Ombrian curves, i.e. curves linking rainfall intensity to return period and time-scale, are well-established engineering tools, crucial to the design against storm waters and floods. Whereas at-site construction of such curves is considered a standard hydrological task, it is a rather challenging one when large regions are of interest. Regional modelling of ombrian curves is particularly complex due to the need to account for spatial dependence together with the increased variability of rainfall extremes in space. We develop a framework for the parsimonious modelling of the extreme rainfall properties at any point in a given area. This is achieved by assuming a common ombrian model structure except for a spatially varying scale parameter which is itself modelled by a spatial smoothing model for the 24 h average rainfall maxima that employs elevation as an additional explanatory variable. The fitting is performed on the pooled all-stations data using an advanced estimation procedure (K-moments) that allows both for reliable high-order moment estimation and simultaneous handling of space-dependence bias. The methodology is applied in the Thessaly region, a 13 700 km2 water district of Greece characterized by varying topography and hydrometeorological properties.

This work examines drought and wet events based on Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) over Kenya from 1981 to 2016. Spatiotemporal analysis of dry and wet events is conducted for 3 and 12-month SPEI. The drought incidences were observed during the period 1984, 1987, 2000, 2006, 2009, 2015, and 2016 for SPEI-3 whilst the SPEI-12 demonstrated the manifestation of drought during the year 2000 and 2006. SPEI clearly shows that the wettest period, 1997 and 1998 that coincide with the El Nino event in both time steps. SPEI -3 shows a reduction in moderate drought events while severe and extreme cases were on increase towards the end of the twentieth century. Conversely, SPEI-12 depicts an overall increase in severe drought occurrence over the study location with observed intensity of -1.54 and cumulative frequency of 64 months during the study period. The trend of wet events is upwards in the western and central highlands while the rest of the regions show increase in dry events during the study period. Moreover, moderate dry/wet events predominate whilst extreme events occur least frequent across all grid cells. It is apparent that the study area experiences mild extreme dry events in both categories although moderately severe dry events dominate most parts of the study area. High intensity and frequency of drought is noted in SPEI-3 while least occurrences of extreme events are recorded in SPEI-12. Although drought event prevails across the study area, there is evidence of extreme flood conditions over the recent decades. These findings form a good basis for next step of research that will look at projection of droughts over the study area based on regional climate models.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine how aging and modifications of critical acoustic parameters may affect the perception of whispered speech as a degraded signal. Method: Forty Mandarin-speaking adults were included in the study. Part 1 of the study compared the perception of Mandarin lexical tones, vowels, and syllables in older and younger adults in whispered vs. phonated speech conditions. Parts 2 and 3 further examined how modification of duration and intensity cues contributed to the perceptual outcomes. Results: Perception of whispered tones was compromised in older and younger adults. Older adults identified lexical tones less accurately than their younger counterparts, particularly for phonated T2, T3 and whispered T3. Aging also negatively affected the vowel identification of /i, u/ in the whispered condition. Syllable-level accuracy was largely dependent on the accuracy of lexical tones and vowels. Furthermore, reduced duration led to the decreased accuracy of phonated T3 and whispered T2, T3 but increased accuracy of phonated T4. Reduced intensity lowered the recognition accuracy for phonated vowels /i, ɤ, o, y/ in older adults and /i, u/ in younger adults, and it also lowered the accuracy of whispered vowels /a, ɤ/ in older adults. Contrary to our expectation, increased duration and intensity did not improve older adults’ speech perception in either phonated or whispered conditions. Conclusion: The results suggest that aging adversely affected speech perception in both phonated and whispered conditions with more challenges in identifying whispered speech for older adults. While older adults’ diminished performance may be potentially due to problems with processing the degraded temporal and spectral information of the target speech sounds, it cannot be simply compensated for by increasing the duration and intensity of the target sounds beyond the audible level.

Focal vibration therapy can provide neurophysiological benefits. Unfortunately, standardized protocols are non-existent. Previous research presents a wide range of protocols with a wide range of effectiveness. This paper is part of a broader effort to identify effective, standardized protocols for focal vibration therapy. The vibration characteristics of four commercially available focal vibration devices that have been used for research and clinically were measured. An accelerometer was used for the measurements. Frequency and peak-to-peak amplitude were measured. Measurements were made when the devices were free and then again when they were strapped to the human body. Vibration frequency ranged from 120 to 225 Hz. Free vibration amplitude ranged from 2.0 to 7.9 g’s (peak-to-peak). When the devices were strapped to the body (constrained), vibration amplitude decreased by up to 65.7%. These results identify effective ranges of focal vibration frequency and amplitude. They illustrate the importance of identifying vibration environment, free or constrained, when quoting vibration characteristics. Finally, the inconsistency of multi-actuator devices is discussed. These results will guide protocol development for focal vibration and potentially better focal vibration devices.

The performance of Integrated Multisatellite Retrievals for GPM (V06B-IMERG) is evaluated at subdaily and daily scale using 10 years of heavy precipitation over a region in the Western Med-iterranean for different temporal aggregations with a dense network of rain gauges. On a half-hourly scale, the contribution of passive microwave (PMW) and infrared (IR) sources in the satellite estimates was considered, as well as the relation of various microphysical properties of cloud tops using Cloud Microphysics (CMIC- NWC SAF) data. IMERG shows a marked tendency to underestimate precipitation compared to rain gauges as the rainfall intensity threshold and temporal resolution increases. Results indicate that the negative bias is weaker when retrievals are due to PMW data. On the other hand, the benefits of filling the PMW gaps of IMERG by including IR information come at the expense of increasing the bias. IMERG performs dramatically better in the presence of precipitating ice clouds compared to warm and mixed phase clouds, which seems to be related with microphysical properties such as cloud optical thickness and cloud top effective radius. This work contributes to the understanding of the factors affecting satellite estimates of extreme precipitation and their relationship with the microphysical characteristics of clouds, which generates added value for further downstream applications and users’ decision making.

Many studies, which try to analyze conditions for debris flow development, ignore the type of initiation. Therefore this paper deals with the following questions: What type of hydro-mechanical triggering mechanisms for debris flows can we distinguish in upstream channels of debris flow prone gullies? Which are the main parameters controlling the type and temporal sequence of these triggering processes and what is their influence on the meteorological thresholds for debris flow initiation? A series of laboratory experiments were carried out in a flume, 8 m long and with a width of 0.3 m. to detect the conditions for different types of triggering mechanisms. The flume experiments show a sequence of hydrological processes triggering debris flows, namely erosion and transport by intensive overland flow and by infiltrating water causing failure of channel bed material. On the basis of these experiments an integrated hydro-mechanical model was developed, which describes Hortonian and Saturation overland flow, maximum sediment transport, through flow and failure of bed material. The model was calibrated and validated using process indicator values measured during the experiments in the flume. Virtual model simulations, carried out in a schematic hypothetical source area of a catchment show that slope angle and hydraulic conductivity of the bed material determine the type and sequence of these triggering processes. It was also clearly demonstrated that the type of hydrological triggering process and the influencing geometrical and hydro-mechanical parameters may have a great influence on rainfall intensity-duration threshold curves for the start of debris flows.

BKW is a highly efficient Storage Function-type rainfall-runoff model that utilizes the steady-state storage (S) and outflow (Q) of a catchment at different rainfall intensities as the S-Q relation of the catchment. For the inundation nowcasting of urban areas under high-intensity, short-duration rainfall, a Storage Function-type model is a judicious choice. However, S-Q hysteresis exists in the catchment S-Q relation, and BKW is unable to exhibit hysteresis due to assuming that the S-Q relation of a catchment is a nonlinear relation. The S-Q hysteresis can influence the outflow estimation of BKW, reducing the model's accuracy. Through the evaluation of analytical solutions, we found that the change in rainfall intensity dominates the S-Q relation of a catchment. The S-Q relation during a rainfall event is a dynamic process rather than a monotonic nonlinear relation. By applying the dynamic S-Q relation in BKW, we improved BKW to become a highly efficient and accurate rainfall-runoff model for small urban catchments.

In the field of orthodontics, providing patients with accurate treatment time estimates is of utmost importance. As orthodontic practices continue to evolve and embrace new advancements, incorporating machine learning (ML) methods becomes increasingly valuable in improving orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning. This study aimed to develop a novel ML model capable of predicting the orthodontic treatment duration based on essential pre-treatment variables. Patients who completed comprehensive orthodontic treatment at the Indiana University School of Dentistry were included in this retrospective study. Fifty-seven pre-treatment variables were collected and used to train and test 9 different ML models. The performance of each model was assessed using descriptive statistics, intraclass correlation coefficients, and one-way analysis of variance tests. Random Forest, Lasso, and Elastic Net were found to be the most accurate, with a mean absolute error of 7.27 months in predicting treatment duration. Extraction decision, COVID, intermaxillary relationship, lower incisor position, and additional appliances were identified as important predictors of treatment duration. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential of ML in predicting orthodontic treatment duration using pre-treatment variables.

In this study, an improved UPLC-MS method for simultaneously quantifying twelve major components belonging to two chemical types was developed and validated, and was applied to quantitatively compare the quality of Astragali Radix sulfur-fumigated with different durations and the fresh reference sample. The results showed that the contents of triterpenes Astragaloside III and Astragaloside IV decreased moderately, while the flavonoids calycosin, formononetin, and 7,2'-dihydroxy-3',4'-dimethoxyisoflavane decreased significantly, and its corresponding flavonoid glycosides increased accordingly, which indicatied that the happening of chemical transformation of flavonoids and glycosides in the sulfur-fumigated process. These transformations were further confirmed by the the synthesis of flavonoid glycosides under the simulated sulphur-fumigation circumstances. Furthermore, the sulfur-fumigated duration had a proportional relationship with the contents of compounds 7, 11, and 12. All these results suggested that the established method was precise, accurate and sensitive enough for the global quality evaluation of sulfur-fumigated Astragali Radix, and sulfur-fumigation can not only change the proportions of bioactive components, but also cause the chemical transformation in the Astragali Radix.

Several studies have shown that physical activity (PA) is related to physical and mental health. Yet, there are few studies on the frequency of PA as it relates to health and a healthy lifestyle. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the frequency of practicing different types of physical activities (dependent variables), living a healthy lifestyle (BMI, smoking and alcohol consumption), physical health (sum of all doctor visits except psychiatrists) and mental health (a sum of visits to psychiatrists) at different ages (independent variables). We fo-cused on three types of PA: (1) medium to high-intensity aerobic exercises; (2) low to medium intensity relaxing and stretching exercises, (3) outdoor leisure PA. 9,617 participants (ages: 19 -81) were included in the study (with health registries over a period of 10 years prior to a cross-sectional survey). Descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression on frequencies of three types of PA and factors related to health and healthy lifestyles, as well as age and sex, were performed in this study. The results indicate that a higher frequency of practicing PA had a higher probability of association with the following factors: lower BMI, less or non-smoking behavior (types 1 & 3); higher education (types 1 & 2); higher age (types 2 & 3) and better physical health (type 1). Occasional (practicing sometimes) PA, type 2, was positively associated with poorer mental health (higher number of psychiatrist visits). Women were more likely to practice PA type 2, and men – PA types 3 & 1. Conclusion: In general, a higher frequency of PA is related with better health and healthy life styles; with the exception of PA type 2 that is related to poorer mental health.

The natural frequency of buildings decreases during a strong-motion earthquake, and the structure loses its stiffness. As a result, understanding the damaging process in the structure owing to changes in structural properties is critical during a seismic excitation. The time-frequency technique can detect the damaged building’s time-varying frequency contents. Wigner distributions (WD), Wigner-Ville distributions (WVD), pseudo-Wigner-Ville distributions (PWVD), smoothed pseudo-Wigner-Ville distributions (SPWVD), and synchrosqueezing transforms (SST) have all become popular in recent years for a variety of earthquake engineering applications, including building damage detection. This study proposes the local maximum synchrosqueezing transform (LMSST) for detecting frequency shifts in buildings during strong earthquakes. The data presented in the research show that the suggested method outperforms as compared to the conventional time-frequency methods for detecting frequency shifting in earthquake-damaged structures.

Background: While it is established that intravenous catheter placement duration is strongly linked to the risk of catheter colonization and bloodstream infections, there are still substantial knowledge gaps concerning the varying durations of PICC placement that lead to either infection or colonization by common pathogens, particularly MDR pathogens. The present study aims to compare the dwell time required for MDR pathogens to colonize with the time required to cause Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSIs) in critically ill patients with PICCs and compares it with non-MDR pathogens, shedding light on the significance of preventive procedures to control MDR infections in clinical settings. Methods: Data from critically ill patients with PICCs admitted consecutively to «Metropolitan» Hospital in Athens, Greece, from May 2017 to May 2020 were retrospectively analysed. Results: In this study, 86 hospitalized patients, consisting of 56 (65.1%) males and 30 (34.9%) females, with a mean age of 55.67±21.1 years (range 16-91 years), presented with both CLABSIs and colonization following PICC placements. Specifically, 42 (48.8%) of them presented with CLABSIs, while 44 (51.2%) presented with colonization. Among the total participants, an MDR pathogen was isolated from 26 (30.2%) PICCs, while other pathogens were isolated from 60 (69.8%). The mean duration of catheter dwell time for all participants was 20.94±14.22 days (range 3-72 days). When analysed separately for each group, the dwell time for PICCs with CLABSIs was 25.73±16.19 days and 16.36±10.28 days for those with colonization (T test, p=0.002). Additionally, the mean dwell time for PICCs infected by non-MDROs was 22.48±15.64 days whereas for PICCs with MDROs, it was 17.38±9.5 days (T test, p=0.005). In PICCs with CLABSIs, the mean indwelling time for MDR pathogens was 21.50±12.31 days, while for non-MDROs, it was 27.73±16.98 days (T test, p=0.417). In PICCs with colonization, the mean dwell time for MDR pathogens was 15.55±7.73 days, while for non-MDROs, it was 16.92±11.85 days (T test, p=0.124). Among PICCs with MDR pathogens (n=26), the mean duration in CLABSIs events (n=18) was 21.5±12.31 days and in colonization events 15.55±7.73 days, (n=8) (T test, p=0.146). Conclusions: The present study reveals that colonization of PICCs exhibited a shorter dwell time compared to those with CLABSIs. Moreover, PICCs infected by MDROs had a shorter mean dwell time than those with non-MDROs. These findings underscore the importance of considering infection status and microbial resistance patterns when evaluating PICC dwell times.

Forty-five male Dorper crossbred lambs (40.17 ± 0.35 kg BW) were used in order to investigate the effects of the duration of calcium propionate (CaPr) supplementation in lambs finished with zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) on the productive performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality. Lambs were individually housed and fed a finishing-diet for 42 d before being slaughtered. Lambs received the following treatments: 1) No additives (CTL), 2) ZH supplementation for 28 d (with 3 d ZH withdrawal before slaughter) at a dosage of at 7.2 mg/kg diet (ZH), for treatments 3, 4, and 5, lambs received ZH and 10g CaPr/lamb/d throughout the entire phase (42 d), or during the last 28 or 14 d before slaughter. Compared to CTL, ZH lambs exhibited a similar average daily gain (ADG) but had lower dry matter intake (DMI), leading to increased feed efficiency. Supplementing with ZH alone did not affect carcass traits, visceral mass, whole cuts, or meat quality. Lambs that received both CaPr and ZH exhibited quadratic increases (p < 0.05) in final BW (FBW), ADG, and dressing percentage (D%). These increases were optimal at an estimated inclusion durations of 26 d for FBW, 30 for ADG, and 39 d for D%. The ADG:DMI ratio and the longissimus muscle area (LMA) both exhibited quadratic increases (p < 0.05). The optimal duration of CaPr supplementation for ADG:DMI ratio was found to be 28 d, while for LMA, it was 14 d. As the period of CaPr supplementation increased, there was a linear increase (p <0.05) in hot carcass weight, leg circumference, and whole cuts of breast IMPS209 and shoulder IMPS207. Cook loss percent increased quadratically (p < 0.05), being higher when CaPr was included for an estimated duration of 26 d. As the duration of CaPr supplementation increased, the purge loss percentage (PLR) also increased linearly (p < 0.05). In conclusion, including CaPr in the diet for a duration of 28 d in lambs improved the response to ZH supplementation on the productive performance, carcass weight and some whole cuts. However, it can also have a negative effect on PRL%.

Research on alternatives to rectal thermometry in canine and feline patients has focused on equipment and measurement location but not procedure duration. In a cross-over designed clinical scenario, we evaluated the time prior to and after (Pre-TempT and Post-TempT) rectal and axillary thermometry in canine (n = 114) and feline (n = 72) patients. Equipment duration was controlled for to determine a presumptive total time (TTime) associated with each thermometry method. Pre-TempT and TTime was significantly shorter in axillary thermometry trials for both canine and feline pets (P < 0.001). There was no difference in Post-TempT between thermometry methods in canine patients (P = 0.887) however, the Post-TempT was longer in felines after axillary thermometry (P = 0.004). Reductions in Pre-TempT and TTime were not significant in Scottish Fold breed cats and within the feline rectal trials, the TTime of domestic-long hair breeds was significantly longer than domestic-short hair breeds (P = 0.019). No other tested parameter played a significant role in these results. Axillary thermometry was faster than rectal thermometry in both canine and felines pets due primarily to the time associated with animal approach and restraint (Pre-TempT). These results have implications when optimizing clinic workflow, appointment durations and patient handling time.

Growing evidence suggests sleep plays an important role in the development of healthy adolescents, with increased interest in the associations between sleep and mental health. Higher duration and quality of sleep has been suggested as a mechanism for increased wellbeing in adolescents. Cross sectional data was collected from 5,661 Irish adolescents. 55% of Irish adolescents reported meeting the guidelines for adolescents of 8-10 hours per night. This was found to decrease with age. Higher duration and quality of sleep was positively associated with wellbeing and negatively associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression. A higher frequency of physical activity was associated with longer duration and higher quality of sleep. 9-10 hours of sleep was associated with the highest levels of wellbeing and lowest symptoms of anxiety and depression. The relationship between physical activity and increased wellbeing may be impacted by physical activity leading to higher durations and quality of sleep.

Inorganic polymeric materials react slowly at room temperature and as a result usually require high-temperature curing. This study used the Arrhenius equation to analyze the correlation between curing temperature and curing duration during high-temperature curing. The test results show that optimal values exist for each alkali equivalent of the activator (weight ratio of Na2O/glass powder), curing temperature, and curing duration. Extending the curing duration and increasing the curing temperature have positive effects when the alkali equivalent is lower than the optimal value. However, over-curing results in invisible cracking in the specimens. Furthermore, despite exhibiting high strength initially, the strength of specimens gradually diminishes after standing in air. To ensure the durability of glass-based geopolymer, the curing temperature should not exceed 70℃, and the curing duration should be less than one day.

Purpose: This study investigates the impact of different intensity normalization (IN) methods on the overall survival (OS) radiomics models’ performance of MR sequences in primary (pHGG) and recurrent high-grade glioma (rHGG). Methods: MR scans acquired before radiotherapy were retrieved from two independent cohorts (rHGG C1: 197, pHGG C2: 141) from multiple scanners (15, 14). The sequences are T1 weighted (w), contrast-enhanced T1w (T1wce), T2w, and T2w-FLAIR. Sequence-specific significant features (SF) associated with OS, extracted from the tumour volume, were derived after applying 15 different IN methods. Survival analyses were conducted using Cox proportional hazard (CPH) and Poisson regression (POI) models. A ranking score was assigned based on the 10-fold cross-validated (CV) concordance index (C-I), mean square error (MSE), and the Akaike information criterion (AICs), to evaluate the methods’ performance. Results: Scatter plots of the 10-CV C-I and MSE against the AIC showed an impact on the survival predictions between the IN methods and MR sequences (C1/C2 C-I range: 0.62-0.71/0.61-0.72, MSE range: 0.20-0.42/0.13-0.22). White stripe showed stable results for T1wce (C1/C2 C-I: 0.71/0.65, MSE: 0.21/0.14). Combat (0.68/0.62, 0.22/0.15) and histogram matching (HM, 0.67/0.64, 0.22/0.15) showed consistent prediction results for T2w models. They were also the top-performing methods for T1w in C2 (Combat: 0.67, 0.13; HM: 0.67, 0.13), however, only HM achieved high predictions in C1 (0.66, 0.22). After eliminating IN impacted SF using Spearman’s rank-order correlation coefficient, a mean decrease in the C-I and MSE of 0.05 and 0.03 was observed in all four sequences. Conclusion: The IN method impacted the predictive power of survival models. Thus, performance is sequence-dependent.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic limitations may negatively affect children and youth in terms of health behaviors, and it might be especially challenging for children who are diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders such as children and youth diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The present study assessed alterations in physical activity, screen time, and sleep duration of ASD children and the prevalence of meeting the 24-hour movement guidelines during the COVID-19 outbreak. Forty-six Arab Israeli mothers of children with ASD were surveyed by an online cross-sectional survey. As reported by the mothers, the results show a significant decrease in physical activity, a significant increase in screen time, and a significant increase in sleep duration during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the proportion of the sample who gained the physical activity and screen time recommendations lessened while the percentage of children who met the sleep duration guidelines increased. The prevalence of ASD children who achieved the overall 24-hour movement guidelines was very small during the COVID-19 outbreak. The outcomes extend the body of knowledge regarding the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on children diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders and highlight the need for instant healthcare and interventions and programs for children with ASD.

The purpose of this paper is to compare daily sunshine duration (SD) measured by Campbell-Stokes sunshine recorder (CS) with three automatic instruments (Kipp & Zonen pyranometers (CM6B), pyrheliometer (CHP1) and CSD3 sunshine recorders). The comparisons are essential, since in recent decades automatic sunshine duration sensors have been systematically replacing the manual measurements affecting therefore the continuity of the CS time series. The comparisons were applied to the daily SD data of three synoptic stations (Larnaca A/P, Pafos A/P and Athalassa) where parallel measurements of manual and automatic instruments are carried out during the periods 2009-2012 and 2012-2015. The CSD3 measurements were obtained from two automatic weather stations (AWS) (Mennogia and Pentakomo) which are closed to the synoptic station of Larnaca A/P. The comparisons cover the daily and monthly sums, their statistical distributions and their relationships. The daily differences of the pairs of the sunshine recorders installed at the same location are mostly within the range of -1.0 to +1.0 h. At Larnaca, in the period 2009-2012, the pyranometric method (Gl) is higher than the CS in the summer months, while during the winter months it is lower than CS. Pafos and Athalassa showed higher values of CS comparing to Gl and the pyrheliometric method (Pr), respectively, almost throughout the year. Generally, the annual average daily differences between the different pairs range between 0.3 and 0.5 h. Regression equations were determined allowing the estimation of daily SD under different sky conditions. The closest relations between different pairs were obtained in ‘clear sky’ and ‘all sky’ conditions, as it is indicated by the high coefficient of determinations. R2 reached the values of 0.92 and 0.96 under ‘all sky’ conditions, and between 0.80 and 0.91 under ‘clear’ sky conditions, respectively. An increase in cloud cover causes an increase in the SD differences recorded by the relevant devices. Comparing statistically the different pairs using the Mann-Whitney nonparametric test which is the alternative to the Two Sample T parametric test, it was found that the medians are not statistically different. However, significant differences were only detected in the case of the pair of CS and Pr at Athalassa (2012-2015) using both tests. In the rest of the cases the differences are not statistically significant at the 5% level.

The lack of knowledge on the link between the manufacturing process and performances constitutes a major issue of brake lining development. This study focuses on the effect of mixing duration on properties and tribological behavior of organic friction composite materials. The adopted methodology is based on efficient simplified formulations to limit synergic effects by the reduction of number and size distribution of constituents. Microstructural characteristics are analyzed and correlated to thermo physical and mechanical properties. Wear mechanisms and tribological behavior are studied in relation with the given microstructure and material properties. In the elaboration process, mixing duration has an impact on particle distribution and fibre arrangement. Distribution and size of fibre entanglements are found to cluster carbonaceous particles, which creates bulk thermal bridges improving thermal conductivity. Moreover, rockwool fibre arrangements affect density, porosity and thermo-physical properties. In addition, mixing duration disrupts cohesion of fibre bundles with the matrix, affecting compressive modulus and wear behaviour. This microstructural defect fosters an abundant third-body source flow, which results in a high wear flow. Porosities induced by fibre entanglements, presenting large and irregular size and distribution on the friction surface, lead to a low wear resistance and change the stability of friction.

One of the challenges posed by renewable energies is the stabilization of parameters related to the quality of electrical energy. This study demonstrates the existence of a relationship between input blocks of hydropower and the variation of the fundamental frequency of the electricity grid. By mapping production data provided by Spanish Electric Network with frequency measured in the laboratory, it is shown that gradients of hydropower are correlated with frequency fluctuations for certain characteristic times. Considering hourly instances of energy input, the study compares two methods for calculating hydropower gradients (linear regression and pseudo-linear regression); and two methods for calculating local frequency extremes (the "specular inertia" method and analysis by comparison with the moving average), in order to corroborate the results.

In today's interconnected global business landscape, companies face numerous risks, particularly from their supply chains. Supplier disruptions can cause financial damages, inefficiencies, and reduced competitive edge, highlighting the need for robust supplier risk management. This paper scrutinizes recent studies on supplier risk management spanning 2020 to 2023. This review examines supplier risk management, focusing on supplier evaluation, payment terms, contract duration, and buyer-supplier collaboration as critical factors influencing risk mitigation and control in the procurement of goods and services. Through a systematic literature review, the study identifies the multifaceted nature of supplier risks, including production delays, quality issues, and financial challenges. It underscores the importance of proactive risk identification, comprehensive supplier evaluation, strategic payment terms, appropriate contract durations, and robust buyer-supplier collaboration. Despite the benefits, challenges remain, such as understanding regulatory impacts and ensuring methodological consistency. This review contributes to the discourse on supplier risk management, offering insights for future research and practical applications to enhance resilience and operational efficiency in global supply chains. Based on the findings, future studies should concentrate on formulating holistic supplier risks management approaches that nurture buyer-supplier collaboration and harness innovative technologies to enhance risk management practices.

Soil nitrite (NO2‒) is an important reactive intermediate in many nitrogen transformation processes, but it is unstable under acidic conditions. Canonical extraction method of soil NO2‒ with potassium chloride (KCl) solution greatly underestimates its concentration. In order to reflect the concentration more accurately, we optimized the extraction method of soil NO2‒ in this study. Moreover, soil ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3‒) were also systematically investigated to achieve efficient extraction of soil inorganic nitrogen. The results showed that un-buffered KCl significantly underestimated soil NO2‒ concentration compared to DIW. The highest recovery of NO2‒ was obtained by extracting with DIW at 10 min of oscillation for three soils. Compared with DIW, the concentration of NH4+ and NO3‒ in soil extracted from KCl solution increased significantly. Furthermore, the soil inorganic nitrogen content of extracts stored at 4°C for one day were closer to directly measurements of fresh samples than the other storage methods. Overall, the recommend analysis method for soil NO2‒ was extracted by DIW, oscillated for 10 min, and filtered by a 0.45 µm filter, and soil NH4+ and NO3‒ were extracted with KCl solution and oscillated for 30 min. The extract should be stored at 4°C and analyzed within 24 hours.

(1) Background: Surgical phases form the basic building blocks for surgical skill assessment, feedback and teaching. Phase duration itself and its correlation to clinical parameters has not yet been investigated. Novel commercial platforms provide phase indications but have not been assessed for accuracy yet. (2) Methods: We assess 100 robot-assisted partial nephrectomy videos for phase duration based on previously defined proficiency metrics. We develop an annotation framework and subsequently compare our annotations to an existing commercial solution (Touch Surgery, Medtronic™). We subsequently explore clinical correlations between phase durations and peri-operative parameters. (3) Results: Objective and uniform phase assessment requires precise definitions derived from an iterative revision process. Comparison to a commercial solution shows large differences in definitions across phases. BMI and duration of renal tumor identification correlate positively, as well as tumor complexity and both tumor excision and renorraphy duration. (4) Conclusions: Surgical phase duration can be correlated with certain clinical outcomes. Further research should investigate if retrieved correlations are also clinically meaningful. This requires increasing dataset sizes and facilitation through intelligent computer vision algorithms. Commercial platforms can facilitate this dataset expansion and help unlock the full potential, provided the disclosure of phase annotation details.

MALDI-TOF is now considered as a relevant tool for the identification of arthropods, including lice and fleas. However, the duration and conditions of storage, such as in ethanol, which is frequently used to preserve these both ectoparasites, could impede their classification. The purpose of the present study was to assess the stability of MS profiles from Pediculus humanus corporis lice and Ctenocephalides felis fleas preserved in alcohol from one to four years and kinetically submitted to MALDI-TOF MS. A total of 469 cephalothoraxes from lice (n=170) and fleas (n=299) were tested. The reproducibility of the MS profiles was estimated based on the log score values (LSVs) obtained for query profiles compared to the reference profiles included in the MS database. Only MS spectra from P. humanus corporis and Ct. felis stored in alcohol for less than one year were included in the reference MS database. Approximately 75% of MS spectra from lice (75.2%, 94/125) and fleas (74.4%, 122/164) specimens stored in alcohol during 12 to 48 months, queried against the reference MS database, obtained a relevant identification. An accurate analysis revealed a significant decrease in the proportion of identification for both species stored for more than 22 months in alcohol. It was hypothesized that incomplete drying was responsible of MS spectra variations. Then, 45 lice and 60 fleas were subjected to longer drying periods from 12 to 24 hours. The increase in the drying period improved the proportion of relevant identification for lice (95%) and fleas (80%). This study highlighted that a correct rate of identification by MS could be obtained for lice and fleas preserved in alcohol for up to four years, on the condition that the drying period was sufficiently long for accurate identification.

Rice production in the Tonle Sap basin is one of the main drivers for economic and social development in Cambodia. The Tonle Sap basin has experienced many different forms of disasters while more attention has been drawn to drought disaster. The objective of this study is to assess the impacts of drought on agriculture and food security through a case study of the Baribo basin, a sub-basin of Tonle Sap basin, Cambodia. Ground observations and satellite-based products were used for drought assessment from 1985 to 2008 which was the period with relatively good data quality. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standard Vegetation Index (SVI) were selected for meteorological and agricultural droughts assessment, correspondingly. Both SPI and SVI consistently suggested that drought is a major natural hazard causing food insecurity in the target basin. The highest drought intensity (DI) and severity (DS) occurred between 1993-1994 and the longest drought duration (DD) occurred between 2002 and 2006. The most severe damage to rice production was in 2004, affecting about 46% of the total cultivated area. The analysis showed that drought duration had a strong relationship with the affected area growing rice as well as food insecurity in the Tonle Sap basin.

Today, due to recent developments in technology, children devote plenty of time for screen viewing. However, its harmful effects are not yet clear. The purpose of present study was to examine the associations among screen viewing and sleep duration, and body mass index (BMI) in under-five years old children. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 322 under-five healthy children that were selected using multistage stratified cluster sampling method in 2017. The data that were gathered by time-use diary method were analyzed using Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Spearman correlation tests, multiple linear regression analysis, one-way ANCOVA, two-way ANCOVA. There was a negative correlation between screen time and sleep duration (rs = -0.42, p = 0.00), positive correlation between screen time and BMI (rs = 0.38, p = 0.00) and sleep duration negatively correlated with BMI (rs = -0.22, p = 0.00). screen viewing was a predictive factor for both sleep duration (β = -0.26, p = 0.00) and BMI (β = -0.26, p = 0.00). screen viewing had a significant impact on sleep duration (4, 314) = 5.02, P = 0.001) and BMI (F (4, 314) = 1.16, P=0.298). Results of this study indicated that screen viewing is related to sleep duration and BMI in under-five children. furthermore, screen time has an impact on sleep duration and BMI scores of children. findings of our study suggest that sleep duration negatively is associated with BMI in under-five-year-old children.

Light is a crucial environmental factor that influences the phenotypic development of plants. Despite extensive studies on the physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms of the impact of light on phenotypes, genetic investigations regarding light-induced transgenerational plasticity in Arabidopsis thaliana remain incomplete. In this study, we used Arabidopsis thaliana as the material, then gathered phenotypic data regarding leaf number and plant height under high- and low-light conditions from two generations. In addition to the developed genotype data, a functional mapping model was used to locate a series of significant SNPs. Under low-light conditions, a noticeable adaptive change in the phenotype of leaf number in the second generation suggests the presence of transgenerational genetic effects in Arabidopsis thaliana under environmental stress. Under different lighting treatments, 33 and 13 significant genes associated with transgenerational inheritance were identified, respectively. These genes are largely involved in signal transduction, technical hormone pathways, light responses, and the regulation of organ development. Notably, genes identified under high-light conditions more significantly influence plant development, whereas those identified under low-light conditions focus more on responding to external environmental stimuli.

(1) Background: This study aims to investigate differences in the perspectives of exercise intensity for resistance exercise of healthcare professionals (HCPs) and adults living with spinal cord injury (SCI) in Asian countries. Also, it verifies the appropriateness of the conventional indicators for resistance exercise intensity in an Asian context; (2) Methods: 121 certified HCPs and 107 adults with SCI participated in a survey conducted in Indonesian, Japanese, Korean and Thai languages. The survey asked what principles are important for prescribing resistance exercise, and if ‘moderate’ and ‘vigorous’ were appropriate terms for indicating an intensity level. Perspective differences were examined between both groups and, further, between countries from a psychosocial perspective; (3) Results: Of the HCPs, 92% perceived that resistance exercise intensity was far more important than frequency, time or type of exercise while frequency (61%) followed by intensity (58%) was perceived as important by respondents with SCI. Only Japanese respondents with SCI agreed with HCP’s perception of intensity. Both HCPs and respondents with SCI showed unfavorable responses on the usage of ‘moderate’ and ‘vigorous’ for describing resistance exercise intensity, especially Japanese HCP and respondents with SCI from Indonesia; (4) Conclusion: Our findings suggest that non-HCPs must improve their perceptions of exercise intensity. Findings also suggest the need for more explicit and user-friendly terms or expressions indicating the level of intensity in a local (Asian) context.

In recent decades the Mediterranean area observed an increase in large fires, despite the decrease in the number of fire ignitions, following a worldwide tendency. Climate change has been the main culprit for large burnt areas, and alterations of forest ecosystems, resulting in the increased recurrence of forest fires. In Portugal, the analogous trend resulted in the destruction of large rural, urban and industrial areas, where after the 2017 months of June and October catastrophic events, the government implemented the 2019 specific policies for preventing fire outbreaks and defending the forest against fires. This compulsory policy demanded that landowners and local governments alike needed to contact specific authorities requesting authorization for their intentions to clean properties in and around urban areas, roads, and forest limits. Despite policy and careful monitoring, ignitions still occur, and in many cases resulting from the implementation of such policies. The study analyses the before and after policy implementation, considering 6904 ignitions records from the period between 2014 and 2023 from the central area of Portugal, covering the transition area between the agricultural fields of the Tagus valley and the Monte-junto-Estrela Mountain range, the district of Santarém. The authorization to use fire in clearance practices is granted according to a set of weather conditions, temperature, wind intensity, and relative humidity, when analyzing fire ignitions with the average daily wind intensity at the site of the occurrence, we observed that more than half of wildfires occur on days with winds between 10 and 20 Km/h, whereas intensities greater than 30 Km/h only 1% of the total occurrences, and of these 22% occurred due to the use of fire in the burning of agricultural leftovers and cut and piled bushes. The circulation of the thermal depression in the Iberian Peninsula gives rise to increasing intensity throughout the day, reaching a maximum in the late afternoon, this factor combined with the misjudgment of safe conditions leads us to suggest stricter intervals and the need for awareness of daily variation in conditions.

Hong Kong was under the direct hit of Severe Typhoon Koinu (2314) on 8 and 9 October 2023, necessitating the issuance of the Increasing Gale or Storm Signal, No. 9. Koinu was a very challenging case for TC forecasting and warning services due to its compact size and erratic movement over the northern part of the South China Sea. This paper reviews the difficulties and challenges on the forecasting aspect of the severe typhoon. The predicted tropical cyclone track and intensity from both conventional models and emerging artificial intelligence models are examined, as well as local wind and rainfall forecast. Experience in this case study showed that while deterministic global models only performed moderately and were not able to adequately support early warning, a regional model and AI models could more effectively support decision making for operational tropical cyclone warning service.

Hong Kong was under strike from Super Typhoon Saola (2309), necessitating the issuance of the highest tropical cyclone warning signal. Saola skirted past the south-southwest of Hong Kong, bringing hurricane force winds and significant storm surge. Saola had its closest approach to Hong Kong on 1 September 2023, posing a unique challenge in forecasting and early warning for the commencement date of the new school term, where higher impact to traffic and public safety was anticipated. This paper covers the challenges on the forecasting aspect of the super typhoon. The predicted tropical cyclone track, intensity and wind structure are reviewed. Experience in this case showed that while there was not a perfect numerical weather prediction model in terms of the forecast track, intensity and wind structure of Saola, multi-model approach provided very use-ful and crucial information for operational weather warning services.

Mango flowering phenostages were recorded under global warming conditions to assess the relationship between environmental cues and flowering time shifts and their consequences on reproductive success. Phenological transition to floral destiny was studied in relation to standard metrological week and weather parameters. Shifting of phenostage was recorded in Bud swelling, which is important for the shoot transitioning from vegetative to flowering meristem. Variations were also recorded for panicle elongation and early anthesis. The critical temperature for Bud burst stage was estimated for Dashehari, Langra, Amrapali and Chausa while Chausa had the propensity for late flowering correlated with higher temperature. The shifting of phenological calendar in response to weather parameters was obvious and needed a bigger range of yearly data for arriving at the climatic drives. In general, the results revealed that flower intensity was positively correlated with temperature, sunshine hours and evaporation while humidity showed a negative correlation. Hermaphrodite Flower % is an important attribute affecting fruit set and yield and was found most variable in the two years in the case of the three alternate bearing cultivars. In conclusion, it can be inferred that weather parameters prevailing in subtropics affect flowering intensity and consequently its fate i.e.; fruit yield.

In this study, UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) photogrammetry was used to monitor the ground displacement on the slope below a coal waste-rock stockyard, and to investigate the role of rainfall on this displacement. The study area is a mountainous region in Korea, where coal mining continues, and coal waste-rock is stored on the slopes of the mountain. In this area, ma-terial removal work was undertaken to reduce the steepness of the slope and driving forces in order to prevent disasters, but the strategy requires continuous monitoring to confirm the stabilization of the slope. For slope monitoring, a total of six UAV photogrammetry campaigns were conducted between April 2019 and August 2020. As a result of data processing, an orthoimage and DSM (Digital Surface Model) were generated. The ground displacement was estimated through four ways: slope extraction, displacement area evaluation, horizontal displacement, and vertical displacement analysis. During the study period, the maximum vertical displacement was 3.3 m and the maxi-mum horizontal displacement was 3.5 m. The horizontal displacement was effectively evaluated through the measurement of the movement of the drainage system using orthoimages that captured with a periodic survey. The effects of rainfall on ground displacement were also investigated. A very clear linear relationship between rainfall intensity higher than 20mm/d and ground displacement was identified. Accumulated amount of rainfall also showed good correlation with slope movement, but the frequency of rainfall intensity below 20 mm/d showed relatively low correlation with ground dis-placements.

This letter introduces a frequency response characteristic (FRC) curve and its application in high renewable power systems. In addition, the letter presents a method for fast frequency response assessment and frequency nadir prediction without performing dynamic simulations using detailed models. The proposed FRC curve and fast frequency response assessment method are useful for operators to understand frequency response performance of high renewable systems in real time.

This paper presents a 612–1152 MHz Injection Locked Frequency Multiplier (ILFM). The proposed ILFM is only used for sending an input signal to the receiver in the I/Q mismatch calibration mode. Using the Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) to calibrate the receiver places a burden on this system due to the extra area required and power consumption. Instead of the PLL, to satisfy high frequency, low jitter, and low area, a Ring Oscillator is proposed. The free-running frequency of the ILFM is automatically digitally calibrated to reflect the frequency of the injected signal from the harmonics of the reference clock. To control the frequency of the ILFM, the load current is digitally tuned with 6-bit digital control signal. The proposed ILFM locks to the target frequency using a digitally controlled Frequency Locked Loop (FLL). This chip is fabricated using 1-poly 6-metal 0.18 µm CMOS and achieve the wide tuning range of 612–1152 MHz. The power consumption is 0.95 mW from a supply voltage of 1.8 V. The measured phase noise of the ILFM is −108 dBc/Hz at a 1 MHz offset.

With the increasing interest in CM as a potential source of nutrients and bioactive compounds, there arises a necessity to delve into methods for its processing and drying. Over recent decades, a significant amount of research has been conducted on the chemical composition of CM and its potential health benefits. Consequently, this study is directed towards examining CM drying technology, including an analysis of the influence of different drying methods on its chemical composition and nutri-tional properties. The objective of this review is to systematically summarize the available literature on CM drying processes and their impact on its chemical composition. Special attention is devoted to comparing various drying methods such as freeze-drying, spray drying, and freeze-drying, as well as investigating factors affecting the quality of dried CM. To achieve this goal, we scrutinize a series of studies published between 2003 and 2022 to identify optimal drying methods that promote the maximum preservation of CM's nutritional components and bioactive compounds. Additionally, we explore possibilities for reducing drying time to enhance production efficiency. This research is grounded in the analysis of data from diverse scientific research databases, including Scopus and Google Scholar, encompassing a systematic review of scientific literature and a comparative analysis of the obtained results.

Schizoaffective disorder and its classification have always been a topic of discrepancy among researchers. The overlapping presentations of schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia and psychotic bipolar disorder makes it difficult to classify and diagnose. This study is a narrative review of literatures and genetic and epidemiological research evidences, done to determine the similarities and differences between schizoaffective and psychotic bipolar disorder. Beginning from the introduction of schizoaffective disorder as "schizoaffective psychosis" by Kasanin in 1933, various researchers have proposed different views regarding the diagnosis and classifications for schizoaffective disorder. DSM-III considered schizoaffective disorder as a diagnosis of exclusion as it fails to fit the definite diagnostic criteria of schizophrenia, major affective disorders, or schizophreniform disorder. DSM-V updated the criteria of schizoaffective disorder and stated it as a life time illness rather than being an episodic disorder as in DSM-IV and hence is more reliable. However, some studies show that schizoaffective disorder patients are more like schizophrenia than mood disorder. It still remains unclear whether schizoaffective disorder is a heterogenous disease, a form of schizophrenia, a form of mood disorder or a midpoint in the continuation spectrum of schizophrenia and psychotic bipolar disease.

Lymphoma diagnoses in the U.S. are substantial, with an estimated 89,380 new cases in 2023, necessitating innovative treatment approaches. Phase 1 clinical trials play a pivotal role in this context. We developed a binary predictive model to assess trial adherence to expected average durations, analyzing 1,089 completed Phase 1 lymphoma trials from clinicaltrials.gov. Using machine learning, the Random Forest model demonstrated high efficacy with an accuracy of 0.7248 and ROC-AUC of 0.7701 for lymphoma trials. Importantly, this model maintained an accuracy of 0.7405 when applied to lung cancer trials, showcasing its versatility. A key insight is the correlation between higher predicted probabilities and extended trial durations, offering nuanced insights beyond binary predictions. Our research contributes to enhanced clinical research planning and potential improvements in patient outcomes in oncology.

Fatigue risk to commercial pilots operating under global pandemic conditions had not been in-vestigated prior to COVID-19. Examining how pilots slept during COVID-19 pandemic-specific flights can provide a precedent for estimating fatigue risk for future public health emergencies. Twenty (n=20) pilots flying across five COVID-19 humanitarian missions between Brazil and China wore a sleep-tracking device (the Zulu watch), which has been validated for the estimation of sleep timing (sleep onset and offset), duration, efficiency, and sleep depth (Wake, Interrupted, Light, or Deep Sleep) throughout the mission period. Pilots also reported sleep timing, duration and subjective quality of their in-flight rest periods using a sleep diary. To our knowledge, this is the first report of commercial pilot sleep behavior during ultra-long-range operations under COVID-19 pandemic conditions. Moreover, these analyses provide an estimate of sleep depth during in-flight sleep, which has not been reported previously in the literature.

The dispersal potential of crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS) larvae is important in understanding both the initiation and spread of population outbreaks, and is fundamentally dependent upon how long larvae can persist while still retaining the capacity to settle. This study quantified variation in larval survivorship and settlement rates for CoTS maintained at three different chlorophyll concentrations (0.1, 1.0 or 10.0 µg.L^-1), achieved by varying densities of single-celled flagellate phytoplankton, Proteomonas sulcata. Based on the larval starvation hypothesis we expected that low to moderate algal concentrations would significantly constrain both survival and settlement. CoTS larvae were successfully maintained for up to 50 days post-fertilization, but larval survival differed significantly between treatments. Survival was greatest at intermediate (1.0 µg.L^-1) chlorophyll concentrations, and lowest at highest (10.0 µg.L^-1) chlorophyll concentrations. Rates of settlement were also highest at intermediate (1.0 µg.L^-1) chlorophyll concentrations and peaked at 22 days post-fertilization. Peak settlement was delayed at low chlorophyll concentrations, probably reflective of delayed development, but there was no evidence of accelerated development at high chlorophyll concentrations. CoTS larvae were capable of settling 17-43 days post-fertilization, but under optimum conditions with intermediate chlorophyll concentrations, peak settlement occurred at 22 days post-fertilization. Moderate increases in nutrient concentrations and algal densities may increase the number of CoTS that effectively settle, but are unlikely to influence dispersal dynamics.

Modern electrical power systems integrate ancillary services to provide security and quality of service in real-time operation because of the intense variations in frequency caused by the massive development and uncertainty of solar-wind generation. Therefore, this ancillary services market focuses on power reserves for secondary and tertiary frequency control. Adjusting reserves and dispatching plants is a manual instruction executed by the system operator to maintain the frequency in the normal operating state (49.80≤f≤50.20 Hz). However, in the absence of an economic model for real-time power reserve reallocation in the ancillary services market, the reserve adjustments made by the system operator are not always optimal since they generate a displacement between the scheduled and actual marginal costs. Then, this work proposes a methodology for operating the ancillary services market in real-time through a dynamic and hourly mathematical model that integrates the variability of solar-wind generation, the demand monitoring curve, and the trajectory of the marginal cost. This model minimizes power reserve costs, which are governed by hourly price auctions, for candidate plants classified as supra/infra-marginal and can optimally reallocate power reserves for secondary and tertiary frequency control.

A nonlinear MEMS multimass sensor is investigated. The MEMS design consists of an array of nonlinear microcantilevers clamped to a shuttle mass which, in turn, is attached to a linear spring and a dashpot. The microcantilevers are made of a polymeric hosting matrix reinforced by aligned carbon nanotubes (CNT) with different CNT volume fractions in each cantilever so as to suitably tune the frequency bandwidth of the device. The advantages of a single input-single output (SISO) system are here exploited for the design, actuation and detection principles as in previous literature.

Background: According to EWGSOP2, the diagnosis of sarcopenia is confirmed when in addition to low muscle strength, low muscle quantity or quality is present. Echo intensity (EI) determined by muscle ultrasound (US) has been proposed as an efficient method for the assessment of muscle quality. The effect of changing various US parameter settings on EI remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the differences between EI values obtained by adjusting parameter settings over their entire range in a sample of middle-aged healthy subjects. Methods: Thirty-two repeated US scans of rectus femoris (RF) and rectus abdominis (RA) muscles were taken in eight men and three women with a portable Mindray M7 premium US machine, working in an Extended field-of-view, B-Mode setup, equipped with a linear 5.0-10.0 MHz transducer. The following US parameters and settings were fixed: gain 60dB, depth 6.5cm, and frequency 10 MHz. Readily adjustable parameters were dynamic range (DR), gray map (GM), line density, persistence, and IClear. A default setting DR65 was chosen as the reference setting. For each of the parameters, the settings of one single parameter of interest was changed over its entire range following a standardized protocol. The EI values were calculated using the open-source software ImageJ. Repeated measures analyses were performed to evaluate the effect of parameter settings on EI. Linear interpolation was used to determine non-significant ranges across a given parameter. Results: For the RF muscle, the EI values were significantly different across DR (p<0.001), GM (p<0.001), and IClear (p<0.001). Post hoc analysis confirmed the differences within these three settings. Echo intensity values within the range of DR55 to DR80 were not significantly different. For the RA muscle, the EI values were significantly different across DR (p=0.004) and GM (p=0.030). Post hoc pairwise comparisons revealed no significant difference with the default setting, except for DR150 (p=0.042). Conclusion: We showed that EI values differ across the DR and GM range, especially in the RF. We suggest using a DR setting within its midrange to minimize the effect of machine setting-dependent factors on EI values. These findings reconfirm the need for standardization of ultrasound echo intensity settings when applied for diagnostic purposes of muscle quality.

Quantity-intensity characteristics are among conventional approaches for studying potassium dynamics and its availability; this was assessed to determine availability in four districts: namely, Sodo Zuria, Damot Gale, Damot Sore, and Boloso Sore at three different land use type viz., enset-coffee, crop land, and grazing land. There was water soluble, ammonium acetate, nitric acid extractable potassium, exchangeable potassium, and non-exchangeable potassium studied in soil samples, which were collected from 0-20 cm depth of each land type. The study revealed that water soluble and ammonium acetate extractable potassium concentrations ranged from 0.04 to 0.42 cmolKg-1 soils enset-coffee and grazing land use types, respectively. The study showed that exchangeable potassium constituted the highest proportion of available potassium, while the proportion of water soluble potassium was found to be the lowest. In this study, non-exchangeable potassium concentrations varied from 0.10 to 0.04cmolKg-1soils for enset-coffee, and crop and grazing land use type. Furthermore, available potassium and exchangeable potassium concentrations were positively correlated with OC(r=0.95***), cation exchange capacity, and sand and clay(r=0.98***). In addition, the K dynamics as impacted by land use types found that the highest change in exchangeable potassium (0.31cmolkg-1soils) and potential buffering capacity (1.79cmolkg-1soils) were noted in crop land use types, whereas the lowest change(1.26cmolkg-1 soils) was observed in the enset-coffee system, The varying properties, potassium status, dynamic and land use type of soils identified in the study areas provided adequate information to design soil potassium management options and further research about the soil in each site. Therefore, application of site specific soil fertility management practices and research can improve soil potassium status and quantity intensity parameters to sustain crop productive soils.

Indian pangolins are insectivorous mammals with less-known ecology. Due to the lack of sufficient literature on their dietary ecology, captive raring of this species has become problematic. This article describes data on dietary composition and foraging habitats of the Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) in a tropical lowland forest-associated landscape in Southwest Sri Lanka. Five different types of habitats were investigated in this study: Forest, rubber plantation, cinnamon cultivation, oil palm plantation, and tea-dominated home gardens. Foraging preference of the Indian pangolin for each habitat was assessed using signs of foraging activities. To further observe the foraging habitat utilization of pangolins, photographic evidences were collected using Infrared (IR) active camera traps located in all the studied habitats. Faecal samples collected from same habitats were further examined to identify the dietary composition of Indian Pangolins. As termites and ants are major prey organisms of Indian pangolins, the digestibility of different body parts –heads, mouthparts, abdomens, and legs of termites and ants was also scrutinized. The findings of the study with regard to dietary ecology will be important for both captive feed preparation and future conservation planning of the species

The water and wastewater sectors are energy-intensive, and so a growing number of utility companies are seeking to identify opportunities to reduce energy use. Though England’s water sector is of international interest, in particular due to the early experience with privatisation, for the time being very little published data on energy usage exists. We analyse telemetry data from Thames Water Utilities Ltd. (TWUL), which is the largest water and wastewater company in the UK and serves one of the largest mega-cities in the world, London. In our analysis, we (1) break down sectoral energy use into their components, (2) present a statistical method to analyse the long-term trends in use, as well as the seasonality and irregular effects in the data, (3) derive energy-intensity (kWh m³) figures for the system, and (4) compare the energy-intensity of the network against other regions in the world. Our results show that electricity use grew during the period 2009 to 2014 due to capacity expansions to deal with growing water demand and storm water flooding. The energy-intensity of the system is within the range of reported figures for systems in other OECD countries. Plans to improve the efficiency of the system could yield benefits in lower the energy-intensity, but the overall energy saving would be temporary as external pressures from population and climate change are driving up water and energy use.

High-Intensity Functional Training (HIFT) is a novel exercise intervention that may test body systems in a balanced and integrated fashion by challenging individuals’ abilities to complete mechanical work. However, research has not previously determined if physical work capacity is unique to traditional physiologic measures of fitness. Twenty-five healthy men and women completed a six-week HIFT intervention with physical work capacity and various physiologic measures of fitness assessed pre- and post-intervention. At baseline, these physiologic measures of fitness (e.g., aerobic capacity) were significantly associated with physical work capacity and this relationship was even stronger at post-intervention assessment. Further, there were significant improvements across these physiologic measures in response to the delivered intervention. However, the change in these physiologic measures failed to predict the change in physical work capacity induced via HIFT. These findings point to the potential utility of HIFT as a unique challenge to individuals’ physiology beyond traditional resistance or aerobic training. Elucidating the translational impact of increasing work capacity via HIFT may be of great interest to health and fitness practitioners ranging from strength/conditioning coaches to physical therapists.

This study explored the effects of cryogenic treatment on the microstructure, hardness, and wear-resistance of diamond-like carbon (DLC) by cryogenically treating NAK 80 mold steel coated with DLC. Raman spectroscopy analyzed the structure of the DLC film. Nanoindenter analyzed the hardness and Young’s modulus of the film, and their relationship determined the wear resistance. Wear test assessed the wear rate and friction coefficient of the DLC film. The results showed that cryogenic treatment increased the rate of carbide precipitation and refined the grain structure. Raman spectroscopy indicated that the Raman intensity rate (I_D/I_G) of treated DLC films was smaller than those without cryogenic treatment. When the sp3 bond increased, the hardness and wear-resistance of the DLC film also increased.

The aim of the study was to assess the frequency of fish consumption in Poland including sea and freshwater fish species referring to some socio-economic determinants. The frequency of consumption was assessed using Food Propensity Questionnaire data from 1489 adults (722 males, 767 females) in 2019–2020. The fish consumption frequency in Polish adults was too rare compared to the recommendations (at least twice a week). About 80% of respondents consumed fish less frequently than recommended. Sea fish were mostly consumed less than once a month (31.8%) or 1-3 times a month (30.9%). The most of subjects (44.8%) consumed freshwater fish less than once a month. It was also depended on: educational level, economic status, place of residence, declared health status, and on BMI value or BMI status. However, taking into account sex, the occurrence of these relationships was different in men and women. It seems that educational activities and dissemination of proper nutrition principles is necessary in order to increase the consumption of fish in Poland. It should be important to emphasize health benefits of fish consumption in relation to possible adverse effects of their contamination.

Magnetoelectric (ME) sensor is a new type magnetic sensor with ultrahigh sensitivity, low power consumption, and suitable for the measurement of low frequency weak magnetic field. In this study, metglas/PZT-5B ME sensor with a mechanical resonance frequency f_res of 60.041 kHz was prepared. It is interesting to note that its magnetic field resolution reaches 0.20 nT at f_res and 0.34 nT for DC field, respectively. In order to measure the ultralow frequency AC magnetic fields, a frequency upconversion technique was employed. Under this technique, a limit of detection (LOD) of AC magnetic field lower than 1 nT at 8 Hz is obtained, and the minimum LOD of 0.51 nT is achieved at 20 Hz. The high resolution ME sensor with sub-pT level is promising in the field of low frequency weak magnetic field measurement technology.

Background. While selective use of antibiotics for infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN) in acute pan-creatitis (AP) is recommended, studies indicate a high rate of inadequate treatment. Methods. A search of PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane databases was conducted, focusing on primary research and meta-analyses. Data were categorized based on core concepts, and a narra-tive synthesis was performed. Results. The searches yielded 1016 publications. After assessing 203 full texts and additional sources, 80 studies were included. The answers obtained were: (1) Preventive treatment does not decrease the incidence of IPN or mortality. Given the risks of bacteria resistance and fungal infec-tions, antibiotics should be reserved for highly suspected or confirmed IPN; (2) The diagnosis of IPN not always require microbiological samples, as clinical suspicion or CT signs can suffice. Early di-agnosis and treatment may be improved by using biomarkers such as procalcitonin and novel mi-crobiological methods; (3) When indicated, early initiation of antibiotics of IPN is a key determinant in reducing mortality; (4) Antibiotics with good penetration into pancreatic tissue covering Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria should be used. Routine antifungal therapy is not recommended; (5) The step-up approach, including antibiotics, is the standard for IPN manage-ment; (6) Antibiotic duration should be kept to a minimum and should be based on the quality of source control and patient condition. Conclusions. Early antibiotic therapy is essential for the treatment of IPN, but prophylactic anti-biotics are not recommended in AP. High-quality RCTs are required to better understand the role of antibiotics and antifungals in AP management.

Mathematical modelling is widely used for describing infection transmission and evaluating interventions. The lack of reliable social parameters in the literature has been mentioned by many modelling studies, leading to limitations in the validity and interpretation of the results. Using data from the European MSM Internet survey 2017, we developed a network model to describe sex acts among MSM in Belgium. The model simulates daily sex acts among steady, persistent casual and one-off partners in a population of 10,000 MSM, grouped as low- or high-activity by using three different definitions. Model calibration was used to estimate partnership duration and homophily rates to match the distribution of cumulative sex partners over 12 months. We estimated an average duration between 1065 and 1409 days for steady partnerships, 4-6 and 251-299 days for assortative high- and low-activity individuals and 8-13 days for disassortative persistent casual partnerships, respectively, varying across the three definitions. High quality data on social network and behavioral parameters are scarce in literature. Our study addresses this lack of information by providing a method to estimate crucial parameters for network specification.

We have studied the stochastic processes A and B concerning fade durations due to rain, by simulating attenuation time series A(t) (dB) in the zenith paths of GeoSurf satellite constellations, at sites located in different climatic regions, with the Synthetic Storm Technique. Process B gives the statistics of outages (occurrences), process A gives the statistics of outage duration (fraction of time), for the same rain attenuation threshold A(t)&gt;S. The two processes are not independent, therefore, we have studied the relationship between their probabilities and defined a uniformity index 0&lt;U(S)≤1. U(S) is useful for comparing real cases – fade durations fragmented in many different intervals, with changing S and site – and the limiting case of all fades lasting the same time. As S increases, U(S) increases, approaching 1 at very large thresholds. These results should guide the designers of future GeoSurf satellite constellations to consider the impact of A(t) on the diverse communications services. Process B (occurrences) impacts on non–real time services, such as data delivery, more disturbed by the number of outages rather than by their duration. Process A (fraction of time) impacts on real–time services such as television, video conference etc., more disturbed by the duration of the outage.

Cholesterol siRNA conjugates attract attention because they allow the delivery of siRNA into cells without the use of transfection agents. In this study, we compared the efficacy and duration of silencing induced by cholesterol conjugates of selectively and totally modified siRNAs and their heteroduplexes of the same sequence and explored the impact of linker length between the 3' end of the sense strand of siRNA and cholesterol on the silencing activity of “light” and “heavy” modified siRNAs. All 3'-cholesterol conjugates were equally active under transfection, but the conjugate with a C3 linker was less active than those with longer linkers (C8 and C15) in a carrier-free mode. At the same time, they are significantly inferior in activity to the 5'-cholesterol conjugate. Shortening the sense strand carrying cholesterol by 2 nucleotides from the 3'-end did not have a significant effect on the activity of the conjugate. Replacing the antisense strand or both strands with fully modified ones has a significant effect on silencing as well as improving the duration in transfection-mediated and carrier-free modes. A significant 78% suppression of MDR1 gene expression in KB-8-5 xenograft tumors developed in mice promises an advantage from the use of fully modified siRNA cholesterol conjugates in combination chemotherapy.

The current study explores the problem of illiquidity in the corporate bond market and examines a broad set of liquidity proxies through empirical investigation. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to give solution to the global issue of illiquidity in the corporate bond market. The problem is identified by many researchers and this paper attempts to find out the viable solution of the "fungibility route" as an alternative to the "liquidity route". Design/ Methodology: An Analysis of a sample size of 2,34,772 trade data of corporate bonds and a sample size of 2,00,607 trade data of G-securities is done to identify the problem. Findings / Solution proposed: A mathematical model based on credit risk differential and sensitivity differential is proposed to find out the fair value at which an illiquid bond can be swapped by a liquid bond. To arrive at the fair value of the illiquid bond, we have calculated risk adjusted discount rate using modified duration and credit risk differential. With our solution, it is possible to enhance the liquidity of the bond not directly but through fungibility route. Originality: the research is first of its kind in which solution is given to the global problem of corporate bond illiquidity. To execute the trade in the fungibility route, proposed parties involved are the Fungibility platform, the initiator, and the bidder. The derived fair value would facilitate trade and serve as an exit strategy for illiquid bond holders worldwide.

Among Crustacea, Decapoda Brachyura represent a good candidate for studies on the dispersal capability of coastal benthos by means of larvae. One oceanographic cruise allowed us to describe larvae dispersal routes in the South Adriatic Sea thanks to a multidisciplinary approach. In May 2013 a swarm of zoeae (11 Brachyura taxa, mostly at first instar, with Xantho granulicarpus at 87%) was recorded in the neuston of the Italian side of the basin. Complementary collections of zooplankton, in the same cruise, demonstrated that Decapoda larvae were not abundant below the neuston and concentrated in the first 20-30 m surface layer, with which probably they drift together. The availability of four satellite-tracked surface drifters in the same area and period of the larvae presence, represented a possibility to discuss the geographic dispersal of larvae on the basis of the surface circulation in successive days. During the studied period, only one drifter crossed the south Adriatic passing from the Italian to the Balkan neritic area, employing about 40 days. The daily vertical migration of larvae suggest that they can only employ more time to cross the basin, subtracting and re-entering the surface moving waters. The actual genetic homogeneity of populations of many Brachyura coastal species on the opposite sides of the Adriatic Sea suggests the existence of a genetic connection which, however, should not rely exclusively upon larvae circulation and needs to be fueled by additional strategies of biological communication.

This paper studies the duration patterns of unemployment spells for immigrants and the determinants of unemployment’s completion into one of a number of studied labour market states in Finland. We estimate a duration model for unemployment with competing risks of its terminating into employment, labour market training or economic inactivity. Taking into account the wide period of observation and opportunities to analyse processes of labour market integration during various periods of economic development in Finland, in combination with the individualistic character of the labour careers of immigrants, this research is beneficial owing to the many various findings concerning labour market integration of immigrants. The approach undertaken in this research has a dualistic “descriptive-dynamic” character under which integration is understood as a never-ending process, which is conditioned by a time period of long-term existence and a context of solitary action. We find that transitions out of unemployment spells have a cyclical character; after every new “cycle” in unemployment, the probability of terminating unemployment decreases further. We also find that ascriptive factors make sense in the process of job-placement of immigrants from unemployment. Therefore, the gender, education and age of immigrants, as well as the effect of the period in which first unemployment occurred, potentially predict transitions out of unemployment and further labour market integration of immigrants.

Heart sounds and murmurprovidecrucial diagnosis information for valvular heart diseases (VHD). Phonocardiogram (PCG) combined with modern digital processing techniques, provides a complementary tool for clinicians. This article proposes a benchmark different time-frequency representations, which are spectogram, mel-spectogram and cochleagram for obtaining images, in addition to the use of two interpolation techniques to improve the quality of the images, which are Bicubic and Lanczos. Deep features are extracted from a pre-trained model called VGG16 and for feature reduction the Boruta algorithm is applied. To evaluate the models and obtain more precise results, nested cross-validation is used. The best results achieved in this study were for coclegram with 99.2% accuracy and mel-spectogram representation with the bicubic interpolation technique which reached 99.4% accuracy, both having support vector machine (SVM) as classifier 10 algorithm. Overall, this study highlights the potential of time-frequency representations of PCG 11 signals combined with modern digital processing techniques and machine learning algorithms for 12 accurate diagnosis of VHD.

The advent of modern satellite technology has transformed observational astronomy and astrophysics, offering unprecedented insights into the large-scale behavior of gravitation and challenging established cosmological models. This technological progress has reinvigorated the study of relativistic cosmology, leading to a critical reassessment of foundational assumptions, particularly the cosmological principle, which posits that the universe is homogeneous and isotropic on large scales. While this principle underpins the Standard Cosmological Model and the Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker metric, emerging data has increasingly been challenging its validity. Central to this investigation are the redshift-distance and light intensity-distance relations, essential for testing cosmological models. The integration of both parametric and nonparametric redshift models provides a more comprehensive analysis, addressing discrepancies in our understanding of the universe's structure and evolution. However, unresolved mysteries, particularly concerning dark matter and dark energy, complicate these models. This research critically examines the cosmological principle using the latest observational data and scrutinizes the Friedmann model's assumptions. The study shows that galaxy formation was most rapid in the early universe, especially within the redshift range of , with notable peaks around at and These two characteristic redshift values, predicted by our standard Friedmann redshift model used in this work, are confirmed by the observational data utilized in this research. The research also highlights that dark matter plays a significantly more critical role than dark energy in the process of galaxy formation. While dark energy primarily affects the large-scale expansion of the universe, dark matter seems to go beyond the domination of local galaxy formation and evolution of cosmic structures. These findings underscore the limitations of current models and contribute to the ongoing refinement of cosmological theories, offering a clearer understanding of the universe’s evolution.

Knee osteoarthritis (KO) is an important health condition, affecting one third of the people aged 65 years or more. Pain is the main cause of disability. Pain management in KO includes pharmacological and non-pharmacological modalities. Patient education, lifestyle changes, physical exercise and physical agents are prescribed as a first approach for pain control. Laser therapy is part of many therapeutical protocols, with two forms, low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and high-intensity laser therapy (HILT). The paper aimed at stressing the advantages of HILT, based on a greater wavelength, higher energy delivery and deeper tissue penetration. Research on 23 published trials revealed that analgesic effect is rapid, cumulative and long lasting. Compared to sham, to LLLT or to other associations of therapeutical modalities, HILT provided significantly better results on pain reduction and functional improvement. Ultrasound examination showed reduction of intraarticular inflammation.

In this paper, we examine a modified Friedmann model designed to explain cosmic structures and late-time accelerated expansion of the universe, grounded in the spatial distribution of luminous matter. Through comprehensive simulations of our universe, we observe a notable surge in the formation rate of galaxies at redshift z≈1, characterized by a peak expansion rate in cosmic structures formed at z ≈0.9, reaching its zenith at z ≈2. Subsequently, a transition occurs before the onset of dark matter-induced accelerated expansion. The acceleration of the universe stands as an entrenched and virtually model-independent theoretical tenet, resilient to the ongoing debate surrounding the enigma of dark energy. A distinctive redshift transition zone marks the shift from cosmic deceleration to accelerated expansion. The transition is proportional to matter density and contingent upon the geometry of the universe. The influence of the cosmological constant on the evolution of cosmic structures in the CDM paradigm appears insufficient in curtailing the efficiency of late-time structure formation compared to the observed values in the modified model

Road marking recognition is of great importance for the deployment of automated driving systems and for already existing driver line-keeping assistance systems. For proper and reliable function of machine vision systems that include LiDAR and camera, road markings must be visible to them to facilitate planning of driving trajectory. In this study, LiDAR intensity and the number of LiDAR points collected from a field analysis of two road markings systems reflectorised with premium and standard glass beads were analysed. In the lateral direction, it was demonstrated that the use of premium glass beads for road markings lead to 56% higher LiDAR intensity and 14% more LiDAR points captured than in case of standard road markings. In the longitudinal direction, premium road markings showed less distance attenuation, which is seen as advantageous for trajectory planning by machine version systems. The outcomes of this study offer insights for road infrastructure decision-makers, developers of automated driving systems, and researchers in the field of transportation technology.

There are four commercial pathways to make grill charcoal from wood. These have been modelled to calculate a carbon intensity (CI) for each. Results are presented along with discussion of the sensitivities: biogenic carbon; quality of the charcoal; classification of products, wastes and residues; and division of burden. Grill charcoal’s CI ranges greatly, depending on the pathway by which it is produced. Wood distillation, a commercial process that once was common but now is rare, has a CI 50+% lower than that of the next-lowest commercial process, Kilns. Earth mounds/pits and external-fuelled Retorts have CIs considerably higher still. The carbon efficiency (CE) of Wood distillation is more than twice that of the next-best, again Kilns. CE is defined as normalised, total carbon emitted. This is not the same as CI, it is not usually considered in studies such as this, yet it is important for climate impact. CE could be a useful measure in assessments (such as this) where biogenic carbon is significant.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility and preliminary effects of a 12-week home-based moderate intensity cycling programme in stroke survivors. Design: Single-blinded, parallel group, Randomised Controlled Trial Setting: Home-based Participants: Participants will be survivors of first-ever stroke and randomly assigned to an Active Cycling Group (ACG) or control group. Intervention: The ACG performed a 12-week home-based cycling programme, three sessions per week. Work intervals were executed at 75% of the maximal heart rate (HR_max), recovery intervals at 50% of HR_max. Work interval duration increased from three ten-minute intervals to 30 minutes continuous cycling. The control group completed a 12-week neurocognitive exercise programme. Main outcome measurements: Primary outcome measures are compliance with training, adherence to protocol and safety as measured by adverse events. Secondary outcome measurements included a: simplified modified Rankin Scale questionnaire (stroke severity), Six-Minute Walking Test (walking ability), Ten-meter Walk Test (walking ability), Rivermead Mobility Index (walking ability), graded submaximal cycling test (exercise capacity), Physical Activity for Individuals with Physical Disability questionnaire (physical activity), EQ-5D-5L (quality of life), Stroke Specific Quality of Life questionnaire (quality of life), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (cognition), General Self-Efficacy Scale (self-efficacy), and Exercise Self-Regulation Questionnaire (self-regulation).

Trade of agricultural products has gained importance with the development of global trade. Cherries has a crucial place in Turkish agricultural exports. Fresh cherries are in the scope of this study. The aim of this study is to examine Turkey’s position and competitiveness in cherry trade. Trade Intensity Analysis Method which represents the course of trade flow among countries is used in the study. The study indicates that European countries which are Turkey’s tradition trade partner has a biggest trade share with Turkey and that share did not much change in years. By the way, Asia market especially China, became a game changer in cherry trade and Turkey should prepare itself for this situation.

The International System of Units (SI) was adopted in 1960 as a universal measuring system to be used for all areas of science. Sports Science papers have shown lots of inaccurate and inappropriate terms for quantification of athletes’ performance and the psychobiological responses to exercise (e.g., internal load). In biomechanics, external and internal loads are forces acting externally and internally, inducing stress and strain in the biological tissues. Therefore, the current review present simple proposals to correct the inappropriate terms: 1) do not use the term external load when referring to the assessment of exercise time, distance, displacement, speed, velocity, acceleration, torque, work, power, impulse, etc.; 2) do not use the term internal load when referring to the assessment of psychobiological stress markers (i.e., session rating of perceived exertion, heart rate, blood lactate, oxygen consumption, etc.); 3) do not use the term impulse when expressing other calculus than integrating force with respect to time, and neither strain, when expressing other phenomena than the body deformation. Instead, the term exercise intensity is universal and can be used to describe all forms of exercise. Finally, duration should precisely be described according to physical quantities (e.g., time, distance, displacement, speed, velocity, acceleration, force, torque, work, power, impulse, etc.) and the units accomplish by use of the SI. These simple quantifications can be performed for the exercises, sessions, microcycles, mesocycles and macrocycles of the athletes. Such standardization will provide a consistent and clear communication among sports scientists and all areas of science.

Objective: To study the changes in urine metabolism in female water polo players before and after high-intensity training by using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and to explore the biometabolic characteristics of urine after training and competition. Methods: Twelve young female water polo players (except goalkeepers) from Shanxi Province were selected. A 4-week formal training was started after one week of acclimatization according to experimental requirements. Urine samples (5 ml) were collected before formal training, early morning after 4 weeks of training, and immediately after 4 weeks of training matches, and labeled as T1, T2, and T3, respectively. The samples were tested by LC-MS after pre-treatment. XCMS, SIMCA-P 14.1, and SPSS16.0 were used to process the data and identify differential metabolites. Results: On comparing the immediate post-competition period with the pre-training period (T3 vs T1), 24 differential metabolites involved in 16 metabolic pathways were identified, among which niacin and niacinamide metabolism and purine metabolism were potential post-competition urinary metabolic pathways in the untrained state of the athletes. On comparing the immediate post-competition period with the post-training period (T3 vs T2), 10 metabolites involved in 3 metabolic pathways were identified, among which niacin and niacinamide metabolism was a potential target urinary metabolic pathway for the athletes after training. Niacinamide, 1-methylnicotinamide, 2-pyridone, L-Gln, AMP, and Hx were involved in two metabolic pathways before and after the training. Conclusion: Differential changes in urine after water polo games are due changes in the metabolic pathways of niacin and niacinamide.

Product innovation is a crucial factor in enterprise survival. Even though there are sources from strategic theory that guides the clear comprehension towards appreciating the nexus between these two variables (product innovation and enterprise survival), there are still many lacunas that should be addressed and filled. Consequently, the need for additional empirical corroboration or support is pertinent. This study aimed at verifying the nexus between product innovation and enterprise survival, and how they are affected by the existence of antecedent variables such as competitive intensity and competitive advantage. In the methodology, this study adopts the conduct of explanatory and cross-sectional investigations through the use of structural equation modelling (SEM) to a sample of selected food and beverages enterprises in Lagos, Nigeria. Regarding the food and beverage enterprises in Lagos, Nigeria, this study discovered that competitive intensity has huge positive implication on product innovation at (0.39; t = 5.69, p < 0.05). This gives numerical evidence that, in the face of more market competition, enterprises will be pressured to adopt the model of costs reduction on products which will enhance the reduction of product prices, and will have significant impact on profit. However, the findings reveal that there is no significance between competitive advantage and product innovation at (0.002; t = 0.203, p > 0.05), and there is no significance between product innovation and enterprise survival at (-0.035; t = -1.583, p > .05). As a result, the food and beverage enterprises should concentrate more on product innovation so that they will be able to stand the intensity of competition. The results emanated from the study is germane as it make significant contribution to literature and the body of knowledge and on strategic management by enlightening that competitive intensity is a necessary inducement for product innovation.

The purpose of this study was to assess if self-regulation of intensity based on rating of perceived exertion (RPE) is a reliable method to control the intensity of metabolic conditioning of functional-fitness session. In addition, the relationship between RPE and changes in heart rate and lactate responses was also analyzed. Eight male participants (age 28.1 ± 5.4 years; body mass 77.2 ± 4.4kg; VO₂max: 52.6 ± 4.6 mL·(kg·min)⁻¹) completed three randomly sessions (5 to 7 days apart) under different conditions: (1) all-out (ALL); (2) self-regulation of intensity based on a RPE of 6 (hard) on the Borg CR-10 scale (RPE6); and (3) a control session. Rate of perceived exertion, LAC and HR response were measured pre, during and immediately after the sessions. The RPE and LAC during the ALL-OUT sessions were higher (p ≤ 0.05) than the RPE6 and control sessions for all the analyzed time points during the sessions. Regarding HR, the 22 min area under the curve of HR during ALL-OUT and RPE6 sessions were significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) than the control session. The average number of repetitions was lower (p ≤ 0.05) for the RPE6 session (190.5 ± 12.5 repetitions) when compared to the ALL session (214.4 ± 18.6 repetitions). There was a significant correlation between RPE and LAC (p = 0.001; r = 0.76; very large) and number of repetitions during the session (p = 0.026; r = 0.55; large). No correlation was observed between RPE and HR (p = 0.147; r = 0.380). These results indicate that self-regulation of intensity of effort based on RPE may be a useful tool to control exercise intensity during a metabolic conditioning session of functional-fitness.

The current study focused on reviewing the rapid growing of using magnetic water in different fields of science and measure the influence of several intensities of magnetization on the chemical and electrical properties of tap water treated by reverse osmosis. The work includes circulation of water for 24 h. in magnetic fields of intensity 500, 1000, 1500, and 2000 G. The magnetization of water causes increasing some positive and negative ions in water such as (Mg, K, Na, Cl¯, Alkaline and SiO₂) and decreasing some positive and negative ions (Ca and SO₃). In the near future, the application of concepts of sustainability development in civil engineering have the to produce structures in harmony with these concepts through using of high-performance materials with less impacts on the environmental and have low cost. The main application of using magnetic water is improvement the geotechnical properties of soil through precipitation of calcite which increases the bond between soil particles and then strength of soil.

Aiming at the defects of low precision and time cumulative error, an external wireless signal weighted centroid localization algorithm aided inertial positioning method is designed in this paper. According to the signal strength of each anchor node received at the test point, the distance between the anchor node and the anchor node is obtained by using the attenuation model of the wireless signal. Three anchor nodes are used to measure the distance between the anchor node and the measured point. We can obtain the area to be measured according to the actual situation, the position of the measured point is obtained by the weighted centroid localization algorithm and a combined model of wireless signal aided inertial navigation system is established. The simulation results show that the method can greatly improve the positioning accuracy and restrain the divergence of the longitude error and latitude error.

Automatic emotion recognition using portable sensors is gaining attention due to its potential use in real-life scenarios. Existing studies have not explored Galvanic Skin Response and Photoplethysmography sensors exclusively for emotion recognition using nonlinear features with machine learning (ML) classifiers such as Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, Gradient Boosting Machine, K-Nearest Neighbor, and Decision Tree. In this study, we proposed a genuine window sensitivity analysis on a continuous annotation dataset to determine the window duration and percentage of overlap that optimize the classification performance using ML algorithms and nonlinear features, namely Lyapunov Exponent, Approximate Entropy, and Poincaré’s indices. We found an optimum window duration of 11 seconds and 16 seconds for valence and arousal, respectively, with 50% overlap, and achieved an accuracy of 0.76 in both dimensions. In addition, we proposed a Strong Labeling Scheme that kept only the extreme values of the labels, which raised the accuracy score to 0.92. Under certain conditions mentioned, traditional ML models offer a good compromise between performance and low computational cost. Our results suggest that well-known ML algorithms can still contribute to the field of emotion recognition, provided that window duration, overlap percentage, and nonlinear features are carefully selected.

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is believed to follow a waxing and waning course, often according to environmental stressors. During the COVID-19 pandemic, pre-existing OCD symptoms were reported to increase and to change from checking to washing behaviors, while new-onset symptoms were predominantly of the hoarding type. In the present study, we followed the evolution of OCD symptoms, anxiety, depression, and insight of illness in forty-six OCD patients throughout the pandemic. Clinical measures were collected at four different time points before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. Within-subject comparisons were used to compare clinical scale scores across time, and correlations were examined between patients' baseline characteristics and changes in clinical scores. We found that all clinical measures increased during the first Italian lockdown, with respect to the pre-pandemic values. Anxiety decreased during the temporary elimination of restriction provisions, whereas severity of OCD symptoms and insight returned to pre-pandemic values during the second mandatory lockdown. These results were observed only in two sub-groups of patients: those taking benzodiazepines and those with shorter illness duration. Our findings suggest the need of additional clinical attention to these specific sub-groups of OCD patients in case of particularly distressing circumstances, while pointing to a possible adaptive role of their OCD symptoms when the environment requires a higher care of hygiene and extraordinary supply of essential resources.

(1) Background. Cognitive impairment in people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) has been studied in relation to some clinical variables (e.g., motor disability and disease duration) and lifestyle fac-tors such as Cognitive Reserve (CR). However, only very few studies have considered the interac-tion of clinical variables and cognitive reserve in preserving the integrity of the neuropsychologi-cal profile. In this paper, we hypothesised that a higher level of CR might predict good cognitive efficiency by modulating the clinical outcome of the disease. (2) Methods. A sample of 100 partic-ipants with MS (age range 30-74), was recruited and assessed remotely with a questionnaire to measure CR and a cognitive screening test. Data were analysed through Generalized Additive Models. (3) Results. We found that the model analysing the interaction between CR and disease duration, and between CR and motor disability was able to explain a significant percentage of cognitive performance. In particular, higher levels of CR predicted better cognitive performance despite long disease duration, unless the motor disability was severe. (4) Conclusion. This study highlights the crucial role of CR in modulating cognitive efficiency in people with MS.

We aimed to investigate the ability of children aged 5–14 years old (preschoolers, primary schoolers, and preteens) to assess and anticipate time intervals. 287 Russian children aged 5–14 years old and 26 adults of control group participated in our study. The neuropsychological assessment, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children and a battery of time-related tests were applied. All groups of children overestimated the event’s duration, although the accuracy of the second estimations increased among the participants aged 6–8 years after a prompt was offered. A zone of proximal development for time anticipation task was detected for children aged 9-11 years, when the prompt could significantly improve the accuracy of time perception. The participants overestimated the duration of both upcoming and past events, with the degree of overestimation being found to be negatively correlated with age. Further, a higher degree of accuracy in terms of time estimation was found to be correlated with higher scores on the attention and memory tests, and accuracy of time anticipation was associated with scores of praxis test.

Introduction: Caries is a public health problem in Kosovo among children, Caries is a multifactorial microbial disease and connection of this disease with soft drinks and food habits between children and their poor oral health is very strong. Aim: The aim of present study is to evaluate prevalence of caries among 12 to 16 years old students in municipality of Suhareka and to analyze related risk factors that contribute in occurrence of caries. Material and methods: To observe parameters of soft drink we used experimental method and a cross-sectional study was carried out among 120 adolescents in “Sadri Duhla” elementary school in Duhel and “7 Marsi” elementary school in city of Suhareka. Oral clinical examination and self administered questionnaire were used to collect information about dental caries and its correlation to soft drinks and food habits. Examination was done between May and October in the year 2023. Impact of soft drink in caries was assessed through DMFT index and frequency of consumption of soft drinks. The data were collected statistically using SPSS version 26 and presented in tables and graphs. Results: The highest result of DMFT (4.36) with standard deviation 1.23 was noted in the group consuming more than 16 cans per week also the highest score in adolescent compared to frequency of consumed cans per week. Soft drinks found in Kosovo’s mar-kets are acidic with low pH, 93.75% of them had a pH below 4 which are considered erosive and only 6.25% are minimally erosive with a pH > 4, in terms of buffer capacity soft drinks can be ordered like this energy drinks >soda >100% fruit juice > fruit drinks. Improper tooth-brushing, dental visits only in case of pain and not preventive visits were significantly related to dental caries. Conclusion: The results of the research awarned us for high frequency consumption of soft drinks related to dental caries. It is recommended to be aware of the use of soft drinks, regular visits to the doctor, higher maintenance of oral health by using paste with sufficient fluoride content also brushing teeth 1 hour after consuming acidic food.

Pulsed electric fields of specific frequencies emitted by a glass plasma antenna tube have been shown to slow the growth of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia cells by as much as 43% when exposed to a series of frequencies between 156kHz and 162kHz. This narrow band of frequencies is termed a “Destructive Cancer Resonant Frequency Formant” (DCRFF).

This paper investigates portfolio optimization methodologies and short-term investment strate-gies in the context of the cryptocurrency market, focusing on ten major cryptocurrencies from January 2020 to November 2023. We employ high frequency data and utilize the Kurtosis Mini-mization methodology, alongside other optimization strategies, to construct and evaluate port-folios under different rebalancing frequencies. The empirical analysis reveals that cryptocurren-cies exhibit significant volatility, skewness, and kurtosis, necessitating sophisticated portfolio management techniques. We find that the Kurtosis Minimization methodology consistently outperforms other optimization strategies, delivering optimal returns to investors, particularly in shorter-term investment horizons. We demonstrate the diversification benefits of integrating cryptocurrencies into multi-asset portfolios and emphasize the importance of regular portfolio rebalancing in the volatile cryptocurrency market. Our findings offer insights for portfolio man-agers and investors seeking to optimize their investment outcomes in the cryptocurrency market, highlighting the importance of risk management, diversification, and dynamic portfolio man-agement strategies.

This paper proposes a linear eddy-current feature to determine the radius of a metallic ball in a non-contact manner. An electromagnetic eddy-current sensor with two coils is placed co-axially to the metal ball during measurement. It is well known that the distance between the sensor and test piece (i.e. lift-off) affects eddy-current signals. In this paper, it is found that the peak frequency feature of inductance spectrum is linear to the lift-off spacing between the centre of coil and ball. Besides, the slope of peak frequencies versus lift-offs is linked to the radius of ball. The radius of metallic balls is retrieved from the experimental and embedded analytical result of the slope. Measurements have been carried out on 6 metallic balls with different radii. The radius of the metallic ball can be retrieved with an error of less than 2 %.

One of the still debated topics regarding the olfactory function concerns the presence or absence of sex-related differences of individuals. In this study, we checked for a relationship between the olfactory function of females and males and their ability to perceive single molecules, and how this can influence the intensity with which the complex odor formed by a set of single molecules is perceived. First, females and males were classified as normosmic or hyposmic based on the TDI olfactory score obtained using the Sniffin' Sticks test. Subsequently, the headspace of roasted coffee beans as a complex olfactory stimulus was broken down into single molecules by means of a chromatographic column; these were simultaneously conveyed to a mass spectrometer (for their subsequent classification) and to the human nose which acts as a chemical sensor by means of an olfactometer port. The results obtained with this gas chromatography-olfactometry approach show both qualitative and quantitative differences between females and males, with females performing better than males. In addition, the odor intensity reported by females when sniffing pen #10 containing coffee aroma is significantly higher than that reported by males. In conclusion, these data highlight that the human ability to perceive both single compounds and complex odors is strongly conditioned, not only by olfactory function of individuals, but also by their sex.

Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of foot pain; in a significant percentage it is also associated with bone edema of the heel. A prospective randomized clinical trial was designed, in which 48 patients suffering from plantar fasciitis, with or without bone edema, were treated with temperature controlled high energy adjustable multi-mode emission laser and exercises (laser group) or with exercises only (control group). Patients were evaluated at recruitment (T0), at 2 (T1) and 6 months (T2), monitoring pain (with Visual Analogue Scale), functionality (with Foot Function Index) and perception of improvement (with Roles and Maudsley Score) and fascia thickness (with ultrasound examination). In both groups there was a significant improvement in pain, functional recovery, perception of remission and a reduction in plantar fascia thickness at T1 and T2. The laser group presented statistically better values at T2 for the Roles and Maudsley Score (z: 2.21; 0.027). Regression analysis showed that a greater reduction in fascia thickness occurred in the laser group (p-value: 0.047). In conclusion, the two conservative treatments were effective in patients suffering from plantar fasciitis, even in the presence of bone edema, but with lesser results.

In recent studies, the circulation of a (SLG) super-Lorentz-Gaussian beam in a non-turbulent ‎troposphere has been investigated and used for laser applications. This method uses the extended ‎Huygens-Fresnel integral technique and refers to the multiplication of the Gaussian beam by the ‎Lorentz function. Formulas are derived for the normal density and approximate field of the Lo-‎Rentz-Gaussian beam in a non-turbulent troposphere. The average density power and the propagation characteristics of the SLG jet in the non-turbulent troposphere are numerically represented. ‎The characteristics of the beam boundaries at atmospheric non-turbulence for the propagation ‎distance of an SLG beam in a non-turbulent troposphere are also discussed in detail. They are ‎practical in an optical communication system used in lasers.

This paper presents the preservation property of the average intensity order and the preservation property of the monotonic average intensity classes under distorted distributions. Several sufficient conditions are given to get the preservation properties. It is shown that the imposed conditions are achievable as we examine in some examples. The preservation of the average intensity order and the preservation of the decreasing average intensity class under the structure of a parallel system with independent and identically distributed components' lifetime are made. A lower bound for the average intensity function of a random lifetime with an increasing failure rate in average distribution is derived. The results are applied to some semiparametric models as a particular standard family of distorted distribution.

The aim of this study was to research the quality parameters of honeys directly from Iraqi Kurdistan beekeepers and to compare with European Union law and Central European honeys. In total 30 honey samples directly from Kurdish, Czech and Slovak beekeepers were collected from the year of production 2018. The analyzed physicochemical parameters and bioactive compounds (moisture content, electrical conductivity, diastase activity, hydroxymethylfurfural content, pH, free acidity, total phenolic content, color, color intensity) varied depending on the botanical and geographical origin of honeys. Comparing Kurdistan honeys with a directive relating to honey, only two honey samples had diastase activity lower than limit and one sample had free acidity value at the legislative limit. Based on the results, it was found that the properties of Kurdistan honeys were very similar to the properties of Czech and Slovak honeys, as indicated by the detected statistically non-significant differences (p > 0.05) between the moisture content, electrical conductivity, diastase activity and color. On the contrary, the most significant differences (p < 0.01) were detected in hydroxymethylfurfural content, total phenolic content, and color intensity. Our results indicated the specific properties and the uniqueness of honeys from Iraqi Kurdistan and pointed to the possibility of trading this honey in Europe.

In this paper, the ratio of gross agricultural production (GAP) and agricultural carbon emission is defined as agricultural carbon emission efficiency (ACEE). Considering rural labor transfer (RLT) increases the agricultural machinery intensity (AMI), the two are substitutes for each other and may interact with agricultural carbon emission efficiency (ACEE), we constructed a Simultaneous Equations Model (SEM) of ACEE, RLT and AMI, and analyzed the interaction mechanism of these three variables by using the Three-Stage Least Squares (3SLS) method to solve the endogeneity of the model. The following conclusions are drawn. First, RLT and AMI significantly promote the improvement of ACEE, while the improvement of ACEE and AMI further promotes RLT. Secondly, the causal relationship and influence mechanism of ACEE, RLT and AMI are interactive and multi-directional. An increase in AMI promotes ACEE, but an increase in ACEE inhibits an increase in AMI, suggesting that the marginal rate of substitution of machinery for labor is decreasing. Finally, China has significant regional heterogeneity. Labor transfer and machinery are only direct factors in increasing ACEE, while factors such as economic base, technology level and farmers' attitudes provide environmental support for the effective improvement of ACEE.

Understanding the evolution patterns in patients diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) after therapy is relevant due to the dismal outcome still present in refractory or relapsed AML patients. We performed a retrospective, single-center study to evaluate the mutation profile in paired samples obtained at the time of diagnosis and at the onset of progressive or refractory disease in patients diagnosed with AML through a commercial next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel. In total, 62 patients were analyzed. Of these, 28 patients received ICT, and 34 patients underwent low-intensity treatments. In LIT patients, there were emergent mutations at progressive disease in a 64% (22/34) of the patients. Emergent mutations in the RAS-MAPK signaling pathway were observed in 35.9% (12/34) , corresponding to 54.5% of all patients with emergent mutations (12/22). These were found in 12/22 patients that received venetoclax in combination with hypomethylating agents. Six presented mutations in genes related to the RAS-MAPK pathway. Emerging mutations are frequently observed at progressive AML disease after therapy. In patients treated with LIT, mutations in RAS-MAPK signaling pathway might have a key role on the secondary clinical resistance, not only if they are present at diagnosis, becoming a potential target for the development of new drugs.

As one of the main projects of facility agriculture promotion, the photovoltaic greenhouse has the problems of photovoltaic power generation competing for light with crop production, strong indoor chiaroscuro, and uneven light distribution. The internal light uniformity is tested by a zigzag greenhouse model to compare the light transmission effects of different light-transmitting materials applied to photovoltaic greenhouses. 20 line\inch 3mm and 30 line\inch 3mm, 40 line\inch 2mm, 25 line\inch 4mm grating plates, 2mm, and 3mm thick ordinary glass were used as light transmitting components, and the light intensity and light uniformity in the greenhouse were the measurement indicators. The results show that the use of grating plates as covering material can improve the light intensity at the intersection of light and dark, but the overall light transmittance is not as good as glass, because it is plastic which is easy to age with low light transmittance. It can also improve the use of land under the shade of photovoltaic modules to provide a better growth environment for crops. Test results show that the use of a 2mm thick 40-line grating plate can maximize the light intensity of the greenhouse, and the peak value can reach 69336 Lx. In sunny weather, the light intensity from point G to point I in the greenhouse is greater than 20,000 Lx, and the light environment in other areas is between 5,000 Lx and 20,000 Lx, which is suitable for planting shade-loving crops.

Cognitive linguistics is founded on the assumption that language is a reflection of universal cognitive principles, implying that all cognitive processes share a common origin. This assumption is known as the 'Cognitive Commitment.' The present article examines the sensory schema hypothesis, which traces all forms of expression back to sensations. This theoretical framework integrates the physicality of the body with sensations that underlie human experiences and their linguistic and non-linguistic expressions. By challenging the traditional dichotomy between mind and body, it provides a more integrated understanding.

The adoption of sustainable forest management practices emerged as a contemporary imperative for forest biodiversity preservation, functional integrity, and mitigation of climate change. Within the spectrum of these practices, thinning is recognized as an environmentally sustainable strategy. The primary objective of thinning is the equitable redistribution of aboveground growth, diverting resources from younger trees to promote the accelerated development of more valuable specimens compared to unthinned forests. Thinning, while fostering aboveground changes, induces substantial alterations in soil chemical and biochemical properties. This review addresses the often-debated consequences of thinning on soil characteristics, focusing on the intricate interplay involving different thinning intensities and their impact on soil chemical and biochemical parameters. Specifically, the analysis delves into the modulation of organic carbon levels, microbial biomass, and enzymes crucial to the organic matter cycle. Two key aspects are scrutinized: firstly, the influence of thinning intensity and the temporal dimension post-thinning on soil properties; secondly, the comparative impact of thinning intensity versus the time elapsed from the thinning event on soil properties and associated biological processes. The findings underscore pivotal insights: a) temporal dynamics significantly affect soil organic matter across broadleaved (excluding beech), coniferous, and mixed forests, manifesting as early as 2-7 years post-thinning; b) thinning intensity, up to a threshold of 50%, enhances soil quality by augmenting organic carbon content, bolstering microbial communities, and amplifying associated enzyme activities. This review consolidates valuable information for forest managers, providing guidance to optimize natural processes in tandem with achieving specific management objectives. By illuminating the nuanced interactions between thinning practices and soil dynamics, this knowledge equips stakeholders to make informed decisions in the pursuit of sustainable forest management and ecological resilience.

Recently, new semantic segmentation and object detection methods have been proposed for direct processing of three-dimensional (3D) LiDAR sensor point clouds. LiDAR can produce highly accurate and detailed 3D maps of natural and man-made environments and is used for sensing in many contexts due to its ability to capture more information and its robustness to dynamic changes in the environment. In addition, the cost of LiDAR sensors has decreased in recent years, which is an important factor for many application scenarios. The challenge with 3D LiDAR sensors like the Velodyne HDL-64E S2 is that they can output large 3D data at up to 1,300,000 points per second, which is difficult to process in real time when applying complex algorithms and models for efficient semantic segmentation. Most existing approaches are either only suitable for relatively small point clouds or rely on computationally intensive sampling techniques to reduce their size. As a result, most of these methods do not work in real-time in realistic field robotics application scenarios, making them unsuitable for practical applications. Systematic point selection is a possible solution to reduce the amount of data to be processed, but although it is memory and computationally efficient, it selects only a small subset of points, which may result in important features being missed. To address this problem, we propose a new approach to semantic segmentation in forestry that uses a systematic sampling method in which the local neighbors of each point are retained to preserve geometric details. Our approach has been shown to process up to 1 million points in a single pass. It outperforms the state of the art in efficient semantic segmentation in large datasets such as Semantic3D. We also present a preliminary study on the performance of LiDAR-only data, i.e., intensity values from LiDAR sensors without RGB values for semi-autonomous robot perception.

The Rb/Sr ratio of lake sediments has been widely adopted as an indicator of weathering intensity in studies of past climate change, but the geochemical significance of this ratio varies with timescale. Here we present Rb/Sr data for the last 300 years for sediments collected from Chaonaqiu Lake in the Liupan Mountains of the western Chinese Loess Plateau as a decadal-scale record of weathering intensity. To validate the application of this weathering proxy, we correlated the record with those of other major elements, rock-forming minerals, and paleoclimatic proxies. We found that Rb/Sr ratios are influenced mainly by Sr activity within the lake catchment (where Sr is likely sourced from albite). In addition, higher (lower) Rb/Sr ratios of bulk sediments from Chaonaqiu Lake are correlated with lower (higher) fractions of terrigenous detritus (SiO2, Ti, K2O, Al2O3, and Na2O). Lake bulk sediment Rb/Sr ratios are dominated by the input of terrigenous detritus over decadal timescales. Our data show that physical and chemical weathering in Chaonaqiu Lake catchment have opposing influences on bulk sediment Rb/Sr ratios, competing to dominate these ratios of lake sediments over different timescales, with ratios reflecting the relative importance of the two types of weathering. We infer that the Rb/Sr ratios of Chaonaqiu Lake sediments reflect climatic signals of precipitation and temperature over long timescales and of precipitation over short timescales.

The purpose of the present study was to compare heart rate (HR), blood lactate and training load between different CrossFit® workouts, with equalized total volume in men and women. The study included 23 individuals (13 men and 10 women) experienced in CrossFit® training, who performed two workouts with different training types (as many reps as possible - AMRAP and for time) but equalized volume. Measurements of lactate, HR and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were performed. The results showed that there was no HR interaction between workout time and sex (p = 0.822; η2 = 0.006] and between workout type and sex (p = 0.064, η2 = 0.803). HR significantly differed during each workout type (p <0.001, η2 = 0.621), but not between the two workout types (p = 0.552, η2 = 0.017). Lactate showed no difference between the workout types (p = 0.474, η2 = 0.768), although the training load was higher (p = 0.033, η2 = 0.199) in women when they performed AMRAP. Altogether, HR was not significantly different between training types or sex, while RPE, lactate and training load showed small differences depending on the group (women or men) or workout type (AMRAP or 'for time').

Compared with liquid crystal clad waveguide, MEMS mirror has some merits, such as high-er-transmissivity, lager-angle of scanning, faster scanning speed and so on. Furthermore, MEMS mirror arrays perform more superior than MEMS mirror when they steer laser beam, which make MEMS arrays much more suitable to be used in devising compact Lidar. Before assembling a Lidar with MEMS arrays, the optical intensity and distributions of the laser diffracted by MEMS arrays should be analyzed, but few published papers about this issue are available so far, this paper will focus on this issue about MEMS arrays. Firstly, the complex amplitudes of laser which is diffracted by 1-D and 2-D arrays are presented, respectively. Then the optical intensity and distributions on the observation plane are presented. Finally, the simulation diagrams of these distributions are shown, and the correctness of the results is indirectly verified by Young’s dou-ble-slit experiment. The results gotten in this letter are essential to design a compacted Lidar based on MEMS arrays.

In the context of improving the comfort and dynamics of the vehicle, the suspension system has been continuously developed and improved, especially using magnetorheological (MR) shock absorbers. The development of this technology which is relatively new has not been easy. Thus, the first widespread commercial use of MR fluid in a semi-active suspension system was implemented in passenger cars. The magnetorheological shock absorber can combine the comfort with the dynamic driving, because it allows the damping characteristic to be adapted to the road profile. The main objective of the paper is to analyze the dynamic behavior of the magnetorheological shock absorber in the semi-active suspension. In this sense, the author carried out a set of experimental measurements with a damping test bench, specially built and equipped with modern equipment. The results obtained from the experimental determinations show a significantly improved comfort when using a magnetorheological shock absorber, compared to a classic one, by the fact that the magnetorheological shock absorber allows to modify the damping coefficient according to the road conditions, thus maintaining the permanent contact between the tire and the road due to increased damping force.

China’s transportation industry has made rapid progress, which has led to a mass of carbon emissions. However, it is still unclear how the carbon emission from transport sector is punctuated by shifts in underlying drivers. This paper aims to examine the process of China’s carbon emissions from transport sector as well as its major driving forces during the period of 2000 to 2015 at the provincial level. We firstly estimate the carbon emissions from transport sector at the provincial level based on the fuel and electricity consumption using a top-down method. We find that the carbon emission per capita is steadily increasing across the nation, especially in the provinces of Chongqing and Inner Mongolia. However, the carbon emission intensity is decreasing in most provinces of China, except in Yunnan, Qinghai, Chongqing, Zhejiang, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Inner Mongolia, Henan and Anhui. We then quantify the effect of socio-economic factors and their regional variations on the carbon emissions using panel data model. The results show that the development of secondary industry is the most significant variable in both the entire nation level and the regional level, while the effects of the other variables vary across regions. Among these factors, population density is the main motivator of the increasing carbon emissions per capita from transport sector for both the whole nation and the western region, whereas the consumption level per capita of residents and the development of tertiary industry are the primary drivers of per capita carbon emissions for the eastern and central region.

The aim of this study is to explore the extent of English language teaching in Higher Institutions of Malaysia and investigate the current changes, trends and challenges in this niche. A sample of 100 English learners from public and private institutions participated in this study. Analysis of the responses indicated that English language is remaining to be difficult to master, due to speaking environment, proficiency of the teachers and other factors. However, the Government is on the right direction to improve this situation by following Common European Framework of Reference of Languages. As any other system, it takes time to put into realization and start up the mechanism. This observation carries a pedagogical perspective and includes the overview of the general picture based on Private, Public and Stand Alone English educational institutions. This study has highlighted the practical importance of British Framework of English learning and suggests to focus on emphasis of the learning process instead of a result.

A new low-pass filter (LPF) circuit with independent adjustment of various, incl. digitally controlled, pole frequency resistors, pole quality factor and transmission coefficient. The proposed low-pass filter is based on the use of the properties of a multi-differential operational amplifier that performs the functions of a signal adder. The peculiarity of the filter is that it has three inputs, with respect to which different transmission coefficients are implemented, incl. inverting (-1) and non-inverting (+1). To check these properties of a low-pass filter in the Micro-Cap environment, computer simulation of a specific circuit was performed on a multi-differential operational amplifier AD 8130. Mathematical expressions are given for the main parameters of the proposed low-pass filter, which allow parametric synthesis of elements of a specific circuit under given restrictions on the used element base.

A new circuit of a low-pass filter (LPF) is considered, which is switched on at the input of analog-to-digital converters to limit the spectrum of input signals. The peculiarity of the proposed low-pass filter is the independent adjustment of the pole frequency, the quality factor of the pole and the transmission coefficient by different resistors. Computer simulation performed in the Micro-Cap environment confirms these properties of the LPF. The basic mathematical expressions are obtained, which make it possible to carry out the parametric synthesis of the LPF circuit. It is shown that the sensitivity of the LPF transmission coefficient to changes in the parameters of the frequency-setting elements of the circuit is close to zero and depends only on the ratio of the resistances of the two resistors in the feedback circuit.

(Background) the aim was to determine related factors to recurrent vitreous hemorrhage (RVH) in a sample of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) patients. (Methods) A retrospective, review-based study. We studied 183 eyes from 121 type 2 diabetes patients with PDR. We recorded diabetes duration, history of hypertension, retinal photocoagulation status, the posterior vitreous status, the mean HbA1c, mean hemoglobin, the renal function, and the systemic complications related to diabetes. We also recorded the use of ranibizumab prior to vitrectomy and the following surgical variables: the application of segmentation and diathermy on fibrovascular proliferative tissue, the use of silicone oil, and the occurrence of surgical complications, to study which independent variables were significantly related to the presence of RVH. (Results) Duration of diabetes (P= 0.028), hemoglobin (P=0.02), status of the posterior vitreous (P=0.03), retinal photocoagulation (P=0.002) and use of segmentation surgery technique (P=0.003) have significant link to the presence of RVH. In addition, patients with diabetic polyneuropathy, myocardial infarction and ischemia in lower limbs had more vitreous hemorrhage events (p&lt;0.001). (Conclusions) Patients with PDR and with longer diabetes duration, anemia, attached posterior vitreous, deficient retinal photocoagulation, and previously cardiovascular events, were more prone to RVH.