In the field of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for rotorcraft, two significant challenges are resolving the complex vortex structures in rotor wakes, and representing the moving rotor blades in the ambient airflow. This study addresses the first challenge by using a third-order unstructured finite volume solver, which, compared to its second-order counterpart, has substantially lower dissipation. Consequently, even relatively coarse meshes are capable of resolving small vortices. With this background flow field solver, the second challenge is addressed by modeling each rotor as an Actuator Disk Model (ADM), or describing individual rotor blades as actuator lines, designated as the Actuator Line Model (ALM). Both of these models are equipped with an improved correction for aerodynamic losses at blade tips, which is thoroughly presented in the methodology section. The numerical experiments section centers on analyzing errors linked to various sampling approaches. Additionally, the article discusses comparisons between vortex theory and ALM, specifically regarding calculations for fixed-wing aircraft. Furthermore, high-order precision and parallel efficiency are exemplified in scenarios encompassing rotors engaged in both hovering and forward flight rotors. The results in this paper demonstrate that the combination of the ALM/ADM with the improved tip loss correction and the third-order finite volume solver presents a new way of developing efficient tools for the aerodynamic analysis of helicopter rotors.

Cavitation resulting from underwater explosions in compressible multiphase or multicomp-onent flows presents significant challenges due to the dynamic nature of shock-cavitation-structure interactions, as well as the complex and discontinuous nature of the involved interfaces. Achieving accurate resolution of interfaces between different phases or components, in the presence of shocks, cavitating regions, and structural interactions, is crucial for modeling such problems. Furthermore, pressure convergence in simulations involving shock-cavitation-structure interactions requires accurate algorithms. In this research paper, we employ the diffuse interface method, also known as the interface capturing scheme, to investigate cavitation in various underwater explosion test cases near different surfaces; free surface and a rigid surface. The simulations are conducted using the Unstructured Compressible Navier-Stokes (UCNS3D) finite volume framework employing central-weighted essentially non-oscillatory (CWENO) reconstruction schemes, utilising the five-equation diffuse interface family of methods. Quantitative comparisons are made between the performance of both models. Additionally, we examine the effects of cavitation as a secondary loading source on structures, and evaluate the ability of the CWENO schemes to accurately capture and resolve material interfaces between fluids with minimal numerical dissipation or smearing. The results are compared with existing high-order methods and experimental data, where possible, to demonstrate the robustness of the CWENO schemes in simulating cavitation bubble dynamics, as well as their limitations within the current implementation of interface capturing.

This paper presents a numerical algorithm for solving high-order BVPs. We introduce the construction method of multiscale orthonormal basis in W^m[0; 1] by multiscale orthonormal basis in W¹[0; 1]. We define approximate solution, and obtain the approximate solution of high-order BVPs by using the approximate theory. Moreover, the convergence and stability of the algorithm are improved. At last, several numerical experiments show the feasibility of the proposed method.

An approach based on the OpenFOAM library has been developed to solve a high-speed, multicomponent mixture of a reacting, compressible flow. This work presents comprehensive validation of the newly developed solver called compressibleCentralReactingFoam with different supersonic flows, including shocks, expansion waves, and turbulence-combustion interaction. The comparisons of the simulation results with experimental and computational data confirm the fidelity of this solver for problems involving multicomponent high-speed reactive flows. The gas dynamics of turbulence-chemistry interaction are modeled using a partially-stirred reactor formulation and provide promising results to better understand the complex physics involved in supersonic combustors. A time-scale analysis based on local Damköhler numbers reveals different regimes of turbulent combustion. In the core of the jet flow, the Damköhler number is relatively high indicating that the reaction time scale is smaller than the turbulent mixing time scale. This means that the combustion is controlled by turbulent mixing. In the shear layer, where the heat release rate and the scalar dissipation rate have the highest value, the flame is stabilized due to finite rate chemistry with small Damköhler numbers and a high fraction of fine structure. This solver allows three-dimensional gas dynamic simulation of high-speed multicomponent reactive flows relevant to practical combustion applications.

In this paper, we consider the fourth-order parabolic equations with integer and fractional order time derivatives with Neumann boundary conditions. The integer order time derivatives are approximated by backward Euler difference quotients, and the fractional order time derivatives are approximated by L1 interpolation. We propose the block-centered finite difference scheme for fourth-order parabolic equations of integer and fractional order time derivatives. We prove the stability of the block-centered finite difference scheme and the second-order convergence of the discrete L2 norms of the approximate solution and its derivatives of every order. Numerical examples are given to verify the effectiveness of the block-centered finite difference scheme.

This study presents finite-time synchronization of chaotic fractional order systems with disturbance uncertainty and unknown time delay. First, a PID sliding surface is presented. Then, for the finite-time synchronization of the master and slave systems, a robust sliding-adaptive control method is provided. Update rules have been retrieved to estimate the system parameters by using the Lyapunov function while establishing the stability of the suggested mechanism and assuring the convergence of errors to zero. The proposed approach was used to solve the fractional order system of Gensou-Tsei with time-varying parameters, and the simulation results show that the presented approach performs well.

Research on high-volume fly ash concrete, which utilizes large quantities of fly ash, has been actively conducted to promote resource recycling and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. However, while cement mixed with fly ash exhibits different temperature sensitivities compared to traditional cement, its hydration and mechanical properties vary depending on curing conditions. Despite this, there is a significant gap in research on this topic. In this study, high-volume fly ash concrete was produced with fly ash replacement rates of 35 % and 55 %. Compression strength tests were performed at various curing ages under three different curing temperature conditions, and the results were analyzed. Additionally, an isothermal calorimeter was used to analyze hydration characteristics under different curing conditions. The results indicated that concrete with high fly ash content was more sensitive to curing temperature compared to ordinary Portland cement.

This paper studies the finite-time synchronization problem of fractional-order stochastic memristive bidirectional associative memory neural networks (MBAMNNs) with discontinuous jumps. A novel criterion for finite-time synchronization is obtained by utilizing the properties of quadratic fractional-order Gronwall inequality with time delay and the comparison principle. This criterion provides a new approach to analyze the finite-time synchronization problem of neural networks with stochasticity. Finally, numerical simulations are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the obtained results.

This paper proposes a forecast-centric adaptive learning model that engages with the past studies on the order book and high-frequency data, with applications to hypothesis testing. In line with the past literature, we produce brackets of summaries of statistics from the high-frequency bid and ask data in the CSI 300 Index Futures market and aim to forecast the one-step-ahead prices. Traditional time series issues, e.g. ARIMA order selection, stationarity, together with potential financial applications are covered in the exploratory data analysis, which pave paths to the adaptive learning model. By designing and running the learning model, we found it to perform well compared to the top fixed models, and some could improve the forecasting accuracy by being more stable and resilient to non-stationarity. Applications to hypothesis testing are shown with a rolling window, and further potential applications to finance and statistics are outlined.

This paper presents an approach to the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory (EBBT) using the finite difference method (FDM). The EBBT covers the case of small deflections, and shear deformations are not considered. The FDM is an approximate method for solving problems described with differential equations. The FDM does not involve solving differential equations; equations are formulated with values at selected points of the structure. Generally, the finite difference approximations are derived based on fourth-order polynomial hypothesis (FOPH) and second-order polynomial hypothesis (SOPH) for the deflection curve; the FOPH is made for the fourth and third derivative of the deflection curve while the SOPH is made for its second and first derivative. In addition, the boundary conditions and not the governing equations are applied at the beam’s ends. In this paper, the FOPH was made for all of the derivatives of the deflection curve, and additional points were introduced at the beam’s ends and positions of discontinuity (concentrated loads or moments, supports, hinges, springs, etc.). The introduction of additional points allowed us to apply the governing equations at the beam’s ends and to satisfy the boundary and continuity conditions. Moreover, grid points with variable spacing were also considered, the grid being uniform within beam segments. First-order analysis, second-order analysis, and vibration analysis of structures were conducted with this model. Furthermore, tapered beams were analyzed (element stiffness matrix, second-order analysis). Finally, a direct time integration method (DTIM) was presented. The FDM-based DTIM enabled the analysis of forced vibration of structures, with damping taken into account. The results obtained in this paper showed good agreement with those of other studies, and the accuracy was increased through a grid refinement. Especially in the first-order analysis of uniform beams, the results were exact for uniformly distributed and concentrated loads regardless of the grid. Further research will be needed to investigate polynomial refinements (higher-order polynomials such as fifth-order, sixth-order…) of the deflection curve; the polynomial refinements aimed to increase the accuracy, whereby non-centered finite difference approximations at beam’s ends and positions of discontinuity would be used.

Tarsal tunnel syndrome is a focal compressive neuropathy of the posterior tibial nerve or one of its associated branches. Brief mention is made in the literature of the use of corticosteroid injections for this condition. The basic technique of hydrodissection is used for other nerve entrapments and includes identifying the region of nerve compression, and the injection of a fluid medium to dissect between structures or fascial planes. We introduce our treatment protocol using a methylprednisolone/sterile water/ropivacaine hydrochloride injectate mix and peripheral nerve stimulation to a perform hydrodissection technique for tarsal tunnel syndrome.

Resonant light scattering by mesoscale dielectric spheres has received enormous attention and found many interesting applications. The recently emerged field of Mesotronics provides novel opportunities for wavelength-scaled optics and new fundamental aspects are still being uncovered. It has recently been demonstrated that high-order Mie resonances can be excited in homogeneous low-dissipation mesoscale dielectric spheres, leading to the generation of intense magnetic fields. This Letter describes a simple and effective way to drastically enhance the superresonance effect. Proof-of-principle results for the first time show that yet one more novel phenomenon of increasing the intensity of the magnetic field without changing the resonant Mie size parameter of the sphere by introducing an air cavity. In such a dielectric cenosphere (from two Greek words “kenos” - hollow and “sphaira” - sphere), by correct choosing of the air cavity size, it is possible to increase the intensity of the electromagnetic fields at the poles of the sphere by an order of magnitude due to increasing of amplitude of resonant partial wave coefficient.

A critical discussion on the computation of the dispersion diagram in periodic one-dimensional guiding structures is carried out. In particular, an analysis is presented of the pros and cons of combined methods that make use of full-wave simulations done with commercial software packages with further analytical post-processing based on simplifications brought by an equivalent circuit model of the structure. Some of the most common methods reported in the literature are reviewed and their advantanges and limitations highlighted. Our discussion is complemented with several selected numerical examples in order to discuss the most relevant aspects that a potential user of these methods should be aware of. Special attention is paid to the relevant role played by the high-order coupling between the two halves of a symmetric unit cell of the periodic structure.

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').

Most works related to the identification of mathematical nonlinear systems make one suppose that such approaches can always be directly applied to any nonlinear system. This misconception produces a great deal of discouragement when the obtained results are not the expected ones. Thus, the current work hypothesizes that the most information one has about the mathematical structure of the model, the most precise the identification result should be. Therefore, a variant of the Sparse Identification of Nonlinear Dynamics (SINDY) approach is presented to obtain the full mathematical nonlinear model of a high-order system with coupled dynamics, namely, a commercial quadcopter. Furthermore, due to its high sensitivity to inputs, a control system is devised using the identified model to stabilize the quadcopter. This illustrates the effectiveness of the proposed identification method.

In this paper, a robust nonlinear dynamic controller is designed for a wind turbine with a permanent magnet synchronous generator. The wind turbine is subject to variations in all the parameters appearing in its mathematical model. Furthermore, the wind velocity is considered unavailable for direct measurement. This situation is of particular interest in practical applications, where only the nominal parameter values are known, and accurate wind velocity measurement is challenging due to perturbations caused by the turbine itself, even with appropriate sensors. The problem addressed in this work involves tracking the reference angular velocity corresponding to the wind velocity. To achieve accurate tracking, appropriate compensation of the perturbation terms resulting from parameter uncertainties and wind estimation errors is required. To address this problem, an estimator of the wind velocity is utilized, along with high–order sliding mode parameter estimators, to ensure high–performance operation of the turbine.

In the study of materials and macromolecules by first-principle methods, the bond order is a useful tool to represent molecules, bulk materials and interfaces in terms of simple chemical concepts. Despite the availability of several methods to compute the bond order, most applications have been limited to small systems because a high spatial resolution of the wave function and an all-electron representation of the electron density are typically required. Both limitations are critical for large-scale atomistic calculations, even within approximate density-functional theory (DFT) approaches. In this work we describe our methodology to quickly compute delocalization indices for all atomic pairs, while keeping the same representation of the wave function used in most compute-intensive DFT calculations on high-performance computing equipments. We describe our implementation into a post-processing tool, designed to work with Quantum ESPRESSO, a popular open-source DFT package. In this way we recover a description in terms of covalent bonds from a representation of wave function containing no explicit information about atomic types and positions.

This research focuses on the Hopf bifurcation occurring at a singular point with high-order degeneracy in a class of three-dimensional systems. Based on center manifold theorem, by expanding the technique for determining singular point values of degenerate singularities in two-dimensional systems, the formal series method to determine the singular point values at the high-order degenerate critical point is discussed. Furthermore, a class of specific three-dimensional differential systems with high-order degenerate singularities is explored. By computing the singular point values and determining center conditions, we proved that a minimum of 5 small-amplitude limit cycles in the vicinity of the origin. This research provides new perspectives on the center problem and limit cycle bifurcation in high-dimensional systems with high-order degenerate singular points.

Time series data having low signal-to-noise ratio, non-stationarity and non-linearity are commonly seen in high-frequency stock trading, where the objective is to increase the likelihood of profit by taking advantage of tiny discrepancies in prices and trading on them quickly and in huge quantities. For this purpose, it is essential to apply a trading method that is capable of fast and accurate prediction from such time series data. In this paper, we develop an online time series forecasting method for high-frequency trading (HFT) by integrating three neural network deep learning models, i.e., Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) and Transformer; and we abbreviate the new method to online LGT or O-LGT. The key innovation underlying our method is its efficient storage management, which enables super-fast computing. Specifically, when computing the forecast for the immediate future time, we use only the output calculated from the previous trading data (rather than the previous trading data themselves) together with the current trading data. Thus, the computing involves updating only the current data into the process. We evaluate the performance of O-LGT by analyzing the high-frequency Limit Order Book (LOB) data from the China market. It shows that our model in most cases achieves similar speed with much higher accuracy than the conventional fast supervised learning models for HFT. However, with a slight sacrifice in accuracy, O-LGT is approximately 40 times faster than the existing high-accuracy neural network models for the LOB data in China market.

Objectives: To evaluate the relationship between the type of conization, the volume and dimensions of the cone, with the persistence/recurrence of CIN 2-3, presence of affected margins and post-cone HR-HPV positivity. Methods: 227 women treated with LLETZ and histologically confirmed CIN2-3 were evaluated between 1996 and 2006 and followed up until June 2016. Age, type of resection according to IFCPC 2011, volume, cone dimensions, margins were studied. of resection, post-cone high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) status and viral load. Determinants of HR-HPV positivity were estimated using unconditional logistic regression and time to recurrence was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curves. Results: Persistent/recurrent CIN2-3 was found in 12 cases (5.2%), type 1 conization was performed in 81 patients, with 5 recurrences (6.1%), type 2 in 101 patients, with 6 recurrences (5 .9%) and type 3 resection in 45 women, with 1 recurrence (2.2%). Volume and dimensions were not associated with recurrence. The Log-Rank Test did not show a significant difference between the 3 treatments (p= 0.18). The free margins in type 1 were 37%, in type 2 resection 61% and in type 3 71% (p=0.001). Resection type 1 had 15% HR-HPV post positive cone, type 2 reached 16% and type 3 had 9%, this difference being non-significant (p=0.58). The incidence of recurrence at 36 months in type 1 resection was 0.08%, in type 2 treatment it was 0.04% and in type 3 resection it was 0.0%. Conclusions : Type 3 resection had a higher proportion of free margins and lower post-cone HR-HPV positivity, with a lower incidence of persistence/recurrence.

Background: Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) has a high lethality. About two-thirds of the severe cases may be rescued by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). However, about half of the patients supported by ECMO suffer major complications. High volume hemofiltration (HVHF) is a depurative extracorporeal support that provides homeostatic balance allowing hemodynamic stabilization in some critically ill patients. Methods: We implemented HVHF prior to ECMO consideration in the last five severe HCPS patients requiring mechanical ventilation and vasoactive drugs admitted to our intensive care unit. Patients were considered HVHF-responders if ECMO was avoided and nonresponders if ECMO support was needed. Results: The first two patients required ECMO, while the last three did not. Patients had a maximum serum lactate of 8.4 [4.3-14] mMol/L and a lowest cardiac index of 1.76 [1.45-2.9] L/min/m2. Nonresponders were connected later to HVHF, displayed progressive tachycardia and decreasing stroke volume. The opposite was true for HVHF-responders who also received targeted-HVHF compounded by aggressive hyperoncotic albumin, sodium bicarbonate and calcium supplementation plus ultrafiltration to avoid fluid overload. All patients survived, but one of the ECMO patients suffered a vascular complication. Conclusion: HVHF may contribute to support severe HCPS patients avoiding the need for ECMO in some of them. Early connection and targeted-HVHF may increase the chance of success.

This paper presents an approach to the Timoshenko beam theory (TBT) using the finite difference method (FDM). The Timoshenko beam theory covers cases associated with small deflections based on shear deformation and rotary inertia considerations. The FDM is an approximate method for solving problems described with differential equations. It does not involve solving differential equations; equations are formulated with values at selected points of the structure. In addition, the boundary conditions and not the governing equations are applied at the beam’s ends. The model developed in this paper consisted of formulating differential equations with finite differences and introducing additional points at the beam’s ends and at positions of discontinuity (concentrated loads or moments, supports, hinges, springs, brutal change of stiffness, spring-mass system, etc.). The introduction of additional points allowed us to apply the governing equations at the beam’s ends. Moreover, grid points with variable spacing were considered, the grid being uniform within beam segments. First-order, second-order, and vibration analyses of structures were conducted with this model. Furthermore, tapered beams were analyzed (element stiffness matrix, second-order analysis, vibration analysis). Finally, a direct time integration method (DTIM) was presented; the FDM-based DTIM enabled the analysis of forced vibration of structures, with damping taken into account. The results obtained in this paper showed good agreement with those of other studies, and the accuracy was increased through a grid refinement. Especially in the first-order analysis of uniform beams, the results were exact for uniformly distributed and concentrated loads regardless of the grid.

Arduino microcontrollers are being used for a wide range of technological and biomedical applications such as image classification, computer vision, brain-computer interaction and vision experiments. Here I present a new cost-effective mini-device based on RGB LED flicker stimulation for the assessment of polychromatic temporal resolution of visual function. The visual device configuration allows for relative luminance thresholding, mono- and polychromatic critical flicker fusion frequency assessment. The results demonstrate the steady white visual perception of a trichromatic flicker stimulus beyond the critical flicker fusion frequency, as predicted by Talbot´s law for monochromatic stimuli. The trichromatic critical flicker fusion frequency (tFCC) depends on the relative luminance threshold at the light-adaptation level. Finally, wavefront measurements demonstrate that high-order aberrations improve the temporal resolution of visual function.

We study the influence of high-order twisting phases on polarization states and optical angular momentum of a vector light field with locally linear polarization and a hybrid state of polarization (SoP). The initial SoP of a twisted vector optical field (TVOF) modulated by the high-order twisting phase possesses various symmetric distributions. The propagating properties of a high-order TVOF with locally linear polarization and hybrid SoP are explored, including the intensity compression, expansion, and conversion between the linear and circular polarization components. In particular, orbital angular momentum (OAM) appears in a high-order TVOF during propagation where no OAM exists in the initial field. The variation of OAM distribution in cross-section becomes more frequent with the increase of the twisting phase order. In addition, a non-symmetric OAM distribution appears in an anisotropic TVOF, leading to the rotation of the beam around the propagation axis during propagation. These results provide a new approach for optical field manipulation in a high-order TVOF.

In this work we present the results obtained with an artificial neural network (ANN) which we trained to predict the expected output of high-order harmonic generation (HHG) process, while exploring a multi-dimensional parameter space. We argue on the utility and efficiency of the ANN model and demonstrate its ability to predict the outcome of HHG simulations. In this case study we present the results for a loose focusing HHG beamline, where the changing parameters are: the laser pulse energy, gas pressure, gas cell position relative to focus and gas cell length. The physical quantity which we predict here using ANN is directly related to the total harmonic yield in a specified spectral domain (20-40 eV). We discuss the versatility and adaptability of the presented method.

We report on the application of femtosecond laser micromachining to the fabrication of complex glass microdevices, for high-order harmonic generation in gas. The three-dimensional capabilities and extreme flexibility of femtosecond laser micromachining allow us to achieve accurate control of gas density inside the micrometer interaction channel. This device gives a considerable increase in harmonics generation efficiency if compared with traditional harmonic generation in gas jets. We propose different chip geometries that allow to control the gas density and driving field intensity inside the interaction channel to achieve quasi-phase matching conditions in the harmonic generation process. We believe that these glass micro-devices will pave the way to future downscaling of High-order Harmonic Generation beamlines.

Background/Objectives: Dental implants have become a cornerstone of restorative dentistry, providing a long-lasting method for tooth replacement. The level of osseointegration has a big impact on the biomechanical stability at the bone-implant contact (BIC), which determines how long these implants will work. However, the exact consequences of changing osseointegration levels on different implant designs, especially in bones with variable densities, are not well known. Three short dental implants were tested in this study: BioMet 3iT3, Straumann® Standard Plus Short Regular Neck (SPS-RN), and Straumann® Standard Plus Short-Wide Neck (SPS-WN). 3D finite element analysis (FEA) was used to look at how well they worked biomechanically. This paper tests the implants at four stages of osseointegration: 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% in both high-density (Bone Type III) and low-density (Bone Type IV) cancellous bone. It also created and examined realistic CAD models under static occlusal loading conditions to assess stress distribution and major strains at the bone-implant contact.; Results: The study discovered that as osteointegration increases, von Mises stress and principal strains go down significantly for all implant types. The SPS-WN implant had the lowest strain values, especially for bone with low density. These reductions demonstrate increased mechanical stability as the bone-implant inter-face becomes more capable of dispersing mechanical stresses, minimizing the potential for localized deformation and bone resorption.; Conclusions: The results highlight the importance of achieving optimum osseointegration to reduce mechanical stress and increase the lifespan of dental implants. The SPS-WN type implant performed better in biomechanical tests than the others, especially when bone conditions were not ideal. This makes it a great choice for clinical applications that need long-term implant success.

Product introductions play a pivotal role in the success and competitiveness of manufacturing, particularly in the context of new product development. Low-volume manufacturing companies exhibit distinct characteristics that significantly influence the product introduction process. Notably, the quality of information exchange between product design and production interfaces becomes paramount in this high-mix and low-volume industry. Consequently, there exists a pressing need to explore various methods for adapting and customizing management mechanisms and strategies to align with the unique requirements and characteristics of low-volume manufacturing and its associated product introduction processes. While the need for this knowledge is critical in the context of low-volume manufacturing, a majority of existing studies predominantly focus on the management aspects within high-volume manufacturing. Therefore, the primary aim of this study is to investigate the customization of product introduction management strategies to enhance the quality of information content within the realm of low-volume manufacturing. Drawing upon a longitudinal analysis of new product introductions within a low-volume manufacturing company, this study narratively elucidates how the examined company implemented product introduction management strategies to facilitate the enhancement of information content quality during the product introduction phase. The study presents its findings on management strategies across three key stages: pre-implementation, post-implementation, and subsequent modification and refinement of strategies following the initial round of implementation. By shedding light on these strategies, this study offers a comprehensive understanding of management approaches in the context of low-volume product introduction. As a result, it makes a valuable contribution to the discourse on information management and interface management in the high-mix, low-volume manufacturing literature.

High temperature Ni-superalloys are limited by reliance on critical elements and complex processing steps. High entropy alloys (HEAs) have demonstrated stable single/dual phase microstructures with strong ordering tendencies. A dual phase (FCC+BCC) Al0.5Co0.5CrFeNi1.5Ti0.25 alloy (developed using CALPHAD) was tested for room and high temperature compression behavior. The microstructure mainly comprises of coarse ordered FCC(L12) surrounding decomposed lamellae of ordered FCC(L12) and BCC(L21) phases, which coarsened upon annealing at high temperature (1100 °C) into a bi-continuous structure of disordered FCC+BCC(B2). Additionally, cold rollability of the cast alloy increased from &lt;5% to ~40% after annealing, with a corresponding softening observed in room temperature compression mainly due to disordering of FCC and BCC phases. Peak flow stresses of 793.45MPa, 535.12MPa, and 324.40MPa were achieved at 800oC, 900oC, and 1000oC respectively for the high temperature annealed alloy.

Firstly, a new set of Quasi-Cubic Trigonometric Bernstein basis with two tension shape parameters is constructed, and we prove that it is an optimal normalized totally basis in the framework of Quasi Extended Chebyshev space. And the Quasi-Cubic Trigonometric Bézier curve is generated by the basis function and the cutting algorithm of the curve are given, the shape features (cusp, inflection point, loop and convexity) of the Quasi-Cubic Trigonometric Bézier curve are analyzed by using envelope theory and topological mapping; Next we construct the non-uniform Quasi-Cubic Trigonometric B-spline basis by assuming the linear combination of the optimal normalized totally positive basis have partition of unity and continuity, and its expression is obtained. And the non-uniform B-spline basis is proved to have totally positive and high-order continuity. Finally, the non-uniform Quasi Cubic Trigonometric B-spline curve and surface are defined, the shape features of the non-uniform Quasi-Cubic Trigonometric B-spline curve are discussed, and the curve and surface are proved to be continuous.

The aim of the paper is to provide an overview of the monastic houses operated on the northernmost periphery of Roman Catholic Europe during the Middle Ages. The intention is to debunk the long-held theory of Iceland and Norse Greenland’s supposed isolation from the rest of the world, as it is clear that medieval monasticism reached both of these societies, just as it reached their counterparts elsewhere in the North Atlantic. During the Middle Ages, fourteen monastic houses were opened in Iceland and two in Norse Greenland, all following the Benedictine or Augustinian Order.

We study the tight focusing properties of generic bright and dark HyOPS beams in the presence of primary coma. The role of the polarization singularity index and handedness of the polarization of the HyOPS beams on the focused structure has been discussed. Results have been presented for the total intensity, component intensities, and component phase distributions for left-, and right-handed bright and dark star and lemon types singularities. The presence of primary coma distorted the focal plane intensity distributions for both positive and negative index generic C-points. Coma is known to disturb the circular symmetry of the focal plane intensity distribution. Similarly in tight focusing polarization is known to disturb the symmetry. Therefore, a beam with structured and inhomogeneous polarization distribution tightly focused under the influence of coma is a fit case to study. It is found that the presence of primary coma aberration in the focusing system produces a positional shift of the high-intensity peaks and a reduction of the intensity on one side of the center. As the strength of the primary coma increases, the focal plane intensity distributions shift more and more toward the right from the initial position. Unlike the scalar vortex case, in the case of HyOPS beams, the focal plane intensity distribution undergoes rotation, as the helicity of the HyOPS beams is inverted, in addition to shifting. All the component phase distributions are found to be embedded with phase vortices of charge ±1.

This paper presents the preservation property of the average intensity order and the preservation property of the monotonic average intensity classes under distorted distributions. Several sufficient conditions are given to get the preservation properties. It is shown that the imposed conditions are achievable as we examine in some examples. The preservation of the average intensity order and the preservation of the decreasing average intensity class under the structure of a parallel system with independent and identically distributed components' lifetime are made. A lower bound for the average intensity function of a random lifetime with an increasing failure rate in average distribution is derived. The results are applied to some semiparametric models as a particular standard family of distorted distribution.

This paper discusses the concept of fractional derivative with complex order from the application point of view. It is shown that a fractional derivative is hermitian, if and only if the order is real. The hermitian part of complex order derivatives behave like allpass filters with almost logarithmic phase.

What is an observer? What is an observation? How do observations inform beliefs? What is the relationship between observers and physical objects in spacetime? These are central, and as yet unresolved, questions in the foundations of physics and consciousness science. We propose an answer taking consciousness as fundamental, resulting in a theory of conscious agents whose mutual interaction is governed by Markov chains. We describe observation via a new trace order on Markov chains. In this context, no observer is aloof: it must be an integral part of any system it observes. We find that the trace order forms a non-Boolean logic, mapping homomorphically to the “Lebesgue” logic” of probabilistic beliefs. We explore implications of conscious agent theory for the “hard problem” of consciousness, and propose a route to empirical tests using data from scattering experiments with subatomic particles.

Thermally-assisted-occupation density functional theory (TAO-DFT) has been an efficient electronic structure method for studying the ground-state properties of large electronic systems with multi-reference character over the past few years. To explore the time-dependent (TD) properties of electronic systems (e.g., subject to an intense laser pulse), in this work, we propose a real-time (RT) extension of TAO-DFT, denoted as RT-TAO-DFT. Besides, we employ RT-TAO-DFT to study the high-order harmonic generation (HHG) spectra and related TD properties of molecular hydrogen H2 at the equilibrium and stretched geometries, aligned along the polarization of an intense linearly polarized laser pulse. The TD properties obtained with RT-TAO-DFT are compared with those obtained with the widely used time-dependent Kohn-Sham (TDKS) method. In addition, issues related to the possible spin-symmetry breaking effects in the TD properties are discussed.

In this paper we consider a failed cold standby systems and obtain some stochastic bounds on the idle time of such systems. It is assumed that, at a time t the failure of a cold standby system is observed, but the actual time of the failure is a time before t. The idle time of the inactive cold standby system is measured as the time between the exact time of failure, which is a random variable, and time t. We use the idle times of the components of the system to obtain lower and upper bounds on the lifetime of the standby system to which they are assembled. We bring some examples to show that the results and the conditions imposed to get them are achievable.

This paper presents the analysis of four error models that can appear in the field of adaptive systems, where adaptive laws for parameter estimation are represented as fractional order differential equations whose order can switch between an order within the range (0,1) and 1. These switched adaptive laws have been proposed in the past few years to improve the balance between control energy and system performance, which is often a challenge when using traditional integer-order or fractional-order adaptive laws in adaptive identification and control. Boundedness of the solutions is proved for all cases, together with the convergence to zero of the estimation/tracking error. Additionally, sufficient conditions for parameter convergence are presented, showing that the excitation condition required for parameter convergence in the vector case is also sufficient for parameter estimation in the matrix case.

The theory of fractional calculus extends the order of classical integer calculus from integer to non-integer. As a new engineering application tool, it has made many important research achievements in many fields, including image processing. This paper mainly studies the application of fractional calculus theory in image enhancement and denoising, including the basic theory of fractional calculus and its amplitude frequency characteristics, the application of fractional differential operator in image enhancement, and the application of fractional integral operator in image denoising. The experimental results show that the fractional calculus theory has more special advantages in image enhancement and denoising. Compared with the existing integer order image enhancement operators, the fractional differential operator can more effectively enhance the "weak edge" and "strong texture" details of the image. The fractional order integral image denoising operator can not only improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the image compared to traditional denoising methods, but also better preserve detailed information such as edges and textures of the image.

W. L. Edge proved that the internal points of a conic in PG(2,5), together with the collinear triples on the non-secant lines, form the Desargues configuration. M. Saniga showed an intimate connection between Desargues configurations and the generalized quadrangles of order two, GQ(2,2), whose representation has been dubbed “the doily” by Stan Payne in 1973. In this paper we prove that the external points of a conic in PG(2,5), together with the collinear and non-collinear triples on the non-tangent lines, form the generalized quadrangle of order two.

In this paper, inspired by recent articles of G. Anatriello and G. Vincenzi (see \cite{Ana}), and G. Cerda-Morales (see \cite{Cer1,Cer2}), we will introduce the third-order $\overline{h}$-Jacobsthal and third-order $\overline{h}$-Jacobsthal--Lucas sequences and their associated quaternions. The new results that we have obtained extend most of those obtained in \cite{Cer2}.

In this paper, we identify several relative ordering properties of the modified proportional hazard rate and modified proportional reversed hazard rate models. For this purpose, we use two well-known relative orderings, namely the relative hazard rate ordering and the relative reversed hazard rate ordering. The investigation is to see how a relative ordering between two possible base distributions for the response distributions in these models is preserved when the parameters of the underlying models are changed. We will give some examples to illustrate the results and the conditions under which they are obtained.

Different types of resonators are used to create acoustic metameterials and metasurfaces. Recent studies focused on the use of multiple resonators of dipole, quadrupole, octupole and even hexadecapole types. This paper considers the theory of an acoustic metasurface, which is a flat surface with a periodic arrangement of multiple resonators. The sound field reflected by the metasurface is determined. If the distance between the resonators is less than a half the wavelength of the incident plane wave, the far field can be described by a reflection coefficient that depends on the angle of incidence. This allows to characterize the acoustic properties of the metasurface by a homogenized boundary condition, which is a high order tangential impedance boundary condition. The tangential impedance depending on the multiple order of the resonators is introduced. In addition, we analyze sound absorption properties of these metasurfaces, which are a critical factor in determining their performance. The paper presents a theoretical model that accounts for the multiple orders of resonators and their impact on sound absorption. The maximum absorption coefficient for a diffuse sound field, as well as the optimal value for the homogenized impedance, are calculated for arbitrary multipole orders.

In this paper, we first establish upper stochastic bounds on the lifetime of a used cold standby system with arbitrary age, using the likelihood ratio order and the usual stochastic order. Then, stochastic comparisons are made between the lifetime of a used cold standby system with age t and the lifetime of a cold standby system consisting of used components with age t using the likelihood ratio order and the usual stochastic order. We use illustrative examples to explore the results presented.

Background/Objectives: Clinical decision support systems (CDSS) consisting of computerized physician order entry (CPOE) and oncology pathways serve as the foundation of high-quality cancer care. However, the resources needed to develop and maintain these systems have not been characterized for oncology enterprises. Methods: Missing CPOEs for oncology treatments were identified by comparing current CPOEs to those in the Elsevier ClinicalPath treatment pathways. New FDA oncology drug approvals were used to estimate ongoing CPOE build needs. The impacts of missing orders on clinicians and pharmacists were surveyed. Benchmarking from two other large oncology enterprises supported new resource needs to build and maintain CPOE in our EPIC Beacon system. A program to manage oncology pathways and CPOE for an enterprise using EPIC was developed and implemented. Results: Resources and impacts of CDSS for oncology enterprises are described. Program management is described. Conclusions: Updating and maintaining CDSS for an oncology enterprise requires program management and resources for which a framework has not been previously reported. We present this work as a framework for others to understand the components and resources for budgeting and management of CDSS. We report on the work of the City of Hope enterprise using the EPIC electronic health record.

In this work, we demonstrate that cutting diamond crystals with a laser (532 nm wavelength, 0.5 mJ energy, 200 ns pulse duration at 15 kHz) produces a ≲20nm thick surface layer with magnetic order at room temperature. We have measured the magnetic moment with a SQUID magnetometer of six natural and six CVD diamond crystals of different size, nitrogen content and surface orientations. A robust ferromagnetic response at 300 K is observed only for crystals that were cut with the laser along the (100) surface orientation. The magnetic signals are much weaker for the (110) and negligible for the (111) orientations. We attribute the magnetic order to the disordered graphite layer produced by the laser at the diamond surface. The ferromagnetic signal vanished after chemical etching or after moderate temperature annealing. The obtained results indicate that laser treatment of diamond may pave the way to create ferromagnetic spots at its surface.

I deal with perception and action (e.g. movements) using results from Synergetics, a comprehensive mathematical theory of the selforganized formation ("emergence“) of spatial, temporal, or functional structures in complex systems. I illustrate basic concepts such as order parameters (ops), enslavement, complexity reduction, circular causality first by examples of well known collective, spontaneous modes of human behavior such as rhythmic clapping of hands etc., and then by face recognition. The role played by ops depends on context. In the case of face (or pattern) recognition an op represents the concept of an individual face (action of mind) and it enslaves the action (firing rates) of neurons (body). This insight allows me to interpret syndroms as order parameters playing their mind/body double role. I present criteria for the identification of ops and discuss their general properties including error correction and "remedy“ of deficiencies. Contact is made with a recent paper by Sabine Koch on embodied aesthetics. My approach includes the saturation of attention at various time scales (ambiguous figures/fashion). Adopting a psychological perspective, I discuss some ingredients of beauty such as proportionality and symmetry, but also the importance of irregularities.

In this work, we explore Conjecture 1 proposed in the newly released pioneering paper “Volatility transformers: an optimal transport-inspired approach to arbitrage-free shaping of implied volatility surfaces” by Zetocha Valer, which posits that the “One-X” property is both a necessary and sufficient condition for convex order between non-negative continuous strictly increasing distributions with the same mean. We provide a counterexample demonstrating that the conjecture, as originally stated, does not hold. By examining stochastic orders, particularly the increasing convex order, and the “One-X” property, we propose an enhanced version of the conjecture which is shown to be valid. Furthermore, we discuss the implications of these findings in the context of equity implied volatility fitting and the construction of implied volatility surfaces, highlighting the challenges posed by real-market conditions. In the end, we propose several applications in implied volatility surface construction or simulation.

Due to the nonlinear stiffness and fractional-order damping characteristics of some real suspension systems, coupled with the presence of viscoelastic materials, fractional-order nonlinear suspension system modeling has become a focus of research in recent years. In this study, an electric oil and gas actuator based on fractional-order PID position feedback control is proposed, through which the damping coefficient of the suspension system is adjusted to realize the active control of the suspension. A fractional order PID algorithm is used to control the motor's rotational angle to realize the damping adjustment of the suspension system. In this process, the road roughness is collected by the sensors as the criterion of damping adjustment, and the particle swarm algorithm is utilized to find the optimal objective function under different road surface slopes, to obtain the optimal cornering value. According to the mathematical and physical model of the suspension system, the simulation model and the corresponding test platform of this type of suspension system are built. The simulation and experimental results show that the simulation results of the fractional-order nonlinear suspension model are closer to the actual experimental values than those of the traditional linear suspension model, and the accuracy of each performance index is improved by more than 18.5%. The designed active suspension system optimizes the body acceleration, suspension dynamic deflection, and tire dynamic load to 89.8%, 56.7%, and 73.4% of the passive suspension, respectively. Notably, the designed fractional order PID control circuit for the motor shows better control results compared to the conventional PID control circuit. This study provides an effective theoretical and empirical basis for the control and optimization of fractional-order nonlinear suspension systems.

We investigated the dynamics of a simple master equation describing the evolution of a probability distribution between two states, \( p_1 \) and \( p_2 \) (with \( p_1 + p_2 = 1 \)). Our focus is on the behavior of the entropy \( S \), the distance \( D \) from the uniform distribution (\( p_1 = p_2 = 1/2 \)), and the free energy \( F \). We define two ratios, \( \eta_S = \frac{dS/dt}{dF/dt} \) and \( \eta_D = \frac{dD/dt}{dF/dt} \), and find that both diverge to plus-minus infinity as the system evolves towards the uniform distribution. This divergence marks a critical transition point where the master equation temporarily loses physical meaning. However, after this divergence, the system settles into a new, well-behaved regime where the solutions stabilize at finite values, representing a new equilibrium or steady state. This two-regime behavior underscores the intricate dynamics of simple probabilistic systems as they approach and surpass equilibrium, providing insights into the complex interplay of entropy, distance, and free energy in statistical mechanics.

The manufacturing geometrical variability in axial compressors is a stochastic source of uncertainty, implying that the real geometry differs from the nominal design. This causes the real geometry to lose the ideal axial symmetry. Considering the aerofoils of a stator vane, the geometrical variability affects the flow traversing it. This impacts the downstream rotor, especially when considering the aeroelastic excitation forces. Optical surface scans coupled with a parametrization method allow for acquiring the information relative to the real aerofoils geometries. The measured data are included in a multi-passage and multi-stage CFD setup to represent the mistuned flow. In particular, low excitation harmonics on the rotor vane are introduced due to the geometrical deviations of the upstream stator. The introduced low engine orders as well as their amplitude depend on the stator geometries and their order. A method is proposed to represent the phenomena in a reduced CFD domain, limiting the size and number of solutions required to probabilistically describe the rotor excitation forces. The resulting rotor excitation forces are reconstructed as a superposition of disturbances due to individual stator aerofoils geometries. This indicates that the problem is linear in in the combination of disturbances from single passages.

This work is intended to lead a study of necessary and sufficient optimality conditions for scalar optimization problems on Hadamard manifolds. In the context of this geometry, we obtain and present new function types characterized by the property of having all their second-order stationary points to be global minimums. In order to do so, we extend the concept convexity in Euclidean space to a more general notion of invexity on Hadamard manifolds. This is done employing notions of second-order directional derivative, second-order pseudoinvexity functions and the second-order Karush-Kuhn-Tucker-pseudoinvexity problem. Thus, we prove that every second-order stationary point is a global minimum if and only if the problem is either second-order pseudoinvex or second-order KKT-pseudoinvex depending on whether the problem regards unconstrained or constrained scalar optimization respectively. This result has not been presented in the literature before. Finally, examples of these new characterizations are provided in the context of \textit{"Higgs Boson like"} potentials among others.

In the present study, nonlinear vibration of a nanobeam resting on fractional order viscoelastic Winkler-Pasternak foundaion is studied using nonlocal elasticity theory. D'Alembert principle is used to derive the governing equation and the associated boundary conditions. The approximate analytical solution is obtained by applying the multiple scales method. Detailled parametric study is conducted, the effects of variation in different parameters belonging to the application problems on the system are calculated numerically and depicted. We remark that the order and the coefficient of the fractional derivative have significant effect on the natural frequency and the amplitude of vibrations

In this research article we solve the problem of synchronization and anti-synchronization of chaotic systems described by discrete and time-delayed variable fractional order differential equations. To guarantee the synchronization and anti-synchronization of these systems, we use the well-known PID control theory and the Lyapunov-Krasovskii stability theory for discrete systems of variable fractional order.We illustrate the results obtained through simulation with examples, in which it can be seen that our results are satisfactory, thus achieving synchronization and anti-synchronization of chaotic systems of variable fractional order with discrete time delay.

This paper aims to present the basic assumptions for creation of social Fröhlich condensate and attract attention of other researchers (both from physics and socio-political science) to the problem of modelling of stability and order preservation in highly energetic society coupled with social energy bath of high temperature. The model of social Fröhlich condensation and its analysis are based on the mathematical formalism of quantum thermodynamics and field theory (applied outside of physics). The presented quantum-like model provides the consistent operational model of such complex socio-political phenomenon as Fröhlich condensation. The model of social Fröhlich condensation is heavily based on theory of open quantum systems. Its consistent elaboration needs additional efforts. Evidence of such phenomenon as social Fröhlich condensation is demonstrated by stability of modern informationally open societies Approaching the state of Fröhlich condensation is the powerful source of social stability. Understanding its informational structure and origin may help to stabilize the modern society. Application of the quantum-like model of Frhlich condensation in social and political sciences is really the novel and original approach to mathematical modeling of social stability in society exposed to powerful information radiation from mass-media and internet based sources.

This article introduces a novel two-step fifth-order Jacobian-free iterative method aimed at efficiently solving systems of nonlinear equations. The method leverages the benefits of Jacobian-free approaches, utilizing divided differences to circumvent the computationally intensive calculation of Jacobian matrices. This adaptation significantly reduces computational overhead and simplifies the implementation process while maintaining high convergence rates. We demonstrate that this method achieves fifth-order convergence under specific parameter settings, with a broad applicability across various types of nonlinear systems. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated through a series of numerical experiments which confirm its superior performance in terms of accuracy and computational efficiency compared to existing methods.

The experimental realization of twisted bilayer graphene strongly pushed the inspection of bilayer systems. In this context, it was recently shown that a two layer Haldane model with a thirty degree rotation angle between the layers represents a higher order topological insulator, with zero-dimensional states isolated in energy and localized at the physical vertices of the nanostructure. We show, within a numerical tight binding approach, that the energy of the zero dimensional states strongly depends on the geometrical structure of the vertices. In the most extreme cases, once a specific band gap is considered, these bound states can even disappear just by changing the vertex structure.

The beautiful structures of single and multi-domain proteins are clearly ordered in some fashion but cannot be readily classified using group theory methods that are successfully used to describe periodic crystals. For this reason, protein structures are considered to be aperiodic, and may have evolved this way for functional purposes, especially in instances that require a combination of softness and rigidity within the same molecule. By analyzing the solved protein structures, we show that orientational symmetry is broken in the aperiodic arrangement of the secondary structural elements (SSEs), which we deduce by calculating the nematic order parameter, $P_2$. We find that the folded structures are nematic droplets with a broad distribution of $P_2$. We argue that non-zero values of $P_2$, leads to an arrangement of the SSEs that can resist mechanical forces, which is a requirement for allosteric proteins. Such proteins, which resist mechanical forces in some regions while being flexible in others, transmit signals from one region of the protein to another (action at a distance) in response to binding of ligands (oxygen, ATP or other small molecules).

The Aβ cascade and alternations of biomarkers in neuro-inflammation, synaptic dysfunction and neuronal injury followed by Aβ have progressed. But the question is how to use the biomarkers. Here, we examine the evidence and pathogenic implications of protein interactions and the time order of alternation. After the deposition of Aβ, the change of tau, NfL and NG is the main alternation and connection to others. The neuro-inflammation, synaptic dysfunction and neuronal injury function is exhibited prior the structural and metabolic changes in the brain following Aβ deposition. The time order of such biomarkers compared to the tau protein is not clear. Despite the close relationship between biomarkers and plaque Aβ deposition, several factors favor one or the other. There is an interaction between the proteins that CSF SNAP-25, VILIP-1 and YKL-40 can predict the brain amyloid burden. The Aβ cascade hypothesis could be the pathway, but not all subjects are converted to AD, even with very high elevated Aβ. The interaction of biomarkers and the time order of change require further research to identify the right subjects and right molecular target for precision medicine therapies.

The study of order patterns of three equally spaced values $x_t,x_{t+d},x_{t+2d}$ in a time series is a powerful tool. The lag $d$ is changed in a wide range so that differences of frequencies of order patterns become autocorrelation functions. Similar to a spectrogram in speech analysis, four ordinal autocorrelation functions are used to visualize big data series, as for instance heart and brain activity over many hours. The method applies to real data without preprocessing, outliers and missing data do not matter. On the theoretical side, we study properties of order correlation functions and show that the four autocorrelation functions are orthogonal in a certain sense. An analysis of variance of a modified permutation entropy can be performed with four variance components associated with the functions.

The commonly quoted bistable Higgs potential is not a proper description of the Higgs field because, among other technical reasons, one of its stable states acquires a negative expectation value in vacuum. We rely on formal catastrophe theory to derive the form of the Higgs potential that admits only one positive mean value in vacuum. No symmetry is broken during the ensuing phase transition that assigns mass to the Higgs field; only gauge redundancy is “broken” by the appearance of phase in the massive state, but this redundancy is not a true symmetry of the massless field. Furthermore, a secondary, certainly amusing conclusion is that, in its high-energy state, the field oscillates about its potential minimum between positive and negative masses; but it is doubtful that such evanescent states can survive below the critical temperature of 159.5 GeV, where the known particles were actually created.

High dimensional statistical analysis for the yield of large-scale circuits is quite difficult due to expensive simulations, especially for the memory circuits with high sigma requirement (e.g., SRAM). In this paper, we developed an efficient sparse additive model to substitute simulations. To fit high sigma region accurately, the modeling center is moved to near failure boundary searched by scaling the shape of sampling function. To solve the model efficiently, the process variables are grouped by standard cells so that the model can be solved by our developed blockwise greedy algorithm. The experiments on the 28nm memory circuits validate that our method achieves high accuracy and efficiency compared with other state-of-art works.

This study aimed to assess the predictive performance of first and second-order regression models in optimizing bedaquiline (BQ) solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) formulations. Employed a central composite design and graphical optimization process using three steps. A design of experiments to evaluate the impact of BQ, Tween 80 (T80), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and lecithin on the formulations' response variables: Z-average (PSD), polydispersibility index (PdI), and Zeta potential (ZP). Secondly, quantified the relationship between experimental variables using the regression model coefficients. Lastly, predicted the responses and verified the models’ adequacies to ensure accurate representation and effective optimization. First-order polynomial showed poor model adequacy that required further refinement. The second-order models provided superior fitness, sensitivity to variability, complexity, and prediction consistency. The optimized formulation achieved a desirability value of 0.9998 indicating alignment with the desired criteria. Specifically, the levels of BQ (19.4mg), T80 (25.2mg), PEG (39.2mg), and Lecithin (200mg) corresponded to PdI (0.41), PSD (250.99 nm), and ZP (-25.95 mV). Maintaining BQ concentration between 10-20% and T80 between 15-18% is vital for maximizing ZP and minimizing PdI and PSD, ensuring stable SLN formulations. The study underscores significance of precise model selection and statistical analysis in pharmaceutical formulation optimization for enhanced drug delivery systems.

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

This paperfocusesontheoscillatorypropertiesofthesemi-canonicalnonlineardelaydifferential equation ofthird-order (δ2(t)(δ1(t)ζ′(t))′)′ + η(t)ζα(τ(t))= 0, t ≥ t0, under theconditions ∞t01δ2(t)dt = ∞ andZ ∞t01δ1(t)dt < ∞. Using the new canonical transform method, we transformed the studied equation into a canonical type equation and then we find the conditions for the oscillation of the studied equation from the canonical equations. The obtained results are new and complement to the existing results mentioned in the literature. Examples are provided to illustrate the importance and novelty of the main results.

Understanding the contribution of protected areas to pollinating insect conservation is crucial, especially in Haiti because of intense deforestation and environmental degradation. We compared pollinating insect assemblage composition and abundance in two protected areas: the suburban Wynne Farm Ecological Reserve (WFER) and the Urban National Park of Martissant (UNPM). Both sites encompass forest patches, agroforestry, and agricultural crops. Using colored pan-traps, we collected 3722 insects from six Orders, with 68.2% identified to family level due to taxonomic limitations. WFER exhibited significantly higher insect abundance than UNPM, though habitat differences varied between sites. Site, habitat, and their interaction significantly influenced insect composition. Among 118 identified families, only 30.51% were shared between sites. Our data suggest combined protection offers broader and more even insect diversity. We discovered patrimonial lepidopteran and hymenopteran species previously unrecorded in Haiti, emphasizing the importance of protected areas and the need for enhanced entomological expertise.

This paper presents an observer-based dynamic output feedback controller design procedure using Linear Matrix Inequality (LMI) optimization for second-order systems with uncertainty and persistent perturbation in the states. Using linear-quadratic criteria, cost functions are minimized in a two-stage procedure to compute optimal state feedback gains, and observer gains are coupled into a dynamic output feedback optimal controller. The LMI set used in the two stages is matrix inversion-free, a key issue for polytope formulation when uncertainty is present. The approach is tested in a mobile inverted pendulum robotic platform, and the effectiveness is verified in this underactuated and undesensed case.

The photodegradation of azithromycin present was carried out in water using H2O2 under UV irradiation. The reaction variables considered in this study were the amount of H2O2 solution and the initial concentration of azithromycin to evaluate the performance of the photodegradation process. The azithromycin degradation was not observed in the dark during stirring for 20 minutes. The study showed efficient photodegradation of azithromycin using H2O2 as an oxidant in the presence of UV irradiation. The azithromycin degradation was affected significantly by the pH of the irradiated solution. The degradation was low at an acidic pH and showed an increasing trend as the pH changed to basic. The azithromycin degradation was increased with a higher amount (higher concentration) of H2O2. The degradation of azithromycin decreased with a higher concentration of azithromycin in the reacting solution. The highest degradation of AZT was achieved in 1 hour using a 1.0 ppm AZT solution containing 3 ml of H2O2. The experimental data obtained was well-fitted to zero-order reaction kinetics. The results of this study were found to be superior when compared with those reported in the literature, with photocatalysis using nanomaterials and photolysis using irradiation and H2O2. The UV/H2O2 system was found to be quite efficient for the photodegradation of azithromycin, and this system can be applied to degrade other organic pollutants present in industrial wastewater. To this point, such a study has not been reported specifically for AZT photodegradation.

On-chip integration of two-dimensional (2D) materials with unique structures and distinctive properties endow integrated devices with new functionalities and improved performance. With a high flexibility in modifying its properties and a strong compatibility with various integrated platforms, graphene oxide (GO) becomes an attractive 2D material for implementing functional hybrid integrated devices. Here, we demonstrate novel functionalities that go beyond the capabilities of conventional photonic integrated circuits, by harnessing the photo-thermal effects in 2D GO films integrated onto them. These include all-optical control and switching, optical power limiting, and non-reciprocal light transmission. The 2D layered GO films are on-chip integrated with precise control of their thicknesses and sizes. Benefitting from the broadband response of 2D GO films, all the three functionalities feature a very wide operational bandwidth. By fitting the experimental results with theory, we also extract the changes in material properties induced by the photo-thermal effects, which reveal interesting insights about 2D GO films. These results highlight the versatility of 2D GO films in implementing functional integrated photonic devices for a range of applications.

In this article, an iterative method of two step is proposed for finding all roots simultaneously of polynomial equations. The order of convergence of the proposed algorithm is 2m, by using any iterative scheme of order m. Numerical tests are performed to confirm the theoretical results and to compare the proposed scheme with existing methods for finding all roots simultaneously.

This article introduces a new fractional approach to the concept of information dimension of complex networks, based on a (q,q′)-entropy proposed in the literature. The q parameter measures how far is the number of subsystems (for a given size ε) from the mean number of overall sizes. The q′ (interaction index) measures when the interactions between subsystems are greater (q′&gt;1), lesser (q′&lt;1) or equal to the interactions into these subsystems. The computations of the proposed information dimension are carried out on several real-world and synthetic complex networks. The results from the proposed information dimension are compared with those from the information dimension based on the Shannon entropy.

Reading is a complex cognitive task involving processes from different systems. The present work aims to identify some points of divergence reported in the reading literature and discuss them in a new experimental paradigm framework. Inspired by the paradigms of perceptual identification and rapid parallel presentation (RPVP), we emphasize that the originality of our experimental paradigm lies in the recruitment of multi-stable Arabic percepts within the region where low-level processing occurs (i.e., the visual span area). With good flexibility, the current paradigm has reached higher-order processing levels. In agreement with previous works highlighting the parafoveal-on-foveal effect, results suggest parallel word processing. Furthermore, they suggest a rapid extraction of syntactic and semantic information from words in sentences while attributing an advantage to semantic processing in the emergence of the sentence superiority effect.

As various services have been generating large scale graphs to represent multiple relationships between objects, studies have been conducted to obtain subgraphs with particular patterns. In this paper, we propose a distributed query processing method to efficiently search a subgraph for a large graph on Spark. To reduce unnecessary processing costs, the search order is determined by filtering scores using the probability distribution. The partitioned queries are searched in parallel in the distributed graph of each slave node according to the search order, and the local search results obtained from each slave node are combined and returned. The query is partitioned in triplets based on the determined search order. The performance of the proposed method is compared with the performance of existing methods to demonstrate its superiority.

All-optical signal processing based on nonlinear optical devices is promising for ultrafast information processing in optical communication systems. Recent advances in two-dimensional (2D) layered materials with unique structures and distinctive properties have opened up new avenues for nonlinear optics and the fabrication of related devices with high performance. This paper reviews the recent advances in research on third-order optical nonlinearities of 2D materials, focusing on all-optical processing applications in the optical telecommunications band near 1550 nm. First, we provide an overview of the material properties of different 2D materials. Next, we review different methods for characterizing the third-order optical nonlinearities of 2D materials, including the Z-scan technique, third-harmonic generation (THG) measurement, and hybrid device characterization, together with a summary of the measured n₂ values in the telecommunications band. Finally, the current challenges and future perspectives are discussed.

We make use of generalized iterations of the Sacks forcing to define cardinal-preserving generic extensions of the constructible universe L in which the axioms of ZF hold and in addition either 1) the parameter-free countable axiom of choice AC* fails, or 2) AC* holds but the full countable axiom of choice AC fails in the domain of reals. In another generic extension of L, we define a set X⊆P(ω), which is a model of the parameter-free part PA2* of the 2nd order Peano arithmetic PA2, in which CA(Σ21) (Comprehension for Σ21 formulas with parameters) holds, yet an instance of Comprehension CA for a more complex formula fails. Treating the iterated Sacks forcing as a class forcing over $L_{\omega_1}$, we infer the following consistency results as corollaries. If the 2nd order Peano arithmetic PA2 is formally consistent then so are the theories: 1) PA2 + negation of AC*, 2) PA2 + AC* + negation of AC, 3) PA2* + CA(Σ21) + negation of CA.

A novel phase-field method based numerical approach to modeling the compaction process of sedi- ments is presented. Water-logged rock or soil sediments are deposited on the water basins over time and the increasing volume of the sediment compacts under its own weight and external pressure. Coupled evolution of mass conservation, Darcy flow, and the viscoelastic constitutive response, in conjunction with the evolution of porosity and permeability, make this problem highly non-linear and involve moving boundaries. We adopt a phase-field approach to represent the moving sediment interface, and the underlying multiphasic model permits for studying compaction in dynamically evolving sediments. This approach does not necessitate a change of domain sizes as is the case of existing traditional models of sedimentation but rather treats sedimentation growth as a problem of interface motion. We first model a classical compaction problem in 1D to compare with existing results in the literature, and then extend the framework to 2D to model the compaction process taking place under the influence of gravity. The model is then extensively applied to understand the effect of the sediment initial state and the sediment material properties on the compaction process and its spatiotemporal evolution. Lastly, a strong validation of our phase-field treatment results against predictions from traditional methods of solving open boundary sediment compaction problems, and a good agreement between the conventional understanding and the numerical predictions of porosity dependence on the fluid pore pressure for various cases of geological interest, are used to demonstrate the applicability and scalability of this novel numerical framework to model more advanced sediment compaction problems and geometries.

COVID-19 outbreak started in the Chinese city of Wuhan and spread around the globe in months due to its high contagious level. Hence, this disease posed a great challenge to researchers and mathematicians. Numerous mathematical models have been suggested to visualize the spreading speed and trends of this pandemic. In this paper, a comparison of a widely established and accepted method, the Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Quarantined-Recovered-Death-Insusceptible (SEIQRDP) model with a newly-proposed fractional-order SEIQRDP is studied. Densely populated Countries of Asia (Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh) have been chosen as data sets and both algorithms have been applied to their data. The same comparison technique has also been used on the data of two polar countries, New Zealand and Russia, that validated our findings. Error comparison of both algorithms has been recorded in a tabulated form which shows multi-fold erroneous trends over WHO data of selected countries.

We discuss the role of the opposing principles of order and disorder in physical and biological systems in determining stability, growth and evolution and bring forth the potential role of a cosmic ordering agency. We analyze its role in decreasing entropy by coarse-graining and hence in determining the initial low entropy state of the big bang universe. Since all physical and biological systems have either cycles of order and disorder alternating, or may have chaotic evolution with non-linear laws, the same is expected of the dynamics of the whole universe as well. The entropy of the initial state of the universe could be low because of the reduction of degrees of freedom (DoF) as one moves from physical encoding to neural encoding and then on to psychic encoding of information in a nested manner by coarse-graining. It is by such encoding that this cosmic agency enables the universe to pass through the big crunch phase and then rolls it out as the big bang universe from the initial state of low entropy.

A classical origin for the Bohmian quantum potential, as that potential term arises in the quantum mechanical treatment of black holes and Einstein-Rosen (ER) bridges, can be based on 4th-order extensions of Einstein's equations. In Bohm's ontological interpretation, black hole radiation, and the analogous tunneling process of quantum transmission through an ER bridge, are classically allowed if the dynamics are modified to include such a quantum potential. The 4th-order extension of general relativity required to generate the quantum potential is given by adding quadratic curvature terms with coefficients that maintain a fixed ratio, as their magnitudes approach zero. Quantum transmission through the classically non-traversable bridge is replaced by classical transmission through a traversable wormhole. If entangled particles are connected by a Planck-width ER bridge, as conjectured by Maldacena and Susskind, then the classical wormhole transmission effect gives the ontological nonlocal connection between the particles posited in Bohm's interpretation of their entanglement. It is hypothesized that higher-derivative extensions of classical gravity can account for the nonlocal part of the quantum potential generally.

A probabilistic description is essential for understanding the dynamics of stochastic systems far from equilibrium, given uncertainty inherent in the systems. To compare different Probability Density Functions (PDFs), it is extremely useful to quantify the difference among different PDFs by assigning an appropriate metric to probability such that the distance increases with the difference between the two PDFs. This metric structure then provides a key link between stochastic systems and information geometry. For a non-equilibrium process, we define an infinitesimal distance at any time by comparing two PDFs at times infinitesimally apart and sum these distances in time. The total distance along the trajectory of the system quantifies the total number of different states that the system undergoes in time, and is called the information length. By using this concept, we investigate the information geometry of non-equilibrium processes involved in disorder-order transitions between the critical and subcritical states in a bistable system. Specifically, we compute time-dependent PDFs, information length, the rate of change in information length, entropy change and Fisher information in disorder-to-order and order-to-disorder transitions, and discuss similarities and disparities between the two transitions. In particular, we show that the total information length in order-to-disorder transition is much larger than that in disorder-to-order transition, and elucidate the link to the drastically different evolution of entropy in both transitions. We also provide the comparison of the results with those in the case of the transition between the subcritical and supercritical states and discuss implications for fitness.

Super-high (x400) magnification dermoscopy (D400) is a new non-invasive imaging technique that has been shown to add information for the differential diagnosis of melanocytic lesions in a pilot study. Our study aimed to confirm if D400 can add details for the discrimination of clinically atypical nevus and melanoma. This is a retrospective observational, multicentric study enrolling patients who received an x20 (D20) and x400 (D400) magnification dermoscopic examination of pigmented skin lesions. Dermoscopic images were retrospectively evaluated by three observers for the presence/absence of nine D20 and twenty D400 dermoscopic features defined in the previous pilot study. Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to find predictors of benign and malignant behaviors. At D20 atypical pigment network, blue-whitish veil, atypical vascular pattern, regression, and homogenous pattern were more frequent in melanoma than in nevi (p&lt;0.001). At D400 melanoma showed more frequently than benign lesions melanocytes with an irregular arrangement and irregular in shape and size (p&lt;0.001). Network with edged papillae was more frequent in benign lesions than melanomas (p&lt;0.001). Our study confirms that D400 can identify melanocytes with an irregular arrangement and irregular in shape and size in melanomas, adding information to the conventional D20 examination.

Chitosan (CTS) is widely used in agriculture as a soil amendment, plant growth regulator and promoter of cold resistance. However, the effects of CTS on strawberry seedlings under the combined stress of high-temperature and high-light are unclear. In this study, Xuelixiang strawberry was used as a test material, and 100 mg·kg-1 CTS solution was sprayed onto the leaves. We measured the chlorophyll content, membrane peroxidation, reactive oxygen species content, antioxidant enzyme content, AsA-GSH cycle activity and other related indicators of strawberry seedling leaves under the combined stress of high-temperature and high-light and found that CTS can increase the contents of antioxidants, increase the contents of osmotic adjustment substances, increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes activity,; remove reactive oxygen species over time, reduce the damage of reactive oxygen species to photosynthetic organs and cell membranes, and improve the photosynthesis efficiency of leaves of strawberry plants under high-temperature and high-light stress, thereby reducing damage to strawberry seedlings caused by high-temperature and high-light.

In-situ injection of steam for heating of the subsurface is an efficient method for the recovery of oil and gas from oil shale where permeability typically evolves with temperature. We reported measurements on Jimusar oil shales(Xinjiang, China) at different temperatures to 600℃ and under recreated in situ triaxial stresses to obtain permeability evolution with temperature and stress. Permeability of tight oil shales evolves with temperature to a threshold temperature and peak temperature. The threshold temperature was subjected to triaxial stresses. For Jimusar oil shale, the threshold temperature ranges from 200℃ to 250℃ at ground stress of buried depth of 500m and from 350℃ to 400℃ at buried depth of 1000m. The peak temperature was almost not subjected to triaxial stress and the range is from 450℃ to 500℃ for all Jimusar samples. Pyrolysis plays an important role in permeability evolution and fundamentally changes permeability tendency and magnitude. At high temperature permeability exhibits a little reduction due to stress effect but still remains a high level due to pyrolysis. The above results show that oil shale mass can change from tight porous media into highly permeable media and oil & gas can easily flow through oil shale stratum.

High-strength wastewaters from a variety of sources, including the food industry, domestic septage and landfill leachate, are often hauled to municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) for co-treatment. Due to their high organic loadings, these wastewaters can cause process upsets in both the WWTP’s liquid and solids treatment trains and consume organic treatment capacity, leaving less capacity available to service customers in the catchment area. A novel pre-treatment method, the Waste Activated Sludge-High Rate (WASHR) process, is proposed to optimize the co-treatment of high-strength wastewaters. The WASHR process combines the contact stabilization and sequencing batch reactor processes. It utilizes waste activated sludge from the municipal WWTP as its biomass source, allowing rapid start-up. Bench scale treatment trials of winery wastewater confirm the WASHR process can reduce loadings on the downstream WWTP’s liquid treatment and solids treatment trains. A case study approach is used to confirm the economic viability and environmental sustainability of the WASHR process compared to direct co-treatment using life cycle cost analyses and greenhouse gas emissions estimates.

Background Although high-density lipoprotein has cardioprotective effects, the association between serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and hypertension is poorly understood. Objective We investigated whether low and high concentrations of HDL-C are associated with hypertension using a large healthcare dataset. Methods In a community-based cross-sectional study of 1,493,152 Japanese people aged 40–74 years who underwent a health checkup, blood pressures and clinical parameters, including nine HDL-C concentrations (20–110 mg/dL or over) were investigated. Results A crude U-shaped relationship was observed between the nine HDL-C concentrations and blood pressure in males (n = 830,669), while a left-to-right inverted J-shaped relationship was observed in females(n = 662,483). An age-adjusted logistic regression analysis showed J-shaped relationships (left-to-right inversion in females) between HDL-C and odds ratios for hypertension (≥140/90 mmHg), with lower limits of 60–79 mg/dL in males and 90–99 mg/dL in females, which were unchanged after adjusting for smoking, habitual exercise, alcohol consumption, and pharmacotherapy for hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes. However, further adjustment for body mass index and serum triglyceride concentration revealed latent positive linear associations between HDL-C and hypertension, although the association between extremely high HDL-C (≥100 mg/dL) and hypertension was attenuated in non-alcohol drinkers. Conclusion Both low and extremely high HDL-C concentrations are associated with hypertension. The former association may be dependent on excess fat mass, which is often concomitant with low HDL-C, whereas the latter association may be dependent on frequent alcohol consumption.

In the paper the new, fractional order, state space model of a heat transfer in a one- 1 dimensional metallic rod is addressed. The fractional orders of derivative along space and time 2 are not exactly known and they are described by intervals. The proposed model is the interval 3 expanding of the state space fractional model of the one dimensional heat transfer. It is expected to 4 better describe the reality because interval order of each real process is hard to estimate. Elementary 5 properties of the proposed model are analysed. Theoretical results are experimentally validated using 6 data from real experimental laboratory system.

Uncertain fractional differential equation (UFDE) is an excellent tool for describing complicated dynamic systems. This paper analyzes the valuation problems of currency option based on UFDE under optimistic value criterion. Firstly, an uncertain fractional currency model is formulated to describe the dynamics of foreign exchange rate. Then, the pricing formulae of European, American and Asian currency option are obtained under optimistic value criterion, respectively. Finally, numerical simulations are provided to illustrate the validity of our theoretical results.

For many engineering applications it is sufficient to use the concept of simple materials. However, higher gradients of the kinematic variables are taken into account to model materials with internal length scales as well as to describe localization effects using gradient theories in finite plasticity or fluid mechanics. In many approaches length scale parameter have been introduced that are related to a specific micro structure. An alternative approach is possible, if a thermodynamically consistent framework is used for material modelling as shown in the present contribution. However, even if sophisticated and thermodynamically consistent material models can be established there are still not yet standard experiments to determine higher order material constants. In order to contribute to this ongoing discussion system identification based on the method of self-adaptive filtering is proposed in this paper. To evaluate the effectiveness of this approach it has been applied to second-order gradient materials considering longitudinal vibrations. Based on thermodynamically consistent models that have been solved numerically it has been possible to prove that system identification based on self-adaptive filtering can be used effectively for both narrow-band and broadband signals in the field of second-order gradient materials. It has also been found that the differences identified for simple materials and gradient materials allow for condition monitoring and detection of gradient effects in the material behavior.

Endoscopic medical images can suffer from uneven illumination, low contrast, and lack of texture information due to the use of point directional light sources and the presence of narrow tissue structures, posing diagnostic difficulties for physicians. In this paper, a deep learning-based su-pervised illumination enhancement network is designed for low-light endoscopic images, aiming to improve both global illumination and local details. Initially, a global illumination enhancement module is formulated utilizing a higher-order curve function to improve global illumination. Sec-ondly, a local feature extraction module incorporating dual attention is designed to capture local detailed features. Considering the significance of color fidelity in biomedical scenarios, the designed loss function prioritizes introducing color loss to alleviate image color distortion. Compared with seven state-of-the-art enhancement algorithms on Endo4IE endoscopic datasets, experimental re-sults show that the proposed method can better enhance low-light endoscopic images and avoid image color distortion. It provides an efficient method to enhance images captured by endoscopes which can effectively assist clinical diagnosis and treatment.

In this paper, we give the Galois adjunction form of the regular relation, and by using residuated mapping, we find the connection between it and order-generating set. Furthermore, we obtain the equivalent conclusion of "regular". In addition, by using the specialization order of topological space and the lower approximate operator in the rough set, we find a continuous homeomorphic mapping from a regular space to a Alexandrov topological space

Aiming to reveal the kinetic characteristics of ceramic ball grinding of fine magnetite comprehensively, two types of ceramic balls ground with the same filling rate and total weight as steel balls were researched. The results show that the breakage rate of ceramic ball grinding is only half of that of steel ball grinding with the same media filling rate. With the same total media weight and the feed size less than 0.212 mm, the breakage rate of the ceramic ball grinding approaches the steel ball grinding and is 21.43% higher than that of the steel ball grinding. The main crushing form of magnetite changed from impact to abrasion in ceramic ball grinding compared with steel ball grinding, which significantly affected the value of the zero-order output constant a. Consequently, there is a noticeable difference in the variation of the parameter β related to the fines generation rate of the ceramic ball grinding compared with the steel ball grinding.

Data-Flow and Higher-Order Mutation are white-box testing techniques. To our knowledge, no work has been proposed to compare data flow and higher-order mutation. This paper compares all def-uses data-flow and second-order mutation criteria. This compassion investigates the subsumption relation between these two criteria and evaluates the effectiveness of test data developed for each. To compare the two criteria, a set of test data satisfying each criterion is generated, which is used to explore whether one criterion subsumes the other criterion and assess the effectiveness of the test set that was developed for one methodology in terms of the other. The results showed that the mean mutation coverage ratio of the all du-pairs adequate test cover is 80.9%, and the mean data flow coverage ratio of the 2nd-order mutant adequate test cover is 98.7%. Consequently, 2nd-order mutation “ProbSubsumes” the all du-pairs data flow. The failure detection efficiency of the mutation (98%) is significantly better than the failure detection efficiency of data flow (86%). Consequently, 2nd-order mutation testing is “ProbBetter” than all du-pairs data flow testing. In contrast, the size of the test suite of 2nd-order mutation is more significant than the size of the test suite of all du-pairs.

The efficiency of a new composite material of the layered double hydroxide (LDH) of ZnMgAl and rice husk biochar (RHB) for the removal of Cu(II) and Pb(II) ions from synthetic wastewater was investigated in this study. The images of scanning electron microscope showed extremely fine crystalline LDH particles decorated on the rough surface of the RHB while the succesful formation of the composite adsorbent (LDH/RHB) was confirmed by the corresponding energy dispersive X-ray and the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. An equilibrium contact time of 30 and 15 min for Cu2+ and Pb2+, respectively, was proposed for the optimum performance of the batch adsorption process. The dose of the LDH/RHB adsorbent was optimized at 0.4 g yielding maximum adsorption capacities of 117 and 124 mg g-1 for Cu2+ and Pb2+, respectively, with corresponding maximum removal efficiencies of nearly 94% and 99%. The initial meta concentrations was optimized at 50 or 60 mg L-1 corresponding to maximum removal efficiencies or adsorption capacities. For the changing initial metal’s concentration, the removal efficiencies remained unchanged for up to 50 mg L-1 and decreased by about 50% by increasing the initial concentrations from 50 to 100 mg L-1. The adsorption capacities observed a linear increasing trend by increasing the initial concentrations from 5 to 60 mg L-1 and remained unchanged afterward up to 100 mg L-1. A solution pH of 6.0 yielded optimum results with an increasing trend in adsorption capacities and percentage removal by changing the solution pH from 2.0 to 7.0. Based on the best-fit of the pseudo second-order kinetic model to the experimental data, the chemisorption was suggested to be the controlling mechanism of adsorption. The fitting of the Langmuir model suggested a monolayer sorption of Cu2+ and Pb2+ in addition to a heterogeneous adsorption as supported by the fitting of the Temkin isotherm. The application of the Dubinin–Radushkevich isotherm proposed a physical adsorption (mean free energy of adsorption less than 8 kJ mol−1) of both heavy metal ions on the surface of the LDH/RHB adsorbent.

The operation status of manufacturing equipment is directly related to the reliability of the operation of manufacturing equipment and the continuity of operation of the production system. Based on the analysis of the operation status of manufacturing equipment and its characteristics, it is proposed that the concept of assessing the operation status of manufacturing equipment can be realized by applying real-time acquisition of accurate inspection data of important parts of weak motion units and comparing them with their motion status evaluation criteria. Through the study of the application characteristics of fractional-order calculus theory, a differential data fusion model based on the fractional-order differential operator is established. The advantages of Internet of Things (IoT）technology and fractional order differential fusion algorithm are integrated to obtain real-time high-precision data of the operating parameters of manufacturing equipment, and the research objective of operating condition assessment of manufacturing equipment is realized. The feasibility and effectiveness of the method are verified by the application of the method in machining center operation status assessment.

Aim: To investigate the application of anterior and posterior corneal higher order aberrations (HOAs) in detecting keratoconus (KC) and suspect keratoconus (SKC). Method: This is a retrospective, case-control study which evaluated non-ectatic (normal) eyes, SKC eyes, and KC eyes. The Sirius Scheimpfug (CSO, Italy) analyzer was used to measure HOAs of the anterior and posterior corneal surfaces. Sensitivity, specificity and area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were calculated. Results: Two-hundred and twenty eyes were included in the analysis (normal n = 108, SKC n= 42, KC n= 70). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed a high predictive ability for anterior corneal HOAs parameters: Root mean square (RMS) total corneal HOAs, RMS trefoil and RMS coma to detect keratoconus (AUC > 0.9 for all). RMS Coma (3, ±1) derived from the anterior corneal surface was the parameter with the highest ability to discriminate between suspect keratoconus and normal eyes (AUC = 0.922; cutoff > 0.2). All posterior corneal HOAs parameters were insufficient in discriminating between SKC and normal eyes (AUC < 0.8 for all). In contrast, their ability to detect KC was excellent with AUC of > 0.9 for all except RMS spherical aberrations (AUC = 0.846). Conclusion: Anterior and posterior corneal higher order aberrations can differentiate between keratoconus and normal eyes, with a high level of certainty. In suspect keratoconus disease however, only anterior corneal HOAs, and in particular coma-like aberrations, are of value. Corneal aberrometry may be of value in screening for keratoconus in populations with a high prevalence of the disease.

The higher-order interactions in complex systems are gaining attention. Extending the classic bounded confidence model where an agent’s opinion update is the average opinion of its peers, this paper proposes a higher-order version of the bounded confidence model. Each agent organizes a group opinion discussion among its peers. Then, the discussion’s result influences all participants’ opinions. Since an agent is also the peer of its peers, the agent actually participates in multiple group discussions. We assume the agent’s opinion update is the average over multiple group discussions. The opinion dynamics rules can be arbitrary in each discussion. In this work, we experiment with two discussion rules: centralized and decentralized. We show that the centralized rule is equivalent to the classic bounded confidence model. The decentralized rule, however, can promote opinion consensus. In need of modeling specific real-life scenarios, the higher-order bounded confidence is convenient to combine with other higher-order dynamics, from the contagion process to evolutionary dynamics.

A comprehensive presentation of a variety of biologically sounding properties of genomes is present; chloroplast genomes are used as a biological matter. Triplet frequency composition is the general issue standing behind the properties. Besides, the new alignment-free error-tolerant method of sequences comparison highly efficient for in/del mismatches is present, for transposons search. Triplet frequency dictionaries determined for a genome, or for a part of that latter were studied through various clustering techniques. The interplay between triplet composition and function reveals on tRNA genes unambiguously shows the prevalence of the function encoded in tRNA gene over the phylogeny: the genes gather into the clusters comprising the genes encoding the same amino acid; more exactly, few gene families exhibit fine cluster pattern corresponding the synonymous codons of amino acid. Previously reported symmetry in chloroplast genomes is shown for a set of gymnosperm: that is mirror symmetry, rotational symmetry, and the second Chargaff's parity rule asymmetry. A family of transposons was found in gymnosperm chloroplast genomes. This family is revealed through the novel comparison method based on convolution calculation, for a set of DNA sequences.

Abstract The last mile has to deliver the goods at the right time and at the right cost for business logistics services to enhance the customer service experience. The objective of this paper is to examine the challenges of retail omni-channel distribution influencing the effective last mile fulfilment operations processes in the apparel group (organisation phase). It further establishes the extent of how the last mile for demand-driven store replenishment influences the level of retailers’ order fulfilment (in full and on time) (environment phase). This paper, persistently assesses the contribution of integrated information systems on brick and mortar and virtual omni-channel distribution networks to improve timeousness, order accuracy and fill rate (technology phase). The mixed method has triangulated the methods from both quantitative methodology using frequencies and binomial testing and subjective thematic analysis of qualitative data from interviewees. The sample of 175 questionnaires were received with a response rate is 85 per cent (148 responses). The main findings of the paper revealed that the current order fulfilment process aligned with the last mile is effective on the basis of the fill rate, lead time and order condition of orders delivered via store economy and store express.

NMR Spectroscopy is used, in the temperature range 180-350K, to study local order and transport in liquid water (pure and confined) and its solutions with glicerol and methanol at different molar fractions. Being the liquid water thermodynamic dominated by polymorphism (two coexisting liquid phases: high- and low-density HDL and LDL) - with the LDL due to the hydrophilic HB interactions, originating in the supercooled regime the tetrahedral networking and the liquid-liquid transition – we focused our interest to hydrophobic effects (HE) on these. Nowadays, if compared to the hydrophilicity, little is known about hydrophobicity so that the main purpose of this study is to gain new information on it. We measured the relaxation times (T1 and T2) and the self-diffusion (DS). From the times we took advantage of the NMR property to follow the behaviors of each molecular component (the hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups) separately; they are studied directly and DS in terms of the Adam-Gibbs model: obtaining the configurational entropy (Sconf ) and the specific heat contributions (CP,conf ). Due to the HE all the studied quantities, behave differently. For water-glycerol the HB interaction is dominant for all the conditions, whereas for water-methanol are observable two different T-regions above and below 265 K, dominated respectively by the hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity. A situation linked to the water polymorphism. Below this temperature, where the LDL phase and the HB networking develops and grows, the times and CP,conf change behaviors leading to maxima and minima. Above it, where the HB becomes weak and less stable and the HDL dominates, the hydrophobicity determines the solution properties.

To quantify the time-varying reproduction number (Rt) for Malaysia using the COVID-19 incidence data., we used data the from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering (JHU CCSE) Coronavirus repository. Day 1 was taken from the first assumed local transmission of COVID-19. Data was split into four intervals: a) Interval 1: from Day 1 to Day 10 MCO 1, b) Interval 2: from Day 1 to Day 10 MCO 2, c) Interval 3: from Day 1 to Day 10 MCO 3 and d) Interval 4: from Day 1 to Day 10 MCO 4. We estimated the Rt using the EpiEstim package. The means for Rt at Day 1, Day 5 and Day 10 for all MCOs ranged between 0.665 to 1.147. The average Rt gradually decreased in MCO 1 and MCO 2. However, Rt increased in MCO 3 before stabilized around 0.8 in MCO 4. MCO 1 and MCO 2 which were stricter coincide with the gradual reduction of Rt. However, the more relaxed MCO 3 and MCO 4 correspond to a slight increase in the Rt before it stabilized.