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This study investigates the critical factors influencing smart city program success through a comprehensive data-driven analysis of 140 urban centers. Advanced machine learning techniques, specifically random forest algorithms, in conjunction with regression analysis, were employed to examine the correlations between 45 distinct attributes and respective smart city rankings. The findings reveal that the human development index (HDI) is a key predictor of smart city performance. Furthermore, the regression analysis revealed that elements such as education, healthcare, infrastructure, and digital services significantly enhance achieving higher HDI scores. Similarly, factors like education, sanitation, healthcare, and government transparency are closely associated with successfully implementing sharing platforms. These findings highlight the importance of investing in human capital, developing digital infrastructure, and promoting community engagement to create sustainable and resilient smart cities. Policymakers can utilize these findings to prioritize investments and devise effective strategies to improve their city’s ranking.

Background and Objectives: Electroencephalography (EEG) signals, often termed the letters of the brain, are one of the most cost-effective methods for gathering valuable information about brain activity. This study presents a new explainable feature engineering (XFE) model designed to classify EEG data for violence detection. The primary objective is to assess the classification capability of the proposed XFE model, which uses a next-generation feature extractor, and to obtain interpretable findings for EEG-based violence and stress detection. Materials and Methods: In this research, two distinct EEG signal datasets were used to obtain classification and explainable results. The recommended XFE model utilizes a channel-based minimum and maximum pattern (ChMinMaxPat) feature extraction function, which generates 15 distinct feature vectors from EEG data. Cumulative weight-based neighborhood component analysis (CWNCA) is employed to select the most informative features from these vectors. Classification is performed by applying an iterative and ensemble t-algorithm-based k-nearest neighbors (tkNN) classifier to each feature vector. Information fusion is achieved through iterative majority voting (IMV), which consolidates the 15 tkNN classification results. Finally, the Directed Lobish (DLob) symbolic language generates interpretable outputs by leveraging the identities of the selected features. Together, the tkNN classifier, IMV-based information fusion, and DLob-based explainable feature extraction transform the model into a self-organizing explainable feature engineering (SOXFE) framework. Results: The ChMinMaxPat-based model achieved over 70% accuracy on both datasets with leave-one-record-out (LORO) cross-validation (CV) and over 90% accuracy with 10-fold CV. For each dataset, 15 DLob strings were generated, providing explainable outputs based on these symbolic representations. Conclusions: The ChMinMaxPat-based SOXFE model demonstrates high classification accuracy and interpretability in detecting violence and stress from EEG signals. This model contributes to both feature engineering and neuroscience by enabling explainable EEG classification, underscoring the potential importance of EEG analysis in clinical and forensic applications.

Strawberries are sensitive to abiotic stresses such as salinity, high levels of electrical conductivity, and nutrient imbalances. The mutualistic endophytic fungus Piriformospora indica has significant potential to be used in improving crop production under adverse conditions, with a large host range. However, greenhouse production requires novel tactics to improve the efficiency of saline water irrigation in areas with limited freshwater resources. This study was conducted at the National Research and Development Center for Sustainable Agriculture (Estidamah), KSA, to investigate the impact of P. indica colonization on the growth, photosynthesis traits, productivity, and fruit quality of Fragraria × ananassa Duch cv. Festival strawberry grown in pots and irrigated with two electrical conductivity (EC) nutrient solutions of 1.5 and 3.0 dS/m. The results showed that higher-EC-nutrient solution clearly reduced growth and early yield and improved vitamin C, TSS, and anthocyanin of strawberry in comparison to low-EC-nutrient solution. On the other hand, P. indica colonization significantly increased plant height, shoot fresh weight, root length, and early yield of plants grown under high-EC-nutrient solution with no impact on fruit quality. Obviously, the symbiosis between strawberry roots and P. indica enhanced chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate, as well as antioxidant activity such as proline, malondialdehyde, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase under higher-EC-nutrient solution. Our study indicated that P. indica might be used as a sustainable tool for strawberry production in arid and semiarid zones, to mitigate the negative impacts of higher-EC-nutrient solution.

An association between subtle changes in T2 white matter hyper-intense signals (WMHSs) detected in fetal brain magnetic resonance imaging (fbMRI) and congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection has been established. The research aim of this study is to compare children with congenital CMV infection with neurodevelopment outcome and hearing deficit with and without WMHSs in a historic prospective case study cohort of 58 fbMRIs. Of these, in 37 cases, fbMRI was normal (normal group) and WMHSs were detected in 21 cases (WMHS group). The median infection week of the WMHS group was earlier than the normal fbMRI group (8 and 17 weeks of gestation, respectively). The proportion of infants treated with valganciclovir in the WMHS group was distinctly higher. Hearing impairment was not significantly different between the groups. VABS scores in all four domains were within normal range in both groups. The median score of the motor skills corrected for week of infection was better in the WMHS group. A multivariate analysis using the week of infection interaction variable of WMHS and valganciclovir treatment showed better motor score outcomes in the valganciclovir treatment group despite an earlier week of infection. WMHSs were not associated with neurodevelopmental outcome and hearing deficit. In our cohort, valganciclovir treatment may have a protective effect on fetuses with WMHSs by improving neurodevelopmental outcome.

In this study, real voyage data and ship specifications of a general cargo ship are employed, and it is assumed that diesel generators are replaced with hydrogen proton exchange membrane fuel cells. The effect of the replacement on CO2, NOX, SOX, and PM emissions and the CII value is calculated. Emission calculations show that there is a significant reduction in emissions when hydrogen fuel cells are used instead of diesel generators on the case ship. By using hydrogen fuel cells, there is a 37.4% reduction in CO2 emissions, 32.5% in NOX emissions, 37.3% in SOX emissions, and 37.4% in PM emissions. If hydrogen fuel cells are not used instead of diesel generators, the ship will receive an A rating between 2023 and 2026, a B rating in 2027, a C rating in 2028–2029, and an E rating in 2030. On the other hand, if hydrogen fuel cells are used, the ship will always remain at an A rating between 2023 and 2030. The capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX) of the fuel cell system are USD 1,305,720 and USD 2,470,320, respectively, for a 15-year lifetime, and the hydrogen fuel expenses are competitive at USD 260,981, while marine diesel oil (MDO) fuel expenses are USD 206,435.

Persistent homology is a natural tool for probing the topological characteristics of weighted graphs, essentially focusing on their 0-dimensional homology. While this area has been thoroughly studied, we present a new approach to constructing a filtration for cluster analysis via persistent homology. The key advantages of the new filtration is that (a) it provides richer signatures for connected components by introducing non-trivial birth times, and (b) it is robust to outliers. The key idea is that nodes are ignored until they belong to sufficiently large clusters. We demonstrate the computational efficiency of our filtration, its practical effectiveness, and explore into its properties when applied to random graphs.

Efficient truck flow is essential for the efficient operation of a factory and the distribution of its products. This study demonstrated methods to improve truck loading times and overall efficiency at a major sugar manufacturing facility in the Middle East. The objective was to reduce truck waiting times at loading units and increase capacity. The data were collected through questionnaires, observations, and interviews with stakeholders. A simulation software was employed to analyze truck activity at loading stations at the factory. Multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) tools, AHP and TOPSIS, addressed five primary criteria and nine sub-criteria to assist in identifying, evaluating, and ranking feasible solutions. The study suggested different utilization of the various factory loading platforms at different times of the day. The findings from this study emphasize the importance of simulation-based approaches supplemented with decision-making processes to improve efficiency in sugar manufacturing facilities that may have broader applications in the factories of other industries. The study highlights remarkable improvements in operational efficiency, as seen in Alternative 4 substantial 27.9% enhancement, resulting in cost savings and time efficiency. By implementing these findings, factories can enhance their truck flow management system, reduce waiting times, increase capacity utilization, optimize resource allocation, and improve overall efficiency.

Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems are critical components of maintaining an indoor air quality that ensures the thermal comfort of occupants in diverse building types. However, HVAC systems are also responsible for a substantial portion of the total energy consumption of commercial and industrial office buildings. This paper presents an integrated approach of two powerful MCDM techniques: the Best-Worst-Method (BWM) and The Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) in order to evaluate and rank HVAC systems to ensure the best selection toward designing a sustainable office building. A set of conflicting criteria reported by international sustainable assessment centers were employed along with various HVAC systems to develop what is called herein a BWM-based TOPSIS model in order to conduct such a novel research attempt. Within the context of the investigated office building herein, the mini-package ductless system appears to be the best choice. This study could be further enhanced by including additional criteria and a larger sample size in future studies.

The study of designing a compact transverse electric (TE)/transverse magnetic (TM) polarization multimode interference (MMI) combiner based on silicon slot-waveguide technology is proposed for solving the high demands for high-speed ability alongside more energy power and minimizing the environmental impact of power consumption, achieving a balance between high-speed performance and energy efficiency has become an important consideration in an optical communication system. The MMI coupler has a significant difference in light coupling (beat-length) for TM and TE at 1550 nm wavelength. By controlling the light propagation mechanism inside the MMI coupler, a lower order of mode can be obtained which can lead to a shorter device. The polarization combiner was solved using the full-vectorial beam propagation method (FV-BPM), and the main geometrical parameters were analyzed using Matlab codes. Results show that after a short light propagation of 16.15 μm, the device can function as TM or TE combiner polarization with an excellent extinction ratio of 10.94 dB for TE mode and 13.08 dB for TM mode with low insertion losses of 0.76 dB (TE) and 0.56 dB (TM) and the combiner function well over the C-band spectrum. The polarization combiner also has a robust MMI coupler length tolerance of 400 nm. These attributes make it a good candidate for using this proposed device in photonic integrated circuits for improving power ability at the transmitter system.

Biliary tract diseases that are not adequately treated on index hospitalization are linked to worse outcomes, including high readmission rates. Delays in care for conditions such as choledocholithiasis, gallstone pancreatitis, and cholecystitis often occur due to multiple reasons, and this delay is under-appreciated as a source of morbidity and mortality. Our study is based on the latest Nationwide Readmissions Database review and evaluated the effects of postponing definitive management to a subsequent visit. The study shows a higher 30-day readmission rate in addition to increased mortality rate, intubation rate, vasopressor use in this patient population and significantly added financial burden.

Patulin (PAT) and citrinin (CTN) are the most common mycotoxins produced by Penicillium and Aspergillus species and are often associated with fruits and fruit by-products. Hence, simple and reliable methods for monitoring these toxins in foodstuffs are required for regular quality assessment. In this study, we aimed to establish a cost-effective method for detection and quantification of PAT and CTN in pome fruits, such as apples and pears, using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with spectroscopic detectors without the need for any clean-up steps. The method showed good performance in the analysis of these mycotoxins in apple and pear fruit samples with recovery ranges of 55–97% for PAT and 84–101% for CTN, respectively. The limits of detection (LOD) of PAT and CTN in fruits were 0.006 µg/g and 0.001 µg/g, while their limits of quantification (LOQ) were 0.018 µg/g and 0.003 µg/g, respectively. The present findings indicate that the newly developed HPLC method provides rapid and accurate detection of PAT and CTN in fruits.

Aspergillus carbonarius is a strong and consistent ochratoxin A (OTA) producer and considered to be the main source of this toxic metabolite in grapes and grape products such as wine, grape juice and dried vine fruit. OTA is produced under certain growth conditions and its accumulation is affected by several environmental factors, such as growth phase, substrate, temperature, water activity and pH. In this study, we examined the impact of fruit host factors on regulation and accumulation of OTA in colonized grape berries, and assessed in vitro the impact of those factors on the transcriptional levels of the key genes and global regulators contributing to fungal colonization and mycotoxin synthesis. We found that limited sugar content, low pH levels and high malic acid concentrations activated OTA biosynthesis by A. carbonarius, both in synthetic media and during fruit colonization, through modulation of global regulator of secondary metabolism, laeA and OTA gene cluster expression. These findings indicate that fruit host factors may have a significant impact on the capability of A. carbonarius to produce and accumulate OTA in grapes.

Background and objectives: Preservation of alveolar ridge contour following tooth extraction is important to allow for restoration with prosthetics and implants. Socket seal surgery was introduced more than two decades ago for preservation of the form, volume and bone quality of the postextraction ridge. The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the changes in alveolar ridge contour following socket seal surgery and to evaluate the survival of the soft tissue grafts sealing the extraction site. Materials and Methods: Digital images of the extraction sites treated with the socket seal surgery were obtained immediately after extraction and after a healing time of 6 months to measure the changes in the alveolar width. In addition, the sites were photographed 1 week postsurgery to evaluate the vitality of the soft tissue grafts. Results: The overall mean loss of buccal width following socket seal surgery was 5.3% (SD = 13.4%). The mean change in width at the incisor area (1.5% ± 13.1) was significantly lesser than those in the canine area (−17.0% ± 2.1, p < 0.01) or premolar area (−10.5% ± 11.2, p < 0.01). One-week post-surgery 69% of the grafts were vital, and 31% were partially vital. Complete necrosis of the grafts did not occur. Conclusions: Our results suggest that socket seal surgery has a beneficial effect on alveolar dimensional changes 6 months following tooth extraction and that the teeth that benefit mostly from socket seal surgery are incisors.

The aim of this study is to determine the cytotoxicity of three different nano composite resins (CRs) on human gingival fibroblast (hGF) and periodontal ligament fibroblast (hPDLF) cell lines. These CRs selected were nanohybrid organic monomer-based Admira Fusion (AF), nanohybrid Bis-(acryloyloxymethyl) tricyclo 5.2.1.0.sup.2,6 decane-based Charisma Topaz (CT), and supra nano filled resin-based Estelite Quick Sigma (EQS). MTT assay was performed to assess the cytotoxicity of CRs at 24 h and one week. AF and EQS applied on hGF cells at 24 h and one week demonstrated similar cytotoxic outcomes. Cytotoxicity of CT on hGF cells at one week was higher than 24 h (p = 0.04). Cytotoxicity of CT on hGF cells was higher at 24 h (p = 0.002) and one week (p = 0.009) compared to control. All composites showed higher cytotoxicity on hPDLF cells at one week than the 24 h (AF; p = 0.02, CT; p = 0.02, EQS; p = 0.04). AF and EQS demonstrated lower cytotoxicity on hPDLF cells than the control group at 24 h (AF; p = 0.01, EQS; p = 0.001). CT was found more cytotoxic on hPDLF cells than the control (p = 0.01) and EQS group (p = 0.008) at one week. The cytotoxicity of CRs on hGF and hPDLF cells vary, according to the type of composites, cell types, and exposure time.

Cancer is one of the major causes of death globally, which involves uncontrollable growth and spread of abnormal cells. Cytotoxic plant extracts may act on various cancer cells. In this study cytotoxicity of five cultivated Asteraceae plant extracts (Echinacea purpurea L., Achillea filipendulina L., Achillea millefolium L., Tanacetum parthenium L., Silybum marianum L.) has been investigated on different cell lines. Metabolomic profiling of the plants was performed using the LC-qTOF-MS system. In vitro MTT assay applied for determine cytotoxic activity of samples on HT29 (Human colon cancer cells) and L929 (mouse fibroblast) cells. Correlation has been examined between cytotoxicity and metabolomic profile to find active seconder metabolites (r ≥ 0.60, r ≤ −0.60). Total 585 seconder metabolites have been detected for five Asteraceae plants. 118 metabolite showed positive correlation with the cell viability on L929 cell lines while 79 metabolites showed negative correlation. 112 metabolites showed positive correlation with cytotoxic activity on HT29 cell lines while 70 metabolites showed negative. 18 uncommon metabolites were detected in S. marianum extract which has selective cytotoxic activity on cell lines. 16 common metabolites were highly correlated positively as selective cytotoxic activity. These results showed us correlation analyzes between activity and metabolomic profile can be an easy and appropriate method to determine active seconder metabolites in plant extracts.

The purposes of this study were to determine whether moderately physically active (MPA) and highly physically active (HPA) male (n = 96, age = 22.5 ± 1.7 years) and female (n = 85, age = 21.3 ± 1.6 years) young adults differed in their anthropometric obesity indices (AOIs), body fat percentage (BF%), and muscular strength, and also to examine the associations between physical activity level (PAL) and the abovementioned variables. Participants were measured for body height and weight, BF%, waist and hip circumferences, and maximal isometric grip strength. According to their PAL, estimated by the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, they were assigned to MPA and HPA subgroups. Regardless of gender, results indicated that participants in the MPA groups had significantly higher values of body weight, waist and hip circumference, BF%, and BMI than participants in the HPA groups. No significant differences were found between physical activity groups in terms of grip strength. The AOIs and BF% were found to be significantly and negatively correlated with the PAL in both genders. In conclusion, the findings of the study suggest that high habitual physical activity is associated with lower adiposity markers. However, the differences in the hand grip strength of the contrasting activity groups were negligible.

Salvadora persica L. is a popular chewing stick commonly known as “miswak”. During our ongoing research activities on the chemical constituents of Salvadora persica roots, which is a new sulphur-containing imidazoline alkaloid 1,3-Dibenzyl-4-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydroxy-butyl)-1,3-dihydro-imidazole-2-thione, persicaline, (1) along with five known compounds (2–6) are identified. Compounds (2, 3) were reported for the first time from the family Salvadoraeceae. The structure of the new compound was established by extensive spectroscopic data and HR-MS. The antioxidant activities of the fractions and isolates were evaluated using different in vitro methods, such as DPPH, superoxide anion and nitric oxide radicals scavenging assays. Compound (1) showed a promising antioxidant activity with IC50 0.1, 0.08, and 0.09 µM in the three assays, respectively, comparable to ascorbic acid.