Time-series analysis is a widely used technique across various fields and industries, as it helps in understanding, predicting, and forecasting the behavior of data points over time. These fields include but are not limited to finance, economics, healthcare, transportation, etc. In the case of this paper, we have focused on finance. Predicting future values of financial time series offers several benefits. Accurate forecasts can help investors make better decisions about their investments. To predict future values, deep learning algorithms are commonly used since it is an effective method with complex data. In this study, we conduct a study that investigates the use of different data pre-processing techniques on deep learning algorithms in predicting the time series values. To conduct this experimental study, we utilize an open source software, which using long short-term memory technique as the representative deep learning technique, published in github software code repository platform. With this study, we investigate the effects of autoencoder and discrete wavelet transform data pre-processing techniques in time-series prediction. We discuss the details of the experimental study and report our results. The results show that time series prediction (using backtesting methodology) without any data pre-processing leads to 12.6% for mean absolute percentage error. The results also show that, time series prediction with the data preprocessing techniques (Wavelet Transform and Stacked Autoencoder) lead to 3.4%

Einstein’s publication of the Special Theory of Relativity in 1905 gave birth to the space-time model as a fundamental arena of the universe. Time has become 4th dimension of space and theoretically one could move backward and forward in time. Hypothetical time travel has been a hot topic of scientific discussion since Kurt Gödel published his article about closed time-like curves (CTC) in 1949. He was aware that his CTC model confirms that there is no physical time. Physicists understood his model as a theoretical frame for time travel. Recent research confirmed that universal space is time-invariant. Motion happens only in space and time is the duration of motion. Nobody can travel in time because time has no physical existence. Time as duration is an emergent physical quantity entering existence in the process of measurement of the duration of material change with clocks. The universal space is utterly timeless. There is no physical time in the universe.

: Alluvial soils naturally possess abundant soil nutrients. Nevertheless, excessive nitrogen addition and inappropriate use of nitrogen fertilizers lead to conditions where soil nutrients become immo-bilized, ultimately reducing productivity. This study investigates the potential of natural nano-material zeolite which is important land resources to improve nutrient utilization efficiency and mitigate the harmful effects of excessive fertilizer application. Specifically, the research ex-plores the incorporation of clinoptilolite zeolite and processed sewage sludge blends, alongside reduced recommended nitrogen fertilizer doses, to evaluate their impact on soil quality and plant growth. A greenhouse experiment was conducted (three-year study), comprising eight treatments with varying proportions of zeolite and sewage sludge. The efficacy of these treatments in en-hancing soil carbon pools, nutrient indices, and plant growth responses was assessed. Results in-dicate that a combination of 50% recommended fertilizer dose, 4-6% zeolite, and 5-10% sewage sludge significantly improved multiple aspects of plant growth, including leaves, tillers, culms, and panicles, leading to increased straw and grain yields. The addition of 6% zeolite in conjunc-tion with sewage sludge positively influenced plant tillering capacity. Certain treatment combina-tions exhibited a greater impact on plant height at different growth stages. For example, the treatment with 75% recommended fertilizer dose, 4% zeolite, and 5% sewage sludge significantly affected plant height at 40 and 55 days after treatment. Additionally, the combination of 50% recommended fertilizer dose, 6% zeolite, and 10% sewage sludge promoted plant height, carbon levels, and various yield parameters in later stages. Principal component analysis effectively dis-tinguished treatments incorporating zeolite and sewage sludge based on plant responses. The combination of 6% zeolite and 10% sewage sludge, along with a 50% recommended fertilizer dose, positively influenced soil carbon fractions, nutrient levels, and the growth response of rice plants.

(1) Background: A set of relevant Police Ergonomics Parameters (PEP) has been used for the assessment and prevention of occupational risks involved in Police Physical Interventions (PITs). Through this set of PEPs, a comparison has been made between 2 traditional PITs against 2 novel OTPs (Operational Tactical Procedures). (2) Method: The data have been collected by means of a motion capture suit fitted with 19 Inertial Measurement Units, IMUs. A specific and powerful software package specific for ergonomic analysis has been used to manage the large amount of data registered and to generate a series of 3-dimensional plots. Traditional PITs and newer OTPs have been performed for their analysis. Specifically, the PEPs corresponding to the implementation of 4 PITs have been analyzed by collecting the measurements provided by a set of IMUs installed on a motion capture suit and their occupational risk assessments have been compared against those corresponding to newer OTPs. (3) Results: For the 4 PITs, the PEPs have been analyzed with the measured values from the IMUs, throughout the duration of each technique. The two traditional intervention techniques have scored higher than the new OTPs in the REBA system, the Assymetry angle, L5-Pelvis Shear and Joint Contac Forces, and the Total Muscle Power measurements. (4) Conclusions: It has been confirmed that the new OPTs minimize the risk of injuries, since their PEPs reached lower values than those corresponding to the traditional PITs, which are still being taught at Police academies.

(1) Background: the use of force by Public and Private Security Forces is currently an issue of great relevance because of the potential injuries that any excessive use of force by either the active or passive subjects or a deficit in the real mastery of the appropriate Physical Intervention Techniques (PIT) may cause. For this reason, certain traditionally used Physical Intervention Techniques have been questioned by scientific research studies and punished by justice. On the other hand, certain media have dealt with this matter in a biased and unfair manner by broadcasting videos where the use of force by police officer is displayed out of context. As a consequence, this problem has been brought under the spotlight, causing general uneasiness of the communities and rapidly spreading over social networks while favoring all sorts of parallel judgments. (2) Research method: A suit equipped with 19 Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) and a Biomechanics of Bodies software application for the Marras’ analysis of the data collected on trajectory, trunk twisting velocity, its sagittal angle, load, nature and severity of the injuries associated to the different intervention techniques that have been examined. (3) Results: according to the data registered, the implementation of Operational Tactical Procedures (OTP) reduces the probability of injuries and leads to a more satisfactory outcome. (4) Conclusions: the implementation of Operational Tactical Procedures, to-gether with the awareness on the risks associated to the excessive use of force by Public and Private Security Forces and Bodies, could reduce the risk of injuries suffered by both officers and citizens.

Agriculture and farming worldwide are responsible for numerous environmental threats, including degradation of land and water resources depletion. Underlining the dynamic interaction between bio-physical and socio-economic drivers is the key towards a more sustainable land and water management. With regard to a highly developed agricultural area in southern Italy, multi-regression models were developed to interpret the observed inter-annual variability of cropped land. Main drivers related to Common Agricultural Policy support, product market prices, crop yield and irrigation water availability were investigated. The adopted models revealed the different weighs of each driver. The findings reported the role that direct payments played in supporting the extension of irrigated crops, such as processing tomato. Likewise, the models pointed to decoupled payment scheme as the most important driver of change in the crop pattern over the last years.

Our work is regarding the analysis of land use changes, in the light of “saving soil” against the expansion due to unearned plus value of land: The loss of natural and agricultural surface in front of the expanding urban environment is a critical aspect of unsustainability of urban development, especially in the way it was carried out in the past decades. The measure of the physical transition of land use and characters from a more natural condition of land surface to a new artificial one, joint with a parallel analysis of the increase of land value due to such change is nowadays a major land-policy tool. The interplay of urban economics regulation with planning, reveals new key issues in urban governance and environmental preservation. In this paper it will be shown some experiment about the impact assessment of soil take, related with the seek of valorization of property inside the planning process. Our paper reports as well about the experimental activity carried out inside the MITO Lab of the Polytechnic of Bari, where reports about property values and environmental values have been produced, specially looking at the reality of the Apulia, a southern Italian Region, that is rich of farmlands and coastlines, often invaded by constructions with a severe loss of nature, landscape and ecosystems services.

Biodiversity loss has been identified as one of the environmental impacts where humankind has been tres-passing planetary boundaries most significantly. Going beyond the pressures causing damages (calling them ‘direct drivers’) and analysing their underlying driving forces, IPBES, the Intergovernmental Sci-ence-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, also identified a series of indirect drivers. The Montreal-Kunming Global Biodiversity Framework GBF including its suggested monitoring approach is intended to and claims to be a policy response to such analyses. However, to assess the human impact on ecosystems as a basis for planning conservation and restoration, as foreseen in the GBF, monitoring ecosystem typologies (in the GBF with reference to the UN statistical standard SEEA ES, which in turn refers to the IUCN ecosystem classification) is not enough. It needs to be complemented with data on the severity of human impacts, and on the history of places, i.e. how and when the current ecosystem status was brought about. In this conceptual paper we suggest LUI, a deliberately simple ordinal scale index for land use intensity changes, to address these two gaps. It is based on the hemeroby concept, measuring the human impact as deviation from naturalness. This makes it an information collection and presentation tool for those working in landscape planning and management. LUI’s simple and intuitively understandable structure makes it suitable for citizens’ science applications, and thus for participative monitoring when extensive statistical data gathering is not feasible, and past data are not available. Of course is can also be used as a simple too for communicating when detailed statistical data series are available. While the aggregate index is expected to communicate well, its components are more relevant to motivate and help policy makers to prioritise their decisions according to the severity of recent anthropogenic ecosystem disturabances.

Providing patient-centered care to manage chronic pain and opioid use disorder (OUD) is associated with improved health outcomes. However, adopting a holistic approach to providing care is often challenging in rural communities. This study aims to identify and contrast challenges to providing patient-centered care from the perspective of patients and providers. A participatory design approach was adopted to elicit the perceptions of providers and patients with lived experiences of chronic pain and OUD in Jefferson County, Wisconsin. Two focus groups were conducted with each stakeholder group to identify problems that participants face with respect to chronic pain management and OUD and possible solutions. Four interviews were conducted with providers experienced in chronic pain management. Analysis of focus group sessions and interviews show consensus among patients and providers that lack of behavioral health and recovery resources create barriers to effectively manage OUD and chronic pain. However, there was discordance among the two groups about other barriers such as patient and provider attitudes, tapering approach, and access to medications for OUD. This tension among patients and providers can influence patients’ retention in therapy. More efforts are needed to mitigate stigma among providers in rural communities and support psychosocial needs of patients.

People have long had a problem: the equations of motion that reflect the laws of physics are invariance under time inversion, while there always are irreversible processes for gases compose of microscopic particles. This article solves this problem. The point is that we should distinguish between the concepts of the equation of motion and motion. We also need to distinguish between the concepts of time-inverse motion and reverse motion. The former is anticlockwise, which is a frictional motion, while the latter is clockwise. For the single-particle motions in classical mechanics and in quantum mechanics, we present mathematical expressions for time-inversion motion and reverse motion, respectively. We demonstrate that single-particle motion is irreversible. The definition of the reversibility of two-particle collisions is given. According to the definition, the two-particle collision as a microscopic motion processes is irreversible. Consequently, for a gas consisting of a large number of particles colliding with each other, its movement should be irreversible, unless the condition of detailed balance is met. We give a physical explanation for the detailed balance, which does not concern the meaning of microscopic reversibility. The detailed balance means that after a pair of reciprocal collisions occur, the distribution function of the particles remains unchanged. Therefore, microscopic two-particle collision events are irreversible, but the statistical average of a large number of collision events makes it possible for the macroscopic process of a gas to be reversible. Conclusively, we clarify the microscopic mechanism of the irreversible process of gases.

Recently we started the development of Holographic Dendrogramic Theory (DH-theory). It is based on the novel mathematical representation of the relational event universe (in the spirit of (Smolin, Barbour, Rovelli). Elementary events are represented by branches of dendrograms, finite trees, which are generated from data with clustering algorithms. In this note we study the dynamics of the event-universe generated by the appearance of a new event. Generally, each new event can generate the complete reconstruction of the whole dendrogramic universe. However, we found (via numerical simulation) unexpected stability of this universe. Its events are coupled via the hierarchic relational structure which is relatively stable with respect even random generation of new events. We also observe the regularity patterns in location of new events on dendrograms. In the curse of evolution, the dendrogram’s complexity increases and determine the arrow of time the event universe. We use the complexity measure from particle shape dynamics which was shown to be increase in both direction away from a Janus point and thus determine the arrow of time in symmetrical manner away from a Janus point. The particle shape dynamics theory is a relational theory with close ideological resemblance to DH-theory as both relays on Mach’s principle and Leibniz’s relationalism and his principles. By using the complexity measure on dendrograms and its p-adic string representation, we demonstrate the emergence of time arrow from the p-adic zero-dimensional field, where space and time are absent.

In the light of almost a century of struggle to make (common) sense of Quantum Mechanics and to reconcile it with General Relativity, it is proposed to (for some time) forget about quantizing gravity or striving for one Theory of Everything or “Weltformel”, which would describe the whole of reality without any joints or suture marks. Instead of one single monolithic formalism, a three-legged compound approach is argued for. Quantum Mechanics, Relativity and Thermodynamics are proposed as the main pillars of reality, each with its well-defined realm, specific features, and clearly marked interfaces between the three of them. Not only classical reality, which is rather directly accessible to us, is then comprehensively modelled by their encompassing combination. Quantum phenomena are understood as undoubtedly lying at the bottom of classical physics and at the same time, they become “fully real” only when embedded in classical frames between preparation and measurement in time. It is then where thermodynamics steps in and provides the mediating glue. The aim of this short contribution is not to deliver novel quantitative results but rather to propose a comprehensive research program and to coarsely lay out a very roughly coherent self-referential sketch starting from the beginning of the one universe, which we inhabit.

The flow properties of pellets or granules are crucial for further processing the drug dosage forms. Optimal compression or filling the multiparticulate dosage forms into capsules is influenced by forces between discrete particles, which could be partially characterized by flow properties. Several techniques were developed for the examination of flowability, including static and dynamic methods applying empirical studies and the up-to-date chaos theory; however newest methods seem only to be powerful with the supplement of empirical principles. Our experiments try to refine both the technique of analysis and the methods by finding new, alternative ways. Our approach to the flowability measurements was to set up a dynamic time-dependent model which combines empirical observations and the chaos theory on a geometrical basis, thus find new aspects regarding flow properties of pellets and granules that could be relevant for drug developers.

This paper offers an in-depth exploration of the complex relationship between seasonality and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It reviews existing research, providing a comprehensive summary of findings and highlighting the multifaceted dimensions of seasonality as an environmental factor that influences the etiology of ASD. The discussion encompasses various factors, including birth months, maternal health, dietary choices, and vitamin D deficiency, and delves into the intricate interplay of seasonality with environmental influences such as viral infections and solar radiation. The present study raises essential questions regarding the timing of environmental influences and the factors contributing to the rising prevalence of ASD. Ultimately, it underscores the need for future epidemiological research to incorporate more extensive investigations of environmental risk factors and employ advanced statistical analyses. This comprehensive overview contributes to a deeper understanding of how seasonality factors may be linked to the occurrence of ASD and its increasing prevalence, recognizing the multifaceted and diverse nature of these interactions.

The importance of utilizing an optimal and efficient braking system is emphasized in this study. Braking system optimization and efficiency were practically determined through successive tests on the brake dynamometer, according to road safety regulations. Subsequently, the results were correlated with practical tests involving consecutive braking at different speeds, tracking both the time and distance of braking. The coefficient of friction (COF) was established for each braking instance by utilizing the braking force measured on the brake dynamometer. This paper aims to highlight the genuine impact of the braking system by measuring and establishing its braking efficiency depending on the car’s speed, time, and distance of braking.

We consider partition functions, in the form of state sums, and associated probabilistic measures for aperiodic substrates described by model sets and their associated tiling spaces. We propose model set tiling spaces as microscopic models for small scales in the context of quantum gravity. Model sets possess special self-similarity properties that allow us to consider implications on large and observable scales from the underlying (non-ergodic) dynamics. In particular we consider the implication of the underlying aperiodic substrate for the well known problem of time in quantum gravity, and propose a correspondence between small and large scales, the so-called ergodic correspondence, that addresses the emergence of matter properties and spacetime structure. In the process we find a possible bound in the mass spectrum of fundamental particles.

The study of the area model of Pinus tabulaeformis forest provides an important reference for improving the management of Pinus tabulaeformis and revealing the growth law of Pinus tabulaeformis. According to the classification method proposed by Munro, stand growth and harvest prediction models are divided into three categories: full stand model, single wood model and diameter distribution model. Based on the fixed sample data of Shangluo Pinus tabulaeformis, the spatial instead of time method is used to process the data, and the weight coefficient of each model in the combined prediction model is calculated by using the optimal weighting method. The single wood model, the whole forest model and the diameter distribution model are combined by the combined prediction method to integrate the fault area prediction of Pinus tabulaeformis forest. The results show that the combined prediction method is more accurate than the single model (single wood model, whole forest model and diameter distribution model). At the same time, the method can improve the compatibility of the forest break area prediction model, ensure the consistency of the forest break area prediction, and provide a new direction for the research of forest resource monitoring and investigation.

Natural circulation loop (NCL) systems are buoyancy-driven heat exchangers that are used in various industrial applications. The concept of passive heat exchange in NCL systems is attractive, because there is no need for an externally driven equipment (e.g., a pump) to maintain the fluid circulation. However, relying on buoyancy as the sole driving force may lead to several potential difficulties, one of which is generation of (possibly) time-varying nonlinearities in the dynamical system, where a difference in the time scales of heat transfer and fluid flow causes the flow to change from a steady-state regime to either an oscillatory regime or a flow-reversal regime, both of which are undesirable. In this paper, tools of symbolic time series analysis (e.g., probabilistic finite state automata (PFSA)) are proposed to identify selected regimes of operation in NCL systems, where the underlying principle is built upon the concept of pattern classification from measurements of fluid-flow dynamics. The proposed method is shown to be capable of identifying the current regime of operation from the initial time response under a given set of operational parameters. The efficacy of regime classification is demonstrated by testing on two data sets, generated from numerical simulation of a MATLAB SimuLink model that has previously been validated with experimental data. The results of the proposed PFSA-based classification are compared with those of a hidden Markov model (HMM) that serves as the baseline.

Time is a component quantity of various measurements and is also used on its own to sequence events, to compare the duration of events or the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change of quantities in material reality or in the conscious experience [1]. The measuring equipment well might happen to be a clock. By making a presupposition that clock is Time, it is perceived experimentally that “Time exhibits wave-like properties”

This study aims to explore the effect of real-time visual feedback (VF) information of the pres-sure of center (COP) provided by intelligent insoles on balance training in a one leg stance (OLS) and tandem stance (TS) posture. Thirty healthy female college students were randomly assigned to the visual feedback balance training group (VFT), non-visual feedback balance training group (NVFT), and control group (CG). The balance training includes: OLS, tandem Stance (dominant leg behind, TSDL), tandem stance (non-dominant leg behind, TSNDL). The training lasted 4 weeks, the training lasts 30 minutes at an interval of 1 days. There was a sig-nificant difference in the interaction effect between Groups*Times of the COP parameters (p<0.05) for OLS. There was no significant difference in the interaction effect between Groups*Times of the COP parameters (p>0.05) for TS. The main effect of the COP parameters was a significant difference in Times (p<0.05). The COP displacement, velocity, radius, and area in VFT significantly decreased after training (p < 0.05). Therefore, the visual feedback technology of intelligent auxiliary equipment during balance training can enhance the benefit of training. The use of smart wearable devices in OLS balance training may improve the visual and physical balance integration ability.

This study investigated how fashion is expressed on social media platforms from a media ecology perspective of sustainable digital space-time, as society evolves into a digital ecosystem. Media ecology concerns how the media environment transforms human experience and impacts society and culture. A theoretical review of media ecology was conducted, and the Instagram account of global fashion influencer Susanna Lau (@susiebubble) was analyzed as a case study. In total, 300 fashion-related images were collected out of 5,817 uploaded to Lau’s Instagram between May 2012 and June 2019. These were analyzed—alongside their titles, content, hashtags, and commentaries—for visual phenomena conveying everyday divisions between spatiality and temporality, public and private, real and virtual, and geography and culture, which demonstrate ambiguous boundaries. The analysis revealed that the images reflect nuances of digital time and space as they emerge in social media, and represent a nonboundary of style across the binaries of work and leisure, public and private, real and virtual, and geography and culture—signifying a sustainable digital lifestyle. These findings illustrate how our changing daily lives are visualized through fashion on a sustainable digital platform, and suggest ongoing research into the practical impact of technological advances on fashion.

This is a short note on a new way to describe Haug's newly introduced maximum velocity for matter in relation to the Schwarzschild radius. This leads to a probabilistic Schwarzschild radius for elementary particles with mass smaller than the Planck mass. In addition, our maximum velocity, when linked to the Schwarzschild radius, seems to predict that particles just at that radius cannot move. This implies that radiation from the Schwarzschild radius not can undergo velocity time dilation. Our maximum velocity of matter, therefore, seems to predict no time dilation, even in high Z quasars, as has surprisingly been observed recently.

Molecular overtone transitions provide optical frequency transitions sensitive to variation in the proton-to-electron mass ratio (μ = m_p/m_e). However, robust molecular state preparation presents a challenge critical for achieving high precision. Here, we characterize infrared and optical-frequency broadband laser cooling schemes for TeH⁺, a species with multiple electronic transitions amenable to sustained laser control. Using rate equations to simulate laser cooling population dynamics, we estimate the fractional sensitivity to μ attainable using TeH⁺. We find that laser cooling of TeH⁺ can lead to significant improvements on current μ variation limits.

This paper studies the duration patterns of unemployment spells for immigrants and the determinants of unemployment’s completion into one of a number of studied labour market states in Finland. We estimate a duration model for unemployment with competing risks of its terminating into employment, labour market training or economic inactivity. Taking into account the wide period of observation and opportunities to analyse processes of labour market integration during various periods of economic development in Finland, in combination with the individualistic character of the labour careers of immigrants, this research is beneficial owing to the many various findings concerning labour market integration of immigrants. The approach undertaken in this research has a dualistic “descriptive-dynamic” character under which integration is understood as a never-ending process, which is conditioned by a time period of long-term existence and a context of solitary action. We find that transitions out of unemployment spells have a cyclical character; after every new “cycle” in unemployment, the probability of terminating unemployment decreases further. We also find that ascriptive factors make sense in the process of job-placement of immigrants from unemployment. Therefore, the gender, education and age of immigrants, as well as the effect of the period in which first unemployment occurred, potentially predict transitions out of unemployment and further labour market integration of immigrants.

The study aimed to assess the prevalence and correlates of heavy episodic drinking (HED) among adults in Ecuador. In the national cross-sectional 2018 Ecuador STEPS survey, 4,638 persons (median age=39 years, range 18-69 years) responded to a questionnaire, physical measures, and biomedical tests. Results indicate that 24.1% had past month HED, 36.7% among men, and 12.0% of women; 40.6% past month HED among past 12-month drinkers. In adjusted logistic regression analysis, male sex (Adjusted Odds Ratio=AOR: 3.12, 95% Confidence Interval=CI: 2.50-3.89), past smoking (AOR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.09-1.76), and current smoking (AOR: 2.83, 95% CI: 2.15-3.83) were positively and persons aged 50-69 years (AOR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.38-0.66) and having underweight (AOR: 0.28, 95% CI: 0.09-0.89) were negatively associated with HED. In addition, in sex-stratified analyses, among men, being African Ecuadorean or Mulato (AOR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.10-2.91), and high physical activity (AOR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.01-1.99) were positively associated with HED, and among women, being Montubia (AOR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.17-0.93) was negatively and obesity (AOR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.06, 2.44) was positively associated with HED. Almost one in four participants engaged in HED, and several sociodemographic and health indicators were identified that may facilitate public health interventions for reducing HED.

Objective: To evaluate the status of receiving education on rational drug use, the criteria in medical drug selection, and level of knowledge of dentists working in a dentistry faculty in Turkey. Material and Methods: This was a descriptive study based on a questionnaire. One hundred seventeen (74%) dentists volunteered to participate in the study. The questionnaire consisted of 20 questions investigating sociodemographic features and rational drug use. Results: The mean age of the dentists was 30.8 ± 7.2 years, and 62.4% were men. The mean period of professional experience was 8.9±7.1 years. The most frequently used resources of references while prescribing medicine were Vademecum (medical drug guide) (61.5%), the internet (59.0%), and colleagues (49.6%). The most frequently reported condition described as ‘good’ was drug indications (43.6%). The dentists had a moderate level of information about posology, and administration route (48.7%), pharmacologic features (48.7%), and contraindications (46.2%). The number of dentists who stated that they considered cost while prescribing was low [always (6%), and frequently (15.4%)]. Rational drug use education had been received by 23.9% of the dentists. Conclusions: The dentists were found to have a lack of adequate and effective education on rational use of drugs. Regular and continuous education before and after graduation is a necessity for dentists and for their patients.

Background: Alcohol is a psychoactive substance that leads to dependence and harmful drinking in worldwide. Alcohol use is the most prevalent among age from 13 to 29 year particularly in high school, college, and university students. It affected students mentally, physically, economically and their social issues. In low and middle-income countries particularly in Ethiopia, there is lack of data in systematic review and meta-analysis regarding the prevalence of alcohol use and associated factors among students. Methods: We will search studies using computerized search engine, main electronic databases and other applicable sources. PubMed/Medline, Global Health, Africa-wides, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, EMBASE, and direct Google search will be searched to retrieve studies written in English language from 2010 to 2017. Observational studies (case control, cross-sectional, cohort or longitudinal survey, and surveillance reports) on the prevalence of alcohol use and associated factors among students in Ethiopia will be eligible. Data will be extracted by two authors independently. Data synthesis and statistical analysis will be carried out. Pooled estimate will be done to determine the prevalence of alcohol use by using comprehensive meta-analysis software. Protocol registration PROSPERO: 2017: CRD42018083222.

The natural and man-made landscape settings in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province of Northern Pakistan have significantly changed in the last decade due to increasing demands of urbanized populace, migration, two major natural disasters, and climate change. The aim of this study is to analyze land possession, income and land-use diversification of KPK administered Charsadda district. Field data is collected through a sample survey. Furthermore, freely available Landsat 7 satellite images are used to classify land-use classes (e.g. vegetation, built-up) for two different years (e.g. 2005 and 2017) for cross-verification and comparison. The highest 45% of 80% land-owners occupy land-area between 1-10 hectares. Annually, the highest 57.5% of the total farmers / employed in-habitants of surveyed regions earn more than Rs. 100,000 or ~ $ 970 from agriculture activities. About 41.9% land-area covered by agricultural-land is transformed into built-up area since 2007, which is attributed to the increasing demand for buildings and commercial markets. The highest diversification is reported in Naguman area of Charsadda district followed by Rajjar and Niami. Population growth and huge migration of displaced persons from neighboring tribal areas are likely to be few factors which contributed to such a drastic change in land-use pattern since 2007 to 2017. Urgent attention of the policy makers, agricultural experts and society is required to minimize land degradation and to thwart further agricultural-land loss.

The natural and man-made landscape settings in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province of Northern Pakistan have significantly changed in the last decade due to increasing demands of urbanized populace, migration, two major natural disasters, and climate change. The aim of this study is to analyze land possession, income and land-use diversification of KPK administered Charsadda district. Field data is collected through a sample survey. Furthermore, freely available Landsat 7 satellite images are used to classify land-use classes (e.g., vegetation, built-up) for two different years (e.g., 2005 and 2017) for cross-verification and comparison. The highest 45% of 80% land-owners occupy land-area between 1–10 hectares. Annually, the highest 57.5% of the total farmers / employed in-habitants of surveyed regions earn more than Rs. 100,000 or ~$970 from agriculture activities. About 41.9% land-area covered by agricultural-land is transformed into built-up area since 2007, which is attributed to the increasing demand for buildings and commercial markets. The highest diversification is reported in Naguman area of Charsadda district followed by Rajjar and Niami. Population growth and huge migration of displaced persons from neighboring tribal areas are likely to be few factors which contributed to such a drastic change in land-use pattern since 2007 to 2017. Urgent attention of the policy makers, agricultural experts and society is required to minimize land degradation and to thwart further agricultural-land loss.

Land-use planning plays an important role in agricultural development, however it lacks tools to support planner in proposing land-use planning solutions especially, under saltwater intrusion condition in the coastal regions. This study aims to apply optimization in analyzing land-use solutions for agricultural land-use planning. In which a multi-objective optimization model is developed to optimize land-use area including land-use allocation taking into account socio-economic and environmental factors. The model has been applied in three districts of Soc Trang province, Vietnam (Long Phu, My Xuyen and Tran De) representing three ecological regions including salt water, brackish water and freshwater in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. The results showed that two multi-objective optimization scenarios (in terms of profit, labor, environment benefits and risk reduction) have been implemented: (i) Multi-objective optimization of agricultural land-use until 2030 under normal conditions; (ii) Optimizing agricultural land-use until 2030 under climate change conditions similar to the 2016 drought and saltwater intrusion phenomenon in the Mekong Delta. The results showed that the second scenario is the option considered for implementing land-use plan thanks to the balance between good profits and minimizing economic and environmental risk. The land allocation was carried out taking into account household economic, the influence of adjacent production types, local traffic and canal systems factors to allocate optimal land-use areas. The combination of land-use optimization and spatial allocation process can help planners improve the quality of agricultural land-use planning.

Land-use planning review seems relatively lower in publication rate and in coverage of content. This review contributes its part in two dimensions. First, it assesses ability of the popularly growing bibliometric method in tracking the real contribution of publications. Then it summarizes developments in the land use planning literature in three themes - general literature path building, land use planning context, and development of methods. It is observed that bibliometric method rewards information carriage paper more than the original contributors. Key planning context gaps include detachment of the general goal-oriented objective formulations from the basic land use allocation theories and models and certain urban land use optimization objectives even contradict the original though of sustainable city. Key research frontiers include: linking basic land use allocation and utility theories in urban land use planning; shifting the current urban land use planning from spatial optimization to activities into optimizing flow resources to available spatial configurations; evaluating existing built environment for optimality; transferring knowledge from rural land-use planning to urban land use planning. In method development, the key frontier would be advancing the current loosely coupled methods into more integrated systems.

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

While current studies have focused on adoption and the relevant content of the app to become a decision support system, very few studies have focused on the farmer's intention and initial decision to adopt. Based on a survey of 394 smallholder farmers this study investigated Mexican farmers’ willingness to adopt an agricultural advice app. A Structural Equation Modelling approach, based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was applied. To understand farmers’ adoption decision, extended constructs were studied (e.g. mastery-approach goals) along with farmers’ age and participation in an innovation hub. Results showed that the intention to adopt the app is predicted by how farmers believe that technical infrastructure exists and by the expectation of the farmers using the app to acquire new knowledge. The multi-group analysis revealed that performance expectancy is a relevant predictor of the intention to adopt, whereas the mastery-approach goal is relevant only for younger and farmers not connected to the innovation hub. The results may well be a baseline to research further suitable non-financial incentives for different farmers’ groups, then encourage initial adoption and enhance uptake. The findings are useful for practitioners and app developers designing digital decision support tools.

The eco-efficiency of cultivated land use (ECLU) is an important indicator for the construction of ecological civilization in China. Exploring the spatiotemporal dynamic evolution of the ECLU is helpful for sustainable use of arable land, ensuring food security and ecological security. However, previous studies have mostly focused on the use of a slacks-based measure (SBM) model for ECLU measurement, ignoring the more accurate epsilon-based measure (EBM) model. Therefore, in this study, firstly, we explored the conceptual framework of ECLU, and then, based on the panel data of the counties in the region around Beijing and Tianjin from 2005 to 2020, we investigated the spatial and temporal evolution of ECLU by using the Super-EBM model, kernel density estimation method, and spatial Markov chain model. Results displayed: (1) From 2005 to 2020, the ECLU in the region around Beijing and Tianjin displayed an increasing state, but the average value was only 0.55. (2) The time evolution of the ECLU has gradually polarized, the internal gap has widened, but it tends to stabilize. (3) The ECLU in the region around Beijing-Tianjin was more inclined to keep it the same and there was a "club convergence" phenomenon, which was meaningfully affected by the background of neighboring areas. In the light of local conditions, the government should reasonably formulate the path to optimize the ECLU, strengthen the linkage with the surrounding cities, and bring into play the positive spillover effect.

The study investigates the determinants of mobile Internet banking adoption among Gen-Y in Malaysia. Align the issue of the study and research objectives, and the study underpinned Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as the main guideline or a blueprint to analyze the research model. The study applied survey research design and analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) under the PLS-SEM technique with SmartPLS 2.0. A total of 358 mobile internet banking users in Malaysia were random proportional selected as respondents and analyzed. Results from the partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) revealed that perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, facilitating condition, and personal innovativeness in IT have significantly influenced the attitude of mobile internet banking adoption in Malaysia. Additionally, perceived ease of use and facilitating conditions found to have a significant influence on the perceived usefulness of Mobile Internet Banking. Lastly, facilitating conditions and personal innovativeness in IT are significantly influence the perceived ease of use of mobile internet banking among Gen-Y in Malaysia

So far, scientific studies on high frequency welding (HF) have observed the three main parameters: anode current, welding time and pressure of upper electrode. Some authors have also observed and studied the welding frequency, the power, and the values of the dielectric constants of the materials or the angle of dielectric losses. Due to the complex effects that the parameters have on the quality of the welded joint, it is necessary to extend the research and study the mutual relationships between a large numbers of process parameters on the welded joint in order to achieve satisfactory strength of the welded joint. In this research, the number of considered parameters is increased to 17, each of which is relevant to the processes of HF welding, and their mathematical equations are presented. The research is carried out on a HF welding machine improved with a linear pneumatic actuator for lowering the upper electrode and regulating the compressive force, and a measuring machine with the appropriate measuring method for determining the breaking forces with a tension gage and performing the „T“ test is made. Numerous researches were carried out on the functional changes of the process parameters of the percentage share of the values of the coupling capacitor, the anode current and the welding time on the values of the breaking forces of the welded joints. Based on the conducted research, it was concluded that the optimization of the process parameters of HF machine must be performed before the welding process, which is determined by a certain amount of energy that must be introduced into the material. These parameters are the capacity of the output capacitor, i.e., the value of the electric current flowing through the material and the time for the development of the operating power to produce welded joints with a certain strength and quality of welded joints for a specific material used in the process.

We explore the possibility to form a physical theory in $C^4$. We argue that the expansion of our usual 4-d real space-time to a 4-d complex space-time, can serve us to describe geometrically electromagnetism and nuclear fields and unify it with gravity, in a different way that Kaluza-Klein theories do. Specifically, the electromagnetic field $A_\mu$, is included in the free geodesic equation of $C^4$. By embedding our usual 4-d real space-time in the symplectic 8-d real space-time (symplectic $R^8$ is algebraically isomorphic to $C^4$), we derive the usual geodesic equation of a charged particle in gravitational field, plus new information which is interpreted. Afterwards, we formulate and explore the extended special relativity and extended general relativity an $C^4$ or$R^8$. After embedding our usual 4-d space-time in $R^8$, two new phenomena rise naturally, that are interpreted as "dark matter" and "dark energy". A new cosmological model is presented, while the geometrical terms associated with "dark matter" and "dark energy" are investigated. Similarities, patterns and differences between "dark matter", "dark energy", ordinary matter and radiation are presented, where "dark energy" is a dynamic entity and "dark matter" reveal itself as a "mediator" betwen ordinary matter and "dark energy". Moreover, "dark matter" is deeply connected with "dark energy". Furthermore, the extended Hamilton-Jacobi equation of the extended space-time, is transformed naturally as an extended Klein-Gordon equation, in order to get in contact with quantum theories. By solving the Klein-Gordon equation analytically, we derive an eigenvalue for Higg's boson mass value at 125,173945 $Gev/c^{2}$. The extended Klein-Gordon equation, also connects Higg's boson (or vacuum) with Cosmology, due to the existence of our second "time" T (cosmological time), which serve us to connect quantum theories with Cosmology. Afterwards, in the general case, we explore the symmetries of the curved Hamilton-Jacobi equation locally, in order to investigate the consequences of a $C^4$ space-time in Standard Model. An extension to Standard Model is revealed, especially in the sector of strong nuclear field. The Stiefel manifold $SU(4)/SU(2)$ seems capable not only to describe the strong nuclear field but give us,as well, enough room to explore in the future, the possibility to explain quark confinment. Our extension, flavors firstly the unification of nuclear fields and afterwards the unification of nuclear fields with electromagnetic field. The desired grand unification, is achieved locally, through the symmetry group $GL(4,C)\simeq SO(4,4)\cap U(4)$ and we present a potential mechanism to reduce the existing particle numbers to just six. Afterwards,23 present the extended Dirac equation in $C^4$ space-time (Majorana-Weyl representation) plus a preliminary attempt to introduce a pure geometric structure for fermions. Finally, we consider a new geometric structure through n-linear forms in order to give geometric explanation for quantisation

The article presents the original derivation method of transformations for kinematics with a universal reference system. This method allows to derive transformations that meet the results of the Michelson-Morley and Kennedy-Thorndike experiments only in some frame of reference, e.g. in laboratories moving in relation to a universal frame of reference with small speeds. The obtained transformations are the basis for the derivation of the new physical theory, which has been called the Special Theory of Ether. The generalized transformations can be expressed by relative speeds (26)-(27) or by the parameter δ (v) (37)-(38). Based on conclusions of the Michelson-Morley’s and Kennedy-Thorndike’s experiments, the parameter δ (v) was determined. This allows the transformations to take a special form (81)-(82), which is consistent with experiments in which velocity of light is measured. On the basis of obtained transformations, the formulas for summing speed and relative speed were also determined. The entire article includes only original research conducted by its author.

We consider the problem of scheduling $n$ jobs with identical processing times and given release as well as delivery times on $m$ uniform machines. The goal is to minimize the makespan, i.e., the maximum full completion time of any job. This problem is well-known to have an open complexity status even if the number of jobs is fixed. We present a polynomial-time algorithm for the problem which is based on the earlier introduced algorithmic framework blesscmore (``branch less and cut more''). We extend the analysis of the so-called behavior alternatives developed earlier for the version of the problem with identical parallel machines and show how the earlier used technique for identical machines can be extended to the uniform machine environment if a special condition on the job parameters is imposed. The time complexity of the proposed algorithm is $O(\gamma m^2 n\log n)$, where $\gamma$ can be either $n$ or the maximum job delivery time $q_{\max}$. This complexity can even be reduced further by using a smaller number $\kappa<n$ in the estimation describing the number of jobs of particular types. However, this number $\kappa$ becomes only known when the algorithm has terminated.

In the last two centuries, land use change (LUC) has been the most important direct changes driver for terrestrial ecosystems. To contrast the consequent ecosystems degradation, forward-looking spatial policies and target landscape and land-use planning processes, promoting a sustainable land use change, are needed. The present paper proposes a framework of action including different landscape planning and ecological approaches: from the spatial modelling to recognize the LUC and build different scenarios, to the ecosystem services (ESs) assessment to evaluate the possible environmental impacts. Three different scenarios were built: Trend, No-Tillage and Energy crops. The Sediment Delivery Ratio and Carbon Storage and Sequestration ESs were assessed and compared for each scenario. The aim of the paper is to support decision-makers and local communities into the landscape planning process. Results show that a regional development in line with past trend could lead to further land degradation. Instead, the two scenarios proposed in compliance with EU policies, could bring benefits only if related to moderate LUCs and respecting the naturally grass-vegetated land. From the local to global scale, a guided and shared LUC management allows implementing sustainable development, basing on a deep knowledge of physical-environmental but also social and economic issues.

The present study analyzed the effect of temperature, pH, retention time, pretreatment and mixing ratio on the anerobic digestion process. The parameters during the anaerobic co digestion of cow manure and food waste were then optimized using the Taguchi experimental design method. ANOVA is carried out to find the significant parameters which influence the biogas production. Experimental tests were carried out at laboratory scale reactors kept at different temperatures (28 °C, 35 °C, and 50 °C). The specific methanogenic Performance (SMP) during anerobic digestion at higher temperatures was characterized with the analysis of acetate, propionate, butyrate, hydrogen, glucose, and formate. The improvement of biogas production with different pre-treatment i.e., ultrasonic, autoclave, and microwave techniques also analysed. The results showed that reactor that maintained at 35 °C showed the highest biogas production. While the reactor that maintained at lower temperature (28 °C) produced the lower volume of biogas. As the retention time increases, the amount of biogas produced increases. Methanogenic activities of microorganisms reduced at higher temperature conditions (65 °C). Biogas production increased by 28.1%, 20.23%, and 13.27 % when the of substrates treated with ultrasonic, autoclave, and microwave, respectively, compared to the untreated substrate. The optimized condition for the highest biogas production during anaerobic co digestion of food waste and cow manure is temperature of 35 °C, pH of 7 and mixing ratio (CM: FW=1.5:0.5). ANOVA showed that temperature is the most important input parameter affecting biogas production, followed by mixing ratio.

Considering the spectrum shortage problem of IoT devices, we introduce a collaborative spectrum sensing (CSS) framework in this paper to identify available spectrum resources, so that IoT devices can access it and meanwhile avoid causing harmful interference to the normal communication of the primary user (PU). However, in the process of the PU’s signal detection in IoT devices, the issue about the stopping time and decision cost arises. To this end, we propose a distributed cognitive IoT model, which includes two IoT devices independently using sequential decision rules to detect the PU. On this basis, we define the stopping time and cost function for IoT devices, and formulate an average cost optimization problem in CSS. To solve this problem, we further regard the optimal stopping time problem as a finite horizon problem, and solve the threshold of the optimal decision rule by dynamic programming. At last, numerical simulation results demonstrate the correctness of our proposal in terms of the global false alarm and miss detection probability, and it always achieves minimal average cost under various cost of each observation taken and thresholds.

The measurement of sP4 often varies due to different laboratory methodologies and individual canine characteristics. In this investigation, sP4 outcomes obtained from a commercial POC analyzer, designed for efficient sP4 assessment in bitches, were compared with results derived from CMIA, the reference laboratories in Thailand. Thorough documentation encompassed various parameters: mean, standard deviation (SD), 95% confidence interval (CI), minimum and maximum sP4 concentration values. Additionally, we meticulously recorded the Pearson’s correlation coefficient, Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient, and the bias correction factor. Interestingly, there was no significant difference (p &gt; 0.05) in the means obtained by the POC and CMIA. The Pearson’s correlation coefficient between POC and CMIA stood at 0.957, with Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient for POC recorded as 0.949. Furthermore, the bias correction factor was established at 0.991. This investigation followed established CMIA guidelines, modified to incorporate the mean and 95% CI as criteria for optimal breeding time using the POC analyzer. In conclusion, the commercial POC immunologic analyzer emerges as a valuable tool, aiding in precisely determining the optimal timing for natural mating or artificial insemination in bitches.

Self-driving vehicles demand efficient and reliable depth sensing technologies. Lidar, with its capacity for long-distance, high-precision measurement, is a crucial component in this pursuit. However, conventional mechanical scanning implementations suffer from reliability, cost, and frame rate limitations. Solid-state lidar solutions have emerged as a promising alternative, but the vast amount of photon data processed and stored using conventional direct time-of-flight (dToF) prevents long-distance sensing unless power-intensive partial histogram approaches are used. In this paper, we introduce a groundbreaking ‘guided’ dToF approach, harnessing external guidance from other onboard sensors to narrow down the depth search space for a power and data-efficient solution. This approach centers around a dToF sensor in-which the exposed time widow of independent pixels can be dynamically adjusted. We utilize a 64-by-32 macropixel dToF sensor and a pair of vision cameras to provide the guiding depth estimates. Our demonstrator captures a dynamic outdoor scene at 3 fps with distances up 75 m. Compared to a conventional full histogram approach, on-chip data is reduced by over 25 times, while the total laser cycles in each frame are reduced by at least 6 times compared to any partial histogram approach. The capability of guided dToF to mitigate multipath reflections is also demonstrated. For self-driving vehicles where a wealth of sensor data is already available, guided dToF opens new possibilities for efficient solid-state lidar.

In a series of recent papers we developed a formulation of general relativity in which spacetime and the dynamics of matter evolve with a Poincaré invariant parameter τ. In this paper we apply the formalism to derive the metric induced by a `static’ event evolving uniformly along its t-axis at the spatial origin x=0. The metric is shown to vary with t and τ, as well as spatial distance r, taking its maximum value for a test particle at the retarded time τ=t−r/c. In the resulting picture, an event localized is space and time produces a metric field similarly localized, where both evolve in τ. We first derive this metric as a solution to the wave equation in linearized field theory, and discuss its limitations by studying the geodesic motion it produces for an evolving event. By then examining this solution in the 4+1 formalism, which poses an initial value problem for the metric under τ-evolution, we clarify these limitations and indicate how they may be overcome in a solution to the full nonlinear field equations.

Autonomous systems require identifying the environment and it has a long way to go before putting it safely into practice. In autonomous driving systems, the detection of obstacles and traffic lights are of importance as well as lane tracking. In this study, an autonomous driving system is developed and tested in the experimental environment designed for this purpose. In this system, a model vehicle having a camera is used to trace the lanes and avoid obstacles to experimentally study autonomous driving behavior. Convolutional Neural Network models were trained for Lane tracking. For the vehicle to avoid obstacles, corner detection, optical flow, focus of expansion, time to collision, balance calculation, and decision mechanism were created, respectively.

The general theory of relativity (GR) is known to be invariant under smooth coordinate transformations (diffeomorphism). This group has a subgroup known as the Lorentz group of symmetry which is manifested in the weak field approximation to GR. The dominant operator in the weak field equation of GR is thus the d'Alembert (wave) operator which has a retarded potential solution. Galaxies are huge physical systems having dimensions of many tens of thousands of light years. Thus any change at the galactic center will be noticed at the rim only tens of thousands of years later. Those retardation effects are neglected in present day galactic modelling used to calculate rotational velocities of matter in the rims of the galaxy and surrounding gas. The significant differences between the predictions of Newtonian instantaneous action at a distance and observed velocities are usually explained by either assuming dark matter or by modifying the laws of gravity (MOND). In this paper we will show that taking general relativity seriously without neglecting retardation effects one can explain the radial velocities of galactic matter in the M33 galaxy without postulating dark matter.

This study attempts to investigate a method for creating an index from mobility data that not only correlates with the number of people who relocate to a place but also has causal influence on the number of such individuals. By creating an index based on human mobility data, it becomes possible to predict the influence of urban development on future residential movements. In this paper, we propose a method called the travel cost method for multiple places (TCM4MP) by extending the conventional travel cost method (TCM). We assume that the opportunity cost of travel time on non-working days reflects the convenience and amenities of a neighborhood. However, conventional TCM does not assume that the opportunity cost of travel time varies according to the departure place. In this paper, TCM4MP is proposed to estimate the opportunity cost of travel time with respect to the departure place. We consider such estimation to be possible due to the use of massive mobility data. We assume that the opportunity cost of travel time on non-working days reflects the convenience and amenities of the neighborhood. Therefore, we consider that the opportunity cost of travel time has a causal influence on future residential mobility. In this paper, the validity of the proposed method is tested using the smart card data of public transportation in Western Japan. Our proposed method is beneficial for urban planners in estimating the effects of urban development and detecting the shrinkage and growth of a population.

Abstract: A new method for constructing exact solutions of the General Relativity equations for a dusty matter with fractal property is proposed. This method allows to find the solution of the GR-equations in terms of matter velocities : the connection coefficients and the Ricci tensor of space-time are expressed in terms of matter velocities; the metric tensor and the matter density are found as functions of velocity from the GR-equations. The connection coefficients and the Ricci tensor are invariant with respect to the discrete scaling transformation of velocity , where is constant. Therefore, the found solution can be used to simulate the fractal properties of the cosmic web in terms of matter velocities. This solution includes isotropic and anisotropic distributions of matter density. In an isotropic case, there is a class of exact solutions including both the well-known Friedmann’s solution and a solution with a periodic distribution of the matter density in space. This last solution may be used to simulate the quasi-periodic distribution of matter in the cosmic web. It is possible that, the cosmic web and its fractal properties are the space-time primary properties. These properties are described with a deformation tensor of the space-time.

Using both GRACE satellite data and statistical records, we apply the advanced Super-SBM model in this study to evaluate the efficiency of water resource utilization in 34 prefecture-level cities across three provinces in Northeast China from 2003 to 2020. Furthermore, we employ the Tobit model to examine the factors influencing efficiency. Our findings suggest that while spatial clustering is moderately low, the efficiency of water resource utilization in the Northeast Region is praiseworthy and significantly correlates with the level of technological advancement. Four distinct categories can be identified among the prefecture-level cities based on the scale and technological efficiency of water resource utilization. To promote enhanced utilization of water resources, different regions should implement measures that are specifically tailored to their unique circumstances.

The composition and pattern of ecosystems are important factors determining the overall status and spatial differences of ecosystem service functions. However, under the background of differential land policies and ecological protection policies, research on the trend of ecological system pattern changes in the Fenhe River Basin is insufficient. Taking the upper and middle reaches of the Fenhe River Basin as the study area, based on long-term NDVI index and multi-period LUCC remote sensing images, this study used spatial statistics and time trend analysis methods to analyze the spatio-temporal dynamic changes of vegetation, land use, landscape pattern, and explored the impact of major driving factors on ecosystem changes. The results show that: (1) From 2010 to 2020, the vegetation cover in the upper and middle reaches of the Fenhe River Basin increased, with an annual NDVI increment of 0.003 (P<0.001). NDVI showed an increasing trend spatially, with significant statistics (P<0.001) and significant changes (P<0.05) in vegetation in high-altitude mountain areas, and the vegetation cover was mostly forests or grasslands. There was no significant change in vegetation cover in the low-lying urban agglomeration area. (2) From 2010 to 2020, the area of water bodies or wetlands in the study area significantly decreased, with 51.3% converted to arable land and 33.9% transferred to construction land, while only 2.2% remained as water bodies or wetlands. From 2015 to 2020, the trend of water body changes slowed down, with the proportions of conversion to arable land and construction land being 44.0% and 18.4% respectively, while the area of wetlands or water bodies remained at 16.3%. During the period of 2015-2020, the area of water bodies or wetlands converted to other land types increased by more than 14% compared to 2010-2015. This proportion reached more than 30% compared to the 13th Five-year Plan Period. (3) From 2010 to 2020, the spatial changes of landscape diversity (SHDI) and evenness (SHEI) of LUCC showed heterogeneous characteristics. In the high-altitude areas near the river basin boundary, the values of SHDI and SHEI were below 1.0. While in the low-altitude plain areas and urban areas with relatively frequent human activities, the values of SHDI and SHEI were above 1.0, and the values in urban areas could reach above 1.5. The evolution of ecosystem patterns in the upper and middle reaches of the Fenhe River Basin in the past decade has been clarified, providing a scientific basis for the construction and management of ecological environment governance and restoration projects in the Fenhe River Basin, and providing practical references for ecological protection and high-quality development practice in the Yellow River Basin.

Introduction: Some of the practices in medicine are carried out of habit without proven benefits. This is the case of premature babies from 30 to 34 weeks of gestation who are always given parenteral fluids, even though this practice has been associated with an increase incidence of infection. At the end of 2017, we started a protocol of rationalization in the use of parenteral fluid. To administer nutrition/fluids, we used oral fluids by suction if this was possible or otherwise by oral/nasogastric tube at volumes of 70-80 mL/Kg/day divided every 3 hours, with 5 mL increments every 12-24 hours until 200 mL/K/day was achieved, always using breast milk when possible. Material and methods: The present study sought to compare results before and after this new policy. For this work, we review all premature babies between 30-34 weeks of gestation in two time periods, the first from 01/01/2010 to 12/31/2017 and the second from 01/01/2018 to 08/15/2022. The number of cases with and without parenteral fluids (PF), the incidence of infection, the weight at admission and discharge, and the change in the weight Z score between birth and discharge were compared. Both the anthropometric and outcome variables were compared using the different statistical methods according to each variable. Results: were found 920 cases with the described characteristics. The groups before and after the intervention did not show significant differences in their general demographic characteristics. We observed a decrease use of PF in the second period, from 425 cases (82.0%) before to 297 (26.2%) after implementation, p <0.0001 and fewer days of use (4.1 days/average before vs 1.3 after, p <0.0001) of PF. The weight at discharge and the change in weight Z-score were the same in both groups. Infections went from nine cases before to two cases after but it was not statistically significant. There were no complications due to less use of PF. Discussion: This study showed that the use of PF is not associated with significant changes in outcomes of interest, which reinforces that its use does not generate any benefit for the patient. Larger number of cases is required to detect differences in low incidence events such as infections.

This study examines the relationship of fear of missing out (FOMO) with heavy social networking among Turkish university students (aged 17 - 55). The perception of the possible role of parental supervision on online activities is also investigated. Factor analysis of FOMO scale led us to evaluate the construct under two dimensions as (1) fear of missing experience and (2) fear of missing activity. The results revealed that fear of missing activity increases social media intrusion while fear of missing experience is found to have no significant effect. The reverse relationship is also valid: an urge to use social media predicts fear of missing out (activity and experience). Fear of missing experience is associated with problematic social media use (PSMU) and a high desire to use social media. The results additionally demonstrate that students aged 30 and older believe more in the requirement of parental control than those aged 17-22.

One of the most problematic forms of nature protection in Poland relates to landscape parks. On the one hand, they include the most valuable landscapes; on the other hand, the areas within the landscape park still have economic uses. Therefore, the monitoring of landscape changes within landscape parks is necessary in order to properly manage these forms of protection. The main objective of the study was to monitor the scale and nature of landscape transformations within the boundaries of landscape parks in Poland during the period 2000–2018 and to assess the possibility of using the landscape change index (LCI) to monitor the intensity of landscape transformations within this type of protected area. Filling a gap in the research on landscape changes, I developed and verified the possibility of using LCI for monitoring the intensity of landscape changes using the example of 12 landscape parks in the Lower Silesia region. Preliminary analyses of the transformations within all landscape parks in Poland showed an upward trend, both in terms of the number of types of identified landscape changes as well as their area. In spite of the large diversity and degree of transformation in landscape parks, several dominant processes can be observed. The largest number and area of changes during each of the analyzed periods were found in transformations within forest landscapes (temporary and permanent deforestation and forest maturation), which constitute the dominant type of land cover within most of the landscape parks. In open landscapes, changes mainly relate to afforestation and natural succession in meadows, pastures and arable land, as well as the transformation of arable land into mining areas. Twelve case studies, covering all landscape parks of the Lower Silesia, have shown that the LCI is an excellent tool for monitoring the intensity of landscape changes, but it is dependent on the accuracy of the source data. The analyses confirmed that, during the study periods, the changes in all 12 Lower Silesian landscape parks were at a low level, but their particular intensification took place in the years 2012–2018. The highest LCI was found in the area where a natural disaster had occurred (air tornado), which destroyed huge areas of forest in landscape parks. After changes in the forest landscape, the most frequently identified type of change in 2006–2012 is the transformation of non-forest landscapes into forest landscapes. The main reason for such changes was the expansion of forest into abandoned arable land, meadows and pastures. The use of the Corine Land Cover database to calculate LCI and monitor the intensity of landscape change revealed a low usability of the database for the year 2000 and a high usability for data from 2006–2018.

Objective: The influence of gender on the number and pattern of co-morbid psychiatric illness was archivally compared between patients with and without an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) among psychiatrically treated individuals drawn from a large Danish birth cohort. Method: By age 45, fifteen percent of the Copenhagen Perinatal Birth Cohort (N=8,109) had been treated in a Danish psychiatric facility. Of those 1,247 patients, 368 were assigned an AUD diagnosis (29.5%). All psychiatric diagnoses assigned to these patients, over all admissions, were classified into one of 14 broad ICD-10 F categories for comparative purposes. Results: More of the patients with an AUD diagnosis were male. Patients with an AUD diagnosis were significantly more likely to receive two or more non-AUD psychiatric diagnoses than patients without an AUD diagnosis. The number of psychiatric diagnoses was greater for female than male AUD patients, a difference not found among male and female patients without an AUD diagnosis. For patients with no AUD diagnosis, the influence of gender on the pattern of psychiatric disorders was similar to that commonly reported. In contrast, the influence of gender on the number and pattern of psychiatric disorders for patients with an AUD diagnosis indicated fewer gender differences. Several diagnostic categories that discriminated male from female patients without an AUD-related diagnosis, no longer discriminated male from female patients with an AUD-related diagnosis. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that gender differences associated with psychiatric comorbidity that have been reported in large heterogenous study, should not be generalized to specific diagnostic groups without further study.

The relocation of Indonesia's capital to the IKN (Ibukota Negara) Nusantara in East Kalimantan is leading to significant changes in land use, shifting from natural vegetation and agriculture to urban infrastructure. This transition brings about economic diversification and urban expansion, but it also raises concerns about its impact on society, the economy, and the environment. The rapid development affects biodiversity conservation, food security, and the livelihoods of rural and indigenous communities, leading to conflicts across social and economic dimensions. This research uses qualitative and quantitative data to examine the socio-economic and environmental changes in the IKN Nusantara area from 2003 to 2023. The findings show a notable increase in built-up areas, indicating urbanization and a decrease in agricultural land. The study discusses the implications for local populations and ecosystems, emphasizing the need for inclusive governance, community participation, and conflict resolution. It also proposes a comprehensive policy framework that promotes sustainable land management, recognizes indigenous and local rights, and fosters inclusive economic growth to respect Indonesia's rich environmental and cultural heritage.

Many drastic actions are taken by cocaine users for the sake of experiencing high dopamine levels, which depends on iron for its synthesis. Dopamine depletion and iron deficiency are also involved in the symptoms of restless leg syndrome (RLS). The intersecting biochemical pathways of cocaine use, iron deficiency, and RLS have not been adequately investigated. This case report reveals the successful treatment of a patient with these conditions. A 63-year-old male with a history of cocaine use disorder, insomnia, and RLS sought emergency care for suicidality. Upon admission, he was also found to be iron-deficient. He revealed that his RLS worsened when he attempted to abstain from cocaine. He also used alcohol to sustain the effects of cocaine when the cost of cocaine was too high. During hospitalization, his mood, cravings, and RLS were resolved with adjunctive iron supplementation as well as 300 mg of Wellbutrin. If iron-deficient, replenishment of adequate dopaminergic receptor density and function via supplementation may play an essential role in the prevention of cocaine use and cessation of cocaine withdrawal. Further research is warranted to validate these findings and understand the implications of iron supplementation in addiction medicine.

Background: Condoms have proven to be an effective contraceptive barrier method of family planning and have played a vital role in preventing sexually transmitted diseases including HIV. However, existing evidence shows that utilization of condoms still remains low, especially among youth and adolescents. We aimed to determine the prevalence of condom use and associated factors among the students of Gulu university in Uganda. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate students of Gulu University between June and December 2023. The students were accessed from their respective faculties and chosen using a simple random sampling method. Data were collected using a pretested self-administered structured questionnaire. Condom use was defined as use of either male or female condom in the last sexual encounter in the previous six months. Results: A total of 404 participants, with a median age of 23 years (interquartile range (21.5-24) years) were enrolled in the study, 54.2%(n=219) of whom were male. Overall, 81.4%(n=329) of the participants were in senior classes (year 2,3,4, and 5) and 18.6%(n=75) were in their first year of study. The prevalence of condom use was 53.7%(n=217). Prevalence of condom use was 50.2%(n=109) among male and 49.8%(n=108) among female students. Year of study (senior class)(aPR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.59, 3.54), having a sexual partner (aPR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.89, 2.94), having a sexual partner within campus (aPR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.69, 2.45), experience of condom bursting (aPR = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.08, 1.61), having sex in absence of condoms (aPR = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.44, 0.70), alcohol use (aPR = 1.2, 95% CI = 1.01, 1.45) were independently associated with condom use. Conclusion: Just over half of undergraduate students of Gulu university used condoms during sexual encounters. There should be heighten campaigns on condom use to prevent unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.

Scales are widely used in many agricultural applications, ranging from weighing crops at harvest to determine crop yields to regularly weighing animals to determine growth rate. In agricultural research applications, there is a long history of measuring crop water use (evapotranspiration) using a particular type of scale called weighing lysimeters. Typically, weighing lysimeters require very accurate data logging systems that tend to be expensive. Recent developments in open-source technologies, such as micro-controllers and Internet of Things (IoT) platforms, created opportunities for developing effective and affordable ways to monitor crop water use and transmit the data to the Internet in near real-time. Therefore, this study aimed to create an affordable Internet of Things (IoT) scale system to measure crop evapotranspiration. A scale system to monitor crop evapotranspiration was developed consisting of an Arduino-compatible microcontroller with cell phone communication, electronic load cells, an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) multiplexer, and analog-to-digital converters (ADC). The system was powered by a LiPo battery, charged by a small (6 W) solar panel. The IoT scale system was programmed to collect data from the load cells at regular time intervals and send the data to the ThingSpeak.com IoT platform. The system performed successfully during indoor and outdoor experiments conducted in 2023 at the Clemson University Edisto Research and Education Center, Blackville, SC. The results from the experiments showed that the IoT scale system could accurately measure crop evapotranspiration using the weighing lysimeter technique.

Research Highlights: (1) Reed canary grass (RCG) is analysed in Sweden compared to willow and poplar for 2001-2020 (2) Each crop presents a different land-use and climatic profile (3) Average yield records of reed canary grass are similar to willow and poplar (4) There are divergences between trial-based and commercial yields (5) Existing LUC patterns suggest meadow>RCG and RCG>cereal (6) RCG land area is very sensitive to policy incentives. Background and objectives: RCG is an alternative crop for biomass-to-energy due to high yield and frost tolerance. We assess the cultivation in Sweden by using an extensive compilation of data, with emphasis on the extension of the cultivation, areas planted, climatic profile, land use patterns and yield levels. Material and methods: All RCG plantations are analysed for 2001-2020. A geostatistical analysis is performed to characterize where is cultivated and the land uses associated. Climatic, productivity and yield profiles are compared to willow and poplar plantations, from experiments and from commercial plantations. Results: The results show that the cultivation of reed canary grass expanded after 2005, with a maximum of 800 ha in 2009 to then decrease to the current levels of about 550 ha. It is mainly grown in colder climatic areas, with lower agricultural productivity than willow and poplar. Mean yields from trials are 6 odt ha-1 yr-1; commercial yields are 3.5 odt ha-1 yr-1. RCG replace meadow land and is replaced by cereals, when abandoned. Conclusions: Reed canary grass is an interesting alternative, growing on colder areas but on similar yield levels than other energy crops. The cultivation is more sensitive to policy incentives

Otodus megalodon is known as the biggest shark ever alive and recent records show this species was only existed in America, Africa and Europe continents in the last Miocene period 20 million years ago (Ma). Recently, megalodon teeth have been discovered in South coast of West Java. Here this study aims to present and model the presence of O. megalodon. The length of the excavated tooth was ranging from 13 to 19 cm. The lithological analysis shows that the tooth was found in Miocene rock layers. Paleogeographic model shows that during Miocene southern parts of Java island were submerged including the recent locations where the megalodon tooth have been found. Half parts of the modeled West Java were an ocean with depth ranging from 0 to 200 m. High habitat use preferences by juvenile megalodon were estimated in the shelf (depth 0-40 m) with the size of 1365 km² . Whereas habitat use preference by adult megalodon was low at this depth. Both juvenile and adult habitat use frequencies were low at a depth of between 80 m and 160 m. Habitat use preferences were increasing at a depth of > 200 m. After Miocene, the paleoclimate records show a decline in temperature and lead to the decline of whale population in ocean. The declining of megalodon’s prey explains the declining of this giant shark especially in post Miocene and early Pliocene periods.

Background: Monk healers provide an accessible and popular service in Southeast Asia, but little is known on the substance use status of their clients. This investigation intended to assess and compare the rate and correlates of substance use disorders in two different treatment settings (monk healers=MH and primary health care=PHC) in Thailand. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 1024 patients (591 of MH and 613 of PHC) responded to screening measures of the “World Health Organization Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test Lite”, and two common mental disorders (major depression and generalized anxiety disorder) from November 2018 to February 2019. Logistic regression was used to estimate the determinants of any substance use disorder in the MH and PHC setting. Results: The prevalence of substance use disorder was higher in MH clients than PHC patients: any substance use disorder 11.7% (95% Confidence Interval-CI: 9.3%-14.5%) vs 5.4% (95% CI: 3.9%-7.5%), tobacco use disorder 7.6% (95% CI: 5.7%-9.9%) vs 2.5% (95% CI: 1.5%-4.0%), alcohol use disorder 10.0% (95% CI: 8.4%-13.6%) vs 4.3% (95% CI: 3.0%-6.3%), any drug use disorder 4.2% (95% CI: 2.8%-6.1%) vs 0.3% (95% CI: 0.08%-1.3%), and any past three months drug use 8.2% (95% CI: 6.2%-10.7%) vs 1.5%, 95% CI: 0.8%-2.8%). In adjusted logistic regression analysis, among MH clients, male sex (Adjusted Odds Ratio-AOR: 9.52, 95% Confidence Interval-CI: 5.06-17.92) was positively, and were married (AOR: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.16-0.61) and high social support (AOR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.16-0.99) were negatively associated with any substance use disorder. Among PHC patients, male sex (AOR: 7.05, 95% CI: 2.99-16.63) was positively and age (AOR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) was negatively associated with any substance use disorder. Conclusion: The proportion of substance use disorders among MH attendees was more than twice that of PHC attenders in Thailand, calling for collaboration in controlling substance use disorders between the two treatment systems.

In the future, the pursuit of high-quality economic development and a focus on ecological environmental protection in China will inevitably result in significant conflicts between land use and ecological land use. The challenge lies in achieving sustainable high-quality development while simultaneously protecting the ecological environment, optimizing the land use structure, and promoting a harmonious relationship between humans and the land. These challenges are faced by all regions. Land use conflicts primarily occur in peri-urban areas characterized by prominent economic development and urban agglomeration. Previous studies have mainly focused on analyzing the effects of land use on habitat quality during intense urbanization. However, it is important to recognize that land pressure encompasses economic, ecological, and social aspects. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the spatial conflict of land use and the impact on habitat quality in Ankang, a city that has been advocating ecological protection for the past two decades, this study aims to objectively analyze the spatial trends in land use changes in such cities. Additionally, it aims to provide insights for the harmonious development of land use in eco-region-oriented cities. Using the SSP-RCP scenarios provided by CMIP6, this paper employs a system analysis method, PLUS model, InVEST model, and land use conflict measurement model to dynamically simulate the future habitat quality and spatial conflict patterns of land use in Ankang City. The study explores the spatial coupling effect of both factors under different scenarios. The results indicate the following:(1) Under different future shared socio-economic path scenarios, land use intensity and land conflict levels follow the order of SSP585 (high forcing scenario), SSP370 (medium to high forcing scenario), SSP245 (medium forcing scenario), and SSP126 (low forcing scenario), with intensity and conflict decreasing accordingly. (2) The overall development trend in Ankang City reveals an intensification of land use conflicts and a decrease in habitat quality. The expansion rate of construction land is increasing and exhibiting aggregation, while agricultural land area is expanding and forest land area is continuously decreasing. (3) Land use intensity exhibits a significant positive correlation with land conflict levels, while land conflict levels demonstrate a significant negative correlation with habitat quality. These findings suggest that land use has had some impact on the ecological environment, with indications of habitat degradation. Even in Ankang, where ecological development is highly valued, the city will gradually face conflicts between ecological protection and economic development in future scenarios. The study highlights that Ankang's future development space will be constrained within the context of environmental protection, leading to greater land use conflicts in urban and surrounding areas. Consequently, the quality of habitats will inevitably decline. Therefore, it is crucial to allocate sufficient space for economic development while simultaneously prioritizing ecological protection. This approach will ensure a healthy economic development trajectory and foster a harmonious relationship between humans and the land.

Access to medicines is one of the essential problems in Public Health of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The World Health Organization (WHO) defines access to medicines as the possibility of "having continuously accessible and affordable medicines in public or private health facilities that are within a kilometer of the place of residence." Access to medicines, as defined by the WHO, is not fully guaranteed in many LMICs and even in many regions of high-resource countries. The WHO identifies several factors as determinants of limitations in the access to medicines: rational selection, affordable prices, sustainable financing, and reliable health services. The action on these factors makes it possible to improve universal access to medicines with consequent improvement in Public Health. Adequate access to antibiotics and vaccination will avoid a large part of the deaths caused by infectious diseases in the LMICs. However, the emergence of resistance and the difficulties in vaccination campaigns due to socio-political or cultural problems make it challenging to fight many easily treatable infectious diseases. The use and abuse of antibiotics are inevitably associated with the appearance of resistances that make them ineffective. Thus, whereas limited access to antibiotics raises mortality rates from infectious diseases, generalized open access to them ends up eliminating their clinical value. Moreover, the contraction of research in this field for many years has reduced the success in discovering new drugs. Additionally, local market regulations, inadequate selection, inaccessible prices, especially for those of second and third-generation, inefficient health systems, and difficulties of administration and control of prescription compliance, especially in the case of combined therapies, are additional obstacles to universal access to antibiotics. In order to simultaneously improve access to antibiotics and keep resistances under control, it is necessary to develop training and education activities at different social levels (from patients to various Health Care Providers) to complement the national or supranational strategic plans.

PM-Gati-Shakti Initiative, integration of ministries, including railways, ports, waterways, logistic infrastructure, mass transport, airports, and roads. Aimed at enhancing connectivity and bolstering the competitiveness of Indian businesses, the initiative focuses on six pivotal pillars known as "Connectivity for Productivity": comprehensiveness, prioritization, optimization, synchronization, analytical, and dynamic. In this study, we explore the application of these pillars to address the problem of "Maximum Demand Forecasting in Delhi." Electricity forecasting plays a very significant role in the power grid as it is required to maintain a balance between supply and load demand at all times, to provide a quality electricity supply, for Financial planning, generation reserve, and many more. Forecasting helps not only in Production Planning but also in Scheduling like Import / Export which is very often in India and mostly required by the rural areas and North Eastern Regions of India. As Electrical Forecasting includes many factors which cannot be detected by the models out there, We use Classical Forecasting Techniques to extract the seasonal patterns from the daily data of Maximum Demand for the Union Territory Delhi. This research contributes to the power supply industry by helping to reduce the occurrence of disasters such as blackouts, power cuts, and increased tariffs imposed by regulatory commissions. The forecasting techniques can also help in reducing OD and UD of Power for different regions. We use the Data provided by a department from the Ministry of Power and use different forecast models including Seasonal forecasts for daily data.

Background: Permanent Daylight Savings Time (DST) may improve road safety by providing more daylight in the evening but could merely shift risk to morning commutes or increase risk due to fatigue and circadian misalignment. Methods: To identify how potential daylight exposure and fatigue risk could differ between permanent DST versus permanent Standard Time (ST) or current time arrangements (CTA), generic work and school schedules in five United States cities were modeled in SAFTE-FAST biomathematical modeling software. Commute data were categorized by morning (0700-0900) and evening (1600-1800) rush hours. Results: Percent darkness was greater under DST compared to ST for the total waking day (t=2.59, p=0.03) and sleep periods (t=2.46, p=0.045). Waketimes occurred before sunrise 63%±41% percent of the time under DST compared to CTA (42%±37%) or ST (33%±38%; F(2, 74)=76.37; p<0.001). Percent darkness was greater during morning (16%±31%) and lower during evening rush hour (0%±0%) in DST compare to either CTA (morning:7%±23%; evening:7%±14%) or ST (morning:7%±23%; evening:7%±15%). Discussion: Morning rush hour overlapped with students’ commutes and shift worker reverse commutes, which may increase traffic congestion and risk compared to evening rush hour. Switching to permanent DST may be more disruptive than either switching to ST or keeping CTA without noticeable benefit to fatigue or potential daylight exposure.

Informational (Shannon) measures of symmetry are introduced and analyzed for the patterns built of 1D and 2D shapes. The informational measure of symmetry Hsym (G) characterizes the an averaged uncertainty in the presence of symmetry elements from the group G in a given pattern; whereas the Shannon-like measure of symmetry Ωsym (G) quantifies averaged uncertainty of appearance of shapes possessing in total n elements of symmetry belonging to group G in a given pattern. Hsym(G1)=Ωsym(G1)=0 for the patterns built of irregular, non-symmetric shapes. Both of informational measures of symmetry are intensive parameters of the pattern and do not depend on the number of shapes, their size and area of the pattern. They are also insensitive to the long-range order inherent for the pattern. Informational measures of symmetry of fractal patterns are addressed. The mixed patterns including curves and shapes are considered. Time evolution of the Shannon measures of symmetry is treated. The close-packed and dispersed 2D patterns are analyzed.

About a century ago, in the spirit of ancient atomism, the quantum of light was renamed the photon to suggest its primacy as the fundamental element of everything. Since the photon carries energy in its period of time, a flux of photons inexorably embodies a flow of time. Time comprises periods as a trek comprises legs. The flows of quanta naturally select optimal paths, i.e., geodesics, to level out energy differences in the least time. While the flow equation can be written, it cannot be solved because the flows affect their driving forces, affecting the flows, and so on. As the forces, i.e., causes, and changes in motions, i.e., consequences, cannot be separated, the future remains unpredictable, however not all arbitrary but bounded by free energy. Eventually, when the system has attained a stationary state, where forces tally, there are no causes and no consequences. Then time does not advance as the quanta only orbit on and on.

Specifically this work is based on the concept of ‘dark energy’ as a phenomenal effect of expansion through which a theoretical value of Hubble’s constant has been introduced. It is a constant that is based on a postulate that the square root of ratio of the Siva’s constant ‘K’ and Hubble’s constant ‘H’ is exactly equal to the diameter of the neutral hydrogen atom. That is the, exact theoretical value of Hubble’s constant. This is always constant .However, space-time conversions and the changes in the velocity of light will affect the distance and velocity in Hubble’s equation. Deviation factors in velocity, distance and the Hubble’s constant have been calculated separately which are affected by change of velocity of light with expansion of space time. The observations are related to red shift. So the change factor in terms of Hubble’s constant has been calculated with respect to red shift. Thus a factor which affects the theoretical Hubble’s constant has been calculated to find the exact value of Hubble’s constant that satisfies the experimental results. The present theoretical value of Hubble’s constant has been calculated. The experimental results by plank, ACT (Atacama Cosmology Telescope), WMAP (Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe) etc. experiments are at par with the theoretical result. Thus the ontology of space time introduced in this theoretical work supposed to be correct and leads to a new theory of origin of universe for which a brief description has been provided.

A 47-year-old physician suddenly noticed a persistent difficulty maintaining attention. He was awake, alert, and oriented. After two hours he developed fever, ageusia, and anosmia. He denied any previous history of psychiatric illness and was hydrated at the time of the subjective attention impairment. On admission, the patient remained oriented. He reported the persistence of attention problems, anosmia, and mild fatigue. The oxygen saturation 99% while he was breathing ambient air. Laboratory tests were unremarkable. A high-resolution computed tomography of the chest was normal. Nasopharyngeal and throat swabs specimens on reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis tested positive for SARS-CoV2. On illness day 3, the examination was unchanged, but he continued to complain of difficulties to stay focused. Then, he performed an objective attention test. The test demonstrated a moderate attentional impairment. On day 6, the patient reported a subjective worse in his concentration and performed a second test. Although his physical examination remained normal, the attention performance was worse as compared to day 3. Eight hours after worsening of attention impairment, the patient’s oxygen saturation dropped to 94%. From illness days 9 to 14, the patient evolved with clinical improvement. On day 10, a third objective attention test indicated a mild deficit. On day 16, he did not report any other symptom and the attention test was completely normal. Then, the patient returned to work. Neurological symptoms had been previously described in COVID- 19 patients. However, no previous research had investigated early cognitive deficits preceding the traditional symptoms.

In the coded pulse scanning light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, the number of laser pulses used at a given measurement point changes depending on the modulation and the method of spreading used in optical code-division multiple access (OCDMA). The number of laser pulses determines the pulse width, output power, and duration of the pulse transmission of a measurement point. These parameters determine the maximum measurement distance of the laser and the number of measurement points that can be employed per second. In this paper, we evaluate the performance and characteristics of combinations of modulation and spreading technology that can be used for OCDMA, and study optimal combinations according to varying operating environments.

In Einstein’s Special Relativity(SR), time is treated as one of the four dimensions within spacetime and is relative in nature. Typically, a photon clock serves as the illustrative device in the time dilation thought experiment, featuring a single photon bouncing between two mirrors. However, the present paper identifies a fundamental flaw in this thought experiment, hence challenging its validity. Contrary to SR, this paper asserts that time is a consequence of motion. Space and time should be treated differently as proposed by classical mechanics. Importantly, this stance does not challenge the concept of curved space in General Relativity (GR), but rather questions the idea of relative time, as employed in both SR and GR. The absence of time dilation also dispels the twin paradox, prompting a necessary reassessment of the second postulate of relativity to ensure a more precise depiction of relativistic effects.

Background: Misconceptions and knowledge gaps about antibiotic use contribute to inappropriate antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance. Aim: Identifying and prioritizing misconceptions and knowledge gaps about antibiotic use from a healthcare professionals’ perspective. Methods: A modified Delphi study of two rounds with an expert meeting. A literature search was conducted to create statements about misconceptions and knowledge gaps about antibiotic use. These were rated by healthcare professionals from five EU countries representing general practice, out-of-hour services, nursing homes, and pharmacies. Consensus was achieved if ≥80% of the participants rated 4+ on a five-point Likert scale during the second Delphi round. Results. In total, 44 misconceptions were identified through the literature search within four themes: 1) antimicrobial resistance in general, 2) use of antibiotics in general, 3) use of antibiotics for respiratory tract infections, and 4) use of antibiotics for urinary tract infections. Consensus was reached for more than half of the statements within each setting. Conclusions. Experts from different settings and nationalities acknowledge that multiple misconceptions and knowledge gaps can contribute to inappropriate use of antibiotics in the community. These results provide valuable information to use in educational campaigns for patients and healthcare professionals to improve the use of antibiotics.

This article shows the numerical results and the analysis of households' degree of knowledge in an intermediary city such as Huelva (Andalusia, Spain) about the sustainable use of urban water. It analyzes the needs and values regarding water and the attitudes that households maintain regarding the acceptance of reclaimed water and the use of new technologies to achieve more efficient and sustainable consumption. These results are part of the stages of needfinding and synthesis of Design Thinking methodology, adopted as a framework to improve the efficiency and sustainability of urban water among households in this city. Different statistical analysis techniques of surveys sent to households and the use of clustering are the mathematical tools used to draw conclusions and recommendations that allow the design of a web-based prototype grounded on Product Service Systems methodology, as a tool to improve the engagement of households concerning water and align citizens with the sustainability of their city. Strategies of customization and technological facilitators will be the means to improve the hydrosocial contract among households in Huelva in future later stages of the project.

A model of space-time is presented, whose origin is set before the appearance of any universe. It uses concepts of previous work, a central one being that the information about the laws of nature is stored locally everywhere in space such that all physical processes obey them. Since information storage is bound to matter or energy, space is assumed to consist of dark energy (DE), which thus assumes an importance far beyond its function as a stopgap for an energy deficit in our universe (U). The primordial state (PS) is a timeless and relatively large space of 3 dimensions described by a Wheeler DeWitt (WDW) equation, whose solution is interpreted as an arrangement of very many space quanta and possesses all the characteristics of the time-honored concept of the unmoved mover. The comparison of WDW solutions belonging to different mass densities of the DE favors one in which the space quanta are mini black holes, and allows the space quanta to be imagined as mass points that are kept at a distance compatible with the quantum volume by the Pauli principle or something equivalent. Triggered by an increase in probability, the PS is followed by a time-dependent state of space expansion (ES). The concomitant emergence of time occurs in a lightning huge crash, consuming almost all DE of the PS. The subsequent expansion proceeds in quantum leaps, whose huge size emerges from a WDW equation novelly derived from the time-dependent classical expansion solution, and is also used as size of the PS. Information is assumed to be geometrically stored in arrangements of space quanta similar to how genetic information is stored in DNA molecules. During space expansion information must be transferred from already existing "information quanta" to new ones. This requires time, slows down the expansion and is taken into account by a friction term in the cosmological momentum equation. Sinc e the Friedmann-Lemaître (FL) equation remains fully valid, the model can exclusively be based on recognized equations, so that the assumptions used to build it can be understood as interpretations.

The principle of the constancy of the velocity of light, which stated that the light velocity is invariant to the motion of the emitter, was well established and directly proven by experiments. Interestingly, the further assumption that the light velocity is independent of the motion of the observer was, arguably, never directly proven by any experiment for a century. This paper proposed the design of two experiments to directly test this assumption, which tried to address some perceived technical difficulty in such experiments. One is to directly measure the light speed as to moving sensors. The experiment setup is designed in such a way that the concerns of time synchronization and dilation can be avoided. Another experiment is to test the isotropy of the light speed to a moving particle in the electromagnetic accelerator by measuring the momentum to acceleration ratio. The experiment result, if positive, will provide direct and solid proof of the assumption. Otherwise, it may imply a need for further investigation. Since the light speed invariance to moving observers is a key assumption of some fundamental physical theory, either way, the experiments will have significant meanings.

Present study on land use land cover analysis and taluka wise combination of cropped area, carried out in Beed district of Maharashtra state in India and studied 11 talukas of the district. Secondary data on land use land cover and area in various crops has been collected, compiled and analyzed from various secondary sources. Simple descriptive statistics used to examine the agricultural land use land cover and J.C. Weaver’s crop combination technique was used for taluka wise analysis of crop combinations and on the basis of highest to smallest area engaged in particular crop, crops have been ranked. The study showed that, in the district as a whole, percentage of uncultivated land other than fallow was about 46 percent as compare to net sown area is only 35 percent in total geographical area (1063855ha) of Beed district. The study further revealed that about 42 percent area engaged in food crops and about 58 percent area occupied by nonfood crops, which includes cereals (25%), cotton (19%), pulses (13%), oilseed (12%), sugarcane (5%) and fruits and vegetables (3%). Results of Weaver’s crop combination technique showed that the Wadwani taluka demarcated as most diversified taluka by means of maximum number (sixteen) of crops combinations with the lowest variance value (14) found in the present investigation. Further, the study revealed that the high crop diversity found in Dharur taluka with eighteen crop combinations and the taluka has given first rank amongst others. To derive the crop diversity ranking, taluka wise maximum to minimum number of crop combinations derived in different talukas and given ranks accordingly. The study concluded that, agricultural land use analysis is essential for solving and optimizing the land use problem, maintaining socio-ecological balance, best utilization of scarce resources. The authors enlightened that the rational use of agricultural land has important for food security and biodiversity which increase the productivity and profitability of the agriculture sector and it indicates the decision making ability of farmers in study area.

Background/ObjectivesMental health and substance use disorders (MHD, SUD) affect cardiac allograft and VAD recipients and impact their quality of life and compliance. Limited research on MHDs and SUDs in transplant and MCS candidates and recipients. This study compares the incidence of MHDs and SUDs in transplant list, VAD, and post-transplant patients with that in heart failure patients. MethodsStudy cohorts were derived from the TriNetX using ICD-10 codes. Differences in incidence were examined using the log-rank test. Adults with mental health disorders before the window of time were excluded. Propensity score matching was performed using TriNetX to balance demographic and medical comorbidities. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. All comparisons were made between propensity-matched cohorts. ResultsTransplant waitlist patients showed a statistically significant increase in the incidence of anxiety, panic disorder, adjustment disorder, depression, mood disorder, alcohol use disorder, and eating disorder. Post-transplant patients showed a statistically significant increase in the incidence of depression and opioid use compared to the heart failure population. VAD patients showed a statistically significant increase in the incidence of depression and a statistically significant decrease in panic disorder and anxiety. ConclusionsThe results pave the pathway for further investigations on prevention and coping strategies because deterioration of mental health will significantly impact compliance with medications as well as patient survival and quality of life. The use of opioids for pain management in the early postoperative period should be further investigated to assess its impact on long-term substance use and addiction. .

Introduction: United Nations General Assembly has set the target of bringing down under-five child mortality to 25 deaths per 1000 live births by 2030. Understanding the determinants that bring down preventable deaths in children is important. Design: Anonymized, publicly available data from the India National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) is collected. The sample consisted of 724,115 women in the age group of 15-49 years has been sub-grouped as urban and rural women. For better analysis of data, the country is divided into regions. Union territories are grouped in these regions as per their geographical locations. Descriptive statistical analysis and linear regression analysis was done.Result: Compared to NFHS-4 (2015-16) U5MR has reduced in almost all states of the country. The study shows more urban women have access to the Internet as compared to rural women. Child mortality is higher in rural areas in every state as compared to urban areas.Conclusion: Urban women have more access to health information because of internet access which may be the reason for lesser child mortality in urban areas compared to rural areas. Internet access for women (individual level) is far more effective in bringing down U5MR if compared to the community-level approach of Daycare centers.

Mangrove forests provide a wide range of goods and services that sustain communities around the world. This paper explores utilization patterns of extractable mangrove resources by communities within the proposed Kenya – Tanzania Transboundary Conservation Area (TBCA). Some 152 household surveys and 12 Nominal Group Technique discussions were carried out. At least 16 direct use products were reported to be extracted from the mangroves, with 90% of households found to use mangrove products. Changing patterns of mangrove use in the areas and accessibility point towards unsustainable utilization and promote illegal activities. Overharvesting of mangrove wood products was reported to be the major threat facing the forests. Patterns of mangrove use in the study site reveal a high level of mangrove-dependence by communities for their livelihood. There is a need to address the problems of open access through capacity building and awareness creation, development and implementation of harvest plans as well as introduction of alternative livelihood options to the communities in the area.

The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of T. gondii status on eosinophils count (PNE), eosinophil to lymphocyte ratio (ELR) and eosinophil to neutrophil to lymphocytes ratio (ENLR) before and after can-nabis cessation in patients with psychiatric disorders. One hundred and eighty-eight patients were includ-ed in the study. T. gondii, PNE, ELR, ENLR, and urinary cannabis were measured at baseline and after 4 weeks of cannabis cessation. Highest PNE (p = .02), ELR (p = .03) and ENLR levels (p = .031) and highest increase of PNE (p = .044), and ENLR (p = .036) levels were found in patients after cannabis cessation only in the Toxo+ group. At four weeks, significant interactions between cannabis and T. gondii status for PNE (p = .038), and for ENLR (p = .043) levels were found, as well as for the evolution between baseline and 4 weeks for ENLR level (p = .049). After cannabis cessation, we found a positive correlation between negative symptoms and PNE levels at 4 weeks in the Toxo+ group. This study shows that the increase of inflammation after cannabis cessation might be modulated by T. gondii seropositivity status in patient after cannabis cessation.

Water deficit greatly affects global crop growth and productivity, particularly in water-limited environments like upland rice cultivation, leading to reduced grain yield. Plants activate various defense mechanisms during water deficit, involving numerous genes and complex metabolic pathways. Exploring orthologous genes, linked to enhanced drought tolerance, can aid functional validation in target species using genomic data from model organisms. Here, we studied the OsCPK5 gene in upland rice, an AtCPK6 ortholog from A. thaliana, by overexpressing it in the BRSMG Curinga cultivar. Transformants were assessed under two conditions: water deficit applied 79 days after seeding, lasting 14 days, followed by 7 days of irrigation at 80% field capacity. Physiological data and samples were collected at R3, R6, and R8 stages. GM plants consistently exhibited higher OsCPK5 gene expression across stages, peaking during grain filling. During this phase, GM plants displayed reduced stomatal conductance, photosynthetic rate, and increased water use efficiency compared to non-GM plants under drought. GM plants also exhibited higher filled grain percentage in both irrigation conditions. Their drought susceptibility index was 0.9 times lower than NGM plants, and they maintained a higher chlorophyll a/b index, indicating sustained photosynthesis. NGM plants under water deficit exhibited more leaf senescence, while OsCPK5-overexpressing plants retained green leaves. Overall, OsCPK5 overexpression induced diverse drought tolerance mechanisms, hinting at potential for future development of more drought-tolerant rice cultivars.

The reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi) is a highly mobile and plankton-feeding species, classified vulnerable to extinction on the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species. Knowledge on their spatial ecology and the extent of their dispersal remain incomplete, especially within island-fragmented habitats as found in New Caledonia. Satellite telemetry was used to investigate the horizontal movement ecology of reef manta rays in New Caledonia. A total of 21 manta rays were tagged with pop-up satellite archival transmitting tags (21 Fastloc and 2 MiniPAT) that remained deployed for a duration ranging from 3 to 180 days (mean ± SE = 76.7 ± 50.3). Rays presented a strong site fidelity and an important affinity for coastal waters. Long-distance migrations (> 300 km) were also observed, mainly through coastal and shallow water paths. Horizontal movements were compared to a home range area and classified into four distinct patterns: Fidelity, Excursion, Fidelity + Relocation and Relocation. The most dominant pattern was Fidelity where manta rays remained within their home range for the whole duration of the tag deployment. Our findings may assist the design of more appropriate management strategies for the species in New Caledonia and other regions worldwide.

The suppression of natural spaces due to the urban sprawl and increase of the built and agricultural environments has impacted the water resources quality, especially in areas with high population density, as the metropolitan regions. Considering the advance in Brazilian environmental legal framework, the present study aims to verify whether land use has still significantly affected water quality, through a case study in the Stones River watershed, a peri-urban river basin at a metropolitan region, Brazil. Analysis of physical-chemical indicators, collected at several sample points with different land-use (urban areas, commercial forestry, riparian forestry, mixed vegetation, pasture, and sugar cane plantation) at different seasons of the year (dry and rainy) were carried out. As a result, it was verified some statistically significant spatiotemporal effects on the of water quality caused associated to the land-use. In conclusion, in spite of the advances in the Brazilian law, land-use has still significantly affected the water quality, demanding public policies and decisions, so that effective compliance with legal guidelines is ensured.

Land includes vegetation and water bodies and provides the basis for human livelihoods through primary production, the supply of food, freshwater, and multiple other ecosystem goods and services. The last three decades have recorded frequent drought events as well as rapid population growth, which has resulted in often negative land use and land cover change (LULCC) in the Sahel of Sub-Saharan Africa. In order to propose sustainable land management strategies, it is important to investigate the rate of LULCC and its driving factors in specific locations. This study investigated the case of Wocoro municipality in Mali using a combined approach of remote sensing, Geographical Information System, and focus group discussions. Satellite images and local people's perceptions on LULCC and drivers were collected and analyzed for the years 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020. We found that the study area faced a severe decrease in wooded savannah with an increase in farmland and settlement directly or indirectly related to the rapid population growth, high cotton price (which encouraged cropland expansion), drought, firewood extraction, and charcoal production, which was exacerbated by poverty. There is a need to promote integrated land management strategies that consider current and future livelihoods needs and preserve the health of the environment for the benefits of future generations.

Freshwater pond aquaculture is the prevailing fish culture system worldwide, especially in developing countries. Climate change outcomes and inadequate environmental practices challenge its sustainability. This study applies emergy synthesis to assess the environmental performance of freshwater pond aquaculture in Brazil, aiming to identify and propose practices towards sustainability. As a study model, nine semi-intensive lambari farms operating at three levels of management were evaluated: low (LC), moderate (MC) and high (HC) control. Results showed that the main inputs for LC were services (27-46%), feed (7-39%), and water (15-21%), while for the MC and HC farms, they were feed (35-49% and 17-48%, respectively) and services (33-39% and 26-36%, respectively). All farms required more than 60% of their emergy from purchased inputs, resulting in low emergy sustainability index (ESI = 0.1-0.5). Replacing animal protein and oil on diet composition by vegetal sources, using superficial water instead of springwater, increasing juvenile productivity, and controlling pond fertilization can lead all systems to higher efficiency and resilience, increasing sustainability.

Quantity-intensity characteristics are among conventional approaches for studying potassium dynamics and its availability; this was assessed to determine availability in four districts: namely, Sodo Zuria, Damot Gale, Damot Sore, and Boloso Sore at three different land use type viz., enset-coffee, crop land, and grazing land. There was water soluble, ammonium acetate, nitric acid extractable potassium, exchangeable potassium, and non-exchangeable potassium studied in soil samples, which were collected from 0-20 cm depth of each land type. The study revealed that water soluble and ammonium acetate extractable potassium concentrations ranged from 0.04 to 0.42 cmolKg-1 soils enset-coffee and grazing land use types, respectively. The study showed that exchangeable potassium constituted the highest proportion of available potassium, while the proportion of water soluble potassium was found to be the lowest. In this study, non-exchangeable potassium concentrations varied from 0.10 to 0.04cmolKg-1soils for enset-coffee, and crop and grazing land use type. Furthermore, available potassium and exchangeable potassium concentrations were positively correlated with OC(r=0.95***), cation exchange capacity, and sand and clay(r=0.98***). In addition, the K dynamics as impacted by land use types found that the highest change in exchangeable potassium (0.31cmolkg-1soils) and potential buffering capacity (1.79cmolkg-1soils) were noted in crop land use types, whereas the lowest change(1.26cmolkg-1 soils) was observed in the enset-coffee system, The varying properties, potassium status, dynamic and land use type of soils identified in the study areas provided adequate information to design soil potassium management options and further research about the soil in each site. Therefore, application of site specific soil fertility management practices and research can improve soil potassium status and quantity intensity parameters to sustain crop productive soils.

Ehretia laevis Roxb. (Boraginaceae) has been extensively used as a traditional remedy for the treatment of a diverse range of ailments related to the respiratory system, the gastrointestinal tract, the reproductive system, and against several infections. This review critically assesses and documents, for the first time, the fragmented information on E. laevis, including its botanical description, folklore uses, bioactive phytometabolites and pharmacological activities. The goal is to explore this plant therapeutically. Ethnomedicinal surveys reveal that E. laevis has been used by tribal communities in Asian countries for the treatment of various disorders. Quantitative and qualitative phytochemical investigations of E. laevis showed the presence of important phytoconstituents such as pentacyclic triterpenoids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, fatty acids, steroids, alkaloids, aliphatic alcohols, hydrocarbons, amino acids, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Fresh plant parts, crude extracts, fractions and isolated compounds have been reported to exhibit broad spectrum of therapeutic activities viz., antioxidant, antiarthritic, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antiulcer, antidiarrheal, antidysenteric, wound healing and anti-infective activities. E. laevis is shown to be an excellent potential source of drugs for the mitigation of jaundice, asthma, dysentery, ulcers, diarrhea, ringworm, eczema, diabetes, fissure, syphilis, cuts and wounds, inflammation, liver problems, venereal and infectious disorders. Although few investigations authenticated its traditional uses but employed uncharacterized crude extracts of the plant, the major concerns raised are reproducibility of therapeutic efficacy and safety of plant material. The outcomes of limited pharmacological screening and reported bioactive compounds of E. laevis suggest that there is an urgent need for in-depth pharmacological investigations of the plant.

Background: Recent years have seen chaos in the neonatology use of antibiotics with diverse opinions and recommendations in international guidelines and societies. This has created great uncertainty in which cases to use, for how long, and which tests apply to make these decisions. We conducted a retrospective cohort study about the use of antibiotics in the EpicLatino neonatal units and a Latin American network database, after noting these variations in the 2019 report. Methods: For the year 2019 using the EpicLatino database, we included cases (only first admission) ≤32 weeks gestational age at birth, excluding one unit that did not accept to participate. The number of cases and days receiving antibiotics were recorded as well as the progression for each unit. Inappropriate use of antibiotics was defined as greater than 3 days in patients with negative cultures (blood/CSF cultures) excluding: major malformations, urinary tract infections, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and cases with suspected chorioamnionitis in the mother (the latter two only during the course of diagnosis of NEC or chorioamnionitis). This study was approved by the EpicLatino board of directors and by the participating units. Results: A total of 6,543 days of antibiotics were observed, 49.5% of cases had at least one positive blood/CSF culture. A total of595 days of antibiotics without justification were found in 72 courses in 61 cases; 14/72(19.4%) had no diagnosis of infection in the database, 7/72(9.7%) did not document any culture throughout their stay, and 37/72(51,4%) obtained only one blood/CSF culture during their entire stay. Most diagnosis were clinical sepsis and in 24/58(41%) curses, a diagnosis of pneumonia with a poor positive culture correlation was found. Furthermore, 74% of the units didn´t use pneumonia as a justification to use antibiotics. Other diagnosis found: Conjunctivitis, NEC 1A and rotavirus NEC. Conclusions: Although the method of reviewing the use of antibiotics in a database has a number of limitations, especially the cause that motivated the use of antibiotics and other tools used for diagnosis of infections, the notable differences between units is striking. Although it is difficult to make recommendations to all units, it is important to control infections in some units and in others to reduce the excessive use of antibiotics, especially with diagnosis of pneumonia in neonates and negative blood/CSF cultures.

Background: Smartphones have become an indispensable part of the daily lives of adolescents in the 21st century, which is characterized by a highly digitized modern world. Besides their many advantages, smartphones might pave the way to compulsive usage and addictive experiences. To remedy this problem, this study proposes an authentic approach which integrates consumer behavior theories and techniques such as unhook and gamification. An education program has been designed based on these approaches to decrease the problematic smartphone use. Method: The participants of the education program consisted of 305 students (48.2% girls and 51.8% boys) with a mean age of 14.57 (SD = 0.74). The Demographic Form and Smartphone Addiction Scale for Adolescents (SASA) were conducted before the education program and three weeks after the education. Results: The results of the paired sample t-test analysis before and after the education program revealed that the SASA total scores decreased significantly (p < 0.01). There are significant differences in terms of gender, mothers’ education and class levels. Conclusion: This research emphasizes the role of an interdisciplinary approach to the addiction problem. The content used in the education program includes strategies that originally aimed at increasing consumption. The effectiveness of the program can be enhanced further in the future along with self-regulatory additions.

Recombinant laboratory plasmids (RLPs) are common in biological research and freely shared among academic research laboratories (ARLs), a practice required by many research funding agencies. However, the generation of accurate, reproducible results in experiments utilizing RLPs can be hampered by a lack of accompanying sequence information and metadata. This culture of RLP sharing without knowledge of sequence or etiology is accepted by publishers, not regulated by governments, and outside the realm of bio-industry. In addition, no centralized infrastructure currently exists to collate such data, which at the moment is fragmented across companies, non-profits, and governments and thus is not easily accessed or enacted toward threat assessment. The ubiquity, free exchange, and dual-use risk of RLPs exemplifies a biosecurity threat and elevates the need to characterize their composition to facilitate improved biorisk management by the academic community. A number of common sense solutions are available to create a culture that addresses the biosecurity gap posed by RLP sharing. Culture shift in RLP management will require new norms, effective data management for collation of RLP sequences and metadata, and an incentive structure that encourages sequencing by stakeholders. The next generation of researchers must initiate and champion this shift with support from funding agencies and endorsement from governments and international organizations. Coordination of efforts and stakeholders will require international public/private collaboration, a structure that will be critical to ensure widespread utility as well as the ability of lower-resourced partners to participate, contribute, and benefit.

The water and wastewater sectors are energy-intensive, and so a growing number of utility companies are seeking to identify opportunities to reduce energy use. Though England’s water sector is of international interest, in particular due to the early experience with privatisation, for the time being very little published data on energy usage exists. We analyse telemetry data from Thames Water Utilities Ltd. (TWUL), which is the largest water and wastewater company in the UK and serves one of the largest mega-cities in the world, London. In our analysis, we (1) break down sectoral energy use into their components, (2) present a statistical method to analyse the long-term trends in use, as well as the seasonality and irregular effects in the data, (3) derive energy-intensity (kWh m³) figures for the system, and (4) compare the energy-intensity of the network against other regions in the world. Our results show that electricity use grew during the period 2009 to 2014 due to capacity expansions to deal with growing water demand and storm water flooding. The energy-intensity of the system is within the range of reported figures for systems in other OECD countries. Plans to improve the efficiency of the system could yield benefits in lower the energy-intensity, but the overall energy saving would be temporary as external pressures from population and climate change are driving up water and energy use.

Background: Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among youth in Poland has become very popular. The aim of this study was to identify potential points of access to these products among students aged 16-17 before implementation of sales restrictions to minors in Poland in November 2016. Methods: A school-based, cross-sectional survey was administered in 2015-2016 in 21 secondary/technical schools across two regions of Poland. Analyses focused on 341 students aged 16-17 who reported past 30-day use of e-cigarettes. Pearson chi-square analyses were utilized to examine associations between access-related items, e-cigarette use, and demographics. Results: Among youth e-cigarette users, the most common access to their first e-cigarette was from a friend (38%), followed by purchasing from vape shops (26%). Similar patterns emerged when students were asked about the access to their currently used e-cigarette. Most youth reported no difficulty purchasing cartridges/e-liquid containing nicotine (90%); the majority of users (52%) reported buying such products in vape shops. Conclusions: Prior to implementing age-related sales restrictions, youth access to e-cigarettes and paraphernalia did not pose any significant barriers. Poland’s introduction of a new age limit on e-cigarette sales may help limit the number of youth who purchase e-cigarettes from vape shops.

This paper aims to build up a preference function to evaluate the public benefits of the type of agricultural farming, biodiversity, water provisions, land use type, ecotourism modes, and a monetary attribute (environmental trust fund and willingness to contribute) associated with an ecosystem service and land use program in a forest park. This study used the choice experiments to build a random utility model, analyze the average preference for the above land use attributes based on the conditional logit and used a latent class model to test the resident’s heterogeneous preferences for land use planning in the forest park. We also estimated the welfare derived from various land use programs. The empirical result had shown that: (1) increasing organic farming area, maintaining the status quo of species biodiversity, increasing the surface water provision, increasing the area of custom flora, increasing the wetland area, and setting up an integrated framework for ecotourism increase the public’s preference for the land use program; (2) we found that farmer and non-farmer haven’t the same land use preferences; (3) the ecotourism development program incorporating biodiversity, organic farming, ethnobotany, and wetland area with integrated ecotourism are more preferred than other land use program scenarios.

The present investigation focuses on the impact of jet nozzle orientation on mixing time in a cylindrical tank. The aim is to identify nozzle positions that improve mixing performance and to elucidate the governing parameters that influence it. A water tank was employed for the experiment. The vertical inclination angle (α) and the horizontal inclination angle (β) of the jet nozzle determined the nozzle positions. Mixing time was determined using an inert tracer and spectrophotometry measurements. The findings show that the mixing time is significantly influenced by the position of the jet nozzle position. The accuracy of existing jet turbulence and the circulation models for the prediction of mixing time was evaluated for the different nozzle positions. Our results indicate that both models provide accurate predictions for the conventional centrally aligned (β = 0°), upward-pointing jet nozzle positions only (α > 0). For the other nozzle positions where β > 0° and at varying α, the data follow the same trends as the jet turbulence and circulation models, however, the proportionality constants vary. Shorter mixing times can be attributed principally to longer jet path lengths and therefore higher fluid entrainment and circulation, as well as higher dissipation rates per jet length squared. However, it is suspected that the 3-dimensional nature of the flow pattern generated in the tank also plays a non-negligible role since mixing is hindered when the nozzle points more towards the tank wall.

Nanling Mountain region is a typical southern hilly region, which plays an important ecological and environmental protection role in China's overall land protection pattern. Based on the remote sensing image data of Longnan City in Nanling Mountain in 2013, 2018 and 2023, this paper interpreted the land use type and analyzed the land use transfer situation by using Land use transfer flow, and Land use transfer matrix. At the same time, based on the remote sensing Ecological index (RSEI) model, the ecological environment quality of Longnan City from 2013 to 2023 was retrieved. The temporal and spatial response model of ecological environment quality to land use transfer in Longnan City from 2013 to 2023 was discussed based on Spatial autocorrelation and Geographic detector. The results show that from 2013 to 2023, the decrease of forest land (16.23km²) and the increase of construction land (13.25km²) were the main land use transfer in Longnan City. The ecological environment index of Longnan City in 2013, 2018 and 2023 was 0.789, 0.917 and 0.872, respectively, showing a trend of "first rising and then decreasing". The ecological environment quality in the north of Longnan City was significantly lower than that in the south, and the poor ecological quality area appeared in and around the northern main urban area, showing a trend of "inward contraction". Forest land, garden land, grassland, cultivated land and water area have a positive impact on ecological environment quality, while traffic land, construction land and other land have a negative impact on ecological environment quality. The response of ecological environment quality to different land use transfer modes is related to the change of the overall ecological environment quality. The interaction between LUCC and other factors had a great impact on the evolution of ecological environment quality in Longnan City.

Opioid use disorder has increased in the world in recent years and Iran ranks first in terms of opium smoking in the world. In fact, opium smoking by traditional methods, in addition to dependence on morphine, is a behavioral addiction in Iran. The body position during opium smoking is usually non-standard and non-ergonomic. Over time, changes in muscle tissue, tendons and ligaments, and the connective tissue go from elasticity to neuromuscular plasticity. This study aims to compare sway back posture and musculoskeletal problems between opium smokers and non-drug users. In this comparative and cross-sectional study, 80 opium smokers were compared with 74 non-drug users in terms of sway angle (sway back posture), and musculoskeletal complaints (NORDIC questionnaire) and the association of possible risk factors was investigated. Data were analyzed by Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Correlation Coefficient and paired-t tests using SPSS version 23. There were significant differences between two groups in terms of sway back posture (P=0.007), and neck (<0.001), upper back (<0.001) and lower back (0.006) musculoskeletal complaints. Homelessness, the lifetime duration of opium smoking (in months), and the duration of daily opium smoking (in minutes) had significant correlation with sway back posture and musculoskeletal complaints. Homelessness was the strongest predictor and had strongest correlation. Overall, an increase in the duration of sitting in non-ergonomic positions could lead to increase in sway angle and sway back posture and increase in musculoskeletal complaints of neck, upper back and lower back due to the non-neutral posture of opium smoking. It seems that plasticity and structural and functional adaptations of the posture occurs due to opium smoking and further studies are recommended.

The literature on substance use usually extracts conclusions from data with correlational methods. Our study shows the usefulness of complementing ordered logistic regression (OLR) and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to assess factors inducing cannabis consumption in a sample of 1,935 teenagers. OLR showed a significant influence of gender (odd ratio (OR) =0.383, p<0.0001), parental monitoring (OR=0.587, p=0.0201); religiousness (OR=0.476, p=0.006); parental tolerance to substance use (OR=42.01, p<0.0001) and having close peers that consume substances (OR=5.60, p<0.0001). FsQCA has allowed fitting linkages between factors from a complementary perspective. (1) Coverage (cov) and consistency (cons) attained by solutions explaining use (cons=0.808, cov=0.357) are clearly lower than by recipes of non-use (cons=0.952, cov=0.869) (2) The interaction of gender, a tolerant family to use and the attitude toward substances by peers is very consistent to explain cannabis use. (3) The most important recipe explaining resistance to cannabis is simply parental disagreement with substance consumption (cons=0.956, cov=0.861) (4) Factors as gender, religiosity, parental monitoring and age show also a relevant impact on attitude toward cannabis use. However, whereas some of them impact symmetrically on use and non-use this does not follow in factors such as parental monitoring or age.

The COVID-19 pandemic may have increased interpersonal and intimate violence, harmful use of alcohol and other drugs (AOD), and mental health problems. The present study uses a valid path model to describe relationships between these conditions of young Mexicans during the second year of the pandemic. A sample of 7,420 young Mexicans ages 18 to 24—two-thirds of whom were women—completed the Life Events Checklist, the Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test, the Major-Depressive-Episode Checklist, the Generalized Anxiety Scale, and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist. Young Mexicans reported higher rates of victimization and perpetration of interpersonal and intimate violence and mental health symptomatology than those noted pre-pandemic and in the first year of the pandemic. Harmful use of AOD rates were like those reported by adolescents before. Findings suggested asymmetric victimization and perpetration of intimate violence by gender (with women being at a higher risk than men, p≤.05). More men than women engaged in the harmful use of AOD (except for sedatives, which more women abuse). In contrast, more women than men were at risk of all mental health conditions. The path model indicates that being a victim of intimate violence predicts harmful use of tobacco, alcohol, cocaine, and sedatives, depression, anxiety, and specific PTSD symptoms (such as re-experimentation and avoidance symptoms). Being a victim of interpersonal violence resulted in severe PTSD symptoms (including avoidance, negative alterations in cognition-mood, and hyperarousal signs). Harmful use of sedatives predicted depressive symptoms. Men´s victimizing intimate violence model contrasted with that of women, which also included being the victim of interpersonal violence and severe PTSD symptoms. The high school youth model had three paths -victimizing-intimate violence, victimizing-interpersonal abuse, and sedative use, which predicted depression. The findings of this study could serve as the basis for future studies exploring mechanisms that predict violence patterns to develop the most cost-effective preventive programs and public policies and to address mental health conditions during community emergencies.

Significant changes to the new National College Entrance Examination (NCEE) and the implementation of the “Double First-Class” (DFC) initiative in China are coincidentally in the national spotlight and fall within the same policy window. However, few studies have investigated the effects of the new NCEE on the quality of students in DFC universities. By leveraging the 2018-2022 college admission data from Shandong Province, these effects are examined via the interrupted time-series technique. Weighted rankings for liberal arts and science disciplines and the admission ranking coefficient are adopted to ensure comparability before and after the reform. The findings reveal that after the reform, the quality of students in both world-class universities and first-class discipline universities improved, with greater improvements seen in world-class universities. Focusing on urban differences, the quality of students in DFC universities located in second-tier cities is found to have experienced a higher increase as compared with students in the first-tier and new first-tier cities. In addition, the reform has had different impacts on the quality of students in different majors. Furthermore, when selecting postsecondary institutions, high-scoring students prioritize the quality of universities and majors over urban factors. Finally, the implications of the new NCEE in relation to a sustainable development of DFC universities for research, policy, and practice are further discussed.