Background: The treatment plan of prosthetic restorations supported by dental implants require comprehensive scientific knowledge to deliver prostheses with good prognosis, even before the implant insertion. This review aims to analyze the main prosthetic determinants of the prognosis of implant-supported prostheses. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted with a PICO question: "For partially or complete edentulous subjects treated with implant-supported prostheses, which prosthetic factors could affect clinical outcomes?". A literature search was performed electronically in PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus and Cochrane Library with the following equation [PROGNOS* OR RISK] FACTOR IMPLANT DENTAL, and by hand search in relevant journals and throughout the selected papers. Results: This revision was carried out based on 50 papers focused on several prosthodontics-related risk factors that were grouped as follows: implant-connection, loading protocol, transmucosal abutments, prosthetic fit, provisionalization, type of retention, impression technique, fabrication technique, and occlusion. More than a half of the studies were systematic reviews (30%), meta-analysis (16%) or prospective evaluations of prosthesis with various kinds of events (18%). But also narrative reviews of literature (14%) and in vitro/animal studies (16%) were found. Conclusions: The current literature provides insufficient evidence for most of the investigated topics. However, based on the accumulated data, it seems reasonable to defend that the best treatment approach is the use of morse taper implants with transmucosal abutments, recorded by means of rigidly splinted copings through the pick-up technique, and screwed by milled prosthesis occlusally adjusted to minimize functional overloading.

The expression microarray technique was performed to investigate the differences in gene expression between Czech Large White pigs and wild boars in the longissimus lumborum et thoracis and biceps femoris muscle tissues. The NREP gene (neuronal regeneration related protein homolog) was selected for detailed study as an expressional and functional candidate gene. NREP plays a role in the transformation of neural, muscle and fibroblast cells and in smooth muscle myogenesis. Quantitative real-time PCR results confirmed that the porcine NREP gene was expressed in both skeletal muscles and significantly overexpressed in Czech Large White pigs compared to wild boars (P < 0.05). We identified 9 polymorphic sites in genomic DNA of NREP gene. Six of these polymorphisms were in complete linkage disequilibrium and therefore only 4 polymorphisms were informative. Associations of these 4 polymorphisms (HF571253:g.103G>A, HF571253:g.134G>A, HF571253:g.179T>C and HF571253:g.402_409delT) with meat performance traits were assessed in Czech Large White pigs. New polymorphisms in NREP gene were significantly associated with parameters of daily weight gain, lean meat and backfat thickness in Czech Large White pigs. Our primary study suggested that porcine NREP may play an important role in skeletal muscle growth, fat metabolism and meat performance traits.

Despite the increase in popularity of Zero Waste (ZW) concept, the successful implementation of this concept in waste management is still facing many challenges. The plastic recycling rate in Australia is currently only about 9.4%, which could leave up to 90.6% of plastic consumption being sent to landfills. The state of Victoria (in Australia) has proposed an ambitious plan to upgrade its waste and recycling system and to divert about 80% of waste from landfills by 2030. The aim of this research is to study Victoria’s current waste management plan and to develop a simulation model to assess the feasibility of it achieving zero plastic waste by 2035. In this direction, a fundamental knowledge of global ZW implementation needs to be acquired in order to understand the challenges, obstacles, and uncertainties in achieving ZW target. A simulation model is established using a method called double baselines. This method was developed as an improvisation to address the limitation of data availability for the model development. The model will run on 4 scenarios including one from Victoria’s current plan. Outcomes from the model are produced in comparative charts covering 6 key considerations including the rates of plastic consumption, waste to landfill, diversion, recycling, relative accumulative cost and effort. The findings of this study pointed out that Victoria’s current plan are feasible for its goal and presented with opportunities for improvement especially towards zero plastic waste. Besides, study results also reveal that the Victoria’s current plan to achieve 80% diversion rate by 2030 is possible but the zero plastic waste target by 2035 is less likely to happen.

During the last twenty years around the world there has been a rapid increase in the number of people visiting long established religious shrines as well as the creation of new sites by those operating outside the boundaries of institutional religion. This increase is intimately associated with the revival of traditional routes, the creation of new ones and the invention of new rituals (religious, spiritual and secular). To examine this process I will focus on the European region and two contrasting destinations in particular – the Catholic shrine of Lourdes, France, and the pre-Christian shrine of Avebury, England – drawing on my personal involvement in travelling to both destinations and being involved in ritual activities along the route and at the two destinations. In the discussion section of the paper I will explore the relevance of these two case studies to the analysis of power, agency and performance and the ways in which they expose (a) the role of institutions and entrepreneurs in creating rituals and sacred places and (b) the relationship between people and the domesticated landscape.

The complexity of the design in high-rise residential projects is a challenge for the construction industry in completing projects that fit the needs of users. Performance-Based Building Design (PBBD) appears as a design concept that can describe these needs into performance requirements. In this case designing a building can be considered as an iterative process of exploration, where desired functional properties can be created, the shapes are suggested, and evaluation processes is used, so as to bring together the shapes and functions of the building. This concept is a container for designers to produce high-performance buildings. This study aimed to identify the performance-based building design factors applied by architect designers and engineers in high-rise residential building in Surabaya. As part of this study, primary data was collected based on surveys conducted through observation and questionnaire distributed to designers who had or were involved in the high-rise residential design process in Surabaya. A total of sixty-eight respondents were included in this study. Descriptive analysis through a mean and standard deviation scatter plot was used to rank the application of PBBD. Meanwhile, factor analysis was used in the analysis of PBBD application factors. From the results of the analysis, four factors were obtained for the application of PBBD in high-rise residential buildings in Surabaya, namely; the interests of occupants, the sustainability of building operations, the design collaboration process, and the risk of loss. Future research is the influence relationships and measure the success model of PBBD at a higher level into BIM (Building Information Modeling) interoperability.

This paper deals with the service performance analysis and improvement using discrete event simulation has been used. The simulation of the heath care has been done by arena master development 14-version software. The performance measurement for this study are patients output, service rate, service efficiency and it is directly related to waiting time of patients in each service station, work in progress, resource utilization.Simulation model was building for Bahir Dar clinic and then, prepared the proposed model for the system. Based on the simulation model run result, the output of the existing healthcare service system is low due to presence of bottlenecks on the service system. Moreover, the station with the largest queue and high resource utilization are identified as a bottleneck. The bottlenecks, which have identified are reduced by using reassigning the existing resources and add new resources and merging the similar services, which has under low resource utilization (nurses). Finally, the researchers have proposed a developed model from different scenarios. Moreover, the best scenario is developed by combining scenario 2 and 3. And then, service efficiency of the healthcare has increased by 9.86 percent, the work in progress (WIP) are reduced by 3 patients from the system and the service capacity of the system is increased 34 to 40 patients per day due to the reduction of bottleneck stations.

This study aims to examines three elements shape leadership in Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) theory as a relationship and process. LMX quality is important for the company, because it relates to employee behavior and attitudes, including improving employee performance. The research method applied literature review using description logic and systematics. In this article the theory will be observed specially the effect of LMX on employee performance and antecedents of LMX. The results of the study found that the effect of LMX quality on performance is determined by the characteristics of the task as antecedent LMX in the company.

This study examines the effect of market risk on the financial performance of 31 non-financial companies listed on the Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) over the period 2000-2016. We utilize three alternative variables to assess financial performance, namely return on assets, return on equity and profit margin. Next, we use the degree of financial leverage, the book-to-market ratio, and the gearing ratio as market risk variables. Besides, we employ the pooled OLS model, the fixed effects model, the random-effects model, the difference GMM and the system GMM models. The results show that market risk indicators have a negative and significant influence on the companies' financial performance. The elasticities are greater following the book-to-market ratio compared to the degree of financial leverage and the gearing ratio, respectively. In most cases, the firm size, the tangibility ratio, and the cash holdings ratio have a positive effect on financial performance, whereas the firms' age, the debt-to-income ratio, stock turnover, and leverage hurt the performance of these non-financial companies. Therefore, decision-makers and managers should mitigate market risk through appropriate strategies of risk management, such as derivatives and insurance techniques.

In this study, a full-scale pilot testing was performed with side-by-side operation of a conventional enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) process and a side-stream EBPR (S2EBPR) process. A comparison of the performance, activities and population dynamics of key functionally relevant populations between the two configurations were carried out. The results demonstrated that, with the same influent wastewater characteristics, S2EBPR configuration showed more effective and stable orthophosphate (PO₄-P) removal performance (up to 94% with average effluent concentration down to 0.1 mg P/L) than conventional EBPR, especially when the mixers in side-stream reactor were operated intermittently. Mass balance analysis illustrated that both denitrification and EBPR performance have been enhanced in S2EBPR configuration through diverting primary effluent to anoxic zone and producing additional carbon (~40%) via fermentation in side-stream reactor. Microbial characterization showed that there was no significant difference in the relative abundances of Ca. Accumulibacter (~5.9%) and Tetrasphaera (~16%) putative polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs) between the two configurations. However, lower relative abundance of known GAOs was observed in S2EBPR configuration (1.1%) than the conventional one (2.7%). A relatively higher PAO activity and increased degree of dependence on glycolysis pathway than TCA cycle was observed in S2EBPR configuration using P release and uptake batch test. Adequate anaerobic solid retention time (SRT) and conditions that generate continuous and slow feeding/production of volatile fatty acid (VFA) with higher composition percentage of propionate in the side-stream reactor of S2EBPR process likely provide a competitive advantage for PAOs over GAOs.

The heat values of waste mineral oils are equal to the heat value of the fuel oil. However, heat value alone is not sufficient for the use of waste mineral oils. as fuel. However, the critical physical properties of fuels such as density and viscosity need to be adapted to the system in order to be used. In this study, the engine oils used in the first 10,000 km of the vehicles were used as waste mineral oil. An organic-based Mn additive was synthesized to improve the properties of the waste mineral oil. It was observed that mixing the Mn additive with the waste mineral oil at different doses (4, 8, 12 and 16 ppm) improves the viscosity of the waste oil and the flash point. The resulting fuel was evaluated for emission using different loads in a 5 kW capacity generator to compare the fuel with standard diesel fuel and to determine the effect of Mn addition. In the experimental study, it was observed that the emission characteristics of the fuel obtained from waste mineral oil were worse than diesel fuel, but some improvement with Mn addition. As a result, we found that the use of waste mineral oils in engines in fuel standards was not appropriate, but may be improved with additives.

Full-scale wind turbine technology has been widely developing in the recent years and condition monitoring techniques assist at the scope of making 100\% technical availability a realistic perspective. In this context, several retrofitting techniques are being used for further improving the efficiency of wind kinetic energy conversion. This kind of interventions is costly and, furthermore, the estimation of the energy enhancement is commonly provided under the hypothesis of ideal conditions, as for example absence of wakes between nearby turbines. A precise quantification of the energy gained by retrofitting is therefore precious in real conditions, that can be very different from ideal ones. In this work, three kinds of retrofitting are studied through the operational data of test case wind farms: improved start-up through pitch angle adjustment near the cut-in, aerodynamic blade retrofitting by means of vortex generators and passive flow control devices, extension of the power curve by raising cut-out and high wind speed cut-in. SCADA data are employed and reliable methods are formulated for estimating the energy improvement from each of the above retrofitting. Further, an insight is provided about wind turbine functioning under very stressing regimes, as for example high wind speeds.

Biofilter application for treatment of stormwater containing de-icing chemicals commonly applied in airports, propylene glycol and potassium formate, was investigated. Lab-scale adsorption tests using filter media made of crushed clay (Filtralite) and granular activated carbon showed that adsorption was unsuitable for removal of propylene glycol and potassium formate. Column filtration experiment testing two different crushed clay size ranges was conducted. The results showed that DOC removal was dependent on a number of factors. This study investigated the impact of filter depth, nutrients addition, and filtration rate. DOC removal suggested that DOC degradation occurred on the top filter layer. It was shown that the most active separation occurred in the first ~20 cm of filter depth. This was confirmed by results from water quality analysis (i.e. DOC removal and ATP measurement) and calculations based on a filtration performance analysis (Iwasaki model) and filter hydraulic evaluation (Lindquist diagram). It was shown that for the highest C:N:P ratio tested (molar ratio of 24:7:1), 50-60% DOC removal was achieved. Addition of nutrients was found important and determining the biofilter performance.

The study aims to analyze the performance criteria of the GR4J model to reproduce high water flows in the Ouémé watershed at Bonou's outlet which has been vulnerable to climate change in recent decades. The methodology focused on the use of daily climatological and hydrometric data extracted from files of National Directorate of Meteorology, and General Directorate of Water; they were supplemented by those of SIEREM/HSM dataset over the period 1961-2015. The rainfall was regionalized using Thiessen method. The performance of the GR4J model was assessed with NSE, RMSE and KGE criteria. The results indicate that the study area is marked by rainfall variabilities and detection of two breakpoints (1968 and 1987) which divide the series into three sub-periods; these discontinuities have repercussions on the streamflow. It's found that GR4J model overestimates the streamflow during the low water period and underestimates them in high water. However, the efficiency and performance criteria NSE, RMSE and KGE calculated on high water flow rates are better in calibration than in validation. The KGE values are range between 83-85% in calibration and 56-68% during validation, which gives to GR4J model the efficiency and performance to reproduce high flow rates in the study area

While providing safe water for the rural poor is considered a basic human right, there are numerous issues associated with existing technologies with shortcomings. Performance issues have continued to fail to meet the needs of impoverished families due to issues including high cost, difficulties with performance, and continuing needs for maintenance. These issues have severely interfered the safe water accessibility. Key aspects of the Guelph Water Filter (GWF) system can avoid/minimize many of these issues. The GWF as described herein enables delivery of low cost, long-term performance at 3Log removal of E.coli and can deliver 1 to 3 L of treated water per hour. The GWF is simple to operate, has an ability to provide sufficient water for a family, maintains longevity of performance, is easy to maintain and has protection against breakage during the cleaning process, is repairable at village level, and operates using a sizable reservoir of water to supply raw water, meaning the technology does not need to be refilled frequently. Hence, the capability of the novel GWF technology is shown to bypass many of the troublesome features of alternative low-tech water treatment technologies. The potential for the GWF to function for 2 days continuously avoids the need for young girls to fetch raw water frequently during a day, thereby enabling them to attend school. Hence, the GWF enhances the potential to result in ‘safe water and full schools’, providing the opportunity for girls to receive education and capture socio-economic benefits for the community.

This study investigates student performance with the aim to forecast students' academic outcomes using data analytics and machine learning techniques. There is a big drop out per cent especially in the technological study programs at the universities, however, focusing on the successful study process there is important to analyze and to predict some risks on students’ to assure low dropout percent. While Student Performance Prediction (SPP) has potential benefits, such as personalized learning and early interventions, several challenges make the task complex in relation to (1) data quality and availability and (2) incomplete and inconsistent data. Predicting performance requires a range of different data types: academic records, attendance, and engagement in class, socio-economic background, and even behavioral factors. Moreover, according to the fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) we focus on the quality in education.This paper presents a case study of data mining method for SPP by using classification, regression, and clustering are generally used in education to predict student’s performance which is important to control drop out of studies percent. The case presented is to predict risks and to assure academic success and quality based on the CRISP-DM data mining.

This study aimed to determine the correlation between inter-limb asymmetries and physical per-formance metrics in adolescent female tennis players. Methods: Twenty-five female tennis players (age: 13.29 ± 0.98 years; weight: 52.52 ± 7.31 kg; height: 162.91 ± 6.02 cm) consented to participate in the study. Performance was evaluated using various variables, including bilateral and unilat-eral countermovement jump (CMJ), bilateral and unilateral horizontal jump (HJ), 180º change of direction (180COD) conducted with both the right and left legs, and a 20-m sprint. The systematic bias was evaluated by one-way repeated measures analysis of variance, Pearson’s correlation test for relationships between variables, and the kappa coefficient for consistency in the asymmetry direction. Results Significant relationships were found between CMJ Asymmetry and the varia-bles HJR (r=-0.47) and HJL (r=-0.44). In addition, significant relationships were found between HJ Asymmetry and the variables CMJR (r=-0.60) and CMJL (r=-0.54), HJR (r=-0.64), HJL (r=-0.67), CMJ (r=-0.55) and HJ (r=-0.52). Conclusion Jumping tests are important indicators of performance loss in female tennis players. In addition, no significant correlation was found be-tween the 180COD and performance tests, suggesting that asymmetries in COD do not affect jump performance or speed. Based on these results, it is recommended to integrate individualized pro-grams for each athlete to reduce asymmetries.

Background: Determining the status of DNA mismatch repair (MMR) proteins is crucial for guiding treatment decisions and predicting prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer. This study evaluates a streamlined panel utilizing two antibodies for MMR protein assessment, aiming to enhance cost-effectiveness, reduce workload, and expedite result delivery. Methods: We re-classified patients with adenocarcinoma requiring MMR determination by evaluating only PMS2 and MSH6 proteins. The diagnostic performance of the proposed two-antibody panel was compared to the traditional four-antibody panel against a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay used as the reference standard. Results: A total of 404 cases were analyzed, with the predominant histological type being adenocarcinoma not otherwise specified. The most common histological grade was 2, and 60.9% of cases were in clinical stage II. Comparative analysis showed no statistically significant differences between the two-antibody and four-antibody panels. Sensitivity was 95.35% for the four-antibody panel versus 90.7% for the two-antibody panel; specificity was 98.74% versus 98.11%, respectively. Additionally, the positive predictive value was 95.35% for the four-antibody panel compared to 92.86% for the two-antibody panel, and negative predictive values were 98.74% versus 97.50%. The area under the curve was 0.970 for the four-antibody panel and 0.944 for the two-antibody panel (p=0.419). Conclusion: The analysis shows that determining MMR status using only two antibodies is as effective as employing a traditional four-antibody panel, providing a viable, cost-effective alternative for clinical practice.

Procrastination among students in higher education is a widely recognized problem, with significant effects on academic performance and personal well-being. This descriptive study aims to assess the level of procrastination among nursing students in Bengaluru and determine the association between procrastination and selected demographic variables, such as age, gender, and parental education. A total of 100 nursing students from Sneha College of Nursing participated in the study. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and a 16-item procrastination scale. The results revealed that 55% of the students had low levels of procrastination, while 45% exhibited high levels. However, no significant association was found between procrastination and demographic variables like age, gender, religion, year of study, or parental education. The findings suggest that while procrastination is a common issue among nursing students, demographic variables may not be reliable predictors of procrastination behavior. These results call for interventions to improve time management and reduce procrastination among nursing students to enhance their academic outcomes.

Feed additive antibiotics have been used for many decades as growth promotors or antibacterial substances world-wide. However, the adverse impacts of using antibiotics in animal or poultry feeds were informed. Therefore, searching for alternatives such as probiotics, prebiotics, phytobiotics, post-biotics, bacteriophages, enzymes, essential oils, or organic acids (OAs) became urgent. The OAs are produced by beneficial intestinal bacteria through the fermentation process of carbohydrates. The OAs and their salts are still used as feed preservatives. They have been long added to feed in order to minimize contamination and growth of harmful bacteria and fungi, reduce the deterioration, as well as prolong the shelf life of feed commodities. Moreover, they have been mostly added to poultry feed as a blend to obtain a maximum beneficial effects. The supplementation of poultry with OAs could improve the growth performance parameters and carcass traits, promote utilization of nutrients, boost the immune response, and inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, this review article provides valuable insights into the potential benefits of using OAs-antibiotics alternative in reducing the microbial load, enhancing the performance parameters in broilers and layers, improving the gut heath, as well as boosting of the immune response.

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has led to a reassessment of workplace necessities. It has resulted in the current shift from traditional workplace design to creating work experiences - a new par-adigm in workplace management. Hence, while some conventional workplace factors remain important to the experiences of workers and, thus, to their well-being, comfort and productivity, recent studies suggest other factors, not widely known, as important in creating the appropriate work experience. Our study explores these other factors in the workplace that contribute to, or may be very important to, workers’ comfort, well-being and productivity. These include working mode, facilities, sustainability practices and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) – cultural connection. A sample of 149 occupants across offices in New Zealand was conveniently collected for the study and analysed using descriptive and content analysis in SPSS vs 24. The results show that the occupants prefer to have private offices in the workplace and separate meeting rooms for better concentration on work. In terms of working mode, a combined model of remote working and in-office working is preferred. Furthermore, occupants prefer to have access control and fire safety systems essentially in the workplace and for their offices to be cleaned daily. For sustainable measures in the workplace, the respondents choose the following as practical and convenient: turning off computers outside work hours, using more LED light bulbs in the office, opening windows and doors when required and using a motion sensor lighting system. Interestingly, most of the respondents did not think having a cultural connection in their workplace was important. The study findings represent significant progress in identifying the needs of contemporary office workers. These findings assist facility managers and workplace designers in developing more proactive approaches to anticipated user issues in buildings.

Under the new pattern of “double carbon” development, good ESG performance is the best way to promote the sustainable development of enterprises, and the ESG investment strategies are directly affected by the strategic vision of managers. Based on the upper echelons theory and stakeholder theory, this paper takes Chinese A-share listed companies from 2011 to 2022 as samples to empirically analyze the impact of managerial myopia on corporate ESG performance. The results show that managerial myopia significantly inhibits corporate ESG performance, mainly by inhibiting corporate green investment and green innovation sustainability. Furthermore, for state-owned enterprises (SOE), heavy polluting enterprises (HPE) and non-high-tech enterprises, the inhibitory effect of manager myopia on ESG performance is stronger. When the enterprise is in the growth stage, the above inhibition effect is more severe. For external governance, the greater the analyst attention and public environmental attention are, the more conducive they are to alleviating the restraining effect of managerial myopia on enterprise ESG performance. Therefore, effectively improving the time cognition level of managers and strengthening external supervision have become important measures for comprehensively optimizing the ESG performance.

Nanomaterials have shown significant promise for enhancing the performance of composite materials and increasing their functionality for various industrial applications. This review explores the unique properties of nanomaterials, particularly carbon-based nanomaterials, and provides key findings in utilizing them to enhance composite performance. It highlights specific nano-based composite materials and their significant potential in advancing the field of nanocomposites. Challenges associated with nanocomposite production and utilization are also discussed, along with possible solutions to address them. Finally, the study provides recommendations for continued research and innovation in nanocomposites to fully unlock the benefits of these advanced materials for broader future applications.

Sialyllactose (SL) is a functional human milk oligosaccharide essential for immune support, brain development, intestinal maturation, and antiviral defense. However, despite its established health benefits, the effect of SL on exercise performance and muscle mass in mice remains unknown. Here, we aimed to investigate, for the first time, the effects of 6′-SL on muscle functions. Seven-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were administered 100 mg/kg 6′-SL for 12 weeks, after which exhaustive treadmill performance, muscle strength, and muscle phenotype were examined. The administration of 6′-SL significantly improved exhaustive treadmill performance metrics, including distance and exhaustion time. Grip strength was also increased by 6′-SL administration. Additionally, 6′-SL increased muscle mass in both the gastrocnemius (GAS) and soleus. 6′-SL administration led to an increase in the minimum Feret’s diameter and the protein expression of total myosin heavy chain in the GAS muscle. In conclusion, 6′-SL administration in vivo led to increased running distance and time by increasing muscle mass and strength. These findings collectively indicate that 6′-SL is a potential agent for improving muscle health and exercise performance.

The lack of quality formulated feeds as supplements or replacements for live feeds has negatively impacted the growth performance and survival rates in the larvae of many fish species, notably African catfish (C. gariepinus). Successful larval rearing relies on the availability of suitable diets that are readily consumed, easily digested, and provide the essential nutrients necessary for optimal growth and health of the fish. This study evaluated the growth performance and survival rates of C. gariepinus larvae when fed locally formulated diets. The experiment was conducted using 12 basins, each with a capacity of 20 liters. Each basin was stocked with 60 larvae in four replicates, averaging 0.03 g in weight. The experimental diets were formulated to contain three different levels of crude protein: 40%, 45%, and 50%. The larvae were fed these diets at a rate of 10-20% of their body weight over 70 days. Initially, the larvae were fed artemia at the onset of feeding in hatchling basins immediately after yolk sac absorption for the first seven days. This was followed by a blend of artemia and formulated feeds for 14 days. After 28 days, the larvae were transitioned to be exclusively fed the formulated dry feeds. The results indicated that the larvae fed on diets containing 45% and 50% crude protein exhibited significantly better overall growth performance compared to those fed on a 40% crude protein diet. Specifically, the larvae that received the 45% and 50% crude protein diets showed higher final mean weight, increased daily weight gain, and improved survival rates, which ranged from 80% to 81.5%. Notably, there was no significant difference in growth performance and survival rates between the larvae fed on 45% and 50% crude protein diets, suggesting that a 45% crude protein-formulated diet is sufficient to achieve the best growth performance and survival rates for C. gariepinus larvae. This study supports the recommendation of feeding C. gariepinus larvae with a dry diet containing 45% crude protein starting from 14 days post-hatching to enhance their growth and survival rates. However, further research is recommended to explore the effects of this feeding regimen across different agroecological zones and aquaculture systems to validate and potentially refine these findings.

The use of biomass as a source of energy has been identified to be energy intensive which involves high cost of handling. However, pelletization reduces the bulk density of biomass, thereby reducing the cost of handling and enhancing ease of use. This study modified and evaluated an existing hand operated fish feed pelleting machine. The parts of the machine that were redesigned are hopper and power transmission unit. Corncob was used to evaluate the modified machine using die hole diameter (5,6 and 7 mm) and binder quantity (0, 2.5 and 5 wt%) as factors. The average results obtained for machine efficiency, throughput, pellet length and bulk density were 58.83%, 4.24 kg/h, 15.51 mm and 0.160 g/cm3. Die hole diameter had significant effect on pellet length only. Binder quantity had significant effect on machine efficiency, throughput and pellet length. Machine efficiency and throughput reduces as the quantity of binder increases and pellet length increases with increasing quantity of binder.

Swimming with Sharks: Can Small Investors Compete with Buffett? Pankaj Topiwala. FastVDO LLC, 3097 Cortona Dr., Melbourne, FL 32940 Abstract: Millions of small investors fare poorly in the financial markets. For them, the markets are like turbulent seas. Braving them in a mere skiff, a major storm can spell financial doom at any time. But the reality is that most investment funds also underperform the market. Against this backdrop, there are some savvy investors who have consistently beat the market, for decades! Names such Benjamin Graham, John Templeton, Peter Lynch, or Jim Simons come to mind. But no investor has beat the market as decisively or for as long as Warren Buffett, getting an annual return of nearly 20% since 1965! Is there a way that the small investor can swim with these sharks? These legendary investors developed a refined sense for valuing companies through fundamental analysis (hard work), investing in solid companies that are deep in value. The untrained small investor cannot hope to replicate their method. To enter these waters, she needs a new boat: algorithmic trading. Not the kind that trades in microseconds (high frequency trading), which is again out of her reach, but the type that trades only a few times a year (very low frequency). Using an approach developed and tested in previous papers, we go head-to-head with Buffett's famous BRK-A fund and compare performance over the 44-year period 1980-2024. Buffett's BRK-A earned 19% annual return over the 44 years. We also test a 50-year period, the historical limit for Nasdaq. By using simple algorithmic trading methods, we show that the small investor can indeed keep pace with Buffett, without the hard work. Our simple methods allow us to obtain both strong gains, and reduced drawdowns, helping us to survive the major market downturns known as Black Swan events. This win-win is good news for small investors worldwide.

Global climate change, particularly rising sea surface temperatures, profoundly impacts coral ecosystems, disrupting reproduction synchrony, symbiotic relationships with algae from the Symbiodiniceae family, and causing widespread bleaching and mortality among coral populations.  Oculina patagonica, a temperate scleractinian coral dominant in Mediterranean coastal waters, tolerates an annual temperature range of 10- 31°C. Moreover, in the past three decades, sea surface temperatures have rapidly risen in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. O. patagonica offers insight into evolutionary adaptation to rapid environmental changes. This study investigated the effects of temperature changes on O. patagonica reproductive development, synchrony, and thermal sensitivity. Monthly monitoring of O. patagonica colonies for a year reveals no disruption in gonad development compared to previous studies, suggesting an unaffected sexual reproduction capacity. Thermal performance

In order to study the effects of soybean isoflavones on the growth performance and lipid metabolism of juvenile Chinese mitten crab, six experimental diets were formulated by gradient supplementation 0%, 0.004% and 0.008% soybean isoflavones at different dietary lipid levels (10% and 15%), which were named to NF-0 group (10% fat and 0% SIF), NF-0.004 group (10% fat and 0.004% SIF), NF-0.008 group (10% fat and 0.008% SIF), HF-0 group (15% fat and 0% SIF), HF-0.004 group (15% fat and 0.004% SIF) and HF-0.008 group (15% fat and 0.008% SIF). All crabs with an initial weight of 0.4 ± 0.03 g were fed for 8 weeks. The results showed that diets supplementation with 0.004% or 0.008% SIF significantly increased the weight gain and specific growth rate of crabs. Diets supplementation with 0.004% or 0.008% SIF significantly reduced the content of non-esterified free fatty acids and triglycerides in the hepatopancreas of crabs at 10% dietary lipid level. Dietary SIF significantly decreased the relative mRNA expressions of elongase of very long-chain fatty acids 6 (elovl6), triglyceride lipase (tgl), sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (srebp-1), carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1a (cpt-1a), fatty acid transporter protein 4 (fatp4), carnitine palmitoyltransferase-2 (cpt-2), Δ9 fatty acyl desaturase (Δ9 fad), carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1b (cpt-1b), fatty acid binding protein 10 (fabp10) and microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (mttp) in the hepatopancreas of crabs. At 15% dietary lipid level, 0.008% SIF significantly increased the relative mRNA expressions of fatty acid binding protein 3 (fabp3), carnitine acetyltransferase (caat), fatp4, fabp10, tgl, cpt-1a, cpt-1b and cpt-2 and significantly down regulated the relative mRNA expressions of Δ9 fad and srebp-1. In conclusion, SIF can improve the growth and utilization of high-fat diet by inhibiting genes related to lipid synthesis and promoting lipid decomposition in juvenile Chinese mitten crab.

The recyclable paper based on photochromic materials not only reduces the pollution in the paper manufacture process, but also reduces the pollution caused by the use of ink, which receives wide attention. In this paper, a serial of PMoA-PWA/ZnO/PVP hybrid films which had different ratio of PMoA/PWA was prepared by the ultrasonic composite method. The results indicated that the hybrid film prepared when the ratio of PMoA to PWA was 3 had the best photochromic performance. In this system, ZnO was the photosensitizer while PMoA/PWA was the chromophore. The photochromic mechanism of PMoA-PWA/ZnO/PVP hybrid film was based on the photogenerated electron transfer mechanism. ZnO generated photoelectron under the excitation of visible light, then PMoA and PWA obtained the photoelectron and produced photoreduction reaction to generate heteropolyblue. The visible light photochromic paper was prepared by loaded PMoA-PWA/ZnO/PVP hybrid film (A3) on A4 paper. Application test showed that the prepared paper had extremely stable, excellent and reversible visible light photochromic properties, whether it was printing patterns or words and could replace the ordinary paper to realize the reuse of paper.

This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the performance of the hormone treatment protocols, determine the factors associated with pregnancy success after hormone treatment, and compare the cost-efficiencies of two types of hormone treatment among cyclic and noncyclic anestrous dairy cows. The clinical records of 279 anestrous cows who received hormone treatment for artificial insemination (AI) from 64 herds in the western region of Thailand were obtained from Kasetsart University Veterinary Teaching Hospital from January to August 2017. The performance of the hormone treatment protocols, fixed-time AI (TAI) and estrus detection before AI (EAI), showed that the pregnancy risk for the TAI protocol was higher than for the EAI protocol, but pregnancy per AI did not differ significantly between the two protocols in cyclic and noncyclic cows. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that cows receiving the TAI protocol were more likely to be pregnant compared to those treated with the EAI protocol. Cows with a 3.00 body condition score (BCS) <3.75 after treatment and loose-housing cows were more likely to become pregnant. Treatment during winter showed higher pregnancy success than in the summer and rainy seasons. The cost-efficiency analysis showed that the TAI protocol was the most cost-efficient option for noncyclic cows, whereas the EAI protocol was the most cost-efficient option for cyclic cows.

The research fills the policy research gap for the women entrepreneurship and sustainability performance for examining key successful factors. Previous women entrepreneurship research fails to offer policy recommendations. The research purpose is to investigate these factors affect women entrepreneurship capabilities and sustainability performance by using SEM analysis and making policy recommendation. This research employs online and mail survey and obtains 175 women entrepreneur sample. The study finds that family support and motivation have positive effect on women entrepreneurship capabilities and sustainability performance. Barriers have no effect on performance. Hopefully, the research can provide the guidance to contribute to women’s entrepreneurship opportunities for achieving SDGs. Policy recommendation and managerial implication are discussed in the article.

The stability issues in the widely known organic inorganic halide perovskite, CH3NH3PbI3, lead to the development of alternative halide double perovskite materials which get great attention in recent times. Although the stability issue seems promising, both materials and device performance of these photovoltaic materials remain inferior and challenging for improvements. Furthermore, the power conversion efficiency of single junction organic inorganic halide perovskite is now 24.2% and 29.15% for textured monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell, but for all-inorganic halide perovskite solar cell is 7.11% and halide double perovskite solar cells based on Cs2AgBiBr6 and Cs2TiBr6 is 2.8% and 3.3%, respectively, which is far less than 24.2% and 29.15%, respectively. This creates big question and concern that can both all-inorganic halide perovskite solar cell and halide double perovskites solar cells really be an acceptable alternatives to replace organic inorganic halide perovskite solar cells or lead based perovskite solar cells in the market in order to realize the practical applications? Not only this concern, but also there are many other big challenges facing by halide double perovskite solar cells. Such big challenges include: a) geometric constraints and limited integration with interfacial materials, b) dynamic disorder and a wide bandgap and localized conduction band caused by cubic unit cell which restrains the interactions of orbitals, c) high processing temperature which may limit on the diverse applications, d) low electronic dimensionality making them less appropriate for single junction solar cell purpose and etc. Moreover, origin of electronic and optical properties such as the polarizability, the presence of molecular dipoles and their influence on the dynamics of the photo-excitations in the halide double perovskites remains unlock concern that need to be elucidated. Now, another big question is how to develop overcoming mechanisms for such challenges. Can we really overcome these current limitations faced by halide double perovskites so that we use them for commercialization? This research roadmap for performance improvement is suggested focusing on: materials surface and bulk engineering, bandgap engineering, interfacial engineering, composition engineering, doping engineering, device architectural engineering, polar and domain order engineering. This was the reason that this review was developed in order to forward great contributions to the readers and commercial ventures.

Currently, many manufacturing industries use machine learning, artificial intelligence, robotics, and blockchain technologies as process-streamlining instruments of industry 4.0. Before implementing industry 4.0 tools in any process of a manufacturing industry's supply chain, it is essential to evaluate their adaptability. In this paper, the adaptability of industry 4.0 procurement tools to an oil and gas-related manufacturing company's procurement process is evaluated to determine the company's level of maturity. The active participation of participants is evaluated to determine the level of maturity of the main procurement process areas. The results identified the areas of the procurement process that can be improved by implementing the suggested industry 4.0 tools and techniques.

Machine performance modeling and optimization have emerged as crucial steps for process enhancement and efficiency. This study explored machine learning to model and optimize the cassava grating chamber of cassava grater for the quality production of gari. This domain remains unexplored thus far. A total of 196 graters were studied. Key variables studied included tooth diameter (TD), tooth height (TH), inter-tooth spacing (ITS), drum speed (DS), clearance (C), and moisture content of cassava (MC). Geometric mean diameter (GMD) represented mash quality. Feature importance rankings emphasized TH (0.488784), C (0.243284), TD (0.112682), ITS (0.103547), DS (0.036261), and MC (0.015442) in determining particle size (GMD) of grated mash. Machine learning models efficiently interpreted these attributes, including gradient boost regressor, linear regression, neural network, and random forest. The gradient boost regressor was the best predictive model, achieving 95.34% accuracy, RMSE (0.3291), and MAE (0.2303). The study provides a GMD predictive equation and optimized parameters for specific gari size production, offering valuable insights for tailored machinery in the cassava grating activity.

In this study, nano-diamond (ND) and MoS2 powder are used as additives in a carbonyl iron based magnetorheological fluid (MRF) to improve its tribological performance. MRFs are prepared by dispersing 35 wt.% of CI particles in silicone oil, and adding different proportions (0, 1, 3 or 5 wt.%) of ND and MoS2 additives. Seven kinds of MRFs are made and tested using reciprocating friction and wear tester under different normal loads, and then the friction characteristics are evaluated through analyzing experiment results. The morphology properties of MRFs and contacting surfaces before and after tests are also observed using a scanning electron microscope and analyzed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The results show that the appropriate weight percentage of MoS2 additives may decrease friction coefficient and wear zone. It is also demonstrated from the detailed analyses of worn surfaces that the wear mechanism is influenced not only by additives but also by applied normal load and magnetic field strength.

Recent developments in the field of room temperature ferromagnetic metal oxide semiconductors (RTFMOS) have shown promising potential for improved photocatalytic performance. This review focuses on the combined study of photocatalytic and ferromagnetic properties at room temperature, with a particular emphasis on metal oxides, such as TiO2, which have emerged as a key area of interest in the domains of magnetism and environmental remediation. Despite extensive research over the years, the precise mechanism behind the interplay of ferromagnetism and photocatalysis in these materials remains incompletely understood. Several critical factors contributing to magnetism have been hinted at, including oxygen vacancies and various metal doping. Numerous reports have demonstrated that these factors play a primary role in room temperature ferromagnetism and photocatalysis in wide-band-gap metal oxides. However, establishing a direct correlation between magnetism, oxygen vacancies, dopant concentration, and photocatalysis has proven challenging. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the recent progress in understanding the magnetism and photocatalytic behaviour of metal oxides. By examining the latest findings, this study sheds light on the potential of RTFMOS as effective photocatalysts, thereby contributing to advancements in environmental remediation and related applications.

The recent market and pandemic, with their complex nature and unpredictable developments, have had a great impact on coffee chains. The recovery factor in today's fiercely competitive coffee market is also derived from customer satisfaction, and the product's perceived value and ever with businesses' capabilities and recovery strategies. The research is based on the Customer and Service Recovery Performance model. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impact of the Customer Satisfaction premise on the service recovery of the coffee chain and some other effects. After collecting surveys from 300 customers who have used beverages at famous coffee chains in Vietnam and performing data analysis via SEM-PLS, the results show that customer satisfaction positively influences customer loyalty. Customer loyalty mediates between customer satisfaction, and price fairness affects the resilience of the coffee chain. In addition, the two factors, Flexibility, and Adoption, also positively affect service recovery performance. Therefore, for coffee chains, customers are an important factor, and they need to maintain customer loyalty. In addition, seek ways to increase flexibility and apply technology at stores so that the company has enough experience and capacity to respond promptly to difficult market conditions, natural disasters and epidemics. This study presents insights into how coffee chains can adapt to the dynamic business environment during the current difficult business environment.

This research is aimed to investigate the effects of Lactoplantibacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) on growth performance, oxidation resistance, immunity, as well as cecal microbiota in broilers. This work classed three hundred and sixty 1-day-old broilers as three groups randomly, including control (CON, basal diet), antibiotic (ANT, 75 mg kg-1 chlortetracycline added into basal diet), or probiotic group (LP, 5×108 CFU kg-1 Lactoplantibacillus plantarum HJLP-1 contained within basal diet). Animal were then fed for 42 days, and each group consisted of 15 broilers for 8 replicates. Compared with CON, L. plantarum supplementation significantly improved the average weight daily gain (AWDG) (P < 0.05) while reducing feed-to-gain ratio over the entire supplemental period (P < 0.05). Birds fed L. plantarum had marked lower serum ammonia and xanthine oxidase levels (P < 0.05) than those in ANT and CON. Significant improvements (P < 0.05) of superoxide dismutase, catalase, serum IgM and IgY contents in broilers fed L. plantarum were also observed when compared those in CON and ANT groups. Both L. plantarum and antibiotics decreased the pro-inflammatory factor IL-1β level significantly (P < 0.05), while only L. plantarum promoted the anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 level dramatically in the serum (P < 0.05) compared with CON. The L. plantarum dramatically (P < 0.05) increased acetic acid and butyric acid concentrations in the cecal contents，when compared to those in CON and ANT. Among the differences revealed by 16S rRNA analysis, L. plantarum markedly improved the community richness of cecal microbiota. At the genus level, butyric acid-producing bacteria Ruminococcus and Lachnospiraceae were found in higher relative abundance in samples of L. plantarum treated birds. In conclusion, dietary L. plantarum supplementation promoted the growth and health of broilers, likely by inducing a shift in broiler gut microbiota toward short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria. Therefore, L. plantarum has tremendous potential as an alternative for antibiotics in poultry breeding.

Regular assessment of mood is used in Brazil for a wide variety of purposes, including screening athletes to provide an indicator of psychological wellbeing and risk of mental health issues. The present study tested the psychometric characteristics of the Brazil Mood Scale (BRAMS) using both “right now” and “past week” response time frames and investigated between-group differences in mood based on athlete sex, age, and social vulnerability. Participants were 898 athletes (511 male, 387 female, age range: 12–44 years) from eight sports. Structural equation modelling supported the BRAMS measurement model using both response time frames independently and in a multi-sample analysis. Subscale reliability was supported for both time frames. Fatigue, depression, and tension scores were higher using the past week time frame than the right now time frame. Males reported higher vigor scores than females, and younger participants (&lt;18 years) reported lower scores for anger and depression than older participants (18+ years). No significant between-group differences emerged for social vulnerability. Findings supported the psychometric integrity of the BRAMS and its use as a screening measure for psychological wellbeing among youth and elite athletes in Brazil.

The layered oxyselenide BiCuSeO has garnered significant interest because of its ability to exhibit low thermal conductivity and a high Seebeck coefficient. This study involved the preparation of Bi1−xNaxCuSeO1−xFx(x=0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20) ceramics through the processes of high energy ball milling and cold isostatic pressing. A systematic study was conducted to investigate the impact of co−doping Na/F on the thermoelectric performance of BiCuSeO ceramics. Replacing Bi3+ with Na+ results in the introduction of a considerable amount of holes, leading to a notable enhancement in the electrical conductivity and power factor. The conductivity was significantly increased from 9.10 S cm−1 in the pure BiCuSeO to 94.5 S cm−1 in Bi0.85Na0.15CuSeO0.85F0.15 at 323 K. At 823 K, the power factor of the Bi0.85Na0.15CuSeO0.85F0.15 sample achieved 44.8×10−5 W/ m K2. Moreover, the Bi1−xNaxCuSeO1−xFx ceramics exhibit a minimum thermal conductivity of 0.43 W m−1 K−1. As a result, the Bi0.85Na0.15CuSeO0.85F0.15 sample achieves a maximum ZT value of 0.78, which is 7.09 times greater than that of the pure BiCuSeO sample (0.11) .

Variety of harmful gases are produced in asphalt mixture after mixing, paving and rolling process. Effective measures must be tak-en to suppress the asphalt pavement in the tunnel due to fire accidents and other toxic gases and fumes, reducing the human health during the construction process. In this study, a flame retardant and smoke suppressant (compound) with Mg(OH)2 as the main component was developed, the flame retardant asphalt mixture and asphalt mastics were prepared to evaluate the flame retard-ant-smoke suppressant properties and performance effects. Firstly, its low and high temperature performances were investigated with the bending beam rheometer (BBR) and dynamic shear rheological (DSR), respectively. Then, the indoor combustion test and the cone calorimeter test were used to evaluate the fire retardant smoke suppression effect of the asphalt mastic. Thirdly, the flame retardant effect of asphalt mastic mixed with the compound was further analyzed by thermogravimetric (TG) test and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The pyrolysis temperature, mass loss and microscopic state of asphalt surface were used to verify and explain the flame retardant reaction effect and process of the compound. Finally, the asphalt mixture performance was evaluated, as well as the flame retardant smoke suppression effect was verified by asphalt mixture combustion tests. The results showed that the flame retardant smoke suppression time of the flame retardant asphalt mixture was reduced by 66% and the smoke emission area was reduced by 20%. The flame retardant smoke suppression effect of the asphalt mixture was improved by 44%. The flame-retardant and smoke-suppressing compound and the asphalt mixture with the compound prepared in this study meet the asphalt mixture performance and flame retardant smoke suppression function, providing an option for application of fire retardant and smoke-suppressing asphalt pavement materials in tunnels.

Different methodologies are being used to study the effects of autonomous vehicle (AV) in the mixed traffic indicating the interaction among autonomous and human-driven vehicles. Micro-scopic simulation tools are popular in such assessment as it offers scope to experiment in eco-nomical, robust, and optimistic way. Lack of reliable real-world data to calibrate and evaluate the connected autonomous vehicles (CAV) simulation model is a major challenge. One interesting methodology could be dealing the CAVs as conventional human driven vehicles and predict its possible characteristics based on the simulation inputs. The conventional human driven vehicles from real world, in this methodology, come to aid as benchmark to offer the measure of effective-ness (MoE) for the calibration and validation. For the three most common driving modules, a sensitivity analysis of the driving behaviors of AVs and an effect assessment of CAVs in a mixed traffic environment were done to explore the human alike autonomous technology. The findings show that, up to a point, which is directly re-lated to the quantity of interacting vehicles, the impact of CAVs is typically favorable. This study validates the approach and supports past studies by showing that CAVs perform better in traffic than AVs for traffic performance and safety aspects. On top of that, the sensitivity analysis has shown that enhancements in technology are required for obtaining the maximum advantages.

This study represents the first to examine the nutritional status of Moroccan football players. The aim of this research is to assess the energy and macronutrient intake of professional players from a club competing in the Moroccan professional league "Botola-Pro." Moreover, the study tries to find the potential correlation between nutritional intake and physical performance. A total of 27 professional players participated in a seven consecutive-day study, during a microcycle of the preseason period. The dietary intake was evaluated using the self-reported, complemented by a 24-hour recall. The InBody 120 bioelectrical impedance was employed for assessing body composition measurements, while the Yo-Yo test was utilized to evaluate physical performance; which estimates the maximal oxygen consumption level (VO2max). Among these players, their protein intake levels aligned with recommendations (1.6 to 2.2 g/kg of Body Mass). On the other hand, fat intake slightly surpassed the recommended values. However, carbohydrate intake was relatively subdued compared to recommendations of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in the pre-season training phase. A positive correlation was observed (P-value of &lt; 0.001 and R=0.831) between carbohydrate intake and the measure of VO2max. This suggests that an increase in carbohydrate consumption is associated with enhanced performance, especially within the range of 6 to 8 g/kg BM per day. Conversely, a negative correlation was identified (P-value of &lt; 0.01 and R= − 0.847) between the percentage of dietary fat and the VO2max. The findings of this study highlight areas of nutrition that could be enhanced among professional football players to optimize their performance. In effect, nutritional education is necessary for this category of athletes. Thus, an individual care approach is strongly recommended.

Microfinance banks and Institutions must simultaneously provide micro financial loans to unprivileged and poor people as well as self-sustaining, which means covering enough costs to eliminate the need for subsidies. To ascertain if Micro-finance Institutions can successfully navigate the double challenge of financial self-sustainability (FSS) as well as outreach to poor clientele and women borrowers i.e. outreach. There is no other alternative but to analyse the balance between FSS and outreach indicators of MFIs. The research goal is to see whether there was any compromise between the self-sustainability and outreach towards poor and female customers. The study used data of 100 MFIs driven from the database of microfinance information’s exchange (MIX) market with the objective to determine trade off between financial sustainability and outreach. The study found financial performance variables are positively and significantly related with average loans size which shows a mission drift, in which MFIs serve wealthy clientele. However, Indian MFIs have a extremely high outreach with their female clientele, confirming MFI's social commitment to objective of women’s empowerment. The research recommends to the Policy-makers that MFIs are compromising their financial services to underprivileged people and women in order to be financially sustainable. To guarantee that institutions are focused on outreach to underserved people in rural areas, the government should reform the policies regarding governing MFIs.

This study assessed the relationship between head posture displacements and biomechanical parameters in three different tasks. One hundred male and female students (20 ± 3yrs) were assessed via the PostureScreen Mobile app to quantify postural displacements of head rotations and translations including: 1) the cranio-vertebral angle (CVA) (°), 2) anterior head translation (AHT) (cm), 3) lateral head translation in the coronal plane (cm), and 4) lateral head side bending (°). Biomechanical parameters during gait and jumping were measured using the G-Walk sensor. The assessed gait spatiotemporal parameters were cadence (steps / min), speed (m / s), symmetry index, % left and right stride length (% height), and right and left propulsion index. The pelvic movement parameters were: 1) tilt symmetry index, 2) tilt left and right range, 3) obliquity symmetry index, 4) obliquity left and right range, 5) rotation symmetry index, and 6) rotation left and right range. The jump parameters measured were: 1) flight height (cm), 2) take off force (kN), 3) impact Force (kN), 4) take off speed (m / s), 5) peak speed (m / s), 6) average speed concentric phase (m / s), 7) maximum concentric power (kW), 8) average concentric power (kW) during the counter movement jump (CMJ), and 9) CMJ with arms thrust (CMJAT). At a significance-level of p ≤ 0.001, moderate to high correlations (0.4 &lt; r &lt; 0.8) were found between CVA, AHT, lateral translation head and all the gait and jump parameters. Weak correlations (0.2 &lt; r &lt;  0.4) were ascertained for lateral head bending and all the gait and jump parameters except for gait symmetry index and pelvic symmetry index, where moderate correlations were identified (0.4 &lt; r &lt; 0.6). The findings indicate moderate to high correlations between specific head posture displacements, such as CVA, lateral head translation and AHT with the various gait and jump parameters. These findings highlight the importance of considering head posture in the assessment and optimization of movement patterns during gait and jumping. Our findings contribute to the existing body of knowledge and may have implications for clinical practice and sports performance training. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and establish causality in these relationships, which could potentially lead to the development of targeted interventions for improving movement patterns and preventing injuries.

Audit&amp;Feedback (A&amp;F) consists of multidimensional quality improvement activities, but its optimal design is still debated. Our study aims to outline how interventions of the Italian EASY-NET research program were designed, to explore whether desirable characteristics of an "ideal" A&amp;F were adopted. A&amp;F design included description of the working group, targeted clinical behaviors, selected indicators, sources, feedback procedures, corrective actions expected. Information was classified into four topics: nature of the desired action, type of data available, feedback display and delivery. Out of 9 projects, 3/9 aimed at changing a focused clinical behavior, 6/9 were generic; all projects identified clinicians as recipients, 8 explicitly considered managers. It was planned to develop an average of 27 indicators from administrative databases, as needed supplemented by ad hoc data collection. Five projects included outcome measures. Comparators derived from scientific literature or from territorial real-life data. Feedback was scheduled every 12, 6 or 3 months, or upon request, delivered as aggregate data (graphs and tables) via web platforms, e-mail, workshops, and individual meetings. In conclusion, at an early stage the projects were mostly “wide focused”, but improvements in A&amp;F design and delivery have been introduced, and projects, still ongoing, will offer interesting insights on A&amp;F effectiveness.

This research aims to explore the influence of fatigue levels on the performance of flight cadets in Vocational Education Institutions. Through the analysis of Model Summary, ANOVA, and Coefficients, this study identifies the relationship between independent variables (exercise, activity preparation, rest time, workload, and schedule) and the performance of flight cadets. The results of the analysis indicate that Model H1 can account for approximately 32.8 percent of the variation in the performance of flight cadets, with activity preparation and workload variables significantly influencing the performance. However, exercise, rest time, and schedule variables do not have a significant impact. These findings provide valuable insights for educational institutions and trainers to consider factors that can enhance the performance of flight cadets, such as optimizing activity preparation and managing workload. Further research is needed to deepen the understanding of other factors that affect the performance of flight cadets, including psychological factors, physical conditions, and the environment, in order to improve the quality of vocational education in the aviation field.

Dicarbonyls are electrophiles able to generate the so-called advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). Human exposure occurs via ingestion (e.g., food), inhalation (e.g., electronic cigarettes) and dysregulation of endogenous metabolic pathways (e.g., glycolysis). Biological systems can prevent AGEs formation via enzymatic and nonenzymatic reactions. However, the continuous exposure to dicarbonyls may cause the depletion of endogenous substrates and the beginning of AGEs accumulation (i.e., carbonylation). Since this process has been associated with multiple disorders, several studies advocated the use of dicarbonyl binders as food preservatives or as drugs aimed at mitigating carbonylation damages. As reported for other toxicants (e.g., HNE, acrolein), the screening of selective and potent binders can be performed by measuring the residual amount of a selected dicarbonyl substrate, upon its incubation with candidate binders. Unfortunately, naturally occurring dicarbonyls are poorly responsive to many detectors (e.g., UV or MS). For this reason, most of the screening methods that have been reported to date relies on indirect quantification upon derivatization. However, this strategy can potentially lead to inaccurate results since the tested compounds can affect the derivatization yield. Therefore, we herein reported the use of benzylglyoxal (BGO) as a convenient, UV responsive, dicarboyl surrogate. By using BGO as a substrate, we setup an easy and cheap chromatographic assay for the direct measurement of the binding activity towards dicarbonyls, without derivatization. The method was qualified by assessing the binding ability of some known dicarbonyl binders, obtaining results consistent with literature.

Owners and managers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have changed their perspective on risk management due to the current global negative threats in the business environment. If they want to be successful and ensure the financial performance of their business, they must accept a proactive approach to reducing strategic risks in connection with operational risks. The aim of the article is to identify and quantify the differences in operational risk management and its effect on the financial management of SMEs between four Central European countries. The statistical sample of SMEs consisted of 1,090 owners and top managers. Data collection was carried out through a questionnaire in the period December 2022-January 2023. Statistical hypotheses were evaluated with the application of correlation analysis and linear regression modelling. Empirical findings have confirmed that operational risk management has a significant positive impact on improving the profitability of the enterprise; on reducing the enterprise's indebtedness as well as in the context of reducing the enterprise's inability to pay its obligations. However, there are disparities in the perception of this influence between owners/managers with regard to the country in which they carry out their business activities. The findings are important for both national and multinational organizations and entities dealing with risk management in the business environment of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Like the most of crops, especially sugarcane needs to be kept upright until it is harvested. Because, lodging of sugarcane has a significant negative effect on cane yield and sugar content of sugarcane. To keep sugarcane upright earthing up is an utmost intercultural operation. In Bangladesh, most of the operations for sugarcane cultivation including earthing up are generally done in traditional method using human labor which increases production costs as well as reduces the income of sugarcane growers. So, a cost effective two-wheeled tractor (2WT) mounted earthing up machine was developed in Bangladesh Sugarcrop Research Institute (BSRI), Pabna to reduce drudgery and cost of sugarcane production. Field tests were conducted in experimental sugarcane field at BSRI and technical and economic performances of the developed earthing up machine were also carried out based on the field test. Average effective field capacity and field efficiency were found 0.16 ha/hr and 77.41 %, respectively for the developed earthing up machine. The earthing up machine was not found economically viable when it is used only for earthing up operation. Besides, when the 2WT was being used as the main driver for other activities including earthing up operation, then the earthing up machine becomes economically beneficial with net cash flow, net present value, internal rate of return, benefit-cost ratio and payback period of BDT 148497/ha, BDT 23184, 3%, 3.81:1 and approximately 1 year, respectively. On the contrary, considering cost of only earthing up tool without 2WT, then it was found economically beneficial with net cash flow, internal rate of return, net present value, benefit-cost ratio and payback period of BDT 16428/ha, BDT 3053, 4.7%, 2.71:1 and approximately 2 years, respectively. Since 2WT is commonly used for versatile farming purposes. Therefore, versatile use of 2WT as prime mover for other machines including earthing up machine can make earthing up machine economically viable and beneficial for sugarcane growers.

Large-scale land cover plays a crucial role in global resource monitoring and management, as well as research on sustainable development. However, the complexity of the mapping process, coupled with significant computational and data storage requirements, often leads to delays between data processing and product publication, creating challenges for dynamic monitoring of large-scale land cover. Therefore, improving the efficiency of each stage in large-scale land cover mapping and automating the mapping process is currently an urgent and critical issue that needs to be addressed. We propose a high-performance automated large-scale land cover mapping framework(HALF) that introduces high-performance computing technology to the field of land cover production. HALF optimizes key processes, such as automated sample point extraction, sample-remote sensing image matching, and large-scale classification result mosaic and update. We selected several 10°×10° regions globally and the research makes several significant contributions:(1)We design HALF for land cover mapping based on docker and CWL-Airflow, which solves the heterogeneity of models between complex processes in land cover mapping and simplifies the model deployment process. By introducing workflow organization, this method achieves a high degree of decoupling between the production models of each stage and the overall process, enhancing the scalability of the framework. (2)HALF propose an automatic sample points method that generates a large number of samples by overlaying and analyzing multiple prior products, thus saving the cost of manual sample selection. Using high-performance computing technology improved the computational efficiency of sample-image matching and feature extraction phase, with 10 times faster than traditional matching methods.(3)HALF propose a high-performance classification result mosaic method based on the idea of grid division. By quickly establishing the spatial relationship between the image and the product and performing parallel computing, the efficiency of the mosaicking in large areas is significantly improved. The average processing time for a single image is around 6.5 seconds.

In the last two decades, the continuous ever growing demand for energy has determined a significant development in the production of photovoltaic (PV) modules. Anyway, a critical and very important issue in the module design process is the adoption of suitable encapsulant materials and technologies for cell embedding. Therefore, adopted encapsulants have a significant impact on modules efficiency, stability and reliability, and to ensure the unchanged performance of PV modules in time, the encapsulant materials must be selected properly. The selection of encapsulant materials must maintain a good balance between the encapsulant performance in time and costs, related to materials production and technologies for cells embedding. However, the encapsulants must ensure excellent isolation of active photovoltaic elements by the environment, preserving accurately the PV cells against humidity, oxygen and accidental causes that may compromise the PV modules function. This review provides an overview of different encapsulant materials, their main advantages and disadvantages in adoption for PV production, and also in relation to used encapsulant technologies for cell embedding, additives and the interaction of these materials with other PV components.

(1) Background: Foot strike pattern and cadence are two important variables that are related to sport performance and injury risks; the objective of this study is to analyse the foot strike pattern and cadence of the male elite athlete that participated in the Tokyo Olympic Games marathon. (2) Methods: Two independent researchers analysed the foot strike pattern of the first 51 participants in the 5km, and the cadence of the finalists in three different segments of the race. Descriptive statistics were presented for the main variables of this study. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to study the differences in cadence between different sections of the race (p&lt;0.05). (3) Results: Average of the cadence of the eight finalists was 185.5 steps per minute (SD ± 5.1). No differences between sections of the race were found. The more most common foot strike pattern was midfoot strike pattern, followed by rearfoot strike pattern, and forefoot strike pattern. The results of cadence are in line with previous studies that analysed elite athletes, with the values being higher than other research involving recreational runners. (4) Conclusions: elite marathon runners mostly run with a running non-rearfoot strike pattern and a cadence of over 185 steps per minute.

Carbon fiber insole (CFI), which is lightweight and stiff to reduce energy loss and help wearers perform better in sports, has recently been introduced. However, there are scarce reports on the effects of CFI on sports performance, muscle fatigue and wearing comfort. This study investigat-ed the short-term effects of CFI on sports performance, lower extremity muscle activity, and sub-jective comfort. Thirty young healthy males performed various sports tasks and treadmill runs with wearable sensors under two experimental insole conditions (benchmark insole as a baseline, CFI). The results showed that compared to the benchmark insole, CFI significantly improved sports performance in terms of power generation and agility. However, it activated more of the Tibialis Anterior and Gastrocnemius Medialis muscles and was perceived stiffer, and less com-fortable. These findings suggested that CFI can improve sports performance, but it could cause more lower extremity muscle fatigue and subjective discomfort.

The global shipping industry faces many uncertainties which impact on how organisations within this sector will perform in the future. Research in the critical success factors which impact global shipping industry in the digital era is lacking. This study plugs the gap in the literature by identifying four key critical success factors which are innovation capability, risk governance capability, leadership and strategic capability and technological capability. In addition, this study also found three organisational performance measures that are useful for senior management teams within the industry, namely, financial performance, operational performance and marketing performance. The findings establish a set of critical success factors and the corresponding relationships between the identified critical success factors and the identified organisational performance measures. The paper also provides managerial insights for industry practitioners for defining, prioritising and allocating resources in order to improve organisational performance.

In this work, a novel heterojunction based on ZnSnO3/ZnO nanofibers was prepared using electrospinning method. The crystal, structural and surface compositional properties of sample based on ZnSnO3 and ZnSnO3/ZnO composite nanofibers were investigated by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET). Compared to pure ZnSnO3 nanofibers, the ZnSnO3/ZnO heterostructure nanofibers display high sensitivity and selectivity response with fast response towards ethanol gas at low operational temperature. The sensitivity response of sensor based on ZnSnO3/ZnO composite nanofibers were 19.6 towards 50 ppm ethanol gas at 225°C, which was about 1.5 times superior than that of pure ZnSnO3 nanofibers, which can be owed mainly to the presence of oxygen vacancies and the synergistic effect between ZnSnO3 and ZnO.

Purpose: While resultant maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) is commonly used to assess muscular performance, the simultaneous activation of antagonist muscles could dramatically underestimate the strength of the agonist muscles. While quantification of antagonist torque has been performed in plantar- (PF) and dorsi-flexion (DF) joint in isometric conditions, it has yet to be determined in anisometric (concentric and eccentric) conditions. Methods: The experiment was performed in 9 participants through 2 sessions (reliability). The MVCs in DF and PF were measured in isometric, concentric and eccentric conditions (10°.s^-1). Electromyographic (EMG) activities from the soleus, gastrocnemius medialis and lateralis, and tibialis anterior muscles were simultaneously recorded. The EMG biofeedback method was used to quantify antagonist torque, where participants were asked to maintain a level of EMG activity, corresponding to antagonist EMG activity and related to the muscle contraction type, according to a visual EMG bio-feedback displayed on a screen. Results: Resultant torque significantly underestimated agonist torque in DF MVC (30-65%) and to a lesser extent in PF MVC (3%). Triceps surae antagonist torque was significantly modified with muscle contraction type, showing higher antagonist torque in isometric (29 Nm) than eccentric (23 Nm, p < 0.001) and concentric (14 Nm, p < 0.001) conditions and resulting in modification of the DF MVC torque-velocity shape. The difference between DF eccentric and concentric MVC was attenuated when considered agonist torque (12%) rather than resultant torque (45%). Conclusion: Estimation of the antagonist torque in isometric or anisometric condition brings new insights to assessment of muscular performance and could result in costly misinterpretation in strength training and/or rehabilitation programs.

Evidence-based healthcare integrates the best research evidence with clinical expertise in order to make decisions based on the best practices available. In this context, the task of collecting all the relevant information, a recall oriented task, in order to take the right decision within a reasonable time frame has become an important issue. In this paper, we investigate the problem of building an effective Consumer Health Search (CHS) systems that use query variations to achieve high recall and fulfill the information needs of health consumers. In particular, we study an intent-aware gain metric used to estimate the amount of missing information and make a prediction about the achievable recall for each query reformulation during a search session. We evaluate and propose alternative formulations of this metric using standard test collections of the CLEF 2018 eHealth Evaluation Lab CHS.

The purpose of the present study was to compare heart rate (HR), blood lactate and training load between different CrossFit® workouts, with equalized total volume in men and women. The study included 23 individuals (13 men and 10 women) experienced in CrossFit® training, who performed two workouts with different training types (as many reps as possible - AMRAP and for time) but equalized volume. Measurements of lactate, HR and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were performed. The results showed that there was no HR interaction between workout time and sex (p = 0.822; η2 = 0.006] and between workout type and sex (p = 0.064, η2 = 0.803). HR significantly differed during each workout type (p <0.001, η2 = 0.621), but not between the two workout types (p = 0.552, η2 = 0.017). Lactate showed no difference between the workout types (p = 0.474, η2 = 0.768), although the training load was higher (p = 0.033, η2 = 0.199) in women when they performed AMRAP. Altogether, HR was not significantly different between training types or sex, while RPE, lactate and training load showed small differences depending on the group (women or men) or workout type (AMRAP or 'for time').

The concept of this prototype is to create a cold air film layer, in indoor side of the window. The function of this extra cold air layer is to increase the amount of window resistance and decrease its U-Value. It provide air film layer by using the same concept of desert cooler or wind catcher. They both bring the hot air from outside then let it go throw straw miost with cold water. After hot air move through straw, it would become cold, thus increase the window resistance and decrease the haet gian, therefore, decrease the cooling load. So, this window model works by heating the air in air room by sun radiation, then after a while, air pressure will rise and its volume will increase then it will impulse to wet hay, and become cold. Then there is fins to guide air flow to its correct direction, thus inner side of window will become cold, not like other type of window which when temperature rise, the inner side of window become hot. So, this window prevents heat transition and creare regenereted trubouland air flim in the inner side of the window. Using calculation to find air film characteristics and WINDOW7.7 software to calculate heat gain through window, shows that it is expected from this prototype to reduce heat gain by 6.85 % for double glazed clear window.

The purpose of this study is to examine the driving model of determinant factors that affects the performance of small and micro enterprises empirical evidence from Amhara Region, Ethiopia. The study used primary and secondary data from manufacturing, construction, urban agriculture, trade, and service entrepreneurs found in Bahirdar, Dessie & Gonder Cities using a purposive sampling technique. It also used the descriptive research design with a self-administered survey questionnaire. The Statistical analysis tools, SPSS and Amos, software were applied to analyze the data. Multiple regression model results revealed that access to credit, initial capital, working premises, industry category, market linkage, ICT adoption have a positive relationship and a major impact on the Amhara region's enterprise performance. Hence, the outcome variable, enterprise performance, is highly affected by all predicted variables. As the study finding shows, a lack of access to credit, , market linkage, working premises), initial capital, and information communication Technology problems are critical challenges of SMEs. The Regional Government, TVED Bureau, Micro Finance Institutions, , should take corrective action to provide sufficient credit and long-term loans to protect inflation. Moreover, this study proposed a sustainable cluster management approach that solves their challenges in an integrated way.

Regarding the high efficiency of metaheuristic techniques in energy performance analysis, this paper scrutinizes and compares five novel optimizers, namely biogeography-based optimization (BBO), invasive weed optimization (IWO), social spider algorithm (SOSA), shuffled frog leaping algorithm (SFLA), and harmony search algorithm (HSA) for the early prediction of cooling load in residential buildings. The algorithms are coupled with a multi-layer perceptron (MLP) to adjust the neural parameters that connect the CL with the influential factors. The complexity of the models is optimized by means of a trial-and-error effort, and it was shown that the BBO and IWO need more crowded spaces for fulfilling the optimization. The results revealed that the internal parameters (i.e., biases and weights) suggested by the BBO generate the most reliable MLP for both analyzing and generalizing the CL pattern (with nearly 93 and 92% correlations, respectively). Followed by this, the IWO emerged as the second powerful optimizer with mean absolute errors of 1.8632 and 1.9110 in the training and testing phases. Therefore, the BBO-MLP and IWO-MLP can be reliably used for accurate analysis of the CL in future projects.

Generation Y is known as job jumpers because of the desire to earn a higher salary, career opportunities and opportunities to develop themselves. One type of work is a teacher because by becoming a teacher they get a better life, one of which is by getting extra income from the government for those who already have teacher certification, this is what encourages Generation Y to choose this profession. this study uses crosstabs for the data analysis process because the data comes from the LMS database owned by XYZ Campus. Millennial educators who have the highest performance value of PJJ Information Systems for Information System Engineering Cluster with a value of 5.19. The impact of transactions on millennial lecturers on students is able to fulfill any given workload. Appreciate millennial lecturers in tangible and intangible forms.

The stormwater drainage problem is one of the major challenges facing in Shire Endaslasse town, Ethiopia. In a town, Street flooding and overtopping drainage system problems are occurring during the rainy season. This causes ponding which poses difficulties in ease of transportation and it hinders the day-to-day activity of the people. So, the study focuses on the performance of the stormwater drainage system in Shire Endaslasse town using Arc GIS and SWMM5.1. For this study, the primary data were collected by field surveys and interviews with the council body. Simulation results for storm events show that in some of the drainage systems in different regions of Shire Endaslasse town have flooded. During the field observation, the drainage structures are filled with solid wastes, inadequate inlet and outlet structures and some of the top element of the manhole have been broken this may cause a problem of aesthetic and healthy at large it may increase flood risk. The flooding risk in the drainage systems is very high due to the drainage system is undersized to cope with the current rainfall rates, but also is very limited to face the upcoming predicted rainfall.

The process model is very essential for the model based control design. The model of the process can be identified using system identification algorithm. The system identification is done through the open loop and closed loop approaches. In this work, the lab scale conical tank setup configured as a non square MIMO system. The conical tank system is identified through the both appraoches, the effectiveness and need of the both approaces are discussed. Based on the open loop identified model the controller designed and the controller implemented in the real time the to record the process data. From this data the closed loop identification are conducted uisng N4SID algorithm. The controller seetings are obtained using the smith predcitor based IMC based PI controller for the obtained model. The proposed identification algorithm and controller tuning show the better reults over the conventional method. Moreover, this method is applicable for all the non square MIMO system.

Neuromuscular disorders cause progressive muscular weakness, which limits upper extremity mobility and performance during activities of daily life. A dynamic arm support can improve mobility and quality of life. However, their use is often discontinued over time for unclear reasons. This study aimed to evaluate whether users of dynamic arm supports demonstrate and perceive quantifiable mobility benefits over a period of two months. Nine users of dynamic arm supports were included in this observational study. They had different neuromuscular disorders and collectively used four different arm supports. They were observed for three consecutive weeks during which they were equipped with a multi-sensor network of accelerometers to assess the actual use of the arm support and they were asked to provide self-reports on the perceived benefits of the devices. Benefits were experienced mainly during anti-gravity activities and the measured use did not change over time. The self-reports provided contextual information in domains such as participation to social life, in addition to the sensor system. However self-reports overestimated the actual use by up to three-fold compared to the accelerometer measures. A combination of objective and subjective methods is recommended for meaningful and quantifiable mobility benefits during activities of daily life.

The aim of this study was to introduce a new activity-based balance index by using accelerometer data. Twenty-seven junior soccer players from the Iranian premier league were selected. Four functional tests, consisting of one leg stance, dynamic Y balance, running and dribbling tests, were conducted to assess the players’ balance, activity and skill. During these four tests, besides their relative scores, the acceleration of their body center was also recorded. Activity-based balance index (ABI) was calculated using these acceleration data. The results showed positive correlations between ABI and both static and dynamic balance scores. Additionally, negative correlations were found between ABI and dribbling scores, which demonstrate the agility required for this skill. It seems that this new index achieves the evaluation of both the balance and the skill level of soccer players. Perhaps this is a new way of talent identification and also a re-development of balance tests from traditional to modern.

Maize (Zea mays L.) production in West and Central Africa is constrained by drought, low soil-N and Striga infestation. Breeders in the region have developed and commercialized extra-early and early-maturing hybrids (E-EH and EH), which combine high yield potentials with tolerance/resistance to the three stresses. Hybrids of both maturity groups are new to the farmers; thus, the urgent need to recommend appropriate agronomic practices for these hybrids. We investigated the responses of four hybrids belonging to extra-early and early-maturity groups to plant density (PD) and nitrogen (N) application in five agroecologies. The EHs consistently out-yielded the E-EHs in all the five agroecologies. The hybrids showed no response to N-fertilizer application above 90 kg ha-1. All interactions involving N had no significant effect on all traits except in few cases. The E-EHs and EHs had similar response to PD; their grain yield decreased as PD increased. Contrarily, flowering was delayed and expression of some other agronomic traits such as plant and ear aspects became poorer with increased PD. Optimal yield was obtained at approximately 90 kg N ha-1 and 66,666 plants ha-1. Most of the measured traits indicated high repeatability estimates (i.e. ≥ 60) across the N levels, PDs and environments. Evidently, the hybrids were intolerant of high PD.

We studied the effect of the structure parameters of engine annular cooling fan with outer ring on the aerodynamic performance by means of experiments and model simulation in fluent^®. Firstly, based on the experiment, a computational model is developed to calculate and analyze the aerodynamic performance of the tested annular fan. The model is validated by comparing the test results with the calculated data. Besides, the aerodynamic performance differences between two types of fans (common fan without outer ring and annular fan with outer ring) are discussed. Based on the computational model, the relation between aerodynamic performance and the outer ring structure parameters are investigated. The results show that the relative parameter on the axial direction has great influence on the aerodynamic performance; while the effect of radial relative parameter is minor. In addition, the outer ring with arc chamfer structure in the downstream side can improve its static pressure efficiency effectively.

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on-board the second Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) completed its sensor level testing in February 2018. The JPSS-2 (J2) mission is scheduled to launch in 2022, and will be very similar to its two predecessor missions, the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) mission, launched on 28 October 2011, and JPSS-1 (renamed NOAA-20) launched on 18 November 2017. VIIRS instrument has 22 spectral bands covering the spectrum between 0.4 and 12.6 mircron: 14 reflective solar bands (RSB), 7 thermal emissive bands (TEB), and one day-night band (DNB). It is a cross-track scanning radiometer capable of providing global measurements through observations at two spatial resolutions, 375 m and 750 m at nadir for the imaging bands and moderate bands, respectively. This paper will provide an overview of J2 VIIRS characterization methodologies and calibration performance during the pre-launch testing phases performed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) VIIRS Characterization Support Team (VCST) to evaluate the at-launch baseline radiometric performance and generate the parameters needed to populate the sensor data record (SDR) Look-Up-Tables (LUTs). Key sensor performance metrics include the signal to noise ratio (SNR), radiance dynamic range, reflective and emissive bands calibration performance, polarization sensitivity, spectral performance, response versus scan-angle (RVS), and scattered light response. A set of performance metrics generated during the pre-launch testing program will be compared to both the SNPP and JPSS-1 VIIRS sensors.

Soccer is the most played sport worldwide, with over 265 million participants. It is an incredibly demanding sport, with many different technical skills and physical loads placed on the body. This makes post-match recovery strategies amongst high level soccer players of great importance. The aim of this review is to summarize the existing literature on stretching for post-match recovery, examining its relation to injury prevention, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), and performance. Scientific evidence of the highest quality and relevance was extracted and reviewed. Despite its common practice, evidence does not support static stretching as a modality to improve recovery post-match amongst soccer players. Larger trials with important outcome measures are needed to determine if a post-match stretching regimen to facilitate recovery exists.

Honeycomb-like CO₃O₄ nanosheets with high specific surface area were successfully synthesized on porous nickel foam by the facile hydrothermal method followed by an annealing treatment (300 °C), which were used as high-performance supercapacitor electrodes. The effects of mole ratio of hexamethylenetetramine (HMT) and Co(NO₃)₂ (1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 5:1 and 6:1）as the reactants on morphological evolution and electrochemical performance of the electrodes were investigated in detail. X-ray diffractometry, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were applied to characterize the structure and morphology of the products. The electrochemical performance was measured by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge/discharge. The results indicated that phase constituents were almost unaffected with the change in mole ratio of HMT and Co(NO₃)₂. However, the significant morphological evolution of Co₃O₄ was observed with increasing the mole ratio, which was described as followed: the nanosheets accompanied with a large number of spherical nanoparticles→the formation of some strip-like particles due to the agglomeration of spherical nanoparticles→the formation of new nanosheets resulting from the growth of strip-like particles→the formation of coarse flower-like particles owing to the connection among the nanosheets→the nanosheets gradually covered with flower-like particles. Accompanied with the change, the specific surface area was increased firstly, and then decreased. A maximum was obtained in the HMT and Co(NO₃)₂ mole ratio of 4:1, which was further validated by CV and galvanostatic charge/discharge tests. The specific capacitance value was 743.00 F·g^-1 at 1 A·g^-1 in the galvanostatic charge/discharge test, which was apparently higher than those in the other mole ratios (139.11 F·g^-1 in 1:1, 280.46 F·g^-1 in 2:1, 503.29 F·g^-1 in 3:1, 463.75 F·g^-1 in 5:1 and 363.74 F·g^-1 in 6:1). The change was also observed in the CV test with a scanning rate of 5 mV·s^-1 (121.32 F·g^-1 in 1:1, 217.33 F·g^-1 in 2:1, 559.86 F·g^-1 in 3:1, 693.56 F·g^-1 in 4:1, 423.35 F·g^-1 in 5:1 and 321.64 F·g^-1 in 6:1). Co₃O₄ synthesized in the mole ratio of 4:1 also demonstrated an excellent cyclic performance, in which about 97% of the initial specific capacitance was remained at 1 A·g^-1 for 500 cycles in the galvanostatic charge/discharge test. This excellent electrochemical performance was ascribed to high specific surface area of Co₃O₄ nanosheets that provide enough channels and space for ions transportion.

In this systematic survey, an overview of non-conventional and soft-actuators is presented. The review is performed by using well-defined performance criteria with a direction to identify the exemplary applications in robotics. In addition to this, initial guidelines to measure the performance and applicability of soft actuators are provided. The meta-analysis is restricted to four main types of soft actuators: shape memory alloys (SMA), fluidic elastomer actuators (FEA), dielectric electro-activated polymers (DEAP) and shape morphing polymers (SMP). In exploring and comparing the capabilities of these actuators, the focus was on seven different aspects: compliance, topology, scalability-complexity, energy efficiency, operation range, performance and technological readiness level. The overview presented here provides a state-of-the-art summary of the advancements and can help researchers to select the most convenient soft actuators using the comprehensive comparison of the performance criteria.

This study assessed the hydrological performance and runoff water quality of 12 green roof (GR) modular systems located at the Universidad de los Andes campus (Bogotá, Colombia). Based on 223 rainfall events spanning a 3-year period, average rainfall retention was 85% (SD = 25%). T-tests, Welch Test, multiple linear regressions and correlation analysis were performed in order to assess the potential effect of air temperature, substrate type, vegetation cover, relative humidity, antecedent dry weather period (ADWP), rainfall duration and rainfall maximum intensity. In some cases, GR design variables (i.e. growing media and type of vegetation) were found to be significant for describing rainfall retention efficiencies and, depending on the GR type, some hydrological variables were also correlated with the rainfall retention. Rainfall and GR runoff were monitored for Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN), Nitrates, Nitrites, Ammonia, Total Phosphorus (TP), Phosphates, pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Color, Turbidity, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Coliforms, metals and Poliaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). The results obtained confirmed that GR systems have the ability to neutralize pH, but are source of the rest of the aforementioned parameters, excluding PAHs (with concentrations below detection limits), Ammonia, TSS, Se and Li, where differences with reference values (rainfall and plastic panel runoff) were not statistically significant. Substrate type, event size and rainfall regime are relevant variables for explaining runoff water quality.

This paper explores how the sustainable investment impacts financial returns and economic development in of Asia Pacific and North America, utilizing real data empirically. In academia and industrial field, it is polemical that indeed, the sustainable behavior has economic returns. In order to clarify that, we tested hypotheses with an analysis of seven stock markets, accounting of rates such as ROI, ROIC, and ROA in eleven companies, and GDP/GNI per capita. The results indicate that both financial return and economic development are positively germane to the sustainable investment. Besides, the variance of sustainability to economic development exists, depending on GDP per capita between two regions. We conclude, concerning the sustainability, by corroborating micro perspective for corporate level and macro perspective of economic development in the private and public sector. This research consequence will be interested in both practitioners and researchers in the measurement of sustainability performance

The aim of the present study is to investigate both the performance and preferences of males and females Computer Science (CS) graduates. In order to attain the above goal, a quantitative case study was conducted regarding 89 degrees, acquired from 2006 to 2012, from the Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Peloponnese, Greece. The analysis of the data revealed that in terms of performance, no significant differences between the mean grades of males and females exist, in almost most of the courses included in the curriculum of the aforementioned CS department. Any statistically significant differences in performances were present in almost equal number of courses in favor of males and females. It seems also, that females performed better in the courses they selected more than males. Regarding preferences, in CS courses, it seems that gender differences are existent. Males preferred more than females did core programming courses and advanced topics of Software Systems, computer networks, computer engineering, robotics and mathematics, whereas females preferred more the study of algorithms and security issues, computer fractals, data management, computer architecture, and mobile communication. In addition, females preferred courses in reference with humanities and social sciences, CS terminology, and career opportunities. Yet, females did not select any of programming lab-based courses, computer engineering, computer network issues and robotics.

In multi-objective optimization problems, the optimization target is to obtain a set of non-dominated solutions. Comparing solution sets is crucial in evaluating the performances of different optimization algorithms. The use of performance indicators is common in comparing those sets and, subsequently, optimization algorithms. A good solution set must be close to the Pareto-optimal front, well-distributed, maximally extended and fully filled. Therefore, an effective performance indicator must encompass these features as a whole and must be Pareto dominance compliant. Unfortunately, some of the known indicators often fail to properly reflect the quality of a solution set or cost a lot to compute. This paper demonstrates that the Degree of Approximation (DOA) quality indicator, is a weakly Pareto compliant unary indicator that gives a good estimation of the match between the approximated front and the Pareto-optimal front. Moreover, DOA computation is easy and fast.

Nacelle-based Doppler wind lidars have shown promising capabilities to assess power performance, detect yaw misalignment or perform feed-forward control. The power curve application requires uncertainty assessment. Traceable measurements and uncertainties of nacelle-based wind lidars can be obtained through a methodology applicable to any type of existing and upcoming nacelle lidar technology. The generic methodology consists in calibrating all the inputs of the wind field reconstruction algorithms of a lidar. These inputs are the line-of-sight velocity and the beam position, provided by the geometry of the scanning trajectory and the lidar inclination. The line-of-sight velocity is calibrated in atmospheric conditions by comparing it to a reference quantity based on classic instrumentation such as cup anemometers and wind vanes. The generic methodology was tested on two commercially developed lidars, one continuous wave and one pulsed systems, and provides consistent calibration results: linear regressions show a difference of ∼ 0.5 % between the lidar-measured and reference line-of-sight velocities. A comprehensive uncertainty procedure propagates the reference uncertainty to the lidar measurements. At a coverage factor of two, the estimated line-of-sight velocity uncertainty ranges from 3.2 % at 3 m s⁻¹ to 1.9 % at 16 m s⁻¹. Most of the line-of-sight velocity uncertainty originates from the reference: the cup anemometer uncertainty accounts for ∼ 90 % of the total uncertainty. The propagation of uncertainties to lidar-reconstructed wind characteristics can use analytical methods in simple cases, which we demonstrate through the example of a two-beam system. The newly developed calibration methodology allows robust evaluation of a nacelle lidar’s performance and uncertainties to be established in order to further be used for various wind turbines’ applications in confidence.

It has often been said that Gaelic football (GF) and Australian Rules Football (ARF) are similar sports, and amateur Gaelic footballers have been recruited to play in the professional Australian Football League. Using Wilcoxons’s test, the significant (p < 0.05) factors differentiating winning and losing performance in ARF were indirectly compared to the differentiating factors between winning and losing in GF. Of the 15 key performance indicators (KPIs) that were seen to be significant between ARF teams, six (40 %) were also seen to be significant in discriminating between winning and losing GF teams. A Mann-Whitney U test was then completed to directly compare ARF and GF, twenty-six of the 30 KPIs were seen to be significantly different to each other (p < 0.05). The findings suggest that recruiting a Gaelic footballer based on the belief that their Gaelic background will aid their transition to ARF is not an appropriate decision. Instead, staying with more traditional methods of talent identification – for example anthropometric measurements – is advocated until further research is undertaken in this area.

This research focuses on developing a Student Performance Evaluation System to enhance effectiveness and oversight in higher education. The system aims to address challenges faced by instructors in evaluating student performance using a distributed system approach. Agile methodology is employed in development, and database replication techniques are applied for data synchronization. System features include registration, assessment form creation, assessment submission, statistical visualization, and access to assessment history. The system is designed to improve efficiency and transparency in the assessment process. Key features of the system include registration process, assessment form creation, assessment submission, statistical visualization, and access to assessment history. Its goal is to enhance efficiency and transparency throughout the assessment process. The article details the system workflow and the roles played by Admins, Instructors, and students in system usage. Additionally, it discusses the back-end development model and pathways, as well as the performance testing results. Performance testing indicates that the system achieves high throughput of up to 21.55 requests per second, with an average response time of only 34 milliseconds and an error rate of zero percent. These results affirm that the system efficiently handles user loads and nearly instantaneously responds to requests, providing an optimal user experience in the context of student performance evaluation in higher education.

This research focuses on developing a Student Performance Evaluation System to enhance effectiveness and oversight in higher education. The system aims to address challenges faced by instructors in evaluating student performance using a distributed system approach. Agile methodology is employed in development, and database replication techniques are applied for data synchronization. System features include registration, assessment form creation, assessment submission, statistical visualization, and access to assessment history. The system is designed to improve efficiency and transparency in the assessment process. Key features of the system include registration process, assessment form creation, assessment submission, statistical visualization, and access to assessment history. Its goal is to enhance efficiency and transparency throughout the assessment process. The article details the system workflow and the roles played by Admins, Instructors, and students in system usage. Additionally, it discusses the back-end development model and pathways, as well as the performance testing results. Performance testing indicates that the system achieves high throughput of up to 21.55 requests per second, with an average response time of only 34 milliseconds and an error rate of zero percent. These results affirm that the system efficiently handles user loads and nearly instantaneously responds to requests, providing an optimal user experience in the context of student performance evaluation in higher education.

In this study, broilers were selected as the research object to investigate the effects and mechanism action of dietary gallic acid (GA) supplementation on growth performance, meat quality, antioxidant capacity, and muscle fiber-related gene expression. A total of 750 one-day-old healthy 817 male crossbred broiler chickens were divided into five treatment groups, with six replicates per group: control group (CON), basal diet, basal diet with lipopolysaccharide challenge (LPS), basal diet with 150, 300, 450 mg/kg GA supplementation and LPS challenge (GA150, GA300, GA450). On days 14, 17, and 20, chickens in the LPS, GA150, GA300, and GA450 groups received intramuscular injections of LPS, while chickens in the CON group received saline. Compared with the LPS group, adding GA (GA150 and GA300) significantly increased the average daily gain (ADG) of broiler chickens from 1 to 50 days old (p < 0.05), and had the tendency to increase average daily feed intake (ADFI) (p = 0.078). Dietary addition of 450 mg/kg GA significantly reduced the pH value of breast muscle at 45min after slaughter (p < 0.05), and as the level of GA addition increased, the pH value first decreased and then increased. Compared with the LPS group, adding 450mg/kg GA significantly increased the brightness of breast muscles at 45min and 24h after slaughter (p < 0.001). Dietary supplementation of 450 mg/kg GA significantly decreased the total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) content of post-mortem breast muscle (p < 0.05). Adding 450 mg/kg GA could significantly increase C22:6n-3 concentration in breast muscle (p < 0.05). Different GA levels had no significant effect on the intramuscular fat (IMF) content of broiler breast muscle (p > 0.05). Adding GA (GA150 and GA300) significantly increased (p < 0.05) the total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity in the breast muscle after LPS stimulation, significantly increased (p < 0.05) the catalase (CAT) activity, and significantly reduced (p < 0.05) malonic dialdehyde (MDA) production, and had the tendency to increase glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity (p = 0.066). In addition, dietary supplementation of GA significantly increased the expression levels of myosin heavy chain (MyHC) I and MyHC IIa in breast muscles (p < 0.05), and significantly decreased the expression level of MyHC IIx (p < 0.05). In summary, dietary addition of GA can alleviate the stress response on the growth performance of broiler chickens and improve antioxidant capacity and meat quality. The appropriate amount of dietary GA at each stage was 300 mg/kg.

The dietary proteins are one of the most important factors determining health conditions in human. The sufficient digestion and absorption of dietary proteins in the digestive tract have positive effects on performance and recovery in sportspeople or athletes. Improving of protein digestibility is a strategy for maintaining health status and optimal performance in sport or exercise activities. The hypothesis of the present study is that Weizmannia coagulans BC 99 (BC99) can increase muscle mass and strength. This randomized double-blind, controlled trial assigned 72 male college students to receive probiotics (n = 36, 20.25±1.03 years; 1.79±5.94 cm; 73.55±8.73 kg, protein powder with BC99) or placebo (n = 36, 20.19±0.79 years; 179.25±5.16 cm; 73.61±8.24 kg, protein powder) for 12-week. At the baseline and final stages of the study, strength tests and body composition assessment were performed; Blood and stool samples were taken at the end of the 12-week intervention, digestive enzymatic activity of stool samples, biochemical parameters, amino acids and hormone level of plasma were analyzed. BC99 administration significantly improved strength performance, skeletal muscle mass, activity of pepsin and trypsin, the concentrations of branched chain amino acids and essential amino acids, reduced activities of creatine kinase and lactic dehydrogenase and urea nitrogen (BUN) level, and increased testosterone and glucagon-like peptide-1 level in male college students. Therefore, BC99 supplementation can be an important nutritional strategy to improve strength performance, body composition, protein digestion and body metabolism in various groups of individuals.

The rapid advancement of 5G networks, coupled with the increasing complexity of resource management, traffic handling, and dynamic service demands, has underscored the need for more intelligent network optimization techniques. This paper comprehensively reviews AI-driven methods applied to 5G network optimization, focusing on resource allocation, traffic management, and network slicing. Traditional models face limitations in adapting to the dynamic nature of modern telecommunications, and AI techniques-especially machine learning (ML) and deep reinforcement learning (DRL)-offer scalable, adaptive solutions. These approaches enable real-time optimization by learning from network conditions, predicting traffic patterns, and intelligently managing resources across virtual network slices. AI's integration into 5G networks enhances performance, reduces latency, and ensures efficient bandwidth utilization. It is indispensable for handling the demands of emerging applications such as IoT, autonomous systems, and augmented reality. This paper highlights key AI techniques, their application to 5G challenges, and their potential to drive future innovations in network management, laying the groundwork for autonomous network operations in 6G and beyond.

The numerical algorithm used for the original multi-dimensional non-linear optimization analysis of the marine fixed pitch (screw) propulsion presented herewith, after its invention and publication has been widely used for the analysis and best fit (most probable / less uncertain) solution of over-determined non-linear mathematical problems, where the points of observations (measured data) are more than the unknown parameters in the mathematical formulation expressing the significant aspects of the observed phenomena. Any “local” attainable solution of this formidable and ingenious algorithm, may rely to the set of initial values of the unknown parameters, while not all possible solutions are expected to be physically significant for a specific problem, whereas judgment, bounds and testing are to be practiced for making sure that the attained solution is the best fit (most probable / less uncertain) one, and not necessarily the “global minimum” one. In the present paper the above algorithm is applied for the original analysis of standard ships propulsion, and particularly for the original combined application of thermo-fluid and frictional models of main engines, as well as of fixed pitch propulsion hydrodynamic models, necessary for resolving in an integrated manner the combined marine propulsion problem for standard ships under seagoing conditions.

In the current digital era, Enterprise Data Management (EDM) plays a pivotal role in enhancing business performance by ensuring efficient handling of diverse data sources and enabling real-time applications. However, the complexity of managing vast data streams and integrating various systems presents significant challenges for enterprises. These challenges can be mitigated by incorporating APIs and Middleware, APIs help integrate diverse systems, while middleware solutions facilitate communication between different software environments, Cloud-Based Data Platforms such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud to offer scalable data storage and processing capabilities, allowing businesses to expand without compromising on performance. This study proposes a systematic review of business performance improvements driven by various types, sources, and real-time applications, highlighting cost efficiency, reliability, and increase in revenue using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, the inclusion criteria is bounded by (1) publication date between 2014 to 2024, (2) written in English, (3) research focusing on EDM with an emphasis on types, data sources, and real-time applications, and (4) research work that provides a clear framework for the analysis of EDM’s impact on enhancing business performance. Following this process, 136 eligible research studies were included. The cost of implementation can vary significantly based on the size and complexity of the system. Operational and maintenance costs can vary widely depending on the infrastructure, data storage requirements, and the level of real-time application integrations. As EDM systems scale to accommodate more diverse data sources and real-time analytics capabilities, the associated costs increase accordingly.

As the carbon storage capacity of timber is recognized, there is growing interest in timber and wooden structures as a solution to various environmental problems. The use of Korean timber with substantial carbon storage capacity is required to reduce Korean carbon emissions and circulate timber resources. In this study, fire tests were conducted to investigate the charring properties of glued laminated timber columns made of Korean larch. The fire tests were conducted under both load-bearing and non-load-bearing conditions. The fire test results showed that the charring depth was affected by the corners of the section, and that the load ratio had an insignificant influence on the charring depth when the load ratio was 0.9 or less. This study provides data that can be used to compare the charring properties of laminated wood produced using South Korean larch with the charring properties of foreign standards. This provides reference data for developing fire-resistant design standards for timber structures made from South Korean timber.

Self-esteem and student engagement play critical roles in shaping academic performance, particularly in the context of distance education, where direct classroom interaction is limited. This preliminary study examines the relationships between self-esteem, student engagement, and academic performance among 1,479 students at an Indonesia's open university, Universitas Terbuka. Using a cross-sectional survey design, the study employed multiple validated scales, including the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Student Engagement Scale, and self-reported academic performance measures, to explore how these variables interact. The results show that self-esteem alone does not significantly predict academic performance (F = 2.31, p = 0.071), but student engagement plays a moderating role, significantly enhancing the effect of self-esteem on academic outcomes (interaction term: B = 0.25, p = 0.010). Additionally, students from matrilineal family systems reported significantly higher self-esteem (M = 3.92, SD = 0.569, p = 0.014) and academic engagement (M = 3.93, SD = 0.870, p < 0.001) compared to their patrilineal counterparts. These preliminary findings highlight psychological and cultural factors in online education, with ongoing qualitative analyses in a broader mixed-method study set to deepen insights into technology challenges and further contribute to distance learning research.

Empirical findings support the important role played by prosocial behavior and scholastic per-formance in significantly affecting adolescents’ long term psychosocial adjustment. Furthermore, several studies showed the positive impact of academic self-efficacy in affecting adolescents’ social and academic functioning; however, no studies have investigated the effect of other important personality structures, such as students’ feedback sensitivity. The present study aims at investi-gating the effects of adolescents’ feedback sensitivity (reward sensitivity/punishment sensitivity) on their prosocial behavior and scholastic performance also examining the potential indirect effect of academic self-efficacy on the association between reward/punishment sensitivity and prosocial behavior/scholastic performance. Participants were 132 adolescents (53.1% males; Mage = 16.42, SD) from Rome (Italy). Students’ reward/punishment sensitivity, academic self-efficacy, prosocial behavior and scholastic performance were self-reported. A path analyses model showed a positive and significant effect of academic self-efficacy on scholastic performance, a positive significant ef-fect of punishment sensitivity on prosocial behavior, a positive significant effect of reward sensi-tivity on academic self-efficacy and a significant indirect effect of academic self-efficacy on the association between reward sensitivity and scholastic performance. Results of this study are useful in term of practical implications to promote students’ adjustment.

This study presents the development and evaluation of a Multi-Task Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model with an Attention Mechanism designed to predict students' academic performance. The model concurrently addresses two tasks: predicting overall performance (total score) as a regression task and categorizing performance levels (remarks) as a classification task. By processing both tasks simultaneously, the model optimizes computational efficiency and resource use. The dataset includes detailed student performance records across various metrics such as Continuous Assessment, Practical Skills, Demeanor, Presentation Quality, Attendance, and Participation. The model's performance was evaluated using comprehensive metrics. For the regression task, it achieved a Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 0.0249, Mean Squared Error (MSE) of 0.0012, and Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) of 0.0346. For the classification task, it attained perfect scores with an accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score of 1.0. These results highlight the model's high accuracy and robustness in predicting both continuous and categorical outcomes. The Attention Mechanism enhances the model's capabilities by identifying and focusing on the most relevant features. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the Multi-Task LSTM with Attention Mechanism in educational data analysis, offering a reliable tool for predicting student performance and potential broader applications in similar multi-task learning contexts. Future work will explore further enhancements and wider applications to improve predictive accuracy and efficiency.

Circadian rhythm (CR) influences various physiological functions, including physical and cognitive performance, which fluctuate throughout the day. The present study aimed to investigate the combined and separate effects of CR and physical fatigue on cognitive and physical performance. A sample of 18 amateur athletes was subjected to a series of tests at three different times of the day: morning, afternoon, and evening. Fatigue was induced following isokinetic concentric exercise combined with a 20-minute treadmill run, followed by assessments of selected physical and cognitive tasks. Repeated measures ANOVA did not reveal an interaction between CR and fatigue in cognitive performance (p &gt; 0.05). However, a significant main effect of fatigue was observed in visual reaction time (VisRT) across all three time points. Moreover, peak torque (PT) and peak torque fatigue index (PTFI) showed significant differences between the three times of the day, peaking in the evening. Although we found no interaction between CR and physical fatigue state on selected cognitive parameters at the three times of day, a separate effect of fatigue on cognitive performance was identified. Additionally, physical parameters exhibited peak values occurring in the evening hours. Future research should further explore underlying mechanisms that potentially influence cognitive performance at different times of the day.

The current economic and political crisis has brought about a change in the environment in which Non-Governmental Development Organizations (NGDOs) have traditionally operated. This change can be summed up as a reduction in the funds they receive and an increase in the population they must serve. The need then arises to have mechanisms that allow an analysis of the good work performed by the NGDOs. Knowing the efficiency of the NGDOs in the management of their previous projects can contribute towards improving their future achievements. The aim of this research is to establish some objective indicators that allow an evaluation of the efficiency of these organizations. Firstly, a detailed analysis of the regulation of the three Agencies is conducted (Spanish-AECID, European- EuropeAid and American -USAID). This allows us to synthesize the indicators of good performance of the NGDO based on the study of the eligibility criteria of public donors. The research concludes with the study of the efficiency following the Promethee Approach. Our results reveals that 44.6% of the NGDOs (33 out of the 74 studied) operate inefficiently, compared to 29.7% which are efficient.

In the foodservice industry, clients judge not only the product standard but also the service quality they receive during their restaurant experience. Therefore, when the importance of the dining experience is strongly regarded by consumers in terms of intellectual and motivational attributes, they are happier to suggest the establishment to others. The main objective of this research is to study the influence of different service quality factors in restaurants and their impact on customer satisfaction. This research is also undertaken to evaluate the identification of important factors for the restaurant industry and the levels of service quality among customers satisfaction with the services offered by restaurants in India. As factor analysis, correlation, and regression research, this study was conducted using a modified IBM SPSS Statistics 24 and AMOS instrument among the 630 randomly selected customers. A weighted mean was used to describe the levels of service quality and customer satisfaction. Multiple regressions were used to determine the predictors of customer satisfaction. The results reveal the main 12 service quality factors, which are: 1. Process-related factors: system for take-away orders, order tracking system, and time for food preparation 2. People-related factors: focus on customers' special requests, peer group influence, and making you feel special. 3. Physical Environment: Walking Space, Architecture of the Restaurant, and Signals for Direction 4. Performance-related factors: food served at an appropriate temperature; food presentation; portion size of food in the restaurant. The researchers have developed one model on service quality factors that is described in the research paper.

This study investigates the implementation and performance benefits of using a MongoDB replica set compared to a single node setup. The primary objective was to evaluate the efficiency and reliability improvements provided by replication in a NoSQL database cluster. The research involved configuring a single node and a three-node replica set, followed by conducting performance tests using CRUD operations on both setups. The results indicated that while the single node exhibited faster write operations, the replica set significantly improved read performance and provided high availability and fault tolerance. The findings highlight the advantages of using a replica set for applications requiring robust data access and consistent performance under varying workloads.

The giant octopus caught off the east coast of Korea is an important fishery resource with the largest haul and is mostly caught using net pots. While giant octopus pots have different shapes, drum, rectangular, and cylinder pots are mostly used. However, these pots have not been thoroughly evaluated. Here, we evaluated the fishing performance of three giant octopus pots, their fluid resistance, and underwater movement. Six sea trials were conducted near the Hupo region in Gyeongsangbuk-do. In total, 163 individuals (62,724 g), 190 individuals (49,913 g), and 154 individuals (52,364 g) were caught using drum, rectangular, and cylinder pots, respectively. Drum pots showed significant differences in the amount of catch by weight (ANOVA test, p&lt;0.05). Moreover, the percentage of minimum conservation size was the lowest in cylinder pots (6.5%). Drum pots showed the highest stability in the underwater stability test, while underwater fluid resistance at 2.5 kt fluid speed was in the following order: drum pots (7.66 kgf) &gt; rectangular pots (7.16 kgf) &gt; cylinder pots (7.04 kgf). Therefore, drum pots showed excellent fishing performance. This study provides foundational data for developing managing systems for giant octopus resources and establishing the extent of fishing gear usage.

Daylighting design is not only a stage of dimensioning glazed surfaces to provide sufficient natural light to an occupied space, but also a method of analysing how this matter can be achieved without unwanted effects, such as: gains and losses of heat, glare, and variations of the daylighting intensity, at various indoor distances and levels. According to the international regulations in force, glazed surfaces must be designed with a careful balance between the admission of natural light and thermal performance, such as heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer. In a novel project, it is essential to determine the optimal ratio of window-to-wall surface area. This necessity arises because the materials constituting the glazed surfaces of windows typically exhibit lower insulation properties compared to those of the building's walls. This methodology could be applied to building renovations when envelope modifications are possible and suitable. The case study presented in the paper highlights the energy consumed due to a group of windows with a large glazed area in an existing building, located in a temperate continental climate area. The energy consumption results from supplementary artificial lighting required to maintain adequate illumination for indoor activities and that to counterbalance heat loss during colder periods are evaluated. The analysis performed by modifying the glazed surface led to the identification of an optimum value of windows dimensions for an energy consumed minimum.

This study investigated the effect of replacing part of the dietary soybean meal with either polymer-coated urea or gelatinized starch urea on the performance, nutrient digestibility, blood biochemical indexes, ruminal fermentation and rumen microflora of Angus heifers. The urea release profiles of two kinds of slow-release urea were evaluated in vitro and indicated a superior nitrogen retention with the polymer-coated urea. 210 purebred Angus cattle (BW = 314.26 kg) were divided into three groups: no urea group (CON), polymer-coated urea group (PCU), gelatinized starch urea group (GSU), 20g/kg polymer-coated urea or 25g/kg gelatinized starch urea was used to replace part of soybean meal in the concentrate feed respectively according to the principle of iso-metabolic energy and iso-nitrogenous. During the whole experiment, the ADG of PCU group was higher than both the GSU group and the CON group. The feed-weight ratio of the PCU group was significantly lower than both the GSU group and the CON group during the 90-day feeding period. The ADF apparent digestibility in the PCU group was significantly higher than that of the CON group, and extremely significantly higher than that of the GSU group. On the 86th day, the ALB content in the PCU group was significantly higher than that in the CON group. The contents of acetic acid and butyric acid, total volatile fatty acid and propionic acid were significantly higher in the PCU group than in the CON group. Bacterial diversity analysis found that the abundance of Firmicutes was higher in the PCU group than that in the GSU group and the CON group at the phylum level, and inverse result was observed in Bacteroidetes. The abundance of Paraprevotella was higher in the PCU group, whereas higher abundance of Prevotella was found in the GSU group at the genus level. These results indicate that both polymer-coated urea and gelatinized starch urea can replace part of soybean meal in the diet, and the amount of substitution in this trial had no diverse effect on the performance of Angus heifers, and the effect and economic benefits brought by polymer-coated urea were better than gelatinized starch urea.

This paper explores the utilization of ensemble models and learning analytics techniques to predict student academic performance. With the advent of educational big data, institutions are increasingly leveraging advanced analytics to gain insights into student learning patterns and optimize educational outcomes. Ensemble models, which combine the predictive power of multiple algorithms, offer a robust approach to enhance prediction accuracy. The performance of the ensemble models was analyzed and compared using the Open University Learning Analytics Dataset, which consists of sources such as demographic information, historical performance data, and engagement metrics for 23,344 students. The evaluation of various ensemble models across different classification scenarios revealed that the proposed stacking model consistently emerges as the best-performing model, excelling in both multi-class and binary classification tasks.

Trust plays a pivotal role in supplier-buyer relationships, influencing decision-making, collaboration dynamics, and organizational performance. This qualitative study explores the multifaceted nature of trust in supplier-buyer relationships across diverse industries. Through in-depth interviews and thematic analysis, the study examines how trust develops, evolves, and impacts business interactions. Participants from various organizational settings provided insights into the cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions of trust, highlighting its role as a strategic asset in fostering resilience and competitive advantage. Findings underscored the importance of transparency, communication, and shared values in building trust, with emotional bonds and cultural compatibility enhancing partnership longevity and mutual commitment. Challenges such as asymmetrical power dynamics, economic uncertainties, and regulatory pressures were identified as barriers to trust, necessitating proactive strategies and ethical standards to mitigate risks. Practical implications include promoting open communication, aligning incentives, and cultivating a culture of trust within supply chains to enhance operational efficiencies and innovation. Future research could explore the impact of digitalization, technological advancements, and cross-cultural differences on trust dynamics, further enriching our understanding of effective relationship management in global markets. By addressing these complexities and leveraging trust as a foundational element, organizations can navigate uncertainties and capitalize on opportunities for sustainable growth and collaboration in dynamic business environments.

The financial performance of local governments is closely related to the economic growth of a region. Strong financial performance provides a solid foundation for sustainable economic development. This study analyses the relationship between local government financial performance, capital expenditure, and sustainable economic growth in Banten Province. A quantitative approach was employed, using secondary data from Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budgets and economic growth statistics. Purposive sampling was utilised, and data analysis was conducted using Path Analysis. The findings reveal that several financial ratio variables significantly impact economic growth directly and indirectly through capital expenditure as a mediating variable. Directly, the independence ratio, effectiveness ratio, efficiency ratio, fiscal decentralisation ratio, dependency ratio, and capital expenditure significantly influence economic growth. The independence and effectiveness ratios have a positive impact, indicating that improvements in these variables directly foster economic growth. However, the efficiency and fiscal decentralisation ratios have a negative impact, suggesting that increases in these variables may reduce economic growth. Indirectly, through capital expenditure, the independence, effectiveness, dependency, and compatibility ratios significantly affect economic growth, with the independence ratio being the most dominant. Conversely, the fiscal decentralisation and efficiency ratios do not show significant indirect effects, indicating that capital expenditure is not an effective mediator for these variables.