 400ppm) and elevated [CO2] (e[CO2] 800ppm), respectively. Three irrigation regimes (IR) i.e. full irrigation (FI), deficit irrigation (DI) and partial root-zone irrigation (PRI) were applied to tomato plants at flowering stage. The result showed that plants exposed to both reduced irrigations had a similar biomass, an enhanced root growth including greater root to shoot ratio (R/S), root length (RL), surface area (RS), volume (RV) and specific length (RSL), and an improved WUE under e[CO2]. Compared to a[CO2], e[CO2] growth environment resulted in a similar leaf [C], [K] and [Mg], leaf C/K and C/Mg, increased leaf [Ca], [S] and leaf C/N, C/P and N/P, but decreased leaf [N], [P], leaf C/Ca, C/S and N/K at PRI. Additionally, under e[CO2], PRI showed an increase in leaf [C], [N] and [S], no decrease in leaf [K], Ca], [Mg], [S] and [15N], but a decrease in leaf C/N and C/S as compared with FI. Conclusively, PRI had the ability to alleviate the negative effects on mineral nutrient concentrations and maintain or improve most leaf element stoichiometric ratios under e[CO2]. Therefore PRI would be a practicable irrigation for optimizing WUE and nutrient status in tomato leaves in a future freshwater-limited and higher CO2 environment.

Recent state-of-the-art scene text recognition methods have primarily focused on horizontal text in images. However, in several Asian countries, including China, large amounts of text in signs, books, and TV commercials are vertically directed. Because the horizontal and vertical texts exhibit different characteristics, developing an algorithm that can simultaneously recognize both types of text in real environments is necessary. To address this problem, we adopted the direction encoding mask (DEM) and selective attention network (SAN) methods based on supervised learning. DEM contains directional information to compensate in cases that lack text direction; therefore, our network is trained using this information to handle the vertical text. The SAN method is designed to work individually for both types of text. To train the network to recognize both types of text and to evaluate the effectiveness of the designed model, we prepared a new synthetic vertical text dataset and collected an actual vertical text dataset (VTD142) from the Web. Using these datasets, we proved that our proposed model can accurately recognize both vertical and horizontal text and can achieve state-of-the-art results in experiments using benchmark datasets, including the street view test (SVT), IIIT-5k, and ICDAR. Although our model is relatively simple as compared to its predecessors, it maintains the accuracy and is trained in an end-to-end manner.

Open source software such as OpenDSS has given a lot of help to distribution network researchers and educators. With high penetration of distributed renewable energy resources into distribution network, tradition distribution steady state analysis software such as OpenDSS is faced with difficulty in handling distributed generators. Three-phase distributed generators are often modeled in sequence frame while unbalanced distribution network are usually modeled in phase frame. So a load flow in sequence-phase coupled frame is proposed to handle models described in both frames. Voltage controlled DGs which are difficult to cope with in OpenDSS are handled in proposed program. The steady state analysis platform is programmed with open source Modelica language and the main aim of this paper is to introduce an open source platform for active distribution network steady analysis include load flow and short circuit analysis which can be easily adopted and improved by other educators and researchers.

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are a diverse group of microorganisms including genera such as Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Serratia, Enterobacter and Klebsiella. These bacteria have the ability to colonize roots externally and internally, and to directly enhance plant growth employing various mechanisms like phytohormone production and nutrient mineralization. These microbes can also promote plant growth indirectly by secreting antimicrobial compounds (e.g., siderophores, hydrogen cyanide) to antagonize root pathogens or by inducing defensive responses in the plant. Interestingly, there are also cases where production of antibiotic compounds such as 2,4-Diacetylphloroglucinol have the direct effect of enhancing plant growth and yield, irrespective of their biocontrol effects. The objective of this paper is to review publications showcasing PGPRs that have the capacity to both control root pathogens and stimulate plant growth, and to discuss what mechanisms might be involved.

The capability of in-house transient wave-multibody computational tool of ITU-WAVE are extended to predict the wave power absorption with Wave Energy Converters (WECs) arrays placed in front of a vertical breakwater. The analyses of hydrodynamic exciting and radiation forces are approximated solving boundary integral equation at each time interval. The reflection of incoming waves due to a vertical wall is predicted with method of images. The constructive or destructive performance of WECs arrays with different array configurations is measured with mean interaction factor. The behaviour of the exciting and radiation hydrodynamic forces of each WEC due to a vertical wall effect shows considerable differences than those of WECs arrays without a vertical wall influence. When the wave power absorption with WECs arrays with and without a vertical wall effect are compared, it is shown with numerical experiences that WECs placed in front of a vertical wall have much greater effects on wave power absorption. This can be attribute to the hydrodynamic interaction, standing waves, and nearly trapped waves in the gap between a vertical wall and WECs arrays. The analytical and other numerical results are used to for the validation of the numerical results of the present ITU-WAVE computational tool for exciting and radiation forces, and mean interaction factor of WECs arrays which show satisfactory agreements.

(1) Background: Hemispherotomy is the generally accepted treatment for hemispheric drug resistant epilepsy (DRE). Lateral or vertical approaches are performed according to the surgeon's preference. Multiples technical variations have been proposed since Delalande first described his vertical technique. We propose a sub-insular variation of the vertical parasagittal hemispherotomy (VPH) and describe our case series of patients operated on with this procedure. (2) Methods: a continuous series of patients operated on by the senior author (CR) with the modified sub-insular VPH was retrospectively analyzed. We report the demographic pre-operative characteristics, epilepsy and functional outcome as well as the surgical complications.(3) Results: Twenty-five patients were operated on between August 2008 and August 2023, twenty-three of them have at least a 3-month follow-up. On this last group 86,3% of patients were seizure-free. Only two patients developed post-operative hydrocephalus (8.7%), all patients with autonomous preoperative walk and 86,3% of the total series were able to walk without assistance (86.3%) and perform adapted social activities at last follow-up.(4) Conclusion: The modified vertical parasagittal sub-insular hemispherotomy is a successful surgical technique for hemispheric DRE with seizure freedom rates similar to the biggest series reported in the literature. Compared to other series, patients operated with our modified technique had a lower rate of postoperative hydrocephalus and excellent long-term motor and cognitive outcome.

We introduce a novel stochastically correlated two-factor (i.e., bivariate) diffusion process under the square-root format, for which we obtained, analytically, the corresponding solutions for the conditional moment generating functions and conditional characteristic functions. Such solutions recover verbatim those of the uncorrelated case. We believe that the The aforementioned model encompasses a range of processes similar to that produced by a bivariate square-root process in which entries are correlated in the standard way, i.e., via a constant correlation coefficient. Note that, for the latter, closed-form solutions for the conditional characteristic functions are not available. We focus on the financial scenario of obtaining closed-form expressions for the exact price of a zero-coupon bond and Asian option prices via a Fourier cosine series method.

Root rot diseases remain a major global threat to the productivity of agricultural crops. They are usually caused by more than one type of pathogen and are thus often referred to as a root rot complex. Fungal and oomycete species are the predominant participants in the complex, while bacteria and viruses are also known to cause root rot. Incorporating genetic resistance in cultivated crops is considered as the most efficient and sustainable solution to counter root rot; however, resistance is often quantitative in nature. Several genetics studies in various crops have identified quantitative trait loci associated with resistance. With access to whole genome sequences, the identity of the genes within the reported loci is becoming available. Several of the identified genes have been implicated in pathogen response. However, it is becoming apparent that at the molecular level, each pathogen engages a unique set of proteins to either infest the host successfully or be defeated or contained in doing so. In this review, a comprehensive summary of the genes and potential mechanisms underlying resistance or susceptibility against the most investigated root rots of important agricultural crops is presented.

In the paper, the author presents explicit and unified expressions for a sequence of improper integrals in terms of the beta functions and the Wallis ratios. Hereafter, the author derives integral representations for the Catalan numbers originating from combinatorics.

Forest ecosystems make a greater contribution to carbon (C) stocks than any other terrestrial ecosystem. To understand the role of regional forest ecosystems in global climate change and carbon exchange, forest C stock and its spatial distribution within the small (2,300 km2) Liuxihe River basin were analyzed to determine the different contributors to the C stock. Forest C stocks were quantified by measuring the biomass of trees, understory vegetation, litter and roots, as well as soil organic C, using data from field samples and laboratory experiments. The results showed that forests stored 38.04 Tg C in the entire basin, with secondary and planted forests accounting for 89.82% and 10.18%, respectively, of the stored C. Five types of forests, a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, a subtropical coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest, a subtropical coniferous forest, a timber forest, and a non-wood forest, stored 257.55 ± 15.01, 218.92 ± 9.59, 195.24 ± 18.29, 177.42 ± 17.55, and 117.86 ± 6.04 Mg C ha−1, respectively. In the forest ecosystem C stocks of the basin, soils averagely contribute about 73.78%, not including root underground biomass. It provides a comprehensive method for forest ecosystem carbon investigation and forest management in small basin scale.

Fruits and vegetable diagnosis and inspection is a crucial part of quality control and health safety. From harvesting to retailing, stakeholders encounter tons of food losses due to the lack of monitoring of the fruit condition in retail. The problem gets worse because it is being handled by many people, including retailers and customers. We propose a transparent fiberglass-made vertical fruit showcase, which provides 80 percent more visibility, takes lesser shop space, and prevents human contact. It is convenient for the retailer and customer to use. Moreover, the controlled fruit environment is easy to integrate with IoT, which will help to generate consensus data for fruit management decisions in machine learning.

The rhizosphere fungal community can play an important role in determining plant growth and health. In this study, using high-throughput sequencing, we investigated the fungal diversity and community composition in the roots and rhizosphere soil of 21 potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars. The samples were collected at three different sampling points. Furthermore, we assessed the differences in both diversity and composition of pathogen and saprotroph communities. In soil and roots, the fungal richness and relative abundance of pathogens and saprotrophs were mainly affected by sampling time. However, root fungal communities were also significantly affected by cultivar. The most substantial effect of cultivar was on root pathogen diversity. Moreover, the occurrence of most pathogens strongly varied among cultivars. Soil fungal community composition was primarily determined by sampling time; whereas in roots, the primary determinant was cultivar. Our results demonstrate changes in fungal communities over the potato growing season, as well as highlight the importance of potato cultivar on root fungal communities, and emphasise their importance in plant breeding.

The continuous growth of roots depends on their ability to maintain a balanced ratio between cell production and cell differentiation at the tip. This process was reported to be regulated by the hormonal balance of cytokinin and auxin. However, other important regulators, such as plant folates, have also been reported to play a regulatory role. In this study, we investigated the impact of the folate precursor PABA on root development. Using pharmacological, genetic, and imaging approaches, we show that the growth of Arabidopsis thaliana roots is repressed by either supplementing the growth medium with PABA or overexpressing the PABA synthesis gene GAT-ADCS. This is associated with a smaller root meristem size, which consists of fewer cells. Conversely, reducing the levels of free root endogenous PABA results in longer roots with extended meristems and increased cell numbers. We provide evidence that PABA represses Arabidopsis root growth in a folate-independent manner and likely acts through two mechanisms: (i) the G2/M transition of cell division in the root apical meristem and (ii) promoting premature cell differentiation in the transition zone. These data collectively suggest that PABA plays a role in Arabidopsis root growth at the point where cell division and cell differentiation intersect.

Background: As long-lived organisms, urban trees often encounter development and redevelopment activities in close proximity during their lifespans. These activities can damage tree roots, often through methods like root severing during trenching or excavation. Methods: In 2017, we simulated trenching damage on mature Quercus virginiana Mill. trees at three different distances from the base (3x, 6x, and 12x the stem diameter). After five years, we revisited these trees to assess root regrowth based on the cut root's cross-sectional area (CSA) and distance from the base. Results: We observed regrowth in all but 38 (6.7%) of the 557 cut roots revisited. The lack of regrowth in some roots was not associated with our original treatments, the CSA of the roots at the time of trenching, or distance between the cut root end and the trunk (minimum P-value = 0.841). On average, the observed CSA of the regrowth was 22.2% of the original root's CSA. Only our original trenching treatments significantly predicted the level of regrowth observed five years after pruning (P-value = 0.024). Discoloration due to root pruning was minimal. Conclusion: In summary, our findings indicate that root systems require many years to recover from trenching damage. Increasing the distance between trenching activities and trees may have a minor effect on root regrowth but primarily helps reduce initial stress on the tree.

Eggplant is a functional food owing to its anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, and cardio-protective properties. Root-knot nematodes (RKN) are a threat to the successful production of eggplant. RKN infestation manifests as root damage, stunted development, and structural deformations of the plant. RKN infestation can be managed using a variety of management techniques like soil amendments and chemical treatments. Breeding for nematode tolerance is critical for high yields and stable results. As a result, breeding approaches are the most efficient and cost-effective nematode management methods. Furthermore, with advances in breeding technology and genomics assistance, it is becoming more feasible and straightforward. As a result, we've compiled a list of the most recent breeding developments for Meloidogyne spp. resistance in eggplant. We hope this information will serve as an important resource for the eggplant breeders.

Two wild-type field populations of root-knot nematodes (Mi-Vfield, Mj-TunC2field), and two isolates selected for virulence in laboratory on resistant tomato cultivars (SM2V, SM11C2), were used to induce a resistance reaction in tomato to the soil-borne parasites. Epigenetic and metabolic mechanisms of resistance were detected and compared with those occurring in partially or fully successful infections. The activated epigenetic mechanisms in plant resistance, as opposed to those activated in infected plants, were detected by analysing the methylated status of total DNA, by ELISA methods, and the expression level of key genes involved in the methylation pathway, by qRT-PCR. DNA hypo-methylation and down-regulation of two methyl-transferase genes (CMT2, DRM5), characterized the only true resistant reaction obtained by inoculating the Mi-1.2-carrying resistant tomato cv Rossol with the avirulent field population Mi-Vfield. On the contrary, in the roots into which nematodes were allowed to develop and reproduce, total DNA was generally found to be hyper-methylated and methyl-transferase genes up-loaded. DNA hypo-methylation was considered to be the upstream mechanism that triggers the general gene over-expression observed in plant resistance. Gene silencing induced by nematodes may be obtained through DNA hyper-methylation and methyl-transferase gene activation. Plant resistance is also characterized by an inhibition of the anti-oxidant enzyme system and activation of the defence enzyme chitinase, as opposed to the activation of such a system and inhibition of the defence enzyme glucanase in roots infested by nematodes.

Intense rainfall events frequently occur in Brazil, often leading to rapid flooding. Despite their recurrence, there is a notable lack of sub-daily studies in the country. This research aims to assess patterns related to the structure and microphysics of clouds driving intense rainfall in Brazil, resulting in high accumulations within 1 hour. Employing a 40 mm/h threshold and validation criteria, 83 events were selected for study, observed by both single and dual-polarization radars. Contoured Frequency by Altitude Diagrams (CFADs) of reflectivity, Vertical Integrated Liquid (VIL), and Vertical Integrated Ice (VII) are employed to scrutinize the vertical cloud characteristics in each region. To address limitations arising from the absence of polarimetric coverage in some events, three case studies focusing on polarimetric variables are included. A fourth case study enhances the overall understanding of these events, emphasizing the underexplored nature of short-term intense rainfall studies in Brazil. Results reveal that the generating system significantly influences the rainfall pattern, especially in the Southern, Southeastern, and Central-Western regions. Regional CFADs unveil primary convective columns with 40-50 dBZ reflectivity, extending to approximately 6 km. The microphysical analysis highlights the rapid structural intensification, challenging the event predictability and the issuance of timely specific warnings.

This study presents a dynamic modeling approach to investigate the impact of saturation dynamics on HIV/AIDS transmission in the presence of vertical transmission and treatment strategies. The proposed model incorporates disease-free and endemic equilibria, with a focus on analyzing the basic reproduction number and conducting stability analysis. Results indicate that the disease-free equilibrium is locally asymptotically stable under certain conditions. The findings suggest that a combination of treatment interventions and awareness campaigns, along with other control measures, may play a crucial role in curbing the spread of the HIV/AIDS virus. This research contributes to understanding the complex dynamics of HIV/AIDS epidemics and highlights the importance of considering saturation effects in epidemic modeling.

Amid the deepening imbalance in the supply and demand of allogeneic organs, xenotransplanta-tion can be a practical alternative because it makes an unlimited supply of organs possible. How-ever, to perform xenotransplantation on patients, the source animals to be used must be free from infectious agents. This requires breeding of animals using assisted reproductive techniques, such as somatic cell nuclear transfer, embryo transfer, and cesarean-section, without colostrum de-rived in designated pathogen-free (DPF) facilities. Most infectious agents can be removed from animals produced by these methods, but several viruses known to pass through the placenta are not easy to remove, even with these methods. Therefore, in this review, we look at the characteris-tics of several viruses known to cross the placenta and determine how they can be detected. This review is intended to help maintain DPF facilities by preventing animals infected with the virus from entering DPF facilities and to help select pigs suitable for xenotransplantation.

Ensuring the security of vertical applications in fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication systems and previous generations is crucial. These systems must prioritize maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of services and data. Examples of vertical applications include smart cities, smart transportation, public services, Industry 4.0, smart grids, smart health, and smart agriculture. Each vertical application has specific security requirements and faces unique threats within the mobile network environment. Thus, it is essential to implement comprehensive and robust security measures. This approach helps minimize the attack surface and effectively manage risks. This survey thoroughly examines mobile networks and their security challenges in vertical applications, shedding light on associated threats and potential solutions. Our study considers the interplay between security considerations in 5G, legacy networks, and vertical applications. We emphasize the challenges, opportunities, and promising directions for future research in this field and the importance of securing vertical applications in the evolving landscape of mobile technology.

Packaged water consumption has grown rapidly in urban areas of many low and middle income countries, but particularly in Ghana. However, the sources of water used by this growing packaged water industry and its implications for water resource management and transport-related environmental impacts have not been described. This study aimed to assess the spatial distribution of regulated packaged water production in Ghana, both in relation to demand and for natural mineral water, to hydrogeological characteristics. 764 addresses for premises licenced to produce packaged water from 2009-2015 were mapped and compared to regional sachet water consumption and beverage import/export data examined. We find evidence to suggest packaged water is transported shorter distances in Ghana than in developed countries. For natural mineral waters, producers should be able to address the most widespread water quality hazards (including high salinity, iron and nitrates) in aquifers used for production through reverse osmosis treatment. The study suggests there is scope to integrate beverage product and groundwater regulatory databases to support groundwater management.

A primary challenge in isogeny-based cryptography lies in the substantial computational cost associated to computing and evaluating prime-degree isogenies. This computation traditionally relied on Vélu’s formulas, an approach with time complexity linear in the degree but which was further enhanced by Bernstein, De Feo, Leroux, and Smith to a square-root complexity. The improved square-root Vélu’s formulas exhibit a degree of parallelizability which has not been exploited in major implementations. In this study, we introduce a theoretical framework for parallelizing isogeny computations and provide a proof-of-concept implementation in C with OpenMP. While the parallelization effectiveness exhibits diminishing returns with the number of cores, we still obtain strong results when using a small number of cores. Concretely, our implementation shows that for large degrees it is easy to achieve speedup factors of up to 1.74, 2.54 and 3.44 for 2, 4 and 8 cores, respectively.

Abstract: Background: Cancer and cancer treatments may affect aging processes, altering the trajectory of cognitive aging, but extant studies are limited in interval of assessment (2-5 years). We studied cognitive performance in a cohort of survivors and controls utilizing cross-sectional cognitive performance data from age 60 to 89 years as an indicator of potential aging trajectories and contrasted these trends with longitudinal data collected over two years. Methods: Female breast cancer survivors who had been diagnosed and treated at age 60 or older and were 5– to 15-year survivors (N=328) and non-cancer controls (N=158) were assessed at enrollment and at 8, 16 and 24 months with standard neuropsychological tests and comprehensive geriatric as-sessment. Results: Cross-sectional baseline analysis found the expected inverse association of age with cognition in both groups, with survivors performing lower than controls in learning and memory (LM) but not in attention, processing speed and executive function (APE). Younger survivors, i.e., those under 75 years of age, exhibited early decline in performance in both LM and APE compared to controls, with no differences between older survivors and controls, which tracked with deficit accumulation trends. Conclusion: Differences between survivors and controls were prominent in younger survivors, as was deficit accumulation, suggesting a mediating effect on cognition. Deficit accumulation may represent a modifiable risk factor in cancer survivorship that may be targeted for prevention and intervention.

Vertical-channel organic dual-gate/base transistors would be highly interesting since vertical organic transistors are the fastest organic transistors demonstrated today. However, incorporating a dual gate/base structure into an ultra-short channel vertical architecture represents a substantial challenge. Here, we successfully realize a new device concept of vertical organic permeable dual-base transistors (OPDBTs), where either of both base electrodes can be used to change the on-currents and tune the threshold voltages. The optimized devices yield a high on-current density of 1.54 A cm^-2 and a large current gain of 9.2×10⁵, corresponding to a high transmission value of 99.998%. The detailed operation mechanisms are investigated by calibrated TCAD simulations with the Poole-Frenkel mobility model, Gaussian density of states and tunneling model. Finally, high-performance logic circuits, e.g. inverter, NAND/AND computation functions are demonstrated with one single OPDBT operating at supply voltages of < 2.0 V. We believe that OPDBTs offer a compact and technologically simple hardware platform with excellent application potential for vertical-channel organic transistors in complex logic circuits.

Root crops grow in the soil deeply and bond with soil closely, which results in that the process of the separation between soil and root becomes the most difficult during the harvesting processes. In order to harvest root crops efficiently, the mechanical harvesting has become the main developing trend. However, high power and high damage rate are still occurred when mechanical harvester gets in touch with the roots. In this paper, we review the research of the development and evaluation of the mechanical harvesting of root crops and its performance optimization on the past years. The process of soil separation mainly consists in the initial separation between root and the ground and further separation between root and adhered soil. In general, the soil-cutting operation in the initial separation and the sieving mechanism in the further separation require high draught and power. And the dramatic friction, impact, pressure and so on, which happen in the components and soil-roots, are the key reasons to lead to root damage. The optimization of harvesting methods and parameters, including the digging shovel shape, working conditions, vibration, and screening way, is more significant in improving the harvesting performance. But there are still some limitations in the research and application of the mechanical harvester for root crops. Future research is suggested to focus on the development of the soil break-up when the digging shovel cutting soil, the insight into the interaction between soil and roots by different external compression loads, and the long-term studies to verify the high-efficiency and low-damage performances of mechanical harvester in practical application.

Aortic rupture is known as one of the potential causes of sudden cardiac death in athletes. Nevertheless, adaptation strategies for aortic root dilation in athletes vary. The purpose of this study was to investigate aortic root adaptation to physical workload and to determine if aortic root’s and left ventricle sizes are contingent upon the physical workload. Echocardiography was applied to 151 subjects to measure the aortic root at aortic valve annulus (AA) and at sinus of Valsalva (VS). 122 were athletes (41 females and 81 males) and 29 were non-athletes (14 females and 15 males). Of the 41 female athletes, 32 were endurance athletes, and 9 strength athletes. From 81 male athletes, 56 were endurance athletes, and 25 were strength athletes. AA and VS mean values for the body surface area were presented as rAA and rVS. Left ventricle (LV) meaures incuded LV end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), interventricular septum thickness in diastole (IVSTd), LV posterior wall thickness in diastole (LVPWTd), LV mass (LVM), LV mass index, LV end-diastolic diameter index (LVEDDI). Results indicated that VS was higher in female athletes (28.9±2.36mm) than in non-athletes (27.19±2.87mm, p=0.03). On the other hand, rAA was higher in strength athletes (12.19±1.48mm/m2) than in endurance athletes (11.12±0.99mm/m2, p=0.04). Additionally, rVS and rAA were higher in female strength athletes (17.19±1.78mm/m2, 12.19±1.48mm/m2) than female basketball players (15.49±1.08mm/m2, p=0.03, 10.75±1.06 mm/m2, p=0.02). Statistically significant positive moderate correlations were found between VS and LVEDD, LVM, IVSTd, LVPWTd, rVS and LVEDDI parameters in all athletes. The diameter of Valsalva sinus was greater in female athletes compared to non-athletes. The rAA mean value for body surface area was greater in female athletes practising strength sports as compared to their counterparts who were practising endurance sports. The diameter of the aortic root at sinuses positively correlated with the LV size in all athletes. Trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03656861, September 3, 2018 (retrospectively registered).

This paper presents the experimental and numerical studies of the vertical stress distribution beneath the centerline of circular footings resting on the sand. Vertical stress values due to circular load in medium-dense sand were measured using soil stress transducers. Reduced-scale laboratory model tests were carried out in a square-shaped test box and vertical stresses were measured at the centerline of the circular footing at different depths of the sand. In order to determine the effect of footing width on vertical stress distribution, laboratory experiments were performed on circular footings of different diameters. In addition, a series of finite element analyses was carried out on the test model to validate the findings of the experimental study. In the numerical analysis, the sand was modeled as a non-linear elastoplastic material. The analyses were performed using the finite element method with two-dimensional axisymmetric and three-dimensional conditions. The results obtained from laboratory model tests and numerical analysis were compared with the vertical stress values obtained from the theoretical solution in the literature. Vertical stress distribution in horizontal planes at any depth from the footing base shows the same characteristic form in all methods. However, some differences were observed between experimental, numerical, and theoretical results and discussed.

Callus induction of F. moluccana (sengon) was still an obstacle to indirect organogenesis regeneration. The purpose of the study was to determine the callus induction formation from root fragments of F. moluccana plantlets. Primary explants (fragments of roots) were cultivated on MS induction basal media and three concentration combination of PGRs (BAP and NAA): 0.5 ml/l BAP; 0,1 ml/l NAA (single PGR); and combination of 0.5 ml/l BAP + 0.1 ml/l NAA (double PGR). When roots were used as explants, high formation rates of callus (more than 70%) were obtained. Highest formation rates of callus were in NAA added at all clones (12 clones), then BAP added (7 clones) and BAP + NAA added (5 clones). The results indicated that BAP and NAA concentrations used in the media were influence the producing callus and affect the amount of callus produced from roots of sengon. The addition of NAA also gives higher callus proliferation results than the addition of BAP or the addition of a combination of the two hormones. The results indicated that BAP and NAA concentrations used in the media were influence the producing callus and affect the amount of callus produced from roots of sengon.

We present an improved algorithm for fast calculation of the inverse square root for single-precision floating-point numbers. The algorithm is much more accurate than the famous fast inverse square root algorithm and has a similar computational cost. The presented modification concern Newton-Raphson corrections and can be applied when the distribution of these corrections is not symmetric (for instance, in our case they are always negative).

The publication presents an innovative tower cultivation device designed to significantly increase vertical farming efficiency. The device divides the cultivation system into separate chambers. One division corresponds to the different growth phases of the plants, while another reflects the daily variation in conditions. Each chamber presents slightly different conditions and cultivation patterns from the others. For the early stages, crops are grown horizontally in trays once they mature, transplanted into mobile cultivation towers. The closed circulation of ventilation and irrigation reduces water consumption by up to 95%. A unique separate day-night division optimises light, temperature and humidity conditions, mimicking natural growth patterns. This approach not only saves water and energy but also optimises cultivation in a three-dimensional space. The presented solution focuses on the often overlooked aspects of cultivating in vertical farms and makes this method of growing much more cost-effective and feasible to implement on a large scale.

This paper proposes a novel concept within Quantum Natural Language Processing (QNLP) to encode the interpersonal metafunction of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), particularly tenor, into quantum circuits by treating Japanese honorifics seriously. Because of English language bias in the literature, the incorporation of nuanced aspects of interpersonal communication evident in languages, such as the aforesaid Japanese, remains under-developed and overlooked. Utilizing lambeq, monoidal categories, and string diagrams, this study extends lambeq’s quantum computing framework to capture not only grammar but also social context—specifically the roles and relationships that define interpersonal interactions in quantum circuits. This approach represents a significant step toward that end simply by defining the honorific type h in lambeq. This innovative strategy exposes the capability of quantum circuits to model the complex structures of language, moving beyond grammar and even semantics—the horizontal, textual dimension of language—to embrace the vertical, hierarchical dimension of human communication and social interaction. Through this lens, the paper underscores the potential of QNLP to transcend traditional linguistic analysis, advocating for a broader and more nuanced understanding of language that includes not only what is said but also the social persona of the interlocutors. An algorithm for parsing Japanese grammar into pregroup diagrams containing the h type is introduced along with a codebase for other researchers to use and to which to contribute. Lastly, a toy experiment is performed to demonstrate that the circuits generated from these pregroup diagrams are suitable for Quantum Machine Learning (QML) applications.

The most important issue in integrated next generation wireless systems (NGWS) by fourth generation networks which consists of various wireless architectures extending from cellular networks to satellite networks is to allow everyone around the world to connect seamlessly to applications anywhere at any time through the best network. Heterogeneous networks have created many challenges such as mobility management, handoff, resource management. For always best connectivity the selection of parameters plays an important role in the decision of vertical handoff, some of parameters are depend upon MT and some are depend upon the network conditions . In this paper we designed Intelligent Vertical Handoff based on Fuzzy Logic Decision model ( IVH-FL), IVH-FL model which has five parameters for vertical handoff decision : Received Signal Strength (RSS), Available bandwidth (B), Users Preference (UP), Mobile Speed (SM) and Power Consumption (PC), with the help of Fuzzy Logic tool box and concept of fuzzy linguistic variables. The results confirmed improvement performance , and reduced the number of unnecessary handover .

Aeroponics is a relatively new soilless culture technology, which may produce food in space limited cities or non-arable land with high water use efficiency. The shoot and root growth, root characteristics, mineral contents of two lettuce cultivars were measured in aeroponics, as compared with hydroponics and substrate culture. The results showed that aeroponics remarkably improved the root growth with a significant greater root biomass, root/shoot ratio, and several times higher total root length, root area and root volume. However, the greater root growth did not lead to a better shoot growth compared with hydroponics, due to the limited availability of nutrients and water. It can be concluded that aeroponics systems may be better for high value true root crops production. Further research is necessary to figure out the suitable pressure, droplet size, and misting interval in order to improve the continuously availability of nutrients and water in aeroponics, if it is used to grow crops like lettuce for harvesting above-ground parts.

With the widespread use of new equipment such as distributed photovoltaics, distributed energy storage, electric vehicles, and distributed wind power, the control of low-voltage distribution networks (LVDNs) has become increasingly complex. Acquiring the most recent topological structure is essential for conducting accurate analysis and real-time control of LVDNs. The signal-injection-based topology identification algorithm is favored for its speed and efficiency. This study proposes a new signal-injection-based topology identification algorithm aimed at solving the issues of reduced completeness and correctness of identification caused by missing feature signal records (FSRs). By analyzing the correlations between FSRs of different positions, the algorithm employs vertical and horizontal completion methods to effectively address missing data, combined with inclusion detection algorithms, to identify the topology of LVDNs. Based on the study of actual LVDN data, the results indicate that the algorithm not only significantly improves the completeness and correctness of topology identification for LVDNs but can also increase the number of devices in operation by evaluating the status of topological equipment, further enhancing the topology identification performance.

As the demand for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) continues to increase worldwide, more LPG facilities are being constructed. However, the design and manufacture of pressure vessels used to store dangerous liquids or pressurised fluids, such as LPG, has been a major cause of hazards, including explosions and leakage. In this study, we aim to address this issue by designing and analysing a vertical pressure vessel with a capacity of 10 m3 of pressurised LPG in accordance with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) code. Safety is the primary concern in designing pressure vessels due to the potential risks posed by accidents. Therefore, the main objective of this project is to design a pressure vessel that is safe from failure. The vessel is cylindrical with two elliptical heads, two nozzles, a manway and four leg supports, and we used Autodesk Inventor Professional 2023 for geometric modelling and Inventor Nastran for FEA analysis. To investigate the displacements, deflections and Von-Mises stresses in the pressure vessel, we used the finite element method, and Autodesk Inventor Nastran was employed for the analysis. Our results showed that changes to the structure of the pressure vessel were needed to reduce stress in the structure. Specifically, the displacement showed an inverse relationship with the tank section shell thickness. Moreover, we observed that the factor of safety increased linearly with shell thickness. We carefully considered permissible pressures and determined the required wall thickness to ensure acceptable maximum stresses. Our results indicate that the design is safe from failure, and the highest stresses are experienced by the manway followed by the shell, while the heads, nozzles and legs support experienced the lowest stresses. We also performed a theoretical calculation for the entire model and checked the results to ensure they were within the acceptable limits. In summary, our study highlights the importance of designing pressure vessels in accordance with ASME codes to ensure safety and prevent hazards caused by improper design and manufacturing. By using the finite element method, we identified potential stress points in the pressure vessel and were able to make modifications to improve its safety.

Plant roots host various microorganisms around and inside their roots, known as the root microbiome. To become healthy and productive, plants should keep under surveillance niches around the roots to recognize disease-causing microbes and similarly exploit the services of beneficial microorganisms in nutrient acquisition, stress mitigation and growth promotion. Here we presented the communication strategies between plant roots and root-associated microbes in improving plant growth and yield. Understanding how plant root and root-associated microbes communicate is vital in designing ecofriendly strategies for targeted disease suppression and improved plant growth that will help in sustainable agriculture.

Understanding how plants change their root foraging strategy in the presence of neighbors is of paramount importance for plant ecology and agriculture. The root tragedy of the common (RToC) is a plant behavior predicted by game theory models in which competing plants forage for soil resources inefficiently. The RToC is generally assumed to be induced by non-self root recognition, and researchers consider root overproliferation and reduced fitness with respect to a plant growing solo as the trace left by plants engaging in an RToC in experiments and model results. Herein, I first challenge both notions, and argue that the RToC is a suboptimal phenotypically plastic response of plants that is based in soil resource information exclusively. Second, I discuss how this new perspective carries important implications for the design of experiments investigating the physiological mechanisms underlying observable plant root responses. Finally, I discuss why placing the RToC theory in the context of more general root research is fundamental: The RToC represents a mechanistic foundation for understanding the belowground behavior of plants interacting with neighbors, and a spatially explicit approach to RToC may produce more comprehensive results.

Drought decreases grain yield of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], and understanding the mechanism(s) related to drought tolerance is critical for sustaining sorghum production. Variation in root and shoot traits associated with drought tolerance were analyzed to provide an integrated view of factors that underlie the drought tolerance of sorghum. The plants were grown in the root column up to the five-leaf stage, then exposed to either 0.9 fraction of transpirable soil water (FTSW) or 0.4 FTSW for five days. In another experiment, at the five-leaf stage, stress was imposed for 14 days. Various root and shoot traits associated with drought tolerance were recorded. The seminal root angle of IS13540 was lower (24.4) than IS23143 (42.6). Drought stress increased the maximum root length (40%) and total root length (58%) of IS13540 than its irrigated control. In contrast, the maximum root length and total root length were decreased in IS23143. Similarly, across the lines, drought stress decreased stomatal conductance (37%), transpiration rate (42%), photosynthetic rate (40%), photosystem II quantum yield (20%), photochemical quenching (44%), and total dry matter production (34%) than irrigated control. An increased transpiration rate was observed in IS23143 than IS13540 under irrigated and drought stress. In IS23143, the reduction in photosynthetic rate under drought may be a combination of stomatal and non-stomatal factors. However, in IS13540, the reduction is especially by the stomatal factors. It is evident that IS13540 is a drought-tolerant line, and tolerance is related to a deep prolific root system and reduced tran-spiration rate.

TaABCC13 is member of wheat ABCC subclass of transporters. The RNAi mediated silencing of this transporter in wheat results in lowering of seed phytic acid level and other developmental defects. In addition to that, wheat ABCC13 was involved in cadmium detoxification as evident by the complementation assays in yeast. The appearance of early lateral roots in these transgenic seedlings speculated the possibility for studying the role of localized auxin-mediated effects. In the current study, firstly, the expression of auxin related genes was studied in the transgenic roots. Enhanced expression of genes pertaining to either auxin biosynthesis or its transport was observed in transgenic wheat seedling roots suggesting the direct effect of the hormone. Further, the early emergence of lateral roots in transgenic wheat seedlings was affected due to the presence of auxin-transport inhibitor suggesting the direct effect of hormones in root development. In conclusion, herein we provide the novel evidence for the auxin mediated regulation of lateral root emergence in TaABCC13:RNAi seedlings.

The application of numerical simulation methods for studying vertical-axis wind turbines offers significant advantages over conventional horizontal-axis wind turbines regarding wind energy utilisation, start-up wind speed, and environmental impact. This paper aims to investigate and establish the aerodynamic design performance of asymmetrical (NACA 4412) airfoils used in the application of vertical-axis wind turbines. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation uses Ansys software based on the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations. The aerodynamic parameters (pressure and velocity) are evaluated and compared within a range of angles of attack (AoA) 5-12 degrees at a fixed Reynolds number, as is a usual condition for wind turbine application. The lift coefficient (Cl), drag coefficient (Cd), and Cl/Cd ratio are obtained within the range AoA for the asymmetrical airfoils, and the performances have been predicted using the potential flow panel and CFD methods. This study suggests that while Xfoil may not be as precise as computational fluid dynamics (CFD), its predicted lift and drag coefficients generally align with experimental results. These help us to understand the best air-foil selection in a wind turbine application and predict its optimum AoA at which it performs at its best.

It is known that people perceive animacy in objects. However, many studies on animacy and emotional expressions are limited in that the investigated motions were created by experimenters themselves. This makes the objective validity unclear. Moreover, it remains unclear what types of movements can express emotions with animacy due to the limited number of investigations examining both animacy and emotional expressions. Therefore, we investigated the motion elements for both animacy perception and emotional expressions using simple objects that lack features of specific living things, such as eyes, ears, tails, and voices in this study. First, we investigated the motion elements for animacy perception and emotional expressions using a robot simulator that enabled participants to create undulatory motions by tuning parameters for speed, height, and randomness. In total, 64 participants created motions in Normal (neutral), Joy, Sad, Relaxed, and Angry conditions. The results showed that the medians of speed and height in Normal, related only to animacy, were 0.5569[Hz] and 3.050cm at the edges/4.575cm at the center. The differences in Joy were 0.4028[Hz] and 3.348cm/5.022cm, in Sad were −0.1652[Hz] and −0.9982cm/−1.497cm, in Relaxed were −0.1979[Hz] and −0.4902cm/−0.7353cm, and in Angry were 0.5212[Hz] and 4.688cm/7.032cm. Second, we investigated whether the motion elements revealed in the first experiment were sufficient to express emotions with animacy, using a robot simulator that reflected the results of the motion element investigation. In total, 44 online participants observed the simulator. The results showed that participants could understand emotional arousal levels at the same time as animacy, but they did not fully understand emotional valence. Our findings provide design guidelines for robots that exhibit emotional expressions and closely interact with humans.

Main purposes and research question: Wheat is the second largest grain crop by tonnage in the world and the largest in Denmark. Given the observed, adverse impacts on wheat yields of climate change and the importance of wheat in the human diet, the purpose of this study was to use life cycle assessment to compare conventional wheat farming with indoor vertical farming using hydroponics. Methods: Life Cycle Assessment was used to assess the base case systems up to the “farm gate” for 1 tonne of wheat grain. The processes contributing most of the impacts were identified, and scenarios were assessed to determine how much the impacts could be reduced. Results: The conventional system outperformed the base case vertical system in every impact category, due to the electricity consumption in the lighting system. The scenarios included increasing the efficiency of the LED lighting and using 100% wind energy, but the conventional system still outperformed the vertical system by significant margins in all impact categories. This was due to the low photosynthetic conversion efficiency and the high energy density of wheat. Conclusions: Until significant improvements are made to lighting efficiency, the photosynthesis conversion efficiency of wheat, new wheat variants designed for vertical gardens and the sustainability of electricity supply, conventional wheat production will be environmentally preferable and vertical gardens would be advised to focus on food products with low energy densities.

Vertical farming (VF) is a potential solution for the production of high-quality, accessible, and climate-friendly nutrition for growing urban populations. However, to realize VF’s potential as a sustainable food source, innovative technologies are required to ensure that VF can be industrialized on a massive scale and extended beyond leafy greens and fruits into the production of food staples or row crops. A major obstacle to the economic and environmental sustainability of VF is the lighting energy consumed. While technological advances have improved the energy efficiency of VF lighting systems, there has been insufficient research into biostimulation as an approach to reduce energy needs. We conducted a controlled trial to investigate the application of a phycocyanin-rich Spirulina extract (PRSE) as a biostimulant in hydroponically grown, vertically farmed lettuce (Lactuca sativa and Salanova®). PRSE application reduced the time from seeding to harvest by 6 days, increased yield by 12.5%, and improved quality including color, taste, texture, antioxidant flavonoid levels and shelf life. Metagenomic analysis of the microbial community of the nutrient solution indicated that PRSE increased the overall bacterial diversity including raising the abundance of Actinobacteria and Firmicutes and reducing the abundance of potentially pathogenic bacteria. This preliminary study demonstrates that microalgae-derived biostimulants may play an important role in improving the economic and environmental sustainability of VF.

Crown gall (Agrobacterium tumefaciens), crown/root rot (Phytophthora spp.), root lesion disease (Pratylenchus vulnus), and tree vigor are key traits affecting productivity and quality of walnuts in California. Non-inoculated hybrid rootstocks were analyzed by RNA-seq to examine pre-formed factors affecting these traits. Enrichment analysis of the differentially expressed genes revealed that increased expression of cell wall biogenesis-related genes plays a key role in susceptibility to A. tumefaciens, Phytophthora spp., increased vigor, but not P. vulnus. Analysis of the predicted subcellular loci of the encoded proteins revealed that many gene products associated with vigor and susceptibility were targeted to the plasma membrane and extracellular space, connecting these traits to sustaining barrier function. We observed that RNA processing and splicing, along with predicted nuclear targeting, were associated with resistance to A. tumefaciens, Phytophthora spp., low vigor, but not P. vulnus. Four genes within the J. microcarpa QTL region for resistance to A. tumefaciens and Phytophthora spp. were represented among our transcripts, with two of the genes being differentially expressed in association with resistance to A. tumefaciens and decreased vigor. No differential expression related to Phytophthora spp. or P. vulnus traits was observed in this region. Additionally, the J. microcarpa haplotype expressed more transcripts associated with resistance to A. tumefaciens, Phytophthora spp., and low vigor, but not P. vulnus than the J. regia haplotype. We also report unique and shared hormone and defense responses associated with each trait. This research suggests a link between cell wall biogenesis, vigor, and critical root diseases of walnut.

The roots of African grapes (Lannea microcarpa) have long been utilised in traditional medicine for their perceived therapeutic properties. However, their comprehensive proximate and mineral analysis remains largely unexplored. Proximate composition and mineral content of the roots were conducted. The sample was obtained from Katsayal, Katsina State, and analysed using standard procedures. The macro and micro metals were determined using Flame Photometer and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, respectively. The results revealed a moisture content of 28.0 ±2.0%, an ash content of 21.3±1.2%, and significant levels of crude fibre (29.0±0.50%), crude lipid (9.60±0.20%), crude protein (6.91±0.01%), and available carbohydrates (33.3±0.10%). The calorific value of the root was determined to be 245 ± 0.01 kcal/g. The micro-mineral analysis revealed the detection of copper (8.60 ± 0.002 mg/kg), magnesium (9.24 ± 0.004 mg/kg), manganese (41.9 ± 0.001 mg/kg), iron (405 ± 0.042 mg/kg), and zinc (9.46 ± 0.001 mg/kg). The macro-minerals, namely calcium (28400 mg/kg), potassium (1530 mg/kg), and sodium (45030 mg/kg), were found to be present in the sample. It is advisable to conduct additional research to examine the identified minerals' bioavailability, clarify the phytochemical profile, and investigate potential bioactive compounds.

Anthracnose and root rot are major foliar and root diseases of strawberry, respectively that cause most yield and quality losses. Anthracnose is caused by multiple species belonging to Colletotrichum spp complex. This disease alone can causeup to 70% yield loss in North America. Colletotrichum spp. cause several disease symptoms on strawberries, including root, fruit, and crown rot, lesions on petioles and runners, and irregular black spots on the leaf. In many cases, a lower level of infection on foliage remains non-symptomatic (quiescent), posing a challenge to growers as these plants can be a significant source of inoculum for the fruiting field. Reliable detection methods for quiescent infection should play an important role in preventing infected plants' entry into the production system or guiding growers to take appropriate preventative measures to control the disease. The selection of highly effective fungicides and including them in a schedule to prevent the development of fungicide resistance in fungal populations will remain an area of continued research. Disease management methods should entail sensitive molecular testing of suspected fungal isolates for resistance, rotation of products, and monitoring of quiescent infections in transplant materials. Testing and the inclusion of non-chemical methods such as biologicals and biorational treatments especially for soilborne pathogens will also be necessary to make disease management economically feasible and sustainable.

Barnyardgrass (Echinochloa spp.) is a prevalent type of weed in rice fields worldwide. Despite the growing knowledge concerning allelopathic interference with barnyardgrass, little is understood regarding the competitive mechanisms between allelopathic rice and herbicide-resistant barnyardgrass at the plant physiological level. In this context, a hydroponic system was employed to investigate the root morphological traits and different phytohormones levels of two rice cultivars, i.e., the allelopathic rice cultivar “PI312777” (PI) and the non-allelopathic rice cultivar “Lemont” (LE), when co-planted with quinclorac-resistant and -susceptible barnyardgrass, respectively. The results showed that the shoot and root biomass were greater in the allelopathic rice cultivar. Moreover, the treatments at the two time points induced an increase in shoot and root biomass of PI when subjected to barnyardgrass stress. In terms of root morphology, PI exhibited significantly higher fine-root length in diameters &lt;0.5 mm, a greater number of root tips, and longer root tips compared to LE. In addition, the levels of different plant hormones, including auxin (IAA), abscisic acid (ABA), jasmonic acid (JA), and salicylic acid (SA), known for their diverse adaptation strategies to biotic stress, were analysed. The response to quinclorac-resistant barnyardgrass stress was consistent in terms of the content of well-known stress-related hormones, namely SA and JA. The accumulation of SA and JA was observed in both rice cultivars under the stress of quinclorac-resistant barnyardgrass, with higher contents of these hormones in PI than that in LE. The most significant change was observed in IAA and ABA contents in rice, which decreased significantly from 7 days to 14 days under co-culture stress. Additionally, PI contained higher levels of IAA and ABA than LE in the presence of barnyardgrass stress. This research may aid in the development of strategies for reducing the environmental impact of herbicides through the prudent selection of non-chemical herbicide control tactics.

The calculation of the exact value of the square root of 2 is requested. In order to obtain its infinite value, A new concept is proposed where the accumulations of the infinitely many of finity is indicated by the change in direction which means that there is a jump from finity to infinity .The meaningless for an infinite number with a decimal point is indicated by this jump because any decimal number only have meanings within a finite range values and there is only an infinite integer quantity that can not be operated by algorithms like operations of multiplication，division,addition, and subtraction . The final result of the change in direction is two quantity where the second quantity and the first quantity extend in parallel line and never intersect and the second quantity represent the size of the first quantity. The first quantity is the infinitely great that can't be talked about anything outside of it and can compress any quantities outside of it to nothing and it is the exact value of the square root of 2 .

Considering the predictions from the standard model of particle physics coupled with experimental results from particle accelerators, we discuss a scenario in which from the infinite possibilities in the Lie groups we use to describe particle physics, nature needs only the lower dimensional representations - an important phenomenology that we argue indicates nature is code theoretic. We show that the quantum deformation of the SU(2) Lie algebra at the fifth root of unity can be used to address the quantum Lorentz group representation theory through its universal covering group and gives the right low dimensional physical realistic spin quantum numbers confirmed by experiments. In this manner we can describe the spacetime symmetry content of relativistic quantum fields in accordance with the well known Wigner classification. Further connections of the fifth root of unity quantization with the mass quantum number associated with the Poincaré Group and the SU(N) charge quantum numbers are discussed as well as their implication for quantum gravity.

This study is part of an extended investigation into the quantitative detection of therapeutic molecules with antineoplastic properties, specifically focusing on bleomycin. The objective is to minimize adverse effects while maximizing therapeutic effectiveness. We are presenting the results for bleomycin detection, in terms of cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. We are continuing an approach we have recently started, of an electrochemical biosensor based on graphene, which is evidenced to be a revolutionary nanomaterial. The vertical graphene biosensor exhibited improved sensitivity, faster response, faster occurrence of the chemical reactions, and higher electrode surface conductivity, than the classical gold IDE sensor. The construction of the electrochemical sensor involved growing vertically aligned graphene nanosheets on the conductive surface of interdigitated electrodes. The results for bleomycin detection emphasized that a simpler surface modification method proved to be more efficient.

The holy town of Joshimath, gateway to the India-China border and religious places like Badrinath, Hemkunt Sahab, Valley of flowers in the Uttarakhand state of India experienced cracks in many of the residential and commercial buildings in the month of November-December 2022 which created panic and relocation of people. The reason(s) for the subsidence is still not known but using the InSAR technology and data from Sentinel-1, SAR data for the region was processed using HyP3 and MintPy for January-December 2022 to understand when the phenomenon started and how much uplift/subsidence the area has underwent in the last one year, as no such study is available till today. The entire town can be classified into two zones with respect to the annual subsidence values. Severe subsidence has been observed in the North and East regions whereas most of the southern region experienced moderate to low subsidence. Since the town is built on the debris of an old landslide, the subsidence may be attributed to the change in the course of the underground water channels due to heavy and continuous construction happening in the region and also due to drop in the water table. The results shows that the subsidence in the region was ongoing since June (from January till May, almost negligible vertical movement was recorded) which accelerated after September (when an uplift was recorded which lasted till October), while the subsidence peaked in the month of December with recorded subsidence of as much as 10 cm in some areas located around the Joshimath town, where most of the residential and commercial buildings are located.

The main purpose of this paper is to introduce and investigate degenerate Poisson distrib- ution which is a new extension of the Poisson distribution including the degenerate expo- nential function. We then provide several properties of the degenerate Poisson distribution such as the first and the second raw moments and di¤erence operator property. Moreover, we acquired the skewness and the kurtosis for the degenerate Poisson distribution. We also derive its moment generating function by which we define the degenerate Bell polynomials and give a connection for these polynomials related to the unsigned Stirling numbers of the …rst kind.

Currently, there is no widely accepted consensus regarding a consistent thermodynamic framework within the special relativity paradigm. However, by postulating that the inverse temperature 4-vector, denoted as β, is future-directed and timelike, intriguing insights emerge. Specifically, it is demonstrated that the q-dependent Tsallis distribution can be conceptualized as a de-Sitterian deformation of the relativistic Maxwell-Jüttner distribution. In this context, the curvature of the de Sitter space-time is characterized by Λ/3, where Λ represents the cosmological constant within the ΛCDM standard model for Cosmology. For a simple gas composed of particles with proper mass m, and within the framework of quantum statistical de Sitterian considerations, the Tsallis parameter q exhibits a dependence on the cosmological constant given by q=1+ℓcΛ/n where ℓc=ℏ/mc is the Compton length of the particle and n is a positive numerical factor. This formulation establishes a novel connection between the Tsallis distribution, quantum statistics, and the cosmological constant, shedding light on the intricate interplay between relativistic thermodynamics and fundamental cosmological parameters.