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A simple method to measure the length of optical fiber is proposed using microwave photonic technology. The length of fiber is measured according to the free spectral range (FSR) of the microwave photonic system. The measurement accuracy is only related to the accuracy of FSR measurement. The accuracy is further improved by introducing a reference fiber, and the method was verified in the experiment with 2–10 m single-mode fiber.

This paper introduces the construct of parenting wisdom and describes the development and preliminary validation of the Parenting Wisdom Scale (PWS), a new instrument designed to measure the constr...

Background: Microbial communities have important influences on our health and disease. Identifying potential human microbe-drug associations will be greatly advantageous to explore complex mechanisms of microbes in drug discovery, combinations and repositioning. Until now, the complex mechanism of microbe-drug associations remains unknown. Objective: Computational models play an important role in discovering hidden microbe-drug associations, because biological experiments are time-consuming and expensive. Based on chemical structures of drugs and the KATZ measure, a new computational model (HMDAKATZ) is proposed for identifying potential Human Microbe-Drug Associations. Methods: In HMDAKATZ, the similarity between microbes is computed using the Gaussian Interaction Profile (GIP) kernel based on known human microbe-drug associations. The similarity between drugs is computed based on known human microbe-drug associations and chemical structures. Then, a microbe-drug heterogeneous network is constructed by integrating the microbemicrobe network, the drug-drug network, and a known microbe-drug association network. Finally, we apply KATZ to identify potential associations between microbes and drugs. Results: The experimental results showed that HMDAKATZ achieved area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.9010±0.0020, 0.9066±0.0015, and 0.9116 in 5-fold cross-validation (5-fold CV), 10-fold cross-validation (10-fold CV), and leave one out cross-validation (LOOCV), respectively, which outperformed four other computational models(SNMF,RLS,HGBI, and NBI). Conclusion: HMDAKATZ obtained the better prediction performance than four other methods in 5-fold CV, 10-fold CV, and LOOCV. Furthermore, three case studies also illustrated that HMDAKATZ is an effective way to discover hidden microbe-drug associations.

Debido a las altas tasas de sedentarismo que presenta la población mexicana y las diferencias por género reportadas en otros estudios en las etapas de cambio, es necesario contar con un instrumento fiable y valido para medir las etapas de cambio hacia el ejercicio físico en la población mexicana indistintamente del género. El objetivo de este estudio fue confirmar la estructura factorial y analizar las propiedades psicométricas e invarianza factorial a través de los grupos de género del URICA-E2 en la población adulta mexicana. La muestra estuvo conformada por 871 personas adultas (49.19% hombres, 50.81% mujeres, Medad = 33.26; DT = 13.99; rango = 18–76 años) habitantes del área metropolitana de Monterrey, Nuevo León y Hermosillo, Sonora, México. Se utilizó una versión del URICA-E2 traducido al español, adaptado al contexto y cultura mexicana. Se evaluó la consistencia interna, la fiabilidad compuesta y la varianza media extraída. De igual forma, se analizó la validez convergente y discriminante del instrumento. El análisis factorial confirmatorio, demostró una estructura de seis factores y los análisis multigrupo apoyaron la invarianza factorial estricta de la versión mexicana del URICA-E2 a través de los grupos de género. Los resultados mostraron una consistencia interna aceptable y brindaron evidencia de la validez convergente y discriminante de la versión mexicana del URICA-E2. La versión mexicana del URICA-E2 es un instrumento válido y fiable que puede ser utilizado en estudios futuros. Abstract. Due to the high rates of sedentary lifestyle that the Mexican population presents and the differences by gender reported in other studies in the stages of change; it is necessary to have a reliable and valid instrument to measure the stages of change towards physical exercise in the Mexican population regardless of gender. The purpose of this study was to confirm the factorial structure and to analyze the psychometric properties and factorial invariance across the URICA-E2 gender groups in the Mexican adult population. The sample consisted in 871 adults (49.19% men, 50.81% women, Mage = 33.26; SD = 13.99; range = 18 - 76 years) inhabitants of the metropolitan area of Monterrey, Nuevo León and Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. A version of the URICA-E2 translated into Spanish was used, adapted to the Mexican context and culture. Internal consistency, composite reliability, and average variance extracted were evaluated. Similarly, the convergent and discriminant validity of the instrument was analyzed. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated a six-factor structure and multigroup analyzes supported the strict factor invariance of the Mexican version of URICA-E2 across gender groups. The results showed an acceptable internal consistency and provided evidence of the convergent and discriminant validity of the Mexican version of the URICA-E2. The Mexican version of the URICA-E2 is a valid and reliable instrument that can be used in future studies.

Femtosecond laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (fs-LIBS) is employed to detect tiny amounts of mass ablated from macroscopic specimens and to measure chemical images of microstructured samples with high spatial resolution. Frequency-doubled fs-pulses (length 400 fs, wavelength 520 nm) are tightly focused with a Schwarzschild microscope objective to ablate the sample surface. The optical emission of laser-induced plasma (LIP) is collected by the objective and measured with an echelle spectrometer equipped with an intensified charge-coupled device camera. A second fs-laser pulse (1040 nm) in orthogonal beam arrangement is reheating the LIP. The optimization of the experimental setup and measurement parameters enables us to record single-pulse fs-LIBS spectra of 5 nm thin metal layers with an ablated mass per pulse of 100 femtogram (fg) for Cu and 370 fg for Ag films. The orthogonal double-pulse fs-LIBS enhances the recorded emission line intensities (two to three times) and improves the contrast of chemical images in comparison to single-pulse measurements. The size of ablation craters (diameters as small as 1.5 µm) is not increased by the second laser pulse. The combination of minimally invasive sampling by a tightly focused low-energy fs-pulse and of strong enhancement of plasma emission by an orthogonal high-energy fs-pulse appears promising for future LIBS chemical imaging with high spatial resolution and with high spectrochemical sensitivity.

This paper proposes an analytical delay propagation model for single railway lines based on the max‐plus algebra theory. The scheduling measures taken by dispatchers, including re‐timing and re‐ordering, will be incorporated into our delay propagation model using a matrix transformation method. An analysis of delay propagation under some typical emergencies such as segment blockages and train speed limitation is performed. Numerical simulations show that the proposed train delay propagation model can predict emergency‐induced train delays under different scheduling strategies, thus may give a guidance to improve the traffic management. In the high‐speed railway train system, the scheduling measures taken by dispatchers, such as re‐timing and re‐ordering, can be formulated as a delay propagation model using a matrix transformation method.

To evaluate the effect of demographic disparities on language outcomes in a diverse group of children who are deaf or hard of hearing.Retrospective cohort study.UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital (a tertiary care center).Forty-four patients aged18 years were identified with sensorineural hearing loss managed with a behind-the-ear hearing aid or cochlear implant. Demographic and clinical data were extracted from the medical record. The primary outcome measure was the Preschool Language Scales-5 at least 6 months after intervention. Predictors of language outcome were assessed: hearing level at the time of hearing intervention, cochlear implant status, age of identification and intervention, travel time to site of hearing care, home language, race/ethnicity, insurance type, and Access Challenge Index-a novel measure of educational environment and family support based on the Child Cochlear Implant Profile. Multivariate and univariate analysis assessed predictors for association with intervention and receptive, expressive, and total language scores.Overall 82% of patients had cochlear implants. The median age at hearing intervention was 12 months. The sample was 59% female, 52% non-White, and 61% publicly insured, and 20% had a non-English primary home language. Accounting for multiple demographic and clinical predictors, a high Access Challenge Index score was independently associated with longer time to intervention (Access Challenge Index-a novel comprehensive measure of educational and family environment-is a strong independent predictor of language outcomes in children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Purpose This paper aims to provide a proper understanding of corruption in the private sector, also known as the supply-side of corruption. It also presents the causes of corrupt practices and points out the corporations’ actions to mitigate corrupt behaviour in the business environment. Design/methodology/approach This study reviews the prior literature on the phenomenon of corruption in the private sector, its causes and the preventive measures that should be implemented. Findings Corruption in the private sector was associated with a firm’s interaction with the public sector, and the most common corruption in the private sector is grand corruption, which is improper contribution made to high-level public officials and politicians. The causes of corruption in the private sector can be explained from several dimensions: economy, psychosocial and legal and regulation. Preventative measures encompass both internal strategies, which are endogenous to business and external strategies like exogenous legislation and restrictions enforced by the government or outside organizations. Originality/value The efficient strategies in combating corruption need active cooperation and participation from the supply-side of corruption. Thus, this study contributes to the literature on the theoretical understanding of the corruption problem from the supply-side and responsibility play by the private sector in global anti-corruption initiatives.

Frequent measurement of poverty is challenging because measurement often relies on complex and expensive expenditure surveys that try to measure expenditures on a comprehensive consumption aggregate. This paper investigates the use of consumption “subaggregates” instead. The use of consumption subaggregates is theoretically justified if and only if all Engel curves are linear for any realization of prices. This is very stringent. However, it may be possible to empirically identify certain goods that happen to have linear Engel curves given prevailing prices, and when the effect of price changes is small, such a subaggregate might work in practice. The paper constructs such linear subaggregates using data from Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. The findings show that using subaggregates is ill advised in practice as well as in theory. This also raises questions about the consistency of the poverty tracking efforts currently applied across countries, since obtaining exhaustive consumption measures remains an unmet challenge.

Conceptually, family health is crucial for individual health across the lifespan, yet previous research has lacked a validated family health measure. The current study examines the relationships between individual physical (physical activity) and mental health (depressive symptoms and executive functioning) and social determinants of health (socioeconomic status) with four domains of family health using a recently validated family health measure. The sample included 1050 US adults (40.30 years; 53.78% female) that completed a survey. The results of the structural equation model revealed that depression was associated with reduced family health across all domains. Executive functioning was associated with better family social and emotional processes and family healthy lifestyle. Physical activity was associated with improved family healthy lifestyle only. Income was positively associated with each domain, but subjective SES was not associated with any domain. The findings indicate the interconnectedness of family health and individual factors, particularly with depression and wealth.

Labour force participation was designed to measure contemporary labour markets, and does a poor job of measuring work, particularly women’s work, in the past. When we measure labour force participa...

Background/aims Ankle instability is one of the most common injuries that can occur during everyday life, sports and exercise. Recently, smartphone accelerometers have been used to measure single leg balance associated with ankle instability, because they are easy to use, inexpensive and can be used in small spaces. Thus, the purpose of this study was to introduce and investigate the intra- and inter-rater reliability of the smartphone accelerometer when assessing ankle instability. Methods A total of 26 individuals who had ankle instability were recruited. The single leg stance balance was measured using a smartphone accelerometer (Accelerometer application) and a force platform (I-Balance) for 5 seconds with their eyes open or their eyes closed. Results In the eyes open position, intra-rater reliability of the smartphone accelerometer was excellent for both raters (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.87–0.90); and the inter-rater reliability was moderate (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.71). In the eyes closed position, the intra-rater reliability of the smartphone accelerometer was excellent for both raters (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.90–0.93); the inter-rater reliability was good (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.82). Additionally, there were fair positive correlations between the smartphone accelerometer and the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool, and between the smartphone accelerometer and I-Balance (r=0.33, 0.30 respectively). Conclusions The present study demonstrated excellent intra-rater reliabilities of two raters and moderate to good inter-rater reliabilities. The smartphone accelerometer offers several important advantages as a potential portable medical device to assess ankle instability accurately. Although there was a positive correlation, the relationships between the smartphone accelerometer and Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool and that between the smartphone accelerometer and I-Balance were fair. Future studies should investigate the validity of the smartphone accelerometer as a portable medical device for determining ankle instability.

Power supply reliability is one of the critical elements of power quality. Its improvement in medium voltage distribution systems in urban areas is typically achieved by cabling. Unfortunately, this approach is often too expensive to be applied in rural areas. One of the possible alternative solutions that can be used in rural medium voltage distribution networks is permanent closed-loop operation. It requires the introduction of additional reclosers with properly parametrized protection relays enabling directional protection. This paper focuses on the case study performed in the 20 kV rural distribution network of Elektro Celje d.d.. Two feeders, where the reliability of the power supply was low, were analyzed. Results of techno-economical evaluation eliminated cabling as a viable solution. The permanent closed-loop operation was selected and implemented after proper placement and parameterization of relays with directional protection functions. The results of two years operation in permanent closedloop arrangement of feeders show substantial improvement in the reliability of power supply.

Abstract. In the current study, we examined the viability of a multidimensional conception of perceived person-environment (P-E) fit in higher education. We introduce an optimized 12-item measure that distinguishes between four content dimensions of perceived P-E fit: interest-contents (I-C) fit, needs-supplies (N-S) fit, demands-abilities (D-A) fit, and values-culture (V-C) fit. The central aim of our study was to examine whether the relationships between different P-E fit dimensions and educational outcomes can be accounted for by a higher-order factor that captures the shared features of the four fit dimensions. Relying on a large sample of university students in Germany, we found that students distinguish between the proposed fit dimensions. The respective first-order factors shared a substantial proportion of variance and conformed to a higher-order factor model. Using a newly developed factor extension procedure, we found that the relationships between the first-order factors and most outcomes were not fully accounted for by the higher-order factor. Rather, with the exception of V-C fit, all specific P-E fit factors that represent the first-order factors’ unique variance showed reliable and theoretically plausible relationships with different outcomes. These findings support the viability of a multidimensional conceptualization of P-E fit and the validity of our adapted instrument.

A new compact static wind imaging interferometer, called the Birefringent Doppler Wind Imaging Interferometer (BIDWIN), has been developed for the purpose of observing upper atmospheric winds using suitably isolated airglow emissions. The instrument combines a field-widened birefringent delay plate placed between two crossed Wollaston prisms with an imaging system, waveplates and polarizers to produce four fixed 90∘ phase-stepped images of the interference fringes conjugate to the scene of interest. A four-point algorithm is used to extract line-of-sight Doppler wind measurements across the image of the scene. The arrangement provides a similar throughput to that of a field-widened Michelson interferometer; however, the interferometric component of BIDWIN is smaller, simpler to assemble and less complicated to operate. Consequently, the instrument provides a compact, lightweight and robust alternative that can be constructed and operated with lower cost. In this paper, the instrument concept is presented, and the design and optimization of a prototype version of the instrument are discussed. Characterization of the lab prototype is presented, and the performance of the instrument is examined by applying the instrument to measure a low-velocity two-dimensional Doppler wind field with a high precision (5 m s−1) in the lab.

Science and engineering students in the second semester of a calculus-based physics sequence typically study and measure the on-axis magnetic field for a multiple, circular turn coil. There are four benefits to this approach: 1) an analytical solution is easily obtained, 2) the coil is easily constructed using tightly wound, high-gauge wire where each turn is approximately circular, 3) the magnetic field along the axis of symmetry is parallel to that axis, which simplifies the placement of a magnetic field sensor, and 4) the magnetic field strength can be increased by increasing the number of turns, which increases the signal to “noise” ratio. This approach is fine as an introduction, but it doesn’t address several practical questions. How does one calculate the magnetic field for a current-carrying wire that isn’t in the shape of a line, circle, or multiple concentric circles? Are all coils made of high-gauge wire? Aren’t coils helical? Under what conditions can a circular coil in theory be used to represent a helical coil in practice? How does one measure small magnetic fields in the presence of other magnetic fields? This paper presents a secondary approach that begins to address these questions. It determines the on-axis magnetic field for a single, helical turn coil and then details the setup and procedures used for an experimental confirmation. It is presented to students as a guided experiment.

A newly developed in situ non-intrusive optical (NIO) approach has been developed to survey various types of heliostat optical errors for a concentrating solar power (CSP) tower plant. To measure mirror surface slope error, facet canting error, and heliostat tracking error at a sub-milliradian accuracy, NIO requires several reflection images scanned over each individual heliostat. For a utility-scale plant that typically includes more than 10,000 heliostats, an unmanned aerial system (UAS) is crucial for efficient implementation of the NIO method. In this paper, we develop a flight path generation/optimization algorithm to plan more efficient UAS paths to collect NIO data over a utility-scale heliostat field. The algorithm considers NIO data requirements, all potential constraints, optimization within each subfield, and operational flexibility. Case studies are presented to illustrate the feasibility and robustness of the developed flight path algorithm. The path planning algorithm may also find applications elsewhere, such as drone-driven imaging under extreme conditions.

Artificial lipid bilayer single-channel recording technique has been employed to determine the biophysical and pharmacological properties of various ion channels. However, its measurement efficiency is very low, as it requires two time-consuming processes: preparation of lipid bilayer membranes and incorporation of ion channels into the membranes. In order to address these problems, we previously developed a technique based on hydrophilically modified gold probes on which are immobilized ion channels that can be promptly incorporated into the bilayer membrane at the same time as the membrane is formed on the probes’ hydrophilic area. Here, we improved further this technique by optimizing the gold probe and developed an automated channel current measurement system. We found that use of probes with rounded tips enhanced the efficiency of channel current measurements, and introducing a hydrophobic area on the probe surface, beside the hydrophilic one, further increased measurement efficiency by boosting membrane stability. Moreover, we developed an automated measurement system using the optimized probes; it enabled us to automatically measure channel currents and analyze the effects of a blocker on channel activity. Our study will contribute to the development of high-throughput devices to identify drug candidates affecting ion channel activity.

The filter paper method is an economical, easily accessible, and simple-to-use method to measure total or matric suction over a wide suction range. Difficulty in handling the filter paper can result in inaccurate water content determination of the filter paper leading to poor estimation of the suction. This paper examines the feasibility of using electrical resistivity of the filter paper in the non-contact mode to determine equilibrium time and to infer the total suction. It was shown that for a specific set-up, electrical resistance (ER) can be used in place of electrical resistivity. Relationships between ER and water content of the filter paper and between ER and total suction were first established. Finally, a prototype set-up is used to demonstrate how it can be used to measure the total suction of soil specimens. It was demonstrated that ER of the filter paper can be used to provide a reasonable estimate of total suction greater than 100 kPa with an error between −18 and +10%. Better accuracy can be achieved if each filter paper is calibrated before use.

A three-component receiver of very-low-frequency band signals has been developed. Using the receiver, it is possible to measure two horizontal magnetic components and a vertical electric component of the electromagnetic field in the frequency range from 300 Hz to 15 kHz. The use of galvanic isolation of the digital and analog sections of the recorder and the precise data synchronization with Universal Time with an error of 1 μs or less are features of the receiver.

When and how can researchers synthesize survey data with analyses of social media content to study public opinion, and when and how can social media data complement surveys to better inform researchers and policymakers? This paper explores how public opinions might differ between survey and social media platforms in terms of content and audience, focusing on the test case of opinions about autonomous vehicles. The paper first extends previous overviews comparing surveys and social media as measurement tools to include a broader range of survey types, including surveys that result from public deliberation, considering the dialogic characteristics of different social media, and the range of issue publics and marginalized voices that different surveys and social media forums can attract. It then compares findings and implications from analyses of public opinion about autonomous vehicles from traditional surveys, results of public deliberation, and analyses of Reddit posts, applying a newly developed computational text analysis tool. Findings demonstrate that social media analyses can both help researchers learn more about issues that are uncovered by surveys and also uncover opinions from subpopulations with specialized knowledge and unique orientations toward a subject. In light of these findings, we point to future directions on how researchers and policymakers can synthesize survey and social media data, and the corresponding data integration techniques, to study public opinion.

Generative adversarial network (GAN) has shown profound power in machine learning. It inspires many researchers from other fields to create powerful tools for various tasks, including quantum state preparation, quantum circuit translation, and so on. It is known as classical techniques cannot efficiently simulate the quantum system, and the existing works haven’t investigated the quantum version of maximum mean discrepancy as the metric in learning models and applied it to quantum data. In this paper, we propose a metric named quantum maximum mean discrepancy (qMMD), which can be used to measure the distance between quantum data in Hilbert space. Based on the qMMD, we then design a quantum generative adversarial model, named qMMD-GAN, under the hybrid quantum–classical methods. We also provide the construction of qMMD-GAN that can be easily implemented on a quantum device. We demonstrate the power of our qMMD-GAN by applying it to a crucial real-world application that is generating an unknown quantum state. Our numerical experiments show that qMMD-GAN has a competitive performance compared to existing results. We believe that the hybrid-based models will not only be applied to physics research but provide a new direction for improving classical data processing tasks.

Reentry radiation is one of the key phenomena to take into account while designing an Entry Descent and Landing (EDL) phase for sample return and some gas/ice giants’ missions. In the case of an ablative thermal protective system (TPS), the physicochemical processes involved produce a large amount of dust and phenolic gases that can obstruct the optical path. The QubeSat for Atmospheric Research and Measurement on Ablation mission (5.2 kg CubeSat launched in December 2019) gave a low-cost opportunity to develop a dedicated payload named “Imbedded Nano-platform-size Emission Spectrometer” (INES) to study the radiation of a reentry plasma in the presence of an ablative heatshield (Cork P50 from Amorim™). The payload is able to measure both radiation and thickness evolution of the TPS at the same location. The paper presents a passive method to prevent any contamination of the optical path from the ablative TPS to be able to measure radiation for a wide range of mission profiles and heatshield locations.

The question of measuring growth in human and spiritual formation in Catholic seminaries has a history. In this article, we walk through three recent stages of that history to illuminate the potential of current approaches and clarify what still remains to be done.

International audience; This paper is a book review of Matthew Adler's bool "Measuring Social Welfare: An Introduction", published at OUP in 2019. The book is an introduction to the social welfare function approach, meant to assess social welfare and help public decision making, as a comprehensive and welcome alternative to cost-benefit analysis. The review first provides a number of references to situate the contribution of the book in the literature. Secondly, it insists on the fact that the social welfare approach is able to express transparently normative criteria, by contrast with CBA. Thirdly, it highlights that, after the focus on efficiency, the book well illustrates how to incorporate wider distributive criteria; it also enables to encompass different kinds of public policies beyond fiscal redistribution. Fourthly, it regrets that the book does not yet illustrate how to cope with the diversity of values and relevant information beyond utility and income, however introduced as theoretically possible.

Living in communion is no mere organizational measure; it means sharing in a common life that is anchored in love, solidarity and mutual accountability. In the classic vision of the ecumenical movement, this is expressed through the goal of a visible and structured unity. The Porvoo Common Statement, in providing the basis for fellowship between Anglican and Lutheran Churches in Europe, is comparable to this goal. However, on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the signing of the text, it should be asked if today’s Porvoo communion lives up to the aspirations in the Porvoo statement.

Abstract. Student–teacher relationships have received a lot of attention in the social sciences. It is well-known that relationships with teachers tend to become more distant during adolescence, but most adolescents single out specific teachers they feel connected to. To better capture this latter phenomenon, the aim of this paper is to propose and evaluate the psychometric properties of a new measure for the assessment of student–teacher connectedness in adolescent samples from two countries. Samples consisted of 2,323 adolescents from England and 8,000 adolescents from Spain, who had answered a specific package of questions for the assessment of student–teacher connectedness included in the 17/18 edition of the WHO-collaborative survey Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) in the aforementioned two countries. After analyses of item performance and factorial structure, we obtained a 12-item scale with high internal consistency and a factorial structure consistent with the definition of student–teacher connectedness used for scale development in both datasets. Some evidence of validity was also obtained (the scale correlated positively with teacher support, school satisfaction and life satisfaction and negatively with school-related stress). Finally, invariance analysis (configural, metric, and scalar invariance) supported an equivalent functioning of the scale in England and Spain.

Objectives: Connectedness is a cooperative network measure that describes how well players in the team bi-directionally connect and how easily reachable they are to other players. It has been associated with an increased probability of winning competitive matches in professional Australian Football (AF), although applications towards training have not been reported. Therefore, this study investigated associations between constraints manipulated by professional AF coaches and the connectedness of cooperative passing networks during a small-sided game (SSG). Design: Data were collected describing the task constraints manipulated by professional coaches across one SSG performed on multiple occasions. The SSG focused on transitioning between defence and attack and was performed fifteen times across a whole season, resulting in 36 observations of team connectedness. Method: A linear mixed-effects model was constructed to examine the collective influence of constraints manipulations made by professional coaches (e.g. field size) and team skill characteristics (e.g. kick efficiency) on connectedness scores. Results: The number of team shots on goal and the time on task both positively contributed to connectedness scores, explaining 65% of its variance. Conclusion: The findings show that the number of shots on goal and the time on task may be used to elicit higher or lower connectedness scores in AF SSGs. Skill acquisition specialists, in conjunction with coaching staff, can use these metrics to aid practice design in professional AF or indeed other invasion-style team sports.

A new interpoint distance-based measure is proposed to identify the optimal number of clusters present in a data set. Designed in nonparametric approach, it is independent of the distribution of given data. Interpoint distances between the data members make our cluster validity index applicable to univariate and multivariate data measured on arbitrary scales, or having observations in any dimensional space where the number of study variables can be even larger than the sample size. Our proposed criterion is compatible with any clustering algorithm, and can be used to determine the unknown number of clusters or to assess the quality of the resulting clusters for a data set. Demonstration through synthetic and real-life data establishes its superiority over the well-known clustering accuracy measures of the literature., 30 pages, 3 figures

Rico-González, M, Pino-Ortega, J, Rojas-Valverde, D, and Arcos, AL. Comparing sampling frequencies to measure collective tactical variables during soccer training. J Strength Cond Res 36(10): 2862-2867, 2022-The sampling frequency of microsensors that measure the position of the players in team sports is a variable that could affect the accuracy of the measurement. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the sampling frequency on the outcomes of tactical behavior variables during soccer training. Sixteen U16 male soccer players participated in the study. Three tactical variables (change in the geometrical center position [cGCp], mean distance between players [mean-DbP], and total area [TA]) were measured at 4 different sampling frequencies (i.e., 10, 4, 2, and 1 Hz) during a 7+goalkeeper-a-side soccer match by a time motion tracking system using inertial measurement units (IMU; WIMU PRO, RealTrack Systems, Almeria, Spain). Significant (p0.01) and substantial (ES = moderate-large) differences were found in the cGCp values across all sampling frequencies. Several significant (p0.05) and substantial (ES = small-moderate) differences were found in the mean-DbP values between 10 data per second and the rest of the sampling frequencies. There were no significant (p0.05) and substantial (ES = trivial) differences in the TA values across all sampling frequencies. The sampling frequency affects the outcomes of cGCp and mean-DbP but does not affect the values of TA. The outcomes of the studies that assess collective tactical behavior should be compared with caution if GC-related and distance variables were measured using different sampling frequencies. In addition, it seems that a smaller amount of data could be sufficient to measure area variables with greater magnitudes.

We describe here the construction and characterization of a high-resolution optical magnetometer to measure the full vector magnetic field on an ultrathin layer near the surface of the device. This solid-state device is based on quantum sensors created by a layer of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers less than 20 nm below the surface of an ultrapure diamond. This ensemble of nanosensors provides a versatile device capable of mapping magnetic fields and surface current densities with a sub-micrometer resolution and high sensitivity, making it suitable for many applications. Here, we show a custom-built prototype to demonstrate an operating proof-of-concept device., 13 pages, 7 figures, SBFoton International Optics and Photonics Conference 2021

In recent decades, mechanobiology has emerged as a novel perspective in the context of basic biomedical research. It is now widely recognized that living cells respond not only to chemical stimuli (for example drugs), but they are also able to decipher mechanical cues, such as the rigidity of the underlying matrix or the presence of shear forces. Probing the viscoelastic properties of cells and their local microenvironment with sub-micrometer resolution is required to study this complex interplay and dig deeper into the mechanobiology of single cells. Current approaches to measure mechanical properties of adherent cells mainly rely on the exploitation of miniaturized indenters, to poke single cells while measuring the corresponding deformation. This method provides a neat implementation of the everyday approach to measure mechanical properties of a material, but it typically results in a very low throughput and invasive experimental protocol, poorly translatable towards three-dimensional living tissues and biological constructs. To overcome the main limitations of nanoindentation experiments, a radical paradigm change is foreseen, adopting next generation contact-less methods to measure mechanical properties of biological samples with sub-cell resolution. Here we briefly introduce the field of single cell mechanical characterization, and we concentrate on a promising high resolution optical elastography technique, Brillouin spectroscopy. This non-contact technique is rapidly emerging as a potential breakthrough innovation in biomechanics, but the application to single cells is still in its infancy.

PurposeNotwithstanding the findings of several published articles on human capital, there is scarcity of a comprehensive instrument to measure it. In this direction, the objective of present research is to develop a valid and reliable scale to assess human capital.Design/methodology/approachThis research was divided into two parts. Study 1 focused on literature review of human capital measures, development of items and exploring the factor structure of human capital construct on a sample of 184 employees. Study 2 was based on the survey of 212 employees, and reliability assessment and confirmatory factor analysis was performed to validate the factor structure of human capital construct.FindingsThe findings can be summarized in two ways. Study 1 present that human capital scale is multidimensional consisting of employee capability, leadership and motivation, employee satisfaction and creativity. The findings of study 2 confirms the validity and reliability of three factor structure of human capital construct consisting of 18 items in total.Practical implicationsThe study provides a multidimensional psychometric instrument which can help in measuring the human capital of the organization from the perspective of capabilities, satisfaction and creativity and leadership and motivation. Moreover, it can serve as an aid to human resource (HR) and human resource development (HRD) professionals for human capital assessment in the organizations.Originality/valueThis study provides a measure to assess human capital in Indian manufacturing sector organizations that makes a novel contribution to the area.

This work deals with using time-domain reflectometry (TDR) to measure the electrical properties of roller compacted concrete (RCC). It is well known that TDR provides a non-destructive method to measure the dielectric constant toward an estimation of moisture content for soil materials. However, few studies have used TDR to determine the moisture content in concrete because of the inability to obtain TDR traces after the concrete hardens. To obtain TDR traces, a transmission circuit is initiated where a wave signal moves through the medium and reflects back in accordance with transmission line theory. In the literature, the TDR waveform has been interpreted empirically to estimate the relative permittivity (or dielectric constant) and electrical conductivity in a given material relative to the determination of associated water content. However, empirical models tend to ignore certain aspects related to the electrical properties of a medium, which has made interpretation of TDR measurements prone to systematic errors. In this paper, a new approach of test configuration and TDR response interpretation has been developed. For the test setup, the approach uses disposable metal probes that can be embedded into the concrete at different depths to obtain the TDR traces. The approach also employs the transmission line equation to estimate the dielectric constant, electrical conductivity, and reflectivity of an instrumented RCC mixture. These properties will affect the understanding of the RCC pavement behavior, especially curling and warping behavior, placement density, and development of long-term distresses.

This article reports on the development and initial psychometric properties of the School Interference Questionnaire (SIQ), a questionnaire designed to assess both academic functional impairment related to mental health problems and the type and frequency of school refusal behavior. Participants were 110 youth ages 13 to 18 years ( M = 15.41 years, SD = 1.42) admitted to an adolescent partial hospitalization program. The majority of participants identified as female (57.3%), Caucasian (59.1%), and non-Latino (70.0%). Internal consistency of the 12 SIQ core interference items was excellent (Cronbach’s α = .91). The factor structure suggested that a single factor was appropriate for the 12 school interference items. Correlations between the SIQ and other measures in this study provided support for construct validity. The average SIQ core interference item score showed evidence of convergent validity via correlations with measures of school refusal, global disability, and internalizing symptoms. The SIQ also exhibited no significant association with timing of study enrollment, suggesting evidence for divergent validity. Results provide initial evidence supporting the psychometric properties of this novel measure.

The aim of this study was to develop an instrument to measure upper-level Chinese elementary students’ attitudes towards science by addressing problems with existing ones, as highlighted in the lit...

The work visually inspects and evaluate the pavement failures and their causes as well as resolution methods. It is quite important to examine and identify the causes of the failed pavement to select a proper treatment option. The study consisted of two tasks: the first covers the detail visual inspection of the existing pavement failures, whereas the second investigates the actual causes of these failures. From Areka to Wolaita Sodo was selected for investigation. An intensive field work was carried out on the existing pavement condition of this road. It was found that most of the damaged pavement sections suffered from severe cracking, potholes and raveling failures. These failures might have been caused by fatigue failures on pavement structure due to the movement of heavily loaded truck – trailers. The damage could also be attributed to poor drainage, inadequate design and improper pavement materials.

The objective of the study is to build an instrument that allows to know the acceptance of the population towards a technology for the removal of human excreta by propulsion adapted to the dry toilet instead of the conventional system. The sample consisted of 200 lower-middle class residents. The study was quantitative; a survey was applied based on the Likert scale. The respective validation was carried out applying the methodology of exploratory factor analysis through the method of estimating maximum likelihood factors with reliability estimation and measurement bias analysis. The final questionnaire is made up of 6 dimensions, a factorial structure that includes 14 items and its consistency shows an α of 0.81. The instrument was appropriate for psychometric measurement. It is concluded that the acceptance of the technology is conditioned to factors of functionality, aesthetics and hygiene of the system, and there is a predisposition of the user to promote the technology. 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Travel times by public transit vary dramatically throughout the day. However, these variations are not the same for all commutes. If one commute origin and destination are connected by high frequen...