Worst Situations Research Articles

Advanced MiniMax Optimality Strategy in Bandit Problems

Nowadays, with the development of the Internet, recommending personalized information for every user becomes economically valuable. How to properly recommend to users the content they prefer is important. Mostly, bandit strategies are useful for this problem. As one of the most time-saving algorithms, Minimax Optimal Strategy (MOSS) performs well in most data sets. However, the traditional MOSS algorithm applies a conservative strategy in order to minimize the cumulative regrets in the worst situations. This strategy will over-explore the bandit models and spend too much time exploring every arm at the initial stage. This means the MOSS strategy cannot fully take advantage of the known information and then the accuracy and efficiency will be lower. In real life, people have a lot of Internet information to look through and they will not stay on one website or one advertisement for a long time. So, designing an efficient algorithm that performs well in all situations and can make good use of the known knowledge to do quick exploitation becomes so important. Therefore, this research aims to develop an advanced MOSS algorithm that can properly explore each of the bandit arms and improve the performance of the exploitation phase. By achieving this goal, this research adds an enhancement factor on the confidence bound part to speed up the exploration process. The research bases on the MovieLens data set and the data set is divided into 18 categories (arms) according to its genre attribute. Then apply this new advanced MOSS strategy to the designed data set and compare its performance with normal MOSS and UCB algorithms. Results display that the advanced MOSS strategys selection provides higher total rewards and lower average cumulative regrets than others with the advantage of time-saving. This shows the improvement of the advanced MOSS strategy in balancing the exploitation and exploration phases.

Experimental performance of smart irrigation systems using IoT

In agriculture field soil is a crucial determinant of plant development, primarily in irrigated environments. Nowadays there are several ways for assessing soil quality on a density or suspense basis. To develop, all plants need a specific amount of moisture level. PI involves cutting-edge technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN), and cloud computing. In this method presents an overview of the soft computing methods based on the PI concept and architecture, including the most common wireless technologies. Then, a real-time IoT-based intelligent irrigation system is designed as a proof of concept. Several wireless sensor nodes are deployed to monitor both soil moisture and temperature. Sensed data are transmitted to the gateway through the Messaging Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) communication protocol. Root based findings depict that the proposed work increases crop growth and productivity and decreases water wastage more than other state-of-the-art strategies. ANFIS method to predict the plant growth level based on the fuzzy rule. Wireless communication technology allows for the automation of different devices and real-time analysis of data collected by these sensors. The IoT (Internet of Things) system demonstrates improved plant growth. Furthermore, the application used in the plant's worst conditions and situations has provided the best sources for appropriate plant growth..

Bayesian Predictive Probability Based on a Bivariate Index Vector for Single-Arm Phase II Study With Binary Efficacy and Safety Endpoints.

In oncology, Phase II studies are crucial for clinical development plans as such studies identify potent agents with sufficient activity to continue development in the subsequent Phase III trials. Traditionally, Phase II studies are single-arm studies, with the primary endpoint being short-term treatment efficacy. However, drug safety is also an important consideration. In the context of such multiple-outcome designs, predictive probability-based Bayesian monitoring strategies have been developed to assess whether a clinical trial will provide enough evidence to continue with a Phase III study at the scheduled end of the trial. Therefore, we propose a new simple index vector to summarize the results that cannot be captured by existing strategies. Specifically, we define the worst and most promising situations for the potential effect of a treatment, then use the proposed index vector to measure the deviation between the two situations. Finally, simulation studies are performed to evaluate the operating characteristics of the design. The obtained results demonstrate that the proposed method makes appropriate interim go/no-go decisions.

Energy and exergy performance improvement of coupled PV–TEG module by using different shaped nano-enhanced cooling channels

In this study, impacts of using different cooling channels (L, T and U-shaped) on the energy and exergy performances of combined PV/TEG (photovoltaic/thermoelectric generator) unit are numerically assessed by using FEM based three dimensional high fidelity computational simulations. Cooling performance is boosted by using ternary nanofluid in the channels. The study is conducted for a range of Reynolds numbers (Re, between 50 and 500), nanofluid cooling inlet temperatures (between 15 °C and 23 °C), and nanoparticle loading amounts (between 0 and 3%). Evaluations are done on average PV-cell temperature, PV/TEG output powers, exergy efficiency, improve potential (IP), and sustainability index (SI). U-shaped and T-shaped channels are found to offer the greatest and worst cooling performances among various cooling channels. When comparing the lowest and maximum Re cases, the average temperature drops for PV cells are 3.54 °C for T channel and 2.55 °C for U channel. Exergy efficiency is determined to be 14.2% with T-channel at Re=50 and 14.6% with U-channel at Re=500. Taking into consideration different channels, an increase in the inlet temperature from 15 °C to 23 °C leads to an average rise in cell temperature of 6 °C. The IP rises with coolant inlet temperature while using T-channel. SI values fall as input temperature increases, although values between 1.164 and 1.175 may be achieved by using different cooling channels. Using nanofluid with higher loading results in higher exergy efficiency when comparing exergetic performances, with U-channel design exhibiting the highest performance. For the range of parameters considered, the coolant inlet temperature at the channel entry has the highest effect on PV cell temperature reduction; 8.5 °C of temperature reduction is feasible. By employing U-channel cooling, the maximum value of Re, the highest loading of nanoparticles, and the lowest inlet temperature yield the best exergy efficiency. The best and worst situations’ respective exergy efficiencies are determined to be 15% and 14.1%. Utilizing T-channel cooling with water at a flow flow rate and a higher input temperature is the scenario with the biggest potential for exergy improvement; the value is 2.9. When different operational parameters are varied, the SI falls between 1.176 to 1.16.

Nonlinear Loads Modelling and Harmonics Analysis: A Review

Abstract: In modern life, the applications of nonlinear loads are increasing, especially electronic loads, such as computers, monitors, and battery chargers. Moreover, the usage of semiconductors has increased in modern lighting systems, such as LED lamps and dimmers which are used to control the lighting level. Nonlinear loads may also be in the form of variable speed drive or arc furnace loads. Due to the spread of nonlinear loads, large amounts of harmonics are generated. To study the harmonics of nonlinear loads, it is essential to represent nonlinear loads by their equivalent models in the simulation programs. This paper presents a comprehensive review of modeling methods of nonlinear loads, including time domain methods, frequency domain methods, and state space methods. Equivalent circuits are presented for different types of nonlinear loads, including static loads, dynamic loads and arc furnace loads. The paper also presents the harmonic analysis performed by the Fourier transform of different types of nonlinear loads, including harmonic percentage and its angle. This paper is considered as a comprehensive reference for researchers and engineers to model nonlinear loads and is useful in power system planning for connecting nonlinear loads where mixing nonlinear loads of similar harmonic profiles causes worse situations. Moreover, knowing the nonlinear load profile will help in the suitable mixing of linear loads to achieve lower harmonics levels.

Women as carriers of the ‘weaving legacy’: Shifting labour and changing gender relations in marriage

The study highlights how women bear the responsibility of perpetuating the cultural identity of the weaving community due to gendered norms around endogamous marriage, the dual burden that women bear within family enterprises, and the exit of male weavers in pursuit of more sustainable economic opportunities. Male weavers of these family enterprises rely on women's continuing allegiance to the ancestral craft to carry forward the economic gains of upholding the weaving craft when they embrace the option of mobility in order to alleviate the financial precarity and stabilise their livelihoods. The normative expectations of marriage within the weaving community, where women's labour is regulated and exploited via intra-community marriage, serve as the foundation for this practice. Women engage in complex negotiations, confront gendered expectations, and, in the worst situations, disrupt gender norms in the family, community, and the labour market throughout this process. The paper drawing from a qualitative study conducted in the handloom clusters of Nadia, West Bengal (India) critically examines the intricate negotiation of gender roles, presenting a nuanced portrayal of how women navigate societal expectations and contribute to reshaping gender norms within family enterprises and weaving community at large.

Research on the spatial and temporal impact of commercial banks’ spatial agglomeration on PM2.5 pollution in China

Commercial banks are the main body of the finance industry in China. It is of great significance to study the impact of commercial banks’ spatial agglomeration on PM2.5 for China to develop a green economy. This article selects data from 30 provinces in China, covering 2000 to 2021. This study innovatively utilizes commercial banking institutions’ longitude and latitude geographic coordinate information to build a new indicator to characterize the spatial agglomeration degree of commercial banks. Then, we use the geographically and temporally weighted regression model to investigate the spatio-temporal heterogeneous effect of commercial bank agglomeration on PM2.5. The theoretical mechanism concludes that financial agglomeration exacerbates PM2.5 pollution through the scale effect and can also reduce PM2.5 pollution through technique effect and composition effect. Financial agglomeration and PM2.5 have obvious temporal and spatial differences as well as spatial autocorrelation characteristics. The geographically and temporally weighted regression model's results show that from a national perspective, financial agglomeration can inhibit PM2.5 pollution, but the inhibitory effect is gradually diminishing, indicating that it is imminent for China to further deepen its green financial reform. From the provincial level, the influence of financial agglomeration on PM2.5 has obvious temporal and spatial differences. The inhibitory effects of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei are becoming stronger, and these areas have the best situations. The promoting effects of the three northeastern provinces and Shanxi and other central and western provinces are becoming larger and larger, and these areas have the worst situations. Shanghai and other eastern provinces and Guangxi and other western provinces have respectively brought inhibitory effects and promoting effects, but the effects are all weakening, and the situations are in the middle. The scientific value of this study lies in the following: First, this study combines the environmental Kuznets curve theory for mechanism analysis, providing a scientific theoretical basis for subsequent related research. Second, the financial agglomeration index constructed in this study provides a scientific reference for academic circles to more accurately investigate the relationship between financial agglomeration and environmental pollution. Third, this study reveals the temporal and spatial differences in the impact of financial agglomeration on PM2.5 pollution by using the geographically and temporally weighted regression model for the first time, pointing out the focus and direction for decoupling economic growth and PM2.5 pollution under the influence of financial agglomeration in China provinces. With China's efforts to achieve green sustainable development, this study provides new ideas and valuable insights into the driving factors of green economic growth in China.

Conductive panel cooling by using coupled effects of nano-jet impingement, double rotating cylinders and magnetic field under cross-flow

Purpose This study aims to examine the effects of cross-flow and multiple jet impingement on conductive panel cooling performance when subjected to uniform magnetic field effects. The cooling system has double rotating cylinders. Design/methodology/approach Cross-flow ratios (CFR) ranging from 0.1 to 1, magnetic field strength (Ha) ranging from 0 to 50 and cylinder rotation speed (Rew) ranging from −5,000 to 5,000 are the relevant parameters that are included in the numerical analysis. Finite element method is used as solution technique. Radial basis networks are used for the prediction of average Nusselt number (Nu), average surface temperature of the panel and temperature uniformity effects when varying the impacts of cross-flow, magnetic field and rotations of the double cylinder in the cooling channel. Findings The effect of CFR on cooling efficiency and temperature uniformity is favorable. By raising the CFR to the highest value under the magnetic field, the average Nu can rise by up to 18.6%, while the temperature drop and temperature difference are obtained as 1.87°C and 3.72°C. Without cylinders, magnetic field improves the cooling performance, while average Nu increases to 4.5% and 8.8% at CR = 0.1 and CR = 1, respectively. When the magnetic field is the strongest with cylinders in channel at CFR = 1, temperature difference (ΔT) is obtained as 2.5 °C. The rotational impacts on thermal performance are more significant when the cross-flow effects are weak (CFR = 0.1) compared to when they are substantial (CFR = 1). Cases without a cylinder have the worst performance for both weak and severe cross-flow effects, whereas using two rotating cylinders increases cooling performance and temperature uniformity for the conductive panel. The average surface temperature lowers by 1.2°C at CFR = 0.1 and 0.5°C at CFR = 1 when the worst and best situations are compared. Originality/value The outcomes are relevant in the design and optimization-based studies for electric cooling, photo-voltaic cooling and battery thermal management.

СДЕРЖКИ БЕЗ ПРОТИВОВЕСОВ: ИДЕЯ «СМЕШЕНИЯ МОНАРХИИ И ДЕМОКРАТИИ» В «РИМСКОЙ ИСТОРИИ» КАССИЯ ДИОНА

In the third century AD, the historian Cassius Dio Cocceianus, in his "Roman History," proposes a blueprint for an ideal political constitution: the state that combines monarchy and democracy. Book 56 characterizes such regime as "a mixture of monarchy and democracy." Modern authors may draw an analogy with the concept of plebiscitary democracy. This paper, however, is aimed at preventing such analogies as despite the external similarities, the institutional content of the two models is different. The paper reveals the functions of the monarch, the people, and the Senate in the mixed constitution of Cassius Dio in two aspects: how they were intended to be presented to the addressees of the project, and the actual set of powers of each institution. The political project is examined in the context of Dio's ideas on the worst situations in politics such as civil war and 'dunasteia'. The author compares Cassius Dion's mixed constitution with the Caesarist model. The results show that while modern plebiscitary regimes involve two parts of the system - the elected ruler and the acclamating people - Dio's model consists essentially of three elements: the monarch, the people, and the Senate.

Facilitation or hindrance? The impact of downward social comparison on adversarial growth.

While adversity can bring great challenges to individuals' life and work, many people also find ways to make positive changes and adapt to these difficult circumstances. Individuals tend to make social comparisons more frequently and intensely when faced with adversity or high stress. The study attempts to examine the influence mechanism of downward social comparison on individual adversarial growth. By collecting data from 353 Chinese who have experienced adversities in the past 3 years, the study validates the dual mediating model of gratitude and self-acceptance and explores the moderating effect of interpersonal sensitivity. The findings indicate that: downward social comparison can increase the occurrence of adversarial growth by enhancing individuals' self-acceptance and gratitude. Compared to individuals with low interpersonal sensitivity, individuals with high interpersonal sensitivity are more likely to facilitate the occurrence of adversarial growth through self-acceptance and gratitude due to downward social comparison. In the face of adversity, individuals can regain self-confidence and respond positively by comparing themselves to people in worse situations than themselves. In particular, individuals with higher interpersonal sensitivity are more likely to benefit from downward social comparisons and grow from adversity.

Predictors of Intraoperative and Early Complications in Total Ankle Replacement

Category: Ankle Arthritis; Ankle Introduction/Purpose: Predictors of intra operative and early complications following total ankle replacement (TAR) become more important as the incidence and indications for TAR continue to expand. Talar bone loss whether from avascular necrosis, osteoarthritis, or post traumatic arthritis can be a challenging problem to deal with in TAR. The aim of this study is to report predictors of complications in TAR with talar bone loss. Methods: A retrospective review using CPT codes for four surgeons over a three-year period at an academic institution was performed. A single surgeon reviewed the immediate preoperative plain radiographs for 200 consecutive patients for talar bone loss. The mortise and lateral views were used to calculate talar bone loss and then averaged (Fig 1). 37 patients were identified as having talar bone defects of greater than 20 percent when the two measurements were averaged. Our preoperative variables we looked at were size of talar defect, location, and cause of talar defect and postoperatively, the implant choice. Our primary outcomes were intraoperative fracture, reoperation, subsidence, and revision surgery. Results: The average follow up was 23 months. The average defect size was 54 percent with a range of 20 to 100 percent. Mann U Whitney tests were performed that showed a relationship between the lateral and overall percentage of talar bone loss being predictive of subsidence of the talar component. A Fischer exact test showed a that a chamfered talus cut was protective against subsidence. The mean of the talar bone loss for the chamfered components were 40% versus 58% in flat cut. There were no other significant differences when comparing complications, fracture, reoperation, or wound complications. Conclusion: While TAR for patients with talar bone loss can be a good option for the patient and surgeon it does have a higher complication rate than standard TARs. Careful attention should be given to the percentage of talar bone loss. Flat cut and revision style components were more likely to be used in worse situations, so it is not the authors belief that they are more prone to subsidence. All patients over 20% bone loss need extensive discussion regarding potential complications and additional procedures. Talar bone loss is a difficult problem to deal with but TAR is a viable option.

Swab – Surge Pressure Investigation, and the Influence Factors, Prediction and Calculation (Review)

Surge pressure is supplemental pressure because of the movement of the pipes downward and the swab pressure is the pressure reduction as a result of the drill string's upward movement. Bottom hole pressure is reduced because of swabbing influence. An Investigation showed that the surge pressure has great importance for the circulation loss problem produced by unstable processes in the management pressure drilling (MPD) actions. Through Trip Margin there is an increase in the hydrostatic pressure of mud that compensates for the reduction of bottom pressure due to stop pumping and/or swabbing effect while pulling the pipe out of the hole. This overview shows suggested mathematical/numerical models for simulating surge pressure problems inside the wellbore with adjustable cross-section parts. The developed models require simple input data that may be gotten from the rig location. Pressure variations due to Swabs and surge has been a major concern in the oil industry for numerous years. If the pressure variations become moreover extraordinary, this leads to formation fracture, and formation influx principal to a kick. In the worst circumstances and situations that kick principal on the blowout and put crew life in hazard. By using theoretical investigation and experimental consequences, it established that the surge pressure is a function of the well depth, the drilling tools combination, the diameter of the wellbore, drilling mud properties, drilling pipe operation speed, and acceleration of the drill pipe movement, etc. This review focuses and investigates the essential theory and on software that computes the pressure variations in different flow conditions to predict surge and swab pressure values.

A Deep GMDH Neural-Network-Based Robust Fault Detection Method for Active Distribution Networks

The increasing penetration of distributed generation (DG) to power distribution networks mainly induces weaknesses in the sensitivity and selectivity of protection systems. In this manner, conventional protection systems often fail to protect active distribution networks (ADN) in the case of short-circuit faults. To overcome these challenges, the accurate detection of faults in a reasonable fraction of time appears as a critical issue in distribution networks. Machine learning techniques are capable of generating efficient analytical expressions that can be strong candidates in terms of reliable and robust fault detection for several operating scenarios of ADNs. This paper proposes a deep group method of data handling (GMDH) neural network based on a non-pilot protection method for the protection of an ADN. The developed method is independent of the DG capacity and achieves accurate fault detection under load variations, disturbances, and different high-impedance faults (HIFs). To verify the improvements, a test system based on a real distribution network that includes three generators with a capacity of 6 MW is utilized. The extensive simulations of the power network are performed using DIgSILENT Power Factory and MATLAB software. The obtained results reveal that a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 3.51% for the GMDH-network-based protection system is accomplished thanks to formulation via optimized algorithms, without requiring the utilization of any feature selection techniques. The proposed method has a high-speed operation of around 20 ms for the detection of faults, while the conventional OC relay performance is in the blinding mode in the worst situations for faults with HIFs.

The impact of partner’s behaviour on pregnancy related outcomes and safe child-birth in Pakistan

BackgroundPakistan is one of the nations with the worst statistics for pregnancy-related outcomes. Health programmes in underdeveloped nations frequently ignore the role of partners in maternal health, which is a crucial contributing factor in these worst situations. This research study aims to explore the role of husbands in maternity care and safe childbirth in Pakistan.MethodsThe data for this study comes from the Pakistan Maternal Mortality Survey 2019. The k-Modes clustering algorithm was implemented to generate clusters from the dataset. Cluster profiling was used to identify the problems in pregnancy-related outcomes in cases where women live away from their partners. The chi-square test and logistic regression model were fitted to identify the significant factors associated with women’s health and safe childbirth.ResultsThe finding of the study reveals that the partner’s support during and after pregnancy plays a vital role in maternal health and safe child-birth. It was revealed that the women living away from their partners have certain health problems during pregnancy. These problems include Vaginal bleeding, Excessive vomiting, Chest pain, Cough, High B.P, Excessive weight gain, Body aches, Swelling of feet, and Swelling of the face. This also leads to complications and health problems in the postpartum period. Due to a lack of antenatal care from the spouse during pregnancy, the women who lived away from their partners lost their pregnancies.ConclusionThe study concludes that the husband’s emotional and financial support substantially impacts the overall health of expecting mothers and the safety of delivery in Pakistan. Given its potential advantages for mother and child health outcomes, male engagement in health education must be acknowledged and addressed. The finding of the study is of immense importance, as it guides the policymakers to arrange various awareness programs for the male partners to support their pregnant spouse and provide proper antenatal care.

Analysis of Bituminous Concrete Mixes Using H.D.P.E & Crumb Rubber as Admixtures

Flexible pavements need more attention in selection of Resources and preparation of mixes now a day’s temperature is the main criteria which affect the mix quality, strength and durability. Rapid changes in temperature now a day’s big problem to face worst situations, Durability point is a big factor which affects the life period of the pavement surface and its components, Nominal mixes which consists of inert material doesn’t gives better Durability in severe traffic and climate conditions Today’s flexible pavements are Required to perform better as they are facing increased volume of traffic, increased loads and increased variations in daily or seasonal temperature over what has been Challenged in the past. In addition, the performance of bituminous roads is to be identified that they are poor in high drainage situations. Present scenario on using various additives for better drainage is not satisfying the expected results. However, the additive that is to be used for modification of mix or binder should satisfy both the strength, durability requirements as well as economical aspects. Plastics are using extensively in all over world and developing country like India. As these are non-biodegradable there is a major problem posed to the society with regard to the management of these solid wastes. Even, the reclaimed polyethylene originally made of HDPE has been observed to modify bitumen. In the present study, an attempt has been made to use HDPE and CRUMB RUBBER as admixtures in nominal bitumen mix to overcome the problem of resistance to weathering actions and repetitive wheel load

Konstruksi Sosial Pedagang Pasar dalam Strategi Bertahan Hidup pada Masa Pandemi Covid-19

This paper aims to explain the existence of traditional markets as an example towards endemic. This research is an attempt to awaken people who are still doubtful about the existence of post-pandemic COVID-19, and this makes herd immunity, which is the main goal as well as a way to end the pandemic, and awareness of society is the key to make it happen. This study uses a qualitative paradigm with an ethnographic approach. Data collection was carried out using the method of observation, documentation and also interviews. The results of the study found that the condition of traditional markets during the pre-pandemic period was not much different from what experienced by the environment or public area, but it became different when the recovery process began where traditional markets managed to reach the stage of herd immunity earlier than other social environments. Hence, traditional markets has its own way to survive on pandemic. Existence of this research is aim to the endemic situation and economic recovery will be realized more quickly, especially for people who have managed to survive the pandemic so that endemic situations that happen faster can make people prepare for the possibility of worst situations in the future. 
 

Litigation Cases After Post-Bariatric Surgery: Lesson from the Past

BackgroundDue to the high demand of post-bariatric surgeries, the number of litigation cases is rapidly growing. Even if surgical mistakes still represent one of the main causes of medico-legal issues, many disputes depend on what happens in the post-operative course. In this article we analyzed the litigation cases that occurred in our Plastic Surgery Department, the current literature about medico-legal disputes and the importance of the doctor–patient relationship.Patients and methodsThe medical records of 788 post-bariatric surgeries, the post-operative complications and the related litigation cases from January 2015 to December 2019 were collected, analyzed and compared.ResultsWe performed 380 abdominoplasties, 28 torsoplasties, 65 breast reductions, 99 mastopexies, 94 brachioplasties, 52 thighplasties, 65 liposuctions and 5 facelifts between 2015 and 2019. Eight patients complained of medical issues and claimed for litigation. Despite in all cases the judges highlighted the risk of consent misinterpretation, the payout was granted only in one case.ConclusionPost-bariatric patients often mistake their preoperative condition and consider body contouring procedures as an aesthetic surgery treatment. Patients should be therefore clearly informed about the complexity of body contouring procedures after massive weight loss, which should never be compared to aesthetic surgery. Surgeons should always promote the communication with their patients and build a strong and trustworthy relationship. This attitude will allow to deal more easily with complications and, in the worst situations, with medico-legal litigations.Level of Evidence IVThis journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.

Exploring the potential function of trace elements in human health: a therapeutic perspective.

A trace element, known as a minor element, is a chemical element whose concentration is very low. They are divided into essential and non-essential classes. Numerous physiological and metabolic processes in both plants and animals require essential trace elements. These essential trace elements are so directly related to the metabolic and physiologic processes of the organism that either their excess or deficiency can result in severe bodily malfunction or, in the worst situations, death. Elements can be found in nature in various forms and are essential for the body to carry out its varied functions. Trace elements are crucial for biological, chemical, and molecular cell activity. Nutritional deficits can lead to weakened immunity, increased susceptibility to oral and systemic infections, delayed physical and mental development, and lower productivity. Trace element enzymes are involved in many biological and chemical processes. These compounds act as co-factors for a number of enzymes and serve as centers for stabilizing the structures of proteins and enzymes, allowing them to mediate crucial biological processes. Some trace elements control vital biological processes by attaching to molecules on the cell membrane's receptor site or altering the structure of the membrane to prevent specific molecules from entering the cell. Some trace elements are engaged in redox reactions. Trace elements have two purposes. They are required for the regular stability of cellular structures, but when lacking, they might activate alternate routes and induce disorders. Therefore, thoroughly understanding these trace elements is essential for maintaining optimal health and preventing disease.

Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza by Mosab Abu Toha

Reviewed by: Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza by Mosab Abu Toha Richard Woffenden MOSAB ABU TOHA Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza San Francisco. City Lights. 2022. 126 pages WHEN A PERSON chooses to read poetry, it can be for a multitude of reasons, but many of them revolve around a desire to connect with how another human being experiences and understands the world we live in. Across times and places, we want to see how others navigate through love, family life, or historic change. For most people experiencing a relatively peaceful life, making the decision to pick up poetry that has been crafted in a conflict zone is a definite attempt to find out what happens when humans are placed in some of the worst situations possible. With the poets of the twentieth-century world wars, with which so many of us are familiar, these are often accounts of men leaving their ordinary lives to fight in conflicts away from home for a limited number of years. Poems from these periods shape our understanding of the world wars, but what happens if a person has only ever known life in a time of conflict—in fact, what happens if several generations have lived their daily life with violence ever present? This is the world that Mosab Abu Toha brings to English-speaking readers as a poet who was born in Gaza in 1992. On the first reading of Abu Toha's poems, the reader is struck with the accessibility of his poetry. Propelled straight into the violence and loss of the poet's existence, there is no avoiding the horror of what it was like to grow up in a world where life is so precarious: "Images on the world of buildings / a child who was shot by an Israeli sniper / or killed during an air raid en route to school. / Her picture stares at the blackboard / while the air sits in her chair." On one level, Abu Toha is a poet writing for himself as he attempts to comprehend what he is living through, but Abu Toha also writes as much for his audience. Apart from the poet's own love of the English language, the poems are composed in English so that the poet is speaking straight to a Western audience, many of whom understand little of how growing up in Gaza impacts the human residents. Abu Toha's method of communicating this experience is therefore very comprehensible with stark imagery and language. Yet while anyone without a knowledge of the situation in Gaza could pick up the book and successfully find poems that create an emotive bridge into Gaza, this is not to say that there aren't many layers to this poetry. Abu Toha is very conscious of cultural heritage—a fact that is wonderfully discussed in an interview presented at the end of the book. Abu Toha speaks of his love of the British Romantic poets and also how, at school, he was steeped in the greats of Arabic poetry like 'Antarah and Imru' al-Qays. Abu Toha, however, does not seek to emulate the poetics and language of his predecessors but focuses on the sensibility of these poets in how they used words to create emotional responses in their readers. In many poems, Abu Toha creates short, powerful stanzas of various shapes that could work as stand-alone poems, but when read together as a whole, they create powerful statements. In the excellent poem "Notebook," this approach of linking very different stanzas together creates parallels with some twentieth-century Arabic poems, most notably Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani's vital "Footnotes to the Book of the Setback." On other levels, the two poems are very different in tone and language, and this highlights how different the situations are between that of late twentieth-century poets and those of the present day. In modern-day Gaza, Abu Toha writes of how this violence has become the norm rather than the exception for those people who knew a different life. He writes in a way that horrifies that outsider who, despite media coverage, can't...

State-of-the-Art Wayside Condition Monitoring Systems for Railway Wheels: A Comprehensive Review

In recent decades, there has been a constant demand for faster, longer, and safer railway networks. This also brings challenges for condition monitoring systems in modern railway vehicles. More specifically, critical parts of railway vehicles like wheels degrade over time due to various operational and environmental reasons. Different dynamic effects such as skidding/sliding over the track and the presence of contamination between wheel-rail cause various wheel defects. Faulty wheels ultimately lead to the derailment of railway vehicles. To avoid worst situations like railway derailments, various research has been conducted for developing efficient condition monitoring systems for railway wheels. In addition, there have been some commercial condition monitoring products that can be deployed with railway vehicles. These systems incorporate various sensors such as strain gauges and vision sensors to collect data for diagnosis and prognosis. Various methods have been explored but yet there is a broad research gap in terms of developing advanced onboard condition monitoring systems. With the progress in technology, advanced systems with Machine Learning/Deep Learning methods can provide more efficient and robust condition monitoring of dynamic railway systems. Considering the need for advancement in condition monitoring systems for railway vehicles, a comprehensive review of existing condition monitoring systems for railway wheels is conducted in this paper. The review is aimed at understanding the feasibility and potential of new methods for modern railways. This paper provides a detailed overview of studies on the existing wayside systems and reports their advantages and disadvantages concerning its recently emerging counterpart on-board monitoring systems. Data acquisition systems and analysis methods are critically reviewed which could assist in developing more efficient and reliable condition monitoring systems for railway wheels. This article also reviews the current progress of wayside systems and their limitations. The article is targeted at the researchers and engineers working in this domain, who can pave the way for developing advanced and cost-effective condition monitoring systems for railway wheels using modern technologies.