This study investigates the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of type 316L stainless steel (SS316L) produced with sinter-based material extrusion additive manufacturing (AM). This technology has been shown to produce SS316L with microstructures and mechanical properties comparable to its wrought counterpart in the annealed condition. However, despite plenty of research on SCC of SS316L, little is known about SCC in sinter-based AM SS316L. This study focuses on the influence of sintered microstructures on susceptibility to SCC initiation and crack-branching. Custom-made C-rings were exposed to different stress levels in acidic chloride solutions at various temperatures. To better understand the SCC behavior of SS316L, solution-annealed (SA) and cold-drawn (CD) wrought SS316L were tested for comparison. Results showed that sinter-based AM SS316L was more susceptible to SCC initiation than SA wrought SS316L but more resistant than CD wrought SS316L. Moreover, sinter-based AM SS316L showed noticeably better resistance to crack-branching than both wrought SS316L counterparts. The investigation was supported by comprehensive pre- and post-test microanalysis using light optical microscopy (LOM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT)

Ring necked-pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) is bird of order Galliformes. Ring necked-pheasant is also known as gallinaceous bird and game bird. It looks like chicken bird. It is national bird of South Dakota. It is mostly found in wild areas but in Pakistan it exists as Domestic bird. It has high proteins and low fat in its meat. The present study was conducted to check the effect of ascorbic acid on sperm Motility, sperm cytoplasmic membrane integrity, sperm livability and acrosome integrity of Ring-necked pheasant at different concentrations of ascorbic acid (0mM, 1mM, 2mM, 3mM and 4mM) were used. Semen was collected by abdominal massage technique. Motility of sperm was greater than 70%.Then it was processed further. The cryopreservation of semen was checked at various stages like Post Dilution, Post Cooling, Post Equilibration and Post Thawing. Semen was cooled from post-dilution stage (37⁰ C) to post-cooling (20⁰C).Then it further cooled gradually to get post-equilibration stage (4⁰ C) within 24 hours. After that 10% glycerol was added to the sample. Then it was transferred to liquid nitrogen (LN₂) cylinder for 24 hours. After thawing stage sample was removed from LN₂ cylinders and placed in water bath for 4 hours to achieve post-thawing. Then performed sperm quality assays at each stage of cryopreservation. Sperm motility was assessed by Neubauer Chamber Hemocytometer. Plasma Membrane Integrity was checked by using Hypo Osmotic Swelling Test with the help to 2% Eosin. Sperm livability was assessed by Lake’s glutamate solution and sperm Acrosome Integrity was checked by dual staining technique by using Formal citrate solution and Giemsa stain. The better results were seen at 3mM treatment of ascorbic acid. Sperm motility percentage was significantly different (P < 0.05) on 3mM treatment on all the stages of cryopreservation rather than other treatments. Plasma membrane integrity assay also showed good results at same concentration (P < 0.05) on all the stages of cryopreservation rather than other treatments. At the sperm livability stage 3mM treatment showed significantly difference (P < 0.05) on all the stages of cryopreservation rather than other treatments. The sperm acrosome integrity showed highest percentage on 3mM treatment (P < 0.05) on all stages of cryopreservation rather than other treatments. Effect of ascorbic acid on all the quality parameters (sperm motility, plasma membrane integrity, livability and acrosome integrity) was showed significant difference (P < 0.05) at 3mM treatment of ascorbic acid as compare to control as well as remaining treatments. It was seen that by increasing the concentration of ascorbic acid from 3mM concentration to onward it shows negative results on its cryopreservation. Now this cryopreserved semen can be transfer from one place to another place to obtain good varieties as well as better genetic characteristics of this species.

During March and April 2020, the European Union (EU) was the center of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many National Governments imposed severe lockdown policies to mitigate the health crisis. The European Parliament commissioned a survey to analyse the citizens’ attitudes over a number of issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 21804 European citizens in 21 EU countries responded the survey between 23 April and 1 May 2020. The paper analyses empirically the individual satisfaction that European citizens have experienced over the measures taken by the respective National Governments to control the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis is based on a micro-econometric model (ordered probit) that explains the citizens’ satisfaction by a number of attitudes and sociodemographic factors. Our results reveal that Spaniards are the least satisfied citizens in comparison with Danes, Irelanders, Greeks and Croats who are the most satisfied nationals. The years of education and the social class also play a determinant role. We also find that the most important determinant is the political support to the Government, and that those who are more worried by the economy and the protection of individual rights are usually more critic with the measures than those who are more worried by the health consequences.

The optimization problem of two or more special-purpose functions of the energy system is subjected to an analysis. Based on experience of our research and general knowledge of partial solutions of energy system optimization at the level of control of production and power energy supply by energy companies in the Czech Republic, a special-purpose (cost) function has been defined. By analysing the special-purpose function, penalty and limitations have been defined. Using the fuzzy logic, a set of suitable solutions for the special-purpose function is accepted. An optimum of the special-purpose function is looked for using the simulated annealing method. The history of electricity consumption is sorted by day and by hour, representing the multidimensional data. When using the cluster analysis, type daytime diagrams of consumption are defined. Type daytime diagrams form prototypes of identified clusters. The so-called self-organizing neural network with Kohonen map attached is used to perform the cluster analysis. The result of our research is presented by an experiment.

The integration of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) into agricultural areas has had a significant impact and has provided new, more complex, efficient, and structured solutions for enhancing crop production. This research reviews the role of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) in monitoring the macro-nutrient content of plants. The review study focuses on identifying the types of sensors used to measure macro-nutrients, determining sensor placement within agricultural areas, implementing wireless technology for sensor communication, and selecting device transmission intervals and ratings. The study of NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) monitoring using sensor technology in precision agriculture is of high significance in efforts to improve agricultural productivity and efficiency. In addition to fostering technological innovations and precision farming solutions, in future this research aims to increase agricultural yields, particularly by enabling the cultivation of certain crops in locations different from their original ones.

In-situ nanoindentation experiment has been widely adopted to characterize material behaviors of microelectronic devices. This work introduces the latest developments of nanoindentation experiment in characterizing nonlinear material properties of 3D integrated microelectronic devices with through-silicon-vias (TSVs). The elastic, plastic, and interfacial fracture behavior of the copper via and matrix-via interface have been characterized using small scale specimens prepared with focused-ion-beam (FIB) and nanoindentation experiment. A brittle interfacial fracture was found at the Cu/Si interface under mixed-mode loading with a phase angle ranging from 16.7 to 83.7 degrees. The mixed-mode fracture strengths were extracted using the linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) analysis and a fracture criterion was obtained by fitting the extracted data with the power-law function. The vectorial interfacial strength and toughness were found to be independent with mode-mix.

Background: The Micro Hand S robot is the first domestically produced surgical robot that has entered clinical use in China, and this is the first report of its application in colon cancer.Objective: This study aimed to validate the safety and efficacy of the domestically produced Chinese minimally invasive Micro Hand S surgical robot system in complex surgery, such as robotic complete mesocolic excision (R-CME).Methods: From March 2018 to December 2018, 30 patients with right hemicolon cancer underwent R-CME with the Micro Hand S robot system. The operative findings, morbidities, oncological findings and unique characteristics were summarizedwere analyzed.Result: 12 patients with right hemicolon cancer and 18 patients with sigmoid colon cancer underwent RCME with the Micro Hand S robot system. During the study period, the median operative duration was 209 (range, 180-255) min, and the median estimated blood loss volume was 35 (range, 25-75) ml. The median number of lymph nodes harvested was 42 (21-77), and the median postoperative hospital stay was 5 (range, 4-7) days. According to the Clavien-Dindo classification, there were no severe complications except for 7 cases of grade I complications and 5 cases of grade II complications. The conversion rate for all operations was 0%. There were no cases of 30-day readmission or 30-day mortality. Conclusion: Clinical application of domestically produced Chinese minimally invasive surgical robot system “Micro Hand S ” in selected colon cancer patients is technically feasible and safe.

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.

We review recent work on broadband RF channelizers based on integrated optical frequency Kerr micro-combs combined with passive micro-ring resonator filters, with microcombs having channel spacings of 200GHz and 49GHz. This approach to realizing RF channelizers offers reduced complexity, size, and potential cost for a wide range of applications to microwave signal detection.

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.

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.

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.

A facile solid-phase synthetic method for incorporating the imidazoline ring motif, a surrogate for a trans peptide bond, into bioactive peptides is reported. The example described is the synthesis of an imidazoline peptidomimetic analog of an insect pyrokinin neuropeptide via a cyclization reaction of an iminium salt generated from the preceding amino acid and 2,4-diaminopropanoic acid (Dap).

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.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are one of the cell types that account for cancer heterogeneity. They arrest in the G0 phase and generate non-CSC progeny by self-renewing and pluripotency activity, resulting in tumor recurrence, metastasis, and chemoresistance. One CSC can stimulate tumor relapse and can re-grow a metastatic tumor. So, CSC is a promising target for eradicating tumors, and developing an anti-CSC method has become a top priority in cancer therapy. In recent years competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) have emerged as an important class of post-transcriptional regulators that affect gene expression via competition for microRNA (miRNA) binding. Furthermore, aberrant ceRNA expression is associated with tumor progression. To overcome therapeutic resistance due to CSCs, we need to improve our existing understanding of the mechanisms by which ceRNAs are implicated in CSC-related relapse. Thus, this review was designed in order to discuss the role of ceRNAs in CSCs function. We reviewed the role of ceRNAs in acquiring CSCs characteristics in the form of different pathways including Rho GTPase/F-actin_ Yes-associated protein (YAP)/transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) (Hippo), Wnt/β-catenin pathway, transforming growth factor (TGF)-b–urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 (UCA1)–Slug pathway, etc. Finally, considering the comprehensive impacts of the ceRNA network on different pathways, a treatment strategy driving the ceRNA network might be effective. Targeting ceRNAs may open the path for new cancer therapeutic targets and can be used in clinical research.

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.

Obesity-associated metabolic abnormalities comprise of a cluster of conditions including dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases that has affected more than 650 million people all over the globe. Obesity results from accumulation of white adipose tissues mainly due to the chronic imbalance of energy intake and energy expenditure. Variety of approaches to treat or prevent obesity, including lifestyle interventions, surgical weight loss procedures and pharmacological approaches to reduce energy intake and increase energy expenditure have failed to substantially decrease the prevalence of obesity. Brown adipose tissue (BAT), the primary source of thermogenesis in infants and small mammals may represent a promising therapeutic target to treat obesity by promoting energy expenditure through non-shivering thermogenesis mediated by mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). Since the confirmation of functional BAT in adult humans by several groups, approximately a decade ago and its association with a favorable metabolic phenotype, intense interest on the significance of BAT in adult human physiology and metabolic health has emerged within the scientific community to explore its therapeutic potential for the treatment of obesity and metabolic diseases. Substantially decreased BAT activity in individuals with obesity indicates a role for BAT in setting of human obesity. On the other hand, BAT mass and its prevalence has been reported to correlate with lower body mass index (BMI), decreased age and glucose levels, leading to lower incidence of cardio metabolic diseases. Increased cold exposure in adult humans with undetectable BAT was associated with decreased body fat mass and increased insulin sensitivity. Deeper understanding of the role of BAT in human metabolic health and its inter-relationship with body fat distribution and deciphering proper strategies to increase energy expenditure by either increasing functional BAT mass, or inducing white adipose browning holds the promise for possible therapeutic avenues for the treatment of obesity and associated metabolic disorders.

In this work, generalized geometry of second-order tangent groups and affine configuration complexes is proposed. Initially, geometry for higher weights n=4 and weights n=5 is presented through some interesting and suitable homomorphisms, finally, this geometry is extended and generalized for any weight n.

The cellular cytoskeleton provides the cell with a mechanical rigidity which allows mechanical interaction between cells and the extracellular environment. The actin structure plays a key role in mechanical events like motility, or establishment of cell polarity. From the earliest stages of development, as represented by ex vivo expansion of naïve embryonic stem cells (ESCs), the critical mechanical role of the actin structure is becoming recognized as a vital cue for correct segregation and lineage control of cells and as a regulatory structure that controls several transcription factors. Naïve ESCs have a characteristic morphology and the ultrastructure that underlies this condition remains to be further investigated. Here, we investigate the 3D actin cytoskeleton of naïve mouse ESCs using super resolution optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM). We investigate the morphological, cytoskeletal and mechanical changes in cells cultured in 2i or Serum/LIF media reflecting a homogenous preimplantation cell state and a state that is closer to embarking on differentiation. STORM imaging showed that the peripheral actin structure undergoes a dramatic change between the two media conditions. We also detected micro-rheological differences in the cell periphery between the cells cultured in these two media correlating well with the observed nano-architecture of the ESCs in the two different culture conditions. These results pave the way for linking physical properties and cytoskeletal architecture to cell morphology during early development.

Although many devices have recently been proposed for pressure regulation and energy harvesting in water distribution and transport networks, very few applications are still documented in the scientific literature. A new in-line Banki turbine with positive outflow pressure and a mobile regulating flap, named PRS, was installed and tested in a real water transport network for pressure and discharge regulation. The PRS turbine was directly connected to a 55 kW asynchronous generator with variable rotational velocity, coupled to an inverter. The start-up tests showed how automatic adjustment of the flap position and the impeller velocity variation are able to change the characteristic curve of the PRS according to the flow delivered by the water manager or to the pressure set-point assigned downstream or upstream of the system, still keeping good efficiency values in hydropower production.

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.

Louis de Broglie in the beginning 20th century voices his theory of a double solution, according to which a pilot wave accompanies a particle, simulated as a point singularity, along the most optimal path from its creation on a source up to the detection. The pilot wave is a real hidden wave, which is similar to the wave function resulting from the solution of the Schrödinger equation. This theory is in agreement with de Broglie’s postulate about the matter waves. In this article we are based on the Helmholtz decomposition theorem according to which any velocity may be represented as a sum of two velocities – irrotational and solenoidal ones. The first velocity stems from the gradient of the scalar field. The second occurs from a pseudo-vector field. We proclaim that the gradients of the scalar field define guiding paths of the pilot wave. While the pseudo-vector field defines a particle solenoidal filling. We give mathematical models of the irrotational and solenoidal flows simulating the position of a particle in a guiding wave. Modified Navier-Stokes equation in pair with the continuity equation resulting in the Schrödinger equation gives such solutions consisting of superposition of the irrotational and solenoidal flow. It is declared that the guiding wave forms from the irrotational flows. In turn, the solenoidal flows underlie forming particles that travel along optimal paths slave by the guiding wave. There are described mathematical solutions of the spherical particle washed by the superfluid representing the guiding wave along which it travels.

Mineral profile of beef interests human health, but also animal performance and meat quality. This study analyzes the relationships of 20 minerals in beef (ICP-OES) with 3 animal performance and 13 meat quality traits analyzed on 182 samples of Longissimus thoracis. Animals’ breed and sex showed limited effects. The major sources of variation (farm/date of slaughter, individual animal within group and side/sample within animal) differed greatly from trait to trait. Mineral contents were correlated to animal performance and meat quality being significant 52 out of the 320 correlations at the farm/date level, and 101 out of the 320 at the individual animal level. Five latent factors explained 69% of mineral co-variation. The most important, “Mineral quantity” factor correlated with age at slaughter and with the meat color traits. Two latent factors (“Na+Fe+Cu” and “Fe+Mn”) correlated with performance and meat color traits. Two other (“K-B-Pb” and “Zn”) correlated with meat chemical composition and the latter also with carcass weight and daily gain, and meat color traits. Meat cooking losses correlated with “K-B-Pb”. Latent factor analysis appears be a useful means of disentangling the very complex relationships that the minerals in meat have with animal performance and meat quality traits.

Let N = N₀+ N₁+ N₂ be a Z₃-graded Novikov algebra. The main goal of the paper is to prove that over a field of characteristic not equal to 3 the algebra N is solvable if N₀ is solvable. We also show that a $Z_2$-graded Novikov algebra N=N₀+ N₂ over a field of characteristic not equal to 2 is solvable if N₀ is solvable. This implies that for every n of the form n=2^k3^l, any Z_n-graded Novikov algebra N over a field of characteristic not equal to 2,3 is solvable if N₀ is solvable.

ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The identification of novel metabolic and imaging biomarkers could unveil key pathophysiological mechanisms at the molecular level and promote personalized care in patients with acute coronary syndromes. We studied 38 patients with STEMI who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention and thrombus aspiration. We sought to correlate serum ceramide levels with micro-CT quantified aspirated thrombus volume and relevant angiographic outcomes, including modified TIMI thrombus grade and pre- or post-procedural TIMI flow. Higher ceramide C16:0 levels were significantly, but weakly correlated with larger aspirated thrombus volume (Spearman r=0.326, p=0.046), larger intracoronary thrombus burden (Nagelkerke R2=0.236, p=0.030) and worse pre- and post-procedural TIMI flow (Nagelkerke R2=0.210; p=0.049 and Nagelkerke R2=0.277; p=0.039, respectively). Ceramides C24:0 and C24:1 were also significantly associated with larger intracoronary thrombus burden (Nagelkerke R2=0.311; p=0.008 and Nagelkerke R2=0.423; p=0.001, respectively). In conclusion, serum ceramide levels (mainly C16:0 and C24:1) were higher among patients with larger intracoronary and aspirated thrombus burden. This suggests that quantification of serum ceramides might improve risk-stratification of patients with STEMI and facilitate a more individualized approach in everyday clinical practice.

With the increasing demand for energy worldwide, researchers from different fields have been striving to improve the sustainability and proper utilization of energy resources. Passive radiative cooling, as a natural energy transport method, can achieve cooling without additional external energy input. This review provides a comprehensive examination of passive radiative cooling, including its fundamental theories and latest development. A particular emphasis is placed on the diverse range of fields where passive radiative cooling has been applied, notably including but not limited to construction and architecture. The current state of applications, potential challenges that may arise with wider adaption and promising research directions for each field are thoroughly discussed. This review underscores the universal applicability and feasibility of passive radiative cooling and contributes to its future development by identifying promising areas for further exploration.

Sources are classified into two depending upon the factor of reviving. These sources, which cannot be revived into their original shape once they are consumed, are considered as nonrenewable energy resources, i.e., (coal, fuel) Moreover, those energy resources which are revivable to the original condition even after being consumed are known as renewable energy resources, i.e., (wind, solar, hydel) Renewable energy is a cost-effective way to generate clean and green electrical energy Now a day’s majority of the countries are paying heed to energy generation from RES Pakistan is mostly relying on conventional energy resources which are mostly nonrenewable in nature coal, fuel is one of the major resources, and with the advent of time their prices are increasing on the other hand RES have great potential in the country with the deployment of RES greater reliability and an effective power system can be obtained In this thesis, a similar concept is being used and a hybrid power system is proposed which is composed of intermixing of renewable and nonrenewable sources The Source side is composed of solar, wind, fuel cells which will be used in an optimal manner to serve load The goal is to provide an economical, reliable, uninterruptable power supply. This is achieved by optimal controller (PI, PD, PID, FOPID) Optimization techniques are applied to the controllers to achieve the desired results. Advanced algorithms (Particle swarm optimization, Flower Pollination Algorithm) will be used to extract the desired output from the controller Detailed comparison in the form of tables and results will be provided, which will highlight the efficiency of the proposed system.

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 space gravitational wave detection and drag free control requires the micro-thruster to have very low thrust noise within 0.1mHz~100mHz, which poses a great challenge to the ground thrust test. The evaluation and decoupling of thermal noise are the difficulties in the application of torsion balance for most thrusters dissipate heat in the experiment. The research has adopted a calibration scheme of micro-Newton thrust torsion balance. On the basis of Lisa Pathfinder's former research and using ideas inspired from PID control and multi time scale (MTS) for reference, the paper proposes to expand the state space of temperature to be applied on thrust prediction based on fine tree regression (FTR), to subtract the thermal noise filtered by transfer function fitted with z-domain vector fitting (ZDVF). The results show that the thrust amplitude thrust density in diurnal temperature fluctuation is decoupled from 24μN/Hz1/2 to 4.9μN/Hz1/2 at 0.11mHz. And the 1μN square wave modulations of electrostatic fins (ESF) is extracted from the simultaneously ambiguous background of temperature for PTC's heating and cooling. The FTR method is well demonstrated in thermal noise decoupling and can guide the design of thermal control and be extended to other physical quantities for noise decoupling.

Background: Transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily A member 1 (TRPA1) is expressed in trigeminal neurons and brain regions important in migraine pathogenesis and is activated by many migraine triggers. Epigenetic regulation of TRPA1 expression is important in pain transmission and neurogenic inflammation.Findings: TRPA1 channels change noxious stimuli into pain signals with the involvement of epigenetic regulation, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and effects of micro RNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs. TRPA1 may change epigenetic profile of many pain-related genes as it may modify enzymes establishing the epigenetic profile and expression of non-coding RNAs. TRPA1 may induce the release of calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP), from trigeminal neurons and dural tissue. Therefore, epigenetic regulation of TRPA1 may play a role in efficacy and safety of anti-migraine therapies targeting TRP channels and CGRP. TRPA1 is also involved in neurogenic inflammation, important in migraine. The fundamental role of TRPA1 in inflammatory pain transmission may be epigenetically regulated. Conclusions: Epigenetic connections of TRPA1 may play a role in efficacy and safety of anti-migraine therapy targeting TRP channels or CGRP and they should be further explored for efficient and safe antimigraine treatment.

We measured the ring collection coefficient of bromide anion oxidation products in a neutral and slightly alkaline medium on a rotating ring-disk electrode (glassy carbon disk, platinum ring) varying the following parameters: disk electrode rotation velocity, sodium bromide concentration, pH of the medium (in the range of 6 – 12), anode current on the disk and the electroreduction potential of the bromide anion oxidation products on the ring. The data obtained is presented via dependences of the cathode ring current to the disk current ratio vs the ring electrode potential. The analysis of the results was carried out by comparing the experimental polarization curves of the ring electrode with the data of cyclic voltammetry in model solutions to determine the electrical activities of various bromine compounds in positive oxidation states. We claim that RRDE method could be used to obtain quantitative and qualitative data on the electrooxidation of bromide ion in neutral and alkaline solutions. For the most effective regeneration of the spent oxidizer the values of pH &gt; 10 and moderate concentrations of NaBr should be used.

The evaporation of polymer solution droplet is an important in solution-based polymer film fabrications, such as inkjet print, spray coatings, and droplet casting etc. In this work, we investigated the effect of droplet size, solvent evaporation rate, and concentration on “coffee-ring” effect, crystal nucleation, polymorphism, and morphology of dried poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) solution droplets with atomic force microscopy (AFM) method. We found that the crystal structure, morphology and crystal distribution in the center and edge regions of dried PVDF droplets were different due to “coffee-ring” effect. The “coffee-ring” effect of dried PVDF droplets was mainly composited of accumulated crystals at the edge region of droplet, which was mainly made by crystallization of migrated chains. The interplay between migration of chains, crystallization and solidification of PVDF droplets significantly influenced the formation of “coffee-ring”. In addition, our results showed that the decrease of droplet size and controlling solvent evaporation rate were effective ways to improve the PVDF β-phase nucleation and decrease crystal size.

Background: Shared value creation in Base of the Pyramid (BoP) communities is a crucial process towards building sustainable societies. BoP communities in developing countries represent more than four billion people who live on low incomes with limited access to basic products and services. Current or emerging technologies offer promising solutions for organisations pursuing manufacturing opportunities in BoP communities. This study seeks to explore the literature on how BoP communities may become active participants in sustainably manufacturing products using micro-manufacturing factories. The research question posed is: What are the core concepts that need to be taken into consideration for creating shared value through micro-manufacturing factories in BoP communities? Method: A Systematised Literature review (SLR) was completed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) method for data selection criteria and analysis. The SLR is used to explore the state of literature with regards to creating manufacturing shared value in BoP communities with the objective to identify study gaps and to explore shared value creation concepts. Results: Literature indicates BoP initiatives that have pursued to engage BoP communities through various innovation strategies. The findings of the review is organised under three strategic pillars: Capability building strategy, Implementation process, and Growth strategy. The capability building strategy defines the users’ intention to create shared value in BoP communities with Micro-manufacturing factories (MMF). It is followed by the implementation process which guides the users to create manufacturing shared value in BoP communities. This is followed by a growth strategy to scale for impact.

There is an important complementarity between experimental methods for the study of high-temperature viscoelasticity in the time and frequency domains, that has not always been fully exploited. Here we show that parallel processing of forced-oscillation data and microcreep records, involving consistent use of either Andrade or extended Burgers creep-function models, yields a robust composite modulus-dissipation dataset spanning a broader range of periods than either technique alone. In fitting this dataset, the alternative Andrade and extended Burgers models differ in their partitioning of strain between the anelastic and viscous contributions. The extended Burgers model is preferred because it involves a finite range of anelastic relaxation times, and accordingly a well-defined anelastic relaxation strength. The new strategy offers the prospect of better constraining the transition between transient and steady-state creep, or equivalently, between anelastic and viscous behaviour.

Epoxy asphalt (EA) concrete is widely used in constructing long-span steel bridge pavements (SBDPs). This study aims to derive a fatigue damage evolution law, conducting an experimental investigation of SBDP. First, a general theoretical form of the fatigue damage evolution law of materials is established based on the thermal motion of atoms. Then, fatigue experiments demonstrate that this evolution law well represents the known damage–life relationships of SBDP. Taking into account the experimental relationships between damage and fatigue life under symmetrical cyclic loadings with different overload amplitudes and temperature variations, a detailed damage evolution law is deduced. Finally, the role of damage accumulation is discussed on the basis of the proposed damage evolution law for the extreme situation of heavy overload and severe environments. The results show that both heavy loading and falling temperatures increase the fatigue damage of SBDP considerably; therefore, SBDP should avoid heavy loading combined with winter temperatures. EA shows a fatigue life two to three times longer than that of modified matrix asphalt (SMA) or guss asphalt (GA). For the same thickness, EA pavement is demonstrated to be more suitable for an anti-fatigue design of large-span SBDP under high traffic flows and low temperatures.

In this work the close relation between vorticity and micro-rotation in micropolar flows in Rn (n = 2 or 3) is identified and used to explain the faster decay by t^(-1/2) of the angular velocity of the micro-rotation of fluid particles, as well as establishing its optimality. For this purpose important upper and lower bounds for Leray solutions in homogeneous Sobolev spaces are derived, using the monotonicity approach recently introduced by the authors for dissipative systems in general. Several related results of interest are also given along the discussion.

In this paper, we critically examine the burgeoning role of advanced computational methodologies in deciphering the complex tapestry of farm animal behaviors and emotions. Leveraging digital imaging and artificial intelligence, we unearth nuanced behavioral patterns and micro-expressions, offering predictive insights into animal emotional states. Sound vocalization analysis, often overlooked, emerges as a pivotal tool, decoding intricate communicative nuances and emotional undertones. Cognitive tests, including mirror and bias assessments, challenge long-standing perceptions, revealing surprising depths of animal self-awareness and cognitive sophistication. However, the paper also underscores the imperative of integrating these tools with a profound understanding of animal psyche, ensuring technology serves as an enhancer, not a replacement, of traditional observational methods. This research not only highlights the transformative potential of cognitive computing in animal welfare but also calls for a judicious application, ensuring technology augments, not undermines, the intrinsic value of human-animal interactions and understanding.

The study purpose was to train and validate a deep-learning approach to detect micro-scale streetscape features related to pedestrian physical activity. This work innovates by combining computer vision techniques with Google Street View (GSV) images to overcome impediments to conducting audits (e.g., time, safety, and expert labor cost). The EfficientNETB5 architecture was used to build deep-learning models for eight micro-scale features guided by the Microscale Audit of Pedestrian Streetscapes-Mini tool: sidewalks, sidewalk buffers, curb cuts, zebra and line crosswalks, walk signals, bike symbols, and streetlights. We used a train--correct loop, whereby images were trained on a training dataset, evaluated using a separate validation dataset, and trained further until acceptable performance metrics were achieved. Further, we used trained models to audit participant (N=512) neighborhoods in the WalkIT Arizona trial. Correlations were explored between micro-scale features and GIS-measured- and participant reported-macro-scale walkability. Classifier precision, recall, and overall accuracy were all >84%. Total micro-scale was associated with overall macro-scale walkability (r=0.300,p<.001). Positive associations were found between model-detected and self-reported sidewalks (r=0.41,p<.001) and sidewalk buffers (r=0.26,p<.001). Computer vision model results suggest an alternative to trained human raters, allowing for audits of hundreds or thousands of neighborhoods for population surveillance or hypothesis testing.

Recombinant human collagen peptide (RCP) is a recombinantly created xeno-free biomaterial enriched in RGD (arginine-glycine-aspartic acid) sequences, with good processability that is being investigated for regenerative medicine applications. Recently, the biocompatibility and osteogenic ability of β-TCP/RCP (RCP granules combined with β-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) submicron particles) were demonstrated. In the present study, β-TCP/RCP was implanted into experimental periodontal tissue defects (three-walled bone defect) created in beagle dogs to investigate tissue responses and subsequent regenerative effects. Micro computed tomography image analysis at 8 weeks postoperatively showed that the amount of new bone after β-TCP/RCP graft was significantly greater (2.2 fold, P&lt;0.05) than that of the control (no graft) group. Histological findings showed that the transplanted β-TCP/RCP induced active bone-like tissue formation including TRAP-positive and OCN-positive cells as well as bioabsorbability. Ankylosis did not occur, and periostin-positive periodontal ligament-like tissue formation was observed. Histological measurements revealed that β-TCP/RCP implantation formed 1.7-fold more bone-like tissue and 2.1-fold more periodontal ligament-like tissue than the control, and significantly suppressed gingival recession and epithelial downgrowth (P&lt;0.05). These results suggest that β-TCP/RCP is effective as a periodontal tissue regenerative material.

We review recent work on narrowband orthogonally polarized optical RF single sideband generators as well as dual-channel equalization, both based on high-Q integrated ring resonators. The devices operate in the optical telecommunications C-band and enable RF operation over a range of either fixed or thermally tuneable frequencies. They operate via TE/TM mode birefringence in the resonator. We achieve a very large dynamic tuning range of over 55 dB for both the optical carrier-to-sideband ratio and the dual-channel RF equalization for both the fixed and tunable devices.

To prevent CO2 leakage and ensure the safety of long-term CO2 storage, it is essential to investigate the flow mechanism of CO2 in complex pore structures at the pore scale. This study focuses on reviewing the experimental, theoretical, and numerical simulation studies on the microscopic flow of CO2 in complex pore structures during the last decade. For example, advanced imaging techniques, such as X-ray computed tomography (CT) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), are used to reconstruct the complex pore structures of rocks. Mathematical methods, such as Darcy's law, Young–Laplace’s law, and the Navier-Stokes equation, are used to describe the microscopic flow of CO2. Numerical methods, such as the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) and pore network (PN) model, are used for numerical simulation. The application of these experimental and theoretical models and numerical simulation studies is discussed, considering the effect of complex pore structures. Finally, future research is suggested to focus on: (1) Conducting real-time CT scanning experiments of CO2 displacement combined with the developed real-time CT scanning clamping device to realize real-time visualization and provide quantitative description of the flow behavior of CO2 in complex pore structures; (2) The effect of pore structures change on the CO2 flow mechanism caused by the chemical reaction between CO2 and the pore surface, the flow theory of CO2 considering wettability and damage theory in a complex pore structures; (3) The flow mechanism of multi-phase CO2 in complex pore structures; (4) The flow mechanism of CO2 in the pore structures at multiscale and the scale upgrade from microscopic to mesoscopic to macroscopic. Generally, this study focuses on reviewing the research progress of CO2 flow mechanisms in complex pore structures at the pore scale and affords an overview of potential advanced developments to enhance the current understanding of CO2 microscopic flow mechanisms.

The purpose of this review is to present the current role of ultrasound-based techniques in the diagnostic pathway of prostate cancer (PCa). With overdiagnosis and overtreatment of a clinically insignificant PCa over the past years, multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) became recommended for every patient suspected of PCa before performing a biopsy. It enabled targeted sampling of the suspicious prostate regions, improving the accuracy of the traditional systematic biopsy. However, mpMRI is associated with high costs, relatively low availability, long and separate procedure or exposure to the contrast agent. The novel ultrasound modalities such as shear wave elastography (SWE), contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) or high frequency micro-ultrasound (MicroUS) may be capable of maintaining the performance of mpMRI without its limitations. Moreover, the real-time lesion visualization during biopsy would significantly simplify the diagnostic process. Another value of these new techniques is the ability to enhance the performance of mpMRI by creating the image fusion of multiple modalities. Such models might be further analyzed by artificial intelligence to mark the regions of interest for investigators and help to decide about the biopsy indications. The dynamic development and promising results of new ultrasound-based techniques should encourage researchers to thoroughly study their utilization in prostate imaging.

Noninvasive and portable diagnoses via angle-resolved coherent spectral data are presented. ACTIRS (Angle- resolved coherent tomographic IR spectroscopy) through angle-coherent return spectra from photonic quantum ring laser of whispering gallery modes, which is not photocurrent-converted after the cortical, vascular or muscular diffuse paths, can be a new method for brain/heart studies. Also it will be eligible for frequent do-it-yourself diagnoses of breast cancer before hospital visits. The unique angle-coherent multi-spectra will eventually lead to study ionic or protein contents of cranial, arterial or lactiferous ducts that have been obtained only from uncomfortable biopsy, NMR, CT or mammography. The spectral data can be spatially or temporally improved and correlated for extracting more meaningful diagnostic conclusions

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.

In this note we introduce the notion of polynions and discuss their mathematical relevance. We note that the well-known mathematical structures like quaternions, octonions and sedenions etc. are special cases of polynions.

This work presents updated reconstructions of watershed runoff to San Francisco Estuary from tree-ring data to AD 903, coupled with models relating runoff to freshwater flow to the estuary and salinity intrusion. We characterize pre-development freshwater flow and salinity conditions in the estuary over the past millennium and compare this characterization with contemporary conditions to better understand the magnitude and seasonality of changes over this time. This work shows that the instrumented flow record spans the range of runoff patterns over the past millennium (averaged over five, ten, twenty and one hundred years), and thus serves as a reasonable basis for planning-level evaluations of historical hydrologic conditions in the estuary. Over annual timescales we show that, although median freshwater flow to the estuary has not changed significantly, it has been more variable over the past century compared to pre-development flow conditions. We further show that the contemporary period is generally associated with greater spring salinity intrusion and lesser summer-fall salinity intrusion relative to the pre-development period. Thus, salinity intrusion in summer and fall months was a common occurrence under pre-development conditions and has been moderated in the contemporary period due to the operations of upstream reservoirs, which were designed to hold winter and spring runoff for release in summer and fall. This work also confirms a dramatic decadal-scale hydrologic shift in the watershed from very wet to very dry conditions during the late 19th and early 20th centuries; while not unprecedented, these shifts have been seen only a few times in the past millennium. This shift resulted in an increase in salinity intrusion in the first three decades of the 20th century, as documented through early records. Population growth and extensive watershed modification during this period exacerbated this underlying hydrologic shift. Putting this shift in the context of other anthropogenic drivers is important in understanding the historical response of the estuary and in setting salinity targets for estuarine restoration. By characterizing the long-term behavior of San Francisco Estuary, this work supports decision-making in the State of California related to flow and salinity management for restoration of the estuarine ecosystem.

Conventional pervious pavement materials (PPM) consist of cement and aggregate materials and are known for poor durability due to their brittle behavior. Herein, we fabricated polymeric PPMs from durable and abundant polyurethane (PU) to enhance the durability of the material and undertook mechanical and microscopic characterizations. PU-based PPM samples with varying aggregate sizes were produced and the compressive strength and water permeability of each were examined. The pore and tortuosity characteristics of the specimens were analyzed using X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). Through the micro-CT analysis, the morphological characteristics of the internal structures of PPM were identified and the correlations between the pore size distribution, connectivity, and tortuosity within the specimen were quantitatively analyzed. The microstructures derived from micro-CT were generated as a finite element model and the stress distribution generated inside was numerically determined.

In recent years, laser engraving has received widespread attention as a convenient, efficient, and programmable method, which has enabled the obtaining of high-quality porous graphene from various precursors. Laser engraving is often used to fabricate the dielectric layer with micro-structure for capacitive pressure sensors, however, the usual choice of electrodes remains poorly flexible metal electrodes, which greatly limits the overall flexibility of the sensors. In this work, we propose a flexible capacitive pressure sensor made entirely of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and laser-induced graphene (LIG) derived from wood. The capacitive pressure sensor consisted of a flexible LIG/TPU electrode (LTE), a LIG/TPU electrode with micro hole array, and dielectric layer of TPU with micro-cone array molded from laser-engraved hole array on wood, which provided high sensitivity (0.11 kPa-1), ultra-wide pressure detection range (100Pa to 1.4MPa), fast response (~300 ms) and good stability (&gt;4000 cycles, at 0-35 kPa). We believe that our research makes a significant contribution to the literature because the easily available materials derived from wood and overall consistent flexibility meet the requirements of flexible electronic devices.

A novel approach for the long-term medical treatment of the inner ear is the diffusion of drugs through the round window membrane from a patient-individualized, drug-eluting implant, which is inserted in the middle ear. In this study, drug-loaded (10 wt% Dexamethasone) guinea pig round window niche implants (GP-RNIs, ~1.30 mm x 0.95 mm x 0.60 mm) were manufactured with high precision via micro injection molding (µIM, Tmold = 160 °C, crosslinking time of 120 s). The medical grade silicone elastomer MED-4244 (NuSil Technology LLC, Radnor, PA, USA) was used. Molds for µIM were 3D printed from a commercially available resin PlasGRAY V2 (Asiga, Alexandria, Australia, TG = 84 °C) via a high-resolution DLP process (xy-resolution of 32 µm, z-resolution of 10 µm, 3D printing time of about 6 h). Drug release, biocompatibility, and bio-efficacy of the GP-RNIs were investigated in vitro. GP-RNIs could be successfully produced. Wear of the molds due to thermal stress was observed. However, the molds are suitable for single use in the µIM process. About 10% of the drug load (8.2 ± 0.6 µg) was released after 6 weeks (medium: isotonic saline). The implants showed high biocompatibility over a time of 28 days (lowest cell viability ~80%). Moreover, we found anti-inflammatory effects over a time of 28 days in a TNF-α-reduction test. These results are promising for the development of long-term drug-releasing implants for human inner ear therapy.

Large animal experiments are important for preclinical studies of regenerative stem cell transplantation therapy. Therefore, we investigated the differentiation capacity of pig skeletal muscle-derived stem cells (Sk-MSCs) as an intermediate model between mice and humans for nerve muscle regenerative therapy. Enzymatically extracted cells were obtained from green-fluorescence transgenic micro-mini pigs (GFP-Tg MMP) and sorted as CD34+/45- (Sk-34) and CD34-/45-/29+ (Sk-DN) fractions. The ability to differentiate into skeletal muscle, peripheral nerve, and vascular cell lineages was examined by in vitro cell culture and in vivo cell transplantation into the damaged tibialis anterior muscle and sciatic nerves of nude mice and rats. Protein and mRNA levels were analyzed using RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and immunoelectron microscopy. The myogenic potential, which was tested by Pax7 and MyoD expression and the formation of muscle fibers, was higher in Sk-DN cells than in Sk-34 cells but remained weak in the latter. In contrast, the capacity to differentiate into peripheral nerve and vascular cell lineages was totally stronger in Sk-34 cells. In particular, Sk-DN cells did not engraft to the damaged nerve, whereas Sk-34 cells showed active engraftment and differentiation into perineurial/endoneurial cells, endothelial cells, and vascular smooth muscle cells, similar to the human case, as previously reported. Therefore, we concluded that Sk-34 and Sk-DN cells in pigs were closer to those in humans than to those in mice.

Controlled deposition of CoCrFeNiMo0.2 high entropy alloy (HEA) micro-particles was achieved using laser induced forward transfer (LIFT). Ultra-short laser pulses, 230 fs of 515 nm wavelength, were tightly focused into ∼ 2.4 μm focal spots on the ∼50 nm thick plasma-sputtered films of CoCrFeNiMo0.2. The HTA films were transferred onto glass substrates by magnetron sputtering in vacuum (10−8 atm) from the thermal spray coated substrates. The absorption coefficient of CoCrFeNiMo0.2 α ≈ 6 × 105 cm−1 was determined at 600 nm wavelength. The real and imaginary parts of refractive index (n + iκ) of HEA were determined from reflectance and transmittance using nano-films.

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.

Keywords: Pulp cell, Periodontal cell, Micro-Arc Oxidation (MAO), Sever Plastic deformation (SPD), Equal Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP), AlamarBlue, ELISA, trypsin

Metandienone and methyltestosterone are orally active anabolic-androgenic steroids with a 17α-methyl structure that are prohibited in sports but are frequently detected in anti-doping analysis. After the previously reported detection of long-term metabolites with a 17ξ-hydroxymethyl-17ξ-methyl-18-nor-5ξ-androst-13-en-3ξ-ol structure in the chlorinated metandienone analog dehydrochloromethyltestosterone (“Oral Turinabol”), in this study we investigated the formation of similar metabolites of metandienone and 17α-methyltestosterone with a rearranged D-ring and a fully reduced A-ring. Using a semi-targeted approach including synthesis of reference compounds, two diastereomeric substances, viz. 17α-hydroxymethyl-17β-methyl-18-nor-5β-androst-13-en-3α-ol and its 5α-analog, were identified following an administration of methyltestosterone. In post-administration urines of metandienone, only the 5β-metabolite was detected. Additionally, 3α,5β-tetrahydro-epi-methyltestosterone was identified in the urines of both administrations besides the classical metabolites included in the screening procedures. Besides their applicability for anti-doping analysis, the results provide new insights on the metabolism of 17α-methyl steroids with respect to the order of reductions in the A-ring, the participation of different enzymes, and alterations of the D-ring.

A theoretical description of quantum jumps at the level of elementary particles is proposed, based on a micro-cosmological interpretation of their de Broglie phase. The third quantization formalism proposed in current literature for the description of baby universes in quantum cosmology is used here to describe the breakdown of unitarity in the transition from the pre-jump to the post-jump wave function. The corpuscular aspect manifested by the particle in the micro-interaction that originates the jump is represented by a pair of evanescent "micro-universes", respectively pre- and post-jump, connected by a wormhole. The latter represents the actual implementation of the interaction that leads to the projection on the outgoing state; this interaction is always local, even when the selected outgoing state is entangled. Therefore, the decoherence which leads to the emergence of classicality is originated by the same fundamental interactions of the Standard Model involved in the unitary evolution of the wave function. The objective nature of the reduction process admits implications on the possibility of using the formalism in the cosmological context, which are briefly discussed.

Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) vibrating gyroscope design considerations are always intriguing due to their microscale mechanical, electrical, and material behavior. MEMS vibrating ring gyroscopes have become important inertial sensors in inertial measurement units (IMU) for navigation and sensing applications. The design of a MEMS vibrating ring gyroscope incorporates an oscillating ring structure as a proof mass, reflecting unique design challenges and possibilities. This paper presents a comprehensive design analysis of the MEMS vibrating ring gyroscope from the mechanical, electrical, and damping perspectives. The mechanical design of the MEMS vibrating ring gyroscope investigates the various frame designs of the vibrating ring structure, as well as the various beam structures, including curved, rectangular, and semicircular beam structures, which are analyzed using mathematical models and finite element analysis (FEA) simulations that provide an in-depth analysis of the stiffness and deflection of the vibrating structures. The electrical designs of the MEMS vibrating ring gyroscope were analyzed using various electrode configurations, electrostatic actuation, and capacitive detection mechanisms, respectively. The design analysis of various forms of damping, including viscous, structural, thermoelastic, and anchor damping, has been discussed. The variety of design structures investigated for MEMS vibrating ring gyroscopes' mechanical, electrical, and damping performance.

This work presents first time successfully fabricated silica few-mode microstructured optical fiber (MOF) with hollow GeO2-doped ring core and strongly induced twisting up to 790 revolutions per meter. Some technological issues for manufacturing of GeO2-doped supporting elements for large hollow cores as well as described above complicated spun MOFs are discussed. We introduce some results of tests, performed for pilot samples of designed and manufactured described above untwisted and twisted MOFs with outer diameter 65 µm and hollow ring core inner diameter 30.5 µm under wall thickness 1.7 µm and refractive index difference n=0.030, including their geometrical parameters, basic transmission characteristics and measurements of far-field laser beam profile patterns.

We have estimated the level of Risk Weighted Assets among 30 countries in Europe, in 30 trimesters, using data of the European Banking Authority-EBA of 139 variables. We perform an econometric model using Pooled OLS, Panel Data with Fixed Effects, Panel Data with Random Effects, Weighted Least Squares. We found that Risk Weighted Assets is negatively associated, among others, to the level of NFC loans in mining and quarrying, in public administration and defence, and in financial and insurance activities and positively associated, among others to distribution of NFC loans in human health services and social work activities, in education and the level of net fee and commission income. Furthermore, we apply a cluster analysis with the k-Means algorithm, and we find the presence of two clusters. A comparison was then made between eight different machine learning algorithms for predicting the value of the RWAs and we found that the best predictor is the linear regression. The RWA value is predicted to increase by 1.5%.

A pilot study on laser 3D printing of inorganic free-form micro-optics is experimentally validated. Ultrafast laser nanolithography is employed for structuring hybrid organic-inorganic material SZ2080TM followed by high-temperature calcination post-processing. The combination allows production of 3D architectures and the heat-treatment results in converting the material to inorganic substance. The produced miniature optical elements are characterized and their optical performance demonstrated. Finally, the concept is validated for manufacturing compound optical components such as stacked lenses. This is opening for new directions and applications of laser made microoptics under harsh conditions such as high intensity radiation, temperature, acidic environment, pressure variations, which include open space, astrophotonics, and remote sensing.

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.

Micro-level language policy and planning (LPP) primarily concerns local actors' decision-making on matters in relation to language(s) and its users. Despite a growing body of literature focusing on micro language planning in educational settings, there is a scarcity of research examining early childhood education settings such as micro-level LPP context for young English language learners. By adopting a case study approach, the present study examined the educators' enactment of agency in micro-planning the English language education policy (LEP) in one Chinese kindergarten and the associated factors shaping their agency. Our study revealed that the sustainable implementation of the kindergarten English LEP depended on the principal, native English-speaking teachers, and the Chinese assistant teachers' different degrees of agency. Also, the research findings indicated an array of contextual and individual factors nested in a hierarchical structure that facilitated, guided, and constrained the educators' agency in a role-and circumstance-dependent manner. This study contributes to the pertinent literature by casting nuanced light on the different educators' contributions to the micro-level LPP against a national policy that does not endorse early-year English language education.

The present overview of spin-dependent phenomena in nonmagnetic semiconductor microparticles (MPs) and nanoparticles (NPs) with interacting nuclear and electron spins is aimed at covering a gap between the basic properties of spin behavior in solid-state systems and a tremendous growth of the experimental results on biomedical applications of those particles. The first part of the review represents modern achievements of spin-dependent phenomena in the bulk semiconductors from the theory of optical spin orientation under indirect optical injection of carriers and spins in the bulk crystalline silicon (c-Si) – via numerous insightful findings in the realm of characterization and control through the spin polarization – to the design and verification of nuclear spin hyperpolarization in semiconductor MPs and NPs for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnostics. The second part of the review is focused on the electron spin-dependent phenomena in Si-based nanostructures, including the photosensitized generation of singlet oxygen in porous Si and design of Si NPs with unpaired electron spins as prospective contrast agents in MRI. The experimental results are analyzed by considering both the quantum mechanical approach and several phenomenological models for the spin behavior in semiconductor/molecular systems. Advancements and perspectives of the biomedical applications of spin-dependent properties of Si NPs for diagnostics and therapy of cancer are discussed.

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

Abstract Background Context Pelvic ring fractures are becoming more common in the aging population and can prove to be fatal, having mortality rates between 10% and 16%. Stabilization of these fractures is challenging and often require immediate internal fixation. Therefore, it is necessary to have a biomechanical understanding of the different fixation techniques for pelvic ring fractures. Methods A previously validated three-dimensional finite element model of the lumbar spine, pelvis, and femur was used for this study. A unilateral pelvic ring fracture was simulated by resecting the left side of the sacrum and pelvis. Five different fixation techniques were used to stabilize the fracture. A compressive follower load and pure moment was applied to compare different biomechanical parameters including range of motion (contralateral sacroiliac joint, L1-S1 segment, L5-S1 segment), and stresses (L5-S1 nucleus stresses, instrument stresses) between different fixation techniques. Results Transiliac -trans sacral screw fixation at S1 and S2 showed the highest stabilization for horizontal and vertical displacement at the sacral fracture site and reduction of contralateral sacroiliac joint for bending and flexion range of motion by 165% and 121%, respectively. DTSF (Double transiliac rod and screw fixation) model showed highest stabilization in horizontal displacement at the pubic rami fracture site, while the L5_PF_W_CC (L5-Ilium posterior screw fixation with cross connectors) and L5_PF_WO_CC ( L5-Ilium posterior screw fixation without cross connectors) showed higher rod stresses, reduced L1-S1 (approximately 28%), and L5-S1 (approximately 90%) range of motion. Conclusions Longer sacral screw fixations were superior in stabilizing sacral and contralateral sacroiliac joint range of motion. Lumbopelvic fixations displayed a higher degree of stabilization in the horizontal displacement compared to vertical displacement of pubic rami fracture, while also indicating the highest rod stresses. When determining the surgical approach for pelvic ring fractures, patient-specific factors should be accounted for to weigh the advantages and disadvantages for each technique.

Micro-grids’ operations offer local reliability; in the event of faults or low voltage/frequency events on the utility side, micro-grids can disconnect from the main grid and operate autonomously while providing the continued supply of power to local customers. With the ever-increasing penetration of renewable generation, however, the operations of micro-grids become increasingly complicated because of the associated fluctuations of voltages. As a result, transformer taps are adjusted frequently, thereby leading to the fast degradation of expensive tap-changer transformers. In the islanding mode, the difficulties also come from the drop of voltage and frequency upon disconnecting from the main grid. To appropriately model the above, the nonlinear AC power flow constraints are necessary. Computationally, the discrete nature of tap-changer operations and the stochasticity caused by renewables add two layers of difficulty on top of a complicated AC-OPF problem. To resolve the above computational difficulties, the main principles of the recently-developed "l1-proximal" Surrogate Lagrangian Relaxation are extended. Testing results based on 9-bus system demonstrate the efficiency of the method to obtain the exact feasible solutions for micro-grid operations thereby avoiding approximations inherent to existing methods, while demonstrating that through the optimization, 1. the number of tap changes is drastically reduced, and 2. the method is capable of handling networks with meshed topologies.

The genus Eucalyptus is a globally captivated source of hardwood and is well known for its medicinal uses. The hybrid and wild species of Eucalyptus are widely used as exotic plantations due to their renowned potential of adapting to various systems and sites, furthermore, making the species the most extensively propagated. Despite unquestionable progression in biotechnological and tissue culture approaches, the productivity of plantations is still limited often due to the low efficiency of clonal propagation from cuttings. The obtained F1 hybrids yield high biomass and High-quality low-cost raw material for large-scale production, however, the development of hybrid, clonal multiplication, proliferation, and post-developmental studies are still major concerns. This riveting review describes the problems concerned with in-vitro and clonal propagation of Eucalypt plantation; recent advances in biotechnological and tissue culture practices for massive and rapid micro-propagation of Eucalyptus; as well, highlights the Eucalypt germplasm preservation techniques.

Docking the tail of lambs is a standard husbandry procedure and is achieved through several techniques including clamps, hot or cold knives and latex rings, the last of which is the most popular. All tail docking methods cause acute pain which can be reduced by application of local anesthetic, however precise anatomical injection for optimal efficacy requires considerable skill. This pen trial evaluated the ability of local anesthetic delivered with a dual function ring applicator / injector to alleviate acute tail docking pain. Thirty ewe lambs were assigned to one of three treatment groups (n = 10 per group): ring plus local anesthetic (Ring LA), ring only (Ring) and sham handled control (Sham). Lambs were videoed and behavior categorized every 5 minutes for the first hour and every 10 min for the subsequent 2 hours after treatment. There was a significant effect (p &lt; 0.001) of treatment on total active pain related behaviors in the first hour, with Ring lambs showing higher counts compared to Ring LA or Sham. Ring lambs also displayed a significantly higher count of combined abnormal postures (p &lt; 0.001) than Ring LA or Sham lambs. Delivery of 1.5ml of 2% lignocaine via the dual action device abolished abnormal behaviors and signs of pain in Ring LA lambs. However, lambs in the Ring LA group spent less time attempting to suckle compared to Ring and Sham lambs, suggesting that some residual discomfort remained.

Three-dimensional reconstruction plays an important role in assisting doctors and surgeons in diagnosing bone defects’ healing progress. Common three-dimensional reconstruction methods include surface and volume rendering. As the focus is on the shape of the bone, volume rendering is omitted. Many improvements have been made on surface rendering methods like Marching Cubes and Marching Tetrahedra, but not many on working towards real-time or near real-time surface rendering for large medical images, and studying the effects of different parameter settings for the improvements. Hence, in this study, an attempt towards near real-time surface rendering for large medical images is made. Different parameter values are experimented on to study their effect on reconstruction accuracy, reconstruction and rendering time, and the number of vertices and faces. The proposed improvement involving three-dimensional data smoothing with convolution kernel Gaussian size 0.5 and mesh simplification reduction factor of 0.1, is the best parameter value combination for achieving a good balance between high reconstruction accuracy, low total execution time, and a low number of vertices and faces. It has successfully increased the reconstruction accuracy by 0.0235%, decreased the total execution time by 69.81%, and decreased the number of vertices and faces by 86.57% and 86.61% respectively.

Emerging applications of optical technologies are driving the development of miniaturised light sources, which in turn require the fabrication of matching micro-optical elements with sub-1 mm cross sections and high optical quality. This is particularly challenging for spatially-constrained biomedical applications where reduced dimensionality is required, such as endoscopy, optogenetics, or optical implants. Planarisation of a lens by the Fresnel lens approach was adapted for a conical lens (axicon) and was made by direct femtosecond 780 nm/100 fs laser writing in SZ2080™polymer with photo-initiator. Optical characterisation of the positive and negative fraxicons is presented. Numerical modeling of fraxicon optical performance under illumination by incoherent and spatially extended light sources is compared with the ideal case of plane wave illumination. Considering the potential for rapid replication in soft polymers and resists, this approach holds great promise for the most demanding technological applications.

Laser Direct Writing (LDW), also known as 3D multi-photon laser lithography of resins, is a promising technique for fabricating complex free-form elements, including micro-optical functional components. Regular organic or hybrid (organic-inorganic) resins are often used, with latter exhibiting better optical characteristics, as well as having the option to be heat-treated into inorganic glass-like structures, particularly useful for resilient micro-optics. While this work is a continuation of SZ2080™ calcination development , the Laser-Induced Damage Threshold (LIDT) of such sol-gel-derived glass micro-structures, particularly those that undergo heat treatment, has not been well-characterized. In this pilot study, we investigated the LIDT using the Series-on-One (S-on-1) protocol of functional micro-lenses produced via LDW and subsequently calcinated. Our results demonstrate that the LIDT can be significantly increased, even multiple times, by this approach, thus enhancing the resilience and usefulness of these free-form micro-optics. This work represents the first investigation in terms of LIDT into the impact of calcination on LDW produced sol-gel-derived glass micro-structures, and provides important insights for the development of robust micro-optical devices.

This short paper demonstrates that the galactic spiral equations developed from ROTASE model can be used to morphologically simulate the phyllotactic spiral-ring patterns of plants. It is also noticed during this project that although the numbers in the Fibonacci sequence dominate the phyllotactic numbers, there are still significant phyllotactic numbers are not in the Fibonacci sequence, however, most of those numbers are well fit into a Fibonacci sibling sequence starting with numbers 0 and 2. Many plants show the phyllotactic number pairs of 10-16, 16-26 and 26-42 from the Fibonacci sibling sequence, which is the second dominated sequence in the phyllotaxis.

Background: The Micro Hand S robot is the first domestically produced surgical robot that has entered clinical use in China, and this is the first report of its application in colon cancer. Objective: This study aimed to validate the safety and efficacy of the domestically produced Chinese minimally invasive Micro Hand S surgical robot system in complex surgery, such as robotic complete mesocolic excision (R-CME). Methods: From March 2018 to December 2018, 30 patients with right hemicolon cancer underwent R-CME with the Micro Hand S robot system. The operative findings, morbidities, oncological findings and unique characteristics were summarizedwere analyzed. Result: 12 patients with right hemicolon cancer and 18 patients with sigmoid colon cancer underwent RCME with the Micro Hand S robot system. During the study period, the median operative duration was 209 (range, 180-255) min, and the median estimated blood loss volume was 35 (range, 25-75) ml. The median number of lymph nodes harvested was 42 (21-77), and the median postoperative hospital stay was 5 (range, 4-7) days. According to the Clavien-Dindo classification, there were no severe complications except for 7 cases of grade I complications and 5 cases of grade II complications. The conversion rate for all operations was 0%. There were no cases of 30-day readmission or 30-day mortality. Conclusion: Clinical application of domestically produced Chinese minimally invasive surgical robot system “Micro Hand S ” in selected colon cancer patients is technically feasible and safe.

Two types of trenches cross-section in conventional vertical and brand new reverse-V-shape have fabricated on SCD substrate by micro-jet water-assist laser, the epitaxial lateral overgrowth technique has applied by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition system in forming multiple micrometer-size channels. Raman and SEM techniques have applied in analyze both types growth layer characterization. Optical microscope has used to test microchannels hollowness. As a result, with the brand new reverse-V-shape trench, epitaxial lateral overgrowth layer reaches higher SCD surface morphology and crystal quality.

The aim of this work is to propose two different and complementary sensors for the structural health monitoring of concrete beams. In particular, a diffused sensing element and a split ring resonator network are presented. The first sensor is able to detect the variation of the dielectric properties of the concrete along the whole beam length, for a diffuse monitoring both during the important concrete curing phase and also for the entire life cycle of the concrete beams. The resonators instead work punctually, in their surroundings, allowing an accurate evaluation of the permittivity both during the drying phase and after. This allows the continuous monitoring of any presence of water both inside the concrete beam and in points that can be critical, in the case of beams in dams, bridges or in any case subject to a strong presence of water which could lead to deterioration, or worse, cause serious accidents. Moreover, the punctual sensors are able to detect the presence of cracks in the structure and to localize them.

In Acropora, the complex canals in a coral colony connect all polyps into a holistic network to collaborate in performing biological processes. There are various types of canals, including calice, axial canals, and other internal canals, with structures that are dynamically altered during different coral growth states due to internal calcium transport. However, few studies have considered the regulation of calcium transport in Acropora. In this study, we investigated the morphological changes of the axial canal in six Acropora muricata samples by high resolution micro-computed tomography, observing the patterns of the axial canal during the processes of new branch formation and truncated branch rebuilding. We visualized the formation of a new branch from a calice and deposition of the iconic hexactin skeletons in the axial canal. Furthermore, the diameter and volume changes of the axial canal in truncated branches during rebuilding processes were calculated, revealing that the volume ratio of calcareous deposits in the axial canal exhibit significant increases within the first three weeks, returning to levels in the initial state in the following week. This work indicates that the axial canal can transport calcium to form hexactin skeletons in a new branch and rebuild the tip of a truncated branch. The calcium transport along canal network regulates various growth processes, including budding, branching, skeleton forming, and self-rebuilding of an Acropora colony. Understanding the changes in canal function under normal and extreme conditions will provide theoretical guidance for restoration and protection of coral reefs.

The absolute absorption cross section of the ethyl peroxy radical, C2H5O2, in the Ã←X ̃ electronic transition with the peak wavelength at 7596 cm-1, has been determined by the method of dual wavelengths time resolved continuous wave cavity ring down spectroscopy. C2H5O2 radicals were generated from pulsed 351 nm photolysis of C2H6/Cl2 mixture in presence of O2 and detected on one of the CRDS paths. Two methods have been applied for the determination of the C2H5O2 absorption cross section: (i) based on Cl-atoms being converted alternatively to either C2H5O2 by adding C2H6 or to hydro peroxy radicals, HO2, by adding CH3OH to the mixture, whereby HO2 was reliably quantified on the second CRDS path in the 21 vibrational overtone at 6638.2 cm-1 (ii) based on the reaction of C2H5O2 with HO2, measured under either excess HO2 or under excess C2H5O2 concentration. Both methods lead to the same peak absorption cross section of C2H5O2,7596 cm-1 = (1.0±0.2) × 10-20 cm2. The rate constant for the cross reaction between of C2H5O2 and HO2 has been measured to be (6.5±1.6) × 10-12 cm3 molecule-1 s-1.

This paper deals with the quantitative analysis of measured fracture-induced electromagnetic radiation (FEMR) in the vicinity of the Dead Sea Transform using the Angel-M1 instrument, which enables the recording of FEMR signals in a 3D manner. Results show both the possibility of estimating the sizes of micro-fractures that are the sources of the radiation, and of assessing the direction of their location to the measuring device and the range of magnitude Mw of the impending "events" (EQ's) associated with the present FEMR measurements. Moreover, the relation between the measured FEMR activity (the number of FEMR hits per unit time) and the FEMR event magnitudes shows consistency with the Gutenberg-Richter relationship for the region. Such measurements could therefore constitute a preliminary 'field reinforcement' towards an EMR valid method for a real earthquake forecast, which would provide much earlier warnings than the seismic ones. Obviously, the present observed FEMR measurements can only be used as an assessment of the stress concentration and micro-fracturing in the region since they relate to the very initial nucleation phase of a "virtual" (extremely low Richter scale value) earthquake, but they do provide the necessary feasibility test for a prediction method since all lab-measured FEMR features were confirmed also in the field.

The device and method in accordance with the constant pressure regulation of micro droplet PCR in microfluidic chips are developed to explore the optimization way for the micro droplet movement, fragmentation, and bubble generation in microfluidic chips in existing digital PCR technology. In the developed device, an air source device is adopted to regulate the pressure in the chip, such that micro droplet generation and PCR amplification without bubbles can be achieved. In 3 min, the sample in 20ul will be distributed into nearly 50,000 water-in-oil droplets exhibiting a diameter of about 87μm, and the micro droplet will be subjected to a close arrangement in the chip without air bubbles. The device and chip are adopted to quantitatively detect the human gene . As indicated by the experimental results, a good linear relationship exists between detection signal and DNA concentration ranging from 101~ 105 copies /μL (R2=0.999). The micro droplet PCR devices based on constant pressure regulation chips exhibit a wide variety of advantages (e.g., achieving high pollution resistance, micro droplet fragmentation and integration avoidance, reducing human interference, and standardizing results). Thus, micro droplet PCR devices based on constant pressure regulation chips have promising applications in nucleic acid quantification.

Banking sectors commit modern working frameworks and models smooth development based on decentralization with keeping money confront in unused ranges and differing activities. Consortium Blockchain Privacy becomes a major concern and the challenge of Most of banking sectors.Development without being hampered being a major concern it can store confirmed, Data privacy includes assuring protection for both insider ad outsider threats therefore access control of Ring signature could help to secure Privacy of inside and outside threats by secure process by RSBAC using CIA triad privacy Confidentiality, Availability, Integrity.This paper proposes a ring signature-based on access control mechanism for determining who a user is and then regulating that person's access to and use of a system's resources. In a nutshell, access control restricts who has access to a system. It also restricts access to system resources to users who have been identified as having the necessary privileges and permissions. The proposed paradigm satisfies the needs of both workflow and non-workflow systems in an enterprise setting. The traits of the conditional purposes, roles, responsibilities, and policies provide the foundation for it. It ensures that internal risks such as database administrators are protected.Finally, it provides the necessary protection in the event that the data is published.

For better export performance in cross border e-commerce, a contingency model integrates e-commerce into traditional export marketing strategy (EMS) with internal and external determinants of EMS. However, EMS of Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) is understudied. This study validates and modifies existing model for MSMEs. As a qualitative study, multiple sources of data including interviews, internal documents, and group discussions were used regarding business cases of entrepreneurs and supporting organizations in Mongolia and Korea. This research suggets contingency model for MSMEs with modified factors and different strategies in each factor. Specifically, intermal determinants are managerial capability, product competitiveness, and strategic marketing orientation. External determinants are export market competitivceness, export market infrastructure and entry barriers. EMS for MSMEs consists of the same factors with the original model but come up with different strategies. Theoretical and managerial implications were discussed.

Transcription factors (TFs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) are co-actors in genome-scale decoding and regulatory networks, often targeting common genes. In this paper, we describe the algebraic geometry of both TFs and miRNAs thanks to group theory. In TFs, the generator of the group is a DNA-binding domain while, in miRNAs, the generator is the seed of the sequence. For such a generated (infinite) group $\pi$, we compute the $SL(2,\mathbb{C})$ character variety, where $SL(2,\mathbb{C})$ is simultaneously a \lq space-time' (a Lorentz group) and a \lq quantum' (a spin) group. A noteworthy result of our approach is to recognize that optimal regulation occurs when $\pi$ looks like a free group $F_r$ ($r =1$ to $3$) in the cardinality sequence of its subgroups, a result obtained in our previous papers. A non free group structure features a potential disease. A second noteworthy result is about the structure of the Groebner basis $\mathcal{G}$ of the variety. A surface with simple singularities (like the well known Cayley cubic) within $\mathcal{G}$ is a signature of a potential disease even when $G$ looks like a free group $F_r$ in its structure of subgroups. Our methods apply to groups with a generating sequence made of two to four distinct DNA/RNA bases in $\{A,T/U,G,C\}$. Several human TFs and miRNAs are investigated in detail thanks to our approach.

Throughout this paper, we will establish a comprehensive theoretical foundation and rigorously develop the methodology to investigate the structure of quotient ring S/P under the influence of symmetric generalized n-derivations, where S represents an arbitrary ring, and P signifies a prime ideal of S satisfying certain algebraic identities acting on prime ideal P without relying on the assumption of primeness or semi-primeness of the ring.

Micro-expression (ME) is one of the key psychological stress reactions. It is a modest, spontaneous facial mechanism. ME has significant applicability in a variety of psychologically-related sectors because to its precision and unpredictability with regard to psychological manifestations. Nevertheless, the current Micro-expression recognition (MER) algorithms have poor accuracy and a limited quantity of ME data, and this study issue has not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, we present an approach for deep learning based on a Spatio-temporal capsule network (STCP-Net). STCP-Net has four components: a jitter reduction module, a differential feature extraction module, an STCP module, and a fully linked layer. The first two modules are aimed to extract diversifying differential features more precisely and to limit the influence of head jitter. The STCP module is used to extract Spatio-temporal features layer by layer, taking the temporal and geographical connection between features into account. This research runs sufficient trials using the Leave One Subject Out (LOSO) methodology for cross-validation using the CASMEII dataset. The conclusion and analysis demonstrate that the algorithm is innovative and efficient.

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.

This research was specifically aimed at assessing the influence of sulfur in triple-super phosphate (TSP) on wheat yield. From the results, wheat showed response to sulfur (S) from gypsum (in 67%); and nitrogen (N) from urea in about 100% (of 24 sites). Based on this N was found to be the most limiting element to wheat production followed by sulfur, and then by phosphorus. TSP is tested to contain agronomically up to 2-6% by weight of S. However, wheat didn’t show response to S impurity supplied in the form of TSP. Though, not statistically significant, it is observed that there have always been yield increments by certain percent due to S from TSP in 8 out of 10 target sites, which is depicted in the increasing trends of yield response curves. From this it is learnt that, the benefits of the accidental/incidental application of such high analysis fertilizers can be many-folds in the quality attributes of wheat, if the soils of such investigation at the same time would contain significant amount of organic matter (OM). Indeed, such analysis would be vital in varietal specific nutrient requirement studies in precision-farming and/or in categorizing soils into fertility gradients and fertilizer recommendation domains.

This article discusses the issue of hardened steel machining. Many components in the engineering industry use hardening as the final heat treatment. These components usually occupy a significant position in a given assembly unit. They guarantee the correct operation of the entire technical equipment in total cooperation with other components. The quality of these components depends on the integrity of their surface. The production of these parts is usually carried out by traditional technological procedures. An example of such a technology is clearly grinding. However, this article discusses the application of other finishing technologies using tool material made of cubic boron nitride (CBN). The technology used is finishing turning with subsequent tumbling technology. The subject of the evaluation is the integrity of the surface. In this part of the experiments, there are mainly individual parameters of surface roughness. Compared components are bearing rings, in this case the inner surface of the housing ring.

A well-known result of Posner’s second theorem states that if the commutator of each element in a prime ring and its image under a nonzero derivation is central, then the ring is commutative. In the present paper, we extend this bluestocking theorem to an arbitrary ring with involution involving prime ideals. Further, apart from proving several other interesting and exciting results, we establish *-version of Vukman’s theorem [48, Theorem 1]. Precisely, we describe the structure of quotient ring A/L, where A is an arbitrary ring and L is a prime ideal of A. Further, by taking advantage of the *-version of Vukman’s theorem, we show that if a 2-trosion free semiprime ring A with involution admits a nonzero *-centralizing derivation, then A contains a nonzero central ideal. This result is in a spirit of the classical result due to Bell and Martindale [19, Theorem 3]. As the applications, we extends and unify several classical theorems proved in [6],[25,[42], and [48] . Finally, we conclude our paper with a direction for further research.

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.

Background: Micro-RNAs (miRNA) are emerging as biomarkers in the detection and prognosis of cancers due to their inherent stability and resilience. Methods: To summarize evidence regarding urinary miRNA (umiRNAs) role in the detection, prognosis and therapeutic management of urological cancers, we performed a systematic review of the most important scientific databases using the following keywords: (urinary mir-na)AND(prostate cancer); (urinary mirna)AND(bladder cancer); (urinary mirna)AND(renal cancer); (urinary mirna)AND(testicular cancer); (urinary mirna)AND(urothelial cancer). Results: Of all, 1364 articles were initially selected. Only original studies in the English language on human specimens were considered for inclusion in our systematic review. Thus, a convenient sample of 60 original articles was identified. Urinary miRNA (UmiRNAs) are downregulated in prostate cancers and may serve as potential non-invasive molecular biomarkers. Several umiR-NAs have been identified as diagnostic biomarkers of urothelial carcinoma and bladder cancer (BCa), allowing to discriminate malignant from non-malignant forms of haematuria. UmiRNAs could serve as therapeutic targets or recurrence markers of non-muscle invasive BCa and could predict the aggressivity and prognosis of muscle-invasive BCa. In renal cell carcinoma, miRNAs have been identified as predictors of tumour detection, aggressiveness, and progression to metastasis. Conclusion: umiRNAs could play an important role in the diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy of urological cancers.

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.

Dehydroaromatization of methane (MDA) is of great interest as a promising process for processing natural and associated petroleum gases, the main component of which is methane. The rapid loss of catalyst activity because of coke formation hinders the introduction of the DHA methane process into industry. Therefore, the aim of the research was to find ways to improve Mo/ZSM-5 catalysts for MDA. The paper presents the results of the synthesis of high-silica zeolites of the ZSM-5 type with a microporous and micro-mesoporous structure, the preparation of Mo/ZSM-5 catalysts based on them, and the study of the physicochemical and catalytic properties of the obtained samples during the non-oxidative conversion of methane into aromatic hydrocarbons. Zeolite catalysts were investigated by IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, TPD-NH3, SEM, HR-TEM, N2-adsorption. It was found that the addition of carbon black at the stage of synthesis of zeolite type ZSM-5 does not lead to structural changes, the obtained samples have a crystallinity equal to 100%. The creation of the micro-mesoporous structure in Mo/ZSM-5 catalysts lead to an increase in their activity and stability in the process of methane dehydroaromatization. The highest conversion of methane is observed on a 4.0%Mo/ZSM-5 catalyst prepared based on of zeolite synthesized using 1.0% carbon black, and is 13.0% in 20 minutes of reaction, while the benzene yield reaches 7.0%. It has been shown by HR-TEM that a more uniform distribution of the active metal component is observed in a zeolite catalyst with a micro-mesoporous structure than in a microporous zeolite.

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.

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 use of additive manufacturing in fabricating composite components has been gaining traction in the past decade. However, some issues with mechanical perfor-mance still need to be resolved. The issue of material porosity remains a pertinent one that needs more understanding to be able to determine viable solutions. Different re-searchers have examined the subject of porosity issues in AM-fabricated CFRP compo-sites. However, more research to quantitatively determine the effects of fabrication temperatures at the micro-scale is still needed. This study employed micro CT scan analysis to quantitatively compare the effects of fabrication temperatures at 230°C, 250°C, 270°C, and 290°C for CF-PA and CF-ABS composites. This followed an SEM evaluation which was used to determine the effects of the temperatures on interlayer and intralayer porosity generation. The porosity volume was related to the mechanical properties results in which it was determined how deposition temperatures affect the porosity volumes. It was also determined that semicrystalline composites are generally more affected by fabrication temperatures than amorphous composites, with the rela-tionship between porosity and mechanical properties also established. The overall po-rosity volume from the interlayer and intralayer voids was also determined, with the interlayer voids found to play a more determinant role in influencing the mechanical properties.

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.

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.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have emerged as promising materials for organic electronics, including organic photovoltaics (OPVs), organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Particularly, non-hexagonal ring-fused PAHs are highly desirable due to their unique optoelectronic properties. Herein, a new redox-active azulene-perylene diimide triad 1 and its ring-fused counterpart, diazulenocoronene diimide 2, were synthesized and fully characterized by a combination of NMR, cyclic voltammetry, spectroelectrochemistry, and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) calculations were performed to gain further insight into various electronic transitions. Interestingly, we found that the adaptive response to acids and bases manifests itself in a reversible two-color-change that can be attributed to changes in the chemical structures.

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.

Patients with COVID-19 have coagulation and platelet disorders, with platelet’s alterations and thrombocytopenia representing negative prognostic parameters, being associated with severe forms of the disease, and increase lethality. Methods: Aim of this study was to study expression of platelet glycoprotein IIIa (CD61), playing a critical role in platelet aggregation, together with TRL-2 as a marker of innate immune activation Results: a total of 25 patients were investigated, with the majority (24/25, 96%) having co-morbidities and dying from a fatal form of SARS-CoV-2(+) infection (COVID-19 +), with 13 men and 12 females ranging in age from 45 to 80 years. When compared to a control group of SARS CoV-2 (-) negative lungs (COVID-19 -), TLR-2 expression was up-regulated in a subset of patients with deadly COVID-19 fatal lung illness. The proportion of Spike-1 (+) patients found by PCR and ISH correlates to the proportion of Spike-S1 positive cases as detected by digital pathology examination. Furthermore, CD61 expression was considerably higher in the lungs of dead patients. In conclusion, we demonstrate that innate immune prolonged hyperactivation is related to platelet/megakaryocytes over-expression in the lung. Conclusions: microthrombosis in deadly COVID-19+ lung disease is associated with an increase in the number of CD61+ platelets and megakaryocytes in the pulmonary interstitium as well as their functional activation; this phenomenon is associated with increased expression of innate immunity TLR2+ cells, which binds the SARS-CoV-2 E protein, and significantly with the persistence of the Spike-S1 viral sequence.

For the first time, an environmentally friendly waste-free closed cycle for the formation of EMI shielding materials that are promising for 5G communications is considered. Based on the proposed closed technological cycle, two types of EMI shielding materials have been obtained; both materials have significant prospects for signal shielding in all ranges that are allocated in different countries for 5G communication. The first type of materials are transparent conductive meshes with a transparency of more than 80% and with a shielding efficiency of more than 40 dB in the S and L bands and about 30 dB in the K and Ka bands. The study of signal reflection characteristics in the S, L, C, K and Ka bands showed the promise of using these materials as transparent 5G signal reflectors. The reflection coefficient in all considered ranges is above 90% (-0.5 dB). The second type of shielding material are continuous silver micro caps films characterized by a shielding efficiency of 90.1 dB at a thickness of 6.2±1.2 µm. We have also shown that silver micro caps can separate into silver flakes and ribbons when sonicated. These materials can also be used to produce EMI shielding coatings and composites. A detailed analysis of the shielding properties showed that each type of materials obtained in a closed technological cycle is comparable with the best literature results and significantly wins in terms of cost.