The ability to detect the presence as well as classify the activities of individuals behind visually obscuring structures is of significant benefit to police, security and emergency services in many situations. This paper presents the analysis from a series of experimental results generated using a through-the-wall (TTW) Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) C-Band radar system named Soprano. The objective of this analysis was to classify whether an individual was carrying an item in both hands or not using micro-Doppler information from a FMCW sensor. The radar was deployed at a standoff distance, of approximately 0.5 m, outside a residential building and used to detect multiple people walking within a room. Through the application of digital filtering, it was shown that significant suppression of the primary wall reflection is possible, significantly enhancing the target signal to clutter ratio. Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) signal processing techniques were then applied to the micro-Doppler signatures from different individuals. Features from the SVD information have been used to classify whether the person was carrying an item or walking free handed. Excellent performance of the classifier was achieved in this challenging scenario with accuracies up to 94%, suggesting that future through wall radar sensors may have the ability to reliably recognize many different types of activities in TTW scenarios using these techniques.

Continuous in-home monitoring of older adults living alone aims to improve their quality of life and independence, by detecting early signs of illness and functional decline or emergency conditions. To meet requirements for technology acceptance by seniors (unobtrusiveness, non-intrusiveness, privacy-preservation), this study presents and discusses a new smart sensor system for the detection of abnormalities during daily activities, based on ultra-wideband radar providing rich, not privacy-sensitive, information useful for sensing both cardiorespiratory and body movements, regardless of ambient lighting conditions and physical obstructions (through-wall sensing). The radar sensing is a very promising technology, enabling the measurement of vital signs and body movements at a distance, and thus meeting both requirements of unobtrusiveness and accuracy. In particular, impulse-radio ultra-wideband radar has attracted considerable attention in recent years thanks to many properties that make it useful for assisted living purposes. The proposed sensing system, evaluated in meaningful assisted living scenarios by involving 30 participants, exhibited the ability to detect vital signs, to discriminate among dangerous situations and activities of daily living, and to accommodate individual physical characteristics and habits. The reported results show that vital signs can be detected also while carrying out daily activities or after a fall event (post-fall phase), with accuracy varying according to the level of movements, reaching up to 95% and 91% in detecting respiration and heart rates, respectively. Similarly, good results were achieved in fall detection by using the micro-motion signature and unsupervised learning, with sensitivity and specificity greater than 97% and 90%, respectively.

A problem with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is that, due to the poor penetrating action of electromagnetic waves inside solid bodies, the capability to observe inside distributed targets is precluded. Under these conditions, imaging action is provided only on the surface of distributed targets. The present work describes an imaging method based on the analysis of micro-movements on the Khnum-Khufu Pyramid, which are usually generated by background seismic waves. The results obtained prove to be very promising, as high-resolution full 3D tomographic imaging of the pyramid's interior and subsurface was achieved. Khnum-Khufu becomes transparent like a crystal when observed in the micro-movement domain. Based on this novelty, we have completely reconstructed internal objects, observing and measuring structures that have never been discovered before. The experimental results are estimated by processing series of SAR images from the second-generation Italian COSMO-SkyMed satellite system, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Hand and arm gesture recognition using radio frequency (RF) sensing modality proves valuable in man-machine interface and smart environment. In this paper, we use time series analysis method for accurately measuring the similarity of the micro-Doppler (MD) signatures between the training and test data, thus providing improved gesture classification. We characterize the MD signatures by the maximum instantaneous Doppler frequencies depicted in the spectrograms. In particular, we apply the dynamic time warping (DTW) method and compare its performance with that of the long short-term memory (LSTM) network. Both methods take into account the values as well as the temporal evolution and trends of time series data. It is shown that the DTW method achieves high gesture classification rates and is robust to time misalignment.

In this paper, the technical aspects of a multi-lidar instrument, the long-range WindScanner system, will be presented accompanied by an overview of the results from several field campaigns. The long-range WindScanner system consists of three spatially separated coherent Doppler scanning lidars and a remote master computer that coordinates them. The lidars were carefully engineered to perform arbitrary and time controlled scanning trajectories. Their wireless coordination via the master computer allows achieving and maintaining lidars’ synchronization within ten milliseconds. As a whole, the long-range WindScanner system can measure an entire wind field by emitting and directing three laser beams to intersect, and then by moving the beam intersection over the points of interest. The long-range WindScanner system was developed to tackle the need for high-quality observations of wind fields from scales of modern wind turbine and wind farms. It has been in operation since 2013.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) represent a heterogeneous population of small vesicles, consisting of a phospholipidic bilayer surrounding a soluble interior cargo. Almost all cell types release EVs, thus they are naturally present in all body fluids. Among the several potential applications, EVs could be used as drug delivery vehicles in disease treatment, in immune therapy because of their immunomodulatory properties and in regenerative medicine. In addition to general markers, EVs are characterized by the presence of specific biomarkers (proteins, miRNAs) that allow the identification of their cell- or tissue-origin. For these features, they represent a potential powerful diagnostic tool to monitor state and progression of specific diseases. As regards, a large body of studies supports the idea that endothelial derived (EMPs) together with platelet-derived microparticles (PMPs) are deeply involved in the pathogenesis of diseases characterized by micro- and macrovascular damages, including diabetes. Existing literature suggests that the detection of circulating EMPs and PMPs and their specific miRNA profile may represent a very useful non-invasive signature to achieve informations about the onset of peculiar disease manifestations. In this Review, we discuss the possible utility of EVs in the early diagnosis of diabetes-associated microvascular complications, specifically related to kidney.

An exhaustive list of thirteen instances of reports confirming experimentally the relativistic Doppler relation, are examined. For those involving longitudinal Doppler, the non-relativistic relation is seen to be confirmed, within the reported experimental accuracies, to the same degree as the standard relativistic relation. Higher values of the speed of the emitter would be required to examine further the claimed confirmations. For those reports involving saturation spectroscopy, there is much confusion over the appropriate Doppler relation to be used, together with some serious analytical flaws. For the two cases that involve transverse Doppler, there are seen to be either serious faults in the theoretical part, or intrusion from the first order effect. Therefore, the reported conclusions - that the results for the experiments confirm the relativistic SR relation - cannot be justified by any of the experimental works.

It has been shown that the Micro-Rain Radar (MRR) can be used to derive rainfall rates every 10 m over a depth of 1.28 km using the mean vertical air velocity corrected Doppler raindrop fall speed spectra. Furthermore, it has been shown that by assuming a reasonable advection velocity for the rain, these data can be analyzed to produce spatial radial power spectra often readily fit using a power function. Previous work has shown, however, that each spectrum applies only to each particular set of data and usually lacks the statistical qualifications necessary to be considered generally applicable. However, this limitation does not preclude the potential existence of other generalizations that can be used to explore the rainfall formation processes. The intent of this study, then, is to perform an initial look for such possible behaviors using time-height profiles of the rainfall rate. It is found that once the rainfall rate, R, exceeds about 20 mm h-1, there is, apparently, an associated flattening of the spectra with increasing R so that the smaller scales play an ever increasingly important role in such rain near the ground perhaps reflecting the increasing importance of such scales in the formation of pockets of more intense convective rain. The true generality of this finding needs additional scrutiny using more data particularly from two spatially separated MRR as is currently under preparation.

A realistic approach for gathering high-resolution observation of the rainfall rate, R, in the vertical plane is to use data from vertical pointing Doppler radars. After accounting for the vertical air velocity and attenuation, it is possible to determine the fine, spatially resolved drop size spectra and to calculate R for further statistical analyses. The first such results in a vertical plane are reported here. Specifically, we present results using MRR-Pro Doppler radar observations at resolutions of ten meters in height over the lowest 1.28 km as well as ten seconds in time over four sets of observations using two different radars at different locations. Both correlation functions and power spectra are useful for translating observations and numerical model outputs of R from on one scale down to other scales that may be more appropriate to particular applications such as flood warnings and soil erosion, for example. However, it was found in all cases that while locally applicable radial power spectra could be calculated, because of statistical heterogeneity, most of the power spectra lost all generality and proper correlation functions could not be computed in general except for one 17 minute interval. Nevertheless, these results are still useful since they could be combined to develop catalogs of power spectra over different meteorological conditions and in different climatological settings and locations. Furthermore, even within the limitations of these data, this approach is being used to gain a deeper understanding of rainfall to be reported in a forthcoming paper.

It is important to understand the statistical-physical structure of the rain in the vertical so that observations aloft can be translated meaningfully into what will occur at the surface. In order to achieve this understanding, it is necessary to gather high temporal and spatial resolution observations of rain in the vertical. This can only be accomplished using radars. It can be achieved by translating radar Doppler spectra into drop size distributions which can then be integrated to calculate variables such as the rain fall rate. A long-standing difficulty in using such measurements, however, is the problem of vertical air motion which can shift the Doppler spectra, and, therefore, significantly alter the deduced drop size distributions and integrated variables. In this work, we illustrate the improvement in measured rain structures using a new approach for removing the effect of mean vertical air motion. It is demonstrated that the new approach proposed here not only produces what appear to be better estimates of the rainfall rates, but, also as a consequence, provides estimates of the temporal and spatial regionally coherent updraft and downdrafts occurring in the precipitation. Furthermore, the technique is readily applicable to other radars especially those operating at non-attenuating frequencies.

This work presents the results of the experimental and theoretical study of the static pull-in of tilting actuation executed by a hybrid levitation micro-actuator (HLMA) based on the combination of inductive levitation and electrostatic actuation. A semi-analytical model to study such the pull-in phenomenon is developed, for the first time, as a result of using the qualitative technique based on the Lagrangian approach to analyze inductive contactless suspensions presented in work and a recent progress in the calculation of mutual inductance and force between two circular filaments. The obtained non-linear model, accounting for two degrees of freedom of the actuator, allows us to predict accurately the static pull-in displacement and voltage. The results of modelling were verified experimentally and agree well with measurements.

Abstract: Doppler renal resistive index (RRI) has been used for several decades as a potential indi-cator for renal disease and progression. In recent years, RRI has emerged as a useful prognostic indicator for a range of co-morbidities in patients who are acutely unwell and as a potential marker for sub-clinical acute kidney injury (AKI) and post procedural AKI risk. Despite this, the clinical and theoretical determinants of RRI are poorly understood and remain contentious. Method: A narrative review of studies exploring the theoretical, experimental, and clinical evidence for factors affecting RRI. No date restrictions were set. Findings: Both experimental and clinical data confirm that RRI is markedly affected by a range of systemic and renal determinants and is influenced closely by the underlying risk factors and sys-temic vascular changes that lead to progressive renal damage. Discussion: This paper provides an overview of the key haemodynamic determinants of renal re-sistive index and aims to clarify their relative importance. With reference to a simplified theoretical model, evidence from experimental and clinical studies is reviewed. Pathophysiological factors and patient characteristics that influence RRI are explored to provide a better understanding of why RRI values change in the presence of common or complex pathologies. Conclusion: By gaining a better understanding of the complex systemic and renal factors that influ-ence RRI, ultrasound users will be better prepared to understand and interpret changes in RRI across a range of patient presentations.

The extra precession of Mercury - 42.9 seconds of arc per century - explained by General Relativity (GR), is the result of a secular addition of 5.02 × 10⁻⁷ rad. at the end of every orbit around the Sun. We will analyze, the instantaneous precession and its addition along one orbit, determine the magnitude and oscillations around the mean value, comparing key theoretical proposals. This angular precession, should be the result reaction of Mercury to the gravitoelectric action produced by the geometric curve space-time at each single point of the elliptic orbit. The better we should know about this instantaneous precession, the better we will determine the external action and its quantum core nature, if that is the case. The Doppler tracking of the MESSENGER spacecraft, produces only 1 m error, enough precision to deduce the complete geodesic orbit of Mercury as an open free-fall path, isolated from other planets gravitational interference. The aim of this article is also to encourage JPL, IMCCE. and other scientific teams to do so because, as far as I know, it has not been entirely measured yet, by accurately tracking that motion.

Due to the non-contact measurement characteristics of trackside acoustic technology, it is now utilized for train bearing fault diagnosis. However, the relative motion between the train and the trackside acoustic detection device introduces Doppler aberration in the collected acoustic signal, which affects bearing fault diagnosis. Moreover, when a fault occurs in the train bearing, its acoustic signal exhibits cyclic smoothness characteristics that can be effectively analyzed using the cyclic smoothness method for more accurate judgment. In order to minimize diagnostic errors and enhance accuracy in bearing fault diagnosis, this study integrates bearing fault characteristics with Doppler aberration correction methods and cyclic smoothness techniques for current-stage bearings diagnostics. The overall time-domain graph becomes more compact with an approximately 50% increase in amplitude after correction compared to pre-correction values; other parameters experience enhancements ranging from 20-60%. These results validate the feasibility of our proposed approach and establish a framework for conducting bearing fault diagnosis based on cyclically smoothed Doppler aberration correction.

The possibility to test a radio frequency transceiver through the use of appropriate channel emulators allows to evaluate their performance under various operating conditions. Many systems are able to operate with a relatively limited instantaneous bandwidth by applying known statistical models. Sometimes it is necessary to evaluate the performance of a RF transceiver installed on high or very high speed platforms over predictable trajectories using optionally DEMs (Digital Elevation Models)data of the terrain to estimate the number of stimulated paths and their contributions during the flight. When the instantaneous bandwidth of the signal becomes high (over several hundred of MHz), one of the most important phenomenon to consider is the Doppler spread induced by the channel and traditional narrowband models become unuseful. In this paper there are presented some results when a time expansion is adopted in order to emulate the transceiver dynamic and the consequent Doppler spread with the aim to control the spectral purity of the emulated propagation channel.

While laminar flow heat transfer and mixing in microfluidic geometries has been investigated experimentally, as has the effect of geometry-induced turbulence in microfluidic flow (it is well documented that turbulence increases convective heat transfer in macrofluidic flow), little literature exists investigating the effect of electrokinetically-induced turbulence on heat transfer at the micro scale. Using recently observed experimental data, this work employed computational fluid dynamics coupled with electromagnetic simulations to determine if electrokinetically-forced, low-Reynolds number turbulence could be observed in a rectangular microchannel with using Newtonian fluids. Analysis of the results was done via comparison to the experimental criteria defined for turbulent flow. This work shows that, even with a simplified simulation setup, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software can produce results comparable to experimental observations of low-Reynolds turbulence in microchannels using Newtonian fluids. In addition to comparing simulated velocities and turbulent energies to experimental data this work also presents initial data on the effects of electrokinetic forcing on microfluidic flow based on entropy generation rates.

We present a new study of Jupiter atmosphere’s dynamics using for the first time the extremely high resolution capabilities of VLT/ESPRESSO to retrieve wind velocities in Jupiter’s troposphere, with a dedicated ground-based Doppler velocimetry method. These results are complemented by a deeper analysis of Cassini data during its flyby of Jupiter in December 2000, performing cloud tracking at visible wavelengths, obtaining a more comprehensive dynamical interpretation. We explore the effectiveness of this new method to measure winds in Jupiter, using high resolution spectroscopy data obtained from ESPRESSO observations performed in July 2019, with a Doppler velocimetry method based on back scattered solar radiation in the visible range. Coupled with our ground based results, we retrieved a latitudinal and longitudinal profile of Jupiter’s winds along select bands of the atmosphere. Comparing the results between cloud tracking methods, based on previous reference observations, and our new Doppler velocimetry approach we found a good agreement between them, demonstrating the eectiveness of this technique. The winds obtained in this exploratory study have a two-fold relevance: they contribute for the temporal and spatial variability study of Jupiter troposphere’s dynamics, and also the results presented here validate this Doppler technique to study the dynamics of Jupiter’s atmosphere and pave the way for further exploration of a broader region of Jupiter’s disk for a more comprehensive retrieval of winds and to evaluate their spatial and temporal variability.

Pimobendan is an inotropic and vasodilator drug with no sympathomimetic effects. This study aimed to evaluate the haemodynamic effects of pimobendan during anaesthesia in healthy senior dogs. A prospective, randomised, triple-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical study was conducted. Thirty-three dogs (median [range]: 9 [7, 12] years) were anaesthetised for surgical procedures. Dogs were randomly allocated into two groups: eighteen dogs received pimobendan 0.15 mg kg-1 IV (PIMOBENDAN) and 15, saline solutions 0.2 ml kg-1 IV (PLACEBO). Data were recorded before, 1 minute, 10 minutes and 20 minutes after injection. Velocity-time integral (VTI), peak-velocity (PV) and mean-acceleration (MA) were measured using an oesophageal Doppler monitor (ODM). Heart rate and mean arterial pressure were also registered. Data were analysed using a two-way ANOVA for trimmed means. Statistical differences were considered if p < 0.05. Twenty minutes after injection, VTI (13.0 cm [10.4, 22.3]), PV (95.0 [83.0, 160] m sec-1), and MA (12.6 [9.40, 17.0] m sec-2) were higher in PIMOBENDAN when compared to PLACEBO (VTI: 10.5 [6.50, 17.4] cm, PV: 80.0 [62.0, 103] m sec-1 and MA: 10.2 [7.00, 16.0] m sec-2). No differences were observed in the rest of the variables. Using pimobendan during anaesthesia increases VTI, PV and MA measured by an ODM.

Surface velocity is traditionally measured with in situ techniques such as velocity probes (in shallow rivers) or Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (in deeper water). In the last years, researchers have developed remote sensing techniques, both optical (e.g., image-based velocimetry techniques) and microwave (e.g., Doppler radar). These techniques can be deployed from Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), which ensure fast and low-cost surveys also in remotely-accessible locations. We compare the results obtained with a UAS-borne Doppler radar and UAS-borne Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) in different rivers, which presented different hydraulic–morphological conditions (width, slope, surface roughness and sediment material). The Doppler radar was a commercial 24 GHz instrument, developed for static deployment, adapted for UAS integration. PIV was applied with natural seeding (e.g., foam, debris) when possible, or with artificial seeding (woodchips) in the stream where the density of natural particles was insufficient. PIV reconstructed the velocity profile with high accuracy typically in the order of a few cm s⁻¹ and a coefficient of determination (R²) typically larger than 0.7 (in half of the cases larger than 0.85), when compared with acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) or velocity probe, in all investigated rivers. However, UAS-borne Doppler radar measurements show low reliability because of UAS vibrations, large instrument sampling footprint, large required sampling time and difficult-to-interpret quality indicators suggesting that additional research is needed to measure surface velocity from UAS-borne Doppler radar.

Pencil-beam Doppler scatterometers are a promising remote sensing tool for measuring ocean vector winds and currents from space. While several point designs exist in the literature, these designs have been constrained by the hardware they inherited, and the design is sub-optimal. Here, I present guidelines to optimize the design of these instruments starting from the basic sensitivity equations. Unlike conventional scatterometers or pencil-beam imagers, appropriate sampling of the Doppler spectrum and optimizing the radial velocity error lead naturally to a design that incorporates a pulse-to-pulse separation and pulse length that vary with scan angle. Including this variation can improve radial velocity performance significantly and the optimal selection of system timing and bandwidth is derived. Following this, optimization of the performance based on frequency, incidence angle, antenna length, and spatial sampling strategy are considered. It is shown that antenna length influences the performance most strongly, while the errors depend only on the square root of the transmit transmit power. Finally, a set of example designs and associated performance are presented.

Ocean surface currents and winds are tightly coupled essential climate variables, and, given their short time scales, observing them at the same time and resolution is of great interest. DopplerScatt is an airborne Ka-band scatterometer that has been developed under NASA's Instrument Incubator Program (IIP) to provide a proof of concept of the feasability of measuring these variables using pencil-beam scanning Doppler scatterometry. In the first half of this paper, we present the Doppler scatterometer measurement and processing principles, paying particular attention to deriving a complete measurement error budget. Although Doppler radars have been used for the estimation of surface currents, pencil-beam Doppler Scatterometry offers challenges and opportunities that require separate treatment. The calibration of the Doppler measurement to remove platform and instrument biases has been a traditional challenge for Doppler systems, and we introduce several new techniques to mitigate these errors when conical scanning is used. The use of Ka-band for airborne Doppler scatterometry measurements is also new, and, in the second half of the paper, we examine the phenomenology of the mapping from radar cross section and radial velocity measurements to winds and surface currents. To this end, we present new Ka-band Geophysical Model Functions (GMF's) for winds and surface currents obtained from multiple airborne campaigns. We find that the wind Ka-band GMF exhibits similar dependence to wind speed as that for Ku-band scatterometers, such as QuikSCAT, albeit with much greater upwind-crosswind modulation. The surface current GMF at Ka-band is significantly different from that at C-band, and, above 4.5 m/s has a weak dependence on wind speed, although still dependent on wind direction. We examine the effects of Bragg-wave modulation by long waves through a Modululation Transfer Function (MTF), and show that the observed surface current dependence on winds is consistent with past Ka-band MTF observations. Finally, we provide a preliminary validation of our geophysical retrievals, which will be expanded in subsequent publications. Our results indicate that Ka-band Doppler scatterometry could be a feasible method for wide-swath simultaneous measurements of winds and currents from space.

Micro-technology has played a substantial role in bioscience, biomedical and biotechnological research due to its core advantages in modern science and engineering. It has created unique development in various sectors of bio-research and upsurges the efficacy of research at the molecular level in recent years. Microfluidic technology makes it possible to manipulate sample volumes at the micro- and nano-level (called nanofluidics) with terrific control outside in vivo cellular microenvironment, enabling the reduction of discrepancies between in vivo and in vitro environments as well as reducing reaction time and cost. In this review, we discuss various effective integrations of microfluidic technologies into biotechnology and its paradigmatic significance in bio-research, supporting mechanical and chemical in vitro cellular micro-environment. Specific innovations relating to the application of microfluidics to advance microbial life, solitary and co-cultures along with a multiple-type cell culturing, cellular communications, cellular interactions and population dynamics are discussed.

This prospective study aimed to evaluate the ability of point-of-care Doppler ultrasound measurements of carotid-corrected flow time and changes in corrected carotid flow time (FTc) induced by volume expansion to predict fluid responsiveness in patients undergoing robot-assisted gynecological surgery in a modified head-down lithotomy position. FTc was measured using Doppler images of the common carotid artery before and after volume expansion. The stroke volume index at each time point was recorded using the MostCare instrument. Fluid responsiveness was defined as a stroke volume index ≥10% increase after volume expansion. Half (50%) of the 52 patients responded positively. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves measured to predict fluid responsiveness for the corrected carotid flow time and changes in the FTc were 0.82 [95% confidence interval:0.705–0.937; P < 0.0001] and 0.67 (95% confidence interval:0.520–0.815; P < 0.05), respectively. The optimal cut-off value for the FTc and the change in FTc were 356.5 ms and 19.5 ms, respectively. FTc is a more reliable predictor of fluid responsiveness than FTc induced by volume expansion in gynecological patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery in the modified head-down lithotomy position.

Ultrasonography is a relevant diagnostic tool extensively used andrology of human and do-mestic animals, including dogs. The present review aimed to describe all the technologies based on ultrasound, starting with the basic B-Mode ultrasonography to the recent contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) and the ultrasound elastography, available to assess the testicle of the dog. The principles of the different technologies and the relevant findings in normal and ab-normal testicular conditions were described and discussed. B-mode ultrasonography aims at the examination of the testis detecting focal lesions but lacks objectivization. Other technologies, such as Doppler ultrasonography, B-Flow, and CEUS allow the definition of vascular patterns, that could be measured with specific applications, such as spectral Doppler or quantitative CEUS. Finally, ultrasound elastography allows the estimation of parenchyma stiffness, in both qualitatively and quantitatively manner. Ultrasound-based technologies assist the andrology in the evaluation of the testicular function and integrity, offering valuable information to define pathological conditions that could have an impact on the health and life quality of the male dog.

Hypnotizability is a cognitive trait associated with differences in the brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation of individuals with high hypnotizability (highs) and low hypnotizability scores (lows). The study investigated possible hypnotizability-related cerebrovascular differences. Among 24 healthy volunteers the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale Form A, identified 13 medium-to-lows (med-lows), 11 medium-to-highs (med-highs), 1 medium hypnotizable. Hypnotizability did not influence the significant changes produced by the trail making task (TMT), mental arithmetic task (MAT), hyperventilation (HVT) and rebreathing (RBT) on Heart rate (HR), arterial blood pressure (ABP) and partial pressure of end-tidal CO2 (PETCO2) and oxygenation (TOI); but moderated the correlations between the changes occurring during tasks with respect to basal conditions (Δ) in ABP and PETCO2 with MCAv. In HVT, med-lows exhibited a significant correlation between ΔMCAv and ΔPETCO2, med-highs showed a significant correlation between ΔABP and ΔMCAv; a significant correlation between ΔTHI and ΔTOI was observed in medium lows. Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) and conductance (ΔCVCi) were significantly correlated with ΔMCAv in med-lows during HVT and RBT. Findings represent the first assessment of hypnotizability-related differences in the mechanisms controlling the middle cerebral artery flow velocity, cerebrovascular reactivity and conductance in response to hyperventilation and rebreathing.

The controllability and consistency in the fabrication of micro-textures on large-scale remains a challenge for existing production processes. Mask electrolyte jet machining (MEJM) is an alternative to Jet-ECM for controllable and high-throughput surface microfabrication with more consistency of dimensional tolerances. This hybrid configuration combines the high-throughput of masked-ECM and the adjustable flow-field of jet-ECM. In this work, a duckbill jet nozzle was introduced to make MEJM more capable of batch micro-structuring. A multiphysics model was built to simulate the distribution of electrochemical reaction ions, the cur- rent density distribution and the evolution of the shape of the machined cavity. Experimental investigations are presented showing the influence of the machining voltage and nozzle moving speed on the micro cavity. Several 35 ×35 micro cavity arrays with a diameter of 24.92 − 11.73 µm and depth of 15.86 − 7.24 µm are generated on 304 stainless steel.

We report a 92 channel RF channelizer based on a 48.9 GHz integrated micro-comb that operates via soliton crystals, together with a passive high-Q ring resonator that acts as a periodic filter with an optical 3dB bandwidth of 121.4 MHz. We obtain an instant RF bandwidth of 8.08 GHz and 17.55 GHz achieved through temperature tuning. These results represent a major advance to achieving fully integrated photonic RF spectrum channelizers with reduced low complexity, size, and high performance for digital-compatible signal detection and broadband analog signal processing.

The steady streaming (SS) phenomenon is gaining increased attention in the microfluidics community, because it can generate net mass flow from the zero-mean vibration. We developed numerical simulation and experimental measurement tools to analyze this vibration induced flow, which has been challenging due to its unsteady nature. Validity of these analysis methods is confirmed by comparing the three-dimensional (3D) flow field induced around a cylindrical micropillar under circular vibration. In the numerical modeling, we directly solved the flow in the Lagrangian frame so that the substrate with a micropillar becomes stationary, and the result was converted to the Eulerian frame to compare them with the experimental results. The present approach enables to avoid the introduction of moving boundary or small perturbation approximation. The flow field obtained by the micro particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurement supported the three-dimensionality observed in the numerical results, which could be important for controlling the mass transport and manipulating particulate objects in the microfluidic systems.

In this paper, we present an experimental procedure to enhance the dimensional accuracy of fabrication via Stereolithography (SLA) of features at the micro-scale. Using a custom benchmark part, deviations in feature dimensions (micro-pores diameters and depths) were detected and measured by confocal microscopy. Samples characterization and experimental observations allowed the identification of inaccuracy sources, mainly due to the laser beam scanning strategy and to the incomplete removal of uncured liquid resin in post-processing (i.e., IPA washing). As a technology baseline, the measured dimensional errors on pores diameters were up to -46%. A compensation method of the nominal laser spot diameter (85m) was defined and implemented resulting in relevant improvements in dimensional accuracy of 9.8% and 11.3% on full-open pores diameter and depth, respectively. Further investigation was performed on a customized test part to adjust the calibration procedure. The measurements revealed that the estimate of the laser beam spot size is 968m. Measurements on micro-pores having different sizes revealed that a constant compensation parameter (i.e., C=85, 96, 120m) is not fully effective at the micro-scale, where average errors still remain at -24%, -18.8%, and -16% for compensations equals to 85, 96 and 120m, respectively. A further experimental campaign allowed the identification of an effective nonlinear compensation law where the compensation parameter depends on the micro-feature size C= f (D). Results show a sharp improvement in dimensional accuracy on micro-pore fabrication, with errors consistently below +8.2%. The proposed compensation method can be extended for the fabrication of any micro-features without restrictions on the specific technology implementation. Concerning the inaccuracy introduced by the laser path, experimentation with a customized part allowed the optimization of the part orientation to reduce the errors and their differences along the X and Y machine axes.

To improve the measurement accuracy of wood density and study the linear correlation between the drill feed resistance and wood density, a new micro drill instrument that can can simultaneously measure the rotation resistance and feed resistance of the drill needle was designed. The test wood samples included hardwood, softwood and conifer. The absolute dry density of each wood sample was measured. The drill resistance data was tested by using self-developed micro drill instrument and Resistogaph 650-SC. 4 linear models between drill resistance and the absolute dry density of wood . The results showed that: the statistical indicators of each model of the self-made micro drill resistance in-strument were better than the corresponding indicators of Resistogaph 650-SC; the coefficient of determination of the linear regression model between the feed resistance of the self-made micro drill resistance instrument and the absolute dry density of wood was 0.946; the statistical indicators of model including rotation resistance and feed resistance, were better than those of the model only including rotation resistance. Therefor, the design proposed in the article is reasonable, and increasing the feed resistance can improve the measurement accuracy of the micro drill resistance instrument for measuring wood density.

The kinetic energy transfer between the atmosphere and oceans, called wind work, affects ocean dynamics including near-inertial oscillations and internal gravity waves, mesoscale eddies, and large-scale zonal jets. For the most part, recent numerical estimates of global wind work amplitude are almost 5 times larger than those reported 10 years ago. This large increase is explained by the impact of the broad range of spatial and temporal scales covered by winds and currents, the smallest of which have only recently been uncovered by increasingly high resolution modeling efforts. However, existing satellite observations do not fully sample this broad range of scales. The present study assesses the capabilities of ODYSEA, a conceptual satellite mission to estimate the amplitude of wind work in the global ocean. To this end, we use an ODYSEA measurement simulator fed by the outputs of a km-scale coupled ocean-atmosphere model to estimate wind work globally. Results indicate that compared with numerical truth estimates, the ODYSEA instrument performs well globally, except for latitudes north of 40∘N during summer due to unresolved storm evolution. This performance is explained by the wide-swath properties of ODYSEA (a 1,700 km wide swath with 5 km posting for winds and surface currents), its twice-a-day (daily) coverage at mid-latitudes (low latitudes), and the insensitivity of the wind work to uncorrelated errors in estimated wind and current.

Accidents and mishaps in industrial environments like construction, mining, and transport are rampant - mainly due to human negligence and improper monitoring of the workplace. In this paper, we address the safety of workers operating in dangerous environments by improving their situational awareness. According to Occupational health and safety rules, everyone must wear hard hats while on site. Our main idea is to make the hard hats smart by incorporating miniature-sized Doppler radars sensing the users’ surroundings. These Doppler radars are lightweight, rugged, and consume low-power compared to vision-based solutions. This paper discusses the observability of range from Doppler frequency measurements and the magnitude of estimation errors introduced by the human head, walking, and working motions. We present the framework to estimate the position of walls and targets surrounding the worker. For testing, we simulated an indoor environment with randomly moving workers. Experiments showed that once observability conditions are met, human head and walking movements can be handled through added noise in the system. We also present an innovative idea of using two Doppler radars to obtain the estimators’ initial estimates, reducing the estimation error to less than 5cm and convergence time by more than 80

A novel scheme that can simultaneously measure the Doppler frequency shift (DFS) and angle of arrival (AOA) of microwave signals is proposed. At the signal receiving unit (SRU), two echo signals and the reference signal are modulated by a Sagnac loop structure and sent to the central station (CS) for processing. At the CS, two low-frequency electrical signals are generated after polarization control and photoelectric conversion. The DFS without direction ambiguity and wide AOA measurement can be real-time acquired by monitoring the frequency and power of the two low-frequency electrical signals. In the simulation, an unambiguous DFS measurement with errors of ±3×10-3 Hz and a -90° to 90° AOA measurement range with errors of less than ±0.5° are realized. The safety and robustness of the system to environmental disturbance are improved, and it is more suitable for the modern electronic warfare system.

The high-resolution bistatic lidar developed at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) aims to overcome the limitations of conventional monostatic lidar technology which is widely used for wind velocity measurements in wind energy and meteorology applications. Due to the large measurement volume of a combined optical transmitter and receiver tilting in multiple directions, monostatic lidar generally has poor spatial and temporal resolution. It also exhibits large measurement uncertainty when operated in inhomogeneous flow, for instance, over complex terrain. In contrast, PTB’s bistatic lidar uses three dedicated receivers arranged around a central transmitter, resulting in an exceptionally small measurement volume. The coherent detection and modulation schemes used allow the detection of backscattered, Doppler shifted light down to the scale of single aerosols, realising the simultaneous measurement of all three wind velocity components. This paper outlines design details and the theory of operation of PTB’s bistatic lidar and provides an overview of selected comparative measurements. The results of these measurements have shown that the measurement uncertainty of PTB’s bistatic lidar is well within the measurement uncertainty of traditional cup anemometers, while being fully independent of its site and traceable to the SI units. This allows its use as a transfer standard for the calibration of other remote sensing devices. Overall, PTB’s bistatic lidar shows great potential to universally improve the capability and accuracy of wind velocity measurements, such as for the investigation of highly dynamic flow processes upstream and in the wake of wind turbines.

Observed sea surface Ka-band normalized radar backscatter cross section (NRCS) and Doppler velocity (DV) exhibit energy at low frequencies (LF) below the surface wave range. It is shown that non-linearity in NRCS-wave slope Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) and inherent NRCS averaging within the footprint account for the NRCS and DV LF variance with the exception of VV NRCS for which almost half of the LF variance is attributable to wind fluctuations. Although the distribution of radar DV is quasi-Gaussian suggesting virtually little impact of non-linearity, the LF DV variations arise due to footprint averaging of correlated local DV and non-linear NRCS. Numerical simulations demonstrate that MTF non-linearity weakly affects traditional linear MTF estimate (less than 10% for |MTF|< 20). Thus the linear MTF is a good approximation to evaluate the DV averaged over large footprints typical of satellite observations.

In this work modeling and analysis of an integrated opto-fluidic sensor, with a focus on achievement of single mode optical confinement and continuous flow of micro particles in the microfluidic channel for Lab-on-a Chip (LOC) sensing application is presented. This sensor consists of integrated optical waveguides, microfluidic channel among other integrated optical components. A continuous flow of micro particles in a narrow fluidic channel is achieved by maintaining the two sealed chambers at different temperatures and by maintaining a constant pressure of 1Pa at the centroid of narrow fluidic channel geometry. The analysis of silicon on insulator (SOI) integrated optical waveguide at an infrared wavelength of 1550nm for single mode sensing operation is presented. The optical loss is found to be 0.0005719dB/cm with an effective index of 2.2963. The model presented in this work can be effectively used to detect the nature of micro particles and continuous monitoring of pathological parameters for sensing applications.

The fetal splenic artery pulsatility index (PI) is a parameter that reflects fetal well-being and has been used as a predictor of adverse pregnancy outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of splenic artery PI in GDM class A1 cases for NICU admission. In this prospective case controlled study, only sixty single pregnancy cases diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus class A1 were evaluated. Fetal splenic artery Doppler parameters Peak systolic velocity (PSV), Pulsatility index (PI), Resistivity index (RI) and End diastolic velocity (EDV) were measured in all cases. The rate of re-quirement of need of neanoatal intensive care unit was noted. In cases with need fetal intensive care, fetal splenic PI index was found to be statistically significantly lower than in healthy cases without it (0.94 ± 0.29 vs. 1.70 ± 0.53, respectively, p

In this paper, the concept of absolute airspace is further elaborated, and the time transform effect, the frequency transform relation of clock timing, and the principle of Doppler effect of special relativistic light are analyzed and demonstrated. Based on the concept of absolute airspace, a new and accurate Doppler effect relation of light (electromagnetic wave) is proposed. It is proved that there is a synchronous relationship between the time shift effect and the frequency change of the timing inside the clock. When the light (electromagnetic wave) source is in motion, the Doppler effect includes two physical mechanisms: the frequency change caused by time transformation effect and the frequency change caused by relative motion. When the light source is in motion, the Doppler effect of the light there are some differences in different directions due to the rotation of the earth. The relation of Doppler effect of special relativistic light is only a highly approximate relation, and its theoretical basis, special relativity, is flawed in principle.

Grape dehydration is practiced widely in the food industry with large yields of sultanas produced globally. This paper proposes an investigation into grape microstructure changes as it is dried by imaging specimens at intervals during dehydration at two temperatures using scanning electron microscopy. Detailed images of the microstructure were obtained, and a unique image processing algorithm was developed to quantitatively analyse the properties of this microstructure. Two main methods were developed to obtain the complex boundaries of cells present in the grape tissue in over 36 SEM images. Segmentation of the binary image using an adapted watershed function obtained the most consistent and accurate morphological shape. This was compared to a secondary method which used Canny’s edge detection function, morphological closing and skeletonizing to outlines the cellular microstructure. MATLAB was utilised to convert these boundaries into measurable areas so that quantitative data on average cell area, perimeter and cell axis lengths was acquired. It was found that over drying time cell area and perimeter reduced as expected. Some variability in the data was clear due to only single samples being analysed for each temperature and time combination. The development of automatic image processing techniques will enable quantitative data to be extracted from these images. Trends in cell perimeter, diameter and shape will be used to demonstrate relationships between morphological structure, drying temperature, and duration.

With the increased emphasis on competition in academic settings, anxiety is becoming more common, which inevitably has some impact on students’ learning process and result. This study aimed to explore how competition-induced anxiety influences the subjective cognitive load (SCL), attention level and test score. Meanwhile, we investigated the mediating role of the behavioral inhibition system/behavioral activation system (BIS/BAS) in those processes. A total of 101 college students were recruited in Study 1 to learn five micro-lectures from massive open online courses (MOOC) under with and without competitive conditions. The results showed that participants’ state anxiety (SA) scores were higher after the experiment, participants in the competition condition had higher test scores, and the relationship between SA/ trait anxiety (TA) and SCL could be mediated by the BIS. To obtain more objective data on learning processes (attention levels), we conducted Study 2, which collected behavioral and EEG data from 42 college students during the online learning. The results showed that the competition group had higher SA, lower attention levels, and worse test scores, and the relationship between SA/TA and attention levels could be mediated through the BIS. The present study not only expands previous research by finding that BIS functioning plays an important role in the effects of anxiety on cognitive load and attention, but also offers implications for using competitive strategies to motivate students according to their aptitude.

In our day-to-day life, Lie detection has a significant concern. We human beings are very much inaccurate while detecting the liars and We believe in what we are told. Lie detection is important in today’s life, because Concealing the information or faking it can sometimes take you to huge problems. In any areas like airport management[2], criminal investigations, counterterrorism, etc this concept has great importance. It is an evergreen challenging and changing topic. This paper presents the common technique which was followed up till now and why it was not considered effective and a review of Robust solutions to detection of deception. People generally do not[3] always believe on what someone says but also try to visualize their facial expressions. While in Robust solution these facial micro-expressions are identified, which are tiny, natural expressions seen on the individual’s face, when they try to conceal or suppress emotions. In addition, the article also provides the year-wise assessment and analysis of research articles published in the area of Lie detection from 2011 to 2022. In the end, our proposed framework for lie detection system is also presented. This paper cover up current issues as well as challenges that could be helpful to resolve in future research works. The review paper closes up by supporting future directions.

Abstract: Microstructural and mechanical properties of the eutectic Sn58Bi and micro-alloyed Sn57.6Bi0.4Ag solder alloys were compared. With the addition of Ag micro-alloy, the tensile strength was improved and this is attributed to a combination of microstructure refinement and an Ag3Sn precipitation hardening mechanism. However, ductility is slightly deteriorated due to the brittle nature of the Ag3Sn intermetallic compounds (IMCs). Additionally, a board level reliability study of Ag micro-alloyed Sn58Bi solder joints produced utilising a surface-mount technology (SMT) process, were assessed under accelerated temperature cycling (ATC) conditions. Results reveal that micro-alloyed Sn57.6Bi0.4Ag has a higher characteristic lifetime with a narrower failure distribution. This enhanced reliability corresponds with improved bulk mechanical properties. It is postulated that Ag3Sn IMCs are located at the Sn-Bi phase boundaries and suppress the solder microstructure from coarsening during the temperature cycling, hereby extending the time to failure.

The tissue micro environment or milieu consists of a highly dynamic population of cellular and non-cellular components which constitute a complex regulatory network aimed at maintaining the organ homeostasis. In the modern medicine the discovery of miRNAs is undoubtedly a promising field of research and they are essential in orchestrating immune system logic and their release in the gut micro milieu can directly affect bacterial gene expression. Here, we briefly review the role of microRNAs, focuses on their role on immune system components in physiological and pathophysiological gut micro milieu.

κ Draconis is a binary system with a classical Be star as the primary component. Its emission-line spectrum consists of hydrogen lines, notably the Hα line with a peak intensity ratio (V/R) variations phase-locked with the orbital period P = 61.55 days. Among binaries demonstrating the Be phenomenon, κ Dra stands out as one of a few systems with a discernible mass of its secondary component. Based on more than 200 spectra obtained in 2014 − 2023, we verified the physical parameters and constructed the mass function. We used part of these data obtained in 2014 − 2021 to investigate regions in the circumstellar disk of the primary component that emit the Hα line using the Doppler tomography method. The results show that the disk has a non-uniform density distribution with a prominent enhancement at Vy≈ 99 km s−1 and Vx≈−6 km s−1 that corresponds to a cloud-like source of the double-peaked Hα line profile. We argue that this enhancement’s motion is responsible for the periodic variations of the Hα V/R ratio, which is synchronised in orbital phase with the radial velocity (RV) of absorption lines from the atmosphere of the primary component.

In the field of maneuvering target tracking, the combined observations of azimuth and Doppler may cause weak observation or non-observation in the application of traditional target tracking algorithms. Additionally, traditional target-tracking algorithms require pre-defined multiple mathematical models to accurately capture the complex motion states of targets, while model mismatch and unavoidable measurement noise lead to significant errors in target state prediction. To address those above challenges, in recent years, the target-tracking algorithms based on neural networks, such as recurrent neural networks (RNNs), long short-term memory (LSTM) networks, and Transformer architectures, have been widely used for their unique advantages to achieve accurate predictions. To better model the nonlinear relationship between the observation time series and the target state time series, as well as the contextual relationship among time series points, we present a deep learning algorithm called recursive downsample-convolve-interact neural network (RDCINN) based on convolutional neural network (CNN) that downsamples time series into sub-sequences and extracts multi-resolution features to enable the modeling of complex relationships between time series, which overcomes the shortcomings of traditional target-tracking algorithms in using observation information inefficiently due to weak observation or non-observation. The experimental results show that our algorithm outperforms other existing algorithms in the scenario of strong maneuvering target tracking with the combined observations of azimuth and Doppler.

In the context of all-digital radar systems, phase-modulated continuous wave (PMCW) based on pseudorandom binary sequences (PRBSs) appears a prominent candidate modulation scheme for applications such as autonomous driving. Among the reasons for that are its simplified transmitter architecture and lower linearity requirements, e.g., compared to orthogonal-frequency division multiplexing radars, as well as its high velocity unambiguity and multiple-input multiple-output operation capability that are characteristic of digital radars. For appropriate operation of a PMCW radar, choosing a PRBS whose periodic autocorrelation function (PACF) has low sidelobes and high robustness to Doppler shifts is paramount. In this sense, this article performs an analysis of Doppler shift tolerance of the PACFs of typically adopted PRBSs in PMCW radar systems supported by simulation and measurement results. To accurately measure the Doppler-shift-induced degradation of PACFs, peak power loss ratio (PPLR), peak sidelobe level ratio (PSLR), and integrated-sidelobe level ratio (ISLR) were used as metrics. Furthermore, to account for effects on targets whose ranges are not multiples of the range resolution, oversampled PACFs are analyzed.

The article aims to present the possible use of the simple modified optical training kit as a low-cost, simple setup for high precision surface speed measurements. A measurement capability evaluation of the optical Doppler kit used for velocimetry of a fast-rotating reflecting surface is presented. To get high repeatability measurements, we modified a fibre optic interferometry training kit. By using signal processing and statistics a precision under repeatability conditions of measurements was evaluated. Expressed by the standard deviations (3σ’s) the surface velocity measurements precision below 0.2 m/s is shown. The Cg’s capability indices were also evaluated. We postulate, the electric circuit stability of the measurement system power supply is essential for a signal noise reducing process for a wide range of metrology systems. It is crucial for precision measurements.

Titanium micro-scale topography results in excellent osteoconductivity and bone-implant integration. However, the biological effects of sub-micron topography are unknown. We compared osteoblastic phenotypes and in vivo bone and implant integration abilities between titanium surfaces with micro- (1–5 µm) and sub-micro-scale (0.1–0.5 µm) topographies and machined titanium. Average roughness was 12.5 ± 0.65 nm, 123 ± 6.15 nm, and 24 ± 1.2 nm for machined, micro-rough, and sub-micro-rough surfaces, respectively. The micro-rough surface showed the fewest cells attaching during the initial stage and the lowest proliferation. Calcium deposition and expression of osteoblastic genes were highest on the sub-micro-rough surface and lowest on the machined surface. Bone-to-implant integration was strongest for the micro-rough surface, consistent with it having the greatest ability to retain cells in vitro. Thus, the biological effects of titanium surfaces are not necessarily proportional to the degree of roughness in osteoblastic cultures or in vivo. Sub-micro-rough titanium ameliorates the disadvantage of micro-rough titanium by restoring cell attachment and proliferation and enhances the rate of osteoblastic differentiation over that of micro-rough titanium; however, bone integration and the ability to retain cells are compromised due to its lower interfacial mechanical locking compared to that of micro-rough titanium.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to determine the association between umbilical venous blood flow (UVBF) to placental pulsatility index (PPI) ratio and gestational age (GA) in women undergoing prenatal assessments and adverse pregnancy outcome (APO) screening Methods: Between January and December 2022, sonographic examinations were conducted to assess the fetal umbilical cord insertion site in singleton fetuses, and hemodynamic indices of the umbilical artery, umbilical vein, and uterine artery were computed. Through regression analysis, we derived the optimal regression equation to elucidate the UVBF/PPI ratio parameters based on GA. Results: Among 492 singleton fetuses between 21+0 and 40+6 weeks of gestation in the final study. The average fetal UVBF/PPI ratio was 180.45±119.32. Correlation analysis revealed a positive relationship between the UVBF/PPI ratio and GA(p = .000). Using regression analysis, the best-fit regression equation was the linear function model, which explains the value of UVBF/PPI ratio parameters based on GA. Lower UVBF/PPI ratio revealed a positive relationship in the low birth weight fetuses (p=0.021) and higher preterm delivery rate (p=0.034). Cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) showed a high correlation with the UVBF/PPI ratio (r=0.471, p=0.000). Conclusions: The findings of our analyses revealed that contribute to our understanding of fetal hemodynamics and highlight the potential of UVBF/PPI ratio as a predictive marker for adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm birth, low birth weight, or potential fetal hypoxemia. It might be useful for prenatal counseling and clinical purposes.

The accuracy of wind field simulation and prediction is one of the most significant parameters in the field of atmospheric science and wind energy. Limited by the observation data, there are few researches on wind energy development. A 3D Doppler wind lidar (DWL) providing the high-vertical-resolution wind data over the urban complex underlying surface in February 2018 was employed to evaluated the accuracy of vertical wind field simulation systematically for the first time. 11 PBL schemes of the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) were employed in simulation. The model results were evaluated in groups separated by weather (sunny days, haze days and windy days), observation height layers, and various observation wind speeds. The test results presented that the vertical layer altitude of the observation point position was the most important factor. The simulation is fairly well at a height of 1000-2000m, as most of the relative mean bias of wind speed and wind direction are less than 20% and 6% respectively. Below 1000 m, the wind speed and direction biases are about 30%-150% m.s-1 and 6%-30% respectively. Moreover, when the observed wind speed was lower than 5 m.s-1, the bias were usually large, and the wind speed relative mean bias is up to 50-300%. In addition, the accuracy of simulated wind profile is better in 10-15m.s-1 than other speed ranges, and is better up 1000m than below 1000m in the boundary layer. We see that the WRF boundary layer schemes have different applicability to different weather conditions. The WRF boundary layer schemes have significant differences in wind field simulation with larger error under the complex topography. A PBL scheme is not likely to maintain its advantages in the long term under different conditions including altitude and weather conditions.

The underground complicated testing environment and the fan operation instability cause large random errors and outliers of the wind speed signals. The outliers and large random errors result in distortion of mine wind speed monitoring, which possesses safety hazards in mine ventilation system. Application of Kalman filter in velocity monitoring can improve the accuracy of velocity measurement and eliminate the outliers. Adaptive Kalman Filter was built by automatically adjusting process noise covariance and measurement noise covariance depending on the differences between measured and expected speed signals. We analyzed the fluctuation of airflow flow using data of wind speed flow and distribution characteristics of the tunnel obtained by the Laser Doppler Velocimetry system (LDV) studies. A state-space model was built based on the tunnel airflow fluctuations and wind speed signal distribution. The adaptive Kalman Filter was calculated according to the actual measurement data and the Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm. The adaptive Kalman filter was used to shield fluid pulsation while preserving system-induced fluctuations. Using the Kalman filter to treat offline wind speed signal acquired by LDV, the reliability of Kalman filter wind speed state model and the characteristics of adaptive Kalman Filter were investigated. Results showed that the adaptive Kalman filter effectively eliminated the outliers and reduced the root-mean-squares error (RMSE), and the adaptive Kalman filter had better performance than the traditional Kalman filter in eliminating outliers and reducing RMSE. Field experiments in online wind speed monitoring were conducted using the optimized adaptive Kalman Filter. Results showed that adaptive Kalman filter treatment could monitor the wind speed with smaller RMSE compared with LVD monitor. The study data demonstrated that the adaptive Kalman filter is reliable and suitable for online signal processing of mine wind speed monitor.

Background: This study aimed to assess the impact of a nutrition-care bundle on growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes of micro-preterm infants born in a level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) by two years corrected age. Methods: A nutrition-care bundle emphasizing the prompt initiation of parenteral nutrition at birth, initiation of enteral feeds within 6 hours after birth, and early addition of human milk fortifiers was implemented in 2015 for infants born &lt;26 weeks gestation. This before-and-after study evaluated growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants born between 2012-2013 (before-nutrition-bundle BNB) and 2016-2017 (after-nutrition-bundle ANB). Results: A total of 145 infants were included in the study. Infants in the ANB group (n=73) were smaller (birthweight and gestational age), and there were more male infants and multiples included compared to the BNB group (n=72). Enteral feeds and fortifiers started earlier in the ANB group. Growth velocity and weight-z-score changes were similar in both groups during NICU stay and post-discharge. Systemic steroid use, but not cohort, was linked to lower Bayley scores across all domains. Conclusions: Implementing a nutrition-care bundle was not consistently associated with improved weight-gain and neurodevelopmental outcomes in the micro-preterm infant population, likely due to ongoing high-quality nutritional care by the clinical team.

It was for long time believed that lidar systems based on the use of high-repetition micro-pulse lasers could be effectively used to only stimulate atmospheric elastic backscatter echoes, and thus only exploited in elastic backscatter lidar systems. Their application to stimulate rotational and roto-vibrational Raman echoes, and consequently their exploitation in atmospheric thermodynamic profiling, was considered not feasible based on the technical specifications possessed by these laser sources until a few years ago. However, recent technological advances in the design and development of micro-pulse lasers, presently achieving high UV average powers (1-5 W) and small divergences (0.3-0.5 mrad), in combination with the use of large aperture telescopes (0.3-0.4 m diameter primary mirrors), allow to presently develop micro-pulse laser-based Raman lidars capable to measure the vertical profiles of atmospheric thermodynamic parameters, namely water vapour and temperature, both in daytime and nighttime. This paper is aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of these measurements and at illustrating and discussing the high achievable performance level, with a specific focus on water vapour profile measurements. The technical solutions identified in the design of the lidar system and their technological implementation within the experimental setup of the lidar prototype are also carefully illustrated and discussed.

Mass transfer is often the rate determining step for solid-liquid chemical reactions. Decrease of the concentration boundary layer thickness is essential to intensify the chemical reaction. Because the concentration boundary layer exists in the velocity boundary layer, force imposition in the concentration boundary layer by superimposing an electrical current and a magnetic field was proposed. Through, flow can be directly excited in the concentration boundary layer. The previous result indicates that by superimposing a DC current and a gradient magnetic field, the development of the concentration boundary layer was suppressed, because of a macro-scale flow excitation in the whole vessel. And by superimposing the gradient magnetic field with a modulate current, the development of the concentration boundary layer was further suppressed. This is because of the macro-scale flow enhancement and the excitation of a micro-scale flow near the solid-liquid interface. However, the mechanism for the micro-scale flow excitation has not been clarified. To clarify this, a uniform magnetic field was superimposed with the DC current or the modulate current. By this means, only the micro-scale flow was excited near the anode surface. The results found that the non-unform electromagnetic force distribution is the main reason for the micro-scale flow excitation.

As the scarcity of potable water increases, recycling of treated wastewater is increasing. Small-scale, decentralized treatment can be implemented to serve local populations by keeping water within their boundaries and within reach for reuse, particularly in less dense, non-urban communities. Availability of cellular networks and high-speed internet connectivity, along with significant reduction in cost, allows ongoing monitoring of decentralized treatment systems at a central location. In this paper a decentralized treatment system using micro nanobubble aeration, moving media and membranes is able to produce reusable water with low energy consumption, thereby allowing the use of solar energy in places with unreliable electrical supply. The treatment system, which uses no external chemicals, is able to operate unattended and deliver clear, disinfected water with non-detect suspended solids, BOD5 less than 10 mg/L and nutrients below 5 mg/L.

Along with the popularity of the Internet, people are exposed to more and more ways of micro-videos, and a huge amount of micro-video data has emerged. micro-videos have gradually become the Internet content preferred by the public, and a large number of micro-video apps have also emerged, such as Tiktok and Kwai. Intelligent classification and mining of micro-videos can greatly enhance user experience, improve business operation efficiency and enhance user experience. Through deep intelligent analysis and mining of micro-videos, important information in micro-videos can be extracted to provide an important basis for beautifying videos, content appreciation, video recommendation, content search, etc. In the past, content understanding for short videos often used human work annotation, but in recent years, with the great success of deep convolutional neural networks in image recognition, short video content understanding based on this method has gradually developed. Nowadays, most recognition algorithms extract the feature representation of each frame independently and then fuse them. However, while extracting the feature representation, some low-level semantic features are lost, which makes the algorithm unable to accurately distinguish the category of the video. At present, the algorithm of micro-video recognition based on deep learning has surpassed the iDT algorithm, making these traditional methods fade out of people’s view. In this paper according to the micro-video classification task, a new network model is proposed to concatenate features of each modality into the overall features of various modalities through the network, and then fuse the various modal features with the attention mechanism to obtain the whole micro-video features, which will be used for classification. In order to verify the effectiveness of the algorithm proposed in this paper, experiments are conducted in the public dataset, and it is shown the effectiveness of our model.

We demonstrate a photonic RF integrator based on an integrated soliton crystal micro-comb source. By multicasting and progressively delaying the input RF signal using a transversal structure, the input RF signal is integrated discretely. Up to 81 wavelengths are provided by the microcomb source, which enable a large integration time window of ~6.8 ns, together with a time resolution as fast as ~84 ps. We perform signal integration of a diverse range of input RF signals including Gaussian pulses with varying time widths, dual pulses with varying time intervals and a square waveform. The experimental results show good agreement with theory. These results verify our microcomb-based integrator as a competitive approach for RF signal integration with high performance and potentially lower cost and footprint.

Burn patients still represent an important challenge in critical care medicine today. These patients can develop significant neurological conditions up to intracranial hypertension, but as they find themselves hospitalized outside of neurocritical care and are often subjected to sedation for the complex management, they are sometimes underestimated. The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of non-invasive methods for the early diagnosis of intracranial hypertension in these patients. In this prospective observational study, adult burn patients admitted to intensive care within the first 8 hours of the event were enrolled. These patients were studied through ultrasound measurement of optic nerve sheath diameter and intracranial vessel velocimetry with transcranial Doppler. In the 20 patients studied, no frankly pathological values were identified in the 3 different measurement stages (within 8 hours of the burn, then at 48 and 96 hours) and no correlations were identified between the measured values and the extension of the burn with the related risk of mortality. However, this study, one of a kind, demonstrates that these non-invasive methods are applicable to this specific patient population, and can represent an effective method for reducing the incidence of complications that are dangerous for survival.

Traditional diagnosis of patent foramen ovale (PFO) in the heart has involved the use of transcranial doppler (TCD). However, TCD is essentially a blind test that cannot directly visualize the location of blood vessels. Since TCD relies on qualitative assessments by examiners, there is room for errors, such as misalignment of the ultrasound's angle of incidence with the actual blood vessels. This limitation affects the reproducibility and consistency of the examination. In this study, we presented an alternative approach for assessing right-to-left shunt (RLS) associated with PFO using contrast transcranial color-coded doppler (C-TCCD) with bubble contrast. The patient under consideration had been diagnosed with an ischemic stroke through imaging, but the subsequent cardiac work-up failed to determine the cause. Employing C-TCCD for RLS screening revealed a confirmed RLS of Spencer’s three grades. Subsequently, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was conducted to evaluate PFO risk factors, confirming an 8 mm PFO size, a 21 mm tunnel length, a hypermobile interatrial septum, and persistent RLS. The calculated high-risk PFO score was 4 points, categorizing it as a very high-risk PFO. This case underscores the importance of C-TCCD screening in detecting RLS associated with PFO, especially in cryptogenic stroke patients when identifying the underlying cause of ischemic stroke becomes challenging.

Volcanic emissions (ash, gas, aerosols) dispersed in the atmosphere during explosive eruptions generate hazards affecting aviation, human health, air quality and the environment. We document for the first time the contamination of airspace by very fine volcanic ash due to sequences of tran-sient ash plumes from Mount Etna. The atmospheric dispersal of sub-10 μm (PM10) ash is mod-elled using the WRF-Chem model coupled online with meteorology and aerosols and offline with Mass Eruption Rates (MER) derived from near-vent Doppler radar measurements and inferred plume altitudes. We analyse two sequences of paroxysms with widely varied volcanological conditions and contrasted meteorological synoptic patterns in October–December 2013 and on 3-5 December 2015. We analyse the PM10 ash dispersal simulation maps in terms of time-averaged columnar ash density, concentration at specified flight levels averaged over the entire sequence interval, and daily average concentration during selected paroxysm days at these flight levels. The very fine ash from such eruption sequences is shown to easily contaminate the airspace around the volcano within a radius of about 1000 km in a matter of a few days. Synoptic patterns with relatively weak tropospheric currents lead to the accumulation of PM10 ash at a re-gional scale all around Etna. In this context, closely interspersed paroxysms tend to accumulate very fine ash more diffusively in the lower troposphere and in stretched ash clouds higher up in the troposphere. Low-pressure, high-winds weather systems tend to stretch ash clouds into ~100 km-wide clouds forming large-scale vortices 800-1600 km in diameter. Daily average PM10 ash concentrations commonly exceed the aviation hazard threshold up to 1000 km downwind from the volcano and up to the upper troposphere for intense paroxysms. Vertical distributions show ash cloud thicknesses in the range 0.7–3 km, and PM10 sometimes stagnating at ground level, represent a potential health hazard.

Relationship between the results of penile duplex doppler ultrasound (PDDU) and response to vardenafil was investigated in patients diagnosed with erectile dysfunction (ED). Data of 148 patients with ED were analysed retrospectively. Patients who did not respond to therapy were classified as Group I (n = 32), those responded partially were classified as Group II (n = 40) and complete responders were classified as Group III (n = 76). Age, comorbid diseases, vascular and penile pathology were compared among the three groups. While diabetes mellitus (DM) and dyslipedimia positivity adversely affect the response to treatment, the presence of hypertension (HT), peyronie's disease and priapism increase the therapeutic response to the treatment (p < 0.05). Arterial insufficiency was present in 20(30.3%), 25(37,9%) and 21(31.8%) of the patients in Group I, Group II and Group III, respectively (p = 0.001). Venous insufficiency was observed in 3(14.3%) patients in Group I and in 8(85.7%) patients in Group III (p = 0.001). Arterial/venous insufficiency was seen in 9(30%), 14(46.7%) and 7(23.3%) of the patients in Group I, Group II and Group III, respectively (p = 0.001). Response rate to treatment was highest in normal patients according to PDDU, followed by patients with venous insuffiency. Besides, it was found that DM decreased the response to treatment, whereas response was increased in cases with HT, priapism and Peyronie’s disease.

Abstract: Severe land degradation is the principal environmental problem in Ethiopian highlands in the form of soil erosion, and soil fertility loss, which is caused by human intervention for food, shelter, and energy demands. Soil erosion contributes to the loss of precious soil and water resources which are the basis of agricultural production and provide numerous other eco-system services. The Ethiopian highlands are one of the most degraded regions in the world. To combat such problems, the government of Ethiopia has been implementing massive soil and water conservation works at the watershed scale since 2010 to conserve soil and water resources. Mount Yewel is one of the highlands in Northeastern Ethiopia where intensive soil and water conserva-tion has been implemented. Despite the massive investment in soil and water conservation measures, most of the rivers in the highlands of Ethiopia carry huge amounts of sediment with high flood risks in the wet season and streams are dried up in the dry period. Nonetheless, the impact of soil and water conservation measures on flood reduction and dry season flow en-hancement has not yet been quantified and evaluated. This research was then conducted on paired micro-catchments of Mount Yewel with the main objective of evaluating the impact of soil and water conservation measures on base flow modification. Stream flow and rainfall data were col-lected from 22/11/2020 to 8/11/2022 on paired micro-catchments of Mount Yewel at their outlets and centers respectively. Base flow separation was done from the stream hydrograph using Sp. Hydro base flow separation tool and SPSS Ver.21 statistical software were employed for data analysis. Flow duration curves (FDC) for both watersheds were developed to compare the stream flow patterns between treated and untreated micro-catchments of Mount Yewel. The FDC indi-cated that the base flow from treated micro-catchment is higher and sustained in the dry season while it is low and unsustained in untreated micro-catchment. From statistical analysis, there is a significant (P

Objectives: This study assessed the performance of a novel fluoride dentifrice containing micro- fibrillated cellulose (MFC) and 7% silica (Protegera™) versus common fluoride dentifrices. Methods: Removal of extrinsic stains was assessed using the pellicle cleaning ratio (PCR) method, and radioactive dentin abrasivity (RDA) was measured, to calculate a cleaning efficiency index (CEI). Fluoride efficacy was evaluated using widely used remineralization and fluoride uptake methods. Results: The MFC dentifrice removed stained pellicle significantly more effectively than the ADA reference material, Crest Cavity Protection™ and Sensodyne Pronamel™, and had equal performance to three known marketed stain-removing dentifrices (Arm & Hammer™ Advanced Whitening, Crest ProHealth™, and Colgate Optic White™). The MFC dentifrice vehicle had a low RDA (88), which was significantly less than Crest ProHealth (166) and Crest 3D-White™ (183). Based on PCR and RDA data, the CEI was 31% greater for the MFC product than for Crest ProHealth. In a 10-day pH cycling study, the fluoride efficacy of the MFC product was superior to a non-fluoridated control and was not significantly different from Sensodyne Pronamel and Crest Cavity Protection. The MFC dentifrice was superior for promoting fluoride uptake into incipient enamel lesions than the USP reference dentifrice. Conclusion: The low dentin abrasivity MFC dentifrice is highly effective in removing stained pellicle, and is an efficacious fluoride source when compared to other relevant commercially available fluoride dentifrices with high dentin abrasivity. Clinical Significance: Including micro-fibrillated cellulose into a fluoride dentifrice may enhance cleaning performance for the removal of external stain, while lowering abrasivity, and providing an effective fluoride source. This combination of benefits seems well suited to enamel protection and caries prevention.

Abstract: Due to sever land degradation throughout Ethiopia, the government has been implementing massive soil and water conservation works at the watershed scale since 2010 to conserve soil and water resources. However, most of the rivers in Ethiopia carry huge amount of sediment in rainy season and streams dried up in the dry period. Planned research was conducted on two paired micro-catchments Mt.Yewel with the main objective of evaluating the impact of soil and water conservation measures on base flow modification. Stream flow and rainfall data were collected from 22/11/2020 to 8/11/2022 on both micro-catchments at their outlets and center respectively. Base flow separation was done using Sp. Hydro base flow separation tool and SPSS Ver.21 statistical software was employed for data analysis. Flow duration curve (FDC) for both watersheds were developed. The FDC indicated that the base flow from treated micro-catchment ishigher and sustained in the dry season while it is low and un-sustained in untreated micro-catchment. From statistical analysis, there is a significant difference in base flow enhancement between the treated and untreated micro-catchment (P<0.001). Hence, catchment treatment contributed to improve groundwater recharge and sustain base flow in the dry season by reduce surface runoff during rainy season.

Evaluating soil quality across various altitudinal gradients, both with and without vegetative cover, is crucial for the proper functioning of soil and optimal crop growth, thereby contributing to the sustainability of agroecosystems. Although the altitudinal gradient significantly influences soil quality, the ability to predict this quality, expressed through an index, in soils with and without vegetative cover, is still insufficiently explored. This study aimed to assess soil quality in the Jun Jun micro-watershed, located in the Tungurahua region, Ecuador. To achieve this objective, three categories of altitudinal gradients were selected: less than 2800 meters above sea level (masl), between 2800 and 2900 masl, and greater than 2900 masl. A total of 24 soil samples were collected in the mentioned gradients, considering both areas with and without vegetative cover. The indicators used included chemical and biological parameters such as soil organic carbon (OC), earthworm density (WD), earthworm biomass (WB), organic matter (OM), pH, total nitrogen (TN), and organic carbon (OC). The results revealed that in areas with altitudinal gradients below 2800 masl, soil quality index values were higher compared to other altitudes. In vegetated areas, a decrease in index values was observed as the altitudinal gradient increased, indicating a deterioration in soil quality with altitude. These findings are significant in providing a quantitative assessment of the effects of altitudinal gradient and vegetative cover influence on soil quality.

Motivated by the increasing need of optimised micro-devices for droplets production in medical and biological applications, this paper introduces an integrated approach for the study of the liquid-liquid droplet creation in flow-focusing micro cross-junctions. The micro-junction considered is characterised by a restriction of the channels cross-sections in the junction, which has the function of focusing the flow in the region of the droplet formation. The problem is studied numerically in OpenFOAM environment and validated by the comparison with experimental results obtained by high-speed camera images and micro-PIV measurements. The analysis of the forces acting on the dispersed phase during the droplet formation and the diameter of the droplets obtained numerically are considered for the development of a model of the droplet breakup under the squeezing regime. On the basis of energy balancing during the breakup, a relation between interfacial tension, the size of the cross-sections in the junction, and the time interval needed for droplet creation is obtained, which yields a novel correlation between the dimensionless length of the droplet and the dimensionless flow rate. This correlation is general and can be used to predict the droplet diameters produced by similar micro-junctions with different aspect ratios and extended to different geometries of flow-focusing micro-junctions.

A recent study reported that micro-osteoperforations (MOPs) accelerated tooth movement by activating alveolar bone remodeling. However, very little is known about the relationship between MOPs and external apical root resorption during orthodontic treatment. In this study, in order to investigate the mechanism which MOPs accelerate tooth movement without exacerbating the progression of root resorption, we measured the volume of resorbed root, and performed the immunostaining for the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP-biotin nick-end-labelling method (TUNEL) exposed MOPs during rat experimental tooth movement. Male Wistar rats (11 week old) were divided into 3 groups: 10-g orthodontic force (optimal force) applied to the maxillary first molar (optimal force: OF group), 50-g orthodontic force application (heavy force: HF group) and 10-g force application plus 3 small perforations of the cortical plate (OF+MOPs group). On days 1, 4, 7, 10 and 14 after force application, the tooth movement and root volume were investigated by micro-computed tomography. Furthermore, the expression levels of apoptotic cells in pressure sides of periodontal ligament (PDL) and surround hard tissues were determined by TUNEL staining. The OF+MOP group exhibited a 1.8-fold increase in tooth movement on days 7, 10 and 14 compared with the OF group. On days 14, the HF group had a higher volume of root loss than the OF and OF+MOP groups. On the same day, the number of TUNEL-positive cells in the HF group increased at the root (cementum) site whereas that in the OF group increased at the alveolar bone site. Furthermore, that in the OF + MOP group increased at the alveolar bone site compared with the OF group. These results suggest that MOPs accelerate orthodontic tooth movement without exacerbating the progression of root resorption.

This research was aimed to apply probiotics in aquaculture to improve fish health and growth performances of Nile tilapia. Fingerlings with a mean initial body weight of 11.43±1.27 and mean initial body length of 6.2±0.84 were stocked in 12 happas. Fish were fed four times daily with four different diets having 30% crude protein at 5% of their body weight and reared for two months. The four diets were control diet, diets treated with Saccharomyces cervisiae, Lactobacillus fermentum and their combinations at a dosage of (1.5×108CFU/ml). Growth performance and gut pathogenic microbial of fish were investigated. Accordingly results indicated that the highest performance interims of body weight gain (33.43±1.65g), daily growth rate (0.51±0.05g), feed conversion ratio (1.89±0.10), and protein efficiency ratio (1.78±0.09) was achieved in fish fed with L. fermentum whereas, the lowest performance (19.83±2.23, 0.33±0.04, 3.52±0.39, and 0.97±0.11) respectively was achieved in fish fed with control diet. Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli and, Proteus were detected in gut of fish. In conclusion, the present study confirmed that Nile tilapia fed with probiotics Lac-tobacillus fermentum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae based diets improved growth and health of Nile tilapia reared under pond culture condition.

Both the use of plastic and its decomposition products lead to the distribution of plastic all over the earth and finally to the uptake by all kind of living beings including humans. Still, it is widely unknown what risks harbor the widespread uptake of plastics for human health, espe-cially regarding contributing factors like size, shape and surface composition. We assessed the uptake of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)-nano- and microbeads for HEK293-, A549- and MRC5 cells. Via confocal microscopy, we localized multiple PMMA-beads inside the cytosol of cells. Uptake of PMMA-beads did not alter cell growth and cell division, implying no short-term toxicity towards human cells. Further, we used a cAMP response element binding protein (CREB)-mediated reporter assay to assess whether internalized PMMA-nanobeads alter cell-signaling pathways. In contrast to the in vitro transcription, where the addition of PMMA-nanobeads abolished the transcription, no changes regarding CREB-mediated cell sig-naling are given in HEK293-cells. Our data led to the assumption that PMMA-nano-and mi-crobeads are internalized via endocytosis and end up as lysosomes within the cells cytosol. Therefore, we concluded differences regarding the surface composition of the PMMA-nanobeads mainly affect its potential to alter cell signaling. These findings emphasize the key role the sur-face composition plays regarding microplastic and its risks for human health.

This study aims to formulate binary cementitious systems containing silica fume (SF) and micro quartz (MQ) to improve cementitious concrete's durability and mechanical properties. In this investigation, we examined the effects of different essential variables, such as the level of SF and MQ replacement and the ratio of the water-binder (w/b). In this study, the w/b ratios were 0.25, 0.3, 0.35, and 0.4. Replacement levels for SF were 8, 10, and 12%, while replacement levels for MQ were 5, 8, 10, 15, 25, and 35%. The porosity and permeability decreased with an increase in replacement levels, regardless of the type of fine material used or the amount of replacement. Meanwhile, the strength increased markedly with SF replacement, reaching its maximum MQ of 25% at the SF level. The strength of the SF mixing was the highest in all mixes, and it remained the highest until 15% of MQ was replaced. The ultrafine size of MQ particles contributes to the improvement of compressive strength, porosity, and permeability in a similar way to SF particles, despite their high crystalline structure. Furthermore, in this study, analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to verify the influence of each variable on the studied response.

Abstract: Autophagy has a dual role in gliomagenesis in a microRNA-modulated environment. We investigated the potential relevance of autophagy in glioma development and survival by exploring the association of autophagy-associated genes and microRNAs in low- and high-grade gliomas. Real-time PCR (qPCR) was used to determine the expression of genes and microRNAs in 50 fresh glioma tissues while Formalin-fixed paraf-fin-embedded tissues of the same patients were used for immunohistochemistry. The Mann-Whitney U-test test, Spearman correlation test, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were performed to evaluate the expression, association, and overall survival in patients respectively. The expression of LC3, AKT, and miR-21 was increased in high-grade glioma compared to low-grade glioma while ULK2 expression was decreased in high-grade glioma. A strong positive correlation was observed for ULK2 with UVRAG, PTEN, miR-7, and miR-100, while the moderate correlation with mTOR, Beclin1, miR-30, miR-204, miR-374, miR-21 and miR-126 in low-grade glioma, while a moderate positive correlation between ULK2 and PI3K, PTEN, ULK1, VPS34, mTOR, Beclin1, UVRAG, AKT and miR-374, and between AKT and ULK1, VPS34, UVRAG, and miR-7 in high-grade gliomas. The low ULK2 and LC3 expression group was significantly associated with better overall survival in gliomas while miR-21 overexpression showed a poor prognosis in glioma patients. Therefore, miR-21, ULK2, and LC3 may serve as prognostic biomarkers for survival outcomes in glioblastoma.

Broadband noise reduction over the low-mid frequency range in the building and transportation sectors requires compact lightweight sound absorbers of typical sub-wavelength size. The use of multi-layered closely-spaced (micro-)perforated membranes or panels, if suitably optimized, contribute to these objectives. However, their elasticity or modal behaviors often impede the final acoustical performance of the partition. The objective of this study is to get insights into the vibrational effects induced by elastic limp membranes or panels volumetric modes on the optimized sound absorption properties of acoustic fishnets and functionally-graded partitions (FGP). Cost-efficient global optimization of the partition total frequency-averaged dissipation is achieved from simulated annealing with vibrational effects included through an impedance translation method. Critical coupling analysis reveals how the membranes or panels vibrations redistribute the locations of the Hole-Cavity resonances as well as their cross-coupling with the panels first volumetric mode. It is found that elastic limp micro-perforated membranes broaden the first pass-band of acoustic fishnets while smoothing out the dissipation ripples over the FGP optimiza-tion bandwidth. Moreover, the resonance frequency of the first panels mode sets an upper limit to the broadband optimization of FGPs, up to which high dissipation, low reflection and low trans-mission can be achieved.

Magnesium ions play an important immune-regulatory role during bone repair. For this study, we prepared micro-nano bioactive glass containing magnesium, which can release magnesium, silicon, and calcium ions and has a positive impact on osteogenic differentiation and vascular regeneration. In this study, MgMNBG was compounded and combined with PLGA and PCL for 3D printing. Afterwards, the physicochemical properties and bone repair performance of the scaffolds were evaluated through in vitro and in vivo experiments. We also investigated the effects of MgMNBG on osteogenic differentiation, immune regulation, and vascular regeneration. The results showed that MgMNBG can inhibit inflammation and promote osteogenesis and angiogenesis by regulating macrophages. PLGA/PCL/MgMNBG scaffolds have good osteogenic and angiogenic effects, and the composite scaffolds have excellent bone repair performance and potential application value.

Aluminum alloy (Al6061) sheet micro-hole processing is extensively used in smartphones, tablet PC, and smart wearable devices. The micro-hole processing is commonly performed using laser, micro drilling, microstamping, micro discharge, and chemical etching technologies. Micro-stamping technology is characterized by precision and rapid processing, but the precision positioning of the punch head and lower die is one of the major difficulties in micro-hole stamping, especially in manufacturing array micro-holes. This study used stamping without die technology. This technology uses an array punch head to punch the lower die holes on the base, then performs array micro-hole stamping. The experimental results show that a micro-hole array with 37 micro-holes were successfully manufactured and can be reproduced many times. Tapered array micro-holes with a high aspect ratio can be manufactured using this stamping without die technology; the micro-hole depth can be 260μm, the inlet diameter is 116μm, and the outlet diameter is 25μm. This study has successfully developed the feasibility of array micro-hole stamping technology.

This study evaluated the efficacy of experimental TEGDMA-functionalized dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (T-DCPD) filler-based resin-based composites (RBC) in preventing caries lesions around the restoration margins (secondary caries”, SC). Standardized Class-II cavities were made in sound molars having the cervical margin in dentin. Cavities were filled with a commercial resin-modified glass-ionomer cement (RMGIC) or experimental RBCs containing a BisGMA-TEGDMA resin blend and one of the following inorganic fractions: 60 wt.% Ba glass (RBC-0); 40 wt.% Ba glass, 20 wt.% T-DCPD (RBC-20); 20 wt.% Ba glass, 40 wt.% T-DCPD (RBC-40). An open-system bioreactor produced S. mutans biofilm-driven SC. Specimens were scanned using micro-CT to evaluate demineralization depths. Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy characterized the specimens’ surfaces, while antimicrobial activity, buffering effect, and ion uptake by the biofilms were also evaluated. ANOVA and Tukey’s test were applied at p<0.05. RBC-0 and RBC-20 showed SC development in dentin, while RBC-40 and RMGIC significantly reduced the lesion depth at the restoration margin (p<0.0001). Initial enamel demineralization could be observed only around RBC-0 and RBC-20 restorations. A direct antibiofilm activity could explain SC reduction by RMGIC, while a buffering effect on biofilm’s acidogenicity explained the behavior of RBC-40. Experimental RBC with CaP-releasing functionalized T-DCPD filler could prevent SC with the same efficacy as F-releasing materials.

This research was carried out with the objective of analyzing the principles of social and solidarity economy in the community funds of the rural sector of Pichincha, Ecuador. Small organizations promote microcredits for local, social and economic development, representing an alternative to those managed by traditional banks. The research was descriptive, non-experimental field research. The population analyzed consisted of 220 community funds, and the size of the representative sample was 49 community organizations that practice solidarity finance. The data were collected through online questionnaires using a Likert scale, and the validity of this approach was judged by experts; the reliability of the instrument obtained was 0.95 using the Cronbach’s alpha method. The results highlight that in these organizations, the following traits prevail: associativity, self-management and organization. However, autonomy and solidarity have a negative valuation, which shows that strategies must be rethought to achieve the empowerment of the financial service. This will allow them to be sustainable and to expand with more benefits that promulgate financial activity and promote structures in rural community networks that promote local development and strengthen deficient principles as a basis for generating a greater benefit to the partners.

Excitation of the acoustic field leading to the Blaha effect affects the plasticity of the material significantly in ultrasonic vibration-assisted forming. In a micro-forming field, the effects are more significant in the deformation in surface of materials [1]-[3], in which reduction of the surface roughness based on the increasing of plastic deformation of surface asperity was effective [4]. On the other hand, the effect on deformation behavior of the bulk region indicted reduction in the yield stress of materials, and not only acoustic effect [5], but also impact effect is found to generate a large amount of dislocation and produce plastic deformation [6][7]. However, the effect on the bulk is more significant as that on the surface. Differences in the effect on the surface and the bulk are not clarified. In this study, the mechanism of the deformation in the surface of the material with ultrasonic vibration assistance is investigated and compared with that in the bulk. Forging tests using a newly developed ultrasonic vibrator were carried out on pure Cu foils with various process conditions. The longitudinal vibration frequency of the ultrasonic transducer is 60∓2kHz, and the vibration amplitude is in an adjustable range of 0~10μm. Forging test was carried out at different initial stress, specimen size and amplitude. The difference in acoustic softening and impact effects on the surface and the bulk was discussed.

The rapid growth of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector requires additional infrastructure, such as more micro-datacenters and telecom stations, to support the higher internet speeds and low latency requirements of 5G net-works. The increased power requirements of the new ICT technologies necessitate the proposal of new power supplies in an attempt to retain the increase in energy demand and running costs. This work provides an in-depth theoretical analysis on the losses of the individual stages of commercially available PSU and proposes a new multicell PSU, Buck-PFC converter, which offers a higher overall efficiency at varying load levels. The theoretical results are verified using simulation results, via PSIM Thermal Module, and using experimental data. The results indicate that multi-cell structures can improve the overall PSU ef-ficiency by 1.2% at 50% rated power and more than 2.1% at full power. Finally, taking into consideration the economic implica-tions of this study, it is shown that the proposed multicell structure may increase the PSU costs by 10.78% but the payback pe-riod is in the order of just 3.3 years.

Substantial research is required to ensure that micro-mobility ride sharing provides a better fulfillment of user needs. This study proposes a novel crowdsourcing model for the ride-sharing system where light vehicles such as scooters and bikes are crowdsourced. The proposed model consists of three entities: suppliers, customers, and a management party responsible for receiving, renting, booking, and demand matching with offered resources. It can allow suppliers to define the location of their private e-scooters/e-bikes and the period of time they are available for rent. Using a dataset of over 9 million e-scooter trips in Austin, Texas, we ran an agent-based simulation six times using three maximum battery ranges (i.e., 35, 45, and 60 km) and different numbers of e-scooters (e.g., 50 and 100) at each origin. Computational results show that the proposed model is promising and might be advantageous to shift the charging and maintenance efforts to a crowd of suppliers.

Minerals play many important functions in plant and animal metabolism. Therefore, we investigated the concentration of Se and other minerals and their relationships in soils and fodder plants in Kosovo. Seventy-three samples of each soil and fodder plants (grass, maize, and wheat) from 30 farms were collected. Both soil and plant samples, after processing and digestion, were analyzed for mineral concentration by ICP-MS. Mineral concentrations in soil and fodder crops, and the best predicting/explanatory models for micro minerals concentration, achieved by stepwise linear regression, are presented. Results showed very low concentration of Se in most of the soil and all fodder samples. In addition, the concentration of Co, Zn and Fe was not sufficient to satisfy requirements for all categories of farm animals. Plant Se concentration showed a positive relationship with Se concentration in soils. Plant Zn, Mo, Mn, Fe and Pb, in general, showed no significant relationship with their concentration in soil, while plant Co and Cd showed positive relationship only in maize, and Cu in wheat grain. Among the soil properties, pH had the highest effect on the concentrations of Co, Mo, Mn, Cd and Pb in fodder crops.

A phosphate/molybdate and cerium-modified phosphate/molybdate conversion coatings were deposited on a carbon steel surface and their protective and self-healing abilities were evaluated. Surface morphology and inner structure of the coatings were examined using FE-SEM-FIB and TEM techniques, chemical composition and element distribution depth profiles in conversion layers were determined using EDX measurements, whereas XPS was applied for the analysis of Mo and Ce oxidation states. Voltammetric measurements and EIS were performed to assess the corrosion behavior of the samples. The higher protective and stronger self-healing abilities were found for phosphate/molybdate/cerium conversion coating deposited in a sulphate-containing solution. This was attributed to higher values of both: total cerium and Ce(IV) content in the conversion layer as well as to lower number of structural defects in the coating. It was demonstrated that the micro-structural characteristics of protective coatings are also important in determining self-healing abilities.

Biological micro-dissection has a wide range of applications in the field of molecular pathology. The current laser-assisted dissection technology is expensive, and laser radiation can lead to sample contamination. As an economical and pollution-free micro-dissection method, piezoelectric ultrasonic micro-dissection has a wide application prospect. However, the performance of the current piezoelectric ultrasonic micro-dissection technology is unsatisfactory. In this paper, a novel piezoelectric ultrasonic micro-dissection device based on a flexure mechanism is proposed in order to solve the problems of low dissecting precision and excessive wear of the dissecting needle caused by the harmful lateral vibration of the current piezoelectric ultrasonic micro-dissection device. By analyzing the flexibility of flexure hinge, the type of flexure beam and the optimal design parameters are determined. Through comparing the harmonic response simulation analysis of the micro-dissection device based on a flexure mechanism and the traditional micro-dissection device without the flexure mechanism, the newly designed micro-dissection device achieves the best vibration effect when the driving frequency is 28kHz, compared with the traditional micro-dissection device, the lateral vibration suppression effect is improved by 68%. Then, based on the 3D printing technology, a prototype of a novel micro-dissection device was produced, and its performance was tested. It was found that the flexure mechanism did indeed suppress the lateral vibration of the needle tip. Finally, the experiments of 5μm thick paraffin-embedded rat liver sections were carried out, and the effects of different dissecting parameters on the dissecting effect were analyzed, and the optimal dissecting parameters were obtained. By comparing the dissecting effects of the tissue sample and the wear condition of the needle tip between the novel micro-dissection device and the traditional micro-dissection device under their optimal dissecting parameters, it is proved that the suppression of harmful lateral vibration not only significantly improves the dissecting effect, but also improves the service life and durability of the dissecting needle, which is beneficial to reduce the equipment costs.

The flipped classroom is gaining prominence as an active learning pedagogy to engage a new generation of students. However, all courses do not lend themselves to a fully flipped design and instructors are often reluctant to flip lectures. In this study, I experimented with a “partial” flipped classroom design in a first-year undergraduate economics course. In this partial flipped format, traditional lectures were substituted with micro-lectures and the remaining class time was devoted to activities like quizzes, group work and student presentations. The full lectures were panopto recorded and put up on the e-learning site, Blackboard. This format enabled me to combine the benefits of a traditional lecture with a flipped classroom design. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the partial flipped classroom format, I compared the final exam scores of students in the partial flipped classroom with those in the control group, which followed a traditional lecture-based approach. The key results from the analysis revealed that students in the partial flipped classroom performed better in the final exams vis-à-vis students in the traditional classroom format. Furthermore, the partial flipped classroom format was associated with lower odds of students failing in the module. This format also resulted in better student engagement, more flexibility and enhanced student-tutor interaction within the classroom.

The Neotropical region is one of the most diverse regions of the globe in terms of macro-organismic species. Regarding the microbial world, however, little is known about the diversity and biogeography patterns of micro-organisms in the Neotropics. In this context, the study of several microbial taxonomic groups is still missing and/or incomplete, such as the protists. Our goal here was to summarize the available information of Neotropical protists, focusing on molecular data from environmental continental samples, to explore what these data evidence on their ecology and biogeography. For this, we reviewed the findings from all articles that focused on or included the terrestrial protists using metabarcoding approach and identified the gaps and future perspectives in this research field. We found that Neotropical protists diversity patterns seem to be, at least in part, congruent with that of macro-organisms and, different than plants and bacteria, just weakly explained by environmental variables. We argue that studies with standardized protocols including different biomes are necessary to fully characterize the ecology and biogeography on Neotropical protists. Furthermore, dismember evolutionary lineages and functional guilds of protists are important to better understand the relationship between diversity, dispersal abilities and functionality of particular taxa of protists in their habitats.

The evolution of metals micro/nano-structure upon severe plastic deformation (SPD) is still far to be theoretically explained, while experimental datasets are persistently growing for several decades. Major problem associated with understanding of SPD is related to a fact that the latter is a synergetic product of several competing physical effects which alter the material micro/nano-structure. In attempt to find deformational boundaries, where predominantly one mechanism determines the micro/nano-structure, in this paper we propose a continuous piecewise model for the analysis of experiments on material hardness vs strain of SPD processed materials. The novelty of this approach lies in its ability to find, as free-fitting parameters, the strain breakpoints which separate different micro/nano-structure modes generated upon SPD process. The model is applied to analyse experimental data for polycrystalline samples of pure iron and two distinctive strain breakpoints are revealed with good accuracies. This finding is in a good agreement with our earlier results on TEM microscopy studies on pure iron polycrystals after SPD treatment.

This study evaluated the mechanical strengths of three types of orthodontic micro-implants by analyzing their structural configurations. Thirty micro-implants of three types (diameter 1.5 mm, Types A, B, C) were assessed. All micro-implants were manually driven into artificial bones at an 8-mm depth. The insertion torque (IT), pullout strength (PS), and gripping volume (GV) of each type were measured. Intergroup comparisons and intragroup correlation were investigated by statistical analysis. Type B had the greatest inner–outer diameter ratio (0.67), and Type A had the smallest (0.53). The IT of Type A (5.26 Ncm) was significantly (p = 0.038) lower than that of Type C (8.8 Ncm). There was no significant difference in the pullout strength (p = 0.868). The GV of Type A (9.7 mm3) was significant (p < 0.01) greater than Type C (8.4 mm3). Type C was significant (p < 0.01) greater than Type B (7.2 mm3). Spearman’s rho rank correlation test showed that PS of Type B was correlated significantly with GV. In conclusion, the design of thread and its GV were the important factors on the mechanical strengths of micro-implant.

The Wolfram (W), Silicium (Si) and Molybdenum (Mo) doped Co-Cr biomedical alloy were fabricated by additive manufacturing method, which is part of powder metadology. The mixture of Wolfram (W), Silicium (Si), Chrome (Cr) and Cobalt (Co) alloy is known good wear and corrosion resistance among of biomedical applications. By addition of Molybdenum (Mo) into the structure of alloy, the structure become more stbale also increase the corrosion and wear resistance. In addition, the effects of secondary annealing process on the alloy were investigated. The microstructure of the produced alloy was analyzed by X-ray diffraction method XRD, Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis EDX and scanning electron microscope SEM. Moreover, Electrochemical corrosion test, micro hardness and density measurements were performed to investigate the mechanical properties of the alloy. As a result of the analyzes, the effects of Molydenum (Mo) doped and secondary annealing on the microstructure and mechanical properties of bioalloying were determined.

Optical micro-angiography (OMAG) is a new method of detecting flow rate and widely used for in vivo imaging. Although OMAG can distinguish between flowing and stationary parts, it cannot obtain accurate flow rate information. This study proposed a range formula for OMAG and the ultrahigh-sensitivity OMAG (UHS-OMAG) method to quantify the measurement range of an entire system. The parameters of the angle between beam scanning and flow directions, the angular velocity of the galvanometer, and the offset of incident light were introduced, and a formula for calculating the range was derived. Experiments were conducted to measure fine and ultra-fine flow rates by using OMAG and UHS-OMAG methods. The minimum measured flow rate was approximately 30 μm/s, and the maximum measured flow rate was approximately 8 mm/s. Experimental results are in good agreement with the preset results.

Natural events such as floods, fires, tsunamis, earthquakes and others have nowadays caused serious damage to human beings and nature. The precise detection of these natural events and especially the earthquake has nowadays become the focus of many computer and geoscientific researchers. Computer science and machine learning algorithms have revolutionized early detection and prediction of these events. Hence, a fuzzy method has been initially used in this article to enhance the authenticity of data based on application of effective variables and then combination of neural network algorithms of the MLP perceptron and radial network of RBF in form of a collective learning system in order to more accurately identify seismic events on a small scale. It was observed after simulating the proposed method that the proposed method has significantly improved based on actual error and root-mean-square error (RMSE) criteria compared to basic methods.

Ti and its alloys are the most commonly used materials for biomedical applications. However, bacterial infection after implant placement is still one of the significant rising complications. Therefore, the application of the antimicrobial agents into implant surfaces to prevent implant-associated infection has attracted lots of attention. Scientific papers have shown that inorganic antibacterial metal element (e.g. Ag, Cu, Zn) can be introduced to implant surfaces with the addition of metal nanoparticles or metallic compounds into electrolyte via micro-arc oxidation (MAO) technology. In this review, the effects of the composition and concentration of electrolyte and process parameters (e.g. voltage, current density, oxidation time) on morphological characteristics (e.g. surface morphology, bonding strength), antibacterial ability and biocompatibility of MAO antimicrobial coating were discussed in detail. Anti-infection and osseo-integration can be simultaneously accomplished with the selection of the proper antibacterial elements and operating parameters. Besides, MAO assisted by magnetron sputtering (MS) to endow Ti-based implant materials with superior antibacterial ability and biocompatibility was also discussed. Finally, the development trend of MAO technology in the future was forecasted.

Udder health of dairy cows is related to their productivity and welfare. The period from dry-off to calving and early lactation is crucial. Ultrasonography is a useful and practical tool for the examination of the mammary parenchyma and blood flow. This observational study investigated the relationship between udder echotexture features, blood flow volume (BFVol) in the milk vein, milk somatic cell count (SCC) and daily milk yield (DMY) from late lactation, throughout dry period and consecutive early lactation. Seventeen repeated measurements were performed on 21 Holstein cows. The udder parenchyma was examined with B-mode ultrasonography. Udder echotexture was studied using 15 features: Numerical Pixel Value (NPV), Pixel Standard Deviation (PSD), Skewness, Excess, Contrast, Homogeneity, Correlation, Entropy, Run Percentage, Long Run Emphasis, Grey Value Distribution, Runlength Distribution, Gradient Mean Value, Gradient Variance and Percentage of Non-zero Gradients. Blood flow in the milk vein was examined with spectral Doppler. Linear mixed effects models were employed to investigate relationships between BFVol, udder echotexture features, SCC and DMY, throughout the study period. Our models showed that a 1-kg increase in DMY was associated with a significant increase of 0.25 L/min in the expected BFVol, and that a 1,000,000-cells/mL increase in SCC was associated with a significant BFVol decrease of 0.49 L/min, keeping all other variables constant. Multivariable models showed significant associations between DMY and NPV, PSD and Long Run Emphasis, and between SCC and NPV, PSD, Gradient Mean Value, Homogeneity, Gradient Variance and Entropy. In conclusion, udder echotexture and BFVol in the milk vein are related to SCC and milk yield. Ultrasonography can be used for the comprehensive assessment of udder health in the direction of precision dairy farming.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) has revolutionized the field of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) by offering hope to individuals and couples struggling with infertility. Nevertheless, traditional IVF methods are not exempt from drawbacks, such as suboptimal success rates, intrusive procedures, and ethical considerations. The introduction of micro/nanorobotics in IVF offers a revolutionary chance to tackle these difficulties. This paper presents a short review of the utilization of micro/nanorobotics in IVF, investigating progress in the manipulation of sperm, retrieval of oocytes, culture of embryos, and potential future developments in this fast progressing area. In this discussion, we explore the fundamental concepts, advantages, difficulties, and possible influence of micro/nanorobotics in transforming IVF processes and enhancing patient outcomes.

Engineering Education needs to be approached in different, innovative ways to meet the needs of society, learners, and education providers. This ranges from new educational programs and innovative pedagogies in individual classrooms, to online and immersive learning, to micro-credentials and modularity along with how to enable rapid adaptation for reskilling and upskilling, to entirely new pathways of restructuring education. Gamification is the application of game elements and digital game design techniques to non-game problems, such as learning challenges. It is about using game-based mechanics, aesthetics, and game thinking to enhance users’ engagement, motivate action, and support learning. At first view, the concept of gamification does not contain game design elements, but with the addition of additional elements such as the video game component that is applied in different contexts, the users are encouraged to participate in learning activities and complete learning challenges successfully. The first step in the process of designing a gamification activity is to think like a game designer. According to Cook (2013), any process can be gamified when the following requirements are covered: (i) the gamified activity is easy to learn, (ii) user progress can be measured, (iii) continuous feedback is provided to users.

Objective To observe the effect of roxadustat on blood pressure and micro-inflammatory response in patients with hemodialysis anemia, and to provide a viable technique for the treatment of hemodialysis anemia patients. Methods A total of 100 hemodialysis anemia patients admitted to the Nephrology Department of our hospital from July 2020 to July 2021 were enrolled and randomly divided into an observation group (roxadustat) and a control group (human recombinant erythropoietin (rhEPO). The clinical efficacy, blood lipid metabolism, inflammatory factor levels, iron metabolism-related indicators, blood biochemical indicators, anemia indicators, adverse reactions and blood pressure were recorded and compared. Results There was no significant difference in baseline data and serum indicators (P>0.05). The study group demonstrated superior performance to the control group in terms of clinical efficacy, blood lipid metabolism, inflammatory factor levels, iron metabolism-related indicators, blood biochemical indicators, anemia indicators, adverse reactions and blood pressure (all P<0.05). Conclusion Compared with rhEPO treatment, roxadustat exhibits a promising outcome in treating anemia and has slight impact on blood pressure of patients.

Micro-gyroscopes based on the Coriolis principle are widely employed in inertial navigation, motion control, and vibration analysis applications. This paper presents our main contributions which include a novel dual-frame optomechanical gyroscope, a unique photonic crystal cavity design, and advanced numerical simulation and optimization methods. The proposed design utilizes an optical cavity formed between dual oscillating frames, whereby input rotation induces a measurable phase shift via optomechanical coupling. Actuation of the frames is achieved electrostatically via an interdigitated comb-drive design. Through theoretical modeling based on cavity optomechanics and finite element simulation, the operating principle and performance parameters are evaluated in detail. Results indicate an expected angular rate sensitivity of 22.8 mV/°/s and angle random walk of 7.1×10-5 °/h1/2, representing superior precision than to existing micro-electromechanical systems gyroscopes of comparable scale. Detailed analysis of the optomechanical transduction mechanism suggests this dual-frame approach could enable angular vibration detection with resolution exceeding state-of-the-art solutions.

The grinding process by friction at the micro-scale in a mill with stones is considered a variable combination of contacts: with two-body (the asperities of lower millstone in direct contact with the asperities of upper millstone) and the three-body (micro-particles of ground seeds trapped between the asperities of lower and the upper stones of the mill). Three elements are described: (1) the mechanic contact of the asperities of the lower and upper millstone, to predict pressures on asperities, by modeling; (2) tests on a millstone sample covered with grinding particles, and (3) tests on a wafer sample formed by the millstones with the grinding particles between them. The paper highlights the combined effects of the micro-scale friction by individual measurements and to sum these effects an analytical model was used, and to validate the model, several experiments were performed. A suitable grind by friction assumes the grain’s movement and the interaction between the seeds and solid surfaces and is highlighted through theoretical and experimental studies. Topography analysis of the surface of the millstones revealed the model of microscopic frictional force. Endpoint measurements (the traces of the surface topography evolution), enable model verification in the grinding process.

Active transportation, such as walking, cycling, and micro-mobility modes, has received a lot of attention in recent years due to its potential benefits to urban residents, such as less traffic, better air quality, more opportunities to get exercise, and an overall higher quality of life. In this study, we used Classification and Regression Trees (CART) to compare and contrast three mobility options: shared micro-mobility, individual micro-mobility, and walking. We surveyed 219 people living in Budapest, Hungary, to learn more about their travel habits and investigate the demographic elements that influence people's mode choice, such as age, gender, ownership of micro-mobility modes, education, job, and income. Results showed that ownership of personal micro-mobility modes, and age as important predictors of active travel mode choice. Males seem to prioritize cost and weather conditions when choosing shared micromobility modes, while females value safety and weather conditions. Our findings can guide policy decisions and urban planning initiatives by identifying the most significant predictors of mode choice and evaluating the possible benefits and drawbacks of each mode.

This manuscript presents a study on the spatial relationships between bike accidents, the built environment, land use, and transportation network characteristics in Budapest, Hungary using Geographic Weighted Regression (GWR). The sample period included bike crash data between 2017 and 2022. The findings provide insights into the spatial distribution of bike crashes and their severity, which can be useful for designing targeted interventions to improve bike safety in Budapest and be useful for policymakers and city planners in developing effective strategies to reduce the severity of bike crashes in urban areas. The study reveals that the built environment features, such as traffic signals, road crossings, and bus stops, are positively correlated with the bike crashes index, particularly in the inner areas of the city. However, traffic signals have a negative correlation with the bike crash index in the suburbs, where they may contribute to making roads safer for cyclists. The study also shows that commercial activity and PT stops have a higher impact on bike crashes in the northern and western districts. The GWR analysis further suggests that one-way roads and higher speed limits are associated with more severe bike crashes, while green and recreational areas are generally safer for cyclists. Future research should be focused on the traffic volume and bikes trips’ effects on the severity index.

About 90% of the Ataulfo mango (Mangifera indica L.) crops in Mexico are in the south of the country. This variety has significant amounts of antioxidant compounds. All the trees come from a small group of parents, however, the possible intravarietal variations and the micro-environments where it is grown can influence the compounds that contribute to the antioxidant capacity. The objective of this study was to quantify the antioxidant compounds of Ataulfo mango fruits of trees grown in Soconusco, Chiapas, Mexico (origin denomination), as well as fruits of the parent trees. In addition, possible associations between the contents of these compounds and the micro-environmental conditions collected were sought. In total, 465 fruits from 155 trees planted in 13 municipalities (locations) were analyzed. Fruits were collected at physiological maturity and stored at 25 °C until reaching commercial maturity. The contents of total phenolic compounds (TPC), antioxidant capacity (AC by DPPH, ABTS and FRAP methods), total anthocyanins (TA) and ascorbic acid (AA) were determined. The fruits from Huehuetán, presented the highest contents of PC (0.89 mg GAE g-1); however, the highest AC was found in the fruits harvested in Frontera Hidalgo, with 128.29 µmol TE g-1 (ABTS). The fruits obtained from the parents are within the average range of total TPC and AC, without significant differences between their fruits and those cultivated. The micro-environments where the Ataulfo mango trees are grown do not have a significant effect on antioxidant compounds (TPC, AC, TA and AA) and the only variables that allow segregation by localities are relative humidity, environmental temperature and altitude.

Severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections in early life have been linked to the development of chronic airway disease. RSV is a potent inducer of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which contributes to inflammation and enhanced clinical disease. NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is an evolutionary conserved redox-responsive protein that helps to protect cells and whole organisms from oxidative stress and injury. The role of Nrf2 in the context of viral-mediated chronic lung injury is not known. Herein, we show that RSV experimental infection of adult Nrf2 deficient BALB/c mice (Nrf2-/-; Nrf2 KO) is characterized by enhanced disease, increased inflammatory cell recruitment to the bronchoalveolar compartment, and a more robust upregulation of innate and inflammatory genes and proteins, compared to wild type Nrf2+/+ competent mice (WT). These events that occur at very early time points, lead to increased peak RSV replication in Nrf2 KO compared to WT mice (day 5). To evaluate longitudinal changes of the lung architecture, mice were scanned weekly by high-resolution micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging up to 28 days after initial viral inoculation. Based on micro-CT qualitative 2D imaging and quantitative reconstructed histogram-based analysis of lung volume and density, we found that RSV infected Nrf2 KO mice developed significantly greater and prolonged fibrosis compared to WT mice. Results of this study underscore the critical role of Nrf2-mediated protection from oxidative injury not only in acute pathogenesis of RSV infection, but also in its long-term consequences of chronic airway injury.