Due to their significantly lower costs than their compound semiconductor counterparts, there is increasing interest in using silicon solar cells for specific cost-sensitive applications in space, particularly in low Earth orbit (LEO). A major concern is, however, that the minority carrier lifetime (referred to henceforth as lifetime) of silicon solar cells experiences severe degradation in space due to the impact of irradiation by high-energy electrons and protons. Fortunately, thermal and hydrogenation processes can recover the lifetime losses caused by some (potentially all) defects. In this work, we study these radiation-induced defects and their recovery in detail using contactless lifetime measurement and deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). Both fired and unfired industrial Ga-doped passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) solar cell precursors are used in this work. The precursors were irradiated with 1 MeV electrons and annealed at 300 °C and 380 °C, respectively. All the irradiated samples exhibited lifetime recovery at both annealing temperatures, and the fired samples recovered significantly quicker and reached higher saturated lifetime values. After only ~360 s of annealing at 380 °C, the irradiated fired samples recovered to their pre-irradiation lifetime. In contrast, the irradiated non-fired samples required 71.5 times longer (25,740 s) at 380 °C to reach saturation. Remarkably, longer annealing times result in a reduction of the lifetime, which could be due to surface-related degradation. The DLTS measurements revealed a clear reduction of recombination active defects after annealing, including V-V + and C i-C s in irradiated fired samples and V-V + in irradiated unfired samples. This study demonstrates that the firing process is critical for optimizing the recovery of irradiation damage in silicon solar cells. Hydrogenation of the silicon bulk results in quicker recovery and superior End-of-life performance compared to thermal annealing without bulk hydrogen. Therefore, Ga PERC solar cells with bulk hydrogenation can recover radiation-induced damage, rendering it more suitable for missions in LEO.

Zinc-ion secondary batteries hold exciting potential due to their outstanding charge-discharge performance, high power and energy density, cost-effectiveness, safety, and eco-friendliness. Metallic zinc, with its superior conductivity, low equilibrium potential, high theoretical specific capacity, and affordability, is an ideal anode material for aqueous secondary batteries. However, the use of conventional aqueous electrolytes often results in problems like dissolution of cathode active materials, decomposition of aqueous solvents, and issues related to dendrite growth, corrosion, and passivation. These challenges limit the reversible capacity and lifespan of zinc-ion secondary batteries. By optimizing and adjusting factors like electrolyte, morphology, and surface modifications of the zinc anode, these battery performances can be enhanced. This article reviews recent progress in anode materials for aqueous zinc-ion secondary batteries, including metal zinc anodes, composite zinc anodes, and zinc alloys. Additionally, it provides a summary and future outlook on the challenges encountered during the implementation and application of the emerging rechargeable zinc battery technology.

Mathematical reasoning involves the activation of frontal and parietal lobes, due to the requirement of working memory, attention, and retrieval mechanisms. Efficient activation of different brain networks, as suggested by previous EEG studies, is related to the level of mathematical ability. We performed a paired comparison of mutual information and power spectrum during math calculations against rest in two groups of participants with different levels of mathematical competence, defined as good and bad counters. Results were displayed through planar head diagrams showing EEG derivations as nodes connected by edges representing significant increases or decreases in mutual information. Power spectrum analysis revealed that good counters presented significant cortical activation in delta, theta, beta and gamma frequency bands and strong alpha blocking during math in comparison to rest. Mutual information analysis showed coupling increases involving more edges, which were topographically widespread in subjects with less arithmetical ability. Decreases in mutual information were prominent in good counters in the beta and alpha frequency bands, while bad counters showed both coupling and uncoupling the alpha band. In both arithmetical ability groups, decoupling was prominent in the prefrontal and parietal areas, particularly in the theta, alpha and beta bands, confirming the importance of frontoparietal activity during mathematical reasoning. Our results are in line with the neural efficiency hypothesis and indicate that those with greater mathematical competence present activation of fewer edges in defined cortical areas, whereas those with lower proficiency require the recruitment of additional edges to complete the task.

Human-primate conflict (HPC) is a major ecological challenge whose information on spatio-temporal patterns and correlate facilitates effective mitigation planning. This study attempts to correlate HPC with available plant species while also quantifying economic losses. Data were collected through quadrat mapping, household (HH) surveys, key informant surveys, focal group discussions, location mapping, and related literature. Spatial (Thiessen polygon tool), economic, and statistical approaches were employed for data analysis. The highly increasing trend of HPC resulted in a dispersed distribution of crop damage. There was a moderately high plant species density (Simpson’s index =0.663); however, only 0.005 to 0.439% of the primates’ top five preferential species were in the forest, highlighting the need to plant foraging species. The average annual monetary loss per HH accounted for NRs. 28,879 (USD 216.01) for crop damage. Everyone used following, shouting, and throwing stones techniques to deter primates, but only with 7% effectiveness. With effective mitigation measures, the conservation of wild animals can be scaled up. This study suggests insufficient food availability as a major cause of conflict in the area; thus, it is recommended to plant foraging species of primates in the forest.

Background and Purpose. Retina plays a pivotal role in sensory perception, and degenerative diseases lead to visual deficits. The therapeutic approach includes anti-inflammatory drugs and new therapeutic protocols, including Anti-VEGF medicines and monoclonal antibodies. TnP is a drug candidate in preclinical development indicated for inflammatory diseases, with the ability to interfere with the dynamic of immune cells. Zebrafish offer several advantages as a research model, including genetic similarity with humans. Therefore, we aim to evaluate the therapeutic effect of TnP on zebrafish retinopathy. Experimental Approach. We used cobalt chloride-induced (CoCl2) retinopathy and intense light-induced retinal damage (LIRD) and TnP prophylactic treatment. Visual motor response and histology were conducted. Key Results. Swimming pattern of CoCl2-exposed larvae demonstrated inertia compared to negative-control, and exposure to LIRD induced a shorter distance covered. Histology revealed that CoCl2-induced damage or LIRD provoked changes in the retina morphology. Treatment with TnP did not reverse the reduced distance covered by CoCl2-damaged or LIRD larvae. TnP failed to reverse all retinal layers thinned by injury by both protocols, except for the IPL, which seemed to be restored. We found that TnP acts on INL, probably promoting cell proliferation and increasing synaptic connections among retinal neurons. This cell modulating activity could represent neuronal plasticity activity of TnP. Conclusion and Implications. Our findings support further exploration of TnP as a therapeutic agent for retinal and neurodegenerative diseases, given its role in neuronal protection and immune modulation. Alternatively, TnP might require combination with other therapeutic agents to enhance its efficacy.

A document by Niranjan KC. Click on the document to view its contents.

Aim: This study systematically reviewed the relationship between plasma drug concentrations of perioperative intravenous lignocaine and its analgesic effects. Methods: Randomised controlled trials of adults undergoing non-cardiac surgeries were systematically searched and reviewed in SCOPUS, Medline, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and Web of Science from inception to March 2024. These trials compared lignocaine to placebo or control, assessed pain outcomes, administered lignocaine intraoperatively, and reported plasma lignocaine concentrations at various time points. Outcomes included cumulative opioid use (measured in IV morphine equivalent), pain scores, and hospital stay duration. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool was used for bias assessment, and data were analysed with a random-effects model to determine the mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). The review protocol was registered at INPLASY (INPLASY202180046). Results: Fifteen studies with 445 lignocaine and 453 control patients were included. Eight studies showed lower opioid use in the post-anaesthetic care unit (PACU) for the lignocaine group (MD of -3.00 (95% CI [-5.00, -1.01], P=0.0092, I2=57%). Meta-regression indicated higher plasma concentrations of lignocaine correlated with greater opioid reduction (regression coefficient of -3.05 [95% CI -4.48, -1.61], P=0.002). However, eleven studies found no significant difference in opioid consumption and pain scores at 24 hours post-surgery. Incidence of nausea and vomiting was similar between the groups, and few patients had lignocaine-related adverse reactions. Conclusions: Perioperative lignocaine infusion effectively reduces opioid consumption in the PACU, with more pronounced effects at higher plasma concentrations. Further research is needed to identify optimal plasma concentrations for clinically significant analgesic benefits.

The prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder is higher in females than males, but pre-clinical models are established almost exclusively in males. This study is aimed to investigate the Stress Enhanced Fear Learning model of post-traumatic stress disorder in females. The model mirrors post-traumatic stress disorder symptomology, whereby prior stress leads to extinction resistant exaggerated contextual fear memory. As stress-reactivity is highly relevant to the study and risk for post-traumatic stress disorder, females of the stress hyper-reactive Wistar Kyoto More Immobile (WMI) and its nearly isogenic control the Wistar Kyoto Less Immobile (WLI) strains were employed. Adult females of both strains were either not stressed or exposed to a two-hour restraint stress, and 48 hours later underwent contextual fear conditioning. Fear memory was measured 24 hours later, followed by extinction trials for a week. Enhanced fear memory following contextual fear conditioning was found in WMIs compared to WLI females and was neither exaggerated by prior stress nor showed extinction deficit. The novel stressor of a glucose challenge test resulted in subtle strain- and prior stress-induced differences in plasma glucose and corticosterone responses. Hippocampal expression levels of learning and memory related genes, glucocorticoid receptor, estrogen receptors, and glucose transporter 1, only changed in WLIs by prior stress. Taken together, results indicate that stress hyper-reactive WMI females do not model post-traumatic stress disorder using the stress enhanced fear learning paradigm, and control WMI females are likely in a state of chronic stress, as additional stressors produced no effects in most measures.

Concentric and eccentric contractions show different patterns of neural activity at both peripheral and cortical levels, which are thought to influence the perception of action properties such as the weight of objects moved by others. The aim of this study was to investigate how the type of muscle contraction influences weight estimation during action observation. Forty-eight volunteers completed the Main experiment and the Control experiment. In the Main experiment, they performed a weight discrimination video task in which they watched videos of an actor moving two objects, a comparison and a reference box, executing concentric or eccentric contractions and they had to indicate which box was the heaviest. Sensitivity analysis and psychometric functions were used to analyze the data. In the Control experiment, observers judged the actor's effort in moving the boxes. The results of the Main experiment showed that the weight discrimination sensitivity was higher in the Eccentric condition for the Light boxes. Conversely, for the heaviest boxes, discrimination sensitivity was higher in the Concentric than in the Eccentric condition. These results were confirmed by the psychometric function analysis. The Control experiment showed that for Light stimuli, the perceived difference in effort between the comparison and reference stimuli was greater in the Eccentric than in the Concentric condition. These results showed that the ability to evaluate the weight of the object involved in the observed action was influenced by the type of contraction and the amount of weight. The effort attributed to the actor influenced the observer's perception.

Undernutrition significantly compromises immune function, particularly in vulnerable populations. This study explores the impact of undernutrition on apoptotic pathways and thymocyte development in rats, shedding light on potential mechanisms underlying immune suppression. This study investigates the effects of undernutrition on apoptotic pathways and thymocyte development in rat models. Undernutrition was induced by competitive suckling, leading to weight deficits of 40% or more. Thymocytes were analyzed using flow cytometry to assess mitochondrial function, caspase activation, and subpopulation alterations among thymocytes, providing insights into the mechanisms underlying immune suppression due to undernutrition. The undernourished rats showed reduced thymus weight, modifications in thymocyte subpopulations, and diminished mitochondrial potential. The analysis of caspase activation unveiled a significant role of caspase 9 in early apoptosis, suggesting a link between mitochondrial dysfunction and the apoptosis of thymocytes induced by undernutrition. These alterations in thymic structure and apoptotic pathways align with previous studies, emphasizing the vulnerability of the thymus to undernutrition. The alterations observed in thymocyte subpopulations and caspase activation patterns provide insights into the intricate relationship between undernutrition, thymic function, and immune suppression. This study contributes to understanding how undernutrition during lactation affects thymic function and apoptotic pathways. These findings highlight the critical necessity for additional research to unravel the underlying mechanisms and identify potential therapeutic interventions to alleviate the detrimental impact of undernutrition on thymic development and immune function.

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook are among the most popular microblogging applications, playing an important role in quickly disseminating up-to-date information to a large user base. In addition to being valuable sources of entertainment and platforms for business campaigns, social media apps significantly impact political activities in developing democracies. However, social media networks often become sources of rapid dissemination of fake news, viral videos, hate speech, and false articles, leading to political propaganda. Existing studies need to address how Pakistan’s three major political parties use social media platforms for this purpose. In this study, we used exploratory data analysis (EDA) to explore and analysed the initial content of social networks to understand, identify, and gain insights for further analysis. We developed a web scraper, a valuable tool used in data science, to extract unstructured content from the official Twitter and Facebook accounts, primarily used to spread political propaganda publicly. The web scraper automatically extracts various information from Facebook posts, including likes, shares, comments, and views. It extracts information such as likes, comments, and retweets from tweets. The collected data is then processed and analyzed using statistical methods to gain knowledge and insights from social media sites. One month of data analysis suggests that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) posted 79.37% more content on Facebook, while Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML (N)) tweeted 89.30% more on Twitter compared to other parties. This activity is part of their political propaganda to build a narrative and shape public opinion among their followers and voters in Pakistan.

Carbon dots in biosensing have advanced significantly, adding improvements to different detection techniques. In this study, an amperometric immunosensor for Salmonella Thyphimurium was designed using antibodies labeled with carbon dots (Cdots) from pequi almond (Caryocar coriaceum). Cdots were synthesized by pyrolysis and characterized by FTIR, UV/fluorescence, electrochemistry, zeta potential, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A particle size of 6.80 ± 2.13 nm was estimated, and the zeta potential was - 47.4 mV, indicating the preponderant presence of acidic groups, as confirmed by FTIR. The impedance evaluation of the response of biosensors assembled for live (Rct = 13.4 kΩ) and dead (Rct = 499.7 Ω) Salmonella showed a significant difference in their values, in agreement with chronoamperometric analyses, which had their current values drastically reduced from -2.2 mA (live) to 0 mA (dead). An analytical curve for Salmonella was established with the limit of detection lower than 1 CFU/mL. This electrochemical biosensor using pequi carbon dots for antibody labeling showed promising results for detecting the pathogen. Thus, carbon dots can be used as substitutes for enzymes in labeling antibodies used in the design and production of sensors.

Rationale: Aerosolized medications are crucial for resolving respiratory issues in mechanically ventilated patients. Infants often receive nebulized medications via hand ventilation using an anesthesia bag, but evidence on optimal aerosol delivery with this method is limited. We tested various configurations of the Mapleson breathing circuit to optimize albuterol delivery to simulated intubated pediatric patients. Methods: Using a simulated pediatric lung model (ASL 5000) with the semi-open Mapleson anesthesia circuit, we delivered 2.5 mg albuterol sulfate to a viral/bacterial filter (Respiguard 202). Four models were compared, varying fresh gas flows (FGF), nebulizer placements, and the use of dead space. Five Registered Respiratory Therapists (RRTs) administered the aerosol into the collection filter, following defined ventilation parameters. Each model was tested in random order to avoid fatigue bias. Albuterol concentrations eluted from in-line filters were measured by spectrophotometry (absorbance at 276 nm). Results: No inter-user variability was observed among the RRTs. Significant differences in albuterol delivery efficacy were noted between models (One Way ANOVA, Tukey’s post hoc, N=5). Model 4, with the nebulizer closest to the collecting filter, recovered 21.7±3.87% of albuterol. The standard clinical model was least effective, with only 0.1±0.47% albuterol recovery. Conclusion: Modifying the anesthesia breathing circuit significantly improved aerosol drug delivery efficiency. Our findings suggest that current clinical practices for nebulized drug delivery are inefficient and can be markedly improved with simple adjustments in nebulizer positioning and gas flow within the circuit.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been associated with deficits in working memory as well as underlying gamma oscillation power. Consistent with this, overall reductions in cortical excitation have also been described with MDD. In previous work, we have demonstrated that the monoamine reuptake inhibitor venlafaxine increases gamma oscillation power in ex vivo hippocampal slices, and that this is associated with concomitant increases in pyramidal arbor and reduced levels of plasticity-restricting perineuronal nets (PNNs). In the present study we have examined effects of chronic treatment with pramipexole (PPX), a D3 dopamine receptor agonist, for its effects on gamma oscillation power as measured by in vivo electroencephalography (EEG) recordings in female BALB/c and C57Bl6 mice. We observe a modest but significant increase in 20-50 Hz gamma power with PPX in both strains. Additionally, biochemical analysis of prefrontal cortex lysates from PPX-treated BALB/c mice show a number of changes that could contribute to, or follow from, increased pyramidal excitability and/or gamma power. PPX-associated changes include reduced levels of specific PNN components as well as tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteases-1 (TIMP-1), which inhibits long term potentiation of synaptic transmission. Consistent with its effects on gamma power, PNN proteins and TIMP-1, chronic PPX treatment also improves working memory and reduces anhedonia. Together these results add to an emerging literature linking extracellular matrix and/or gamma oscillation power to both mood and cognition.

Introduction: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common malignant neoplasm in children. Although the prognosis is good, complications caused by chemotherapy are still a large challenge for clinicians. Among them, pancreatitis is one of the most serious complications after the application of asparaginase, which is an important part of treatment. The occurrence of pancreatitis may affect chemotherapy tolerance and prognosis of ALL. We intend to establish a predictive model for the risk of pancreatitis in children with ALL during chemotherapy based on clinical data. Method: Collect clinical data of ALL patients under CCLG-ALL, screen variables that may be related to the occurrence of pancreatitis through lasso regression, divide the total patient into a training set and a validation set in a ratio of 8:2, build a prediction model in the training set, and evaluate prediction ability through area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and calibration curve. External validation is done in the validation set. Results: A total of 321 patients with ALL were included in this study, including 58 patients with pancreatitis and 263 patients in the control group. Risk factors related to pancreatitis were elevated total bilirubin, direct bilirubin and induction chemotherapy. C statistic and AUC obtained in the training set of this model was 0.862 and 0.86, and the AUC of this model in the validation set was 0.95. Conclusion: This study constructs a risk prediction model for pancreatitis in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia receiving chemotherapy, and the results suggest that the prediction ability is good. A nomogram based on this model was developed. Among the risk factors, increased total bilirubin and direct bilirubin may indicate that pancreatitis may be related to biliary obstruction, and induction chemotherapy may indicate that children may have predisposing factors for pancreatitis. Further research may be needed in these two aspects in the future.

Critical infrastructures account for a significant portion of our modern societies, underpinning the stability of our economies and societies. Among these, the electricity grid takes a special place due to the criticality of this industry and the potential impact of its failure. However, due to the nature of modern threats, including cyber attacks, this sector needs innovative approaches to threat identification and elimination. Our research focuses on the utilization of Open Source Intelligence technologies to protect critical infrastructures. This study also discusses how Critical Infrastructures are vulnerable and exposed to malicious attacks by discussing several significant cyber attacks on critical infrastructure (CI) in the last decade. This research is based on a framework developed for the current study, arguing that OSINT tools can analyze the landscape in this industry and how it can be used to mitigate potential risks. Targeting a company that supplies electricity to Istanbul, we have extracted key information like IPs, email addresses, open ports, services, etc, under a single platform, which is an entry point for malicious activity to attack in a sophisticated way. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first framework developed utilizing OSINT tools and creating an integration of OSINT tools to identify potential risks for energy sectors.

This study uncovers the impact of geographic variability on the distribution of sunlight on vehicle surfaces, focusing on two distinct scenarios: the flat-surface cargo area of a small delivery truck and the entire body of a commercial passenger vehicle. We employ a commuter pattern driving profile in Germany and a broader analysis incorporating random sampling of various road types and locations across Europe and the USA using LIDAR-derived topography and OpenStreetMap data. Our findings reveal significant irradiation inhomogeneity patterns shaped by the geographic landscape, road configurations, urban planning, and vegetation. The research identifies topography as the primary factor affecting irradiation distribution uniformity, with the vehicle’s surface orientation and curvature serving as secondary influencers. These insights hold immense potential for improving the design and efficiency of vehicle-integrated photovoltaic systems, presenting a foundational knowledge base from which to optimize energy capture in diverse environmental conditions.

Shared pathogens can alter the interaction between native and alien species resulting in disease-mediated invasions (DMIs). Invasive species often harbour low-virulence macroparasites, but empirical evidence for macroparasite-driven DMIs is still limited due to their sublethal impacts and scarce prominence. Here we modelled the dynamics of native red squirrels, invasive grey squirrels and their shared nematode Strongyloides robustus to assess whether macroparasites can drive DMIs and lead to native species extinction. Our simulations showed that spillover of the alien parasite can lead to red squirrel extinction, that grey squirrels amplify the infection in the native host and that the infection accelerates the replacement of red squirrels compared to direct competition alone, ultimately facilitating invasion by grey squirrels. These results demonstrate that sublethal macroparasites can mediate invasions, suggesting that we are overlooking key drivers of native species decline.

Introduction Dietary analyses utilising visual methods to identify stomach and faecal contents have shown that urban red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in the United Kingdom (UK) consume human-derived (anthropogenic) food to varying degrees. Anthropogenic foods have been implicated in poor health outcomes for synanthropic species that consume them, therefore it is critical to examine the degree of such foods in the UK fox diet. Methods We analysed the stable isotope ratios of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) of whiskers collected from 93 foxes from across the UK to determine: 1) the viability of stable isotope analysis (SIA) for distinguishing between anthropogenic and natural food consumption in foxes; 2) the degree to which urban foxes consume anthropogenic food compared to rural foxes using a Bayesian mixing model; 3) whether factors such as sex, age and season predict individual levels of consumption of human-derived food in foxes. Main results 1) Urban fox diet was significantly different to rural foxes: urban foxes demonstrated significantly higher δ13C and lower δ15N, a pattern consistent with anthropogenic food consumption. 2) We estimated that food provided either directly or indirectly by humans contributed around 35% of the urban fox diet compared to approximately 6% in the rural fox diet. 3) Across rural and urban foxes combined, there were significant isotopic differences between males and females, with females demonstrating higher δ13C and lower δ15N. 4) No differences in δ13C and δ15N between subadults and adults were observed. 5) Values of δ15N differed significantly between samples from the summer and the winter, where summer had the highest δ15N and winter the lowest. Additionally, winter had the highest δ13C values of the seasons, although this difference was not significant. Conclusion Potential negative outcomes of anthropogenic food consumption are likely to disproportionately impact females than males and urban-dwelling foxes than rural foxes.

Cameroon Blackbelly sheep are a domestic breed of hair sheep from West/Central Africa. They are popular with small holder farmers in Cameroon as they are highly resilient to local environmental challenges and are prolific aseasonal breeders. The aim of this study was to characterise the genetics of the Cameroon Blackbelly sheep in relation to global sheep populations and to investigate their relationship to Caribbean hair sheep. We first examined the genetic diversity of the Cameroon Blackbelly breed relative to global sheep populations using 50K SNP data. We also used whole genome sequence (WGS) data to further investigate relationships between the Cameroon Blackbelly breed and breeds from Africa and Europe, as well as the Barbados Blackbelly breed from the Caribbean, which is phenotypically similar to Cameroon Blackbelly. Admixture results based on 50K and WGS data demonstrated both West/Central African and European ancestries for the Barbados Blackbelly sheep. Local ancestry inference identified several genomic regions in Barbados Blackbelly that had high proportions of West/Central African ancestry. One of these regions, on OAR3, includes various keratin genes, suggesting that these genes may play a role in the shared coat phenotypes of Barbados Blackbelly and Cameroon Blackbelly. The findings of our study support the view that sheep were transported from West/Central Africa to the Caribbean as part of the slave trade and European colonization. The genomic resources we have generated also highlight the unique genetic diversity represented by West/Central African sheep, their contribution to global breed formation, and the importance of conserving genetic diversity.

Compared to offline measurement (interrupting the applied voltage before measurement), online measurement of surface charge on gas-insulated transmission line (GIL) insulators effectively avoids the impact of spontaneous dissipation of charges. Thus, the accuracy of results can be improved. In this paper, a measurement model of capacitive electrostatic probes for surface charges on ±320kV GIL tri-post insulator is established. The geometry of probes is optimized. The feasibility of online measurement of surface charges is analyzed. Results indicate that the surface leakage distance of induced charges is positively related to the length. Furthermore, as the diameter of probes increases, the maximum electric field on the sensitive electrode surface rises, while the radius of the sensitive electrode has the opposite effect. Hence, the diameter of the probe is 6mm. The length and radius of sensitive electrodes are 50mm and 1.2mm, respectively. For online measurement of surface charges on ±320kV tri-post insulators, the induced potential distribution of the probe is consistent with surface charges. Therefore, the capacitive electrostatic probe in the embedded electrode is appropriate for the online measurement of surface charges on tri-post insulators. It provides a reference for avoiding flashover triggered by surface charge accumulation on DC GIL insulators.

The evaluation of yeast ageing is carried out by measuring its replicative or chronological lifespan. Replicative lifespan is the number of daughter cells produced by the mother cell before it dies, whereas chronological lifespan is the length of time a non-dividing yeast cell survives. Plant-derived natural products have gained importance in terms of extending lifespan and healthy ageing due to the bioactive phytochemicals they contain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of mahaleb leaf and seed extracts on the chronological lifespan of yeast cells using two different lifespan approaches and to compare these effects with those of willow bark extracts. The potential active compounds in plant extracts were determined with the GC-MS. All extracts from mahaleb leaf and seed enhanced yeast cells’ chronological lifespans. It is noteworthy that acetone and water extracts from leaves and seeds extend the lifespan considerably more than willow extracts. Potential compounds that may affect the lifespan of yeast cells include coumarin and its derivatives found in hexane, acetone, and methanol extracts of leaves and seeds; squalene present in hexane extracts of seeds; phytol found in hexane extracts of leaves; and octadecenamide present in water extracts of leaves and seeds of mahaleb.

1. Predicting the distribution, structure and biomass of mangrove forests is an area of high research interest. Across the Atlantic East Pacific biogeographic region, three species are common and abundant members of local mangrove communities; Rhizophora mangle, Avicennia germinans and Laguncularia racemosa. 2. Biomass prediction for these species has relied on two approaches: site-specific allometries based on the idea that environmental/climatic differences between sites drive growth differences, or the use of common allometric equations based on the idea that site driven differences are minimal. Meta-analyses of global compilations of interspecific plot level data (e.g. mean canopy height, stand basal area) show trends in size and structure with climatic variables, however this has not been critically evaluated across these species using empirical allometric growth functions. 3. We compared allometric equations derived from 590 individuals within and across nine broadly distributed sites at interspecific and intraspecific levels and explored the influence of climatic variables on allometric slopes and intercepts. 4. Assessing variables that can be used to predict biomass in the field (height, DBH, canopy spread), we find interspecific root mean squared errors similar to or smaller than intraspecific or site-specific equations for tree height. We also find significant effects of several climatic variables on growth allometries with the strongest effects from minimum temperature followed by precipitation seasonality. 5. Our results suggest that while climate has a clear influence on mangrove allometric growth, common equations, particularly using interspecific height to predict biomass, may have utility in biomass prediction. Future methodological improvements combined with data from a broader range of growth conditions will further inform which allometric relationships exhibit the most variability within and across sites and which variables best predict mangrove biomass.

In this study, we aimed to approximately solve singularly perturbed Volterra-integro differential equation with the Adomian decomposition method. The solution procedure is easy and fast. Firstly, the equation is written in operator form. Then the integral operator is applied to all sides of the equation. The series solution is obtained by applying some operations to the given equation and then converting it into a recurrence relation. Error values show that the solution results obtained for the two applied examples are very close to each other. The proposed method gives successful results with 21 and 23 iterations.