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Different studies have tried to establish a relationship between dyslexia and the vestibular system function. Subjective Visual Vertical/Horizontal (SVV and SVH) and Video Head Impulse Test (VHIT) are useful for studying the vestibular system and can be easily performed in children. Our aim was to evaluate the vestibular function in dyslexic children by SVV/SVH and VHIT. We enrolled 18 dyslexic children (10M/8F; mean age 10.7 ± 2.3 years; range 7–14 years) and 18 age‐matched children with typical development of learning abilities. All children performed VHIT, SVV and SVH. We found normal gain and symmetry of vestibulo‐ocular‐reflex both in dyslexic and typically developing children. Fifteen out of 18 dyslexic children (83.3%) showed a difference of at least one amongst SVV or SVH. The mean value of SVV was 2.3° and the mean value of SVH was 2.6°. Statistical analysis showed a significant difference between typically developing and dyslexic children for both SVV and SVH. We confirm a relationship between dyslexia and the alteration of SVV and SVH. Our results could be related to the pathogenetic hypothesis of a visual processing impairment related to a dysfunction of the magnocellular pathway or to a general deficit related to a multimodal cortical network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Algebraic expressions for averaging linear and nonlinear stiffness tensors from general anisotropy to different effective symmetries (11 Laue classes elastically representing all 32 crystal classes, and two non‐crystalline symmetries: isotropic and cylindrical) have been derived by automatic symbolic computations of the arithmetic mean over the set of rotational transforms determining a given symmetry. This approach generalizes the Voigt average to nonlinear constants and desired approximate symmetries other than isotropic, which can be useful for a description of textured polycrystals and rocks preserving some symmetry aspects. Low‐symmetry averages have been used to derive averages of higher symmetry to speed up computations. Relationships between the elastic constants of each symmetry have been deduced from their corresponding averages by resolving the rank‐deficient system of linear equations. Isotropy has also been considered in terms of generalized Lamé constants. The results are published in the form of appendices in the supporting information for this article and have been deposited in the Mendeley database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impaired numerosity perception in developmental dyscalculia (low "number acuity") has been interpreted as evidence of reduced representational precision in the neurocognitive system supporting non‐symbolic number sense. However, recent studies suggest that poor numerosity judgments might stem from stronger interference from non‐numerical visual information, in line with alternative accounts that highlight impairments in executive functions and visuospatial abilities in the etiology of dyscalculia. To resolve this debate, we used a psychophysical method designed to disentangle the contribution of numerical and non‐numerical features to explicit numerosity judgments in a dot comparison task and we assessed the relative saliency of numerosity in a spontaneous categorization task. Children with dyscalculia were compared to control children with average mathematical skills matched for age, IQ, and visuospatial memory. In the comparison task, the lower accuracy of dyscalculics compared to controls was linked to weaker encoding of numerosity, but not to the strength of non‐numerical biases. Similarly, in the spontaneous categorization task, children with dyscalculia showed a weaker number‐based categorization compared to the control group, with no evidence of a stronger influence of non‐numerical information on category choice. Simulations with a neurocomputational model of numerosity perception showed that the reduction of representational resources affected the progressive refinement of number acuity, with little effect on non‐numerical bias in numerosity judgments. Together, these results suggest that impaired numerosity perception in dyscalculia cannot be explained by increased interference from non‐numerical visual cues, thereby supporting the hypothesis of a core number sense deficit. Research Highlights: A strongly debated issue is whether impaired numerosity perception in dyscalculia stems from a deficit in number sense or from poor executive and visuospatial functions.Dyscalculic children show reduced precision in visual numerosity judgments and weaker number‐based spontaneous categorization, but no increasing reliance on continuous visual properties.Simulations with deep neural networks demonstrate that reduced neural/computational resources affect the developmental trajectory of number acuity and account for impaired numerosity judgments.Our findings show that weaker number acuity in developmental dyscalculia is not necessarily related to increased interference from non‐numerical visual cues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Objective Animals Materials and Methods Results Conclusions and Clinical Relevance Demodicosis is common in dogs and is caused by proliferation of commensal Demodex canis mites.To evaluate the efficacy of sarolaner in combination with moxidectin and pyrantel (SMP) for the treatment of generalised demodicosis in dogs.One hundred and thirty dogs with generalised demodicosis.In two separate randomised masked studies (laboratory and field studies), dogs received monthly oral SMP or afoxolaner + milbemycin oxime (AM). In the laboratory study, dogs received three monthly treatments with biweekly mite counts and clinical evaluations. In the field study, mite counts and clinical evaluations were performed monthly and treatments were administered until two consecutive skin scrapings were negative.Both products were tolerated well. In the laboratory study, mite counts for SMP were significantly (p < 0.001) reduced by 88.8% on Day (D)14, by 99.2% on D29, and no live mites were detected thereafter with no statistically significant difference (p = 0.96) between the two treatment groups. In the field study, SMP provided 92.4%, 98.1%, 100% and 100% reduction in arithmetic mean live mite counts on D30, D60, D90 and D120, and was non‐inferior to the control product on D30 and D60. Clinical signs of demodicosis improved in all dogs.Monthly administration of SMP was effective for the treatment of generalised demodicosis in dogs as it eliminated Demodex mites after two monthly treatments in the laboratory study, and at most after three monthly treatments in the field study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this phase 1 single‐dose study was to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of mirikizumab in Chinese healthy adults. Sixty participants were randomized within 5 planned dose cohorts: intravenous (IV) 300 mg, IV 600 mg, IV 1200 mg, subcutaneous (SC) 200 mg, and SC 400 mg to receive mirikizumab (10 participants in each cohort) or placebo (2 participants in each cohort). No death or serious adverse events occurred. Twenty‐eight (56.0%) participants who received mirikizumab reported 49 treatment‐emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and 8 (80.0%) participants who received placebo reported 18 TEAEs. The majority of TEAEs were mild in severity. Following IV 300‐1200 mg mirikizumab, the arithmetic mean of both area under the concentration versus time curve from time 0 to infinity (AUC0‐∞) and maximum observed drug concentration (Cmax) increased by approximately 3.5‐fold, and the arithmetic mean half‐life (t1/2) ranged from 9.64 to 12.0 days. Following SC 200 and 400 mg mirikizumab, the arithmetic mean of both AUC0‐∞ and Cmax increased by approximately 1.6‐fold, the median time to Cmax (tmax) was 2.98 days for both, and the arithmetic mean t1/2 was 10.6 and 10.5 days, respectively. Absolute bioavailability based on pooled SC and IV dose data was 38.2%. In this study, the safety and pharmacokinetic profile of mirikizumab were consistent with what has been reported in other studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies have investigated the gut bacterial composition of wild ungulates in the Qinghai–Xizang Plateau. However, the relationship between their gut microbiome dendrograms and their phylogenetic tree remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed 45 amplicons (V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene) from five wild ungulates—Pseudois nayaur, Pantholops hodgsonii, Gazella subgutturosa, Bos grunniens, and Equus kiang—from the Qinghai–Xizang Plateau to clarify the relationship between their phylogenies and gut microbiome dendrograms. The unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis indicated that G. subgutturosa is closely related to P. nayaur; however, these results were inconsistent with their phylogenetic trees. Additionally, the indicator genera in the microbiome of each wild ungulate showed strong associations with the diets and habitats of their host. Thus, diet and space niche differentiation may primarily account for the differences between the gut microbiome characteristics of these wild ungulates and their phylogeny. In summary, our research provides insights into the evolutionary factors influencing the gut microbiome of wild ungulates in the Qinghai–Xizang Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many sedimentary aquifers consist of small layers of coarser and finer material. When groundwater flow in these aquifers is modeled, the hydraulic conductivity may be simulated as homogeneous but anisotropic throughout the aquifer. In practice, the anisotropy factor, the ratio of the horizontal divided by the vertical hydraulic conductivity, is often set to 10. Here, numerical experiments are conducted to determine the effective anisotropy of an aquifer consisting of 400 horizontal layers of which the homogeneous and isotropic hydraulic conductivity varies over two orders of magnitude. Groundwater flow is simulated to a partially penetrating canal and a partially penetrating well. Numerical experiments are conducted for 1000 random realizations of the 400 layers, by varying the sequence of the layers, not their conductivity. It is demonstrated that the effective anisotropy of the homogeneous model is a model parameter that depends on the flow field. For example, the effective anisotropy for flow to a partially penetrating canal differs from the effective anisotropy for flow to a partially penetrating well in an aquifer consisting of the exact same 400 layers. The effective anisotropy also depends on the sequence of the layers. The effective anisotropy values of the 1000 realizations range from roughly 5 to 50 for the considered situations. A factor of 10 represents a median value (a reasonable value to start model calibration for the conductivity variations considered here). The median is similar to the equivalent anisotropy, defined as the arithmetic mean of the hydraulic conductivities divided by the harmonic mean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oilseed palm genus Acrocomia is suitable for sustainable oil production in South America. The high phenotypic diversity of wild populations poses a challenge for the delimitation of the genus. Comparing the inflorescence architecture, a first‐order panicle, and staminate and pistillate flower traits could be a valuable tool in resolving the taxonomic disarray. Thus, this study aims to characterize the differences in the inflorescence architecture and floral structures of three common and economically significant Acrocomia species: A. aculeata, A. totai, and A. intumescens. Biometric traits of the inflorescence architecture and floral structures of various Acrocomia accessions in an ex situ germplasm collection in Brazil were assessed. The unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) cluster analysis based on the Gower distance was used to measure dissimilarities between the individual plants of the accessions. To our best knowledge, this study provides the first evidence of the presence of second‐order rachillae in the genus Acrocomia. Evaluated traits showed a high level of variation within and between accessions, emphasizing the phenotypic diversity of the genus. The accessions of A. totai were distinguishable from those of the other two species by their inflorescence architecture and flower traits. The dissimilarities between A. aculeata and A. intumescens were not sufficient to differentiate both. In conclusion, the quantitative assessment of inflorescence and floral traits is a valuable tool for taxonomic resolution of the genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate estimation of design floods is necessary for developing effective flood‐management strategies. Climate change (CC) studies on floods generally consider alterations in mean runoff using ensembles compared to a base period. In this study, we examined the plausibility and implications of applying individual climate model‐generated flows versus their ensembles to estimate peak floods (magnitude and timing of occurrence), using Budhigandaki River Basin of Nepal as a case study. Annual maximum one‐day floods were derived for four future climate scenario projections (cold‐dry, cold‐wet, warm‐wet, and warm‐dry) from simulated daily flow series. Future floods of six return periods estimated for the individual climate scenarios were compared with their "Ensemble" (combiner for the ensemble series is the arithmetic mean of daily floods), "Average," and 'Baseline." Results showed that magnitudes of the flood peaks are such that those estimated using "Ensemble" < "Average" < individual series. We conclude that ensemble series should not be used for flood estimation because of the averaging effect. Designers should consider at the least the "Average" instead of the "Ensemble" series while designing climate‐resilient flood structures. Furthermore, the occurrences of flood peaks are likely to be confined within the monsoon season for the "Ensemble" but spread out in the other months for the individual climate scenarios. This could have direct implications on the availability and mobilization of resources as well as the need for a year‐round operational early warning system for flood risk management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This commentary responds to a study that evaluated the recommended bioequivalence endpoints for acarbose oral tablets by the FDA. The authors of the commentary conducted their own analysis and made recommendations for revising the FDA's guidance. They found that the recommended endpoints were able to distinguish between different doses of acarbose in one study, but not in another study due to high variability. The authors suggest using a different method for assessing the data and acknowledge the contributions of other researchers. The original data used for the analysis were obtained from a published study and additional FDA datasets were used for confirmation. [Extracted from the article]

Summary: Vegetation condition metrics are often used as a surrogate of biodiversity to support management decisions, conservation regulations and biodiversity markets. Vegetation condition metrics, which aggregate multiple attributes, are often criticised for simplifying the complexity of biodiversity. A particular challenge is substitution when high‐scoring attributes compensate for those with low scores (e.g. high vegetation cover compensating for low growth from diversity). The geometric mean is often suggested for aggregation to reduce these effects. In New South Wales, Australia, the Vegetation Integrity metric, calculated as the geometric mean of Composition, Structure and Function sub‐indices, measures the losses and gains in biodiversity values within the NSW Biodiversity Offsets Scheme. However, concern has been raised that Vegetation Integrity underestimates conservation values of derived native grasslands when the Function sub‐index (primarily tree‐related attributes) approaches zero. We explore this issue using two datasets and compare the current Vegetation Integrity metric with aggregation using the arithmetic mean, adopting a minimum value of 10/100 for the Function sub‐index and use of a grassland benchmark for derived native grasslands. Our evaluation draws on a large‐scale expert elicitation of conservation values in Critically Endangered Box‐gum Grassy Woodlands and 4018 Vegetation Integrity estimates undertaken during development assessments. We find that Vegetation Integrity underestimates conservation values of derived native grasslands and that the problem is widespread. Although evidence most strongly supports aggregation using the arithmetic mean, this change could be disruptive to the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme. Alternatively, a sub‐index minimum of 10/100 eliminates underestimation of derived native grasslands without substantial impacts in other circumstances. We found little evidence to support the use of a grassland benchmark, which tended to overestimate conservation values. This study highlights the need for sufficient flexibility in biodiversity policies and regulations to accommodate ongoing metric evaluation and revision to support more robust biodiversity outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For thousands of years, date fruit (Phoenix dactylifera L.) has been a popular diet in arid and semi‐arid locations. It has religious importance for Muslims and is especially important during the holy month of Ramadan. The global output of date fruits has been continuously expanding, with Arab nations accounting for a sizable portion. The emphasis of this research is on two popular semi‐dry Algerian date fruit types, Deglet Noor and Arechti, which are grown in the Ziban region. These fruits' physical parameters, such as size, sphericity, surface area, volumes, and density, were determined. The goal of this study was to create a mass model based on these physical attributes to help in the grading and sorting of date fruits. Fruit mass was shown to be closely connected to linear dimensions, arithmetic and geometric mean diameters, surface area, and volumes. Correlations between mass and physical attributes were established using a variety of mathematical models, including linear, quadratic, S‐curve, and power models. The results demonstrated the applicability of specific factors for mass modeling, offering useful insights for the development of system sizing and conservation. With good correlation, multivariate data analysis was employed to correctly estimate the mass of both kinds. This research advances our understanding of the physical features of Algerian date fruits and their connection to mass, allowing for better handling, sorting, and packing processes in the worldwide date market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Clinical productivity is an important operational and educational metric for emergency medicine (EM) residents. It is unclear whether working consecutive days and circadian disruption impact resident productivity. The objective of this study was to determine whether there is a correlation between consecutive shifts and productivity. Methods: This was a single‐site retrospective observational study using data from academic year 2021–2022 (July 1, 2021–June 23, 2022). Productivity was defined as primary resident encounters with patients per hour (PPH). Postgraduate year (PGY)‐1 and PGY‐2 productivity data and schedules were abstracted from the electronic medical record and scheduling software. Descriptive statistics, including arithmetic mean, standard deviation, and confidence interval (CI), were determined for each shift number and stratified by PGY level. Subgroup analysis of night shifts was performed. Analysis of variance and linear regression analysis were performed. Results: A total of 2950 shifts were identified, including 1328 PGY‐1 shifts and 1622 PGY‐2 shifts, which involved a total of 32,379 patient encounters. PGY‐1 residents saw a mean of 0.88–0.96 PPH on sequential shifts 1–7, respectively (y‐intercept 0.923, slope 0.001, 95% CI −0.008 to 0.009, p = 0.86). PGY‐2 residents saw a mean of 1.61–1.75 PPH on Shifts 1–7, respectively (y‐intercept 1.628, slope 0.004, 95% CI –0.007 to 0.015, p = 0.50). A subgroup analysis of 598 overnight shifts (11 p.m.–7 a.m.) was performed, in which residents saw a mean of 1.29–1.56 PPH on Sequential Shifts 1–7 (y‐intercept 1.286, slope 0.011, 95% CI −0.011 to 0.033, p = 0.34). Conclusions: EM resident productivity remained relatively constant across consecutive shifts, including night shifts. These findings may have educational and operational implications. Further research is required to understand patient‐ and provider‐oriented consequences of consecutive shift scheduling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Predicting biological responses to mixed radiation types is of considerable importance when combining radiation therapies that use multiple radiation types and delivery regimens. These may include the use of both low‐ and high‐linear energy transfer (LET) radiations. A number of theoretical models have been developed to address this issue. However, model predictions do not consistently match published experimental data for mixed radiation exposures. Furthermore, the models are often computationally intensive. Accordingly, there is a need for efficient analytical models that can predict responses to mixtures of low‐ and high‐LET radiations. Additionally, a general formalism to calculate equieffective dose (EQDX) for mixed radiations is needed. Purpose: To develop a computationally efficient analytical model that can predict responses to complex mixtures of low‐ and high‐LET radiations as a function of either absorbed dose or EQDX. Methods: The Zaider‐Rossi model (ZRM) was modified by replacing the geometric mean of the quadratic coefficients in the interaction term with the arithmetic mean. This modified ZRM model (mZRM) was then further generalized to any number of radiation types and its validity was tested against published experimental observations. Comparisons between the predictions of the ZRM and mZRM, and other models, were made using two and three radiation types. In addition, a generalized formalism for calculating EQDX for mixed radiations was developed within the context of mZRM and validated with published experimental results. Results: The predictions of biological responses to mixed‐LET radiations calculated with the mZRM are in better agreement with experimental observations than ZRM, especially when high‐ and low‐LET radiations are mixed. In these situations, the ZRM overestimated the surviving fraction. Furthermore, the EQDX calculated with mZRM are in better agreement with experimental observations. Conclusion: The mZRM is a computationally efficient model that can be used to predict biological response to mixed radiations that have low‐ and high‐LET characteristics. Importantly, interaction terms are retained in the calculation of EQDX for mixed radiation exposures within the mZRM framework. The mZRM has application in a wide range of radiation therapies, including radiopharmaceutical therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methodologies for evaluating global climate models (GCMs) and generating multimodel ensembles have branched to meet the diverse needs of impact assessment studies. However, there has been limited focus on their intercomparison. In this context, a comprehensive framework comprising the major strands of GCM ranking and ensemble data generation is proposed in the current study. The framework incorporates error index‐based rankings and Bayesian method‐based weight distribution. Within the Bayesian analysis, a nonparametric (orthonormal) distribution is introduced in this study with the hypothesis that the efficiency of nonparametric distribution in modelling natural random phenomena will accentuate the efficiency of the ranking and ensemble process. Precipitation and temperature data of 21 GCMs from Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 covering India is used to validate the proposed framework. Finally, the ensemble data generated from the framework is used for the analysis of projected extremes and their attribution. Results show that Bayesian framework‐based rankings outperform other methods in 87.5% of instances. In the case of precipitation, the orthonormal distribution‐based Bayesian ranking produces better results for 85.2% of India, while it produces the lowest error ensemble for 79% of the country. The data from the framework are compared to the widely used mathematical average of GCMs. It is found that for precipitation and maximum temperature, the weighted ensemble has closer proximity to the distributive properties of the observed data for the entire study area. Furthermore, uncertainty analysis shows that the ensemble data have minimum uncertainty for the entire area in the case of precipitation. Finally, the assessment of projected extremes shows low to medium confidence (~27%) in the attribution of precipitation extremes to anthropogenic causes under representative concentration pathway (RCP) 4.5, while under RCP 8.5, the confidence is around 80%. For temperature, it is greater than 90% in both scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of nonmetric traits is useful for establishing biological differences or affinities between populations. This study considered 12 nonmetric cranial characters. The objective is to compare five series of two different cultural horizons: three populations of the Teotihuacán Classic period and two of the Mexica Postclassic period. For the selection of nonmetric traits, those not altered by intentional cephalic modification were considered. From the sample of materials, it was assessed whether the populations of the Classic period could have biological and cultural affinity between them, making a migratory interpretation which indicates differences in nonmetric characters between them. The mean measure of divergence (MMD) was considered as bio‐distance. The distance matrix was analyzed using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean and nonmetric multidimensional scaling. Frequencies were studied using the principal component analysis. Mantel test and partial Mantel test were used to compare the distance matrix obtained with the MMD with sites geographical distance matrix, type of settlements matrix, and period of the site's matrix. In none of those cases were found a correlation at the α=0.05 level. Making more plausible that the results of the nonmetric traits MMD matrix agree with a migration process. All methods agree on separating Classical populations into one group and Postclassic populations into another. The archeological contexts, and the study of the material culture found, agree with the analysis of nonmetric characters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In modern medicine, medical tests are used for various purposes including diagnosis, disease screening, prognosis, and risk prediction. To quantify the performance of the binary medical test, we often use sensitivity, specificity, and negative and positive predictive values as measures. Additionally, the F1$$ {F}_1 $$‐score, which is defined as the harmonic mean of precision (positive predictive value) and recall (sensitivity), has come to be used in the medical field due to its favorable characteristics. The F1$$ {F}_1 $$‐score has been extended for multi‐class classification, and two types of F1$$ {F}_1 $$‐scores have been proposed for multi‐class classification: a micro‐averaged F1$$ {F}_1 $$‐score and a macro‐averaged F1$$ {F}_1 $$‐score. The micro‐averaged F1$$ {F}_1 $$‐score pools per‐sample classifications across classes and then calculates the overall F1$$ {F}_1 $$‐score, whereas the macro‐averaged F1$$ {F}_1 $$‐score computes an arithmetic mean of the F1$$ {F}_1 $$‐scores for each class. Additionally, Sokolova and Lapalme1$$ {}^1 $$ gave an alternative definition of the macro‐averaged F1$$ {F}_1 $$‐score as the harmonic mean of the arithmetic means of the precision and recall over classes. Although some statistical methods of inference for binary and multi‐class F1$$ {F}_1 $$‐scores have been proposed, the methodology development of hypothesis testing procedure for them has not been fully progressing yet. Therefore, we aim to develop hypothesis testing procedure for comparing two F1$$ {F}_1 $$‐scores in paired study design based on the large sample multivariate central limit theorem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildfire can alter soil‐hydraulic properties, often resulting in an increased prevalence of infiltration‐excess overland flow and greater potential for debris‐flow hazards. Mini disk tension infiltrometers (MDIs) can be used to estimate soil hydraulic properties, such as field‐saturated hydraulic conductivity (Kfs) and wetting front potential (Hf), and their spatial variability following wildfire. However, the small (point‐scale) footprint of MDI measurements makes it challenging to use these data to parameterize hydrologic models at the hillslope and watershed scales where hydrologic hazards, such as debris flows, initiate. Here, we designed numerical experiments to estimate spatially constant or watershed‐scale effective hydrologic parameters (EHPs) that approximate the response of spatially variable hydrologic parameters with distributions derived from MDI measurements at five sites in the southwestern United States. We found that it is possible to define EHPs for both Kfs and Hf based on the MDI measurements that lead to reasonable approximations of run‐off hydrographs at the outlets of small watersheds (<1 km2). We found that watershed EHPs are functions of rainfall characteristics, although they are most sensitive to rainfall intensity and relatively less sensitive to the temporal distribution of rainfall. EHPs are lower than the arithmetic mean of the MDI measurements and are better approximated by the median or geometric mean of the MDI measurements, particularly for storms with recurrence intervals of approximately 1 year or less that commonly initiate post‐fire debris flows. This work demonstrated that using the proposed upscaling method to estimate watershed‐scale EHPs, as opposed to approximating EHPs based on the arithmetic mean of the MDI measurements, improved the ability of a hydrologic model to identify storms that are likely to produce debris flows. Results improved our ability to link point‐scale MDI measurements and watershed‐scale EHPs in post‐fire settings and helped guide our ability to use MDI data to parameterize post‐fire hydrologic models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dysfunctional breathing (DB) is a common, but largely underappreciated, cause of chronic dyspnoea. Under visual inspection, most subjects with DB present with larger sequential changes in ventilation (V̇E) and breathing pattern (tidal volume (VT) and breathing frequency (f)) before and/or during incremental cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). Currently, however, there are no objective criteria to indicate increased ventilatory variability in these subjects. Methods: Twenty chronically dyspnoeic subjects with DB and 10 age‐ and sex‐matched controls performed CPET on a cycle ergometer. Cut‐offs to indicate increased V̇E, VT, f, and f/VT ratio variability (Δ = highest‐lowest 20 s arithmetic mean) over the last resting minute (rest), the 2sd min of unloaded exercise (unload), and the 3rd min of loaded exercise (load) were established by ROC curve analyses. Results: Subjects with DB presented with increased V̇E, higher ventilatory variability, higher dyspnoea burden, and lower exercise capacity compared to controls (p < 0.05). ΔV̇Eload (>4.1 L/min), Δfrest (>5 breaths/min; bpm), Δfunload (>4 bpm), Δfload (>5 bpm), Δf/VTrest (>4.9 bpm/L), and Δf/VTload (>1.3 bpm/L) differentiated DB from a normal pattern (areas under the curve ranging from 0.729 to 0.845). High Δf, in particular, was associated with DB across all CPET phases. Conclusions: This study provides objective criteria to indicate increased ventilatory variability during incremental CPET in dyspnoeic subjects with DB. Large variability in breathing frequency seems particularly useful in this context, a finding that should be prospectively confirmed in larger studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The popularity of cutting‐edge machine learning ensemble approaches has solved many climate change research and prediction issues. The six top‐performing GCMs obtained from Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution were ensembled using seven machine learning ensemble methods such as Random Forest Regressor (RFR), Support Vector Regressor (SVR), Linear Regression (LR), Adaptive Boosting Regressor (AdaBoost), Extreme Gradient Boosting Regressor (XGBR), Extra Tree Regressor (ETR), Multi‐Layer Perceptron neural network (MLP) and simple Arithmetic Mean (AM) over the diverse geo‐climatic basins. Precipitation is best simulated by EC‐Earth3 and BCC‐CSM2‐MR. Maximum temperature by MPI‐ESM1‐2‐HR, EC‐Earth3‐Veg, INM‐CM5‐0 and MPI‐ESM1‐2‐LR. Minimum temperature by INM‐CM5‐0 and MPI‐ESM1‐2‐LR model. The MME of XGBR and RFR stand out for their superior performance across all six basins, with exceptional performance over the per‐humid basins, while AdaBoost, SVR and the AM underperform. Examining the interseasonal variability of the simulated MMEs over the basins highlights the reliability of these MME models. The anticipated change in maximum and minimum temperature in the SSP245 and SSP585 in the future horizon corroborates the undeniable rise in temperature by all the MMEs with a dramatic change in future temperature in AM and AdaBoost in precipitation with a factor of two rises in the far future over the recent past. Though climate change is expected to increase precipitation, atmospheric stabilization over the Ghats will affect the spatiotemporal distribution of precipitation. We recommend a comprehensive testing and validation approach to generate ensembles in regional investigations involving complicated and diverse precipitation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding and forecasting Tropical Pacific Decadal‐scale Variability (TPDV) strongly rely on climate model simulations. Using a Linear Inverse Modeling (LIM) diagnostic approach, we reveal Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 models have significant challenges in reproducing the spatial structure and dominant mechanisms of TPDV. Specifically, while the models' ensemble mean pattern of TPDV resembles that of observations, the spread across models is very large and most models show significant differences from observations. In observations, removing the coupling between extratropics and tropics reduces TPDV by ∼60%–70%, and removing the tropical thermocline variability makes the central tropical Pacific a key center of action for TPDV and El Niño Southern Oscillation variability. These characteristics are only confirmed in a subset of models. Differences between observations and simulations are outside the range of natural internal TPDV noise and pose important questions regarding our ability to model the impacts of natural internal low‐frequency variability superimposed on long‐term climate change. Plain Language Summary: Tropical Pacific Decadal‐scale Variability (TPDV) has been shown to impact global‐scale climate fluctuations, weather regimes, and temperature trends such as the 1998–2012 global warming hiatus. Understanding and predicting TPDV's impacts strongly rely on climate model simulations and projections. However, the models show key deficiencies in reproducing the observed structure of TPDV. Although the arithmetic mean of TPDV's spatial pattern in each individual model is similar to observations, there is a large spread among models, and most models show significant differences from observations. Using an empirical dynamical model to decompose the mechanisms of the climate models reveals that more than 50% of the models fail to reproduce the roles of extratropics‐tropics coupling and the tropical thermocline variability play in TPDV. These differences show significant challenges exist across the models for modeling the decadal‐scale climate variability in the tropical Pacific. Improving the simulation of TPDV in climate models is vital for understanding the impacts of natural internal low‐frequency variability alongside long‐term climate change. Key Points: A Linear Inverse Model is used to decompose and compare tropical Pacific decadal variability dynamics in observations and climate modelsCoupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 models have significant challenges in reproducing the observed dynamics and spatial pattern of tropical Pacific decadal variabilityMany models (>50%) cannot reproduce the roles of extratropics‐tropics coupling and thermocline variability in tropical Pacific variability [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reservoir modeling and simulation are vital components of modern reservoir management processes. Despite the advances in computing power and the advent of smart technologies, the implementation of model‐based operational/control strategies has been limited by the inherent complexity of reservoir models. Thus, reduce order models that not only reduce the cost of the implementation but also provide geological consistent prediction are essential. This article introduces reduced‐order models based on the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) coupled with linear interpolation for upscaling. First, using POD‐based models, low rank approximate (LRA) are obtained by projecting the high dimensional permeability dataset to a low dimensional subspace spanned by its trajectories to decorrelate the dataset. Next, the LRA is integrated into the interpolation algorithm to generate upscaled values. This technique is highly scalable since low‐rank approximations are achieved by the variation in the number of modes used for reconstruction. To test the validity and reliability of the model, we show its application to the practical dataset from SPE10 benchmark case2. From statistics of the error analysis, the classical POD algorithm seems to be more preferred for LRA; however, since non‐negativity of the permeability data set is a priority, the constrained POD (non‐negative POD) algorithm described in this article is more appropriate. Finally, we compared the POD‐based models to a traditional industry‐standard upscaling technique (e.g., arithmetic mean) to highlight our model benefits/performance. Results show that the POD‐based models, particularly the non‐negative POD model, produce considerably less error than the arithmetic mean model in the upscaling process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between specimens with different machined surface roughness and pitting resistance was explored using the critical pitting temperature (CPT), critical pitting potential (Ep), and FeCl3 pitting immersion tests. Compared with the arithmetic mean deviation of the surface contour (Ra), the depth–width ratio could characterize the mathematical relationship between the machined surface roughness and pitting parameters more simply. With an increase in the depth–width ratio, the CPT and Ep of 304 stainless steel decreased, the average corrosion rate increased, the number of pits decreased, and the pit sizes increased. A larger depth–width ratio led to a larger effective diffusion length of metal cations in the pits, thus, the critical pitting criteria could be reached easily, which resulted in the reduction of the pitting resistance of 304 stainless steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the sensitivity of aquifer‐scale estimates of transmissivity (T) and storativity (S) to the variance and correlation length scale of aquifer heterogeneity, when such estimates are obtained by the traditional approach of analyzing pumping test data. We consider both constant‐rate and variable‐rate pumping tests, and a variety of Theis‐based solution methodologies (single‐ and multiple‐observation well methods, and interpreted single value or transient values for T and S parameters) applied in pumping test data analysis. Our results indicate that achieving reliable inference of effective T and S requires that pumping be continued until the radius of the test‐induced cone of depression exceeds a "representative length" that corresponds to ∼15 times than the correlation length scale of the aquifer heterogeneity. Independent of solution type, pumping history, correlation length scale, magnitude of the sill, and location of observation well, the estimates for T will converge toward the geometric mean. For S, the estimation uncertainty is relatively large for observation wells that are close to the pumping well, but diminishes for observation wells located beyond the representative distance, resulting in convergence to the arithmetic mean. Given that these results have practical implications for how pumping tests should be carried out, we present a simple "rule‐of‐thumb" for estimating the correlation length scale of the heterogeneity of an aquifer. Key Points: The T estimates for constant and heterogeneous S aquifers differ for every observation well; instead, the difference for S strongly depends on observation well distancePumping rate and history does not affect the inferred aquifer parameters; however, Theis‐based solution type results in different interpretationsAs a rule‐of‐thumb, temporal variability of T and S diminishes when the depression cone radius exceeds 15 times the correlation length scale plus the observation well distance [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dryadella (Orchidaceae, Epidendreae) is a Neotropical genus predominantly distributed in the Andean region and the Atlantic rainforest (ARF). Three species occurring in the Brazilian ARF, Dryadella edwallii, D. wuerstlei, and D. zebrina, are challenge to tell apart due to the overlap of morphological characters that define them, so we considered these species as morphotypes. To evaluate the current taxonomic status and to identify suitable characters for the better delimitation of taxon within this group, we measured and analyzed 40 flower characters from 145 individuals of 23 populations distributed throughout the geographical range of this species complex, representing all the morphological diversity of these morphotypes. We performed a principal component analysis (PCA) to summarize all the morphological variations found and a permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) to verify whether the groups formed by the PCA are statistically different. To assess the phenetic relationships among individuals, we generated an unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) dendrogram. As a result, it was possible to clearly differentiate D. wuerstlei from the two other species. The variables that contributed most to the differentiation of the species were the perimeter and area of the sepals (SD1, SD2, SL10); area and width of the apex, mid‐portion, and base of the petals (PT19, PT21, PT22, and PT2); and the measurements of the base and widest portion of the lip blade (LB36, LB38). The second group was formed by all individuals of D. edwallii and D. zebrina which present highly overlapping characters with no clear separation between their populations based on PCA and UPGMA results. With this in view, we considered that D. edwallii and D. zebrina correspond to a single species, while D. wuerstlei should remain recognized as a distinct species. We present a taxonomic circumscription of D. wuerstlei and D. zebrina to clarify the taxonomic delimitation of these taxa, highlighting morphological diagnostic characters and their geographical distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper regulates a rational approach of robust design in material machining process on basis of the probability method for multi-objective optimization. As an expansion, it takes the arithmetic mean value of the performance index of the alternative and its deviation as twin independent responses to make contributions of two parts of the partial favorable probability individually; the arithmetic mean value of the performance index represents the performance index according to its function and preference in the assessment, and the deviation exhibits an index with the characteristic of the smaller the better in general. Furthermore, the product of the above twin parts of partial favorable probability forms the actual favorable probability of the performance index of each alternative in the treatment, which is the unique indicator of the performance index of the alternative in the robust optimum. Moreover, examples are given to illustrate the application of the approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mean photon energy of a light‐emitting diode (LED) as recently defined in the IEC standard is theoretically examined. It is pointed out that defining the mean photon energy as an arithmetic mean of photon energies in the emission spectrum is crucial in decomposing the power efficiency of an LED into the voltage efficiency and the external quantum efficiency (EQE). The mean photon energy thus defined and the photon energy calculated from the more convenient peak wavelength in the spectrum are then evaluated and compared for blue and red LED samples. The EQEs of the blue and red LEDs are subsequently obtained, demonstrating that the EQE values from the peak photon energy have small errors within 0.5%p of the true EQE values. The current work presents useful criteria in substituting the EQE value calculated from the peak wavelength for the true EQE value using the mean photon energy for both the blue and red LEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In linear regression model, ridge regression and two‐parameter Liu estimator (LE) are the most widely used methods in recent decade to overcome the problem of multicollinearity especially for ill conditioned cases. In this article, we propose new weighted ridge and Liu estimators which remain positive for each level of multicollinearity and also give smaller mean squared error (MSE) than the existing ridge regression and existing Liu estimators. In addition, a new adaptive LE for k which accounts for the error variance is also proposed to assess the ill condition cases. Furthermore, new weighted ridge estimator of Kibria arithmetic mean method and two parameter Liu estimator with Liu method are also proposed. Extensive Monte‐Carlo simulations are used to evaluate the performance of proposed estimators. Based on MSE criterion, the proposed estimators perform better than the existing estimators in many situations including severe multicollinearity and small signal‐to‐ noise ratio. Two real life applications are also provided to illustrate the usefulness of new estimators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article represents comments arising from The Compatibility of Evolution and Design by Rope Kojonen (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021) concerning the role of chance and randomness in evolution (citations from this book are shown as page numbers in brackets). The various meanings of chance and randomness as used in descriptions of biological evolution are discussed and contrasted with their meanings in mathematics and metaphysics. The discussion relates to the role of contingency in evolution and to ideological and rhetorical extrapolations from biology into philosophical world views. Overall it is concluded that evolution is not a chance process, except in the epistemic sense of "chance." Theologically, this has implications for the idea that God creates through "a free evolutionary process" and may also influence our perspectives on divine action and intentionality in evolutionary history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are crucial nutrients for regulating plant growth. The classic growth rate hypothesis (GRH) proposes that fast‐growing organisms have lower N:P ratios, and it is promising to predict net primary productivity (NPP) using the leaf N:P ratio at the community level (N:PCom). However, whether leaf N:P ratio can predict NPP in natural ecosystems on a large scale remains nebulous. Here, we systematically calculated leaf N:PCom (community biomass‐weighted mean and species arithmetic mean) using the consistently measured data of 2192 plant species‐site combinations and productivity (biomass‐based aboveground NPP and flux‐based NPP) in 66 natural ecosystems in China. Unexpectedly, leaf N:PCom hardly predicted productivity in natural ecosystems due to their weak correlation, although significantly negative or positive relationships across different ecosystems were observed. The ambiguous relationship between leaf N:P and species dominance reflected a luxury consumption of N and P in turnover and structure in natural communities, unlike what GRH suggests. Climate, soil, and leaf nutrients (rather than N:P) influenced productivity, which highlighted the importance of external environment and nutrient constrains. Our findings pose a major challenge for leaf N:PCom as a direct parameter in productivity models and further question the direct application of classic hypotheses in short‐term experiments or model species to long‐term and complex natural ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ketoprofen is registered in many countries for injectable administration in cattle. Because it is soluble in a wide range of excipients, development of a novel transdermal (TD) ketoprofen formulation was pursued to provide a convenient and pain‐free route of administration in cattle. One hundred and six excipient combinations were screened using in vitro techniques (Franz diffusion cells), with a 20%(w/v) ketoprofen formulation dissolved in a combination of 45%:45%(v/v) ethanol and isopropyl myristate (IPM) and 10%(v/v) eucalyptus oil achieving maximal penetration of ketoprofen through bovine skin. A bioavailability study was then conducted using a randomized cross‐over design (n = 12), including IV, IM (both 3 mg/kg) and TD (10 mg/kg) ketoprofen formulations administered with a one‐week washout period between administrations. The IV and IM formulation pharmacokinetic results were as expected. The CMAX, Tmax and AUC0‐Last were significantly higher (arithmetic mean ± SD) after TD administration (20.0 ± 6.5 μg/ml, 115 ± 17 min and 3940 ± 1324 μg*min/ml, respectively), compared to IM (11.0 ± 4.0 μg/ml, 74 ± 43 min and 2376 ± 738 μg*min/ml, respectively), although there were no significant differences for T½β. However, dose corrected values CMAX and AUCinf were significantly higher for IM compared to TD. The arithmetic mean bioavailability (F) of the transdermal formulation was 50%. The plasma concentration of the TD formulation at a dose of 10 mg/kg was similar to the IM formulation at 3 mg/kg by 30 min post‐dosing with an arithmetic mean ± SD of 7.97 ± 4.38 vs. 8.02 ± 3.55 μg/ml, respectively. The TD formulation was generally well tolerated by cattle, although some local irritation along the site of application was noted after 12 h of exposure during the bioavailability study. Results indicate that this novel TD formulation provides a substantial improvement in administration convenience, may improve animal welfare and end‐user safety through needle‐free administration, and achieves similar plasma pharmacokinetics to the IM product when administered at 10 mg/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Irrigation & Drainage is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: Brain MRI phase imaging assumes a linear spatial mapping of the internal fieldmap that continues to lack theoretical proof. We herein present one proof by replacing the arithmetic mean (in MRI signal formation from the intravoxel spin precession dephasing mechanism) with the geometric mean. Methods: By replacing the complex arithmetic mean of intravoxel dephasing isochromats with a complex geometric mean, we readily derive a linear spatial mapping of MRI phase imaging from an internal fieldmap without any restriction in phase angles. To justify the replacement of the complex arithmetic mean with the complex geometric mean for realistic brain MRI, we provide numerical T2*MRI simulations to observe the similarity and difference between arithmetic‐ and geometric‐mean phase images in diverse settings with respect to spatial resolution and echo time, with or without proton density weighting. Results: Theoretically, the complex geometric mean model offers a theoretical proof of linear spatial mapping for MRI phase imaging. Numerical simulations of T2*MRI phase imaging show that the geometric mean conforms to the arithmetic mean at a high similarity in the small phase condition (e.g., corr > 0.90 in phase pre‐wrapping status at TE < 10 ms) and the similarity falls at large phase angles (e.g., corr ≈ 0.80 in phase‐wrapped status at TE = 30 ms). Conclusion: By replacing the arithmetic mean of intravoxel spin precession dephasing with the geometric mean, we find a theoretical proof for linear MRI phase imaging beyond the small phase condition on spin precession angles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capturing sediment topography is one component in understanding how large animals in soft sediment ecosystems affect ecosystem processing. Traditional approaches for sampling soft‐sediment systems are too invasive and destructive for the fragile sediment structures. In contrast, non‐invasive approaches, such as LIDAR and monocular structure‐from‐motion (SfM) systems, can be expensive and cumbersome for data processing.We developed a low cost and practical framework for measuring morphological characteristics of soft sediment topography at the millimetre scale. Using an RGB‐D (red, green, blue and depth) device and a semi‐opaque container, the sediment surface can be imaged rapidly while operating in outdoor environments.The RGB‐D device imaged 0.3 m2 intertidal sediment surfaces, creating depth imagery over seven sites and 82 surfaces. First, using simulated surface data, we formulated and tested four variations of a geometrical detrending model to extract and measure the undulating surface microtopography. We then computed nine morphological characteristics, including arithmetic mean roughness, mean sediment peaks and rugosity, for the detrending models. We then used the two best performing models, linear and quadratic detrending models, to compare extracted morphological characteristics from the field data. We found a strong correlation between the models for extracted surface measures and similar extracted sediment trends.The results showed that RGB‐D real‐time imaging is a promising rapid scanning tool for collecting field data in intertidal regions and can be expanded to other fragile sediment surfaces outside the marine environment. The low costs and real‐time feedback makes it an attractive data collection tool for environments where data collection is challenging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Dual‐ended readout pixelated scintillator array detectors can provide a suitable crystal resolvability and satisfactory depth of interaction (DOI), energy, and timing resolutions. Usually, the flood histogram measured by one‐sided readout is depth dependent, and the flood histogram quality degrades as the distance between the interaction site and photodetector increases. Information measured by two photodetectors must be combined to obtain an improved flood histogram yielding a better PET scanner spatial resolution. Methods: Two flood histogram generation algorithms for dual‐ended readout of pixelated scintillator array detectors were compared by theoretical calculations and experimental measurements. The first algorithm is the arithmetic mean (AM) algorithm, which assigns the same weight to the flood histograms measured by photodetectors 1 and 2. The second algorithm is the energy‐weighted mean (EWM) algorithm, which assigns each flood histogram a certain weight proportional to the energy measured by the photodetector. Theoretical equations were derived to determine the quality of the flood histograms obtained with these two algorithms. Experimental measurements were performed with an 18 × 18 lutetium–yttrium oxyorthosilicate (LYSO) array with a crystal size of 0.62 × 0.62 × 20 mm3 read out by two multi‐anode photomultiplier tubes at both ends. Flood histograms of the whole array and five specific depths were compared between the above two algorithms. Results: The theoretical results indicated that the flood histograms obtained with the EWM method matched those obtained with the AM method at the middle detector depth and were better at other detector depths when the distance (S) between the locations of the same crystal in the flood histograms measured by photodetectors 1 and 2 reached 0. The advantage of the EWM method decreased with increasing S value since the crystal position in the flood histogram obtained with the EWM method varies with the depth when S does not equal 0. The advantage of the EWM method decreased with increasing S value. The experimental results generally agreed with the theoretical predictions. Compared to the AM method, the EWM method provided a similar flood histogram at a depth of 10 mm but generated a better flood histogram at depths of 2 and 18 mm. Although an inverse correlation between Q (a quality factor representing the advantage of the EWM method) and S was observed, the variation in Q given the same S value was high. The average Q value at the same S still agreed with the theoretical predictions. Conclusions: Theoretical equations were derived, and experimental measurements were performed to compare two flood histogram generation algorithms for dual‐ended readout PET detectors. The results indicated that the EWM method based on inverse variance weighting theory could provide better flood histograms than those provided by the AM method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that, when omitting one condition in several well‐known convergence results from probability and measure theory (such as the Dominated Convergence Theorem, Fatou's Lemma, or the Strong Law of Large Numbers), we can construct "very large" (in terms of the cardinality of their systems of generators) spaces and algebras of counterexamples. Moreover, we show that on the probability space ([0,1],B([0,1]),λ)$([0,1],\mathcal {B}([0,1]),\lambda)$ the families of sequences of random variables converging in probability but (i) not converging outside a set of measure 0 or (ii) not converging in arithmetic mean are also "very large". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This single 60‐mg dose, 4‐period crossover study assessed the effect of food and formulation change on navtemadlin (KRT‐232) pharmacokinetics (PK) and macrophage inhibitory cytokine‐1 (MIC‐1) pharmacodynamics. Healthy subjects (N = 30) were randomized to 3 treatment sequences, A: new tablet, fasted (reference, dosed twice); B: new tablet, 30 minutes after a high‐fat meal (test 1); C: old tablet, fasted (test 2). PK/pharmacodynamic parameters were measured over 0 to 96 hours. Adverse events were mild without any discontinuations. No serious adverse events or deaths occurred. In treatment A, navtemadlin mean (coefficient of variation) maximum concentration (Cmax) was 525 (66) ng/mL, at median time to maximum concentration (tmax) of 2 hours. Mean (coefficient of variation) area under the plasma concentration–time curve from time 0 to time t (AUC0‐t) was 3392 (63.3) ng • h/mL, and arithmetic mean terminal half‐life was 18.6 hours. Acyl glucuronide metabolite (M1)/navtemadlin AUC0‐t ratio was 0.2, and urine excretion of navtemadlin was negligible. After a meal (B vs A), navtemadlin tmax was delayed by 1 hour. Geometric least squares means ratios (90%CI) for navtemadlin Cmax and AUC0‐t were 102.7% (87.4‐120.6) and 81.4% (76.2‐86.9), respectively. Old vs new tablet fasted formulations (C vs A) had geometric least squares means ratios (90%CI) of 78.4% (72.0‐85.3) for Cmax and 85.9% (80.5‐91.7) for AUC0‐t. MIC‐1 Cmax and AUC were comparable across groups; tmax was delayed relative to navtemadlin tmax by ≈8 hours. Navtemadlin AUC0‐t and MIC‐1 AUC0‐t correlated significantly. In conclusion, navtemadlin can be administered safely with or without food; the new formulation does not affect navtemadlin PK. The 60‐mg navtemadlin dose elicited a reproducible and robust MIC‐1 response that correlated well with navtemadlin exposure, indicating that murine double minute 2 target engagement leads to p53 activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Algeria, hashish is by far the most common illicit drug. This study explores Algerian hashish over a two‐year period (2019–2020). A total of 2583 hashish samples from 1707 seizures for a total quantity of 108 tons were analyzed using a validated high‐performance liquid chromatography–diode array detection method (HPLC–DAD). The yearly arithmetic mean tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration shows relative stability—18.67% in 2019 and 19.03% in 2020 with an overall mean THC content of 18.87% and standard deviation of 10.99%. High‐potency hashish (THC content > 20%) is by far the most predominant type, representing almost 50% of the total Algerian hashish seizures (mean and median around 29%). The overall mean of cannabidiol (CBD) was 2.45%, and 12% of the total studied seizures were of very low CBD concentration (CBD content<1%). Three distinct hashish chemotypes were identified: Chemotype I described the traditional Moroccan hashish with THC content ranging from 0% to 16%, Chemotype II hashish included most of the seizures and characterized by THC content ranging from 16% to 30%, and Chemotype III was characterized by hashish potency higher than 30% and very low CBD content. The identified chemotypes I, II, and III were characterized in a ternary plot, and the relative contents (THC:CBD:CBN) were about 67%:29%:4%, 88%:9%:3%, and 96%:2%:2%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In traditional theories, bet‐hedging in evolutionary biology is defined as a trade‐off between the within‐generation arithmetic mean fitness (AMF) of a genotype and between‐generation variance (BGV) in AMF across generations. The rationale of this definition is that a bet‐hedger genotype suppresses the BGV to increase between‐generation geometric mean fitness (GMF; an index of long‐term sustainability), which in turn entails costs in terms of AMF. However, too strict interpretation of this definition causes confusion among empirical researchers. For example, in empirical studies comparing a putative bet‐hedger (e.g., producing a generalist phenotype or mixture of various phenotypes) and non‐bet‐hedger control (e.g., producing only a specialist phenotype), reviewers sometimes request that a necessary condition of bet‐hedging is that the bet‐hedger candidate shows a smaller arithmetic mean of AMFs obtained from multiple generations and larger GMF than the control. However, the cost of bet‐hedging is incurred at the potential genotypic level and thus the decrease of AMF mean is not necessarily observed at the phenotypic level (especially if bet‐hedger individuals have good conditions). Moreover, contrary to previous arguments, the "fine‐grained" environments would promote bet‐hedging because even monomorphic specialist genotypes increase GMF if their population size is sufficiently large. Computer simulations support these views. I try to shift the definition of bet‐hedging from the trade‐off‐based one to the GMF‐based one: bet‐hedging is any strategy to increase the between‐generational GMF to avoid extinction of its controlling genotype against unpredictable environmental fluctuation. Under this new light, bet‐hedging will be a universal law of biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: We investigated the abundance of Pseudanabaena species and the concentration of the monoterpene 2‐methylisoborneol (2‐MIB) from July to October at three sampling sites in South Korea. To identify the main cause of 2‐MIB occurrence in drinking water source, we characterized and performed a phylogenetic analysis of the 2‐MIB synthase gene. Pseudanabaena was the dominant cyanobacterium (68%–100%) among the samples. At all three sampling sites, a strong positive correlation was detected between 2‐MIB concentrations and Pseudanabaena cell numbers. A phylogenetic analysis of 222 MIB sequences isolated from the water samples showed that all of the clones were affiliated with the Pseudanabaena MIB synthase gene, demonstrating that the 2‐MIB in the Han River drinking water source was produced by Pseudanabaena sp. Using a clone of the 2‐MIB gene, network‐based analysis and unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean analysis were used to examine temporal and spatial variation in the 2‐MIB concentration and Pseudanabaena abundance. The network analysis showed greater temporal than spatial similarity among the 2‐MIB gene clones. Together, our results demonstrate that Pseudanabaena was the main producer of 2‐MIB. These findings provide important information for odour management in drinking water source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While students possess procedural knowledge associated with engineering calculations and calculus, they often exhibit a disconnect between the conceptual meaning of mathematics and the problem being solved. This conceptual understanding of what mathematics "says" is defined by the theoretical framework of numeracy. Many engineering numeracy studies have been conducted, but they lacked a unifying theoretical framework, a common lexicon, or formal definitions to connect related numeracy topics. Purpose/Hypothesis: This study aims to define numeracy in the context of engineering mathematics and add to the broad theoretical framework of engineering numeracy. Formal skills, terms, and definitions are presented to generate further research. Design/Method: A Delphi study was conducted to identify which skills constitute engineering numeracy and define engineering numeracy skills. Also, a content analysis of 5466 articles published between 1970 and 2018 was conducted to validate the findings of the Delphi panel. Results: The Delphi study identified 32 skills and subskills, each validated and refined by the content analysis. The content analysis highlighted the need for more engineering numeracy studies. The difficulty and importance of learning different numeracy skills were also established. Conclusions: A formal theoretical framework equipped with a specific lexicon and definitions was developed to include the mathematics of engineering as a part of the broader framework of numeracy. It is presented to serve as a reference for future research in engineering numeracy. The findings support the theory suggesting disconnections in students with regard to the conceptual meaning of mathematics and the problems solved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic diversity studies and analysis of the selection gain of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes released over the decades allow the planning of strategies and support decision‐making for crossing in wheat breeding. We investigated genetic diversity in tropical wheat germplasm, discussed the main trends in breeding programs and selected potential parents. Therefore, a trial with 90 commercial cultivars released in Brazil between 1800–2000 and 2001–2019 was conducted during the 2020 winter crop in Viçosa, MG, Brazil. The following traits were evaluated: spike height and plant height, heading date, spike weight, grain mass per spike, 100‐grain mass, number of spikelets per spike, number of grains per spike, hectoliter weight, and grain yield. The data were subjected to restricted maximum likelihood or best linear unbiased prediction analysis and used to calculate the standardized average Euclidean distance and then unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean clusters were generated from the genotypic distance matrix. The selection of the genotypes with the best performance in each phase was accomplished using the multitrait genotype‐ideotype distance index (MGIDI). High genetic diversity was observed between the genotypes evaluated. Multitrait index revealed selection gain in the desired direction in the two phases. The present study will support the efficient use of the genetic variability present in tropical wheat germplasm. Three genotypes were selected by MGIDI in the first phase, while in the second phase 12 were selected. Two groups of dissimilar and potential genotypes were proposed to compose a partial diallel. Core Ideas: Genetic diversity studies enable the effective use of tropical wheat germplasm.Satisfactory selection gain was obtained via the multitrait index.Two groups of dissimilar and potential parentals were proposed to compose a partial diallel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Irrigation & Drainage is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A key to collaborative decision making is to aggregate individual evaluations into a group decision. One of its fundamental challenges lies in the difficulty in identifying and dealing with irregular or unfair ratings and reducing their impact on group decisions. Little research has attempted to identify irregular ratings in a collaborative assessment task, let alone develop effective approaches to reduce their negative impact on the final group judgment. In this article, based on the synergy theory, we propose a novel consensus‐based collaborative evaluation (CE) method called Collaborative Evaluation based on rating DIFFerence (CE‐DIFF) for identifying irregular ratings and mitigating their impact on collaborative decisions. CE‐DIFF determines and assigns different weights automatically to individual evaluators or ratings based on the level of consistency of one's ratings with the group assessment outcome through continuous iterations. We conducted two empirical experiments to evaluate the proposed method. The results show that CE‐DIFF has higher accuracy in dealing with irregular ratings than existing CE methods, such as arithmetic mean and trimmed mean. In addition, the effectiveness of CE‐DIFF is independent of group size. This study provides a new and more effective method for collaborative assessment, as well as novel theoretical insights and practical implications on how to improve collaborative assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To monitor banana surface (peel) roughness changes during ripening treatment, atomic force microscopy (AFM) as a novel and emerging technique was used in this study. The roughness of banana peel was studied using the arithmetic mean between peaks and troughs (Ra) and the root‐mean‐square roughness (Rq). It was concluded that with changing the ripening stages, the behavior of the roughness changes significantly. With advancing fruit ripening, the extending of the epicarp and the decrease of the surface (peel) roughness were found due to enlarging of fruit volume. The highest mean roughness was found to be at stage 1, Ra = 8.25 and Rq = 9.65 nm. Based on two‐dimensional profile results, the surface (peel) roughness was affected strongly by studied different ripening stages. It was concluded that the peak values in the ripple profiles become smaller with advancing fruit ripening. However, the effects of noise in the profiles appeared to increase. So, in all the initial stages of banana fruit ripening, the noise was found to be minimal. Consequently, the AFM technique was found to be a promising tool for quantification of the peel roughness or glossiness and also could help in the quality control of banana fruit on the nanoscale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A central limit theorem and a moderate deviations principle for the ratio of geometric and p‐generalized arithmetic mean are shown. Also a Berry–Esseen‐type upper bound on the rate of convergence in the central limit theorem is proved. This has implications on the probabilistic version of the question of whether the inequality between geometric and p‐generalized arithmetic mean can be reversed or improved up to multiplicative constants. The involved random vectors we study belong to a class of distributions on the ℓpn‐ball introduced by Barthe, Guédon, Mendelson and Naor. The results complement previous limit theorems of Kabluchko, Prochno and Vysotsky. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the thermal evolution of lacustrine sedimentary n‐alkane hydrogen isotopic composition (δD), especially bacterially derived n‐alkanes, anhydrous thermal simulation experiments were performed with sediments from Lake Gahai (Gannan, China). We analyzed the original and pyrolysis‐generated n‐alkanes and their δD values. The results showed that thermal maturity and n‐alkane origins significantly affected the distribution of pyrolysis‐generated n‐alkanes. In immature to post‐mature sediments, the bacterial‐derived medium‐chain n‐alkanes generally had depleted δD values. The maximum difference in average δD values between the bacterial‐and herbaceous plant‐derived medium‐chain n‐alkanes was 32‰, and the maximum difference in δD values among individual n‐alkanes was 59‰. We found that the average δD value of pyrolysis‐generated n‐alkanes from different latitude was significantly different in immature to highly mature sediments, but similar in post‐mature ssediments. The hydrogen isotopes of sedimentary n‐alkanes can be used as indicators for paleoclimate/paleo‐environment conditions only when sediments are immature to highly mature. During thermal evolution, the δD value of generated individual n‐alkanes and the average δD value increased with thermal maturity, indicating that hydrogen isotopes of sedimentary n‐alkanes can be used as an index of organic matter maturity. We established mathematical models of average δD values of generated n‐alkanes from immature to post‐mature sediments using nC21−‐/nC21+ and average chain lengths. These results improve our understanding of the distribution and δD value of sedimentary n‐alkanes derived from herbaceous plants in mid‐latitude plateau cold regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper tells the history of Brazilian stock market returns since the creation of the Ibovespa (the main Brazilian stock market index). From 1968 to 2019, the arithmetic mean real return of the Brazilian stock market is 21.3% per year. The equity premium is 20.1% per year, with a huge annual standard deviation of 67%. Surprisingly, such numbers are compatible with investors' risk aversions that accommodate the very different U.S. market evidence, exposing that national investors are similar in nature. The equity premium has been higher in Brazil than in the U.S., but the much higher Brazilian volatility discourages heavier investments in stocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soil conservation service (now Natural Resources Conservation Service) Curve Number (SCS‐CN), one of the most commonly used methods for surface runoff prediction. The runoff calculated by this method was very sensitive to CN values. In this study, CN values were calculated by both arithmetic mean (CN_C) and least square fit method (CN_F) using observed rainfall‐runoff data from 43 sites in the Loess Plateau region, which are considerably different from the CN2 values obtained from the USDA‐SCS handbook table (CN_T). The results showed that using CN_C instead of CN_T for each watershed produce little improvement, while replacing CN_T with CN_F improves the performance of the original SCS‐CN method, but still performs poorly in most study sites. This is mainly due to the SCS‐CN method using a constant CN value and discounting of the temporal variation in rainfall‐runoff process. Therefore, three factors—soil moisture, rainfall depth and intensity—affecting the surface runoff variability are considered to reflect the variation of CN in each watershed, and a new CN value was developed. The reliability of the proposed method was tested with data from 38 watersheds, and then applied to the remaining five typical watersheds using the optimized parameters. The results indicated that the proposed method, which boosted the model efficiencies to 81.83% and 74.23% during calibration and validation cases, respectively, performed better than the original SCS‐CN and the Shi and Wang (2020b) method, a modified SCS‐CN method based on tabulated CN value. Thus, the proposed method incorporating the influence of the temporal variability of soil moisture, rainfall depth, and intensity factors suggests an accurate runoff prediction for general applications under different hydrological and climatic conditions on the Loess Plateau region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GLPG1205 is a modulator of GPR84, a G‐protein–coupled receptor reported to be associated with several diseases. Safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of GLPG1205 in healthy subjects were evaluated in 2 randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, single‐site, phase 1 studies. In study 1, 16 (aged 21‐48 years) and 24 (24‐50 years) healthy men received single doses of GLPG1205 10 to 800 mg, and GLPG1205 50, 100, or 200 mg once daily for 14 days, respectively, or placebo. Study 2 evaluated the effect of aging on GLPG1205 pharmacokinetics: 24 healthy men (aged 37–83 years), weight‐matched into 3 age cohorts (65‐74, ≥75, and 18‐50 years), received GLPG1205 50 mg or placebo once daily for 14 days; an open‐label part of this study evaluated a GLPG1205 250‐mg loading dose followed by 50 mg once daily for 13 days in 8 healthy men (aged 68‐74 years). Single (up to 800 mg) and multiple (maximum tolerated dose 100 mg once daily) GLPG1205 doses had favorable safety and tolerability profiles. After single administration of GLPG1205, median time to occurrence of maximum observed plasma concentration and arithmetic mean apparent terminal half‐life ranged from 2.0 to 4.0 and from 30.1 to 140 hours, respectively. Age did not affect GLPG1205 exposure. GPR84 receptor occupancy with GLPG1205 vs placebo confirmed target engagement. These results support further clinical development of GLPG1205. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]