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Based on the bond energy model, we investigate the particle size and shape effects on the melting temperature, Debye temperature, and specific heat at constant pressure of Ni nanoparticles with carbon impurity. We have derived analytical expressions for these thermodynamic quantities as functions of the size and shape of nanoparticles. Numerical calculations have been implemented for nickel nanoparticles with carbon impurity up to 20 nm of size. Our theoretical melting temperatures are compared with molecular dynamics simulations showing the good agreement. Our research indicates that the Debye temperature and melting temperature of nickel nanoparticles increase rapidly while the specific heat decreases significantly for particle diameters smaller than 5 nm. At larger sizes, these thermodynamic quantities gradually approach saturation values of bulk material. This indicates that surface area plays an important role in the thermodynamic properties of nickel nanoparticles. And carbon substitution leads to a reduction in the values of the studied thermodynamic quantities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addressing the increasing demand for wearable sensing systems, the performance and lifespan of such devices must be improved by enhancing their sensitivity and healing capabilities. The present work introduces an innovative method for synthesizing a healable disulfide bond contained in a polydimethylsiloxane network (PDMS−SS) that incorporates ionic salts, which is designed to serve as a highly effective dielectric layer for capacitive tactile sensors. Within the polymer network structure, the cross‐linking agent pentaerythritol tetrakis 3‐mercaptopropionate (PTKPM) forms reversible disulfide bonds while simultaneously increasing polymer softness and the dielectric constant. The incorporation of dioctyl sulfosuccinate sodium salt (DOSS) significantly improves the capacitance and sensing properties by forming an electrical double‐layer through interactions between the electrode charge and salt ions at the contact interface. The developed polymer material‐based tactile sensor shows a strong response signal at low pressure (0.1 kPa) and maintains high sensitivity (0.175 kPa−1) over a wide pressure range (0.1–10 kPa). It also maintains the same sensitivity over 10 000 repeated applications of external pressure and is easily self‐healed against mechanical deformation due to the dynamic disulfide covalent bonding, restoring ≈95% of its detection capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of saline water (SW) on physiological responses, blood biochemical parameters and body weight changes in Bach Thao goats. The study was designed completely randomized with four treatments (n = 5 each), including a control as goats' drinking fresh water (FW), goats' drinking 0.5% SW (LSW, low SW), goats' drinking 1.0% SW (MSW, moderate SW) and goats' drinking 1.5% SW (HSW, high SW). The results showed that dry matter intake (DMI) decreased as SW increased (P < 0.05). Animals in the MSW group consumes highest water intake (WI), whereas animals from HSW consumed least water from 4th to 8th weeks of experiment. Respiration rate and rectal temperature in HSW were greater than those in the FW group (P < 0.05). The body weight was similar among treatments, but animals in HSW were with lower weight gain than those in the control (P < 0.05). Goats in HSW altered blood biochemical parameters in the 8th week, not for the 4th week. We concluded that Bach Thao goats drank high SW within 56 days and had negative effects on production and may effect on functions of the liver and kidney. Besides, goats from the HSW group have decreased daily WI to minimize the salt stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of calibrating phased array antennas in a noisy environment using an autocorrelation algorithm is investigated and a mathematical model of the autocorrelation calibration method is presented. The proposed calibration system is based on far-field scanning of the phased array antenna in an environment with internal noise and external interference. The proposed method is applied to a phased array antenna and compared with traditional rotating-element electric-field vector methods, which involve identifying the maximum and minimum vector–sum points (REVmax and REVmin, respectively). The proposed calibration system is verified for a phased array antenna at 3 GHz. Experimental verification of the mathematical model of the proposed method demonstrates that the autocorrelation method is more accurate than the rotating-element electric-field vector methods in determining the amplitude and phase shifts. The measured peak gain of the combined beam in the E-plane increased from 7.83 to 8.37 dB and 3.57 to 4.36 dB compared to the REVmax and REVmin methods, respectively, and the phase error improved from 47° to 55.48° and 19.43° to 29.16°, respectively. The proposed method can be considered an effective solution for large-scale phase calibration at both in-field and in-factory levels, even in the presence of external interference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on comparing the characteristics of cotton fabric dyed with Diospyros mollis extract (DME) solution and that of cotton fabric dyed with the reactive dye. The parameters of the cotton fabric after dyeing with both types of dyes were assessed, including color strength (K/S), structural morphology, infrared spectrum, antibacterial properties, UV resistance, color fastness to washing, rubbing, light, moisture absorption, breathability, and wastewater indices. The obtained results show that the K/S value of cotton fabric dyed with DME solution is slightly lower than that of cotton fabric dyed with the reactive dye, 18.52 and 19.36, respectively. The cotton fabric dyed with the reactive dye does not exhibit antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, whereas the antibacterial effectiveness against these bacteria for cotton fabric dyed with DME solution is 99.99 %. The UV protection capability of cotton fabric dyed with DME solution is superior to cotton fabric dyed with the reactive dye. The BOD/COD ratio of wastewater from the dyeing process with DME is higher than that of the reactive dye, with values of 0.70 and 0.32, respectively. The findings of this study indicate the superior ability of using DME solution as compared to the reactive dye, which is promising as a natural dye for fabric in medical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings on titanium substrates are widely investigated for biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility and osteoconductivity. This study explores the impact of HA powder particle size on the mechanical and electrochemical properties of flame-sprayed coatings. HA powders were synthesized via a wet chemistry method and characterized using x-ray diffraction, FTIR, and scanning electron microscopy. Flame spraying was employed to deposit HA coatings of varying particle sizes (0-37 µm, 37-63 µm, 63-104 µm, and 104-125 µm) onto titanium substrates. Mechanical properties such as surface roughness, adhesion strength, wear resistance, and Vickers hardness were evaluated, revealing that coatings with smaller particle sizes exhibited smoother surfaces, higher adhesion strengths, superior wear resistance, and greater hardness. Electrochemical properties were assessed through potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in simulated body fluid, demonstrating that coatings with finer particle sizes displayed enhanced corrosion resistance compared to those with larger particles. Overall, this study underscores the critical role of HA powder particle size in optimizing the performance of flame-sprayed HA coatings for biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Concrete gravity dams are important structures for flood control and hydraulic power generation, but they can be vulnerable to seismic activity due to ground movements that trigger crack propagation. Design/methodology/approach: To better understand the factors that affect the stability of concrete gravity dams against concrete fracture during earthquakes, a concrete plastic damage model has been utilized with two new expressions to simulate compressive and tensile damage variables. Findings: The findings showed that the crack patterns were strongly influenced by the concrete's strength. The simulation results led to the proposal of appropriate concrete properties aimed at minimizing damage. These findings, together with the proposed model, offer significant insights that can enhance the safety and stability of concrete gravity dam structures. Originality/value: This study offers a comprehensive analysis of concrete behavior under varying grades and introduces simple and robust expressions for evaluating concrete parameters in plastic damage models. The versatility of these expressions enables accurate simulation of stress-strain curves for different grades, resulting in excellent agreement between model results and experimental findings. The simulation of the Koyna Dam case study demonstrates a similarity in crack patterns with previous simulations and field observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate longitudinal associations between the dietary glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) and changes in glycemic and cardio-metabolic outcomes. A 28-month retrospective cohort study included 110 Vietnamese diabetic patients, collecting their dietary GI and GL values along with blood biochemical data from baseline 24-h dietary recall and medical records. Latent class growth modelling identified three distinct HbA1c trajectories during the follow-up period, with 51% of patients achieving good glycemic control. The adjusted linear mixed-effect model showed that 1 unit increase in logarithms in dietary GL was associated with a 0.14% increase in the log-HbA1c. Among poorly controlled diabetic patients, baseline GL values were positively correlated with increases in HbA1c; GI showed effects on changes in fasting plasma glucose and the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index. No significant association was observed in patients with good glycemic control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cell free DNA (cfDNA)-based assays hold great potential in detecting early cancer signals yet determining the tissue-of-origin (TOO) for cancer signals remains a challenging task. Here, we investigated the contribution of a methylation atlas to TOO detection in low depth cfDNA samples. Methods: We constructed a tumor-specific methylation atlas (TSMA) using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) data from five types of tumor tissues (breast, colorectal, gastric, liver and lung cancer) and paired white blood cells (WBC). TSMA was used with a non-negative least square matrix factorization (NNLS) deconvolution algorithm to identify the abundance of tumor tissue types in a WGBS sample. We showed that TSMA worked well with tumor tissue but struggled with cfDNA samples due to the overwhelming amount of WBC-derived DNA. To construct a model for TOO, we adopted the multi-modal strategy and used as inputs the combination of deconvolution scores from TSMA with other features of cfDNA. Results: Our final model comprised of a graph convolutional neural network using deconvolution scores and genome-wide methylation density features, which achieved an accuracy of 69% in a held-out validation dataset of 239 low-depth cfDNA samples. Conclusions: In conclusion, we have demonstrated that our TSMA in combination with other cfDNA features can improve TOO detection in low-depth cfDNA samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims at utilizing machine learning (ML) in predicting the fire resistance and spalling degree of reinforced concrete (RC) columns with improved accuracy and reliability. A database with 119 test specimens was created for the development of ML-based regression models, and a database with 101 test specimens was created for the development of ML-based classification models. Six ML algorithms—support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), multilayer perceptron (MLP), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), adaptive boosting (AdaBoost), and light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM). The hyperparameters of the ML-based models were optimized through Bayes optimization search (BayesSearchCV) with ten-fold cross-validation. The results indicated that the AdaBoost not only accurately predicted the spalling degree of RC columns with an accuracy of 87%, but also performed best in predicting the fire resistance of RC columns with R2 = 0.96 and RMSE = 16.58. The AdaBoost model achieved high accuracy without significant bias, surpassing existing design equations. SHAP method was utilized to produce global explanations for the predictions. The results revealed that concrete compressive strength, loading ratio, slenderness ratio, and column width were the most critical features for spalling degree identification. Meanwhile, those were slenderness ratio, concrete cover, loading ratio, part of the fired column, and longitudinal reinforcement for fire resistance prediction. The parametric study demonstrated that the fire resistance of RC columns is positively affected by only concrete cover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The two-stroke engine boasts advantages in terms of simpler manufacturing and a smaller size when compared to the fourstroke engine. Vehicles powered by two-stroke engines can thus effortlessly overcome road obstacles compared to their four-stroke counterparts. However, the use of a two-stroke engine results in higher carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions than that of a four-stroke engine. This discrepancy places greater demands on the selection of lubricating oil for two-stroke engines compared to four-stroke engines. In market, there exists a multitude of lubricating oil options tailored for two-stroke engines, each characterized by varying technical parameters. These disparities are expressed through factors such as density, viscosity index, viscosity, and combustion temperature, among others. Consequently, the task of choosing the optimal lubricant becomes a complex endeavor for consumers. In this study, an examination of lubricant selection is presented using a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) approach. The MCDM method employed in this article is the Combined Compromise Solution (COCOSO) method. The selection of the best lubricant is based on an evaluation of four distinct types. Each type of oil is described by four key parameters (criteria): density, viscosity index, viscosity at 100 °C, and viscosity at 40 °C. The weights for these four criteria are determined through three different methods, including the Entropy method, Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC) method, and Standard Deviation (SD) method. Thus, the ranking of lubricants is conducted three times, corresponding to these three weighting methods. The results indicate that the best oil choice remains consistent regardless of the weighting method applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological systems, characterized by their complex interplay of symmetry and asymmetry, operate through intricate networks of interacting molecules, weaving the elaborate tapestry of life. The exploration of these networks, aptly termed the "molecular terrain", is pivotal for unlocking the mysteries of biological processes and spearheading the development of innovative therapeutic strategies. This review embarks on a comprehensive survey of the analytical methods employed in biological network analysis, focusing on elucidating the roles of symmetry and asymmetry within these networks. By highlighting their strengths, limitations, and potential applications, we delve into methods for network reconstruction, topological analysis with an emphasis on symmetry detection, and the examination of network dynamics, which together reveal the nuanced balance between stable, symmetrical configurations and the dynamic, asymmetrical shifts that underpin biological functionality. This review equips researchers with a multifaceted toolbox designed to navigate and decipher biological networks' intricate, balanced landscape, thereby advancing our understanding and manipulation of complex biological systems. Through this detailed exploration, we aim to foster significant advancements in biological network analysis, paving the way for novel therapeutic interventions and a deeper comprehension of the molecular underpinnings of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is a group of lymphoproliferative disorders characterized by the abnormal proliferation and accumulation of lymphocytes in the lymphatic system. An ovarian tumor domain containing ubiquitin aldehyde binding protein 1 (Otubain-1) is a deubiquitinating enzyme that cleaves ubiquitin or ubiquitin-like molecules and is expressed in various human tissues. The pathogenesis of NHL is associated with activations of the nuclear transcription factor (NF-κB) and signal transducer and activator of transcription proteins (JAK/STAT) signaling pathways. In this study, all the expressions of Otubain-1, NF-κB2, SHPs and STATs genes, the concentrations of cytokines IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-a and clinical features in NHL patients were examined. To the end, gene expression levels of 82 NHL patients and 56 healthy individuals were determined by quantitative real time RT-PCR and secretion of cytokines by ELISA. As a result, concentrations of IL-6 and TNF-a in the patient group were found higher than in the healthy individuals and patients with higher LDH concentrations in the clinical cutoff, 280 U/L showed increased concentrations of AST, ALT and GGT than those with normal LDH concentrations. Interestingly, NHL patients with high Otubain-1 expression had significant elevations of GGT and ferritin concentrations as well as STAT-5 expression compared to those with low Otubain-1 expression. In conclusion, the present study indicates that up-regulation of Otubain-1 led to activation of STAT5 in lymphoma cells and liver dysfunction and metabolic syndrome in NHL patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the structure, crystallization, and phase transition of the bulk Co materials have been characterized via the Molecular Dynamics Simulation (MDS) method combined with the Sutton-Chen (SC) embedded potentials and periodic boundary conditions under various factors such as temperature (T), number of atoms (N), and annealing time (t). The common neighbor analysis revealed the coexistence of Amorphous (Amor) and crystalline Face Centered Cubic (FCC), Body Centered Cubic (BCC), and Hexagonal Close Packed (HCP) phases at an equilibrium state irrespective of the aforementioned factors. Compared with the crystalline FCC and BCC phases, the HCP and Amor phases were found to be dominant in the bulk Co10976 material at T = 300 K. Decreasing N from 10976 to 4000 atoms at T = 300 K and increasing T from 300 to 1000 K in the bulk Co10976 material didn't change the dominant phases. It was found that the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the bulk Co10976 material was 700 K. Increasing t from 0 to 10 ps at Tg = 700 K abruptly changed the dominant phase of the bulk Co10976 material into the FCC structure. The radial distribution function (RDF) analysis showed that the distance between Co atoms in the bulk Co10976 material was 2.475 Å at T = 300 K. The N and T didn't affect the distance between Co atoms, but t caused an increase. The size (l) increased from 3.8391 to 5.3320 nm, while the energy (E) decreased from -4.195 to -4.218 eV with increasing N. The first peak height of the RDF (g(r)) first increased and then decreased as the N increased. Increasing T from 300 to 1000 K led to an increment in the E value from -4.218 to -4.087 eV and a slight increase in the l from 5.3320 to 5.3323 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze plankton-nutrient food chain models composed of phytoplankton, herbivorous zooplankton and a limiting nutrient. These models have played a key role in understanding the dynamics of plankton in the oceanic layer. Given the strong environmental and seasonal fluctuations that are present in the oceanic layer, we propose a stochastic model for which we are able to fully classify the longterm behavior of the dynamics. In order to achieve this we had to develop new analytical techniques, as the system does not satisfy the regular dissipativity conditions and the analysis is more subtle than in other population dynamics models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Number Theoretic Transform (NTT) has been widely used to speed up polynomial multiplication in lattice-based post-quantum algorithms. All NTT operands use modular arithmetic, especially modular multiplication, which significantly influences NTT hardware implementation efficiency. Until now, most hardware implementations used Digital Signal Processing (DSP) to multiply two integers and optimally perform modulo computations from the multiplication product. This paper presents a customized Lattice-DSP (L-DSP) for modular multiplication based on the Karatsuba algorithm, Vedic multiplier, and modular reduction methods. The proposed L-DSP performs both integer multiplication and modular reduction simultaneously for lattice-based cryptography. As a result, the speed and area efficiency of the L-DSPs are 283 MHz for 77 SLICEs, 272 MHz for 87 SLICEs, and 256 MHz for 101 SLICEs with the parameters q of 3329, 7681, and 12,289, respectively. In addition, the N − 1 multiplier in the Inverse-NTT (INTT) calculation is also eliminated, reducing the size of the Butterfly Unit (BU) in CRYSTAL-Kyber to about 104 SLICEs, equivalent to a conventional multiplication in the other studies. Based on the proposed DSP, a Point-Wise Matrix Multiplication (PWMM) architecture for CRYSTAL-Kyber is designed on a hardware footprint equivalent to 386 SLICEs. Furthermore, this research is the first DSP designed for lattice-based Post-quantum Cryptography (PQC) modular multiplication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A pathological excitatory action of the major inhibitory neurotransmitter γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) has been observed in epilepsy. Blocking the Cl− importer NKCC1 with bumetanide is expected to reduce the neuronal intracellular Cl− concentration ([Cl−]i) and thereby attenuate the excitatory GABA response. Accordingly, several clinical trials of bumetanide for epilepsy were conducted. Although NKCC1 is expressed in both neurons and glial cells, an involvement of glial NKCC1 in seizures has not yet been reported. Astrocytes maintain high [Cl−]i with NKCC1, and this gradient promotes Cl− efflux via the astrocytic GABAA receptor (GABAAR). This Cl− efflux buffers the synaptic cleft Cl− concentration to maintain the postsynaptic Cl− gradient during intense firing of GABAergic neurons, thereby sustaining its inhibitory action during seizure. In this study, we investigated the function of astrocytic NKCC1 in modulating the postsynaptic action of GABA in acute seizure models. Methods: We used the astrocyte‐specific conditional NKCC1 knockout (AstroNKCC1KO) mice. The seizurelike events (SLEs) in CA1 pyramidal neurons were triggered by tetanic stimulation of stratum radiatum in acute hippocampus slices. The SLE underlying GABAAR‐mediated depolarization was evaluated by applying the GABAAR antagonist bicuculline. The pilocarpine‐induced seizure in vivo was monitored in adult mice by the Racine scale. The SLE duration and tetanus stimulation intensity threshold and seizure behavior in AstroNKCC1KO mice and wild‐type (WT) mice were compared. Results: The AstroNKCC1KO mice were prone to seizures with lower threshold and longer duration of SLEs and larger GABAAR‐mediated depolarization underlying the SLEs, accompanied by higher Racine‐scored seizures. Bumetanide reduced these indicators of seizure in AstroNKCC1KO mice (which still express neuronal NKCC1), but not in the WT, both in vitro and in vivo. Significance: Astrocytic NKCC1 inhibits GABA‐mediated excitatory action during seizures, whereas neuronal NKCC1 has the converse effect, suggesting opposing actions of bumetanide on these cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Augmented reality devices are increasingly accepted in health care, though most applications involve education and pre-operative planning. A novel augmented reality ultrasound application, HoloUS, was developed for the Microsoft HoloLens 2 to project real-time ultrasound images directly into the user's field of view. In this work, we assessed the effect of using HoloUS on vascular access procedural outcomes. A single-center user study was completed with participants with (N = 22) and without (N = 12) experience performing ultrasound-guided vascular access. Users completed a venipuncture and aspiration task a total of four times: three times on study day 1, and once on study day 2 between 2 and 4 weeks later. Users were randomized to use conventional ultrasound during either their first or second task and the HoloUS application at all other times. Task completion time, numbers of needle re-directions, head adjustments and needle visualization rates were recorded. For expert users, task completion time was significantly faster using HoloUS (11.5 s, interquartile range [IQR] = 6.5–23.5 s vs. 18.5 s, IQR = 11.0–36.5 s; p = 0.04). The number of head adjustments was significantly lower using the HoloUS app (1.0, IQR = 0.0–1.0 vs. 3.0, IQR = 1.0–5.0; p < 0.0001). No significant differences were identified in other measured outcomes. This is the first investigation of augmented reality-based ultrasound-guided vascular access using the second-generation HoloLens. It demonstrates equivalent procedural efficiency and accuracy, with favorable usability, ergonomics and user independence when compared with traditional ultrasound techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transmission rod is an indispensable part in diesel and gasoline engines. Its job is to convert rotation into translational motion or vice versa. The transmission rod material selection plays a very important role, affecting its working function and durability. This study was conducted to compare two Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods in transmission rod material selection. They are PIV (Proximity Indexed Value) method, and FUCA (Faire Un Choi Adéquat) method. Seven types of steel commonly used in transmission rods were reviewed for ranking, inclusive of: 20 steel, 40 steel, 45 steel, 18Cr2Ni4WA steel, 30CrMoA steel, 45Mn2 steel and 40CrNi steel. Nine parameters were used as criteria to evaluate each steel including minimum yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, minimum elongation ratio, contraction ratio, modulus of elasticity, mean coefficient of thermal expansion, thermal conductivity, specific thermal capacity, and density. The weights of the criteria were calculated using three methods inclusive of MEAN weight method, Entropy weight method and MEREC weight method (Method based on the Removal Effects of Criteria). Each MCDM method was combined with the three weight methods mentioned above to rank the alternatives. The obtained results show that when using both PIV and FUCA methods to rank the alternatives, the best and worst alternatives are found regardless of the weight of the criteria. The best alternative determined using the PIV method is also the best alternative determined using the FUCA method. It means that the two PIV and FUCA methods have been shown to be equally effective. Among the seven transmission rod materials reviewed, 20 steel was identified as the best, and 40CrNi steel was identified as the worst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This case report describes a rare instance of drug‐induced aseptic meningitis after an interlaminar lumbar epidural steroid injection. Case Presentation: A 74 year‐old female patient presented to the ED post‐procedure day three after an L4‐L5 interlaminar lumbar epidural steroid injection with fever, nausea, and vomiting. The patient had previously undergone numerous lumbar epidurals without complications and used identical medications, which included 1% lidocaine, iohexol contrast, methylprednisolone (Depo‐medrol), and normal saline. Pertinent labs included a WBC of 15,000 cells/μL. Lumbar MRI revealed L4‐S1 aseptic arachnoiditis. Two bone scans with Gallium and T‐99 confirmed no infectious process. The patient then had a second admission months later with similar presenting symptoms and hospital course after repeating the lumbar epidural steroid injection. Lumbar MRI and CSF studies confirmed aseptic meningitis. Conclusion: This patient's repeated admissions from aseptic meningitis were likely caused by irritation of the meningeal layers from a medication used during the procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the COVID-19 outbreak, the method of self-study using technological devices and the Internet truly took off. The creation of learning tools has helped people actively learn and review what they know. Quizlet has helped a lot of students reach their educational goals. The research aims to find out how students feel about utilizing Quizlet for independent study. Both quantitative and qualitative methods are used to find out how often students use Quizlet, how happy they are with the service, and what its benefits and drawbacks are for students. 159 students took part in the study, which processed data via questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The results show that students use Quizlet for self-study usually for 2-3 hours per week. Also, the rating of student satisfaction is fairly favorable. The flashcard function attracts the greatest attention and delight because it efficiently aids pupils in topic review. While some students are dissatisfied with several elements like Match, as well as some typos and definition problems, as well as odd pronunciation, others favor Quizlet because of its efficiency and ease. It is predicted that students will favor Quizlet as a practical tool to organize prior knowledge and aid in long-term memory. Quizlet's developers can also add new features to make it a better learning tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: Balanophora latisepala (BL) is a chlorophyll-free and obligate parasitic plant found across mountainous areas of An Giang, Vietnam. This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of extracts from BL, herbs mentioned in many traditional medicines in the treatment of diabetes, on laboratory mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effects of BL aqueous, methanol, and ethanol extracts on the blood glucose levels, hematological indices, liver enzymes, and pancreatic tissue structure of normal, glucose-tolerant mice, and diabetic mice treated with streptozotocin (STZ) were assessed. Mice were orally administered extracts at a concentration of 500 mg/kg. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The aqueous and ethanol extracts did not affect the blood glucose levels of healthy and glucose-tolerant mice (P > 0.05). The methanol extract reduced the blood glucose of healthy mice (P < 0.05) but did not affect the blood glucose of glucose-tolerant mice 3 h after administration (P > 0.05). When taking the methanol and ethanol extracts, the diabetic mice experienced a 45.67% and a 40.33% decrease in blood glucose levels after 21 days of research, respectively. Aqueous extract and gliclazide (10 mg/kg) showed no effect on reducing blood glucose levels in diabetic mice over the 21 days of the study. Both methanol and ethanol extracts were effective in regulating liver enzyme levels in diabetic mice. In both untreated and treated diabetic mice, pancreatic islet structures were degraded with the appearance of gaps resulting from ß-cell degeneration. CONCLUSION: This implies that ethanol extracts have potential applications in regulating blood glucose levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Removing antibiotics from water is critical to prevent the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance, protect ecosystems, and maintain the effectiveness of these vital medications. The combination of ozone and electrocoagulation in wastewater treatment provides enhanced removal of contaminants, improved disinfection efficiency, and increased overall treatment effectiveness. In this work, the removal of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) from an aqueous solution using an ozone–electrocoagulation (O–EC) system was optimized and modeled. The experiments were designed according to the central composite design. The parameters, including current density, reaction time, pH, and ozone dose affecting the SMX removal efficiency of the OEC system, were optimized using a response surface methodology. The results show that the removal process was accurately predicted by the quadric model. The numerical optimization results show that the optimum conditions were a current density of 33.2 A/m2, a time of 37.8 min, pH of 8.4, and an ozone dose of 0.7 g/h. Under these conditions, the removal efficiency reached 99.65%. A three-layer artificial neural network (ANN) with logsig-purelin transfer functions was used to model the removal process. The data predicted by the ANN model matched well to the experimental data. The calculation of the relative importance showed that pH was the most influential factor, followed by current density, ozone dose, and time. The kinetics of the SMX removal process followed the first-order kinetic model with a rate constant of 0.12 (min−1). The removal mechanism involves various processes such as oxidation and reduction on the surface of electrodes, the reaction between ozone and ferrous ions, degradation of SMX molecules, formation of flocs, and adsorption of species on the flocs. The results obtained in this work indicate that the O–EC system is a potential approach for the removal of antibiotics from water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Mastery of auscultation can be challenging for many healthcare providers. Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered digital support is emerging as an aid to assist with the interpretation of auscultated sounds. A few AI-augmented digital stethoscopes exist but none are dedicated to pediatrics. Our goal was to develop a digital auscultation platform for pediatric medicine. (2) Methods: We developed StethAid—a digital platform for artificial intelligence-assisted auscultation and telehealth in pediatrics—that consists of a wireless digital stethoscope, mobile applications, customized patient-provider portals, and deep learning algorithms. To validate the StethAid platform, we characterized our stethoscope and used the platform in two clinical applications: (1) Still's murmur identification and (2) wheeze detection. The platform has been deployed in four children's medical centers to build the first and largest pediatric cardiopulmonary datasets, to our knowledge. We have trained and tested deep-learning models using these datasets. (3) Results: The frequency response of the StethAid stethoscope was comparable to those of the commercially available Eko Core, Thinklabs One, and Littman 3200 stethoscopes. The labels provided by our expert physician offline were in concordance with the labels of providers at the bedside using their acoustic stethoscopes for 79.3% of lungs cases and 98.3% of heart cases. Our deep learning algorithms achieved high sensitivity and specificity for both Still's murmur identification (sensitivity of 91.9% and specificity of 92.6%) and wheeze detection (sensitivity of 83.7% and specificity of 84.4%). (4) Conclusions: Our team has created a technically and clinically validated pediatric digital AI-enabled auscultation platform. Use of our platform could improve efficacy and efficiency of clinical care for pediatric patients, reduce parental anxiety, and result in cost savings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visually rich documents, such as forms, invoices, receipts, and ID cards, are ubiquitous in daily business and life. Various methods have been used to convey such diverse information, including text, layout, font size, or text position. Combining these elements in information extraction can improve the result performance. However, previous works have not effectively utilized the cooperation between these rich information sources. Text detection and recognition have been performed without semantic supervision (e.g., entity name annotation), and text information extraction has been performed using only serialized plain text, ignoring rich visual information. This paper presents a method for extracting information from such documents, which integrates textual, non-spatial, and spatial visual features. The method consists of two main steps and uses three deep neural networks. The first step, Text Reading, employs two CNN models (Lightweight DB and C-PREN) for OCR tasks, based on the state-of-the-art models DB and PREN, with two improvements. These improvements include reducing noise by removing the SE block of DB and integrating both context and position features in PREN. The second step, Text Information Extraction, uses a graph convolutional network, RGCN, for name entity recognition. Experiments on self-collected and two public datasets have demonstrated that our method improves the performance of the original models and outperforms other state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel investigation of the bearing capacity of ring footings embedded in undrained anisotropic clays using a new hybrid soft computation technique that cooperates between finite element limit analysis (FELA) and artificial neural networks (ANNs) is presented in this paper. The undrained shear strength of clays is considered to be anisotropic and linearly increased with depth. The anisotropic undrained shear strength (AUS) model is employed to demonstrate the anisotropic behaviour of the undrained clays. The FLEA solutions of this problem based on lower bound (LB) and upper bound (UB) solutions are presented. The variations of bearing capacity factor (N) and the failure patterns of ring footings are examined by considering the changes in the geometric ratio of the internal radius and external radius (ri/ro), the embedment ratio (D/ro), the rates of increase of undrained shear with depth (ρro/suTC0), and the ratio of anisotropic (re). The results of the paper are presented in the simple dimensionless design charts and tables that show the relationships between N and all investigated parameters which will be beneficial to practitioners. Furthermore, the application of artificial neural networks (ANNs) is adopted to do sensitivity analysis and build an empirical equation for the complex relationship between the input variables and output bearing capacity factor. As the results, the radius ratio ri/ro is the most important variable on bearing capacity factor and the lower importance parameters are D/ro, ρro/suTC0, and re with relative importance 37.01, 30.37; 21.59; 11.03%, respectively. The proposed empirical equation is also proved to be an efficient method as evidenced by the high agreement between its predicted values and those from FELA with R2 of 99.95%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conducting research on nutritional status and dietary intake of pulmonary tuberculosis patients is essential for developing interventions in clinical nutrition practice and treatment during hospitalization, which can improve the quality of patients life. This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to determine nutritional status and some related factors (such as geography, occupation, educational level, economic classification, etc.) of 221 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis who were examined and treated at the Respiratory Tuberculosis Department, National Lung Hospital in July 2019-May 2020. The results showed that the risk of undernutrition: According to BMI (Body Mass Index): 45.8% of patients were malnourished, 44.2% normal and 10.0% overweight/obese. According to MUAC (Mid-Upper Arm Circumference): 60.2% of patients were malnourished, 39.8% of patients were normal. According to SGA (Subjective Global Assessment): 57.9% of patients were at risk of undernutrition, of which 40.7% were at moderate risk of undernutrition and 17.2% risk of severe undernutrition. Classification of nutritional status according to serum albumin index: 50% of patients were malnourished, the rate of undernutrition of mild, moderate and severe levels was 28.9%, 17.9% and 3.2%, respectively. Most patients eat with others and eat less than four meals a day. The average dietary energy of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in was 1242.6 ± 46.5 Kcal and 1084 ± 57.9 Kcal, respectively. 85.52% of patients did not eat enough food, 4.07% had enough,10.41% consumed excess energy. The ratio of energy-generating substances in the diet (Carbohydrate:Protein:Lipid) was on average 54:18:28 for males and 55:16:32 for females. Most of the study population had diets that did not meet the experimental study in terms of micronutrient content. Specifically, more than 90% do not meet the requirements for magnesium, calcium, zinc, and vitamin D. The water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins respond poorly, only about 30--40%. Selenium is the mineral with the best response rate, above 70%. Our findings revealed that the majority of the study subjects had poor nutritional status, as evidenced by diets lacking in essential micronutrients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital stethoscopes can enable the development of integrated artificial intelligence (AI) systems that can remove the subjectivity of manual auscultation, improve diagnostic accuracy, and compensate for diminishing auscultatory skills. Developing scalable AI systems can be challenging, especially when acquisition devices differ and thus introduce sensor bias. To address this issue, a precise knowledge of these differences, i.e., frequency responses of these devices, is needed, but the manufacturers often do not provide complete device specifications. In this study, we reported an effective methodology for determining the frequency response of a digital stethoscope and used it to characterise three common digital stethoscopes: Littmann 3200, Eko Core, and Thinklabs One. Our results show significant inter-device variability in that the frequency responses of the three studied stethoscopes were distinctly different. A moderate intra-device variability was seen when comparing two separate units of Littmann 3200. The study highlights the need for normalisation across devices for developing successful AI-assisted auscultation and provides a technical characterisation approach as a first step to accomplish it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Late detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) results in an overall 5-year survival rate of less than 16%. Liquid biopsy (LB) assays based on detecting circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) might provide an opportunity to detect HCC early noninvasively. Increasing evidence indicates that ctDNA detection using mutation-based assays is significantly challenged by the abundance of white blood cell-derived mutations, non-tumor tissue-derived somatic mutations in plasma, and the mutational tumor heterogeneity. Methods: Here, we employed concurrent analysis of cancer-related mutations, and their fragment length profiles to differentiate mutations from different sources. To distinguish persons with HCC (PwHCC) from healthy participants, we built a classification model using three fragmentomic features of ctDNA through deep sequencing of thirteen genes associated with HCC. Results: Our model achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.88, a sensitivity of 89%, and a specificity of 82% in the discovery cohort consisting of 55 PwHCC and 55 healthy participants. In an independent validation cohort of 54 PwHCC and 53 healthy participants, the established model achieved comparable classification performance with an AUC of 0.86 and yielded a sensitivity and specificity of 81%. Conclusions: Our study provides a rationale for subsequent clinical evaluation of our assay performance in a large-scale prospective study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease of 2019) is one of the most challenging healthcare crises of the twenty-first century. The pandemic causes many negative impacts on all aspects of life and livelihoods. Although recent developments of relevant vaccines, such as Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA, AstraZeneca, or Moderna, the emergence of new virus mutations and their fast infection rate yet pose significant threats to public health. In this context, early detection of the disease is an important factor to reduce its effect and quickly control the spread of pandemic. Nevertheless, many countries still rely on methods that are either expensive and time-consuming (i.e., Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction) or uncomfortable and difficult for self-testing (i.e., Rapid Antigen Test Nasal). Recently, deep learning methods have been proposed as a potential solution for COVID-19 analysis. However, previous works usually focus on a single symptom, which can omit critical information for disease diagnosis. Therefore, in this study, we propose a multi-modal method to detect COVID-19 using cough sounds and self-reported symptoms. The proposed method consists of five neural networks to deal with different input features, including CNN-biLSTM for MFCC features, EfficientNetV2 for Mel spectrogram images, MLP for self-reported symptoms, C-YAMNet for cough detection, and RNNoise for noise-canceling. Experimental results demonstrated that our method outperformed the other state-of-the-art methods with a high AUC, accuracy, and F1-score of 98.6%, 96.9%, and 96.9% on the testing set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two previously unreported compounds (1 and 2) together with eight known compounds (3-10) were isolated from the methanol extract of sea snail Tectus maximus Koch, 1844. Their chemical structures were determined to be 6-acetoxy-deoxyinosine (1), 6-acetoxy-inosine (2), deoxyinosine (3), inosine (4), adenosine (5), deoxyadenosine (6), deoxyuridine (7), thymidine (8), glycerol arachidonate (9), and arachidonic acid (10) on the basis of HR-ESI-MS and NMR spectroscopic analyses. This is the first report of those compounds from the genus Tectus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, society has paid great attention to health care and environmental safety. Thus, research on advanced sensors for detecting substances that can harm health and the environment has been developed rapidly. Another popular target for detection techniques is disease-expressing materials that can be collected from body fluids. Carbon, which has outstanding electrochemical properties, can come from a variety of sources and has many morphological shapes, is nevertheless an environmentally friendly material. While carbon nanomaterial has become one of the most common targets for high-tech development, electrochemical voltammetry has proven to be an effective measurement method. Herein, the paper proposes a currently developed carbon nanomaterial along with research on a modified carbon material. Moreover, four common voltammetry methods and related works are also introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The retinal degenerative disease retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a genetic disease that is the most common cause of blindness in adults. In 2016, Chow et. al. identified over 100 candidate modifier genes for RP through the genome-wide analysis of 173 inbred strains from the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP). However, this type of analysis may miss some modifiers lying in trans to the variation. In this paper, we propose an alternative approach to identify transcripts whose expression is significantly altered in strains demonstrating extreme phenotypes. The differences in the eye size phenotype will, therefore, be associated directly with changes in gene expression rather than indirectly through genetic variation that might then be linked to changes in gene expression. Gene expression data are obtained from the DGRP2 database, where each strain is represented by up to two replicates. The proposed algorithmic approach first chooses the strains' replicate combination that best represents the relationship between gene expression level and eye size. The extensive correlation analysis identified several genes with known relationships to eye development, along with another set of genes with unknown functions in eye development. The modifiers identified in this analysis can be validated and characterized in biological systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This communication investigates design requirements for a class of dual-polarized in-band full-duplex (IBFD) antennas utilizing a symmetry of structures and a differential-feeding scheme. The analysis reveals that, to achieve zero coupling between two ports, the out-of-phase power divider (PD) does not need to have perfect isolation and perfect matching at the two output ports. A more relaxed set of requirements for the PD is derived for the first time. Based on this, an ultra-wideband cross-shaped Vivaldi antenna is designed for IBFD applications with very high isolation. The measured 10 dB return loss bandwidth is 1.26–8.0 GHz (145.5%), while the measured port-to-port isolation is >42 dB at 1.26–4.7 GHz (115.4%) and >34 dB within the whole operational bandwidth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our paper aims to present DISCUSSION ON International treaties and BASIS OF PROVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMINES IN Criminal Law By using qualitative and analytical methods, descriptive method for primary model, synthesis and discussion methods, This study find out that: In the process of developing international cooperation, the trend of globalization in the field of environmental protection, the number of regulations regulating environmental products is increasing. Therefore, the principled development embodied in the drafting and application of regional and international conventions and codes becomes the model for the application of criminal liability measures to the behavior that is dangerous to society and infringes on the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are different treatments for cancer depending on the type of cancer and the stage at which it was found. Therefore, patients should learn as much as possible to understand and know their specific condition. Our study findings show that there are many different cancer treatment methods, but no matter which method is applied, to achieve the most effective treatment, the core still lies in the need to detect cancer as early as possible. Therefore, regular health check-ups and cancer screenings play an extremely important role, not only helping to detect cancer early, but also helping to classify high-risk groups of patients, need a plan. And Cancer treatment should be done as soon as possible, without delay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the Department of Functional Exploration (Bai Chay Hospital), the doctors and nurses have mastered the modern endoscopic ultrasound technique, which provides fast and accurate diagnosis of diseases of the digestive tract, gallbladder, pancreas, mucosal and extra-mucosal lesions of the gastrointestinal tract. Regularly invite leading experts in specialized fields to help the province both directly examine and treat people and train staff. As a result, provincial hospitals have implemented many new and high-tech techniques, successfully treating many severe and difficult diseases without having to transfer patients to higher levels, creating favorable conditions and reducing costs for patients. Our study shows that Bai Chay Hospital has continuously deployed and applied modern and specialized medical techniques and technologies in the fields of general surgery, cranial nerves, spine, oncology, etc., for effective treatment of pathologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bai Chay Hospital has promoted the application of advanced medical techniques, developed infrastructure and information technology infrastructure in medical examination and treatment. Since then, many achievements have been made in people's health care, excellently completing the tasks of the sector, creating trust and satisfaction in the quality of medical services. By using mainly qualitative analysis and inductive, explanatory and synthesis method, Our study shows that Bai Chay Hospital has invested many modern medical equipment for their operation and cancer patient treatment. Therefore, when purchasing equipment, the price appraisal results of the state agencies competent to conduct asset price appraisal, the valuation enterprises for the types of assets, goods and services subject to price appraisal according to the provisions of the Law on price. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Source and composition of feed influence rumen microbial community, which determines efficiency of feed digestion and thus productivity in ruminants. Therefore, changes in the structure, function and diversity of the rumen microbial populations in response to changes in diet provide an understanding in the rumen fermentation process. Aims. The present study, consisting of two experiments, was conducted to determine the effects of supplementing different protein and energy sources on the rumen bacterial community in cattle. Methods. The dietary treatments of the first experiment, which evaluated the effect of protein sources, were as follows: (i) Hymenachne acutigluma grass, rice straw and rice bran (1.5 kg/head.day; C1), (ii) C1 plus 120 g urea/head.day (C1 + U), (iii) C1 plus 720 g soybean/head.day (C1 + SM), and (iv) C1 plus 720 g of blood and feather meal (in 1:1 ratio)/head.day (C1 + BFM). The treatments in the second experiment were (i) Hymenachne acutigluma grass, rice straw and concentrate (1.5 kg/head.day; C2), (ii) C2 plus 250 g fish oil/head.day (C2 + FO) and (iii) C2 + 250 g soybean oil/head.day (C2 + SO). At the end of the 90-day feeding trial, rumen fluids were extracted for microbialDNA isolation to identify the microbe species by the polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis method and sequencing of the 16S rRNA region. Key results. The sequences of someDNAbands were closely related to the bacteria strains of the Prevotella, Cytophaga, Capnocytophaga, Cyanobacterium, Catonella, Faecalibacterium, Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae, Propionivibrio, Galbibacter, Moorellaglycerin, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella alba groups, with similarity levels ranging from 73% to 96%. In addition, the Prevotella species was found in both the protein and the energy supplement trials, and irrespective of diet supplements, the Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the prominent groups in the rumen. Conclusions. Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes are the two dominant groups of rumen microflora, and Bacteroidia and Clostridia classes together with the Prevotella genus are predominant in the rumen irrespective of protein and energy sources. Implications. Our findings provided evidence on the effect of diet on the interaction of rumen microbial community and have important implications in establishing optimal diets for cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish protein isolate (FPI) was extracted from tuna dark muscle (TDM) using the pH‐shift method that improves significantly its sensory quality and nutritional value. The amino‐acid composition of the FPI was close to that of TDM, but the total protein content was higher. The solubility of FPI in water was higher than 85% at pH ≥ 6 and pH ≤ 3, but it dropped to about 10% at pH values close to the isoelectric point pI ≈ 5.0. The soluble FPI was present in the form of aggregates that were characterized by light‐scattering. The microstructure of FPI solutions on larger length scales was probed by confocal microscopy, large protein flocs formed at pH close to pI. SDS‐PAGE indicated that a significant fraction of myosin heavy chains was broken down into smaller chains. The viscosity decreased with decreasing of pH, which correlated with the decreasing size of the aggregates. Novelty Impact Statement: Tuna dark muscle (TDM) represents a significant fraction of industrially processed tuna and it is currently considered a low value by‐product because of its poor sensory qualities, but TDM has a high protein content that does not suffer from sensory defects if it is extracted by dispersing TDM at pH 12 and precipitating the dissolved protein at pH 5.5. The protein isolate is highly soluble (> 85%) in water at pH > 6 and pH < 3, where it is present in the form of small aggregates with average radii between 90 and 250 nm, depending on the pH. The characterization of the composition of TDM protein isolate and its properties in water show that it is a viable product for use in industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • An ionic conducting disulfide network was synthesized based on polyethylene. • The copolymer can maintain the ionic conductivity of polyethylene glycol. • The copolymer network has a short chain segment relaxation time (5.18 × 10−5 s). • The melted network can penetrate the complicated surface of active material. • Lithium hybrid capacitor with copolymer as electrolyte performed excellently. Polymer electrolytes are being actively researched in energy storage applications because of their large operating potential range and cycle stability. Among them, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is most commonly used to take advantage of the high ionic conductivity generated by polar functional groups in the structure. However, the polar functional group in the PEG structure has limitations that not only interfere with the movement of ions through interchain interaction, but also prevent the penetration of the polymer structure into the electrode material. In this paper, a copolymer into which a dynamic disulfide bonding network was introduced based on PEG was synthesized to control the polar functional effect of the polymer chain. The copolymer was then applied as a lithium-ion hybrid capacitor electrolyte. Due to the disconnection of the dynamic disulfide bond, the viscosity of the polymer electrolyte was reduced, allowing smooth penetration into the electrode material. The copolymer-based polymer electrolyte showed better energy storage performance and shorter relaxation time than a commercial PEG-based device (225 F g−1/5.18 × 10−5 s for copolymer and 166 F g−1/7.96 × 10−3 s for PEG). In addition, the copolymer not only preserved excellent ionic conductivity of PEG at a certain level (from 6.3 × 10−4 S cm−1 to 3.73 × 10−4 S cm−1) but also decreased the polarity of the material due to the presence of the nonpolar disulfide chain, thereby reducing crystallinity and dielectric permittivity (from 1460 to 246). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • An ionic conducting disulfide network was synthesized based on polyethylene. • The copolymer can maintain the ionic conductivity of polyethylene glycol. • The copolymer network has a short chain segment relaxation time (5.18 × 10−5 s). • The melted network can penetrate the complicated surface of active material. • Lithium hybrid capacitor with copolymer as electrolyte performed excellently. Polymer electrolytes are being actively researched in energy storage applications because of their large operating potential range and cycle stability. Among them, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is most commonly used to take advantage of the high ionic conductivity generated by polar functional groups in the structure. However, the polar functional group in the PEG structure has limitations that not only interfere with the movement of ions through interchain interaction, but also prevent the penetration of the polymer structure into the electrode material. In this paper, a copolymer into which a dynamic disulfide bonding network was introduced based on PEG was synthesized to control the polar functional effect of the polymer chain. The copolymer was then applied as a lithium-ion hybrid capacitor electrolyte. Due to the disconnection of the dynamic disulfide bond, the viscosity of the polymer electrolyte was reduced, allowing smooth penetration into the electrode material. The copolymer-based polymer electrolyte showed better energy storage performance and shorter relaxation time than a commercial PEG-based device (225 F g−1/5.18 × 10−5 s for copolymer and 166 F g−1/7.96 × 10−3 s for PEG). In addition, the copolymer not only preserved excellent ionic conductivity of PEG at a certain level (from 6.3 × 10−4 S cm−1 to 3.73 × 10−4 S cm−1) but also decreased the polarity of the material due to the presence of the nonpolar disulfide chain, thereby reducing crystallinity and dielectric permittivity (from 1460 to 246). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The potential energy surface of the C 2 H 5 OH + C(3P) reaction has been investigated at higher levels of theory at the CCSD(T)/cc-pVQZ and CCSD(T)/CBS. • The quantum calculations show that there are six reaction channels having low-lying energy. C(3P) atom combines with C 2 H 5 OH to form pre-reaction complexes to be followed by a decomposition or insert into O-H, C α -H, and C β -H bonds. • The kinetics calculations were performed by the Variflex code in which the barrierless and unimolecular processes are calculated by using VTST and RRKM theories considering Eckart tunneling corrections in the temperature range of 300 – 2000 K and pressures between 100 and 7600 Torr. • The kinetics calculations indicate that CH 3 CHCH + OH is the reaction's main product under all the studied conditions and the calculated heats of reaction agree well with the available experimental values. The potential energy surface of the C 2 H 5 OH + C(3P) reaction has been investigated at the CCSD(T)/CBS//M06-2X/cc-pVQZ level of theory. The kinetics calculations show that CH 3 CHCH + OH is the major product under all the studied conditions. At 760 Torr, the predicted total rate constant can be represented by the expressions k (T) = 1.31 × 1040 T8.69 exp(−2264.4 K/T) (T = 300 – 600 K); k (T) = 2.11 × 1025 T3.94 exp(−5105.8 K/T) (T = 600 – 2500 K) in units of cm3 molecule−1 s−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine the determinants of maternal healthcare choice for children under five years old with pneumonia in Vietnam. The choices include taking their children to the hospitals, staying at home and using self-medication, or choosing traditional method by consulting a traditionalist or a spiritualist. We use the multinomial logit model to study a collection of 215 observations from onsite surveys, including different groups of ethnic minorities. The results indicate that ethnicity, residence, education and income level determine the mothers’ care seeking behaviors for children with pneumonia. The findings are expected to provide better insights into the behavior of the ethnic minority mothers when dealing with pneumonia and help the Vietnamese authorities alleviate this recurring disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to better understand transnational computer fraud in Vietnam utilizing crime script analysis. Data from criminal profiles and in-depth interviews with investigators were combined, and the results showed that Vietnam could become an operational base for both domestic and foreign criminals to implement transnational computer fraud. This type of fraud, which includes crimes with only minor technological elements and those involving almost entirely technological factors, represents the intersection of fraud, transnationality, and technology. Technology can support criminals in defrauding victims transnationally without the need for direct interaction. Moreover, the study clarified the different roles of Vietnamese and foreign offenders in the two types of transnational computer fraud: bank card data fraud and phone scams. As the first study of this nature implemented in Vietnam, this research contributes to the knowledge of computer fraud, especially in Asia, providing a foundation for future investigations related to this kind of cybercrime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clinical use of microwave tomography (MT) requires addressing the significant mismatch between simulated environment, which is used in the forward solver, and real-life system. To alleviate this mismatch, a calibrated tomography, which uses two homogeneous calibration phantoms and a modified distorted Born iterative method (DBIM), is presented. The two phantoms are used to derive a linear model that matches the forward solver to real-life measurements. Moreover, experimental observations indicate that signal quality at different frequencies varies between different antennas due to inevitably inconsistent manufacturing tolerance and variances in radio-frequency chains. An optimum frequency, at which the simulated and measured signals of the antenna present maximum similarity when irradiating the calibrated phantoms, is thus calculated for each antenna. A frequency-division DBIM (FD-DBIM), in which different antennas in the array transmit their corresponding optimum frequencies, is subsequently developed. A clinical brain scanner is then used to assess performance of the algorithm in lab and healthy volunteers’ tests. The linear calibration model is first used to calibrate the measured data. After that FD-DBIM is used to solve the problem and map the dielectric properties of the imaged domain. The simulated and experimental results confirm validity of the presented approach and its superiority to other tomographic method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This was followed by conversion of B 5 b to L I tert i -butyl N-[2,6-dioxo-hexahydro-3-pyridinyl]carbamate ( B 6 b ) using the combination of NaNH SB 2 sb /liq NH SB 3 sb /Fe(NO SB 3 sb ) SB 3 sb .[30] Compound B 6 b was treated with trifluoroacetic acid in dichloromethane to afford 3-aminoglutarimide trifluoroacetate ( B 7 b ). Synthesis of thalidomide (1) Into a round-bottom flask was placed a mixture of I N i -phthaloyl I DL i -glutamic acid ( B 8 b ) (167 g, 0.6 mol), thiourea (137 g, 1.8 mol), 0.15 g 4-dimethylaminopyridine, and diphenyl ether (150 mL). [Extracted from the article]

This paper uses Molecular Dynamics (MD) method to study the influence of high temperature (T) and high pressure (P) on the structure and phase transition of Fe2O3 materials. The results show that, when increasing the temperature from T = 300 K to T = 7000 K, P = 0.0 GPa, the size (1) of the Fe2O3 materials increases, the energy (E) increases, the length link (r) decreased, the number of structural units FeO4, FeO5 increased, and FeO6 decreased. Similarly, as the pressure (P) is increased, from P = 0 GPa to P = 360 GPa at temperatures T, l decreases, E increases, r decreases, FeO4 decreases and disappears, FeO5 decreases, and FeO6 increases at high P with P ≥ 150 GPa, FeO5 disappeared at P ≥ 250 GPa and only FeO6 appeared at T = 2300, 7000 K. In addition, when increasing T, P, the bond angle of Fe-O-Fe, O-Fe-O decreases, E increases, r decreases, l increases when T increases and l decreases when P increases, leading to the number of structural units FeO4, FeO5 increasing and FeO6 decreasing when T increases and vice versa when P increases. In addition, the phase transition temperature (Tm), Tm = 2300 K was determined. All the obtained results will be the basis for future experimental studies of amorphous Fe2O3 materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]