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The number of children who are obese and overweight continues as a public health challenge despite decades of research. The purpose of this article is to describe trends in body mass index (BMI) percentile data collected from 11- to 14-year-old school children in 2008-2009 and 2015-2016 in rural Wisconsin. The BMI percentiles from 1,347 students were compared using time, gender, age, and school (public vs. parochial) as predictors. The trend over time indicated a decrease in students of healthy weight and an increase in those overweight or obese. Also noted was a significantly higher proportion of children who were overweight or obese in parochial compared to public schools. Discussed are the observed trends, community-wide initiatives implemented, as well as how schools can employ a more comprehensive approach to childhood obesity that first ensures community readiness and involves school, home, and community.

Studies on aerodynamic controls of central-slotted box decks primarily focused on mitigating vortex-induced vibrations (VIV), as this type of deck typically performs well against flutter instability. However, as the span length increases, the critical wind speed of aerodynamic static instability (U cr ) might be lower than flutter critical wind speed. Thus, U cr will determine the overall aerodynamic performance of such bridges. Investigating this instability through wind tunnel testing methods and numerical simulation can be expensive and time-consuming. In this paper, surrogate models using machine learning approaches, specifically artificial neural network (ANN) and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), were developed and optimized for fast and reliable prediction for U cr based on wind tunnel tests and simulation data. The results demonstrated that the built surrogate models can predict U cr accurately. The parametric study results showed that the height ratio of wind fairing apex (a/b), wind angle of attack (α), and length of the main span (L) have the most influence on the U cr compared with other parameters. Finally, based on the developed ANN surrogate model and the artificial bee colony (ABC) optimization algorithm, an optimized section was proposed to enhance the section's performance against aerodynamic static instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To solve the problem of poor activity, large accumulation and low utilization rate of lithium slag,a technical study on the preparation of alkali-activated cementitious materials with lithium slag as the main raw material and mineral powder as silicon-aluminum corrective material was proposed. Method;The influence of various influencing factors on the compressive strength of cementitious materials was explored by orthogonal experiments to obtain the optimal raw material ratio; the optimal activation conditions of lithium slag were obtained by mechanical activation and thermal activation, and the microstructure of lithium slag-based cementitious materials was characterized by XRD and SKM. Result; The results show that when the lithium slag is mechanically activated for 60 min utes and thermally activated at 650 *C for 1 hour with a content of 60%,a water glass modulus of 1,a water glass content of 12%,a liquid-solid ratio of 0. 4,a curing temperature of 20 *C,and a stirring time of 10 minutes,the 28-day strength of the cementitious material can reach 45. 52 MPa;the main hydration products of the cementitious material are sodium zeolite,C-S-H gel,leucite,etc. The gel fills the pores,increases the density,and improves the performance of the cementitious material. Significance;It provides a new idea for the comprehensive utilization of lithium slag. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BOE has succeeded in tiling an 8K Super‐size display by using small size AMOLED flexible screens with more delicate picture quality. Noticeably, the algorithm compensation solution was independently designed and verified by BOE, which was successfully applied to tiled screens to address the uneven tiled seam and brightness / chroma between different screens after tiling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind-induced stress analysis is essential for evaluating the local failure and fatigue damage of long-span bridges in wind-prone regions. Nevertheless, the accuracy of stress-level analysis can be affected by the choice of wind loading and structure models. This study formulates three scenarios to calculate the wind-induced response of a long-span bridge, incorporating two types of wind load models (lumped force or distributed force) and two types of finite element (FE) models (spine-beam or substructure). Specifically, Case 1 employs the lumped force and beam model, Case 2 adopts the lumped force and substructure model, and Case 3 utilizes the distributed force and substructure model. The aerodynamic parameters for forces and POD pressure modes are obtained through wind tunnel tests. By comparing the wind-induced structural response in terms of global behavior (displacement, acceleration) and local behavior (stress), the influence of wind loading and structure models is discussed. The findings reveal that employing a simplified beam model underestimates local stress, and neglecting wind load distribution leads to further underestimation. Therefore, the refined FE model and distributed wind load models are recommended for the precise assessment of wind-induced stresses in long-span bridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red rice, a variety of pigmented grain, serves dual purposes as both a food and medicinal resource. In recent years, we have witnessed an increasing interest in the dermatological benefits of fermented rice extracts, particularly their whitening and hydrating effects. However, data on the skincare advantages derived from fermenting red rice with Aspergillus oryzae remain sparse. This study utilized red rice as a substrate for fermentation by Aspergillus oryzae, producing a substance known as red rice Aspergillus oryzae fermentation (RRFA). We conducted a preliminary analysis of RRFA's composition followed by an evaluation of its skincare potential through various in vitro tests. Our objective was to develop a safe and highly effective skincare component for potential cosmetic applications. RRFA's constituents were assessed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), Kjeldahl nitrogen determination, the phenol-sulfuric acid method, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We employed human dermal fibroblasts (FB) to assess RRFA's anti-aging and antioxidative properties, immortalized keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) and 3D epidermal models to examine its moisturizing and reparative capabilities, and human primary melanocytes (MCs) to study its effects on skin lightening. Our findings revealed that RRFA encompasses several bioactive compounds beneficial for skin health. RRFA can significantly promote the proliferation of FB cells. And it markedly enhances the mRNA expression of ECM-related anti-aging genes and reduces reactive oxygen species production. Furthermore, RRFA significantly boosts the expression of Aquaporin 3 (AQP3), Filaggrin (FLG), and Hyaluronan Synthase 1 (HAS1) mRNA, alongside elevating moisture levels in a 3D epidermal model. Increases were also observed in the mRNA expression of Claudin 1 (CLDN1), Involucrin (IVL), and Zonula Occludens-1 (ZO-1) in keratinocytes. Additionally, RRFA demonstrated an inhibitory effect on melanin synthesis. Collectively, RRFA contains diverse ingredients which are beneficial for skin health and showcases multifaceted skincare effects in terms of anti-aging, antioxidant, moisturizing, repairing, and whitening capabilities in vitro, highlighting its potential for future cosmetic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]