The study carried out by simulation, concerns the thermal behavior of an office building’s solar fresh air cooling system, based on a LiBr-H₂O absorption chiller in different climatic conditions. The coefficient of performance (COP) and the solar fraction were considered performance parameters and were analyzed with respect to the operating limits: risk of crystallization and maintaining at least a minimum degassing zone. A new correlation between the required solar hot temperature and the cooling water temperature was established and then embedded in another new correlation between the COP and the cooling water temperature that was used in simulations during the whole cooling season corresponding to each location. It was found that: the solar hot water should be maintained in the range of (80-100) °C depending on the cooling water temperature, the COP of the solar LiBr-H₂O absorption chiller with or without cold storage tank can reach (76.5-82.4) % depending on the location, and the solar fraction can reach (29.5-62.0) % without cold storage tank and can exceed 100 % with cold storage tank, the excess cooling power being available to cover other types of cooling loads: through the building envelope, from lighting, from occupants, etc.

Diagnosing skin lesions can be a challenging task. Dermatologic lesions are hard to differentiate especially for an untrained eye. However, carefully analyzing every aspect of the lesion can help clinicians reach an accurate diagnosis. If diagnosed correctly with the naked eye, many lesions can be treated without the need for further histopathology or investigations. Those aspects include morphology, color, distribution, configuration and arrangement, texture and consistency, and any evolutions or changes within the lesion. Clinicians must also contextualize those lesions into the patient’s history and overall systemic symptoms and signs. Risk factors should be taken into consideration and whether there are evolutionary changes in the lesions. Clinicians should also look for patterns as they might be the key to diagnosis. If definitive diagnosis is still not reached, biopsy, dermatoscopy, cultures, skin scrapings, patch testing, blood tests, and imaging studies may be necessary for confirmation. Integrating these methods with clinical judgment and patient history significantly enhances the accuracy of diagnosis in dermatology. Treatment for dermatologic lesions varies depending on the underlying cause.

The Macroscopic Mechanical Equilibrium Condition can be shown to be the physical origin of the Equation of State of any material system, then can describe all thermodynamic quasi-equilibrium processes caused by the change of the external temperature and/or mechanical environment. If it cannot be satisfied, the system would be broken.

Contacting bodies in extreme environments are prone to severe wear and failure due to friction and seizure, which are associated with significant thermal and mechanical loads. This phenomenon greatly impacts the economy since most essential components encounter these challenges during machining, an unavoidable step in most manufacturing processes. In machining, stress can reach 4 GPa, and temperatures can exceed 1000 °C at the cutting zone. Severe seizure and friction are the primary causes of tool and workpiece failures. Liquid lubricants are popular in machining for combatting heat and friction; however, concerns about their environmental impact are growing, as two-thirds of the 40 million tons used annually are discarded and they produce other environmental and safety issues. Despite their overall efficacy, these lubricants also have limitations, including ineffectiveness in reducing seizure at the tool/chip interface and susceptibility to degradation at high temperatures. There is therefore a push towards solid lubricants, which promise a reduced environmental footprint, better friction management, and improved machining outcomes but also face challenges under extreme machining conditions. This research aims to provide a thorough insight into solid lubricant use in machining, discussing their mechanisms, effectiveness, constraints, and potential to boost productivity and environmental sustainability.

We study the problem of matching interior and exterior solutions of Einstein’s equations along a particular hypersuface. We present the main aspects of the C3 matching approach that involves third-order derivatives of the corresponding metric tensors in contrast to the standard matching procedures known in general relativity, which impose conditions on the second-order derivatives only. The C3 alternative approach does not depend on coordinates and allows us to determine the matching surface by using the invariant properties of the eigenvalues of the curvature tensor.

Results: A total of 6270 individuals were assessed (1615 severe and 4655 non-severe patients). The median age was 63 (95% CI: 49-74) and 47 (95% CI: 19-63) years in the severe and non-severe groups, respectively. Moreover, about 41% of patients had comorbidities. Severity was higher in patients with history of cerebrovascular disease: OR 4.85 (95% CI: 3.11-7.57). The odds of being in severe group increase by 4.81(95% CI: 3.43-6.74) for history of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This was 4.19 (95% CI: 2.84-6.19) for chronic lung disease and 3.18, 95% CI: 2.09-4.82 for cancer .The odds ratio of a diabetes and hypertension were 2.61 (95% CI: 2.02-3.3), and 2.37( 95% CI: 1.80-3.13) respectively.

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

This paper explores teachers’ professional practices to gain a thorough grasp and a deep understanding of what it takes to retain learners in an environment where most schools fail to do so. I approach the study using a qualitative multiple case study design and position it within the interpretive paradigm. I purposively selected 50 post-level one teachers from five schools. Cavanagh and Dellar’s theory on culture of school improvement, which emphasizes the transformation of schools into learning communities through social interaction, interpersonal relationships, and support among various stakeholders, including parents, teachers, and learners, was used as theoretical lens for this research. To generate data, I used focus group discussions. I present and discuss data through four themes namely, fundamental values, ethics and behaviour in the classroom, their influence in building learners’ moral vocabulary in the classroom, Classroom rituals in running the classroom smoothly and learner productivity, the effects of the celebrations on the classroom-learning communities, role served by heroes and heroines in learners learning together. In conclusion, one dynamic that stood out is that not all values that teachers had were mutually consistent or harmoniously realisable. Despite that, teachers focused on the central task of teaching, learning and management with a sense of responsibility, purpose and commitment. Teachers seemed to have mind-sets that supported a good work ethic, achievement, commitment, passion and love to attend their teaching duties diligently. Teachers uphold the values through rituals that symbolised order, that prepared students for learning and helped in binding learners of the school and teachers to each other and emphasised the unique values of the school culture. They also uphold them by celebrating academic achievement and had learners and other people who were taken as heroes and heroines of the school and were looked up to by other learners and members of the staff and generally set the tone for the way things were done.

Blockchain technology (BCT) has the potential for sustainable development, enhancing business efficiency, reducing costs, and strengthening data security. Despite its potential, adoption among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is low due to the need for significant changes in technology infrastructure and the challenge of interoperability. A cross-sectional survey was done with 226 Hong Kong SMEs. The PLS-SEM results highlighted favorable transformation conditions as the most critical factor for SMEs considering the adoption of BCT. These conditions address both internal and external readiness for adopting the disruptive strategy. Other contributing factors to BCT adoption include trust in BCT developers, perceived usefulness and ease of use, government support, and perceived security. The research results contributed to the literature on disruptive technology acceptance, adoption, transformation conditions, technology readiness, and SMEs’ technology adoption. Government-supported policies and initiatives can promote BCT adoption, including educational programs, case studies, and resources for readiness. Financial support and regulatory frameworks can further encourage adoption. BCT developers can demonstrate the value of their systems, effectively communicate potential ROI and cost savings, and provide user-friendly interfaces to increase SMEs’ intention to adopt BCT.

Rat is one of the most commonly used model animals for biological research. The organs and systems of human being are somewhat similar to that of rat in structure as well as functions, making it a valuable choice for research experimentation in biological sciences. A number of studies have been conducted to evaluate the potential risks and toxicity of different elements on the physiology and histology of rats. There is need to address certain environmental factors affecting rats condition during experimentation. Reproduction along with its pathologies is under investigation on larger scale throughout the world, being central for the existence of a species. These studies focus on the major factors that influence reproductive function. Review of literature clearly indicated the unwanted consequences of over nutrition, malnutrition, high or low temperature, non-enriched housing, improper handling, intense or poor light exposure and environmental pollution on histology and hormonal profile of reproductive system of rats.

Peru has one of the highest informal employment rates in Latin America (73%). Previous studies have shown higher prevalence of poor self-perceived health (P-SPH) in informal workers compared to formal. The study’s aim is to analyse the role of working conditions in the association between informality and SPH in urban working population in Peru. We conducted a cross-sectional study based on 3098 workers from the working conditions survey of Peru 2017. Prevalence of P-SPH and exposure to poor working conditions were calculated separated by formal and informal employment and stratified by sex. Poisson regression models were used to assess the association between P-SPH and informal employment, with its prevalence ratios (PR) crude and adjusted for working conditions. Informal employment was 76% in women and 66% in men. Informal workers were more exposed to poor working conditions than formals and reported worse SPH. Workers in informal employment showed higher risk of P-SPH than formals: PR 1.38 [95% CI: 1.16 – 1.64] in women and PR 1.27 [95% CI: 1.08 – 1.49] in men. Adjustment by working conditions weakened the association in both sexes. In women, this association was only partially explained by worse working conditions 1.23 [95% CI: 1.04 – 1.46]. The negative effect on informal workers’ health is partially explained by poor working conditions. However, there is a part of the effect explained by informality per se.

1) Background: A significant proportion of child laborers are compelled to work in exploitative environments, experience both deteriorating health and financial loss. The present study sought to determine the factors affecting child labour and the characteristics of their working environment. 2) Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted with 80 child labourers aged 5 to 17 years. Alongside descriptive statistics, a newly devised technique known as Influencing Causes Index (ICI) was administered and tested. 3) Results: The startling demographic findings reveal that peak share of child labourers are young children (12-14 years) and 32.5% child laborers had never attended school. The thorough assessment of determinants reflects that not only poverty, but schooling expenses and lack of access opportunity to primary schools are also the top-ranked push factors to trigger children towards labour. Around 72.5% of children work for over 8 hours a day. A significant proportion of participants received no leave, training, or access to hygiene facilities. The existing pattern of employment and working conditions resulted in musculoskeletal pain and dermatological infections among child labourers (p<0.05). 4) Conclusion: This research suggests that income measures for households, and an education programme for both children and parents would expedite the abolition of child labour.

We explore three cases of pediatric neurological diseases, viz. Arthrogryposis, congenital bilateral cataract and Autism by analyzing clinical exomes. As genetic variation attributing to pathogenesis is a significant bottleneck, we attempted to understand and validate them using Sanger validation. We further employ our CONVEX pipeline to infer pathogenic variants and discern the candidate genes for phenotype correlation.

In this paper we study a bilinear optimal control problem related to a 2D parabolic-elliptic chemo-repulsion system consider a nonlinear chemical signal production term. We prove the existence of global optimal solutions with bilinear control, and applying a result on the existence of Lagrange multipliers in Banach spaces, we derive an optimality system for a local optimal solution.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented challenges in the care of children with cerebral palsy (CP) and other neuromuscular complex chronic conditions (NCCC). The purpose of this study was to explore the direct impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare delivery. From May to August 2020, medical professionals caring for CP and NCCC patients across multiple countries and disciplines completed a self-administered cross-sectional survey comparing practices before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 79 healthcare workers from 8 countries who participated—predominantly pediatric orthopedic surgeons (32%), pediatricians (30%), and pediatric physiatrists (23%)—most felt that caring for NCCC patients during the pandemic presented with unique difficulties and reported a significant decrease in in-person NCCC clinic volume (p<0.001), multidisciplinary appointments (p<0.001), surgical cases (p=0.005), and botulinum toxin/phenol injections. Most providers affirmed that institutional guidelines for perioperative emergent/urgent and elective procedures, workplace settings, and technology were modified to accommodate the ongoing public health crisis. Usage of telemedicine significantly increased for NCCC patient visits (p<0.001). During the COVID-19 pandemic, many children with NCCC lost access to routine, multidisciplinary care. Telemedicine became an integral part of communication and management. In the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic and threat of future healthcare disruptions, these data lay the foundation for trending the evolution of healthcare delivery and accelerating best practice guidelines for children with CP and NCCC.

Since the discovery of graphene, due to its excellent optical, thermal, mechanical and electrical properties, it has a broad application prospect in energy, materials, biomedicine, electromagnetism and other fields. A great quantity of researches on the physical mechanism of graphene has been applied to engineering in electromagnetism and optics. To study the properties of graphene, different kinds of numerical methods have been developed for simulating the electromagnetic field effects of graphene, and equivalent boundary conditions have been employed to replace graphene in the computational domain. In this work, the numerical methods with equivalent boundary conditions are reviewed, and some examples are provided to illustrate their applicability.

Limonene is a valuable monoterpenoid that with diverse applications. Microbial biosynthesis offers a sustainable alternative to plant-based extraction, which is prone to hinderance by climate change and acreage. In the present study, the effects on limonene production of carbon source, inoculum, working volume, temperature, pH, dodecane coverage, and media were investigated with engineered strains of Rhodosporidium toruloides. Through single-factor and orthogonal experiments, the limonene titer was improved from 52.2 to 358.1 mg/L on 250-mL flask, a 586% increase. The optimized medium was MM, with a working volume of 50 mL, inoculum OD600=0.6, 22 °C, pH 6, and dodecane coverage (v/v) of 20%. The results here demonstrated that the R. toruloides could be explored as an efficient limonene producer and facilitate other monoterpenoids biosynthesis with R. toruloides.

There has been a rise in the prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) globally especially in low-and middle-income countries such as Nigeria. The condition has been linked to genetic predisposes, living conditions, and environmental factors. Environmental factors are considered a significant contributor to AD in low- and middle-income countries. This study determined the prevalence of AD in southwestern Nigeria and identified risk factors in home and school environments that children aged 6 to 14 years are exposed to. A cross-sectional study was adopted, and the total sample size was 349. Four randomly selected health facilities were used for the study. A questionnaire was used to determine the risk factors in the population. Data analysis was done using the latest version of Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The prevalence of atopic dermatitis in this study is 25%. Atopic dermatitis was found to be common in females ( 27%). Children who lived where trucks pass on the street almost daily had the highest cases of atopic dermatitis (28%). Children with rugs in their houses and those whose houses are surrounded by bushes also had higher cases of atopic dermatitis at 26% and 26% respectively. Children who played on school grass, attended creche with rubber toys, and attended a school where wooden chairs and chalkboards were used had higher numbers of AD cases at 26%, 26%, 28%, and 27% respectively. This study identified home and school exposure that predisposes children to AD. It is envisaged that the study will serve as a basis for possible research on evidence-based treatment options.

The vulnerability of vegetation in the Middle East to meteorological conditions and climate change, especially those leading to drought, is high. Despite the importance of the Amu Darya and Kabul River Basins (ADB and KRB) as a region in which more than 15 million people live, and its vulnerability to global warming, only several studies addressed the issue of the linkage of meteorological parameters on vegetation for the eastern basins of Afghanistan. In this study, data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (GPM), and Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) to examine the impact of meteorological parameters on vegetation for the eastern basins of Afghanistan for the period from 2000 to 2021. The study utilized several indices, such as Precipitation Condition Index (PCI), Temperature Condition Index (TCI), Soil Moisture Condition Index (SMCI), and Microwave Integrated Drought Index (MIDI). The relationships between meteorological quantities, drought conditions, and vegetation variations were examined by analyzing the anomalies and using regression methods. The results showed that the years 2000, 2001, and 2008 had the lowest vegetation coverage (VC) (56, 56, and 55% of the study area, respectively). On the other hand, the years 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2020 had the highest VC (71, 71, 72, and 72% of the study area, respectively). The trend of the VC for the eastern basins of Afghanistan for the period from 2000 to 2021 was upward. High correlations between VC and soil moisture (R = 0.70, p = 0.0004), and precipitation (R = 0.5, p = 0.008) were found, whereas no significant correlation was found between VC and drought index MIDI. It was revealed that soil moisture, precipitation, land surface temperature, and area under meteorological drought conditions explained 45% of annual VC variability.

Phase transitions- both in the classical and in the quantum version- are the perfect playground for appreciating universality at work. Indeed, the fine details become unimportant and a classification in very few universality classes is possible. Very recently, a striking deviation from this picture has been discovered: some antiferromagnetic spin chains with competing interactions show a different set of phase transitions depending on the parity of number of spins in the chain. The aim of this article is to demonstrate that the same behavior also characterizes the most simple quantum spin chain: the Ising model in a transverse field. By means of an exact solution based on a Wigner-Jordan transformation, we show that a first order quantum phase transition appears at zero applied field in the odd spin case, while it is not present in the even case. A hint of a possible physical interpretation is given by the combination of two fact: at the point of the phase transition, the degeneracy of the ground state in the even and the odd case substantially differ, being respectively 2 and 2N, with N the number of spins; the spin of the most favorable kink states changes at that point.

Environmental effects and climate change are lately representing an increasing strain of the coastal areas which topography strongly depends on these conditions. However, the processes by which weather and environmental phenomena influence the highly variable beach morphology are still unknown. A continuous monitoring of the beach environment is necessary to implement protection strategies. This paper presents the results of an innovative study performed on a coastal area using satellite remote sensing data with the aim of understanding how environmental phenomena affect beaches. Two-years of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) Sentinel-1 images are used over a test area in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. At the same time as the SAR acquisitions, information on tidal and weather conditions are collected and integrated from nearby meteorological stations. Dedicated codes are implemented in order to understand the relationship between the SAR amplitude and the considered phenomena: wind, precipitation, tidal conditions. Surface roughness is taken into account. The results indicate a strong correlation between the amplitude and the wind. No particular correlation or trend could be noticed in the relation with the precipitation. The analysis of the amplitude also shows a decreasing trend moving from the dry area of the beach towards the sea and the correlation coefficient between the amplitude and the tide level gets negative with the increase of the water content.

Pakistan being an agricultural country is raising 146.5 million commercial and domestic poultry birds which generate around 544,831 tons of waste. This waste finds its final disposal in agricultural land as soil fertilizer or disposal site amendment. The uncontrolled use of poultry litter for this purpose results in environmental impacts such as the emission of methane, a greenhouse gas. However, other options like thermochemical conversion of this waste can offer a better solution wherein poultry litter can be used as low-cost carbon sources for the synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs). In this study, efforts have been made to utilize this cheap and plenty of available carbon source for synthesis of CNTs in the presence of Ni/Mo/MgO as a catalyst, through pyrolysis. The optimum mole ratio of catalyst (4:0.2:1) was found to yield more carbon product. Furthermore, process parameters such as temperature, time, polymer & catalyst weight were also optimized. The best possible process parameters that resulted (pyrolysis time (12 min), temperature (825◦C), and catalyst weight (100 mg) good yield of CNTs . The structure and morphology of produced nanotubes were confirmed through X-ray Diffractometer (X-RD) & Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The environmental application of the nanotubes was tested in synthetic chromium solution in the lab using a batch experiment. Different experimental conditions (pH, adsorbent dosage and contact time) were optimized to enhance the adsorption of Cr (VI) by carbon nanotubes and UV-Visible spectrophotometer was used at 540nm to measure the absorbance of Cr (VI). Results show that up to 81.83% of Cr (VI) removal was achieved by using 8 mg of CNTs at pH 3 with 400 rpm at 180 min of contact time. Thus, it was concluded that poultry litter can be a useful source for the synthesis of CNTs and thereby removal of Cr (VI) from industrial tanneries wastewater.

This article reports on the findings of a research project examining how to create a profession that is attractive and fulfilling for new and existing school leaders in two different municipalities in Sweden. The project set out to explore how work environments, career structures, salaries, and working conditions can contribute to attracting, retaining, and motivating school leaders to stay longer in the profession. To realise this objective, the study adopted a qualitative research design. Data was collected by carrying out semi-structured interviews with a sample of five school leaders in two different municipalities to investigate their experiences and views of the profession. The findings demonstrate that school leaders’ working conditions play a more critical role in their decisions to stay or leave the profession than financial compensation. The study also shows an unequal allocation of resources, both in terms of support functions and the limited time available for in-service education.

As construction costs continue to rise and adequate amounts of funding continues to be a challenge, the allocation of resources is of critical importance when it comes to the maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) of highway infrastructure. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology is presented here that integrates realistic traffic conditions in the operational phase to compare M&R scenarios over the analysis period of a 26-km stretch of Interstate-495. Pavement International Roughness Index (IRI) were determined using AASHTO’s PavementME System. Meanwhile, vehicle fuel consumption and emission factors were calculated using a combination of Google Maps®, the U.S. EPA’s Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator, the SHRP2 Naturalistic Driving Study, and MassDOT’s Transportation Data Management System. The evaluation of pavement performance with realistic traffic conditions, varying M&R strategies and material characteristics was quantified in terms of Life Cycle Cost (LCC), Global Warming Potential (GWP) and Cumulative Energy Demand (CED) for both agencies and users. The inclusion of realistic traffic conditions into the use phase of the LCA resulted in a 6.4% increase in CED and GWP when compared to baseline conditions simulated for a week long operation duration. Results from this study show that optimization of M&R type, material selection and timing may lead to a 2.72% decrease in operations cost and 47.6% decrease in construction/maintenance costs.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the perceived medication-related burden among patients with multiple non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and to investigate the association between perceived burden and adherence to medication therapy. Medication-related burden was measured in three primary care clinics in Qatar using the Living with Medicines Questionnaire (LMQ) among adults with diabetes, with or without other comorbidities. Adherence was measured using the Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale (ARMS). Two hundred ninety-three eligible patients participated in the study. Majority of participants reported experiencing minimum (66.6%) to moderate (24.1%) medication-related burden. There was a significant positive correlation between the medication-related burden (measured by the LWQ) and medication adherence (measured by ARMS) (rs (253) = 0.317, p <0.0005). The duration of diabetes diagnosis, adherence score, marital status, employment status, and presence diagnosis of hypertension were significant predictors of medication burden. A considerable proportion of the patients in this study have reported experiencing medication-related burden. Healthcare providers should seek strategies to address this burden especially among patients with risk factors of cardiovascular diseases, non-adherent to their medication therapy, living alone, or non-employed.

Objective: To estimate for the first time the burden of serious fungal infections in Romania; Methods: Data derived from the World Health Organization (WHO), National Institute of Statistics, Romanian public health agencies and non-profit health organizations and published annual reports on local epidemiology were used in the present study. When no data was available, specific at-risk populations were used to calculate frequencies of serious fungal diseases, using previously published epidemiological parameters. All data refer to the year 2016; 3) Results: The estimated number of serious fungal infections in Romanian population was 435,930 in 2016. Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis accounts for up to 80% of total cases (more than 350,000 women annually). Concerning the HIV related infections, among 14349 infected persons, Pneumocystis pneumonia occurred in about 10% of late presenters (30 cases in 2016), while cryptococcal meningitis is rarely diagnosed (less than 20 cases). Annually, the total number of oesophageal candidiasis and oral thrush cases in HIV-positive patients may be as high as 1229 and 3066, respectively. In immunocompromised and cancer patient population, the annual incidence of candidaemia is 295, and at least 158 invasive aspergillosis cases and 4 mucormycosis cases occur yearly. With 4,966 critical care beds and approximately 200,000 abdominal surgeries performed, the estimated annual incidence of candidaemia and Candida peritonitis is 689 and 344, respectively. The annual incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis is still high in Romania (12,747 cases). Thus, the prevalence of post-TB chronic pulmonary aspergillosis is estimated to be 8.98/100,000 (1768 cases). The prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma in adults is 6% and 6.5%, respectively. Therefore, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis prevalence is estimated at 29,387 and severe asthma with fungal sensitisation at 38,731 cases annually. 4) Conclusions: Not being on the list of reportable diseases, the number of patients presenting with severe mycoses in Romania can only be roughly estimated. Based on local reports and prevalence estimation, we consider that at least 2.2% of Romanians suffer a serious form of fungal disease.

Background: In military flight operations fighter pilots work during flights constantly under hyperoxic breathing conditions with supplemental oxygen in varying hypobaric environments. These conditions are suspected to cause oxidative stress to neuronal organ tissues. For civilian flight operations the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also recommends supplemental oxygen for flying under hypobaric conditions equivalent to higher than 3048m altitude and makes it mandatory for conditions equivalent of more than 3657m altitude. Aim: We hypothesized that hypobaric-hyperoxic civilian commercial and private flight conditions with supplemental oxygen in a flight simulation in a hypobaric chamber at 2500m and 4500m equivalent altitude would cause significant oxidative stress in healthy individuals. Methods: 12 healthy subjects (6m, 6f, mean age 35,7yrs) from a larger cohort were selected to perform a 3hrs flight simulation in a hypobaric chamber with increasing supplemental oxygen levels (35%,50%,60% and 100% FiO2 via venturi valve equipped face mask) switching back and force between simulated altitudes of 2500m and 4500m. Arterial blood pressure and oxygen saturation were constantly measured via radial catheter and blood samples for blood gases taken from the catheter at each altitude and oxygen level. Additional blood samples from the arterial catheter at baseline and 60% oxygen at both different altitudes were centrifuged inside the chamber and the serum frozen instantly at minus 21°Celsius for later analysis of the oxidative stress markers malondialdehyde low density lipoprotein (M-LDL) and glutathione-peroxidase (GLP) via elisa test. Results: 11 subjects finished the study without adverse events. Whereas PO2 levels increased in the mean with increasing oxygen levels from baseline 96.2 mmHg to 160.9 mmHg at 2500m altitude and 60% FiO2 and 113.2 mmHg at 4500m altitude and 60% FiO2, there was no significant increase in both oxidative markers from baseline to 60% FiO2 at these simulated altitudes. Some individuals had a slight increase, some not at all or even a slight decrease. A moderate correlation (Pearson correlation coefficient 0,55) existed between subject age and glutathione peroxidase levels at 60% FiO2 at 4500m altitude. Conclusion: Supplemental oxygen of 60% FiO2 in a flight simulation comparing to flying in cabin pressure levels equivalent to 2500m-4500m altitude does not lead to a significant increase or decrease in the oxidative stress markers M-LDL and GLP in serum of arterial blood.

Hemianopia poses significant challenges and requires effective rehabilitation strategies. Traditional visual restoration methods have focused on low-level vision therapies in controlled environments. This paper proposes the integration of natural and ecologically valid environments, e.g., virtual reality (VR), three-dimensional (3D) settings, and cognitive interactions for visual rehabilitation. We review various studies that employed common practices in laboratory or controlled settings. We also discuss the disadvantages of traditional techniques and advocate for a comprehensive and ecological framework in visual rehabilitation. Instead of correcting visual inputs, we emphasize training the visual system to adapt and restore functionality in real-world contexts. By combining real-world environments and higher-level vision approaches, we can enhance visual recovery, improve daily functioning, and restore the quality of life for individuals with visual field defects. Moreover, we stress the importance of incorporating natural environments, VR, 3D settings, and cognitive interactions to maximize the effectiveness of visual rehabilitation and empower patients to regain their visual abilities in real-world scenarios. Continued research and development in this field are crucial to refine and expand the application of these innovative techniques, ultimately enhancing the lives of individuals affected by visual field defects.

We study the existence of positive solutions for a system of Hadamard fractional differential equations on an infinite interval with nonnegative nonlinearities, subject to coupled nonlocal boundary conditions which contain Hadamard fractional derivatives and Riemann-Stieltjes integrals. In the proof of the main results, we use the Guo-Krasnosel'skii fixed point theorem and the Leggett-Williams fixed point theorem.

This paper proposes a data-driven approach to the calculation of ship overtaking boundary conditions in narrow channels based on ship overtaking characteristics by the Automatic Identification System (AIS) data. First, we collect the ship tracking process data in a narrow channel by processing the original AIS data, followed by a normality test and correlation analysis, and finally, the boundary conditions are obtained using a weighted K-means clustering algorithm. to identify the relevant data. We applied the proposed approach to estimate the overtaking boundary conditions of ships in the straight channel section of Shanghai South Passage. The method yields boundary conditions that significantly reduce collision risk when a ship engages in pursuit behavior in narrow waterways, providing a scientific basis for the overtaking of Marine Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) in autonomous navigation within such environments, further promoting the automation level of USVs and autonomous vessels.

Background: Overcrowded housing, as well as inadequate sanitary conditions, contribute to making homeless people particularly vulnerable to the SARS-CoV-2 infection. We aimed to assess the seroprevalence of the SARS-CoV-2 infection among people experiencing homelessness on a large city-wide scale in France, taking into account different community settings. Methods: A consortium of outreach teams in 48 different locations including streets, slums, squats, emergency or transitional shelters and drop-in centres participated in the inclusion process. All participants consented to receive a validated rapid assay for immunoglobulins M (IgM) and G (IgG) antibodies and to answer a questionnaire on medical health conditions, comorbidities, historic of symptoms compatible with COVID-19, with a retrospective calendar of types of accommodation since COVID-19 crisis. Results: From June 01 to August 05, 2020, 1,156 homeless participants were enrolled in the study and tested. Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG/IgM antibodies was 5.6% (95%CI 2.3–7.0), with a range of 2.2% in people living on the streets to 8.1% in people living in emergency shelters (P=0.009). Around one third of the seropositive participants reported symptoms with COVID-19. Compared to the general population in Marseille (3.6%), the homeless population living in the same urban area experienced an significant increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection (|z|=3.65 > 1.96). Conclusion: These results highlight the need for organizing regular screening to prevent clusters forming in homeless accommodations and for providing basic resources for health maintenance.

Millions of people worldwide have an inadequate intake of selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn), and agronomic biofortification may minimise these problems. To evaluate the efficacy of combined foliar Se and Zn fertilisation in bread making wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), foliar Se (as NaSeO4) and soil and foliar Zn applications (as ZnSO4·7H2O) were tested individually and in all combinations. A 2-year field experiment was established in southern Spain under semiarid Mediterranean conditions, by following a split-split-plot design. The study year (2017/2018, 2018/2019) was considered as the main-plot factor, soil Zn application (50 kg Zn ha-1, nil Zn) as a subplot factor, and foliar application (nil, 10 g Se ha-1, 8 kg Zn ha-1, 10 g Se ha-1 + 8 kg Zn ha-1) as a sub-subplot factor. The best treatment to increase both Zn and Se concentration in both straw, 12.3- and 2.7-fold respectively, and grain, 1.2- and 4.1-fold respectively was the combined foliar application of Zn and Se. This combined Zn and Se application also increased on average the yield of grain, main product of this crop, by almost 26%. Therefore, bread-making wheat seems to be a very suitable crop to be used in biofortification programs with Zn and Se to alleviate their deficiency in both, people when using its grain and livestock when using its straw.

The calculation of power flow in power systems with the presence of harmonics has been properly studied in the scientific literature. However, power flow calculation considering interharmonic components is still an open question. Traditional methods based on the IEEE1459 standard have proven to be valid and accurate only for linear and sinusoidal systems, but have been criticized for non-linear and non-sinusoidal systems because they are not able to explain correctly the current and voltage interactions beyond the active power. This paper proposes the use of a novel mathematical framework called geometric algebra (GA) to study the power flow considering the interaction of current and voltage harmonics and interharmonics. The use of GA enables the precise determination of the direction and magnitude of the total and single active power flow for each component, as well as other power elements related to the non-active power due to cross interaction. Moreover, this paper makes a novel contribution to the definition of interharmonics in geometric algebra space that has not been done before. To test the validity of the method, both linear and non-linear circuits are proposed and solved by applying voltages and currents with harmonic and interharmonic components. The results obtained show that power flow can be analyzed under the prism of the principle of energy conservation (PoCoE) in a way that allows a better understanding of the power spectrum due to the interaction of harmonics and interharmonics of voltage and current.

The wind industry is looking for ways to accurately predict the reliability and availability of newly installed wind turbines. Failure modes, effects and criticality analysis (FMECA) is a technique utilized for determining the critical subsystems of wind turbines. There are several studies which applied FMECA for wind turbines in the literature, but no studies so far have considered different weather conditions or climatic regions. Furthermore, various design types of wind turbines have been analyzed applying FMECA but no study so far has applied FMECA to compare the reliability of geared and direct-drive wind turbines. We propose to fill these gaps by using Koppen-Geiger climatic regions and two different turbine models of direct-drive and geared-drive concepts. A case study is applied on German wind farms utilizing the WMEP database which contains wind turbine failure data from 1989 to 2008. This proposed methodology increases the accuracy of reliability and availability predictions and compares different wind turbine design types and eliminates underestimation of impacts of different weather conditions.

Disadvantaged circumstances in youth tend to translate into poor health development. Yet, the fact that this is not always the case has been seen as indicative of differential resilience. The current study highlights factors outside the context of the family with the potential to counteract the long-term negative influences of social and material adversity in adolescence on general health status. This study was based on two waves of questionnaire data from the Northern Swedish Cohort. From the wave in 1981 (age 16), indicators of social and material conditions as well as factors related to school, peers, and spare time, were derived. From the wave in 2008 (age 43), information about self-rated health was used. Ordinal logistic regression models (n=908) showed that adversity in youth was associated with poorer self-rated health in midlife among men and women alike, net of health status at baseline. However, having an advantaged situation with regard to school, peers, or spare time appeared to protect against the detrimental influences of disadvantaged circumstances in the family context on subsequent health. This suggests that health-promoting interventions may benefit from focusing on contexts outside the family in their effort to strengthen processes of resilience among disadvantaged youths.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are essential components of the innate immune system, present across a spectrum of organisms. Their versatility lies in their ability to effectively inhibit a wide range of pathogens including bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses. As the challenge of antibiotic resistance escalates and concerns surrounding antibiotic use grow, AMPs have emerged as promising alternatives. Their applications span diverse domains such as medicine, agriculture, food production, animal husbandry, and aquaculture, primarily due to their efficacy against resistant pathogens, signifying their crucial role in combating infections. Beyond their antimicrobial properties, research illuminates their intricate involvement in the immune response network. These peptides impact crucial processes including cytokine release, chemotaxis, wound healing, angiogenesis and the activation of the adaptive immune system. This comprehensive review delves into the multifaceted realm of AMPs, encompassing their classification, varied applications across industries and notably, their significance in diverse disease conditions like infections, skin diseases, cancer, oral diseases, lung diseases and cardiovascular ailments. Special attention is directed towards current advancements in clinical applications of peptide-based therapeutics, offering invaluable insights into their potential future integration within clinical settings.

Background: Therapeutic climbing (TC) has emerged as a prospective rehabilitation approach for individuals with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Existing literature primarily focuses on the physical and psychological benefits of TC across diverse populations but is limited concerning its application and efficacy for patients with MS. Objectives: This study aimed to delineate the experiences, effects, and perceptions of both individuals with MS and therapists regarding TC, highlighting the potential benefits and challenges of this therapeutic approach. Methods: Using a qualitative design, structured interviews were conducted with patients living with MS (N=5) and therapists (N=7) involved in TC sessions at a rehabilitation facility. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and subjected to thematic qualitative text analysis. Results: Our analysis resulted in the identification of five main categories: (1) motivational factors, (2) training conditions, (3) training content, (4) observed effects, and (5) safety protocols. Findings primarily centred around the motivational aspects of TC. Participants consistently reported experiencing feelings of accomplishment, success, enjoyment, and increased self-confidence. Furthermore, TC was often perceived as a comprehensive intervention, addressing endurance, strength, flexibility, neuromotor functions, cognition, and mental health while having a low-risk profile. However, due to the demanding nature of TC, careful fatigue management is crucial. This entails personalized intensity adjustments during sessions and coordinating TC with other physically demanding therapies when implementing TC within a rehabilitation environment. Conclusions: TC shows promise within MS rehabilitation and can be considered safe under certain framework conditions. This research sheds light on its potential benefits, facilitators and barriers and provides insights for practical integration into rehabilitation programmes.

This research investigates the environmental characteristics of the saline lake in the Jiangling depression, southwestern Jianghan Basin from Paleocene to Eocene using bulk-rock geochemistry. The ratios of FeO/MnO, Al2O3/MgO and C-value indicate a semi-humid to semi-arid climate in the early-middle Paleocene. There was a rapid shift to a humid climate during the late Paleocene to early Eocene, following a short-time intense dryness. The Eocene climate was arid, but experienced intermittent humidity. The variation trend of CIA, CIW and PIA is similar to that of FeO/MnO, Al2O3/MgO and C-value, so the chemical weathering was influenced by climate changes. The redox conditions of lake in the Jiangling depression during Paleocene to Eocene were reconstructed using the ratios of U/Th, Ni/Co, and V/Cr. In the humidity and alternations of aridity and humidity, the lake water received external water input, resulting in weak stratification, so the sediments were in oxidation condition. In the aridity, lakes become a still water environments, leading to sediments formed in reduced condition. The salinity of the lake in Jiangling depression from Paleocene to Eocene was determined through the analysis of sedimentary sequences and the change of Sr/Ba ratio. In the early-middle Paleocene, the salinity of lake varied greatly. From the late Paleocene to the early Eocene, the salinity of lake decreased. In the Eocene, the salinity of the lake increased, and the halite precipitated, and finally the salinity of the lake decreased due to humid climate.

In this paper, particular attention is paid to an advanced variant of the plug-in hybrid engine, known as PHEV, which combines two functionalities: the vehicle's internal combustion engine (ICEV) and the electric engine (BEV). The paper also presents the assumptions of the DEVS model, which allows for the estimation of vehicle’s energy consumption. The study described herein also presents the influence of factors such as ambient temperature and constant speed on the PHEV’s energy consumption. It has been shown that the vehicle’s range estimated based on its electronic control module (ECU) is about 20% shorter per annum on average for its year-round operation in every-day driving conditions. When analyzing the energy consumption based on the vehicle’s unit energy consumption model, attention was paid to values that are strongly correlated with the traffic volume and weather conditions affecting the moving vehicle. In addition, the authors emphasized that the estimated total energy consumption of an electric (BEV) or hybrid (PHEV) vehicle, relative to the normative values arising from the type approval test cycle, deviate from the actual values arising from real driving conditions and often vary substantially. In extreme cases, the actual range of a hybrid vehicle is 75% shorter.

The multidrug-resistant fungal pathogens belonging to the Candida haemulonii complex and the phylogenetically related species Candida auris are well-known for causing infections that are difficult to treat due to their multidrug-resistance profile. C. auris is even more worrisome due to its ability to cause outbreaks in healthcare settings. These emerging yeasts produce a wide range of virulence factors that facilitate the development of the infectious process. In recent years, the aggregative phenotype has been receiving attention, as it is mainly associated with defects in cellular division and its possible involvement in helping the fungus to escape from host immune responses. In this study, we initially investigated the aggregation ability of 18 clinical isolates belonging to the C. haemulonii species complex and C. auris. Subsequently, we evaluated the effects of physicochemical factors on the fungal aggregation competence. The results demonstrated that cell aggregation was a typically time-dependent event, in which almost all studied fungal isolates exhibited high aggregation after 2 h of incubation at 37°C. The aggregation was not impacted by pH, temperature, -mercaptoethanol (a protein-denaturing agent) and EDTA (a chelator agent). Conversely, proteinase K, trypsin and sodium dodecyl sulfate significantly diminished the aggregation. Collectively, our results demonstrated that the aggregation ability in these opportunistic yeast pathogens is time-dependent, and surface proteins and hydrophobic interactions seem to mediate cell aggregation, since the presence of proteases and anionic detergent affected the aggregation ability. However, further studies are necessary to better elucidate this phenomenon.

Using a simple model for internal heat evolution and mass-internal heat relations found for rocky exo planetary objects in the inner solar system we have inferred the phases of volcanism at earth ( EA) or host star ages (SA) in 52 potentially habitable rocky exo planets. We have also calculated the internal tidal heat contributions and magnetic moments of these exo planets. Based on these results we have inferred the probability of existence of life favouring geophysical conditions in the above exo planets at EA and SA. In M star associated exo planets, occurrences of super flares and long night periods may pose problems for the development of advanced life

Despite the surge in the research of cannabis chemistry and its biological and medical activity, only a few cannabis-based pharmaceutical-grade drugs have been developed and marketed to date. Not many of these drugs are Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved and some are still going through regulation processes. Active compounds including cannabinergic compounds (i.e., molecules targeted to modulate the endocannabinoid system) or analogs of phytocannabinoids (cannabinoids produced by the plant) may be developed into single-molecule drugs. However, since in many cases treatment with whole plant extract is preferred over treatment with a single purified molecule, some more recently developed cannabis-derived drugs contain several molecules. Different combinations of active plant ingredients (API) from cannabis with proven synergy may be identified and developed as drugs to treat different medical conditions. However, possible negative effects between cannabis compounds should also be considered, as well as the effect of the cannabis treatment on the endocannabinoid system. FDA registration of single, few or multiple molecules as drugs is a challenging process and certain considerations that should be reviewed in this process, including issues of drug-drug interactions, are also discussed here.

Adding a submerged zone (SZ) is deemed to promote denitrification during dry periods and thus improve NO3--N removal efficiency of a bioretention system. However, few studies had investigated the variation of nitrogen concentration in the SZ during dry periods and evaluated the effect of the variation on nitrogen removal of the bioretention system. Based on the experiment in a mesocosm bioretetion system with SZ, this study investigated the variation of nitrogen concentration of the system under 17 consecutive cycles of wet and dry alternation with varied rainfall amount, influent nitrogen concentration and antecedent dry periods (ADP). The results indicated that (1) during the dry periods, NH4+-N concentrations in SZ showed an exponential decline trend, decreasing by 50% in 12.9 ± 7.3 hours; while NO3--N concentrations showed an inverse S-shape decline trend, decreasing by 50% in 18.8 ± 6.4 hours; (2) during the wet periods, NO3--N concentration in the effluent showed an S-shape upward trend; and at the early stage of the wet periods, the concentration was relatively low and significantly correlated with ADP, while the corresponding volume of the effluent was significantly correlated with the SZ depth; (3) in the whole experiment, the contribution of nitrogen decrease in SZ during dry periods to NH4+-N and NO3--N removal accounted for 12% and 92%, respectively; and the decrease of NO3--N in SZ during the dry period was correlated with the influent concentration in the wet period and the length of the dry period.

The article presents a mathematical model to investigate the operability envelopes for subsea production tress (SPT) installation using drill pipe. The finite differential method was used to solve the established governing equations in which the ocean conditions were considered. Based on the evaluations of the ocean wave, ocean current, water depth, specification of drill pipe and SPT weight that might dominate the mechanical behaviors of the pipe, the operability envelopes with permissible ocean conditions for SPT installation were obtained. The results indicate that changes of depths in deep water and SPT weight have few effects on the operation conditions and it would be better to choose smaller pipe to obtain larger permissible ocean conditions during SPT installation.

Autonomous vehicle technology, employing image sensors for road marking recognition, is largely dependent on the Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) to prevent vehicular deviations from driving lanes. The effectiveness of image-based lane recognition, however, is susceptible to environmental influences like weather conditions and the surrounding road environment. This study investigates the impact of road marking retro-reflectivity on LDWS under varied environmental conditions. Conducted at the Yeoncheon SOC Demonstration Research Center, the experiments encompassed a spectrum of weather scenarios, incorporating rainfall and shifts between day and night lighting. Controlled wear was applied to white, yellow, and blue road markings, followed by measuring their retro-reflectivity at different stages of degradation. The LDWS's performance was evaluated by assessing the recognition rates of these markings under these diverse environmental settings. The study reveals that enhanced retro-reflectivity significantly boosts LDWS detection, especially in challenging weather conditions. Furthermore, the research led to the development of a simulation framework to analyze the cost-effectiveness of road marking maintenance, aligning it with the safety needs of autonomous vehicles. This framework suggests the necessity for updated road marking guidelines that cater to the advanced needs of driver assistance systems and autonomous vehicle technology.

Transcription is carried out in most eukaryotes by three multimeric complexes (RNA polymerases I, II and III). However, plants contain two additional RNA polymerases (IV and V), which have evolved from RNA polymerase II. RNA polymerases II, IV and V contain both common and specific subunits that may specialize some of their functions. In this study, we conducted a search for the genes that putatively code for the specific subunits of RNA polymerases IV and V, as well as the corresponding of RNA polymerase II in olive. Based on the homology with the genes of Arabidopsis thaliana, we identified 13 genes that putatively code for the specific subunits of polymerases IV and V, and 16 genes that code for the corresponding specific subunits of polymerase II in olive. The transcriptomic analysis by RNA-Seq revealed that the expression of the RNA polymerases IV and V genes was induced during the initial stages of fruit development. Given that RNA polymerases IV and V are involved in the transcription of long non-coding RNAs, we investigated their expression and observed relevant changes in the expression of this type of RNAs. Particularly, the expression of the intergenic and intronic long non-coding RNAs tended to increase in the early steps of fruit development, suggesting their potential role in this process. The positive correlation between the expression of RNA polymerases IV and V subunits and the expression of non-coding RNAs supports the hypothesis that RNA polymerases IV and V may play a role in fruit development throughout the synthesis of this type of RNAs.

Organic-rich shale deposits of the Paleocene-Eocene Palana Formation in western Rajasthan, India were systematically analyzed based on the elemental composition and organic geochemistry combined with microscopic examinations to evaluate the sedimentary paleoenvironmental conations and volcanic activity and their impact on the high organic carbon accumulation. The Palana shales are categorized by high OM and sulfur contents with total values up to 36.23 wt. % and 2.24 wt. %, respectively, suggesting marine setting and anoxic environmental conditions during the Paleocene-Eocene period. The richness of phytoplankton algae (i.e., telalginite and lamalginite) together with redox-sensitive trace elements further suggests anoxic environmental conditions. The significant low oxygen conditions may contributes to enhance preservation of organic matter during deposition. The mineralogical and inorganic geochemical indicators demonstrate that the Palana organic-rich shale facies was accumulated in warm and humid climate and low salinity stratification conditions of the water columns, thereby contributing to high bioproductivity of the phytoplankton algae blooms within the photic zone. The presence of the high concentrations of Fe-rich silica minerals such as olivine in most of the Palana organic-rich shales facility volcanic origin and supports hydrothermal activities during the Paleocene-Eocene period. These volcanic activities in this case are considered influx of large masses of nutrients into the photic zone due to the ash accumulation. Therefore, high bio-productivity associated with effective OM preservation contributed to the organic carbon accumulation in the Palana Formation during the Paleocene-Eocene.

Wheat yield plays an important role in the global economy. Changing climate conditions and increased drought negatively affect grain yield. Currently, breeding programs are aimed at improving wheat productivity. To accelerate the selection process of hybrids and parental forms for crosses, it is essential to pay attention to plants' phenotypic and genetic potential. We studied the genes of the "green revolution" group Rht and coarse-grained TaGW and TaGS to increase yields by selecting optimal parameters for wheat. We focused on short-stemmed and coarse-grained characteristics in a dry climate and conducted a correlation analysis between the genetic potential of wheat varieties and hybrids and their phenotypic manifestation in drought conditions. Rht-D1b significantly reduced the height of plants by 51.67% and reduced the coleoptile length by 30.45%. At the same time, TaGW8-B1a increased the grain width by 13.37%. However, in the presence of Rht-D1b and Rht-B1b in the genome, the 1000-kernal weight was 35.06 g (p<0.05), the Rht-B1b gene enhanced it by 9% (p<0.05), while both Rht-D1a and Rht-B1a alleles gave a 1000-kernal weight of 37.96 g (p<0.05). The Rht-D1b and Rht-B1b alleles gave 18.5 seeds per ear, while the Rht-D1a and Rht-B1a alleles gave the value of grains per ear -24.1 pcs. The data obtained indicated the relationship of phenotypic and genetic parameters in wheat between the coarse-grained and short-stemmed genes, which makes it possible to select based on the genetic parameters of varieties and hybrids, thereby speeding up the selection process.

CO2, CH4 and CO are the most critical atmospheric gases in terms of their impact on the radiative system, air quality and health. This work provides information on the direction of source areas and potential sources of emissions and shows many aspects of these gases by a statistical analysis using bivariate polar diagrams and local weather conditions (e.g., temperature, wind speed and wind direction) recorded at the Lamto station (LTO, 6°31N and 5°02W) in Côte d’Ivoire over the 2014-2018 period. The results show that the main regions contributing to the high concentrations of CH4 (> 1925 ppb) and CO2 (> 420 ppm) in the GSS, GSP, PSS and PSP seasons are the North and Northwest sectors of Lamto. In these directions, CH4 and CO2 concentrations are associated with wind speeds less than 6 m.s-1, due to the influences of local sources as emissions resulting from the degradation of organic matter submerged during the impoundment of the Taabo dam, and/nor human activities linked to the practice of intensive agriculture. In addition, the high concentrations of CO (> 350 ppb) are observed in GSS in the North, North-West, North-East and East sectors for wind speeds less than or equal to 9 m.s-1, due to the influences of both local and distant sources. The correlation coefficients between CH4 and CO, and between CH4 and CO2 are positive and significant in all sectors. However, those calculated between CO2 and CO have showed both low and high values in all seasons.

(Background:) Raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) is very popular with consumers around the world for its intense flavor, attractive appearance and health benefits. In recent years, interest in healthy eating and natural products has increased, and raspberry fits perfectly into these trends, which translates into its greater importance on the consumer market. (Aim) The aim of the study was the commodity evaluation of raspberry fruits bearing fruit on 2-year-old shoots, cultivated under the conditions of varied nitrogen fertilization against the background of constant phosphorus-potassium fertilization. The first-order factor were cultivars ('Laszka' and ‘Glen Ample’), and the second-order factor was nitrogen fertilization (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg N ha-1), against the background of constant phosphorus-potassium fertilization (100 kg P2O5 and 120 kg K2O ha-1). The experiment was set up in a dependent split-plot design, in 3 repetitions. (Results) The importance of raspberry on the consumer market was shaped by: taste and quality of fruit, health benefits, naturalness and freshness, universality of use, availability and nutritional trends. (Conclusion) The tested cultivars were characterized by similar production and quality capabilities. Fertilization of the tested cultivars with a dose of 135 kg N·ha-1 turned out to be justified in terms of yield. Increasing nitrogen doses resulted in a significant increase in fresh fruit yield and 1000 fruit weight. Different doses of nitrogen increased fruit resistance to mechanical damage, firmness and improved quality indices.

Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) is more efficient for fabrication modern design of silicone rubber (SR) that used in industrial engineering applications; it has been embedded in room temperature vulcanization silicone rubber (RTV-SR) matrix for controlling in dielectric characterization. Frequency dielectric measurements were performed for multiwalled carbon nanotubes SR/MWCNT nanocomposites. Hence, the dielectric properties of modern design SR/MWCNT nanocomposites has been deduced as experimental work done to clarify the benefit of filling MWCNT with different patterns inside dielectrics. In variant thermal conditions (up to 40oC), it has been investigated that the new behaviors of SR/MWCNT nanocomposites dealing with nanotechnology techniques for designing new dielectric behaviors of insulation materials. Finally, this research succeeded to characterize dielectric constant, electric modulus and dielectric loss of SR/MWCNT nanocomposites with respect to traditional silicon rubber under variant thermal conditions and frequency response analysis (FRA) according to using certain types and concentrations of MWCNTs.

The size of the home is considered the most critical issue affecting the quality of life. This can be measured by the quality of the house and its environment. This paper highlights the housing quality index at the urban axis level in Bistrita-Nasaud county and the impact of socioeconomic activities on the index. The Household Quality of Life Index (HQLI) was calculated based on 11 variables. Household quality of life comprises two distinctive indices: the Housing Conditions Index (HCI) and the Asset Possession Index (API). The study found a variation in the housing condition variables across the urban focus areas. The impact of the socioeconomic environments is disproportionately dependent on the social-economic profile of the urban environments that make up the Urban Axis and the related economic activities that take place in the area of influence in the administrative-territorial units and the variability of the Housing Conditions Index This can be measured by the quality of the house and its environment. This paper highlights the housing quality index at the urban axis level in Bistrita-Nasaud county and the impact of socioeconomic activities on this index. The study area comprises territories in the municipality of Bistrita. The socio-economic context of the area has been the basis for understanding the patterns of evolution identified in the urban landscape, and being a driver in ongoing urban transformations and processes. The impact of the socio-economic is disproportionate to the socioeconomic profile of the urban environments that make up the Urban Axis and the economic activities related to the economic activities taking place in the catchment area in the administrative-territorial units, hence the variability of the Housing Conditions Index which is a system Housing Quality Indicator (HQI) is a tool for measuring and evaluating housing systems based on quality and not just cost.

This research aimed to establish the relationship between carbon-nitrogen nutritional factors and copper sulfate on laccase activity (LA) by Pleurotus ostreatus. Culture media composition was tested to choose the nitrogen source. Yeast extract (YE) was selected as a better nitrogen source than ammonium sulfate. Then, the effect of glucose and YE concentrations on biomass production and LA as response variables was evaluated using central composite experimental designs with and without copper. The results showed that the best culture medium composition was glucose 45 gL-1 and YE 15 gL-1, simultaneously optimizing these two response variables. The fungal transcriptome was obtained in this medium with or without copper, and the differentially expressed genes were found. Main up-regulated transcripts included three laccase genes (lacc2, lacc6, and lacc10) regulated by copper, whereas the principal down-regulated transcripts included a copper transporter (ctr1) and a regulator of nitrogen metabolism (nmr1). These results suggest that Ctr1, which facilitates the entry of copper in the cell, is regulated by nutrient-sufficiency conditions. Once inside, copper induces transcription of laccase genes. This finding could explain why a 10 to 20-fold increase in LA occurs with copper compared to cultures without copper when using the optimal concentration of YE as nitrogen sources.

Cyanobacteria are microorganisms able to adapt to a wide variety of environmental conditions and abiotic stresses. They produce a very large number of metabolites that can participate in the adaptation of cyanobacteria to a large range of resources such as light, temperature, or nutrient. The metabolites variation is one way to understand the physiological status and adaptation of cells. In this study, we aim to understand how the diversity and the dynamics of the whole metabolome is dependent of the growth phases and under control of abiotic factors (e.g. light intensity and temperature). The cyanobacteria Aliinostoc sp. PMC 882.14 was selected for its large number of biosynthetic gene clusters. Metabolomes were analyzed by using mass spectrometry (qTOF-MS/MS) combined with untargeted analysis to investigate the metabolite dynamics. Significant variations were characterized between exponential and stationary phases, whatever the culture conditions (“control”, “higher light”, or “higher temperature”). ”Higher light” and “higher temperature” favored the synthesis of metabolites belonging to the same molecular families. Among highly regulated metabolites, we observe the presence of mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), and various variants of somamides, microginins, and microviridins. Through Aliinostoc sp. PMC 882.14, this study shows the importance of knowing the physiological state of cyanobacteria for comparative global metabolomics and questions the regulation processes involve into metabolite families production. Our results also open up new perspectives in the context of the production of targeted bioactive metabolites.

This paper presents a theoretically and methodologically grounded GIS-based model for the measurement and mapping of an index of living conditions in urban residential areas across Sweden. Further, the model is compared and evaluated using the Swedish Police’s assessment of crime-exposed areas. The results indicate that geographically measured vulnerable living conditions overlap to a large extent with the areas assessed to be crime-exposed by the Swedish Police. Over 61% of the police-defined crime-exposed areas are characterized by vulnerable living conditions. The results also show that the overlap is not perfect and that there are vulnerable areas that are not included in the police’s assessment of crime-exposed areas, but which are nonetheless characterized by vulnerable living conditions that could negatively affect the development of crime. It is also proposed that the model and the mapped index of living conditions provide a more well-grounded scientific basis for the police's assessment work. As a first step, the Swedish police have implemented the model and the mapped index in the work process employed in their annual identification of crime-exposed or at-risk areas. In addition to assisting the police, the model and the mapped index could also be used to support other societal actors working with vulnerable areas.

Abstract: Commercialization of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) requires a best before date recom-mended at up to 24 months after bottling, stored under specific conditions. Thus, it is expected that the product retains its chemical properties and preserves its ‘extra virgin’ category. However, in-adequate storage conditions could alter the properties of EVOO. In this study, Arbequina EVOO was exposed to five storage conditions for up to one year to study the effects on the quality of the oil and the compounds responsible for flavor. Every 15 or 30 days, samples from each storage condition were analyzed determining physicochemical parameters, the profiles of phenols, volatile compounds, α-tocopherol and antioxidant capacity. Principal component analysis was utilized to better elucidate the relationships between composition of EVOOs and the storage conditions. EVOOs stored at -23 and 23 °C in darkness and 23 °C with light, differed from the oils stored at 30 and 40 °C in darkness. The former were associated with higher quantity of non-oxidized phenolic compounds and the latter with higher elenolic acid, oxidized oleuropein and ligstroside derivatives, which also increased with storage time. E-2-Nonenal (detected at trace levels in fresh oil) was selected as a marker of the degradation of Arbequina EVOO quality over time, with significant linear regressions identified for the storage conditions at 30 and 40 °C. Therefore, early oxidation in EVOO could be monitored by measuring E2-Nonenal levels.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most prevailing neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by memory dysfunction and the presence of hyperphosphorylated tau and amyloid β (Aβ) aggregate in multiple brain regions, including the hippocampus and cortex. The exact etiology of AD has not yet been confirmed. However, epidemiological reports suggest that populations who were exposed to environmental hazards are more likely to develop AD than those who were not. Arsenic (As) is a naturally occurring environmental risk factor abundant in the Earth’s crust and human exposure to As predominantly occurs through drinking water. Convincing evidence suggests that As causes neurotoxicity and impairs memory and cognition although the hypothesis and molecular mechanism of As-associated pathobiology in AD are not clear yet. However, exposure to As and its metabolites leads to various pathogenic events such as oxidative stress, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunctions, ER stress, apoptosis, impaired protein homeostasis, and abnormal calcium signaling. Evidence has indicated that As exposure induces alterations that coincide with most of the biochemical, pathological, and clinical developments of AD. Here, we overview existing literature to gain insights into the plausible mechanisms that underlie As-induced neurotoxicity and the subsequent neurological deficits in AD. Prospective strategies for the prevention and management of arsenic exposure and neurotoxicity have also been discussed.

Here we are concerning with two problems of a coupled system of random and stochastic nonlinear differential equations with two coupled systems of nonlinear nonlocal random and stochastic integral conditions. The existence of solutions will be studied. The sufficient condition for the uniqueness of the solution will be given. The continuous dependence of the unique solution on the nonlocal conditions will be proved.

Infant foods and formulae may contain toxic substances and elements which can be neo-formed contaminants or derived from raw materials or processing. The content of minerals, toxic elements and hydroxymethylfurfural in infant foods and formulae were evaluated. The effect of storage temperature on HMF formation in infant formulae and its potential as a quality parameter was also evaluated. Prune-based foods contained the highest HMF content. HMF significantly increased when storage temperature was elevated to 30 ℃ for 21 days. All trace elements were present in adequate amounts while the concentration of nickel was higher when compared to those of other studies. The study indicates that HMF can be used as quality indicator for product shelf-life and that the concentrations of minerals and toxic elements vary greatly due to the diverse compositions of foods and formulae. Such contaminants need to be monitored as infants represent a vulnerable group compared to adults.

Bioconvective flows have attracted attention in recent years due to actual and potential applications. In this paper, we consider a steady and laminar convective MHD flow of a nanofluid with heat, mass and microorganism transfer with a heat source/sink present. In addition, we assume there exists a first order chemical reaction. The governing partial differential equations (PDEs) are reduced to ordinary differential equations (ODEs) using the scaling group transformation and the associated boundary value problem is then solved. The influences of selected governing parameters on the dimensionless velocity, temperature, nanoparticle concentration, density of motile microorganisms, skin friction, heat transfer, mass transfer, and motile microorganism density rates are computed and discussed

1) Background: A survey of biogenic amines profile in opened wine bottles has been established. Opened bottles of red and white wine were submitted to different temperature as well as different kind of stopper (screw cap, cork stopper) and use of vacuum devices. A total of six wine made from different variety of grapes were obtained from Polish vineyard places in different region of Poland; 2) Results: DLLME-GC-MS procedure for biogenic amines determination was validated and applied for wine samples analysis. The total content of BAs in white wines ranged from 442 µg/L to 929 µg/L, while in red wines ranged from 669 µg/L to 2244 µg/L the set of just opened wine samples. The most abundant biogenic amines in the six analysed wines were histamine and putrescine; 3) Conclusion: Considering the commercial availability of the analysed wines, there was no relationship between the presence of biogenic amines in a given wine and their availability on the market. However, it was observed that the different storage conditions employed in this experiment affect not only the biogenic amines profile, but also the pH. The results were confirmed by chemometric analysis.

This paper highlights the problems associated with daylight use in industrial facilities. In a case study of a multi-story textile factory, we report how to evaluate daylight (as part of integral light) in the production halls marked F and G. This study follows the article in the Buildings journal, where Hall E was evaluated (unilateral daylight). These two additional halls have large areas that are 54 × 54 meters and are more than 5 meters high. The daylight is only on the side through the attached windows in envelope structures in the vertical position. In this paper, we want to present two case studies of these two production halls in a textile factory in the eastern part of Slovakia. These are halls that are illuminated by daylight from two sides through exterior peripheral walls that are against or next to each other. The results of the case studies can be applied in similar production halls illuminated by a ‘double-sided’ (bilateral) daylight system. This means that they are illuminated by natural illumination through windows on two sides in a vertical position. Such a situation is typical for multi-storied industrial buildings. The proposed approximate calculation method for the daylight factor can be used to predict the daylight in similar spaces in other similar buildings.

Work context is essential to understand in relation to handle the stress at work that ultimately creates a feeling of satisfaction or dissatisfaction among health professionals. The current study was conducted to investigate the relationship of work context and work stress among sonographers (n=153) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the study provided a gender-based comparison of both variables among sonographers. Work context was measured by administering subscale of work context derived from Work Design Questionnaire. Whereas, work stress was measured by Job Stress Scale. In addition, relationship of lifestyle was explored with work context and work stress. Data was collected through survey research forms. Results revealed the significant relationship of work context and work stress (r=.251, p=.002). Among lifestyle variables, perceived good health (r= .214, p=.008) and sleep (r=.242. p=.003) were found positively related with satisfaction toward work. Whereas, the strong positive correlation was found between work context and frequency of physical activity (r=.255, p=.005). No significant difference was found among male and female sonographers. The findings of this study contributed to evaluating the working condition of sonographers in relation to work stress. Effective strategies for better working settings as well as strategies for achieving satisfaction in work will be discussed to enhance the performance of sonographers.

When the epipelic algae group growing on the concrete inclined side wall, which is typical of urban rivers and open diversion channels, enters the water flow, it will seriously affect the func-tion of the rivers or the channels. It is urgent to predict the transport capacity of epipelic algae group with water flow. However, the current research on the transport of pollutants is mostly based on mathematical models, and the study of the transport of flake epipelic algae group is extremely rare. A generalized hydrodynamic experimental model of a flume with sidewall epi-pelic algae group was established. Through a series of hydraulic experiments, the physical movement form and transport capacity of the suspended epipelic algae group on the side wall of the channel were studied qualitatively and quantitatively by taking the thickness, sheet size and flow rate of the epipelic algae group as the influencing factors. The key influencing factors of the suspension of epipelic algae are clarified, so as to quantitatively analyze the critical conditions of its suspension. Through flow scheduling, the probability of epipelic algae gathering some-where is increased. It provides a theoretical basis for realizing the long-distance migration of epipelic algae and optimizing the mathematical model.

This study examines the dynamics of failure development in marginalized communities, investigating the interplay of socioeconomic, environmental, and community engagement factors. The research aims to uncover underlying causes, provide policy recommendations, and elucidate the challenges faced by these communities. However, limitations include a restricted focus on marginalized areas, data limitations, and an exclusive emphasis on socioeconomic factors. The analysis reveals gaps in addressing political influences, limited coverage of success stories, and potential biases in the methodology. The conclusion emphasizes the transformative power of community-led initiatives to address challenges, foster inclusivity, and create sustainable change. These initiatives prioritize capacity building, social cohesion, economic development, and access to education and healthcare. Implications for policy and practice underscore the need for comprehensive interventions, collaboration, empowerment, and sustainable development. Future research directions include exploring the long-term impact of historical failures, intersectionality, the role of technology, mental health implications, and comparative analysis.

Haemodynamic simulations are increasingly used to study vascular diseases like Intracranial Aneurysms (IA) and to further develope treatment options. However, due to limited data, some aspects must rely on heuristics, especially at the simulation’s distal ends. In literature, Murray’s Law is often used to model the outflow split based on vessel cross-section area, but this poses challenges for the communicating arteries in the Circle of Willis (CoW). In this study, we contribute by assessing the impact of Murray’s Law in patient-specific geometries featuring IA at the posterior communication. We simulate different domain extensions, representing common modelling choices. We establish Full CoW simulations as a baseline to evaluate the effect of these modelling assumptions on haemodynamic indicators, focusing on IA growth and rupture-related factors like Wall Shear Stress (WSS) and Oscillatory Shear Index (OSI). Our findings reveal qualitative alterations in haemodynamics when not modeling posterior communication. Comparisons between computing the anterior circulation and computing the whole Circle of Willis reveal quantitative changes in WSS may reach up to 80%, highlighting the significance of modelling choices in assessing IA risks and treatment strategies.

In the laboratory practice, several standards for testing the bending stiffness of corrugated board are used. There are often cases of tests where the results depend on the way the sample is placed on the supports. The problem arises when the board is five-ply (with two corrugated layers with different corrugation heights) or when the board has asymmetrically selected papers on the flat layers. In this article, we focus our attention on the problem related to boundary conditions, with particular attention to the local effects of the support of the sample. Since the cardboard layers, both flat and corrugated, have a small thickness, a slight deformation of the papers can always be observed at the point of contact between the sample and the support, which affects the readings of the measured stiffness. The paper presents theoretical and numerical analyzes showing how much the method of supporting the sample affects the measured bending stiffness of various samples. Numerical observations were also compared with the results of analyzes presented by other scientists as well as with experimental results.

Despite the important role of offshore renewable energies in the energy transition, the economical viability is still unclear. Therefore, an appropriate site selection is crucial. Besides the energy potential, the impact of operation and maintenance (O&M) aspects on the location can be critical. Traditional accessibility assessment metrics do not allow a comprehensive evaluation. Therefore, the present paper suggests a novel, technology-informed metric, incorporating the overall set of most critical aspects, i.e. metocean conditions, visibility due to sunlight and sea fog, system failures, and O&M logistics. Among the different aspects, limited visibility is shown to be highly relevant with a reduction of up to 60% in accessibility. The study assesses accessibility in 5 different locations across Europe. On the one hand, accessibility is shown to be less sensitive to long-term resource variations with a reduction of 5% in the last 6 decades. On the other hand, accessibility is shown to be inversely proportional to the energy potential overall, meaning that as energy potential increases, accessibility is reduced, increasing downtime, reducing final energy generation and increasing the final cost of energy. As a consequence, site selection should combine energy potential and accessibility assessments, which is enabled by the technology-informed metric presented here.

Various UAV applications, especially those based on reconnaissance and observation missions, often require an unlimited time of flight. This is possible only when a UAV is being continuously power supplied from the ground power source, and that is why tethered UAV systems were developed. Tethered UAV systems are based on multicopters which can hover above the landing pad, or track its position in the case it is movable. The presented research is about the development of a large C3 class hexacopter having a maximal payload of about 1 kg, and takeoff mass of 16 kg, which was tested in maritime conditions during the ferry’s cruise. The main purpose of the hexacopter is the continuous observation of the area ahead of a vessel to detect and localize obstacles in the water. During experimental tests critical phases of flight were identified, the AC-DC power supply unit as well as the power cord unwinder were tested, and the power taken by six BLDC motors was registered. The obtained results can be useful in future work on tethered UAV systems used in windy maritime conditions.

The Baltic Sea coast is one of the geographical areas of Europe most threatened by the current climate change. This issue concerns erosional processes, groundwater flows affecting sea-shore settings. Long term hydrological investigations within the western sector of the Łeba Barrier, northern Poland, based on a network of monitoring stations, coupled with the meteorology records of the past 12 years, revealed significant fluctuations in ground water fluxes from the Baltic Sea on the adjoining mainland. Groundwater resources are negatively affected by sea-level drops in the coastal areas along the southern Baltic coast. The low sea levels strengthen the effects of low precipitation and high temperatures, causing altogether the occurrence of hydrogeological drought in the coastal sandbar areas. Drought periods are characterized by lowering of water-tables in the Slowinski National Park. The obtained results have direct relevance to a long-term assessment of water resources, environmental protection of the climatically most susceptible ecosystems, as well as the tourism management of this popular visitors’ destination.

Due to the numerous heat sources in electronic equipment, the periodic nature of stream-wise flow occurs in a cooling channel so often, necessitating the development of an effective technique to improve the heat-cooling convection in such a situation. This paper investigates thermal convection enhancement in a heated-block duct through the periodic boundary conditions using the element-by-element (EBE) treatment in a semi-implicit projection finite element method (FEM) through preconditioned conjugate gradient (PCG) solver. This paper used the time-mean Nusselt number ratio, friction factor, and thermal performance to study how installing rectangular cylinders in the channel works with periodic boundary conditions varying Reynolds numbers (100, 175, and 250). The outcomes show that the rectangular cylinders installed stream-wise above an upstream block promote thermal convection in the heated-block duct. However, increasing the number of rectangular cylinders can raise friction factor. As a result, the case for periodic boundary conditions with a rectangular cylinder above every two blocks has the best thermal performance.

OCTA is an imaging modality used in the assessment of the retinal vasculature. It operates on the principle of coherence tomography used in standard OCT with the addition of delineating the retinal vascular. This provides a modern non-invasive retinal vascular imaging method compared to conventional dye-based imaging. High quality depth resolution of the superficial and deep capillary networks is possible on OCTA whereas this was not possible prior. OCTA may be limited by image quality degradation from factors such as motion artefact or media opacities, and therefore may not be the investigation of choice for all patient groups. There are multiple potential clinical applications for OCTA in retinal and choroidal vascular disease. Ongoing research is necessary to substantiate the more widespread use of OCTA due to its significant cost burden compared to current modalities.

Laminate structures composed of stiff plates and thin soft interlayers are widely used in aerospace, automotive and civil engineering encouraging the development of reliable non-destructive strategies for their condition assessment. In the paper, elastodynamic behaviour of such laminate structures is investigated with emphasis on its application in ultrasonic based NDT and SHM for the identification of interlayer mechanical and interfacial contact properties. A particular attention is given to the practically important frequency range, in which the wavelength considerably exceeds the thickness of the film. Three layer model with spring-type boundary conditions employed for imperfect contact simulation is used for numerical investigation. Novel effective boundary conditions are derived via asymptotic expansion technique and used for analysis of the peculiar properties of elastic guided waves in considered laminates. It is revealed that the thin and soft film influences the behaviour of the laminate mainly via the effective stiffnesses being a combination of the elastic moduli of the film, its thickness and interface stiffnesses. To evaluate each of these parameters separately (or to figure out that the available experimental data are insufficient), a step-wise procedure employing the effective boundary conditions is proposed and tested versus the laser Doppler vibrometry data for Lamb waves in Aluminium/Polymer film/Alumunium structure. The possibility of using film-related thickness resonance frequencies to estimate the film properties and contact quality is also demonstrated. Additionally, the rich family of edge waves is also investigated, and the splitting of fundamental edge waves into pairs is revealed.

Lead-210 from natural atmospheric fallout is widely used in multidisciplinary studies to date recent sediments. Some of the ²¹⁰Pb-based dating models can produce historical records of sediment accumulation rates (SAR) and initial activity concentrations ( ). The former have been profusely used to track past changes in the sedimentary conditions. Both physical magnitudes are differently affected by model errors (those arising for the partial or null accomplishment of some model assumptions). This work is aimed at assessing the effects on SAR and of model errors in the CRS, CS, PLUM and TERESA dating models, due to random variability in ²¹⁰Pb fluxes, which is a usual sedimentary condition. Synthetic cores are used as virtual laboratories for this goal. Independently of the model choice, SARs are largely affected by model errors, resulting in some large and spurious deviations from the true values. This questions their general use for tracking past environmental changes. are less sensitive to model errors and their trends of change with time may reflect real changes in sedimentary conditions, as it is shown with some real cores from varved sediments.

Background: The concept of Quality of Work Life (QWL) has been built multidimensionally through social reproduction; it is impacted by the perceptions of each individual and by the relationship between workers and the work environment. Objective: to analyze the Work Process and QWL of assisting nurses in public health. Methods: Research in a critical paradigm, descriptive, exploratory with a qualitative approach. The population corresponds to Nurses who work in care work. Semi-structured guiding questions were applied and were analyzed with content analysis. Results: seven participants declared female; all Chilean; seven are young adults; six singles; only one has children, and one has a person dependent on her care; six are heads of household, and five receive help with housework. All have a nursing degree, five have a diploma, but none have a postgraduate. Work Process has three subcategories: work object, instrument, organization, and work conditions; the QWL category has six subcategories: definition and perception of QWL, QWL potentiating factors, QWL exhausting factors, QWL improvement strategies, the emotional burden associated with QWL, and Health problems. Conclusions: In this way, the lifestyle built by the assistance in the health area has repercussions on the quality of life and health in general.

In this article, we are interested in a new generic class of nonlocal fractional impulsive differential inclusions with linear sectorial operator and Lipschitz multivalued function in the setting of finite dimensional Banach spaces. By modifying the definition of PC-mild solutions initiated by Shu, we succeeded to determine new conditions that sufficiently guarantee the existence of the solutions. The results are obtained by combining techniques of fractional calculus and fixed point theorem for contraction maps. We also characterize the topological structure of the set of solutions. Finally, we provide a demonstration to address the applicability of the theoretical results.

This paper reviews the unilateral and bilateral, one- and two-dimensional Laplace transforms. The unilateral and bilateral Laplace transforms are compared in the one-dimensional case, leading to the formulation of the initial-condition theorem. This problem is solved with all generality in the one- and two-dimensional cases with the bilateral Laplace transform. General two-dimensional linear systems are introduced and the corresponding transfer function defined.

The paper presents the influence of different curing conditions – wet, dry and protection against water evaporation on selected properties of concretes with different amount of recycled concrete aggregate previously subjected to atmospheric CO2 sequestration. Additionally, the eco-efficiency bi and ci indexes as well as eco-durability S-CO2 index were calculated. It was found that dry conditions deteriorate the properties of concrete, especially made of blast furnace slag cement, while protection against evaporation allows to achieve results comparable to wet conditions. Moreover, for series with the highest amount of coarse recycled aggregate and after longer period of curing, the difference between the effects of wet curing and protection against water evaporation disappears. The eco-efficiency and eco-durability indexes approach confirms the beneficial effect of blast-furnace slag cement used as a binder but on condition of proper way of curing.

This paper presents the results of aerodynamical performance research focused on maintaining the thermal comfort and increasing the energy efficiency of a typical social housing unit located in a high-density urban area. Bioclimatic design strategies are used to develop a sustainable and economic technology in existing housing clusters in Mexico City. A full-scale prototype, built on campus facilities, was used to study the flow conditions around the design. All scaled prototypes implement similar criterion. Furthermore, a scaled prototype is evaluated within a low speed wind tunnel installation. Additionally, numerical simulations were performed at transient state based on previous physical measurements and historical local climatic conditions to determine preferable modifications.

The prevalence of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) in South Africa is increasing annually, with the burden projected to escalate by 2030. Devastatingly, factors such as lifestyle changes, urbani- sation, and an aging population significantly contribute to a rising burden of Cardiovascular disease (CVDs), diabetes, and cancer which directly impact the mortality and morbidity rates seen in South Africa. Recognising this, the South African government has seen the need for emphasis on developing policies and interventions tar- geting physical inactivity to prevent and manage NCD, particularly cost-free and easy to administer training protocols. However, phys- ical inactivity remains a significant issue, leading to various health concerns in rural communities, including injuries and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Despite effort to promote physical ac- tivity, the prevalence of NCDs continues to rise, necessitating target- ed interventions to ensure equitable healthcare among South African citizens. On the Contrast, preservation and promotion of traditional games is vital as they offer indigenous populations accessible and culturally relevant means to maintain health and wellness. In this regard, it is important to recognize the importance of preserving and promoting traditional games as they potentially serve as a method for indigenous people to maintain their health and wellness in a way that is accessible and culturally relevant to them. These games have gained popularity in South Africa, with initiatives underway to show- case them globally fostering cultural exchange. Further, revitalizing and conserving these games can cultivate a culture of health and wellbeing in South Africa.

Structural health monitoring (SHM) has become paramount for developing cheaper and more reliable maintenance policies. The advantages coming from adopting such process have turned out to be particularly evident when dealing with plated structures. In this context, state-of-the-art methods are based on exciting and acquiring ultrasonic guided waves through a permanently installed sensor network. A baseline is registered when the structure is healthy, and newly acquired signals are compared to it to detect, localize and quantify damage. To this purpose, the performance of traditional methods based on tomographic algorithms has been overcome by machine learning approaches, which allow processing a larger amount of data without losing diagnostic information. However, to date, no diagnostic method can deal with varying environmental and operational conditions. This works aims to develop a framework for mitigating the impact of temperature variations on ultrasonic guided wave-based SHM through generative artificial intelligence. A variational autoencoder and singular value decomposition were combined to learn the influence of temperature on guided waves. After training, the generative part of the algorithm was used to reconstruct signals at new unseen temperatures. Moreover, a refined version of the algorithm called forced variational autoencoder was introduced to further improve the reconstruction capabilities. The accuracy of the proposed framework was demonstrated against real measurements on a composite plate.

Purpose: School-age children with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) often experience difficulties in speech-in-noise (SiN) perception, leading to increased listening effort that impacts their well-being and academic performance. This study aimed to investigate the SiN processing challenges faced by Mandarin-speaking children with ASC and its impact on their listening effort. Methods: Participants completed sentence recognition tests in both quiet and noisy conditions, with a steady-state noise masker presented at 0 dB signal-to-noise ratio in the noisy condition. We compared recognition accuracy and task-evoked pupil responses from 23 Mandarin-speaking children with ASC to 19 age-matched neurotypical (NT) counterparts to gauge their behavioral performance and listening effort during these auditory tasks. Results: The ASC group demonstrated notably decreased accuracy in noise compared to their NT peers, suggesting poorer SiN perception. Pupillometric data further revealed significantly larger peak dilations in the ASC group than in the NT group under comparable conditions. Importantly, the ASC group's peak dilation in quiet mirrored the NT group's in noise. However, the ASC group exhibited shorter peak latencies and reduced mean dilations than the NT group in similar conditions. Such patterns indicate the ASC group might initially experience a heightened cognitive load but utilize fewer cognitive resources as the task continued, indicating an atypical allocation of cognitive resources and a potential tendency towards relatively superficial and automated auditory processing. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the unique SiN processing challenges children with ASC face, underscoring the importance of a nuanced, individual-centric approach for interventions and support.

The fractional diffusion equations with integrals play a significant role in describing anomalous diffusion phenomena. We first construct an appropriate resolvent family, and use the convolution theorem of Laplace transform, the probability density function, Cauchy integral formula and Fubini theorem to study its related equicontinuity, strongly continuity, compactness, etc. Then, a reasonable mild solution is defined. Finally, by combining some fixed point theorems, we obtain some conclusions on the existence and uniqueness of mild solutions.

In the end, this paper analyzed the economy from the investment in plant construction, raw material collection, product production and product sales. The resulting products include pyrolytic carbon, pyrolytic oil, pyrolysis gas. The results showed that when the treatment scale was 1 ton h−1, the pyrolysis plants with three loading modes will always be in a state of loss during the 20-year running time. When the processing scale was 9 ton h−1, the pyrolysis plant can be profitable in the first year. In the sensitivity analysis, the influence of three pyrolysis products on the total return on investment was explored. The results showed that the price change of pyrolysis oil has the greatest influence on the total return on investment (Total ROI) under the three loading methods, The price change of pyrolysis gas has minimal impact on the Total ROI. This study provides basic data and basis for the commercialization of coal-biomass co-pyrolysis technology and investment in plant construction.

Haemodynamic indices are widely used in clinical practice for deciding on a particular type of treatment. Low quality of the CT data and tachycardia complicate interpretation of the measured or simulated values. In this work, we present a novel approach for evaluating resistances in terminal coronary arteries. Using 14 measurements from 10 patients, we show that this algorithm retains the accuracy of 1D haemodynamic simulations in less detailed (truncated) geometric models of coronary networks. We also apply the variable systole fraction model to study the effect of elevated heart rate on the values of FFR, CFR and iFR. We conclude that tachycardia may produce both overestimation or underestimation of coronary stenosis significance.

In this paper, we established the existence of PC-mild solutions for non local fractional impulsive functional integro-differential equations with finite delay. The proofs are obtained by using the techniques of fixed point theorems, semi-group theory and generalized Bellman inequality. In this paper, we have used the distributed characteristic operators to define the mild solution of the system. Results obtained here improve and extend some known results.

It was demonstrated during the past decade that ultra-short intense laser pulse tightly focused deep inside a transparent dielectric generates the energy density in excess of several MJ/cm$^3$. Such energy concentration with extremely high heating and quenching rates leads to unusual solid-plasma-solid transformation paths overcoming kinetic barriers to formation of previously unknown high-pressure material phases, which are preserved in the surrounding pristine crystal. These results were obtained with the pulse of Gaussian shape in space and in time. Recently it was shown that the Bessel-shaped pulse could transform much larger amount of a material and allegedly create even higher energy density than that was achieved with the Gaussian (GB) pulses. Here we present a succinct review of previous results and discuss the possible routes for achieving higher energy density employing the Bessel beams (BB) and take advantage of its unique properties.

Based on Venturini method, it is in favor of the modulation technique for controlling the matrix converter due to only use of the comparison between the duty cycles in time domain and the triangular carrier wave for generating the gating signals and the achievable voltage ratio between fundamental output magnitude and fundamental input magnitude to 0.866. However, even with simple modulation method and achieving maximum fundamental output magnitude, the possible input voltage unbalance conditions accordingly influence on the output performances (more reduction and distortion). Thus, a modified Venturini modulation method is presented in this paper, in order to solve the problems of unbalanced input voltage conditions on the matrix converter performances. The proposed strategy is to satisfy the desirable feature of the duty cycle modulating waves, as generated in the event of normal situation. Up to this approach, it can support either single-phase condition or two-phase condition. Performance of the proposed control strategy was verified by the simulated implementation in the MATLAB/Simulink software with showing good steady-state and dynamic operations.

The social- and self-directed behaviours of two golden lion tamarins (Leontopithecus rosalia) was investigated while having residence in the tropical house of Aalborg Zoo, Denmark. The behaviour of the female had been distinct from the male since 2018. Despite several diagnostic examinations and medicinal treatments, the cause of the aberrant and apparently stereotypical behavioural patterns remained undetermined, which initiated this study. The pair were recorded throughout a predetermined observation period and these recordings were analysed to illuminate the behaviours of the individuals. The results showed that there were differences in the type, frequency, and durations of both social- and self-directed behaviours between the sick female and the healthy male. The female expressed both social- and self-directed behaviours more frequently and for longer durations, while the male were more socially reserved and did not engage in social behaviours as frequently. Furthermore, subsequent necropsy of the female revealed uro-genital disease.

This study has two main focuses: the first focus is to explore the design and the behavior of a locally built solar dryer during processing henna leaves. This was performed through the determination of the most important parameters that have effect on the drying process. Appropriately, it was found that the outlet air temperature of the solar collector depends entirely on the solar radiation, Moreover, the inlet temperature of the air to the drying chamber has also an important impact on the moisture content of the product. It was found that most of the studies dealing with solar drying do not take into consideration the quality of the final product. Accordingly, the second objective of this study is to present the effect of drying process on the quality of the drier samples. For this purpose, the bioactivity of the samples, in terms of determination of the total phenol content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant activities was performed. Three different samples: fresh sample, samples dried with the presented solar dryer and open solar dried samples are tested. It was found that samples dried with the solar dryer presented the best results.

The thermal degradation of brakes has a significant impact on the stability of pure electric commercial vehicles during long downhill braking. Based on road slope and using fuzzy control method, design strategies for motor regenerative braking force and friction braking force distribution, with the aim of reducing friction braking force, improving braking stability, and recovering braking energy. By establishing driving conditions on roads with different slopes and using numerical analysis methods to verify the proposed control strategy. the results show that under the 6% constant slope driving condition, the vehicle maintains a constant speed of 30km/h downhill driving, and the braking energy recovery rate reaches 50.93%; Under the condition of 3% -6% gradient driving, the vehicle speed fluctuates slightly, but it can still be maintained at a constant speed of 30km/h for downhill driving through the adjustment of the motor's reverse drag characteristic, with a braking energy recovery rate of 49.97%; During the process of driving downhill at a constant speed, the frictional braking force does not participate in braking; The braking energy recovery rate is determined by the slope and braking deceleration.

This research explored the influence of spatiotemporal variations in phreatic levels and salinity on the patterns and interactions of soil mesofauna communities in a tropical urban coastal wetland. It delineated significant variations in phreatic levels and salinity, with distinct regimes characterizing different habitats and hydroperiods. A total of 120 mesofauna morphotypes across 42 taxa were identified, revealing habitat differences and similarities, and the ecosystem biodiversity. Moderate correlations were established between phreatic levels, salinity, and mesofauna richness and abundance, with habitat type and phreatic level emerging as significant predictors in the regression model. Our findings indicate that shallow phreatic levels in conjunction with oligohaline salinity conditions foster a more favorable abiotic environment, thereby promoting increased biodiversity. The study underscores the dynamic and adaptive nature of mesofauna communities in response to changing environmental conditions, offering valuable insights for effective costal urban wetland management, particularly in the context of multiple stressors such as global and regional climate change, sea level rise, and human activities. The bio-sensor capacity of soil mesofauna emerges as a vital tool for monitoring and facilitating adaptive ecosystem management, thereby ensuring their long-term health and sustainability.

This study investigates the importance of convective systems for extreme rainfall along the northern coast of the Gulf of Guinea (GG) and their relationship with atmospheric and oceanic conditions. Convective system data (MCSs), daily precipitation, sea surface temperature (SST) and moisture flux anomalies are used from June to September 2007-2016. The results show that 2/3 of MCSs crossing Abidjan are produced in June, which is the core of the major rainy season. Likewise, 2/3 of MCSs originate from continental areas, while 1/3 comes from the ocean. Oceanic MCSs are mostly initiated close to the coast, which also corresponds to the Marine Heat Waves region. Continental MCSs are mostly initiated inland. The results also highlight the moisture flux contribution of three zones which have an impact on the onset and the sustaining of MCSs: (i) the seasonal migration of ITCZ, (ii) the GG across the northern coastline, (iii) and finally the continent. These contributions of moisture fluxes coincide with oceanic warming off the Northeast Brazil and the northern coast of the GG both two days before and the day of extreme rainfall events. The ocean contributes to moisten the atmosphere, and therefore to supply and sustain the MCSs during their lifecycle.

Because of the rapid advancement in the use of photovoltaic (PV) energy systems, it has become critical to look for ways to improve the energy generated by them. The extracted power from the PV modules is proportional to the output voltage. The relationship between output power and array voltage has only one peak under uniform irradiance, whereas it has multiple peaks under partial shade circumstances (PSC). There is only one global peak (GP) and many local peaks (LPs), where the typical maximum power point trackers (MPPT) may become locked in one of the LPs, significantly reducing the PV system's generated power and efficiency. The metaheuristic optimization algorithms (MOAs) solved this problem, albeit at the expense of the convergence time, which is one of these algorithms' key shortcomings. Most MOAs attempt to lower the convergence time at the cost of the failure rate and the accuracy of the findings because these two factors are interdependent. To address these issues, this work introduces the dandelion optimization algorithm (DOA), a novel optimization algorithm. The DOA's convergence time and failure rate are compared to other modern MOAs in critical scenarios of partial shade PV systems to demonstrate the DOA's superiority. The results obtained from this study showed substantial performance improvement compared to other MOAs, where the convergence time is reduced to 0.4 s with zero failure rate compared to 0.9 s, 1.25 s, and 0.43 s for other MOAs under study. The optimal number of search agents in the swarm, optimal initialization of search agents, and optimal design of the dc-dc converter is introduced for optimal MPPT performance.

The process of ultrasonic atomization involves a series of dynamic/topological deformations of free surface, though not always, of a bulk liquid (initially) below the air. This study focuses on such dynamic interfacial alterations realized by changing some acousto-related operating conditions, including ultrasound excitation frequency, acoustic strength or input power density, and the presence/absence of a “stabilizing” nozzle. High-speed, high-resolution imaging made it possible to qualitatively identify four representative transitions/demarcations: 1) the onset of a protrusion on otherwise flat free surface; 2) the appearance of undulation along the growing protuberance; 3) the triggering of emanating beads fountain out of this foundation-like region; and 4) the induction of droplets bursting and/or mist spreading. Quantitatively examined were the two-parameters specifications—on the degrees as well as induction—of the periodicity in the protrusion-surface and beads-fountain oscillations, detected over wider ranges of driving/excitation frequency (0.43–3.0 MHz) and input power density (0.5–10 W/cm2) applied to the ultrasound transducer of flat surface on which the nozzle was mounted or not. The resulting time sequence of images processed for the extended operating ranges, regarding the fountain structure pertaining in particular to recurring beads, confirms the wave-associated nature, i.e., their size “scalability” to the ultrasound wavelength, predictable from the traveling wave relationship. The thresholds in acoustic conditions for each of the four transition states of the fountain structure have been identified—notably, the onset of plausible “bifurcation” in the chain-beads diameter below a critical excitation frequency.

Long-term, multi-decade research on planted tree survival in urban settings is sparse. One understudied urban environment is highway rights-of-way (ROW), lands adjacent to high-speed, unsignalized roadways. We conducted a re-inventory of tree planting cohort in northern Illinois, U.S. on a 48 km-long highway near Chicago which were 10-, 21-, and 30-years old to evaluate long-term patterns of survival and diversity. Using each randomly selected planting site along the highway as a unit of observation and analysis, we compared the number of trees documented in record drawing to the number of trees currently alive to determine percent survival. We evaluated 224 planting sites which originally contained 2,944 trees and collected data about the planting site location. For the oldest cohort, 26% of trees were still alive in 2018 (median survival by species = 16%, Q1 = 0%, Q3 = 48%), while 31% of the 21-year-old cohort (med. = 6%, Q1 = 0%, Q3 = 47%) and 86% of the 10-year-old cohort were still alive (med. = 85%, Q1 = 74%, Q3 = 96%). The survival of the 21- and 30-year-old cohort matches urban tree survival estimates by other researchers, while the 10-year-old survival is higher than expected. The only planting location characteristic that significantly affected survival was traffic islands (areas between the highway and entrance/exit ramps). Species with low drought tolerance were less likely to be alive for the 10-year-old cohort. Waterlogging tolerant species were more likely to be alive in the 10-year-old cohort. Since some species in the 21- and 30-year-old cohorts had very low survival, the tree species richness and diversity s in study areas declined between the initial record drawings and reinventory. This study demonstrates the challenges of maintaining long-term survival and diversity in the highway ROW and emphasizes the importance of species selection.

Oaks are a dominant and key tree species in Mediterranean forest ecosystems. However, in recent decades, oak forests have been heavily impacted by oak decline, a worldwide phenomenon exacerbated by climate change. The charcoal disease agent Biscogniauxia mediterranea is involved in the decline of Mediterranean oak formations in a variety of contexts. Here, we investigated the impact and role of B. mediterranea in decline of oaks in Castelfidardo Forest, a relict wood of the late Holocene and a Site of Community Importance. We established five plots within which we recorded the tree positions, any symptoms and signs of decline, association of B. mediterranea to declining trees, and the deadwood and associated mycota. Of 471 oaks inspected, 7.0% showed brownish exudates on the stems, 46.9% showed epicormic shoots along the main trunk, and 24.4% showed black carbonaceous stromata on diseased branches and trunks. The decline was most severe for Quercus cerris, which comprised plots #4 and #5, at 50.0% (81/162 trees) and 29.0% (33/114), respectively; then for Quercus robur for plot #3, at 40.0% (38/95); and finally for Quercus pubescens for plots #1 and #2, at 13.7% (7/51) and 12.3% (6/49), respectively. Bark tissue was collected from trees with charcoal cankers, with microscopy examination and identification by mycological and molecular methods. This investigation revealed close association between oaks with pronounced reduction of vitality and incidence of B. mediterranea. The deadwood was equally distributed among the five plots, and was heavily colonized by Basidiomycota. The high incidence of this oak-weakening pathogen B. mediterranea appears to be related to stress conditions (e.g., water scarcity, prolonged drought). However, absence of silvicultural management, high competition among physiologically mature trees, and the geographic isolation of this residual forest might have predisposed these oaks to decline.

Effects of the convection flow, atmospheric diffusivity and humidity on evolution and travel distances of exhaled aerosol clouds by an infected person are considered. The aim of this work is to evaluate the importance of aerosol transmission routes and the effectiveness of the 2-metre separation distance policy. A potential impact of use of face masks on the infection transmission rate, and an opportunity to reduce infection in hospitals, care homes and other public spaces by appropriate monitoring and filtering of air are also considered. The results obtained demonstrate that aerosol particles generated by coughing and sneezing can travel over 30 m. Modelling of the evolution of aerosol clouds generated by coughing and sneezing enables us to evaluate the deposition dose of aerosol particles in healthy individuals. For example, a person in a public place (e.g. supermarket or car park) can accumulate in the respiratory system up to 200 virus copies in 2 min time by breathing in virus laden aerosols. Wearing face mask considerably reduces the deposited load down to 2 virus copies per 2 min. The modelling also suggests that it should be possible to measure virus causing COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) within aerosol particles in hospitals and public places, e.g. care homes and supermarkets.

This paper investigates whether the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic – also known as COronaVIrus Disease 19 (COVID-19) – could have been favored by specific weather conditions. It was found that the 2020 winter weather in the region of Wuhan (Hubei, Central China) – where the virus first broke out in December and spread widely from January to February 2020 – was strikingly similar to that of the Northern Italian provinces of Milan, Brescia and Bergamo, where the pandemic has been very severe from February to March. The similarity suggests that this pandemic worsens under weather temperatures between 4°C and 11°C. Based on this result, specific isotherm world maps were generated to locate, month by month, the world regions that share similar temperature ranges. From January to March, this isotherm zone extended mostly from Central China toward Iran, Turkey, West-Mediterranean Europe (Italy, Spain and France) up to the United State of America, coinciding with the geographic regions most affected by the pandemic from January to March. It is predicted that next spring, as the weather gets warm, the pandemic will likely worsen in northern regions (United Kingdom, Germany, East Europe, Russia and North America) while the situation will likely improve in the southern regions (Italy and Spain). However, in autumn, the pandemic could come back and affect the same regions again. The Tropical Zone and the entire Southern Hemisphere, but in restricted southern regions, could avoid a strong pandemic because of the sufficiently warm weather during the entire year. Google-Earth-Pro interactive-maps are provided as supplements.

Oiola archeological site, located in the mining complex of La Arboleda (Biscay, North Spain) was an important iron smelting center from the Roman Period to the Early Middle Ages and even in more current times (19th-20th centuries). Tap-slags and some plano-convex slags were identified as smelting slags. Samples were analyzed by optical microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy coupled with electron-dispersive spectroscopy and Raman microspectroscopy to perform a mineralogical and textural characterization. Additionally, thermogravimetric and thermodiffraction analyses were carried out to determine furnace operating temperatures. The mineral assemblage reflects furnace cooling rates and temperatures and the addition of quartz as the main flux to decrease the melting temperature of the iron ore. The comparison of slags from the Roman Period and the Early Middle Age allows to observe changes in the pyrometallurgical process through time.