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Ammonia is a gas that produces zero carbon emissions when used in energy storage systems. Hence, there is increasing interest for the application of ammonia as fuel in various energy storage devices, specifically solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), as it has the potential to be efficient and environmentally friendly. In addition, compared to other fuel cells, SOFCs fed with ammonia offer various benefits such as such as sustainability and safety. This review compares and contrasts the opportunities and challenges of ammonia fuel cell technologies and helps to analyze their working principles. The main goal of this review is to investigate the viability of an "all-protonic" fuel cell using ammonia fuel while also highlighting the key challenges and limitations of implementing such technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the performances of 40 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 are evaluated against observational data at synoptic stations in Iran using various evaluation criteria. The results reveal diverse model accuracy across different climate conditions and criteria, emphasizing particularly notable disparities in the nonstationarity R criterion compared to others. Although according to the ranking of the raw and bias-corrected outputs of CMIP6 GCMs for Iran, the NorESM2-MM, AWI-ESM-1-1-LR, and MPI-ESM1-2-LR models are consistently among the top six ranked models for precipitation in both raw and corrected outputs. For temperature, MPI-ESM1-2-LR, TaiESM1, INM-CM4-8, and IITM-ESM are consistently among the top six models for both the raw and bias-corrected outputs of CMIP6 GCMs. The Bias correction methods, including quantile mapping and linear scaling, integrated with Bayesian model averaging, were applied. While quantile mapping demonstrates superior performance and less disparity than linear scaling, it proves ineffective for correcting biases at stations with bias nonstationarity over time. The RMSE for monthly precipitation ranges from almost 0 to 200 mm, with a large RMSE value related to the high precipitation stations, and the monthly temperature exhibits a range of 0 to 4 °C. The use of a multi-model ensemble improves accuracy compared to individual models, resulting in a reduction in the differences between the minimum and maximum RMSE values from 178.6 to 91.0. Additionally, the range for mean absolute error decreases from 126.9 to 93.3, and the difference in the correlation coefficient narrows from 0.9 to 0.42. Averaging models after bias correction prevents significant fluctuations while maintaining higher accuracy, in contrast to the second method, which involves bias-correcting models after averaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of novel cellulosic materials is imperative at the moment to ensure high-quality materials for building polymer composites that possess high-performance. This study was conducted to explore the specific properties of a novel micro-sized cellulosic fillers obtained from Nelumbo nucifera leaves and thereby to establish its feasibility as composite reinforcement. The physico-chemical, surface and thermal behaviours are investigated for cellulosic micro fillers that extracted through thermo-chemical method. The density of the extracted fillers was analysed to realize its mode of applicability. Whereas chemical characterization studies were indispensable to explore the chemical nature of the material. Of which, X-ray diffraction analysis proved that Nelumbo nucifera leaves has good crystallinity index (75.9%) and crystalline size (8.2 nm). The Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer analysis showed that the material possesses high cellulosic contents rather very less non-cellulosic residues. Scanning electron microscope images disclosed the roughness pattern of the filler surface and subsequently the average particle size of the micro fillers is identified as 23.253±6.55μm through ImageJ tool. At the same time, atomic force microscopy images revealed that micro cellulose extracted has desired average roughness (28.296 μm). Though, the suitable surface features of Nelumbo nucifera leaves are found to be virtuous for providing interfacial bonding with other matrices during composite formulation. Along with that, good thermal stability (215°C) offers its processing and application even at relatively higher temperatures. Since, the present study has accomplished that Nelumbo nucifera leaves is a promising alternative source of micro cellulose for traditionally used sources like wood, hemp, and cotton, for the extraction of micro cellulose, which could be further used as a promising alternative to synthetic reinforcements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ICSI may face fertilization failure, prompting the use of assisted oocyte activation (AOA) techniques. While AOA is implemented in infertility clinics, its target patients and definitive application remain uncertain. This systematic review adheres to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to assess reproductive outcomes in ICSI-AOA cycles compared to conventional ICSI and evaluate AOA effectiveness in various infertility disorders. A literature search encompassed PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Scopus databases until December 2023 for relevant English studies. Included studies compared ICSI-AOA with conventional ICSI in couples with prior fertilization failure, utilizing diverse AOA methods. Control groups consisted of sibling oocytes, previous cycles of the same couples, or couples undergoing conventional ICSI. Evaluated outcomes included fertilization, cleavage, embryo quality, implantation, pregnancy, and live birth rates. Article screening and data extraction were performed by two authors, with risk of bias assessed by another investigator. Out of 3088 initially identified articles, 30 studies were included, focusing on fertilization failure (n = 10), female infertility (n = 3), PLCζ defects (n = 4), poor sperm quality (n = 4), Globozoospermia (n = 4), and surgically retrieved sperm (n = 8). Most studies concluded that AOA could overcome fertilization failure, but success rates varied based on sperm-related or oocyte-related factors in ICSI-AOA cycles. Due to differences in patient inclusion criteria and sample sizes, most studies were not sufficiently similar for pooled analysis, limiting robust conclusions. There is insufficient evidence, particularly from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), to determine the efficacy or safety of ICSI-AOA as a treatment strategy. Registration number is PROSPERO, CRD42024551221. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We hypothesized that consanguineous marriage will remain a risk factor for pregnancy outcome and offspring mortality, but the development in demographic, socioeconomic conditions and increased utilization of maternal and child health care services during postglobalization era would work as a buffer in the reduction of child mortality rates. Data fromNational Family Health Surveys 4(2015–2016) and 5(2019–2021) were pooled and used for the analysis. Binary logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to examine the effects of close (CC) and distant (DC) consanguinity on spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, neonatal mortality, post-neonatal, and child mortality respectively compared to non-consanguinity (NC). The final model showed that the risk of spontaneous abortion (both CC and DC, p < 0.001) and neonatal mortality (DC, p < 0.001) were significantly higher compared to NC. No significant association was found between consanguinity and child mortality. We conclude that the endogenous effect of consanguinity still pose a serious challenge to the survival of fetus and new born; but exogenous effect reduces the risk of child death. We propose to incorporate socially entrenched practice of consanguinity explicitly into Mosley and Chen's (1984) framework for the aid in understanding child survival in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The internet has become inundated with vast amounts of information, making it increasingly difficult for users to find precise and reliable content in their respective domains. Recommendation algorithms have emerged as a solution to this problem, enabling personalized content recommendations based on user preferences. One domain that greatly benefits from recommendation systems is music, with its diverse genres and countless songs. In this research paper, we present a novel approach to music recommendation that leverages user likes, plays, ratings, and other factors to generate personalized playlists. The proposed hybrid recommendation system analyses songs using six features and incorporates new features such as ELLT and DVS designed for dimensionality reduction to enhance accuracy. It continuously adapts to evolving user preferences and music trends, making personalised recommendations using cosine similarity and song weights. We test our approach through extensive experimentation and achieve promising precision, recall, and F1 scores. This contribution advances personalized content recommendation and hybrid recommendation systems, demonstrating their potential to improve music listening experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human genetic studies of common variants have provided substantial insight into the biological mechanisms that govern ovarian ageing1. Here we report analyses of rare protein-coding variants in 106,973 women from the UK Biobank study, implicating genes with effects around five times larger than previously found for common variants (ETAA1, ZNF518A, PNPLA8, PALB2 and SAMHD1). The SAMHD1 association reinforces the link between ovarian ageing and cancer susceptibility1, with damaging germline variants being associated with extended reproductive lifespan and increased all-cause cancer risk in both men and women. Protein-truncating variants in ZNF518A are associated with shorter reproductive lifespan—that is, earlier age at menopause (by 5.61 years) and later age at menarche (by 0.56 years). Finally, using 8,089 sequenced trios from the 100,000 Genomes Project (100kGP), we observe that common genetic variants associated with earlier ovarian ageing associate with an increased rate of maternally derived de novo mutations. Although we were unable to replicate the finding in independent samples from the deCODE study, it is consistent with the expected role of DNA damage response genes in maintaining the genetic integrity of germ cells. This study provides evidence of genetic links between age of menopause and cancer risk.Analyses focusing on protein-truncating variants from 106,973 women from in the UK Biobank identify variants in genes that reinforce the link between reproductive lifespan in women and cancer risk in both sexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To fertilize eggs, sperm must pass through narrow, complex channels filled with viscoelastic fluids in the female reproductive tract. While it is known that the topography of the surfaces plays a role in guiding sperm movement, sperm have been thought of as swimmers, i.e., their motility comes solely from sperm interaction with the surrounding fluid, and therefore, the surfaces have no direct role in the motility mechanism itself. Here, we examined the role of solid surfaces in the movement of sperm in a highly viscoelastic medium. By visualizing the flagellum interaction with surfaces in a microfluidic device, we found that the flagellum stays close to the surface while the kinetic friction between the flagellum and the surface is in the direction of sperm movement, providing thrust. Additionally, the flow field generated by sperm suggests slippage between the viscoelastic fluid and the solid surface, deviating from the no-slip boundary typically used in standard fluid dynamics models. These observations point to hybrid motility mechanisms in sperm involving direct flagellum-surface interaction in addition to flagellum pushing the fluid. This finding signifies an evolutionary strategy of mammalian sperm crucial for their efficient migration through narrow, mucus-filled passages of the female reproductive tract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, is an intracellular pathogen posing a significant global public health threat. There is a pressing need for dependable and effective treatments, alongside an urgency for further research into the molecular characterization of its genome. Within the genomic landscape of Coxiella burnetii, numerous hypothetical proteins remain unidentified, underscoring the necessity for in-depth study. In this study, we conducted comprehensive in silico analyses to identify and prioritize potential hypothetical protein of Coxiella burnetii, aiming to elucidate the structure and function of uncharacterized protein. Furthermore, we delved into the physicochemical properties, localization, and molecular dynamics and simulations, and assessed the primary, secondary, and tertiary structures employing a variety of bioinformatics tools. The in-silico analysis revealed that the uncharacterized protein contains a conserved Mth938-like domain, suggesting a role in preadipocyte differentiation and adipogenesis. Subcellular localization predictions indicated its presence in the cytoplasm, implicating a significant role in cellular processes. Virtual screening identified ligands with high binding affinities, suggesting the protein's potential as a drug target against Q fever. Molecular dynamics simulations confirmed the stability of these complexes, indicating their therapeutic relevance. The findings provide a structural and functional overview of an uncharacterized protein from C. burnetii, implicating it in adipogenesis. This study underscores the power of in-silico approaches in uncovering the biological roles of uncharacterized proteins and facilitating the discovery of new therapeutic strategies. The findings provide valuable preliminary data for further investigation into the protein's role in adipogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides an insight into a comprehensive study on two soft clay deposits namely Kuttanad and Cochin marine clays from the south western state of Kerala, India. These clays are deltaic formations that possess low shear strength and high compressibility characteristics. Many cases of large post construction settlements and failures have been reported from these regions. Additionally, these clays are popular for undergoing irreversible changes in properties on drying and there were many theories associated with this trend for both clays; the significant reasons attributed being the presence of organic matter, the aggregations assisted by the exchangeable di-valent and tri-valent cations and high pore fluid salinity. The question of which was the predominant reason was a point of discussion in the past. In this paper, the similarities and dissimilarities of the two clays have been brought out. The irreversible nature of properties on drying was investigated for both clays using physicochemical techniques and FTIR Spectroscopy. Subsequently, a high energy dispersion tool, generally used for emulsification, was employed in an attempt to reverse the properties of the dried clays. While there was significant reversal of the properties in Cochin marine clay (CMC), it was only about 75 to 80% in Kuttanad clay. A detailed FTIR analysis indicated the presence of strong hydrogen bonds between the interlayer water and basal oxygens of kaolin-like layers in Kuttanad clay that is characteristic of the halloysite mineral. The presence of halloysite, higher salinity and organic matter of Kuttanad clay compared to CMC could be the major factor leading to the incomplete reversal of the properties for Kuttanad clay on drying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the major causes of burn infections. Due to the increase of resistance in this bacterium, it is necessary to find new antimicrobial compounds. This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial effect of Curcumin nanoparticles and Ferulago angulate Boiss extract MRSA isolated from burns and other skin infections. Firstly, in addition to phenotypic microbial tests, the PCR technique for identification of the mecA gene was used to confirm MRSA strains. The MIC and checkerboard methods were used to investigate curcumin nanoparticles and Ferulago angulate Boiss extract effects against bacterial growth rate alone and in combination. The biofilm inhibitory effect was determined through the microtitre plate method. Also, the real-time PCR technique examined relative changes in eno gene expression expression. The MTT assay evaluated the cellular toxicity. The data obtained was analyzed through SPSS software and suitable statistical tests. Curcumin nanoparticles and F. angulate extract inhibited the growth of MRSA strains at a concentration of 312.5–625 µg/mL, (MIC50 = 312.5). About 76.92% and 23.07% of clinical isolates showed indifferent and additive effects in combination with curcumin and F. angulate extract. The combination of curcumin and the mentioned extract decreased the eno gene expression compared to the 16S rRNA housekeeping gene. These two substances in combination and alone did not show any significant cytotoxic effects on HDF skin cell lines. In conclusion, curcumin nanoparticles and F.angulate extract showed some antibacterial effects against MRSA. Therefore, this compound should be considered with further tests against MRSA strains isolated from burn infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Hypothesis: The objective was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of an intrapartum electromechanical pelvic floor dilator designed to reduce the risk of levator ani muscle (LAM) avulsion during vaginal delivery. Methods: A multicenter, randomized controlled trial enrolled nulliparous participants planning vaginal delivery. During the first stage of labor, participants were randomized to receive the intravaginal device or standard-of-care labor management. The primary effectiveness endpoint was the presence of full LAM avulsion on transperineal pelvic-floor ultrasound at 3 months. Three urogynecologists performed blinded interpretation of ultrasound images. The primary safety endpoint was adverse events (AEs) through 3 months. Results: A total of 214 women were randomized to Device (n = 113) or Control (n = 101) arms. Of 113 Device assignees, 82 had a device placed, of whom 68 delivered vaginally. Of 101 Control participants, 85 delivered vaginally. At 3 months, 110 participants, 46 Device subjects who received full device treatment, and 64 Controls underwent ultrasound for the per-protocol analysis. No full LAM avulsions (0.0%) occurred in the Device group versus 7 out of 64 (10.9%) in the Control group (p = 0.040; two-tailed Fisher's test). A single maternal serious AE (laceration) was device related; no neonate serious AEs were device related. Conclusions: The pelvic floor dilator device significantly reduced the incidence of complete LAM avulsion in nulliparous individuals undergoing first vaginal childbirth. The dilator demonstrated an acceptable safety profile and was well received by recipients. Use of the intrapartum electromechanical pelvic floor dilator in laboring nulliparous individuals may reduce the rate of LAM avulsion, an injury associated with serious sequelae including pelvic organ prolapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the development of a fibre-rich breakfast cereal utilizing Indian Horse Chestnut Flour (IHCF) combined with traditional whole grains, including whole wheat flour, barley flour, and corn flour. The research focuses on optimising key extrusion process variables—feed moisture content (10–18%), barrel temperature (70–150 °C), screw speed (290–380 rpm), and IHCF concentration (1.75–4.75%) to enhance the cereal's quality attributes. Comprehensive measurements and analyses were conducted to determine the optimal conditions, focusing on water absorption capacity, bulk density, sectional expansion, water solubility index, porosity, rehydration ratio, hardness, and overall product acceptability. Extrudates rich in IHCF were also evaluated for rheological and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Statistical analysis revealed significant impacts of these variables on the cereal's physical properties. Under optimal conditions (12% feed moisture, 130 °C barrel temperature, 380 rpm screw speed, and 2.5% IHCF), the breakfast cereal exhibited superior expansion, porosity, and rehydration ratios, along with desirable hardness, achieving an overall acceptability score of 77.1. Further, an increase in feed moisture content corresponded with improved pasting properties in the optimized extruded flours. The rheological assessment indicated that the storage modulus (G′) of both extruded and native flours surpassed the loss modulus (G″), with samples at higher moisture content displaying the highest flow index but the lowest consistency coefficient. FTIR spectroscopy analysis underscored a reduction in peak intensity during extrusion, indicating notable structural modifications in the cereal constituents. This research presents significant advancements in the measurement and characterization of breakfast cereals, underscoring the potential of IHCF as a nutritious ingredient in the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite recent advances in the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer, progression to a castration-resistant state remains inevitable for most and prognosis is limited. Genetic testing for homologous recombination repair pathway alterations is recommended for all patients with advanced prostate cancer given that a mutation is present in up to 25% of cases. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARPis) are now approved for use in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who have progressed on an androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI) and harbour a germline or somatic homologous recombination repair mutation. Preclinical data support a synergistic effect with an ARPI and PARPi, and various ARPI-PARPi combinations have therefore been explored in phase III clinical trials. Despite heterogeneous findings, a clear hierarchy of benefit is evident, with patients harbouring a BRCA mutation deriving the greatest magnitude of benefit, followed by any homologous recombination repair mutation. The benefit in homologous recombination repair-proficient cohort is less clear, and questions remain about whether ARPI-PARPi combination therapy should be offered to patients without a homologous recombination repair mutation. With ARPIs now considered standard-of-care for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, ARPI-PARPi combination therapy is currently being explored earlier in the treatment paradigm. The purpose of this review is to discuss the rationale behind ARPI-PARPi combination therapy, summarise the results of key clinical trials, and discuss clinical considerations and future perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide an experimental design to study how estimates of the distance deterrence parameter in a standard doubly-constrained gravity model respond to different patterns of spatial structure. The design is defined as an agent-based simulation framework that simultaneously considers the response of commuting and migration to changes in the spatial structure, accounting for labor and housing market issues. The agents are equipped with a utility function and are expected to maximize their utilities corresponding to their disposable income net of commuting costs and house value. We study how the estimates of the distance deterrence parameter respond to where the central business district is located, to the clustering of local and basic sector jobs, to changes in the road transportation network, and to the compactness in the system of towns in the geography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancers have emerged as a significant concern due to their impact on public health and society. The examination and interpretation of tissue sections stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) play a crucial role in disease assessment, particularly in cases like gastric cancer. Microsatellite instability (MSI) is suggested to contribute to the carcinogenesis of specific gastrointestinal tumors. However, due to the nonspecific morphology observed in H&E-stained tissue sections, MSI determination often requires costly evaluations through various molecular studies and immunohistochemistry methods in specialized molecular pathology laboratories. Despite the high cost, international guidelines recommend MSI testing for gastrointestinal cancers. Thus, there is a pressing need for a new diagnostic modality with lower costs and widespread applicability for MSI detection. This study aims to detect MSI directly from H&E histology slides in gastric cancer, providing a cost-effective alternative. The performance of well-known deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) and a proposed architecture are compared. Medical image datasets are typically smaller than benchmark datasets like ImageNet, necessitating the use of off-the-shelf DCNN architectures developed for large datasets through techniques such as transfer learning. Designing an architecture proportional to a custom dataset can be tedious and may not yield desirable results. In this work, we propose an automatic method to extract a lightweight and efficient architecture from a given heavy architecture (e.g., well-known off-the-shelf DCNNs) proportional to a specific dataset. To predict MSI instability, we extracted the MicroNet architecture from the Xception network using the proposed method and compared its performance with other well-known architectures. The models were trained using tiles extracted from whole-slide images, and two evaluation strategies, tile-based and whole-slide image (WSI)-based, were employed and compared. Additionally, a visual explanation of the best convolutional neural network model is presented to validate numerical results. The MicroNet architecture achieved the best accuracy (0.85) and area under the curve-receiver operating characteristic curve (0.93), outperforming previous works for the study dataset. The proposed method can be utilized by developers to design lightweight and efficient problem-based neural network architectures, such as MicroNet, for MSI prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article demonstrates a mathematical model and theoretical analysis of the Micropolar fluid in the reverse roll coating process. It is important because micropolar fluids account for the microstructure and microrotation of particles within the fluid. These characteristics are significant for accurately describing the behavior of complex fluids such as polymer solutions, biological fluids, and colloidal suspensions. First, we modeled the flow equations using basic laws of fluid dynamics. The flow equations are made modified using low Reynolds number theory. The simplified equations are solved analytically. The exact expression for velocity and pressure gradient are obtained, while pressure is calculated numerically using Simpson Rule. Graphical depictions are carried out to comprehend the impact of the newly emerged physical constraints. The influence of micropolar and microrotation parameters on the velocity, pressure and pressure gradient are elaborated with the help of different graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Municipal solid waste (MSW) has increased dramatically in emerging economies like Bangladesh as a result of rapid urbanization and economic growth. Due to the high land requirements and nature of the waste, options of municipal waste management such as landfilling and waste-to-energy have proven to be expensive and inefficient. Previously, a pilot study on a waste-to-compost program in a decentralized facility was done in Dhaka to evaluate the effectiveness of municipal waste management. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the life cycle costs (LCCs) of a waste-to-composting facility in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The objective was to ensure economical and effective management of MSW by comparing overall spending to the current and proposed waste management process. Methodology: In order to evaluate the potential of the planned decentralized compost plant, LCC methods using UNEP/SETAC guidelines are used in the study. This includes an additional analysis of environmental and operational costs and benefits. Result: The research found that the overall cost of the decentralized compost facility was $857,110, much less than the expenditures associated with landfilling and conventional composting methods in Dhaka. Conclusion: This study shows that a decentralized waste-to-compost plant may be a profitable option for dealing with municipal solid waste. Its potential to ease stress on municipal governments is highlighted by its much lower price tag. Insightful for policymakers and urban planners in emerging nations confronting comparable waste management difficulties, this research stresses the need to implement such creative, cost-effective approaches in quickly rising metropolitan cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, the thermal conversion of Arachis hypogaea (groundnut) husk into biochar and its subsequent application in the adsorptive removal of Cr(VI) from an aqueous solution has been studied. The SEM–EDX and LIBS analyses showed that the adsorbent material incorporates both magnesium (Mg) and chromium (Cr) on its surface. The FTIR spectra revealed the involvement of several functional groups in the Cr(VI) adsorption, including –OH, Mg–O–Mg, –CH, –NH, and –COO. Specific surface area (SSA) is determined using BET (Brunauer–Emmett–Teller) analysis and the SSA of adsorbent material was 35.83 m2 g−1. Data from batch adsorption experiments demonstrated that magnesium-supported biochar increased the binding capacity of the adsorbent to the Cr(VI) ions. Adsorption experiment data at equilibrium conditions showed that the Langmuir model provided a best suited to the nMgO@GHBC than the Freundlich and Temkin models with a maximum adsorption capacity of 93.86 mg g−1. The kinetic-second-order model with the highest R2 value of 0.993 and the lowest values for root mean square error and chi-square (χ2) can reasonably explain the hexavalent chromium adsorption data. This study suggested that the mechanism of Cr(VI) adsorption onto both adsorbents might be chemisorption or ion exchange processes as adsorption data effectively fitted the PSO model. The outcomes of thermodynamic parameters like ΔG° indicated that Cr(VI) adsorption on pGHBC and nMgO@GHBC was spontaneous. Fixed-bed-column studies were conducted at different experimental conditions, such as inlet flow rate and bed height. The outcomes of the experimental data showed that the adsorption capacity of adsorbent for Cr(VI) adsorption in a fixed bed continuous flow was 50 mg g−1. The adsorbent was recycled ten times using NaOH, HNO3, H2SO4, and EDTA. The continuous adsorption and desorption of Cr ions for up to 10 cycles showed the reusability of spent biochar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protease is used in various industries and the uprising demand urges for its enhanced production. Herein, strain improvement by mutagenic treatment with ethyl methanesulfonate and ultra-violet light was carried out in proteolytic Bacillus subtilis AKAL7. Mutants were screened through proteolytic clear zone ratio on the skim milk agar. The highest protease producer mutant E29 was selected for enhanced protease production in shake flask fermentation using one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) and statistical methodology. The OFAT approach resulted in maximum level of protease (161.7 U/mL) after 24 h of fermentation at 30 °C, pH 10 in a basal medium. The statistical Plackett–Burman design predicted peptone, yeast extract, MgSO4, pH, and temperature as the significant factors among eight independent variables for the protease production. The response surface methodology (RSM) determined the optimal concentration of the significant factors for maximum protease production (741.284 U/mL). The experimental protease level (722.7 U/mL), which was ~5-fold of that produced with the basal media, validated the predicted values of RSM. The partial purification resulted in a final ~14-fold purified protease with specific activity of ~9508 U/mg protein and molecular weight ~40 kDa. The protease showed maximum activity at 50 °C and stability up to 45 °C for 1 h. However, 10 mM CaCl2 increased its thermostability. Severe inhibition of protease activity by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and HgCl2 revealed the partially purified protease as serine and cysteine type, which was active at pH 7.0–12.0 with the optima at pH 10.0. The protease could substantially dehair the cow skin within 14 h of treatment and retain 98% activity after 30 days of lyophilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares the hedging and safe haven properties of clean (renewable) energy and unclean (non-renewable) energy stocks. Using around 20 years of monthly clean and unclean energy indices and applying the GARCH and quantile regression models with dummy variables, we find that likewise the unclean energy stocks renewable energy stocks provide a weak hedge and a safe haven against the global economic policy uncertainty and its extreme values even during the pandemic and low and high return environments. These findings suggest that clean energy stocks provide immunity to investors against unfavourable changes to economic policy uncertainty and market volatility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To better cope with unfavorable climatic conditions and perform optimal physiological functions, the silkworm Bombyx mori secretes some of its defensive enzymes in the hemolymph. To understand the extent of enzyme secretion in the hemolymph, we studied the profiles of defense enzymes in different silkworm breeds. We collected and analyzed the hemolymph of 5th instar larvae of 21 different bivoltine silkworm breeds with different characteristics for protein content and activities of enzymes such as catalase, peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, amylase, and protease. The results revealed significant differences between the breeds in terms of protein and defensive enzyme activities. The activity of catalase, peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, amylase, and protease varied between silkworm breeds, with an average activity of 8.791 U mg−1, 0.203 U mg−1, 0.42 U mg−1, 0.264 mg ml−1 min−1 mg−1 and 0.193 µg ml−1 min−1, respectively. To understand the genetic relationship between the silkworm breeds in terms of the activity of defensive enzymes, we constructed a dendrogram using Euclidean distance. The 21 silkworm breeds were grouped into five different clusters with different enzyme activities, revealing sufficient diversity between the silkworm breeds that can be used for parental selection in silkworm breeding programs. This study is highly informative in enhancing knowledge on the role of defensive enzymes in the development of new silkworm breeds that can adapt to adverse environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reports the synthesis of cationic surfactant-coated Au-Ag core-shell (Au@Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) via a straightforward seed-mediated approach. The UV-Vis analysis showed that the plasmon peak position of synthesized Au@Ag NPs correlated with the thickness of the Ag shell encapsulating the Au core. The Au@Ag NPs have shown impressive catalytic performance for the reduction reactions of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) and methyl orange (MO) where the apparent rate constant experienced a remarkable increase by 67-fold and 90-fold, respectively, when Au@Ag NPs with the Ag-shell thickness of 6.3 nm were employed as a catalyst, compared to Au NPs. This multifold improvement in the activity cannot be simply accounted for by the increase in surface area of NPs and is attributed to the electronic synergistic effects between Au and Ag in the core-shell NPs. Furthermore, while Au@Ag NPs exhibited heightened antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive S. aureus and Gram-negative E. coli bacteria, this enhancement is modest. Notably, the anticipated significant enhancement attributed to Ag's renowned antibacterial properties was not observed. The presence of cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) enables both Au and Au@Ag NPs to effectively bind with the negatively charged bacterial cell membranes through electrostatic interactions. Apparently, CTAB enables both types of NPs to effectively target and eliminate bacteria with comparable efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High mortality rate of melanoma is due to the metastasis of malignant cells. Galbanic acid (GBA) is a natural sesquiterpene coumarin with valuable pharmaceutical activities. Our study aimed to investigate whether GBA can affect the migration, invasion, and adhesion of melanoma cells. The survival rate of B16F10 cells was measured using the alamarBlue assay. Scratch, adhesion, and invasion assays were performed to determine the effect of GBA on metastatic behavior of cells. Moreover, gelatin zymography was done to assess the activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9, and qRT-PCR was used to investigate the effect of GBA on the expression of candidate genes. Based on the results of alamarBlue assay, 40 µM GBA was chosen as the optimum concentration for all tests. Our findings indicated that GBA significantly decreased the invasion and migration of B16F10 cells while enhancing their adhesion ability. In addition, gelatin zymography demonstrated that GBA reduced the enzymatic activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Moreover, qRT-PCR revealed that GBA reduced the expression of N-cadherin and fibronectin. Current findings demonstrated, for the first time, that GBA inhibited the migration and invasion of melanoma cells via reducing the activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 and downregulating N-cadherin and fibronectin expression. Accordingly, GBA could be suggested as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of melanoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing sales forecasting models are not comprehensive and flexible enough to consider dynamic changes and nonlinearities in sales time-series at the store and product levels. To capture different big data characteristics in sales forecasting data, such as seasonal and trend variations, this study develops a hybrid model combining adaptive trend estimated series (ATES) with a deep neural network model. ATES is first used to model seasonal effects and incorporate holiday, weekend, and marketing effects on sales. The deep neural network model is then proposed to model residuals by capturing complex high-level spatiotemporal features from the data. The proposed hybrid model is equipped with a feature-extraction component that automatically detects the patterns and trends in time-series, which makes the forecasting model robust against noise and time-series length. To validate the proposed hybrid model, a large volume of sales data is processed with a three-dimensional data model to effectively support business decisions at the product-specific store level. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model, a comparative analysis is performed with several state-of-the-art sales forecasting methods. Here, we show that the proposed hybrid model outperforms existing models for forecasting horizons ranging from one to 12 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Wnt pathway plays a key role in cell growth, survival, and self-renewal which is frequently hyperactive in various cancers. It is categorized into canonical and non-canonical Wnt pathways depending upon the influence of the β-catenin protein. Gene expressions are often altered by small non-coding RNAs, known as microRNAs (miRNAs) leading to regulation involving cell-proliferating pathways like Wnt in various cancers, including breast. miRNAs frequently act as an oncogene or a tumor-suppressor depending upon their regulatory roles. In this review article, the significance of the Wnt pathway in cancer progression, most importantly breast cancer is widely explained. The role of miRNAs in modulating varied pathways especially the Wnt pathway in breast cancer is also reviewed here. Breast cancer suppression using new-age miRNA therapeutics is showing promising results and the use of different nanocarriers for therapeutic delivery is increasing its efficacy. Targeting the Wnt pathway and its related genes can show a new path for the treatment of cancer stem cells (CSCs) of breast and other cancers as the Wnt pathway plays a pivotal role in maintaining the stemness of CSCs. Moreover, controlling the Wnt pathway through miRNA nanocarrier can give another dimension to breast cancer therapy by inhibiting aggressive and tricky breast cancer stem cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rising livestock and poultry production necessitates sustainable manure management practices to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study employs two artificial neural networks, Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) and Radial Basis Function (RBF), to forecast manure production in Iranian provinces (2020–2030). The RBF model demonstrated superior accuracy compared to a Multi-Layer Perceptron model. Our forecasts predict the significant potential for biogas and biomethane production from manure by 2030, estimated at 10,782.4 and 6469.44 Mm3.year-1 respectively. This translates to replacing 4.03% and 4.98% of Iran's projected annual gas and electricity consumption in 2030. While this offers a renewable energy source, conventional manure management practices are projected to increase agricultural methane emissions. Our analysis highlights that utilizing biomethane from biogas represents the most effective strategy for reducing GHG emissions in the energy sector. The study projects that by 2030, manure management will still produce 14 million tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to 16.71% of the agricultural sector's GHG emissions. Scenario analysis indicates that adopting biomethane as a natural gas substitute offers the most significant reduction in energy sector emissions compared to current practices. These findings underscore the importance of effective manure management for climate change mitigation. Furthermore, they highlight the need for long-term pollution reduction policies informed by accurate livestock growth forecasts. This study also contributes by demonstrating the potential of artificial neural network models for accurate manure production forecasting and developing GHG reduction strategies.Highlights: Biomethane produced from livestock and poultry manure can provide 3.9% and 4.38% of Iran's annual gas and electricity demand per capita in 2025, respectively. Multi-layer perceptron neural network models were applied to forecast the amount of biomethane produced from livestock and poultry manure in Iran. The use of biomethane produced from livestock manure under various scenarios in reducing GHG emissions was evaluated. The spatial distribution of annual GHG production potential considering manure type was visualized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terminal heat stress and foliar diseases like rusts and spot blotch are the major concerns for sustainable wheat production in South Asia. Eastern Indo-Gangetic plains witness the crucial role of heat stress during grain-filling duration (GFD) and occurrence of rust diseases and spot blotch in wheat. One hundred promising wheat genotypes were selected from five international wheat yield trials and evaluated at three sites in India for yield components and disease resistance. To identify potential donors, these lines were further screened under timely sown (normal sown) and late sown (heat stress) conditions. Analysis of variation in the studied traits revealed significant differences among all the genotypes in both environments. Grain yield showed a positive and significant correlation with NDVI, chlorophyll index, flag leaf length, flag leaf area, tiller per plant, number of grains per spike, peduncle length and 1000 grain weight (TGW) in both environments. Grain zinc and iron content was substantially increased under late sown condition. As per heat susceptibility index of GFD, TGW, NDVI and grain yield per plot, 10 tested entries were found heat tolerant. Ten promising entries with low disease score were listed as spot blotch donors. Markers linked with seven rust resistance genes, three spot blotch genes and two markers linked with quality-related traits, namely yellow pigment (Psy-A1) and polyphenol oxidase activity (Ppo-1A) and rust pathotypes, were also used to identify the presence of individual genes. Promising entries 46 (CWYT-613; GID 7631433) and 58 (41ESWYT-137; GID 8240588), common for both tested conditions, were identified and promoted under the breeding programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve efficient cooling capabilities in electric vehicle (EV) batteries, battery thermal management systems with higher power density have garnered significant attention. This work introduces a novel computational analysis method to assess the temperature distribution within the designed multiple EV battery cooling module's, investigating the flow of both water and silver-based nanofluids as coolants. The EV battery module under study comprises ten cylindrical lithium-ion batteries of model 18,650 types. This comprehensive simulation considered various factors, such as the coolant's flow path, flow rate and type, appear to have significantly influencing temperature distribution. The analysis identifies "Case IV" as the most effective cooling configuration utilizing water as the coolant and demonstrating superior cooling capabilities compared to the conventional cooling module ("Case I"). This finding marks a critical step toward optimizing battery cooling methods and achieving efficient thermal management. The incorporation of silver nanoparticles in the base fluid (water) enhances the nanofluid's thermal conductivity and heat transfer efficiency, showcasing improved cooling capabilities beyond that of water alone. The performance of different nanofluid concentrations including 0.25% and 0.50% by volume was evaluated to demonstrate their impact on battery cooling efficiency. To contextualize the results, the cooling performance of silver nanofluids has been compared with that of TiO2 nanofluids reported in previous studies. The outcomes of this research underscore the potential of the computational analysis technique to advance temperature management systems for EV batteries, improving EVs performance and reliability and contributing to a more sustainable and efficient future of transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, unmodified and modified wood biochar of Neolamarckia cadamba was used as an adsorbent for the removal of hexavalent chromium from an aqueous solution. The biochar material was characterized by different analytical techniques like SEM, BET-N2, FT-IR, and LIBS. The EDX and recorded LIBS spectra demonstrated a fingerprint of the elemental composition of biochar. The presence of peaks of chromium (Cr) showed the adsorption of chromium ions onto the biochar. BET-N2 analysis indicated the pore size (210 nm) and pore volume (0.004 cm3/g) of the biochar. The batch adsorption experiments revealed the optimum values of pH (4.0), adsorbent doses (0.2 g/L), initial Cr(VI) concentration (10 mg/L), and contact time (45 min) in the adsorption process. The adsorption isotherm and kinetic models were used to explain the nature and rate of adsorption. The Langmuir isothermal models showed better compliance with adsorption capacity: 86.95 mg/g for modified biochar (MCB) and 34.72 mg/g for unmodified biochar. Chemisorption and exchange of negatively charged chromate ions by chloride ions, i.e., anion-exchange reactions, have been considered ideal reactions that regenerate the spent UCB and MCB biochars during a series of sorption and desorption reactions. The special attribute, e.g., its low cost and simple regeneration using common salt, can be seen as a promising factor for the biochar in the removal of chromate ions from the liquid solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic foot ulcer caused by vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus strains is a troublesome concern that threatens public health. Due to the few treatment options, it is essential to develop a new alternative antibacterial agent with high efficacy. In the current study, we evaluated the antibacterial and antibiofilm properties of usnic acid (UA), a secondary metabolite of lichens. Microdilution broth and crystal violet methods were applied to determine the antibacterial and antibiofilm activities, respectively. To further elucidate the biofilm inhibition, scanning electron microscopy imaging was performed. In addition, the antioxidant activity of UA was investigated by 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay. The bacteriostatic and bactericidal activity of UA was observed as an amount of 23.02 and 312.5 μg/mL, respectively. UA suppressed biofilm formation and motivated the reduction of free oxygen radicals. The present study may open up a new perspective to combat biofilm-forming enterococci. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has profoundly impacted the Northwest Himalayan (NWH) region, necessitating the analysis of its swiftly evolving spatiotemporal dynamics using appropriate statistical approaches. To represent systematic patterns and explain the localized characteristics of the region, we employ Rotated Empirical Orthogonal Functions (REOFs) on mean temperature data (1981-2021). The NWH region is divided into the snow and non-snow cover regions via REOF analysis, allowing for a more accurate representation of the data. In particular, the western parts of Uttarakhand (U.K.) and Himachal Pradesh (H.P.) showed significant fluctuations in the second REOF mode of mean temperature, which accounted for 38.7% of the entire variance. But the principal component (PC) that conveys information about the patterns in these regions fails to accurately reflect the original patterns present in the data. To achieve this, we have introduced Multi-phase REOF analysis for the first time to identify PCs that accurately represent the original data and provide insight into the specific temporal variations. The superiority of Multi-phase REOF analysis over classical REOF analysis is demonstrated through the application of the Mann-Kendall test. To illustrate that the method is not reliant on specific datasets, we have utilized data sets from both NASA and CRU, covering various time periods. Additionally, potential reasons for the observed variances in these specific NWH locations are investigated. Leveraging the derived physical properties and identified temperature zones from the data can enhance climate change modeling efforts in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mercury is a ubiquitous pollutant of global concern but the threat of exposure is not homogenously distributed at local, regional, or global scales. The primary route of human exposure to mercury is through consumption of aquatic foods, which are culturally and economically important in the wider Caribbean Region, especially for Small Island Developing States (SIDS). We compiled more than 1600 samples of 108 unique species of fish and aquatic invertebrates collected between 2005 and 2023 from eleven countries or territories in the wider Caribbean Region. There was wide variability in total mercury concentrations with 55% of samples below the 0.23 µg/g wet weight (ww) guideline from the U.S. FDA/EPA (2022) for 2 or 3 weekly servings and 26% exceeding the 0.46 µg/g ww guideline consistent with adverse effects on human health from continual consumption, particularly for sensitive populations. Significant relationships were found between total mercury concentrations and taxonomic family, sampling country, fish length, and trophic level. The data analyzed here support the need for further sampling with concrete geospatial data to better understand patterns and mechanisms in mercury concentrations and allow for more informed decision making on the consumption of fish and invertebrates from the wider Caribbean Region as well as supporting efforts to evaluate the effectiveness of national, regional, and international mercury policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have suggested that patients with HER2-low breast cancers do not benefit from trastuzumab treatment although the reasons remain unclear. Methods: We investigated the effect of trastuzumab monotherapy and its combination with different HER2 targeting treatments in a panel of breast cancer cell lines and patient-derived organoids (PDOs) using biochemical methods and cell viability assays. Results: Compared to sensitive HER2 over-expressing (IHC3 +) breast cancer cells, increasing doses of trastuzumab could not achieve IC50 in MDA-MB-361 (IHC 2 + FISH +) and MDA-MB-453 (IHC 2 + FISH-) cells which showed an intermediate response to trastuzumab. Trastuzumab treatment induced upregulation of HER ligand release, resulting in the activation of HER receptors in these cells, which could account for their trastuzumab insensitivity. Adding a dual ADAM10/17 inhibitor to inhibit the shedding of HER ligands in combination with trastuzumab only showed a modest decrease in the cell viability of HER2-low breast cancer cells and PDOs. However, the panHER inhibitor neratinib was an effective monotherapy in HER2-low breast cancer cells and PDOs, and showed additive effects when combined with trastuzumab. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that neratinib in combination with trastuzumab may be effective in a subset of HER2-low breast cancers although further validation is required in a larger panel of PDOs and in future clinical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coagulopathy development in traumatic brain injury (TBI) is among the significant complications that can negatively affect the clinical course and outcome of TBI patients. Timely identification of this complication is of utmost importance in the acute clinical setting. We reviewed TBI patients admitted to our trauma center from 2015 to 2021. Demographic data, mechanism of injury, findings on admission, imaging studies, procedures during hospitalization, and functional outcomes were gathered. INR with a cutoff of 1.3, platelet count less than 100 × 10⁹/L, or partial thromboplastin time greater than 40s were utilized as the markers of coagulopathy. A total of 4002 patients were included. Coagulopathy occurred in 38.1% of the patients. Age of the patients (Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.993, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 0.986–0.999, p = 0.028), systolic blood pressure (OR = 0.993, 95% CI = 0.989–0.998, p = 0.005), fibrinogen level (OR = 0.998, 95% CI = 0.996–0.999, p < 0.001), and hemoglobin level (OR = 0.886, 95% CI = 0.839–0.936, p < 0.001) were independently associated with coagulopathy. Furthermore, coagulopathy was independently associated with higher mortality rates and longer ICU stays. Coagulopathy had the most substantial effect on mortality of TBI patients (OR = 2.6, 95% CI = 2.1–3.3, p < 0.001), compared to other admission clinical characteristics independently associated with mortality such as fixed pupillary light reflex (OR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.5–2.4, p < 0.001), GCS (OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.88–0.94, p < 0.001), and hemoglobin level (OR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.88–0.98, p = 0.004). Early coagulopathy in TBI patients can lead to higher mortality rates. Future studies are needed to prove that early detection and correction of coagulopathy and modifiable risk factors may help improve outcomes of TBI patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intended research aims to explore the convection phenomena of a hybrid nanofluid composed of gold and silver nanoparticles. This research is novel and significant because there is a lack of existing studies on the flow behavior of hybrid nanoparticles with important physical properties of blood base fluids, especially in the case of sidewall ruptured dilated arteries. The implementation of combined nanoparticles rather than unadulterated nanoparticles is one of the most crucial elements in boosting the thermal conduction of fluids. The research methodology encompasses the utilization of advanced bio-fluid dynamics software for simulating the flow of the nanofluid. The physical context elucidates the governing equations of momentum, mass, momentum, and energy in terms of partial differential equations. The results are displayed in both tabular and graphical forms to demonstrate the numerical and graphical solutions. The effect of physical parameters on velocity distribution is illustrated through graphs. Furthermore, the study's findings are unique and original, and these computational discoveries have not been published by any researcher before. The finding implies that utilizing hybrid nanoparticles as drug carriers holds great promise in mitigating the effects of blood flow, potentially enhancing drug delivery, and minimizing its impact on the body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creative cities are known as places for innovation and the growth of creativity, and in fact, the creative city is a favourable environment for training human creativity and attracting the creative class, providing an appropriate foundation for educating its residents' creativity. The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which Tehran's neighbourhoods have the characteristics of a creative city. The descriptive-analytical research method was used for this purpose. Documents are used to collect data in four dimensions: quality of life, human capital, social capital, and innovation. The statistical population of the study was the 22 districts of Tehran, and the research indicators included 28 indicators of the creative city in the form of 7 general dimensions. The data analysis method used was quantitative–qualitative. Using the multi-indicator ELECTRE-II method for ranking areas based on creative city indicators, districts 1 and 6 in Tehran are ranked first, and districts 17, 16, 10, and 9 are ranked last in terms of creativity. Finally, Tehran has the potential to become a creative city, but this requires the removal of existing flaws and obstacles, as well as well-codified and legal planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuromarketing is an emerging research field that aims to understand consumers' decision-making processes when choosing which product to buy. This information is highly sought after by businesses looking to improve their marketing strategies by understanding what leaves a positive or negative impression on consumers. It has the potential to revolutionize the marketing industry by enabling companies to offer engaging experiences, create more effective advertisements, avoid the wrong marketing strategies, and ultimately save millions of dollars for businesses. Therefore, good documentation is necessary to capture the current research situation in this vital sector. In this article, we present a systematic review of EEG-based Neuromarketing. We aim to shed light on the research trends, technical scopes, and potential opportunities in this field. We reviewed recent publications from valid databases and divided the popular research topics in Neuromarketing into five clusters to present the current research trend in this field. We also discuss the brain regions that are activated when making purchase decisions and their relevance to Neuromarketing applications. The article provides appropriate illustrations of marketing stimuli that can elicit authentic impressions from consumers' minds, the techniques used to process and analyze recorded brain data, and the current strategies employed to interpret the data. Finally, we offer recommendations to upcoming researchers to help them investigate the possibilities in this area more efficiently in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimal core length for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) core flood experiments lacks consensus. Shorter cores are commonly used, but assessing sweep efficiency in mobility control EOR methods, crucial for longer inter-well distances, remains a question. The adequacy of shorter cores in evaluating sweep efficiency in these EOR processes needs attention. Despite the recognized importance of core flood for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) applications, there is no consensus in the literature on the optimal core length to be used in displacement experiments. Therefore, it is important to address the key question "whether the shorter length cores are sufficient for proper sweep efficiency evaluation in mobility control-based EOR processes?". The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of core length on the core-scale sweep efficiency and ultimate recovery for the displacement experiments carried out at different viscosity ratios between injected fluid and residing oil. Two identical core flooding experiments were conducted using cores that have similar porous media properties ensured through chromatography scan (CT) but have different lengths of 3 and 7 inches. Two different viscosity ratio conditions (10, 0.1) were imposed sequentially in each of the core flooding experiments by injecting water at 2 ft/day as a primary slug and then 2,000 ppm HPAM polymer solutions at 0.25 ft/day as the secondary slug. The results suggest that the use of shorter-length cores for displacement experiments under unfavourable viscosity ratio conditions would overestimate the early sweep effect by over 10%. In contrast, polymer flood conducted under favourable viscosity ratio conditions resulted in a higher-pressure gradient of 95 psi and showed only a marginal ∼ 2% difference in the incremental recovery factor between shorter and longer cores from ∼ 0.4 PV to 1.9 PV injections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The escalating demand for data in wireless communication systems has posed significant challenges in recent years. This trend is predicted to continue, with explosive data usage and evolving quality of service demands from mobile users. The rapid increase in traffic demand, combined with the intricate nature of heterogeneous network (HetNet) scenarios, has significantly heightened the challenges confronting mobile network operators. These challenges encompass service quality, load distribution, coverage, and the overall user experience. Conventional approaches that prioritize maximum received power in the cell association mechanism tend to sustain network imbalances within the HetNets, making it difficult to cater for the diverse traffic requirements of mobile users. In this study, instead of focusing solely on enhancing individual user downlink rates, we maximize the number of users whose downlink needs are satisfied by integrating a cell range extension (CRE) technique with an ant colony optimization algorithm. Our proposed method considers both the workload of base stations and the signal to interference-plus-noise ratio of user devices to formulate an objective function aimed at calculating specific CRE bias values for individual small base stations. A comparative analysis of the proposed approach with existing techniques demonstrates its effectiveness. Simulation results underscore the success of our proposed strategy in meeting users' throughput needs while reducing network imbalances and call drop rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tartrazine (TZN) is used in a wide variety of foods, medicines and cosmetics. Studies have associated TZN exposure with several side effects such as asthma, nausea, bronchitis, rhinitis, bronchospasm, etc. in humans. However, the mode of action of this molecule is not properly understood. In this study, we used budding yeast to decipher the mechanism of TZN toxicity. Our data revealed that the deletion of H3 N-terminal tail H3-Δ(1–16), H3-Δ(1–20), H3-Δ(1–24), H3-Δ(1–28) lead to hypersensitivity for TZN indicating that the tail region mediates intracellular signaling for survivability upon TZN exposure. Next, we performed computational study to characterize TZN-interactome by STITCH tool. Our analysis revealed that TZN have only two interacting partner (CTT1 and CTA1) and both of them are involved in oxidative stress pathways. This data was validated by the rescue of TZN toxicity by supplementation of antioxidant. Altogether, our data indicate that TZN causes oxidative stress in budding yeast cells and the intracellular response to alleviate such stress requires N-terminal tail of histone H3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim was clinical evaluation of the efficacy of topical insulin eye drops in patients with refractory persistent epithelial defects (PEDs). This prospective non-randomized investigation was conducted to examine the efficacy of insulin eye drops in treating patients with PEDs that did not respond to conventional therapy. A total of twenty-three patients were included in the study, and they were administered insulin eye drops formulated as 1 U/mL, four times a day. The rate of epithelial defect resolution and time to complete corneal re-epithelialization were considered primary outcome measures. The relative prognostic impact of initial wound size and other parameters, including age, sex, smoking, diabetes, and hypertension were also analyzed. The results showed that during follow-up (maximum 50 days), a total of 16 patients (69.6%) achieved improvement. Insulin eye drops significantly reduced the corneal wounding area in 75% of patients with small epithelial defects (5.5 mm2 or less) during 20 days. Only 61% of patients with moderate epithelial defects (5.51–16 mm2) showed a significant recovery in 20–30 days. Also, 71% of patients with a defect size greater than 16 mm2, demonstrated a significant improvement in the rate of corneal epithelial wound healing in about 50 days. In conclusion topical insulin reduces the PED area and accelerates the ocular surface epithelium wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerebrospinal fluid tumor-derived DNA (CSF-tDNA) analysis is a promising approach for monitoring the neoplastic processes of the central nervous system. We applied a lung cancer-specific sequencing panel (CAPP-Seq) to 81 CSF, blood, and tissue samples from 24 lung cancer patients who underwent lumbar puncture (LP) for suspected leptomeningeal disease (LMD). A subset of the cohort (N = 12) participated in a prospective trial of osimertinib for refractory LMD in which serial LPs were performed before and during treatment. CSF-tDNA variant allele fractions (VAFs) were significantly higher than plasma circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) VAFs (median CSF-tDNA, 32.7%; median plasma ctDNA, 1.8%; P < 0.0001). Concentrations of tumor DNA in CSF and plasma were positively correlated (Spearman's ρ, 0.45; P = 0.03). For LMD diagnosis, cytology was 81.8% sensitive and CSF-tDNA was 91.7% sensitive. CSF-tDNA was also strongly prognostic for overall survival (HR = 7.1; P = 0.02). Among patients with progression on targeted therapy, resistance mutations, such as EGFR T790M and MET amplification, were common in peripheral blood but were rare in time-matched CSF, indicating differences in resistance mechanisms based on the anatomic compartment. In the osimertinib cohort, patients with CNS progression had increased CSF-tDNA VAFs at follow-up LP. Post-osimertinib CSF-tDNA VAF was strongly prognostic for CNS progression (HR = 6.2, P = 0.009). Detection of CSF-tDNA in lung cancer patients with suspected LMD is feasible and may have clinical utility. CSF-tDNA improves the sensitivity of LMD diagnosis, enables improved prognostication, and drives therapeutic strategies that account for spatial heterogeneity in resistance mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous heat transfer applications, such as heat exchangers, solar trough collectors, and fields including food processing, material research, and aerospace engineering, utilize hybrid nanofluids. Compared to conventional fluids, hybrid nanofluids exhibit significantly enhanced thermal conductivity. The aim of this work is to explore flow and heat transmission features under of magneto-hydrodynamic bioconvective flow of carbon nanotubes over the stretched surface with Dufour and Soret effects. Additionally, comparative dynamics of the carbon nanotubes (SWCMT − MWCNT/C2H6O2 with SWCMT − MWCNT/C2H6O2 − H2O) flow using the Prandtl fluid model in the presence of thermal radiation and motile microorganisms has been investigated. Novel feature Additionally, the focus is also to examine the presence of microorganisms in mixture base hybrid nanofluid. To examine heat transfer features of Prandtl hybrid nanofluid over the stretched surface convective heating is taken into consideration while modeling the boundary conditions. Suitable similarity transform has been employed to convert dimensional flow governing equations into dimensionless equations and solution of the problem has been obtained using effective, accurate and time saving bvp-4c technique in MATLAB. Velocity, temperature, concentration and microorganisms profiles have been demonstrated graphically under varying impact of various dimensionless parameters such as inclined magnetization, mixed convection, Dufour effect, Soret effect, thermal radiation effect, and bioconvection lewis number. It has been observed that raising values of magnetization (0.5 ≤ M ≤ 4), mixed convection (0.01 ≤ λ ≤ 0.05) and inclination angle (0° ≤ α ≤ 180°) enhance fluid motion rapidly in Ethylene glycol based Prandtl hybrid nanofluid (SWCMT − MWCNT/C2H6O2) when compared with mixture base working fluid of carbon nanotubes SWCMT − MWCNT/C2H6O2 − H2O). Raising thermal radiation (0.1 ≤ Rd ≤ 1.7) and Dufour number (0.1 ≤ Du ≤ 0.19) values improves temperature profile. Moreover, a good agreement has been found between the current outcome and existing literature for skin friction outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moringa oleifera biochar (MOB) was used to extract dyes from textile wastewater and methylene blue (MB)-infused synthetic aqueous solution. Different process parameters, such as pH, agitation speed, the dosage of adsorption, and time of interaction, have been investigated by batch experiments. Up to 99% of dye removal was achieved for textile wastewater and 98% for MB-infused aqueous solution under optimum operating conditions. The optimum dosage, contact period, and agitation speed were 6 g/L, 15 min, and 200 rpm, respectively. An improvement in adsorption rates at higher pH was observed. The dye removal rate for pH less than 6 was insignificant, and the maximum removal was observed at a pH range of 10 to 12. Batch experiments showed that the Freundlich isotherm model better described the adsorption process for textile wastewater and MB dye solution. Lagergren's pseudo-second-order kinetic model fitted relatively well (R2 = 0.99) over the observed contact period (5–60 min) compared to the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. Besides dye removal, MOB showed a significant reduction capacity of BOD5, COD, and EC values for textile wastewater treatment. The results indicate that MOB adsorbent has a high potential for being used as a low-cost adsorbent to treat textile wastewater in south-Asian countries since it is abundantly available in the subcontinent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering rockmass classifications are an integral part of design, support and excavation procedures of tunnels, mines, and other underground structures. These classifications are directly linked to ground reaction and support requirements. Various classification systems are in practice and are still evolving. As different classifications serve different purposes, it is imperative to establish inter-correlatability between them. The rating systems and engineering judgements influence the assignment of ratings owing to cognition. To understand the existing correlation between different classification systems, the existing correlations were evaluated with the help of data of 34 locations along a 618-m-long railway tunnel in the Garhwal Himalaya of India and new correlations were developed between different rock classifications. The analysis indicates that certain correlations, such as RMR-Q, RMR-RMi, RMi-Q, and RSR-Q, are comparable to the previously established relationships, while others, such as RSR-RMR, RCR-Qn, and GSI-RMR, show weak correlations. These deviations in published correlations may be due to individual parameters of estimation or measurement errors. Further, incompatible classification systems exhibited low correlations. Thus, the study highlights a need to revisit existing correlations, particularly for rockmass conditions that are extremely complex, and the predictability of existing correlations exhibit high variations. In addition to augmenting the existing database, new correlations for metamorphic rocks in the Himalayan region have been developed and presented that can serve as a guide for future rock engineering projects in such formations and aid in developing appropriate excavation and rock support methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the Fokas system equation, which explains the nonlinear pulse propagation in single-mode fibres. The proposed new sub-equation approach and the modified Khater's method extract a more efficient and broad range of soliton solutions. These include multiple anti-kink, anti-kink, flat anti-kink, combined bright-periodic, multiple bright, v-shaped, bell-shaped, and flat bell-shaped singular soliton. The primary innovation of this paper lies in its discovery of a set of novel soliton solutions that provide insight into the interaction mechanisms of nonlinear waves within the realm of nonlinear physics. The travelling wave patterns of the model are graphically presented with suitable parameter values using the modern software Mathematica. The visual representation of the solutions in 3D, 2D, and contour surfaces enhances understanding of parameter impact. We conducted a sensitivity analysis on a newly developed dynamic framed structure that controls pulses using the velocity factor of the soliton wave. The proposed model's dynamics were observed and presented as bifurcation analysis, quasi-periodic chaotic, periodic systems and quasi-periodic. We anticipate that our research findings will catalyze advancing the study of nonlinear theory and its applications in optical fibres. This analysis confirms the effectiveness and reliability of the method employed, demonstrating its applicability in discovering travelling wave solitons for a wide range of nonlinear evolution equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main goal of this paper is to study the higher-order dispersive extended nonlinear Schrödinger equation, which demonstrates the propagation of ultrashort pulses in optical communication networks. In this study, both the sinh-Gordon expansion method and the generalized exponential rational function method are used to offer some novel optical solutions. These optical soliton solutions are dark soliton, bright soliton, singular, periodic, and dark-bright soliton solutions. The obtained optical soliton solutions are presented graphically in 2D and 3D to clarify the behavior of solutions more effectively. The constraint conditions are also used to verify the exitances of the new analytical solutions. Moreover, all solutions compared to solutions obtained previously are new, and all the new wave solutions have verified Eq. (1) after we substituted them into the studied equation. In the future, these novel soliton solutions will be very helpful in developing fluid dynamics, biomedical issues, dynamics of adiabatic parameters, industrial research, and many other areas of science. To our acknowledgment, the presented optical solutions are novel, and also beforehand these methods have not been applied to this studied equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper's primary goal is to find fresh approaches to the Hirota–Maccari system. This system explains the dynamical features of the femto-second soliton pulse in single-mode fibers. The bright soliton, dark soliton, dark-bright soliton, dark singular, bright singular, periodic soliton, and singular solutions are developed utilizing the modified auxiliary equation technique. To make the physical significance of each unique solution clearer, it is mapped in both 2D and 3D. The primary Hirota–Maccari system is being verified by all new solutions, and the constraint condition is also provided. The obtained optical solitons may be important for the analysis of nonlinear processes in optic fiber communication and signal processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]