In this paper, we investigate a new $q$-analogue of the higher order degenerate Changhee polynomials and numbers, which are called the Witt-type formula for the $q$-analogue of degenerate Changhee polynomials of order $r$. We can derive some new interesting identities related to the degenerate $(h,q)$-Changhee polynomials and numbers.

Considering the actual world economical trends, one of the most important questions is now and in the future: how to reduce power consumption of electronic systems. Since the invention of computers, the electrical energy consumption step by step increased. Now when not only computers, but electric vehicles, robots, automation, and unmanned aerial vehicles play a very important role of our life, the main problem of system designers is how to reduce energy consumption in these systems. But also the existing already working systems must be revised in order to decrease their electric power consumption. The importance of this subject (energy control) shows that a huge number of research publications and survey papers deal with it. Just focusing on the last one or two years (2021 and 2022) the search hit 221000 titles (103000 hits only in 2022). Analyzing all the research areas is almost impossible, but focusing on some important research subjects, where one of the main topic is “energy saving methods” can give an overview about the subject. The paper focuses on the area of industrial robotic systems, electric vehicles, and embedded systems.

In this paper, a prototype of an automatic lab on PCB for agarose preparation and electrophoresis is developed. The dimensions of the device are 38×34 mm2 and includes a conductivity sensor for detecting the TAE buffer (Tris-Acetate-EDTA buffer), a microheater for mixing, a NTC thermistor for controlling the temperature, a LDR sensor for measuring the transparency of the mixture, and two electrodes for performing the electrophoresis. The agarose preparation functions are governed by a microcontroller. The device requires a PMMA structure to define the wells of the agarose gel, and to release the electrodes from the agarose. The maximum voltage and current that the system requires are 40 V to perform the electrophoresis, and 1 A for activating the microheater. The chosen temperature for mixing is 80ºC, with a mixing time of 10 min. In addition, the curing time is about 30 min. This device is intended to be integrated as a part of a larger lab on PCB system for DNA amplification and detection. However, it can be used to migrate DNA amplified in conventional thermocyclers. Moreover, the device can be modified for preparing larger agarose gels and performing electrophoresis in an automatic manner.

Introduction: Due to COVID-19 pandemic, performance of many program has been declined and Tuberculosis (TB) program is not an exception. TB case detection and notification has been recognized as one of worst hit area. The objective of this study was to explore the TB notification status of India during this pandemic and explore options to mitigate the issue. Methods: A secondary data analysis was performed on open source TB notification database of India. Relevant literature review was done to find out remedies based on the different initiative taken by different states of India. Results: In 2020, total TB notification decreased in all the states in comparison to 2019. The percentage of loss in the country was 34%. Private TB notification also decreased in 2020 in all the states except in Jharkhand. The percentage of loss in private TB notification in the country was 35%. Notification started declining in the month of February 2020 and it was lowest in the month of April-2020. The trend of notification began to improve since May 2020 when the States started taking innovative initiatives like Integrated TB Covid Case Search. Conclusion: Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the notifications of TB cases declined noticeably which has a serious implication in terms of silent spread within household and community. But the picture can be improved with integrated approach for TB-COVID case finding and management.

Background: Antiplatelet medications such as aspirin and clopidogrel are used following thrombotic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) to prevent a recurrent stroke. However, the antiplatelet treatments fail frequently, and patients experience recurrent stroke. One approach to lower the rates of recurrence, may be the individualized antiplatelet therapies (antiplatelet therapy modification (ATM)) based on the results of platelet function analysis (PFA). This review was undertaken to gather and analyse the evidence about the effectiveness of such approaches. Methods: We searched Medline, CINAHL, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane databases to 7 January 2020. Results: Two observational studies involving 1136 patients were included. The overall effects of PFA-based ATM on recurrent strokes (OR 1.05; 95% CI 0.69 to 1.58), any bleeding risk (OR 1.39; 95% CI 0.92 to 2.10) or death hazard from any cause (OR 1.19; 95% CI 0.62 to 2.29) were not significantly different from the standard antiplatelet therapy without ATM. Conclusions: The two studies showed opposite effects of PFA-guided ATM on the recurrent strokes in aspirin non-responders, leading to an insignificant difference in the subgroup meta-analysis (OR 1.59; 95% CI 0.07 to 33.77), while the rates of any bleeding events (OR 1.04; 95% CI 0.49 to 2.17) or death from any cause (OR 1.17; 95% CI 0.41 to 3.35) were not significantly different between aspirin non-responders with ATM and those without ATM. There is a need for large randomized controlled trials which account for potential confounders such as ischemic stroke subtypes, technical variations in the testing protocols, patient adherence to therapy, and pharmacogenetic differences.

In addition to the traditional QoS metrics of delay, delay jitter, and packet loss probability (PLP), Quality of Experience (QoE) is now widely accepted as a numerical proxy for actual user experience. The literature has reported many mathematical mappings between QoE and QoS. These QoS parameters are measured by the network providers using sampling. There are some papers studying sampling errors in QoS measurements; however there is no account of propagation of these sampling errors to QoE evaluation. In this paper, we used industrially acquired measurements of PLP and jitter to evaluate the sampling errors and correlation in measurements. Focussing on Video-on-demand (VoD) applications, we use subjective testing and regression to map QoE metrics onto PLP and jitter. The resulting mathematical functions of QoE and theory of error propagation was used to evaluate the propagated error in QoE, and this error was represented as confidence interval. Using the guidelines of UK government for sampling, our results indicate that confidence intervals around estimated QoE in a busy hour can be between MOS=1 to MOS=5 at targeted operating point of QoS parameters. These results are a new perspective on QoE evaluation, and are of great significance to all organisations that need to estimate the QoE VoD applications precisely.

We study strong optical coupling of metal nanoparticle arrays with dielectric substrates. Based on the Fermi Golden Rule, the particle-substrate coupling is derived in terms of the photon absorption probability assuming a local dipole field. An increase in photocurrent gain is achieved through the optical coupling. In addition, we describe light-induced, mesoscopic electron dynamics via the nonlocal hydrodynamic theory of charges. At small nanoparticle size (<20nm), the impact of this type of spatial dispersion becomes sizable. Both absorption and scattering cross section of the nanoparticle are significantly increased through the contribution of additional nonlocal modes. We observe a splitting of local optical modes spanning several tenths of nanometers. This is a signature of semi-classical, strong optical coupling via the dynamic Stark effect, known as Autler-Townes splitting. The photocurrent generated in this description is increased by up to 2%, which agrees better with recent experiments than compared to identical classical setups with up to 6%. Both, the expressions derived for the particle-substrate coupling and the additional hydrodynamic equation for electrons are integrated into COMSOL for our simulations.

Although the fusion energy sector is at a nascent stage, the private fusion energy market has grown. There are currently 38 private fusion energy companies around the world aiming to commercialise fusion energy in early 2030s and 2040s. Given the capability of fusion energy in transforming today’s energy paradigm and the global character of the market, it is important to analyse how these companies are interacting with international human rights standards. Therefore, this work investigates the involvement of the private fusion energy sector with two voluntary international initiatives in particular: the UN Global Compact and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP). This study attempts to answer two research questions: (i) Are private fusion energy companies participating in the UN Global Compact? (ii) How are private fusion energy companies publicly implementing the UNGP? Content analysis of secondary data collected from the UN Global Compact, Fusion Industry Association, ITER and companies’ official website as well as published reports is adopted. In summary, this work finds that private fusion energy companies are neither participants nor signatories of the UN Global Compact. Their observance of the UNGP is also very poor. This study contributes to the field by highlighting this gap which the private fusion energy companies need to consider and take measures in order to create a salutary human rights sector.

Cutaneous wound healing is a complex multi-stage process involving direct and indirect cell communication events with the aim of efficiently restoring the barrier function of the skin. One key aspect in cutaneous wound healing is associated with cell movement and migration into the physically, chemically and biologically injured area resulting in wound closure. Understanding the conditions under which cell migration is impaired and elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms that improve healing dynamics is therefore crucial in devising novel therapeutic strategies to elevate patient suffering, reduce scaring and eliminate chronic wounds. Following the global trend towards automation, miniaturization and integration of cell-based assays into microphysiological systems, conventional wound healing assays such as the scratch assay or cell exclusion assay have recently been translated and improved using microfluidics and lab-on-a-chip technologies. These miniaturized cell analysis systems allow precise spatial and temporal control over a range of dynamic microenvironmental factors including shear stress, biochemical and oxygen gradients to create more reliable in vitro models that resemble the in vivo microenvironment of a wound more closely on a molecular, cellular, and tissue level. The current review provides (a) an overview on the main molecular and cellular processes that take place during wound healing, (b) a brief introduction into conventional in vitro wound healing assays, and (c) a perspective on future cutaneous and vascular wound healing research using microfluidic technology.

The purpose of this paper is to explore which financial performance indicators (FPIs) evaluate the level of supply chain capability (SCC) that explicitly touches all of the business functions and processes within and beyond the company. The authors investigated nine FPIs that were selected from the financial statements of 155 companies within nine industries. The authors find that suitable FPIs to measure SCC for shareholders’ value are return-on-assets (ROA), days-sales-outstanding (DSO), and current ratio (CR). This means that higher ROA, shortened DSO, and an appropriate level of CR could reach a sustainable supply chain. These results will help the industry to avert a major disruption in supply chain processes and activities using suitable financial performance indicators.

Illicit drug consumption is posing critical concerns in our society causing health issues, crime-related activities, and the disruption of border trade. The smuggling of illicit drugs urges the development of new tools for rapid on-site identification in cargos. Current methods used by law enforcement officers rely on presumptive color tests and portable spectroscopic techniques. However, these methods sometimes exhibit inaccurate results due to commonly used cutting agents, the colorful nature of the sample or because the drugs are smuggled (hidden or mixed) in common goods. Interestingly, electrochemical sensors can deal with these specific problems. Herein, an electrochemical device is presented that uses affordable screen-printed electrodes for the electrochemical profiling of illicit drugs by square-wave voltammetry (SWV). The identification of the illicit compound is based on the oxidation potential of the analyte. Hence, a library of electrochemical profiles is built upon the analysis of illicit drugs and common cutting agents. This library allows the design of a tailor-made script that enables the identification of each drug through a user-friendly interface (laptop or mobile phone). Importantly, the electrochemical test is compared by analyzing 48 confiscated samples with other portable devices based on Raman and FTIR spectroscopy as well as a laboratory standard method (i.e. gas chromatography – mass spectrometry). Overall, the electrochemical results obtained through the analysis of different samples from confiscated cargos at an end-user site, present a promising alternative to current methods, offering low-cost and rapid testing in the field.

Objectives: The study aimed to uncover the percentages of battered women in Jordan, its causes, forms, and relationship to several social factors. Methodology: The study was conducted on a random, targeted sample of (1308) women based on social sample survey method and electronic questionnaire tool for data collection, the Descriptive statistical method and chi-square test were used to examine statistically significant differences. Results: The study found that the percentage of battered women reached 17.1% during Corona pandemic in 2020, and the increase in men's violence against women during this period of was in large and medium degrees according to the sample. Husbands were the most practicing violence against their wives at 37.5%, followed by fathers against daughters at 28.6%, and brothers against sisters at 26.8%. The causes of male violence are due to social factors represented by male domination culture, interference by family and relatives, and economic factors represented by the high cost of living, low household income and poverty. The most common forms of violence are verbal, physical, and psychological. The study found that women in southern Jordan, who are poorer and less educated, and who live in a large family, are the most abused. The study recommended activating family and community service and reform offices, solving problems of deteriorating economic situation and individual poverty, and enlightening community awareness of the dangers of domestic violence.

African swine fever (ASF) is a notifiable viral disease of domestic and wild suids. Despite intensive re-search efforts, the pathogenesis of the disease is still far from being understood. Analysis of biomarkers in different body fluids may supplement traditional pathogenesis studies. As reliable protocols are often es-tablished in laboratories with lower biosafety, reliable inactivation of samples is crucial. The objective of this study was to find a procedure that inactivates the virus while preserving the biomarkers for down-stream analyses. To this means, three different inactivation protocols were employed, namely Tergitol-type NP-40 (NP-40) and polyoxyethylene-p-t-octylphenol (Triton X-100), respectively, and one with 95 °C heating. It could be demonstrated that all samples treated with 0.5% (v/v) concentration of both deter-gents showed absence of virus infectivity. The same was true for heated samples. However, heated serum was not suitable for analyses. Next, the treatment impact on biomarker readouts was assessed. While all protocols had an impact on the detection of biomarkers, correlation was retained. Especially NP-40 could be the desired detergent for more accurate measurements while achieving efficient virus inactivation. Based on these studies, samples can be reliably inactivated for most biomarker analyses and thus broader interdisciplinary cooperation is possible.

The present study compared the contralateral suppression and the amplitude of distortion product otoacoutsic emissions (DPOAEs) between smokers and non-smokers to determine the influence of smoking. Thirty smokers and thirty non-smokers within the age range of 18-40 years with a normal hearing sensitivity were considered for the study. For both the groups, DPOAEs were measured and the efferent auditory system functioning was measured by presenting the white noise of 50 dB HL to the contralateral side, while recording the DPOAEs. There was no significant effect of age on the amplitude of DPOAEs in both the groups. However, there were significant differences in the amplitude of DPOAEs between smokers and non-smokers. The amount of suppression and DPOAE amplitude were reduced in smokers when compared to non-smokers. The study found no significant correlation between the amount of smoking and amount of suppression between smokers and non-smokers. However, there were significant correlations between the amount of smoking and DPOAE at low and mid frequencies between smokers and non-smokers. Therefore, the present study highlights the increased damage to the efferent auditory system risk and the smoking ill-effects on the efferent auditory system.

This article presents a wide-band antenna designed for the Cube Satellite (CubeSat). Based on a quadrifilar structure, the antenna provides circular polarization radiation, which is suitable for satellite communication. Moreover, the antenna is designed and fabricated using two 1.6 mm thickness FR4-Epoxy boards that connect together by the metal pins. In order to improve the robustness, a ceramic spacer is placed in the centerboard, and four screws at the corners are added to fix the antenna with the CubeSat structure. These additional parts reduce antenna damage caused by vibrations in the launch vehicle lift-off stage. The proposal has a dimension of 77mm x 77mm x 10mm and covers the LoRa frequency bands of 868 MHz, 915 MHz, and 923 MHz. According to the measurements in an anechoic chamber, antenna gains are obtained with the values of 2.3 dBiC and 1.1 dBiC for the 870 MHz and 920 MHz, respectively. Finally, the antenna is integrated into a 3U CubeSat that was launched by a Soyuz launch vehicle. The terrestrial-to-space communication link was measured, and the antenna performance was confirmed in the real-life scenario.

The contactless coalescence of a droplet is of paramount importance for physical and industrial applications. This paper describes a coalescence method in mid-air via acoustic levitation using an ultrasonic phased array system. Acoustic levitation using ultrasonic phased arrays provides promising lab-on-a-drop applications, such as transportation, coalescence, mixing, separation, evaporation, and extraction in a continuous operation. The mechanism of droplet coalescence in mid-air may be better understood by experimentally and numerically exploring the droplet dynamics immediately before the coalescence. In this study, water droplets were experimentally levitated, transported, and coalesced by controlling acoustic fields. We observed that the edge of droplets deformed and attracted each other immediately before the coalescence. Through image processing, the radii of curvature of the droplets were quantified and the pressure difference between the inside and outside the droplet was simulated to obtain the pressure and velocity information on the droplet surface. The results revealed that the sound pressure acting on the droplet clearly decreased before the impact of the droplets. This pressure on the droplets was quantitatively analyzed from the experimental data. Our experimental and numerical results provide deeper physical insights into contactless droplet manipulation for futuristic lab-on-a-drop applications.

This research paper contributes to the literature of deterrence theory in general, and in particular with respect to white-collar crime, offering valuable inside by using a unique data set of fraud and violation of trust incidents for Paraguay. Descriptive evidence show a clear and continuous misallocation of funds and human capital, and therefore providing less efficient services for the public. Regression analysis suggests that clearance rate exerts a highly significant effect in deterring fraud but results are not clear for violation of trust incidents. Despite the limitations of available data, results confirm deterrence theory in Paraguay. However, to more than two-thirds of victims, not even the attempt was made to seek justice. As a side-result, it seems that a soft on crime strategy, induced from the former German penal code, has led to an increasing share of pre-trial diversion and therefore enhancing white-collar crimes like fraud and violation of trust due to impunity.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a significant health concern worldwide with enormous social and economic impact globally. The gradual deterioration of cognitive functions and irreversible neuronal losses are primary features of the disease. Even after decades of research, most therapeutic options are merely symptomatic, and drugs in clinical practice present numerous side effects. Lack of effective diagnostic techniques prevents the early prognosis of disease, resulting in a gradual deterioration in the quality of life. Furthermore, the mechanism of cognitive impairment and AD pathophysiology is poorly understood. Microfluidics exploits different microscale properties of fluids to mimic environments on microfluidic chip-like devices. These miniature multichambered devices can be used to grow cells and 3D tissues in vitro, analyze cell-to-cell communication, decipher the roles of neural cells like microglia, and gain insights into AD pathophysiology. This review focuses on the applications and impact of microfluidics on AD research. We discuss the technical challenges and possible solutions provided by this new cutting-edge technique to understand disease-associated pathways and mechanisms.

The use of naturally available materials not conforming to traditional specifications or standards, in the base and sub-base layers of road pavement structures, stabilised with New-age (Nano) Modified Emulsions (NME), have been tested, implemented and successfully verified through Accelerated Pavement Testing (APT) in South Africa. This was made possible through the development and use of a design procedure addressing fundamental principles and based on scientific concepts, which are universally applicable. The understanding of and incorporation of the chemical interaction between the mineralogy of the materials and a NME stabilising agent (compatibility between the chemistry of the reactive agents and material mineralogy) into the design approach is key to achieving the required engineering properties. Stabilised materials evaluation is done using tests indicative of the basic engineering properties (physics) of compressive strengths, tensile strengths and durability. This article describes the basic materials design approach developed to ensure that organofunctional nano-silane modified emulsions can successfully be used for pavement layer construction utilising naturally available materials, at a low risk. The enablement of the use of naturally available materials in all pavement layers can have a considerable impact on the unit cost and life-cycle costs of road transportation infrastructure. TRANSLATE with x English ArabicHebrewPolish BulgarianHindiPortuguese CatalanHmong DawRomanian Chinese SimplifiedHungarianRussian Chinese TraditionalIndonesianSlovak CzechItalianSlovenian DanishJapaneseSpanish DutchKlingonSwedish EnglishKoreanThai EstonianLatvianTurkish FinnishLithuanianUkrainian FrenchMalayUrdu GermanMalteseVietnamese GreekNorwegianWelsh Haitian CreolePersian TRANSLATE with COPY THE URL BELOW Back EMBED THE SNIPPET BELOW IN YOUR SITE Enable collaborative features and customize widget: Bing Webmaster Portal Back

Liquid manipulation by photoisomerization attracts recent attentions as a new active droplet control method for micro-chemical analysis. Such a non-inverse manipulation can be realized by a use of solution liquid of surfactant that exhibits the \emph{cis}-\emph{trans} isomerization triggered by light irradiation with a specific wavelength such as ultraviolet light. Since the isomerization is accompanied by changes in fluid properties, a light irradiation on one of liquid-air interfaces of a liquid column in a tube would generate differences in the wettability accompanied between the both sides of the finite liquid column. Although this technique has been demonstrated experimentally by Muto et al. (\emph{Euro.~Phys.~J.~Special Topics}, {\bf 226}, 2016, 1199--1205), its dynamics and developments of each isomer distribution are not understood. In order to reveal the liquid-column migration phenomenon, we have performed numerical simulations of air-liquid two-phase flows and its scalar transport of the isomer, using the Volume-of-Fluid method in conjunction with the Continuum-Surface-Force model and Continuous-Species-Transfer method. We validated present results by comparison with experimental result in terms of the migration distance of the liquid column. We confirmed a termination of the liquid-column migration occurs when the \emph{cis} isomer distribution reaches the non-irradiated region. The migration speed was less dependent on the liquid-column length and was proportional to the tube diameter.

The outdoor field test of the 4-terminal on Si tandem photovoltaic module (specifically, InGaP/GaAs on Si) was investigated and performance model, considering spectrum change affected by fluctuation of atmospheric parameters, was developed and validated. The 4-terminal on Si tandem photovoltaic module had about 40 % advantage in seasonal performance loss compared with standard InGaP/GaAs/InGaAs 2-terminal tandem photovoltaic module. This advantage is expanded in (subarctic zone) < (temperate zone) < (subtropical zone). The developed and validated model used all-climate spectrum model and considered fluctuation of atmospheric parameters, and can be applied every type of on-Si tandem solar cells.

It is crucial to forecast the water demand accurately for supplying water efficiently and stably in a water supply system. In particular, accurately forecasting short-term water demand helps in saving energy and reducing operating costs. With the introduction of the Smart Water Grid (SWG) in a water supply system, the amount of water consumption is obtained in real time through an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) sensor, which can be used for forecasting the short-term water demand. The models widely used for water demand forecasting include the autoregressive integrated moving average, radial basis function-artificial neural network, quantitative multi-model predictor plus, and long short-term memory. However, there is a lack of research on assessing the performance of models and forecasting the short-term water demand by applying the data on the amount of water consumption by purpose and the pipe diameter of an end-use level of the SWG demonstration plant in each demand forecasting model. Therefore, in this study, the short-term water demand was forecasted for each model using the data collected from the AMI, and the performance of each model was assessed. The Smart Water Grid Research Group installed ultrasonic-wave-type AMI sensors in the block 112 located in YeongJong Island, Incheon, and the actual data used for operating the SWG demonstration plant were adopted. The performance of the model was assessed by using the residual, root mean square error (RMSE), normalized root mean square error (NRMSE), Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), and Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) as indices. The water demand forecast was slightly underestimated in models that employed the assessment results based on the RMSE and NRMSE. Furthermore, the forecasting accuracy was low for the NSE due to a large number of negative values; the correlation between the observed and forecasted values of the PCC was not high, and it was difficult to forecast the peak amount of water consumption. Therefore, as the short-term water demand forecasting models using only time and the amount of water consumption have limitations in reflecting the characteristics of consumers, a water supply system can be managed more precisely if other factors (weather, customer behavior, etc.) influencing the water demand are applied.

Cancer stem cells remain a challenge to isolate and characterize because of their plastic phenotype. Using a microfluidic lab-on-a-chip based on ultra-high frequency dielectophoresis, we measured the electromagnetic signature of colorectal cancer cells and demonstrated that cancer stem cells show a distinct and lower electromagnetic signature than differentiated cells. The release of extracellular vesicles from tumor cells can drive tumor progression and metastasis development. As extracellular vesicles from cancer stem cells carry more aggressive content, we treated colorectal cancer cells with these vesicles to test whether the lab-on-a-chip can detect a change in phenotype. The electromagnetic signature of treated cells is modified in comparison to untreated cells and sometimes even when no biological change is observed. The lab-on-a-chip provides rapid and relevant result without prior labeling compared to conventional biological approaches. It could be useful in the clinic for early detection of cancer stem cells in the tumor mass and for monitoring the aggressive potential of extracellular vesicles in the bloodstream in order to adapt therapeutic management and prevent relapse.

In plants, water flows are the major driving force behind the growth and play a crucial role in the life cycle. To study hydrodynamics, methods based on tracking small particles inside water flows occupy a special place. Due to these tools, it is possible to get information about the dynamics of the spatial distribution of the fluxes characteristics. In this paper, using contrast-enhanced MRI, we have shown that gadolinium chelate, used as an MRI contrast agent, marks the structural characteristics of xylem bundles of maize stem nodes and internodes. Supplementing MRI data, a high-precision visualization of xylem vessels by laser scanning microscopy was used to reveal structural and dimensional characteristics of the stem vascular system. In addition, we proposed the concept of using the prototype "Y-type xylem vascular bundles" as a model of the elementary connection of vessels within the vascular system. A Reynolds number can match the microchannel model with the real xylem vessels.

There are two reasons to have an efficient algorithm for identifying all maximal Lyndon substrings of a string: firstly, Bannai et al. introduced in 2015 a linear algorithm to compute all runs of a string that relies on knowing all maximal Lyndon substrings of the input string, and secondly, Franek et al. showed in 2017 a linear equivalence of sorting suffixes and sorting maximal Lyndon substrings of a string, inspired by a novel suffix sorting algorithm of Baier. In 2016, Franek et al. presented a brief overview of algorithms for computing the Lyndon array that encodes the knowledge of maximal Lyndon substrings of the input string. Among the presented were two well-known algorithms for computing the Lyndon array: a quadratic in-place algorithm based on iterated Duval's algorithm for Lyndon factorization, and a linear algorithmic scheme based on linear suffix sorting, computing inverse suffix array, and applying to it the Next Smaller Value algorithm. Duval's algorithm works for strings over any ordered alphabet, while for linear suffix sorting, a constant or an integer alphabet is required. The authors at that time were not aware of Baier's algorithm. In 2017, our research group proposed a novel algorithm for the Lyndon array. Though the proposed algorithm is linear in the average case and has O(n log(n)) worst-case complexity, it is interesting as it emulates the fast Fourier algorithm's recursive approach and introduces tau-reduction that might be of independent interest. In 2018, we presented a linear algorithm to compute the Lyndon array of a string inspired by Phase I of Baier's algorithm for suffix sorting. This paper presents theoretical analysis of these two algorithms and provides empirical comparisons of both their C++ implementations with respect to iterated Duval's algorithm.

Analytical chemistry applied to medical and diagnostic analysis, recently focused on the development of cost-effective biosensors able to monitor the health status or to assess the level of specific biomarkers that can be indicative for several diseases. The improvement of technologies relating to the possibility of non-invasive sampling of biological fluids, as well as sensors for the detection of analytical signals and the computational capabilities of the systems routinely employed in everyday life (e.g. smartphones, computers, etc.), make the complete integration of self-standing analytical devices more accessible. This review aims to discuss the biosensors that have been proposed in the last 5 years focusing on two principal detecting approaches, optical and electrochemical, which have been employed for quantifying different kind of target analytes reaching detection limits below the clinical sample levels required. These detection principles applied to Point-of-care (POC) devices, have been extensively reported in literature and even the limited examples found on the market are based on these strategies. This work will show the latest innovations considering the integration of optical and electrochemical detection with the most commonly reported analytical platforms for POC applications such as paper-based or wearable and implantable devices.

This paper deals with a non-standard finite difference scheme defined on a quasi-uniform mesh for approximate solutions of the Magneto-Hydro Dynamics (MHD) boundary layer flow of an incompressible fluid past a flat plate for a wide range of the magnetic parameter. We show how to improve the obtained numerical results via a mesh refinement and a Richardson extrapolation. The obtained numerical results are favourably compared with those available in the literature.

Marine mortar was the goal material and its multi-scale physical-chemical-mechanical characteristics were the principal interest in this study. The on-line multi-scale damage detection experiments art was designed to quantify the characteristics mathematically and graphically. The normal cylinder specimen with 70-day age was produced and investigated by dynamically global MSHCT scan and local detection of EDS, SEM and XRD. The experiments results indicated that the marine mortar offered the appreciable strength at the early age at least, although some saline minerals were generated during the preparation. The micro-interfacial behavior and the parental foci controlled the damage development of the marine mortar the performance of which was still the adjustable one by the composition optimization.

Dyadic data contains co-occurrences of objects, which is often modeled by finite mixture model which in turn is learned by expectation maximization (EM) algorithm. Objects in traditional dyadic data are identified by names, causing the drawback which is that it is impossible to extract implicit valuable knowledge under objects. In this research, I propose the so-called attributed dyadic data (ADD) in which each object has an informative attribute and each co-occurrence of two objects is associated with a value. ADD is flexible and covers most of structures / forms of dyadic data. Conditional mixture model (CMM), which is a variant of finite mixture model, is applied into learning ADD. Moreover, a significant feature of CMM is that any co-occurrence of two objects is based on some conditional variable. As a result, CMM can predict or estimate co-occurrent values based on regression model, which extends applications of ADD and CMM.

Keywords: Kenaf; liquid cultivation; solid cultivation; in vitro propagation, life on land

Digital microfluidics (DMF) holds great potential for the alleviation of laboratory procedures in assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). Electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) provides dynamic culture conditions in vitro that may better mimic the natural embryo microenvironment. Thus far, EWOD microdevices have been proposed for in vitro gamete and embryo handling in mice and for analyzing the human embryo secretome. This article presents the development of the first microfluidic chip utilizing EWOD technology designed for the manipulation of bovine embryos in vitro. The prototype sustains the cell cycles of embryos manipulated individually on the chips during in vitro culture (IVC). Challenges related to the chip fabrication as well as to its application during bovine embryo IVC in accordance with the adapted on-chip protocol are thoroughly discussed, and future directions for DMF in ARTs are indicated.

This article presents and discusses analytical data on the scientific publication record from 1910 to 2020 on two topics: "climate" and "climate change/global warming/climate emergency". The goal is to visualize how the publication record on these two topics has evolved over time, from different classification perspectives (year, country, source and organization). Three hypotheses are tested using data collected from Web of Science and various graphical representations of the data. It is found that research output related to the Earth’s contemporary changing climate overtook that of general climate research in 2011, and the publication ratio has been expanding in the last decade. There are significant differences in the publication countries and sources between the two topics, and conversely less significant differences in terms of organizations publishing these works. Differentiation factors that affect the level of research output and engagement on the climate challenge include: island versus landlocked nations, specialized versus general scientific journals, academic versus institutional organizations. The future of the publication records is discussed, such as the emergence of new terms to refer to the climate challenge, such as “climate emergency”.

Precision agriculture and open-source data repositories provide a plethora of field-specific ecological data about agroecosystems, but few mechanisms have been developed to turn that information into management recommendations for crop production. The On-Farm Precision Experiments (OFPE) framework is an agroecological model-based methodology to improve crop manager’s abilities to make field-scale agronomic input decisions. This work evaluates the use of field-specific experiments that employ open-source data and the data emanating from precision agriculture technologies to gain local knowledge of the spatial and temporal variability in agroeconomic performance at the sub-field scale. Quantification of the temporal variability in crop response to inputs (e.g., crop seeding rates, crop rotations, fertilizers, other soil amendments, pesticides, etc.) allows for estimation of the probability that a future management scenario will outcompete another, in terms of crop yield, crop quality, farmer net return, or environmental quality. The challenge is to integrate OFPE into applied management with minimal disruption of stakeholder practices while drawing on historic knowledge about the field and economic constraints. OFPE is the basis of a decision support system that includes a six-step cyclical process that harnesses precision agriculture technology to apply experiments and gather field-specific data, incorporates modern data management and analytical approaches, and generates management recommendations as probabilities of outcomes. The OFPE framework allows field managers to assess the tradeoffs in agronomic input management between the maximization of crop production, quality and profits from production while considering environmental effects.

In this paper we consider Changhee polynomials of type two, which are motivated from the recent work of Kim and Kim. We investigate some symmetry identities for the Changhee polynomials of type two which are derived from the properties of symmtery for the fermionic p-adic integral on Zp.

Background: Artificial intelligence can help improve the quality of healthcare by analyzing vast amounts of data and providing more effective and personalized treatment plans. Researchers are working on developing AI-powered solutions that can help improve the outcomes of patients. Objective: To explore the potential of AI in improving healthcare outcomes and patient experience. Results: The study suggests that AI can improve healthcare efficiency and patient outcomes but cannot fully replace human healthcare professionals. AI can assist healthcare professionals in their work, leading to better resource utilization and improved patient care. However, there is still a need for human healthcare professionals to oversee AI systems and provide empathy and personalized care to patients. Conclusion: While there is immense potential for AI in healthcare, it is not yet feasible to replace human healthcare workers. Instead, it should be viewed as a tool that can help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of human healthcare.

The article is devoted to the preliminary concept of the Future Planetary Defense System (FPDS), emphasizing Astroballistics. This paper is intended to support international efforts to improve the planetary security of the Earth. The work covers three areas of knowledge: Astronautics, Astrodynamics, and Astroballistics. The most important part of the presented article is dynamic, contact combat modeling against small, deformable celestial bodies. For these purposes, the original, proprietary hydrocode of the Free Particle Method (HEFPM-G) with gravity was used. The main aim of combat is to redirect the Potentially Hazardous Objects (PHOs) to orbits safe for the Earth or destroy them. This concept's first task is to find, prepare and use dynamic three-dimensional models of celestial bodies' motion and spacecraft or human-crewed spaceships in the Solar System's relativistic frame. The second task is to prepare the FPDS' architecture and computer simulation space missions' initial concepts in the internal part of the solar system. The third and main task covers simulating, using hydrocodes, selected methods of fighting 100 m and 140 m diameter asteroids. The order of the article is as follows. The first part of the article presents an architecture and FPDS' modus operandi. Preliminary design and development of FPDS' space missions, including navigation, mission dynamics simulation, is prepared using an open-source space mission analysis and design tool. E.g., Asterank and Trajectory Browser or GMAT are presented in the second part. The third part of the article is devoted to computer hydrocodes (HEFPM-G) and the modeling and simulation of asteroid–asteroid collision, laser radiation effects on an asteroid, and FPDS spacecraft's warhead contact interaction on the small celestial body. The authors formulated the Main Planetary Defense Problem (MPDP) in this paper. The proposition of this problem solving has been realized by preparing its concepts, architecture, and modus operandi of the FPDS mission. Finally, a series of realistic simulations were made using hydrocode to deflect or destroy dangerous asteroids. The summary and conclusions can be found in the fourth part of the article.

Conventional diagnostic techniques are based on utilization of analyte sampling, sensing and signalling on separate platforms for detection purposes, that must be evaded and integrated to a single step procedure in point of care (POC) testing devices. Therefore, the trend has been shifted towards utilization of microfluidic platforms for detection of analytes in biochemical, clinical and food technology due to its being expeditious. Microfluidic systems moulded with polymer substances or glass offer specific and sensitive detection of infectious and non-infectious diseases by providing innumerable benefits including less cost, good biological affinity, strong capillary action and simple process of fabrication. In the case of nucleic acid-based nanosensors, there are some challenges that need to be addressed such as cellular lysis, isolation and amplification of nucleic acid required to be accomplished prior to its detection. To avoid utilization of laborious steps for executing these steps, advances have been deployed in this perspective for on-chip sample preparation, amplification and detection which not only improves sensitivity and selectivity but also saves time and resources. This review emphasizes the significance of microfluidic technology for nucleic acid detection of infectious and non-infectious diseases. The implementation of isothermal amplification in concomitance with lateral flow assay greatly increases the binding efficiency of nanoparticles and biomolecules, improves limit of detection and sensitivity. Most importantly deployment of paper-based material made of cellulose reduces the overall cost. Microfluidic technology in nucleic acid testing has been discussed by explicating its applications in different fields. This review concludes with the prospects and proposes future directions in microfluidic based methods in disease diagnosis.

In 2010, Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) adopted the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 to address the loss and degradation of nature. Subsequently, most biodiversity indicators continued to decline. Nevertheless, conservation actions can make a positive difference for biodiversity. The emerging Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework has potential to catalyze efforts to ‘bend the curve’ of biodiversity loss. Thus, the inclusion of a goal on species, articulated as Goal B in the Zero Draft of the Post-2020 Framework, is essential. However, as currently formulated, this goal is inadequate for preventing extinctions, and reversing population declines; both of which are required to achieve the CBD’s 2030 mission. We contend it is unacceptable that Goal B could be met while most threatened species deteriorated in status and many avoidable species extinctions occurred. We examine the limitations of the current wording and propose an articulation with robust scientific basis. A goal for species that strives to end extinctions and recover populations of all species that have experienced population declines, and especially those at risk of extinction, would help to align actors towards the transformative actions and interventions needed for humans to live in harmony with nature.

This study reports the likely real-world effects of fleet replacement with electric vehicles (EVs) and higher efficiency EURO6 vehicles on the exhaust emissions of NOx, PM, and CO2 in the seven boroughs of the West Midlands (WM) region, UK. National fleet composition data, local EURO distributions and traffic compositions were used to project vehicle fleet compositions for different roads in each borough. A large dataset of real-world emission factors including over 90,000 remote-sensing measurements, obtained from remote sensing campaigns in five UK cities, was used to parameterise the emission profiles of the studied scenarios. Results show that adoption of the fleet electrification approach would have the highest emission reduction potential on urban roads in WM boroughs. It would result in maximum reductions ranging from 35.0-37.9%, 44.3-48.3%, 46.9-50.3% for NOx, PM, and CO2, respectively. In comparison, the EURO6 replacement fleet scenario would lead to reductions ranging from 10.0-10.4%, 4.0-4.2%, and 6.0-6.4% for NOx, PM, and CO2, respectively. The studied mitigation scenarios have higher efficacies on motorways than on rural and urban roads because of the differences in traffic fleet composition. The findings presented will help policymakers choose climate and air quality mitigation strategies.

Introduction: In general, everyone believes that the smallest preterm infants should achieve normal intrauterine growth rates, but many thinks that this is not possible with current nutrition guidelines. There is resistance to giving enough nutrition for fear of "toxicity". The difference in weight Z-score between birth and a corrected gestational age (CGA) at discharge is assess in postnatal growth in our unit. Material and methods: An observational study was done between January 2018 and December 2020 where all cases that had ≤ 29 weeks of GA at birth and survived to 36 weeks corrected GA or that were discharged home. An aggressive nutrition protocol including parenteral as well as enteral nutrition was followed. Patients and their weight trajectory was plotted on the Fenton 2013 growth curve. The patients who had had a smaller WZP difference were also plotted. Results: A total of 32 cases were found. The median change in Z-score between birth and discharge of the whole group was -0.52 (IQR 0.53). Six of 32 (19%) had a more than one WZP, all of whom had severe pathologies. The median decline in Z score for this group with poor growth was 1.24 (IQR 0.22). There were 26 cases with a < 1 WZP (81%) and a median Z score fall of 0.39 (IQR 0.55). No important complications secondary to the ingested volumes or parenteral nutrition were reported. Conclusion: The group of cases with a > 1 WZP drop had severe pathologies. All the other cases had adequate growth parallel to normal weight growth charts and a few cases had some catch-up growth. The study showed that it is possible for many preterm infants to achieve normal intrauterine growth rates if they are given enough nutrition, but bigger multicenter studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Let  β= (((24!)!)!)!, and let {${\mathcal P}_{n^2+1}$} denote the set of all primes of the form {$n^2+1$}. Let ${\mathcal M}$ denote the set of all positive multiples of elements of the set {${\mathcal P}_{n^2+1} \cap (\beta,\infty)$}. The set {${\mathcal X}=\{0,\ldots,\beta\} \cup {\mathcal M}$} satisfies the following conditions: (1) ${\rm card}({\mathcal X})$ is greater than a huge positive integer and it is conjectured that ${\mathcal X}$ is infinite, (2)} we do not know any algorithm deciding the finiteness of ${\mathcal X}$, (3)~a~known and short algorithm for every {$n \in N$} decides whether or not {$n \in {\mathcal X}$}, (4) a known and short algorithm returns an integer~$n$ such that ${\mathcal X}$ is infinite if and only if ${\mathcal X}$ contains an element greater than $n$. The following problem is open: {\em simply define a set {${\mathcal X} \subseteq N$} such that ${\mathcal X}$ satisfies conditions (1)-(4), and \underline{we do not know any representation of~~${\mathcal X}$~~as a finite union of sets whose definitions are simpler than} \underline{the definition of ${\mathcal X}$}} {\tt (5)}. Let {$f(1)=2$}, {$f(2)=4$}, and let {$f(n+1)=f(n)!$} for every integer {$n \geqslant 2$}. For a positive integer $n$, let {$\Psi_n$} denote the following statement: {\em if a system of equations ${\mathcal S} \subseteq \Bigl\{x_i!=x_k: i,k \in \{1,\ldots,n\}\Bigr\} \cup \Bigl\{x_i \cdot x_j=x_k: i,j,k \in \{1,\ldots,n\}\Bigr\}$ has only finitely many solutions in positive integers \mbox{$x_1,\ldots,x_n$}, then each such solution \mbox{$(x_1,\ldots,x_n)$} satisfies {$x_1,\ldots,x_n \leqslant f(n)$}.} We prove that for every statement $\Psi_n$ the bound {$f(n)$} cannot be decreased. The author's guess is that the statements {$\Psi_1,\ldots,\Psi_9$} are true. We prove that the statement $\Psi_9$ implies that the set ${\mathcal X}$ of all {non-negative} integers $k$ whose number of digits belongs to {${\mathcal P}_{n^2+1}$} satisfies conditions {\tt (1)-(5)}.

The gut plays a key role in drug absorption and metabolism of orally ingested drugs. Additionally, characterization of intestinal disease processes are increasingly gaining more attention as gut health is an important contributor to our overall health. The most recent innovation to study intestinal processes in vitro is the development of gut-on-a-chip (GOC) systems. Compared to conventional in vitro models they offer more translational value, and many different GOC models have been presented over the past years. Here, we reflect on the almost unlimited choices in designing and selecting a GOC for preclinical drug (or food) development research. Four components that largely influence the GOC design are highlighted, namely 1) the biological research questions, 2) chip fabrication and materials, 3) tissue engineering, and 4) the environmental and biochemical cues to add or measure in the GOC. Examples are presented of GOC studies in the two major areas of preclinical intestinal research: 1) intestinal absorption and metabolism to study the oral bioavailability of compounds, and 2) treatment-orientated research for intestinal diseases. The last section of this review presents an outlook on the limitations to overcome in order to accelerate preclinical GOC research.

This study addresses the pressing energy constraints in nations like Bangladesh by proposing the implementation of photovoltaic (PV) microgrids. Given concerns about environmental degrada-tion, limited fossil fuel reserves, and volatile product costs, renewable energy sources are gaining momentum globally. Our research focuses on a grid-connected solar PV system model at Char Jazira, Lalpur, Natore, Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Through PVsyst simulation software, we assess the performance ratio (PR) and system losses, revealing an annual solar energy potential of 3375 MWh at Standard Test Condition (STC) efficiency. After considering losses, the system generates 2815 MWh annually, with 2774 MWh exported to the grid. We analyze an average PR of 78.63% and calculate a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of 2.82 BDT/kWh [1 USD = 110 BDT]. The financial assessment indicates a cost-effective LCOE for the grid-connected PV system, with an annual gross income of 27744 BDT from selling energy to the grid and operating costs of 64060.60 BDT/year. Remarkably, this initiative can prevent 33074.061 tCO2 emissions over the project’s 25-year lifespan.

Recent literature has seen a rapid expansion in the reference to front-end forensics as an indication of the untapped value of forensic science. While some of these contributions have centered on development of forensic intelligence from a single area of investigation, others call for a more fundamental change in the relationship between crime laboratories and policing, particularly relating early laboratory analysis with big datasets to provide leads to investigators. We highlight several recently implemented tactical strategies of crime laboratories that contribute to the body of forensic intelligence. Beyond the scientific gains from these tactical applications, the corresponding details on associated efficiencies, costs, time savings, and quality improvements offer insights towards patterns of success for the community of crime laboratories. Further details expand an interpretation of what constitutes success with an eye on the contributions of the crime laboratory towards public health, safety, and protection of the innocent in addition to societal gains from conviction of the guilty. The economic interpretation of the value provided by the forensic laboratory assists in the cost-benefit review of strategic and tactical decisions and supports the justification for laboratory public funding with measures of the return on investment from public support of the forensic laboratory

In this paper, the stability control of the inverted pendulum on a cart with a disturbance forces has been done using observer based and full state feedback H2 controllers. The Lagrangian equation has been used to model the system equation of motions and linearized the system to the unstable upward position. Comparison of the system stability has been simulated by comparing the proposed controllers using Matlab/Scripts and a promising results has been analyzed successfully.

The on-state voltage of MOSFETs is a convenient and powerful temperature-sensitive electric parameter (TSEP) to determine the junction temperature, thus enabling device monitoring, protection, diagnostics and prognostics. The main hurdle in the use of the on-state voltage as a TSEP is the per-device characterization procedure, to be carried out in a controlled environment, with high costs. In this paper we compare two novel techniques for MOSFET junction temperature estimation: controlled shoot-through and direct heating by resistive heaters embedded in two Kapton (polyimide) films. Both allow in-place characterization of the TSEP curve with the device mounted in its final circuit and assembly, including the working heat sink. The two methods are also validated against the conventional procedure in a thermal chamber.

Continual learning, a crucial facet of machine learning, involves the perpetual acquisition of valuable insights from incoming data, sans the necessity for full dataset access. Esteemed as a fundamental goal in artificial intelligence, continual learning grapples with an enduring challenge—catastrophic forgetting. A proficient model must exhibit adaptability for new data assimilation and robustness to retain existing knowledge. Class-incremental learning (CIL) aids the gradual integration of knowledge from newly introduced classes, forming a universal classifier. However, directly training the model with fresh class instances triggers a problem—forgetting distinguishing features of prior classes, causing a performance decline. Addressing such issues in machine learning, this survey aims to delineate significant challenges, outcomes, and recent advancements, including our contributions to CIL techniques, especially in image classification.

In this paper we investigate analytic automorphisms of complex topological vector spaces and their applications to linear and nonlinear transitive operators. We constructed some examples of polynomial automorphisms which show that a natural analogue of the Jacobian Conjecture for infinite dimensional spaces is not true. Also, we prove that any separable Fréchet space supports a transitive analytic operator which is not a polynomial. We found some connections of analytic automorphisms and algebraic bases of symmetric polynomials and applications to hypercyclisity of composition operators.

Structural health monitoring (SHM) is critical for ensuring the safety of infrastructures like bridges. This article presents a digital twin solution for SHM of railway bridges using low-cost wireless accelerometers and Machine Learning (ML). The system architecture combines edge on-premises computing and cloud analytics to enable efficient real-time monitoring and complete storage of relevant time-history datasets. After train crossings, accelerometers stream raw vibration data, which is processed in the frequency domain and analyzed via machine learning to detect anomalies indicating potential structural issues. The digital twin approach is demonstrated on an in-service railway bridge, where vibration data was collected over two years under normal operating conditions. By learning allowable ranges for vibration patterns, the digital twin model identifies abnormal spectral peaks, suggesting changes in structural integrity. The long-term pilot proves that this affordable SHM system can provide automated and real-time warning of bridge damage and also supports the use of in-house designed sensors of lower-cost and edge computing capabilities than those used in the demonstration. The successful on-premises-cloud hybrid implementation provides a cost effective and scalable model for expanding monitoring to thousands of railway bridges, democratizing SHM to improve safety by avoiding catastrophic failures.

Recent improvements within the fields of high-throughput screening and 3D tissue culture have provided the possibility of developing in vitro micro-tissue models that can be used to study diseases and screen potential new therapies. This paper reports a proof of concept study on the use of microvalve-based bioprinting to create laminar MSC-chondrocyte co-cultures as an in vitro model of autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI), an established cellular therapy for osteoarthritis. Microvalve-based bioprinting uses microvalves to deposit cells suspended in a liquid in a consistent and repeatable manner. In this case MSCs and chondrocytes have been sequentially deposited into an insert based transwell system in order to create a laminar co-culture, with variations in the ratios of the cell types used to investigate the potential for MSCs to stimulate improved repair. Histological and indirect immunofluorescence staining revealed the formation of dense tissue structures within the chondrocyte and MSC-chondrocyte cell co-cultures, alongside the establishment of a proliferative region at the base of the tissue. No stimulatory or inhibitory effect in terms of ECM production was observed through the introduction of MSCs, although the potential for an immunomodulatory benefit remains. This proof-of-concept study therefore provides a novel method to enable the scalable production of therapeutically relevant micro-tissue models that can be used for in vitro research to optimise ACI procedures.

This research analyzed the impact of quality of service as perceived by Hapkido students on their exercise continuation and recommendation intentions. It also identified the measures to reduce the rate of student dropout, strengthen competitiveness, and create more efficient marketing strategies for consumer patterns that are rapidly diversifying Hapkido. A questionnaire survey method was conducted with 300 middle and high school students aged 14–19 years having Hapkido training of three months to two years in Incheon and Bucheon during March–April 2019. Frequency, factor, reliability, correlation, and standard multiple regression analyses were conducted on the surveyed data. The conclusions are as follows. First, considering the impact of service quality on exercise continuation intention, service quality positively affects reliability, personification, and perceptual openness; in terms of possibility, it positively affects typicality, personification, and perceptual openness; and in terms of reinforcement, it positively affects reliability and perceptual openness. Second, examining the impact of service quality on recommendation intention positively affects reliability, personification, and perceptual openness. Third, exercise continuation intention positively affects recommendation intention.

In a saline semi-isolated Lagoon on the Cape Zeleny (White Sea), the annual dynamics of the vertical hydrological structure, and the seasonal dynamics of phytoplankton were traced, including species composition, and vertical distribution, abundance, nutrition type,and biomass.293 species and supraspecific taxa of algae and cyanobacteria were found. Most of the identified species are marine, and 38 species are freshwater. Taxonomic composition changed in the Lagoon during the year. Dinoflagellates dominated in winter and early June; unidentified cocci and flagellates in July; diatoms, dinoflagellates and unidentified cells in August; dinoflagellates in September; and unidentified cocci and flagellates in October–November. The abundance of algae also changed in the Lagoon during the year. The integrated biomass in the water column varied from 0.01 g C/m2 in January to 0.78 g C/m2 in early September. According to the abiotic parameters, the water column of the Lagoon is subdivided into several zones with different conditions and corresponding phytoplankton communities. Similarity between the communities of different horizons was 32-46% in summer and 7% in winter. The chemocline layer was the most populous. Almost the entire year it contained a maximum of phytoplankton biomass, 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than that in the overlying horizons. Comparison phytoplankton in the lagoon and in the nearby sea area was carried out. Despite the connection between the Lagoon and the sea phytoplankton structure in the surface water layer in the Lagoon and in the sea differs significantly in composition, quantitative parameters, and seasonal dynamics. The similarity of the communities in the sea and the Lagoon never exceeded 50%. In terms of biomass, the Lagoon lags behind the sea until mid-summer, but, starting from August, it outnumbers it, and the phytoplankton development in the Lagoon lasts longer, until late autumn. The phytoplankton structure and dynamics in the Lagoon and the sea by 24.5% was related to the daylight, water salinity, oxygen content and pH, but did not depend on water T, underwater illuminance, and depth. Oxygen content and pH are defined by PhP activity. Salinity serves as a vector of the vertical sequence of ecological niches. The daylight length seems to be the crucial factor of the seasonal PhP dynamics in the semi-isolated coastal stratified lakes and lagoons.

This study presents a detailed assessment on the impact of the Brazilian legal framework related to the access and benefit sharing provisions of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. The research is based on a comprehensive dataset that was systematically collected over several years, directly from the official government bodies responsible for its implementation. The aim of the study is to contribute to a fact-based discussion on the effectiveness of national ABS laws, focusing on the Brazilian legal framework, first established in the year 2000 and revised in 2015, as a case example. This study balances the costs and benefits of the Brazilian ABS system and assesses the regulatory challenges it poses to individuals, companies, and institutions that perform research, share knowledge, develop, manufacture or market products derived from Brazilian biodiversity. The study indicates that, after over 22 years of operation, the regulatory challenges are still real and relevant, and that the significant volume of data collected from users on access, prior commercialization and shipment of genetic materials abroad was never systematically assessed by the agencies in charge. Besides, it shows that the costs incurred by the government in managing the policy itself have been higher than the economic benefits it has made possible, and that the institutional mechanisms in place since 2015 have not been able to allocate the monetary benefits contributed by users to the National Benefit Sharing Fund to any projects aimed at developing sustainable uses or preserving Brazilian biodiversity.

Radical reactions in water or aqueous media are important for organic synthesis, realizing high yielding processes under non-toxic and environmentally friendly conditions. This overview includes (i) a general introduction to organic chemistry in water and aqueous media, (ii) synthetic approaches in-, on- and with-water as well as in heterogeneous phase, (iii) reaction of carbon-centered radicals with water (or deuterium oxide) activated through coordination with various Lewis acids, (iv) photocatalysis in water and aqueous media, and (v) synthetic applications bioinspired from naturally occurring processes. A wide range of chemical processes and synthetic strategies under different experimental conditions have been reviewed that lead to important functional group translocation and transformation reactions, leading to the preparation of complex molecules. These results reveal how water as a solvent/medium/reagent in radical chemistry has matured over the last two decades and how further discoveries are foreseen to come in the near future.

Nowadays, in low voltage (LV) electric distribution networks (EDNs), the Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) are encountering a high number of connected small-scale distributed generation units, mainly photovoltaic (PV) prosumers. The irregular behavior of the prosumers, together with the uncertainty degree of the requested and injected powers associated with all end-users from the LV EDN, can cause voltage variations with violations of the allowable limits. In this context, the paper developed an efficient and resilient expert system integrating the rule-based reasoning applied to the On-load Tap Changer (OLTC)-fitted transformer to improve the efficiency of the voltage control in the PV-rich LV EDNs. An in-depth analysis based on 75 scenarios, resulting from the combinations of three indicators: the penetration degree of the PV prosumers, consumption evolution associated with the consumers, and energy production of the PV systems, has been performed to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed expert system in an LV EDN from a rural area belonging to a Romanian DNO. The success rate of the expert system has been 86.7% (65 out of 75 scenarios didn't have voltage issues, all values being between the allowable limits in 100% of the time slots associated with the analyzed period). For the other scenarios (representing 13.3%), the values have been inside the range [-10%, +10%] at least 95% of the time slots, according to the European Power Quality Standard, and for the rest of the time slots up to 100% being very close to the upper and lower limits of the range, with highly mitigating of the voltage variations.

Gene expression variations of plant leaf are investigated by irradiating seed and leaf with oxygen or air plasmas. Enhancement of leaf growth is induced by oxygen plasma irradiation on seeds, which is supported by increased gene expression for protein synthesis, oxidative-reduction reactions and decreased gene expression concerning DNA methylation and histone modification. Suppression of leaf growth is observed by the oxygen plasma, which would be owing to increased gene expression concerning heat shock protein and redox reaction, and decreased expression of photosynthesis and glycoprotein. Also, gene expression variation due to air plasma irradiation is almost same as that of oxygen plasma. Active oxygen species are major factors in both oxygen and air plasmas for the variation of gene expressions in plant.

The urgent global health challenge posed by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections demands effective solutions. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent promising tools of research of new antibacterial agents and LyeTx I mn∆K, a short synthetic peptide based on the Lycosa erythrognatha spider venom, is a good representative. This study focused on analyzing some antimicrobial activities of LyeTx I mn∆K, including minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations, synergy and resensitization assays, lysis activity, the effect on biofilm, and the bacterial death curve in MRSA. Additionally, its characterization was conducted through isothermal titration calorimetry, dynamic light scattering, calcein release, and finally, efficacy in a mice wound model. The peptide demonstrating remarkable efficacy against planktonic cells and biofilms of MRSA, outperforms vancomycin in terms of rapid bactericidal action and anti-biofilm effects. The mechanism involves significant membrane damage. Interactions with bacterial model membranes, including those with lysylphosphatidylglycerol (LysylPOPG) modifications, highlight versatility and selectivity of this compound. Also, the peptide has the ability to sensitize resistant bacteria to conventional antibiotics, showing potential for combinatory therapy. Furthermore, using an in vivo model, was showed that a formulated gel containing the peptide proved superior to vancomycin in treating MRSA-induced wound in mice. Together the results highlight LyeTx I mnΔK as a promising prototype for the development of effective therapeutic strategies against superficial MRSA infections.

Fluidic larger-scale integration (LSI) resides at the heart of comprehensive sample-to-answer automation and parallelization of assay panels for frequent and ubiquitous bioanalytical testing in decentralized the point-of-use / point-of-care settings. This paper develops a novel “digital twin” strategy with an emphasis on rotational, centrifugo-pneumatic flow control. The underlying model systematically connects retention rates of rotationally actuated valves as a key element of LSI to experimental input parameters; for the first time, the concept of band widths in frequency space as the decisive quantity characterizing operationally robustness is introduced, a set of quantitative performance metrics guiding algorithmic optimization of disc layouts is defined, and the engineering principles of advanced, logical flow control and timing are elucidated. Overall, the digital twin enables efficient design for automating multiplexed bioassay protocols on such “Lab-on-a-Disc” (LoaD) systems featuring high packing density, reliability, configurability, modularity and manufacturability to eventually minimize cost, time and risk of development and production.

The way Norway is spearheading electrification in the transport sector is of global interest, and details of its policies and emission impacts represent a reference. We used the NERVE model, a bottom-up high-resolution traffic emission model, to calculate all exhaust emissions in Norway (2009-2020). This allows us to evaluate the co-benefit of policies to target climate change mitigation and air quality. We have analyzed local municipal data with regards to traffic growth, road network influences, vehicle composition, emissions and energy consumption. Light vehicle CO2 emissions per kilometre have been reduced by 22% since 2009, mainly driven by an increaseing bio-fuel mixing and BEV share. BEVs are mostly located in and around the main cities, areas with young vehicle fleets, and strong local incentives. Beneficiaries of all BEVs incentives have been a subset of the population with strong economic indicators. The incentivized growth in the share of diesel-fuelled passenger vehicle has been turned, and together with Euro6 emission standards, light vehicle NOx emissions have been halved since peaking in 2014. BEV represent an investment in emission reductions in years to come and current sales set up for an accelerated decline in emissions despite growth in traffic.

Loss of photoreceptors in retinal degenerative diseases also impacts the inner retina: bipolar cell dendrites retract, neurons rewire and protein expression changes. ON-bipolar cells represent an attractive target for optogenetic vision restoration. However, above-described maladaptations may negatively impact the quality of restored vision. To investigate this question, we employed human post-mortem retinas and transgenic rd1_Opto-mGluR6 mice expressing the optogenetic construct Opto-mGluR6 in ON-bipolar cells and carrying the retinal degeneration rd1 mutation. We found significant changes in delayed rectifier potassium channel expression in ON-bipolar cells of degenerative retinas. In particular, we found an increase in Kv1.3 expression already in early stages of degeneration. Immunohistochemistry localized Kv1.3 channels specifically to OBC axons. In whole-cell patch-clamp experiments, ON-bipolar cells in the degenerated murine retina were less responsive, which could be reversed by application of the specific Kv1.3 antagonist Psora-4. Notably, Kv1.3 block significantly increased the amplitude and kinetics of Opto-mGluR6-mediated light responses in ON-bipolar cells of the blind retina and increased the signal-to-noise ratio of light-triggered responses in retinal ganglion cells. We propose that reduction of Kv1.3 activity in the degenerated retina, either by pharmacological block or by KCNA3 gene silencing, could improve the quality of restored vision.

Recently, there has been increasing attention toward inhaled nanoparticles (NPs) to develop in-halation therapies for diseases associated with the pulmonary system and investigate the toxic ef-fects of hazardous environmental particles on human lung health. Taking advantage of microfluidic technology for cell culture applications, lung-on-a-chip devices with great potential in replicating the lung air-blood barrier (ABB) have opened new research insights in preclinical pathology and therapeutic studies associated with aerosol NPs. Surprisingly, the air interface in such devices, which makes them tremendously unique among the other common liquid-based cellular mi-crosystems and enables exposure of cultivated cells to the drug/toxic aerosols, has been largely disregarded. Accordingly, there exists a significant research gap in the comprehensive under-standing of the NPs’ dynamics in the lung-on-a-chip devices, which is momentous to control the injection of aerosols to the target area and attain a desired physiochemical efficacy. To address this research gap, a numerical parametric study is presented to provide a deep insight into the dynamic behavior of the airborne NPs in a gas-liquid dual-channel lung-on-a-chip device with a porous membrane separating the channels. A finite element multi-physics model is developed to enable a particle tracing investigation simultaneously in both air and medium phases to replicate the in vivo conditions avoiding laborious and costly experimental trials. The results include the impact of fluid flow as well as geometrical properties on the distribution, deposition, and translocation of the NPs with diameters ranging from 10 nm to 900 nm in the lung-on-a-chip. The obtained results strongly suggest the aerosol injection of NPs instead of the aqueous solution for more efficient deposition on the substrate of the air channel and higher translocation to the media channel. The current study proposes to optimize the affecting parameters to control the injection and delivery of aerosol par-ticles into the lung-on-chip device depending on the objectives of biomedical investigations and provides optimized values for some specific cases. Therefore, this study can assist scientists and researchers in complementing their experimental investigation in future preclinical studies on pulmonary pathology associated with inhaled hazardous and toxic environmental particles, as well as therapeutic studies for developing inhalation drug delivery.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (hereafter CRPD) has provided a radical imperative for the reform of mental health and capacity legislation around the world. The interpretation of the CRPD has been controversial, ranging from complete abolition of detention, forcible treatment and substitute decision making, to acceptance that elements of these measures need to be retained but based on non-discriminatory criteria, additional safe-guards and a comprehensive shift towards supported decision-making. While the potential ef-fects of the CRPD on mental health social work and social work generally are considerable given their shared commitment towards social justice, to date there has been no review of research evi-dence exploring their relationship. In addressing this knowledge gap, this study held a prelimi-nary discussion with practitioners and academics at the European Association of Social Work Mental Health Special Interest Group in Amsterdam 2022, followed by a scoping literature re-view on the question: What impact, if any, has the CRPD had on social work practice? The review produced four main findings: impact on legislation; positive impact on practice; limited impact on practice; and impact on social work education and research. In sum, while there were some positive indications of social work and mental health social work practice being influenced by the CRPD, these were scant. Barriers to change included tendencies among some social workers to practise substitute decision-making, in part related to resourcing and policy contexts, and under-standings of disability aligned to individualised/medical rather than social perspectives. The results indicate that legal reform on its own is insufficient to impact social work practice, and that realising the potential of the CRPD will necessitate good quality training, as well as improv-ing social workers’ knowledge of the human rights of people with mental impairment.

Homochirality is an obvious feature of life on Earth. On the other hand, extraterrestrial samples contain largely racemic compounds. The same is true for any common organic synthesis. Therefore, it has been a perplexing puzzle for decades how these racemates could have formed enantiomerically enriched fractions as a basis for the origin of homochiral life forms. Numerous hypotheses have been put forward as to how preferentially homochiral molecules could have formed and accumulated on Earth. In this article, it is shown that homochirality of the abiotic organic pool at the time of formation of the first self-replicating molecules is not necessary and not even probable. It is proposed to abandon the notion of a molecular ensemble and to focus on the level of individual molecules. Although the formation of the first self-replicating, most likely homochiral molecule is a seemingly improbable event, on a closer look, it is almost inevitable that homochiral molecules have formed simply on a statistical basis. In this case, the non-selective leap to homochirality would be one of the first steps in chemical evolution directly out of a racemic “ocean”. Moreover, most studies focus on the chirality of the primordial monomers with respect to an asymmetric carbon atom. However, any polymer with a minimal size that allows folding to a secondary structure, would spontaneously lead to asymmetric higher structures (conformations). Most of the functions of these polymers would be influenced by this inherently asymmetric folding. To summarize, simple and universal mechanisms may have led to homochiral self-replicating systems in the context of chemical evolution. A homochiral monomer pool is deemed unnecessary and probably never existed on primordial Earth.

The purpose of this paper is to build a new bridge between category theory and a generalized probability theory known as noncommutative probability or quantum probability, which was originated as a mathematical framework for quantum theory, in terms of states as linear functional defined on category algebras. We clarify that category algebras can be considered as generalized matrix algebras and that the notions of state on category as linear functional defined on category algebra turns out to be a conceptual generalization of probability measures on sets as discrete categories. Moreover, by establishing a generalization of famous GNS (Gelfand-Naimark-Segal) construction, we obtain a representation of category algebras of †-categories on certain generalized Hilbert spaces which we call semi-Hilbert modules over rigs.

As the cost of conventional energy continues to rise, and concerns over the environment grow, there is a growing interest in sustainable energy. It is believed that conventional energy will only last for around 50 years, making it essential to find a renewable energy source that is safe and feasible to replace fossil fuels. Solar energy is a superior alternative to conventional energy, as it is renewable and produces green energy that can be used directly. The maritime industry has found itself at the forefront of an evolving environmental consciousness, driven by the imperative to mitigate the carbon footprint left in the wake of ships. In this journey towards sustainability, solar energy has emerged as a beacon of hope, harnessing the boundless energy of the sun to wean vessels off their dependence on fossil fuels. Technological advancements have made solar power more accessible, and we can now see the use of solar panels on large ships and small crafts to reduce fuel usage and emissions. Solar panels are also increasingly used to power homes and businesses, and many countries are implementing policies to encourage their use. Solar energy is a key solution in reducing our dependence on non-renewable energy sources and combating climate change. However, the adoption of solar energy is but a stepping stone towards maritime sustainability, as the integration of CO2 capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies promises to amplify the industry's environmental impact to unprecedented heights.

A multitude of factors influence our well-being and health in everyday life. Some of which we are totally aware like a delayed train, car exhausts, or continuous work stress. Other factors influence us on a subconscious level, making them, however, not less important to address. One of these factors is the built environment surrounding us almost every second of our lives. The idea of biophilic design states the importance of natural elements implemented in architectural structures to improve the occupants’ health and well-being. Adding to this field of research, this article targets the impact of biophilic design on positive emotions and productivity by using novel approaches like Facial Emotion Recognition (FER) with Residual Masking Networks, and sentiment detection using Large Language Models. Two separate but related studies were conducted and their results reported here. The first study measured emotions of people when confronted with images of different kinds of architecture, via FER (Facial Emotion Recognition) and also via a user survey. We distinguish between self-stated emotions entered through a survey by study participants, and emotions detected from studying the participants’ faces through AI from our FER (Facial Emotion Recognition) system. We found clear trends for most detected emotions, and significant evidence for self-stated emotions, that architecture implementing biophilic design evokes more positive emotions than one that does not. The second study measures the influence of natural elements on productivity and team-engagement. We found that natural elements do influence productivity and sentiment positively; however, only the change in sentiment was shown to be significant. As our sample size, especially for the second study, was relatively small, future research will apply these ideas in a larger setup to acquire further evidence for the importance of biophilic design for human well-being and health.

Oncological changes in the prostate are a common cause of death among elderly men. Malignant cells are difficult to identify at early stages, which are asymptomatic. The patient often seeks medical assistance when the disease has already progressed, and the treatment is less effective. Early diagnosis of prostate cancer (PC) is thus one of the priority tasks of modern urology and healthcare in general. The aim of this study is the detection of microRNAs (miRNAs), which are known to be associated with PC. The detection of the target miRNAs in human plasma samples has been performed with a nanoribbon biosensor system, which was based on "silicon-on-insulator" structures (SOI-NR biosensor). In order to provide biospecific detection of the target miRNAs, the surface of individual nanoribbons has been modified with DNA oligonucleotide probes (oDNA probes), whose nucleotide sequences were complementary to those of the target miRNAs. The high detection sensitivity has been demonstrated with the use of model oDNAs, which are complementary to nanoribbon-immobilized oDNA probes, in buffer solutions. The sensitivity threshold was 1.1 × 10^-17 M. The successful detection of target miRNAs, isolated from real plasma samples of PC patients, has also been demonstrated. We believe that the development of highly sensitive nanotechnology-based biosensors for PC markers is a step towards personalized medicine.

Anxiety is a complex emotional state that can arise from the anticipation of a threatening event, and preoperative anxiety is a common experience among adult patients undergoing surgery. In adult patients, the incidence of preoperative anxiety varies widely across different surgical groups, and it can result in a variety of psychophysiological responses and problems. Despite its negative impact, preoperative anxiety often receives insufficient attention in clinical practice. To improve pain management strategies, there is a need for further research on personalized approaches that take into account various factors that contribute to an individual's pain experience. These personalized approaches could involve developing tools to identify individuals who are more likely to experience increased pain and may require additional analgesia. To address this, regular assessments of anxiety levels should be conducted during preoperative visits, and counseling should be provided to patients with high levels of anxiety. Identifying and addressing preoperative anxiety in a timely manner can help reduce its incidence and potential consequences.

Screening and early diagnosis of diseases are crucial for a patient's treatment to be successful and to improve their survival rate, especially in cancer. The development of non-invasive analytical methods able to detect biomarkers of pathologies is a critical point to define a successful treat-ment and a good outcome. This study extensively reviews electrochemical methods used for the development of biosensors in liquid biopsy, owing to their ability to provide rapid response, pre-cise detection, and low detection limits. We also discuss new developments in electrochemical biosensors, which can improve the specificity and sensitivity of standard analytical procedures. Electrochemical biosensors demonstrate remarkable sensitivity in detecting minute quantities of analytes, encompassing proteins, nucleic acids, and circulating tumor cells, even within challeng-ing matrices such as urine, serum, blood, and various other body fluids. Among the various de-tection techniques used for the detection of cancer biomarkers, even in the picogram range, volt-ammetric sensors are deeply discussed in this review because of their advantages and technical characteristics. This widespread utilization stems from their ability to facilitate quantitative de-tection of ions and molecules with exceptional precision. The comparison of each electrochemical technique is discussed to provide the selection of appropriate analytical methods.

The lab-on-a-chip concept, enabled by microfluidic technology, promises the integration of multi-ple discrete laboratory techniques into a miniaturised system. Research into microfluidics has generally focused on the development of individual elements of the total system (often with rela-tively limited functionality), without full consideration for integration into a complete fully opti-mised and miniaturised system. Typically, the operation of many of the reported lab-on-a-chip devices is dependent on the support of a laboratory framework. In this paper, a demonstrator platform for routine laboratory analysis is designed and built, which fully integrates a number of technologies into a single device with multiple domains such as fluidics, electronics, pneumatics, hydraulics, and photonics. This facilitates the delivery of breakthroughs in research, by incorpo-rating all physical requirements into a single device. To highlight this proposed approach, this demonstrator microsystem acts as a fully integrated biochemical assay reaction system. The re-sulting design determines enzyme kinetics in an automated process and combines reservoirs, three-dimensional fluidic channels, optical sensing, and electronics in a low-cost, low-power and portable package.

Spiking neural networks (SNNs) promise to perform tasks currently done by classical artificial neural networks (ANNs) faster, in smaller footprints and using less energy. Neuromorphic processors are set out to revolutionize computing at a large scale, but the move to edge-computing applications calls for finely-tuned custom implementations to keep pushing towards more efficient systems. To that end, we have examined the architectural design space for executing spiking neuron models on FPGA platforms, focusing on achieving ultra-low area and power consumption. This work presents an efficient clock-driven spiking neuron architecture used for the implementation of both fully-connected cores and 2D convolutional cores, which rely on deep pipelines for synaptic processing and distributed memory for weight and neuron states. With them, we have developed an accelerator for an SNN version of the LeNet-5 network trained on the MNIST dataset. At around 5.5 slices/neuron and only 348 mW, it is able to use 33% less area and 4 times as less power per neuron as current state-of-the-art implementations while keeping low simulation step times.

The one pot hydrogenolysis/hydrogenation reaction of maltose to 2 moles of sorbitol has been carried out over different supported Cu catalysts in water at 180°C and 40 bar of H2. Only the catalysts supported on silicas were found to be effective in this reaction giving up to 86% yield in the desired product while the bare supports and the catalysts supported on alumina or silica alumina gave messy reactions. The peculiar activity of the two Cu/Silica systems tested was ascribed to high metal dispersion and suitable polarity of the catalyst surface. The reduced catalyst, exposing metallic Cu particles on the surface, showed unusual stability in the presence of water as a solvent and could be reused several times without any treatment.

A variational analysis of dispersion medium (electrolytes and surfactants) was carried out for the best nucleotide interactions with the presence of nanoparticles and the ability to formation of homogeneous coatings upon drying / lyophilization. Using UV-spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy, the processes of immobilization of nucleotides on the surface of nanoparti-cles of the composition ZrO2-3mol% Y2O3 (YSZ) in the presence of various dispersing agents were investigated. Promising dispersing agents were established, the optimal composition of suspen-sions based on DNA nucleotides and YSZ nanoparticles, which is potentially suitable for adaptive technologies of bionanoelectronics, was selected. The aim of the work is to obtain and study functional media for molecular electronics based on heterojunctions biological molecule – wide-gap dielectric.

Intercalation of noble metals can produce giant Rashba-type spin-orbit splittings in graphene. The spin-orbit splitting more than 100 meV has not yet been achieved in graphene on a metallic or a semiconductor substrate. Here, we report the p-type graphene obtained by Pt intercalation of zero-layer graphene on SiC substrate. The spin splitting of ∼200 meV was observed at a wide range of binding energies. Comparing the results of theoretical studies of different models with the experimantal ones measured by spin-ARPES, XPS and STM methods, we came to the conclusion that inducing giant spin-orbit splitting requires not only a fairly close arrangement of graphene to Pt layer, but also the presence of graphene corrugation caused by non-flat Pt layer. This makes it possible to find a compromise between strong hybridization and increased spin-orbit interaction. In our case, this is achieved by forming Pt submonolayer ordered on a nanometer scale under graphene.

Smart, reliable, and connected multi-modal mobility has been a long-standing goal of transit services. This paper focuses on the smart, seamless, and multi-modal mobility service in the context of “Mobility as a Service” (MaaS). Intelligent mobility is the smarter, greener, and more efficient movement of passengers around the world. Increasingly, mobility is approached as a service. This study first conducts an extensive literature review on mobility behavior and demand pattern of MaaS end-users. It then extends the mechanism of supply chain, MaaS, synergy (i.e., vertical cooperation synergy, horizontal competition synergy), and coopetition to develop the multi-tier closed-loop intelligent mobility service supply chain network. This paper explains the intelligent mobility service supply chain network from following perspectives: (i) mobility service taxonomy of MaaS; (ii) aims of intelligent mobility service supply chain network; (iii) urban rail transit (URT)-centered alternatives for integrated multimodal journey planning, i.e. access + URT + egress, and both access and egress can be served by Mobility-On-Demand (MOD) transport; (iv) node member imperatives. From a synthesis of insights from the ‘during’ journey, this study puts forward the synergetic design of intelligent mobility service supply chain network, including: (i) multi-tier closed-loop structure; (ii) key nodes identification for the physical multimodal transport network in the supply chain; (iii) hybrid synergy mechanisms among the partners, i.e., synergy principle, temporal splitting approach for coopetition synergy; (iv) index systems and evaluation methods for synergy measurement. This study also contributes to the integrated multimodal journey planning. In concluding, the paper highlights the important implications of the proposed intelligent mobility service supply chain network for MaaS bundle design and adverse effects reduction, resulting from 1 + 1 > 2 synergy effects.

Covariant integral quantization with rotational symmetry SO(3) is established for the quantum motion on this group manifold, or, alternatively, for Gabor signal analysis on this group. We revisit the action of the related (non-unitary) Weyl-Gabor operator on the Hilbert space of square integrable functions on SO(3) and disclose a set of various properties. By selecting weight functions on the corresponding discrete-continuous phase space, one derives related coherent states and Wigner transform.

We report a small footprint cost-effective isothermal rapid DNA amplification system, with integrated microfluidics for automated sample analysis and detection of SARS-CoV-2 in human and environmental samples. Our system measures low-level fluorescent signal in real-time during amplification, while maintaining the desired assay temperature, on a low power, portable system footprint. A unique soft microfluidic chip design was implemented to mitigate thermocapillary effects and facilitate optical alignment for automated image capture and signal analysis. The system-on-board prototype coupled with the LAMP primers designed by BioCoS, is sensitive enough to detect viral loads of SARS-CoV-2 in a broad concentration range corresponding to a threshold cycle range of 16 to 39. Clinical specimens were tested at Kingston Health Sciences using a clinically validated PCR assay and variants were determined using whole genome sequencing.

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) may not only reduce parking demand, but also free up on-street parking spaces. From the perspective of bus priority, converting on-street parking lots into dedicated bus lanes can both ensure bus priority and accommodate non-bus traffic, helping to reduce congestion and pollution. In order to study the impact of conversion of on-street parking lots to bus lanes on traffic flow, a microscopic simulation framework based on VISSIM is proposed in this paper. Data was collected using the floating car method and video recording method to quantify the factors affecting traffic flow due to the conversion of on-street parking. The VISSIM simulation model was then calibrated. According to the proportion of the on-street parking lots into a bus lane, the on-street parking lots conversion simulation model of different scenarios was established, and the influence of different on-street parking lots conversion ratio on traffic efficiency and pollution emission was quantitatively analyzed. Finally, the optimization method based on bus lane network connectivity is discussed. The results indicate that: When the on-street parking lots conversion ratio is approximately 100%, bus speed increases by 21.03%, bus delays decrease by 14.27%, and bus parking instances decrease by 11.31%. Total emissions are negatively correlated with vehicle speed. As the conversion rate of on-street parking increases, the emissions of road segments and the entire road network gradually decrease. At a conversion ratio of 100%, the average total emissions for road segments have the highest reduction rate, decreasing by 4.12%. At a conversion ratio of 50%, the average emission total for the road network shows the largest reduction, falling by 2.88%.

This paper introduces a novel 3D NoC router that combines buffered and bufferless routing with approximate priority comparison when deflecting flits. Our proposal is a modification of an asymmetrical router that is buffered in the z dimension ports and bufferless in the x and y dimension ports. Flits that request output ports in the x and y dimensions are granted or deflected based on approximate, instead of accurate, priority comparison. Experimental results show that the proposed router, besides effectively combining the advantages of both buffered and bufferless routers, it achieves additional performance and area gains due to the reduced logic required for approximate priority comparison in flit deflections. Experimental results using synthetic and realistic traffic show that the proposed router begins to saturate at a sifnificantly higher injection rate than a bufferless router, but at a slightly lower injection rate than when using accurate priority comparison. Furthermore, the proposed router achieves higher clock frequencies and reduced area compared to the simpler permutation network.

The idea of an extension of life for CubeSats is proposed to reduce space debris in a low-earth orbit. In this work, a gripper is designed for geometry-based grasping in berthing tasks. The grasping operation is outlined for square- and rectangle-profiled CubeSats. Equilibrium conditions are used to choose fingertips shape and parameters for grasping the CubeSat body. A design scheme is proposed to provide the required accuracy. A design concept is developed into a lab prototype by using low-cost 3D printing technique, and a mock-up grasping task that is representative of the berthing operation is evaluated with the lab prototype. Center-mass hanging setup for the prototype and grasped body is used to evaluate the impact of grasping, partially replicating the conditions in space by reducing the effect of gravity on the system.

Prior to clinical trials, preclinical testing of oncology drug candidates is performed by evaluating drug candidates with in vitro and in vivo platforms. For in vivo testing, animal models are used to evaluate the toxicity and efficacy of drug candidates. However, animal models often display poor translational results as many drugs that pass preclinical testing fail when tested in humans, with oncology drugs exhibiting especially poor acceptance rates. The FDA Modernization Act 2.0 promotes alternative preclinical testing techniques, presenting the opportunity to use higher complexity in vitro models as an alternative to in vivo testing, including 3D cell culture models. 3D tissue cultures address many of the shortcomings of 2D cultures by more closely replicating the tumour microenvironment through a combination of realistic drug diffusion, paracrine signaling, cellular phenotype, and vascularization that can better mimic native human tissue. This review will discuss the common forms of 3D cell culture, including cell spheroids, organoids, organs-on-a-chip, and 3D bioprinted tissues. Their advantages and limitations will be presented, aiming to discuss the use of these 3D models to accurately represent human tissue and as an alternative to animal testing. The use of 3D culture platforms for preclinical drug development is expected to accelerate as these platforms continue to improve in complexity, reliability, and translational predictivity.

A variational analysis of dispersion medium (electrolytes and surfactants) was carried out for the best nucleotide interactions with the presence of nanoparticles and the ability to formation of homogeneous coatings upon drying / lyophilization. Using UV-spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy, the processes of immobilization of nucleotides on the surface of nanoparti-cles of the composition ZrO2-3mol% Y2O3 (YSZ) in the presence of various dispersing agents were investigated. Promising dispersing agents were established, the optimal composition of suspen-sions based on DNA nucleotides and YSZ nanoparticles, which is potentially suitable for adaptive technologies of bionanoelectronics, was selected. The aim of the work is to obtain and study functional media for molecular electronics based on heterojunctions biological molecule – wide-gap dielectric.

Cooperation is widely recognized to be challenging for the well-balanced development of human societies. The emergence of cooperation in populations has been largely studied in the context of the Prisoner's Dilemma game, where temptation to defect and fear to be betrayed by others often activate defective strategies. In this paper we analyze the decision making mechanisms fostering cooperation in the two-strategy Stag-Hunt and Chicken games, which include the mixed strategy Nash equilibrium, describing partially cooperative behavior. We find the conditions for which cooperation is asymptotically stable in both full and partial cases, and we show that the partially cooperative steady state is also globally stable in the simplex. Furthermore, we show that the last can be more rewarding than the first, thus making the mixed strategy effective, although people cooperate at a lower level with respect to the maximum allowed, as it is reasonably expected in real situations. Our findings highlight the importance of Stag-Hunt and Chicken games in understanding the emergence of cooperation in social networks.

Hip replacement has significantly improved the quality of life of patients with symptomatic hip osteoarthritis. Metal-on-metal (MoM) bearings have been used with conventional total hip re-placement (THR) for several decades with promising results from early applications. Wear and corrosion of these implants may lead to a release of metal products into surrounding tissue and body fluids. From the 1980s onwards, the search for increasingly better coupling materials with low levels of wear led to the rise of hard-on-hard couplings such as ceramic-on-ceramic (CoC). The latter is currently the coupling with the longest known duration and with a wear rate close to zero. MoM coupling has been for a long time the most significative alternative, but systemic and local complications linked to the release of chromium and cobalt ions, determine the withdrawn from the market. One other alternative proposed over the time has been Ceramic-on-Metal (CoM) bearing. Preliminary results have been described as favourable, but due to the failures of metal on metal it has been withdrawn from the market, without causing significant clinical complications. In this narrative review, we analysed risks and benefits associated with the implantation of hybrid hard-on-hard bearings, such as CoM.

This study presents the design and implementation of a PLC microprocessor adhering to the IEC-61131-3 standard, executed on a Cyclone-V FPGA using a DE10-NANO development board. Our microprocessor optimizes the central processing unit by streamlining the data path, achieving a remarkable simulated response time of approximately 60 ns, equivalent to three clock cycles at a 50MHz frequency for Boolean operations. To substantiate our approach, we conducted practical experiments utilizing a FESTO conveyor station, employing relays as actuators, and incorporating optical and inductive sensors. The results underscore the feasibility of our proposed approach and serve as practical validation of its efficacy. This work introduces a promising avenue for the development of cost-effective PLCs employing SoC FPGA variants. Additionally, a thorough comparison of execution times with other early reported architectures. Our microprocessor outperforms even well-established PLCs like the S7-312, with substantial reductions in execution times of 94.54% for floating-point operations, 71.42% to 93.33% for word operations, and up to 78.57% for bit operations.

After reviewing the history of the struggle between human beings and plant diseases, insects and weeds, especially reviewing the thoughts of plant protection in ancient Chinese agricultural books, the target recognition of plant pests and the six types of plant protection methods and 36 subdi-vision measures were summarized. Then the development overview of pesticide application technology was focused and reviewed systematically by combining the development timeline of pesticide application and the key technologies including the performance measurement and the simulation and modeling of pesticide spraying system. And three suggestions for further research were proposed from the perspectives of human-being and environmental health, the sustainable and eco-friendly application medium, and the efficiently application equipment system in plant protection.

Companion animals play a central role in many families and are especially valued by those who are socially isolated. Crisis situations such as acute hospitalizations, homelessness and natural disasters can make it difficult to preserve the human-animal bond and can result in animals being surrendered or euthanized. Social support programs like the RSPCA NSW Emergency Boarding and Homelessness program support people experiencing crisis situations with emergency pet boarding, access veterinary treatment and individualized case management. This study aimed to estimate the social return on investment (SROI) for this program using standard SROI methodology. In-depth interviews were conducted with 13 program stakeholders and questionnaire responses were received from 29 program clients. Outcomes were quantified for four stakeholder groups: program clients, client’s animals, RSPCA Inspectors, animal pounds and shelters. Clients and their animals experienced the bulk of the benefit from the program, estimated to have a combined value of over $5 million AUD for the 2020-21 financial year. The estimated social return on investment was $8.21 for each $1 invested. The study demonstrates that keeping people together with their companion animals, or ensuring they are reunited as soon as possible, can reduce stressors, and improve outcomes for people and animals.

Abstract: Extensive research shows nurses’ work environment to be particularly stressful. This study develops, explores, and psychometrically tests a new profession specific ques-tionnaire identifying generalized and specific resistance resources, that make it possible to measure resources to manage work-related stress. An exploratory study design was em-ployed. The questionnaire was developed inspired by the MEASURE approach and the salutogenic theory of health. Building on the results from a literature review of nursing re-search and salutogenesis, supplemented by twelve interviews with hospital nurses, an item pool was generated. A first version was pilot tested in a group of nurses who were studying to become specialist nurses. A second version of the questionnaire was psycho-metrically tested on nurses in close patient care (n = 475), analysed using Principal Com-ponent Analysis as the extracting technique to identify the underlying structure of the questionnaire. The Principal Component Analysis revealed a four-component model of 19 items. “Manageability as a resource for handling the workload” was the strongest compo-nent, accounting for 21 % of the explained variance. “Contacts with patients as resources for nurses’ job satisfaction” (17.8 %). “Professional attitudes are labelled as resources to nursing” (15 %). “Colleagues are important resources for remaining in the nursing profes-sion” (11 %). The structure of the questionnaire indicates its usefulness in clinical practice for measuring resistance resources.

In this paper, we study the effect of parasitic channel on electrical characteristics and power consumptions of vertically stacked gate-all-around (GAA) silicon nanosheet (NS) MOSFETs of the bulk and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates. Through deliberate control of the bottom parasitic channel coverage, we systematically assess its influence on DC, AC, and RF characteristics including power consumption. The observed findings highlight a significant differentiation among the bottom parasitic channels: GAA (i.e., control sample with 100% coverage), omega-shaped gate NS (70% and 80% coverages), and FinFET (60% coverage). Compared with the device with a 60% coverage channel, the device with a 100% coverage channel possesses 3520% and 8030% normalized leakage current improvement for both NFET and PFET under the bulk substrate, respectively. Compared with bulk-substrate devices, the SOI-substrate devices further significantly improve the leakage current. Due to enhanced off-state current leakages in the 100% covered bulk-substrate device, the static power demonstrates a notable improvement (about 98.1%), compared to 60% covered devices. Hence, the utilization of a 60% covered channel will result in a degradation of both device and circuit performance. The observation of GAA NS MOSFET indicates that an increase in the bottom parasitic channel coverage ratio leads to a positive impact on power consumption and leakage currents. The examination presented here is useful in the fabrication of stacked GAA NS MOSFETs.

In this work, we present an analytical model of dynamic power losses for enhancement-mode AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistor power devices (eGaN HEMTs). To build this new model, the dynamic on-resistance (Rdson) is first accurately extracted by our ex-traction circuit based on a double-diode isolation (DDI) method for a high operating frequency up to 1 MHz and a large drain voltage up to 600 V, thus the unique problem of an increase in the dynamic Rdson is presented. Then the impact of the current operation mode on the on/off transi-tion time is evaluated by a dual-pulse-current-mode test (DPCT) which including a discontinu-ous conduction mode (DCM) and a continuous conduction mode (CCM), thus the transition time is revised for different current mode. Afterward the discrepancy between the drain current and the real channel current is qualitative investigated by an external shunt capacitance (ESC) meth-od, thus the losses due to device parasitic capacitance are also taken into account. After these improvements, the dynamic model will be more compatible for eGaN HEMTs. Finally, the dynamic power losses calculated by this model are verified to be in good agreement with experimental results. Based on this model, we propose a superior solution with qua-si-resonant mode (QRM) to achieve lossless switching and accelerate switching speed.

A stable driver state is essential in the process of manually transition control, which inevitably occurs in Level 3 automated driving situations. To this end, this paper proposed a CNN algorithm-based driver state monitoring system that uses multi-sensor data such as driver's face image, biometric information, and vehicle behavior information as input. This system calculates the probability of drowsiness for each of the four time periods using a convolutional neural network (CNN) based on ToF camera-based eye blinking, ECG information (pulse rate) embedded in the steering wheel, and vehicle information (steering angle data). In order to build a reliable and high-quality training dataset (Ground Truth) for the CNN algorithm, a baseline was established by matching the driver's face image with the electrocardiogram (ECG) and electroencephalogram (EEG) changes in the drowsy and normal states. In a simulation test of the proposed CNN algorithm using more than 20,000 driver image data acquired using a driving simulator, the TNR was 94.8% and the accuracy was 94.2%. Our proposed method is expected to minimize human errors that may occur when switching control by monitoring inappropriate driver state (drowsiness) in real time.

Isothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification based-Lateral Flow Testing (INAA-LFT) has emerged as a robust technique for on-site pathogen detection, providing a visible indication of pathogen nucleic acid amplification that rivals or even surpasses the sensitivity of real-time quantitative PCR. The isothermal nature of INAA-LFT ensures consistent conditions for nucleic acid amplification, establishing it as a crucial technology for rapid on-site pathogen detection. However, despite its considerable promise, the widespread application of isothermal INAA amplification-based lateral flow testing faces several challenges. This review provides an overview of the INAA-LFT procedure, highlighting its advancements in detecting plant viruses. Moreover, the review underscores the imperative to address existing limitations and emphasizes ongoing research efforts dedicated to enhancing the applicability and performance of this technology in the realm of rapid on-site testing.

This work investigates the influence of ground albedo on the solar radiation obtained by surfaces mounted on fixed-tilt to south, one-axis, and two-axis systems. To do this, estimation of the solar radiation difference is performed by applying real albedo and zero albedo. This is done within Saudi Arabia, at 82 selected sites. Annual, seasonal, and monthly mean solar energy differences are computed as function of the site’s number, latitude, and local near-real ground albedo. The great variation in the ground-albedo values at the 82 sites (0.1 - 0.46) could be thought as having a significant effect on the solar radiation levels received on the 3 tracking modes. The analysis shows quite the opposite; a zero-albedo ground diminishes solar radiation levels by 1.43%, 3.50%, and 3.20%, respectively for the 3 modes. Therefore, in most solar engineering applications a ground albedo of 0.2 (considered as reference) can be used without losing accuracy. This is the main conclusion of the study, which must, however, be applied with caution in areas with snow cover, especially for mode-III tracking systems. In such situations the increase in solar radiation levels may be up to 15% (but ≈3.5% for mode-I and -II systems instead).

This paper reports aligned activities to promote energy and resource-efficient construction practice in Vietnam. First, the governance framework is introduced, including government decrees and technical standards. Then, a laboratory with building physics measurement technology is designed and partly set up at the local partner Vietnam Institute for Building Materials (VIBM), which can be used to determine the essential characteristic values required for the implementation of energy standards. The basis for the prioritization of the characteristic values are the requirements of the National technical regulation on energy efficient buildings of Vietnam – QCVN09:2017/BXD. Furthermore, basic characteristic values from international standards are described, which can also be used for calculations to optimize the energy consumption of buildings. In order to be able to carry out transient hygrothermal computer simulations, special characteristic values were also included. These are particularly useful for the research and development of new building materials and the evaluation of entire buildings in terms of thermal and moisture protection In order to communicate the material properties to the market and enable informed decision making by the stakeholders, a labeling system has been developed. Thereby, the practical means for implementing governance instruments are provided, and the related technical applications are supported.

Plant biotechnology is dependent today on accessing broader plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) diversity for ensuring food security for our future. Heterogenous agricultural lands are considered today as hotspot for biodiversity, and they also exist in the hilly mountain areas of Romanian’s Carpathians. The scope of this review is to describe traditional home-hardens related to the land use of households and cultivated species from Moșna commune, Sibiu County, Romania. The survey was realized with the support of authorities and local stakeholders from 2010 up to 2019. The results of this survey revealed that maintenance of crop species structure and land use of traditional households is longer than 100 years. Consequently at least 15 traditional Saxon home-gardens of 120 taken into the study may be defined. Today these home-garden covers a media of 26% of the total area of a household and should be part of a surface ranging between 5,000 and 1,500 m2. The first Local Council Decision in Romania in 2019 supporting the recognition of landraces and home-gardens as heritage values was officially adopted supporting the need to more access bottom-up approaches for supporting biodiversity conservation.

Worldwide, among older adults, infection is the leading mortality cause; chronic nutritional deficits confer significant mortality risk and increase healthcare costs. The association of the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM)-defined malnutrition with infection-related mortality, especially with renal dysfunction in older patients, remains unevaluated. In older patients hospitalized with infection, stratified by renal function, we investigated the association of malnutrition severity with mortality. This single-center, retrospective cohort study of 1220 participants (age ≥65 years) admitted to Aichi Medical University from 2019 to 2020 used a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model to determine the association of GLIM-defined nutritional status (no, moderate, or severe malnutrition) with all-cause mortality. Compared to no malnutrition, moderate and severe malnutrition conferred significantly higher mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [confidence interval ]: 1.00 [reference], 1.76 [1.28-2.42], and 2.44 [1.78-3.33], respectively), with the highest all-cause mortality in malnutrition with a low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR &lt;30 mL/min/1.73m2; 7.35 [4.57-11.8]) compared to no malnutrition and normal eGFR (≥60 mL/min/1.73m2). GLIM-defined malnutrition confers higher all-cause mortality risk in older adults with infection, especially those with renal dysfunction. This information enables the identification of high-risk older patients with infection and targeted clinical management of those with malnutrition, renal dysfunction, and infection.

The short-lived positron-emitter carbon-11 (t1/2 = 20.4 min; b+, 99.8%) is prominent for labeling tracers for use in biomedical research with positron emission tomography (PET). Carbon-11 is produced for this purpose with a cyclotron, nowadays almost exclusively by the 14N(p,a)11C nuclear reaction, either on nitrogen containing a low concentration of oxygen (0.1–0.5%) or hydrogen (~ 5%) to produce [11C]carbon dioxide or [11C]methane, respectively. These primary radioactive products can be produced in high yields and with high molar activities. However, only [11C]carbon dioxide has some utility for directly labeling PET tracers. Primary products are required to be converted rapidly and efficiently into secondary labeling synthons to provide versatile radiochemistry for labeling diverse tracer chemotypes at molecular positions of choice. This review surveys known gas phase transformations of carbon-11 and summarizes the important roles that many of these transformations now play for producing a broad range of labeling synthons in carbon-11 chemistry.

Meals on Wheels (MoWs) provide access to daily meals and social contact to adults with care and support needs.MoWs could be essential for the increasing rates of an ageing population and adults living with complex needs in England, yet many do not know that the service exists. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of MoWs service users, and people who refer them to MoWs (‘referrers’), with accessing and setting up the service in England, and what information would be valued when considering accessing MoWs services.Semi-structured interviews were conducted in May-July 2022 with seven service users and 21 referrers, recruited from four MoWs providers across England. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Participants indicated various pathways into the service, but referrers (family members) were more likely to be the ones enquiring about, and setting up, MoWs for service users. Once an enquiry about MoWs had been made, the service was perceived as straightforward to set up.However, existing preconceptions and stereotypes about the service (e.g. bringing to mind ‘school meals’, aimed solely at older adults) were perceived to act as barriers to accessing MoWs.Information that participants deemed important to have available when deciding on whether to access MoWs related to the meals (e.g. nutritional value, variety, need for any preparation, catering for individual needs), the specific services provided (e.g. wellbeing checks, daily social contact), the reliability and flexibility of delivery, and the cost of services. These findings could inform MoWs providers’ public awareness strategies about MoWs, in order to facilitate referrals to the service for adults with care and support needs.

The various methods used to choose the profile shift coefficients, primarily the so-called equalizations, were based on assumed advantages without physical evidence proving them. In this paper a new calculation method is presented for determining profile shift coefficient. The procedure gives the pair of values ​​of the profile shift coefficients, in which case, under the given load, the resulting bending stress will be of the lowest possible value.

Droplet-based microfluidics has revolutionized numerous fields such as biomedical research, pharmaceuticals, drug discovery, food engineering, flow chemistry, and cosmetics. This paper presents a comprehensive study focusing on the detection and characterization of droplets with volumes in the nanoliter range. Leveraging the precise control of minute liquid volumes, we introduced a novel spectroscopic On-Chip microsensor equipped with integrated microfluidic channels for droplet generation, characterization, and sensing, simultaneously. The microsensor, designed with Interdigitated-Ring-Shaped Electrodes (IRSE) and seamlessly integrated with microfluidic channels, offers enhanced capacitance and impedance signal amplitudes, reproducibility, and reliability in droplet analysis. We were able to make analyses of droplets length in the range 1.0-6.0 mm, velocity 0.66-2.51 mm/s, droplet volume 1.07nL-113.46nL. Experimental results demonstrated that the microsensor's has a great performance in terms of droplet size, velocity, and length, with a significant signal amplitude of capacitance and impedance, and real-time detection capabilities, thereby highlighting its potential for facilitating microcapsule reactions and enabling on-site real-time detection for chemical and biosensor analyses on-chip.