Scholars have unearthed how tech companies exert unprecedented power through new modes of accumulation and control. Less attention has been paid to the social actors who command these companies. In particular, the subjectivities that characterize the entrepreneurial class remain largely unexplored. Drawing on Foucault, this paper develops the concept of the entrepreneurial gaze by examining a unique data set from Y Combinator, a prominent Silicon Valley-based ‘accelerator’. The empirical analysis reconstructs an entrepreneurial gaze within the tech elite structured by three central schemas: (1) need-spotting through personal experiences; (2) a faithful vision and (3) a short-cut orientation.

Active wavelength control in a single-frequency fiber laser via modulation of dynamic population grating

ABSTRACT In this study, acoustic emission (AE) is employed to detect incipient damage in polycarbonate, while wavelet synchrosqueezing transform (WSST) enhanced time-frequency resolution, enabling accurate characterization and interpretation of AE signals. Quasi-static mode-I experiments are performed using tapered double cantilever beam (TDCB) specimens with a 25 mm pre-crack in displacement control mode. The test results reveal low-frequency AE signals (25–30 kHz) appeared during elastic loading, while high-frequency components (65–120 kHz) indicated localized yielding near the crack tip. Scattered frequencies emerged just before crack initiation due to fracture processes. In contrast to the continuous wavelet transform (CWT), WSST sharpens the time-frequency representation by limiting energy smearing. The WSST achieves higher time-frequency resolution by squeezing and reconstructing the CWT coefficients along the frequency axis. This improved frequency localisation enables the accurate tracking of transient features, particularly during localised yielding and incipient crack propagation, as observed in this study. To complement the experimental results, finite element analysis (FEA) is performed to simulate the stress and strain fields near the crack tip by using an elastic-perfectly plastic model in ABAQUS. The evolving plastic deformation near the crack tip shows good correlation with cumulative AE energy. This study offers a promising technique to detect incipient failure.

This study examines controlled technological process of heating liquid, which is considered as a cybernetic system for transforming resources into a usable technological product. The work investigates the possibility of constructing a normalized functional of deviation in the efficiency indicator in dynamic models of technological processes, used to synthesize optimal control effects. They provide a quantitative assessment of deviation of the actual efficiency from the required level and allow the application of optimal control methods. The task addressed is to find a standardized indicator of efficiency deviation E, which would ensure the dimensionlessness of this indicator and its large-scale independence. It is a dimensionless quadratic measure of difference between the total useful result and the total costs. It has been shown that the parameter E has the properties of computational constancy and could be used for analysis, normalization, and comparison of various control modes. The ELF (Normalized Efficiency Criterion) computing block has been designed, which makes it possible to convert input parameters into cost form, accumulate total costs and useful effect, form indicators of additional benefit and resource intensity, as well as calculate a normalized efficiency criterion. It is shown that ELF is an integrated indicator of efficiency as a ratio of additional benefit to the resource intensity of the permissible mode; the indicator E represents its normalized metric form. The results make it possible to assess the effectiveness of the process in a quantitative way. And the functional E shows a deviation from the required mode, which gives the opportunity to conduct an analysis and make the right decisions in the management of a technological process. The research findings could be used in any technological processes

In recent years, the prevalence of electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) use has continued to rise, particularly among youth populations. However, the long-term effects of e-cigs use on brain functional activity remain unclear. Resting-state functional brain controllability metrics, including average controllability and modal controllability, were computed and compared at the network level between 93 nicotine-dependent e-cigs users and 96 demographically-matched healthy controls. Spearman correlation analyses were implemented to assess the relationships between controllability and various e-cigs use characteristics, including duration of use, frequency patterns, and dependence severity measures. Compared with healthy controls, e-cigs users exhibited increased average controllability in the right middle frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, insula, and thalamus (P < .001, false discovery rate corrected), along with increased modal controllability in the left medioventral occipital cortex (P < .001, false discovery rate corrected). Additionally, controllability in subcortical and visual network regions showed a negative correlation with e-cigs use characteristics and sleep quality. This study is the first to apply network control theory and reveals significant alterations in the average controllability of the right middle frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, insula, thalamus and the left insula, as well as in the modal controllability of the left medioventral occipital cortex among nicotine-dependent e-cigs users, indicating impaired brain state transition function. Furthermore, these alterations in brain network properties show negative correlations with both the duration of e-cigs use and sleep quality, suggesting potential behavioral and clinical relevance. These changes may serve as potential biomarkers for future research exploring related intervention strategies.This trial is registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05788068). Our study identified brain regions that may represent potential neuroimaging features of nicotine-dependent e-cigs users. Furthermore, our findings suggest a new hypothesis for targeted intervention. Key nodes identified-such as the right IFG and INS-warrant further investigation as potential targets for neuromodulation techniques. Future interventional trials are needed to verify whether modulating activity in these brain areas can restore normal control functions and aid smoking cessation, which may pave the way for personalized treatment strategies.

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) has been recognized for decades as a method to retrain the motor system after stroke. Benefits of FES rehabilitation can be enhanced by (1) combining FES with task-oriented therapy (i.e. FES therapy (FEST)), (2) timing FES with the user's volitional motor intention and (3) incorporating multiple trained tasks, as opposed to high repetitions of single tasks. Using a novel wearable FES technology, we tested therapy incorporating these elements in two chronic stroke survivors. Our group has developed the NeuroLife Sleeve, a wearable forearm sleeve that contains a high-density grid of embedded FES electrodes, that may be controlled by an operator or by the wearer's own electromyographic (EMG) signals. The system enables rapid software-based switching between stimulation configurations for different functional movements without repeated electrode repositioning. During eight weeks of FEST, intention-driven FES enabling multiple movements was delivered via operator control twice weekly and EMG control once weekly. At the end of the therapy period, subjects A and B had both improved their scores: Box and Blocks Test (A: +5, B: +7), the Action Research Arm Test (A: +7, B: +12), the Fugl Meyer Upper Extremity section (A: +11, B: +9), and the 9-Hole Peg Test (A: 158s, B: 54s, both previously unable). Clinical improvements persisted during the 10-week follow-up period, during which FES exposure was reduced by more than 80%. This case report provides a proof-of-concept demonstration of the NeuroLife Sleeve to support FEST and preliminary evidence that intention-driven FEST may support motor recovery in chronic stroke survivors. The NeuroLife Sleeve is a novel device designed to deliver this therapy through the easily donned wearable sleeve interface, support for both operator-triggered and EMG-controlled FES paradigms, and efficient transitions between tasks with programmable FES placement and parameters. Because both control modes were used throughout the intervention, the relative therapeutic contribution of each cannot be distinguished. We retrospectively registered the trial with ClinicalTrials.gov (16/01/2024, NCT06207240).

The enzyme inhibition effect is vital in drug development. However, the high cost of enzymes becomes the main limitation. Hence, we report low-cost PtNP/NC nanozymes for screening antithyroid drugs via inhibition modes. As a concept application, a dual-channel sensor array accomplishes drug efficacy screening, laying a foundation for nanozyme-based inhibitor evaluation.

ABSTRACT Migration governmentality is enforced through multiple actors which are driven by partially divergent political and economic rationales and interests. Focusing on the French-Italian border, the article interrogates how to account for the irreducible heterogeneity of practices of migration governance which are presented as harmonised and coordinated but that, at a closer glance, appear unhitched. The paper starts by introducing the concept of ‘unhitched control’ and, drawing on that concept, it pushes forward a twofold argument. First, it contends that partially discordant practices and rationalities ultimately converge in choking migrant lives and their infrastructure of life-support. Second, it argues that an exclusive focus on securitisation and security practices sidelines the multiple socio-political and economic components of unhitched control. In order to illustrate such a point, the article focuses on the Franco-Italian border, which is a key border crossing point for migrants, shaped by a long history of migrant passages. Building on archival sources, the piece mobilises a historical approach to investigate how modes of unhitched control in the second half of the last century converged in channelling labour mobility. In the last section it centres on the present context, investigating how unhitched control impacts on migrants’ movements and lives.

Nickel-catalyzed reductive hydroarylation of phenylpropiolic esters with aryl halides overrides conventional electronic and stereochemical preferences delivering anti-α-hydroarylation products with high selectivity. The method tolerates aryl iodides and bromides, with chemoselective discrimination of iodides vs bromides by tuning reaction conditions. Mechanistic studies reveal a synergistic control mode: steric repulsion governs regioselectivity, while ester carbonyl coordination enables postinsertion Z/E isomerization. A Ni(0)/Ni(II)/Ni(I) manifold and protic solvent as hydrogen donor are supported by deuterium labeling and HRMS-ESI.

Patients with obstructive lung diseases are vulnerable to dynamic hyperinflation and increased work of breathing (WOB). Although ventilator circuit components influence respiratory mechanics, the impact of the expiratory port design on WOB has received limited attention. This study examined whether exhalation resistance measurements can predict expiratory pressure-volume area (PVA) in an obstructive lung disease model. Four expiratory ports were tested Intersurgical (IS), Philips (P), ResMed (RM), and HSINER (H). Exhalation resistance, end-expiratory pressure, and expiratory PVA were measured using a PF-301 flow analyzer. Exhalation resistance was measured using a high-flow nasal cannula at 30, 40, 50, and 60 L/min. An obstructive lung model was created using a test lung in pressure control mode (PEEP 5 cm H2O). Statistical analyses included two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for exhalation resistance and one-way ANOVA with Tukey-Kramer post hoc tests for end-expiratory pressure and PVA. The P port exhibited the lowest exhalation resistance (0.343 cm H2O/L/s) but the highest PVA (0.013 ± 0.001 J/L) and end-expiratory pressure (0.134 ± 0.007 cm H2O), significantly exceeding those of all other ports. The IS port demonstrated the highest exhalation resistance (0.37 cm H2O/L/s) but intermediate PVA (0.004 ± 0.004 J/L). The H port demonstrated PVA below 0.001 J/L, and the RM port showed 0.001 ± 0.001 J/L. No significant correlation was observed between exhalation resistance and PVA (r = -0.892, R2 = 0.796, P = .11). Exhalation resistance measurements did not predict respiratory mechanical burden in this obstructive lung disease model. Despite exhibiting the lowest exhalation resistance, the P port generated the highest PVA and an end-expiratory pressure elevation of 0.14 cm H2O above set PEEP. Expiratory port characteristics beyond exhalation resistance, including structural features affecting pressure dynamics, should be evaluated to optimize circuit configuration for patients with obstructive lung disease who are vulnerable to dynamic hyperinflation.

In addition to static loads, structural glazing joints in glass and facade construction are increasingly exposed to dynamic and extraordinary loads such as earthquakes. Recent studies have highlighted a significant influence of the test frequency on the low-cycle fatigue (LCF) performance of structural adhesives, but a consistent modeling approach is still lacking. This study investigates the frequency-dependent fatigue behavior of structural glazing joints under seismic loading conditions. To evaluate the frequency influence in detail, 112 specimens were subjected to force- and displacement-controlled LCF tests. These two control modes represent different boundary conditions and failure mechanisms relevant to typical glass and facade constructions. For the displacement-controlled tests, specific failure criteria based on cyclic parameters were defined to ensure comparability. The results confirm a clear frequency dependency with higher frequencies leading to longer fatigue life until complete failure. To capture this effect, the conventional Basquin-type S-N approach was extended by incorporating the test frequency as an additional influencing factor. The modified model showed very good agreement with the experimental data across all configurations. These findings contribute to the understanding of the frequency -dependent fatigue failure mechanisms in structural glazing joints and support the improvement of design concepts under seismic loading.

Community water fluoridation has been acclaimed as an effective mode of caries control at the population level. However, a recent review has concluded that in high-income populations with widespread access to topical fluorides, water fluoridation (0.7ppm F) has a minor effect on the development of caries. It may therefore be relevant to take a historical look at the benefits of an oral health intervention that does not rely on the use of systemic fluorides, such as toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste. We summarize the evidence from large population studies in the Nordic countries during the past 50-yr and show that it is possible to obtain and sustain low caries levels over decades by self-performed use of fluoride toothpaste. Topical fluoride at low concentrations treats/arrests active/progressing caries lesions by controlling mineral loss in dental hard tissues, thereby reducing the development of cavities. Toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste shifts the entire caries distribution to the left, including the right-hand tail end of the distribution, ensuring that also the more disadvantaged groups may benefit. Daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste should be promoted and trained through school-based oral health programs for children. It is time for a reappraisal of fluoride toothpaste for public oral health.

Connected and automated vehicle (CAV) platoons provide significant advantages in enhancing traffic efficiency and safety through vehicle-to-vehicle cooperative driving. However, owing to the uncertainty of human-driven vehicles in mixed traffic environments, platoons must frequently split to avoid potential collisions and merging is required to maintain platoon following. To address this challenge, this paper proposes a cooperative control architecture for CAV platoons that includes a single-vehicle cruising control mode and a platoon-following control mode, enabling independent operation of each mode and discrete event transitions around split and merge maneuvers. In single-vehicle mode, a driving safety potential field model is proposed for collision-avoidance trajectory planning, and a distributed model predictive control algorithm is designed to achieve the distinct control objectives of the two modes. Then, a long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network and fuzzy logic are combined to predict collision risk and determine platoon split events. A cooperative control system is implemented to ensure continuous control and flexible switching between the two modes. Finally, joint simulations in PreScan, CarSim, and MATLAB/Simulink were conducted to evaluate the performance of the system across various obstacle scenarios. The results demonstrate that the proposed control architecture effectively coordinates vehicle maneuvers and adapts platoon formation to changes in traffic conditions.

The rapid transition towards electromobility urges a concurrent focus on safety and intelligent vehicle control. In this regard, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are paramount, playing a critical role in mitigating human error and enhancing road and passenger safety. However, challenges remain in the robust formulation and integration of such control systems, particularly considering the difficulty in modeling sophisticated architectures and the power synergy paths of hybrid/electric drivelines. This paper presents a comprehensive, novel methodology that utilizes a single-platform solution for model parameters tuning and online optimization of the control layers within an Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) system for Electric Vehicles (EVs). To this aim, an intelligent Model Predictive Control (MPC) is developed, based on decentralized control modes for cruising, spacing, and braking. A unified prediction model is implemented to provide look-ahead estimation of the driving situation based on real-time measurements. The efficacy of the model prediction and control mode swapping was investigated through experimental testing of a real EV on a chassis dynamometer, with an emulated lead vehicle detected by an on-board LiDAR sensor. The single-platform, featuring updated model parameters and optimized control gains, demonstrated an ability to maintain speed-tracing and precise spacing when exposed to different disruptive scenarios. The per-mode tracking accuracy achieved 98% in cruise control, 87.8% in spacing control, and 55.0% in braking mode under coasting-only constraints. The proposed work thus offers a significant, unified solution to handle the complex challenges of driveline modeling and control system design, mitigating computational and technical difficulties.

Dual controllability de-differentiation of functional brain networks in major depressive disorder: Insights from large-scale neuroimaging and transcriptomic integration.

Controllable transmission and mode conversion of off-axis chirped Laguerre-Gaussian vortex beams in strong nonlocal nonlinear media

Cytokines play a key role in the pathogenesis and progression of breast cancer and are increasingly recognized as potential therapeutic targets. The anti-inflammatory effects of regular exercise training are well-established, but its effects on inflammatory adipocytokines in individuals with breast cancer have not been elucidated. This systematic review and pairwise network meta-analyses aimed to (1) investigate the overall effects of exercise training on pro- and anti-inflammatory markers, and (2) compare the efficacy of different exercise modes using pairwise and network meta-analytic approaches. PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were systematically searched from inception to January 2025 using four groups of keywords, including "exercise", "cytokine", "breast cancer" and "randomized". Randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of exercise training compared with a control (CON) or other modes of exercise on circulating IL-6, TNF-α, IL-10, CRP, leptin, and adiponectin in patients with breast cancer were included. Standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using random-effects models for both pairwise and network meta-analyses. Twenty-four studies involving 1,192 patients with breast cancer were. Compared with CON, exercise training led to significantly larger reductions in IL-6 [SMD: -0.38, p = 0.03] and leptin [SMD: -0.77, p = 0.01], and non-significant trends toward reductions in TNF-α [SMD: -0.29, p = 0.07] and CRP [SMD: -0.47, p = 0.07], but did not affect IL-10 or adiponectin. In addition, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) reduced IL-6 [SMD: -1.06, p = 0.02], with non-significant trends toward reduced TNF-α [SMD: -0.62, p = 0.11] and increased IL-10 [SMD: 0.34, p = 0.09]. Combined training (CT) decreased TNF-α [SMD: -0.64, p = 0.008], and showed a trend towards lower leptin [SMD: -0.62, p = 0.06]. No individual exercise mode impacted CRP or adiponectin compared with CON. Exercise training appears to be effective in attenuating some markers of chronic low-grade inflammation by modulating key pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in patients with breast cancer, with HIIT and CT may confer superior benefits.

Refrigerant charge sensitivity in EV heat pump systems: Impact of storage location and control mode in cooling and heating operation

Decision support for partial automation: Driver behavior and trust with different versions of automated lane change.

SLAM (Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping) is an important component in robotics, providing a map of an environment and enabling localisation and navigation. While 3D LiDAR odometry and mapping systems have advanced in recent years, producing accurate motion estimates and detailed 3D maps, high-quality 2D occupancy grid maps (OGMs) remain challenging to obtain in large, complex indoor environments. OGMs are often degraded by drifts in odometry, sensor artefacts, and partial observability, resulting in maps with fractured walls, double boundaries, and artefacts that limit readability for mapping-centric tasks such as floor plan creation. To address this, we propose Transformation & Translation Occupancy Grid Mapping (TT-OGM), a system-level pipeline that targets map fidelity. TT-OGM leverages 3D scan registration to stabilise 2D map construction via projection and standard occupancy updates, then applies a learned GAN-based refinement module as post-processing to remove artefacts, regularise structure, and complete small missing regions. To enable training at scale, we introduce an offline DRL-based data generation process that produces paired but weakly aligned erroneous/clean OGMs spanning diverse error modes and severities. We demonstrate TT-OGM in real-time on a building-scale dataset collected at Loughborough University and evaluate map fidelity against a registered floor-plan reference using mIoU, masked SSIM, and occupied-boundary F1. We additionally report localisation accuracy on S3Ev2 using translation ATE (RMSE) against Cartographer and SLAM Toolbox (Karto). Our results show that 3D registration improves baseline 2D map quality over standard 2D SLAM outputs, and that GAN refinement further increases structural consistency and boundary accuracy in our pipeline. Additional ablations on synthetic stress tests and qualitative transfer to unseen Radish sequences show that the refinement module consistently improves OGM readability under common noise, moderate drift, and clutter conditions. • System-level Transformation-Translation (TT) pipeline for generating 2D OGMs from 3D LiDAR registration/odometry. • Learned post-processing module that refines OGMs by reducing common mapping artefacts and improving boundary fidelity. • DRL-driven synthetic data generation producing paired degraded/clean OGMs with controllable error modes for training and stress testing.