Enamel microcracks (EMCs) arising during the removal of metal orthodontic brackets represent a considerable challenge in dentistry. This in vitro study aims to explore the impacts of thermocycling, the types of orthodontic bonding agent, and curing techniques on the enamel surface of the tooth structure following the debonding of orthodontic metal brackets. It also examines the incidence, number, length, and direction of EMCs on the buccal surface of the tooth. Additionally, the study compares adhesive remnant index (ARI) scores and bracket failure post-debonding. Forty extracted human maxillary canines were divided into ten groups, including intact enamel negative controls (groups 1, 2) and groups (3–8) with metal brackets bonded using two different bonding agents and curing techniques. Following bonding, half of the groups underwent thermocycling testing. EMCs, ARI scores, and bracket failure modes were evaluated. The formation, length, and direction of cracks did not significantly differ among groups, regardless of experimental conditions. Thermocycling had no significant effect on ARI scores or bracket failure modes. However, significant variations were observed among curing technique groups, with seventh-generation bonding agents demonstrating potential effectiveness in achieving complete adhesive removal. The study underscores the importance of considering bonding agent systems and curing protocols to optimize bond outcomes and minimize the risk of metal bracket failure in orthodontic treatment. Full article

Robotic manipulators play a pivotal role in modern intelligent manufacturing and unmanned production systems, often tasked with executing specific paths accurately. However, the input of the robotic manipulators is trajectory which is a path with time information. The resulting core technology is trajectory planning methods which are broadly classified into two categories: maximum velocity curve (MVC) methods and multiphase direct collocation (MPDC) methods. This paper concentrates on addressing challenges associated with the latter methods. In MPDC methods, the solving efficiency and accuracy are greatly influenced by the number of discretization nodes. When dealing with systems with complex dynamics, such as robotic manipulators, striking a balance between solving time and path discretization errors becomes crucial. We use a mesh refinement (MR) algorithm to find a suitable number of nodes under the premise of ensuring the path discretization error. So, the actual device can effectively implement the planned solutions. Nonetheless, the conventional application of the MR algorithm requires solving the original problem in each iteration; these processes are extremely time-consuming and may fail to solve when dealing with a complex dynamic system. As a result, we propose a sequential optimal trajectory planning scheme to solve the problem efficiently by dividing the original optimal control (OC) problem into two stages: path planning (PP) and trajectory planning (TP). In the PP stage, we employ a DC method based on arc length and an MR algorithm to identify key nodes along the specified path. This aims to minimize the approximation error introduced during discretization. In the TP stage, the identified key nodes serve as boundary conditions for an MPDC method based on time. This facilitates the generation of an optimal trajectory that maximizes motion performance, considering constant velocity in Cartesian space and dynamic constraints while keeping the path discretization error. Simulation and experiment are conducted with a six-axis robotic manipulator, ROCR6, and show significant potential for a wide range of applications in robotics. Full article

The application of non-uniform spiral gratings to control the structure, topological parameters and propagation of orbital angular momentum (OAM) beams was studied experimentally with coherent near-infrared light. Adapted digital spiral grating structures were programmed into the phase map of a high-resolution liquid-crystal-on-silicon spatial light modulator (LCoS-SLM). It is shown that characteristic spatio-spectral anomalies related to Gouy phase shift can be used as pointers to quantify rotational beam properties. Depending on the sign and gradient of spatially variable periods of chirped spiral gratings (CSGs), variations in rotation angle and angular velocity were measured as a function of the propagation distance. Propagation-dependent self-torque is introduced in analogy to known local self-torque phenomena of OAM beams as obtained by the superposition of temporally chirped or phase-modulated wavepackets. Applications in metrology, nonlinear optics or particle trapping are conceivable. Full article

RNA-binding proteins and chemical modifications to RNA play vital roles in the co- and post-transcriptional regulation of genes. In order to fully decipher their biological roles, it is an essential task to catalogue their precise target locations along with their preferred contexts and sequence-based determinants. Recently, deep learning approaches have significantly advanced in this field. These methods can predict the presence or absence of modification at specific genomic regions based on diverse features, particularly sequence and secondary structure, allowing us to decipher the highly non-linear sequence patterns and structures that underlie site preferences. This article provides an overview of how deep learning is being applied to this area, with a particular focus on the problem of mRNA-RBP binding, while also considering other types of chemical modification to RNA. It discusses how different types of model can handle sequence-based and/or secondary-structure-based inputs, the process of model training, including choice of negative regions and separating sets for testing and training, and offers recommendations for developing biologically relevant models. Finally, it highlights four key areas that are crucial for advancing the field. Full article

The process of multifactorial oak disease has been of interest to scientists from all over the world for many years. Recently, a new phenomenon has been added to the model related to oak decline, acute oak dieback, which causes oak decline and was first described in the UK. This study presents research on this phenomenon in the area of the largest oak stand complex in Poland, the so-called Krotoszyn Plateau. This work was carried out in two stages. In the first stage, 54 trees were tested for the presence of bacteria using molecular biology (real-time PCR). Subsequently, a tissue fragment was taken for inoculation from the trees in which the presence of B. goodwinii and G. quercinecans bacteria was confirmed. The isolates obtained were used to test Koch’s postulates and for biochemical analyses for Polish strains. In addition, the results obtained were also compared with the presence of A. biguttatus, which is considered a bacterial vector, which, in turn, confirmed that the bacteria responsible for the AOD phenomenon can also be present in trees not inhabited by this insect. The results obtained confirmed the presence of bacteria and their potential to cause necrosis in oaks, which fits into the model of the spiral disease that has been causing mass mortality of oaks in this naturally and economically valuable area since the 1980s. Full article

The objective was to evaluate the effects of good handling practices on dairy calf welfare. Forty-eight crossbred dairy calves were assigned to two treatments: conventional handling (CH): calves kept in individual pens, fed milk replacer in buckets without nipples and abruptly weaned; or good handling practices (GHP): calves kept in group pens, fed milk replacer in buckets with nipples, given daily tactile stimulation during feeding, and progressive weaning. Calf welfare was assessed from birth to 120 days of age, based on: health (plasma concentrations of glucose and IgG, and occurrences of diarrhea, pneumonia, tick-borne disease, or death); physiology (heart rate [HR], respiratory rate [RR], and rectal temperature [RT]); behavior (flight distance [FD], latencies for first movement [LM] and to hold the calf in a pen corner [LH], and total time a calf allowed touching [TTT]); and performance indicators (body weight, average daily gain, and weaning success at 70 days of age). Calves in the GHP treatment had a lower HR at 30 days of age, shorter FD and LH, longer TTT, and lower RR and RT than CH (p < 0.05). However, health, deaths and performance indicators did not differ (p > 0.05) between treatments. Based on various indicators, GHP improved dairy calf welfare. Full article

This research focuses on the rational design of porous enzymatic electrodes, using horseradish peroxidase (HRP) as a model biocatalyst. Our goal was to identify the main obstacles to maximizing biocatalyst utilization within complex porous structures and to assess the impact of various carbon nanomaterials on electrode performance. We evaluated as-synthesized carbon nanomaterials, such as Carbon Aerogel, Coral Carbon, and Carbon Hollow Spheres, against the commercially available Vulcan XC72 carbon nanomaterial. The 3D electrodes were constructed using gelatin as a binder, which was cross-linked with glutaraldehyde. The bioelectrodes were characterized electrochemically in the absence and presence of 3 mM of hydrogen peroxide. The capacitive behavior observed was in accordance with the BET surface area of the materials under study. The catalytic activity towards hydrogen peroxide reduction was partially linked to the capacitive behavior trend in the absence of hydrogen peroxide. Notably, the Coral Carbon electrode demonstrated large capacitive currents but low catalytic currents, an exception to the observed trend. Microscopic analysis of the electrodes indicated suboptimal gelatin distribution in the Coral Carbon electrode. This study also highlighted the challenges in transferring the preparation procedure from one carbon nanomaterial to another, emphasizing the importance of binder quantity, which appears to depend on particle size and quantity and warrants further studies. Under conditions of the present study, Vulcan XC72 with a catalytic current of ca. 300 µA cm⁻² in the presence of 3 mM of hydrogen peroxide was found to be the most optimal biocatalyst support. Full article

Although cellular senescence was originally defined as an irreversible form of cell cycle arrest, in therapy-induced senescence models, the emergence of proliferative senescence-escaped cancer cells has been reported by several groups, challenging the definition of senescence. Indeed, senescence-escaped cancer cells may contribute to resistance to cancer treatment. Here, to study senescence escape and isolate senescence-escaped cells, we developed novel flow cytometry-based methods using the proliferation marker Ki-67 and CellTrace CFSE live-staining. We investigated the role of a novel senescence marker (DPP4/CD26) and a senolytic drug (azithromycin) on the senescence-escaping ability of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Our results show that the expression of DPP4/CD26 is significantly increased in both senescent MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. While not essential for senescence induction, DPP4/CD26 contributed to promoting senescence escape in MCF-7 cells but not in MDA-MB-231 cells. Our results also confirmed the potential senolytic effect of azithromycin in senescent cancer cells. Importantly, the combination of azithromycin and a DPP4 inhibitor (sitagliptin) demonstrated a synergistic effect in senescent MCF-7 cells and reduced the number of senescence-escaped cells. Although further research is needed, our results and novel methods could contribute to the investigation of the mechanisms of senescence escape and the identification of potential therapeutic targets. Indeed, DPP4/CD26 could be a promising marker and a novel target to potentially decrease senescence escape in cancer. Full article

Aging is characterized by the progressive degeneration of bodily tissues and decline in physiological functions, a process that may be exacerbated by imbalances in intestinal flora. Soluble dietary fiber (PSDF) from Citrus unshiu peel has demonstrated strong free radical scavenging ability to regulate intestinal flora in vitro. However, further evidence is required to ascertain the effectiveness of PSDF in vivo. In our study, 8-week-old mice were artificially aged through subcutaneous injections of a 200 mg/kg/d D-galactose solution for 42 days, followed by a 28-day dietary intervention with varying doses of PSDF, insoluble dietary fiber (PIDF), and vitamin C. After the intervention, we observed a significant mitigation of D-galactose-induced oxidative stress, as evident by weight normalization and reduced oxidative damage. 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that PSDF significantly altered the composition of intestinal flora, increasing Firmicutes and reducing Bacteroidota percentages, while also enriching colonic short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Spearman correlation analysis further identified a positive correlation between Firmicutes and isovaleric acid, and negative correlations between Muribaculaceae and acetic acid, and between Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group and caproic acid. These findings support the potential of Citrus PSDF to alleviate oxidative stress. Full article

Streptococcus pyogenes, group A streptococci (GAS) bacteriaemia, is a life-threatening infection with high mortality, requiring fast diagnosis together with the use of appropriate antibiotic therapy as soon as possible. Our study analysed data from 93 patients with GAS bacteraemia at the General University Hospital in Prague between January 2006 and March 2024. In the years 2016–2019 there was an increase in GAS bacteraemia. Mortality in the period 2006–2019 was 21.9%; in the period 2020–2024, the mortality increased to 41.4%, p = 0.08. At the same time, in the post-2020 period, the time from hospital admission to death was reduced from 9.5 days to 3 days. A significant predictor of worse outcome in this period was high levels of procalcitonin, >35.1 µg/L (100% sensitivity and 82.35% specificity), and lactate, >5 mmol/L (90.91% sensitivity and 91.67% specificity). Myoglobin was a significant predictor in both compared periods, the AUC was 0.771, p = 0.044, and the AUC was an even 0.889, p ≤ 0.001, respectively. All isolates of S. pyogenes were susceptible to penicillin, and resistance to clindamycin was 20.3% from 2006–2019 and 10.3% in 2020–2024. Appropriate therapy was initiated in 89.1%. and 96.6%, respectively. We hypothesise that the increase in mortality after 2020 might be due to a decrease in the immune status of the population. Full article

Pradofloxacin is the newest of the veterinary fluoroquinolones to be approved for use in animals—initially companion animals and most recently food animals. It has a broad spectrum of in vitro activity, working actively against Gram-positive/negative, atypical and some anaerobic microorganisms. It simultaneously targets DNA gyrase (topoisomerase type II) and topoisomerase type IV, suggesting a lower propensity to select for antimicrobial resistance. The purpose of this study was to determine the rate and extent of bacterial killing by pradofloxacin against bovine strains of Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida, in comparison with several other agents (ceftiofur, enrofloxacin, florfenicol, marbofloxacin, tildipirosin, tilmicosin and tulathromycin) using four clinically relevant drug concentrations: minimum inhibitory and mutant prevention drug concentration, maximum serum and maximum tissue drug concentrations. At the maximum serum and tissue drug concentrations, pradofloxacin killed 99.99% of M. haemolytica cells following 5 min of drug exposure (versus growth to 76% kill rate for the other agents) and 94.-1−98.6% of P. multocida following 60−120 min of drug exposure (versus growth to 98.6% kill rate for the other agents). Statistically significant differences in kill rates were seen between the various drugs tested depending on drug concentration and time of sampling after drug exposure. Full article

Waste-to-energy (WtE) incineration is a feasible way to respond to both the municipal solid waste management and renewable energy challenges, but few studies have been carried out on its environmental and economic impact in fast-developing southeastern Asian countries. To fill such a research gap, this study innovatively conducted a holistic assessment of WtE incineration application potential in Java Island, Indonesia. Here, we have established a life cycle assessment model for WtE incineration in Java, and have estimated the environmental impact, electricity generation potential, and techno-economic feasibility of implementing incineration by 2025. We have revealed that global warming potential, terrestrial ecotoxicity potential, eutrophication potential, and acidification potential are the major environmental impacts stemming from incineration activities. Moreover, we have estimated that promoting incineration in Java could reduce CO₂ emissions by 41% on average. The electricity generated from incineration could contribute to 3.72% of Indonesia’s renewable energy target for the electricity grid mix by 2025. The cumulative energy production potential from incineration is estimated to reach 2,316,523 MWh/year in 2025 and will increase by 14.3% in 2050. The techno-economic assessment of incineration implementation in Java cities has been enumerated as feasible. The levelized cost of electricity from incineration (0.044 USD/kWh) is competitive with the current Indonesian electricity price (0.069 USD/kWh). Policies of minimizing incineration pollution, providing financial support guarantees, and overcoming social barriers have been proposed to facilitate the application of WtE incineration. Full article

The heat transfer enhancement and hydrodynamic characteristics of nanofluid use in a micro heat exchanger is investigated for cooling electronic components working in hot climatic conditions. The cooling fluid employed was water and TiO₂ nanoparticles at mass concentrations of 1% and 5%, the Reynolds numbers ranged from 400 to 2000, and the inlet temperatures ranged between 35 °C and 65 °C. At a nanofluid inlet temperature of 55 °C and a nanoparticle concentration of 1%, the Nusselt number increased by 23% up to 54% as the Reynolds number varied between 400 and 2000. At a nanoparticle concentration of 5%, the percentages that correspondingly enhanced the Nusselt number were 32% and 63%. The temperature of the electronic heating component decreased by 4.6–5.2 °C when the nanofluid concentration was increased from 0 to 5% at a Reynolds number of 400 and a nanofluid inlet temperature of 35 °C. Small increments in the pressure drop of about 6% and 13% were observed at nanofluid concentrations of 1% and 5%, respectively. With nanoparticle concentrations of 1% and 5%, a Reynolds number of 2000, and a nanofluid inlet temperature of 35 °C, performance evaluation criterion (PEC) values of 1.36 and 1.45 were obtained. When the nanofluid inlet temperature increased to 65 °C, the PEC parameter decreased to 1.02–1.10 for both concentrations. Full article

Traffic sign recognition plays a crucial role in enhancing the safety and efficiency of traffic systems. However, in snowy conditions, traffic signs are often obscured by particles, leading to a severe decrease in detection accuracy. To address this challenge, we propose an improved YOLOv8-based model for traffic sign recognition. Initially, we introduce a Multi-Scale Group Convolution (MSGC) module to replace the C2f module in the YOLOv8 backbone. Data indicate that MSGC enhances detection accuracy while maintaining model lightweightness. Subsequently, to improve the recognition ability for small targets, we introduce an enhanced small target detection layer, which enhances small target detection accuracy while reducing parameters. In addition, we replaced the original BCE loss with the improved EfficientSlide loss to improve the sample imbalance problem. Finally, we integrate Deformable Attention into the model to improve the detection efficiency and performance of complex targets. The resulting fused model, named MSGC-YOLOv8, is evaluated on an enhanced dataset of snow-covered traffic signs. Experimental results show that the MSGC-YOLOv8 model is used for snow road traffic sign recognition. Compared with the YOLOv8n model [email protected]:0.95, [email protected]:0.95 is increased by 17.7% and 18.1%, respectively, greatly improving the detection accuracy. Compared with the YOLOv8s model, while the parameters are reduced by 59.6%, [email protected] only loses 1.5%. Considering all aspects of the data, our proposed model shows high detection efficiency and accuracy under snowy conditions. Full article

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) plays a crucial role in managing patients who have undergone coronary intervention (CI) following acute myocardial infarction. While water-based exercise is gaining recognition as an exercise modality in this patient population, its impact on the subgroup of older adults remains unexplored. In this post hoc analysis, we investigated the effects of water-based exercise on adults older than 60 years undergoing CR after CI, comparing it to land-based exercise and a control group. In total, 45 patients aged over 60 participated in 14-day exercise programs, featuring two daily 30-min sessions. We assessed exercise capacity (VO_2peak), vascular function (flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD)), heart rate variability (HRV), and blood markers (Interleukins 6, 8, and 10, P-Selectin, ICAM, and High-sensitivity CRP) before and after CR. VO_2peak in the water-based group improved significantly after CR in comparison with the land-based group: 1.35 kg/mL/min (95% CI [0.20–2.50], p = 0.022). The significant difference between water-based and land-based groups was observed in several HRV parameters: Total power −1129.20 ms² (95% CI [−1951.92–−306.49], p = 0.008); peak LF 0.04 Hz (95% CI [0.00–0.08], p = 0.036); SD1 −9.02 millisecond (95% CI [−16.86–−1.18], p = 0.025); and SD2 −19.71 ms (95% CI [−35.08–−4.34], p = 0.013). FMD and blood markers did not vary significantly based on the exercise group. These findings suggest that short-term water-based CR may have potential as an alternative to traditional land-based CR, improving VO_2peak and cardiorespiratory fitness among adults over 60 years undergoing CR after CI. Full article

The ability to study chemical dynamics on ultrafast timescales has greatly advanced with the introduction of X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs) providing short pulses of intense X-rays tailored to probe atomic structure and electronic configuration. Fully exploiting the full potential of XFELs requires specialized experimental endstations along with the development of techniques and methods to successfully carry out experiments. The liquid jet endstation (LJE) at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) has been developed to study photochemistry and biochemistry in solution systems using a combination of X-ray solution scattering (XSS), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES). The pump–probe setup utilizes an optical laser to excite the sample, which is subsequently probed by a hard X-ray pulse to resolve structural and electronic dynamics at their intrinsic femtosecond timescales. The LJE ensures reliable sample delivery to the X-ray interaction point via various liquid jets, enabling rapid replenishment of thin samples with millimolar concentrations and low sample volumes at the 120 Hz repetition rate of the LCLS beam. This paper provides a detailed description of the LJE design and of the techniques it enables, with an emphasis on the diagnostics required for real-time monitoring of the liquid jet and on the spatiotemporal overlap methods used to optimize the signal. Additionally, various scientific examples are discussed, highlighting the versatility of the LJE. Full article

Mountain glaciers are considered natural indicators of warming and a device for climatic change. In addition, it is also a solid reservoir of freshwater resources. Along with climate change, clarifying the dynamic changes of glacier in the Aksu River Basin (ARB) are important for hydrological processes. The study examined the variations in glacier area, elevation, and their reaction to climate change in the ARB between 1990 and 2022. The glacier melt on the runoff is explored from 2003 to 2020. This investigation utilized Landsat and Sentinal-2 images, ICESat, CryoSat, meteorological and hydrological data. The findings suggest that: (1) The glacier area in the ARB retreated by 309.40 km² (9.37%, 0.29%·a⁻¹) from 1990 to 2022. From 2003 to 2021, the ARB glacier surface elevation retreat rate of 0.38 ± 0.12 m·a⁻¹ (0.32 ± 0.10 m w.e.a⁻¹). Comparison with 2003–2009, the retreat rate is faster from 2010 to 2021. (2) From 1990 to 2022, the Toxkan and the Kumalak River Basin’s glacier area decreases between 61.28 km² (0.28%·a⁻¹) and 248.13 km² (0.30%·a⁻¹). Additionally, the rate of glacier surface elevation declined by −0.34 ± 0.11 m·a⁻¹, −0.42 ± 0.14 m·a⁻¹ from 2003 to 2021. (3) The mass balance sensitivities to cold season precipitation and ablation-phase accumulated temperatures are +0.27 ± 0.08 m w.e.a⁻¹(10%)⁻¹ and −0.33 ± 0.10 m w.e.a⁻¹ °C⁻¹, respectively. The mass loss is (962.55 ± 0.57) × 10⁶ m³ w.e.a⁻¹, (1087.50 ± 0.68) × 10⁶ m³ w.e.a⁻¹ during 2003–2009, 2010–2021 respectively. Warmer ablation-phase accumulated temperatures dominate glacier retreat in the ARB. (4) Glacier meltwater accounted for 34.57% and 41.56% of the Aksu River’s runoff during the ablation-phase of 2003–2009 and 2010–2020, respectively. The research has important implications for maintaining the stability of water resource systems based on glacier meltwater. Full article

Side scan sonar images have great application prospects in underwater surveys, target detection, and engineering activities. However, the acquired sonar images exhibit low illumination, scattered noise, distorted outlines, and unclear edge textures due to the complicated undersea environment and intrinsic device flaws. Hence, this paper proposes a multi-scale fusion strategy for side scan sonar (SSS) image correction to improve the low contrast and noise interference. Initially, an SSS image was decomposed into low and high frequency sub-bands via the non-subsampled shearlet transform (NSST). Then, modified multi-scale retinex (MMSR) was employed to enhance the contrast of the low frequency sub-band. Next, sparse dictionary learning (SDL) was utilized to eliminate high frequency noise. Finally, the process of NSST reconstruction was completed by fusing the emerging low and high frequency sub-band images to generate a new sonar image. The experimental results demonstrate that the target features, underwater terrain, and edge contours could be clearly displayed in the image corrected by the multi-scale fusion strategy when compared to eight correction techniques: BPDHE, MSRCR, NPE, ALTM, LIME, FE, WT, and TVRLRA. Effective control was achieved over the speckle noise of the sonar image. Furthermore, the AG, STD, and E values illustrated the delicacy and contrast of the corrected images processed by the proposed strategy. The PSNR value revealed that the proposed strategy outperformed the advanced TVRLRA technology in terms of filtering performance by at least 8.8%. It can provide sonar imagery that is appropriate for various circumstances. Full article

Several studies have demonstrated interesting results considering the implication of three growth factors (GFs), namely nerve growth factor (NGF), erythropoietin (EPO), and the insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-1) in the physiology of male reproductive functions. This review provides insights into the effects of NGF, EPO, and IGF-1 on the male reproductive system, emphasizing mainly their effects on sperm motility and vitality. In the male reproductive system, the expression pattern of the NGF system varies according to the species and testicular development, playing a crucial role in morphogenesis and spermatogenesis. In humans, it seems that NGF positively affects sperm motility parameters and NGF supplementation in cryopreservation media improves post-thaw sperm motility. In animals, EPO is found in various male reproductive tissues, and in humans, the protein is present in seminal plasma and testicular germ cells. EPO receptors have been discovered in the plasma membrane of human spermatozoa, suggesting potential roles in sperm motility and vitality. In humans, IGF-1 is expressed mainly in Sertoli cells and is present in seminal plasma, contributing to cell development and the maturation of spermatozoa. IGF-1 seems to modulate sperm motility, and treatment with IGF-1 has a positive effect on sperm motility and vitality. Furthermore, lower levels of NGF or IGF-1 in seminal plasma are associated with infertility. Understanding the mechanisms of actions of these GFs in the male reproductive system may improve the outcome of sperm processing techniques. Full article

A false data injection attack (FDIA) is the main attack method that threatens the security of smart grids. FDIAs mislead the control center to make wrong judgments by modifying the measurement data of the power grid system. Therefore, the effective and accurate detection of FDIAs is crucial for the safe operation of smart grids. However, the current deep learning-based methods do not fully exploit the short-term local characteristics and long-term dependencies of power grid data and have poor correlation with past and future time series information, resulting in a lack of credibility in the detection results. In view of this, an FDIA detection model combining a bidirectional temporal convolutional network and bidirectional gated recurrent unit with an attention mechanism (A-BiTG) was proposed. The proposed model utilizes a bidirectional time convolutional network (BiTCN) and bidirectional gated recurrent unit (BiGRU) to consider past and future temporal information in the grid. This enhances the ability of the model to capture long-term dependencies and extract features, while also solving the model’s problem of exploding and vanishing gradients. In addition, an attention mechanism (AM) was added to dynamically assign weights to the extracted feature information and retain the most valuable features to improve the detection accuracy of the model. Finally, the proposed method was compared with existing methods on the IEEE 14-bus and IEEE 118-bus test systems. The results show that the proposed detection model is more robust and superior under different noise environments and FDIA signals with different intensities. Full article

Numerical investigations on the flowability of pulverized biomass are crucial for agriculture, aiding in optimizing biomass use, crop residue management, soil health improvement, and environmental impact mitigation. Rising interest in biomass and conversion processes necessitates deeper property understanding and technological process optimization. Moisture content is a key parameter influencing biomass quality. In this paper, computer simulations of shear tests depending on the moisture content using the discrete element method were carried out and compared with experimental results. An experimental study and modeling for Jenike’s direct shearing apparatus was carried out. A swelling bed model was proposed to account for the effect of moisture. The swelling bed model assumed an increase in biomass grain vorticity proportional to the moisture content. The model was solved using the discrete element method (DEM). The model considers the effect of moisture on the values of Young’s and Kirchoff’s moduli for biomass grains. The model assumed that moisture is not present in surface form, the total amount of moisture is absorbed into the interior of the material grains, and the volume of a single grain increases linearly with an increase in the volume of the absorbed moisture. The tested materials were pulverized sunflower husks, apple pomace, distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), meat and bone meal (MBM), and sawdust. Samples with moisture contents of 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% were tested. The best agreement of the model with the experimental data was observed for the most absorbent materials in which moisture was not present in surface form, such as apple pomace, DDGS, and sawdust. Research data are important for the proper design of biomass storage, transportation equipment, and utilization as feedstock for bioenergy production or soil enrichment. Full article

Enterococcus faecium B13, selected from fermentation chili, has been proven to promote animal growth by previous studies, but it belongs to opportunistic pathogens, so a comprehensive evaluation of its probiotic properties and safety is necessary. In this study, the probiotic properties and safety of B13 were evaluated at the genetic and phenotype levels in vitro and then confirmed in vivo. The genome of B13 contains one chromosome and two plasmids. The average nucleotide identity indicated that B13 was most closely related to the fermentation-plant-derived strain. The strain does not carry the major virulence genes of the clinical E. faecium strains but contains aac(6′)-Ii, ant (6)-Ia, msrC genes. The strain had a higher tolerance to acid at pH 3.0, 4.0, and 0.3% bile salt and a 32.83% free radical DPPH clearance rate. It can adhere to Caco-2 cells and reduce the adhesion of E. coli to Caco-2 cells. The safety assessment revealed that the strain showed no hemolysis and did not exhibit gelatinase, ornithine decarboxylase, lysine decarboxylase, or tryptophanase activity. It was sensitive to twelve antibiotics but was resistant to erythromycin, rifampicin, tetracycline, doxycycline, and minocycline. Experiments in vivo have shown that B13 can be located in the ileum and colon and has no adverse effects on experiment animals. After 28 days of feeding, B13 did not remarkable change the α-diversity of the gut flora or increase the virulence genes. Our study demonstrated that E. faecium B13 may be used as a probiotic candidate. Full article