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The article focuses on a novel attack method, Item Promotion by Diffusion Generated Image (IPDGI), aimed at revealing vulnerabilities in visually-aware recommender systems by generating high-fidelity adversarial images. Topics include the effectiveness and imperceptibility of the proposed attack, the challenges posed by diffusion models in ensuring visual consistency, and experimental results demonstrating the attack's success on real-world e-commerce datasets.

Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) is a hereditary disorder characterized by an increased risk of developing multiple early-onset cancers, primarily due to germline TP53 mutations. Women and men with this mutation face lifetime cancer risks of 90% and 70%, respectively. This report describes the first documented case of LFS with clinical information in Vietnam involving a 9-year-old child diagnosed with osteosarcoma who had multiple first- and second-degree relatives with cancer. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) revealed a heterozygous, pathogenic, autosomal dominant TP53 variant NM_000546.6:c.733G>A (p.Gly245Ser) and a translocation in the 3'UTR of the ATMIN gene with unknown pathogenicity in both the patient and her mother. Sanger sequencing confirmed the presence of the TP53 c.733G>A mutation, which was subsequently detected in extended family members. Of the 17 family members invited for testing, only 8, none of whom currently have cancer, agreed to participate: all tested negative for the mutation. This case highlights the importance of genetic testing for the early detection and management of cancers in LFS patients. It also underscores significant barriers to genetic screening in Vietnam, including limited access and the psychosocial consequences of testing, which emphasize the need for improved genetic counseling and surveillance strategies that are tailored to local contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioinspired smart surfaces, such as slippery liquid‐infused porous surfaces (SLIPS), have garnered significant attention due to their efficacy in self‐cleaning, antifouling, and antibacterial applications. Despite their advantages, SLIPS exhibit limitations such as compromised transparency, insufficient stability, and limited slippery performance, which have hindered their widespread practical use. To address these challenges, this article proposes a rational design utilizing a void‐centered poly(vinylidene fluoride‐co‐hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF) membrane for slippery liquid‐infused porous surfaces with exceptional flexibility, transparency, durability, and superior slippery performance. These advancements promise to enhance high‐performance, self‐cleaning, and antifogging coatings. The membranes, featuring large‐area, thickness‐customizable void‐centered PVDF, are fabricated through a two‐step process involving phase separation and selective etching. The utilization of PVDF polymer, which has a refractive index similar to that of silicon‐based lubricant oil, enhances transparency, while macrovoids positioned at the membrane's center, acting as oil reservoirs, improve the stability and performance of the SLIPS surfaces. Experimental findings demonstrate remarkable transparency of up to 93% in the visible light range and a lubricant oil uptake of 2.32 at a porosity of 70%. Moreover, the developed SLIPS exhibit outstanding durability, maintaining slippery performance with sliding angles of <10° following exposure to either 400 consecutive droplets or aging for up to 40 days. This study significantly contributes to the development of future SLIPS, particularly for applications such as antifogging coatings on vehicle glass and solar panels, and self‐cleaning surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the structural, electronic, optical, and thermoelectric properties of three compositions of Mo2C-MXenes (Mo2CF2, Mo2C(OH)2, and Mo2CO2) from monolayer to multilayer by first principles calculation within Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Boltzmann transport theory. Firstly, the atomic structures of Mo2C-MXenes are optimized, and their respective structures are created with comparative research. Secondly, their electronic band structures and optical properties are studied in detail. The estimation of the bandgap energy of Mo2C-MXenes with its functionalization reveal that most Mo2CF2 and Mo2C(OH)2 layers are semiconductors, while Mo2CO2 behaves as a metal. The electrical and optical properties can be altered by controlling the on-surface functional groups and the number of layers. Computation of the thermoelectric (TE) properties of Mo2C-MXenes reveals that, upon heating to 600 K, Mo2CF2 and Mo2C(OH)2 exhibit a high Seebeck coefficient and a relatively high electrical conductivity. The Seebeck coefficient reaches ~400 µV K−1 at room temperature for all layers of Mo2CF2 MXenes. Our results prove that Mo2CF2 is considered a promising material for thermoelectric devices, while Mo2CO2 does not possess better thermoelectric performance. Mo2C-MXenes from monolayer to multilayer have outstanding properties, such as flexible bandgap energy and high thermal stability, making them promising candidates for many applications, including energy storage and electrode applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genotype-by-environment interaction (G × E) might have crucial impacts on the performance and fitness of agricultural species, such as Pacific whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). This study explores how enhancements in management practices can counteract G × E effects on growth traits. We analyzed a selectively bred population of whiteleg shrimp spanning the latest two generations, encompassing 259 full-sib and half-sib families with 40,862 individual shrimp, measured for body weight and total length. Our analysis revealed moderate genetic correlations (0.60–0.65) between trait expressions in pond and tank environments, a significant improvement compared to earlier generations. Employing the average information-restricted maximum likelihood (REML) approach in mixed model analysis showed significant differences in heritability (h2) estimates between the two environments; however, the extent of these differences varied by trait (h2 = 0.68 in pond vs. 0.37 in tank for weight, and 0.41 vs. 0.67 for length). Our results indicate that G × E effects on growth traits in this population of L. vannamei were moderate but biologically significant. Consistent with our previous estimates in this population, genetic correlations between body weight and total length remained high (close to one) in pond and tank environments. The present findings collectively demonstrate that management improvements targeting stocking density, aeration, water quality, feeds, and feeding regimes mitigated the G × E effects on two economically significant traits in this population of whiteleg shrimp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, high-power three-level neutral point clamped (NPC) inverters have significantly increased, particularly in the renewable energy sector and industries. These inverters are crucial in applications such as offshore wind farms and high-power motor drives, where reducing switching losses and improving the overall longevity, efficiency, and reliability of inverter systems are key. While conventional space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) has been used to reduce switching losses, it also increases the computational burden in the αβ coordinates. Our study introduces an effective and highly efficient carrier-based discontinuous pulse width modulation (DPWM) method specifically designed for high power factor loads to address this challenge. This approach significantly reduces computational execution time by adding the zero-sequence function into the fundamental signals. The efficiency of our new method is evident in the results: the proposed DPWM has successfully reduced switching losses, leading to a substantial enhancement of system efficiency. Our space vector analysis and simulation results, achieved using MATLAB and PLECS software, further validate the efficiency of our approach. Additionally, experimental results with a smallscale three-phase NPC inverter were conducted to validate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed DPWM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given a set of existing points with their associated positive weights on the plane, the classical Fermat–Weber problem aims to find a new point that minimizes the overall weighted distances to the existing points. We investigate, in this paper, the Fermat–Weber problem with budgeted-uncertain interval point weights. The minmax regret criterion is applied to identify the meaningful solution. We first study some structural properties of the problem. Then, we develop an efficient algorithm to solve the corresponding problem, where the swarm-oriented algorithms are applied as subroutines. Computational results show the benchmarking results for these proposed methods. An examination is presented on identifying the minmax regret Fermat–Weber point concerning established a new airport in Vietnam, alongside its application in product transfer scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This first comprehensive genomic analysis of rapidly growing non-tuberculous mycobacteria (RGM) isolates from Betta splendens has led to the re-identification of certain isolates and the discovery of a potential new species, Mycobacterium mucogenicum subsp. phocaicum sp. nov. The in silico analysis is consistent with and confirms previously reported in vitro studies on virulence and antibiotic susceptibility profiles. This study emphasizes the crucial role of whole genome sequencing in the accurate identification and classification of mycobacterial species. This study aims to genomically elucidate six isolates of rapidly growing non-tuberculous mycobacteria (RGM) derived from Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens). These isolates had previously undergone phenotypic and biochemical characterization, antibiotic susceptibility testing, and in vivo virulence assessment. Initial DNA barcoding using the 16S rRNA sequence assigned these six isolates to five different species, namely Mycobacterium chelonae (BN1983), M. cosmeticum (BN1984 and N041), M. farcinogenes (SNSK5), M. mucogenicum (BN1956), and M. senegalense (BN1985). However, the identification relied solely on the highest percent identity of the 16S rRNA gene, raising concerns about the taxonomic ambiguity of these species. Comprehensive whole genome sequencing (WGS) and extended genomic comparisons using multilocus sequence typing (MLST), average nucleotide identity (ANI), and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) led to the reclassification of BN1985 and SNSK5 as M. conceptionense while confirming BN1983 as M. chelonae and BN1984 and N041 as M. cosmeticum. Notably, the analysis of the BN1956 isolate revealed a potential new species that is proposed here as M. mucogenicum subsp. phocaicum sp. nov. Common genes encoding "mycobacterial" virulence proteins, such as PE and PPE family proteins, MCE, and YrbE proteins, were detected in all six isolates. Two species, namely M. chelonae and M. cosmeticum, appear to have horizontally acquired T6SS-II (clpB), catalase (katA), GroEL (groel), and capsule (rmlb) from distantly related environmental bacteria such as Klebsiella sp., Neisseria sp., Clostridium sp., and Streptococcus sp. This study provides the first draft genome sequence of RGM isolates currently circulating in B. splendens and underscores the necessity of WGS for the identification and classification of mycobacterial species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop establishment is one of the major rice production operations that strongly affects rice production, productivity, and environmental impacts. This research introduced a new technology and provided scientific evidence for the benefits of mechanized wet direct seeding (mDSR) of rice as compared with the other crop establishment practices commonly applied by farmers for wet direct seeded rice in Mekong River Delta in Vietnam, such as seeding in line using drum-seeder (dDSR) and broadcast seeding (bDSR). The experiment was implemented across two consecutive rice cropping seasons that are Winter-Spring season and Summer-Autumn season in 2020–2021. Treatments included (1–3) mDSR with seeding rates of 30, 50, and 70 kg ha− 1, (4) dDSR with 80 kg ha− 1 seed rate, and (5) bDSR as current farmer practice with seeding rate of 180 kg ha− 1. The fertilizer application was adjusted as per seeding rate with 80:40:30 kg ha− 1 N: P2O5: K2O with lower seed rate 30 and 50 kg ha− 1 in mDSR; 90:40:30 kg ha− 1 N: P2O5: K2O with medium seed rate of 70 to 80 kg ha− 1; and 115:55:40 kg ha− 1 N: P2O5: K2O with high seed rate of 180 kg ha− 1 in bDSR. Mechanized wet direct seeding rice with a lower seed rate of 30 to 70 kg ha− 1 and fertilizer rate by 22–30% reduced variation in seedling density by 40–80% and in yield by 0.1 to 0.3 t ha− 1 and had similar yield to bDSR. In consequence, N productivity was 27 and 32% higher in mDSR as compared to bDSR during the Winter-Spring season and Summer-Autumn seasons, respectively. The use of lower seed rate and fertilizer in mDSR also led to higher income and lower carbon footprint (GHGe per kg of paddy grains) of rice production than the currently used practices of bDSR. Net income of mDSR was comparable to that of dDSR and higher by 145–220 and 171–248 $US than that of bDSR in Winter-Spring season and Summer-Autumn, respectively. The carbon footprint of mDSR rice production compared to bDSR was lower by 22–25% and 12–20% during the Winter-Spring and Summer-Autumn seasons, respectively. Given the above benefits of farming efficiency, higher income, and low emission, mDSR would be a technology package that strongly supports sustainable rice cultivation transformation for the Mekong River Delta of Vietnam. Highlights: Mechanized direct seeding decreased the seed rate by 61–83% compared to broadcast seeding. Mechanized direct seeding increased nitrogen productivity by 27–32% compared to broadcast seeding. Mechanized direct seeding decreased rice carbon footprint by 19–24% compared to broadcast seeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the zero-sharing behavior among irreducible characters of a finite group. For symmetric groups Sn, it is proved that, with one exception, any two irreducible characters have at least one common zero. To further explore this phenomenon, we introduce the common-zero graph of a finite group G, with nonlinear irreducible characters of G as vertices, and edges connecting characters that vanish on some common group element. We show that for solvable and simple groups, the number of connected components of this graph is bounded above by three. Lastly, the result for Sn is applied to prove the nonequivalence of the metrics on permutations induced from faithful irreducible characters of the group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile robots (MRs) are exerting a significant influence in industrial as well as residential settings. Concurrently with the escalating advancement of technology, the incorporation of artificial intelligence algorithms into the obstacle evasion issue of MRs is gaining increasing attention. The paper utilizes Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) to a MR that is furnished with a camera. Images captured by a stereo camera will be inputted into the YOLO-v8 model to identify obstacles situated in the path of the MR. Subsequently, the distances to these obstacles will be regarded as the state of the MR. The information was utilized to train a Deep Q-Network. Throughout this training process, the system acquires the capability to determine suitable actions for the MR to advance towards the destination while circumventing obstacles. Each action executed by the MR is accompanied by a reward, with the path yielding the most desirable outcome receiving the highest reward. The outcomes of the simulations conducted on the Robot Operating System 2 (ROS2) corroborate the effectiveness of this Deep Reinforcement Learning technique for the task of obstacle avoidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between cruciferous vegetables (CV) and the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers has been extensively investigated. However, epidemiologic investigations have produced inconsistent results. This meta-analysis investigated the association between CV intake and the risk of GI cancers. Due to the heterogeneity, fixed- or random-effects models were used for the analyses. The final analysis included 81 articles covering 89 studies. In comparison to the lowest consumption categories, the highest consumption categories of CV were associated with a lower risk for all GI cancers [rate ratio (RR): 0.81, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.76–0.87]. Compared to a CV intake of 75 g/day, subjects with CV intake <75 g/day experienced a 7% reduction in risk (RR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.84–0.96) for each 50 g increase in consumption. A negative correlation was identified between CV intake and the risk of esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, and colorectal cancer (CRC), but not gallbladder cancer (RR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.38–1.27). High intake of broccoli and cabbage was associated with a decreased risk of gastric cancer (RR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.47–0.87) and gallbladder cancer (RR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.29–0.75). These results confirm the association between high intake of CV with a reduced risk of GI cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to analyze the impact of economic freedom on economic growth, considering the influence of varying regulatory qualities (RQ) among nations. Analyzing data from 54 countries from 2008 to 2022, Bayesian linear regression results on two sample groups, categorized based on RQ, reveal that economic freedom positively affects economic growth regardless of high or low RQs. Additionally, separate regression analyses for Vietnam indicate no significant difference from other countries. However, control variables uncover differences between the two groups, particularly in corruption control and financial development, with their effects varying across nations. Notably, in Vietnam, government expenditure on education, inflation, fixed capital formation, and population growth rate exhibit regression outcomes contrary to those of other countries in the two groups. The suggested policy implications align with the regression results, aiming to strengthen economic freedom. They support policymakers in achieving this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: While wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technology combines several wavelengths onto a single waveguide, the technology of mode division multiplexing (MDM) allows many orthogonal modes of the same wavelength to operate simultaneously without interchannel crosstalk. Thus, the hybrid WDM and MDM network in which the two above‐mentioned techniques cooperate could give a several‐fold increase in the overall network capacity. Constructing this network requires hybrid wavelength‐and‐mode multiplexers, especially ones with high integration and complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor (CMOS) compatibility. In this paper, we propose a design of a four‐mode triple‐band multiplexer that is capable of multiplexing up to 12 separate optical signal flows by utilizing four eigenmodes (TE0, TE1, TE2, and TE3) and three‐wavelength windows, which center at 1310, 1490, and 1550 nm. The device is on silicon‐on‐insulator (SOI) platform, consisting of four butterfly‐shaped multimode interference (MMI) couplers, four directional couplers, and a 4×1 cascaded asymmetric Y‐junction coupler. Via numerical simulations, the proposed design is verified to be able to operate effectively on the three aforementioned bandwidth slots with an optical conversion efficiency of over 93% in all functions. Moreover, it exhibits insertion loss less than 1.5 dB and crosstalk smaller than −16 dB within 25 nm bandwidth at each wavelength window. These results can affirm the success of wavelength–mode combination, which leads to a massive improve in the channel capacity on the same optical multiplexing system for optical telecommunications and photonics on‐chip interconnections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let k(B0) and l(B0) respectively denote the number of ordinary and p-Brauer irreducible characters in the principal block B0 of a finite group G. We prove that, if k(B0)−l(B0) = 1, then l(B0) ≥ p − 1 or else p = 11 and l(B0) = 9. This follows from a more general result that for every finite group G in which all non-trivial p-elements are conjugate, l(B0) ≥ p − 1 or else p = 11 and G / O p ′ (G) ≅ C 11 2 ⋊ SL (2 , 5) . These results are useful in the study of principal blocks with few characters. We propose that, in every finite group G of order divisible by p, the number of irreducible Brauer characters in the principal p-block of G is always at least 2 p − 1 + 1 − k p (G) , where kp(G) is the number of conjugacy classes of p-elements of G. This indeed is a consequence of the celebrated Alperin weight conjecture and known results on bounding the number of p-regular classes in finite groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the codegree isomorphism problem for finite simple groups. In particular, we show that such a group is determined by the codegrees (counting multiplicity) of its irreducible characters. The proof is uniform for all simple groups and only depends on the classification by means of Artin–Tits' simple order theorem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper reported on the analysis of structural defects and their influence on the red‐emitting γ‐Al2O3:Mn4+,Mg2+ nanowires using positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS). The nanowires were synthesized by hydrothermal method and low‐temperature post‐treatment using glucose as a reducing agent. X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), photoluminescence (PL), and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) were utilized, respectively, for determining the structural phase, morphology and red‐emitting intensity in studied samples. Three PAS experiments, namely, positron annihilation lifetime (PAL), Doppler broadening (DB), and electron momentum distribution (EMD), were simultaneously performed to investigate the formations of structural defects in synthesized materials. Obtained results indicated that the doping concentration of 0.06% was optimal for the substitution of Mn4+ and Mg2+ to two Al3+ sites and the formation of oxygen vacancy (VO)‐rich vacancy clusters (2VAl + 3VO) and large voids (~0.7 nm) with less Al atoms. Those characteristics reduced the energy transfer between Mn4+ ions, thus consequently enhanced the PL and PLE intensities. Moreover, this optimal doping concentration also effectively controlled the size of nanopores (~2.18 nm); hence, it is expected to maintain the high thermal conductivity of γ‐Al2O3 nanowire‐phosphor. The present study, therefore, demonstrated a potential application of γ‐Al2O3 nanowire‐phosphor in fabricating the high‐performance optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional recommender systems estimate user preference on items purely based on historical interaction records, thus failing to capture fine-grained yet dynamic user interests and letting users receive recommendation only passively. Recent conversational recommender systems (CRSs) tackle those limitations by enabling recommender systems to interact with the user to obtain her/his current preference through a sequence of clarifying questions. Recently, there has been a rise of using knowledge graphs (KGs) for CRSs, where the core motivation is to incorporate the abundant side information carried by a KG into both the recommendation and conversation processes. However, existing KG-based CRSs are subject to two defects: (1) there is a semantic gap between the learned representations of utterances and KG entities, hindering the retrieval of relevant KG information; (2) the reasoning over KG is mostly performed with the implicitly learned user interests, overlooking the explicit signals from the entities actually mentioned in the conversation. To address these drawbacks, we propose a new CRS framework, namely, the Knowledge Enhanced Conversational Reasoning (KECR) model. As a user can reflect her/his preferences via both attribute- and item-level expressions, KECR jointly embeds the structured knowledge from two levels in the KG. A mutual information maximization constraint is further proposed for semantic alignment between the embedding spaces of utterances and KG entities. Meanwhile, KECR utilizes the connectivity within the KG to conduct explicit reasoning of the user demand, making the model less dependent on the user's feedback to clarifying questions. As such, the semantic alignment and explicit KG reasoning can jointly facilitate accurate recommendation and quality dialogue generation. By comparing with strong baselines on two real-world datasets, we demonstrate that KECR obtains state-of-the-art recommendation effectiveness, as well as competitive dialogue generation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The Knema genus contains various naturally occurring secondary metabolites with pharmacological potential, including antitumor, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, and hepatoprotective activities. This study focuses on identifying nitric oxide production inhibitors from Vietnamese Knema globularia. Methods: The secondary metabolites were isolated using several chromatographic techniques. Their chemical structures were determined using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and compared with published literature. The anti-inflammatory effect was evaluated using the Griess assay, and protein interactions were investigated through docking studies. Results: Based on their anti-inflammatory activity, six compounds (1-6) were isolated from Vietnamese K. globularia. These compounds were identified as lupeol (1), formononetin (2), isoliquiritigenin (3), 2-[4-(3-hydroxypropyl)-2-methoxyphenoxy]propane-1,3-diol (4), (+)-catechin (5), and (−)-epicatechin (6). For the first time, compounds 1, 3, and 4 were reported from Vietnamese K. globularia. All isolated compounds were tested against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in macrophage RAW264.7 cells to assess their anti-inflammatory potential. Compound 5 exhibited the highest inhibitory activity, with an IC50 value of 5.61 μM, followed by compounds 3 and 6, with IC50 values of 6.76 and 11.52 μM, respectively. However, compounds 1, 2, and 4 showed inactivity with IC50 values exceeding 30 μM. Molecular docking was then employed to investigate the affinity and interactions between compounds 3, 5, and 6 and proteins involved in inflammation, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and interleukin-8 (IL-8), along with ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity) predictions. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the active constituents derived from Vietnamese K. globularia have the potential as anti-inflammatory agents worthy of further exploration and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Aruncus dioicus has been known by the scientific literature and folk experiences for its diverse biological activities, including anti-hyperglycemic effects. Methodology: The aerial parts of the plant collected from Quan Lan Island (Vietnam) were subjected to a methodical theory-experiment investigation for its chemical composition and biological potentials. Results: Firstly, experimental isolation and spectroscopic characterization identified the compositional compounds, ie sambunigrin (1), prunasin (2), uridine (3), and adenosine (4). Secondly, their elucidated structures were predicted with promising bio-chemo-pharmacological potentiality by different computational platforms, ie: docking simulation (docking scores < 10 kcal.mol−1); quantum calculation (dipole moments < 3 Debye); QSARIS model (satisfying Lipinski's rule of five); SwissADME model (satisfying Pires’ interpretations). Finally, the compounds (1-4) were under accumulative purification and in vitro tests against diabetes-related enzymes, ie: protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (1 with lowest IC50 value 0.39 ± 0.26 μM, 2 with no activity) and α-glucosidase (1 with lowest IC50 value 44.89 ± 0.93 μM, 2 with no activity); also, the inhibitory kinetics based on Lineweaver-Burk and Dixon plot experiments revealed the competitive inhibition mode of 1 against PTP1B (Ki value 0.49 μM). Conclusions: Altogether, the results obtained suggest that A. dioicus and its bioactive compounds, especially sambunigrin (1), uridine (3), and adenosine (4), could be considered as a natural source for further research and development of anti-diabetic agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, by revisiting coderivative calculus rules for convex multifunctions in finite-dimensional spaces, we derive formulae for estimating/computing the basic subdifferential and the coderivative of the efficient point multifunction of parametric convex vector optimization problems. These results are then applied to a broad class of conventional convex vector optimization problems with the presence of operator constraints and equilibrium ones. Examples are also designed to analyze and illustrate the obtained results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study a robust optimization problem whose constraints include nonsmooth and nonconvex functions and the intersection of closed sets. Using advanced variational analysis tools, we first provide necessary conditions for the optimality of the robust optimization problem. We then establish sufficient conditions for the optimality of the considered problem under the assumption of generalized convexity. In addition, we present a dual problem to the primal robust optimization problem and examine duality relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, deep‐red‐emitting phosphors that can be excited by ultraviolet (UV) and near‐ultraviolet (NUV) light have been extensively investigated for plant growth LED applications. However, due to the harmful effects of these high‐energy rays on plants, violet‐ or blue‐excited deep‐red‐emitting phosphors are considered a more appropriate solution. In this work, SrAl12O19:Cr3+ phosphors were synthesized using a simple solid‐state reaction, revealing a strikingly sharp deep‐red emission band centered at 694 nm and effective excitation by violet light. The optimal SrAl12O19:1.0%Cr3+ phosphor, annealed at 1500°C, exhibits an extended lifetime of 0.549 ms, an energy activation level of 0.239 eV, a good quantum efficiency (QE) of 36.2%, and superior color purity at 100%. Further, an LED prototype with a precise absorption spectrum for far‐red phytochrome (Pfr) has been demonstrated. These results indicate that the synthesized SrAl12O19:1.0%Cr3+ phosphors could be used as a promising deep‐red‐emitting phosphor for plant growth LED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a novel approach to achieve precise trajectory tracking control for a line-following quadcopter by employing a multilayer type-2 fuzzy Petri nets controller (MT2PNC). The MT2PNC dynamically adapts its parameters based on tracking errors, allowing for real-time adjustments to the quadcopter's tilt angles and flight direction. The effectiveness of the controller is thoroughly evaluated through both simulations and experimental studies. In the experimental study, a camera is integrated into the quadcopter to capture line images, which are then processed using sophisticated image processing algorithms to extract essential line information. This extracted data is subsequently fed into the MT2PNC, enabling the quadcopter to precisely follow the reference line. The simulation and experimental results conclusively demonstrate the superior control efficacy of the MT2PNC, showcasing its remarkable ability to accurately track the quadcopter's trajectory. The proposed control method exhibits great promise for line-following and trajectory-tracking applications, and its practical implementation holds substantial potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To assess the relationship between oocytes with smooth endoplasmic reticulum cluster (SERc) and embryological and birth outcomes in infertile couples. Methods: This was a descriptive study that included 231 infertile patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) with a total of 2447 mature oocytes (MII), of which 279 oocytes with SERc(+) from 100 patients, the remaining 2168 oocytes with SERc(-). Oocytes were evaluated for the presence or absence of the SERc simultaneously with intracytoplasmic sperm injection at 200x magnification using inverted microscopy – Observe D1. Results: The mean age of patients was 32.05 ± 5.56 years. One hundred patients had at least one SERc(+) oocyte (with 279 SERc(+) and 956 SERc(-) oocytes). One hundred and thirty-one patients had 1212 SERc(-) oocytes. Fertilization outcomes and the rates of good-quality embryos on day 2 and day 5 did not differ between the SERc(+) and the SERc(-) groups. In the first frozen embryo transfer cycles, the clinical pregnancy rate in the group of patients with SERc(+) was not different with the SERc(-) group (61.1% vs 48.78%, p = 0.074, respectively). The live birth rate in the SERc(+) group was statistically significantly higher than the SERc(-) group (57.7% vs 43.9%, p = 0.045, respectively). Conclusion: The fertilization rate, the quality of embryos on days 2 and 5 from oocytes with SERc(+) are similar to those with SERc(-). The live birth rate in the patients with SERc(+) group is statistically significantly higher than the SERc(-) group. There is no difference in clinical pregnancy rate between patients with and without SERc. Therefore, the exclusion of oocytes with SERc should not be recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the grade of a glioma is extremely important for treatment planning and prognosis prediction. The study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of multiparametric perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in preoperative glioma grading. In this retrospective study, 63 individuals with brain tumors histologically confirmed, of which 23 had low-grade gliomas (LGGs) and 40 had high-grade gliomas (HGGs) were involved. We conducted this paper on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps using the entire tumor volume method, allowing us to use all ADC values of the tumor. Small-sample regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn to collect parameters of relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF), cerebral blood flow (CBF), and relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV), from both the tumor core and peritumoral edema. The PWI and DWI metrics were compared to identify the most accurate distinguishing HGGs and LGGs, analyze receiver operating characteristics (ROC), and evaluate the diagnostic performance using solitary parameters and combined. In diffusion MRI, there were significant differences in minimum ADC and mean ADC between LGGs and HGGs (p<0.05), with the larger area under the curve (AUC) of 0.898 found for mean ADC at a cut-off value of 1.275, with sensitivity of 82.6 % and specificity of 90 %. The maximum ADC value did not differ significantly (p>0.05). All perfusion parameters in both the tumor core and peritumoral edema area were significantly greater values in cases of HGG compared to LGG (p<0.001), with the highest AUC of 0.946 found for solid tumor rCBV value (rCBVt), the cut-off is 3.585, sensitivity of 85 % and specificity of 100 %. Combining mean ADC and rCBVt provided an excellent AUC of 0.975, a sensitivity of 92.5 %, and a specificity of 91.3 % for differentiating between HGGs and LGGs. Perfusion and diffusion MRI are valuable in discriminating between high-grade and low-grade gliomas, with the major criterion in the decision-making process being the combined mean ADC and rCBVt parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) is an efficient technology for call relays, and it transmits information from multiple services including data, video, or voice. This information is conveyed at ATM multiplexers in small fixed-size packets called cells. The acceptable cell loss probability at ATM multiplexers is about 10 − 12 . Important Sampling (IS) is an efficient method for estimating tiny probabilities that cannot be achieved by traditional Monte Carlo (MC) methods. This research presents a novel approach for evaluating the tail probability in the MMPP/D/1 queue system utilizing importance sampling simulation in the ATM network. To generate more rare events, a virtual queue is implemented in the dequeue process by decreasing the processing rate in the queue. In this way, the tail probability can be estimated on a real-time network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of antibiotic‐resistant bacteria (ARBs) and genes (ARGs) in aquaculture underscores the urgent need for alternative veterinary strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). These measures are vital to reduce the likelihood of entering a post‐antibiotic era. Identifying environmentally friendly biotechnological solutions to prevent and treat bacterial diseases is crucial for the sustainability of aquaculture and for minimizing the use of antimicrobials, especially antibiotics. The development of probiotics with quorum‐quenching (QQ) capabilities presents a promising non‐antibiotic strategy for sustainable aquaculture. Recent research has demonstrated the effectiveness of QQ probiotics (QQPs) against a range of significant fish pathogens in aquaculture. QQ disrupts microbial communication (quorum sensing, QS) by inhibiting the production, replication, and detection of signalling molecules, thereby reducing bacterial virulence factors. With their targeted anti‐virulence approach, QQPs have substantial promise as a potential alternative to antibiotics. The application of QQPs in aquaculture, however, is still in its early stages and requires additional research. Key challenges include determining the optimal dosage and treatment regimens, understanding the long‐term effects, and integrating QQPs with other disease control methods in diverse aquaculture systems. This review scrutinizes the current literature on antibiotic usage, AMR prevalence in aquaculture, QQ mechanisms and the application of QQPs as a sustainable alternative to antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snails are the first intermediate host in the life cycle of trematodes. Previous research found that Trichopodus microlepis fish, cultured in earthen ponds in Tan Nhut Commune, Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam had a high infection rate with metacercariae of Centrocestus formosanus and Procevorum sp. It is necessary to investigate whether habitats supplying water to the ponds may contribute to the transmission by carrying intermediate hosts and/or cercariae into these ponds or not. A study of cercariae and snail composition in rice fields and canal supplying water directly to these Trichopodus microlepis ponds was carried out with six samplings in the years 2022 and 2023. A total of 1,151 snails were collected, and nine snail species belonging to 8 genera and 6 families were identified. Three snail species in both rice fields and canal were infected with trematode (cercariae stage) including Bithynia siamensis, Lymnaea viridis and Indoplanorbis exustus. The overall prevalence in the dry season (25.9%) was significantly higher than in the wet season (10.6%) (P<0.05). Three cercariae morphotypes were recovered from snails: xiphidio (in all three snails), echinostome (in Lymnaea viridis and Indoplanorbis exustus), and pleurolophocercous in Bithynia siamensis. This finding shows that Bithynia siamensis is one of the infected sources for Trichopodus microlepis fish cultured in ponds, as pleurolophocercous is also the cercariae in the family of Heterophyidae (including Centrocestus formosanus and Procevorum sp.). Further research should be done to clarify the transmission of fish-borne zoonotic diseases to cultured Trichopodus microlepis in other habitats including the actual fishponds, and sources of trematodes in order to produce Trichopodus microlepis free of metacercariae, contributing to clean aquaculture development and safe food for local people in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing user experience in music listening through facial emotion recognition presents a novel avenue for curating personalized song playlists, obviating the need for traditional search methodologies like keyword inputs or manual playlist exploration. This research pivots towards leveraging advanced pre-trained models, specifically ResNet18 and VGG19, for the accurate detection and analysis of listeners' emotions via facial expressions. By integrating these models with the Facial Emotion Recognition (FER) 2013, and The Extended Cohn-Kanade Dataset (CK+) dataset, our study aims to precisely identify a range of emotions including happiness, anger, sadness, surprise, disgust, and neutrality. In parallel, we employ Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) techniques to discern musical emotions from Spotify's dataset, encompassing moods such as happiness, sadness, energy, and calmness. A unique set of rules is formulated to amalgamate the insights from facial emotion recognition with musical emotion data, facilitating the automated suggestion of playlists that resonate with the user's current emotional state. Our experiments demonstrate notable results with the ResNet18 model achieved 72.67% accuracy and a 72.30% F1 score on the FER2013 dataset, with significant improvements on the CK+ dataset, reaching 96.97% accuracy and a 96.60% F1 score. The VGG19 model similarly excelled, particularly on the CK+ dataset with 95.96% accuracy and a 96.60% F1 score. On the FER2013 dataset, the VGG19 model achieved an accuracy of 72.64%, and an F1 score of 72.60%. Our music emotion recognition approach, using SVM on Spotify's dataset, achieved an 86.96% accuracy and an 84.54% F1 score. When using the LDA model on the same dataset, the accuracy was 79.00% and an F1 score of 76.72%. To bring this concept to fruition, we have developed an intuitive web application that allows users to capture their facial expressions via their device's camera, subsequently offering song recommendations tailored to their detected mood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cutting forces play very important in designing the tool machine, cutting tool, and in optimization of machining processes. Modeling and prediction of cutting forces by theoretical methods are quite difficult, so, this study was focused on modeling the cutting force in face milling process using combination of theoretical and experimental methods. This study was performed to model the milling forces (MFs) and determine the milling force coefficients (MFCs) in the face milling process of aluminum alloy Al7075 using square inserts. From theoretical and experimental methods, the relationship of average milling forces (AMFs) and feed per flute (ft) were determined as the linear regression. Using experimental data, the linear regressions of AMFs and feed per flute were determined with high values of determination coefficients (larger than 95 %). MFCs were determined including shear and edge MFCs (tangential shear MFC (Ktc) of 538.127 N/mm2, radial shear MFC (Krc) of 185.967 N/mm2, axial shear MFC (Kac) of -691.297 N/mm², tangential edge MFC (Kte) of 11.253 N/mm, radial edge MFC (Kre) of 6.991 N/mm, and axial edge MFC (Kae) of -32.971 N/mm. The MF models were successfully verified by comparing the measured and predicted MFs in face milling process of Al7075. The tendency and shape of predicted MFs were quite close to the measured ones. The differences between the predicted and the measured MFs can be due to the several reasons such as the influence of vibrations, the influence of cutting heat, etc., and these are also the limitations of this study. The modeling and prediction methods of this study can be used to model and predict the cutting forces in face milling of other milling types and other pairs of cutting tool and workpiece material as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study aimed to compare the essential oil (EO) concentration and composition of several Apiaceae species growing in the Northern region of Vietnam. The yields of EOs from materials ranged from 0.03% (root EO of Angelica acutiloba and aerial parts EO of Heracleum bivittatum)−0.27% (leaf EO of Xyloselinum vietnamense). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) allowed the identification of 74 components in the EOs of six Apiaceae species, making up 94.4%–100.0% of the oils. In EO from Angelica acutiloba , (Z)-ligustilide accounted for an extremely large proportion (94.9%). EO of Angelica pubescens was dominated by six characteristic components including α-pinene (21.5%), β-phellandrene (18.1%), p -cymene (12.2%), 3-methylnonane (8.7%), o -cymene (8.1%), and D-sylvestrene (6.2%). The EO from Cryptotaenia japonica was characterized by high amounts of α-selinene (48.7%), β-selinene (23.7%), and trans -β-farnesene (5.4%). The EOs from leaves and stems of Xyloselinum vietnamense were characterized by high concentrations of sabinene (69.8% and 33.8%), 4-terpineol (8.7% and 7.4%) and β-pinene (4.0% and 6.5%) while EOs from aerial parts and root of Xyloselinum leonidii comprise four characteristic monoterpenes including α-pinene (28.2% and 52.8%), β-pinene (7.9% and 10.3%), β-phellandrene (7.6% and 15.3%), and sabinene (3.0% and 4.1%). Additionally, cryptone is also one of the major components in the EO of Xyloselinum leonidii (13.2% in the aerial parts oil and 2. 8% in the root oil). In the EOs isolated from the aerial parts and root of Heracleum bivittatum , α-pinene (22.5% and 70.2%) and β-pinene (43.2% and 20.0%) were the predominant monoterpenes. Sabinene appeared in the EO from aerial parts of Heracleum bivittatum with a relatively high concentration (13.5%) while bornyl acetate (5.1%) was also one of the main components in the EO from its aerial parts but was not detected in other Apiaceae species in the present study. These databases help identify and control the quality of plant material studied from the family Apiaceae growing in Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to measure the preferences for mental health support among health professionals, their willingness to support the mental health of colleagues and associated factors. Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed from August to October 2022 within five hospitals located in Hanoi, Vietnam. A total of 244 health professionals participated in the study. Data on socio-economic status, health and COVID-19-related characteristics, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21); and preferences for mental health support services were collected by using a structured self-reported questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression models were utilized to identify associated factors with the demand for mental support services. Results: 13.9%, 17.1% and 8.6% reported having at least mild depression, anxiety and stress, respectively. There 13.9% did not seek any mental health support during the COVID-19 pandemic. The most common support included talking with friends (52.9%), family (50.8%), colleagues (47.6%) and using social networks/Internet (43.5%). There 31.1% had been aware of mental health services, but only 18.0% used this service at least once. Regarding preferences, 47.3% had a demand for mental support services, and the most preferred service was providing coping skills (25.9%), followed by skills to support others against mental problems (22.2%). Major sources of support included psychiatrists (34.4%), colleagues (29.1%) and family (27.9%). The main preferred channels for support included telephone/mobile phone (35.7%) and Internet (20.9%). Only 12.3% were willing to provide mental support for colleagues during the pandemic. Age, education, perceived mental health status, ever seeking any mental service, and DASS-21 depression score were associated with demand for mental support services. Conclusion: This study found a lack of awareness of mental health services for health professionals, as well as moderate levels of demand for this service in this population. Raising awareness and developing tailored mental health support services are important to enhancing the mental well-being of health professionals in Vietnam to prepare for the next pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytochemical study of green propolis alcohol extract of Brazilian Caatinga Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) Poir resulted in the separation of six flavonoids, including quercetin 3‐methyl ether (1) and 3,3′‐O‐dimethylquercetin (2), and four flavanones eriodictyol 5‐O‐methyl ether (3), 5,4′‐dihydroxy‐6,7‐dimethoxyflavanone (4), licoflavanone (5), and macarangaflavanone B (6). All these metabolites were first isolated from green propolis and the genus Mimosa. Metabolites 3–4 also established chemotaxonomic significance since they had never been observed in the bean family Fabaceae. Flavones 1–2 showed strong antioxidative activity against DPPH (1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picryl hydrazyl) radicals with IC50 values of 12.40 and 16.23 μg/mL, respectively. All six isolates showed anti‐inflammatory effects against NO (nitric oxide) production in LPS (lipopolysaccharide)‐stimulated Raw 264.7 cells, in which the activity of flavone 1 was better than the standard dexamethasone (IC50 13.35 μg/mL). Flavonoids 1–3 also strongly controlled the growth of the Gram‐positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6051, and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 with MIC values of 32–64 μg/mL. Six isolated flavonoids exhibited strong or moderate mosquito larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus fourth instar larvae with the 24 h LC50 values of 29.62–55.89 μg/mL. By in silico approach, compound 1 was a non‐toxic agent with an LD50 value of 5000 mg/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical compositions in the leaf essential oils of four Syzygium species were first identified by the GC-FID/MS analysis. Monoterpene hydrocarbons (39.6-51.1%), and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (27.0-37.8%) were the main chemical classes in S. formosum and S. syzygioides leaf oils, whereas sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (83.0-83.8%) were predominant in S. Megacarpum and S. chantaranothaianum leaf essential oils. Bicyclogermacrene (9.1-37.0%) was the principal compounds in these essential oils. All the tested essential oils with the MIC values of 16-128 µg/mL were comparable to the positive control streptomycin against Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus, and Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The leaf essential oils of S. formosum, S. syzygioides, and S. chantaranothaianum with the MIC values of 16-128 µg/mL were comparable to the positive control cycloheximide against the yeast Candida albicans. Four samples also exhibited good larvicidal activity against the mosquito Aedes aegypti with the 24-h and 28-h LC50 values of 25-40 µg/mL [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A model-based study is conducted to optimize the dynamic performance of a solenoid actuator in a compressed natural gas (CNG) injector. A mechanical model, an electromagnetic model, and an optimum model using particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm are built to depict operation and optimize the dynamic response times of the injector solenoid actuator. Effects of the number of coil turns (N), spring stiffness (k), and gap between plunger and cylinder wall (g), on the dynamic characteristics of the injector solenoid actuator are investigated. Simulation results show that, when k increases from 560 to 2560 N/m, and g increases from 0.1 to 0.5 mm, the opening response time increases 35.41% and 48.03%, respectively; however, the closing response time of the injector solenoid actuator reduces 27.27% and 45.25%, respectively. When N is increased from 342 to 552, the opening response time reduces 35.48%; nevertheless, the closing response time increases considerably with a 195.45% increment. Using PSO algorithm, it is found that the optimum version of the injector solenoid actuator has improvements for both opening and closing response times, in which the opening response time reduces 11.41% when compared with the original version. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Essential oils isolated from leaves, twigs, fruit bark and seeds of Michelia tonkinensis collected in Muong Nhe Nature Reserve, Dien Bien province were obtained by hydrodistillation with yields of 1.5, 0.42, 0.16 and 4.6% respectively (v/w on dry weight basis). After analysis through GC, GC-MS and 13C NMR, 30, 34, 31 and 13 compounds (representing 96.4%, 96.8%, 97.1% and 99.9% of the whole composition, respectively) were identified in the leave, twig, fruit bark and seed essential oils. The main components were limonene (43.2%) and germacrene D (32.7%) in the leaf oil; limonene (67.1%) and germacrene D (10.4%) in the twig oil; limonene (66%) in the fruit bark oil; and safrole (90%) in the seed oil. Essential oils from the leaves and twigs showed strong inhibition against Staphyloccocus aureus. The fruit bark essential oil exhibited greater antibacterial potential against all 3 tested microorganisms (S. aureus, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans). The essential oil from seed displayed weak antibacterial activity against the three tested microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine pollution by various debris is rising in the context of increasing urbanization, industrialization and worldwide trade. Here, we review marine macro-litter with focus on sources, abundance, distribution, and impact on aquatic wildlife, human health, and the economy. We observe that about 75–80% of marine litter originates from land-based sources, including poorly managed landfills and improper disposal. Macro-litter ingestion by marine life is of growing concern, in particular concerning the presence of plastics and associated pollutants, e.g., bisphenol A and phthalates, in fishes. These pollutants are accumulated and transferred to human via seafood. Marine plastic pollution induces a substantial rise of economic costs due to the decline of ecosystem services. Mitigation of marine plastic pollution should be done by following the ten Rs principles of refuse, rethink, reduce, re-use, repair, refurbish, remanufacture, repurpose, recycle, and recover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precise controllability of the Fermi level is a critical aspect of quantum materials. For topological Weyl semimetals, there is a pressing need to fine-tune the Fermi level to the Weyl nodes and unlock exotic electronic and optoelectronic effects associated with the divergent Berry curvature. However, in contrast to two-dimensional materials, where the Fermi level can be controlled through various techniques, the situation for bulk crystals beyond laborious chemical doping poses significant challenges. Here, we report the milli-electron-volt (meV) level ultra-fine-tuning of the Fermi level of bulk topological Weyl semimetal tantalum phosphide using accelerator-based high-energy hydrogen implantation and theory-driven planning. By calculating the desired carrier density and controlling the accelerator profiles, the Fermi level can be experimentally fine-tuned from 5 meV below, to 3.8 meV below, to 3.2 meV above the Weyl nodes. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals the crystalline structure is largely maintained under irradiation, while electrical transport indicates that Weyl nodes are preserved and carrier mobility is also largely retained. Our work demonstrates the viability of this generic approach to tune the Fermi level in semimetal systems and could serve to achieve property fine-tuning for other bulk quantum materials with ultrahigh precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maximal frequent subgraph mining (MFSM) is the task of mining only maximal frequent subgraphs, i.e., subgraphs that are not a part of other frequent subgraphs. Although many intelligent systems require MFSM, MFSM is challenging compared to frequent subgraph mining (FSM), as maximal frequent subgraphs lie in the middle of graph lattice, and FSM algorithms must explore an exponential space and an NP-hard subroutine of frequency counting. Different from prior research, which primarily focused on optimal solutions, we introduce pmMine, a progressive graph neural framework designed for MFSM in a single large graph to attain an approximate solution. The framework combines isomorphic graph embedding, non-parametric partitioning, and an efficiently top-down pattern searching strategy. The critical insight that makes pmMine work is to define the concepts of rooted subgraph and isomorphic graph embedding, in which the costly isomorphism subroutine can be efficiently performed using similarity estimation in embedding space. In addition, pmMine returns the patterns identified during the mining process in a progressive manner. We validate the efficiency and effectiveness of our technique through extensive experiments on a variety of datasets spanning various domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proteoglycans containing link domains modify the extracellular matrix (ECM) to regulate cellular homeostasis and can also sensitize tissues/organs to injury and stress. Hypoxic-ischemic (H-I) injury disrupts cellular homeostasis by activating inflammation and attenuating regeneration and repair pathways. In the brain, the main component of the ECM is the glycosaminoglycan hyaluronic acid (HA), but whether HA modifications of the ECM regulate cellular homeostasis and response to H-I injury is not known. In this report, employing both male and female mice, we demonstrate that link-domain-containing proteoglycan, TNFa-stimulated gene-6 (TSG-6), is active in the brain from birth onward and differentially modifies ECM HA during discrete neurodevelopmental windows. ECM HA modification by TSG-6 enables it to serve as a developmental switch to regulate the activity of the Hippo pathway effector protein, yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1), in the maturing brain and in response to H-I injury. Mice that lack TSG-6 expression display dysregulated expression of YAP1 targets, excitatory amino acid transporter 1 (EAAT1; glutamate-aspartate transporter) and 2 (EAAT2; glutamate transporter-1). Dysregulation of YAP1 activation in TSG-6-/- mice coincides with age- and sex-dependent sensitization of the brain to H-I injury such that 1-week-old neonates display an anti-inflammatory response in contrast to an enhanced proinflammatory injury reaction in 3-month-old adult males but not females. Our findings thus support that a key regulator of age- and sex-dependent H-I injury response in the mouse brain is modulation of the Hippo-YAP1 pathway by TSG-6-dependent ECM modifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we revisit the seminal concept of Johnson–Koplik–Schwartz (JKS) length Λ, that is a characteristic length representing an effective pore size which controls various transport-related properties of porous media, such as, the permeability and the electrical conductivity. We present a novel closed-form equation that predicts the behaviour of Λ in partially saturated media, for different saturation states. Using previous models in the literature that predict the intrinsic and relative electrical conductivities under partially saturated conditions, we infer the JKS length Λ and the electrical formation factor F as functions of water saturation and properties associated with the pore-size distribution of the probed porous medium. The proposed method permits to estimate the effective permeability and the relative permeability directly from electrical conductivity measurements, thus opening new-avenues for the remote characterization of partially saturated media. We believe that this new model will prove useful for various characterization and modelling applications from reservoir (CO2 or hydrogen storage) to vadose zone studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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