The article focuses on mining of non-energy mineral resources with minimum environmental impacts. It issues from research results of a project Competence Centre for Effective and Ecological Mining of Mineral Resources implemented at the Faculty of Mining and Geology at VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, Czech Geological Survey, a company Watrad ltd., a state enterprise Diamo, a company RPS Ostrava plc and a company Sedlecký kaolin plc. The paper starts with a partial analysis of the existing legal norms related to mining and processing of mineral resources. Next, it analyses mineral resource mining options free of negative environmental impacts. The fundamental tool to assess potential environmental impacts of mining is the implementation of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for a given mineral resource. In the Czech Republic environmental impact assessment is carried out by course of Act 100/2001 Coll. Its important amendment is Act 39/2015 Coll. claiming, inter alia, that the environmental impact assessment is rigidly connected with other permits and procedures, such as the zoning process and building construction permits. The article describes the environmental impacts of mining of non-energy mineral resources, including the following factors: appropriation of land, impacts on surface water, ground water and soil, noise, influence on the landscape character, and air pollution. The paper also includes a case study summarizing information on the environmental factors that may play a role in potential underground mining of graphite in the deposit Český Krumlov - Městský Vrch and the deposit Lazec - Křenov.

For many decades, X-ray diffraction (XRD) has been used for material characterization. With the recent development in material science understanding and technology, various new materials are being developed, which requires upgrading the existing analytical techniques such that intricate problems can be solved. Although, XRD is a well-established non-destructive technique, it still requires further improvements in its characterization capabilities, especially when dealing with complex mineral structures. The present review conducts comprehensive discussions on atomic crystal structure, XRD principle, its applications, uncertainty during XRD analysis, and required safety precautions, all in one place. It further discusses the future research directions, especially the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning tools for improving the effectiveness and accuracy of XRD technique for mineral characterization. It has been focused that how XRD patterns can be utilized for a thorough understanding of the crystalline structure, size, and orientation, dislocation density, phase identification, quantification, and transformation, information about lattice parameters, residual stress, and strain, and thermal expansion coefficient of materials. All these important discussions on XRD for mineral characterization are compiled in this short yet comprehensive review that would benefit specialists and engineers in the chemical, mining, iron, metallurgy, and steel industries.

To address the question whether there is evidence that drinking water in general or mineral water in particular is effective in preventing diabetes; we performed a literature search of randomized controlled trials (PubMed). The search resulted in very few trials (N = 9) investigating this topic: one trial investigates the effect of increasing water consumption on glycemic control in diabetic patients; two trials investigate the effect of drinking water with a meal in diabetic patients; while six trials compare the effect of mineral rich water with that of low mineralized water on glucose metabolism in healthy subjects. There is evidence that increasing water consumption can improve glucose metabolism and randomized controlled trials with mineral water suggest that waters containing relevant amounts of magnesium can exert an additional effect. The role of bicarbonate; which is present in all the mineral waters used in the trials; will be discussed. Future research needs to investigate the effect of mineral water in prediabetic individuals or individuals with impaired glycemic control.

Lignin fibers typically influence the mixture performance of stone matrix asphalt (SMA), such as strength, stability, durability, noise level, rutting resistance, fatigue life, and water sensitivity. However, limited studies were conducted to analyze the influence of fibers on the percent voids in mineral aggregate in bituminous mixture (VMA) during the mixture design. This study analyzed the effect of different fibers and fiber contents on the VMA in SMA mixture design. A surface-dry condition method test and Marshall Stability test were applied on the SMA mixture with four different fibers (i.e., flocculent lignin fiber, mineral fiber, polyester fiber, blended fiber). The test results indicated that the bulk specific gravity of SMA mixtures and asphalt saturation decreased with the increasing fiber content, whilst the percent air voids in bituminous mixtures (VV), Marshall Stability and VMA increased. Mineral fiber had the most obvious impact on the bulk specific gravity of bituminous mixtures, while flocculent lignin fiber had a minimal impact. The mixture with mineral fiber and polyester fiber had significant effects on the volumetric properties, and, consequently, exhibited better VMA over the conventional SMA mixture with lignin fiber. Modified fiber content range was also provided, which will widen the utilization of mineral fiber and polyester fiber in the applications of SMA mixtures. The mixture evaluation suggested no statistically significant difference between lignin fiber and polyester fiber on the stability. The mineral fiber required a much larger fiber content to improve the mixture performance than other fibers. Overall, the results can be a reference to guide SMA mixture design.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) disease clusters are found in several countries worldwide. In the United States, ALS clusters are found in many states, largely within the northern United States. The cause of the increased rates of ALS in these areas remains indefinite. It is reported here that many ALS clusters are associated with sites of current or prior glacial lakes, or regions containing an abundance of silts and clay minerals. The potential significance of these findings in ALS is discussed.

In this article, we first present and discuss eighteenth-century descriptions of minerals that contributed decisively to the development of crystallography. Remarkably, these old crystallographic descriptions included morphologies with symmetries incompatible with an internal periodic order of atoms, which, however, have been recognised to be characteristics of quasicrystals. Moreover, we also review a number of studies of minerals with aperiodic crystal structures, including recently reported natural quasicrystals of extra-terrestrial origin. Finally, we discuss the current investigations addressing the search for new quasicrystalline minerals in nature.

Until recently, the classic approach to mineral exploration studies is to bring the field samples/drill cores collected during field studies to the laboratory followed by laborious analysis procedures to generate the analytical data. This is very expensive, time consuming and difficult for exploring vast areas. But rapid technological advances in field portable analytical instruments such as portable ultraviolet–visible and near-infrared spectrophotometers, gamma ray spectrometer, pXRF, pXRD, pLIBS, and µRaman spectrometer have changed this scenario completely and increased their on-site applications in mineral exploration studies. These instruments are currently providing direct, rapid, on-site, real-time, non-destructive, cost-effective identification, and determination of target elements, indicator minerals and pathfinder elements in rock, soil, and sediment samples. These portable analytical instruments are currently helping to obtain accurate chemical and mineralogical information directly in field with minimal or no sample preparation, and providing decision-making support during field work as well as during drilling operations in several successful mineral exploration programs. In this article, the developments in these portable devices, and their contributions in the platinum group elements (PGE), rare earth elements (REE), gold, base metals, and lithium exploration studies both on land and on ocean bed have been summarized with examples.

QSO B0218+357 is a blazar located at a cosmological redshift of 0.944. The source is gravitationally lensed by a spiral galaxy located at the redshift of 0.68. Strong gravitational lensing splits the signals emitted by the source into two components separated by 10-12 days, as observed in radio and gamma-ray bands. In July 2014 a GeV flare was observed by Fermi-LAT, triggering follow-up observations with the MAGIC telescopes at energies above 100 GeV. The expected time delay between the components allowed us to plan broad band MWL observations before, during and after the trailing component of the emission. The MAGIC observations at the expected time of arrival of the trailing component resulted in the first detection of QSO B0218+357 in Very-High-Energy (VHE, >100 GeV) gamma rays. It is both the farthest known VHE object and one of only a few Flat Spectrum Radio Quasars detected in this energy range. We report here the observed multiwavelength spectral and temporal properties of the emission during the 2014 flare.

While the demand in reduction of CO₂ increases, the need for CO₂ sequestration processes is very high. One promising technology is the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). In this paper we refer to several papers which study the three main steps in CCS chain. CO₂ capture technologies, CO₂ transportation to the storage sites and the very critical step the CO₂ storage. Recently a novel method (mineral carbonation) for CO₂ sequestration has been proposed which is based in the reaction of CO₂ with calcium or magnesium oxides or hydroxides to form stable carbonate materials. Greece is a country that emits CO₂ mainly from the lignite fired power plant in Western Greece. After the study of the bibliographic references about the use of mineral carbonation process while injecting CO₂ in the appropriate geological forms we concluded that there are also these forms in our country and mainly in the area near to the power plant such as in sites Vourinos and Pindos. In these sites exist minerals rich in oxides and hydroxides of Ca, Mg and Fe representing the perfect materials for mineral carbonation.

The main objective of this communication is to describe the ‘Global Salt Cycle’. Giant salt accumulations are commonly found along continental margins of former rifts. The first stage in the accumulation process is saturation of newly formed oceanic crust with seawater. Final mobilisation and accumulation of the salts occurs during rifting, localised in the vicinity of relict subduction zones. Oceanic crust is created along the spreading ridges in the deep oceans of the Earth. It exchanges mass and energy with seawater in hydrothermal circulation cells that penetrate deep into the new and fractured crust. Water-rock interactions include the formation of hydrated and hydroxylated minerals, e.g., serpentinites and clay minerals. By incorporating hydroxyl groups and water in their crystal lattices, the salinity of remaining brines increases. Subduction of oceanic crust and serpentinised lithosphere transports water, hydrated minerals, and marine salts deep into the crust and mantle. Upon pressurisation and heating of the subducting slab, different parts of this water are expelled at different depths/temperatures. The resulting fluids will contain salts brought in with the slab, as well as new salts formed by water-rock interaction. The combination of elevated pressures and temperatures, water, salinity, and CO2, create permeability in the normally impermeable, peridotitic mantle, by altering the fluid-rock dihedral angles of mineral grains. This P/T-determined intergranular permeability allows ascent of saline fluids, under lithostatic pressure, within the mantle wedge, or the slab itself. The fluids produce a mechanically weakened and buoyant zone within the mantle wedge due to high pore pressure between mineral grains and reduced mantle density. During the lifetime of a subduction zone, a substantial accumulation of saline fluids within the mantle wedge and crust, is evident. Deep, fluid reservoirs accumulate between the subduction trench and the volcanic front. They may exist for hundreds of millions of years, even after the extinction of the subduction zone. Saline fluids may escape to the surface along deep faults, due to overfilling of available pores/fractures. Fluids within the mantle wedge may form rock melts or exist as supercritical, mineral rich fluids. The combination of reduced pressure due to rifting, and a saline and buoyant mantle, creates a mantle circulation that brings the accumulated, saline fluids, to crustal levels. Salts will therefore accumulate during initial stages of rifting as a result of massive fluid expulsion, phase change and boiling of mantle fluids. No extra energy is required to produce phase change and boiling. The result is formation of solid salts or dense brines/slurries invading fractured crustal rocks, or escaping to the surface/seabed. This process may take place both before and after the sea has invaded a continental rift.

Phosphorylation reactions of glycerol were studied using different inorganic phosphates such as sodium phosphate, trimetaphosphate (a condensed phosphate), and struvite. The reactions were carried out in two non-aqueous solvents: formamide and a eutectic solvent consisting of choline chloride and glycerol in a ratio of 1:2.5. The glycerol reacted in formamide and in the eutectic solvent with phosphate to yield its phosphorylated derivatives in the presence of silicates such as quartz sand and kaolinite clay. The reactions were carried out by heating glycerol with a phosphate source at 85 °C for one week and were analyzed by 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MS). The yield of the phosphorylated glycerol was improved by the presence of silicates, and reached 90% in some experiments. Our findings further support the proposal that non-aqueous solvents are advantageous for the prebiotic synthesis of biomolecules, and suggest that silicates may have aided in the formation of organophosphates on the prebiotic earth.

At nuclear scale, we present three heuristic relations pertaining to strong and electroweak coupling constants. With these relations, close to beta stability line, it is possible to study nuclear binding energy with a single energy coefficient of magnitude $\left(\frac{1}{{\alpha }_s}\right)\left[\frac{e^2}{4\pi {\epsilon }_0{R}_0}\right]\approx 10.0\text{MeV}\text{.}$ With reference to up and down quark masses, it is also possible to interpret that, nuclear binding energy is proportional to the mean mass of $\left[\left(2m_u+m_d\right)\text{and}\left(m_u+2m_d\right)\right]\approx 10.0\text{MeV}.$

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

We introduce a new variation on the domination theme which we call vertex domination as reducing waste of time in transportation planning and optimization of transport routes. We determine the vertex domination number $\gamma_v$ for several classes of fuzzy graphs. The bounds is obtained for it. In fuzzy graphs, monotone decreasing property and monotone increasing property are introduced. We prove both of the vizing's conjecture and the Grarier-Khelladi's conjecture are monotone decreasing fuzzy graph property for vertex domination. We obtain Nordhaus-Gaddum (NG) type results for these parameters. The relationship between several classes of operations on fuzzy graphs with the vertex domination number of them is studied. Finally, we discuss about vertex dominating set of a fuzzy tree by using the bridges and $\alpha$-strong edges equivalence.

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

Italian Directives recommends the good quality of natural mineral waters but literature data assert a potential risk from several microorganisms colonizing wellsprings and mineral water bottling plants. Aim of study is the identification of microorganisms from spring waters (SW) and bottled mineral waters (BMW) samples. Methods: Routine microbiological indicators, Legionella spp., Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), protozoa (FLA) and physical-chemical parameters were assessed in 24 SW and 10 BMW samples performing culture methods and molecular tests as PCR and qPCR. Results: In 33 out of 34 samples no cultivable bacteria were isolated with the exception of 83 CFU/L of Mycobacterium gilvum, detected in one warm rich-mineralized SW. qPCR showed the presence of Legionella genomic units in 24% of samples (mean 2,9x10²±1,7x10² GU/L) and NTM genomic units in 18% of samples (mean 5,7x10^3±4,1x10³ GU/L). Vermamoeba vermiformis and Acanthamoeba polyphaga were recovered respectively in 70% of BMW samples (counts from 1,3x10³ to 1,2x10⁵) and 42% of SW samples (counts from 1,1x10³ to 1,3x10⁴). Vahlkampfia spp. was detected in 42% of SW and 70% of BMW samples (mean 1,3x10⁴ ±2,9x10³ GU/L). Conclusion: The study highlights a low rate of microbial risk and the importance of risk assessment in natural mineral waters.

Mineral identification is an important part of geological analysis. Traditional identification methods rely on either the experiences of the appraisers or the various measuring instruments and the methods are either easily influenced by the experiences or need too much work. To solve the above problems, there have been studies using image recognition and intelligent algorithms to identify minerals. But the current studies can not identify many minerals, and the accuracy is low. To increase the number of identified mineral categories and the accuracy, we proposed the method that uses both the mineral images and the Mohs hardness in the deep neural networks to identify the minerals. The experimental results showed that the method can reach 94.0% Top-1 accuracy and 99.9% Top-5 accuracy for 28 common minerals. The model that combines image and Mohs hardness together can identify more minerals and increase the accuracy using less training data.

This review presents a comprehensive and systematic study of the field of bacterial plant biostimulants and considers the fundamental and innovative principles underlying this technology. Plant biostimulants are an important tool for modern agriculture as part of an integrated crop management (ICM) system; helping make agriculture more sustainable and resilient. Plant biostimulants contain substance(s) and/or microorganisms whose function when applied to plants or the rhizosphere, is to stimulate natural processes to enhance plant nutrient uptake, nutrient use efficiency, tolerance to abiotic stress, biocontrol, and crop quality. The use of plant biostimulants has gained substantial and significant heed worldwide as an environment-friendly alternative for sustainable agricultural production. Presently, there is an increasing curiosity of industry and researchers in microbial biostimulants especially, bacterial plant biostimulants (BPBs) to improve crop growth and productivity. The BPBs that are based on PGPR (plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria) play plausible roles to promote/stimulate the crop plant growth through several mechanisms that include, i) nutrient acquisition by nitrogen (N₂) fixation and solubilization of insoluble minerals (P, K, Zn), organic acids and siderophores, ii) antimicrobial metabolites and various lytic enzymes, iii) action of growth regulators and stress-responsive/induced phytohormones, iv) ameliorating abiotic stress like drought, high soil salinity, extreme temperatures, oxidative stress, and heavy metals by using different modes of action, and v) plant defense induction modes. Presenting here is a brief review emphasizing the applicability of BPBs as an innovative exertion to fulfill the current food crisis.

Various type of soils have been identified based on their electrical and magnetic properties, especially with regards to peat soils. Peat soils are commonly considered as partly decomposed vegetation. In this study, electrical and magnetic properties have been used in K-means clustering to identify layers of peat soils. K-means clustering is a partitioning method that treats observations in the data. Data cores were obtained at every centimeter and examined for their electrical conductivity (σ) and magnetic susceptibility (χ_m) properties. A 291 cm core was obtained at Tegal Arum Village in South Kalimantan, Indonesia. The K-means clustering results indicate two different layers at 148 cm, and this is supported by loss on ignition (LOI) measurements. In the first layers, a 87.65% LOI was found associated with peat soils (above 248 cm). Whereas, in the second layers, there was a 26.11% LOI associated with mineral soils (below 248 cm). The results of this study using K-means clustering can be used to delineate soil layers.

Prebiotic organic synthesis reactions catalyzed by Earth-abundant metal sulfides are key processes for understanding the evolution of biochemistry from inorganic molecules, yet the catalytic functions of sulfides have remained poorly explored in the context of the origins of life. Past studies on prebiotic chemistry have mostly focused on a few types of metal sulfide catalysts, such as FeS or NiS, which form limited types of products with inferior activity and selectivity. To explore the potential of metal sulfides on catalyzing prebiotic chemical reactions, here, the chemical diversity (variations in chemical composition and phase structure) of 304 natural metal sulfide minerals in a mineralogy database was surveyed and approaches to rationally predict the catalytic functions of metal sulfides are discussed based on advanced theories and analytical tools of electrocatalysis such as proton-coupled electron transfer, structural comparisons between enzymes and minerals, and in-situ spectroscopy. To this end, we introduce a model of geo-electrochemistry driven prebiotic synthesis for chemical evolution, as it helps us to predict kinetics and selectivity of targeted prebiotic chemistry under “chemically messy conditions”. We expect that combining the data-mining of mineral databases with experimental methods and theories developed in the field of electrocatalysis will facilitate the prediction and verification of catalytic performance under a wide range of pH and Eh conditions, and aid in the rational screening of mineral catalysts involved in the origins of life.

To improve water injection effect, microemulsions (MEs) were used to wet coal seam compared with water and sodium dodecyl sulfate solution (SDS). Wetting effects were characterized by contact angle, X-ray diffraction, Fourier infrared spectroscopy. The results showed that the microemulsion has better spreadability on coal surface and has stronger wettability for coals of different ranks and different particle sizes than traditional wetting agents. The W/O type microemulsion is more affinity to coal than the O/W type and the bicontinuous type.Oxygen and hydrogen contents contributed to wetting. Different wetting agents have the greatest impact on the oxygen-containing functional group absorption zone of coal, but have little impact on the change of clay mineral composition.As the content of quartz increased, the content of montmorillonite was decreased, and the hydrophilicity of coal was increased. This research proposes new ideas for solving coal dust problems and reducing coal mine disasters.

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

The aim of this expository article is to present recent developments in the centuries-old discussion on the interrelations between several types of domination in graphs. However, the novelty even more prominent in the newly discovered simplified presentations of several older results. Domination can be seen as arising from real-world application and extracting classical results as first described by this article.The main part of this article, concerning a new domination and older one, is presented in a narrative that answers two classical questions: (i) To what extend must closing set be dominating? (ii) How strong is the assumption of domination of a closing set? In a addition, we give an overview of the results concerning domination. The problem asks how small can a subset of vertices be and contain no edges or, more generally how can small a subset of vertices be and contain other ones. Our work was as elegant as it was unexpected being a departure from the tried and true methods of this theory that had dominated the field for one fifth a century. This expository article covers all previous definitions. The inability of previous definitions in solving even one case of real-world problems due to the lack of simultaneous attentions to the worthy both of vertices and edges causing us to make the new one. The concept of domination in a variety of graphs models such as crisp, weighted and fuzzy, has been in a spotlight. We turn our attention to sets of vertices in a fuzzy graph that are so close to all vertices, in a variety of ways, and study minimum such sets and their cardinality. A natural way to introduce and motivate our subject is to view it as a real-world problem. In its most elementary form, we consider the problem of reducing waste of time in transport planning. Our goal here is to first describe the previous definitions and the results, and then to provide an overview of the flows ideas in their articles. The final outcome of this article is twofold: (i) Solving the problem of reducing waste of time in transport planning at static state; (ii) Solving and having a gentle discussions on problem of reducing waste of time in transport planning at dynamic state. Finally, we discuss the results concerning holding domination that are independent of fuzzy graphs. We close with a list of currently open problems related to this subject. Most of our exposition assumes only familiarity with basic linear algebra, polynomials, fuzzy graph theory and graph theory.

This paper deals with experimental study of the influence of conductive (Fe₃O₄) and insulating (Al₂O₃) nanostructured particles at various concentrations on the dielectric strength of transformer mineral oil. The method of preparation and characterization of these nanofluids (NFs) through the measurements of zeta potential, the real and imaginary parts of dielectric constant as well as the concentration and size of nanoparticles using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images of nanoparticles powders and Dispersive x-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) analysis are presented. Experimental findings reveal that these two types of nanoparticles materials significantly improve AC breakdown voltage and the magnitude of this improvement depends on the concentration, size and nature (material) of nanoparticles. For a given type of nanoparticles, the effect is more marked with the smallest nanoparticles. The conductive nanoparticles offer higher enhancement of dielectric strength compared with insulating nanoparticles based nanofluids. With Fe₃O₄, the breakdown voltage (BDV) can exceed twice that of mineral oil and it increases by more than 76% with Al₂O₃. The physicochemical mechanisms implicated in this improvement are discussed.

Dietary supplements are more and more often used to increase daily intake of essential vitamins and minerals. These preparations are classified as special category of foods and are subject to food law, not pharmaceutical regulations. As a result the requirements to dietary supplements are much less restrictive than to medications. Also simple and inexpensive procedure of registration causes that the number of dietary supplements is widely spread every year. On every manufacturing phases of dietary supplements, there is a risk of contamination. One of the pollutions might be mercury which is classified as heavy metal. Its inorganic compounds damage kidneys and liver and methylmercury is easily absorbed from gastrointestinal system. Methylmercury is distributed in all tissues, also in nervous system. The aim of study was to determine the level of mercury in multivitamins and multiminerals preparations and to analyze the results. The study included 22 dietary supplements containing vitamins and minerals available on Polish market. Mercury was analyzed with atomic absorption spectrometry using AMA 254. The concentrations of Hg was 0.22–5.85 µg/kg (the average content was 2.40 µg/kg). The highest average mercury content was 4.51 µg/kg, whereas the lowest one was 0.31 µg/kg. The results was also analyzed in individual groups depending on main component and indication for use as well as pharmaceutical formulation. Also according to manufacturer’s recommendation, the dose of mercury taken with a single medicine was estimated for time of a day, a week, a month, 3 months and also a year. The findings were compared to limits defined in regulations of European Union and PTWI set by JECFA to assess the health risk. The results presented in this study proved that the amount of mercury in tested dietary supplements is much lower than the value of valid regulations. Analyzed supplements as long as they are used with the recommendation of manufacturer, do not pose a threat to human health.

The synthesis of additives for thinning mineral suspensions based on sodium polyacrylate was carried out. The effect of molecular weight regulators on the molecular weight characteristics of the polymer and the effect of such polymers on the rheological properties of suspensions was studied. Sodium acrylate polymers are synthesized by free radical polymerization in aqueous solution using molecular weight regulators. The molecular weight characteristics of the polymeric samples were estimated by viscometry using Mark-Houwink-Kuhn-Sakurada (MHKS) equation. Synthesized polymers were used as thinners ceramic slurries, prepared according to the recipe of the enterprises producing ceramic products. The thinning ability of polymer samples with different molecular weights was estimated using an Engler viscometer from the time of the ceramic slurry flow. The influence of the type and amount molecular weight regulator on polyacryates was revealed. It was found that molecular weight synthesized samples was in the range of 21000 - 91000. It was determined that samples with a molecular weight of 28000 - 35000 synthesized using mercaptoethanol (at a dosage of 0.5-1.5% by weight of the monomer) provide optimal fluidity to the ceramic slurry.

In this paper, some characterizations of fuzzifying strong compactness are given, including characterizations in terms of nets and pre -subbases. Several characterizations of locally strong compactness in the framework of fuzzifying topology are introduced and the mapping theorems are obtained.

In this paper, we introduce a new iteration scheme, named as the S**-iteration scheme, for approximation of fixed point of the nonexpansive mappings. This scheme is faster than Picard, Mann, Ishikawa, Noor, Agarwal, Abbas, Thakur, and Ullah iteration schemes. We show the stability of our instigated scheme and give a numerical example to vindicate our claim. We also put forward some weak and strong convergence theorems for Suzuki's generalized nonexpansive mappings in the setting of uniformly convex Banach spaces. Our results comprehend, improve, and consolidate many results in the existing literature.

We propose a new theory beyond the standard model of elementary-particle physics. Employing the concept of a quantized spacetime, our theory demonstrates that the zero-point energy of the vacuum alone is sufficient to create all the fields, including gravity, the static electromagnetic field, and the weak and strong interactions. No serious undetermined parameters are assumed. Furthermore, the relations between the forces at the quantum-mechanics level is made clear. Using these relations, we quantize Einstein’s gravitational equation: Beginning with the zero-point energy of the vacuum, and after quantizing Newtonian gravity equation, we combine the energies of a static electromagnetic field and gravity in a quantum spacetime. Applying these results to the Einstein gravity equation, we substitute the energy density derived from the zero-point energy in addition to redefining differentials in a quantized spacetime. This is how we derive the quantized Einstein gravitational equation without assuming the existence of macroscopic masses. For the weak interaction, by considering plane-wave electron and the zero-point energy, we obtain a wavefunction that represents a β collapse. In this process, from a different point of view than Weinberg-Salam theory, we derive the masses of the W and Z bosons and the neutrino, and we calculate the radius and lifetime of the neutron. For the strong interaction, we previously reported an analytical theory for calculating the mass of a proton by providing a specific linear attractive potential obtained from the zero-point energy, which agrees well with the measurements. In the present study, we further calculate the strong interaction between two nucleons, i.e., the mass of the pi-meson. The resulting calculated quantities agree with the measurements, which verifies our proposed theory.

In this paper, a kind of single-walled carbon nanotube nonlinear model is developed, and the strongly nonlinear dynamic characteristics of such carbon nanotubes subjected to random magnetic field are studied. The nonlocal effect of microstructure is considered based on the theory of nonlocal elasticity. The natural frequency of the strongly nonlinear dynamic system is obtained by the energy function method, the drift coefficient and the diffusion coefficient are verified. The stationary probability density function of the system dynamic response is given and the fractal boundary of the safe basin is provided. Theoretical analysis and numerical simulation show that stochastic resonance occurs when varying the random magnetic field intensity. The boundary of safe basin has fractal characteristics and the area of safe basin decreases when the intensity of the magnetic field permeability increases.

We review the basics of nuclear binding energy scheme assumed to be associated with the existence of a new strong elementary charge associated with square root of reciprocal of the strong coupling constant.

Being a chilling-sensitive staple crop, rice (Oryza sativa L.) is vulnerable to climate change. The competence of rice to withstand chilling stress should, therefore, be enhanced through technological tools. The present study employed chemical intervention like application of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) as nitric oxide (NO) donor and elucidated the underlying molecular mechanisms of NO-mediated chilling tolerance in rice. At germination stage, germination indicators were interrupted by chilling stress (5.0 ± 1.0°C for 8 h day‒1), while pretreatment with 100 μM SNP markedly improved the indicators. At seedling stage (14-day-old), chilling stress caused stunted growth with visible toxicity along with alteration of biochemical markers, for example, increase in oxidative stress markers (superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, and malondialdehyde) and osmolytes (total soluble sugar; proline and soluble protein content, SPC), and decrease in chlorophyll (Chl), relative water content (RWC), and antioxidants. However, NO application attenuated toxicity symptoms with improving growth performance which might be attributed to enhanced activities of antioxidants, mineral contents, Chl, RWC and SPC. Furthermore, principal component analysis indicated that water imbalance and increased oxidative damage were the main contributors to chilling injury, whereas NO-mediated mineral homeostasis and antioxidant defense were the critical determinants for chilling tolerance in rice. Collectively, our findings revealed that NO protects against chilling stress through valorizing cellular defense mechanisms, suggesting that exogenous application of NO could be a potential tool to evolve cold tolerance as well as climate resilience in rice.

An increasingly large quantity of primary mineral resource is being converted into manufactured products and destined for solid waste disposal. This material can be reclassified as “anthropogenic mineral reserves” and be a potential source of metals for a range of manufacturing uses. China is implementing a range of policy interventions which can lead to such a classification that will raise the profile of recycling programs as a means of metal supply. China is not only a major producer of consumer products and importer of secondary metals, but also has a major urban infrastructure footprint. Here we consider three product groups, 30 products, and imports, and map the recycling potential of anthropogenic mineral and 23 types of the capsulated materials by targeting their evolution from 2010 to 2050. Total weight of anthropogenic mineral on average in China reached 39 Mt in 2010, but it will double in 2022 and quadruple in 2045. Stocks of precious metals and rare earths will increase faster than most base materials. The total economic potential in yearly-generated anthropogenic mineral is anticipated to grow markedly from 100 billion US$ in 2020 to 400 billion US$ in 2050. Anthropogenic mineral of around 20 materials will be able to meet projected consumption of three product groups by 2050, due to high availability of recycled content and gradual saturation of consumption. Durability of material usage and the concomitant stock of the anthropogenic mineral remain major challenges in determining the viability of this supply in the second half of the coming century.

The use of analytical techniques is important and critical in all areas of REE research such as exploration, mining, extraction, and metallurgical activities at different stages. At every stage of these activities, rock, ore, mineral, and other related materials have to be analysed for their REE contents in terms of elemental, isotopic, and mineralogical concentrations using different analytical techniques. Spectacular developments have taken place in the area of analytical instrumentations during the last four decades, with some of them having shrunk in size and become hand-held. Among laboratory-based techniques, F-AAS, GF-AAS, ICP-OES, and MP-AES have become very popular. Because of high sensitivity, less interference effects, and ease of use. ICP-MS techniques such as quadrupole-ICP-MS, ICP-MS/MS, ICP-TOF-MS, MH-ICP-MS, HR-ICP-MS, and MC-ICP-MS, with both solution nebulisation as well as direct solid analysis using laser ablation sample introduction methods, have become extremely popular for REE analysis. For direct analysis of solids INAA, XRF, and LIBS techniques besides LA-based ICP-MS techniques are being extensively utilised. LIBS technique in particular requires little to no sample preparation. TIMS, SIMS, and SHRIMP techniques are being used for isotopic as well as dating REE depots. Portable analytical techniques such as pXRF, pLIBS, and Raman spectrometers are able to do in situ analysis even in the field helping to take fast decisions during exploration studies. At present hyperspectral remote sensing techniques including hand-held, drone, and satellite-based techniques have become very popular in REE exploration studies because of their ability to cover larger areas in a limited time and thus became very cost-effective. Deployment of microanalytical devices/sensors mounted in remotely operated vehicles (ROV) is being successfully utilized in detecting REE-rich deposits in the deep oceans. Providing updated in-depth information on all these important aspects with suitable examples, especially from the point of view of REE research studies is the focal point of this review article.

Neurodegenerative diseases of protein misfolding affect humans and animals. In humans, these diseases include Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Western Pacific amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Parkinsonism-dementia complex (ALS/PDC). Mineral exposure may be important in the pathogenesis of protein misfolding cascades. The possible association of bentonite, montmorillonite, and mineral risk factors with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, and Western Pacific ALS/PDC is analyzed and discussed.

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

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

There exists an implicit potential limitation in every physical discoveries that has been implemented and understood. However, the limitations can be bounded within a safe limit to prevent any constructing theory to be free from errors. As, it’s the inert nature of the humans, to go far beyond the scope of experimental findings in order to pursue any studies with the sole help of logical reasoning and mathematics, the argument can be prevailed in the form of WEAK Clampdown Effect & STRONG Clampdown Effect. More, the theories are constructed out of physical nature, more the theory gets hypothetical without any finding evidence, but that does or doesn’t actually justify the phenomenon, that too with the more increment of KARDASHEV Scale, more moderate ways of experimentation got developed curbing down the limitations within the human limit of ‘ERRORS’, that does can be neglected by approximation. Relationship being cross-judgmental on the basis of the computational limits and calculation accuracy, leading to a soft singularity, as a warning, that if computer powers cannot be checked on the basis of error approximations, then this may lead to the hitting of a hard singularity, that in phase with the forbidden gap (or after the optimum limit that arises at the core constraints of nature) to prevent the computation being carried off with respect to super-intelligence machines that are cognitive capability oriented future computers responsible for self growth & reproduction with more improvement algorithm, restricting all forms of humanity & constraints the human growth by virtue of limiting capacities of the humans as compared to computers.

We present simple relations for nuclear stability and nuclear binding energy with respect to three gravitational constants associated with electroweak, strong and electromagnetic interactions.

The present study is the second step (concerning the normal-diet restoration) of the our previous one (concerning the calcium-free diet) to determine whether the normal-diet restoration, with/without concomitant PTH(1-34) administration, can influence amounts and deposition sites of the total bone mass. Histomorphometric evaluations and immunohistochemical analysis for Sclerostin expression were conducted on the vertebral bodies and femurs in rat model. The final goals are: i) to define timing and manners of bone mass changes when calcium is restored in the diet; ii) to analyze the different involvement of the two bony architectures having different metabolism (i.e. trabecular versus cortical bone); iii) to verify the eventual role of PTH(1-34) administration. Results evidenced the greater involvement of the trabecular bone with respect to the cortical one, in answering to different calcium diet content, and the effect of PTH mostly in the recovery of trabecular bony architecture. The main findings emerged from the present study are: i) the importance of the interplay between mineral homeostasis and skeletal homeostasis in modulating and guiding bone answers to dietary/metabolic alterations and ii) the evidence that the more involved bony architecture is the trabecular one, the most susceptible to the dynamical balance of the two homeostases.

With reference to our earlier published views on large nuclear gravitational constant , nuclear elementary charge and strong coupling constant , in this paper, we present simple relations for nuclear stability range, binding energy of isotopes and magic proton numbers.

Demand for niobium and tantalum is increasing exponentially as these are essential ingredients for the manufacture of, among others, capacitors in technological devices and ferroniobium. Mine tailings rich in such elements could constitute an important source of Nb and Ta in the future and so alleviate potential supply risks. This paper evaluates the possibility of recovering niobium and tantalum from the slags generated during the tin beneficiation process of mine tailings from the old Penouta mine, located in Spain. To do so, a simulation of the processes that would be required to beneficiate and refine both elements is carried out. After tin carbothermic reduction, the slags are sent to a hydrometallurgical process where at the end niobium oxide and tantalum oxide are obtained. Reagents, water and energy consumption, in addition to emissions, effluents and product yields are assessed. Certain factors were identified as critical, and recirculation was encouraged in the model to maximize production and minimize reagents use and wastes. With this simulation, considering 3000 production hours per year, the metal output from the tailings of the old mine could cover around 1% and 7.4% of the world annual Nb and Ta demand, respectively.

The new climate law introduces a policy of sustainable construction, the assumption of which is the reduction of CO2 by the construction industry and the use of environmentally friendly materials, such as agricultural, mineral, and recycled waste, while limiting the consumption of natural resources. The article is a literature review that analyzes selected waste materials from various sectors of the economy that can be used as additives or partial substitutes for natural resources in the production of cement and in and cement building materials, the production of which reduces CO2 emissions, producing materials with high mechanical strength and environmentally friendly.

In this paper, we study a three step iterative scheme to approximate fixed points of Suzuki's generalized non-expansive mappings. We establish some weak and strong convergence results for such mappings in uniformly convex Banach spaces. Further, we show numerically that iterative scheme (1.8) converges faster than some other known iterations for Suzuki's generalized non-expansive mappings. To support our claim, we give an illustrative example and approximate fixed points of such mappings using Matlab program. Our results are new and generalize several relevant results in the literature.

For the first time, We do fuzzification the concept of domination in crisp graph on a generalization of fuzzy graph by using membership values of vertices, α-strong edges and edges. In this paper, we introduce the first variation on the domination theme which we call vertex domination. We determine the vertex domination number γ_v for several classes of t-norm fuzzy graphs which include complete t-norm fuzzy graph, complete bipartite t-norm fuzzy graph, star t-norm fuzzy graph and empty t-norm fuzzy graph. The relationship between effective edges and α-strong edges is obtained. Finally, we discuss about vertex dominating set of a fuzzy tree with respect to a t-norm ⨂ by using the bridges and α-strong edges equivalence.

The strong coupling between individual quantum emitters and resonant optical micro/nanocavities is beneficial to understand light and matter interactions. Here we propose a plasmonic nanoantenna placed on a metal film to achieve an ultra-high electric field enhancement in the nanogap and ultra-small optical mode volume. The strong coupling between a single quantum dot and the designed structure is investigated in detail by both numerical simulations and theoretical calculations. When a single QD is inserted into the nanogap of the silver nanoantenna, scattering spectra show remarkably large spectral splitting and typical anti-crossing behavior of the vacuum Rabi splitting, which can be realized in the scattering spectra by varying the nanoantenna thickness. Our work shows a possible way to enhance light-matter interaction at a single quantum emitter limit, which can be useful for future quantum and nanophotonic applications.

Techniques of stripping voltammetry (SV) determination of silver and gold in pyrites and carbonaceous matter were developed. The problem of quantitative transfer of the sample into the solution was solved. For this purpose, the ore matrix of carbonaceous shales was decomposed by mineral acids in autoclaves at high pressures. The element to be determined from the sample matrix was separated by extraction. Ag(I) ions from the solutions were extracted in the form of dithizonate complex in CCl₄. Au(III) ions were extracted by diethyl ether. The extracts were decomposed thermally. The dry residue was dissolved in the background electrolyte, and the element was determined by the SV method. The graphite electrode (GE) impregnated with polyethylene was used as a working electrode in SV–determination of silver. SV–determination of gold was carried out using GE modified by bismuth. The limits of detection (LOD) of Ag(I) and Au(III) contents were equal to 0.016 mg L^-1 and 0.0086 mg L^-1, respectively. The results of SV-determination of gold and silver in standard samples, pyrites and carbonaceous shales were presented. The silver content in the pyrite was 13.6 g t^-1, in carbon shale—0.34 g t^-1. The concentration of gold in the pyrite ore zone "Kirovsko–Kryklinskaya" was 1.15 g t^-1; in carbonaceous shales—2.66 g t^-1. The obtained data were consistent with the data of atomic emission spectroscopy (AES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP—MS). The error of determination of elements by stripping voltammetry was calculated when determining the silver content of 10...6 g t^-1 in pyrite and carbonaceous material, which was less than 12%, and when determining the gold content of 1...3 g t^{- 1} in pyrite and carbonaceous matter, which was less than 23%.

To understand the mystery of final unification, in our earlier publications, we proposed two bold concepts: 1) There exist three atomic gravitational constants associated with electroweak, strong and electromagnetic interactions. 2) There exists a strong elementary charge in such a way that its squared ratio with normal elementary charge is close to reciprocal of the strong coupling constant. In this paper we propose that, can be considered as a compound physical constant associated with proton mass, electron mass and the three atomic gravitational constants. With these ideas, an attempt is made to understand nuclear stability and binding energy. In this new approach, nuclear binding energy can be fitted with four simple terms having one unique energy coefficient with a formula, where is an estimated mean stable mass number. With this new approach, Newtonian gravitational constant can be estimated in a verifiable approach with a model relation of the form, where is the Fine structure constant. Estimated and is 62 ppm higher than the CODATA recommended It needs further investigation. Proceeding further, an attempt is made to fit the recommended quark masses.

With reference to electromagnetic interaction and Abdus Salam’s strong (nuclear) gravity, 1) Square root of ‘reciprocal’ of the strong coupling constant can be considered as the strength of nuclear elementary charge. 2) ‘Reciprocal’ of the strong coupling constant can be considered as the maximum strength of nuclear binding energy. 3) In deuteron, strength of nuclear binding energy is around unity and there exists no strong interaction in between neutron and proton. $G_s\cong 3.32688\times {10}^{28}{\mathrm{m}}^3{\mathrm{kg}}^{-1}{\sec }^{-2}$ being the nuclear gravitational constant, nuclear charge radius can be shown to be, $R_0\cong \frac{2G_s{m}_p}{c^2}\cong 1.24\mathrm{fm}.$ $e_s\cong \left(\frac{G_s{m}_p^2}{\hslash c}\right)e\cong 4.716785\times {10}^{-19}\mathrm{C}$ being the nuclear elementary charge, proton magnetic moment can be shown to be, ${\mu }_p\cong \frac{e_s\hslash }{2m_p}\cong \frac{e{G}_s{m}_p}{2c}\cong 1.48694\times {10}^{-26}\mathrm{J}{.\mathrm{T}}^{-1}.$ ${\alpha }_s\cong {\left(\frac{\hslash c}{G_s{m}_p^2}\right)}^2\cong 0.1153795$ being the strong coupling constant, strong interaction range can be shown to be proportional to $\exp \left(\frac{1}{{\alpha }_s^2}\right).$ Interesting points to be noted are: An increase in the value of ${\alpha }_s$ helps in decreasing the interaction range indicating a more strongly bound nuclear system. A decrease in the value of ${\alpha }_s$ helps in increasing the interaction range indicating a more weakly bound nuclear system. From $Z\cong 30$ onwards, close to stable mass numbers, nuclear binding energy can be addressed with, ${\left(B\right)}_{A_s}\cong Z\times \left\{\left(\frac{1}{{\alpha }_s}+1\right)+\sqrt{\sqrt{30\times 31}}\right\}\left(m_n-m_p\right)c^2\approx Z\times 19.66\mathrm{MeV}.$ With further study, magnitude of the Newtonian gravitational constant can be estimated with nuclear elementary physical constants. One sample relation is, $\left(\frac{G_N}{G_s}\right)\cong \frac{1}{2}{\left(\frac{m_e}{m_p}\right)}^{10}\left[\sqrt{\frac{G_F}{\hslash c}}/\left(\frac{\hslash }{m_{e}c}\right)\right]$ where $G_N$ represents the Newtonian gravitational constant and $G_F$ represents the Fermi’s weak coupling constant. Two interesting coincidences are, ${\left(m_p/m_e\right)}^{10}\cong \exp \left(1/{\alpha }_s^2\right)$ and $2G_s{m}_e/c^2\cong \sqrt{G_F/\hslash c}.$

To understand the mystery of final unification, in our earlier publications, we proposed that, 1) There exist three atomic gravitational constants associated with electroweak, strong and electromagnetic interactions; and 2) There exists a strong interaction elementary charge (e_s) in such a way that, it's squared ratio with normal elementary charge is close to inverse of the strong coupling constant. In this context, starting from lepton rest masses to stellar masses, we have developed many interesting and workable relations. We noticed that, electroweak field seems to be operated by a primordial massive fermion of rest energy 585 GeV. It can be considered as the zygote of all elementary particles and galactic dark matter. Proceeding further, with a characteristic fermion-boson mass ratio of 2.27, quarks can be classified into quark fermions and quark bosons. Considering strong charge conservation and electromagnetic charge conservation, fractional charge quark fermions and quark bosons can be understood. Quark fermions that generate observable massive baryons can be called as Fluons. Quark bosons that generate observable mesons can be called as Bluons. By considering a new hadronic fermion of rest energy 103.4 GeV, rest masses of fluons and bluons can be estimated and there by baryon masses and meson masses can be estimated.

As there exist no repulsive forces in strong interaction, in a hypothetical approach, strong interaction can be assumed to be equivalent to a large gravitational coupling. Based on this concept, strong coupling constant can be defined as a ratio of the electromagnetic force and the gravitational force associated with proton, neutron, up quark and down quark. With respect to the product of strong coupling constant and fine structure ratio, we review our recently proposed two semi empirical relations and coefficients 0.00189 and 0.00642 connected with nuclear stability and binding energy. We wish to emphasize that- by classifying nucleons as ‘free nucleons’ and ‘active nucleons’, nuclear binding energy can be fitted with a new class of ‘three term’ formula having one unique energy coefficient. Based on the geometry and quantum nature, currently believed harmonic oscillator and spin orbit magic numbers can be considered as the lower and upper “mass limits” of quark clusters.

The purpose of this paper is to bring to light a method through which the global in time existence for arbitrary large in H¹ initial data of a strong solution to 3D periodic Navier-Stokes equations follows. The method consists of subdividing the time interval of existence into smaller sub-intervals carefully chosen. These sub-intervals are chosen based on the hypothesis that for any wavenumber m, one can find an interval of time on which the energy quantized in low-frequency components (up to m) of the solution u is lesser than the energy quantized in high-frequency components (down to m) or otherwise the opposite. We associate then a suitable number m to each one of the intervals and we prove that the norm ||u(t)||_H1 is bounded in both mentioned cases. The process can be continued until reaching the maximal time of existence T_max which yields the global in time existence of strong solution.

We describe a vision for a national-scale heavy mineral (HM) map generated through automated mineralogical identification and quantification of HMs contained in floodplain sediments from large catchments covering most of Australia. The composition of the sediments reflects the dominant rock types in each catchment, with the generally resistant HMs largely preserving the mineralogical fingerprint of their host protoliths through the weathering-transport-deposition cycle. Heavy mineral presence/absence, absolute and relative abundance, and co-occurrence are metrics useful to map, discover and interpret catchment lithotype(s), geodynamic setting, magmatism, metamorphic grade, alteration or mineralization. Underpinning this vision is a pilot project, focusing on a subset of the national sediment sample archive, which is used to demonstrate the feasibility of the larger, national-scale project. We preview a bespoke, cloud-based mineral network analysis (MNA) tool to visualize, explore and discover relationships between HMs as well as between them and geological setting or mineral deposits. We envisage that the Heavy Mineral Map of Australia and MNA tool will contribute significantly to mineral prospectivity analysis and modeling here, particularly for technology critical elements and their host minerals, which are central to the global economy transitioning to a more sustainable, decarbonized paradigm.

The present study aimed to investigate influence of genotypic differences to zinc and iron agronomic biofortification responses among yield of finger millet. A field experiment was conducted over two seasons in farmers’ fields in Ethiopia (2019, 2020). The experimental design had 15 treatment combinations comprising 3 finger millet varieties and application of different combinations of zinc and iron mineral fertilizers. 5 soil-applied fertilizer treatments (20 kg h-1 FeSO4 + 25 kg h-1 ZnSO4 + NPKS, 25 kg h-1 ZnSO4 + NPKS, 20 kg h-1 FeSO4 + NPKS, NPKS, and 30% NPKS), at 2 locations (Gojjam and Arsi Negelle, Ethiopia), and two 2 slope positions (Foot and hill), replicated four times in a randomized complete block design. Grain yield and biomass were evaluated on plot basis. Plant height, total and productive tiller number, finger length of the longest spike and number of fingers per main ear were measured at maturity stage. The combined soil application of FeSO47H2O and ZnSO47H2O increased yield to Meba variety by 51.6%. Also, ZnSO47H2O fertilizer application increased yield to Urji variety by 27.6%. About 18.3% of yield enhancement of Diga-01 variety was achieved due to the FeSO47H2O fertilizers application. The findings of the present study suggests that the influence of Zn and Fe agronomic biofortification on yield of finger millet could be affected by genotype differences and environmental conditions.

Controlled drainage (CD) is an important agricultural measure for maintaining soil moisture and nutrients, controlling groundwater level, and increasing crop yield. In arid regions, CD can be used to improve the water supply in agriculture and reduce environmental pollution. In this study, we investigated the effect of CD, including a drainage depth of 40 cm (CWT1) and 70 cm (CWT2) during the plant growth period, free drainage (FD), and open ditch drainage (OD) on the migration of water, nutrients, and salts in the soil; the dynamics of groundwater level; the loss of soil nitrogen; and the growth of oilseed sunflower plants. Compared with FD, CD increased the water and nutrient content in the soil, reduced nitrogen loss, and enhanced the ability of the soil to continuously supply nitrogen to the oilseed sunflower plants, which benefited plant growth at later growth stages and reduced environmental pollution. During the period between irrigation at the budding stage and harvest stage, the average soil water content in the 0–20 cm soil layer in CWT1 increased by 3.67%, 4.78%, and 0.55%, respectively, compared with that in CWT2, FD, and OD. The soil mineral content in CWT1 was 25.17%, 35.05%, and 17.78% higher than that in CWT2, FD, and OD, respectively, indicating that higher soil salinity occurred at the later stage of plant growth in CWT1, which actually had little effect on the plants due to their enhanced salt tolerance and increased need for water and nutrients at that stage. In addition, CD delayed the decline in groundwater level, which allowed the plants to use groundwater at later growth stages, and as a result the yield and water use efficiency were improved. CWT1 significantly increased oilseed sunflower yield by 4.52–11.14% and increased water use efficiency by 1.16–10.8%. Moreover, CWT1 also increased the survival rate of the oilseed sunflower plants by 2.62–2.92%, and the plants demonstrated good growth. Therefore, under CD conditions, plants used soil water and nitrogen more efficiently and, as a result, their productivity was increased, and the water quality was improved.

Here we evaluate the chemistry of mineral soil solutions collected by suction lysimeters in a small mountain catchment that was affected by acidification-related spruce die-back. The aim was to obtain new insights into spatial patterns of nutrient partitioning during acidification recovery. This was achieved by comparing nutrient concentrations in soil solutions, collected along a V-shaped valley, with those in runoff. Five nests of suction lysimeters were installed in the 33-ha UDL catchment at different topographic positions (hilltops, slopes and valley). Following a 1-year equilibration, monthly samples of soil solutions were collected over a 2-year period. In the vicinity of each lysimeter nest, soil pits were excavated for a study of soil chemistry. Soil solutions were analyzed for SO42-, NO3-, DOC, NH4+, Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, and total dissolved Al concentrations, DOC and pH. For a P release estimation, ammonium oxalate extraction of soil samples was performed. Comparison of soil water data from this study with other European studies indicated that major environmentally relevant chemical species at UDL had concentrations similar to median concentrations across numerous previously acidified sites. CEC (≤ 58 meq kg-1) and BS (≤ 13 %), however, were significantly lower at UDL than at other European sites, documenting incomplete recovery from acidification. Spatial trends and seasonality in soil water chemistry support belowground inputs from mineral-stabilized legacy pollutants and soil nutrients. Seasonal variability of soil water sulfate and nitrate was significant. High nitrate in soil solutions during summer originated during the preceding dormant season, and high sulfate concentrations observed during the winter originating from recycled organic S during the summer. Higher concentrations of SO42-, NO3-, and base cations in runoff than in soil solutions may be explained by lateral surficial runoff leaching pollutants and nutrients from very shallow soil horizons. Nearly 30 years after peak acidification, solutions in mineral subsoil at UDL exhibited similar concentrations of SO42-, Ca2+ and Mg2+ as median values at the Pan-European International Co-operative Program (ICP) Forest sites, yet NO3- concentrations were an order of magnitude higher than the ICP sites. Calcium applied on soil surface by liming 32 to 11 years ago affected runoff more than soil solutions, suggesting contribution of both shallow soil water and groundwater to runoff.

This paper first explains the theory of the origin of force from a new perspective, explaining that the origin of all forces is caused by the "missing of energy in the time dimension" (non-conservation in a certain period of time), and constructs a unified theory of force on this basis. Then, through the unified theory of force, the following phenomena are reinterpreted: (1) The common origin of the inverse square law of gravitation and electromagnetic force; (2) The origin of the repulsive force of electrons and protons at small distances; (3) The mystery of the rotation curve of galaxies and the new explanation of "dark matter"; (4) explain the origin of the magnetic field; (5) Predict that moving magnets have the same radiation effect as charged particles (electron magnetic moments also have radiation effects); (6) Reinterpret Maxwell's displacement current; (7) Reinterpret synchrotron radiation and bremsstrahlung; (8) Explain that the strong and weak forces are short-range forces; (9) Predict the true structure of black holes and the origin of gravitational waves;(10) Possible explanation for the origin of the speed of light.

With our long experience in the field of unification of gravity and quantum mechanics, we understood that, when mass of any elementary is extremely small/negligible compared to macroscopic bodies, highly curved microscopic space-time can be addressed with large gravitational constants and magnitude of elementary gravitational constant seems to increase with decreasing mass and increasing interaction range. In our earlier publications, we proposed that, 1) There exist three atomic gravitational constants associated with electroweak, strong and electromagnetic interactions; 2) There exists a strong interaction elementary charge in such a way that, it's squared ratio with normal elementary charge is close to inverse of the strong coupling constant; and 3) Considering a fermion-boson mass ratio of 2.27, quarks can be split into quark fermions and quark bosons. Further, we noticed that, electroweak field seems to be operated by a primordial massive fermion of rest energy 584.725 GeV and hadron masses seem to be generated by a new hadronic fermion of rest energy 103.4 GeV. In this context, starting from lepton rest masses to stellar masses, we have developed many interesting and workable relations. With further study, a workable model of final unification can be developed.

We report the strong coupling between plasmonic surface lattice resonances (SLRs) and photonic Fabry-Pérot (F-P) resonances in a microcavity embedded with two-dimensional periodic array of metal-insulator-metal nanopillars. For such a plasmonic-photonic system, we show that the SLR can be strongly coupled to the F-P resonances of both the odd- and even orders, and that the splitting energy reaches as high as 138 meV in the visible regime. We expect that this work will provide a new scheme for strong coupling between plasmonic and photonic modes.

In recent years, intelligent identification and prediction of ore deposits based on deep learning algorithm and image processing technology has gradually become one of the research frontiers in the field of geological and metallogenic prediction. However, this method also has many problems that need to be solved. For example, (1) very few trainable image samples containing mineral point labels; (2) The geological image features are small and irregular, and the image similarity is high; (3) It is difficult to calculate the influence of different geological prospecting factors on ore mineralization. Based on this, this paper constructs a deep learning network model Multiscale Feature Attention Framework (MFAF) based on geo-image data. The results show that MFCA-Net module in MFAF model can solve the problem of scarce mine label images to a certain extent. In addition, the channel attention mechanism SE-Net module can quantify the difference of influence of different source factors on mineralization. The prediction map is obtained by applying the MFAF model in the study of deposit identification and prediction in the research area of the southern section of Qin-hang metallogenic Belt. In the forecast map, many regions have high metallogenic potential. Through observation, it is found that the above predicted area covers 100% of the known ore deposits at present, which has a good prediction effect. Later, we can find out the specific reasons through field verification. The multi-scale feature fusion and attention mechanism MFA Framework in this paper can provide a new way of thinking for geologists in mineral exploration. The research of this paper also provides resource guarantee and technical support for the sustainable exploitation of mineral resources and the sustainable growth of society and economy.

The crystal structure of quintinite, Mg4Al2(OH)12(CO3)·3H2O, from Jacupiranga alkaline complex (Cajati, São Paulo, Brazil) has been refined for two samples (91002 and C7029) using single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. The mineral crystallizes in the P-3c1 space group, a = 5.246/5.298, c = 15.110/15.199 Å for the samples 91002/C7029. The crystal structure consists of octahedral sheets with Mg and Al ordering according to the 3 × 3 superstructure. The Mg and Al atoms are coordinated by six hydroxylated oxygen atoms each with the average <Mg–O> and <Al–O> bond distances being in the ranges 2.022–2.053 Å and 1.974–1.978 Å, respectively. The interlayer structures are identical (in contradiction to the previous assumptions) and compose from disordered (CO3)2- groups and (H2O)0 molecules. The samples from Jacupiranga can be identified as quintinite-2T that is the second find of the polytype after the Kovdor alkaline complex (Kola peninsula, Russia). The powder X-ray diffraction pattern of quintinite-2T contains weak superstructure reflection at 4.57 Å (010) indicative of Mg and Al ordering. An important crystal-chemical criterion of quintinite is the interlayer distance (d00n-value) of ~ 7.56 Å, which is steady for natural specimens from various findings worldwide.

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

Recently, there has been a trend towards healthy food. Consumers are looking for products that have health-promoting properties in addition to their taste. Actinidia fruit, apart from being tasty, contains valuable nutrients. They are high in vitamin C, polyphenols, and pectins and low in calories. These pro-health properties allow kiwiberry fruit to qualify in the group of so-called superfoods. All tested cultivars belong to two species of Actinidia, well tolerating conditions of moderate climate with negative temperatures in winter. The cultivars differed significantly in mineral content, color, firmness, weight and content of antioxidant substances. Summer pruning (lightening) increased the content of N, P, K, extract, and NO3 and resulted in darker fruit color. However, it slightly decreased the content of polyphenols. 'Sientiabrskaja' can be recommended for consumption as the cultivar richest in polyphenols and with the highest health-promoting values.

Nitrogen fertilization ensures the proper growth of trees. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of differentiated nitrogen fertilization on selected parameters. It was assumed that such analysis is an indirect picture of the needs of cherries grown in herbicide fallow. The content of minerals in two layers of the soil, in leaves, and its influence of tree growth, and the content of chlorophyll in leaves were assessed. The experiments were carried out in three different cherry orchards. Three levels of fertilization were applied in each orchard: 0 kg, 60 kg and with 120 kg N ha- 1. As expected the fertilization resulted in an increase in the content of nitrate and ammonium forms of nitrogen in the soil, however, their content was also dependent on precipitation and temperature. Additionally a high nitrogen fertilization increased the content of phosphorus and potassium and decreased the magnesium in the topsoil layer. High nitrogen fertilization caused the decrease of content of phosphorus and potassium in the leaves. The level of calcium and magnesium in leaves increased with fertilization of 60 kg N ha–1 but decreased with the dose to 120 kg N ha–1. The use of nitrogen fertilization increased the vegetative growth of trees measured by leaf area and trunk cross-sectional area. However, the chlorophyll content was not dependent on the amount of nitrogen fertilization.

We develop a machine learning (ML) approach for improving the accuracy of the horizontal dis-tribution of the aerosol optical depth (AOD) simulated by the CHIMERE chemistry-transport model over Northern Africa using Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) AOD satellite observations. These observations are used during the training phase of the ML method for deriving a regional bias correction of AODs simulated by CHIMERE. The results are daily maps of regional bias corrected AODs with full horizontal coverage over Northern Africa. We test four types of ML models: multiple linear regression (MLR), random forests (RF), gradi-ent boosting (XGB), and multiple layer perceptron networks (NN). We perform comparisons with satellite and independent ground-based observations of AOD that are not used in the training phase. They suggest that all models have overall comparable performances with a slight advantage of the RF model which expresses less spatial artifacts. While the method slightly underestimates the very high AODs, it significantly reduces biases and absolute errors, and clearly enhances linear correlations with respect to independent observations. This im-provement for deriving the AOD is particularly relevant for high dust pollution regions like the Sahara Desert, which dramatically lack ground-based measurements for validations of chemis-try-transport modeling which currently remains challenging and imprecise.

An attempt is made to model the atomic nucleus as a combination of bound and free or unbound nucleons. Due to strong interaction, bound nucleons help in increasing nuclear binding energy and due to electroweak interaction, free or unbound nucleons help in decreasing nuclear binding energy. In this context, with reference to proposed 4G model of final unification and strong interaction, recently we have developed a unified nuclear binding energy scheme with four simple terms, one energy coefficient of 10.1 MeV and two small numbers 0.0016 and 0.0019. In this paper, by eliminating the number 0.0019, we try to fine tune the estimation procedure of number of free or unbound nucleons pertaining to the second term with an energy coefficient of 11.9 MeV. It seems that, some kind of electroweak interaction is playing a strange role in maintaining free or unbound nucleons within the nucleus. It is possible to say that, strong interaction plays a vital role in increasing nuclear binding energy and electroweak interaction plays a vital role in reducing nuclear binding energy. Interesting observation is that, Z can be considered as a characteristic representation of range of number of bound isotopes of Z. For medium, heavy and super heavy atoms, beginning and ending mass numbers pertaining to bound states can be understood with 2Z+0.004Z^2 and 3Z+0.004Z^2 respectively. With further study, neutron drip lines can be understood. Based on this kind of data fitting procedure and by considering the mass ratio of pions and electroweak bosons, existence of our 4G model of electroweak fermion of rest energy 584.725 GeV can be confirmed confidently.

In this paper, we introduce a new formulation based on Floquet (Fourier) spectral analysis combined with a spectral modulation technique (and its spatial form) to study strongly coupled sublattices predefined in the infinite and large finite extent of almost periodic antenna arrays (e.g metasurfaces). This analysis is very relevant for dense massive MIMO, intelligent surfaces, 5G, and 6G applications (used for very small areas with a large number of elements such as millimeter and terahertz waves applications). The numerical method that is adopted to model the structure is the method of moments simplified by equivalent circuits MoM GEC. Other numerical methods (as the ASM array scanning method and windowing Fourier method) used this analysis in their kernel that to treat periodic and pseudo-periodic (or quasi-periodic) arrays.

A partial extraction procedure was used to study the distribution of uranium in the mineral phases of rocks of an aquifer of sandy-clay deposits of the Vendian in the northwest of Russia. This work is a part of a research project to develop a method for combined radiocarbon and uranium-isotope dating of groundwater. Representative aliquots of each core sample were subjected to five "partial" extractions by treatment with: distilled water, low mineralized fresh natural groundwater, minopolycarboxylic acid chelating agent (0.05M EDTA), 0.5M HCl, 15M HNO₃, and a total digestion, with U isotopes reported in this study for each procedure. The following mineral phases of core samples: adsorbed material, carbonate minerals, amorphous iron oxides, aluminosilicates partial digestion and a crystalline iron oxides, aluminosilicates total digestion and a clay/quartz resistate were characterized. Red-colored siltstones depleted in uranium in relatively readily soluble mineral phases. The concentration of adsorbed uranium was established in the amount of 15.8±2.1 - 30.5±3.9 μg/kg. Carbonate minerals contain even less of this element. In iron hydroxides and the most readily soluble aluminosilicates, its concentrations are in the range 168±24 - 212±28 μg/kg. The most insoluble fraction contains 1.65±0.21 - 4.32±0.45 mg/kg of uranium. In green-colored siltstones, the concentration of adsorbed uranium is much higher: 106±14 - 364±43 μg/kg. Carbonate minerals and amorphous iron oxides contain 1.91±0.21 - 2.34±0.26 mg/kg of uranium. In aluminosilicates and a clay/quartz resistate, uranium concentrations are 5.6±0.5 - 16.8±1.4 mg/kg. Elevated values of ²³⁴U:²³⁸U activity ratio prevail in the adsorbed material and iron hydroxides. In aluminosilicates and clay/quartz resistate, the values decrease. This indicates the replacement of primary sedimentogenic uranium by secondary hydrogenic uranium adsorbed on the surface of minerals and coprecipitated with iron hydroxides. The results obtained made it possible to carry out preliminary quantitative estimates of the retardation factor and recoil loss factor of uranium in the groundwater of siltstones of the studied Vendian aquifer.

We examine data assimilation coupling between meteorology and chemistry in the stratosphere from both weak and strong coupling strategies. The study was performed with the Canadian operational weather prediction Global Environmental Multiscale (GEM) model coupled online with the photochemical stratospheric chemistry developed at the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, described in Part I. Here, the Canadian Meteorological Centre’s operational variational assimilation system was extended to include errors of chemical variables and cross-covariances between meteorological and chemical variables in a 3D-Var configuration, and we added the adjoint of tracer advection in the 4D-Var configuration. Our results show that the assimilation of limb sounding observations from the MIPAS instrument on board Envisat can be used to anchor the AMSU-A radiance bias correction scheme. Also, the added value of limb sounding temperature observations on meteorology and transport is shown to be significant. Weak coupling data assimilation with ozone-radiation interaction is shown to give comparable on meteorology whether a simplified linearized or comprehensive ozone chemistry scheme is used. Strong coupling data assimilation, using static error cross-covariances between ozone and temperature in a 3D-Var context, produced inconclusive results with the approximations we used. We have also conducted the assimilation of long-lived species observations using 4D-Var to infer winds. Our results showed the added value of assimilating several long-lived species, and an improvement in the zonal wind in the Tropics within the troposphere and lower stratosphere. 4D-Var assimilation also induced a correction of zonal wind in the surf zone and a temperature bias in the lower tropical stratosphere

Previous studies generally reckon that the full converter-base wind power generation (FCWG) is a ’decoupled’ power source from the grid, which hardly participates in electromechanical oscillations. However, it is found recently that strong interaction could be induced which might incur severe resonance incidents in electromechanical dynamic timescale. In this paper, the participation of FCWG in electromechanical dynamics is extensively investigated, and particularly, an unusual transition of electromechanical oscillation mode (EOM) is uncovered for the first time. The detailed mathematical models of open-loop and closed-loop power systems are firstly established, and modal analysis is employed to quantify the FCWG participation in electromechanical dynamics, with two new mode identification criteria, i.e., FCWG dynamics correlation ratio (FDCR) and quasi-electromechanical loop correlation ratio (QELCR). On this basis, the impact of different wind penetration levels and controller parameter settings on the participation of FCWG is investigated. It is revealed that if an FOM has a similar oscillation frequency to the system EOMs, there is a high possibility to induce strong interactions between FCWG dynamics and system electromechanical dynamics of the external power systems. In this circumstance, an interesting phenomenon may occur that an EOM may be dominated by FCWG dynamics, and hence is transformed into a quasi-EOM, which actively involves the participation of FCWG quasi-electromechanical state variables.

This research presents a comparative analysis of the yield and nutritional quality of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) cultivated in an aeroponic system with two distinct nutrient solutions: (i) commercial hydroponic fertilizers and (ii) aquaponic water without added fertilizers. Both systems were maintained under the same controlled conditions, enabling the comparison of growth parameters, leaf area, antioxidant activity, mineral content, and sensory characteristics of the lettuce. The hydroponic system demonstrated superior performance concerning the fresh weight of lettuce head and root, leaf count, and leaf area. In contrast, the aquaponic system produced a higher dry weight of lettuce heads and a more extensive root-to-shoot ratio. Concerning nutrient concentration, the hydroponic nutrient solution composition exhibited elevated levels of NO3–, P, NH4+, and K in contrast to the aquaponic nutrient solution, which had a more significant S, Cl–, Na, and Mg content. Regarding the nutritional value, lettuce from the hydroponic system exhibited significantly higher levels of K, S, P, Zn, Fe, Mn, and vitamin B2. In contrast, lettuce from the aquaponic system exceeded with higher content of Ca, Na, Mg, Al, B, and Si. Remarkably, the lettuce cultivated in the aquaponic system demonstrated significantly enhanced total flavonoid and phenol content, and antioxidant capacity compared to its hydroponically grown counterpart.

Thyroid hormones have a catabolic effect on bone homeostasis. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate serum vitamin D, calcium, and phosphate and bone marker levels and bone mineral density (BMD) among patients with different thyroid diseases. This cross-sectional study included patients with underlying thyroid diseases (n=64, hyperthyroid; n=53 euthyroid; and n=18, hypothyroid) and healthy controls (n=64). BMD was assessed using z-score and left hip and lumbar bone density (g/cm2). Results showed that the mean serum vitamin D Levels of all groups was low (<50 nmol/L). Thyroid patients had higher serum vitamin D levels than healthy controls. All groups had normal serum calcium and phosphate levels. The bone marker levels were significantly high in the hyperthyroid group and low in the hypothyroid group. The z-score for hip and spine did not significantly differ between thyroid patients and control groups. The hip bone density was remarkably low in the hyperthyroid group. In all groups, the serum vitamin D levels were below the cutoff value. However, thyroid patients had a higher serum vitamin D level than healthy controls. The carboxy terminal collagen crosslink and procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide levels were high in hyperthyroid patients and low in hypothyroid patients. Further, hyperthyroid patients had a low hip BMD.

Abstract: Heavy metals (HMs) contamination is one of the main among abiotic factors affecting crop productivity and also threatens human health via consuming metal contaminated crops as a food source. Over the past few years, HMs have drawn a lot of attention due to their increased use for commercial purposes and their harmful effects on plants and other life forms, thus threatening human survival. However, in recent years, several methods have been adopted to combat the harsh effects of HMs. After phytohormones, use of mineral nutrients such as selenium (Se) in the prevention of HM stress has been explored by the researchers more recently. Selenium is an important micronutrient widely known for its antioxidant properties in both plants and animals. Exogenous Se inhibits metal uptake and its translocation and also improves the antioxidant system, thus imparts resistance to HM toxicity in plants. Moreover, Se also regulates the production of various osmolytes in cells that helps in developing cell osmolarity. Selenium also induces the production of different types of secondary metabolites (SMs) that are also involved in plant's secondary defense mechanisms to different stresses. Uptake of mineral nutrients is a vital process for plant growth and development, which is also positively correlated with Se under metalloid toxicity. However, in order to understand the exact mechanism of Se in HM tolerance, different metabolic processes stimulated by Se and their pathways need to be explored. Hence, this review focuses on the role of Se on nutritional status, antioxidants metabolism, interaction with phytohormones and its role in the regulation of various genes involved in Se induced HM tolerance. Thus, this study will help researchers in the future for the improvement of HM tolerance via Se application in plants.

Mineral wool made from basalt fibers is frequently used as an insulating material in construction systems. In this study, both unused mineral wool, and wool obtained from the softened roofing area, were comprehensively analyzed in a laboratory using different characterization techniques. Firstly, the amount of initial water content and compressive strength at 10% deformation were determined. Secondly, microstructure and surface chemical composition were analysed by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX). To study heterogeneities near the fiber surface and to examine cross-sectional composition, a Scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) was used. Finally, to verify possible reasons for resin degradation, Thermogravimetry analysis and differential scanning colometry (TGA-DSC) were simultaneously carried out. The results show that natural aging under high humidity and thermal fluctuations greatly affects the surface morphology and chemical composition of fibrous composite. Phenol-formaldehyde and other hydrophobic compounds that protect fibers against moisture and give compressive resistance were found to be degraded.

It is extremely fascinating and astonishing that the gravitational field on the surface of a neutron star is with a relativistic mass density of 2.65*10¹⁶~5.87*10¹⁸kgm^-3 which can be larger than the mass density of the neutron star (~10¹⁷kgm^-3).Therefore, it is the author’s first intuitional imagining that this field could directly convert into mass. In so strong a gravitational field, electron and proton could be produced directly from graviton–photon collision. The gravitational field exists in everywhere in our universe. No vacuum that the region of a space is “empty” does exist. A particle is clearly always being acted on by the gravitational field. The quantum vacuum fluctuation and vacuum polarization need be re-understood with the interaction between photon and gravitational field. Therefore, the gravitational field is naturally one of the foundations of modern physics.

In the last decades, cultivation of chia (Salvia hispanica L.) has expanded around the world and the seeds have become well known due to their rich composition in nutrients and bioactive compounds. The aim of this work was to evaluate the physical, chemical and nutritional profile of eight chia seeds grown in different Latin-American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay and Peru). The results showed that several nutritional parameters such as the protein content and amino acid profile, dietary fiber content, lipid content, mineral composition and phytate present in the seeds depend on the location they were grown in. Other parameters such as ash content, fatty acid profile or physical parameters were uniform across locations (except for color parameters). The results support the notion that nutritional characteristics of seeds are determined by the seed's origin, further analysis is needed to define the exact mechanisms that control the changes in the seeds nutritional properties.

Highly-correlated electrons – electrons that engage in strong electron-electron interactions – have been observed in transition metal oxides and quantum dots and can create unusual material behavior that is difficult to model, such as switching between a low resistance metal state and a high resistance Mott insulator state. Tests of devices using a layer-by-layer deposition process for forming multilayer arrays of ferritin (a transition metal (iron) oxide storage protein) have been previously reported that indicate that highly-correlated electron transport is occurring, consistent with models of electron transport in quantum dots. This paper reports the results of the effect of various degrees of structural homogeneity on the electrical characteristics of these ferritin arrays, as well as demonstrating that these structures can provide a switching function associated with the circuit that they are contained within, consistent with the observed behavior of highly-correlated electrons.

As semi-airborne mineral exploration has limited budgets, it is critical to design experimental procedures that generate data maximizing the desired information We investigate the effects of transmitter-receiver geometries for a variety of anomalies and semi-airborne layouts. Our simulations indicate that 200 m flight line spacing and 100 m point distance are the optimal trade-off between coverage and survey progress for various targets. Based on the target size and distance between the transmitter and the target, the transmitter length should be at least equal to the length of the target and for more than 1 km, at least two or three times the target size. Likewise important are the location and direction of the transmitter cables, which can have great impact on the result of inversion and should be parallel to the target strike. By using more than one transmitter, better results are obtained. If the strike of the target is known, transmitters should be parallel to each other and if not, it is better to use perpendicular transmitters. Results showed that the optimal distance between transmitters is 3 km. Our simulations show that it is even possible to recover targets just below the transmitter in corresponding areas of masked data.

The molecular clusters ((HO)3Si-O-Si(OH)3, and (HO)3Al-O-Si(OH)3 ) representative of aluminosilicate mineral surface were employed to study the dissolution of aluminosilicate in acidic condition via density functional theory with the M06-2X+G(d,p) methodology. The surface termination sites (Si and Al) were both tetra-coordinated and the terminal oxygen was protonated in acidic condition. In the dissolution reaction, the calculated barrier height of the six-membered ring transition state complex containing two water molecules was predicted to be lower than that of four-membered ring transition state complex containing one water molecule. In addition, the calculated barrier heights for Al-terminated sites were predicted to be lower than those for the Si-terminated sites, suggesting that breaking the Al-O bond is easier than Si-O bond in the aluminosilicate mineral surface; the barrier heights of the surface termination sites with protonated terminal oxygen were lower than those without protonated terminal oxygen. With the fracture of Si-O and Al-O bonds, the Si and Al release from the aluminosilicate. These results confirm the experimental conclusions that the acidic condition facilitates the release of Si and Al from the aluminosilicate, and the concentration of Al leaching from aluminosilicate is higher than Si.

High dietary phosphate intake and poor adherence to phosphate-binding-therapy elevate the risk of hyperphosphatemia in maintenance hemodialysis (HD; MHD) patients. Therefore, chronic kidney disease-related mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD) indicators increase; consequently, risks of CKD-MBDs and inflammation are elevated. This double-blind, randomized control trial intervention study was designed to investigate the possibility of reducing blood CKD-MBD indicators and modulating inflammatory indicators by consuming low-phosphate (LP) meals accompanied by a minimum dose of a calcium-based phosphate binder (CaCO3). MHD patients were recruited and randomly assigned to an LP meal group (LP group) or a control group. After initial data collection, blood collection, and dietary counseling, subjects were asked to consume a washout diet for 1 week. During the washout diet period, subjects consumed their usual diet but took 1 tablet of calcium carbonate (1CaCO3) as a phosphate binder with each meal. After the washout diet period, subjects in the LP group and control group respectively consumed LP meals and regular meals twice a day for 1 week. Meat in the LP meals was boiled before the regular cooking process, but meat in control meals was not. All meals were supplied by a central kitchen so that the contents of phosphate and other nutrients could be identified. In total, 40 MHD patients completed the study program. After 1 week of the dietary intervention, the blood Ca x P product and dietary phosphate had significantly decreased in the LP group compared to the control group (p&lt;0.05). The LP group had significantly lower variations in dietary phosphate intake, blood calcium, Ca x P product, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α than the control group by comparing differences between after the dietary intervention and the baseline (△after intervention - baseline, p&lt;0.05). The increase in dietary phosphate intake (△3rd - 2nd dietary phosphate intake) augmented the increase in the TNF-α level by 6.24-fold (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 6.24 [1.12~34.92], p&lt;0.05). These results highlighted the conclusion that LP meals accompanied by a minimum dose of CaCO3 downregulated pro-inflammation by reducing CKD-MBD indicators which was triggered by decreasing dietary phosphate intake.

Metal nanoparticles supporting plasmons are widely used to enhance electromagnetic fields, resulting in strong light-matter interactions at the nanoscale in a diverse range of applications. Recently, it has been shown that when metal nanorods are periodically arranged with proper lattice periods, surface lattice resonances (SLRs) can be excited and near fields can be greatly enhanced over extended volumes. In this work, we report significant near field enhancement over even larger volumes by placing the metal nanorod array within a Fabry-Pérot (F-P) microcavity. Results show that taking advantage of strong coupling between the SLR and the photonic F-P resonances, the electric field intensity of the bonding split mode can be enhanced by up to 1935 times, which is about three times of the enhancement of the SLR, and the greatly enhanced field can extend over most of the F-P microcavity. We further show that the F-P resonances of both odd and even orders can strongly couple to the SLR by varying the nanorods position from the middle of the microcavity. We expect that the proposed plasmonic-photonic coupling system will find promising applications in nanolasers, nonlinear optics and sensing.

The steady-state dissolution rates of basaltic glass and labradorite have been measured in the presence of 10 to 700 x 10-3 mol kgw-1 aqueous NaCl, KCl, CaCl2, and MgCl2 at 25 oC. All rates were measured in mixed flow reactors, and at pH~3.6 by the addition of HCl to the reactive fluids. Steady-state basaltic glass dissolution rates based on Si release increased by ~0.3 log units in the presence of 1 x 10-2 mol kgw-1 of CaCl2 or MgCl2, compared to their rates in 10 x 10-3 mol kgw-1 of NaCl, and KCl. In contrast, the steady-state dissolution rates of labradorite decreased by ~0.4 log units in the presence of 10 x 10-3mol kgw-1 of CaCl2 or MgCl2, compared to their rates in 10 x 10-3 mol kgw-1 of NaCl, and KCl. These contrasting behaviours likely reflect the varying effects of these cations on the stability of rate controlling Si-rich activated complexes on the surface of the solids. On average, the Si release rates of these solids are similar to each other and increase slightly with increasing ionic strength. As the pH of water charged with 10 to 30 bars CO2 is ~3.6, the results of this study indicate that both basaltic glass and labradorite dissolution will likely be effective at increasing pH and adding Ca to the aqueous phase in saline fluids. This observation supports potential efforts to store carbon through its mineralization in saline aquifers containing Ca-bearing feldspar and in submarine basalts.

In this paper, the authors employ Mountain Pass Lemma, the method of weak solution regularization and Lyapunov function method to derive the unique existence of globally exponential stable positive stationary solution of a single-species model with diffusion and delayed feedback. The obtained stability criterion illuminates that under some suitable conditions, a certain internal competition is conducive to the overall stability of the population, and a certain amount of family planning is conducive to the overall stability of the population. A numerical example and three tables show the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

The orbital elactronic structure of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) contains many unpaired electrons which render them capable of storing large amount of magnetic energy in addition to being critical for hitech applications. Geological deposits are their conventional sources, and the current supply chain relies on production from these deposits. However, given their critical roles in the anticipated global energy transition, there is the need to explore other viable sources to supplement current and future supplies chains. REEs occur in coal as accessory minerals and their concentration in coal ash to levels that rival those of geological deposits has been estab;ished by sophisticated analytical chemical methods. Conmventional hydrometallurgical processes rely on acid leaching, using tioxic mineral acids. Meanwhile, organosulfonic acids have pKa values that rival those of conventional minerals acid and can, therefore, be used in hydrometallurgy but their uses in this regard are not well documented in the literature. In this extensive review, we have covered geological sources of REEs exaustively in addition to showing the potential of organosulfonic acids as environmentally benign lixiviants for REEs extraction from coal ash. We have also shown how process optimization can be achieved using advance technologies while using organisulfonic acids. Moreover, we have shown current and future global market trends regarding the production of select organosulfonic acids, and the anticipated global increase in their production motivates the use of organosulfonic acids as viable lixiviants for REEs extraction from caol ash deposits.

Generally, mineral fillers are added to thermoplastic polymers to reduce cost and improve performance. However, properly selected mineral fillers can also improve thermal conductivity and deformation behavior, shrinkage, impact strength, dimensional stability, and molding cycle time in thermoset polymers. This study focused on the preparation and microscopic and spectroscopic characterization of various hybrid composites using pumice as primary filler and gypsum, kaolin and hollow glass sphere as secondary fillers, as well as examining some of their mechanical properties and thermal conductivities. For this, first of all, surface modification of the clay was carried out by intercalation method from solution using raw Montmorillonite, cationic surfactant and long chain hydrocarbon material, and then organo-clay melamine formaldehyde nanocomposite was prepared by in situ synthesis using organo clay and melamine formaldehyde pre-polymer. Finally, non-ionic surfactant, foaming agent and glycerin were added to the prepared nano-composite at approximately 90°C, mixed mechanically and then pumice was added. The processes at this stage were repeated while preparing hybrid composites with pumice and other mineral additives. For curing and molding, the composite was first subjected to microwave irradiation for 5 minutes followed by thermal treatment at 140°C for 60 min. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) spectra and Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and High resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) images were taken for morphological and textural characterization for raw clay (MMT), organo clay (OMMT) and pure polymer with prepared hybrid composites. In addition, some mechanical properties such as bending strength, elasticity modulus and screw holding resistance, as well as thermal conductivity coefficients of the hybrid composites were determined according to the relevant standards and the obtained results were evaluated. Spectroscopic and microscopic analyzes have shown that effective adhesion interactions occur between polymer-clay nanocomposite particles and filler grains, thus resulting in textural arrangements with different properties. Mechanical and thermal conductivity test results showed that melamine formaldehyde-organo-clay nano composite foam and hybrid composite containing hollow glass sphere are highly qualified materials in terms of thermal insulation and mechanical strength.

Quantum correlations, especially time correlations, are crucial in ghost imaging in order to significantly reduce the background noise on the one hand while increasing the imaging resolution. Moreover, the time correlations serve as a critical reference, distinguishing between signal and noise, which in turn enable clear visualization of biological samples. Quantum imaging also addresses the challenge involved in imaging delicate biological structures with minimal photon exposure and sample damage. Here we explore the recent progress in quantum correlation-based imaging, notably its impact on secure imaging and remote sensing protocols as well as on biological imaging. We also exploit the quantum characteristics of heralded single-photon sources (HSPS) combined with decoy-state methods for secure imaging. This method uses Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) principles to reduce measurement uncertainties and protect data integrity. It is highly effective in low-photon-number regimes for producing high-quality, noise-reduced images. The versatility of decoy-state methods with WCSs (WCS) is also discussed, highlighting their suitability for scenarios requiring higher photon numbers. We emphasize the dual advantages of these techniques: improving image quality through noise reduction and enhancing data security with quantum encryption, suggesting significant potential for quantum imaging in various applications, from delicate biological imaging to secure quantum communication.

New setting is introduced to study chromatic number. Neutrosophic chromatic number and chromatic number are proposed in this way, some results are obtained. Classes of neutrosophic graphs are used to obtains these numbers and the representatives of the colors. Using colors to assigns to the vertices of neutrosophic graphs is applied. Some questions and problems are posed concerning ways to do further studies on this topic. Using strong edge to define the relation amid vertices which implies having different colors amid them and as consequences, choosing one vertex as a representative of each color to use them in a set of representatives and finally, using neutrosophic cardinality of this set to compute neutrosophic chromatic number. This specific relation amid edges is necessary to compute both chromatic number concerning the number of representative in the set of representatives and neutrosophic chromatic number concerning neutrosophic cardinality of set of representatives. If two vertices have no strong edge, then they can be assigned to same color even they’ve common edge. Basic familiarities with neutrosophic graph theory and graph theory are proposed for this article.

A low calcium intake is associated with an increased fracture risk. We assessed the dietary calcium intake in a cohort of Italian individuals evaluated for low bone mineral density (BMD). A 7-day food-frequency questionnaire was administered to 1793 individuals consecutively referred at a Centre of the Italian Society for Osteoporosis, Mineral Metabolism and Skeletal Diseases for low BMD. In 30.3% (544/1793) and 20.9% (374/1793) of subjects the calcium intake was inadequate ( <700 mg/day) and adequate (>1200 mg/day), respectively. Patients with calcium intake <700 mg/day showed a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus, idiopathic hypercalciuria and food allergy/intolerance (8.1%, 5.1%, 7.2%, respectively) than patients with calcium intake >700 mg/day (5.3%, 3.0%, 4.1%, respectively, p<0.04 for all comparisons), also after adjusting for age, gender and BMI. In 30.3% of fractured subjects the calcium intake was <700 mg/day. In Italy, a low calcium intake is highly prevalent in individuals at risk for low BMD. Importantly, an inadequate calcium intake is highly prevalent even in patients with history of fragility fractures. Only about a fifth of patients at risk for low BMD reported an adequate calcium intake

An effective empirical statistical method is developed to improve the process of mineral resource estimation of seabed polymetallic nodules and is applied to analyse the abundance of seabed polymetallic nodules in the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ). The newly proposed method is based on three hypotheses as the foundation for a model of “Idealized Nodules”, which was validated by analysing nodule samples collected from the seabed within the Tonga Offshore Mining Limited (TOML) exploration contract. Once validated, the “Idealized Nodule” model was used to deduce a set of empirical formulae for predicting the nodule resources, in terms of Percentage Coverage and Abundance. The formulae were then applied to analysing a total of 188 sets of nodule samples collected across the TOML areas, comprising box-core samples and towed camera images collected by one of the authors and detailed in [4]. The analysis also relies upon detailed box-core sample measurements from other areas reported by [7]. Numerical results for resource prediction were compared with field measurements, and reasonable agreement has been achieved. The new method has the potential to achieve more accurate mineral resource estimation with reduced sample numbers and sizes. They may also have application in improving the efficiency of design and configuration of mining equipment.

The overcrowding of high-rise buildings in the city adversely affects the wind environment by changing the air currents in the surrounding areas. In particular, extreme climate phenomena caused by climate change are stronger and more frequent, causing social damages in cities. To comprehensively better understand the wind properties around high-rise buildings, actual filed measurement is necessary to determine the environment assessment of wind effect. We performed the on-site measurement on LCT residential complex regions (411.6m tall) with highly concentrated high-rise buildings in coastal city Busan, South Korea under extreme weather conditions such as typhoon invasions to determine wind fluid characteristics. In the field monitoring, five anemometers were installed to analyze the wind environment around high-rise buildings when typhoon 'Hinnamnor' invaded. Compared to the nearby weather station operated by KMA(Korea Meteorological Administration), the gust was 3.7 times stronger and the max 1 min-mean wind speed was 3.1 times stronger, and the characteristics of the downward wind and the canyon wind were shown depending on the location characteristics of the point. Turbulence intensity decreased as the wind speed increased and converged to a certain value. Likewise, the gust factor also decreased as the wind speed increased and converged to 2.0, which is considered to be the parameter that best represents the intensity of the instantaneous gust caused by the skyscraper wind effect.

Hyperspectral imaging data holds great potential for the different stages of the mining life cycle in active and post-mining environments. However, the technology has yet to reach the stage of large-scale industrial implementation and acceptance. While hyperspectral satellite imagery can achieve high spectral resolution, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and global availability with break-through satellite systems like EnMAP, EMIT and PRISMA, limited spatial resolution poses chal-lenges for sectors like mining, which require decimetre to centimetre scale resolution for applica-tions such as reconciliation, ore/waste estimates, geotechnical assessments and environmental monitoring. Hyperspectral imaging from drones (referred to herein as Uncrewed Aerial Systems; UASs) offers high spatial resolution data relevant to the camp/ mine scale, with the capability for frequent, user-defined re-visit times. This has been made possible by the miniaturization of hy-perspectral imaging systems. Collection of data in the visible to near and shortwave infrared (VNIR-SWIR) wavelength regions enables the detection of different minerals and surface altera-tion patterns potentially revealing crucial information for exploration, extraction, re-mining, waste remediation, and rehabilitation. In this paper, we provide a review of relevant studies de-ploying hyperspectral imaging in or applicable to the mining sector, especially for the use of hy-perspectral VNIR-SWIR Uncrewed Aerial Systems. Where required, we draw on previous in-sights derived from satellite or ground-based systems. We also discuss UAS survey planning, and sampling considerations for validation and interpretation.

We report a prebiotically relevant solution to the N1-ribosylation of pyrimidine nucleobases, a well-known challenge in the RNA World hypothesis. It is found that the presence of metal cations and clay mineral enables the previously unachievable direct ribosylation of uracil, providing by far the highest yield. Spectroscopy and chromatography analyses confirmed the formation of ribosylated uracil. The method can also be extended to the ribosylation of 2-pyrimidinone. These findings are also compatible with the metal-doped-clay model developed by our lab for the unified route of the selection of ribose and subsequent syntheses of nucleotide and RNA.

Background: Waterborne diseases pose a significant global public health threat, compelling enhanced comprehensive surveillance. This study investigates the current infectious disease and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance systems, including wastewater and environmental surveillance (WES), in three sub-Saharan African countries: Tanzania, Burkina Faso, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The three countries have their specificities regarding wastewater networks and logistic systems. So, emphasizing the need to strengthen existing disease surveillance, the paper advocates for incorporating WES systems specifically designed for countries' context to monitor waterborne and re-emerging pathogens, as well as AMR.Methods: National workshops were conducted to assess the current clinical and environmental surveillance systems and identify priority pathogens for new environmental monitoring. Data were collected through surveys from experts in academia, research, policy, and healthcare. Results: Prioritized pathogens for WES include waterborne (poliovirus, Salmonella Typhi, Vibrio cholerae), respiratory (influenza A&B, SARS-CoV-2), other (Measles and Rubella, Mycobacterium tuberculosis). Recommended AMR pathogens include drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Salmonella spp., methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase and carbapenemase-producing E. coli. Tanzania, Burkina Faso, and the DRC employ DHSI2-based centralized electronic systems for clinical data collection, complemented by Excel and paper-based registries. The WES approach is commonly employed for monitoring poliovirus and rarely for AMR and other pathogens. Discussion and conclusions: WES is a valuable tool for early detection of locally circulating human-derived pathogens, aiding in outbreak detection, data-driven epidemic response, and prevention. The availability of WES results underscores the importance of effective sanitation for safeguarding human, animal, and environmental health. WES is a pivotal tool for integrated risk management, preventing waterborne outbreaks, protecting drinking water sources, and ultimately gaining various UN Sustainable Development Goals. The study highlights the importance of customized WES systems in line with each country's context, emphasizing localized approaches for effective monitoring of waterborne pathogens and AMR.

Here we analyze three well-known conjectures: (i) the existence of infinitely-many twin primes, (ii) Goldbach’s strong conjecture, and (iii) Polignac’s conjecture. We show that the three conjectures are related to each other. In particular, we see that in analysing the validity of the Goldbach’s strong conjecture, one must consider also the existence of an infinite number of twin primes. As a consequence of how we approach this analysis, we also observe that if this conjecture is true, then so is Polignac’s conjecture. Our first step is an analysis of the existence of infinitely-many twin primes numbers. For this, using the formula 4((n−1)!+1) ≡ −n (mod n(n + 2)) – satisfied if and only if (n, n + 2) are twin primes –, together with Wilson’s theorem, we obtain conditions that must be met for two numbers to be twin primes. Our results, obtained from an analytic and functional study, lead us to conclude that there may exist infinitely-many twin primes. Next, we consider the validity of the Goldbach’s strong conjecture. After showing that the conjecture is true for the first even numbers, we notice a pattern that we analyze for any even number, reducing it to three cases: (i) when the even number 2n is two times a prime number n; (ii) when the even number 2n is such that n = 2m, with 2m − 1 and 2m + 1 twin primes; (iii) all other cases, i.e., for any 2n even number ∀n ∈ N with n > 1, n prime or not, with independence of n = 2m being 2m−1 and 2m+1 twin primes or not. In this last case we show that one can always find a certain r ∈ N such that 1 < r < n satisfying that n−r and n+r are primes, so that their sum is 2n. In this case we use the reduction to absurd method, and our results lead us to conclude that Goldbach’s strong conjecture is true to the best of our calculations, as well as the Polignac’s conjecture.

Deficient minerals in overabundant populations could act as an attractant to cull sika deer (Cervus nippon). Because selective culling of female deer is reported to be effective in reducing sika deer populations, it is particularly important to clarify the differences in mineral requirements between male and female. Here, using global plant trait data and a published list of sika deer food plants in Japan, we estimated whether food plants provide sika deer sufficient sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg), and compared the results between male and female. An analysis of 191 food plant species suggested that food plants can provide sufficient Mg, whereas sufficient Na and Ca is not always provided, especially when the intake is small or the deer large. Na deficiency was more intense for lactating females than males, suggesting that Na can be an effective attractant for selectively culling female deer. In summary, this study demonstrated that sika deer in Japan might require extra Na and Ca sources in addition to food plants, and therefore these minerals could be useful for developing effective culling methods.

Osteoporosis is a common problem in orthopedic medicine, and it has become an important medical issue in orthopedics as Taiwan is gradually becoming an aging society. In the diagnosis of osteoporosis, the bone mineral density (BMD) derived from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the main criterion for orthopedic diagnosis of osteoporosis, but due to the high cost of this equipment and the lower penetration rate of the equipment compared to the X-ray images, the problem of osteoporosis has not been effectively solved for many people who suffer from osteoporosis, however, at present, in clinical diagnosis, doctors are not yet able to accurately interpret X-ray images for osteoporosis manually, and must rely on the data obtained from DXA. In recent years, with the continuous development of artificial intelligence, especially in machine learning and deep learning, significant progress has been made in image recognition. Therefore, it is worthwhile to revisit whether it is possible to use a convolutional neural network model to read a hip X-ray image and then predict the patient's BMD. In this study, we proposed a hip X-ray image segmentation model and a hip X-ray image recognition classification model. First, we used the U-Net model as a framework to segment the femoral neck, greater trochanter, wards triangle, and the total hip in the hip X-ray images. We then performed image matting and data augmentation. Finally, we constructed a predictive model for osteoporosis using deep learning algorithms. In the segmentation experiments, we used intersection over union (IoU) as the evaluation metric for image segmentation, and both the U-Net and U-Net++ models achieved segmentation results greater than or equal to 0.5. In the classification experiments, using the T-score as the classification basis, the total hip using the DenseNet121 model has the highest accuracy of 74%.

Climate change will pose a challenge for the winemaking sector worldwide, bringing progressively drier and warmer conditions and increasing the frequency and intensity of weather extremes. The short-term adaptation strategy of applying biostimulants through foliar application serves as a crucial measure in mitigating the detrimental effects of environmental stresses on grapevine yield and berry quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of foliar application of a seaweed based biostimulant (A. nodosum – ANE) and glycine betaine (GB) on berry quality, bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, and elucidated their action on the secondary metabolism. A trial was installed in a commercial vineyard (cv. ‘Touriga Franca’) in the Cima Corgo (Upper Corgo) sub-region of the Douro Demarcated Region. A total of four foliar sprayings were performed during the growing season: at flowering, pea size, bunch closer, and veraison. There was a positive effect of GB in the berry quality traits. Both ANE and GB increased the synthesis of anthocyanins and other phenolics in berries and influenced the expression of genes related to the synthesis and transport of anthocyanins (CHS, F3H, UFGT, MATE1 and GST). So, they have the potential to act as elicitors of secondary metabolism, leading to improved grape quality, but also sets the foundation for sustainable agricultural practices in the long run.

Current artificial intelligence (AI) technology is still considered weak AI. However, the progression towards strong AI unavoidably involves grappling with concerns surrounding consciousness, the mind, and creativity. This paper focuses on analyzing consciousness, creativity, and the generation of emotions to explore the possibility of machine-based consciousness, creativity, and emotion. We believe that the emergence of consciousness relies on the complex interplay at different layers within a complex system, rather than wholly relying on the underlying substrates of the system. Thus, it is plausible to consider the existence of machine-based consciousness, creativity, and emotion. Furthermore, swarm intelligence should be recognized as a distinct form of intelligence. Human individuals serve as the foundational substrate enabling the realization of swarm intelligence, with individual intelligence reflecting the projection of swarm intelligence at the individual level. The advanced state of human civilization is primarily attributable to the effect of swarm intelligence. Building upon basic emotions to adapt to environmental conditions, advanced human emotions are a product of the evolutionary process by swarm intelligence. Emotions serve as a pivotal impetus for the formation and development of societies grounded in swarm intelligence. In pursuit of super-AI that surpasses human civilization in the future, nurturing swarm intelligence represents an inevitable trajectory.

This study compared the relative effect of two trace mineral supplementation strategies recom-mended in France for newborn beef calves. 600 calves were supplemented with 20 mg oral sele-nium (OTM group) at birth (D0) or by injection (ITM group) of a multi-mineral solution (60 mg of Zn, 10 mg of Mn, 15 mg of Cu, 5 mg of Se) on D0, D30 and D60. Mortality and the incidence rate of diseases, including diarrhea, omphalitis, pneumonia, as well as medicinal treatments, were recorded from D0 to D210. The incidence rate of omphalitis was significantly lower in the ITM group than in the OTM group (respectively 11% vs. 17%, P = 0.036). The cumulative inci-dence rate of all health troubles was lower in the ITM group than in the OTM group (P=0.007). Except for pneumonia, incidence of diarrhea (24% vs. 22%), use of oral (7% vs. 6%) or IV rehydra-tion therapy (4% vs. 2%) or use of antibiotics (43.3% vs. 38.0%) and mortality (3% vs 2%) were numerically higher in OTM group than in ITM group (n.s.). In this study, ITM supplementation is as efficient as oral supplementation regarding calves' health status. It reduces the risk of ompha-litis at the calf level effectively.

Understanding mechanisms of ageing remains a complex challenge for biogerontologists, but recent adaptations of evolutionary ageing theories offer a compelling lens in which to view both age-related molecular and physiological deterioration. Ageing is commonly associated with a progressive loss of biochemical processes and degeneration of molecular material, however, the mechanisms of diminishing function are not simply a result of aberrant expression of these pathways. Natural selection pressures are at their highest in youthful periods to select genes advantageous to maximising reproductive capacity. After sexual maturation, selective pressure diminishes, subjecting individuals to maladaptive pleiotropic gene function once beneficial for developmental growth, but pathogenic later in life. Due to this selective ‘shadowing’ in ageing, mechanisms to counter hyperfunctional genes are unlikely to evolve within a given species. These genetic ‘run-on’ programmes are not dysfunctional per se and, in fact, remain highly robust. Thus, interventions capable of optimising gene function during the ageing process represent as attractive therapeutic modalities. Caenorhabditis elegans offers a unique model to explore high-throughput screening of interventions to combat hyperfunctional pathways involved in ageing. However, the majority of research to date employ whole-life vs late-life pathway manipulation of developmental/growth-related systems to claim ageing attenuation, despite significant impairments in early-life fitness and discordance with healthspan. Here, we discuss data supporting hyperfunctional changes at a global molecular and functional level in C. elegans, and how classical lifespan-extension mutants alter these dynamics. We later discuss the relevance of such mutant models for exploring mechanisms of ageing, highlighting that post-reproductive gene manipulation represents a far more translatable approach for C. elegans research not routed within pleiotropic constraints. More so, lifespan has become a routine readout for quantifying ‘ageing’, however, we make the argument that a compression of gerospan vs lifespan extension is a more meaningful goal for anti-ageing regimes with current knowledge. Similarly, mechanisms governing lifespan are distinct from those regulating health, and slowing senescent pathology accumulation appears more applicable for the abstraction to human ageing.