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Context Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by endocrine and neuropsychiatric problems including hyperphagia, anxiousness, and distress. Intranasal carbetocin, an oxytocin analog, was investigated as a selective oxytocin replacement therapy. Objective To evaluate safety and efficacy of intranasal carbetocin in PWS. Design Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial with long-term follow-up. Setting Twenty-four ambulatory clinics at academic medical centers. Participants A total of 130 participants with PWS aged 7 to 18 years. Interventions Participants were randomized to 9.6 mg/dose carbetocin, 3.2 mg/dose carbetocin, or placebo 3 times daily during an 8-week placebo-controlled period (PCP). During a subsequent 56-week long-term follow-up period, placebo participants were randomly assigned to 9.6 mg or 3.2 mg carbetocin, with carbetocin participants continuing at their previous dose. Main outcome measures Primary endpoints assessed change in hyperphagia (Hyperphagia Questionnaire for Clinical Trials [HQ-CT]) and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale [CY-BOCS]) during the PCP for 9.6 mg vs placebo, and the first secondary endpoints assessed these same outcomes for 3.2 mg vs placebo. Additional secondary endpoints included assessments of anxiousness and distress behaviors (PWS Anxiousness and Distress Behaviors Questionnaire [PADQ]) and clinical global impression of change (CGI-C). Results Because of onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, enrollment was stopped prematurely. The primary endpoints showed numeric improvements in both HQ-CT and CY-BOCS which were not statistically significant; however, the 3.2-mg arm showed nominally significant improvements in HQ-CT, PADQ, and CGI-C scores vs placebo. Improvements were sustained in the long-term follow-up period. The most common adverse event during the PCP was mild to moderate flushing. Conclusions Carbetocin was well tolerated, and the 3.2-mg dose was associated with clinically meaningful improvements in hyperphagia and anxiousness and distress behaviors in participants with PWS. Clinical Trials Registration Number NCT03649477

Owing to exceptionally high selectivity, membranes based on palladium alloys are widely used for obtaining high-purity hydrogen. An important issue for providing high hydrogen permeability of the membranes is to form the required phase composition. The structural organization of the solid solutions consisting of Cu–36.4 at .% Pd and Cu–50 at .% Pd were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron diffraction (ED), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS). It was found that the former composition can be ordered in the temperature range of 300–400 °C and in the heating (up to 800 °C)–cooling cycle. In the presence of excess Cu atoms (27.2%), this structure can be represented by CsCl type structural units (β-phase) and distributed body center cubic (BCC) copper structural units in the corresponding concentration dose. The formation of a single crystal ordered phase within the mosaic blocks of the disordered phase was established. Experimental evidence was obtained for the separation of the α-phase solid solution in the elemental composition; the very low rate of ordering inherent in this system was attributed to this effect. The hydrogen permeability of a foil of the equiatomic composition was described.

The evolution of a nanostructured state of palladium—lead membrane alloys during their interaction with hydrogen was studied using precision X-ray diffraction with synchrotron radiation (SR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS). The importance of this topic is due to the need and demand for improving the performance characteristics of dense metal diffusion filters for high purity hydrogen separation processes. Palladium-based membrane filters with lead concentrations of 5 and 20 wt.% were prepared via electric arc melting from high purity metals (99.95%). The thickness of the filters was 50 μm. Hydrogenation was carried out from a gas medium at 573 K and the pressure of 16 atm. within 150 min. The focus of the study is on the structural state of diffusion filter membranes depending on the content of the palladium-alloying element—lead—and on analysis of the substructure of alloys before and 5300 h relaxation after hydrogenation is carried out. Specific features of the surface morphology and the structure of the membrane filters depending on the concentration of lead in the alloys are determined. The formation and development of deformation processes in metal systems upon the hydrogenation is shown. The establishment of peculiarities of hydrogen interaction with metals will contribute to obtaining new potentially important characteristics of membrane filters.

The world faces major environmental challenges associated with waste generation and waste collection , transport, treatment and disposal, by increase in population, volume of waste generation is also increased, this impacts on the environment and public health. Even the private areas which are clean enough failed to utilize the resources efficiently. This waste management system includes segregation of waste into different parts at the local area itself and which are further used as raw material for different process such as power generation, recycling etc. Also it creates clean, hygienic and advanced waste damping area. The generated power can be utilized for domestic and commercial purpose.

In an era of increasing technology and interaction with the patient bedside, we explore the role of relocating the bedside from the hospital to the home using telemedicine. The COVID-19 pandemic pushed telemedicine from small and pilot programs to widespread practice at an unprecedented rate. With the rapid implementation of telemedicine, it is important to consider how to create a telehealth system that provides both good care for patients and families while maintaining an excellent education environment for trainees of all levels. To this end, we developed telemedicine educational milestones to describe novel skills required to provide high quality telemedicine care, and allow trainees and clinical educators a metric by which to assess trainee progress. We also created methods and tools to help trainees learn and families feel comfortable in their new role as virtual collaborators. We envision a time when safety does not set the venue; instead the needs of the patient will dictate whether a virtual or in-person visit is the right choice for a family. We expect that pediatric medical genetics and metabolism groups across the country will continue to set a standard of a hybrid care system to meet the unique needs of each individual patient, using telemedicine technology.

The purity of hydrogen, which is an alternative energy carrier in powder sources of distributed energy resource systems and, in particular, is the feed stock for fuel cells, should be no less than 99.9999 vol % purity High-purity hydrogen can be prepared only via its separation as a result of selective diffusion through metallic membranes manufactured from specific membrane palladium-based alloys prepared in the form of thin foils. In the present work, the combination of deformation and annealings under different conditions is used to prepare the Pd–7.70 wt % Lu alloy in the form of foil 50 µm thick, whose specific hydrogen permeability is studied in the course of cyclic heating and cooling in a hydrogen atmosphere in a temperature range of 300–500°С. The Pd–7.70 wt % Lu membrane is shown to demonstrate high and stable hydrogen permeability. The evolution of the surface structure of the membrane in the course of its operation in the hydrogen atmosphere is studied by atomic force microscopy using the phase contrast mode.

X-ray diffraction has been used to study the phase composition and determine the lattice parameter of the β- and α-phases in foil of a Pd–Cu solid solution with a composition that ensures reversibility of the β $$ \rightleftarrows $$ α transformations: with the structure of the β- and α-phases and a two-phase structure. The thermal expansion coefficient of the Pd–Cu solid solution has been determined for the first time.

We have studied the phase composition and texture of a Pd–Cu solid solution with a nearly equiatomic composition in different steps of the preparation of membrane foil by rolling to 300, 175, 100, and 20 μm and 7-μm-thick foil produced by magnetron sputtering of a target having the same composition as the foil. We have identified orientation relationships between the β- and α-phases in the as-prepared two-phase structures and demonstrated that, after heating to 600°C and subsequent cooling, the ordered solid solutions (β-phase) prepared by the two processes, have identical textures, which can be understood in terms of the transformation mechanism.

The effectiveness of flash lamp processing and ion beam sputtering in surface cleaning of membrane foil from a Pd–Cu solid solution produced by rolling has been assessed using cyclic voltammetry and atomic force microscopy. It has been shown that it is reasonable to use cyclic voltammetry for assessing the degree of foil surface cleaning and that combined surface processing of membrane foil is effective in foil surface cleaning. Ion beam processing reproducing the surface elemental composition corresponding to the original composition of the solid solution and increasing surface roughness is a factor of 1.3 more effective than combined surface processing.

The β $$ \rightleftarrows $$ α phase transformations in foil of the Pd–52 at % Cu solid solution prepared by rolling have been studied using X-ray diffractometry and resistivity measurements during thermal heating–cooling cycles or lamp processing (LP) using light from high-power pulsed xenon lamps, followed by cooling. The results demonstrate that complete ordering of the two-phase (α + β) as-prepared (as-rolled) foil follows the sequence (α + β) → β → α → β in the first heating–cooling cycle and β → α → β in the second and subsequent cycles. When a radiative energy critical for a given thickness of foil with an ordered structure is delivered to the foil surface, an irreversible β → α phase transformation occurs, whose rate can be three orders of magnitude higher than the rate characteristic of the disordering process during Joule heating. After LP, the reversibility of the β $$ \rightleftarrows $$ α phase transformations, inherent in the initial, ordered structure, is observed in a second thermal cycle: heating to 700°C and cooling. The sequence of phase transitions is α → β → α → β in the first cycle and β → α → β in the second and subsequent cycles. The localization of light in the skin layer and finite thermal conductivity offer the possibility of producing a structure with a phase composition gradient at subcritical irradiation times. The fact that the LP-stabilized α-phase persists up to 300°C makes it possible to compare the mechanical properties of foil samples having identical elemental compositions but different (ordered and disordered) structures.

Diffusion filtering metallic palladium–yttrium membranes are subjected to hydrogenation from a gas phase and are studied by X-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation. Boundaries of the formation of hydrogen-enriched phases are improved for a range of alloying component content, which is critical for their formation. The effect of the initial state of the alloy on conditions of hydride phase formation in the system is demonstrated. The content of hydrogen occluded in the membrane structure and hydrogen-induced lattice dilatations are determined. The parameters of the alloy substructure are calculated.

transformations in a thin ~4 m foil of PdCu solid solution were investigated by x-ray diffractometry and measurement of electrical resistance in heating-cooling cycles during thermal or rapid photon treatment by radiation of high-power pulsed xenon lamps. It has been found that a single rapid photon treatment for 0,3 s (the energy dose of the radiation entering the sample is 10 j cm‑2) leads to a complete disordering of the solid solution at a rate 400 times greater than in the heat treatment mode used (heating at a rate of 15 K min‑1).

In this article, we present some fixed point and coupled fixed point theorems adapted from the notion of F-contraction mappings in Banach spaces (B.S.) via the measure of noncompactness (M.N.C). Then we define and present a new class of generalized F-contractions, to upgrade some results of Falest and Latrach (Bull Bell Math Soc Simon Stevin 22:797–812, 2015). Furthermore, we investigate the solvability of a new system of Volterra integral equations in a Banach Algebra. Finally, the usefulness of the theoretical results is shown by an example.

The coconut slug caterpillar, Macroplectra nararia is one of the major pests of coconut plantations in Andhra Pradesh with periodic out breaks especially under favorable weather conditions. Though many parasitoids were identified against this sporadic out break pest, none were found amenable for laboratory rearing. A new larval parasitoid, Pediobius imbrues (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) with a natural parasitisation ranging from 2 -10 per cent under field conditions was identified in slug affected coconut gardens in March 2015. This parasitoid was also found amenable for lab rearing on Bracon hebetor probably being facultative hyper parasitoid. Field release studies of lab reared P. imbrues against slug caterpillar in the affected coconut gardens revealed that a maximum of 41.41 and 50.31 per cent parasitsm of slug caterpillar, respectively, in 2017 and 2018 within 30 days after release and this promising parasitism provides scope for large scale field releases during slug caterpillar out breaks in view of major economic losses caused by the pest.

The presence of clay soil causes problems at the base of the structure: it swells when wet and shrinks when dry, which provides a reduction in the resistance to cutting of the soil. Plastic waste in the form of polyamide powder (PA-12) from the 3D printing industry can be used to improve the mechanical properties of the soil. This experimental study is an attempt to combine these two objectives of stabilizing the soil by using waste PA-12. The mechanical and shear resistant properties gave us confidence in choosing PA-12 as a stabilizer in clay soils, making them composite soils. Resumen La presencia de suelo arcilloso causa problemas a la base de la estructura: se hincha cuando está mojado y se encoge en estado seco, lo que proporciona una reducción de la resistencia al corte del suelo. Los residuos plásticos en forma de poliamida en polvo (PA-12) de la industria de la impresión 3D se pueden utilizar para mejorar las propiedades mecánicas del suelo. Este estudio experimental es un intento de combinar estos dos objetivos de estabilizar el suelo mediante la utilización de desechos de PA-12. Las propiedades mecánicas y resistentes al cizallamiento dieron confianza al elegir PA-12 como estabilizador en suelos arcillosos, convirtiéndolos en suelos compuestos.

Robotics is the multi-disciplinary domain that is booming in today’s world, and expanding its roots deep into various fields of research, manufacturing industries, healthcare, and even in our day-to-day lives. Nevertheless, as with any other evolving technology, robotics face numerous challenges. In this context, lately, blockchain technology has been identified as a promising technology to resolve many of these issues such as identification of malicious/rogue nodes, malfunctioning/faults in automated processes, non-compliance to the agreed norms and privacy rules, security attacks on robotic systems, and non-transparency in performance monitoring and audits. In particular, blockchain with its features like decentrality, immutability, provenance, low operational cost, tight access control, and trustworthy operations, can offer significant improvements to new applications and use cases driven by robotics. Thus, the paper begins with exploring the key requirements and technical challenges encountered by robots in general. Next, it provides detailed overview of blockchain technology in a tutorial style. Then, the role of blockchain for different uses cases of robotics are surveyed. Furthermore, various technical challenges that need to be mitigated to harness full potential of blockchain for robotics are highlighted. Finally, the future research directions are presented that can pave the way ahead for advancements and profitable integration of blockchain in the realm of robotics..

In the near future, with the development of 5G NR, a massive number of IoT nodes are expected to come online. Acquiring bandwidth from an overcrowded licensed radio frequency spectrum as well as overcoming battery life constraints will become the main challenges for these IoT based devices. As a promising solution for the above challenges, this work provides a feasibility study and an implementation framework for a visible light communication-based energy-autonomous IoT node. This work proposes the use of printed electronic technology to minimize the physical characteristics and cost of the IoT node. In the future, energy-autonomous IoT nodes could be available virtually on any surface. Whenever the node is exposed to light, it will be connected to internet.

The light-based Internet of things (LIoT) concept defines nodes that exploit light to (a) power up their operation by harvesting light energy and (b) provide full-duplex wireless connectivity. In this paper, we explore the LIoT concept by designing, implementing, and evaluating the communication and energy harvesting performance of a LIoT node. The use of components based on printed electronics (PE) technology is adopted in the implementation, supporting the vision of future fully printed LIoT nodes. In fact, we envision that as PE technology develops, energy-autonomous LIoT nodes will be entirely printed, resulting in cost-efficient, flexible and highly sustainable connectivity solutions that can be attached to the surface of virtually any object. However, the use of PE technology poses additional challenges to the task, as the performance of these components is typically considerably poorer than that of conventional components. In the study, printed photovoltaic cells, printed OLEDs (organic light-emitting diodes) as well as printed displays are used in the node implementation. The dual-mode operation of the proposed LIoT node is demonstrated, and its communication performance in downlink and uplink directions is evaluated. In addition, the energy harvesting system’s behaviour is studied and evaluated under different illumination scenarios and based on the results, a novel self-operating limitation aware algorithm for LIoT nodes is proposed.

Exposure to infection and inflammation during the fetal period are associated with offspring neuropsychiatric disorders. Few previous studies have examined this association with ADHD with mixed findings. This study aims to examine the association between early gestational maternal C-reactive protein (CRP), prospectively assayed in stored maternal sera and the risk of ADHD in offspring. This study is based on the Finnish Prenatal studies of ADHD (FIPS-ADHD) with a nested case–control design. It includes all singleton-born children in Finland between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 1999 and diagnosed with ADHD. A total of 1079 cases and equal number of controls were matched on date of birth, sex and place of birth. Maternal CRP levels were assessed using a latex immunoassay from archived maternal serum specimens, collected during the first and early second trimester of pregnancy. Elevated maternal CRP when analyzed as a continuous variable was not associated with offspring ADHD (OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.96–1.15). No significant associations were seen in the highest quintile of CRP (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.88–1.58). The results were similar in both sexes as well as among ADHD cases with or without comorbid ASD or conduct disorder. In this first study examining CRP, a biomarker for inflammation, during early pregnancy in relation to offspring ADHD, we report no significant associations. The lack of any association, when considered with positive findings seen in ASD and schizophrenia, and negative findings in bipolar disorder suggests different pathways linking maternal immune activation and development of various neuropsychiatric disorders.

Given the role of different land uses in climate change, the present study seeks to identify the effect of land use change on the building bioclimatic design pattern in a dry climatic type. For this purpose, Yazd station in central regions of Iran has been analysed as a representative of dry climate type. The Air Pollution Modelling (TAPM) which is a regional climate software was used to identify the effect of forest cover on climate change in regional dimensions and finally its impact on heating and cooling solutions for buildings. For this study, two scenarios were considered. One scenario was the real situation in the area and the other one was the simulation of the effect of forest cover on climate change in the studied area. Finally, the results of this study revealed that if there is a forest cover, due to the temperature increase in all months of the year, the average annual temperature will increase by 9.20 °C compared to the real conditions. On the other hand, in the forest cover simulation scenario, the relative humidity will increase by 13.4% per year. The findings also showed that, despite forest cover, the annual temperature difference and temperature fluctuations are reduced by 4 °C. Furthermore, the results of this study indicated that if there is a forest cover, the heating requirements will be reduced in total and the demand for the bioclimatic design of cooling and dehumidification will be increased.

Detecting online transaction fraud is a basic study of the new era of electronic transactions. Because the payment patterns of customers and the fraud behaviour of offenders are continually changing, improving the consistency of the fraud detection model and ensuring its stability is exceedingly challenging. In this report, we will look at We concentrate on acquiring deep feature representations of legal and fraud transactions from the perspective of a deep neural network’s loss function in this report. Our aim is to increase the separability and discrimination of features in order to boost the efficiency and stability of our fraud detection platform, with the rapid evolution of the technology, the world is turning to use online transaction instead of cash in their daily life, which opens the door to many new ways for fraudsters to use these cards in a nefarious manner. Global losses are projected to reach $35 billion by 2020, according to the Nilson report. To guarantee that users of these credit cards are secure, the credit card issuer should provide a program that protects them from any threats they can experience. As a result, we illustrate our framework for predicting whether transactions are genuine or illegitimate using Kaggel’s IEEE-CIS Fraud Detection dataset. BiLSTM-MaxPooling-BiGRUM is the name of our model. Long bi-directional gated repeated unit and long bi-directional memory term (BiLSTM) are used in axPooling (BiGRU).

Thin samples (about 4 μm in thickness) of membrane foil of a Pd–Cu solid solution have been grown on the surface of a SiO2/Si heterostructure by magnetron sputtering. The key features of \(\beta \rightleftharpoons \alpha \) phase transformations have been identified using X-ray diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis, and resistivity measurements during a heating–cooling cycle. The results demonstrate that the phase transformations are reversible only in solid solutions containing an excess of copper in the concentration range corresponding to limiting temperatures near the temperature stability limit of the β-phase. Thermal conditions of membrane element operation have been found that ensure stability of the ordered atomic structure of the foil and, accordingly, its high performance. The \(\beta \rightleftharpoons \alpha \) phase transformation has been shown to be reversible after holding the foil at t = 830°C, in a state with a disordered atomic structure, which ensures restoration of its high hydrogen permeability after diffusion bonding to the case of a membrane element.