Field capacity (FC) and permanent wilting point (PWP) are two important properties of the soil when the soil moisture is concerned. Since the determination of these parameters is expensive and time-consuming, this study aims to develop and evaluate a new hybrid of artificial neural network model coupled with a whale optimization algorithm (ANN-WOA) as a meta-heuristic optimization tool in defining

Myanmar’s systematic dispossession of religious and ethnic minorities is well-documented as a tool for counterinsurgency through territorialisation. However, the specifific contours of the relationship between minorities, territorialisation, and urban dispossession remain underexplored. The article argues that legislative changes linking identity, property, and belonging led to widescale invisible

The Molare Rock shelter (S. Giovanni a Piro, Salerno, Italy) is a key site to carry out high-resolution chronological studies in the broader context of Italian Mousterian peopling dynamics. The stratigraphic sequence is to be referred to MIS 5 and is characterized by the presence of a number of thin anthropic levels (often consisting of largely undisturbed living floors) alternated with sterile la

Research and development of novel molecular compounds in the pharmaceutical industry can be highly costly. Lack of confidentiality can prevent a product from being patented or commercialized. As an effect, cross-organizational collaboration is virtually non-existent. In this paper, we introduce a blockchain-based solution to the collaborative drug discovery problem so that participants can maintai

The central role of the certificate authority (CA) in traditional public key infrastructure (PKI) makes it fragile and prone to compromises and operational failures. Maintaining CAs and revocation lists is demanding especially in loosely-connected and large systems. Log-based PKIs have been proposed as a remedy but they do not solve the problem effectively. We provide a general model and a solutio

Spatiotemporal variation in natural selection is expected, but difficult to estimate. Pollinator-mediated selection on floral traits provides a good system for understanding and linking variation in selection to differences in ecological context. We studied pollinator-mediated selection in five populations of Dalechampia scandens (Euphorbiaceae) in Costa Rica and Mexico. Using a nonlinear path-ana

There is a link between high lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels in the blood and the metabolic syndrome, and metabolic syndrome predisposes patients to severe COVID-19. Here, we define an interaction between SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein and LPS, leading to aggravated inflammation in vitro and in vivo. Native gel electrophoresis demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 S protein binds to LPS. Microscale thermopho

Ammonia (NH3) is considered a promising alternative fuel, capable of producing energy with zero CO2 emissions. Its combustion, however, poses a series of challenges due to the low reactivity of NH3 and the formation of very high quantities of NOx. This work numerically investigates the combustion and emission characteristics of ammonia in three modern stationary gas turbine concepts, namely (a) le

Although animals are born with a protective immune system, even the innate immune system is under development from birth to adulthood and this development may be affected by sex and growth. However, most knowledge comes from captive animals or long-lived slow growing species. Moreover, little is known about how innate immune function, the important first line of defence, develops during early life

Advanced treatment technologies for the removal of pharmaceuticals and other organic micropollutants in WWTPs primarily target the removal of parent compounds. Nevertheless, the removal of metabolites originating from human- or microbial metabolism during biological treatment needs comparable consideration, as some of them might be present in high concentrations and contribute to toxicity. This st

Nano-ceramic particles can serve as reinforcing agents for metallic materials to improve their mechanical properties. However, it is important to ensure chemical compatibility between the matrix and particles. In the present study, magnesium composites with and without nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) particles were fabricated for bone reconstruction applications. Two different techniques were used, Conv

Circular oriented innovation commonly requires collaboration. Yet, to date, circular research lacks empirical investigation into collaborative processes. Collaborative processes are, however, highly researched within strategic management literature, thus offering valuable insights. The purpose of this paper is to investigate, identify and order the processes that companies undertake when designing

This consensus statement is the product of the Second International Think Tank on Athlete Mental Health, held on the initiative of the International Society of Sport Psychology. The purposes of the Think Tank were to engage international sport psychology societies and organisations in a discussion about athlete mental health as embedded in an Olympic/Paralympic cycle, and to develop practical reco

There is a strongly growing interest for wastewater heat recovery (WWHR) in Sweden and elsewhere, but a lack of adequate tools to determine downstream impacts due to the associated temperature drop. The heat recovery potential and associated temperature drop after heat recovery on a building level is modelled for a case study in Linköping, Sweden. The maximum temperature drop reaches 4.2 °C, with

INTRODUCTION: Drug-resistant epilepsy patients show worse outcomes after resection when standard neuroimaging is nonlesional, which occurs in one-third of patients. In prior work, we employed 2-D glutamate imaging, Glutamate Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (GluCEST), to lateralize seizure onset in nonlesional temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) based on increased ipsilateral GluCEST signal in the t

Background: Saturated fat (SFA) has consistently been shown to increase liver fat, but the response appears variable at the individual level. Phenotypic and genotypic characteristics have been demonstrated to modify the hypercholesterolemic effect of SFA but it is unclear which characteristics that predict liver fat accumulation in response to a hypercaloric diet high in SFA. Objective: To identif

We have previously demonstrated that we can grow p-type GaAs nanowires using Zn doping during gold catalyzed growth with aerotaxy. In this investigation, we show how to calculate the hole concentrations in such nanowires. We base the calculations on the Zhang–Northrup defect formation energy. Using density functional theory, we calculate the energy of the defect, a Zn atom on a Ga site, using a su

In this paper, the works of communication theorist Marshall McLuhan will be laid out in a socio-technical tradition of thoughts. Noted for coining the term ‘the global village’, another well-recognized adage of McLuhan is ‘the medium is the message’. Adapting the perspective of viewing information systems essentially as a language and meaning environment, the set of ideas offered by McLuhan offers

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether ease of access to alcohol at the neighborhood level moderates the impact of familial liability and marital status on risk for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Method: Individuals in Sweden were divided into those residing in a neighborhood with (n = 14.1%) versus without (n = 85.9%) an alcohol outlet (bars/nightclubs or government stores). A