Fatty acids and glucose are the main bioenergetic substrates in mammals that are alternatively used during the transition between fasting and feeding. Impairment of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation causes mitochondrial myopathy leading to decreased physical performance. Here, we report that haploinsufficiency of ADCK2, a member of the aarF domain-containing mitochondrial protein kinase family, in human is associated with liver dysfunction and severe mitochondrial myopathy with lipid droplets in skeletal muscle. In order to better understand the etiology of this rare disorder, we generated a heterozygous Adck2 knockout mouse model to perform in vivo and cellular studies using integrated analysis of physiological and omics data (transcriptomics-metabolomics). The data show that Aldh2+/- mice exhibits impaired fatty acid oxidation, liver dysfunction, and mitochondrial myopathy in skeletal muscle resulting in lower physical performance. Significant decrease in CoQ biosynthesis was observed and supplementation with CoQ partially rescued the phenotype both in the human subject and mouse model. These results indicate that ADCK2 is involved in organismal fatty acid metabolism and in CoQ biosynthesis in skeletal muscle. We propose that patients with isolated myopathies and myopathies involving lipid accumulation be tested for possible ADCK2 defect as they are likely to be responsive to CoQ supplementation.

Global financial investments in energy production and consumption are significant since all aspects of a country's economic activity, and development require energy resources. In this paper, we assess the investment trends in the global energy sector during, before and after financial crises of 2008 using two data sources: (1) Dealogic database providing cross‐border mergers and acquisitions (M&As), and (2) fDi Intelligence fDi Markets database providing greenfield (GF) foreign direct investments (FDIs). We highlight the changing role of China and compare its M&A and GF FDI activities to those of the United States, Germany, UK, Japan and others during this period. We analyze the investments along each segment of the energy supply chain of these countries to highlight the geographical origin and destination, sectoral distribution, and cross‐border M&As and GF FDI activities. Our paper shows that while energy accounts for nearly 25% of all GF FDI, it only accounts for 4.82% of total M&A FDI activity in the period 1996-2016. China's outbound FDI in the energy sector started its ascent around the time of the global recession and had accelerated in the post-recession phase. In the energy sector, the development of China's outbound cross‐border M&As is similar to USA or UK, located mostly in the developed countries in the west, while their outbound GF investments are spread across many countries around the world. Also, China's outbound energy M&As are concentrated in certain segments (extraction, and electricity generation) while their GF covers all segments of the energy supply chain.

In this paper, we introduce a new generalization of the Hermite polynomials via (p, q)-exponential generating function and investigate several properties and relations for mentioned polynomials including derivative property, explicit formula, recurrence relation, integral representation. We also de…ne a (p, q)-analogue of the Bernstein polynomials and acquire their some formulas. We then provide some (p, q)-hyperbolic representations of the (p, q)-Bernstein polynomials. In addition, we obtain a correlation between (p, q)-Hermite polynomials and (p, q)-Bernstein polynomials.

An active power dispatch method for a microgrid (MG) with multi-type loads, renewable energy sources (RESs) and distributed energy storage devices (DESDs) is the focus of this paper. The MG operates in a grid-connected model, and distributed power sources contribute to the service for load demands. The outputs of multiple DESDs are controlled to optimize the active power dispatch. Our goal with optimization is to reduce the economic cost under time-of-use (TOU) price, and to adjust the excessively high or low load rate of distributed transformers (DTs) caused by the peak-valley demand and load uncertainties. To simulate a practical environment, the stochastic characteristics of multi-type loads are formulated. The transition matrix of system state is provided. Then, a finite-horizon Markov decision process (FHMDP) model is established to describe the dispatch optimization problem. A learning-based technique is adopted to search the optimal joint control policy of multiple DESDs. Finally, simulation experiments are performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, and the fuzzification analysis of the method is presented.

The aim of this article is three-fold: firstly, it is to highlight how the different Bantustans with the focus to Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda, and Ciskei also know as the (TBVC) States secured extra territories. However, these Bantustans remained unrecognized in the international community because of their financial dependence to the apartheid regime. Secondly, the successes and failures of this process are fundamental in understanding the territorial monopolies of the Bantustans and thirdly we will interrogate how the Bantustan residents who were against the process mobilized other residents to reject the proposal and attempts of territorial expansion. Furthermore, this article contributes to the broader Bantustan’s historiography on the intended economic spin-offs with these endeavors. We contend that the above have received little scholarly attention. The methodology of this article draws from an historical approach and utilizes a range of different archival documentary sources, most importantly material housed in South Africa’s national archives and British Commonwealth archives. In conclusion, we argue in this article that these developments of territorial expansion had little benefits for the Bantustans and the extended territories adjacent to them.

Background and Objectives: Clinical trials are a critical step in the development of new medicines and medical devices, testing the efficacy and safety of new treatment regimens. However, if the results of clinical trials are not made public, the evidence base on interventions is incomplete and possibly distorted, which lead to suboptimal treatment choices and negatively affect public health. This study analyses and contrasts the laws and regulations governing clinical trial registration and reporting in China and the United States. Methods: We used desk research to compile, assess and compare current laws, regulations, compliance patterns, and enforcement mechanisms and actions in China and the United States (U.S.). Policy documents were downloaded from Chinese and U.S. government websites. A spreadsheet analysis was utilized for direct comparison. Results: Both China and the U.S. have laws and regulations governing clinical trial registration and reporting. Chinese legislation covers a broader range of trials. In the U.S. trial results must be disclosed to both the national regulator and the public, while Chinese law mandates disclosure to the regulator alone. Cross-country comparisons of regulatory compliance by trial sponsors are impossible due to the opacity of the Chinese data platform. Neither country effectively ensures that all clinical trial results are made public as required by the Declaration of Helsinki and recommended by the WHO. Interpretation: While neither country is perfect, both may be able to learn from each other. There is a major gap in the literature regarding the extent of non-publication of clinical trial results by sponsors operating in China.

Formation of the excited doublet (D) and quartet (Q) states of free radicals under their photoexcitation is discussed. Relative positions of D and Q states are compared to the positions of photoexcited states of organic molecules (Jablonsky diagram). A number of representative cases of the detected by emission or absorption excited is presented. A special case of the population lowest Q-state in some radicals of is discoursed. Spin-statistical factor in the reactions of Q and D is debated.

Emotions or affective states recognition in farm animals is an underexplored research domain. Despite significant advances in the animal welfare research, the animal affective computing through the development and application of devices and platforms that can not only recognize but interpret and process the emotions, are in nascent stage. By capitalizing on the immense potential of biometric sensors, the artificial intelligence enabled big data methods substantially offers advancement of animal welfare standards and meet the urgent need of caretakers to respond effectively to maintain the wellbeing of their animals. Farm animals, numbering over 70 billion worldwide, are increasingly managed in large-scale, intensive farms. With both public awareness and scientific evidence growing that farm animals experience suffering, as well as affective states such as fear, frustration and distress, there is an urgent need to develop efficient and accurate methods for monitoring their welfare. At present, there are no scientifically validated ‘benchmarks’ for quantifying transient emotional (affective) states in farm animals, and no established measures of good welfare, only indicators of poor welfare, such as injury, pain and fear. Conventional approaches to monitoring livestock welfare are time consuming, interrupt farming processes and involve subjective judgments. Biometric sensors data enabled by Artificial Intelligence are an emerging smart solution to unobtrusively monitoring livestock, but their potential for quantifying affective states and groundbreaking solutions in their application are yet to be realized. This review provides innovative methods for collecting big data on farm animal emotions, which can be used to train artificial intelligence models to classify, quantify and predict affective states in individual pigs and cows. Extending this to the group level, social network analysis can be applied to model emotional dynamics and contagion among animals. Finally, ‘digital twins’ of animals capable of simulating and predicting their affective states and be-havior in real time are a near-term possibility.

In the last two decades, variably doped strontium barium niobate (SBN) has attracted a lot of scientific interest mainly due to its specific non-linear optical response. Comparably, the parental compound, i.e., undoped SBN, appears to be less studied so far. Here, two different cuts of single-crystalline nominally pure strontium barium niobate in the composition Sr0.61Ba0.39Nb2O6 (SBN61) are comprehensively studied and analyzed with regard to their photoconductive responses. We present conductivity measurements under systematically varied illumination conditions along either the polar z-axis or perpendicular to it (x-cut). Apart from a pronounced photoconductivity (PC) already under daylight and a large effect upon super-bandgap illumination in general, we observe (i) distinct spectral features when sweeping the excitation wavelength over the sub-bandgap region as then discussed in the context of deep and shallow trap states, (ii) extremely slow long-term relaxation for both light-on and light-off transients in the range of hours and days, (iii) a critical dependence of the photoresponse on the pre-illumination history of the sample, and (iv) a current-voltage hysteresis depending on both the illumination and the electrical-measurement conditions in a complex manner.

Astrocytes perform a wide variety of essential functions defining normal operation of the nervous system, and are active contributors to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer among others. Recent data provide compelling evidence that distinct reactive astrocyte states are associated with specific stages of Alzheimer´s disease. The advent of transcriptomics technologies enables rapid progress in the characterisation of such pathological astrocyte states. In this review, we provide an overview of the origin, main functions, molecular and morphological features of astrocytes in physiological as well as pathological conditions related to Alzheimer´s disease. We will also explore the main roles of astrocytes in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer´s disease and summarize main transcriptional changes and altered molecular pathways observed in astrocytes during the course of the disease.

Spatially uniform optical excitations can induce Floquet topological band structures within insulators which can develop similar or equal characteristics as are known from three-dimensional topological insulators. We derive in this article theoretically the development of Floquet topological quantum states for electromagnetically driven semiconductor bulk matter and we present results for the lifetime of these states and their occupation in the non-equilibrium. The direct physical impact of the mathematical precision of the Floquet-Keldysh theory is evident when we solve the driven system of a generalized Hubbard model with our framework of dynamical mean field theory (DMFT) in the non-equilibrium for a case of ZnO. The physical consequences of the topological non-equilibrium effects in our results for correlated systems are explained with their impact on optoelectronic applications.

Although most biological processes are characterized by a strong temporal asymmetry, several popular mathematical models neglect this issue. Maximum entropy methods provide a principled way of addressing time irreversibility, which leverages powerful results and ideas from the3literature of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics. This article provides a comprehensive overview of these issues, with a focus in the case of spike train statistics. We provide a detailed account of the5mathematical foundations and work out examples to illustrate the key concepts and results from non-equilibrium statistical mechanics

Lineage diversity can refer to the number of genetic lineages within species or to the number of deeper evolutionary lineages, such as genera or families, within a community. Community lineage diversity (CLD) is of interest to ecologists, evolutionary biologists, biogeographers, and those setting conservation priorities. Despite its relevance, it is not clear how to best quantify CLD. With North American tree communities as an example, we test which taxonomic and phylogenetic metrics best measure CLD. We find that phylogenetic metrics outperform taxonomic metrics. Faith’s phylogenetic diversity performs well, but is skewed towards the number of lineages in recent time. The best metric is newly derived here, and termed time integrated lineage diversity (TILD). Mapping the lineage diversity of tree communities across the contiguous United States, we find a spatial pattern differing from that of species richness in key areas. The Pacific Northwest, Great Lakes Region, state of Maine, and south-eastern piedmont and coastal plain forests all emerge as areas high in lineage diversity, but relatively lower in species richness. We urge the consideration of lineage diversity, as well as species richness, when setting conservation priorities.

Self-administered pre-participation screening for physical activity (PA) requires an instrument that should be easily used and identify individuals at high risk. The Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q+) has been used for many years. Its ease of use and ability to identify those not fit to undergo PA has not been assessed. This study was to determine the rates of the PAR-Q+ in identifying adults who may not be fit for moderate or intense PA and obtain feedback on the use of this tool. A public on-line voluntary survey on the PAR-Q+ was carried out obtaining participants’ bio-characteristics, them completing the PAR-Q+ form and providing feedback. With 1019 participants, about 57.8% engaged in at least 150 minutes of PA weekly. This decreased with increasing number of co-morbidities. Increasing age was associated with more co-morbidities. About 33.1% of the participants using the PARQ+ would have required further medical evaluation. Only 3 of the 7 main PAR-Q+ questions were easily understood. Difficulties were encountered with 39 of the 44 follow-up questions, especially amongst those with co-morbidities. The large number of technical terms was also a source of concern. The PAR-Q+ would need extensive simplification before it may be recommended for use.

Given the landscape of intricate and constantly evolving cyber threats, organizations demand refined strategies to deploy a Security Information and Event Management to support the management of a Cyber Security Operations Center. The dynamic nature of cyber threats complicates the efficient allocation of the location of network intrusion detection sensors, a critical component of a robust cybersecurity framework. Our research introduces an approach that integrates the precision of biomimetic optimization algorithms with the adaptability of Deep Q–Learning. By employing different biomimetic algorithms enhanced with deep learning, we aim to refine the deployment of sensors in network infrastructures, balancing the network security imperative against deployment costs. The results of computational tests demonstrate that the improved iterations leveraging Deep Q–Learning have outperformed their native counterparts. These findings underscore the importance of reinforcement learning, specifically through Deep Q–Learning, as a powerful tool to enhance the effectiveness of metaheuristics in addressing optimization challenges.

We investigate a singularly perturbed q-difference differential Cauchy problem with polynomial coefficients in complex time and space with quadratic nonlinearity. We construct local holomorphic solutions on sectors in the complex plane with respect to the perturbation parameter with values in some Banach space of formal power series in space with analytic coefficients on shrinking domains in time. Two aspects of these solutions are addressed. One feature concerns asymptotic expansions in the parameter for which a Gevrey type structure is unveiled. The other fact deals with confluence properties as q tends to 1. In particular the built up Banach valued solutions are shown to merge in norm to a fully bounded holomorphic map in all its arguments that solves a nonlinear partial differential Cauchy problem.

Intermediate CAG expansions in the gene ataxin-2 (ATXN2) are a known risk factor for ALS, but little is known about their role in FTD risk. Moreover, their contribution to the risk and phenotype of patients might vary in populations with different genetic background. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship of intermediate CAG expansions in ATXN2 with the risk and phenotype of ALS and FTD in the Spanish population. Repeat-Primed PCR was performed in 620 ALS and 137 FTD patients in three referral centers of Spain to determine the exact number of CAG repeats. In our cohort, ≥27 CAG repeats in ATXN2 was associated with a higher risk of developing ALS (odds ratio [OR] = 2.666 [1.471-4.882]; p = 0.0013), but not FTD (odds ratio [OR] = 1.446 [0.558-3.574]; p = 0.44). Moreover, ALS patients with ≥27 CAG repeats in ATXN2 showed shorter survival rate compared to those with <27 repeats (hazard ratio [HR] 1.74 [1.18, 2.56], p = 0.005), more frequent limb onset (odds ratio [OR] = 2.34 [1.093-4.936]; p = 0.028), as well as family history of ALS (odds ratio [OR] = 2.538 [1.375-4.634]; p = 0.002). Intermediate CAG expansions of ≥27 repeats in ATXN2 are associated with ALS risk, but not with FTD, in the Spanish population. ALS patients carrying an intermediate expansion in ATXN2 show more frequent limb onset, but worse prognosis than those without expansions. In patients carrying C9orf72 expansions, the intermediate ATXN2 expansion might increase the penetrance and modify the phenotype.

The asymptotic behavior of the analytic solutions of a family of singularly perturbed q-difference-differential equations in the complex domain is studied. Different asymptotic expansions with respect to the perturbation parameter and to the time variable are provided: one of Gevrey nature, and another of mixed type Gevrey and q-Gevrey. This asymptotic phenomena is observed due to the modification of the norm established on the space of coefficients of the formal solution. The techniques used are based on the adequate path deformation of the difference of two analytic solutions, and the application of several versions of Ramis-Sibuya theorem.

Limited availability of expensive alloying elements elevates low-alloyed steels to a unique position in the field of lightweight construction and mass production. Quenching and partitioning (Q&P) heat treatments of low-alloyed steels with exceptional property combinations are particularly promising. In this study, we characterize for the first time a new low-alloyed steel to be processed by Q&P heat treatments. In combined experimental and numerical studies, we design a novel approach that effectively combines the short cycle times of press hardening with the excellent property profiles of Q&P-treated steels. We identify appropriate transformation parameters for Q&P heat treatments by dilatometric studies and we adjust a number of reference conditions with different isothermal holding times. By means of SEM analysis and XRD measurements, we show that different fractions of retained austenite result in different mechanical properties. Initial numerical designs of the process can identify varying temperature profiles and cooling rates depending on the position in the die. The results show that the geometry of the part plays a minor role, but the die temperature is the dominant factor for successful partitioning directly in the press hardening process.

We examine a family of nonlinear q-difference-differential Cauchy problems obtained as a coupling of linear Cauchy problems containing dilation q-difference operators, recently investigated by the author, and quasi-linear Kowalevski type problems that involve contraction q-difference operators. We build up local holomorphic solutions to these problems. Two aspects of these solutions are explored. One facet deals with asymptotic expansions in the complex time variable for which a mixed type Gevrey and q-Gevrey structure is exhibited. The other feature concerns the problem of confluence of these solutions as q tends to 1.

Rhenium Disulfide (ReS2) has evolved as a novel 2D transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) material which has promising applications in optoelectronics and photonics because of its distinctive anisotropic attributes. In this review, we emphasize on formulating saturable absorbers (SAs) based on ReS2 to produce Q-switched and mode-locked pulsed lasers of diverse operation wavelengths like 1 μm, 1.5 μm, 2 μm, and 3 μm. We outline ReS2 synthesis techniques and integration platforms concerning solid-state and fiber-type lasers. We discuss the laser performance based on SAs attributes. Lastly, we draw conclusions and outlook by recommending additional improvements for SA devices so as to advance the domain of ultrafast photonic technology.

A linear Cauchy problem with polynomial coefficients wich combines q-difference operators for q>1 and differential operators of irregular type is examined. A finite set of sectorial holomorphic solutions w.r.t the complex time is constructed by means of classical Laplace transforms. These functions share a common asymptotic expansion in the time variable which turns out to carry a double layers structure which couples q-Gevrey and Gevrey bounds. In the last part of the work, the problem of confluence of these solutions as q tends to 1 is investigated.

In this paper, by using the q-integer, we introduce a new generalization of Fibonacci and Lucas sedenions called q-Fibonacci and q-Lucas sedenions. We present some fundamental properties of these type of sedenions such as Binet formulas, exponential generating fuctions, summation formulas, Catalan's identity, Cassini's identity and d'Ocagne's identity.

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.

There is a growing consensus that to effectively adapt to climate change, cities need user-friendly tools and reliable high-resolution biophysical and socio-economic data for analysis, mapping, modeling, and visualization. This study examines availability of various types of information used in climate adaptation plans of 40 municipalities with population less than 300,000 people in the United and in France, probing into the choice and usage of relevant information by small municipalities. We argue that non-climatic spatial data, such as population demographic and socio-economic patterns, urban infrastructure, and environmental data must be integrated with climate tools and datasets to inform effective vulnerability assessment and equitable climate adaptation planning goals. Climate adaptation plans frequently fail to address the existing structural inequalities and environmental injustices in urban infrastructure and land use. Adaptation methodological approaches should be reassessed in the context of much needed societal transformation. Lessons learned from our studies offer valuable insights for potential development of the national and state-level climate adaptation information services for cities.

Maxwell's electric equation and Schrödinger quantum equation are used to find useful expressions for the probability of electrons existence and the electrons transport. The first expression which uses special relatively also shows that the probability of the electrons existence is higher for lower energy states compared to higher energy states where the probability is low. This means that electrons transport takes place from higher energy states to lower states. This conforms to the laws of chemistry where the atom tends to be stable by forcing electrons to occupy lower energy states. The second expression used the momentum velocity relation instead of special relatively. This expression shows also electrons transport from higher to lower states. It also shows that the probability of the electrons existence is higher for lower electrons density regions and lower for higher electrons density regions. This means that the electrons transport is from higher density regions to lower density regions. This conforms to the diffusion law.

Azobenzene-containing molecules may associate with each other in systems such as self-assembled monolayers or micelles. The interaction between azobenzene units leads to a formation of exciton states in these molecular assemblies. Apart from local excitations of monomers, the electronic transitions to the exciton states may involve charge transfer excitations. Here, we perform quantum chemical calculations and apply transition density matrix analysis to quantify local and charge transfer contributions to the lowest electronic transitions in azobenzene dimers of various arrangements. We find that the transitions to the lowest exciton states of the considered dimers are dominated by local excitations, but charge transfer contributions become sizable for some of the lowest ππ* electronic transitions in stacked and slip-stacked dimers at short intermolecular distances. In addition, we assess different ways to partition the transition density matrix between fragments. In particular, we find that the inclusion of the atomic orbital overlap has a pronounced effect on quantifying charge transfer contributions if a large basis set is used.

UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 6 presents difficulties for small island developing states such as the Kingdom of Tonga, which relies on rainwater and groundwater lenses for freshwater supply. Planning and managing water resources to supply demands in dispersed small islands under variable climate and frequent extreme events is challenging. Tensions between water planning using top-down versus bottom-up processes have long been recognized. Tonga’s overarching national planning instrument is the Tonga Strategic Development Framework, 2015-2025 (TSDFII). This identifies desired national outcomes and is used to direct and resource Ministries and address international and regional commitments. Water supply was a low priority in the three-month consultations that led to TSDFII. Community Development Plans (CDPs), developed by rural villages throughout Tonga’s five Island Groups over nine years, involved participation from 80% of each village population who ranked local priorities. Analysis of priorities in 117 available village CDPs reveals improvements to village water supply was the highest overall priority in all five Island Groups and ranked within the top three priorities by 76% of all villages, with women, youth and men returning figures of 83%, 66% and 80% respectively. The mismatch between top-down and bottom-up priorities appears to result from an urban/rural divide.

We construct families of ground state representations of the U(1)-current net and of the Virasoro nets Vir_c with central charge c ≥ 1. We show that these representations are not covariant with respect to the original dilations, and those on the U(1)-current net are not solitonic. Furthermore, by going to the dual net of with respect to the ground state representations of Vir_c, one obtains possibly new family of Möbius covariant nets on S¹.

This article deals with a finite-source stock-dependent stochastic inventory system with heterogeneous servers and retrial facility. The system can store up to S number of items, and the lifetime of each item follows an exponential distribution. The primary customers arrive in a finite waiting hall from a finite source and get service from the multi-channel (c-heterogeneous servers). The customer’s arrival rate depends on the present stock level. Those customers who arrive while the waiting hall is full enter into the finite orbit. Also, customers in the waiting hall can become impatient and enter the orbit. The (s,Q) ordering policy is adopted for the replenishment of stocks. In the steady state, the joint probability distribution of a number of items in the inventory, busy servers, customers in the waiting hall, and orbit is computed. The comparative numerical analysis of heterogeneous and homogeneous servers on the expected total cost, the average number of customers in the waiting hall and orbit, the fraction of successful retrial rate, and the average impatient customer rate are also carried out.

A family of singularly perturbed q-difference-differential equations under the action of a small complex perturbation parameter is studied. The action of the formal monodromy around the origin is present in the equation, which suggests the construction of holomorphic solutions holding logarithmic terms in both, the formal and the analytic level. We provide both solutions and describe the asymptotic behavior relating them by means of q-gevrey asymptotic expansions of some positive order, with respect to the perturbation parameter. On the way, the development of a space product of Banach spaces in the Borel plane is needed to provide a fixed point for a coupled system of equations.

Propolis was widely used in health preservation and disease healing, it contains many ingredients. The previous study had been revealed that the propolis has a wide range of efficacy, such as antiviral, immune enhancement, anti-inflammatory and so on, but its antiviral components and underlying mechanism of action remain unknown. In this study, we investigated the chemical composition, and anti-PPV and immunological enhancement of Propolis Flavonoid(PF). Chemical composition of PF was distinguished by UPLC-Q/TOF-MS/MS analysis.The presence and characterized of 26 major components was distinguished in negative ionization modes.To evaluate the effects of PF used as adjuvant on the immune response porcine parvovirus (PPV). Thirty Landrace-Yorkshire hybrid sows were randomly assigned to 3 groups, and the sows in adjuvant groups were intramuscular injected PPV vaccine with 2.0 mL PF adjuvant (PA), oilemulsion adjuvant (OA), respectively. After that, serum hemagglutination inhibition antibody titers, IgM and IgG subclasses, eripheral lymphocyte proliferation activity, and concentrations of cytokines were measured. Results indicated an enhancing effect of PA on IgM, IL-2, IL-4, IFN-γ and the IgG subclass responses. These findings suggested that PA could significantly enhance the immune responses. Furthermore, we screened the chemical components the effective of anti-PPV, Ferulic acid have an excellently anti-PPV effective.

The proliferation of mobile and IoT devices, coupled with the advances in the wireless communication capabilities of these devices, have urged the need for novel communication paradigms for such heterogeneous hybrid networks. Researchers have proposed opportunistic routing as a means to leverage the potentials offered by such heterogeneous networks. While several proposals for multiple opportunistic routing protocols exist, only a few have explored fuzzy logic to evaluate wireless links status in the network to construct stable and faster paths towards the destinations. We propose FQ-AGO, a novel Fuzzy Logic Q-learning Based Asymmetric Link Aware and Geographic Opportunistic Routing scheme that leverages the presence of long-range transmission links to assign forwarding candidates towards a given destination. The proposed routing scheme utilizes fuzzy logic to evaluate whether a wireless link is useful or not by capturing multiple network metrics, the available bandwidth, link quality, node transmission power, and distance progress. Based on the fuzzy logic evaluation, the proposed routing scheme employs a Q-learning algorithm to select the best candidate set toward the destination. We implement FQ-AGO on the NS-3 simulator and compare the performance of the proposed routing scheme with three other relevant protocols: AODV, DSDV, and GOR. For precise analysis, we consider various network metrics to compare the performance of the routing protocols. Our simulation result validates our analysis and demonstrates remarkable performance improvements in terms of total network throughput, packet delivery ration, and end-to-end delay.

This paper proposes an electric vehicle routing problem with considering states of charging stations and suggests solution strategies. Charging of electric vehicles is a main issue in the field of electric vehicle routing problem. There are many studies to find locations of charging stations, recharging functions for batteries of vehicles, and so on. However, states of charging stations significantly affect the routes of electric vehicles, which is not much explored. The states may include open or close of charging stations, occupied or empty of charging slots, and so on. This paper investigates how the states of charging stations are estimated and routing strategies are determined. We formulate a mixed integer programming model and suggest how to solve the problem with exact method. Numerical examples provide the optimal routing strategies of electric vehicles in the changing environments of the states of charging stations.

The real challenge in Human Robot Interaction (HRI) is to build machines capable of perceiving human emotions so that robots can interact with humans in a proper manner. It is well known from the literature that emotion varies accordingly to many factors. Among these, gender represents one of the most influencing one, and so an appropriate gender-dependent emotion recognition system is recommended. In this paper, a two-level hierarchical Speech Emotion Recognition (SER) system is proposed: the first level is represented by the Gender Recognition (GR) module for the speaker’s gender identification; the second is a gender-specific SER block. Specifically for this work, the attention was focused on the optimisation of the first level of the proposed architecture. The system was designed to be installed on social robots for hospitalised and living at home elderly patients monitoring. Hence, the importance of reducing the software computational effort of the architecture also minimizing the hardware bulkiness, in order for the system to be suitable for social robots. The algorithm was executed on the Raspberry Pi hardware. For the training, the Italian emotional database EMOVO was used. Results show a GR accuracy value of 97.8%, comparable with the ones found in literature.

The instability of traveling pulses in nonlinear diffusion problems is inspected on the example of Gunn domains in semiconductors. Mathematically the problem is reduced to the calculation of the "energy" of the ground state in Schrödinger equation with a complicated potential. A general method to obtain the bottom-part spectrum of such equations based on the approximation of the potential by square wells is proposed and applied. Possible generalization of the approach to other types of nonlinear diffusion equations is discussed.

Higher-order topological insulators (HOTIs) are recently discovered topological phases, possessing symmetry-protected corner states with fractional charges. An unexpected connection between these states and the seemingly unrelated phenomenon of bound states in the continuum (BICs) was recently unveiled. When nonlinearity is added to a HOTI system, a number of fundamentally important questions arise. For example, how does nonlinearity couple higher-order topological BICs with the rest of the system, including continuum states? In fact, thus far BICs in nonlinear HOTIs have remained unexplored. Here, we unveil the interplay of nonlinearity, higher-order topology, and BICs in a photonic platform. We observe topological corner states which are also BICs in a laser-written second-order topological lattice, and further demonstrate their nonlinear coupling with edge (but not bulk) modes under the proper action of both self-focusing and defocusing nonlinearities. Theoretically, we calculate the eigenvalue spectrum and analog of the Zak phase in the nonlinear regime, illustrating that a topological BIC can be actively tuned by nonlinearity in such an HOTI. Our studies are applicable to other nonlinear HOTI systems, with promising applications in emerging topology-driven devices.

Functional Connectivity analysis using Electroencephalography signals is common. The EEG signals are converted to networks by transforming the signals into a correlation matrix and analyzing the resulting networks. Here, four learning models, namely, Logistic Regression, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, and Recurrent Neural Networks, are implemented on the correlation matrix data to classify them either on their psychometric assessment or the effect of therapy; The EEG data is trail-based/event-related. The classifications based on RNN provided higher accuracy( 74-88%) than the other three models( 50-78%). Instead of using individual graph features, a correlation matrix provides an initial test of the data. When compared with the time-resolved correlation matrix, it offered a 4-5% higher accuracy. The time-resolved correlation matrix is better suited for dynamic studies here; it provides lower accuracy when compared to the correlation matrix, a static feature.

Social network analysis is an essential means to uncover and examine infectious contact relations between individuals. This paper aims to investigate the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from international to the national level and find a few super spreaders which played a central role in the transmission of disease in India. Our network metrics calculated from 30 January to 6 April 2020 revealed that the maximum numbers of connections were established from Dubai (degree-144) and UK (degree-64). These two countries played a crucial role in diffusing the disease in Indian states. The eigenvector centrality of Dubai is found to be the highest, and this marked it the most influential node. However, based on the modularity class, we found that the different clusters were formed across Indian states which demonstrated the forming of a multi-layered social network structure.A significant increase in the confirmed cases was reported during the first lockdown 1.0 (22 March 2020) primarily attributed to a gathering in Delhi Religious Conference (DRC) known as Tabliqui Jamaat. As of 6 April 2020, the overall structure of the network has encompassed local transmission, and it was significantly seen in the states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Karnataka. An important conclusion drawn from the presented social network reveals that the COVID-19 spread till 6 April was mainly due to the local transmission across Indian states. The timely quarantine of infected cases in DRC has not led it to spread at the level of community transmission.

In this study, the microbial strain was isolated from the humus soil to ferment Sophora flavescens and Eleutherococcus sessiliflorus extracts. The isolated microbial was identified as Bacillus genus by 16S rRNA sequence analysis. The fermented plant extracts exhibited the antifungal effects against four types of the plant pathogens such as P. carotorum, B. cinerea, C. fructicola Sau-3, and C. gloeosporioides according to incubation time. Especially, the fermented plant extracts showed the most active activities for Colletotrichum genus to inhibit mycelium growth. Metabolite changes in fermented S. flavescens and E. sessiliflorus extracts were confirmed through LC-Q-TOF/MS. Flavonoid and peptide derivatives were improved in fermented S. flavescens and E. sessiliflorus extracts compared to their unfermented one, respectively. This study suggested that the isolated Bacillus microbial fermentation could be a valuable tool in improving the bioactivity of S. flavescens and E. sessiliflorus extracts to have potential with more environmentally-friendly antifungal agents.

Rice false smut caused by Ustilaginoidea virens is one of the most devastating diseases on rice worldwide, which results in serious reduction of rice quality and yield. As an airborne fungal disease, early diagnosis of rice false smut, monitoring the epidemics and distribution of its pathogens, is particularly important to management the infection. In this study, a quantitative loop-mediated isothermal amplification (q-LAMP) method for the U. virens detection and quantifying was developed. This method has higher sensitivity and efficiency compared to quantitative real-time PCR (q-PCR) method. The species-specific primer sets UV-2 used was design based on the unique sequence of U. virens ustiloxins biosynthetic gene (NCBI accession number: BR001221.1). The q-LAMP assay was able to detect a concentration of 6.4 spores/mL at an optimal reaction temperature of 63.4℃ within 60 min. Moreover, the q-LAMP assay can even achieve accurate quantitative detection when there were only 9 spores on the tape. A linearized equation for the standard curve, y =-0.2866x + 13.829 (x is the amplification time, the spore number = 100.65y), was established for detection and quantifying of U. virens. In field detection applications, this q-LAMP method is more accurate and faster than traditional observation method. Collectively, this study has established a powerful and simple monitoring tool for U. virens, which provide valuable technical supports for forecast and management of rice false smut, and theoretical basis for precise fungicide application.

Amid to the COVID-19 pandemic, digital health literacy (DHL) has become a significant public health concern. This research aims to assess information seeking behavior, as well as the ability to find relevant information and deal with DHL among university students in Pakistan. An online-based cross-sectional survey, using a web-based interviewing technique, was conducted to collect data on DHL. Simple bivariate and multivariate linear regression was performed to assess the association of key characteristics with DHL. The results show a high DHL related to COVID-19 in 54.3% of students. Most of the Pakistani students demonstrated ~50% DHL in all dimensions, except of reliability. Multivariate findings showed that gender, sense of coherence and importance of information were found to be significantly associated with DHL. However, a negative association was observed with students’ satisfaction with information. This led to the conclusion that critical operational and navigations skills are essential to achieve COVID-19 DHL and cope with stress, particularly to promote both personal and community health. Focused interventions and strategies should be designed to enhance DHL amongst university students to combat the pandemic.

Integrated ultra-low-loss waveguides are highly desired for integrated photonics to enable applications that require long delay lines, high-Q resonators, narrow filters, etc. Here we present an ultra-low-loss silicon waveguide on 500 nm thick SOI platform. Meter-scale delay lines, million-Q resonators and tens of picometer bandwidth grating filters are experimentally demonstrated. We design a low-loss low-reflection taper to seamlessly integrate the ultra-low-loss waveguide with standard heterogeneous Si/III-V integrated photonics platform to allow realization of high-performance photonic devices such as ultra-low-noise lasers and optical gyroscopes.

Nollywood, based on the idea of Bollywood from India, is a series of outstanding movies that originate from Nigeria. Unfortunately, while the movies are in English, they are hard to understand for many native speakers due to the dialect of English that is spoken. In this article, we accomplish two goals: (1) create a phonetic sub-title model that is able to translate Nigerian English speech to American English and (2) use the most advanced toxicity detectors to discover how toxic the speech is. Our aim is to highlight the text in these videos which is often times ignored for lack of dialectal understanding due the fact that many people in Nigeria speak a native language like Hausa at home.

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.

In our recent works we reported that physical and chemical characteristics of serum can vary in relation to the psychic activity of an individual depending on whether it is oriented to stress or relaxation. We wandered if these observations could be accompanied by an appreciable modification of the Ph, electric conductivity and Delayed Luminescence of the same serum samples. Our preliminary data may suggest that the serum pH could significantly increase during a Relaxation Response intervention while electric conductivity seems to decrease. Moreover, Delayed Luminescense could vary in the same subject according to the Relaxation Response practice. According to our proof of concept study, we postulate the appearance of a coherent system within the blood samples analyzed after the Relaxation Response. Further researches and some technical development are needed to support our preliminary findings.

We review some new approaches to the description of the evolution of states of many-particle quantum systems by means of the correlation operators. Using the de nition of marginal correlation operators within the framework of dynamics of correlations governed by the von Neumann hierarchy, we establish that a sequence of such operators is governed by the nonlinear quantum BBGKY hierarchy. The constructed nonperturbative solution of the Cauchy problem to this hierarchy of nonlinear evolution equations describes the processes of the creation and the propagation of correlations in many-particle quantum systems. Moreover, we consider the problem of the rigorous description of collective behavior of many-particle quantum systems by means of a one-particle (marginal) correlation operator that is a solution of the generalized quantum kinetic equation with initial correlations, in particular, correlations characterizing the condensed states of systems.

A formulation of nonequilibrium thermo field dynamics has been performed using the nonequilibrium statistical operator method by D.N. Zubarev. Generalized transfer equations for a consistent description of kinetics and hydrodynamics of the dense quantum-field system with strongly coupled states are derived.

A simplified version of the quantum teleportation protocol is presented in here. Its experimental confirmation will have deep implications for a better understanding of Quantum Entanglement with a particular projection on Quantum Communications.

Aiming at the problem of hypersonic morphing vehicle avoiding no-fly zones and reaching the target, an improved predictor-corrector guidance method is proposed. Firstly, the aircraft motion model and the constraint model are established. Then, the basic algorithm is given, the Q-learning method is used to design the attack angle and sweep angle scheme to ensure that the aircraft can fly over the low-altitude zones. The B-spline curve is used to design the location of flight path points and the bank angle scheme is designed according to the predictor-corrector method, so that the aircraft can fly around to avoid high-altitude zones. Next, Monte Carlo reinforcement learning(MCRL) method is used to improve predictor-corrector method and Deep Neural Network(DNN) is used to fit reward function. The improved method can generate trajectory with better performance. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

In tunnel excavation with boring machines, the tunnel face is supported to avoid collapse and minimise settlement. This article proposes the use of reinforcement learning, specifically the Deep Q-Network algorithm, to predict the face support pressure. The approach is tested both analytically and numerically. By using the soil properties ahead of the tunnel face and the overburden depth as the input, the algorithm is capable of predicting the optimal tunnel face support pressure, adapting to changes in geological and geometrical conditions.

As a critical transmitter, the compact 532 nm lasers operating on high repetition and narrow pulse widths have been used widely for airborne or space-borne laser active remote sensing. We developed a free space pumped TEM₀₀ mode sub-nanosecond 532 nm laser that occupied a volume of less than 125 mm × 50 mm × 40 mm (0.25 liters). The fundamental 1064 nm laser consists of a passively Q-switched composite crystal microchip laser and an off-axis, two-pass power amplifier. The pump sources were two single-emitter semiconductor laser diodes (LD) of 808 nm with a maximum continuous wave (CW) power of 10 W each. The average power of fundamental 1064 nm laser was 1.26 W with the laser operating at 16 kHz repetition rates, and 857ps pulse widths. Since the beam distortion would be severe in microchip lasers in terms of the increase in heat load, for obtaining a high beam quality of 532 nm, the beam distortion was compensated by adjusting the distribution of pumping beam in our experiment of fundamental amplification. Furthermore, better than 0.6 W average power, 770 ps, beam quality of M² ＜1.2, and 16 kHz pulse output at 532 nm was obtained by a Type I LiB₃O₅ (LBO) crystal in the critical phase matching (CPM) regime for second harmonic generation (SHG).

We propose a notion of $(q,\sigma,\tau)$-differential graded algebra, which generalizes the notions of $(\sigma,\tau)$-differential graded algebra and $q$-differential graded algebra. We construct two examples of $(q,\sigma,\tau)$-differential graded algebra, where the first one is constructed by means of generalized Clifford algebra with two generators (reduced quantum plane), where we use a $(\sigma,\tau)$-twisted graded $q$-commutator. In order to construct the second example, we introduce a notion of $(\sigma,\tau)$-pre-cosimplicial algebra.

The modern textbook analysis of the thermal state of photons inside a three-dimensional reflective cavity is based on the three quantum numbers that characterize photon’s energy eigenvalues coming out when the boundary conditions are imposed. The crucial passage from the quantum numbers to the continuous frequency is operated by introducing a three dimensional continuous version of the three discrete quantum numbers, that leads to the energy spectral density and to the entropy spectral density. This standard analysis obscures the role of the multiplicity of energy eigenvalues associated to the same eigenfrequency. In this paper we review the past derivations of Bose’s entropy spectral density and present a new analysis of energy spectral density and entropy spectral density based on the multiplicity of energy eigenvalues. Our analysis explicitly defines the eigenfrequency distribution of energy and entropy and uses it as a starting point for the passage from the discrete eigenfrequencies to the continuous frequency.

We show that, as in the case of the principle of minimum action in classical and quantum mechanics, there exists an even more general principle in the very fundamental structure of quantum space-time: This is the principle of minimal group that allows to consistently and simultaneously obtain a natural description of the spacetime dynamics and the physical states admissible in it. The theoretical construction is based on the physical states that are average values of the generators of the Metaplectic group Mp(n) , the double covering of SL(2C) in a vector representation, with respect to the coherent states carrying the spin weight. Our main results here are: (i) There exists a connection between the dynamics given by the Metaplectic group symmetry generators and the physical states (mappings of the generators through bilinear combinations of the basic states). (ii) The ground states are coherent states of the Perelomov-Klauder type defined by the action of the Metaplectic group which divide the Hilbert space into even and odd states mutually orthogonal. They carry a spin weight 1/4 and 3/4 respectively from which, two other basic states can be formed. (iii) The physical states, mapped bilinearly with the basic 1/4 and 3/4 spin weight states, plus their symmetric and antisymmetric combinations, have spin contents s = 0, 1/2, 1, 3/2 and 2. (iv) The generators realized with the bosonic variables of the harmonic oscillator introduce a natural supersymmetry and a superspace whose line element is the geometrical Lagrangian of our model. (v) From the line element as operator level, a coherent physical state of spin 2 can be obtained and naturally related to the metric tensor. (vi) The metric tensor is naturally discretized by taking the discrete series given by the basic states (coherent states) in the n number representation, reaching the classical (continuous) space-time for n going to infinity. (vii) There emerges a relation between the eigenvalue of our coherent state metric solution and the black hole area (entropy) as A_{bh}/4 l_{p}^{2} = I alpha I relating the phase space of the metric found g_{ab} and the black hole area A_{bh} through the Planck length l_{p}^{2} and the eigenvalue I alpha I of the coherent states. As a consequence of the lowest level of the quantum discrete space-time spectrum, eg the ground state associated to n = 0 and its characteristic length, there exists a minimum entropy related to the black hole history.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) represents major public and socioeconomic issues. Alcohol exerts its phar-macological effects by altering different neurotransmitter systems, such as g-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate, opioids, etc. Recent evidence suggests that the dynorphin (DYN)/kappa opioid receptor (KOR) system mediates the negative affective states associated with alcohol withdrawal. This system is also in-volved in stress-mediated alcohol intake in alcohol-dependent subjects. The DYN/KOR system probably exerts its action in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) to mediate the negative affective states as-sociated with alcohol withdrawal. This article aims to review the current literature regarding the role of the DYN/KOR system in the actions of alcohol. We first review the literature regarding the effect of alcohol on the level of the peptide and its receptor, and the role of the endogenous DYN/KOR system in alcohol reward and negative affective states associated with alcohol withdrawal is then discussed. We also review the literature regarding the effects of KOR ligands on these processes.

The design of more efficient photosensitizers is a matter of great importance in the field of cancer treatment by means of photodynamic therapy. One of the main processes involved in the activation of apoptosis in cancer cells is the oxidative stress on DNA once a photosensitizer is excited by light. As a consequence, it is a matter of great relevance to investigate in detail the binding modes of the chromophore with DNA, and the nature of the electronically excited states that participate in the induction of DNA damage, for example, charge-transfer states. In this work, we investigate the electronic structure of the anthraquinone photosensitizer intercalated into a double-stranded poly(dG-dC) decamer model of DNA. First, the different geometric configurations are analyzed by means of classical molecular dynamics simulations. Then, the excited states for the most relevant poses of anthraquinone inside the binding pocket are computed by an electrostatic-embedding quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics approach, where anthraquinone and one of the nearby guanine residues are described quantum mechanically to take into account intermolecular charge-transfer states. The excited states are characterized as monomer, exciton, excimer and charge-transfer states based on the analysis of the transition density matrix, and each of these contributions to the total density of states and absorption spectrum is discussed in terms of the stacking interactions. These results are relevant as they represent the footing for future studies on the reactivity of anthraquinone derivatives with DNA and give insights on possible geometrical configurations that potentially favor the oxidative stress of DNA.

By imposing the condition of non-vanishing expectation values for the amplitude and phase of field operators, pure quantum states are identified composed of two consecutive number states. These pure states also deliver noise-free radiation modes restricting the “half-photon noise” to the expectation value of the lowest level of dynamic and coherent number states. As a result, instantaneous phase-sensitive amplification of photons is easily controlled and direct evaluation of time or distance - varying wavefront distributions of photons and phases can be carried out for sub-Poissonian distributions of photons without the need for quasi-probabilities.

In the heterogeneous wireless networked control system (WNCS), age of information (AoI) of the actuation update and actuation update cost are important performance metrics. To reduce the monetary cost, the control system can wait for the availability of WiFi network of the actuator and then conduct the update by using WiFi network in an opportunistic manner, but it leads to the increased AoI of the actuation update. To assess this problem, this paper proposes a priority-aware actuation update scheme (PAUS) where the control system decides whether to deliver or delay the actuation update to the actuator by considering the control priority (i.e., robustness of AoI of the actuation update). For the optimal decision, we formulate a Markov decision process model and derive the optimal policy based on Q-learning. Simulation results demonstrate that PAUS outperforms the comparison schemes in terms of the expected reward.

In this paper, we introduce a new generalization of the r-Stirling numbers of the second kind based on the q-numbers via an exponential generating function. We investigate their some properties and derive several relations among q-Bernoulli numbers and polynomials, and newly de…ned (q, r, w)-Stirling numbers of the second kind. We also obtain q-Bernstein polynomials as a linear combination of (q, r, w)-Stirling numbers of the second kind and q-Bernoulli polynomials in w.

In the present paper, we introduce (p, q)-extension of Apostol type Frobenius-Euler polynomials and numbers and investigate some basic identities and properties for these polynomials and numbers, including addition theorems, difference equations, derivative properties, recurrence relations and so on. Then, we provide integral representations, explicit formulas and relations for these polynomials and numbers. Moreover, we discover (p, q)-extensions of Carlitz's result [L. Carlitz, Mat. Mag., 32 (1959), 247–260] and Srivastava and Pintér addition theorems in [H. M. Srivastava, A. Pinter, Appl. Math. Lett., 17 (2004), 375–380].

Microbes are the most prevalent and widely-distributed life form on planet Earth. They are also cognitive organisms with memory and superior problem-solving skills that use quantum phase transitions during their remarkably-effective gathering and dissemination of information. This narrative review explores the biological ramifications of human holobionts physically embodying the human microbiome and connecting to the Internet of Microbes (IOM) beyond our body. Within the review, we consider: 1) the ways in which our microbial co-partners exerted control over our ancestors and continue to influence our current human generation, 2) how they mold virtually every key aspect of our life and even remain with our body in death and 3) how inward-looking contemplative tools such as meditation and embodied cognition provide an ideal opportunity to connect to the microbial information super highway and tap the full range of human holobiont capacities.

In this paper, we consider the effects of a radial electric field and a constant magnetic field induced by Lorentz symmetry violation on a generalized relativistic quantum oscillator by choosing a function f(r) = b1 r + b2/r in the equation subject to a Cornell-type potential S(r) = ηL r + ηc/ r introduce by modifying the mass term in the equation. We show that the analytical solutions to the Klein-Gordon oscillator can be achieved, and a quantum effect is observed due to the dependence of the angular frequency of the oscillator on the quantum numbers of the system

In this work, we study a Klein-Gordon oscillator subject to Cornelltype potential in the background of the Lorentz symmetry violation determined by a tensor out of the Standard Model Extension. We introduce a Cornell-type potential S(r) = (η_L\,r + \frac{η_c}{r} ) by modifying the mass term via transformation $M → M + S(r)$ and then coupled oscillator with scalar particle by replacing the momentum operator $\vec{p}→ (\vec{p}+ i\,M\,ω\,\vec{r})$ in the relativistic wave equation. We see that the analytical solution to the Klein-Gordon oscillator equation can be achieved, and a quantum effect characterized by the dependence of the angular frequency of the oscillator on the quantum numbers of the relativistic system is observed

In this paper, we investigate the behaviour of a relativistic quantum oscillator under the effects of Lorentz symmetry violation determined by a tensor (KF)µναβ out of the Standard Model Extension. We analyze the quantum system under a Coulomb-type radial electric field and a uniform magnetic induced by Lorentz symmetry breaking effects under a Cornell-type potential, and obtain the bound states solution by solving the Klein-Gordon oscillator. We see a quantum effect due to the dependence of the angular frequency of the oscillator on the quantum numbers of the system, and the energy eigenvalues and the wave-function of the oscillator field get modified by the Lorentz symmetry breaking parameters as well as due to the presence of Cornell-type potential.

The effect of stress on task performance is complex, too much or too little negatively affects performance; and there exists an optimal level of stress to drive optimal performance. Task difficulty and external affective factors are distinct stressors that impact cognitive performance. Neuroimaging studies showed that mood affects working memory performance and the correlates are changes in haemodynamic activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). We investigate the interactive effects of affective states and working memory load (WML) on working memory task performance and haemodynamic activity using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) neuroimaging on the PFC of healthy participants. We seek to understand if haemodynamic responses could tell apart workload related stress from situational stress arising from external affective distraction. We found that the haemodynamic changes towards affective stressor and workload related stress were more dominant in the medial and lateral PFC respectively. Our study reveals distinct affective state-dependent modulations of haemodynamic activity with increasing WML in n-back tasks, which correlate with decreasing performance. The influence of negative affect on performance is greater at higher WML, and haemodynamic activity showed evident changes in temporal, and both spatial and strength of activation differently with WML.

After a local pollution control plant significantly reduced phosphorus loading into a phytoplankton-dominated tributary of the Potomac River in the early 1980’s, water quality and biological communities were monitored bi-weekly from April-September. After a 10-year time-lag, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), once abundant in this freshwater tidal embayment, returned to the area in 1993. After additional reductions in nitrogen load starting in 2000, the system completely switched to a SAV-dominated state in 2005. Fish abundance didn’t change during these distinct phase changes, but the fish community structure did. Increases in SAV provided refuge and additional spawning substrate for species with adhesive eggs such as Banded Killifish (Fundulus diaphanus), which is now the most abundant species in the embayment. Other changes seen were a decrease in the relative contribution of open water dwelling species such as White Perch (Morone americana), and an increase of visual predators such as Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides). The 30-year record of data from this Potomac River tributary has revealed many important long-term trends that validate the effectiveness of initiatives to improve water treatment, and will aid in the continued management of the watershed and point source inputs.

Cinnamomum tamala leaf (CTL), also known as tejpat and Indian bay leaf, is used all over the world for seasoning, flavouring, and medicinal purposes. Numerous researchers are interested in exploring the nutritional and medicinal benefits of CTL due to their potential as nutraceuticals. These characteristics could be explained by the presence of several essential bioactive substances and lipid derivatives. There are no reports available on this species about its metabolites profile. In this work, rapid screen and identify chemical compounds in supercritical (SC)-CO2 extracts of CTL by use of UPLC-Q-TOF-MSE with multivariate statistical analysis approach was established in both negative and positive mode. As a results, a total of 166 compounds, including 66 monocarboxylic fatty acids, 52 dicarboxylic fatty acids, 27 fatty acid amides, and 21 others were tentatively identified based on accurate mass, and the mass spectrometric fragmentation pattern, out of which 142 compounds are common and found in all five CTL extracts. They displayed robust [M+H]+ and/or [M-H]- ions in both low- and high-energy collision-induced dissociations (CIDs). Based on chemical profiling and chemometric analysis, CTL4 (300bar/55°C) extract was found significantly more potent in other CTL’s extracts. A new mono- and di-carboxylic fatty acids, fatty acid amides and other essential bioactive compounds were separated within 20 min runtime and identified in CTL for the first time. The combination of UPLC-Q-TOF-MSE and chemometric analysis is a powerful method to rapidly screen the metabolites profile for the quality control of C. tamala leaf.

In this study, we introduce a new class of bi-univalent functions using q-Janowski Function. We derive the Fekete-Szegö functional problems for functions in this new subclass, as well as estimates for the Taylor-Maclaurin coefficients |α2| and |α3|. Furthermore, a collection of fresh outcomes are3 presented by customizing the parameters employed in our initial discoveries.

Firstly, we present a more explicit formulation of the complete system $D(N)$ of representatives of Manin's symbols over $\mathbb{Q}$, which was initially given by Shimura. Then we establish a bijection between $D(M)\times D(N)$ and $D(MN)$ for $(M,N)=1$, which reveals a recursive structure between Manin's symbols of different levels. Based on Manin's complete system $\Pi (N)$ of representatives of cusps on $X_0(N)$ and Cremona's characterization of the equivalence between cusps, we establish a bijection between a subset $C(N)$ of $D(N)$ and $\Pi (N)$, and then establish a bijection between $C(M)\times C(N)$ and $C(MN)$ for $(M,N)=1$. We also provide a recursive structure for elliptical points on $X_0(N)$. Based on these recursive structures, we obtain recursive algorithms for constructing Manin symbols over $\mathbb{Q}$, cusps and elliptical points on $X_0(N)$. This gives rise to a more efficient algorithms for modular elliptic curve. As direct corollaries of these recursive structures, we present a recursive version of the genus formula and an elementary proof of formulas of the numbers of $D(N)$, cusps and elliptical points on $X_0(N)$.

The steep rise in reinforcement learning (RL) in various applications in energy as well as the penetration of home automation in recent years are the motivation for this article. It surveys the use of RL in various home energy management system (HEMS) applications. There is a focus on deep neural network (DNN) models in RL. The article provides an overview of reinforcement learning. This is followed with discussions on state-of-the-art methods for value, policy, and actor–critic methods in deep reinforcement learning (DRL). In order to make the published literature in reinforcement learning more accessible to the HEMS community, verbal descriptions are accompanied with explanatory figures as well as mathematical expressions using standard machine learning terminology. Next, a detailed survey of how reinforcement learning is used in different HEMS domains is described. The survey also considers what kind of reinforcement learning algorithms are used in each HEMS application. It suggests that research in this direction is still in its infancy. Lastly, the article proposes four performance metrics to evaluate RL methods.

Idiopathic lung fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and fatal degenerative lung disease of unknown etiology. Although in its final stages it implicates in a reactive manner all lung cell types, the initial damage involves the alveolar epithelial compartment, in particular the alveolar epithelial type 2 cells (AEC2s). AEC2s serve dual progenitor and surfactant secreting functions, both of which are deeply impacted in IPF. Thus, we hypothesize that the size of the surfactant processing compartment, as measured by Lysotracker incorporation, allows the identification of different epithelial states in the IPF lung. Flow cytometry analysis of epithelial Lysotracker incorporation delineates two populations (Lysohigh and Lysolow) of AEC2s which behave in a compensatory manner during bleomycin injury and in the donor/IPF lung. Employing flow cytometry and transcriptomic analysis of cells isolated from donor and IPF lungs, we demonstrate that the Lysohigh population expresses all classical AEC2 markers and is drastically diminished in IPF. The Lysolow population, which is increased in proportion in IPF, co-expresses AEC2s and basal cell markers resembling the phenotype of the previously identified intermediate AEC2 population in the IPF lung. In that regard, we provide an in-depth flow-cytometry characterization of Lysotracker uptake, HTII-280, proSP-C, mature SP-B, NGFR, KRT5 and CD24 expression in human lung epithelial cells. Combining functional analysis with extra- and intra- cellular marker expression and transcriptomic analysis, we advance the current understanding of epithelial cell behavior and fate in lung fibrosis.

In this work, linear confinement of a relativistic scalar particle under the effects of Lorentz symmetry violation is investigated. We introduce a scalar potential by modifying the mass via transformation M → M + S(r) in the wave equation, and analyze the effects on the eigenvalues and the wave function. We see that the solution of the bound state to the wave equation can be achieved, and the energy eigenvalues and the wave function modified by the Lorentz symmetry breaking parameters as well as potential

A triangular lattice model for pattern formation by core-shell particles at fluid interfaces is introduced and studied for the particle to core diameter ratio equal to 3. Repulsion for overlapping shells and attraction at larger distances due to capillary forces are assumed. Ground states and thermodynamic properties are determined analytically and by Monte Carlo simulations for soft outer- and stiffer inner shells, with different decay rates of the interparticle repulsion. We find that thermodynamic properties are qualitatively the same for slow and for fast decay of the repulsive potential, but the ordered phases are stable for temperature range depending strongly on the shape of the repulsive potential. More importantly, there are two types of patterns formed for fixed chemical potential - one for a slow and another one for a fast decay of the repulsion at small distances. In the first case two different patterns - for example clusters or stripes - occur with the same probability for some range of the chemical potential. For fixed concentration, an interface is formed between two ordered phases with the closest concentration, and the surface tension takes the same value for all stable interfaces. In the case of degeneracy, a stable interface cannot be formed for one out of four combinations of the coexisting phases, because of a larger surface tension. Our results show that by tuning the architecture of a thick polymeric shell, many different patterns can be obtained for sufficiently low temperature.

In order to clarify the nature of the halogen bond (XB), we considered the prototype noble gas – dihalogen molecule (Ng-X2) systems, focusing on the nature, range and strength of the interaction. We exploited data gained from molecular beam scattering experiments with the measure of interference effects to obtain a suitable formulation of the interaction potential, with the support of high-level ab initio calculations, and charge displacement analysis. The essential interaction components involved in the Ng-X2 adducts have been characterized, pointing at their critical balance in the definition of the XB. Particular emphasis is devoted to the energy stability of the orientational Ng-X2 isomers, the barrier for the X2 hindered rotation, and the influence of the X2 electronic state. The present integrated study returns reliable force fields for molecular dynamics simulations in Ng-X2 complexes that can be extended to systems with increasing complexity and whose properties depend on the selective formation of XB.

INTRODUCTION: Breast sensibility following reconstruction surgery, though often overlooked, holds significant importance due to its widespread occurrence and profound effects on patients’ well-being and safety. Our objective is to compare the sensory outcomes between DIEP flap microsurgery reconstruction and implant-based reconstruction. Additionally, we explored the potential influence of sociodemographic and clinical factors on sensory recovery, along with assessing temperature discrimination abilities and evaluating quality of life. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted an ambispective descriptive-analytical study, involving women who underwent mastectomy with reconstruction using either DIEP flap and implants at our hospital between 1990 and 2021. Data were collected from medical records, patient histories, physical examination, and validated quality of life questionnaires (BREAST-Q). RESULTS: A total of 99 women with breast reconstruction were included, 47 with DIEP flap and 52 with implants. Sensory recovery in implant-based reconstruction was found to be superior to DIEP flap reconstruction (5.03 and 5.18 respectively, p-value <0.005). A direct correlation was observed between sensory improvement and thermal discrimination (Spearman coefficient 0.9, p-value <0.001). Factors such as radiotherapy, delayed reconstruction with DIEP flap, and height with implants were associated with poorer sensory recovery in the breast. Women experiencing better breast sensibility reported higher satisfaction with their surgeon, medical team, and psychosocial quality of life. CONCLUSION: Women reconstructed with implants or DIEP abdominal flap exhibit suboptimal overall sensory recovery of the reconstructed breast, with slightly better outcomes observed in women reconstructed with implants.

One third of a person’s life is spent on sleep, therefore the quality and habit of sleep affects health. A single case study indicated that perspiration could serve as a prognostic marker. Diagnosing nocturnal perspiration is common clinical practice, since this serves as a major symptom in many pathologies. Till this day no specific evidence-based approach for diagnosing nocturnal perspiration exists. By introducing the Q-strip, a device which quantitatively measures nocturnal perspiration, this could be acquired. The Q-strip could serve a purpose in diagnosing nocturnal perspiration more efficient without being intrusive. In addition to its health sensing potentials, the Q-strip makes it possible to visualise perspiration patterns. This introduces the possibility to examine the quality of sleep. Future research is recommended to investigate this.

The evolution of even and odd Schrödinger cat states of the inverted oscillator is obtained in the center-of-mass tomographic probability description of the two-mode oscillator.The notion of entangled probability distribution is reviewed. Evolution equations describing the time-dependence of probability distributions identified with quantum system states are discussed.The connection with the Schrödinger equation and the von Neumann equation is clarified.

This is a study of Political Economy on religion and migration management in the United States of America (USA). This paper offers a review of migrants-citizens relations in the USA, with attention to the pendulum effect, moving from integration policies (open doors and melting pot agenda) to official persecution (raids and deportations), with a high social opportunity cost. There has been a split between the State and civil society, causing civil disobedience and sanctuary network across the country. Also, it is paid attention to the American post-modern paradox, as a result of culture wars and identity politics that imply a violation of American constitutional principles (i.e. religious liberty, freedom of movement, to pursuit the happiness). Special attention is paid to the development of the Sanctuary Movement, as an ongoing example of the sociocultural upheaval bringing grassroots society into confrontation with powerful elites by promoting resistance and offering help to the needy, even if this results in sanctions. This movement was revitalized after the values crisis of 2008, but it has also been polarized between those who follow the traditional approach to socio-religious action in the form of peaceful civil disobedience, and those who follow the ideological anti-system and communitarian approach, which causes greater tension for the immigrants themselves

The interaction of electrons with strong laser fields is usually treated with semiclassical theory, where the laser is represented by an external field. There are analytic solutions for the free electron wave functions, which incorporate the interaction with the laser field exactly, but the joint effect of the atomic binding potential presents an obstacle for the analysis. Moreover, the radiation is a dynamical system, the number of photons changes during the interactions. Thus, it is legitimate to ask how can one treat the high order processes nonperturbatively, in such a way that the electron-atom interaction and the quantized nature of radiation be simultaneously taken into account? An analytic method is proposed to answer this question in the framework of nonrelativistic quantum electrodynamics. As an application, a quantum optical generalization of the strong-field Kramers-Heisenberg formula is derived for describing high-harmonic generation. Our formalism is suitable to analyse, among various quantal effects, the possible role of arbitrary photon statistics of the incoming field. The present paper is dedicated to the memory of Prof. Dr. Fritz Ehlotzky, who had significantly contributed to the theory of strong-field phenomena over many decades.

From 1964 to the early 1970s, Orson Anderson led a research program at the Lamont Geological Observatory in the newly-emerging field of “mineral physics”. In collaboration with colleagues Edward Schreiber and Naohiro Soga, Orson exploited the techniques of physical acoustics to study the behavior of the sound velocities of minerals at elevated pressures and temperatures. This research program also included semi-empirical studies of relationships between the bulk modulus and the molar volume of solids and the use of lattice dynamics to calculate the elastic moduli of cubic structures as a function of pressure to predict instabilities, as well as theoretical investigations of the Lagrangian vs. Eulerian formulations of finite strain equations of state.

The development of saltiness enhancement peptides is important in reducing salt intake and promoting dietary health. Our study aimed to analyze and identify straw mushroom enzymatic peptides with salty taste enhancing effects. The taste-related peptides within the straw mush-room extract were isolated via ultrafiltration and identified using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. Sub-sequent, E-tongue and sensory analyses unveiled that the ultrafiltration fraction (500-2000 Da) of straw mushroom peptides exhibited a saltiness enhancement effect. The UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis identified 220 peptides within the ultrafiltration fractions (500-2000 Da), which were then assessed for their interaction with the T1R1/T1R3 receptor. The investigation underscored the significant involvement of Asp223, Gln243, Leu232, Asp251, and Pro254 in the binding of peptides from triple enzymatically hydrolyzed straw mushrooms to T1R1/T1R3. Based on the binding energy and active site analysis, three peptides were selected for synthesis: DFNALPFK (-9.2 kcal/mol), YNEDNGIVK (-8.8 kcal/mol), and VPGGQEIKDR (-8.9 kcal/mol). Notably, 3.2 mmol of VPGGQEIKDR enhanced a 0.05% NaCl solution to the saltiness level of a 0.15% NaCl solution. Also, 0.8 mmol of YNEDNGIVK elevated a 0.05% NaCl solution to the saltiness of a 0.1% NaCl solution.

We discuss the role of water bridging the DNA-enzyme interaction by resorting to recent 1 results showing that London dispersion forces between delocalized electrons of base pairs of DNA 2 are responsible for the formation of dipole modes that can be recognized by Taq polymerase. 3 We describe the dynamical origin of the high efficiency and precise targeting of Taq activity in 4 PCR. The spatiotemporal distribution of interaction couplings, frequencies, amplitudes, and phase 5 modulations comprise a pattern of fields instantiating the electromagnetic image of DNA in its 6 water environment, which is what the polymerase enzyme actually recognizes at long range. The 7 experimental realization of PCR amplification, achieved through replacement of the DNA template 8 by the treatment of pure water with electromagnetic signals recorded from viral and bacterial DNA 9 solutions, is found consistent with the gauge theory paradigm of quantum fields.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) have revolutionised e-learning by creating personalised, adaptive, and secure environments. However, challenges such as privacy, bias, and data limitations persist. E-FedCloud aims to address these issues by providing more agile, personalised, and secure e-learning experiences. This study introduces E-FedCloud, an AI-assisted adaptive e-learning system that automates personalised recommendations and tracking, thereby enhancing student performance. It employs federated learning-based authentication to ensure secure and private access for both course instructors and students. Intelligent Software Agents (ISAs) evaluate weekly student engagement using the Shannon Entropy method, classifying students into either engaged or not-engaged clusters. E-FedCloud utilises weekly engagement status, demographic information, and an innovative DRL-based early warning system, specifically ID2QN, to predict the performance of not-engaged students. Based on these predictions, the system categorises students into three groups: risk of dropping out, risk of scoring lower in the final exam, and risk of failing the end exam. It employs a multi-disciplinary ontology graph and an attention-based capsule network for automated, personalised recommendations. The system also integrates performance tracking to enhance student engagement. Data is securely stored on a blockchain using the LWEA encryption method.

In this paper, we investigate p-adic q-integral (q-Volkenborn integral) on Z_p of p-adic gamma function via their Mahler expansions. We also derived two q-Volkenborn integrals of p-adic gamma function in terms of q-Daehee polynomials and numbers and q-Daehee polynomials and numbers of the second kind. Moreover, we discover q-Volkenborn integral of the derivative of p-adic gamma function. We acquire the relationship between the p-adic gamma function and Stirling numbers of the first kind. We finally develop a novel and interesting representation for the p-adic Euler constant by means of the q-Daehee polynomials and numbers.

A radical, albeit pragmatic protocol for experimental access to putative String/M-theoretic, Einstein Unified Field Mechanical (UFM) additional dimensionality (XD) of the brane-bouquet bulk is presented. If successful, results demonstrate the existence dimensionality beyond the metric of observed physical reality provided by the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics and Cosmology. Quantum Mechanics (QM), as well-known is incomplete and further, should no longer be considered the basement of reality; meaning, Locality and Unitarity – the fundaments of quantum theory are an insufficient basis for extending the representation of reality. A seminal model of Tight Bound States (TBS) below the lowest Bohr orbit in the hydrogen atom, proposed by Vigier, is extended to a Kaluza-Klein-like (KK) cyclical tier of XD hyperspherical cavities defined within a manifold of uncertainty (MOU) of finite radius up to the semi-quantum limit, predicting, within its domain, new spectral lines in Hydrogen. The proposed protocol for this process, with phase modifications, provides efficacy of large-scale additional dimensionality (LSXD) of the brane bulk; XD-LSXD incursion duality accesses nonlocal Einsteinian UFM phenomena, leading to myriad new classes of technological innovation.

Abstract: Sustainable use of Native American heritage places is viewed in this analysis as serving to preserve their traditional purposes and sustain the cultural landscapes that give them heritage meaning. The research is about the potential impacts of heritage tourism to selected Native American places at Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and Hovenweep National Monument. The impacts of tourists to a heritage place must be understood as having both potential effects on the place itself and on an integrated cultural landscape. Impacts to one place potentially change other places- functions in a Native American landscape and the integrity of the landscape itself. The analysis is based on 696 interviews with representatives from nine tribes and pueblos, who in addition to defining the cultural meaning of places, officially made 349 heritage management recommendations. The U.S. National Park Service interprets Natives American resources and then brings millions of tourists to these through museums, brochures, outdoor displays, and ranger-guided tours. Native American ethnographic study participants argued that tourist education and regulation can increase the sustainability of Native American places in a park and can help protect related places beyond the park.

This study seeks to determine how economic policy uncertainty (EPU) influences investment decisions and the market value of the Pakistan Stock Exchange. The study examines investment and operational data from 249 energy and petroleum companies between 2015 and 2020, in addition to macroeconomic variables such as EPU. This study investigates the moderating effects of EPU on investments in fixed and intangible assets, as well as its effect on Tobin's Q and the market price per share. The outcomes demonstrate that EPU reduces the costs of both tangible and intangible assets for businesses. In addition, companies with a greater Tobin's Q and market price per share are more impacted by uncertain corporate investment policies. However, financial leverage is found to be negatively correlated with share price and positively correlated with earnings per share and earnings per unit. Tobin's Q is positively correlated with financial leverage, indicating that firms that raise capital through debt are more likely to create value for investors. The research indicates that market-dependent enterprises are more susceptible to the unpredictability of monetary policy. Eventually, the findings suggest that consistent and transparent economic policies may increase the efficiency of corporate investment.

Motivated by Kurt's work [Filomat 30 (4) 921-927, 2016], we first consider a class of a new generating function for (p, q)-analog of Apostol type polynomials of order a including Apostol-Bernoulli, Apostol-Euler and Apostol-Genocchi polynomials of order a. By making use of their generating function, we derive some useful identities. We also introduce (p, q)-analog of Stirling numbers of second kind of order v by which we construct a relation including aforementioned polynomials.

(1) As the craft beer industry continues to expand in Canada, understanding the regional differences between the Eastern and Western markets becomes pivotal for brewing ingredient companies seeking to penetrate or expand within these regions. This study aims to provide a comprehensive review of these two distinctive markets, focusing on economic, logistical, ingredient, and cultural differences. (2) The study primarily relies on secondary data from government, industry reports, and scholarly publications, providing a holistic view of the Canadian craft beer landscape. It further highlights the need to consider market distinctions between Canada and the United States. (3) Findings reveal that Western Canadian breweries, unlike their Eastern counterparts, operate under constrained storage space, prefer locally-sourced ingredients, and offer a distinct variety of beer styles catering to local tastes. The study further uncovers the regulatory and financial complexities of the Canadian market compared to the United States. (4) Based on these findings, this study provides strategic recommendations for brewing ingredient companies, emphasizing domestic logistics, local sourcing, product adaptation, educational support, and regulatory navigation, fostering success in the Canadian craft beer landscape.

Additionally, the League’s four observing states, with an additional population of 1.7 billion, if join the group, will form the world’s largest consortium to enhance the accessibility of biotechnology drugs. This effort will also remove the criticism of regulatory agencies that are well-equipped to regulate these products. This should also be a significant economic incentive to consortium states to develop these products, particularly biosimilars, to capture the most critical market anticipated. This plan will also reduce the cost burden on regulatory agencies. The program is divided into two classifications; for products sold in any of the Stringent Regulatory Authority (SRA) states, the registration is automatic but with several requirements that assure ongoing pharmacovigilance; this also applies to copies of reference products or biosimilars. For non-SRA sourcing, a stepwise plan requiring a rapporteur review, as practiced by the EMA and a third-party cGMP audit, is necessary to ensure data and product integrity. However, to reduce the cost burden, approval of these products is based on current scientific findings as presented in this paper.

Transient receptor potential melastatin-8 (TRPM8) is a cation channel that is activated by cold and “cooling agents” such as menthol and icilin, which induce a cold sensation. Stimulation of TRPM8 activates an intracellular signaling cascade that ultimately leads to a change in the gene expression pattern of the cells. Here, we investigated the TRPM8-induced signaling pathway that links TRPM8 channel activation to gene transcription. Using a pharmacological approach, we show that inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5 kinase alpha (PIP5K), an enzyme essential for the biosynthesis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate, attenuated TRPM8-induced gene transcription. Analyzing the link between TRPM8 and Gq proteins, we show that pharmacological inhibition of the beta gamma subunits impairs TRPM8 signaling. In addition, genetic studies showed that TRPM8 requires an activated Galpha subunit for signaling. In the nucleus, the TRPM8-induced signaling cascade triggers an activation of the transcription factor AP-1, a complex consisting of a dimer of basic region leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors. Here, we identified the bZIP protein c-Jun as an essential component of AP-1 within the TRPM8-induced signling cscade. In summary, with PIP5K, Gq subunits and c-Jun we have identified key molecules in the TRPM8-induced signaling from the plasma membrane to the nucleus.

We discuss two queueing-inventory systems with catastrophes in the warehouse. Catastrophes occur according to Poisson process and upon arrival of a catastrophe all inventory in the system is instantly destroyed. But consumer customers in the system (in the server or in the buffer) continue still waiting for the replenishment of the stock. The arrivals of the consumer customers follow a Markovian Arrival Process (MAP) and they can be queued in an infinite buffer. Service time of a consumer customer follows a phase-type distribution. The system receives negative customers whose have Poisson flows to service facility and upon arrival of a negative customer one consumer customer is pushed out from the system, if any. One of two replenishment policies can be used in the system: either (s,S) or (s,Q). If upon arrival of the consumer customer, the inventory level is zero, then according to the Bernoulli scheme, this customer is either lost (lost sale scheme) or join the queue (backorder sale scheme). The system is formulated by a four-dimensional continuous-time Markov chain. Steady state distribution is obtained using the matrix-geometric method. A comprehensive numerical study is performed on the performance measures under various replenishment policies. Finally, an optimization study is presented.

This article focuses on developing a continuous authentication system using behavioral biometrics to recognize users accessing computing devices. The user’s distinct behavioral biometric is captured through keystroke dynamics, and reward-based reinforcement learning (RL) ideas are applied to recognize them throughout the session. The suggested system adds an extra layer of security to traditional authentication methods, forming a robust continuous authentication system that can be added to static authentication systems. The methodology involves training a RL model to detect unusual user typing patterns and flag suspicious activity. Each user has an agent trained on their historical data, which is preprocessed and used to create episodes for the agent to learn from. The environment involves fetching observations and randomly corrupting them to learn out-of-order behavior. The observation vector includes both running features and summary features. The re-ward function is binary and minimalistic. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) model is used to encode the running features, and the Double Deep Q-Network (DDQN) algorithm with a fully connected neural network is used as the policy net. The evaluation achieved an average training accuracy and EER (equal error rate) of 94.7% and 0.0126 and test accuracy and ERR of 81.06% and 0.0323 for all users when the number of encoder features was increased. Therefore, it is concluded that by continuously learning and adapting to changing behavior patterns, this approach can provide more secure and personalized authentication, lowering the possibility of unauthorized access and cyberattacks. Overall, the use of reinforcement learning and behavioral biometrics for continuous authentication has the potential to significantly enhance security in the digital age and are effective in identifying each user.

(1) Background: This work aimed to conduct the first comparative study providing long-term data about patient reported outcome measures as well as donor-site scar assessment and aesthetic evaluation of the reconstructed breasts in patients with DIEP versus PAP flap breast reconstruction. (2) Methods: This prospective, single-center, matched cohort study included a total of 36 patients after DIEP and PAP flap breast reconstruction. Evaluation was done using the Breast-Q and POSAS questionnaire as well as the Breast Aesthetic Scale for cosmetic analysis by four plastic surgeons. (3) Results: Post-operative Breast-Q evaluation revealed no significant differences between both patient groups for the categories physical well-being donor-site, physical well-being breast and satisfaction with the breast. Scar evaluation of the donor-site region showed equivalent results for the thigh and the abdomen concerning the overall opinion of patients and observers. There was no significant difference between both methods of reconstruction for all aspects of breast aesthetics. (4) Conclusions: Similar results of donor-site morbidity, scar quality and aesthetic outcome of the breast in both the DIEP and PAP patient group have been demonstrated. Hence, in cases suitable for both types of reconstruction, the decision can be based on factors such as patients’ lifestyle, leisure activities and preferences.

The compound, C27H23N3 (1), crystallizes in the triclinic system of the P-1 space group. The unit cell comprises a dimer of 1, in which the monomers are linked by two complementary hydrogen bonds between N1 and H1-C1 of another molecule. The dimers form chains along the a-axis through intermolecular interactions between the N2 acceptor atoms and C17 donors from molecules in the nearest neighbouring dimer. These interactions form extended sheets of the dimers of 1, along the ab plane. The quinolinylmeth-2-yl groups of 1 lie in almost orthogonal planes and their N1/2(q) donor atoms being away from the apical amino N3 atom.

In this paper, we introduce the (ρ,q)-analogue of the p-adic factorial function. By utilizing some properties of (ρ,q)-numbers, we obtain several new and interesting identities and formulas. We then construct the p-adic (ρ,q)-gamma function by means of the mentioned factorial function. We investigate several properties and relationships belonging to the foregoing gamma function, some of which are given for the case p = 2. We also derive more representations of the p-adic (ρ,q)-gamma function in general case. Moreover, we consider the p-adic (ρ,q)-Euler constant derived from the derivation of p-adic (ρ,q)-gamma function at x = 1. Furthermore, we provide a limit representation of aforementioned Euler constant based on (ρ,q)-numbers. Finally, we consider (ρ,q)-extension of the p-adic beta function via the p-adic (ρ,q)-gamma function and we then investigate various formulas and identities.

In this paper, we investigate several relations for p-adic gamma function by means of their Mahler expansion and fermionic p-adic q-integral on ℤ_{p}. We also derive two fermionic p-adic q-integrals of p-adic gamma function in terms of q-Boole polynomials and numbers. Moreover, we discover fermionic p-adic q-integral of the derivative of p-adic gamma function. We acquire a representation for the p-adic Euler constant by means of the q-Boole polynomials. We finally develop a novel, explicit and interesting representation for the p-adic Euler constant including Stirling numbers of the first kind.

In this paper, we investigate p-adic q-integral (q-Volkenborn integral) on ℤ_{p} of p-adic gamma function via their Mahler expansions. We also derived two q-Volkenborn integrals of p-adic gamma function in terms of q-Daehee polynomials and numbers and q-Daehee polynomials and numbers of the second kind. Moreover, we discover q-Volkenborn integral of the derivative of p-adic gamma function. We acquire the relationship between the p-adic gamma function and Stirling numbers of the first kind. We finally develop a novel and interesting representation for the p-adic Euler constant by means of the q-Daehee polynomials and numbers.

The paper presents a proposal for an in-house mathematical model of a liquid flat-plate solar collector. The proposed model is a one-dimensional distributed parameter model enabling simulations of the collector operation under arbitrarily variable boundary conditions. The model is based on the solution of energy balance equations for all components of the collector. The formulated differential equations are solved iteratively using an implicit difference scheme. In order to obtain a stable numerical solution, it is necessary to use appropriate steps of the time and spatial division. These were found by comparing the results obtained from the model with the results of the analytical solution available in the literature for the transient state, which constitutes the novelty of the present study. The accuracy of the results obtained from the model was verified experimentally by comparing the measured and the calculated history of the fluid temperature at the outlet of the collector. The calculation of the collector time constant is proposed in the paper as an example of the model practical application. The results of the time constant calculation were compared with the values obtained experimentally on the test stand. This is another novelty of the presented research. The analysed collector instantaneous efficiency was then calculated for selected outdoor conditions. The presented mathematical model can also be used to verify the correctness of the collector operation. Comparing, on an ongoing basis, the measured and the calculated values of the fluid temperature at the collector outlet, conclusions can be drawn about the process of solar glass fouling or glycol gelling. The model's simplicity and the low computational demands enable such comparisons in an online mode.