This paper presents a 14-bit hybrid column-parallel compact analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for the application of digital infrared focal plane arrays (IRFPAs) with compromised power and speed performance. The proposed hybrid ADC works in two phases: in the first phase, a 7-bit successive approximation register (SAR) ADC performs coarse quantization; in the second phase, a 7-bit single-slope (SS) ADC performs fine quantization to complete the residue voltage conversion. In this work, the number of unit capacitors is reduced to 1/128th of that of a conventional 14-bit SAR ADC, which is beneficial for the application of small pixel-pitch IRFPAs. In this work, a tradeoff segmented thermometer-coded digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is adopted in the first 7-bit coarse quantization process: the lower 3-bit is binary coded, and the upper 4-bit is thermometer coded. A thermometer-coded DAC can improve the linearity of ADC. Capacitor array matching can be incredibly relaxed compared with a binary-weight 14-bit SAR ADC, resulting in a noncalibration feature. Moreover, by sharing DAC and comparator analog circuits between the SAR ADC and the SS ADC, the power consumption and layout area are consequently reduced. The proposed hybrid ADC was fabricated using a 180 nm CMOS process. The measurement results show that the proposed ADC has a differential nonlinearity of −0.61/+0.84 LSB and a sampling rate of 120 kS/s. The developed ADC achieves a temporal noise of 1.7 LSBrms at a temperature of 77 K. In addition, the SNDR is 72.9 dB, and the ENOB is 11.82 bit, respectively. Total power consumption is 71 μW from supply voltages of 3.3 V (analog) and 1.8 V (digital). Full article

The nutritional status of the mother-to-be has a key impact on the proper development of the fetus. Although all nutrients are important for the developing baby, recent research indicates the importance of adequate choline intake during the periconceptional period, pregnancy, and lactation. Choline plays a key role in the biosynthesis of cell membranes, supporting liver function, neurotransmission, brain development, and DNA and histone methylation. Choline participates in the formation of a child’s nervous system, supports its cognitive development, and reduces the risk of neural tube defects. The human body is incapable of producing sufficient choline to meet its needs; therefore, it must be obtained from the diet. Current data indicate that most women in their reproductive years do not achieve the recommended daily intake of choline. The presented narrative review indicates the importance of educating mothers-to-be and thereby increasing their awareness of the effects of choline on maternal and child health, which can lead to a more aware and healthy pregnancy and proper child development. Full article

The use of biodegradable paper pulp pots has been gaining traction, especially among environmentally conscious consumers and horticultural practitioners who prioritize sustainability. The choice between paper pulp and polyethylene nursery pots in horticultural practices is a complex decision, involving considerations such as environmental impact, cost-effectiveness, durability, and overall sustainability. This study aims to provide practical insights into the comparative performance of paper pulp and polyethylene pots, specifically in terms of plant health, degradation, and techno-economic considerations. The study involved the growth performance assessment of four plant species, Cannonball Tomato, Celebrity Tomato, Parris Island Lettuce, and French Marigold, in a greenhouse experiment setup. Additionally, a degradation analysis was conducted to determine the average degradation rate and pattern. Finally, a techno-economic analysis compared the value of plant health and degradation with the market price. By evaluating the quality performance aspects of paper pulp pots, this study not only provides valuable insights but also identifies potential areas of improvement for other biodegradable pots, thereby contributing to the ongoing efforts to promote sustainable horticultural practices. Full article

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology has emerged as a pivotal measure in mitigating global climate change. Notably, CO₂-EOR is esteemed for its dual function of sequestering CO₂ and enhancing oil recovery. However, this process presents challenges related to asphaltene deposition during CO₂ flooding, leading to reservoir damage, such as pore plugging. This study systematically manipulated the factors inducing CO₂-induced asphaltene deposition, elucidating the mechanisms and magnitudes of asphaltene precipitation. Additionally, the study investigated the efficacy of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) in mitigating asphaltene deposition. Experimental findings indicated a positive correlation between asphaltene deposition and level of asphaltene content, CO₂ injection ratio, and temperature. Moreover, with an increase in experimental pressure, the asphaltene deposition rate demonstrated an initial increase followed by a subsequent decline. Leveraging their favorable compatibility with asphaltene, CQDs effectively suppressed the aggregation behavior of asphaltene. In the presence of CQDs, the onset of asphaltene precipitation was delayed from 45 V% to 55 V%, with the highest inhibition rate reaching approximately 36% at an optimal CQD concentration of 20 mg/L. This study proposes a novel approach to address asphaltene deposition issues in CO₂-EOR processes, contributing to the enhancement of recovery rates in low-permeability reservoirs. Full article

This work describes a sapphire cryo-applicator with the ability to sense tissue freezing depth during cryosurgery by illumination of tissue and analyzing diffuse optical signals in a steady-state regime. The applicator was manufactured by the crystal growth technique and has several spatially resolved internal channels for accommodating optical fibers. The method of reconstructing freezing depth proposed in this work requires one illumination and two detection channels. The analysis of the detected intensities yields the estimation of the time evolution of the effective attenuation coefficient, which is compared with the theoretically calculated values obtained for a number of combinations of tissue parameters. The experimental test of the proposed applicator and approach for freezing depth reconstruction was performed using gelatin-based tissue phantom and rat liver tissue in vivo. It revealed the ability to estimate depth up to 8 mm. The in vivo study confirmed the feasibility of the applicator to sense the freezing depth of living tissues despite the possible diversity of their optical parameters. The results justify the potential of the described design of a sapphire instrument for cryosurgery. Full article

The Multiple Criteria Decision-Making/Analysis (MCDM/A) methods have been widely used in several management contexts. In public security, their use enhances managerial decision-making by considering the decision-maker’s preference structure and providing a multidimensional view of problems. However, methodological support for their applications in this field lacks clarity, including selecting appropriate methods, addressing pertinent problematics, and identifying alternatives and criteria. To address this gap, this article conducts a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) to diagnose the state of the art and identify the main directions of the research in multicriteria models applied to public security management. The research methodology involves five main research questions, and the extraction and analysis of data from 51 articles selected through a structured filtering process. The analysis includes identifying the number of publications and citations, as well as listing the MCDM/A approaches and issues employed. Furthermore, the criteria used and the number of criteria considered are discussed, as well as the method employed. Finally, the identification of the main research directions in MCDM/A models applied to public security is presented. The findings suggest that prioritization and classification are common problematics, social criteria are frequently considered, and the AHP method is widely used, often employing fuzzy sets and hybrid models. Full article

Background: In everyday dentistry, monolithic single crowns can be cemented with self-adhesive resin cements. The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate how the marginal adaptation of full monolithic zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate (ZLS) single crowns is influenced by three different self-adhesive resin cements. Methods: Forty-five typodont teeth fully prepared for full monolithic crowns were divided into three groups (fifteen each) for the use of three different self-adhesive resin cements. A fourth control group (Temp-bond) was created by taking five teeth from each group before cementation with self-adhesive resin cements. All forty-five abutments were scanned using a Primescan intra-oral scanner (IOS), followed by computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) of zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate (ZLS) full crowns using a four-axis machine. Initially, the crowns of the control group were fixed to the abutments using Temp-bond, and the marginal gap was evaluated using a scanning electronic microscope (SEM). After removing the control group crowns from the abutments, fifteen crowns in each group were cemented using a different self-adhesive resin cement and observed under SEM for evaluation of the marginal gap. A Kolmogorov–Smirnov test was performed, indicating no normal distribution (p < 0.05), followed by Mann–Whitney tests (α = 0.05). Results: The total mean marginal gap of the temp-bond control group was significantly lower compared to all three groups of self-adhesive resin cement (p < 0.0005). The total mean marginal gap of the G-cem ONE group was significantly lower compared to the TheraCem group (p < 0.026) and RelyX U200 group (p < 0.008). The total mean marginal gap of the TheraCem group was significantly higher than the G-cem ONE group (p < 0.026) but showed no significant difference with the RelyX U200 group (p > 0.110). Conclusions: All four groups showed a clinically acceptable marginal gap (<120 microns). Although all three groups of self-adhesive resin cement showed a significant increase in the marginal gap compared to the temp-bond control group, they were within the limits of clinical acceptability. Regarding the marginal gap, in everyday dentistry, it is acceptable to use all three self-adhesive resin cements, although the G-cem ONE group exhibited the lowest marginal gap for ZLS single crowns. Full article

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune condition that can seriously impair multiple organs including the nervous system, causing neuropsychiatric SLE (NPSLE), which encompasses a broad range of symptoms. Pathogenesis is not completely understood but is thought to involve inflammatory and vascular pathways. This comprehensive review discusses the complex nature and heterogeneity of NPSLE and the challenges in diagnosis and treatment that result from it. Diagnosis often requires a multidisciplinary approach with multiple assessments, including laboratory testing, imaging, and neuropsychological evaluations. Current treatments focus on managing symptoms through immunosuppressive and anti-thrombotic therapies tailored to the inflammatory or vascular nature of the specific NPSLE manifestations. This paper emphasizes the necessity for interdisciplinary approaches and further research to enhance diagnostic accuracy and treatment effectiveness. It also highlights the importance of understanding the underlying mechanisms of NPSLE to develop more targeted therapies, citing the need for high-quality studies and novel treatment agents. Full article

TRAF6 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that plays a crucial role in cell signaling. It is known that MMP is involved in tumor metastasis, and TRAF6 induces MMP-9 expression by binding to BSG. However, inhibiting TRAF6’s ubiquitinase activity without disrupting the RING domain is a challenge that requires further research. To address this, we conducted computer-based drug screening to identify potential TRAF6 inhibitors. Using a ligand–receptor complex pharmacophore based on the inhibitor EGCG, known for its anti-tumor properties, we screened 52,765 marine compounds. After the molecular docking of 405 molecules with TRAF6, six compounds were selected for further analysis. By replacing fragments of non-binding compounds and conducting second docking, we identified two promising molecules, CMNPD9212-16 and CMNPD12791-8, with strong binding activity and favorable pharmacological properties. ADME and toxicity predictions confirmed their potential as TRAF6 inhibitors. Molecular dynamics simulations showed that CMNPD12791-8 maintained a stable structure with the target protein, comparable to EGCG. Therefore, CMNPD12791-8 holds promise as a potential inhibitor of TRAF6 for inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis. Full article

In order to address the Multi-Objective Optimization Problem (MOOP) in building a two-stage helical gearbox, this work presents a novel application of the Multi-Criterion Decision-Making (MCDM) method. The aim of the study is to determine the optimal primary design factors that will increase gearbox efficiency while decreasing gearbox volume. Three main design parameters were chosen for assessment in this work: the first stage’s gear ratio, and the first and second stages’ Coefficients of Wheel Face Width (CWFW). In addition, the MOOP is divided into two phases: phase 1 solves the single-objective optimization problem to reduce the gap between variable levels, and phase 2 solves the MOOP to determine the optimal primary design factors. Furthermore, the Entropy approach was picked to compute the weight criteria, and the MARCOS method was chosen as an MCDM method to handle the multi-objective optimization issue. The following are important characteristics of the study: Firstly, the MCDM method (MARCOS technique) was successfully applied to solve a MOOP for the first time. Secondly, this work has looked into power losses during idle motion to calculate the efficiency of a two-stage helical gearbox. The results of the study were used in the design of a two-stage helical gearbox in order to identify the optimal values for three important design parameters. Full article

Accurate diagnostic techniques and effective therapeutic methods are required to treat H. pylori. The application of chicken single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies may diagnose and treat H. pylori. This study used the phage display technique to construct a chicken-derived immune scFv antibody library against H. pylori. Total RNA was extracted from the spleens of five immunized chickens and reverse transcribed into cDNA. A fragment of scFv was produced by overlap extension PCR and cloned into a pHEN2 phagemid vector. After the package with the M13KO7 helper phage, the recombinant HpaA protein was used as a target antigen to validate the screening ability of our antibody library by bio-panning. The dilution counting results showed that the size of the primary antibody library was estimated to be 1 × 10⁹ cfu/mL. PCR analysis of 47 clones from the library revealed that about 100% of the clones were positive with scFv fragments, and there were no identical sequences, indicating the good diversity of the antibody library. After three rounds of bio-panning, high-affinity antibodies against recombinant HpaA protein were successfully obtained. The selected antibody specifically recognized HpaA protein in nine different H. pylori strains, confirming the screening ability of our library. The chicken immune scFv antibody library against H. pylori was successfully constructed, and the antibody library’s screening ability was validated by selecting specific scFv antibodies against recombinant HpaA and clinical strains. It provided a simple and rapid method to obtain antibodies against H. pylori for diagnosis or treatment. Full article

Bark beetles are a significant link in the chain of diseases that lead to the accelerated dying of firs (Abies alba Mill.), a key species in the cultivation of stable mixed-tree stands. The aim of this work was to evaluate biotic interactions in populations of bark beetles that colonised natural traps made from firs. The tested hypothesis was that the niche breadth of the species increases with the increasing density of the population. The research was carried out in near-natural forests containing fir, growing in the Suchedniów-Oblęgorek Landscape Park in central Poland. Data were collected from 30 traps trees and 30 windfalls in the years 2010–2023. Cryphalus piceae Ratz. prefers heavily weakened trees, as shown by the fact that it colonised all of the natural traps, which lack any defensive reactions. The sampling method used in the study proved effective, as confirmed by the segregation of the niches of all of the bark beetles. Using nonlinear regression (linearisable model and piecewise linear regression), models were constructed that describe the niche breadths of the bark beetles. The niche parameter is correlated with the density of colonisation. The derived models explain around 77–84% of the variation in the niche breadth of bark beetles on natural traps. The mean relative errors of estimation do not exceed 20%. The niche breadth parameter obtained from the derived regression equations may be used in models that describe—for example—the impact of observed climate change on the population dynamics of bark beetles. Full article

This review article investigates the utilization of MRS in the setting of cervical cancer. A variety of different techniques have been used in this space including single-voxel techniques such as point-resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) and stimulated echo acquisition mode spectroscopy (STEAM). Furthermore, the experimental parameters for these acquisitions including field strength, repetition times (TR), and echo times (TE) vary greatly. This study critically examines eleven MRS studies that focus on cervical cancer. Out of the eleven studies, ten studies utilized PRESS acquisition, while the remaining study used STEAM acquisition. These studies generally showed that the choline signal is altered in cervical cancer (4/11 studies), the lipid signal is generally increased in cervical cancer or the lipid distribution is changed (5/11 studies), and that diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) can quantitatively detect lower apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in cervical cancer (2/11 studies). Two studies also investigated the role of MRS for monitoring treatment response and demonstrated mixed results regarding choline signal, and one of these studies showed increased lipid signal for non-responders. There are several new MRS technologies that have yet to be implemented for cervical cancer including advanced spectroscopic imaging and artificial intelligence, and those technologies are also discussed in the article. Full article

Dendrobium officinale (D. officinale), often used as a dual-use plant with herbal medicine and food applications, has attracted considerable attention for health-benefiting components and wide economic value. The antioxidant ability of D. officinale is of great significance to ensure its health care value and safeguard consumers’ interests. However, the common analytical methods for evaluating the antioxidant ability of D. officinale are time-consuming, laborious, and costly. In this study, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and chemometrics were employed to establish a rapid and accurate method for the determination of 2,2′-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) scavenging capacity, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging capacity, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) in D. officinale. The quantitative models were developed based on the partial least squares (PLS) algorithm. Two wavelength selection methods, namely the genetic algorithm (GA) and competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) method, were used for model optimization. The CARS-PLS models exhibited superior predictive performance compared to other PLS models. The root mean square errors of cross-validation (RMSECVs) for ABTS, FRAP, and DPPH were 0.44%, 2.64 μmol/L, and 2.06%, respectively. The results demonstrated the potential application of NIR spectroscopy combined with the CARS-PLS model for the rapid prediction of antioxidant activity in D. officinale. This method can serve as an alternative to conventional analytical methods for efficiently quantifying the antioxidant properties in D. officinale. Full article

To improve the accuracy of signal recognition in delay-based optical reservoir computing (RC) systems, this paper proposes the use of nonlinear algorithms at the output layer to replace traditional linear algorithms for training and testing datasets and apply them to the identification of frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) LiDAR signals. This marks the inaugural use of the system for the identification of FMCW LiDAR signals. We elaborate on the fundamental principles of a delay-based optical RC system using an optical-injected distributed feedback laser (DFB) laser and discriminate four FMCW LiDAR signals through this setup. In the output layer, three distinct training algorithms—namely linear regression, support vector machine (SVM), and random forest—were employed to train the optical reservoir. Upon analyzing the experimental results, it was found that regardless of the size of the dataset, the recognition accuracy of the two nonlinear training algorithms was superior to that of the linear regression algorithm. Among the two nonlinear algorithms, the Random Forest algorithm had a higher recognition accuracy than SVM when the sample size was relatively small. Full article

This paper presents an adaptive slicing method for Hermite non-planar tessellated surfaces models to improve the geometric accuracy of Rapid Prototyping (RP). Based on the bending characteristics of Hermite curved triangles, a slicing method for a complete Hermite surface model, including the grouping, the construction of the topological relationships, and the calculation of the intersection contours, was employed. The adaptive layering method considering the normal vector at the vertexes of the Hermite curved triangles was employed to grain the variable thickness of all layers of the Hermite surface model. The classical Stanford bunny model illustrates the significant improvement in the accuracy of the proposed method compared to the traditional method. Full article

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) represent one of the most commonly used classes of drugs in both human and veterinary medicine. However, many clinical side effects have been observed, especially when treatment has been prolonged. While the anti-inflammatory efficacy and safety of repeated administration of firocoxib (Previcox^®), which is a selective NSAID COX-2 inhibitor, has been evaluated for short-term use (one to fourteen days), its clinical relevance for longer-term use is not known. As a preliminary study, healthy, adult male and female horses (n = 7) were treated with firocoxib for 40 days concomitant with the collection of blood samples encompassing treatment to assess hematological and biochemical endpoints. Daily oral administration of firocoxib was performed with one 57 mg tablet/animal (0.11–0.14 mg/kg), which was crushed and mixed with feed. Blood samples were collected one day before treatment (D0 or basal sample), during (D10, D20, D30, and D40), and after treatment (D55 and D70). Results indicated some hematological and biochemical effects were significantly reduced (p < 0.05) towards the end of treatment on D40 relative to pre-treatment or baseline values on D0. Post-treatment, all values returned to pre-treatment values within 30 days without any apparent clinical adversities. In conclusion, while these preliminary results are favorable for prolonged use of firocoxib in horses, future studies are required to evaluate the efficacy of prolonged use accompanied with other clinically relevant endpoints in healthy as well as injured or diseased animals. Full article

Structured science summaries or research contributions using properties or dimensions beyond traditional keywords enhance science findability. Current methods, such as those used by the Open Research Knowledge Graph (ORKG), involve manually curating properties to describe research papers’ contributions in a structured manner, but this is labor-intensive and inconsistent among human domain-expert curators. We propose using Large Language Models (LLMs) to automatically suggest these properties. However, it is essential to assess the readiness of LLMs like GPT-3.5, Llama 2, and Mistral for this task before their application. Our study performs a comprehensive comparative analysis between the ORKG’s manually curated properties and those generated by the aforementioned state-of-the-art LLMs. We evaluate LLM performance from four unique perspectives: semantic alignment with and deviation from ORKG properties, fine-grained property mapping accuracy, SciNCL embedding-based cosine similarity, and expert surveys comparing manual annotations with LLM outputs. These evaluations occur within a multidisciplinary science setting. Overall, LLMs show potential as recommendation systems for structuring science, but further fine-tuning is recommended to improve their alignment with scientific tasks and mimicry of human expertise. Full article

Among the multiple factors impeding equitable childhood immunization coverage in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), gender barriers stand out as perhaps the most universal. Despite increasing recognition of the importance of gender considerations in immunization programming, there has not yet been a systematic assessment of the evidence on gender barriers to immunization. We conducted a scoping review to fill that gap, identifying 92 articles that described gender barriers to immunization. Studies documented a range of gender influencers across 43 countries in Africa and South Asia. The barrier to immunization coverage most frequently cited in the literature is women’s lack of autonomous decision-making. Access to immunization is significantly impacted by women’s time poverty; direct costs are also a barrier, particularly when female caregivers rely on family members to cover costs. Challenges with clinic readiness compound female caregiver’s time constraints. Some of the most important gender barriers lie outside of the usual purview of immunization programming but other barriers can be addressed with adaptations to vaccination programming. We can only know how important these barriers are with more research that measures the impact of programming on gender barriers to immunization coverage. Full article

Cancer diseases constitute a major health problem which leads to the death of millions of people annually. They are unique among other diseases because cancer cells can perfectly adapt to the environment that they create themselves. This environment is usually highly hostile and for normal cells it would be hugely difficult to survive, however neoplastic cells not only can survive but also manage to proliferate. One of the reasons is that they can alter immunological pathways which allow them to be flexible and change their phenotype to the one needed in specific conditions. The aim of this paper is to describe some of these immunological pathways that play significant roles in gynecologic neoplasms as well as review recent research in this field. It is of high importance to possess extensive knowledge about these processes, as greater understanding leads to creating more specialized therapies which may prove highly effective in the future. Full article

Ir and IrSn catalysts with different Sn contents (0.5, 0.7 and 0.9 wt%) were prepared using MgAl₂O₄ supports synthesized using two different techniques (the citrate–nitrate combustion and coprecipitation methods). Both supports, with a spinel structure, presented low acidity and good textural properties. However, the support prepared by coprecipitation had higher specific surface area and pore volume than the one prepared by combustion, which would favor the dispersion of the metals to be deposited. Likewise, during the preparation of the catalytic materials, a very good interaction was achieved between the metals and both supports, which was confirmed by the presence of sub-nanometer atomic clusters in the mono- and bimetallic catalysts. Regarding the catalytic properties, while the monometallic Ir/MgAl₂O₄ samples lead to a very low conversion of n-butane and a selectivity towards hydrogenolysis products, the addition of Sn to Ir increases the conversion, decreases hydrogenolysis and therefore sharply increases the selectivity towards the different butenes. Catalysts with higher Sn loadings present better catalytic behavior. One of the roles of the Sn promoter would be to geometrically modify the Ir clusters, drastically decreasing the hydrogenolytic activity. This effect, added to the strong electronic modification of the Ir sites by the action of Sn, with probable Ir-Sn alloy formation, is responsible for the high catalytic performance of these bimetallic catalysts. Full article

Argentina stands as the leading producer and exporter of olive products in the Americas, with the province of La Rioja as its main productive area. Since the 1990s, the olive grove cultivated area and related agro-industry in La Rioja have expanded. However, the resulting wastewater has generally been neglected. The water footprint (WF) provides information about the water volume consumed and polluted by a production process. Since the 1990s, agricultural and agro-industrial activities in La Rioja have experienced substantial growth. This study aims to analyze the generation, quality, and management of Oil Mill Wastewater (OMWW) using the grey WF of chloride and nitrate as an indicator and focusing on two olive mills (OM) in La Rioja. Additionally, it seeks to examine the relationship between the international trade of provincial olive oil and the estimated grey WF. For the diagnosis of OMWW generation, a description of the production process was made coupled with flow and physico-chemical characterization. The total grey WF was 8.69 and 45.5 L water/L olive oil for OM 1 and OM 2, respectively. Nitrate was identified as the critical pollutant. The grey virtual water export related to the export of olive oil was 5569 m³ for OM 1 and 28,000 m³ for OM 2. The provincial grey virtual water export related to olive oil was 161,955 m³ with major trade destinations including Spain, the United States, and Brazil. The article analyses for the first time the grey WF of olive oil industries and assess the related grey virtual water exports. This research represents a step forward in the knowledge of wastewater management in the olive oil sector and facilitates the search for solutions to minimize negative environmental impacts while promoting cleaner production. Full article