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Intraoral scanning has benefits over conventional impression making, but whether scanning is sufficiently accurate for multiple implants is unclear.The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the trueness of digital scans acquired by using intraoral scanners from a small range to a complete arch with the conventional impression technique and to determine the influence of 2 different evaluation methods (best-fit algorithm versus absolute linear deviation) on the outcomes of accuracy assessment.A mandibular model with 8 implants (A-H) around an edentulous arch was used as the master model. Open-format standard tessellation language (STL) data sets (1 reference file from a highly accurate dental laboratory scanner, 10 files from an intraoral scanner, and 10 files from digitized conventional impressions at room temperature) were imported to a metrology software program, and 5 groups of scanning ranges (AB, FGH, CDEF, BCDEFG, and ABCDEFGH) were identified simulating different clinical situations. Two evaluation methods-root mean square values calculated from the best-fit algorithm and average value of linear discrepancies from absolute linear deviation-were used to describe the trueness values. The impacts of different scanning or impression methods, ranges, and evaluation methods were tested by using a 3-way ANOVA. The effect of the scanning range on accuracy was further identified with 1-way ANOVA. The paired-sample t test was used to determine the differences of trueness values between the 2 methods in different groups.The trueness values of the implant impressions were significantly affected by different scanning or impression methods (P.001), evaluation methods (P.001), and scanning ranges (P.001) as independent variables. With use of the best-fit algorithm, deviations from the digital scans were significantly greater than those from the conventional impressions in cross-arch situations (groups CDEF, BCDEFG, and ABCDEFGH). With use of the absolute linear deviation method, statistically significant lower accuracy was found when larger areas were encountered (groups BCDEFG and ABCDEFGH). Use of the absolute linear deviation method resulted in a higher mean score of inaccuracy than that from the best-fit algorithm method in most situations.Scanning or impression methods, ranges, and evaluation methods affected the dimensional accuracy (trueness) of scans or impressions with multiple implants. Digital scans had worse trueness values compared with those made with the conventional splinting open-tray technique when cross-arch implant impressions were acquired.

Thermal safety of modular charge which is fed into and retained in the chamber after gun fires consecutively is first investigated with cook-off method. A two-dimensional cook-off model of modular charge in gun chamber is established and the cook-off process of modular charge in gun chamber is numerically simulated. Then the effects of module number and firing condition on charge thermal safety are evaluated by researching the cook-off response characteristics of modules. The results show that, under conditions of different module numbers the cook-off responses all occur on the module closest to the boundary of missile, and the single-base propellants located at the inner surface of cartridge ignite first. When the number of loaded module changes from 1 to 6, the cook-off response temperatures vary little, only in a small range of 478.1 K–482.4 K. The cook-off response times decrease logarithmically in the range of 211.2 s–166.7 s with the increasing length of residual air gap in gun chamber. The simulation results are well matched with the experimental data. Furthermore, different firing conditions have great influence on the cook-off response time, minor influence on the initial response position and little influence on the response temperature. Under the three conditions of consecutive 32 launches with 5 rounds/min, 43 launches with 1 round/min, and 41 launches with different firing frequencies, the cook-off response temperatures are 479.2 K, 481.1 K and 479.9 K respectively and the response times are 709.2 s, 211.2 s and 214.4 s respectively. The response position is near the middle area of the inner cartridge surface in the former condition and near the right area in the latter two conditions.

Wireless sensing received a great amount of attention in recent years and various wireless technologies have been exploited for sensing, including WiFi [1], RFID [2], ultrasound [3], 60 GHz mmWave [4] and visible light [5]. The key advantage of wireless sensing over traditional sensing is that the target does not need to be equipped with any sensor(s) and the wireless signal itself is being used for sensing. Exciting new applications have been enabled, such as passive localization [6] and contactless human activity sensing [7]. While promising in many aspects, one key limitation of current wireless sensing techniques is the very small sensing range. This is because while both direct path and reflection path signals are used for communication, only the weak target-reflection signals can be used for sensing. Take Wi-Fi as an example: the communication range can reach 20 to 50 meters indoors but its sensing range is merely 4 to 8 meters. This small range further limits the through-wall sensing capability of Wi-Fi. On the other hand, many applications do require long-range and through-wall sensing capability. In a fire rescue scenario, the sensing device cannot be placed close to the building, and the long-range through-wall sensing capabilities are critical for detecting people deep inside the building. Table I summarizes the sensing range of existing wireless technologies. We can see that long-range through-wall sensing is still missing with wireless sensing.

Background Amniotic fluid (AF) provides vital information on fetal development, which is also valuable in identifying fetal abnormalities during pregnancy. However, the relationship between the metabolic profile of AF in the second trimester of a normal pregnancy with several maternal–fetal parameters remains poorly understood, which therefore limits its application in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to explore the association between the metabolic profile of AF with fetal gender, maternal age, and gestational week using an untargeted metabolomics method. Methods A total of 114 AF samples were analyzed in this study. Clinical data on fetal gender, maternal age, and gestational week of these samples were collected. Samples were analyzed by gas chromatography/time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (GC-TOF/MS). Principal component analysis(PCA), orthogonal partial least square discrimination analysis(OPLS-DA) or partial least square discrimination analysis (PLS-DA) were conducted to compare metabolic profiles, and differential metabolites were obtained by univariate analysis. Results Both PCA and OPLS-DA demonstrated no significant separation trend between the metabolic profiles of male and female fetuses, and there were only 7 differential metabolites. When the association between the maternal age on AF metabolic profile was explored, both PCA and PLS-DA revealed that the maternal age in the range of 21 to 40 years had no significant effect on the metabolic profile of AF, and only four different metabolites were found. There was no significant difference in the metabolic profiles of AF from fetuses of 17–22 weeks, and 23 differential metabolites were found. Conclusions In the scope of our study, there was no significant correlation between the AF metabolic profile and the fetal gender, maternal age and gestational week of a small range. Nevertheless, few metabolites appeared differentially expressed.

Motivated by the impact of fast algebraic attacks on stream ciphers, and recent constructions using a threshold function as main part of the filtering function, we study the fast algebraic immunity of threshold functions. As a first result, we determine exactly the fast algebraic immunity of all majority functions in more than 8 variables. Then, For all n ≥ 8 and all threshold value between 1 and n we exhibit the fast algebraic immunity for most of the thresholds, and we determine a small range for the value related to the few remaining cases. Finally, provided m ≥ 2, we determine exactly the fast algebraic immunity of all threshold functions in 3 ⋅ 2m or 3 ⋅ 2m + 1 variables.

Four HRTEM images of Yangquan No. 3 anthracite were quantitatively characterized, including fringe length, orientation and stacking distribution. The result indicates that the fringe characteristics are consistent with the coal rank characteristics of anthracite. The fringe of three different microcrystalline regions in image 1 was statistically analyzed. In region 1, the average fringe length is 0.87 nm, the overall fringe orientation distribution is disorderly, but there is still a small range of orderly arrangement between the short fringes and between the long fringes, and the maximum number of stacking layers is 4; In region 3, the fringe length is 1.01 nm on average, the orientation is higher in the range of 135°–180° with a ratio of 62.46%, and the maximum number of stacking layers can reach 6. The fringe distribution characteristic of region 2 is between 1 and 3. Most of the fringes are curved, and there may be heterocyclic rings and aliphatic rings. The FT-IR and 13C NMR data show that the aliphatic structure mainly exists in the form of aliphatic rings, which plays an important role in the process of forming long fringes by short fringes.

The Asian Songbird Crisis—the recognition that the cage bird trade is the number one threat to many songbirds—has focussed on either individual bird markets or specific taxa. We here show, through sustained monitoring, that even species that were not thought to be traded are also at risk from overexploitation. The Javan crocias Laniellus albonotatus is endemic to the montane forests of western Java–this remoteness was thought to be the reason why it had escaped from being at risk. We surveyed 21 bird markets over a 44-month period; the number of crocias recorded in markets (1.29 birds/survey) was negatively related to the distance to its habitat. The size of the bird market had no effect on the number of crocias we recorded. Prices (US$26.70/bird), when corrected for inflation, did not change over 12 years suggesting supply can keep up with demand. Turnover is high (50% sold after 8 days), and we estimate the total trade at 1,200 to 1,500 birds/year. Legal protection of Javan crocias seen in isolation thus far is proven to be ineffective. A more inclusive approach where government bodies, conservation agencies and society participate, is needed to curb the trade in this and other imperiled songbirds.

Facial expressions provide important information concerning one’s emotional state. Unlike regular facial expressions, microexpressions are particular kinds of small quick facial movements, which generally last only 0.05 to 0.2 s. They reflect individuals’ subjective emotions and real psychological states more accurately than regular expressions which can be acted. However, the small range and short duration of facial movements when microexpressions happen make them challenging to recognize both by humans and machines alike. In the past decade, automatic microexpression recognition has attracted the attention of researchers in psychology, computer science, and security, amongst others. In addition, a number of specialized microexpression databases have been collected and made publicly available. The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of the art automatic facial microexpression recognition work. To be specific, the features and learning methods used in automatic microexpression recognition, the existing microexpression data sets, the major outstanding challenges, and possible future development directions are all discussed.

Current control approaches for solar sail station-keeping on libration point orbits have not considered the degradation of the sail’s optical properties. However, significant optical degradation could lead to poor station-keeping performance or even complete failure. This paper presents an integrated guidance and control strategy to address this problem by updating the reference orbit based on in situ estimation. An exponential optical degradation model is incorporated into the solar radiation acceleration model, and an on-line reference orbit update approach is incorporated into the station-keeping, coupled with an active disturbance rejection controller. The reflection coefficient is estimated on-line and the reference orbit is updated discretely when the optical properties have degraded by a prescribed amount. This strategy provides discrete updates to the reference orbits such that the perturbation due to the optical degradation is maintained within a small range. These smaller perturbations can be dealt with by the controller’s robustness and station-keeping can be sustained for long durations even in the presence of large optical degradation.

A view is often more than just a piece of landscape, framed by the gaze and evoking emotion. Without diminishing these obvious ‘tourism-important’ advantages of a view, it is noteworthy that in itself it might play the role of an interpretative tool, especially for large-scale phenomena, the knowledge and understanding of which is the goal of geotourism. In this paper, we analyze the importance of scenic drives and trails for tourism, particularly geotourism, focusing on their ability to create conditions for experiencing the dynamically changing landscapes in which lies knowledge of the natural processes shaping the Earth’s surface and the methods and degree of its resource exploitation. The issues are found in both wider and local contexts. A more detailed insight has been conducted on the basis of two, although in some sense peripheral, tourism regions from the Sudeten Mountains (southwestern Poland): Lasocki Grzbiet (a ridge) and Pasmo Lesistej (a small range). The subjects of the investigation were complex: the geotourism potential of selected viewpoints located on the most scenic routes (mostly paths and forest tracks) as well as the problems of maintenance, conservation, and protection of their educational value. Our work is based on desk and field research supported by results of GIS visibility analyses (conducted in the QGIS program).

Traditional condensing air-conditioning systems consume large amounts of energy in hot and humid areas, and it is difficult to achieve simultaneous control of temperature and humidity. A combined absorption refrigeration (AR) and liquid desiccant dehumidification (LDD) air-conditioning system based on cascade utilization of low-grade heat source is proposed. The system can realize independent control of temperature and humidity and carry out profound recovery of low-grade heat sources. Under the design conditions, the heat utilization rate ζ reaches 21.05%, which is 2.73 times that of the conventional absorption refrigeration reference system. A parametric sensitivity analysis is performed to optimize the system. The ζ increases from 9.79% to 18.55% and the coefficient of performance COPt increases from 0.33 to 0.35 with an increase in chilled water temperature from 7°C to 15°C. With an increase in regenerant solution temperature from 60°C to 70°C, the ζ achieves the optimal value of 21.05% at 68°C. ζ decreases from 21.05% to 15.05% as the concentration of the regenerant solution increases from 36% to 40%. Under variable environmental temperature and humidity, the ζ of the proposed system changes within a small range and stays much higher than that of the reference system with the same quality heat source, which indicates that the proposed system has a better adaptability to changing environmental parameters.

The paper is concerned with the problem of stress concentration in cruciform fillet welded joints subjected to axial and bending load. Extended numerical analyses were carried out with the help of the finite element method. It made it possible to estimate stress concentration factors Kt for a variety of geometrical parameters defining the geometry of cruciform welded joints. It has been found that approximate Kt formulas, available in the literature, have two disadvantages, i.e. an unknown accuracy and small range of application with respect to geometrical parameters defining the weld shape. For these reasons, more general and accurate new formulas for stress concentration factors Kt have been derived. Even though the present approach is applicable to all types of welded joints, the analysis presented below has been conducted for a cruciform joint with the weld flank angle of θ = 45°. Final solutions have been given in the form of polynomial expressions, and they can be easily used in computer-aided design procedures.

Durum wheat is mainly used in pasta production, but may also be used as animal feed, for example as concentrate for dairy cows. Data on the ruminal degradation of Durum grains are scarce. Hence, the objective of the present study was to describe ruminal in situ crude protein (CP) and starch (ST) degradation, to investigate in vitro gas production kinetics, and to estimate utilisable CP at the duodenum (uCP) in vitro of five Durum varieties from three growing locations. Metabolisable energy (ME) and digestibility of organic matter (dOM) were also estimated using in vitro data. In situ incubations were conducted in three lactating jersey cows over defined timespans from 1 to 72 hr. Ruminal degradation parameters were estimated using exponential regression, and effective ruminal degradation was predicted for a ruminal passage rate of 8%/hr (ED8 ). In situ CP (a = 11%-19%; b = 80%-88%; c = 23%-33%/hr) and ST (a = 22%-39%; b = 60%-78%; c = 61%-123%/hr) degradation kinetics varied among samples and were influenced by location. Some samples showed a remarkably high ST degradation rate of up to 123%/h, which can significantly influence rumen pH and health when high amounts are incorporated into dairy rations. However, the ED of CP (77%-82%) and ST (91%-95%), and the in vitro estimates of ME (13.6-14.1 MJ/kg DM), dOM (92%-96%), and uCP (183-195 k/g DM) varied within a relatively small range. Hence, it may be adequate to use the mean values of these Durum grain characteristics when rations for ruminants are calculated and a differentiation depending on variety and location may not be necessary.

The challenge of reducing worldwide greenhouse gas emissions has become increasingly important in recent years. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are a promising alternative having the potential for a CO2 neutral and sustainable utilization over the whole vehicle lifetime. However, BEVs limited range is still considered as one important usage barrier. Reducing drivers' experience of range stress is discussed as one possibility to overcome this barrier. The objective of the present research was to investigate the influence of range related knowledge, practical driving experience and the encounter of a critical range situation (i.e., experience of a small range buffer) on drivers' range stress. A specific focus lied on the effects of critical range situation encounters on experienced BEV drivers. A field experiment with 63 participants (20 experienced drivers and 43 inexperienced drivers) who drove a BEV in a critical range situation was conducted. Results indicate that range related knowledge and practical driving experience reduced range stress. The experience of the critical range situation is related to lower range stress, even for the experienced BEV drivers. The results can be useful to derive strategies and design recommendations aimed at reducing the experience of BEV drivers' range stress.

Water vapor is the most abundant atmospheric gas, and it plays a vital role in the evolution of the Earth's climate. Precipitable water vapor (PWV) is a key factor in monitoring the climate and hydrological cycle. The use of GNSS to estimate PWV is a very effective method. This paper uses 17 satellite positioning reference stations in SatRef, Hong Kong, China, in 2017 to calculate the PWV and introduce the latest reanalysis data set of the European Medium Range Weather Forecast Ingenued Center (ECMWF) ERA5 into this study. The accuracy of THE PWV derived from ERA5 was evaluated using the GNSS-derived PWV. In Hong Kong, the annual bias and RMSE values of GNSS-derived ZTD and ERA5-derived ZTDs are 1.16 cm and 1.78 cm respectively, while the annual RMSE values of GNSS-derived PWV and ERA5-derived PWV are 0.51 cm and 0.57 cm, respectively. The daily changes of GNSS PWV in 2017 are analyzed, and the results show that the ZTD effect of THE ERA5 reanalysis data derived in the small range area is not very ideal, but the accuracy of the PWV derived from ERA5 is better.

Humpback whales can generate intricate bubbly regions, called bubble nets, via their blowholes. They appear to exploit these bubble nets for feeding via loud vocalizations. A fully-coupled phase-averaging approach is used to model the flow, bubble dynamics, and corresponding acoustics. A previously hypothesized waveguiding mechanism is assessed for varying acoustic frequencies and net void fractions. Reflections within the bubbly region result in observable waveguiding for only a small range of flow parameters. A configuration of multiple whales surrounding and vocalizing towards an annular bubble net is also analyzed. For a range of flow parameters the bubble net keeps its core region substantially quieter than the exterior. This approach appears more viable, though it relies upon the cooperation of multiple whales. A spiral bubble net configuration that circumvents this requirement is also investigated. The acoustic wave behaviors in the spiral interior vary qualitatively with the vocalization frequency and net void fraction. The competing effects of vocalization guiding and acoustic attenuation are quantified. Low void fraction cases allow low-frequency waves to partially escape the spiral region, with the remaining vocalizations still exciting the net interior. Higher void fraction nets appear preferable, guiding even low-frequency vocalizations while still maintaining a quiet net interior., 11 pages, 9 figures, submitted to J. Acoust. Soc. Am

Gob-side entry retaining (GSER) is a popular no-pillar mining technology that can increase coal recovery rate. We propose the application of high-strength lightweight (HSLW) concrete to construct the gob-side support body (GSSB) in NO. 411 inclined working face of Jingang Coal Mine. Firstly, the mechanical model of retained roadway was established, and the calculation for limit angle of GSSB stability and support resistance was mathematically derived. Using the performance test, the optimal proportion of LC50 concrete was determined as follows: the water-binder ratio was 0.3; the silica fume dosage was not more than 10%; the fly ash dosage was 10–20%; and the sand ratio was 0.45–0.50. Based on theoretical deduction and laboratory analysis, the width of GSSB was obtained to be 0.75 m, and the optimal arrangement of concrete blocks with “two longitudinal and one horizontal, crisscross, and staggered joints” was determined. FLAC3D software was used to study the influence of different widths and material strengths on the surrounding rock deformation and verify the reasonable width and strength of the designed GSSB. Finally, field monitoring of retained roadway shows that the deformation is controlled in a small range, and the retained roadway effect is better, thus proving the feasibility of HSLW for constructing the support body for GSER. Our findings can serve as a theoretical guide for safety and effective implementation of HSLW as GSSB.

Electrical energy use is an interesting topic because it is related to the operational planning of the distribution system, maintenance of medium voltage networks, and prediction of electricity consumption, especially in the short term. Trends are created based on historical data represented in the load curves. This research aims to determine the characteristics of the load by making load groups according to the type of day and calculate the load factor based on secondary data from PT. PLN (Persero) Borang substation. The research uses comparative techniques in the load groups and calculates the load factor which is the benchmark for generation capacity. The results of the study showed that the load trendon Singkarak feeders in overall is the same on weekdays as on weekends, namely that minimum load occurs in the morning at 07.00, the load starts to increase but is not significant in relation to the activities of the population after 08.00-16.00. The load trend increases significantly from 16.00 to the peak load that occurs at 19.00-21.00 and after that, the load goes down to the minimum load. The trend for higher than average peak loads on Mondays is more common and weekend loads on Saturdays and Sundays only relatively small load fluctuationsoccur.. The load group for religious holidays and national holidays received good load factor scores, with a relatively small range of loads throughout the day.

The efficient financial management in profit organizations are the getting their specific values of basic performance indicators (efficiency criteria), which characterize the solvability, financial capability, profitability of the economic agents. It’s not correct to use standard values estimating the efficiency of small and medium-sized companies’ financial management, being that such enterprises carry on business in the specific industry (there are not the diversification of business) in one specific region, having a small range of activity and sales. This determines the fundamental inequality conditions and objective preconditions their business, being reflected in financial status and results. The research takes into consideration the industry and regional environmental features, using the financial data reporting of profit-making small and medium-size enterprises of the Volgograd Region, which do business in distributive trade, manufacture, building and construction sector. Logics of research based on reference approach to estimate the efficiency of financial management: the values of basic performance indicators of enterprise getting profit a long time in spite of changing in the region’s economic climate, should be taken as the target values corresponding to efficient financial management. Based on research numerical values of industry-specific performance indicators were got. Those indicators are not equal to standard values. The target level of financial indicators serves as a guidemark for small and medium-sized companies to get the efficient financial management and be reaching profitability.

Intraguild predation (IGP) is widespread in nature. In this paper, a mathematical model of a tri-trophic food web with IGP and prey switching is considered, where the IG predator tends to consume disproportionately more of the relatively abundant prey. Bifurcation analysis shows that prey switching may (i) enhance the persistence of the IG prey when it is an inferior competitor for resources; (ii) enhance the persistence of the IG predator when one of the prey species is at least moderately abundant; (iii) facilitate coexistence of all species; and (iv) stabilize the population dynamics. It has been found that prey switching combined with predator interference may have a synergistic effect on enhancing coexistence and stabilizing population dynamics. Bistability and chaotic attractors are also observed in the mathematical model for a small range of parameter values.

There are a number of factors which may influence the validity of experimental studies, including the incentives offered and the instructions provided to participants. These have been little-studied in the driving domain. The aim of this study was to investigate how manipulating these factors influenced participants’ feelings of ‘presence’ (i.e. the extent to which they believed they were actually driving and not in a simulated environment). The findings showed that imposing a penalty system for poor driving performance and providing ‘good driving’ instructions did not significantly affect presence ratings. This has a number of plausible explanations, including research study participants’ inherent need to perform well under test conditions and the small range of performance variability expected in a normal driving scenario. The financial penalty resulted in slightly slower speeds, although none of the participants drove excessively quickly, supporting the argument that study participants tend to perform diligently under test conditions irrespective of incentives or instructions. Participants in the penalty and instructions conditions gave higher ratings for negative effects (related to physically feeling unwell), suggesting that these conditions made them more aware of the physical symptoms of being in a simulator (but not that participants were actually experiencing more sickness). The results can be viewed positively in terms of reliability and generalizability across different driving simulator studies, as variations in study design (i.e. how instructions are delivered to participants and whether participants are paid to participate) do not have a significant effect on performance.

The vertical isotopic profile of the ice core of a Messoyakha-1 bulgunniakh (pingo)—was obtained. The pingo is situated at 68°30′32″ N, 79°59′53″ E, in the southern part of the Gydan Peninsula within the Middle Messoyakha swell. No significant variations were registered in the isotopic composition of the pingo ice core: δ18О varied from –14.98 to –16.60‰ and δ2Н varied from –117.9 to –122.8 ‰. This small range of values probably resulted from intense heaving and rather rapid formation of the pingo. Based on the features of the pingo, it can be assumed that initially there was a lake of 0.5 km length and 0.3 km width at this site. Then, the water drained into a nearby river, the lake began to dry out, and the khasyrey (alas), which occupies most of the former lake area, was formed. The pingo itself arose during the freezing of the alas under its gradual drying out.

Purpose Directed energy deposition (DED) with laser powder-feed is an additive manufacturing process that is used to produce metallic components by simultaneously providing a supply of energy from a laser and mass from a powder aerosol. The breadth of alloys used in DED is currently limited to a very small range as compared to wrought or cast alloys. The purpose of this paper is to develop the new alloys for DED is limited because current models to predict operational processing parameters are computationally expensive and trial-and-error based experiments are both expensive and time-consuming. Design/methodology/approach In this research, an agile DED model is presented to predict the geometry produced by a single layer deposit. Findings The utility of the model is demonstrated for type 304 L stainless steel and the significance of the predicted deposition regimes is discussed. The proposed model incorporates concepts from heat transfer, welding and laser cladding; and integrates them with experimental fits and physical models that are relevant to DED. Originality/value The utility of the model is demonstrated for type 304 L stainless steel and the significance of the predicted deposition regimes is discussed.

A novel tri-layer approach for immobilizing metal nanoparticles in SiO2 supports is presented. In this work, we show that under rapid heating to temperatures of approximately 1,000 °C, metal nanoparticles less than 15 nm in size will entrench in the SiO2 layer on a silicon wafer to create pores as deep as 250 nm. We studied and characterized this entrenching behavior and subsequent nanopore formation for a wide variety of metal nanoparticles, including Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, and Cu. We also demonstrate that an Al2O3 layer acts as a barrier to such pore formation. Thus, by creating a tri-layer architecture consisting of SiO2 on Al2O3 on silicon wafers, we can control the depth to which nanoparticles entrench between 3–5 nm. This small range allows one to entrench particles for the purpose of immobilization but still present them above the surface. The two advances of moving into the sub-15 nm size regime and of controlled particle immobilization through entrenchment have important implications in studying site-isolated and stabilized metal nanoparticles for applications in sensing, separations, and catalysis.

Two disparate waste materials were mixed to identify the likelihood of constructing insulation boards. Treebark and Hemp (cannabis) residues were combined in different proportions and with two dissimilar typesof glue. The thermal conductivity (λ) for all boards was measured. Diverse methods of processing the finalboards demonstrated altered thermal properties based also on the different density (low and medium).The results have validated the possibility of exploiting local waste materials to produce an eco-friendly,low priced insulation product with competitive (λ) compared to the market products. All materials werecollected within a small range to the laboratory (< 100 km). The energy requirements and the carbonfootprint of these boards were kept low compared to traditional chemical insulation materials.

We study a kinetic equation which describes self-organization of various complex systems, assuming the interacting rate with small support. This corresponds to interactions between an agent with a given internal state and agents having short distance states only. We identify all possible stationary (equilibrium) solutions and describe the possibility of creating of bipolar (bimodal) distribution that is able to capture interesting behavior in modeling systems, e.g. in political sciences.

The concept of introducing movement in automotive seating was investigated. Three seat conditions, a control (no movement) and two movement conditions (fore-aft and cushion-backrest) were compared. Movement was introduced at a fixed speed, slow, smooth and within a small range. Ten participants took part in a 60 min simulated drive for each condition - single blind, repeated measures, and balanced order. Discomfort ratings were collected for six body areas and overall discomfort, together with a wellbeing questionnaire. Driver posture and Seat Fidgets and Movements (SFMs) were captured. There was a trend for lower ratings of discomfort, overall and in the neck, shoulders, lower back, buttocks, and ankles with both seat movement conditions. Wellbeing ratings were also better with movement. Significant differences were found at minute 60 for buttock discomfort - less discomfort with seat movement. Overall discomfort and SFMs frequency increased with time driving. Generally, passive seat movement was well received.

Based on the problems encountered in the earlier-established pumpless ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle) system, i.e. that the shaft power of the system output is unstable and intermittent, a novel gravity-type pumpless ORC system is proposed in this paper, which consists of an evaporator, two condensers, a scroll expander and some valves. The theoretical model of the system is established and the model is also validated by the earlier-established pumpless ORC system. Simulation results show that the system can output the shaft power continuously and the instantaneous shaft power of the scroll expander fluctuates in a relatively small range. The instantaneous shaft power at the hot water temperature of 90 °C ranges from 201.6 W to 349.9 W. The energy efficiencies at the hot water temperatures of 80–95 °C are 2.4–3.1%, and the exergy efficiencies are almost constant and about 18%. The novel gravity-type pumpless ORC is very appropriate for the small-scale applications, which is due to the characteristics of the low cost and relatively high net power efficiency.

(TiC+TiB)/Ti6Al4V composites with different TiC and TiB contents were prepared by in situ synthesis. The influence of load on the dry sliding friction and wear performance of in-situ (TiC+TiB)/Ti6Al4V composites (TMC) was studied by HT-1000 friction and wear testing machine, and the wear behavior of the composites was also investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Bruker 3D profilometer. The results show that the wear resistance of TMC is improved by the formation of TiC and TiB phases compared to the Ti6Al4V matrix. For the composites with different volume fractions of reinforcing phases, the wear rate and wear depth increase with the increase of the applied load, and the friction coefficient decreases and fluctuates within a small range. Under low loads, the worn surface is covered with grooves and a small amount of wear debris; under heavy loads, the worn surface is covered with narrow and shallow grooves and a large amount of wear debris. The wear mechanism is abrasive wear and oxidation wear. As the load increases, the size of the debris increases.

This paper presents adaptive methods to solve the synchronization problems of dynamic complex networks. Firstly, a complex network model is designed. Then, in order to achieve strong and weak synchronization, synchronization controllers and adaptive laws are designed. The adaptive laws are used for the renewal of unknown parameters, and the synchronization controller makes its error value in a small range. Then the Lyapunov function is used to prove the theory, and the simulation is used to prove the practice. Both results show that the proposed method can achieve strong synchronization and weak synchronization for nonlinear complex networks.

The marine environment is an enormous source of marine-derived natural products (MNPs), and future investigation into anticancer drug discovery. Current progress in anticancer drugs offers a rise in isolation and clinical validation of numerous innovative developments and advances in anticancer therapy. However, only a limited number of FDA-approved marine-derived anticancer drugs are available due to several challenges and limitations highlighted here. The use of chitosan in developing marine-derived drugs is promising in the nanotech sector projected for a prolific anticancer drug delivery system (DDS). The cGAS-STING-mediated immune signaling pathway is crucial, which has not been significantly investigated in anticancer therapy and needs further attention. Additionally, a small range of anticancer mediators is currently involved in regulating various JAK/STAT signaling pathways, such as immunity, cell death, and tumor formation. This review addressed critical features associated with MNPs, origin, and development of anticancer drugs. Moreover, recent advances in the nanotech delivery of anticancer drugs and understanding into cancer immunity are detailed for improved human health.

Coordinated studies provide evidence that very young infants, like human adults and nonhuman animals, readily discriminate small and large number of visual displays on the basis of numerical information. This capacity has been considerably less studied in the auditory modality. Surprisingly, the available studies yielded mixed evidence concerning whether numerical representations of auditory items in the small number range (1 to 3) are present early in human development. Specifically, while newborns discriminate 2- from 3-syllable sequences, older infants at 6 and 9 months of age fail to differentiate 2 from 3 tones. This study tested the hypothesis that infants can represent small sets more precisely when listening to ecologically relevant linguistic sounds. The aim was to probe 9- to 10-month-olds' (N = 74) ability to represent sound sets in a working memory test. In experiments 1 and 2, infants successfully discriminated 2- and 3-syllable sequences on the basis of their numerosity, when continuous variables, such as individual item duration, inter-stimulus duration, pitch, intensity, and total duration, were controlled for. In experiment 3, however, infants failed to discriminate 3- from 4-syllable sequences under similar conditions. Finally, in experiment 4, infants were tested on their ability to distinguish 2 and 3 tone sequences. The results showed no evidence that infants discriminated these non-linguistic stimuli. These findings indicate that, by means of linguistic sounds, infants can access a numerical system that yields precise auditory representations in the small number range.

We focus on the effect of foreign aid on civil conflict because this is a well-trodden path in the conflict literature. We find that net secondary income increases conflict risk only for a specific range for that variable. Our finding suggests that there should be greater theoretical scrutiny for why only a small range of values for net secondary income increases the risk of conflict. We believe a game-theoretic approach models the interaction between donors and recipients to identify such equilibrium switches. Moreover, the sort of aid reflected in the current account may matter more than a broader definition of aid. Last we suggest that neither military aid nor foreign direct investment appears to have a causal impact on civil conflict, with important implications for policy.

This paper proposed a two-point coordinated positioning algorithm. Based on the assumption that the distance between two points was constant, a fusion algorithm was introduced into the positioning process to enhance the positioning accuracy. The simulation results showed that the proposed algorithm could reduce the RMS error to about 50% of the improved sinc interpolation-based positioning algorithm when the sampling frequency was 500 MHz and the interpolation number was 19.

The present study takes into account the average daily values of atmospheric pressure reduced to sea level (SLP) from 43 meteorological stations for the years 1966–2018. The exceptions are the three mountain stations (Zakopane, Śniezka and Kasprowy Wierch) for which the pressure values at the levels of these stations were used and, based on them, only the trends of changes in this meteorological element were determined. In addition, a series of measurements from the Scientific Station of the Climatology Department of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow for the years 1901–2018 was used. Annual, seasonal, and monthly pressure values, as well as the variability of the number of days with a pressure ≤ 990 hPa or ≥ 1030 hPa were characterised. The study confirmed the latitudinal distribution of pressure values and the small range of their changes in the average values, especially in the warm half-year. The highest pressure values occurred in the south and south-east of the country, while the lowest along the Baltic Sea coast. It was also determined that during analysed periods (1966–2018 and 1901–2018) no tendency was found in long-term variability of pressure values (both in annual and seasonal, as well as monthly values). The analysis revealed that strong high-pressure systems (SLP ≥ 1030 hPa) over Poland occur several times more often than deep lows (SLP ≤ 990 hPa). Although the frequency of their occurrence differs depending on the region of Poland. The conducted studies have shown that the long-term variability in the number of days with SLP ≤ 990 hPa and SLP ≥ 1030 hPa do not show a clear trend. At the same time, the occurrence of fairly regular, several-year periods of increased pressure values and number of days analysed is a characteristic feature of pressure changes in Poland.

Humans express an expansive and detailed response to wavelength differences within the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum. This is most clearly manifest, and most studied, with respect to a relatively small range of electromagnetic radiation that includes the visible wavelengths with abutting ultraviolet and infrared, and mostly with respect to the visual system. Many aspects of our biology, however, respond to wavelength differences over a wide range of the EM spectrum. Further, humans are now exposed to a variety of modern lighting situations that has, effectively, increased our exposure to wavelengths that were once likely minimal (e.g., “blue” light from devices at night). This paper reviews some of those biological effects with a focus on visual function and to a lesser extent, other body systems.

In the context of global warming, high-temperature heat damage to summer maize has occurred in recent years, which has seriously affected the country's food security. At present, the research on high-temperature heat damage of summer maize is mainly based on point source data from ground observation stations, which lacks representativeness for large areas. Therefore, the remote sensing data and ground temperature data were combined to establish a high-temperature heat damage assessment model for summer maize production. The accuracy coefficients R2 of the model are all above 0.8, and the root mean square error (RMSE) fluctuates within a small range of 2 ° C. The results showed that the high-temperature heat damage of summer maize production area in North China was relatively obvious in 2017 and 2018. And these damaged area mainly distributed in the southeast of Hebei Province, most of Henan Province and western Shandong Province. And the results are consistent with the actual statistics.

Background It has been hypothesised that the ratio of length between the second and fourth fingers (2D:4D), commonly employed as an indicator of foetal sex hormone exposure, may be positively correlated between heterosexual partners. Aims As previous evidence has been conflicting, our study aimed to determine whether intra-couple correlations exist for digit ratio variables, and if so, to estimate the size and direction of these effects. Study design We present a preregistered (osf.io/6jg8p) correlational study and quantitative meta-analysis of the available literature, and attempted to locate further published and unpublished data (i.e. ‘grey literature’) by contacting n = 248 researchers in the 2D:4D and related fields. Subjects n = 58 heterosexual dating couples from the UK took part in our empirical study, and the meta-analysis included data from k = 11 samples. Outcome measures We measured digit ratio for the right hand (R2D:4D), left hand (L2D:4D), and average of both hands (M2D:4D), as well as the right-left-difference (D[R-L]). Results We found no evidence of significant positive intra-couple correlations in our own data, but a significant (positive) meta-analytic effect size estimate emerged for R2D:4D (r = 0.072, p = 0.014). The meta-analytic effects for L2D:4D (r = 0.043, p = 0.303), M2D:4D (r = 0.070, p = 0.225), and D[R-L] (r = 0.028, p = 0.649) were all in the same direction but not statistically significant. However, if the sample from Klimek et al. (2014, 2016) were omitted, meta-analysis would also yield a significant positive correlation for M2D:4D (r = 0.128, p = 0.001). Conclusions Although our findings are based on a fairly small range of studies, which themselves provide a relatively small sample of participants, they do imply the intriguing possibility of small effects of positive assortment in relation to characteristics associated with the prenatal hormonal environment.

Cap-and-trade regulation is widely applied as a carbon policy in low-carbon supply chain management. This study investigates production and carbon emission reduction strategies that are based on such regulation in a two-echelon supply chain, which comprises one manufacturer and one retailer. In this supply chain, the manufacturer directly participates in carbon emission reduction while the retailer is indirectly involved in low-carbon promotion. On this basis, we establish single and joint emission reduction models, in which supply chain members may adopt the one-way or two-way cost-sharing contracts. We then analyze the optimal strategy design for supply chain and the appropriate sharing rate contract. We find that the implementation of contracts can increase carbon emission abatement level, product quantity and supply chain profit. The one-way cost-sharing contract is beneficial for supply chain, whereas the two-way cost-sharing contract is also beneficial for supply chain when the sharing rate is in a small range. Under certain conditions, joint emission reduction model is optimal choice for supply chain. Meanwhile, the sharing rate can affect supply chain choice between decentralized and centralized decisions. Then we propose the extended multiple retailers model and find that this model offers better performance. In addition, carbon emission abatement level increases with carbon trading price by numerical study. The government can stimulate supply chain to reduce carbon emission by regulating carbon trading price, and should also pay attention to the impact on supply chain production and profits.

When food is ingested, it remains in the mouth for a short period of time. Although this period is brief compared to the total food nutrient digestion and absorption time, it is crucially important as it is the first step in digestion. It is also very important that, while the food is in the mouth, it is perceived by the senses and then a decision is made on swallowing. Oral sensory perception is an integrative response, which is generated in very short time (normally a few seconds) from complex information gathered from multiple sources during mastication and swallowing. Consequently, food oral processing studies include many orientations. This Special Issue brings together a small range of studies with a diversity of approaches that provide good examples of the complexity and multidisciplinarity of the subject. View Full-Text

Mainstream studies of microbial community focused on critical organisms and their physiology. Recent advances in large-scale metagenome analysis projects initiated new researches in the complex correlations between large microbial communities. Specifically, previous studies focused on the nodes (i.e. species) of the Species-Centric Networks (SCNs). However, little was understood about the change of correlation between network members (i.e. edges of the SCNs) when the network was disturbed. Here, we introduced a Correlation-Centric Network (CCN) to the microbial research based on the concept of edge networks. In CCN, each node represented a species–species correlation, and edge represented the species shared by two correlations. In this research, we investigated the CCNs and their corresponding SCNs on two large cohorts of microbiome. The results showed that CCNs not only retained the characteristics of SCNs, but also contained information that cannot be detected by SCNs. In addition, when the members of microbial communities were decreased (i.e. environmental disturbance), the CCNs fluctuated within a small range in terms of network connectivity. Therefore, by highlighting the important species correlations, CCNs could unveil new insights when studying not only the functions of target species, but also the stabilities of their residing microbial communities.

In this paper, a new method for determining weight coefficients by forming a non-decreasing series at criteria significance levels (the NDSL method) is presented. The NDLS method includes the identification of the best criterion (i.e., the most significant and most influential criterion) and the ranking of criteria in a decreasing series from the most significant to the least significant criterion. Criteria are then grouped as per the levels of significance within the framework of which experts express their preferences in compliance with the significance of such criteria. By employing this procedure, fully consistent results are obtained. In this paper, the advantages of the NDSL model are singled out through a comparison with the Best Worst Method (BWM) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) models. The advantages include the following: (1) the NDSL model requires a significantly smaller number of pairwise comparisons of criteria, only involving an n &minus, 1 comparison, whereas the AHP requires an n(n &minus, 1)/2 comparison and the BWM a 2n &minus, 3 comparison, (2) it enables us to obtain reliable (consistent) results, even in the case of a larger number of criteria (more than nine criteria), (3) the NDSL model applies an original algorithm for grouping criteria according to the levels of significance, through which the deficiencies of the 9-degree scale applied in the BWM and AHP models are eliminated. By doing so, the small range and inconsistency of the 9-degree scale are eliminated, (4) while the BWM includes the defining of one unique best/worst criterion, the NDSL model eliminates this limitation and gives decision-makers the freedom to express the relationships between criteria in accordance with their preferences. In order to demonstrate the performance of the developed model, it was tested on a real-world problem and the results were validated through a comparison with the BWM and AHP models.

‘Open-air school’ is the title given to a specific form of primary school classroom accommodation, built in Queensland between 1914 and 1922. A small range of open-air types sprang from the ‘portable’ predecessors, ‘tent schools’, and developed in tandem with the more conventional timber structures on the Department of Public Works repertoire. This thesis attempts to trace the reasons for adopting open-air principles, and for the demise of the buildings, not even a decade into their existence. The fresh air theory influenced buildings throughout the world. The contemporary situation in Queensland is discussed and a building assessment is undertaken.

We study scenarii linked with the Swiss cheese picture in dimension 3 obtained when two random walks are forced to meet often, or when one random walk is forced to squeeze its range. In the case of two random walks, we show that they most likely meet in a region of optimal density. In the case of one random walk, we show that a small range is reached by a strategy uniform in time. Both results rely on an original inequality estimating the cost of visiting sparse sites, and in the case of one random walk on the precise large deviation principle of van den Berg, Bolthausen and den Hollander (Ann. of Math. (2) 153 (2001) 355–406), including their sharp estimates of the rate functions in the neighborhood of the origin.

Humans can undergo circadian disruption and misalignment when living in closed environments without sufficient daylight. Therefore, it is of great significance to investigate the effects of artificial light on the circadian rhythm. In this work, the red, green, blue, warm white, and cool white (RGBWW) five-channel light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were fabricated as the only light sources in the closed environment. The LED mixed lighting showed a high color rendering index (CRI) all the time. During the day, the light simulated the daylight and increased the tunability of the circadian action factor (CAF) and correlated color temperature (CCT). At night, it maintained low CAF and CCT. Three subjects did irregular shift work in the closed environment for 38 days. Their plasma melatonin and daily activity were measured to assess the circadian rhythm. After 38 days, the subjects' peak melatonin times did not shift significantly (p = 0.676), while their peak melatonin concentrations increased apparently (p = 0.005). The start times of the least active 5-h period (L5) in one day fluctuated in a small range. The standard deviation (SD) was15.11 min in most times. These results demonstrated that the subjects' rhythms maintained stable and were enhanced. The periods of circular cross-correlation between activity and CAF oscillated around 24 h (SD = 15.4 min), indicating the entrainment of light on the stable 24-h rhythm. It was concluded that the daylight-like LED lighting effectively entrained and enhanced the circadian rhythm in the closed environment.

This chapter examines a small range of movement behavior and discusses the behavior of customers in the supermarkets of Japan as a narrow range of behaviors. First, from the results of existing research on movement behavior, we investigate the direction of research that targets this narrow scope and its issues. Then, we review the social environment in Japan. An overview of aging in Japan, the industrial trends of the retail industry, and those in the target supermarket category are presented. Next, the transaction data from actual stores is analyzed, and the tendency to sell products together is analyzed. Furthermore, to capture the information regarding customer movements in stores, we report the results of investigating customer movements by installing RFID antennas in the store. From the results of analyzing the tendency to sell products together and the results of in-store behavior recording experiments using RFID antennas, we were able to confirm the presence of customers who traveled around the store twice.

We investigate numerically the effect of introducing stretching-induced initial chirp on the soliton-effect pulse compression. We find both the positive and negative initial chirps can lead to improved compression, but through different mechanisms. With the positive initial chirp, the amount of stretching that yields the best achievable compression decreases for an increasing soliton number, whereas with the negative initial chirp, it increases. Moreover, we observe that the compression length can be substantially altered by stretching the pump, and it can even be shorter than that for the transform-limited pump within a small range of positive initial chirp. We note also, the stretching factor that gives the shortest pulse output extends the compression length by 1.23 times for any given soliton order. This study demonstrates that the soliton-effect compression can be readily controlled and optimised by placing a variable stretching element beforehand. It is useful especially in experimental setups where the length of the compressor cannot be readily modified.