Current Level Research Articles

Trends in botanical exploration in Nigeria forecast over 1000 yet undescribed vascular plant species.

Taxonomists are primary actors of biodiversity assessment. At the same time, there is awareness by the taxonomic community at large that the field is going through a crisis, sometimes referred to as the 'taxonomic impediment'. Coupled with the ongoing biodiversity crisis, or 6th mass extinction, this biodiversity impedance puts at risk the target set in the Convention on Biological Diversity's (CBD) Global Biodiversity Framework vision 2050, which calls for urgent action to '… put biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030 for the benefit of planet and people'. This risk is particularly pronounced in tropical African countries where taxonomic studies are done on an ad hoc basis. In this study, our aim is to investigate the historical trends in botanical exploration of vascular plants in Nigeria and forecast the near-term (50-year) description of presently unknown species, which we use to discuss scenarios of taxonomic effort that may be necessary for a comprehensive biodiversity assessment in the country. The study is based on a dataset from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants, containing all vascular plant species reported to occur in Nigeria. We fit nested Bayesian time series regressions to estimate the long-term trend in the rate of description of vascular plant species in Nigeria. From these models, we use an ensemble forecast to estimate the number of species descriptions by the year 2070, and then evaluate the description rates per taxonomist required to meet this estimate under different totals of active taxonomists. We find a striking difference in species description between Nigerian botanists and their foreign counterparts, with the former contributing relatively small numbers. Additionally, only a fraction of the authors involved in describing Nigeria's vascular plants are of indigenous origin. Our study reveals that the number of new species described annually exhibits a long-term increasing trend, with an average of 19.5 species described per year. However, after taking into account year-to-year variability and the number of taxonomists active in a given year, the long-term trend in species descriptions credibly declines over time. While the number of authors involved in describing species has generally increased over time, it has remained stable since the 1950s. Predictions for the number of new species descriptions by 2070 vary by model, with an ensemble prediction estimating 1140 species descriptions, but ranging from 1004 to 2239 between individual models. The study estimates that current levels of taxonomic activity should lead to a 20 % increase in known species of vascular plants in Nigeria over the next 50 years, which is still probably an underestimate of the true, unknown species richness. Urgent action is needed to address the taxonomic impediment so that local taxonomic studies in tropical African countries can achieve the CBD's Global Biodiversity Framework vision 2050. Here, we outline some key pathways to achieving this goal.

Auditory processing disorder: an online survey of hearing healthcare professionals’ knowledge and practices

Objective To investigate (1) the current level of awareness and knowledge on Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) among Audiologists and other hearing healthcare professionals; (2) current practices in screening, diagnosis, and management of APD in children and adults across the UK; (3) professional’s acceptance of APD assessment and diagnosis. Design An online survey was disseminated through the British Academy of Audiology and ENT UK. Study sample A total of 191 hearing healthcare professionals responded to the survey. Results Overall, while 63% of the respondents considered themselves to be adequately informed about APD, only 4% viewed themselves as very informed on the topic. Fewer than half of the respondents report screening (31%), diagnosing (14%), or managing (36%) cases of APD. For screening APD, professionals most commonly use auditory processing tests in adults and take case histories in children, whereas routine audiological procedures are the primary method for diagnosing APD in both adults and children. Although modifying the listening environment is a widely recommended management strategy for APD, half of the respondents indicated that a diagnosis of APD has no implications for patient management. Conclusions There is a critical need to promote APD-related training to ensure they can provide appropriate referrals and management.

An Energy Management Method for Magnetic Field Energy Harvesters Under Wide-Range Current in Railway Electrification Systems

The wide-range traction current brings great challenges to the stable operation of the magnetic field energy harvester (MFEH). Specifically, when the traction current is large, the core saturation increases, resulting in violent vibrating of the magnetic core. When the traction current is low, the energy harvested by the MFEH is insufficient to power the load. To address these vital problems, an energy management method for MFEH is proposed to track the critical saturation point, i.e., the maximum power point in the unsaturated region. In this method, by regulating the equivalent load, the core voltage is controlled at the critical saturation voltage under different current levels. Moreover, the supercapacitor is employed to store excess energy at large currents, and the stored energy is released at low currents. Furthermore, a design procedure for the core and winding is proposed in this work, which can be used to adjust the critical saturation voltage of the MFEH. A laboratory prototype is built to verify the effectiveness of the proposal. The results show that the MFEH can operate at the critical saturation point and provide stable energy for the load under different current levels. This means that saturation suppression, maximum power point tracking, and energy management can be realized by applying the proposed method.

Developing Vietnamese writing skills for first grade students

The purpose of this paper is to develop Vietnamese writing skills for first grade students. To achieve this objective, the author conducted a study on their writing abilities using various research methods, specifically, survey research, statistical analysis, classification techniques, etc. Therefore, the author would like to provide practical suggestions for improving their writing skills. These suggestions likely focus on teaching and learning methods that are suitable for students' current level of writing ability. The article's content is a valuable contribution to the reference materials available for teachers and researchers studying the teaching and learning of first grade Vietnamese writing skills, as well as those interested in other languages from around the world.

Probabilistic modeling and simulation of drivers’ lane selection and its impact on highway traffic using fuzzy-based decision-making

Traffic on highways has increased significantly in the past few years. Consequently, this has caused delays for the drivers in reaching their final destination and increased the highway’s congestion level. Many options have been proposed to ease these issues. In this paper, a model of the highway drivers’ population was built based on several factors, including the behavioral patterns of the drivers, like drivers’ time flexibility to reach the destination, their carpool eligibility, and their tolerance to pay the toll price, in addition to the traffic information from the system. A fuzzy logic decision-making model is presented to emulate how drivers would choose the lane to use based on the aforementioned factors and the current congestion levels of all the lanes on the highway. The presented model, along with the simulation results from applying the model to different simulation scenarios, show the usefulness of such a model in predicting an optimal toll value. Such optimal value would reduce congestion on the highway at one end while maximizing the revenue for the toll company.

Hotspot temperature analysis of distribution transformer under unbalanced harmonic loads using finite element method

In an electrical power distribution system, harmonic distortion is the most prominent power quality problem that causes long-term adverse effects such as failure of distribution transformers. Considering that most transformer problems are caused by heat losses due to the presence of harmonics, it was decided to use a numerical method with the highest accuracy, finite element method (FEM) to analyze the hot spot temperature (HST) of the thermal distribution transformer model. Through the use of COMSOL Multiphysics software, three phases of unbalanced harmonic loads are considered, which contribute to three different total harmonic distortion current (THDI) levels and five different insulation temperature classes. Using the IEEE C57.110-2018 guidance, the simulation outputs are then verified with HST results from the HST mathematical model. The findings indicated that with the increased loadings, the unbalanced harmonic currents have impacted the HST increment and distinguished the HST values between the phases.

A Fuzzy Inference Model to Identify the Current Industry Maturity Stage in the Transformation Process to Industry 4.0

The fourth industrial revolution has been developed and promoted unlike any other. In this regard, the measurement of achievements on every Industry IX.0 is subject to two major sources of imprecision, namely ambiguity and vagueness. In this paper, we introduce an Industry X.0 Fuzzy Inference Engine that, for a given industrial plant, it computes the technological footprint on Industries I1.0–I4.0; i.e., how much technology of each Industry IX.0 is present in that plant, therefore revealing its current maturity level in the transformation process to become an Industry 4.0. The model is scalable, and implements a control strategy inspired in resource allocation problems. It addresses the overlap issues common to I3.0 and I4.0, and assigns each criterion with a distinct importance. Our work stands out for bringing formal analytical methods supported by a theoretical background. To date, no work in the field has ever faced this problem as approached in the paper. Simulation results applied to hypothetical plants show the consistency and effectiveness of the proposed model. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Note to Practitioners</i> —The need for leveraging all of the technologies currently available has made industrial plants to retrofit their facilities towards Industry 4.0. In order to properly assess the current stage of this transformation process, in real-world heterogeneous plants, we should measure the implementation extent of each automation technology, while considering where they fit in the industrial timeline. Existing models overlook important features of automated systems, such as control architecture and communication protocols, that among others determine whether a plant qualifies for one or more IX.0. Thus, in this paper we propose a Fuzzy inference engine that allows a thorough assessment and treatment of information, in order to state the current maturity stage (technological footprint) of a given plant with respect to Industries I1.0–4.0. The matrices are scalable, i.e., various plants may be evaluated all together for comparative purposes, the knowledge base can be improved, and other future IX.0 may be incorporated. The use of Fuzzy set and Fuzzy logic provided a suitable framework for modeling, quantifying, and reasoning under imprecise and unclear development stages of a transition for I4.0.

Distributed Energy-Based Estimation Over Harvesting-Constrained Sensor Networks.

This article investigates the distributed joint state and fault estimation issue for a class of nonlinear time-varying systems over sensor networks constrained by energy harvesting. It is assumed that data transmission between sensors requires energy consumption, and each sensor can harvest energy from the external environment. A Poisson process models the energy harvested by each sensor, and the sensor's transmission decision depends on its current energy level. One can obtain the sensor transmission probability through a recursive calculation of the probability distribution of the energy level. Under such energy harvesting constraints, the proposed estimator only uses local and neighbor data to simultaneously estimate the system state and the fault, thereby establishing a distributed estimation framework. Moreover, the estimation error covariance is determined to possess an upper bound, which is minimized by devising energy-based filtering parameters. The convergence performance of the proposed estimator is analyzed. Finally, a practical example is presented to verify the usefulness of the main results.

Paeonol can improve hypoxic-induced H9c2 cells injury and ion channel activity by up-regulating the expression of CKIP-1

BackgroundPaeonol is a representative active ingredient of the traditional Chinese medicinal herbs Cortex Moutan, which has a well-established cardioprotective effect on ischemic heart disease. However, there is little evidence of the protective effect of paeonol, and its pharmacological mechanism is also unclear. This study aims to explore the protective effect and mechanism of Paeonol on myocardial infarction rat and hypoxic H9c2 cells. MethodsMyocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) was induced by occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery for 1 h followed by 3 h of reperfusion, and then gavage with Paeonol for 7 days. H9c2 cells were applied for the in vitro experiments and hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) model was established. CKIP-1 expression was evaluated by qPCR and western blot. The expression of genes involved in apoptosis, inflammation and ion channel was measured by western blot. The currents levels of Nav1.5 and Kir2.1 were measured by whole-cell patch-clamp recording. ResultsCKIP-1 expression was decreased in H/R-induced H9c2 cells, which was inversely increased after Paeonol treatment. Paeonol treatment could increase the viability of H/R-induced H9c2 cells and diminish the apoptosis and inflammation of H/R-induced H9c2 cells, while si-CKIP-1 treatment inhibited the phenomena. Moreover, the currents levels of Nav1.5 and Kir2.1 were reduced in H/R-induced H9c2 cells, which were inhibited after Paeonol treatment. Intragastric Paeonol can reduce the ventricular arrhythmias in rats with myocardial infarction. ConclusionsThe protective effects of Paeonol on myocardial infarction rats and hypoxic H9c2 cells were achieved by up-regulating CKIP-1.

A Novel Single-Phase Five-Level Current-Source Inverter Topology

Recent technological advances have renewed the research interest in current-source inverters (CSIs). Nonetheless, CSI research still falls behind its voltage-source counterpart with regards to topologies, modulation, and control. Acknowledging the above, this paper presents a novel single-phase five-level CSI topology. The proposed circuit utilises eight switches and two inductors for the generation of five distinct output levels while maintaining low output voltage THD and dv/dt. Furthermore, by offsetting the inductor currents from a binary 1:2 to a trinary 1:3 ratio, the proposed inverter can generate seven current levels at its output. The inverter offers built-in short-circuit protection and can boost a low input DC voltage to a higher peak AC output voltage. These merits, alongside an electrolytic-capacitor-free design, simple current balancing mechanism, and fault-tolerant characteristics, make it a promising candidate for PV module-integrated inverter (MII) systems. The current topology utilises two inductors but is fully functional with single-inductor operation. The paper provides a functional analysis of the inverter topology alongside the inverter switching states and corresponding conduction paths. A detailed analysis of the inductor current dynamics as well as a current-balancing algorithm for dual- and single-inductor operations are given. The theoretical analysis of the proposed circuit and its functional operation are verified using simulations and experimental results carried out on a laboratory prototype.

CÔNG TÁC TRUYỀN THÔNG TRONG GIÁO DỤC Ở CÁC TRƯỜNG HỌC TRÊN ĐỊA BÀN TỈNH NGHỆ AN

The research was conducted to investigate the current awareness and assessment of teachers and managers about the goals, content, methods and communication measures in education in schools. Through a self-reported questionnaire, 585 teachers and managers of schools in Nghe An province were surveyed to find out the current level of awareness and assessment of communication in education in schools and their relationship with other factors such as gender, seniority, education level, living and working location. The article also discusses research results and proposes administrative implications to raise awareness for teachers and managers about current communication issues in education.

Power quality improvement using a 31-level multi-level inverter with bio-inspired optimization approach

In recent years, the power quality (PQ) improvements have been explored through various approaches. The employment of electronic devices with renewable energy sources has expanded the harmonics level of voltage and current. Due to harmonics, the PQ of a specific electrical system gets affected. At critical load conditions, the traditional PQ mitigation approaches fail to develop the performance of the system. Therefore, in this work, the Spider Monkey Optimization convolutional neural network (SM-CNN)-based 31-level multilevel inverter (MLI) is used. This method balances the reactive power demands and enhances real power in the grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) system. The maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm depending on radial basis function neural networks (RBFNNs) is used to maximize PV power. For strengthening the voltage level of the PV and to generate higher DC voltage with a minimized switching loss, an integrated boost fly back converter (IBFC) is introduced. The presented technique is implemented in the MATLAB/Simulink platform to figure out the estimation of PQ issues. The suggested MLI lessens the total harmonic distortion (THD) value to 2.45% with an improved power factor.

Urban poverty and the role of UK food aid organisations in enabling segregating and transitioning spaces of food access

This research examines the role of food aid providers, including their spatial engagement, in seeking to alleviate urban food poverty. Current levels of urban poverty across the UK have resulted in an unprecedented demand for food aid. Yet, urban poverty responsibility increasingly shifts away from policymakers to the third sector. Building on Castilhos and Dolbec’s notion of segregating space and original qualitative research with food aid organisations, we show how social supermarkets emerge as offering a type of transitional space between the segregating spaces of foodbanks and the market spaces of mainstream food retailers. This research contributes to existing literature by establishing the concept of transitional space, an additional type of space that facilitates movement between types of spaces and particularly transitions from the segregating spaces of emergency food aid to more secure spaces of food access. In so doing, this research extends Castilhos and Dolbec’s typology of spaces, enabling a more nuanced depiction of the spatiality of urban food poverty.

Paving the Way for the Electrified Future of Flight: Safety Criteria Development for Integrating Structural Batteries in Aircraft

AbstractWithin the global push towards environmental sustainability, the aviation industry is increasingly investigating electrification as a potential solution to reduce emissions and combat climate change. However, traditional battery integration faces significant drawbacks due to their limited energy and power densities, which negatively impact aircraft weight and performance. In this scenario, structural batteries are gaining interest, since they combine energy storage and load-bearing capabilities in multifunctional material structures, thus potentially eliminating barriers to the electrification of the air transport sector. While this novel technology holds immense potential, its integration raises new and unique airworthiness concerns. The present activity aims to support the development of aircraft certification requirements for structural batteries. Recognizing the dual nature of this technology, the proposed approach seeks to maintain or even enhance the current level of safety in both normal and emergency flight conditions.

Roles of ghrelin, hepcidin and HIF-2α in iron metabolism in iron deficiency anemia.

This study investigates the roles of HIF-2α, hepcidin, and ghrelin in iron deficiency anemia (IDA), the most widespread nutritional disorder globally. Fifty IDA patients (18-50years, BMI 19-25) and 40 healthy volunteers were studied. Hemoglobin, ferritin, hepcidin, HIF-2α, and ghrelin levels were analyzed. IDA patients showed lower hemoglobin, ferritin, hepcidin, and ghrelin levels than the control group, but HIF-2α levels were similar. Positive correlations were observed in both groups between hepcidin and HIF-2α (p < 0.001), hepcidin and ghrelin (p < 0.001), and HIF-2α and ghrelin (p < 0.001). Hemoglobin was correlated positively with HIF-2α, and ferritin was correlated positively with HIF-2α in the patient group. The study suggests that the low hepcidin levels in IDA patients enhance iron absorption. The lack of significant HIF-2α level differences may be due to the absence of chronic hypoxia in current hemoglobin levels of IDA patients. Moreover, the low ghrelin levels in patients and the correlations between ghrelin, hepcidin, and HIF-2α in both groups indicate their involvement in iron metabolism.

Conditions for the Formation and Development of a Culture of Risk Management for Teaching Staff

Introduction. In conditions of socio-economic instability, the use of risk management tools when making management decisions, building a management system that includes risk management, will allow you to more effectively achieve your goals. At the same time, the problem of risk management by the management of educational organizations, as well as in the organizational and managerial activities of teaching staff, is not given due attention. This allows us to talk about an unformed risk management culture as one of the results of professional training and advanced training of workers in the field of education. Risk management culture is one of the components of management culture that determines the readiness of teaching staff to ensure the quality of management in the educational system (management of the educational process, educational and cognitive activities of students, etc.). Risk management culture is increasingly being considered by researchers from the perspective of an innovative type of management culture, focused on the implementation of innovations, and the implementation of innovative activities always takes into account risks. Materials and methods: terminological analysis of risk management in the management of educational systems; abstract review of the formation and practical implementation of the risk culture of teaching staff. Results. Scientific and practical substantiation of the relevance of the development of theory and practice of creating a culture of risk management in the process of education, training and advanced training of teaching staff. Conclusions. The effectiveness of organizational and managerial activities in the education system presupposes a sufficient level of riskological competence of a teacher at all stages of the implementation of managerial functions, regardless of his status and position. The process of forming, improving and developing a risk culture requires taking into account the current level of implementation of certain organizational and pedagogical conditions when implementing professional retraining and advanced training programs.

Modelling and simulation of MR damper characterization and uncertainty assessment in marine engine vibration isolation with FLPID control

ABSTRACT This paper meticulously examines the magneto-rheological (MR) damper to exploring its application in a semi-active isolator system. The MR damper’s distinctive capability to regulate damping force through an externally applied magnetic field is investigated via extensive experimental testing. Sinusoidal displacement inputs with varying electromagnet currents reveal a direct correlation between higher current levels and augmented MR damper forces. Validation of the experimental results is achieved through the Viscous Plus Dahl Model, showcasing its accuracy in capturing the damper’s hysteresis behavior. The study extends its scope to practical implementation by integrating the MR damper into a marine diesel engine system. A fuzzy logic-based self-tuning PID controller collaborates with the MR damper to establish a semi-active vibration isolator. The integrated model, encompassing primary and secondary masses, the engine, and the isolator with passive and semi-active systems, is rigorously analyzed. Experimental validation and theoretical simulations, aligned with data gathered from experiments, affirm the model’s fidelity in representing the MR damper. Simulation outcomes underscore the significant enhancement in vibration reduction characteristics of the semi-active isolator system compared to its passive counterpart, particularly evident in the improved performance of the 1200 kg engine under diverse operating conditions.

Prevalence and Associated Factors Related to Tobacco Consumption Among University Students in Malaysia.

Tobacco consumption is one of the major public health concerns worldwide. Moreover, alternative tobacco and nicotine products (ATNPs) are growing in popularity, especially among young adults in the past decade. The study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated sociodemographic factors of tobacco consumption among university students. A cross-sectional study was carried out among 338 university students of a private Malaysian university from March to April 2021. Data was collected using a self-administered online questionnaire with items including sociodemographic information, user status of tobacco consumption and types of tobacco product used. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's chi-square test, Fisher's exact test and simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed using the IBM SPSS version 26.0 to analyse the data. The prevalence of tobacco consumption in this study was 8.6% and the main tobacco product used was manufactured cigarettes. In Pearson's chi square test and Fisher's exact test, current use of tobacco was significantly associated with nationality, ethnicity, religion, school, current level of education and parents, siblings and friends use of tobacco (p<0.05). In simple and multiple logistic regression analysis, being non-Malaysian, Indian, Muslim, year 4 student and having parents or siblings who used tobacco, all had statistically significant associations with the current use of tobacco (p<0.05). Findings of this study showed that the use of tobacco among university students is concerning and warrants the need to develop and implement a strategic anti-tobacco program to limit this behaviour among university students.

State primary special standard of acceleration unit in the field of gravimetry GET 190-2023: reproduction and transmission of the unit under the influence of geophysical factors

The relevance of research on the reproduction and transmission of the acceleration unit in gravimetry is determined by the development of measuring instruments for the absolute value of the acceleration of free fall and its changes. Qualitative and quantitative changes in the instrument base are due to the requirements of applied tasks solved using gravimetric data in such fields as geodesy, navigation, geodynamics, as well as the expansion of the field of practical application of absolute gravimeters. At the same time, in order to solve applied problems, along with accuracy requirements at a level close to the maximum achievable at the current level of technology development, maximum territorial coverage of measurement sites within the entire territory of the Russian Federation is often necessary. The accuracy of the results obtained with the help of measuring instruments is determined by the level of their metrological support, the main stages of which are the reproduction of the corresponding unit by the standard and its transfer to the measuring instrument. An analysis of possible sources of errors in gravimetric equipment has shown that when reproducing and transmitting the acceleration unit in gravimetry, it is necessary to take into account the influence of geophysical factors that manifest themselves as additional accelerations of a gravitational or inertial nature. The distribution of the gravitational field within a gravimetric point can manifest itself as an additional constant acceleration. Seismic processes and lunar and solar tides manifest themselves as variable accelerations. For various stages of metrological support of gravimetric devices, the mechanisms of the effects of such accelerations have been studied, as well as methods for accounting and reducing their influence using additional equipment have been developed. An additional gravimetric point with a cryogenic relative gravimeter and a broadband seismometer, as well as transported absolute ballistic and relative quartz gravimeters, were introduced into the State primary special standard of acceleration units in the field of gravimetry GET 190-2023.

Factors affecting the costs of broiler chicken production in light of urgent international variables

The study aims to analyze the costs of broiler chicken production in the Fayoum governorate, and in particular the effects that the Russia–Ukraine war has had on production costs. The results indicate increased production costs due to the war and a decreased net return for the three production capacities and the sample average: the return index on invested dollars before the war was 0.71, 0.89, 1.0, and 0.87, respectively; however, this decreased after the war to 0.35, 0.53, 0.66, and 0.51, respectively. The war has led to an increase of 43.93% in the minimum price as the production costs have risen. The value of the price elasticity of supply was about 0.233 at the minimum price and 0.041 at the current price level. If the prevailing price increases by 10% to become $2.13 thousand per ton, the price elasticity of supply becomes about 0.037. The study recommends producing cheap, high-quality, non-traditional feed and focusing on small production capacities. It also suggests integrating and developing them to increase profits. KEYWORDS capacity savings, cost functions, economic efficiency, equivalence price, quantitative equivalence, supply function