Redundancy in ship systems is provided to ensure operational resilience through equipment backups which ensures system availability and offline repairs of machinery. The electric power generation system of ships provides the most utility of all systems, hence is provided with good level of standby units to ensure reliable operations. Nonetheless, the occurrence of undesired black outs are common onboard ships and portends a serious danger to ship security and safety. Therefore, understanding the contributing factors affecting system reliability through component criticality analysis is essential to ensure a more robust maintenance and support platform for efficient ship operations. In this regard hybrid reliability and fault detection analysis were conducted to establish component criticality and related fault conditions. A case study was conducted on a ship power generation system consisting of 4 marine diesel power generation plants onboard an Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV). Results from the reliability analysis indicate overall low system reliability of less than 70 per cent within the first 24 months of the 78 operational months. Component criticality using reliability importance measures was used to identify all components with more than 40 per cent contribution to sub systems failure. Additionally, machine learning was used to aid the reliability analysis through feature engineering and fault identification using Artificial Neural Networks classification. The ANN has identified failure patten threshold at about 200kva which can be attributed to overheating, hence establishing link between component failure and generator performance.

Salmonellosis is a bacterial zoonosis with array of health conditions. Non-typhoidal salmonellosis (NTS) have a discrete adaptation to certain animals; in poultry, pullorum and fowl typhoid are its primary disease manifestations. The diseases are prevalent in the Nigerian poultry and have been well studied in Nigeria, but less so in the north central Nigeria (NCN). Using field sampling, laboratory methods and semi structured questionnaire in 1000 poultry farms from NCN, we explore the incidence and risk factors for the persistence of NTS infection in poultry. Approximately 41.6% of the farms have experienced NTS but only 6.3% have current infection with NTS. Farm experience of NTS moderately predicted awareness of salmonellosis. Increasing stock in smallholder farms, self-mixing of concentrate on the farm, usage of stream water, pen odour, non-adherence and partial adherence of farms to recommended poultry vaccination against pullorum and fowl typhoid, and lack of and non-adherence to biosecurity were identified risk factors that increased the odds of NTS infection in poultry. Antibiotic use practice may have reduced the isolation rate of NTS, yet NTS continues to challenge poultry farms in Nigeria. Identified risk practices must be mitigated intentionally and biosecurity and hygiene must improve to reduce the burden of NTS.

In response to growing industrial demands, necessitated by larger ships and increased cargo volumes, many port authorities worldwide are undertaking a significant expansion of their infrastructure to increase their capacity. Significant expansion raises challenges such as potential congestion and environmental concerns, especially for port located in urban area as the case study explored in this paper. To address these issues, the study employs a combination of scenario analysis developed in collaboration with the port authority and logistic system simulation. This approach assesses the capacity of existing access gates to handle the increased trucking traffic and optimizes the unloading process of construction trucks at a new terminal. Key findings suggest that while the current gate capacities are adequate, optimizing unloading times at the new terminal is critical to prevent road congestion in urban area before the gate and reduce negative impacts such as sound and atmospheric pollution. The study advocates for an appointment system during peak hours to manage traffic flow effectively and underscores the importance of collaboration between the city and port authorities in managing truck traffic to mitigate congestion on the city side. Nonetheless, the study recognizes certain constraints, including the incomplete evaluation of the influence of intermodal transport on truck traffic. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the need for future research to consider the correlation between vehicle numbers and service levels, aiming to effectively adjust the time in the system.

Perception and motor interaction with physical surroundings can be analyzed by the changes in probability laws governing two possible outcomes of neuronal activity, namely the presence or absence of spikes (binary states). Perception and motor interaction with physical environment are accounted partly by the reduction in entropy within the probability distributions of binary states of neurons in distributed neural circuits, given the knowledge about the characteristics of stimuli in physical surroundings. This reduction in the total entropy of multiple pairs of circuits in networks, by an amount equal to the increase of mutual information among them, occurs as sensory information is processed successively from lower to higher cortical areas or between different areas at the same hierarchical level but belonging to different networks. The increase in mutual information is partly accounted by temporal coupling as well as synaptic connections as proposed by Bahmer and Gupta [1]. We propose that robust increases in mutual information, measuring the association between the characteristics of sensory inputs and neural circuits connectivity patterns, are partly responsible for perception and successful motor interactions with physical surroundings. It is also argued that perception from a sensory input is the result of networking of many circuits to a common circuit that primarily processes the given sensory input.

Using the orbit decomposition, a new enumerative polynomial P(x) is introduced for abstract (simplicial) complexes of a given type, e.g., trees with a fixed number of vertices or triangulations of the torus with a fixed graph. The polynomial has the following three useful properties. (I) The value P(1) is equal to the total number of unlabeled complexes (of a given type). (II) The value of the derivative P'(1) is equal to the total number of nontrivial automorphisms when counted across all unlabeled complexes. (III) The integral of P(x) from 0 to 1 is equal to the total number of vertex-labeled complexes, divided by the order of the acting group. The enumerative polynomial P(x) is demonstrated for trees and then is applied to the triangulations of the torus with the vertex-labeled complete four-partite graph G = K_{2,2,2,2}, in which specific case P(x) = x^{31}. The graph G embeds in the torus as a triangulation, T(G). The automorphism group of G naturally acts on the set of triangulations of the torus with the vertex-labeled graph G. For the first time, by a combination of algebraic and symmetry techniques, all vertex-labeled triangulations of the torus (twelve in number) with the graph G are classified intelligently without using computing technology, in a uniform and systematic way. It is helpful to notice that the graph G can be converted to the Cayley graph of the quaternion group Q_8 with the three imaginary quaternions i, j, k as generators.

Socio-demography of statuses reflects the demographic and social roles and achievements of an individual(s) in a population. In the theoretical frameworks, little was known about the theory, analytical measures, and evolutionary mechanism of the socio-demographics of statuses of an individual(s). In this paper, three (3) methodological issues regarding the concept of socio-demographics were proposed, these are: (a) identified the basic features that clarify our understanding about the conception of the socio-demographic statuses of an individual(s) as common, universal, and desirable positions, achievements, and advantages every individual strives and competes to attain, achieve, maintain, update, and upgrade which are determined by biological and social environments, driven and regulated by a continuum of competitions and natural selections; (b) presented a new paradigm of analytical measures of an individual’s socio-demographic statuses and the established hierarchical transitions; (c) proposed theoretical assumptions for the evolution of a socio-demographically unique population. Seven (7) factors (the driving forces) and eight (8) conditions responsible for the evolution of socio-demographically unique populations were identified and explained. The evolutionary transitions were organized into six (6) socio-demographic ranks.

The conceptual and theoretical backbones of symmetry/asymmetry detections or similarity/dissimilarity, and identity/unidentity study are automorphism or isomorphism respectively. However, the development of equations and methods for symmetry/asymmetry detections, similarity/dissimilarity, and identity/unidentity measures deviates from these backbones. In this article, an equation was proposed for symmetry/asymmetry detections, similarity/dissimilarity, and identity/unidentity measures, and proved that its isoreflective pairs-points are functionally bijective and inverse. The proposal, called Kabirian-based optinalysis, is based on the conceptual and theoretical frameworks of automorphism and isomorphism. The Kabirian-based optinalysis is also proven and characterized as invariant (robust) under translation (i.e., scaling and location shift), and rotation or reflection. Computing codes were written in python language for Kabirian-based optinalysis to serve as working codes for application and verification.

Good estimators are characterized as robust, unbiased, efficient, and consistent. However, the commonly used estimators are weak or lack one or more of these properties. In this article, eight (8) estimators for statistical and geometrical estimations of symmetry/asymmetry, similarity/dissimilarity, identity/unidentity, and feature transformation were proposed following Kabirian-based optinalysis and other operations. The proposed estimators are characterized as invariant (robust) under scaling, location shift, and rotation or reflection. A computing code was written in python language for each of the proposed estimators so that peers can have working codes for application and performance evaluation.

The study sought to determine the impact of the Big Five personality characteristics on aggressiveness among school children aged 12 to 16 in the Jenin governorate. The study employing the Big five-factor scale of Macri and Costa and the scale of aggressive behaviour in three areas [aggressive behaviour against oneself, aggressive behaviour against others, and aggressive behaviour against property]. The sample size in this study was 314 students. The quantitative study tool [the questionnaire] revealed the following correlation between the five major personality factors and aggression: neuroticism [+], openness [-], conscientiousness [-], extraversion [-], agreeableness [-]. The most prevalent main personality variables were conscientiousness and neuroticism. The degree of aggressiveness in the Jenin governorate was relatively low on the overall scale.

Optinalysis, as a method of symmetry detection, is a new algorithm that intrametrically (within elements or variables) or intermetrically (between elements or variables) computes and compares two or more univariate or multi-clustered or multivariate sequences as a mirror-like reflection of each other (optics-like manner), hence the name is driven. Optinalysis is based by the principles of reflection and moment about a symmetrical line which detects symmetry that reflects a similarity measurement. This proposed methodology was validated in comparison with Pearson method of skewness detection, and also with some algorithms for pairewise alignment and comparison of genomic sequences (Needle, Stretcher, Water, Matcher) on EMBL-EBI website. A results comparison shows that optinalysis is more advance, more sensitive, more inferential and simple alternative approach of skewness detection and pairewise sequence comparison.

Extensive research has been conducted on printable antenna technologies, believed to be fast-growing due to their significant impact on wireless devices. It is necessary to study the progress of printable antenna technology as they are core devices for wireless technology today. This review work offers a comprehensive account of the previous and recent research achievements based on the principle of printable antenna, and parametric studies of several key design parameters, for future wireless network applications. The systems considered for evaluation include broadband techniques, large Bandwidth, high gain, dual/multi-band, or reconfigurable structure, low-profile, size-reduction, compact, linear, or circular polarization applications. It also highlights the fabrication procedures, and the numerous material characteristics affecting the antenna performance for various wireless applications with design considerations. Fully printed antennas on different substrates and conductive ink were investigated, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET), synthetic paper (Teslin), resin-coated photo paper, and Kapton polyimide substrates, among many others. The findings show that the fully inkjet-printed antenna made fabrication easy, improving the accuracy and conductivity of the printed patterns by concentrating on the inherently difficult problems and opportunities. Inkjet-printed antennas are believed to be the futuristic demand for sustainability and wireless solution in several ways.

Qualitative and quantitative values estimation is a crucial aspect of social data science and plays a vital role in social and psychological research. Numerous methods of personal values measurement such as Schwartz Value Survey (SVS) and its re-modified versions have been proposed and invented, but many are challenged with one or more limitations. In this article, an alternative approach in a new paradigm of values measurement called Kabiru’s Value Survey (KVS) was proposed to measure the relative degree of importance or significance attached to particular value-actions of an individual(s) in a given population over a period. The methodological innovations in KVS unlike other existing methods of human value measurement include the use of habitually reported practices associated with a particular value-action in place of judging the series of Schwartz hypothetical statements, the use of multiple dependent variables rather than a single coded hypothetical statement. In terms of data analysis, a new approach of multivariate compression is introduced which merges the chain of multiple dependent variables into one coded scale. Psychometric result interpretation is also another innovative aspect of KVS methodology. Finally, the proposed methodology however solved some of the criticized limitations of the other methods of human value measurement.

Location-and-scale transformation of a random variable underpins normal distribution, but it is however fundamentally incorrect for scale estimation such as relative dispersion. In this paper, a parametrized alternative to a normal distribution, called scaloc-normal distribution, is proposed that efficiently works and is fundamentally correct with absolute and relative dispersion estimators. The Monte Carlos simulation experiment was used to generate a total of 600,000 artificial datasets in 600 different simulation scenarios from loc-normal (normal) and scaloc-normal distributions. The absolute and relative dispersion were estimated and compared from the two distributions. The results show that scaloc-normal distribution is a good parametrized alternative to loc-normal distribution, fundamentally correct and efficient with both standard deviation and coefficient of variation. The key statistical advancement from loc-normal to scaloc-normal distribution is its fundamental correctness (i.e., scale-invariant property) with an efficient relative estimator of dispersion (i.e., coefficient of variation). Parametrically, the loc-normal and scaloc-normal distributions are very different, but both have linear transformations.

The statistical properties of a good estimator include robustness, unbiasedness, efficiency, and consistency. However, the commonly used estimators of dispersion have lack or are weak in one or more of these properties. In this paper, I proposed statistical mirroring as a good alternative estimator of dispersion around defined location estimates or points. In the main part of the paper, attention is restricted to Gaussian distribution and only estimators of dispersion around the mean that functionalize with all the observations of a dataset were considered at this time. The different estimators were compared with the proposed estimators in terms of alternativeness, scale and sample size robustness, outlier biasedness, and efficiency. Monte Carlo simulation was used to generate artificial datasets for application. The proposed estimators (of statistical meanic mirroring) turn out to be suitable alternative estimators of dispersion that is less biased (more resistant) to contaminations, robust to scale and sample size, and more efficient to a random distribution of variable than the standard deviation, variance, and coefficient of variation. However, statistical meanic mirroring is not suitable with a mean (of a normal distribution) close to zero, and on a scale below ratio level.

Graph symmetry detection, similarity, and identity measures have been extensively studied in graph automorphism and isomorphism problems. Nevertheless, graph isomorphism and automorphism detection remain an open (unsolved) problem for many decades. In this paper, a new optinalytic coefficient termed as an optical moment coefficient was introduced for optinalysis. Its characteristic efficiency was tested for bijective property, invariance, deterministic polynomiality and non-polynomiality. The test results show that the new optical moment coefficient is very efficient for symmetry detections, similarity and identity measures between two isometric isomorphs and automorphs; and deterministic on polynomial and non-polynomial graph models.

Statistical inferences is regarded as the general criteria for statistical conclusion and drawing generalizations. However, most of the inferential statistical tools are based on strong assumptions which create a strict limitations on their use and application. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is one of such statistics. In this article, eight (8) new ANOVA-like methodologies were proposed, in alternative to one-way ANOVA, based on the assumptions of statistical mirroring. Methods validation in comparison with one-way ANOVA was designed to assess the suitability and statistical power of the new proposals as an alternative methods, using different sets of logically generated multivariate datasets with different problems and statistical complications. The results of comparisons validate that the eight (8) proposed ANOVA-like methodologies were suitable alternatives to ANOVA, in the sense that they require no normality assumption to be meet, used different ways to compare the data with different statistical elements rather than depending on only variance, efficient with negative values, and results interpretation is easier.

Sequence alignment and comparison through pairwise, multiple, global and local techniques are the main principles that underpin comparative genomics. However, most of the algorithms used are alignment-based which imposed some limitations on their use and application. In an attempt to provide an alignment-free alternative approaches, a methodology of comparative optinalysis and statistical mirroring was used and adopted to provide a suitable alternative for multiple genomic sequence comparison. In this article, methods comparison with MUSCLE, MUFFT, Clustal Omega, and T-Coffee was designed to assess the suitability and statistical power of statistical mirroring as an alternative method for multiple genomic sequences comparison using different sets of logically generated biological sequence datasets with different problems and computational complications. The results of the comparisons validate that statistical mirroring is a suitable alignment-free alternative approach for multiple genomic sequence comparison. The applied method (statistical mirroring) distinguishes itself over MUSCLE, MUFFT, Clustal Omega, and T-Coffee in specificity to a position-specific changes, specificity to a base-specific changes, cladogram and phylogenetic linearity, alignment independency, computational simplicity, and limit of input capacity.

The effect of sensitivity points (sequence order and position of every element) of sequences following comparative optinalysis under two proposed mechanisms, the paranodic and synodic skewization, was studied to develop a modeling approach to comparative optinalysis of sequences. The results show that the outcomes of comparative optinalysis (similarity measurement) in a set of paranodically skewed sequences can be modeled deterministically by suitable line regression functions. The sensitivity points (nodes) of a sequence display two important and distinct zones, the K-zones and the B-zones. Continues paranodic skewization within these zones (KB zones) operates within probability space, but at hyperskewization level and at the K-zones only, the outcomes of comparative optinalysis operate outside the probability space. Moreover, the outcomes of comparative optinalysis by synodic skewization can be modeled deterministically by some regression line functions, but a general regression function cannot be identified. At certain limit of skewization value space, following paranodic and synodic skewization, the outcomes of comparative optinalysis at the left-sided sequence form a similar pattern with the right-sided sequence.

User-generated passwords often pose a security risk in authentication systems. However, providing a comparative substitute poses a challenge, given the common tradeoff between security and user experience. This paper integrates cryptographic methods (both asymmetric and symmetric), steganography, and a combination of physiological and behavioral biometrics to construct a prototype for a passwordless authentication system. We demonstrate the feasibility of scalable passwordless authentication while maintaining a balance between usability and security. We employed threat modeling techniques to pinpoint the security prerequisites for the system, along with choosing appropriate cryptographic protocols. In addition, a comparative analysis is conducted, examining the security impacts of the proposed system in contrast to that of traditional password-based systems. Results from the prototype indicate that authentication is possible within a timeframe similar to passwords (within 2 seconds), without imposing additional hardware costs on users to enhance security or compromising usability. Given the scalable nature of the system design and the elimination of shared secrets, the financial and efficiency burdens associated with password resets are alleviated. Furthermore, the risk of breaches is mitigated, as there is no longer a need to store passwords and/or their hashes. Differing from prior research, our study presents a pragmatic design and prototype that deserves consideration as a viable alternative for both password-based and passwordless authentication systems.

The purpose of this work is to present an adaptive sliding mode luenberger state observer with improved disturbance rejection capability and better tracking performance under dynamic conditions. The sliding hyperplane is altered by incorporating the estimated disturbance torque with the stator currents. Also, the effects of parameter detuning on the speed convergence is observed and compared with the conventional disturbance rejection mechanism. The entire drive system is first built in simulink environment. Then, the simulink model is integrated with RT-Lab blocksets and implemented in a relatively new real-time environment using OP4500 real-time simulator. Real-time simulation and testing platforms have succeeded offline simulation and testing tools due to their reduced development time. The real-time results validate the improvement in the proposed state observer and also correspond to the performance of the actual physical model.

In recent decades, there have been numerous endeavors to develop a novel category of survival distributions possessing enhanced flexibility through the extension of existing distributions. This article constructs and validates the statistical properties of a novel survival distribution in order to obtain an alternative distribution that is suitable for analyzing survival data by presenting the novel mixture of the Fréchet distribution along with statistical properties such as the probability density function (PDF), cumulative distribution function (CDF), rth ordinary moment, skewness, kurtosis, moment-generating function, mean, variance, mode, survival function, hazard function, and asymptotic behavior, as well as constructing the estimators of the unknown parameter by employing the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm, and simulated annealing. Additionally, the performance of the proposed estimators was compared with bias, mean squared errors (MSE), and simulated variances, and given an illustrative example of the proposed distribution to the survival data set in order to show that the proposed distribution is appropriate for the right-skewed data. This will be extremely advantageous in survival analysis.

We investigated effects of molecular hydrogen (H2) supplementation on acid-base status, pulmonary gas exchange responses, and local muscle oxygenation during incremental exercise. Eighteen healthy, trained subjects in a randomized, double-blind, crossover design received H2-rich calcium powder (HCP) (1500 mg/day, containing 2.544 µg/day of H2) or H2-depleted placebo (1500 mg/day) for 3 consecutive days. They performed cycling incremental exercise starting at 20-watts work rate, increasing by 20 watts/2 min until exhaustion. Breath-by-breath pulmonary ventilation (VE) and CO2 output (VCO2) were measured and muscle deoxygenation (deoxy[Hb + Mb]) was determined via time-resolved-NIRS in the vastus lateralis (VL) and rectus femoris (RF). Blood gases' pH, lactate, and HCO3− concentrations were measured at rest and 120-, 200-, and 240-watt work rates. At rest, the HCP group had significantly lower VE, VCO2, and higher HCO3−, PCO2 versus placebo. During exercise, a significant pH decrease and greater HCO3− continued until 240-watts work rate in HCP. The VE was significantly lower in HCP versus placebo, but HCP did not affect the gas exchange status of VCO2 or oxygen uptake (VO2). HCP increased absolute values of deoxy[Hb + Mb] at the RF but not VL. Thus, HCP-induced hypoventilation would lead to lower pH and secondarily impaired balance between O2 delivery and utilization in the local RF during exercise, suggesting that HCP supplementation, which increases the at-rest antioxidant potential, affects the lower ventilation and pH status during incremental exercise. HPC induced a significantly lower O2 delivery/utilization ratio in the RF but not the VL, which may be because these regions possess inherently different vascular/metabolic control properties, perhaps related to fiber-type composition.

Conclusions: Molecular classification could provide reliable supplementary information for evaluating prognostic and contribute to treatment option decision-making in EEC patients. Fertility-sparing treatment is not recommended for EEC patients with CNH and MSI-H. Furthermore, fertility-sparing treatment can be attempted in EEC patients with CHL, but regular follow-up should be carried out to early detection of EC relapse and prevention of disease progression.

DNA extraction for downstream molecular diagnostic applications can be an expensive, time-consuming process. We devised a method to quickly extract genomic DNA from environmental samples based on sodium hydroxide lysis of cells with or without capture by magnetic beads, for subsequent PCR or quantitative PCR. The final DNA extraction method using NaOH is extremely low-cost and can be completed in 10 minutes at room temperature. NaOH extraction was effective for Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria in samples from air, soil, sewage, food, laboratory surfaces, and chicken cloacal swabs. The NaOH extraction method was comparable to commercial kits for extraction of DNA from pig fecal samples for 16S amplicon sequencing analyses. We demonstrate that an impinger and portable pump can efficiently capture bacteria in poultry facilities for rapid DNA extraction for quantification of total bacteria and for detection of specific species using qPCR. The air sampling and NaOH extraction procedures are well-suited for routine, high throughput screening, and for metagenomic analyses for specific pathogens, even in resource-limited situations.

The present study evaluates the bioremediation potential of indigenous bacterial species isolated from dye-contaminated soil samples from small dyeing outlet located in Ilorin. The water pollution index was estimated based on the physicochemical characteristics and heavy metal concentrations of the raw (Day 0) and treated textile wastewater such as pH, biochemical oxygen demand-5, chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids and total dissolved solid with mean values of 8.85±0.45 mg/L, 1200±21.3 mg/L, 2440±31.3 mg/L, 1660±17.2 mg/L and 2650±28.1 mg/L respectively, similarly, Lead was the most abundant heavy metal detected in the sample while Cadmium concentration was the lowest with the mean values of 3.52±0.00 mg/L and 2.18±0.00 mg/L respectively. The bacterial strain with highest dye decolorization capacity was screened and identified as Bacillus licheniformis ZUL012.The isolate was consequently used for the bioremediation of the wastewater over a period of 10 days. The results showed an incredible reduction in the physiochemical characteristics and heavy metal concentrations of the textile wastewater in the following ranges (8.85-6.55), (1200-300) mg/L, (2440-518) mg/L, (1660-666) mg/L and (2650-920) mg/L with the highest removal efficiency of 75 %, 78 %, 60%, 65%, recorded for biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solid, total dissolved solid, respectively while that of heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, chromium and nickel were 80 %, 60 %, 67 %, 72 % reduction, respectively. Laccase and Azoreductase activities tend to decrease as the pH gradually moved towards acidic condition during the bioremediation process. Toxicity of the treated effluent was assessed using Maize and Bean seed germination test. Conclusively, these research findings can serve as a framework for the outlet design of wastewater treatment plant for local textile outlets.

Climate change is impacting the spread/intensity of vector-borne diseases, including malaria, and accelerating evolutionary/adaptive changes in vector species. These changes including chromoso-mal inversions and overexpression and/or changes in allele frequencies of thermotoler-ance-associated genes, may facilitate insecticide resistance through pleiotropy. This study investi-gated the impact of thermotolerance on pyrethroid resistance in four populations of malaria vector An. gambiae, from savanna/sub-Sahel of northern Nigeria. Anopheles coluzzii and An. gambiae were the only malaria vectors found, sympatric in all the sites, with the former species predominant. High thermotolerance was observed, with no mortality at 38°C, and LT50 of ~44°C. Significantly high permethrin resistance was observed (mortality <50%) in heat-hardened (44°C) larvae from two sites, BUK and Pantami, compared with control, and heat-hardened adult females from Auyo (mortality = 3.00%±1.20, χ2 = 5.83, p<0.01) compared with control (12.00%±4.65). The 2La chromosomal inver-sion was detected at ~50% in larvae and 58% in adult females. Significant association was observed (OR = 7.2, p<0.03) between permethrin resistance and 2La/+a rearrangement compared with 2L+a/+a, in BUK larvae. For all sites permethrin resistance correlated with 2La/a homozygosity in adult fe-males [OR = 5.02, p=0.01). qRT-PCR identified 6 genes commonly induced/overexpressed, including heat shock protein 70 (AGAP004581) which was 2468x and 5x overexpressed in heat-hardened and permethrin-resistant females, respectively, trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (AGAP008227), and ionotropic glutamate receptor genes, IR25a (AGAP010272) and IR21a (AGAP008511). This study highlights challenges associated with insecticide-based malaria vector control, and the epidemiological significance of taking climate variables into account for design/choice of control measures.

Neocarya macrophylla (Sabine) Prance (Nm, Chrysobalanaceae) is used traditionally as food, for medicinal spiritual and industrial purposes. It is also used as soap, dye, glue, fodder, termite repellent, firewood and for structural materials. Few studies on the physicochemical, nutritional contents, phytochemical and pharmacological activities have validated the benefits of Nm to humanity as food, in cosmetics and pharmaceutical products. The major bioactive constituents identified in the plant so far are steroids and flavonoids (such as stigmasterol, quercetin, catechin and its related glycosides). Extracts of the plant have shown good antivenom, antimicrobial, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimycobacterial, anthelmintic and antioxidant activities. Acute toxicity studies conducted have confirmed the plant to be toxic. More studies on the plant are required in order to exploit other biological activities as claimed by traditional healers and also to isolate more bioactive compounds. In addition, the safety and tolerability assessment of Nm should be undertaken due to its widespread usage.

Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) was conducted to delineate groundwater potential zones in villages located in the Galhareri district of the Galgaduud region, central Somalia. A total of four ERT profiles were examined using the gradient configuration, chosen for its practical advantages over other configurations. The study revealed that all profiles were situated within similar geological environments, characterized by comparable rock types. However, notable disparities were observed in lithological variations, particularly in the texture of rocks encountered at different locations and in the thicknesses of the encountered geo-electric layers. The two-dimensional inversion results derived from the electrical resistivity data unveiled the presence of four geo-electrical layers. The first layer was interpreted as sand dunes. The second layer exhibited relatively higher resistivity values, indicating the presence of compact limestone and sandstone. The resistivity of the third layer suggested the existence of a lower resistivity layer, interpreted as weathered limestone, while the fourth layer demonstrated very low apparent resistivity, interpreted as sandy clay with sandstone. The ERT models constructed for the survey area effectively delineated the aquifer zone, represented by layer 3, which likely consists of weathered limestone, sandy clay, and sandstone. The resistivity values obtained for the aquifer zone, specifically at depths ranging from 200 to 300 m, were relatively low, suggesting that the groundwater quality is brackish in nature

Despite the fact that COVID-19 is no longer a global pandemic due to development and integration of different technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Technological advancement in the field of molecular biology, electronics, computer science, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, nanotechnology etc. has led to the development of molecular approaches and computer aided diagnosis for the detection of COVID-19. This study provides a holistic approach on COVID-19 detection based on (1) molecular diagnosis which include RT-PCR, antigen-antibody and CRISPR-based biosensors and (2) computer aided detection based on AI-driven models which include Deep Learning and Transfer learning approach. The review also provide comparison between these 2 emerging technologies and open research issues for the development of smart-IoMT-enable platform for the detection of COVID-19.

The pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), a disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2), is causing substantial morbidity and mortality. Older age and presence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and obesity significantly increases the risk for hospitalization and death in COVID-19 patients. In this Perspective, informed by the studies on SARS-CoV-2, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV), and the current literature on SARS-CoV-2, we discuss potential mechanisms by which diabetes modulates the host-viral interactions and host-immune responses. We hope to highlight gaps in knowledge that require further studies pertinent to COVID-19 in patients with diabetes mellitus, hypertension and obesity.

This study investigated the chemical composition, and total phenolic content(TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activity Reziz date pomace extracted using different solvent system. The recovery, bioaccessibility, and stability of bioactive compounds were evaluated using In vitro gastrointestinal digestion. The results showed that pomace rich source of fiber but low in fat, and protein. Extraction data revealed that methanol, and ethanol were the most effective solvent for TPC and TFC extraction with higher antioxidant activity. In vitro gastrointestinal digestibility significantly affected recovery, bio-accessibility and stability of bioactive compounds. The TPC, TFC, and antioxidant activities were significantly increased after the mouth digestion but decreased during the gastric and intestinal digestion. The bioaccessibility of polyphenol and flavonoid were 35.22% and 23.57% respectively after the intestinal digestion. The chyme insoluble fraction (pellet) showed higher bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity compared to the chyme soluble fraction. The high fiber content of the date pomace seemed to affect the bioaccessibility of the bioactive compounds. TPC or TFC and the antioxidant activity determined by DPPH and ABTS were found to have a positive correlation with the oral, gastric, and intestinal digestion. The GC-MS analysis of digested date pomace in mouth, gastric, or intestinal digestion revealed an increase in the number of peaks (compounds) compared to the undigested sample. According to these findings, Ruzeiz date pomace could be utilized as a bioactive ingredient source in formulation of functional foods to promote healthy life.

Trade of agricultural products has gained importance with the development of global trade. Cherries has a crucial place in Turkish agricultural exports. Fresh cherries are in the scope of this study. The aim of this study is to examine Turkey’s position and competitiveness in cherry trade. Trade Intensity Analysis Method which represents the course of trade flow among countries is used in the study. The study indicates that European countries which are Turkey’s tradition trade partner has a biggest trade share with Turkey and that share did not much change in years. By the way, Asia market especially China, became a game changer in cherry trade and Turkey should prepare itself for this situation.

membrane separation technology shows promise, particularly gas separation membranes, including ceramic membrane. Ceramic membranes are increasingly gaining attention for their acid and alkali stability, corrosion resistance, high-temperature tolerance, and mechanical strength. This study focuses on alumina support ceramic membrane for CO2 capture. The membranes were characterized using contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The contact angle measurements confirmed the hydrophilic, while SEM analysis showed even particle distribution in the alumina ceramic membranes respectively. EDAX analysis revealed the elemental composition in the alumina support matrix. FTIR analysis demonstrated chemical interactions of the support membrane. Single gas permeation experiments were conducted. It can be observed that Nitrogen gas permeated faster with increase in feed pressure through the unmodified ceramic inorganic hydrophobic membrane more than the other two single gases, O2, and CO2). As a result, only high permeance separation membranes with realistic size and pressure conditions may be considered of as a practical alternative for CO2 capture. However, the presence of non-selective defects limited the improvement in selectivity of hydrophilic ceramic membrane. In this case, there is need to modify the ceramic membrane used to increase the flux, permeance of CO2, and selectivity of CO2.

In recent years, Lassa fever has been announced as an infectious disease in the world, a few imported cases have been accounted for in various pieces of the world and there are developing worries of the possibilities of Lassa fever Virus as an organic weapon. Regardless of its assaulting impact, no substantial arrangement has been created to reduce the hazard of the ailment, about a large portion of 10 years after identifying it. A Review based on the documents from the literature search on PubMed, Scopus, Goggle Scholar and Science direct. Out of these, the final 16 articles that met the criteria were selected. Relevant information on epidemiology, the burden of management and control were obtained. Timely and effective containment of the Lassa fever disease in Lassa village four decades ago could have minimized the devastating effect and threats posed by this illness in the West African sub-region and indeed the entire globe. That was a hard lesson calling for much more proactive measures towards the eradication of the illness at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of health care. Hence, the paper is aimed at appraising the threats associated with Lassa fever disease; its demands on curtailing the menace of the epidemic, and recommendations on important focal points.

This study uses a wind turbine case study to showcase an architecture for implementing a distributed digital twin in which all important aspects of a predictive maintenance solution in a DT use a fog computing paradigm, and the typical predictive maintenance DT is improved to offer better asset utilization and management through real time condition monitoring, predictive analytics, and health management of selected components of Wind turbines in a wind farm.. Digital twin (DT) is a technology that sits at the intersection of Internet of Things, Cloud Computing and Software Engineering to provide a suitable tool for replicating physical objects in the digital space. This can facilitate the implementation of asset management in manufacturing systems through predictive maintenance solutions leveraged by Machine Learning (ML). With DTs, a solution architecture can easily use data and software to implement asset management solutions such as Condition Monitoring and Predictive Maintenance using acquired sensor data from physical objects and computing capabilities in the digital space. While DT offers a good solution, it is an emerging technology that could be improved with better standards, architectural framework, and implementation methodologies. Researchers in both academia and industry have showcased DT implementations with different levels of success. However, DTs remain limited in standards and architectures that offer efficient predictive maintenance solutions with real time sensor data, and intelligent DT capabilities. An appropriate feedback mechanism is also needed to improve asset management operations.

Tuberculosis (TB) disease still remain a major global threat due to the growing number of drug-resistant species and global warming. Despite the fact that there are new molecular diagnostic approaches, however, majority of developing countries and remote clinics depends on conventional approaches such as Tuberculin test, microscopic examinations and radiographic imaging (Chest X-ray). These techniques are hindered by several challenges which can lead to miss-diagnosis especially when interpreting large number of sample cases. Thus, in order to reduce workload and prevent miss-diagnosis, scientists incorporated computer-aided technology for detection of medical images known as Computer aided Detection (CADe) or Diagnosis (CADx). The use of AI-powered techniques has shown to improve accuracy, sensitivity, specificity. In this review, we discussed about the epidemiology, pathology, diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis. The review also provides background information on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Deep Learning (DL), Transfer Learning (TL) and their applications in detection of tuberculosis from both microscopic slide images and X-ray images. The review also proposed an IoT/AI powered system which allows transfer of results obtained from DL models with end users through internet networks. The concept of futuristic diagnosis, limitations of current techniques and open research issues are also discussed.

Ochna kibbiensis (Family: Ochnaceae) has been employed in ethnomedicine for the treatment of malaria, and inflammation among others. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize prophylactic antimalarial agents from the leaves of O. kibbiensis against Plasmodium berghei, in vivo and in silico. The median lethal dose (LD50) of the methanol extract and its fractions (n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethylacetate and n-butanol) was determined according to Lorke’s method while the antimalarial effect of the extract and its fractions was investigated according to the method described by Peters prophylactic test using Chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium berghei (NK65). All the extract/fractions exhibited LD50 values ≥ 5000 mg/kg with the exception of the n-butanol fraction (1702.94 mg/kg) which indicate that the plant is non-toxic. Dichloromethane fraction exhibited significant (p&lt;0.05) and dose-dependent prophylactic effect with 47.62, 85.12 and 100.0 % prophylaxis (at 500, 250 &amp; 125 mg/kg) while the least effect was observed by the n-butanol fraction with percentage prophylaxis of 64.29 and 76.19, respectively; the standard drug, pyrimethamine had 95.24 % prophylaxis. Based on the result obtained, dichloromethane fraction of O. kibbiensis was subjected to chromatographic purification which led to the isolation of a mixture of two compounds identified as stigmasterol and β-sitosterol by analysis of the NMR spectral data and comparison with existing literature; the compounds exhibited good binding affinities (- 5.129 and - 4.889 kcal/mol) against pfLDH and favorable ADMET profile. In conclusion, the leaf of O. kibbiensis have demonstrated a significant prophylactic antimalarial activity and the two known steroids (stigmasterol and β-sitosterol) isolated from the dichloromethane fraction for the first time.

Typhoid fever is a major public health burden which causes substantial global morbidity and mortality due to lack of decisive diagnostic protocols. The capacity of commonly use diagnostic test to validate the absence of typhoid fever is controversial. This study explores to evaluate new techniques for typhoid diagnosis and proposed a harmonised suitable standardized composite reference to be adopted. Published peer-reviewed articles indexed in PubMed, MEDLINE and Google scholar were reviewed for hospital-based studies. This study reveals new typhoid diagnostic techniques such as proteomics, serology, Rapid Diagnostic tests (RDTs), transcriptomics, genomics, and metabolomics. 34.4% of the studies use prospective study design. The study result establishes that, Widal test has a moderate diagnostic accuracy with average percentage sensitivity (52.9%), specificity (54%), positive predictive value (PPV) (56.8%) as well as negative predictive value (NPV) (55.6%) when compared with 29.4%, 28%, 29.5%, and 27.8% of Typhidot respectively. The findings showed a statistically significant difference on the sensitivity between Widal and Typhidot t (40) = 2.639, p = 0.012 at p<0.05 using independent sample t-test. When there is no perfect reference standard that has an optimal diagnostic accuracy, the need for a harmonised suitable standardized composite reference is essential. Hence, this study recommends that, peripheral blood culture with established sensitivity of 60% and Widal test with average sensitivity of 52.9% be adopted as a consensus composite reference standard for typhoid fever diagnosis in other to improve confidence in prevalence estimates.

The eruption of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected every sphere of life and may forever change how we have always lived and conducted our businesses, and no one can resist the wind of change that is blowing. Of all the sectors of governance, the educational sector, particularly at the tertiary level, appears to have been most greatly affected and therefore requires a more pragmatic approach to resolution. As of 29th June, Sub-Sahara Africa has reported 382,190 cases of COVID-19. In rejoinder to the virus epidemic, several Sub Sahara African governments implement the resolution to slam learning institutions to enclose the infection. Consequently, advanced schooling institutions obliged to reorganize their loom, becoming more digitally become forward, and changing to online platforms.

Keywords: Hypertensive emergency; diagnosis; lactate dehydrogenase; high sensitivity cardiac troponin T; brain natriuretic peptide; area under the curve.

Image restoration plays a vital role in image processing and pattern recognition in producing better recognition accuracy. It was observed that, most of the traditional restoration algorithms were meant for removing a single type of noise and efforts have been made towards the use of partial differential equation model (PDE), to restore different types of images such as super-resolution, bleeding through and deblurring. This research work deployed hybridized shock filter, shock diffusion of higher order PDE to remove degraded images that have been affected by atmospheric turbulence and water smear images. Degraded images of different types were acquired from various sources. The degraded images were subjected to shock filter algorithm, shock diffusion of higher order PDE. The shock filter was combined with PDE, likewise the shock diffusion was also combined with PDE, and the three algorithms were also combined to test the efficiency of the hybridized method on different degraded images. The result was validated using Mean Square Error, Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM), Peak-to-Noise-Signal -Ratio (PNSR) and universal quality index (UQI). From the result, it was observed that the combination of many image restoration algorithms does not give better results whereas, the combination of two of the algorithms has really proved effective.

Low soil nitrogen status of savanna soils in Nigeria contributes to the persistent Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth. infestation that limits maize production. The application of nitrogen fertilizer to Striga-resistant hybrids may reduce Striga infection and increase grain yields. This study assessed the performance of maize hybrids at low (30 kg ha-1) and high (120 kg ha-1) nitrogen application under natural infestation with Striga at Kafin Madaki and Tudun Wada in 2014 and 2015. Results showed that the application of nitrogen at 120 kg ha-1 reduced number of Striga plants by 59% compared to application at 30 kg N ha-1 in Kafin Madaki and by 21% in Tudun Wada. Compared to 30 kg N ha-1, the 120 kg N ha-1 rate also reduced Striga damage rating by 22% in Kafin Madaki and by 33% in Tudun Wada across the hybrids. Hybrids 8338-1 (5.3) and OBASUPER 1 (4.3) were the only entries with Striga damage rating greater than 4.5 (SDR > 4.5) when averaged across the nitrogen levels at both locations. Grain yield was 86 and 98% higher in Kafin Madaki and Tudun Wada, respectively when N was applied at 120 kg N ha-1 than at 30 kg N ha-1. The hybrids M1124-3 and M1227-14 produced grain yields that were significantly higher than those of the other hybrids in all locations. The hybrid 8338-1 produced the lowest grain yield across locations. Our results showed that, the application of 120 kg N ha-1 to Striga resistant maize hybrids will reduce Striga infection and increase grain yield.

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on routine immunization (RI) programs in six Northern Nigerian states: Bauchi, Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, and Yobe. This study compared the programmatic data of 2019 and 2020, as well as survey data collected during the pandemic. RI program variables included service delivery, leadership and governance, monitoring and evaluation/supportive supervision, community engagement, vaccine supply chain and logistics, and finance and financial management. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 23, IBM), student t-test, and structural equation modelling. The results showed that RI programs were affected by the pandemic in terms of reduced meetings and low completion rates of action points in certain states. However, routine immunization support services increased owing to improved monitoring techniques and consistent vaccine deliveries, with fewer reports of stock-outs. The most significant impact of the pandemic was observed on activities coordinated at the healthcare facility level, whereas those at the state level were less impacted. The major challenges encountered during the pandemic included insufficient supplies and consumables, movement restrictions, shortage of human resources, and fear of infection.

Thermal plasma technique is becoming prominent in the treatment of variety of waste ranging from municipal solid waste, incinerator residue, hospital waste, electronics waste and industrial sludge. Application of the new treatment technology to petroleum sludge requires information on the nature and characteristics of the sludge that will be use to optimize the treatment system. In this investigation, petroleum sludge obtained from Petronas Melaka was characterized for its physical and chemical features. Proximate and ultimate analysis as well as determination of elemental composition were carried out. The sludge was found to contain high moisture (78.91%), low ash (5.06%), low volatiles (5.52%) and high fixed carbon (10.51%). The sludge has a TOC of 54.48% and HHV of 23.599MJ/kg. Despite the high moisture content, the higher heating value (HHV) is high when compared to literature values. The high value of HHV may be associated with the high fixed carbon, low ash content and high value of TOC. The apparent density of the sludge is slightly lower. Fourteen heavy metals are detected in significant quantities. Proper waste management that will safely dispose the sludge is required. The waste disposal technique should take into cognizant the possibility of leaching of heavy metals into ground water on one hand and the gasification of lighter ones on the other.

Though studies have characterized lizard dung as an unconventional psychoactive substance of abuse, this has not been demonstrated in experimental settings. We evaluated the toxicity and CNS activity of lizard dung in Wistar rats. The acute and subacute toxicity studies were conducted via oral and inhalational routes. Classical models of tail suspension, forced swim, elevated plus maze, hole board, and sodium pentobarbital-induced sleeping time tests were adopted and the lizard dung were administered via both routes. No mortality was observed for all doses of the test substance administered via both routes during the toxicity studies. Significant changes in serum urea, creatinine, bilirubin, ALP, ALT and AST were recorded. Mixed inflammatory infiltrates and oedema were observed in the lungs from the group that inhaled 1.0g darkish part of lizard dung. Lizard dung produced marked reduction in the exploratory behaviour. Our findings indicate depression of the CNS.

In this study, a slow-release urea fertilizer hydrogel was synthesized from hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol and glycerol blends with paper (blended paper) as second layer. The fertilizer hydrogel was characterized by SEM, XRD and FTIR. Its retention in sandy soil, swelling behavior in distilled and tap water as well as slow-release behavior to urea were investigated. The results indicated that the fertilizer had good slow-release properties and ability to retain water in soil. However, the addition of blended paper as a second layer matrix was found to help improve the release properties of the fertilizer. The swelling kinetic of the hydrogel followed the Schott’s Second order model. The release kinetics of urea in water was best described by the Zero order model signifying that the release behavior was independent of fertilizer concentration

Purpose: Glue inhalation is a common unconventional substance of abuse and it contains neurotoxic and volatile solvents. We examined the toxicity profile and CNS activities of glue inhalation in Wistar rats.Methods: Acute toxicity was investigated using graded concentrations of 0.5, 1, and 2 mL of glue inhalation (n=3/group) for 4 hours in phase one followed by concentrations of 5, 10, and 20 mL of glue (n=1/group) for 4 hours in phase two. These animals were then observed for signs of toxicity and/or mortality for 24hours. The sub-acute toxicity was studied using 24 male Wistar rats at graded concentrations of Air, 2, 4 and 8mL glue (n=6/group) for 28 days. Blood samples were collected for biochemical and haematological evaluations, and vital organs (lung, liver, kidney, heart, brain, and eye) were used for histological analysis. Behavioural studies were carried out using Elevated Plus Maze, Hole Board Test, Open Field Test, Tail Suspension Test and Forced Swim Test. Dependence and abstinence effect were also evaluated. Results: The Lethal Dose (LD₅₀) of the inhalational glue was 14.14 ml. Glue significantly increased liver function parameters like TB, DB, ALP, ALT, TP, electrolyte levels (K⁺ and HCO₃) but reduced cholesterol level in exposed rats. Glue inhalation had significant anxiolytic and depressant effects on the rats at concentrations of 4mL and 8mL. Histological analysis revealed liver and lung tissue abnormalities and subconjunctival inflammation in eye tissue at 8mL. Conclusion: The study therefore suggests that glue inhalation has anxiolytic and depressant effects in Wistar rats.

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) continues to rise globally, posing significant health challenges and burdens. This metabolic disorder, characterized by elevated blood glucose levels, contributes to various complications including cardiovascular diseases, kidney failure, and stroke. While conventional diabetic drugs exist, they often come with adverse side effects, necessitating the exploration of safer and more cost-effective alternatives, particularly from natural sources like medicinal plants. This study investigates the potential of Neocarya macrophylla (Nm) Ethyl acetate leaf fraction in managing DM. Utilizing a high-fat diet/streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model, the study explores several key aspects including effective dose determination, biological activity, impact on body mass index (BMI), and complete blood count. Statistical analysis was conducted using GraphPad Prism version 9.1. The determination of the minimum effective dose reveals that 120mg/kg of Ethyl acetate fraction of Nm reduced the blood glucose by 28.9% after 4 hours. In addition, ethyl acetate fraction (120 mg/kg) possessed the most hypoglycemic activity compared to the other fractions of Nm. The Ethyl acetate fraction of Nm at 120mg/kg significantly reduced fasting blood glucose levels compared to the diabetic control(p=0.001) and slightly decreased BMI. Furthermore, the fraction demonstrated significant improvement in the parameters of some of the blood count indices such as red blood cells (p<0.001), total white cells (p<0.01) and platelet (p<0.001) compared to the diabetic control. These findings underscore the potential of Nm as a holistic therapeutic option for managing DM and its haematological complications. In conclusion, this study sheds light on the hypoglycemic potential of Nm Ethyl acetate leaf fraction, offering valuable insights into its effectiveness, safety, and broader physiological impacts. Further research into the mechanisms underlying its therapeutic effects is warranted to fully harness its therapeutic potential in diabetes management.

Contamination in coastal regions attributed to fluoride and nitrate cannot be disregarded, given the substantial environmental and public health issues they present worldwide. Maintaining water quality is crucial for environmental well-being. This comprehensive study was performed to assess the spatial as well as indexical water quality, identify contamination sources, and evaluate associated health risks pertaining to nitrate and flouride in AlHassa region, KSA. The physiochemical results revealed a pervasive pollution of the overall groundwater. The dominant water type was Na-Cl, indicating saltwater intrusion and reverse ion exchange impact. Spatiotemporal variations in physicochemical properties suggest diverse hydrochemical mechanisms, with geogenic factors primarily influencing groundwater chemistry. The groundwater pollution index varied between 0.8426 and 4.7172, classifying samples as moderately to very highly polluted. Similarly, the synthetic pollution index (in the range of 0.5021-4.0715) revealed that none of the samples had excellent water quality, with various degrees of pollution categories. Nitrate Health Quotient (HQ) values indicated chronic human health risks ranging from low to severe, with newborns being the most vulnerable. Household use of nitrate-rich groundwater for showering and cleaning did not pose significant health risks. Fluoride HQ decreased with age, and children faced the highest risk of fluorosis. The Hazard Index (HI) yielded moderate to high-risk values. Nitrate risks were 1.21 times higher than fluoride risks, as per average HI assessment. All samples fell into the vulnerable category based on the Total Hazard Index (THI), with 88.89% classified as very high risk. This research provides valuable insights into groundwater quality, guiding water authorities, inhabitants, and researchers in identifying safe water sources and vulnerable human populations. The results highlight the need for appropriate treatment techniques and long-term coastal groundwater management plans.

The worldwide competition to vaccinate against COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of immunization measures in containing the virus. Saudi Arabia, like the rest of the globe, must assess socio-demographic subtleties, chronic illnesses, vaccination effects, and public health policy implications as it navigates this complicated environment. This cross-sectional study examined Saudi COVID-19 vaccine in many ways. It examined the socio-demographic makeup of vaccine recipients, the prevalence of chronic conditions in this population, vaccine administration patterns, post-vaccination side effects, and vaccine-infection rates. A questionnaire-based online survey of 401 participants ensured gender, nationality, age, weight, and educational diversity. We analyzed vaccine manufacturer choice for each dosage, side effects after the first and second doses, and chronic diseases in the sample. Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines are preferred for all three doses, reflecting worldwide vaccination acceptance patterns. Side effects were not significantly different between vaccination kinds. Interestingly, immunization reduced infection rates, demonstrating the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. The data fills important information gaps and illuminates Saudi COVID-19 vaccination kinetics. These data support the global preference for mRNA vaccines, demonstrating the faith in this breakthrough technology. They also sponsor COVID-19 vaccine safety and effectiveness studies. The dramatic drop in infection rates among vaccinated people shows how vaccinations suppress the pandemic. These findings inform Saudi Arabia's immunization efforts. As booster doses become more common, long-term vaccination research is crucial. Vaccine reluctance, especially in certain demographics, must be addressed. Due to vaccines' protective potential, equitable vaccine distribution and large immunization programs are essential for herd immunity and pandemic management. This thorough cross-sectional study helps policymakers and healthcare practitioners build successful and inclusive COVID-19 immunization regimens in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Worldwide, microbes are becoming more dangerous by acquiring virulent skills to adapt and develop antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This is a concern as this increases morbidity, mortality, and costs. Consequently, physicians need to be trained inappropriate prescribing, starting with medical students. Objective: Evaluate medical students' confidence in antimicrobial agent prescribing and drug resistance Methods: Cross-sectional study assessing medical students' knowledge, perception, and confidence in prescribing antimicrobial agents and drug resistance in a Malaysian University. A universal sampling method was used. Results: Most respondents believe that educational input regarding overall prescribing was sufficient. Regarding the principle of appropriate and accurate prescriptions, female medical students had less knowledge [Odds Ratio (OR)=0.51; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.25-0.99; p=0.050]. Year-IV and Year-V students had more excellent knowledge than Year-III students regarding confidence in antibiotic prescribing. Year-V students also showed appreciably higher confidence in the broad principles of prescribing, including infectious diseases, compared to those in other years. Conclusion: Overall, medical students, gain more excellent knowledge and confidence regarding prescribing, including antimicrobials, as their academic careers progress.

To screen and validate immunosuppressive factors in luminal- and basal-like breast cancer cell lines and tissue samples associated with malignant phenotypes. The mRNA microarray datasets, GSE40057 and GSE1561, were downloaded and remodelled. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Enrichment analyses performed and the online resources, GOBO and Kaplan-Meier Plotter, were employed to screen for immunosuppressive factors associated with breast cancer malignant phenotypes. qRT-PCR and western blot were used to validate the expression of CD274 and IL8 in cell lines and immunohistochemical detected the MIF and VEGFA on tissue microarrays. The results showed that CD274 and IL8 were both upregulated in basal-like cell lines. That MIF expression was dramatically increased in patients with breast cancer metastases (p<0.05) and that VEGFA expression positively correlates with breast cancer pathologic grade (p<0.05).During the formation and development of breast cancer, immune-related genes are always activated, and immunosuppressive factors CD274, IL8, MIF and VEGFA are upregulated. Such molecules could be used as biomarkers for breast cancer prognosis. However, because individual immune-related factors can play several biological roles, the mechanistic relationship between immunosuppressive factors and breast cancer malignant phenotypes and the feasibility of their application as drug targets require further investigation.

Background: Health policy is a set of comprehensive principles and legislations that guide how healthcare should be effectively delivered in the community. Medical schools should prepare students to undertake managerial responsibilities by incorporating health policy in the curriculum to deal with the intricacies of healthcare systems and their clinical roles in their future professional careers. Objective: To examine medical students' perception at a Public University in Malaysia regarding teaching health policy and their participation in health policy roles. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study using universal sampling was carried out among the medical students using a paper-based questionnaire to collect the data. Results: Most respondents opined their willingness to learn health policy (80.9%) and that teaching health policy (83.6%) should be compulsory for medical students. The respondents thought health policy should be introduced earlier in Year 1 or 2. The student scores on their knowledge regarding health policy and year of study were significantly associated with their involvement in the health policy roles in both the simple and multiple logistic regression. Both statistical tests reported higher participation in health policy roles with the higher year of study, though only Year 4 and 5 were significant in the simple logistic regression and only Year 5 in the multiple logistic regression compared to Year 1. On the other hand, age and type of admission show significant results only in the simple logistic regression, while the race was only significant at the multivariate level. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that most respondents showed their willingness to learn health policy, participate in the health policy programs, and recommend that health policy be considered an essential topic in the medical curriculum, which should be taught right from the first year of medical school. We recommend encouraging students’ participation in health policy activities.

Background: Early diagnosis of postoperative complications is an urgent task, allowing timely prescribing of appropriate therapy and reducing the cost of patient treatment. Prognostic models based on various data could help in the early diagnosis of postoperative complications after cardiac surgery. Objectives: The purpose of the study was to determine whether an integrated approach based on clinical data along with metabolites and biomarkers had greater predictive value than the models built on less data. Methods: The study included patients (n=62) admitted for planned cardiac surgery (coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass), who were retrospectively divided into two groups depending on the presence (n=26) or absence (n=36) of postoperative complications of all types. Clinical and laboratory data on the first day after surgery were analyzed. Additionally, patients' blood samples were collected before and on the first day after surgery to determine biomarkers (interleukin-6, procalcitonin, NT-proBNP, high-sensitivity troponin T) and metabolites (8 aromatic and 2 dicarboxylic acids were detected using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry). Results: Patients before surgery, compared with healthy donors, differed in the concentration of metabolites (p &lt; 0.05), and had concentrations of a number of biomarkers exceeding the corresponding reference values. Multivariate PLS-DA models, predicting the presence or absence of postoperative complications, were built using clinical data (ROC-AUC=0.71), concentrations of metabolites and biomarkers (ROC-AUC=0.60), and the entire data set (ROC-AUC=0.75). For comparison we built univariate models using the EuroScore2 (ROC-AUC=0.59) and SOFA (ROC-AUC=0.76) scales; concentrations of lactate (ROC-AUC=0.71), the dynamic changes of 4-hydroxyphenyllactic acid (ROC-AUC=0.69), and the sum of three sepsis-associated metabolites (ROC-AUC=0.70). The proposed complex model using entire data set was comparable to the SOFA scale, which confirms the expediency of searching for new predictive models based on a variety of factors.

Milk serves as a crucial source of natural bioactive compounds essential for human nutrition and health. The gastrointestinal digestion of milk proteins releases various biologically active peptides that positively impact human health and enhance physiological performance. With the growing production of cheese, Greek yogurt, and other dairy products, the volume of unutilized acid whey is significantly increasing. Acid whey, containing almost all whey proteins and approximately one-quarter of casein, presents a valuable raw material for generating peptides with potential health benefits. These peptides exhibit properties such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, antihypertensive, antithrombotic, opioid, mineral-binding, and growth-stimulating activities, contributing to improved human immunity and the treatment of chronic diseases. Enzymatic hydrolysis of milk proteins has been developed as a method to produce these peptides, facilitating their use in food fortification. To incorporate whey into functional beverages, it undergoes fermentation by lactic acid bacteria with proteolytic activity. To specifically enrich these beverages with peptides exhibiting targeted bioactivities, it is essential to select lactic acid bacteria strains possessing the requisite protease profiles. Additionally, the sensory properties of the final product can be enhanced using starter cultures with diverse metabolic capabilities, even in the absence of added flavoring agents. Given the imperative to develop waste-free technologies and enhance the profitability of the dairy industry, there is a growing need to efficiently utilize and transform acid whey into a broad spectrum of valuable products and food additives. This approach is justified not only by the nutritional benefits of the bioactive components in whey but also by the commercial potential of safe and health-enhancing products.

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

In order to shorten the detection time and improve the average precision on embedded devices, A lightweight and high accuracy model is proposed for passion fruit in complex environments (backlight, occlusion, overlap, sunny, cloudy, rainy). Firstly, replacing the backbone network of YOLOv5 with a lightweight GhostNet model reduces the number of parameters and computation while improving detection speed. Secondly, a new feature branch is added to the GhostNet network, and the feature fusion layer in the neck network is reconstructed to effectively combine the lower-level and higher-level features, which not only improves the accuracy of the model but also maintains its lightweight. Finally, the knowledge distillation methods are used to transfer the knowledge from the more capable teacher model to the less capable student model, which significantly improving the detection accuracy. The improved model is denoted as G-YOLO-NK. The average accuracy of the G-YOLO-NK network is 96.00%, which is 1.00% higher than the original YOLOv5s model. Furthermore, the improved model size is 7.14MB, reduced to half of the original model, and the real-time detection frame rate is 11.25 FPS on the Jetson Nano. Compared to the state-of-the-art model, the proposed model outperforms them in terms of average precision and detection performance. The present work provides an effective model for real-time detection of passion fruits in complex orchard scenes, which can provide valuable technical support for the development of orchard picking robots and greatly improve the intelligence level of orchards.

The impact of interaction SS with MJO on rainfall along Java Island to East Nusa Tenggara has been studied using daily rainfall observation data from 2140 weather observation stations, which are also equipped with GSMaP, OLR, and ERA5 data. There were 61 SS events found, 17 during active MJO and 44 in inactive MJO. Rainfall increases more in the western study area when the active MJO and more in the eastern study area when the inactive MJO is due to SS. SS reduces rainfall in the Jakarta region, regardless of the activity or inactivity of the MJO. SS causes extreme rainfall to only occur in a small part of certain areas, so it tends to significantly reduce the possibility of extreme rainfall. In the southern part of the IMC, SS predominates over MJO in supporting increased water vapor transport. Large-scale synoptic circulations like the monsoon, SS, and MJO can interact with local land-sea wind circulation to produce spatiotemporal variability in rainfall on Java Island. Rainfall mostly increases in the afternoon and decreases in the morning when SS occurs, whether there is MJO or not. Convective instability analysis indicates that SS increases precipitation, most likely by lowering CIN and raising VIMFC.

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

Glycosidic linkage analysis was conducted on the unfractionated polysaccharides in the alcohol-insoluble residues (AIRs) prepared from six red seaweeds (Gracilariopsis sp., Prionitis sp., Mastocarpus papillatus, Callophyllis sp., Mazzaella splendens, and Palmaria palmata) using GC-MS/FID analysis of partially methylated alditol acetates (PMAAs). The cell walls of P. palmata primarily contained mixed-linkage xylans and small amounts of sulfated galactans and cellulose. In contrast, the unfractionated polysaccharides of the other five species were rich in galactans displaying diverse 3,6-anhydro-galactose and galactose linkages with varied sulfation patterns. Different levels of cellulose were also observed. This glycosidic linkage method offers advantages for cellulose analysis over traditional monosaccharide analysis that is known for underrepresenting glucose in crystalline cellulose. Relative linkage compositions calculated from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements showed that anhydro sugar linkages generated more response in the latter detection method. This improved linkage workflow presents a useful tool for studying polysaccharide structural variations across red seaweed species. Furthermore, for the first time, relative linkage compositions from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements, along with normalized FID and total ion current (TIC) chromatograms without peak assignments, were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) as a proof-of-concept demonstration of the technique's potential to differentiate various red seaweed species.

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

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

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

Currently there are fewer depth models applied to pepper picking detection, while the existing generalized neural networks have problems such as large model parameters, long training time, and low model accuracy.In order to solve the above problems, this paper proposes a Yolo-chili target detection algorithm for chili pepper detection. First, the classical target detection algorithm yolov5 is used as a benchmark model, and an adaptive spatial feature pyramid structure combining the attention mechanism and the idea of multi-scale prediction is introduced to improve the model's detection effect on occluded peppers and small target peppers. Secondly, a three-channel attention mechanism module is introduced to improve the algorithm's long-distance recognition ability and reduce the interference of redundant testers. Finally, the quantized pruning method is used to reduce the model parameters and realize the lightweight processing of the model. Applying the method to the homemade chili pepper dataset, the AP value of chili pepper reaches 93.11%; the accuracy rate is 93.51% and the recall rate is 92.55%.The experimental results show that yolo-chili is able to achieve accurate and real-time pepper detection under complex orchards.

The temporary immersion system bioreactor named GreenTray®[2], [3]presents advantages over the existing ones. Firstly, there is no need to use forceps to move the shoots or plantlets in or out of the recipient, neither the use of scalpel to divide them. Secondly, the basis of the shoot can remain in the GreenTray® and can sprout again in several cycles of growth. These two characteristics reduce the costs in the process of micropropagation. Besides, shoots or plantlets development is enhanced by the aeration of the recipient, thus enriching with CO2 the recipient atmosphere. The chapter describes and provides images and values of interest in (1) the micropropagation process of some commercial Prunus or Pyrus rootstocks; (2) the plantlet growth under autotrophic conditions; and (2) the inoculation of plants with pathogens that reproduce in vitro the symptoms observed in vivo, using the GreenTray® bioreactor.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

COX II containing a dual core CuA active site is one of the three core subunits of mitochondrial Cco, which plays a significant role in the physiological process. In this report, the full-length cDNA of COXⅡ gene was cloned from Sitophilus zeamais, which had an ORF of 684 bp encoding 227 amino acids residues. The predicted COXⅡ protein had a molecular mass of 26.2 kDa with pI value of 6.37, and multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis indicated that Sitophilus zeamais COXⅡ had high sequence identity 78.51% with the COXⅡ of other insect species, especially similarity to sitophilus oryzae. This gene was subcloned into the prokaryotic expression vector pET-32a, and induced by IPTG in E.coli Transetta (DE3) expression system. Finally the COXⅡ with 6-His tag was purified using affinity chromatography with Ni²⁺-NTA agarose. WB showed the recombinant COXⅡ was about 44 kD, and the concentration of fusion protein was 50μg/mL. UV-spectrophotometer and infrared spectrometer analysis showed that recombinant COXⅡ could catalyze the oxidation of substrate Cytc, and influenced by AITC. It was found that AITC could form a hydrophobic region with COXⅡ protein via molecular docking, besides, a sulfur atom of AITC structure could form a length of 2.9 Å hydrogen bond with Leu-31. These results will provide valuable information for elucidating the role of COXⅡ in Sitophilus zeamais responses to AITC, meanwhile, it will helpful to carry out a point mutation in AITC binding sites for the future research.

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

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

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

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

The research reported on this paper was aimed at improving the overall efficiency of a PDO certified artisanal cheese production process. Being a PDO certified foodstuff by the EU, it is considered to have properties and qualities determined by the geographical environment in which is made, with its production taking place in a specific and determined geographical location, in this case the Serra da Estrela region. In that sense, the authors conducted a mapping according to a systemic perspective of the processes involved in the context of manufacturing and distribution of certified Serra da Estrela cheese. Numerous methods were used throughout the process, such as a systemic design analysis, and techniques derived from ethnographic methods, which led to the collection of data in the field and consequently provided the immersion of the researcher in genuine work situations. Critical points were identified and emphasized in the systemic map with the purpose of encouraging initiatives to address and overcome the gaps and inefficiencies detected. The systemic design analysis triggered the development of design work. Observations following an ethnographic approach identified ergonomic risks in cheese making during the process of cutting excess chips, fostering the emergence of musculoskeletal disorders at the wrist. A tool that fits best to the task at hand was developed. A prototype of the new tool enabled collecting feedback from use in the work context, in order to inform product development. The domains of agricultural production and microbiology, considering the specific microorganisms developed trough the ripening process of the cheese, turned out to be aspects of high importance for the issue under focus, contributing to a broader understanding of the ripening process and its risks, simultaneously improving the efficiency and success of cheese production. If it were not for the systemic analysis, which served as a link between the boundaries of distinct domains such as the risk of microorganism contamination, ergonomics, energy efficiency, legislation and regulation policies, transportation challenges and economic viability, approached throughout the research. Simultaneously creating bridges between them, the various problems might not have been detected in the first place, as they are usually addressed in specialized disciplines, predetermined by the restrictions of each specific area of knowledge. As a consequence of the development of this research, which was based on an analysis that sought to establish possible connections between various disciplines and tried to constantly maintain a holistic perspective, making new connections and observing the issues from a new angle, apart from the already established methodologies. All this allowed to lay out the seeds for the development of a plan to tackle the critical points identified by the systemic analysis reported in this paper.

Abstract: Transcription factors are crucial pre-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms that can modulate the expression of downstream genes by binding to their promoter regions. DOF (DNA binding with One Finger) proteins are a unique class of transcription factors with extensive roles in plant growth and development. Our previous research indicated a decrease in iron content in chlorotic bamboo leaves. However, to our knowledge, genes related to iron metabolism pathways in bamboo species have not yet been studied. Therefore, in the current study, we identified iron metabolism-related (IMR) genes in bamboo and determined the transcription factors that significantly influence them. Among these, DOFs were found to have widespread effects and potentially significant impacts on their expression. We identified specific DOF members in Dendrocalamus latiflorus with binding abilities through homology with Arabidopsis DOF proteins, and established connections between some of these members and IMR genes using RNA-seq data. Additionally, molecular docking confirmed the binding interactions between these DlDOFs and the DOF binding sites in the promoter regions of IMR genes. The co-expression relationship between the two gene sets was further validated using q-PCR experiments. This study paves the way for research into iron metabolism pathways in bamboo and lays the foundation for understanding the role of DOF transcription factors in D. latiflorus.

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

The wetlands in northeastern Bangladesh are home to some of the most prolific and valuable ecosystems on the planet, offering a wide range of benefits to both the local and wider communities. A limited number of research on this topic have been carried out in various wetlands in coastal hilsa, but none have been located in the northeastern region of Bangladesh. Thus, the goal of this study was to better understand the most commercially relevant species (anadromous hilsa) in northeastern Bangladesh as well as to assess the wetland ecosystem services more thoroughly with the contribution of their fish genetic resources. In addition to laboratory studies, fieldwork was done in the fishing settlements along the Surma River, Hakaluki Haor, and Tanguar Haor. The study classified 77 fish species into 21 subcategories of ecosystem services, of which 56% were not threatened, 17% were vulnerable, and 10% were highly endangered. The species Hilsa was found to be the most economically significant, accounting for 1% of the GDP overall. The study determined if the hilsa stock of the examined wetlands maintains a single or several subpopulations in comparison to other parts of the country when they migrate from saline water to northeastern Bangladesh (freshwater). But when compared to other groups, the FST score was between 0.000 to 0.017, indicating that the populations are identical and that there is genetic material sharing between them. Additionally, these statistics imply that the Sylhet haor and adjacent river systems contain a single stock of Hilsa fish. Nevertheless, a number of stresses and risks, including overexploitation, illicit and destructive fishing, siltation, and natural disasters like flash floods, have been linked to changes in the supply of hilsa and other ecosystem services. This study also emphasizes the necessity of policy attention and research to address the concerns.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to be a global threat due to its ability to evolve and generate new subvariants, leading to new waves of infection. Additionally, other coronaviruses like Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV, formerly known as hCoV-EMC) which first emerged in 2012, persists and continues to present a threat of severe illness to humans. The continued identification of novel coronaviruses, coupled with the potential for genetic recombination between different strains, raises the possibility of new coronavirus clades of global concern emerging. As a result, there is a pressing need for pan-CoV therapeutic drugs and vaccines. After extensive optimization of an HCV protease inhibitor screening hit, a novel 3CLPro inhibitor (MK-7845) was discovered and subsequently profiled. MK-7845 exhibited nanomolar in vitro potency with broad spectrum activity against a panel of clinical SARS-CoV-2 subvariants and MERS-CoV. Furthermore, when administered orally, MK-7845 demonstrated a notable reduction of viral burdens by &gt;6 log orders in the lungs of transgenic mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 (K18-hACE2 mice) and MERS-CoV (K18-hDDP4 mice).

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

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

Several types of guided bone regeneration materials are available with various properties and clinical indications. Among them, dentin-derived matrix from extracted teeth is an excellent alternative to traditional graft materials, such as allografts and xenografts. Different clinical preparation protocols exist: block form versus powder form, demineralized versus non-demineralized form. Out of these methods, demineralization protocols for dentin-derived matrix from extracted teeth have been noted for a wide range of successful clinical outcomes. The purpose of this animal study was to find out the most effective method of demineralizing dentin-derived matrix to result in the highest regenerative ability in the bone graft material in rabbit calvaria. The study conducted a comparative histomorphometric analysis of four groups in distinguished matrix conditions: a control group without graft placement, a non-demineralized dentin-derived matrix graft placement group, a 15-minute demineralized dentin-derived matrix graft placement group, and a 30-minute demineralized dentin-derived matrix graft placement group. Regenerative processes were evaluated three times at 2, 4, and 8 weeks post-graft placement. These groups of rabbits were evaluated randomly in a blinded setting to prevent bias. Among the four groups compared, the group with a 15-minute demineralized dentin-derived matrix graft showed the most efficient bone regeneration in the histomorphometric analysis. Based on this animal study, it was apparent that a 15-minute demineralization of dentin-derived matrix is the preferred preparation protocol to maximize the regenerative potential in the matrix.

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

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

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a highly prevalent and aggressive malignancy, with mortality rates that reach 60%, mainly due to an excessive diagnostic delay. MiRNAs, a class of crucial epigenetic gene-expression regulators, have emerged as potential diagnostic biomarkers, with >200 molecules reported to be dysregulated in OSCC. We had previously established an in silico methodology for the identification of the most disease-specific molecules by bridging genetics and epigenetics. Here, we identified the stage-specific miRNAs that govern the asymptomatic early stages of oral tumorigenesis by exploiting the reverse interplay between miRNA-levels and their target-genes’ expression. Incorporating gene expression data from our group’s experimental hamster model of sequential oral oncogenesis, we bioinformatically detected the miRNAs that simultaneously target/regulate >75% of the genes that are characteristically upregulated or downregulated in the consecutive stages of hyperplasia, dysplasia and early-invasion OSCC, while exhibiting the opposite expressional dysregulation in OSCC-derived tissue and/or saliva specimens. We found that all stages share the downregulation of miR-34a-5p, miR124-3p, and miR-125b-5p, while miR-1-3p is underexpressed in dysplasia and early-invasion. Malignant early-invasion stage is distinguished by the downregulation of miR-147a and the overexpression of miR-155-5p, miR-423-3p and miR-34a-5p. The identification of stage-specific miRNA molecules may facilitate their utilization as biomarkers for presymptomatic OSCC diagnosis.

Estimating the ocean’s subsurface thermohaline information from satellite measurements is essential for understanding ocean dynamics and El Niño phenomenon. This paper proposes an improved double-output Residual Neural Network (DO-ResNet) model to concurrently estimate the ocean subsurface temperature (OST) and ocean subsurface salinity (OSS) in the tropical Western Pacific using multi-source remote sensing data, including sea surface temperature (SST), sea surface salinity (SSS), sea surface height anomaly(SSHA), sea surface wind (SSW), and geographical information (including longitude (LON) and latitude (LAT)). In the model experiment, Argo data were used to train and validate the model, and the root mean square error (RMSE), normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) and coefficient of determination (R²) were employed to evaluate the model's performance. The results showed that the sea surface parameters selected in this study have a positive effect on the estimation process, and the average RMSE and R² values for estimating OST (OSS) by the proposed model are 0.34 °C (0.05 psu) and 0.91 (0.95), respectively. Under the data conditions considered in this study, DO-ResNet demonstrates superior performance relative to the extreme gradient boosting model, random forest model, and artificial neural network model. Additionally, this study evaluates the model’s accuracy by comparing its estimations of OST and OSS across different depths with Argo-derived data, demonstrating the model's ability to effectively capture the most spatial features, and by comparing NRMSE across different depths and seasons, the model displays strong seasonal adaptability. In conclusion, this research introduces a novel artificial intelligence technique for estimating OST and OSS in the tropical Western Pacific Ocean.

Hydrogen sulfide is present in active or extinct volcanic areas (mofettas). The habitable premises in these areas are affected by the presence of hydrogen sulfide, which, even in low concentrations, gives off a bad to unbearable smell. If the living spaces considered are closed enclosures, then a system can be designed to reduce the concentration of hydrogen sulfide. This paper presents a membrane way to reduce the hydrogen sulfide concentration to acceptable limits using a cellulosic derivative-propylene hollow fiber based composite membrane module. The cellulosic derivatives considered were carboxymethyl–cellulose (NaCMC), cellulose acetate (CA), methyl 2–hydroxyethyl–cellulose (MHEC), and 2–hydroxyethyl–cellulose (HEC). In the permeation module, hydrogen sulfide is captured with a solution of cadmium that forms cadmium sulfide, usable as a luminescent substance. The composite membranes were characterized by SEM, EDAX, FTIR, FTIR 2D maps, thermal analysis (TG and DSC) and from the perspective of hydrogen sulfide air removal performance. To determine the process performances, the variables were: the nature of the cellulosic derivative–polypropylene hollow fiber composite membrane, the concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the polluted air, the flow rate of polluted air, and the pH of the cadmium nitrate solution. Pertraction efficiency was maximum for the sodium carboxymethyl–cellulose (NaCMC)-polypropylene hollow fiber membrane, a hydrogen sulfide concentration in the polluted air of 20 ppm, polluted air flow rate of 50 L/min, and a pH of 2 and 4.

The normal growth and development of skeletal muscle is essential for the health of the body. The regulation of skeletal muscle by intestinal microorganisms and their metabolites has been continuously revealed. Acetate is the predominant short-chain fatty acid synthesized by gut microbiota through the fermentation of dietary fiber, however, the underlying molecular mechanisms governing the interaction between acetate and skeletal muscle during rapid growth stage remain to be further elucidated; Here, specific pathogen-free (SPF) mice, germ-free (GF) mice, and germ-free mice supplemented with sodium acetate (GS) were used to evaluate the effects of acetate on skeletal muscle growth and development of young mice with gut microbiota deficiency; We found the concentration of serum acetate, body mass gain, succinate dehydrogenase activity and expression of myogenesis maker gene of skeletal muscle in the GS group was higher than GF group following sodium acetate supplement. Furthermore, the transcriptome analysis revealed that acetate activated biological processes regulating skeletal muscle growth and development in GF group that are inhibited due to gut microbiota deficiency. In vitro experiment, we proved that acetate up-regulated Gm16062 to promote skeletal muscle cell differentiation; Overall, our findings proved that acetate promote skeletal muscle growth and development in young mice via increase Gm16062 expression.

Phased injection of natural gas into internal combustion marine engines is a promising solution for optimizing performance and reducing harmful emissions, particularly unburned methane, a potent greenhouse gas. This innovative practice distinguishes itself from continuous injection because it allows for more precise control of the combustion process with only a slight increase in system complexity. By synchronizing the injection of natural gas with the intake and exhaust valve opening and closing times while also considering the gas path in the manifolds, methane release into the atmosphere is significantly reduced, making a substantial contribution to efforts to address climate change. Moreover, phased injection improves the efficiency of marine engines, resulting in reduced overall fuel consumption, lower fuel costs, and increased ship autonomy. This technology has been tested on a single-cylinder, large-bore, four-stroke research engine designed for marine applications, operating in dual-fuel mode with diesel and natural gas. Performance was compared with that of the conventional continuous feeding method. Evaluation of the effect on equivalent CO2 emissions indicates a potential reduction of up to approximately 20%. This reduction effectively brings greenhouse gas emissions below those of the diesel baseline case, especially when injection control is combined with supercharging control to optimize the air-fuel ratio.

In numerical simulations, achieving high accuracy without significantly increasing computational costs is often challenging. To address this, this paper presents an improved finite volume weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) scheme tailored for applicability in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and implemented in the flow solver NUAA-Turbo for simulating turbomachinery flows using both RANS and RANS/LES coupling. Firstly, the new WENO scheme is validated against classic numerical test cases to assess its stability and reliability in handling discontinuities, the Double problem, and Raleigh-Taylor (RT) instability issues. Compared to the original format, this enhanced finite volume WENO scheme demonstrates superior stability near discontinuities and resolves flow features with the same grid resolution more effectively. Next, for engineering applications related to turbomachinery, such as compressor and turbine characteristics, computations are performed using RANS, and the results obtained using WENO-ZQ3 and WENO-JS3 are compared. Finally, the new fifth-order WENO scheme is applied to RANS/LES coupled simulations of turbine wakes and film cooling. The results show that the enhanced finite volume WENO scheme offers improved stability and accuracy in engineering applications, allowing for high-precision calculations with fewer grid points to capture more detailed flow physics, thereby reducing computational costs in aerodynamic applications.

To conduct high-precision and high-resolution numerical simulation of complex flow structures in turbomachinery, a high-order finite volume weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) scheme for the large eddy simulation (LES) is improved and embedded into the three-dimensional viscous unsteady CFD solver NUAA-Turbo. Firstly, the spectral characteristics and unsteady convergence of the improved WENO scheme are studied. Compared with the classical WENO scheme, the improved WENO scheme has better dissipation and dispersion characteristics and faster convergence speed. Then, the coefficient CW of the Wall-Adapting Local Eddy-viscosity (WALE) model is calibrated by decaying homogeneous isotropic turbulence (DHIT) test case. Finally, the scheme is applied to conduct high-precision LES calculations of turbulent boundary layer flow, supersonic compression corner flow, and low-pressure turbine cascade separation flow. The numerical simulation results show that this WENO scheme has excellent shock wave capture ability and turbulence resolution and can capture more flow field details with less mesh size, greatly reducing the computational cost and laying a foundation for large-scale engineering application of LES.

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

Intermetallic compounds are increasingly being expected to utilize in tribological environments, but to date the works are hindered by insufficient ductility at low and medium temperature. This paper presents a novel multiphase intermetallic alloy with the chemical composition of Mo-40Ni-13Si (at.%). Microstructure characterization reveals that a certain amount of ductile Mo phases formed during the solidification process of ternary Mo-Ni-Si alloy melt, which is undoubtedly beneficial to the ductility improvement of intermetallic alloy. Tribological properties of the designed alloy, including wear resistance, friction coefficient and metallic tribological compatibility, were evaluated under dry sliding wear test conditions at room temperature. Results suggested that the multiphase alloy possesses an excellent property for room-temperature wear applications, which is attributed to the unique microstructural features and thereby good combination in hardness and ductility. The corresponding wear mechanism is also reported by observing the worn surface, subsurface and wear debris of alloy, which to be found is soft abrasive wear.

With the integrated development of the Internet, wireless sensor technology, cloud computing, and mobile Internet, there has been a lot of attention given to research about and applications of the Internet of Things. A Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is one of the important information technologies in the Internet of Things; it integrates multi-technology to detect and gather information in a network environment by mutual cooperation, using a variety of methods to process and analyze data, implement awareness, and perform tests. This paper mainly researches the localization algorithm of sensor nodes in a wireless sensor network. Firstly, a multi-granularity region partition is proposed to divide the location region. In the range-based method, the RSSI (Received Signal Strength indicator, RSSI) is used to estimate distance. The optimal RSSI value is computed by the Gaussian fitting method. Furthermore, a Voronoi diagram is characterized by the use of dividing region. Rach anchor node is regarded as the center of each region; the whole position region is divided into several regions and the sub-region of neighboring nodes is combined into triangles while the unknown node is locked in the ultimate area. Secondly, the multi-granularity regional division and Lagrange multiplier method are used to calculate the final coordinates. Because nodes are influenced by many factors in the practical application, two kinds of positioning methods are designed: the unknown node is in the positioning unit or not. When the unknown node is on the side of the positioning unit, we use the method of vector similarity. Moreover, we use the centroid algorithm to calculate the ultimate coordinates of unknown node. When the unknown node is not on the side of the positioning unit, we establish a Lagrange equation containing the constraint condition to calculate the first coordinates. Furthermore, we use the Taylor expansion formula to correct the coordinates of the unknown node. In addition, this localization method has been validated by establishing the real environment.

The electroencephalogram (EEG) is a record of brain activity. Brain Computer Interface (BCI) technology formed by the EEG signal has become one of the hotspots at present. How to extract the feature signal of EEG is the most basic research of BCI technology. In this paper, A new method of recognizing fatigue, conscious, concentrated state of human brain is proposed by the combination of discrete wavelet transform and the neural network based on EEG signal. First of all, the law signal is preprocessed by the wavelet denoising method because the law EEG signal contains a large number of high frequency noise, which is decomposed into multi-layer high frequency signal and low frequency signal. thus, δ wave, θ wave, α wave, β wave are obtained by the wavelet transform. And then, frequency band energy of the different wave is regards as the feature signal of EEG. In the experiment, the feature signal is classified by radial basic function (RBF) and annealed chaotic competitive learning network (ACCLN). RBF and ACCLN networks are trained with 500 sets of sample data and are tested by 100 sets of samples in different mental states. The experimental results show that the average accuracy of RBF network under three conditions are 88.75%, 88.25%, 88.5%, respectively, and the correct rate of ACCLN network is 97%, 98%, 98%, respectively.

This study aimed to identify whether gyrate atrophy of the choroid and retina (GACR) heterozygous individuals have possible clinical manifestations and to explore the potential pathogenic mechanism. In this retrospective study, we surveyed a two-generation pedigree of an individual diagnosed with GACR. Two family members underwent ophthalmological, hematologic, and genetic tests. An arginine-restricted diet with vitamin B6 supplementation was implemented; clinical assessments were repeated every 3 months during follow-up. Relative OAT mRNA expression was determined using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The 19-year-old compound heterozygous daughter (OAT: c.1186C&gt;T; c.748C&gt;T), had bilateral high myopia, posterior staphyloma, chorioretinal atrophy, macular abnormalities, and elevated hematologic ornithine. The 54-year-old heterozygous mother (OAT: c.1186C&gt;T), presented with bilateral severe myopia, asymmetric posterior staphyloma, retina and choroidal capillary layer atrophy, retinal pigment epithelium abnormalities, and mildly elevated hematologic ornithine. Compared to normal individuals, the daughter and mother had 29% and 46% relative OAT mRNA expression, respectively (P&lt;0.001). We believe that this is the first report of a carrier of one OAT variant allele with mild phenotypes, suggesting that family members should be aware of the possible involvement of autosomal recessive conditions. Additional data suggests nonsense mediated decay-initiated mRNA degradation may cause GACR.

Early discharge after childbirth has led to a rise in neonatal readmission, becoming a major concern in recent decades. Our research aimed to identify the risk factors and incidence of neonatal readmission, as well as explore preventive measures. Our study at the Clinical Hospital of Pediatrics in Ploiești, Romania included 108 neonates admitted during the neonatal period. This accounted for 2.06% of all admissions (5226). The most prevalent cases were malnutrition (25%), fever (20.3%) and bronchiolitis (17.5%). Diarrhea and infectious gastroenteritis were also observed (14.8%), along with acute rhinoconjunctivitis (9.2%) and late onset sepsis (3.7%). No deaths were recorded. The most significant characteristics identified were number of children (p&lt;0.001) and age at maternity discharge (p&lt;0.001). By following the prevention rules, malnutrition, feeding errors, and infections can be avoided. This includes practicing proper hand hygiene for both mothers and medical staff, as well as educating and demonstrating to mothers the benefits of breastfeeding. In addition, all newborns discharged from the maternity ward should benefit from follow-up at 7-10 days of life. Our results confirm the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary team and endorse promoting breastfeeding. Implementing quality control measures and regularly evaluating the surveillance program will help improve its effectiveness.

Wearable technology has been proposed as a potential tool to change the way of human life, such as the smart bracelet and the Google Glass. In the wearable technology, the inertial sensor has great significance in tracking the object movements. The paper focused on detecting the movements of user’s finger based on the inertial sensor to give the control signals. Firstly, the attitude matrix, which represented the transformation relation of carrier coordinate system and the navigation coordinate system, was obtained. Secondly, the attitude matrix was expressed based on the quaternions. Thirdly, the finger gesture was processed by the attitude matrix to get the attitude angle. Finally, the robot was controlled by attitude angle to make the moving action. The experimental results showed the detection of the finger movement is effective.