More than twenty-five years ago the Global Solar UV index (UVI) has been introduced as a simple means of visualizing the intensity of ultraviolet radiation and to alert people to the need for sun protection. In our survey among directors of 436 kindergartens in southern Germany we investigated the level of awareness and knowledge about the UVI as well as the practical consequences for sun protection in kindergartens. Less than half of the directors (n=208, 47.7%) had ever heard of the UVI, and only a small minority of them (n=34, 8.7%) used the daily UVI information to adapt sun protective measures in their kindergartens. Detailed knowledge about the UVI was a rarity among the respondents. The proportion of respondents with self-perceived detailed UVI knowledge was five times higher than actual knowledge assessed by an in-depth structured interview using open-ended questions about the UVI (14.2% vs. 2.8%). No clear relationship of UVI awareness, knowledge, and use to directors' age and gender was found. The UVI-related variables also showed no association with directors' knowledge of risk factors for skin cancer and their attitudes towards tanned skin. Overall, the results paint a sobering picture regarding the penetration of the UVI into sun protection policies of German kindergartens. Future public health campaigns should target increasing awareness and understanding of the UVI as well as its importance for sun protection of children.

With the increasing pace of global warming, it is important to understand the role of meteorological factors in influenza virus (IV) epidemics. In this study, we investigated the impact of temperature, UV index, humidity, wind speed, atmospheric pressure, and precipitation on IV activity in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania during 2010-2018. Both correlation and machine learning analyses revealed that low temperature and low UV indexes were the most predictive meteorological factors for IV epidemics in the Northern European countries. Our in vitro experiments confirmed that low temperature and UV radiation preserved IV infectivity. Associations between these meteorological factors and IV activity could improve surveillance and promote development of accurate predictive models for future influenza outbreaks in Northern Europe.

After UV excitation, gas phase thymine returns to ground state in 5 to 7 ps, showing multiple time constants. There is no consensus on the assignment of these processes, with a dispute between models claiming that thymine is trapped either in the first (S1) or in the second (S2) excited states. In the present study, nonadiabatic dynamics simulation of thymine is performed on the basis of ADC(2) surfaces, to understand the role of dynamic electron correlation on the deactivation pathways. The results show that trapping in S2 is strongly reduced in comparison to previous simulations considering only non-dynamic electron correlation on CASSCF surfaces. The reason for the difference is traced back to the energetic cost for formation of a CO p bond in S2.

Background: The modified Duke index derived from coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) was designed to predict cardiovascular outcomes based on the severity of coronary ste-nosis. However, it does not take into consideration the presence or severity of peri-coronary in-flammation. The peri-coronary fat attenuation index (FAI) is a novel imaging marker determined by CCTA which reflects the degree of inflammation in the coronary tree in patients with coronary artery disease. Purpose: To assess the association between the modified Duke index assessed by CCTA, cardiovascular risk factors and peri-coronary inflammation in the coronary arteries of pa-tients with coronary artery disease. Methods: One hundred seventy-two patients who underwent CCTA for typical angina were assigned into two groups based on the modified Duke index: group 1 – patients with low index ≤ 3 (n=107) and group 2 – patients with high index > 3 (n=65). Demo-graphic, clinical and CCTA data were collected for all patients, and FAI analysis of coronary in-flammation was performed. Results: Patients with increased values of the modified Duke index were significantly older compared to those with a low index (61.83 ± 9.89 vs. 64.78 ± 8.9; p = 0.002). No differences were found between the two groups in terms of gender distribution, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia or smoking history (all p > 0.5). The FAI score was significantly higher in patients from group 2, who presented a significantly higher score of inflammation compared to the patients in group 1, especially at the level of the right coronary artery (FAI score 20.85 ± 15.80 vs. 14.61 ± 16.66; p = 0.01 for the right coronary artery, 13.85 ± 8.04 vs. 10.91 ± 6.5; p = 0.01 for the circumflex artery, and 13.26 ±10.18 vs. 11.37 ± 8.84; p = 0.2 for the left anterior descending artery). CaRi-Heart® analysis identified a significantly higher risk of future events among patients with a high modified Duke index (34.84 % ± 25.86 % versus 16.87 % ± 15.80 %; p

Fingerprints are essential for human identification and are valuable tools in criminal investigations. The pursuit of new materials for digital printing is expanding, with increasing interest in natural compounds such as bixin, sourced from annatto seeds. Despite its traditional use as a natural dye with medicinal properties, the potential of bixin in papilloscopy remains largely untapped. In this study, we meticulously extracted bixin from annatto seeds and meticulously developed composites incorporating zinc carbonate (bixin/ZnCO3) and kaolinite (bixin/kaolinite). UV-visible spectroscopy was used for characterization, and the extracted bixin showed absorption peaks at 429, 453, and 481 nm, which were very similar to standard peaks at 429, 457, and 487 nm. The two samples also had the same retention times (7.07 min) according to further liquid chromatography analysis. Sweat pores were easier to detect thanks to the effectiveness of the bixin/ZnCO3 and bixin/kaolinite composites in creating high contrast sebaceous and natural latent fingerprints. These results highlight the composites’ potential as novel and fascinating instruments for papilloscopy applications, which might also improve forensic investigations.

Abstract: The VSI represents a significant advancement in the assessment of gastrointestinal-specific anxiety among patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and other Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). However, an Italian version of the instrument is not yet available for the reference population. This study utilized a national sample of 500 individuals, including healthy controls and patients with Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease, to test the validity and reliability of the Italian VSI. Using back-translation methodology to ensure translation fidelity, the research applied a questionnaire and the VSI through an online format to 500 participants. Data analysis revealed that the Italian VSI had excellent psychometric properties, demonstrating high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.95) and construct validity. The scale proved sensitive in detecting significant differences in visceral sensitivity among groups, highlighting its utility as a clinical and research assessment tool. Specifically, the Italian VSI exhibited a unidimensional factorial structure and maintained a strong correlation with other measures of anxiety and the severity of gastrointestinal symptoms, confirming its role in enhancing the understanding and management of IBS and IBD in Italy.

In this study, we present comprehensive climatologies of effective ultraviolet (UV) quantities and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) over Cyprus for the period 2004 to 2023, leveraging the synergy of earth observation (EO) data and radiative transfer model simulations. The EO dataset, encompassing satellite and re-analysis data for aerosols, total ozone column, and water vapor, alongside cloud modification factors, to capture the nuanced dynamics of Cyprus's atmospheric conditions. With a temporal resolution of 15 minutes and a spatial of 0.05°x0.05°, these climatologies undergo rigorous validation against established satellite datasets and are further evaluated through comparisons with ground-based global horizontal irradiance measurements provided by the Meteorological Office of Cyprus. This dual-method validation approach not only underscores the models' accuracy but also highlights their proficiency in capturing intra-daily cloud coverage variations. Our analysis extends to investigating the long-term trends of these solar radiation quantities, examining their interplay with changes in cloud attenuation, aerosol optical depth (AOD), and total ozone column (TOC). Significant decreasing trends in the noon ultraviolet index (UVI), of -2 to -4% per decade have been found in Autumn, especially marked on the island’s Northeastern part, mainly originating from the (significant) positive trends in TOC. The significant decreasing trends in TOC, of -2 to -3% per decade that were found in Spring do not result in correspondingly significant positive trends in the noon UVI since variations in cloudiness and aerosols also have a strong impact on the UVI in this season. The seasonal trends in the Daylight Integral (DLI) were generally not significant. These insights provide a valuable foundation for further studies aimed at developing public health strategies and enhancing agricultural productivity, highlighting the critical importance of accurate and high-resolution climatological data.

Annually, the oak forests of the Zagros Mountain chains, in western Iran and northeastern Iraq, face recurring challenges posed by forest fires, particularly in the Kurdo-Zagrosian forests situated in western Iran and northeastern Iraq. Assessing fire susceptibility relies significantly on vegetation condition. Integrating in situ data, Remote Sensing (RS) data, alongside the integration of Geographical Information Systems (GIS), presents a cost-effective and precise approach to capturing environmental conditions before, during, and after fire events, minimizing the need for extensive fieldwork. This study refines and applies the Zagros Grass Index (ZGI), a local vegetation index tailored to discern between grass-covered surfaces from tree canopies in Zagros forests, identifying the grass masses as the most flammable fuel type. Utilizing Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) product as input, from 2013 to 2022, the ZGI aims to mitigate the influence of tree canopies, isolating NDVI values solely attributable to grass cover. By incorporating phenological characteristics of forest trees and grass species, the ZGI outperforms NDVI in mapping grass-covered areas that are crucial for fire susceptibility assessment in the study region. Results demonstrate a strong overlap between ZGI-based maps and recorded fire occurrences, validating the efficacy of the index in fire susceptibility estimation.

Managing a portfolio whose value closely tracks an index by trading only in a subset of the index constituents involves an NP-hard optimisation problem. In the prior literature, it has been suggested to solve this problem using sequential Monte Carlo (SMC, a.k.a. particle filter) methods. However, this literature does not take transaction costs into account, although transaction costs are the primary motivation for attempting to replicate the index by trading in a subset, rather than the full set of index constituents. This paper extends the SMC approach to index tracking to allow for proportional transaction costs and implements this extended method on empirical data for a variety stock indices. In addition to providing a more practically useful tracking strategy by allowing for transaction costs, we find that including a penalty for transaction costs in the optimisation objective can actually lead to better tracking performance.

UV-A (ca. 365 nm wavelength, a.k.a. 'black light') photocatalysis has been investigated to comprehensively mitigate odor and selected air pollutants in the livestock environment. This study was conducted to confirm the performance of UV-A photocatalysis on the swine farm. The objectives of this research were to (1) scale-up of the UV-A photocatalysis treatment, (2) evaluate the mitigation of odorous gases from swine slurry pit, and (3) test different UV sources, (4) evaluate the effect of suspended particulate matter (PM), and (5) conduct preliminary economic analyses. We tested UV-A photocatalysis at a mobile laboratory-scale capable of treating ~0.2 - 0.8 m3·s-1 of barn exhaust air. The targeted gaseous emissions of barn exhaust air were significantly mitigated (p < 0.05) up to 40% reduction of measured odor; 63%, 44%, 32%, 40%, 66%, and 49% reduction of dimethyl disulfide, isobutyric acid, butanoic acid, p-cresol, indole, and skatole, respectively; 40% reduction of H2S; 100% reduction of O3; and 13% reduction of N2O. The PM mitigation effect was not significant. Formaldehyde levels did not change, and a 21% generation of CO2 was observed. The percent reduction of targeted gases decreased as the airborne PM increased. Simultaneous chemical and sensory analysis confirmed that UV-A treatment changed the overall nuisance odor character of swine barn emissions into weaker manure odor with 'toothpaste and 'mint' notes. The smell of benzoic acid generated in UV-A treatment was likely one of the compounds responsible for the less-offensive overall odor character of the UV-treated emissions. Results are needed to inform the design of a farm-scale trial, where the interior barn walls can be treated with the photocatalyst, and foul air will be passively treated as it moves through the barn.

Climate change is challenging the agricultural sector worldwide. The pressure exerted by the altered thermal conditions drives the zonal shift for various cultivations. This study presents the multiyear analysis of the Growing Degree Days (GDD) index over the Northern Mediterranean Basin (NMB), focused on the high-value vine cultivation derived from the E-OBS dataset. To handle this extensive environmental dataset, R-language scripts and packages were applied, along with the capabilities of the GIS software. The investigated time period spans from 1969 to 2018, and the performed analysis indicates a broad shift/expansion in areas of GDD exceeding 2000 heat units. The extracted results specify the viticultural areas where the GDD index surpasses the suitable values for vine cultivation, owing to the increase of the thermal stress risk. In addition to mapping areas with GDD ≥ 2000, spatial calculations of the surface of areas meeting this criterion per country in the study area were made. In the northern parts of the NMB, the rise of the GDD index values indicates the establishment of vine plantations in the future.

Floods are a common natural disaster whose severity in terms of duration, water resource volume, peak and accumulated rainfall-based damage are likely to differ significantly for different geographical regions. In this paper, we first propose a novel hourly flood index (SWRI24−hr−S), derived from normalising the existing 24-hourly water resources index (WRI24−hr−S) in literature, to monitor flash flood risks on an hourly scale. The proposed SWRI24−hr−S is adopted to identify a flood situation and derive its characteristics, such as the duration (D), volume (V) and peak (Q). The comprehensive result analysis establishes the practical utility of SWRI24−hr−S in identifying flood situations at seven study sites in Fiji between 2014 and 2018 and deriving their characteristics (i.e., D, V, and Q). Secondly, this study develops a vine copula-probabilistic risk analysis system that models the joint distribution of flood characteristics (i.e., D, V, and Q) to extract their joint exceedance probability for the seven study sites in Fiji, enabling probabilistic flood risk assessment. The vine copula approach, particularly suited to Fiji’s study sites, introduces a novel probabilistic framework for flood risk assessment. The results show moderate differences in the spatial patterns of joint exceedance probability of flood characteristics in different combination scenarios generated by the proposed vine copula approach. In the worst-case scenario, the probability of any flood event occurring where the flood volume, peak and duration are likely to exceed the 95th-quantile value (representing an extreme flood event) is found to be less than 5% for all study sites. The proposed hourly flood index and the vine copula approach can be feasible and cost-effective tools for flood risk monitoring and assessment. The methodologies proposed in this study can be applied to other data-scarce regions where only rainfall data is available, offering crucial information for flood risk monitoring, assessment, and the development of effective mitigation strategies.

Abstract: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an autosomal recessive monogenic disorder caused by a homozygous mutation in the β-globin gene, which leads to erythrocyte sickling, hemolysis, vaso-occlusion and sterile inflammation. Oral l-glutamine administration has been shown to reduce the frequency of pain crisis in SCD patients, however, the long-term effect of l-glutamine in SCD remains to be determined. To understand the long-term effect of l-glutamine administration in SCD liver we used quantitative liver intravital microscopy and biochemical analysis in humanized SCD mice. We here show that chronic l-glutamine administration reduces hepatic hemoglobin-heme-iron level, but fails to ameliorate ischemic liver injury. Remarkably, we find that this failure in resolution of hepatobiliary injury and persistent liver fibrosis is associated with reduced expression of hepatic Kupffer cells post l-glutamine treatment. These findings establish the importance to investigate the long-term effects of l-glutamine therapy on liver pathophysiology in SCD patients.

Recent analyses of cosmic microwave background surveys have revealed hints that there may be a non-trivial running of the running of the spectral index. If future experiments were to confirm these hints, it would prove a powerful discriminator of inflationary models, ruling out simple single field models. We discuss how isocurvature perturbations in multi-field models can be invoked to generate large runnings in a non-standard hierarchy, and find that a minimal model capable of practically realising this would be a two-field model with a non-canonical kinetic structure. We also consider alternative scenarios such as variable speed of light models and canonical quantum gravity effects and their implications for runnings of the spectral index.

In the paper the verification of forecasts of precipitation conditions measured by the standardized precipitation index SPI is presented. For the verification of categorical forecasts a contingency table was used. Standard verification measures were used for the SPI value forecast. The 30 day SPI moved every 10 days by 10 days was calculated in 2013-2015 from April to September on the basis of precipitation data from 35 meteorological stations in Poland. Predictions of the 30 day SPI were created in which precipitation was forecasted in the next 10 days (the SPI 10-day forecast) and 20 days (the SPI 20-day forecast). Both for the 10 and 20 days, the forecasts were skewed towards drier categories at the expense of wet categories. There was a good agreement between observed and 10-day forecast categories of precipitation. Less agreement is obtained for 20-day forecasts – these forecasts evidently “over-dry” the assessment of precipitation anomalies. The 10-day SPI value forecast accuracy is acceptable, whereas for the 20-day forecast is unsatisfactory. Both for the SPI categorical and the SPI value forecast, the 10-day SPI forecast is reliable and the 20-day forecast should be accepted with reservation and used with caution.

Aim: To investigate inflammation indices and erythropoietin (EPO) levels for their potential role in distinguishing polycythemia vera (PV) from secondary polycythemia (SP), and to compare different parameter combinations in terms of diagnostic accuracy. Methods: This retrospective cohort was created from patients assessed for polycythemia from January 2020 to December 2023. PV diagnosis was made according to the 2016 WHO criteria (n=145). Those who did not fulfill the criteria were defined as having SP (n=84). Results: NLR, PLR and SII were significantly higher in the PV group (p

This research aimed to investigate the relationship between climate policy uncertainty (CPU), clean energy (ENERGY), carbon emission allowance prices (CARBON), and Bitcoin returns (BTC) for the period from August 2012 to August 2022. The empirical analysis strategies utilized in this study included the Fourier Bootstrap ARDL long-term coefficient estimator, Fourier Granger Causality, and Fourier Toda Yamamoto Causality methods. Following the confirmation of cointegration among the variables, we observed a positive relationship between BTC and CARBON, a positive relationship between BTC and CPU, and a negative relationship between BTC and ENERGY. In terms of causal associations, we identified one-way causality running from CARBON to BTC, BTC to CPU, and BTC to the ENERGY variable. The study underscores the potential benefits and revenue opportunities for investors seeking diversified investment strategies in light of climate change concerns. Furthermore, it suggests actionable strategies for policymakers, such as implementing carbon taxes and educational campaigns, to foster a transition towards clean energy sources within the cryptocurrency mining sector and thereby mitigate environmental impacts.

Floods are among the most serious natural disasters worldwide; they cause enormous crop losses every year and threaten world food security. There are many studies focused on flood impact assessments for administrative districts but fewer on postdisaster impact assessments for specific crops. Therefore, this study used remote sensing data, including the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), elevation data, slope data, and rainfall data, combined with crop growing season data to construct a crop flood damage assessment index (CFAI). First, an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used to assign weights to the impact factors; then, the weighted composite score method was used to calculate the CFAI; and finally, the impact was classified as slight, moderate, or severe based on the magnitude of the CFAI . This method was used for the Missouri River floods of 2019 in the U.S. Due to the lack of measured data, the disaster vegetation damage index (DVDI) was used to validate the results. The combined approach achieved a high degree of consistency in spatial distribution. The CFAI can respond well to the degree of crop impact after flooding, providing new ideas and reference standards for agriculture-related departments.

It is essential to mitigate gaseous emissions that result from poultry and livestock production to increase industry sustainability. Odorous volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ammonia (NH3), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and greenhouse gases (GHGs) have detrimental effects on the quality of life in rural communities, the environment, and climate. This study's objective was to evaluate the photocatalytic UV treatment of gaseous emissions of odor, odorous VOCs, NH3, and other gases (GHGs, O3 – sometimes considered as by-products of UV treatment) from stored swine manure on a pilot-scale. The manure emissions were treated in fast-moving air using a mobile lab equipped with UV-A and UV-C lights and TiO2-based photocatalyst. Treated gas airflow (0.25 to 0.76 m3/s) simulates output from a small ventilation fan in a barn. Through controlling the light intensity and airflow, UV dose was tested for techno-economic analyses. The treatment effectiveness depended on the UV dose and wavelength. Under UV-A (367 nm) photocatalysis, the percent reduction of targeted gases was up to i) 63% of odor, ii) 51%, 51%, 53%, 67%, and 32% of acetic acid, propanoic acid, butanoic acid, p-cresol, and indole, respectively, iii) 14% of nitrous oxide (N2O), iv) 100% of O3, and 26% generation of CO2. Under UV-C (185+254 nm) photocatalysis, the percent reductions of target gases were up to i) 54% and 47% for p-cresol and indole, respectively, ii) 25% of N2O, iii) 71% of CH4, and 46% & 139% generation of CO2 & O3, respectively. The results proved that the UV technology was sufficiently effective in treating odorous gases, and the mobile lab was ready for farm-scale trials. The UV technology can be considered for the scaled-up treatment of emissions and air quality improvement inside livestock barns.

In recent years, the nanoparticles applications have been well recognized in various fields. It is known that nanoparticles as an active ingredient in sunscreens are widely used. Zinc oxide and titanium oxide nanoparticles are common nanoparticles utilized in sunscreens. In this study, we aimed to suggest new nanoparticles for this purpose. Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2-NPs) were synthesized by using Musa sapientum fruit peel extract. Synthesized nanoparticles were identified through Raman, Powder X-ray Diffraction (PXRD), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Field Energy Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and Energy-Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDX). The results showed that size of synthesized nanoparticles are in range 4-13 nm. The cytotoxic activity of synthesized nanoparticles on lung (A549) cancer cell line was performed through MTT assay. The results showed that synthesized nanoparticles are non-toxicity against A549 cell line to below 500 μg/mL of nanoparticles concentration. The Sun protection factor (SPF) was estimated ~ 40 for synthesized CeO2-NPs. So, synthesized nanoparticles can be a good option for use in the cosmetics industry.

The fetal splenic artery pulsatility index (PI) is a parameter that reflects fetal well-being and has been used as a predictor of adverse pregnancy outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of splenic artery PI in GDM class A1 cases for NICU admission. In this prospective case controlled study, only sixty single pregnancy cases diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus class A1 were evaluated. Fetal splenic artery Doppler parameters Peak systolic velocity (PSV), Pulsatility index (PI), Resistivity index (RI) and End diastolic velocity (EDV) were measured in all cases. The rate of re-quirement of need of neanoatal intensive care unit was noted. In cases with need fetal intensive care, fetal splenic PI index was found to be statistically significantly lower than in healthy cases without it (0.94 ± 0.29 vs. 1.70 ± 0.53, respectively, p

Surface water distribution extracted from remote sensing data has been used in water resource assessment, coastal management, and environmental change studies. Traditional manual methods for extracting water bodies cannot satisfy the requirements for mass processing of remote sensing data; therefore, accurate automated extraction of such water bodies has remained a challenge. The histogram bimodal method (HBM) is a frequently used objective tool for threshold selection in image segmentation. The threshold is determined by seeking twin peaks, and the valley values between them; however, automatically calculating the threshold is difficult because complex surfaces and image noise which lead to not perfect twin peaks (single or multiple peaks). We developed an operational automated water extraction method, the modified histogram bimodal method (MHBM). The MHBM defines the threshold range of water extraction through mass static data; therefore, it does not require the identification of twin histogram peaks. It then seeks the minimum values in the threshold range to achieve automated threshold. We calibrated the MHBM for many lakes in China using Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) images, for which the relative error (RE) and squared correlation coefficient (R2) for threshold accuracy were found to be 2.1% and 0.96, respectively. The RE and root-mean-square error (RMSE) for the area accuracy of MHBM were 0.59% and 7.4 km2. The results show that the MHBM could easily be applied to mass time-series remote sensing data to calculate water thresholds within water index images and successfully extract the spatial distribution of large water bodies automatically.

Plant leaf area index (LAI) is a key characteristic affecting field canopy microclimate. In addition to traditional professional measuring instruments, smartphone camera sensors have been used to measure plant LAI. However, when smartphone methods were used to measure conifer forest LAI, very different performances were obtained depending on whether the smartphone was held at the zenith angle or at a 57.5° angle. To validate further the potential of smartphone sensors for measuring conifer LAI and to find the limits of this method, this paper reports the results of a comparison of two smartphone methods with an LAI-2000 instrument. It is shown that both methods can be used to reveal the conifer leaf-growing trajectory. However, the method with the phone oriented vertically upwards always produced better consistency in magnitude with LAI-2000. The bias of the LAI between the smartphone method and the LAI-2000 instrument was explained with regard to four aspects that can affect LAI: gap fraction, leaf projection ratio, sensor field of view (FOV), and viewing zenith angle (VZA). It was concluded that large FOV and large VZA cause the 57.5° method to overestimate the gap fraction and hence underestimate conifer LAI, especially when tree height is greater than 2.0 m. For the vertically upward method, the bias caused by the overestimated gap fraction is compensated for by an underestimated leaf projection ratio.

Properties of time domain parameters of the vibration signal have been extensively studied for the fault diagnosis of rolling element bearings (REB). Parameters like kurtosis and Envelope Harmonic-to-Noise Ratio are most widely applied in this field and some important progress has been made. However, since only one-sided information is contained in these parameters respectively, problems still exist in practice when the signals collected are of complicated structure and/or contaminated by strong background noises. A new parameter, named Shock pulse index (SPI), is proposed in this paper. It integrates the mutual advantage of both parameters above and can help effectively identify fault related impulse components under the interference of strong background noises, unrelated harmonic components and random impulses. The SPI optimizes the parameters of Maximum Correlated Kurtosis Deconvolution (MCKD), which is used to filter the signals under consideration. Finally, the interested transient information contained in the filtered signal can be highlighted through demodulation with Teager Energy Operator (TEO). Fault related impulse components can therefore be extracted accurately. Simulations and experiment analyses verify the effectiveness and correctness of the SPI.

Today, more than 70 million tons of lignin are produced by the pulp and paper industry every year. However, the utilization of lignin as a source for chemical synthesis is still limited due to the complex and heterogeneous lignin structure. The purpose of this study was a selective photodegradation of industrially available kraft lignin in order to obtain appropriate fragments and building block chemicals for further utilization, e.g. polymerization. Thus, kraft lignin obtained from soft wood black liquor by acidification was dissolved in sodium hydroxide and irradiated at a wavelength of 254 nm with and without the presence of titanium dioxide in various concentrations. Analyses of the irradiated products via SEC showed decreasing molar masses and decreasing polydispersity indices over time. At the end of the irradiation period the lignin was depolymerised to form fragments as small as the lignin monomers. TOC analyses showed minimal mineralisation due to the depolymerisation process.

Abstract: Doppler renal resistive index (RRI) has been used for several decades as a potential indi-cator for renal disease and progression. In recent years, RRI has emerged as a useful prognostic indicator for a range of co-morbidities in patients who are acutely unwell and as a potential marker for sub-clinical acute kidney injury (AKI) and post procedural AKI risk. Despite this, the clinical and theoretical determinants of RRI are poorly understood and remain contentious. Method: A narrative review of studies exploring the theoretical, experimental, and clinical evidence for factors affecting RRI. No date restrictions were set. Findings: Both experimental and clinical data confirm that RRI is markedly affected by a range of systemic and renal determinants and is influenced closely by the underlying risk factors and sys-temic vascular changes that lead to progressive renal damage. Discussion: This paper provides an overview of the key haemodynamic determinants of renal re-sistive index and aims to clarify their relative importance. With reference to a simplified theoretical model, evidence from experimental and clinical studies is reviewed. Pathophysiological factors and patient characteristics that influence RRI are explored to provide a better understanding of why RRI values change in the presence of common or complex pathologies. Conclusion: By gaining a better understanding of the complex systemic and renal factors that influ-ence RRI, ultrasound users will be better prepared to understand and interpret changes in RRI across a range of patient presentations.

COPD is currently the fourth leading cause of death in the world. Globally, due to continued exposure to COPD risk factors and an aging population, the burden of COPD is expected to increase in the coming decades. The BODE (body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity) index is a practical and multidimensional predictor for prognosis of COPD, and better than FEV1.We used the database of Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital medical center, Taiwan to analyze the correlation between BODE index, healthcare resource utilization, and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI). This retrospective study to collect COPD patients with complete BODE index data who had undergone a 6-minute walk examination in our hospital from January 2015 to December 2016. The medical cost and comorbidities database were analyzed from January 1, 2015, to August 31, 2017. Of 396 patients, 382 (96.5%) were male, with an average age of 71.3 ± 8.4 years. There was a significant association between the BODE index and the CCI of COPD patients (p < 0.001). Healthcare resource utilization was positively correlated with the BODE index during the 32 months of retrospective clinical outcomes: positively correlated with the number of hospitalizations (p<0.001), hospitalization days (p<0.001), hospitalization expenses (p=0.005), and total medical expenses (p=0.024), respectively. Our findings provide the crucial information for clinician to predict medical burden and comorbidities in patients with COPD by using BODE index.

We investigated the properties of architected materials made from UV-cured urethane elastomers and the use of such materials for insoles. The durability and reliability of various materials currently used in medical insoles were compared with those of architected materials with microlattice. The results show that architected materials made from UV-cured urethane elastomers have high impact resilience and grip, and the hardness can easily be changed by adjusting the column diameter of the unit cell. Compared with the foam materials used for medical insoles today, these architected materials also demonstrate superior UV resistance, suggesting that, after being washed in water, they can be air-dried outdoors.

Groundwater contamination by nitrate and organic chemicals (e.g. 1,4-dioxane) is a growing worldwide concern. This work presents a new approach for simultaneously treating nitrate and 1,4-dioxane, which is based on UV sensitization of nitrate and sulfite, and the production of reactive species. Specifically, water contaminated with nitrate and 1,4-dioxane is irradiated by a UV source (< 250 nm) at relatively high doses, to sensitize in-situ nitrate and generate HO•. This leads to the oxidation of 1,4-dioxane (and other organics), and the (undesired) production of nitrite as an intermediate. Subsequently, sulfite is added at an optimized time-point, and its UV sensitization produces hydrated electrons which reacts and reduces nitrite. Our results confirmed the effectivity of the proposed treatment: UV irradiation of nitrate (at > 5 mg N/L) efficiently degraded 1,4-dioxane, while producing nitrite at levels higher than 1 mg N/L (its MCL in drinking water). Adding sulfite to the process after 10 minutes of irradiation reduced the concentration of nitrite, without affecting the degradation rate of 1,4-dioxane. The treated water contained elevated levels of sulfate; albeit at much lower concentration than its MCL. Treating water contaminated with nitrate and organic chemicals (often detected concomitantly) typically requires several (expensive) treatment processes. The proposed approach may present a cost-effective alternative, employing a single system for the treatment of nitrate and organic contaminants

The Absorbing/scattering nature of aerosols affects the total radiative forcing and this absorption to total extinction ratio is quantified by single scattering albedo (SSA). Effect of SSA in the Ultraviolet (UV) irradiance is less studied and limited measurements are available. SSA retrieved at Athens, Greece during 2009-2014 from Ultraviolet Multifilter Radiometer (UVMFR) at 332 and 368 nm, were used to calculate incoming UV irradiance, alongside with ones from AERONET at visible wavelengths, from OMI satellite at 342.5 nm and from AEROCOM climatological database at 300 nm. UVA and UVB irradiances were estimated using a Radiative Transfer Model and we found that relative differences could be as high as 20%, while average relative differences varied from 2% to 8.7 % for the whole experimental period. Both UVA and UVB drop by a rate of ~12% for 0.05 aerosol absorption optical depth compared to ones estimated using SSA at visible range. Brewer irradiance measurements at 324nm were used to validate simulated irradiances and a better agreement was found when UVMFR SSAs were used with an average difference of 0.86%, while when using visible or climatological input, relative differences were estimated +4.91 and +4.15% accordingly.

Droughts are a common occurrence in various climates and are primarily caused by a prolonged decrease in rainfall. Several factors contribute to droughts, including temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, rainfall timing, amount, and intensity during the growing season. The objective of this study is to establish a new index, named soil moisture and evapotranspiration revealed drought index (SERDI), for displaying dry and wet conditions based on combining both soil moisture and evapotranspiration (Penman-Monteith) to improve drought early warning and its severity globally. For validation of the SERDI with other indices such as LST, VHI, NDVI, and NDWI, different ways used such as R-square, RMSE, MAPE, and P-value to estimate the accuracy, variability of data, the forecast conditions, and how the significance of data. The results showed that the low RMSE and high r² were found between SERDI with LST and VHI. In contrast, the low R- square and high RMSE were between SERDI with NDVI and NDWI in most of the semi-arid areas. Furthermore, most of the semi-arid areas from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and Israel experienced moderate and severe dry conditions, except some parts of these regions had normal conditions in Iran and Syria. The SERDI analysis revealed a strong correlation between (LST) and a moderate correlation with (VHI) across all study areas. However, the relationship between other indices, like (NDWI) and (NDVI), varied depending on the regions. To conclude, SERDI can be used globally for detecting drought based on soil moisture and evapotranspiration.

In our study we investigated the accelerated aging process of PLA under 253.7 nm UV-C irradiation with the use of GPC, NMR, FTIR, DSC methods and formal kinetic analysis. The results of GPC and DSC indicated a significant degree of destructive changes in PLA macromol-ecules, while spectroscopic methods NMR and FTIR showed maintenance of PLA main structural elements even after a long time of UV exposure. In addition to that, the GPC method displayed the formation of a high-molecular fraction starting from 24 hours of irradiation, and an increase in its content after 144 hours of experiment. It has been showed for the first time that a distinctive feature of prolonged UV exposure is the occurrence of intra- and intermolecular radical recom-bination reactions, leading to the formation of a high-molecular fraction of PLA decomposition products. This causes the observed slowdown of the photolysis process. It was concluded that photolysis of PLA is a complex of physicochemical processes, the mechanism of which depends on morphological changes in a solid phase of the polymer under UV radiation.

Given the high prevalence of cutaneous genus beta human papillomavirus (β-HPV) infections, it is important to understand how they are manipulating their host cells. This is particularly true for cellular responses to UV damage, since our skin is continually exposed to UV. The E6 protein from β-HPV (β-HPV E6) decreases the abundance of two essential UV-repair kinases (ATM and ATR). Since β-HPV E6 reduces their availability, the impact on downstream signaling events has been uncertain. We demonstrate that β-HPV E6 decreases ATM and ATR activation. This inhibition extended to XPA, an ATR target necessary for UV repair, lowering both its phosphorylation and accumulation. β-HPV E6 hinders POLη phosphorylation and foci formation, critical steps in translesion synthesis. ATM’s phosphorylation of BRCA1 is also attenuated by β-HPV E6. However, β-HPV E6’s hindrance of ATM/ATR signaling during UV-associated cell cycle arrest was incomplete. While there was less phosphorylation of immediate downstream targets (CHK1), events further down the cascade were not decreased. These observations are consistent with β-HPV infections making UV radiation more deleterious and support the proposed role of β-HPV in early stages of non-melanoma skin cancer development.

The International Roughness Index (IRI) is the standard scale for evaluating road roughness in many countries in the world. The Taipei City government actively promotes a Road Smoothing Project and plans to complete the rehabilitation of the main and minor roads within its jurisdiction. This study aims to detect the road surface roughness in Taipei City and recommend appropriate IRI thresholds for road rehabilitation. A total of 171 asphalt concrete pavement sections in Taipei City with a total length of 803.49 km were analyzed and compared by IRI. The longitudinal profile of the detected road sections was measured using an inertial profiler. The statistical analysis showed that the IRI value prior to road leveling was mainly distributed between 5 and 8 m/km, while the IRI value after road leveling was mainly distributed between 3 and 4.5 m/km. This confirms that the implementation of the Road Smoothing Project has a significant effect on improving road smoothness. Moreover, based on the analysis results, it is recommended that the IRI threshold value for road rehabilitation in Taipei City be set at 4.50 m/km.

Lichens are unique extremophilic organisms due to their phenomenal resistance to adverse environmental factors, including ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Melanization plays a special role in the protection of lichens from UV-B stress. In present study, we analyzed the binding of melanins with the components of cell walls of mycobiont of upper cortex in the melanized lichen thalli Lobaria pulmonaria. Using scanning electron and atomic force microscopy, the morphological and nanomechanical characteristics of melanized layer of mycobiont cells were visualized. Melanization of lichen thalli led to the smoothing the surface relief and thickening mycobiont cell walls and resulted in the increase of deformation values and reduction of adhesion properties of lichen thallus. Treatment of thalli with hydrolytic enzymes, especially chitinase and lichenase, enhanced the yield of melanin from melanized thalli and release of carbohydrates, while treatment with pectinase increased the release of carbohydrates and phenols. Our results suggest that melanin by firmly binding with hyphal cell wall carbohydrates, particularly chitin and 1,4-β-glucans, can form associations, strengthen the melanized upper cortex of lichen thalli, and thereby can contribute to lichen survival under UV stress.

Palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) is a by-product from the refining of crude palm oil. It comprises mainly of free fatty acids, having around 45% of palmitic and 33% oleic acids as the major components. Ultra-violet (UV) curable urethane acrylate (UA) oligomers could be synthesized from PFAD by the following procedure. A hydroxyl terminated macromer was first prepared by reacting PFAD with a mixture of isophthalic acid, phthalic anhydride, neopentagylcol (NPG) and pentaerythritol. The macromer is then reacted with 2-hydroxylethylacrylate (2HEA) and toluene diisocynate (TDI) to generate a resin containing acrylate side chains for UV curable application. A series of UA resins were prepared by using 15, 25, 45, 55 and 70% of PFAD respectively. The UA resin has Mw in the range of 3200 to 27,000. They could be cured by UV irradiation at intensity of 225mW/cm². Glass transition temperature (T_g) of the cured film was measured by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and hardness of the film was determined by pendulum hardness tester according to ASTM4366. The resins were used in wood coating application. All of the cured films showed good adhesion, hardness and chemical resistant for resins using up to 55% PFAD; however the resin at 70% did not cure properly.

In Taiwan, mountainous areas account for approximately two-thirds of the total area. The steep terrain and concentrated rainfall during typhoons cause landslides, which pose a considerable threat to mountain settlements. Therefore, models for analyzing rainfall-induced landslide hazards are urgently required to ensure adequate land use in mountainous areas. In this study, focusing on Pingtung County in southern Taiwan, we developed a landslide hazard index (IRL) to land use. Using FORMOSA-2 and SPOT-5 satellite images, data were collected before and after four typhoons (one in 2009 and three in 2013). The ArcGIS random tree classifier was used for interpreting satellite images to explore surface changes and disasters, which were used to analyze slope disturbances. The product of the maximum 3-h rolling rainfall intensity and effective accumulated rainfall was used as a rainfall trigger index (IRT). Considering environmental and slope disturbance factors, an index of slope environmental strength potential (ISESP) was developed through logistic regression (LR). Landslide hazard to land use was estimated using IRT and ISESP. The average coefficient of agreement (Kappa) was approximately 0.71 (medium to high accuracy); the overall accuracy of slope environmental strength potential analysis was approximately 80.4%. At a constant ISESP, IRT increased with the increasing hazard potential of rainfall-induced landslides. Furthermore, IRT and ISESP were positively correlated with landslide occurrence. When large ISESP values occur (e.g., fragile environment and high land development intensity), small IRT values may induce landslides.

The Work Ability Index (WAI) is the most widely used questionnaire for the self-assessment of working ability. Because of its different applications, shorter versions, and widespread use in healthcare activities, it is worthwhile assessing its characteristics. The WAI was distributed online among the workers of a healthcare company; the results were compared with data contained in the workers' personal health records and with absence registers. 340 out of 575 workers (59.1%) participated; 6.5% of them reported poor work ability. Exploratory factor analysis indicated that the one-factor version best described the characteristics of the WAI. The scores of the complete WAI, the shorter form without the list of diseases, and the minimal one-item version (WAS) had equal distribution and were significantly correlated. The WAI score was inversely related to age and significantly lower in women than in men, but it was higher in night workers than in colleagues due to the probable effect of selective factors. The WAI score was also correlated with absenteeism, but no differences were found between males and females in the average number of absences, suggesting that cultural or emotional factors influence the self-rating of the WAI. Workers tended to overreport illnesses in the online survey compared to data collected during occupational health checks. Musculoskeletal disorders were the most frequently reported illnesses (53%). Psychiatric illnesses affected 21% of workers and had the greatest impact on work ability. Multilevel ergonomic and human factor intervention seems to be needed to recover the working capacity of healthcare workers.

Iron Doped TiO₂ nanoparticles (Fe-TiO₂) were synthesized and photocatalitically investigated under high and low fluence values of UV-radiation. The Fe-TiO₂ physical characterization was performed using X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (DRS), and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) technique. The XPS evidenced that ferric ion (Fe³⁺) was in the lattice of TiO₂ and co-dopants no intentionally added were also present due to the precursors of the synthetic method. The Fe³⁺ concentration played a key role in the photocatalytic generation of hydroxyl radical (•OH) and estriol (E3) degradation. Fe-TiO₂ materials accomplished E3 degradation, and it was found that the catalyst with 0.3 at. % content of Fe (0.3 Fe-TiO₂) enhanced the photocatalytic activity under low UV-irradiation compared with no intentionally Fe-added TiO₂ (zero-iron TiO₂) and Aeroxide^® TiO₂ P25. Furthermore, the enhanced photocatalytic activity of 0.3 Fe-TiO₂ under low UV-irradiation may have applications when radiation intensity must be controlled, as in medical applications, or when strong UV absorbing species are present in water.

This paper initiates the study of the mathematical aspects of the ad-hoc Lanzhou index. If G is a graph with the vertex set {x1,⋯,xn}, then the ad-hoc Lanzhou index of G is defined by Lz¯(G)=∑i=1ndi(n−1−di)2, where di represents the degree of the vertex xi. Several identities for the ad-hoc Lanzhou index, involving some existing topological indices are established. The problems of finding graphs with the extremum values of the ad-hoc Lanzhou index from the following sets of graphs are also attacked: (i) set of all connected ξ-cyclic graphs of a fixed order, (ii) set of all connected molecular ξ-cyclic graphs of a fixed order, (iii) set of all graphs of a fixed order, (iv) set of all connected molecular graphs of a fixed order.

In geotechnical engineering applications, it is very important to obtain the undrained shear strength of remolded soils accurately and reliably. This study aims to obtain a trustworthy solution to determine the undrained shear strength of remolded clay mixtures using Atterberg limit test results in various states of consistency. An experimental study was carried out involving a wide range of clay mixtures of varying plasticity and geological origin. In the analyses, the variation of the remolded undrained shear strength depending on the cone penetration depth, water content, flow index, liquidity index and log liquidity index were investigated. In the study, the highest undrained shear strength of 100% Na-montmorillonite (NaM) was obtained at 171.89 kPa at 56.60% water content, while the lowest undrained shear strength was obtained for 100% Sepiolite (S), 9.28 kPa at 31.65% water content. The results of this study revealed that the shear strength is significantly affected by soil conditions, rather than dominant clay mineral. Besides, it was observed that the undrained shear strength at the plastic limit was approximately 30-35 times greater than that at liquid limit. The equations of liquid limit-flow index and plasticity index- flow index were proposed. It was concluded that the interdependence between undrained shear strength, liquidity index, log liquidity index, and flow index is not unique due to the different physical and chemical properties of clays.

Human hair is characterized by significant diversity, which is dictated by the individual genetic makeup. It is estimated that up to 70% of the world’s population has textured hair, with a signif-icant proportion also living in areas with high exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR). This highlights the unique requirements for textured hair care products that can protect hair shafts from the harmful effects of the environment whilst enhancing the natural features of the fibre. In this study, we investigated the UV-protective effects of hair conditioner formulated from active ingredients, mangiferin, ferulic acid and naringin. The analysis of UV-irradiated straight and textured hair was performed by measurements of hair thickness and darkness, the uptake of the fluorescent dye, spectral absorbance of keratin extracts, ATR-FTIR and SEM. We found that tex-tured hair was more sensitive to UVR-induced changes than straight hair, with the primary mo-lecular targets represented by chemical groups in keratins. Pre-treatment of the hair with condi-tioner had protective effects against structural damage and oxidative stress caused by UVR. These data indicate the importance of the personalized approach to hair research and the formu-lation of hair care products tailored to the individual demands of textured hair types.

Theories on life’s origin generally acknowledge the advantage of a semi-permeable vesicle (protocell) for enhancing the chemical reaction-diffusion processes involved in abiogenesis. However, more and more evidence indicates that the origin of life concerned the photo-chemical dissipative structuring of the fundamental molecules under UV-C light. In this paper, we analyze the Mie UV scattering properties of such a vesicle made from long chain fatty acids. We find that the vesicle could have provided early life with a shield from the faint, but dangerous, hard UV-C ionizing light (180-210 nm) that probably bathed Earth’s surface from before the origin of life and until perhaps 1,500 million years after, until the formation of a protective ozone layer as a result of the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis.

To investigate the photosynthetic change characteristics of mango leaves under enhanced UV-B radiation, adult ‘Tainong No. 1’ mango (Mangifera indica) trees were treated (N=nine individuals) with simulated enhanced UV-B radiation [24 and 96 kJ/(m2·d)] in the field, and the photochemical reactions, activities of key enzymes in carbon assimilation, and the expression of genes were observed. The results showed that compared with the control, there was a decrease in tree yield and nutritional flavor quality of the fruits under the 96 kJ/(m2·d) treatment, while no significant changes were observed under 24 kJ/(m2·d). After 20 or 40 days, leaves’ net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Sc), transpiration rate (Tr), intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), and chlorophyll a/b under exposure to 96 kJ/(m2·d) of UV-B were significantly lower than in the control, whereas chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids, Hill reaction activity, photochemical quenching coefficient (qP), and Rubisco activities were significantly higher. By contrast, the Hill activity and Rubisco activity under 24 kJ/(m2·d) were significantly higher than the control, while Pn, Sc, Tr, Ci, and the content of photosynthetic pigments were similar to the control. The expression of gene coding the Rubisco big subunit (rbcL) was inhibited by the 96 kJ/(m2·d) treatment. We conclude that stomatal limitation was directly induced by 96 kJ/(m2·d), resulting in the inhibition of photosynthesis and the reduction in yield and deterioration of the quality of mango.

The kinetics and modeling of dual-wavelength controlled photopolymerization confinement (PC) are presented and measured data are analyzed by analytic formulas and numerical data. The UV-light initiated inhibition effect is strongly monomer-dependent and different monomers have different C=C bond rate constants and conversion efficacy. Without the UV-light, for a given blue-light intensity, higher initiator concentration (C₁₀) and rate constant (k’) lead to higher conversion, as also predicted by analytic formulas, in which the total conversion rate (R_T) is an increasing function of k’R, which is proportional to k[gB₁C₁]^0.5. However, the coupling factor b₁ plays a different role that higher b₁ leads to higher conversion only in the transient regime; whereas higher b₁ leads lower steady-state conversion. For a fixed initiator concentration C₁₀, higher inhibitor concentration (C₂₀) leads to lower conversion due to stronger inhibition effect. However, same conversion reduction was found for the same H-factor of H₀ = [b₁C₁₀ - b₂C₂₀]. Conversion of blue-only are much higher than that of UV-only and UV-blue combined, in which high C₂₀ results a strong reduction of blue-only-conversion, such that the UV-light serves as the turn-off (trigger) mechanism for the purpose of spatial confirmation within the overlap area of UV and blue light. For example, UV-light controlled methacrylate conversion of a glycidyl dimethacrylate resin formulated with a tertiary amine co-initiator, and butyl nitrite, subject to a continuous exposure of a blue light, but an on-off exposure of a UV-light. Finally, we developed a theoretical new finding for the criterion of a good material/candidate governed by a double ratio of light-intensity and concentration, [I₂₀C₂₀.]/[I₁₀C₁₀].

The aim of this report is to evaluate the segmental rib index (RI) from T1-T12 spinal level in mild and moderate idiopathic scoliosis (IS) curves of thoracic, thoracolumbar and lumbar type by gender. The relationship of segmental RI to the frontal plane radiological deformity presented as the Cobb angle and to the posterior truncal surface deformity presented as the scoliometric readings of Angle of Trunk Rotation (ATR) in these patients is also assessed. Any statistical significant rela-tionship of these parameters would be very important for biomechanical relations of the rib cage (RC) deformity presented as the rib hump deformity (RHD) and the deformity in the spine and it would thus provide valuable information about scoliogeny. The segmental rib index (RI) is presented in 83 boys and girls with mild and moderate IS. The measurements include the scoliometric readings for truncal asymmetry (TA), the Cobb angle assessment and the segmental RI from T1-T12. The statistical package SPSS 23 was used for statistical analysis. The TA is documented and the Cobb angle is presented by gender and curve type. The segmental RI of thoracic, thoracolumbar and lumbar curves are presented for the first time. The correlations of the segmental RI to surface deformity presented as the rib hump deformity (RHD) in all IS patients and particularly in thoracic curves, to Cobb angle by gender and age and the comparison of the segmental RI index of asymmetric but not scoliotic children to the scoliotic peers by curve (in thoracic, thoracolumbar, lumbar curves) in boys and girls are presented. The findings emphasize the significant protagonistic role of the thoracic asymmetry in relation to the spinal deformity mainly in girls for the thoracic and in boys for the thoracolumbar curves. The cut-off point of age of the examined scoliotics is 14 years, that is when the RI shows stronger correlation with the spinal deformity, namely when the thoracic deformity is decisively effective to the developing thoracic spinal deformity, in terms of Cobb angle. In summary, the results of this study provide aetiological implications for IS, as far as the role of thorax is con-cerned.

The Metropolitan Economic Freedom Index (MEFI) ranks cities based on their support of free market enterprise. In its current state, MEFI purports to measure three constructs (government spending, taxation, and labor market freedom) with three equally weighted variables for each one, assuming perfect substitutability of variables. This study investigates the statistical consistency of MEFI through Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Multiple models investigate current variable selection by providing a potentially better indicator of labor market freedom, aggregation assumptions by removing the requirements for fixed and equal weights, and statistical consistency by evaluating the fit between the data and models. Results indicate that the current MEFI model is not statistically consistent with the data, that weighting of variables should not be equal, that variable selection should be investigated, and that constructs should be re-imagined. The models investigated provide an initial starting point for redefining MEFI.

The contribution aims to bring forth a novel synthesis route in developing transparent UV-LED curable coatings accounting various exposure options. A selection of perfluoropolyether (PFPE)-urethane methacrylate and acrylate resins, free-radical photo-initiator Omnirad 2100, and two distinct silane based crosslinking agents were blended under a weight ratio of 75:20:5 (without crosslinker) and 70:15:5:10, respectively. The coatings were cured under a UV-LED 4 x 3 matrix light emitting source, in a chamber under controlled atmosphere, by means of an in-house developed conveyor belt type platform, at different conveyor belt speed (5, 50, 150, 250, and 500 mm/s). The morphologies of fabricated coatings were characterized by FTIR revealing high conversion rates (e.g., from 98 to 100%) for increased exposure time as resulted from the 5 or 50 mm/s values, on all combinations. Dynamic-mechanical and optical properties of UV-LED cured transparent coatings were also investigated. A negative shift of a glass transition temperature values with a decrease in exposure time, in all combinations, from about 60 °C to 30 °C, along with storage moduli lowering in the glassy plateau further favor on higher exposure times for curing. The refractive indices of polymers were from 1.38 to 1.40, whereas the thermo-optic coefficients are showing minor changes around value of 2.55∙10-4 K-1.

Controlling the concentration of free radicals in polymerization systems is advantageous for preparing cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM) with high molecular weight and acceptable dissolvability. In this study, a novel ultraviolet (UV)-initiated system characterized with adjustable light intensity and redox-azo complex initiator was used to synthesize a CPAM flocculant named NP. Comparatively, another CPAM flocculant named SP with stable UV light intensity and single initiator was prepared. The chemical structure, morphology, and thermal stability were analyzed through instrumental analysis. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance indicated that NP was successfully prepared, and a small fraction of cationic homopolymer was mixed in the product. Polymerization conditions were optimized, and polymerization mechanism was determined by investigating the effects of various parameters on intrinsic viscosity, conversion, and dissolvability. Results showed that the best performance was obtained at indexes of 0.45 wt‰ redox initiator concentration, 0.2 wt‰ azo initiator concentration, 40.0 wt% of cationic monomer, first- and second-stage light intensities of 8.5 and 13 mW/cm², respectively, and 3 wt% urea. Sludge conditioning performances of NP and SP were comparatively evaluated, and the mechanism was determined by investigating the sedimentation behavior and floc size distribution. High intrinsic viscosity, porous morphology structure, and the mixed cationic homopolymer of NP resulted in better sludge conditioning performance.

The photodegradation of azithromycin present was carried out in water using H2O2 under UV irradiation. The reaction variables considered in this study were the amount of H2O2 solution and the initial concentration of azithromycin to evaluate the performance of the photodegradation process. The azithromycin degradation was not observed in the dark during stirring for 20 minutes. The study showed efficient photodegradation of azithromycin using H2O2 as an oxidant in the presence of UV irradiation. The azithromycin degradation was affected significantly by the pH of the irradiated solution. The degradation was low at an acidic pH and showed an increasing trend as the pH changed to basic. The azithromycin degradation was increased with a higher amount (higher concentration) of H2O2. The degradation of azithromycin decreased with a higher concentration of azithromycin in the reacting solution. The highest degradation of AZT was achieved in 1 hour using a 1.0 ppm AZT solution containing 3 ml of H2O2. The experimental data obtained was well-fitted to zero-order reaction kinetics. The results of this study were found to be superior when compared with those reported in the literature, with photocatalysis using nanomaterials and photolysis using irradiation and H2O2. The UV/H2O2 system was found to be quite efficient for the photodegradation of azithromycin, and this system can be applied to degrade other organic pollutants present in industrial wastewater. To this point, such a study has not been reported specifically for AZT photodegradation.

Proper treatment of infectious air could potentially mitigate the spread of airborne viruses such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). The objective of this research is to test the effectiveness of ultraviolet (UV) in inactivating aerosolized PRRSV, specifically, four UV lamps, UV-A (365 nm, both fluorescent and LED-based), "excimer" UV-C (222 nm), and germicidal UV-C (254 nm), were tested. The two UV-C lamps effectively irradiated fast-moving PRRSV aerosols with short treatment times (<2 s). One-stage and two-stage UV inactivation models estimated the UV doses needed for target percentage (%) reductions on PRRSV titer. UV-C (254 nm) dose needed for 3-log (99.9%) reduction was 0.521 and 0.0943 mJ/cm2, respectively, based on one-stage and two-stage models. An order of magnitude lower UV-C (222 nm) doses were needed for a 3-log reduction, i.e., 0.0882 and 0.048 mJ/cm2, based on one-stage and two-stage models, respectively. However, the cost of 222-nm excimer lamps is still economically prohibitive for scaling-up trials. The UV-A (365 nm) lamps could not reduce PRRSV titers for tested doses up to 4.11 mJ/cm2. Pilot-scale or farm-scale testing of UV-C on PRRSV aerosols simulating barn ventilation rates are recommended based on its effectiveness and reasonable costs comparable to HEPA filtration.

(1) Background: Investigating the characteristics of photosynthetic physiological changes of leaves in Mangifera indica L. cv. 'GuIfei' under enhanced UV-B radiation, natural light exposed trees were regarded as control, and 96 kJ·m-2·d-1enhanced UV-B radiation was artificially simulated in the field; (2) Methods: The changes of fruit maturity and fruit quality, leaf net photosynthetic rate (Pn), photosynthetic pigments contents, photochemical reaction, activities of photosynthetic enzymes and their genes expressions were determined; (3) Results: Compared with CK, the percentage of mature fruits of the treatment was significantly increased, and fruit quality was better. The net photosynthetic rate (Pn), the contents of photosynthetic pigment, Hill reaction activity and photochemical quenching coefficient (qP) of the treatment leaves showed a significantly higher trend than CK. The activities of Rubisco and RCA, and the expression of Rubisco genes rbcL and rbcS were significantly increased; (4) Conclusions: 96 kJ·m-2·d-1 enhanced UV-B radiation treatment improved Rubisco activity through increasing the expression of Rubisco genes rbcL and rbcS, thereby enhancing the CO2-fixing capacity and dark reaction capacity of leaves. Based on this, it raised the net photosynthetic rate of leaves, which promoted the early maturity of 'Guifei' mango by the fast accumulating photosynthetic products.

This study evaluated the use of filtration and UV-A photocatalysis for the reduction of particulate matter (PM) and airborne bacterial pathogens in swine barns. Two MERV filters (8 and 15) were used to mitigate PM concentrations measured at the PM 1, PM 2.5, respirable PM, and PM 10 ranges. Filtration was also used to generate different levels of airborne pathogens to be treated by UV-A. Results show that MERV 8 and 15 filters effectively reduced PM concentrations (96-98%) in air exhausted from a swine barn (p ranged from < 0.01 to 0.04). UV-A photocatalysis did not mitigate PM concentrations. UV-A photocatalysis treatment reduced measured colony-forming units (CFUs) by 15-95%. The CFU percent reduction was higher when airborne PM concentration was low. The numeric results suggested a real mitigation effect despite p-values that did not meet the usual statistical cut-off of <0.05 for significance due to the large variability of the CFU control samples. Normalization of measured airborne pathogen concentrations by smaller PM size range concentrations led to emerging significant treatment differences for CFUs. A significant decrease (~60% reduction; p < 0.03) in the concentration of viable airborne bacteria was shown for all PM below the 10-micron range.

The following article analyzes the determinants of the innovation index in Europe. The data refer to the European Innovation Scoreboard-EIS of the European Commission for the period between 2010 and 2019 for 36 countries. The data are analyzed using the following econometric techniques: Panel Data with Random Effects, Panel Data with Fixed Effects, Dynamic Panel Data, Pooled OLS, WLS. The results show that the Innovation Index is negatively connected to some variables, among which the most significant are "GDP per capita", "R&D expenditure public sector", "Venture capital", "Tertiary education", and positively connected to some variables among which the most relevant are: "Government procurement of advanced technology products", "Average annual population growth", "Finance and support", "Human resources", "Marketing or organisational innovators", "Linkages". A clustering was then carried out using the unsupervised k-Means algorithm optimized with the Silhouette coefficient which shows the presence of 2 clusters per value of the Innovation Index. Eight machine learning algorithms has been used for prediction with real data. The Tree Ensemble Regression algorithm has been chosen as best performer. A further prediction has been made with the augmented data. The result shows that the best performing algorithm is Linear Regression with an innovation index value predicted to grow by approximately 3.38%.

This article analyzes the determinants of the "Broadband Price Index" in Europe. The data used refer to 28 European countries between 2016 and 2021. The database used is the Digital, Economy and Society Index-DESI of the European Commission. The data were analyzed using the following econometric techniques, namely Panel Data with Random Effects, Panel Data with Fixed Effects, Pooled OLS, WLS and Dynamic Panel. The value of the "Broadband Price Index" is positively associated with the DESI Index, and "Connectivity" while it is negatively associated with "Fixed Broadband Take Up", "Fixed Broadband Coverage", "Mobile Broadband", "e-Government", "Advanced Skills and Development", "Integration of Digital Technology", "At Least Basic Digital Skills ", "Above Basic Digital Skills "," At Least Basic Software Skills ". A cluster analysis was carried out below using the k-Means algorithm optimized with the Silhouette coefficient. The analysis revealed the existence of three clusters. Finally, an analysis of the machine learning algorithms was carried out to predict the future value of the "Broadband Price Index". The result shows that the most useful algorithm for prediction is the Artificial Neural Network-ANN with an estimated value equal to an amount of 9.21%.

UV-A (315–400 nm) is a component of solar radiation impacting plant physiology. Consequently, the impact was investigated of UV-A supplementation on various aspects of kale cultivation in a plant factory with artificial lighting. Three UV-A intensity treatments (5, 10, or 15 W/m2) were applied to kale plants for 5 days before harvesting. The results revealed that 5 or 10 W/m2 UV-A supplementation provided significant advantages for kale growth. The fresh weight of the kale shoots increased by over 35–50% after UV-A exposure. In particular, the 10 W/m2 UV-A exposure significantly improved the photosynthetic rate, water use efficiency and quantum efficiency of photosystem II (Y(II)). In addition, the treatment with UV-A positively impacted changes in leaf spectral indices, resulting in decreases in the simple ratio index (SR), the nor-malized phaeophytinization index (NPQI), and the normalized difference red edge index (NDRE). Furthermore, the phytonutrients in kale (vitamin C, soluble protein, and total phenolics) were enhanced using the 10 W/m2 UV-A treatment. One notable outcome was the consistent reduction in nitrate contents across all UV-A treatment intensities. Therefore, supplementing kale cultiva-tion with UV-A radiation was a valuable strategy for enhancing kale yield and quality in plant factory production.

Current methods for the hardening step of functional coatings over different materials imply the use of high temperatures, high energy consumption or long periods of time, which have repercussions on the speed and cost of the product. We report here a simple and low cost methodology for the functionalization of low cost stainless steel, which is modular, depending of the functionality pursued: a levelling layer for smooth the surface of the material, an “easy to clean” property, or both of them. The research is based on sol-gel coatings cured under UV light without requiring high thermal hardening processes making it applicable to plastics and other sensible materials and possessing high chemical and thermal stability. The film ensures lower processing costs, and higher rates of hardening if the adequate medium-pressure lamps are employed. This formulation is also well defined for scaling up the process, so it is possible to perform a continuous coating in large areas by employing mild processing conditions (low temperature, atmospheric pressure). In addition, the sol gel solution was fully characterized and studied in order to guarantee a long service life before deposition, with a focus on industrial applications in the domestic sector.

Many metrics exist for the evaluation of binary classifiers, all with their particular advantages and shortcomings. Recently an “Efficiency Index” for the evaluation of classifiers has been proposed, based on the consistency, or matching, and contradiction, or mismatching, of outcomes. This metric and its confidence intervals are easy to calculate from base data in a 2x2 contingency table, and values can be qualitatively and semi-quantitatively categorised. For medical tests, in which context the Efficiency Index was originally proposed, it facilitates communication of risk (of correct diagnosis versus misdiagnosis) to both clinicians and patients. Variants of the efficiency index (balanced, unbiased) which take into account disease prevalence and test cut-offs have also been described. The objectives of the current paper were firstly to extend the EI construct to other formulations (balanced level, quality) and secondly to explore the utility of EI and all four of its variants when applied to the dataset of a large prospective test accuracy study of a cognitive screening instrument. This showed that the balanced level, quality, and unbiased formulations of EI are more stringent measures.

Let G[F,Vk, Huv] be the graph with k pockets, where F is a simple graph of order n ≥ 1,Vk= {v1,v2,··· ,vk} is a subset of the vertex set of F and Hvis a simple graph of order m ≥ 2,v is a specified vertex of Hv. Also let G[F,Ek, Huv] be the graph with k edge pockets, where F is a simple graph of order n ≥ 2, Ek= {e1,e2,···ek} is a subset of the edge set of F and Huvis a simple graph of order m ≥ 3, uv is a specified edge of Huvsuch that Huv− u is isomorphic to Huv− v. In this paper, we derive closed-form formulas for resistance distance and Kirchhoff index of G[F,Vk, Hv] and G[F,Ek, Huv] in terms of the resistance distance and Kirchhoff index F, Hv and F, Huv, respectively.

Introduction: The viral respiratory disorder known as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is caused by the SARS-associated coronavirus. End of May 2021, there have been over 170 million reported cases and more than 3.53 million deaths worldwide. In the field of cardiovascular performance, the shock index (SI) is a simple and widely used formula that measures the physiological response prior to systemic hypotension. It is obtained by dividing the heart rate by the systolic blood pressure. Another parameter, the modified shock index (MSI), is defined as the ratio of heart rate to mean arterial pressure (MAP). Methods: In this retrospective study, we examined the data of COVID-19 patients who were admitted to the ICU between June 1st, 2020, and January 31st, 2021. The patient details were collected from the Medical Records Department (MRD) in a tertiary care center. A case-recorded proforma was used to record the patient information, which was then analyzed using SPSS software. Results: The mean age of the patients was 67 years, consisting of 64 males (68.9%) and 29 females (31.1%). The standard deviation was calculated as 13.557. Among the patients, the minimum age recorded was 28, while the maximum age was 97. Patients with known CAD (Coronary Artery Disease) had a higher mortality rate among comorbidities. The p-value for Shock Index and Mortality Status was 0.205 (with an alpha value greater than 0.05), indicating no significant association. However, the modified shock index (MSI) showed a significant association with mortality status. The Pearson chi-square value for MSI and Mortality Status was 4.19, with a p-value of 0.041 (with an alpha value less than 0.05). These results suggest that there is a higher risk of mortality for patients with a Modified Shock Index of less than 0.7 or greater than 1.3. The MSI Odds ratio was found to be 4.500, indicating that such patients have a 4.5 times higher risk of mortality compared to others. Conclusion: In conclusion, our study found that there is no significant association between the Shock Index (SI) and mortality, as the p-value was greater than 0.05. However, the Modified Shock Index (MSI) showed a significant association with mortality status, with a p-value less than 0.05. This suggests that patients with a Modified Shock Index less than 0.7 or greater than 1.3 are at a higher risk of mortality. It is important to consider these findings when assessing the prognosis and potential interventions for COVID-19 patients.

Highly transparent, conductive nanosheets are extremely attractive for advanced optoelectronic applications. Previously, we have demonstrated that transparent, conductive Au nanosheets can be prepared by UV irradiation of Au nanoparticle (AuNP) monolayers spread on water, which serves as the subphase. In this study, we show that this UV irradiation technique can easily be extended as a nanosheet modification method by using subphases containing metal ions. That is, aqueous solutions containing Au and Ag ions are effective in modifying Au nanosheets. HAuCl4 solutions increased Au nanosheet thickness, which improved conductivity, but reduced transparency. On the other hand, use of aqueous AgNO3 and CH3COOAg solutions yielded Au-Ag hybrid nanosheets; however, their morphologies depended on the electrolytes used. Homogeneous Au-Ag nanosheets from AgNO3 and AuNPs covered with an Ag nanosheet from CH3COOAg were also produced. Further, these Au-Ag hybrid nanosheets had high conductivity without reduced transparency. Therefore, this UV irradiation method, modified by adding metal ions is quite effective at improving and diversifying properties of Au nanosheets.

A variety of bioactive substances present in fruits and vegetables processed products have health-promoting properties. Consumption of nutrient-rich plant-based products is essential to address undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. Preservation is paramount in manufacturing plant-based non-solid foods such as juices, purees, and sauces. Thermal processing has been widely used to preserve fruit and vegetable-based products by reducing enzymatic and microbial activities, thereby ensuring safety and prolonged shelf life. However, the nutritional value of products is compromised due to the deleterious effects of thermal treatments on essential nutrients and bioactive compounds. To prevent the loss of nutrients associated with thermal treatment, alternative technologies are being researched extensively. In studies conducted on non-solid food, UV-C treatment has been proven to preserve quality and minimize nutrient degradation. This review compiles information on the use of UV-C technology in preserving the nutritional attributes of non-solid foods derived from fruit and vegetables. Legislation, market potential, consumer acceptance, and limitations of UV-C are reviewed.

A comparative analysis of the features of UV- stimulated emission (SE) of various types of disorder active materials based on ZnO crystallites for a random laser (RL) was carried out. The superlinear increase in the intensity of the UV photoluminescence (PL) band of polydisperse nano- microcrystalline (PNMC) ZnO powder at a wavelength of λ = 387 nm and some narrowing of its half-width in the range of 20-15 nm with increasing pump intensity indicate random lasing with incoherent feedback (FB). Properties of similar UV PL bands under the same conditions from a thin film containing hexagonal ZnO microdisks, as well as samples of monodisperse ZnO nanopowder indicate stimulated emission with coherent feedback. It is shown that, among the studied materials, the PNMC ZnO powder with crystallites contained nano-grains with is the most suitable for creating a laser with incoherent feedback at room temperature. The dominant factor of UV SE in PNMC ZnO powder is radiation transitions under exciton - exciton scattering conditions. The possible mechanisms of this random emission with the continuous spectrum are discussed. The average optical gain coefficient αg at λ = 387 nm in this RL system is estimated, as αg ~ 150 cm-1.

Abiotic stress is responsible for significant reduction in crop plant productivity worldwide. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a natural component of sunlight and a permanent environmental stimulus. This study investigated the distinct responses of young wheat and einkorn plants to excessive UV-B radiation (180 min at λmax 312 nm) following foliar pretreatment with 1 µM synthetic cytokinin 4PU-30. Results demonstrated that UV radiation significantly amplified hydrogen peroxide levels in both wheat and einkorn, with einkorn exhibiting more pronounced increase compared to wheat. This elevation indicated the induction of oxidative stress by UV radiation in the two genotypes. Intensified antioxidant enzyme activities and increased accumulation of typical stress markers and non-enzyme protectants were evidenced. Transcriptional activity of genes encoding key antioxidant enzymes was also investigated aiming to elucidate the genetic regulation of the antioxidant systems in both wheat and einkorn seedlings. Our results suggested a role for POX1 and POX7 genes in the UV-B tolerance of the two wheat species as well as a cytokinin stimulated UV-B stress response in einkorn mediated through upregulation of the tau subfamily gene GSTU6. Based on these findings it could be concluded that 4PU-30 had the potential of alleviating oxidative stress by attenuating the symptoms of superfluous UV-B illumination in the two examined plant species.

Sunscreens are topical preparations containing one or more compounds that protect humans from ultraviolet (UV) light. This review focuses on analytical methods, particularly liquid chromatography, aimed at identifying and determining UV filters (UVFs) in environmental and marine biota matrices. A literature review was done using NIH (PubMed and Medline), FDA and EPA databases, Google Scholar, and Federal Regulations. This retrospective literature review is focused on the last five years. UVFs quantification in environmental and biological matrices showed a wide array of methods where liquid chromatography is predominant. The scientific literature identified a large variety of analytical methodologies that are compared in this review, to evaluate the better results in terms of limits of quantification and the possibility to identify as many analytes as possible simultaneously.

Using the h-index to assess individual researchers is not only unethical and unfair but also inaccurate and misleading. This index fails to offer a reliable measure of a researcher's impact based on their citation scores. Beyond statistical and conceptual considerations, authorship practices, especially in the case of multi-authored publications, give rise to significant problems that often go unnoticed. While some modifications of the h-index have been proposed to mitigate these weaknesses, the fundamental deficiencies persist. Most of these flaws have been effectively addressed by the c-score, a composite citation index. The c-score excludes self-citations, normalizes the number of citations by considering the number of authors in each paper, and takes into account first, single, and last authorship. This approach provides a more realistic measure of the impact of each individual researcher based on raw citations.

The Randić index of a graph G is the sum of (dG(u)dG(v))−1/2 over all edges uv of G, where dG(u) denotes the degree of vertex u in G. In this paper, we investigate a few graph transformations that decrease Randić index of graph. By applying those transformations, we determine the minimum Randić index on tricyclic graphs, and characterize the corresponding extremal graphs.

This purpose was to compare the ability of body shape index (ABSI) and body roundness index (BRI) with waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and body adiposity index (BAI) to predict metabolic risk. The cross-sectional study was conducted in 17,360 Chinese subjects (were aged 18-95 years old) who escaped cardiovascular disease (CVD) or diabetes. Biochemical and anthropometric variables were measured by trained staff. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and optimal cutoff values of obesity indices were recruited to compare the predictive ability for metabolic risk factors. The mean age of subjects was 53.7(13.1) years, 41.6 % were males. Within young group (<60 years), the areas under the curve (AUC) demonstrated that WC, BMI, WHR, WHtR and BRI were able to similarly predict high metabolic risk in males (0.74 vs. 0.74 vs. 0.73 vs. 0.73 vs. 0.73) and in females (0.73 vs. 0.73 vs. 0.71 vs. 0.73 vs. 0.73), while the approximate predictive ability were only acquired in males (0.73 vs. 0.73 vs. 0.70 vs. 0.73 vs. 0.73) within elder group (≥60 years). The optimal cut-off values of BRI for high metabolic risk were calculated in males (<60 y: 3.49 vs. ≥60 y: 3.46) and females (<60 y: 3.47 vs. ≥60 y: 3.60). Meanwhile, BRI displayed a strong prediction to elevated BP and elevated TG in males (AUC = 0.64; AUC = 0.70) and to elevated BP, elevated TG and elevated SUA in females (AUC = 0.67; AUC = 0.69; AUC =0.70). BRI was able to similarly predict high metabolic risk compared to WC, BMI, WHR, WHtR and BAI, while ABSI was not. Moreover, BRI revealed specific predictive ability for elevated BP, elevated TG and elevated SUA.

Sombor index was recently defined in 2021 as a new vertex degree based topological index by Gutman and has received great attention of mathematicians and chemists. In this work, we determine how much the Sombor index is effected when we delete a vertex or an edge from a graph. Using the formulae obtained here successively, one can calculate the Sombor indices of large graphs by means of Sombor indices of smaller graphs which are obtained by deletion of vertices or edges.

Global change is affecting vegetation cover and processes through multiple pathways. Long time series of surface land surface properties derived from satellite remote sensing offer a unique abilities to observe these changes, particularly in areas with complex topography and limited research infrastructure. Here, we focus on Nepal, a biodiversity hotspot where vegetation productivity is limited by moisture availability (dominated by a summer monsoon) at lower elevations and by temperature at high elevations. We analyze normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from 1981 to 2015 semimonthly, at 8 km spatial resolution. We use a random forest (RF) of regression trees to generate a statistical model of NDVI as a function of elevation, land use, CO2 level, temperature, and precipitation. We find that NDVI has increased over the studied period, particularly at low and middle elevations and during fall (post-monsoon). We infer from the fitted RF model that the NDVI linear trend is primarily due to CO2 level (or another environmental parameter that is changing quasi-linearly), and not primarily to temperature or precipitation trends. On the other hand, interannual fluctuation in NDVI is more correlated with temperature and precipitation. RF accurately fits the available data and shows promise for estimating trends and testing hypotheses about their causes.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 continues to impact human health globally, with airborne transmission being a significant mode for transmission. In addition to tools like vaccination and testing, counter-measures that reduce viral spread in indoor settings are critical. This study aims to assess the efficacy of UV-C light, utilizing the Violett sterilization device, as a countermeasure against airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the highly susceptible Golden Syrian hamster model. Methods: Two cohorts of naïve hamsters were subjected to airborne transmission from experimentally infected hamsters; one cohort was exposed to air treated with UV-C sterilization, while the other cohort was exposed to un-treated air. Results: Treatment of air with UV-C light prevented the airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from experimentally exposed hamster to naïve hamsters. Notably, this protection was sustained over a muti-day exposure period during peak viral shedding from hamsters. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate the efficacy of the UV-C light to mitigate airborne SARS-CoV-2 transmission. As variants continue to emerge, UV-C light holds promise as a tool to reduce infections in diverse indoor settings, ranging from healthcare facilities to households. This study reinforces the urgency of implementing innovative methods to reduce airborne disease transmission and safeguard public health against emerging biological threats.

Copper-nitride (Cu3N) material is attracting much attention as a potential next-generation thin-film solar-light absorber. In this work, polycrystalline Cu3N thin films were prepared using reactive-RF-magnetron sputtering, at room temperature,onto glass and silicon substrates. The optical properties of the Cu3N thin layers were studied by spectroscopic ellipsometry and transmission, to achieve a low-cost absorber material to replace conventional silicon. The reactive-RF-sputtered Cu3N films were also investigated by FIB-SEM microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy.

Expanding previous efforts to survey the visual opsin repertoires of the Hemiptera, this study confirms that homologs of the UV- and LW-opsin subfamilies are conserved in all Hemiptera, while the B-opsin subfamily is missing from the Heteroptera and subgroups of the Sternorrhyncha and Auchenorrhyncha, i.e. aphids (Aphidoidea) and planthoppers (Fulgoroidea), respectively. Unlike in the Heteroptera, which are characterized by multiple expansions of the LW-opsin subfamily, the lack of B-opsin correlates with the presence of tandem-duplicated UV-opsins in aphids and planthoppers. Available data on organismal wavelength sensitivities and retinal gene expression patterns lead to the conclusion that, in both groups, one UV-opsin paralog shifted from ancestral UV peak sensitivity to derived blue sensitivity, thereby compensating for the lost B-opsin. Two parallel bona fide tuning site substitutions compare to 18 non-corresponding amino acid replacements in the blue-shifted UV-opsin paralogs of aphids and planthoppers. Most notably, while the aphid blue-shifted UV-opsin clade is characterized by a replacement substitution at one of the best-documented UV/blue tuning sites (Rhodopsin site 90), the planthopper blue-shifted UV-opsin paralogs retained the ancestral lysine at this position. The combined findings identify aphid and planthopper UV-opsins as a new valuable data sample for studying adaptive opsin evolution.

The spectrophotometric methods of determination of the active pharmaceutical ingredients meloxicam and nimesulide were reviewed, and a simple UV-spectrophotometric method for the determination of these active pharmaceutical ingredients in industrial equipment cleaning validation samples were proposed. The methods are based on extraction of the residual quantities of meloxicam and numesulide from the manufacturing equipment surface by the concentrated sodium carbonate solution, and the subsequent UV-spectrophotometric determination of the basic forms of the drugs at the wavelength of 362 nm for meloxicam and at 397 nm for nimesulide. The calibration graphs are linear in the range from 5 to 25 mg/L of both nimesulide and meloxicam, the molar attenuation coefficients are 6100 m2/mol for nimesulide and 9100 m2/mol for meloxicam, the limit of detection is 0.8 mg/L for nimesulide and 1.9 mg/L for meloxicam, the limit of quantification is 2.5 mg/L for nimesulide and 5.8 mg/L for meloxicam, the methods are selective with respect to the common excipients, show a good accuracy (the relative uncertainty does not exceed 4%) and precision (the relative standard deviation does not exceed 5%), do not require lengthy sample preparation and sophisticated laboratory equipment and are suitable for the routine analysis of cleaning validation samples.

We report on the design, characterization and validation of a spherical irradiation system for inactivating SARS-CoV-2, based on UV-C 275 nm LEDs. The system is designed to maximize ir-radiation intensity and uniformity, and can be used for irradiating a volume of 18 liters. To this aim: (i) several commercially available LEDs have been acquired and analyzed; (ii) a complete optical study has been carried out in order to optimize the efficacy of the system. (iii) The re-sulting prototype has been characterized optically, and tested for the inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 for different exposure times, doses and surface types. Results indicate that a 99.9% inactivation can be reached after 1 minute of treatment with a dose of 83.1 J/m2.

Review of the existing bibliography shows that the direction and magnitude of the long-term trends of UV irradiance, and their main drivers, vary significantly throughout Europe. Analysis of total ozone and spectral UV data recorded at four European stations during 1996 – 2017 reveals that long-term changes in UV are mainly driven by changes in aerosols, cloudiness, and surface albedo, while changes in total ozone play a less significant role. The variability of UV irradiance is large throughout Italy due to the complex topography and large latitudinal extension of the country. Analysis of the spectral UV records of the urban site of Rome, and the alpine site of Aosta reveals that differences between the two sites follow the annual cycle of the differences in cloudiness and surface albedo. Comparisons between the noon UV index measured at the ground at the same stations and the corresponding estimates from the DWD forecast model and OMI/Aura observations reveal differences of up to 6 units between individual measurements, which are likely due to the different spatial resolution of the different datasets, and average differences of 0.5 – 1 unit, possibly related to the use of climatological surface albedo and aerosol optical properties in the retrieval algorithms.

This paper studies the contemporaneous relationship between S&P 500 index returns and log-increments of the market volatility index (VIX) via a nonparametric copula method. Specifically, we propose a conditional dependence index to investigate how the dependence between the two series varies across different segments of the market return distribution. We find that: (a) the two series exhibit strong, negative, extreme tail dependence; (b) the negative dependence is stronger in extreme bearish markets than in extreme bullish markets; (c) the dependence gradually weakens as the market return moves toward the center of its distribution, or in quiet markets. The unique dependence structure supports the VIX as a barometer of markets' mood in general. Moreover, applying the proposed method to the S&P 500 returns and the implied variance (VIX²), we find that the nonparametric leverage effect is much stronger than the nonparametric volatility feedback effect, although, in general, both effects are weaker than the dependence relation between the market returns and the log-increments of the VIX.

Risk management for technological hazards mainly focuses on the consequences on human lives. Although technological risk analysis evaluates environmental vulnerability, it does not reflect the consequences on environmentally exposed elements, such as rivers, water springs, flora, and fauna. This paper's objective was to propose a conceptual framework and create a multidisciplinary evaluation model for environmental risk analysis in the oil and gas industry. Initially, the problem was approached from a global perspective to justify the necessity of a holistic environmental risk analysis methodology in the oil industry, using environmental risk factors as well as underlying factors, such as environmental fragility and lack of resilience. The holistic assessment was carried out based on probabilistic risk analysis methodologies to obtain a holistic environmental risk index, HERI. This methodology was applied to an oil and gas industry company in Colombia. This allowed greater disaggregation of the results to establish priorities for risk reduction actions and identify the company's weaknesses.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the glycemic index and the satiety response of three Mexican kinds of honey. The values of fructose ranged from 272.40-395.10 g/kg, while the glucose value ringed 232.20-355.50 g/kg. The ratio F/G of sample honey was 1.45, 1.00, and 1.17 for Highland, Multifloral, and Avocado honey, respectively. Twenty-six participants completed this study, which was previously approved by the ethics committee of the Facultad de Salud Pública y Nutrición (CE 2/2018-19). Highland and Avocado honey is classified as medium-GI (69.204.07 and 66.365.74, respectively), while Multifloral honey is classified as high-GI (74.245.98). The Highland honey presented the best satiety response. The difference in IG values and the effect of the satiety response of Highland honey could be explained by the different fractions of carbohydrates in samples and other components such as phytochemicals.

Chellali et al. introduced two degree concepts, ve-degree and ev-degree (Chellali et al, 2017). The ve-degree of a vertex equals to number of different edges which are incident to a vertex from the closed neighborhod of v. Moreover the ev-degree of an edge e=ab equals to the number of vertices of the union of the closed neighborhoods of a and b. The most private feature of these degree concepts is, total number of ve-degrees and total number of ev-degrees equal to first Zagreb index of the graphs for triangle-free graphs. In this paper we introduce ve-degree entropy, ev-degree entropy and investigate the relations between these entropies and the first Zagreb index entropy. Finally we obtain the maximal trees with respect to ve-degree irregularity index.

In this work, we develop a software suite for studies of atmosphere – underlying SNOW- spaceborne optical receiver light TRANsmission calculations (SNOWTRAN) with applications for the solution of forward and inverse radiative transfer problems in polar regions. Assuming that aerosol load is extremely low, the proposed theory does not require the numerical procedures for the solution of the radiative transfer equation and is based on analytical equations for the spectral nadir reflectance and simple approximations for local optical properties of atmosphere and snow. The model developed is validated using EnMAP and PRISMA spaceborne imaging spectroscopy data close to the Concordia research station in Antarctica. A new fast technique for the determination of the snow grain size and assessment of the snowpack vertical inhomogeneity is then proposed and further demonstrated on EnMAP imagery over the Aviator Glacier and in the vicinity of the Concordia research station in Antarctica. The results revealed a large increase in precipitable water vapor at the Concordia research station in February 2023 linked to warming event, and a 4 times larger grain size at Aviator Glacier compared to Dome C.

Octyl methoxycinnamate (OMC) is a common UVA and UVB filter molecule that is widely used is commercial sunscreens. Here, we use gas-phase laser photodissociation spectroscopy to characterize the intrinsic photostability and photodegration products of OMC, by studying the system as its protonated form, i.e. [OMC·H]+. The major photofragments observed have, m/z 179, 161, and 133, corresponding to fragmentation on either side of the of the ether oxygen of the ester group (m/z 179, and 161) or the C-C bond adjacent to the ester carbonyl group. Additional measurements were obtained using higher-energy collisional dissociation mass spectrometry (HCD-MS), to identify fragments which result from breakdown of the vibrationally hot electronic ground state. We found that the m/z 179 and 161 ions are the main fragments produced by this route. Notably, the m/z 133 ion was not observed through HCD-MS, revealing that this product ion is only produced through a photochemical route. Our results demonstrate that UV photoexcitation of OMC is able to access a dissociative excited state surface that uniquely leads to rupture of the C-C bond adjacent to the key ester carbonyl group.

Biosolids from stabilized sludge presents a high fertilization potential due to its rich content of nutrients and organic matter. Three formulas of organo-mineral fertilizers based on biosolids were manufactured having at least 2 % N, 2 % P2O5, and 2 % K2O and characterized by classical and advanced methods. The content of N and P in the final formula was measured using specific reactants combined with VIS-nearIR spectroscopy. Additionally, all three formulas were characterized by advanced 1H NMR relaxometry, double-quantum and FT-IR spectroscopy. Structural characterization was performed using SEM, EDX and X-ray diffraction. Four dynamical components were identified in the T2-distribution showing that the rigid component is into a percentage larger than 90 %. In order to evaluate the release properties of organo-mineral fertilizers dynamic measurements of electric conductivity and pH were performed, by placing 0.25 g of formulas (V1, V2 and V3) in 200 ml of distillate water. It was found that V3 present the smallest release velocity, but release the largest amount of fertilizers. Two release mechanisms were also observed.

To protect skin from harmful ultraviolet (UV), zinc oxide (ZnO) with tannin from gallnuts was treated on cotton and polyester fabrics in this study. Before the treatments, the fabrics were dyed with shikonin and xanthophyll from Gromwell and Cape Jasmine. First, this study found that xanthophyll was more effective at preventing light fade or discoloration than shikonin. Despite the highest K/S, the untreated cotton in violet faded the most intensely when exposed to UV. The color variation of untreated polyester was narrow, with little change in L, a*, and K/S. Due to the non-photochemical xanthophyll, the yellow-dyed samples treated with ZnO/polyphenol did not vary yellowness (b*: 28.838) significantly, while the violet fabrics displayed a significant decrease in K/S and an increase in b*. The combination of ZnO and polyphenol treatment improved UV absorption at 350 to 250 nm. Cu-mordanting after ZnO/polyphenols treatment caused the violet cotton to turn reddish from blueish (negative to positive b*), with a hue change of 316° to 59° and the highest ΔE (25.90±4.34) after UV exposure. In this study, the combination of ZnO/polyphenol with Cu-mordants contributed the xanthophyll-dyed polyester to achieve a minimum ΔE and keep chroma and hue after UV exposure.

Amidst escalating environmental concerns, short natural fiber thermoplastic (SNFT) biocomposites have emerged as sustainable materials for the eco-friendly production of mechanical components. However, their limited durability has prompted research into the experimental evaluation of the deterioration of the mechanical characteristics of SNFT biocomposites, particularly under the influence of ultraviolet rays. However, conducting tests to evaluate the mechanical properties can be time-consuming and expensive. In this study, an artificial neural network (ANN) model was employed to predict the mechanical properties (tensile strength) and the impact performance (resistance and absorbed energy) of polypropylene reinforced with 30 wt.% short flax or wood pine fibers (referred to as PP30-F or PP30-P, respectively). Eight parameters were collected from experimental studies. The ANN input parameters comprised nondestructive test results, including mass, hardness, roughness, and natural frequencies, while the output parameters were the tensile strength, the maximum impact load and absorbed energy. The model was developed using the ANN toolbox in MATLAB. The linear coefficient of correlation and mean squared error were selected as the metrics for evaluating the performance function and accuracy of the ANN model. They calculate the relationship and the average squared difference between the predicted and actual values. The data analysis conducted by the models demonstrated exceptional predictive capability, achieving an accuracy rate exceeding 96%, which was deemed satisfactory. For both the PP30-F and PP30-P biocomposites, the ANN predictions deviated from the experimental data by 3, 5, and 6% about the impact load, absorbed energy, and tensile strength, respectively.

Our investigation focused on the degradation of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamide alkyl betaine (6:2 FTAB, Capstone B), using UV photolysis under various pH conditions. Initially, we used PFOA as a reference, finding a 90% decomposition after 360 minutes at the original (unadjusted) pH 5.6, with a decomposition rate constant of (1.08 ± 0.30) × 10-4 sec-1 and a half-life of 107 ± 2 minutes. At pH 4 and 7, degradation averaged 85% and 80%, respectively, while at pH 10, it reduced to 57%. For 6:2 FTAB at its natural pH 6.5, almost complete decomposition occurred. The primary UV transformation product was identified as 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acid (6:2 FTSA), occasionally accompanied by shorter-chain perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAA). Interestingly, the overall decomposition percentages were unaffected by pH for 6:2 FTAB, though pH influenced rate constants and half-lives. In PFOA degradation, direct photolysis and reaction with hydrated electrons were presumed mechanisms, excluding the involvement of hydroxyl radicals. The role of superoxide radicals remains uncertain. For 6:2 FTAB, both direct and indirect photolysis were observed, with potential involvement of hydroxyl, superoxide radicals, and/or other reactive oxygen species (ROS). Clarification is needed regarding the role of eaq- in the degradation of 6:2 FTAB.

Plastic materials have revolutionized modern life, particularly in the domain of food packaging, owing to their versatility, lightweight nature, and ease of processing. However, the environmental ramifications of non-degradable plastics have raised concerns. Polylactic acid (PLA), derived from renewable sources, presents a sustainable alternative due to its biodegradability and exceptional barrier, mechanical, and safety properties. Nevertheless, the high UV transmittance of PLA limits its use for photosensitive food and pharmaceutical packaging, where UV radiation can lead to nutritional loss and spoilage. Various methods have been explored to enhance the UV-blocking capabilities of PLA, including the integration of inorganic nanoparticles and surface coatings. Despite advancements, these approaches often compromise the inherent transparency of PLA. Incorporating large conjugated groups can maintain transparency but introduces additional challenges. This paper reviews modification methods to enhance PLA's UV-barrier properties and anticipates its expanded utility in food and drug packaging, promoting UV resistance and diversifying PLA's applications.

The green biomass of horticultural plants contains valuable secondary metabolites (SM) which can potentially be extracted and sold. When exposed to stress, plants accumulate higher amounts of these SMs, making the extraction and commercialization even more attractive. We evaluated the potential for accumulating of the flavones cynaroside and graveobioside A in leaves of two bell pepper cultivars (Mavras and Stayer) when exposed to salt stress (100 mM NaCl), UVA/B excitation (UVA 4-5 W/m²; UVB 10-14 W/m² for 3 hours per day) or a combination of both stressors. HPLC analyses proved the enhanced accumulation of both metabolites under stress conditions. Cynaroside accumulation is effectively triggered by high-UV stress, whereas graveobioside A contents increase under salt stress. Highest contents were observed in plants exposed to combined stress. Effects of stress on overall plant performance differed significantly between treatments, with least negative impact on aboveground biomass found for high-UV stressed plants. The usage of two non-destructive instruments (Dualex and Multiplex) allowed us to gain insights in ontogenetical effects at the leaf level and temporal development of SM contents over time. Indices provided by those devices correlate fairly with amounts detected via HPLC (Cynaroside: R2 = 0.46 – 0.66; Graveobioside A: R2 = 0.51 – 0.71). The concentrations of both metabolites tend to decrease at leaf level during the ontogenetical development even under stress conditions. High-UV stress is a promising tool for enriching plant leaves with valuable SM without major effects on plant biomass. All data is available online [1].

Detailed kinetics for a 3-wavelength photopolymerization confinement (PC) system is presented for both numerical solutions and analytic formulas. The dynamic profiles are simulated for oxygen, free radical, and conversion for various situations of: blue-light only, 2-light (red and UV), and 3-light (red, blue, UV). An effective PC requires two conditions: (i) a strong N-inhibition for uncured regime with a low conversion (triggered by the UV-light); and (ii) a weak S-inhibition (oxygen-induced) for high conversion under the blue-light or blue and red-light initiation. Good PC candidates are governed by collective factors of: (i) the double ratio of light-intensity and initiator-concentration, (ii) monomers rate-constant; and (iii) effective absorption constants at specific wavelength and initiators. A new reverse feature for the role of N-inhibition on the blue-conversion is found. Higher oxygen concentration leads to a lower conversion, which could be enhanced by reducing the S-inhibition via a red or blue-light pre-irradiation, having a pre-irradiation time TP=200 s for red-light only, and reduced to 150 s, when both red and blue-light. System under UV-only leads a conversion lower than that of blue-only. However, conversion could be improved by the dual-light (blue and UV), and further enhanced by the pre-irradiation of red-light. The two competing factors, N-inhibition and S-inhibition, could be independently and selectively tailored to achieve: (a) high conversion of blue-light (without UV-light), enhanced by red-light pre-irradiation for minimal S-inhibition; and (b) efficient PC initiated by UV-light produced N-inhibition for reduced confinement thickness and for high print speed.

Background: We aimed to assess the association between DII and PD and the mediation effect of DII in the association of PD with systemic inflammation. Using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-2010, 2011-2012 and 2013-2014, participants that received periodontal exam and provided dietary recall data were included. The inflammatory potential of diet was calculated via DII. Periodontitis was defined according to the 2012 case definition. The clinical outcomes of interest were mean periodontal probing (PPD), mean clinical attachment loss (CAL) and thresholds of PPD and CAL. White blood cells (WBC), segmented neutrophils and C-reactive protein (CRP) were used as proxies for systemic inflammation. The periodontal measures were regressed across DII values using adjusted multivariate linear regression. Adjusted mediation analysis appraised the influence of DII in the association of periodontitis and systemic inflammation. 10,178 participants were included. DII was significantly correlated with mean PPD, mean CAL, thresholds of PPD and CAL, WBC, segmented neutrophils and DII (p&lt;0.01). A linear regression logistic adjusted for multiple confounding variables confirmed the association between DII and mean PPD (B = 0.02, Standard Error [SE]: 0.02, p&lt;0.001) and CAL (B = -0.02, SE: 0.01, p&lt;0.001). The association of mean PPD and mean CAL with both white blood cells and segmented neutrophils were mediated by DII (from 2.1 to 3.5%, p&lt;0.001). In the 2009-2010 subset, the association of mean CAL with serum CRP was mediated by DII (52.0%, p&lt;0.01). In conclusion, inflammatory diet and PD may be associated. Also, the inflammatory diet significantly mediated the association of leukocyte counts and systemic inflammation with periodontitis.

Groundwater represents a pivotal asset in conserving natural water reservoirs for potable consumption, irrigation, and diverse industrial uses. Nevertheless, human activities intertwined with industry and agriculture contribute significantly to groundwater contamination, highlighting the critical necessity to appraise water quality for safe drinking and effective irrigation. This research primarily focused on employing the Water Quality Index (WQI) to gauge water's appropriateness for these purposes. However, the generation of an accurate WQI can prove time-intensive owing to potential errors in sub-index calculations. In response to this challenge, an artificial intelligence (AI) forecasting model was devised, aiming to streamline the process while mitigating errors. The study collected 422 data samples from Mirpurkash, a city nestled in the province of Sindh, for a comprehensive exploration of the region's WQI attributes. Furthermore, the study probed into unraveling the interdependencies amidst variables in the physiochemical analysis of water. Diverse machine learning classifiers were employed for WQI prediction, with findings revealing that random forest and gradient boosting eclipsed other algorithms, achieving an accuracy rate of 99%. In close pursuit were SVM and XGBoost, registering accuracy scores of approximately 95% and 93%, respectively, while KNN and Decision Trees garnered accuracy rates of 88% and 87%, respectively. In addition to WQI prediction, the study conducted an uncertainty analysis of the models using the R-factor, providing insights into the reliability and consistency of predictions. This dual approach, combining accurate WQI prediction with uncertainty assessment, contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of water quality in Mirpurkash and enhances the reliability of decision-making processes related to groundwater utilization

Objective Image Quality Assessment (IQA) measures are playing an increasingly important role in the evaluation of digital image quality. New IQA indices are expected to be strongly correlated with subjective observer evaluations expressed by MOS/DMOS scores. One such recently proposed index is the SuperPixel-based SIMilarity (SPSIM) index, which uses superpixel patches instead of the rectangular pixel grid.The authors in this paper have been proposed three modifications of SPSIM index. For this purpose, the color space used by SPSIM was changed and the way SPSIM determines similarity maps was modified using methods derived from the algorithm for computing the MDSI index. The third modification was a combination of the first two. These three new quality indices were used in the assessment process. The experimental results obtained on many color images from five image databases demonstrated the advantages of the proposed SPSIM modifications.

The Body Mass Index (BMI) formula has been developed by Belgian mathematician Adolphe Quetelet and published in 1840 [1] as a law of nature and society, based on statistics about the weight and height of the population of that time, the first part of the 19^th century. He called it “social physics”. From then, for nearly two centuries, the BMI had been the most important formula describing the normal relations and ratio of weight to the square of the height for humans. The problem arises if the BMI formula, developed in the first part of the 19^th century is still good today when the type of work people perform is very different? In modern times, most people are less muscular than at the time when the BMI was developed because they do not work physically as heavy as at that time. In many cases, the Body Mass index can predict mortality, morbidity and illness but not always, for example cases such as (a) the obesity paradox for some cardiovascular problems and (b) the U shape mortality paradox as well as (c) false positive obesity diagnostic in regard to people who are strong and muscular, have low body fat percentage but are classified as obese by the BMI and (d) cases where BMI is normal but people have an “obese metabolism” (e) BMI normal but high fat percentage. The objective is to develop a formula good for all body types, a formula that makes the difference between fat and non-fat body weight such as muscle and body frame and quantifies the effect of strength and fitness, which BMI does not. Another objective is to develop a formula to predict the health risks and fitness status of people, better than BMI. The first generalizations of BMI using anthropometric metrics could be found in [2], where I discuss and analyze many formulae, developed, tested, and simulated by me, using similar new methods, accounting for body shape, physical shape and body function, making the difference between muscle mass and fat, fat and non fat body weight. Nearly all formulae and methods developed and proposed in this new model are new, never published before. Many experiments published before, in highly cited papers show that grip strength and muscle strength is a predictor of health, mortality, morbidity, endocrine and metabolic disease outside the BMI and anthropometric measures. The purpose of my formula is to explain the outcome of those experiments and create a formula which predicts these experiments [21-41].

The classic Body Mass Index, (BMI), developed in the 19^th century by the Belgian mathematician Adolphe Quetelet [1] is an important indicator of the risk of death, of obesity, of negative health consequences, body fat percentage and of the shape of the body. While he BMI is assumed to indicate obesity in sedentary people and in people who do not practice sports, it is undisputed and a consensus among researchers [2][3][4][5][9][25] that Body Mass Index (BMI) is not a good indicator for obesity in people who developed their body through heavy physical work or sport but also in other segments of population such as those who appear to have a normal weight but in fact have a high body fat percentage and obese methabolism. The BMI also does not include all the variables essential for a health predictor. The BMI is not always a good predictor of metabolic disease, people who appear of healthy weight according to BMI have in some cases an obese metabolic syndrome. The BMI was developed as a law of natural sciences and “social physics” [1], as it was called then, before the middle of the 19^th century, and it had been used from the 70s for medical purposes, to detect obesity and the risk of mortality [6][7]. The BMI has a huge importance for modern society, affected by an obesity epidemic [8]. BMI has applications in medicine, sport medicine, sport, fitness, bodybuilding, insurance, nutrition, pharmacology. The main limitation of the BMI is that it does not account for body composition including non fat body mass such as muscles, joints, body frame and makes no difference between fat and non fat components of the body weight. The body composition and the proportion of fat and muscles make a difference in health outcomes [12][13][14][25][26][27][35][36][37] [38][39][40][41][42][43][44]…[100]. Body composition makes a difference also in the level of sport performance for athletes of every level. In nearly two centuries since the Body Mass Index was developed, no formula had been successfully developed to account for body composition and make the difference between muscle and fat in a consistent way. This can be considered a longstanding open problem of major importance for society. The objective of this analysis is to develop new formulae taking into account the health implication of body composition measured through indirect, simple indicators and making the difference between muscles and fat, healthy and non healthy metabolism. The formulae developed in this article are the only formula to successfully generalize BMI and make this difference. I develop a direct generalization of BMI, in the mathematical and physiological sense to account for fat and fat free mass and muscles, small and large body frames. It is the first such generalization because the classic BMI can be determined as a particular case of my formulae in the strict mathematical and practical physiologic sense. No other formula generalized the BMI to make the difference between fat and a large frame and muscles has ever been published in nearly two centuries since the BMI formula had been developed. The formulae I developed explain and generalize the conclusions of a large number of highly cited empirical experiments cited in the reference section. [35][36][37][38][38][39] [40][42][43][44]..[100] Most of the experimental proof I bring in support of my formulae and bodyweight quantification theory comes from many highly cited experimental research publications in medicine, sports medicine, sport science and physiology. My formulae explain also performance in decades of competitive sports and athletics

Seaweeds are regarded as one of the valuable coastal resources because of their usage in human food, cosmetics, and other industrial items. They also play a significant role in providing nourishment, shelter, and breeding grounds for fish and many other sea species. This study introduces a newly developed seaweed enhancing index (SEI) using spectral bands of near-infrared (NIR) and shortwave infrared (SWIR) of Landsat 8 satellite data. The seaweed patches in the coastal waters of Karachi, Pakistan were mapped using SEI, and its performance was compared with other commonly used indices - Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Floating Algae Index (FAI). The accuracy of the mapping results obtained from SEI, NDVI, and FAI was checked with field verified seaweed locations. The purpose of the field surveys was to validate the results of this study and to evaluate the performance of SEI with NDVI and FAI. The performance of SEI was found better than NDVI and FAI in enhancing submerged patches of the seaweed pixels what other indices failed to do.

Refractive index measurements have been an important task for a long time because that index plays an essential role in describing the optical properties of a material. Many methods have been developed to perform that task. Some of them use interferometry to achieve high precision, however these configurations are complicated. Some measure the critical angle using simple structures, but the accuracy is not satisfactory because it is difficult to judge the exact critical angle with intensity variations. Here we propose several new schemes based on measuring the polarization change in the total internal reflection. The proposed method has the merits of simple structure and easy incident angle determination that gives the maximum phase change. Additionally, it is possible to find the material dispersion by measuring the wavelength dependence of the polarization ellipticity. Some useful formulas relating the refractive index with the maximum phase change are obtained. This work can provide valuable alternatives for index measurement.

The utilization and engineering of thermo-optic effects have found broad applications in integrated photonic devices, facilitating efficient light manipulation to achieve various functionalities. Here, we perform both an experimental characterization and theoretical analysis of these effects in integrated micro-ring resonators in high index doped silica (HIDS), which has had many applications in integrated photonics and nonlinear optics. By fitting the experimental results with theory, we obtain fundamental parameters that characterize their thermo-optic performance, including the thermo-optic coefficient, the efficiency for the optically induced thermo-optic process, and the thermal conductivity. The characteristics of these parameters are compared to those of other materials commonly used for integrated photonic platforms, such as silicon, silicon nitride, and silica. These results offer a comprehensive insight into the thermo-optic properties of HIDS based devices. Understanding these properties is essential for efficiently controlling and engineering them in many practical applications.

Initially, renal resistive index (RRI) was investigated to improve diagnosis in kidney diseases, but failed to meet this goal. Recently many papers highlighted the prognostic significance of RRI in chronic kidney disease, in the estimation of revascularization success of renal artery stenoses or the evolution of the graft and recipients in renal transplantation. Moreover, RRI gained importance in prediction of acute kidney injury in critically ill patients. Along with RRI study in renal pathology have been revealed correlations of this index with parameters of systemic circulation. The theoretical and experimental premises of this connection were reconsidered, and studies for analyzing the link between RRI and arterial stiffness, central and peripheral pressure or left ventricular flow were conducted with this purpose. A high amount of data is currently indicating that RRI is influenced more by pulse pressure and vascular compliance than by renal vascular resistance – assuming that RRI reflects the complex interplay between systemic circulation and renal microcirculation and should be considered as a marker of systemic cardiovascular risk beyond its prognostic relevance for kidney disease. In this review we will go through clinical research that revealed the implications of RRI in renal and cardiovascular disease.

The evaluation of robotic hands is a subjectively biased, complex process. The fields pertaining to robotic hands are human-centric in nature, making human hands a good standard for benchmark comparisons of robotic hands. To achieve this, we propose a new evaluation index, where we evaluate robotic hands on three fronts: their form, features and performance. An evaluation on how anthropomorphic robotic hands are in basic mobility, and appearance constitutes the ``Form'', while features that can be read, changed and actuated for effective control of robotic hands constitutes the ``Features''. We derived these key features from an extensive analysis of robotic hands in literature. Finally, the robotic hands carry out a series of tasks that evaluate their ``Performance''. An individual score for each category is drawn and we carry out a three-pronged analysis. We also propose an additional feature in the form of price to provide context when analysing multiple hands.

UV-digital printing belongs to the commonly used method for custom large-area substrate decoration. Despite low surface energy and adhesion, transparent polymer materials, such as polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and polycarbonate (PC), represent an ideal substrate for such purposes. The diffuse coplanar surface barrier discharge (DCSBD) in a novel compact configuration was used for substrate activation to improve ink adhesion to the polymer surface. This industrially applicable version of DCSBD was prepared, tested, and successfully implemented for the UV-digital printing process. Furthermore, wettability and surface free energy measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force and scanning electron microscopy evaluated the surface chemistry and morphology changes. The changes in adhesion of the surface and of ink were analyzed by a peel-force and a crosscut test, respectively. A short plasma treatment (1-5 s) enhanced the substrate's properties of PMMA and PC while providing the pre-treatment suitable for further in-line UV-digital printing. Furthermore, we did not observe damage or significant change of roughness affecting the substrate's initial transparency.