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In West Africa, the construction of small earth dams is common against water scarcity. Burkina Faso, an inland country in West Africa, is home to 1001 dams that serve agricultural and pastoral needs. These embankments are predominantly made of compacted laterite, a cost-effective material abundant in over 2/3 of the country. However, these dams degrade over time, hindering their functionality. This study aims to establish a catalog of typical degradation occurring on small dams in Burkina Faso, which is virtually non-existent in the region while identifying and analyzing the potential causes. The study uses a diagnostic analysis followed up with technical visits on a representative sample of 24 dams in the Centre and Centre-South regions as a basis for future studies. The results reveal that these dams were constructed between 1965 and 2018, with capacities ranging from 150,000 to 4,740,000 m³. 33% of these dams have undergone total failure, likely attributed to factors such as internal erosion, pore overpressures, settlement, and deformation. Although 67% of the dams remain functional, their structural integrity could be improved. Erosion observed in riprap indicates vulnerability during high flood periods. Additionally, the absence of proper maintenance, as shown by the vegetation development weakening embankments, contributes to deterioration. The analysis also suggests that variability in construction techniques and lateritic material properties across time and regions may further exacerbate degradation. These findings inform infrastructure improvements and policy development for sustainable water resource management in Burkina Faso and similar regions. Full article

Human mycoses cover a diverse field of fungal diseases from skin disorders to systemic invasive infections and pose an increasing global health problem based on ineffective treatment options, the hampered development of new efficient drugs, and the emergence of resistant fungal strains. Niclosamide is currently applied for the treatment of worm infections. Its mechanisms of action, which include the suppression of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (also known as mitochondrial uncoupling), among others, has led to a repurposing of this promising anthelmintic drug for the therapy of further human diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and microbial infections. Given the urgent need to develop new drugs against fungal infections, the considerable antifungal properties of niclosamide are highlighted in this review. Its chemical and pharmacological properties relevant for drug development are also briefly mentioned, and the described mitochondria-targeting mechanisms of action add to the current arsenal of approved antifungal drugs. In addition, the activities of further salicylanilide-based niclosamide analogs against fungal pathogens, including agents applied in veterinary medicine for many years, are described and discussed for their feasibility as new antifungals for humans. Preliminary structure–activity relationships are determined and discussed. Various salicylanilide derivatives with antifungal activities showed increased oral bioavailabilities when compared with niclosamide. The simple synthesis of salicylanilide-based drugs also vouchsafes a broad and cost-effective availability for poorer patient groups. Pertinent literature is covered until 2024. Full article

Rice is one of the most significant food crops for human sustenance. Every year, many countries around the world hoard enormous amounts of rice to avert emergencies and guarantee food security and sufficiency. As a result, the inventory of aged rice is growing as the number of inventory years rises. Aged rice stored over three years loses its nutritional value and is no longer suitable for human consumption. There is a pressing need to find a solution to effectively utilize aged brown rice produced from aged rice after dehulling. Developing and utilizing aged brown rice as feed is economical and efficient due to its massive resources and rich nutritional content, which will also lessen food waste while resolving the problem of excessive hoarding of aged rice. This review mainly summarizes the nutritional value, application in feed, and nutritional limiting factors of aged brown rice. It provides a theoretical basis for solving the overstock of aged brown rice and the feasibility of using aged brown rice as feed in a cost-effective way. Full article

Renewable Energy Sources (RESs) such as hydro, wind, and solar are merging as preferred alternatives to fossil fuels. Among these RESs, solar energy is the most ideal solution; it is gaining extensive interest around the globe. However, due to solar energy’s intermittent nature and sensitivity to environmental parameters (e.g., irradiance, dust, temperature, aging and humidity), real-time solar plant monitoring is imperative. This paper’s contribution is to compare and analyze current IoT trends and propose future research directions. As a result, this will be instrumental in the development of low-cost, real-time, scalable, reliable, and power-optimized solar plant monitoring systems. In this work, a comparative analysis has been performed on proposed solutions using the existing literature. This comparative analysis has been conducted considering five aspects: computer boards, sensors, communication, servers, and architectural paradigms. IoT architectural paradigms employed have been summarized and discussed with respect to communication, application layers, and storage capabilities. To facilitate enhanced IoT-based solar monitoring, an edge computing paradigm has been proposed. Suggestions are presented for the fabrication of edge devices and nodes using optimum compute boards, sensors, and communication modules. Different cloud platforms have been explored, and it was concluded that the public cloud platform Amazon Web Services is the ideal solution. Artificial intelligence-based techniques, methods, and outcomes are presented, which can help in the monitoring, analysis, and management of solar PV systems. As an outcome, this paper can be used to help researchers and academics develop low-cost, real-time, effective, scalable, and reliable solar monitoring systems. Full article

The most critical aspect of panorama generation is maintaining local semantic consistency. Objects may be projected from different depths in the captured image. When warping the image to a unified canvas, pixels at the semantic boundaries of the different views are significantly misaligned. We propose two lightweight strategies to address this challenge efficiently. First, the original image is segmented as superpixels rather than regular grids to preserve the structure of each cell. We propose effective cost functions to generate the warp matrix for each superpixel. The warp matrix varies progressively for smooth projection, which contributes to a more faithful reconstruction of object structures. Second, to deal with artifacts introduced by stitching, we use a seam line method tailored to superpixels. The algorithm takes into account the feature similarity of neighborhood superpixels, including color difference, structure and entropy. We also consider the semantic information to avoid semantic misalignment. The optimal solution constrained by the cost functions is obtained under a graph model. The resulting stitched images exhibit improved naturalness. Extensive testing on common panorama stitching datasets is performed on the algorithm. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm effectively mitigates artifacts, preserves the completeness of semantics and produces panoramic images with a subjective quality that is superior to that of alternative methods. Full article

Epigenetic modifications have been implicated in a number of complex diseases as well as being a hallmark of organismal aging. Several reports have indicated an involvement of these changes in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk and progression, most likely contributing to the dysregulation of AD-related gene expression measured by DNA methylation studies. Given that DNA methylation is tissue-specific and that AD is a brain disorder, the limitation of these studies is the ability to identify clinically useful biomarkers in a proxy tissue, reflective of the tissue of interest, that would be less invasive, more cost-effective, and easily obtainable. The age-related DNA methylation changes have also been used to develop different generations of epigenetic clocks devoted to measuring the aging in different tissues that sometimes suggests an age acceleration in AD patients. This review critically discusses epigenetic changes and aging measures as potential biomarkers for AD detection, prognosis, and progression. Given that epigenetic alterations are chemically reversible, treatments aiming at reversing these modifications will be also discussed as promising therapeutic strategies for AD. Full article

In most states of Australia, local governments (councils) are responsible for the enforcement of legislation relating to domestic cats. Traditional methods used for cat management based on trap–adopt or euthanize programs have been ineffective, with cat-related calls and cat impoundments continuing to increase, resulting in many healthy cats being euthanized. This has detrimental effects on the mental health of animal management officers, staff in shelters and council facilities, and cat caregivers. The city of Banyule, Victoria, implemented a free cat sterilization, microchipping, and registration (licensing) program in 2013/14. Initially, it was targeted at three low-socioeconomic suburbs with the highest cat-related calls and intake, and was microtargeted at call locations. An average of 4.1 cats/1000 residents per year were sterilized over eight years. The program included stray cats being fed by caregivers, provided they took ownership. The program was later expanded city-wide. Over eight years, city-wide cat intake decreased by 66%, euthanasia by 82%, and cats reclaimed by owners increased from 6% of intake (2012/13) to 16% (2020/21). Cat-related calls decreased in the target area by 51%, and city-wide by 36%. The council realized cost savings of AU $440,660 associated with reduced costs for cat-related calls to council (AU $137,170) and charges from the contracted welfare agency (AU $303,490), for an outlay of AU $77,490 for sterilization costs. Instead of the traditional management of urban cats, proactive management based on targeted sterilization should be utilized by government and animal welfare agencies in Australia and internationally. These types of programs are effective at reducing cat intake and euthanasia and are cost-effective. Full article

The complexity of historical data in financial markets and the uncertainty of the future, as well as the idea that investors always expect the least risk and the greatest return. This study presents a multi-period fractional portfolio model in a fuzzy environment, taking into account the limitations of asset quantity, asset position, transaction cost, and inter-period investment. This is a mixed integer programming NP-hard problem. To overcome the problem, an improved genetic algorithm (IGA) is presented. The IGA contribution mostly involves the following three points: (i) A cardinal constraint processing approach is presented for the cardinal constraint conditions in the model; (ii) Logistic chaotic mapping was implemented to boost the initial population diversity; (iii) An adaptive golden section variation probability formula is developed to strike the right balance between exploration and development. To test the model’s logic and the performance of the proposed algorithm, this study picks stock data from the Shanghai Stock Exchange 50 for simulated investing and examines portfolio strategies under various limitations. In addition, the numerical results of simulated investment are compared and analyzed, and the results show that the established models are in line with the actual market situation and the designed algorithm is effective, and the probability of obtaining the optimal value is more than 37.5% higher than other optimization algorithms. Full article

Shrimp feeds depend on high levels of digestible protein and essential amino acids, which can be sourced from various commercially available feed ingredients. Marine proteins can be used to partially fulfill the requirements of these and other important nutrients. Their utilization is further influenced by their palatability and growth-promoting effect. However, marine ingredients can significantly drive costs in feed formulation depending on the type and dietary inclusion level. This study aimed to determine the minimum dietary level of fish meal (FML) and krill meal (KRM) and their mix ratio to elicit feed intake and growth performance in juvenile Penaeus vannamei. Ten diets were formulated with graded FML (90, 60, 30 g kg⁻¹) in combination with 15, 30, and 45 g kg⁻¹ KRM and a control diet with 120 g kg⁻¹ FML. Shrimp (1.28 ± 0.08 g body weight, BW) were stocked in seventy 1-m³ tanks (135 animals m⁻²), and after 88 days, their growth performance was determined. Feed preference was assessed through two-by-two comparisons in twenty 0.5 m³ tanks over four weeks. No significant differences in survival (93.9 ± 4.5%), gained yield (1235 ± 92 g m⁻²), and feed conversion ratio (1.47 ± 0.09) were observed. Diets with 60 g kg⁻¹ FML led to faster growth and higher feed intake than 30, 90, and 120 g kg⁻¹ FML. Shrimp on 30 g kg⁻¹ FML diets had the lowest BW, especially with 30–15 (FML-KRM) and 30–30 diets. Diets with 90 g kg⁻¹ FML outperformed 30 g kg⁻¹ FML. The control diet delivered a higher shrimp BW than diets 30-15 and 30-30, showing similar results to other diets except 60–15. Feed preference was influenced by KRM inclusion, with 15 g kg⁻¹ KRM resulting in higher apparent feed intake than 30 and 45 g kg⁻¹. The findings indicate that FML can be effectively reduced by up to 75% when combined with lower levels of KRM. This corresponds with the industry’s ongoing trend to achieve greater sustainability and cost efficiency through the reduced utilization of critical resources. Full article

Due to the increasing complexity of vehicle software, it is becoming increasingly difficult to comprehensively test all requirements. This inevitably means that alternative test methods, e.g., simulation-based methods, must be used more frequently. However, the challenge involves identifying appropriate requirements that can be technically tested in a simulation environment initially. The present work is aimed at evaluation and optimization of the effectiveness of software-in-the-loop (SiL) simulations in the testing process of vehicle software. The focus is on supporting the testing process by shifting specific test cases from hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) test benches to SiL-based simulations. For this purpose, a systematic approach was developed to analyze and categorize requirements, enabling precise and efficient allocation of test cases. Furthermore, a detailed review and recommendation for improving the ProSTEP iViP standard for virtual electronic control units (vECU) was carried out. The developed matrix associates the defined requirement clusters with different classifications of vECUs, facilitating the identification of suitable test environment types for conducting specific test cases. By assigning test cases to appropriate vECU levels, the testing processes can be targeted and cost-optimized. Finally, the theoretical results were evaluated in an SiL simulation environment. It was observed that a significant part of the requirements could effectively be tested using a vECU. These findings confirmed the potential of SiL simulation environments to not only support, but also enhance, the testing process for vehicle software by providing a cost-effective and flexible complement to traditional HiL test benches. Full article

Agricultural waste is a renewable source of lignocellulosic components, which can be processed in a variety of ways to yield added-value materials for various applications, e.g., polymer composites. However, most lignocellulosic biomass is incinerated for energy. Typically, agricultural waste is left to decompose in the fields, causing problems such as greenhouse gas release, attracting insects and rodents, and impacting soil fertility. This study aims to valorise nonedible tomato waste with no commercial value in Additive Manufacturing (AM) to create sustainable, cost-effective and added-value PLA composites. Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) filaments with 5 and 10 wt.% tomato stem powder (TSP) were developed, and 3D-printed specimens were tested. Mechanical testing showed consistent tensile properties with 5% TSP addition, while flexural strength decreased, possibly due to void formation. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) indicated changes in storage modulus and damping factor with TSP addition. Notably, the composites exhibited antioxidant activity, increasing with higher TSP content. These findings underscore the potential of agricultural waste utilization in FFF, offering insights into greener waste management practices and addressing challenges in mechanical performance and material compatibility. This research highlights the viability of integrating agricultural waste into filament-based AM, contributing to sustainable agricultural practices and promoting circular economy initiatives. Full article

In few-shot image classification (FSIC), the feature extraction module of the traditional convolutional neural networks is often constrained by the local nature of the convolutional kernel. As a result, it becomes challenging to handle global information and long-distance dependencies effectively. In order to address this problem, an innovative FSIC method is proposed in this paper, which is the integration of Swin Transformer and CSAM and Earth Mover’s Distance (EMD) technology (STCE). We utilize the Swin Transformer network for image feature extraction, and perform CSAM attention mechanism feature weighting on the output feature map, while we adopt the EMD algorithm to generate the optimal matching flow between the structural units, minimizing the matching cost. This approach allows for a more precise representation of the classification distance between images. We have conducted numerous experiments to validate the effectiveness of our algorithm. On three commonly used few-shot datasets, namely mini-ImageNet, tiered-ImageNet, and FC100, the accuracy of one-shot and five-shot has reached the state of the art (SOTA) in the FSIC; the mini-ImageNet achieves an accuracy of 98.65 ± 0.1% for one-shot and 99.6 ± 0.2% for five-shot tasks, while tiered ImageNet has an accuracy of 91.6 ± 0.1% for one-shot tasks and 96.55 ± 0.27% for five-shot tasks. For FC100, the accuracy is 64.1 ± 0.3% for one-shot tasks and 79.8 ± 0.69% for five-shot tasks. On two commonly used few-shot datasets, namely CUB, CIFAR-FS, CUB achieves an accuracy of 83.1 ± 0.4% for one-shot and 92.88 ± 0.4% for five-shot tasks, while CIFAR-FS achieves an accuracy of 86.95 ± 0.2% for one-shot and 94 ± 0.4% for five-shot tasks. Full article

With the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence, AI-enabled Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles have garnered extensive attention since they offer an accessible and cost-effective solution for executing tasks in unknown or complex environments. However, developing secure and effective AI-based algorithms that empower agents to learn, adapt, and make precise decisions in dynamic situations continues to be an intriguing area of study. This paper proposes a hybrid intelligent control framework that integrates an enhanced Soft Actor–Critic method with a fuzzy inference system, incorporating pre-defined expert experience to streamline the learning process. Additionally, several practical algorithms and approaches within this control system are developed. With the synergy of these innovations, the proposed method achieves effective real-time path planning in unpredictable environments under a model-free setting. Crucially, it addresses two significant challenges in RL: dynamic-environment problems and multi-target problems. Diverse scenarios incorporating actual UAV dynamics were designed and simulated to validate the performance in tracking multiple mobile intruder aircraft. A comprehensive analysis and comparison of methods relying solely on RL and other influencing factors, as well as a controller feasibility assessment for real-world flight tests, are conducted, highlighting the advantages of the proposed hybrid architecture. Overall, this research advances the development of AI-driven approaches for UAV safe autonomous navigation under demanding airspace conditions and provides a viable learning-based control solution for different types of robots. Full article

In recent years, the adoption of renewable energy sources has significantly increased due to their numerous advantages, which include environmental sustainability and economic viability. However, the management of electric microgrids presents complex challenges, particularly in the orchestration of energy production and consumption under the uncertainty of fluctuating meteorological conditions. This study aims to enhance decision-making processes within energy management systems specifically designed for microgrids that are interconnected with primary grids, addressing the stochastic and dynamic nature of energy generation and consumption patterns among microgrid users. The research incorporates stochastic models for energy pricing in transactions with the main grid and probabilistic representations of energy generation and demand. This comprehensive methodology allows for an accurate depiction of the volatile dynamics prevalent in the energy markets, which are critical in influencing microgrid operational performance. The application of the Stochastic Dual Dynamic Programming (SDDP) algorithm within a multi-stage adaptive framework for microgrids is evaluated for its effectiveness compared to deterministic approaches. The SDDP algorithm is utilized to develop robust strategies for managing the energy requirements of 1, 2, and 12 prosumers over a 24 h planning horizon. A comparative analysis against the precise solutions obtained from dynamic programming via Monte Carlo simulations indicates a strong congruence between the strategies proposed by the SDDP algorithm and the optimal solutions. The results provide significant insights into the optimization of energy management systems in microgrid settings, emphasizing improvements in operational performance and cost reduction. Full article

The direct torque control (DTC) strategy was proposed more than 25 years ago. It is one of the most successful and reliable techniques for AC motors. This paper presents the application of DTC using a four-switch inverter, as one of the non-conventional economic topologies suitable for low power ranges. The experimental prototype proves the validity and effectiveness of the investigated configuration. In addition, for comparison purposes, the DTC technique has been implemented using a conventional six-switch inverter. According to the experimental results, the DTC-based four-switch inverter would be competitive with the conventional topology in low power ranges to achieve an economic AC drive with a satisfactory transient and steady-state performance at moderate costs. Full article