Lactate is a potentially harmful substitute for brain glucose fuel:consequences for metabolic restoration of neurotransmission

The metabolite lactate (L-lactate) can be generated and released by diverse brain cells,including neurons,astrocytes,and oligodendrocytes (Kann,2023;Rae et al.,2024).Lactate production usually requires the degradation of glucose (D-glucose)-and glycogen in astrocytes-to pyruvate by glycolysis and subsequent conversion of pyruvate to lactate by the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase(Figure 1A;Dienel,2019;Rae et al.,2024).

Parallelization strategies for resolved simulations of fluid-structure-particle interactions

Fluid-structure-particle interactions in three spatial dimensions happen in many environmental and engineering flows.This paper presents the parallel algorithms for the hybrid diffuse and sharp interface immersed boundary(IB)method developed in our previous work.For the moving structure modeled using the sharp interface IB method,a recursive box method is developed for efficiently classifying the background grid nodes.For the particles modeled using the diffuse interface IB method,a‘master-slave’approach is adopted.For the particle-particle interaction(PPI)and particle-structure interaction(PSI),a fast algorithm for classifying the active and inactive Lagrangian points,which discretize the particle surface,is developed for the‘dry’contact approach.The results show that the proposed recursive box method can reduce the classifying time from 52seconds to 0.3 seconds.Acceptable parallel efficiency is obtained for cases with different particle concentrations.Furthermore,the lubrication model is utilized when a particle approaches a wall,enabling an accurate simulation of the rebounding phenomena in the benchmark particle-wall collision problem.At last,the capability of the proposed computational framework is demonstrated by simulating particle-laden turbulent channel flows with rough walls.

Implications of electrode modifications in aqueous organic redox flow batteries

Aqueous organic redox flow batteries(RFBs)exhibit favorable characteristics,such as tunability,multielectron transfer capability,and stability of the redox active molecules utilized as anolytes and catholytes,making them very viable contenders for large-scale grid storage applications.Considerable attention has been paid on the development of efficient redox-active molecules and their performance optimization through chemical substitutions at various places on the backbone as part of the pursuit for high-performance RFBs.Despite the fact that electrodes are vital to optimal performance,they have not garnered significant attention.Limited research has been conducted on the effects of electrode modifications to improve the performance of RFBs.The primary emphasis has been given on the impact of electrode engineering to augment the efficiency of aqueous organic RFBs.An overview of electron transfer at the electrode-electrolyte interface is provided.The implications of electrode modification on the performance of redox flow batteries,with a particular focus on the anodic and cathodic half-cells separately,are then discussed.In each section,significant discrepancies surrounding the effects of electrode engineering are thoroughly examined and discussed.Finally,we have presented a comprehensive assessment along with our perspectives on the future trajectory.

Engineering g-C_(3)N_(4)based materials for advanced photocatalysis:Recent advances

Photocatalysis driven by abundant yet intermittent solar energy has considerable potential in renewable energy generation and environmental remediation.The outstanding electronic structure and physicochemical properties of graphitic carbon nitride(g-C_(3)N_(4)),together with unique metal-free characteristic,make them ideal candidates for advanced photocatalysts construction.This review summarizes the up-to-date advances on g-C_(3)N_(4)based photocatalysts from ingenious-design strategies and diversified photocatalytic applications.Notably,the advantages,fabrication methods and limitations of each design strategy are systemically analyzed.In order to deeply comprehend the inner connection of theory–structure–performance upon g-C_(3)N_(4)based photocatalysts,structure/composition designs,corresponding photocatalytic activities and reaction mechanisms are jointly discussed,associated with introducing their photocatalytic applications toward water splitting,carbon dioxide/nitrogen reduction and pollutants degradation,etc.Finally,the current challenges and future perspectives for g-C_(3)N_(4)based materials for photocatalysis are briefly proposed.These design strategies and limitations are also instructive for constructing g-C_(3)N_(4) based materials in other energy and environment-related applications.

An Optimization Approach of IoD Deployment for Optimal Coverage Based on Radio Frequency Model

Recently,Internet of Drones(IoD)has garnered significant attention due to its widespread applications.However,deploying IoD for area coverage poses numerous limitations and challenges.These include interference between neighboring drones,the need for directional antennas,and altitude restrictions for drones.These challenges necessitate the development of efficient solutions.This research paper presents a cooperative decision-making approach for an efficient IoDdeployment to address these challenges effectively.The primary objective of this study is to achieve an efficient IoDdeployment strategy thatmaximizes the coverage regionwhile minimizing interference between neighboring drones.In deployment problem,the interference increases as the number of deployed drones increases,resulting in bad quality of communication.On the other hand,deploying a few drones cannot satisfy the coverage demand.To accomplish this,an enhanced version of a concise population-based meta-heuristic algorithm,namely Improved Particle SwarmOptimization(IPSO),is applied.The objective function of IPSO is defined based on the coverage probability,which is primarily influenced by the characteristics of the antennas and drone altitude.A radio frequency(RF)model is derived to evaluate the coverage quality,considering both Line of Sight(LOS)and Non-Line of Sight(NLOS)down-link coverage probabilities for ground communication.It is assumed that each drone is equipped with a directional antenna to optimize coverage in a given region.Extensive simulations are conducted to assess the effectiveness of the proposed approach.Results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves maximum coverage with minimum transmission power.Furthermore,a comparison is made against Collaborative Visual Area Coverage Approach(CVACA),and a game-based approach in terms of coverage quality and convergence speed.The simulation results reveal that our approach outperforms both CVACA and the gamebased schemes in terms of coverage and convergence speed.Comparisons validate the superiority of our approach over existing methods.To assess the robustness of the proposed RFmodel,we have considered two distinct ranges of noise:range1 spanning from−120 to−90 dBm,and range2 spanning from−90 to−70 dBmfor different numbers of UAVs.In summary,this research presents a cooperative decision-making approach for efficient IoD deployment to address the challenges associatedwith area coverage and achieves an optimal coveragewithminimal interference.

Prediction of Ground State Configurations and Electrochemical Properties of Li_(3)InCl_(6) Doped with F, Br, and Ga

Compared with conventional solid-state electrolytes, halide solid-state electrolytes have several advantages such as a wider electrochemical window, better compatibility with oxide cathode materials, improved air stability,and easier preparation conditions making them conductive to industrial production. We concentrate on a typical halide solid-state electrolyte, Li_(3)InCl_(6), predict the most stable structure after doping with Br, F, and Ga by using the Alloy Theoretic Automated Toolkit based on first-principles calculations, and verify the accuracy of the prediction model. To investigate the potential of three equivalently doped ground state configurations of Li_(3)InCl_(6) as solid-state electrolytes for all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries, their specific properties such as crystal structure,band gap, convex packing energy, electrochemical stability window, and lithium-ion conductivity are computationally analyzed using first-principles calculations. After a comprehensive evaluation, it is determined that the F-doped ground state configuration Li_(3)InCl_(2.5)F_(3.5) exhibits better thermal stability, wider electrochemical stability window, and better lithium ion conductivity(1.80 m S·cm^(-1) at room temperature). Therefore, Li_(3)InCl_(2.5)F_(3.5) has the potential to be used in the field of all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries as a new type of halide electrolyte.

Factors Associated with HIV/Tuberculosis Coinfection among People Living with HIV after Initiation of Antiretroviral Treatment in Lingwala Health Zone from 2021 to 2023

Context and objective: Around 8% of incident cases of tuberculosis (TB) were reported among people living with HIV worldwide in 2022. Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death among people living with HIV. Africa accounts for the majority of co-infection episodes, with over 50% of cases in some parts of southern Africa. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), around 9% of persons living with HIV (PLHIV) develop TB and 11% of TB patients are infected with HIV. The DRC is one of the 30 countries in the world bearing the brunt of co-infection. Despite the efforts made by countries to improve access to antiretroviral traitement (ART), TB remains a major problem among people living with HIV. The Lingwala Health Zone in the provincial city of Kinshasa recorded a large number of cases of HIV/TB co-infection during the study period. The aim of this study was to determine the factors associated with HIV/TB co-infection among PLHIV on ART in the Lingwala health zone (HZ) in Kinshasa. Methods: This was a case-control study conducted in the state-run HIV care facilities in the Lingwala health district among PLHIV who had visited the health facilities during the period 2021-2023. Cases were coinfected patients and controls were PLHIV who had not developed tuberculosis during the study period. Results: A total of 281 PLHIV were enrolled in the study, with 70 cases and 211 controls. Factors associated with HIV/TB co-infection after multivariate analysis were viral load (OR = 5.34;95% CI;1.8-15.8, p = 0.005). History of tuberculosis (OR = 20.84;95% CI;8.6-50.3, p -85.0, p = 0.005) and BMI Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the detection of these enumerated factors should prompt providers to actively search for tuberculosis with a view to organising early management.

Secure Transmission of Compressed Medical Image Sequences on Communication Networks Using Motion Vector Watermarking

Medical imaging plays a key role within modern hospital management systems for diagnostic purposes.Compression methodologies are extensively employed to mitigate storage demands and enhance transmission speed,all while upholding image quality.Moreover,an increasing number of hospitals are embracing cloud computing for patient data storage,necessitating meticulous scrutiny of server security and privacy protocols.Nevertheless,considering the widespread availability of multimedia tools,the preservation of digital data integrity surpasses the significance of compression alone.In response to this concern,we propose a secure storage and transmission solution for compressed medical image sequences,such as ultrasound images,utilizing a motion vector watermarking scheme.The watermark is generated employing an error-correcting code known as Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem(BCH)and is subsequently embedded into the compressed sequence via block-based motion vectors.In the process of watermark embedding,motion vectors are selected based on their magnitude and phase angle.When embedding watermarks,no specific spatial area,such as a region of interest(ROI),is used in the images.The embedding of watermark bits is dependent on motion vectors.Although reversible watermarking allows the restoration of the original image sequences,we use the irreversible watermarking method.The reason for this is that the use of reversible watermarks may impede the claims of ownership and legal rights.The restoration of original data or images may call into question ownership or other legal claims.The peak signal-to-noise ratio(PSNR)and structural similarity index(SSIM)serve as metrics for evaluating the watermarked image quality.Across all images,the PSNR value exceeds 46 dB,and the SSIM value exceeds 0.92.Experimental results substantiate the efficacy of the proposed technique in preserving data integrity.

Review on current development of polybenzimidazole membrane for lithium battery

With the rapid development of portable technology,lithium batteries have emerged as potential candidates for high-performance energy storage systems owing to their high energy density and cycling stability.Among the key components of a lithium battery system,the separator plays a critical role as it directly influences the battery performance benchmark(cycling performance and safety).However,traditional polyolefin separators(polypropylene/polyethylene)are unable to meet the demands of highperformance and safer battery systems due to their poor electrolyte compatibility,thermal runaways,and ultimate growth of dendrites.In contrast,membranes fabricated using polybenzimidazole(PBI)exhibit excellent electrolyte wettability and outstanding thermal dimensional stability,thus holding great potential as separators for high-performance and high-safety batteries.In this paper,we present a comprehensive review of the general requirements for separators,synthesis technology for separators,and research trends focusing PBI membranes in lithium batteries to alleviate the current commercial challenges faced by conventional polyolefin separators.In addition,we discuss the future development direction for PBI battery separators by considering various factors such as production cost,ecological footprint,preparation technology,and battery component compatibility.By exploring these perspectives,we aim to promote the continued application and exploration of PBI-based materials to advance lithium battery technology.

Superconductivity in kagome metal ThRu_(3)Si_(2)

We report the physical properties of ThRu_(3)Si_(2)featured with distorted Ru kagome lattice.The combined experiments of resistivity,magnetization and specific heat reveal bulk superconductivity with T_(c)=3.8 K.The specific heat jump and calculated electron–phonon coupling indicate a moderate coupled BCS superconductor.In comparison with LaRu_(3)Si_(2),the calculated electronic structure in ThRu_(3)Si_(2)shows an electron-doping effect with electron filling lifted from 100 meV below flat bands to 300 meV above it.This explains the lower superconducting transition temperature and weaker electron correlations observed in ThRu_(3)Si_(2).Our work suggests the Tc and electronic correlations in the kagome superconductor could have an intimate connection with the flat bands.

Probing the Efficiency of PPMG-Based Composite Electrolytes for Applications of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

PPMG-based composite electrolytes were fabricated via the solution method using the polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinylpyrrolidone blend reinforced with various contents of sulfonated inorganic filler.Sulfuric acid was employed as the sulfonating agent to functionalize the external surface of the inorganic filler,i.e.,graphene oxide.The proton conductivities of the newly prepared proton exchange membranes(PEMs)were increased by increasing the temperature and content of sulfonated graphene oxide(SGO),i.e.,ranging from 0.025 S/cm to 0.060 S/cm.The induction of the optimum level of SGO is determined to be an excellent route to enhance ionic conductivity.The single-cell performance test was conducted by sandwiching the newly prepared PEMs between an anode(0.2 mg/cm^(2) Pt/Ru)and a cathode(0.2 mg/cm^(2) Pt)to prepare membrane electrode assemblies,followed by hot pressing under a pressure of approximately 100 kg/cm^(2) at 60℃for 5–10 min.The highest power densities achieved with PPMG PEMs were 14.9 and 35.60 mW/cm^(2) at 25℃and 70℃,respectively,at ambient pressure with 100%relative humidity.Results showed that the newly prepared PEMs exhibit good electrochemical performance.The results indicated that the prepared composite membrane with 6 wt%filler can be used as an alternative membrane for applications of high-performance proton exchange membrane fuel cell.

Functional microfluidics:theory,microfabrication,and applications

Microfluidic devices are composed of microchannels with a diameter ranging from ten to a few hundred micrometers.Thus,quite a small(10-9–10-18l)amount of liquid can be manipulated by such a precise system.In the past three decades,significant progress in materials science,microfabrication,and various applications has boosted the development of promising functional microfluidic devices.In this review,the recent progress on novel microfluidic devices with various functions and applications is presented.First,the theory and numerical methods for studying the performance of microfluidic devices are briefly introduced.Then,materials and fabrication methods of functional microfluidic devices are summarized.Next,the recent significant advances in applications of microfluidic devices are highlighted,including heat sinks,clean water production,chemical reactions,sensors,biomedicine,capillaric circuits,wearable electronic devices,and microrobotics.Finally,perspectives on the challenges and future developments of functional microfluidic devices are presented.This review aims to inspire researchers from various fields engineering,materials,chemistry,mathematics,physics,and more—to collaborate and drive forward the development and applications of functional microfluidic devices,specifically for achieving carbon neutrality.

Unsaturated bi-heterometal clusters in metal-vacancy sites of 2D MoS2 for efficient hydrogen evolution

The valence states and coordination structures of doped heterometal atoms in two-dimensional(2D)nanomaterials lack predictable regulation strategies.Hence,a robust method is proposed to form unsaturated heteroatom clusters via the metal-vacancy restraint mechanism,which can precisely regulate the bonding and valence state of heterometal atoms doped in 2D molybdenum disulfide.The unsaturated valence state of heterometal Pt and Ru cluster atoms form a spatial coordination structure with Pt–S and Ru–O–S as catalytically active sites.Among them,the strong binding energy of negatively charged suspended S and O sites for H+,as well as the weak adsorption of positively charged unsaturated heterometal atoms for H*,reduces the energy barrier of the hydrogen evolution reaction proved by theoretical calculation.Whereupon,the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance is markedly improved by the ensemble effect of unsaturated heterometal atoms and highlighted with an overpotential of 84 mV and Tafel slope of 68.5 mV dec^(−1).In brief,this metal vacancy-induced valence state regulation of heterometal can manipulate the coordination structure and catalytic activity of heterometal atoms doped in the 2D atomic lattice but not limited to 2D nanomaterials.

Hydrogen sulfide responsive nanoplatforms: Novel gas responsive drug delivery carriers for biomedical applications

Hydrogen sulfide(H_(2)S)is a toxic,essential gas used in various biological and physical processes and has been the subject of many targeted studies on its role as a new gas transmitter.These studies have mainly focused on the production and pharmacological side effects caused by H_(2)S.Therefore,effective strategies to remove H_(2)S has become a key research topic.Furthermore,the development of novel nanoplatforms has provided new tools for the targeted removal of H_(2)S.This paper was performed to review the association between H_(2)S anddisease,relatedH_(2)S inhibitory drugs,aswell as H_(2)S responsive nanoplatforms(HRNs).This review first analyzed the role of H_(2)S in multiple tissues and conditions.Second,common drugs used to eliminate H_(2)S,as well as their potential for combination with anticancer agents,were summarized.Not only the existing studies on HRNs,but also the inhibition H_(2)S combined with different therapeutic methods were both sorted out in this review.Furthermore,this review provided in-depth analysis of the potential of HRNs about treatment or detection in detail.Finally,potential challenges of HRNs were proposed.This study demonstrates the excellent potential of HRNs for biomedical applications.

Efficient and Stable Inverted Perovskite Solar Modules Enabled by Solid-Liquid Two-Step Film Formation

A considerable efficiency gap exists between large-area perovskite solar modules and small-area perovskite solar cells.The control of forming uniform and large-area film and perovskite crystallization is still the main obstacle restricting the efficiency of PSMs.In this work,we adopted a solid-liquid two-step film formation technique,which involved the evaporation of a lead iodide film and blade coating of an organic ammonium halide solution to prepare perovskite films.This method possesses the advantages of integrating vapor deposition and solution methods,which could apply to substrates with different roughness and avoid using toxic solvents to achieve a more uniform,large-area perovskite film.Furthermore,modification of the NiO_(x)/perovskite buried interface and introduction of Urea additives were utilized to reduce interface recombination and regulate perovskite crystallization.As a result,a large-area perovskite film possessing larger grains,fewer pinholes,and reduced defects could be achieved.The inverted PSM with an active area of 61.56 cm^(2)(10×10 cm^(2)substrate)achieved a champion power conversion efficiency of 20.56%and significantly improved stability.This method suggests an innovative approach to resolving the uniformity issue associated with large-area film fabrication.

Serotonin type 3 receptor subunit gene polymorphisms associated with psychosomatic symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome:A multicenter retrospective study

BACKGROUND Single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)of the serotonin type 3 receptor subunit(HTR3)genes have been associated with psychosomatic symptoms,but it is not clear whether these associations exist in irritable bowel syndrome(IBS).AIM To assess the association of HTR3 polymorphisms with depressive,anxiety,and somatization symptoms in individuals with IBS.METHODS In this retrospective study,623 participants with IBS were recruited from five specialty centers in Germany,Sweden,the United States,the United Kingdom,and Ireland.Depressive,anxiety,and somatization symptoms and sociodemographic characteristics were collected.Four functional SNPs—HTR3A c.-42C>T,HTR3B c.386A>C,HTR3C c.489C>A,and HTR3E c.*76G>A—were genotyped and analyzed using the dominant and recessive models.We also performed separate analyses for sex and IBS subtypes.SNP scores were calculated as the number of minor alleles of the SNPs above.The impact of HTR3C c.489C>A was tested by radioligand-binding and calcium influx assays.RESULTS Depressive and anxiety symptoms significantly worsened with increasing numbers of minor HTR3C c.489C>A alleles in the dominant model(F_(depressive)=7.475,P_(depressive)=0.006;F_(anxiety)=6.535,P_(anxiety)=0.011).A higher SNP score(range 0-6)was linked to a worsened depressive symptoms score(F=7.710,P-linear trend=0.006)in IBS.The potential relevance of the HTR3C SNP was corroborated,showing changes in the expression level of 5-HT3AC variant receptors.CONCLUSION We have provided the first evidence that HTR3C c.489C>A is involved in depressive and anxiety symptoms in individuals with IBS.The SNP score indicated that an increasing number of minor alleles is linked to the worsening of depressive symptoms in IBS.

Heteroatom-Induced Accelerated Kinetics on Nickel Selenide for Highly Efficient Hydrazine-Assisted Water Splitting and Zn-Hydrazine Battery

Hydrazine-assisted water electrolysis is a promising energy conversion technology for highly efficient hydrogen production.Rational design of bifunctional electrocatalysts,which can simultaneously accelerate hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)/hydrazine oxidation reaction(HzOR)kinetics,is the key step.Herein,we demonstrate the development of ultrathin P/Fe co-doped NiSe_(2) nanosheets supported on modified Ni foam(P/Fe-NiSe_(2)) synthesized through a facile electrodeposition process and subsequent heat treatment.Based on electrochemical measurements,characterizations,and density functional theory calculations,a favorable“2+2”reaction mechanism with a two-step HER process and a two-step HzOR step was fully proved and the specific effect of P doping on HzOR kinetics was investigated.P/Fe-NiSe_(2) thus yields an impressive electrocatalytic performance,delivering a high current density of 100 mA cm^(−2) with potentials of−168 and 200 mV for HER and HzOR,respectively.Additionally,P/Fe-NiSe_(2) can work efficiently for hydrazine-assisted water electrolysis and Zn-Hydrazine(Zn-Hz)battery,making it promising for practical application.

The second fusion of laser and aerospace-an inspiration for high energy lasers

Since the first laser was invented,the pursuit of high-energy lasers(HELs)has always been enthusiastic.The first revolution of HELs was pushed by the fusion of laser and aerospace in the 1960s,with the chemical rocket engines giving fresh impetus to the birth of gas flow and chemical lasers,which finally turned megawatt lasers from dream into reality.Nowadays,the development of HELs has entered the age of electricity as well as the rocket engines.The properties of current electric rocket engines are highly consistent with HELs’goals,including electrical driving,effective heat dissipation,little medium consumption and extremely light weight and size,which inspired a second fusion of laser and aerospace and motivated the exploration for potential HELs.As an exploratory attempt,a new configuration of diode pumped metastable rare gas laser was demonstrated,with the gain generator resembling an electric rocket-engine for improved power scaling ability.

Emerging MoS_(2)Wafer-Scale Technique for Integrated Circuits

As an outstanding representative of layered materials,molybdenum disulfide(MoS_(2))has excellent physical properties,such as high carrier mobility,stability,and abundance on earth.Moreover,its reasonable band gap and microelectronic compatible fabrication characteristics makes it the most promising candidate in future advanced integrated circuits such as logical electronics,flexible electronics,and focal-plane photodetector.However,to realize the all-aspects application of MoS_(2),the research on obtaining high-quality and large-area films need to be continuously explored to promote its industrialization.Although the MoS_(2)grain size has already improved from several micrometers to sub-millimeters,the high-quality growth of wafer-scale MoS_(2)is still of great challenge.Herein,this review mainly focuses on the evolution of MoS_(2)by including chemical vapor deposition,metal–organic chemical vapor deposition,physical vapor deposition,and thermal conversion technology methods.The state-of-the-art research on the growth and optimization mechanism,including nucleation,orientation,grain,and defect engineering,is systematically summarized.Then,this review summarizes the wafer-scale application of MoS_(2)in a transistor,inverter,electronics,and photodetectors.Finally,the current challenges and future perspectives are outlined for the wafer-scale growth and application of MoS_(2).

Energy-Efficient UAVs Coverage Path Planning Approach

Unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs),commonly known as drones,have drawn significant consideration thanks to their agility,mobility,and flexibility features.They play a crucial role in modern reconnaissance,inspection,intelligence,and surveillance missions.Coverage path planning(CPP)which is one of the crucial aspects that determines an intelligent system’s quality seeks an optimal trajectory to fully cover the region of interest(ROI).However,the flight time of the UAV is limited due to a battery limitation and may not cover the whole region,especially in large region.Therefore,energy consumption is one of the most challenging issues that need to be optimized.In this paper,we propose an energy-efficient coverage path planning algorithm to solve the CPP problem.The objective is to generate a collision-free coverage path that minimizes the overall energy consumption and guarantees covering the whole region.To do so,the flight path is optimized and the number of turns is reduced to minimize the energy consumption.The proposed approach first decomposes the ROI into a set of cells depending on a UAV camera footprint.Then,the coverage path planning problem is formulated,where the exact solution is determined using the CPLEX solver.For small-scale problems,the CPLEX shows a better solution in a reasonable time.However,the CPLEX solver fails to generate the solution within a reasonable time for large-scale problems.Thus,to solve the model for large-scale problems,simulated annealing forCPP is developed.The results show that heuristic approaches yield a better solution for large-scale problems within amuch shorter execution time than the CPLEX solver.Finally,we compare the simulated annealing against the greedy algorithm.The results show that simulated annealing outperforms the greedy algorithm in generating better solution quality.