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Copper radioisotopes are gaining increasing significance for medical use in recent years for both diagnostic and therapeutic applications. To answer the growing clinical demand, fast, reliable and efficient purification methods to isolate copper isotopes from the irradiated target materials used for their production were developed. Chromatographic techniques have been extensively studied and used to isolate copper isotopes from other metals such as nickel, zinc, or cobalt. This review comprehensively surveys the ion exchange and extraction chromatographic methods developed for copper radioisotope purification to produce radiopharmaceuticals for medical use. Key factors such as target material, isotopic enrichment, number of steps and clinical application are discussed. It concludes with thoughts on automated purification and its importance in the future of the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a discrete model of delays at oversaturated intersections was established by using the graphic analysis method and a reward function. The problem of optimizing signal control at an oversaturated intersection was transformed into a Markov decision process by utilizing queue length as the state variable and choice of green ratio as the action. Following this, a self-learning method for signal optimization (SLSO) at oversaturated intersections based on deep learning (dueling Q-leaming, Dueling DQN) with priority experience replay (PER) was proposed. Moreover, dynamic learning rate and dynamic e-greedy strategy were used to accelerate convergence and achieve better model optimization. Constraints and penalties on queue length were set to avoid traffic overflow. The results of comparative simulations showed that the traditional method yielded the longest delay while the two-stage bang-bang control method led to the shortest delay, with a reduction in the delay of about 13.3%. The proposed SLSO could reduce the delay by about 12.3% and the maximum queue length by 1.7% without constraints on queuing, and by 5.1% and 13%, respectively, with constraints on queuing in place. Finally, a real-world 4-phase intersection was selected to prove that the proposed SLSO method is widely applicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Kinetic and kinematic gait analysis is increasingly practised as a part of lameness evaluation in dogs. The aim of this study was to examine the normal short- and long-term variation in forelimb gait in sound control dogs (CD) at a walk using seven selected variables of objective kinetic and kinematic gait analyses. Also, to compare the findings in CD to a group of forelimb lame dogs with elbow osteoarthritis (OAD). An additional aim was to test a kinetic based graphic method for lameness detection; symmetry squares (SS). A prospective longitudinal study was carried out on client owned CD and OAD. Clinical and orthopaedic evaluations were performed to ensure soundness and detect and grade lameness. Seven kinetic and kinematic variables and SS were tested for lameness evaluation. The CD were divided into two subgroups, CD1 and CD2, and examined twice: CD1 with two months interval and CD2 with 3–4 h interval. The OAD group was evaluated once and compared to the CD groups' first examination. Results: Thirteen CD and 19 OAD were included. For CD1 and CD2, there were no significant differences in any examined variable between examination occasions. Total peak force/impulse symmetry and fore-hind peak force/impulse symmetry differed significantly between OAD and CD. Symmetry squares had a 74% agreement to subjective orthopaedic evaluations. Conclusions: In CD, no difference in the examined variables was seen between examination occasions. Four out of seven objective variables differed significantly between CD and OAD. The graphic SS method might have diagnostic potential for lameness detection, making it possible to detect a shift from lame to non-lame limbs. Potentially, this might be especially helpful in bilaterally lame dogs, which often represent a clinical challenge in lameness evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtualization plays a critical role in enriching the user experience in Virtual Reality (VR) by offering heightened realism, increased immersion, safer navigation, and newly achievable levels of interaction and personalization, specifically in indoor environments. Traditionally, the creation of virtual content has fallen under one of two broad categories: manual methods crafted by graphic designers, which are labor-intensive and sometimes lack precision; traditional Computer Vision (CV) and Deep Learning (DL) frameworks that frequently result in semi-automatic and complex solutions, lacking a unified framework for both 3D reconstruction and scene understanding, often missing a fully interactive representation of the objects and neglecting their appearance. To address these diverse challenges and limitations, we introduce the Virtual Experience Toolkit (VET), an automated and user-friendly framework that utilizes DL and advanced CV techniques to efficiently and accurately virtualize real-world indoor scenarios. The key features of VET are the use of ScanNotate, a retrieval and alignment tool that enhances the precision and efficiency of its precursor, supported by upgrades such as a preprocessing step to make it fully automatic and a preselection of a reduced list of CAD to speed up the process, and the implementation in a user-friendly and fully automatic Unity3D application that guides the users through the whole pipeline and concludes in a fully interactive and customizable 3D scene. The efficacy of VET is demonstrated using a diversified dataset of virtualized 3D indoor scenarios, supplementing the ScanNet dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The method of hypergraph containers, which was introduced several years ago by Balogh, Morris, and Samotij, and independently by Saxton and Thomason, has proved to be an extremely useful tool in the study of various monotone graph properties. In particular, a fairly straightforward application of this technique allows one to locate, for each non-bipartite graph H, the threshold at which the distribution of edges in a typical H-free graph with a given number of edges undergoes a transition from 'random-like' to 'structured'. On the other hand, for nonmonotone hereditary graph properties, the standard version of this method does not allow one to establish even the existence of such a threshold. In this paper we introduce a refinement of the container method that takes into account the asymmetry between edges and non-edges in a sparse member of a hereditary graph property. As an application, we determine the approximate structure of a typical graph with n vertices, m edges, and no induced copy of the 4-cycle, for each function m D m.n/ satisfying n4=3.log n/4 6 m n2. We show that almost all such graphs G have the following property: the vertex set of G can be partitioned into an 'almost independent' set (a set with o.m/ edges) and an 'almost-clique' (a set inducing a subgraph with density 1-a The lower bound on m is optimal up to a polylogarithmic factor, as standard arguments show that if n then almost all such graphs are 'random-like'. As a further consequence, we deduce that the random graph G.n; p/ conditioned to contain no induced 4-cycles undergoes phase transitions at p=n -2/3+o(1) p=n -2/3+o(1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vittorio Benussi (1878–1927) is known for numerous studies on optical illusions, visual and haptic perception, spatial and time perception. In Padova, he had a brilliant student who carefully worked on the topic of how people estimate numerosity, Silvia De Marchi (1897–1936). Her writings have never been translated into English before. Here we comment on her work and life, characterized also by the challenges faced by women in academia. The studies on perception of numerosity from her thesis were published as an article in 1929. We provide a translation from Italian, a redrawing of its 23 illustrations and of the graphs. It shows an original experimental approach and an anticipation of what later became known as magnitude estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resolution of road graphic conflicts is a key aspect of map generalization, which involves both scale reduction and the symbolization of map features. This study proposes collaborative methods of road graphic conflict resolution considering different road characteristics. These methods consider both geometric and semantic characteristics, and they incorporate the bend characteristics of roads, the road symbol size, and road semantics. Constrained Delaunay triangulation skeleton lines are used to categorize road graphic conflicts, which are made up of four independent conflict types and four group conflict types. Based on their characteristics, three collaborative methods are designed to deal with the different types of road graphic conflicts: collaboration between deletion and the snake displacement model, collaboration between the snake displacement model and collinearity, and collaboration among simplification, smoothing, and the beam displacement model. Two types of independent conflicts can be processed using only one simple operation. This study summarizes the cartographic rules for resolving road graphic conflicts, and these are used along with geometric features to drive the collaborative methods or one simple operation presented here. The experimental results indicate that the method proposed in this study can effectively resolve road graphic conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within higher education research, the topic of choosing has mainly concerned young peoples’ choices of whether or not to enter higher education and their choice of study programme. However, a study programme is often not a fixed package. Nevertheless, choices within higher education has received comparably little attention. This study unpacks second-year students’ experiences of choosing, and it explores how they navigate these choices. Drawing on empirical material from ethnographic fieldwork at three bachelor programmes, we found that students experience both opportunities and constraints in navigating higher education choices. Inspired by Ingold (2015; 2016) we suggest a theoretical perspective on choice as wayfaring. We found, that navigating through higher education contains both ambiguities and challenges for students, who learn as they go along, discover new paths and thus change direction as they move through the landscape of higher education. We argue that making choices in this sense is an integral part of being a student and an inherent part of what it means to study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, chromatographic and in silico techniques were applied to investigate the biotransformation of ethyl 5-(4-bromophenyl)-1-(2-(2-(2-hydroxybenzylidene) hydrazinyl)-2-oxoethyl)-2-methyl-1H-pyrrole-3-carboxylate (11b) in hepatocytic media. The initial chromatographic procedure was based on the employment of the conventional octadecyl stationary phase method for estimation of the chemical stability. Subsequently, a novel and rapid chromatographic approach based on a phenyl–hexyl column was developed, aiming to separate the possible metabolites. Both methods were performed on a Dionex 3000 ThermoScientific (ACM 2, Sofia, Bulgaria) device equipped with a diode array detector set up at 272 and 279 nm for analytes detection. An acetonitrile: phosphate buffer of pH 3.5: methanol (17:30:53 v/v/v) was eluted isocratically as a mobile phase with a 1 mL/min flow rate. A preliminary purification from the biological media was achieved by protein precipitation with methanol. A validation procedure was carried out, where the method was found to correspond to all ICH (Q2) and M10 set criteria. Additionally, an in silico-based approach with the online server BioTransformer 3.0 was applied in an attempt to predict the possible metabolites of the title compound 11b. It was hypothesized that four CYP450 isoforms (1A2, 2C9, 3A4, and 2C8) were involved in the phase I metabolism, resulting in the formation of 12 metabolites. Moreover, docking studies were conducted to evaluate the formation of stable complexes between 11b and the aforementioned isoforms. The obtained data indicated three metabolites as the most probable products, two of which (M9_11b and M10_11b) were synthesized by a classical approach for verification. Finally, liquid chromatography with a mass detector was implemented for comprehensive and summarized analysis, and the obtained results revealed that the metabolism of the 11b proceeds possibly with the formation of glucuronide and glycine conjugate of M11_11b. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbide gradation related to geometry size and local stress concentration sensitivity significantly impacts the performance of the carburized 16Cr3NiWMoVNbE steel. The conventional metallurgical graphic comparison method by manual comparison is not capable of grading the carbide gradation automatically. A novel method is thus introduced to automatically evaluate the carbide grade by using a new shape factor φsc with stress distribution analysis instead of using the circularity or roundness shape factor which only considers the geometry shape of carbide particles. The logarithm of the stress concentration factor ln(K) is linearly related to the logarithm of the shape factor ln(φsc). The gradient b of the fitted straight line shows sensitivity to the carbide grade. The gradients are b1 = 0.039, b3 = 0.049, and b5 = 0.055 for the three carbide classes from low to high. Furthermore, there is also a linear relationship between hardness in different grades of carbide microstructure and the gradient b. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have studied how first-year university science students construct graphs based on hypothetical qualitative physics scenarios. We gave students a questionnaire that asked them to complete two Cartesian graphs in one of three different scenarios (a ball rolling down a track, a beaker being filled with water, the resistance between different points on a metal bar) given as a written piece of text accompanied by a diagram of a hypothetical experiment that included three evenly spaced points on the set-up. Two of the three points were also indicated on the position axis of the partially drawn graph. We found that students can find it hard to translate equal spatial intervals in the experiment to a line graph. We found that most students either did not explain why they put the third point on the graph where they did, or did not plot the point at all. Some students drew unequal intervals on the position axis to indicate unequal time or resistance intervals. The difficulties became more prevalent as the levels of abstraction increased. Our findings suggest that constructing a scale on a qualitative graph requires significant mental effort from the students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a mixed methods approach, we explore a relationship between students' graph reasoning and graph selection via a fully online assessment. Our population includes 673 students enrolled in college algebra, an introductory undergraduate mathematics course, across four U.S. postsecondary institutions. The assessment is accessible on computers, tablets, and mobile phones. There are six items; for each, students are to view a video animation of a dynamic situation (e.g., a toy car moving along a square track), declare their understanding of the situation, select a Cartesian graph to represent a relationship between given attributes in the situation, and enter text to explain their graph choice. To theorize students' graph reasoning, we draw on Thompson's theory of quantitative reasoning, which explains students' conceptions of attributes as being possible to measure. To code students' written responses, we appeal to Johnson and colleagues' graph reasoning framework, which distinguishes students' quantitative reasoning about one or more attributes capable of varying (Covariation, Variation) from students' reasoning about observable elements in a situation (Motion, Iconic). Quantitizing those qualitative codes, we examine connections between the latent variables of students' graph reasoning and graph selection. Using structural equation modeling, we report a significant finding: Students' graph reasoning explains 40% of the variance in their graph selection (standardized regression weight is 0.64, p < 0.001). Furthermore, our results demonstrate that students' quantitative forms of graph reasoning (i.e., variational and covariational reasoning) influence the accuracy of their graph selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Hospital information systems (HIS) are meant to manage complex work processes across healthcare organizations. We describe limitations of HIS to address local information requirements and how they are circumvented at different organizational levels. Results can be used to better support collaboration in socio-technical systems. Background: Workarounds describe a mismatch between a technology's purpose and its actual use, whereas shadow systems are unofficial IT systems circumventing limitations of official systems to support workflows. Boundary infrastructures are conceptualized as the entirety of all (in)formal digital and analog systems connecting different communities of practice in a socio-technical system. Methods: An ethnographic study with observations and semi-structured interviews was conducted and analyzed through categorization and iterative coding. Results: Several digital-analog workarounds are employed for documentation and a shared server functions as a shadow system to support workflows in ways the HIS cannot. For collaborative documentation, all (official and informal) information sources were used simultaneously as part of an interconnected boundary infrastructure. Conclusion: Formal and informal IT systems are interconnected across different organizational levels and provide insights into unmet information requirements, effective and problematic work practices, and how to address them to improve system functioning. An integrated perspective on boundary infrastructures, workarounds, and shadow systems may advance system analysis, providing a more comprehensive picture of IT requirements than any concept alone. Application: Workarounds and shadow systems highlight that HIS should support systemic and local needs. Customized interfaces in HIS to support search, access, and exchange of relevant data might help to mitigate current shortcomings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The lifetime risk of maternal death quantifies the probability that a 15-year-old girl will die of a maternal cause in her reproductive lifetime. Its intuitive appeal means it is a widely used summary measure for advocacy and international comparisons of maternal health. However, relative to mortality, women are at an even higher risk of experiencing life-threatening maternal morbidity called 'maternal near miss' (MNM) events—complications so severe that women almost die. As maternal mortality continues to decline, health indicators that include information on both fatal and non-fatal maternal outcomes are required. Methods We propose a novel measure—the lifetime risk of MNM—to estimate the cumulative risk that a 15-year-old girl will experience a MNM in her reproductive lifetime, accounting for mortality between the ages 15 and 49 years. We apply the method to the case of Namibia (2019) using estimates of fertility and survival from the United Nations World Population Prospects along with nationally representative data on the MNM ratio. Results We estimate a lifetime risk of MNM in Namibia in 2019 of between 1 in 40 and 1 in 35 when age-disaggregated MNM data are used, and 1 in 38 when a summary estimate for ages 15–49 years is used. This compares to a lifetime risk of maternal death of 1 in 142 and yields a lifetime risk of severe maternal outcome (MNM or death) of 1 in 30. Conclusions The lifetime risk of MNM is an urgently needed indicator of maternal morbidity because existing measures (the MNM ratio or rate) do not capture the cumulative risk over the reproductive life course, accounting for fertility and mortality levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One measure of quality in palliative care involves ensuring people approaching the end of life are able to receive care, and ultimately die, in the places they choose. Canadian palliative care policy directives stem from this tenet of autonomy, acknowledging that most people prefer to die at home, where they feel safe and comfortable. Limited research, however, considers the lack of 'choice' people positioned as structurally vulnerable (e.g., experiencing extreme poverty, homelessness, substance-use/criminalization, etc.) have in regard to places of care and death, with the option of dying-in-place most often denied. Methods: Drawing from ethnographic and participatory action research data collected during two studies that took place from 2014 to 2019 in an urban centre in British Columbia, Canada, this analysis explores barriers preventing people who experience social and structural inequity the option to die-in-place. Participants include: (1) people positioned as structurally vulnerable on a palliative trajectory; (2) their informal support persons/family caregivers (e.g., street family); (3) community service providers (e.g., housing workers, medical professionals); and (4) key informants (e.g., managers, medical directors, executive directors). Data includes observational fieldnotes, focus group and interviews transcripts. Interpretive thematic analytic techniques were employed. Results: Participants on a palliative trajectory lacked access to stable, affordable, or permanent housing, yet expressed their desire to stay 'in-place' at the end of life. Analysis reveals three main barriers impeding their 'choice' to remain in-place at the end of life: (1) Misaligned perceptions of risk and safety; (2) Challenges managing pain in the context of substance use, stigma, and discrimination; and (3) Gaps between protocols, policies, and procedures for health teams. Conclusions: Findings demonstrate how the rhetoric of 'choice' in regard to preferred place of death is ethically problematic because experienced inequities are produced and constrained by socio-structural forces that reach beyond individuals' control. Ultimately, our findings contribute suggestions for policy, programs and practice to enhance inclusiveness in palliative care. Re-defining 'home' within palliative care, enhancing supports, education, and training for community care workers, integrating palliative approaches to care into the everyday work of non-health care providers, and acknowledging, valuing, and building upon existing relations of care can help to overcome existing barriers to delivering palliative care in various settings and increase the opportunity for all to spend their end of life in the places that they prefer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of a damaged ship flooding is a complicated free surface flow problem. There is a complex coupling effect between the ship cabin and the flow inside and outside of the cabin. In this paper, a GPU (graphic processing unit)- δ + -SPH (smoothed particle hydrodynamics) numerical model for the cabin flooding in deep-water environments is developed based on GPU parallel acceleration technology and Nvidia's CUDA (compute unified device architecture). First, the computational accuracy and efficiency of this numerical model are verified by experiments results on the water flooding of a simple damaged cabin model. Furthermore, the flooding characteristics of a submarine cabin are analyzed, considering different numbers of damaged cabins, depths, and opening positions. Finally, the progressive flooding and the dynamic response characteristics of a full-scale submarine model are investigated. The results show that the process of progressive flooding in a submarine cabin is characterized by its rapidity and intensity. Different factors, for example, damaged cabin numbers, cabin depths, and opening positions, have great influences on the process of flooding and the motion of the submarine cabin. This study can offer valuable technical assistance in the post-damage remediation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The common antihypertensive drugs are B‐blockers and diuretics. For the determination of beta‐blocker medicines (bisoprolol fumarate and carvedilol) and diuretic drug (Furosemide), new and accurate chromatographic method has been developed. The separation was achieved using a developing system that includes chloroform:methanol:ethyl acetate:ammonia (6:2:2:0.2 by volume) as a mobile phase and the bands were detected at 240 nm. The concentration ranges were 5–25, 1–7, and 1–3.5 μg/band for bisoprolol fumarate, carvedilol, and furosemide, respectively. This chromatographic approach is the first methodology for simultaneously determining bisoprolol fumarate, carvedilol, and furosemide in their pure forms and in their pharmaceutical dosage forms. The advantages of using known analytical procedures are their simplicity, speed, cost effectiveness, lack of laboriousness, and ability to save time as the three tablets are determined in one step and can be used for routine analysis of the investigated combinations in quality control laboratories. According to International Conference of Harmonization guidelines, the established procedures have been validated, and the results were statistically compared to those obtained by the reported reversed‐phase–high‐performance liquid chromatography methods using Student's t‐test and F‐test, with no significant difference between them, indicating that the proposed methods can be used for routine drug quality control analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air quality is an important environmental component that has a significant influence on public health and well-being. Poor air quality can cause a variety of health problems, including respiratory and cardiovascular disorders. Therefore, there is a growing demand for air quality prediction tools to enable consumers and authorities to take the best decisions and to implement the necessary actions to reduce air pollution. The present paper describes an innovative application that uses machine learning techniques to supply to the users real-time air quality predictions made on past data from their unique location. The Scikit-learn Python package was used to implement five machine learning algorithms, including K-Nearest Neighbors, Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, Support Vector Regression (SVR) and AdaBoost. To achieve robust model performance, compatibility with cross-validation approaches was evaluated. The obtained results indicate that these machine learning techniques are successful at forecasting air quality. The AdaBoost method emerged as the best accurate predictor after extensive investigation, closely followed by Gradient Boosting, SVR, Random Forest, and KNearest Neighbors. Furthermore, the investigation also focused on the adapted handling of inaccurate data and providing graphical visualizations to highlight the algorithm's efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this narrative review is to study the problems in assessing visual acuity in deaf-mute children. We identified various methods of Visometry, published articles and patents for the inventions based on the assessment of visual acuity in deaf-mute children in the Russian Federation and parts of countries formerly part of the Soviet Union, in order to identify shortcomings and search for solutions. According to the total number of 126 cited scientific papers, the most common methods for assessing visual acuity in deaf--mute patients included Golovin-Sivtsev table (89.1%) and new JEI/JEI technique (8.9%). However, 2% of the doctors used tables of "illiterate" E, Teller Acuity cards with hand gestures, combining Teller Acuity cards with hand gestures to trigger reactions, Lea symbols with visual cues enabling visual cues or pointing to stimulate recognition and Graphic tables with sign language. In the presence of signs of hearing and speech disorders in patients, it is recommended to consider the use of cards duplicating optotypes to the table for assessing visual acuity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Made in Taiwan' is a platform and archive of life-course interviews of people who grew up in Taiwan, designed to teach about Taiwan, one childhood memory at a time. We hope that it will spark conversations about childhood memories around the world and inspire similar projects elsewhere that bring together university instructors, undergraduate students, and local communities in an effort to learn from one another, experience knowledge production as a collective project, encounter the university as an active player in and a resource for the community, and empower undergraduate students to conduct their own investigations into other people's lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses tectonic stresses determined in the West Sakhalin terrain using different tectonophysical methods. The reconstruction of the stress field in coal fields in Sakhalin is implemented using the graphical method of orientation finding of stress axes in fractures and faults (at 16 observation points). The supplementary on-site tectonophysical studies made it possible to estimate the preferred orientation of the main slickensides of different kinematics and to reconstruct on this basis the local stress tensors at 53 observation points. The typical stress state of the West Sakhalin terrain is horizontal tension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modern study of resilience in development is conceptually based on a complex adaptive system ontology in which many (intersystem) factors are involved in the emergence of resilient developmental pathways. However, the methods and models developed to study complex dynamical systems have not been widely adopted, and it has recently been noted this may constitute a problem moving the field forward. In the present paper, I argue that an ontological commitment to complex adaptive systems is not only possible, but highly recommended for the study of resilience in development. Such a commitment, however, also comes with a commitment to a different causal ontology and different research methods. In the first part of the paper, I discuss the extent to which current research on resilience in development conceptually adheres to the complex systems perspective. In the second part, I introduce conceptual tools that may help researchers conceptualize causality in complex systems. The third part discusses idiographic methods that could be used in a research program that embraces the interaction dominant causal ontology and idiosyncratic nature of the dynamics of complex systems. The conclusion is that a strong ontological commitment is warranted, but will require a radical departure from nomothetic science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this article is to demonstrate the proficiency of a congenitally blind student in tactually interpreting accessible representations of a sector graph. The graph depicted in this study was extracted from a mathematics textbook in ink, subsequently rendered as a tactile graph generated with the Braille Fácil program, MONET software, and in manually crafted format using several materials, including EVA, Golden Beads, and various textures. The study focused on the examination of statistical graphical representations and the development of accessible materials for students with visual impairments, including those who are blind or have limited vision. More specifically, our research was centered on the creation of graphical-tactile materials. The study employed a qualitative methodology and utilized task-based interview techniques. Through this methodological tool, we delineated the profile of the participant and examined his approach to interpreting the tactile aspects of the graphic representations offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aflatoxins are naturally occurring secondary metabolites generated by several molds, particularly Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. They can contaminate agricultural products in the field, particularly during periods of high humidity and warmth, such as before or during harvest, or as a result of inappropriate storage, and their occurrence in the food chain is regrettably inevitable. Therefore, it is crucial to detect and measure aflatoxins. For the purpose of determining the presence of aflatoxins in various products, chromatographic methods based on high performance liquid chromatography, liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, high performance thin layer chromatography, and thin layer chromatography were described, along with sample preparation and risk assessment. By using several chromatographic techniques with different mobile phases and stationary phases, many analytical methods demonstrated good recovery rates of aflatoxins in a variety of products. An analysis of the existing literature indicates that from 2010 to 2022, a range of chromatographic methods have been accessible for identifying and measuring aflatoxins in food, feed, and certain herbal remedies. Although the literature shows interesting methods from an economic and environmental point of view and they can still be improved to detect aflatoxins in various products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumors of the uterus. Approximately 20–50% of women with myomas experience a variety of symptoms such as vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain, pelvic pain and pressure, and urological problems, possibly interfering with fertility and pregnancy. Although surgery remains the standard treatment option for fibroids, non-invasive therapeutic options, such as high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), have emerged over the last dec ade. During HIFU, ultrasound is focused on the target tissue causing coagulation necrosis. HIFU has, meanwhile, become an established method for treating uterine fibroids in many countries. Clinical data have shown that it effectively alleviates fibroid-related symptoms and reduces fibroid size with a very low rate of side effects. However, there is a lack of data on how this treatment affects laboratory parameters and structural features of uterine tissue. As our center is the only one in German-speaking countries where ultrasound-guided HIFU technology is currently established, the aim of this prospective, monocentric, single-arm trial is not only to evaluate the safety and efficacy of local US-guided HIFU in symptomatic uterine fibroid patients according to GCP standards but also to explore its effects on blood parameters and the structural integrity of uterine tissue using elastographic methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the plants that exhibit significant or established pharmacological activity, the genus Artemisia L. deserves special attention. This genus comprises over 500 species belonging to the largest Asteraceae family. Our study aimed at providing a comprehensive evaluation of the phytochemical composition of the ethanol extracts of five different Artemisia L. species (collected from the southwest of the Russian Federation) and their antimicrobial and nematocide activity as follows: A. annua cv. Novichok., A. dracunculus cv. Smaragd, A. santonica cv. Citral, A. abrotanum cv. Euxin, and A. scoparia cv. Tavrida. The study of the ethanol extracts of the five different Artemisia L. species using the methods of gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS) allowed establishing their phytochemical profile. The obtained data on the of five different Artemisia L. species ethanol extracts' phytochemical composition were used to predict the antibacterial and antifungal activity against phytopathogenic microorganisms and nematocidal activity against the free-living soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The major compounds found in the composition of the Artemisia L. ethanol extracts were monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, flavonoids, flavonoid glycosides, coumarins, and phenolic acids. The antibacterial and antifungal activity of the extracts began to manifest at a concentration of 150 µg/mL. The A. dracunculus cv. Smaragd extract had a selective effect against Gram-positive R. iranicus and B. subtilis bacteria, whereas the A. scoparia cv. Tavrida extract had a selective effect against Gram-negative A. tumefaciens and X. arboricola bacteria and A. solani, R. solani and F. graminearum fungi. The A. annua cv. Novichok, A. dracunculus cv. Smaragd, and A. santonica cv. Citral extracts in the concentration range of 31.3–1000 µg/mL caused the death of nematodes. It was established that A. annua cv. Novichok affects the UNC-63 protein, the molecular target of which is the nicotine receptor of the N-subtype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a new symmetric stream cipher encryption algorithm based on Graph Walks and 2-dimensional matrices, called Matrix Encryption Walks (MEW). We offer example Key Matrices and show the efficiency of the proposed method, which operates in linear complexity with an extremely large key space and low-resource requirements. We also provide the Proof of Concept code for the encryption algorithm and a detailed analysis of the security of our proposed MEW. The MEW algorithm is designed for low-resource environments such as IoT or smart devices and is therefore intended to be simple in operation. The encryption, decryption, and key generation time, along with the bytes required to store the key, are all discussed, and similar proposed algorithms are examined and compared. We further discuss the avalanche effect, key space, frequency analysis, Shannon entropy, and chosen/known plaintext-ciphertext attacks, and how MEW remains robust against these attacks. We have also discussed the potential for future research into algorithms such as MEW, which make use of alternative structures and graphic methods for improving encryption models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Representations of snakes abound in literature, oral traditions, and visual arts. Often constructed as sneaky or sinister, the cultural evaluation of snakes can perhaps best be stated by the adage, "The only good snake is a dead snake." Such messages become the "stories we live by." This evaluation is widespread but not universal. Educators are agents of alternative stories that exist in struggle with dominant ones. This study used ethnographic methods to explore how the setting, audience, storytelling educators, and story told all shape the conceptualization of "snake." The setting may resist or perpetuate a negative cultural evaluation of snakes. Presuppositions, convictions, and available examples of modeling influence whether audience members choose to adopt a new story or retain the old one. Through their discourse, enactments, and material displays, educators offer an embodied, sensorial story with the central message, "The only good snake is a live snake." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the established trends in religion and international relations (IR) scholarship is the awareness of a rising level of religious discrimination against minorities. Although there is variation in rates, religious restrictions are widely observed across the globe, including in Western democracies. Scholarship on the restrictions on religious practices has advanced through seeking answers to the following questions: Who discriminates? Who is discriminated against more? What are the causes of restrictions on religious freedom? What are the forms of discrimination? The purpose of this article is to connect the theories and findings of two religious discrimination studies of IR via the graphic method of systemism. Featured works engage with religious discrimination in a sub-group of states—Western democracies and those with a Christian majority. While one study focused on government-based restrictions, the other one engaged with societal ones. Collectively, these works revealed the fragility of freedom and the importance of understanding the mechanisms that protect it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although digital ethnographic studies concerned with online misinformation have focused on analyzing the contents shared by "cloaked" profiles (concealed or fake identities), less attention has been given to the epistemological and ontological dilemmas that cloaked profiles pose to digital ethnography. This article deals with these issues by asking: how can digital ethnographers determine who and what we are observing? And how can we conduct online observations when confronted with cloaked profiles? Drawing on field research, this article argues that researchers would benefit from including more critical reflections on the presence of cloaked profiles and learning how to apply digital skills for how to unveil cloaked profiles. Such practices will challenge a commonly accepted ontology that online profiles represent human behavior and enhance researchers' digital literacy and ability to recognize cloaked profiles. Finally, applying techniques to unveil cloaked profiles will arguably strengthen the hermeneutic process of knowledge production in digital observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate direct relationships of work addiction symptoms with dimensions of work engagement. We used three samples in which work addiction was measured with the Bergen Work Addiction Scale and work engagement was measured with the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. One sample comprised responses from working Norwegians (n1 = 776), and two samples comprised responses from working Poles (n2 = 719; n3 = 715). We jointly estimated three networks using the fused graphic lasso method. Additionally, we estimated the stability of each network, node centrality, and node predictability and quantitatively compared all networks. The results showed that absorption and mood modification could constitute a bridge between work addiction and work engagement. It suggests that further investigation of properties of absorption and mood modification might be crucial for answering the question of how engaged workers become addicted to work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, several optimization methods of two-electron repulsion integral calculations on a graphic processing unit (GPU) are presented. These methods are based on the investigations of the method presented by McMurchie and Davidson (MD). A new Boys function evaluation method for the GPU calculation is introduced. The series summation, the error function, and the finite sum formula method are combined; thus, good performance on the GPU can be achieved. By taking some theoretical study of the McMurchie–Davidson recurrence relations, three major optimization approaches are derived from the deduction of the general term formula for the Hermite expansion coefficient. The three approaches contain a new form of the Hermite expansion coefficients with corresponding recurrence relations, which is more efficient for one-electron integrals and [ss|∗∗] or [∗∗|ss] type two-electron integrals. In addition, a simple yet efficient new recurrence formula for the coefficient evaluation is derived, which is more efficient both in float operations and memory operations than its original one. In average, the new recurrence relation can save 26% float operations and 37% memory operations. Finally, a common sub-expression elimination (CSE) method is implemented. This CSE method is directly generated from some equalities we discovered from the general term formula other than by computer algebra system software. This optimized method achieved up to 3.09 speedups compared to the original MD method on the GPU and up to 92.75 speedups compared to the GAMESS calculation on the central processing unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexoelectricity is an electromechanical phenomenon produced in a dielectric material, with or without centrosymmetric microstructure, undergoing a non-uniform strain. It is characterized by the fourth-order flexoelectric tensor, which links the electric polarization vector with the gradient of the second-order strain tensor. Our previous work [H. Le Quang and Q.-C. He, Proc. R. Soc. A 467, 2369 (2011)] solved the fundamental theoretical problem of determining the number and types of all rotational symmetries that the flexoelectric tensor can exhibit. In the present study, compact explicit matrix representations of the flexoelectric tensor are provided so as to facilitate the use of it with any possible rotational symmetry. The number and types of all reflection symmetries that the flexoelectric tensor can have are also determined. To identify the rotational symmetry and reflection symmetry of a given flexoelectric tensor, a simple and efficient graphic method based on the concept of pole figures is presented and illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Omega-3 fatty acids v(ω-3 FAs) such as EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and omega-6 fatty acids (ω-6 FAs) such as linoleic acid and arachidonic acid are important fatty acids responsible for positive effects on human health. The main sources of ω-3 FAs and ω-6 FAs are marine-based products, especially fish oils. Some food, supplements, and pharmaceutical products would include fish oils as a source of ω-3 FAs and ω-6 FAs; therefore, the quality assurance of these products is highly required. Some analytical methods mainly based on spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques have been reported. Molecular spectroscopy such as Infrared and Raman parallel to chemometrics has been successfully applied for quantitative analysis of individual and total ω-3 FAs and ω-6 FAs. This spectroscopic technique is typically applied as the alternative method to official methods applying chromatographic methods. Due to the capability to provide the separation of ω-3 FAs and ω-6 FAs from other components in the products, gas and liquid chromatography along with sophisticated detectors such as mass spectrometers are ideal analytical methods offering sensitive and specific results that are suitable for routine quality control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize (Zea mays L.), a food crop cultivated worldwide, is renowned for its nutritional and economic value. However, its quality can be significantly affected by various storage conditions, leading to changes in its nutritional composition and potential contamination with harmful substances, such as aflatoxins. This article presents a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of storage on maize quality, focusing on several key parameters analyzed using liquid chromatographic methods and FT-NIR spectrometry. The research reveals a decline in the concentrations of key nutrients over the storage period. Specifically, there was a 19.7% loss in vitamin B1, a 12.43% loss in vitamin B3, a 16.96% loss in α-tocopherol, a 13.61% loss in total tocopherols, and an 8.02% loss in β-carotene. Aflatoxins were mostly undetectable, with one exception in January that remained below the maximum permitted level of 0.3 µg/kg. The parameters include the concentration of vitamins B1, B3, α-tocopherol, total tocopherols, β-carotene, aflatoxin B1, total aflatoxins, carbohydrate content, and protein content. Aflatoxins were mostly undetectable, with one exception in January—0.3 µg/kg—that remained below the maximum permitted level. The study underscores the importance of cooling maize immediately after drying to minimize nutrient loss, providing valuable insights for optimizing storage processes to maintain the nutritional quality of maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article is shown a path to define constants as well as input and output variables when elaborating a parametric model of an internal combustion engine by triggered ignition. There are discussed the different critical factors that should be considered when determining the constants and variables, this includes the engine operating conditions, the properties of the fuel and the emissions generated. In addition, there is also described the methods used to measure and validate these constants, variables, graphic methods and the different type of model founded. It concludes with the revision of the practical applications of the parametric model including its performance and concentration of the CO2 emissions to the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given a set system (also well-known as a hypergraph) H = {U, X}, where U is a set of elements and X is a set of subsets of U, an exact hitting set S is a subset of U such that each subset in X contains exactly one element in S. We refer to a set system as exactly hittable if it has an exact hitting set. In this paper, we study interval graphs which have intersection models that are exactly hittable. We refer to these interval graphs as Exactly Hittable Interval Graphs (EHIG). We present a forbidden structure characterization for EHIG. We also show that the class of proper interval graphs is a strict subclass of EHIG. Finally, we give an algorithm that runs in polynomial time to recognize graphs belonging to the class of EHIG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We define a q-linear path in a hypergraph H as a sequence (e1,. . ., eL) of edges of H such that |ei nei+1| [[1, q]] and ei n ej = Ø if |i-j| > 1. In this paper, we study the connected components associated to these paths when q = k - 2 where k is the rank of H. If k = 3 then q = 1 which coincides with the well-known notion of linear path or loose path. We describe the structure of the connected components, using an algorithmic proof which shows that the connected components can be computed in polynomial time. We then mention two consequences of our algorithmic result. The first one is that deciding the winner of the Maker-Breaker game on a hypergraph of rank 3 can be done in polynomial time. The second one is that tractable cases for the NP-complete problem of "Paths Avoiding Forbidden Pairs" in a graph can be deduced from the recognition of a special type of line graph of a hypergraph. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let t be a positive real number. A graph is called t-tough if the removal of any vertex set S that disconnects the graph leaves at most |S|/t components, and all graphs are considered 0-tough. The toughness of a graph is the largest t for which the graph is t-tough, whereby the toughness of complete graphs is defined as infinity. A graph is minimally t-tough if the toughness of the graph is t, and the deletion of any edge from the graph decreases the toughness. In this paper, we investigate the minimum degree and the recognizability of minimally t-tough graphs in the classes of chordal graphs, split graphs, claw-free graphs, and 2K2-free graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Maker-Breaker domination game played on a graph G, Dominator's goal is to select a dominating set and Staller's goal is to claim a closed neighborhood of some vertex. We study the cases when Staller can win the game. If Dominator (resp., Staller) starts the game, then γSMB(G) (resp., γ′ SMB(G)) denotes the minimum number of moves Staller needs to win. For every positive integer k, trees T with γ′ SMB(T) = k are characterized and a general upper bound on γ′ SMB is proved. Let S = S(n1,..., nℓ) be the subdivided star obtained from the star with ℓ edges by subdividing its edges n1 - 1,..., nℓ - 1 times, respectively. Then γ′ SMB(S) is determined in all the cases except when ℓ ≥ 4 and each ni is even. The simplest formula is obtained when there are at least two odd nis. If n1 and n2 are the two smallest such numbers, then γ′ SMB(S(n1,..., nℓ)) = ⌈log2(n1 + n2 + 1)⌉. For caterpillars, exact formulas for γSMB and for γ′ SMB are established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the enumeration of inversion sequences that avoid pattern 021 and another pattern of length four. We determine the generating trees for all possible pattern pairs and compute the corresponding generating functions. We introduce the concept of d-regular generating trees and conjecture that for any 021-avoiding pattern, the generating tree T ({021; τ) is d-regular for some integer d. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bivariate chromatic polynomial χG(x, y) of a graph G=(V, E), introduced by Dohmen-Pönitz-Tittmann (2003), counts all x-colorings of G such that adjacent vertices get different colors if they are ≤y. We extend this notion to mixed graphs, which have both directed and undirected edges. Our main result is a decomposition formula which expresses χG(x, y) as a sum of bivariate order polynomials (Beck-Farahmand-Karunaratne-Zuniga Ruiz 2020), and a combinatorial reciprocity theorem for χG(x, y). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we establish two new and different versions of fractional HermiteHadamard type inequality for the convex functions with respect to a pair of functions. Moreover, we establish a new Simpson’s type inequalities for differentiable convex functions with respect to a pair of functions. We also prove two more Simpson’s type inequalities for differentiable convex functions with respect to a pair of functions using the power mean and Hölder’s inequalities. It is also shown that the newly established inequalities are the extension of some existing results. Finally, we add some mathematical examples and their graphs to show the validity of newly established results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new approach for constructing vector Lyapunov function for nonlinear nonautonomous large-scale systems is proposed. It is assumed that independent subsystems are linear periodic systems. The components of the vector Lyapunov function are chosen as a quadratic form with a variable matrix. This matrix is an approximate solution of the Lyapunov matrix differential equation. This solution is constructed using the discretization method and the representation of the evolution operator proposed by Magnus. Sufficient conditions for the asymptotic stability of a trivial solution of a nonlinear large-scale system are established. The effectiveness of obtained results are illustrated by the example of stability investigation for coupled systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A newly-disclosed non-standard finite difference method has been used to discretize a prey-predator model to investigate the critical normal form coefficients of bifurcations for both one-parameter and two-parameter bifurcations. The discrete-time prey-predator model exhibits variety of local bifurcations such as period-doubling, Neimark-Sacker, and strong resonances. Critical normal form coefficients are determined to reveal dynamical scenario corresponding to each bifurcation point bifurcation. We also investigates the complex dynamics of the model numerically using by MATLAB package MATCONTM based on numerical continuation technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we deal with a logarithmic wave equation with distributed delay. Firstly, we establish the well-posedness by utilizing the semigroup theory. Later, we obtain the global existence of solutions by using the well-depth method. Moreover, under appropriate assumptions on the weight of the distributed delay and that of strong damping, we get the exponential decay results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we find all repdigits which can be expressed as the sum of three Half- companion Pell numbers. To prove our main result, we use the combined approach of lower bounds for linear forms in logarithms of algebraic numbers and a version of the Baker Davenport reduction method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple theoretical model of network evolution is discussed here. In each step, we add a new vertex to the graph and it is allowed to connect it to maximum degree vertices (hubs) only. Given a constant p, the probability of such a connection is p for any hub. The initial (non-random) graph G1 is arbitrary but here we investigate mostly the case when G1 has one vertex. We solve here some particular cases of the problem, using enumeration methods. We obtain not limit theorems but exact results for the parameters discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]