Search Results (7,319)

In this research, five systems were developed to classify four distinct motor functions—forward hand movement (FW), grasp (GP), release (RL), and reverse hand movement (RV)—from EEG signals, using the WAY-EEG-GAL dataset where participants performed a sequence of hand movements. During preprocessing, band-pass filtering was applied to remove artifacts and focus on the mu and beta frequency bands. The initial system, a preliminary study model, explored the overall framework of EEG signal processing and classification, utilizing time-domain features such as variance and frequency-domain features such as alpha and beta power, with a KNN model for classification. Insights from this study informed the development of a baseline system, which innovatively combined the common spatial patterns (CSP) method with continuous wavelet transform (CWT) for feature extraction and employed a GoogLeNet classifier with transfer learning. This system classified six unique pairs of events derived from the four motor functions, achieving remarkable accuracy, with the highest being 99.73% for the GP–RV pair and the lowest 80.87% for the FW–GP pair in intersubject classification. Building on this success, three additional systems were developed for four-way classification. The final model, ML-CSP-OVR, demonstrated the highest intersubject classification accuracy of 78.08% using all combined data and 76.39% for leave-one-out intersubject classification. This proposed model, featuring a novel combination of CSP-OVR, CWT, and GoogLeNet, represents a significant advancement in the field, showcasing strong potential as a general system for motor imagery (MI) tasks that is not dependent on the subject. This work highlights the prominence of the research contribution by demonstrating the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed approach in achieving high classification accuracy across different motor functions and subjects. Full article

Spartina alterniflora is recognized as one of the most detrimental invasive species along China’s coastlines, highlighting the need for effective and environmentally safe management strategies to preserve intertidal zones. This study assessed the effectiveness of combining plant growth regulators (PRGs) with physical cutting to manage S. alterniflora, using 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA gene sequencing to evaluate the impacts on the plant and associated soil micro-organisms. The results showed that compared to the control (CK), the regeneration numbers for treatments with abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellin (GA), paclobutrazol (PP₃₃₃), garcinol (GC), and glyphosate (GP) decreased by 29.75%, 23.25%, 15.75%, 94.50%, and 40.50%, respectively. Comparative analysis revealed no statistically significant variation in the inhibitory effects of ABA and GP on the germination of S. alterniflora (p > 0.05). Additionally, applying PRGs and herbicides increased the diversity indices of soil bacteria and fungi. Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA) showed that the impact of PRGs on the fungal community was less pronounced than that of herbicides. Significant differences were also noted in the abundance of microbial functional genes related to methanotrophy, hydrocarbon degradation, and denitrification compared to the control (p < 0.05). This study aimed to assess the potential of PRGs in controlling the invasion of S. alterniflora and to elucidate their impacts on soil microbial communities and functional gene expression. Full article

This study examines the impact of high-pressure torsion (HPT) processing at various temperatures on the precipitation behavior of Cu-Cr alloys. The introduction of defects through HPT is observed to promote the precipitation of Cr atoms. Unlike the traditional large-scale precipitation that typically occurs around 400 °C, HPT can induce the precipitation of solute atoms even at room temperature. Furthermore, the temperature at which HPT is performed significantly influences the behavior of the precipitated phase during subsequent aging, ultimately affecting the alloy’s overall properties. At elevated temperatures (ETs) and room temperature (RT), Cr atoms tend to aggregate, forming Guinier–Preston (GP) zones or precipitates, which coarsen into incoherent precipitates after annealing. In contrast, when HPT is conducted at liquid nitrogen temperature (LNT), Cr atoms are retained in their original positions, leading to the formation of uniformly distributed, high-density small precipitates post-annealing. This phenomenon results in superior properties for HPT-LNT-treated samples, evidenced by a microhardness of 191.8 ± 3.2 HV and an electrical conductivity of 84.6 ± 1.8% IACS. Full article

Monitoring training load, recovery, and wellness in maturation ages is even more relevant than in adulthood, especially during congested schedules. The objective of this study was to quantify and describe the differences in external and internal load, recovery, and perceived wellness in elite under-16 female players during a period of three competitions in seven days based on their participation during matches. An observational design was used to quantify the external load (total distance, high-speed distance, and PlayerLoad) and internal load (differential sRPE), as well as the recovery and wellness of 18 international under-16 players during a development tournament. The external load pattern of the starting players was undulating, with matches showing the highest internal load values compared to training sessions and non-starters. Non-starter players (whether training or matches) showed similar external load and differential sRPE values throughout the tournament (p > 0.05). Starting players experienced higher internal load than non-starters during matches (p < 0.037), without differences between training sessions (p > 0.05). No changes were seen in wellness or recovery (all p-values > 0.05), except for non-starters in Session 3 compared to Session 7 (p = 0.024). Starting players had more weekly total minutes (p = 0.018), differential sRPE (breath: p = 0.002; leg: p = 0.002; cognitive: p = 0.003), total distance (p = 0.003), and PlayerLoad (p = 0.008) than non-starters. Our results indicate differing load patterns between starters and non-starters, which do not affect wellness and recovery differently. Starters accumulate more weekly total load. Coaches can use these findings to guide decisions and load compensations in high competition contexts for young female soccer players. Full article

The Tian Shan is a typical active intracontinental orogenic belt that is driven by the ongoing indentation of India into Eurasia. However, the geological features of Quaternary deformation, especially in the easternmost sector near Harlik Mountain, remain elusive. Field observations, topographic analysis, and Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) dating were employed to comprehensively assess the deformation features and evaluate the deformation pattern for this region during the Quaternary period. The results disclose evidence of deformation in the northern and southern foreland basins of Harlik Mountain. In the Barkol Basin to the north, crustal shortening results in the formation of surface scarps and folds, indicating north-directed thrusting, with a shortening rate of ~0.15 mm/yr. In the Hami Basin, the north-directed thrust elevates the granites, which offset the alluvial fans, with a shortening rate of ~0.18 mm/yr. Together with the shortening along the boundary fault, the aggregated north–south shortening rate is approximately 0.69 mm/yr in the easternmost Tian Shan, corresponding with the differential motion rate between the north and south Harlik Mountain revealed by the GPS velocity. These findings imply that, distal to the collision zone, tectonic strain in the eastern Tian Shan is primarily accommodated through the reactivation of pre-existing strike–slip faults, with crustal shortening concentrated at the overlapping position of parallel northeast-trending left-lateral strike–slip faults. Full article

Among polymer wastes, poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is the most important commercial thermoplastic polyester. Less than 30% of total PET production is recycled into new products. Therefore, large amounts of waste PET need to be recycled. We describe a feasible approach for the direct application of the glycolysis products of PET (GP-PET), without further purification, for the synthesis of value-added products. It was established that GP-PET is valorized via phosphorylation with phenylphosphonic dichloride (PPD), as well as with trimethyl phosphate (TMP). When PPD is used, a condensation reaction takes place with the evolution of hydrogen chloride. During the interaction between GP-PET and TMP, the following reactions take place simultaneously: a transesterification with the participation of the hydroxyl group of GP-PET and the methoxy group of TMP and an exchange reaction between the ester group of GP-PET and the methyl ester group of TMP. The occurrence of the exchange reaction was confirmed by ¹H, ³¹P, ¹³C NMR, and GPC analysis. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed that the percentage of a carbon residual (CR) implies the possibility of using the end products as flame retardant (FR) additives, especially for polyurethanes as well as thermal stabilizers of polymer materials or Li-ion cells. Full article

The growing consumer demand for natural and eco-friendly food products motivates the development and evaluation of new and natural inputs for the food industry. So, this work explores the potential of grape pomace (GP) from winemaking, a food production residue, to obtain an anthocyanin-rich, ready-to-use extract with antioxidant activity that can confer improved color-rich gummy candies. The anthocyanins’ chemical nature and the predictive COSMO-SAC model was considered for screening the best natural eutectic mixture for anthocyanin extraction. The eutectic mixtures composed of choline chloride as a hydrogen bond acceptor and acetic and citric acids as hydrogen bond donors were selected as solvents. The extraction was performed using a high-shear disperser (Ultra-Turrax^®) at 45 °C and was stirred at 5000 rpm for 10 min. The extracts presented high total anthocyanin content (TAC), up to 60 µg equivalent of cyaniding-3-glucoside/g of dry GP, and high antioxidant activity as determined by DPPH and FRAP assays. The phenolic profile was also determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the results corroborated with the antioxidant activity of the extracts. The results also demonstrate that eutectic mixtures enhance the extraction efficiency of anthocyanins and improve their stability, making them suitable for incorporation into functional food products such as gummies, acting as natural colorants. Full article

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has become the greatest public health challenge worldwide. Soon after the appearance of the virus in 2019, intensive efforts to develop vaccines were initiated, and by late 2020, delivery of vaccines for the targeted population as a campaign had started. Aim: Collect information from European Union countries regarding how and to what extent were family physicians (FPs)/general practitioners (GPs) involved in the vaccination campaigns in 2021 and how these were organized at the national level. Method: A short questionnaire was distributed through the secretariats of WONCA (World Organization of Family Doctors) Europe and the European Forum for Primary Care (EFPC). Results: In most of the countries, participation of FPs/GPs was compulsory. The vaccination was usually centrally organized by governmental authorities. In the beginning, registration (web-based) of patients was required, mainly at the national level. By the middle of 2021, vaccination on a walk-in basis became available in almost every country for the first immunization as well as for the booster injections. The remunerations of GPs/FPs differed; in some countries, no extra payments were offered. The Pfizer vaccine was used in all countries, while in nine countries, non-European Medicines Agency (EMA)-approved vaccines were also given in primary care settings and at vaccination centers. In some countries, professional homepages helped the GPs. The involvement of primary health care (PHC) providers did not correlate to the vaccination coverage of the entire population of the respective countries. It was the highest in the more developed countries with higher living standards, where participation of GPs was voluntary and appropriate financial incentives were offered to them. Conclusions: The vaccination campaign was a professional and logistic challenge and an excellent performance of PCH providers. Experiences gained could be used in the future to manage similar pandemic challenges. Full article

This paper explores the application of sliding mode control (SMC) as a robust security enhancement strategy for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems. The study proposes integrating advanced SMC techniques with security protocols to develop a dual-purpose system that improves UAV control and fortifies against adversarial actions. The strategy includes dynamic reconfiguration capabilities within the SMC framework, allowing adaptive responses to threats by adjusting control laws and operational parameters. This is complemented by anomaly detection algorithms that monitor deviations in control signals and system states, providing early warnings of potential cyber-intrusions or physical tampering. Additionally, fault-tolerant SMC mechanisms are designed to maintain control and system stability even when parts of the UAV are compromised. The methodology involves simulation and real-world testing to validate the effectiveness of the SMC-based security enhancements. Simulations assess how the UAV handles attack scenarios, such as GPS spoofing and control signal jamming, with SMC adapting in real-time to mitigate these threats. Field tests further confirm the system’s capability to operate under varied conditions, proving the feasibility of SMC for enhancing UAV security. This integration of sliding mode control into UAV security protocols leverages control theory for security purposes, offering a significant advancement in the robust, adaptive control of UAVs in hostile environments. Full article

The utilization of hydraulic fracturing technology is indispensable for unlocking the potential of tight oil and gas reservoirs. Understanding and accurately evaluating the impact of fracturing is pivotal in maximizing oil and gas production and optimizing wellbore performance. Currently, evaluation methods based on acoustic logging, such as orthogonal dipole anisotropy and radial tomography imaging, are widely used. However, when the fractures generated by hydraulic fracturing form a network-like pattern, orthogonal dipole anisotropy fails to accurately assess the fracturing effects. Radial tomography imaging can address this issue, but it is challenged by high manpower and time costs. This study aims to develop a more efficient and accurate method for evaluating fracturing effects in tight reservoirs using deep learning techniques. Specifically, the method utilizes dipole array acoustic logging curves recorded before and after fracturing. Manual labeling was conducted by integrating logging data interpretation results. An improved WGAN-GP was employed to generate adversarial samples for data augmentation, and fracturing effect evaluation was implemented using SE-ResNet, ResNet, and DenseNet. The experimental results demonstrated that ResNet with residual connections is more suitable for the dataset in this study, achieving higher accuracy in fracturing effect evaluation. The inclusion of the SE module further enhanced model accuracy by adaptively adjusting the weights of feature map channels, with the highest accuracy reaching 99.75%. Full article

Marine litter poses a significant global threat to marine ecosystems, primarily driven by poor waste management, inadequate infrastructure, and irresponsible human activities. This research investigates the application of image preprocessing techniques and deep learning algorithms for the detection of seafloor objects, specifically marine debris, using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The primary objective is to develop non-invasive methods for detecting marine litter to mitigate environmental impacts and support the health of marine ecosystems. Data was collected remotely via UAVs, resulting in a novel database of over 5000 images and 12,000 objects categorized into 31 classes, with metadata such as GPS location, wind speed, and solar parameters. Various image preprocessing methods were employed to enhance underwater object detection, with the Removal of Water Scattering (RoWS) method demonstrating superior performance. The proposed deep neural network architecture significantly improved detection precision compared to existing models. The findings indicate that appropriate databases and preprocessing methods substantially enhance the accuracy and precision of underwater object detection algorithms. Full article

Osteoarthritis (OA) is an age-related disease characterized by inflammation, pain, articular cartilage damage, synovitis, and irreversible disability. Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino (GP), a herbal medicine traditionally used in East Asia for its anti-inflammatory properties, was investigated for its potential to modulate OA pathology and symptoms. This study evaluated GP’s efficacy in inhibiting pain, functional decline, and cartilage destruction in monosodium iodoacetate-induced OA and acetic acid-induced writhing models. Additionally, the effects of GP on OA-related inflammatory targets were assessed via mRNA and protein expression in rat knee cartilage and lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 264.7 cells. The GP group demonstrated significant pain relief, functional improvement, and cartilage protection. Notably, GP inhibited key inflammatory mediators, including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-3 and MMP-13, cyclooxygenase-2, and prostaglandin E receptor 2, surpassing the effects of active controls. These findings suggest that GP is a promising candidate for disease-modifying OA drugs and warrants further comprehensive studies. Full article

Acute myocardial infarction still represents the major cause of mortality in high-income countries. Therefore, considerable efforts have been focused on the treatment of myocardial infarctions in the acute and long-term phase, with special attention being paid to reperfusion strategies and adjunctive antithrombotic therapies. In fact, despite the successful mechanical recanalization of the epicardial conduit, a substantial percentage of patients still experience poor myocardial reperfusion or acute/subacute in-stent thrombosis. Due the delayed onset of action of currently available oral antiplatelet therapies, glycoprotein (GP) IIb–IIIa inhibitors could be expected to improve clinical outcomes, especially when administrated in the early phase of the infarction, due to the larger platelet composition of fresh thrombi, the dynamic nature of early thrombi, and the larger amount of viable myocardium existing in the early, as compared to a delayed, phase. Considerable evidence has accumulated regarding the benefits from GP IIb–IIIa inhibitors on mortality, especially among high-risk patients and when administered as an upstream strategy. Therefore, based on currently available data, GP IIb–IIIa inhibitors can be considered when the drug can be administered within the first 3 h of symptom onset and among high-risk patients (e.g., those with advanced Killip class or an anterior myocardial infarction). Even though it is not universally accepted, in our opinion, this strategy should be implemented in a pre-hospital setting (in an ambulance) or as soon as possible when arriving at the hospital (at the Emergency Room or Coronary Care Unit, irrespective of whether they are in spoke or hub hospitals). A new, second-generation GP IIb–IIIa inhibitor (zalunfiban) appears to be highly suitable as a pre-hospital pharmacological facilitation strategy at the time of first medical contact due to its favourable features, including its simple subcutaneous administration, rapid onset of action (15 min), and limited time of action (with a half-life of ~1 h), which is likely to minimize the risk of bleeding. The ongoing CELEBRATE trial, including 2499 STEMI patients, may potentially provide compelling data to support the upstream treatment of STEMI patients undergoing mechanical reperfusion. In fact, although the current therapeutic target of increased rates of timely reperfusion has been achieved, the future goal in myocardial infarction treatment should be to achieve the most rapid reperfusion prior to primary percutaneous coronary intervention, thus further minimizing myocardial damage, or, in some cases, even preventing it completely, and improving survival. Full article

Marburg hemorrhagic fever (MHF) is a fatal infectious disease caused by Marburg virus (MARV) infection, and MARV has been identified as a priority pathogen for vaccine development by the WHO. The glycoprotein (GP) of MARV mediates viral adhesion and invasion of host cells and therefore can be used as an effective target for vaccine development. Moreover, DNA vaccines have unique advantages, such as simple construction processes, low production costs, and few adverse reactions, but their immunogenicity may decrease due to the poor absorption rate of plasmids. Lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1) can direct antigens to lysosomes and endosomes and has great potential for improving the immunogenicity of nucleic acid vaccines. Therefore, we constructed a DNA vaccine based on a codon-optimized MARV GP (ID MF939097.1) fused with LAMP1 and explored the effect of a LAMP targeting strategy on improving the immunogenicity of the MARV DNA vaccine. ELISA, ELISpot, and flow cytometry revealed that the introduction of LAMP1 into the MARV DNA candidate vaccine improved the humoral and cellular immune response, enhanced the secretion of cytokines, and established long-term immune protection. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the LAMP targeting strategy significantly enriched antigen processing and presentation-related pathways, especially the MHC class II-related pathway, in the candidate vaccine. Our study broadens the strategic vision for enhanced DNA vaccine design and provides a promising candidate vaccine for MHF prevention. Full article

In the context of sustainable agriculture, the search for soil improvers that boost crop growth without harming biodiversity is gaining much attention. Biochar, the solid residue resulting from the pyrolysis of organic material, has recently emerged as a promising bioproduct in enhancing crop yield, but there is a lack of information regarding its effects on arable biodiversity. Thus, in this study, we tested the effect of biochar application on the germination and seedling growth of cornflower (Centaurea cyanus L., Asteraceae), a threatened arable weed, under laboratory conditions. We investigated various parameters, including germination percentage (GP%), mean germination time (MGT), germination rate index (GRI), germination energy (GE%), fresh and dry weight (mg) of seedlings, and radicle length (mm) under biochar treatments at different concentrations: 0% (control), 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.5%, 1%, and 2%. Our findings revealed a significant increase in GP, GE, and GRI at biochar concentrations of 0.5% and 1%. MGT slightly increased at 0.1% biochar. Seedling fresh weight was unaffected by biochar application, whereas seedling dry weight exhibited a significant increase at 0.5% biochar. Radicle length showed a substantial increase under 0.1% biochar on day one, and was significantly higher at 0.2% and 1% biochar on day two. However, by day three, no more statistically significant differences in radicle length were observed between biochar-treated diaspores and controls (i.e., biochar had positive effects only in the first stages). These results suggest that the application of biochar at intermediate concentrations (0.5% and 1%) overall provides the most benefit to the germination and seedling growth of C. cyanus. Full article