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Blockchain technology is a decentralized method of securely storing information in blocks. Over the past few decades, sustainability has gained importance and been shown to be a crucial component in building robust supply chains. Manufacturers and suppliers are pressured to become more globally sustainable by customers who want their products verified for sustainability. Furthermore, problems with social sustainability are becoming more complex. Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) is the best tool for addressing this issue. In this article, we aimed to propose a combined compromise solution (CoCoSo) method for ranking blockchain platform selection using spherical fuzzy set (SFS) information. SFS is a well-known framework that provides greater freedom to decision-makers and better reliability than intuitionistic fuzzy sets, Pythagorean fuzzy sets, q-rung ortho-pair fuzzy sets, and picture fuzzy set-based frameworks. The CoCoSo approach under the SFS framework is a renowned tool for complicated decision-making problems. In this method, we consider both linear and non-linear correlations among criteria; the technique aims to give decision-makers a more comprehensive assessment of the alternatives. In the MCDM field, the idea of a power aggregation operator (PAO) is a valuable tool for investigating the weightage of alternatives. We also introduce Sugeno Weber tnorm (TN) and tconorm (TCN) operations under the SFS framework. MCDM Sciences utilizes The Sugeno-Weber operations because it provides a solution for managing ambiguous yet unclear information. The approach enables users to mix diverse inputs through a versatile mechanism that proves valuable for selecting from multiple factors. The cartel theme of this article is to construct a new family of aggregation operators (AOs) called spherical fuzzy (SF) Sugeno Weber power weighted averaging (SFSWPWA) and SF Sugeno Weber power weighted geometric (SFSWPWG) operators, including investigation of some fundamental axioms of AOs. The MCDM algorithm for the CoCoSo method will also be constructed, and the SFSWPWA and SFSWPWG operators will be established. We solve a real-life numerical problem for selecting the best blockchain platform using diagnosed approaches. In the numerical example, we rank blockchain platforms like Hyperledger Fabric, Ethereum, IBM Food Trust, and VeChain. Applying the proposed CoCoSo method, SFSWPWA and SFSWPWG operators “Ethereum” are the best options. The proposed methodologies also apply in real-life Sanrio’s where decision-making is involved. To check the applicability of the developed technique, we made a comparison with existing approaches such as interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy Heronian mean AOs, Pythagorean fuzzy Hamy mean AO, complex q-rung ortho-pair fuzzy Aczel Alsina AOs, and q-rung ortho-pair fuzzy Sugeno-Weber AOs. These discussed AOs are unable to handle SFS-based information. So, we concluded that the suggested framework is more reliable and superior to other discussed environments due to the presence of abstinence grade. Robust conclusions are given in the end.

Over the last ten years, there has been a significant interest in employing nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) to reduce dimensionality to enable a more efficient clustering analysis in machine learning. This technique has been applied in various image processing applications within the fields of computer vision and sensor-based systems. Many algorithms exist to solve the NMF problem. Among these algorithms, the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) and its variants are one of the most popular methods used in practice. In this paper, we propose a block-active ADMM method to minimize the NMF problem with general Bregman divergences. The subproblems in the ADMM are solved iteratively by a block-coordinate-descent-type (BCD-type) method. In particular, each block is chosen directly based on the stationary condition. As a result, we are able to use much fewer auxiliary variables and the proposed algorithm converges faster than the previously proposed algorithms. From the theoretical point of view, the proposed algorithm is proved to converge to a stationary point sublinearly. We also conduct a series of numerical experiments to demonstrate the superiority of the proposed algorithm.

The TrustZone technology is incorporated in a majority of recent ARM Cortex A and Cortex M processors widely deployed in the IoT world. Security critical code execution inside a so-called secure world is isolated from the rest of the application execution within a normal world. It provides hardware-isolated area called a trusted execution environment (TEE) in the processor for sensitive data and code. This paper demonstrates a vulnerability in the secure world in the form of a cross-world, secure world to normal world, covert channel. Performance counters or Performance Monitoring Unit (PMU) events are used to convey the information from the secure world to the normal world. An encoding program generates appropriate PMU event footprint given a secret S. A corresponding decoding program reads the PMU footprint and infers S using machine learning (ML). The machine learning model can be trained entirely from the data collected from the PMU in user space. Lack of synchronization between PMU start and PMU read adds noise to the encoding/decoding ML models. In order to account for this noise, this study proposes three different synchronization capabilities between the client and trusted applications in the covert channel. These are synchronous, semi-synchronous, and asynchronous. Previously proposed PMU based covert channels deploy L1 and LLC cache PMU events. The latency of these events tends to be 100–1000 cycles limiting the bandwidth of these covert channels. We propose to use microarchitecture level events with latency of 10–100 cycles captured through PMU for covert channel encoding leading to a potential 100× higher bandwidth. This study conducts a series of experiments to evaluate the proposed covert channels under various synchronization models on a TrustZone supported Cortex-A processor using OP-TEE framework. As stated earlier, switch from signaling based on PMU cache events to PMU microarchitectural events leads to approximately 15× higher covert channel bandwidth. This proposed finer-grained microarchitecture event encoding covert channel can achieve throughput of the order of 11 Kbits/s as opposed to previous work’s throughput of the order of 760 bits/s.

Electrophilic halogenation reactions have been a reliable approach to accessing organohalides. During the past decades, various catalytic systems have been developed for the activation of haleniums. However, there is still a short of effective catalysts, which could cover various halogenation reactions and broad scope of unsaturated compounds. Herein, TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine nitroxide) and its derivatives are disclosed as active catalysts for electrophilic halogenation of olefins, alkynes, and aromatics. These catalysts are stable, readily available, and reactive enough to activate haleniums including Br + , I + and even Cl + reagents. This catalytic system is applicable to various halogenations including haloarylation of olefins or dibromination of alkynes, which were rarely realized in previous Lewis base catalysis or Lewis acid catalysis. The high catalytic ability is attributed to a synergistic activation model of electrophilic halogenating reagents, where the carbonyl group and the halogen atom are both activated by present TEMPO catalysis. Organohalides are widely used as synthetic precursors and target products, but for various halogenation reactions there is a need for effective catalysts to activate commercially available haleniums. Here, the authors report that TEMPO and its derivatives are active catalysts for electrophilic halogenation of olefins, alkynes and aromatics, under mild reaction conditions and with good functional group tolerance.

The reactivity of photoexcited molecules has been extensively studied for decades but until today direct bond-forming reactions of such excited states in a catalytic and asymmetric fashion are restricted to the synthesis of cyclobutanes via [2 + 2] photocycloadditions. Herein, we demonstrate a previously elusive visible-light-induced catalytic asymmetric [2 + 3] photocycloaddition of alkenes with vinyl azides. A wide range of complex 1-pyrrolines are obtained as single diastereoisomers and with up to >99% enantiomeric excess using a simple reaction setup and mild reaction conditions. The reaction is proposed to proceed through the photoexcitation of a complex out of chiral rhodium catalyst coordinated to α,β-unsaturated N -acylpyrazole substrates. All reactive intermediates remain bound to the catalysts thereby providing a robust catalytic scheme (no exclusion of air necessary) with excellent stereocontrol. This work expands the scope of stereocontrolled bond-forming reactions of photoexcited intermediates by providing catalytic asymmetric access to a key nitrogen heterocycle in organic chemistry. Despite intensive research on photoexcited molecules, stereocontrol of direct bond formation upon photoexcitation remains limited. Here the authors expand the research on stereocontrolled bond forming photochemistry and introduce the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of chiral nitrogen heterocycles.

Sysmex DI-60 enumerates and classifies leukocytes. Limited research has evaluated the performance of Sysmex DI-60 in abnormal samples, and most focused on leukopenic samples. We evaluate the efficacy of DI-60 in determining white blood cell (WBC) differentials in normal and abnormal samples in different WBC count. Peripheral blood smears (n = 166) were categorised into normal control and disease groups, and further divided into moderate and severe leucocytosis, mild leucocytosis, normal, mild leukopenia, and moderate and severe leukopenia groups based on WBC count. DI-60 preclassification and verification and manual counting results were assessed using Bland–Altman and Passing–Bablok regression analyses. The Kappa test compared the concordance in the abnormal cell detection between DI-60 and manual counting. DI-60 exhibited notable overall sensitivity and specificity for all cells, except basophils. The correlation between the DI-60 preclassification and manual counting was high for segmented neutrophils, band neutrophils, lymphocytes, and blasts, and improved for all cell classes after verification. The mean difference between DI-60 and manual counting for all cell classes was significantly high in moderate and severe leucocytosis (WBC > 30.0 × 10 9 /L) and moderate and severe leukopenia (WBC < 1.5 × 10 9 /L) groups. For blast cells, immature granulocytes, and atypical lymphocytes, the DI-60 verification results were similar to the manual counting results. Plasma cells showed poor agreement. In conclusion, DI-60 demonstrates consistent and reliable analysis of WBC differentials within the range of 1.5–30.0 × 10 9 . Manual counting was indispensable in examining moderate and severe leucocytosis samples, moderate and severe leukopenia samples, and in enumerating of monocytes and plasma cells.

Background Interprofessional education (IPE) refers to a teaching and learning method in which students from two or more professions learn about, from, and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes. A systematic review was performed to investigate the current practice and the effectiveness of IPE in pharmacy education. Methods Databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Medline, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP China Science and Technology Journal, and WanFang were searched from inception to September 20, 2024, using search terms such as interprofessional, interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, IPE, pharmacy, and pharmaceutical education. Studies were screened and included if they were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or cohort studies reporting the outcome differences between pharmacy students participating in IPE activities and those receiving lecture-based learning. Reporting quality was evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool 2 and the Newcastle Ottawa Scale. Detailed information including the studies’ general information, research methods, and results were collected. Primary outcomes including pharmacy students’ interprofessional competence, readiness for and attitudes towards IPE, class satisfaction, and professional knowledge were analyzed with meta-analysis or reported descriptively. Results Seven RCTs and seven cohort studies were included in the systematic review. Eight studies reported that IPE demonstrated a positive impact on pharmacy students’ interprofessional competence ( p  < 0.05). Three studies showed that IPE enhanced students’ readiness for participating in interprofessional learning ( p  < 0.05). Four studies revealed that IPE significantly improved the attitude of pharmacy students towards IPE ( p  < 0.0001). The meta-analysis of the two cohort studies showed that IPE significantly improved the Attitudes Towards Health Care Teams (ATHCT) scale scores (SMD = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.22–0.60). Students who participated in IPE activities were generally satisfied with the course (average score > 4.0 out of 5.0). Apart from embedded in courses, some novel IPE programs were conducted, such as outpatient clinics operated by interprofessional students. Conclusions The study revealed that IPE was widely used in pharmacy education. IPE enhanced pharmacy students’ interprofessional competence, class satisfaction, and their readiness for and attitudes towards interprofessional learning. The effect of IPE on professional knowledge remained controversial across studies.

Background Aortic aneurysms (AA) pose a significant risk to women of childbearing age due to the added physiological stress of pregnancy and hormonal changes. This study aims to assess the global disease burden of AA among women of childbearing age from 1990 to 2021, project future trends, and provide evidence-based insights to inform public health policies and clinical decision-making. Methods Aortic aneurysm mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) data for women of childbearing age (15–49 years) from 1990 to 2021 were extracted from the 2021 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) dataset. Temporal trends and attributable risks were evaluated using estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) and linear regression model from 1990 to 2021. Cluster analysis identified patterns across GBD regions. The Socio-demographic Index (SDI) assessed regional and national differences in mortality and DALYs rates related to AA. In addition, all potential risk determinants associated with AA were systematically examined. An age-period-cohort model assessed trends, period, and cohort effects, while the Bayesian age-period-cohort model predicted the disease burden through 2036. Results In 2021, AA was associated with 2,552 (95% UI: 2,273 to 2,827) mortality and 86,466 (95% UI: 72,510 to 115,049) DALYs counts worldwide among women of childbearing age. The age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) and age-standardized DALYs rate for AA decreased from 1.58 (95% UI: 1.41 to 1.76) to 1.28 (95% UI: 1.10 to 1.42), and from 28.52 (95% UI: 25.56 to 32.53) to 23.01 (95% UI: 20.49 to 25.27), respectively, between 1990 and 2021. By SDI quintile, the EAPC for both mortality and DALYs increased in the low-middle and middle SDI regions. Using the average age, period, and cohort as reference groups, the risk of AA death increased with age [RR age (15−19)  = 0.026 to RR age (45−49)  = 0.384]. The risk of DALYs followed a similar age-related trend. Among the risk factors associated with AA, mortality counts and DALYs attributable to smoking declined over time, whereas those related to high systolic blood pressure and high body mass index (BMI) showed increasing trends. Predicted results indicate that mortality and DALY rates among women of childbearing age are expected to continue declining from 2022 to 2036. Conclusions Although the global burden of AA among women of childbearing age is decreasing, significant regional disparities persist, and the rising prevalence of hypertension and high BMI poses ongoing challenges. Strengthened prevention strategies targeting modifiable risk factors are urgently needed to further reduce disease burden and promote health equity. Graphical Abstract

Background Recent studies have reported a relationship between prognosis and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). As the results are still controversial, we conducted a meta-analysis of pretreatment NLR in peripheral blood and prognosis in HNC patients. Methods We retrieved articles from PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library, Embase and Web of Science. A comparative analysis was conducted for the effect of pretreatment NLR in peripheral blood on overall survival (OS), progression-free survival, disease-free survival (DFS), disease-specific survival, metastasis-free survival, and recurrence-free survival of HNC patients. The analysis applied the criteria for systematic reviews described in the Cochrane Handbook and was conducted using hazard ratios (HRs) to estimate effect size, and calculated by Stata/SE version 13.0. Results The meta-analysis included eligible cohort studies (5475 cases). The OS data indicated increased mortality risk in HNC patients with a high NLR (HR = 1.84, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.53–2.23; P  < 0.001; heterogeneity, I 2  = 37.2%, P  = 0.074). Analysis of subgroups stratified by NLR cutoff values revealed increased mortality risk and significantly shorter DFS in patients with high NLR compared to those with low NLR (HR = 2.18, 95% CI: 1.46–3.24; P  < 0.001). Patients with high NLR had a higher probability of tumor recurrence after treatment than those with low NLR (HR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.09–2.45; P  = 0.017; heterogeneity, I 2  = 68.7%; P  = 0.022). The probability of distant metastasis following treatment was greater in patients with high compared with low NLR (HR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.36–2.72; P  < 0.001; heterogeneity, I 2  = 0.0%; P  = 0.614). Funnel plots of the meta-analysis results were stable, as shown by sensitivity analysis. No publication bias was detected by the Egger test ( P  = 0.135). Conclusions HNC patients with elevated pretreatment NLR in peripheral blood have poor prognosis and are prone to local invasion and distant metastasis. NLR values are easily obtained from routinely collected blood samples and could assist clinicians to determine prognosis of HNC patients.

Modern x86 processors incorporate performance-enhancing features such as prefetching mechanisms, cache coherence protocols, and support for large memory pages (e.g., 2 MB huge pages). While these architectural innovations aim to reduce memory access latency, boost throughput, and maintain cache consistency across cores, they can also expose subtle microarchitectural side channels that adversaries may exploit. This study investigates how the combination of prefetching techniques and huge pages can significantly enhance the throughput and accuracy of covert channels in controlled computing environments. Building on prior work that examined the impact of the MESI cache coherence protocol using single-cache-line access without huge pages, our approach expands the attack surface by simultaneously accessing multiple cache lines across all 512 L1 lines under a 2 MB huge page configuration. As a result, our 9-bit covert channel achieves a peak throughput of 4940 KB/s—substantially exceeding previously reported benchmarks. We further validate our channel on AMD SEV-SNP virtual machines, achieving up to an 88% decoding accuracy using write-access encoding with 2 MB huge pages, demonstrating feasibility even under TEE-enforced virtualization environments. These findings highlight the need for careful consideration and evaluation of the security implications of common performance optimizations with respect to their side-channel potential.