Although some alternative metrics have been proposed in classical gravity, the singularity problem remains unresolved perfectly. To satisfy the super-gravitational requirement of a black hole without singularities, we propose some possible finite-size structure to avoid the confused one. In this research, the degenerate Fermi electron gas is first used to reveal that the Fermi electron gas cannot shrink to a point regardless of how much energy it obtains; therefore, the singularity existing at the center becomes very unreasonable. To avoid these problems, a finite-size nucleus of the black hole is proposed and explained by the behaviors of the Fermi electron gas and Fermi neutron gas for this finite-size nuclear model. We construct the Kerr-Newman black hole by using a non-rotating but charged finite-size nucleus, a compact-like star, which is surrounded by counter-rotating and corotating electrons. Based on this model, the super-gravity the same as the one from a black hole is presented, and the speed of light observed at far-away places can be nonzero at the event horizon.

Bio-inspired gyroid triply periodic minimum surface (TPMS) lattice structures have been the focus of research in automotive engineering because they can absorb a lot of energy and have wider plateau ranges. The main challenge is determining the optimal energy absorption capacity and accurately capturing plastic plateau areas using finite element analysis (FEA). Using nTop's Boolean subtraction method, this study combined walled TPMS gyroid structures with normal TPMS gyroid lattice. This made a composite TPMS-gyroid lattice with relative densities ranging from 14% to 54%. Using the ideaMaker software and the fused deposition modeling (FDM) Raise3D Pro 2 3D printer to print polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastics in 1.75 mm filament made it possible to slice computer aided design (CAD) models and fabricate 36 lattices samples precisely layer by layer technique. Shimadzu 100kN testing equipment was utilized for the mechanical compression experiments. And the validation using finite element analysis (FEA). Further, CTG was examined using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) before and after compression testing. The composite TPMS gyroid lattice showed potential as shock absorbers for vehicles with relative densities of 33%, 38%, and 54%. The Gibson-Ashby model showed that the composite TPMS gyroid lattice deformed mainly by bending, and the size effect was seen when the relative densities were less than 15%. The lattice's relative density had a significant impact on its ability to absorb energy. The research also explored the use of these innovative foam-like composite TPMS-gyroid lattices in high-speed crash box scenarios, potentially enhancing vehicle safety and performance.

This paper presents a new approach of eddy current methods for determining the size of the co-axial hole in the metallic circular disk. In recent decades, for the air-cored sensor probe, the impedance change due to the presence of an infinite metal plate can be calculated by the Dodd-Deeds model. However, in practical measurements, the sample cannot match with the condition required - ‘infinite’, thus the Dodd-Deeds model could not be applied to the disk with finite size and certainly not a co-axial hole in the center. In this paper, a dual-constraint analytical method is proposed. That is, the upper and lower limits of the integration are substituted with specific values instead of the original 0 and . Besides, it is found that, once the outer radius of the disk is fixed (i.e. the lower limit of integration is fixed), the upper limit reduces linearly as the size of the coaxial hole increases. Both the FEM simulation and experiments have been carried out to validate this method. The radius of the hole can be estimated based on the dual-constraint integration feature.

The Finite size Lyapunov exponent (FSLE) has been used extensively since the late 1990’s to diagnose turbulent regimes from Lagrangian experiments and to detect Lagrangian coherent structures in geophysical flows and two-dimensional turbulence. Historically, the FSLE was defined in terms of its computational method rather than via a mathematical formulation, and the behavior of the FSLE in the turbulent inertial ranges is based primarily on scaling arguments. Here we propose an exact definition of the FSLE based on conditional averaging of the finite amplitude growth rate (FAGR) of the particle pair separation. With this new definition, we show that the FSLE is a close proxy for the inverse structural time, a concept introduced a decade before the FSLE. The (in)dependence of the FSLE on initial conditions is also discussed, as well as the links between the FAGR and other relevant Lagrangian metrics, such as the finite time Lyapunov exponent and the second order velocity structure function.

This study investigates the impact of specimen size on the mechanical properties of wood, specifically focusing on compression strength, elastic modulus, and Poisson's ratio. Compression tests were conducted using three different specimen sizes (20mm×20mm×30mm, 40mm×40mm×60mm, 60mm×90mm×90mm) in the longitudinal, radial, and tangential directions. Mechanical parameters, failure mechanisms, load-displacement curves, and stress-strain relationships were systematically analyzed for each size. The study also evaluated the influence of specimen size on the accuracy of finite element numerical simulations by utilizing the obtained mechanical parameters. The results reveal a significant correlation between compressive strength and specimen size, indicating a decrease in compressive strength with increasing specimen size. Conversely, elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio exhibit less sensitivity to variations in specimen size. Notably, parameters derived from small-sized specimens (20mm×20mm×30mm) exhibited substantial errors, while those obtained from medium-sized (40mm×40mm×60mm) and large-sized specimens (60mm×90mm×90mm) demonstrated greater reliability, providing precise results in finite element numerical simulations.

Eddy current based approaches have been investigated for a wide range of inspection applications. Dodd-Deeds model and the truncated region eigenfunction expansion (TREE) method are widely applied in various occasions, mostly for the cases that the sample is relatively larger than the radius of the sensor coil. The TREE method converts the integral expressions to the summation of many terms in the truncated region. In a recent work, the impedance of the co-axial air-cored sensor due to a plate of finite radius was calculated by the modified Dodd-Deeds analytical approach proposed by authors. In this paper, combining the modified analytical solution and the TREE method, a new finite region eigenfunction expansion (FREE) method is proposed. This method involves modifying its initial summation point from the first zero of the Bessel function to a value related to the radius of the plate, therefore makes it suitable for plate with finite dimensions. Experiments and simulations have been carried out and compared for the verification of the proposed method. Further, the planar size measurements of the metallic circular plate can be achieved by utilising the measured peak frequency feature.

Pedigree data of the Border Collie dog breed was constructed in Hungary, to examine genetic diversity within the breed and between its different lines. The database based on available herd books from the development of the breed (the late 1800s) until now. The constructed pedigree file consisted of 13 339 individuals from which 1567 dogs (born between 2010 and 2016) composed the reference population that are still alive and active from breeding aspect. Since the breed is subdivided by phenotype, the reference population was dissected according to the existing lines. The number of founders was 894 but only 8 individuals were responsible for contributing 50% of the genetic variability. The reference population had a pedigree completeness 99.6% until 15 generations and inbreeding coefficient of 9.86%, respectively. Due to the changing breed standards and the requirements of the potential buyers the effective population size substantially decreased between 2010 and 2016. Generation intervals varied between 4.09 and 4.71 years where the sire paths were longer due to the later ages when males begin their breeding carrier compared to females. Genetic differences among the existing lines calculated by fixation indices are not significant, nonetheless ancestral inbreeding coefficients are able to show the contrasts.

Asphaltenes constitute a heavy fraction of fossil fuels and their characterization is still a very difficult and challenging issue due to their complex and variable composition. Asphaltene components are highly condensed aromatic molecules having some heteroatom and aliphatic functionalities. Their molecular weights distribution span a wide range, from hundreds to millions of units, in dependence on the diagnostic used, leading to speculation about possible occurrence of self-aggregation. In the present work, mass spectrometry, with properly developed mathematical methods, size ex-clusion chromatography and X-ray diffraction analysis have been applied to asphaltenes for giving some further insight on their MW distribution and characteristics. The results here reported give further quantitative support to the experimental data interpretation already reported in previous works.

This paper introduces an innovative approach to numerically model Structure-Soil-Structure Interaction (SSSI) by integrating the Boundary Element Method (BEM) and the Finite Element Method (FEM) in a coupled manner. To assess the accuracy of the proposed method, a comparative study is undertaken, comparing its outcomes with those generated by the conventional FEM technique. Alongside accuracy, the computational efficiency aspect is crucial for the analysis of large-scale SSSI problems. Hence, the computational performance of the coupled BEM-FEM method undergoes a thorough examination and is compared with that of the standalone FEM method. The results from these comparisons illustrate the superior capabilities of the proposed method in comparison to the FEM method. The novel approach provides more reliable results compared to traditional FEM methods, serving as a valuable tool for engineers and researchers involved in structural analysis and design.

It is commonly recognized that a ship’s ability to maintain stability is dependent upon the way its loads are distributed. This means making sure the center of gravity is sufficiently low and evenly distributed. Yet when a ship encounters turbulent water with extremely large wave amplitudes, load distribution is a critical factor in determining how stressed the ship becomes. In particular, this article examines several methods for increasing the ship's longitudinal strength to prevent ship structural damage during hogging and sagging. This research presents a number of proposed techniques to enhance the longitudinal strength of cargo ships in order to guarantee minimal stress and deformation during sagging and hogging. The first method is the stern-to-bow use of curved support structures to increase the longitudinal strength of a cargo ship. And another way to stiffen the lateral plate is the proposed use of different designs of the side plate, such as wavy curves, stars, etc. To further boost the strength, the lateral plate upper part is suggested to curve upward. A numerical simulation using ANSYS of the stiffened plate when subjected to uniform load distribution and fixed support on either end shows that there is a decrease in deformation of the plate when we use wavy curved plates compared with those of the other plate stiffening methods used, and furthermore, curving the plate on top increases its strength during sagging as well as hogging. Finally, the use of a curved support structure further enhanced the overall longitudinal strength of the vessel.

Overexpression of a constitutively active truncated form of OsCDPK1 (OEtr) in rice produced smaller seeds, but a double-stranded RNA gene-silenced form of OsCDPK1 (Ri) yielded large seeds, suggesting that OsCDPK1 plays a functional role in rice seed development. In the study presented here, we propose a model in which OsCDPK1 plays key roles in negatively controlling the grain size, amylose content, and endosperm appearance, and also affects the physicochemical properties of the starch. The dehulled transgenic OEtr grains were smaller than the dehulled wild-type grains, and the OEtr endosperm was opaque and had a low amylose content and numerous small loosely packed polyhedral starch granules. However, the OEtr grain sizes and endosperm appearances were not affected by the temperature being either optimal (25 °C ) or low (22 °C) or high (31 °C) during the grain-filling phase. In contrast, the transgenic Ri grains were larger, had higher amylose contents, and had more transparent endosperms filled with tightly packed polyhedral starch granules. This demonstrates that OsCDPK1 plays a novel functional role in starch biosynthesis during seed development and affects the transparent appearance of the endosperm. These results improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms through which the grain filling process occurs in rice.

Complex-structured polymeric microparticles hold significant promise as advance in next-generation medicine mostly due to demand from developing targeted drug delivery. However, the conventional methods for producing these microparticles of defined size, shape and sophisticated composition often face challenges in scalability, reliance on specialized components such as micro-patterned templates, or have limited control over particle size distribution and cargo release kinetics. In this study, we introduce a novel and reliably scalable approach for manufacturing microparticles of defined structures and sizes with variable parameters. The concept behind this method involves the deposition of a specific number of polymer layers on a substrate with low surface energy. Each layer can serve as either the carrier for cargo or a programmable shell-former with predefined permeability. Subsequently, this layered structure is precisely cut into desired-sized blanks using a laser. The manufacturing process is completed by applying of heat to the substrate what results on sealing the edges of the blanks. The combination of the high surface tension of the molten polymer and the low surface energy of the substrate enables the formation of discrete particles, each possessing semi-spherical or other designed geometries determined by their internal composition. Such anisotropic microparticles are envisaged versatile applications.

According to the development needs of marine seismic station networking, it is necessary to develop a marine seismometer with a networking function to realize quasi-real-time and large-scale long-term observation of undersea seismic signals. This can lay a solid foundation for marine seismic research and research on earth tectonics, activities, and processes. Based on the advantages and disadvantages of the existing observation equipment, this study proposed to develop a new type of the Autonomous Glide Marine Seismometer(AGMS) that can be applied to the global sea area, focusing on the design and study of the main structure of the carrier of the AGMS. The ultimate strength of the ellipsoidal pressure-resistant spherical shell is investigated by using the finite element analysis method. A reasonable finite element analysis model is proposed through comparing the finite element parameter results with the theoretical formulas and relevant specifications. Finally, the design process and strength checking of the pressure-resistant shell of the AGMS are established. These relevant results can also provide a reference for the design of other deep-sea pressure-resistant chambers.

The cuttlebone-like structure is a complex porous bionic structure with asymmetric sinusoidal S-shaped wall structure connecting laminar septa, and studies have shown that the cuttlebone-like structure has light weight, high strength and excellent energy absorption capability. It has become an important research to investigate the mechanical mechanism of cuttlebone-like structure and to design a bionic structure beyond nature structure based on it. In order to investigate the mechanical properties of the static compression and shearing processes of the cuttlebone-like structure, this paper establishes theoretical formulas and analyzes the influence of dimensionless parameters such as height-to-thickness ratio $\lambda$, period-to-thickness ratio $\xi$ and amplitude to period ratio $\eta$ on the compression and shearing processes with the help of ABAQUS finite element software.The parameter sensitivity analysis method was used to compare the important influence degree of each dimensionless parameter on the mechanical properties of the structure and to determine the relative optimal parameters of the structural mechanical properties under compression and shearing. Based on the relatively optimal parameter of the cuttlebone-like structure, the cross-sectional geometry of the structure is improved to build a new cuttlebone-like structure.The experimental results showed that the new cuttlebone-like structure with revised cross-section improved the mechanical properties of the cuttlebone-like structure.The study results are of theoretical guidance to enhance the mechanical properties and geometric design of cuttlebone-like structures.

In many advanced industrial applications, the thickness is a critical index, especially for metallic coatings. However, the variance of lift-off spacing between sensors and test pieces affects the measured voltage or impedance, which leads to unreliable results from the sensor. Massive research works have been proposed to address the lift-off issue, but few of them applies to the thickness measurement of planar metallic films with finite-size circular (disk) geometry. Previously, a peak-frequency feature from the swept-frequency inductance was used to compensate the measurement error caused by lift-offs, which was based on the slow-changing rate of impedance phase term in the Dodd-Deeds formulas. However, the phase of measured impedance is nearly invariant merely on a limited range of sample thicknesses and working frequencies. Besides, the frequency sweeping is time-consuming, where a recalibration is needed for different sensor setups applied to the online real-time measurement. In this paper, a single-frequency algorithm has been proposed, which is embedded in the measurement instrument for the online real-time retrieval of thickness. Owing to the single-frequency measurement strategy, the proposed method does not need to recalibrate for different sensor setups. The thickness retrieval is based on a triple-coil sensor (with one transmitter and two receivers). The thickness of metallic disk foils is retrieved from the measured electrical resistance of two transmitter-receiver sensing pairs. Experiments on materials of different electrical conductivities (from direct current), thicknesses and planar sizes (radii) have been carried out to verify the proposed method. The error for the thickness retrieval of conductive disk foils is controlled within 5 % for lift-offs up to 5 mm.

In this study, we design a new refractive index sensor based on a metal–insulator–metal waveguide coupled with a notched ring and vertical rectangular resonators. We use the finite element method to study the propagation characteristics of the sensor. According to the calculation results, the transmission spectrum exhibits a typical Fano resonance shape. The phenomenon of Fano resonance is caused by the coupling between the wide spectrum and narrow spectrum. In the design, the wide spectrum signal is generated by the vertical rectangular resonator, while the narrow spectrum signal is generated by the notched ring resonator. In addition, we varied the structural parameters of the resonators and filled the structure with media of different refractive indices to study the sensing properties. The maximum achieved sensitivity of the sensor reached 1071.4 nm/RIU. The results reveal potential applications of the coupled system in the field of sensors.

Phytoplankton guilds are commonly characterised by dominance effects, while the main contribution to biological diversity is given by rare species. Here, we analysed the influence of rare species on taxonomic and functional diversity, described by taxa richness and composition, cell size and size abundance relationships in phytoplankton guilds. We explore these relationships at global and regional scales by analysing phytoplankton guilds from five biogeographical regions: Northern Atlantic Ocean (Scotland), South-Western Atlantic Ocean (Brazil), South-Western Pacific Ocean (Australia), Indo-Pacific Ocean (Maldives) and Mediterranean Sea (Greece and Turkey). We have comparatively analysed the phytoplankton taxonomic diversity of the whole dataset and with the datasets obtained by progressively subtracting taxa occurring in the last 1%, 5%, 10% and 25% of both numerical abundance and overall biomass. Globally 306 taxa were identified across five ecoregions with only 27 taxa accounting for the 75% of overall numerical abundance and biomass; almost the 50% of taxa were lost on every step. The removal of 1% most rare taxa significantly affected the phytoplankton size-abundance relationships and body-size structure, strongly impacting on small taxa. The progressive removal of additional rare taxa did not further affect phytoplankton size-abundance relationships and size structure.

The out-of-equilibrium dynamics of many body systems has recently received a burst of interest, also due to experimental implementations. The dynamics of both observables, such as magnetization and susceptibilities, and quantum information related quantities, such as concurrence and entanglement entropy, have been investigated under different protocols bringing the system out of equilibrium. In this paper we focus on the entanglement entropy dynamics under a sinusoidal drive of the tranverse magnetic field in the 1D quantum Ising model. We find that the area and the volume law of the entanglement entropy coexist under periodic drive for an initial non-critical ground state. Furthermore, starting from a critical ground state, the entanglement entropy exhibits finite size scaling even under such a periodic drive. This critical-like behaviour of the out-of-equilibrium driven state can persist for arbitrarily long time, provided that the entanglement entropy is evaluated on increasingly subsytem sizes, whereas for smaller sizes a volume law holds. Finally, we give an interpretation of the simultaneous occurrence of critical and non-critical behaviour in terms of the propagation of Floquet quasi-particles.

Digital twin, an innovative technology propelled by data and models, plays a seminal role in the digital transformation and intelligent upgrade of ships. This study introduces a digital twin methodology for real-time monitoring of ship structure deformation fields, based on finite discrete strain data, and a visualization tool framework is developed using virtual reality technology. First, the inverse Finite Element Method (iFEM) is employed to derive the deformation field of the ship structure in real time via sensor strain data. Secondly, the deformation field data obtained based on the iFEM algorithm is converted into general visualization data conducive to interpretation within VR applications. Lastly, a digital twin software tool is built to enable synchronous response and interaction between the virtual scene and the physical scene, directly superposing particular virtual objects (data acquired by sensors, CAD virtual models, and deformation field cloud images) onto the physical scene in real-time. The digital twin tool embodies a virtual reality visualization system framework integrating physical data measurement, reconstruction, analysis, expression, storage, rendering and interaction of deformation field data. Through practical application, the flexibility, effectiveness and compatibility of the developed prototype tool are verified. According to the results, the system can enhance the efficiency of scientific communication, model validation, and interdisciplinary sharing during the analysis and evaluation of mechanical properties of ship structures.

In this paper a new monolithic Eulerian formulation in the framework of non-classical continuum is presented for the analysis of fluid-strucutre interaction problems. In this respect, Cosserat continuum theory taking into account the micro-rotational degrees of freedom of the particles is considered. Continuum description of the model and variational formulation of the governing flow dynamics for non-classical -fluid-structure interaction nCFSI is presented. The model is analyzed by computing a well known benchmark problem by Hecht and Pironneau [16]. The algorithmic description is presented and implemented using FreeFEM++. Code is validated with the benchmark solution of Turek and Hron [38] in case of flow around a flag attached with cylinder. New microstructral behavior of the solution is studied and numerical simulations and results are shown in the form of figures. Some interesting feature of the flow is observed and microstructural characteristics are discussed.

‘Inner mitochondrial membrane peptidase 2 like’ (IMMP2L) is a nuclear encoded mitochondrial peptidase that has been conserved through evolutionary history as has its target enzyme ‘mitochondrial glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase 2’ (GPD2). IMMP2L is known to cleave the mitochondrial transit peptide from GPD2 and another nuclear encoded mitochondrial respiratory related protein cytochrome C1 (CYC1). However, it is not known whether IMMP2L peptidase activates or alters the activity or respiratory related functions of GPD2 or CYC1. Previous investigations found compelling evidence of behavioural change in the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse and in this study EchoMRI analysis found that many organs of the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse were smaller and that the KO mouse had significantly less lean mass and overall body weight compared with wildtype littermates (p<0.05). Moreover, all of the organs analysed from the Immp2lKD-/- KO had lower relative levels of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mitoROS). The kidneys of the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse displayed the greatest decrease in mitoROS levels that were over 50% less compared with wildtype litter mates. Mitochondrial respiration was also lower in the kidney of the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse compared with other tissues when using succinate as the respiratory substrate, whereas respiration was similar to wildtype when glutamate was used as substrate. When glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) was used as the substrate for Gpd2 we observed ~20% and ~7% respective decreases in respiration in female and male Immp2lKD-/- KO mice over time. Together these findings suggest that the respiratory related functions of mGpd2 and Cyc1 have been compromised to different degrees in different tissues in the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse. Structural analyses using AlphaFold2-Multimer further predicted that the interaction between Cyc1 and mitochondrial encoded cytochrome b (Cyb) in Complex III had been altered as had the homodimeric structure of the mGpd2 enzyme within the inner mitochondrial membrane of the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse. mGpd2 functions as an integral component of the glycerol phosphate shuttle (GPS) which positively regulates both mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis. Interestingly, we found that nonmitochondrial respiration (NMR) was also dramatically lowered in the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse. Primary mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cell lines derived from the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse displayed a ~27% decrease in total respiration comprised of a ~50% decrease in NMR and a ~12% decrease in total mitochondrial respiration where the latter was consistent with the decreases in substrate specific mitochondrial respiration reported here. This study is the first to report the role of Immp2l in enhancing Gpd2 structure and function, mitochondrial respiration, nonmitochondrial respiration, organ size and homeostasis.

To investigate the impact of a magnetic field on plaque development in a stenotic bifurcated artery, a finite element method is utilized. The blood flow is modelled as a stable, incompressible, Newtonian, biomagnetic, and laminar fluid. Furthermore, the arterial wall is assumed to be linear elastic. The Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) method is employed to describe the hemodynamic flow in a bifurcated artery under the influence of an asymmetric magnetic field, taking into account two-way fluid-structure interaction coupling. A stable $P_2P_1$ finite element pair discretizes a nonlinear system of partial differential equations that requires a solution. The Newton-Raphson method is utilized to find a solution to the resulting nonlinear algebraic equation system. Numerical modelling is used to simulate the presence of magnetic fields, and the resulting displacement, velocity magnitude, pressure, and wall shear stresses are shown for a range of Reynolds numbers ($Re = 500$, $1000$, $1500$, and $2000$). The results of the numerical analysis demonstrate that the presence of a magnetic field has a significant effect not only on the magnitude of displacement but also on the velocity of the flow. The application of a magnetic field reduces flow separation, extends the recirculation area near the stenosis, and increases wall shear stress.

The characteristics of tight sandstone, such as small pores, complex pore structures, low permeability, and low porosity, make it difficult to accurately characterize its pore structure. This represents a major challenge in the exploration and development of tight sandstone oil and gas reservoirs. This article conducts a simulation study on the impact of characteristic parameters such as pore size, coordination number, pore-throat ratio, and wettability on microscopic remaining oil after polymer flooding, thereby quantifying the types of remaining oil.

Most of the mid-high permeability sandstone oilfields in China have entered the ultra-high water cut stage, accompanied with the highly-dispersed residual oil, and the control effect of mi-cro-heterogeneity on the residual oil is increasingly prominent. Understanding the microscopic characteristics of pore structural and its evolution during the long-term waterflooding is critical for enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of oil field exploitation. While the previous insights paid more attention to the geometrical and morphological features of pore structure and ignores the relation of pore structure with the fluid flow capacity. In this study, we propose a microscopic pore structure classification method considering pore size and local permeable capacity, which realizes the physical classification and quantitative evaluation of pore structure characteristics for different permeability rocks. The micro-pore structure is classified into 6 types based on the key evaluation parameters of pore diameter and flow flux area. By taking six mid-high permea-bility sandstone core samples from Daqing oilfield in China, a series of long-term waterflooding experiments are carried out and the interior pore structure was captured using high precision CT scanning technique. The results reveals that high-permeability reservoirs exhibit concentrated pores diameters and finer throats, whereas mid-permeability reservoirs exhibit smaller pores and throats in greater quantity. With the increase of water injection volumes, the permeable ca-pacity and connectivity of the high-connectivity pore space in ultra-high- and high-permeability reservoirs are enhanced, and in mid-permeability reservoirs, the micro-heterogeneity intensifies the increase in low-connectivity small pores. These findings provide new insights for the micro-scopic heterogeneity and a solid theoretical basis for investigating the occurrence of microscopic residual oil and optimising enhanced oil recovery strategies at the late stage of ultra-high water cut.

In the process of use and manufacture, carbon fiber foam sandwich structures were often damaged by low-energy impact, resulting in performance degradation. Therefore, it was necessary to study the damage caused by low-speed impact of composite sandwich structures. In this paper, based on Hashin failure criterion, an equivalent finite element model of carbon fiber foam sandwich panel under low velocity impact was established. The model was used to simulate the damage of foam sandwich panel with [±45°/±45°/ (core) /±45°/±45°] ply structure under the impact energy of 10.58J, 21.17J, 31.75J and 42.34J. The simulation results of impact damage depth were compared with the experimental results. The error was less than 10%, which proved the rationality of the impact equivalent model. The model was used to predict and analyze the damage of foam sandwich panels with [±45°/ (core) /±45°], [±45°/ (0°, 90°) / (core) /±45°] and [±45°/ (0°, 90°) (core) / (0°, 90°) /±45°] ply structures under 21.17J impact energy. By comparing and analyzing the damage situation, impact force response time and impact velocity response time, the low energy impact resistance was analyzed. The results showed that increasing the number of ply structure of [±45°] can reduce the impact damage degree and improve the bearing capacity of sandwich panels.

This research investigates the complex transformation of the Baltic Clean and Dirty Tankers markets from 1998 to 2023. Our study quantifies the market multifractality in two distinct periods, from 1998 to 2010 and 2010 to 2023. We compare multifractal measures of the original, surrogated, and shuffled data, which indicate high multifractality and a complex market structure influenced by temporal organization and inherent volatility. Shuffled data analysis emphasizes the critical role of temporal sequences within market behaviour. Additionally, the study delves into external factors such as regulatory changes, economic disturbances, technological innovation, and environmental concerns contributing to market complexity. A distinct shift in multifractal values between the two periods suggests an evolution from crisis-induced complexities to a market influenced by diversified and modern dynamics. Our findings offer a concise understanding of the multifractal nature of the tanker markets and how global crises can impact the markets, emphasizing the importance of considering systemic risks in freight market analysis.

In view of the complexity of the pile foundation underpinning structure system and the stringent requirements of the construction process, this paper briefly describes the necessity of introducing epoxy resin reinforcing adhesive of planting rebar in the design of pile foundation underpinning beam structure to im-prove the mechanical properties of the underpinning beam new and old concrete joint surfaces and proposes a new type of pile foundation underpinning beam system construction method by “chiseling + prestressed reinforcement + epoxy resin reinforcing adhesive”. This paper uses an actual pile foundation underpinning project of an urban overpass as a prototype, designs and creates a model structure with a similarity ratio of 1/6, and performs repeated pro-gressive static loading tests to study the load carrying capacity, displacement change, and other properties of the underpinning structure, as well as analyses and distorts the overall working performance and failure mode of them. On this basis, the prototype structure's finite element analysis model was built, and the finite element analysis results were compared with the test results to get the mechanical properties and deformation characters of the actual pile foundation under-pinning structure system corresponding to the actual underpinning beam load. This paper's study can lay the theoretical and experimental foundation for the smooth development of similar projects.

The tension cable-supported power transmission structure (TC-PTS) is a new type of power transmission structure suitable for mountainous terrain, which is sensitive to wind load. In this regard, a nonlinear finite element analysis model of wind-induced vibration is proposed for the TC-PTS, and the wind-induced vibration response of the structure is analyzed. Firstly, the tangent stiffness matrix of the three-dimensional truss element for the supporting suspension cable and transmission line, considering the geometric nonlinearity of structures, is derived through the relationship between the element elastic energy and its displacement. Subsequently, the element mass matrix and damping matrix of the supporting suspension cable and transmission line, as well as the element nodal load vector obtained from wind load equivalence are given. Then, based on the nonlinear finite element theory, the nonlinear dynamic equation of wind-induced vibration is established for the TC-PTS and solved by Newmark-β method combined with Newton-Raphson iterative method. Furthermore, the rain-flow counting method and Miner's linear fatigue cumulative damage theory were used for wind induced fatigue damage assessment. Finally, a two-span TC-PTS is selected as an example, and the wind-induced nonlinear vibration and fatigue damage assessment are analyzed through the proposed model. The results show that the proposed model has high computational accuracy and efficiency. With the increase of wind speed and wind direction angle, the maximum lateral displacement and tension of the supporting suspension cable and transmission line increase, and their degree of increase shows a nonlinear trend. In terms of the wind-induced fatigue analysis results of TC-PTS, the fatigue damage at the end of the supporting-conductor suspension cable is greater than the fatigue damage at its midpoint. Compared to the fatigue damage at the midpoint of the conductor, the fatigue damage at the end of the conductor is less affected by wind direction angle, and both are more significantly affected by the wind speed.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the preoperative modeling of fluid-structure interaction in the treatment of cerebral aneurysms. In this study, we investigate two cases involving laminar incompressible fluid flow interacting with hyperelastic materials (a vertical flap and aneurysm walls) under the effect of fluid flow. We present a finite element method (FEM) for these prototypical two-dimensional ($2D$) configurations, taking into account the complex flows and deformation of the variant's structure models. We use an Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) formulation in a continuum, fully monolithic coupled way, and discretize the fluid and solid domains using the quadratic LBB stable $P_2P_1$ finite element pair to approximate the displacement, velocity, and pressure spaces independently. The resulting discretized form of the nonlinear algebraic system is linearized using a variant of Newton's procedure, and the Jacobian matrices are approximated via the divided difference method. The resulting linear systems are solved using a direct solver MUMPS. We evaluate hydrodynamic forces such as drag and lift coefficients for nonlinear elastic material models, including Saint-Venant Kirchoff, Neo-Hookean, and Mooney-Rivlin (2 parameters) separately. To gain more physical insight into the problem, we verify the computed results by comparing the velocity, viscosity, and pressure fields. Our aim is to qualitatively analyze the changes in the mechanics of the wall behavior of the elasticity of the flap vs. the complexity of deformation, interface, details for prototypical flow situations, corresponding displacement, and deformation. We also provide a physical interpretation of blood flow magnitude and basic hemodynamic phenomena of wall shear stresses (WSS) in aneurysma and the range of deformation. Overall, this study presents a comprehensive approach to modeling fluid-structure interaction in cerebral aneurysms, which could help in the development of more effective treatment strategies.

We present a finite element model updating technique for soil-structure system identification of the Millikan Library building using the seismic data recorded during the 2002 Yorba Linda earthquake. A detailed finite element (FE) model of the Millikan Library building is developed in OpenSees and updated using a sequential Bayesian estimation approach for joint parameter and input identification. A two-step system identification approach is devised. First, the fixed-base structural model is updated to estimate the structural model parameters (including effective elastic modulus of structural components, distributed floor mass, and Rayleigh damping parameters) and some uncertain components of the foundation-level motion. Then, the identified structural model is used for soil-structure model updating wherein the Rayleigh damping parameters, the stiffness and viscosity of the soil subsystem (modeled using a substructure approach), and the foundation input motions (FIMs) are estimated. The identified model parameters are compared with state-of-practice recommendations. While a specific application is made for the Millikan Library, the present work offers a framework for integrating large-scale FE models with measurement data for model inversion. By utilizing this framework for different civil structures and earthquake records, key structural model parameters can be estimated from the real-world recorded data, which can subsequently be used for assessing and improving, as necessary, state-of-the-art seismic analysis and structural modeling techniques. This paper presents an effort towards using real-world measurements for large-scale FE model updating in the soil and structure, uniform soil time domain for joint parameter and input estimation, and thus paves the way for future applications in system identification, health monitoring and diagnosis of civil structures.

New families of direct serendipity and direct mixed finite elements on general planar, strictly convex polygons were recently defined by the authors. The finite elements of index r are H1 and H(div) conforming, respectively, and approximate optimally to order r+1 while using the minimal number of degrees of freedom. The shape function space consists of the full set of polynomials defined directly on the element and augmented with a space of supplemental functions. The supplemental functions were constructed as rational functions, which can be difficult to integrate accurately using numerical quadrature rules when the index is high. This can result in a loss of accuracy in certain cases. In this work, we propose alternative ways to construct the supplemental functions on the element as continuous piecewise polynomials. One approach results in supplemental functions that are in Hp for any p≥1. We prove the optimal approximation property for these new finite elements. We also perform numerical tests on them, comparing results for the original supplemental functions and the various alternatives. The new piecewise polynomial supplements can be integrated accurately, and therefore show better robustness with respect to the underlying meshes used.

The manipulation of participant allocation in randomized controlled trials to achieve equal groups sizes may introduce allocation bias potentially leading to larger treatment effect estimates. This study aimed to estimate the proportion of nursing trials that have precisely equal group sizes and examine if there was an association with trial outcome. Data were extracted from a sample of 148 randomized controlled trials published in nursing science journals in 2017. One hundred trials (68%) had precisely equal group sizes. Respectively, a positive outcome was reported in 70% and 58% of trials with equal/unequal groups. Trials from Asia were more likely to have equal group sizes than those from the rest of the world. Most trials reported a sample size calculation (n=105, 71%). In a third of trials (n=36, 34%), the number of participants recruited precisely matched the requirement of the sample size calculation; this was significantly more common in studies with equal group sizes. The high number of nursing trials with equal groups may suggest nurses con-ducting clinical trials are manipulating participant allocation to ensure equal group size increasing the risk of bias.

Introduction: The purposes of this study were to seek for overall ratio (OR) and anterior ratio (AR) patients data in normal occlusion and Angle’s malocclusion studies, and to assess if such results support Bolton’s standards as general references. Methods: Pubmed, Medline, CENTRAL and Scholar databases were searched up to February 2018 (CRD42018088438). Gray literature was explored through OpenGray. Non-randomized clinical studies, published in English and assessing Bolton’s OR and AR in normal occlusion and Angle’s malocclusion groups (Class I, Class II, Class II division 1, Class 2 division 2, Class III) patients were included. OR and AR means and standard deviations (SD) were collected. Potential covariates (study design, publication year, country where the study was conducted, number of cases, gender, mesiodistal measurement method, and calibration method) were also extracted. The National Health Heart Lung, and Blood Institute’s Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies was used to assess each included studies quality. Pairwise Random-Effects and Multilevel Bayesian Network Meta-Analyses were used to synthesize available data. Results: Fifty-two observational studies were included (8872 participants; male/females 2674/3272; 16 studies lacked gender information). For normal occlusion, global pooled estimates for OR and AR means were 91.74% (95% CI: 91.37-92.10) and 78.24% (95% CI: 77.85-78.63), respectively. We could identify on Angle’s Class III patients meaningful OR and AR mean deviations from normal occlusion (0.89, 95% credible interval [CrI], 0.66-1.12, and 0.66, 95% CrI, 0.38-0.94, respectively), while on Class I patients we found a meaningful mean deviation from normal occlusion only for OR (0.25, 95% CrI, 0.03-0.47). Concerning gender impact, male patients presented higher OR (0.30, 95% CI 0.00-0.59) and AR (0.41, 95% CI 0.00-0.83) mean values than females in Class I. Conclusions: The results show that global pooled OR and AR mean values for normal occlusion patients are slightly above Bolton’s original values. Class I, for OR mean values, and Class III, for both OR and AR, are proportionally larger than normal occlusion patients. Gender had almost no impact on teeth mesiodistal proportion.

Concretizing the mechanisms of Bergmann rule, we found saw-tooth pattern in body size variation in ground beetle Pterostichus oblongopunctatus. We sampled beetles in 2010 – 2018 at the forest undisturbed plots on the broad territory in Russia. Investigating regions covered territory, extending to 3 degrees latitude and 19 degrees longitude. We measured six traits in every of 3294 caught individual. ANOVA showed that latitude, and sex affected significantly body size of the species studied. Mean values of each trait changed significantly from one studied region to another in females and males as well. Sexual size dimorphism in species was female-biased. We performed models in R to estimate the steepness of body size variation in both sexes. In overwhelming majority of cases that parameter was equal in both sexes. So the hypothesis, that male′s variation is steeper in latitude gradient was not confirmed.

Every finite simple group P can be generated by two of its elements. Pairs of generators forP are available in the Atlas of finite group representations as (not necessarily minimal) permutation representations P . It is unusual but significant to recognize that a P is a Grothendieck’s dessin d’enfant D and that a wealth of standard graphs and finite geometries G - such as near polygons and their generalizations - are stabilized by a D. In our paper, tripods P − D − G of rank larger than two,corresponding to simple groups, are organized into classes, e.g. symplectic, unitary, sporadic, etc (as in the Atlas). An exhaustive search and characterization of non-trivial point-line configurationsdefined from small index representations of simple groups is performed, with the goal to recognize their quantum physical significance. All the defined geometries G's have a contextuality parameterclose to its maximal value 1.

Scientists, politicians, and practitioners are debating the current structure of pig farms in Lithuania, as medium and small farms have almost disappeared over the past decade. The debated problem is whether the revitalization of medium and small pig farms would sustainably contribute to self-sufficiency in pork? Therefore, this research aims to determine which farms in terms of size could be the most perspective. In order to achieve this aim the multi-criteria evaluation method TOPSIS was used. The economic, production and environmental indicators of Lithuanian pig farms and pig farming sector in Lithuania and selected EU countries: Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Germany, and Denmark were analyzed in this research. The multi-criteria evaluation led to the conclusion that Danish pig farms were the best managed. Germany occupied the second place. The industrial large farms were found as dominated in those countries. Large pig farms (approximately two thousand sows) appeared most perspective in Lithuania: they took the first place in the years examined (2016–2021). The criterion estimate of their assessed indicators was much higher than of the medium (100 sows) and small (20 sows) farms. The main reasons: significantly higher labour productivity, lower cost, lower price, and better production indicators.

(1) Background: Stunting remains a challenge in Indonesia, where 30.8% of under-five children are stunted and may never reach full potential height and cognitive function. We aimed to investigate the risk factors of stunting in Nangapanda subdistrict, East Nusa Tenggara; (2) Methods: The design was cross-sectional study located in rural area as part of PINTERMIDI UI project. We collected quantitative data on social determinants, weight, height, hemoglobin, ferritin, serum zinc, CRP, worm infection, history of deworming, co-morbidity, food security, and nutrient intake; (3) Results: A total of 196 under-five children included and 74% households were food insecure. The prevalence of stunting was 29.9% in this population (31.8% worm infection, 30.3% iron deficiency, and 28.1% zinc deficiency). Multivariate analysis showed household with 5-8 members (AOR 3.076; 95% CI 1.132 – 8.356) and unsafe drinking water (AOR 1.702; 95% CI 0.825 – 3.512) were significant independent risk factors of stunting after adjusted by child’s gender, father’s occupation, caregiver’s education, monthly expenses, sanitary facilities, and food security status; (4) Conclusions: The number of household members is the only independent risk factor of stunting among children age 24-59 months in rural area of Eastern Indonesia. Development of nutrition sensitive intervention and promotion of family planning are needed in order to increase adequate child’s care and feeding practices in rural area of Eastern Indonesia.

Shark unprovoked attacks consist of fatal and non-fatal cases. Numerous cases have been reported involving shark species from Carcharhinus melanopterus with length of 145.5 cm to half-ton Carcharodon carcharias. Currently there are more (P < 0.05) unprovoked non-fatal cases with the average is 28.46 cases/shark species (95%CI: 3.86-53.1) than unprovoked fatal cases, which the average is 5.12 cases /shark species (95%CI: -0.075-10.3). Hence this paper seeks to select the best shark size model that correlates with the unprovoked fatal and non-fatal cases. The studied sharks consist of 24 shark species with the average length is 268.18 cm (95%CI: 230-306 cm) and the average weight is 225.42 kg (95%CI: 128-323 kg). Based on the model and as described by low values of AIC and the highest values of R² and adjusted R² , shark weight followed by combinations of shark weight and length produced unprovoked fatal and non-fatal cases best models. The model for explaining unprovoked fatal cases is the shark weight with high numbers of cases observed in large size shark (weight⁓fatal cases, AIC = 165.359, R² = 0.72, Adj. R = 0.71). While for non-fatal cases, the best model is also the shark weight (weight⁓non fatal cases, AIC = 246.93, R² = 0.63, Adj. R = 0.59).

In December 2012, DOAJ’s parent company, IS4OA, announced they would introduce new criteria for inclusion in DOAJ [1] and that DOAJ would collect vastly more information from journals as part of the accreditation process – and that journals already included, would need to reapply in order to be kept in the registry. My hypothesis was that the journals removed from DOAJ on May 9th 2016 would chiefly be journals from small publishers (mostly single journal publishers) and that DOAJ journal metadata information would reveal that they were journals with a lower level of publishing competence than those that would remain in the DOAJ. Among indicators of publishing competence could be the use of APCs, permanent article identifiers, journal licenses, article level metadata deposited with DOAJ, archiving policy/solutions and/or having a policy in SHERPA/RoMEO. The analysis shows my concerns to be correct.

The aim of this document is to provide practical guidance on the choice of target difference used in the sample size calculation of a randomised controlled trial (RCT). Guidance is provided with a definitive trial, one that seeks to provide a useful answer, in mind and not those of a more exploratory nature. The term “target difference” is taken throughout to refer to the difference that is used in the sample size calculation (the one that the study formally “targets”). Please see the glossary for definitions and clarification with regards other relevant concepts. In order to address the specification of the target difference, it is appropriate, and to some degree necessary, to touch on related statistical aspects of conducting a sample size calculation. Generally the discussion of other aspects and more technical details is kept to a minimum, with more technical aspects covered in the appendices and referencing of relevant sources provided for further reading.The main body of this guidance assumes a standard RCT design is used; formally, this can be described as a two-arm parallel-group superiority trial. Most RCTs test for superiority of the interventions, that is, whether or not one of the interventions is superior to the other (See Box 1 for a formal definition of superiority, and of the two most common alternative approaches). Some common alternative trial designs are considered in Appendix 3. Additionally, it is assumed in the main body of the text that the conventional (Neyman-Pearson) approach to the sample size calculation of an RCT is being used. Other approaches (Bayesian, precision and value of information) are briefly considered in Appendix 2 with reference to the specification of the target difference.

We provide an axiomatic base for the set of natural numbers, that has been proposed as a canonical construction, and use this definition of $\mathbb N$ to find several results on finite group theory. Every finite group $G$, is well represented with a natural number $N_G$; if $N_G=N_H$ then $H,G$ are in the same isomorphism class. We have a linear order, on the quotient space of isomorphism classes of finite groups, that is well behaved with respect to cardinality. If $H,G$ are two finite groups such that $|H|=m<n=|G|$, then $H<\mathbb Z_n\leq G\leq\mathbb Z_{p_1}^{n_1}\oplus\mathbb Z_{p_2}^{n_2}\oplus\cdots\oplus\mathbb Z_{p_k}^{n_k}$ where $n=p_1^{n_1}p_2^{n_2}\cdots p_{k}^{n_k}$ is the prime factorization of $n$. We find a canonical order for the objects of $G$ and define equivalent objects of $G$, thus finding the automorphisms of $G$. The Cayley table of $G$ takes canonical block form, and we are provided with a minimal set of independent equations that define the group. We show how to find all groups of order $n$, and order them. We give examples using all groups with order smaller than $10$, and we find the canonical block form of the symmetry group $\Delta_4$. In the next section, we extend our results to the infinite case, which defines a real number as an infinite set of natural numbers. A real function is a set of real numbers, and a sequence of real functions $f_1,f_2,\ldots$ is well represented by a set of real numbers, as well. In general, we represent mathematical objects using the smallest possible data-type. In the last section, mathematical objects are well assigned to tree structures. We conclude with brief comments on type theory and future work on computational aspects of these representations.

Inbreeding depression is expected to be more pronounced in fitness-related traits, such as pig litter size. Recent studies have suggested that the genetic determinism of inbreeding depression may be heterogeneous across the genome. Therefore, the objective of this study is to conduct a genomic scan across the pig autosomal genome to detect the genomic regions that control inbreeding depression for litter size in two varieties of Iberian pigs (Entrepelado and Retinto). The datasets consist of 2,069 (338 sows) and 2,028 (327 sows) records for litter size (Total Number Born and Number Born Alive) for the Entrepelado and Retinto varieties. All sows were genotyped using the Geneseek GGP PorcineHD 70 K. We employed the Unfavorable Haplotype Finder software to extract runs of homozygosity (ROHs) and conducted a mixed model analysis to identify highly significant differences between homozygous and heterozygous sows for each specific ROH. A total of 8 genomic regions located on SSC2, SSC5, SSC7, SSC8, and SSC13, were significantly associated with inbreeding depression, housing some relevant genes such as FSHR, LHCGR, CORIN, AQP6, and CEP120.

Polyaniline or PANI is a conductive polymer (CPs) with flexibility in turning into conducting properties. The drawback is mainly in terms of limited mechanical properties improvement which attracted the interest in fabrication of PANI with other polymeric materials. PANI-PVL composites film was synthesized and fabricated in this work with chronological steps according to the objectives aligned in two different phases. The first phase determines the optimum parameters to synthesize nanosized PANI. The ideal initial molar ratio, r was 1, stirring speed of 600 rpm, purified by filtration, synthesis temperature of 25 oC, washed by dopant acid, acetone and distilled water. The usage of non-ionic surfactant, Triton X-100 (TX100) with 0.1 % concentration favours the formation of smaller particle size of PANI and good dispersibility compared to the usage of anionic sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS). The synthesis of PANI in nanosized dimension has the potential to be applied for antimicrobial applications such as gloves and antimicrobial coating of frequent contact points in the near future.

Abstract: Ovulation failure was associated with a reduction in pre-mating concentrations of oestradiol-17β and prolactin (PRL). The present study aimed to evaluate whether pre-mating PRL levels have a role on the reproductive efficiency of doe rabbits. A total of 78 multiparous California does (2nd parity) were divided, according to plasma pre-mating PRL, into five categories, >20-25, >25-30, >30-35, >35-40, and >40-45 ng/ml. Does in all categories were naturally mated and kindled, then their reproductive measurements and progesterone (P4) levels were determined. Results show that pre-mating PRL averaged 23.60±0.78, 28.00±0.83, 33.46±0.43, 38.17±0.49 and 41.98±0.68 ng/ml in five categories (p < 0.05), respectively, representing the highest distribution (38.5%) in the 3rd-category. Live body weight of doe rabbits, at mating, pregnancy, and parturition increased (p < 0.05) with increasing pre-mating PRL level. The number of services, litter size, and pregnancy rate increased (p < 0.05) by increasing PRL levels. Reproductive traits and P4 level at mid-pregnancy of does, and average weight of kits at birth increased (p < 0.05) by increasing PRL levels. The pre-mating PRL profile is important for the identification of reproductive performance in doe rabbits.

Meganthropus palaeojavanicus was known very tall with body height of 8 feet and this made M. palaeojavanicus as the tallest hominid ever existed. This species was living in closed tropical woodland and hilly landscape as the fossil remains were found in a remote forest in Sangiran, central Java. Owing large body size, it may influence the foraging ecology of M. palaeojavanicus to cope with the terrain. In here, this study aimed to model the M. palaeojavanicus foraging ecology along terrain gradients. The model indicates that within 5 km home range radius, the most suitable foraging areas were in north east since these areas have more flat landscapes with slopes of <7.5%. While less suitable areas in north west and south west areas were characterized by hilly landscapes with rugged terrain and steep slopes with slopes of >62.8%.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how Green Business Models (BMs) established by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can incorporate product and process decarbonization in their components (value proposition, creation and capture) and to what extent this incorporation is affected by SME size. We use a database comprising 1,161 observations of SMEs, 466 in 2014 and 695 in 2016. The results show that SMEs’ value propositions give an intermediate valuation to both legally required and voluntary reduction of environmental impact, irrespective of SME size and the year analyzed. Regarding value creation, SMEs adopt practically no environmental practices, and there are significant differences according to size, with more difficulties than advantages stemming from small size. The study also shows that such environmental practices are not effective in reducing carbon. This diagnosis indicates that SMEs need help from the administration if they are to play a key role in the process of transformation toward a low-carbon economy. Legislative actions involving harsher environmental protection measures might help shape value propositions that place greater importance on reducing environmental impact, whereas training actions on available environmental techniques, promotion of research on how to adapt such techniques to SMEs and the development of specific practices for SMEs might enhance environmental value creation and capture in their BMs.

A picture is a powerful and convenient medium for inducing the illusion that one perceives a real three-dimensional scene. The relative invariance of picture perception across viewing positions has aroused the interest of painters, photographers and visual scientists. Many studies have been devoted to perceptual invariance when pictures are viewed from oblique directions. Invariance across viewing distances has received less attention. This study presents a computational analysis of pictures of perspective scenes taken from different distances between camera and physical objects. Distances and directions of pictorial objects were computed as function of viewing distance to the picture and compared with distances and directions of the physical objects as function of camera position. The computations show that pictorial distance and direction are determined by angular size of the depicted objects. Pictorial distance and direction are independent of camera position, focal length of the lens, and picture size. Ratios of pictorial distances, directions and sizes are constant as function of viewing distance. The constant ratios are proposed as the reason for invariance of picture perception over a range of viewing distances. Reanalysis of distance judgments obtained from the literature shows that perspective space, previously proposed as the model for visual space, is also a good model for pictorial space. The geometry of pictorial space contradicts some conceptions about picture perception.

There exists a great potential for application in soil mechanics with the use of mechanistic models such as the finite element model, and other non-local models, such as the peridynamic model, since the soil mass can be modelled as a group of particles that interact with each other. In this work, we determine the bearing capacity of deep foundations where stresses are transmitted to deep deposits, which generally present better characteristics in terms of compressibility and shear strength. One of the main elements are driven piles, which must be previously designed, made and tested before their final use. In this work, a comparison with different methods is presented. The finite element method and the peridynamic model are used. Because the effect of consolidation was not taken into account, in these examples, the assumption is made that the structures are cemented in inert soil. Likewise, it is assumed that the water table has no influence on the simulations. Failure envelopes were observed where bonds between particles present high gradients of deformation and fracture. Bearing capacities were estimated and compared with those obtained from the Terzaghi and Meyerhof methods.

In the paper, we develop some numerical schemes including finite difference scheme and finite volume scheme for the fractional Laplacian operator, and apply the resulted numerical schemes to solve some fractional diffusion equations. First, the fractional Laplacian operator can be characterized as the weak singular integral by a integral operator with zero boundary condition. Second, because of the solution of fractional diffusion equation is usually singular near the boundary, we apply finite difference scheme to discrete fractional Laplacian operator and fractional diffusion equation by fractional interpolation function. Moreover, it is find that the differential matrix of the above scheme is symmetric matrix, and strictly row-wise diagonally dominant in special fractional interpolation function. Third, we show finite volume scheme to discrete fractional diffusion equation by fractional interpolation function, and analyze the properties of differential matrix. Finally, the numerical experiments are given, and verify the correctness of theoretical results and the efficiency of the schemes.

Sample size using prevalence has been one of the most important medical research methodologies and has been used in original articles more often than any other statistical tool available. The simple formula consists of variables interdependent and it is as important to understand how they influence each other as it is to learn to use the formula to calculate the sample size. With the choice of different amounts of precision and levels of confidence available to a medical researcher, it should be of paramount importance to understand what a slight change in choosing the parameter would mean at the end of the research. Understanding of different Z values, Levels of precision, and ranging Prevalence is required to understand the effect on the sample size and subsequently on the research. Topological representation using parameter ranges can be used to demonstrate this relationship.

This study aimed to investigate the interactions between corn particle size (PS) and conditioning temperature (CT) on the performance, carcass traits, intestinal morphology, and immune responses in broilers fed a corn-soybean meal-based diet. A total of 360, one-day-old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly allocated into six dietary treatments in a 2×3 factorial arrangement, consisting of two corn PS (finely ground with geometric mean diameter (GMD) of 357 µm (PSF) vs. coarsely ground corn with GMD of 737 µm (PSC), and three CT [unconditioned (CTU), conditioned at 75◦C (CT75) and 90◦C (CT90)]. Birds accommodated in 30 pens with five replicates and 12 chicks per each. There was no interaction between corn PS and CT on growth performance and immune response of broilers at any growth phases. However, during the starter (0-10d) period, the average daily weight gain (ADWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of PSF-fed birds were significantly improved compared to those fed PSC (P<0.05). During the starter (0-10d) and grower (11-24d) periods, increasing the conditioning temperature of corn increased the ADWG, while in the starter phase only the CT75 caused a lower FCR (P<0.05). Broilers fed PSF corn showed lowest FCR during the finisher (25-42d) period compared to those fed PSC (P<0.05). Conditioning corn at 75ºC reduced FCR during the finisher (25-42d) period compared to the birds fed CTU and CT90 corn (P<0.05). In whole experimental periods (1-42d), PSF and CT75 treatment increased the ADWG compared to the PSC and CTU (P<0.05). The CT75 treatment improved primary total anti-sheep red blood cell (SRBCs) titer (IgT) and IgM and secondary IgT and IgG responses compared to the other experimental groups (CTU and CT90) (P<0.05). No significant PS × CT interaction was found on Newcastle disease (ND) antibody titer of broiler chickens (P>0.05). Feeding CT75 corn reduced duodenum and jejunum relative length compared to the birds fed diets containing CTU corn. Significant PS×CT interactions (P<0.05) were observed for villus height, villus height to crypt depth, crypt depth, muscle thickness, and absorption surface area of jejunum. The highest carcass yield observed in PSF-CT75-group (P<0.05). In conclusion, the use of finely ground corn (PSF) conditioned at 75℃ (CT75) was beneficial to growth performance, development of the digestive tract, jejunum histomorphometry and the immune responses of broilers.

Remanufacturing is a way for product recovery initiative and maintaining sufficient production flow to satisfy customer demand through circular economy. Recently, manufacturers have been progressively incorporating remanufacturing processes, making their supply chain vulnerable to disruptions. Among the disruptions that usually occur is the shortage in spare parts supply, which causes unexpected delay in production and possible loss of sales. In the face of potential disruption, it is essential for remanufacturing facilities to manage their supply chains in an optimum manner as to decrease the adverse impact of disruptions to their business. In this study, a two-stage production-inventory system is analysed by developing a cost-minimisation model focusing on the recovery schedule after a disruption occurrence in sourcing spare parts for a remanufacturer’s production cycle. The developed model was solved using the branch and bound algorithm. Through numerical experiments, the results indicate that the optimal recovery schedule and the number of recovery cycles are significantly dependant on disruption time, lost sales and backorder costs. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis shows that the lost sales option seems to be more effective than the backorder option in optimising the system’s overall cost. The proposed model could assist managers in deciding the optimal production strategy while providing interesting managerial insights into vital spare parts recovery issues when disruption strikes.

Nanopeening treatment was applied to the AISI 420 steel to decrease its sensitivity to the tribocorrosion damage. Microstructural investigation highlighted that the Nanopeening treatment led to a high plastic deformation and nanostructured surface layer with 110 µm depth. . In order to study the combined effect of corrosion and mechanical wear, tribocorrosion tests were performed on non–treated and nanopeened samples in boric acid and lithium hydroxide solution, considering both continuous and intermittent sliding. It was found that the AISI 420 steel is sensitive the synergism between mechanical friction and electrochemical corrosion with a domination of abrasive wear. Adhesive wear was also detected in the wear track. Indeed, the mechanical wear was pronounced under intermittent sliding because of hard wear debris generation from the repassivated layer during rotating time. The Nanopeening treatment led to enhance mechanical performance and corrosion properties. Such improvement could be explained by the high plastic deformation resulting in the nano-structuration of grains and increasing hardness of AISI 420 steel.

The orchid market is a dynamic horticultural business in which novelty and beauty command high prices. The development of miniature to large and showy flowers, in addition to fragrance, is mainly of interest. Overall organ size might be modified by doubling the chromosome number, which can be accomplished by careful study of meiotic chromosome disjunction in hybrids or species. Meiosis is the process in which diploid (2n) pollen mother cells recombine their DNA sequences and then undergo two rounds of division to give rise to four haploid (n) cells called sporads. Thus, by interfering in chromosome segregation, one can induce the development of diploid recombinant sporads called dyads. These dyads may be used for breeding polyploid progenies with enhanced fertility and large flower size. This review gives an overview of developments in orchid breeding placed in the large context of ploidy breeding in higher plants to facilitate innovation

The feral mink population in Denmark consists of two groups of animals; mink born in the wild and mink that have recently escaped from farms. The aims of this study are; 1) to estimate the reproduction and mortality of wild-born and captive-born mink and 2) to estimate the age of mink based on the width of pulp cavity (% of tooth width) in the canine teeth. During 2018, 247 wild caught mink were sent for necropsy at the Danish National Veterinary Institute. Of these mink, 112 were determined as captive-born and 96 were determined wild-born. The mean litter size ± SE of wild-born females was 7.6 ± 0.9 (range: 5-11 kits) and for captive-born females 5.9 ± 0.9 (range: 1-10 kits). The best fitting regression line for mink age (in months) based on pulp width was y=0.42x2-11.52x+104.7, R² = 0.77, p&lt; 0.0001. Individuals with a pulp cavity width &lt;35% was found to be younger than one year. The turnover of mink caught in nature was estimated to 66% and the yearly mortality to 69%, therefore the population is slightly declining. In conclusion, a feral reproducing mink population in Denmark persists, besides the continues influx of captive-born mink escaped from farms.

The angular diameter is the angle subtended by a generic object – an apple or a star – to the eye of an observer, and it describes how large the object appears from a given viewpoint. The angular diameter represents a powerful tool for distance calculations starting from a directly measurable information and it finds application in several contexts varying from cosmography to architecture. In this article, the author proposes a novel equation to calculate the apparent diameter of whatever object. This equation defines the relationship between the object’s apparent diameter with respect to the travelled distance starting from the initial distance R₀ at which the observed object is located. Based on the preliminary tests conducted, the model seems to faithfully portray this relation with respect to measured values, also at the astronomical scale, thus considering the Earth-Moon distance, where, the absolute error detected is about 0.56%. Tests highlight also a dependency between the results accuracy and the measurement conditions suggesting a high level of sensibility linked to the initial magnification effect produced by the retina or the artificial lens employed.

Plastics are naturally hydrophobic materials so, in order to employ flotation for the separation of plastic mixtures, the use of appropriate wetting agents is mandatory. In this work, the effect of pretreatment with alkaline solutions of sodium hydroxide on the floatability of four plastics (PET, PS, PMMA and PVC) was studied. The influence of NaOH concentration, treatment time and temperature of the alkaline solution, and influence of particle size was analyzed. Results showed that alkaline treatment had a strong effect on PET floatability, some effect on floatability of PMMA and PVC and no effect on floatability of PS. Plastics floatability decreased with the increase of NaOH concentration, temperature and treatment time of the alkaline solution. Based on flotation behavior of simple plastics, flotation separation after alkaline treatment of bi-component mixtures of PET with PS and PVC was achieved efficiently. The best separation was obtained for PET/PS mixture, a floated with a grade of 98% in PS and a sunk with a grade of 100% in PET. PET/PMMA mixture led to the worst separation. For PET/PMMA and PET/PVC mixtures, flotation separation improved with the decrease of the particles size.

Aim: aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical and radiographic healing after repairing mechanical furcal perforations that occurred in primary molars by using MTA (Mineral Trioxide Aggregate) and search in some factors that may affect the prognosis of the treatment. Materials & Methods: we had 34 primary molars in 32 children aged 5–10 years, were treated by using MTA material after the occurrence of furcal perforation during pulpotomy procedure. Cases had been followed clinically and radiographically within 12 months. Statistical analyses were performed at p-value = 0.05. Results: All teeth were asymptomatic at the first week. Overall success rate was 79.3%. There was no significant statistically differences between overall-success rates according to the perforation size and continues bleeding in the furcation area (p-value > 0.05). Conclusions: Iatrogenic furcal perforations that may occur during pulpotomy in primary molars can be treated successfully by using MTA, and small sized-perforations may have more favorable prognosis than the large ones. Iatrogenic furcal perforations that may occur during pulpotomy in primary molars can be treated successfully by using MTA, and small sized- perforations may have more favorable prognosis than the large ones.

The present study set out to explore the option of developing food portion size for nutritional labelling purposes using two European Union (EU) dietary surveys. The surveys were selected as they differed in (a) methodologies (food diary v food frequency questionnaire), (b) populations (Irish National Adult Nutrition Survey: NANS) versus a seven-country based on the pan EU study Food4Me), (c) food quantification (multiple options v, solely photographic album) and (d) duration (4 consecutive days v recent month). Using data from these studies, portion size was determined for 15 test foods, where portion size was defined as the median intake of a target food when consumed. The median values of the portion sizes derived from both the NANS and Food4Me surveys were correlated (r = 0.823; P<0.00) and the mean of the two survey data sets were compared to US values from the Recognized as Customarily Consumed (RACC) database. There was very strong agreement across all food categories between the averaged EU and the US portion size (r = 0.947; P<0.00). It is concluded that notwithstanding the variety of approaches used for dietary survey data in the EU, the present data supports using a standardized approach to food portion size quantification for food labelling in the EU.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived membranous particles secreted by all cell types into the extracellular milieu. EVs carry, protect, and transport a wide array of bioactive cargoes to recipient/target cells. EVs regulate physiological and pathophysiological processes in recipient cells and are important in therapeutics/drug delivery. Despite these great attributes of EVs, an efficient protocol for EV separation from biofluids is lacking. Numerous techniques have been adapted for the separation of EVs with size exclusion chromatography (SEC)-based methods being the most promising. Here, we review the SEC protocols used for EV separation, and discuss opportunities for significant improvements, such as the development of novel particle purification liquid chromatography (PPLC) system capable of tandem purification and characterization of biological and synthetic particles with near-single vesicle resolution. Finally, we identify future perspectives and current issues to make PPLC a tool capable of providing a unified, automated, adaptable, yet simple and affordable particle separation resource.

The cosmological constant problem is examined by taking an Einstein--scalar with a Higgs-type potential and scrutinizing the infrared structure induced by finite temperature effects. A variant optimal perturbation theory is implemented in the recently proposed quantum-gravitational framework. The optimized renormalized mass, i.e., the renormalized mass determined by the variant optimal perturbation theory, of the scalar field turns out to be on the order of the temperature. This shifts the cosmological constant problem to compatibility of the consequent perturbative analysis. The compatibility is guaranteed essentially by renormalization group invariance of physical quantities. We point out the resummation behind the invariance.

Computing the rotation tensor is vital in the analysis of deformable bodies. This paper describes an explicit expression for the SO(3) rotation tensor R of the deformation gradient F, and successfully establishes an intrinsic relation between the exponential mapping Q = exp A and the deformation F. As an application, Truesdell's simple shear deformation is revisited.

The variable-length arbitrary Lagrange-Euler (ALE)-ANCF finite element, which employ nonrational interpolating polynomials, cannot exactly describe the rational cubic Bezier curves such as conic and circular curves. The rational absolute nodal coordinate formulation (RANCF) finite element, whose reference length (undeformed length) is constant, can exactly represent the rational cubic Bezier curves. A new variable-length finite element called the ALE-RANCF finite element, which is capable of accurately describe the rational cubic Bezier curves, is proposed by combining the desirable features of the ALE-ANCF and RANCF finite element. In order to control the reference length of ALE-RANCF element within a suitable range, element segmentation and merging schemes are proposed. It is demonstrated that exact geometry and mechanic is maintained after the ALE-RANCF element is divided into two shorter ones, and compared with the ALE-ANCF elements, there are smaller deviations and oscillations after two ALE-RANCF elements are merged into a longer one. Numerical examples are presented and the feasibility and advantages of the ALE-RANCF finite element are demonstrated.

Electronic cigarette (ecig) use in pregnancy is common, but potential effects on fetal development are largely unknown. The study goal was to examine the association between ecig exposure and fetal growth. Data were extracted from medical charts in this single site retrospective study. The sample, excluding those with known tobacco, alcohol, illicit drug, opioid, and benzodiazepine use, contained women who used ecigs throughout pregnancy and non-ecig user controls. Fetal size measurements from second and third trimester ultrasounds and at birth were expressed as percentiles for gestational age. Following adjustment for confounding factors, in the second trimester, only femur length was significant, with an adjusted deficit of 11.5 percentile points for ecig exposed compared to controls. By the third trimester, femur length difference was 28.5 points, with fetal weight difference also significant (17.2 points). At birth, all three size parameter differences between groups were significant. Significant size deficits were predicted by prenatal ecig exposure, becoming larger and impacting more parameters with increasing gestation. While additional study is warranted to confirm and expand upon these findings, this study adds to emerging data pointing to specific harms following ecig exposure in pregnancy, and suggests that ecigs may not be a “safer” alternative to combustible cigarette smoking in pregnancy.

This paper examines the impact of random sample sizes on the extreme value theory of competing risks, a significant area in finance and environmental science. We capture limit distributions of two extreme types under random sampling sizes, known as accelerated mixed l-max and p-max stable type distributions. The study presents results for both maxima and minima in competing risks scenarios, addressing cases of independent and non-independent random sample sizes. Numerical examples validate our theoretical findings, demonstrating the applicability of our approach to various random sample size distributions, including time-shifted Poisson or binomial, geometric, and negative binomial distributions.

Cerebral aneurysms come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, they can evolve over time and present significant changes. It is generally accepted that large aneurysms are more prone to rupture, but the rupture of small aneurysms has also been observed, indicating the presence of additional risks factors. The aim of this study is to assess the effects of the aneurysm size and wall thickness on its rupture risk by using fluid-structure interaction simulations. Six patient-specific geometries were chosen, four were used for studying the size effect and two for studying the thickness effect. Additional cases where the aneurysm was removed were included. It was found that thinner walls suffer from significantly greater stresses, whereas an increment in size means, in general, lower wall shear stress and greater equivalent stress. By removing the aneurysm, it could be noted that at the rupture point, the reduction in the time-averaged wall shear stress was 75%. Although the size of an aneurysm has a great impact in its rupture risk, its wall thickness needs to be considered, since even maintaining its size, the aneurysm could suffer from a thin-ning of its walls that can lead to structural failure.

Although researchers have proposed various indentation size effect (ISE) models, these models often involve different form and number of parameters that can make our wonder which is the best in existed ISE models. Three types of ISE test data, namely, normal ISE, reverse ISE and transition of normal to reverse ISE, are used to evaluate the sixteen ISE models. The comparatively study indicates that H-J, N-G-Fs, N-G-H, N-G-A and N-G-Qs models can accurately predict the normal ISE. The reason for this is that the friction stress that is not related to dislocation activities or the indentation size effect of plastic zone has been introduced into these models. Therefore, these two factors should be considered in future ISE models. The sixteen ISE models are originally proposed to describe the normal ISE of different materials. However, to our surprise, some of these models are able to capture the reverse ISE and the transition of normal to reverse ISE of different materials. The determination coefficients (DC) of the sixteen ISE models are also determined for different materials. For reverse ISE, the highest DC value for NiCSi, TC4 and PED Ni are given by the EXP, N-G-Fs and N-G-A models, respectively. For the transition of normal to reverse ISE, the N-G-YC, N-G-Fs, and N-G-H models produce the maximum DC for ZrO2, Cu and Y2O3-ZrO2, respectively. Moreover, the mean DC of the N-G-Fs model is the maximum among the sixteen ISE models, followed by the N-G-H model, but they cannot accurately predict the reverse ISE. Therefore, the N-G-Fs and N-G-H models should be further modified to accurately predict the reverse ISE.

Our previous studies showed pure blue (B) spectra from LEDs can promote shade avoidance responses (SARs). However, it is unknown whether SARs vary among different peak wavelengths (λpeak) of B or how they compare with other photomorphologically-important wavebands, such as ultraviolet-A and far-red. To answer these questions, mustard (Brassica juncea, ‘Ruby Streaks’) and arugula (Brassica eruca, ‘Rocket’) seedlings, grown to the cotyledon unfolding stage under the following narrowband spectrum treatments: UVA (λpeak = 385 nm), B1 (λpeak = 404 nm), B2 (λpeak = 440 nm), B3 (λpeak = 455 nm), and FR (λpeak = 730 nm). Both red (R, λpeak = 660 nm) and dark (D) were used as control treatments. The spectrum treatments were provided at 50 μmol m−2 s−1 on a continuous basis. There were no differences among the B treatments except for reduced mustard fresh weight (FWt) in B3. Compared with R, the B treatments promoted hypocotyl elongation, reduced cotyledon size, and increased petiole length in arugula and B1 increased petiole length in mustard. Compared with the B treatments, UVA inhibited hypocotyl and petiole elongation, similar to or greater than R in both species. Compared with the other LED treatments, seedlings grown under FR generally had the lowest hypocotyl and petiole elongation and the smallest cotyledons. Compared to the LED treatments, D substantially promoted hypocotyl elongation and reduced cotyledon size, except compared to FR in arugula. Among the spectrum treatments, the three B treatments had the greatest SAR promotion effects in both species. Despite having the lowest phytochrome activity, FR inhibited SARs normally associated with high FR environments. Legacy parameters used to estimate SAR-promoting effects of spectrum treatments may not be appropriate for characterizing narrowband spectra from LEDs – new approaches must be developed.

Traditional camera sensors rely on human eyes for observation. However, the human eye 1 is prone to fatigue when observing targets of different sizes for a long time in complex scenes, and 2 human cognition is limited, which often leads to judgment errors and greatly reduces the efficiency. 3 Target recognition technology is an important technology to judge the target category in camera 4 sensor. In order to solve this problem, a small size target detection algorithm for special scenarios was 5 proposed by this paper. Its advantage is that this algorithm not only has higher precision for small 6 size target detection, but also can ensure that the detection accuracy of each size is not lower than the 7 existing algorithm. In this paper, a new down-sampling method was proposed, which could better 8 preserve the context feature information. The feature fusion network was improved to effectively 9 combine shallow information and deep information. A new network structure was proposed to 10 effectively improve the detection accuracy of the model. In terms of accuracy, it is better than: YOLOX, 11 YOLOXR, YOLOv3, scaled YOLOv5, YOLOv7-Tiny and YOLOv8.Three authoritative public data sets 12 were used in this experiment: a) On Visdron data sets (small size targets), DC-YOLOv8 is 2.5% more 13 accurate than YOLOv8. b) On Tinyperson data sets (minimal size targets), DC-YOLOv8 is 1% more 14 accurate than YOLOv8. c) On PASCAL VOC2007 data sets (Normal size target), DC-YOLOv8 is 0.5% 15 more accurate than YOLOv8.

Bayesian Maximum Entropy (BME) is increasingly used in predicting and mapping spatio-temporal data. However, studies that have fully evaluated its robustness empirically are rare. Therefore, this research examined empirically the effect of skewness, sample size and spatial dependency level using simulated data. We considered symmetric data, data positively skewed by 1, 3, 6 and 9, data with weak, moderate, and strong spatial dependency levels, and sample sizes from 100 to 500 at the interval length of 50. The results showed that the variation of sample sizes and spatial dependency levels do not affect the Mean Square Error (MSE) and bias of BME prediction. However, skewness affects the MSE of prediction but does not affect the bias. This result indicates that BME is robust to sample size and is unbiased. Despite the significant difference due to skewness, a graphical plot showed values of MSE close to zero, suggesting that BME can be considered robust to skewness.

The Eastern Mediterranean is a highly populated area with air quality problems as well where climate change already is noticed by higher temperatures and changing precipitation pattern. The anthropogenic aerosol affects health and changing concentra-tions and properties of the atmospheric aerosol affect radiation balance and clouds. Continuous long-term observations are essential in assessing the influence of anthro-pogenic aerosols on climate and health. We present 6 years of observations from Navarino Environmental Observatory (NEO), a new station located at the south west tip of Pelo-ponnese, Greece. The two sites at NEO, were evaluated to show the influence of the local meteorology but also to assess the general background aerosol possible. It was found that the background aerosol was originated from aged European aerosols and was strongly influenced by biomass burning, fossil fuel combustion, and industry. When subsiding into the boundary layer, local sources contributed in the air masses moving south. Mesoscale meteorology determined the diurnal variation of aerosol properties such as mass and number by means of typical sea breeze circulation, giving rise to pronounced morning and evening peaks in pollutant levels. While synoptic scale meteorology, mainly large-scale air mass transport and precipitation, strongly influenced the season-ality of the aerosol properties.

It is widely, but not universally, believed that the lipids of the plasma membrane are not uniformly distributed, but that "rafts'' of sphingolipids and cholesterol float in a "sea'' of unsaturated lipids. The physical origin of such heterogeneities is often attributed to a phase coexistence between the two different domains. We argue that this explanation is untenable for several reasons. Further we note that the results of recent experiments are inconsistent with this picture. However they are quite consistent with an alternate explanation, namely that the plasma membrane is an emulsion of the two kinds of regions. To show this, we briefly review a simplified version of this theory and its phase diagram. We also explicate the dependence of the predicted domain size on four physical parameters. Among them are the spontaneous curvature of the membrane and its bending modulus and surface tension. Taking values of the latter two from experiment, we obtain domain sizes for several different cell types that vary from 58 to 88 nm.

In this work, TiO₂ QDs modifed NiO nanosheets was employed to imporve the room-temperature NO₂ sensing properties of NiO. The gas-sensing studies showed that the response of nanocomposites with the optimal ratio to 60 ppm NO₂ was nearly 10 times larger than that of bare NiO, exhibiting potential application in gas-sensing. Considering the commonly reported immature mechanism that the effective charge transfer between two phases contribute to enhanced sensitivity, QDs sensitization mechanism was further detailed by designing a seirs of contrast experiments. First, the important role of QDs size effect was revealed by comparing a little enhanced sensitivity of TiO₂ particle-modified NiO with largely enhanced senstivity of TiO₂ QDs-NiO. Second, and more important, the direct evidence of heterointerface charge transfer efficiency was detailed by extracted interface bond (Ti-O-Ni) using XPS peak fitting. We hope this work can provide guideline to design more QDs-modified nanocomposites with the higher sensitivty for practical application.

Magnesium hydroxide continuous coagulation process was used for treating simulated reactive orange wastewater in this study. Effects of mixing conditions and retention time on the coagulation performance and floc properties of magnesium hydroxide were based on the floc size distribution (FSD), zeta potential and floc morphology analysis. Floc formation and growth in different reactors were also discussed.The results showed that increasing rapid mixing speed led to a decrease in the final floc size. Floc formation process was mainly carried out in rapid mixer, rapid mixing speed of 300rpm was chosen according to zeta potential and removal efficiency. Reducing retention time caused relatively small floc size in all reactors. When influent flow is 30 L/h (retention time of 2min in rapid mixer), the average floc size reached 8.06μm in rapid mixer, through breakage and re-growth, the floc size remained stable in flocculation basin. After growth, the final floc size reached to 11.21μm in sedimentation tank. The removal efficiency of reactive orange is 89% in magnesium hydroxide coagulation process.

In this study, the model proposed by Yang et al. to generalize the stress–strain model for unconfined concrete with consideration of the size effect is expanded. Sim et al.’s compressive strength model that is based on the function of specimen width and aspect ratio was used for the maximum stress. In addition, a strain at the maximum stress was formulated as a function of compressive strength by considering the size effect using the regression analysis of datasets compiled from a wide variety of specimens. The descending branch after the peak stress was formulated with consideration of less dissipated area of fracture energy with the increase in specimen width and aspect ratio in the compression damage zone (CDZ) model. The key parameter for the slope of the descending branch was formulated as a function of specimen width and aspect ratio, concrete density, and compressive strength of concrete considering the size effect. Consequently, a rational stress–strain model for unconfined concrete was proposed. This model explains the trends of the peak stress and strain at the peak stress to decrease and the slope of the descending branch to increase, as the specimen width and aspect ratio increase. The proposed model agrees well with the test results, irrespective of the compressive strength of concrete, concrete type, specimen width and aspect ratio. In particular, the proposed model for the stress–strain curve rationally considered the effect of decreasing peak stress and increasing the descending branch slope, with the increase in specimen width and aspect ratio.

The possibility of releasing gold nanoparticles (GNP) into the environment has been rapidly increasing with the wide spread and flourishing application of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) in a wide range of areas. Consequently, environmental effects of GNP, especially toxicities to living organisms have drawn great attention. However, their toxicological characteristics still remain unclear. Fungi, as the decomposers of the ecosystem, interact directly with the environment and critically control the overall health of the biosphere. Thus, their sensitivity to GNP toxicity is particularly important. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of shape and size of GNPs on their toxicities to fungi, which could help reveal the ecotoxicity of GNPs. Aspergillus niger, Mucor hiemalis and Penicillium chrysogenum were chosen for toxicity assessment, and spherical and star/flower-shaped GNPs sized from 0.7 nm to large aggregates of 400 nm have been synthesised. After exposure to GNPs and their corresponding reaction agents and incubation for 48 hours, the survival rates of each kind of fungus was calculated and compared. The results indicated that fungal species was the major determinant of the variation of survival rates, whereby A. niger was most sensitive and M. himalis was least sensitive to GNP exposure. Additionally, larger and non-spherical GNPs had relatively stronger toxicities.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been demonstrated to restrain bacterial growth while maintaining the minimal risk in development of bacterial resistance and human cell toxicity that conventional silver compounds exhibit. Several physical and chemical methods have been reported to synthesize AgNPs. However, these methods are expensive and involve heavy chemical reduction agents. An alternative approach to produce AgNPs in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way employs a biological pathway using various plant extracts to reduce metal ions. The size control issue and the stability of nanoparticles remain some of the latest challenges in such methods. In this study, we used two different concentrations of fresh leaf extract of the plant Arbutus Unedo (LEA) as a reducing and stabilizing agent to produce two size variations of AgNPs. UV-Vis spectroscopy, Dynamic Light Scattering, Transmission Electron Microscopy and zeta potential were applied for the characterization of AgNPs. Both AgNP variations were evaluated for their antibacterial efficacy against the gram-negative species Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as well as the gram-positive species Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Although significant differences have been achieved in the nanoparticles’ size by varying the plant extract concentration during synthesis, the antibacterial effect was almost similar.

In the present article we describe a few simple and efficient finite volume type schemes on moving grids in one spatial dimension for the sake of simplicity. The underlying finite volume scheme is conservative and it is accurate up to the second order in space. The main novelty consists in the motion of the grid. This new dynamic aspect can be used to resolve better the areas with high solution gradients or any other special features. No interpolation procedure is employed, thus an unnecessary solution smearing is avoided. Thus, our method enjoys excellent conservation properties. The resulting grid is completely redistributed according the choice of the so-called monitor function. Several more or less universal choices of the monitor function are provided. Finally, the performance of the proposed algorithm is illustrated on several examples stemming from the simple linear advection to the simulation of complex shallow water waves. We believe that the techniques described in our paper can be beneficially used to model tsunami wave propagation and run-up.

There are different ways to analyse energy absorbance (EA) in the human auditory system. In previous research, we developed a complete finite element model (FEM) of the human auditory system. In this mentioned work, the external auditory canal (EAC), middle ear, and inner ear (spiral cochlea, vestibule, and semi-circular canals) were modelled based on human temporal bone histological sections. Multiple acoustic, structure and fluid-coupled analyses were conducted using the FEM to perform harmonic analyses in the 0.1–10 kHz range. Once the FEM had been validated with published experimental data, the FEM numerical results were used to calculate the EA or energy reflected (ER) by the tympanic membrane. This EA was also measured in clinical audiology tests which were used as a diagnostic parameter. A mathematical approach was developed to calculate the EA and ER, with numerical and experimental results showing adequate correlation up to 1 kHz. Another published FEM had adapted its boundary conditions to replicate experimental results. Here, we recalculated those numerical results by applying the natural boundary conditions of human hearing and found that the results almost totally agreed with our FEM. This boundary problem is frequent and problematic in experimental hearing test protocols: the more invasive they are, the more the results are affected. One of the main objectives of using FEMs is to explore how the experimental test conditions influence the results. Further work will still be required to uncover the relationship between the middle ear structure and EA to clarify how to best use FEMs. Moreover, the FEM boundary conditions must be more representative in future work to ensure their adequate interpretation.

This study investigates the magnetization of Cobalt (Co) nanoparticles with two different crystal structures: a centered cubic (fcc) and an hexagonal close packed (hcp), under the magnetic field of the Earth. For that reason, the hysteresis loops of the two material samples are exported and compared with the corresponding value by experimental procedure in the laboratory under the Earth’s magnetization. For both samples, the nanoparticle number variation and the nearest neighbor distance effect, in the Co hysteresis loop are investigated, structural information that is useful for the sample preparation. For the simulations the Finite Element Method (FEM) was used, while experiments are conducted using a measurement set-up based on fluxgate magnetometers. From the simulation, it is proven that, for both samples, the nanoparticle number effect does not change the hysteresis loop. In contrast, when the distance between the nanoparticles increases, the magnetization obtains smaller value. This study aims to build a novel, simple and economical measurement arrangement enabling in situ magnetic measurements for ferromagnetic nano-material characterization. As the need for continuous knowledge of the condition and the phase of ferromagnetic nanoparticles that is crucial in many applications, like catalytic processes, this work aims to introduce an alternative approach that will add another dimension to conventional chemical reaction engineering this of the magnetic state of the material resolved in time and space and to contribute in the field of the monitoring and the early fault diagnosis of nanoparticle materials.

Introducing the Moving Least-Squares Aided Finite Element Method (MLS-FEM), we present a robust computational technique that effectively evaluates the development of mixing in polymeric mixing devices. Our approach uses the Moving Least-Squares (MLS) interpolant to enhance the classic finite element shape functions. As a result, it becomes possible to treat fixed or moving components, such as rotors of a mixer, as discontinuities within the flow domain. This allows analysis of the flow field with a background mesh independent of the rotors' shape, orientation, and position. We compared the MLS-FEM results with the classical boundary-fitted mesh FEM, which comprises the mesh regeneration steps by the movement of the rotors. We then showed that the new method provides accurate results for the flow field parameters (i.e., the velocity components and the pressure values) and the mixing evolution without requiring mesh regeneration and without compromising accuracy.

Optimization of Magnetohydrodynamics parameters on the velocity profile and temperature distribution of incompressible fluid flow on a porous channel was evaluated. The fluid flow was considered to be unsteady, incompressible and flowing in 2-D in porous channel. The effects of magnetic parameter, Darcy’s number and fluid pressure on velocity profiles, and the effect of variable viscosity and Eckert number on temperature distribution in incompressible fluid flow were determined. The flow was considered to be in a channel running along the x-axis on which the magnetic field exist and finally along the y-axis on the porous part of the channel. The resulting model equations were solved by Finite Difference Method (FDM) in MATLAB software. Analysis of results indicated that increasing Darcy’s number and fluid pressure leads to increase in fluid velocity profile, while increasing magnetic parameter decreases fluid velocity profile. Also, it was observed that increase in both Eckert number and fluid viscosity lead to increase in temperature distribution. Optimization in temperature was achieved by increasing the magnetic field while viscosity was optimized by increasing the length of the porous part of the channel. This study will helpful to contribute alternative equations and methodology to engineering and in factories where getting the MHD parameters optimally is the main objective, particularly on temperature, velocity and pressure.

Cancer diseases lead to the second-highest death rate all over the world. The dynamics of invasion of cancer cells into the human body tissues and metastasis are the main causes of death in patients with cancer. This study deals with theoretical investigation of the dynamics of invasion of cancer cells for tumour growths in human body tissues using discretized Cahn-Hilliard, concentration and reaction-diffusion equations which were solved by Finite Difference Method with the aid of MATLAB computer software. A Crank-Nicolson numerical scheme was developed for the discretized model equations. The numerical result obtained was used to describe the dynamics of cancer invasion of tissues with respect to cancer cells density on tumour growth, turbulence and mobility and equilibrium between charge and discharge of cancer cells. The results of the study provide new insights into combating cancer disease by providing mitigating and intervention measures to this major health problem.

Evidence regarding the effect of the onlay preparation design for different CAD/CAM restorative materials considering the preservation of cusps is lacking. Molars were 3D modeled in four preparation designs for onlay restoration: traditional design with functional cusp coverage (TFC), non-retentive design with functional cusp coverage (NFC), traditional design with non-functional cusp coverage (TNFC), non-retentive design with non-functional cusp coverage (NNFC). Restorations were simulated with two CAD/CAM restorative materials: LD – lithium disilicate (IPS e.max CAD) and RC - resin composite (GrandioBloc). A 100 N axial load was applied to the occlusal surface simulating the centric contact point. Von Mises (VM) and maximum principal (Pmax) stresses were evaluated for restorations, cement layer and dental substrate. The non-retentive preparation design reduced the stress concentration in the tooth structure in comparison to the conventional retentive design. For LD onlays, the stress distribution on the restoration intaglio surface showed that the preparation design as well as the prepared cusp, influenced the stress magnitude. The non-retentive preparation design provided better load distribution in both restorative materials and more advantageous for tooth structure. The resin composite restoration on non-functional cusp is recommended when functional cusp is preserved, in order to associate conservative dentistry and low stress magnitude.

Abstract-Digital Phase Plane is presented in this paper. For constant input second order digital systems with arbitrary initial conditions for arbitrary quantizaters, this digital phase plane shows, in plot form, the state trajectory and the asymptotic stability, including the existence and the position of arbitrary period limit cycles.

We employ another approach to quantize electromagnetic fields in the coordinate space, instead of the mode (or Fourier) space, such that local features of photons can be efficiently, physically, and more intuitively described. To do this, coordinate-ladder operators are defined from mode-ladder operators via the unitary transformation of systems involved in arbitrary inhomogeneous dielectric media. Then, one can expand electromagnetic field operators through the coordinate-ladder operators weighted by non-orthogonal and spatially-localized bases, which are propagators of initial quantum electromagnetic (complex-valued) field operators. Here, we call them QEM-CV-propagators. However, there are no general closed form solutions available for them. This inspires us to develop a quantum finite-difference time-domain (Q-FDTD) scheme to numerically time evolve QEM-CV-propagators. In order to check the validity of the proposed Q-FDTD scheme, we perform computer simulations to observe the Hong-Ou-Mandel effect resulting from the destructive interference of two photons in a 50/50 quantum beam splitter.

A finite-difference approach with non-uniform meshes was presented for simulating magnetotelluric responses in 2D structures. We presented the formulation of this scheme and gave some sights into its successful implementation, and compared finite-difference solution with known numerical results and simple analytical solutions. First, a homogeneous half-space model was tested and the finite-difference approach can provide very good accuracy for 2D magnetotelluric modeling. Then we compared to the analytical solutions for the two-layered model, the relative errors of the apparent resistivity and the impedance phase were both increased when the frequency was increased. In the end, we compare our finite-difference simulation results with COMMEMI 2D-0 model with the finite-element solutions. Both results are in close agreement to each other. These comparisons confirm the validity and reliability of our finite-difference algorithm.

Formaldehyde (HCHO), an indoor volatile organic compound, is seriously harmful to human health. Therefore, green and effective decomposition of HCHO is essential. TiO2 has been employed for the degradation of HCHO via photocatalytic generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (O2-, ·OH), yet the low specific surface area of crystalline TiO2 depressed the catalytic performance. Herein, we prepared TiO2 aerogels with high specific surface area and high porosity by sol-gel method, and added PVA to introduce flexible molecular chains for pore size regulation. The photocatalytic performance test verifies that the pore size of TiO2 aerogel is one of the important factors for HCHO decomposition. Notably, through the establishment of theoretical model and calculation, we validated that the efficiency of HCHO decomposition is related to the oxygen pressure in the pores of TiO2 aerogel, and the oxygen pressure is inversely proportional to the pore size. Accordingly, the optimal pore size of TiO2 aerogel for the photocatalytic HCHO decomposition is 2 nm-10 nm. This study provides a theoretical idea for TiO2 aerogels in the decomposition reaction of HCHO, which is expected to inspire more breakthroughs in the study of TiO2 aerogels for green chemistry.

Throughout the evolution of machine learning, the size of models has steadily increased as researchers strive for higher accuracy by adding more layers. This escalation in model complexity necessitates enhanced hardware capabilities. Today, state-of-the-art machine learning models have become so large that effectively training them requires substantial hardware resources, which may be readily available to large companies but not to students or independent researchers. To make the research on machine learning models more accessible, this study introduces a size reduction technique that leverages stages in Pyramid Training and Similarity Comparison. Our results demonstrate that pyramid training can reduce model complexity while maintaining accuracy of conventional full-sized models, offering a scalable and resource-efficient solution for researchers and practitioners in hardware-constrained environments.

River bed materials serve multiple environmental functions as a habitat for aquatic invertebrates and fishes. At the same time, the particle size of the bed material reflects the tractive force of the flow regime in a flood and provides useful information for flood control. The traditional river bed particle size surveys, such as sieving, require time and labor to investigate river bed materials. The authors proposed a method to classify aerial images taken by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) using convolutional neural networks (CNN), our previous study showed that terrestrial riverbed material could be classified with high accuracy. In this study, we attempted to classify riverbed materials distributed in shallow waters where the bottom can be seen from UAVs. After training the CNN to classify the images with the same grain size as being in the same class even if the surface flow types taken overlapping the riverbed material were different, the total accuracy reached 90.3%. Moreover, the proposed method was applied to the wide-ranging area to determine the distribution of the particle size. In parallel, the microtopography was surveyed using Lidar-UAV, and the relationship between the microtopography and particle size distribution was discussed. In the steep section, coarse particles were distributed and formed a rapid. Fine particles were deposited on the upstream side of those rapids, where the slope had become gentler due to the damming. There was good agreement between the microtopographical trends and the grain size distribution.

Inland capture fisheries play a critical role in supporting food security and livelihoods in West Africa. Therefore, it is important to evaluate genetic health of exploited fish populations. The African bonytongue, Heterotis niloticus, supports important commercial and subsistence fisheries in West Africa. Sharp declines of stocks have been reported, however. Herein, we estimate contemporary effective population sizes (Ne) of four Heterotis populations in Nigeria, three in Benin, and five in Cameroon using the Linkage Disequilibrium method with correction for age structure. Ne estimates were used to assess genetic short-term (i.e., inbreeding depression) and long-term (i.e., loss of evolutionary potential) risks. Analyses failed to obtain Ne point estimates for two populations. For the remaining ten populations, corrected Ne point estimates fell well below 500, the minimum recommended for populations to retain evolutionary potential; with eight populations below 100 (range 2.8–83.5), the minimum recommended to avoid inbreeding depression, one borderline (100–125), and one above this threshold (312–392). The lower 95% confidence interval bound of Ne for eleven populations was very small (0.7–14.6), and for the remaining population it was 44.2. Accordingly, all populations examined can be considered potentially at risk of inbreeding depression.

The interactions of metal ions with fulvic acids resulted in changes in the particle size and charge. Particle size distribution was trimodal for fulvic acids, bimodal for fulvic complexes with calcium and magnesium, and copper-fulvic complexes had only one size fraction. The compensation of negative charge of carboxylic and phenolic functional groups by positive charged metal ions resulted in the increase in zeta potential which was getting closer to zero in the case of copper-fulvic complexes. However, all metal humic complexes behaved as colloidally unstable which resulted in visually observable sedimentation. Calorimetric measurements provided positive values of changes in enthalpy which indicated endothermic processes. In contrast quantum chemical calculations as well as experiments with model compounds provided negative values indicated exothermic processes. Changes in Gibbs energy were determined as negative and changes in entropy as positive which meant spontaneous processes.

Crossbreeding in dairy cattle with exotic breeds continues to be an appealing practice to the dairy farmers of Bangladesh. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the impact of crossbreeding on both the physical attributes and milk quality traits of crossbred cattle in Bangladesh. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of crossbreeding Bangladeshi local cattle with the exotic Holstein breed on their body characteristics and milk quality. To achieve the goal, data pertaining to body traits and milk samples were gathered from a total of 981 cows from 19 dairy farms located in the northwestern region of Bangladesh. A trained evaluator measured body condition score (BCS), udder score, locomotion score, and body conformation traits. Milk yield information was acquired from official records, while milk composition details were determined through milk analysis. The average measurements for body traits were as follows: wither height (WH) at 138 cm, body length (BL) at 155 cm, and heart girth (HG) at 203 cm. Notably, crossbred cows (Holstein x Local cattle) exhibited greater values for WH, BL, HG, BCS, and udder score than their Bangladeshi local counterparts. Furthermore, the average daily milk yield of sampled cows was recorded at 8.7 kg, with fat and protein contents of 3.78% and 3.67%, respectively. It is worth noting that crossbred cows produced a higher volume of milk compared to Bangladeshi local cattle. However, milk from crossbred cows displayed lower fat and protein content, although their somatic cell score (SCS) remained similar. Additionally, milk from crossbred cows exhibited a longer coagulation time when compared to that of Bangladeshi local cattle. A more comprehensive assessment of the crossbreeding scheme, particularly in comparison to Holstein, would necessitate further research, including an examination of its impact on cheese yield traits, health, fertility, and longevity.

This study describes a comparative in vitro study of the toxicity behavior of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and micro-sized particles. The study aimed to understand the impact of particle size on ZnO toxicity by characterizing the particles in different media, including cell culture media, human plasma, and protein solutions (bovine serum albumin and fibrinogen). The study used various techniques such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) to characterize the particles and their interactions with proteins. Hemolytic activity, coagulation time, and cell viability assays were used to assess ZnO toxicity. The results highlight the complex interactions between ZnO NPs and biological systems, including their aggregation behavior, hemolytic activity, protein corona formation, coagulation effects, and cytotoxicity. Moreover, the study indicates that ZnO nanoparticles are not more toxic than micro-sized particles, and the 50 nm particles resulted in general the least toxic. Furthermore, the study found that at low concentrations, no acute toxicity was observed. Overall, this study provides important insights into the toxicity behavior of ZnO particles and highlights that no direct relationship between nanometer size and toxicity can be directly attributed.

Micro-nano-plastics (MNPs) are an important constituent of atmospheric aerosol. However, there is still no standard procedure for their sampling and size fractionation, which is an obstacle to the aggregation and critical analysis of results obtained by different research groups. This review focuses on the sampling and fractionation methodologies used for MNPs. Moreover, a straightforward optimized methodology for the sampling and fractionation is proposed.

GaN-based micro-size light-emitting diodes (µLEDs) have a number of appealing and distinctive benefits for display, visible-light communication (VLC), and other novel applications. The smaller size of LEDs affords them the benefits of enhanced current expansion, less self-heating effects, and higher current density bearing capacity. Low external quantum efficiency (EQE) resulting from non-radiative recombination and quantum confined stark effect (QCSE) is the serious barrier for applications of µLEDs. In this work, the reasons for the poor EQE of µLEDs are reviewed, as well as the optimization techniques for improving the EQE of µLEDs.

The effect of biotic (e.g., growth characteristics) and a-biotic (e.g., crown closure) factors on cone production, fertility variation and gene diversity was evaluated in two consecutive years in 130 year old natural populations of Taurus cedar also called cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani A. Rich.). The a-biotic factors viz., altitude, temperature, aspect and rainfall varied; while some of them can be managed by cultural operations like management of crown and stand density. Impact of crown closure on cone production, fertility variation and related parameters were observed in Taurus cedar’s natural populations sampled from southern Turkey. Maximum cone production of 29 and 40/tree was recorded with full crown closure in two consecutive years by large differences among individuals within crown closure class. For instance, cone productions were between 10 and 67 in full crown closure of first year. The sibling coefficient, which is a measure of the fertility variation in a stand, was the highest (1.16) for full crown closure in the first (meaning 86% fertile trees) and the second year (1.55, 65%), while it was the lowest for medium crown closure (1.09, 92%) in both years. Gene diversity decreased from a degraded patch (0.987) to that with full crown closure (0.984). Results of variance analysis showed significant (p≤0.05) difference between crown closure classes for cone production within second year, and between years. Significant positive (p0.05) correlations were noted between years for cone production (r=0.22), and between cone production and crown closure in first and second years (r=0.29). However, growth characteristics had no effective on cone productions in individual crown closure classes, while there were significant (p0.05) correlations between diameter at breast height and cone production for both years (r= 0.15 and 0.17) in pooled populations.

This review critically examines the various ways in which the mechanical properties of wood have been understood. Despite the immense global importance of wood in construction, most understanding of its elastic and inelastic properties is based on models developed for other materials. Such models neglect wood’s cellular and fibrous nature. This review thus questions how well models that were originally developed for homogeneous and effectively continuous materials can describe wood’s mechanical properties. For example, the elastic moduli of wood have been found by many authors to depend on the size of the test specimen. Such observations are incompatible with classical elasticity theory. There is also much uncertainty about how well elastic moduli can be defined for wood. An analysis of different models for size effects of various inelastic properties of wood shows that these models only approximate the observed behaviour, and do not predict or explain the scatter in the results. A more complete understanding of wood’s mechanical properties must take account of it being in some sense intermediate between a material and a structure.

In order to solve the labor-intensive and time-consuming problem in the process of measuring yak body ruler and weight in yak breeding industry in Qinghai Province, a non-contact method for measuring yak body ruler and weight was proposed in this experiment, and key technologies based on semantic segmentation, binocular ranging and neural network algorithm were studied to boost the development of yak breeding industry in Qinghai Province. Main conclusions: (1) Study yak foreground image extraction, and implement yak foreground image extraction model based on U-net algorithm; select 2263 yak images for experiment, and verify that the accuracy of the model in yak image extraction is over 97%. (2) Develop an algorithm for estimating yak body ruler based on binocular vision, and use the extraction algorithm of yak body ruler related measurement points combined with depth image to estimate yak body ruler. The final test shows that the average estimation error of body height and body oblique length is 2.6%, and the average estimation error of chest depth is 5.94%. (3) Study the yak weight prediction model; select the body height, body oblique length and chest depth obtained by binocular vision to estimate the yak weight; use two algorithms to establish the yak weight prediction model, and verify that the average estimation error of the model for yak weight is 10.7% and 13.01% respectively.

Introduction: Body size is correlated with many aspects of an animal species' natural history, such as life span, abundance, dispersal capacity and diet breadth. However, contrasting trends have been reported for the relationship between body size and these ecological traits. Methods: Butterfly species from fruit-feeding guilds were used to investigate whether body size correlates with species abundances, dispersal, permanence, and diet breadth in a Neotropical savanna in Brazil (Cerrado). We used Blomberg’s K and Phylogenetic Generalized Least Squares models (PGLS) to measure phylogenetic signal strength in species traits, and to estimate size-dispersal-diet breadth associations while taking shared ancestry into account. Results: 539 individuals from 27 species were captured, and 190 individuals were recaptured, representing a 35% recapture rate. We found that body size negatively influenced butterfly abundance. In contrast, body size was positively associated with dispersal levels, distance traveled, number of traps visited, individual permanence, and diet breadth. These results indicate that larger butterflies have a greater proportion of dispersing individuals over longer distances, as they permanence were detected over longer periods than their smaller relatives. Moreover, larger butterflies are more generalized, based on the number of host plant families and genera they consume. Smaller butterflies demand fewer resources, which is reflected in their higher survival in small patches, and may explain their lower dispersal ability, and higher diet specialization. Nevertheless, lower dispersal ability, if not compensated by large population sizes, may threaten small-bodied species inhabiting environments with intense deforestation rates, such as the Cerrado. Conclusions: Body size positively influences dispersal and diet breadth in the fruit-feeding butterflies collected in this study.