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Simple Summary: Long-horned beetles can cause severe damage to forest plantations and disrupt forest ecosystems. Controlling their populations is essential for maintaining healthy forests. Biological control, as an efficient and environmentally friendly pest management strategy, can be applied in the early stages of pest development. Laboratory-reared Dastarcus helophoroides released into woodlands has proven effective in the sustainable control of long-horned beetle populations. However, the larval instars of D. helophoroides have not yet been defined, which complicates field identification. In this study, we measured the head capsule widths of D. helophoroides larval instars, visually inspected the histogram, and performed non-linear least squares estimation. Our findings revealed that D. helophoroides passes through four larval instars before reaching the pupal stage. Accurately determining the larval instars of a parasitoid is essential for developing effective management programs and predicting future abundances in the field. The findings of this study will be instrumental in implementing biological control strategies for the effective management of long-horned beetles. Long-horned beetles are among the major insect pests that can cause significant economic and ecological damage globally. The control of long-horned beetles is crucial to sustain the forest ecosystem. Dastarcus helophoroides, an economically important ectoparasitoid of long-horned beetles, is widely utilized in biological control strategies. However, the number of larval instars in D. helophoroides remains underexplored. Larval instar determination is crucial for constructing growth prediction models and ecological life tables for insect populations. In this study, we analyzed the frequency distribution of head capsule widths utilizing a visual approach, followed by a non-linear least squares (NLLS) estimation, and found that D. helophoroides undergo four larval instars before entering the pupal stage. The theoretical and observed data for each larval instar yielded identical mean Brooks–Dyar's ratios (1.80). Re-correlation of the number of instars with their respective mean head capsule widths using linear regression (R²) verified that no larval instar was missed. The Crosby's growth ratio (1% and 2%) indicates a very low likelihood of misclassifying an instar into an adjacent one. Given that the accurate determination of larval instars is crucial for developing effective control programs and predicting future population levels, our findings provide valuable insights for implementing biological control strategies against long-horned beetles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central Europe and other parts of the world have experienced numerous extreme floods and prolonged periods of very low water discharges. With the increasing length and availability of hydrological data time series, it is now possible to analyse a larger volume of data. This paper presents long-term of changes in seasonal and maximum discharges. This paper aims to comprehensively assess the hydrological regime changes of Slovak rivers, using data from 26 gauging stations based on 90 years of observation. The study's first part explores monthly flow changes within each year for selected Slovak rivers. The second part identifies changes in the maximum daily discharges, their long-term trends, and their occurrences. Additionally, we have compared the variability of the hydrological regime of the Slovak rivers with the variability of the hydrological regime of selected gauging stations on the Danube River and its tributaries, such as the Drava, Sajó, and Tisa rivers, to understand broader regional patterns. The findings show that the rivers selected exhibit relatively high intra-annual runoff variability, with various changes in the runoff regime curve based on the long-term monthly Pardé coefficient. For the Slovak region, maximum annual runoff variability is observed in the Krupinica and Plašťovce rivers (reaching a maximum of 12.1 during the period 1930–1960), while minimum annual runoff variability is observed in the Biely Váh River (2.205 for the period 1930–1960). The long-term trend analysis of the Burn index time series for maximum daily discharges over the entire period from 1930/31 to 2019/20, as well as the significance of trends during the summer-autumn and winter-spring seasons, shows that stations exhibited decreasing, stable, or increasing trends. The most significant increasing trend was observed at sixteen of the stations analyzed: at seventeen stations during the summer-autumn season and at nine stations during the winter-spring season over the period from 1930/31 to 2019/20. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purple-fleshed sweetpotato (PFSP) clones containing anthocyanins can be classified into two types based on their aglycone composition: normal peonidin-dominant (Pn-type) and unusual cyanidin-dominant (Cy-type) types. It is unclear how cyanidin dominance is selected in crossbreeding. To improve the breeding scheme, this study investigated the frequency distribution of Cy-type PFSP from three cross combinations. Cross No. 1 was derived by crossing Pn-type purple-fleshed ‘Purple Sweet Lord’ and orange-fleshed ‘90IDN-47,’ and Cross No.2 was from ‘Purple Sweet Lord’ and yellow-fleshed ‘Miyaakari.’ The cyanidin percentage of F1 plants differed significantly between these two crosses and Cross No.1 derived from ‘90IDN-47’ was found to be a superior cross for enhancing Cy-type clones. Cross No.3 was derived from both Cy-type PFSP parents, ‘Churakanasa’ and ‘Kyukei 90,143-4.’ In Cross No.3, all F1 plants were classified as Cy-type with a cyanidin content of ≥55%. This result emphasizes the importance of Cy-type PFSP parents as breeding materials.

Studies show that speeding reduces reaction time during emergencies and increases accident risk. Deviations from the mean speed affect road capacity and user safety. The aim of this study was to evaluate the speeds and travel times for various classes of vehicles on selected roads in Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria, using manual traffic studies and spot speed analyses to define speed parameters and Speed Spread Ratio (SSR) on the roads. The study shows Class 2 and Class 5 roads have high heavy vehicle usage. Asaba-Agbor Road's design, safe, and minimum speeds are 78.81 km/h, 58.65 km/h, and 29.00 km/h, respectively. Other roads range from 60.44 km/h to 68.9 km/h, with median speeds of 34-40 km/h. Summit Road's wide speed variation raises safety concerns. Nnebisi Road experiences increasing delays and congestion towards the week's end, while Summit Road maintains stable travel times and speeds, indicating predictable traffic patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background. Traumatic spinal injuries are a significant medical and social issue, due to both the high costs associated with initial medical care for the injured and the extensive and expensive rehabilitation required. The thoracolumbar junction (TLJ) is prone to injuries due to its biomechanical characteristics. However, the actual frequency of injuries in this area, as reported in the literature, is inconsistent. The purpose of the study was to assess the proportion of fractures at the TLJ within the overall structure of traumatic spinal injuries in the adult population. Materials and me­thods. A meta-analysis was conducted based on searches in the MEDLINE database using MeSH terms and keywords in titles and abstracts to identify studies meeting the inclusion criteria. The search identified 22 full-length articles. Data extraction and analysis were conducted by two independent experts. Results. It was found that fractures at the TLJ accoun­ted for 46.51 % (95% confidence interval (CI): 36.76–56.27 %) of the overall structure of spinal injuries, specifically fractures at level Th11 — 4.26 % (95% CI: 3.35–5.17 %), Th12 — 13.98 % (95% CI: 10.41–17.56 %), at level L1 — 22.21 % (95% CI: 17.66–26.76 %), and L2 — 9.69 % (95% CI: 6.82–12.57 %). Within the thoracolumbar division, the frequency of TLJ trauma was 61.88 % (95% CI: 52.53–71.22 %). Within the TLJ, the frequency of fractures was: vertebra Th11 — 10.2 % (95% CI: 8.05–12.36 %), Th12 — 26.56 % (95% CI: 22.42–30.7 %), vertebra L1 — 42.76 % (95% CI: 39.7–45.81 %), and L2 — 20.48 % (95% CI: 16.73–24.23 %). Conclusions. The meta-analysis provi­ded objective indicators of the frequency distribution of TLJ fractures within the overall structure of traumatic spinal injuries. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide such detailed information through meta-analysis.

This short article aims to deliver a basic understanding of the fundamentals of data types and the application of descriptive statistics. Frequency distribution, including the normal (Gaussian) distribution, is covered alongside statistical testing and the basics of correlation and regression. Meta-analysis and systematic review are introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Uranium Mining & Metallurgy is the property of Uranium Mining & Metallurgy 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.)

The investigation was conducted during the rabi season (September 2019 to February 2020) of 2019 to 2020 at the research field of All India Co-ordinated Vegetable Crops, located at Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya in Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal, India. The aim of the study was to examine the characteristics of twenty-six chilli genotypes across twelve qualitative traits. The investigation unveiled a broad range of phenotypic variability using Randomized Block Design in three replications. Among the assessed traits, leaf density, leaf shape, fruit shape, plant habit, fruit curvature, and anther colour exhibited the most extensive variations among the genotypes. Conversely, the traits with the least diversity values, all falling below the overall mean, included fruit surface (0.28%), leaf colour (0.42%), stem pubescence (0.42%), stem colour (0.42%), anthocyanin colouration at nodes (0.48%), and leaf pubescence (0.48%). The Shannon-Weiner Diversity Index (H') ranged from 0.28 to 1.07. Of the traits evaluated, leaf density displayed the highest diversity index (1.07), followed by leaf shape (1.05), fruit shape (1.01), plant habit (0.86), fruit curvature (0.69), and anther colour (0.58). The obtained Shannon-Weiner Diversity Index, with an average value of 64.66%, confirmed the presence of significant diversity within the examined chilli genotypes. The results suggest that the indirect selection of chilli parent plants based on a range of morphological characteristics can offer advantages in the management of both biotic and abiotic stresses. The information holds significant value for effective pre-breeding, management, and utilization in crop improvement initiatives, in addition to augmenting the genetic potential of the crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Traumatic spinal injuries are a significant medical and social issue, due to both the high costs associated with initial medical care for the injured and the extensive and expensive rehabilitation required. The thoracolumbar junction (TLJ) is prone to injuries due to its biomechanical characteristics. However, the actual frequency of injuries in this area, as reported in the literature, is inconsistent. The purpose of the study was to assess the proportion of fractures at the TLJ within the overall structure of traumatic spinal injuries in the adult population. Materials and methods. A meta-analysis was conducted based on searches in the MEDLINE database using MeSH terms and keywords in titles and abstracts to identify studies meeting the inclusion criteria. The search identified 22 full-length articles. Data extraction and analysis were conducted by two independent experts. Results. It was found that fractures at the TLJ accounted for 46.51 % (95% confidence interval (CI): 36.76– 56.27 %) of the overall structure of spinal injuries, specifically fractures at level Th11 — 4.26 % (95% CI: 3.35–5.17 %), Th12 — 13.98 % (95% CI: 10.41–17.56 %), at level L1 — 22.21 % (95% CI: 17.66–26.76 %), and L2 — 9.69 % (95% CI: 6.82–12.57 %). Within the thoracolumbar division, the frequency of TLJ trauma was 61.88 % (95% CI: 52.53–71.22 %). Within the TLJ, the frequency of fractures was: vertebra Th11 — 10.2 % (95% CI: 8.05–12.36 %), Th12 — 26.56 % (95% CI: 22.42–30.7 %), vertebra L1 — 42.76 % (95% CI: 39.7–45.81 %), and L2 — 20.48 % (95% CI: 16.73–24.23 %). Conclusions. The meta-analysis provided objective indicators of the frequency distribution of TLJ fractures within the overall structure of traumatic spinal injuries. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide such detailed information through meta-analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The present study investigated the population structure and breeding biology of the burrowing brachyuran crab species Dotilla blanfordi Alcock, 1900, which is commonly found on the sandy beach of Bhavnagar, located on the Gulf of Kachchh, Gujarat coast, India. Methods. Monthly sampling was conducted from February 2021 to January 2022 at the time of low tide using three line transects perpendicular to the water line, intercepted by a quadrate (0.25 m²) each at three different levels of the middle intertidal region: 20 m, 70 m, and 120 m. The quadrate area was excavated up to 30 cm and sieved for specimen collection. The collected specimens were categorised into different sexes viz., male, non-ovigerous female, or ovigerous female. For the fecundity study of D. blanfordi, the carapace width (mm) as a measure of size as well as their wet weight (g), size, number, and mass of their eggs were also recorded. Results. The study revealed sexual dimorphism among the population, with females having significantly smaller sizes as compared to males. The overall population was skewed towards females, with a bimodal distribution of males and females. The occurrence of ovigerous females throughout the year suggests that the population breeds incessantly throughout the year, with the highest occurrence in August and September. A positive correlation was observed between the morphology of crabs (carapace width and wet body weight) and the size, number, and mass of eggs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The present study investigated the population structure and breeding biology of the burrowing brachyuran crab species Dotilla blanfordi Alcock, 1900, which is commonly found on the sandy beach of Bhavnagar, located on the Gulf of Kachchh, Gujarat coast, India. Methods Monthly sampling was conducted from February 2021 to January 2022 at the time of low tide using three line transects perpendicular to the water line, intercepted by a quadrate (0.25 m2) each at three different levels of the middle intertidal region: 20 m, 70 m, and 120 m. The quadrate area was excavated up to 30 cm and sieved for specimen collection. The collected specimens were categorised into different sexes viz., male, non-ovigerous female, or ovigerous female. For the fecundity study of D. blanfordi, the carapace width (mm) as a measure of size as well as their wet weight (g), size, number, and mass of their eggs were also recorded. Results The study revealed sexual dimorphism among the population, with females having significantly smaller sizes as compared to males. The overall population was skewed towards females, with a bimodal distribution of males and females. The occurrence of ovigerous females throughout the year suggests that the population breeds incessantly throughout the year, with the highest occurrence in August and September. A positive correlation was observed between the morphology of crabs (carapace width and wet body weight) and the size, number, and mass of eggs.

Abstract Background The purpose of our investigation is to analyze if emergency epidemiology is randomly variable or predictable. If emergency admissions show a predictable pattern, we can use it for multiple planning purposes, especially defining competence needs for duty roster personnel. Method An observational study of consecutive emergency admissions at Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen over six years. We extracted the discharge diagnoses from our electronic patient record and sorted the patients by diagnoses and frequency. Data were loaded into a Jupyter notebook and presented in form of frequency diagrams. The study population, 213,801 patients, comprises all emergency admissions in need of secondary emergency care from the relevant specialities in the catchment area of our hospital in the western health region of Norway. Patients in need of tertiary care from the whole region are also included. Results Our analysis shows an annually reproducible distribution pattern regarding type and number of patients. The pattern adhere to an exponential curve that is stable from year to year. An exponential distribution pattern also applies when we sort patients according to the capital letters groups in the ICD 10 system. The same applies if patients are sorted adhering to primarily surgical or medical diagnoses. Conclusion Analysis of the emergency epidemiology of all admitted emergency patients in a defined geographical area gives a solid basis for defining competence needs for duty roster work.

Copyright of Przegląd Elektrotechniczny is the property of Przeglad Elektrotechniczny 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.)

Extensive knowledge on the variability parameters and frequency distribution of desirable traits could assist the plant breeders in formulating selection criteria for enhancing the genetic gain under selection. The F2 populations of two greengram crosses viz., COGG13-39 x VGG16-058 and COGG13-39 x VGG18-002 were evaluated for nine biometrical traits during rabi, 2022. Magnitude of difference between PCV and GCV estimates was less than 2.50% for traits viz., pods/plant, pod length, seeds/pod and hundred seed weight in both the populations. High heritability and GAM coupled with moderate to high GCV observed for pods/cluster, pods/plant, hundred seed weight and seed yield/plant signifies the role of additive gene action. Frequency distribution results pointed out that these traits were positively skewed in both the populations. Therefore, stringent selection of segregants with desirable traits and utilizing them in yield improvement programme in greengram can be effectuated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of botanical origin of honey in northern districts of West Bengal, viz. Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts through melissopalynological analysis is the focus of this study. Ten different honey samples were analysed, from which 78 different pollen taxa representing 34 different plant families have been detected. Asteraceae, Brassicaceae and Fabaceae were the most frequently encountered families. Asteraceae had highest number of representative pollen types (14 types) followed by Fabaceae (11 types). Seven honey samples were recorded as unifloral honey and three were multifloral honey. Litchi chinensis was found as a predominant pollen in two samples, whereas Brassica sp., Canna indica, Leucas aspera, Mimosa pudica and Rosa sp. were the other predominant pollen taxa. In multifloral honey samples Brassica sp. was found to have a higher frequency. Honey samples collected from regions with close proximity during the same season showed a higher similarity index. All the honey samples were poor in honey dew elements (HDEs) having HDE/P ratio (P = total number of pollen grains) of 0.000 to 0.056. The absolute pollen count (APC) varied from 7500 to 696 000 pollen/10 g honey. High variation in pollen spectra with less preference to a particular bee forage in summer honey samples may indicate the onset of dearth period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Males of numerous species of harvestman have been reported to be dimorphic with respect to size of the weapon that is used in aggressive encounters with conspecific males. The claim of dimorphism was based in every instance on finite mixture modeling of the frequency distribution for size of the weapon, with the detection of bimodality being equated with the detection of dimorphism. I used the Hartigan dip test and frequency histograms to re-examine the original data for size of the weapon in males of five species of harvestman. Distributions for two of the species are unimodal by both dip test and graphical display; distributions for two others have an appearance of bimodality in frequency diagrams but do not depart significantly from unimodality by the dip test; and the distribution for the remaining species is multimodal by the dip test but appears to be unimodal in graphical display. Patterns of bivariate (allometric) variation follow sigmoidal curves for all five species, with the steep part of the curve corresponding with the low point in the histogram for the two species that give an appearance of bimodality. Thus, bimodality — when it can be detected and confirmed — is most likely to be a consequence of an unexpected pattern of allometric variation and not dimorphism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of our investigation is to analyze if emergency epidemiology is randomly variable or predictable. If emergency admissions show a predictable pattern, we can use it for multiple planning purposes, especially defining competence needs for duty roster personnel. Method: An observational study of consecutive emergency admissions at Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen over six years. We extracted the discharge diagnoses from our electronic patient record and sorted the patients by diagnoses and frequency. Data were loaded into a Jupyter notebook and presented in form of frequency diagrams. The study population, 213,801 patients, comprises all emergency admissions in need of secondary emergency care from the relevant specialities in the catchment area of our hospital in the western health region of Norway. Patients in need of tertiary care from the whole region are also included. Results: Our analysis shows an annually reproducible distribution pattern regarding type and number of patients. The pattern adhere to an exponential curve that is stable from year to year. An exponential distribution pattern also applies when we sort patients according to the capital letters groups in the ICD 10 system. The same applies if patients are sorted adhering to primarily surgical or medical diagnoses. Conclusion: Analysis of the emergency epidemiology of all admitted emergency patients in a defined geographical area gives a solid basis for defining competence needs for duty roster work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-conservative K232A substitution in the diacylglycerol acyl-CoA acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) gene has been reported to explain variation in milk traits in cattle. The objective of this study was to estimate allele and genotype frequencies and to assess associations between K232A variants and milk yield and composition in cattle populations of Ethiopia. Blood samples for genomic DNA extraction and milk samples for analysis of milk components were collected from 92 randomly selected cattle of five Ethiopian breeds. Gene-specific primers were used to amplify 278 bp of the exon 8 region of DGAT1. Allele and genotype frequencies were calculated using Power Marker, and the GLM function of SAS software was used to assess the associations of detected genetic variation with milk traits. Boran * Holstein Friesian (HF) crosses produced a higher daily milk yield than the other breeds (p< 0.05), whereas the Boran and Begait breeds produced milk with higher fat and protein contents (p< 0.05), and Horro produced milk with a higher content of lactose, than the other breeds studied (p< 0.05). Alleles K and A and genotypes AA, KA, and KK were detected. The frequency of K232 ranged from 0.50 in Boran * HF crosses to 0.97 in the Horro population. The frequency of the KK and KA genotypes in the zebu population ranged from 0.50 to 0.94 and from 0.03 to 0.50, respectively. The AA genotype was associated with higher milk yield in Boran * HF crosses, whereas the KA genotype was associated with higher milk yield in the zebu populations (p

• Gurgling noise and hissing noise are two kinds of flow noise in the EEV. • Hissing noise is sharper and more severe than gurgling noise. • Oscillation of bubbles with small size is prone to increase the noise frequency. • Sound pressure level firstly increases and then decreases as quality increases. • Liquid film of annular flow pattern has the function of weakening flow noise transmission. The refrigerant flowing through an electronic expansion valve (EEV) of a multi-split air conditioner is usually in two-phase state which may generate more severe flow noise than that in sub-cooled state. The purpose of this paper is to experimentally investigate the influences of the two-phase R410A operation conditions on the flow noise characteristics in the EEV, including listening sense forms, frequency distributions and sound pressure levels (SPLs). The experimental conditions cover the refrigerant mass flow rate ranging from 30 to 90 kg h–1 and the refrigerant quality ranging from 0.02 to 0.4. The results show that low mass flow rate facilitates the reduction of noise frequency, and the peak noise frequency was reduced by up to 32% as the mass flow rate decreased. Low refrigerant quality helps to reduce the SPL of flow noise, and the average SPL decreased by 6 dB as the refrigerant quality decreased. The guidance of inlet flow pattern by transforming the churn flow to the annular flow helps to simultaneously reduce the noise frequency and SPL, and the peak noise frequency as well as the averaged SPL decreased by 47% and 4 dB, respectively. Moreover, the hissing noise and the gurgling noise are the only two kinds of listening sense forms of flow noise detected in the present experiment, and the peak frequency and the average SPL of hissing noise are both higher than those of gurgling noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subtropical monsoon climates, high-density and heterogeneous urban built environments, as well as coastal–mountainous geographical environments influence the development of urban heat island (UHI) effects in Hong Kong. For better weather control of in situ observations and spatial analysis of UHI effects, it is necessary to quantitatively understand the influence of weather conditions on UHI development in Hong Kong and establish weather-based UHI estimation models. Meteorological records of four urban stations, one rural reference station, and one wind reference station at an hourly interval during the period of 2002–2012 were collected from Hong Kong observatory. A frequency analysis of the mean values of multiple meteorological elements and UHI parameters in urban stations was conducted to examine the prevailing and critical weather conditions, as well as the associated UHI conditions in Hong Kong. Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) was used to estimate the daily maximum UHI intensity (UHImax) based on a set of meteorological elements including cloud amount, wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity, and air temperature, as well as a UHI parameter of the daily maximum UHI intensity of the previous day (UHIpre-max). The results showed that MLR-based models can explain 33% and 56% variations of the UHImax in the summer and the whole year, respectively. The relative importance of each meteorological element on UHI development differed in the summer and annual periods, and the UHImax tended to be intensified under high temperature conditions in the summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floods are among the most serious and devastating phenomena of natural disasters. Cities adjacent to flood-prone areas in the last decades have played a major role in increasing the potential adverse effects of flood damage. This research study aims to evaluate and mitigate the risks of flood events in the El Bayadh region, which suffers from poor infrastructure and drained networks. To achieve this, it is necessary to evaluate rainfall intensities and their limits for durations from 0.167 to 24 h with return periods from 2 to 1000 years. Eight different frequency analysis distributions were fit to the historical rainfall data series over 43 years (1970–2012) using hypothesis-based goodness tests and information-based criteria. The most appropriate distributions were used to develop the rainfall intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) and flood risk-duration-frequency (RDF) curves for the study area. The results show that high-intensity rainfall values last for short durations, while high flood risk values last for intermediate durations. The results of the flood RDF curves can provide useful information for policy makers to make the right decisions regarding the effectiveness of the region's protection structures against future flood risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The size, frequency, and composition of diurnal retreat-site aggregations of the Little Whip Snake Suta flagellum were examined. Approximately 40% (190 of 470) of all snakes located were part of an aggregation (n = 78) that typically consisted of 2 or 3 individuals (up to 6). The frequency distribution of aggregation sizes, examined separately over 4 years, were most similar to the geometric distribution indicating that the species actively aggregates. The composition of aggregations was non-random: adult males and females occurred together more often than expected, as did juveniles, while aggregations consisting of adult females and juveniles occurred less often than expected. No examples of aggregations consisting of 2 or more adult males were recorded, indicating active avoidance. Significantly more females than males aggregated; however, when summer aggregations consisting exclusively of gravid females were removed from the data, there was no significant difference. Juveniles were over-represented in aggregations compared to the solitary snakes. Body contact occurred between individuals in approximately 75% of all aggregations. The mean size of refuges used by aggregations of individuals in direct body contact was significantly smaller than those in which there was no body contact, suggesting that body contact is an artifact of small refuge size. Refuge size was not associated with aggregation size, indicating that other factors determine the maximum size of aggregations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The red-banded stink bug, Piezodorus guildinii, is an important pest in soybean. Information on its distribution is needed to determine the most effective timing for pest control and strategies to avoid yield losses, such as adequate monitoring. The present study was aimed at examining the temporal variation and spatial distribution of P. guildinii in soybean. The experimental design comprised an area of 5400 m² planted with soybean, with 54 plots of 100 m² each, in which plants were examined weekly for nymphs and adults of P. guildinii with a beating sheet. Evaluations were carried out from soybean emergence to harvest; however, P. guildinii occurred only during the reproductive stage. Based on aggregation indices, theoretical frequency distributions, and semivariograms, nymphs and adults were randomly distributed at the beginning of infestation but, tended to be aggregate during pod setting and seed filling. Our findings have a contribution to improving pest sampling systems and infestation mapping, including future semiochemicals studies.

Discontinuities within the rock mass are present in a wide range of networks. Their characterization and analysis exist with considerable diversity. Prior research appraises the significance of mechanical discontinuities and their effect on geotechnical structures and deficient with integral discontinuities. The variability and uncertainty related to rock mass discontinuity parameters such as spacing, persistence and aperture size cannot be present in a single value; it exhibits variability between specific range values. The use of a statistical method to present the discontinuity parameters provides a basis for Monte Carlo (MC) based stochastic modeling of discontinuity parameters to evaluate the stability of rock mass. The road cut slope of Bukit Merah, Malaysia, was investigated using close-range photogrammetry. Details of high precision rock mass discontinuities (mechanical and integral) parameters such as spacing, persistence and aperture were captured. To evaluate the best fit distribution for discontinuity parameters, Chi-Square test, Modified Kolmogorov Smirnov (K-S) and Anderson-Darling tests were employed. According to the findings, the discontinuity spacing is subjected to a lognormal distribution. In contrast, discontinuity persistence and aperture size followed loglogistic distribution. Furthermore, the Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) is a promising approach for assessing the variability and uncertainty of discontinuity parameter relationships.

Studying extreme meteorology and its frequency under climate change is helpful to guide flood and drought control. The original achievements and objective of this study are to further contribute to the literature on how to analyze the impact of climate change on extreme rainfall and extreme temperature more reasonably and comprehensively for a karst basin. The Mann–Kendall method, Heuristic segmentation method, cross-wavelet analysis method, generalized extreme value (GEV) model, and generalized Pareto distribution (GPD) model were applied in this paper. The 55-year (1963–2017) extreme rainfall and temperature data recorded in the Chengbi River Basin were applied. The results show that extreme rainfall showed a downward trend (−0.169 and −8.735 mm/10a), while the trends of extreme temperatures were not obvious (Sen's slope estimate is 0). The mutation points range from 1981 to 2002 and the mutation point of extreme rainfall series is earlier than that of extreme temperatures. Compared with the GEV model, the parameters of the GPD model show a smaller variation before and after climate change, and the extreme meteorology values corresponding to the same recurrence period show a decreasing trend after climate change. The performance of GEV and GPD models after climate change is generally more fit than that before climate change. HIGHLIGHTS A framework was proposed for further study of the effect of climate change.; A trend study to show if climate change impacts the extreme rainfall and temperatures.; Figuring out the performance of different models before and after climate change.;

High phonotactic probabilities are known to exert a facilitative effect on word learning in children and adults in their first language. The present study was designed to investigate the role of phonotactic probabilities when learning a foreign language. Focusing on Austrian and Korean learners of English, we investigated two hypotheses related to phonotactic frequency effects: (1) High-frequency segments have more deeply entrenched phonetic representations, with more automatized pronunciation patterns, rendering phonetic learning of homophonous segments more difficult; (2) High-frequency segments are associated with higher phonetic variability in the first language, which can facilitate phonetic learning in a foreign language. Additionally, the locus of phoneme/ bigram frequency effects was analyzed in relation to left-branching and right-branching syllable structure in German and Korean. We found that proximity to English voice-onset time is correlated with phoneme and bigram frequencies in the first language, but results varied by learner group. Sub-syllabic segmentation of the first language was also shown to be an influential factor. Our study is grounded in research on frequency effects and combines its central premise with phonetic learning in a foreign language. The results show a tight relationship between first language statistical probabilities and phonetic learning in a foreign language.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the rules of asarum in the prescription of traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces in Wuhan Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine (hereinafter referred to as “the hospital”), so as to provide reference for the rational application of asarum in the treatment of skin diseases. METHODS: Outpatient traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces prescriptions containing asarum diagnosed with skin diseases in the hospital in 2021 were extracted, and the prescription information was collected. Frequency analysis and association rule analysis were carried out for the application of asarum. RESULTS: A total of 1 004 traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces prescriptions were included, mainly from the department of dermatology and traditional Chinese medicine. Asarum was mainly used in traditional Chinese medicine decoction, with the dosage from 2 to 15 g. There were 580 prescriptions (57. 77%) with off-label use of traditional Chinese medicine. Frequency analysis results showed that the degree of off-label use in Asarum were 2 to 5 times, and no adverse drug reactions were found. The syndrome types with high frequency of asarum were diagnosed as cold-dampness syndrome, dampness-heat syndrome, and spleen deficiency and dampness excess syndrome. Association rule analysis results showed that the core drugs strongly associated with asarum were asarum, osmanthus twig and angelica sinensis, asarum, osmanthus twig and attached pieces. The core drug pair mainly included asarum and cinnamomum twig, angelica sinensis, poria cocos and licorice. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the analysis of prescription drugs, asarum often used in combination with cinnamon twig, angelica sinensis, poria cocos and licorice to increase efficiency and reduce toxicity, and there is a certain off-label use of asarum in the clinical treatment of skin diseases. The clinical application of asarum in the treatment of skin diseases provides data support for the reasonable compatibility and safe dose range of traditional Chinese medicine, which is conducive to promoting clinical safe drug use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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[Objectives] To determine the optimal morphological characteristics for identifying nymphal instars of the yellow-spined bamboo locust, Ceracris kiangsu (Orthoptera: Arcypteridae), examine the applicability of Dyar and Crosby rules to this species, and provide a theoretical basis for determining the nymphal instars of Orthopterans based on the variability of morphological characteristics of different developmental stages. [Methods] Nymphs were reared in an insectary after hatching. Eight morphological variables, including body length, body weight, head length, head width, wing bud length, wing bud width, wing bud area and antennal length, were measured and analyzed statistically for each instar. [Results] Five instars were distinguished without gender differences. Five distribution peaks were apparent based on head length and head width, and three concentrated distribution areas for wing bud width and wing bud area were apparent after frequency analysis. The Brooks's ratio ranged from 1.09 to 3.86, and decreased with increasing instar. The Crosby's ratio was over 0.1. The growth dynamics of morphological variables were not consistent with Dyar and Crosby rules. The relationship between nymph instars and the eight measured morphological variables closely approximated a polynomial regression. The linear coefficient of determination of head width had the maximum value R² = 0.933 5, and the quadratic and cubic coefficients of determination of wing bud length had the maximum value R² = 0.978 9. [Conclusion] Head width is the optimal variable for distinguishing the nymphal instars of C. kiangsu, followed by head length and body length. All three variables can be used in pest monitoring and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, characteristics of 10 m height wind speeds (Wsp10) and outdoor human thermal sensation taking wind speeds into account were studied over the period 1995–2021 considering 43 stations in Poland. For estimating hourly Wsp10 from wind speeds measured at different heights, first, the power law exponent was calculated using hourly 10 and 100 m wind speeds obtained from the ERA5 reanalysis project. The power law exponent was much smaller over the Baltic Sea compared to that over Poland. The power law exponent was often larger than 1/7 in Poland, and it varied spatiotemporally. During the period 1995–2021, at 19 of the 43 stations statistically significant monotonic linear trends were observed in Wsp10. It is speculated that land use changes may be one of the causes of these trends in Wsp10, although the land use–Wsp10 relationship was not straightforward. In all seasons, at all stations, except at Kasprowy Wierch (the most elevated station) daytime Wsp10 was higher than the night‐time wind speed. In winter and autumn, the highest Wsp10 occurred around 1300 UTC. In spring and summer, the highest Wsp10 occurred after 1300 UTC. This was probably because in spring and summer the peak temperature occurs later. In all seasons, low/high Wsp10 values were more/less frequent. According to the Beaufort scale and the Parczewski scale, it was understood that both low and high extreme wind conditions have reduced over the period 1995–2021. The Effective Temperature scale indicated increasing/decreasing monotonic linear trends in relatively warm/cold thermal sensation categories. The Wind Chill Temperature exposure risk scale indicated decreasing monotonic linear trends in wind chill. The rising temperature and declining frequency of strong winds are seen as the main causes of these trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The megacities experience poor air quality frequently due to stronger anthropogenic emissions. India had one of the longest lockdowns in 2020 to curb the spread of COVID-19, leading to reductions in the emissions from anthropogenic activities. In this article, the frequency distributions of different pollutants have been analysed over two densely populated megacities: Delhi (28.70° N; 77.10° E) and Kolkata (22.57° N; 88.36° E). In Delhi, the percentage of days with PM2.5 levels exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) between 25 March and 17 June dropped from 98% in 2019 to 61% in 2020. The lockdown phase 1 brought down the PM10 (particulate matter having an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm) levels below the daily NAAQS limit over Delhi and Kolkata. However, PM10 exceeded the limit of 100 μgm−3 during phases 2–5 of lockdown over Delhi due to lower temperature, weaker winds, increased relative humidity and commencement of limited traffic movement. The PM2.5 levels exhibit a regressive trend in the highest range from the year 2019 to 2020 in Delhi. The daily mean value for PM2.5 concentrations dropped from 85–90 μgm−3 to 40–45 μgm−3 bin, whereas the PM10 levels witnessed a reduction from 160–180 μgm−3 to 100–120 μgm−3 bin due to the lockdown. Kolkata also experienced a shift in the peak of PM10 distribution from 80–100 μgm−3 in 2019 to 20–40 μgm−3 during the lockdown. The PM2.5 levels in peak frequency distribution were recorded in the 35–40 μgm−3 bin in 2019 which dropped to 15–20 μgm−3 in 2020. In line with particulate matter, other primary gaseous pollutants (NOx, CO, SO2, NH3) also showed decline. However, changes in O3 showed mixed trends with enhancements in some of the phases and reductions in other phases. In contrast to daily mean O3, 8-h maximum O3 showed a reduction over Delhi during lockdown phases except for phase 3. Interestingly, the time of daily maximum was observed to be delayed by ~ 2 h over Delhi (from 1300 to 1500 h) and ~ 1 h over Kolkata (from 1300 to 1400 h) almost coinciding with the time of maximum temperature, highlighting the role of meteorology versus precursors. Emission reductions weakened the chemical sink of O3 leading to enhancement (120%; 11 ppbv) in night-time O3 over Delhi during phases 1–3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tree-size variable frequency distributions are essential for sustainable forest ecosystem management. In Vietnam, a few theoretical distributions have been found to simulate tree-size quantities. Therefore, this study was carried out to understand characteristics of the quantities, select and compare the best distributions for their frequency distributions in Ba Be, Vietnam. The study established 10 plots for three forest types (rich, medium and poor) and measured tree-size quantities. The study tested 64 theoretical distributions for all variables in three forest types. The results indicated that for the diameter quantity: Weibull (3P) (P means parameter), Pearson 6 (4P) and Wakeby were the best. For the height quantity, Pearson 6 (4P), Dagum (4P) and Gen. Extreme Value is the best fit. For the commercial height variable, the best functions were Burr and Burr (4P), while Burr, Pearson 6 (4P) and Gumbel Max were the best distributions for the crown width quantity. All best distributions were significant at p-value < 0.001. Therefore, these best models can be used to propose silvicultural measures and make contributions to sustainable forest management and planning in the study area and regions with similar conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Auditory analysis is an essential method that is used to recognize voice identity in court investigations. However, noise will interfere with auditory perception. Based on this, we selected white noise, pink noise, and speech noise in order to design and conduct voice identity perception experiments. Meanwhile, we explored the impact of the noise type and frequency distribution on voice identity perception. The experimental results show the following: (1) in high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) environments, there is no significant difference in the impact of noise types on voice identity perception; (2) in low SNR environments, the perceived result of speech noise is significantly different from that of white noise and pink noise, and the interference is more obvious; (3) in the speech noise with a low SNR (−8 dB), the voice information contained in the high-frequency band of 2930~6250 Hz is helpful for achieving accuracy in voice identity perception. These results show that voice identity perception in a better voice transmission environment is mainly based on the acoustic information provided by the low-frequency and medium-frequency bands, which concentrate most of the energy of the voice. As the SNR gradually decreases, a human's auditory mechanism will automatically expand the receiving frequency range to obtain more effective acoustic information from the high-frequency band. Consequently, the high-frequency information ignored in the objective algorithm may be more robust with respect to identity perception in our environment. The experimental studies not only evaluate the quality of the case voice and control the voice recording environment, but also predict the accuracy of voice identity perception under noise interference. This research provides the theoretical basis and data support for applying voice identity perception in forensic science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the adaptability of short duration rainstorm frequency distribution curve under different sample selection methods, in this paper, 11 short-duration rainstorm sequences of 39 meteorological stations in the Weihe River basin of Shaanxi Province were taken as the research object, parameters were estimated by L-moment method. Root mean square error test was used as the goodness of fit evaluation method. From the two aspects of optimal distribution of rainstorm sequences with different durations at the same station and optimal distribution of rainstorm sequences with different stations at the same duration, the adaptability of 13 frequency distribution curves under 3 sampling methods of annual maximum method, annual multiple sample method and annual super large value method were analyzed and compared. The results show that the Generalized Pareto distribution (GEP) has good adaptability to the 3 sampling methods, which can be used as the theoretical frequency analysis of short-duration rainstorm in this research area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

K index is the oldest measure of geomagnetic activity estimation in a unified scale over the globe, maintained until today. Recently, Russian and Japanese scientific teams have managed to digitize a huge collection of K index analog records from the observatories located in the northwestern Pacific region. This has made it possible to study long-term evolution of geomagnetic activity in this area over 1954–2020. Using these unique data, we reveal their most appropriate distribution laws. We also analyze the correlation between their time-varying distribution features and sunspot numbers over the 19–24 solar cycles. The distribution features are considered in terms of (a) quasi-linear regression coefficients derived from logarithmic scale cumulative frequency distributions, and (b) occurrences of different K index values binned by year as a function of time. We establish that the probability of K ≥ 8 event detected simultaneously at all observatories in the region over the period of simultaneous data availability is less than one hundredth of a percent; the same for the clusters of neighboring observatories is an order of magnitude larger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The classification of odontogenic tumors has been revised from time to time in order to provide unified terminology. This reclassification had considerable impact on their prevalence and frequency distribution. Objectives: This study was aimed to emphasize impact of changing classification systems on prevalence and relative frequency of odontogenic tumors. The secondary objective was to analyze demographics of various histological types of odontogenic tumors in comparison to published literature. Review of Indian studies (1992–2020) elaborating frequency of odontogenic tumors is summarized in the end. Methods: This was a hospital-based retrospective study wherein case files of odontogenic tumors diagnosed from 1990 to 2019 period were retrieved. The classification system used originally at the time of diagnosis was retained and prevalence of odontogenic tumors in three different periods (1990–2004, 2005–2016 and 2017–2019) was compared. Further, prevalence, frequency distribution and demographics of all these tumors (1990–2019) were analyzed using latest World Health Organization 2017 classification. Results: A total of 345 odontogenic tumors was diagnosed as per World Health Organization 2017 system of classification from 1990 to 2019. 96.81% tumors were benign and 3.81% constituted malignant odontogenic tumors. However, there was marked increase in prevalence of odontogenic tumors in 2005–2016 (6.2%) period as compared to 1990–2004 (3.87%) and 2017–2019 (3.47%). Ameloblastoma remained the most common tumor in three different periods, whereas keratocystic odontogenic tumor became second commonest tumor in 2005–2016 as compared to odontoma in 1990–2004 and adenomatoid odontogenic tumor in 2017–2019. Conclusions: The continuous evolving systems of classification may partly be responsible for inconsistency in odontogenic tumors, with inclusion of keratocystic odontogenic tumor,and has marked impact on prevalence and frequency distribution of odontogenic tumors. The geographical variations in demographics of odontogenic tumors might reflect genetic and environment influence; however it requires elucidation by further studies.

Ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin are becoming part of the national strategy in recent years. The Yellow River Estuary has been seriously affected by human activities. Especially, it has been severely polluted by the nitrogen and phosphorus from land sources, which have caused serious eutrophication and harmful algal blooms. Nutrient criteria, however, was not developed for the Yellow River Estuary, which hindered nutrient management measures and eutrophication risk assessment in this key ecological function zone of China. Based on field data during 2004–2019, we adopted the frequency distribution method, correlation analysis, Linear Regression Model (LRM), Classification and Regression Tree (CART) and Nonparametric Changepoint Analysis (nCPA) methods to establish the nutrient criteria for the adjacent waters of Yellow River Estuary. The water quality criteria of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) are recommended as 244.0 µgL−1 and 22.4 µgL−1, respectively. It is hoped that the results will provide scientific basis for the formulation of nutrient standards in this important estuary of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]