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In wireless multihop networks, such as wireless sensor networks, link quality (LQ) is one of the most important metrics and is widely used in higher‐layer applications such as routing protocols. An accurate LQ prediction may greatly improve the performance of wireless multihop networks. Researchers have proposed a lot of LQ prediction models in recent years. However, due to the dynamic and stochastic nature of wireless transmission, the performance of LQ prediction is limited. In this article, we mainly analyze the influence of stochastic nature of wireless transmission on LQ prediction models and study the limitation of such models. Then, we discuss the benefits in the application of wireless multihop networks with the performance‐limited LQ prediction models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the application of large-span building covers in high-speed railway stations, the issue of structural vibration comfort induced by crowd walking has aroused the attention of researchers. The randomness of the crowd flow on large-span building covers, combined with the conventional method adopting the worst load case to evaluate the human-induced structural vibration, leads to larger response results and a significant deviation from the actual scenario. In this study, a novel crowd-load model considering the inherent dual randomness associated with the trajectory of the crowd and walking load is proposed. It is developed by integrating the social force model with a random single person walking load. In addition, a corresponding framework for structural vibration calculation is proposed as well. Three crowd-loading models are established, accounting for randomness, by combining with the finite element model of the thin plate structure. The vibration response of the floor slab under crowd excitation was assessed in the waiting hall of Xiong'an high-speed railway station. Numerical simulation calculations were performed, comparing the results for three different types of crowd load. The findings indicate a significant reduction in the vibration response of the large-span waiting hall when employing the load model incorporating the social force model. This serves as a correction to the overly conservative nature of the conventional load model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Random meso‐scale defects within welded joints can affect the structural damage process and cause dispersion in the fatigue lifetime of welded joints. In this paper, a meso‐scale stochastic damage approach is used to investigate the effect of random, meso‐scale defects on the fatigue damage lifetime of welded joints under different loads. First, we established an elastic–plastic fatigue damage model considering meso‐defects in the weld metal. Secondly, the fatigue lifetimes for gas tungsten arc welding and gas metal arc welding welded joints were predicted, with most of the predictions within the twofold dispersion factor. Thirdly, the Monte Carlo simulation method was used to investigate the influence of meso‐defect size on the fatigue lifetime dispersion degree, and the fatigue lifetime distribution under different loads was statistically analyzed. Established a fatigue life prediction model considering random meso‐defects in welds.The dispersion effect of meso‐scale random defect size on fatigue life was analyzed.Fatigue life prediction of welded specimens of other materials is also possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) and the related cryptographic systems have become widespread alternatives to provide secure channels of communication within our everexpanding networked universe. Cryptosystems play an important role in keeping the privacy of information when it is sent over the network or stored. But as threats and resources grow exponentially higher the only solution is to constantly develop and make more complex systems to remain safe. The Menezes-Vanstone Elliptic Curve Cryptosystem (MVECC) is a cryptographic scheme based on elliptic curve mathematics, designed for data encryption and transmission. A linear Bézier curve is a mathematical construct used in computer graphics, and it's defined by a set of control points. This paper presents an extension to MVECC with a linear Bézier curve equation. This is implemented using a modification of the linear Bézier curve equation to propose the encryption/decryption equations. Also, define a new secret key κ κ , with u (where u ∈ [ 0 , 1 ]) u ∈ [ 0 , 1 ]) and create it with scalar multiplication in ECC by the public key R k R k of MVECC. The purpose of this paper is to enhance the general complexity of the MVECC for key generation, encryption, and decryption operations. This research paper aims to increase the complexity of MVECC by incorporating the behavior of the linear Bézier curve equation. The test of randomness of the ciphertext of the proposed method is depends on several tests issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The timing of the proposed method has been tested, and the required processes have been calculated. Results show that the proposed modification has the complexity and randomness to provide higher security levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the excitement about genomics, it is easy to lose sight of one of the most important findings from behavioural genetics: At least half of the variance of psychopathology is caused by environmental effects that are not shared by children growing up in the same family, which includes error of measurement. However, a 30‐year search for the systematic causes of nonshared environment in a line‐up of the usual suspects, especially parenting, has not identified the culprits. Method: I briefly review this research, but primarily consider the conceptual framework of the search for 'missing' nonshared environmental effects. Results: The search has focused on exogenous events like parenting, but nonshared environment might not be caused by anything we would call an event. Instead, it might reflect endogenous processes such as noisy biological systems (such as somatic mutations and epigenetics) or, at a psychological level, idiosyncratic subjective perceptions of past and present experiences, which could be called nonshared environmental experience to distinguish it from exogenous events. Although real, nonshared environment might be random in the philosophy of science sense of being unpredictable, even though it can have stable effects that predict subsequent behaviour. Conclusion: I wade into the weeds of randomness and suggest that this so‐called 'gloomy prospect' might not be so gloomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creating and testing a biometric key is a critical process used for security and identity verification .When using biometric traits such as fingerprints, facial features, iris patterns, earprints, and voice patterns, a unique key is created and linked to the individual's biometric identity. These biometrics provide inherent uniqueness, resulting in a higher level of security compared to traditional methods. In addition, biometric authentication eliminates the need for users to memorize complex passwords or carry physical tokens, thus enhancing convenience and user experience. Iris recognition systems have received significant attention in biometrics for their ability to provide robust criteria for identifying individuals, thanks to the rich texture of the iris. In this research, the key generation process was created by converting biometrics (the iris) into a digital representation (a set of binary numbers from the two iris) that can be used in the encryption process. This is done by using digital image processing algorithms to extract unique features from the two irises. After the key is generated, it is tested using random metrics. If the key meets the criteria, it is random otherwise the key will be generated again.

Inundations in Amazonian black‐water river floodplain result in the selection of different tree lineages, thus promoting coexistence between species. We investigated whether Amazonian tree communities are phylogenetically structured and distributed along a flooding gradient from irregularly flooded forests along streams embedded within upland (terra‐firme) forest to seasonally flooded floodplains of large rivers (igapós). Floristic inventories and hydrological monitoring were performed along the Falsino River, a black‐water river in the eastern Amazon within the Amapá National Forest. We constructed a presence‐and‐absence matrix and generated a phylogeny using the vascular plant database available in GenBank. We calculated the standardized values of the metrics of phylogenetic diversity (ses.PD), average phylogenetic distance (ses.MPD), and average nearest‐neighbor distance (ses.MNTD) to test whether the history of relationships between species in the community is influenced by inundation. We used the phylogenetic endemism (PE) metric to verify the existence of taxa with restricted distribution. Linear regressions were used to test whether phylogenetic metrics have a significant relationship with the variables: maximum flood height, maximum water table depth, and maximum flood amplitude. The results show that forests subject to prolonged seasonal flooding have reduced taxon richness, low phylogenetic diversity, and random distribution of lineages within communities. On the other hand, terra‐firme riparian forests showed higher rates of taxon richness, diversity, and phylogenetic dispersion, in addition to greater phylogenetic endemism. These results indicate that seasonal and predictable soil flooding filters tree lineages along the hydrographic gradient. Different adaptations to root waterlogging are likely requirements for colonization in these environments and may represent an important factor in the diversification of tree lineages in the Amazon biome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hoisting safety and the difficulty of the main reinforcement connection are directly affected by stiffness of reinforcement parts. Quantifying the stiffness of reinforcement parts has become a key technology problem. Firstly, an independent mechanical solution model of three-dimensional rotational stiffness (Rx , Ry , and Rz) for the welded joints is proposed from the perspective of mechanical mechanism. Considering the influence of the rebar diameter, 105 sets of T-type welded reinforcement specimens and 2 types of loading devices were designed, and graded loading tests were performed. On this basis, considering the randomness of the rotational stiffness of the welded joints, a deformation calculation method for the welded reinforcement parts based on Monte Carlo random sampling is proposed, and six groups of two-dimensional (2D) reinforcement mats and six groups of three-dimensional (3D) reinforcement cages tests were performed. The results show that the rotational stiffness of the welded joints is random and has the Gaussian distribution characteristics. The rotational stiffness of the welded joints has a significant effect on the deformation of the welded reinforcement parts. Under the same welding conditions, the rotational stiffness of the welded joints increases with the increase of reinforcement diameter. Under the same reinforcement diameter, the three-dimensional rotational stiffness of the welded joints is in the order Rx>Rz>Ry. The cross-sectional area of the welded joint can better characterize the rotational stiffness. The verification test of welded reinforcement shows that the error of the calculation method proposed in this paper is within 10%, while the error of rigid connections and hinge connections are less than 30% and 130%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of the dynamics of foreign exchange rates is of paramount importance to economic policy makers for developing countries like India that depend on foreign exchange to meet a large part of their import obligations. This paper uses the concepts of entropy to study the regularity/irregularity of the returns from the Indian Foreign exchange (forex) markets particularly during periods of economic instability. We use the Approximate Entropy and Sample Entropy statistics which measure the level of repeatability in the data are used to quantify the randomness in the forex returns for four major currencies namely the US Dollar, the British pound, the EURO and the Japanese Yen with respect to the Indian Rupee from the time period 2006 to 2021. These statistics are chosen as they are both statistical measures for assessing the randomness or regularity of time series data and enable researchers to objectively evaluate the degree of randomness present in the returns series and understand the crucial underlying patters or behaviors. In this research we look at two periods of major financial upheavals, the subprime crisis also known as the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) during 2006-2007 and the recent Covid-19 pandemic during 2020-2021. Our empirical results overwhelmingly confirm our working hypothesis that regularity in the returns of the major Indian foreign exchange rates increases during times of financial crisis. This is evidenced by a decrease in the values of the sample entropy and approximate entropy before and after/during the financial crisis period for the majority of the exchange rates. Our empirical results also show that Sample Entropy is a better measure of regularity than Approximate Entropy for the Indian forex rates which is in agreement with the theoretical predictions. Understanding the returns from foreign exchange rates during financial crises has important policy implications for various stakeholders, including market participants, policymakers, and regulators. It enables them to formulate better risk management and hedging strategies. It also helps policy makers in crisis management and contingency planning and safeguard the stability of the financial system. Exchange rate movements are interconnected across global markets, and crises often have cross-border implications. Collaborating on crisis management strategies across countries can help foster stability in international markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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A hypothesis is presented to explain how the ageing process might be influenced by optimizing mitochondrial efficiency to reduce intracellular entropy. Research-based quantifications of entropy are scarce. Non-equilibrium metabolic reactions and compartmentalization were found to contribute most to lowering entropy in the cells. Like the cells, mitochondria are thermodynamically open systems exchanging matter and energy with their surroundings—the rest of the cell. Based on the calculations from cancer cells, glycolysis was reported to produce less entropy than mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. However, these estimations depended on the CO2 concentration so that at slightly increased CO2, it was oxidative phosphorylation that produced less entropy. Also, the thermodynamic efficiency of mitochondrial respiratory complexes varies depending on the respiratory state and oxidant/antioxidant balance. Therefore, in spite of long-standing theoretical and practical efforts, more measurements, also in isolated mitochondria, with intact and suboptimal respiration, are needed to resolve the issue. Entropy increases in ageing while mitochondrial efficiency of energy conversion, quality control, and turnover mechanisms deteriorate. Optimally functioning mitochondria are necessary to meet energy demands for cellular defence and repair processes to attenuate ageing. The intuitive approach of simply supplying more metabolic fuels (more nutrients) often has the opposite effect, namely a decrease in energy production in the case of nutrient overload. Excessive nutrient intake and obesity accelerate ageing, while calorie restriction without malnutrition can prolong life. Balanced nutrient intake adapted to needs/activity-based high ATP requirement increases mitochondrial respiratory efficiency and leads to multiple alterations in gene expression and metabolic adaptations. Therefore, rather than overfeeding, it is necessary to fine-tune energy production by optimizing mitochondrial function and reducing oxidative stress; the evidence is discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a design of ternary bistale ring physical unclonable function (BRPUF) based on carbon nanotube field effect transistors (CNTFETs). PUFs can extract unique chip features from process variations and assign every chip an inherent fingerprint to be used for identification or authentication of devices. As the main point of strength for PUF security, the size of challenge-response pairs (CRPs) can be increased by adopting multi-valued logic designs. The proposed ternary BRPUF blends higher entropy into CRPs and is tested to produce unbiased response digits, thus making them more unpredictable and more resistant against machine learning attacks. The instinctive features of CNTFETs, such as intensive process variations and high tolerance against temperature fluctuations and noises, enable our design to function robustly in a wide range of operating conditions. The proposed design has been implemented using standard 32-nm CNTFET model libraries and tested by HSPICE simulations. The results elaborate the superiority of our work compared with the traditional binary BRPUFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the introduction of the Kolmogorov complexity of binary sequences in the 1960s, there have been significant advancements on the topic of complexity measures for randomness assessment, which are of fundamental importance in theoretical computer science and of practical interest in cryptography. This survey reviews notable research from the past four decades on the linear, quadratic and maximum-order complexities of pseudo-random sequences, and their relations with Lempel–Ziv complexity, expansion complexity, 2-adic complexity and correlation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background In the excitement about genomics, it is easy to lose sight of one of the most important findings from behavioural genetics: At least half of the variance of psychopathology is caused by environmental effects that are not shared by children growing up in the same family, which includes error of measurement. However, a 30‐year search for the systematic causes of nonshared environment in a line‐up of the usual suspects, especially parenting, has not identified the culprits. Method I briefly review this research, but primarily consider the conceptual framework of the search for ‘missing’ nonshared environmental effects. Results The search has focused on exogenous events like parenting, but nonshared environment might not be caused by anything we would call an event. Instead, it might reflect endogenous processes such as noisy biological systems (such as somatic mutations and epigenetics) or, at a psychological level, idiosyncratic subjective perceptions of past and present experiences, which could be called nonshared environmental experience to distinguish it from exogenous events. Although real, nonshared environment might be random in the philosophy of science sense of being unpredictable, even though it can have stable effects that predict subsequent behaviour. Conclusion I wade into the weeds of randomness and suggest that this so‐called ‘gloomy prospect’ might not be so gloomy.

This study addresses the temporal variability and randomness of concrete's chloride diffusion coefficient by proposing an analysis using stochastic measures for the instantaneous chloride diffusion coefficient (Dins) alongside Kullback-Leibler (K-L) divergence and Hamming distance for similarity assessment. Examination of diverse concrete specimens subjected to both natural tidal environments (NE) and simulated environments (SE) indicated that the environmental factors, primarily exposure setting and duration, substantially influence the diffusion coefficient's temporal behavior. SE with elevated temperature and salinity accelerated chloride penetration, leading to higher diffusion rate means than those in NE. Concrete in NE exhibited a log-normal distribution for Dins, while under SE, a normal distribution was observed. Variability was mainly driven by the exposure environment, with minor contributions from material components. Similarity analysis suggested that the stochastic character of Dins in SE after 120 days resembled those in NE at 600 days, as per K-L divergence, whereas Hamming distance showed the closest resemblance at 240 days in SE. The Material make-up showed negligible impact on distribution similarity, and the extending simulation exposure time had a limited effect on enhancing similarity of stochastic diffusion behavior across environments.

Objective To summarize the performance and implementation status of various randomization methods, and to provide clinical researchers with a guide for choosing an appropriate randomization method and executing it in a standardized manner. Methods The review elucidated the conceptual and implementation integrity of randomization, and illuminated the developmental history and application of major randomization methods, as well as their performance in the two competitive dimensions of group allocation randomness and group sample balance. Results Restricted randomization was frequently used to maintain an appropriate treatment balance in practice. Block randomization was the most widely used, but its allocation sequence lacked sufficient randomness and could be predicted, elevating the risk of selection bias, especially in open-label trials. Methods offering a superior trade-off between randomness and balance included MTI restricted randomization methods like the big stick design and maximal procedure, as well as combinations of multiple randomization methods such as the block urn design and sandwich mixed randomization. Many clinical researchers still had misconceptions about the randomization concept itself and often overlooked its critical methodological rigor and standardized implementation. Conclusion Researchers should meticulously choose a suitable randomization method and report implementation details in a standardized manner, allowing peer researchers to evaluate the internal validity and evidence strength of the study. Due to its high predictability, the widely used block randomization method should be substituted by alternative methods with better performance. Future randomization procedures can be explored and developed based on the MTI restrictive methods and the combinations of existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While nature loves symmetry inasmuch as many natural laws remain invariant under various transformations, description of the natural diversity warrants some kind of breakdown of symmetry. Such a breakdown of symmetry may be either explicit or spontaneous. Many significant developments have taken place in recent times in diverse fields of study. Algorithmic information theory has been formulated by Kolmogorov and others. Spontaneous breakdown of symmetry and its use in the standard model of particle physics, discovery of the Higgs Boson are all notable events. Work of Ilya Prigogine to accommodate biological self-organisation within the ambit of the second law of thermodynamics is also quite noteworthy. According to some, his principle of minimum entropy production has added a dynamic content to the second law of thermodynamics, which otherwise is viewed as a mere kinematic constraint. It appears that non-linear dynamics and the catastrophe theory of Rene Thom can play an important role to understand a sudden qualitative change of a dynamical system triggered by certain value of a parameter. Phase change of water subjected to external heating or change from a stable economy to one marked by trade cycles are examples of such sudden transitions. Advent of econophysics and behavioural finance has facilitated a new way of looking logically at the problems of finance and economics with the help of established physical laws as well as rigorous mathematical and statistical analyses. Importance of such an approach is evident from the sad plight of Louis Bachelier. In this article, it has been our effort to link up such apparently disjoint developments from diverse fields of study within the ambit of a single logically consistent framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Symmetric cryptography provides the best examples of cryptosystems to be applied in lightweight environments (e.g., IoT). A representative example is the cryptosystem TinyJambu, one of the ten finalists in the NIST Lightweight Cryptography Standardization Project. It is an authentication encryption with associated data scheme that is extremely lightweight and fast. In this work, we analyze the security of TinyJambu from two distinct and non-symmetric points of view: (1) the improvement of the best cryptanalytical attack found in the literature and (2) a randomness analysis of the generated sequences. Concerning item (1), we launched a differential forgery attack with probability 2−65.9487, which was improved considerably compared with previous numerical results. Concerning item (2), we analyzed the degree of randomness of the TinyJambu keystream sequences with a complete and powerful battery of statistical tests. This non-symmetric study shows the weakness of TinyJambu against cryptanalytic attacks as well as the strength of TinyJambu against statistical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate whether it is possible to distinguish chaotic time series from random time series using network theory. In this perspective, we selected four methods to generate graphs from time series: the natural, the horizontal, the limited penetrable horizontal visibility graph, and the phase space reconstruction method. These methods claim that the distinction of chaos from randomness is possible by studying the degree distribution of the generated graphs. We evaluated these methods by computing the results for chaotic time series from the 2D Torus Automorphisms, the chaotic Lorenz system, and a random sequence derived from the normal distribution. Although the results confirm previous studies, we found that the distinction of chaos from randomness is not generally possible in the context of the above methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among large-span bridges, arch bridges have relatively high stiffness, which may lead to large dynamic amplification factors (DAFs). The DAFs suggested by current codes mostly originate from common simply supported beam bridges. Previous DAF studies on dynamic vehicle–bridge solutions for arch bridges have mainly focused on one or two side-by-side vehicles. However, complex traffic flows with randomness rather than one or two vehicles act on bridges. DAFs that consider the effects of random traffic flows have not previously been reported. In this study, a random traffic–bridge vibration solution was established to explore the DAFs of arch bridge components. The randomness of the traffic parameters and road roughness was explored. The randomness of the external excitation, including traffic flow and road roughness, resulted in random dynamic responses and DAFs of the arch bridge components. Normal distributions could be used to fit the DAF distributions of each arch bridge component under random vehicle spacing, weight, speed, and road roughness. Under random traffic parameters, the coefficients of variation of the DAFs exceeded the 5% accepted level. The shortest suspenders were more sensitive to the randomness of the traffic flow parameters. Both the mean and coefficient of variation of the DAFs increased with worsening of the road conditions. The influence of the randomness of the road roughness on the DAFs of arch bridges must be considered, particularly for the shortest suspender. The 95% upper confidence limits of the DAFs for all components may be greater than the suggested values in the code. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is still controversy surrounding the definition and mechanisms of consciousness. The constrained disorder principle (CDP) defines complex systems by their dynamic borders, limiting their inherent disorder. In line with the CDP, the brain exhibits a disorder bounded by dynamic borders essential for proper function, efficient energy use, and life support under continuous perturbations. The brain's inherent variability contributes to its adaptability and flexibility. Neuronal signal variability challenges the association of brain structures with consciousness and methods for assessing consciousness. The present paper discusses some theories about consciousness, emphasizing their failure to explain the brain's variability. This paper describes how the CDP accounts for consciousness's variability, complexity, entropy, and uncertainty. Using newly developed second-generation artificial intelligence systems, we describe how CDP-based platforms may improve disorders of consciousness (DoC) by accounting for consciousness variability, complexity, entropy, and uncertainty. This platform could be used to improve response to current interventions and develop new therapeutic regimens for patients with DoC in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquatic vegetation plays an important role in natural water environments by interacting with the flow and generating turbulence that affects the air‐water and sediment‐water interfacial transfer. Regular and staggered arrays are often set as simplified layouts for vegetation canopy to study both mean flow and turbulence statistics in vegetated flows, which creates uniform spacing between vegetation elements, resulting in preferential flow paths within the array. Such preferential paths can produce local high velocity and strong turbulence, which do not necessarily happen in natural environments where vegetation is randomly distributed. How the randomness of the canopy affects interfacial processes by altering spatial turbulence distribution, which can potentially lead to different turbulence feedback on the interfacial transfer process, remains an open question. This study conducted a series of laboratory experiments in a race‐track flume using rigid cylinders as plant surrogates. Mean and turbulent flow statistics were characterized by horizontal‐ and vertical‐sliced PIV. Based on the measured flow characteristics under different stem diameters and array configurations, we propose a method to quantify the randomness of the vegetation array and update a sediment‐water‐air interfacial gas transfer model with the randomness parameter to improve its accuracy. The updated model agrees well with the dissolved oxygen experimental data from our study and data from existing literature at various scales. The study provides critical insight into water quality management in vegetated channels with improved dissolved oxygen predictions considering vegetation layout as part of the interfacial transfer model. Plain Language Summary: Aquatic vegetation plays an important role in natural water environments by interacting with the flow and generating turbulence, which affects the interfacial gas transfer across the air‐water and sediment‐water interfaces. Researchers often used regular and staggered arrays as simplified vegetation layouts in laboratory experiments to study the flow hydrodynamics of vegetated channels. However, such regular vegetation pattern creates uniform spacing between stem elements, resulting in preferential flow paths within the canopy, which is unrealistic in nature where plants are randomly distributed. To understand the discrepancies between the idealized and the actual field cases, laboratory experiments were conducted in a race‐track flume using arrays of rigid cylinders as plant surrogates. We investigate the effects of randomly distributed vegetation on hydrodynamics and how spatial heterogeneity can alter turbulence feedback on interfacial transfer processes. A randomness index was proposed based on the measured flow characteristics under different stem diameters and array configurations to update previous interfacial transfer models. The study provides helpful insight into water quality management in vegetated channels, with improved dissolved oxygen predictions via a more accurate and universal interfacial transfer model with different vegetation distribution patterns. Key Points: An index based on lateral flow variations is proposed to quantify the randomness in the distribution of vegetation elements in a canopyLayout of emergent vegetation does not affect surface gas transfer rates, as the average of the horizontal‐shear turbulence remains the sameContributions from coherent structures by flow‐stem‐bed interaction need to be corrected by the randomness index for sediment‐water transfer [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Inundations in Amazonian black‐water river floodplain result in the selection of different tree lineages, thus promoting coexistence between species. We investigated whether Amazonian tree communities are phylogenetically structured and distributed along a flooding gradient from irregularly flooded forests along streams embedded within upland (terra‐firme) forest to seasonally flooded floodplains of large rivers (igapós). Floristic inventories and hydrological monitoring were performed along the Falsino River, a black‐water river in the eastern Amazon within the Amapá National Forest. We constructed a presence‐and‐absence matrix and generated a phylogeny using the vascular plant database available in GenBank. We calculated the standardized values of the metrics of phylogenetic diversity (ses.PD), average phylogenetic distance (ses.MPD), and average nearest‐neighbor distance (ses.MNTD) to test whether the history of relationships between species in the community is influenced by inundation. We used the phylogenetic endemism (PE) metric to verify the existence of taxa with restricted distribution. Linear regressions were used to test whether phylogenetic metrics have a significant relationship with the variables: maximum flood height, maximum water table depth, and maximum flood amplitude. The results show that forests subject to prolonged seasonal flooding have reduced taxon richness, low phylogenetic diversity, and random distribution of lineages within communities. On the other hand, terra‐firme riparian forests showed higher rates of taxon richness, diversity, and phylogenetic dispersion, in addition to greater phylogenetic endemism. These results indicate that seasonal and predictable soil flooding filters tree lineages along the hydrographic gradient. Different adaptations to root waterlogging are likely requirements for colonization in these environments and may represent an important factor in the diversification of tree lineages in the Amazon biome.

Association football (commonly known as football or soccer) in the modern era places a greater emphasis on collaborating and working together as a team instead of relying solely on individual skills to strategize winning performances. The low-scoring and unpredictable nature of association football makes evaluating team performances challenging. Space creation and space utilization have been discussed in the football world lately. Existing literature evaluates this with on and off-ball runs by players for deceiving defenders to create open spaces. However, the contribution of these team ball movements’ enhanced randomness or chaotic nature to winning performances has yet to be explored. This work proposes a novel entropy-based time-series performance evaluation metric, EDRan, for quantifying this enhanced random nature by analyzing the spatial distribution of game events at regular intervals. Additionally, an unexplored cumulative ball possession matrix is used to quantify randomness. The correlation between the match winner and spatial event distribution randomness at regular intervals was analyzed. The significance of the proposed metric was demonstrated using a generalized linear model (GLM), which achieved an average accuracy of 80% for match-winning performance classification. The GLM p-values and coefficients revealed statistically significant relationships between the extracted temporal features and match-winning performances. Findings further revealed dispersed, highly random event distribution by winning teams during the early phases of the game, implying attacking behavior, followed by a compact, cautious playing style toward the end, suggesting that the game’s first-half performances are more pivotal. Despite the unpredictability of actual scores in association football, the proposed approach effectively captured the differences in performances between stronger and weaker teams with temporal relationships, highlighting its significance as a time-series metric for performance evaluation.

Simulating the concrete fracture unlike other elastic and brittle materials quite different due to its quasibrittleness. The present research focussed on assess softening behavior by varying different fractions of aggregates and cement matrix in micro details. Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM) for crack modeling implemented for simulating and visualizing crack propagation through Cement matrix, Interfacial Transition Zone (ITZ) and Aggregates . This approach permits the initializing crack by from enrichment zone and propagation of crack through element by traction separation law .The crack formation initiates when the maximum principal tensile stress reaches the tensile strength. The work involves creating python script for iterative process of random distribution of aggregates with in the matrix using Monte Carlo method and creating Cohesive zone element for zero thickness ITZ. introduces a finite element modeling technique for investigating multiscale fracture characteristics. This approach encompasses multiple levels of analysis, including the generation of aggregate particles using a Monte Carlo method implemented via a Python script. Additionally, we replicate the Interfacial Transition Zone (ITZ) between aggregate and mortar in the model. The load-deflection curves can be used to assess the softening behavior of concrete and suggest the realistic fraction of coarse aggregate in mix proportion to impart more ductility to beams.

Background No evidence of the possibility of altering a constituent of the immune system without directly affecting one of its associated components has yet been shown. Methods A schematic model was developed in which two triggers, fasting and splenectomy, were studied for their ability to affect the expression of cell membrane epitopes and the cytokine secretion of out-of-body autogeneic and syngeneic lymphocytes. Results The effect of fasting and/or splenectomy on promoting correlations between immune systems was studied by determining the alterations in expressions of cell membrane epitopes and in cytokine secretion by out-of-body autogeneic and syngeneic lymphocytes. The effect of fasting as a trigger decreased expression of CD8 and CD25 and increased TNFα levels. The effect of splenectomy as a trigger was investigated in non-fasting mice by comparing splenectomized and non-splenectomized mice. An increase in the CD8 expression and in TNFα, IFNg, and IL10 secretion was noted. The effect of splenectomy as a trigger in fasting mice was determined by comparing splenectomized and non-splenectomized mice. Splenectomy significantly affected the expression of CD25 and CD4 CD25 and on secretion of TNFα, IFNg, and IL10. To determine the effect of keeping the cells in an out-of-body location on the expression of lymphocyte epitopes, tubes kept on top of the cages of the fasting mice were compared with tubes kept on top of empty cages. The results showed a significant change in the CD8 expression was noted. To determine the effect of keeping cells in an out-of-body location on cytokine secretion, tubes kept on cages were tested for cytokine levels significant decrease was noted in the secretion of TNFα and IFNg. Conclusions The study showed that a mouse could affect cells at a distance and alter the expression of surface markers and cytokine secretion following two types of triggers: fasting and/or splenectomy. The data characterized a system for the induction of correlations between two’s immune system components without a transfer of mediators. It suggests that an out-of-body correlation can be induced between two components of the immune system.

This paper presents a novel reconfigurable SRAM CRP PUF that can achieve high reliability and randomness. In conventional reconfigurable SRAM CRP PUFs, imprecise timing control can produce a biased response output, which is typically attributed to mismatches in the connection of input control signals to the two inverter arrays in the layout floorplan. We propose a timing control scheme along with the addition of an adjunct NMOS transistor to address this issue. This eliminates the connection mismatches for the challenge and word-line inputs to the two inverter arrays. Furthermore, we employ symmetric layout techniques to achieve the randomness of response output. The symmetric arrangement of the two inverter arrays maximizes the inherent random output characteristics derived from process variation. The pre-charge input signal is symmetrically connected to each array to prevent delay mismatches. A 16 × 9-bit reconfigurable PUF array is fabricated by using a 180 nm CMOS process, with a PUF cell area of 1.2 × 10 4 F 2 /bit. The experimental results demonstrate an inter Hamming distance of 0.4949 across 40 chips and an intra Hamming distance of 0.0167 for a single chip in 5000 trials. The measured worst bit error rate (BER) is 4.86% at the nominal point (1.8 V, 25 °C). The proposed prototype exhibits good reliability and randomness, as well as a small silicon area when compared to the conventional SRAM CRP PUFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a study on the fracture behavior of concrete beams, specifically focusing on the influence of different fractions of aggregates and the Interfacial Transition Zone (ITZ). The researchers used finite element models to simulate the behavior of concrete and compared the results with experimental data. The simulations accurately predicted crack behavior, although there were some slight deviations due to simplifications in the analysis. The study suggests that the Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM) and Cohesive Element can be effective in modeling concrete fracture, and further research is recommended to explore the impact of aggregate texture. The document also includes a list of references to other research papers and articles on concrete fracture, providing valuable resources for researchers and engineers in the field. [Extracted from the article]

In the game of Matching Pennies, Alice and Bob each hold a penny, and at every tick of the clock they simultaneously display the head or the tail sides of their coins. If they both display the same side, then Alice wins Bob's penny; if they display different sides, then Bob wins Alice's penny. To avoid giving the opponent a chance to win, both players seem to have nothing else to do but to randomly play heads and tails with equal frequencies. However, while not losing in this game is easy, not missing an opportunity to win is not. Randomizing your own moves can be made easy. Recognizing when the opponent's moves are not random can be arbitrarily hard. The notion of randomness is central in game theory, but it is usually taken for granted. The notion of outsmarting is not central in game theory, but it is central in the practice of gaming. We pursue the idea that these two notions can be usefully viewed as two sides of the same coin. The resulting analysis suggests that the methods for strategizing in gaming and security, and for randomizing in computation, can be leveraged against each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chaos-related applications are abundant in the literature, and span the fields of secure communications, encryption, optimization, and surveillance. Such applications take advantage of the unpredictability of chaotic systems as an alternative to using true random processes. The chaotic systems used, though, must showcase the statistical characteristics suitable for each application. This may often be hard to achieve, as the design of maps with tunable statistical properties is not a trivial task. Motivated by this, the present study explores the task of constructing maps, where the statistical measures like the mean value can be appropriately controlled by tuning the map's parameters. For this, a family of piecewise maps is considered, with three control parameters that affect the endpoint interpolations. Numerous examples are given, and the maps are studied through a collection of numerical simulations. The maps can indeed achieve a range of values for their statistical mean. Such maps may find extensive use in relevant chaos-based applications. To showcase this, the problem of chaotic path surveillance is considered as a potential application of the designed maps. Here, an autonomous agent follows a predefined trajectory but maneuvers around it in order to imbue unpredictability to potential hostile observers. The trajectory inherits the randomness of the chaotic map used as a seed, which results in chaotic motion patterns. Simulations are performed for the designed strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The necessity of developing a secure communication system that safeguards privacy and sensitive data against hacker attacks and eavesdroppers is now widely acknowledged. This necessitates the creation of solutions that not only deal with security issues but also shouldn't slow down our system. Most security systems rely on randomness generators to establish safe communication; more randomness equals more security. Random generators are essential to the encryption process. In this research, a design and implementation process for a novel random generator based upon Lorenz chaotic signals is presented. NIST's Statistical Test Suite for Random and Pseudorandom Generators for Cryptographic Applications has been used to evaluate the proposed chaotic random generator CRN, and the findings have been reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background No evidence of the possibility of altering a constituent of the immune system without directly affecting one of its associated components has yet been shown. Methods A schematic model was developed in which two triggers, fasting and splenectomy, were studied for their ability to affect the expression of cell membrane epitopes and the cytokine secretion of out-of-body autogeneic and syngeneic lymphocytes. Results The effect of fasting and/or splenectomy on promoting correlations between immune systems was studied by determining the alterations in expressions of cell membrane epitopes and in cytokine secretion by out-of-body autogeneic and syngeneic lymphocytes. The effect of fasting as a trigger decreased expression of CD8 and CD25 and increased TNFα levels. The effect of splenectomy as a trigger was investigated in non-fasting mice by comparing splenectomized and non-splenectomized mice. An increase in the CD8 expression and in TNFα, IFNg, and IL10 secretion was noted. The effect of splenectomy as a trigger in fasting mice was determined by comparing splenectomized and non-splenectomized mice. Splenectomy significantly affected the expression of CD25 and CD4 CD25 and on secretion of TNFα, IFNg, and IL10. To determine the effect of keeping the cells in an out-of-body location on the expression of lymphocyte epitopes, tubes kept on top of the cages of the fasting mice were compared with tubes kept on top of empty cages. The results showed a significant change in the CD8 expression was noted. To determine the effect of keeping cells in an out-of-body location on cytokine secretion, tubes kept on cages were tested for cytokine levels significant decrease was noted in the secretion of TNFα and IFNg. Conclusions The study showed that a mouse could affect cells at a distance and alter the expression of surface markers and cytokine secretion following two types of triggers: fasting and/or splenectomy. The data characterized a system for the induction of correlations between two’s immune system components without a transfer of mediators. It suggests that an out-of-body correlation can be induced between two components of the immune system.

In this article, some prescriptions to define a distribution on the set Q0 of all rational numbers in [0,1] are outlined. We explored a few properties of these distributions and the possibility of making these rational numbers asymptotically equiprobable in a suitable sense. In particular, it will be shown that in the said limit—albeit no absolutely continuous uniform distribution can be properly defined in Q0—the probability allotted to every single q∈Q0 asymptotically vanishes, while that of the subset of Q0 falling in an interval [a,b]⊆Q0 goes to b−a. We finally present some hints to complete sequencing without repeating the numbers in Q0 as a prerequisite to laying down more distributions on it.

The efficient market hypothesis (EMH) asserts that financial markets are efficient, meaning that current market values of stocks incorporate all available information. This study examines the weak-form efficiency of Palestine Stock Exchange stocks using the indices returns from 2010 to 2022. The study used parametric tests (Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) unit root, serial autocorrelation) and nonparametric tests (Phillips-Perron (PP) unit root, run test, variance ratio test). The findings of these tests provide insights into the behavior of the Palestine Stock Exchange market. The run test outcomes reveal a statistically significant pattern in the data for general, insurance, and service indices, with a p-value below the significance level. Furthermore, the unit root tests indicate statistical significance for all indices with 0.00 p-values and t-statistic below the critical values of –2.86 for level and intercept, and –3.14 for level, trend, and intercept, signifying that the indices returns are stationary. In addition, serial autocorrelation test show that the general and Al-Quds indices show statistically significant links between consecutive observations at all four lags. However, the insurance, investment, and services indices show statistically significant results on three lags. The variance ratio test results challenge the random-walk hypothesis for all indices except industry and insurance. With low probability values, a discernible, long-term, predictable pattern is evident in the Palestine Stock Exchange indices. The analysis reveals that Palestine Stock Exchange index returns exhibit nonrandom behavior, suggesting predictability and patterns in daily returns, indicating the possibility of exploiting market inefficiencies in investment strategies.

Since the introduction of the Kolmogorov complexity of binary sequences in the 1960s, there have been significant advancements on the topic of complexity measures for randomness assessment, which are of fundamental importance in theoretical computer science and of practical interest in cryptography. This survey reviews notable research from the past four decades on the linear, quadratic and maximum-order complexities of pseudo-random sequences, and their relations with Lempel–Ziv complexity, expansion complexity, 2-adic complexity and correlation measures.

Abstract Recently, medical technologies have developed, and the diagnosis of diseases through medical images has become very important. Medical images often pass through the branches of the network from one end to the other. Hence, high‐level security is required. Problems arise due to unauthorized use of data in the image. One of the methods used to secure data in the image is encryption, which is one of the most effective techniques in this field. Confusion and diffusion are the two main steps addressed here. The contribution here is the adaptation of the deep neural network by the weight that has the highest impact on the output, whether it is an intermediate output or a semi‐final output in additional to a chaotic system that is not detectable using deep neural network algorithm. The colour and grayscale images were used in the proposed method by dividing the images according to the Region of Interest by the deep neural network algorithm. The algorithm was then used to generate random numbers to randomly create a chaotic system based on the replacement of columns and rows, and randomly distribute the pixels on the designated area. The proposed algorithm evaluated in several ways, and compared with the existing methods to prove the worth of the proposed method.

After the appearance of the "Decreto" in 1889, that organized construction work and urban areas, which were counted under the most complex aspects in the Arab Republic of Egypt, then building laws began to change and were characterized by pluralism on an ongoing basis, and pluralism continuously, until the Unified Building Law No. 119 of 2008 was issued to put an end to such changes and its complications had a negative impact on architecture and urbanization, and this impact was directly reflected on the citizen. With the application of this law, gaps appeared that caused the problems of architecture and urbanization to inflate instead of finding solutions to them. Despite that, building violations increased until it reached to two million and 800 thousand violations throughout the Republic. The violations study is attributed to the supervisory authorities on construction work, and those authorities did not realize the seriousness of the consequences of violations in the future, and they used to turn blind eyes to some violations, especially in times when there was turmoil in the security services. From the foregoing, the state saw that there is an urgent need to find a law that corrects these kinds of errors and limits the prevailing random expansion. Therefore, Law No. 17 of 2019 and its amendments is appeared in Law No. 1 of 2020, and its new executive regulations issued by Resolution No. 800 of 2020. This law represents an important positive opportunity to organize and control many of the conditions of architecture, urbanization and real estate wealth, raise the value of real estate and legalize the status of violating buildings while giving them a sound legal existence with the reorganization of the urban map in each region and the development of the infrastructure system. In this context, the research presented the strengths and weaknesses of Law No. 17 of 2019, the research is also dealt with the problem of applying the occupancy Law No. 140 of 1956 and its conflict with Law No. 119 of 2008, and reviewed the problems of the maximum permissible height of buildings, especially in line with air traffic, and the research

In order to achieve better test performance, researches on the randomness test strategies based on deep learning were conducted, including the batch average strategy proposed by EUROCRYPT 2021 and the selection strategy for data unit size.By introducing the randomness statistical test model based on deep learning methods, the statistical distribution and test power expression of two test strategies were theoretically derived, and it was pointed out that: (i) the batch average strategy could amplify the prediction accuracy of the model, but it was prone to an increase in the probability of the second type of error in statistics, instead reducing the statistical test power; (ii) the smaller data units of the deep model generally obtained the more powerful statistical tests.Based on the above understanding, a new bit-level deep learning model was proposed for randomness statistical tests, which gained the advantage of prediction with 80 times fewer parameters and 50% samples, compared with the previous work on linear congruent generator (LCG) algorithm, and achieved significant prediction advantages with 10～20 times fewer parameters by extending the model to apply to 5～7 rounds of Speck, compared with the model proposed by Gohr.

Antiferromagnetic spin Hall oscillator with delay under action of DC signal is studied numerically. The delay in oscillator can be attributed to internal inertia of the antiferromagnetic lattice, or could be introduced artificially by electrical means. We have shown that as result of this delay system output becomes random. Such behavior arises from nonlinearity of the system, and somewhat resembles Ikeda equation dynamics. We have also calculated Poincare section of the system, to further confirm stochastic nature of the system output. Results show that phase trajectories of the system are scattered all over the phase plane, as simulation time increases. Also we have calculated Fourier transform of the output signal. Obtained spectrum also shows system output random nature. Obtained results are important for further development of antiferromagnetic terahertz-frequency spintronic oscillators and their applications as random signal sources. Such high frequency random signal sources can revolutionize cryptography and probabilistic computing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Null models are crucial tools for investigating network topological structures. However, research on null models for higher-order networks is still relatively scarce. In this study, we introduce an innovative method to construct null models for hypergraphs, namely the hyperedge swapping-based method. By preserving certain network properties while altering others, we generate six hyper-null models with various orders and analyze their interrelationships. To validate our approach, we first employ hypergraph entropy to assess the randomness of these null models across four datasets. Furthermore, we examine the differences in important statistical properties between the various null models and the original networks. Lastly, we investigate the impact of hypergraph randomness on network dynamics using the proposed hyper-null models, focusing on dismantling and epidemic contagion. The findings show that our proposed hyper-null models are applicable to various scenarios. By introducing a comprehensive framework for generating and analyzing hyper-null models, this research opens up avenues for further exploration of the intricacies of network structures and their real-world implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Analyzing the effect of stochastic interference on the stability of the space environment. • Distinguishing the different orbital capacities. The prediction of the environment in space and the description of its characteristics as well as the use of space debris model data to provide guidance for future launch activities to maintain the long-term sustainability of space have always been important objectives of space debris model use and construction. Because space debris model construction is accompanied by extensive randomness, the stochastic analysis method is adopted in this paper to model the flux data of the MASTER model through the population model. On this basis, stochastic terms are added for further analysis, and different stability classifications are given from the perspective of probability measures to distinguish flux stabilities that are difficult to distinguish by ordinary differential equations. The corresponding characteristics and future launch effects are also quantified. Finally, three different cases, fast convergence, slow convergence and long-term oscillation, are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, some prescriptions to define a distribution on the set Q 0 of all rational numbers in [ 0 , 1 ] are outlined. We explored a few properties of these distributions and the possibility of making these rational numbers asymptotically equiprobable in a suitable sense. In particular, it will be shown that in the said limit—albeit no absolutely continuous uniform distribution can be properly defined in Q 0 —the probability allotted to every single q ∈ Q 0 asymptotically vanishes, while that of the subset of Q 0 falling in an interval [ a , b ] ⊆ Q 0 goes to b − a . We finally present some hints to complete sequencing without repeating the numbers in Q 0 as a prerequisite to laying down more distributions on it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The features of a nonlinear model of the indenter-coating tribosystem of a tribometer are considered. It is shown that with an increase in the amplitude of harmonic perturbation, the dynamic system goes through the stage of doubling the cycle and passes into the regime of deterministic chaos. At the exit from chaos, it is possible to establish various synergistic regimes that stably retain their parameters even with a multiple decrease in the amplitude of the disturbance. A block diagram of the implementation of the evolutionary model is presented. As a result of the formation of equilibrium roughness, the motion of the system is a strange attractor. To substantiate the randomness of the strange attractor, an analysis of the amplitude-frequency characteristic of the ideal regenerative delay element with a gain factor less than unity, was carried out. The physical meaning of the strange attractor is that in a cyclic mode, a nonlinear dynamic system whose cycle time exceeds the period of natural oscillations by more than two orders of magnitude cannot come to the beginning of a new cycle with exactly the same parameters as to the beginning of the current cycle.

Industrial symbiosis is actively being developed and implemented in various countries as a tool to reduce the negative impact of business activity on the environment. There are more than 30 implemented examples of industrial symbiosis in the world: Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Japan, China, USA, Brazil, Russia, etc. Existing studies have determined that the practical implementation of the concept occurs, as a rule, in two ways: chaotically / spontaneously or in a planned mode. The purpose of this study is to identify the main models of the formation and development of industrial symbiosis based on the organizational form of its participants (commercial/non–commercial). The main objectives of the research work are the consolidation and analysis of examples of foreign and Russian practices of forming symbiotic chains, research of organizational forms of participants in existing industrial symbioses, comparative study of identified examples, visualization of chains of potential interactions in various conditions. As a result, five models of industrial symbiosis formation were identified and described. The study may be of interest to industry specialists and experts, facilitators, sustainable development managers and others while planning and forming industrial symbiotic chains in various regions of the Russian Federation.

Background: No evidence of the possibility to alter a constituent of the immune system without directly affecting one of its associated components has been shown yet. Methods: A schematic model was developed in which two triggers, fasting and splenectomy, were studied for their ability to affect the expression of cell membrane epitopes and the cytokine secretion of out-of-body autogeneic and syngeneic lymphocytes. Results: Fasting decreased expression of CD8 and CD25 and increased TNFα levels. The effect of splenectomy as a trigger was investigated in non-fasting mice by comparing splenectomized and non-splenectomized mice. An increase in the CD8 expression and in TNFα, IFNg, and IL10 secretion was noted. The effect of splenectomy as a trigger was investigated in fasting mice by comparing splenectomized and non-splenectomized mice. Splenectomy had a significant effect on expression of CD25 and CD4 CD25 and on secretion of TNFα, IFNg, and IL10. To determine the effect of keeping the cells in an out-of-body location on the expression of lymphocyte epitopes, tubes kept on top of the cages of the fasting mice were compared with tubes kept on top of empty cages. A significant change in the CD8 expression was noted. To determine the effect of keeping cells in an out-of-body location on cytokine secretion, tubes kept on top of cages were tested for cytokine levels. A significant decrease was noted for the secretion of TNFα and IFNg. Conclusions: The data obtained from this study characterized a system for induction of correlations between two components of the immune system without a transfer of mediators. The study showed that a mouse could affect cells at a distance and alter the expression of surface markers and cytokine secretion following two types of triggers: fasting and/or splenectomy. Thus, an out-of-body correlation can be induced between two components of the immune system.