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Automatically recognizing sheep breeds is highly valuable for the sheep farming industry, allowing farmers to pinpoint their specific business needs. Accurately distinguishing between sheep breeds poses a challenge for numerous farmers with limited expertise. Although biometric-based identification offers a feasible solution, its application becomes impractical when assessing large numbers of sheep in real-time. Therefore, the implementation of an automatic sheep classification model that can replicate the breed identification skills of a sheep breed expert can come in handy. This would be particularly beneficial for novice farmers who could utilize handheld devices for breed classification. To address this objective, we propose employing a convolutional neural network (CNN) model capable of rapidly and accurately identifying sheep breeds from low-resolution images. Our experiment utilized a dataset of 1680 facial images representing four distinct sheep breeds. We conducted experiments on the dataset using various EfficientNet models and found that EfficientNetB5 achieved the highest performance with 97.62 % accuracy on a 10 % test split. The classification model we developed has the potential to assist sheep farmers in efficiently distinguishing between different breeds, facilitating more precise assessments and sector-specific classification for various businesses within the industry.

Firms in the Gulf region are predominantly governed by the entrepreneurial model where royal ownerships/management dominants. Using a Panel Regression Model in a sample of 202 firms across six countries in the Gulf Cooperating Council (GCC), this paper assesses the direct effect of corporate cash holdings on firms’ financial objectives or performance, and also how managerial entrenchments directly affect corporate cash holdings in GCC. It further tests the moderation and interaction effects of managerial entrenchments on the relationship between cash-holdings and firms’ financial performance. The research concludes that the effect of corporate cash holdings on firms’ performance is negative, especially for absolute and relatively liquidity firms. This proofs the U-shape hypothesis of cash holdings. Also, the results show that different managerial entrenchment variables have different effects on corporate financial performance or objectives. Furthermore, the moderation and interaction effects of managerial entrenchment on the relationship between cash holding and firms’ financial performance (i.e. ROA and ROE) are inconsistent. These findings show randomness in how managerial entrenchment affects firms’ performance in the GCC region. However, the interaction between cash and leverage is consistently positive on shareholders wealth (i.e. ROE) for all liquidity thresholds. This highlights the benefits of debts in corporate financing.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a prevalent and recurrent bacterial infection affecting millions of people across the world, often necessitating antibiotic treatment. However, the rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains, commonly known as ''superbugs,'' has complicated the treatment process. This perspective review summarized the mechanisms of herbal or natural therapeutics intervention in UTI from the perspective of UTI bacterial pathogenesis. Initially, the review explores the mechanism of UTI development, identifying the types of UTI-causing bacteria, the complexity of UTI infection, and the human host's immune system against UTI. Then, this review synthesizes the active compounds of natural therapeutics for UTI, exploring their active compounds, efficacy, and mechanisms of action. After that, we summarized the emerging research on herbal compound interventions in UTI and analyzed the literature in this regard, including clinical applications, suggestions for potential natural bioactive compound consumption with the aim of UTI complications, as well as the association between novel mechanisms of UTI remission with the potential for active natural compounds intervention. Finally, we noted key future recommendations for using natural therapeutics. In conclusion, this review sheds light on the potential role of herbal or natural compounds in UTI treatment, from proposed mechanisms to prospects, offering a promising alternative or complement to conventional therapies in relieving UTIs.

ABSTRACT: The meat industry has been significantly threatened by the risks of foodborne microorganisms and biofilm formation on fresh meat and processed products. A microbial biofilm is a sophisticated defensive mechanism that enables bacterial cells to survive in unfavorable environmental circumstances. Generally, foodborne pathogens form biofilms in various areas of meat-processing plants, and adequate sanitization of these areas is challenging owing to the high tolerance of biofilm cells to sanitization compared with their planktonic states. Consequently, preventing biofilm initiation and maturation using effective and powerful technologies is imperative. In this review, novel and advanced technologies that prevent bacterial and biofilm development via individual and combined intervention technologies, such as ultrasound, cold plasma, enzymes, bacteriocins, essential oils, and phages, were evaluated. The evidence regarding current technologies revealed in this paper is potentially beneficial to the meat industry in preventing bacterial contamination and biofilm formation in food products and processing equipment.

Social integration (SI) plays a critical role in doctoral students' success. However, SI experiences could differ depending on the characteristics of students and their programmes. The study investigates differences in the SI of doctoral students at Russian universities and identifies the main groups at risk who have more difficulties with SI. To achieve this, the study utilized data from a cross-institutional online survey of doctoral students conducted in 2021 on behalf of the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education. A total of 4,454 doctoral students from 249 universities responded to the survey. Findings from the study indicate international students were less socially integrated in terms of having more friends and having problems interacting with others, either in person or remotely. Generally, no clear and significant difference was observed between their experiences and all aspects of social integration analysed in the study. Secondly, international doctoral students (IDS) are divided into groups (groups with low SI scores and groups with high SI scores) and compared them in terms of their subjective assessment of their chances for defence during the normative period of their studies and their overall satisfaction with the doctoral programme. The results for both variables revealed significant differences between IDS and varying degrees of SI. Significantly, the IDS group with a higher SI score reported high chances of defending their dissertation within the normative period of five years. The study concludes by suggesting that that activities that foster informal communication should be implemented and standardized within all departments in Russian universities to properly absorb all doctoral students into the social and academic cultures of their universities.

The paper presents a pictorial trend of the Czech government's educational expenditure on education as a percentage of the country's GDP from 1998 to 2017. It begins with a brief profile of the country and its educational system. Its primary concern is focused on the government's funding source of education; how much percentage of the GDP is spent on education; how much is spent on each student; how these funds are spent; which of the levels of education receives more funding; and how this funding affects educational access at all the levels of education in the country. In an attempt to achieve the research aim, the study employed descriptive statistics to examine and analyze the funding trends at the various levels of education and their impact on enrolments using secondary data from the UNESCO Institute Statistics website. The study reveals taxation from the public as the main source of funding for education; the decentralized system is used to fund education; and the average expenditure between 1998 and 2017 is 3.5% lower than the OECD average of 5%. The findings further reveal that the Czech government's gross expenditure on education as a whole increased steadily over the years, even though it has been below the average standard of 5% of the OECD for the period of study. The government spent more on secondary education than the other levels, and lastly, government funding on education has a significant impact on students' gross enrolment, especially at the secondary and tertiary levels.

The diverse nutrients found in sweet potato leaves, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, offer a range of health benefits. The presence of carotenoids and polyphenols, both powerful health-promoting compounds, highlights their potential contribution to medical science. The main objective of this study was to ascertain essential functionals substances of antioxidant, phenolic compounds, and β-carotene in the leaves of 14 distinct sweet potato lines cultivated in open field. A comprehensive analysis of antioxidant capacity, phenolic content, and β-carotene was conducted using ABTS, Folin-Ciocalteu, and HPLC techniques, respectively. The study showed that the concentrations of total antioxidants, phenols, and β-carotene differed markedly among the leaf materials. Among the lines, SP-13 stands out with the highest concentration of phenols (124.64 mg/g dry weight), while SP-14 comes in at the opposite end with the lowest amount (62.97 mg/g dry weight) under field conditions. In the case of antioxidant content in line SP-3 showed the highest with 3.55 mg/g dry weight, while SP-14 brings up the lowest with 1.88 mg/g dry weight. Line SP-5 showed the most β-carotene (0.51 mg/g dry weight), while SP-11 had the least (0.05 mg/g dry weight). Therefore, it can be concluded that sweet potato leaves are a valuable dietary source of antioxidants, phenolic compounds, and β-carotene which have beneficial health elements.

Background: The reproducibility of positron emission tomography (PET) radiomics features is affected by several factors, such as scanning equipment, drug metabolism time and reconstruction algorithm. We aimed to explore the role of 3D local binary pattern (LBP)-based texture in increasing the accuracy and reproducibility of PET radiomics for predicting pelvic lymph node metastasis (PLNM) in patients with cervical cancer. Methods: We retrospectively analysed data from 177 patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma. They underwent 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG)whole-body PET/computed tomography (PET/CT), followed by pelvic 18F-FDG PET/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MR). We selected reproducible and informative PET radiomics features using Lin's concordance correlation coefficient, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm, and established 4 models, PET/CT, PET/CT-fusion, PET/MR and PET/MR-fusion, using the logistic regression algorithm. We performed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to evaluate the models in the training data set (65 patients who underwent radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection) and test data set (112 patients who received concurrent chemoradiotherapy or no treatment). The DeLong test was used for pairwise comparison of the ROC curves among the models. Results: The distribution of age, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics stage and PLNM between the training and test data sets were different (P < 0.05). The LBP-transformed radiomics features (50/379) had higher reproducibility than the original radiomics features (9/107). Accuracy of each model in predicting PLNM was as follows: training data set: PET/CT = PET/CT-fusion = PET/MR-fusion (0.848) and test data set: PET/CT = PET/CT-fusion (0.985) > PET/MR = PET/MR-fusion (0.954). There was no statistical difference between the ROC curve of PET/CT and PET/MR models in both data sets (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The LBP-transformed radiomics features based on PET images could increase the accuracy and reproducibility of PET radiomics in predicting pelvic lymph node metastasis in cervical cancer to allow the model to be generalised for clinical use across multiple centres.

Abstract We study wormhole as the solution of the Wheeler–DeWitt (WdW) equation satisfying Hawking–Page wormhole boundary conditions in Friedmann–Robertson–Walker (FRW) cosmology. The quantum wormholes are formulated with arbitrary factor ordering of the Hamiltonian constraint operators with perfect fluid matter sources as well as minimally coupled scalar fields.

Abstract We investigate the possibility of multi-lepton (four and six) signatures, including an exotic signature of same-sign four-lepton (SS4L) as signals of pair production of a doubly charged Higgs in the minimal left-right symmetric model, extended with two doublet scalars. The right-handed neutrino masses are generated in this model through a dimension-5 lepton-number violating operator allowing the triplet scalar interactions with leptons to become negligibly small. This leads to interesting six-lepton and SS4L signatures that can be observed at the high-luminosity phase of the Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) with almost no background for doubly charged Higgs with mass below 500 GeV.

Abstract The measurement of the flux of muons produced in cosmic ray air showers is essential for the study of primary cosmic rays. Such measurements are important in extensive air shower detectors to assess the energy spectrum and the chemical composition of the cosmic ray flux, complementary to the information provided by fluorescence detectors. Detailed simulations of the cosmic ray air showers are carried out, using codes such as CORSIKA, to estimate the muon flux at sea level. These simulations are based on the choice of hadronic interaction models, for which improvements have been implemented in the post-LHC era. In this work, a deficit in simulations that use state-of-the-art QCD models with respect to the measurement deep underwater with the KM3NeT neutrino detectors is reported. The KM3NeT/ARCA and KM3NeT/ORCA neutrino telescopes are sensitive to TeV muons originating mostly from primary cosmic rays with energies around 10 TeV. The predictions of state-of-the-art QCD models show that the deficit with respect to the data is constant in zenith angle; no dependency on the water overburden is observed. The observed deficit at a depth of several kilometres is compatible with the deficit seen in the comparison of the simulations and measurements at sea level.

Abstract We investigate shadows, deflection angle, quasinormal modes (QNMs), and sparsity of Hawking radiation of the Schwarzschild string cloud black hole’s solution after applying quantum corrections required by the Generalised Uncertainty Principle (GUP). First, we explore the shadow’s behaviour in the presence of a string cloud using three alternative GUP frameworks: linear quadratic GUP (LQGUP), quadratic GUP (QGUP), and linear GUP. We then used the weak field limit approach to determine the effect of the string cloud and GUP parameters on the light deflection angle, with computation based on the Gauss–Bonnet theorem. Next, to compute the quasinormal modes of Schwarzschild string clouds incorporating quantum correction with GUP, we determine the effective potentials generated by perturbing scalar, electromagnetic and fermionic fields, using the sixth-order WKB approach in conjunction with the appropriate numerical analysis. Our investigation indicates that string and linear GUP parameters have distinct and different effects on QNMs. We find that the greybody factor increases due to the presence of string cloud while the linear GUP parameter shows the opposite. We then examine the radiation spectrum and sparsity in the GUP corrected black hole with the cloud of string framework, which provides additional information about the thermal radiation released by black holes. Finally, our inquiries reveal that the influence of the string parameter and the quadratic GUP parameter on various astrophysical observables is comparable, however the impact of the linear GUP parameter is opposite.

Images and text have become essential parts of the multimodal machine learning (MMML) framework in today’s world because data are always available, and technological breakthroughs bring disparate forms together, and while text adds semantic richness and narrative to images, images capture visual subtleties and emotions. Together, these two media improve knowledge beyond what would be possible with just one revolutionary application. This paper investigates feature extraction and advancement from text and image data using pre-trained models in MMML. It offers a thorough analysis of fusion architectures, outlining text and image data integration and evaluating their overall advantages and effects. Furthermore, it draws attention to the shortcomings and difficulties that MMML currently faces and guides areas that need more research and development. We have gathered 341 research articles from five digital library databases to accomplish this. Following a thorough assessment procedure, we have 88 research papers that enable us to evaluate MMML in detail. Our findings demonstrate that pre-trained models, such as BERT for text and ResNet for images, are predominantly employed for feature extraction due to their robust performance in diverse applications. Fusion techniques, ranging from simple concatenation to advanced attention mechanisms, are extensively adopted to enhance the representation of multimodal data. Despite these advancements, MMML models face significant challenges, including handling noisy data, optimizing dataset size, and ensuring robustness against adversarial attacks. Our findings highlight the necessity for further research to address these challenges, particularly in developing methods to improve the robustness of MMML models.

Background. Optimal respiratory function and cardiovascular endurance are integral to overall health and athletic performance. Yogic interventions have emerged as potential strategies to enhance physiological and physical parameters. These metrics not only unlock the human body’s potential but also play a vital role in increasing sports performance. Objectives. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured yogic regimen in improving respiratory function and cardiovascular endurance in young male adults, shedding light on yoga’s role as a complementary approach to physical fitness enhancement. Materials and methods. Forty (N=40) male undergraduate university students (aged 18 to 25 years) were randomly assigned to the experimental (n=20) and control group (n=20). The experimental investigation centered on vital capacity (VC), both positive and negative breath holding times (PBHT and NBHT), peak flow rate (PFR), and cardiovascular endurance (CVE). Using an analytical research approach, a randomized pre-test-post-test-controlled group design was implemented. The experimental group engaged in daily yoga sessions supervised by certified instructors, incorporating various asanas, pranayama techniques, and meditation, while the control group maintained their regular lifestyle. Pre- and post-intervention assessments of respiratory parameters and cardiovascular endurance were conducted using standardized tests. Statistical analyses, including Levene’s test for normality, and paired t-tests for intra-group comparisons, were performed using SPSS software (IBM, version 25, Chicago). The experiment lasted for six weeks, with a significance level set at α = 0.05. Results. The paired t-test analyses demonstrated significant improvements in VC t(19) = 4.96, and p

Twenty Iraqi ewes aged between 2-3 years were used in the current study. All animals were raised in an animal field in the Fallujah city/Saqlawiyah area during the period from August 2022 to February 2023. The animals were divided randomly into 4 equal groups. They were fed naturally on one diet. The control group (T1) received no additional treatment, the second group (T2) was given an hCG-COX 100 I.U./ewe injection (after sponge removal), the third group (T3) was given 10 mg of biotin per ewe daily (for 30 days), and the fourth group (T4) was given 10 mg of biotin per ewe daily (for 30 days) along with an hCG-COX 100 I.U./ewe injection (after sponge removal). Blood samples for estradiol-17β and progesterone measurement were collected on days 0, 18, 48, 79, and 110, and for PAPPB on days 48 and 79 after mating.The results showed a significant increase in the estradiol-17β hormone (P

Land use and land cover (LULC) change detection and its subsequent impact on hydrology are of significant importance in the field of urban planning and the sustainable management of water and land resources. The primary objective of this research work is to illustrate LULC map in a specific study area, which encompasses approximately 316.7 km² in the Noakhali region. Additionally, this study tries to examine the enduring impacts of LULC changes on surface runoff within the specified area. In order to achieve this goal, the analysis of LULC change trends in the region was conducted using Landsat OLI/TM data from 2000 to 2020. The analysis focused on five distinct classes: built-up land, vacant land, farmland, vegetation, and waterbodies. The research employs the Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) model to evaluate the influence of LULC changes on surface runoff. Notably, the findings indicate a substantial increase in built-up areas from 1.05% in 2000 to 11.21% in 2020. This urban expansion is strongly correlated with a notable rise in surface runoff, as evidenced by a high correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.98) between urban expansion and modelled runoff depth. The observed increase in impervious urban areas contributes to a 2.65% rise in average runoff from 2000 to 2020, equivalent to an 8.96 mm increment in average runoff. The study underscores the profound implications for managing urban storm floods and designing urban areas, especially in rapidly expanding cities globally, with a focus on developing nations. The insights gained offer valuable information for informed decision-making in sustainable urban development and water resource management, not only in the Noakhali region but also beyond.

Successive governments, both military and civilian regimes, funded senior high school education in Ghana to increase access and improve quality since the nation attained independence on 6 March 1957. In the study reported on here we adopted a quantitative research method using secondary data from five public senior high schools in the Wa Municipality, as these schools are beneficiaries of government funding in Ghana. We used the generalised linear model to test the impact of government funding on student enrolment. The study reveals that government funding has a significant impact on increasing enrolment among girls but it is not statistically significant in increasing boys' enrolment.

Research continues to improve the dye degradation performance of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) through doping, tailoring, or modifying the lattice structure. A series of Ca–TiO2 (Ca ions 0.5–2.0 wt%) photocatalysts prepared by wet impregnation method were studied for methylene blue (MB) degradation under UV-Vis irradiation, using different factors, including contact time, pH, initial dye concentration, and dosages. The photocatalyst samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Characterization results revealed the successful doping of Ca ion on the TiO2 surface, and Ti, O, and Ca were identified by EDX analysis as being present in the Ca-doped TiO2 sample. Calcium improved titania's charge separation capability, favoring the formation of more hydroxyl radicals during irradiation. Another important effect of Ca is the lowered bandgap energy of TiO2, which enhances the light absorption capacity into the visible regions. The photocatalytic performance varied with calcium ions content in the prepared catalysts, and a moderate amount showed the best activity. 1 wt% Ca–TiO2 exhibited a maximum MB degradation of 79.65 % with TOC removal of 52.36 % and followed the pseudo-first-order reactions kinetics with a rate constant of 0.0087 min−1. Notably, both the degradation performance and rate constant of 1 wt% Ca-TiO2 catalysts were much superior to pure TiO2 under the same reaction conditions. This finding suggests that Ca-TiO2 NPs could be a highly effective photocatalyst for the ecologically benign degradation of color compounds in textile wastewater.