Short Distance Research Articles

Evaluation of movability of shale oil in organic matter in depletion production by REV-scale simulations

The oil transfer in shale oil formations includes the oil flow in inorganic and organic pores, and the diffusion in the organic matter (OM). A novel triple-continuum model (OM matrix, organic pores, inorganic matrix) is proposed coupling the oil flow (in organic and inorganic pores) and diffusion (in OM matrix). The proposed model is further validated by three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulations. The simulation results show that the proportion of oil production of the absorbed oil from OM matrix in the total shale oil production is small due to the relatively slow diffusion process. However, the diffusion of oil from OM matrix to the organic pores can provide extra energy for the oil expansion in inorganic pores, and thus can greatly increase the oil production in the depletion process. The high OM content can prolong the timespan of oil production. More absorbed oil in OM provides more elastic energy for oil depletion in organic and inorganic pores, and thus leads to higher flow rate in the late period of shale oil production. Smaller size of OM means shorter distance for oil transfer from OM to inorganic matrix, and thus accounts for higher movability of oil in OM.

Sex differences in ultramarathon performance in races with comparable numbers of males and females.

There is a prominent sex-based difference in athletic performance such that males outperform females by 7%-14% in races from 100m to marathon. In ultramarathons, the difference is often much smaller, leading to speculation that females are "built" for the sport. However, data are confounded by the low number of female participants; just 10%-30% in any given race. This study compared data from two ultramarathons where males and females competed in comparable numbers. There were 116 and 146 starters in the 50 mile and 100 mile races, respectively (52% female). Finish times were compared using t tests or Mann-Whitney U tests, a Chi-squared test of independence examined the relationship between sex and ranking, and multivariable linear regressions examined relationships between sex, age, and finish time. There were 96 finishers in the 50 mile race (46% female) and 91 finishers in the 100 mile race (45% female). The median finish time for 50 miles was 12.64±2.11h with no difference between sexes (1.2%, p=0.441). However, the top-10 males finished the race ∼85min faster than the top-10 females (13.8%, p=0.045). The mean finish time for 100 miles was 31.58±3.36h with no difference between sexes (3.2%, p=0.132) and no difference between the top-10 males and top-10 females (4.4%, p=0.150). Linear and multivariable regression models using sex and age were unable to predict overall finish time in either race. In conclusion, the sex-based performance discrepancy shrinks to 1%-3% in ultramarathons when males and females compete in comparable numbers. Top-performing males still retain a considerable advantage over shorter distances.

Inshore and offshore marine migration pathways of Atlantic salmon post-smolts from multiple rivers in Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, and Ireland.

The migratory behavior of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) post-smolts in coastal waters is poorly understood. In this collaborative study, 1914 smolts, from 25 rivers, in four countries were tagged with acoustic transmitters during a single seasonal migration. In total, 1105 post-smolts entered the marine study areas and 438 (39.6%) were detected on a network of 414 marine acoustic receivers and an autonomous underwater vehicle. Migration pathways (defined as the shortest distance between two detections) of up to 575 km and over 100 days at sea were described for all 25 populations. Post-smolts from different rivers, as well as individuals from the same river, used different pathways in coastal waters. Although difficult to generalize to all rivers, at least during the year of this study, no tagged post-smolts from rivers draining into the Irish Sea were detected entering the areas of sea between the Hebrides and mainland Scotland, which is associated with a high density of finfish aquaculture. An important outcome of this study is that a high proportion of post-smolts crossed through multiple legislative jurisdictions and boundaries during their migration. This study provides the basis for spatially explicit assessment of the impact risk of coastal pressures on salmon during their first migration to sea.

Performance Assessment for the Validation of Wireless Communication Engines in an Innovative Wearable Monitoring Platform.

In today's health-monitoring applications, there is a growing demand for wireless and wearable acquisition platforms capable of simultaneously gathering multiple bio-signals from multiple body areas. These systems require well-structured software architectures, both to keep different wireless sensing nodes synchronized each other and to flush collected data towards an external gateway. This paper presents a quantitative analysis aimed at validating both the wireless synchronization task (implemented with a custom protocol) and the data transmission task (implemented with the BLE protocol) in a prototype wearable monitoring platform. We evaluated seven frequencies for exchanging synchronization packets (10 Hz, 20 Hz, 30 Hz, 40 Hz, 50 Hz, 60 Hz, 70 Hz) as well as two different BLE configurations (with and without the implementation of a dynamic adaptation of the BLE Connection Interval parameter). Additionally, we tested BLE data transmission performance in five different use case scenarios. As a result, we achieved the optimal performance in the synchronization task (1.18 ticks as median synchronization delay with a Min-Max range of 1.60 ticks and an Interquartile range (IQR) of 0.42 ticks) when exploiting a synchronization frequency of 40 Hz and the dynamic adaptation of the Connection Interval. Moreover, BLE data transmission proved to be significantly more efficient with shorter distances between the communicating nodes, growing worse by 30.5% beyond 8 m. In summary, this study suggests the best-performing network configurations to enhance the synchronization task of the prototype platform under analysis, as well as quantitative details on the best placement of data collectors.

Promise of Future Searches for Cosmic Topology.

The shortest distance around the Universe through us is unlikely to be much larger than the horizon diameter if microwave background anomalies are due to cosmic topology. We show that observational constraints from the lack of matched temperature circles in the microwave background leave many possibilities for such topologies. We evaluate the detectability of microwave background multipole correlations for sample cases. Searches for topology signatures in observational data over the large space of possible topologies pose a formidable computational challenge.

Use of bone landmarks for assessing the safety of acupuncture on the posterior midline of the neck region

ObjectiveMany acupuncture acupoints are located on the posterior midline of the neck region. The needling depth for acupuncture is important for practitioners, and an unsafe needling depth increases the possibility of damage to the spinal cord and brainstem. Can the safety of acupuncture be assessed by examining bone structures? We focused on this aim to carry out this study.MethodsThe shortest distance from the posterior border of the foramen magnum to the line joining both upper ends of the posterior border of the mastoid process was measured on 29 skulls. Distances from the posterior border of the vertebral foramen to the tip of the spinous process and posterior tubercle of the atlas were measured and evaluated from 197 dry cervical vertebrae and 31 lateral cervical radiographs of patient subjects. The anatomic relationships of the vertebral canal with the external occipital protuberance, tip of the spinous process of the axis, tip of the posterior tubercle of the atlas, and upper end of the posterior border of the mastoid process were observed and evaluated via lateral cervical radiography.ResultsThe shortest distance from the foramen magnum to the line between the mastoid processes was 4.65±1.75 mm, and the distance from the superior border of the vertebral foramen of the atlas to the posterior tubercle was less than the distance from the inferior border. The distance from the superior border of the vertebral canal to the tip of the spinous process in C2-C7 was greater than the distance from the inferior border. The mean lengths of the superior border of the C2 spinous process and the inferior border of the C7 spinous process were greater than 21 mm and 31 mm, respectively. The line from the upper end of the posterior border of the mastoid process to the tip of the C2 spinous process or 10 mm deep to the tip of the C2 spinous process was posterior to the vertebral canal.ConclusionsOn the posterior midline of the neck region between the tip of spinous process of axis and external occipital protuberance, if the needle reaches the depth of the line between the upper end of posterior border of mastoid process and the tip of the spinous process of the axis, approximately 10 mm along the spinous process of the axis, the needle is in the safe region. The mean length of the C2-C7 spinous process is suitable to accommodate the needling depth of the adjacent acupoint. Bone structures can be used to effectively assess the safety of acupuncture on the posterior midline of the neck region.

Metal-Organic Frameworks for Cisplatin Delivery to Cancer Cells: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are utilized as nanocarriers to enhance the efficiency of chemotherapy drugs, including cisplatin, which exhibit limitations such as side effects and resistance mechanisms. To evaluate the role of MOFs, we employed a molecular dynamics simulation, which, unlike other experiments, is cost-effective, less dangerous, and provides accurate results. Furthermore, we conducted molecular docking simulations to understand the interaction between cisplatin and MOF, as well as their internal interactions and how they bind to each other. Cisplatin and MOF molecules were parametrized using the Avogadro software and x2top command in GROMACS 5.1.2 and optimized by CP2K software; the Charmm-GUI site parametrized the cell cancer membrane. Three molecular dynamics simulations were conducted in four stages at various pHs, followed by simulated umbrella sampling. The simulations analyzed the pH responsiveness, total energy, Gibbs free energy, gyration radius, radial distribution function (RDF), solvent accessible surface area, and nanoparticles' toxicity. Results demonstrated that a neutral pH level (7.4) has greater adsorption and interaction compared to acidic pH values (6.4 and 5.4) because it displays the highest total energy (-17.1 kJ/mol), the highest RDF value (6.66), and the shortest distance (0.51 nm). Furthermore, the combination of cisplatin and MOFs displayed increased penetration compared to that of their individual forms. This study highlights the suitability of MOFs as nanocarriers and identifies the optimal pH values for desirable outcomes. Thus, it provides future studies with appropriate data to conduct their experiments in assessing MOFs.

Are women with endometriosis more likely to experience reduced physical performance compared to women without the condition?

Endometriosis is a condition of the female reproductive system associated with pelvic pain. Chronic pain can affect physical performance by limiting the functional activities, thus, it is hypothesized that women with endometriosis may also present decreased functional capacity, decreased strength, and mobility. The objective of this study is to compare physical performance in women with and without endometriosis. This is a cross-sectional study composed of 115 women equally divided into two groups: the endometriosis group (EG), composed of women with a confirmed diagnosis of the disease by magnetic resonance imaging, and the comparator group (CG), consisting of women without suspicion of the disease. Physical performance (dependent variable) was assessed using hand dynamometry, the 6-min walk test (6MWT), gait speed, and the chair stands test. CG participants performed the tests during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Descriptive statistics, unpaired t-tests, and chi-square tests were used to describe and compare the groups. Multiple linear regression tested the associations adjusted for covariates (age, income, education, age at menarche, and body mass index). The EG had worse gait speed (mean difference: -0.11; 95% CI: [-0.18 to -0.04]), weaker grip strength (mean difference: -3.32; 95% CI: [-5.30 to -1.33]), shorter distance covered in the 6MWT (mean difference: -83.46; 95% CI: [-121.38 to -45.53]), and a lower number of repetitions in the chair stands test (mean difference: -8.44; 95% CI: [-10.64 to -6.25]) than the CG, even after adjusting for covariates. Grip strength, lower limb strength, mobility, and functional capacity were worse in women diagnosed with endometriosis. Women with endometriosis should be encouraged to engage in physical exercise, adopt healthy lifestyle habits, and participate in rehabilitation activities to control pain, with the aim of reducing functional impairments.

Computer vision analysis of mother-infant interaction identified efficient pup retrieval in V1b receptor knockout mice

Close contact between lactating rodent mothers and their infants is essential for effective nursing. Whether the mother’s effort to retrieve the infants to their nest requires the vasopressin-signaling via V1b receptor has not been fully defined. To address this question, V1b receptor knockout (V1bKO) and control mice were analyzed in pup retrieval test. Because an exploring mother in a new test cage randomly accessed to multiple infants in changing backgrounds over time, a computer vision-based deep learning analysis was applied to continuously calculate the distances between the mother and the infants as a parameter of their relationship. In an open-field, a virgin female V1bKO mice entered fewer times into the center area and moved shorter distances than wild-type (WT). While this behavioral pattern persisted in V1bKO mother, the pup retrieval test demonstrated that total distances between a V1bKO mother and infants came closer in a shorter time than with a WT mother. Moreover, in the medial preoptic area, parts of the V1b receptor transcripts were detected in galanin- and c-fos-positive neurons following maternal stimulation by infants. This research highlights the effectiveness of deep learning analysis in evaluating the mother-infant relationship and the critical role of V1b receptor in pup retrieval during the early lactation phase.

Contralateral Transmaxillary Corridor Used in Endoscopic Endonasal Approach for Resecting Adenoma Invading the Retrocarotid Area of the Cavernous Sinus and Beyond: Surgical Anatomy, Patient Selection Algorithm, and Illustrative Cases.

The cavernous internal carotid artery (cICA) and its branches can make it challenging to approach the lateral portion of the retrocarotid area of the cavernous sinus (RcACS) and surrounding areas during the endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA). This can sometimes require more invasive transcranial approaches, causing a higher risk of complications. We sought to explore the feasibility of adding a contralateral transmaxillary (CTM) corridor to improve access to the RcACS during EEA. We performed EEA and CTM extensions on 6 cadavers (12 sides) using image guidance. The depth of the surgical corridor, the surgical exposure, the angle of attack, and the trajectory to the anterior genu of the cICA were measured. Two illustrative clinical cases are presented. Compared with the contralateral transnasal approach, the CTM corridor provided a 10.76 (5.32)-mm shorter distance ( P < .001), 36.23% (20.70%) larger surgical exposure ( P < .001), and a 24.6° (3.4°) more parallel trajectory to the anterior genu of the cICA ( P < .001). The mean angle of the lateral nasal wall line and the middle eye line was equal to the mean angle of the contralateral transnasal ( P = .075) and CTM ( P = .262) approaches, respectively. The CTM corridor allowed us to achieve near-total resection of the RcACS and beyond in 2 invasive adenomas with significant lateral extension. The CTM corridor is a feasible addition to standard EEA to access the RcACS and beyond, providing a more medial-to-lateral trajectory and improved access. The middle eye line can be used as a reference to help select patients for this approach.

Evaluating translocation strategies for box turtles in urbanising landscapes

Context Translocation is a common management strategy for wildlife populations, yet hard-release of reptiles, including box turtles (Terrapene spp.), has often proven ineffective due to homing attempts and wandering. Soft-release translocation has been presented as a possible method for mitigation of the negative effects of hard-release translocation, but studies incorporating standard soft-release strategies have produced mixed results and often see persistent homing attempts by soft-released study animals. Aims The aim of this study was to examine long-term holding (&gt;1 year) of box turtles at an off-site location prior to translocation as a means to reduce homing attempts and wandering commonly observed in immediate-release box turtles. Methods We radiotracked translocated Terrapene carolina triunguis to compare movements of nine immediate-release box turtles and nine box turtles that had been maintained for &gt;1 year at a nearby off-site holding facility (long-term holding) prior to a 750–1000 m translocation. Key results Box turtles held long-term before a short-distance translocation moved significantly shorter distances each day post-release than immediate-release turtles. Turtles held long-term moved in non-directional, random orientations, whereas immediate-release turtles exhibited consistent directionality in movements back towards their initial capture (home) locations. Conclusions Our results demonstrated that turtles held off-site remained within the translocation site more reliably than the immediate-release turtles, which had a higher tendency to home. Implications Long-term holding of turtles prior to translocation could significantly reduce homing responses and wandering, thus increasing translocation efficacy while reducing intensity of post-translocation management.

Comparative validation of automated presurgical tractography based on constrained spherical deconvolution and diffusion tensor imaging with direct electrical stimulation.

Accurate presurgical brain mapping enables preoperative risk assessment and intraoperative guidance. This cross-sectional study investigated whether constrained spherical deconvolution (CSD) methods were more accurate than diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-based methods for presurgical white matter mapping using intraoperative direct electrical stimulation (DES) as the ground truth. Five different tractography methods were compared (three DTI-based and two CSD-based) in 22 preoperative neurosurgical patients undergoing surgery with DES mapping. The corticospinal tract (CST, N = 20) and arcuate fasciculus (AF, N = 7) bundles were reconstructed, then minimum distances between tractograms and DES coordinates were compared between tractography methods. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used for both bundles. For the CST, binary agreement, linear modeling, and posthoc testing were used to compare tractography methods while correcting for relative lesion and bundle volumes. Distance measures between 154 positive (functional response, pDES) and negative (no response, nDES) coordinates, and 134 tractograms resulted in 860 data points. Higher agreement was found between pDES coordinates and CSD-based compared to DTI-based tractograms. ROC curves showed overall higher sensitivity at shorter distance cutoffs for CSD (8.5 mm) compared to DTI (14.5 mm). CSD-based CST tractograms showed significantly higher agreement with pDES, which was confirmed by linear modeling and posthoc tests (PFWE < .05). CSD-based CST tractograms were more accurate than DTI-based ones when validated using DES-based assessment of motor and sensory function. This demonstrates the potential benefits of structural mapping using CSD in clinical practice.

Rapid ejaculator rats are more susceptible to anxiety compared with normal ejaculator rats.

By observation of Sprague-Dawley male rats with different ejaculatory behaviors, we have identified distinct behavioral characteristics in rapid ejaculator rats. To validate these differential behaviors, we conducted multifaceted behavioral experiments on rapid ejaculator rats and normal rats. Through mating experiments, 42 male rats were categorized into 5 rapid ejaculator rats, 29 normal ejaculator rats, and 8 sluggish ejaculator rats according to their ejaculation frequency. We selected 5 rats exhibiting rapid ejaculation and 5 rats with normal ejaculation for participation in the Morris water maze, open-field test, and balance beam experiments. The open-field tests revealed that rapid ejaculator rats spent shorter time in the center region (1.23 ± 1.21 vs. 6.56 ± 2.40 s, P = 0.0041), less entered the center region (0.80 ± 0.75 vs. 3.40 ± 1.50, time, P = 0.0145), traveled shorter distances (17,003.77 ± 3339.42 vs. 25,037.90 ± 5499.94 mm, P = 0.0371), and had a lower average speed compared with normal rats (66.09 ± 62.36 vs. 195.56 ± 83.41 mm/s, P = 0.0377). However, no significant differences were observed in the Morris water maze and balance beam experiments (0.25 ± 0.05 vs. 0.26 ± 0.07, P = 0.7506;16.40 ± 3.77 vs. 16.25 ± 2.05, P = 0.9515). These behavioral results indicated that the rapid ejaculator rats were more prone to anxiety. To further substantiate this claim, we examined Brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression levels in the hippocampus of rat brains using immunohistochemistry and western blotting. The results demonstrate lower Brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression in the hippocampus of rapid ejaculator rats compared with that in normal rats (P = 0.0093). Thus, our experiments indicate that rapid ejaculator rats exhibit a higher propensity for anxiety, potentially linked to their abnormal neurophysiologic state. It is concluded that rapid ejaculator rats may be more susceptible to anxiety on a pathophysiological basis.

Potential acridinedione derivatives for the development of a heterobifunctional PROTAC for targeted degradation of PCSK9 protein

Proprotein convertase substilisin-like/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) interacts with the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor by protein-protein interaction (PPI). The inhibition of this PPI lowers the LDL cholesterol levels, thereby reducing the risks of cardiovascular diseases. We identified in-house synthesized acridinedione scaffolds as binders of PCSK9 through microsecond timescale conventional and biased molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The free energy of binding was calculated by the Molecular Mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area and umbrella sampling methods for acridinedione molecules and compared with reference molecules (co-crystallized inhibitors). Three acridinedione molecules (DSPD-2, DSPD-4, and DSPD-6) were identified as potential binders of the PCSK9 allosteric binding site from preliminary docking and steered MD simulations. The stability of molecules inside the allosteric pocket was established by the low values of root mean square deviations of backbone C-α atoms. The acridinedione derivatives also showed a shorter distance of hydrogen bonds as compared to the standard molecules. The molecule DSPD-6 showed the lowest binding free energy as compared to other selected and standard molecules. The binding of the selected molecules at the allosteric binding pocket had no effect on structural parameters of LDL receptor-binding site of PCSK9 protein. Finally, a proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) was developed by attaching a proteasome recruiting tag to DSPD-6 (lowest binding affinity) to achieve ligand-induced protein degradation. These results qualify the development of the DSPD-6 molecule as a heterobifunctional PROTAC for targeted degradation of PCSK9 protein. Moreover, our computational strategy provides a framework for the identification of molecules against conventionally undruggable PPI targets.

Evaluation of women's aging influence on sperm passage inside the fallopian tube using 3D dynamic mechanical modeling.

The fallopian tubes play an important role in human fertility by facilitating the spermatozoa passage to the oocyte as well as later actively facilitating the fertilized oocyte transportation to the uterus cavity. The fallopian tubes undergo changes involving biological, physical, and morphological processes due to women aging, which may impair fertility. Here, we have modelled fallopian tubes of women at different ages and evaluated the chances of normal and pathological sperm cells reaching the fertilization site, the ampulla. By utilizing a unique combination of simulative tools, we implemented dynamic three-dimensional (3D) detailed geometrical models of many normal and pathological sperm cells swimming together in 3D geometrical models of three fallopian tubes associated with different women's age groups. By tracking the sperm cell swim, we found that for all age groups, the number of normal sperm cells in the ampulla is the largest, compared with the pathological sperm cells. On the other hand, the number of normal sperm cells in the fertilization site decreases due to the morphological and mechanical changes that occur in the fallopian tube with age. Moreover, in older ages, the normal sperm cells swim with lower velocities and for shorter distances inside the ampulla toward the ovary. Thus, the changes that the human fallopian tube undergoes due to women's aging have a significant influence on the human sperm cell motility. Our model of sperm cell motility through the fallopian tube in relation to the woman's age morphological changes provides a new scope for the investigation and treatment of diseases and infertility cases associated with aging, as well as a potential personalized medicine tool for evaluating the chances of a natural fertilization per specific features of a man's sperm and a woman's reproductive system.

Nitrogen and phosphorus removal from synthetic aquaculture water through electrocoagulation

In this research, we utilized multivariate analysis to evaluate the efficient removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from synthetic aquaculture water using the electrocoagulation process. The elimination of nitrogen and phosphorus is a critical issue in various wastewater treatment plants and aquaculture systems, especially in instances of intensive or super-intensive cultivation. To avert the buildup of pollutants in the water, be it within internal recirculation systems or bodies of water receiving effluents from rearing tanks, it is imperative to employ treatment methodologies designed to effectively eliminate nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients. These nutrients have the potential to induce eutrophication in aquatic ecosystems. However, conventional biological treatment technologies can be ineffective, as they often only remove one pollutant or the other. Furthermore, the individual operations for these systems are complex and require substantial space. Electrocoagulation is a compact and promising technology for treating aquaculture water and effluents for raw nutrient removal. In this context, our findings showcase the simultaneous removal of both nitrogen and phosphorus through the electrocoagulation method. The best treatment was verified for the highest electrical current density (74 A. m-2), the shortest distance between electrodes (4 cm), and the lowest electrolysis time (50 min). In these conditions, the efficiency removal in ammonia nitrogen and total phosphorus were 30.5% and 100% respectively. Keywords: electrochemical treatment, eutrophication, water pollution control.

Safeguarding the last stronghold: Ecology and conservation of Asiatic Cheetah's prey species in Turan Biosphere Reserve (Iran)

Identifying suitable habitats for wild felids is essential for effective area-based conservation efforts. However, modeling habitat suitability for extremely rare and endangered taxa such as the Asiatic Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) is challenging due to limited data availability. To address this, our study focused on analysing the distribution factors of the Asiatic Cheetah's main prey species, including the Wild Goat (Capra aegagrus), Urial (Ovis vignei), Goitered Gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa), Jebeer Gazelle (Gazella bennettii), and Cape Hare (Lepus capensis) in the Turan Biosphere Reserve (TBR), a critical Cheetah habitat in Iran. To determine habitat suitability for these prey species, we conducted a systematic field survey along 30 transects measuring 16 km each by collecting data in each 1 km interval, resulting in 1172 direct observations of their presence. These observations were then correlated with 44 variables grouped into four categories: bioclimatic, topography, vegetation, and distance to anthropogenic and natural features. Suitability maps were generated using a hierarchical modeling approach. Among the observed prey species, Urial had the highest frequency of sightings (675 visual observations over eight seasons), followed by Goitered Gazelle (564 observations), Cape Hare (278 observations), Jebeer Gazelle (232 observations), and Wild Goat (208 observations). The most influential predictors affecting prey species distribution were mean summer temperature (with optimal ranges at lower temperatures), terrain relief roughness (with optimal ranges at intermediate roughness), distance to wells (with optimal ranges at shorter distances), and distance to corrals (with variable optimal ranges across species). Our findings indicate that the western and eastern mountainous areas, along with their hilly surroundings, as well as the northwest and western plains of TBR, constitute the most suitable habitats for these five prey species. These models and suitability maps provide crucial evidence for implementing conservation measures in the vulnerable habitats of the Asiatic Cheetah and its primary prey species. Environmental conditions can be enhanced through the management of water sources, roads, corrals, and livestock grazing. In addition, the fragmentation of suitable areas within TBR highlights the importance of preserving corridors between these fragmented habitats. We recommend re-evaluating and expanding the boundaries of Turan National Park, Turan Wildlife Refuge, and Turan Biosphere Reserve to ensure the long-term conservation of this threatened felid species and its associated ecosystems.

Investigation of radiation tolerance of yttria stabilized zirconia in the ballistic collision regime: Effect of grain size and environmental temperature

The irradiation response of yttria-stabilized zirconia, having different grain sizes, subjected to 900 keV iodine ions at room temperature and 1000 K is reported. GIXRD and Raman spectroscopy indicate superior radiation tolerance of the fine-grained samples when compared to their coarse-grained counterparts which is attributed to the abundance of grain boundaries at relatively shorter distances. A reduction in the residual strain is observed in the samples irradiated at 1000 K. This is attributed to the clustering of the irradiation induced point defects thereby resulting in a decrease in their density, but with a corresponding increase in the extended defects density.

Path and cost optimization using genetic algorithm: an application perspective

Genetic Algorithm is an optimization technique inspired by nature. The technique has been used by scientists and engineers for real-life search and optimization problems. This work makes use of the genetic algorithm for the solution of the traveling salesman problem. This work focuses on real-time problems; the algorithm is used to find the optimum path for sales travelers inside the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. The solution provides the shortest distance between the cities to be traveled and gives the optimal route. The coding is done in Python-3 and software is developed for the traveling salesmen, where the salesmen can select the cities, they want to travel, and the software will provide the optimal path and the distance.

Position Computation of Underwater Target Using Geodesic Curvature for Sub-Aquatic Internet of Underwater Things

To estimate the accurate position of the target, the geodesic curvature of the transmitter sensor is proposed in the present work. The geodesic curvature of the transmitter sensor traces the motion of a sensor as the shortest distance along a curved path, which measures the optimal distance on a curved path, accurate measurement of moving targets in an environment with complex geodesics, enhances the realism of the simulation, and underwater surveillance. Theorem 2.1 describes the geodesic curvature between the transmitter sensor and the target. A proposed non-cooperative moving target state measurement (NMTSM) algorithm quantifies the degradation of localization performance and mitigates the stratification effect and geodesic spreading losses. The localization error, localization error variance, and localization accuracy with respect to the number of anchor nodes are compared with standard methods. The proposed non-cooperative moving target state measurement (NMTSM) algorithm improves the localization performance by 33.46% and reduces position MSE by 35.46%, and velocity MSE by 38.86% up to 650 meters. It reduces the localization error by 32.23%, the localization error variance by 34.86% and improves the localization accuracy by 42.21%. The proposed algorithm is useful for the sub-aquatic Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT).