York University

Due to the low cost and agile service provision, mobile charging stations (MCSs) have been deployed to complement fixed charging stations (FCSs). In the Internet of Electric Vehicles (IoEV) with MCSs, a major concern is to enhance the charging efficiency of MCSs. The charging efficiency of MCSs can be improved by prolonging the charging durations of MCSs, i.e., MCSs should undertake the charging tasks as more as possible, which can increase the charging profits of MCSs and reduce the charging expenses of IEVs (EVs with insufficient electricity). Besides, EVs and MCSs are selfish in terms of charging expenses and charging profits, respectively. In this paper, we propose a Bayesian game based Bidding Scheme for Mobile Charging enabled Electric Vehicles (BBS-MCEV). In BBS-MCEV, each IEV first calculates the maximum charging price (MCP) according to the potential expense if charged by nearby FCSs, and then the optimal charging price (OCP) is determined by the Bayesian game model. Each MCS accepts the charging request with the largest charging profit. Extensive simulations and comparisons demonstrate the superior performance of our proposed BBS-MCEV, i.e., with the Bayesian game model, IEVs can rationally bid for the mobile charging services from MCSs, and thus BBS-MCEV can increase the charging profits of MCSs and reduce the charging expenses of IEVs effectively. Besides, a proper tradeoff between the charging profits of MCSs and the charging expenses of IEVs can be achieved.

Chromosome movement speeds during anaphase are regulated by depolymerization of microtubules. Several models describe chromosome movement during cell division but none of them consider post-translational modifications of tubulin, even though such modifications help specify microtubules for unique cellular activities. Among these modifications, acetylation of Lysine 40 is one of the common post-translational modifications. Acetylation of microtubules greatly improves their stability, especially when subjected to cooling or drug treatment. Since kinetochore microtubules are acetylated in a variety of eukaryote cells, we wondered whether deacetylation of kinetochore microtubules was necessary in order for microtubules to be able to depolymerize during anaphase. HDAC6 (Histone Deacetylase 6) deacetylates acetylated tubulin. To study whether tubulin must be deacetylated during anaphase, we added to living cells two different HDAC6 inhibitors (Tubacin and Trichostatin A), separately, as chromosomes moved poleward in anaphase. Both HDAC6 inhibitors altered chromosome movement: chromosomes either completely stopped moving, or moved more slowly, or sometimes continued movement without speed changes. The effects of the inhibitors on chromosome movement are reversible: half-bivalents either restarted anaphase movement by themselves before washing out the inhibitor or resumed their poleward movement after the inhibitor was washed out. We suggest that kinetochore microtubules need to be deacetylated in order for normal anaphase movements to occur.

The recent mpox outbreak (in 2022–2023) has different clinical and epidemiological features compared with previous outbreaks of the disease. During this outbreak, sexual contact was believed to be the primary transmission route of the disease. In addition, the community of men having sex with men (MSM) was disproportionately affected by the outbreak. This population is also disproportionately affected by HIV infection. Given that both diseases can be transmitted sexually, the endemicity of HIV, and the high sexual behavior associated with the MSM community, it is essential to understand the effect of the two diseases spreading simultaneously in an MSM population. Particularly, we aim to understand the potential effects of HIV on an mpox outbreak in the MSM population. We develop a mechanistic mathematical model of HIV and mpox co-infection. Our model incorporates the dynamics of both diseases and considers HIV treatment with anti-retroviral therapy (ART). In addition, we consider a potential scenario where HIV infection increases susceptibility to mpox, and investigate the potential impact of this mechanism on mpox dynamics. Our analysis shows that HIV can facilitate the spread of mpox in an MSM population, and that HIV treatment with ART may not be sufficient to control the spread of mpox in the population. However, we showed that a moderate use of condoms or reduction in sexual contact in the population combined with ART is beneficial in controlling mpox transmission. Based on our analysis, it is evident that effective control of HIV, specifically through substantial ART use, moderate condom compliance, and reduction in sexual contact, is imperative for curtailing the transmission of mpox in an MSM population and mitigating the compounding impact of these intertwined epidemics.

Knowledge Graph Completion (KGC) has garnered massive research interest recently, and most existing methods are designed following a transductive setting where all entities are observed during training. Despite the great progress on the transductive KGC, these methods struggle to conduct reasoning on emerging KGs involving unseen entities. Thus, inductive KGC, which aims to deduce missing links among unseen entities, has become a new trend. Many existing studies transform inductive KGC as a graph classification problem by extracting enclosing subgraphs surrounding each candidate triple. Unfortunately, they still face certain challenges, such as the expensive time consumption caused by the repeat extraction of enclosing subgraphs, and the deficiency of entity-independent feature learning. To address these issues, we propose a global-local anchor representation (GLAR) learning method for inductive KGC. Unlike previous methods that utilize enclosing subgraphs, we extract a shared opening subgraph for all candidates and perform reasoning on it, enabling the model to perform reasoning more efficiently. Moreover, we design some transferable global and local anchors to learn rich entity-independent features for emerging entities. Finally, a global-local graph reasoning model is applied on the opening subgraph to rank all candidates. Extensive experiments show that our GLAR outperforms most existing state-of-the-art methods.

This paper investigates an improved dynamic guaranteed cost event-triggered-based anti-disturbance control for T-S fuzzy wind-turbine systems subject to external disturbances. A guaranteed cost event-triggered paradigm with dynamic threshold and sector structure is constructed to alleviate unnecessary triggers caused by outlier measurement. An additional event condition is designed to deal with the difference of premise variable between the system and controller. A PI-type intermediate estimator is introduced to simultaneously estimate the system state and external disturbance. Subsequently, an event-triggered fuzzy controller is built to actively compensate the external disturbances. With the help of Finsler's lemma, sufficient criteria are derived in terms of linear matrix inequalities to make the wind-turbine systems asymptotically stable. Finally, the proposed method is verified by comparative studies.

Goal models of the i* family have been shown to be suitable for concisely representing and analyzing goal variability. In standard i*, goal variability emerges due to the presence of OR-refinements, which describe alternative ways by which stakeholder goals can be fulfilled. On closer inspection, however, variability exists in goal models beyond what can be represented by OR-refinements. Firstly, given one set of tasks that fulfill the root goals, there are many alternative orderings by which those tasks can be performed. Secondly, tasks can have many alternative outcomes. In the past, we have proposed various approaches for analyzing these two types of variability, each accompanied by an extension to the i* notation that allows translation of the visual goal model into a formal specification suitable for automated identification of goal-fulfilling alternatives. In this chapter, we propose a consolidation of these extensions into iStar T, a unified extension to the current iStar 2.0 modeling language. iStar T proposes a minimum set of added modeling constructs and a core set of rules that allow translation of models into specifications usable by different reasoning systems. We describe the extensions, and, as examples, we sketch the rules to translate into Hierarchical Task Network and Golog specifications and the kinds of automated analysis that can be done with the result.

A mean-field model to describe electron transfer processes in ion–molecule collisions at the $\hbar =0$ level is presented and applied to collisions involving water and ammonia molecules. Multicenter model potentials account for the molecular structure and geometry. They include charge screening parameters which in the most advanced version of the model depend on the instantaneous degree of ionization so that dynamical screening effects are taken into account. The work is implemented using the classical-trajectory Monte Carlo method, i.e., Hamilton’s equations are solved for classical statistical ensembles that represent the initially populated orbitals. The time-evolved trajectories are sorted into ionizing and electron capture events, and a multinomial analysis of the ensuing single-particle probabilities is employed to calculate differential and total cross sections for processes that involve single- and multiple-electron transitions. Comparison is made with experimental data and some previously reported calculations to shed light on the capabilities and limitations of the approach.

Introduction The increased burden of climate-sensitive infectious diseases (CSIDs) within the circumpolar region, one of the many impacts of climate change, is impacting human, animal and ecosystem health. An integrated One Health approach to surveillance of CSIDs has been promoted by the scientific community as a prerequisite to enhance preparedness and response. Up to now, little is known about how the One Health approach has been implemented in surveillance systems for CSIDs in the Arctic and surrounding regions. Objectives The objectives of this study were to map surveillance activities currently implemented in the Canadian Arctic and subarctic for the 16 CSID identified by the Arctic Council, to describe how One Health has been operationalized in these activities, and to explore the integration and leadership of Indigenous partners in current surveillance systems. Method We performed the mapping in three steps: a rapid review of the scientific literature, a review of the grey literature and an online questionnaire sent to key stakeholders involved in CSID surveillance in the Canadian Arctic and subarctic regions. Results and conclusions We identified 37 scientific peer-reviewed and 58 grey literature records. We mapped (1) surveillance of mandatory notifiable diseases at the federal, provincial or territorial levels not specific to the Arctic and subarctic regions, and (2) non-mandatory surveillance programs specific to the Arctic and subarctic regions. We described programs targeting either a single disease, human populations or wildlife. In most programs, there was no explicit mention of the integration of the One Health approach, and little information was available on collaboration efforts between sectors. Programs involved Indigenous communities at various levels, ranging from very low communication to community members, to high involvement and leadership in program management. Improvement in current CSID surveillance activities in Canada should include enhancing information accessibility, ensuring geographic representation, fostering sustainability in implementation of One Health strategies, and stronger involvement of Indigenous communities in the leadership of surveillance systems. An internationally harmonised approach across the Arctic and subarctic regions for all CSIDs has the potential to unify circumpolar surveillance efforts, save resources, and ultimately better inform public health authorities on the actions to prioritize in the context of climate change.

Vaccine hesitancy presents a significant public health challenge, particularly among Syrian refugee parents in Canada, who navigate unique barriers to vaccination. This cross-sectional study explores the determinants of vaccine hesitancy, considering socio-demographic factors, resettlement conditions, health assessments, and healthcare system interactions. The study involved 540 Syrian refugee parents residing in Ontario with at least one child under 18, interviewed from March 2021 to March 2022. Participants were asked about their willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine, with those uncertain or unwilling categorized as “Hesitant” and others as “Non-hesitant.” Stepwise multivariable logistic regression assessed various factors associated with vaccine hesitancy. Among respondents, 15.2% expressed hesitancy toward taking the COVID-19 vaccine. Findings indicated that individuals who reported very good or good mental health had decreased odds of being vaccine hesitant (OR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.27–0.80). Also, individuals without a family doctor and those needing an interpreter but sometimes or never offered one were more likely to be hesitant (OR = 3.61, 95% CI: 1.42, 9.19; OR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.19–3.84, respectively). These results highlight the complex interplay of factors affecting vaccine decisions, emphasizing the need for culturally sensitive public health strategies to improve vaccine uptake in this population. While vaccine acceptance is low among Syrians (36%), the higher rate among Syrian refugees in Canada (84.7%) reflects the positive impact of healthcare access and resettlement support. This contrast highlights the role of such systems in shaping vaccine attitudes among vulnerable populations, informing targeted public health efforts to boost vaccine acceptance and support the health of Syrian refugees.

The House of the Seven Gables is a Gothic romance that deals with the conflict of ownership and inheritance in a uniquely American setting of New England. This paper argues that The House of the Seven Gables ’ happy marriage of Phoebe Pyncheon and Holgrave does not redeem the Pyncheons’ sinful past and the apparent unraveling through marriage functions as an act to maintain the class distinction and to present ownership as an Eden-like and natural state of affairs. Discussed in a religious context, the Gothic modes in the novel, though secularized to an extent, completely conform to this prevalent interpretation. The subversion of the Puritan Calvinist theology and entailed predestination and its containment in liberal theology allows the present generation to redefine their condition by their own will. This new, semi-Jeffersonian world of the present leaves the conflict of ownership unresolved; questions about the lawful and just rights of property and inheritance are too readily overshadowed by the optimistic and lightsome ending of the novel.

Flash floods pose significant threats as immediate and highly destructive natural hazards. Extending the forecast horizon of flash flood prediction models has been a key objective to enable timely warning or other mitigating measures. The integration of precipitation predictions into data-driven flash flood models remains unexplored. In this study, we propose an Encoder-Decoder LSTM-based model architecture for short-term flash flood prediction, which incorporates short-term rainfall forecasts and evaluates the influence of the associated uncertainty on these predictions. We conducted three sets of experiments to predict flash flood occurrences within a watershed with a 30-minute response time. The first set employed a baseline LSTM model without rainfall forecast integration. The second one utilized a proposed encoder-decoder LSTM model that incorporated accurate rainfall forecasts. Lastly, the third set of experiments introduced errors into the rainfall forecasts to evaluate the impact of forecast uncertainty on flood prediction. Computational experiments demonstrate that incorporating accurate rainfall nowcasts significantly enhances flash flood predictability, with F1-score improvements ranging from 10 to 60%, depending on the hydrological year. Furthermore, even when errors in rainfall magnitude and timing were introduced, overall the proposed framework outperformed models that did not use rainfall forecasts, delivering reliable predictions for up to two hours.

The type IV pilus is a diverse molecular machine capable of conferring a variety of functions and is produced by a wide range of bacterial species. The ability of the pilus to perform host-cell adherence makes it a viable target for the development of vaccines against infection by human pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Here, the 1.3 Å resolution crystal structure of the N-terminally truncated type IV pilin from P. aeruginosa strain P1 (ΔP1) is reported, the first structure of its phylogenetically linked group (group I) to be discussed in the literature. The structure was solved from X-ray diffraction data that were collected 20 years ago with a molecular-replacement search model generated using AlphaFold ; the effectiveness of other search models was analyzed. Examination of the high-resolution ΔP1 structure revealed a solvent network that aids in maintaining the fold of the protein. On comparing the sequence and structure of P1 with a variety of type IV pilins, it was observed that there are cases of higher structural similarities between the phylogenetic groups of P. aeruginosa than there are between the same phylogenetic group, indicating that a structural grouping of pilins may be necessary in developing antivirulence drugs and vaccines. These analyses also identified the α–β loop as the most structurally diverse domain of the pilins, which could allow it to serve a role in pilus recognition. Studies of ΔP1 in vitro polymerization demonstrate that the optimal hydrophobic catalyst for the oligomerization of the pilus from strain K122 is not conducive for pilus formation of ΔP1; a model of a three-start helical assembly using the ΔP1 structure indicates that the α–β loop and the D-loop prevent in vitro polymerization.

The analytic functions with natural boundaries have been only occasionally mentioned in literature. They were defined mainly by lacunary power series of Hadamard type, except for the modular function which is the result of a laborious construction. The case of infinite Blaschke products which cannot be analytically continued over the unit circle is also known, yet the authors have no knowledge about any study devoted to these functions. The purpose of this article is to take a closer look upon these functions, to find new techniques of generating them and to bring this topic into the mainstream study of analytic functions. A special attention is devoted to the theory of Blaschke products, which is completed with new results related to their boundary behavior, making possible the study of the Blaschke products with natural boundary. We apply to them the same method of study as for ordinary infinite Blaschke products obtaining mirror functions with respect to the unit circle. The working tool is that of the fundamental domains, which are easily revealed by the technique of continuation over a curve, or lifting of a curve, having its origins in the differential geometry. Graphic illustrations contribute to a better understanding of the theoretical endeavors.

This practice paper reflects on an ongoing Participatory Action Research project that combines community-engaged methods, national data analysis and advocacy to support community-based emergency response to extreme weather events in 16 Indigenous communities in Alta Verapaz province, Guatemala. Our work points to a worrying predicament experienced in climate-affected areas, where some populations face a dangerous confluence of climate vulnerability, social exclusion and state abandonment that imperils human health. Indigenous communities in Alta Verapaz are often particularly vulnerable to health impacts from climate-driven extreme weather events, a reality compounded by the historical and contemporary ways the state marginalises them. We share work from our project activities to shed light on these interconnected problems and how Indigenous communities in Alta Verapaz, especially Maya Q’eqchi’ communities, are using creative strategies to confront them. Technical solutions are important but insufficient responses. Community-led activism to push for state support to address extreme weather events, as has been practised in struggles for health rights, can provide vital tools for addressing the increasing challenges these populations face in the context of the climate crisis.

Objective The COVID-19 pandemic affected burn injury patterns in many countries, but literature on this topic in Canada is limited. The objective of this study is to investigate the changes in the epidemiology of burn injuries in a Canadian population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information were used to evaluate differences in emergency department visits before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Logistic regression models estimated the odds of a severe burn occurrence. Results During the pandemic, there were significant decreases in emergency department visits for burns. Distributions of factors associated with burns showed little to no change. The pandemic period, age, sex, income, month and time of day were significantly associated with severe burns during the study time period. Conclusions The study found large reductions in the number of emergency department visits during the pandemic, but no evidence of changes in the epidemiology of burns or patterns in the patient populations. Demographic factors associated with severe burns were identified. These factors should be studied to deepen the understanding of the relationship between burn injuries and patient populations.

This chapter provides an overview of recent advancements in CMOS sensing chips, highlighting their commercialization for various applications. The discussions emphasize the ongoing progress in CMOS sensor technology and its increasing relevance in life sciences, setting the stage for future innovations and applications. Related discussions are detailed in Sect. 6.2 of this chapter.

In recent years, the integration of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology into various forms of biosensors and flexible electronics has revolutionized the landscape of healthcare, environmental monitoring, and robotics. This chapter delves into the multifaceted applications of these advanced devices, ranging from portable handheld biosensors and implantable monitoring systems to wearable electrochemical sensors and smart textiles. It also explores the innovative concept of “Body Dust”, which aims to push the boundaries of in-body diagnostics through the development of ultra-miniaturized sensors. Table 5.1 compares a few recent advances in this field. This chapter provides an overview of how CMOS technology is poised to transform real-time monitoring, data analysis, and personalized medicine.