Porous α-Al2O3 ceramics is a highly demanded material for multitude applications such as filters, substrates, biomedicine materials, etc. Despite the availability of the raw materials, a challenge of their technology is in a high energy budget caused by the sintering above 1500 °C. For a cold sintering processing (CSP) of ceramics, the lowering of α-Al2O3 sintering temperature is one of the most urgent challenges at the background of its rapid development. The current paper for the first time demonstrates the solution of the mentioned problem by the CSP of α-alumina ceramics in a presence of pure water as a transient liquid. The manufactured materials were examined by XRD analysis; the evolution of their microstructures during the CSP was revealed by SEM, and the porosity evaluated by the Archimedes method. The ceramics with an open porosity up to 36 % was produced at 380-450 °C, 220 MPa in 30 min. An increase in the pressure was found to impede α-Al2O3 formation from γ-AlOOH. The development of the microstructure was discussed within the frameworks of the dissolution-precipitation model and the homogenous nucleation. The results of the SEM study pointed to the coalescence of γ-AlOOH grains during the CSP.

Preterm birth accounts for about 10% of births worldwide. Studying risk factors for perinatal brain damage is essential, as findings suggest that almost 20% of disabilities are linked to risks in the early stages of development. This research aimed to study longitudinal changes in intelligence from 6 to 8 years of age in a sample of 39 preterm children with a history of risk of brain damage and a control group of 35 children born at term. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale (WISC-IV) was used for cognitive measurement. The results showed that the preterm group obtained significantly lower scores than the control group. The working memory indicator significantly affected the interaction between age and prematurity. We consider that it is crucial to expand the knowledge we have about the neurocognitive development of premature infants both in specific cognitive domains and in age ranges so that the information obtained helps to predict the probability of presenting cognitive alterations from early stages and, therefore, to implement intervention strategies and programs based on scientific evidence and complemented in their design by clinical experience, empirical and theoretical knowledge of the different professionals involved in infant cognitive intervention.

The objective of this paper was to verify the applicability of statistical learning (SL) compared to human reasoning with respect to the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), a complex tool for the assessment of outdoor thermal stress. UTCI is an equivalent temperature index based on the 48-dimensional output of an advanced model of human thermoregulation formed by 12 variables at four consecutive 30-minute intervals, which were calculated for 105642 thermal conditions from extreme cold to extreme heat. Comparing the performance of SL algorithms to the results accomplished by an international endeavor involving more than 40 experts from 23 countries, we found that random forests and k-nearest neighbors closely predicted UTCI values, but that clustering applied after dimension reduction algorithms (principal component analysis and t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding) were inadequate for risk assessment in relation to the UTCI stress categories. This indicates a potential supportive role for SL, as it will not (yet) fully replace the bio-meteorological expert knowledge.

The microstructure evolution during the cold rolling and subsequent annealing of Alloy 800H was investigated. Two distinct rolling methods, unidirectional rolling and cross-rolling, were intro-duced. Results show that better ductility was observed in the unidirectional rolling than in cross-rolling, whilst a higher volume fraction of large deformed grains was observed in the cross-rolled plates than in the unidirectionally rolled plates. Recrystallization occurred faster in plates from unidirectional rolling than from cross-rolling.

Improper sitting positions are known as the primary reason for back pain and the emergence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) among individuals who spend prolonged time working with computer screens, keyboards, and mice. At the same time, it is well understood that automated technological tools can play an important role in the process of unhealthy habit alteration, so plenty of research efforts are focused on research and technology development (RTD) activities that aim to provide support to the prevention of back pain or the development of MSD. Here, we report on creating a new resource in support of RTD activities aiming at the automated detection of improper sitting positions. It consists of multimodal multisensory recordings of 100 persons made with a video recorder, camera, and wrist-attached sensors that capture physiological signals (PPG, EDA, Skin temperature), as well as motion sensors (three-axis accelerometer). Our multimodal multisensory dataset (MMD-MSD) opens new opportunities for modeling the body stance (sitting posture and movements), physiological state (stress level, attention, emotional arousal, valence), and performance (success rate on the Stroop test) of people working with a computer. Finally, we demonstrate two use cases: improper neck posture detection from pictures and cognitive load detection from physiological signals.

Cold plasma (CP) is an ionised gas containing excited molecules and ions, radicals, free electrons, and emits electric fields and UV radiation. CP is potently antimicrobial and can be applied safely to biological tissue, birthing the field of plasma medicine. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) produced by CP affect biological processes directly or indirectly via the modification of cellular lipids, proteins, DNA, and intracellular signalling pathways. CP can be applied at lower levels for oxidative eustress to activate cell proliferation, motility, migration, and antioxidant production in normal cells, mainly potentiated by the unfolded protein response, Nrf2-activated antioxidant response element and PI3K/Akt pathway, which also activates NFκB. At higher CP exposures, inactivation, apoptosis and autophagy of malignant cells can occur via degradation of PI3K/Akt and MAPK-dependent and -independent activation of the master tumour suppressor p53, leading to caspase-mediated cell death. These opposing responses validate a hormesis approach to plasma medicine. Clinical applications of CP are becoming increasingly realised in wound healing, while clinical effectiveness in tumours is currently coming to light. This review will outline advances in plasma medicine and compare the main redox and intracellular signalling responses to CP in wound healing and cancer.

Lower limb exoskeletons have the potential to reduce the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders; however, they often lack user-oriented control strategies. Human-in-the-loop (HITL) controls can adapt an exoskeleton’s assistance in real-time, to optimize the user-exoskeleton interaction. This study presents a HITL control for a knee exoskeleton to minimize the users’ physical effort, a parameter innovatively evaluated by their interaction torque with the exoskeleton (a muscular effort indicator) and metabolic cost. This work innovates by estimating the user’s metabolic cost within the HITL control through a machine-learning model. The regression model was able to estimate the metabolic cost, in real-time, with a root-mean-squared error of 0.66 W/kg and a mean absolute percentage error of 26%, making faster (10s) and less noisy estimations than a respirometer (K5, Cosmed) device. The HITL reduced the user’s metabolic cost and interaction torque by 7.3% and 32.3%, respectively, when compared to a zero-torque control. The developed HITL control surpassed both a non-exoskeleton and a zero-torque condition regarding the user’s physical effort, even for a simple task such as slow walking. Furthermore, the user-specific control enabled a lower metabolic cost than the non-user-specific assistance. This proof-of-concept demonstrated the potential for HITL controls in assisted working.

Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is an emerging tobamovirus infecting tomatoes and peppers. Due to its ability to trigger seed contamination, efficient mechanical transmission, and to break the popular resistance genes (Tm-1, Tm-2 and Tm-22), the virus has resulted in a global pandemic on greenhouse tomato production in recent years despite the implementation of strict hygiene and disinfection measures. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether ToBRFV can be transmissible through recirculating hydroponic systems and search for effective approach to contain its spread under such circumstances. We not only detected the presence of ToBRFV in the runoff water solutions collected from ToBRFV-infected tomato greenhouses, but also demonstrated the infectivity of detected virus through initiating ToBRFV infection on tomato plants using bioassay. We then conducted treatment using cold plasma-generated ozone on ToBRFV-contaminated water reservoir and further assessed the efficacy of the treatment to inac-tivate the virus. Results showed the effectiveness of the cold-plasma ozone treatment was de-pendent on the ozone concentrations (0.1 mg/L to 1.0 mg/L), the periods of exposure (24 min to 72 min), and the relative virus titers (1:100 to 1:10,000 - dilution of virus-infected tissue extract), demonstrating the cold-plasma ozone treatment could offer a promising solution to cope with the potential ToBRFV spread through a recirculating hydroponic system in a greenhouse.

Very heavy stratiform precipitation (> 200 mm/per day) occurred in the Hokitika region on the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand on 18 June 2015, under north-westerlies with small CAPE (< 25 J/kg). Analyses of model simulations and observations showed that this heavy rainfall was due to cold front lifting enhanced by orographic lifting over the Southern Alps. At 1.5 km grid-length, the model terrain underestimated the average height of the 103 tallest mountains over the South Island by ~ 800 m. This leads to weaker orographic lifting and mountain blocking, and a faster-moving and stronger cold front in the Hokitika region. As a result, large errors in the heavy rainfall prediction occur. By increasing either the resolved or the sub-grid mountain heights, the simulated rainfall errors were largely reduced through stronger orographic lifting and mountain blocking, and a better simulation of the cold front movement and strength. All the experiments have the same “flow-over” regime with mountain waves and/or wave breaking (Fm ranges 0.61 – 1.21). However, the rainfall amount and distribution on the windward side of mountains altered significantly. Our new findings were that the Southern Alps can have significant indirect effects on heavy rainfall by altering the speed and strength of the cold front, in addition to the well-known direct dynamical effects (i.e., orographic lifting and mountain blocking). A combination of these direct and indirect effects makes the heavy rainfall simulation sensitive to mountain heights even under the same “flow-over” regime.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second-most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide and is diagnosed based upon motor impairments. Non-motor symptoms are well-recognized in PD, and peripheral neuropathy is a frequent but poorly appreciated non-motor sign. Study of how the central and peripheral sensory systems are affected can contribute to the development of targeted therapies and deepen the understanding of the pathophysiology of PD. Although the cause of sporadic PD is unknown, chronic exposure to the pesticide rotenone in humans increases the risk of development of PD. Here, we aimed to investigate whether peripheral neuropathy is present in a traditional model of PD. Mice receiving intrastriatal rotenone showed greatly reduced dopamine terminals in the striatum and reduction in tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons in the Substantia nigra pars compacta and developed progressive motor impairments in hindlimb stepping and rotarod but no change in spontaneous activity. Interestingly, repeated testing using gold-standard protocols showed no change in gut motility, a well-known non-motor symptom of PD. Importantly, we did not observe any change in heat, cold, or touch sensitivity, again based upon repeated testing with well-validated protocols that were statistically well-powered. Therefore, this traditional model fails to replicate PD, and our data again reiterate the importance of the periphery to the disorder that is PD.

This review article delves into the pivotal role of DNA in advancing criminal investigations, presenting a comprehensive analysis of its impact on modern justice systems. DNA, as the genetic blueprint of individuals, has revolutionized forensic science, augmenting the accuracy and reliability of criminal investigations. This study explores the historical evolution of DNA analysis, from its initial discovery to the development of sophisticated techniques like polymerase chain reaction (PCR), short tandem repeat (STR) profiling, and next-generation sequencing (NGS). The article elucidates the intricate process of DNA collection, preservation, and analysis, highlighting its significance in establishing identity, proving guilt or innocence, and resolving cold cases. The utilization of DNA databases and international cooperation in cross-border investigations are also examined, emphasizing their contributions to solving complex criminal cases. Moreover, the ethical, legal, and privacy considerations surrounding DNA usage in criminal justice are critically evaluated. Through a comprehensive literature review, this article synthesizes empirical evidence showcasing how DNA evidence has exonerated wrongfully convicted individuals and provided closure to victims' families. It further elucidates how technological advancements have extended DNA analysis to trace evidence, touch DNA, and forensic genealogy, thereby broadening its application in criminal investigations.

A proposed low-temperature forging method aims to enhance stainless steel bearings by creating a martensitic subsurface layer, significantly boosting bearing fatigue life due to increased surface hardness. This technique induces beneficial residual stresses, particularly in axial bearings, streamlining their construction and improving machine elements. Challenges persist, especially with radial bearings, but simplicity in axial bearing forging promotes compact, resource-efficient facility construction. Future research will focus on applying this technique to axial bearing washers, potentially replicating success in other bearing components. Despite the energy ex-penditure for cooling during forging, the substantial increase in bearing fatigue life offsets this, enhancing overall longevity and reliability of critical machine components. Integration of this forging technique into bearing fabrication appears seamless, offering a promising trade-off be-tween energy use and enhanced performance.

Falls at height are among the major causes of fatal accidents at work, especially in the construction sector. Maintaining balance while performing a tool with both hands generates physical efforts and mental loading that needs to be managed for workers’ safety and health. The purpose of the study is to compare perceived (dis)comfort (overall and localized), the ergonomic risk and the perceived effort through the acquired postures that subjects assumed during the execution of simple and common tasks both on a ladder and on the ground. 26 subjects were asked to perform four tasks in both conditions: top screwing, frontal screwing, object picking from the bottom forward, and object picking from the bottom sideways. Subjective and objective data were gathered for assessing subjective experience (discomfort and effort, perceived) and ergonomic risk. Results highlighted few ergonomic risk differences among “on ladder” and “on ground” tasks, while subjective data reveal significant differences in different scenarios. Main results regard knees and neck areas as the most critical ones.

This paper explores the views of a group of young men aged 16–18, studying towards a Level 1 diploma in music in the North East area of England. It uses the conceptualization of “social haunting” to focus our discussions about how Level 1 learners articulated their experiences in the context of their learning journeys and perceived marginalization. The research took place at a large Further Education (FE) college and included a series of five “research encounters” with the group of Level 1 learners. These encounters included a range of activities, resulting in a variety of data being collected, including several activity worksheets, structured and unstructured focus group interviews, and questionnaires. This paper focusses on the outcomes of a single research activity that focused on exploring the topic of marginalization. We present a discussion on social haunting as one of the emerging findings from this research encounter, outlining how the reality of the social and cultural legacy of the UK’s industrial past can shape today’s youth and their futures. We will talk about the young men’s views of marginalization, their school-to-work transitions, the formation of masculinity in post-industrial communities and the role of Further Education in it. The paper concludes by discussing some insights for practice and future research.

Abstract: Social media has become a vital tool in ensuring productivity among Undergraduates, as studies have shown an increased number of users globally. This study assessed the impact of social media usage on undergraduates’ academic performance and working memory. Participants from three different universities such as the University of Georgia (UG), Eastern European University (EEU), and Batumi State University (BSU) completed this study using online google forms. UG and EEU are in the capital city, and BSU is in Batumi City. The study questionnaires were approved by the institutional review board before the data collection. Descriptive analyses were assessed for all study populations, characteristics, frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, version 25.0 for Windows) software. 41.3% were male students, as most of the participants were foreign students living and studying in Georgia. Male students had the risk of ‘conflict’ with families and friends because of social media. Female students are at increased risk of using social media as an ‘escape’ from negative feelings. 89.7% of students that perform physical activities, considering their academic workload had the risk of preoccupation complaints. 87.9% felt dissatisfied regularly because they wanted to spend more time on social media. Utilization of social media differed based on the characteristics of the participants such as age, gender, and geography. We observed the increase in prevalence of social media addiction, its effect on academic performance and working memory among undergraduate students.

Children with hearing loss have been found to have significantly more behavioral and emotional challenges than their typically hearing peers, though these outcomes are variable at the individual level. Working memory deficits have been found to relate to executive functioning and overall emotion regulation, leading to behavior challenges. Language development is essential for development of social relationships and communicating one’s needs - this may lead to distress when children cannot communicate effectively. Based on prior findings in children with hearing loss and their typically hearing peers, working memory and language skills were hypothesized to be related to parent and teacher report of socioemotional functioning. Participants were 35 children with hearing loss (66% female, M = 5.17 years old, SD = ±1.97) whose language, working memory, and socioemotional functioning were evaluated during the course of treatment and educational planning. Bivariate analyses indicated that working memory was related to a number of socioemotional domains (e.g., functional communication, atypicality, withdrawal), as were language scores (e.g., social skills, inattention). The direction of these associations was such that stronger working memory and language skills were related to more regulated socioemotional functioning. A call to action of the current study includes more education with regard to profiles and presentations of children with hearing loss, and an early focus on socioemotional learning to foster the development of regulatory skills.

Italy has been defined as the "logistics platform" of the Mediterranean Sea. The Italian port system, with 11,6 million TEUs handled and 61,4 million passengers by 2022 (Assoporti data Jan‐Dec 2022) [1] is the key to guarantee this condition through adequate levels of reliability, safety and sustainability. This contribution addresses port logistics and shipping, focusing on primary issues related to the energy sector with a specific focus on what can be observed in the Italian context. Specifically, decarbonization of the maritime sector and related infrastructural problems (e.g. Cold Ironing or alternative fuels, where the uncertainty about resources availability and related cost do not allow for an easy strategic planning by both the shipowner and the port authority), as well as policies such the Emission Trading System (ETS) will be analyzed. All these issues, if addressed with a critical review, could represent the driving force of the national port sector for its growth and its competitiveness at a global scale.

The recent green manufacturing demands have boosted the development of new biodegradable lubricants to replace petroleum-based lubricants. In this regard, water-based lubricants have been at the forefront of recent research for a wide range of industrial applications, including metalworking fluids (MWFs). In this work, we present an experimental investigation on the performance of novel green MWFs based on aqueous nopal mucilage solutions. For this, fully biodegradable solutions with different mucilage concentrations were evaluated in terms of rheological, tribological, thermal stability and turning (minimum quantity lubrication) performance, and compared to a commercial semisynthetic oil-based MWF (Cimstar 60). Mucilage solutions exhibited viscoelastic shear-thinning behavior, which was enhanced along with mucilage concentration. The solution with the highest mucilage content studied resulted in the lowest wear, friction and temperature in comparison to the other solutions and neat water in extreme pressure four-ball tests, and a similar level of lubricity as compared to the commercial MWF in cutting tests. This performance is associated to the enhanced viscosity and elasticity of the solution, as well as to the contents of lipids with fatty acids in the mucilage. Overall, the present results reveal the relevance of the viscoelastic behavior of the lubricant, elasticity in particular, in lubrication processes, and points to nopal mucilage as an effective green additive to produce innocuous MWFs.

It has been reported that Sclerotium nivale Elenev causes winter damage (Sclerotium disease) to winter rye and turfgrass in the European part of Russia, Ukraine, and Estonia. This fungal name is invalid, and their biological characteristics are limited. Since all reports on this fungus and their disease are written in Russian and Estonian without our recent review (Tkachenko 2013), few phytopathologists outside the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics know about this fungus. We found symptoms of Sclerotium disease in Moscow, Russia, and we obtained asexual spore-forming ascomycetous (absent clamp connections) and basidiomycetous (had clamp connections) isolates from their white sclerotia. “S. nivale” was composed of several fungal species of ascomycetes and basidiomycetes. The ascomycetous isolate had the ability to grow under the snow cover, and phylogenic analysis suggested that the ascomycetous isolate had high homology (98–99%) with genera of Karstenula and Paraphaeosphaeria. We previously reported sclerotia of Typhula sp. were formed ca. 2 weeks to 1 month after the snow melt, remained immature as mycelial aggregations after snow melt, and matured without snow. In addition, Paraphaeosphaeria included sclerotium parasites such as P. minitans. Several cold-adapted fungi infected basidiomycetous sclerotia of Typhula spp. and others. These findings suggested that ascomycetous S. nivale was the possibility of the mycoparasite under the snow.

Bacteria can colonize and develop biofilm on a large variety of biotic and abiotic materials, it is accountable for nosocomial infections and chronic illness and consequently, it is a serious economic and public health problem. Staphylococcus epidermidis, thanks to its ability to form biofilm and colonize biomaterials, represents the most frequent causative agent involved in bio-film-associated infections of medical devices. Due to the biofilm presence, S. epidermidis infections are extremely difficult to treat and the research of new molecules able to interfere with its biofilm formation has a remarkable interest. In the present work, the attention was focused on Pseudomonas sp. TAE6080, an Antarctic marine bacterium able to produce and secrete an effective antibiofilm compound. The molecule responsible for this activity was purified by an activity-guided approach and it resulted to be a periplasmic protein, named Cold-Azurin. The Cold-Azurin was recombinantly produced in E. coli and purified. The recombinant protein was able to impair S. epidermidis attachment to the polystyrene surface and effectively prevent biofilm formation.

Previous studies have demonstrated that cold pools play a pivotal role in the initiation and organization of convection, yet their influence on the evolution of GFs remains inadequately understood. A destructive wind event associated with a rearward gust front (RGF, 8 grade gale appeared after passing GF) and a prior gust front (PGF, 10 grade gale appeared before passing GF) over the north coast of China on 10 June 2016 was analyzed. Using multiple observation data as well as the four-dimensional Variational Doppler Radar Data Assimilation System (VDRAS), we found that the intensity of the GFs increased with increasing cold pool strength, depth and propagation speed. Two schematic models were proposed to explain the discrepancy between GFs and associated cold pools. The depth and intensity of the cold pool in RGF are found to be relatively shallower and weaker, leading to a correspondingly reduced strength in both outflow and convergence. In contrast, the enhanced vertical shear and boundary northeaster inflow of PGF generate intensified and more organized downdrafts, resulting in a deeper cold pool, robust outflow, and convergence. These findings offer novel insights into the diversity of GFs and associated cold pools.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a lifelong pathogen characterized by asymptomatic latent infection in the trigeminal ganglia (TG) with periodic outbreaks of cold sores caused by virus reactivation in the TG and subsequent replication in the oral mucosa. While antiviral therapies can provide relief from cold sores, they are unable to eliminate HSV-1. We provide experimental results that highlight non-thermal plasma (NTP) as a new alternative therapy for HSV-1 infection that would resolve cold sores faster and reduce the establishment of latent infection in the TG. Additionally, this study is the first to explore the use of NTP as a therapy that can both treat and prevent human viral infections. We investigated the antiviral effect of NTP using an in vitro model for HSV-1 cold sores, involving the application of NTP from two separate devices to cell-free HSV-1, HSV-1-infected cells, and uninfected cells. We found NTP reduced the infectivity of cell-free HSV-1, reduced viral replication in HSV-1-infected cells, and diminished the susceptibility of uninfected cells to HSV-1 infection. This triad of antiviral mechanisms of action suggest the potential of NTP as a therapeutic agent effective against HSV-1 infection.

In this study, we introduce the concept and construction of an innovative Digital Miniature Cathode Ray Magnetometer designed for the precise detection of magnetic fields. This device addresses several limitations inherent to magnetic probes such as D.C. offset, nonlinearity, temperature drift, sensor aging, and the need for frequent recalibration, while capable of oper-ating in a wide range of magnetic fields. The core principle of this device involves the utilization of a charged particle beam as the sensitivity medium. The system leverages the interaction of an electron beam with a scintillator material, which, then, emits visible light that is captured by an imager. The emitted scintillation light is captured by a CMOS sensor. This sensor not only rec-ords the scintillation light but also accurately determines the position of the electron beam, providing invaluable spatial information crucial for magnetic field mapping. The key innova-tion lies in the combination of electron beam projection, CMOS imager scintillation-based de-tection and digital image signal processing. By employing this synergy, the magnetometer achieves remarkable accuracy, sensitivity and dynamic range. The precise position registration enabled by the CMOS sensor further enhances the device's utility in capturing complex magnetic field patterns, allowing for 2D field mapping. In this work, the optimization of the probe's per-formance is tailored for applications related to the characterization of insertion devices in light sources, including undulators.

To accurately predict the matching relationships between the various components and the engine performance in the whole aero-engine environment, this study introduces a two-dimensional throughflow simulation method for the whole aero-engine. This method is based on individual throughflow solvers for the turbo-machinery and the combustor. It establishes a throughflow simulation model for the whole engine by integrating with the compressor-turbine co-operating equations and boundary conditions. The turbo-machinery throughflow solver employs a circumferentially averaged form of the time-dependent Navier-Stokes equations (N-S) as the governing equation. The combustor solver uses the Reynolds Average Navier-Stokes (RANS) method to solve flow and chemical reaction processes by constructing turbulence, combustion, and radiation models. The accuracy of the component solver is validated using Pratt &amp; Whitney’s three-stage axial compressor (P&amp;W3S1) and General Electric’s high-pressure turbine (GE-EEE HPT), and the predicted results are consistent with the experimental data. Finally, the developed throughflow method is applied to simulate the throttling characteristics of the WZ-X turboshaft engine. The results predicted by the throughflow program are consistent with the GasTurb calculations, including the trends of shaft power delivered, specific fuel consumption (SFC), inlet airflow, and total pressure ratio of the compressor. The developed method to perform throughflow simulation of the whole aero-engine eliminates the dependence on a general component map. It can quickly obtain the meridian flow field parameters and overall engine characteristics, which is expected to guide the design and modification of the engine in the future.

This study examines the effects of working capital management strategies on firm’s financial performance of Indian cement companies using 11-year (2010-2020) financial data of 31 companies listed in Bombay Stock Exchange. It is intended to find out whether the strategies made by finance managers with respect to the components of working capital such as average receivable period, inventory conversion period, average payment period and cash conversion cycle, etc. affects the firm’s performances individually and in total. The results of Pearson’s correlation coefficient and random effect regression model shows that there exists a negative relationship between financial performance measured in terms of return on assets (ROA) and inventory turnover period (ITP) as well as accounts payable period (APP), whereas firm’s performance is not significantly affected by accounts receivable period (ARP) and cash conversion cycle (CCC). Similarly, it has been observed that the liquidity measures such as current ratio (CR) and quick ratio (QR) have a significant positive association with ROA. Moreover, the size of the firms and leverage are inversely related to ROA but the age of the firms is not significantly affecting their financial performances. Hence, it can be concluded that how an organisation designs its working capital strategy do have an impact on its performances.

A sintered wick was formed in a heat pipe through the process of sintering a mixture of copper powder with particle sizes of 100㎛ and 200㎛, mixed with a pore-forming agent. On application to the heat pipes. The thermal resistance of heat pipes containing a sintered wick was calculated for different tilting angles (0°, 45°, and 90°) according to the type of powder, thickness of the sintered wick, and the filling ratio of the working fluid. The heat transfer efficiencies were evaluated through temperature tests. The capillary force, which is closely related to heat transfer efficiency, is determined by the effective pore radius resulting from the sintering of the copper powder. Furthermore, it was observed that the heat transfer performance of the heat pipe was at its best when the working fluid filling ratio was 30%. Additionally, the width of the wick was found to have a direct correlation with the heat transfer performance.

Chromium-nickel austenitic stainless steels are widely used due to their high corrosion resistance, good weldability and deformability. To some extent, their application is limited by their mechanical characteristics. As a result of their austenitic structure, increasing the static and dynamic strength of the components can be achieved by surface cold work. Due to the tendency of these steels to undergo intercrystalline corrosion, another approach to improve their mechanical characteristics is the use of low-temperature thermo-chemical diffusion processes. This article proposes a new combined process based on sequentially applied diamond burnishing (DB) and low-temperature gas nitriding (LTGN) to optimally improve the fatigue strength of 304 steel. The essence of the proposed approach is to combine the advantages of the two processes (DB and LTGN) to create a zone of residual compressive stresses in the surface and subsurface layers–the enormous surface residual stresses (axial and hoop) introduced by LTGN, with the significant depth of the compressive zone characteristic of static surface cold working processes. DB (both smoothing and single-pass hardening), in combination with LTGN, achieves a fatigue limit of 600 MPa, an improvement of 36.4% compared to untreated specimens. Individually, smoothing DB, single-pass DB and LTGN achieve 540 MPa, 580 MPa and 580 MPa, respectively. It was found that as the degree of plastic deformation of the surface layer introduced by DB increases, the content of the S-phase in the nitrogen-rich layer formed by LTGN decreases, with resultant increased content of -phase, and a new (also hard) phase: stabilized nitrogen-bearing martensite.

The visual perception of leisure spaces between residences in cold regions is important for public health. To compensate for the existing researches` lack of ignoring the cold snow season`s influence, this study selected two types of outdoor leisure space environments in non-snow and snow seasons as research objects. An eye tracker combined with a Semantic Difference (SD) questionnaire was used to verify the feasibility of the application of virtual reality technology, screen out leisure gaze characteristics, and reveal the environmental factors related to leisure visual perception. In snow season, spatial aspect ratio (SAR), building elevation saturation (BS), and grass proportion in the field of view (GP) showed strong correlation to the leisure visual perception scores (W). In non-snow season, apart from the above three factors, roof height difference (RHD), tall tree height (TTH) and color contrast (HC) also influenced W obviously. The effects of factors on W were revealed in immersive virtual en-vironment (IVE) orthogonal experiments and genetic algorithm (GA) and k-nearest neighbor algorithm (KNN) were combined to optimized the environmental factors. The optimized threshold ranges in the non-snow season environment were SAR: 1.82‒2.15, RHD: 10.81 m‒20.09 m, BS: 48.53‒61.01, TTH: 14.18 m‒18.29 m, GP: 0.12‒0.15, and HC: 18.64‒26.83. In the snow season environment, the optimized threshold ranges were SAR: 2.22‒2.54, BS: 68.47‒82.34, and GP: 0.1‒0.14.

The Attentional Control Theory (ACT) suggests that trait anxiety does not directly affect performance but may alter processing efficiency through the generation of compensatory strategies. However, the ACT does not describe the nature of these strategies, which could be reflective in nature. One hundred ten students (M = 20.12; SD = 2.10) completed questionnaires on trait anxiety, metacognitive beliefs, and emotion regulation strategies (ERS). They performed two working memory tasks: the digit span task from the WAIS-IV and an emotional n-back task. Anxiety, metacognitive beliefs, and maladaptive ERS were not linked to performance but were associated with longer response times. Additionally, participants using maladaptive ERS, such catastrophizing and rumination, made fewer negative commission errors and employed more strategies during the digit span. These findings support the role of the reflective level in influencing trait anxiety's impact on performance and emphasize considering metacognitive beliefs and maladaptive ERS for a comprehensive understanding of the ACT. Identifying these variables provides insights to optimize cognitive abilities and promote academic success.

The microstructure evolution of SCM435 cold heading steel at different cooling rates was investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy, TEM, XRD, and electron backscatter diffraction. The results show that the cooling rate has a significant effect on the microstructure of the experimental steel. With an acceleration of the cooling, the microstructure of the steel gradually changed from ferrite and pearlite to ferrite, pearlite, and granular bainite; finally, the pearlite disappeared, and the microstructure changed to acicular ferrite, bainite, and martensite. With an increase in the cooling rate, the morphology of the carbide underwent an evolution from sheet carbide to short-rod carbide, granular carbide, and ultimately thin-strip carbide. With the acceleration of cooling, the proportion of large-angle grain boundaries gradually decreased, and the area of small-angle grain boundaries gradually increased. When the cooling rate was 0.1℃/s, the proportion of large-angle grain boundaries was as high as 52.8%, and the dislocation density was only 1.91 × 1012 cm−2. When the cooling rate was 2.0℃/s, the proportion of large-angle grain boundaries was only 27.1%, and dislocation density increased to 5.38 × 1012 cm−2. With the increase in the cooling rate, the depth of the decarbonization layer and the thickness of the scale oxide gradually decreased, the proportion of FeO phase in the scale phase gradually decreased, and the proportion of Fe3O4 phase and Fe2O3 phase gradually increased. The tensile strength increased monotonously with the increase in cooling rate, whereas the elongation and shrinkage first decreased, then increased, and then decreased. When the cooling rate was 1.0 m/s, the short rod and granular bainite in the material structure endowed the SCM435 steel with excellent strength and toughness matching, and the tensile strength and elongation of the steel reached 895 MPa and 24%, respectively.

Climate change is affecting the production of temperate fruit crops. Freeze damage, particularly in spring, has resulted in significant economic losses in peach production in the southeastern United States. Research efforts in peach and other Prunus species have primarily focused on dormancy-related traits associated with bloom time, such as chill and heat requirement, with fruitlet freeze tolerance not equally represented. This study reports fruitlet freeze tolerance in 75 peach and nectarine accessions at six freezing temperatures (0 to -10ºC) using electrolyte leakage method over two seasons (2022-2023). Fruitlet freeze tolerance ranged from -3.94 to -10.22 °C with an estimated damage ranging from 16-48% with the majority of the accessions showing tolerance to cold temperatures in the -4 to -6ºC and 25-35% range. Variability in tolerance was noted across years, including some inconsistencies between tolerance group assignments. Grouping based on the estimated damage showed better stability and some accessions changed their grouping from the extremes to an intermediate tolerance group. Interestingly, nectarine accessions were among most tolerant in both seasons. Broad-sense heritability of 0.52 and 0.85, for freeze tolerance and estimated damage, respectively, suggested genetic control of this trait with a potential for improvement via breeding.

Fresh-cut apple is commonly known as minimally processed agriculture products because of their convenience and ease of consumption. However, during storage, the quality of the apple rapidly changes after the cutting process due to enzymatic and non-enzymatic processes. This study aimed to monitor the quality changes of fresh-cut apples at various temperatures and different types of products in the application of a cold chain system during distribution and storage. The results showed that the total viable count in fresh-cut apples initially differed between apple only and mixed products (apple, orange, and tomato) during storage (p &lt; 0.05). Moreover, there are no significant differences (p &gt; 0.05) in physicochemicals except firmness, titratable acidity, and pH, which are highly correlated to microbial growth (total viable count and total coliform number). Furthermore, the optimal temperature for extending the shelf-life of fresh-cut apples was at 4°C.

Background: Delayed graft function (DGF) is common after kidney transplantation from de-ceased donor and may significantly affect post-transplant outcomes. This study aimed to evaluating whether an innovative approach, based on the administration of intravenous prostaglandin-analogue iloprost, could be beneficial in reducing the incidence of DGF occurring after kidney transplantation from deceased donors. Methods: This prospective, randomised (1:1), place-bo-controlled study enrolled all consecutive patients who received a kidney transplantation from a deceased donor from January 2000 to December 2012 and who were treated in the peri-transplant period with the prostaglandin-analogue iloprost at 0.27 μg/min through elastomeric pump (treatment group) or placebo (control group). Results: A total of 476 patients were included : DGF was reported in 172 (36.1%) patients in the entire cohort. The multivariate analysis showed that donor’s age > 70 years (OR 2.50, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.40-3.05, p < .001), cold ischemia time > 24 h (OR 2.60, 95 CI 1.50-4.51, p < .001), donor’s AKI (OR 2.71, 95% CI 1.61-4.52, p = .021) and, above all, recipient’s arterial hypotension (OR 5.06, 95% CI 2.52-10.1, p < .0001) were the strongest risk factors for developing post-transplant DGF. The incidence of DGF was 21.4% in the treatment group and 50.9% in the control group (p< .001). Interestingly, among patients who developed DGF, those who received iloprost had a shorter duration of post-transplant DGF (10.58.3 v s13.46.7, days, p= .016). Conclusions: This study showed that the use of a continuous infusion of iloprost could safely and effectively reduce the incidence of DGF in recipients of deceased donor kidneys, allowing a better graft functionality as well as a better graft survival.

Numerous studies have been conducted in past so as to understand whether the working capital management policies of an organisation affect its performance or not. Some studies have found a positive relationship between WCM and firm performance. However, other studies have found a negative impact of WCM on firm performance. Present research work is an endeavour in this direction to find out the working capital management policies and strategies of Indian cement companies and their performances. The study employs a quantitative approach to examine whether the Indian cement companies optimally use their working capital, which is analysed by establishing the relationship between the working capital management and profitability using 11-year (2010-2021) financial data of 31 cement companies listed in Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). The findings of the random-effects model say that only ITP is significantly negatively related to the ROA of the cement companies at a 0.01 level of significance. Similarly, APP also negatively yet poorly predicts ROA at a 0.10 level of significance the firm’s profitability is not significantly affected by ARP and CCC. Also, it has been observed that the liquidity measures CR and QR have a significant positive association with ROA. Further, the size of the industries and leverage are inversely related to ROA but the age of the firm is not significantly predicting their financial performance.

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has emerged as a promising therapeutic technology, distinguished by its safety, efficiency, and minimal side effects. With increasing applications in dermatology, CAP demonstrates antimicrobial efficacy against bacteria, viruses, and fungi, supports tissue proliferation and wound healing, and hinders the growth and migration of tumor cells. This review encompasses the concept, physical characteristics, and current research applications of CAP in dermatology. CAP, a gas cloud produced by ionizing gases, operates at room temperature, ensuring safety and efficacy in dermatological use. Its effects are mediated through active components like reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) and ultraviolet radiation. The extensive research covered in this paper explores CAP's applications in skin infections, immune-related diseases, and tumor diseases. As a biologically suitable technology, cold atmospheric pressure plasma finds widespread use in medicine, including medical device sterilization, dentistry, oncology, and dermatology. The direct and indirect forms of CAP applications, including plasma-activated liquids, complement each other. CAP holds promise as a dermatological treatment technique, but further exploration and research are needed. This article briefly explores CAP's diverse applications and potential utility within dermatology. The objective is to enhance the progress of plasma medicine by furnishing a concise overview of the applications of this groundbreaking technology in dermatological contexts.

In order to reveal the frost heaving mechanism of void water behind the lining of high-speed railway tunnels in cold regions，the voids were first classified according to the positional relationship between voids and waterproof panels，and then the water supply and discharge conditions of different types of voids were investigated，then the influence of the excretion conditions on the frost heave force was experimentally studied. Based on these conditions，circular wedge-shaped and flying saucer-shaped void freezing models were established to analyze the evolution process of accumulated water frost heave. Then，according to the relative position of the excretion channel and the void，the excretion coefficient was introduced，and the calculation method of the frost heaving force of the voided water was proposed，and the influencing factors and laws of the frost-heave force were revealed. The results are shown as follows: 1) The blockage of the excretion channel will lead to the generation of frost heaving force; 2) The freezing and thawing process of the water within the cavity develops from the thinnest part of the void edge to the thicker part，and the process of frost heave-thaw，water replenishment-re-freeze heave of the water within the cavity leads to greater and greater frost heave force; 3) The frost-heaving force of the water within cavity is controlled by the void height and the position of the excretion channel. The larger the cavity height is or the closer the excretion channel is to the bottom surface of the void，the greater the frost-heave force is.

The production of particles outside the region of nucleon-nucleon kinematics due to interactions involving dense cold clusters of quark-gluon matter in nuclei is calculated. The possibility of observing this process in the region of central rapidities and large transverse momenta in heavy ion collisions at low energies with MPD detector at the NICA collider has been demonstrated.

In this study, carbon blocks were fabricated using isotropic coke and coal tar pitch as raw materials, with a variation in pressure during cold isostatic pressing (CIP). The CIP pressure was set to 50, 100, 150, and 200 MPa, and the effect of the CIP pressure on the mechanical and electrical properties of the resulting carbon blocks was analyzed. Microstructural observations confirmed that after the kneading, the surface of isotropic coke was covered with the pitch components. Subsequently, after the CIP, granules, which were larger than isotropic coke and the kneaded particles, were observed. The formation of these granules was attributed to the coalescence of kneaded particles under the applied pressing pressure. This granule formation was accompanied by the development of pores, some remaining within the granules, while others were extruded, thereby existing externally. The increase in the applied pressing pressure facilitated the formation of granules, and this microstructural development contributed to enhanced mechanical and electrical properties. At a pressing pressure of 100 MPa, the maximum flexural strength was achieved at 33.3 MPa, and the minimum electrical resistivity was reached at 60.1 μΩm. The higher the pressing pressure, the larger the size of the granules. Pores around the granules tended to connect and grow larger, forming crack-like structures. This microstructural change led to degraded mechanical and electrical properties. The isotropic ratio of the carbon blocks obtained in this study was estimated based on the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). The results confirmed that all carbon blocks obtained proved to be isotropic. In this study, a specimen type named CIP-100 exhibited the best performance in every aspect as an isotropic carbon block.

The fundamental theory of nuclear interactions, Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), operates in terms of quarks and gluons at higher resolution. At low resolution the relevant degrees of freedom are nucleons. Two-nucleon Short-Range Correlations (SRC) help to interconnect these two descriptions. SRCs are temporary fluctuations of strongly interacting close pairs of nucleons. The distance between the two nucleons is comparable to their radii and their relative momenta are larger than the fermi sea level. According to the electron scattering experiments held in the last decade, SRCs have far-reaching impacts on many-body systems, the nucleon-nucleon interactions, and nuclear substructure. The modern experiments with ion beams and cryogenic liquid hydrogen target make it possible to study properties of the nuclear fragments after quasi-elastic knockout of a single nucleon or an SRC pair. The first SRC experiment at BM@N (2018) with a carbon beam has shown that detection of an intact 11B nucleus after interaction selects out the quasi-elastic knockout reaction with minimal contribution of initial- and final-state interactions. Also, 25 events of SRC-breakups showed agreement in SRC properties as knows from electron beam experiments. The analysis of the second measurement of SRC at BM@N held in 2022 with an improved setup is currently ongoing. The SRC project at JINR moved to a new experimental area in 2023, where the next measurement is being planned in terms of experimental setup and physics goals.

Chilean jack mackerel (Trachurus murphyi) is recognized as one of the most valuable pelagic resources across the southeast Pacific Ocean. Despite its nutritious properties it is an underused resource due to its rapid spoilage. The use of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) for the processing of aquatic products could be an efficient alternative to cold storage since HHP might inactivate microbial pathogens and slow down spoilage microorganisms, therefore extending the product’s shelf life. The aim of the study was to compare the effect of HHP at 450 and 550 MPa for 3 min on the physicochemical properties of jack mackerel muscle undergoing pre- and post-rigor mortis stage and further storage for 26 days at 4°C. pH, total volatile basic nitrogen, trimethylamine, color, water-holding capacity, and texture were assessed. The proximate composition, pH, total volatile basic nitrogen, trimethylamine, color, water holding capacity, and texture, showed significant changes between untreated and treated samples, while the water holding capacity was virtually unaffected. Overall results showed an acceptable and long-lasting edible quality of Trachurus murphyi stored at 4°C when preserved through HHP. These findings suggest that the HHP might be able to industrially scale the production of highly physicochemical superior and minimally processed fish products.

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.

Intermittent cold exposure has garnered increased attention in popular culture, largely for its proposed effects on mood and immune function, but there are also suggestions that the energy wasting mechanisms associated with thermogenesis may decrease body weight and fat mass. Considering the continued and worsening prevalence of obesity and type II diabetes, any protocol that can reduce body weight and/or improve metabolic health would be a substantial boon. Here, we present a narrative review exploring the research related to ICE and adipose tissue. Any publicly available original research examining the effects of repeated bouts of ICE with adipose related outcomes was included. While ICE does not consistently lower bodyweight or fat mass, there does seem to be evidence for ICE as a positive modulator of the metabolic consequences of obesity, such as glucose tolerance and insulin signaling. Further, ICE consistently increases the activity of brown adipose tissue (BAT) and transitions white adipose tissue to a phenotype more in line with BAT. Lastly, the combined effects of ICE and exercise do not seem to provide any additional benefit, at least when exercise is done during ICE bouts. The majority of the current literature on ICE is based in rodent models where animals are housed in cold rooms, which does not reflect protocols likely to be implemented in humans such as cold-water immersion. Future research could specifically characterize ICE via cold water immersion in combination with controlled calorie intake to clearly determine the effects of ICE as it would be implemented in humans looking to lower bodyweight via reductions in fat mass.

A widely used material for the photovoltaic (PV) arrays is crystalline silicon. The PV conversion losses of a power plant as a yearly average, include: light reflection losses (3,1%), low radiation and shadowing losses (3,2%), DC board losses (1,2%), DC/AC conversion losses (4%), mismatching losses (5,7%), temperature losses (7,6%), it can be stated that the major fraction of losses is related to the temperature increase of the sili-con solar cells. In real operating conditions, solar cells and modules operate at different temperatures, either due to changes in ambient temperature (atmospheric conditions changing with the seasons) and cooling rate, depending on wind speed and insolation, rain, snow, etc., or due to changes in the amount of heat (electrical power lost on the internal resistance of the cell), emitted during their operation. The possibility of operation of these devices in ground applications in the temperature range from -20 to +70C should be taken into account. The given range, of course, does not apply to work in the tropics. The detailed studies of the temperature on the electrical parameters of crystalline silicon solar cells have been presented. The theoretical justification of the temperature influence mechanism on the exploitation parameters of the silicon solar cells was submitted. Photovoltaic cells and modules are of better quality, the lower the value of temperature coefficients, in particular, attention should be paid to the decrease in maximum power with increasing temperature.The experimental results were compared with the theoretical predictions and the results, obtained by other authors and producers.

Folk residence in the cold region of Northeast China is an important part of China's traditional folk residence, with significant geographical representation. In this paper, we take the residential compounds of villages and towns in the cold region of Northeast China as the research object, summarize four typical layout forms of residential compounds of villages and towns in the cold region of Northeast China, simulate the wind environment of compounds of different layout forms in winter by using the computer numerical simulation software Fluent, and then analyze and evaluate the wind environment of compounds by combining with the evaluation standard of wind speed ratio and considering the area of wind shadows, number of vortices and other factors.

The CDPK family genes play crucial roles in signal transduction pathways during plant develop-ment and stress response. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the CDPK family genes in mustard (Brassica juncea L.), resulting in the identification of 101 genes (BjuCDPK1–101) located on chromosomes AA_Chr01 to BB_Chr08. RNA-seq analysis showed that most BjuCDPK genes were predominantly expressed in the root and flower bud, suggesting their organ-specific expression patterns. Furthermore, the expression levels of most BjuCDPK genes were significantly altered by cold stress. The promoter regions of BjuCDPK genes had abundant cis-acting elements related to hormone and stress. The interaction network analysis predicted that BjuCDPK proteins respond to abiotic stress probably via interaction with ABF1, ABF4, and/or DI19. Our findings provide valu-able information for further investigation of the cold stress adaption of mustard via the CDPK signaling pathway.

Poa crymophila is a perennial, cold-tolerant, native grass species, widely distributed to the Qing-hai-Tibet Plateau. However, the molecular mechanism behind the cold stress tolerance and role of key regulatory genes and pathways of P. crymophila are poorly understood yet. Therefore, the present study investigated the physiological and transcriptome responses of P. crymophila’s roots, stems, and leaves under cold stress to explore the molecular mechanism of cold tolerance. Results of the present study suggested that cold stress significantly changed the physiologic characteristics of roots, stems, and leaves of P. crymophila. In addition, the transcriptome results showed that 4434, 8793, and 14942 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in roots, stems, and leaves, respectively; however, 464 DEGs were commonly identified in these three tissues. The Gene On-tology (GO) results showed that a large numbers of DEGs were significantly enriched in the pho-tosynthetic related categories in leaves. In addition, the “response to stimulus” category was sig-nificantly enriched in roots and stems. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) results showed that DEGs involved in “phenylpropanoid biosynthesis” were significantly enriched in roots, “photosynthesis” and “circadian rhythm-plant” pathways significantly enriched in stems and leaves, starch and sucrose metabolism, and galactose metabolism were pathways significantly enriched in three tissues. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) identified Hub genes involved in P. crymophila cold response. This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the cold tolerance of P. crymophila belowground and aboveground tissues. In addition, specific genes involved in Ca2+ signaling, ROS scavenging system, hormones, circadian clock, photosynthesis, and transcription factors (TFs) were identified in P. crymophila. The identi-fication of key genes may provide valuable resources for further functional genomic and breeding studies.

In this study, Plasma-Activated Water (PAW) was synthesized using a coaxial Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) reactor, benefiting from the elevated capacity of air-flow-assisted DBD discharges to enhance nitrogen-based species concentration. By manipulating operational parameters, including gas flow rate, activation time, and DI water volume, we achieved significant concentrations of Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species (RONS). As a result, the PAW obtained displayed pronounced physicochemical attributes: a pH of 2.06, an ORP of 275mV, conductivity of 3mS/cm, and TDS of 1200 mg/L. A pivotal aspect of this research was the evaluation of the reactor's efficiency, as indicated by metrics like the specific input energy and ozone efficiency yield. The antimicrobial potential of the PAW was also assessed against pathogenic microbes, with remarkable reductions in viability for both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli (99.99%) and a more moderate decrease for Candida albicans (37%). These findings underscore the capability of the coaxial DBD reactor in crafting high-quality PAW with significant antimicrobial properties, necessitating further studies to validate its broad-spectrum and safe application.

The combined effects of the thermal processing (i.e., sterilisation treatment) and the prior frozen storage time (3 or 6 months at –18 ºC) on the quality loss in canned Atlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) were determined. Thus, the sterilisation step led to a remarkable (p&lt;0.05) formation in canned fish muscle of fluorescent compounds, free fatty acids (FFAs) and trimethylamine and to an increase of the L* and b* colour parameters; meantime, a decrease (p&lt;0.05) of the total ω3 FA/total ω6 FA ratio and the a* colour value were detected. The prior frozen storage period led to an increased (p&lt;0.05) lipid oxidation (peroxide, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance and fluorescent compound formation) and hydrolysis (FFA formation) development and to increased L* and b* colour values in the corresponding canned samples; additionally, a lower (p&lt;0.05) polyene index and phospholipid content were observed in canned fish previously subjected to frozen storage. In most indices, physico-chemical changes related to quality loss were found higher if the previous storage period was increased. According to the marked effects of the sterilisation step and the prior frozen storage period, optimisation of such processing conditions is recommended to maximise the quality of canned horse mackerel.

Abstract There is no research that combines behavioural and fMRI research approaches to investigate the mediating and moderating effects of working memory, verbal IQ, visuospatial and verbal reasoning on students’ performance of maths and science. This paper investigates all these multiple relationships between working memory (WM), verbal IQ, visuospatial and verbal reasoning with performance in maths and science accuracy. The multimethod research consists of a behavioural survey and a fMRI neuroscience investigating the interactive and multiple relationships of all cognitive processing independent variables (IVs) with the dependent variables (DVs) of maths and science performance. Using structural Equation Modelling (SEM) and Warp Partial Least Squares (Warp PLS) analytical approach, the research discusses the findings of both, the behavioural and fMRI data. The adolescent sample (N=34) for the behavioural and fMRI study, was recruited from consenting schools in London, UK, and consisted of equal numbers of girls and boys between 11-15 years old. The hypothesised behavioural SEM model predicted positive relationships between all the independent variables (IV) of visuospatial matrix reasoning (VSMatAR), verbal analogical reasoning (VerbAR), verbal working memory (VWM), visuospatial working memory (VSWM) and verbal IQ, with performance in maths and science accuracy. The findings support all hypotheses except two and identifies verbal IQ, Verbal WM and VerbAR as the three strongest predictors of maths and science accuracy. The neuroscience fMRI data identified four brain regions of interest, namely, the bilateral DLPFC, Parietal, Temporal and pre-supplementary motor area (PSMA) as being most relevant to maths and science outcomes. The hypothesised fMRI SEM, produced mixed results which supported some of the hypothesised relationships between the IVs of verbal AR and VSMatrix AR associations with all four brain regions and in turn the associations with maths and science performance. The paper makes two original contributions, firstly, by testing the hypothesis that Verbal WM mediates the independent variables’ effects on maths and science outcomes. And secondly, by using Warp PLS to test the SEM (behavioural and fMRI) models’ multiple non-linear interactions simultaneously between the IVs with the DVs of maths and science accuracy. The Warp PLS testing of all IVs and DVs produced some interesting new insights regarding the relationships between Verbal analogical reasoning, which are deemed important to assist academics and educational practitioners in improving maths and science performance of adolescent students. The combination of behavioural and neuroscience fMRI data provides more reliable empirical evidence regarding the multiple interactive influences impacting maths and science performance for adolescents.

In this paper, a study was conducted on the Ramsey interference and spectral line locking techniques based on rubidium-87 cold atoms. Using sequential control technique, the timing design of a three-dimensional magneto-optical trap (MOT), cold atoms’ free fall, Ramsey microwave interference, and two-level fluorescence detection was realized, achieving the state preparation of cold atoms and clock transitions. By designing an automatic peak-finding algorithm, numerical integration was performed on the time-of-flying (TOF) signal, and narrow linewidth cold atom Ramsey interference fringes were obtained. Based on this, a frequency-hopping method was used to lock the frequency of the 10MHz oven-controlled crystal oscillator (OCXO) in a closed loop, achieving a linewidth of 38Hz. This preliminary result verifies the feasibility of the system design.

Two austenitic stainless steel (ASS) plates, 304L and 316L, were cold-rolled (304R and 316R) with a 10 % reduction in thickness then subjected to laser welding. Cold-rolling caused a slight surface hardening and introduced residual tensile stress into the ASS plates. The susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of the welds (304RW and 316RW) was determined using the U-bend test pieces in a salt spray. To highlight the stress concentration at the weld’s fusion boundary (FB), the top weld reinforcement was not ground off before bending. Moreover, micro-shot peening (MSP) was performed to mitigate the SCC of the welds by imposing high residual compressive stress and forming a fine-grained structure. Cold-rolling increased the susceptibility of the 304R specimen to pitting corrosion (PTC) and intergranular (IG) microcracking. Moreover, PTC and SCC were found more often at the FBs of the 304RW. The corrosion pits of the peened 304RW (304RWSP) were finer but greater in amount than the un-peened one. The results also indicated that the 316L ASS welds with MSP was resistant to the incidence of PTC and SCC in a salt spray. The better reliability and longer service life of dry storage canister could be achieved by using 316L ASS for construction and application of MSP on it.

This article aims to assess, discuss and analyze the disturbances caused by electromagnetic field (EMF) noise of medical devices used nearby living tissues, as well as the corresponding functional control via the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) of these devices. These are minimally invasive and non-ionizing devices allowing various healthcare actions involving monitoring, assistance, diagnosis and image-guided medical interventions. Following to an introduction of the main items of the paper, the different imaging methodologies are conferred, accounting for their nature, functioning, employment condition and patient comfort and safety. Then the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) components and their fields, the consequential MRI-compatibility concept and possible image artifacts are detailed and analyzed. Next, the MRI-assisted robotic treatments, the possible robotic external matter introductions in the imager, the features of MRI-compatible materials and the conformity control of MRI-compatibility, are analyzed and conferred. Afterward, the embedded, wearable and detachable medical devices, their EMF perturbation control and their necessary shielding protection technologies are presented and analyzed. Then, the EMC control procedure, the EMF governing equations, the body numerical virtual models, are conferred and reviewed. A qualitative methodology, case study, simple example illustrating the mentioned methodology is presented. The last Section of the paper discussed potential details and expansions of the different notions conferred in the paper, in the perspective of monitoring the disturbances due to EMF noise of medical devices working near living tissues.

Flood records of the Kunmalik River in Chinese Tien Shan mountains have showed that glacier- dammed lake outburst floods (GLOF) had occurred almost every year since 1956 from the glaci-er-dammed Lake Merzbacher. However, GLOF in cold season is seldomly studied. The defense and management of the flood need further observation and study. The maximum peak discharge of 825 m3/s occurred on 5th December 1996 with the maximum flood volume of 2.875×108 m3, which was 18 times larger than that of the mean daily discharge in winter over the past six decades. The drainage of the Merzbacher lake is not a mechanical breaking up of the glacier dam, but the release of pressurized water along a subglacial tunnel triggered by quickly surge of the Northern Glacier, the subglacial tunnels are enlarged by both ice melting and frictional heat in the flooding water and heat under the glaciated dam and the lake in winter. There is no correlation between the GLOF size and air temperature of cold season. The floods in cold season have become bigger since 1996 than that before, and the flood duration has been extended from winter to spring. Once the cold GLOF starts, its discharge can be forecasted day by day to extrapolate the monitoring hydrograph as a linear curve.

Manufactured sand and natural sand have great differences in terms of physical properties, chemical composition, and so on. In the mix ratio design of manufactured sand concrete, the traditional common concrete ratio cannot be used. The water-cement ratio playing a crucial role in the mix ratio design. The optimum water-cement ratio can not only improve concrete performance, it can also reduce cement consumption and costs. The present study examines the working performance indicators and mechanical performance indicators of manufactured sand concrete using Fujian granite with three strength grades (C35, C40 and C50) at different water-cement ratios. The impact of water-cement ratio on the operational and mechanical performance of manufactured sand concrete with different strength grades is analyzed and summarized. Revised sentence: The findings suggest that the workability of Fujian granite concrete is directly influenced by the water-cement ratio. Additionally, the water-cement ratio indirectly affects the mechanical properties of manufactured sand concrete. Finally, when changing the water-cement ratio, cube compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and bending strength exhibit similar trends. The optimal water-cement ratio for C35 concrete is determined to be 0.39, considering the workability and mechanical properties of Fujian granite manufactured sand concrete. Similarly, the optimal water-cement ratio for C40 concrete is 0.34, while for C50 concrete it is 0.32.

Despite recent advancements, therapies remain ineffective against advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), resulting in unsatisfactory therapeutic outcomes. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) offers a promising approach in the treatment of malignant neoplasms. Yet, the exact mechanisms driving CAP-induced cancer cell death are not fully understood. This study revealed a significant reduction in the viability of OSCC cell lines, inactivation of AKT and ERK, and the downregulation of the miR-21, miR-31, miR-134, miR-146a and miR-211 expression followed the CAP treatment. Pretreatment with ZVAD, 3-MA, and Fer-1 synergistically reduced CAP-induced cell death, indicating a combined induction of variable death pathways by CAP. Activation of AKT and ERK, alongside combined treatments using death inhibitors and miRNA mimics, counteracted the cell mortality associated with CAP. CAP-induced downregulation of miR-21, miR-31, miR-187 and miR-211 expression was rescued by AKT and ERK activation. Additionally, CAP treatments notably inhibited the growth of SAS cell xenografts on nude mice. The reduced expression of oncogenic miRNAs in vivo aligned with in vitro findings. In conclusion, our study indicates that CAP jet treatment diminishes OSCC cell viability by abrogating survival signals and oncogenic miRNA expression.

Background: Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for the first 6 months of life improves the growth, health and survival status of newborns. Breastfeeding has been accepted as the most vital intervention for reducing infant mortality and ensuring optimal growth and development of children. Objectives: The general objective was to identify the factors affecting exclusive breastfeeding among working class women in selected wards in Egbedore Local Government in Osun state, Nigeria. Methodology: This was descriptive cross-sectional study. Leslie Kish formula was used for sample size calculation and multistage sampling was used in selecting 316 working class women for the study. A structured, self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 21.0 and level of significance was set at 5%. Results: 58% of the respondents were between the ages of 25-30. 72% demonstrated good understanding of exclusive breastfeeding based on the 6 months WHO recommendation for exclusive breast feeding, 25.9% had a fair knowledge and awareness of exclusive breastfeeding. 63.3% of the working class mother has a good practice of exclusive breast feeding, 19.6% of the women moderately practices exclusive breastfeeding while 17.1% poorly practices exclusive breastfeeding. Less than 3-months maternity leave for mothers, lack of crèche closer to place of work and lack of breastfeeding break were identified as barriers to exclusive breastfeeding practices among the working class women. The findings demonstrated a significant relationship between knowledge and practices of exclusively breastfeeding among working class women (P-value .009). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that working class women had good knowledge of exclusive breastfeeding and this influenced their breastfeeding practices. A good knowledge was associated with favorable attitudes to the practice of exclusive breast feeding. To derive long-term benefits from early childhood nutrition, interventions should focus on health education and community-based sensitization programs on the needs for mothers to engage in exclusive breast needing for global development.

RCH is known rapidly enhance cold tolerance of insects. Trehalose has been demonstrated to be one of the cryoprotectant in L. oryzophilus, an important invasive pest of rice in China. Trehalose synthesis mainly occurs through the TPS/TPP pathway in insects. In this study, LoTPS gene was cloned and characterized for the first time. Its expression and trehalose content changes elicited by RCH were investigated. Our results revealed that RCH not only increased the survival rate of adults but also upregulated the gene expression level of LoTPS and increased trehalose content under low temperature. We hypothesized upregulated LoTPS promoted trehalose synthesis and accumulation to protect adults from low-temperature damage. To further verify the function of LoTPS gene, we employed RNAi technology. Our findings showed that RCH efficiency disappeared and failed to increase the survival rate when the adults were fed dsRNA of LoTPS. Additionally, inhibiting LoTPS gene expression resulted in no significant difference in trehalose content between RCH and non-RCH treatments. Furthermore, the expression patterns of TRET and TRE were also affected. Collectively, these results indicate the critical role of LoTPS in L. oryzophilus cold resistance after RCH induction. LoTPS can enhance the survival ability by regulating trehalose metabolism. These findings contribute to further understanding of the role of TPS in insect cold resistance and invasiveness of L. oryzophilus. Moreover, RNAi of the LoTPS opens up possibilities for novel control strategies against L. oryzophilus in the future.

This research explores the impact of working from home on employees' happiness, collaboration, and promotion prospects using machine learning techniques. The study is guided by three research questions aiming to investigate the correlation between working from home and employees' collaboration and promotion prospects. Moreover, the research aims to find a relationship between the number of households and employees' happiness levels while working from home. The data is collected from ICT engineers working at a technology company in Sweden through a questionnaire-based survey. Probability sampling was selected for data collection to reduce bias and enhance the generalizability of the findings. The data is pre-processed and then analysed in Jupyter Notebook using the Python programming language. Various libraries and models, including Pandas, NumPy, Matplotlib, Seaborn, and Scikit-learn, were employed for data analysis. Both Pearson correlation and p-values in Pearson correlation were used in this study to analyse the relationships between different variables.However, based on the results, this study did not find any significant relationship between working from home and employees' promotion prospects or collaboration issues. Additionally, the results did not provide evidence of a significant relationship between the number of households of employees and their happiness levels while working from home.

Needle abscission in balsam fir has been linked to both cold acclimation and changes in lipid composition. The overall objective of this research is to uncover lipid changes in balsam fir during cold acclimation and link those changes with postharvest abscission. Branches were collected monthly from September to December and assessed for cold tolerance via membrane leakage and chlorophyll fluorescence changes at -5, -15, -25, -35, and -45°C. Lipids were extracted and analyzed using mass spectrometry while postharvest needle abscission was determined gravimetrically. Cold tolerance and needle retention each significantly (P < 0.001) improved throughout autumn in balsam fir. There were concurrent increases in DGDG, PC, PG, PE, and PA throughout autumn and a decrease in MGDG. Those same lipids were strongly related to cold tolerance, though MGDG had the strongest relationship (R2 = 55.0% and 42.7% from membrane injury and chlorophyll fluorescence, respectively). There was a similar, albeit weaker, relationship between MGDG:DGDG and needle retention (R2 = 24.3%). Generally, a decrease in MGDG:DGDG ratio resulted in better cold tolerance and higher needle retention in balsam fir possibly due to increased membrane stability.

This paper focused on the finite element analysis of structural system in extreme loading condition. Two different stud shape and thicknesses were analyzed under blast. The stud thickness such as 1.19 mm and 1.5 mm were modelled and analyzed using ABAQUS 6.14. FEM is a tool which predicts the engineering physics of the real structure. To validate the finite element modelling performed by authors, a reference work published by earlier researchers on cold-formed steel stud wall is considered and examined in the present study. The novelty of this study was web corrugation and influence of flange width on stud. The models mimic like an air bag in a car to delay the pressure timing inside the stud wall. The mass of explosive used as 1.56 kg at a standard scaled distance. Time versus displacement was captured out at four locations in the stud wall. One of the objectives is to develop mathematical model to validate the deformation of stud under blast loading. Two mathematical models were validated using Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The results captured in ANN model was error histogram, regression plot, best performance fit and training data. The models were capable of resisting the moderate blast load. The response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to evaluate model performance Regression equations are useful for predicting future trends and outcomes, which is crucial for planning and decision-making. The primary goal of this work is to evaluate cold-formed steel stud walls with varying stud sizes under blast loading using finite element analysis and validated by ANN and RSM.

The development of the additive manufacturing (AM) technology proffers challenging requirements for forming accuracy and efficiency. In this paper, a hybrid additive manufacturing technology combining fusion-based selective laser melting (SLM) and solid-state cold spraying (CS) was proposed in order to enable the fast production of near-net-shape metal parts. The idea is to fabricate a bulk deposit with a rough contour first via “fast” CS process and then add fine structures and complex features through “slow” SLM. The experimental results show that it is feasible to deposit SLM part onto CS part with good interfacial bonding. However, the CS parts must be subject to heat treatment to improve their cohesion strength before being sending for SLM processing. Otherwise, the high tensile residual stress generated during SLM process will cause fracture and cracks in the CS part. After heat treatment, pure copper deposited by CS undergoes grain growth and recrystallization, resulting in improved cohesive strength and release of the residual stress in the CS parts is released. The tensile test on the SLM/CS interfacial region indicates that the bonding strength increased by 38% from 45±7 MPa to 62±1 MPa after the CS part is subject to heat treatment, and the SLM/CS interfacial bonding strength is higher than the CS parts. This study demonstrates that the proposed hybrid AM process is feasible and promising for manufacturing free-standing SLM-CS components.

Pigs are susceptible to cold stress due to the absence of brown fat caused by the partial deletion of uncoupling protein 1 during their evolution. Some local pig breeds in China, exhibit potential cold adaptability, but research has primarily focused on fat and intestinal tissues. Skeletal muscle plays a key role in adaptive thermogenesis in mammals, yet the molecular mechanism of cold adaptation in porcine skeletal muscle remains poorly understood. This study investigated the cold adaptability of two pig breeds, Mashen pigs (MS) and Large White pigs (LW), in a 4-day cold (4°C) or room temperature (25°C) environment. We recorded phenotypic changes and collected blood, and longissimus dorsi muscle for transcriptome sequencing. Finally, a candidate gene was randomly selected for functional exploration in porcine skeletal muscle satellite cells. A decrease in body temperature and body weight in both LW and MS pigs under cold stress, accompanied by increased shivering frequency and respiratory frequency. However, MS pigs demonstrated stable physiological homeostasis, indicating a certain level of cold adaptability. LW pigs primarily responded to cold stress by regulating heat production and Glycolipid energy metabolism. MS pigs exhibited a distinct response to cold stress, involving regulation of heat production, energy metabolism pathways, robust fatty acid oxidation ability, and stronger immune response. Furthermore, the functional exploration of PRSS8 in porcine skeletal muscle satellite cells revealed it affected cellular energy metabolism and thermogenesis by regulating ERK phosphorylation. These findings shed light on the diverse transcriptional responses of skeletal muscle in LW and MS pigs under cold stress, offering valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying cold adaptation in pigs.

As broiler farming facilities have become larger and more concentrated in response to external environmental changes, there is a possibility of increased concentrations of fine dust and aerosols inside these facilities due to enclosure. In particular, workers are exposed to high concentrations of organic particulate matter and harmful gases while performing their tasks, and as they age, they become more vulnerable to respiratory diseases. It is essential to directly monitor the concen-trations to which workers are exposed, along with the spatial distribution of aerosols inside broiler house. In this study, we analyzed the regional aerosol concentrations using passive samplers in commercial tunnel-ventilated broiler farms. Simultaneously, we employed active samplers at the height of the workers' breathing zones to monitor real-time aerosol concentrations by particle size along their work routes. Spatial aerosol concentrations generally increased from the inlet to the exhaust in the breathing zone. The average aerosol concentrations were TSP -1,042 µg/m³, PM-10 718 µg/m³, and PM-2.5 137 µg/m³. To analyze the workers' exposure environments, we categorized the tasks in the barn into Static work period (SWP) and Moving work period (MWP) based on video analysis. The results showed that during MWP, fine dust concentrations exceeded the standards by up to 214%. Particularly, during MWP, the concentrations were 1.74 times higher for TSP, 1.40 times higher for PM-10, and 1.22 times higher for PM-2.5 compared to SWP. It was observed that during the movement of workers, physical generation of particles around 10 µm, such as feces, feed, and bedding, occurred due to the movement of chicken, which influenced the aerosol concentration.

According to a recent estimate by UN Habitat, approximately 3 billion individuals will require suitable housing by the year 2030. This staggering demand translates to the need for around 96,000 affordable housing units to be constructed each day. However, the conventional construction methods that rely on cement-based concrete and masonry are outdated, lacking innovation, efficiency, and sustainability. In light of these challenges, cold-formed steel emerges as an appealing alternative to traditional construction materials like masonry and concrete. It offers numerous advantages, including easy fabrication, lightweight properties, energy efficiency, the ability to reuse the material at the end of its service life, and a higher level of recyclability. Cold-formed steel buildings are also recognized for their superior insulation and lower energy consumption during operation. Cold-formed steel (CFS) members are created by rolling structurally sound steel sheets into the required shapes using a forming machine, without the need for heat as in the case of hot-rolled steel. While the thickness of these members can range from 0.01 mm to 7 mm, commercial construction of load-bearing walls, roof trusses, and floor joists typically utilizes steel thicknesses of 0.7 mm to 1.2 mm. This paper tries to illustrate the materials and methods employed in the construction of cold-formed steel modular buildings in Sri Lanka[1]. It delves into the material and durability characteristics of cold-formed steel, the design philosophy behind these structures, the development of the building envelope, and the energy efficiency features of the building elements. The findings of this study demonstrate that cold-formed steel buildings can be a highly sought-after alternative for residential construction, offering faster construction timelines, cost-effectiveness, and energy-efficient practices.

This study investigated gender differences in exposure to hazardous factors, health problems, and work environment satisfaction and identified the effects of such differences on farmworkers in Korea. Through the 6th Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS) conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute (OSHRI), the raw data on 2,347 farm-workers were analyzed to present descriptive statistics for demographic characteristics, exposure to hazardous factors, health problems, and work environment satisfaction. We compared be-tween genders using chi-squared tests and investigated the effects of gender-specific working conditions on work-related health problems and work environment satisfaction using multi-variate logistic analysis. The results were presented as an odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval. Job position predicted work-related health problems in male farmworkers and work environment satisfaction in female farmworkers. Furthermore, female farmworkers perceived themselves to have more health problems than male farmworkers. Nevertheless, female farm-workers received less health and safety information and had lower work environment satisfac-tion compared to male farmworkers. The findings may improve the occupational welfare of farmworkers through continuous enhancement of the agricultural labor environment. Keywords: work-related; working condition; farmworker; agriculture; musculoskeletal; KWCS

Good hand hygiene has proven to be essential in reducing the uncontrolled spread of human pathogens. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) may provide an alternative to disinfecting hands with ethanol-based handrubs when hand washing facilities are unavailable. CAP can be safely applied to the skin if the energy is well controlled. In this study, RF and DC plasma sources was built with a pin-to-mesh electrodes configuration inside a fused silica tube of 5 mm of inner diameter. Microbiological assays based on EN 13697:2015+A1:2019 using Escherichia coli DSM 682 or Staphylococcus epidermidis DSM 20044 were used to examine the antimicrobial effect of various plasma conditions. Metal and silicone disks that model skin were used as inoculation matrices. The prototype air radio frequency (RF) CAP achieved significant disinfection in the MHz range on stainless steel and silicone substrates. This is equivalent to half the performance of direct current CAP, which is only effective on conductive substrates. Using only electricity and air CAP could, with further optimization, replace or complement current hand disinfection methods, and mitigate the economic burden of public health crises in the future.

Kiwifruits are often exposed to various temperature fluctuation (TF) during postharvest storage. To evaluate the effect of TF on the qualities of kiwifruits, fruits were stored at 2 ºC, 2 ºC or 5 ºC (TF2ºC-5ºC), 2 ºC or 7 ºC (TF2ºC-7ºC), alternating every 12 h. Observations revealed that kiwifruits stored at constant 2 °C showed the lowest loss of weight and vitamin C due to the minimum ethylene production and respiratory rate compared to that of TF2ºC-5ºC and TF2ºC-7ºC. Moreover, the results of RT-qPCR verifed that the expression of genes encoding polygalacturonase, β-galacturonidase, and pectin methyl esterase was significantly increased by the treatment of TF. Hence, TF accelerated the degradation of the cell walls, softening, translucency and relative conductivity of the flesh of kiwifruits. Besides, the impact of TF2ºC-7ºC on kiwifruits was more significant relative to TF2ºC-5ºC. The present study provides a theoretical basis for kiwifruit during cold storage.

The experiment was carried out during October 2022 to January 2023 at Mae Hea Agricultural Research, Demonstration and Training Center, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand; latitude: 18° 44′ 36″ North, Longitude: 98° 57′ 50″ East, and an al-titude 304 msl. Evaporative greenhouse, 9.6 x 40 square meters, with 8 planting troughs was prepared, Sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) system were installed to monitor continuously vital parameters, collect data, and send timely alerts to facilitate problem resolution. The data were displayed via IoT platform dashboard. An average air temperature, light intensity, media moisture and CO2 concentration in the greenhouse during 4 months was 21.1 ◦C, 12,948 Lux, 2 kPa and 495 ppm, respectively. The average maximum temperature in the evaporative greenhouse was 29.6 ◦C, which 4.2 ◦C lower than outside; 33.8 ◦C. Root-zone cooling of the strawberry planting was de-signed as factorial 3x4 in completely randomized design (CRD). Factor A was the short-day strawberry cultivars: 1) “Pharachatan 88” 2) “Pharachatan 80” and 3) “Akihime”. Factor B was the root-zone cooling treatments: 1) normal water dripping (NWD) 2) cold water dripping (CWD) 3) cold water dripping + cold water piping (CWD+CWP) and 4) normal water dripping + cold water piping (NWD+CWP). The results revealed that there was an interaction between the two factors on canopy width, leave width, crown diameter, number of flowers, fruit qualities and fruit color, whereas plant height, leaves length, SPAD and number of inflorescences were not affected by the interaction between the two factors. Four months after the experiment, the root-zone cooling treatments had no effect on chlorophyll contents, whereas “Pharachatan 80” had lower chlorophyll content than others. The CWD+CWP treatment could reduce 2 °C of root-zone temperature and leading to promote vegetative and reproductive growth in strawberry plants. Anyhow, without the root-zone cooling treatment, “Akihime”and “Pharachatan 88” still could produce flowers and yield, but “Pharachatan 80” could not. Furthermore, “Akihime” seemed appreciable in flowering, TSS and yield as compared to others.

In Japan, where the working population is declining, there is a growing expectation that the potential working population will play an active role, and in this context, administrative measures such as the promotion of women's activities have been implemented. However, there is no end to the number of women who leave the workforce after life events such as childbirth or child rearing.　For example, in Fukuoka Prefecture (population 5.1 million) alone, where we are based, it is estimated that there are 43,300 potential female workers. Many of these women have have been employed in the past, but have left the workforce due to childbirth, family care, or other reasons, and still wish to work. However, although this group has potential employment needs, they have not yet engaged in specific job-hunting activities, and thus are on the periphery of the labor market, without access to the current active labor market. There are many promising potential employees there, and support for their career redevelopment and participation in the labor market is required. On the other hand, few studies have been conducted in Japanese prefectures to systematically estimate social value, i.e., to determine the scope of impact on society and the stakeholders. This is an obstacle to the formulation of policies for women's advancement and the establishment of related social projects. This paper is aware of this problem and, based on the support for women seeking to re-enter society (career redevelopment) that the authors are implementing, selects seven prefectures in Kyushu, which is also a wide economic zone, as a support area and estimates the social value to companies and families in these areas by using SROI. As a result, it was derived that if 3,586 individuals were reemployed, the SROI ratio (1:X) X would be 76.1 in the first year of reintegration assistance activities and X would be 313.3 in the fourth year.

In this study, based on frost formation data provided by Harbin Meteorological Bureau, combined with geographical factors, temperature and population density, linear fitting, Mann-Kendall mutation test, pettitt method and sliding T test were used to analyze the spatio-temporal variation characteristics of frost date in Harbin Municipality and the effects of geographical factors, temperature and population density on frost regularity. The results showed that (1) The earliest year of FSD appeared was 1966 and 1967, on the 255th, i.e., August 18th, and the latest was 283 days, i.e., October 10th, 2006. The earliest year in which the FED appeared was April 24th of 2015, the 114th day of that year, and the latest was April 21st of 1974, the 141st day of that year. The year with the most frost was 2012, with 161 days, and the year with the shortest was 1966, with 123 days. (2) Throughout the study period, FSD increased by 7.8 days at a rate of -1.27d/10a, FED increased by 10.9 days at a rate of 1.77d/10a, and FFS increased by 18.9 days at a rate of 3.05d/10a. The tendency rate of FSD and FFS at each site in Harbin showed an increasing trend. For FED, the tendency rate of some sites showed an increasing trend. In general, FSD showed a delayed trend, FED showed an advanced trend, and FFS showed a prolonged trend. Using the method of unary linear regression, FSD of each site showed an increasing trend, FFS showed an increasing trend, and FED showed a decreasing trend in general. (3) Throughout the study period, FSD was mutated in 2000, and the arrival time of it in the study area averaged the 265th, i.e., September 22nd, and after that, the arrival time of it changed to the 272nd, i.e., September 29th of that year. FED was mutated in 2006, and the arrival time of it in the study area averaged 128th, i.e., April 8th. After the mutation, the arrival time of FED changed to 121st, i.e., April 1st of that year. FFS was mutated in 2004. Before the mutation, with an average arrival time of 137days in the study area .But after that, the time changed to 150 days.(4) FSD and FFS in Harbin Municipality were negatively correlated with latitude and positively correlated with temperature, while FED was positively correlated with latitude and negatively correlated with temperature. The FSD, FED and FFS in the central part of Harbin Municipality were the earliest, the latest and the longest, respectively, so the Pearson correlation coefficient method and the influence of longitude could not be reflected in the multiple regression. Several factors were judged by grey correlation analysis method. The longitude is significantly related to FSD, FED and FFS.

Municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (MSWI FA) predominantly consists of compounds comprising elements such as calcium, aluminum, silicon, sodium, and others. Additionally, it encompasses a complex mixture of heavy metals, chlorides, sulfates, organic pollutants, and other constituents. The effective and economically viable treatment of MSWI FA poses a formidable challenge for the current stage of resource cycling. In this research report, we will adopt a novel low-temperature sintering method called "Cold Sintering Process" (CSP) as a means to immobilize heavy metals within the fly ash. By utilizing a Taguchi orthogonal array, we will adjust five control factors in the CSP, including sintering temperature, uniaxial pressure, sintering time, initial water addition, and sodium carbonate dosage. The leaching of cadmium element from the fly ash, as measured by TCLP, will serve as the quality indicator. Through the application of CSP, the MSWI FA will be transformed into structurally stable ceramic blocks, effectively immobilizing the heavy metals within the blocks. The results of the experiments showed that MSWI FA under the conditions of a temperature of 300℃, uniaxial pressure of 312 MPa, sintering time in 60 minutes, 25 wt% water addition, and 9 wt% Na2CO3 addition could effectively reduce the leaching of cadmium by 77.71%, lead by 21.14%, zinc by 42.37%, and chromium by 99.99%, as compared to the original MSWI FA TCLP results.

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

The structure and phenomena arising from charge transfer in cold field emission modus in a single closed carbon nanotube under cold field emission conditions were studied. By studying microphotographs in various microscopes - AFM, SEM, TEM it was found inhomogeneities in the form of two types of superlattices. The conductivity of the emitter section of a nanodiode circuit with an emitter made of an individual closed carbon nanotube (CNT) and arrays of closed CNTs was studied. High values of cold field emission were observed, as well as nonlinearity and anomalies of the current-voltage characteristic (I-V characteristics), which manifested themselves in the form of peaks at low and high current values. Peaks in the CVC have distinct areas of negative differential conductivity. It is argued, that the anomalously high currents in the I–V characteristics of cold field emission of electrons from a nanoemitter made of closed CNTs can be associated with a sharp increase in the density of electron states at energies near the van Hove singularity.

Recent works have shown that collective single photon spontaneous emission from an ensemble of N resonant two-level atoms is a rich field of study. Superradiance describes emission from a completely symmetric state of N atoms, with a single excited atom prepared with a given phase, for instance imprinted by an external laser. Instead, subradiance is associated with the emission from the remaining N−1 asymmetric states, with a collective decay rate less than the single-atom value. Here, we discuss the properties of the orthonormal basis of symmetric and asymmetric states and the entanglement properties of superradiant and subradiant states.

The largest gene families in plants were found to be Glutathione transferase (GSTs), which played significant roles in regulating plant growth, development, and stress response. Within the GSTs gene family, members were found to play a crucial role in the low-temperature response process of plants. A comprehensive study identified a total of 70 BraGSTs genes. Cluster analysis results demonstrated that the BraGSTs in Brassica rapa(B.rapa) could be categorized into eight sub-families and were unevenly distributed across ten chromosomes. The 39 BraGSTs genes were found to be organized into 15 tandem gene clusters, with the promoters containing multiple cis-elements associated with low-temperature response. Cold stress was observed to stimulate the expression of 15 genes, with the BraGSTF2 gene exhibiting the highest level of expression, sug-gesting its significant involvement in winter B.rapa's response to low-temperature stress. Sub-cellular localization analysis of the BraGSTF2 protein indicated its potential expression in both the cell membrane and nucleus. The analysis of stress resistance in BraGSTF2 transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana lines emon-strated that the over-expression of this gene resulted in significantly elevated levels of SOD, POD activity, and SP content compared to the wild type following exposure to low temperatures. These levels reached their peak after 24 hours of treatment. Conversely, the MDA content was lower in the transgenic plants compared to the wild type. Additionally, the survival rate of BraGSTF2 transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana was higher than that of the wild type, suggesting that the BraG-STF2 gene may play a crucial role in enhancing the cold stress tolerance of winter B. rapa. This study lay a foundation for further study on the role of BraGSTs gene in the molecular regulation of cold resistance in winter B.rapa.

Many farms utilize closed-type livestock systems to enhance productivity and facilitate effective environmental management. However, the confined nature of these closed spaces poses an increased risk of exposure to harmful gases and organic dust for both workers and livestock. Additionally, the introduction of outside air through ventilation systems can lead to temperature fluctuations within the breeding environment, resulting in potential productivity issues. This research paper employs computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to develop ventilation operation management plans that address both the working environment and the breeding environment simultaneously. The proposed plans are designed to be easily implemented in practical farm settings. The findings of this study, based on simulation analysis, indicate that while ventilation is effective in reducing harmful gases and improving the working environment, its efficiency decreases after the initial 3 minutes of operation. Furthermore, uncontrolled ventilation can cause sudden temperature changes, which may adversely affect the well-being of the livestock. However, when upgraded ventilation structures are implemented, significant improvements in the working environment (an average of 27.3% improvement) can be achieved while maintaining temperature stability for the livestock. These results highlight the importance of referring to the provided ventilation operation management table before commencing work, as it enables workers to improve the working environment while minimizing the potential impact of ventilation on the breeding environment.

Switched-mode power supplies (SMPS) often utilize electrolytic capacitors due to their substantial energy density and economical pricing. However, their ability to function at low temperatures is essential for dependable operation in several sectors, including telecommunications, automotive, and aerospace. This study includes an experimental evaluation of how well standard SMPS electrolytic capacitors operate at low temperatures. This paper investigates the suitability of standard electrolytic capacitors used in switched-mode power supplies (SMPS) for low-temperature applications. The experimental evaluation exposed the capacitors to temperatures ranging from - 5 ∘C to - 40 ∘C, assessing capacitance (Cp), impedance (Z), dissipation factor (DF), and equivalent series resistance (ESR) at each temperature. The capacitor’s time-domain electrical signals were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient to extract discriminative features. These features were input into an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) for training and testing. Results indicated a significant impact of low temperatures on capacitor performance. Capacitance decreased with lower temperatures, while ESR and leakage current increased, affecting stability and efficiency. Impedance proved to be a valuable diagnostic tool for identifying potential capacitor failure, showing a 98.44% accuracy drop at - 5 degrees and 88.75% at the peak temperature, indicating proximity to the manufacturer’s specified limit. The study suggests further research and development to improve electrolytic capacitors’ performance in SMPS systems under cold conditions to enhance efficiency and reliability.

Ranunculus asiaticus L. is an ornamental geophyte, mainly propagated by rehydrated tuberous roots. Vernalization before planting is a common practice to overcome the natural dormancy of tuberous roots, however little is known about the mechanisms underlying the plant response to low temperature. We investigated the influence of two hybrids, MBO and MDR, and three preparation procedures of tuberous roots, only rehydration (control, C), and rehydration plus vernalization at 3.5 °C for 2 weeks (V2) and for 4 weeks (V4), on plant growth, leaf photosynthesis, flowering and metabolism in plants grown in pot in unheated greenhouse. We reported the responses observed in the aerial part previously in this journal (Fusco et al., 2023). In this paper, we show changes in carbohydrate, amino acids, polyphenols and protein levels throughout the growing cycle, in the different plant stages: pre-planting, vegetative phase and flowering.

News recommendation schemes utilize features of the news itself and information about users to suggest and recommend relevant news items to the users towards the interest they have. However, the effectiveness of the existing news recommendation scheme is limited in the occurrence of new user cold start problems. Therefore, we designed a news recommender system using hybrid approaches to address new user cold start problems to ease and suggest more related news articles for new users. To achieve the objective mentioned above, user demographic data with a hybrid recommendation system that contains the scheme of both content-based and collaborative filtering approaches is proposed. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed model, an extensive experiment is conducted using a dataset of news articles with user rating value and user demographic data. The performance of the proposed model is done by two ways of experiment. So, the performance of the proposed model performs around 68.05% of Precision, 42.46% of Recall and 52.1% of the average F1 score for the experiment based on individual user similarity in the system. And also performs around 93.75% of precision, 40.25% of recall and 56.31% F1-score for the similarity of users based on the similarity of users within the same category which is better than the first experiment.

Airway epithelial cells (AECs) play a key role in maintaining lung homeostasis, epithelium regeneration and the initiation of pulmonary immune responses. To isolate and study murine AECs investigators have classically used short and hot (1h 37°C) digestion protocols. Here, we present a workflow for efficient AECs isolation and culture, utilizing long and cold (20h 4°C) dispase II digestion of murine lungs. This protocol yields a greater number of viable AECs compared to an established 1h 37°C dispase II digestion. Using a combination of flow cytometry and immunofluorescent microscopy, we demonstrate that compared to the established method, the cold digestion allows for recovery of a 3-fold higher number of CD45-CD31-EpCAM+ cells from murine lungs. Their viability is increased compared to established protocols, they can be isolated in larger numbers by magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS), and they result in greater numbers of KRT5+p63+ colonies in vitro. Our findings demonstrate that temperature and duration of murine lung enzymatic digestion have a considerable impact on AEC yield, viability, and ability to form colonies in vitro. We believe this workflow will be helpful for studying lung AECs and their role in the biology of lung.

The change of habitat pattern is one of the key factors affecting the survival of moose population. The study of habitat landscape pattern is the key to protect Chinese cold temperate forest moose population and monitor the global distribution of moose. By means of MaxEnt model, landscape index calculation and ecological risk assessment model, combined with field survey and infrared camera monitoring data from April 2014 to January 2023, the author evaluated the habitat suitability of moose population in Nanwenghe National Nature Reserve of the Great Khingan Mountains, and divided the range of moose habitat based on the logical threshold of the model. The landscape pattern index of moose habitat was calculated by Fragstats software and a landscape ecological risk assessment model was established to analyze the landscape pattern and ecological risk dynamic changes of moose habitat in 2015 and 2020. The results showed that under the premise of global warming, the habitat landscape contagion index decreased by 4.53 and the split index increased by 4.86 from 2015 to 2020. In terms of ecological risk: the area of low ecological risk areas increased by 0.88%; the area of medium ecological risk areas decreased by 1.11%; and the area of higher ecological risk areas increased by 0.23%. The fragmentation risk of landscape pattern of moose habitat tends to increase, the preferred patch type is dispersed, the degree of aggregation is low, and the risk of patch type transformation increases. And the middle and high ecological risk areas are mainly concentrated in the river area and its nearby forests, showing a fine and scattered distribution. Under the interference of global warming and human activities, the fragmenta-tion trend of moose habitat in the study area is increasing, and the habitat quality is declining, which is likely to cause moose population migration. For this reason, the author believes that the whole cold temperate forest is likely to face the risk of increasing the transformation trend of dominant patch types in the cold temperate coniferous forest region mainly caused by global warming, resulting in an in-crease in the risk of habitat fragmentation. While the distribution range of moose is reduced, it has a significant impact on the diversity and ecological integrity of the whole cold temperate forest ecosystem. This study is helpful for human beings to strengthen their awareness of forest and river protection, avoid further intervention in more human activities, and formulate a reasonable plan for forest protec-tion and sustainable development in cold temperate zones. to provide theoretical reference for effective monitoring and protection of cold temperate forest and moose population dynamics.

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19, working from home has become the norm for millions of workers worldwide. The current research focuses on the benefits and challenges of teleworking in the administrative sectors of greek healthcare units, with a view to harnessing the knowledge gained through experience, in order to create the frame for sustainable behaviors. Anyways, the implementation of teleworking requires complex and dynamic changes in technical and behavioral aspects. Therefore, a systematic review was also conducted to identify the relationships between telecommuting and organizational behavior, with the aim of achieving sustainable development in businesses. Moreover, an important positive aspect of telework that emerged from this literature review appears to create opportunities for potential direct or indirect linkages between telework and many SDGs areas, based on the fact that telework appears to be a community-friendly form of work. In summary, this research strongly suggests that leaders facilitate telecommuters to adopt green practices and volunteerism that can consequently contribute to the SDGs. However, in order to meet the challenges arising from unprecedented times, the leaders of the organizations will have to redesign their policies, while the states will have to focus on guaranteeing the rights and freedoms of the workers.

In the present study, a nanostructured FeAl coating was prepared by cold spraying of ball milled powder. Annealing treatment was applied to the coating to investigate its effect on the microstructure, phase structure and microhardness of the cold-sprayed nanostructured FeAl coating. The results showed that the FeAl phase was kept unchangeable when the coating annealed at the temperature above 500oC. Annealing temperature significantly influenced the microstructure and microhardness of cold-sprayed FeAl coating. With raising annealing temperature, the lamellar structure in the as-sprayed coating disappeared and a dense coating microstructure with fully bonding of deposited particles at their interfaces was achieved after annealing at 950oC. Nanograin growth of the FeAl phase occurred at an annealing temperature higher than 800oC. The microhardness of cold-sprayed FeAl coating remained about 400 Hv0.1 at the annealing temperature below 800oC and decreased to 300 Hv0.1 at 1100oC.

Ultra-large cold-water pipes (CWP) may present structural instability phenomenon under complex and variable operating conditions, and the current theoretical analysis rarely takes into account the influence of multiple key parameters at the same time, resulting in some errors between the prediction results and the actual deformation behavior of the pipe. Considering this issue, this paper establishes a computational analysis model of the mechanical performance of the CWP based on the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, considering the effect of waves, the clump weight at the bottom, internal flow and sea current, and gives a time-dependent solution of the mechanical response of the pipe with the action of multiple key parameters using the differential quadrature method (DQM). Additionally, the correctness and validity of the theoretical model are well verified by comparing the numerical solution with the theoretical results. Finally, to study the effects of operating conditions on the mechanical response of the pipe, the effects of waves, the clump weight, internal flow and sea current on the lateral deflection and maximum bending moment of the pipeline are discussed based on numerical simulation and orthogonal experimental method. The results show that changing the wave strength and internal flow velocity has little effect on the lateral deflection of the CWP, and the clump weight at the bottom can effectively suppress the lateral deflection of the pipeline, but increasing the current velocity can significantly increase the lateral deflection of the pipeline, which can lead to the instability of the pipe. Nevertheless, the effects of waves, the clump weight, internal flow and sea current on the maximum bending moment of the pipeline are basically the same, all of them increase sharply at first, and then decrease gradually until they level off, and the differences in the effects are mainly reflected in the different locations of the pipe sections. This paper suggests the design guidance of CWP in aspect of dynamic response depending on the operating condition.

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

The diffusion of New Ways of Working (NWW) is an important trend in contemporary organi-zations. Many related empirical studies have been produced, but none have focused on differences in employees’ perceptions of the opportunity to use NWW according to organization sector (pri-vate, semi-public, public). This study, based on neoinstituionalism and HR attributions theory, investigated these differences via a survey (n=2693) of employees at private (n=358), semi-public (n=204), and public (n=2131) organizations. The results show that public employees reported less opportunity to use NWW than their private and semi-public counterparts. Furthermore, private sector employees were more likely to attribute well-being and productivity benefits to NWW than their public sector and semi-public counterparts. We also show that institutional and organiza-tional variables specific to the characteristics of organizations in the three sectors partially ex-plain the degree of perceptions with respect to the opportunity to use NWW.

As the demand for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) continues to increase worldwide, more LPG facilities are being constructed. However, the design and manufacture of pressure vessels used to store dangerous liquids or pressurised fluids, such as LPG, has been a major cause of hazards, including explosions and leakage. In this study, we aim to address this issue by designing and analysing a vertical pressure vessel with a capacity of 10 m3 of pressurised LPG in accordance with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) code. Safety is the primary concern in designing pressure vessels due to the potential risks posed by accidents. Therefore, the main objective of this project is to design a pressure vessel that is safe from failure. The vessel is cylindrical with two elliptical heads, two nozzles, a manway and four leg supports, and we used Autodesk Inventor Professional 2023 for geometric modelling and Inventor Nastran for FEA analysis. To investigate the displacements, deflections and Von-Mises stresses in the pressure vessel, we used the finite element method, and Autodesk Inventor Nastran was employed for the analysis. Our results showed that changes to the structure of the pressure vessel were needed to reduce stress in the structure. Specifically, the displacement showed an inverse relationship with the tank section shell thickness. Moreover, we observed that the factor of safety increased linearly with shell thickness. We carefully considered permissible pressures and determined the required wall thickness to ensure acceptable maximum stresses. Our results indicate that the design is safe from failure, and the highest stresses are experienced by the manway followed by the shell, while the heads, nozzles and legs support experienced the lowest stresses. We also performed a theoretical calculation for the entire model and checked the results to ensure they were within the acceptable limits. In summary, our study highlights the importance of designing pressure vessels in accordance with ASME codes to ensure safety and prevent hazards caused by improper design and manufacturing. By using the finite element method, we identified potential stress points in the pressure vessel and were able to make modifications to improve its safety.

The effects of 1%~5% cold compression on the mechanical properties, microstructure and residual stress of 7050 aluminum alloy were investigated, and the results were applied to the complex die forging with stiffener structure. The results show that with the increase of cold compression, the tensile strength of forging decreases gradually, but the conductivity and fracture toughness of the forging have little change. TEM microstructure shows that with larger cold compression (5%), the dislocation density was relatively higher, which promoted the precipitation and growth of precipitated phases at positions with higher dislocation density during aging process. The ultrasonic tests of residual stress show that with the increase of cold compression, the residual stress in the forging decreases first, and then increases when cold compression reaches 5%. The results of the die forging of 7050 aluminum alloy with bar structure show that the residual stress of the die forging is obviously eliminated after 2-4% cold compression, and the deformation after machining is obviously less than of the uncompressed forgings. The combination of bar and web is more beneficial to the uniform distribution of residual stress of the die forging with bar structure.

The human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) poses a serious risk to global public health and is a significant cause of severe lower respiratory infections. There are currently only a few therapies available to treat RSV infections, as well as no RSV vaccinations. Therefore, there is an urgent demand for clinically feasible, safe, and affordable RSV prevention and treatment alternatives. In this study, an ion-activated in situ gel comprising broad-spectrum antiviral 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) for antiviral action on RSV was developed. In this content, mechanical properties, sprayability, drug content, pH, ex vivo mucoadhesive strength, in vitro drug release pattern, and stability were all examined. Rheological properties were also tested by utilizing in vitro gelation capacity and rheological synergism tests. Finally, the optimized in situ gel's cytotoxic and antiviral activities on RSV cultured in human laryngeal epidermoid carcinoma (HEP-2) cell line were evaluated. In conclusion, the optimized in situ gel prepared with a combination of 0.5%w/w gellan gum and 0.5%w/w sodium carboxymethylcellulose demonstrated good gelation capacity and sprayability (weight deviation between T0 and T14: 0.34%), desired rheological synergism (mucoadhesive force (Fb): 9.53), mechanical characteristics (adhesiveness: 0.300 mJ ± 0.05), ex vivo bioadhesion force (19.67 g ± 1.90), drug content uniformity (RSD%: 0.494), and sustained drug release over period of 168 h (101.57% ± 0.53). The antiviral activity test results showed that the optimized in situ gel had strong anti-HRSV activity (EC50 simultaneous = 0.05 µg/ml, SI = 306; EC50 preinfection = 0.154 µg/ml, SI= 100) which was significantly higher than that of ribavirin (EC50 =4.189 µg/ml; SI= 28) used as a positive control against hRSV. In conclusion, this research has demonstrated the formulation of an effective antiviral nasal spray that has the ability to possess both prophylactic and virucidal activity.

In this paper, through high-temperature tensile tests of 55NiCrMoV7 steel, the high-temperature fracture behavior, microstructure evolution and carbide distribution characteristics of both thermal-mechanical coupling zone (fracture zone) and thermal stress zone (clamping zone) at different temperatures were studied. Intrinsic relationship between high temperature fracture and carbides types, distribution and size were revealed and evolution mechanism of microstructure near cracks in 55NiCrMoV7 hot-working die steel during high temperature deformation was clarified. Samples were stretched at different temperatures from 25 °C to 700 °C, and microscopic examinations were carried out by using SEM and TEM. The results showed that: With the increase of temperature, tensile strength and yield strength decreased, elongation and reduction of area increased, and fracture mode changed from brittle fracture to ductile fracture by transition temperature at about 400℃. During high temperature deformation, the grain dislocation density decreased, the tempered martensite decomposed, recovered, recrystallized, and then grain grew. M7C3 and M23C6 carbides precipitated and grew along the grain boundary, and a small amount of fine granular MC carbides were dispersed in the grain. The work done by the external force on the deformation zone would cause the temperature of it to be higher than tensile temperature, which provides thermodynamic conditions for the re-dissolution of small carbides near the fracture zone and the grain growth of large carbides, resulting in the decrease of small carbides and increase of large carbides in thermal-mechanical coupling zone.

This study aims to investigate the impact of body heat loss on the thermal and aerodynamic conditions in a whole-body cryotherapy chamber. The underlying hypothesis is that the heat generated by the human body alters the thermal and aerodynamic environment inside the cabin. A numerical study was conducted to test this hypothesis to analyze the thermodynamic exchanges between the human body and the cabin during a 3-minute whole-body cryotherapy session. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach was used to study the unsteady heat transfer between the human body and the interior of the cryotherapy cabin. A thermal boundary condition, based on a mathematical model developed from experimental data, was applied to simulate skin cooling kinetics over time. The post-processing of the 3D results, including temperature, velocity fields, and thermal flux maps at the body surface, provided insight into the thermo-convective mechanisms involved in a whole-body cryotherapy session. The study found that body heat loss significantly affects the temperature fields inside the cabin, leading to global modifications of the aeraulic and thermal conditions. These findings suggest that cryotherapy protocols may need to be adjusted or the cabin set temperature optimized to enhance the therapeutic benefits.

A developing energy-saving approach of cold sintering in a pure aqueous medium was applied to the preparation of α-Al2O3 ceramics and performed on spark plasma sintering equipment. The initial γ-Al(OH)3 and γ-AlOOH powders and the cold-sintered ceramics were studied by X-ray diffraction analysis, infrared spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and scanning electron microscopy to reveal the chemical and structural transformations they experienced during the cold sintering. At 450°C and 70 MPa, initial γ-AlOOH transformed into a fragile α-Al2O3 material. Porous α-Al2O3 ceramics with about 60% porosity was obtained after cold sintering of γ-Al(OH)3 in the same conditions combined with subsequent annealing at 1250°C for 3 h. The role of water molecules in the studied processes was considered as the enhancement of structural mobility in the cold-sintered material due to its reversible hydroxylation similar to earlier investigated supercritical water action on the precursors during α-Al2O3 formation. Further improvement of the cold sintering setup and regimens would open prospects in α-Al2O3 ceramics manufacturing by an ecologically benign route.

The contribution of academics and researchers to the discussion around sustainable rural development planning and its impact on rural communities has grown exponentially in recent years. Understanding trends in sustainable rural development research requires considering the different factors involved and affecting people from a holistic approach. This review examines, through bibliometric studies, the scientific knowledge generated on sustainable rural development planning in the last 50 years, analyzing 6,895 articles published in journals between 1970 and 2020. The results reveal the existence of three clusters and an important growth is observed to respond to the continuous needs in relation to sustainable rural development. This research shows the evolution of a new approach for the planning of sustainable rural development projects in postmodernity: Working with People (WWP). This WWP model, as a conceptual framework from social learning has been validated as a novel proposal in numerous contexts. The bibliometric analysis shows an evolution "From Putting the Last first" to "Working with People in Rural Development" research and the contributions of influential teachers such as Chambers and Cernea. These bibliometric analyses demonstrate the correct approach of WWP model, and open new fields of research in the planning of sustainable rural development projects.

In this paper, a new method by combining cold drawing and martensitic transformation was proposed to produce ultrahigh-strength steel wire, and the effect of austenitizing heating rate on microstructure and mechanical properties was studied. Compared with Muffle furnace heating, salt bath heating has a much higher austenitizing heating rate, which is beneficial to obtain ultrafine-grained martensite for steel wire with a larger section. By salt bath hardening and low-temperature tempering, an ultrahigh strong (strength of 2.48 GPa) and tough (elongation of 6.0%) steel wire was produced. Moreover, to explore whether is it possible to replace long-time low-temperature tempering with short-time tempering at elevated temperatures to improve the tempering efficiency, the effect of tempering time on the evolution of microstructure and mechanical properties of the steel wires tempered at 350 °C was systematically studied. The results demonstrate that tempering at 350 °C for 30 s can endow the steel wire with comparable mechanical properties to that of the one tempered at 250 °C for 2 h. With tempering time prolonging, the strength decreases gradually with the precipitated phase transition from χ-Fe5C2 carbide into θ-Fe3C carbide and coarsening, which plays a major role in the strength decrease.

Because rice is native to tropical and subtropical regions, it is generally more sensitive to cold stress compared to other cereals. Low temperature stress has become one of the most important conditions that affects the growth, development, and yield of rice. Plant NAC (NAM, ATAF1/2, and CUC) transcription factors are known to play significant regulatory roles in the stress response. In our research, we found that OsNAC050 (LOC_Os03g60080） is mainly expressed in leaves, and low temperature can further up-regulate its expression. OsNAC050 mutants created using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology showed significantly enhanced tolerance to low temperature treatment. Detection of enzyme activities related to the redox pathway also showed that the mutants had stronger viability under low temperature stress. Comparative transcriptome analysis showed that photosynthesis and soluble sugar metabolism were significantly affected in the osnac050 mutant lines, suggesting that OsNAC050 may participate in the above molecular pathways in the response to low temperature stress. The results will enhance our understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying the responses to cold stress in rice and can provide new strategies for engineering cold-tolerance in high-yielding rice varieties.

(1) Background: Many processes play a key role in how language functions, and these processes are strongly related to reading. The aim of our research was to explore the relationship between reading impairment associated with adult acquired cognitive-linguistic impairment (aphasia) and the components of verbal working memory involved in language functioning. (2) Methods: We measured the reading abilities of a total of twenty-two adults diagnosed with aphasia using the Adult Acquired Reading Assessment. To assess working memory, we applied the measurement procedures available in Hungarian for measuring verbal working memory. Correlation analyses were performed to investigate the relationship between reading and the components of working memory involved in processing verbal information. In order to explore this relationship as comprehensively as possible, the results were analysed quantitatively through group-level analyses and qualitatively through case studies. (3) Results: The results suggest that the functioning of phonological short-term memory and verbal working memory is crucial for the reading of vowels, for certain word reading sub-processes such as reading complex words and pseudowords, and for text comprehension tasks, in particular for the processing of implicit text-level infor-mation. (4) Conclusions: The data support a strong relationship between reading and working memory, but not all mechanisms are related with the same weighting. The data will contribute to the understanding of the relationship between reading and working memory, which is important in order to see which cognitive components are dominant in reading instruction and which other cognitive mechanisms are affected in poor readers.

The present study examined mechanisms underlying memory deficits in patients with Parkinson disease (PD)and their associations with structural metrics. Nineteen PD and 22 matched controls underwent two memory experiments. In experiment 1 (delayed memory task), subjects were asked to remember an array of colored rectangles with varying memory set sizes [Low-Load (2 items), Low-Load with Distractor, &amp; High-Load (5 items)]. After a 7s delay period, they reported whether the orientation of any relevant figures had changed (test period). In experiment 2 (working memory task), memory arrays were presented in varying set sizes (2 to 6 items) with no distractors that were followed by a 2s delay period and subsequent test period. Brain MRI data were acquired to assess structural differences (volumes and cortical thickness) in brain areas related to attention, working memory storage, and episodic memory. Compared to controls, PD patients had lower memory capacity scores in all memory load conditions for experiment 1 (p &lt;0.021) whereas there were no group differences in any memory load conditions for experiment 2 (p&gt;0.06). In addition, PD patients had lower thickness in the left superior temporal gyrus (p=0.02). Lower thickness values in the left superior temporal gyrus were significant predictors of lower delayed memory performance in Low-Load and Low-Load with Distractor conditions (ps’&lt;0.044) and working memory performance of memory load conditions of 4 and 5 items (p’s&lt;0.012). The present findings suggest that PD patients may have intact working memory storage capacity but impaired attentional filtering and memory consolidation that may lead to lower delayed memory scores. Lower delayed memory in PD may partly be associated with lower cortical thickness in the left superior temporal gyrus.

Berberis koreana Palibin is an endemic plant native to Korea. In this study, we aimed to study seed germination in this species using a water imbibition experiment, gibberellic acid (GA3) treat-ment (0, 10, 100, or 1000 mg·L−1), cold stratification (0, 2, 4, 8, or 12 weeks at 4 °C), a move-along experiment, and phenology studies. In the water imbibition experiment, the weight of the seeds increased by more than 120% in 24 h. Analysis of the internal and external morphological char-acteristics of the seed revealed that the embryo was already fully grown from the fruit and did not grow thereafter. The final germination percentages for cold stratification at 0, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks at 4 °C were 12, 32, 59, 59, and 71%, respectively. In the move-along experiment and phe-nology studies, a longer low-temperature treatment period resulted in a higher germination percentage. However, the GA3 treatment had little effect on seed germination. Our results indi-cate that B. koreana exhibits intermediate physiological seed dormancy.

(1) Background: The issue of human adaptation to the Arctic environmental factors is relevant. The adaptation can be assessed through dynamic monitoring of the functional state of a person during his/her stay there. The vitamin D level in blood is one of the markers of the functional reserves of the human body and can contribute to more successful adaptation in the Arctic. (2) Methods: The study involved 38 participants in the scientific and educational expeditionary project "Arctic Floating University-2021". Blood collection for determination of vitamin D content was carried out at the beginning of the expedition. A dynamic study was carried out for 20 days in the morning and in the evening during a marine scientific expedition to the Arctic. The main parameters of the functional state of the participants were assessed using instrumental psychophysiological, projective and questionnaire methods. Statistical methods: Mann-Whitney U-test, correlation analysis using the Spearman coefficient. (3) Results: It was found that at the beginning of the expedition, the functional state of participants with severe vitamin D deficiency is characterized by a shorter average duration of RR intervals and reduced SDNN values, which may indicate a higher level of regulatory mechanisms tension. The pronounced differences in the nature of the dynamic series of objective and projective working capacity parameters were manifested most clearly. According to the subjective questionnaire characteristics of well-being, activity and mood, no significant features of the participants with vitamin D deficiency were revealed. (4) Conclusion: The participants with vitamin D deficiency in blood are characterized by a reduced adaptive capacity during the expedition to the Arctic.

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of cold deformation on the precipitation kinetics of a binary CuSc alloy containing 0.4 wt.% scandium using the experimental analysis method of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Non-deformed and 75% cross-section reduced cold-rolled, supersaturated specimens were tested at non-isothermal DSC runs at up to five different heating rates. The DSC results showed that cold deformation significantly accelerated the precipitation process in the binary alloy, leading to a decrease in the initial and peak temperatures of the exothermic reactions. The activation energies calculated with the Kissinger method, indicated that the precipitation activation energy decreased with increasing cold deformation. The findings of this study provide worthy implications to further optimize the processing of Cu-Sc alloys with improved mechanical properties.