Search Results (79)

In this study, we describe the preparation of carbon dots (CDs) from natural charcoal by laser ablation in a liquid. A continuum wave (CW) laser diode operating at a wavelength of 450 nm, hitting a solid carbon target placed into a biocompatible liquid, constituted of a phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution and distilled water, was used for the generation of the CDs suspension. Exploring the practical applications of carbon dots, it was observed that the luminescence of the produced CDs can be used as bioimaging in living organisms, environmental monitoring, chemical analysis, targeted drug delivery, disease diagnosis, therapy, and others. The CDs’ luminescence can be induced by UV irradiation and, as demonstrated in this study, by energetic MeV proton beams. The fluorescence was revealed mainly at 480 nm when UV illuminated the CDs, and also in the region at 514–642 nm when the CDs were irradiated by energetic proton ions. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) of the CD films revealed their spherical shape with a size of about 10 nm. The significance of the manuscript lies in the use of CDs produced by laser ablation exhibiting luminescence under irradiation of an energetic proton beam. Full article

This manuscript aims to explore localized waves for the nonlinear partial differential equation referred to as the $(1+1)$-dimensional generalized Kundu–Eckhaus equation with an additional dispersion term that describes the propagation of the ultra-short femtosecond pulses in an optical fiber. This research delves deep into the characteristics, behaviors, and localized waves of the $(1+1)$-dimensional generalized Kundu–Eckhaus equation. We utilize the multivariate generalized exponential rational integral function method (MGERIFM) to derive localized waves, examining their properties, including propagation behaviors and interactions. Motivated by the generalized exponential rational integral function method, it proves to be a powerful tool for finding solutions involving the exponential, trigonometric, and hyperbolic functions. The solutions we found using the MGERIF method have important applications in different scientific domains, including nonlinear optics, plasma physics, fluid dynamics, mathematical physics, and condensed matter physics. We apply the three-dimensional (3D) and contour plots to illuminate the physical significance of the derived solution, exploring the various parameter choices. The proposed approaches are significant and applicable to various nonlinear evolutionary equations used to model nonlinear physical systems in the field of nonlinear sciences. Full article

The transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) superfamily plays a crucial role in regulating female reproductive traits, particularly litter size, in small ruminants, such as sheep and goats. This review comprehensively examines the molecular mechanisms through which TGF-β superfamily members—including bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9), inhibin (INHA and INHB), and associated signaling genes—influence ovarian follicular development, ovulation rate, and ultimately, litter size. We synthesize recent findings on polymorphisms in key genes, such as BMPR1B, BMP15, GDF9, inhibins and SMADs family genes, across diverse sheep and goat breeds worldwide. The manuscript highlights how specific mutations in these genes create an intricate signaling network that modulates granulosa cell proliferation, follicular sensitivity to FSH, and the prevention of dominant follicle selection. These molecular interactions result in increased ovulation rates and larger litter sizes in prolific breeds. The gene dosage effects observed in heterozygous versus homozygous mutation carriers further illuminate the complex nature of these reproductive regulations. This improved the understanding of the genetic basis for prolificacy provides valuable insights for marker-assisted selection strategies aimed at enhancing reproductive efficiency in small ruminant breeding programs, with significant implications for improving livestock productivity and economic outcomes. Full article

The dynamic vision sensor (DVS), or event camera, is emerging as a successful sensing solution for many application fields. While state-of-the-art datasets for event-based vision are well-structured and suitable for the designed goals, they often rely on simulated data or are recorded in loosely controlled conditions, thereby making it challenging to understand the sensor response to varying camera parameters and illumination conditions. To address this knowledge gap, this work introduces the JRC INVISIONS Neuromorphic Sensors Parametric Tests dataset, an extensive collection of event-based data specifically acquired in controlled scenarios that systematically vary bias settings and environmental factors, enabling rigorous evaluation of sensor performance, robustness, and artifacts under realistic conditions that existing datasets lack. The dataset is composed of 2156 scenes recorded with two different off-the-shelf event cameras, eventually paired with a frame camera across three different controlled scenarios: moving targets, mechanical vibrations, and rotation speed estimation; the inclusion of ground truth enables the evaluation of standard computer vision tasks. The proposed manuscript is complemented by an experimental analysis of sensor performance under varying speeds and illumination, event statistics, and acquisition artifacts such as event loss and motion-induced distortions due to line-based readout. The dataset is publicly available and, to the best of our knowledge, represents the first dataset of its kind in the literature, providing a valuable resource for the research community to advance the development of event-based vision systems and applications. Full article

The content in this autoethnography manuscript is significant because it takes a different angle than the typical discourse surrounding sport-based youth development (SBYD). Typically, the discourse on SBYD focuses on the positive outcomes of improved social–emotional learning and academic achievement. In using an autoethnographic approach, I share stories from my personal experience as a practitioner in the field to illustrate a new perspective on how to think about the impact of sport-based youth development on young people. Though those outcomes are positive and impactful, they fail to capture the continued inequity in the quality of youth sports programs in underserved communities compared to others. I utilize research in SBYD to analyze each story as a practitioner in the field to thoroughly reflect on my personal experiences and their relation to social justice. The stories are also a tool for making the connection between the individual work of various organizations pursuing sport equity. Through storytelling, reflection, and analysis, I connect the mission of each organization I worked with to the concept of social justice youth development in a more personalized way than numbers and data can illustrate. Additionally, this autoethnography highlights non-traditional sport spaces and advocates for a way to fuse social justice into them. This manuscript seeks to simultaneously refresh the way equity in sport has been looked at, while also illuminating the ways it is already being examined. The paper presents new questions that can be used to better analyze the presence of social justice in youth sports and provides a potential pathway forward by grounding in a definition of quality SBYD programming. These questions imply that the measures of the impact and potential benefits of SBYD may need to be redefined to better match the real lived experiences of individual youth participating in such programs. Full article

For the Norman kings of Sicily and the ecclesiastical authorities who ruled their dioceses, Byzantine art served as both a symbol of luxury and a model of prestige. Similarly to the mosaics of Palermo, Monreale, and Cefalú, as well as textiles and goldsmithing, the manuscripts preserved in the National Library of Madrid stand as prime examples of the fascination that the dignitaries of the Kingdom of Sicily had for Byzantine esthetics. Among these manuscripts, the Sacramentary of Messina (Madrid, BNE Ms. 52) is perhaps the most striking. This Latin sacramentary, comprising 303 folios, features illuminated initials, a calendar with depictions of classical topics, such as the Spinario and a compelling depiction of August inspired by the Byzantine Koimesis, the months and zodiac, and two full-page illustrations depicting the Virgin Glykophilousa, the Crucifixion, and the Deesis. This study has a dual focus. First, it aims to analyze the iconographic peculiarities of the monthly images in this Latin calendar. Second, it seeks to provide new insights into the manuscript’s patronage and its place of origin. In this context, one of the most striking and significant aspects of the sacramentary’s iconography is the prominent role of the Virgin, a theme that will also be examined in this study. Archbishop Richard Palmer emerges as the leading candidate to have been the driving force in the patronage of the manuscript to the Royal scriptoria of Palermo. Full article

The illustrated books of Kōriki Enkōan (1756–1831), a samurai and amateur illustrator from Owari domain, offer a unique window into the culture of spectacle and display that flourished in late Edo-period Japan. Included in his corpus are several manuscripts that document kaichō, public exhibitions of sacred icons and temple treasures hosted by Buddhist temples and other venues. While most studies of kaichō emphasize their popularity in the capital of Edo, this article focuses on Enkōan’s illustrated manuscript of an exhibition of the famous Seiryōji Shaka that was held in Nagoya in 1819. Situating the event and its visual documentation within the statue’s legendary history as a traveling icon, the study explores how Enkōan’s careful manipulation of text and image created an immersive reading experience that allowed its readers a kind of virtual access to the exhibition. Considering the author’s position within the contemporary social hierarchy, it also addresses the role that samurai values may have played in shaping the representation of kaichō and illuminates its intersections with urban spectacle and emerging exhibition practices in early modern Japan. Full article

The popular perception of Matilda of Canossa (1046–1115) is one which is typically filtered through the events of the Investiture Controversy and the famed 1077 meeting at Canossa and is thus prismatically reflected through the legacy of two men, Emperor Henry IV (1050–1106) and Pope Gregory VII (1020–1085). Though not an atypical journey through time for any female figure of history, it is a historiographical transformation which has altogether subverted studies of Matilda’s agency and authority. This has obfuscated studies of Matilda’s own agency and authority, where her oft contentious attitude toward and relationship to the regnum has typically been classified as a side effect of her extreme devotion to the papacy, rather than its own effort. This paper will begin to unwind the evidence of Matilda’s personal rebellion from the king by examining the biography produced at the end of her lifetime, the Vita Mathildis (Vatican City, Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, MS. Vat. Lat. 4922). The examination of both the text and illuminations of the manuscript makes clear that Matilda’s rejection of the regnum was not merely a side effect of lifelong loyalty to the papacy but was also part of a conscious rejection of imperial authority, evidence of which can be found through vigorous textual and visual analyses. Full article

Choirbooks are historical heritage manuscripts used for the performance of vocal music in religious ceremonies in colonial times. This study aimed to understand the characteristics of choirbook manuscripts produced in the Real Audiencia de Quito during the 17th century. The methodology combined non-invasive techniques, such as infrared false-color imaging (IRFC) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF), together with spot analysis by scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflection (FTIR-ATR). The analytical results revealed the use of pumice, chalk and lime carbonate as support materials in the manufacturing process and surface treatment of the parchment. In the illuminations, three pictorial techniques based on protein, polysaccharide and lipid binders were recognized, establishing that the pigments used with greater regularity in the illuminations were vermilion, minium, verdigris, orpiment, azurite, and indigo, preferably in a pure state. Materials used less regularly were also identified, such as yellow ochre, saffron, smalt, red ochre, and bone black, among others. Regarding the vulnerability of the pictorial materials, it was determined that, although most of the pigments exhibit chemical stability, they present some vulnerabilities associated with their intrinsic composition and the medium that contains them. Full article

Underwater vision data facilitate a variety of underwater operations, including underwater ecosystem monitoring, topographical mapping, mariculture, and marine resource exploration. Conventional laser-based underwater imaging systems with complex system architecture rely on high-cost laser systems with high power, and software-based methods can not enrich the physical information captured by cameras. In this manuscript, a low-cost modulated laser-based imaging system is proposed with a spot in the shape of a square ring to eliminate the overlap between the illumination light path and the imaging path, which could reduce the negative effect of backscatter on the imaging process and enhance imaging quality. The imaging system is able to achieve underwater imaging at long distance (e.g., 10 m) with turbidity in the range of 2.49 to 7.82 NTUs, and the adjustable divergence angle of the laser tubes enables the flexibility of the proposed system to image on the basis of application requirements, such as the overall view or partial detail information of targets. Compared with a conventional underwater imaging camera (DS-2XC6244F, Hikvision, Hangzhou, China), the developed system could provide better imaging performance regarding visual effects and quantitative evaluation (e.g., UCIQUE and IE). Through integration with the CycleGAN-based method, the imaging results can be further improved, with the UCIQUE increased by 0.4. The proposed low-cost imaging system with a compact system structure and low consumption of energy could be equipped with platforms, such as underwater robots and AUVs, to facilitate real-world underwater applications. Full article

Many injuries and deaths occur yearly in the United States due to preventable errors; however, documented harm is lower in hospitals with Magnet^® designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (Silver Spring, MD, USA). This manuscript illustrates insights from Magnet^® and non-Magnet^® nurses and nursing leaders regarding what impacts hospital system health, how those factors are communicated, and how hospital system health impacts patient safety. A qualitative descriptive approach was used with semi-structured interview questions. Within-methods data triangulation was applied to transcribed interviews using thematic analysis, application of the Goodwin statistic, and natural language processing (NLP). Thematic analysis revealed the four main themes of Healthy Systems, Unhealthy Systems, Patient Safety, and Nurse Well-Being. NLP revealed non-Magnet^® leaders and nurses scored highest for anxiety, anger, and sadness, in contrast to Magnet^® participants who had the highest levels of positive emotion. Key findings from the Magnet^® participants revealed that poaching employees and placing people in the wrong positions harm hospital system health and patient safety. The use of within-methods data triangulation illuminated the contextual depth of the participants’ speech, revealing the alarming emotional state that non-Magnet^® nurses and leaders are facing. Healthcare staff’s wellness must be prioritized to cultivate environments that provide safe care. Full article

This article examines the unique depiction of the Visitation in the Book of Hours of Juana Enriquez, housed in the Biblioteca del Palacio Real de Madrid and also known as the Book of Hours of Isabella the Catholic. While the Visitation is a common theme in other Books of Hours, this manuscript’s rendition stands out for its inclusion of visual elements not found in other works by the same illuminator. Through a detailed iconographic analysis, the article emphasizes the significance of the Visitation scene, exploring its visual components and their implications for understanding the spiritual and cultural context of the era. The study aims to highlight the Visitation miniature as a prime example of imagery crafted to serve the inner devotion of its first owner, Juana Enriquez. Ultimately, this research offers a deeper appreciation of the Book of Hours of Juana Enriquez as a product of its time, designed for meditation and contemplation. Full article

This article’s primary aim is to present a highly localised body of evidence from two neighbouring small communities, Garway and Pencoyd, in the Archenfield area of the Welsh March. In Garway’s case, two documents from either end of the long fifteenth century show the local community condemning its parish priest, siding first with one authority and then another, and stressing its Welsh lineage. In Pencoyd, the remarkable survival of the local priest’s manuscripts shows him to have been a diligent pastor and teacher, in tune with diocesan expectations and connected to networks of learning on both sides of the border. Such a local study illuminates evidence of great interest in its own right, but also helps open up the possibility of a wider narrative that attends more fully to local experience in its variety and to the agency of local people. Full article

During the restoration and digitalization intervention of the Manoscritto Parmense (Ms. Parm.) 3285 codex, a 14th-century illuminated volume that contains the three books of Dante Alighieri’s Divina Commedia belonging to the Biblioteca Palatina of Parma, the deposits present in the center of some bifoliums were removed using soft bristle brushes and collected. A preliminary observation of these deposits with a stereomicroscope allowed the detection of some pigment grains of different colors, likely detached from the full-page illuminations at the beginning of each book. These grains of the pigments were then analyzed in the Bologna ENEA Research Centre through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), EDX microanalysis, and micro-Raman spectroscopy, allowing the identification of the minerals or the compounds used as pigments. Consequently, some pigments that were commonly used in the Middle Ages such as gold leaf, typically employed in illuminations and the decoration of heading initials, cinnabar red, and different types of blue pigments, including traces of lapis lazuli and azurite, were identified. Full article

Total Quality Management (TQM) is a holistic approach widely adopted across industries to ensure quality control and management. This document examines TQM practices in the pharmaceutical, food, and nutritional supplement sectors, highlighting their vital role in public health, sustainability, and consumer acceptance. By analyzing the literature and case studies, the article demonstrates how TQM significantly ensures product safety and quality. Real-world examples and empirical evidence showcase the benefits of TQM methodologies, from rigorous quality control to efficient management processes, helping to meet and exceed regulatory standards. The article also underscores TQM’s critical role in addressing sustainability challenges, integrating eco-friendly practices, reducing waste, and optimizing resources. Furthermore, TQM fosters consumer trust and loyalty through transparency, continuous improvement, and responsiveness to feedback, building lasting business–customer relationships. In conclusion, this manuscript illuminates TQM’s multifaceted impact on the pharmaceutical, food, and nutritional supplement sectors, presenting it as a pivotal framework for safeguarding public health, promoting sustainability, and enhancing consumer acceptance in a dynamic global landscape. Full article