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The paper proposes a method to size a standalone hybrid PV/MHP/BES (photovoltaic/micro-hydro/battery energy storage) system. The proposed method is simple and easy to use. The size and location decoupled proposed approach can effectively size cost-effective systems. The method exploits variable renewable energy (VRE) resources adjustable complementarity proposing a CMACVRE (VRE Adjusted Complementarity Critical Month) term to size the hybrid system. By reducing capital investment and enhancing load sharing between VRE resources, the method inherently sizes cost-effective systems that minimise SnD gaps and operational expenses. The results show that the proposed method cannot only size a Homer Pro comparable system but can optimise a Homer Pro sized system further. Additionally, that the system sized by Homer Pro employing the proposed approach with adjustable complementarity delivers better results than the system sized by Homer Pro without it. The results show that the sized hybrid system meets load demand even considering ± 10% uncertainty. A North American site produces 4,069 kWh vs. 3,686 kWh of the energy required yearly; the Southeast Asian site produces 656 kWh vs. 607 kWh of the required; and the European site produces 12,982 kWh vs. 12548 kWh of the required, each considering −10% uncertainty.

This research presents an explicit analysis of the effects of sintering temperature (Ts) on the structural, morphological, magnetic, and optical properties of Cu0.5Mg0.5Fe2O4 nanoferrites synthesized via the sol-gel method. To accomplish it, Cu-Mg ferrite NPs were sintered at temperatures ranging from 300 to 800 °C in increments of 100 with a constant holding duration of 5 h. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to observe the degradation of organic components and the thermally stable zone of the material. XRD analysis and SAED patterns revealed the formation of a single face-centred cubic (fcc) spinel structure with an Fd–3m space group. The particle's crystallite sizes have grown from 4.54 to 102.54 nm as Ts have increased, consistent with TEM results. Further evidence for the creation of spinel structure was provided by two prominent absorption bands in FTIR spectroscopy below 1000 cm−1. The particles were found to have a densely packed, nearly spherical morphology, as confirmed by TEM images. The EDS was utilized to identify the chemical species that were present in the sample. A significant correlation was observed between particle size and magnetic properties. The field-dependent magnetization investigations revealed that particles with crystallite sizes of 4.54 and 5.10 nm were superparamagnetic, while those measuring 11.68, 23.81, 42.95, and 102.54 nm exhibited ferrimagnetic characteristics. Furthermore, it was revealed that an increase in sintering temperature results in a concurrent amplification of crystallites, which subsequently heightens the saturation magnetization of the prepared NPs from 9.49 to 33.04 emu/g. The coercivity value clarifies the sintering effect of transforming the particle from a single-domain to a multi-domain magnetic state. The finite-size scaling formula precisely characterizes the changes in Curie temperature. In addition, the semiconducting characteristics of Cu-Mg ferrite NPs were confirmed through DRS, which unfolded an optical band gap within the range of 1.84–2.26 eV. The Mulliken electronegativity approach unveiled the prospective efficacy of these NPs in photocatalytically generating O2 from water. Cu-Mg nanoferrites exhibit a favourable bandgap and potential as a photocatalyst, rendering them a potentially fruitful addition to the family of ferrite materials utilized in photocatalytic and associated solar energy applications.

All lineages of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, contain mutations between amino acids 199 and 205 in the nucleocapsid (N) protein that are associated with increased infectivity. The effects of these mutations have been difficult to determine because N protein contributes to both viral replication and viral particle assembly during infection. Here, we used single-cycle infection and virus-like particle assays to show that N protein phosphorylation has opposing effects on viral assembly and genome replication. Ancestral SARS-CoV-2 N protein is densely phosphorylated, leading to higher levels of genome replication but 10-fold lower particle assembly compared to evolved variants with low N protein phosphorylation, such as Delta (N:R203M), Iota (N:S202R), and B.1.2 (N:P199L). A new open reading frame encoding a truncated N protein called N*, which occurs in the B.1.1 lineage and subsequent lineages of the Alpha, Gamma, and Omicron variants, supports high levels of both assembly and replication. Our findings help explain the enhanced fitness of viral variants of concern and a potential avenue for continued viral selection.

Objective Neonates’ physiological immaturity and complex dosing requirements heighten their susceptibility to medication administration errors (MAEs), with the potential for severe harm and substantial economic impact on healthcare systems. Developing an effective risk prediction model for MAEs is crucial to reduce and prevent harm. Methods This national-level, multicentre, prospective direct observational study was conducted in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) of five public hospitals in Malaysia. Randomly selected nurses were directly observed during medication preparation and administration. Each observation was independently assessed for errors. Ten machine learning (ML) algorithms were applied with features derived from systematic reviews, incident reports, and expert consensus. Model performance, prioritising F1-score for MAEs, was evaluated using various measures. Feature importance was determined using the permutation-feature importance for robust comparison across ML algorithms. Results A total of 1093 doses were administered to 170 neonates, with mean age and birth weight of 33.43 (SD ± 5.13) weeks and 1.94 (SD ± 0.95) kg, respectively. F1-scores for the ten models ranged from 76.15% to 83.28%. Adaptive boosting (AdaBoost) emerged as the best-performing model (F1-score: 83.28%, accuracy: 77.63%, area under the receiver operating characteristic: 82.95%, precision: 84.72%, sensitivity: 81.88% and negative predictive value: 64.00%). The most influential features in AdaBoost were the intravenous route of administration, working hours, and nursing experience. Conclusions This study developed and validated an ML-based model to predict the presence of MAEs among neonates in NICUs. AdaBoost was identified as the best-performing algorithm. Utilising the model's predictions, healthcare providers can potentially reduce MAE occurrence through timely interventions.

In this study, we investigated the size- and shape-dependent optical nonlinearity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), and their modulation upon mixing with 2D ZnO nanoflakes (ZnONFs) using a Z-scan technique powered by a continuous-wave 514.5 nm Ar-ion laser source. We prepared three batches of AgNPs with varying average particle sizes of 36 nm, 64 nm, and 81 nm and one batch of ZnONFs, by employing chemical reduction and hydrothermal preparation protocols, respectively. Our experimental results revealed a decrease in the values of the nonlinear refractive index of AgNPs with an increase in their average sizes. It appeared that variation in the shape of the AgNPs does not have any appreciable impact on the optical nonlinearity. The value of the nonlinear refractive index of AgNPs amplified significantly upon mixing with ZnONFs. Interestingly, the magnitude of the enhancement of the nonlinear refractive index of AgNPs was found to be dependent on the proportion of both ZnONFs and AgNPs in the mixture. We could harvest ∼ 4 times larger magnitude of the nonlinear refractive index of AgNPs, by mixing 40 % of AgNPs with the lowest average particle size with 60 % of ZnONFs.

Wellness is an important asset of every human being. The wellness of health encourages a person to move towards awareness, education and individual progress. Teachers are the superheroes of the educational system and tend to be underrepresented and overworked. The promotion of teacher wellness and health is revealed student health and wellness and may lead to a more effective and positive environment for learning on the whole. According to the National Wellness Institute, "a conscious, self-directed and evolving process of achieving full potential". This study aims to find the level of wellness among school teachers. Survey method was adopted to collect data through questionnaire from 60 school teachers of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Government and Government Aided School. The finding of the study reveals that the Kendriya Vidyalaya School Teachers scores higher on the dimension of "Meaning" (28.6) and lower on the aspect of "Body and Sexuality" (15) among the ten dimensions, the Government school scores higher on the proportion of "Self-Responsibility" (21.4) and lower on the aspect of "Body and Sexuality" (12) among the ten dimensions and the Government Aided School teachers scores higher on size of "Meaning" (24.5) and lower on the aspect "Body and sexuality" (13.4) among the ten dimensions. The study also reveals that every school scores lowest in one particular point (i.e. Body and Sexuality). Hence, Kendriya Vidyalaya School Teachers have good wellness than the Government and Government Aided School.

In this study, Mg1−xCoxFe2O4 (0≤x ≤ 1 with ∆x = 0.1) or MCFO nanoparticles were synthesized using a chemical co-precipitation method and annealed at 200, 400, 600, and 800°C respectively to investigate the structural properties of the materials by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Controlled annealing increased particle size for each value of x. The aim was to investigate how specific loss power (SLP) and maximum temperature (Tmax) during local magnetic hyperthermia were affected by structural alterations associated with particle size and composition. The lattice parameter, X-ray density, ionic radius, hopping length, bond length, cation-cation distance, and cation-anion distance increase with an increase in Co2+ content. Raman and FTIR spectroscopy reveal changes in cation distribution with Co2+ content and particle size. Magnetic properties measured by the physical property measurement system (PPMS) showed saturation magnetization (Ms), coercivity (Hc), remanent magnetization (Mr/Ms), and anisotropy constant (K1) of the Mg1−xCoxFe2O4 nanoparticles increase with Co2+ content and particle size. When exposed to an rf magnetic field, the nanohybrids experienced an increase in both the SLP (specific loss power) and Tmax (maximum temperature) as the particle size initially increased. However, these values reached their peak at critical particle size and subsequently decreased. This occurs since a modest increase in anisotropy, resulting from the presence of Co2+ and larger particle size, facilitates Néel and Brownian relaxation. However, for high anisotropy values and particle size, the Néel and Brownian relaxations are hindered, leading to the emergence of a critical size. The critical size increases as the Co2+ content decreases, but it decreases as the Co2+ content increases, a consequence of higher anisotropy with the increase in Co2+. Additionally, it is noteworthy that the maximum temperature (Tmax) rises as the concentration of nanohybrids grows, but the specific loss power (SLP) decreases. An increased concentration of chitosan-MCFO nanohybrids inhibits both the Néel and Brownian relaxation processes, reducing specific loss power.

In this study, graphene oxide (GO), ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) and GO based ZnO nanocomposites (GO-ZnO) have been successfully synthesized by modified Hummer’s method, chemical co-precipitation method and ultrasonication method, respectively. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were employed to study the crystallographic structure, phase, surface micro-morphology and different functional groups in the prepared catalysts. The optical band gap of pristine ZnO NPs was found in the UV region (3.2 eV), whereas the ZnO NPs immobilized on GO nanosheets possesses it in the visible wavelength region (2.67 eV). GO-ZnO catalysts demonstrate excellent degradation efficiency (97.7 %) within just 85 min due to its effective adsorption and visible light driven photocatalytic activity in the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) dye. The adsorption capacity of GO-ZnO catalysts was found ∼ 24 times higher with the second order kinetic rate constant as low as 0.0014 min ∙ g/mg and the visible light driven photocatalytic activity was ∼ 9 times faster when compared to unmodified ZnO catalyst. Effect of GO-ZnO catalyst dosages in the degradation of RhB was also conducted. The scavenger test firmly evidenced that super oxide radicals (•O2–) play the lead role in RhB dye degradation process by GO-ZnO nanocomposites. Reusability studies of GO-ZnO catalysts demonstrate more than 91 % degradation efficiency up to 4 back-to-back cycles along with retaining the crystal structure. These findings suggest the viable application of GO-ZnO catalysts for the degradation of RhB dye in wastewater.

Purpose: To assess the utility of using dynamic ultrasound for postoperative evaluation after superior capsular reconstruction (SCR) by evaluating graft integrity and its correlation with clinical outcomes at a minimum 2-year follow-up. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted to identify patients who underwent SCR between July 2015 and July 2020 with a minimum 2-year clinical and ultrasound follow-up. Clinical outcome measures included Simple Shoulder (SS) and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon (ASES) scores. Integrity of the SCR graft was evaluated by dynamic ultrasound. Results: We evaluated 22 shoulders in 21 patients with a mean follow-up of 44.8 months (range, 24-71 months). The graft was found to be intact by ultrasound evaluation in 82% (18/22). Patients with intact grafts had higher mean SS (11.6 vs 7.8, P = .00079) and ASES (91.2 vs 64.1, P = .0296) scores at latest follow-up compared to those with failed grafts. Those with intact grafts also had significant improvement in SS (3.7 vs 11.6, P < .00001) and ASES (23.2 vs 91.2, P < .00001) scores at latest follow-up compared to their preoperative scores. In contrast, patients with graft failure had no significant improvement in SS (6.3 vs 9.0, P = .123) and ASES (40.4 vs 58.3, P = .05469) scores at latest follow-up compared to their preoperative scores. There was no difference between clinical outcomes at 6 to 12 months vs latest follow-up for both SS (P = .11, P = .5) and ASES (P = .27, P = .21) scores. Conclusions: SCR grafts were found by ultrasound to be intact in 82% of cases. Patients with intact grafts on ultrasound had significant improvement in functional outcome scores while those with graft failure did not. Functional outcome scores suggest that maximal recovery from this procedure occurs by 6 to 12 months. Level of Evidence: Level IV, therapeutic case series.

Thin film samples like transparent conducting oxides (TCO) are typically investigated using measurements like Hall Effect and 4-point probe measurements. We use a sensitive AC Faraday rotation (FR) setup to study thin film samples for which a magneto-optic response is challenging to characterize. The experimental setup employs a stabilized He-Ne laser (633 nm) along with an AC magnetic field that enables lock-in detection. We investigate a series of TCO samples that are deposited on a glass substrate. The TCO samples include the more widely used Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) and the relatively newer Fluorine doped Tin Oxide films, usually referred to as FTO. These films have a magneto-optic response due to the presence of free carrier concentration and therefore measurement of this response (Verdet constant) could allow one to determine the carrier concentration of these films. Given that magneto optic responses like FR depend on the length of the sample length traveled by light, these sub-micron films pose considerable challenges in trying to extract the FR response of the film from that of the much thicker glass substrate. Furthermore, we present details of the design and FR characterization of samples using a Michelson interferometer-based measurement setup which enhances the Faraday rotation and affords a new means of studying harmonic peaks of the recorded optical signal in response to a sinusoidally-varying applied magnetic field. We compare some early results from this setup to the typical “single-pass” setup to highlight the difference in the recorded signals from the two setups. To showcase the advantages of the proposed measurements, we also include some early results from a very different type of sample, namely superparamagnetic nanoparticles (SNPs).

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 recombinants is of particular concern as they can result in a sudden increase in immune evasion due to antigenic shift. Recent recombinants XBB and XBB.1.5 have higher transmissibility than previous recombinants such as “Deltacron.” We hypothesized that immunity to a SARS-CoV-2 recombinant depends on prior exposure to its parental strains. To test this hypothesis, we examined whether Delta or Omicron (BA.1 or BA.2) immunity conferred through infection, vaccination, or breakthrough infection could neutralize Deltacron and XBB/XBB.1.5 recombinants. We found that Delta, BA.1, or BA.2 breakthrough infections provided better immune protection against Deltacron and its parental strains than did the vaccine booster. None of the sera were effective at neutralizing the XBB lineage or its parent BA.2.75.2, except for the sera from the BA.2 breakthrough group. These results support our hypothesis. In turn, our findings underscore the importance of multivalent vaccines that correspond to the antigenic profile of circulating variants of concern and of variant-specific diagnostics that may guide public health and individual decisions in response to emerging SARS-CoV-2 recombinants.

Abstract Although the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (BA.1) spread rapidly across the world and effectively evaded immune responses, its viral fitness in cell and animal models was reduced. The precise nature of this attenuation remains unknown as generating replication-competent viral genomes is challenging because of the length of the viral genome (~30 kb). Here, we present a plasmid-based viral genome assembly and rescue strategy (pGLUE) that constructs complete infectious viruses or noninfectious subgenomic replicons in a single ligation reaction with >80% efficiency. Fully sequenced replicons and infectious viral stocks can be generated in 1 and 3 weeks, respectively. By testing a series of naturally occurring viruses as well as Delta-Omicron chimeric replicons, we show that Omicron nonstructural protein 6 harbors critical attenuating mutations, which dampen viral RNA replication and reduce lipid droplet consumption. Thus, pGLUE overcomes remaining barriers to broadly study SARS-CoV-2 replication and reveals deficits in nonstructural protein function underlying Omicron attenuation.

In this research, a non-fragile synchronization of bidirectional association memory (BAM) delayed neural networks is taken into consideration. The controller gain fluctuation seems in a very random manner, that obeys sure Bernoulli distributed noise sequences. Delay dependent criteria are derived to confirm the asymptotic stability of the BAM delayed neural networks. The non-fragile controller are often obtained by determination a collection of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). A simulation example is used to demonstrate the efficiency of the developed control.

Aims: The aim of the study was to compare the functional outcome of patients with extra-articular distal one-third tibia fracture, treated with intramedullary interlocking nailing (IMILN) with those treated by minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis (MIPPO). Settings and Design: This is a prospective study and nonprobability sampling technique. Subjects and Methods: In this study, 60 patients with distal third tibia fractures of AO classification Type 43 A1, A2, and A3 were selected, in which 30 of them were treated with IMILN and the remaining 30 were managed with MIPPO. The patients were regularly followed up, and functional outcome was measured at 4, 8, 12, and 24 weeks using a modified Klemm and Borner scoring system. Statistical Analysis Used: The data collected were subjected to data entry in MS Excel. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 using Chi-square test. Results: In our prospective study, the functional outcome of MIPPO has shown excellent outcome in 13 patients (43.3%) and good outcome in 13 patients (43.3%), fair outcome in three patients (10%), and only one patient had poor outcome (3.3%). However, in the IMILN group, excellent outcome was seen in 7 patients (23.3%) and good outcome in 15 patients (50%), fair in five patients (16.7%), and poor outcome in 3 patients (10%). Alignment of fracture was anatomical in 13 patients of MIPPO and 7 patients of IMILN. Complications such as nonunion and malunion were more in the IMILN group than MIPPO, whereas superficial wound infection and delayed union were comparable in both. Conclusions: Distal tibial fractures can be effectively treated by both intramedullary nailing and MIPPO with minimal soft tissue injury providing good-to-excellent results, whereas in our present study, we observed that MIPPO had excellent functional outcome when compared to IMILN. Although interlocking intramedullary nailing allows early weight-bearing in patients, malunion and nonunion were more frequently seen, which affects the functional outcome. Therefore, we recommend that MIPPO is considered a very effective modality of treatment in distal third tibia fractures.

The summation inequality is essential in creating delay-dependent criteria for discrete-time systems with time-varying delays and developing other delay-dependent standards. This paper uses our rebuilt summation inequality to investigate the robust stability analysis issue for discrete-time neural networks that incorporate interval time-varying leakage and discrete and distributed delays. It is a novelty of this study to consider a new inequality, which makes it less conservative than the well-known Jensen inequality, and use it in the context of discrete-time delay systems. Further stability and passivity criteria are obtained in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) using the Lyapunov-Krasovskii stability theory, coefficient matrix decomposition technique, mobilization of zero equation, mixed model transformation, and reciprocally convex combination. With the assistance of the LMI Control toolbox in Matlab, numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the validity and efficiency of the theoretical findings of this research.

We used a hydrothermal technique to develop nano-scale α-Fe2O3 particles and functionalized them with chitosan. An X-ray diffraction study revealed α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were of single-phase, lattice constants were a = 5.07 Å and c = 13.68 Å, and the grain size was 27 nm. The presence of lattice fringes in the HRTEM image confirmed the crystalline nature of the α-Fe2O3. The Mössbauer spectra reveal a mixed relaxation state, which supports the PPMS studies. Zero-field cooled studies revealed the existence of a Morin transition and blocking temperature. The z-average value of the coated particles by DLS was between 218 and 235 nm, PDI ranged from 0.048 to 0.119, and zeta potential was +46.8 mV. We incubated the Vero and HeLa cell lines for 24 h to study the viability of the nanohybrids at different concentrations. Hyperthermia studies revealed the maximum temperature and specific loss power attained by the hematite–chitosan nanohybrid solution of a concentration between 0.25–4 mg ml−1. The Tmax at the lowest and highest concentrations of 0.25 and 4 mg ml−1 were 42.9 and 48.3°C, while the SLP were 501.6 and 35.5 W g−1, which are remarkably high when the maximum magnetization of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles was as small as 1.98 emu g−1 at 300 K.

Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles have versatile applications in biomedical science that require control over shape and size distribution. Thermal decomposition is one of the best methods for controlling the size and shape of produced nanoparticles (NPs). The size distribution can be tuned (5–30 nm) by varying the reaction environment such as precursor concentration, amount of solvent used, temperature ramp, and reflux time. Iron oleate was used as a precursor solution and heated up to reflux temperature (310 °C) for 10 min within the oxygen-free environment by applying N2 gas flow. The XRD pattern confirmed the formation of NPs with a crystallite size of 17 ± 2.45 nm. Transmission electron microscope images showed moderately cubic shapes with a mean particle size of 28.67 ± 7.12 nm. Magnetic properties such as saturation magnetization, coercivity, and remanence were calculated at 23.48 emu/gm, 33 Oe, and 0.6 emu/gm, respectively, which indicated the ferromagnetic nature of the NPs. The Verwey transition was identified from the magnetization vs temperature (FC-ZFC) plot. The bondings of the oleic acid surfactant with the produced NPs were confirmed from Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) data analysis. For the application of hyperthermia, the hydrophobic phase was transferred to the hydrophilic phase using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, which was assured by the FTIR data analysis. The hyperthermia heating of NPs was measured for different concentrations of NPs (0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 mg/ml), from which specific loss power (SLP) was calculated. Among them, 0.25 mg/ml produced the most prominent SLP (2149 ± 309 w/g) that can be applied for targeted cancer treatment.

IntroductionDonation after circulatory death (DCD) liver transplantation (LT) makes up well less than 1% of all LTs with a Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD)≥35 in the United States. We hypothesized DCD-LT yields acceptable ischemia-reperfusion and reasonable outcomes for recipients with MELD≥35.MethodsWe analyzed recipients with lab-MELD≥35 at transplant within the UCSF (n=41) and the UNOS (n=375) cohorts using multivariate Cox regression and propensity score matching.ResultsIn the UCSF cohort, five-year patient survival was 85% for DCD-LTs and 86% for matched-Donation after Brain Death donors-(DBD) LTs (p=0.843). Multivariate analyses showed that younger donor/recipient age and more recent transplants (2011-2021 versus 1999-2010) were associated with better survival. DCD vs. DBD graft use did not significantly impact survival (HR: 1.2, 95%CI 0.6-2.7). The transaminase peak was approximately doubled, indicating suggesting an increased ischemia-reperfusion hit. DCD-LTs had a median post-LT length of stay of 11 days, and 34% (14/41) were on dialysis at discharge versus 12 days and 22% (9/41) for DBD-LTs. 27% (11/41) DCD-LTs versus 12% (5/41) DBD-LTs developed a biliary complication (p=0.095). UNOS cohort analysis confirmed patient survival predictors, but DCD graft emerged as a risk factor (HR: 1.5, 95%CI 1.3-1.9) with five-year patient survival of 65% versus 75% for DBD-LTs (p=0.016). This difference became non-significant in a sub-analysis focusing on MELD 35-36 recipients. Analysis of MELD≥35 DCD recipients showed that donor age of