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Background: Pigment Red 53 is a dangerous synthetic dye that is often added to cosmetics, even though its use in cosmetic products has been prohibited because of possible impacts on health. Faster and more sensitive detection of Pigment Red 53 is needed for onsite analysis to protect the community from illegal cosmetics that contain the dye. Indicator color charts are a kind of analytical method that can be used to detect Pigment Red 53 in cosmetic products, including lipstick, rouge, and eyeshadow. Such charts are practical, fast, and can be used for onsite analysis. Methods: In this study, an indicator for Pigment Red 53 detection was obtained through a reagent reaction that caused a specific color change. An indicator color chart was then produced by setting out in paper form the series of colors which resulted from the reaction of specific chemical reagents and Pigment Red 53 solutions at concentrations of 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 ppm. Results: The testing results showed that the indicator color chart may be used as an initial screening method for the detection of Pigment Red 53 in cosmetic products with a detectable minimum concentration of 10 ppm. Out of nine samples, only one (Eyeshadow 3) tested positive for Pigment Red 53. Further analysis was carried out on the indicator color chart and the results showed good agreement with TLC and UV–Vis spectrophotometry methods. Conclusion: The results reported in this paper demonstrate that the indicator color chart is a good prospective method for onsite analysis to detect Pigment Red 53 in cosmetic samples, with a lower detection limit compared to polymer‐based indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on Hector‐Neri Castañeda's significant contributions to metaphilosophy. In his 1980 work, On Philosophical Method, Castañeda articulates a unique perspective, characterizing philosophy as fundamentally a dia‐philosophical activity. By asserting the supremacy of synthesis over analysis within the metaphilosophical hierarchy, his account provides a purely theoretical defense of philosophical pluralism devoid of any relativistic inclinations. Despite Castañeda's enduring influence and profound impact on ongoing discussions in ontology, logic, and the philosophy of language, his metaphilosophical insights have largely been neglected. In the context of today's increasingly diverse philosophical landscape, this paper posits that Castañeda's pluralist metaphilosophy retains substantial theoretical relevance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Aims Methods Main Contribution Conclusion What this paper adds What is already known on this subject What this paper adds to existing knowledge What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? It is important to capture a comprehensive language profile from speakers with aphasia. One way to do this is to evaluate spoken discourse, which is language beyond a single simple clause used for a specific purpose. While the historical trend in aphasiology has been to capture performance during isolated language tasks, such as confrontation naming, there is a demonstrated need and benefit to collecting language information from tasks that resemble everyday communication. As a result, there has been an increase in discourse analysis research over time. However, despite clinicians’ and researchers’ desire to analyse spoken discourse, they are faced with critical barriers that inhibit implementation.To use scoping review methodology to identify transcription‐less tools developed to analyse discourse from individuals with aphasia. The review addressed the following question: ‘What transcription‐less tools and analysis procedures are available to assess discourse in people with aphasia?’ and included several sub‐questions to further characterise the type of discourse and tool being used, participants on whom the tool was used to rate discourse abilities, tool users (raters), and psychometric properties.The scoping review was conducted between the months of October 2022 and January 2023, concluding 30 January 2023, on PubMed/NCBI, Academic Search Complete and Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts. Major inclusion parameters included peer‐reviewed papers written in English; that the tool was used to analyse discourse elicited by individuals with acquired aphasia; and that the tool was not a part of a standardised battery or assessment. Perceptual discourse analysis was defined as any analysis which primarily relied on listener impressions and did not numerically quantify specific language behaviours. ‘Transcription‐less’ analysis was defined as any discourse analysis which did not require a written record of the discourse sample in order to be completed. A total of 396 abstracts were screened and 39 full articles were reviewed, yielding 21 papers that were included in the review.An overview of the state of transcription‐less tools for aphasic discourse analysis is provided, and next steps are identified to facilitate increased implementation of discourse analysis in clinical and research settings.Transcription‐less tools have many benefits for analysing multiple levels (e.g., linguistic, propositional, macrostructural, pragmatic) of discourse, but require more research to establish sound psychometric properties and to explore the implementation of these tools in clinical settings. Individuals with aphasia prioritise treatment outcomes at the discourse level such as being able to engage in conversations with friends and family about important topics and participating in social and leisure activities. However, discourse is rarely used as a treatment outcome measure in clinical practice due to multiple barriers. When speech‐language pathologists do assess discourse, they often make perceptual judgements without transcribing the discourse sample. Transcription‐less analysis procedures may improve clinical implementation of discourse assessment, which would better match treatment outcome measurement to clients’ desired outcomes. However, little is known about the current state of transcription‐less discourse analysis, blocking progress. This study provides an overview of currently available transcription‐less discourse analysis procedures that are not part of published standardised aphasia assessments. Transcription‐less measures are available to evaluate discourse at all levels (i.e., lexical, propositional, macro‐structural/planning, and pragmatic) and most measures include items that assess discourse abilities across multiple levels. Additionally, there are transcription‐less measures available for both structured (e.g., picture scene description) and spontaneous (e.g., conversation) discourse tasks. However, current transcription‐less procedures are lacking psychometric data including information about validity and reliability. Transcription‐less analysis methods may provide an avenue for increased implementation of discourse measurement into clinical practice. Further research is needed to determine the clinical utility of transcription‐less discourse analysis to better monitor clients’ desired treatment outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Aims Methods & Procedures Main contribution Conclusions & Implications WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS What is already known on the subject What this paper adds to the existing knowledge What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? The dialect spoken by children influences diagnostic decision‐making regarding the identification and severity of speech sound disorder (SSD).The primary objective was to review papers that examined the influence of dialect on the identification of SSD in Vietnamese‐speaking children.Five studies of mono‐ and multilingual Vietnamese‐speaking children living in Vietnam and Australia were reviewed to examine the influence of dialect on the assessment and analysis children's speech. The main Vietnamese dialects (Standard, Northern, Central, Southern) differ in the production of consonants, vowels and tones.Most speech assessments define correct production using the standard dialect of a language. Insights from recent studies of Vietnamese provide recommendations for also considering dialect in diagnostic decision‐making. First, we recommend adding column(s) to the assessment score sheet that includes the dialectal variants spoken by adults in the child's family or community. Second, we calculate the accuracy of production twice, based on the standard form and dialectal form. Third, we report the percentage of consonants correct—standard (PCC‐S) and percentage of consonants correct—dialect (PCC‐D).Diagnostic decision‐making is influenced by dialectal variation in children's speech, so speech and language therapists need to compare standard and dialectal productions when undertaking assessments, analysis and diagnostic decision‐making. Most speech assessments use the standard form of a dialect as the correct production. The standard dialect is used for diagnosis of SSD and identification of intervention targets. This paper examines five research studies of Vietnamese to identify ways to consider dialect in speech and language therapy assessment and analysis. Vietnamese provides a complex environment for this examination since there are numerous Vietnamese dialects and they differ according to consonants, vowels and tones. Speech and language therapists are encouraged to add column(s) to their assessment score sheet that includes the dialectal variants spoken by adults and to report the PCC‐S and PCC‐D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In this paper, we examine unintentional dwelling fire injuries during the period 2006 to 2016 in Merseyside, in the North West of England. Overall, it appeared that deprivation was a significant factor in unintentional fire injuries over the period studied, with 52% of fire injuries occurring in areas with the highest level of deprivation. Males and females appeared equally likely to be injured in an unintentional dwelling fire, however, males were twice as likely to be injured in an alcohol and drug‐related fire incident, or injured attempting to fight a dwelling fire than females. In terms of the age profile of those injured in unintentional dwelling fires, the group with the highest level of fire injuries was the elderly (29% of injuries), followed by those aged 25 to 45 (28% of injuries), then those aged 45 to 65 (23% of injuries), then young persons (aged up to 24) (20% of injuries). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This technical note reviews the plethora of concentration units used to report blood‐alcohol concentration (BAC) and breath‐alcohol concentrations (BrAC) for legal purposes in different countries. The choice of units sometimes causes confusion when scientific papers originating from a certain country might be introduced into evidence via expert testimony, such as when alcohol‐related crimes are prosecuted. The concentration units are also important to consider when blood/breath ratios (BBRs) of alcohol are calculated and compared between countries. Statutory BAC limits for driving in most nations are reported in mass/volume (m/v) units, such as g/100 mL (g%) in the United States, mg/100 mL (mg%) in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, or g/L (mg/mL) in many EU nations. By contrast, Germany and the Nordic countries report BAC as mass/mass (m/m) units, hence g/kg or mg/g, which are ~5.5% lower than m/v units, because whole blood has an average density of 1.055 g/mL. There are historical reasons for reporting BAC in mass/mass units because the aliquots of blood analyzed were measured by weight rather than volume. The difference between m/m and m/v is also important in postmortem toxicology, such as when distribution ratios of ethanol between blood and other biological specimens, such as urine, vitreous humor, and cerebrospinal fluid, are reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compositional analysis has proved to be a powerful tool for investigating the recycling of transparent glass in the Roman and Byzantine periods. This paper expands the focus further to explore the recycling of coloured and opaque glass in the Late Iron Age and Roman periods in Britain. A review of the findings to date, predominantly for beads and bangles, illustrates how a combination of methods is needed to identify when coloured glass has been recycled and altered in the past. Chemical analysis, microstructural examination and experimentation have been used to understand how coloured glass was mixed, diluted, and modified with novel colourants and opacifiers, in ways that are not apparent from non‐destructive chemical analysis alone. The paper discusses the possible types and sources of trade glass, the challenges of recycling mono‐ and polychrome glass in different colours, and the unconventional methods used by glassworkers on the periphery of Roman influence to extend and modify coloured glass to produce distinctive items in order to express their identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Resource provisioning in the cloud is the most popular business model for any service provider due to profit that is based on how resources are distributed among users in Industry 4.0. Moreover, much research carried out to provide a better resource provisioning system to service providers; however, efficient resource provisioning may save the environments too. This study presents an extensive analysis of different resource provisioning systems based on concert parameters. More than 250 relative research articles have been considered for this study, out of these 125 articles has been processed for comparative analysis on the basis of different performance metrics. This study highlights the classifications of resource management techniques, objective functions, and open research challenges and issues while analyzing resource management techniques. It also provides the depth knowledge of uses of performance metrics utilization based on its classifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue of the Journal Mathematical Methods in the Applied Sciences on the topic of Modelling, Analysis, and Applications is devoted to the development of mathematical modelling, analysis, and applications, from theoretical and numerical perspectives, involving different applied sciences and engineering. It collects invited contributions, from selected quality full papers submitted to the International Conference on Mathematical Analysis and Applications in Science and Engineering (ICMA2SC2022). The conference took place in Porto, Portugal in 27–29 June 2022 (https://www.isep.ipp.pt/Page/ViewPage/ICMASC). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a well‐motivated parameterization of the Hubble parameter (H) is revisited that renders two models of dark energy showing some intriguing features of the late‐time accelerating Universe. A general quintessence field is considered as a source of dark energy. Tighter constraints using recently updated cosmic observational datasets for the considered models have been obtained. The two models described here show a nice fit to the considered uncorrelated Hubble datasets, Standard candles, Gamma Ray Bursts, Quasars, and uncorrelated Baryonic Acoustic Oscillations datasets. Using the constrained values of the model parameters, some features of the late‐time accelerating models and obtained the present value of the deceleration parameter (q0), the present value of the Hubble parameter (H0) and the transition redshift (zt$z_{t}$) from deceleration to acceleration have been discussed. The current value of the deceleration parameter for both models is consistent with the Planck 2018 results. The evolution of the geometrical and physical parameters is discussed through graphical representations for both models with some diagnostic analysis. The statistical analysis performed here shows greater results and overall, the outcomes of this investigation are superior to those previously found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cannabinoids are a group of compounds that bind to cannabinoid receptors. They possess pharmacological properties like that of the plant Cannabis sativa. Gas chromatography (GC) is one of the popular chromatographic techniques that has been routinely used in the analysis of cannabinoids in different matrices. Objective: The article aims to review the literature on the application of GC‐based analytical methods for the analysis of phytocannabinoids published during the period from January 2020 to August 2023. Methodology: A thorough literature search was conducted using different databases, like Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Google Scholar, and other relevant published materials including published books. The keywords used, in various combinations, with cannabinoids being present in all combinations, in the search were cannabinoids, Cannabis sativa, marijuana, analysis, GC, quantitative, qualitative, and quality control. From the search results, only the publications that incorporate the GC analysis of phytocannabinoids were reviewed, and papers on synthetic cannabinoids were excluded. Results: Since the publication of the review article on GC analysis of phytocannabinoids in early 2020, several GC‐based methods for the analysis of phytocannabinoids have appeared in the literature. While simple 1D GC–mass spectrometry (MS) and GC–flame ionisation detector (FID) methods are still quite common in phytocannabinoids analysis, 2D GC‐MS and GC‐MS/MS are increasingly becoming popular, as these techniques offer more useful data for identification and quantification of phytocannabinoids in various matrices. The use of automation in sample preparation and the utilisation of mathematical and computational models for optimisation of different protocols have become a norm in phytocannabinoids analysis. Pre‐analyses have been found to incorporate different derivatisation techniques and environmentally friendly extraction protocols. Conclusions: GC‐based analysis of phytocannabinoids, especially using GC‐MS, remains one of the most preferred methods for the analysis of these compounds. New derivatisation methods, ionisation techniques, mathematical models, and computational approaches for method optimisation have been introduced. Since early 2020, several GC‐based methods for the analysis of phytocannabinoids have appeared in the literature. While simple 1D GC–mass spectrometry (MS) and GC–flame ionisation detector (FID) methods are still common in phytocannabinoids analysis, 2D GC‐MS and GC‐MS/MS are increasingly becoming popular. The use of automation in sample preparation and the utilisation of mathematical and computational models for optimisation of different protocols have become a norm in phytocannabinoids analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper proposes a solution to the problem of switching between different network paths. We choose to switch between multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) and software‐defined wide area networking (SD‐WAN) connections specifically as they are the mainstream currently. The solution should maintain a service license agreement (SLA) while choosing SD‐WAN as long as possible to save cost. Therefore, a deep reinforcement learning solution is proposed that predicts when to switch based on bandwidth availability and quality of service (QoS) parameters like jitter and delay. Results show that double deep Q learning in combination with these parameters are suitable to make a sophisticated decision on link switching between MPLS and SD‐WAN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to provide operators and authors of safety documents, or responsible authorities, the foundation for decision‐making processes connected with accident risk assessment of major accident to the environment (also on human health or property). Authors worked with hypothesis that there could be some differences between major accidents to the environment and sample of all major accidents. There was performed basic statistical accident data analysis based on public database eMARS. Data was divided into two samples, the first sample included all accidents with environmental impact, the second sample included all accidents mentioned in database. The outputs were compared. The hypothesis was partly confirmed. For example, the pesticides/fertilizer industry category and storage installation type are represented more frequently in major accidents causing immediate damage to the environment (according to Annex VI of European Union's Directive Seveso III). During the database work there were some improvement proposals of the eMARS database in order to improve data processing with efficiency and to provide better access to the information according to the Seveso III directive requirement. These proposals are described in conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

De Araujo et al. (Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1111/2041‐210X.13516) described the development and application of a wire foot snare trap for the capture of jaguars Panthera onca and cougars Puma concolor. Snares are a commonly used and effective means of studying large carnivores. However, the article presented insufficient information to replicate the work and inadequate consideration and description of animal welfare considerations, thereby risking the perpetuation of poor standards of reporting.Appropriate animal welfare assessments are essential in studies that collect data from animals, especially those that use invasive techniques, and are key in assisting researchers to choose the most appropriate capture method. It is critical that authors detail all possible associated harms and benefits to support thorough review, including equipment composition, intervention processes, general body assessments, injuries (i.e. cause, type, severity) and post‐release behaviour. We offer a detailed discussion of these shortcomings.We also discuss broader but highly relevant issues, including the capture of non‐target animals and the omission of key methodological details. The level of detail provided by authors should allow the method to be properly assessed and replicated, including those that improve trap selectivity and minimize or eliminate the capture of non‐target animals.Finally, we discuss the central role that journals must play in ensuring that published research conforms to ethical, animal welfare and reporting standards. Scientific studies are subject to ever‐increasing scrutiny by peers and the public, making it more important than ever that standards are upheld and reviewed.We conclude that the proposal of a new or refined method must be supported by substantial contextual discussion, a robust rationale and analyses and comprehensive documentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: The present study was conducted to develop a situation analysis model for Iran's hospitals' emergency departments (EDs). Methods: The current research was a descriptive cross‐sectional applied study in three stages. The studies were reviewed in various library resources and valid sites in the first stage. In the second stage, the analysis model of the ED in Iran was presented. In the third stage, the model was validated based on the Delphi technique, and the final model was presented. Results: The final situation analysis model of ED in Iran was approved in four main aspects, including goals, internal factors, external factors, and organizations and institutions participating in the situation analysis, and its implementation schedule was approved by 90% of experts. Conclusion: Considering the importance of situation analysis in developing a strategic plan and improving the quality of health services in the ED of hospitals, implementing a coherent situation analysis model that includes all aspects leading to improving the ED quality and analyzing the internal and external factors is vital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meat color is an important aspect for the meat industry since it strongly determines the consumers' perception of product quality and thereby significantly influences the purchase decision. Emergence of new vegan meat analogs has renewed interest in the fundamental aspects of meat color in order to replicate it. The appearance of meat is based on a complex interplay between the pigment‐based meat color from myoglobin and its chemical forms and light scattering from the muscle's microstructure. While myoglobin biochemistry and pigment‐based meat color have been extensively studied, research on the physicochemical contribution of light scattering to meat color and the special case of structural colors causing meat iridescence has received only little attention. Former review articles focused mostly on the biochemical or physical mechanisms rather than the interplay between them, in particular the role that structural colors play. While from an economic point of view, meat iridescence might be considered negligible, an enhanced understanding of the underlying mechanisms and the interactions of light with meat microstructures can improve our overall understanding of meat color. Therefore, this review discusses both biochemical and physicochemical aspects of meat color including the origin of structural colors, highlights new color measurement methodologies suitable to investigate color phenomena such as meat iridescence, and finally presents approaches to modulate meat color in terms of base composition, additives, and processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the damage characteristics of potato falling on the separating screen and their relationship with the vibration characteristics, it is expected to provide a reference for the structural optimization of potato harvesting related machinery. The vibration characteristics of the separating screen were theoretically analyzed and a forced vibration model of separating screen was developed. The effects of vibration model parameters on the damage volume of potatoes were studied by single‐factor experiments with fall height, potato mass, fall direction, and potato varieties as experimental factors. Especially, the changes of decay coefficient α and the potato damage volume with test factors were obtained: the attenuation coefficient α increased with increasing falling height and potato mass and showed a significant correlation with potato damage volume. The decay coefficient α becomes largest when the potato falls along the length direction and smallest when it falls along the thickness direction. The α decreased with increasing hardness of potato varieties and showed a significant negative correlation with potato damage volume. Fitting equations between the attenuation coefficient α and the damage volume for each effects were established to predict the potato damage under different height, mass, and variety, as follows: V1 = 498035α − 2516, V2 = 209646α − 286, and V3 = −84397α + 1149. Practical Applications: During the mechanized harvest process, severe potato damage occurred on the swing separation screen. This will seriously affect the quality and economic value of potatoes. At present, there are few studies on the vibration damage theory and experiment during potato harvest. Therefore, in order to clarify the vibration characteristics of the separation screen and its relationship with the potato damage characteristics, we studied the influence of the vibration characteristics on the potato damage through the drop test, and established the vibration model of the separation screen. The relationship between the model parameters and the potato damage volume was further explored, and a mathematical model was developed to predict the volume of potato damage. This study provides a reference for the study of the coupled vibration of the potato soil mixture and the optimization of the potato soil separation device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past several decades, a medical physics service group covering 35 clinical sites has provided routine monthly output and energy quality assurance for over 75 linear accelerators. Based on the geographical spread of these clinics and the large number of physicists involved in data acquisition, a systematic calibration procedure was established to ensure uniformity. A consistent measurement geometry and data collection technique is used across all machines for every calendar month, using a standardized set of acrylic slabs. Charge readings in acrylic phantoms are linked to AAPM's TG‐51 formalism via a parameter denoted kacrylic, used to convert raw charge readings to machine output values. Statistical analyses of energy ratios and kacrylic values are presented. Employing the kacrylic concept with a uniform measurement geometry of similar acrylic blocks was found to be a reproducible and simple way of referencing a calibration completed in water under reference conditions and comparing to other machines, with the ability to alert physicists of outliers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) in the tropics play an integral role in the water cycle, are associated with local hazardous weather conditions, and have significant remote impacts on the midlatitude jet stream. Although it is known that MCSs occur in relatively moist environments, it is unclear how far in advance favorable ingredients (lift, instability, and moisture) in the mesoscale environment precede MCS formation. In this study, an automated MCS tracking algorithm and global reanalyses are used to examine the pre‐MCS environment for 3295 MCSs that occurred in the tropics in a 3‐month period. Results showed that increased water vapor and mesoscale ascent implied by low‐level convergence and upper‐level divergence preceded MCS formation by up to 24 h. Regional variations in pre‐MCS environment conditions were apparent and are discussed. Future work will study to what extent these moisture and wind anomalies can be used to predict MCS formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between deprivation and accidental dwelling fire injuries was examined in Merseyside which has a high proportion of deprived areas. For the years 2006 to 2016, over half of the accidental dwelling fire injuries in Merseyside occurred in deprived areas, and almost three quarters of alcohol and drug related accidental dwelling fire injuries occurred in such areas. In particular, we examine the relationship between the established accidental dwelling fire injury risk factors of old age, disability and alcohol and drug consumption and the level of deprivation. There were strong correlations between deprivation and the overall number of fire injuries, and between deprivation and fire injuries relating to alcohol/drug consumption, disability/mobility related fire injuries, and fire injuries sustained by those aged 65+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many impactful weather and climate events include two or more variables (like temperature or precipitation) having high or low values (e.g., hot dry summers). Understanding biases in the relationship between modelled variables is important for characterizing uncertainties in the risks associated with compound events. We present a framework for evaluating the relationships between different variables (multi‐variate bias). We illustrate our approach with UK temperature and precipitation, using HadUK‐Grid observations and two model ensembles (12 and 2.2 km horizontal resolution) of the HadGEM3 regional model used in UK Climate Projections both forced with the same driving conditions. There are distinct regional patterns in the biases of both the Pearson correlation coefficients and coefficients of linear regression between temperature and precipitation in both resolutions, for example, large areas of positive biases in the Pearson correlation coefficients across the United Kingdom in winter, and negative biases across most of England in summer. We combine the Pearson correlation coefficients and bias in the coefficient of linear regression into a combined metric and consider regions where either the bias in the coefficient of linear regression or the bias in Pearson correlation coefficient is significantly dominant over the other. By considering only days with similar North Atlantic driving conditions using Met Office Weather Patterns we can identify regions with significant differences between the two model resolutions that are attributable to the difference in model resolution and structural design. The root mean square error (RMSE) of correlation bias across the United Kingdom is reduced in the 2.2 km compared to the 12 km model data in each season except summer where it is broadly similar. For Weather Pattern 2 (North Atlantic Oscillation positive) days the RMSE for correlation coefficient and the coefficient of linear regression is twice as large than for all conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the scientific literature dealing with the distribution of ethanol and water between whole blood (WB), plasma, serum, and erythrocytes (red‐blood cells). Knowledge of the ethanol distribution ratio is important when analytical results derived from hospital clinical laboratories are interpreted in a forensic context, such as during the prosecution of traffic offenders. Statutory blood‐alcohol concentration (BAC) limits for driving are defined as the concentration of ethanol in WB and not in plasma, serum or red‐blood cells. These bio‐fluids differ in their water content and thereby the concentrations of ethanol. Plasma and serum contain ~90%–92% w/w water, WB ~78%–80% w/w and erythrocytes ~64%–66% w/w. The mean plasma/WB and serum/WB distribution ratios of ethanol are therefore expected to be ~1.15:1 (91/79 = 1.15), which is in good agreement with values determined empirically. However, in individual cases, the actual distribution ratio will depend on the person's age, gender, and biochemical and hematological properties of the blood specimen, such as its hematocrit. For legal purposes, we recommend that the concentration of ethanol in plasma or serum determined at hospital laboratories is divided by a factor of 1.2, which would provide a conservative estimate of the co‐existing BAC and the chance of overestimating the true value is only 1 in 2000 (0.05%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gunshot residues (GSR) are routinely exploited by forensic scientists in the investigation of firearm‐related events. While many new techniques are daily reported in the literature for the analysis of GSR, there is still a significant lack of data on the transfer, persistence, and prevalence of GSR. Such fundamental knowledge is essential to fully exploit the information potential of GSR for investigation or in Court. This article provides an overview of the relevant questions related to GSR, more particularly to infer about the trace's origin (i.e., is it from a firearm discharge?) and the activity that caused transfer (e.g., primary, secondary, or subsequent transfer). GSR production and composition will be briefly described, considering both inorganic and organic components. Then, the available knowledge about the primary transfer, the secondary transfer, and the persistence of GSR will be outlined, as well as the prevalence (background level) of the targeted elements and/or compounds in the environment, more particularly on the hands of people unrelated to firearm incidents. Finally, the methods developed for the collection, analysis, and interpretation of GSR will be discussed. A holistic approach combining fundamental forensic science knowledge about GSR transfer, persistence, and prevalence together with other available information is discussed as a path forward to increase the relevance and value of the GSR trace in practice. This article is categorized under:Crime Scene Investigation > From Traces to Intelligence and EvidenceForensic Chemistry and Trace Evidence > Trace EvidenceForensic Chemistry and Trace Evidence > Explosive Analysis [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aviation industry has developed greatly in recent years. Millions of people choose air transport as a means of transportation every year, and flight safety is critically important. However, meteorological conditions can cause disruptions in flight activities and lead to accidents. One of the meteorological conditions that adversely affect flight activities is fog. Prediction of fog incidents increases flight safety. In this study, fog analysis of Ankara Esenboga International Airport was carried out between 2011 and 2020. The data used in the fog analysis are taken from the observations of Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) and Aviation Selected Special Weather Report (SPECI). The distribution of fog events in a 10‐year period was determined according to years, months, days, hours, meteorological parameters (wind, pressure, cloud cover/height, temperature, and prevailing view), and types. Over a 10‐year period, 802.02 hr of fog occurred. The average number of foggy days was determined as 17.9. According to the fog formation types, the fogs occurring at Esenboga Airport were classified as 62% radiation fog, 14% lowering cloud base, 9% precipitation fog, 2% advection fog, and 12% unknown fog. CAT categories in the foggy hours of Esenboga Airport were determined. In cases where there were foggy observations for approach and landing activities during the 10‐year period, these were found to be 40.34% according to CAT I, 72.8% according to CAT II, 93.8% according to CAT IIIA, and 100% according to CAT IIIB. Synoptic analysis of a particular fog incident, which started at 2220 UTC on December 16 and continued for 55.83 hr, was also made. When the synoptic maps and Skew‐T Log P diagrams were examined, the deepening of the high pressure center in and around Ankara and the low thermal advection caused a very stable atmosphere, resulting in a prolonged and intense fog event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A class of structures, Pmn21‐B1−xAlxAs (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75) is predicted and its mechanical, electronic and optical properties are calculated by first‐principles calculations. The ground‐state structural stability of Pmn21‐B1−xAlxAs at 0 and 100 GPa pressure is confirmed by analyzing the obtained binding energies, enthalpy of formation, and phonon spectra. The calculated elastic constants, Poisson's ratio, shear modulus, and bulk modulus indicate that B0.75Al0.25As and BAs exhibit brittleness, and B0.25Al0.75As and B0.5Al0.5As exhibit ductility. The energy band structures of Pmn21‐B1−xAlxAs (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1) calculated by the HSE06 mixing function are direct band gaps, and the band gaps are 1.833, 0.868, 1.498, 1.630 and 2.372 eV. The optical properties of Pmn21‐B1−xAlxAs (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75) are analyzed. For these four Pmn21‐B1−xxAlxAs (x = 0, 0.25,0.5, 0.75), the static refractive indices n(0) are 2.53, 2.52, 2.52 and 3.11, and the peak reflection coefficients are 13.1, 12.5, 11.8 and 11.5 eV, respectively. The absorption spectrum is mainly in the range of 0 eV–18 eV, and the absorption spectrum maxima of Pmn21‐B1−xAlxAs are located at 7.15, 6.7, 6.2 and 5.2 eV. The maximum real parts of conductivity of Pmn21‐B1−xAlxAs (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75) are located at 6.38, 6.1, 5.48 and 4.7 eV, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is one of the fastest‐growing health problems of recent times. Its diagnosis, monitoring and control are carried out mainly by glucose quantification in blood samples, which can be a traumatic and painful procedure for many patients. Saliva is an emerging diagnostic biofluid for minimally invasive disease diagnosis. Its collection can be performed through a simple, noninvasive and painless procedure that does not require qualified personnel. This project aimed to develop, standardize and compare two enzyme‐based approaches (TMB and ABTS) for the colorimetric quantification of salivary glucose. RESULTS: The obtained results with both dyes revealed the suitability of these systems for glucose quantification under buffer conditions, displaying excellent linearity (R2 > 0.99) and precision (CV < 1%), and high glucose specificity. Furthermore, the TMB system was able to quantify not only glucose in human saliva samples, showing a low read‐out variability (CV < 3%), but also glucose changes (16 and 50 μmol L−1) with low variability (CV < 4.2%) and excellent recovery (96–103%), which is important in clinical diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Altogether these results demonstrated the capacity of the approaches in quantifying glucose either in buffer (using both TMB ans ABTS) or in human saliva samples (using TMB). They offer a painless, simple, efficient, and relatively inexpensive analytical method with enormous potential for the diagnosis and monitoring of diabetes using a small amount of saliva. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corrosion of metals is a serious threat to the world economy in this current era. Coating is one of the best solutions for avoiding this long‐standing problem and thus coating technology is gaining much importance nowadays. Epoxy is an excellent coating material for corrosion prevention in metals. Due to the increasing environmental issues and price of petroleum‐based products, researchers are forced to find a suitable alternative to existing epoxy based anticorrosive coatings. The petrochemical sources of epoxies can be replaced by bio oils like vegetable or animal oils thereby resulting in the production of bio epoxy resins. The bio epoxy monomers are biodegradable, cost effective, less toxic, and easily processable than synthetic monomers. The resulting bio epoxy coatings can be effectively employed to protect the metal surfaces from corrosion enabling the development of efficient anticorrosion coatings. This review deals with the fabrication of bio epoxy coatings and analysis of bio epoxy coatings, such as anticorrosion, chemical resistance, surface morphology, mechanical properties, thermal stability, and wettability. Moreover, this review focuses on the applications of bio epoxy coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Enzyme‐based colorimetric systems are inexpensive, simple, adaptable and sensitive methods that allow specific quantification of a substrate. In the clinical field, their use has been the basis for the development of equipment and devices that today are key for disease detection. The objective of this project was to demonstrate the flexibility of a previously developed multi‐enzyme system for colorimetric glucose quantification by adapting and optimizing it for the detection and quantification of other clinically relevant biomolecules, such as galactose, uric acid and 1,5‐anhydroglucitol in buffer conditions. Results: The obtained calibration curves for galactose, uric acid and 1,5‐anhydroglucitol show remarkable linearity (R2 ≥ 0.997), precision (CV ≤ 2.38%) and sensitivity with detection and quantification limits of 3.96 and 12.01 μmol L−1; 0.16 and 0.48 μmol L−1; and 0.08 and 0.25 μmol L−1, respectively. In addition, it was found that the three systems are capable of quantifying different concentrations of their respective substrate, showing low variability (CV < 3.3%) and notable recovery percentages (99.21–103.39%). Conclusions: The results obtained with the three optimized enzyme‐based colorimetric systems demonstrate the platform flexibility by modifying parameters such as pH buffer, incubation time, enzyme and concentration of the reducing agent under buffer conditions. All results together demonstrate the great potential of this multi‐enzyme platform for the quantification of various substrates in non‐conventional biofluids. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Space Agency's Aeolus satellite was launched in August 2018. Measurements of wind profiles are provided for the first time from space using an onboard Doppler wind lidar. The quality of Aeolus Level‐2B (L2B) wind products has been found suitable for data assimilation in the Météo‐France global model ARPEGE since April 2020, in particular, when applying a suitable bias correction method. This article describes a series of Observing System Experiments (OSEs) conducted in April–May 2020 to assess the impact of Aeolus horizontal line‐of‐sight winds (HLOSW) on Météo‐France's global numerical weather prediction analyses and forecasts. Innovation statistics and a posteriori diagnostics from a period of July–August 2019 were used to scale the random observation errors provided by the L2B processor (mostly for Rayleigh‐clear winds). Although the HLOSW data represent only 0.42% of the total amount of all observations assimilated in ARPEGE, their contribution to the reduction of the global analysis variance is up to 2.3% (measured by the Degree of Freedom for Signal). The assimilation of HLOSW showed improvement in 6 hr short‐range forecasts which is demonstrated by an overall reduction of innovations statistics for various operational observing systems. From a Forecast Sensitivity to Observations impact (FSOi) study Aeolus is found to be the third most effective observing system (per individual observation) at reducing global 24‐hour forecast errors. For longer forecast ranges, the largest positive impacts are noticed over the tropics, particularly in the lower stratosphere up to 102 hr ahead (with up to 2% root‐mean‐square error reduction for wind and temperature), but also in the troposphere up to 72 hr ahead. To a lesser extent, a similar improvement is observed over the Southern Hemisphere. This positive impact of Aeolus HLOSW in OSEs has led to their operational assimilation at Météo‐France starting in June 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large eddy simulations are performed for a severe windshear case of terrain‐induced airflow disturbances at the Hong Kong International Airport. The objectives of the study include: (i) to investigate the performance of large eddy simulation in capturing the turbulence intensity to be encountered by the aircraft; and (ii) to find out the impact of the choice of turbulence parameterization scheme on the simulation results. The structure functions of the headwind profiles are calculated, and the simulated velocity and the LIDAR data are found to have similar behavior. The cube root of eddy dissipation rate is also calculated, which is taken to be the metric of turbulence intensity in aviation application. All EDR calculated has similar behavior. They have good correlation, but the best‐fit‐straight‐line of the scatter plot is found to have a slope far away from unity. The reason for this needs to be studied further. Finally, a simulation with the use of Smagorinsky scheme is performed. It is found to have better performance in capturing pilot windshear reports in terms of the relative operating characteristic curve. The use of Smagorinsky scheme alone may be an alternative in the choice of turbulence parameterization scheme in the alerting of windshear using large eddy dissipation, but the computational cost is too expensive. It is important to note that the present results are based on one case only and more cases would need to be studied in order to establish the robustness of the conclusions. More experiments would also need to be conducted, for example, in which nest(s) to use the Smagorinsky scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some historical parchments belong to the cultural heritage of humankind and possess invaluable historical significance. Therefore, development of simple and reliable methods for parchment characterization and animal species identification is of importance. Multiphoton electron extraction spectroscopy (MEES) is a new analytical method for characterization of surfaces, and this is its first application to biomaterials in general and to parchments in particular. When comparing MEES of various parchments, it was found that the spectral intensity of historical parchments was significantly higher, and the main peak was broader than for the modern and artificially aged specimens. Gaussian fitting of the spectra indicated the presence of six peaks for modern and historical samples at nearly the same positions. Significant spectral differences between historical and modern samples were clearly observed. Animal species identification (calf, sheep and goat) was also possible, based on MEES analysis of modern parchments (grain side). Correlations to the electrical conductivity of the samples were also studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tunnels are significant in shaping our future infrastructure. Increasing limitations of the available ground require underground solutions for future infrastructure projects. Due to various reasons, boundary conditions for project realization are becoming more and more substantial, and the parties involved have to tackle a wide range of stakeholders' interests. Digitization may be able to handle some of these challenges and is one of the most relevant topics in the near future of the construction industry. First approaches of digital data capturing in different activity fields of project execution, such as geological and geotechnical conditions, survey, and reporting, are launched within Implenia's initiative. This article discusses essential aspects of data capturing, particularly in the light of the vast data volumes generated throughout tunnel construction in Europe and gives an insight into the various activities of Implenia on how to tackle these problems. The various TBM and drill‐and‐blast excavated tunnel projects illustrate the variability of data management and implemented solutions to work with the tremendous amount of data. In each case, one can clearly state that construction teams involved in digital data management highly appreciated the merits for their daily business: saving time, gaining transparent information, controlling processes, and more. The beneficial capability of appropriate data management in project execution is evident and will be carried out within Implenia's projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global decline of water quality in rivers and streams has resulted in a pressing need to design new watershed management strategies. Water quality can be affected by multiple stressors including population growth, land use change, global warming, and extreme events, with repercussions on human and ecosystem health. A scientific understanding of factors affecting riverine water quality and predictions at local to regional scales, and at sub‐daily to decadal timescales are needed for optimal management of watersheds and river basins. Here, we discuss how machine learning (ML) can enable development of more accurate, computationally tractable, and scalable models for analysis and predictions of river water quality. We review relevant state‐of‐the art applications of ML for water quality models and discuss opportunities to improve the use of ML with emerging computational and mathematical methods for model selection, hyperparameter optimization, incorporating process knowledge into ML models, improving explainablity, uncertainty quantification, and model‐data integration. We then present considerations for using ML to address water quality problems given their scale and complexity, available data and computational resources, and stakeholder needs. When combined with decades of process understanding, interdisciplinary advances in knowledge‐guided ML, information theory, data integration, and analytics can help address fundamental science questions and enable decision‐relevant predictions of riverine water quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Fitting of MRS data plays an important role in the quantification of metabolite concentrations. Many different spectral fitting packages are used by the MRS community. A fitting challenge was set up to allow comparison of fitting methods on the basis of performance and robustness. Methods: Synthetic data were generated for 28 datasets. Short‐echo time PRESS spectra were simulated using ideal pulses for the common metabolites at mostly near‐normal brain concentrations. Macromolecular contributions were also included. Modulations of signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR); lineshape type and width; concentrations of γ‐aminobutyric acid, glutathione, and macromolecules; and inclusion of artifacts and lipid signals to mimic tumor spectra were included as challenges to be coped with. Results: Twenty‐six submissions were evaluated. Visually, most fit packages performed well with mostly noise‐like residuals. However, striking differences in fit performance were found with bias problems also evident for well‐known packages. In addition, often error bounds were not appropriately estimated and deduced confidence limits misleading. Soft constraints as used in LCModel were found to substantially influence the fitting results and their dependence on SNR. Conclusions: Substantial differences were found for accuracy and precision of fit results obtained by the multiple fit packages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In cancer randomized controlled trials, surrogate endpoints are frequently time‐to‐event endpoints, subject to the competing risk from the time‐to‐event clinical outcome. In this context, we introduce a counterfactual‐based mediation analysis for a causal assessment of surrogacy. We use a multistate model for risk prediction to account for both direct transitions towards the clinical outcome and indirect transitions through the surrogate outcome. Within the counterfactual framework, we define natural direct and indirect effects with a causal interpretation. Based on these measures, we define the proportion of the treatment effect on the clinical outcome mediated by the surrogate outcome. We estimate the proportion for both the cumulative risk and restricted mean time lost. We illustrate our approach by using 18‐year follow‐up data from the SPCG‐4 randomized trial of radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer. We assess time to metastasis as a surrogate outcome for prostate cancer‐specific mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnification error may be considered a potential limitation in our recommended analysis; however, the procedure assesses relative areas (external auditory canal and exostosis) as opposed to quantifying absolute 3D measurements of the exostosis. RESULTS AND ANALYSIS The analysis initiated with the assumption that rounding to a 10th of a millimetre SP 2 sp was sufficient for the purpose of estimating exostosis percentage ((exostosis area mm SP 2 sp /auditory canal area mm SP 2 sp )*100). Keywords: analysis; auditory exostoses; otology; sports medicine; surfer's ear; swimmer's ear EN analysis auditory exostoses otology sports medicine surfer's ear swimmer's ear 1247 1250 4 10/14/21 20211101 NES 211101 Key points Exostosis is a benign, irreversible growth of bone in the external auditory canal commonly seen in aquatic enthusiasts such as surfers and swimmers. [Extracted from the article]

Accurate and reliable determination of aflatoxins in food is important for human health. There is no standard method for the determination of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in cheese, a more complex matrix, compared with milk. In this research, we applied two analytical detection techniques (a standard accredited HPLC method for AFM1 in milk and a commercial ELISA method), with three extraction methods, on two different cheese matrices, with repeated tests and appropriate statistical analysis. The examined methods were sensitive, with detection limits from 10 to 25 ng/kg. The validation parameters were in accordance with current regulations and therefore could be successfully used for the determination of AFM1 in cheese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blood cell analysis is a major pillar of biomedical research and healthcare. These analyses are performed in central laboratories. Rapid shipment from collection site to the central laboratories is currently needed because cells and biomarkers degrade rapidly. The dried blood spot from a fingerstick allows the preservation of cellular molecules for months but entire cells are never recovered. Here leucocyte elution is optimized from dried blood spots. Flow cytometry and mRNA expression profiling are used to analyze the recovered cells. 50–70% of the leucocytes that are dried on a polyester solid support via elution after shaking the support with buffer are recovered. While red blood cells lyse upon drying, it is found that the majority of leucocytes are preserved. Leucocytes have an altered structure that is improved by adding fixative in the elution buffer. Leucocytes are permeabilized, allowing an easy staining of all cellular compartments. Common immunophenotyping and mRNAs are preserved. The ability of a new biomarker (CD169) to discriminate between patients with and without Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome induced by Coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infections is also preserved. Leucocytes from blood can be dried, shipped, and/or stored for at least 1 month, then recovered for a wide variety of analyses, potentially facilitating biomedical applications worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to characterise heterogeneity in neuropsychological and socio‐emotional task performance in young women with anorexia nervosa (AN) using hierarchical cluster analysis. Further, we aimed to test whether cognitive profiles were associated with differences in clinical variables (body mass index, illness duration and age at diagnosis), psychopathology (eating disorder, autistic symptoms, anxiety and depression) and functional impairment. Method: Set‐shifting, central coherence and theory of mind abilities were measured in 118 women with acute or remitted AN. A hierarchical cluster analysis using Ward's method with a Euclidean distance measure was performed with the neuropsychological and socio‐emotional variables. Differences between clusters were assessed using ANOVAs. Results: Four clusters emerged, with significant differences in neuropsychological and socio‐emotional task performance. There were no significant differences between clusters in clinical variables, psychopathology or functional impairment, however, these analyses lacked power due to small cluster sizes. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate significant heterogeneity in cognitive profiles in AN, supporting a more personalised approach to treatment. Studies in larger samples are required to establish whether these variables map onto clinically significant differences in aetiology, clinical presentation, comorbidity patterns and/or treatment responses. Key points: Four clusters of participants emerged, with significant differences in neuropsychological (set‐shifting, central coherence) and socio‐emotional (theory of mind) task performance. The largest cluster showed average to above‐average performance across domains.Clusters did not differ on clinical variables, eating disorder and comorbid psychopathology scores or functional impairment.The findings suggest significant heterogeneity in neuropsychological and socio‐emotional performance in anorexia nervosa, supporting a more personalised approach to treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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A synthesis of an assisted analysis on the behavior of light, unconventional materials is present, intended in the biomechanics of prosthesis, both in terms of biocompatibility and in terms of mechanical behavior. The originality consists in the development, testing, and use of a software application for the behavioral analytical study of different types of materials subjected to different static and dynamic loads in the case of wearing a hip prosthesis. Based on both studies, it has been shown that light, unconventional materials such as TEKA PEEK carbon fiber can be a safe and effective solution when used in combination with epoxy gluing resins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The information of how the high climatic variability in the south‐west Buenos Aires Province (SWBS) region, Argentina, impacts on existing cow–calf operations is needed. This research uses a combination of quantitative (modelling) and qualitative (workshops) methodologies. The objective was to assess, under interannual climate variability, the productive and economic performance and greenhouse gas emissions and the marginal value of additional feed of four cow–calf systems arranged as a potential farm innovation path in the SWBS, Argentina. Modelling results showed that along this technological path where forage crops are decreased, perennial pastures are increased and anticipated weaning is included, productive and economic outcomes increased and the emission intensity decreased. How extra feeds may be used to cope with seasonal and interannual feeding was also identified. Moreover, barriers to adopt the suggested farm innovation path were identified by farmers, consultants and extensionists and strategies and their implication discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐dimensional cytometry represents an exciting new era of immunology research, enabling the discovery of new cells and prediction of patient responses to therapy. A plethora of analysis and visualization tools and programs are now available for both new and experienced users; however, the transition from low‐ to high‐dimensional cytometry requires a change in the way users think about experimental design and data analysis. Data from high‐dimensional cytometry experiments are often underutilized, because of both the size of the data and the number of possible combinations of markers, as well as to a lack of understanding of the processes required to generate meaningful data. In this article, we explain the concepts behind designing high‐dimensional cytometry experiments and provide considerations for new and experienced users to design and carry out high‐dimensional experiments to maximize quality data collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the detailed behavioral analysis of the reduced equation DC droop controller being adapted to the primitive high gain converter designed for DC loads. The article discusses the operation in its open and closed loop modes, voltage, and current control modes as part of the simulation study. The converter mode of operation is continuous in all. Graphical portrayals of statistical results describe the effectiveness of the controller against a standard proportional integral (PI) controller in time and frequency domain. The results substantiate that the DC droop control is superior in terms of efficiency, line regulation, dynamism, and current sharing and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]