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Myelin damage and a wide range of symptoms are caused by the immune system targeting the central nervous system in Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a chronic autoimmune neurological condition. It disrupts signals between the brain and body, causing symptoms including tiredness, muscle weakness, and difficulty with memory and balance. Traditional methods for detecting MS are less precise and time-consuming, which is a major gap in addressing this problem. This gap has motivated the investigation of new methods to improve MS detection consistency and accuracy. This paper proposed a novel approach named FAD consisting of Deep Neural Network (DNN) fused with an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to detect MS with more efficiency and accuracy, utilizing regularization and combat over-fitting. We use gene expression data for MS research in the GEO GSE17048 dataset. The dataset is preprocessed by performing encoding, standardization using min-max-scaler, and feature selection using Recursive Feature Elimination with Cross-Validation (RFECV) to optimize and refine the dataset. Meanwhile, for experimenting with the dataset, another deep-learning hybrid model is integrated with different ML models, including Random Forest (RF), Gradient Boosting (GB), XGBoost (XGB), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) and Decision Tree (DT). Results reveal that FAD performed exceptionally well on the dataset, which was evident with an accuracy of 96.55% and an F1-score of 96.71%. The use of the proposed FAD approach helps in achieving remarkable results with better accuracy than previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health performance and well-being are crucial elements of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, aiming to improve the overall quality of life and promote a prosperous community. Within this context, this study intended to examine the impact of recent innovations, logistical measures, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) diffusion, environmental quality improvements, economic growth, and green (renewable) energy exploitation on health performance and well-being, in Saudi Arabia from 1990 to 2022, by implementing machine learning models (random forest and gradient boosting) and regression algorithms (ridge and lasso). Overall, the findings of machine learning models indicate a strong impact of digital connectivity on health spending by internet users, with scores of 0.673 and 0.86. Further, economic growth also influences health costs but to a lesser extent, with scores of 0.145 and 0.082. Mobile user penetration and CO2 emissions have moderate to low importance, suggesting nuanced interactions with health expenditure. Patent applications and logistics performance show minimal impact, indicating a limited direct influence on health costs within this study. Similarly, the share of renewable energy is negligible, reflecting its minimal impact on the analyzed data. Finally, regression analyses using ridge and lasso models confirmed similar trends, further validating these findings. Limitations and several policy implications are also debated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adversarial malware poses novel threats to smart devices since they grow progressively integrated into daily life, highlighting their potential weaknesses and importance. Several Machine Learning (ML) based methods, such as Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs), Malware Detection Systems (MDSs), and Device Identification Systems (DISs), have been used in smart device security to detect and prevent cyber-attacks. However, ML still has much malware to overcome, including the proliferation of adversarial malware designed to deceive classifiers. This research generates two novel datasets: first by injecting adversarial attacks in binary malware detection dataset named ADD-1 and second by injecting attacks in malware category detection dataset named ADD-2. Further, it provides an approach to detect adversarial static malware in smartphones utilizing different ML models (Random Forest (RF), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB), Decision Tree (DT) and Gradient Boosting (GB), ensemble voting, and Deep Neural Network (DNN) models. This study preprocessed data by analyzing and converting the categorical data into numerical values using the data normalization technique (i.e., standard scalar). According to the findings, the proposed XGB model predicts adversarial attacks with 88% accuracy and outperforms conventional ML and DL models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restoring ecological dynamics is a key objective of conservation translocations. Exemplarily, reconnecting the reintroduced alpine populations with native Pyrenean populations through re‐establishing locally extinct populations in between, in the Causses and the Pre‐Alps, is a major goal for the long‐term conservation of Bearded Vultures in Europe. Understanding Bearded Vultures' post‐release movements and foraging behavior is critical to understanding the settlement of newly restored populations and to supporting conservation measures. The telemetric monitoring of 43 translocated and wild‐born juveniles allowed us to investigate whether differences exist in post‐release movements and foraging behavior during the first year of life between reintroduced and native populations. Medium‐ and long‐distance exploration movements start during the spring following fledging for both translocated and wild‐born individuals. However, birds translocated in the most distant release site (Causses) exhibited greater exploration distances with no clear directional movement pattern, had smaller home ranges, and had a stronger preference for supplementary feeding stations than those from other populations. Although some birds translocated in the Pre‐Alps displayed similar behaviors, the pattern is not as strong as in the Causses, likely because of the proximity to the breeding populations reintroduced in the Alps or differences in the number and management of supplementary feeding stations. Preference for supplementary feeding stations (SFS) mostly occurred in the Pre‐Alps and the native populations, but was lower in the Causses. Seasonal variations in SFS preference were consistent among populations, with a peak in the first spring following fledging. Beyond documenting post‐release movements in Bearded Vultures, we suggest better accounting for the demographic consequences of behaviors to track conservation translocation effectiveness, at both local and regional scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is the development of innovative nanocurcumin-based formulations designed for the treatment and prevention of oxidative stress and diabetes. Nanocurcumin was obtained through a micronization process and subsequently encapsulated within biopolymers derived from corn starch and fenugreek mucilage, achieving encapsulation rates of 75% and 85%, respectively. Subsequently, the encapsulated nanocurcumin was utilized in the formulation of sugar-free syrups based on Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni. The stability of the resulting formulations was assessed by monitoring particle size distribution and zeta potential over a 25-day period. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) revealed a particle size of 119.9 nm for the fenugreek mucilage-based syrup (CURF) and 117 nm for the corn starch-based syrup (CURA), with polydispersity indices PDIs of 0.509 and 0.495, respectively. The dissolution rates of the encapsulated nanocurcumin were significantly enhanced, showing a 67% improvement in CURA and a 70% enhancement in CURF compared with crude curcumin (12.82%). Both formulations demonstrated excellent antioxidant activity, as evidenced by polyphenol quantification using the 2.2-diphenyl 1-pycrilhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. In the evaluation of antidiabetic activity conducted on Wistar rats, a substantial reduction in fasting blood sugar levels from 392 to 187 mg/mL was observed. The antioxidant properties of CURF in reducing oxidative stress were clearly demonstrated by a macroscopic observation of the rats' livers, including their color and appearance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar (BC) and plant growth-promoting microbes (PGPR) could represent a suitable agronomical strategy to mitigate the impacts of drought in arid agro-environmental conditions. However, there is currently little understanding of the synergistic benefit of combining BC and PGPR to increase drought tolerance in oilseeds. In this study, the physiological response of two water-stressed canola (Brassica napus L.) plants subjected to the application of BC obtained from waste wood of Morus alba applied solely or in combination with PGPR strains (Pseudomonas sp.) was evaluated. The experiment consists of two genotypes and nine treatments [(C-Control, T1-15 days drought (15DD), T2-30 days drought (30DD), T3-15 days of drought + PG (15DD + PG), T4-30 days of drought + PG (30DD + PG), T5-15 days drought + biochar (15DD + BC), T6-30 days drought + biochar (30DD + BC), T7-15 days drought + biochar + PG (15DD + BC + PG), T8-30 days drought + biochar + PG (30DD + BC + PG)]. Drought stress decreased emergence energy (EE), leaf area index (LAI), leaf area ratio (LAR), root shoot ratio (RSR), moisture content of leaves (MCL), percent moisture content (%MC), moisture content of shoot (MCS) and moisture content of root (MCR), and relative water content (RWC) in both varieties of Brassica napus L., which in contrast, it is increased by the collective application of both biochar and PGPR. In both varieties, N, P, K, Mg, and Ca concentrations were highest in all the biochar and PGPRs separate and combined treatments, while lowest in 15 and 30 days drought treatments. Osmolyte contents like Glycine betaine (GB) and sugar remarkably increased in the stress condition and then reduced due to the synergistic application of biochar and PGPR. Drought stress has a repressive effect on the antioxidant enzymatic system like Peroxidase (POD), Superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione reductase (GR) as well as total flavonoids, phenolics, and protein content. The antioxidant enzymes and phenolic compounds were dramatically increased by the combined action of biochar and PGPRs. A significant increase in EE, LAR, RSR, and RWC under 15 and 30 days drought conditions, evidently highlighting the synergistic effect of BC and PGPR. The results conclude a substantial and positive effect of the combined use of BC and PGPR strains on canola's response to induced drought stress, by regulating the physiological, biochemical, and agronomic traits of the plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adversarial attacks are more prevalent in Consumer Internet of Things (CIoT) devices (i.e., smart home devices, cameras, actuators, sensors, and micro-controllers) because of their growing integration into daily activities, which brings attention to their possible shortcomings and usefulness. Keeping protection in the CIoT and countering emerging risks require constant updates and monitoring of these devices. Machine learning (ML), in combination with Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI), has become an essential component of the CIoT ecosystem due to its rapid advancement and impressive results across several application domains for attack detection, prevention, mitigation, and providing explanations of such decisions. These attacks exploit and steal sensitive data, disrupt the devices' functionality, or gain unauthorized access to connected networks. This research generates a novel dataset by injecting adversarial attacks into the CICIoT2023 dataset. It presents an adversarial attack detection approach named TXAI-ADV that utilizes deep learning (Mutli-Layer Perceptron (MLP) and Deep Neural Network (DNN)) and machine learning classifiers (K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), Support Vector Classifier (SVC), Gaussian Naive Bayes (GNB), ensemble voting, and Meta Classifier) to detect attacks and avert such situations rapidly in a CIoT. This study utilized Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) techniques, an XAI technique, to analyze the average impact of each class feature on the proposed models and select optimal features for the adversarial attacks dataset. The results revealed that, with a 96% accuracy rate, the proposed approach effectively detects adversarial attacks in a CIoT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of agricultural chemicals has adversely affected soil health and the environment. Organic farming practices, particularly vermicompost (VC), are gaining attention for their potential to improve soil fertility and crop productivity. This study investigated VC rate applications on lettuce growth, yield, soil fertility, nutrient dynamics, enzyme activity, biological parameters, and biochemical aspects under greenhouse conditions in Samsun, Turkey during 2022–2023. Experimentally, VC was applied at rates of V1: 1%, V2: 2%, and V3: 4% w/w, with a control group without VC application, V0: 0% w/w. Batavia lettuce, which is sensitive to environmental conditions and nutrient deficiency, was subjected to these treatments in a randomized complete block design, replicated thrice. Results showed consistent improvements in plant dry weight across all VC treatments, with the 2% application rate (V2) yielding the highest increase in lettuce yield (56.43%). Soil pH varied across treatments, with V1 being slightly alkaline and V3 showing high electrical conductivity and increased nitrogen content. Phosphorus content increased in all treatments, while potassium varied, with V3 having the highest values. Soil enzyme activities increased with VC concentrations, with V3 showing the highest urease activity. Pearson correlations confirmed positive associations with growth parameters and soil enzymatic activity. These findings highlight vermicompost as a sustainable solution for lettuce production and soil improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agricultural sector faces the dual challenge of enhancing crop productivity and mitigating environmental impacts. Optimizing nutrient management is vital for sustainable agriculture, particularly in sloping terrains like the Himalayan region, where damaged soils require restoration. This study explores the synergistic effects of urea, poultry manure, and zeolite on wheat growth and yield in degraded mountainous soils. A total of twelve treatments were implemented in a randomized complete block design, replicated three times. The treatments included a control (T1); urea nitrogen at 120 kg N ha−1 (UN120) (T2); poultry manure (PM) at 120 kg N ha−1 (T3); zeolite-1 (Z1) at 5 t ha−1 (T4); zeolite-2 (Z2) at 5 t ha−1 (T5); UN120 + Z1 (T6); PM + Z1 (T7); UN120 + Z2 (T8); PM + Z2 (T9); ½ UN + ½ PM + Z1 (T10); ½ UN + ½ PM + Z2 (T11); and ½ UN + ½ PM + ½ Z1 + ½ Z2 (T12). The UN120 treatment demonstrated significant improvements in wheat growth, with notable increases in shoot length (79.7%), shoot fresh weight (50.8%), root length (50.6%), chlorophyll content (53.6%), and leaf area (72.5%) compared to the control. Wheat yield and its components experienced significant improvements when treated with urea nitrogen (UN) and zeolites. Among these treatments, UN120 exhibited the highest efficacy. Nutrient content analysis revealed substantial increases in shoot nitrogen (70.6%), phosphorus (33.3%), and potassium (15.6%) with UN120 treatment compared to the control. The concoction of UN and PM with zeolites further enhanced nutrient levels. Integrating mineral nitrogen sources with organic amendments and zeolites proved effective in enhancing wheat productivity in degraded mountainous soils. Despite positive results, further research is essential for widespread recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the microenvironment, cell interactions are established between different cell types to regulate their migration, survival and activation. β-Catenin is a multifunctional protein that stabilizes cell–cell interactions and regulates cell survival through its transcriptional activity. We used chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells as a cellular model to study the role of β-catenin in regulating the adhesion of tumor cells to their microenvironment, which is necessary for tumor cell survival and accumulation. When co-cultured with a stromal cell line (HS-5), a fraction of the CLL cells adhere to stromal cells in a dynamic fashion regulated by the different levels of β-catenin expression. In non-adherent cells, β-catenin is stabilized in the cytosol and translocates into the nucleus, increasing the expression of cyclin D1. In adherent cells, the level of cytosolic β-catenin is low but membrane β-catenin helps to stabilize the adhesion of CLL to stromal cells. Indeed, the overexpression of β-catenin enhances the interaction of CLL with HS-5 cells, suggesting that this protein behaves as a regulator of cell adhesion to the stromal component and of the transcriptional regulation of cell survival. Inhibitors that block the stabilization of β-catenin alter this equilibrium and effectively disrupt the support that CLL cells receive from the cross-talk with the stroma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curcumin is known for its anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and antioxidant properties, but its use in biological applications is hindered by its sensitivity to light, oxygen, and temperature. Furthermore, due to its low water solubility, curcumin has a poor pharmacokinetic profile and bioavailability. In this study, we evaluated the potential application of curcumin as a neuroprotective agent encapsulated in RGD peptide-PEGylated nanoliposomes developed from salmon-derived lecithin. Salmon lecithin, rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, was used to formulate empty or curcumin-loaded nanoliposomes. Transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and nanoparticle tracking analysis characterizations indicated that the marine-derived peptide-PEGylated nanoliposomes were spherical in shape, nanometric in size, and with an overall negative charge. Cytotoxicity tests of curcumin-loaded nanoliposomes revealed an improved tolerance of neurons to curcumin as compared to free curcumin. Wild-type SH-SY5Y were treated for 24 h with curcumin-loaded nanoliposomes, followed by 24 h incubation with conditioned media of SH-SY5Y expressing the Swedish mutation of APP containing a high ratio of Aβ40/42 peptides. Our results revealed significantly lower Aβ-induced cell toxicity in cells pre-treated with RGD peptide-PEGylated curcumin-loaded nanoliposomes, as compared to controls. Thus, our data highlight the potential use of salmon lecithin-derived RGD peptide PEGylated nanoliposomes for the efficient drug delivery of curcumin as a neuroprotective agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aluminum alloys are widely recognized as highly advantageous materials for various engineering applications, including pistons, valve components, brakes, engine blocks, and impellers. In this study, our objective was to investigate the mechanical characteristics and surface behavior of the Aluminum alloy (AlSi8Cu3). To achieve this, torsion tests were conducted to analyze the material's response to shear and high deformation, while mitigating instability phenomena. Specifically, torsion tests were performed on annealed aluminum alloy specimens until rupture, at 1/3 of the rupture, and at 2/3 of the rupture to evaluate crucial material properties, such as the modulus of Young and shear modulus. Through these tests, we also examined the hardness of the specimens and analyzed the microstructural state at both the center and periphery of the deformed sections. Additionally, we determined the hardness, microstructure, and values of the strength coefficient (K) and the strain hardening exponent (n) within the plastic domain of the alloy. Our experimental results demonstrated that increasing deformation on the specimens led to a reduction in grain size. Furthermore, this deformation resulted in a decrease in Young's modulus, attributed to the initiation of cavity coalescence. Based on our investigation, we conclude that the obtained results are excellent and hold significant implications for further research in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the late 1999, extensive groundwater extraction within the Sahara aquifer system has been investigated. In this study we analyze the overexploitation of the thermal groundwater stored in the Continental Intercalary aquifer in the Algerian province of Ghardaia. The Saharan aquifer system is recognized by a large number of over 8800 boreholes and springs, on which 3500 operate the Continental Intercalary series and 5300 operate the Terminal complex. This work describes the groundwater order problem of overexploitation and the flows that exploit this hydrothermal system to be identified and analyzed. We have negative impacts on groundwater in that region due to the practice of certain activities which directly affect the quantity causing the water level of the aquifer to be lowered. Using theoretical context, water quality status can be assessed and recommendations suggested. Results show that we have 387.86 million m3/yr of flow today which is determined 30 m drawdowns. Measures need to be taken until the effects of the appeal become irreversible and the legal system instruments need practical applicability to prevent this context from extending to other areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gcd-sum function is one of the most important functions that has been studied by many researchers in recent years (Broughan, Bordellès, etc.). The gcd-sum function appears in a specific lattice point problem, where it can be used to estimate the number of integer coordinate points under the square root curve. In this paper, we give an average order of the gcd-sum function over the set of squares. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years there has been a growing interest in the marine environment as a promising source of new microorganisms with novel bioactive compounds against multi-drug resistant bacteria. The present study aimed to determine the antibacterial activity of marine Bacillus pumilus extract against Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecalis as well as Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsilla pneumoniae. These bacteria were isolated from field samples using routine isolation methods. A disc diffusion assay was performed to determine the antibacterial effect of B. pumilus extract against the selected pathogens. The extract exhibited a broad inhibitory spectrum against all tested bacteria with inhibitory diameter ranging from 19 to 30 mm. These pathogens were further screened against 10 different antimicrobial discs. The result of antimicrobial susceptibility demonstrated that the tested organisms were resistant to many of the used antimicrobials with MAR index ranging from 0.3-0.6. Moreover, the antibacterial effect of B. pumilus extract was tested using the transmission electron microscope that revealed significant damage in all treated compared to untreated bacteria. These results suggest an antibacterial potential of B. pumilus extract against some pathogenic bacteria comparable to that of commercial antimicrobials and could be possibly used as a promising antibacterial agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a new robust algorithm to improve the localization accuracy without using additional materials. This algorithm is based on a probabilistic approach which only uses the read count (number of detection) of reference and target tags. The localization is performed through two steps. The first step consists of estimating a local position of object tags in a given zone, while in the second step, all estimated local positions are used to calculate one global position. Furthermore, a complementary study concerning the influence of reference tags positions, the movement nature and the coverage of the work area is presented and discussed. For the proof of concept, a series of tests were elaborated with the proposed localization system created comprising conventional passive EPCglobal Class-1 Gen-2 UHF RFID tags, a commercial UHF RFID reader and a laptop. Measurements are carried out in an indoor environment where the 5.5 m×1.25 m measurement zone was placed on drywalls. The experimental results show that the present algorithm gives higher localization accuracy than the conventional ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reusing organic wastes in land applications would enhance the recovery of resources, following the concepts of the circular economy. The sugarcane-based sugar industry produces various by-products (e.g., sugarcane filter mud, molasses, and bagasse) that have the potential to contribute to crop production and soil fertility, owing to their high contents of organic matter and nutrients. Although the agricultural benefits of compost utilization in agriculture have been well-documented, to the best of our knowledge, few scientific data are currently available on the effects of sugarcane filter mud combined with the application of compost for increasing crop production. Thus, a field experiment was carried out to study how sugarcane filter mud, in combination with two compost sources, affected the growth and yield of sweet maize (Zea mays var. saccharata). We compared (i) two types of compost made from brassica residue and household waste applied at a rate of 9 t ha−1, and (ii) two application rates of sugarcane filter mud: 0 and 2 t ha−1 to two controls without any compost application: one with (+SFM) and one without (−SFM) sugar filter mud. The results highlighted that all crop growth and yield parameters benefited more from the domestic waste compost than from the brassica straw compost. Moreover, the addition of sugar filter mud to the compost further boosted the crop performance. Based on the above results, we concluded that the addition of sugarcane filter mud to locally available composts is a feasible approach for more sustainable production of sweet maize, combining efficient waste disposal and the provision of organic matter to the soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Low soil fertility and high fertilizer costs are constraints to wheat production, which may be resolved with integrating fertilizer phosphorus (P) and farm-yard manure (FYM). Study objectives were to evaluate P source impacts on soil, P efficiency, and wheat growth in a calcareous soil. Methods: Treatments included P fertilizer (0, 17, 26, or 39 kg P ha-1) and/or FYM (0 or 10 T ha-1) in a: 1) incubation experiment and 2) wheat (Triticum aestivum spp.) field experiment. Results and Discussion: Soil organic matter increased (30-72%) linearly for both fertilizer and FYM, whereas pH decreased (0.1-0.3 units) with fertilizer only. Addition of fertilizer and FYM increased plant available P (AB-DTPA extractable soil P) an average of 0.5 mg P kg-1 soil week-1 with incubation. The initial increase was 1-9 mg P kg-1, with further increase after 84 d of ~3-17 mg P kg-1. There was also a significant increase of available P in the soil supporting plants in the field study, although the magnitude of the increase was only 2 mg kg-1 at most for the highest fertilizer rate + FYM. Grain (66 to 119%) and straw (25-65%) yield increased significantly, peaking at 26 kg P ha-1 + FYM. The P Absorption Efficiency (PAE), P Balance (PB), and P Uptake (PU) increased linearly with P rate, with the highest levels at the highest P rate. The P Use Efficiency (PUE) was highest at the lowest rates of P, with general decreases with increasing P, although not consistently. Principal component analysis revealed that 94.34 % of the total variance was accounted for with PC1 (84.04 %) and PC2 (10.33 %), with grain straw yield significantly correlated to SOM, PU, and PAE. Regression analysis showed highly significant correlation of PB with P-input (R2= 0.99), plant available P (R2= 0.85), and PU (R2= 0.80). The combination of FYM at the rate of 10 T ha-1 and fertilizer P at 26 kg P ha-1 was found as the optimum dose that significantly increased yield. It is concluded that FYM concoction with fertilizer-P not only improved SOM and residual soil P, but also enhanced wheat yields with reasonable P efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disadvantage of using nanofluids as a heat transfer fluid in the Parabolic Trough Concentrating solar power plant is increased pressure drops. Therefore, more attention should be paid to optimizing the receiver pipe diameter. The aim of this study was to optimize a new receiver to study the industrial process performance of nanofluid-based Parabolic Trough Concentrating plants in 4 different regions in southern Algeria (Hassi rmel, In salah, Tamnrasset, and Bechar). Nanoparticles (Al2O3, CuO) were added to both base liquids (Dowtherm A, Therminol VP-1). The methodology is based on a two-step approach: first, the effects of nanoparticles and temperature on the thermophysical properties of nanofluids, such as thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity, and density, are numerically investigated using the MATLAB program; second, nanofluids properties are integrated into SAM (System Advisor Model) software to perform a 50 MW parabolic trough solar power plant with 25% of a backup system and nanofluids in heat transfer system for the different representative locations of the climate of Algeria. The results of the first part show that the addition of nanoparticles increases the thermal conductivity and density of the nanofluid by 11% and 23%, respectively, and the specific heat capacity is proportional to temperature. The most favorable site is Insalah with an optimal SM egale to 3 and a capacity factor of 51%. Finally, the use of nanofluids as a heat transfer fluid in solar power plants plays a great role in improving its efficiency, the best choice for nanofluids under Algerian climates is CuO/Dowtherm A with an optimal tube diameter of 0.07 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The state of roads may sometimes be difficult to perceive due to intense climate conditions, absence of road signs, or simply human inattention, which may be harmful to both vehicles and drivers. The automatic monitoring of the road states represents a promising solution to warn drivers about the status of a road in order to protect them from injuries or accidents. In this paper, we present a novel application for data collection regarding road states. Our application entitled "Road Scanner" allows onboard users to tag four types of segments in roads: smooth, bumps, potholes, and others. For each tagged segment the application records multimodal data using the embedded sensors of a smartphone. The collected data concerns mainly vehicle accelerations, angular rotations, and geographical positions recorded by the accelerometer, the gyroscope, and the GPS sensor, respectively, of a user phone. Moreover, a medium-size dataset was built and machine learning models were applied to detect the right label for the road segment. Overall, the results were very promising since the SVM classifier (Support Vector Machines) has recorded an accuracy rate of 88.05%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gcd-sum function is one of the most important functions that has been studied by many researchers in recent years (Broughan, Bordellès, etc.). The gcd-sum function appears in a specific lattice point problem, where it can be used to estimate the number of integer coordinate points under the square root curve. In this paper, we give an average order of the gcd-sum function over the set of squares. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyramiding of major resistance (R) genes through marker-assisted selection (MAS) is a useful way to attain durable and broad-spectrum resistance against Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae pathogen, the causal agent of bacterial blight (BB) disease in rice (Oryza sativa L.). The present study was designed to pyramid four broad spectrum BB-R genes (Xa4, xa5, xa13 and Xa21) in the background of Basmati-385, an indica rice cultivar with much sought-after qualitative and quantitative grain traits. The cultivar, however, is susceptible to BB and was therefore, crossed with IRBB59 which possesses R genes xa5, xa13 and Xa21, to attain broad and durable resistance. A total of 19 F1 plants were obtained, some of which were backcrossed with Basmati-385 and large number of BC1F1 plants were obtained. In BC1F2 generation, 31 phenotypically superior genotypes having morphological features of Basmati-385, were selected and advanced up to BC1F6 population. Sequence-tagged site (STS)-based MAS was carried out and phenotypic selection was made in each successive generation. In BC1F6 population, potentially homozygous recombinant inbred lines (RILs) from each line were selected and evaluated on the bases of STS evaluation and resistance to local Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) isolates. Line 23 was found pyramided with all four BB-R genes i.e., Xa4, xa5, xa13 and Xa21. Five genotypes including line 8, line 16, line 21, line 27 and line 28 were identified as pyramided with three R genes, Xa4, xa5 and xa13. Pathological study showed that rice lines pyramided with quadruplet or triplet R genes showed the highest level of resistance compared to doublet or singlet R genes. Thus, line 23 with quadruplet, and lines 8, 16, 21, 27, and 28 with triplet R genes, are recommended for replicated yield and resistance trials before release as new rice varieties. Further, traditional breeding coupled with MAS, is a solid way to attain highly effective BB-resistant rice lines with no yield cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marigolds (Calendula officinalis L.) are valuable in ornamentation, human food, and other uses; to enhance productivity, plant growth regulators produce stimulatory effects, including salicylic acid (SA) and spermidine (SP), but there is a lack of scientific evidence about such effects in marigolds. The study assessed, under greenhouse conditions, changes in physico-chemical parameters, enzymatic activity, and bioactive compounds of marigold cvs. Hybrid and French marigolds were sprayed of SA (1 and 2 mM) and SP (2 and 3 mM) and compared to control (pure water). The SA at 2 mM improved leaf length (8.20 cm), flower height and diameter (5.32, 8.28 cm), flower fresh and dry weight (14.30, 1.5 g), and the maximum number of flower petals (55) in 'Hybrid'. Similarly, 2 mM SA gave the maximum number of leaves (40.71) and stem thickness (5.76 mm) in 'French', but 3 mM SP promoted the maximum plant height in 'Hybrid'. Superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase activities increased in 'Hybrid' with 2 mM SA; with this SA dose, 'Hybrid' had higher contents of total phenolic compounds (68.34 mg GAE g−1), antioxidants (77%), carotenoids (110 mg 100 g−1), and flavonoids (67.5 mg RE g−1) than the control. The best dose for improving growth in both marigold varieties was 2 mM SA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this work was the removal of eosin Y and green malachite from an aqueous medium by using a cellulose-based biodegradable interpenetrated network (IPN). The IPN was obtained by the sequenced synthesis method. In the first step, cellulose was crosslinked with epichlorohydrin (ECH). In the second step, the obtained gels were swollen in a reactive mixture solution, which was based on the monomers 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and 1,6- hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA). After this, swelling equilibrium was reached through the gels' exposition to UV radiation. An infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to analyze the bond stretching, which confirmed the IPN's formation. The swelling kinetics in aqueous mediums with different pH values showed a high swelling at a basic pH value and a low response in neutral and acidic media. The IPNs showed an improvement in water uptake, compared to the networks based on PHEMA or cellulose. The IPN was used to remove dyes from the water. The results showed that a high percentage of green malachite was removed by the IPN in six minutes of contact time. The experimental results were confirmed by the docking/modeling method of the system (IPN/Dye). The different physical interactions between the IPN and the dyes' molecules were investigated. The interactions of the hydrogen bonds with malachite green were stronger than those with eosin Y, which was in good agreement with the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arsenic (As), the silent poison, is a widespread environmental pollutant which finds its way into drinking water supplies from natural or man-made sources and affects over 200 million people worldwide, including in Pakistan. It has been demonstrated that As causes serious health complications as well as social and economic losses. A quick, cost-effective, and simple method for efficiently filtering As from drinking water is urgently needed. The present study evaluates the ability of chemical treatment solutions to activate the sorption capacity of biochar derived from cotton stalks. The surface characteristics of CSB (cotton stalk biochar), HN-CSB (treated with nitric acid: HNO3), and Na-CSB (treated with sodium hydroxide: NaOH) were investigated for their As sorption capacities and efficiency in removing As from contaminated drinking water. The chemical modification of biochar significantly increased the surface area and pore volume of CSB, with a maximum observed in HN-CSB (three times higher than CSB). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed several functional groups (OH−, −COOH, C=O, N-H) on CSB, though the chemical modification of biochar creates new functional groups on its surface. Results showed that the maximum sorption capacity of CSB was (q = 90 µg g−1), of Na-CSB was (q = 124 µg g−1) and of HN-CSB was (q = 140 µg g−1) at an initial As concentration of 200 µg L−1, an adsorbent dose of 1 g L−1, with 4 h of contact time, a pH of 6 and a temperature of 25 ʰC. However, As removal was found to be 45–88% for CSB, 62–94% for Na-CSB and 67–95% for HN-CSB across all As concentrations. An isotherm model showed that As sorption results were best fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model in the case of CSB (Qmax = 103 µg g−1, R2 = 0.993), Na-CSB (Qmax = 151 µg g−1, R2 = 0.991), and HN-CSB (Qmax = 157 µg g−1, R2 = 0.949). The development of the largest surface area, a porous structure, and new functional groups on the surface of HN-CSB proved to be an effective treatment for As removal from contaminated drinking water. Both HN-CSB and Na-CSB are clearly cost-effective adsorbents under laboratory conditions, but HN-CSB is cheaper and more efficient in As removal than Na-CSB, allowing it to be used as a powerful and promising adsorbent for the removal of pollutants like Arsenic from aqueous solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop wastes could be applied in conjunction with synthetic fertilizers to satisfy crop nutritional needs and enhance soil fertility. A field experiment was carried out during winter 2019–2020 at the AMK Research Farm (Palatoo) Mardan, KPK (Pakistan) to investigate the combined effect of phosphorous (PS) and organic sources (OSs) on wheat productivity under different irrigation regimes. The experimental factors were: two irrigation regimes (limited and full irrigation), three inorganic sources of phosphorus (triple super phosphate (TSP), single super phosphate (SSP) and di-ammonium phosphate (DAP)) applied at 90 kg ha−1, and three organic amendments (farmyard manure (FYM), mung bean residue (MBR), and canola residue (CR)) applied at a rate of 10 t ha−1. A control plot (no phosphorus or organic supply) was included. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications was adopted. Among the fertilization strategies, SSP + FYM outperformed all other P fertilizers combined with legume or nonlegume residues in terms of grains per spike−1 (52), thousand-grain weight (41.6 g), biological yield (9.7 t ha−1), and grain yield (4 t ha−1). Under full irrigation, improved yield, yield components, and profits were obtained compared to the limited irrigation regime. Three clusters were obtained after applying an Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering (AHC), and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) conferred the positive effects of inorganic P with FYM on the wheat yield and its related parameters. This study indicated that the productivity of wheat under the SSP + FYM fertilization strategy was found to be more economical with respect to the benefit–cost ratio (BCR). The combined application of SSP + FYM was more profitable in terms of a higher BCR (3.25) than other treatments under the full irrigation regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many environmental problems related to the production of inorganic phosphorus (P) fertilizers as well as their continuous usage, which pose great challenges to sustainable agriculture. Applying inorganic P fertilizers combined with pigeon manure tea (PMT) could be a promising strategy to enhance P use efficiency and yield of crop plants. Therefore, this study investigates the effect of integrated use of inorganic P and PMT on P sorption using Freundlich sorption isotherms as well as the availability of P and its use efficiency by wheat grown in a calcareous sandy soil. Application of PMT amendment significantly enhanced P availability compared to the unamended soil. The PMT significantly decreased the rate of P sorption from 246 to 179 mL g−1 and sorption capacity of the soil from 388 to 298 µg P g−1 soil. Consequently, the P fertilizer quantity required to produce the desired level of P in solution (0.2 mg L−1) was low in PMT amended soil (114 mg P kg−1) than that in control soil (140 mg P kg−1). Application of inorganic P in combination with PMT increased P use efficiency (PUE) of the wheat plant. Thus, the combined application of PMT and P fertilizer has positive, complementary, and synergistic effects on P availability in soil and its uptake by wheat plants. Due to its low cost and easy availability, integrated use of PMT1:100 (2.4 t PM ha−1) and inorganic P fertilizer could be an effective amendment to reduce P-sorption and improve soil P availability in the calcareous sandy soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Algeria has high levels of untapped solar potential and it is necessary to find solutions that take advantage of this fact. Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants are one of the available renewable technologies which have more potential in regions with high direct solar radiations. In this study, CSP plant potential in selected regions of southern Algeria was optimized using the System Advisor Model (SAM) software. This takes into account the influence of various determinants and new technologies such as Stored Thermal Energy (STE), and backup system. The results show that the technical parameters (plant efficiency, annual energy produced, the solar field's size, and the amount of STE) depend greatly on the plant's technology, variations in DNI, and average atmospheric conditions especially ambient temperature and relative humidity. The Central Receiver Tower Power Solar Plant with storage thermal energy and backup systems using molten salt as heat transfer fluid and storage medium should be an option to take into account in the development of the Algerian system power compared to other solutions (SMopt = 2.8; LCOEopt = 15.11 Cent/kWh; CFopt = 87%; Annual Energy = 376 GW; FLHopt = 15 h). Therefore, the energetic potential in the selected site is estimated to be 400 GW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil pollution is a highlighted concern of modern society, particularly in developing countries. The Drosh-Shishi valley, which is a hilly region near Afghanistan with a land area of around 15,000 km2, is situated in the south of Chitral District (Pakistan) and has a population of approximately 450,000. Nowadays, this region is being explored for soil pollution, specifically heavy metals which pose a potential risk to human health. Therefore, our main goal was to investigate possible sources of heavy metals' spread and to assess the content levels in soil and the associated risks for human. We collected 34 representative samples from transported sediments and 31 from agricultural crops. We analyzed the soil samples for the contents of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn using ICP-OES analyzers. These values were used to obtain the contamination factor (CF) and to estimate the potential health risk caused by heavy metals according to the USEPA dose–response model. Our results suggest that the heavy metal pollution has a geogenic source, but it is also aggregated by chemical fertilizers used in farming. Regarding levels, most of the metals except Pb showed contents above the permissible level, with CF values from moderate to high. Overall, Cu and Ni showed a significant total cancer risk (TCR > 1 × 10−4) in children. Therefore, we conclude that heavy metal pollution is causing a serious threat to humans in this area, and we recommend that authorities should make more efforts in monitoring the heavy metals content in soils to reduce potential health risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this paper is to define a new additive function related to generalized divisors of an integer and to study some of its properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research focuses on the speed control design of permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) drive system. The purpose is to develop and compare advanced control strategies: RST digital (RSTD) control and adaptive fuzzy‐RST digital (AFRSTD) control. The three control schemes proposed, synthesized, and implemented in experimental test bench in order to be evaluated and compared are: conventional PI controller, RSTD controller, and AFRSTD controller based on the proposed fuzzy system which has to adjust the RSTD polynomial coefficients online using gain scheduling technique. The objective is to improve the performances of the PMSM drive system, in order to obtain high dynamic response, an efficiency of external disturbance rejection, and considerable control robustness against parameter variations. The experimental test bench is based on a dSPACE1104 board with a 1.1‐kW PMSM supplied by 10‐kHz space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) current regulated inverter used as a power amplifier consisted of 300 V, 5‐A IGBT, and Matlab/Simulink environment. Experimental results confirm that the AFRSTD controller presents better dynamic performances and significant robustness under parameter variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canola is the second-largest oil seed crop in the world, providing oil mainly composed of long-chain fatty acids (C14 to C20). When mixed with fossil-diesel, canola-based biofuel can be used in passenger vehicles, trucks, or even in aviation. Canola is the most productive type of biofuel due to its oil's long-chain and unbranched fatty acid composition, which makes it more fluid. However, canola yields are constrained by drought and salinity that can aggravate climate change, resulting in negative consequences. Therefore, it is becoming necessary for studies that involved the canola salt-tolerant genotypes to consider soil salinization by use of saline soil or salinized soil by a non-efficient irrigation method. This study was carried out to assess the effects of salinity on seed germination and the effect of CaCl2 (ψs = −1.2 MPa) on the promotion of regenerated plant memory when a new cycle of stress occurs. Our experiment shows that salt-stressed canola plants resulted in a high reduction in chlorophylls and carotenoids, with a high impact on gas exchange and a reduction in the efficiency of the chloroplast electron chain transporter, producing the negative effect of reduced molecules that affect the membrane integrity. However, canola seed priming could produce a memory in the regenerated plants when the second round of salt stress was applied. This research concludes that canola genotypes appear to have a tolerance mechanism against salt stress which could be an important trait for developing high-yielding canola varieties in future breeding programs under salt stress conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blockchain is a modern technology that has revolutionized the way society interacts and trades. It could be defined as a chain of blocks that stores information with digital signatures in a distributed and decentralized network. This technique was first adopted for the creation of digital cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. However, research and industrial studies have recently focused on the opportunities that blockchain provides in various other application domains to take advantage of the main features of this technology, such as: decentralization, persistency, anonymity, and auditability. This paper reviews the use of blockchain in several interesting fields, namely: finance, healthcare, information systems, wireless networks, Internet of Things, smart grids, governmental services, and military/defense. In addition, our paper identifies the challenges to overcome, to guarantee better use of this technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous extracts are preferentially used in traditional medicine in Algeria. Among these extracts, propolis is used for the treatment of wounds, boils, canker sores, burns. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antiviral/antiquorum sensing (anti-QS) characteristics of Propolis aqueous extract collected from bee hive near Sétif (east of Algeria) against human pathogenic viruses and gram negative bacteria. First the Maximal Allowable Concentration (MAC) of the lyophilized aqueous extract of propolis was determined to avoid the toxicity of the extract. A human lymphoid cell line that contains Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) genome as an episome (P3HR-1) and HEp-2 infected with Coxsackievirus (CVB4), were selected according to their ability to deliver endemic infectious viruses at high titers. Antibacterial activity was screened by evaluating anti-QS capacity of the extract. Pre-treatment revealed that the MAC of the extract reduces the viral titer of Coxsackievirus by half a log from TCID50 = 105.07 to TCID50 = 104.6, and protected HEp-2 against CVB4 infection. While no antiviral effect on the EBV replication was obtained. The anti-QS capability of the extract was showed against Chromobacterium violaceum strain 026, and by protecting Artemia from Vibrio harveyi BB120 infection. The aqueous extract pre-treatment has not antiviral protection, for DNA viruses. It protected HEp-2 cells against CVB4 infection, degraded Acyl Homoserines lactones (AHL), and protected animal Artemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at studying the damage evolution of a [0/90]3S cross-ply flax/epoxy laminate repeatedly impacted at three energy levels of 5, 6 and 7 J. Several specimen plates were prepared by the vacuum infusion technique and then subjected to repeated low-velocity impacts. To assess external damage mechanisms in the impacted plates, an inspection of the back and front faces damage was conducted by using a high-resolution digital reflex camera. Moreover, different techniques were used to evaluate the internal damage such as intensive light exposure, infrared thermal imaging, and computed X-ray tomography. The obtained results show that damage is visible even at low energy level and starts to appear from the first impacts, especially in the back face of the flax/epoxy samples. In addition, after front and back faces cracks appear, delamination is the most predominant damage mechanism that occurs during the different phases of impact fatigue loading. Its size is found to extend with the energy level and the multiplication of impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bearing vibration signal with strong non-stationary properties is generally composed of multiple components making it complicated to extract the characteristic fault features of vibration signals of rolling bearings under the background of strong noise, how to solve this problem effectively is the focus of our research. Therefore, a new scheme based on Variational Mode Decomposition (VMD) and second-generation wavelet (SGW) is proposed in this paper. Firstly, VMD can decompose accurately and adaptively a complex multi-component signal into a set of IMF component with narrow band properties. Secondly, on the basis of kurtosis and cross-correlation analysis, the optimum signal components obtained by the VMD are selected to filter and to reconstruct the analysis signal. Then, (SGW) approach is used to eliminate the strong noise background and enhance the periodic impact in the optimum IMF components. Lastly, the accurate characteristic defect frequency can be obtained by using envelope spectrum of the reconstructing signal. The success of the proposed approach is verified by analysis the vibration signals of bearings with an outer race, an inner race and a rolling element faults, respectively. The results indicate that the scheme is feasible and useful for extracting the bearings fault features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post‐release mortality and movements are critical factors of translocation failure. Yet, survival and movement reflect different demographic and behavioral processes and may therefore have contrasted responses to management, although they are often very difficult to disentangle in animal populations. To provide guidance in animal translocations, we discriminated the respective roles of survival and movement in the long‐term dynamic of a translocated metapopulation of Cinereous vultures (Aegypius monachus) in France using multievent capture–recapture analyses of reintroduced (n = 119) and wild‐born individual (n = 163) observations. Annual apparent survival rates were high and structured in age (>0.8 for young and >0.9 for adults) and did not differ between individual origin (wild‐born or released), release methods (aviary or hacking) nor between regions (Alps and Causses), except for those released in the Alps experiencing a reduced survival for one year after release. In contrast, age structure movements differed between populations and origin status. Wild‐born young from the Causses were more erratic than those from the Alps and older individuals, whereas vultures reintroduced in the Causses demonstrated restricted movements during their first year after release. Despite such asymmetric movements, we overall highlight a strong tropism of individuals whatever the region and their origin. Since movement and survival were respectively higher and lower in young compared with adults, we recommend to first release adults in the primary stage of metapopulation translocations for increasing the establishment success at the release site. Further releasing young and securing successful breeding into the wild would increase demographic growth and between‐population connections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current work investigates the efficiency of a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC) by using COMSOL. The set-up model takes into consideration the electrochemical kinetics and chemical reactions. The anode catalyst layers are a main element in the PEM fuel cell; their porosity significantly affects the fuel cell efficiency. We focus on the impact of catalytic layers porosity on the battery efficiency. As claimed by the results, the porosity of catalytic layer greatly affects the performance of the battery. In addition, better output performance of µDMFC may be obtained when the catalytic layer porosity is chosen as εACL=0.009-0.1. The distributions of methanol, carbon dioxide, water, oxygen, polarization, and the current density are plotted to highlight the impact of porosity on the global performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient land‐use management could be optimized through appropriate advice regarding land suitability and achieving a reasonable yield while preserving soil and environmental conditions. The main objective of this study was to determine and define those locations capable of wheat cultivation with irrigation in the municipality of N'goussa (Southern Algeria). Expert opinion (EO) method was used for selecting minimum soil data set (MDS‐EO), where six influencing soil properties (sand, pH, salinity, organic matter, gypsum and lime) and other three key parameters (slope, land use/land cover, and proximity to roads and electricity network) were considered important for irrigated wheat cultivation in the study area. Indicators were weighted according to principal component analysis (PCA) loadings and summed. PCA revealed that the selected nine indicators are appropriate for accounting 73.63% of the total variance. Two maps of land suitability were created here (expressed as a soil quality index within a range from 0 to 1) from multivariate analysis and already known standard scoring functions (SSFs) by using two data sets (pure and scored). The distribution of soil quality index (IQI) showed that above 70% of the land was moderately (MS) to highly suitable (HS) for irrigated wheat. The estimation accuracy of soil quality classes has been evaluated using random forests (RF), having as a dependent variable the final class of land suitability used in each map. It was determined that estimation accuracy could reach 60% (pure data set) and 65% (scored data set) at 0.5 cut‐off value for soil quality classes. Final prioritizing according to ranks of sensitivity index (SI) and efficiency ratio (ER) showed that IQI obtained from scored data set is the most suitable approach in soil quality assessment of arid areas. Therefore, it could be applied in southern Algeria for land management, integrated planning and environmental assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local search can be introduced into genetic algorithms to create a hybrid, but any improvement in performance is dependent on the learning mechanism. In the Lamarckian model, a candidate solution is replaced by a fitter neighbour if one is found by local search. In the Baldwinian model, the original solution is retained but with an upgraded fitness if a fitter solution is found in the local search space. The effectiveness of using either model or a variable proportion of the two within a hybrid genetic algorithm is affected by the topology of the fitness function and the details of the hybrid algorithm. This paper investigates an intelligent adaptive approach to decide on the learning mechanism to be used by an individual over the course of the search. Evolution is used to self-adapt both the frequency of a steepest-descent local search and the relative proportions of Lamarckian and Baldwinian inheritance. Experiments have shown that this form of adaptive learning can improve the ability to find high-quality solutions and can accelerate the hybrid search without the need to find optimal control parameters for the learning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]