Pulling the Rug Out from Under: Biomechanical Microenvironment Remodeling for Induction of Hepatic Stellate Cell Quiescence.

Hepatic fibrosis progresses concomitantly with a variety of biomechanical alternations, especially increased liver stiffness. These biomechanical alterations have long been considered as pathological consequences. Recently, growing evidence proposes that these alternations result in the fibrotic biomechanical microenvironment, which drives the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs).

Mechanical Behavior of Oxide Dispersion Strengthened Steel Directly Consolidated by Rotary Swaging.

Among the main benefits of powder-based materials is the possibility of combining different constituents to achieve enhanced properties of the fabricated bulk material. The presented study characterizes the micro- and sub-structures and related mechanical properties of ferritic steel strengthened with a fine dispersion of nano-sized YO oxide particles. Unlike the typical method of preparation via rolling, the material presented herein was fabricated by direct consolidation from a mixture of powders using the versatile method of hot rotary swaging.

How much is too much: A case study of local self-government units in Slovakia using absolute variability to determine the importance of financial criteria in MCDM analysis.

The performance evaluation of local self-government entities is very difficult, as their primary goal is not to make a profit, but to provide services to their residents that will contribute to an increase in their quality of life. In this context, it is necessary to evaluate their activity from the point of view of several available criteria, for which it is possible to find relevant and recognized sources. The presented research works with five criteria, identified by the Institute for Economic and Social Reforms, and aims to quantify the agreement of the results of the assessment of the financial health of territorial self-government entities in 2020 using the TOPSIS technique with a gradually decreasing number of criteria.

Soliton wave profiles and dynamical analysis of fractional Ivancevic option pricing model.

This study dynamically investigates the mathematical Ivancevic option pricing governing system in terms of conformable fractional derivative, which illustrates a confined Brownian motion identified with a non-linear Schrödinger type equation. This model describes the controlled Brownian motion that comes with a non-linear Schrödinger type equation. The solution to comprehend the market price fluctuations for the suggested model is developed through the application of a mathematical strategy.

A safety comparison of heparin and argatroban anticoagulation in veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation with a focus on bleeding.

Background: Anticoagulation during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) might still lead to severe bleeding complications. Heparin is the most frequently used anticoagulant, but novel drugs could be promising. Argatroban is a new alternative to heparin.

On some new travelling wave solutions and dynamical properties of the generalized Zakharov system.

This study examines the extended version of the Zakharov system characterizing the dispersive and ion acoustic wave propagation in plasma. The genuine, non-dispersive field depicts a shift in plasma ion density from its equilibrium state, whereas the complex, dispersive field depicts the fluctuating envelope of a highly oscillatory field of electricity. The main focus of the analysis is on employing the expanded Fan sub-equation approach to achieve some novel travelling wave structures including the explicit, periodic, linked wave, and other new exact solutions are developed for different values of this parameter.

Water stable colloidal PVP coated spin crossover nanoparticles.

Stable aqueous dispersions of spin-crossover (SCO) doped [Fe(Htrz)(trz)](BF) nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by using water-soluble polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as protecting polymer. The metal or ligand substitution percentage regulated the ultra-small size and morphology of the NPs. At the same time, the colloidal dispersions showed a complete conversion of the LS state to the HS state of the Fe ion.

Tailoring the Li Intercalation Energy of Carbon Nanocage Anodes Via Atomic Al-Doping for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Graphitic carbon materials are widely used in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their stability and high conductivity. However, graphite anodes have low specific capacity and degrade over time, limiting their application. To meet advanced energy storage needs, high-performance graphitic carbon materials are required.

Tension-based abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture risk assessment improves its accuracy and reduces the time of analysis.

The biomechanical rupture risk assessment (BRRA) of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) has higher sensitivity than maximal diameter criterion (D) but its estimation is time-consuming and relies on an uncertain estimation of wall thickness. The aim of this study is to test tension-based criterion in the BRRA of AAA which removes the necessity of wall thickness measurement and should be faster. For that, we retrospectively analyzed 99 patients with intact AAA (25 females).

Explainable AI and optimized solar power generation forecasting model based on environmental conditions.

This paper proposes a model called X-LSTM-EO, which integrates explainable artificial intelligence (XAI), long short-term memory (LSTM), and equilibrium optimizer (EO) to reliably forecast solar power generation. The LSTM component forecasts power generation rates based on environmental conditions, while the EO component optimizes the LSTM model's hyper-parameters through training. The XAI-based Local Interpretable and Model-independent Explanation (LIME) is adapted to identify the critical factors that influence the accuracy of the power generation forecasts model in smart solar systems.

Single Atom Catalyst for Nitrate-to-Ammonia Electrochemistry.

Various life forms suffer from the negative effects of nitrate when it accumulates in water bodies, which is a major concern in the present day. The removal of nitrate from water bodies is a critical challenge, and the most effective method to achieve that is to change it into ammonia. Ammonia is a clean energy source and a vital input for the fertilizer industry.

Training artificial neural networks using self-organizing migrating algorithm for skin segmentation.

This study presents an application of the self-organizing migrating algorithm (SOMA) to train artificial neural networks for skin segmentation tasks. We compare the performance of SOMA with popular gradient-based optimization methods such as ADAM and SGDM, as well as with another evolutionary algorithm, differential evolution (DE). Experiments are conducted on the skin dataset, which consists of 245,057 samples with skin and non-skin labels.

The influence of surface properties on the cooperative behavior of powdered milks.

This study comprehensively analyzes various powdered milk samples to elucidate their structural, surface, and mechanical properties. Through detailed examination, diverse characteristics among the samples were observed, shedding light on their behavior under different conditions. Notably, findings reveal intriguing insights into surface energy profiles, Harkins spreading coefficient, powder rheological properties, and sound absorption efficiency of the powdered milk samples.

Statistics of the Sum of Double Random Variables and Their Applications in Performance Analysis and Optimization of Simultaneously Transmitting and Reflecting Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface-Assisted Non-Orthogonal Multi-Access Systems.

For the future of sixth-generation (6G) wireless communication, simultaneously transmitting and reflecting reconfigurable intelligent surface (STAR-RIS) technology is emerging as a promising solution to achieve lower power transmission and flawless coverage. To facilitate the performance analysis of RIS-assisted networks, the statistics of the sum of double random variables, i.e.

Sensors and Fault Diagnostics in Power System.

The adequate technical condition assessment of key apparatuses is a crucial assumption in the delivery of reliable and continuous electric power to customers [...

Application of Closed Incision Negative Pressure Wound Therapy in Ventral Hernia Repair Surgery Using a Polypropylene Mesh: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a significant complication following ventral hernia repair, potentially leading to prolonged hospital stays and increased morbidity. This study aimed to evaluate whether closed incision negative pressure wound therapy (ciNPWT) reduces the incidence of SSI after ventral hernia repair with polypropylene mesh compared to standard wound care. : A randomized study was conducted with 100 patients undergoing ventral hernia repair using a polypropylene mesh.

Analysis of Thermophysical Properties of Electro Slag Remelting and Evaluation of Metallographic Cleanliness of Steel.

Improving the competitiveness of steel companies is linked to sustainable, quality-compliant steel production. Therefore, new steel production technologies contributing to increased cleanliness of steel are continuously being developed and optimized. One way to achieve a high steel quality is to use electro slag remelting (ESR) technology.

Evaluation of the Influence of the Tool Set Overhang on the Tool Wear and Surface Quality in the Process of Finish Turning of the Inconel 718 Alloy.

The work deals with the influence of the reach of the applied tool holder on the edge wear, dimensional accuracy and surface quality defined by the topography as well as the roughness of the machined surface. The research has been conducted on specimens made of Inconel 718 in the configuration of sleeves, within the scope of finish turning with constant cutting parameters, = 85 m/min; = 0.14 mm/rev; = 0.

A hybrid approach for power quality event identification in power systems: Elasticnet Regression decomposition and optimized probabilistic neural networks.

The transformation of traditional grid networks towards smart-grid and microgrid concepts raises many critical issues, and quality in the power supply is one of the prominent ones that needs further research. Developing and applying power quality (PQ) recognition methods with efficient and reliable analysis are essential to the fast-growing issues related to modern smart power distribution systems. In this regard, a hybrid algorithm is proposed for PQ events detection and classification using Elasticnet Regression-based Variational Mode Decomposition (ER-VMD) and Salp Swarm Algorithm optimized Probabilistic Neural Network (SSA-PNN).

Analyzing the effectiveness of Nields constraint and stratification on dynamics of non-Newtonian fluid by executing numerical and machine learning approaches.

Stratified flows are commonly observed in numerous industrial processes. For example, a gas-condensate pipeline typically uses a stratified flow regime. However, this flow arrangement is stable only under a specific set of operating conditions that allows the formation of stratification.

Bimetallic Single-Atom Catalysts for Water Splitting.

Green hydrogen from water splitting has emerged as a critical energy vector with the potential to spearhead the global transition to a fossil fuel-independent society. The field of catalysis has been revolutionized by single-atom catalysts (SACs), which exhibit unique and intricate interactions between atomically dispersed metal atoms and their supports. Recently, bimetallic SACs (bimSACs) have garnered significant attention for leveraging the synergistic functions of two metal ions coordinated on appropriately designed supports.

Single Atom Engineered Antibiotics Overcome Bacterial Resistance.

The outbreak of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, or "superbugs", poses a global public health hazard due to their resilience against the most effective last-line antibiotics. Identifying potent antibacterial agents capable of evading bacterial resistance mechanisms represents the ultimate defense strategy. This study shows that -the otherwise essential micronutrient- manganese turns into a broad-spectrum potent antibiotic when coordinated with a carboxylated nitrogen-doped graphene.