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This study employs ab-initio calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) to comprehensively investigate the multifaceted effects of Cd and Zn substitutions on the structural stability, mechanical behavior, electronic characteristics, and optical properties of SrS alloy. Structural analysis unveils a marginal reduction in lattice parameters for both doped compounds, signifying a subtle influence on the crystalline structure. Mechanical evaluation reveals that SrS and Sr 0.75 Cd 0.25 S keep their intrinsic brittleness, whereas the inclusion of 25 % Zn imparts a subtle ductile nature. The conservation of rigidity is observed post-doping, albeit with anisotropic features and differing degrees of stiffness among the compounds. Investigating electronic properties, the band gap of Sr 0.75 Cd 0.25 S persists as an indirect transition between M and Γ points, mirroring SrS's behavior. In contrast, a remarkable transformation is noted with 25 % Zn doping, shifting SrS to a direct band gap semiconductor. Interestingly, Cd and Zn incorporation leads to a band gap reduction, suggesting potential avenues for tuning the material's electronic behavior. Dielectric constant analyses unravel intriguing phenomena. The binary compound exhibits Mie resonance across the visible-infrared spectrum, a feature that contracts to the infrared range after doping. This nuanced shift has direct implications on the material's interaction with incident light and its resulting optical properties. Evaluation of the refractive index, absorption coefficient, reflectivity, and optical conductivity demonstrates a striking resemblance in the optical behavior of Sr 0.75 Zn 0.25 S and Sr 0.75 Cd 0.25 S to the pristine SrS alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A semi-supervised sequence to sequence BILSTM deep autoencoder is developed. • Robust data augmentation to enhance the generalisation power of the autoencoder. • Leakage identification through coupled reconstruction error & modified z-score. • BiLSTM deep AE is superior to MNF and ANF in identification of unreported leaks. • Identification of unreported leaks in all types of DMAs with limited false alarms. Night flow analysis is predominantly used to identify incipient (gradual) leakages in real-life Water Distribution Networks (WDNs). However, due to extreme stochastic demand especially in residentially dominated district metering areas (DMAs) and the emergence of sleepless cities, traditional night flow analysis methods have become inefficient. This study proposes a semi-supervised sequence-to-sequence Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) deep Auto Encoder (AE) method for night flow analysis in WDNs. To enhance the generalisation power of the deep AE, a vigorous data augmentation procedure based engineering domain knowledge and inherent properties of DMA is presented. The proposed method learns the underlying benign patterns in night flow (2:00 am to 4:00 am) and identifies significant deviations that represent the development of incipient leakages. The method was validated on residential, commercial, and industrial DMAs in a real-life WDN in the Ålesund Municipality of Norway. The results from the study showed that the proposed method is a robust and superior alternative to traditional night flow under extreme stochastic consumer demand. The proposed BiLSTM deep AE method was able to identify unreported leakages in the DMAs within 1 day or at most 4 days compared with at least 15 days identification time by traditional minimum night flow (MNF) and average night flow (ANF) analyses. Additionally, traditional minimum night flow analysis also produced more false positives compared with the proposed method. The results also revealed the usage of point estimates to represent night flow as done in MNF and ANF analyses fail to capture all salient information regarding night flow compared to the BiLSTM deep AE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a major health burden worldwide. Patients with type 2 DM has various complications, including impaired bone health. Adiponectin is novel adipocytokine that could influence bone metabolism. Objective We investigated the relationships between serum adiponectin versus lumbar bone mineral density (BMD) in type 2 diabetic osteoporotic postmenopausal women. Subjects and methods This study is a case control study included 90 postmenopausal women; divided as (group A) composed of 30 type 2 diabetic osteoporotic postmenapausal,(group B) composed of 30 non diabetic osteoporotic postmenopausal and 30 apparently healthy non osteoporotic postmenopausal women as a control group. All participants underwent Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry to measure the lumbar Bone Mineral Density (BMD).Serum adiponectin was measured by ELISA Kits. SPSS was used to analyze the data. Results Among the studied subjects, group B showed a significant negative correlation between serum adiponectin and lumbar BMD. The diabetic osteoporotic postmenapausal group (group B) showed the lowest concentration of serum adiponectin (μg/mL): 5.14 compared with 11.02 and 8.63 in group A, and the control, respectively. Lumbar BMD of group B was significantly higher than that of group A. Conclusions Serum adiponectin is associated with lumber BMD in diabetic osteoporotic postmenopausal women. These findings suggest that serum adiponectin was involved in bone metabolism in this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, onestep prepared magnetic multi-walled carbon nanotubes were anchored with melamine and applied as a magnetic recyclable dye sorbent. Direct blue 71 was used as a sample anionic dye and the results showed that the sorbent has good efficiency for uptake of it. Equilibrium time was 30 min and maximum adsorption capacity of 250 mg/g was obtained. Prepared material was regenerated using ethanol–NaOH solution. The study of kinetic and isotherm models showed that adsorption process followed second-order and Langmuir models, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this investigation, we undertake an ab initio exploration of the structural, mechanical, electronic, magnetic, optical, and thermoelectric characteristics of equiatomic quaternary Heusler compounds (EQH), specifically FeZrCrZ (Z = Si, Ge, Sn). Our investigation involves the utilization of the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave method (FP-LAPW) in density functional theory (DFT) framework, employing the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). The findings reveal that the Y-type-I arrangement, demonstrating ferromagnetic alignment, emerges as the most thermodynamically favored configuration among all FeZrCrZ (Z = Si, Ge, and Sn) compounds. Computed values for formation energy substantiate the feasibility of experimental synthesis. Furthermore, we meticulously determine elastic constants, confirming the structural robustness of the quaternary compounds. Dynamic stability analysis reinforces their stability. Electronic property assessments unveil the semi-metallic nature of FeZrCrZ (Z = Si, Ge, and Sn) alloys, showcasing complete spin polarization at the Fermi energy (100 %), a minimal energy gap, and magnetic moments of 2 μ B when Z = Si, Ge, and 4 μ B when Z = Sn. Optical property calculations encompass complex refractive index, dielectric function, reflectivity, absorption coefficient, and optical conductivity, indicating potential suitability of these compounds for optoelectronic applications. Employing Boltzmann transport theory, we investigate the thermoelectric performance of the compounds concerning temperature, and chemical potential. Evaluation of the thermoelectric response underscores their viability as thermoelectric materials, linked to a substantial figure of merit, increased Seebeck coefficient, and diminished thermal conductivity. This study provides crucial theoretical insights for experimental researchers, offering valuable information for the synthesis and application of these compounds in spintronics, thermoelasticity, and optoelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The idea of characterizing the dynamics of WDNs via multilayer networks is introduced. • Demand variations and operational status of sources, pumps & valves are considered. • Correlations between the operational status of sources & pumps and the general dynamics of WDNs unearthed. • Vulnerability indexes can now be tied with different temporal windows. • Routine maintenance can now be optimally scheduled. Nodal demands vary throughout the day, as such any vulnerability analysis based on static networks, which considers daily average demands cannot realistically represent the criticality of nodes in the network. This study presents a systematic framework, which couples multilayer networks, structural reducibility and a Demand Adjusted Vulnerability Measure for dynamic nodal vulnerability assessment of water distribution networks (WDNs) under extended period simulation. Within this framework, we present the novel idea of characterizing the dynamics of WDNs with multi-slice networks, which captures the state of the network within a predefined temporal window taking into consideration the directional flow in pipes and the operational status of pumps, valves etc. Using a benchmark WDN, Net 3, as a case study we have demonstrated the importance of demand variations and operational status of various components, no matter how minuscule their operational time, on nodal vulnerability assessment in WDNs. The results indicated that the framework evaluates the criticality of all types of nodes, even intermediary nodes with zero base demand, within any temporal window much more realistically than conventional vulnerability analysis methods based on single (static) networks. Structural reducibility unearthed correlations between the operational status of source nodes and pumps on the general dynamics of the distribution system. The multilayer framework opens a new frontier in vulnerability analysis of WDNs and could serve as a tool for stakeholders in accessing node criticality, impact of various failure scenarios and optimal scheduling of maintenance routines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, first-principles calculations are carried out to investigate the impact of strontium (Sr) replacement by iron (Fe) atoms on the structural, mechanical, electronic, and magnetic properties of rock-salt Sr 1-x Fe x S (0.125 ≤ x ≤ 0.75) compounds. Our calculation results show that the non-magnetic semiconductor-to-ferromagnetic half-metal-to magnetic metal transition and the indirect-to-direct-to-indirect bandgap transition can be realized by altering the Fe concentration. Further analysis indicates that this alteration affects the half-metallic bandgaps, magnetic moments, and exchange constants. The induced ferromagnetism and half-metallicity are attributed to the p-d hybridization between 3 d -Fe and 3 p -S states. A mechanical study is performed, and it is found that all the titled compounds are mechanically stable. Meanwhile, the high ratio of bulk modulus to shear modulus (B/G) suggests that they are ductile. Finally, an evaluation of the Debye temperature and melting point reveals the potential for the examined compounds to be used in thermal applications. • Fundamental physical properties of the Sr 1- x Fe x S ternary compounds are predicted. • The ferromagnetic nature in all cubic Sr 1- x Fe x S (x = 0.125, 0.25, 0.50, and 0.75) is confirmed. • Mechanical moduli, Debye, and melting temperatures are determined from elastic constants. • The half-metallicity and an integral magnetic moment are found only in three compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]