Search

Integration of the internet of things (IoT) and robotics into the internet of robotic things (IoRT) presents inherent security and trust challenges. This article introduces an innovative blockchain-centred framework designed to address these challenges. By harnessing the features of oneM2M and blockchain technology, the architecture enhances accessibility, security and data management within IoRT. Encompassing key aspects such as data flow, user authentication, health data management and security, the proposed framework ensures compliance with the oneM2M standard. A notable contribution is the integration of a private blockchain network on ZedBoard development boards, focusing on access control and data integrity verification. External IoT data are securely transmitted to a cloud platform hosted on AWS, ensuring streamlined data management with minimal impact on the resources of ZedBoards. In a stride towards bolstering IoRT security, the study implements elliptic curve digital signature algorithm (ECDSA) with Radix-2w optimizations on ZedBoards, demonstrating a significant 58.63% reduction in addition operation costs compared to standard ECDSA. The practical implementation on ZedBoards validates the effectiveness of this approach, offering a comprehensive solution for securing IoRT networks. This research caters to industries relying on the seamless integration of IoT and robotics, concluding with noteworthy findings and suggesting potential avenues for future research, including optimizations in hardware/software co-design for ECDSA on Zynq boards.

Internationalisation is seen as one of the means of enabling engineering students to acquire skills and attitudes and also promote their employability. In this study, we investigate the effects of a six-month internship abroad on self-perceived employability, by (1) observing the global effect of the internship abroad on factors related to self-perceived employability (SPE), (2) analysing the effects depending on demographic and organisation questions, (3) Verifying through clustering if the data can identify homogeneous groups of students based on SPE change and (4) predicting SPE positive change relating to the internship abroad. We conducted a quantitative study on SPE before and after the internship abroad, analysed sample homogeneity (clustering) and assessed the internship's role in SPE change using logistic regression. The results show that (1) Some factors have a high/low level of influence on SPE; (2) demographic and organisational factors do not affect SPE change; (3) two homogenous groups appeared in terms of SPE change (a positive group and a negative group); (4) only social integration support predicts positive change in SPE for engineering students. The SPE of engineering students seems to be linked to a wider range of perceived social support in their host country.

Continuing education offers healthcare professionals the opportunity to adapt to the many changes in society and to improve their skills and knowledge to provide optimal care for patients. As technology evolves, healthcare workers can benefit from virtual peer-to-peer and mentor interactions with digital technology as a platform for continuing professional development (CPD). Nevertheless, healthcare professionals' experiences in CPD in online learning settings have not been tackled clearly. The aim of our systematic scoping review is to investigate the effects of distance and hybrid learning settings in continuing education on learning outcomes and perceptions among healthcare professionals. A quantitative literature search was conducted following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses scoping research, allowing data collection of healthcare study scores from previous articles tackling the subject. A total of 17 articles met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. We identified four main categories of learning outcomes: knowledge acquisition, skills and performance, participants' attitudes toward training, satisfaction, confidence, and self-efficacy. This systematic scoping review highlights that continuing distance education improves health professional learning outcomes. Continuing education in online learning setting allow more learning accessibility for healthcare professionals, as it was found to be a solution for temporal and physical constraints.

BACKGROUND: Reference intervals of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) are statistically defined by the 2·5-97·5th percentiles, without accounting for potential risk of clinical outcomes. We aimed to define the optimal healthy ranges of TSH and FT4 based on the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. METHODS: This systematic review and individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis identified eligible prospective cohorts through the Thyroid Studies Collaboration, supplemented with a systematic search via Embase, MEDLINE (Ovid), Web of science, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Google Scholar from Jan 1, 2011, to Feb 12, 2017 with an updated search to Oct 13, 2022 (cohorts found in the second search were not included in the IPD). We included cohorts that collected TSH or FT4, and cardiovascular outcomes or mortality for adults (aged ≥18 years). We excluded cohorts that included solely pregnant women, individuals with overt thyroid diseases, and individuals with cardiovascular disease. We contacted the study investigators of eligible cohorts to provide IPD on demographics, TSH, FT4, thyroid peroxidase antibodies, history of cardiovascular disease and risk factors, medication use, cardiovascular disease events, cardiovascular disease mortality, and all-cause mortality. The primary outcome was a composite outcome including cardiovascular disease events (coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure) and all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were the separate assessment of cardiovascular disease events, all-cause mortality, and cardiovascular disease mortality. We performed one-step (cohort-stratified Cox models) and two-step (random-effects models) meta-analyses adjusting for age, sex, smoking, systolic blood pressure, diabetes, and total cholesterol. The study was registered with PROSPERO, CRD42017057576. FINDINGS: We identified 3935 studies, of which 53 cohorts fulfilled the inclusion criteria and 26 cohorts agreed to participate. We included IPD on 134 346 participants with a median age of 59 years (range 18-106) at baseline. There was a J-shaped association of FT4 with the composite outcome and secondary outcomes, with the 20th (median 13·5 pmol/L [IQR 11·2-13·9]) to 40th percentiles (median 14·8 pmol/L [12·3-15·0]) conveying the lowest risk. Compared with the 20-40th percentiles, the age-adjusted and sex-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for FT4 in the 80-100th percentiles was 1·20 (95% CI 1·11-1·31) for the composite outcome, 1·34 (1·20-1·49) for all-cause mortality, 1·57 (1·31-1·89) for cardiovascular disease mortality, and 1·22 (1·11-1·33) for cardiovascular disease events. In individuals aged 70 years and older, the 10-year absolute risk of composite outcome increased over 5% for women with FT4 greater than the 85th percentile (median 17·6 pmol/L [IQR 15·0-18·3]), and men with FT4 greater than the 75th percentile (16·7 pmol/L [14·0-17·4]). Non-linear associations were identified for TSH, with the 60th (median 1·90 mIU/L [IQR 1·68-2·25]) to 80th percentiles (2·90 mIU/L [2·41-3·32]) associated with the lowest risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. Compared with the 60-80th percentiles, the age-adjusted and sex-adjusted HR of TSH in the 0-20th percentiles was 1·07 (95% CI 1·02-1·12) for the composite outcome, 1·09 (1·05-1·14) for all-cause mortality, and 1·07 (0·99-1·16) for cardiovascular disease mortality. INTERPRETATION: There was a J-shaped association of FT4 with cardiovascular disease and mortality. Low concentrations of TSH were associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality. The 20-40th percentiles of FT4 and the 60-80th percentiles of TSH could represent the optimal healthy ranges of thyroid function based on the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality, with more than 5% increase of 10-year composite risk identified for FT4 greater than the 85th percentile in women and men older than 70 years. We propose a feasible approach to establish the optimal healthy ranges of thyroid function, allowing for better identification of individuals with a higher risk of thyroid-related outcomes. FUNDING: None.

The Mediterranean region's agriculture is predicted to be severely impacted negatively by climate change. In the primary production region of southern Tunisia (34°43’N, 10°41’E) in olive orchard submitted to different treatments: Rain-fed, drip irrigation with saline water (FI) : EC = 7.5 dS/m at 100% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc), alternate irrigation (PRD) with saline water at 50% of ETc and switched every 30 days, regular deficit irrigation (RDI) with saline water at 50% of ETc, drip irrigation with tap water (TW) : EC=2.46 dS/m at 100% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc), with predicted temperature increases, the effects of climate change and salinity on the floral performance of olive trees were assessed from 2015 to 2017 and the vegetative growth and yield were evaluated over the period. As results, while conserving water in comparison to FI and TW, PRD produced high values for internodes length (1.68 cm) in 2016 and an annual shoot elongation (2.5 cm) in 2015. When comparing flowering (RF) and fruit-setting (RS) rates, olive trees under PRD outperformed those under RDI and FI with (RF=67.52% and RS=7.81%) in 2015. For olive trees exposed to RDI, PRD, and FI, the fruits per unit length were statistically similar in 2015. The use of the PRD technique (50% ETc) yielded good results with an average of 2.96(kg/m3) in our study both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a highly prevalent disease. We aimed to assess the symptoms that physicians who see patients with AR perceive as the most bothersome in their patients. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study based on an online questionnaire sent to all members of the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) initiative. The survey included questions on the physicians' perceptions of patients’ AR symptoms as well as of their own AR symptoms. Results: Among 401 respondents, 155 (38.7%) reported having AR. ARIA members reported nasal symptoms to be the most frequent (89.7%) and bothersome (80.0%) symptoms experienced by themselves. Likewise, nasal symptoms were reported by ARIA members as the most frequent (94.8% in members with AR vs 96.0% in members without AR) and bothersome (57.0% in members with AR vs 67.9% in members without AR) in their patients. We found a significant association (p = 0.001) between physicians’ own symptoms and those perceived as the most bothersome in their patients. Conclusion: Physicians perceive nasal symptoms to be the most frequent and the most bothersome symptoms in AR patients. The physicians' personal experiences with AR may influence their perception of patients’ symptoms.

Global and regional environmental problems persist to this day, posing serious threats to the world and Lebanon. There is a data gap regarding environmental citizenship in Lebanon, despite numerous investigations and research done in relation to environmental problems. Current Lebanese eco-citizenship behaviours should be investigated. This article aims to quantitatively investigate Lebanese higher education students’ environmental citizenship. In this study, a survey method is used with a comparative approach and factorial analyses. The sample consisted of 355 Lebanese university students from 16 Lebanese educational institutions. Results show that participants declare relatively high environmental citizenship motivations, competences, and intentions. Conversely, they report low environmental past activities. Demographic factors such as gender, age, university (private vs. public), academic year, and major yielded significant differences among the measured factors. This paper encourages establishing feedback mechanisms to gather input from students on environmental educational programmes implementing sensitization and active youth participation in environmental sustainability.

The impact of NTF2− and PF6− anions on the physical, chemical and antibacterial characteristics of ionic liquids (ILs) based 1-methyl-3-(4-vinylbenzyl) imidazol-3-ium VBMIM+ cations is the subject of this work. The molecular structures were compared to the DFT-optimized ones after being investigated experimentally using FTIR and NMR spectroscopy. As a result, the different vibrational modes were identified and assigned. However, DSC and TGA have been used to examine the thermal properties of the ILs. The compounds depicted good thermal stability. Furthermore, different parameters were computed to get insights on the stability and reactivity of the chemical. The ILs were tested for their antibacterial and fungicidal activities against nine reference strains of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Finally, the discovered biological results were supported by the molecular docking analysis.

This article investigates the impact of integrating Variable Renewable Energy (VRE), specifically solar energy from the Timimoun Photovoltaic Park, on the PIAT electrical grid stability in southern Algeria. The study focuses on how fluctuations in power demand and changes in weather conditions can affect grid frequency control, potentially leading to transient stability issues. To address these challenges, the research proposes the implementation of an Automatic Generation Control (AGC) system combined with the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm to optimize solar energy distribution. This approach effectively regulates real-time frequency deviations resulting from VRE integration, ensuring balanced supply and demand, and controllable power factor injection. The findings demonstrate that the integration of AGC and PSO stabilizes the frequency at the Timimoun Photovoltaic Park and reduces total active losses in the PIAT network by 13.88%. Additionally, strategic power factor control at the injection buses ensures optimal power quality and maximizes the utilization of the photovoltaic park, leading to a 4.84% reduction in the PIAT grid's reliance on gas turbines. This approach contributes to lowering operational costs, reducing carbon emissions, and supporting a transition to greener energy.

Enhancing future economic growth through higher economic complexity is vital for sustainable growth strategies. Even though most studies are concerned with the key factors governing the economic complexity process, there needs to be more studies about the impact of risk factors on economic sophistication evolvement, particularly for oil-rentier economies. The present paper intends to delve into the dynamic connectedness between some risk factors, such as economic, political, and geopolitical risks and oil price volatility and the progress of economic complexity. We utilized quarterly data (1995Q1-2021Q4) for Saudi Arabia as a heavy oil-rich economy. As the first study to delve into the short-long term connections at various time scales and frequencies within a multivariable setting, we contribute to the literature by offering a spotless picture of economic complexity risk factors. In doing so, we resort to a novel wavelet local multiple correlation method, which can explore the varying patterns of time periods in the interconnections between the variables. Our findings disclose that oil volatility, geopolitical risk, and global uncertainties are positively connected to economic complexity over the long run. In contrast, their short-term effect is weak and mostly insignificant. These results indicate the resiliency of the Saudi economy to external to oil volatility shocks and intensification of global and local uncertainties. These outcomes offer policymakers new insights and prominent policy recommendations when designing economic strategies to achieve higher economic sophistication and sustainable growth.

The editorial discusses the review process at the Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management (JPSSM), highlighting the roles of authors, reviewers, and editors. It outlines the steps involved in submitting a manuscript, the responsibilities of reviewers, and the benefits of engaging in the peer review process. The editorial emphasizes the importance of timely, thorough, transparent, and transformative reviews, providing guidance on how to write a good review and respond to reviewer comments. Authors are encouraged to view the revision process as collaborative and to address reviewer feedback respectfully and professionally. [Extracted from the article]

Moyamoya disease, a cerebrovascular disease leading to strokes in children and young adults, is characterized by progressive occlusion of the distal internal carotid arteries and the formation of collateral vessels. Altered genes play a prominent role in the etiology of moyamoya disease, but a causative gene is not identified in the majority of cases. Exome sequencing data from 151 individuals from 84 unsolved families were analyzed to identify further genes for moyamoya disease, then candidate genes assessed in additional cases (150 probands). Two families had the same rare variant in ANO1, which encodes a calcium-activated chloride channel, anoctamin-1. Haplotype analyses found the families were related, and ANO1 p.Met658Val segregated with moyamoya disease in the family with an LOD score of 3.3. Six additional ANO1 rare variants were identified in moyamoya disease families. The ANO1 rare variants were assessed using patch-clamp recordings, and the majority of variants, including ANO1 p.Met658Val, displayed increased sensitivity to intracellular Ca2+. Patients harboring these gain-of-function ANO1 variants had classic features of MMD, but also had aneurysm, stenosis, and/or occlusion in the posterior circulation. Our studies support that ANO1 gain-of-function pathogenic variants predispose to moyamoya disease and are associated with unique involvement of the posterior circulation.

This paper analyzes the effects of the combination of two teaching methods on entrepreneurial intention in Tunisia. The developed model suggests that entrepreneurial intention depends on eight cognitive and non-cognitive variables; namely, financial literacy and entrepreneurial knowledge developed through a theoretically-oriented course, and teaching methods, creativity, managing ambiguity, entrepreneurial mindset, entrepreneurial attitude and core self-evaluation developed through a practically-oriented course. The authors use structural equation modeling to test the proposed model, based on a sample of 92 undergraduate management students in the Faculty of Economics and Management of Tunis, Tunisia. The results demonstrate that creativity is a good predictor of students' entrepreneurial intention. Creativity can be developed by entrepreneurial teachers who enhance students' ambiguity management and improve their core self-evaluation. The results also show that financial literacy positively influences entrepreneurial knowledge and managing ambiguity. Entrepreneurial knowledge positively influences entrepreneurial mindset and core self-evaluation. The management students' entrepreneurial mindset positively influences their entrepreneurial attitude, which develops their core self-evaluation. Because the respondents were all studying at the same faculty, the results may lack generalizability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to broaden the field of investigation and to include in their studies students from other institutions.

Abstract This work is devoted to the study of three-dimensional compressible Navier–Stokes equations on unstructured meshes. The approach used is based on separating the convection and diffusion parts. The convective flux is computed using the Godunov method. For the diffusive part, we present a new finite volume scheme. Numerical results are provided to demonstrate the efficiency of the developed technique.

In arid regions that face water scarcity, solar distillation offers hope by meeting the increasing need for clean drinking water. This study investigates the integration of a hot water storage system, heated by a flat plate solar collector, into a hemispherical solar still. Placing the storage tank below the still's absorber enhances heat input and efficiently stores excess daytime thermal energy. Conducted in Bouismail from December 2022 to October 2023, the study yielded significant results: the modified solar still outperformed the conventional one, with production increases of 157% in winter and 207% in summer. Moreover, the modified still demonstrated remarkable efficiency improvement in summer, reaching 37.42% compared to 20.38% for the conventional still. The orientation of the fins within the storage tank, with respect to the hot water entrance orifice, significantly impacted water production, with alterations of the angle resulting in decreases of up to 25%. Increasing saltwater depth led to reduced distilled water output, with declines of up to 37.08% for the modified still. Economic analysis showed a slightly higher cost per liter of water produced by the modified still ($0.1897) compared to the simple one ($0.1446). HIGHLIGHTS Integration of hot water storage with a solar collector boosted hemispherical solar still efficiency.; The modified solar still achieves 157% production increase in winter and 207% in summer, surpassing the conventional model.; The modified design reaches 37.42% efficiency in summer.; Tank fin orientation influences water production.; Economic analysis reveals a slightly higher per-liter cost for the modified solar still.;