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The performance of soil nailed walls is evaluated based on lateral displacements, especially in high walls. In this study, the displacement behavior of nailed walls, which are frequently preferred in retaining wall systems in hard clayey soils, was examined by taking into account the corner effect. The nailed wall model was created using Plaxis 2D v.23, and the performance of the model was verified with the results of inclinometer measurements taken on-site. To assess the influence of excavation pit dimensions on the corner effect, 25 three-dimensional and 25 plane–strain slice models were created using Plaxis 3D v.23, and the effect of excavation pit dimensions on the plane–strain ratio (PSR) was determined. Then, analysis studies were carried out by creating 336 3D and 336 plane–strain slice models with variable parameters, such as slope angle (β), wall angle (α), nail length (L/H), excavation depth (H), and distance from the corner (xH). Its effects on PSR were determined. The interactions of the parameters with each other and PSR estimation were evaluated using machine learning (ML) methods: artificial neural networks (ANN), classifical and regression tree (CART), support vector regression (SVR), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost). The proposed ML prediction methods and PSR results were compared with performance metrics and reliable results were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of multi-class classification is always a challenge in the field of EEG (electroencephalogram)-based seizure detection. The traditional studies focus on computing or learning a set of features from EEG to distinguish between different patterns. However, the extraction of characteristic information becomes increasingly difficult as the number of EEG types increases. To address this issue, a creative EEG classification technique is proposed by employing a principal component analysis network (PCANet) coupled with phase space reconstruction (PSR) and power spectrum density (PSD). We have introduced the PSR and PSD to prepare the inputs, where dynamic and frequency information are exposed from deep within PCANet. It is remarkable that a layered cascade strategy is designed to make a powerful deep learner according to the rule of one network vs one task (OVO). The proposed method has achieved greater effects than the individual models and shown superior performance in comparison with state-of-the-art algorithms, which present 98.0% of sensitivity, 99.90% of specificity, and 99.07% of accuracy. Our ensemble PCANet model works in an assembly line-like manner, obviating the need for hand-craft features. Results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can greatly enhances the accuracy and robustness of seizure detection from EEG signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excluding rough areas with surface rocks and craters is critical for the safety of landing missions, such as China's Chang'e-7 mission, in the permanently shadowed region (PSR) of the lunar south pole. Binned digital elevation model (DEM) data can describe the undulating surface, but the DEM data can hardly detect surface rocks because of median-averaging. High-resolution images from a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can be used to map discrete rocks and small craters according to their strong backscattering. This study utilizes the You Only Look Once version 7 (YOLOv7) tool to detect varying-sized craters in SAR images. It also employs the Markov random field (MRF) algorithm to identify surface rocks, which are usually difficult to detect in DEM data. The results are validated by optical images and DEM data in non-PSR. With the assistance of the DEM data, regions with slopes larger than 10° are excluded. YOLOv7 and MRF are applied to detect craters and rocky surfaces and exclude regions with steep slopes in the PSRs of craters Shoemaker, Slater, and Shackleton, respectively. This study proves SAR images are feasible in the selection of landing sites in the PSRs for future missions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B chromosomes are intriguing "selfish" genetic elements, many of which exhibit higher-than-Mendelian transmission. This perspective highlights a group of B chromosomes known as Paternal Sex Ratio chromosomes (PSRs), which are found in several insects with haplo-diploid reproduction. PSRs harshly alter the organism's reproduction to facilitate their own inheritance. A manifestation of this effect is the conversion of female destined individuals into males. Key to this conversion is the mysterious ability of PSRs to cause elimination of the sperm-inherited half of the genome during zygote formation. Here we discuss how PSRs were discovered, what is known about how they alter paternal chromatin dynamics to cause sex conversion, and how PSR-induced genome elimination is different from other forms of programmed genome elimination in different insects. PSRs also stand out because their DNA sequence compositions differ in remarkable ways from their insect's essential chromosomes, a characteristic suggestive of interspecies origins. Broadly, we also highlight poorly understood aspects of PSR dynamics that need to be investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resumo Este artigo analisa os programas federais de seguro rural pela ótica dos gastos do governo e de sua adoção pelos agricultores, evidenciando, em ambas as perspectivas, as diferenças inter e intrarregionais de sua adoção no Brasil (de 2000 a 2022). Atenção especial é dada ao Programa de Garantia da Atividade Agropecuária (PROAGRO) e ao Programa de Subvenção ao Prêmio do Seguro Rural (PSR). Constatou-se que: (1) houve crescimento real de quase 906% nos gastos públicos com programas de gestão de riscos, na agropecuária brasileira, de 2000 a 2022, sendo que, em 2000, apenas 2,06% dos gastos federais com a agropecuária foram com tais programas, percentual este que passou a 27,90% em 2022; (2) há concentração dos recursos públicos com gestão de risco em áreas situadas na Região Sul do Brasil; (3) a presença de associação espacial na sua adoção, por parte dos agricultores, do PROAGRO, na Região Sul do Brasil, e do PSR, tanto na Região Sul quanto na Região Centro-Oeste. Essa concentração espacial torna o ente segurador vulnerável diante de casos de ocorrências de grandes adversidades climáticas nas Regiões Sul e/ou Centro-Oeste do país (grandes produtoras de grãos), pois as indenizações se concentrarão em poucos anos.

Introduction: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as the primary modality for diagnosing and evaluating central nervous system (CNS) tumors, transitioning from structural to functional assessment. Advanced MRI techniques, including MR spectroscopy and perfusion imaging, offer insights into functional, metabolic, and hemodynamic changes in addition to structural abnormalities. The study aims to assess the role of PSR (Post-Contrast Signal Recovery) alongside rCBV (Relative Cerebral Blood Volume) and rPSR (Relative Percentage of Signal Recovery) in differentiating grade IV glioma, solitary brain metastasis, and primary CNS lymphoma. Materials and Methods: An observational study was conducted on 38 patients with lymphoma, metastases, and grade IV glioma, utilizing DSC (Dynamic Susceptibility-Weighted Contrast-Enhanced) perfusion imaging and histopathology reports. Sociodemographic, clinical, and MRI parameters were collected. PSR measurements were obtained from perfusion maps using dedicated software. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 27.0. Results: Among the study population, the mean age was 54.16±12.47, with male predominance (63.2%). Conventional imaging characteristics revealed significant differences, including T2 hypo intensity in lymphoma and FLAIR hyperintensity in all gliomas. Perfusion parameters showed higher rCBV in metastases and grade IV glioma compared to lymphoma, whereas PSR and rPSR were higher in lymphoma. PSR and rPSR effectively differentiated among the tumor types (p

Fraude in het betalingsverkeer: invloed van de mate van nalatigheid op de verdeling van de schade tussen de betaaldienstgebruiker en de betaaldienstverlener in het licht van artikel 169 VWEU In deze bijdrage geven de auteurs hun visie op de onderdelen van PSD2, PSD3 en PSR die zien op de verdeling van de uit fraude in het betalingsverkeer voortvloeiende schade tussen de betaaldienstgebruiker en betaaldienstverlener. Uit artikel 169 VWEU blijkt dat de Unie ernaar streeft een hoog niveau van consumentenbescherming te waarborgen. Uit PSD2, PSD3 en PSR volgt dat de Europese wetgever kennelijk niet beoogt om het niveau van consumentenbescherming zodanig hoog te leggen dat betaaldienstgebruikers onder alle omstandigheden gevrijwaard dienen te worden van een uit betalingsfraude voortvloeiende schade. Op basis van PSD2 komen in beginsel alle verliezen die uit niet-toegestane betalingstransacties voortvloeien voor rekening van de betaaldienstgebruiker, indien deze verliezen zich hebben voorgedaan doordat hij frauduleus heeft gehandeld of opzettelijk of met grove nalatigheid één of meer van de op hem rustende verplichtingen niet is nagekomen. In beginsel, omdat in gevallen waarin de betaaldienstgebruiker, zonder frauduleus of opzettelijk te hebben gehandeld, de op hem rustende plichten niet is nagekomen, de rechter de aansprakelijkheid van de betaaldienstgebruiker kan beperken, met name rekening houdend met de aard van de persoonlijke beveiligingsgegevens van het betaalinstrument en met de omstandigheden waarin het is verloren, gestolen of onrechtmatig gebruikt. Door de auteurs wordt gezocht naar een antwoord op de vraag of de in PSD2, PSD3 en PSR opgenomen regels in voldoende mate bijdragen aan een hoog niveau van consumentenbescherming in het geval van fraude in het betalingsverkeer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shallow urban lakes are naturally vulnerable to ecosystem degradation. Rapid urbanization in recent decades has led to a variety of aquatic problems such as eutrophication, algal blooms, and biodiversity loss, increasing the risk to lake-wide ecological sustainability. Instead of a simple binary assessment of ecological risk, holistic evaluation frameworks that consider multiple stressors and receptors can provide a more comprehensive assessment of overall ecological risk. In this study, we analyzed a combined dataset of government statistics, remote sensing images, and 1 year of field measurements to develop an index system for urban lake ecological risk assessment based on the pressure-state-response (PSR) framework. We used the developed ecological safety index (ESI) system to evaluate the ecological risk for three urban lakes in Jiangsu Province, China: Lake Yangcheng—LYC, Lake Changdang—LCD, and Lake Tashan—LTS. LYC and LTS were classified as "mostly safe" and "generally recognized as safe," respectively, while LCD was assessed as having "potential ecological risk." Our data suggest that socioeconomic pressure and aquatic health are the two main factors affecting the ecological risk in both LYC and LCD. The ecological risk of LTS could be improved more effectively if regional management plans are well implemented. Our study highlights the pressure of external wastewater loading, low forest-grassland coverage, and lake shoreline damage on the three selected urban lakes. The findings of this study can inform watershed management for lake ecosystem restoration and environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given an exogenous treatment d and covariates x, an ordinary least-squares (OLS) estimator is often applied with a noncontinuous outcome y to find the effect of d, despite the fact that the OLS linear model is invalid. Also, when d is endogenous with an instrument z, an instrumental-variables estimator (IVE) is often applied, again despite the invalid linear model. Furthermore, the treatment effect is likely to be heterogeneous, say, µ 1(x), not a constant as assumed in most linear models. Given these problems, the question is then what kind of effect the OLS and IVE actually estimate. Under some restrictive conditions such as a "saturated model", the estimated effect is known to be a weighted average, say, E { ω (x) µ 1(x)}, but in general, OLS and the IVE applied to linear models with a noncontinuous outcome or heterogeneous effect fail to yield a weighted average of heterogeneous treatment effects. Recently, however, it has been found that E { ω (x) µ 1(x)} can be estimated by OLS and the IVE without those restrictive conditions if the "propensity-score residual" d − E (d| x) or the "instrument-score residual" z−E (z| x) is used. In this article, we review this recent development and provide a command for OLS and the IVE with the propensity- and instrument-score residuals, which are applicable to any outcome and any heterogeneous effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the Pressure–State–Response model and the experience materials of waste gas emission prevention and control in industrialized nations, we construct the PSR framework for stationary waste gas emissions (WGEs) in this study, identifying five pressure factors and six policy instruments. Using a moderated chain mediating established by structural equation modeling measurement, we examined the effects of pressures and responses to stationary WGEs. The key conclusions are that (1) pressures were brought on by the heavy industry proportion, the energy consumption intensity, the coal consumption proportion, and the industrial labor productivity, while the pressure was significantly reduced by green technology. (2) The heavy industry proportion was the most effective negative mediator, while energy consumption parameters including energy consumption intensity and coal consumption proportion failed to produce the desired results from policy instruments on stationary WGEs. (3) Command-and-control policy instruments led to the greatest direct impacts on the fall of stationary WGEs, whereas information-based policy instruments led to the greatest indirect impacts on the decline of stationary WGEs. These findings may provide important policy recommendations for nations that are rapidly industrializing. (1) We suggest that technology and industrial internal structure should be significant regulatory issues. (2) In addition to maintaining command-and-control policy instruments, we advise the government to give information-based instruments more consideration. (3) We also suggest that before the adoption of market-based instruments, thorough plans and experimental subsidies be prepared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment and improvement of community disaster resilience are crucial for sustainable community development. This study explores the assessment and evolutionary trends of community disaster resilience using the PSR model, supported by fuzzy data mining methods. The evolution mechanism of community resilience is analyzed based on dissipative structure theory, and a dynamic evolutionary model is constructed using the Brusselator framework. The model is applied to 130 communities in Taiyuan City, providing insights into their spatiotemporal characteristics and identifying key factors driving the sustained upward trends in disaster resilience, especially under increased disaster risk pressures. The findings reveal a close relationship between resilience trends and the balance between pressure and response. When these factors are imbalanced, resilience stagnates or worsens; when coordinated, resilience improves. The key capacities that influence resilience sustainability are adaptive, learnable, and have regional spatiotemporal impacts. This study contributes by integrating multiple models and algorithms to assess community resilience, proposing a dynamic evolutionary model, and validating its feasibility through case studies. The findings offer valuable guidance for decision-makers and researchers, enhancing the understanding of resilience evolution and promoting sustainable community development.

This work introduces an n-D algorithm to generate multi-dimensional Sigma Shift Matrix (nD-SSM) code sequences is proposed, which is based on spectral/temporal/spatial incoherent optical code division multiple access (OCDMA) system. Our proposed system is capable of generating code in accordance with the value of n, where $n=1$ , 2 and 3 for 1D, 2D, and 3D respectively. The nD-SSM codes improve system cardinality by eliminating multiple access interference and its accompanied phase induced intensity noise (PIIN). Additionally, the nD-SSM technique permits various users with different dimensions of codewords to send their data. The data will be sent with the lowest probability of interference. The design of transmitter-receiver structure of nD-SSM OCDMA system is described. Gaussian approximation is used to analyze performance of the proposed nD-SSM OCDMA system by investigating signal to noise ratio (SNR) and bit error rate (BER) under different conditions of transmission. The maximum allowable number of users with BER ~10-9 is 43, 108, 140, 158 and 600, respectively for 1D-SSM, 2D-SSM, 2D-DEU, 3D-PD and 3D-SSM codes, respectively at 622 Mbps. These numbers of users with the same value of BER decreased to 18 for 1D-SSM, 46 for 2D-SSM, 2 for 2D-DEU, 82 for 3D-PD, and 237 for 3D-SSM at 2.5 Gbps. At 10 Gbps, the maximum allowable number of users are 9, 24, 40, and 97 for 1D-SSM, 2D-SSM, 3D-PD, and 3D-SSM, respectively. Accordingly, the proposed 3D-SSM code supports the larger number of users at different data rates when compared to other codes.

Background: Periodontal screening recording (PSR) is considered a quick, reliable, reproducible valuable screening tool for periodontal disease. This study aims to find the prevalence and severity of periodontal disease and its association with self-reported diabetic status and smoking history of the patients by using PSR codes over a period of 2 years. Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional retrospective study in a dental hospital in Chandigarh. Data of 10,882 patients comprising self-reported history of smoking (893) and diabetes (725) patients were assessed for the prevalence of periodontal disease by using PSR codes. Pearson Chi-Square test was used for statistical evaluation of PSR codes data. Results: Out of a total of 65,292 sextants assessed, the maximum and minimum reported PSR codes were 2 and 4, respectively. Gingivitis was found to be the most prevalent, followed by periodontitis and periodontal health in the total assessed population (P < 0.001). Mucogingival problems and complete edentulism were found to be more prevalent in posterior sextants in comparison to anterior sextants. Both self-reported smokers and type-II diabetes mellitus patients presented gingivitis as the most common clinical presentation, with the highest prevalence seen in the 55–74-year age group, which also comprised the group with maximum mucogingival problems and edentulism. Conclusion: This study gives an overview of patients' general oral health status and reflects the burden of periodontal disease in the Chandigarh region, thus contributing to the national oral health data.

Jungar Banner has complex topography, and is affected by natural disasters such as climate drought, overgrazing, over-exploitation of mineral resources and human activities. Jungar Banner has a fragile ecological environment, which is a typical ecological fragile area in Inner Mongolia section of the Yellow River Basin. Based on the social statistical data of Jungar Banner from 2000 to 2019 and landsat TM/OLI remote sensing images data, the ecological security evaluation index system of Jungar Banner was established by using PSR model, and the important driving factors affecting the ecological security of Jungar Banner were screened out by using grey correlation model, and the ecological security of Jungar Banner was predicted. The results show that a) the comprehensive evaluation index of ecological security in Jungar Banner shows an increasing trend from 2000 to 2019, and the ecological security status remains at the critical security level, indicating that the ecological security status in this region has been improved. b) The dynamic change of ecological security is closely related to the change of the proportion of regional secondary industry, annual average temperature, urban area, population and Engel coefficient. c) The results of the ecological security prediction model of Jungar Banner show that the ecological security index of this area will continue to rise in the next 10 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] Evaluating regional ecological risks and revealing their spatial-temporal evolution patterns are important for reducing regional ecological risks, maintaining ecological security, and rational spatial development and planning of national land. [Methods] Based on the Landsat TM/OLI remote sensing images of Haikou in 2000, 2010 and 2020, evaluation factors such as regional accumulative cyclone energy, urban development and utilization intensity and tourism pressure were introduced. A regional ecological risk assessment model based on Pressure-State-Response(PSR) under typical natural environment and socio-economic background at grid scale was constructed to explore the spatial distribution pattern, spatial-temporal differentiation and correlation characteristics of regional ecological risks in the past 20 years. Based on bivariate global spatial autocorrelation, the response relationship of urbanization level to regional ecological risk in Haikou City was revealed, and the GIS-OWA model was coupled to simulate the spatial and temporal configuration of ecological risk in Haikou City and its ecological protection countermeasures under different scenarios. [Results](1) From 2000 to 2020, the low and high ecological risk areas in Haikou City increased by 229.7 km² and 91.38 km², respectively, and the area of medium ecological risk area decreased the most, which was 150.48 km². The ecological status of the study area was generally improved.(2) During the study period, the regional high-level ecological risk area showed a continuous expansion trend, and the ecological risk in the central and western parts of Haikou City was better than that in urban construction areas such as the north and Jiangdong New Area.(3) Moran′s I was higher than 0.6 in the three periods and showed an increasing trend. The spatial aggregation characteristics of ecological risks were obvious and showed a significant spatial positive correlation. The ecological risk pattern and its spatial correlation pattern showed heterogeneity characteristics of ‘high in the north and south, low in the middle’ and ‘hot in the east and cold in the west’. The impact of urbanization level on regional ecological risk was deepening.(4) Low risk(87.5%), medium risk(33.6%), and high risk(70.7%) occupied a certain dominant position in the three simulation models of ‘ecological priority’, ‘maintenance status’ and ‘development priority’, respectively. [Conclusion] Ecological risks in Haikou city show a positive development trend, with significant spatial heterogeneity, and the development trend is greatly influenced by policy makers. The results of this study can provide the theoretical basis and decision support for ecological risk prevention, land use optimization decision-making, and sustainable management of regional ecosystems in Haikou City. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Periodontal screening recording (PSR) is considered a quick, reliable, reproducible valuable screening tool for periodontal disease. This study aims to find the prevalence and severity of periodontal disease and its association with self-reported diabetic status and smoking history of the patients by using PSR codes over a period of 2 years. Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional retrospective study in a dental hospital in Chandigarh. Data of 10,882 patients comprising self-reported history of smoking (893) and diabetes (725) patients were assessed for the prevalence of periodontal disease by using PSR codes. Pearson Chi-Square test was used for statistical evaluation of PSR codes data. Results: Out of a total of 65,292 sextants assessed, the maximum and minimum reported PSR codes were 2 and 4, respectively. Gingivitis was found to be the most prevalent, followed by periodontitis and periodontal health in the total assessed population (P < 0.001). Mucogingival problems and complete edentulism were found to be more prevalent in posterior sextants in comparison to anterior sextants. Both self-reported smokers and type-II diabetes mellitus patients presented gingivitis as the most common clinical presentation, with the highest prevalence seen in the 55-74-year age group, which also comprised the group with maximum mucogingival problems and edentulism. Conclusion: This study gives an overview of patients' general oral health status and reflects the burden of periodontal disease in the Chandigarh region, thus contributing to the national oral health data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACTPenicillin-binding protein 5 (PBP5) of Enterococcus faecium (Efm) is vital for ampicillin resistance (AMP-R). We previously designated three forms of PBP5, namely, PBP5-S in Efm clade B strains [ampicillin susceptible (AMP-S)], PBP5-S/R (AMP-S or R), and PBP5-R (AMP-R) in clade A strains. Here, pbp5 deletion resulted in a marked reduction in AMP minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to 0.01–0.09 µg/mL for clade B and 0.12–0.19 µg/mL for clade A strains; in situ complementation restored parental AMP MICs. Using D344SRF (lacking ftsW/psr/pbp5), constructs with ftsWA/psrA (from a clade A1 strain) cloned upstream of pbp5-S and pbp5-S/R alleles resulted in modest increases in MICs to 3–8 µg/mL, while high MICs (>64 µg/mL) were seen using pbp5 from A1 strains. Next, using ftsW ± psr from clade B and clade A/B and B/A hybrid constructs, the presence of psrB, even alone or in trans, resulted in much lower AMP MICs (3–8 µg/mL) than when psrA was present (MICs >64 µg/mL). qRT PCR showed relatively greater pbp5 expression (P = 0.007) with pbp5 cloned downstream of clade A1 ftsW/psr (MIC >128 µg/mL) vs when cloned downstream of clade B ftsW/psr (MIC 4–16 µg/mL), consistent with results in western blots. In conclusion, we report the effect of clade A vs B psr on AMP MICs as well as the impact of pbp5 alleles from different clades. While previously, Psr was not thought to contribute to AMP MICs in Efm, our results showed that the presence of psrB resulted in a major decrease in Efm AMP MICs.IMPORTANCEThe findings of this study shed light on ampicillin resistance in Enterococcus faecium clade A strains. They underscore the significance of alterations in the amino acid sequence of penicillin-binding protein 5 (PBP5) and the pivotal role of the psr region in PBP5 expression and ampicillin resistance. Notably, the presence of a full-length psrB leads to reduced PBP5 expression and lower minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of ampicillin compared to the presence of a shorter psrA, regardless of the pbp5 allele involved. Additionally, clade B E. faecium strains exhibit lower AMP MICs when both psr alleles from clades A and B are present, although it is important to consider other distinctions between clade A and B strains that may contribute to this effect. It is intriguing to note that the divergence between clade A and clade B E. faecium and the subsequent evolution of heightened AMP MICs in hospital-associated strains appear to coincide with changes in Pbp5 and psr. These changes in psr may have resulted in an inactive Psr, facilitating increased PBP5 expression and greater ampicillin resistance. These results raise the possibility that a mimicker of PsrB, if one could be designed, might be able to lower MICs of ampicillin-resistant E. faecium, thus potentially resorting ampicillin to our therapeutic armamentarium for this species.

Avicenna was one of the premodern philosophers who argued for the Principle of Sufficient Reason (PSR), namely the claim that everything has a cause and that no uncaused beings can exist. One of the consequences of PSR is necessitarianism, which is the assertion that whatever exists actually also exists necessarily because each and every member of the causal chain is determined by antecedent causes. PSR thus goes against human intuition that suggests that things could have been otherwise. My goal is to investigate whether post-Avicennian authors tried to mitigate the necessitarian consequences of PSR by excluding human will from it. I will concentrate on the comparison between Na~īr al-Dīn al-Tūsī’s (d. 1274) Persian treatise Jabr va qadar and his theological summa Tajrīd al-iʿtiqād. The immediate reason for choosing this issue is al-Tūsī’s assertions that humans intuitively know that they are autonomous agents of their actions, which seems to contradict the universal applicability of PSR. I will argue that al-Tūsī espoused somewhat different views on free will. Depending on the character of the texts and the period in which they were written, sometimes being consistent with Avicenna while other times engaging with Muʿtazilism. I will show how al-Tūsī left room for human freedom, however causally ineffective at times, which he understood as a different kind of determination that is able to act independently of the other types of determination to which humans are subject, be they physical or divine. Overall, the discussion tests al-Tūsī’s allegiance to either Avicennian philosophy or Shiʿi theology and even forces him to take a stance against Avicenna’s view on knowledge in some of his works.

The performance of soil nailed walls is evaluated based on lateral displacements, especially in high walls. In this study, the displacement behavior of nailed walls, which are frequently preferred in retaining wall systems in hard clayey soils, was examined by taking into account the corner effect. The nailed wall model was created using Plaxis 2D v.23, and the performance of the model was verified with the results of inclinometer measurements taken on-site. To assess the influence of excavation pit dimensions on the corner effect, 25 three-dimensional and 25 plane–strain slice models were created using Plaxis 3D v.23, and the effect of excavation pit dimensions on the plane–strain ratio (PSR) was determined. Then, analysis studies were carried out by creating 336 3D and 336 plane–strain slice models with variable parameters, such as slope angle (β), wall angle (α), nail length (L/H), excavation depth (H), and distance from the corner (xH). Its effects on PSR were determined. The interactions of the parameters with each other and PSR estimation were evaluated using machine learning (ML) methods: artificial neural networks (ANN), classifical and regression tree (CART), support vector regression (SVR), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost). The proposed ML prediction methods and PSR results were compared with performance metrics and reliable results were obtained.

Simple Summary: In this review, we examine the application of different molecular diagnostic techniques in the pig industry; qPCR, isothermal methods, and novel techniques such as CRISPR-Cas and microfluidics platforms are discussed in detail. The main viruses affecting the health of pigs were identified, including the African swine fever virus, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, and porcine circovirus. Furthermore, the main challenges for the implementation of large-scale molecular diagnostic tests in the swine industry are discussed, which include lower costs, ease of operation for any type of user, portability for use on farms, and rapid response times. Molecular diagnostic tests have evolved very rapidly in the field of human health, especially with the arrival of the recent pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, the animal sector is constantly neglected, even though accurate detection by molecular tools could represent economic advantages by preventing the spread of viruses. In this regard, the swine industry is of great interest. The main viruses that affect the swine industry are described in this review, including African swine fever virus (ASFV), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), and porcine circovirus (PCV), which have been effectively detected by different molecular tools in recent times. Here, we describe the rationale of molecular techniques such as multiplex PCR, isothermal methods (LAMP, NASBA, RPA, and PSR) and novel methods such as CRISPR-Cas and microfluidics platforms. Successful molecular diagnostic developments are presented by highlighting their most important findings. Finally, we describe the barriers that hinder the large-scale development of affordable, accessible, rapid, and easy-to-use molecular diagnostic tests. The evolution of diagnostic techniques is critical to prevent the spread of viruses and the development of viral reservoirs in the swine industry that impact the possible development of future pandemics and the world economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avicenna was one of the premodern philosophers who argued for the Principle of Sufficient Reason (PSR), namely the claim that everything has a cause and that no uncaused beings can exist. One of the consequences of PSR is necessitarianism, which is the assertion that whatever exists actually also exists necessarily because each and every member of the causal chain is determined by antecedent causes. PSR thus goes against human intuition that suggests that things could have been otherwise. My goal is to investigate whether post-Avicennian authors tried to mitigate the necessitarian consequences of PSR by excluding human will from it. I will concentrate on the comparison between Na~īr al-Dīn al-Tūsī’s (d. 1274) Persian treatise Jabr va qadar and his theological summa Tajrīd al-iʿtiqād. The immediate reason for choosing this issue is al-Tūsī’s assertions that humans intuitively know that they are autonomous agents of their actions, which seems to contradict the universal applicability of PSR. I will argue that al-Tūsī espoused somewhat different views on free will. Depending on the character of the texts and the period in which they were written, sometimes being consistent with Avicenna while other times engaging with Muʿtazilism. I will show how al-Tūsī left room for human freedom, however causally ineffective at times, which he understood as a different kind of determination that is able to act independently of the other types of determination to which humans are subject, be they physical or divine. Overall, the discussion tests al-Tūsī’s allegiance to either Avicennian philosophy or Shiʿi theology and even forces him to take a stance against Avicenna’s view on knowledge in some of his works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – With the yearly increase of mileage and passenger volume in China's high-speed railway, the problems of traditional paper railway tickets have become increasingly prominent, including complexity of business handling process, low efficiency of ticket inspection and high cost of usage and management. This paper aims to make extensive references to successful experiences of electronic ticket applications both domestically and internationally. The research on key technologies and system implementation of railway electronic ticket with Chinese characteristics has been carried out. Design/methodology/approach – Research in key technologies is conducted including synchronization technique in distributed heterogeneous database system, the grid-oriented passenger service record (PSR) data storage model, efficient access to massive PSR data under high concurrency condition, the linkage between face recognition service platforms and various terminals in large scenarios, and two-factor authentication of the e-ticket identification code based on the key and the user identity information. Focusing on the key technologies and architecture the of existing ticketing system, multiple service resources are expanded and developed such as electronic ticket clusters, PSR clusters, face recognition clusters and electronic ticket identification code clusters. Findings – The proportion of paper ticket printed has dropped to 20%, saving more than 2 billion tickets annually since the launch of the application of E-ticketing nationwide. The average time for passengers to pass through the automatic ticket gates has decreased from 3 seconds to 1.3 seconds, significantly improving the efficiency of passenger transport organization. Meanwhile, problems of paper ticket counterfeiting, reselling and loss have been generally eliminated. Originality/value – E-ticketing has laid a technical foundation for the further development of railway passenger transport services in the direction of digitalization and intelligence.

Excluding rough areas with surface rocks and craters is critical for the safety of landing missions, such as China’s Chang’e-7 mission, in the permanently shadowed region (PSR) of the lunar south pole. Binned digital elevation model (DEM) data can describe the undulating surface, but the DEM data can hardly detect surface rocks because of median-averaging. High-resolution images from a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can be used to map discrete rocks and small craters according to their strong backscattering. This study utilizes the You Only Look Once version 7 (YOLOv7) tool to detect varying-sized craters in SAR images. It also employs the Markov random field (MRF) algorithm to identify surface rocks, which are usually difficult to detect in DEM data. The results are validated by optical images and DEM data in non-PSR. With the assistance of the DEM data, regions with slopes larger than 10° are excluded. YOLOv7 and MRF are applied to detect craters and rocky surfaces and exclude regions with steep slopes in the PSRs of craters Shoemaker, Slater, and Shackleton, respectively. This study proves SAR images are feasible in the selection of landing sites in the PSRs for future missions.

Among recently prevalent tick-borne infections in India, Kyasanur Forest Virus Disease (KFD) is an important public health concern. During last decade the emergence of cases apart from endemic zone raised concern about case positivity. Early diagnosis is therefore very important in disease management and primary containment. This study, aimed to develop a simplified viral RNA extraction in combination to dry down format of novel isothermal assay for (Reverse Transcription- Polymerase Spiral reaction) specific and rapid identification of Kyasanur Forest Disease Virus targeting viral envelope gene. The one step method was optimized by magnetic bead based viral RNA extraction followed by isothermal RT-PSR assay in heat bath at 63⁰C for 60 minutes. Further, visual results interpretation was done by color change of Hydroxy Naphthol Blue dye. The detection limit of the assay was found 10 RNA copies/rxn with comparable to silica column based viral RNA combined real time qPCR. No cross reactivity was observed with other closely related flaviviruses. The assay was evaluated with clinical samples has shown >99% concordance between two methods. This is the first report of sample extraction coupled isothermal detection of KFD in a simplified manner without a need of any hi-end equipment. The assay developed here has potential to use as an alternate for field-based detection in resource limited settings for KFD.

The indentation load-size effect was investigated during hardness testing of high entropy carbides with different hardness, applying indentation loads from 50 mN to 10 N. The experimental systems were recently developed (Hf-Ta-Zr-Nb-Ti)C and (Mo–Nb–Ta–V–W)C high-entropy carbides, prepared by ball milling and a spark plasma sintering, with single-phase and high relative density of 99.4% and 99.0%, respectively. The load dependence of hardness was analysed using the traditional Meyer's law, the proportional specimen resistance model and the modified proportional specimen resistance model. The best correlation (R 2 > 0.99) between the measured values and the used models was achieved using the modified proportional specimen resistance model. This resulted in the so-called load-independent hardness of (Hf-Ta-Zr-Nb-Ti)C and (Mo–Nb–Ta–V–W)C systems 21.96 and 14.81 GPa in the case of analyses for 50 mN–10 N load range and 25.42 GPa and 14.13 GPa in the case of 50 mN–1 N load range, respectively. The different deformation and damage mechanisms detected as a potential reason for the origin of the load-size effect were microcracks at grain boundaries during the micro/macro-indentation and plastic deformation/nanocrack formation at the indents during nano/micro-indentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of land ecological security (LES) assessment is to evaluate the influence of land use and human activities on the land ecosystem. Its ultimate objective is to offer decision-making assistance and direction for safeguarding and rejuvenating the well-being and effectiveness of the land ecosystem. However, it is important to note that there are still significant uncertainties associated with current land ecological safety assessments. This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation model that combines the strengths of subjective and objective weighting methods. The model is built upon an index system developed using the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) framework. To verify the level of LES, theThe results of classifying the total ecosystem service valueTotal Ecosystem Service Value are utilized to verify the level of LES. Furthermore, spatial distribution patterns of regional land ecological safety levels are analyzed using statistical techniques, such as Moran's I, Mann–Whitney U-test, and Kruskal–Wallis H-test. The findings indicate that: (1) theThe evaluation model developed in this paper achieves a validation accuracy of 75.55%, indicating that it provides a more accurate reflection of the level of land ecological safety in the region; (2) The ecological security index is generally safe, with a mean value in the moderate safety range. It experienced a turning point in 2010, showing initial deterioration followed by improvement, mainly due to the transition between unsafe and relatively safe zones. (3) The level of economic development, topography, and urban-–rural structure are significant factors influencing the spatial concentration of LES in the region, ultimately shaping the spatial pattern of LES in the Chengdu Plain region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the recent times, non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) can be seen as a paradigm shift for next generations of communication networks such as the fifth generation (5G) and beyond 5G networks. Owing to its remarkable benefits, even NOMA has been employed for the sixth generation (6G) systems as well. NOMA, in spite of bestowing with an enhancement in spectral efficiency (SE) by enabling the users to exploit the same orthogonal resource blocks with the aid of power domain multiplexing, is not devoid of its drawbacks. A slight variation of the channel conditions corresponding to NOMA users and the rapid increase in the number of users results in significant degradation in the performance of NOMA system. Therefore, to circumvent such drawbacks, it is vital to employ hybrid multiple access (HMA) strategies such as the combination of both orthogonal multiple access (OMA) and NOMA. In this context, this paper proposes novel user pairing (UP) strategy for downlink power domain (PD) NOMA system over Rayleigh fading channel with perfect and imperfect successive interference cancellation (pSIC/ipSIC) comprising of even number of NOMA users. It is to be noted that these NOMA users which are served by the base station (BS) can be paired according to their channel conditions with improved sum rates (SR). If an odd number of NOMA users are in one group and one group has more users than the others, one user may be left unpaired, making pairing difficult. Considering this, we present an efficient UP method that pairs unpaired users with one of the existing pairings instead of utilizing OMA benefit. Finding an ideal (best) pair to serve the unpaired user is the major aim of our proposed method. Furthermore, we worked towards enhancing the total SR which is also known as pair sum rate (PSR) and we even provided power allocation (PA) optimization process for each pair in order to maximize the SR/PSR of our proposed UP NOMA system. In addition, we derive various key metrics such as the upper and lower bounds of PA coefficients, imperfect SIC parameter, and channel gain difference parameter for NOMA paired users. Further, we provide an elaborate analytical framework for various performance metrics such as the PSR, ergodic pair sum rate (EPSR), and outage probability (OP) expressions for the proposed downlink PD-NOMA system over Rayleigh fading channels.

This study aims to determine the effect of Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR), Third Party Funds (TPF), and Islamicity Performance Index, which includes Profit Sharing Ratio (PSR), Zakat Performance Ratio (ZPR), and Equitable Distribution Ratio (EDR) on profitability with Non-Performing Financing (NPF) as a moderating variable at Islamic commercial banks in Indonesia for the 2015-2020 periods. This type of research is quantitative research using Moderate Regression Analysis (MRA) as data analysis and using secondary data in the form of panel data. The sample used was several banks with a purposive sampling method and processed using the E-Views application tool. The results showed that the Islamicity Performance Index, namely ZPR, partially positively and significantly affects profitability. In contrast, CAR, TPF, NPF, and other Islamicity Performance Index variables, namely PSR, and EDR, do not affect profitability. NPF can moderate the effect of TPF on profitability, while NPF cannot moderate the effect of profitability and the three Islamicity Performance Index variables on profitability. This research is practically to find out the determinant variables that increase profitability and reduce non-performing financing to maximize the profits of Islamic commercial banks.

Studying resilience provides an opportunity to address a range of urban environmental problems. However, existing studies pay little attention to urban ecological resilience (UER), and the system of assessing urban resilience pays little attention to the process attribute of resilience. This study focuses on UER and constructs an evaluation framework based on the pressure _state _response (PSR) framework. The 'pressure' indicator morphological resilience (MR) is evaluated using source _sink landscape theory. The 'state' indicator density resilience (DR) is evaluated using the ratio of ecological carrying capacity to ecological footprint. The 'response' indicator uses indicators of economic structure, vitality, and innovation for evaluation. We found that the MR and DR of the study area in 2020 showed a spatial layout of low in the central area and high in the peripheral areas, while the high-value ER area was in the central part. The average district and county MR was 1.44, DR was between 0.003 and 1.975, and ER was 0.32; overall, ER and MR are better in the study area, but DR is worse. The spatial layout of comprehensive UER was found to be low in the middle and high in the periphery of the study area. Some areas with low MR and DR have high UER, which verifies the compensation effect of ER on urban ecology. This study provides a new method for assessing UER, and the findings can provide useful information for urban planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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While research on parasocial relationships (PSR) suggests that social and parasocial relationships are analogous, there is no clear understanding of what might be the underlying psychological mechanisms regulating PSR. Given the importance of attachment theory in the formation of interpersonal bonds, studies have suggested that attachment theory is also important for the formation of PSR. However, this line of research has focused mainly on attachment styles as predictors of PSR formation, barely exploring the role of the attachment behavioral system in the formation of PSR. To close this gap, this investigation argues that PSR is an attachment process, a biosocial process by which individuals form emotional bonds with mediated figures just as emotional bonds are formed in social relationships. It starts by categorizing empirical evidence of the presence of attachment behaviors in PSR. Then, it argues that attachment theory helps to answer three pressing research questions at the center of PSR studies: why do individuals establish PSR, when do they establish it, and what is the goal of doing so. By considering PSR as an attachment process, this investigation concludes that PSR occurs naturally given the familiarity of the mediated figure, that individuals establish PSR throughout the lifespan, and that its formation contributes to the biological goal of protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B chromosomes are enigmatic heritable elements found in the genomes of numerous plant and animal species. Contrary to their broad distribution, most B chromosomes are non-essential. For this reason, they are regarded as genome parasites. In order to be stably transmitted through generations, many B chromosomes exhibit the ability to "drive", i.e., they transmit themselves at super-Mendelian frequencies to progeny through directed interactions with the cell division apparatus. To date, very little is understood mechanistically about how B chromosomes drive, although a likely scenario is that expression of B chromosome sequences plays a role. Here, we highlight a handful of previously identified B chromosome sequences, many of which are repetitive and non-coding in nature, that have been shown to be expressed at the transcriptional level. We speculate on how each type of expressed sequence could participate in B chromosome drive based on known functions of RNA in general chromatin- and chromosome-related processes. We also raise some challenges to functionally testing these possible roles, a goal that will be required to more fully understand whether and how B chromosomes interact with components of the cell for drive and transmission.

B chromosomes are enigmatic heritable elements found in the genomes of numerous plant and animal species. Contrary to their broad distribution, most B chromosomes are non-essential. For this reason, they are regarded as genome parasites. In order to be stably transmitted through generations, many B chromosomes exhibit the ability to "drive", i.e., they transmit themselves at super-Mendelian frequencies to progeny through directed interactions with the cell division apparatus. To date, very little is understood mechanistically about how B chromosomes drive, although a likely scenario is that expression of B chromosome sequences plays a role. Here, we highlight a handful of previously identified B chromosome sequences, many of which are repetitive and non-coding in nature, that have been shown to be expressed at the transcriptional level. We speculate on how each type of expressed sequence could participate in B chromosome drive based on known functions of RNA in general chromatin- and chromosome-related processes. We also raise some challenges to functionally testing these possible roles, a goal that will be required to more fully understand whether and how B chromosomes interact with components of the cell for drive and transmission.

A spatiotemporal ecosystem health (EH) assessment study is necessary for sustainable development and proper management of natural resources. At present higher rate of human-socio-economic activities, industrialization, and misuse of land are major factors for ecosystem degradation. Therefore this research work used remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) technology, under pressure-state-response (PSR) framework with analytic hierarchy process (AHP) weight method based on 29 indicators were analyzed for spatiotemporal EH assessment in Tatarstan and Samara states in Russia from 2010 to 2020. Results indicate continuous degradation of EH in Tatarstan state while in Samara state first decreased and later on an improved ecosystem health condition. This is one of the most innovative analyses work for real-time accurate ecosystem health assessment, mapping, and monitoring as well as protect fragile eco-environment with sustainable development, proper policy-making, and management at any scale and region.

Abstract Reliable diagnostic tools are needed to choose the appropriate treatment and proper control measures for animal trypanosomoses, some of which are pathogenic. Trypanosoma cruzi, for example, is responsible for Chagas disease in Latin America. Similarly, pathogenic animal trypanosomoses of African origin (ATAO), including a variety of Trypanosoma species and subspecies, are currently found in Africa, Latin America and Asia. ATAO limit global livestock productivity and impact food security and the welfare of domestic animals. This review focusses on implementing previously reviewed diagnostic methods, in a complex epizootiological scenario, by critically assessing diagnostic results at the individual or herd level. In most cases, a single diagnostic method applied at a given time does not unequivocally identify the various parasitological and disease statuses of a host. These include “non-infected”, “asymptomatic carrier”, “sick infected”, “cured/not cured” and/or “multi-infected”. The diversity of hosts affected by these animal trypanosomoses and their vectors (or other routes of transmission) is such that integrative, diachronic approaches are needed that combine: (i) parasite detection, (ii) DNA, RNA or antigen detection and (iii) antibody detection, along with epizootiological information. The specificity of antibody detection tests is restricted to the genus or subgenus due to cross-reactivity with other Trypanosoma spp. and Trypanosomatidae, but sensitivity is high. The DNA-based methods implemented over the last three decades have yielded higher specificity and sensitivity for active infection detection in hosts and vectors. However, no single diagnostic method can detect all active infections and/or trypanosome species or subspecies. The proposed integrative approach will improve the prevention, surveillance and monitoring of animal trypanosomoses with the available diagnostic tools. However, further developments are required to address specific gaps in diagnostic methods and the sustainable control or elimination of these diseases. Graphical Abstract

The article builds a composite ecological civilization evaluation index system including 63 indicators, taking the "eco-environment-economic quality-social progress" system as the evaluation objective, and the pressure-state-response (PSR) subsystem as the evaluation criterion. A comprehensive evaluation of the level of ecological civilization construction in Gansu Province from 2008 to 2017 showed that the overall level of ecological civilization construction in Gansu Province has experienced a continuous improvement process of poor grademedium grade-good grade and has shown a good development trend of increasing and rapid improvement year by year. The average annual growth rate is 18.79%; the contribution of the three subsystems of pressure, state, and response to the level of ecological civilization construction continues to rise, with the average annual growth rates being 17.54%, 26.62% and 16.84% respectively; the level of social progress has improved the most. Fast, the overall ecological environment system and economic quality system levels have shown a continuous upward trend. The average annual growth rate of the threesystem comprehensive index is 40.25%, 13.47% and 13.9%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus (as phosphate, Pi) and iron (Fe) are critical nutrients in plants that are often poorly available in the soil and can be microbially affected. This work aimed to evaluate how plant-rhizobacteria interaction changes due to different Pi or Fe nutritional scenarios and to study the underlying molecular mechanisms of the microbial modulation of these nutrients in plants. Thus, three proteobacteria (Paraburkholderia phytofirmans PsJN, Azospirillum brasilense Sp7, and Pseudomonas putida KT2440) were used to inoculate Arabidopsis seeds. Additionally, the seeds were exposed to a nutritional factor with the following levels for each nutrient: sufficient (control) or low concentrations of a highly soluble source or sufficient concentrations of a low solubility source. Then, the effects of the combinatorial factors were assessed in plant growth, nutrition, and genetic regulation. Interestingly, some bacterial effects in plants depended on the nutrient source (e.g., increased aerial zones induced by the strains), and others (e.g., decreased primary roots induced by Sp7 or KT2440) occurred regardless of the nutritional treatment. In the short-term, PsJN had detrimental effects on plant growth in the presence of the low-solubility Fe compound, but this was not observed in later stages of plant development. A thorough regulation of the phosphorus content was detected in plants independent of the nutritional treatment. Nevertheless, inoculation with KT2440 increased P content by 29% Pi-deficiency exposed plants. Conversely, the inoculation tended to decrease the Fe content in plants, suggesting a competition for this nutrient in the rhizosphere. The P-source also affected the effects of the PsJN strain in a double mutant of the phosphate starvation response (PSR). Furthermore, depending on the nutrient source, PsJN and Sp7 strains differentially regulated PSR and IAA- associated genes, indicating a role of these pathways in the observed differential phenotypical responses. In the case of iron, PsJN and SP7 regulated iron uptake-related genes regardless of the iron source, which may explain the lower Fe content in inoculated plants. Overall, the plant responses to these proteobacteria were not only influenced by the nutrient concentrations but also by their availabilities, the elapsed time of the interaction, and the specific identities of the beneficial bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately diagnosing offshore wind turbine bearing faults in noisy environment has long been a challenge for engineers. This necessitates enhancing diagnostic accuracy while effectively reducing noise. Accordingly, this study proposes an offshore wind turbine bearing fault diagnosis (FD) method in noisy environment based on complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise-phase space reconstruction (CEEMDAN-PSR) and a hybrid neural network, namely CPAEBL. We conduct research from two main aspects: noise reduction and optimization of the FD model. In terms of noise reduction, an enhanced CEEMDAN method that integrates the correlation coefficient and skewness indicators for selecting Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs) is designed. Furthermore, by leveraging the capabilities of PSR to better reveal signal evolution and characteristics, these two approaches are innovatively combined to perform noise reduction and restore dynamic signal features. In terms of model optimization, a deep Echo State Network (deepESN) with adaptive constraints is established to extract features from denoised vectors. Subsequently, Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) is effectively employed to capture temporal information within the feature vectors, ultimately enhancing the accuracy of wind turbine bearing FD models. Finally, the CPAEBL model is applied to the Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) dataset, the Paderborn University (PU) dataset, and the actual collected bearing dataset of offshore wind turbines. The ablation experiments and comparison experiments prove that the CPAEBL model has better anti-noise performance, generalization performance, and robustness. • A novel method is proposed for diagnosing offshore wind turbine bearing faults under noisy environments. • We designed a multi-indicator CEEMDAN to screen out IMFs containing valid information. • The innovative combination of CEEMDAN and PSR is used to reduce noise and restore the dynamic characteristics of signals. • An adaptive-constrained deepESN is established for feature extraction. • The feature matrix extracted from the reconstructed data is utilized as the input of the diagnostic model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel low dropout (LDO) regulator distinguished by its high power supply rejection (PSR) and low quiescent current. A capacitive feed-forward ripple cancellation (CFFRC) technique is introduced to effectively cancel power supply noise while simultaneously minimizing quiescent current. Additionally, the design incorporates feed-forward capacitors and back-to-back pseudo-resistors biasing to achieve reduced power consumption. Furthermore, the integration of negative feedback super source follower and Miller compensation techniques enhances the stability of the LDO. Fabricated using 180 nm CMOS technology, the LDO exhibits a quiescent current consumption of 20.4 μA. Experimental results demonstrate a maximal improvement of −41.55 dB in PSR compared to an LDO lacking these enhancements, with a maximum load current capability of 120 mA. • The low dropout regulator is one of the crucial power management units. • The design features high power supply rejection and low power consumption. • Using capacitive feed-forward ripple cancellation eliminates power supply noise. • Utilizing feed-forward capacitors and pseudo-resistors reduces power consumption. • The design achieves stability by the super source follower and Miller compensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular diagnostic tests have evolved very rapidly in the field of human health, especially with the arrival of the recent pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, the animal sector is constantly neglected, even though accurate detection by molecular tools could represent economic advantages by preventing the spread of viruses. In this regard, the swine industry is of great interest. The main viruses that affect the swine industry are described in this review, including African swine fever virus (ASFV), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), and porcine circovirus (PCV), which have been effectively detected by different molecular tools in recent times. Here, we describe the rationale of molecular techniques such as multiplex PCR, isothermal methods (LAMP, NASBA, RPA, and PSR) and novel methods such as CRISPR-Cas and microfluidics platforms. Successful molecular diagnostic developments are presented by highlighting their most important findings. Finally, we describe the barriers that hinder the large-scale development of affordable, accessible, rapid, and easy-to-use molecular diagnostic tests. The evolution of diagnostic techniques is critical to prevent the spread of viruses and the development of viral reservoirs in the swine industry that impact the possible development of future pandemics and the world economy.

The Estirando el chicle [Stretching the chewing gum] audiovisual podcast is analyzed as a success story that focuses on the connection between the program and its social audiences to determine whether elements of parasociality exist. The case study method is used, with a mixed design that combines discourse analysis and content analysis to understand: 1) the discursive strategies used by the creators, searching for a co-orientation effect with their audience, and 2) whether fandom expresses the existence of parasociality on Youtube. The results show that the hosts use five strategies to be perceived as authentic and to connect with their audience: self-revelation, the “behind-the-scenes” narrative subgenre, visibility of mental health issues, rejection of the aspirational discourse of influencers, and the simulation of interaction. As regards signs of parasociality among the fandom, it is found that 63.8% of comments address the hosts with familiarity, 14.4% of the texts express affectivity belonging to the primary group, and the gratifications from the podcast obtained are entertainment (46.5%), the sense of belonging to the community (18.9%), self-expression (11%), identification (4.7%), and an improvement in some aspect of their life (4.7%).

Phosphorus (as phosphate, Pi) and iron (Fe) are critical nutrients in plants that are often poorly available in the soil and can be microbially affected. This work aimed to evaluate how plant-rhizobacteria interaction changes due to different Pi or Fe nutritional scenarios and to study the underlying molecular mechanisms of the microbial modulation of these nutrients in plants. Thus, three proteobacteria (Paraburkholderia phytofirmans PsJN, Azospirillum brasilense Sp7, and Pseudomonas putida KT2440) were used to inoculate Arabidopsis seeds. Additionally, the seeds were exposed to a nutritional factor with the following levels for each nutrient: sufficient (control) or low concentrations of a highly soluble source or sufficient concentrations of a low solubility source. Then, the effects of the combinatorial factors were assessed in plant growth, nutrition, and genetic regulation. Interestingly, some bacterial effects in plants depended on the nutrient source (e.g., increased aerial zones induced by the strains), and others (e.g., decreased primary roots induced by Sp7 or KT2440) occurred regardless of the nutritional treatment. In the short-term, PsJN had detrimental effects on plant growth in the presence of the low-solubility Fe compound, but this was not observed in later stages of plant development. A thorough regulation of the phosphorus content was detected in plants independent of the nutritional treatment. Nevertheless, inoculation with KT2440 increased P content by 29% Pi-deficiency exposed plants. Conversely, the inoculation tended to decrease the Fe content in plants, suggesting a competition for this nutrient in the rhizosphere. The P-source also affected the effects of the PsJN strain in a double mutant of the phosphate starvation response (PSR). Furthermore, depending on the nutrient source, PsJN and Sp7 strains differentially regulated PSR and IAA- associated genes, indicating a role of these pathways in the observed differential phenotypical responses. In the case of iron, PsJN and SP7 regulated iron uptake-related genes regardless of the iron source, which may explain the lower Fe content in inoculated plants. Overall, the plant responses to these proteobacteria were not only influenced by the nutrient concentrations but also by their availabilities, the elapsed time of the interaction, and the specific identities of the beneficial bacteria.Graphical AbstractThe effects of the different nutritional and inoculation treatments are indicated for plant growth parameters (A), gene regulation (B) and phosphorus and iron content (C). Figures created with BioRender.com with an academic license.

This paper quantifies the coverage area of Low-Power Wide-Area Networks (LPWAN) for Packet Success Rates (PSR) above 85%, where acceptable Quality of Service (QoS) can be achieved. The network consists of battery-operated end-nodes (ENs) and multiple stationary gateways (GWs). We consider asynchronous communication that uses ALOHA-based random channel access. Each transmission from the ENs can be received by multiple GWs. Such spatial diversity results in favorable Signal-to-Noise ratios (SNR). The LoRa modulation is assumed and its specific features, such as IQ inversion, further contribute to decreasing the impact of interference. An increase in the GW density improves network performance, which allows support for a larger density of end-nodes as well as increasing the coverage area. Our simulation results show that a suburban area of up to 1.44 km2 can be covered with five GWs with up to fifty end-nodes with a PSR greater than 86%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water resources are an important guarantee for human life, and the health of the water environment directly affects socioeconomic development. With the rapid development of urbanization and industrialization, wastewater has a huge impact on the water environment. The assessment of water environmental risk has become an important measure for long-term sustainable development. In this study, we proposed a framework based on the pressure-state-response (PSR) model to assess and analyze the changing tendencies of the water environment carrying capacity (WECC). The results showed that WECC increased from 2011 to 2017 and the evaluation status changed from very unhealthy (V) to basically healthy (II). Compared with the carrying capacity of each indicator, the most influential factors were the amount of chemical oxygen demand (COD) discharged, water consumption per capita, industrial water consumption increment per 104-yuan, greenbelt area per capita, the wastewater processing capacity of industrial facilities, and the amount of industrial wastewater. This study concisely shows the status of the water environment in Ningbo and accurately identifies the key problems of water quality. The assessment and analysis of water environmental risk can be a scientific and effective reference for social development planning. By decreasing the amount of wastewater and improving the water quality, WECC can be kept under control for a long time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the pressure–state–response (PSR) framework, in this paper, we construct an assessment system for sustainable water utilization (SWU) in 60 prefecture-level cities along the Yellow River Basin. Then, a spatial autocorrelation model is employed to analyze the spatial distribution characteristics of SWU. Further, nine related variables are selected to explore the key factors affecting the spatial differentiation of SWU with a geographic detector model. The results are as follows: (1) The overall level of SWU in the Yellow River Basin is not high, and the level of SWU in five cities is much higher than that in other cities. (2) Overall, the SWU shows noticeable spatial autocorrelation characteristics along the Yellow River Basin. Additionally, locally, it shows high–high agglomeration, low–high agglomeration, and low–low agglomeration. (3) The most important factors affecting the spatial differentiation of SWU in the Yellow River Basin are precipitation, population density, and the proportion of tertiary industry in regional GDP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]