Fault detection and isolation in DC microgrid with local measurements using carrier aided directional comparison scheme

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technology, with its high sensitivity and fingerprinting capability, has shown broad application prospects in environmental monitoring, food safety, biomedicine, and other fields. Electrospinning technology can produce flexible nanofiber membranes with high specific surface area and three-dimensional porous structures, providing an ideal platform for constructing high-performance SERS substrates for multiphasic analysis. This review systematically summarizes the fabrication strategies of fiber-based SERS substrates by using electrospinning technology, classified from three perspectives: material composition (polymer-based, ceramic-based, carbon fiber-based, and metal-based), spatial configuration (inner, surface, and inner-surface), and temporal sequence of plasmonic nanostructure (pre-synthesis, pre-reduction, post-reduction, post-modification, etc.). Furthermore, the sampling methods and measurement approaches of such substrates in liquid-phase, solid-phase, and gas-phase detection are discussed, with a focus on their applications in environmental pollution monitoring, food safety inspection, microbial identification, and biomedical diagnostics. Finally, the comparison of different preparation strategies and potential future directions are discussed, which could offer helpful guidance for the design and application of high-performance flexible SERS substrates.

The article analyzes inherently diverse scientific and methodological approaches to the interpretation of the concept of "integration". The understanding of international integration as an institutional form of international association is revealed, its main causes and essential factors are investigated. The purpose, features and specific tasks of international integration are considered. The interdependent elements of the "integration model" at the international level are analyzed. Special attention is paid to the generalization and comparison of the main directions of development of key theories and concepts of international integration.

Abstract This study employed the Delayed Detached Eddy Simulation (DDES) turbulence model and the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings (FW-H) acoustic analogy method to investigate the flow field and acoustic characteristics of a 1045 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) rotor in both hover and forward flight, considering both dipole noise and overall noise. Results showed that lift fluctuations during forward flight were significantly higher, and the tip vortex dissipation rate was much greater than in hover. A comparison of noise spectra and directivity between hover and forward flight revealed that the noise intensity of the rotor in forward flight was notably higher. Hover rotor noise was dominated by low-frequency noise below 100 Hz, while forward flight rotor noise concentrated near the blade passage frequency (BPF) fundamental. Analysis of the spectral relationship between dipole noise and overall noise indicated that dipole noise was the primary noise source in forward flight. Further investigation of the forward flight rotor under different rotor speeds and shaft angles suggested that reducing rotor speed, could effectively reduce noise, whereas adjusting shaft angle had limited impact on noise reduction. This research provides theoretical insights for noise assessment and reduction in rotorcraft UAV design.

The transient fault characteristics of an inverter-interfaced renewable energy (IIRE) overhead outgoing line may cause misoperations of existing protection schemes. This paper uses directional comparison of the post-fault transient energy to construct the ultra-high-speed (UHS) unit protection for an IIRE plant’s overhead outgoing line. The proposed method could identify the internal faults accurately in various fault scenarios. Compared to conventional traveling wave-based protection, distance protection and differential protection, the proposed scheme can overcome the high sampling rate difficulty and remain effective when the fault inception angle is zero. The scheme is also tested under conditions of noise, parallel lines, and CT saturation. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method is immune to these factors, which make the scheme more reliable and applicable in commercial industries.

Social media use is endemic among emerging adults, raising concerns that this trend may harm users. We tested whether reducing the quantity of social media use, relative to improving the way users engage with social media, benefits psychological well-being. Participants were 393 social media users (ages 17-29) in Canada, with elevated psychopathology symptoms, who perceived social media to negatively impact their life somewhat. They were randomized to either (a) assistance to engage with social media in a way to enhance connectedness (tutorial), (b) encouragement to abstain from social media (abstinence), or (c) no instructions to change behavior (control). Participants' social media behaviors were self-reported and tracked using phone screen time apps while well-being was self-reported, over four timepoints (6 weeks in total). Results suggested that the tutorial and abstinence groups, relative to control, reduced their quantity of social media use and the amount of social comparisons they made on social media, with abstinence being the most effective. Tutorial was the only condition to reduce participants' fear of missing out and loneliness, and abstinence was the only condition to reduce internalizing symptoms, relative to control. No condition differences emerged in eating pathology or the tendency to make social comparisons in an upward direction. Changes in social media behaviors mediated the effects of abstinence (but not of tutorial) on well-being outcomes. Participant engagement and perceptions of helpfulness were acceptable, but the abstinence group possibly perceived the content as less helpful. In conclusion, using social media differently and abstaining from social media may each benefit well-being. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

While rodents are used extensively for studying pain, there is a lack of reported direct comparisons of thermal and mechanical pain testing methods in rats of different genetic backgrounds. Understanding the range of interindividual variability of withdrawal thresholds and thermal latencies based on these testing methods and/or genetic background is important for appropriate experimental design. Testing was performed in two common rat genetic backgrounds: outbred Sprague-Dawley (SD) and inbred Fischer 344 (F344). Male and female, 10- to 14-wk-old F344 and SD rats were used to assess withdrawal thresholds in 3 different modalities: the Randall-Selitto test (RST), Hargreaves test (HT), and tail flick test (TFT). The RST was performed by using an operator-controlled handheld instrument to generate a noxious pressure stimulus to the left hind paw. The HT and the TFT used an electronically controlled light source to deliver a noxious thermal stimulus to the left hind paw or tail tip, respectively. Rats of each sex and genetic background underwent one type of test on day 0 and day 7. Withdrawal thresholds and thermal latencies were compared among tests. No significant differences were observed. Our findings can serve as a guide for researchers considering these nociceptive tests for their experiments.

Tilgangur þessarar greinar er að fjalla um og varpa ljósi á sameiginlegt eignarhald fyrirtækja á skráðum hlutabréfamarkaði á Íslandi og er það borið saman við umfang slíks eignarhalds í Bandaríkjunum. Nokkur umræða hefur verið um hversu fáir aðilar eiga stóra hluti í íslenskum fyrirtækjum sem eru í samkeppni við hvert annað og því er umfang þessa og þróun á íslenskum hlutabréfamarkaði greind. Sjónum er beint að þremur mörkuðum hér á landi þar sem tveir eða þrír keppinautar eru skráðir í Kauphöll Íslands. Það eru trygginga-, fjarskipta, og fasteignamarkaðir. Þá er umfang fjárfestinga lífeyrissjóða á íslenskum hlutabréfamarkaði greint á fjórum mismunandi tímapunktum; árin 2003, 2007, 2014 og 2016. Þótt erfitt sé að bera saman hlutabréfaeign milli tímabila sést að sameiginlegt eignarhald var mun minna fyrir efnahagshrunið árið 2008 en á árunum eftir hrun, bæði hjá öllum stærstu hluthöfum skráðra fyrirtækja og þá einkum lífeyrissjóðum. Um mitt ár 2016 var eign lífeyrissjóða í skráðum hlutafélögum í Kauphöll Íslands orðin umtalsverð eða um 50% af markaðsvirði allra skráðra félaga. Stærstu lífeyrissjóðirnir áttu hlut í nánast öllum hlutafélögum í kauphöllinni. Á þeim mörkuðum sem hér er fjallað um fara lífeyrissjóðirnir með yfir 45% eign í öllum skráðum fasteignafélögum, yfir 35% í öllum skráðum tryggingafélögum og yfir 50% í fjarskiptafyrirtækjum á markaði. Ekki liggur fyrir hvaða afleiðingar þetta sameiginlega eignarhald á íslenskum fyrirtækjum hefur á samkeppni og verð. Engar rannsóknir hafa enn verið gerðar á því. Bandarískar rannsóknir benda þó til þess að slíkt eignarhald hafi skaðleg áhrif á samkeppni. Í ljósi umfangs þess á Íslandi er ástæða til þess að greina áhrif þess hér og mun greinin því varpa betra ljósi á hvernig þróunin hefur verið á Íslandi síðustu tæpu tvo áratugi.

The influence of socioeconomic factors on racial disparities among patients with sporadic meningiomas is well established, yet other potential causative factors warrant further exploration. The authors of this study aimed to determine whether there is significant variation in the genomic profile of meningiomas among patients of different races and ethnicities and its correlation with clinical outcomes. The demographic, genomic, and clinical data of patients aged 18 years and older who had undergone surgery for sporadic meningioma between September 2008 and November 2021 were analyzed. Statistical analyses were performed to detect differences across all racial/ethnic groups, as were direct comparisons between Black and non-Black groups plus Hispanic and non-Hispanic groups. This study included 460 patients with intracranial meningioma. Hispanic patients were significantly younger at surgery (53.9 vs 60.2 years, p = 0.0006) and more likely to show symptoms. Black patients had a higher incidence of anterior skull base tumors (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.7-6.3, p = 0.0008) and somatic hedgehog mutations (OR 5.3, 95% CI 1.6-16.6, p = 0.003). Hispanics were less likely to exhibit the aggressive genomic characteristic of chromosome 1p deletion (OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.07-1.2, p = 0.06) and displayed higher rates of TRAF7 somatic driver mutations (OR 2.96 95% CI 1.1-7.8, p = 0.036). Black patients had higher rates of recurrence (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.3-5.2, p = 0.009) and shorter progression-free survival (PFS; HR 2.9, 95% CI 1.6-5.4, p = 0.002) despite extents of resection (EORs) similar to those of non-Black patients (p = 0.745). No significant differences in overall survival were observed among groups. Despite similar EORs, Black patients had worse clinical outcomes following meningioma resection, characterized by a higher prevalence of somatic hedgehog mutations, increased recurrence rates, and shorter PFS. Meanwhile, Hispanic patients had less aggressive meningiomas, a predisposition for TRAF7 mutations, and no difference in PFS. These findings could inform the care and treatment strategies for meningiomas, and they establish the foundation for future studies focusing on the genomic origins of these observed differences.

The alternative model for personality disorders (AMPD) has been extensively studied over the past decade, but to date there is no direct comparison of the clinical utility of the AMPD model relative to the Section II personality disorder (PD) model in an ecologically valid design. The current study examined the clinical utility of an AMPD-informed assessment procedure and Section II PD assessment procedure as assessed by both patients and clinicians in a randomized controlled trial. A sample of 119 patients were randomly assigned to either an AMPD or a Section II PD assessment procedure. At the end of the assessment, patients filled out questionnaires pertaining to clinical utility, satisfaction, motivation for treatment, and general experience of the assessment. Clinicians who subsequently started treatment with these patients also completed two clinical utility questionnaires. There were no significant differences between the AMPD and Section II PD assessment procedure on patients' reported clinical utility, motivation for treatment, satisfaction, and general experience of the assessment nor were there significant differences between the models on clinician reported clinical utility. Explorative analyses revealed that, for patients, a positive relationship with the assessor was predictive of experienced utility. This study shows no superiority of the AMPD in terms of clinical utility but suggests that the alliance with the assessor is a particularly salient factor in clinical utility. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

This study investigated and compared the consistency and compressive strength of two commercially available paraffin wax chewing gums (Aurosan (AU) and GC Europe (GC)), as well as their impact on stimulated salivary flow rate. Instrumental texture analysis was uti-lized to assess the consistency and compressive strength of AU and GC during a 7-min chewing period. Subsequently, stimulated salivary flow rate (sSFR) was evaluated in healthy subjects using AU and GC over a 7-minute period. The compressive strengths from the pre-liminary test were compared over time with the sialometry data. Eighty-one test subjects, comprising 33 men and 48 women, participated. Over the 7-min measurement period, dif-ferences were observed in the total amount of saliva accumulated per minute. Direct com-parison of AU and GC revealed that regardless of age and gender, the amount of saliva formed after 1 min was 0.63 times less with AU than with GC (95% CI: 0.56 - 0.70; P < 0.001). The accumulated saliva volume with AU was also significantly lower than that with GC in the first 4 min (P = 0.016). However, from minute 5 onwards, the two products no longer showed statistical differences in the total amount of saliva. Comparison of the com-pressive strength of AU and GC showed that the values after 1 and 2 min were significantly higher for AU than for GC (P < 0.05); for all other time points, the compressive strength was higher for GC. In the mixed-effects model after log-transformation of compressive strength and saliva volume, GC exhibited decreasing saliva volumes with increasing compressive strength (P <0.001). Conversely, the opposite was observed for AU (P = 0.019). The study suggests that the consistency or compressive strength of paraffin wax chewing gums from different manufacturers could impact sSFR.

The paper presents the results of paleomagnetic studies on numerous intrusive bodies of the Bashkirian megazone – a major tectonic zone of the Southern Urals. More than 70 intrusions in different parts of the Bashkirian megazone (in the northern, central and southern part of the structure) were sampled. The studied intrusions have Riphean age, however, like a significant part of the rocks of the Southern Urals, these intrusive bodies were remagnetized during the Late Paleozoic collision within the Urals fold belt. This article will discuss the secondary Late Paleozoic component of natural remanence magnetization. According to the paleomagnetic data obtained, the secondary Late Paleozoic component in most of the Bashkirian megazone is post-fold, i.e. formed after the completion of the main phase of fold deformations in the Southern Urals. A comparison of paleomagnetic directions obtained from intrusions in different parts of the Bashkirian megazone showed that there did not significant movements of individual parts of the Bashkirian megazone relative to each other after the formation of the Late Paleozoic component. The Late Paleozoic remanence component yielded a paleomagnetic pole of Plong = 171.6°, Plat = 39.9°, α95 = 5.9°, N = 6 from 6 areas (38 sites) in the Bashkirian megazone. The obtained pole is statistically indistinguishable from the mean of 15 poles for Stable Europe with ages of 280–301 million years. Thus, the secondary Late Paleozoic component in the Bashkirian megazone formed approximately 280–301 million years ago, after which the Bashkirian megazone did not experience any relative motions with respect to the East European craton.

Effect of multiple sclerosis and aging on prospective memory using the ecological test of prospective memory.

Enhancing machining efficiency of Ti-6Al-4V through multi-axial ultrasonic vibration-assisted machining and hybrid nanofluid minimum quantity lubrication

Extent of resection (EOR) is the most important modifiable prognostic variable for pediatric patients with posterior fossa ependymoma. An understanding of primary and recurrent ependymoma complications is essential to inform clinical decision-making for providers, patients, and families. In this study, the authors characterize postsurgical complications following resection of primary and recurrent pediatric posterior fossa ependymoma in a molecularly defined cohort. The authors conducted a 20-year retrospective single-center review of pediatric patients undergoing resection of posterior fossa ependymoma at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. Complications were dichotomized into major and minor groups; EOR was compared across complication categories. The association between complication occurrence with length of stay (LOS) and mortality was also assessed using multivariable regressions. There were 60 patients with primary resection included, 41 (68%) of whom were alive at the time of data collection. Gross-total resection was achieved in 33 (58%) of 57 patients at primary resection. There were no 30-day mortality events following primary and recurrent ependymoma resection. Following primary resection, 6 patients (10%) had posterior fossa syndrome (PFS) and 36 (60%) developed cranial neuropathies, 56% of which recovered within 1 year. One patient (1.7%) required a tracheostomy and 9 patients (15%) required gastrostomy tubes. There were 14 ventriculoperitoneal shunts (23%) inserted for postoperative hydrocephalus. Among recurrent cases, there were 48 recurrent resections performed in 24 patients. Complications included new cranial neuropathy in 10 patients (21%), of which 5 neuropathies resolved within 1 year. There were no cases of PFS following resection of recurrent ependymoma. Gastrostomy tube insertion was required in 3 patients (6.3%), and 1 patient (2.0%) required a tracheostomy. Given the differences in the location of tumor recurrence, a direct comparison between primary and recurrent resection complications was not feasible. Following multivariate analysis adjusting for sex, age, molecular status, and EOR, occurrence of major complications was found to be associated with prolonged LOS but not mortality. These results detail the spectrum of postsurgical morbidity following primary and recurrent posterior fossa ependymoma resection. The crude complication rate following resection of infratentorial recurrent ependymoma was lower than that of primary ependymoma, although a statistical comparison revealed no significant differences between the groups. These results should serve to inform providers of the morbidity profile following surgical management of posterior fossa ependymoma and inform perioperative counseling of patients and their families.

Aims. In this study, we analyse the magnetic field properties of a set of 15 global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of solar-type star dynamos conducted using the ASH code. Our objective is to enhance our understanding of these properties by comparing theoretical results to current observations, and to finally provide fresh insights into the field. Methods. We analysed the rotational and magnetic properties as a function of various stellar parameters (mass, age, and rotation rate) in a ‘Sun in time’ approach in our extended set of 3D MHD simulations. To facilitate direct comparisons with stellar magnetism observations using various Zeeman-effect techniques, we decomposed the numerical data into vectorial spherical harmonics. Results.A comparison of the trends we find in our simulations set reveals a promising overall agreement with the observational context of stellar magnetism, enabling us to suggest a plausible scenario for the magneto-rotational evolution of solar-type stars. In particular, we find that the magnetic field may reach a minimum amplitude at a transition value of the Rossby number near unity. This may have important consequences on the long-term evolution of solar-type stars, by impacting the relation between stellar age, rotation, and magnetism. This supports the need for future observational campaigns, especially for stars in the high Rossby number regime.

INTRODUCTION: Historically the management of acute neurological deficit following carotid endarterectomy (CEA) has been operative re-exploration; however, given the proliferation of endovascular techniques, and utilization of CT angiography, endovascular intervention is an alternative to redo-CEA. METHODS: All patients undergoing CEA in the Department of Neurosurgery at Rhode Island Hospital (Providence, RI) were reviewed. A systematic literature review was conducted in PubMed according to PRISMA guidelines to identify papers relevant to endovascular procedures addressing acute neurological deficits following CEA, which yielded 2499 unique articles. Review by 2 investigators revealed 12 relevant articles. RESULTS: Four patients from our institutional cohort met inclusion criteria. Among these, stenting was technically successful in 3 patients, 2 of which achieved near-full recovery. One patient underwent successful carotid stenting and ipsilateral M2 thrombectomy for tandem occlusion. Stent placement was unsuccessful in the remaining patient due to mechanical constriction. Articles obtained through the literature review revealed 57 further relevant cases. Of those with sufficiently complete data, 30/39 (76.9%) were male with an age range of 43 - 78 years old. Twenty-eight of 32 (87.5%) patients underwent CEA for symptomatic carotid stenosis. Post-CEA angiographic evaluation was most commonly conducted for routine completion imaging (21/57, 36.8%), non-specific stroke symptoms (15/57, 26.3%), and extremity weakness (7/57, 12.3%). Thrombotic stenosis (23/43, 53.4%) and arterial dissection (15/43, 34.9%) were the most common angiography findings. Two (3.5%) stent procedures were unsuccessful, and in the immediate postoperative period 8 patients (14.0%) had significant neurological deficits and only 3 deaths (5.3%) were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular intervention may be considered in situations where patients have neurological deficit after CEA. Direct comparison of outcomes in patients who have endovascular intervention vs. redo CEA may help identify the optimal management strategy.

Deviation of blood flow from an optimal range is known to be associated with the initiation and progression of vascular pathologies. Important open questions remain about how the abnormal flow drives specific wall changes in pathologies such as cerebral aneurysms where the flow is highly heterogeneous and complex. This knowledge gap precludes the clinical use of readily available flow data to predict outcomes and improve treatment of these diseases. As both flow and the pathological wall changes are spatially heterogeneous, a crucial requirement for progress in this area is a methodology for acquiring and comapping local vascular wall biology data with local hemodynamic data. Here, we developed an imaging pipeline to address this pressing need. A protocol that employs scanning multiphoton microscopy was developed to obtain three-dimensional (3D) datasets for smooth muscle actin, collagen, and elastin in intact vascular specimens. A cluster analysis was introduced to objectively categorize the smooth muscle cells (SMC) across the vascular specimen based on SMC actin density. Finally, direct quantitative comparison of local flow and wall biology in 3D intact specimens was achieved by comapping both heterogeneous SMC data and wall thickness to patient-specific hemodynamic results.

Pollen analysis, a crucial tool in botany and ecology for examining historical biotic dynamics, has elicited debate owing to its complex link with vegetation. The challenge lies in discerning the ecological significance of pollen data. In this study, we conducted detailed quadrat surveys on Jinhua Mountain, subtropical China, analyzing topsoil pollen to determine whether pollen signals accurately reflect key ecological components in the forests and shrublands. We performed direct comparisons between pollen and plant compositions and calculated pollen percentages and plant Important Values (IVs) for each quadrat. The results indicate greater homogeneity in pollen composition across the study area compared to plant composition, particularly in the high percentage of Pinus pollen. However, distinct plant communities exhibited significantly different pollen compositions, as evidenced by the multi-response permutation test. This divergence aligns with variations in the dominant plant species across different communities. There were significant correlations between pollen percentages and plant IVs, with correlation coefficients of 0.55 (p < 0.001) at the quadrat level and 0.78 (p < 0.001) at the taxon level. These results support the utility of pollen analysis for representing ecologically significant values in subtropical Chinese forests and shrublands. Such correlations might also be extrapolated to pollen-based paleoecological studies.

Heatwaves are increasing in frequency and intensity due to climate change, pushing animals beyond physiological limits. While most studies focus on survival limits, sublethal effects on fertility tend to occur below lethal thresholds, and consequently can be as important for population viability. Typically, male fertility is more heat-sensitive than female fertility, yet direct comparisons are limited. Here, we measured the effect of experimental heatwaves on tsetse flies, Glossina pallidipes, disease vectors and unusual live-bearing insects of sub-Saharan Africa. We exposed males or females to a 3-day heatwave peaking at 36, 38 or 40°C for 2 h, and a 25°C control, monitoring mortality and reproduction over six weeks. For a heatwave peaking at 40°C, mortality was 100%, while a 38°C peak resulted in only 8% acute mortality. Females exposed to the 38°C heatwave experienced a one-week delay in producing offspring, whereas no such delay occurred in males. Over six weeks, heatwaves resulted in equivalent fertility loss in both sexes. Combined with mortality, this lead to a 10% population decline over six weeks compared to the control. Furthermore, parental heatwave exposure gave rise to a female-biased offspring sex ratio. Ultimately, thermal limits of both survival and fertility should be considered when assessing climate change vulnerability.