Search

The construction sector faces the urgent need to prioritize energy efficiency due to an increasingly stringent regulatory landscape in response to the climate change agenda. Central to this transition is the pivotal role of education in equipping professionals with the necessary knowledge and skills. Educational solutions have emerged as powerful tools for promoting awareness and interventions to mitigate climate change. This article provides a case study that highlights the successful utilisation of computer technology in delivering digital solutions to advance energy education and promote more informed energy practices in the construction industry. The utilisation of digital technologies can enhance collaborative efforts in energy efficiency training, which is of critical significance in ensuring the security, sovereignty, transparency, immutability, and decentralisation of interventions related to energy education. This paper presents a framework that utilises Blockchain technology to facilitate training labelling and authenticity based on smart contracts and mobile passports to provide a secure and efficient solution for the delivery of training and education in the energy domain. Our research examines the challenges and opportunities related to energy efficiency training within the construction industry. By integrating industry-specific insights, exemplifications, and case studies, we provide an in-depth understanding of the interconnection between energy efficiency education and digital solutions with the unique context of the construction industry. We underscore the importance of leveraging digital platforms as educational tools to foster a deeper understanding and adoption of energy-efficient practices. We demonstrate that educational solutions play a pivotal role in driving awareness and interventions for mitigating climate change, greatly empowering individuals and organizations to adopt energy-efficient practices and to address sustainability objectives.

Abstract The article introduces a new model of a Reference Signal Tracking (RST) controller for the fractional order quantities. The controller is applied to an indirect field‐oriented control (IFOC) system used for the speed control of an asynchronous motor powered by a photovoltaic (PV) generator with a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm. This model utilizes two fractional order controllers: the fractional order proportional‐integral (FOPI) regulator and the fractional‐order integral‐proportional (FOIP) regulator. These controllers are used with the generalized predictive control (GPC) technique. The first step in the approach is to derive the equivalent digital RST controller's model from the FOPI and FOIP controller's transfer functions. The GPC technique converts the continuous‐time FOPI (and FOIP) controller into a discrete‐time version. This conversion ensures a fast response and effective disturbance rejection. Simulation tests are conducted to analyze the rotor speed and stator current ripples to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the introduced scheme in achieving improved control performance in terms of response speed and disturbance rejection. The article presents a modified RST controller model based on the fractional order approach applied to an IFOC system for motor speed control driven by a photovoltaic generator. Using FOPI, FOIP controllers, and GPC contributes to enhanced control performance, as evidenced by the simulation results.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a prominent contributor to morbidity and mortality in developed nations, primarily attributable to vascular complications such as atherothrombosis occurring in the coronary arteries. Aldose reductase (ALR2), the main enzyme in the polyol pathway, catalyzes the conversion of glucose to sorbitol, leading to a significant buildup of reactive oxygen species in different tissues. It is therefore a prime candidate for therapeutic targeting, and extensive study is currently underway to discover novel natural compounds that can inhibit it. Cucumis melo (C. melo) has a long history as a lipid-lowering ethanopharmaceutical plant. In this study, compounds derived from C. melo were computationally evaluated as possible lead candidates. Various computational filtering methods were employed to assess the drug-like properties and ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity) profiles of the compounds. The compounds were subsequently addressed to analysis of their interactions, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation studies. When compared to the conventional therapeutic compounds, three compounds exhibited enhanced binding affinity and intra-molecular residue interactions, resulting in increased stability and specificity. Consequently, four potent inhibitors, namely PubChem CIDs 119205, 65373, 6184, and 332427, have been identified. These inhibitors exhibit promising potential as pharmacological targets for the advancement of novel ALR-2 inhibitors.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection have been described as exacerbing systemic lupus erythematous (SLE). The role of CMV in starting off SLE remains object of debate. We report a severe presentation of SLE revealed by CMV infection with hemophogocytic syndrome. A 22 old women without a history of systemic disease developed a cutaneous eruption with fever and myalgia persistant for 2 weeks. Laboratory studies revealed a CMV serology supporting acute CMV infection, with positive antinuclear antidody, anti ds DNA, elevated liver functions tests, pancytopenia. Further exams revealed an hemophagocytic syndrome and a lupus nephritis. While receiving antiviral and corticosteroid therapy, the patient developed seizures related to a cerebral vasculitis. The outcome was favorable when intravenous immunoglobulins were associated. This observation showed that CMV infection in patients with SLE is often serious and difficult to diagnose and to treat, especially when SLE is not yet recognized. So we suggest all patients with recent SLE have routine testing for CMV immunity.

Aim: Clostridium difficile (C. diff.) infection (CDI) is the major contributor of nosocomial infection globally. The current review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms behind the critical role of intestinal 3Ms (i.e., microbiota, metabolome, and metabolism) in the pathogenesis and prophylaxis of recurrent CDI. Material and methods: Primarily centering around the mechanisms related to gut microbiota-dependent risk factors, we have discussed why gut microbial diversity and abundance are critical determinants of infection risk. Additionally, emphasis has been given on the intestine-specific molecular mechanisms related to the modulation of the global metabolome and signaling processes which trigger disease susceptibility. Key findings: Patients with CDI harbor altered gut microbial phenotype compared to healthy individuals and asymptomatic careers. Clinical and experimental (germ-free mice, mono-strain interactions, longitudinal trails) evidences indicate that alterations of the gut microbiota due to antibiotic exposure, advanced age, immunocompromised conditions and prolonged hospitalization could lead to gastrointestinal colonization of C. diff. Further, the gut microbiota mediated modulation of the mucosal signaling (farnesoid X receptor, aryl hydrocarbon receptor, conserved nuclear receptors, immunological signaling) and the luminal metabolomic signatures play critical role in the disease susceptibility and progression. The use of live biotherapeutics and fecal microbiota transplantation are currently the most suitable prophylactic strategy against recurrent CDI. Significance: The current review highlights the host-microbiota interaction which dictates the intestinal signaling responsible for the pathogenesis of recurrent CDI.

Regulation of organelle transport by molecular motors along the cytoskeletal microtubules is central to maintaining cellular functions. Here, we show that the ubiquitous tau-related microtubule-associated protein 4 (MAP4) can bias the bidirectional transport of organelles toward the microtubule minus-ends. This is concurrent with MAP4 phosphorylation, mediated by the kinase GSK3β. We demonstrate that MAP4 achieves this bias by tethering the cargo to the microtubules, allowing it to impair the force generation of the plus-end motor kinesin-1. Consistent with this mechanism, MAP4 physically interacts with dynein and dynactin and, when phosphorylated, associates with the cargo-motor complex through its projection domain. Its phosphorylation coincides with the perinuclear accumulation of organelles, a phenotype that is rescued by abolishing the cargo-microtubule MAP4 tether or by the pharmacological inhibition of dynein, confirming the ability of kinesin to inch along, albeit inefficiently, in the presence of phosphorylated MAP4. These findings have broad biological significance because of the ubiquity of MAP4 and the involvement of GSK3β in multiple diseases, more specifically in cancer, where the MAP4-dependent redistribution of organelles may be prevalent in cancer cells, as we demonstrate here for mitochondria in lung carcinoma epithelial cells.

This paper introduces a novel approach for controlling a dual-star induction motor by combining third-order sliding mode control with the grey wolf optimization algorithm (TOSMC-GWO). The primary objective is to enhance motor performance by minimizing overshoot, rise time, settling time, overall response time, and steady-state error, while simultaneously mitigating unwanted oscillations in stator currents, rotor flux, and electromagnetic torque. Specifically, the proposed controller addresses the limitations of the indirect field-oriented control (IFOC) technique when using a classic sliding mode controller (IFOC-SMC). The latter suffers from challenges related to reference speed tracking and generates significant ripples in stator current and torque due to the chattering effect. The idea of this work is to replace the classic sliding mode controller with an improved approach combining TOSMC control with the GWO method that uses the same input variables as the traditional controller. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated using numerical simulations conducted in MATLAB, and the comparison with the conventional strategy is demonstrated by two tests, showing the good performance of the IFOC-TOSMC-GWO technique. Practically, the minimization of stator current and torque oscillations is 82.23 % and 84.61 %, respectively, which shows the superiority of the proposed method compared to the conventional sliding mode controller.

To accurately predict the behavior and mechanical damage of sheet metal during hot forming process, the use of advanced thermomechanical modeling and precise identification of the constitutive parameter are required. This paper proposes a novel identification approach for constitutive parameters that relies on multiple regression and the shape index of experimental data curves. This approach is used to determine the material constants associated with the Johnson-Cook material and failure models for steel and aluminum sheets. Therefore, the obtained results approve the applicability and high accuracy of the identification procedure for the damage and the constitutive parameters of sheet metal, which allows for substantial time savings. Furthermore, to evaluate the formability of sheet metal, experimental forming tests at various temperatures were conducted. The identification process enhances the prediction of forming results, as shown by the fact that the numerical simulation of Erichsen and square die hydroforming tests using identified Johnson-Cook parameters agreed with the results of these tests carried out at different forming conditions. Moreover, the thickness measurement shows the ability of the developed model to properly predict the thickness of deformed shapes.

In this paper we continue as in \cite{Rezguietal} to exploit the modified variants of Bessel function in the framework of $q$-theory to construct wavelet operators. A generalized $q$-Bessel type function has been introduced leading to an associated mother wavelet which in turns has induced a continuous wavelet transform. Finally, Plancherel/Parceval type relations have been proved. Such variants of wavelets permit in some sense to approximate solutions of ODEs and PDEs by transforming them to recurrent sequences.

IntroductionIn the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region, crop production is being affected by various abiotic factors, including freshwater scarcity, climate, and soil salinity. As a result, farmers in this region are in search of salt-tolerant crops that can thrive in these harsh environments, using poor-quality groundwater. The main staple food crop for most of the countries in this region, Tunisia included, is barley.MethodsThe present study was designed to investigate the sensitivity and tolerance of six distinct barley genotypes to aridity and salinity stresses in five different natural field environments by measuring their photosynthetic activity.Results and discussionThe results revealed that tolerant genotypes were significantly less affected by these stress factors than sensitive genotypes. The genotypes that were more susceptible to salinity and aridity stress exhibited a significant decline in their photosynthetic activity. Additionally, the fluorescence yields in growth phases J, I, and P declined significantly in the order of humid environment (BEJ), semi-arid site (KAI), and arid environment (MED) and became more significant when salt stress was added through the use of saline water for irrigation. The stress adversely affected the quantum yield of primary photochemistry (φP0), the quantum yield of electron transport (φE0), and the efficiency by trapped excitation (ψ0) in the vulnerable barley genotypes. Moreover, the performance index (PI) of the photosystem II (PSII) was found to be the most distinguishing parameter among the genotypes tested. The PI of sensitive genotypes was adversely affected by aridity and salinity. The PI of ICARDA20 and Konouz decreased by approximately 18% and 33%, respectively, when irrigated with non-saline water. The reduction was even greater, reaching 39%, for both genotypes when irrigated with saline water. However, tolerant genotypes Souihli and Batini 100/1B were less impacted by these stress factors.The fluorescence study provided insights into the photosynthetic apparatus of barley genotypes under stress. It enabled reliable salinity tolerance screening. Furthermore, the study confirmed that the chlorophyll a fluorescence induction curve had an inflection point (step K) even before the onset of visible signs of stress, indicating physiological disturbances, making chlorophyll fluorescence an effective tool for identifying salinity tolerance in barley.

Introduction In situ simulation (ISS) enables multiprofessional healthcare teams to train for real emergencies in their own working environment and identify latent patient safety threats. This study aimed to determine ISS impact on teamwork, technical skill performance, healthcare staff perception and latent error identification during simulated medical emergencies.Materials and methods Unannounced ISS sessions (n=14, n=75 staff members) using a high-fidelity mannequin were conducted in medical, paediatric and rehabilitation wards at Stepping Hill Hospital (Stockport National Health Service Foundation Trust, UK). Each session encompassed a 15 min simulation followed by a 15 min faculty-led debrief.Results The clinical team score revealed low overall teamwork performances during simulated medical emergencies (mean±SEM: 4.3±0.5). Linear regression analysis revealed that overall communication (r=0.9, p

The prevalence of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), particularly in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia, is concerning and highlights the need for novel treatments, despite recent progress in NSCLC treatment. Plant-derived natural compounds, such as those found in Catharanthus roseus, have shown promising results in cancer research. By employing cutting-edge computational analysis techniques, such as molecular docking and network pharmacology, the study aimed to understand the mechanism of action of compounds isolated from C. roseus. The study identified several bioactive and drug-like compounds in C. roseus that displayed diverse interactions with important proteins associated with cancer. The compounds PubChem CIDs 5316490, 425978, and 261578 were found to form significant interactions within the binding site of the B-cell-lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) protein. Compound 5316490, in particular, interacted with critical residues within the target protein, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic agent against lung cancer. The understanding of the molecular targets and mechanism of action of C. roseus bioactive compounds obtained from this study provides hope for improving current treatment options. In conclusion, the findings provide additional details on the evidence supporting the potential of C. roseus as a treatment for NSCLC and suggest that further research could lead to the development of innovative, potent therapies.