bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of fibre‐reinforced microbial‐induced calcite precipitation on the mechanical properties of coastal soil
Authors: Rawat Vikas , Satyam Neelima
Published: June 2024

Coastal erosion is a global environmental concern, threatening infrastructure, human livelihoods and ecosystems. Recently, microbial‐induced calcite precipitation (MICP) has emerged as a promising ground improvement technique. The present study examined the effects of adding three different fibre reinforcements, namely carbon, basalt and polypropylene, on the physical and mechanical properties of coastal soil through MICP. The fibre content used was 0.20%, 0.40% and 0.60% of soil weight. A comprehensive biotreatment investigation was conducted using Sporosarcina pasteurii (S. pasteurii) in a 0.5 molar cementation solution. The samples prepared for this study had aspect ratios of 2:1 and 1:1. These samples were subjected to biotreatment, consisting of a 24‐h cycle for 9 and 18 days. Unconfined compressive strength (UCS), split tensile strength (STS) and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) tests were conducted on the biotreated samples to evaluate the effect of fibre reinforcement on the mechanical properties of the biotreated samples. The amount of calcite precipitation, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS) were used to interpret biocementation. Results suggest that adding fibres to the MICP process enhances the mechanical properties of coastal soil. The optimum fibre content for carbon and basalt fibre was 0.40%, whereas, for polypropylene, it stood at 0.20%. The maximum UCS, STS, UPV and average CaCO3 were observed in a basalt fibre‐reinforced biotreated sample with a fibre content of 0.40%, subjected to 18‐day biotreatment. Conversely, the sample without fibre‐reinforcement, biotreated for 9 days, exhibited the lowest values for these parameters. Samples subjected to 18 days of treatment have higher values of UCS, STS, UPV and CaCO3 content than 9‐day‐treated soil samples. SEM revealed the presence of CaCO3 precipitates on the surfaces of soil grains and their contact points, and the EDS spectrum corroborated this observation.
Cefiderocol utilization in lung transplant recipients at a single center
Authors: Persaud Purnadeo N. , Xhemali Xhilda , Neuhaus Kristen , Budev Marie , Lum Jessica
Published: June 2024

Background

Multidrug‐resistant organisms are increasing and are a significant cause of mortality among lung transplant recipients (LTRs). To assist with this issue, novel pharmacotherapies are being developed. This study describes the utilization of a novel antibiotic, cefiderocol (FDC), in LTRs where limited data exists in the current literature. We primarily assessed the clinical indications, duration of therapy, resistance, and adverse effects.

Methods

Conducted as a single‐center retrospective review, this study included adult LTRs who received FDC for at least 24 h. Data, extracted from electronic medical records, encompassed patient demographics, transplant history, antimicrobial dosing, adverse effects, bacterial cultures, and outcomes. The research protocol received institutional review board approval.

Results

FDC exhibited effectiveness against multidrug‐resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with 26% 30‐day mortality and microbiological clearance observed in nine out of 13 cases. Notably, FDC was used in diverse clinical settings, including for prophylaxis, empiric, and targeted treatment.

Conclusion

Further studies are needed to evaluate optimal clinical indications for FDC use in LTRs.

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Advanced accent/dialect identification and accentedness assessment with multi-embedding models and automatic speech recognition
Authors: Ghorbani Shahram , Hansen John H. L.
Published: June 2024

The ability to accurately classify accents and assess accentedness in non-native speakers are challenging tasks due primarily to the complexity and diversity of accent and dialect variations. In this study, embeddings from advanced pretrained language identification (LID) and speaker identification (SID) models are leveraged to improve the accuracy of accent classification and non-native accentedness assessment. Findings demonstrate that employing pretrained LID and SID models effectively encodes accent/dialect information in speech. Furthermore, the LID and SID encoded accent information complement an end-to-end (E2E) accent identification (AID) model trained from scratch. By incorporating all three embeddings, the proposed multi-embedding AID system achieves superior accuracy in AID. Next, leveraging automatic speech recognition (ASR) and AID models is investigated to explore accentedness estimation. The ASR model is an E2E connectionist temporal classification model trained exclusively with American English (en-US) utterances. The ASR error rate and en-US output of the AID model are leveraged as objective accentedness scores. Evaluation results demonstrate a strong correlation between scores estimated by the two models. Additionally, a robust correlation between objective accentedness scores and subjective scores based on human perception is demonstrated, providing evidence for the reliability and validity of using AID-based and ASR-based systems for accentedness assessment in non-native speech. Such advanced systems would benefit accent assessment in language learning as well as speech and speaker assessment for intelligibility, quality, and speaker diarization and speech recognition advancements.
Age and masking effects on acoustic cues for vowel categorization
Authors: DiNino Mishaela
Published: June 2024

Age-related changes in auditory processing may reduce physiological coding of acoustic cues, contributing to older adults' difficulty perceiving speech in background noise. This study investigated whether older adults differed from young adults in patterns of acoustic cue weighting for categorizing vowels in quiet and in noise. All participants relied primarily on spectral quality to categorize /ɛ/ and /æ/ sounds under both listening conditions. However, relative to young adults, older adults exhibited greater reliance on duration and less reliance on spectral quality. These results suggest that aging alters patterns of perceptual cue weights that may influence speech recognition abilities.
Lower synaptic density and its association with cognitive dysfunction in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder
Authors: Xiao Qian , Hou Jiale , Xiao Ling , Zhou Ming , He Zhiyou , Dong Huixi , Hu Shuo
Published: June 2024

Background

Understanding synaptic alteration in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is crucial for elucidating its pathological mechanisms, butin vivoresearch on this topic remains limited.

Aims

This study aimed to identify the synaptic density indicators in OCD and explore the relationship between cognitive dysfunction and synaptic density changes in OCD.

Methods

This study enrolled 28 drug-naive adults with OCD aged 18–40 years and 16 healthy controls (HCs). Three-dimensional T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging and18F-SynVesT-1 positron emission tomography were conducted. Cognitive function was assessed using the Wisconsin Cart Sorting Test (WCST) in patients with OCD and HCs. Correlative analysis was performed to examine the association between synaptic density reduction and cognitive dysfunction.

Results

Compared with HCs, patients with OCD showed reduced synaptic density in regions of the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuit such as the bilateral putamen, left caudate, left parahippocampal gyrus, left insula, left parahippocampal gyrus and left middle occipital lobe (voxel p<0.001, uncorrected, with cluster level above 50 contiguous voxels). The per cent conceptual-level responses of WCST were positively associated with the synaptic density reduction in the left middle occipital gyrus (R2=0.1690, p=0.030), left parahippocampal gyrus (R2=0.1464, p=0.045) and left putamen (R2=0.1967, p=0.018) in patients with OCD.

Conclusions

Adults with OCD demonstrated lower18F-labelled difluoro analogue of18F-SynVesT-1 compared with HCs, indicating potentially lower synaptic density. This is the first study to explore the synaptic density in patients with OCD and provides insights into potential biological targets for cognitive dysfunctions in OCD.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients with various gene mutations show diverse motor phenotypes and survival in China
Authors: Jiang Qirui , Lin Junyu , Wei Qianqian , Yang Tianmi , Hou Yanbing , Zhang Lingyu , Ou Ruwei , Xiao Yi , Wang Shichan , Zheng Xiaoting , Li Chunyu , Shang Huifang
Published: June 2024

Background

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder characterised by progressive degeneration of motor neurons. Genetic factors have a substantial impact on ALS. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the correlation between genotype (SOD1, TARDBP, FUS, C9orf72) and phenotype in ALS.

Methods

Genetic analysis was performed on 2038 patients with ALS, among which 1696 patients with sporadic ALS (SALS) as controls for genotype-phenotype analysis, and 1602 SALS as controls for survival analysis. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models were used for statistical analysis.

Results

A total of 172 patients with ALS with the gene mutations were included in the statistical analysis (SOD1, n=65;FUS, n=43;TARDBP, n=27;C9orf72, n=37).SOD1mutations were more frequent in flail leg phenotype (OR 7.317, p=0.001) and less in bulbar phenotype (OR 0.222, p=0.038).C9orf72expansions exhibited higher frequency in bulbar phenotype (OR 2.770, p=0.008).SOD1andFUSmutations were significantly associated with earlier age of onset (HR 2.039, p<0.001; HR 1.762, p=0.001). The patients withSOD1mutations,C9orf72expansions and those carrying pathogenicFUSmutations had significantly increased death risk (HR 2.217, p<0.001; HR 1.694, p=0.008; HR 1.652, p=0.036). The increased risk of death in ALS withC9orf72expansions was significant in females (HR 2.419, p=0.014) but not in males (HR 1.442, p=0.128).

Conclusion

Our study revealed distinct motor phenotypic tendencies in patients with ALS with different genotypes, indicating variations in the vulnerability of motor neurons during the disease’s progression. Furthermore, we made novel discoveries regarding survival of different gene mutations, warranting further investigation.
Effects of large-scale restoration on understory plant communities in an industrial landscape
Authors: Munford Kimber E. , Humphrey William , Levasseur Patrick A. , Beckett Peter , Watmough Shaun A.
Published: June 2024

Starting in the mid 1970’s, researchers, industry leaders, and residents collaborated on one of the world’s largest regreening programs in the industrial region of Sudbury, Canada. The Sudbury Regreening Recipe included the application of crushed dolomitic limestone, nitrogen–phosphorus–potassium fertilizers, grass–legume seed mixtures across 8200 ha, and subsequent tree planting across 25 000 ha of acidic metal-contaminated land. The current study evaluated shifts in understory vegetation diversity and soil geochemistry on a chronosequence of sites treated the same way between 1982 and 2012. Fifty-six plant species were identified across the 24 sites, only four of which were planted in the initial remediation effort. Key factors influencing plant community composition and diversity were related to shifts in soil properties over time: bulk density, LFH layer depth, and mineral soil horizon pH. Plant communities differed with stand age and rocky sites had significantly different plant communities and lower canopy cover than less rocky sites. Mineral soil horizon pH increased with age, reflecting the movement of applied dolomite in soil. Despite high concentrations of total copper and nickel in soil, plant succession patterns were generally similar to those in naturally recovering forests demonstrating the overall success of the restoration program.
Properties of the ground and excited states of triply heavy spin-1/2 baryons
Authors: Rajabi Najjar Z. , Azizi K. , Moshfegh H. R.
Published: June 2024

We study the triply heavy spin-1/2 baryons with quark contents ccb and bbc, and calculate their mass and residue using QCD sum rules. In the calculations, we consider the ground (1 S), first orbitally excited (1P) and first radially excited (2 S) states. Aiming to achieve higher accuracies in the results, we perform the computations by taking into account the non-perturbative operators up to eight mass dimensions. We compare our results with the predictions of other theoretical studies existing in the literature. The obtained results may help experimental groups in their search for these yet unseen, but previously predicted by the quark model, interesting particles.
Advancing differential equation solutions: A novel Laplace-reproducing kernel Hilbert space method for nonlinear fractional Riccati equations
Authors: Akgül Ali , Attia Nourhane
Published: June 2024

Fractional ordinary differential equations are crucial for modeling various phenomena in engineering and physics. This study aims to enhance solution methodologies by combining the Laplace transform with the reproducing kernel Hilbert space method (RKHSM). This integration leads to a more effective approach compared to the classical RKHSM. We apply the Laplace-reproducing kernel Hilbert space method (L-RKHSM) to develop novel numerical solutions for nonlinear fractional Riccati differential equations. The L-RKHSM systematically produces both approximate and analytic solutions in series form. We present detailed results for four illustrative examples, showcasing the superior performance of the L-RKHSM over traditional methods. This innovative approach not only advances our understanding of nonlinear fractional ordinary differential equations but also demonstrates its effectiveness through significantly improved outcomes in various applications.
Design of a Low-Power Cryptographic Accelerator Under Advanced Encryption Standard
Authors: Wang Peipei , Guan Wu , Liang Liping
Published: June 2024

Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) has been a prevalent cryptographic structure in the world. Existing AES-related cryptographic accelerators generally face the problem of high power consumption. To deal with this challenge, this paper presents a cryptographic structure that employs iterative reuse to decrease resource utilization. Through the efficient use of delay-line RAM, the implementation of long-length key storage results in a reduction in the utilization of registers. The computational complexity of AES cryptographic algorithm is reduced by using homomorphic mapping to the inversion operation in S-box from the Galois Fields GF(2[Formula: see text] to GF[(2[Formula: see text]]. Such proposed AES cryptographic accelerator is characterized by its low resource utilization and low power consumption. In addition, we have also conducted some simulation analysis to evaluate its performance. The synthesis result indicates that the AES cryptographic accelerator exhibits a 0.74% reduction in utilization of LUT and a 35% decrease in power consumption, as compared to the original version. The proposed AES cryptographic accelerator results in an area of 0.101 mm2, a throughput of 12.28 Gbps, and a power consumption of 2.56 mW in TSMC 90 nm.
Remote-Sensing Image Stitching Based on Infinite Homography and Global Seam Finding
Authors: Chang Jiayi , Li Qing , Liang Yanju , Zhou Liguo
Published: June 2024

We propose a stitching method of multiple remote-sensing images based on infinite homography and global seam finding to reduce edge stretching and seam errors and improve the spatiotemporal efficiency. First, by assuming that the scene is far away from the camera, we construct and use an infinite homography instead of mesh-based warping to improve the speed and robustness of stitching. Due to the fact that the aircraft always flies horizontally, we add the horizontal flight prior into the camera parameter optimization to solve the edge stretching problem. Second, we globally find the optimal seam between multiple images and convert the global seam finding into a multi-label assignment to obtain a smaller seam error. In the iteration of alpha expansion, by dynamically adjusting the weight of the pixel to the terminal, the pixels are induced to be assigned to the label with more allocated pixels, which reduces the number of input images participating in image blending. Finally, comparative experiments with other methods prove that our method has less alignment error and edge stretching. Furthermore, our method is more robust, occupies less memory and runs faster, which makes our method more effective and practical in multiple image stitching.
Almost minimal varieties of commutative residuated lattices
Authors: Aglianò Paolo , Galatos Nikolaos , Marcos Miguel Andrés
Published: June 2024

We study minimal and almost minimal varieties of commutative integral residuated lattices. In particular, we prove that the variety [Formula: see text] of generalized Boolean algebras and the variety [Formula: see text] generated by the negative integers are the only two semilinear atoms. Furthermore, we give a characterization of all the finitely generated covers of [Formula: see text], showing that there are infinitely many, we axiomatize the unique common cover of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], and we construct continuum-many semilinear covers of [Formula: see text] and infinitely many non-semilinear ones.
Towards an enumeration of finite common meadows
Authors: Dias João , Dinis Bruno
Published: June 2024

Common meadows are commutative and associative algebraic structures with two operations (addition and multiplication) with additive and multiplicative identities and for which inverses are total. The inverse of zero is an error term [Formula: see text] which is absorbent for addition. We study the problem of enumerating all finite common meadows of order n (that is, common meadows with n elements). This problem turns out to be deeply connected with both the number of finite rings of order n and with the number of a certain kind of partition of positive integers.
Optimal Age Replacement in Parallel Systems with Random Components
Authors: Zaeemzadeh Motahareh , Ahmadi Jafar , Astaneh Bahareh Khatib
Published: June 2024

In this paper, an optimal age replacement policy has been studied for a parallel system with a random number of components. The objective functions have been constructed based on the expected cost rate and the availability functions. It is supposed that the lifetime of the system components has a Weibull distribution. Three famous members of the power series class of distributions, namely geometric, zero-truncated Poisson, and logarithmic distributions have been considered for the number of components. The optimal model and the conditions for finding the optimal solution have been studied in terms of the hazard rate function of the system. Numerical and graphical computations have been given. Finally, a real data set has been used to illustrate the results.
Existence of global and explosive mild solutions of fractional reaction–diffusion system of semilinear SPDEs with fractional noise
Authors: Sankar S. , Mohan Manil T. , Karthikeyan S.
Published: June 2024

In this paper, we investigate the existence and finite-time blow-up for the solution of a reaction–diffusion system of semilinear stochastic partial differential equations (SPDEs) subjected to a two-dimensional fractional Brownian motion given by [Formula: see text] for [Formula: see text], along with [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is the fractional power [Formula: see text] of the Laplacian, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are real constants. We provide sufficient conditions for the existence of a global weak solution. Under the assumption that [Formula: see text] with Hurst index [Formula: see text] we obtain the blow-up times for an associated system of random partial differential equations in terms of an integral representation of exponential functions of Brownian motions. Moreover, we provide lower and upper bounds for the finite-time blow-up of the above system of SPDEs and obtain the upper bounds for the probability of non-explosive solution to our considered system.
Simpler characterizations of total orderization invariant maps
Authors: Schwanke C.
Published: June 2024

Given a finite subset [Formula: see text] of a distributive lattice, its total orderization [Formula: see text] is a natural transformation of [Formula: see text] into a totally ordered set. Recently, the author showed that multivariate maps on distributive lattices which remain invariant under total orderizations generalize various maps on vector lattices, including bounded orthosymmetric multilinear maps and finite sums of bounded orthogonally additive polynomials. Therefore, a study of total orderization invariant maps on distributive lattices provides new perspectives for maps widely researched in vector lattice theory. However, the unwieldy notation of total orderizations can make calculations extremely long and difficult. In this paper we resolve this complication by providing considerably simpler characterizations of total orderization maps. Utilizing these easier representations, we then prove that a lattice multi-homomorphism on a distributive lattice is total orderization invariant if and only if it is symmetric, and we show that the diagonal of a symmetric lattice multi-homomorphism is a lattice homomorphism, extending known results for orthosymmetric vector lattice homomorphisms.
SIMULATION OF RBC DYNAMICS IN OSCILLATORY FLOW USING SMOOTHED PARTICLE HYDRODYNAMICS
Authors: ANTONY JUSTIN , MANIYERI RANJITH
Published: June 2024

The study of red blood cell dynamics is an important research field. Understanding physiologic and pathologic characteristics of red blood cell can provide a new perspective to diagnosis and treatment of several diseases. In this work, a numerical model has been developed using the smoothed particle hydrodynamics which is a Lagrangian, meshless particle method to investigate red blood cell dynamics in oscillatory flow. The developed model is parallelized in graphic processing units using Compute Unified Device Architecture developed by NVIDIA that resulted in a seventeen fold reduction in computational cost. The effect of frequency of oscillation and phase difference on red blood cell dynamics is investigated. In addition, the dynamics of healthy and infected red blood cell in oscillatory flow is compared in this work to understand relevance of oscillatory flow in cell separation devices.
Approximation properties of some vector weak biorthogonal greedy algorithms
Authors: Wang Xianhe , Xu Xu , Ye Peixin , Zhang Wenhui
Published: June 2024

We study the efficiency of the vector greedy algorithms for simultaneous sparse approximation in a Banach space. We employ a unified way of analyzing the approximation properties of the Vector Weak Chebyshev Greedy Algorithm, the Vector Weak Greedy Algorithm with Free Relaxation and the Vector Rescaled Weak Relaxed Greedy Algorithm. We obtain the necessary and sufficient conditions for the convergence and the optimal convergence rate on the basic sparse class for these algorithms. It shows that these vector greedy algorithms are simple but highly efficient in dealing with multi-target element.
A quantum-based ultra-low area nano-architecture for morphological processes
Authors: Fan XingJuan , Li Li , Zhi BoYuan , Li LiYong , Li JianLong , Diakina Ekaterina
Published: June 2024

A new transistor-less field-coupled nanocomputing (FCN) method for ultra-scale “nanochip” integration is called quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA). Electrostatic repulsion between electrons and the electron tunneling process in quantum dots is employed in QCA to depict digital circuitry. QCA technology is able to achieve higher clock speed, lower occupied chip area, and more energy efficiency than traditional complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. Irreversible majority gates are commonly utilized as the main building blocks in the development of QCA circuits. In order to create highly energy-efficient QCA circuits, some research has recently presented digital image processing design strategies that use majority gates as the primary building block. Image processing, which encompasses picture analysis, enhancement, and correction, is used to extract information from images and improve their quality. Among the primary methods for processing images are picture enhancement, restoration, compression, object recognition, and machine vision applications. However, morphological procedures such as dilation and erosion constitute the fundamental component of image processing and are widely applied in practical applications. In this study, QCA-optimized nanostructures are presented for applications in mathematical morphology, serving as erosion and dilation operators. The completed circuit comprises 33 cells and exhibits a temporal delay of approximately 0.75 during each clock cycle. A comparison with the best equivalent nano-architecture demonstrates a significant improvement in cell performance, scalability, and latency.
A hybrid Euclidean–Lorentzian universe
Authors: Yahalom A.
Published: June 2024

The limited velocity in a geometry of Lorentzian signature seem to prevent the universe to reach thermodynamic equilibrium as suggested by the cosmic microwave background. Thus it was suggested that the universe which was initially minuscule has reached a more considerable radius in a short duration by a process known as cosmic inflation. However, to drive such a process have led to the suggestion of an ad-hoc scalar field the inflaton, which has no purpose in nature other than driving the cosmic inflation field and then stopping it once the universe reached the right size. In a recent paper it was shown that rapid expansion can occur without postulating an inflation by following Hawking’s suggestion and assuming that primordially the metric of the universe had an Euclidean signature, in which case velocity is not limited and thermalization and rapid expansion are derived without the need to assume an ad-hoc field. However, while in the previous work emphasis was put on the dynamics and physical statistics of the particles in a Euclidean space versus Lorentzian space in which both spaces were given. No mathematical model was given regarding the development of current Lorentzian space-time from the early Euclidean space-time, and how fundamental problems such as the space-time singularity and the homogeneity of the CMB can be solved in the hybrid Euclidean–Lorentzian picture. This lacuna is to be rectified in this paper.
Quantifying the effects of peripheral substituents on the spin-lattice relaxation of a vanadyl molecular quantum bit
Authors: Lohaus Stefan H. , Kazmierczak Nathanael P. , Luedecke Kaitlin M. , Marx Benjamin , Nemykin Victor N. , Hadt Ryan G.
Published: June 2024

Electron spin superpositions represent a critical component of emergent quantum technologies in computation, sensing, encryption, and communication. However, spin relaxation (T1) and decoherence (Tm) represent major obstacles to the implementation of molecular quantum bits (qubits). Synthetic strategies have made substantial progress in enhancing spin coherence times by minimizing contributions from surrounding electron and nuclear spins. For room-temperature operation, however, the lifetime of spin coherence becomes limited by coupling with vibrational modes of the lattice. Using pulse electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, we measure the spin-lattice relaxation of a vanadyl tetrapyrazinoporphyrazine complex appended with eight peripheral 2,6-diisopropylphenol groups (VOPyzPz-DIPP) and compare it to the relaxation of the archetypical vanadyl phthalocyanine molecular qubit (VOPc). The added peripheral groups lead to distinctly different spin relaxation behavior. While similar relaxation times are observed at low temperatures and ambient conditions, significant changes are observed for the orientation dependence of T1 at 100 K, as well as the temperature dependence of T1 over the intermediate temperature range spanning [Formula: see text]10–150 K. These results can be tentatively interpreted as arising from loosened spin-phonon coupling selection rules and a greater number of accessible acoustic and optical modes contributing to the spin relaxation behavior of VOPyzPz-DIPP relative to VOPc.
An Eco-Friendly Approach for the Synthesis of Ni/NiO/g-C3N4 Nanocomposite Using Cleome Gynandra Leaf Extract for Biomedical and Photocatalytic Applications
Authors: Sumethra R. , Jayakumari T. , Gayathri P. , Ravichandran K. , Varshini M. , Jenipher C. , Ayyanar M.
Published: June 2024

The (Ni/NiO)[Formula: see text]/g-C3N4 nanocomposite was green synthesized using Cleome gynandra via sol–gel method. The photocatalytic dye decomposition, antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of the nanocomposite were studied and compared with those of (Ni/NiO)[Formula: see text] and g-C3N4. The nanocomposite exhibited enhanced photocatalytic efficiency of 97% compared to (Ni/NiO)[Formula: see text] (63%) and g-C3N4 (80%) due to the synergistic effect between both the composite partners. The nanocomposite, (Ni/NiO)[Formula: see text]/g-C3N4 showed notable antioxidant activity in DPPH (IC[Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]g/mL with 87.06% of inhibition at 500[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]g/mL) and ABTS (IC[Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]g/mL with 88.40 % of inhibition at 500[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]g/mL) radical scavenging assays. The green synthesized nanocomposite also exhibited significant antidiabetic activity in [Formula: see text]-amylase and [Formula: see text]-glucosidase enzyme inhibition assays with the IC[Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]g/mL and [Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]g/mL, respectively. The XRD and SEM analyses confirmed the nanocomposite formation of (Ni/NiO)[Formula: see text]/g-C3N4. The results showed that the green synthesized (Ni/NiO)[Formula: see text]/g-C3N4 has desirable dye degradation, antidiabetic and antioxidant properties. This paper presents the results of the remarkable photocatalytic dye decomposition, antidiabetic and antioxidant properties of the nanocomposite (Ni/NiO)[Formula: see text]/g-C3N4 synthesized via an eco-friendly greeny way using Cleome gynandra leaf extract which may be the first report of this kind utilizing this plant.
Impact of Autocatalytic Chemical Reactions and Convective Boundary Conditions on NaC6H7O6–SiO2-Based Nanofluid Oblique Stagnation Point Flow Across a Stretching Sheet
Authors: Vinutha K. , Madhukesh J. K. , Khan Umair , Venkadeshwaran K. , Ishak Anuar , Kumar Raman , Muhammad Taseer , Al-Turef Gadah Abdulrahman , Saleh Waafa
Published: June 2024

The main motivation of this study is to examine the effects and behavior of Casson nanofluid mainly in reference to oblique stagnation points across a stretching surface. Oblique stagnation point (OSP) motions have so many applications, like artificial fibers, sticky materials, drying paper, and freezing electrical equipment, and numerous applications for endothermic and exothermic processes exist, including in heat exchangers, cooking, and drying damp clothes. Because of these applications on various domains, the Casson nanofluid OSP motion via a stretching sheet is studied with endothermic/exothermic chemical processes and convective boundary conditions (CBC). Similarity transformations are employed to convert partial differential equations (PDEs) into a collection of ordinary differential equations (ODEs). Furthermore, some significant engineering coefficients are discussed and also evaluated the behaviors of several nondimensional factors using the Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg-45 numeric method with a shooting scheme and graphical representations. The outcomes signify that temperature and concentration both rise with a rise in the Casson parameter and activation energy (AE) respectively. A higher Biot value leads to a higher temperature profile. A temperature profile increases with an enhance in the Casson parameter. The addition of a solid fraction will enrich the mass transmission rate in combination with AE.
Reutilization of Silver-Impregnated Activated Carbon (SAC) Cartridges with Surface Modification for Supercapacitor Electrodes for Large-Scale Energy-Storage Applications
Authors: Baskar R. , Raghavendra Babu B. , Sasikumar R. , Visagavel K.
Published: June 2024

The strategy of converting waste materials into new functional materials is a promising approach for energy-storage applications, particularly in the case of silver-impregnated activated carbon (SAC). SAC, which is typically derived from coconut shells, is primarily used for water purification in home-based filters due to its excellent antibacterial properties. However, the silver concentration is low, and it tends to leach out after a certain period, resulting in waste. To address this issue, SAC was used as a precursor for electrodes in supercapacitor applications. Additional surface treatments, such as heteroatom doping, are also being employed to improve the electrical conductivity and wettability of SAC. Nitrogen was introduced using urea as a precursor to enhance the properties of SAC. XRD analysis confirmed the structural analysis of activated carbon and nitrogen-activated carbon. Morphological analysis revealed the formation of micropores on the surface of the samples. FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of functional groups in the samples. Raman spectra showed the presence of defects after the introduction of nitrogen atoms into the carbon lattice, with higher relative [Formula: see text] compared to AC. Multipoint bet analysis was conducted, and the surface area of the sample was found to be approximately 815[Formula: see text]m2g[Formula: see text], with pore sizes of 810[Formula: see text]m2g[Formula: see text]. Electrochemical analysis was carried out in both three- and two-electrode configurations. The specific capacitance of NAC in cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge–discharge analysis was found to be higher than that of AC because the nitrogen atoms reduced the ionic charge transfer resistance between the electrode and electrolyte surface. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was also conducted, confirming the solution resistance with 1.5[Formula: see text]Ohm.
Modeling, analysis, and simulation of tuberculosis
Authors: Stojkovikj Natasha , Paneva Maja Kukusheva , Zlatanovska Biljana , Lazarova Limonka Koceva
Published: June 2024

Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly contagious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which has historically resulted in numerous fatalities. The analysis of TB is conducted through mathematical models featuring differential equations that describe the dynamics of epidemic spread, as well as its control and prevention. This paper presents the SEIR [Formula: see text] D model of TB. According to this model, the total population is divided into five compartments: susceptible, exposed, infected, recovered, and deceased. This paper evaluates the rates (such as transmission rate, incubation rate, etc.) at which individuals transition from one compartment to another under various scenarios.
Noncooperative game-theoretic model for security enhancement in cloud gaming environments
Authors: Jebarani Evangeline S. , Yadav Ajit Kumar Singh , Balaji V. R. , Sivaganesan D. , Senthil Kumar A. , Sivaraju S. S.
Published: June 2024

The cloud-based gaming services have given rise to an abundance of fresh worries around data protection and safety. The present cloud gaming security solutions suffer from a key issue in that they do not include a comprehensive framework. This framework would take into consideration the dynamic and interactive nature of the data center environment. When trying to mitigate risks in today’s continuously moving cyber threat scenario, it is imperative to consider all relevant factors, including the health of the system, individual costs, and potential advantages. The existing works address about how game theory might be used to improve the safety of cloud-based gaming. The purpose of this research is to overcome the research gap by developing a novel model that captures the multiple linkages between security measures and potential attacks, supplying a more holistic perspective on cloud gaming security in the process. In this line of investigation, a Noncooperative Game-Theoretic Model is used to investigate the dynamics of predators and prey. In this research, a Noncooperative Game-Theoretic Model is presented with the purpose of analysing and perfecting security measures inside the dynamic data-center environment of cloud gaming. Precautionary safety measures take on the role of a predator, while potential threats take on the role of prey. The results prove that the Noncooperative Game-Theoretic Model is an effective tool for enhancing safeguards in cloud-based online gaming environments.
Enhancement of B-Spline surface rebuilding for deformed CAD model reconstruction
Authors: Elloumi Nessrine , Ben Makhlouf Aicha , Mohammed Alshuqayran Nuha , Louhichi Borhen
Published: June 2024

3D reconstruction stands for a method used to generate a three-dimensional (3D) model of a real object using a 3D point cloud or a 3D mesh using computer-aided design(CAD) software or reverse engineering (RE) techniques. The points’ coordinates are acquired by digitizing physical items using specialized instruments such as a three-dimensional measuring machine (CMM), a structured light scanner, or a LASER pulse-based 3D scanner. These scanned objects are notably invested in a panoply of industries, such as mechanics, aeronautics, vehicle manufacturing, medicine, and art. Within this particular framework, achieving a highly accurate reconstruction of the geometric model is a challenging task that requires a significant investment of time and relies heavily on the use of modeling and reverse engineering approaches. In this respect, this work introduces a novel method for reconstructing a CAD model through inserting new points into a given distorted mesh. Walton’s method is employed for accurate rebuilding so as to ensure a high level of accuracy in the fitted surfaces. B-Spline surfaces are estimated relying on the obtained 3D points, and then the geometric model is rebuilt. To assess the performance of the suggested approach, 3D surfaces are reconstructed, applying a 3D reconstruction algorithm to generate an accurate rebuilt model. The accuracy of the elaborated method is manifested through comparing the results of the geometric model reconstruction using the input mesh to those obtained after inserting new points.
MULTIVARIATE PROBIT MODELING OF CLIMATE-SMART ADAPTATION CHOICES AMONG FARMERS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: GHANAIAN STUDY OF COCOA FARMERS
Authors: INKOOM EMMANUEL WISGTOS , DADZIE SAMUEL KWESI NDZEBAH
Published: June 2024

Climate change and variability pose significant challenges to cocoa production in many sub-Saharan African countries, and Ghana is no exception. Therefore, knowledge of how farmers react to climate change and its variability effects is crucial in developing policies and programs to guide the design and implementation of effective climate-smart adaptation strategies at the farm level in Africa. This study aims to examine climate-smart adaptation choices cocoa farmers make as coping strategies for climate change and variability in Ghana using a multivariate probit modeling approach. Following a multistage sampling procedure, primary data was collected from 720 cocoa farmers across the major cocoa-growing regions in Ghana. The study found major adaptation choices for cocoa farmers to include improved and resistant varieties, optimal fertilizer application, optimal pesticide application, adjusting planting/harvesting dates, shade tree management, crop diversification, non-crop diversification, and off-farm economic diversification. We further observed that farmers’ adaptation choices were significantly influenced by climate change and adaptation-related variables such as rainfall variability index, temperature variability index, climate change impact perception index, and CSA awareness as well as agroclimatic zone effects. Concerning the influence of farmer and farm-specific variables, the study identifies that sex, age, education, farm size, quality of extension services delivery, access to credit, and membership in farmer groups were significant predictors of farmers’ CSA decision choices. This study offers beneficial insights for policymakers and stakeholders on how to promote climate-smart adaptation methods among cocoa farmers in Ghana.
Exploration of Metal Organic Framework (MOF) as Adsorbent in Treatment of Wastewater
Authors: Chauhan Vishaka , Mittal Chinmay , Rao G. B. Dharma
Published: June 2024

Organic dyes and heavy metals are renowned environmental contaminants due to their hazardous, long life time in the environment, and capability to accumulate into the human body. Most heavy metals are accumulated naturally, however only some are derived from anthropogenic sources. In the recent decades, metal organic framework (MOF) and their most fashionable derivatives are extensively examined to eradicate heavy metals and organic dye substances from polluted water as powerful adsorbent materials. MOFs have forever exposed attractive applications in adsorption technologies and membrane separation, among which water-stable MOFs are predominantly important in wastewater treatment (WWT) relevance. MOFs like metal-organic polymers, hybrid organic–inorganic materials, organic zeolite materials and coordination polymers have increased awareness and many of the MOFs have been synthesized to eradicate heavy metals and organic dyes from waste water, because of their outstanding characteristics like large surface area, stability, greater porosity which make the MOF a strong and powerful adsorbent. In this paper, we discussed about the removal of hazardous heavy metals and organic dyes using MOF materials and their analogues as strong adsorbents for contaminated waste water.
Mitigating Singularities in Control of Magnetic Capsule Endoscopes Using a Novel Nested Electromagnetic Coil System
Authors: Chen Xinhao , Bhattacharjee Anuruddha , Mair Lamar O. , Raval Suraj , Addepalli Pranav , Erin Onder , Bell Adrian , Diaz-Mercado Yancy , Krieger Axel
Published: June 2024

Magnetic actuation systems that utilize external electromagnetic coils present a promising approach for controlling untethered small-scale robots, notably in medical applications. However, these systems frequently experience actuation singularities at which robotic control over the agent is lost or severely diminished. Such singularities may lead to excessively large current or rapid current changes that significantly affect the robots’ stability in specific areas of the workspace. In order to effectively mitigate these actuation singularities, this paper introduces a closed-loop control method using a novel nested electromagnetic coil system, leveraging finite element analysis-based magnetic field data and a novel controller combining a singularity solver and optimal current control method. The electromagnetic system has 12 coils nested in four coil units, each having three concentric coils with different outer radius, surrounding a central workspace. We call the 12-coil system Variable Outer Radius Individually Addressable Coil Stacks (VORIACS). Here, we experimentally evaluate the method for closed-loop trajectory tracking of a soft magnetic capsule endoscope (PillCam™) and a permanent magnet robot inside the VORIACS system at different magnetic field orientations. The results demonstrate that the VORIACS system with a singularity solver reduces root mean square (RMS) position tracking errors of the PillCam™by 46% to 50% and orientation tracking errors by 41% to 42% compared to a standard 4-coil system. Moreover, the system can achieve a notable 60.73% reduction in RMS position error, with sub-millimeter precision control when controlling the permanent magnet robot. We further manipulate the PillCam™for tracking a medical application-inspired complex trajectory, showcasing the system’s potential in precise control of magnetic devices for medical use.
MagnetoStalsis: Generating Peristalsis in an Artificial Bowel for Treatment of Short Bowel Syndrome
Authors: Smith Mariana E. , May Adam , Schwehr Trevor , Erin Onder , Tragesser Cody , Scheese Daniel , Mair Lamar O. , Diaz-Mercado Yancy , Hackam David , Krieger Axel
Published: June 2024

Efforts to develop an artificial intestine for treatment of short bowel syndrome have thus far failed to achieve coordinated peristalsis. To address this, we introduce an implantable, biomimetic, magnetically-actuated peristaltic pumping apparatus. The system consists of a magnetic pump surrounding an intestinal graft and a rotating external magnetic field generator that produces peristaltic motion in the graft as the field direction alternates. We performed computational finite element modeling to simulate deformation and stress concentration on the pump. We then tested the ability of the system to produce fluid flow through porcine subintestinal submucosa at actuation frequencies from 0 Hz to 4 Hz. The system achieved a maximal flow rate of 6.03 mL/min at 3 Hz actuation frequency, which is in the physiological range of human intestinal flow rates. This device represents a novel proof-of-concept for achieving untethered peristalsis in an implantable intestinal graft that is primed for preclinical testing in animal models of short bowel syndrome.
Vision-Based Force Estimation for Minimally Invasive Telesurgery Through Contact Detection and Local Stiffness Models
Authors: Yang Shuyuan , Le My H. , Golobish Kyle R. , Beaver Juan C. , Chua Zonghe
Published: June 2024

In minimally invasive telesurgery, obtaining accurate force information is difficult due to the complexities of in-vivo end effector force sensing. This constrains development and implementation of haptic feedback and force-based automated performance metrics, respectively. Vision-based force sensing approaches using deep learning are a promising alternative to intrinsic end effector force sensing. However, they have limited ability to generalize to novel scenarios, and require learning on high-quality force sensor training data that can be difficult to obtain. To address these challenges, this paper presents a novel vision-based contact-conditional approach for force estimation in telesurgical environments. Our method leverages supervised learning with human labels and end effector position data to train deep neural networks. Predictions from these trained models are optionally combined with robot joint torque information to estimate forces indirectly from visual data. We benchmark our method against ground truth force sensor data and demonstrate generality by fine-tuning to novel surgical scenarios in a data-efficient manner. Our methods demonstrated greater than 90% accuracy on contact detection and less than 10% force prediction error. These results suggest potential usefulness of contact-conditional force estimation for sensory substitution haptic feedback and tissue handling skill evaluation in clinical settings.