Palmitic acid metabolism involves delta-9 and delta-6 desaturase enzymes forming palmitoleic acid (9cis-16:1; n-7 series) and sapienic acid (6cis-16:1; n-10 series), respectively. The corresponding biological consequences and lipidomic research on these positional MUFA isomers are under development. Furthermore, sapienic acid can bring to the de novo synthesis of the n-10 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) sebaleic acid (5cis,8cis-18:2), but such transformations in cancer cells are not known. The model of Caco-2 cell line was used to monitor sapienic acid supplementation (150 and 300 μM) and evidence the formation of n-10 fatty acids as well as their incorporation at levels of membrane phospholipids and triglycerides. Comparison with palmitoleic and palmitic acids evidenced that lipid remodeling was influenced by the type of fatty acid and positional isomer, with increase of 8cis-18:1, n-10 PUFA and decrease of saturated fats in case of sapienic acid. Cholesteryl esters were formed only in case of sapienic acid. EC₅₀ of sapienic acid (232.3 μM at 96 hrs) was the highest found among the tested fatty acids, thus influencing cell viability that was only reduced at 25% at 300 μM, whereas palmitoleic acid induced cell death. Two-photon fluorescent microscopy with Laurdan as a fluorescent dye provided information on membrane fluidity, highlighting that sapienic acid increases the distribution of fluid regions, probably connected with the formation of 8cis-18:1 and the n-10 PUFA in cell lipidome. Our results bring evidence for MUFA positional isomers and de novo PUFA synthesis for developing lipidomic analysis and cancer research.

Manipulation of micro- and nano-sized objects with optical tweezers is a well established, albeit still evolving technique. While many objects can be trapped directly with focused laser beam(s), for some applications indirect manipulation with tweezers-operated tools is preferred. We introduce a simple, versatile micro-tool operated with holographic optical tweezers. The 40 µm long dumbbell-shaped tool, fabricated with two-photon laser 3D photolithography has two beads for efficient optical trapping and a probing spike on one end. We demonstrate fluids viscosity measurements and vibration detection as examples of possible applications.

This study examines the evolution of the two-factor authentication method and its adaptability to the online education system. Two-factor authentication is a security measure used especially in areas where information such as banking is valuable. Parallel to technological developments, it has developed as much as daily. It aims to take security one step forward because it is composed of two phases. Today, banking, IOT devices, public transport tickets and many other areas are used. Two-factor authentication methods against security attacks in the field of information are also being updated. In recent years, new technologies such as biometric (iris pattern, retinal pattern, etc.) or behavioral biometry (location tracking, walking information, touch speed etc.) were studied. Instead of physically studying somewhere like going to a course in modern society, online trainings become more advantageous. Most of these online trainings are given certificates such as participation certificate, success certificate, etc. The main problem here is whether the person who is being certified is true. In the study conducted in line with these details, there is a proposal for the application of the Mimic Control Method with Sound Intensity (MCMSI) method for on-line training by examining the two-factor authentication techniques up to the day.

The most significant assumptions in the subdomain technique (i.e., based on the formal resolution of Maxwell's equations applied in subdomain) is defined by: “The iron parts (i.e., the teeth and the back-iron) are considered to be infinitely permeable so that the saturation effect is neglected”. In this paper, the author presents a new scientific contribution on improving of this method in two-dimensional (2-D) and in Cartesian coordinates by focusing on the consideration of iron. The subdomains connection is carried out in the two directions (i.e., x- and y-edges). For example, the improvement was performed by solving magnetostatic Maxwell's equations for an air- or iron-cored coil supplied by a direct current. To evaluate the efficacy of the proposed technique, the magnetic flux density distributions have been compared with those obtained by the 2-D finite-element analysis (FEA). The semi-analytical results are in quite satisfying agreement with those obtained by the 2-D FEA, considering both amplitude and waveform.

This work explores state-of-the-art approaches for stabilizing an inverted pendulum on a cart system, which has been used for over a century to demonstrate ideas in nonlinear and linear control theory, owing to its simple practical implementation yet complex system dynamics. We introduce energy-based control methods and propose a simple linear controller to quickly force the system to the downward equilibrium before swing-up. By constraining the system to start from a stable equilibrium configuration, the problem of global stability is reduced to ensuring that the system can follow all heteroclinic orbits that start very close to the downward equilibrium. Multiple Lyapunov functions are employed to ensure non-zero tracking, increasing the system's domain of attraction than is achieved by traditional controllers based on a single Lyapunov function. We stabilize our inverted pendulum system in the upright configuration through pole placement using a linear quadratic regulator known for fast settling times and smooth system response and through sliding mode controllers known for their robustness to disturbances and model uncertainties. While sliding mode controllers exhibit faster stabilization of the pendulum angle, they fail to stabilize the cart position in a reasonable amount of time. The paper concludes by suggesting various controller techniques that can enhance the swing-up and stabilization controller architectures, leaving room for future exploration. To facilitate further research and education, an open-source MATLAB simulation code is provided, encapsulating the system dynamics and controller designs. This resource offers flexibility for customization, making it a valuable tool for both researchers and educators working with inverted pendulum systems.

Single-phase-to-ground fault in non-effectively grounded systems poses serious public safety concern. Along with increasing deployment of low-voltage (LV) sensors, new opportunities and ways are created for solving this traditional problem in distribution systems. A new approach, identifying primary single-phase-to-ground line fault and locating it through measurement data from smart sensors deployed in the secondary side of distribution transformers, is proposed in this paper. When a fault occurs in primary distribution feeder, the transient aerial mode voltage (AMV) of each LV smart sensor is calculated. The fault line can be identified by an abrupt change value of AMV at LV side. Next, by finding the position of the maximum value of this AMV from LV sensors on the fault line, the fault location can be pinpointed to two neighboring distribution transformers. The proposed method has been proven to be efficient and reliable by simulation studies.

Dissimilar welds between ferritic and austenitic steels represent a good solution for exploiting the best performance of stainless steels at high and low temperatures and in aggressive environments, while minimizing costs. Therefore, they are widely used in nuclear and petrochemical plants, however, due to the different properties of the steels involved, the welding process can be challenging. Fusion welding can be specifically addressed to connect low-carbon, or low-alloy steels, with high-alloy steels, which have similar melting point. Welding of thick plates can be performed with electric arc in multiple passes or in a single pass by means of a laser beam equipment. Since microstructure and consequently mechanical properties of the weld are closely related to composition, the choice of the filler metal and processing parameters, which in turn affects the dilution rate, plays a fundamental role. Numerous technical solutions were proposed for welding dissimilar steels and much research was developed on the weldment metallurgy; therefore, this article is aimed at a review of the most recent scientific literature on the issues relating to the fusion welding of ferritic / austenitic steels. Two specific sections are dedicated respectively to electric arc and laser beam welding; finally, metallurgical issues, related to dilution and thermal field are debated in the discussion section.

According to the structural features, sedimentary evolution, types of sedimentary facies, source rocks features, diagenesis evolution, reservoir features and hydrocarbon formation mechanism, exploration status and hydrocargon resource potential, this article analyzed the major control fac-tors and hydrocarbon distribution rules of the lithologic reservoirs in continental fault basin. The research shows that three major control factors and one coupled factor (fractures act as a tie) in-fluence hydrocarbon formation of lithologic traps in Nantun Formation of Tanan Sag, which in-clude sand body types, effective source rocks and effective reservoirs. With the increase in depth, enough hydrocarbon generate in source rock under thermal evolution. Hydrocarbon generation and expulsion are more intensive when it comes to the depth threshold and critical conditions of hydrocarbon supplying are met. Traps that surrounded or contacted by source rock, or communi-cated by fault are qualified to form reservoirs. As buried depth increases, hydrocarbon genera-tion-expulsion intensity grows and the trap is more petroliferous. Hydrocarbon accumulation and reservoir formation are also controlled by sandbody accumulation conditions. When it meets the critical conditions of hydrocarbon generation and concrete oil and gas are charged in, better phys-ical properties of sandbody always indicate more hydrocarbon accumulation in the trap. Alloca-tion of sand type, effective source rock and effective reservoir is optimized under the effect of fractures, and coupled hydrocarbon reservoir with these three elements.

The discovered light modulation capabilities of diatom silicious valves make them an excellent toolkit for photonic devices and applications. In this work, a reproducible surface-enhanced Raman-scattering (SERS) enhancement was achieved with hybrid substrates employing diatom silica valves coated with an ultrathin uniform gold film. Three structurally different hybrid substrates, based on the valves of three dissimilar diatom species, have been compared to elucidate the structural contribution to SERS enhancement. The comparative analysis of obtained results showed that substrates containing cylindrical Aulacoseira sp. valves achieved the highest enhancement up to 14-fold. Numerical analysis based on the frequency domain finite element method was carried out to supplement the experimental results. Our results demonstrate that diatom valves of different shapes can enhance the SERS signal, offering a toolbox for SERS-based sensors, where the magnitude of the enhancement depends on valve geometry and ultrastructure.

This paper combines a literature survey and data analysis. The literature on the Subtropical Front (STF) in the Southern Ocean is reviewed with a two-pronged emphasis on the double-front structure of the STF, hence the existence of a subtropical frontal zone (STFZ), and the circumpolar continuity of the STFZ. The data analysis is based on the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) sections. The STFZ is detected along each section independently from other sections, while moving circum-polarly downstream (eastward). The literature survey and data analysis confirm the circumpolar continuity of the STFZ extending from the Brazil Current across the South Atlantic, South Indian, and South Pacific up to Chile, being bound by the North and South STF. The circumpolar continuity of the STFZ is partly interrupted by South Africa and Tasmania, where the North STF ceases, while the South STF continues eastward. The South Atlantic STFZ is the southern boundary of the well-defined Subtropical Mode Water (STMW) thermostad, which cools eastward from 15°C to 11°C between the Brazil Current and Greenwich Meridian. In the southeast Pacific, the STFZ is the southern boundary of the 17-to-19°C thermostad (South Pacific Eastern STMW). The STFZ’s vertical extent is at maximum in the South Atlantic (>1000 m), decreasing eastward to 300 m in the southeast Pacific off Chile. A special attention is given to the South Pacific and the STFZ’s role in the ecology of Chilean jack mackerel Trachurus murphyi that spawn at the STFZ and migrate along the STFZ from Chile up to New Zealand.

Product Design is getting nowadays new challenges on developing new products, since the industry is in a rush to introduce products into the marketplace, where customers demand products faster, cheaper, and free of failures. In the meantime, global companies are always trying to improve their Product Design process to get advantages over their competitors using proven tools like FEMA and mixing methodologies like Fuzzy theories with FMEA. Even today using all this tools and combination of methodologies there is a gap to address and it is required a robust risk analysis solving current issues in the electronic industry. This document aims to reveal a novel integrated method, where Failure Mode and Effect Analysis, Pythagorean Fuzzy Sets and Dimensional Analysis are cohesive into a model that minimize the uncertainty of the ranking and prioritization over the Failure Mode and Effect Analysis execution, helping to identify risks within an accurate grade over possible failures in the Product Design process. A real practical example is used to show the proposed method, where it is identified a robust methodology integration and solid and results using a sensitivity analysis.

This paper presents sufficient conditions for almost global stability of nonlinear switched systems consisting of both stable and unstable subsystems. Techniques from the stability analysis of switched systems have been combined with the multiple Lyapunov density approach - recently proposed by the authors for the almost global stability of nonlinear switched systems composed of stable subsystems. By using slow switching for stable subsystems and fast switching for unstable subsystems lower and upper bounds for mode-dependent average dwell times are obtained. In addition to that, by allowing each subsystem to perform slow switching and using some restrictions on total operation time of unstable subsystems and stable subsystems, we have obtained a lower bound for an average dwell time.

Noninvasive and portable diagnoses via angle-resolved coherent spectral data are presented. ACTIRS (Angle- resolved coherent tomographic IR spectroscopy) through angle-coherent return spectra from photonic quantum ring laser of whispering gallery modes, which is not photocurrent-converted after the cortical, vascular or muscular diffuse paths, can be a new method for brain/heart studies. Also it will be eligible for frequent do-it-yourself diagnoses of breast cancer before hospital visits. The unique angle-coherent multi-spectra will eventually lead to study ionic or protein contents of cranial, arterial or lactiferous ducts that have been obtained only from uncomfortable biopsy, NMR, CT or mammography. The spectral data can be spatially or temporally improved and correlated for extracting more meaningful diagnostic conclusions

The amorphous Fe77Cu1Si13B9 ribbons were treated with pulsed laser interference heating (PLIH). It was confirmed here that the use of the laser heating process allowed for obtaining two-dimensional crystallised micro-areas, periodically distributed (at a distance of 17µm) on the surface of the amorphous ribbons. The correlation between structural changes (SEM, TEM, HRTEM) and the distribution of magnetic field lines of heated amorphous Fe77Cu1Si13B9 (FeCuSiB) ribbons is presented. Particular attention is paid to structure changes in micro-areas where, by controlling the laser interference heating process, partial crystallisation of amorphous alloys and the formation of clusters or single nanocrystallites (α-Fe(Si)) embedded in an amorphous matrix are given. The addition of copper to the FeSiB alloy promoted inhibition of grain growth. Electron holography of micro-areas confirmed shifts of the magnetic field lines in the areas of nanocrystallites, the presence of which in the structure caused magnetisation of the surrounding amorphous matrix.

Transport electrification is essential for reducing CO2 emissions, and technologies such as hybrid and range-extended electric vehicles will play a crucial transitional role. Such vehicles employ an internal combustion engine for on-board chemical energy conversion. The Wankel rotary engine should be an excellent candidate for this purpose, offering high power-to-weight ratio, simplicity, compactness, perfect balance, and low cost. Until recently, however, it has not been in production in the automotive market, due, in part, to relatively low combustion efficiency and high fuel consumption and unburnt hydrocarbon emissions, which can be traced to constraints on flame speed, an elongated combustion chamber, and relatively low compression ratios. This work uses large-eddy simulation to study the in-chamber flow in a peripherally ported 225cc Wankel rotary engine, providing insight into these limitations. Flow structures created during the intake phase play a key role in turbulence production but presence of the pinch point inherent to Wankel engine combustion chambers inhibits flame propagation. Two efficiency-enhancement technologies are introduced as disruptive solutions: (i) pre-chamber jet ignition and (ii) the two-stage rotary engine. These concepts overcome the traditional efficiency limitations and show that Wankel rotary engine design can be further enhanced for its role as a range extender in electrified vehicles.

This paper investigates the reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-aided uplink multicell massive multiple-input multiple-output (mMIMO) communication system with transceiver hardware impairments (THWIs), and the practical and feasible two-timescale scheme is used to design the phase shifts of RIS. We consider the Rician channel model and use maximal-ratio combining (MRC) technology to process the received signal at BS. The expression of the uplink achievable rate is derived and analyzed. Besides, genetic algorithm (GA) is used to optimize the phase shifts of RIS to maximize the data rate. Finally, the accuracy of the derived results is verified. The simulation results show that appropriately increasing the number of RIS’s reflecting elements can compensate for the performance loss caused by inter-cell interference and THWIs, and reduce the demand for the number of BS antennas, which can significantly reduce the hardware costs at the BS.

The power generation structure and load characteristics in different provinces are quite different in China, and the distribution of peak regulating resources and demands is extremely unbalanced. Due to many factors such as low power marketization degree, shortage of peak regulating resources and block of transmission channels, the consumption of new energy is facing greater pressure. In order to improve the mutual aids in regional power grid, this paper proposes a two-layer optimization dispatching model considering the mutual aids of peak regulation resources between each province, and determines the optimal units startup mode and power output in each provinces, thus obtaining all the power supply output arrangements and the technical and economic indicators. Finally, take the actual regional power grid in China as an example, the simulation results show that the proposed model can significantly improve the new energy utilization rate, which verified the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed model and methods in this paper.

The rationalization and modeling of an electric discharge in a fluid require the knowledge of electron swarm parameters. In this work, transport coefficients of alcohols, including methanol, ethanol, propanol, and butanol are reported. The electron energy distribution function, mean energy, reduced mobility, and diffusion coefficient, are calculated using the two-term expansion of the electron Boltzmann equation in the frame of BOLSIG+ and the Monte Carlo collision code METHES. For such, experimental and theoretical values of the electron-alcohol collision cross-section, covering a range of electron impact energy from 1 eV to 1000 eV, are employed. A temperature of 300K, reduced fields E/N between $1-10^4$ Td (1Td = $10^{-21}~\rm Vm^2$), and Plasma density of $10^{19}~\rm m^{-3}$ were used in simulations. The calculated coefficients are compared with data available from previous studies.

High-quality ionization injection methods for Wake Field Acceleration driven by lasers or charged beams (LWFA/PWFA) can be optimised so as to generate high-brightness electron beams with tuneable duration in the attosecond range. We present a model of the minimum bunch duration obtainable with low-emittance ionization injection schemes, by spotting the roles of the ionization pulse duration, of the wake field longitudinal shape and of the delay of the ionization pulse position with respect to the node of the accelerating field. The model is tested for the resonant multi-pulse ionization injection (ReMPI) scheme, showing that bunches having length of about 300as can be obtained with a ionization pulse having duration of 30fs FWHM

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) often causes severe viral pneumonia, especially among older individuals and those with underlying health conditions. The C57BL/6 mouse is widely used to develop mouse models of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and immune disorders, conditions that are associated with increased risk of severe COVID-19. Although many studies using these mouse models have examined the pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 pathogenesis remains poorly understood. In vivo imaging analysis using two-photon excitation microscopy is useful for elucidating the pathology of COVID-19, providing pathological insights that are not available from conventional histological analysis. However, there is no reporter SARS-CoV-2 that demonstrates pathogenicity in C57BL/6 mice and emits sufficient light intensity for two-photon in vivo imaging. Here, we generated SARS-CoV-2 expressing the fluorescent protein Venus to facilitate in vivo pathological studies using C57BL/6 mouse models. We generated a mouse-adapted strain of SARS-CoV-2, by performing sequential lung-to-lung passages in BALB/c mice, followed by in C57BL/6 mice. We observed that the C57BL/6-adapted SARS-CoV-2 (named MASCV2-p25) replicated efficiently in the lungs of C57BL/6 mice, causing fatal pneumonia. Histopathologic analysis revealed severe inflammation and infiltration of immune cells in the lungs of MASCV2-p25-infected C57BL/6J mice, not unlike that observed in COVID-19 patients with severe pneumonia. Subsequently, we generated a mouse-adapted reporter SARS-CoV-2 (named MASCV-Venus-p9) by inserting the fluorescent gene Venus into MASCV2-p25, and sequential lung-to-lung passages in C57BL/6 mice. C57BL/6 mice infected with MASCV2-Venus-p9 exhibited severe pneumonia similar to that induced by MASCV2-p25. In addition, two-photon excitation microscopy of the lungs of the infected C57BL/6J mice showed that the infected cells emitted sufficient levels of fluorescence for easy observation. These findings suggest that MASCV2-Venus-p9 will be useful for two photon in vivo imaging studies of the pathogenesis of severe COVID-19 and for the development of therapeutic agents for severe pneumonia.

This study reports the development of a numerical method to simulate two-phase flows of Newtonian fluids that are incompressible, immiscible, and isothermal. The interface in the simulation was located and reconstructed using the geometric volume of fluid (VOF) method. The implementation of the Piecewise-Linear Interface Calculation (PLIC) scheme of the VOF method was performed to solve the three-dimensional (3D) interface transport during the dynamics of two-phase flows. In this method, the interface is approximated by a line segment in each interfacial cell. The balance of forces at the interface was accounted for using the continuum interfacial force (CSF) model. To solve the Navier-Stokes equations, meshless finite difference schemes from the HiG-Flow computational fluid dynamics software were employed. The 3D PLIC-VOF HiG-Flow algorithm was used to simulate several benchmark two-phase flows for the purpose of validating the numerical implementation. First, the performance of the PLIC implementation was evaluated by conducting two standard advection numerical tests: the 3D shearing flow test and the 3D deforming field test. Good agreement is obtained for the 3D interface shape using both the 3D PLIC-VOF HiG-Flow algorithm and those found on the scientific literature. In addition, the absolute error of the volume tracking advection calculation obtained by our 3D PLIC-VOF HiG-Flow algorithm was found to be smaller than the one found in the scientific literature for both the 3D shearing and 3D deforming flow tests. Lastly, the 3D bubble rising problem was simulated for different fluid densities and viscosity’s ratios. Again, good agreement is obtained for the 3D interface shape using both the newly implemented algorithm and the OpenFOAM, DROPS and NaSt3D software. The bubble’s rise velocity and evolution of the bubble’s center of mass is also computed with the 3D PLIC-VOF HiG-Flow algorithm and found to be in agreement with these software.

Computer and Smart Device-assisted Learning (CSDL) has gained increasing attention from educational researchers and practitioners in recent years. However, it remains controversial whether student can benefit from CSDL and what moderator could affect the impact of CSDL. Within the specific context of Korea, where the interest in digital education is steadily increasing, the number of empirical studies exploring the causal effect of CSDL remains relatively scarce. The primary objective of this empirical study was to investigate the impact of CSDL on students' academic achievement in Korea. To achieve this objective, a two-way fixed effect model was employed, utilizing a panel dataset spanning three years derived from the 'Korean Education Longitudinal Study 2013'. The findings revealed a significant positive impact of CSDL on students’ Mathematics achievement. Notably, higher income levels, increased availability of computer resources provided by schools, and the implementation of more individualized education were identified as factors that moderate the effect of CSDL on students' achievement levels in Korean and English subjects. These findings underscore the need for an approach that optimizes the educational benefits of CSDL by considering subject-specific characteristics. Furthermore, this study highlights the importance of allocating educational resources, such as computers and smart devices, and integrating individualized educational activities within the classroom environment.

This study presents the solution of the second type of a two-dimensional nonlinear integral equation in Banach space. Also, the existence and uniqueness of this equation’s solution are discussed. We utilize a numerical approach involving hybrid and block-pulse functions to obtain the approximate solution of a two-dimensional nonlinear integral equation. Nonlinear integral equation in two dimensions is reduced numerically to a system of nonlinear algebraic equations that can be solved using numerical methods. This study focuses on showing the convergence analysis for the numerical approach and obtaining an error estimate. Some numerical examples have been provided to demonstrate the approach’s viability and efficacy

Knowledge of the temperature evolution is crucial to understand and control laser beam welding of low-melting materials. Existing temperature determination approaches are restricted to i) one-dimensional temperature information (e.g. ratio-pyrometers), ii) a priori knowledge of the emissivity (e.g. thermography) and iii) high temperature regions (e.g. two-wavelength imaging). In this paper, a ratio-based two-color-thermography approach is developed that allows for two-dimensional temperature determination in low-melting temperature ranges (< 1200 K). For static measurement situations it is demonstrated, that temperature can be determined despite variation in signal intensity and emissivity with high accuracy. The two-color-thermography set-up is further transferred into a commercial laser beam welding machine and experiments are conducted for varying process parameters. The direct application of the developed two-color-thermography system in dynamic process situations is limited as image artifacts presumably caused by internal reflections inside the optical beam path are present.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) breeding programs can take over a decade to release a new variety. However, new methods of selection such as genomic selection (GS) must be integrated to decrease the time it takes to release new varieties to meet the demand of a growing population. The implementation of GS into breeding programs is still being explored, with many studies showing its potential to change wheat breeding through achieving higher genetic gain. In this review, we explore the integration of GS for a wheat breeding program by redesigning the traditional breeding pipeline to implement GS. We propose implementing a two-part breeding strategy by differentiating between population improvement and product development. The implementation of GS in the product development pipeline can be integrated into most stages and can predict within and across breeding cycles. Additionally, we explore optimizing the population improvement strategy through GS recurrent selection schemes to reduce crossing cycle time and significantly increase genetic gain. The recurrent selection schemes can be optimized for parental selection, maintenance of genetic variation, and optimal cross-prediction. Overall, we outline the ability to increase the genetic gain of a breeding program by implementing GS and a two-part breeding strategy.

Motorcycles can be considered a new form of smart vehicle when taking into account their small and modern structure and due to the fact that nowadays they are used in the new role of ambu-lance to rapidly reach emergency patients in large cities with traffic congestion. However, there is no study regarding the measuring of access time for motorcycle ambulances in large cities of Thailand. Therefore, this study aims to compare access times to patients between motorcycle ambulances and conventional ambulances, including analysis of the use of AED installed on motorcycle ambulances to contribute to the sustainable development of public health policies. In two hundred and seventy-one operations, it was found that the times from dispatch to vehicle (ambulance and motorlance) being en route and times from the 1669 center (center for com-mand-and-control EMS in Thailand) call receipt to arrival on scene (response time) of motorcycle ambulances was shorter than that of a conventional ambulance and the use of AED on a motor-cycle ambulance can increase the chances of survival for patients with cardiac arrest outside the hospital in public places where AEDs are not available and in all cases where access to an AED was less than eight minutes.

^{We consider the collective pricing orders in a minimum supply chain that is composed of a monopolistic manufacturer and many retailers that belong to the same chain store firm. The retailers have the freedom to raise or lower the local price. The chain store firm sets up the commercial rules for local retail stores to maximize its total payoff. The monopolistic manufacturer firm controls the total quantity supplied for the market to achieve maximum benefits. We applied the two dimensional Ising model in statistical physics to map the collective distribution of microscopic strategy of local retailers into the macroscopic total payoff of the chain store firm. The local stores choose to raise the price or lower the price based their own mind when the supply in market surpasses the demand. When the supply in market is far less than the demand, the stores synchronously raise prices, even though a local store only have the incomplete information of their nearest neighboring supermarket. We find the critical equation for the balance point between the action of supplier and the action of chain store management based on game theory and statistical physics. The critical equation can identify the Nash equilibrium point of the non-cooperative game between the manufacturer and the chain-store seller, and reveal different levels of collective operations. This statistical physics method also holds for more complicate supply chains and economic systems.}

Using a theorem of Ulam and Hyers, we will prove the Hyers-Ulam stability of two-dimensional Lagrange's mean value points $(\eta, \xi)$ which satisfy the equation, $f(u, v) - f(p, q) = (u-p) f_x(\eta, \xi) + (v-q) f_y(\eta, \xi)$, where $(p, q)$ and $(u, v)$ are distinct points in the plane. Moreover, we introduce an efficient algorithm for applying our main result in practical use.

We extended the usage of the expansion method based on Sine-Gordon equation to the two dimensional Fisher equation. The relation between the trigonometric and hyperbolic functions are derived from the Sine-Gordon equation de ned in two space dimension. The complex-valued traveling wave solutions to the two dimensional Fisher and Nagumo equations are set in forms a nite series of multiplications of powers of sech(.) and tanh(.) functions.

This paper considers a two-way relay network, where two source nodes exchange messages through several relays in the presence of an eavesdropper, and the channel state information (CSI) of the eavesdropper is imperfectly known. The amplify-and-forward relay protocol is used and the relay beamforming weights are designed. The model is built up to minimize the total relay transmit power while guaranteeing the quality of service at users and preventing the eavesdropper from decoding the signals. Due to the imperfect CSI, a semi-infinite programming problem is obtained. An algorithm is proposed to solve the problem, and the iterative points are updated through the linesearch technique, where the feasibility are preserved during iterations. The optimality property is analyzed. The obtained subproblems are quadratic constrained quadratic programming problems, either with less than $4$ constraints or with only one variable, which are solved optimally. Simulation results demonstrate the importance of the proposed model, and imply that the proposed algorithm is efficient and converges very fast, where more than 85% of the problems are solved optimally.

Flux-switching permanent magnet (FSPM) motors have gained increasing attention in the electric vehicles (EVs) applications due to the advantages of high power density, high efficiency. However, the heat sources of both permanent magnet (PM) and armature winding are located on the limited stator space in the FSPM motors, which may result in the PM overheated and irreversible demagnetization caused by temperature rise and it is often ignored in the conventional thermal analysis. In this paper, a new electrical-thermal two-way coupling design method is proposed to analyze the electromagnetic performances, where the change of PM material characteristics under different temperatures is taken into consideration. Firstly, the motor topology and design equations are introduced. Secondly, the demagnetization curves of PM materials under different temperatures are modeled due to PM materials are sensitive to the temperature. And based on the electrical-thermal two-way coupling method, the motor performances are evaluated in details, such as the load PM flux linkage and output torque. Then, the motor is optimized, and the electromagnetic performances between initial and improved motors are compared. Finally, a prototype motor is manufactured, and the results are validated by experimental measurements.

This paper proposed three-dimensional numerical simulation method by coupling of electrostatic and fluid fields to evaluating the performance of electrical sensor in the concentration measurement of gas/solid two-phase flow. Compared with the static numerical simulation, this real-time dynamic 3-D simulation method can research on a designed capacitance sensor combining the dynamic characteristics of the two-phase flows for concentration measurement. Several fluid-electrostatic models of transmission pipes with different sensor structures are built. Under different test positions and different particle concentrations, the flow characteristics and the corresponding electric signals can be obtained, and the correlation coefficient between the concentration values and the capacitance values are used for performance evaluation of the sensors. The effects of flow regimes on concentration measurement are also been investigated in this paper. To validate the results of simulation, an experimental platform with horizontal straight pipe for phase volume concentration measurement of solid/air two-phase flow is built, and the experimental results agree well with simulation conclusions. The simulation and test results show that the coupling models can give constructive reference opinions for the sensor design and collection of installation position in different transmission pipelines, which are very important for the practical process of pneumatic conveying system.

To address the trajectory tracking issue for quadrotors working under the influence of external disturbances, a control scheme is designed for position and attitude trajectory tracking. Firstly, the quadrotor dynamic model is derived for control design. Secondly, adaptive integral backstepping control (AIBS) is employed in the position loop in which adaptive estimation is used to estimate the upper bounds of disturbances. Subsequently, a new adaptive backstepping fast nonsingular integral terminal sliding mode control (ABFNITSM) is proposed to follow desired Euler angles. The intro-duction of fast nonsingular terminal sliding mode and integral element is to realize fast convergence and accurate tracking. Dead zone technique is applied to minimize estimation errors. Besides, a saturation function is utilized to eliminate chattering phenomenon. Finally, simulation experiments are conducted under the Simulink environment. The proposed control is verified by comparing it with traditional integral terminal sliding mode control (ITSM) and integral backstepping control (IBS).

In the era of digital advancements, the escalation of credit card fraud necessitates the development of robust and efficient fraud detection systems. This paper delves into the application of machine learning models, specifically focusing on ensemble methods, to enhance credit card fraud detection. Through an extensive review of existing literature, we identified limitations in current fraud detection technologies, including issues like data imbalance, concept drift, false positives/negatives, limited generalisability, and challenges in real-time processing. To address some of these shortcomings, we propose a novel ensemble model that integrates a Support Vector Machine (SVM), K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), Random Forest (RF), Bagging, and Boosting classifiers. This ensemble model tackles the dataset imbalance problem associated with most credit card datasets by implementing under-sampling and the Synthetic Over-sampling Technique (SMOTE) on some machine learning algorithms. The evaluation of the model utilises a dataset comprising transaction records from European credit card holders, providing a realistic scenario for assessment. The methodology of the proposed model encompasses data pre-processing, feature engineering, model selection, and evaluation, with Google Colab computational capabilities facilitating efficient model training and testing. Comparative analysis between the proposed ensemble model, traditional machine learning methods, and individual classifiers reveals the superior performance of the ensemble in mitigating challenges associated with credit card fraud detection. Across accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score metrics, the ensemble outperforms existing models. This paper underscores the efficacy of ensemble methods as a valuable tool in the battle against fraudulent transactions. The findings presented lay the groundwork for future advancements in the development of more resilient and adaptive fraud detection systems, crucial as credit card fraud techniques continue to evolve.

As one of the fastest-growing new energy sources, wind power technology has attracted widespread attention from all over the world. In order to improve the quality of wind power generation, wind speed prediction is an indispensable task. In this paper, an error correction based Variational Mode Decomposition and Broad Learning System (VMD-BLS) hybrid model is proposed for wind speed prediction. First, the wind speed is decomposed into multiple components by the VMD algorithm, and then an ARMA model is established for each component to find the optimal number of sequence divisions. Second, the BLS model is used to predict each component, and the prediction results are summed to obtain the wind speed forecast value. However, in some traditional methods, there is always time lag, which will reduce the forecast accuracy. To deal with this, a novel error correction technique is developed by utilizing BLS. Through verification experiment with actual data, it proves that the proposed method can reduce the phenomenon of prediction lag, and can achieve higher prediction accuracy than traditional approaches, which shows our method’s effectiveness in practice.

This study presents a dynamic model of a passenger vehicle and analyzes its dynamic characteristics and responses. A dynamic vehicle model with seven degrees of freedom was established to analyze the behavior of a driving vehicle. The vehicle model had three degrees of freedom for the motion of the sprung mass and four degrees of freedom for the unsprung masses. For this model, the equations of motion were derived using Lagrange’s equation. To verify the model, the suspension deformations computed using the model were compared with the deformations measured through three actual vehicle driving tests which are the slalom, double lane change, and step steer tests. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of suspension stiffness, suspension damping, and anti-roll bar torsional stiffness on the dynamic characteristics and responses of the vehicle model. The developed dynamic vehicle model may help vehicle designers predict the dynamic responses of a vehicle through simulation without performing a driving test.

This paper studies the performance improvement of the IEEE 802.15.4 nonbeacon-enabled mode originated by the inclusion of the Request-To-Send/Clear-To-Send (RTS/CTS) handshake mechanism resulting in frame concatenation. Under IEEE 802.15.4 employing RTS/CTS, the backoff procedure is not repeated for each data frame sent but only for each RTS/CTS set. The maximum throughput and minimum delay performance are mathematically derived for both the Chirp Spread Spectrum and Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum Physical layers for the 2.4 GHz band. Results show that the utilization of RTS/CTS significantly enhances the performance of IEEE 802.15.4 applied to healthcare in terms of bandwidth efficiency.

There is a need to search for new antifungals, especially for the treatment of the invasive Candida infections, caused mainly by C. albicans. These infections are steadily increasing at an alarming rate, mostly among immunocompromised patients. The newly synthesized compounds (3a-3k) were characterized by physico-chemical parameters and investigated for antimicrobial activity using the microdilution broth method to estimate minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). Additionally, their antibiofilm activity and mode of action together with the effect on the membrane permeability in C. albicans were investigated. Biofilm biomass and its metabolic activity were quantitatively measured using crystal violet (CV) staining and tetrazolium salt (XTT) reduction assay. The cytotoxic effect on normal human lung fibroblasts and hemolytic effect were also evaluated. The results showed differential activity of the compounds against yeasts (MIC = 0.24-500 µg/mL) and bacteria (MIC = 125-1000 µg/mL). Most compounds possessed strong antifungal activity (MIC = 0.24-7.81 µg/mL). The compounds 3b, 3c, and 3e, showed no inhibitory (at 1/2 MIC) and eradication (at 8 x MIC) effect on C. albicans biofilm. Only slight decrease in the biofilm metabolic activity was observed for compound 3b. Moreover, the studied compounds increased the permeability of the membrane/cell wall of C. albicans and their mode of action may be related to action within the fungal cell wall structure and/or within the cell membrane. It is worth noting that the compounds had no cytotoxicity effect on pulmonary fibroblasts and erythrocytes at concentrations showing anticandidal activity. The present studies in vitro confirm that these derivatives appear to be a very promising group of antifungals for further preclinical studies.

We constructed a novel design integrating the administration of a clinical self-assessment scale with simultaneous acquisition of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), aiming at cross-validation between psychopathology evaluation and neuroimaging techniques. We hypothesized that areas demonstrating differential activation in two groups of patients (paranoid and depressive) will have distinct connectivity patterns and structural differences.

Mind-body interaction and its manifestations at the brain level has been studied extensively in the field of consciousness research. Fara-darmani Consciousness Field, as claimed by Mohammad Ali Taheri (the founder), is a method of connecting with the Cosmic Consciousness Network through human mind and his brain has a detective role in this process. As a result of this connection, the scanning process of the state of a being, e.g., the health status of the cells and consequently organs is performed. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the Fara-darmani Consciousness Field connection on electroencephalogram (EEG) features as an important biomarker of the brain functioning. The results showed that there was a significant increase in the gamma2 frequency band (35-40 Hz) power in the frontal lobe in medial frontal gyrus (BA6) and paracentral lobule (BA31) of the brain during the task condition compared to the rest condition in a Fara-therapist population. Considering the cortical electrical activity of Fara-therapist’s brain during Fara-darmani Consciousness Field connection, characterizing increase in the power of gamma wave and the activity of the areas affecting on memory, attention, perception and default mode network intrinsic activity. This manifestation distinguishes Fara-darmani Consciousness Field connection from other known methods dealing with the mind-body interaction criterion mainly different types of mediation.

Carbonate precipitation induced by microorganism has become a hot spot in the field of carbonate sedimentology, while the effect of different magnesium on biominerals has rarely been studied. Therefore, magnesium sulfate and magnesium chloride were used to investigate the significant role played on carbonate minerals. In this study, Staphylococcus epidermidis Y2 was isolated and identified by 16S rDNA homology comparison. The ammonia, pH, carbonic anhydrase, carbonate and bicarbonate ions were investigated. The mineral phase, morphology and elemental composition were analyzed by XRD and SEM-EDS. The ultrathin slices of bacteria were analyzed by HRTEM-SAED and STEM. The result showed that this bacterium could release ammonia and carbonic anhydrase to increase pH, and elevate the supersaturation via a large number of carbonate and bicarbonate ions released through carbon dioxide hydration catalyzed by carbonic anhydrase. The crystal cell density of monohydrocalcite was lower in magnesium chloride medium than that in magnesium sulfate medium. The crystal grew in a mode of spiral staircas in magnesium sulfate medium, while in a concentric circular pattern in magnesium chloride medium. There was no obvious intracellular biomineralization. This study may be helpful to further understand the biomineralization mechanism, may also provide some references for the reconstruction of paleogeological environment.

Promoter is a small region of DNA sequence in response to various transcription factors, which initiates a particular gene expression. The promoter-engineered bio-sensor can activate or repress gene expression through transcription factor recognizing specific molecules, such as polyamine, sugars, lactams, amino acids, organic acids or redox molecule, however, the reported applications of promoter enhanced bio-sensor are not too much. This review paper highlights the strategies of construction of promoter-gene engineered bio-sensor with human and bacteria’s genetic promoter array for high-throughput screening (HTS) molecular drugs, study of membrane protein’s localization and nucleocytoplasmic shuttling mechanism of regulating factor, enzyme activity, detection of the toxicity of intermediate chemicals, and probing bacteria density to improve value-added product titer. These bio-sensors’s sensitivity and specificity can be further improved by proposed approaches of Mn²⁺ and Mg²⁺ added random Error-prone PCR and site-directed mutagenesis which is applied for construction of bacteria’s “mutant library”. It is expected to establish flexible HTS platform (Bio-sensor array) to large-scale screen transcription factor-acting drugs, reducing the toxicity of intermediate compounds, and constructing gene dynamic regulatory system in “push and pull” mode to effectively regulate the valuable medicinal product production. This proposed novel promoter-engineered biosensors aided synthetic genetic circuit construction will maximize the efficiency of bio-synthesis of medicinal compound, which will greatly promote the development of microbial metabolic engineering and biomedical science.

To implement renewable energy resources, microgrid systems have been adopted and developed into the technology of choice to assure mass electrification in the next decade. Microgrid systems have a number of advantages over the conventional utility grid systems, however, it faces severe instability issues due to continually increasing constant power loads. To improve the stability of the entire system, load side compensation technique is chosen because of its robustness and cost effectiveness. In this particular occasion, a sliding mode controller is developed for microgrid system in the presence of CPL to assure certain control objective of keeping the output voltage constant at 480V. After that, the robustness analysis of the sliding mode controller against parametric uncertainties is presented. The sliding mode controller robustness against parametric uncertainties, frequency variations, and additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) are illustrated in this paper. Later, the performance of the PID and sliding Mode controller is compared in case of nonlinearity, parameter uncertainties, and noise rejection to justify the selection of Sliding Mode controller over PID controller. All the necessary calculations are reckoned mathematically and results are verified in the virtual platform such as MATLAB/Simulink with the appreciable outcome.

The goal of the current study is to analyse several nonlinear two-dimensional time-fractional Rosenau Hymanequations. The two-dimensional fractional Rosenau-Hyman equation has extensive use in engineering and applied sciences. The fractional view analysis of two-dimensional time-fractional Rosenau-Hyman equations is discussed using the homotopy perturbation approach, adomian decomposition method, and Yang transformation. Some examples involving two-dimensional time-fractional Rosenau-Hyman equations are provided in order to better understand the suggested approaches. The solutions appear as infinite series. We offer a comparison between the accurate solutions and those that are generated employing the proposed approaches in order to demonstrate the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed techniques. The results are graphically illustrated using 2D and 3D graphs. It has been noted that the obtained results and the targeted problems real solutions are quite similar. Calculated solutions at various fractional levels describe some of the problems useful dynamics. Other fractional problems that arise in other fields of science and engineering can be solved using a modified version of the current techniques.

People have long had a problem: the equations of motion that reflect the laws of physics are invariance under time inversion, while there always are irreversible processes for gases compose of microscopic particles. This article solves this problem. The point is that we should distinguish between the concepts of the equation of motion and motion. We also need to distinguish between the concepts of time-inverse motion and reverse motion. The former is anticlockwise, which is a frictional motion, while the latter is clockwise. For the single-particle motions in classical mechanics and in quantum mechanics, we present mathematical expressions for time-inversion motion and reverse motion, respectively. We demonstrate that single-particle motion is irreversible. The definition of the reversibility of two-particle collisions is given. According to the definition, the two-particle collision as a microscopic motion processes is irreversible. Consequently, for a gas consisting of a large number of particles colliding with each other, its movement should be irreversible, unless the condition of detailed balance is met. We give a physical explanation for the detailed balance, which does not concern the meaning of microscopic reversibility. The detailed balance means that after a pair of reciprocal collisions occur, the distribution function of the particles remains unchanged. Therefore, microscopic two-particle collision events are irreversible, but the statistical average of a large number of collision events makes it possible for the macroscopic process of a gas to be reversible. Conclusively, we clarify the microscopic mechanism of the irreversible process of gases.

Arrhythmic sudden cardiac death (SCD) has an annual prevalence of 1 per 1000 while 75% of the victims suffer from ischemic and 10% from non-ischemic or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Altogether, these three entities account for more than 80% of the total SCD victims. Guidelines for implantable cardiac defibrillators are still dominated by LVEF<30% from the MADIT II study. In terms of arrhythmic risk stratification, the PRESERVE-EF study restored in clinical practice the two-step arrhythmic risk stratification approach based on Electrocardiographic non-invasive risk factors (NIRFs) guiding to electrophysiological study. In our times with the multiple cardiac imaging methods and artificial intelligence applications availability, this two-step approach based on integrated arrhythmia mechanisms detection, emerges as an efficient SCD risk stratification paradigm for these three entities but also for the patients with congenital heart disease.

Wireless Body Area Networks are composed of sensor nodes that may be implanted in the body or worn on it. A node is composed of a sensing unit, a processor and a radio unit. One of the nodes, the sink, acts as a gateway between the body area network and other networks such as the Internet. We propose a routing protocol that constructs paths between nodes such that the final network topology is a tree rooted at the sink. The protocol's aim is to increase network lifetime and reliability, and to adapt to network conditions dynamically. Moreover, the protocol enables communications between nodes and sink both in the upstream direction, from nodes to sink, and in the downstream direction from sink to nodes. When the network tree is constructed, a node chooses its parent, i.e., next hop to sink, by using one of various criteria. Namely, these are the number of hops between parent and sink, energy level of parent, received signal strength from parent, number of current parent's children, and a fuzzy logic function that combines multiple criteria. Moreover, as time progresses the tree structure may dynamically change to adapt to conditions such as the near-depletion of a routing node's energy. Simulation results show improvements in network lifetime and energy consumption over the older version of the protocol.

The Upper Hunter Valley is a major coal mining area containing approximately 40% of the currently identified total coal reserves in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Due to the ongoing increase of mining activities, PM10 (air-borne particle with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10 micrometres) pollution has become a major air quality concern in local communities. This paper summarises the spatial and temporal variability modes of PM10 pollution in the region, based on long-term multi-site monitoring data and the application of the rotated principal component analysis (RPCA) and wavelet analysis techniques. RPCA identified two distinct air quality clusters/subregions in the valley, one in the west/northwest, the other in the southeast. Wavelet analysis revealed the annual cycle to be most persistent temporal mode of PM10 variability in both subregions, with intermittent signals observed at time scales of around 120, 30~90 and under 30 days. How these variation modes are related to the effects of local PM10 emissions and the influence of meteorology at different time scales deserves further attention in future work. The findings will be used in air quality reporting and forecasting in NSW. The methodology and results can also be useful for air quality research in similar regions elsewhere.

This study determines the equivalent stress intensity factor (SIF) model that best fits the experimental behavior of low-carbon steel under mixed mode (I and II). The study assessed Tanaka, Richard, and Pook's equivalent SIF models. The theoretical values used for comparison correspond to experimental results in a modified C(T) geometry by machining a hole ahead of the crack tip subjected to fatigue loads with a load ratio of R = 0.1. The comparison involved the SIF for six experimental points and the values computed through the numerical simulation. The Paris, Klesnil, and modified Forman-Newman crack growth models were used with each equivalent SIF to analyze the prediction in the estimated number of cycles. The Klesnil model showed the closest prediction since the error between the calculated and experimentally recorded number of cycles is the lowest. However, the material behavior reflects a reduced crack propagation rate attributed to plasticity in the crack tip. Results suggest that Asaro equivalent SIF conservatively estimates the element lifespan with increasing errors from 2.3% at the start of growth to 27 % at the end of the calculation.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that individuals with prediabetes are significantly less likely to develop type 2 diabetes if they participate in a lifestyle change program that results in at least 5% weight loss and 150 minutes of physical activity per week. The CDC recognizes distance learning as an effective delivery mode for lifestyle change programs to prevent type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this study was to assess enrollment, engagement, and effectiveness of a type 2 diabetes prevention program (DPP) using synchronous distance technology. Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes (ESMMPD) is an intensive 12-month DPP delivered using synchronous distance technology. Throughout 26 lessons, participants focused on healthy eating, physical activity, and mindfulness behaviors. Study findings showed a significant decrease in A1C (-0.24 p<.0001). Weight loss averaged 5.66% for those who completed the program. Based on the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, participants demonstrated statistically significant changes in self-reported confidence in their ability to perform all 18 health-promoting behaviors assessed (p<.0001). Participation in the program also resulted in the adoption of health promoting behaviors. A DPP using synchronous distance technology is an effective delivery mode to help participants adopt healthy behaviors, increase physical activity, and achieve the weight loss necessary to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Besides the increase in global energy demand, access to clean energy, reduction in greenhouse gas emissions caused by conventional power generation sources, energy security, and availability of electricity in remote villages in emerging nations are some of the factors that foster the use of renewable energy sources (RESs) in generating electricity. One of the aims of initiating microgrids (MGs) is to maximize the benefits of RES and alleviate the associated grid integration issues. Microgrids are made up of RES connected to electrical loads within clearly delineated electrical limits that operate as individual controllable units on the electrical network. It can operate in-dependently as well as in connection with the grid. The paper presents an overview of microgrids and investigates the system's performance when connected to and disconnected from the grid. Furthermore, in both modes of operation, the functioning and behavior of system components such as the bidirectional DC-DC converter and energy storage system (ESS) were evaluated. The architecture of the proposed microgrid consists of a small hydropower plant, a wind farm, and a battery energy storage system (BESS). The microgrid under investigation is modeled and simu-lated using MATLAB and Simulink.

Considering rotation-induced centrifugal stiffening, spin softening, and Coriolis effects, the three-dimensional finite element model of a rotating blade with a dovetail structure is built through the contact dynamics theory. The fixed-interface component mode synthesis method is then adopted to reduce the model for high computational efficiency and adequate model accuracy. The effects of the number of normal modes on the first-six-order modal characteristics of the model varying with the rotating speed are studied between the reduced and full models. Next, the influence of rotating speed and friction factor on the nonlinear dynamic characteristics of the model under the action of aerodynamic force are elaborately discussed. The results show that: (1) tenon-mortise joint contact-induced nonlinearity under low rotating speeds results in the intermittent interference of contact surfaces and frequency multiplications of aerodynamic excitation frequency in the spectrum cascades, while that under high rotating speeds causes the continuous interface contact and asynchronous excitation at the tenon-mortise joint; (2) the increase of friction factor results in a lower contact pressure distribution and the right shift of the resonance peak (i.e., hard nonlinearity).

Hydro generator sets serve as the peak and frequency regulation of the power system,and play a very important role in maintaining system stability and improving power quality.Based on the internal characteristics model of a specific type of hydro generator,this paper constructs a hydroelectric coupling model for hydropower units,studies the influence of the regulation system of hydropower units on low-frequency oscillations under different load conditions,and adopts variable speed reaching law and fuzzy sliding mode control strategy to improve the regulation quality of the system and ensure the stable operation of the units.Results of simulation and water turbine set under different load conditions show that varible speed reaching law can effectively improve the power-angle oscillation behavior of the hydropower set and suppress the occurrence of low-frequency oscillations of the system when the system is subject to power disturbance,which provide a new theoretical basis and solution for the vibration analysis and control optimization of hydraulic turbine units.

The service conditions of underground coal mine equipment are poor, and it is difficult to accurately extract the fault characteristics of rolling bearings. In order to better improve the accuracy of fault identification of rolling bearings, a fault detection method based on multiscale permutation entropy and SOA-SVM is proposed. First, the whale optimization algorithm is used to select the modal analysis number K and the penalty factor α of the variational mode decomposition algorithm. Then, the vibration signal of rolling bearings is dissolved according to the optimized variational mode decomposition algorithm, and the multi-scale permutation entropy of the main intrinsic mode function is calculated. Finally, the feature values of the matrix are entered into the SVM algorithm optimized by the seagull optimization algorithm to obtain the classification result. The experimental results based on the published rolling bearing datasets of Western Reserve University show that the identification success rate of the proposed method can reach 98.75%. The fault detection of the rolling bearings can be completed accurately and efficiently.

In this paper, an offshore airborne wind energy (AWE) farm consisting of three non-reversing pumping mode AWE systems is modelled and simulated. The AWE systems employ permanent magnet synchronous generators (PMSG). A direct interconnection technique is developed and implemented for AWE systems. This method is a new approach invented for interconnecting offshore wind turbines with the least number of required offshore-based power electronic converters. The direct interconnection technique can be beneficial in improving the economy and reliability of marine airborne wind energy systems. The performance and interactions of the directly interconnected generators inside the energy farm internal power grid are investigated. The results of the study conducted in this paper, show the directly interconnected AWE systems can exhibit a poor load balance and significant reactive power exchange which must be addressed. Power control strategies for controlling the active and reactive power of the AWE farm are designed, implemented, and promising results are discussed in this paper.

In the present paper, we efficiently solve the two-body problem for extreme cases such as those with high eccentricities. The use of numerical methods, with the usual variables, cannot maintain the perihelion passage accurately. In previous articles, we have verified that this problem is treated more adequately through temporal reparametrizations related to the mean anomaly through the partition function. The biparametric family of anomalies, with an appropriate partition function, allows a systematic study of these transformations. In the present work, we consider the elliptical orbit as a meridian section of the ellipsoid of revolution, and the partition function depends on two variables raised to specific parameters. One of the variables is the mean radius of the ellipsoid at the secondary, and the other is the distance to the primary. One parameter regulates the concentration of points in the apoapsis region, and the other produces a symmetrical displacement between the polar and equatorial regions. The three most used geodesy latitude variables are also studied, resulting in one not belonging to the biparametric family. However, it is in the one introduced now, which implies an extension of the biparametric method. The results obtained by the method presented here now allow a causal interpretation of the operation of numerous reparametrizations used in the study of orbital motion.

The terrain of Changbai Mountain has great influence on the distribution of atmospheric flows and the occurrence and development of precipitation. This study quantitatively analyzes the regional characteristic of topographic perturbations and the relationship between terrain, wind and precipitation in Changbai Mountain region, by using a spectral analysis of the two-dimensional discrete cosine transform. Three domains with relatively heavy summer precipitation are selected as the study region. The results indicate that the overall terrain of Changbai Mountain region exhibits anisotropic characteristics. The terrain spectra of domain B are less than those of domain A and C across the whole wavelength (λ) bands, indicating that the large-scale topographic perturbations of domain B are relatively weak. The largest topographic spectral peak of domain C shows the most pronounced undulation of terrain among the three domains. The dominant wavelengths of terrain height variance for domain A and C, both close to the respective maximum wavelengths, indicate more prominent large-scale topographic perturbations. For domain A, the variation of the precipitation spectra is consistent with that of the wind spectra at the wavelength bands of λ < 390 km, showing a high correlation between wind field and the occurrence of rainfall. The inverse relationship at larger wavelengths indicates that multiple factors contribute to the occurrence of rainfall. For domain B, there is consistency in the fluctuations of terrain spectra, precipitation spectra, and wind spectra at the wavelength bands of λ < 278.3 km, implying that the smaller-scale terrain has an important effect on the occurrence of summer precipitation. For domain C, the variations of terrain spectra, precipitation spectra, and wind spectra are almost consistent across the whole wavelength bands, indicating that the large-scale terrain and minor terrain both play a crucial role in atmospheric uplift and the occurrence and development of summer rainfall.

Fire is a common natural disturbance in forest ecosystems and plays an important role in subsequent vegetation patterns. Based on the spatial sequence method instead of the time successional sequence method, this study selected burned areas in different locations in the Anning River Basin, which contains typical dry valleys. Quadrat surveys and quantitative classification were used to identify the vegetation classification, distribution pattern, and environmental interpretation during the natural restoration process after forest fire. The results showed that: (1) the vegetation community in the early stage of natural recovery after forest fire disturbance could be divided into seven community types, and Quercus guyavaefolia H. Leveille (Qg) was the dominant species in the community; (2) vegetation samples could be divided into five ecological types, and the classification and distribution pattern of community types in this region changed most obviously with altitude; and (3) detrended correspondence analysis could clearly classify vegetation community types, and detrended canonical correspondence analysis could well reveal the relationships between species and environmental factors. This study provides a scientific basis guiding the restoration of ecosystem structural stability and biodiversity in burned areas.

Document classification is one of the most critical steps in the document analysis pipeline. There are two types of approaches for document classification, known as image-based and multimodal approaches. The image-based document classification approaches are solely based on the inherent visual cues of the document images. In contrast, the multimodal approach co-learns the visual and textual features, and it has proved to be more effective. Nonetheless, these approaches require a huge amount of data. This paper presents a novel approach for document classification that works with a small amount of data and outperforms other approaches. The proposed approach incorporates a hierarchical attention network(HAN) for the textual stream and the EfficientNet-B0 for the image stream. The hierarchical attention network in the textual stream uses the dynamic word embedding through fine-tuned BERT. HAN incorporates both the word level and sentence level features. While the earlier approaches rely on training on a large corpus (RVL-CDIP), we show that our approach works with a small amount of data (Tobacco-3482). To this end, we trained the neural network at Tobacco-3428 from scratch. Thereby, we outperform state-of-the-art by obtaining an accuracy of 90.3%. This results in a relative error reduction rate of 7.9%.

We start with the discussion on misapplication of classical probability theory by Feynman in his analysis of the two slit experiment (by following the critical argumentation of Koopman, Ballentine, and the author of this paper). The seed of Feynman's conclusion on the impossibility to apply the classical probabilistic description for the two slit experiment is treatment of conditional probabilities corresponding to different experimental contexts as unconditional ones. Then we move to the Bell type inequalities. Bell applied classical probability theory in the same manner as Feynman and, as can be expected, he also obtained the impossibility statement. In contrast to Feynman, he formulated his no-go statement not in the probabilistic terms, but by appealing to nonlocality. This note can be considered as a part of the author's attempts for getting rid off nonlocality from quantum physics.

In this paper, we investigate the accuracy and robustness of three classes of methods for solving two-phase incompressible flows on a staggered grid. Here, the unsteady two-phase flow equations are simulated by finite volumes and penalty methods using implicit and monolithic approaches (such as the augmented Lagrangian and the fully coupled methods), where all velocity components and pressure variables are solved simultaneously (as opposed to segregated methods). The interface tracking is performed with a Volume-of-Fluid (VOF) method, using the Piecewise Linear Interface Construction (PLIC) technique. The home code Fugu is used for implementing the various methods. Our target application is the simulation of two-phase flows at high density and viscosity ratios, which are known to be challenging to simulate. The resulting strategies of monolithic approaches will be proven to be considerably better suited for these two-phase cases, they also allow to use larger time step than segregated methods.

Two-photon imaging of light stimulus-evoked neuronal activity has been used to study all neuron classes in the vertebrate retina, from the photoreceptors to the retinal ganglion cells. Clearly, the ability to study retinal circuits down to the level of single synapses or zoomed out at the level of complete populations of neurons, has been a major asset in our understanding of this beautiful circuit. In this chapter, we discuss the possibilities and pitfalls of using an all-optical approach in this highly light-sensitive part of the brain.

The article presents the results of tests of minor head losses through PVC and PP elbows for a flow of water and mixtures of water and sand with grain sizes of up to 0.5 mm and concentrations of 5.6 g∙L-1, 10.84 g∙L-1, and 15.73 g∙L-1. The tests were carried out at variable flow velocities for three elbow diameters of 63, 75, and 90 mm. The flow rate, pressure difference in the tested cross-sections, and temperature of the fluids were measured and automatically recorded. The results of the measurements were used to develop mathematical models for determining the minor head loss coefficient as a function of elbow diameter, sand concentration in the liquid, and Reynolds number. The mathematical model was developed by cross validation. It was shown that when the concentration of sand in the liquid was increased by 1.0 g∙L-1, the coefficient of minor head loss through the elbows increased, in the Reynolds number range of 4.6∙104 − 2.1∙105, by 0.3−0.01% for PP63, 0.6−0.03 % for PP75, 1.1−0.06 % for PP90, 0.8−0.01 % for PVC63, 0.8−0.02 % for PVC75, and 0.9−0.04 % for PVC90. An increase in Re from 5∙104 to 2∙106 for elbows with diameters of 63, 75 and 90 mm caused a 7.3 %, 6.8 %, and 6.0 % decrease in the minor head loss coefficient, respectively.

Thresholding is considered as a statistical-decision making theory which can lessen the average error incurred in allocating pixels to two or more groups. The traditional Bayes decision rule can be applied with the prior knowledge of the Probability Density Function (PDF) of each class. It is surmised that a threshold resulting in the best class separation is the optimal one. In this paper, Otsu’s thresholding for image segmentation has been implemented. The well-known Otsu’s method is to learn a threshold that can maximize the between-class variance or equivalently make light of the within-class variance of the entire image. At first, a color image of a tree is taken. After that, the image is transformed into a grayscale image. Then in the first part, two-level thresholding is conducted, and later on, three-level thresholding is also applied. Again, two-level thresholding, as well as three level thresholding, are also applied to some other images. Finally, the comparison is made between two level thresholding and three level thresholding

An innovative wireless sensor network (WSN) based on Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) technology for 3D accurate superficial monitoring of ground deformations, as landslides and subsidence, is proposed. The system has been designed and developed as part of an European Life+ project, called Wi-GIM (Wireless Sensor Network for Ground Instability Monitoring). The details of the architecture, the localization via wireless technology and data processing protocols are described. The flexibility and accuracy achieved by the UWB two-way ranging technique is analysed and compared with the traditional systems, such as robotic total stations (RTSs), Ground-based Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (GB-InSAR), highlighting the pros and cons of the UWB solution to detect the surface movements. An extensive field trial campaign allows the validation of the system and the analysis of its sensitivity to different factors (e.g., sensor nodes inter-visibility, effects of the temperature, etc.). The Wi-GIM system represents a promising solution for landslide monitoring and it can be adopted in conjunction with traditional systems or as an alternative in areas where the available resources are inadequate. The versatility, easy/fast deployment and cost-effectiveness, together with the good accuracy, make the Wi-GIM system a possible solution for municipalities that cannot afford expensive/complex systems to monitor potential landslides in their territory.

This paper aims to present a smart high speed battery charger, powered by a photovoltaic module array, for a LiFePO4 battery as a solar energy storage device. With a battery charging strategy, the presented battery charger involves a Buck converter as the core equipped with a simple maximum power point (MPP) tracker. Considering complexity reduction and easy hardware implementation, a constant voltage MPP tracking approach is adopted such that the maximum amount of output power can be delivered to the load in response to an arbitrary change in the solar radiation. A smart two-stage charging strategy, with a constant current mode followed by a constant voltage mode, is employed in such a way that the battery charge process can be accelerated largely, while the damage caused by overcharging can be prevented. In the end, the performance of this proposal is validated experimentally.

A typhoon-induced storm surge is considered one of the most severe coastal disasters in Taiwan. However, the combination of the storm surge and the astronomical tide called the storm tide can actually cause extreme flooding in coastal areas. This study implemented a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model to account for the interaction between tides and storm surges on the coast of Taiwan. The model was validated with observed water levels at Sauo Fish Port, Hualien Port, and Chenggong Fish Port under different historical typhoon events. The model results are in reasonable agreement with the measured data. The validated model was then used to evaluate the effects of the typhoon's intensity, bathymetric change, and the combination of the typhoon’s intensity and bathymetric change on the maximum storm tide and its distribution along the east coast of Taiwan. The results indicated that the maximum storm tide rises to 1.92 m under a typhoon with an intensity of a 100-year return period. The maximum storm tide increased from a baseline of 1.26 m to 2.63 m for a 90% bathymetric rise at Sauo Fish Port under the conditions of Typhoon Jangmi (2008). The combination of the intensity of a typhoon with a 100-year return period and a 90% bathymetric rise will result in a maximum storm tide exceeding 4 m, 2 m, and 3 m at Sauo Fish Port, Hualien Port, and Chenggong Fish Port, respectively. We also found that the distribution of the maximum storm tide on the east coast of Taiwan can expand significantly subject to the bathymetric rise.

Dysregulation of cartilage homeostasis and the changes in the density and the architecture of the subchondral bone were postulated as a potent mechanically pathological activity contributing to osteoarthritis (OA) pathogenesis. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is a new, none invasive and effective method in the treatment of animal OA model. In the current study, we demonstrated that shockwave induced the expression of protein-disulfide isomerase-associated 3 (Pdia-3) which is a multifunctional protein hypothesized to be a significant mediator for 1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1α,25(OH)₂D₃) signaling pathway using two-dimensional electrophoresis. Histological analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were verified and observed that the expression of Pdia-3 at 2 weeks was significantly higher than that of any other group at 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks post-shockwave treatment in early OA knee of rat. The other factors of the 1α,25(OH)₂D₃ rapid membrane signaling pathway including extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 (ERK1), osteopontin (OPG), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and matrix metallopeptidase 13 (MMP13) were measured and significantly increased by qPCR at 2 weeks post-shockwave treatment in early OA knee. Our proteomic data revealed significant Pdia-3 expression in microenvironments of joint tissue that could be actively responded to ESWT, which may potentially regulate biological function of chondrocytes and osteoblasts in the treatment of OA knee.

We present here a theory of Majorana excitons, photo-excited conduction electron-valence band hole pairs, interacting with Majorana Fermions in a Kitaev chain of semiconductor quantum dots embedded in a nanowire. Using analytical tools and exact diagonalisation methods we identify the presence of Majorana Zero Modes in the nanowire absorption spectra.

The group III two-component hybrid histidine kinase MoHik1p in the filamentous fungus Magnaporthe oryzae is known to be a sensor for external osmotic stress and essential for the fungicidal activity of the phenylpyrrole fludioxonil. The mode of action of fludioxonil has not yet been completely clarified but rather assumed to hyperactivate the high osmolarity glycerol (HOG) signaling pathway. To date, not much is known about the detailed molecular mechanism of how osmotic stress is detected or fungicidal activity is initiated within the HOG pathway. The molecular mechanism of signaling was studied using a mutant strain in which the HisKA signaling domain was modified by an amino acid change of histidine H736 to alanine A736. We found that MoHik1pH736A is as resistant to fludioxonil but not as sensitive to osmotic stress as the null mutant ∆Mohik1. H736 is required for fludioxonil action but is not essential for sensing sorbitol stress. Consequently, this report provides evidence of the difference in the molecular mechanism of fludioxonil action and the perception of osmotic stress. This is an excellent basis to understand the successful phenylpyrrole-fungicides’ mode of action better and will give new ideas to decipher cellular signaling mechanisms.

The paper proves the existence of a family of axisymmetric equilibrium figures as solutions of a stationary problem with unknown boundaries for the Navier–Stokes equations corresponding to the slow rotation of a viscous compressible two-layer liquid mass about some axis. It is assumed that the liquids are barotropic, capillary and have different viscosities, the internal fluid being bounded by a closed surface. This interface does not intersect with the external boundary of the cloud. The proof is based on implicit function theorem and carried out in the Hölder spaces.

Mathematical modeling is the most important tool for constructing the theory of different kinds of two-phase flows. The review is devoted to the analysis of the advent of the approach of mathematical modeling of two-phase flows, where solid particles act mainly as the dispersed phase. The main problems and features of the study of gas-solid two-phase flows are excluded. The main characteristics of gas flows with solid particles are given and the classification of two-phase flows is developed on their basis. The Lagrangian and Euler approaches to modeling the motion of a dispersed phase (particles) are described. Much attention is paid to the consideration of numerical simulation methods that describe descriptions of turbulent gas flow at different hierarchical levels (RANS, LES, DNS), different levels of description of interphase interactions (one-way coupling (OWC), two-way coupling (TWC) and four-way coupling (FWC)), as well as at different levels of interface resolution (partial-point (PP) and particle-resolved (PR)). Excluded are examples of some studies carried out on the basis of the identified approaches, as well as their exclusion for mathematical modeling of various classes of gas-solid two-phase flows.

The relative force strengths of the Coulomb forces, gravitational forces, dark matter forces, weak forces and strong forces are compared for the dark matters, leptons, quarks, and normal matters (p and n baryons) in terms of the 3-D quantized space model. The quark confinement and asymptotic freedom are explained by the CC merging to the A(CC=-5)₃ state. The proton with the (EC,LC,CC) charge configuration of p(1,0,-5) is p(1,0) + A(CC=-5)₃. The A(CC=-5)₃ state has the 99.6% of the proton mass. The three quarks in p(1,0,-5) are asymptotically free in the EC and LC space of p(1,0) and are strongly confined in the CC space of A(CC=-5)₃. This means that the lepton beams in the deep inelastic scattering interact with three quarks in p(1,0) by the EC interaction and weak interaction. Then, the observed spin is the partial spin of p(1,0) which is 32.6 % of the total spin (1/2) of the proton. The A(CC=-5)₃ state has the 67.4 % of the proton spin. This explains the proton spin crisis. The EC charge distribution of the proton is the same to the EC charge distribution of p(1,0) which indicates that three quarks in p(1,0) are mostly near the proton surface. From the EC charge distribution of neutron, the 2 lepton system (called as the koron) of the koron is, for the first time, reported in the present work.

Copper-catalyzed and organocopper-involved reactions are of great significance in organic synthesis. To have a deep understanding of the reaction mechanisms, the structural characterizations of organocopper intermediates become indispensable. Meanwhile, the structure-function relationship of organocopper compounds would advance rational design and development of new Cu-based reactions and organocopper reagents. Compared to the mono-carbonic ligand, the C,N- and C,C-bidentate ligands better stabilize the unstable organocopper compounds. The bidentate ligands can chelate to the same copper atom via ?2-mode, forming a mono-cupra-cyclic compounds with at least one acute C-Cu-C angle. When the bidentate ligands bind to two copper atoms via ?1-mode at each coordinating site, the bimetallic macrocyclic compounds will form nearly linear C-Cu-C angles. The anionic coordinating sites of the bidentate ligand can also bridge two metals via ?2-mode, forming organocopper aggregates with Cu-Cu interactions and organocuprates with contact ion pair structures. The reaction chemistry of some selected organocopper compounds is highlighted, showing their unique structure-reactivity relationships.

The fluid seepage in local-saturated zone of subgrade promotes the migration of fine particles in the filler, resulting in the change of pore structure and morphology of the filler and the deformation of solid skeleton, which affects the fluid seepage characteristics. Repeatedly, the muddy interlayer, mud pumping and other diseases are finally formed. Based on the theory of two-phase seepage, the theory of porous media seepage, and the principle of effective stress in porous media, a two-phase fluid-solid coupling mathematical model in local-saturated zone of subgrade considering the effect of fine particles migration is established. The mathematical model is numerically calculated with the software COMSOL Multiphysics○R, the two-phase seepage characteristics and the deformation characteristics of the solid skeleton in local-saturated zone of the subgrade are studied. The research results show that due to the continuous erosion and migration of fine particles in local-saturated zone of the subgrade, the volume fraction of fine particles first increases then decreases and finally becomes stable with the increase of time. And the volume fraction of fine particles for the upper part of the subgrade is larger than that for the lower part of the subgrade. The porosity, the velocity of fluid, the velocity of fine particles, and the permeability show a trend of increasing first and then stabilizing with time; the pore water pressure has no significant changes with time. The vertical displacement increase first and then decrease slightly with the increase of time, and finally tend to be stable. For a filler with a larger initial volume fraction of fine particles, the maximum value of the volume fraction of fine particles caused by fluid seepage is larger, and the time required to reach the maximum value is shorter. It can be concluded that in actual engineering, the volume fraction of fine particles in the subgrade filler should be minimized on the premise that the filler gradation meets the requirements of the specification.

Mapping vegetation species is critical to facilitate related quantitative assessment, and for invasive plants mapping their distribution is important to enhance monitoring and controlling activities. Integrating high resolution multispectral remote sensing (RS) image and lidar (light detection and ranging) point clouds can provide robust features for vegetation mapping. However, using multiple source of high-resolution RS data for vegetation mapping at large spatial scale can be both computationally and sampling intensive. Here we designed a two-step classification workflow to decrease computational cost and sampling effort, and to increase classification accuracy by integrating multispectral and lidar data to derive spectral, textural, and structural features for mapping target vegetation species. We used this workflow to classify kudzu, an aggressive invasive vine, in the entire Knox County (1,362 km2) of Tennessee, the United States. Object-based image analysis was conducted in the workflow. The first-step classification used 320 kudzu samples and extensive coarsely labeled samples (based on national land cover) to generate an overprediction map of kudzu using random forest (RF). For the second step, 350 samples were randomly extracted from the overpredicted kudzu and labeled manually for the final prediction using RF and support vector machine (SVM). Computationally intensive features were only used for the second-step classification. SVM had constantly better accuracy than RF, and the Producer’s Accuracy, User’s Accuracy, and Kappa for the SVM model on kudzu was 0.94, 0.96, and 0.90, respectively. SVM predicted 1010 kudzu patches covering 1.29 km2 in Knox County. We found the sample size of kudzu used for algorithm training impacted the accuracy and number of kudzu predicted. The proposed workflow could also improve sampling efficiency and specificity. Our workflow had much higher accuracy than the traditional method conducted in this research, and could be easily implemented to map kudzu in other regions or other vegetation species.

Instead of simplified steady-state models, with modern computers, one can solve the complete aero-thermodynamics happening in gas turbine engines. In the present article, we describe a mathematical model and numerical procedure to represent the transient response of a PT6A gas turbine engine operating at off-design conditions. The aero-thermal model consists of a set of algebraic and ordinary differential equations that arise from the application of the mass, linear momentum, angular momentum, and energy balances in each engine's component. The solution code has been developed in Matlab-Simulink using a block-oriented approach. Transient simulations of the PT6A engine start-up have been carried out by changing the original Jet-A1 fuel with biodiesel blends. Time plots of the main thermodynamic variables are shown, especially those regarding the structural integrity of the burner. Numerical results have been validated against reported experimental measurements and GasTurb simulations. The computer model has been capable to predict acceptable fuel blends, such that the real PT6A engine can be substituted to avoid the risk of damaging it.

Thin Slab Casting and Directing Rolling (TSCDR) has become a major process for flat- rolled production. However, the elimination of slab reheating and limited number of thermomechanical deformation passes leave fewer opportunities for austenite grain refinement resulting in some large grains persist in the final microstructure. In order to achieve excellent Ductile to Brittle Transaction (DBTT) and Drop Weight Tear Test (DWTT) properties in thicker gauge high strength low alloy products, it is necessary to control austenite grain coarsening prior to the onset of thermomechanical processing. This contribution proposes a suite of methods to refine the austenite grain from both theoretical and practical perspective including: increasing cooling rate during casting, liquid core reduction, increasing austenite nucleation sites during the delta ferrite to austenite phase transformation, controlling holding furnace temperature and time to avoid austenite coarsening, and producing new alloy with two phase pinning to arrest grain coarsening. These methodologies can not only refine austenite grain size in the slab center, but also improve the slab homogeneity.

3D meso-scale structures that can reach up to centimeters in overall size but retain micro- or nano-features, proved to be promising in various science fields ranging from micro-mechanical metamaterials to photonics and bio-medical scaffolds. In this work we present synchronization of the linear and galvano scanners for efficient femtosecond 3D optical printing of objects at the meso-scale (from sub-μm to sub-cm spanning five orders of magnitude). In such configuration the linear stages provide stitch-free structuring at nearly limitless (up to tens-of-cm) working area, while galvo-scanners allow to achieve translation velocities in the range of mm/s-cm/s without sacrificing nano-scale positioning accuracy and preserving undistorted shape of the final print. The principle behind this approach is demonstrated, proving its inherent advantages in comparison to separate use of only linear stages or scanners. The printing rate is calculated in terms voxels/s, showcasing the capability to maintain an optimal feature size while increasing throughput. Full capabilities of this approach are demonstrated by fabricating structures that reach millimeters in size but still retain μm-scale features: scaffolds for cell growth, microlenses and photonic crystals. All this is combined into a benchmark structure: a meso-butterfly. Provided results show that synchronization of two scan modes is crucial for the end goal of industrial-scale implementation of this technology and makes the laser printing well aligned with similar approaches in nanofabrication by electron and ion beams.

This article describes a novel electrochemical on-chip biosensor that utilizes anti-PSA antibody (Ab) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to enhance the sensing and detection capability of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in the blood. The AgNPs are prepared, characterized, and applied onto a silicon photonic on-chip biosensing receptor platform designed to enhance the accurate detection of PSA. The AgNPs were synthesized by a chemical reduction method using silver nitrate (AgNO₃) as the precursor. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), energy dispersion X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and light microscopy were among the methods used in the characterization and analysis of the AgNPs. Each stage of the immunosensor fabrication was characterized using cyclic voltammetry. The proposed immunosensor was applied in the detection of PSA, a prostate cancer biomarker, with a high sensitivity and a limit of detection of 0.17 ng/mL over a linear concentration range of 2.5 to 11.0 ng/mL. The immunosensor displayed good stability and was selective in the presence of interfering species like immunoglobulin (Ig) in human serum, ascorbic acid (AA), and diclofenac (Dic). The detectivity and sensitivity are significantly higher than previous reports on similar or related technologies.

An efficient design method is proposed for a compact common-mode rejection (CMR) filter utilizing dumbbell-shaped defected ground (DS-DG) structures and gap-coupled stub (GCS) resonators. A CMR filter for differential lines helps to improve the signal integrity of high-speed digital signals on printed circuit boards. The proposed CMR filter design is based on the equivalent circuit models, while the previous designs depended heavily on the DS-DG structure optimization using the EM simulations. The proposed CMR filter effectively reject the common-mode components with minimally affecting the differential signals. To prove the simplified design approach, a 5th-order Chebyshev band-stop filter has been designed with three DS-DG structures and two GCS resonators. From the simulated and measured results, it is found that the proposed CMR filter provides ~90% fractional frequency bandwidth with more than 20 dB of common-mode rejection ratio and less than 0.6 dB of insertion loss of the differential signal.

The aim of this study is to propose and validate the state space mode decomposition technique for precise mode separation of non-classical damping systems and closely distributed modal systems. To assess the reliability and applicability of this technique, a 40-story building with a tuned mass damper is investigated, and acceleration responses measured by the building's health monitoring system are used for the verification of the technique. The mode separation results reveal that the separated modal power spectrum becomes distorted at neighboring natural frequency ranges when the performance index only considers the concentration of power spectral energy at the target natural frequency. However, by introducing an augmented performance index that includes a constraint condition to account for distortion, more accurate mode decomposition can be achieved.

Biosensors detect specific bio-analytes by generating a measurable signal from the interaction between the sensing element and the target molecule. Surface acoustic wave (SAW) biosensors offer unique advantages due to their high sensitivity, real-time response capability, and label-free detection. The typical SAW modes are the Rayleigh mode and the shear-horizontal mode. Both present pros and cons for biosensing applications and generally need different substrates and device geometries to be efficiently generated. This study investigates and characterizes ultra-high-frequency (UHF-) SAW resonator biosensors. It reveals the simultaneous presence of the two typical SAW modes, clearly separated in frequency, called slow and fast. The two modes are studied by numerical simulations and biosensing experiments with the glial-fibrillary-acidic-protein (GFAP) biomarker. The slow mode is generally more sensitive to changes in surface properties, such as temperature and mass changes, by a factor of about 1.4 with respect to the fast mode.

Object of this work is the design and the simulation of a hybrid UAV with VTOL capabilities that has been designed for landing on naval moving platforms. The work is focused on the innovative propulsion layout adopted on the UAV. Authors discuss how adopted low level control strategies can exploit the innovative features of the proposed system assuring a good rejection of transversal wind disturbances. Particular attention is dedicated to low level modelling and control of the system emphasizing how choices regarding low level actuation and control should improve performances and robustness of the system.

The authors of the article performed computer simulation of buffer amplifiers (BA), which have medium and extremely small values of the offset voltage's systematic component (V_off), for different technological processes (Si, GaAs and GaN). The proposed control units are distinguished by a small number of elements and allow operation in the range of low and high temperatures. The variants of circuitry implementation of control units based on GaAs, GaN depletion-mode CMOS and JFET technological processes are considered. The results of the comparative modeling showed that the basic circuit of the BA on two field-effect transistors, when implemented on various modifications of GaN MOS and depletion-mode MOS transistors, provides sufficiently low values of the offset voltage's systematic component (less than 2 μV). The proposed BAs are designed for use in the structure of the Sallen-Key low-pass filter (LPF) when they are implemented both on mid-frequency Si CJFET and on GaAs microwave transistors. Low values of the LPF V_off have a positive effect on the effective capacity of the ADC. An example of switching on a BA in the JFET OpAmp structure based on the depletion-mode MOS input stage and a “folded” cascode, which, with 100% negative feedback, can be used in the Sallen-Key LPF, is considered. Computer simulation of the JFET/MOS OpAmp showed that the OpAmp has an open-loop voltage gain of 76-85dB, and its V_off is within 7µV in the temperature range from -60°C to +120°C. The presented circuitry of buffer amplifiers is intended, first of all, for the tasks of designing precision Sallen-Key low-pass filter (low-pass filter, high-pass filter, PF, RF).

Micro-grids’ operations offer local reliability; in the event of faults or low voltage/frequency events on the utility side, micro-grids can disconnect from the main grid and operate autonomously while providing the continued supply of power to local customers. With the ever-increasing penetration of renewable generation, however, the operations of micro-grids become increasingly complicated because of the associated fluctuations of voltages. As a result, transformer taps are adjusted frequently, thereby leading to the fast degradation of expensive tap-changer transformers. In the islanding mode, the difficulties also come from the drop of voltage and frequency upon disconnecting from the main grid. To appropriately model the above, the nonlinear AC power flow constraints are necessary. Computationally, the discrete nature of tap-changer operations and the stochasticity caused by renewables add two layers of difficulty on top of a complicated AC-OPF problem. To resolve the above computational difficulties, the main principles of the recently-developed "l1-proximal" Surrogate Lagrangian Relaxation are extended. Testing results based on 9-bus system demonstrate the efficiency of the method to obtain the exact feasible solutions for micro-grid operations thereby avoiding approximations inherent to existing methods, while demonstrating that through the optimization, 1. the number of tap changes is drastically reduced, and 2. the method is capable of handling networks with meshed topologies.

Enabling D2D communication in the mm-Wave band has many obstacles which must be mitigated. The primary concern is the introduction of interference from various sources. Thus, we focused our work on the performance of decode and forward (DF) relay assisted D2D communication in the mm-Wave band for increasing the coverage probability and energy efficiency (EE). Three modes are proposed for D2D communication to prevail. Bit-wise binary XOR operation is executed at the relay node which increases the security feature. Radius of coverage expression is derived which indicates the switching of the modes. The diffused incoherent scattering power is also considered as a part of power consumption. Furthermore, a unique relay selection scheme, Dynamic relay selection (DRS) method is proposed to select the optimal relay for information exchange. Comparison of the proposed DF relay scheme with amplify and forward (DF) scheme is also shown. Finally, simulation results prove the efficacy of the proposed work.

The extended finite element method (XFEM) is now widely used in crack simulations and the direction of propagation of the XFEM crack in SS-304 has been quite interesting. This paper discusses the direction,θ(+ve in anti-clockwise direction), of the XFEM crack (under mode-I) propagation based on the von Mises stress-field around the crack-tip for static loading under the light water reactors (LWRs) conditions. The Mises core region from the crack-tip is chosen for β=〖90〗^o, the angle between the load and the initial crack. Experimental data for LWRs’environment is obtained and the simulations have been carried out applying three different static loads and results for the direction of the crack are calculated by measuring the stress-field around the crack-tip. It has been found that the direction of the XFEM varies inversely as the stress-field around the crack tip is increased. The computational results have been compared with the numerical results based on the minimum strain energy density criterion[S-criterion].

Based on the observation and reanalysis data, the relationship between Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) over the Maritime Continent (MC) and the tropical Pacific-Indian Ocean temperature anomaly mode is analyzed. The results showed that the MJO over the MC region (100°-140°E, 10°S-5°N) (referred to as MC-MJO) possesses prominent interannual and interdecadal variations and seasonally "phase-locked" features. MC-MJO is strongest in the boreal winter and weakest in the boreal summer. Winter MC-MJO kinetic energy variation has significant relationships with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in winter and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) in autumn, but it correlates better with the tropical Pacific-Indian Ocean associated mode (PIOAM). The correlation coefficient between the winter MC-MJO kinetic energy index and the autumn PIOAM index is as high as -0.43. This means that when the positive (negative) autumn PIOAM anomaly strengthens, the MJO kinetic energy over the winter MC region weakens (strengthens). However, the correlation between the MC-MJO convection and PIOAM in winter is significantly weaker. The propagation of MJO over the Maritime Continent differs significantly in the contrast phases of PIOAM. During the positive phase of the PIOAM, the eastward propagation of the winter MJO kinetic energy always fails to move across the MC region and cannot enter the western Pacific. However, during the negative phase of the PIOAM, the anomalies of MJO kinetic energy over the MC is not significantly. MJO can propagate farther eastward and enter the western Pacific. One thing must be pointed out that there is a significant difference between the propagation of MJO convection over the MC region in winter and that of the MJO kinetic energy. That said, the MJO convection is more likely to extend to the western Pacific in the positive phases of PIOAM than in the negative phases

A time-sequential working, spatially multiplexed autostereoscopic 3D display design consisting of a fast switchable RGB-color filter array is presented. The wavelength-selective filter barrier emits the light from a display over a larger active area than common autostereoscopic barrier displays. An optical modelling of wavelength-selective barriers has been used for instance to calculate the light ray distribution properties of that arrangement. To find well working display designs, automated searches by simulation and computational evaluation has been proceeded. Wavelength-selective filter barrier arrangements exhibit characteristics different from common barrier displays with similar barrier pitch and ascent. In particular, these constructions show strong angular luminance dependency under barrier inclination specified by correspondent slant angle. In time-sequential implementation it is important to avoid that quick eye or eyelid movement lead to visible color artifacts. In the millisecond regime tunable liquid crystal Fabry-Pérot color filters for the colors red, green and blue are presented. They consist of a sub-micrometer thick nematic layer sandwiched between dielectric mirrors and ITO-electrodes. These cells shall switch narrow-banding light of red, green or blue. An array for a glasses-free 3D display has to be equipped with several thousand switchable filter elements having different color apertures. The newly introduced design is usable as a multi user display as well as a single user system with user adaptive control.

When separation to the parameters of interest appears below resolution limit of the estimator, the ambiguity arises whether two parameter estimates relate to one source emitted twice or two close sources emitted once. In the paper, novel Bayes technique aimed to identify one/two sources below resolution limit by the pair of Gaussian estimates of a source(s) planar location as parameter is developed. Prior probabilities of the hypotheses on one/two sources are available from the analysis of physical characteristics of the emissions, assuming that they can be equally probable. The identifier recalculates a posteriori these probabilities subject to a distance between sources. It is applied to distinguish two location estimates obtained in the planar time difference of arrival mobile communication network. The work of the identifier is studied in the domain of closely spaced network users where covariance matrices of estimates are sufficiently approximated by the constant. The application gives an example of how the identifier revises the prior probabilities and can change thereby the initial preference of a hypothesis with a distance between users in some cases.

A series of derivatives, involving two dithienylethene (DTE), groups, connected by several molecular linkers (bis(ethylene-1,2-dithiolato)Ni- (NiBDT), naphthalene, quasilinear oligothiophene chains) are investigated with the aid of computational quantum chemistry methods. This involves the computation of the second- and third-order nonlinear optical properties, i.e. molecular hyperpolarizabilities of the designed/selected derivatives. These properties can be efficiently controlled by DTE switches, in connection with light of appropriate frequency. We found that NiBDT, as a linker, is associated with a greater contrast, in comparison to naphthalene, between the first and second hyperpolarizabilities of the “open-open” and the “closed-closed” isomers. This is explained by invoking the low lying excited states of NiBDT. It has been found that the second hyperpolarizability can be used as an index, which follows the structural changes induced by photochromism. The two-photon absorption, which is related to the imaginary part of second hyperpolarizability, has also been investigated for the S0S1 transition. Furthermore, the intramolecular excited-state energy transfer (EET) is studied as well as the overlap between the absorption and emission spectra of the donor and acceptor groups of the molecules. The electronic coupling, VDA, between the donor and acceptor fragments, as well as the emission spectrum of the donor and the absorption spectrum of the acceptor have been computed, assuming a Förster type transfer mechanism. EET is a critical factor governing the photochromism. Two methods were used to compute VDA, one based on linear response and one based on the distributed multipole analysis (DMA); both techniques give very similar results for the dominating Coulomb contribution. For NiBDT as the linker a low VDA value has been computed. We found that VDA is affected by the molecular geometry. Our results clearly show that the linker strongly influences the communication between the open-closed DTE groups and thus, photochromism. The present computations show that full photochromism is attained in derivatives where two DTE groups are linked by a tetrathiophene chain, in agreement with experiment. The sensitivity of molecular linear and nonlinear optical properties upon photochromism can assist with the identification of the molecular isomers.

In this paper, we present the extension of the pressure-based solver designed for the simulation of compressible and/or incompressible two-phase flows of viscous fluids. The core of the numerical scheme is based on the hybrid Kurganov— Noele — Petrova/PIMPLE algorithm. The governing equations are discretized in the conservative form and solved for velocity and pressure, with the density evaluated by an equation of state. The acoustic-conservative interface discretization technique helps to prevent the unphysical instabilities on the interface. The solver was validated on various cases in wide range of Mach number, both for single-phase and two-phase flows. The numerical algorithm was implemented on the basis of the well-known open-source Computational Fluid Dynamics library OpenFOAM in the solver called interTwoPhaseCentralFoam. The source code and the pack of test cases are available on GitHub: https://github.com/unicfdlab/hybridCentralSolvers

An overview of the chemical compounds forming the rare smectic T phases is cited with references to the historical context. Thermodynamics (transition temperatures, enthalpies) along with the factors (stereochemical constraints, electrostatic interactions, aliphatic chain stacking, intermolecular forces) contributing to the adoption of tetragonal scaffolds are also discussed. Characteristic optical microscopy textures and x-rays diffraction patterns are presented. In parallel, a comparison of the geometrical parameters such as distances between atoms, molecular areas, volumes, and lattice parameters with the closest two-dimensional and three-dimensional organizations, is performed.

This paper presents a two-dimensional mathematical model of compound eye vision. Such a model is useful for solving navigation issues for autonomous mobile robots on the ground plane. The model is inspired by the insect compound eye that consists of ommatidia, which are tiny independent photoreception units, each of which combines a cornea, lens, and rhabdom. The model describes the planar binocular compound eye vision, focusing on measuring distance and azimuth to a circular feature with an arbitrary size. The model provides a necessary and sufficient condition for the visibility of a circular feature by each ommatidium. On this basis, an algorithm is built for generating a training data set to create two deep neural networks (DNN): the first detects the distance, and the second detects the azimuth to a circular feature. The hyperparameter tuning and the configurations of both networks are described. Experimental results showed that the proposed method could effectively and accurately detect the distance and azimuth to objects.

The modulation instability of surface capillary-gravity water waves is analysed in a shear flow model with a tangential discontinuity of velocity. It is assumed that air blows along the surface of the water with a uniform profile in the vertical direction. Such a model, despite its simplicity, plays an important role in hydrodynamics as the reference model for investigating basic physical phenomena of wave-current interactions and acquiring insights into a series of complex phenomena. In certain cases where the wavelength of interfacial perturbations is much bigger than the width of the shear fow profile, the model with the tangential discontinuity in the velocity is adequate for describing physical phenomena at least within limited spatial and temporal frameworks. A detailed analysis of the air-flow conditions under which modulation instability sets in is presented. It is also shown that the interfacial waves are subject to dissipative or radiative instability when negativeenergy waves appear at the interface.

To ensure the security of spatial-temporal Top-k query in two-tiered wireless sensor networks, many schemes have been proposed in the literature in the past decade. However, most of them only consider the scenario where sensor nodes are static, and cannot achieve the security goal for spatial-temporal Top-k query in mobile sensor networks, because the mobility of the sensor nodes will affect the spatial-temporal relationships of the sensory data items generated by the sensor nodes. Although we have proposed some schemes for two-tiered mobile wireless sensor networks (TMWSNs) in our previous work, there is still large room to improve their performances. In this paper, we proposed a novel scheme named STQ-TMWSN for secure fine-grained spatial-temporal Top-k query in TMWSNs based on the virtual-grid construction and the size-order encryption binding. Theoretic analysis shows that STQ-TMWSN can achieve low computation complexity and high security performance. Simulation results indicate that STQ-TMWSN brings much lower communication cost than the state-of-the-art schemes on securing Top-k query in TMWSNs.

This theoretical article provides a brief description of the model of living systems' functioning by defining them as resource flows patterns. It reviews the living systems growth limitation between their development cycles by the Fibonacci sequence. Besides, there are presented systems resource base criteria, necessary for accumulating the resources and their investment. The article also considers the conditions for the formation of various systems strategies. Then we reviewed the principles of elemental analysis of information by a person as a living system according to the considered model. The study also shows the possibility of forming priorities in analyzing information for 16 combinations as maximum. At that, it remains crucial to divide a human's information analysis between the two hemispheres of the brain. The described combinations of priorities in a person's information analysis are compared with the existing differential personality models, such as the big five personality traits, the Myers-Briggs type indicator, temperaments model and Honey and Mumford Learning styles.

Recognition, decoding and tracking of vortex patterns is of increasing importance in many fields reaching from astronomical observation of distant galaxies to turbulence phenomena in liquids or gases. Currently, coherent light beams with orbital angular momentum (OAM) are of particular interest for optical communication, metrology, micro-machining or particle manipulation. One common task is to identify characteristic spiral patterns in pixelated intensity maps at real-world signal-to-noise ratios. Recently, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) was applied to the quantitative analysis of spiral interference patterns of OAM beams. Our study considers this approach in more detail. It is demonstrated that specific information can be extracted by combining conformal mapping by polar transform with determining one- or two-dimensional angular frequency spectra either in spatially fixed or scanning mode. Results of proof-of-principle experiments are presented.

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) bending structure is widely used in the aviation field. The occurrence and propagation of delamination damage will reduce the safety of in-service bending structures. As a detection tool with high damage sensitivity, Lamb wave can effectively identify delamination damage. In this study, the signal difference coefficient (SDC) was introduced to quantify delamination damage and evaluate the sensitivity of A0 and S0 mode lamb waves to delamination damage. The simulation results show that compared with the S0 mode Lamb wave, the A0 mode Lamb wave exhibits higher delamination damage sensitivity. The delamination damage can be quantified based on the strong correlation between the SDC and the delamination damage size. The control effect of the linear array PZT phase time-delay method on Lamb wave mode was investigated by simulation. The phase time-delay method realizes the generation of a single-mode Lamb wave, which can separately excite the A0 mode and S0 mode Lamb wave to identify delamination damage of different sizes. The A0 mode Lamb wave was excited by the developed one-dimensional linear comb transducer (LCT), which was used to conduct the detection experiment on the CFRP bending plate with delamination damage sizes of Φ6.0 mm, Φ10.0 mm, and Φ15.0 mm. The experimental results verify the correctness of the simulation. According to the Hermite interpolation results of the finite-element simulation data, the relationship between the delamination damage size and the SDC was fitted by the Gaussian function, which can accurately quantify the delamination damage. The absolute error of the delamination damage quantification with fitting expression is not larger than 0.8 mm, and the percentage error is not more than 8%.