Browse Articles

Insights from rock bridge experiments about tensile fracture of the locked section in slopes with stepped joints

The impact of invasive Sinanodonta woodiana (Bivalvia, Unionidae) and mussel macroparasites on the egg distribution of parasitic bitterling fish in host mussels

Abstract Facilitative and competitive interactions among coexisting parasite species, as well as among alternative host species, produce considerable ecological and evolutionary responses to host-parasite relationships. Such effects can be illuminated by impacts of non-native species on relationships in local communities. We used the association between parasitic European bitterling fish (Rhodeus amarus) and unionid mussels (which host bitterling eggs in their gills) to test the effects of the invasive Chinese pond mussel (Sinanodonta woodiana) and the presence of non-bitterling mussel macroparasites on the pattern of host mussel use by the bitterling across 12 unionid mussel communities with the absence or presence of S. woodiana (and variation in duration of coexistence with local species). While all six European mussel species were used by the bitterling (with the prevalence of > 30% in Unio spp.), no S. woodiana individual was infected by the bitterling. The presence of S. woodiana did not affect bitterling eggs distribution in native mussels. Large native mussels hosted more bitterling. Infection by non-bitterling parasites, mostly water mites (prevalence 47%) and trematodes (25%), did not affect rates of bitterling parasitism. We discuss our results in the context of the rapid evolution of non-native species in their new range and its implication on mussel conservation.

Routine intracoronary imaging-guided left main coronary intervention

Impact and elastic modulus of coal mining on terrestrial ecosystems

A cross-sectional study on healthcare seeking behavior among Saudi women in Riyadh

Design of a novel long-acting insulin analogs by acetylation modification and compared with insulin Icodec

Development and performance evaluation of alternative road construction material using clay and recycled concrete debris

Synthesis of Titania nanowires doped with Cd on the based Polycalix[4]resorcinarene for photocatalytic oxidation of aromatic alcohols under LED irradiation

Valence fragmentation dynamics of a promising low global warming etching gas CF3CHCF2

Abstract C3HF5 (CF3CHCF2, KSG14), a promising low global warming potential (GWP < 1) alternative to traditional perfluorocarbon etching gases for advanced integrated circuit manufacturing, particularly for high-aspect-ratio SiO2/SiN stacked layers in 3D flash memory. This study investigates the dissociative photoionization dynamics of C3HF5 across 10.0–26.0 eV. Ion yield curves and breakdown diagrams reveal that C3HF5 primarily fragments into C3HF5 +, C3F5 +, C3HF4 +, C3F4 +, C2F3 +, and CF3 + ions. Appearance Energies of these fragments, determined from the ion yield curves, indicate fragmentation pathways at low electronic transitions. These findings underscore C3HF5’s potential as an environmentally friendly etching gas with excellent performance characteristics.

Age-related differences in the effect of mental fatigue on obstacle crossing in virtual reality

A neuroadaptive interface shows intentional control alters the experience of time

Adaptive image encryption approach using an enhanced swarm intelligence algorithm

Abstract Chaos-based encryption methods have gained popularity due to the unique properties of chaos. The performance of chaos-based encryption methods is highly impacted by the values of initial and control parameters. Therefore, this work proposes Iterative Cosine operator-based Hippopotamus Optimization (ICO-HO) to select optimal parameters for chaotic maps, which is further used to design an adaptive image encryption approach. ICO-HO algorithm improves the Hippopotamus Optimization (HO) by integrating a new phase (Phase 4) to update the position of the hippopotamus. ICO-HO updates the position of hippopotamuses using ICO and opposition-based learning, which enhances the exploration and exploitation capabilities of the HO algorithm. ICO-HO algorithm’s better performance is signified by the Friedman mean rank test applied to mean values obtained on the CEC-2017 benchmark functions. The ICO-HO algorithm is utilized to optimize the parameters of PWLCM and PWCM chaotic maps to generate a secret key in the confusion and diffusion phases of image encryption. The performance of the proposed encryption approach is evaluated on grayscale, RGB, and hyperspectral medical images of different modalities, bit depth, and sizes. Different analyses, such as visual analysis, statistical attack analysis, differential attack analysis, and quantitative analysis, have been utilized to assess the effectiveness of the proposed encryption approach. The higher NPCR and UACI values, i.e., 99.60% and 33.40%, respectively, ensure security against differential attacks. Furthermore, the proposed encryption approach is compared with five state-of-the-art encryption techniques available in the literature and six similar metaheuristic techniques using NPCR, UACI, entropy, and correlation coefficient. The proposed methods exhibit 7.9995 and 15.8124 entropy values on 8-bit and 16-bit images, respectively, which is better than all other stated methods, resulting in improved image encryption with high randomness.

Development of machine learning-based differential diagnosis model and risk prediction model of organ damage for severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children

A study on the effects of different isokinetic testing modes of knee flexion-extension muscle strength ratios on lower extremity stiffness during jumping

Individual gaze predicts individual scene descriptions

Abstract Do different people looking at the same scene perceive individual versions of what’s in front of them? If perception is individual, which mechanisms mediate our particular view of the world? Recent findings have shown systematic observer differences in gaze, but it is unclear whether individual fixation biases translate to divergent impressions of the same scene. Here, we find systematic differences in the scene descriptions individual observers provide for identical complex scenes. Crucially, observer differences in fixation patterns predicted pairwise differences in scene descriptions, particularly the use of nouns, even for out-of-sample images. Part of this could be explained by the individual tendency to fixate text and people predicting corresponding description references. Our results strongly suggest that subjective scene perception is shaped by individual gaze.

Optimization of durability characteristics of engineered cementitious composites combined with titanium dioxide as a nanomaterial applying RSM modelling

Abstract Currently, chemical attacks, including acid attacks and sulphate attacks, pose a significant problem for the long-term durability of concrete infrastructures that encounter many types of water, including swamp water, marine water, sewage water, drinkable water, and groundwater. Therefore, the intention of this work is to enhance the durability and resistance of concrete against chemical attack by blending titanium dioxide (TiO2) as nanoparticles into designed cementitious composites. The purpose of current study is to obtain an appropriate TiO2 based on the cement’s weight and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber in composites using multi-objective optimisation. Thirteen mixtures comprising diverse combinations of variables (TiO2: 1–2%, PVA: 1–2%) were formulated utilising RSM modelling. Seven responses were assessed for these mixtures, including weight loss, compressive strength, expansion, a rapid chloride permeability test (RCPT) and a pH test. Analysis of variance, on the other hand, was utilised to construct and assess eight response models (one linear and six quadratics in nature). The R2 values for models spanning from 88 to 99%. The multi-objective optimisation generated optimal response values and ideal variable values (1% PVA and 1.5% TiO2). Experimental verification revealed that the predicted values correlated exceedingly well with the experimental data, with an error rate of less than 5%. The outcomes indicate that a 30% rise in compressive strength was noted when 1.5% TiO2 nanomaterial was incorporated into ECC. Furthermore, the expansion caused by sulphate attack decreases when TiO2 used as a nanomaterial increases in composites. Besides, when the concentration of TiO2 in ECC increased, the pH value, and weight loss caused by acid attack reduced. In addition, the RCPT is recorded reducing when the content of TiO2 increases but it increases with addition of PVA fiber. It has been shown that including 1.5% TiO2 and 1% PVA fiber yields the optimal results for the building sector.

Automated evaluation of accessibility issues of webpage content: tool and evaluation

Abstract In recent years, there has been a growing field of research focused on comprehending complexity in relation to web platform accessibility. It has shown that it is quite difficult to accurately assess and identify web accessibility concerns while taking multifaceted factors into account. It is imperative to prioritize multi-dimensional characteristics as they facilitate the integration of many aspects into the assessment process, which is a critical component in enhancing the accessibility evaluation process. Although many existing solutions with varying degrees of computational success have been proposed by scholars, they are confined to (1) following a certain set of rules of a specific guideline; (2) limited evaluation properties; (3) disregard for user criteria; and (4) complex functional properties or architectural design. To address these problems, we present in this work a straightforward yet precise model that assesses webpage accessibility by taking into account common features of the structural and visual elements of webpages that are part of the HTML Document Object Model (DOM) structure. In order to predict a webpage’s accessibility status, we implemented three distinct algorithms to analyze web features/objects considering both semantic and non-semantic aspects. We performed experimental work to validate 20 university webpages in Hungary through our developed tool. The computed result of the developed tool was assessed by comparing the result with a user study where we performed user testing that included 40 users’ 80 reviews on the same 20 university webpages in Hungary. Additionally, we compared our developed tool with other scientific models (that already exist) and existing ten open-source commercial automated testing tools considering several functional characteristics or properties. This two-phase assessment result shows that the developed tool has several advanced properties and the potential to predict the accessibility issues of the tested webpages.

Experimental study of a fixed OWC-type wave energy converter in irregular wave conditions

Inertial motion of a circular cylinder approaching obliquely an ice cover

Abstract Two-dimensional unsteady problem of an inertial motion of a circular cylinder approaching obliquely an ice cover and the response of ice to this motion are investigated. The liquid under the ice is inviscid, incompressible and of infinite depth. The ice sheet floating on water surface is modelled as a thin elastic plate of constant thickness and of infinite extent. The movement of the cylinder is governed by its inertia, gravity, hydrodynamic force, deflection of the ice cover and the initial conditions. The general coupled problem is approximately decoupled for relatively small speeds of the body. Within the decoupled approach, the cylinder motion, the generated flow, and the hydrodynamic pressure in the fluid are determined by conformal mapping method without account for the ice deflection. The obtained hydrodynamic loads are applied to the equation of elastic ice sheet, and the ice deflection, speed of deflection and strains in the ice are evaluated by Fourier transform method. The oblique inertial motion of a circular cylinder under the rigid plate is described analytically. A critical Froude number for a heavy cylinder, which is only dependent on the initial submergence depth, is introduced and used in classification of the body motions. The present study is focused on the motions of circular cylinders without their impacts with the plate. It is shown that the ice can be damaged even before the cylinder arrives at the position closest to the plate. For a given radius of the cylinder and its initial kinetic energy, the conditions of the motion including the angle of attack and the dimensionless submergence depth which lead to ice breaking are predicted.

Structural insights into fungal and human topoisomerase II with implications for in silico antifungal drug design

Abstract Topoisomerases are essential enzymes regulating DNA supercoiling and disentanglement, critical for genomic integrity. While topoisomerase inhibitors are well-established in anticancer and antibacterial chemotherapy, their potential as antifungal agents remains underexplored or even not proofed. This study investigates structural distinctions between Saccharomyces cerevisiae topoisomerase II (ScTopoII) and human topoisomerase IIα (hTopoIIα), aiming to identify if ScTopoII can be a selective target for antifungal drug development. A comprehensive sequence analysis, extending to various fungal strains and evolutionary ancient organisms, reveals dissimilarities in the transducer and transducer linker domains of these proteins, as well as in the lysine-rich K-loop region. Molecular dynamics simulations emphasize structural differences in the K-loop, α-helix (or helix-like region), and helix supporting loop region, as well as show unique patterns in hydrophilic and hydrophobic intramolecular interactions in ScTopoII. Moreover, phylogenetic comparisons support the importance of specific regions studied. The study includes topos from different organisms, highlighting discrepancies in helix stability near the K-loop and the role of helix supporting loop region. This broad analysis provides insights into the structural basis of human and fungal enzymes presenting potential pharmacophore “hot spots” in ScTopoII which may give hope for developing selective antifungal agents.