The pinning force density FpJc,B=Jc×B (where Jc is the critical current density and B is the applied magnetic field) is one of the main parameters that characterize the resilience of a superconductor to carry a dissipative-free transport current in an applied magnetic field. Kramer (1973 J. Appl. Phys. 44 1360), and Dew-Hughes (1974 Phil. Mag. 30 293) proposed a widely used scaling law for the pinning force density amplitude: FpB=Fp,max×p+qp+qppqq×BBc2p×1-BBc2q, where Fp,max, Bc2, p, and q are free-fitting parameters. Since the late 1970-s till now, several research groups have reported experimental data on the dependence of Fp,max on the average grain size, d, in Nb3Sn-based conductors. Godeke (2006 Supercond. Sci. Techn. 19 R68) proposed that the dependence obeys the law Fp,maxd=A×ln1d+B. However, this scaling law has several problems, for instance, the logarithm is taken from a non-dimensionless variable, and Fp,maxd<0 for large grain sizes, and Fp,maxd→∞ for d→0. Here, we reanalysed the full inventory of publicly available Fp,maxd data for Nb3Sn conductors and found that the dependence can be described by Fp,maxd=Fp,max0×exp-dδ law, where the characteristic length, δ, varies within a remarkably narrow range, that is, δ=175±13 nm, for samples fabricated by different technologies. The interpretation of the result is based on the idea that the in-field supercurrent flows within a thin surface layer (thickness of δ) near the grain boundary surfaces (similar to London’s law, where the self-field supercurrent flows within a thin surface layer with a thickness of the London penetration depth, λ, and the surface is a superconductor-vacuum surface). An alternative interpretation is that δ represents the characteristic length of the exponential decay flux pinning potential from the dominant defects in Nb3Sn superconductors, which are grain boundaries.

Many dioecious plants have sex chromosomes that are cytologically heteromorphic, but about half of species lack cytological differences between males and females and are thus homomorphic. Very little is known about the size and content of the non-recombining sex-determining region (SDR) in these species. Here, we assess the size and content of the SDR of the diploid dioecious herb Mercurialis annua, which has homomorphic sex chromosomes and shows signatures of mild Y-chromosome degeneration. We used RNAseq to identify new Y-linked markers for M. annua. Twelve of 24 transcripts with male-specific and male-biased expression could only be PCR-amplified from males and are thus Y-linked. We found a further six Y-linked sequences that were present in males but not females using genome capture data from multiple populations. We used the Y-linked sequences to identify and sequence 17 sex-linked bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs), which form 11 groups of non-overlapping sequence, covering a total sequence length of about 1.5 Mb. Content analysis of this region suggests it is enriched for repeats, has a low gene density and contains few candidate sex-determining genes. The BACs map to a subset of the sex-linked region of the genetic map, which is estimated to be at least 14.5 Mb. This is substantially larger than estimates for other dioecious plants with homomorphic sex chromosomes, especially given the small genome size of M. annua. Our data provide a rare, high-resolution view of the homomorphic Y chromosome of a dioecious plant.

The speed-density or flow-density relationship is a fundamental aspect of traffic flow theory. Single-regime models often face challenges in consistently fitting empirical data under diverse traffic conditions. This paper addresses the inaccuracies of single-regime models, attributing them not only to their functional forms but also to data dispersion and sample selection bias. To mitigate these issues, the data is segmented into day and night periods, leading to the creation of separate models for each. Calibration results, conducted on data from two freeways, Tehran-Karaj and Tehran-Qom, reveal distinct challenges, with the former exhibiting high dispersion and the latter showing low dispersion. Surprisingly, single-regime models demonstrate notable effectiveness when applied to distinct day and night data. Further analysis, categorizing data into day and night, results in reduced errors (20-60% improvement in R-Square), emphasizing the potential for enhanced accuracy by considering distinct regimes. Overall, the study underscores the significance of regime-specific considerations for accurate traffic flow modeling. Upon thorough evaluation, the study highlights the superiority of the neural network Multi-layer Perceptron (MLP) over traditional models. The research discusses the implications of incorporating day and night parameters into the models, emphasizing their potential for accuracy enhancement.

We have detected a large Nernst effect in the CDW state of the multiband organic metal α−(BEDT−TT)2KHg(SCN)4. We find that there exists a significant gradient of charge relaxation processes that can generate a sizeable contribution adding especially to the transverse thermoelectric signal. Apart from the phonon drag, the energy relaxation processes governing the electron-phonon interactions and the momentum relaxation processes governing the charge mobility of the q1D group of carriers have a significant role in observing the large Nernst signal in the CDW state. The emphasised momentum relaxation dynamics in the low field CDW state is a clear indicator of a significant carrier mobility that can lead to the largest Nernst signal in this state. The momentum relaxation is reduced with increasing angle and magnetic field, i.e., in the high field CDW state which is reflected in the smaller Nernst effect amplitude. In this case only the phonon drag and electron-phonon interactions are contributing to the transverse thermoelectric signal. Our findings advance and change the previous observations on the complex properties of this organic metal.

Face routing has been adopted in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) where topological changes occur frequently or maintaining full network information is difficult. For message forwarding in networks, a planar graph is used to prevent looping, and because long edges are removed by planarization and the resulting planar graph is composed of short edges, messages are forwarded along multiple nodes connected by them even though they can be forwarded directly. To solve this, face routing using information on all nodes within 2-hop range was adopted to forward messages directly to the farthest node within radio range. However, as the density of the nodes increases, network performance plunges because message transfer nodes receive and process increased node information. To deal with this problem, we propose a new face routing using the planar graphs of neighboring nodes to improve transfer efficiency. It forwards a message directly to the farthest neighbor and reduces loads and processing time by distributing network graph construction and planarization to the neighbors. It also decreases the amount of location information to be transmitted by sending information on the planar graph nodes rather than on all neighboring nodes. Simulation results show that it significantly improves transfer efficiency.

Plants are an important feature of urban ecosystems which provide numerous environmental and ecosystem benefits such as defenses against noise and air pollution and conservation of biodiversity. The aim of this study was to investigate the structure and composition of urban vegetation in different urban habitats like roadsides, parks, gardens and playgrounds in Dhaka South City area. Stratified random sampling method was used in this study. A total of 221 plant species belonging to 63 families were identified and recorded. Among all plant species Swietenia macrophylla, Polyalthia longifolia, Cocos nucifera, Samanea saman, and Artocarpus heterophyllus are recorded as the most dominant. Most of the tree and shrub population were found between 6-9 m and 1-3m height classes whereas most of tree and shrub population were found in between 10-15cm dbh classes. Highest IVI was found for Swietenia macrophylla (193.22%) followed by Polyalthia longifolia (184.59%), Samanea saman (138.37%), Cocos nucifera (79.9%) and Delonix regia (68.27%) respectively. Average frequency, density, dbh and basal area were found 46.82%, 138.28 tree ha^-1, 458.59 cm ha^-1 and 12.33 m² ha^-1 respectively. Findings of this study reveals that structural attributes of plant represent quite young and still developing vegetation. This research will help to plan for future green infrastructure which will maintain ecosystem function, therefore, providing longer term benefits for the city dwellers.

There is a continuous interest in cannabinoids like Δ9-tetrahydro cannabinol (Δ9-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). A patent of Webster et al., described the conversion of CBD to either D8-THC or D9-THC, depending on the acid catalyst applied. The use of para-toluene sulfonic acid (pTSA) led to the formation of D8-THC, while boron trifluoride etherate (BF3·Et2O) yielded mainly D9-THC. The enormous difference in product selectivity between these two catalysts was investigated with Molecular Modeling. It was found that pTSA leads to fast isomerization of Δ9-CBD to Δ8-CBD and subsequent ring closure to Δ8-THC. BF3·Et2O catalysis leads to the formation of tertiary carbenium ions in the Transition States which yield D9-THC and some iso D8-THC. Under dry conditions in refluxing toluene, it was found that pTSA is predominantly present as a dimer, and only a small fraction is available as monomeric catalyst. Applying the computationally derived activation barriers in Transition State theory yielded reaction rates predicting amounts of cannabinoids that are in close agreement with the experimental findings.

The well-known equations for the process of powder compaction (PCP) in a rigid die published over the period from the beginning of the last century to the present are considered. Most of the considered equations are converted into the dependence of the densification pressure on the relative density. The equations were analyzed and their ability to describe PCP was assessed by determining the coefficient of determination when approximating experimental data on the compaction of various powders. It is shown that most of the equations contain two constants, the values of which are determined by fitting the mathematical dependence to the experimental curve. Such equations are able to describe PCP with high accuracy in the case of compaction of powders up to a relative density of 0.9-0.95. It is also shown that different equations can describe PCP in the range of density change from the initial to 0.9 with the same and sufficiently high accuracy, but when the process of compaction is extrapolated to higher values of density, the curves diverge. This indicates the importance of equations that can unambiguously describe PCP to a relative density equal to or close to 1.0. For an adequate description of PCP to a relative density greater than 0.95, equations containing three or four constants have proven themselves well.

Although impending urbanization is a well-acknowledged problem, there is a rising concern about how the urban forms will change and what can be the impacts on the global energy demand. As hubs of economic, social and cultural activities, cities are major energy consumers and GHG emissions. Energy consumption is a technical or a spatial problem? From Newman and Kenworthy to today, several studies have tried to shed light on this nexus. In this work, the controversial paradigm of urban density is discussed as a key component of the fight against climate change impacts. Concerning energy consumption, an in-depth bibliometric analysis is developed to identify the interdependencies of the terms. As a key ‘promise’ of an efficient urban configuration, density has been the core of diverse studies but with still under exploration arguments. This work provides a way forward for planners seeking to design strategies related to dense urban tissues exploring controversial paradigms as a key solution for energy-efficient problems.

The X-ray emission from a supernova remnant (SNR) is a powerful diagnostic of the state of the shocked plasma, and, given a model, can be used to determine the energy of the explosion, the age of the SNR and the density of the surrounding medium. Observed properties are shock radius, electron temperature (kTe) and emission measure (EM) of the shocked-gas. The standard and XSPEC definitions have an important difference. The XSPEC definition is superior for SNRs, which have components with low hydrogen abundance. SNR model calculations are based on hydrodynamic solutions for fluid variables of density, pressure and velocity. The relations between fluid variables and kTe or EM depend on composition, ionization state and electron-ion temperature ratio (Te/TI). Here the effects of composition, ionization and Te/TI on standard and on XSPEC versions of kTe and EM are investigated.

Our study assessed the impact of using ovitraps with pyriproxyfen on mosquito populations and the feasibility of using human saliva samples to test for seroconversion to dengue virus (DENV). We used a quasi-experimental research design by forming the intervention (n=220) and the control (n=223) groups in neighboring Taguig City, Philippines, over four months. Socio-demographic data, entomological indices, and IgG antibodies against DENV were measured. Associations between the implementation of ovitraps dosed with pyriproxyfen and mosquito densities (percentage positive ovitraps and container indices) and DENV seroconversion were calculated post-intervention in Months 2, 3, and 4. Among participants recruited at baseline, 17 and 13 were seropositive for dengue (DENV) in the intervention and control groups, respectively. Both entomological indices were lower in the treated area than the control site at months two, three, and four post-interventions but not earlier. Dengue seroconversions rates did decrease in the treated population but not significantly so. In conclusion, the use of PPF-treated ovitraps impacted the mosquito population but not the seroconversion rates. Compliance to provide saliva samples and the ability to detect IgG antibodies within these samples were encouraging and suggested that further studies on a larger population and longer duration are warranted.

In this four-month-long study (from April 1, 2020 to August 1, 2020), we have collected, modeled, and analyzed COVID-19 data from the top five most infected counties per top six most infected states in the United States (30 counties total). More specifically, we collected data on each state’s total COVID-19 cases, deaths, tests conducted, and their counties’ population, density, percentage of seniors, number of hospitals, total COVID-19 cases, and total COVID-19 related deaths. In this study, we have models illustrating the growth of COVID-19 cases and deaths per county, growth of COVID-19 cases and deaths per state (which is really the sum of our chosen five counties), and growth of COVID-19 tests conducted per state. In addition, our study also contains models illustrating the statistics of several variables that might have affected a county’s COVID-19 data, which has been mentioned above: population, density, percentage of seniors, and number of hospitals. An interesting finding we have noticed upon modeling the 30 counties’ density and total COVID-19 cases as an xy scatter plot is that there is a considerably strong relationship between the two variables. Los Angeles County (which was an extreme outlier), in particular, supports the idea that a county’s most populous city can greatly affect its entire county’s COVID-19 cases; if the largest city is extremely dense, it appears that the entire county has a greater total COVID-19 case count.

The present investigation deals with the determination of the physio-chemical properties of two commercial grade samples of local gums (Gum Arabic and Natural Rubber Latex (NRL)). The results revealed that the gum samples have high melting point that indicate thermal stability at room and moderate temperatures. The gum samples have about 95 % carbohydrate content and a corresponding high internal energy and can serve as a source of energy. The rheology of the samples revealed shear-thickening characteristics with gum Arabic being thixotropic and pseudo-plastic in nature while NRL was observed to be anti-thixotropic and rheopectic. Further results from the moisture absorption, contact angle and Fourier Transform Infrared Radioscopy (FTIR) analyses gave better insight into their hydroscopic behaviors. Gum Arabic has excellent water absorption capacity with less wettability as it consists mainly of more water-soluble compounds in comparison to Natural Rubber Latex. These insights from the study will enhance wider application of the gums with increased value-addition to the gums and the communities where they (can) thrive.

Temperature influences the life of many organisms in various ways. A great number of them live under conditions, where their ability to adapt to changes in temperature can be vital and largely determine their fitness. Understanding the mechanisms and principles underlying this ability to adapt can be of great advantage, for example, to improve growth conditions for crops and increase their yield. In times of imminent, increasing climate change, this becomes even more important, in order to find strategies and help crops cope with these fundamental changes. There is intense research in the field of acclimation, that comprises fluctuations of various environmental conditions, but most acclimation research focuses on regulatory effects and the observation of gene expression changes within the examined organism. As thermodynamic effects are a direct consequence of temperature changes, these should necessarily be considered in this field of research, but are often neglected. Also, compensated effects might be missed, even though they are equally important for the organism, since they do not cause observable changes, but rather counteract them. In this work, using a systems biology approach, we demonstrate that even simple network motifs can exhibit temperature dependent functional features, resulting from the interplay of network structure and the distribution of activation energies over the involved reactions. The demonstrated functional features are (i) the reversal of fluxes within a linear pathway, (ii) a thermo-selective branched pathway with different flux modes and (iii) the increased flux towards carbohydrates in a minimal calvin cycle that was designed to demonstrate temperature compensation within reaction networks. By this, we expand the scope of thermodynamic modelling of biochemical processes by addressing further possibilities and effects, following established mathematical descriptions of biophysical properties.

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are known as tunable solvents. It is possible to prepare ternary deep eutectic solvent (TDES) are used for desired purpose by selecting the suitable molar ratio and components of mixture. Therefore, four DESs and two TDESs were prepared in this work. DESs and TDESs were prepared with potassium carbonate (PC) as a hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and three hydrogen bond donors (HBDs) such as glycerol (GL), ethylene glycol (EG) and 2-amino-2methyl-1-3-propanediol (AMPD) known as a hindered amine (HA). Binary DESs were PC-GL with molar ratios 1:10 and 1:16 and PC-EG with the same molar ratios. TDES were prepared by adding AMPD in binary DESs such as PC-GL-AMPD 1:16:1 and PC-EG-AMPD 1:10:1. The experimental density and refractive index of all DESs and TDESs were measured at the temperature of 293.15 to 343.15 K with an interval of 5 K. The effect of temperature, molar ratio and alkyl chain length on the properties was investigated. The molar volumes and isobaric thermal expansion were calculated using experimental density data. The experimental refractive index data was used to derive the specific refraction, molar refraction, free molar volume, electronic polarization, polarizability constant and internal pressure at several temperatures.

The energy efficiency of grinding depends on the appropriate selection of cutting conditions, grinding wheel and workpiece material. Additionally, the estimation of specific energy consumption is a good indicator to control the energy consumed during the grinding process. Consequently, this study develops a model of material removal rate to estimate the specific energy consumption based on the measurement of active power consumed in a plane surface grinding of C45K with different thermal treatments and AISI 304. This model identifies and evaluates the power dissipated by sliding, ploughing and chip formation in a industrial-scale grinding process. Furthermore, the instantaneous positions of the abrasive grains during cutting are described to study the material removal rate. The estimation of specific chip formation energy is similar to that described by other authors in laboratory scale, which allows to validate the model and experiments. Finally, the results show that the energy consumed by sliding is the main phenomenon of energy dissipation in industrial-scale grinding process, where it is denoted that sliding energy by volume unity decreases as the depth of cut and speed of workpiece increase.

Potato (Solanumtuberosum L.) is the world's largest non-cereal crop, occupying a position critical for global food security, the fourth largest crop food in China. Due to its location and weather conditions, Yunnan province is the fourth largest potato producer in China with twice yearly production system. However, compared to high number of consumers, potato yield is still low to satisfy the population need. In this study, we have analyzed impacts of three cultivation factors: (1) three cultivation models (T1, T2, and T3), (2) planting density (T1, T2, and T3), (3) soil covering (T1, T2, T3, T4) on plant growth, and yield production. The soil moisture content, temperature, roots growth, stems development, leaf area index, and number-weight of tubers per plant and per plot (g) have significantly increased with commercial yield average of 3tones/mu. This suggests that the combination of these three factors would be a great potato extension model in winter climate zones similar to Yunnan Province. This will contributes in satisfaction of the world population potato consumption need.

Denosumab is a human monoclonal antibody that neutralizes RANKL, a cytokine able to interact with the RANK receptor on preosteoclasts and osteoclasts, decreasing their recruitment and differentiation, leading to a decreased bone resorption. The aim of this observational real-life study was to analyze adherence to denosumab therapy, its effectiveness in increasing bone mineral density (BMD) and in modulating biochemical skeletal markers upon previous treatments with bisphosphonates in a group of post-menopausal women affected by osteoporosis. Women were recruited in the specialized center from March 2012 to September 2019. Biochemical markers were recorded at baseline and every six months prior to subsequent drug injection. Dual X-ray Absorptiometry was requested at baseline and after 18/24 months. Comparing BMD at baseline and after denosumab therapy in naive patients and in those previously treated with bisphosphonates, a positive therapeutic effect was observed in both groups. The results of our real-life study demonstrate, as expected, that BMD values significantly increased upon denosumab treatment. Interestingly, denosumab showed an increased effectiveness in patients previously treated with bisphosphonates. Moreover, biochemical markers data indicate that osteoporotic patients, without other concomitant unstable health conditions, could be evaluated once a year, decreasing the number of specialistic center access.

The [3+2] cycloaddition (32CA) reactions of strongly nucleophilic norbornadiene (NBD) with simplest diazoalkane (DAA) and three DAAs of increased electrophilicity have been studied within the Molecular Electron Density Theory (MEDT) at the MPWB1K/6-311G(d,p) computational level. These pmr-type 32CA reactions follow an asynchronous one-step mechanism with activation enthalpies ranging from 17.7 to 27.9 kcal·mol-1 in acetonitrile. The high exergonic character of these reactions makes them irreversible. The presence of electron-withdrawing (EW) substituents in the DAA increases the activation enthalpies, in complete agreement with the experimental slowing-down of the reactions, but contrary to the Conceptual DFT prediction. Despite the nucleophilic and electrophilic character of the reagents, the global electron density transfer at the TSs indicates rather non-polar 32CA reactions. The present MEDT study allows establishing that the depopulation of the NNC core in this series of DAAs with the increase of the EW character of the substituents present at the carbon center is responsible for the experimentally found deceleration.

The purpose of this study is to identify the different effects exerted by planting density and nitrogen fertilization on high-salinity Reclaimed Paddy Fields(RPF) and General Paddy Fields(GPF), and to find the amount of fertilization and the planting density suitable for the growth of forage rice in each paddy field. In both experimental locations, there was no significant change in the soil due to N treatment, but in the case of RPF, electrical conductivity(EC) decreased significantly from more than 5dS/m to up to 2.87dS/m during the yellow ripe stage due to the influence of floods and concentrated precipitation on the fields. In all soils, as both the amount of N treatment and the planting density increased, there was a proportional relationship in which the number of tillers and the dry weight also increased, with the occurrence of lodging also being increased. The dry weight, as expected, was 1.5 times higher at a planting distance of 10 cm, rather than 16 cm. In addition, in both locations N treatment led to an increase in the dry weight, but when N treatment reached 400kg/ha (2.0), the dry weight decreased instead. Moreover, although there was no clear difference in feed value according to N treatment, in RPF, neutral detergent fiber(NDF) was higher than 60%, RFV was less than 98, and TDN was also low, confirming that the quality of rice was higher in GPF.

Carbazole is one of the typical heterocyclic aromatic compounds (NSO-HETs) observed in pol-luted urban atmosphere, which has become a serious environmental concern. The most im-portant atmospheric loss process of carbazole is the reaction with OH radical. The present work investigated the mechanism of OH-initiated atmospheric oxidation degradation of carbazole by using density functional theory (DFT) calculations at the M06-2X/6-311++G(3df,2p)//M06-2X/6-311+G(d,p) level. The rate constants were determined by the Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) theory. The lifetime of carbazole determined by OH was compared with other typical NSO-HETs. The theoretical results show that the degradation of carbazole initiated by OH radical includes four types of reactions: OH additions to “bend” C atoms, OH additions to “benzene ring” C atoms, H abstractions from C-H bonds and the H ab-straction from N-H bond. The OH addition to C1 atom and the H abstraction from N-H bond are energetically favorable. The main oxidation products are hydroxycarbazole, dialdehyde, carba-zolequinone, carbazole-ol, hydroxy-carbazole-one and hydroperoxyl-carbazole-one. The calcu-lated overall rate constant of carbazole oxidation by OH radical is 6.52 × 10−12 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 and the atmospheric lifetime is 43.92 h under the condition of 298 K and 1 atm. The lifetime of carbazole determined by OH radical is similar with that of dibenzothiophene oxidation but longer than those of pyrrole, indole, dibenzofuran and fluorene. This work provides a better understanding of the reactivity of carbazole in the atmospheric environment, the formation of secondary organic aerosols, and the chemical degradation and removal of carbazole in the at-mospheric environment.

Sediment plumes, released to the Bering Sea from the delta front of the Yukon River, Alaska, are initiated mainly by glacier-melt sediment runoffs in the glacierized regions of the Yukon River drainage basin. The surface sediment plumes are extended around the fan-shaped Yukon River delta, which is followed by the northwestward dispersion. During continuous measure-ments of the Yukon River discharge and sediment load, behaviors of the sediment plumes were explored by shipboard observations in the Bering Sea offshore from the Yukon delta. At the high river sediment load of ca. 3000 kg/s, the plume partially plunged into the sea bottom layer. The plunging probably originated in the nepheloid-layer formation from the flocculation of river-suspended sediment, of which more than 90 %wt. is silt and clay (grain size d < 0.063 mm). In order to numerically obtain the area of the surface sediment plumes, a satellite image analy-sis was performed by using three near-infrared bands in MODIS/Aqua or MODIS/Terra. The plume area was significantly correlated (R2=0.735, p<0.01) to the sediment load averaged for the two days with time lags of 20 days and 21 days to the date of a certain satellite image. Hence, the dispersion of plume-suspended sediment appears to be controlled by the sediment runoff events in the Yukon River rather than the northward “Alaskan Coastal Water”.

The physical and economic sustainability of using Built Environment Wind Turbine (BEWT) systems depends on the wind resource potential of the candidate site. Therefore, it is crucial to carry out a wind resource assessment prior to deployment of the BEWT. The assessment results can be used as a referral tool for predicting the performance and lifespan of the BEWT in the given built environment. To date, there is limited research output on BEWTs in South Africa with available literature showing a bias towards utility-scale or conventional ground based wind energy systems. This study aimed to assess wind power generation potential of BEWT systems in Fort Beaufort using the Weibull distribution function. The results show that Fort Beaufort wind patterns can be classified as fairly good and that BEWTs can best be deployed at 15m for a fairer power output as roof height wind speeds require BEWT of very low cut-in speed of at most1.2ms⁻¹.

Clay ball is a pavement surface defect which refers to a clump in which clay or dirt is mixed with hot asphalt mixture. Clay ball is typically caused by a combination of aggregate contamination of clay or soil, high aggregate moisture, and low production temperature at the asphalt plant. It usually appears a few weeks or months after paving under traffic load, after being liquefied and knocked from the pavement surface. Clay balls can be the source of potholing, raveling, and other issues such as moisture infiltration and reduced ride quality. This paper presents an investigation of the clay balls on US-31 one winter after construction in Hamilton County, Indiana. In order to understand the pavement condition, their severity was measured using both visual observation and infrared image collection system. In addition, a clay ball distribution pattern, its density, and cores condition were evaluated. A precipitation effect on clay ball formation was investigated for finding a cause of the clay balls. The investigation found that infrared image collection system was appropriate in detecting the clay balls. The clay balls were elliptic in shape with 1 inch to 4 inches in diameter, and the maximum clay ball depth is almost penetrating the entire surface course. It was also found that the asphalt paving on the raining days or right after raining could increase the potential of clay balls. Monitoring of aggregate moisture during construction on or after raining days should be able to reduce the risk of clay balls.

In view of the preparation for a post-LHC collider, the high-energy physics (HEP) community started from 2010 to discuss various options, including the use of HTS for very high field dipoles. Therefore, a small program was set in Europe aiming at exploring the possibility of using HTS for accelerator quality magnets. Based on various EU funded programs, though at modest levels, has enabled the European community of accelerator magnets to start getting experience in HTS and addressing a few issues. The program was based on use of REBCO tapes to form 10 kA Roebel cables, to be used to wind small dipoles of 30-40 mm aperture in the 5 T range. The dipoles are designed to be later inserted in a background dipole field (in Nb3Sn), to reach eventually a field level in the 16-20 T range, beyond the reach of LTS. The program is currently underway: more than 1 km tape of high performance (Je &gt; 500 A/mm2 at 20 T, 4.2 K has been manufactured and characterized, various 30 m long Roebel cables have been assembled and validated up to 13 kA, a few dipoles have been wound and tested, reaching at present 4.5 T in stand-alone (while a dipole made from race track coils with no-bore exceeded 5 T using stacked tape cable) and a test in a background field is being organized.

Rapid increase in digital data coupled with advances in deep learning algorithms is opening unprecedented opportunities for incorporating multiple data sources for modeling spatial dynamics of human infectious diseases. We used Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) in conjunction with satellite imagery-based urban housing and socio-economic data to predict disease density in a developing country setting. We explored both single (uni) and multiple input (multimodality) network architectures for this purpose. We achieved maximum test set accuracy of 81.6 per cent using a single input CNN model built with one convolutional layer and trained using housing image data. However, this fairly good performance was biased in favor of specific disease density classes due to an unbalanced data set despite our use of methods to address the problem. These results suggest CNN are promising for modeling spatial dynamics of human infectious diseases, especially in a developing country setting. Urban housing signals extracted from satellite imagery seem suitable for this purpose, under the same context.

Osteoporosis is an abnormal bone remodeling condition characterized by decreased bone density, which leads to high risks of broken bones. Previous studies have demonstrated that Lycii Radicis Cortex (LRC) extract inhibits bone loss in ovariectomized (OVX) mice by enhancing the osteoblast differentiation. A bioactive compound, Kukoamine B (KB), was identified from a fractionation of LRC extract as a candidate component responsible for an anti-osteoporotic effect. This study investigated the anti-osteoporotic effects of KB using in vitro and in vivo osteoporosis models. KB treatment significantly increased the osteoblastic differentiation and mineralized nodule formation of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells, while it significantly decreased the osteoclast differentiation of primary-cultured monocytes derived from mouse bone marrow. The effects of KB on osteoblastic and osteoclastic differentiations under more physiological conditions were also examined. In the co-culture of MC3T3-E1 cells and monocytes, KB promoted osteoblast differentiation but did not affect osteoclast differentiation. For the in vivo experiments, KB significantly inhibited OVX-induced bone mineral density loss and restored the impaired bone structural properties in osteoporosis model mice. These results suggest that KB may be a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of osteoporosis.

Real-time evolution of the electron densities under excitations in La₂CuO₄ was calculated by the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT). The author found, for the first time, under excitations, the electron cloud of Cu²⁺ changes obviously and the characteristic frequencies are 83 meV and 36 meV, respectively, for two different modes. The results are unexpected and close to that of lattice vibrations. The results show that the electron cloud of Cu²⁺ (just like the lattice) can be the electron-pairing medium in high temperature copper oxide superconductors.

Large epidemiological studies show U-shaped relationships between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and all-cause mortality in individuals without atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD). Association in those with ASCVD by sex is unclear. We examined the association between HDL-C levels and 10-year all-cause mortality in subjects (≥40 years of age) with ASCVD using the 2010 National Health Insurance Service and the National Death Registry of Korea. We categorized HDL-C levels into three groups (low: <40 mg/dL for males, <50 mg/dL for females; high: 40-90 mg/dL for males, 50-90 mg/dL for females; extremely high: >90 mg/dL) and 10 mg/dL intervals. We conducted a sex-stratified and adjusted Cox proportional hazards analysis. Out of 1,711,548 individuals (54% female, mean age 61.4 years), 10-year mortality was observed in 218,252 (12.8%). Males had a higher mortality rate than females (16.2% vs 9.8%; P<0.001). When adjusting for age, body mass index, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and alcohol consumption, the low and extremely high HDL-C groups had significantly higher hazard ratios for 10-year mortality compared to the high HDL-C group in males [1.183 (1.166-1.199), 1.359 (1.288-1.434)] and in females [1.153 (1.138-1.169), 1.095 (1.029-1.167)]. The frequency distribution bars for the 10-year mortality rate showed sex-specific nadirs of 50-59 mg/dL in males and 70-79 mg/dL in females. In this ASCVD cohort, the extremely high HDL-C (>90 mg/dL) group had 35.9% and 9.5% higher 10-year mortality risk than the high HDL-C group for males and females, respectively. There was a slightly U-shaped relationship between baseline HDL-C levels and 10-year mortality rate, with earlier inflection in males than in females.

In the lowland forests of south-western Poland, the effect of the fencing of forest regeneration stages, aged up to 20 years, upon the level of damage inflicted by red deer (Cervus elaphus), fallow deer (Dama dama), and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in non-fenced patches of this age class of forest was studied. In the studied forest districts (n=4), there was the highest proportion of the mixed coniferous‑deciduous forest types, where the main forest‑forming tree species were pine (Pinus sylvertris), birch (Betula sp.), oak (Quercus sp.), beech (Fagus sylvatica), and spruce (Picea abies). At the forest district level, the percentage of fenced areas in young forest plantations (1‑10‑year old) ranged, on average, from 9.1-30.9%, and that in tickets (11-20‑year old) ranged from 0.0%-10.2%. The percentage of areas of severely damaged young plantations fluctuated between 5.7 and 14.2%, and that of tickets fluctuated between 0.3-12.9%. For young plantations, a statistically significant correlation (“r” ranged from 0.51-0.75) was obtained between percentage of area in fenced plots and the level of damage caused by deer. For thickets, this correlation was obtained solely in Pieńsk Forest District (r = 0.646). In the studied forest districts, the fencing of young plantations and thickets resulted in the reduction of average potential food base for cervids, from 2.9 to 10.0 %. An attempt was made to interpret the level of deer damage on the basis of an index, taking into account the standing crop of deciduous browse and forbs, and the population density of cervids.

In this exploratory work, we have examined the impact of an external static electric field on the H2 storage capacity of clathrate hydrates. To this end, we have chosen the 512 clathrate hydrate and examined the encapsulation of 1 - 4 H2 molecules within it. Results suggest that with the help of moderate electric fields (±0.10 to ±0.31V/Å), the encapsulation of 1 H2 molecule within the 512 clathrate hydrate becomes thermodynamically more favorable. In the cases of 4H2@512 and 2H2@512, however, the concerned processes become thermodynamically more favorable only when the field is applied along a specific direction. No favorable outcome could be observed in the case of 3H2@512, irrespective of the direction of the applied field. It appears from the results obtained herein that it might be possible to design a suitable external electric field to facilitate the hydrogen storage capacity of clathrate hydrates at ambient conditions, at least in certain cases.

The history of agricultural terraces dates back to agricultural society; and throughout history, they have enabled agricultural activities to be carried out on lands with irregular relief. They have also served as an essential element of rural landscapes due to their architectural features, building materials, and techniques, as well as the landscapes they create. Furthermore, terraces also contribute to soil conservation by preventing erosion, adding organic matter to the soil, and harvesting rainwater. The significance of agricultural terraces in the cultural landscape has triggered the need to define and classify them. In this regard, agricultural terraces across many different locations have found their place on the List of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Sites (GIAHS) and UNESCO cultural heritage lists. In the present study, the agricultural terraces of the Erikli neighborhood of the Uzundere district were mapped through surveys, drone shots, and orthophotos, and analyzed based on the size and density indices previously used in the classification of Alpine terraces. The study is important in terms of demonstrating the use of drone technology in mapping agricultural terraces. The results of the study revealed that 51.6% of the agricultural terraces in the study area had very steep slopes and 22195 meters of total stone wall length, the average density index was 523.29 m/ha, and 76.4% of the terraces were meso and macro in character. Moreover the study shows that the terraces in the region are more susceptible to deterioration.

Ozonated sunflower oil (OSO) is an established therapeutic agent and nutraceutical harboring various therapeutic values, including antiallergic, derma-protective, and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. Conversely, the medicinal aspects of OSO for wound healing, tissue regeneration, and treatment of inflammation in dyslipidemia have yet to be fully elucidated. Herein, a comparative effect of OSO and sunflower oil (SO) was investigated to heal cutaneous wound and tissue regeneration of zebrafish impediment by carboxymethyllysine (CML) toxicity, following impact on hepatic inflammation and blood lipid profile. After OSO (final 2%, 1 μL) and SO's (final 2%, 1 μL) treatment, substantial healing was elicited by OSO in the cutaneous wound of zebrafish impaired by CML (final 25 mg). As an important event of wound healing, OSO scavenges the reactive oxygen species (ROS), rescues the wound from oxidative injury, and triggers the essential molecular events for the wound closer. Furthermore, the intraperitoneal injection of OSO was noted to counter the CML-induced adversity and prompt tissue regeneration in the amputated tail fin of zebrafish. Additionally, OSO counters the CML-induced neurotoxicity and rescues the zebrafish from acute mortality and paralysis, along with meticulous recovery of hepatic inflammation, fatty liver changes, and diminished ROS and proinflammatory interleukin (IL)-6 production. Besides, OSO efficiently ameliorated CML-induced dyslipidemia by alleviating the total blood cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and increasing high-density lipoproteins cholesterol (HDL-C). The outcome of multivariate assessment employing principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis supports a superior therapeutic potential of OSO over SO against the clinical manifestation of CML. Conclusively, OSO owing to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential, counters CML-induced toxicity and promotes wound healing, tissue regeneration, hepatoprotection, improved blood lipid profile, and survivability of zebrafish.

We consider a class of density-driven flow problems. We are particularly interested in the problem of the salinization of coastal aquifers. We consider the Henry saltwater intrusion problem with uncertain porosity, permeability, and recharge parameters as a test case. The reason for the presence of uncertainties is the lack of knowledge, inaccurate measurements, and inability to measure parameters at each spatial or time location. This problem is nonlinear and time-dependent. The solution is the salt mass fraction, which is uncertain and changes in time. Uncertainties in porosity, permeability, recharge, and mass fraction are modeled using random fields. This work investigates the applicability of the well-known multilevel Monte Carlo (MLMC) method for such problems. The MLMC method can reduce the total computational and storage costs. Moreover, the MLMC method runs multiple scenarios on different spatial and time meshes and then estimates the mean value of the mass fraction. The parallelization is performed in both the physical space and stochastic space. To solve every deterministic scenario, we run the parallel multigrid solver ug4 in a black-box fashion. We use the solution obtained from the quasi-Monte Carlo method as a reference solution.

In studies of dynamic stability and power quality, it is necessary to know the mechanical parameters that determine the transient response of a wind turbine. The exact value of these parameters is not as decisive as the power curve can be, but an estimate that is far from reality can distort or even invalidate the simulation results. Despite its importance, this information, especially the inertia, but also the stiffness and damping constant of the drive-train, is hardly available for the turbine model under investigation. In this work, the different bibliographical sources that provide values of blade inertia in kg·m2 will be reviewed, and above all, those that provide a distribution of masses along the span of the blade. With this, different reliable relations will be obtained that allow calculating the inertia of the turbine rotor, based on the mass and length of the blade. When the center of gravity is also available, a very correlated expression is provided to obtain the inertia. The even rarer references to the stiffness and damping constant of the drive-train will also be reviewed.

We introduce a number of techniques in quantitative convergent-beam electron diffraction under development by our group and discuss the basis for measuring interatomic electrostatic potentials (and therefore also electron densities), localised at sub-nanometre scales, with sufficient accuracy and precision to map chemical bonds in and around nanostructures in nanostructured materials. This has never before been possible as experimental measurements of bonding in quantum crystallography have hitherto always been restricted to homogeneous single-phased crystals.

Graphene oxide (GO) is considered as one of the promising adsorbents for the removal of various heavy metal contaminants in aquatic environment, due to its beneficial structural, chemical and electronic properties. Using the density functional theory (DFT) approach, we investigate the reactivity of a model GO nanoparticule (C30H14O15) toward neutral and charged lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) atoms. We found the model metal-free GO to have a high chemical reactivity. To study the adsorption of the metal atoms on the GO nanoparticle, we have used a single and doubly-adsorbed neutral (Pb0 and Cd0) and charged (Pb2+, Cd2+) atoms. After identified possible adsorption sites on the GO, we found that a single charged metal ion binds more strongly than a neutral atom of the same type. To determine the possibility of multiple adsorptions of GO nanoparticle, two metal atoms of the same species are co-adsorbed on its surface. Our calculations reveals a site-dependent adsorption energy such that when two atoms of the same specie are adsorbed at sites Si and Sj , the binding energy per atom depends on the whether one of the two atoms is adsorbed firstly on the Si or Sj sites. It is also found that the binding energy per atom for two co-adsorbed atoms of the same specie is less than the binding energy of a singly-adsorbed atom which suggests that atoms may become less likely to be adsorbed on the GO nanoparticle when their concentrations increase. This applies to both neutral and charged atoms. We adduce the origin of this observation to be interplay between metal-metal interaction on the one hand and GO-metal on the other, with the former resulting in a less binding for the charged adsorbed metals in particular, due to repulsive interaction between two positively charged ions. The frontier molecular orbitals analysis and the calculated global reactivity descriptors of the respective GO- metal complexes revealed that all the GO-metal complexes have a smaller HOMO-LUMO gap (HLG) relative to that of pristine metal-free GO nanoparticle. This suggests that although the GO-metal complexes are stable, they are less stable compared to metal-free GO nanoparticles. The negative values of the chemical potentials obtained for all the GO-metal complexes further confirms their stability. Our work calculates parameters that will be crucial to rational design of GO nanoparticles for Pb abd Cd ions contaminants removal, and may find application in water purification for example.

Rationale - From the year 1 anno Domini until 1855 with the third Plague, major pandemics occurred on average every 348 years. Since then, they have occurred on average every 33 years, with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) now underway.Even though current technologies have greatly improved the way of life of human beings, COVID-19, with more than 700 000 000 cases and 6 950 000 deaths worldwide by the end of 2023, reminds us that much remains to be done. Objective - Given the frequency and duration of recent pandemics, it might be wise to start thinking about preventative methods to minimize the impact of future pandemics. This report looks back at 18 months of COVID-19, from March 2020 to August 2021, with the aim of highlighting potential solutions that could prove practical, or even essential, for the future. Material - COVID-19 data, including case and death reports, were extracted daily from the Worldometer platform to build a database for macroscopic analysis of the spread of the virus around the world. Demographic data were integrated into the COVID-19 database for a better understanding of the spatial spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in cities/municipalities. Method - Without loss of generality, we only analyzed data from the top 30 (out of 200 and above) countries ranked by total number of COVID-19 cases. Statistics (regression, t-test (p < 0.05), correlation, mean ± std, etc.) were carried out with Excel software. Spectral analysis, using Matlab software, was also used to try to better understand the temporal spread of COVID-19. Results - A good linear correlation was observed between the number of cases and the respective number of deaths depending on the country, i.e. y = 0.0121x + 19559 with R² = 0.8042. The analysis then focused mainly on the number of cases.This study showed that COVID-19 mainly affects G20 countries. The most interesting result is that cities/municipalities with high population density are a powerful activator of the spread of the virus. The current demographic context seems to be becoming a societal problem that must be addressed adequately.Spectral analysis highlighted that the very first months of spread of COVID-19 were the most notable with a strong expansion of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. On the other hand, the following six months showed a certain stability due mainly to multiple preventive measures such as confinement, closure of non-essential services, wearing of masks, distancing of 2 meters, etc. Discussion - Analysis of case and death data showed that COVID-19 mainly affects G20 countries. Nevertheless, the most interesting result of this study is that cities and municipal areas with population densities of several thousand inhabitants per square kilometer largely favored the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It is believed that such a demographic context is becoming a societal problem that developed countries around the world will sooner or later face and therefore needs to be adequately addressed. Conclusion - COVID-19 has made us understand that it is time to act both preventatively and curatively. Phenomenological insights suggest that the next pandemic could occur in less than 50 years. It may be time to launch new societal projects aimed at relieving congestion in densely populated regions.

This study comprehensively investigates Al2O3's mechanical properties, focusing on fracture toughness, surface energy, Young's modulus, and crack propagation. The density functional theory (DFT) is employed to model the vacancies in Al2O3, providing essential insights into this material’s structural stability and defect formation. The DFT simulations reveal a deep understanding of vacancy-related properties and their impact on mechanical behavior. In conjunction with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, the fracture toughness and crack propagation in Al2O3 are explored, offering valuable information on material strength and durability. The surface energy of Al2O3 is also assessed using DFT, shedding light on its interactions with the surrounding environment. The combination of DFT and MD simulations provides a robust framework for a comprehensive understanding of Al2O3's mechanical properties, with implications for material science and engineering applications.

In this study, alfalfa silage with different packing densities (500 kg/m3, 600 kg/m3 and 700 kg/m3) were set up under outdoor high temperature and indoor normal temperature. The chemical composition, fermentation quality and microbial community of alfalfa silage were analyzed. The results showed that DM and WAC content decreased with the increase of density. When the density is 600kg/m3, CP content reaches the maximum and ADF content is the lowest. Temperature has a certain effect on alfalfa silage. The content of Lactobacillus plantarum fermented at high temperature is lower than that fermented at normal temperature. At the same time, the content of Lactobacillus plantarum decreased with the increase of packing density. However, the content of Lactobacillus plantarum was the lowest when the packing density was 600 kg/m3 at high temperature. In summary, this study explained the effects of different temperature and density on alfalfa fermentation quality and microbial community, and clarified that the density should be reasonably controlled within 600 kg/m3 during alfalfa silage, providing theoretical support for production practice.

In this paper, we examine a modified Friedmann model designed to explain cosmic structures and late-time accelerated expansion of the universe, grounded in the spatial distribution of luminous matter. Through comprehensive simulations of our universe, we observe a notable surge in the formation rate of galaxies at redshift z≈1, characterized by a peak expansion rate in cosmic structures formed at z ≈0.9, reaching its zenith at z ≈2. Subsequently, a transition occurs before the onset of dark matter-induced accelerated expansion. The acceleration of the universe stands as an entrenched and virtually model-independent theoretical tenet, resilient to the ongoing debate surrounding the enigma of dark energy. A distinctive redshift transition zone marks the shift from cosmic deceleration to accelerated expansion. The transition is proportional to matter density and contingent upon the geometry of the universe. The influence of the cosmological constant on the evolution of cosmic structures in the CDM paradigm appears insufficient in curtailing the efficiency of late-time structure formation compared to the observed values in the modified model

The pressing process and density profile of particleboards produced with addition of waste wood containing phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin was presented. The particles were melamine-urea-phenol-formaldehyde (MUPF) resinated. Recovered particles were obtained from post-industrial waste plywood. The press closing time recorded during the pressing of mats containing only recovered particles in the core layer (100%), at a unit pressure of 3 MPa, in which the face layer rate was 50%, resin load for face and core layer was 12% and 10% was shorter by 29% than for the industrial particle mats. Regardless of the level of variability of independent factors the overheating time of mats to a temperature of 100 °C, containing recovered particles was 10% - 20% shorter than the time of overheating mats with industrial particles. The greatest impact (52%) on maximum density of the face layer of particleboards was demonstrated by the content of the recovered particles and the resin load (32%). The maximum density area of the face layer was located closer to the surface in particleboards produced with a higher (80%, 100%) content of the recovered particles, a higher (i.e. 12% and 10%, respectively, for face and core layer) resin load, a lower (35%) face layer rate and a higher (3 MPa ) unit pressure.

A study on flywheel geometries is presented here with the use of finite element modelling (FEM) simulations. The study analyses the stress behaviour of flywheel rotors subject to the rotational speed that creates the maximum stress that the flywheel can support, and then calculates the rotational energy mass ratio (energy density) for each geometry. The obtained geometry was Gaussian section for the Flywheel rotor. The used material for the simulations is carbon fibre Hexcel UHM 12000. The best results were a rotational speed of ≈279.000 rpm and rotational energy density of ≈ 440 Wh/kg for a single disk, but this keeps the total energy low. To increase the total energy, Flywheels with 2 and 3 rotors were analysed. Then the stability under rotation of these Flywheels were analysed, some instability was found and a solution was presented.

The main advantage of using the ferroelectric material as a component of complex heterostructure is the ability to tune various properties of the whole system by means of external electric field. In particular, the electric field may change the polarization direction within the ferroelectric material and consequently affect the structural properties, which in turn affects the electronic and magnetic properties of the neighboring material. Besides, the ferroelectrics proceed the electrostriction phenomenon, which is promising to be used to affect the magnetic states of interface state in the heterostructure with a magnetic component. The interfacial phenomena are of a great interest since they provide an extended functionality useful for electronic devices of a new generation. Following an idea of utilizing a ferroelectric in heterostructures component in the present work we consider 2DEG, Rashba effect, the effect of magnetoelectric coupling and magnetostriction in order to emphasize the advantages of such heterostructures as components of devices. For this purpose model systems of LaMnO3/BaTiO3, La2CuO4/BaTiO3, Bi/BaTiO3 and Bi/PbTiO3, Fe/BaTiO3 heterostructures are investigated by density functional theory calculations.

Multi-board electronic cases with high density and high power modules are widely used in industrial power supply management. With the improvement of case performance and miniaturization requirements, heat dissipation becomes one of the important factors to be considered in the design process. First,The existing small electronic thermal design methods focus on heat dissipation structure or heat source layout optimization,and ignores on-load test for modeling analysis. Second,The selected power module has on-load power consumption, resulting in relatively low calorific value and the effectiveness of thermal design cannot be verified. Third, The thermal lacks Intelligent monitoring and feedback control mechanism. In order to solve these problems, this paper designs a kind of heat dissipation case with intelligent temperature control based on high-power and high-density power supply array. Based on the extremely miniaturization design principle, we adopt the composite heat dissipation mode based on conduction and supplemented by forced air cooling . The case is made of magnesium and aluminum alloy with a perforated design. Finally, we compare and analyze with the existing cooling design. The results show that the case is smaller in volume, and the cooling performance parameters are slightly better than the existing case. Under the condition of high-density and high-power design, The output power of the whole system is not less than 10kw and the lowest packing-level density is not less than 47w/cm2 with high reliability, portability and practicability. It also provides technical support and prototype support for the standardized design of similar power arrays.

Changes in the atomic and electronic structure of silicon carbide 3C-SiC (β-SiC), resulting from lead adsorption, have been studied within the density functional theory. The tests were conducted for three representative surfaces with varying degrees of lead coverage. Results indicate that chemisorption occurs, with the strongest binding, found on the hexagonal surface (111) in interaction with three dangling bonds. The adsorption energy rises with increasing coverage, especially as the surface approaches saturation. Analysis of the data was focused on parameters important for corrosion processes such as bond distances, binding energies, Bader charges and charge density difference.

One of the strategies to reduce the contents of the low density lipoproteins (LDLs) in a blood is a hemoperfusion, in which case they are selectively retracted from plasma by an adsorber located outside the patient body. Recently, a photo-controllable smart surface was developed for this purpose characterised by high selectivity and reusability [C.Guo et al., ACS Applied Materials &amp; Interfaces 2022, DOI:10.1021/acsami.2c07193]. We present a mesoscopic model for such a setup involving the azobenzene-containing polymer brush and the model LDL particles. The latter comprise an uniform spherical core covered by a shell of elongated particles representing phospholipids. The system is studied using the coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation. We examined the dependences of the binding energy on both the length of polymer chains and the grafting density of a brush, and established optimal conditions for the adsorption. These are explained by a competition between the concentration of azobenzenes and phospholipids in the same spatial region, flexibility of polymer chains, and excluded volume effects.

The present review article concludes with three different types of materials recently used to enhance the efficiency of supercapacitors. The first type involves carbon-based materials for storage and supercapacitor applications. The carbon materials could be obtained naturally and synthesized manually based on the needs. The second type discusses the recent advances in metal oxide materials for high-performance supercapacitors. The metal oxide materials involve in different types of attachment through the bi-tri metallic bonding, which enhances the specific capacitance. The third type involves recently advanced materials for high energy and power density application. The power and energy density of the materials is enhanced by the surface modification of the materials. In recent days, the MXene and Nano-composite materials seems to be an appropriate material to increase the power and energy density of the device.

Phase synchronization of weakly coupled limit cycle oscillators are related to the stability of the zero solution of the reduced-order dynamics of phase differences, represented by a systems of differential equations on a hypertorus. Using Rantzer's density function, a dual form of Lyapunov function, we propose a method to certify almost global stability of an equilibrium on a hypertorus. We show that the proposed method can certify robustness of phase synchronization of all-to-all and weakly coupled limit cycle oscillators with respect to disturbances in phases. The method leverages sum of squares polynomial optimization to construct the certification function.

Three genera of very large volant birds existed for most of the Pliocene: the Pelagornithidae seabirds; the large North American Teratornithidae and the stork Leptoptilos falconeri in Africa and Asia. All became extinct around 3 Ma. The reasons for their demise are puzzling, as the Pelagornithidae had a world-wide evolutionary history of more than 50 Ma, smaller teratorns were still extant in the Holocene and smaller stork species are still globally extant. Extant large birds have a common critical takeoff airspeed suggesting a biomechanical limit in terms of power, risk and launch speed, and simulations of the flight of these extinct species suggest that at 1 bar they would have exceeded this value. Estimates for the Late Pliocene atmospheric density are derived from marine and terrestrial isotopes as well as resin chemistry, both approaches suggesting a value of about 1.2 bar, which drops to present levels during the period 3.3 to 2.6 Ma, thus a loss in atmospheric density may have caused biomechanical and ecological stress contributing to their extinction and/or development of smaller forms. This hypothesis is examined in terms of a possible mechanism of atmospheric mass loss and how this would be seen in the geological record. At 1.2 bar all the extinct species present takeoff airspeeds similar to large extant volant birds and which match the expected power and kinetic energy levels.

Significant progress has made in pattern recognition technology. However, one obstacle that has not yet overcome is the recognition of words in the Brahmi script, specifically the recognition of characters, compound characters, and word because of complex structure. For this kind of complex pattern recognition problem, it is always difficult to decide which feature extraction and classifier would be the best choice. Moreover, it is also true that different feature extraction and classifiers offer complementary information about the patterns to be classified. Therefore, combining feature extraction and classifiers, in an intelligent way, can be beneficial compared to using any single feature extraction. This study proposed the combination of HOG +zonal density with SVM to recognize the Brahmi words. Keeping these facts in mind, in this paper, information provided by structural and statistical based features are combined using SVM classifier for script recognition (word-level) purpose from the Brahmi words images. Brahmi word dataset contains 6,475 and 536 images of Brahmi words of 170 classes for the training and testing, respectively, and the database is made freely available. The word samples from the mentioned database are classified based on the confidence scores provided by support vector machine (SVM) classifier while HOG and zonal density use to extract the features of Brahmi words. Maximum accuracy suggested by system is 95.17% which is better than previously suggested studies.

To generate a probability density function (PDF) for fitting probability distributions of real data, this study proposes a deep learning method which consists of two stages: (1) a training stage for estimating the cumulative distribution function (CDF) and (2) a performing stage for predicting the corresponding PDF. The CDFs of common probability distributions can be adopted as activation functions in the hidden layers of the proposed deep learning model for learning actual cumulative probabilities, and the differential equation of trained deep learning model can be used to estimate the PDF. To evaluate the proposed method, numerical experiments with single and mixed distributions are performed. The experimental results show that the values of both CDF and PDF can be precisely estimated by the proposed method.

The dislocation density tensors of thin elastic shells have been formulated explicitly in terms of the Riemann curvature tensor. The formulation reveals that the dislocation density of the shells is proportional to KA3=2, where K is the Gauss curvature and A is the determinant of metric tensor of the middle surface.

Fractal array antennas are multiband arrays having ultra wide band and space filling facility. But Side lobe levels and large number of antenna elements are the major designing challenges of these arrays. In this paper, design and analysis of octagonal fractal array antenna is investigated with Morse-Thue fractal density tapering technique (MTFDT). Due to the proposed technique, a remarkable improvement has observed in Side lobe levels and thinning of the elements can also be attained at the various iterations of octagonal fractal array antenna. These arrays are analyzed and simulated by MATLAB-15 programming.

Predicting human trajectories poses a significant challenge due to the complex interplay of pedestrian behavior, which is influenced by environmental layout and interpersonal dynamics. This complexity is further compounded by variations in scene density. To address this, we introduce a novel dataset from the Festival of Lights in Lyon 2022, characterized by a wide range of densities (0.2-2.2 ped/m2). Our analysis demonstrates that density-based classification of data can significantly enhance the accuracy of predictive algorithms. We propose an innovative two-stage processing approach, surpassing current state-of-the-art methods in performance. Additionally, we utilize a collision-based error metric to better account for collisions in trajectory predictions. Our findings indicate that the effectiveness of this error metric is density-dependent, offering prediction insights. This study not only advances our understanding of human trajectory prediction in dense environments but also presents a methodological framework for integrating density considerations into predictive modeling, thereby improving algorithmic performance and collision avoidance.

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles have risen concerns about their possible toxicity and the European Food Safety Authority recently banned the use of TiO2 nano-additive in food products. Following the intent of relating nanomaterials atomic structure with their toxicity without having to conduct large scale experiments on living organisms, we investigate the aggregation of titanium dioxide nanoparticles using a multi-scale technique: starting from ab initio Density Functional Theory to get an accurate determination of the energetics and electronic structure, we switch to classical Molecular Dynamics simulations to calculate the Potential of Mean Force for the connection of two identical nanoparticles in water; the fitting of the latter by a set of mathematical equations is the key for the upscale. Lastly, we perform Brownian Dynamics simulations where each nanoparticle is a spherical bead. This coarsening strategy allows studying the aggregation of a few thousand nanoparticles. Applying this novel procedure, we find three new molecular descriptors, namely, the aggregation free energy and two numerical parameters used to correct the observed deviation from the aggregation kinetic described by the Smoluchowski theory. Molecular descriptors can be fed into QSAR models to predict the toxicity of a material knowing its physicochemical properties, without having to conduct large scale experiments on living organisms.

Osteoporosis is considered a serious public health problem, particularly affecting the postmenopausal period. In 2018, in the Republic of Kazakhstan the total and primary incidence was 10 and 3.7 cases per 100,000 adults, respectively. The objective is to study osteoporosis prevalence and indicate main factors affecting low bone mineral density by screening adult population of Abay region, Kazakhstan. The target group were 641 respondents aged between 18 and 65 years old, Kazakh population living in Abay region since birth. All participants filled out questionnaire and had a bone mineral density measurement by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) between July 15, 2023 and February 29, 2024. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between low bone mineral density and key demographic characteristics, aforementioned lifestyle factors and nutrition habits. We identified the prevalence of low bone density and osteoporosis at the level of 34.1% with the highest prevalence in the older population group (50+ years) - 48.3%. Regression analysis revealed a number of indicators associated with the likelihood of bone sparing. However, only 4 of these showed significance in the final multivariate model (R2=22.4%). These included age (AOR 1.05), body mass index (AOR 0.92), fracture history (AOR 1.64), consumption of nuts and dried fruits were associated with lower prevalence of osteoporosis (AOR 0.48). Our study was the first in Kazakhstan that investigates the association of key demographic, behavior and anamnestic factors with low mineral density.

The regioselectivity in non-polar [3+2] cycloaddition (32CA) reactions has been studied within the Molecular Electron Density Theory (MEDT) at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level. To this end, the 32CA reactions of nine simplest three-atom-components (TACs) with 2-methylpropane were selected. The electronic structure of the reagents has been characterised through the Electron Localisation Function (ELF) and the Conceptual DFT. The energy profiles of the two regioisomeric reaction paths and ELF of the transition state structures are studied to understand the origin of the regioselectivity in these 32CA reactions. This MEDT study permits to conclude that the least electronegative ends X1 atom of these TACs controls the asynchronicity in the C-X (X = C,N,O) single bond formation, and consequently, the regioselectivity. This behaviour is a consequence of the fact that the creation of the non-bonding electron density required for the formation of the new CX single bonds has a lesser energetic cost at the least electronegative X1 atom than that at the Z3 one.

The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory abilities of beeswax alcohol (BWA) are well reported in animal and human clinical studies, with a significant decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) in blood, reduction of liver steatosis, and decrease in insulin. On the other hand, there is insufficient information to explain the in vitro antioxidant activity of BWA because it is extremely insoluble in aqueous buffer system. The BWA mixture was incorporated into reconstituted HDL (rHDL) with apoA-I, and the physiological functions of BWA in a water system were evaluated. After synthesis of rHDL with palmitoyloleoyl phosphatidylcholine (POPC), cholesterol, apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), and the BWA at molar ratios of 95:5:1:0 (rHDL-0), 95:5:1:0.5 (rHDL-0.5), and 95:5:1:1 (rHDL-1) for POPC:FC:apoA-I:BWA, the particle size of rHDL-1 was increased 15% compared to rHDL-0. rHDL-1 exhibited the strongest anti-glycation activity, up to 18% less glycation than rHDL-0 treated HDL3, with the highest protection of apoA-I from proteolytic degradation: a 28% larger band intensity than that of rHDL-0 treated HDL3 in the presence of fructose (final 250 mM). The antioxidant ability to inhibit cupric ion-mediated LDL oxidation increased as the BWA content in rHDL increased. The rHDL-1-treated LDL exhibited the smallest oxidation extent in electromobility with the least quantification of oxidized species (MDA). The antioxidant activities of HDL, ferric ion reduction ability (FRA), and paraoxonase (PON) were enhanced by the BWA in rHDL treatment with a concomitant increase in the molar ratio. rHDL-1-treated HDL showed 20–22% higher FRA and PON activities than rHDL-0-treated HDL. A microinjection of each rHDL into zebrafish embryos was performed in the presence of carboxymethyllysine (CML). The rHDL-1 injected embryo exhibited the highest survivability (~63%), whereas the CML alone group showed 28% survivability. A higher BWA content in rHDL helped neutralize the CML toxicity, resulting in higher survivability and normal developmental morphology. In contrast, the CML alone injected embryo showed severe retardation of the developmental speed and morphological defect. The CML-alone group showed the highest extent of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and cellular apoptosis in embryos, but a co-injection of rHDL-1 resulted in a remarkable decrease in ROS and apoptosis. The dermal application of rHDL containing BWA resulted in higher potent wound-healing activity in a dose-dependent manner with decreased reactive oxygen species and cellular apoptosis in the cutaneous wound area in the presence of CML. Conclusively, incorporating BWA in rHDL significantly enhanced the anti-glycation and antioxidant activities in rHDL via more stabilization of apoA-I with a larger particle size. The rHDL containing BWA facilitated enforced inherent antioxidant ability of HDL and anti-inflammatory activity to suppress the CML toxicities in zebrafish embryos and to ameliorate CML-aggravated chronic wounds in adult zebrafish.

Temporal changes of population densities and species richness of three main pollinator groups: moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera), bees, wasps and sawflies (Hymenoptera) and hoverflies, horse-flies, tachninids and bee flies (Diptera) were investigated in the Carpathian Basin. Maintaining pollinator divesrity is a crucial factor for preserving our biodiversity and ecosystems, furthermore several pollinator species has strong economic role in maintaning crop and fruit cultures. Our conclusions are based on our three or four decades of faunistic surveys in various regions of the Carpathian Basin. Analysing and comparing our data with the historical data of the last 50 years, we concluded, densities of some pollinators were declined during the past decade and the half (Symphyta, hoverflies), although populations of several species of Mediterranean-origin were grown (Aculeata) and even new species were migrated from the warmer regions. In numerous cases, this decrease was dramatic: more than 90% decrease of certain butterfly species were detected. On the other hand, the composition of pollinator fauna significantly changed due to the disappearance of some montaneous or mesophyle species. The main reason of decrease of pollinator communities is partly the climatic change and partly anthropogenic factors. Our conclusion: in our region, the pollinator crisis is present, but moderate; however, there is clear sign of the gradual transition of our pollinator fauna towards the Mediterranean type.

Antarctica and its surrounding environment are considered untouched and thought that it is free from microplastics (MPs) pollution. However, recent studies and science projects have reported MPs in both water and sediment in the South Polar Regions. The reports state that the MP’s pollution occurs in this region due to fishing, tourism, and research activities by the nearby countries and nature's circulation is also part of it. The Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) has received attention on MP’s pollution and initiated research on it. MPs are tiny plastic particles with a size of less than 5 mm. It has two types, 1. Primary MPs have been manufactured directly for various applications like cosmetics and scrubbing etc 2. The secondary MPs are generated by photochemical degradation of large plastics.Although several studies have been done there is a quite gap in our understanding of the concentration, characteristics, and impact of plastics on the ecosystem of the Antarctic Region. The impact of MP’s pollution in this region may be very high. The presence of MP is a serious issue that is affecting not only the aquatic environment but also humans. It is an alarming situation that causes environmental damage. The main objective of this paper is to review MP's introduction, occurrence, sources, harmful effects, and detection methods. This review highlighted the various methodologies and analyses like density separation, microscope observation of MP’s properties Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Raman spectrometer respectively, and urged for more research in the future and gave several recommendations to maintain the pristine region near Antarctica.

In recent years, the Chinese government pays more and more attention to agricultural development and ecological protection. While improving the cultivated land green use efficiency(CLGUE) is the key to promote the sustainable development of agriculture. This study aims to study the current situation and influencing factors of agricultural production from the perspective of green utilization efficiency of cultivated land. It takes 39 cities in the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin in China as an example. The CLGUE values in those 39 cities from 2011 to 2020 were specifically measured, using the Super-SBM model, kernel density estimation and geographic detector method. Their temporal and spatial heterogeneity was described, and the influencing factors were detected at both single and interactive levels. The results showed that: （1）From 2011 to 2020, the green utilization efficiency value of cultivated land in the Yangtze River Basin showed an upward trend on the whole; （2）There is a clear spatial heterogeneity the CLGUE values in the Yangtze River Basin cities, as shown by: downstream region > midstream region > upstream region; (3) Cultivated land resource endowment, socioeconomic development, and agricultural production technology are important factors affecting the variability of CLGUE values. However, there are some differences in the degree and direction of influence of different influencing factors on different sample subgroups.

The Brahmaputra is one of the largest rivers in the world, ranking fifth in average discharge. As a result, it is heavily braided with various intricate paths in order to dissipate its huge energy. Although this river is normally classed as a braided river, it has recently been classified as an anastomosing river due to its multi-channel features over alluvial plains. Additionally, the Brahmaputra river’s morphology is random in nature as a result of its high flow variability and bank erodibility. Its anastomosing planform changes in response to seasonal water and sediment waves, resulting in a morphology that is extremely complex. The purpose of this study is to examine the Brahmaputra river’s anastomosing planform entropy as a measure of complexity, power spectral density as a measure of fluctuation and their relationship to the energy expenditure as an imprint of flflow rate of river systems on alluvial landscapes.

The common dolphin is the second most bycaught species in Korean waters. To provide key information about their habitat boundaries and hotspots for spatial conservation and management, the spatial use of this species was examined using data obtained from sighting and bycatch surveys of cetacean during the past 20 years. The 95% minimum convex polygon and 95% density contour of fixed kernel suggested that the boundary of home range of common dolphins is limited to the coastal region (Busan-Sokcho) of the East Sea/Sea of Japan. From 50% density contours dawn by kernel density estimation, it was suggested that their hotspots are around the cost of Ulsan-Pohang, Doghae, and Sokcho within the home range. Common dolphins are not at all distributed in the Yellow Sea. Hence, shallow waters, such as the coastal region of the Yellow Sea, are not suitable habitats for common dolphins.

We investigate a single-particle density of states in the three-dimensional system described by effective two-band Hamiltonian which describes a ground state in two distant electronic phases: the semimetalic nodal-loop phase and the insulating gapped phase. Analysis of valence bands and Fermi surfaces in both phases indicates that the density of states crucially depends on the parameter in the Hamiltonian of the system that controls a topological alternation of the Fermi surface. The signature of that alternation is expected to play an important role in all quantities closely related to the density of electronic states, such as charge transport and optical conductivity of the system for example.

Plant roots have significant effects on the soil erosion rates, since they can strongly change the soil detachment capacity (Dc). This study quantifies Dc at different flow rates in soils with Alnus subcordata species, compared to three other species (Brachythecium plumose, Gleditsia caspica and Sambucus ebulus species) in the Saravan forest park and develops regression equations for predicting Dc. Undisturbed samples collected from soils with the four tree species and subjected to five slopes (from 4.3 to 38.3%) and five water discharges (from 0.28 to 0.71 l m−1 s−1) using a hydraulic flume. The results showed that Dc was significantly lower in soils with Alnus subcordata species compared to Brachythecium plumose, Gleditsia caspica and Sambucus ebulus species, as the consequence of the changes in the root characteristics, so that Dc was negatively correlated with root weight density, root length and root biomass. The unit stream power had high accuracy for predicting Dc for all of the studied species. The lowest value of rill erodibility (Kr) was obtained in soils with Alnus subcordata species using regression relationship between the Dc and the shear stress of the soil. This experiment helped to show the importance of plant roots in reducing the soil detachment rates and provided a contribution in understanding the choice of appropriate species for soil conservation.

Although the concept of additive manufacturing has been proposed for several decades, momentum of selective laser melting (SLM) is finally starting to build. In SLM, density and surface roughness, as the important quality indexes of SLMed parts, are dependent on the processing parameters. However, there are few studies on their collaborative optimization in SLM to obtain high relative density and low surface roughness simultaneously in the previous literature. In this work, the response surface method was adopted to study the influences of different processing parameters (laser power, scanning speed and hatch space) on density and surface roughness of 316L stainless steel parts fabricated by SLM. The statistical relationship model between processing parameters and manufacturing quality is established. A multi-objective collaborative optimization strategy considering both density and surface roughness is proposed. The experimental results show that the main effects of processing parameters on the density and surface roughness are similar. It is noted that the effects of the laser power and scanning speed on the above objective quality show highly significant, while hatch space behaves an insignificant impact. Based on the above optimization, 316L stainless steel parts with excellent surface roughness and relative density can be obtained by SLM with optimized processing parameters.

In 1969, Jean-Marie Souriau introduced a “Lie Groups Thermodynamics” in Statistical Mechanics in the framework of Geometric Mechanics. This Souriau’s model considers the statistical mechanics of dynamic systems in their "space of evolution" associated to a homogeneous symplectic manifold by a Lagrange 2-form, and defines in case of non null cohomology (non equivariance of the coadjoint action on the moment map with appearance of an additional cocyle) a Gibbs density (of maximum entropy) that is covariant under the action of dynamic groups of physics (eg, Galileo's group in classical physics). Souriau Lie Group Thermodynamics was also addressed 30 years after Souriau by R. F. Streater in the framework of Quantum Physics by Information Geometry for some Lie algebras, but only in the case of null cohomology. Souriau method could then be applied on Lie Groups to define a covariant maximum entropy density by Kirillov representation theory. We will illustrate this method for homogeneous Siegel domains and more especially for Poincaré unit disk by considering SU(1,1) group coadjoint orbit and by using its Souriau’s moment map. For this case, the coadjoint action on moment map is equivariant. For non-null cohomology, we give the case of Lie group SE(2). Finally, we will propose a new geometric definition of Entropy that could be built as a generalized Casimir invariant function in coadjoint representation, and Massieu characteristic function, dual of Entropy by Legendre transform, as a generalized Casimir invariant function in adjoint representation, where Souriau cocycle is a measure of the lack of equivariance of the moment mapping.

Recently, federated learning (FL) has been receiving great attention as an effective machine learning method to avoid the security issue in raw data collection as well as to distribute the computing load to edge devices. However, even though wireless communications is a essential part for implementing FL in edge networks, there have been a few works that analyze the effect of wireless networks on FL. In this paper, we investigate FL in small-cell networks where multiple base stations (BSs) and users are located according to homogeneous Poisson point process (PPP) with different densities. We comprehensively analyze the effects of geographic node deployment on the model aggregation in FL on the basis of stochastic geometry-based analysis. We derive the closed-form expressions of coverage probability with tractable approximations and discuss the minimum required BS density for achieving a target model aggregation rate in small-cell networks. Our analysis and simulation results provide insightful information for understanding the behaviors of FL in small-cell networks, and it can be exploited as a guideline for designing the network facilitating the wireless FL.

One of the intriguing recent results in the field of high-entropy alloys is the discovery of single-phase equiatomic multi-component Laves intermetallics. However, there is no clear understanding that a combination of chemical elements will form such high-entropy compounds. Here we contribute to understanding this issue by modifying the composition of duodenary TiZrHfNbVCrMoMnFeCoNiAl (12x) alloy in which we recently reported the fabrication of hexagonal C14 Laves phase. We consider three alloys based on 12x: 7x=12x-VCrMoMnFe, 12x+Sc, 12x+Be and observe that all of them crystalize with the formation of C14 Laves phase as a dominant structure. We report that 12x+Be alloy reveals single-phase C14 structure with very high concentration of structural defects and ultra-fine dendritic microstructure with almost homogenous distribution of the constituted elements over the alloy matrix. The 7x and 12x+Sc alloys contain C14 as a main phase and unknown impurity phases. To characterize the materials, we examine their heat capacity, electrical conductivity and magnetic properties. The measurements reveal that the Laves phases are Curie-Weiss paramagnets, which demonstrate metallic conduction; 7x and 12x alloys also reveal a pronounced Kondo-like anomaly. Analysis of experimental data as well as ab initio calculations suggests that chemical complexity and compositional disorder cause strong s-d band scattering and thus the rather high density of d-states in the conduction band. Analysis of the results suggests that the mechanism of Laves phase formation in multicomponent multi-principal element metallic alloys is may be the same as in polydisperse hardspheres mixtures. Another important conclusion is that the configurational entropy is a negligible factor in the stabilization of multi-element Laves phases.

Based on recent progress in cosmological thermodynamics, we present a new thermody- namic formulation of the Friedmann equations in the new Haug-Tatum cosmology model, as well as for other similar models put forward in the literature from different solutions to Einstein’s field equation. Since the CMB temperature has been measured much more accu- rately than the Hubble constant, we demonstrate that our thermodynamic formulation of the Friedmann equation dramatically narrows the acceptable range for the critical density of the universe. Furthermore, we show how our thermodynamic formulation leads to a more precise cosmological constant estimate.

By using the Sala-i-Martin version of extreme bounds analysis, which is based on the cumulative density function, cross-sectional evidence is presented on the robust determinants of the infection and case mortality rates of Covid-19. The results show that, for most part, different factors determine the infection and mortality rates in developed and developing countries. However, common factors are also apparent, including the risk environment, the number of tests per million and the percentage of population over 65. Notwithstanding the possibility that the official data represent a partial reflection of the truth, it is concluded that the results presented in this study provide useful information that may aid decision-making in the fight against the pandemic.

Learning disorders (LD) are diagnosed in children whose academic skills of reading, writing or mathematics are impaired and lagged according to their age, schooling and intelligence. Children with LD experience substantial working memory (WM) deficits, even more pronounced if more than one of the academic skills is affected. We compared the task-related EEG power spectral density of children with LD (n= 23), with a control group of children with good academic achievement (n= 22), during the performance of a WM task. sLoreta was used to estimate the current distribution at the sources, and 18 brain regions of interests (ROIs) were chosen with an extended version of the eigenvector centrality mapping technique. In this way, we lessen some drawbacks of the traditional EEG at the sensor space by an analysis at the brain sources level over data-driven selected ROIs. Results: The LD group showed fewer correct responses at the WM task, an overall slower EEG with more theta activity in all ROIs, less upper-alpha power at posterior areas, and less high-frequency beta activity in frontal areas. We explain these EEG patterns in LD children as indices of an inefficient neural resource management related with a delay in the neural development.

A 4×2 factorial experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential of feeding dietary gamma-oryzanol and vitamin E tocotrienols in hens reared in 840 (low cage density; LCD) or 420 cm2/hen (high cage density; HCD). A total of 120 hens were allocated into eight groups with five replicates. Diets were a control (CON) or the control diet supplemented with 200 ppm gamma-oryzanol (GO-200), 200 ppm vitamin E tocotrienols (VE-200) or 200 ppm gamma-oryzanol + 200 ppm vitamin E tocotrienols (GE-400). Results showed that HCD-housed hens decreased (P &lt; 0.01) egg performance and quality. Average egg weight (AEW), egg mass and FCR improved in all supplemented treatments. Results on the AEW, FCR, and eggshell qualities of birds kept at the HCD revealed the best responses in the GE-400 group (P &lt; 0.01). Among hens kept on an HCD, there was a noticeable decrease in HMGCR mRNA abundance in the VE-200 group, while the highest IFN-γ mRNA abundance was found in hens fed the GO-200 diet (P &lt; 0.05). Thus, this study suggested that dietary GO or VE at 200 ppm either individually or in combination could improve performance and egg quality as well as regulate the abundance of immune- and stress-related genes.

Although fragility fractures, osteoporosis, sarcopenia and frailty are becoming more prevalent in our aging society the treatment options are limited and preventative strategies are needed. Despite magnesium being integral bone and muscle physiology the relationship between dietary magnesium and skeletal muscle and bone health has not been investigated concurrently before. We analysed cross-sectional associations between dietary magnesium and skeletal muscle mass (as fat free mass – FFM), grip strength and bone density (BMD) in 156,575 men and women aged 39-72 years from the UK Biobank cohort. FFM was measured with bioelectrical impedance and expressed as the percentage of body weight (FFM%) or divided by body mass index (FFM_BMI). Adjusted mean grip strength, FFM%, FFM_BMI, and BMD were calculated according quintiles of dietary magnesium, correcting for covariates. Significant inter-quintile differences across intakes of magnesium existed in men and women respectively of 1.1% and 2.4% for grip strength, 3.0% and 3.6% for FFM%, 5.1% and 5.5% for FFM_BMI, and 2.9% and 0.9% for BMD. These associations are as great or greater than annual measured losses of these musculoskeletal outcomes indicating potential clinical significance. Our study suggests that dietary magnesium may play a role in musculoskeletal health and have relevance for population prevention strategies for sarcopenia, osteoporosis and fractures.

This study aimed to demonstrate the potential role of Dual Energy CT in assessing Bone Mineral Density (BMD) in postmenopausal women. A retrospective study was conducted on 51 postmenopausal female patients who underwent DXA and DECT examinations for other clinical reasons. DECT images were acquired with spectral imaging using a 256-slice system. These images were processed and visualized using an HAP(fat) map. Statistical analysis was performed using the Bland-Altman method to assess agreement between DXA and DECT HAP(fat) measurements. Mean BMD, vertebral and femoral T-scores were obtained. For vertebral analysis, the Bland-Altman plot showed an inverse correlation (R2: -0.042; RMSE: 0.690) between T-scores and DECT HAP(fat) values for measurements from L1 to L4, while a good linear correlation (R2: 0.341; RMSE: 0.589) it was found for measurements at the femoral neck. In conclusion, we demonstrated the enhanced accuracy of BMD calculation through DECT, finding a statistically significant correlation only at the femoral neck where BMD results do not seem to be influenced by the overlap of the measurements on cortical and trabecular bone. This outcome could be beneficial in the future by reducing radiation exposure for patients already undergoing follow-up for chronic conditions.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) and osteoporosis are two of the most widespread metabolic disease in the world. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of DM among patients affected by osteoporosis and fragility fractures, and to search differences in clinical features. Methods: 713 patients belonging to CTO Bone Unit because of osteoporosis and fragility fractures were divided into two groups, according to the diagnosis of DM. The clinical and bone characteristics of patients were compared. Results: Prevalence of DM was 10.8%. When compared to patients without DM, the median age at the time of first fracture was similar (72 years ± 14 IQR vs 71 years ± 12 IQR); prevalence of combination of vertebral and hip fractures was higher (p=0.039), as well as prevalence of males, although not significantly (p=0.051). Bone mineral density (BMD) at all sites was higher in DM group; Trabecular Bone Score (TBS), instead, was significantly lower (p&lt;0.001). Conclusions: Patients with fragility fractures and DM more frequently show combination of major fractures with higher BMD levels. In these patients, TBS could be a better indicator of bone health than BMD and therefore should be used as a diagnostic tool in clinical practice.

This paper describes the packaging models that are fundamental for the design of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC), and their evolution. They are divided into two large groups: continuous and discrete models. The latter are those that provide the best answer in obtaining an adequate simulation of the packing of the particles up to nanometric size. This includes the interaction among the particles by means of loosening and wall coefficients, allowing a simulation of the virtual and real compactness of such particles. In addition, a relationship between virtual and real compactness is obtained, through the compaction index, which may simulate the energy of compaction that the particles undergo in their placement in the mold. The use of last-generation additives allows such models to be implemented with water-cement (w/c) ratios close to 0.18. However, the premise of maximum packing as a basic pillar for the production of UHPC should not be the only one. The cement hydration process affected by nanoadditions and the ensuing effectiveness in the properties in both fresh and hardened state according to the respective percentages in the mixture should also be studied. An adequate ratio and proportion of these additions may lead to an obtaining of better results even with lower levels of compactness.

Rural areas, as a system, face multiple challenges. Among these are population decline and attendant economic and social maladies namely demographic issues considering a scarce population. Pull factors for immigrants to go to other countries are known, nevertheless, to comprehend factors for remaining in rural areas after arriving could support a strategic local policy, and for an informed practice. The purpose of the study is to explore motivations shaping immigrants’ intentions to stay in the Alentejo, a depopulated region in Portugal, using a qualitative approach. Research questions are: What motivates immigrants to remain living in depopulated regions in Portugal? Furthermore, what contributions can practitioners and immigrants give for local policy and practice? Eight practitioners and fifteen non-European Union immigrants living in this region were interviewed between 2020 and 2021. Empirical data were analysed, supported by MaxQDA software. Results point out that the intention to remain in rural areas arise from a progressive construction, it is a process that immigrants experience to become motivated to stay long-term. Factors influencing the process include four components: 1. instrumental and material motivations; 2. emotional and social motivations; 3. motivations based on quality of life; and 4. motivations based on political dimensions. Components are conditioned by the availability of : stable and suitable jobs, access to decent and affordable housing, as well as quality of education and health services for their children; additionally to socio-emotional satisfaction, as family reunification, migrants network, integration and real intercultural living in the host community, close relationships to practitioners from social services; and quality of life, such as lower rents, peaceful and secure living conditions, granted a better future for their children as in any another place in Europe, associated finally to the simplified policy enabling one to become a legal citizen. Conclusions highlight implications for policy and practice, suggesting more investment for rural regions to reverse depopulation reality.

Hydrogen is now recognized as the primary alternative to fossil fuels due to its renewable, safe, high energy density and environmentally friendly properties. Efficient hydrogen production through water splitting has laid the foundation for sustainable energy technologies. However, when hydrogen production is scaled up to industrial levels, operating at high current densities introduces unique challenges. It is necessary to design advanced electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) under high current densities. This review will briefly introduce chal-lenges posed by high current densities on electrocatalyst, including catalystic activity, mass dif-fusion and catalyst stability. In an attempt to address these issues, various electrocatalyst design strategies are summarized in detail. In the end, our insights into future challenges for efficient large-scale industrial hydrogen production from water splitting are presented. This review is expected to guide the rational design of efficient high current density water electrolysis electro-catalysts and promote the research progress of sustainable energy.

The performance of Yttrium-Barium Copper Oxide (YBCO) high-temperature superconductors in high-frequency applications is significantly affected by the microwave surface resistance (Rs). The paper delves into the basics, measuring methods and factors affecting the resistance (Rs) in YBCO, highlighting its high critical temperature (Tc) and low resistance, positioning it as a promising material. YBCO's compatibility with epitaxial growth and microstructure engineering offers opportunities to reduce grain boundary effects and improve Rs, making it advantageous for high-frequency electronics, communication systems, and MRI coils. This is due to its high critical current density (Jc) and exceptional Rs at practical temperatures. Challenges remain in comprehending and managing Rs in YBCO, despite its favorable characteristics. Utilizing advanced fabrication methods and incorporating nanotechnology allow for customization of YBCO-based devices. Multi-scale modeling and simulation are essential for guiding experimental work and understanding YBCO's performance in high-frequency settings. This study highlights the promise of YBCO for future high-frequency technologies and stresses the importance of more research to overcome hurdles and fully exploit its capabilities, potentially transforming superconducting devices for practical use.

This paper concentrates on the general birth-death processes with two different types of catastrophes. The Laplace transform of transition probability function for birth-death processes with two-type catastrophes are is successfully expressed with the Laplace transform of transition probability function of the birth-death processes without catastrophe. The first effective catastrophe occurrence time is considered. The Laplace transform of its probability density function, expectation and variance are obtained.

The possibility of using graphane monolayer crystals as the electrode material is becoming popular. Graphane is stable at room temperature and has large surface area, but its chemical inertness hinders its direct interactions with Li ions. In this study, we performed density functional theory calculations to study the energetic stability, structural and electronic properties of Li on graphane with various CH divacancy configurations (v12, v13 and v14 ). The results show that adsorption of Li atom reduces the formation energy of the CH divacancy configurations. The Li-v12 is most stable with the highest binding energy of 3.25 eV/Li and relaxes to in-plane with other C atoms. Altering the Li charge state to have Li−1-v12 or Li+1 -v12 affects the energetic stability and electronic characters of Li-v12 . The Li−1-v12 (Li +1-v 12 ) enhances (reduces) the binding force between Li and v 12 configuration, and furthermore it improves (deteriorates) the conductivity of the structure. Further investigation of graphane with vacancies is encouraged due to these intriguing observations, as it holds promise for potential utilization as an electrode material.

Articular cartilage lacks intrinsic regenerative capabilities, and the current treatments fail to regenerate damaged tissue and lead only to temporary pain relief. These limitations have prompted the development of tissue engineering approaches, including 3D culture systems. Thanks to their regenerative properties and capacity to recapitulate embryonic processes, spheroids obtained from mesenchymal stromal cells are increasingly studied as building blocks to obtain functional tissues. The aim of this study was to investigate the capacity of adipose stromal cells to assemble in spheroids and differentiate toward chondrogenic lineage from the perspective of cartilage repair. Spheroids were generated by two different methods (3D chips vs Ultra-Low Attachment plates), differentiated toward chondrogenic lineage, and their properties were investigated by: molecular biology analyses, biophysical measurement of mass density, weight, and size of spheroids, and confocal imaging. Overall, spheroids showed the ability to differentiate by expressing specific cartilaginous markers that correlate with their mass density, defining a critical point at which they start to mature. Considering the spheroid generation method, this pilot study suggested that spheroids obtained with chips are a promising tool for the generation of cartilage organoids that could be used for preclinical/clinical approaches, including the realization of personalized therapy.

This study aims to assess the interface shear adhesion behaviour between compacted clay and a metallic surface. A new testing approach was developed in this study for this purpose. The proposed method is simple and requires neither advanced equipment nor special test procedures, and thus represents an improvement on existing practice in this field. The experimental program involves determining the interface shear adhesion strength of reconstituted Kaolin clay/metallic surface where the Kaolin clay testing specimens were compacted dynamically at different energy levels and moisture contents. In general, the results show that the interface shear adhesion strength increases as the dry density of the clay increases, whereas it decreases as the moisture content increases. Furthermore, the results in this study reveal a unique multistage interfacial shear adhesion strength behaviour as the moisture content changes that could be related to the compaction curve of the clay. The observed behaviour, in this study, could be interpreted in terms of the effect of clay dry density and moisture content on the contact area and moisture-induced capillary adhesion at clay particles-continuum interface surface.

Nonparametric density estimation for nonnegative data is considered in a situation where a random sample is not directly available but the data are instead observed from the length-biased sampling. Due to the boundary bias problem of the location-scale kernel, the approach in this paper is an application of asymmetric kernel. Two nonparametric density estimators are proposed. The mean integrated squared error, strong consistency, and asymptotic normality of the estimators are investigated. Some simulations illustrate the finite sample performance of the estimators.

The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction can lead to high value-added molecules production while helping decrease anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Copper can reduce CO2 to more than thirty different hydrocarbons and oxygenates, but it lacks the required selectivity. We present a computational investigation of the role of nano-structuring and alloying in Cu-based catalysts on the activity and selectivity of CO2 reduction to one-carbon products: carbon monoxide, formic acid, formaldehyde, methanol, and methane. The adsorption, activation, and conversion of CO2 were computed on monometallic and bimetallic (decorated and core-shell) 55-atom Cu-based clusters. The dopant metals considered were Ag, Cd, Pd, Pt, and Zn, located at different coordination sites. The relative binding strength of the intermediates at different applied potentials were used to identify the optimal catalyst for the selective CO2 conversion to one carbon products. It was discovered that single atom doping with Cd and Zn is optimal for the CO2 to carbon monoxide conversion. The core-shell models with Ag, Pd, and Pt provided higher selectivity for formic acid and formaldehyde. The Cu-Pt and Cu-Pd showed lowest overpotential for methane formation.

Research have been conducted in many countries around the world to assess air quality during COVID-19 pandemic, especially during lockdown period, some of these studies found an increase or decrease in some pollutants. This paper investigates the impact of COVID-19 on seven air pollutants (i.e., PM_2.5, PM₁₀, NO₂, O₃, SO₂, H₂S, CO) from the period January 2020 to December 2020 in the State of Kuwait. Kuwait is a desert country located in the north-eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula, and the northeast of the Arabian Gulf (Persian as it is sometimes called). Several analytical methods were conducted, such as spatial analysis (spatial interpolation) to study the distribution of the studied variables. The data was also statistically analysed (time series analysis - Kernel density) to study the temporal changes. The analysis also included applying air quality index to the data. We found that concentrations for the pollutants decreased during the pandemic due to the decrease of anthropogenic sources including such as traffic and petroleum activities, but the concentration for PM_2.5 increased, mostly because of the transported dust coming with the northwest winds prevailing in Kuwait from the Arabian deserts and Iraq.

Cesiumtrifluoroacetate (CsTFA) is a key chemical for RNA-based stable isotope analyses to link the structure and function of microbial communities. We report a protocol to easily synthesize CsTFA from Cesiumcarbonate (Cs₂CO₃₎ and Trifluoroacetate (TFA) and show that self-synthesized CsTFA behaves similar to commercial CsTFA in the separation of isotopically labelled and unlabelled E. coli RNA.

β-dicalcium silicate (β-Ca₂SiO₄, or β-C₂S in cement chemistry notation) is one of the most important minerals in cement. An improvement of its hydration rate would be the key point for developing environmentally friendly cements with lower energy consumption and CO₂ emissions. However, there is a lack of fundamental understanding on the water/β-C₂S surface interactions. In this work we aim to evaluate the water adsorption on three β-C₂S surfaces at the atomic scale using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Our results indicate that thermodynamically favorable water adsorption takes place in several surface sites, with a broad range of adsorption energies (−0.78 to −1.48 eV), depending on the particular mineral surface and adsorption site. To clarify the key factor governing the adsorption, the electronic properties of water at the surface were analyzed. The partial density of states (DOS), charge analysis, and electron density difference analyses suggest a dual interaction of water with β-C₂S (100) surface: a nucleophilic interaction of the water oxygen lone pair with surface calcium atoms, and an electrophilic interaction (hydrogen bond) of one water hydrogen with surface oxygen atoms. Despite the elucidation of the adsorption mechanism, no correlation was found between the electronic structure and the adsorption energies.

In mega cities such as Seoul in South Korea, it is very important to protect the city from the flooding even for the short time of period due to the enormous amount of economic damage. In impervious area of the city, stormwater pipe network is commonly applied to discharge rainfall to the outside of catchment. Therefore, the stormwater pipe network in urban catchment should be carefully designed to discharge the runoff quickly and efficiently. In this study, different types of structures in stormwater pipe network were evaluated using the relationship between the peaks rainfall and runoff in urban catchments in South Korea. More than 400 historical rainfall events were applied in five urban catchments to estimate peak runoff from different type of network structures. Linear regression analysis was implemented to estimate peak runoffs. The coefficient of determination of the regressions were higher than 0.9 which means the regression model represent very well the relationship between the two peaks. However, the variation of the prediction becomes large as the peak rainfall increases and the variation become even larger when the network structure is branched. Therefore, it depends on the structure of stormwater pipe network. When the water paths in the pipe network is unique (branched network), the increased amount of rainfall is congested around the rainwater inlets and the uncertainty of peak runoff prediction is increased. If there are many possible water paths depending on the amount of discharge (looped network), the increased rainfall is discharged more quickly through the many water paths. This can be a way to represent the reliability of the stormwater pipe network. The structures of stormwater pipe network is evaluated using drainage density which is the length of pipes over the unit catchment area and 95% confidence interval. As a result, the 95% confidence interval is increased as the drainage density is increased because the accuracy of peak runoff prediction is decreased. As mentioned earlier, because the looped networks have many alternative water flowing paths, elimination time of rainfall from the catchments become short, the 95% confidence interval become narrow, and the reliability of peak runoff prediction become high. Therefore, it is beneficial to install looped stormwater pipe network within the affordable budget. It is important factor to determine the amount of complexity in stormwater pipe network to decrease the risk of urban flooding.

Novel high energy density materials N14 (1,6-dihydro-1,2,3,3a,4,5,5a,6,7,8,8a,9,10,10a-tetradecazapyrene) and N18 (1,2,2a,3,4,4a,5,6,6a,7,8,8a,9,10,10a,11,12a-octadecazacoronene) were designed, and their structures, detonation performance and stabilities were calculated employing density functional theory (DFT). Calculations reveals that they have a good balance between high energy and stability. Their energy gaps between LUMO and HOMO are all lower than that of TATB, while their impact sensitivity h_50% is estimated close to that of RDX. Concerning energy, detonation performance of the N14 (P = 43.6 GPa, D = 10040 m/s, Q = 2214 cal/g) and the N18 (P = 37.4 GPa, D = 9400 m/s, Q = 2114 cal/g) are comparable to CL-20.

In this paper, the synthesis of two novel luminescent Eu3+ ion complexes [Eu(TFT)3(phen) (1) and Eu(TFT)3(bpy)•Hex (2)] based on the combination of 2-(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)-1-tetralone (TFT), containing n-donor ligands (1,10-phenanthroline or 2,2'-Bipyridine) and Eu3+ ion is reported herein, and their structural features are discussed on the basis of X-ray crystallographic and thermal analyses. We observed that the ligands transfer energy effectively to the metal center by fluorescence, IR and UV spectrograms studies. The structures and properties of complexes 1-2 were optimized by the DFT theoretical calculation, and the calculation results were consistent with the experimental X-ray structure data and spectral analysis.

Abstract. Introduction: BMD study gives partial information on bone health in patients with TSH suppression therapy due to Differentiated Thyroid Cancer (DTC). TBS, a new parameter of bone microarchitecture is propose for bone quality study. This study analyze their long-term use in patients with DTC. Methods: BMD was measured by DXA and TBS with iNsigth software in 145 postmenopausal DTC patients. Vertebral Fractures (VFs) with a semi-quantitative x-ray method. Results: BMD at the end study was not different from initial. TBS decreased from 1.35±0.1 to 1.27±0.1 (p=0.002). PTH, Osteocalcin, and BAP were increased, suggesting increased bone remodeling. There was an increase in osteoporosis and osteopenia (40.6% and 16.5% to 46.6% and 18.6%); 31% had partially degraded and 15.1% degraded TBS changed to 48,9% and 24,8% at the end study. VFs in 30 patients, was not different in age, BMI, calcium and alcohol ingestion, smoking, radioiodine, or thyroid parameters vs. without VFs. Odds ratio for VFs increased with osteopenia (OR 2.63). Combination of TBS plus TBS did not improve discrimination. Conclusions: TBS was lowered while BMD did not differ. Percentage of osteoporosis and osteopenia and of partially degraded and degraded TBS was higher at the end study. Predominant discordance rate was found in partially degraded microarchitecture, in which the proportion of osteopenia was higher than normal or osteoporotic patients. AUC of TBS plus BMD did not improve discrimination. TBS, radioactive iodine, and sedentary lifestyle were the main differential data for patients with DTC and VFs.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent disease and the leading cause of pain, disability, and quality of life deterioration. Our study sought to evaluate the image quality and dose of cone-beam com-puted tomography arthrography (CBCT-A) and compare them to digital radiography (DR) for OA diagnosis. Overall, 32 cases of CBCT-A and DR with OA met inclusion criteria and were prospectively analyzed. The Kellgren and Lawrence classification (KLC) stage, sclerosis, osteo-phytes, erosions, and mean joint width (MJW) were compared between CBCT-A and DR. Image quality was excellent in all CBCT-As, with excellent inter-observer agreement. OA un-der-classification was noticed with DR for MJW (p=0.02), osteophyte detection (<0.0001), and KLC (P<0.0001). The HU values obtained for the CBCT did not correspond to the values for MDCT, with a greater mean deviation obtained with the MDCT HU for MBIR1 than MBIR2. CBCT-A has been found to be more reliable for OA diagnosis than DR as revealed by our results using three-point rating scale for the qualitative image analysis, with higher quality and an ac-ceptable dose. Moreover, the use of this imaging technique permits the preoperative assessment of extremities in OA diagnosis, the upright position and bone microarchitecture analysis being two other advantages of CBCT-A.

: Considering that Einstein's relation between the diffusion coefficient and the drift mobility of the free randomly moving charge carriers in homogeneous materials including metals is always valid, it is shown that the effective electric force acting on free electrons in metal depends on the ratio between the kinetic free electron energy at the Fermi surface to the classical particle energy 3kT/2. The electrical resistivity of elemental metals dependence on very low temperatures has the quadratic term, which has been explained by electron-electron scattering. In this paper, it is shown that the quadratic term of the electrical resistivity at low temperatures is caused by scattering of the free RM electrons by electronic defects due to linear effective free electron scattering cross-section dependence on temperature, but not by electron-electron scattering.

The endothelium plays a key role in blood vessel health. At the interface of the blood, it releases several mediators that regulate local processes and that protect against the development of cardiovascular disease. In this interplay, there is increasing evidence for a role of extracellular nucleotides and endothelial purinergic P2Y receptors (P2Y-R) in vascular protection. Recent advances have revealed that endothelial P2Y1-R and P2Y2-R mediate nitric oxide-dependent vasorelaxation as well as endothelial cell proliferation and migration, which are processes involved in the regeneration of damaged endothelium. However, endothelial P2Y2-R, and possibly P2Y1-R, have also been reported to promote vascular inflammation and atheroma development in mouse models, with endothelial P2Y2-R also being described as promoting vascular remodeling and neointimal hyperplasia. Interestingly, at the interface with lipid metabolism, P2Y12-R has been found to trigger HDL transcytosis through endothelial cells, a process known to be protective against lipid deposition in the vascular wall. Better characterization of the role of purinergic P2Y-R and downstream signaling pathways in determination of the endothelial cell phenotype in healthy and pathological environments has clinical potential for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Cropland area per capita and pressure index on cropland is the important parameters measuring the social vulnerability and sustainability in the perspective of food security in a certain region in China during the historical periods. This study reconstructs the spatial distribution change of cropland area per labor/household and pressure index on cropland during the 17th-20th century by the methods of historical documents, regression analysis, pressure index model and GIS. Then it analyzed the impacting process of climate change and sustainability of cropland use during the different periods. It draws conclusions: (i) the spatial difference of labor/household density was obvious which had the same pattern as cropland distribution during the same periods, which is higher density in three agricultural areas. (ii) Cropland area per capita was relatively higher during the 17th-18th century, which were above 0.4 ha/person in majority counties and distributed homogenously. Till the 19th century and the beginning of 20th century, cropland area per capita in large amount of regions decreased below 0.2 ha/person embodying the increase of social vulnerability and unsustainability at that time. (iii) Pressure index on cropland also showed the similar spatial pattern as cropland area per capita which presented lower threshold than nowadays. During the 17th-18th century there was no pressure on cropland. While, in the 19th century and at the beginning of 20th century, two high value centers of pressure index on cropland appeared in Middle Shandong and the Jiaodong region, pressure on sustainable cropland use increased obviously and a food crisis is probably created. (iv) Higher sustainable extent of cropland use corresponds to cold period, and lower sustainable extent of cropland use corresponds to warm period in Shandong over the past 300 years. The turning point of 1680s from dry to wet attributes to the decrease of sustainable extent of cropland use in Shandong not very distinctively. More and more pressure on sustainability of cropland use finally since the beginning of 20th century would intensify the social conflict and increase the probability of social revolts.

Low dietary intake of calcium, vitamin D, vitamin C and magnesium has been associated with increased risk of osteoporosis. The purpose of the study was to evaluate changes in several bone health indicators and metabolic biomarkers in postmenopausal women, with high osteopenia or osteoporosis, followed by a nutritional intervention program. 115 apparently healthy postmenopausal women (52±8 years old) were randomized into four groups: group I (n=40) received daily 1000 mg vitamin C, 100 mcg vitamin D3, 500 mg calcium(Ca) and 300 mg magnesium (Mg); group II (n=42) received daily 100 mcg vitamin D3, 500 mg Ca and 300 mg Mg; group III (n=18) received daily 5 mg bisphosphonates, 100 mcg vitamin D3, 500 mg Ca and 300 mg Mg; and group IV (n=15) received daily about 364 mg polyphenols via an innovative functional food (50 g olive paste enriched with mountain tea extract) along with 100 mcg vitamin D3, 500 mg Ca and 300 mg Mg. Groups I -III received supplementation for a year whereas group IV for 5 months. Changes in bone health indicators and metabolic biomarkers were assessed at the beginning and at the end of the study. Anthropometric indices and whole-body bone mineral density (BMD) were also evaluated at the beginning and at the end of the intervention period. The results revealed improved elevated levels of 25(OH)D3, in groups II, III and IV (+3,71% and +1.45% and +5.62% respectively). Significant positive changes were recorded, for whole-body BMD, in all four study groups. Significant beneficial changes for total cholesterol were observed in group IV (-2.07%, P&lt;0.05) and positive changes in group I for HDL biomarker (+61.62%, P&lt;0.05). Additional larger-scale clinical trials and intervention studies are considered essential, to fully investigate and elucidate associations between dietary components and biochemical indices of bone health.

In thermal friction drilling (TFD) operations, the geometrical dimensions of bushing shape, height and wall thickness are the most vital consequences, due to increasing the connecting length and strength. In this paper, AA7075-T651 aluminum alloys with 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 mm in thicknesses were drilled with TFD process in order to investigate the density, the volume ratio, and height and wall thickness of the bushings. The experiments were conducted at constant spindle speed and feed rate conditions by using HSS conical tools of 5, 10, 15, and 20 mm in diameters. It was experimentally found that the bushing height and the wall thickness were tendency of increase linearly with increasing both material thickness and tool diameter. The effect of tool diameter was found to have much of influence on the measured values than the thickness of the drilled material. The density of the bushing was changed inconsiderably. Approximately 70-75 % percentages of the evacuated material composed the bushing shape, in TFD operations.