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This article develops and investigates the behavior of soliton solutions for the spatiotemporal conformable Klein–Gordon equation (CKGE), a well-known mathematical physics model that accounts for spinless pion and de-Broglie waves. To accomplish this task, we deploy an effective analytical method, namely, the modified extended direct algebraic method (mEDAM). This method first develops a nonlinear ordinary differential equation (NODE) through the use of a wave transformation. With the help of generalized Riccati NODE and balancing nonlinearity with the highest derivative term, it then assumes a finite series-form solution for the resulting NODE, from which four clusters of soliton solutions – generalized rational, trigonometric, exponential, and hyperbolic functions – are derived. Using contour and three-dimensional visuals, the behaviors of the soliton solutions – which are prominently described as dark kink, bright kink, breather, and other NN-soliton waves – are examined and analyzed. These results have applications in solid-state physics, nonlinear optics, quantum field theory, and a more thorough knowledge of the dynamics of the CKGE.

Abstract Excessive Cu2+ intake can cause neurological disorders (e.g. Wilson’s disease) and adversely affect the gastrointestinal, liver, and kidney organs. The presence of Cu2+ is strongly linked to the emergence and progression of Wilson's disease (WD), and accurately measuring the amount of copper is a crucial step in diagnosing WD at an early stage in a clinical setting. In this work, CQDs were fabricated through a facile technique as a novel fluorescence-based sensing platform for detecting Cu(II) in aqueous solutions, and in the serum samples of healthy and affected individuals by WD. The CQDs interact with Cu(II) ions to produce Turn-on and Turn-off states at nano-molar and micro-molar levels, respectively, with LODs of 0.001 µM and 1 µM. In fact, the Cu2+ ions can act like a bridge between two CQDs by which the charge and electron transfer between the CQDs may increase, possibly can have significant effects on the spectroscopic features of the CQDs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported research that can detect Cu(II) at low levels using two different complexation states, with promising results in testing serum. The potential of the sensor to detect Cu(II) was tested on serum samples from healthy and affected individuals by WD, and compared to results obtained by ICP-OES. Astonishingly, the results showed an excellent correlation between the measured Cu(II) levels using the proposed technique and ICP-OES, indicating the high potential of the fluorimetric CQD-based probe for Cu(II) detection. The accuracy, sensitivity, selectivity, high precision, accuracy, and applicability of the probe toward Cu(II) ions make it a potential diagnostic tool for Wilson's disease in a clinical setting.

Abstract Evapotranspiration plays a pivotal role in the hydrological cycle. It is essential to develop an accurate computational model for predicting reference evapotranspiration (RET) for agricultural and hydrological applications, especially for the management of irrigation systems, allocation of water resources, assessments of utilization and demand and water use allocations in rural and urban areas. The limitation of climatic data to estimate RET restricted the use of standard Penman–Monteith method recommended by food and agriculture organization (FAO-PM56). Therefore, the current study used climatic data such as minimum, maximum and mean air temperature (T max, Tmin, T mean), mean relative humidity (RHmean), wind speed (U) and sunshine hours (N) to predict RET using gene expression programming (GEP) technique. In this study, a total of 17 different input meteorological combinations were used to develop RET models. The obtained results of each GEP model are compared with FAO-PM56 to evaluate its performance in both training and testing periods. The GEP-13 model (T max, T min, RHmean, U) showed the lowest errors (RMSE, MAE) and highest efficiencies (R 2, NSE) in semi-arid (Faisalabad and Peshawar) and humid (Skardu) conditions while GEP-11 and GEP-12 perform best in arid (Multan, Jacobabad) conditions during training period. However, GEP-11 in Multan and Jacobabad, GEP-7 in Faisalabad, GEP-1 in Peshawar, GEP-13 in Islamabad and Skardu outperformed in testing period. In testing phase, the GEP models R 2 values reach 0.99, RMSE values ranged from 0.27 to 2.65, MAE values from 0.21 to 1.85 and NSE values from 0.18 to 0.99. The study findings indicate that GEP is effective in predicting RET when there are minimal climatic data. Additionally, the mean relative humidity was identified as the most relevant factor across all climatic conditions. The findings of this study may be used to the planning and management of water resources in practical situations, as they demonstrate the impact of input variables on the RET associated with different climatic conditions.

Background: COVID-19 epidemiology changed with the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC). Pakistan administered mostly inactivated vaccines. We investigated the association between VOC and breakthrough infections in a mixed-vaccination-status population of Karachi. Methods: We investigated SARS-CoV-2 VOC tested in 392 respiratory specimens collected between May and December 2021. Data for age, sex, hospital admission, vaccinations, together with CT values of the diagnostic PCR test were analyzed. Results: The median age of COVID-19 cases tested was 40 (27−57) years and 43.4% were female. Delta variants were most common (56.4%) followed by Alpha (15.9%), Omicron (12.2%), Beta/Gamma (11.3%), and others (4.3%). Eighteen percent of cases were hospitalized whereby, predominant VOC were Beta/Gamma (40.8%), Alpha (35.2%) and Delta (22.5%). Overall, 55.4% of individuals were fully vaccinated, 7.4% were partially vaccinated and 37.2% were unvaccinated. Most (74.6%) inpatients were unvaccinated. Vaccines comprised inactivated (85.34%), single-shot vector (8.62%), two-shot vector (3.02%) and mRNA (3.02%) types. Omicron variants showed lower viral loads as compared to Alpha, Beta/Gamma, and Delta (p = 0.017). The risk of infection with Delta and Omicron variants was higher, 8 weeks after vaccination. The majority of those with breakthrough infections after receiving inactivated vaccines acquired COVID-19 within 4 months of vaccination. Conclusion: Our data highlights the shifting of VOC from Delta to Omicron during 2021 and that COVID-19 vaccinations reduced both hospitalizations and viral transmission. It informs on the increased risk of breakthrough infection within 8 weeks of vaccination, indicating the need for booster vaccinations.

Background A child health-friendly neighbourhood is defined as a neighbourhood where the child’s health is provided, protected and promoted. Designing and validation of an assessment tool is required to identify the deficits and strengths of neighbourhoods within the context of each country. This study aimed to design and validate a child health-friendly neighbourhood assessment tool in Tehran.Methods A mixed-methods approach using semistructured interviews with 31 participants (15 mothers of children under 6 years old and 16 experts) conducted in Tehran between 2021 and 2022. Face validity, content validity and reliability of the checklist were calculated. Highly influenced by the Child Friendly City framework, designing and validation of the checklist was carried out through three phases: (a) identifying the child health-friendly neighbourhood domains and subdomains, (b) drafting the Iranian Child Health-Friendly Neighbourhood checklist and (c) validation of the designed checklist.Results Following three phases of study, the final version of the checklist consisted of six dimensions, namely green space and park, recreational centre, passage and street, healthcare centre, cultural centre and kindergarten. Each dimension encompassed five domains of facilities and services, accessibility, security, safety and aesthetics and view, with 42 indicators, 77 subindicators and 273 items.Conclusions The child health-friendly neighbourhood checklist has a more health focus on neighbourhood level and is more contextually specific, relevant and appropriate compared with UNICEF’s Child Friendly City framework. It also showed acceptable validity and reliability; therefore, the checklist could be a feasible tool to assess child health-friendly neighbourhoods.

Wetland ecosystems provide numerous services to humanity and the biosphere at large. However, these services are constantly dwindling due to the massive wetland loss caused by urbanization. Urbanization-induced wetland loss is a global problem, with most developing countries experiencing it currently. Several studies on wetland loss have been conducted. However, there is a dearth of studies integrating GIS and other ecological models to estimate the periodic deterioration of wetlands in rural settings in underdeveloped nations. As a result, this study aims to determine wetland loss in a developing country’s countryside, using the Greater Amanzule Wetland in the Ellembelle District of Ghana as a case study. The study used the GIS and Remote Sensing dataset, the Normalization Difference Vegetation Index, and the InVEST-Habitat Quality model to analyze the spatial pattern of wetland loss and habitat quality variations caused by industrialization and community expansions between 2000 and 2020. Our results indicate that, from 2000 to 2015, community built-up and industrial land areas grew from 25.19 ha to 84.21 ha and 0–4.71 ha respectively, causing a wetland loss of −39.64 ha (−31.10%). Between 2015 and 2020, community built-up land grew to 78.65 ha while industrial land slightly reduced to 2.54 ha, leading to the wetland degradation of approximately −69.06 ha (−42.53%). Wetland habitat quality steadily declined, from 0.97 in 2000 to 0.93 in 2015 and 0.93 in 2020. The study findings led to policy recommendations to reduce wetland encroachment and enhance sustainability. These recommendations included conducting effective land-use plan inspections before issuing permits, coordinating effective management, and promoting the recovery of natural and artificial vegetation to sustain the wetland.

Objective Epileptic seizures are neurological events that pose significant risks of physical injuries characterized by sudden, abnormal bursts of electrical activity in the brain, often leading to loss of consciousness and uncontrolled movements. Early seizure detection is essential for timely treatments and better patient outcomes. To address this critical issue, there is a need for an advanced artificial intelligence approach for the early detection of epileptic seizure disorder. Methods This study primarily focuses on designing a novel ensemble approach to perform early detection of epileptic seizure disease with high performance. A novel ensemble approach consisting of a fast, independent component analysis random forest (FIR) and prediction probability is proposed, which uses electroencephalography (EEG) data to investigate the efficacy of the proposed approach for early detection of epileptic seizures. The FIR model extracts independent components and class prediction probability features, creating a new feature set. The proposed model combined integrated component analysis (ICA) with predicting probability to enhance seizure recognition accuracy scores. Extensive experimental evaluations demonstrate that FIR assists machine learning models to obtain superior results compared to original features. Results The research gap is addressed using combined features to improve the performance of epileptic seizure detection compared to a single feature set. In particular, the ensemble model FIR with support vector machine (FIR + SVM) outperforms other methods, achieving an accuracy of 98.4% for epileptic seizure detection. Conclusions The proposed FIR has the potential for early diagnosis of epileptic seizures and can significantly help the medical industry with enhanced detection and timely interventions.

Summary: We proposed a personalized intervention that integrates computerized working memory (WM) training with real-time functional neuromonitoring and neurofeedback (NFB) to enhance frontoparietal activity and improve cognitive and clinical outcomes in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The study involved 77 children with ADHD aged 7–11 years, who were assigned to either 12 sessions of NFB or treatment-as-usual (i.e., received standard clinical care) groups. Real-time neuromonitoring with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and fMRI measured frontoparietal activity during n-back task at baseline and post-intervention. Thirty-six participants (21 NFB, 15 treatment-as-usual) completed the study. Significant improvements in NFB group were observed in frontoparietal brain activity and WM performance (primary outcomes). NFB group also showed improvements in Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF-2) WM t-scores and Conners 3 ADHD index scores (secondary outcomes) compared to treatment-as-usual group. These findings suggest that neuromonitoring-guided NFB effectively enhances cognitive and clinical outcomes in children with ADHD by targeting brain mechanisms underlying WM deficits.

This study investigates the complex behavior of Jeffrey nanofluid flow in a porous oscillating microchannel under the influence of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects. The research explores how magnetic field distortions lead to diverse accumulation patterns of nanofluid particles, a phenomenon attributed to homogeneous magnetization in fluid dynamics. Nanoparticles ranging from 0.25 % to 0.5 % (low and inexpensive concentrations) are remarkably consistent for best results in most machining procedures. Different concentrations of various nanomaterial's is utilized (φ1 = φ2 = 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04) to make the simple nanfluid and hybrid nanofluid suspensions. By employing fractal-fractional derivatives governed by power law, a mathematical model developed to describe the time-varying, compressible MHD flow of Jeffrey nanofluid. The model incorporates the effects of heat transfer, pressure, and magnetic fields on the fluid dynamics. A novel fractional approach utilizing the Laplace transform is applied to solve the fractal MHD hybrid-fluid model integrated into a porous medium. The study reveals velocity flow decrease with increasing Reynolds numbers but increase with channel inclination. Additionally, both the Darcy number and magnetic field orientation enhance heat transfer rates. In addition, the velocity profile enhanced by the hybrid nanofluid suspension as compared to simple nanofluid flow. The research validates its findings by demonstrating the convergence of fractional and numerical solution methods. Furthermore, the study compares the performance of different hybrid nanofluids, concluding that water-based (H2O + GO + MoS2) hybrid fluids exhibit slightly superior characteristics compared to (CMC + GO + MoS2) hybrid nanofluids.

Standardized welfare assessment protocols are crucial to enhance animal welfare; up to date, there is no data on the level of welfare of camels kept under pastoralism. A tailored protocol for measuring welfare in dromedary camels kept under nomadic pastoralist conditions was recently developed, drawing from the currently available welfare protocol for dromedary camels kept in intensive systems. This study, therefore, aimed to apply the newly developed tailored protocol and assess the welfare of dromedary camels kept under pastoralism in the Southern Punjab Province of Pakistan. A total of 44 welfare indicators (animal-, resource, and management-based measures) aligning with animal welfare principles (“Good Feeding”, “Good Housing”, “Good Health”, and “Appropriate Behavior”) were gathered into two assessment levels: “Caretaker-Herd level” and “Animal level”. Data were collected in 2023 in the Cholistan desert in the southern Punjab province. Fifty-four herds were evaluated for a total population of 1,186 camels, of which 510 (495 females and 15 males; average age: 5–6 years old) were assessed at the animal level. The indicators were scored and aggregated to obtain Principle Aggregated Indexes (PAIs) and a total Welfare Index (TWI). Using the PAIs classification, 4 herds were categorized as excellent, 42 satisfactory, and 8 unsatisfactory. Total Welfare Index (TWI) varied from 55.7 to 82.2, and the thresholds for classification into tertiles were 65.4 and 70.6. Good feeding and Good housing were the most problematic PAIs, with Good feeding as the most influential variable for classification into welfare categories. As expected, camels kept under pastoralism had a higher level of welfare than those reported in the literature for intensive systems, especially concerning the Appropriate Behavior principle. Our findings are a first step in proposing welfare standards for dromedary in Pakistan and worldwide.

Abstract Purpose The infralimbic (IL) subregion of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) regulates the extinction of conditioned fear memory. Glucocorticoid and gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors are expressed in the mPFC and are also critical in fear extinction. This study investigated the possible interactive effects of the glucocorticoids and GABAergic system in the IL on the regulation of fear extinction. Method The rats were trained using an auditory fear conditioning task during which they received three conditioned stimuli (tones, 30 s, 4 kHz, 80 dB), co‐terminated with the three unconditioned stimuli (footshock, 0.8 mA, 1 s). Extinction testing was conducted over 3 days (Ext 1–3). Thirty minutes before the first extinction trial (Ext 1), the rats received bicuculline (BIC, 1 mg/kg/2 mL, intraperitoneal [i.p.]) as a GABAA receptor antagonist or CGP55845 (CGP, 0.1 mg/kg/2 ML, i.p.) as a GABAB receptor antagonist followed by systemic injection of corticosterone (CORT, 3 mg/kg/2 ML, i.p.). Furthermore, separate groups of rats received a bilateral intra‐IL injection of BIC (100 ng/0.3 µL/side) or CGP (10 ng/0.3 µL/side) followed by a systemic injection of CORT (3 mg/kg/2 ML, i.p.) before the first extinction trial (Ext 1). The extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK1) and cAMP response element‐binding (CREB) activity in the IL was examined by Western blot analysis after Ext 1. Finding The results indicated that systemic CORT injection facilitated fear extinction and increased the expression of ERK1 but not CREB in the IL. Both systemic and intra‐IL co‐injection of BIC or CGP blocked the effects of CORT on fear extinction and ERK1 expression. Conclusion These findings suggest that glucocorticoids and the GABAergic system may modulate fear extinction through the ERK pathway in the IL.

The author focuses on the problem of tropical cyclone Seroja which is known to have hit Rote Ndao Regency for the first time and how to deal with it if the disaster occurs again, so good management is needed. The purpose of this research is to find out how BPBD manages activities in dealing with the Seroja tropical cyclone disaster if it occurs again. This research uses qualitative methods with data collection techniques used through observation, interviews and documentation. In accordance with the type of research above, the authors used an interactive model from Miles, Huberman and Saldana (2019) to analyze the research data with 3 steps, namely data reduction, data presentation and conclusion drawing/verification.The findings obtained by the author in this study are that the management by BPBD in the Seroja tropical cyclone disaster is quite good, however, it still has constraints on funding and manpower which are still lacking. Disaster management in dealing with the Seroja tropical cyclone in Rote Ndao Regency is classified as good, this is because there is good coordination between BPBD and related regional apparatus in overcoming disasters in pre-disaster activities. in order to improve disaster resilient areas, it is advisable to optimize the use of local communities to be ready and alert in the face of disasters.

This study delves into the effects of resilience, job resources, and job demands on the performance of BPS's statistical partners mediated by work engagement. The research uses a quantitative method with inferential analysis followed by a cluster sampling method from the questionnaire population of the statistical partner of the Central Statistic Agency (BPS) at the Mandailing Natal district of South Tapanuli in the year 2023. Results show that there is no positive relationship between resilience and performance. Resilience and job resources have a positive and significant effect on work engagement. Job resources and job demand have a positive and significant effect on performance. No positive relationship between resilience and performance. Job demand and work engagement also have no positive relationship. Work engagement mediates the relationship between job resources and performance but does not mediate the relationship between job demand and performance.

This case report describes the rehabilitation of the Esthetic-Zone of the maxillary jaw of a 70-year-old female patient by using 4 implants (BEGO Semados® RS/RSX) with the challenging position of her implants due to her age and channel access of the Fixtures and also the Difficulty in supplying desired prosthetic parts due to existing problems. In the beginning, the treatment plan was to reconstruct the mouth using conventional restoration with UCLA abutments, but due to the unavailability of non-hex abutments As well as the failure to achieve the desired Esthetic demands of the patient by using this treatment plan, especially in the anterior implant area of the jaw, it Innovatively was decided to use a combination of cylindrical abutments (BEGO MultiPlus system) and UCLA abutments to Design and fabrication of the Final restoration. Keywords: Dental implant; Dental prosthesis; Static zone; Internal and external connection; Challenging case.

Reducing the environmental impact caused by the production or use of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHG) has recently attracted the attention of scientific, research, and industrial communities. In this context, oil production and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) have also focused on using environmentally friendly methods. CO2 has been studied as a significant gas in reducing harmful environmental effects and preventing its release into the atmosphere. This gas, along with methane (CH4) and nitrogen (N2), is recognized as a ‘cushion gas’. Given that hydrogen (H2) is considered a green and environmentally friendly gas, its storage for altering wettability (contact angle (CA) and interfacial tension (IFT)) has recently become an intriguing topic. This study examines how H2 can be utilized as a novel cushion gas in EOR systems. In this research, the role of H2 and its storage in altering wettability in the presence of other cushion gases has been investigated. The performance of H2 in changing the CA and IFT with other gases has also been compared using machine learning (ML) models. During this process, ML and experimental data were used to predict and report the values of IFT and CA. The data used underwent statistical and quantitative preprocessing, processing, evaluation, and validation, with outliers and skewed data removed. Subsequently, ML models such as Random Forest (RF), Random Tree, and LSBoost were implemented on training and testing data. During this process of modeling and predicting IFT and CA, the hyperparameters were optimized using Bayesian algorithms and random search (RS) methods. Finally, the results and performance of the modeling were evaluated, with the LSBoost modeling method using Bayesian optimization reporting R2 values of 0.998614 for IFT and 0.986999 for CA.

This paper presents a novel approach for upgrading utility systems by integrating absorption cooling systems using R-curve analysis. The key contributions include a comprehensive methodology for drawing the R-curve, determining priority paths, and optimizing the system without additional capital costs; a step-by-step case study illustrating the process of integrating two absorption chillers and analyzing their impact on cogeneration efficiency and the R-curve; equations for calculating cogeneration efficiency and power efficiency for different turbine paths to prioritize the most efficient paths; and findings revealing that integrating absorption chillers can significantly impact system performance, potentially increasing or decreasing cogeneration efficiency depending on the specific system. The proposed approach enables engineers to optimize utility systems by leveraging existing equipment and integrating absorption cooling efficiently, with the R-curve analysis providing a powerful tool for visualizing and optimizing the system to achieve the best balance of power, cooling, and heating. The findings demonstrate that careful analysis and optimization of the utility system using R-curve techniques can unlock significant energy savings and emissions reductions by prioritizing the most efficient turbine paths and integrating absorption cooling optimally.

ABSTRACT: The size of the initial primordial follicle pool in the ovary depends on primordial follicle formation, which determines the female reproductive lifespan. However, the molecular regulation of primordial follicle formation in chickens remains unclear. In this study, the left ovaries of chickens were collected at 2 d posthatch (dph), 5.5 dph, and 10.5 dph to examine the formation of primordial follicles. Single-cell mRNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomic analysis were performed to explore the ovarian microenvironment and identify regulatory pathways involved in the formation of primordial follicles in chickens. Histomorphological analysis of chicken ovary tissues revealed the presence of germ cell cysts at 1 dph, which began to disintegrate at 2 dph. Primordial follicles appeared at 5.5 dph and continued to develop into larger-diameter follicles. scRNA-seq and spatial transcriptomic analysis revealed 24 cellular clusters involved in chicken primordial follicle formation. The metabolic pathway of steroid hormone synthesis was found in pregranulosa and pretheca cells. Histological analysis showed that chicken ovaries did not form primordial follicles after the inhibition of the steroid hormone synthesis pathway by simvastatin or tamoxifen. In addition, mRNA transcriptomic and bioinformatics analyses revealed that GREB1 was a downstream gene of the steroid hormone synthesis pathway during the formation of chicken primordial follicles. This study provides a valuable foundation for investigating primordial follicle formation in avian species and optimizing their reproductive performance.

Background: Writing means communication through words whereas academic writing means making careful use of words to communicate ideas to a range of readers and audiences. Therefore, academic writing reflects specificities related to audience, context/discipline and purpose of the use. These specificities result in ample differences in terms of language use. Purpose: This study investigates disciplinary variation in the use of different syntactic (i.e., clausal, intermediate and phrasal) features in academic writing produced by the Pakistani advanced writers of English as an L2 specializing in different disciplines of arts and humanities, life sciences, physical sciences and social sciences. Method: For the said purpose, the corpus has been developed from dissertation texts produced by the Pakistani doctoral candidates from 16 academic disciplines of four disciplinary divisions. The analysis has been performed using AntConc Software after tagging with Multidimensional Analysis, and TagAnt Taggers. Results: The results reveal mixed findings. On the one hand, the results show variation in the use of syntactic features that is observed to be marked by the difference in the frequency of the different types of the said features across disciplines. On the other hand, the results show a similarity in the use of syntactic features that has been evidenced by the finding that the most and least frequently used features are identical across disciplines. Conclusion: These results suggest both heterogeneity and homogeneity in the use of syntactic features by the Pakistani advanced L2 academic writers. The results of this study have implications for educators, policy makers, and syllabus designers to ensure discipline-specific instruction, and incorporation of the discipline-specific syntactic features into the academic curricula for supporting academic writing development skills in the students particularly at the advanced level of education.

The research aims to prepare special exercises according to specific areas in the accuracy of performing the reverse low blow for squash players, and to identify the effect of special exercises according to specific areas in the accuracy of performing the reverse low blow for squash players. To achieve the goal, the researchers used the experimental method by designing the experimental and control groups with pre- and post-tests to suit it with the research problem. The research population was chosen intentionally, and they are junior squash players aged (13-15) years, who number (12 junior players), as the research sample constituted (100%). ) From the research community, they were chosen intentionally because there were no other players in the game of squash. After the tests and variables to be studied were determined, the researchers conducted the exploratory experiment as well as the pre-test, and then the exercises were applied during the training units. After completing the training units, the researchers conducted the post-test on the sample, and the researchers used the statistical package (Spss), and the researchers concluded that the exercises The special exercises contributed significantly to increasing the learning rate of the forward reverse low blow. These exercises also contributed to adding an atmosphere of suspense, excitement, and enthusiasm to the research sample, which contributed to breaking the deadlock in diversifying the exercises. The researchers recommend using the exercises prepared by the researcher, and creating exercises that suit the needs and level of The selected sample, and the necessity of conducting similar research on samples from other categories.

Abstract Introduction The annulus fibrosus (AF) of the Intervertebral disc (IVD) is composed of concentric lamellae of helically wound collagen fibers. Understanding the spatial variation of collagen fiber orientations in these lamellae, and the resulting material anisotropy, is crucial to predicting the mechanical behavior of the complete IVD. Methods This study builds on a prior model predicated on path‐independent displacement of fiber endpoints during vertebral body growth to predict a complete, three‐dimensional annulus fibrosus fiber network from a small number of subject‐independent input parameters and vertebral endplate topographies obtained from clinical imaging. To evaluate the model, it was first fit to mid‐plane fiber orientations obtained using polarized light microscopy in a population of bovine caudal discs for which computed tomography images vertebral endplates were also available. Additionally, the model was used to predict the trajectories based on human lumbar disc geometries and results were compared to previously reported data. Finally, the model was employed to investigate potential disc‐related variations in fiber angle distributions. Results The model was able to accurately predict experimentally measured fiber distributions in both bovine and human discs using only endplate topography and three input parameters. Critically, the model recapitulated previously observed asymmetry between the inclinations of right‐ and left‐handed fibers in the posterolateral aspect of the human AF. Level to level variation of disc height and aspect ratio in the human lumbar spine was predicted to affect absolute values of fiber inclination, but not this asymmetry. Conclusion Taken together these results suggest that patient‐specific distributions of AF fiber orientation may be readily incorporated into computational models of the spine using only disc geometry and a small number of subject‐independent parameters.

Objectives Creating health-supportive environments is one of the key strategies for health promotion. The WHO launched the Healthy Cities Initiative which has inspired other international organisations to develop settings-based health initiatives, such as the Child Friendly Cities by UNICEF. Our study aimed to explore the perspectives and experiences of experts, city council staff and mothers of children under 6 years of age in the city of Tehran, Iran regarding child health-friendly neighbourhoods for children of this age group.Design The purpose of this qualitative research was to investigate the viewpoints and experiences of mothers of children under 6 years old as well as professionals. Data were collected from January to July 2022 through semistructured, indepth interviews using an interview guide. Data were analysed using the directed content analysis method with MAXQDA V.2020 software.Setting The study was conducted in Tehran, Iran.Participants Participants were selected from three main groups: experts, mothers and city council staff. Participants were invited to take part using variation purposive sampling techniques.Results Data analysis led to a definition of the concept of child health-friendly neighbourhoods for children under 6 years old, with 6 dimensions, 21 subdimensions and 80 characteristics. The six dimensions included the provision of neighbourhood green space, cultural centres, health centres, access to services, transport and security. The characteristics we identified had similarities and differences with UNICEF’s Child Friendly Cities.Conclusion The concept of a child health-friendly neighbourhood for children under 6 years old is the result of a health-centred approach to a child-friendly city that provides a deeper understanding of the needs and services required to start a healthy life. This could contribute to further dialogue, research and actions to make all neighbourhoods a health-supportive environment as recommended by the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion.

Drought and salinity are significant challenges to global food security. This study investigated the interactive impacts of Piriformospora indica inoculation with salinity and drought stresses on rice. Two greenhouse experiments were conducted. The first experiment evaluated two P. indica inoculation levels and three salinity levels (0-, 50-, and 100-mM sodium chloride), while the subsequent experiment assessed two inoculation levels under three drought intensities (25%, 50%, and 100% of available water content). P. indica spores were inoculated following optimized seed disinfection and germination processes. The shoot and root biomass under salinity stress were consistently higher in inoculated plants compared to controls. Sodium concentrations in shoots and roots exhibited an overall upward trend, with the trend being less pronounced in inoculated plants due to increased potassium uptake. Under salinity stress, nitrogen, magnesium, and calcium concentrations significantly increased in inoculated plants. With increasing salinity, there was a significant increase in catalase enzyme activity and soluble carbohydrate concentrations across all treatments, with a greater increase in inoculated plants. Plants under drought stress experienced reduced root and shoot biomass, but inoculated plants maintained higher biomass. Increasing drought stress led to decreased nitrogen, magnesium, and calcium concentrations in all treatments, with the reduction being less severe in inoculated plants. Catalase enzyme activity and carbohydrate increased with rising drought stress, with the increase being more pronounced in inoculated plants compared to non-inoculated ones. By promoting plant growth, nutrient uptake, and stress tolerance, P. indica inoculation has a significant potential to enhance crop productivity in extreme climate conditions.

The electrochemical corrosive processes compromise the passivity of reinforcing steel, potentially leading to structural integrity loss and, in extreme cases, concrete infrastructure failures. While bio-inspired concretes show promise in mitigating strength degradation and enabling self-healing of concrete flaws, their interaction with steel reinforcement remains underexplored. Thus, this investigation aimed to establish a protective strategy by fostering biofilm growth on rebar surfaces. To achieve this, Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli bacteria were utilized as biofilm-forming agents, aided by magnetic iron oxide and zeolite micro-nano particles. The study encompassed a thorough assessment of split tensile strength, corrosion resistance of bio-treated embedded steel bars, and a comprehensive biofilm characterization, along with a meticulous examination of the microstructure at the steel-concrete interface. The findings underscored a significant improvement in split tensile strength, demonstrating a remarkable 84.2 % increase when bacterial species were combined with iron oxide nanoparticles, in contrast to the control specimens. Furthermore, the bio-treated bars exhibited an impressive corrosion inhibition potential of 78.5 % relative to their unaltered counterparts. These outcomes are attributed to the discernible refinement of microstructural features surrounding the steel reinforcement and the heightened densification of the inter-transitional zone between steel and concrete.

With the advent of smart grids, advanced information infrastructures, advanced metering facilities, bidirectional exchange of information, and battery storage home area networks have all transformed the electricity consumption and energy efficiency. There is a significant shift in the energy management structure from the traditional centralized infrastructure to the flexible demand side driven cyber-physical power systems with clean energy and energy storage system. These changes have significantly evolved the home energy management (HEM) space. Consequently, stakeholders must define their responsibilities, create efficient regulatory frameworks, and test out novel commercial strategies. P2P energy trading appears to be a feasible solution in these circumstances, allowing users to trade electricity with one another before becoming completely reliant on the utility. P2P energy trading offers a more stable platform for energy trade by facilitating the exchange of energy between prosumers and consumers. This research proposes a novel demand and generation prediction techniques of P2P HEMS for optimal energy using the Multi-Objective Optimization model. An enhanced Wild Horse Optimization technique was first used to summarize historical records' qualities. Then, the Bi-LSTM is used to predict the demand and generation values. Furthermore, a Grasshopper optimization (GHO) approach is employed to fine-tune the model's hyperparameters. The P2P HEMS demand and generation prediction framework is offered with a probabilistic and fault evaluation that upholds load flow balance between need and supply for continuous operations. It results in an intelligent community transforming cities into smart ones, opening new avenues for scientific research in terms of technological developments.

The progress in tribocorrosion performance of the engineering parts is in dire need of improving their surface properties. In the present contribution, Ni-Cr-ZrO2 layers were electrodeposited on St37 steel. The stress was put on optimizing the process factors, including the parameters involved in pulsed current electrodeposition and level of the ZrO2 reinforcing nanoparticles (0–20 g/L) in the bath. The surface characteristics of the electrodeposits were evaluated using FESEM, EDS, AFM, and XRD. The tribomechanical characteristics of the films were determined using a Vickers microhardness tester and pin-on-disk apparatus. The electrochemical behavior of the samples was studied using OCP, EIS, PDP, and immersion techniques. The results demonstrated that the included ZrO2 nanoparticles led to more homogenous, rougher, and defect-free surfaces, while they did not change the phase composition of the alloy electrodeposits. The polarization resistance of the Ni-Cr alloy coating increases by 6.7 times when 10 g/L of the reinforcing nanoparticles is added to the electrolyte. A decrease of ≈42 % in the mean COF value was obtained by the incorporation of 10 g/L ZrO2 nanoparticles into the plating bath. The coating system developed holds the promise to address both technical requirements and health concerns.

ABSTRACT Malware growth has accelerated due to the widespread use of Android applications. Android smartphone attacks have increased due to the widespread use of these devices. While deep learning models offer high efficiency and accuracy, training them on large and complex datasets is computationally expensive. Hence, a method that effectively detects new malware variants at a low computational cost is required. A transfer learning method to detect Android malware is proposed in this research. Because of transferring known features from a source model that has been trained to a target model, the transfer learning approach reduces the need for new training data and minimizes the need for huge amounts of computational power. We performed many experiments on 1.2 million Android application samples for performance evaluation. In addition, we evaluated how well our framework performed in comparison with traditional deep learning and standard machine learning models. In comparison with state‐of‐the‐art Android malware detection methods, the proposed framework offers improved classification accuracy of 98.87%, a precision of 99.55%, recall of 97.30%, F1‐measure of 99.42%, and a quicker detection rate of 5.14 ms using the transfer learning strategy.

Exosome-nanoparticle hybrid nanoplatforms, can be prepared by combining exosomes with different types of nanoparticles. The main purpose of combining exosomes with nanoparticles is to overcome the limitations of using each of them as drug delivery systems. Using nanoparticles for drug delivery has some limitations, such as high immunogenicity, poor cellular uptake, low biocompatibility, cytotoxicity, low stability, and rapid clearance by immune cells. However, using exosomes as drug delivery systems also has its own drawbacks, such as poor encapsulation efficiency, low production yield, and the inability to load large molecules. These limitations can be addressed by utilizing hybrid nanoplatforms. Additionally, the use of exosomes allows for targeted delivery within the hybrid system. Exosome-inorganic/organic hybrid nanoparticles may be used for both therapy and diagnosis in the future. This may lead to the development of personalized medicine using hybrid nanoparticles. However, there are a few challenges associated with this. Surface modifications, adding functional groups, surface charge adjustments, and preparing nanoparticles with the desired size are crucial to the possibility of preparing exosome-nanoparticle hybrids. Additional challenges for the successful implementation of hybrid platforms in medical treatments and diagnostics include scaling up the manufacturing process and ensuring consistent quality and reproducibility across various batches. This review focuses on various types of exosome-nanoparticle hybrid systems and also discusses the preparation and loading methods for these hybrid nanoplatforms. Furthermore, the potential applications of these hybrid nanocarriers in drug/gene delivery, disease treatment and diagnosis, and cell/tissue imaging are explained.

Improper disposal of plastic waste (P-waste) poses significant pollution and health risks to the environment. Additionally, steel rebar corrosion in concrete structures reduces their strength and serviceability. To address these issues, this study explores using glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) rebars and replacing natural coarse aggregates with P-waste aggregates for sustainable and eco-friendly construction. This work investigates the axial performance of polypropylene structural fiber-reinforced P-waste aggregate concrete (SFPC) compressive components having GFRP-reinforcement (GSFPC) under various loading conditions. For comparison, steel-reinforced SFPC compressive components (SSFPC) were also fabricated. Eighteen circular components with 1200 mm height and 300 mm diameter were tested and compared under different loading conditions. SSFPC components exhibited up to 21.9 % higher axial strength but up to 27.4 % lower ductility compared to GSFPC components. Eccentric loading similarly reduced axial strength in both GSFPC and SSFPC components. A 3-D finite element analysis (FEA) of GSFPC components was proposed using a modified damaged plastic model for SFPC which showed deviations of 2.3 % in axial strength and 7.7 % in equivalent axial shortening, demonstrating a good accuracy of the FEA model.

This work reports the observation of sunlight diffraction through empty spaces in between twigs and leaves in tree crowns. The diffraction patterns are dominated by red wavelength on front followed by the trail of rest of spectral bands of white light rainbow bursts. Tree crowns act as obstacles and apertures causing diffraction/ interference of solar rays. Separation between leaves and twigs (d) is a few inches and distance between crown and camera (D) is in range of a few meters. Empty spaces in tree crown are much longer than red to violet wavelengths in sunlight therefore scattering, dispersion, reflection, diffraction and interference effects cannot be ruled out. Tree crown deflects solar rays into narrow angles all around to enable interference inside camera lens to create grating structure diffracting light into regular patterns. Diffraction pattern look like red petunia flower having 3 × 3 rose petals. Motorola mobile phone camera was used to record the sunlight diffraction patterns. Mobile camera consists of small focal length (≈5 mm) lens, a fixed opening aperture and an image sensor. Lens consists of few plastic or glass elements and sensor consists of charge coupled device (CCD) or CMOS technology. These diffraction/ interference patterns have potential to increase efficiency of Next Gen solar cells. This paper describes possible theoretical background of light diffraction and multiple ray interference through tree twigs and leaves.

Blastomycosis is an endemic disease in North America and commonly manifests with pulmonary symptoms. Blastomycosis should be consider when patients have persistent infiltrates on imaging in an endemic area. We present a case of a 46-year-old male who presented to the pulmonary clinic with fever, cough with production of yellowish-green sputum and culture of BAL-fluid showed growth of Pseudomonas spp. Antimicrobial therapy was started accordingly, but was not effective. A repeat bronchoscopy was performed and BAL-fluid culture was positive for Blastomyces dermatitidis and liposomal amphotericin B was initiated. Unfortunately, the patient died after withdrawing care.

Salinity is a major concern globally and causing reduction in crop growth and development thereby lowering food production. Interestingly, cobalt (Co), a multifunctional non-essential micro-element, has an important role in improving growth and development under salinity stress. In the current study, the effects of Co on the morphological, biochemical, nutritional, and metabolic changes of African marigold plants at two salinity levels were assessed. Two concentrations of Co (C1; 10 mg/L and C2; 20 mg/L) were applied as foliar application to the marigold plants under salinity (S1; 300 mM and S2; 600 mM) stress. The results indicated that salinity substantially reduced the growth by negatively affecting the nutritional and metabolic profile. Interestingly, the C1 application mitigated the salinity effects and improved all the studied parameters including vegetative, nutritional, biochemical and metabolites (amino acids, fatty acids, organic acids, sugars, carotenoids, flavonoids, and terpenoids) by reducing the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and methylglyoxal (MG)-induced oxidative stress, at two salinity levels. The overall results revealed that C1was an ideal dose for marigold plants undergoing salinity stress since C2 application showed some toxicity symptoms under both the salinity levels; with reduced growth and impaired development. Based on the observations, the two different oxidative stress scavenging pathways in marigold are discussed i.e. ROS-scavenging by ascorbate-glutathione (AsA-GSH) cycle and the MG-detoxification by glyoxalase. With the limitations imposed upon the glutathione (GSH) pool size and redox homeostasis, the study indicated that GSH played a critical role in both ROS- and MG-detoxification in marigold plants at both salinity levels.

Abstract Background Superficial temporal artery aneurysm is a rare vascular abnormality without specific clinical symptoms. In this case report, we present the case of a patient with superficial temporal artery aneurysm who was diagnosed with migraine headache at first. Case presentation A 60-year-old Iranian man with a previous history of headaches, who did not respond properly to the treatments following the initial diagnosis of migraine, presented with a painless lump in the left temporal region, and he was diagnosed with superficial temporal artery aneurysm via Doppler ultrasound. Finally, surgical removal of the left superficial temporal artery aneurysm was performed. Conclusions This case shows the importance of vascular causes in the approach to headache etiologies, especially when the headache is prolonged without proper responses to treatment. Computed tomography angiography and magnetic resonance angiography are appropriate diagnostic methods for aneurysm detection that should be considered in future studies.

The tourism industry significantly contributes to a country’s economic growth and creates a positive image of the destination. This study assesses the impact of corruption on international tourism demand. It employs two-dimensional analyses using the gravity model and a pooled ordinary least square estimator to provide a unique recognition of international tourism demand. The study utilized a conditional quantile regression technique to analyze a dataset of 200 destination countries from 1995 to 2022. The empirical results demonstrate a mixed effect of corruption on international tourism demand. The analysis reveals a non-linear relationship between corruption and international tourism demand, with the inverted-U relationship being statistically significant only at the 50th–75th quantiles and not holding at the upper and lower quantiles. The research confirms that income has a positive impact on tourism across quantiles, but the impact is disproportionate. The sub-period of 2006–2022 experienced a significant decline in gross domestic product (GDP) due to the global financial crisis and its aftershocks, which severely impacted the attractiveness of destination countries for tourists. These valuable insights can inform national tourism policies and businesses.

Hydraulic jump is used to dissipate excessive flow energy in stilling basins to control erosion on the downstream side. The literature review revealed that the convergence of the side walls in a USBR type II stilling basin has enhanced energy dissipation by stabilizing the hydraulic jump. Taking this into account, a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model was created using CFD code to analyze the hydraulic efficiency of a USBR type III stilling basin with varying degrees of side wall convergence. Additionally, alterations were made to the standard Impact Blocks geometry to evaluate their effect on energy dissipation. The side walls of stilling basin were converged from 0.5° to 2.5° (with an increment of 0.5°). Study results indicated an increase in hydraulic jump efficiency from 1.6 to 14.5% due to increase in wall convergence. Modified Friction Blocks also enhanced the energy dissipation up to 2%. Post-jump Froude number values were found in acceptable range of 0.6 to 0.78. The optimal hydraulic performance of stilling basin was noted when wall convergence angle of 2.5° was used along with modified Friction Blocks. Hydraulic performance of modified stilling basin may be investigated during gated operation of the model. HIGHLIGHTS Walls convergence in stilling basin.; Navier–Stokes equations.; Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code.;

Abstract A serious environmental problem that threatens soil quality, agricultural productivity, and food safety is heavy metal pollution in water sources. Heavy metal pollution is the main problem in tehsil Pasrur, Sialkot, Pakistan. Present study was arranged to notice the heavy metals in water, soil, forages and buffalo milk. There are seven sites that were used for this experiment. Highest malondialdehyde (MDA) contents (3.00 ± 0.01) were noticed in barseem roots at site 7. Ascorbate Peroxidase (APX) was reached at its peak (1.93 ± 0.01) at site 7 in the fresh barseem. Maximum protein contents (0.36 ± 0.01) were observed in fresh plant samples at site 2. Site 3's buffalo milk samples had the highest Ni content (7.22 ± 0.33 ppm), while Site 3's soil samples had the lowest Cr content (8.89 ± 0.56 ppm), Site 1's plant shoots had the lowest Cr content (27.75 ± 1.98 ppm), and Site 3's water had the highest Cr content (40.07 ± 0.49 ppm). The maximum fat content (5.38 ± 2.32%) was found in the milk of the animals at site 7. The highest density (31.88 ± 6.501%), protein content (3.64 ± 0.33%), lactose content (5.54 ± 0.320%), salt content (0.66 ± 0.1673%), and freezing point (− 0.5814 ± 0.1827 °C) were also observed in the milk from animals at site 7, whereas site 5 displayed the highest water content (0.66 ± 0.1673%) and peak pH value (11.64 ± 0.09). In selected samples, the pollution load index for Ni (which ranged from 0.01 to 1.03 mg/kg) was greater than 1. Site 7 has the highest conductivity value (5.48 ± 0.48). Values for the health risk index varied from 0.000151 to 1.00010 mg/kg, suggesting that eating tainted animal feed may pose health concerns. Significant health concerns arise from metal deposition in the food chain from soil to feed, with nickel having the highest health risk index.

Abstract The study presents a new parameter free adaptive exponentially weighted moving average (AEWMA) control chart tailored for monitoring process dispersion, utilizing an adaptive approach for determining the smoothing constant. This chart is crafted to adeptly detect shifts within anticipated ranges in process dispersion by dynamically computing the smoothing constant. To assess its effectiveness, the chart’s performance is measured through concise run-length profiles generated from Monte Carlo simulations. A notable aspect is the incorporation of an unbiased estimator in computing the smoothing constant through the suggested function, thereby improving the chart’s capability to identify different levels of increasing and decreasing shifts in process dispersion. The comparison with an established adaptive EWMA-S2 dispersion chart highlights the considerable efficiency of the proposed chart in addressing diverse magnitudes of process dispersion shifts. Additionally, the study includes an application to a real-life dataset, showcasing the practicality and user-friendly nature of the proposed chart in real-world situations.

Abstract In this manuscript, a mathematical model known as the Heimburg model is investigated analytically to get the soliton solutions. Both biomembranes and nerves can be studied using this model. The cell membrane’s lipid bilayer is regarded by the model as a substance that experiences phase transitions. It implies that the membrane responds to electrical disruptions in a nonlinear way. The importance of ionic conductance in nerve impulse propagation is shown by Heimburg’s model. The dynamics of the electromechanical pulse in a nerve are analytically investigated using the Hirota Bilinear method. The various types of solitons are investigates, such as homoclinic breather waves, interaction via double exponents, lump waves, multi-wave, mixed type solutions, and periodic cross kink solutions. The electromechanical pulse’s ensuing three-dimensional and contour shapes offer crucial insight into how nerves function and may one day be used in medicine and the biological sciences. Our grasp of soliton dynamics is improved by this research, which also opens up new directions for biomedical investigation and medical developments. A few 3D and contour profiles have also been created for new solutions, and interaction behaviors have also been shown.

As Iran confronted Western modernity and the resulting discursive conflicts, discussing women, their identity, and their living conditions became a central topic. A wide range of discourses formed around these issues, making women a significant focus of debate. This article examines the modernist discourses on women, utilizing critical discourse analysis to explore the semantic construction of the modern woman in these discourses. It addresses the question of what the subject of the modern woman meant in the modernist discourse of the Qajar era, what ideologies dominated this discourse on women, and what position this discourse achieved in the dominant discourse of the constitutional era.The research findings indicate that the modern woman, who was formed in opposition to tradition, is constructed in the modernist discourse as a demanding and critical subject. By criticizing traditions and focusing on the core idea of equality, it seeks modern identity elements for women like those for men. This discourse has been more successful in propositions that did not explicitly oppose tradition.

In this study, a new integrated control for the steering and braking of semi-trailer trucks for tracking in longitudinal and lateral combined maneuvers is proposed. For this purpose, a nonlinear model of a tractor semi-trailer with 10 degrees of freedom including the longitudinal, lateral and yaw motion of the tractor unit, the articulation angle and the rotational motion of each wheel is used. Then the active steering and braking controller is designed with the purpose of tracking and utilizing the sliding mode method. Also, for the yaw stability of the vehicle, a lateral stability controller is proposed using the sliding control method. Then, by utilizing multi-objective optimization, a new integrated control strategy is presented in order to optimally allocate the longitudinal and lateral forces of the tires. This strategy is designed based on achieving the purposes of tracking and stability by using the capacity of tire forces in the optimum slip range by using variable weight coefficients. In order to implement the integrated controller, the tractor semi-trailer model presented in the TruckSim software is used. The obtained results indicate the excellent performance of the integrated controller strategy designed for tracking by maintaining lateral stability when performing the lane change maneuver with braking. So, by using the proposed controller, the maximum tracking error of the longitudinal and lateral position, the yaw angle of the tractor and the articulation angle are equal to 1.83, 0.56, 4.42 and 9.53%, respectively. This is while in the case of a vehicle without a controller, due to lateral instability, the reference path is not tracked.

Abstract Monitoring and understanding Land Use/Land Cover (LU/LC) is critical for sustainable development, as it can impact various environmental, social, and economic systems. For example, deforestation and land degradation can lead to soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and greenhouse gas emissions, affecting the quality of soil, air, and water resources. The present research examined changes in (LU/LC) within the underdeveloped regions of Balochistan and Sindh provinces, which are situated in Pakistan. In order to monitor temporal variations of LU/LC, we employed Geographic Information System (GIS) technique, to conduct an analysis of satellite imagery obtained from the Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) during the time period spanning from 2013 to 2023. In order to obtain an accurate LU/LC classification, we used principal component analysis (PCA) and a supervised classification approach using the maximum likelihood algorithm (MLC). According to the results of our study, there was a decrease in the extent of water bodies (− 593.24 km2) and vegetation (− 68.50 km2) by − 3.43% and − 0.40% respectively. In contrast, the area occupied by settlements in the investigated region had a 2.23% rise, reaching a total of 385.66 square kilometers. Similarly, the extent of barren land also expanded by 1.60%, encompassing a total area of 276.04 square kilometers, during the course of the last decade. The overall accuracy (94.25% and 95.75%) and K value (91.75% and 93.50%) were achieved during the year 2013 and 2023 respectively. The enhancement of agricultural output in Pakistan is of utmost importance in order to improve the income of farmers, mitigate food scarcity, stimulate economic growth, and facilitate the expansion of exports. To enhance agricultural productivity, it is recommended that the government undertake targeted initiatives that aimed at enhancing water infrastructure and optimizing land use to foster a sustainable ecological framework. Integrating the sustainable ecological framework provides a foundation for informed decision-making and effective resource management. By identifying areas of urban expansion, agricultural intensification, or alterations in natural LU/LC, stakeholders can design targeted conservation strategies, mitigating potential environmental degradation and promoting biodiversity conservation. In conclusion, the integration of GIS and Remote Sensing (RS) may effectively facilitate the monitoring of land use patterns over a period of time. This combined approach offers valuable insights and recommendations for the judicious and optimal management of land resources, as well as informing policy decisions.

Abstract d-limonene is a volatile compound widely used in food flavorings, but it is chemically unstable in the presence of air, light, moisture, and high temperatures. Coacervation is a well-established technique which involves the formation of biopolymer nanocomplexes between negatively charged polysaccharides and positively charged proteins to protect bioactive components. The study shows the effect of pH, protein/polysaccharide ratio and total biopolymer concentration on complex coacervation of defatted wheat germ protein (DWGP) and apple pectin (high methoxyl pectin (HMP)) in the food industry as a carrier and delivery system for d-limonene. DWGP was used for the first time to form coacervate with apple pectin. Turbidity, ζ-potential and particle size of the complex coacervate and their individual biopolymers were examined for preliminary assays of complex coacervation. The optimum condition for DWGP/pectin complex coacervation was found to be at a ratio of 4:1 with a total biopolymer concentration of 1% and a pH of 4.0. The rheological properties of DWGP, pectin, and their coacervate were measured at various pH levels and ratios. The resulting coacervates, used to microencapsulate d-limonene, underwent spray-dried and were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. These findings have the potential to contribute to the development of DWGP/pectin complex coacervates as effective delivery systems for volatile aromas or bioactive compounds. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Free Fatty Acid Receptor 4 (FFAR4), a G-protein-coupled receptor, is responsible for triggering intracellular signaling pathways that regulate various physiological processes. FFAR4 agonists are associated with enhancing insulin release and mitigating the atherogenic, obesogenic, pro-carcinogenic, and pro-diabetogenic effects, normally associated with the free fatty acids bound to FFAR4. In this research, molecular structure-based machine-learning techniques were employed to evaluate compounds as potential agonists for FFAR4. Molecular structures were encoded into bit arrays, serving as molecular fingerprints, which were subsequently analyzed using the Bayesian network algorithm to identify patterns for screening the data. The shortlisted hits obtained via machine learning protocols were further validated by Molecular Docking and via ADME and Toxicity predictions. The shortlisted compounds were then subjected to MD Simulations of the membrane-bound FFAR4-ligand complexes for 100 ns each. Molecular analyses, encompassing binding interactions, RMSD, RMSF, RoG, PCA, and FEL, were conducted to scrutinize the protein–ligand complexes at the inter-atomic level. The analyses revealed significant interactions of the shortlisted compounds with the crucial residues of FFAR4 previously documented. FFAR4 as part of the complexes demonstrated consistent RMSDs, ranging from 3.57 to 3.64, with minimal residue fluctuations 5.27 to 6.03 nm, suggesting stable complexes. The gyration values fluctuated between 22.8 to 23.5 nm, indicating structural compactness and orderliness across the studied systems. Additionally, distinct conformational motions were observed in each complex, with energy contours shifting to broader energy basins throughout the simulation, suggesting thermodynamically stable protein–ligand complexes. The two compounds CHEMBL2012662 and CHEMBL64616 are presented as potential FFAR4 agonists, based on these insights and in-depth analyses. Collectively, these findings advance our comprehension of FFAR4’s functions and mechanisms, highlighting these compounds as potential FFAR4 agonists worthy of further exploration as innovative treatments for metabolic and immune-related conditions.

Abstract In the current study, we demonstrate the use of a quality framework to review the process for improving the quality and safety of the patient in the health care department. The researchers paid attention to assessing the performance of the health care service, where the data is usually heterogeneous to patient’s health conditions. In our study, the support vector machine (SVM) regression model is used to handle the challenge of adjusting the risk factors attached to the patients. Further, the design of exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) control charts is proposed based on the residuals obtained through SVM regression model. Analyzing real cardiac surgery patient data, we employed the SVM method to gauge patient condition. The resulting SVM-EWMA chart, fashioned via SVM modeling, revealed superior shift detection capabilities and demonstrated enhanced efficacy compared to the risk-adjusted EWMA control chart.

Background: Medical students’ specialty selection influences the composition of the physician workforce and the effectiveness of health systems. Therefore, the identification of factors that influence the choice of specialty is critical for an evidence-based health policy. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the determinants of specialty choice among Iranian medical residents.Methods: In early 2022, this qualitative study was conducted among Iranian medical residents in seven provinces, including Tehran, Isfahan, Fars, Khorasan Razavi, Kerman, Kermanshah, and Khuzestan. The participants were selected using a purposeful sampling method. Data were collected using 74 semi-structured in-depth face-to-face interviews. Finally, a thematic content analysis (conventional content analysis) method was applied for data synthesis.Results: The participant’s mean age was 28.7±2.5 years, and more than 52% (N=39) were men. Following data synthesis, 10 sub-themes and four main themes were identified, including educational aspects affected by the pandemic, career-related hazards, personal and professional lifestyles affected by the disease, and experiences and beliefs regarding the pandemic.Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on medical students’ educational, professional, and personal aspects of specialty choices. This study demonstrated how the disease affected the choice of specialty. Therefore, the findings could be used for developing national health policy and planning.

Electricity demand increasing day by day with the passage of time, fossil fuels and traditional electricity sources are becoming obsolete. The possibility of dealing with a power deficit and importing oil and gas for electricity generation exists for developing nations like Pakistan. One of the most accessible and affordable sources of renewable energy in the world is solar power generating. Photovoltaic (PV) cell performance is influenced by the environment and the technology used to capture the available energy. The Islamabad region of Pakistan is blessed with an average of 300 days of sunshine a year due to its location in the solar band at 33.7215°N latitude and 73.0433°E longitude. The current study compares and contrasts how Pakistan and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries generate electricity using solar systems. Choosing one geographical place from all SAARC nations, PVSyst software is used to develop and estimate the performance study for solar model cell Panasonic 320Wp, 48V and 1.5 kW Inverter Fronius for a 9.6 kWp load. Energy supplied into the grid is studied together with various losses that occur in the system, with the choice of PV arrays and other factors remaining the same for comparison study of all SAARC countries. The approach to minimize losses through the utilization of an adjustable tilt angle has been implemented. This study will be useful in estimating and planning the solar energy output in all SAARC nations for the same photovoltaic system, and it will be simple to trade all PV system components in the region.

Abstract Most of the countries in the world are affected by the coronavirus epidemic that put people in danger, with many infected cases and deaths. The crowding factor plays a significant role in the transmission of coronavirus disease. On the other hand, the vaccines of the covid-19 played a decisive role in the control of coronavirus infection. In this paper, a fractional order epidemic model (SIVR) of coronavirus disease is proposed by considering the effects of crowding and vaccination because the transmission of this infection is highly influenced by these two factors. The nonlinear incidence rate with the inclusion of these effects is a better approach to understand and analyse the dynamics of the model. The positivity and boundedness of the fractional order model is ensured by applying some standard results of Mittag Leffler function and Laplace transformation. The equilibrium points are described analytically. The existence and uniqueness of the non-integer order model is also confirmed by using results of the fixed-point theory. Stability analysis is carried out for the system at both the steady states by using Jacobian matrix theory, Routh–Hurwitz criterion and Volterra-type Lyapunov functions. Basic reproductive number is calculated by using next generation matrix. It is verified that disease-free equilibrium is locally asymptotically stable if $${R}_{0}1$$ R 0 > 1 . Moreover, the disease-free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable if $${R}_{0}1$$ R 0 > 1 . The non-standard finite difference (NSFD) scheme is developed to approximate the solutions of the system. The simulated graphs are presented to show the key features of the NSFD approach. It is proved that non-standard finite difference approach preserves the positivity and boundedness properties of model. The simulated graphs show that the implementation of control strategies reduced the infected population and increase the recovered population. The impact of fractional order parameter $$\alpha$$ α is described by the graphical templates. The future trends of the virus transmission are predicted under some control measures. The current work will be a value addition in the literature. The article is closed by some useful concluding remarks.

Electricity is establishing ground as a means of energy, and its proportion will continue to rise in the next generations. Home energy usage is expected to increase by more than 40% in the next 20 years. Therefore, to compensate for demand requirements, proper planning and strategies are needed to improve home energy management systems (HEMs). One of the crucial aspects of HEMS are proper load forecasting and scheduling of energy utilization. Energy management systems depend heavily on precise forecasting and scheduling. Considering this scenario, this article was divided into two parts. Firstly, this article gives a thorough analysis of forecasting models in HEMs with the primary goal of determining whichever model is most appropriate in a given situation. Moreover, for optimal utilization of scheduling strategies in HEMs, the current literature has discussed a number of scheduling optimization approaches. Therefore, secondly in this article, these approaches will be examined thoroughly to develop effective operating scheduling and to make wise judgments regarding usage of these techniques in HEMs. Finally, this paper also presents the future technical advancements and research gaps in load forecasting and scheduling and how they affect HEMs activities in the near future.