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Accurate detection of epileptic seizures is crucial for effective patient care. This paper introduces 'SeizureDetect', a meticulously crafted dataset aimed at addressing class imbalance in epileptic and non-epileptic seizure activity. Our approach, known as Integrated Resampling Cascade (IRC), combines Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique (SMOTE), Borderline-SMOTE, EasyEnsemble, and BalanceCascade techniques in order to balance dataset with 9,200 records per class. It ensures the integrity and diversity of the resampled data, with a particular emphasis on enhancing time series data handling using Borderline-SMOTE. Comprehensive analysis, including correlation examination, handling of missing values, and feature importance determination using a Random Forest classifier, enriches our understanding of dataset characteristics and feature relationships. Additionally, boxplot analysis and statistical examination of quartiles and whiskers are conducted to deepen insights into feature distributions. Furthermore, Individual Conditional Expectation (ICE) plots are utilized to visualize the impact of feature values on seizure detection. The current proposed methodology contributes to advancing epileptic seizure detection research, promising improved patient care and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effective management of services based on Quality of Experience (QoE) is crucial for the successful deployment of multimedia services in advanced networks like 5G/6G. This necessitates the use of appropriate tools for monitoring, predicting, and managing quality, with Machine Learning (ML) playing a pivotal role. However, predicting the QoE of multimedia streams poses a challenge due to its dependence on numerous influencing factors, and it must adapt to dynamic environments with large-scale data. Machine learning approaches provide a method to quantify the complex relationships between these influencing factors and QoE. In this paper, we propose an innovative improved mixture of classification for assessing the QoE of video streaming. Our approach combines the predictive capabilities of ensemble learning models rather than single models, as experts. Also, we have employed a robust gating network trained by minimizing an improved error function that combines the Classification Loss and the gating loss. We assess our method through a comprehensive simulation model encompassing diverse wireless network environments and various video sequences. The experimental results reveal substantial enhancements in QoE, ensuring users have stable, high-quality video streaming sessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Dedicator of cytokinesis 8 (DOCK8)-deficient patients have severe eczema, elevated IgE, and eosinophilia, features of atopic dermatitis (AD). We sought to understand the mechanisms of eczema in DOCK8 deficiency. Skin biopsy samples were characterized by histology, immunofluorescence microscopy, and gene expression. Skin barrier function was measured by transepidermal water loss. Allergic skin inflammation was elicited in mice by epicutaneous sensitization with ovalbumin (OVA) or cutaneous application of Staphylococcus aureus. Skin lesions of DOCK8-deficient patients exhibited type 2 inflammation, and the patients' skin was colonized by S aureus, as in AD. Unlike in AD, DOCK8-deficient patients had a reduced FOXP3:CD4 ratio in their skin lesions, and their skin barrier function was intrinsically intact. Dock8 −/− mice exhibited reduced numbers of cutaneous T regulatory (Treg) cells and a normal skin barrier. Dock8 −/− and mice with an inducible Dock8 deletion in Treg cells exhibited increased allergic skin inflammation after epicutaneous sensitization with OVA. DOCK8 was shown to be important for Treg cell stability at sites of allergic inflammation and for the generation, survival, and suppressive activity of inducible Treg cells. Adoptive transfer of wild-type, but not DOCK8-deficient, OVA-specific, inducible Treg cells suppressed allergic inflammation in OVA-sensitized skin of Dock8 −/− mice. These mice developed severe allergic skin inflammation and elevated serum IgE levels after topical exposure to S aureus. Both were attenuated after adoptive transfer of WT but not DOCK8-deficient Treg cells. Treg cell dysfunction increases susceptibility to allergic skin inflammation in DOCK8 deficiency and synergizes with cutaneous exposure to S aureus to drive eczema in DOCK8 deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, magnesium alloys are emerging in biomedical implants for their similar properties to natural bones. However, the rapid degradation of magnesium alloys in biological media hinders successful implantation. Refinement of microstructure, as well as reinforcement particles can significantly improve the degradation rate. In this work, multi-pass friction stir processing (FSP) was proposed to synthesize WE43/nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) surface composite, the microstructure, reinforced particle distribution, micro-hardness, corrosion behavior and in-vitro bioactivity were studied. The subsequent FSP passes of WE43 alloy and WE43/nHA composite refined the grain size which was reduced by 94.29% and 95.92% (2.63 and 1.88 µm, respectively) compared to base metal after three passes. This resulted in increasing the microhardness by 120% (90.86 HV0.1) and 135% (105.59 HV0.1) for the WE43 and WE43-nHA, respectively. It is found that increasing FSP passes improved the uniform distribution of nHA particles within the composite matrix which led to improved corrosion resistance and less degradation rate. The corrosion rate of the FSPed WE43/nHA composite after three passes was reduced by 38.2% (4.13 mm/year) and the degradation rate was reduced by 69.7% (2.87 mm/y). This is attributed to secondary phase (Mg 24 Y 5 and Mg 41 Nd 5) particle fragmentation and redistribution, as well as a homogeneous distribution of nHA. Additionally, the growing Ca-P and Mg(OH) 2 layer formed on the surface represented a protective layer that reduced the degradation rate. The wettability test revealed a relatively hydrophilic surface with water contact angle of 49.1 ± 2.2° compared to 71.2 ± 2.1° for base metal. Also, biomineralization test showed that apatite layer grew after immersion 7d in simulated body fluid with atomic ratio of Ca/P 1.60 approaching the stoichiometric ratio (1.67) indicating superior bioactivity of FSPed WE43/nHA composite after three passes. These results raise that the grain refinement by FSP and introduction of nHA particles significantly improved the degradation rate and in-vitro bioactivity of WE43 alloy for biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of corruption on sustainable development using the Seo and Shin (2016) threshold model for a panel data set of 96 to 103 developed and developing countries from 1996 to 2019. The paper contributes to the ongoing debate about whether corruption greases or sands the wheels of sustainable development. All results support the hypothesis of the existence of thresholds. Examining the full sample, the impact of corruption on sustainable development is regime-specific and dependent on the quality of governance. In developed countries, corruption always hinders sustainable development, while in developing countries the impact of corruption on sustainable development is regime-specific and dependent on the quality of governance. When the quality of governance is low, highly corrupt countries achieve higher levels of sustainable development, which is consistent with the "grease the wheels" hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar-to-steam generation (SSG) for seawater desalination is emerging process which faces several technology challenges for successful scaling up. Floating solar-to-steam generation (SSG) sandwich-based systems using hydrophilic water bridges have been proved to be fascinating technology for seawater desalination. However, the mechanistic pathways of heat dissipation, mass diffusion and convection are still the key bottlenecks for reliable scaling up. To solve the heat loss and surface salt deactivation, we demonstrate herein the performance of novel SSG structure for seawater desalination via the incorporation of cellulosic sponge as water holder to play a role of water transit between hydrophilic bridge and the top surface. Two systems using low-cost materials were compared, namely graphite felt/hydrophilic paper/polystyrene (GF-HP-PS) and Graphite felt/Water receiver/hydrophilic paper/polystyrene (GF-HP-W R -PS). The process of heat generation and localization was maximum in the GF-W R -HP-PS system, reaching 68.2 °C under 0.5 sun. The photothermal conversion efficiency was found to be 92 and 114 % under 0.5 sun for GF-HP-PS and GF-HP-W R -PS, respectively. On top of that, GF-HP-W R -PS shows effective steadily salt rejection during the desalination of seawater. The W R layer plays a crucial role to govern the confined water, which boosts the dissolution of salt and its convection without significant heat downward convection. As a practical consideration, the cost of used components to fabricate this SSG system is very acceptable and without major restrictions. [Display omitted] • Design of novel multilayer sandwich solar-to-steam generation for seawater desalination. • The incorporated super water holding layer allows a continuous salt convection. • Localized heat production was found to be 68.2 °C under 0.5 sun. • Photothermal conversion efficiency was found to be 114 % under 0.5 sun. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite growing interests in patient-reported outcomes, youth and families are rarely involved in designing quality improvement measures. Few quality indicators exist for the care of children with injuries in the Emergency Department (ED) and extremity fractures are among the most common injuries in children. This study's aim was to identify both parents' and youth's perspectives about ED care in the context of a suspected long-bone fracture. Youth (10–18 years old) and their parents were surveyed prospectively during their ED visit. Participants were asked: 1) to identify their main concerns, 2) to identify quality measures that were most important to them, and 3) to evaluate the ED care they received. Descriptive analyses present participants' responses. Continuous data was analyzed using a Student t- test and categorical data using a Chi-square test. Over 15 months, 350 families met eligibility criteria and were approached to participate, of which 300 participants consented and 249 surveys were completed (71% response rate): 148 parents and 101 youth (median age: 12) completed their respective surveys. Participants placed a high importance on several themes: pain management, short length of stay, and quality interactions with ED clinicians. Youth as a group prioritized their overall wellbeing and the ED environment (e.g., waiting room comfort, signage), while parents focused on accurate diagnoses and treatments. The following items were less prioritized: that radiology be close to the ED, to see the radiograph, to have access to a wheelchair, to know the identities of clinicians on the team, and to have access to entertainment. Parents and youth within the same family often did not share the same priorities. Ninety-two percent of parents reported their child's pain was treated, while 81% and 63% of youth reported their pain was treated sufficiently and quickly, respectively. Parents and youth can identify their priorities for ED care and should be engaged in efforts to improve and report on the quality of care in the ED. Youths' and parents' perspectives are complimentary and may not align, even within families. The priorities identified in this study can help inform quality improvement initiatives and personalized patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The numerical study of the impact of thermal radiation, chemical reaction, and heat source on MHD Casson fluid flow over a nonlinear inclined stretching surface with velocity slip in a Forchheimer porous medium is presented in this paper. The controlling equations are converted into nonlinear ODE's with appropriate similarity variables. Numerical solutions of the nonlinear ODE's are solved by the Runge-Kutta method along with the shooting technique with MATLAB. It is vital to investigate the flow of Casson fluids (such drilling muds, clay coatings, various suspensions and certain lubricating oils, thermoplastic melts, and a variety of colloids) in the incidence of heat transfer in order to optimize the preparation of toffee, chocolate, and other delicacies. Numerical findings were given via graphs and tables for various intervals of the physical variables involved for velocity, temperature, and concentration profiles in addition to this, the coefficient of skin friction, Nusselt number, and local Sherwood number are also discussed. It is inferred from the graphs that the temperature of the plate decreases with increasing the values of the radiation parameter and Forchheimer porous medium parameter. The concentration is decreased in the presence of chemical reaction and Schmidt number. To ensure the validity of our findings, we compared them to previously published work and found significant agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Challenges and opportunities for value addition to REE deposits in Malaysia are discussed. • Comparisons between Malaysian RE resources with other worldwide resources are examined. • IAC has been widely studied and explored in terms of its potential as a REEs resource. • Granites, river sediments, and shale could also be potential REEs resources in Malaysia. • Review on hydrometallurgical recovery of RE from various Malaysian resources. Peninsular Malaysia is already well known for having rare earth (RE) resources. However, pertinent data and information on upstream RE resources and reserve potential in Malaysia are yet to be established. It is vital to identify opportunities and challenges for value addition to rare earth elements (REEs) deposits in Malaysia. Therefore, this study evaluates the potential of Malaysian geological formations to serve as repositories for RE resources, such as rare earth minerals (REMs) and REEs, by elucidating the geological processes that are considered critical to the formation of the various deposit types. This paper concisely reviews possible REE mineralization in alkaline igneous rocks, pegmatites, placer deposits: monazite and xenotime, marine sediments, river and lake sediments, ion adsorption clays (IAC) deposits, and shale/coal deposits found in Malaysia. Comparisons between Malaysian deposits revealed that these deposits are potentially enriched with RE resources showing geological formations across the world. The paper reviews the methods and flowsheets used for the recovery of REMs and REEs from primary, secondary as well as alternative resources, with special consideration to the hydrometallurgical procedures comprising of leaching with acids and alkalis tailed by ion exchange, solvent extraction, or precipitation. The REEs ecosystem of Malaysia has also been discussed by considering the latest information from the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), the REEs processing center, the Academy of Science of Malaysia (ASM), the People's Republic of China (PRC), Lynas Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (Lynas), Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (NRECC), Jabatan Mineral & Geosains (JMG), Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI), and the Malaysian Chamber of Mines. The information on upstream RE resources and recent hydrometallurgical approaches provided in this study will contribute to developing and enhancing midstream and downstream RE-based manufacturing and processing operations in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrate-based CO 2 sequestration beneath oceanic sediments is an emerging technique that involves the injection of CO 2 into the hydrate stability zone (HSZ) beneath the seabed, forming hydrate cap that structurally traps the injected CO 2 and reduces the risk of leaking CO 2 from the storage sediment. Gas hydrates are adequately stable in sand sediments saturated with fresh water; however, the salinity of oceanic water impairs hydrate formation kinetics, stability, and CO 2 storage capacity. In addition to sandstones, marine sediments are composed of many clay minerals that could affect hydrate formation. Therefore, this study experimentally simulates CO 2 injection into sand and clayey sand sediments to assess the potential of CO 2 hydrate formation. CO 2 hydrates are formed inside a high-pressure reactor, which contains unconsolidated sediment bed/pack (silica sand; mixed sand with bentonite clay: 5 wt% and 10 wt%), saturated with de-ionized water or brine (3.3 wt% NaCl). Hydrate formation experiments were performed at 4 MPa pressure and 274.15 K temperature. Results show that CO 2 hydrate formed within the sand sediment, with induction times of 6 and 8.5 h, for the de-ionized and brine systems, respectively. CO 2 gas mole uptake in the de-ionized system was 71.54 mmol/mol however, in the brine system the gas uptake was 56.95 mmol/mol. Hence this 20.4% reduction in the gas uptake indicated the inhibition effect of salinity. In contrast, in the brine-saturated 5 wt% clay-sand sediment, the induction time was 6.5 h, indicating the promoting effect of the nano-sized clay particles. However, the gas uptake in this brine-saturated clay-sand sediment was reduced by 45.51% compared to the brine-saturated sand sediment. Increasing the clay content to 10 wt% prevented CO 2 hydrate formation due to porosity reduction. Moreover, de-ionized water in clayey sand sediments prevented hydrate formation due to clay swelling. Finally, CO 2 hydrate formation at the end of each experiment was visually confirmed. [Display omitted] • Gas hydrates are hydrogen bonded crystalline structures of water and gas molecules. • Gas hydrates have the capacity to store a significant amount of gas molecules. • Salinity delayed CO 2 hydrate induction time, and reduced gas uptake by 20.4%. • Nano-sized clay particles in marine sediments can promote CO 2 hydrate nucleation. • Presence of 5 wt% clay enhanced induction time, but reduced gas uptake by 45.51%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Olive leaf extract protects against neuroinflammation. • Treated rats showed alleviated oxidative stress. • Olive leaf extract preserved brain histology. • OLE administration improved rat behavior and learning. • Promising potential for future pharmacological research. Our study aimed to investigate the impact of toluene and/or noise exposure on rat brains and assess the preventive effects of Olea europaea L. leaf extract (OLE) through biochemical, histopathologic analyses, behavior tests, and in silico study. Forty-eight male Wistar rats were randomly divided into eight groups: a control group, an OLE group, a noise-exposed group, a noise-exposed group treated with OLE, a toluene-exposed group, a toluene-exposed group treated with OLE, a co-exposed group to noise and toluene, and a co-exposed group to noise and toluene treated with OLE. OLE was orally administered at 40 mg/kg daily for six weeks. The results showed that noise and toluene exposure significantly disrupted brain tissue structure, causing oxidative damage, as evidenced by increased lipid peroxidation, decreased catalase and superoxide dismutase activities, and increased acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. However, OLE administration alleviated oxidative stress by restoring antioxidant biomarker levels, maintaining AChE close to normal, and preserving brain histology, while also improving rat behavior and learning. These findings suggest that OLE may protect brain tissue against simultaneous exposure to noise and toluene. Importantly, these results have significant implications for the prevention and treatment of neurotoxicity associated with exposure to toluene and noise, highlighting the potential practical applications of our research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional optimal power flow problem (OPF) usually centers on thermal generators, which have limited fuel for power generation, while emissions from the network system are commonly overlooked. However, the rising appreciation of renewable energy sources, valued for their sustainability, abundance, and environmental friendliness, has sparked increasing interest in the power systems domain. Consequently, there is a growing trend of integrating renewable energy sources into the electrical grid. This work explores the adaptation of the standard IEEE-30 bus system by incorporating renewable energy sources as a case study. This involves the replacement of traditional thermal generators located on buses 5 and 11 with wind generators, while bus 13 is substituted with solar generators. Addressing the uncertainty and intermittence inherent in renewable energy sources (RES), Weibull and lognormal probability density functions are employed for RES availability estimation. Integrating RES into the optimal power flow problem is framed as a multi-objective optimization task. A novel meta-heuristic optimization approach termed the Memory-Guided Jaya algorithm (MG-Jaya), is specifically tailored to address diverse challenges in multi-objective optimal power flow (MOOPF) incorporating RES. A smart memory-based strategy is incorporated into the algorithm to enhance solution optimality, convergence properties, and exploitation capabilities. Furthermore, a suitable mechanism aimed at efficiently finding Pareto-optimal solutions is proposed to address the multi-objective optimization optimal power flow (MOOPF) problem. Besides, to further evaluate the performance of the proposed approach in addressing complex, larger-scale issues, the study opts to utilize another test system of greater magnitude, namely the IEEE-57 bus system. To assess its effectiveness, the approach is compared against 14 recently introduced metaheuristics, which have garnered significant citations. To ensure fair comparisons, parameter configurations for all algorithms are automated using the parameter tuning tool iterated racing (irace). The experimental outcomes are analyzed using various nonparametric statistical techniques, including the Hyper-volume test, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and the critical difference plot. Furthermore, three authenticity criteria - Generational Distance (GD), Spacing Parameter (SP), and Diversity Metric (DM) - are employed to analyze the obtained Pareto-optimal solutions. Simulation results show that the proposed MG-Jaya algorithm demonstrates competitive capabilities. It effectively handles multi-objective and non-convex optimization problems. When compared to other approaches, it outperforms them in terms of solution optimality and feasibility. • Introduction of a novel MG-Jaya Algorithm to solve the Multi-objective OPF (MOOPF) problem. • Addressing the MOOPF Problem that involves RES, considering the different constraints. • Memory-Based Strategy integration enhances exploitation capability, solution optimality, and convergence properties. • Utilizing Probability Density Functions to estimate RES availability, considering their uncertainty and intermittency. • Introducing a Multi-Objective Optimization Mechanism with a Fuzzy Decision-Maker for categorizing and finalizing decisions based on Pareto-optimal solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fear of falling is becoming the most common fear among people aged 65 and over,with a prevalence that varies within the range of 12% to 92% [ 1 ]. Monitoring the elderly's physical activity is highly recommended in order to improve their health. Several reports have demonstrated that a fall does not always result in a fear of falling, which may be caused by factors other than the fall itself[2][3]. Falls, on the other hand, and fear of falling share one feature: they are both associated with walking disorders. Falls are considered a significant risk that primarily affects the elderly. Slowness of movement, loss of motion, and balance issues are common in the elderly. In this article, we have proposed an intelligent insole system to detect falls, monitor patients' physiological parameters, and reduce their fear of falling. Thus, the elderly will be surrounded in real time by professional clinicians working remotely to control them during their daily activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the pandemic, everything became online and everyone has to sit on their desk for a whole day without moving. Whether you're a student or a teleworker, you must have experienced back pain due to prolonged hours sitting in front of your laptop. If your posture is bad, several areas of stress may develop within your muscle tissue, spinal joints (lumbar facets), and discs. These stresses may be relieved once the offending posture is corrected or may continue to accumulate, slowly weakening the affected structure. One of the major causes of back pain nowadays is bad posture, so you must have insight into the importance of keeping a good one. In this paper, we propose a sitting posture monitoring system based on machine learning algorithms for posture prediction. The system consists of smart belt equipped with inertial sensors for posture detection. Seven machine learning algorithms are applied for posture prediction: KNN, SVM, Decision Tree, Random Forest, Naive Bayes, Boosting and K-means (unsupervised). The tests results demonstrate that the Random Forest algorithm with 30 trees has the best accuracy 99.19% and precision 98.70% compared to the other machine learning algorithms. However it has complexity computing that makes the prediction time higher 67.7ms. The SVM has the shortest prediction time 0.64ms. But the SVM accuracy 98.56% is lower than the Random Forest. The Decision Tree has more than 90% accuracy for each posture position with acceptable training time 8.96ms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study the potential use of aqueous and methanolic extracts of Ephedra alata aerial parts as biological control agent against pathogenic bacteria and especially Staphylococcus aureus methicillin resistant isolated from auricular infections was evaluated. Chemical tests and spectrophotometric methods were used for screening and quantification of phytochemicals. The assessment of the antioxidant activity was accomplished by DPPH and ABTS radicals scavenging assays. Extracts were evaluated for their antibacterial efficacy by diffusion and microdilution methods. Biofilm inhibition was tested using XTT assay and the cytotoxicity of extracts was carried out on Vero cell line. The GC-FID analysis revealed that E. alata was rich in unsatured fatty acids. In addition, the aqueous extract had the highest flavonoid and protein contents (30.82 mg QE /g dry extract and 98.92 mg BSAE/g dry extract respectively). However, the methanolic extract had the highest phenolic, sugars and tannins. The antioxidant activity demonstrated that the aqueous extract exhibited the strong potency (IC50 ranged between 0.001 and 0.002 mg/mL). Both extracts displayed antimicrobial activity on Gram negative and positive strains. They were effective against S. aureus isolated from auricular infections. The tested extracts were able to inhibit biofilm formation with concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, no cytotoxic effect on Vero cells line was demonstrated for the extracts. Overall, our findings highlight the potential use of E. alata extract as a novel source of bioactive molecules with antioxidant, antibacterial and antiobiofilm effects for the control of infectious disease especially those associated to S. aureus methicillin resistant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Free tissue transfer has become routine practice in modern plastic surgery. The technique permits surgeons the flexibility to transfer the most suitable tissue for reconstruction. This has become possible largely due to the continued advances in microscope technology. There are however several drawbacks with even the newest traditional operating microscopes. They are usually large, heavy and although highly adjustable often require surgeons to adopt an unnatural and uncomfortable position which many of us have simply learned to live with. We describe the use of a new high-definition 3D camera system (Stortz VITOM 3D) in place of a traditional microscope to perform DIEP flap breast reconstructions in two patients. The use of this equipment has been described in other surgical specialities where a number of its benefits, including improved ergonomics for surgical team, have been highlighted. We explore the specific benefits and considerations for its use in free flap reconstruction of the breast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-cultural psychosis research has mostly focused on outcomes, rather than patient and family experiences. Therefore, our aim was to examine differences in patients' and families' experiences of their treating teams in early intervention services for psychosis in Chennai, India [low- and middle-income country] and Montreal, Canada [high-income country]. Patients (165 in Chennai, 128 in Montreal) and their families (135 in Chennai, 110 in Montreal) completed Show me you care , a patient- and family-reported experience measure, after Months 3, 12, and 24 in treatment. The measure assesses the extent to which patients and families view treating teams as being supportive. A linear mixed model with longitudinal data from patient and family dyads was used to test the effect of site (Chennai, Montreal), stakeholder (patient, family), and time on Show me you care scores. This was followed by separate linear mixed effect models for patients and families with age and gender, as well as symptom severity and functioning as time-varying covariates. As hypothesized, Chennai patients and families reported more supportive behaviours from their treating teams (β=4.04; β= 9, respectively) than did Montreal patients (Intercept =49.6) and families (Intercept=42.45). Higher symptom severity over follow-up was associated with patients reporting lower supportive behaviours from treating teams. Higher levels of positive symptoms (but lower levels of negative symptoms) over follow-up were associated with families reporting lower supportive behaviours from treating teams. There was no effect of time, age, gender and functioning. The levels to which treating teams are perceived as supportive may reflect culturally shaped attitudes (e.g., warmer attitudes towards healthcare providers in India vis-à-vis Canada) and actual differences in how supportive treating teams are, which too may be culturally shaped. Being expected to be more involved in treatment, Chennai families may receive more attention and support, which may further reinforce their involvement. Across contexts, those who improve over follow-up may see their treating teams more positively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intestinal intussusception is rare in adults, involving telescoping of one intestinal segment into another. Commonly associated with colonic lesions, it presents as acute obstruction. Diagnosis relies on CT. We report a rare case of colorectal intussusception due to a polyp, managed by endoscopic polypectomy. We present a case of a 74-year-old man with chronic constipation, who presented with acute abdominal pain, vomiting, and cessation of bowel movements. Hemodynamically stable, he had a distended abdomen. We diagnosed acute bowel obstruction secondary to colorectal intussusception via CT scan. Surgery was planned after resuscitation. However, after induction of general anesthesia, the procedure was postponed due to a significant diarrheal episode and resolution of the abdominal distension. A subsequent colonoscopy revealed a 10 mm polyp, which was excised endoscopically. The patient's recovery was smooth, with no recurrence after a one-year follow-up. Intestinal intussusception, rare in adults, primarily affects the small intestine but may involve the colon, often associated with organic lesions or postoperative adhesions. While colocolonic intussusceptions, mostly malignant, may stem from benign causes occasionally, symptoms are nonspecific, with common pain. Diagnosis relies on CT scans, with surgery typically required, except in select cases. Colorectal intussusception, rare in adults, may necessitate laparotomy. Spontaneous symptom resolution enables conservative management. Clinician awareness is vital to prevent unnecessary and risky surgeries, given its rarity and potential for favorable outcomes sans intervention. • Rare occurrence: Benign colorectal intussusception caused by rectal polyp. • Non operative approach: Successful management without surgical intervention. • Clinical significance: Highlighting alternative treatment options for uncommon cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Software Defined Networks (SDN) is a networking paradigm that separates the control plane from the forwarding plane. There is little research on structuring the SDN data plane for security. The Robust Network and Segmentation Algorithm (RNS) is an algorithm based on Product Family Algebra (PFA) that implements layered defence and segmentation strategies to segment resources towards designing secure networks. In this paper, we present an additional plane in charge of the configuration and governance of SDN data planes that we call Dynamic Configuration and Governance (DCG) plane. It is intended to give agility to dynamic networks. It implements the RNS algorithm in SDN environment. Moreover, we propose and suggest three architectures that use DCG plane. Then we assess the three architectures. The assessment results identify an architecture that is suitable for dynamic networks and another for networks that are more stable regarding changes to policy and network topology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Chronic inflammation of the synovial cyst induces neovascularization of its wall leading to a possible intra-cystic bleeding. • The different signal modulations on MRI are due to the variable consistency and density of the cystic fluid. • Synovial cyst hemorrhage produces a sudden increase in the size of the lesion with compression of the spinal cord and nerve roots. • Surgery is the appropriate treatment in case of synovial cyst with spinal cord compression. Cervical synovial cysts are uncommon. They are most often responsible for a chronic clinical picture. Rarely, intracystic hemorrhage occurs, and may acutely present as radicular – or even spinal cord compression syndrome leading to irreversible neurological impairment. We reported a case of bleeding synovial cyst located in the cervico-thoracic spine causing spastic paraparesis in a 68-year-old male patient. MRI revealed narrowing of perimedullary subarachnoid space by a well circumscribed, extra-axial, homogeneous mass located posterolaterally to the right of the spinal cord at the level C7-T1. The cyst was removed thoroughly by laminectomy. Pathological findings were consistent with the diagnosis of hemorrhagic synovial cyst. The patient had an excellent recovery. Synovial cysts of the spine are rare and usually asymptomatic. It is extremely rare for intracystic bleeding to occur and be responsible for an abrupt presentation. Diagnosis of spinal synovial cyst relies on MRI but may not be evident as it depends on consistency and density of the cystic fluid. Surgery remains the best therapeutic alternative, especially in the case of neurological impairment. Surgery should be considered for any cervical synovial cyst. This is motivated by the risk, although rare, of bleeding and the resulting irreversible neurological damage that may occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water pollution as a result of contamination with dye-contaminating effluents is a severe issue for water reservoirs, which instigated the study of biodegradation of Reactive Red 195 and Reactive Blue dyes by E. coli and Bacillus sp. The effects of occupation time, solution pH, initial dyes concentrations, biomass loading, and temperature were investigated via batch-system experiments by using the Design of Experiment (DOE) for 2 levels and 5 factors response surface methodology (RSM). The operational conditions used for these factors were optimized using quadratic techniques by reducing the number of experiments. The results revealed that the two types of bacteria had a powerful effect on biodegradable dyes. The regression analysis revealed a good match of the experimental data to the second-order polynomial with a high coefficient of determination (R2). The optimum conditions achieved by E. coli were temperature (39.9 °C), initial concentration (99.6 mg L−1), biomass loading (14.9 V Biomass /V Solution), incubation time (1 day), pH (7.23), while the optimum conditions achieved by Bacillus sp. were temperature (28.3 °C), initial concentration (98 mg L−1), biomass loading (5.8 V Biomass /V Solution), incubation time (1 day), and pH (7.9) obtained from the desirability function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To prepare a novel Chitosan (CS)-coated-PLGA-NPs of catechin hydrate (CTH) and to improve lungs bioavailability via direct nose to lungs-delivery for the comparative assessment of a pulmokinetics study by the first-time UHPLC-MS/MS developed method in the treatment of lungs cancer via anticancer activities on H1299 lung cancer cells. PLGA-NPs was prepared by solvent evaporation (double emulsion) method followed by coated with chitosan (CS) and evaluated based on release and permeation of drug, a comparative pulmokinetics study with their anticancer activities on H1299 lung cancer cells. The particle size, PDI and ZP of the optimized CAT-PLGA-NPs and CS-CAT-PLGA-NPs were determined 124.64 ± 12.09 nm and 150.81 ± 15.91 nm, 0.163 ± 0.03 and 0.306 ± 0.03, –3.94 ± 0.19 mV and 26.01 ± 1.19 mV respectively. Furthermore, higher entrapment efficiency was observed for CS-CAT PLGA NPs. The release pattern of the CS-CAT-PLGA NPs was found to favor the release of entrapped CAT within the cancer microenvironment. CS-CAT-PLGA-NPs exposed on H1299 cancer cells upto 24.0 h was found to be higher cytotoxic as compared to CAT-solution (CAT-S). CS-CAT-PLGA-NPs showed higher apoptosis of cancer cells after their exposure as compared to CAT-S. CS-CTH-PLGA-NPs showed tremendous mucoadhesive-nature as compared to CTH-S and CS-CTH-PLGA NPs by retention time (RT) of 0.589 min, and m / z of 289.21/109.21 for CTH alongwith RT of 0.613 min and m / z of 301.21/151.21 was found out for IS (internal standard), i.e. Quercetin). Likewise, for 1–1000 ng mL−1 (linear range) of % accuracy (92.01–99.31%) and %CV (inter & intra-day, i.e. 2.14–3.33%) was determined. The improved C max with AUC 0–24 was observed extremely significant (p < 0.001) via i.n. as compared oral and i.v. in the wistar rat's lungs. The CS-approach was successfully designed and safely delivered CAT to the lungs without causing any risk. CS-CTH-PLGA-NPs were showed a significant role (p < 0.001) for the enhancement of lungs-bioavailability and potentially promising approach to treat lung cancers. CS-CTH-PLGA-NPs did not cause any toxicity, it showed safety and have no obvious toxic-effects on the rat's lungs and does not produce any mortality followed by no abnormal findings in the treated-rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asthma is a severe and chronic disabling disease affecting more than 300 million people worldwide. Although in the past few drugs for the treatment of asthma were available, new treatment options are currently emerging, which appear to be highly effective in certain subgroups of patients. Accordingly, there is a need for biomarkers that allow selection of patients for refined and personalized treatment strategies. Recently, serological chip tests based on microarrayed allergen molecules and peptides derived from the most common rhinovirus strains have been developed, which may discriminate 2 of the most common forms of asthma, that is, allergen- and virus-triggered asthma. In this perspective, we argue that classification of patients with asthma according to these common trigger factors may open new possibilities for personalized management of asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ramp metering is an effective way of maintaining optimum traffic conditions and mitigating congestion on freeways. Several strategies for ramp metering exist in the literature. They are typically based on the freeway traffic parameters as control inputs to the ramp control logic. The ramp signal can be controlled in two ways, i.e., locally controlled (isolated ramp control) and coordinated ramp control. Coordinated ramp control refers to the ramp metering strategies in which several ramp meters connected to the freeway segment are dynamically controlled by considering traffic flows along all ramps. Coordinated ramp metering can play a vital role in freeway congestion mitigation on the ramps as well as normalize the traffic flow over the freeway. In this study, an alternate coordinated metering scheme that uses the state of the upstream traffic signal on arterial as the control input to the ramp meter is proposed. The proposed method aims to prevent long queues on the ramp with limited storage by taking feedback from the upstream traffic signal on the arterial, especially when the ramp has a small storage area for vehicles. Simulation results show a significant reduction in the queue length over the ramp using the proposed scheme. Additionally, the proposed scheme also benefits the arterial traffic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi 5 O 7 I-based photocatalysts have been extensively employed for wastewater photocatalysis thanks to their desirable catalytic properties. This review sums up the latest progress in Bi 5 O 7 I-based heterojunctions and provides crucial information about three main areas: synthesis approaches, characterizations, and their applications in wastewater photocatalysis. Special attention is given to the synthetic strategies, like co-precipitation, hydrothermal, solvothermal, sonication, and ionic liquid self-combustion, to obtain Bi 5 O 7 I-based heterojunctions with appropriate morphology, structure, physical, chemical, and optical characteristics. Deeply, it was detected that the structure of Bi 5 O 7 I inclines to build a 3D crystal structure by stacking the [Bi 5 O 7 ]+ slices with I− ions. Beyond that, the Bi 5 O 7 I nanomaterials exhibited different morphologies, like nanoparticles, nanorods, nanosheets, and flower-like microspheres, manifesting excellent support structures to immobilize incorporated co-catalysts. Our review also highlights the major modification approaches, like doping, type II, p-n, Z-type, and S-type heterojunctions, that address the catalytic limitations of pristine Bi 5 O 7 I. Impressively, the density functional theory (DFT) calculations played a crucial role in simulating and characterizing the crystalline structure, band structure, work function, and charge transfer profile of these Bi 5 O 7 I-based heterojunctions. In more detail, doping with plasmonic nanoparticles could broaden the visible-light sensitivity of newly created Bi 5 O 7 I-based heterojunctions. Even though type II and p-n Bi 5 O 7 I-based heterojunctions allowed for excellent charge separation mechanisms, their redox potentials were insufficient to produce both •OH and •O 2 − radicals. On the other hand, Bi 5 O 7 I-based S-type and Z-type systems offered advantages for obstructing the charge reintegration rate, accelerating the photocarrier migration, expanding the photon absorption, and upgrading the redox potential. The applications of Bi 5 O 7 I-based heterojunctions in terms of the purification of pollutants are also reviewed, supported by a huge number of impactful experimental studies and DFT theoretical calculations. The Bi 5 O 7 I-based heterojunctions displayed superior catalytic performance against various environmental pollutants, like phenolic compounds, organic dyes, pharmaceuticals, microorganisms, Hg0, Cr(VI), and so on. The DFT calculations reflected an assistance role in proposing the degradation pathways of treated organic pollutants via Bi 5 O 7 I-based heterojunctions. Ultimately, this review may have a significant influence on the development of sustainable Bi 5 O 7 I-based photocatalysts with perfect photocatalytic properties. [Display omitted] • This review summarizes the latest progress in Bi 5 O 7 I-based heterojunction photocatalysts. • Special attention is given to the synthetic strategies of Bi 5 O 7 I-based composites. • The characterizations and the photoactivity of Bi 5 O 7 I-based catalysts have been explained in detail. • Modification strategies like doping, defects, and heterojunctions have been discussed. • The DFT calculations played a crucial role in justifying the catalytic behavior of Bi 5 O 7 I-based catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] In many occupational settings, workers are frequently exposed to toluene and noise. However, the individual and combined effects of these exposures on the cardiovascular system have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of simultaneous exposure to toluene and noise on the rat heart, while also evaluating the potential preventive effect of olive leaf extract (OLE). Forty-eight male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to eight groups (n = 6/group): control group (C), control group that received OLE (C + OLE), group exposed to noise (N), group exposed to noise and receiving OLE (N + OLE), group exposed to toluene (T), group exposed to toluene and receiving OLE (T + OLE), group co-exposed to noise and toluene (NT), and group co-exposed to noise and toluene and receiving OLE (NT + OLE). The rats in this study were subjected to simultaneous exposure to toluene and noise for a duration of six weeks, within a custom-built plexiglass chamber. Toluene was administered at a concentration of 300 ppm, while the noise level was set to 85 dB(A). The exposure chamber was equipped with a generation system, an exposure system, and a monitoring system, ensuring precise and accurate exposure conditions. After the six-week period, heart and blood samples were collected from the rats for subsequent analysis. Plasma levels of cholesterol (CHOL), triglycerides (TG), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and creatine kinase (CK) were measured, and histopathological investigation was conducted using HE staining. Additionally, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities, as well as malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in heart tissue were measured. Our results showed that simultaneous exposure to noise and toluene altered CHOL, TG, LDH, and CK levels, and also caused an increase in lipid peroxidation levels and superoxide dismutase activity, along with a decrease in catalase activity in the heart. A significant alteration in the myocardium was also observed. However, treatment with OLE was found to modulate these oxidative and histological changes, ultimately correcting the deleterious effects induced by the combined exposure to noise and toluene. Therefore, our study suggests that OLE could be a potential preventive measure for individuals exposed to toluene and noise in industrial settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetes Mellitus is described as a group of metabolic diseases in which the patient has higher blood glucose levels due to many causes. These include a defect in insulin secretion and failure of the body's cells to respond to the hormone. Cytokines and autoantibodies have a critical role in the pathogenesis of diabetes, especially type I.Aim Of the Study: The aim of this study was to measure the serum levels of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 β), interleukin-3 (IL-3), interferon-gamma (INF- γ), and glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibody (GADA) in patients with type I and type II diabetes mellitus.Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, serum samples were taken from 250 individuals, including 100 samples from patients with type II diabetes mellitus, 100 samples from healthy controls, and 50 samples from patients with type I diabetes mellitus. Five milliliters of venous blood were taken from each individual and the samples were analyzed for cytokines (IL-1 β, IL-3, and INF- γ) and GABA using ELISA.Results: In the study, we found that the serum levels of IL-1 β were significantly higher in the healthy control group compared to the patients with type I and type II diabetes mellitus. The levels of IL-3 and INF- γ were significantly higher in type II diabetes mellitus, while GABA serum levels were higher in type I diabetes mellitus.Conclusion: Our data showed that GADA is an important autoantibody, not only in type I but also in type II diabetes mellitus and can probably be used in the future for diagnosis of this disease. There was also a close association of GADA with systemic immunoregulation in type I and II diabetes mellitus. The relation of cytokines (IL-1 β, IL-3, and INF- γ) and GADA in patients with diabetes will also increase our understanding for the immunology of diabetes mellitus and to propose specific treatment on the basis of our findings. Our data also include correlation between age and the level of cytokines and GADA with different conclusion for each parameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper, an unknown input multiobserver (UIMO) is designed for the state estimation of uncertain non-linear systems. A discrete decoupled state multimodel is exploited to describe the behavior of non-linear systems. A particular transformation of uncertainties to unknown inputs is considered. The LMI approach is used to establish the convergence conditions of the state estimation error. The efficiency of the proposed strategy is emphasized through an illustrative example and a real time application on a semi-batch reactor that lead to good performance in terms of robustness, convergence speed and precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study covers the characterization of the dynamic behavior of isolated porcine ribs based on experimental and numerical approaches. A Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) setup for three-point bending tests was used. Data of 20 tests were considered to be comprehensible for experimental characterization, thereby, showing an influence of strain rate on both time for fracture and amplitudes of force response. A three-dimensional porcine rib model was generated from the DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine) images of High-Resolution peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography (HR-pQCT) scans. Material properties having been fitted by power law regression equations based on apparent density were assigned to the numerical rib. A modified elastic-plastic constitutive law, capable of considering the effects of strain rate was adopted. An incremental and stress-state dependent damage law, capable of considering effects of strain rate on fracture propagation, non-linear damage accumulation and instabilities was coupled to the constitutive law. The Finite Element (FE) model shows high efficiency in predicting both force-displacement curve and the fracture patterns of tested ribs. Predictions prove the ability of the proposed model to investigate the fracture behavior of human ribs under dynamic loads. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The molecular orbital surfaces for the HOMO and LUMO of (C 5 H 6 N 2 Cl) 2 [FeCl 4 ]·Cl. In this work, a new hybrid material (C 5 H 6 N 2 Cl) 2 [FeCl 4 ].Cl abbreviated (CAP) 2 [FeCl 4 ].Cl was prepared using room temperature slow evaporation technique. The X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the compound is crystallized in the centrosymmetric space group P2 1 /c of the monoclinic system. The crystallographic network consists of an Fe(III) ion located on an inversion center and coordinated by four chlorine, isolated Cl– and two (CAP)+ protonated cations linked by N–H...Cl and C–H...Cl hydrogen bonds to form a zero-dimensional network. Hirshfeld surface analysis was used to analyze intermolecular interactions present in the crystal structure. The vibrational properties were inspected by means of Infra-Red absorption and Raman diffusion spectroscopy techniques. In addition, theoretical calculations based on the DFT/B3LYP/LanL2DZ method and the time-dependent density functional theory (TD–DFT) were performed in order to gain more information and help in the examination of over-all properties of the title compound. Good and interesting experimental findings were presented and good consistency was found with the calculated results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of different temperatures and sintering times on the microstructure, density, hardness, bending strength, coefficient of friction (COF), fracture toughness, and abrasion rate of C f /Si 3 N 4 fabricated via the spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique. For this target, the α phase of Si 3 N 4 powder was prepared alongside sintering aids and carbon fiber. Next, five samples were sintered via SPS method at temperatures 1750 °C, 1800 °C, and 1850 °C, under the pressure of 70 MPa, and times of 10, 15, and 20 min. The obtained data illustrated that with an elevation of the sintering temperature from 1750 °C to 1850 °C, the density of the sintered body increased from 91.11 % to 93.03 %, and the hardness rose from 536 to 916 Vickers. Furthermore, upon prolonging the holding time from 10 min to 20 min, the density was enhanced from 93.03 % to 96.53 %, and hardness improved from 916 to 1433 Vickers. The results showed that with an elevation of temperature and time of sintering, the abrasion rate dropped from 14.4 × 10 - 7 to 4.4 × 10 - 7 g/N.m due to reducing the porosity of the sample. Finally, with a temperature rise from 1750 °C to 1850 °C, the bending strength of the samples decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is often diagnosed in women of childbearing age (WCBA), with a mean age of onset of 30 years. Women with MS have long been cautioned to carefully plan their pregnancies and, traditionally, disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) have not been recommended for use in patients engaged in family planning. In 2020, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a label update for interferon beta (IFN ß) by adding new safety data on pregnancy and breastfeeding. A panel of experts consisting of 8 neurologists from Iraq and one international neurology expert from Germany convened to develop an expert opinion that would provide practical guidance for the pharmacological management of WCBA with MS in Iraq. They considered the latest label update and relevant published literature, along with local clinical practice and available resources. Glatiramer acetate and IFN have no evidence of harm during pregnancy. IFN β can be continued safely through pregnancy. Switching treatment during pregnancy is generally not recommended. Short-term intravenous methylprednisolone can be used to treat disabling relapses. Given the complexity of managing MS in pregnant women, it is the opinion of the expert panel that family planning should be discussed early in the disease course. Planned pregnancy should be encouraged, and open communication with the patient for her treatment decisions is paramount. Patients who are engaged in family planning are no longer discouraged from treatment with some of the currently available DMTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Data center is an essential part of modern life that is predicted to increase both in capacity and size over the coming years. This sector consumes a significant proportion of electricity for its operation and for the essential cooling facilities. This consumption is expected to rise with increasing demands which can result in more CO 2 emission. Waste heat is an inevitable by-product of DC operation with a potential of being sustainable, low cost and environmentally friendly heat source. In this paper, we proposed a novel system that integrates three thermodynamic cycles including an ORC, a HP and a Gas burner. The aim of this system is to provide cooling for the DC as well as to utilize the rejected heat to supply hot water for central heating. The results show that this system can maintain the indoor room temperature between 18-25 oC by absorbing 12 kW of heat to increase water temperature from 50 to 80 oC. In addition, the system can achieve an overall fuel-to-heat efficiency of 141.8%. Therefore, utilizing such system can have a great potential of improving DC performance as well as providing usable energy by waste heat recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • The methanol extract of the aerial parts of Vaccaria pyramidata was investigated. • Two C-glycoside apigenine derivatives never reported before were characterized by NMR analysis. • The structures of the two flavone C-glycosides were confirmed by theoretical study. • A known phenolic compound, three triterpenes and a sesquiterpene glycoside were also isolated. Abstract The flavone C-glycosides namely apigenin-7- O - β - d -glucopyranosyl-8- C - β - d -glucopyranoside (1) and apigenin-8- C - α - l -rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)- O - β - d -glucopyranoside (2), along with p -methoxycinnamic acid (3), vaccaroside A (4), vaccaroside D (5), vaccaroside E (6) and abscisic acid glucose ester (7) were isolated from the methanol extract of the aerial parts of Vaccaria pyramidata. Structure elucidation of compounds 1 - 7 was accomplished by the extensive use of 1D- and 2D NMR experiments along with HR-ESI-MS. The structures of 1 - 2 have been confirmed by theoretical study of the 1H, 13C chemical shifts and UV data. In addition, Ionization Potential (IP) and Bond Dissociation Enthalpy (BDE) were used to evaluate the theoretical antioxidant activity of compounds 1 and 2. TD-DFT method (time-dependent density functional) was used to calculate the electronic absorption spectra of compounds 1 and 2 from optimized structures in methanol and the orbitals involved in the electronic transition were elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Given an undirected graph G = (V , E) , a vertex k -cut of G is a vertex subset of V the removing of which disconnects the graph in at least k components. Given a graph G and an integer k ≥ 2 , the vertex k -cut problem consists in finding a vertex k -cut of G of minimum cardinality. We first prove that the problem is NP-hard for any fixed k ≥ 3. We then present a compact formulation, and an extended formulation from which we derive a column generation and a branching scheme. Extensive computational results prove the effectiveness of the proposed methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract For most parts of the world, the availability of cold sources is a considerable basis for progress. To subsist the demand for cold production, many refrigeration systems have been highlighted. Among these systems, a particular interest has been given to the compression-absorption hybrid refrigeration machine for which we integrated new organic mixtures (1,1,1,3,3,3-Hexafluoropropane / Dimethylacetamide (R236fa / DMAC), R245fa / DMAC (1,1,1,3,3-entafluoropropane / N, N'dimethylacetamide). This refrigeration system is usually adequate to meet most refrigeration requirements. The use of wind energy as a primary source for feeding this kind of system is very interesting because it is inexhaustible and is abundant in areas where the need for cold is enormous. The main objective of this work is the energy and exergetic optimization of a hybrid heat pump absorption / compression powered by a source of wind energy in order to improve its performance on the one hand and its adaptation to a wind source on the other. A simulation was also done to consolidate the results that were developed according to the calculus. The results of such a system show that the energy demand of absorption / compression refrigeration machines can be reduced to about 42% by switching to efficient energy systems. To summarize, such a study will allow making an economic optimization and a sensitivity analysis in order to reduce the investment cost; Furthermore, this novel configuration reduces the energy consumed by the compressor and thus approves improving of the efficiency of the heat pump for which COP can reach 0.75 contrary to the usual machine that has a maximum efficiency equal to 0.6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Analyze the effectiveness of LEACH-based protocols in order to provide more reliability and extend the lifetime for energy-constrained WSNs. • EM-LEACH supports new rules for cluster-head selection and round time computing based on the remaining energy. • EM-LEACH introduces multi-hop communication model based on two operating processes: leveling and generic multi-hop routing. • EM-LEACH reduces and balances the energy consumption & introduces more reliability for packet delivery. Abstract Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are attracting research attention because of their important applications in critical environmental monitoring and target tracking in both civilian and military fields. The large-scale deployment of energy-constrained WSNs and the need for multi-hop data aggregation requires efficient organization of network topology to simplify the routing task, balance the load, and prolong the network lifetime. Clustering has proven to be an effective approach for organizing the network into a connected hierarchy. In this study, we analyze the effectiveness of low-energy adaptive clustering hierarchy (LEACH) and LEACH-based protocols in extending the lifetime for energy-constrained WSNs. An improved LEACH clustering protocol called enhanced multi-hop LEACH is proposed to reduce and balance energy consumption in order to allow increased packet delivery and network lifetime in WSNs. Additionally, this paper presents the weaknesses of the LEACH protocol. First, we introduce new rules for cluster-head selection and round time computing based on the remaining energy. Second, a multi-hop communication model is integrated in the WSN using two operating processes: leveling and generic multi-hop routing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A major performance and complexity limitation in direct-conversion broadband wireless transceivers is the phase noise (PN) resulting from the inevitable imperfections in the fabrication process of the crystal oscillator. PN induces inter-carrier interference in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) transceivers. Assuming the availability of inaccurate PN and channel estimates, in this paper, we propose an efficient low-complexity sparsity-based design for joint PN mitigation and channel equalization in OFDM systems. Moreover, we analyze the maximum expected coherence metric for the sparsifying matrix that is used in our approach which provides some insight into its performance. Finally, our numerical simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed compensation approach compared to the state-of-the-art designs in terms of both performance and computational complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess, for the first time, the concentrations, sources, dry deposition and human health risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), aliphatic hydrocarbons (AHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in total suspended particle (TSP) samples collected in Bizerte city, Tunisia (North Africa), during one year (March 2015–January 2016). Concentrations of PAHs, AHs, PCBs and OCPs ranged 0.5–17.8 ng m −3 , 6.7–126.5 ng m −3 , 0.3–11 pg m −3 and 0.2–3.6 pg m −3 , respectively, with higher levels of all contaminants measured in winter. A combined analysis revealed AHs originating from both biogenic and petrogenic sources, while diesel vehicle emissions were identified as dominant sources for PAHs. PCB potential sources included electronic, iron, cement, lubricant factories located within or outside Bizerte city. The dominant OCP congeners were p,p ′-DDT and p,p ′-DDE, reflecting a current or past use in agriculture. Health risk assessment showed that the lifetime excess cancer risk from exposure to airborne BaP was negligible in Bizerte, except in winter, where a potential risk to the local population may occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impedance cardiography (ICG) is a simple, non-invasive and cost effective tool for monitoring hemodynamic parameters. It has been successfully used to diagnose several cardiovascular diseases, like the heart failure and myocardial infarction. In particular, valvular heart disease (VHD) is characterized by the affection of one or more heart valves: mitral, aortic, tricuspid or pulmonary valves and it is usually diagnosed using the Doppler echocardiography. However, this technique is rather expensive, requires qualified expertise, discontinuous, and often not necessary to make just a simple diagnosis. In this paper, a new computer aided diagnosis system is proposed to detect VHD using the ICG signals. Six types of ICG heartbeats are analyzed and classified: normal heartbeats (N), mitral insufficiency heartbeats (MI), aortic insufficiency heartbeats (AI), mitral stenosis heartbeats (MS), aortic stenosis heartbeats (AS), and pulmonary stenosis heartbeats (PS). The proposed methodology is validated on 120 ICG recordings. Firstly, ICG signal is denoised using the Daubechies wavelet family with order eight (db8). Then, these signals are segmented into several heartbeats and, later, subjected to the linear prediction LP and discrete wavelet transform DWT approaches to extract temporal and time–frequency features, respectively. In order to reduce the number of features and select the most relevant ones among them, the Student's t -test is applied. Therefore, a total of 16 features are selected (3 temporal features and 13 time–frequency features). For the classification step, the support vector machine SVM and k -nearest neighbors KNN classifiers are used. Different combinations between extracted features and classifiers are proposed. Hence, experimental results showed that the combination between temporal features, time–frequency features and SVM classifier achieved the highest classification performance in classifying the N, MI, MS, AI, AS and PS heartbeats with 98.94% of overall accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the large use of wireless sensor devices, the interest in positioning and tracking by means of wireless sensor networks is expected to grow further. Particularly, accurate localization of a moving target is a fundamental requirement in several Machine to Machine monitoring applications. Tracking using Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) has been frequently adopted thanks to the availability and the low cost of this parameter. In this paper, we propose an innovative target tracking algorithm which combines learning regression tree approach and filtering methods using RSSI metric. Regression Tree algorithm is investigated in order to estimate the position using the RSSI. This method is combined to filtering approaches yielding to more refined results. The suggested approach is evaluated through simulations and experiments. We also compare our method to existing algorithms available in the literature. The numerical and experimental results show the relevance and the efficiency of our method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caching is an essential component of Named Data Networking (NDN), enabling efficient and scalable content distribution for future networks. The caching strategy regulates content distribution by deciding which network nodes are most suited to store duplicates of popular data. Hence, cache placement decisions are crucial to the NDN cache strategy. According to a prior study, caching decisions should consider the availability of cache storage for each node, the network's structure, and the content's popularity. However, all those criteria are not considered simultaneously in the decision-making process. Ignoring critical criteria can lead to destructive and ineffective decisions. Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) improves NDN efficiency in caching decisions. This paper introduces C3CPS, a novel caching placement strategy based on MCDM using CoCoSo and CRITIC weighting method for enhanced content distribution. C3CPS considers five criteria, including two related to the network topologies, two related to cache storage, and the popularity of the content. Then, C3CPS examines these criteria with the CRITIC method to determine the weight of each criterion and the CoCoSo method to determine the optimal cache node. The ICARUS simulator validates C3CPS. The results show that the C3CPS outperforms other alternative caching techniques on cache hit rate, latency, and path stretch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the phytoremediation of tetracycline (TC) for 21 days using the coontail Ceratophyllum demersum. Experiments were conducted at varying TC concentrations: 5, 10, 50, 75, 100, and 150 mg/L. Besides, the water quality of the hydroponic medium was monitored based on pH values, total dissolved solids (TDS), dissolved oxygen (DO), and water temperatures. The TC concentration that killed half of the plants (half-life) in 14 days was 50 mg/L. Removals of TC were 85.0%, 82.0%, 79.7%, 78.0%, 67.0%, and 60.0% for TC concentrations of 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, and 5 mg/L, respectively. On day 21, their respective residual TC concentrations were 7.5, 7.2, 6.1, 4.4, 3.3, and 2 mg/L. The coontail was characterized by analysis Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. This work revealed that the presence of O–H, –CH2-, C C, C O, C–H, and O–Si–O groups in the plant tissues had enabled coontail to absorb TC from aqueous solution. Meanwhile, pH and TDS values increased alongside the TC concentrations. By contrast, the DO values decreased due to the bacterial decomposition of dead plants and depleted the oxygen in the water during phytoremediation. Our findings suggested that the coontail might be an appropriate phytoremediation agent for treating antibiotics-contaminated wastewater. [Display omitted] • This study investigated the phytoremediation of tetracycline for 21 days using the coontail Ceratophyllum demersum. • The tetracycline concentration that killed half of the plants (half-life) in 14 days was 50 mg/L. • The phytoremediation was successful, with a removal efficiency of 85.0% for tetracycline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely used in many industrial and food processes. Their discharge into the environment shows a serious threat because of their toxicity, non-biodegradability and high mobility in water and soil. Photocatalytic reaction is confirmed an effective way for the degradation of PFOA. Photocatalytic materials with multifunctional properties can boost the generation of oxidizing materials, enhance the degradation efficiency of target pollutants. Herein, we report an easy-synthesis of ZIF67@C 3 N 4 and MIL-100(Fe)@C 3 N 4 by in-situ hydrothermal growth route for the photocatalytic degradation of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Unlike bare g-C 3 N 4 , ZIF67@C 3 N 4 and MIL-100(Fe)@C 3 N 4 composites exhibit higher specific surface areas which enhanced the adsorption properties. Moreover, the formed heterojunction systems boost the visible light responsive and the separation of photo-induced electrons, allowing excellent degradation of PFOA. Besides the same response to spectrum below 420 nm as C 3 N 4 , ZIF67@C 3 N 4 holds a certain light absorption capacity between 500 and 600 nm, proving that ZIF67@C 3 N 4 -X has better light utilization capacity than ZIF67 and C 3 N 4. With the increase of MIL-100(Fe) addition, the red-shift becomes significant. Through the preliminary photocatalytic tests using methylene blue as a representative organic pollutant, the results showed that ZIF67@C 3 N 4 -24.4% and MIL-100(Fe)@C 3 N 4 -70% are the most effective. When ZIF67@C 3 N 4 -24.4% and MIL-100(Fe)@C 3 N 4 -70% were applied comparatively towards the photocatalytic oxidation of PFOA, the results showed that the removal rates reached 79.2% and 60.5%, respectively, which is much higher than bare C 3 N 4. The quenching tests indicated that photo-induced h+ played a major role in the photocatalytic degradation of PFOA by ZIF67@C 3 N 4 -24.4%, while O 2- and h+ participated equality towards the PFOA degradation in MIL-100(Fe)@C 3 N 4 -70% system. Besides the photonic effects, it was suggested that the adsorption and electron shuttle effect also played significant role on the excellent removal of PFOA, wherein the adsorption e behavior of catalysts help the accumulation of PFOA nearby the photoactive C 3 N 4 area. In addition, this process promoted further mineralization of generated intermediate products, making the system more sustainable. [Display omitted] • C 3 N 4 modified by ZIF67 and MIL-100(Fe) were synthesized. • Photo-induced h+ played a major role in the photocatalytic degradation of PFOA by ZIF67 @C 3 N 4. • Adsorb and Shuttle process was main reason behind the excellent removal of PFOA by the photocatalysts. • The formed heterojunction systems boost the separation of photoproduced charges, allowing excellent oxidation of PFOA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• With increasing temperature and SVF, the d nf would increase and decrease, respectively. • Also, with increasing the SVF and temperature, the µ nf increases and decreases, respectively. • As the radius of the nanoparticles increases, the d nf increases, and µ nf decreases. • NFs containing cylindrical nanoparticles have a lower d nf than NFs created by spherical nanoparticles. • As the SVF, temperature, and radius of the nanoparticles increase, the k nf increases. In recent decades, using nanofluids (NFs) to improve the thermal properties of the NFs was widely considered. In the current study, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was used to examine the effects of dispersion and morphology of nanoparticle aggregation (NA), solid volume fraction (SVF), temperature (Temp), nanoparticle size (NS), and nanoparticle shape on the thermal properties of water/Nickel nanofluid (NF). The thermophysical properties of the NFs were simulated and studied using MD simulation, which was a common computational method because of the high cost and limitations of experimental approaches, particularly at molecular dimensions. LAMMPS software package, and the EAM potential function were used to simulate the structure. In the present simulation, three NF samples containing Ni with SVF of 1, 2, and 3% with two shape of spherical (SN) and cylindrical (CN) and in two different Temp of 313 to 358 K were considered. Also, the nanoparticles (NPs) with the radii of 8, 10, and 12 Å were considered in the simulation box. The results show that by increasing Temp and SVF, the diffusion coefficient (D nf) of NFs would increase and decrease, respectively. From a numerical point of view, by increasing Temp from 313 K to358 K in 1% SVF, thermal conductivity (k nf) and D nf increased from 0.25656 to 0.99688 W/mK and 0.34786075 to 0.68396948, respectively. Moreover, by increasing SVF and T, the viscosity (µ nf) of NF increased and decreased, respectively. As the radius of NPs increased, the D nf of the water-based NFs increased. This is because larger NPs can provide more surface area for water molecules to interact with, which can increase the overall mobility of water molecules and enhance the D nf. Also, the µ nf decreased. This is because larger NPs can reduce the overall µ nf of the NF by increasing the mobility of water molecules and reducing the degree of hydrogen bonding between water molecules. Besides, NFs containing CN had a lower D nf than NFs created by SN. On the other hand, suspensions containing CN had a greater µ nf and k nf. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, novel optimal energy allocation schemes for the secondary users in an amplify-and-forward multi-hop underlay cognitive network are proposed. The optimization problem is formulated as a maximization of the instantaneous received signal to noise ratio, under interference power constraints that are imposed to protect the primary network. First, a novel geometrical approach is proposed for the two and three hop cases. Simulations show that the proposed approach combined with adaptive modulation outperforms the cooperative cognitive system with uniform energy distribution. Then, a Lagrange-based analytical approach solution is proposed to the problem for the 2-hop case. Numerical results show that the Lagrangian resolution leads to the same results as the geometrical one. The advantage of the geometrical approach is to get more insight for the 2-hop case and makes the resolution tractable for more hops in the network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we consider a variant of the virtual private network design problem (VPNDP). Given an uncapacitated physical network, represented by a graph G = ( V ∪ P , E ) , where V is the set of VPN routers and P is the set of clients for which it is given thresholds on the amount of traffic that each client can send ( b p + ) or receive ( b p − ), the VPNDP asks for (1) a connected sub-network G ′ = ( V ′ ∪ P , E ′ ) , (2) a client assignments ( p , v ), p ∈ P and v ∈ V ′ , and (3) a bandwidth allocation u e , e ∈ E ′ in order to accommodate any traffic demand matrix that respects client thresholds. When G ′ is acyclic, we have a VPN tree (VPNT). Also, when client thresholds are asymmetric, i.e. , ∑ p ∈ P b p + ≠ ∑ b ∈ P b p − , the problem has been shown to be NP-hard. In this paper, we give MILP formulations for the asymmetric VPN tree problem. Also, we discuss the polytope associated with one of these formulations and describe several classes of valid inequalities. Moreover, we present necessary and sufficient conditions under which these inequalities define facets. We also devise separation routines. Using these routines, we propose a Branch-and-Cut algorithm and present a computational study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider the Steiner k -Edge-Connected Network Design Problem (S k ESNDP). The problem finds its applications in the design of survivable telecommunications networks. We propose a parallel hybrid algorithm which aims to produce good solutions for large scale instances of the problem. Our approach is based on a Lagrangian relaxation of a flow-based integer programming formulation of the problem, a greedy and a genetic algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]