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Triple challenges are conditions where economic growth is low, interest rates are high, and inflation is elevated. These conditions precede a recession in economic growth, which potentially leads to a high inflation rate. This study identifies threshold values of monetary and fiscal policy as well as an effect on inflation in Indonesia. The threshold regression method was used with time series data spanning from 2013Q1 to 2023Q2. The finding showed that the monetary policy was lower than the threshold of 6.375%, indicated exchange and interest rates had a significant effect on inflation. Exceeding the threshold, there was no significant relationship between interest rates and inflation, but the exchange rate and inflation had a significant and negative correlation on inflation. The fiscal policy was lower than the threshold of IDR.18 trillion suggested for inflation, while the output gap and the budget deficit had a positive and significant effect on inflation. On the other hand, exceeding the threshold, inflation was significantly affected by the output gap and budget deficit. To control inflation and achieve economic stability, it is necessary to synergize monetary and fiscal policy carried out effectively and efficiently as well as integrated.

BackgroundThe optimal endotracheal tube (ETT) cuff pressure remains contentious. In the traditional consideration that the level 30 cmH2O is considered safe, balancing the prevention of reflux aspiration against airway mucosal damage. Whether this pressure level can cause potential damage to the airway mucosa remains to be discussed.MethodsAirway mucosa damage and structural changes at 30 cmH2O were examined in patients under general anesthesia and in rabbit mechanical ventilation models. Prior to this, we also interviewed some anesthesiologists about the level of concern about ETT cuff pressure.ResultsA total of 634 valid questionnaires suggested that anesthesiologists generally do not pay enough attention to ETT cuff pressure and the average established cuff pressure significantly exceeded 30 cmH2O. Airway mucosa images of 100 general anesthesia patients with different ventilation duration indicated that maintaining the pressure at 30 cmH2O did not cause significant damage to airway mucosa in a short period of time, while it still caused damage to airway mucosa in patients with long-term ventilation, with damage severity increasing with longer ventilation periods. This correlated strongly with postoperative sore throat (R2 = 0.3884, p

BackgroundAs perception of penile curvature varies widely, we sought to understand how adults perceive curvature and how these opinions compare with those of patients with curvature, specifically Peyronie's disease (PD).AimTo investigate the perspectives of curvature correction from adults with and without PD, as well as differences within demographics.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was administered to adult patients and nonpatient companions in general urology clinics at 3 institutions across the United States. Men, women, and nonbinary participants were recruited. Patients were grouped as having PD vs andrology conditions without PD vs general urology conditions plus companions. The survey consisted of unlabeled 2-dimensional images of penis models with varying degrees of curvature. Participants selected images that they would want surgically corrected for themselves and their children. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to identify demographic variables associated with willingness to correct.OutcomesOur main outcome was to detect differences in threshold to correct curvature between those with and without PD.ResultsParticipants were grouped as follows: PD (n = 141), andrology (n = 132), and general (n = 302) . Respectively, 12.8%, 18.9%, and 19.9% chose not to surgically correct any degree of curvature (P = .17). For those who chose surgical correction, the mean threshold for correction was 49.7°, 51.0°, and 51.0° (P = .48); for their children, the decision not to correct any degree of curvature was 21.3%, 25.4%, and 29.3% (P = .34), which was significantly higher than correction for themselves (P

Abstract Lung images often have the characteristics of strong noise, uneven grayscale distribution, and complex pathological structures, which makes lung image segmentation a challenging task. To solve this problems, this paper proposes an initial lung mask extraction algorithm that combines threshold and gradient. The gradient used in the algorithm is obtained by the time series feature extraction method based on differential memory (TFDM), which is obtained by the grayscale threshold and image grayscale features. At the same time, we also proposed a lung contour repair algorithm based on the improved convex hull method to solve the contour loss caused by solid nodules and other lesions. Experimental results show that on the COVID-19 CT segmentation dataset, the advanced lung segmentation algorithm proposed in this article achieves better segmentation results and greatly improves the consistency and accuracy of lung segmentation. Our method can obtain more lung information, resulting in ideal segmentation effects with improved accuracy and robustness.

Abstract Purpose Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and employing Controlled Attenuation Parameter (CAP) measures, this study explores the correlation between vitamin E (VE) intake and hepatic steatosis and its impact on different subsets. Materials and methods We selected 5757 participants with CAP data from the 2017–2020 NHANES dataset. Daily VE intake was assessed by a 24-hour dietary recall. Hepatic fat content was quantified using transient elastography to measure CAP. Stratified multivariable regression analysis investigated relationships in different subsets, and a generalized additive model identified nonlinear relationships and thresholds. Results After adjusting for confounders, higher VE intake correlated with lower CAP levels. Subgroup analyses and tests for interaction revealed a significantly stronger negative correlation between VE intake and CAP in obese individuals. Further analysis indicated a curvilinear relationship between VE intake and the severity of liver fat degeneration in both the general study population and the obese subgroup, demonstrating a threshold effect. In the general population, VE intake below the threshold (6.58 mg/day) is positively correlated with CAP levels, whereas intake above this threshold shows a negative correlation. For obese individuals, the threshold is set at 7.37 mg/day, above which the negative correlation with CAP is even more pronounced. Conclusion Our study revealed a negative correlation between VE intake and hepatic fat content, highlighting the potentially crucial role VE plays in obese fatty liver patients. Importantly, we identified threshold effects of VE intake in both general and obese populations. Our results support clinical nutritional interventions, personalized dietary guidance, and the development of drugs to combat fatty liver.

Abstract Growing evidence indicates that extreme heat and rain may occur in succession within short time periods and cause greater impacts than individual events separated in time and space. Therefore, many studies have examined the impacts of compound hazard events on the social-ecological system at various scales. The definition of compound events is fundamental for such research. However, there are no existing studies that support the determination of time interval between individual events of a compound rainstorm and heatwave (CRH) event, which consists of two or more potentially qualifying component heatwave and rainstorm events. To address the deficiency in defining what individual events can constitute a CRH event, this study proposed a novel method to determine the maximum time interval for CRH events through the change in CRH event frequency with increasing time interval between individual events, using southern China as a case study. The results show that the threshold identified by the proposed method is reasonable. For more than 90% of the meteorological stations, the frequency of CRH events has reached a maximum when the time interval is less than or equal to the threshold. This study can aid in time interval selection, which is an important step for subsequent study of CRH events.

This study aimed to assess genetic parameters for ewe productivity in a Tunisian Barbarine sheep line. The traits studied were litter size (LS), birth weight (BW), weight at 90 days (W90), and average daily gain between 10 and 30 days (ADG13). A total of 3804 growth and 2726 lambing records were used. Bivariate linear and threshold animal models were fitted and analyzed using the Gibbs sampling methodology. Heritabilities for LS obtained with univariate threshold, bivariate linear, and threshold models were around 0.15, higher than the estimate obtained by a univariate linear model (0.09 ± 0.03). Direct heritability for growth traits remained consistent across models, except for W90 in the bivariate linear threshold model. Maternal heritability for growth traits was higher than direct heritability, ranging from 0.07 to 0.15, except for BW. The covariances between the direct and maternal effects of growth traits were slightly negative. Repeatability oscillated between 0.16 and 0.62. Direct genetic correlations between LS and the other traits were negative, varying from −0.18 (LS-BW) to −0.83 (LS-W90). Our results suggest that the threshold model may be the most appropriate for LS. A selection index including LS and growth traits may be proposed for routine genetic evaluation in this population.

Objective To investigate the effect of fluid flow shear stress (FFSS) on the fluid mechanic threshold of high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) release by synovial cells and chondrocytes. Moreover, the mechanism of chondrocyte and synovial cell damage induced by abnormal mechanical force was investigated to provide an experimental basis for exploring the pathogenesis and pathology of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis. Methods With the approval of the Ethics Committee for Animal Experiments of the hospital, synovial tissue and cartilage tissue blocks were obtained from the knee joints of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, and synovial cells and chondrocytes were cultured and digested for subsequent experiments. Synovial cells and chondrocytes of 3-4 generations were acquired, and FFSS was applied to synovial and cartilage cells using a fluid shear mechanical device. The cells were divided according to the FFSS values of different sizes. Synovial cells were stimulated for 1 h with 1, 3, 5, or 10 dyn/cm2 of FFSS, and chondrocytes were stimulated for 1 h with 4, 8, 12, or 16 dyn/cm2 of FFSS. Resting cultures (0 dyn/cm2) were used as the control group. Changes in the morphology of the cells were observed. The expression and distribution of HMGB1 and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) were observed by immunohistochemistry. The expression of HMGB1 and IL-1β in the supernatant was analyzed by ELISA. The protein expression levels of intracellular HMGB1 and IL-1β were detected by Western blot. Results With increasing FFSS, the synovial cells and chondrocytes gradually swelled and ruptured, and the number of cells decreased. With increasing FFSS, the localizationof HMGB1 and IL-1β gradually shifted from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. In synovial cells, compared with those in the control group, the expression levels of HMGB1 and IL-1β were increased both in the supernatant and cells in the 1, 3, 5 and 10 dyn/cm2 intervention groups (P2 intervention groups (PP2 intervention groups (P2 intervention groups (P2 group, the protein expression levels of IL-1β gradually increased with increasing FFSS (P2 and 8 dyn/cm2, respectively. Therefore, upon stimulation with a mechanical force, synovial damage was damaged before chondrocytes.

Background: The conventional 20% threshold for hair diameter diversity (HDD), widely accepted for diagnosing androgenetic alopecia (AGA) in the vertex area, has not quantitatively analyzed. Objective: To validate the HDD 20% threshold for AGA and develop a refined, Korean-specific criterion. Methods: This study involved 240 male patients with AGA, categorized by the V stages of the basic and specific classification. Phototrichogram images of the vertex region were analyzed using Image J software for hair thickness measurement. Results: Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis determined the 45 μm hair diameter threshold as the most diagnostic for AGA, with an area under the curve value of 0.884 and a Youden index of 0.659. Optimal AGA diagnosis was achieved when over 21% of hair had a diameter of ≤45 μm. Limitations: Restriction to Korean male limits its applicability to a broader population, and using a specific hair diameter threshold does not account for individual variations in hair characteristics. Conclusion: The study validates the conventional HDD 20% threshold and proposes a more appropriate 45 μm threshold for Korean males, beyond the 40 μm. It concludes that while the HDD 20% remains a key method for early detection of vertex AGA, the definition of thin hair should be ethnicity-specific.

The present investigation delves into the intricate dynamics surrounding the incorporation of thresholds and their consequential impact on parameters associated with hydraulic jumps—a phenomenon critical to the efficient functioning of the gates. In the pursuit of a comprehensive understanding, the study employed experimental models of thresholds crafted from polyethylene. These models underwent meticulous examination, encompassing variations in dimensions, widths, and positions relative to the gate. The positions explored included beneath the gate, tangent to the gate upstream, and downstream, each contributing unique insights into the behavior of water flow and energy dissipation. An intriguing outcome emerged as thresholds were introduced at different locations. The energy dissipation for a given gate opening exhibited a discernible increase, shedding light on the intricate relationship between threshold placement and hydraulic performance. Notably, as the initial depth relative to the secondary depth increased, a consequential decrease in the ∆EAB/yA was observed, signaling a convergence between the initial and secondary depths. Further illuminating the findings, a comparative analysis of energy loss was conducted across all three threshold positions—beneath the gate, tangent to the gate upstream, and downstream. This scrutiny uncovered a distinct pattern, indicating a heightened energy dissipation in scenarios where the threshold was submerged, setting it apart from conditions where the threshold was positioned otherwise. In essence, the investigation not only accentuates the intricate interplay between sluice gates, thresholds, and hydraulic parameters but also underscores the importance of considering the placement of thresholds in optimizing the energy dissipation efficiency of these hydraulic structures.

The purpose of this research is to provide a solution to eliminate the vortices formed upstream of the sliding valve. The effect of the threshold with the geometric shapes of semi-cylinder, cylinder, pyramid and rectangular cube in different widths of 5, 7, 10, 15 and 20 cm under the sliding valve was investigated experimentaly. The results of this research showed that the entry of air into the fluid leads to the formation of the vortex phenomenon in the flow profile due to the water absorption of the slide valve from the surface layers. The conservation of angular momentum at the opening of the valve causes the combination of vertical and horizontal components of the velocity near the sliding valve. The results showed that placing the threshold under the horizontal sliding valve increases the horizontal velocity of the flow. Therefore, it turns the vortex with a larger diameter into end-line vortices. Due to the insignificant effect of threshold shape on vortices, its effect was ignored.

In this article, we have constructed a stochastic SIR model with healthcare resources and logistic growth, aiming to explore the effect of random environment and healthcare resources on disease transmission dynamics. We have showed that under mild extra conditions, there exists a critical parameter, i.e., the basic reproduction number $ R_0^s $, which completely determines the dynamics of disease: when $ R_0^s < 1 $, the disease is eradicated; while when $ R_0^s > 1 $, the disease is persistent. To validate our theoretical findings, we conducted some numerical simulations using actual parameter values of COVID-19. Both our theoretical and simulation results indicated that (1) the white noise can significantly affect the dynamics of a disease, and importantly, it can shift the stability of the disease-free equilibrium; (2) infectious disease resurgence may be caused by random switching of the environment; and (3) it is vital to maintain adequate healthcare resources to control the spread of disease.

This paper proposed a Filippov blood glucose insulin model with threshold control strategy and studied its dynamic properties. Using Filippov's convex method, we proved the global stability of its two subsystems, the existence and conditions of the sliding region of the system were also given, and different types of equilibrium states of the system were also addressed. The existence and stability of pseudo equilibrium points were thoroughly discussed. Through numerical simulations, we have demonstrated that it is possible to effectively control blood sugar concentrations to achieve more cost-effective treatment levels by selecting an appropriate threshold range for insulin injection.

Rapid advancements in medical technology, particularly in the field of dentistry, have led to significant progress in the application of medical imaging techniques to generate valuable image data. The resulting images often exhibit heterogeneous intensity distributions, with boundaries not always distinctly clear between the tooth roots and bone, along with variations in shape and pose. This study specifically aimed to identify the optimal image for segmenting specific parts of the dental structures. Image segmentation is crucial for ensuring effective diagnosis in the context of dental medicine. To achieve optimal dental image segmentation, this research combines edge detection methods with the determination of color thresholds, specifically grayscale and Hue, Saturation, Value (HSV). The research findings revealed that edge detection using the Sobel gradient operator yielded a relevant count of 17,099 pixels. Using RGB=3 and HSV=0.3 the color thresholds show an enhancement in the brightness of the resulting HSV-segmented image, while in the RGB-segmented image, the selected object appears more prominent. The findings of this study contribute significantly to the evolution of dental image segmentation techniques, potentially enhancing the accuracy and effectiveness of diagnoses within the realm of modern dental practice

Lung images often have the characteristics of strong noise, uneven grayscale distribution, and complex pathological structures, which makes lung image segmentation a challenging task. To solve this problems, this paper proposes an initial lung mask extraction algorithm that combines threshold and gradient. The gradient used in the algorithm is obtained by the time series feature extraction method based on differential memory (TFDM), which is obtained by the grayscale threshold and image grayscale features. At the same time, we also proposed a lung contour repair algorithm based on the improved convex hull method to solve the contour loss caused by solid nodules and other lesions. Experimental results show that on the COVID-19 CT segmentation dataset, the advanced lung segmentation algorithm proposed in this article achieves better segmentation results and greatly improves the consistency and accuracy of lung segmentation. Our method can obtain more lung information, resulting in ideal segmentation effects with improved accuracy and robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and employing Controlled Attenuation Parameter (CAP) measures, this study explores the correlation between vitamin E (VE) intake and hepatic steatosis and its impact on different subsets. Materials and methods: We selected 5757 participants with CAP data from the 2017–2020 NHANES dataset. Daily VE intake was assessed by a 24-hour dietary recall. Hepatic fat content was quantified using transient elastography to measure CAP. Stratified multivariable regression analysis investigated relationships in different subsets, and a generalized additive model identified nonlinear relationships and thresholds. Results: After adjusting for confounders, higher VE intake correlated with lower CAP levels. Subgroup analyses and tests for interaction revealed a significantly stronger negative correlation between VE intake and CAP in obese individuals. Further analysis indicated a curvilinear relationship between VE intake and the severity of liver fat degeneration in both the general study population and the obese subgroup, demonstrating a threshold effect. In the general population, VE intake below the threshold (6.58 mg/day) is positively correlated with CAP levels, whereas intake above this threshold shows a negative correlation. For obese individuals, the threshold is set at 7.37 mg/day, above which the negative correlation with CAP is even more pronounced. Conclusion: Our study revealed a negative correlation between VE intake and hepatic fat content, highlighting the potentially crucial role VE plays in obese fatty liver patients. Importantly, we identified threshold effects of VE intake in both general and obese populations. Our results support clinical nutritional interventions, personalized dietary guidance, and the development of drugs to combat fatty liver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lack of physical activity (PA) at a young age can result in health issues. Thus, monitoring PA is important. Wearable accelerometers are the preferred tool to monitor PA in children. Validated thresholds are used to classify activity intensity levels, e.g., sedentary, light, and moderate-to-vigorous, in ambulatory children. No previous work has developed accelerometer thresholds for infancy (pre-ambulatory children). Therefore, this work aims to develop accelerometer thresholds for PA intensity levels in pre-ambulatory infants. Infants (n = 10) were placed in a supine position and allowed free movement. Their movements were synchronously captured using video cameras and accelerometers worn on each ankle. The video data were labeled by activity intensity level (sedentary, light, and moderate-to-vigorous) in two-second epochs using observational rating (gold standard). Accelerometer thresholds were developed for acceleration and jerk using two optimization approaches. Four sets of thresholds were developed for dual (two ankles) and for single-worn (one ankle) accelerometers. Of these, for a typical use case, we recommend using acceleration-based thresholds of 1.00 m/s to distinguish sedentary and light activity and 2.60 m/s to distinguish light and moderate-to-vigorous activity. Acceleration and jerk are both suitable for measuring PA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the feline species, the mortality of live-born kittens over the first 2 months of life is around 10%. Although some losses are inevitable, progress in veterinary medicine and improved knowledge of feline neonatalogy should make it possible to reduce them to a lower level. The objectives of this study were: (i) to describe early growth in kittens, and (ii) to assess whether low birth weight kittens develop compensatory growth during the first week of life and if so, whether compensatory growth is associated with increased chances of survival. Using data collected from 5,504 kittens born in 193 different French catteries, five growth rates were calculated to reflect the growth of kittens during the first week after birth. Low birth weight kittens had higher growth rates than normal birth weight kittens. In addition, low birth weight kittens whose early growth was in the lowest 25% had a significantly higher 0-2 months mortality rate than all the other groups. Weight loss (or lack of weight gain) between birth and Day 2 was identified as a risk factor for 0-2 months mortality whatever the birth weight category. Finally, critical early growth thresholds were determined separately for low and normal birth weight kittens. These figures could help caregivers to validate the adequacy or inadequacy of kitten early growth. They will be able to quickly identify and provide appropriate care for the kittens whose growth is deemed insufficient in order to improve their chances of survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to safeguard the health of river ecosystems and maintain ecological balance, it is essential to rationally allocate water resources. This study utilized continuous runoff data from 1967 to 2020 at the Zhouqu Hydrological Station on the Bailong River. Five hydrological methods, tailored to the hydrological characteristics of the Zhouqu hydrological cross-section, were employed. These methods included the improved dynamic calculation method, the NGPRP method, the improved monthly frequency computation method, the improved RVA method, and the Tennant method. Ecological flow calculations were conducted to determine the ecological flow, with analysis carried out through the degree of satisfaction, economic benefits, and the nonlinear fitting of the GCAS model. We established an ecological flow threshold and early warning program for this specific hydrological cross-section. Ecological flow values calculated using different methods for each month of the year were compared. The improved RVA method and Tennant method resulted in small values ranging from 4.05 to 36.40 m3/s and 7.65 to 22.94 m3/s, respectively, with high satisfaction levels and economic benefits, but not conducive to ecologically sound development. In contrast, the dynamic calculation method, NGPRP method, and improved monthly frequency calculation method yielded larger ecological flow values in the ranges of 21.79–97.02 m3/s, 23.90–137.00 m3/s, and 28.50–126.00 m3/s, respectively, with poor fulfillment and economic benefits. Ecological flow thresholds were determined using the GCAS model, with values ranging from 16.72 to 114.58 m3/s during the abundant water period and from 5.03 to 63.63 m3/s during the dry water period. A three-level ecological warning system was proposed based on these thresholds, with the orange warning level indicating optimal sustainable development capacity for the Zhouqu Hydrological Station. This study provides valuable insights into the scientific management of water resources in the Bailong River Basin to ensure ecological security and promote sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the increasingly severe global fires, the accurate detection of small and fragmented cropland fires has been a significant challenge. The use of medium-resolution satellite data can enhance detection accuracy; however, key challenges in this approach include accurately capturing the annual and interannual variations of burning characteristics and identifying outliers within the time series of these changes. In this study, we focus on a typical crop-straw burning area in Henan Province, located on the North China Plain. We develop an automated burned-area detection algorithm based on near-infrared and short-wave infrared data from Landsat 5 imagery. Our method integrates time-series outlier analysis using filtering and automatic iterative algorithms to determine the optimal threshold for detecting burned areas. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of using preceding time-series and seasonal time-series analysis to differentiate fire-related changes from seasonal and non-seasonal influences on vegetation. Optimal threshold validation results reveal that the automatic threshold method is efficient and feasible with an overall accuracy exceeding 93%. The resulting burned-area map achieves a total accuracy of 93.25%, far surpassing the 76.5% detection accuracy of the MCD64A1 fire product, thereby highlighting the efficacy of our algorithm. In conclusion, our algorithm is suitable for detecting burned areas in large-scale farmland settings and provides valuable information for the development of future detection algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC) the existence of "safe exposure levels", that is exposure levels that do not present an appreciable risk to human health is most controversially discussed, as is the existence of health-based reference values. Concerns have been especially raised that EDCs might not possess a threshold level such that no exposure level to EDCs can be considered safe. To explore whether or not threshold levels can be identified, we performed a screening exercise on 14 pesticidal and biocidal active substances previously identified as EDCs in the European Union. The respective substances are ideal subjects for case studies to review for endocrine activity and disruptive potential following well-defined regulatory assessment based on solid data to effectually establish adversity as consequence of endocrine disruption. Dimethomorph, metiram and propiconazole for which the weight of evidence demonstrating endocrine disruption was the strongest were used as subjects for further study. Epoxiconazole was additionally selected as its effects on the endocrine system are extensive. For all four substances, analysis of the toxicological data clearly indicated thresholds of adversity below which no adverse effects mediated through an endocrine mechanism were observed. Particular emphasis was placed on mechanistic considerations including homeostasis and the concept of adversity. As a proof of concept this study provides evidence that like other substances of toxicological concern EDCs have threshold levels for adversity. While for some EDCs the respective thresholds might indeed be very low this shows that, data allowing, for other EDCs sufficiently protective reference values can be derived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of peaks in time series data, known as peak detection (PD), holds great significance as it pinpoints notable fluctuations within the dataset. These peaks serve as crucial indicators of transitions or anomalies in the time series. This technique finds utility across various applications including spectroscopy, biomedical image processing, and noise signal differentiation, among other domains. The challenge lies in autonomously estimating parameters for a generalized online peak detection algorithm due to the dynamic nature of real-time time series data. Moreover, automating parameter estimation is a major obstacle, given that different domains require adjustments on varying scales. Addressing this challenge, we propose A-TSPD (autonomous-two stage peak detection), a novel algorithm building upon the TSPD (two stage peak detection) algorithm. A-TSPD aims to achieve autonomous parameter estimation, overcoming the need for manual configuration. Experimental validation on seven real-world datasets across diverse domains demonstrates the efficacy of A-TSPD, showcasing significant performance improvements compared to other established techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the order of the largest connected component of a random graph having two sources of randomness: first, the graph is chosen randomly from all graphs with a given degree sequence, and then bond percolation is applied. Far from being able to classify all such degree sequences, we exhibit several new threshold phenomena for the order of the largest component in terms of both sources of randomness. We also provide an example of a degree sequence for which the order of the largest component undergoes an unbounded number of jumps in terms of the percolation parameter, giving rise to a behavior that cannot be observed without percolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces a novel approach that unifies two types of models: one is the continuous‐time jump‐diffusion used to model high‐frequency market financial data, and the other is discrete‐time GQARCH for modeling low‐frequency financial data by embedding the discrete GQARCH structure with jumps in the instantaneous volatility process. This model is named GQARCH‐Itô‐Jumps model. Quasi‐likelihood functions for the low‐frequency GQARCH structure are developed for the parametric estimations. In the quasi‐likelihood functions, for high‐frequency financial data, the realized range‐based estimations are adopted as the 'observations', rather than the realized return‐based volatility estimators which entail the loss of intra‐day information of the price movements. Meanwhile, the asymptotic properties are mainly established for the proposed estimators in the case of finite activity jumps. Moreover, simulation studies and some financial data are implemented to check the finite sample performance of the proposed methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Harbin Institute of Technology. Social Sciences Edition / Haerbin Gongye Daxue Xuebao. Shehui Kexue Ban is the property of Harbin Institute of Technology 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.)

Trade liberalization is a widely accepted policy for fostering economic growth, particularly in developing countries. Advocates argue that open economies, through increased competition, specialization, and access to global markets, outperform closed economies. However, the short-term effects on developing economies like Nigeria remain debated, especially within the manufacturing sector. Nigeria's trade policy has fluctuated between protectionism and openness, significantly influencing its manufacturing performance. Critics, drawing from dependency theory, argue that liberalization exposes weaker economies to exploitation by stronger nations, leading to trade imbalances and inhibiting industrial growth. This study investigates the nonlinear effects of trade liberalization on Nigeria's manufacturing sector, addressing a gap in the literature by employing a quadratic approach to determine threshold effects. By incorporating a quadratic form of the trade variable, the study tests the hypothesis that trade liberalization initially boosts the manufacturing sector but results in diminishing returns as openness intensifies. The research is framed within the Laffer Curve of Trade, suggesting that beyond a certain threshold, excessive openness may harm the manufacturing sector. The AutoRegressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model is used to assess both short-run and long-run effects, with findings indicating a convex relationship between trade liberalization and manufacturing output, highlighting the critical importance of identifying optimal policy thresholds to maximize industrial growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the VAR time series data of the overall expenditures and income in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It applies multivariate wavelet shrinkage within the VAR model, comparing it to traditional methods to identify the most appropriate model. The chosen model will then be used to predict general expenditures and revenues for the years 2022-2026. The analysis involved assessing the stationarity of the expenditure and revenue time series, which are interrelated variables during the interval 1997-2021, and identifying the overall trend through differencing to achieve stationarity. The proposed method incorporated multivariate wavelet shrinkage in the VAR model to address data contamination in expenditures and revenue using various wavelets like Coiflets, Daubechies, Symlets, and Fejér-Korovkin at different orders. Threshold levels were estimated using the SURE method and soft thresholding rules to denoise the data for the following analysis within the VAR model. Model selection was based on Akaike and Bayes information criteria. The analysis, conducted using MATLAB, indicated the superiority of the proposed method over traditional methods, forecasting a continued rise in expenditures and revenues for the Iraqi Kurdistan region from 2022 to 2026. The findings suggest that advanced techniques can offer more accurate economic forecasts, benefiting regional planning and policy-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of South-Central Minzu University (Natural Science Edition) is the property of Journal of South-Central Minzu University (Natural Science Edition) Editorial Office 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.)

Background Many medical graduate students lack a thorough understanding of decision curve analysis (DCA), a valuable tool in clinical research for evaluating diagnostic models. Methods This article elucidates the concept and process of DCA through the lens of clinical research practices, exemplified by its application in diagnosing liver cancer using serum alpha-fetoprotein levels and radiomics indices. It covers the calculation of probability thresholds, computation of net benefits for each threshold, construction of decision curves, and comparison of decision curves from different models to identify the one offering the highest net benefit. Results The paper provides a detailed explanation of DCA, including the creation and comparison of decision curves, and discusses the relationship and differences between decision curves and receiver operating characteristic curves. It highlights the superiority of decision curves in supporting clinical decision-making processes. Conclusion By clarifying the concept of DCA and highlighting its benefits in clinical decisionmaking, this article has improved researchers' comprehension of how DCA is applied and interpreted, thereby enhancing the quality of research in the medical field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most widely known pyrogen impurity in vaccines is the Gram-negative bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS). When administered at toxic doses, endotoxin triggers inflammatory responses, which lead to endotoxic shock. The literature on endotoxic content (EC) for preclinical vaccines' formulations used in animal studies is very poor, and the recommended thresholds are solely based on commercial vaccine limits set for humans and are, therefore, not connected to the actual impact of EC on animal welfare for species used in preclinical research studies. An extensive study to evaluate the presence of a potential relationship between endotoxin content in formulations administered to mice (the most common species used in preclinical research studies) and their welfare was conducted to calculate an EC threshold for formulations of candidate vaccines. Three years of historical data, from more than 500 formulations of different antigen types (i.e., proteins, glycoconjugates, OMV/GMMA) injected into more than 5000 mice, was evaluated with two alternative statistical methodologies, both demonstrating that there is no significant relationship between actual endotoxin levels and mouse welfare. The calculation of thresholds was, therefore, performed by consistency versus formulations that demonstrated no impact on animal welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a new attempt to quantify and predict changes in the ECG signal in the pre-ictal period. In the proposed approach, threshold techniques were applied to the standard deviation of two heart rate variability features (The number of heartbeats per two minutes and approximate entropy) computed to ensure prediction and quantification of the pre-ictal state. We analyzed clinical data taken from two epileptic public databases, Siena scalp EEG and post-ictal heart rate oscillations in partial epilepsy and a local database. By testing the proposed approach on the Siena scalp EEG database, we achieved a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 95%, and an accuracy of 96.4% whereas using acquisitions from the post-ictal database, we achieved a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 91% and an accuracy of 94% and using the local database we achieved a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 97% and an accuracy of 97.5%. Furthermore, the proposed approach predicted 58.7%, 57.2, and 40% of the seizures before the onset by more than 10 min for the data taken from post-ictal, local and Siena database, respectively. Using the automatic threshold technique, we were able to achieve a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 85%, 81%, 82% using our local database, respectively, whereas using acquisitions take from the Siena scalp EEG database, we achieved a sensitivity of 75%, specificity of 85% and an accuracy of 82%. Besides, using the post-ictal database, we achieved a sensitivity of 90%, a specificity of 83% and an accuracy of 85%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During some trail running races, athletes have to carry hydration support, food, and technical and safety equipment, which generates an additional load that must be mobilized during the race. The aim of the present study was to determine the physiological responses to overload running and the effect they may have on metabolic zones. Seventeen well-trained male trail runners (n = 17) completed three maximal treadmill tests with weighted vests at 0%, 5%, and 10% of their body mass (L0, L5, and L10). Their gas exchange was monitored to assess their ventilatory thresholds 1 (VT1) and 2 (VT2), maximal fat oxidation zone (FatMax), and peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak). Their heart rate (HR), power, and velocity (V) were tracked to compare their behavior. One-way ANOVA showed significant differences in the V (p < 0.001; ηp2 = 0.4620) as a limitation for reaching the peak velocity (Vpeak), with a significant decrease in the Vpeak with the L10 compared to the L0 (p = 0.002) and L5 (p = 0.004). In addition, one-way ANOVA showed significant differences in the peak absolute power (p < 0.001; ηp2 = 0.468) among the groups, detecting higher power production between the L10 and L0 (p < 0.001) and between the L10 and L5 (p = 0.015). Loads higher than L5 could generated important physiological and mechanical modifications, while a load of L5 managed to maintain the working conditions without overloading. These insights shed light on nuanced strategies for optimizing performance and endurance, offering valuable considerations for athletes seeking to enhance their training regimens during overload conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Random Forest algorithm was used to predict on‐field presence probability of rape stem weevil in France as a function of climatic and landscape variables, based on a long‐term and multisite data set. A first version of the model included a set of 342 variables. A variable selection procedure was used to retain only the 15 most influential variables without significant drop in predicting performances. Most retained variables were temperature related and results showed that the sum of maximum daily temperature above 9°C during the week preceding observation was the predictor with the largest influence on rape stem weevil occurrence. This model reached a mean AUC of 0.77 and outperformed some other published models. As such, this model can help farmers to precisely time insecticide application. It has been integrated in a decision support system freely available in the Terres Inovia (French applied agricultural research and development institute dedicated to oilseed crops) website. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is a rare inherited systemic disease responsible for a juvenile peripheral arterial calcification disease. The clinical diagnosis of PXE is only based on a complex multi-organ phenotypic score and/or genetical analysis. Reduced plasma inorganic pyrophosphate concentration [PPi]p has been linked to PXE. In this study, we used a novel and accurate method to measure [PPi]p in one of the largest cohorts of PXE patients, and we reported the valuable contribution of a cutoff value to PXE diagnosis. Plasma samples and clinical records from two French reference centers for PXE (PXE Consultation Center, Angers, and FAVA-MULTI South Competent Center, Nice) were assessed. Plasma PPi were measured in 153 PXE and 46 non-PXE patients. The PPi concentrations in the plasma samples were determined by a new method combining enzymatic and ion chromatography approaches. The best match between the sensitivity and specificity (Youden index) for diagnosing PXE was determined by ROC analysis. [PPi]p were lower in PXE patients (0.92 ± 0.30 µmol/L) than in non-PXE patients (1.61 ± 0.33 µmol/L, p < 0.0001), corresponding to a mean reduction of 43 ± 19% (SD). The PPi cutoff value for diagnosing PXE in all patients was 1.2 µmol/L, with a sensitivity of 83.3% and a specificity of 91.1% (AUC = 0.93), without sex differences. In patients aged <50 years (i.e., the age period for PXE diagnosis), the cutoff PPi was 1.2 µmol/L (sensitivity, specificity, and AUC of 93%, 96%, and 0.97, respectively). The [PPi]p shows high accuracy for diagnosing PXE; thus, quantifying plasma PPi represents the first blood assay for diagnosing PXE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the today’s stage of increasing digital interactions and the need for secure authentication methods, traditional password-based systems face numerous challenges, such as susceptibility to theft, hacking, and the inconvenience of remembering complex passwords. In retaliation to these challenges, the paper presents a novel approach to authentication called the Silent Password, which proposed lip synchronization analysis and Convolution Neural Networks (CNNs) for user verification. The Silent Password system harnesses the unique characteristics of an individual’s lip movements during speech, capitalizing on the fact that these movements are both distinct and difficult for impostors to replicate. Furthermore, the CNN model extracts spatial and temporal features from the lip movement data, which are then compared with the user’s enrollment data. If the lip synchronization patterns match within an acceptable threshold, access is granted. This study demonstrates the feasibility of silent password as an innovative, secure and user-friendly authentication method, paving the way for future advancements in biometric-based user verification systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] The aim of this study is to examine the regulatory effects and thresholds of different land uses on runoff variations in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, which is crucial for flood control and the high-quality development of the watershed. [Methods] Focusing specifically on the Dali River Basin, the characteristics of land use changes over the past 20 years were analyzed, and the impact of these changes on the annual distribution of runoff was quantitatively assessed by using a monthly scale SWAT model of the basin. Four extreme land use scenarios were set to study the impact of different land use types on flood season runoff. Additionally, 12 different land use coverage scenarios were used to determine the critical coverage of land use that affected watershed runoff. [Results] The predominant land use modes in the Dali River Basin included arable land, grassland, and forest land. Grassland and forestland exhibited an inhibitory effect on runoff, while arable land promoted runoff. The impact coefficients for these land use types were-0.1252,-0.130 1, and 0.122 3, respectively. Land use had a certain regulatory effect on the annual distribution of runoff. However, this effect was not significant when land use changes were small. [Conclusion] Notably, land use coverage demonstrates a significant marginal effect, with a lower critical value of approximately 5% for grasslands and an upper critical value of 95%, as well as an upper critical value of 91% for forests. These findings can provide valuable insights for soil and water conservation efforts, flood control initiatives, and the high-quality development of the watershed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In magnetic resonance (MR) image reconstruction, the orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) is widely recognized for its simplicity and competitive performance. However, OMP designs a termination condition based on some prior information such as sparsity and noise intensity. In practice, the unknown prior information of MR images cannot guarantee accurate reconstruction. To make OMP suitable for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we propose an automatic threshold OMP algorithm based on QR decomposition (ATOMP-QR). The termination condition of ATOMP-QR, which utilizes the mutual incoherence property of the sensing matrix, is related to whether the residual vector includes the orthogonal projection component of measurements. Then, to avoid the computation of pseudo-inverse and accelerate reconstruction speed, we perform QR decomposition on the measurement matrix. We conduct the MRI experiments to evaluate the superiority and effectiveness of ATOMP-QR in peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), structure similarity index measure (SSIM), and running time. Specifically, for the T1-w image with a sparsity of 10, the PSNR was improved from 24 to 32 dB; the SSIM was increased from 0.87 to 0.99. The maximum time consumed decreased from 0.2276 to 0.0107 s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The epidemic norovirus causes vomiting and diarrhea and is a highly contagious infection. The disease is affecting human lives in terms of deaths and medical expenses. This study examines the governing dynamics of norovirus by incorporating Lévy noise into a stochastic S I R W F (susceptible, infected, recovered, water contamination, and food contamination) model. The existence of a non-negative solution and its uniqueness are proved after model formulation. Subsequently, the threshold parameter is calculated, and this number is used to explore the conditions under which disease tends to exist in the population. Likewise, additional conditions are derived that ensure the elimination of the disease from the community. It is proved that the norovirus is extinct whenever the threshold parameter is less than one and it persists for R s > 1 . The work assumes two working examples to numerically explain the theoretical findings. Simulations of the study are visually presented, and comparisons are made. The results of this study suggest a robust approach for handling complex biological and epidemic phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Taste and smell are vital senses interlinked to each other that stimulate the desire to eat food. The physiological stress of a standing posture might alter taste and smell sensitivity, compelling individuals to eat more until satiety is achieved. Aim: To determine and compare the perception of taste and smell in sitting and standing postures among healthy individuals. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the physiology laboratory of Velammal Medical College, Tamil Nadu, India, over a duration of two months from February 2021 to April 2021. The study included 100 medical students (both genders) aged between 18-21 years. For taste assessment, the Sip spit rinse test was performed, where taste strips were impregnated with sweet and salty solutions of different concentrations (0.05-0.00625 g/mL). Odour threshold was measured with various dilutions of rose water (1:10000 to 1:1) using olfactometer. Taste and smell thresholds in standing and sitting postures were analysed using the Paired sample T-test and Lin's concordance test, using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0 A significance level of 0.05 was used to interpret the p-value. Results: A statistically significant difference (p<0.001**) was observed for taste threshold, with a higher mean value in the standing position (0.0108) compared to the sitting position (0.0086). No statistically significant difference was observed for olfactory threshold in both sitting and standing postures (p>0.05). Additionally, no significant gender difference was found for taste and smell threshold values (p=0.418). Conclusion: Standing posture decreases taste sensitivity with no significant change in olfactory sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In factor analysis of ordinal variables, category thresholds determine the values of a hypothetical latent response at which a transition to a higher response option occurs. In general, category thresholds are estimated as free parameters. In the Rasch measurement theory framework, the rating-scale model has been proposed that prescribes equal sets of distances between category thresholds for all items. As a factor analytic parallel, I propose a model with a constrained threshold structure (FACTS). The application of the model is illustrated with a real data example. A simulation study showed that the thresholds are estimated more accurately with the FACTS model than with the standard unconstrained model for different sample sizes, test lengths, and number of response categories. In addition, the likelihood ratio test generally showed good power in comparing the two models. Because the FACTS model performs well and provides a meaningful interpretation of category thresholds, it may be used routinely in factor analysis of categorical item responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyse variations in the n-butanol threshold and odour identification scores of the Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Centre test in various grades of olfactory dysfunction and in different nasal conditions leading to olfactory loss. Method: Retrospective observational study. Results: All grades of olfactory dysfunction were predominantly noted among males. In chronic rhinosinusitis, anosmia or severe hyposmia was seen in 87.5 per cent of patients without polyps in comparison with 68 per cent of patients with polyps. In addition, 90 per cent of patients with atrophic rhinitis and post-traumatic loss had anosmia, but only 30.7 per cent of patients with allergic rhinitis had anosmia. Pepper was the most affected smell for all the nasal diseases except atrophic rhinitis, in which asafoetida and baby powder smells were affected more. Conclusion: In most inflammatory sinonasal conditions, odour identification is relatively preserved even when the threshold is maximally affected. In patients with comparable olfactory dysfunction based on the Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Centre test score, a relatively preserved suprathreshold odour identification score may predict better prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body mass index (BMI) is a modifiable risk factor for medical and infectious complications following total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). Previous studies investigating BMI were limited to the conventional classification system, which may be outdated for modern day patients. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify BMI thresholds that are associated with varying risk of 90-day medical complications and 2-year prosthetic joint infection (PJI) following TSA. A national database was utilized to identify 10,901 patients who underwent primary elective TSA from 2013 to 2022. Patients were only included if they had a BMI value recorded within 1 month prior to TSA. Separate stratum-specific likelihood ratio analyses, an adaptive technique to identify data-driven thresholds, were performed to determine data-driven BMI strata associated with varying risk of 90-day medical complications and 2-year PJI. The incidence rates of these complications were recorded for each stratum. To control for confounders, each BMI strata was propensity-score matched based on age, sex, hypertension, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes mellitus to the lowest identified BMI strata for both outcomes of interest. The risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were recorded for each matched analysis. The average age and BMI of patients was 70.5 years (standard deviation ±9.8) and 30.7 (standard deviation ±6.2), respectively. Stratum-specific likelihood ratio analysis identified two BMI strata associated with differences in the rate of 2-year PJI: 19-39 and 40+. The same strata were identified for 90-day major complications. When compared to the matched BMI 19-39 cohort, the risk of 2-year PJI was higher in the BMI 40+ cohort (RR: 2.7; 95% CI 1.39-5.29; P =.020). After matching, there was no significant difference in the risk of 90-day major complications between identified strata (RR: 1.19, 95% CI: 0.86-1.64; P =.288). A data-driven BMI threshold of 40 was associated with a significantly increased risk of 2-year PJI following TSA. This is the first TSA study to observe BMI on a continuum and observe at what point BMI is associated with increased risk of 2-year PJI following TSA. Our identified BMI strata can be incorporated into risk-stratifying models for predicting both PJI and 90-day major complications to minimize both. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Growing evidence indicates that extreme heat and rain may occur in succession within short time periods and cause greater impacts than individual events separated in time and space. Therefore, many studies have examined the impacts of compound hazard events on the social-ecological system at various scales. The definition of compound events is fundamental for such research. However, there are no existing studies that support the determination of time interval between individual events of a compound rainstorm and heatwave (CRH) event, which consists of two or more potentially qualifying component heatwave and rainstorm events. To address the deficiency in defining what individual events can constitute a CRH event, this study proposed a novel method to determine the maximum time interval for CRH events through the change in CRH event frequency with increasing time interval between individual events, using southern China as a case study. The results show that the threshold identified by the proposed method is reasonable. For more than 90% of the meteorological stations, the frequency of CRH events has reached a maximum when the time interval is less than or equal to the threshold. This study can aid in time interval selection, which is an important step for subsequent study of CRH events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The robotic wheelchair is designed to allow independent movement for patients with severe musculoskeletal and neuromuscular disorders that interfere with normal wheelchair propulsion by hands. Control of the movement of the wheelchair necessities residual motion of the upper extremity which was not applicable for patients with upper extremity disability as in Quadriplegic patients. Several research efforts have been proposed to help quadriplegic patients independently use the robotic wheelchair. However, the proposed solutions had many problems with accuracy, simplicity, and cost. The current work aims to build an accurate, simple, and low-cost control system for robotic wheelchairs using head movement. The proposed system was based on the use of the MEMs inertial measurement unit (IMU) to sense the head movement gestures and transfer the gestures into signals to control the wheelchair movements. A new lightweight algorithm for the detection of head gestures was proposed to improve the system’s accuracy. The proposed system has been applied and tested on volunteers. The results revealed that the accuracy of the proposed method in recognizing head movement was 97% on average. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The menthol sensor transient receptor potential melastatin-8 (TRPM8) can be activated by cold and, thus, serves as a biothermometer in a primary afferent sensory neuron for innocuous-to-noxious cold detection. However, the precise structural origins of specific temperature thresholds and sensitivity have remained elusive. Here, a grid thermodynamic model was employed, to examine if the temperature-dependent noncovalent interactions found in the 3-dimensional (3D) structures of thermo-gated TRPM8 could assemble into a well-organized fluidic grid-like mesh network, featuring the constrained grids as the thermorings for cold-sensing in response to PIP2, Ca2+ and chemical agents. The results showed that the different interactions of TRPM8 with PIP2 during the thermal incubation induced the formation of the biggest grids with distinct melting temperature threshold ranges. Further, the overlapped threshold ranges between open and pre-open closed states were required for initial cold activation with the matched thermo-sensitivity and the decrease in the systematic thermal instability. Finally, the intact anchor grid near the lower gate was important for channel opening with the active selectivity filter. Thus, PIP2-dependent thermorings in TRPM8 may play a pivotal role in cold sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]