Increasing attention is being given to reduce the specific energy consumption in desalination processes, which translates into greater use of exergy analysis. An exergetic analysis provides relevant information related to the influence of the efficiency of a single component in the global plant performance and in the exergy cost of the product. Therefore, an exergy analysis identifies the main improvement potentials in a productive thermodynamic process. Related to desalination technologies, many previous papers deal with the calculation of the parameters involved in the exergy analysis, the exergetic efficiency of different processes, plants, and technologies among them. However, different approaches for formulating the exergetic efficiency have been suggested in the literature, often without sufficient understanding and consistency. In this work, these formulations, applied to the main desalination components and processes, are compared and critically reviewed. Two definitions of exergy efficiency are applied to the desalination components of the three main thermal desalination processes (multieffect distillation–thermal vapour compression, multistage flash distillation, and direct-contact membrane distillation). The results obtained for the exergy efficiency of the MED-TVC, MSF, and DCMD processes for the input–output approach are 21.35%, 17.08%, and 1.28%, respectively, compared to the consumed–produced approach that presented 3.1%, 1.58%, and 0.37%, respectively. The consumed–produced approach seems to better fit the thermodynamic behaviour of thermal desalination systems. Full article

High-aspect-ratio microholes, the fundamental building blocks for microfluidics, optical waveguides, and other devices, find wide applications in aerospace, biomedical, and photonics fields. Yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) crystals are commonly used in optical devices due to their low stress, hardness, and excellent chemical stability. Therefore, finding efficient fabrication methods to produce high-quality microholes within YAG crystals is crucial. The Bessel beam, characterized by a uniform energy distribution along its axis and an ultra-long depth of focus, is highly suitable for creating high-aspect-ratio structures. In this study, an axicon lens was used to shape the spatial profile of a femtosecond laser into a Bessel beam. Experimental verification showed a significant improvement in the high aspect ratio of the microholes produced in YAG crystals using the femtosecond Bessel beam. This study investigated the effects of the power and defocus parameters of single-pulse Bessel beams on microhole morphology and size, and microhole units with a maximum aspect ratio of more than 384:1 were obtained. Based on these findings, single-pulse femtosecond Bessel processing parameters were optimized, and an array of 181 × 181 microholes in a 400 μm thick YAG crystal was created in approximately 13.5 min. The microhole array had a periodicity of 5 μm and a unit aspect ratio of 315:1, with near-circular top and subface apertures and high repeatability. Full article

Enterococcus spp. are normal intestinal tract microflorae found in poultry. However, the last decades have shown that several species, e.g., Enterococcus cecorum, have become emerging pathogens in broilers and may cause numerous losses in flocks. In this study, two combinations (H1 and H2) of menthol, 1,8-cineol, linalool, methyl salicylate, γ-terpinene, p-cymene, trans-anethole, terpinen-4-ol and thymol were used in an in vitro model, analyzing its effectiveness against the strains E. cecorum, E. faecalis, E. faecium, E. hirae and E. gallinarum isolated from broiler chickens from industrial farms. To identify the isolated strains classical microbiological methods and VITEK 2 GP cards were used. Moreover for E. cecorum a PCR test was used.. Antibiotic sensitivity (MIC) tests were performed for all the strains. For the composition H1, the effective dilution for E. cecorum and E. hirae strains was 1:512, and for E. faecalis, E. faecium and E. gallinarum, 1:1024. The second mixture (H2) showed very similar results with an effectiveness at 1:512 for E. cecorum and E. hirae and 1:1024 for E. faecalis, E. faecium and E. gallinarum. The presented results suggest that the proposed composition is effective against selected strains of Enterococcus in an in vitro model, and its effect is comparable to classical antibiotics used to treat this pathogen in poultry. This may suggest that this product may also be effective in vivo and provide effective support in the management of enterococcosis in broiler chickens. Full article

A sub-eutectic high-entropy alloy composed of CoCrFeNiNb_0.25 was prepared using a combination of mechanical powder mixing and selective laser melting (SLM). The mechanical properties of the alloy were enhanced by employing an interlayer laser remelting process. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using mechanical mixing and SLM to form an CoCrFeNiNb_0.25 alloy. The interlayer laser remelting process can effectively promote the melting of Nb particles introduced by mechanical mixing, release the stresses near the unfused Nb particles, and reduce their degradation of the specimen properties. The results indicate that the CoCrFeNiNb_0.25 alloy, prepared using the interlayer laser remelting process, had an average microhardness of 376 HV, a tensile strength of 974 MPa, and an elongation at break of 10.51%. This process offers a viable approach for rapidly adjusting the composition of high-entropy alloys for SLM forming. Full article

In this paper, we ponder a kind of discrete-time fractional-order complex-valued fuzzy BAM neural network. Firstly, in order to guarantee the quasi-projective synchronization of the considered networks, an original quantitative control strategy is designed. Next, by virtue of the relevant definitions and properties of the Mittag-Leffler function, we propose a novel discrete-time fractional-order Halanay inequality, which is more efficient for disposing of the discrete-time fractional-order models with time delays. Then, based on the new lemma, fractional-order h-difference theory, and comparison principle, we obtain some easy-to-verify synchronization criteria in terms of algebraic inequalities. Finally, numerical simulations are provided to check the accuracy of the proposed theoretical results. Full article

This paper showcases the integration of the Interfacing Toolbox for Robotic Arms (ITRA) with our newly developed hybrid Visual Servoing (VS) methods to automate the disassembly of electric vehicle batteries, thereby advancing sustainability and fostering a circular economy. ITRA enhances collaboration between industrial robotic arms, server computers, sensors, and actuators, meeting the intricate demands of robotic disassembly, including the essential real-time tracking of components and robotic arms. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our hybrid VS approach, combined with ITRA, in the context of Electric Vehicle (EV) battery disassembly across two robotic testbeds. The first employs a KUKA KR10 robot for precision tasks, while the second utilizes a KUKA KR500 for operations needing higher payload capacity. Conducted in T1 (Manual Reduced Velocity) mode, our experiments underscore a swift communication protocol that links low-level and high-level control systems, thus enabling rapid object detection and tracking. This allows for the efficient completion of disassembly tasks, such as removing the EV battery’s top case in 27 s and disassembling a stack of modules in 32 s. The demonstrated success of our framework highlights its extensive applicability in robotic manufacturing sectors that demand precision and adaptability, including medical robotics, extreme environments, aerospace, and construction. Full article

Staphylococcus argenteus is a recently described staphylococcal species that is related to Staphylococcus aureus but lacks the staphyloxanthin operon. It is able to acquire both resistance markers such as the SCCmec elements and mobile genetic elements carrying virulence-associated genes from S. aureus. This includes those encoding the Panton–Valentine leukocidin (PVL), which is associated mainly with severe and/or recurrent staphylococcal skin and soft tissue infections. Here, we describe the genome sequences of two PVL-positive, mecA-negative S. argenteus sequence type (ST) 2250 isolates from the United Arab Emirates in detail. The isolates were found in a dental clinic in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Both were sequenced using Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT). This demonstrated the presence of temperate bacteriophages in the staphylococcal genomes, including a PVL prophage. It was essentially identical to the published sequence of phiSa2wa_st78 (GenBank NC_055048), a PVL phage from an Australian S. aureus clonal complex (CC) 88 isolate. Besides the PVL prophage, one isolate carried another prophage and the second isolate carried two additional prophages, whereby the region between these two prophages was inverted. This “flipped” region comprised about 1,083,000 bp, or more than a third of the strain’s genome, and it included the PVL prophage. Prophages were induced by Mitomycin C treatment and subjected to transmission electron microscopy (TEM). This yielded, in accordance to the sequencing results, one or, respectively, two distinct populations of icosahedral phages. It also showed prolate phages which presumptively might be identified as the PVL phage. This observation highlights the significance bacteriophages have as agents of horizontal gene transfer as well as the need for monitoring emerging staphylococcal strains, especially in cosmopolitan settings such as the UAE. Full article

Green roofs have become a popular sustainable solution in urban areas, and in recent years, shipping containers have gained popularity as a sustainable alternative for housing. A promising proposal is to combine these two solutions. This research aims to analyze the thermal behavior of experimental modules of scale constructions. Four modules were constructed with different substrate thicknesses (4, 6, 8, and 12 cm) to verify the impact on thermal behavior and provide guidance for this technology. Additionally, another module was built without a green roof for control purposes. The indoor and outdoor air temperatures and humidities, soil moistures, and temperatures between green roof layers were recorded in a tropical climate in summer. The behavior was similar between the different thicknesses for the whole period but with significant differences in the indoor temperature amplitudes (13.8 °C for the thinner substrate, 9.7 °C for the thicker one, and 38.7 °C for the bare roof). This study also revealed considerable heat conduction between the side walls and the slab, which resulted in an upward heat flow to the substrate during a day with a clear sky, which is the opposite of what is observed in conventional roofs. During the night and rainy periods, temperatures tend to become closer between the roof’s layers when the substrate dissipates the energy absorbed throughout the day. Full article

In this paper, we evaluate the uniqueness of a hypothetical iris recognition system that relies upon a nonlinear mapping of iris data into a space of Gaussian codewords with independent components. Given the new data representation, we develop and apply a sphere packing bound for Gaussian codewords and a bound similar to Daugman’s to characterize the maximum iris population as a function of the relative entropy between Gaussian codewords of distinct iris classes. As a potential theoretical approach leading toward the realization of the hypothetical mapping, we work with the auto-regressive model fitted into iris data, after some data manipulation and preprocessing. The distance between a pair of codewords is measured in terms of the relative entropy (log-likelihood ratio statistic is an alternative) between distributions of codewords, which is also interpreted as a measure of iris quality. The new approach to iris uniqueness is illustrated using two toy examples involving two small datasets of iris images. For both datasets, the maximum sustainable population is presented as a function of image quality expressed in terms of relative entropy. Although the auto-regressive model may not be the best model for iris data, it lays the theoretical framework for the development of a high-performance iris recognition system utilizing a nonlinear mapping from the space of iris data to the space of Gaussian codewords with independent components. Full article

The demand for high-precision CRISPR/Cas9 systems in biomedicine is experiencing a notable upsurge. The editing system fdCas9 employs a dual-sgRNA strategy to enhance editing accuracy. However, the application of fdCas9 is constrained by the stringent requirement for two protospacer adjacent motifs (PAMs) of Cas9. Here, we devised an optimized editor, fRYdCas9, by merging FokI with the nearly PAM-less RYdCas9 variant, and two fRYdCas9 systems formed a dimer in a proper spacer length to accomplish DNA cleavage. In comparison to fdCas9, fRYdCas9 demonstrates a substantial increase in the number of editable genomic sites, approximately 330-fold, while maintaining a comparable level of editing efficiency. Through meticulous experimental validation, we determined that the optimal spacer length between two FokI guided by RYdCas9 is 16 base pairs. Moreover, fRYdCas9 exhibits a near PAM-less feature, along with no on-target motif preference via the library screening. Meanwhile, fRYdCas9 effectively addresses the potential risks of off-targets, as analyzed through whole genome sequencing (WGS). Mouse embryonic editing shows fRYdCas9 has robust editing capabilities. This study introduces a potentially beneficial alternative for accurate gene editing in therapeutic applications and fundamental research. Full article

An artificial wetland is used to treat gray, waste, storm or industrial water. This is an engineering system that uses natural functions of vegetation, soil and organisms to provide secondary treatment to gray water. In the physical design of each artificial wetland, there are various action factors that must meet certain characteristics so that the level of gray-water pollution is reduced. In this sense, several design methodologies have been developed and reported in the literature, but some are customized designs and often do not meet the required decontamination objectives. This challenge increases as the complexity of the task in its structure also increases. Particularly in this work, a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm is used to optimize the physical design of a horizontal flow subsurface wetland (HFSW) for gray-water treatment. The study aims to achieve two objectives: first, to minimize the physical volume, and second, to maximize the contaminant removal efficiency. The defined objective functions depend on six design variables called hydraulic retention time, width, length, water depth inside the wetland, substrate depth and slope. Three constraint functions are also defined: removal efficiency greater than 95%, physical volume below 500 m${}^3$ and compliance with a length–width ratio is 3:1, varying the population size and number of generations equal to 200, 400, and 600. The set of solutions according to the number of generations as well as the Pareto front corresponds to the best solution that complies with the constraints of the problem of oversizing the HFSW, and the Pareto front shows the interaction between the objectives and their behavior, reflecting the problem’s nature as minimization–maximization. Full article

Marine molluscs are of enormous scientific interest due to their astonishing diversity in terms of their size, shape, habitat, behaviour, and ecological roles. The phylum Mollusca is the second most common animal phylum, with 100,000 to 200,000 species, and marine molluscs are among the most notable class of marine organisms. This work aimed to show the importance of marine molluscs as a potential source of nutraceuticals as well as natural medicinal drugs. In this review, the main classes of marine molluscs, their chemical ecology, and the different techniques used for the extraction of bioactive compounds have been presented. We pointed out their nutraceutical importance such as their proteins, peptides, polysaccharides, lipids, polyphenolic compounds pigments, marine enzymes, minerals, and vitamins. Their pharmacological activities include antimicrobial, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activities. Moreover, certain molluscs like abalones and mussels contain unique compounds with potential medicinal applications, ranging from wound healing to anti-cancer effects. Understanding the nutritional and therapeutic value of marine molluscs highlights their significance in both pharmaceutical and dietary realms, paving the way for further research and utilization in human health. Full article

Background. EcoHIV is a chimeric HIV that replicates in mice in CD4+ T cells, macrophages, and microglia (but not in neurons), causing lasting neurocognitive impairment resembling neurocognitive disease in people living with HIV. The present study was designed to develop EcoHIV-susceptible primary mouse brain cultures to investigate the indirect effects of HIV infection on neuronal integrity. Results. We used two EcoHIV clones encoding EGFP and mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMM), mixed mouse brain cells, or enriched mouse glial cells from two wild-type mouse strains to test EcoHIV replication efficiency, the identity of productively infected cells, and neuronal apoptosis and integrity. EcoHIV replicated efficiently in BMM. In mixed brain cell cultures, EcoHIV targeted microglia but did not cause neuronal apoptosis. Instead, the productive infection of the microglia activated them and impaired synaptophysin expression, dendritic density, and axonal structure in the neurons. EcoHIV replication in the microglia and neuronal structural changes during infection were prevented by culture with an antiretroviral. Conclusions. In murine brain cell cultures, EcoHIV replication in the microglia is largely responsible for the aspects of neuronal dysfunction relevant to cognitive disease in infected mice and people living with HIV. These cultures provide a tool for further study of HIV neuropathogenesis and its control. Full article

Ring Rolling is a near-net manufacturing process with some measurable dimensional inaccuracies in its products. This fact is exaggerated even more under the scope of high-precision manufacturing, where these imprecisions render such products unfitting for the strict dimensional requirements of high-precision applications (e.g., bearings, casings for turbojets, etc.). In order to remedy some of the dimensional inaccuracies of Ring Rolling, the novel approach of Reverse Ring Rolling is proposed and investigated in the current analysis. The conducted research was based on a numerical simulation of a flat Ring Rolling process, previously presented by the authors. Since the final dimensions of the ring from the authors’ previous work diverged from those initially expected, the simulation of a subsequent Reverse Ring Rolling process was performed to reach the target dimensions. The calculated deformational results revealed a great agreement in at least two of the three crucial dimensions. Additionally, the evaluation of the calculated stress, strain, temperature and load results revealed key aspects of the mechanisms that occur during the proposed process. Overall, it was concluded that Reverse Ring Rolling can effectively function as a corrective process, which can increase the dimensional accuracy of a seamless ring product with little additional post-processing and cost. Full article

Bifidobacterium infantis are the primary colonizers of the infant gut, yet scientific research addressing the transmission of the genus Bifidobacterium to infants remains incomplete. This review examines microbial reservoirs of infant-type Bifidobacterium that potentially contribute to infant gut colonization. Accordingly, strain inheritance from mother to infant via the fecal-oral route is likely contingent on the bifidobacterial strain and phenotype, whereas transmission via the vaginal microbiota may be restricted to Bifidobacterium breve. Additional reservoirs include breastmilk, horizontal transfer from the environment, and potentially in utero transfer. Given that diet is a strong predictor of Bifidobacterium colonization in early life and the absence of Bifidobacterium is observed regardless of breastfeeding, it is likely that additional factors are responsible for bifidobacterial colonization early in life. Full article

A field’s historical performance data are used for management zone delineation in precision agriculture, but including abnormal data leads to inappropriate zones. This paper introduces a framework incorporating historical performance data and a new Zoning Dissimilarity Metric ($ZDM$) to detect abnormal zoning data automatically. The methodology identifies abnormal zoning data among the field’s performance indicators extracted from satellite images to enhance the accuracy of the delineated zones. We experimented with our framework using Sentinel-2 images on 39 fields across Canada. Our experimental results, which involve both real and synthetic data, clearly demonstrate the importance of $ZDM$ in effectively excluding abnormal data during the zone delineation process. Full article

This paper investigates a numerical code-coupling technique to tackle multiphysics and multiscale simulations using state-of-the-art software packages that typically address some specific modeling domain. The coupling considers the in-house FEM code FEMuS and the FVM code OpenFOAM by exploiting the MED library from the SALOME platform. The present approach is tested on a buoyancy-driven fluid flow within a square cavity, where the buoyancy force constitutes the coupling term. In uncoupled scenarios, momentum and temperature equations are solved in both FEM and FVM codes without data exchange. In the coupled setting, only the OpenFOAM velocity and the FEMuS temperature fields are solved separately and shared at each time step (or vice versa). The MED library handles the coupling with ad hoc data structures that perform the field transfer between codes. Different Rayleigh numbers are investigated, comparing the outcomes of coupled and uncoupled cases with the reference literature results. Additionally, a boundary data transfer application is presented to extend the capabilities of the coupling algorithm to coupled applications with separate domains. In this problem, the two domains share interfaces and boundary values on specific fields as fluxes are exchanged between the two numerical codes. Full article

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) provide benefits through eco-friendliness, cost-effectiveness, and reduction of human risk. Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) is widely used for autonomous UAV navigation; however, current techniques often oversimplify the environment or impose movement restrictions. Additionally, most vision-based systems lack precise depth perception, while range finders provide a limited environmental overview, and LiDAR is energy-intensive. To address these challenges, this paper proposes VizNav, a modular DRL-based framework for autonomous UAV navigation in dynamic 3D environments without imposing conventional mobility constraints. VizNav incorporates the Twin Delayed Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (TD3) algorithm with Prioritized Experience Replay and Importance Sampling (PER) to improve performance in continuous action spaces and mitigate overestimations. Additionally, VizNav employs depth map images (DMIs) to enhance visual navigation by accurately estimating objects’ depth information, thereby improving obstacle avoidance. Empirical results show that VizNav, by leveraging TD3, improves navigation, and the inclusion of PER and DMI further boosts performance. Furthermore, the deployment of VizNav across various experimental settings confirms its flexibility and adaptability. The framework’s architecture separates the agent’s learning from the training process, facilitating integration with various DRL algorithms, simulation environments, and reward functions. This modularity creates a potential to influence RL simulation in various autonomous navigation systems, including robotics control and autonomous vehicles. Full article

The blackberry, valued for its delicious fruit, has gained attention for its medicinal bioactive compounds. In vitro cultivation methods, including nanoparticle enhancement, are increasingly chosen due to their advantages over traditional propagation techniques. We tested the effect of commercial zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) on the growth and development of blackberry (Rubus fruticosus L.) of the Navaho variety in an in vitro culture on MS medium supplemented with 0.6 mg dm⁻³ BA, 0.1 mg dm⁻³ IBA, 0.01 mg dm⁻³ GA₃, and various concentrations of zinc oxide nanoparticles: 0 (control), 10, 20, 30, and 40 mg dm⁻³. The morphological features of the plantlets were assessed two and three months after the start of the culture. Selected biological characteristics of the plantlets were determined. The values of the morphological and biological parameters assessed in the plantlets from in vitro culture depended on the concentration of ZnONPs in the medium. Increasing the concentration of ZnONPs negatively affected the number and length of shoots and roots and the fresh weight of the plantlets. The total phenolic content in the plantlets from the treatments with ZnONPs was lower than in the control plants, but the total antioxidant capacity as measured by the ABTS method was higher. The content of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoids in the blackberry plantlets decreased at higher concentrations of ZnONPs in the medium. The addition of zinc oxide nanoparticles increased the zinc content and reduced the iron content in the blackberry plantlets. Concentrations of 10–30 mg dm⁻³ ZnONPs increased the concentrations of potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, manganese, and copper, while at the highest concentration of 40 mg dm⁻³ ZnONPs, the concentrations of these minerals were similar to the control, except for a lower content of calcium and manganese. The plantlets from the in vitro culture growing in the presence of ZnONPs were acclimatized to ex vitro conditions in control soil and soil inoculated with Bacillus thuringiensis. Bacteria added to the ex vitro substrate favourably influenced the growth and development of the shoots and roots of the blackberry plants and their fresh weight. Full article

In this paper, we propose a unified concept encompassing generalizations of two types of families defined based on Levine’s notions of generalized closed sets and Maki’s $\Lambda$ sets. The methods used in this investigation are described in my previous work, where a unified concept of general closedness is presented. From a methodology point of view, the present concept is symmetric to the previous. In generalizing open subsets, one can use the two methods. According to the first one, the family of Levine’s generalization is used as some base to build the family of closed subsets of the new topology. In the second method, the family of open subsets is extended, in the same way, as the family of closed subsets in the classic Levine’s method. The results obtained in this general conception easily extend and imply well-known theorems of this area of investigation. In the literature on this issue, many versions of generalizations of $\Lambda$-sets have been investigated. The tools used in this paper enabled us to prove that there exist at most 10 generalizations of these types, and we show the relationships between them in the graph. As a result, it turns out that some generalizations investigated in the literature are trivial. Full article

The problem of antimicrobial resistance is becoming a daunting challenge for human society and healthcare systems around the world. Hence, there is a constant need to develop new antibiotics to fight resistant bacteria, among other important social and economic measures. In this regard, murepavadin is a cyclic antibacterial peptide in development. The synthesis of murepavadin was undertaken in order to optimize the preparative protocol and scale-up, in particular, the use of new activation reagents. In our hands, classical approaches using carbodiimide/hydroxybenzotriazole rendered low yields. The use of novel carbodiimide and reagents based on OxymaPure^® and Oxy-B is discussed together with the proper use of chromatographic conditions for the adequate characterization of peptide crudes. Higher yields and purities were obtained. Finally, the antimicrobial activity of different synthetic batches was tested in three Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, including highly resistant ones. All murepavadin batches yielded the same highly active MIC values and proved that the chiral integrity of the molecule was preserved throughout the whole synthetic procedure. Full article

The resolution of an optical microscope is determined by the overall point spread function of the system. When examining structures significantly smaller than the wavelength of light, the contribution of the background or surrounding environment can profoundly affect the point spread function. This research delves into the impact of reflective planar substrate structures on the system’s resolution. We establish a comprehensive forward imaging model for a reflection-type confocal laser scanning optical microscope, incorporating vector field manipulation to image densely packed nanoparticle clusters. Both theoretical and experimental findings indicate that the substrate causes an interference effect between the background field and the scattered field from the nanoparticles, markedly enhancing the overall spatial resolution. The integration of vector field manipulation with an interferometric scattering approach results in superior spatial resolution for imaging isolated particles and densely distributed nanoscale particle clusters even with deep subwavelength gaps as small as 20 nm between them. However, the method still struggles to resolve nanoparticles positioned directly next to each other without any gap, necessitating further work to enhance the resolving ability. This may involve techniques like deconvolution or machine learning-based post-processing methods. Full article