Stages Of Process Research Articles

High efficiency of biosurfactants in stabilizing oil micro-droplets within the aging time scale of milliseconds: a microfluidic study.

Rapid adsorption of surfactants onto a freshly formed interface is vital for emulsification because emulsification is a competitive process occurring between the very short time span of interface formation and surfactant mass transport. The biosurfactant surfactin has been previously reported to reach adsorption equilibrium at the hydrophobic/hydrophilic interface within hundreds of milliseconds and rapidly reduce the interfacial tension compared to chemically synthesized surfactants. According to a prior study, surfactin is expected to exhibit good performance in stabilizing micro-droplets of oil within the aging time scale of milliseconds. Herein, the stabilities of micro-droplets of n-hexadecane in the presence of a biosurfactant, surfactin (C15-SFT), and a chemically synthesized surfactant, sodium cetyl benzene sulfonate (8-SCBS), were investigated using a microfluidic method. The coalescence frequency of micro-droplets, the evolution of micro-droplet size, and the coalescence time of micro-droplets were evaluated. The results indicated that C15-SFT exhibited superiority over 8-SCBS in stabilizing the micro-droplets of n-hexadecane. Biosurfactant C15-SFT effectively reduced the fusion probability between oil droplets and elongated the coalescence time compared to 8-SCBS, and these phenomena were obvious at a shorter aging time (150 ms) and lower surfactant concentration (0.1 × critical micelle concentration). The stabilities of micro-droplets increased with aging time and the bulk concentration of surfactants. Stable micro-droplets of n-hexadecane were formed in 1 × 10-4 mol L-1 C15-SFT solution at 600 ms aging time, and the bulk concentration was 1 × 10-3 mol L-1 in the case of 8-SCBS. The micro-droplets rarely coalesced in the presence of 1 × 10-4 mol L-1 C15-SFT after 600 ms aging time, but the micro-droplets in 1 × 10-4 mol L-1 8-SCBS coalesced frequently in the midstream and downstream of the coalescence chamber, and big droplets were dominant in the emulsion. The coalescence time of micro-droplets stabilized by C15-SFT was obviously longer than that of those stabilized by 8-SCBS under the same condition, indicating that the interfacial film formed by C15-SFT has much strength to resist coalescence during collisions. This work is helpful for understanding the activity of lipopeptides in the very short early stage of the emulsification process, laying the foundation for biosurfactant research in the fields of enhanced oil recovery, bioremediation of contaminated water or soil, etc.

Oxygen-Propelled Dual-Modular Microneedles with Dopamine-Enhanced RNA Delivery for Regulating Each Stage of Diabetic Wounds.

Diabetic wounds are characterized by the disruption and cessation of essential healing stages, which include hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. However, traditional treatments for diabetic wounds concentrate on individual stages of the healing process. Herein, this study utilizes mask-mediated sequential polymerization and varied cross-linking techniques to develop dual-modular microneedles (MNs) with fast- and slow-module, exhibiting varying degradation rates tailored for the full spectrum of diabetic wound healing. First, MNs incorporating calcium ions and dopamine synergistically promote rapid hemostasis. Second, fast-module physically cross-linked MNs rapidly D-mannose/dopamine-enhanced tripolyphosphate-quaternized chitosan (mDTC) nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with microRNA-147 (miRNA-147) to manage inflammation and oxidative stress in diabetic wounds. Additionally, dopamine in these NPs enhances their internalization and safeguards miRNA-147 from oxidative stress and RNase degradation. Finally, slow-module chemically cross-linked MNs facilitate the continuous release of deferoxamine (DFO) and dopamine, accelerating angiogenesis and tissue regeneration during the proliferation and remodeling stages. Manganese/dopamine-enhanced calcium peroxide NPs within the MNs initiate a blast-like generation of oxygen bubbles, not only enhancing the delivery of miRNA-mDTC NPs and DFO but also alleviating tissue hypoxia. Consequently, dual-modular MNs are instrumental in promoting rapid and complete healing of diabetic wounds through all stages of healing.

Conflict Detection in Language Processing: Using Affect Control Theory to Predict Neural Correlates of Affective Incongruency in Social Interactions

AbstractAffect control theory (ACT) is a sociological theory of meaning processing in social interactions. Meaning, according to ACT, derives from cultural institutions and situational affordances, having denotative (declarative) as well as connotative (affective) properties. Mathematical formalizations of ACT allow predictions of affective incongruency (in the terminology of ACT, deflection), which arises from conflicting institutional and situational meanings in a given interaction context. Although ACT is theoretically consistent, its propositions regarding cognitive and affective processing have rarely been tested. The present study fills this gap by investigating the neural processing of affective incongruency in linguistic descriptions of social interactions. Following a neurosociological paradigm, the study draws on neurocognitive evidence on the effects of words’ affective content on word processing as well as on a previous electroencephalography study that investigated processing of affective incongruency using event-related brain potentials. We hypothesized that affective incongruency is associated with activation in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a brain area known for conflict processing. To test this hypothesis, we replicated the electroencephalography study using functional magnetic resonance imaging: We visually presented sentences describing social interactions to 23 participants in a silent reading task while measuring differences in the hemodynamic response in two conditions of affective congruency. Results show expected increases in neural activity for affectively incongruent sentences in the left ACC, supporting the assumption that affective language content influences meaning-making at very early semantic processing stages. The results also add to the emerging neuroscientific evidence for ACT’s mathematical model of impression formation.

Identification of digital device hardware vulnerabilities based on scanning systems and semi-natural modeling

Objectives. The development of computer technology and information systems requires the consideration of issues of their security, various methods for detecting hardware vulnerabilities of digital device components, as well as protection against unauthorized access. An important aspect of this problem is to study existing methods for the possibility and ability to identify hardware errors or search for errors on the corresponding models. The aim of this work is to develop approaches, tools and technology for detecting vulnerabilities in hardware at an early design stage, and to create a methodology for their detection and risk assessment, leading to recommendations for ensuring security at all stages of the computer systems development process.Methods. Methods of semi-natural modeling, comparison and identification of hardware vulnerabilities, and stress testing to identify vulnerabilities were used.Results. Methods are proposed for detecting and protecting against hardware vulnerabilities: a critical aspect in ensuring the security of computer systems. In order to detect vulnerabilities in hardware, methods of port scanning, analysis of communication protocols and device diagnostics are used. The possible locations of hardware vulnerabilities and their variations are identified. The attributes of hardware vulnerabilities and risks are also described. In order to detect vulnerabilities in hardware at an early design stage, a special semi-natural simulation stand was developed. A scanning algorithm using the Remote Bitbang protocol is proposed to enable data to be transferred between OpenOCD and a device connected to the debug port. Based on scanning control, a verification method was developed to compare a behavioral model with a standard. Recommendations for ensuring security at all stages of the computer systems development process are provided.Conclusions. This paper proposes new technical solutions for detecting vulnerabilities in hardware, based on methods such as FPGA system scanning, semi-natural modeling, virtual model verification, communication protocol analysis and device diagnostics. The use of the algorithms and methods thus developed will allow developers to take the necessary measures to eliminate hardware vulnerabilities and prevent possible harmful effects at all stages of the design process of computer devices and information systems.

The dissociating effects of fear and disgust on multisensory integration in autism: evidence from evoked potentials

BackgroundDeficits in Multisensory Integration (MSI) in ASD have been reported repeatedly and have been suggested to be caused by altered long-range connectivity. Here we investigate behavioral and ERP correlates of MSI in ASD using ecologically valid videos of emotional expressions.MethodsIn the present study, we set out to investigate the electrophysiological correlates of audiovisual MSI in young autistic and neurotypical adolescents. We employed dynamic stimuli of high ecological validity (500 ms clips produced by actors) that depicted fear or disgust in unimodal (visual and auditory), and bimodal (audiovisual) conditions.ResultsWe report robust MSI effects at both the behavioral and electrophysiological levels and pronounced differences between autistic and neurotypical participants. Specifically, neurotypical controls showed robust behavioral MSI for both emotions as seen through a significant speed-up of bimodal response time (RT), confirmed by Miller’s Race Model Inequality (RMI), with greater MSI effects for fear than disgust. Adolescents with ASD, by contrast, showed behavioral MSI only for fear. At the electrophysiological level, the bimodal condition as compared to the unimodal conditions reduced the amplitudes of the visual P100 and auditory P200 and increased the amplitude of the visual N170 regardless of group. Furthermore, a cluster-based analysis across all electrodes revealed that adolescents with ASD showed an overall delayed and spatially constrained MSI effect compared to controls.ConclusionGiven that the variables we measured reflect attention, our findings suggest that MSI can be modulated by the differential effects on attention that fear and disgust produce. We also argue that the MSI deficits seen in autistic individuals can be compensated for at later processing stages by (a) the attention-orienting effects of fear, at the behavioral level, and (b) at the electrophysiological level via increased attentional effort.

Separation Study of Magnesium–Lithium from Low‐Mg/Li Brine

The lithium present in salt lakes constitutes a significant and valuable resource. There are various methods for extracting lithium from salt lake brine, but currently, they all face challenges such as high energy consumption and low utilization efficiency of lithium resources. One prominent issue is the composition of feedstock during lithium extraction, specifically determining the optimal concentration ratio (nMg/nLi value). This constitutes a critical aspect in the later stages of the extraction process, influencing the cost and efficiency of lithium extraction processes. The fundamental reason for this prominent issue is the effective control of the evaporation and concentration process of lithium‐containing brines, which is caused by the disconnection between the evaporation process and the subsequent processing and extraction stages. Therefore, considering the concentration variation patterns of Li+ and Mg2+ in brine during the evaporation process, paper employs a combination of experimental research and computational simulation. It investigates the variation of Li‐Mg concentrations and their interactions during the natural evaporation enrichment process. The research investigates changes in lithium and magnesium concentrations and their interactions during natural evaporation enrichment process of salt lake. Elucidates the mechanism of lithium migration and proposes a new lithium extraction process ‐ the ‘3 Steps 2 Units’.

Interviews on masculinities in post-conflict contexts as a process of three translations

ABSTRACT This paper disentangles the complexity of using interviews to explore masculinities in post-conflict contexts. Deploying a practice-theoretic ontology, we see interviews as sites of multiple translations, each tied to one of the three stages of the interview process: preparing, conducting, and interpreting interviews. First, when preparing interviews, the abstract concept of masculinities must be translated into concrete issues. Second, when conducting interviews, these issues must be translated into interview questions. Third, interpreting interviews necessitates translating respondents’ statements into practices. By disentangling this complex process, we provide strategies for successfully asking difficult, context-sensitive questions and reach an increased understanding of the asynchronous and unsteady ways in which masculinities change or persist during peacebuilding processes in politically and societally polarised contexts.

Lighting Projection Design of Art Stage From Holographic Naked Eye 3D Perspective

In today's modern environment, as an important part of stage art and performance, many places need to use stage lighting. Therefore, the correct use of stage lighting design is particularly important, and it is necessary to study the design of stage lighting. However, the traditional stage light projection is designed by the designer according to the understanding of music and music matching light projection. This scheme is easily influenced by the designer's subjective factors, which lack a clear and perfect design scheme. In this context, from the perspective of holographic naked eye 3D, this paper designs from the stage layout, utilization rate of lighting, the analysis of music features and the distribution of different colors, and evaluates the merits and disadvantages of music and light shows. This evaluation method can provide a design basis for the light projection in the design process of art stage and provide a scientific basis for the evaluation method of performance scheme. It can greatly reduce the design and debugging time of the scheme and save the design cost of the lighting projection.

A framework for early-stage sustainability assessment of innovation projects enabled by weighted sum multi-criteria decision analysis in the presence of uncertainty

A two-level hierarchical framework for early-stage sustainability assessment (FESSA) amongst a set of alternatives applicable from the earliest stages of process or product development is introduced, and its use in combination with an improved method weighted-sum method multi-criteria decision analysis (WSM-MCDA) in the presence of uncertainty is presented through application to a case study based upon a real-world decision scenario from speciality polymer manufacture. The approach taken addresses the challenge faced by those responsible for innovation management in the manufacturing process industries to make simultaneously timely and rational decisions early in the innovation cycle when knowledge gaps and uncertainty about the options tend to be at their highest. The Computed Uncertainty Range Evaluations (CURE) WSM-MCDA method provides better discrimination than the existing Multiple Attribute Range Evaluations (MARE) method without the computational burden of generating heuristic outcome distributions via Monte-Carlo simulation.

Analysis of Operational Control Data and Development of a Predictive Model of the Content of the Target Component in Melting Products

The relevance of this research is due to the need to stabilize the composition of the melting products of copper–nickel sulfide raw materials. Statistical methods of analyzing the historical data of the real technological object and the correlation analysis of process parameters are described. Factors that exert the greatest influence on the main output parameter (the fraction of copper in a matte) and ensure the physical–chemical transformations are revealed: total charge rate, overall blast volume, oxygen content in the blast (degree of oxygen enrichment in the blowing), temperature of exhaust gases in the off-gas duct, temperature of feed in the smelting zone, copper content in the matte. An approach to the processing of real-time data for the development of a mathematical model for control of the melting process is proposed. The stages of processing of the real-time information are considered. The adequacy of the models was assessed by the value of the mean absolute error (MAE) between the calculated and experimental values.

IMPLEMENTASI TEKNIK SMOTE UNTUK MENGATASI IMBALANCE CLASS DALAM KLASIFIKASI SENTIMEN MENGENAI CHATGPT

ChatGPT is a chatbot or computer program in the form of a virtual robot that can simulate human-like conversations. ChatGPT is widely used in various fields in academia. The impact of the use of ChatGPT on academia and public perception of this technology is significant. Sentiment analysis can be used to determine the polarity of a text or opinion that is positive or negative. In this research, social media is used as a data source to collect public opinion regarding ChatGPT instantly. The methods used in this reserach are the KNN algorithm and Naive Bayes algorithm. The aim of this research is to find the best algorithm model for sentiment classification in terms of public opinion for ChatGPT which contains English text. Before testing the algorithm model, a text processing stage was carried out which included the processes of case folding, tokenizing, stopword removal, and stemming. Word weighting using TF-IDF was carried out before the data was ready to be processed. Splitting data used in this research includes 80% of the dataset as training data and 20% of the dataset as testing data. The application of the SMOTE technique to the KNN and Naive Bayes algorithms to overcome the imbalance class of the public opinion dataset regarding ChatGPT. The research results show that combining SMOTE and Naive Bayes algorithm gives the best results with an accuracy value of 85.00%, a precision value of 87.64%, a recall value of 84.78% and an f1-score of 86.18%.

Green Supply Chain Management Practices and Productivity of Manufacturing Firms in Port Harcourt

This study examines the relationship between green supply chain management practices and productivity of manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt. Correlational survey design was adopted for this study. The population of this study is thirty-two (32) manufacturing companies in Rivers State which are registered with the Rivers State branch of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN). The study adopted the census population. 3 managers were selected from each firm multiplied by 32 firms gives us a total of ninety-two (92) for the study. Structured questionnaire instrument title the application of linear programming in assembly-line balancing of manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt questionnaire was developed on five-point likert scale. The result of the Cronbach's Alpha reliability test indicates .769 which is above .70 which implies that the items are reliable. PPMC (person product moment correlation) was used to test hypotheses on SPSS version 25. There is a significant relationship between green Design and productivity of manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt. There is a significant relationship between green Production and productivity of manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt. The study concluded that green supply chain management practices have a significant relationship with productivity of manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt. The study recommended Manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt should integrate sustainability considerations into their overall supply chain strategies to ensure that environmental concerns are addressed at every stage of the production process.

Human Rights in the Context of Global Migration

Purpose: The general objective of the study was to explore human rights in the context of global migration. Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library. Findings: The findings reveal that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to human rights in the context of global migration. Preliminary empirical review revealed that global migration is deeply intertwined with significant human rights issues that vary across different regions and migrant populations. Migrants, regardless of their reasons for moving or legal status, frequently faced exploitation, discrimination, inadequate access to essential services, and social exclusion. The study emphasized that these human rights violations were often systemic and influenced by broader socio-political and economic structures. It highlighted the pervasive nature of rights violations at multiple stages of the migration process and pointed out substantial gaps in the implementation and enforcement of international frameworks designed to protect migrants. Specific groups, such as women, children, and undocumented migrants, were identified as particularly vulnerable, necessitating tailored interventions. The study argued that protecting migrants' human rights was both a moral and pragmatic necessity for fostering inclusive societies and called for a renewed commitment from all stakeholders to work collaboratively towards this goal. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Human Rights Theory, Push- Pull Theory of Migration and Social Capital Theory may be used to anchor future studies on global migration. The study recommended further development of migration and human rights theories to account for the complexities of contemporary migration flows, suggesting interdisciplinary approaches to enhance theoretical frameworks. Practically, it underscored the need for targeted support services for vulnerable migrant groups, the creation of safe migration pathways, and the establishment of specialized services addressing their unique needs. Policy recommendations included the adoption of comprehensive national and international policies that uphold the rights of all migrants, the enforcement of anti-discrimination laws, and the establishment of independent monitoring bodies. The study advocated for enhanced international cooperation to address migration challenges and suggested investing in data collection and research for informed policy-making. It also recommended promoting public awareness and education campaigns to foster inclusive attitudes towards migrants and counteract negative stereotypes, aiming to create a more just and humane global migration system.

Individual differences in attention and working memory modulate the process of tone merging: evidence from Macau Cantonese

Cognitive functions, including attention and working memory, have been recognized to be associated with tone processing. However, it remains unclear how these cognitive functions might modulate the process of tone merging. In Macau Cantonese, three pairs of tones are currently undergoing or have completed merging, exhibiting different rates and ranges of merging within the speech community, providing a valuable opportunity to investigate this issue. Through a perception task, a production task, and a series of cognitive function tasks, we examined differences in cognitive performances among individuals distinguishing different tone pairs and explored the correlations between various indices of tone processing and cognitive functions. The results revealed that the completed merging of the T2–T5 pair showed no significant correlation with cognitive functions in perception and production. The T3–T6 pair, with an intermediate merging speed, exhibited a significant positive correlation between cognitive functions and both their perception and production. In contrast, the T4–T6 pair, characterized by a slower merging speed, showed a correlation only in the perception modality. Our findings suggested that cognitive functions affect tones at different stages of the merging process, influencing their perception and production in distinct ways. The results provide a novel perspective on the origin of tonal variation and the relationship between perception and production.

Pathways to experienced coercion during psychiatric admission: a network analysis

BackgroundIn mental health care, experienced coercion, also known as perceived coercion, is defined as the patient’s subjective experience of being submitted to coercion. Besides formal coercion, many other factors have been identified as potentially affecting the experience of being coerced. This study aimed to explore the interplay between these factors and to provide new insights into how they lead to experienced coercion.MethodsCross-sectional network analysis was performed on data collected from 225 patients admitted to six psychiatric hospitals. Thirteen variables were selected and included in the analyses. A Gaussian Graphical Model (GGM) using Spearman’s rank-correlation method and EBICglasso regularisation was estimated. Centrality indices of strength and expected influence were computed. To evaluate the robustness of the estimated parameters, both edge-weight accuracy and centrality stability were investigated.ResultsThe estimated network was densely connected. Formal coercion was only weakly associated with both experienced coercion at admission and during hospital stay. Experienced coercion at admission was most strongly associated with the patients’ perceived level of implication in the decision-making process. Experienced humiliation and coercion during hospital stay, the most central node in the network, was found to be most strongly related to the interpersonal separation that patients perceived from staff, the level of coercion perceived upon admission and their satisfaction with the decision taken and the level of information received.ConclusionsReducing formal coercion may not be sufficient to effectively reduce patients’ feeling of being coerced. Different factors seemed indeed to come into play and affect experienced coercion at different stages of the hospitalisation process. Interventions aimed at reducing experienced coercion and its negative effects should take these stage-specific elements into account and propose tailored strategies to address them.

Decoding of the isotopic fingerprint of tequila 100% agave silver class and image analysis to evaluate differences between spirits

This communication shows the decoding of Isotopic Fingerprint of Tequila 100% agave silver class (IFTequila100% agave) in three areas corresponding to isotopic variations due to: plant used as raw material, fermentation and distillation process, and hydrolysis process. Isotopic tracers that make them up correspond to the δ13CVPDB ethanol-δ13CVPDB ethyl acetate-δ13CVPDB isoamyl alcohol, δ13CVPDB ethyl acetate-δ13CVPDB isoamyl alcohol-δ13CVPDB n-propanol and δ13CVPDB ethyl acetate-δ13CVPDB n-propanol-δ13CVPDB methanol, respectively. Once the IFTequila100%agave has been decoded, an image comparison was performed against isotopic fingerprints of spirits (Tequila, Bacanora, Raicilla, Sotol, and Mezcal). Results show that it is possible classifies 100% of samples analyzed. Likewise, from decoding it is possible to determine the critical process stage to determine variations with respect to the IFTequila100%agave. The chemometric analysis developed corresponds to an auxiliary analytical tool useful for the inspection processes currently carried out by the authorities to determine the authenticity of the beverage.

Toward a more pre-emptive approach to managing work emotions and emotional labor

PurposeTo propound a broadened perspective on emotional labor management by exploring mitigatory approaches that could be pre-emptively deployed prior to actual episodic experiences of emotional dissonance and their associated negative consequences (e.g. burnout). At present, the management of emotional labor appears to skew toward reactive measures, such as deploying employee assistance programs (EAPs) to assist overwhelmed employees in coping better with their emotional demands, reducing job-related emotional demands or a combination of both.Design/methodology/approachIntricate processes of emotion emergence and established literature on emotion regulation are considered. By conceptualizing emotion emergence as a process entailing situation, attention, appraisal and response, current efforts can be seen as primarily acting upon the late stages of this process. General emotion regulation strategies that act upon more upstream processes are then considered and applied to the specific context of emotional labor.FindingsPre-emptive steps could be taken from the early stages of job selection as well as personnel selection and assessment through systematic and concerted efforts in identifying job-related emotional demands (e.g. specific display rules, frequency and intensity). Formal job descriptions could then reflect these demands to better facilitate self-selection processes. Additionally, considering these identified parameters as personnel selection and assessment criteria could further enhance person-job fit in terms of emotional congruency. For current hires, pre-emptive steps could also be taken to subliminally modulate their emotional emergence trajectory toward more job-congruent emotions. Collectively, these steps may facilitate the pre-emptive reduction of emotionally dissonant work episodes and bear substantive potential to be deployed synergistically with current, more reactive measures.Originality/valueThis paper offers a broadened perspective on emotional labor management. Through considering intricate processes of emotion emergence and established literature on emotion regulation, a pre-emptive perspective toward managing work emotions and emotional labor is propounded. It is believed that the synergistic incorporation of these pre-emptive management approaches with current strategies (e.g. reducing emotional demands, EAPs, etc.) would holistically allow for greater amelioration of this debilitating issue. Finally, it is hoped that this paper could serve as a primer for future research and discourses to be conducted, such that our arsenal available for combating emotional labor could be substantively expanded to holistically target all stages of the emotion emergence process.

Shear wave velocity model using HVSR inversion beneath Bandar Lampung City

The horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) method has been used to characterize site-effect parameters that are indispensable in seismic hazard and risk-reduction studies in urban areas and rapid land-use planning. This method is widely used because it is the cheapest and simplest geophysical method for the acquisition and processing stages. In subsequent developments, the HVSR method has been widely used to determine elastic rock parameters, particularly shear wave velocity (vS), through the HVSR curve inversion process. Furthermore, the vS structural model can be used to delineate the presence of complex geological structures, particularly faults and sedimentary basins. Bandar Lampung is a city in Lampung Province with many fault structures and groundwater basins to the south. There are 83 HVSR measurement points around Bandar Lampung for delineating the presence of fault structures and groundwater basins. We produced the HVSR curve from the measurement results and then performed an inversion process using the particle swarm optimization algorithm to obtain vS for the depth profile. Subsequently, from this profile, we produced a two-dimensional (2D) lateral and vertical model. The mean vS value was calculated from all the measurement points, and we found stiff soil layers reaching depths of approximately 5 m, with a value of vS < 330 m/s. A bedrock layer with a velocity exceeding 1250 m/s was visible at a depth of 100 m. Based on the 2D model, the vS structure shows that the city of Bandar Lampung is divided into two zones, with a NW-SE boundary. The north-middle-eastern part of the city consists of harder rocks. This harder rock is characterized by extremely high vS values, starting from a depth of 50 m. In contrast, the south-middle-west exhibits a low-moderate vS anomaly associated with groundwater basins SW of the city. From the 2D vS structural model, fault structures can be found along the city, characterized by a contrast of vS values from low to medium and from medium to high.

Neural and Inflammatory Interactions in Wound Healing.

The skin is an intricate network of both neurons and immunocytes, where emerging evidence has indicated that the regulation of neural-inflammatory processes may play a crucial role in mediating wound healing. Disease associated abnormal immunological dysfunction and peripheral neuropathy are implicated in the pathogenesis of wound healing impairment. However, the mechanisms through which neural-inflammatory interactions modulate wound healing remain ambiguous. Understanding the underlying mechanisms may provide novel insights to develop therapeutic devices, which could manipulate neural-inflammatory crosstalk to aid wound healing. This review aims to comprehensively illustrate the neural-inflammatory interactions during different stages of the repair process. Numerous mediators including neuropeptides secreted by the sensory and autonomic nerve fibers and cytokines produced by immunocytes play an essential part during the distinct phases of wound healing.

Field-programmable gate array implementation of efficient deep neural network architecture

Deep neural network (DNN) comprises multiple stages of data processing sub-systems with one of the primary sub-systems is a fully connected neural network (FCNN) model. This fully connected neural network model has multiple layers of neurons that need to be implemented using arithmetic units with suitable number representation to optimize area, power, and speed. In this work, the network parameters are analyzed, and redundancy in weights is eliminated. A pipelined and parallel structure is designed for the fully connected network information. The proposed FCNN structure has 16 inputs, 3 hidden layers, and an output layer. Each hidden layer consists of 4 neurons and describes how the inputs are connected to hidden layer neurons to process the raw data. A hardware description language (HDL) model is developed for the proposed structure and the verified model is implemented on Xilinx field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The modified structure comprises registers, demultiplexers, weight registers, multipliers, adders, and read-only memory lookup table (ROM/LUT). The modified architecture implemented on FPGA is estimated to reduce area by 87.5% and improve timing by 3x compared with direct implementation methods.