Molecular causal interactions are defined as regulatory connections between biological components. They are commonly retrieved from biological experiments, and can be used for connecting biological molecules into regulatory computational models that represent biological systems. However, including a molecular causal interaction into a model requires assessing its relevance to that model, based on detailed knowledge about the biomolecules, interaction type, and biological context. In order to standardize the representation of this knowledge in ‘causal statements’, we recently developed the MI2CAST guidelines. Here we introduce causalBuilder: an intuitive web-based curation interface for the annotation of molecular causal interactions that comply with the MI2CAST standard. The causalBuilder prototype essentially embeds the MI2CAST curation guidelines in its interface, and makes its rules easy to follow by a curator. In addition, causalBuilder serves as an original application of the VSM general-purpose curation technology, and provides both curators and tool developers with an interface that can be fully configured to allow focusing on selected MI2CAST concepts to annotate. After information is entered, the causalBuilder prototype produces genuine causal statements that can be exported in different formats.

As education becomes more and more important in creating improved societies, many people who do not have access to it are falling behind. To help them catch up, many people, especially those in rural areas and developing countries, are turning to different methods of self-learning, especially those that utilize cheap technology and use interactive methods to teach. Our empirical study tests the effectiveness of an e-learning system that utilizes newer, less tested forms of interactivity and could potentially be used in these areas as a self-learning system and compares it to non-interactive video and textbook self-learning in two different topics. The results of the experiment showed that the increased interactivity provided by the e-learning system achieved significantly better learning performance over both non-interactive video and textbook self-learning. It was also found that students who learned through non-interactive video performed significantly better than those who used textbooks for self-learning.

Three-phase interactions (metal-slag-argon) in ladle stirring operations have strong effects on metal-slag mass transfer processes. Specifically, the thickness of the slag controls the fluid turbulence to an extent that once trespassing a critical thickness, increases of stirring strength have not further effects on the flow. To analyze these conditions, a physical model considering the three phases was built to study liquid turbulence in the proximities of the metal-slag interface. A velocity probe placed close to the interface permitted the continuous monitoring and statistical analyses of turbulence. The slag-eye opening was found to be strongly dependent on the stirring conditions, and the mixing times decreased with thin slag thicknesses. Slag entrainment was enhanced with thick slag layers, and high flow rates of the gas phase. A multiphase model was developed to simulate these results finding a good agreement between experimental and numerical results.

Joining of aluminium alloys to steels has been extensively studied, especially in the automotive sector. However, aluminium alloys are known to be difficult to join with steels when methods involving fusion welding are used because of hot cracking problem. Hence, a high strength joint between these dissimilar metals would be of benefit especially in reducing the weight of products. In this work the torch brazing method was applied to join AR500 steel with AA7075 aluminium alloy using Al-Si-Zn base filler metal at various flame times. The effect of the brazing work on the intermetallic phase formation and the mechanical strength of the joints were investigated. In this work, the maximum shear load obtained was 6460 N and the presence of the intermetallic phases had reduced the shear strength of the brazed joints. However, the torch brazing process using Al-Si-Zn filler metal had successfully facilitated the joining of these dissimilar metals.

In order to understand the hot deformation behavior of novel Cu/Al laminated composites, isothermal hot compression tests were conducted by Gleeble-1500D thermo-mechanical simulator. And the effect of bonding interface, deformation temperature and strain rate on the deformation behavior was analyzed. Results show that under the interface constraint effect, soft Al layer trends to flow synchronously with hard Cu layer. And further microstructure examinations indicate the cooperative deformation capability of Cu/Al composites increases with increasing stain rate and decreasing deformation temperature. Strain hardening exponent, calculated based on the true stress-true strain data, also proves the effect of deformation temperature and strain rate on the cooperative deformation behavior. Meanwhile, unique composites structure allows the Al matrix to exhibit the characteristic of dynamic recrystallization during the hot deformation process. Lastly, strain compensated Arrhenius-type constitutive equation was employed to describe the coupling effect of temperature, strain rate and strain on the flow stress.

In this paper, a novel integrated high precision vacuum microelectronic accelerometer is put forward based on the theory of field emission, the accelerometer consists of sensitive structure and interface ASIC. The sensitive structure has a mass of a cathode cone tips array, a folded beam, an emitter electrode and a feedback electrode. The sensor is fabricated on a double side polished (1 0 0) N-type silicon wafer, the tips array of cathode are shaped by wet etching with HNA (HNO3, HF and CH3COOH) and metalized by TiW/Au thin film. The structure of sensor is released by ICP process finally. The interface ASIC was designed and fabricated based on the P-JFET high voltage bipolar process. The accelerometer is tested through static field rollover test, and the test results show the integrated vacuum microelectronic accelerometer has good performances, which sensitivity is 3.081V/g and non-linearity is 0.84% in the measuring range of −1g~1g.

Asymptotic theories for fractional cointegrations have been extensively studied in the context of time series data, with numerous empirical studies and tests developed. However, most of the previously developed testing procedures for fractional cointegration were primarily designed for time series data. This paper proposes a generalized residual-based test for fractionally cointegrated panels with fixed effects. The test development is based on bivariate panel series with the regressor assumed to be fixed across cross-sectional units. The proposed test procedure accommodates any integration order between [0,1], and it is asymptotically normal under the null hypothesis. Monte Carlo experiments demonstrate that the test exhibits better size and power compared to a similar residual-based test across varying sample sizes.

In this paper, a class of coupled competitive neural networks, which subject to disturbance and discontinuous activation functions, is concerned. To realize the fixed-time quasi-bipartite synchronization, an aperiodic intermittent controller is initially designed. Subsequently, by combining the fixed-time stability theory and nonsmooth analysis, several criteria are established to ensure the bipartite synchronization in fixed time. Moreover, synchronization error bounds and settling time estimates are provided. Finally, numerical simulations are presented to verify the main results.

In this paper, we demonstrate that fixed-weight layers, generated from random distribution or logistic functions, can effectively extract significant features from input data, resulting in high accuracy on a variety of tasks, including Fisher’s iris, Wisconsin Breast Cancer, and MNIST datasets. We have observed that logistic functions yield high accuracy with less dispersion in results. We have also assessed the precision of our approach under conditions of minimizing spikes number generated in the network, it is a practically useful for reducing energy consumption in spiking neural networks. Our findings reveal that the proposed method demonstrates a highest accuracy on Fisher’s iris and MNIST datasets with logistic regression. Furthermore, they surpass the accuracy of the conventional (non-spiking) approach using logistic regression in the case of Wisconsin Breast Cancer. We have also investigated the impact of non-stochastic spike generation on accuracy.

In this study, we focus on an abstract form of summation equations, which can be regarded as a particular class of nonlinear difference equations. We investigate sufficient conditions for the existence of discrete almost automorphic solutions by appealing to the fixed point theory and establish a linkage between the existence of discrete almost automorphic solutions and the existence of bounded solutions for the nonlinear difference equations in the spotlight. Consequentially, we propose a discrete counterpart of the Bohr-Neugebauer theorem for the qualitative theory of difference equations.

Currently, most plastic waste stems from packaging materials, with a large proportion of this waste either discarded or used to derive fuel. Accordingly, there is growing interest in the use of pyrolysis in the context of chemically recycling non-recyclable (i.e., via mechanical means) plastic waste into petrochemical feedstock. The aim of this study is to use kinetic analyses to elucidate the pyrolytic properties of solid recovered fuel (SRF) produced using two types of reactors, namely, fixed bed and fluidized bed reactors. From the kinetic analysis, the activation energy corresponding to the rate of pyrolysis reaction conversion was obtained. In conclusion, we found that the pyrolysis occurs more vigorously in fluidized bed reactors compared to fixed bed reactors.

Abstract Aims: In recent years, electro kinetic (EK) remediation has become more popular as a novel method for removing chromium contamination from soil. This approach, however, is ineffective since it uses both cationic and anionic forms of chromium. In this work, a membrane –based technique was employed to increase the efficiency of the electro kinetic removal of chromium. Methods: Chromium removal from polluted sludge was studied in four bench-scale experiments, two of which used distilled water (EK-1, EK2 & Membrane) and two of which used acetic acid as a catholyte (EK-3, EK4 &Membrane). Results: The pH, total chromium, and fractionation of chromium in the sludge were measured after remediation. In the EK-1, EK-2 & Membrane and EK-3, EK-4 & Membrane trials, the average removal efficiency of total chromium was 47.6%, 58.6%, and 74.4%, 79.6%, respectively. Conclusion: In contrast to the electro kinetic remediation strategy, which left approximately 80% of the sludge neutral or alkaline after treatment, the use of the membrane created acidic soil conditions throughout the sludge. For example, the high field intensity used in the membrane tests may have helped to facilitate chromium desorption, dissolution and separation from the sludge, as well as enhance chromium mobility. The findings show that the membrane can improve the effectiveness of chromium removal from sludge when utilized in the EK remediation process.

This study analyzes the effect of economic growth and income distribution on health inequality using data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). A panel analysis was conducted by combining 21 years of data (from 2000 to 2020) from 38 OECD countries. Life expectancy and avoidable mortality were set as the dependent variables; gross domestic product and poverty gap were set as the independent variables; body mass index, consumption, smoking rate, healthcare personnel, number of beds in health service facilities, national medical expenses, and unemployment were set as control variables. First, economic growth and poverty gap significantly affect life expectancy and avoidable mortality. It has been confirmed that to resolve health inequality, growth during growth and distribution must be prioritized. Second, it has been confirmed that as the poverty gap increases, life expectancy increases and the avoidable mortality rate decreases. A mechanism different from the existence of a medical security system targeting the lowest class or an increase in the welfare of society worked. In conclusion, as a policy proposal to alleviate health inequality, this study suggests that policy intervention is necessary to block or alleviate the negative impact of income inequality in health care policies.

The diamagnetic levitation technique can be applied to non-destructive testing for identifying cracks and defects in magnetic materials. Pyrolytic graphite is a material that can be leveraged in micromachines due to its no-power diamagnetic levitation on a permanent magnet (PM) array. However, the damping force applied to pyrolytic graphite prevents it from maintaining con-tinuous motion along the PM array. This paper investigates the in-plane motion and damping characteristics of pyrolytic graphite sheets on the PM array. The centroid of pyrolytic graphite will maintain a stable levitation when positioned on the intersecting point of the PM array. Fur-thermore, the in-plane motion of two different pyrolytic graphite sizes - PG10 (10×10×0.5mm3) and PG20 (20×20×0.5mm3) - has revealed that the in-plane forces applied to them are approximately 61.4μN and 28.2μN, respectively. The smaller sheet has a shorter oscillation time while oscillating before it stabilizes. The damping ratio of the oscillation was between 0.1-0.2. The in-plane force and the stable time of pyrolytic graphite are related to its size ratio in comparison with the PM. This relationship is believed to promote stability, as the force acting on the graphite sheet will be distributed over a larger area when the sheet size increases. During the fixed-axis rotation process, the study found that the friction coefficient and friction force decreased as the rotational speed decreased. The diamagnetic levitation of pyrolytic diamagnetic levitation is also unable to maintain long-term axial rotation. Finally, friction force was tested using PG10 during fixed-axis rotation above a circular PM array. The results showed that the order of the friction coefficient is 10-3, and the friction force is about 0.8μN, decreasing with graphite rotation speed. We hope this technique will be used in crack detection, magnetic detection and other micromachine.

Increasing green total factor productivity is the key to achieving green development in agriculture. This study measured the green total factor productivity of Jiangxi’s agriculture, and its regional and temporal evolution characteristics were examined. The fixed-effects model was then used to investigate the model’s fundamental components empirically. The study’s findings reveal the following: During the period under review, technical change was the primary element driving the rise in the green total factor productivity of agriculture. A rising “U”-shaped trend with notable regional variances characterizes the spatial and temporal evolution. The primary factors that affect changes in green total factor productivity in agriculture include the ease of transportation, the per capita disposable income of rural residents, the level of agricultural mechanization, the degree of urbanization, the level of financial support for agriculture, and the percentage of workers in secondary industries. As a result, it is suggested that, in order to substantially increase agricultural green total factor productivity, agricultural green technological support should be strengthened, more fully developed, and promoted in a multi-pronged approach.

We study the Kelvinons: monopole ring solutions to the Euler equations, regularized as the Burgers vortex in the viscous core. There is finite anomalous dissipation in the inviscid limit. However, in the anomalous Hamiltonian, some terms are growing as logarithms of Reynolds number; these terms come from the core of the Burgers vortex. In our theory, the turbulent multifractal phenomenon is similar to asymptotic freedom in QCD, with these logarithmic terms summed up by an RG equation. The small effective coupling does not imply small velocity; on the contrary, velocity is large compared to its fluctuations, which opens the way for a quantitative theory. In the leading order in the perturbation theory in this effective coupling constant, we compute running multifractal dimensions for high moments of velocity circulation, in good agreement with the data for quantum Turbulence and available data for classical Turbulence. The logarithmic dependence of fractal dimensions on the loop size comes from the running coupling in anomalous dimensions. This slow logarithmic drift of fractal dimensions would be barely observable at Reynolds numbers achievable at modern DNS.

Free route airspace (FRA) is a new concept of European air transport. It has been designed to eliminate the negative impact of air traffic on the environment, minimize fuel consumption, simplify and expand flight planning. In our research, FRA is modelled by using graph theory, networks, and convex analysis. We also looked for answers to the question which are the basic mathematical properties of airspace? Basic mathematical properties are expressed using axioms. Therefore, in our work, we state the general, basic axiom of airspace based on our FRA research. The axiom is given using practical, significant entry points and geodetic coordinates.

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

This paper uses panel data to find the determinants of tracking errors in exchange traded funds (ETFs) in the Hong Kong stock market. A comparison of tracking errors between physical and synthetic ETFs also indicates that the synthetic ETFs have higher tracking errors. The magnitude of tracking errors is found to be negatively related to size but positively related to dividend yield, trading volumes of funds, and market risk. However, this study also finds that expense ratio has a negative impact on tracking error, which is not consistent with previous studies, and which this paper addresses.

The interface of a structural system in the soil is usually unsaturated. A decrease in the shear strength of the soil-structure interface can degrade the structure, especially under humid conditions. Studying the shear characteristics of the silt-concrete interface using a shear apparatus. Suction-controlled ring shear tests were carried out on the silt-concrete interface for three interface roughness values. The influence of the matric suction (s) and interface roughness (R) on the shear strength index of the silt-concrete interface was analyzed. The test results showed that high values of s and R improved the shear strength of the interface, but the result was affected by the net normal stress (NNS). High values of NNS and R improved the strain-hardening characteristics. NNS, s, and R significantly affected the interface shear shrinkage. The internal friction angle of the saturated interface was smaller than that of saturated silt, whereas the opposite occurred in the unsaturated state. The cohesion and internal friction angle of the interface rose with an increase in R, and they were larger than that of silt. A shear strength model of the silt and interface was established.

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurring seizures resulting from abnormal neuronal hyperexcitability. In the case of pharmacoresistant epilepsy requiring resection surgery, identifying the epileptogenic zone (EZ) is crucial. Fast ripples (FRs; 200-600 Hz) are one of the promising biomarkers that can aid in EZ delineation. However, recording FRs requires small surface electrodes. These microelectrodes suffer from high impedance, which significantly impacts FR observability and detection. In this study, we explored the potential of a conductive polymer coating to enhance FR observability. We employed biophysical modeling to compare two types of microelectrodes: Gold (Au) and Au coated with the conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrene sulfonate) (Au/PEDOT:PSS). These electrodes were then implanted in the CA1 hippocampal neural network of epileptic mice to record FRs during epileptogenesis. Results showed that polymer-coated electrodes demonstrate two-order lower impedance and a higher transfer function amplitude and cut-off frequency. Consequently, FRs recorded with the PEDOT:PSS coated microelectrode yielded significantly higher signal energy compared to the uncoated one. The coating with PEDOT:PSS improved the observability of recorded FRs and therefore their detection. This work paves the way for the development of signal-specific microelectrodes design allowing better targeting of pathological biomarkers.

Advances in biomimetic triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have significant implications for electronic skin (e-skin) and human-machine interaction (HMI). Emphasizing the need to mimic complex functionalities of natural systems, particularly human skin, TENGs leverage triboelectricity and electrostatic induction to bridge the gap in traditional electronic devices' responsiveness and adaptability. The exploration begins with an overview of TENGs' operational principles and modes, transitioning into structural and material biomimicry inspired by plant and animal models, proteins, fibers, and hydrogels. Key applications in tactile sensing, motion sensing, and intelligent control within e-skins and HMI systems are highlighted, showcasing TENGs' potential in revolutionizing wearable technologies and robotic systems. This review also addresses the challenges in performance enhancement, scalability, and system integration of TENGs. It points to future research directions, including optimizing energy conversion efficiency, discovering new materials, and employing micro-nanostructuring techniques for enhanced triboelectric charges and energy conversion. The scalability and cost-effectiveness of TENG production, pivotal for mainstream application, are discussed along with the need for versatile integration with various electronic systems. The review underlines the significance of making bioinspired TENGs more accessible and applicable in everyday technology, focusing on compatibility, user comfort, and durability. Conclusively, it underscores the role of bioinspired TENGs in advancing wearable technology and interactive systems, indicating a bright future for these innovations in practical applications.

In the last decades, the automatic recognition and interpretation of brain waves acquired by electroencephalographic (EEG) technologies have undergone remarkable growth, leading to a consequent rapid development of Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs). EEG-based BCIs are non-invasive systems that allow communication between a human being and an external device interpreting brain activity directly. Thanks to the advances in neurotechnologies, and especially in the field of wearable devices, BCIs are now also employed outside medical and clinical applications. Within this context, this paper proposes a systematic review of EEG-based BCIs, focusing on one of the most promising paradigms based on Motor Imagery (MI) and limiting the analysis to applications that adopt wearable devices. This review aims to evaluate the maturity levels of these systems, both from the technological and computational points of view. The selection of papers has been performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), leading to 84 publications considered in the last ten years (from 2012 to 2022). Besides technological and computational aspects, this review also aims at systematically list experimental paradigms and available datasets in order to identify benchmarks and guidelines for the development of new applications and computational models.

Thin films of BiFeO3 (BFO), VO2 and BFO/VO2 were grown on SrTiO3(100) and Al2O3(0001) monocrystalline substrates using the RF and DC sputtering techniques. The surface of the films was characterized by profilometry, AFM, and XPS. The heterostructures have roughnesses between 0.2 and 16 nm and a grain size between 20 nm and 67 nm. XPS measurements show a higher proportion of the V4+ and Bi3+ oxides. In the Fe region, a higher proportion of Fe3+ is shown in the films. The homogeneous ordering, low roughnesses, and the oxidation states on the obtained surface show a good coupling in these films. The I-V curves show ohmic behavior at room temperature and change with increasing temperature. The effect of coupling these materials in a thin film shows the appearance of hysteresis cycles I-V and R-T, typical of materials with high potential in applications such as resistive memories and solar cells.

Additive manufacturing has already been established as a highly versatile manufacturing technique with demonstrated potential to completely transform conventional manufacturing in the future. The objective of this paper is to review the latest progress and challenges associated with the fabrication of multi-material parts using additive manufacturing technologies. Various manufacturing processes and materials used to produce functional components were investigated and summarized. The latest applications of multi-material additive manufacturing (MMAM) in automotive, aerospace, biomedical and dentistry field were demonstrated. Investigation on the current challenges were also carried out to predict the future direction of MMAM processes. It is concluded that the further research and development needed in the design of multi-material interfaces, manufacturing processes and material compatibility of MMAM parts are necessary.

Scientific progress is increasingly dependent on knowledge in computation-ready forms. In the life sciences, among others, many scientists therefore extract and structure knowledge from the literature. In a process called manual curation, they enter knowledge into spreadsheets, or into databases where it serves their and many others' research. Valuable as these curation efforts are, the range and detail of what can practically be captured and shared remains limited, because of the constraints of current curation tools. Many important contextual aspects of observations described in literature simply do not fit in the form defined by these tools, and thus cannot be captured. Here we present the design of an easy-to-use, general-purpose method and interface, that enables the precise semantic capture of virtually unlimited types of information and details, using only a minimal set of building blocks. Scientists from any discipline can use this to convert any complex knowledge into a form that is easily readable and meaningful for both humans and computers. The method VSM forms a universal and high-level language for encoding ideas, and for interacting with digital knowledge.

VSM is a recently introduced method for entering and displaying any type of knowledge, in a form that is both semantically precise for computation and intuitive for human understanding. VSM is the combination of a new semantic model, and the design for a dedicated user interface to support it. Here we present the implementation of this user interface, as a sophisticated HTML-element, <vsm-box>, that can be embedded in any web-based curation app. We show how developers can use it for biocuration projects, customize it to particular end-user needs, and contribute to its growth. Vsm-box is open-source at https://github.com/vsmjs/vsm-box under the AGPL license, as a JavaScript (ES6) Vue.js web-component that runs in all modern web browsers. It is the capstone of the Vsmjs organization at https://github.com/vsmjs that groups its supporting modules. Extensive supplementary material on VSM and vsm-box is available at https://vsmjs.github.io.

Solar Energy has enormous potential to fulfill the energy requirements of the world and can be extracted using solar cells. However, the solar cells are affected by poor efficiency and further affected by wind speed, orientation of the panel, temperature and dust deposition. There are different cleaning technologies devised by many industry experts to clean the solar panels. However, they are facing drawbacks when deployed in the solar farm. An efficient cleaning system, along with an added cooling system must be devised, so that the solar panels must be cleaned and cooled often to maximize the energy production. This paper presents a low-cost, energy-efficient, smart and innovative dust cleaning and cooling system for Photovoltaic (PV) Panels. The system is designed, fabricated, fully-automated using Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) and tested successfully. A battery-charging kiosk, capable of charging two, 24V Lead Acid Batteries embedded within this prototype, shall provide clean-energy in a sustainable manner to the rural communities of the developing nations. The user can check the status of the battery such as battery voltage, battery temperature, and state of charge on the Human Machine Interface (HMI) panel while charging the batteries

The apparent metal-insulator transition (MIT) in two-dimension (2D) was discovered by Kravchenko et al. [1] more than two decades ago in strongly interacting 2D electrons residing in a Si-metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (Si-MOSFET). Its origin remains unresolved. Recently, low magnetic field reentrant insulating phases (RIPs), which dwell between the zero-field (B=0) metallic state and the integer quantum Hall (QH) states where the Landau-level filling factor υ > 1, have been observed in strongly correlated 2D GaAs hole systems with large interaction parameter rs (~20-40) and high purity. A new complex phase diagram was proposed, which includes zero field MIT, low magnetic field RIPs, integer QH states, fractional QH states, high field RIPs and insulating phases (HFIPs) with υ < 1 in which the insulating phases are explained by the formation of Wigner crystal. Furthermore, evidences of new intermediate phases were reported. All contribute to the further understandings of the puzzle. This review article serves the purpose of summarizing those recent experimental findings and theoretical endeavors, to foster future research efforts.

Recent advances in recording and real-time analysis of surface electromyographic signals (sEMG) have fostered the use of sEMG human-machine interfaces for controlling personal computers, prostheses of upper limbs, and exoskeletons among others. Despite a relatively high mean performance, sEMG-interfaces still exhibit strong variance in the fidelity of gesture recognition among different users. Here we systematically study the latent factors determining the performance of sEMG-interfaces in synthetic tests and in an arcade game. We show that the degree of muscle cooperation and the amount of the body fatty tissue are the decisive factors in synthetic tests. Our data suggest that these factors can only be adjusted by a long-term training, which promotes fine-tuning of low-level neural circuits driving the muscles. A short-term training has no effect on synthetic tests, but significantly increases the game scoring. This implies that it works at a higher decision-making level, not relevant for synthetic gestures. We propose a procedure that enables quantification of the gestures’ fidelity in a dynamic gaming environment. For each individual subject the approach allows identifying “problematic” gestures that decrease gaming performance. This information can be used for optimizing the training strategy and for adapting the signal processing algorithms to individual users, which could be a way for a qualitative leap in the development of future sEMG-interfaces.

The uncertainty in the secondary path of an Active Noise Control (ANC) headphone affects the waterbed effect and stability of the feedback system. This study focuses on the uncertainty of the secondary path when real users wear headphones, and proposes a new uncertainty constraint based on the measured results of the secondary path transfer function under different wearing conditions of dummy head and limited subjects. This constraint and a cascaded second-order infinite impulse response filter with fixed coefficients are used to formulate a control strategic function, which is optimized by the Improved Grey Wolf Optimizer (IGWO) algorithm to obtain the optimal controller with better noise reduction performance. The proposed method and simulation model are validated based on the experimental test results. The results demonstrate that the safety factor and waterbed suppressing factor contained in the proposed uncertainty constraint ensures more stable noise reduction and effective suppression of the waterbed effect for new subjects without a priori data.

This is the second paper in a cycle investigating the exact solution of loop equations in decaying turbulence. We perform numerical simulations of the Euler ensemble, suggested in the previous work, as a solution to the loop equations. We designed novel algorithms for simulation, which take a small amount of computer RAM so that only the CPU time grows linearly with the size of the system and its statistics. This algorithm allows us to simulate systems with billions of discontinuity points on our fractal curve, dual to the decaying turbulence. For the vorticity correlation function, we obtain \textbf{quantum fractal laws} with regime changes between universal discrete values of indexes. The traditional description of turbulence with fractal or multifractal scaling laws does not apply here. The measured conditional probabilities of fluctuating variables are smooth functions of the logarithm of scale, with statistical errors being negligible at our large number of random samples $T = 167,772,160$ with $N = 200,000,000$ points on a fractal curve. The quantum jumps arise from the analytical distribution of scaling variable $X = \frac{\cot^2(\pi p/q)}{q^2}$ where $\frac{p}{q}$ is a random fraction. This distribution is related to the totient summatory function and is a discontinuous function of $X$. In particular, the energy spectrum is a devil's staircase with tilted uneven steps with slopes between $-1$ and $-2.03$. The logarithmic derivative of energy decay $n(t)$ as a function of time is jumping down the stairs of universal levels between $1.50$ and $1.53$. The quantitative verification of this quantization would require more precise experimental data.

In this paper, we report orthogonal fuzzy versions of some celebrated iterative mappings. We provide various concrete conditions on the real valued functions J,S:(0,1]→(−∞,∞) for the existence of fixed-points of (J,S)-fuzzy iterative mappings. We obtain many fixed point theorems in orthogonal fuzzy metric spaces. We apply (J,S)-fuzzy version of Banach fixed point theorem to show the existence and uniqueness of the solution. We support these results with several non-trivial examples and applications to Volterra-type integral equations and fractional differential equations.

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

The formation of a rigid tough interface based on a nacre-like structure in carbon fiber (CF) composites is a promising way to eliminate low delamination resistance. An effective method of coating CFs is electrophoretic deposition (EPD), which, in the case of dissimilar components like graphene oxide (GO) and polymeric glue, usually requires their chemical bonding/ strong interactions. In this work, we focus on chitin nanocrystals (ChNCs), leading to an excellent mechanical performance of artificial nacre, where favorable interactions and bonding with GO were controlled by degrees of deacetylation (5, 15 and 30 %). We have prepared coatings based on GO/ChNCs adducts with 95/5, 90/10,50/50 and 25/75 ratios using optimized EPD conditions (pH, concentration, voltage and time). The prepared materials were characterized using FTIR, TEM, XPS, SEM, DLS, and XRD. SEM evaluation indicates the formation of a homogeneous interlayer, which possesses a fair ability of chemical bonding with the epoxy matrix. Short beam testing of epoxy matrix composites indicates that coating does not decrease stiffness and its relatively low dependence on composition. Therefore, all coatings are promising for a detailed study of delamination resistance using laminate samples. Moreover, facile EPD from water solution/ suspension has a fair potential for industrial applications.

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

Fires are a significant threat to people, property, and environment. One of the requirements for the buildings during fires is ensuring the safe evacuation of persons. The evacuation assessment has usually been based on a comparison of the Required Safe Egress Time (RSET) and the Available Safe Egress Time (ASET). One of the important factors influencing the safe evacuation of persons is smoke, which is an important accompanying phenomenon in the burning of polymers. The smoke layer interface is one basic barrier for effective evacuation. The current calculation technique for assessing the smoke layer interface in the Czech Republic is unsatisfactory. For this reason, a calculation technique CSN has been derived, which has been compared with the selected simple calculation techniques, the zone fire model Consolidated Model of Fire and Smoke Transport (CFAST) and the field type model Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS). The CSN technique was also compared with a real large-scale experiment. The data were also subjected to statistical evaluation using the root mean square error method (RMSE). The deviations between the NFPA, ISO and CSN calculation techniques, the CFAST and FDS fire models and the implemented experiment ranged from 0.05 to 2.41. The established deviations indicate that the calculation technique CSN will be practically usable.

This study explored drivers’ emotion-based impressions of car-borne central control platforms (CBCCPs) personal-use vehicles. Thus, this preference-based study examined experts’ and drivers’ opinions regarding CBCCPs’ appeal from the perspective of Miryoku engineering. To this end, this study analyzed data via the EGM (evaluation grid method (EGM) and quantification theory type I. Results: Drivers’ preferences for specific CBCCP design characteristics were categorized into the factors “legible,” convenient,” and “tasteful,” which comprised the core of the EGM semantic hierarchical diagram. In addition, the importance of CBCCPs’ appeal factors and characteristics was assessed through quantification theory type I.The findings of this study provide valuable insights for designers, manufacturers, and researchers interested in the design of CBCCPs. Additionally, the results of this study can contribute to research on applied psychology, human-computer interactions, and car interface design.

To achieve sustainable development during urbanization, construction waste is recycled for use as an aggregate in recycled concrete (RC). To determine the influence of the brick content in coarse recycled aggregates on the damage sustained by the resultant RC, the RC was first divided into seven phases: natural crushed stone, old gravel inside waste concrete, bricks, new mortar, old mortar on waste concrete surfaces, and new and old interface transition zones. The Monte Carlo method was then applied to establish a two-dimensional random aggregate model of the RC made with coarse brick aggregates. The ABAQUS software package was used to simulate a uniaxial compression test, the results of which were combined with those of a macro-test to determine the internal damage change rule of brick-containing RC. The stress–strain curves obtained from the simulation coincided well with that of the macroscopic tests. As the brick content increased, the damage zone inside the specimen and the number of microcracks increased. The stress concentration area decreased, as indicated by a lower compressive strength in the macro-test. The results indicate that higher brick contents in RC yield more initial damage inside the concrete and a lower compressive strength.

Respiratory tract epithelium infection plays a primary role in Nipah virus (NiV) pathogenesis and transmission. Knowledge about infection dynamics and host responses to NiV infection in respir-atory tract epithelia is scarce. Studies in non-differentiated primary respiratory tract cells or cell lines indicate insufficient interferon (IFN) responses. However, studies are lacking to determin-ing complex host response patterns in differentiated respiratory tract epithelia to understand NiV replication and spread in swine. Here we characterized infection and spread of NiV in differenti-ated primary porcine bronchial epithelial cells (PBEC) cultivated at the air-liquid-interface (ALI). After the initial infection of only a few apical cells, lateral spread for 12 days with epithelium disruption was observed without releasing substantial amounts of infectious virus from the api-cal or basal sides. Deep time course proteomics revealed pronounced upregulation of genes re-lated to type I/II- IFN, immunoproteasomal subunits, TAP-mediated peptide transport and MHC I antigen presentation. Spliceosomal factors were downregulated. We propose a model in which NiV replication in PBEC is slowed by a potent and broad type I/II-IFN host response with con-version from 26S proteasomes to immunoproteasomal antigen processing and improved MHC I presentation for adaptive immunity priming. NiV induced cytopathic effects could reflect the focal release of cell-associated NiV, which may contribute to efficient airborne viral spread between pigs.

This paper presents a critical review and comparison of the results of recently published studies in the fields of human-machine interface and the use of sonomyography (SMG) for the control of upper limb prothesis. For this review paper, a combination of the keywords "Human Machine Interface", "Sonomyography", "Ultrasound", "Upper Limb Prosthesis", "Artificial Intelligence" and "Non-Invasive Sensors" was used to search for articles on Google Scholar and PubMed. Sixty-one articles were found, of which 59 were used in this review. For a comparison of the different ultrasound modes, feature extraction methods, and machine learning algorithms, 16 articles were used. It was found that various modes of ultrasound devices for prosthetic control, various machine learning algorithms for classifying different hand gestures, as well as various feature extraction methods for increasing the accuracy of artificial intelligence used in their controlling systems are reviewed in this article. The results of the review article show that ultrasound sensing has the potential to be used as a viable human-machine interface in order to control bionic hands with multiple degrees of freedom. Moreover, different hand gestures can be classified by different machine learning algorithms trained with extracted features from collected data with an accuracy of around 95%.

Maize (Zea mays) is one of the most important staple food and primary source of livestock feed in the world. As the consumption of maize grown on the selenium-enriched soils of Naore Valley is one of the apparent causes of selenosis in the area, this work collected and analyzed total Se, Se fractions, and Se species distributions in maize plant samples, including grains, leaves, stalks, roots, rhizosphere soils, and the most representative parent rock materials from Naore Valley, Ziyang County, China. The Se distribution in soils markedly correlated with the weathered Se-enriched bedrocks, but most of the Se in the analyzed soils is enclosed as recalcitrant residual Se and organic-sulfide bound Se. In contrast, Se in rocks had a comparatively higher bioavailability and is bounded mainly to organic matter and sulfides minerals, with very few of the Se enclosed in the residual fraction. Maize plants might take a large amount of Se from the organic-sulfide bound Se fraction in the Se-rich soils, the weathered products from bedrocks or plant litters. Total Se concentrations in the collected samples were observed in descending order soil>leaf>root>grain>stalk. The predominant Se species detected in maize plants was SeMet. Se inorganic forms, mainly Se(VI), decreased from root to grain and were possibly assimilated into organic forms. Se (IV) was barely present. The natural increases in Se concentration affected mainly leaf and root dry-weight biomass as they are the organs that coped with the highest Se accumulation. This paper offers an insight into the uptake, accumulation, and distribution of Se forms in natural Se-rich maize crops and an opportunity for shifting Se-rich soils from menaces to valuable resources for growing Se-rich agricultural products.

Medical records contain many terms which are difficult to process. Our aim in this study is to allow the visual exploration of the information in medical databases where the texts presents a large number of syntactic variations and abbreviations, through an interface which facilitates content identification, navigation and information retrieval. We propose the use of multi-term tag clouds as content representation tools and as assistants for the browsing and querying tasks. The tag cloud generation is achieved through a novelty mathematical method that allows related terms to remain grouped together within the tags To evaluate this proposal, we have used a database with 24,481 records. 23 expert users in the medical field were tasked to complete a survey to evaluate the generated tag clouds properties and we obtained a precision of 0.990, a recall of 0.870 and a F1score of 0.904 in the evaluation of the tag cloud as an information retrieval tool. The main contribution of this approach is that we automatically generate a visual interface over the text capable of capturing the semantics of the information and facilitating access to medical records.

Thermal interface material (TIM) that can exist as liquid at the service temperature enables efficient heat transfer across two adjacent surfaces in electronic applications. In this work, the thermal conductivities of different phase regions in the Ga-In system at various compositions and temperatures are measured for the first time. A modified comparative cut bar technique is used for the measurement of the thermal conductivities of In_xGa_1-x (x=0, 0.1, 0.214, 0.3, and 0.9) alloys at 40, 60, 80, and 100^oC that are the temperatures commonly encountered in consumer electronics. The thermal conductivity values for the liquid and semi-liquid (liquid+β) Ga-In alloys are higher than the TIM currently used in consumer electronics. These measured quantities, along with the available experimental data from the literature, served as input for the thermal conductivity parameter optimization using the CALPHAD (CALculation of PHase Diagram) method for the pure elements, solution phase, and two-phase region. A set of self-consistent parameters for the description of the thermal conductivity of the Ga-In system is obtained. There is good agreement between the measured and calculated thermal conductivity values for all the phases. Hence, it can be envisaged that liquid/semi-liquid Ga-In alloys can be considered as a potential TIM in consumer electronics due to its high thermal conductivity.

There is a confusion in the original design concept for the tensioning of longitudinally connected reinforcement of CRTSII slab ballastless track. In order to clarify the effect of tension value of longitudinal reinforcement on mechanical characteristics of ballastless track, a three dimensional finite element model considering the nonlinear interaction between the track slab and CA mortar of CRTSII slab ballastless track was established. The mechanical characteristics of the track structure under longitudinal tension load and temperature gradient load of the longitudinal joint were calculated. A method of applying pre-stress to post-pouring concrete was proposed according to the concept of pre-stress loss of pretensioning pre-stressed concrete, reasonable tensile force value was proposed after the crack width and the reinforcement stress of the ballastless track in the operation stage were checked and calculated according to the concrete design principle. When the tension force is greater than 300 kN, it’s harmful to the bonding between the slab and mortar layer, which is prone to interlayer damage. In order to adding pre-stress to concrete of wide joints to ensure the longitudinal stability of ballastless track and the reinforcement stress and crack width to meet the design requirements. It is suggested that the tension force value should be 230 kN, and the temperature difference between reinforcement and concrete should be 30 °C before the initial curdle of wide joint concrete.

In this study, a preload monitoring method using impedance signatures obtained from a piezoelectric-based smart interface is presented for bolted girder connections. Firstly, the background theory of the piezoelectric-based smart interface and its implementation into health monitoring of bolted connections are outlined. A simplified electro-mechanical (EM) impedance model of a smart interface-embedded bolted connection system is formulated to interpret mechanistic understanding of EM impedance signatures under the effect of bolt preload. Secondly, finite element modeling of a bolted connection is carried out to show the numerical feasibility of the presented method and to predetermine the sensitive frequency band of impedance signatures. Finally, impedance measurements are conducted on a lab-scaled bolted girder connection to verify the predetermined sensitive frequency range and to assess the bolt preload changes in the test structure.

With forty years of developments, bio-macromolecule cryo-electron microscopy has met its revolution of resolution and is playing a very important role in structural biology study. According to different specimen states, cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) involves three specific techniques, single particle analysis (SPA), electron tomography and sub-tomogram averaging, and electron diffraction. All these three techniques have not realized their full potentials of solving structures of bio-macromolecules and therefore need to be developed in the future. In this review, the current existing bottlenecks of cryo-EM SPA are discussed with theoretical analysis, which includes air-water interface during specimen cryo-vitrification, bio-macromolecular conformational heterogeneity, focus gradient within thick specimen, and electron radiation damage. Besides, potential solutions of these bottlenecks are proposed and discussed, which are worthy of further investigations in the future.

Efficient fixed crane position analysis is critical in precast buildings construction to maximize lifting efficiency for precast elements. The primary objective is to minimize the travel distances of fixed cranes, thereby enhancing operational efficiency and cost control. This involves strategically reducing the distances between the transport truck parking, where elements are stored, the fixed crane, and the construction installation point. Despite its significance, existing studies often overlook the dynamic movement efficiency of transport trucks, particularly when dealing with multiple transport trucks and various models of fixed cranes, rendering the opti-mization of this scenario a challenging NP-hard problem susceptible to combinatorial explosion. This study presents a novel mathematical model leveraging the Genetic Algorithm (GA). The model aims to solve optimal model and position of fixed cranes, along with identifying ideal positions for transport truck parking. The study's methodology is validated and demonstrated through a project case study. Comparative analyses between the proposed model and the original planning underscore a noteworthy 6% reduction in both duration and costs when lifting elements directly from transport trucks, as opposed to establishing an on-site stock yard. Furthermore, the developed GA exhibits a substantial improvement in final solutions, achieving a remarkable 30% reduction in both operational duration and costs. This research contributes valuable insights into fixed crane position analysis of precast building construction, providing foundation for enhanced operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness in the industry.

This paper presents laboratory devices on which experimental measurements were carried out to prove the validity of the assumption about the reduction of vibrations transmitted to the conveyor belt structure generated by the impact forces of falling material grains in the places of transfer or on the hoppers of conveyor belts. In order to limit damage to the conveyor belts caused by the impact of the sharp edges of material grains, conveyor belts are supported by impact rollers or impact rubber rods in the places of transfers and on the hoppers of belt conveyors. The flattened ends of the impact rollers are inserted into the grooves of steel brackets installed on the supports of the fixed conveyor idlers of a conventional design. In this paper, a special modification of the fixed conveyor idler is presented, which consists of inserting plastic brackets into the structurally modified roller axle holders of the fixed conveyor idler. Measurements were carried out on the first laboratory device, which showed that the specially modified fixed conveyor idler resulted in a higher damping of up to 15% of the impact forces of the falling weight on the rubberized hoop of the impact roller shell compared to the conventional fixed conveyor idler design. Measurements carried out on the second laboratory device show that the effective vibration velocity values detected at the points where the impact roller axis fits into the fixed roller table holder, i.e. points B and D, are higher than when using plastic brackets, up to 6% for a 108 mm diameter roller, compared to steel impact roller brackets.

This paper presents a mathematical modeling approach utilizing a fuzzy modeling framework for fixed wing aircraft systems with the goal of creating a highly desirable mathematical representation for model-based control design applications. The starting point is a mathematical model comprised of fifteen non-linear ordinary differential equations representing the dynamic and kinematic behavior applicable to a wide range of fixed wing aircraft systems. Here the proposed mathematical modeling framework is applied to the AIRBUS A310 model developed by ONERA. The proposed fuzzy modeling framework takes advantage of sector non-linearity techniquesto recast all the non-linear terms from the original model to a set of combined fuzzy rules. The result of this fuzzification is a more suitable mathematical description from the control system design point of view. Therefore, the combination of this fuzzy model and the wide range of control techniques available in the literature for such kind of models will enable us to avoid common control design methods, such as gain scheduling, where stability issues can be extremely challenging.

This paper brings to fruition recently found \cite{migdal2023exact} exact reduction of decaying turbulence in the Navier-Stokes equation in $3 + 1$ dimensions to a Number Theory problem of finding the statistical limit of the Euler ensemble. We reformulate the Euler ensemble as a Markov chain and show the equivalence of this formulation to the \textbf{quantum} statistical theory of $N$ fermions on a ring, with an external field related to the random fractions of $\pi$. We find the solution of this system in the turbulent limit $N\to \infty, \nu \to 0$ in terms of a complex trajectory (instanton) providing a saddle point to the path integral over the density of these fermions. This results in an analytic formula for the observable correlation function of vorticity in wavevector space. This is a full solution of decaying turbulence from the first principle without approximations or fitted parameters. The energy spectrum decays as $k^{-\frac{7}{2}}$. We compute resulting integrals in \Mathematica{} and present effective index $n(t) = -t\partial_t \log E $ for the energy decay as a function of time Fig.\ref{fig::NPlot}. The asymptotic value of the effective index in energy decay $n(\infty) = \frac{5}{4}$, but the universal function $n(t)$ is neither constant nor linear.

We consider a Cauchy problem for differential equations in a Hilbert space $X$. The problem is stated in a time interval $I$, which can be finite or infinite. Weuse a fixed point argument for history-dependent operators to prove the unique solvability of the problem. Then, we state and prove convergence criteria for both a general fixed point problem and thecorresponding Cauchy problem. These criteria provide necessary and sufficient conditions on a sequence $\{u_n\}$ which guarantee its convergence to the solution of the corresponding problem, in the space of both continuous and continuously differentiable functions. We then specify our results in the study of a particular differential equation governed by two nonlinear operators. Finally, we provide an application in viscoelasticity and give a mechanical interpretation of the corresponding convergence result.

We have found an infinite dimensional manifold of exact solutions of the Navier-Stokes loop equation for the Wilson loop in decaying Turbulence in arbitrary dimension $d >2$. This solution family is equivalent to a fractal curve in complex space $\mathbb C^d$ with random steps parametrized by $N$ Ising variables $\sigma_i=\pm 1$, in addition to a rational number $\frac{p}{q}$ and an integer winding number $r$, related by $\sum \sigma_i = q r$. This equivalence provides a \textbf{dual} theory describing a strong turbulent phase of the Navier-Stokes flow in $\mathbb R_d$ space as a random geometry in a different space, like ADS/CFT correspondence in gauge theory. From a mathematical point of view, this theory implements a stochastic solution of the unforced Navier-Stokes equations. For a theoretical physicist, this is a \textbf{quantum} statistical system with integer-valued parameters, satisfying some number theory constraints. Its long-range interaction leads to critical phenomena when its size $N \rightarrow \infty$ or its chemical potential $\mu \rightarrow 0$. The system with fixed $N$ has different asymptotics at odd and even $N\rightarrow \infty$, but the limit $\mu \rightarrow 0$ is well defined. The energy dissipation rate is analytically calculated as a function of $\mu$ using methods of number theory. It grows as $\nu/\mu^2$ in the continuum limit $\mu \rightarrow 0$, leading to anomalous dissipation at $\mu \propto \sqrt{\nu} \to 0$. The same method is used to compute all the local vorticity distribution, which has no continuum limit but is renormalizable in the sense that infinities can be absorbed into the redefinition of the parameters. The small perturbation of the fixed manifold satisfies the linear equation we solved in a general form. This perturbation decays as $t^{-\lambda}$, where the anomalous dimensions $\lambda$ satisfy the spectral equation \eqref{spectralEq}. The spectrum becomes a continuum in the statistical limit $N \to \infty$, presumably leading to multifractal phenomena.

Breakthrough curves for the adsorption of H2S using a metal-oxides mixture were predicted using the Bohart-Adams model of fixed bed adsorption. This mixture (ZnMn2O4+ZnO+Mn2O3) came from the processing of an urban waste as spent alkaline batteries were. The H2S adsorption experiments were carried out in a fixed-bed column at 20º C, and under various experimental conditions: gas flow rate, inlet H2S concentration and adsorbent dosage. Curves predicted by the model matched well with experimental data, providing data for the possible scale-up of the system. At the various experimental variables, the efficiency of the column, were also provided in the work. This investigation demonstrated the usefulness of a waste material, like spent alkaline batteries, to provide an adsorbent material to mitigate the problem of the presence of this harmful gas.

This work aims to investigate the effect of catalyst content and reaction time by catalytic upgrading from pyrolysis vapors of residual fat at 450 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, on the yields of reaction products, physicochemical properties (density, kinematic viscosity, refractive index, and acid value) and chemical composition of organic liquid products (OLP), over a catalyst fixed bed reactor, in semi pilot scale. Pellets of Red Mud chemically activated with 1.0 M HCl were used as catalysts. The experiments were carried out at 450 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, using a process schema consisting of a thermal cracking reactor of 2.0 L coupled to a catalyst fixed bed reactor of 53 mL, without catalyst and using 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0% (wt.) Red Mud pellets activated with 1.0 M HCl, in batch mode. Samples of liquid phase products were withdrawn during the course of reaction at 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80 min in order to analyze the process kinetics. The physicochemical properties (density, kinematic viscosity, acid value, and refractive index) of OLP were determined by official methods. The chemical functions present in OLP determined by FT-IR and the chemical composition by GC-MS. The thermal catalytic cracking of residual fat show OLP yields from 54.4 to 84.88 (wt.%), aqueous phase yields between 2.21 and 2.80 (wt.%), solid phase yields (coke) between 1.30 and 8.60 (wt.%), and gas yields from 11.61 to 34.22 (wt.%). The yields of OLP increases with increasing catalyst content while those of aqueous, gaseous and solid phase decreases. For all the thermal and thermal catalytic cracking experiments, the density, kinematic viscosity, and acid value of OLP decreases with increasing reaction time. The GC-MS of liquid reaction products identified the presence of hydrocarbons (alkanes, alkenes, cycloalkanes, and aromatics) and oxygenates (carboxylic acids, ketones, esters, alcohols, and aldehydes). For all the thermal and thermal catalytic cracking experiments, the hydrocarbon content within OLP increases with reaction time, while those of oxygenates decrease, reaching concentrations of hydrocarbons up to 95.35% (area.). The best results for the physicochemical properties (density, kinematic viscosity, and acid value) and the maximum hydrocarbon content of OLP were obtained at 450 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, using a catalyst fixed bed reactor, with 5.0% (wt.) Red Mud pellets activated with 1.0 M HCl as catalyst.

In this paper, we consider the generalized sextic functional equation \begin{align*} \sum_{i=0}^{7}{}_7 C_{i} (-1)^{7-i}f(x+iy) = 0. \end{align*} And by applying the fixed point theory in the sense of L. C\u adariu and V. Radu, we will discuss the stability of the solutions for this functional equation.

This paper deals with the study of the existence and non existence of solutions of a three parameter's family of nonlinear fractional differential equation with mixed-integral boundary value conditions. We consider the $\alpha$-Riemann-Liouville fractional derivative, with $\alpha \in (1,2]$. In order to deduce the existence and non existence results, we first study the linear equation, by deducing the main properties of the related Green's functions. We obtain the optimal set of parameters where the Green's function has constant sign. After that, by means of the index theory, the nonlinear boundary value problem is studied. Some examples, at the end of the paper, are showed to illustrate the applicability of the obtained results.

In this article, we show the existence of fixed point for the derivative of interval-valued functions. Meanwhile, the fixed point inquiry will utilize the common fixed point methods under the condition of compatibility of the hybrid composite mappings in the sense of the Hausdorff metric. Some examples are given to support the usability of the result of this research .

With the increasing of copper consumption, the in-use stock of copper tends to increase. This paper used the “average use life method” to quantify the amount of copper in-use stock, and calculated the average age of in-use stock. It was indicated that the total in-use stock had an overall smooth trends, and reached its peak in 2007 was about 68.9 Mt (million tons), in addition, in-use stock per capita reached its peak ,234 kg/capita in 2001. The results demonstrated that during the period 1992-2002, the average age of copper in-use stock was continually decreased, but gradually increased since the year 2003. The fixed assets depreciation method used in this paper is applied to analyze depreciated copper in-use stock, and to analyze the relationship with economic indicator (GDP). It is demonstrated that it was inconsistent with the theory of Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) before 2000, this might be the demand for copper in the service sector is greater than the reduced strength of alternatives. Finally, scenario analysis of future copper in-use stock and depreciated copper in-use stock per capita in the U.S. were presented. The corresponding average age of the in-use stock will have a slight rise in the next decade.

The question of what generates conscious experience has mesmerized thinkers since the dawn of humanity, yet its origins remain a mystery. The topic of consciousness has gained traction in recent years, thanks to the development of large language models that now arguably pass the Turing test, an operational test for intelligence. However, intelligence and consciousness are not related in obvious ways, as anyone who suffers from a bad toothache can attest - pain generates intense feelings and absorbs all our conscious awareness yet nothing particularly intelligent is going on. Still, in the hard sciences, this topic is frequently met with skepticism because to date no protocol to measure the content or intensity of conscious experiences in an observer-independent manner has been agreed upon. Here we present a novel proposal: Conscious experience arises whenever a quantum mechanical superposition forms. Our proposal has several implications: First, it suggests that the structure of the superposition determines the qualia of the experience. Second, quantum entanglement naturally solves the binding problem, ensuring the unity of phenomenal experience. Finally, a moment of agency may coincide with the formation of a superposition state. We outline a research program to experimentally test our conjecture via a sequence of quantum biology experiments. Applying these ideas opens up the possibility of expanding human experience through brain-quantum computer interfaces.

In the early 2000s, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) emerged as a performant and relevant tool for identifying micro-organisms. Since then, it has become practically essential for identifying bacteria in microbiological diagnostic laboratories. In the last decade, it was successfully applied for arthropod identification allowing to distinguish vectors from non-vectors of infectious diseases. However, identification failures are not rare, hampering it widely use. Failure is generally attributed either to the absence of respective counter species MS spectra in the database, or to the insufficient quality of query MS spectra (i.e. lower intensity and diversity of MS peaks detected). To avoid matching errors due to non-compliant spectra, the development of a strategy for detecting and excluding outlier MS profiles became compulsory. To this end, we created MSProfileR, an R package leading to a bioinformatics tool through a simple installation, integrating the control quality system of MS spectra and an analysis pipeline including peak detection and MS spectra comparisons. MSProfileR can also add metadata concerning the sample that the spectra are derived from. MSProfileR has been developed in the R environment and offers a user-friendly web interface using the R Shiny framework. It is available on Microsoft Windows as a web browser application by simply navigation using the link of the package on the Github. MSProfileR is therefore accessible to non-computer specialists and is freely available to the scientific community. We evaluated MSProfileR using two datasets including exclusively MS spectra from arthropods. In addition to coherent sample classification, outlier MS spectra were detected in each dataset confirming the value of MSProfileR.

: The silicon single crystals for semiconductor application is usually grown by Czochralski (CZ) method. This paper researches 300mm silicon Czochralski (CZ) crystal growth with CUSP magnetic field for IGBTs substrate application. The different positions of Zero-Gauss plane (ZGP) under CUSP magnetic field are simulated and compared to numerical analysis, investigated melt convection, melt flow velocity near to quartz crucible wall, diffusion boundary layer and effect of initial oxygen concentration in the silicon crystal, and the shape of solid/liquid interface was discussed. The results show that the change of the ZGP of the CMF mainly affects the convection in the melt, which leads to the difference of the thickness of the boundary layer near to the wall of the quartz crucible, and was found to be the key to reduce the oxygen dissolution from the crucible wall and oxygen diffuse into the crystal, along with the differences in the shape of the crystal-melt interface. In addition, we have carried out actual industrial single crystal production under the three configurations. The results show that the experimental data of oxygen content and shape of the crystal-melt interfaces in silicon crystal are consistent with the numerical results.

Silicon-based photodetectors, as low-cost and environmentally friendly optical sensors, are attractive. Also, their compatibility with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology is advantageous for the development of silicon photonics systems. However, extending optical responsivity of silicon-based photodetectors to the mid-infrared (mid-IR) wavelength range remains challenging. In developing mid-IR infrared Schottky detectors, nanoscale metals are critical. Nonetheless, one key factor is the Fermi level pinning effect at the metal/silicon interface and the presence of metal-induced gap states (MIGS). Here, we demonstrate the utilization of the passivated surface layer on semiconductor materials as an insulating material in metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) contacts to mitigate the Fermi level pinning effect. The removal of Fermi level pinning effectively reduces the Schottky barrier height by 12.5% to 16%. The demonstrated devices exhibit a high responsivity of up to 234 μA/W at a wavelength of 2 μm, 48.2 μA/W at 3 μm, and 1.75 μA/W at 6 μm. The corresponding detectivities at 2 and 3 μm are 1.17×10^8 cm Hz^1/2 W^-1 and 2.41×10^7 cm Hz^1/2 W^-1, respectively. The expanded sensing wavelength range contributes to the application development of future silicon photonics integration platforms.

Food processing and consumption involves multiple contacts between biological fluids and solid materials of processing devices of which steel is one of the most common. Due to complexity of these interactions, it is difficult to identify the main control factors in the formation of undesirable deposits on the device surfaces that may affect safety and efficiency of the processes. Mechanistic understanding of biomolecule-metal interactions involving food proteins could improve management of these pertinent industrial processes and consumer safety in food industry and beyond. In this work, we perform a multiscale study of formation of protein corona on iron surfaces and nanoparticles in contact with cow milk proteins. By calculating the binding energies of proteins with the substrate we quantify the adsorption strength and rank proteins by the adsorption affinity. We use a multiscale method involving all-atom and coarse-grained simulations as well as generation of 3D structures of the proteins for this purpose. Finally, using the adsorption energy results, we predict the composition of protein corona on iron nanoparticles and flat surfaces via a competitive adsorption model.

Formulation is an ancient concept, although the word has been used only recently. The first formulations made our civilization advance by inventing bronze, steel, and gunpowder; then, it was used in medieval alchemy. When chemistry became a science and with the golden age of organic synthesis, the second formulation period began. This made it possible to create new chemical species and new combinations “à la carte.” However, the research and developments were still carried out by trial and error. Finally, the third period of formulation history began after World War II, when the properties of a system were associated with its ingredients and the way they were assembled or combined. Therefore, the formulation and the systems’ phenomenology were related to the generation of some synergy to obtain a commercial product. Winsor’s formulation studies in the 1950s were enlightening for academy and industries that were studying empirically surfactant-oil-water (SOW) systems. One of its key characteristics was how the interfacial interaction of the adsorbed surfactant with oil and water phases could be equal by varying the physicochemical formulation of the system. Then, Hansen’s solubility parameter in the 1960s helped to reach a further understanding of the affinity of some substances to make them suitable to oil and water phases. In the 1970s, researchers such as Shinoda and Kunieda, and different groups working in Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), among them Schechter and Wade’s group at the University of Texas, made formulation become a science by using semiquantitative correlations to attain specific characteristics in a system (e.g., low oil-water interfacial tension, formulation of a stable O/W or W/O emulsion, or high-performance solubilization in a bicontinuous microemulsion system at the so-called optimum formulation). Nowadays, over 40 years of studies with the hydrophilic-lipophilic deviation equation (HLD) have made it feasible for formulators to improve products in many different applications using surfactants to attain a target system using HLD in its original or its normalized form, i.e., HLDN. Thus, it can be said that there is still current progress being made towards an interdisciplinary applied science with numerical guidelines. In the present work, the state-of-the-art of formulation in multiphase systems containing two immiscible phases like oil and water, and therefore systems with heterogeneous or micro-heterogeneous interfaces, is discussed. Surfactants, from simple to complex or polymeric, are generally present in such systems to solve a wide variety of problems in many areas. Some significant cases are presented here as examples dealing with petroleum, foods, pharmaceutics, cosmetics, detergency, and other products occurring as dispersions, emulsions, or foams, that we find in our everyday lives.

To investigate the role of sulfhydryl groups and disulfide bonds in different protein-stabilized emulsions, N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) was used as sulfhydryl-blocking agent to be added in the emulsion. The addition of NEM to block the sulfhydryl groups resulted in a reduction of the content of disulfide bonds formation, which enabled destruction of the internal structure of the protein molecule, and then decreased the restriction of protein membrane on the oil droplets. Furthermore, with NEM content increasing in the emulsion, a reduction of protein emulsifying activity and emulsion stability also occurred. At the same time, the intermolecular interaction of the protein on the oil droplet interface membrane was destroyed, and the emulsion droplet size increased with the NEM content in the emulsion. Although NEM blocking sulfhydryl groups not to form disulfide bonds has similar effects on three types of protein emulsion, the degree of myofibrillar protein (MP), egg-white protein isolate (EPI), and soybean protein isolate (SPI) as emulsifier had a subtle difference.

The feasibility of a steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) brain-computer interface (BCI) with a single flicker stimulus for multiple-target decoding has been demonstrated in a number of recent studies. The single-flicker BCIs have mainly employed the direction information for encoding the targets, i.e. different targets are placed at different spatial directions relative to the flicker stimulus. The present study explored whether visual eccentricity information can also be used to encode target for the purpose of increasing the number of targets in the single-flicker BCIs. A total number of 16 targets were encoded, placed at eight spatial directions, and two eccentricities (2.5° and 5°) relative to a 12 Hz flicker stimulus. Whereas distinct SSVEP topographies were elicited when participants gazed at targets of different directions, targets of different eccentricities were mainly represented by different signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). Using a canonical correlation analysis-based classification algorithm, simultaneous decoding of both direction and eccentricity information was achieved, with an average offline 16-class accuracy of 66.8±16.4% averaged over 12 participants and a best individual accuracy of 90.0%. Our results demonstrate a single-flicker BCI with a substantially increased target number towards practical applications.

The aim of work is to derive an explicit expression for a function of vertical mixing induced by wind-waves. To this end, in the Navier-Stokes equations, a current is decomposed into four constituents: the mean flow, the wave-orbital motion, the wave-induced turbulent and the background turbulent currents. This decomposition allows separating the wave-induced Reynolds stress, Rw, from the background one, Rb. To make a statistical closure for Rw, the Prandtl approach for the background turbulent fluctuations is used that results in an implicit expression for the wave-induced vertical mixing function, Bv. Expression for Bv is specified based on the author’s results for the eddy viscosity found earlier in the frame of the three-layer concept for a wavy air–sea interface, used for modelling wind-drift currents [1]. Finally, the explicit parameterization for Bv(a, u*, z) is found as a linear function in both the wave amplitude at depth z, a(z), and the friction velocity in the air, u*. The linear dependence of function Bv(a) on the wave amplitude provides the enhanced vertical mixing induced by wind–waves in comparison with function Bv(a) having the cubic dependence found in [2], as far as the wind-wave amplitude a(z) decays exponentially with depth.

Coating of suitable materials having thickness of few atoms to several microns on a substrate is of great interest to the scientific community. Hard coatings develop under the significant composition of suitable-natured atoms where their force-energy behaviors when in certain transition state favour binding. In the binding mechanism of suitable atoms, electron belonging to outer ring filled state of gas-atom undertakes another clamp of energy knot belonging to outer ring unfilled state of solid-atom. Set process conditions develop the binding of different-natured atoms when processing their suitable composition in a system. Atoms of different nature develop structure in the form of hard coating by locating their ground points between the original ones. Here, gas-natured atoms increase the potential energy under decreasing levitational force of electrons, whereas, solid-natured atoms decrease the potential energy under decreasing gravitational force of electrons. In TiN coating, Ti–Ti atoms bind under the difference of expansion of their lattices, called nets of energy knots, where one atom just lands on the already landed atom. An adhered N-atom to a Ti-atom forms its position among four Ti-atoms where N-atom occupies the interstitial site of Ti-atoms. Two oppositely working force-energy behavior atoms deposit in the form of coating at substrate surface as per set conditions of the process. The rate of ejecting (or dissociating) solid-natured atoms depend on the nature of their source (target), process parameters and processing technique. In random arc-based vapor deposition system, depositing differently natured atoms at substrate surface depends on the input power. In addition to intrinsic nature of atoms, different properties and characteristics of coatings emerge as per engaged forces under their involved energy. The present study sets new trends in the field of coatings involving the diversified class of materials and their counterparts.

With the continuous update of gene editing technology, great progress has been made in livestock breeding, researchers have produced gene edited pigs, cattle, sheep and other improved livestock. Gene editing technology is a genetic means to knock in, knock out, delete, inhibit, activate or replace specific bases of DNA or RNA sequences at the genome level to achieve accurate modification, and can edit genes at a fixed point without the need for DNA templates. In recent years, although regular clusters of interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 system mediated gene editing technology has been widely used in animal genetic breeding research, but so far, the system's precise insertion efficiency of foreign genes is not high enough, and there are certain off-target effects, and it is not enough to be used in genome editing of large livestock such as cashmere goats. In this paper, the development status, challenges, application prospects and look into the distance of CRISPR/ Cas9-mediated precisiongene editing technology in livestock breeding were reviewed, in order to provide theoretical reference for livestock gene function analysis, genetic improvement and livestock breeding with local economic characteristics.

The article outlines a creative approach by fusing ideas from fuzzy contractions, graph mappings, and Kannan mappings to create a brand-new notion known as "Kannan-graph-fuzzy contraction." This combination of concepts makes it possible to create a unique framework for resolving real-world issues controlled by nonlinear models. It is anticipated that using Kannan-graph-fuzzy contractions will offer a fresh approach to discussing solution existence in situations where these ideas overlap. This strategy might have a significant impact on a lot of real-world applications, proving how practical multidisciplinary techniques are for tackling issues in the real world originating from technology and engineering. The article includes several illustrated examples based on computer simulations, making the results more explicit.

The aim of this paper is to deep into the dynamic study of the well known Chebyshev-Halley family of iterative methods for solving nonlinear equations. Our objetives are twofold: one the one hand, we are interested in characterize the existence of extraneous attracting fixed points when the methods in the family are applied to polynomial equations. On the other hand, we are also interested in study the free critical points of the methods in the family, as a previous step to determine the existence of attracting cycles. In both cases, we want to identify situations where the methods in the family have a bad behavior from the root-finding point of view. Finally, and joining these two studies, we look for polynomials for which there are methods in the family where this two situations happen simultaneously. That is, the rational map obtained by applying a method in the Chebyshev-Halley family to a polynomial has both super-attracting extraneous fixed point and super-attracting cycles different to the roots of the polynomial.

The impacts of COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) epidemic cannot have been more severe, with the globe experiencing both economic and health crises. This study examines the trends and correlations in number of COVID-19-related deaths and number of COVID-19-infected patients in all 37 regions of Tamil Nadu state, India, in the month of August 2020 on the basis of panel regression model,

This paper presents an extended Kalman filter derivation for loosely coupled GPS (Global Positioning System)/INS (Inertial Navigation System) integration based on quaternion attitude representation using the Earth-Centered Earth (ECEF) Frame. In this loosely coupling integration, both the position and velocity estimates from GPS receiver are used as the measurements to extended Kalman filter, and then they are integrated with inertial measurements from inertial measurement units (IMU) to estimate the attitude, position and velocity of an air vehicle. The velocity estimates which have centimeter level estimation error from the GPS receiver are used to improve the filter performance. For attitude estimation, the global attitude parameterization is given by a quaternion and a multiplicative quaternion-error approach is used to guarantee a normalization constraint of quaternion in the filter. Simulation results are shown to obtain the estimation of the attitude, position, velocity, biases and scale factors and to evaluate the performance of the EKF with the measurement combination composed of the two different t

Renewable energy sources will play a central role in the sustainable energy systems of the future. Scenario analyses of such hypothesized energy systems require sound knowledge of the techno-economic potential of renewable energy technologies. Although there have been various studies concerning the potential of offshore wind energy, higher spatial resolution, as well as the future design concepts of offshore wind turbines, has not yet been addressed in sufficient detail. Here, we aim to overcome this gap by applying a high spatial resolution to the three main aspects of offshore wind potential analysis, namely ocean suitability, the simulation of wind turbines and cost estimation. A set of constraints is determined that reveal the available areas for turbine placement across Europe’s maritime boundaries. Then, turbine designs specific to each location are selected by identifying turbines with the cheapest levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), restricted to capacities, hub heights and rotor diameters of between 3-20 MW, 80-200 m and 80-280 m, respectively. Ocean eligibility and turbine design are then combined to distribute turbines across the available areas. Finally, LCOE trends are calculated from the individual turbine costs, as well as the corresponding capacity factor obtained by hourly simulation with wind speeds from 1980 to 2017. The results of cost-optimal turbine design reveal that the overall potential for offshore wind energy across Europe will constitute nearly 8.6 TW and 40.0 PWh at roughly 7 €_ct kWh^-1 average LCOE by 2050. Averaged design parameters at national level are provided in an appendix.

In this paper, by means of the Banach fixed point theorem and the Krasnoselskii's fixed point theorem, we investigate the existence of solutions for some fractional neutral functional integro-differential equations involving infinite delay. This paper deals with the fractional equations in the sense of Caputo fractional derivative and in the Banach spaces. Our results generalize the previous works on this issue. Also, an analytical example is presented to illustrate our results.

We report the use of four-layer graphene (4LG) as a highly reliable transparent conductive electrode (TCE) for polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC)-based smart window devices. The adhesion between 4LG and the substrate was successfully improved through a water-induced interface-cleaning (WIIC) process. We compared the performance of a device with a WIIC-processed 4LG electrode with that of devices with a conventional Indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode and a 4LG electrode without a WIIC. With the application of the WIIC process, the PDLC smart window with a 4LG electrode exhibited reduced turn-on voltage and haze compared to 4LG without the WIIC process and characteristics comparable to those of the ITO electrode. Based on our observations, we conclude that 4LG with WIIC is a promising TCE for flexible smart windows.

This article presents the graphical user interface of the ACUX-R mobile recommendation system, tailored for the cultural tourism domain. ACUX-R offers personalized recommendations based on visiting preferences, augmenting the overall user experience. Building upon a comprehensive methodology and recommendation algorithms from previous work, this contribution focuses on the user interface aspects of the ACUX-R by highlighting key design considerations, user interface elements and functionalities that contribute to an effective and engaging user experience. In an effort to evaluate the proposed interface, an initial case study with a dataset consisting of points of interest from the City of Athens, Greece has been performed. In the framework of the aforementioned study, the proposed user interface attained high ratings with respect to inspiring, exciting, interesting, and enthusiastic user experiences.

Recently, there is a growing need for sensors that can operate autonomously, without the need for an external power source. This is especially important in applications where conventional power sources, such as batteries, are impractical or difficult to replace. Self-powered sensors have emerged as a promising solution to this challenge, offering a range of benefits such as low cost, high stability, and environmental friendliness. One of the most promising self-powered sensor technologies is L-S TENG, which stands for the liquid-solid triboelectric nanogenerator. This technology works by harnessing the mechanical energy generated by external stimuli such as pressure, touch, or vibration, and converting it into electrical energy that can be used to power sensors and other electronic devices. Therefore, self-powered based on L-S TENG, which provides numerous benefits such as rapidly responding, portability, cost-effectiveness, and miniaturization, is critical for increasing living standards and optimizing industrial processes. In this review paper, the working principle with three basic modes has been briefly introduced firstly. After that, affecting parameters to L-S TENG are reviewed based on the properties of the liquid and solid phases. With different working principles, L-S TENG has designed a lot of structure that works as a self-powered sensor for pressure/force change, liquid flow motion, concentration, and chemical detection or biochemical sensing. Moreover, the continuous output signal of TENG plays an important role in a real-time sensor that is vital to the growth of the Internet of Things.

As the digital era advances, many industries continue to expand their use of digital technologies to support company operations, notably at the customer interface, bringing new commercial opportunities and increased efficiencies. However, there are new sets of responsibilities associated with the deployment of these technologies, encompassed within the emerging concept of corporate digital responsibility (CDR), which to date has received little attention in the academic literature. This exploratory paper thus looks to make a small contribution to addressing this gap in the literature. The paper adopts a qualitative, inductive research method, employing an initial scoping literature review followed by two case studies. Based on the research findings, a simple model of CDR parameters is put forward, and the article concludes with a discussion of a number of emergent issues - fair and equitable access, personal and social well-being, environmental implications, and cross-supply chain complexities - that suggest possible directions for future research.

Mutations, especially those at the protein-protein interaction (PPI) interface, have been associated with various diseases. Meanwhile, though de novo mutations (DNMs) have been proven important in neuropsychiatric disorders, such as developmental delay (DD), the relationship between PPI interface DMNs and DD has not been well studied. Here we curated developmental delay DNM datasets from the PsyMuKB database and showed that DD patients showed a higher rate and deleteriousness in DNM missense on the PPI interface than sibling control. Next, we identified 302 DD-related PsychiPPIs, defined as PPI harboring a statistically significant number of DNM missenses at their interface, and 42 DD candidate genes from PsychiPPI. We then observed that PsychiPPIs preferentially affected hub proteins in the human protein interactome network. When analyzing DD candidate genes using gene ontology and gene spatio-expression, we found that PsychiPPI genes carrying PPI interface mutations, such as FGFR3 and ALOX5, were enriched in development-related pathways and the development of the neocortex, and cerebellar cortex, suggesting their potential involvement in the etiology of DD. Our results demonstrated that DD patients carried an excess burden of PPI-truncating DNM, which could be used to efficiently search for disease-related genes and mutations in large-scale sequencing studies. In conclusion, our comprehensive study indicated the significant role of PPI interface DNMs in developmental delay pathogenicity.

This review summarises the main numerical models of fuel droplet heating and evaporation (DHE) in combustion engines across the different scales by accessing the nano/micro, meso and macroscopic fluid elements. The phenomena of multi-physics, multi-scale and multi-phase fluid flow and heat transfer are fully investigated when the fuel droplet (dodecane) is heating and evaporated into a background gas (nitrogen) crossing the liquid-vapour (LV) interface, kinetic region (i.e., Knudsen layer) and the bulk regions of liquid and gas in terms of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, kinetic theory modelling (i.e., direct numerical solutions of Boltzmann equations) and convectional fluid dynamics approach, respectively. The evaporation coefficient of fuel evaporating molecules and their velocity distributions at the LV interface derived from MD simulations formulate a new kinetic boundary condition (KBC). Moreover, a novel kinetic model considering the inelastic collision between fuel molecules alongside the new KBC enables us to describe the non-equilibrium gas dynamics of fuel vapour and gas mixture in Knudsen layer (KL). Heat and mass flux analysis of the fuel droplet under combustion engine conditions can be accurately assessed by implementing the inelastic collision between fuel molecules in KL and a temperature-dependent evaporation coefficient at the LV interface into DHE. The surface temperature of fuel droplet and its evaporation time, which play a significant role in resolving the ignition delay and hence the combustion phasing in engines, can also be well estimated. The multi-scale modelling of fuel DHE will make significantly potential input into the cleaner engine targeting the low-carbon emissions and enhance the capability of the existing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solvers.

Functional connectivity (FC) is a potential candidate that can increase the performance of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) in the elderly because of its compensatory role in neural circuits. However, it is difficult to decode FC by current machine learning techniques because of a lack of its physiological understanding. To investigate the suitability of FC in BCI for the elderly, we propose the decoding of lower- and higher-order FCs using a convolutional neural network (CNN) in six cognitive-motor tasks. The layer-wise relevance propagation (LRP) method describes how age-related changes in FCs impact BCI applications for the elderly compared to younger adults. Seventeen younger (24.5±2.7 years) and twelve older (72.5±3.2 years) adults were recruited to perform tasks related to hand-force control with or without mental calculation. CNN yielded a six-class classification accuracy of 75.3% in the elderly, exceeding the 70.7% accuracy for the younger adults. In the elderly, the proposed method increases the classification accuracy by 88.3% compared to the filter-bank common spatial pattern (FBCSP). LRP results revealed that both lower- and higher-order FCs were dominantly overactivated in the prefrontal lobe depending on task type. These findings suggest a promising application of multi-order FC with deep learning on BCI systems for the elderly.

The paper describes the Field Boundary Element Method applied to the fracture analysis of a 2D rectangular plate made of Functionally Graded Material to calculate Mode I Stress Intensity Factor. The object of the Field Boundary Element Method is the transversely isotropic plane plate. Its material presents an exponential variation of the elasticity tensor depending on a scalar function of position, i.e., the elastic tensor results from multiplying a scalar function by a constant taken as a reference. Several examples using a parametric representation of the structural response show the suitability of the method that constitutes a sight of Stress Intensity Factor evaluation of Functionally Graded Materials plane plates even in the case of more complex geometries.

With global warming and accelerated degradation of permafrost, the engineering problems caused by the formation of weak zones between the shallow and permafrost layers of soil–rock mixture (S-RM) slopes in permafrost regions have become increasingly prominent. To explore the influence of rock content on the shear strength of the S-RM freezing–thawing interface, the variation in the shear strength for different rock content is studied herein using direct shear tests. In addition, a 3D laser scanner is used for obtaining the topography of the shear failure surface. Combined with the analysis results of the shear band-particle calculation model, the influence of the rock content on the shear strength of the interface is explored. It was found that the impact threshold of the rock content on the interface strength and failure mode is approximately 30%, when the rock content (R) is &gt; 30% and that the shear strength increases rapidly with increasing rock content. When R ≤ 30%, the actual shear plane is similar to waves; when R &gt; 30%, the shear plane appears as gnawing failure. The shear strength of S-RM freezing–thawing interface mainly comes from the bite force and friction between particles. The main reason for the increase in shear strength with increasing rock content is the increase in bite force between particles, which makes the ratio of bite force to friction force approximately 1:1.

In this article, we report the generation of alternating current by application of constant and ramping DC voltages across oil-water interfaces. The work reported here can be broadly divided into two parts depending on the shapes of oil-water interfaces i.e. flattened and curved. In the first part, an alternating current of ~100 nA (amplitude)was generated by applying a constant DC voltage of -3V& above across a free standing and flattened oil-water interface.In another part, an alternating current of ~150 nA (amplitude) was generated by applying a ramping up DC voltage starting from -5V to 5V, then again ramping back down to -5V for the free standing and curved interface. The suggested qualitative mechanism that engenders such a phenomenon includes the oil-water interface acting like a membrane. This membrane oscillates due to the electrophoretic movement of ions present in aqueous phase by application of a DC voltage across the interface.This electrophoretic movement of ions across oil-water interfaces causes the Faraday instabilities leading to oscillations of the said interface.This method could also be used to study the stress levels in the interfacial films between two immiscible liquids. It explores more-than-Moore’s paradigm by finding a substitute to a conventional alternator/inverter that generates alternating current upon applying DC voltage input. This work would be of substantial interest to researchers exploring alternatives to conventional AC generators that can be used in liquid environments and in the design of novel integrated circuits that could be used for unconventional computing applications.

There always exist steel cuttings, holes and cracks at the interfaces in the explosive composite plate. Multi-pass friction stir processing (M-FSP) is proposed in this research to optimize the interface microstructure and the interface connection for 1060Al/Q235 explosive composite plate. Results show that the microstructures of 1060Al after M-FSP are fine and uniform owing to the strong stirring effect and recrystallization. Micro-defects formed by the explosive welding can be repaired by the M-FSP. However, M-FSP can also form tunnel defects in the aluminum, especially when the passes are one and two. The melting block and the melting lump in the composite plates are easy to become source of crack. The shear strengths and the bending properties for the 1060Al/Q235 explosive composite plate after M-FSP are the best when the passes are three, with the tool rotation speed of 1200rpm and the forward speed of 60mm/min. The optimized interfaces for the explosive composite plate after M-FSP are mainly by the metallurgical bondings, with a certain thickness and are discontinuous. Therefore, the crack extension stress is the largest and the mechanical properties are the best.

Two extreme wind-driven wildfire events impacted northern and southern California in late 2017 leading to 46 fatalities and thousands of structures lost. This study describes the meteorological and climatological factors that drove and enabled these wildfire events and quantifies the rarity of such conditions over the observational record. Both extreme wildfire events featured fire-weather metrics that were unprecedented in the observational record in addition to a sequence of climatic conditions that preconditioned fuels. The North Bay fires that affected portions of northern California in early October occurred coincident with strong downslope winds. The vast majority of the fires’ devastating effects and acres burned occurred overnight and within the first twelve hours of ignition. By contrast, the southern California fires of December were characterized by the longest Santa Ana wind event on record and included the largest wildfire in California’s history. Both fire events occurred following an exceptionally wet winter that was preceded by the drought of record in California. Fuels were further preconditioned as the warmest summer and autumn on record occurred in northern and southern California, respectively. Accelerated curing of fuels coupled with the delayed onset of autumn precipitation allowed for critically low dead fuel moisture leading up to the foehn wind events. Fire weather conditions were well forecasted several days prior to the fire. However, the rarity of fire-weather conditions that occurred in the wildland urban interface, along with other societal factors were key contributors to wildfire impacts to communities.

To improve the interfacial bonding of sisal fiber reinforced polylactide biocomposites, polylactide (PLA) and sisal fibers (SF) were melt-blended to fabricate bio-based composites via in situ reactive interfacial compatibilization with the addition of an epoxy-functionalized oligomer (ADR). The FTIR analysis and SEM characterization demonstrated that PLA molecular chain was bonded to the fiber surface and epoxy-functionalized oligomer played a hinge-like role between sisal fibers and PLA matrix, which resulted in improved interfacial adhesion between fibers and PLA matrix. The interfacial reaction and microstructures of composites were further investigated by thermal and rheological analyses, which indicated that the mobility of the PLA molecular chain in composites was restricted because of the introduction of ADR oligomer, which in turn reflected the improved interfacial interaction between SF and PLA matrix. These conclusions were further investigated by the calculated activation energies of glass transition relaxation (△Ea) of composites via dynamic mechanical analysis. The mechanical properties of PLA/SF composites were simultaneously reinforced and toughened via addition of ADR oligomer. The interfacial interaction and structure-properties relationship of composites are key points of this study.

An effective method to inspect inaccessible nuclear power facility by interface wave which propagate along the shrink fit boundary of reactor head is proposed in this study. Reactor head is relatively thick to inspect from the outside of reactor by conventional ultrasonic testing. The proposed interface wave can propagate a long distance from the fixed transducer position. The inside of nuclear reactor is limited to access due to the high radiation, so transducers are located at outside of nuclear facility and interface wave propagates into the nuclear reactor for defect detection. The numerical simulation and experiments were carried out to validate the effectiveness of the proposed interface wave inspection method. Various defect cases simulating field failures are also presented with satisfactory detectability by the proposed technique with the features for defect classification.

The paper presents a study of two novel visual motion onset stimulus-based brain–computer interfaces (vmoBCI). Two settings are compared with afferent and efferent to a computer screen center motion patterns. Online vmoBCI experiments are conducted in an oddball event–related potential (ERP) paradigm allowing for “aha–responses” decoding in EEG brainwaves. A subsequent stepwise linear discriminant analysis classification (swLDA) classification accuracy comparison is discussed based on two inter–stimulus–interval (ISI) settings of 700 and 150 ms in two online vmoBCI applications with six and eight command settings. A research hypothesis of classification accuracy non–significant differences with various ISIs is confirmed based on the two settings of 700 ms and 150 ms, as well as with various numbers of ERP response averaging scenarios.The efferent in respect to display center visual motion patterns allowed for a faster interfacing and thus they are recommended as more suitable for the no–eye–movements requiring visual BCIs.

Computer and Smart Device-assisted Learning (CSDL) has gained increasing attention from educational researchers and practitioners in recent years. However, it remains controversial whether student can benefit from CSDL and what moderator could affect the impact of CSDL. Within the specific context of Korea, where the interest in digital education is steadily increasing, the number of empirical studies exploring the causal effect of CSDL remains relatively scarce. The primary objective of this empirical study was to investigate the impact of CSDL on students' academic achievement in Korea. To achieve this objective, a two-way fixed effect model was employed, utilizing a panel dataset spanning three years derived from the 'Korean Education Longitudinal Study 2013'. The findings revealed a significant positive impact of CSDL on students’ Mathematics achievement. Notably, higher income levels, increased availability of computer resources provided by schools, and the implementation of more individualized education were identified as factors that moderate the effect of CSDL on students' achievement levels in Korean and English subjects. These findings underscore the need for an approach that optimizes the educational benefits of CSDL by considering subject-specific characteristics. Furthermore, this study highlights the importance of allocating educational resources, such as computers and smart devices, and integrating individualized educational activities within the classroom environment.

This study presents the solution of the second type of a two-dimensional nonlinear integral equation in Banach space. Also, the existence and uniqueness of this equation’s solution are discussed. We utilize a numerical approach involving hybrid and block-pulse functions to obtain the approximate solution of a two-dimensional nonlinear integral equation. Nonlinear integral equation in two dimensions is reduced numerically to a system of nonlinear algebraic equations that can be solved using numerical methods. This study focuses on showing the convergence analysis for the numerical approach and obtaining an error estimate. Some numerical examples have been provided to demonstrate the approach’s viability and efficacy

Serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) using an X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) enables determination of room-temperature structures without causing radiation damage. Using an optical pump-probe or mix-and-injection, SFX enables the intermediate state visualization of a molecular reaction. In SFX experiments, serial and stable microcrystal delivery to the X-ray interaction point is vital for reasonable data collection and efficient beam time. The Pohang Accelerator Laboratory X-ray Free Electron Laser (PAL-XFEL) facility established SFX instruments at a nanocrystallography and coherent imaging (NCI) experimental station. Various sample delivery methods, including injection, fixed-target scanning, and hybrid methods, have been developed and applied to collect XFEL diffraction data. Herein, we review the currently available sample delivery methods for SFX at the NCI experimental station at the PAL-XFEL. This article will help PAL-XFEL users access the SFX system for their experiments.

The study uses annual time series data from the South Africa Reverse Bank (SARB) from 1980 to 2020 to examine the effectiveness of fiscal policy on economic growth in South Africa. The Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) and Phillips-Perron (PP) unit root tests, as well as the Johansen Co-integration test, Granger causality test, and Vector Auto-Regression (VAR) method, were used in the study. Real GDP per capita (RGDP) is used as proxy of economic growth and gross fixed capital formation (GFCF), government expenditure (GEXP) and government deficit (GOVD) as the proxies of fiscal policy. The ADF test results show that all variables are stationary at the first difference, with the exception of GFCF and GEXP, which are stationary at I(0), whereas the PP test results show that all variables are stationary at I(1), with the exception of GEXP, which is stationary at I(0). At Maximum Eigenvalue, the four variables are not cointegrated. The findings of the Granger causality test demonstrated a unidirectional causation from GOVD to RGDP, as well as a bidirectional causality from RGDP to GFCF and GEXP. Error Correction Model Estimated using VAR shows that GFCF, GEXP have positive effect on RGDP whereas GOVD has a negative effect on RGDP in the short run. The findings also presented that the VAR's residuals are homoscedastic, which means they are normally distributed and have no serial correlation.

We analyze the modular geometry of the variable exponent Lebesgue space L^p(.). We show that L^p(.) possesses a modular uniform convexity property. Part of the novelty is that the property holds even in the case supp(x) = ∞ . We present specific applications to fixed point theory. xÆΩ

In this paper, we prove some random fixed point theorems for generalized random $\alpha-\psi-$contractive mappings in a Polish space and, as some applications, we show the existence of random solutions of second order random differential equation.

The objective of this paper is to investigate the debonding behavior of the interface between continuously and discontinuously fiber reinforced thermoplastics using the climbing drum peel test. The study emphasizes the importance of considering different climatic boundary conditions due to the properties of thermoplastics. Specimens with varying moisture contents are prepared and tested. It is observed that an increase in moisture content initially results in a higher fracture surface energy being required to separate the two materials, but a further increase results in a decrease of the required energy. The study presents an explanatory model of increasing plasticization of the polymer due to increased polymer chain mobility, which results in more deformation energy being required to propagate the crack. The experiment is also modeled numerically for the first time with cohesive surfaces, which successfully reproduces the force-displacement curve in the experiment.

Particle-mediated elasticity/viscoelasticity imaging has potential to expand the elasticity imaging field, as it can provide accurate and local tissue elastic properties as well as density, Poisson’s ratio, and viscosity. Here, we investigated elasticity imaging based on the use of small particles located within the tissue and at the tissue interface exposed to a static and dynamic external load. First, we discuss elasticity/viscoelasticity imaging methods based on the use of particles (bubbles and rigid spheres) located within the tissue. Elasticity/viscoelasticity imaging techniques based on the use of particles (bubbles, rigid and soft spheres) located at the tissue interface are then presented. Based on new advances, we updated some of the models for the responses of the particles located within the tissue and at the tissue interface available in the literature. Finally, we compared the mathematical models for the particles located within the tissue and at the tissue interface and evaluated the elasticity/viscoelasticity imaging methods based on the use of small particles. Therefore, instead of the use of the term elasticity imaging, we suggest the use of the term viscoelasticity imaging.

In this paper, we propose an imagined speech-based brain wave pattern recognition using deep learning. Multiple features were extracted concurrently from eight-channel Electroencephalography (EEG) signals. To obtain classifiable EEG data with fewer number of sensors, we placed the EEG sensors on carefully selected spots on the scalp. To decrease the dimensions and complexity of the EEG dataset and to avoid overfitting during the deep learning algorithm, we utilized the wavelet scattering transformation. A low-cost 8-channel EEG headset was used with MATLAB 2023a to acquire the EEG data. The Long-Short Term Memory Recurrent Neural Network (LSTM-RNN) was used to decode the identified EEG signals into four audio commands: Up, Down, Left, and Right. Wavelet scattering transformation was applied to extract the most stable features by passing the EEG dataset through a series of filtration processes. Filtration has been implemented for each individual command in the EEG datasets. The proposed imagined speech-based brain wave pattern recognition approach achieved a 92.50% overall classification accuracy. This accuracy is promising for designing a trustworthy imagined speech-based Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) future real-time systems. For better evaluation of the classification performance, other metrics were considered, and we obtained 92.74%, 92.50% and 92.62% for precision, recall, and F1-score, respectively.