Two prototype pneumatic boxing gloves of different design were compared against conventional 10?oz (Std 10?oz) and 16?oz (Std 16?oz) gloves in terms of ability to reduce impact forces delivered to a target. One of the...Two prototype pneumatic boxing gloves of different design were compared against conventional 10?oz (Std 10?oz) and 16?oz (Std 16?oz) gloves in terms of ability to reduce impact forces delivered to a target. One of the pneumatic gloves (SBLI) contained a sealed air bladder inflated to a pressure of 2?kPa. The other (ARLI) incorporated a bladder that allowed release of air to the external environment upon contact with a target, followed by rapid air reuptake. Each glove was placed on to a mechanical fist and dropped 10 times on to an in-floor force plate from each of nine heights ranging from 1.0 to 5.0 metres, with the 5-metre drop generating a peak pre-impact glove velocity close to the reported maximum for elite boxers. Compared to the conventional gloves, the ARLI glove substantially reduced peak impact forces at all drop heights, with the reduction exceeding 30% even at the 5-metre level. The SBLI glove was as effective as the ARLI glove in reducing peak impact forces at drop heights of up to 2.5 metres, but its performance then progressively diminished, and at drop heights of 4.0, 4.5 and 5.0 metres it produced peak force readings similar to those recorded for the Std 10?oz and Std 16?oz gloves. The superiority of the ARLI glove was even more evident in relation to peak rate of force development, with reductions relative to the Std 10?oz glove being ~60% at drop heights up to 3.5 metres and still ~47% at 5 metres. Peak rate of force development for the SBLI glove exceeded that for the ARLI glove for all drop heights of 2.0 metres and above, and at 4.0, 4.5 and 5.0 metres it was higher than the readings for the Std 10 oz and 16?oz gloves. The protective effect of the ARLI glove was?associated with an increase in impact compliance and prolongation of contact time between glove and target. It is concluded that a pneumatic boxing glove that provides for air exchange with the external environment can greatly reduce impact magnitudes across the whole range of pre-impact glove velocities likely to be encountered in boxing, thereby mitigating risks associated with the sport. While acceptance of the gloves by the boxing community is uncertain, opportunity may exist for almost immediate uptake in modified boxing programs.展开更多
Securing digital image data is a key concern in today’s information-driven society.Effective encryption techniques are required to protect sensitive image data,with the Substitution-box(S-box)often playing a pivotal ...Securing digital image data is a key concern in today’s information-driven society.Effective encryption techniques are required to protect sensitive image data,with the Substitution-box(S-box)often playing a pivotal role in many symmetric encryption systems.This study introduces an innovative approach to creating S-boxes for encryption algorithms.The proposed S-boxes are tested for validity and non-linearity by incorporating them into an image encryption scheme.The nonlinearity measure of the proposed S-boxes is 112.These qualities significantly enhance its resistance to common cryptographic attacks,ensuring high image data security.Furthermore,to assess the robustness of the S-boxes,an encryption system has also been proposed and the proposed S-boxes have been integrated into the designed encryption system.To validate the effectiveness of the proposed encryption system,a comprehensive security analysis including brute force attack and histogram analysis has been performed.In addition,to determine the level of security during the transmission and storage of digital content,the encryption system’s Number of Pixel Change Rate(NPCR),and Unified Averaged Changed Intensity(UACI)are calculated.The results indicate a 99.71%NPCR and 33.51%UACI.These results demonstrate that the proposed S-boxes offer a significant level of security for digital content throughout its transmission and storage.展开更多
Nowadays,one of the most important difficulties is the protection and privacy of confidential data.To address these problems,numerous organizations rely on the use of cryptographic techniques to secure data from illeg...Nowadays,one of the most important difficulties is the protection and privacy of confidential data.To address these problems,numerous organizations rely on the use of cryptographic techniques to secure data from illegal activities and assaults.Modern cryptographic ciphers use the non-linear component of block cipher to ensure the robust encryption process and lawful decoding of plain data during the decryption phase.For the designing of a secure substitution box(S-box),non-linearity(NL)which is an algebraic property of the S-box has great importance.Consequently,the main focus of cryptographers is to achieve the S-box with a high value of non-linearity.In this suggested study,an algebraic approach for the construction of 16×16 S-boxes is provided which is based on the fractional transformation Q(z)=1/α(z)^(m)+β(mod257)and finite field.This technique is only applicable for the even number exponent in the range(2-254)that are not multiples of 4.Firstly,we choose a quadratic fractional transformation,swap each missing element with repeating elements,and acquire the initial S-box.In the second stage,a special permutation of the symmetric group S256 is utilized to construct the final S-box,which has a higher NL score of 112.75 than the Advanced Encryption Standard(AES)S-box and a lower linear probability score of 0.1328.In addition,a tabular and graphical comparison of various algebraic features of the created S-box with many other S-boxes from the literature is provided which verifies that the created S-box has the ability and is good enough to withstand linear and differential attacks.From different analyses,it is ensured that the proposed S-boxes are better than as compared to the existing S-boxes.Further these S-boxes can be utilized in the security of the image data and the text data.展开更多
A substitution box(S-Box)is a crucial component of contemporary cryptosystems that provide data protection in block ciphers.At the moment,chaotic maps are being created and extensively used to generate these SBoxes as...A substitution box(S-Box)is a crucial component of contemporary cryptosystems that provide data protection in block ciphers.At the moment,chaotic maps are being created and extensively used to generate these SBoxes as a chaotic map assists in providing disorder and resistance to combat cryptanalytical attempts.In this paper,the construction of a dynamic S-Box using a cipher key is proposed using a novel chaotic map and an innovative tweaking approach.The projected chaotic map and the proposed tweak approach are presented for the first time and the use of parameters in their workingmakes both of these dynamic in nature.The tweak approach employs cubic polynomials while permuting the values of an initial S-Box to enhance its cryptographic fort.Values of the parameters are provided using the cipher key and a small variation in values of these parameters results in a completely different unique S-Box.Comparative analysis and exploration confirmed that the projected chaoticmap exhibits a significant amount of chaotic complexity.The security assessment in terms of bijectivity,nonlinearity,bits independence,strict avalanche,linear approximation probability,and differential probability criteria are utilized to critically investigate the effectiveness of the proposed S-Box against several assaults.The proposed S-Box’s cryptographic performance is comparable to those of recently projected S-Boxes for its adaption in real-world security applications.The comparative scrutiny pacifies the genuine potential of the proposed S-Box in terms of its applicability for data security.展开更多
The title compound, methyl 2-(diphenylamino)-4-phenyl-1,3-thiazole-5-carboxylate, was synthesized and studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction method. The structure of the product was confirmed by IR, 1H- and 13C...The title compound, methyl 2-(diphenylamino)-4-phenyl-1,3-thiazole-5-carboxylate, was synthesized and studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction method. The structure of the product was confirmed by IR, 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. These experimental studies were supported by quantum mechanical calculations. The structure was solved in monoclinic, space group P21/c with a = 9.573(3), b = 19.533(7), c = 9.876(3), β = 92.35(4)°, V = 1845.2(10)3, T = 85(2) K, Z = 4, R = 0.040 and wR = 0.089 for 6424 observed reflections with I2σ(I).展开更多
BACKGROUND: Neural stem cell (NSC) survival is closely associated with cell apoptosis in ischemic-hypoxic regions following transplantation. Numerous studies have revealed that X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) is a...BACKGROUND: Neural stem cell (NSC) survival is closely associated with cell apoptosis in ischemic-hypoxic regions following transplantation. Numerous studies have revealed that X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) is a transcription factor during endoplasmic reticulum unfolded protein response and is essential for cell survival, differentiation, and anti-apoptotic effects. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of the XBP1 gene on NSC proliferation and apoptosis under hypoxic conditions following XBP1 gene transfection into rat embryonic hippocampal NSCs using recombinant adenovirus vector. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: In vitro experiments were performed at the Laboratory of Cell Biology of Jilin University and Laboratory of Proteomics, Department of Neurology, Jilin University China from September 2008 to November 2009. MATERIALS: Recombinant adenovirus package XBP1 gene and Ad-XBPl-enhanced green fluorescent protein plasmid (Guangzhou Easywin BioMed Technology, China), rabbit anti-XBP1 and its target gene estrogen receptor degradation-enhancing a-mannosidase-like protein (EDEM) glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), anti-apoptotic molecule Bcl-2 and proapoptotic molecule Bax polyclonal antibody (Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc., Santa Cruz, CA, USA), and COCI2 (Sigma, St. Louis, MO, USA) were used in the present study. METHODS: Hippocampi from embryonic, Sprague Dawley rats on gestational day 16 were harvested for NSC isolation and cloning, followed by immunofluorescence for Nestin and sub-culturing. The recombinant adenovirus Ad-XBPl-enhanced green fluorescent protein plasmid was transfected into rat embryonic hippocampal NSCs, and then CoCl2 was applied to induce hypoxia. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cell quantification and 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide colorimetric assay were utilized to detect proliferation in XBPl-transfected NSCs for 7 consecutive days. Western blot assay was utilized to quantify XBP1 GRP78, EDEM, Bcl-2, and Bax expression. Flow cytometry was used to measure apoptosis. RESULTS: NSC proliferation was significantly enhanced following XBP1 gene transfection (P 〈 0.05). Under hypoxic conditions, GRP78, EDEM, and Bcl-2 levels increased, but Bax levels decreased. In addition, NSC apoptosis decreased following transfection (P 〈 0.05). CONCLUSION: The XBP1 gene was successfully transfected into rat embryonic hippocampal NSCs using a recombinant adenovirus vector. NSC proliferation following transfection, as well as anti-apoptotic effects under hypoxia, was significantly increased.展开更多
A conventional boxing glove and a prototype pneumatic glove were each fitted to a mechanical fist and dropped 253 times from a height of 3 metres on to a force plate covered by an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) mat. Imp...A conventional boxing glove and a prototype pneumatic glove were each fitted to a mechanical fist and dropped 253 times from a height of 3 metres on to a force plate covered by an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) mat. Impact dynamics were measured and modelled. From the outset, peak impact force and peak rate of force development (loading rate) were lower for the pneumatic glove. For both gloves, these variables displayed upward drift during the drop series, but the drift was smaller for the pneumatic glove. Consequently, the magnitude of the protective effect provided by the pneumatic glove increased with the number of impacts. For the conventional glove, change in peak force showed a close inverse relationship to force plate contact time (R2?>?0.96) and the time from first contact of the glove with the force plate to attainment of peak force (R2?=?0.85). These relationships were much weaker for the pneumatic glove (R2?=?0.09 and 0.59 respectively), suggesting the possibility of a more complex impact damping mechanism. Following the 253 drops of the pneumatic glove, the EVA mat covering the force plate was replaced, and another 10 drops then performed. Peak force readings were immediately reduced to an extent suggesting that 26%?-?34% of the increase that had occurred over the 253 drops was attributable to impact-induced change in mat properties. This has implications for future experimental designs. Overall, the findings provided further evidence of the potential of pneumatic gloves to enable safer boxing.展开更多
Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) was used to study interactions between water vapour and the surface of thermally converted sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). The decarboxyla- tion degree of the samples was varied...Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) was used to study interactions between water vapour and the surface of thermally converted sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). The decarboxyla- tion degree of the samples was varied from 3% to 35% and the humidity range was 54-100%. The obtained enthalpy values were all exothermic and showed a positive linear correlation with decarboxylation degrees for each humidity studied. The critical humidity, 75% (RHo), was determined as the inflection point on a plot of the mean-AH kJ/mole Na2CO3 against RH. Humidities above the critical humidity lead to complete surface dissolution. The water uptake (m) was determined after each calorimetric experiment, complementing the enthalpy data. A mechanism of water vapour interaction with decarboxylated samples, including the formation of trona and Wegscheider's salt on the bicarbonate surface is proposed for humidities below RHo.展开更多
The impact damping capabilities of four different boxing gloves were assessed under two different conditions of target padding to determine whether target characteristics might influence previous conclusions concernin...The impact damping capabilities of four different boxing gloves were assessed under two different conditions of target padding to determine whether target characteristics might influence previous conclusions concerning potential for impact mitigation through novel glove design. A conventional 10?oz glove (Std 10?oz), a conventional 16?oz glove (Std 16?oz), a prototype pneumatic glove with a sealed bladder (SBLI) and a prototype pneumatic glove with a bladder allowing air exchange with the external environment (ARLI) were each dropped three times on to a force plate from six heights ranging from 2.5 to 5.0 metres. The force plate was covered by a 50 mm thick mat of EVA material and results obtained were compared with those of an earlier experiment involving use of a similar protocol but a 25 mm thick EVA force plate covering. The thicker mat greatly reduced peak impact forces for all gloves, with values for the Std 10?oz glove becoming much closer to those reported by other researchers for punches delivered by elite boxers to crash test manikins. Peak rates of force development were also substantially decreased. Protective effects provided by the ARLI glove relative to the Std 10?oz glove were diminished but still in the order of 17%?-?22% for peak impact force and 27%?-?49% for peak rate of force development across the range of drop heights. With the 50 mm mat thickness, the SBLI glove was as effective as the ARLI glove in reducing peak impact force, whereas this was not the case with the 25 mm mat. It was, however, always inferior to the ARLI glove in decreasing peak rate of force development. The ability of the ARLI glove to afford protection across a spectrum of impact conditions could yield important practical advantages.展开更多
This study was aimed at improved understanding of the mechanisms of previously reported protective effects of a pneumatic boxing glove. A Motion Capture System was used to obtain velocity data from four different boxi...This study was aimed at improved understanding of the mechanisms of previously reported protective effects of a pneumatic boxing glove. A Motion Capture System was used to obtain velocity data from four different boxing gloves dropped on to a force plate from nine heights ranging from 1 to 5 metres. Two gloves were of the conventional type but differed in mass. The other two were prototype pneumatic gloves. One of these (SBLI) had a sealed bladder while the other (ARLI) incorporated a port allowing air exchange with the external environment. The pneumatic gloves decelerated more slowly than the conventional gloves following impact and compressed through a greater absolute distance. Consequently, they took longer to reach zero velocity. As drop height increased, these trends became more pronounced for the ARLI glove than the SBLI glove. Increase in velocity during rebound was also slower for the pneumatic gloves. The ARLI glove had a lower coefficient of restitution than any of the other gloves at low to moderate drop heights but not at high drop heights. The SBLI glove had a higher coefficient of restitution than the other gloves at all drop heights from 2 metres upwards. This indicated that, overall, the ARLI glove was the most effective, and the SBLI glove the least effective, in dissipating the kinetic energy of impact through conversion to other energy forms. For all gloves at all drop heights, peak positive acceleration at the beginning of rebound was of lower absolute magnitude than peak negative acceleration at the end of compression. The influence of drop height on an index characterising this relationship differed between the conventional and pneumatic gloves, possibly reflecting structural changes to gloves as impact energy increased. The conventional and pneumatic gloves differed regarding temporal alignment between key kinematic and kinetic events, and there were some differences between the two pneumatic gloves in this respect. Nevertheless, peak glove deceleration correlated highly with peak impact force, not only for each glove individually but also when data for all gloves were combined. The findings confirmed the potential practical utility of the ARLI glove and identified air cushion thickness, glove compressibility and capacity for air release and subsequent reuptake as critical aspects of its design.展开更多
Piezoelectric(PZ)energy has been paid attention to as conventional renewable energy sources including solar,wind,and geothermal power.To address the dilemma of climatic conditions affecting the energy harvesting using...Piezoelectric(PZ)energy has been paid attention to as conventional renewable energy sources including solar,wind,and geothermal power.To address the dilemma of climatic conditions affecting the energy harvesting using Lead Zirconate Titanate(PZT)in pavement,wafer-boxes were used with embedded PZT sensors,since wafer-boxes have the ability to be embedded in the pavement where sensors are protected from any kind of physical damage.This research project was designed to identify which shaped wafer-box produced the most electric voltage and power.Various forms of wafer-box were developed to identify if there was any potential difference in voltage generation due to the structural shapes of the box.Seven different shapes of prototype wafer-boxes were designed utilizing both a 3D printer and 3D Computer Aided Design(CAD).These wafer-boxes were coupled with embedded PZT sensors which were tested in asphalt pavement analyzer(APA)machine under certain load to produce electric voltage.Collected voltage data from the APA wheel load test(WLT)were analyzed using various statistical methods.The statistical analyses results indicated that out of the seven different shaped wafer-boxes,the right-angled triangular shaped box produced the highest average voltage values where’s square shaped wafer-box produced the lowest amount of voltage.Structural properties of a wafer-box in terms of section modulus,area moment of inertia,extreme points,and radius of gyration were also analyzed,and a regression analysis was conducted to identify the reasons of different amounts of voltage produced.These voltage values could be used to calculate the power using power formulas showing relationship between power and voltage values.The outcome helped to identify which shape is most effective to power generation under certain circumstances.The regression analysis results indicated that out of four properties the section modulus is the most influential structural property affecting voltage production.展开更多
Fines represent a significant volume of biobased wood material and filler,which is of significant importance to sheet quality.New imaging technology reveals the true nature of the behavior of fines in the retention pr...Fines represent a significant volume of biobased wood material and filler,which is of significant importance to sheet quality.New imaging technology reveals the true nature of the behavior of fines in the retention process.This study illustrates new chemical mixing systems,novel and efficient flash mixing methods,and active measurement and automation systems pertaining to efficient management of fines in the stock flow prior to headbox in paper,board,and tissue production,which can reduce additive,fresh water,energy consumption,and the carbon footprint of production to improve sustainability and provide novel opportunities for fines and filler management.展开更多
Technology is being increasingly used to aid judging in sport, but its employment as the primary means of scoring is rare. We have developed and implemented a fully automated scoring system in the context of a modifie...Technology is being increasingly used to aid judging in sport, but its employment as the primary means of scoring is rare. We have developed and implemented a fully automated scoring system in the context of a modified, low-risk form of boxing. The system, which requires contestants to wear vests and gloves incorporating sensor fabrics, has been used in multiple settings over the past five years. During that period, it has undergone progressive iteration guided by action research methodology. Here, we summarise that iteration, reflect on present status and identify possible future directions. We have found that concept of automated scoring has wide appeal, and the wearable technology is almost universally considered comfortable. Nevertheless, some issues remain to be addressed. Use of the technology requires considerable prior and subsequent commitment of time. Apparently valid contacts occasionally fail to score. Causative factors include the configuration of electrical circuitry in the vests and deterioration of that circuitry with repeated vest use and washing. Also, false positive scores are sometimes generated by vest self-shorting and effects of sweat. Many contestants adopt unorthodox styles aimed at exploiting the characteristics of the automated scoring methodology, affecting the aesthetics of the modified sport. There is an expectation that technologically-based scoring should have much greater accuracy than human judging, and should be essentially fail-proof. Disillusionment can occur in?situations where this expectation is not met. We have identified potential?solutions to all the existing issues, with some now being actively explored. Continuation of the quest seems justified by popular dissatisfaction with subjective human judging of boxing and other sports, but we have come to realise that purely technological judging can introduce unforeseen complexities. Our observations could be relevant to various sports interested in the notion of technological judging.展开更多
α-Acyloxycarboxamides are synthesized from three-component Passerini reaction between indane-1,2,3-trione, isocyanides, and thiophenecarboxylic acids in quantitative yields. The structures of the final products were ...α-Acyloxycarboxamides are synthesized from three-component Passerini reaction between indane-1,2,3-trione, isocyanides, and thiophenecarboxylic acids in quantitative yields. The structures of the final products were confirmed by IR, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis. The B3LYP/HF calculations for computation of 1H and 13C NMR chemical shifts have been carried out for the title compounds at the 6-311+G** and 6-311++G** basis set levels within GIAO and CSGT approaches. Predicted 1H and 13C NMR che-mical shifts have been assigned and compared with experimental 1H and 13C NMR spectra and they are supported each other.展开更多
In this study,a new analytical technique was developed for the identification and quantification of multifunctional compounds containing simultaneously at least one hydroxyl or one carboxylic group,or both.This techni...In this study,a new analytical technique was developed for the identification and quantification of multifunctional compounds containing simultaneously at least one hydroxyl or one carboxylic group,or both.This technique is based on derivatizing first the carboxylic group(s) of the multifunctional compound using an alcohol (e.g.,methanol,1-butanol) in the presence of a relatively strong Lewisacid (BF3) as a catalyst.This esterification reaction quickly and quantitatively converts carboxylic acids to their ester forms.The second step is based on silylation of the ester compounds using bis(trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) as the derivatizing agent.For compounds bearing ketone groups in addition to carboxylic and hydroxyl groups,a third step was used based on PFBHA derivatizationof the carbonyls.Different parameters including temperature,reaction time,and effect due to artifacts were optimized.A GC/MS in EI and in methane-CI mode was used for the analysis of these compounds.The new approach was tested on a number of multifunctional compounds.The interpretation of their EI (70 eV) and CI mass spectra shows that critical information is gained leading to unambiguous identification of unknown compounds.For example,when derivatized only with BF3-methanol,their mass spectra comprise primary ions at m/z M ·+ +1,M ·+ +29,and M ·+ - 31 for compounds bearing only carboxylic groups and M ·+ +1,M ·+ +29,M ·+ -31,and M ·+ -17 for those bearing hydroxyl andcarboxylic groups.However,when a second derivatization (BSTFA) was used,compounds bearing hydroxyl and carboxylic groups simultaneously show,in addition to the ions observed before,ions at m/z M ·+ +73,M ·+ -15,M ·+ -59,M ·+ -75,M ·+ -89,and 73.To the best of our knowledge,this technique describes systematically for the first time a method for identifying multifunctional oxygenated compounds containing simultaneously one or more hydroxyl and carboxylic acid groups.展开更多
One important step in binary modeling of environmental problems is the generation of absence-datasets that are traditionally generated by random sampling and can undermine the quality of outputs.To solve this problem,...One important step in binary modeling of environmental problems is the generation of absence-datasets that are traditionally generated by random sampling and can undermine the quality of outputs.To solve this problem,this study develops the Absence Point Generation(APG)toolbox which is a Python-based ArcGIS toolbox for automated construction of absence-datasets for geospatial studies.The APG employs a frequency ratio analysis of four commonly used and important driving factors such as altitude,slope degree,topographic wetness index,and distance from rivers,and considers the presence locations buffer and density layers to define the low potential or susceptibility zones where absence-datasets are generated.To test the APG toolbox,we applied two benchmark algorithms of random forest(RF)and boosted regression trees(BRT)in a case study to investigate groundwater potential using three absence datasets i.e.,the APG,random,and selection of absence samples(SAS)toolbox.The BRT-APG and RF-APG had the area under receiver operating curve(AUC)values of 0.947 and 0.942,while BRT and RF had weaker performances with the SAS and Random datasets.This effect resulted in AUC improvements for BRT and RF by 7.2,and 9.7%from the Random dataset,and AUC improvements for BRT and RF by 6.1,and 5.4%from the SAS dataset,respectively.The APG also impacted the importance of the input factors and the pattern of the groundwater potential maps,which proves the importance of absence points in environmental binary issues.The proposed APG toolbox could be easily applied in other environmental hazards such as landslides,floods,and gully erosion,and land subsidence.展开更多
Water droplets cause corrosion and erosion,condensation loss,and thermal efficiency reduction in low-pressure steam turbines.In this study,multi-objective optimization was carried out using the black-box method throug...Water droplets cause corrosion and erosion,condensation loss,and thermal efficiency reduction in low-pressure steam turbines.In this study,multi-objective optimization was carried out using the black-box method through the automatic linking of a genetic algorithm(GA)and a computational fluid dynamics(CFD)code to find the optimal values of two design variables(inlet stagnation temperature and cascade pressure ratio)to reduce wetness in the last stages of turbines.The wet steam flow numerical model was used to calculate the optimization parameters,including wetness fraction rate,mean droplet radius,erosion rate,condensation loss rate,kinetic energy rate,and mass flow rate.Examining the validation results showed a good agreement between the experimental data and the numerical outcomes.According to the optimization results,the inlet stagnation temperature and the cascade pressure ratio were proposed to be 388.67(K)and 0.55(-),respectively.In particular,the suggested optimaltemperature and pressure ratio improved the liquid mass fraction and mean droplet radius by about 32%and 29%,respectively.Also,in the identified optimal operating state,the ratios of erosion,condensation loss,and kinetic energy fell by 76%,32.7%,and 15.85%,respectively,while the mass flow rate ratio rose by 0.68%.展开更多
文摘Two prototype pneumatic boxing gloves of different design were compared against conventional 10?oz (Std 10?oz) and 16?oz (Std 16?oz) gloves in terms of ability to reduce impact forces delivered to a target. One of the pneumatic gloves (SBLI) contained a sealed air bladder inflated to a pressure of 2?kPa. The other (ARLI) incorporated a bladder that allowed release of air to the external environment upon contact with a target, followed by rapid air reuptake. Each glove was placed on to a mechanical fist and dropped 10 times on to an in-floor force plate from each of nine heights ranging from 1.0 to 5.0 metres, with the 5-metre drop generating a peak pre-impact glove velocity close to the reported maximum for elite boxers. Compared to the conventional gloves, the ARLI glove substantially reduced peak impact forces at all drop heights, with the reduction exceeding 30% even at the 5-metre level. The SBLI glove was as effective as the ARLI glove in reducing peak impact forces at drop heights of up to 2.5 metres, but its performance then progressively diminished, and at drop heights of 4.0, 4.5 and 5.0 metres it produced peak force readings similar to those recorded for the Std 10?oz and Std 16?oz gloves. The superiority of the ARLI glove was even more evident in relation to peak rate of force development, with reductions relative to the Std 10?oz glove being ~60% at drop heights up to 3.5 metres and still ~47% at 5 metres. Peak rate of force development for the SBLI glove exceeded that for the ARLI glove for all drop heights of 2.0 metres and above, and at 4.0, 4.5 and 5.0 metres it was higher than the readings for the Std 10 oz and 16?oz gloves. The protective effect of the ARLI glove was?associated with an increase in impact compliance and prolongation of contact time between glove and target. It is concluded that a pneumatic boxing glove that provides for air exchange with the external environment can greatly reduce impact magnitudes across the whole range of pre-impact glove velocities likely to be encountered in boxing, thereby mitigating risks associated with the sport. While acceptance of the gloves by the boxing community is uncertain, opportunity may exist for almost immediate uptake in modified boxing programs.
基金funded by Deanship of Scientific Research at Najran University under the Research Groups Funding Program Grant Code(NU/RG/SERC/12/3)also by Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University Researchers Supporting Project Number(PNURSP2023R333)Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University,Riyadh,Saudi Arabia.
文摘Securing digital image data is a key concern in today’s information-driven society.Effective encryption techniques are required to protect sensitive image data,with the Substitution-box(S-box)often playing a pivotal role in many symmetric encryption systems.This study introduces an innovative approach to creating S-boxes for encryption algorithms.The proposed S-boxes are tested for validity and non-linearity by incorporating them into an image encryption scheme.The nonlinearity measure of the proposed S-boxes is 112.These qualities significantly enhance its resistance to common cryptographic attacks,ensuring high image data security.Furthermore,to assess the robustness of the S-boxes,an encryption system has also been proposed and the proposed S-boxes have been integrated into the designed encryption system.To validate the effectiveness of the proposed encryption system,a comprehensive security analysis including brute force attack and histogram analysis has been performed.In addition,to determine the level of security during the transmission and storage of digital content,the encryption system’s Number of Pixel Change Rate(NPCR),and Unified Averaged Changed Intensity(UACI)are calculated.The results indicate a 99.71%NPCR and 33.51%UACI.These results demonstrate that the proposed S-boxes offer a significant level of security for digital content throughout its transmission and storage.
基金The authors received the funding for this study from King Saud University,Riyadh,Saudi Arabia under the research supporting project Number RSP 2023R167.Sameh Askar received this grant from King Saud University。
文摘Nowadays,one of the most important difficulties is the protection and privacy of confidential data.To address these problems,numerous organizations rely on the use of cryptographic techniques to secure data from illegal activities and assaults.Modern cryptographic ciphers use the non-linear component of block cipher to ensure the robust encryption process and lawful decoding of plain data during the decryption phase.For the designing of a secure substitution box(S-box),non-linearity(NL)which is an algebraic property of the S-box has great importance.Consequently,the main focus of cryptographers is to achieve the S-box with a high value of non-linearity.In this suggested study,an algebraic approach for the construction of 16×16 S-boxes is provided which is based on the fractional transformation Q(z)=1/α(z)^(m)+β(mod257)and finite field.This technique is only applicable for the even number exponent in the range(2-254)that are not multiples of 4.Firstly,we choose a quadratic fractional transformation,swap each missing element with repeating elements,and acquire the initial S-box.In the second stage,a special permutation of the symmetric group S256 is utilized to construct the final S-box,which has a higher NL score of 112.75 than the Advanced Encryption Standard(AES)S-box and a lower linear probability score of 0.1328.In addition,a tabular and graphical comparison of various algebraic features of the created S-box with many other S-boxes from the literature is provided which verifies that the created S-box has the ability and is good enough to withstand linear and differential attacks.From different analyses,it is ensured that the proposed S-boxes are better than as compared to the existing S-boxes.Further these S-boxes can be utilized in the security of the image data and the text data.
文摘A substitution box(S-Box)is a crucial component of contemporary cryptosystems that provide data protection in block ciphers.At the moment,chaotic maps are being created and extensively used to generate these SBoxes as a chaotic map assists in providing disorder and resistance to combat cryptanalytical attempts.In this paper,the construction of a dynamic S-Box using a cipher key is proposed using a novel chaotic map and an innovative tweaking approach.The projected chaotic map and the proposed tweak approach are presented for the first time and the use of parameters in their workingmakes both of these dynamic in nature.The tweak approach employs cubic polynomials while permuting the values of an initial S-Box to enhance its cryptographic fort.Values of the parameters are provided using the cipher key and a small variation in values of these parameters results in a completely different unique S-Box.Comparative analysis and exploration confirmed that the projected chaoticmap exhibits a significant amount of chaotic complexity.The security assessment in terms of bijectivity,nonlinearity,bits independence,strict avalanche,linear approximation probability,and differential probability criteria are utilized to critically investigate the effectiveness of the proposed S-Box against several assaults.The proposed S-Box’s cryptographic performance is comparable to those of recently projected S-Boxes for its adaption in real-world security applications.The comparative scrutiny pacifies the genuine potential of the proposed S-Box in terms of its applicability for data security.
基金supported by Urmia Branch,Islamic Azad University
文摘The title compound, methyl 2-(diphenylamino)-4-phenyl-1,3-thiazole-5-carboxylate, was synthesized and studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction method. The structure of the product was confirmed by IR, 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. These experimental studies were supported by quantum mechanical calculations. The structure was solved in monoclinic, space group P21/c with a = 9.573(3), b = 19.533(7), c = 9.876(3), β = 92.35(4)°, V = 1845.2(10)3, T = 85(2) K, Z = 4, R = 0.040 and wR = 0.089 for 6424 observed reflections with I2σ(I).
文摘BACKGROUND: Neural stem cell (NSC) survival is closely associated with cell apoptosis in ischemic-hypoxic regions following transplantation. Numerous studies have revealed that X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) is a transcription factor during endoplasmic reticulum unfolded protein response and is essential for cell survival, differentiation, and anti-apoptotic effects. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of the XBP1 gene on NSC proliferation and apoptosis under hypoxic conditions following XBP1 gene transfection into rat embryonic hippocampal NSCs using recombinant adenovirus vector. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: In vitro experiments were performed at the Laboratory of Cell Biology of Jilin University and Laboratory of Proteomics, Department of Neurology, Jilin University China from September 2008 to November 2009. MATERIALS: Recombinant adenovirus package XBP1 gene and Ad-XBPl-enhanced green fluorescent protein plasmid (Guangzhou Easywin BioMed Technology, China), rabbit anti-XBP1 and its target gene estrogen receptor degradation-enhancing a-mannosidase-like protein (EDEM) glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), anti-apoptotic molecule Bcl-2 and proapoptotic molecule Bax polyclonal antibody (Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc., Santa Cruz, CA, USA), and COCI2 (Sigma, St. Louis, MO, USA) were used in the present study. METHODS: Hippocampi from embryonic, Sprague Dawley rats on gestational day 16 were harvested for NSC isolation and cloning, followed by immunofluorescence for Nestin and sub-culturing. The recombinant adenovirus Ad-XBPl-enhanced green fluorescent protein plasmid was transfected into rat embryonic hippocampal NSCs, and then CoCl2 was applied to induce hypoxia. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cell quantification and 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide colorimetric assay were utilized to detect proliferation in XBPl-transfected NSCs for 7 consecutive days. Western blot assay was utilized to quantify XBP1 GRP78, EDEM, Bcl-2, and Bax expression. Flow cytometry was used to measure apoptosis. RESULTS: NSC proliferation was significantly enhanced following XBP1 gene transfection (P 〈 0.05). Under hypoxic conditions, GRP78, EDEM, and Bcl-2 levels increased, but Bax levels decreased. In addition, NSC apoptosis decreased following transfection (P 〈 0.05). CONCLUSION: The XBP1 gene was successfully transfected into rat embryonic hippocampal NSCs using a recombinant adenovirus vector. NSC proliferation following transfection, as well as anti-apoptotic effects under hypoxia, was significantly increased.
文摘A conventional boxing glove and a prototype pneumatic glove were each fitted to a mechanical fist and dropped 253 times from a height of 3 metres on to a force plate covered by an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) mat. Impact dynamics were measured and modelled. From the outset, peak impact force and peak rate of force development (loading rate) were lower for the pneumatic glove. For both gloves, these variables displayed upward drift during the drop series, but the drift was smaller for the pneumatic glove. Consequently, the magnitude of the protective effect provided by the pneumatic glove increased with the number of impacts. For the conventional glove, change in peak force showed a close inverse relationship to force plate contact time (R2?>?0.96) and the time from first contact of the glove with the force plate to attainment of peak force (R2?=?0.85). These relationships were much weaker for the pneumatic glove (R2?=?0.09 and 0.59 respectively), suggesting the possibility of a more complex impact damping mechanism. Following the 253 drops of the pneumatic glove, the EVA mat covering the force plate was replaced, and another 10 drops then performed. Peak force readings were immediately reduced to an extent suggesting that 26%?-?34% of the increase that had occurred over the 253 drops was attributable to impact-induced change in mat properties. This has implications for future experimental designs. Overall, the findings provided further evidence of the potential of pneumatic gloves to enable safer boxing.
文摘Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) was used to study interactions between water vapour and the surface of thermally converted sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). The decarboxyla- tion degree of the samples was varied from 3% to 35% and the humidity range was 54-100%. The obtained enthalpy values were all exothermic and showed a positive linear correlation with decarboxylation degrees for each humidity studied. The critical humidity, 75% (RHo), was determined as the inflection point on a plot of the mean-AH kJ/mole Na2CO3 against RH. Humidities above the critical humidity lead to complete surface dissolution. The water uptake (m) was determined after each calorimetric experiment, complementing the enthalpy data. A mechanism of water vapour interaction with decarboxylated samples, including the formation of trona and Wegscheider's salt on the bicarbonate surface is proposed for humidities below RHo.
文摘The impact damping capabilities of four different boxing gloves were assessed under two different conditions of target padding to determine whether target characteristics might influence previous conclusions concerning potential for impact mitigation through novel glove design. A conventional 10?oz glove (Std 10?oz), a conventional 16?oz glove (Std 16?oz), a prototype pneumatic glove with a sealed bladder (SBLI) and a prototype pneumatic glove with a bladder allowing air exchange with the external environment (ARLI) were each dropped three times on to a force plate from six heights ranging from 2.5 to 5.0 metres. The force plate was covered by a 50 mm thick mat of EVA material and results obtained were compared with those of an earlier experiment involving use of a similar protocol but a 25 mm thick EVA force plate covering. The thicker mat greatly reduced peak impact forces for all gloves, with values for the Std 10?oz glove becoming much closer to those reported by other researchers for punches delivered by elite boxers to crash test manikins. Peak rates of force development were also substantially decreased. Protective effects provided by the ARLI glove relative to the Std 10?oz glove were diminished but still in the order of 17%?-?22% for peak impact force and 27%?-?49% for peak rate of force development across the range of drop heights. With the 50 mm mat thickness, the SBLI glove was as effective as the ARLI glove in reducing peak impact force, whereas this was not the case with the 25 mm mat. It was, however, always inferior to the ARLI glove in decreasing peak rate of force development. The ability of the ARLI glove to afford protection across a spectrum of impact conditions could yield important practical advantages.
文摘This study was aimed at improved understanding of the mechanisms of previously reported protective effects of a pneumatic boxing glove. A Motion Capture System was used to obtain velocity data from four different boxing gloves dropped on to a force plate from nine heights ranging from 1 to 5 metres. Two gloves were of the conventional type but differed in mass. The other two were prototype pneumatic gloves. One of these (SBLI) had a sealed bladder while the other (ARLI) incorporated a port allowing air exchange with the external environment. The pneumatic gloves decelerated more slowly than the conventional gloves following impact and compressed through a greater absolute distance. Consequently, they took longer to reach zero velocity. As drop height increased, these trends became more pronounced for the ARLI glove than the SBLI glove. Increase in velocity during rebound was also slower for the pneumatic gloves. The ARLI glove had a lower coefficient of restitution than any of the other gloves at low to moderate drop heights but not at high drop heights. The SBLI glove had a higher coefficient of restitution than the other gloves at all drop heights from 2 metres upwards. This indicated that, overall, the ARLI glove was the most effective, and the SBLI glove the least effective, in dissipating the kinetic energy of impact through conversion to other energy forms. For all gloves at all drop heights, peak positive acceleration at the beginning of rebound was of lower absolute magnitude than peak negative acceleration at the end of compression. The influence of drop height on an index characterising this relationship differed between the conventional and pneumatic gloves, possibly reflecting structural changes to gloves as impact energy increased. The conventional and pneumatic gloves differed regarding temporal alignment between key kinematic and kinetic events, and there were some differences between the two pneumatic gloves in this respect. Nevertheless, peak glove deceleration correlated highly with peak impact force, not only for each glove individually but also when data for all gloves were combined. The findings confirmed the potential practical utility of the ARLI glove and identified air cushion thickness, glove compressibility and capacity for air release and subsequent reuptake as critical aspects of its design.
文摘Piezoelectric(PZ)energy has been paid attention to as conventional renewable energy sources including solar,wind,and geothermal power.To address the dilemma of climatic conditions affecting the energy harvesting using Lead Zirconate Titanate(PZT)in pavement,wafer-boxes were used with embedded PZT sensors,since wafer-boxes have the ability to be embedded in the pavement where sensors are protected from any kind of physical damage.This research project was designed to identify which shaped wafer-box produced the most electric voltage and power.Various forms of wafer-box were developed to identify if there was any potential difference in voltage generation due to the structural shapes of the box.Seven different shapes of prototype wafer-boxes were designed utilizing both a 3D printer and 3D Computer Aided Design(CAD).These wafer-boxes were coupled with embedded PZT sensors which were tested in asphalt pavement analyzer(APA)machine under certain load to produce electric voltage.Collected voltage data from the APA wheel load test(WLT)were analyzed using various statistical methods.The statistical analyses results indicated that out of the seven different shaped wafer-boxes,the right-angled triangular shaped box produced the highest average voltage values where’s square shaped wafer-box produced the lowest amount of voltage.Structural properties of a wafer-box in terms of section modulus,area moment of inertia,extreme points,and radius of gyration were also analyzed,and a regression analysis was conducted to identify the reasons of different amounts of voltage produced.These voltage values could be used to calculate the power using power formulas showing relationship between power and voltage values.The outcome helped to identify which shape is most effective to power generation under certain circumstances.The regression analysis results indicated that out of four properties the section modulus is the most influential structural property affecting voltage production.
文摘Fines represent a significant volume of biobased wood material and filler,which is of significant importance to sheet quality.New imaging technology reveals the true nature of the behavior of fines in the retention process.This study illustrates new chemical mixing systems,novel and efficient flash mixing methods,and active measurement and automation systems pertaining to efficient management of fines in the stock flow prior to headbox in paper,board,and tissue production,which can reduce additive,fresh water,energy consumption,and the carbon footprint of production to improve sustainability and provide novel opportunities for fines and filler management.
文摘Technology is being increasingly used to aid judging in sport, but its employment as the primary means of scoring is rare. We have developed and implemented a fully automated scoring system in the context of a modified, low-risk form of boxing. The system, which requires contestants to wear vests and gloves incorporating sensor fabrics, has been used in multiple settings over the past five years. During that period, it has undergone progressive iteration guided by action research methodology. Here, we summarise that iteration, reflect on present status and identify possible future directions. We have found that concept of automated scoring has wide appeal, and the wearable technology is almost universally considered comfortable. Nevertheless, some issues remain to be addressed. Use of the technology requires considerable prior and subsequent commitment of time. Apparently valid contacts occasionally fail to score. Causative factors include the configuration of electrical circuitry in the vests and deterioration of that circuitry with repeated vest use and washing. Also, false positive scores are sometimes generated by vest self-shorting and effects of sweat. Many contestants adopt unorthodox styles aimed at exploiting the characteristics of the automated scoring methodology, affecting the aesthetics of the modified sport. There is an expectation that technologically-based scoring should have much greater accuracy than human judging, and should be essentially fail-proof. Disillusionment can occur in?situations where this expectation is not met. We have identified potential?solutions to all the existing issues, with some now being actively explored. Continuation of the quest seems justified by popular dissatisfaction with subjective human judging of boxing and other sports, but we have come to realise that purely technological judging can introduce unforeseen complexities. Our observations could be relevant to various sports interested in the notion of technological judging.
文摘α-Acyloxycarboxamides are synthesized from three-component Passerini reaction between indane-1,2,3-trione, isocyanides, and thiophenecarboxylic acids in quantitative yields. The structures of the final products were confirmed by IR, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis. The B3LYP/HF calculations for computation of 1H and 13C NMR chemical shifts have been carried out for the title compounds at the 6-311+G** and 6-311++G** basis set levels within GIAO and CSGT approaches. Predicted 1H and 13C NMR che-mical shifts have been assigned and compared with experimental 1H and 13C NMR spectra and they are supported each other.
文摘In this study,a new analytical technique was developed for the identification and quantification of multifunctional compounds containing simultaneously at least one hydroxyl or one carboxylic group,or both.This technique is based on derivatizing first the carboxylic group(s) of the multifunctional compound using an alcohol (e.g.,methanol,1-butanol) in the presence of a relatively strong Lewisacid (BF3) as a catalyst.This esterification reaction quickly and quantitatively converts carboxylic acids to their ester forms.The second step is based on silylation of the ester compounds using bis(trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) as the derivatizing agent.For compounds bearing ketone groups in addition to carboxylic and hydroxyl groups,a third step was used based on PFBHA derivatizationof the carbonyls.Different parameters including temperature,reaction time,and effect due to artifacts were optimized.A GC/MS in EI and in methane-CI mode was used for the analysis of these compounds.The new approach was tested on a number of multifunctional compounds.The interpretation of their EI (70 eV) and CI mass spectra shows that critical information is gained leading to unambiguous identification of unknown compounds.For example,when derivatized only with BF3-methanol,their mass spectra comprise primary ions at m/z M ·+ +1,M ·+ +29,and M ·+ - 31 for compounds bearing only carboxylic groups and M ·+ +1,M ·+ +29,M ·+ -31,and M ·+ -17 for those bearing hydroxyl andcarboxylic groups.However,when a second derivatization (BSTFA) was used,compounds bearing hydroxyl and carboxylic groups simultaneously show,in addition to the ions observed before,ions at m/z M ·+ +73,M ·+ -15,M ·+ -59,M ·+ -75,M ·+ -89,and 73.To the best of our knowledge,this technique describes systematically for the first time a method for identifying multifunctional oxygenated compounds containing simultaneously one or more hydroxyl and carboxylic acid groups.
基金This research is supported by the MECW research programthe Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies,Lund University.
文摘One important step in binary modeling of environmental problems is the generation of absence-datasets that are traditionally generated by random sampling and can undermine the quality of outputs.To solve this problem,this study develops the Absence Point Generation(APG)toolbox which is a Python-based ArcGIS toolbox for automated construction of absence-datasets for geospatial studies.The APG employs a frequency ratio analysis of four commonly used and important driving factors such as altitude,slope degree,topographic wetness index,and distance from rivers,and considers the presence locations buffer and density layers to define the low potential or susceptibility zones where absence-datasets are generated.To test the APG toolbox,we applied two benchmark algorithms of random forest(RF)and boosted regression trees(BRT)in a case study to investigate groundwater potential using three absence datasets i.e.,the APG,random,and selection of absence samples(SAS)toolbox.The BRT-APG and RF-APG had the area under receiver operating curve(AUC)values of 0.947 and 0.942,while BRT and RF had weaker performances with the SAS and Random datasets.This effect resulted in AUC improvements for BRT and RF by 7.2,and 9.7%from the Random dataset,and AUC improvements for BRT and RF by 6.1,and 5.4%from the SAS dataset,respectively.The APG also impacted the importance of the input factors and the pattern of the groundwater potential maps,which proves the importance of absence points in environmental binary issues.The proposed APG toolbox could be easily applied in other environmental hazards such as landslides,floods,and gully erosion,and land subsidence.
基金This research was supported by Brain Pool program funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT through the National Research Foundation of Korea.(NRF-2022H1D3A2A02090885).
文摘Water droplets cause corrosion and erosion,condensation loss,and thermal efficiency reduction in low-pressure steam turbines.In this study,multi-objective optimization was carried out using the black-box method through the automatic linking of a genetic algorithm(GA)and a computational fluid dynamics(CFD)code to find the optimal values of two design variables(inlet stagnation temperature and cascade pressure ratio)to reduce wetness in the last stages of turbines.The wet steam flow numerical model was used to calculate the optimization parameters,including wetness fraction rate,mean droplet radius,erosion rate,condensation loss rate,kinetic energy rate,and mass flow rate.Examining the validation results showed a good agreement between the experimental data and the numerical outcomes.According to the optimization results,the inlet stagnation temperature and the cascade pressure ratio were proposed to be 388.67(K)and 0.55(-),respectively.In particular,the suggested optimaltemperature and pressure ratio improved the liquid mass fraction and mean droplet radius by about 32%and 29%,respectively.Also,in the identified optimal operating state,the ratios of erosion,condensation loss,and kinetic energy fell by 76%,32.7%,and 15.85%,respectively,while the mass flow rate ratio rose by 0.68%.