Extent Of Occurrence Research Articles

Ferroelectric Domain Wall Delayer and Low-Dropout Regulator.

A switching-type power converter providing an accurate and stable switching output voltage against line/load variations and power supply ripple is mostly complicated in system-on-chip power management integrated circuits (PMICs) within a limited occupation area. Here we fabricated domain wall (DW) nanodevices using an X-cut LiNbO3 thin film on silicon. The domain switching event occurs after a delay time predicted by Merz's law under the applied voltage. But the output current is irrespective of the applied voltage and can be adjusted by conducting wall width as well as input resistance in the circuit. The regulating currents appear repetitively across the volatile interfacial domains between the nanodevice and electrode under intermittently applied voltages. A wall-current-limited domain switching model is developed to explain the phenomenon. The multifunctional DW nanodevices with smaller occupation areas can serve as compact low-dropout regulators in PMICs, time-domain delayers in energy-efficient neural network systems, and on-chip electrostatic discharge protection besides nonvolatile memories and selectors.

Update of the geographic range of Humboldt's squirrel monkeys (Saimiri cassiquiarensis cassiquiarensis Lesson, 1840) using a model-based approach.

Saimiri cassiquiarensis cassiquiarensis (Cebidae) is a primate subspecies with a wide distribution in the Amazonian region of Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela. However, the boundaries of its geographic range remain poorly defined. This study presents new occurrence localities for this subspecies and updates its distribution using a compiled data set of 140 occurrence records based on literature, specimens vouchered in scientific collections, and new field data to produce model-based range maps. After cleaning our data set, we updated the subspecies' extent of occurrence, which was used in model calibration. We then modeled the subspecies' range using a maximum entropy algorithm (MaxEnt). The final model was adjusted using a fixed threshold, and we revised this polygon based on known geographic barriers and parapatric congeneric ranges. Our findings indicate that this subspecies is strongly associated with lowland areas, with consistently high daily temperatures. We propose modifications to all range boundaries and estimate that 3% of the area of occupancy (AOO,as defined by IUCN) has already been lost due to deforestation, resulting in a current range of 224,469 km2. We also found that 54% of their AOO is currently covered by protected areas (PAs). Based on these results, we consider that this subspecies is currently properly classified as Least Concern, because it occupies an extensive range, which is relatively well covered by PAs, and is currently experiencing low rates of deforestation.

Study on the tribological characteristics of surface triangular textured TC4 alloy prepared by SLM technology

Surface Triangular Textured TC4 Alloy specimens were prepared by 3D printing technology (SLM technology: selective laser fusion). Effects of wedge-shaped triangular textures with different texture area occupancy on hardness, friction and wear of the 3D printed TC4 alloy specimens were studied, in comparison with non- textured specimens. SFT -2 M pin-disc friction and wear testing machine was used to perform friction and wear experiments under 46 # mechanical oil lubrication conditions, and MH-500 Vickers hardness tester was used to measure hardness of the specimens. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy spectrometer (EDS), and electronic balance instrument were used to characterize the wear scar morphology, element content, wear amount, etc. of the specimens. Using the Fluent module in ANSYS Workbench software, we studied the mechanism for the reduction in the friction coefficient between friction pairs during the relative movement in lubricating oil. Results of the study show that the hardness of the 3D printing specimen is significantly greater than that of the non- textured one. In each group of experiments, the wedge triangular textured specimens showed better tribological properties, and the 3D printed specimen with an area occupancy of 22. 53 % exhibited the smallest average friction coefficient (0.17) and higher wear resistance than other specimens. The dynamic pressure effect due to the wedge triangle texture inside the lubricating oil film is the main reason for the reduced friction coefficient between the friction pairs.

The role of Occupational Therapy in community development to combat social isolation and loneliness

Background: Social participation activities, an important area of occupation, have been effective in reducing social isolation and loneliness. However, most attendees are women, warranting the need to explore older men’s social participation needs. Methods: Qualitative methods, including interviews and a collaborative workshop, were used to explore the research aim. Public involvement included establishing partnerships with six staff from four community organisations and twelve older men. The project was informed by a steering committee. The steering group offered insight into all aspects of the research except analysis, which was performed thematically. Findings: Intergenerational engagements and the appropriate environment to establish connections with their communities were highlighted as beneficial to men. However, there is a lack of appropriate local spaces to connect communities through social participation. This suggests the need for occupational therapists to diversify their roles, moving beyond the individual and into community development. Conclusions: Occupational therapists’ unique and varied skill set, including the understanding of the profound impact of the environment on occupational engagement and, thus, well-being would offer valuable contributions to community development roles, including the built environment to ensure all communities have places for connection where individuals of all ages can thrive.

Conservation Priorities for Threatened Fish to Withstand Climate Crisis: Sustainable Capture and Protection of Inland Hydrographic Ecosystems

Globally, suitable freshwater habitats are undergoing alterations and fish population declines, primarily attributed to the swift changes in climate and land use. Developing an effective conservation policy for freshwater fish necessitates careful consideration of the impacts of climatic and spatial factors. This study focuses on the analysis of 64 threatened freshwater fish in Bangladesh to anticipate their current and future climatically suitable habitats, utilizing the bioclim() species distribution model. Additionally, this study examines existing inland hydrographic networks and their corresponding harvest rates. The findings indicate that approximately 75% of the area of occupancy for the studied species is currently climatically suitable, but this is expected to decrease to 13% under future climate scenarios. Notably, 27 threatened species are at risk of lacking climatically suitable habitats in the future within their current area of occupancy. The three components of hydrographic networks—floodplains, rivers, and natural lakes—play varying roles in providing a climatically suitable habitat for the studied species. For instance, only 34% of threatened fish species are projected to find a suitable habitat over flood areas, 23% over rivers, and 16% over lakes. Existing protected areas presently offer limited protection (21% suitable area), expected to decline to 6% in the future, with no dedicated protected areas for freshwater fish. Floodplains are highlighted for providing habitat connectivity and facilitating brood fish dispersal. However, the unregulated and unmonitored annual harvest of freshwater fish from floodwater and rivers poses a potential silent cause for rapid population decline. Prioritizing the management of hydrographic components to maintain habitat connectivity, legal protection for threatened fish species, and establishing permanent protected areas for fish are crucial aspects in developing a conservation policy to mitigate the impact of future climate scenarios on threatened freshwater species.

A comparative study of FPGA and CGRA technologies in hardware acceleration for deep learning

With the rapid growth of deep neural networks, their increasing demand for computing resources poses significant challenges to resource-constrained edge devices. Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and Coarse-Grained Reconfigurable Arrays (CGRA) have emerged as promising solutions due to their parallelism and energy efficiency advantages. This paper conducts a comprehensive comparative analysis of FPGA and CGRA for accelerating deep learning workloads. It begins by introducing convolutional neural network architecture and optimization techniques. Various dataflow strategies are discussed for memory access optimization. The paper then analyzes representative cases to clarify FPGA and CGRA architectural advantages, along with optimization techniques through different dataflow strategies. The comparison reveals that FPGA offers higher throughput with fine-grained programmability for flexible bit-level operations and dataflow control. In contrast, CGRA excels in energy efficiency and area consumption with coarse-grained custom processing units and optimized on-chip interconnection networks. Quantitative comparisons are provided for throughput, energy efficiency, and area occupation. These insights can serve as a reference for selecting the appropriate architecture when designing custom hardware accelerators for deep learning workloads.

Crassothonna moniliformis (Asteraceae, Senecioneae), a new species from the Albany Centre of floristic endemism, South Africa

Crassothonna moniliformis is described as a new species from the Eastern Cape province, South Africa. The species is a prostrate, succulent-leaved perennial herb distinguished from Crassothonna capensis in having slender, weak, trailing, distantly branched stems, with nodal adventitious roots developing precociously, forming diffuse patches to ±50 cm diam., with erect to ascending, usually red-purple, globose-obovoid to obovoid to subclavate leaves 10–25 mm long, and a more slender synflorescence bearing fewer capitula (1–4 per flowering shoot) with fewer ray florets (7–9) and functionally staminate peripheral disc florets. The species is geographically localised, with the known Extent of Occurrence and Area of Occupancy <10 km2, and is habitat-restricted, growing in shallow sandy sediments overlying exposed sandstone pavements among coastal thicket. The single known population is threatened by sand mining and informal housing encroachment. Based on the IUCN Red List categories and criteria, a conservation assessment of Vulnerable (VU – D2) is recommended.

Forms and methods of legal regulation of the protection of consumer rights regarding waste management at the state level

The article discloses the forms and methods of legal regulation of consumer rights protection regarding waste management at the state level. It is emphasized that the state policy of Ukraine in the field of waste management is based on several basic principles. It is designed to protect the environment and human health from the negative impact of waste, to ensure the rational use of material, raw materials and energy resources, as well as scientifically based coordination of ecological, economic and social interests of society to achieve sustainable development.
 It has been established that today, the most widespread method of waste treatment in Ukraine is its disposal in landfills, terrykons, sludge and tailings storage facilities, as well as in landfills. This leads to the occupation of large areas of fertile land and becomes a source of air pollution, and leachates penetrate into the soil and groundwater. However, it is important to consider that waste can become a source of secondary resources and serve as a source of energy. Therefore, humanity faces the task of widely implementing advanced technologies to prevent and limit the generation of waste, as well as for its disposal, regeneration and safe disposal, processing of non-recyclable waste.
 As a conclusion, it is said that the development of society and the satisfaction of its needs interact with natural resources, which leads to a significant generation of industrial waste. The problem of waste management is recognized as one of the most urgent in the modern world and is a priority for developed countries. Due to the large volume of waste, Ukraine is facing a particularly acute situation. Based on the analysis, conclusions are drawn and recommendations are formulated for the further development of legislation and waste management practices in order to ensure effective protection of consumer rights in the international context. This article serves as a valuable contribution to the understanding and improvement of consumer protection systems in the context of environmental challenges and waste management.

Heat pipe-cooled highly-concentrated multi-junction solar cell

Concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) systems have proven the capability of competing with traditional photovoltaic (PV) systems due to their high efficiency and low area occupancy. Such CPV systems require efficient heat removal auxiliary systems, especially for medium and high optical concentration ratios. Operating a CPV system under a high optical concentration (ratio > 200 X) might require active cooling techniques, which have high operating costs and maintenance. On the other hand, heat pipes (HPs) are widely used in electronic devices for cooling purposes. This work discusses the possibility of operating a CPV system coupled with HPs as a passive cooling technique. Two different HPs with different lengths are used to compare cooling efficiency. Each HP length was tested either in a single or double configuration. Long HPs showed better heat removal compared to a traditional fin-cooling system. CVP cooling with HP systems enhanced the entire electrical output of the cell, mainly at high optical concentration ratios.

Falta de conhecimento sobre os fatores de risco não ocupacionais da dor lombar entre profissionais de saúde ocupacional brasileiros: um estudo observacional transversal

INTRODUCTION: Low back pain (LBP) is highly prevalent and is one of the main causes of disability in Brazil and around the world. LBP presents a multifactorial etiology, being extremely common in workers. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to verify the knowledge about the LBP risk factors, beliefs and attitudes about the management of LBP among health professionals (physiotherapists and ergonomists) working in the occupational area. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted with 81 Brazilian occupational health professionals. Participants completed an electronic questionnaire comprising professional data, sociodemographics, items about LBP risk factors, and the Brazilian version of the Pain Attitudes and Beliefs Scale for Physiotherapists. Knowledge, beliefs and attitudes were analyzed using the chi-square test for LBP risk factors and the linear regression model for health professionals' beliefs and attitudes. RESULTS: Obesity (7.4%), sitting for more than 2 hours (8.6%), physical activity (9.9%), lack of psychosocial support at work (11.1%) and consuming alcohol (37.0%) presented the lowest rate of knowledge about LBP risk factors by professionals. Items about general health showed the lowest knowledge. A balanced biomedical and psychosocial orientation of beliefs and attitudes about managing LBP was observed. CONCLUSION: Brazilian occupational health professionals lack knowledge about non-occupational LBP risk factors, especially general health status. These professionals also have balanced biomedical and psychosocial concepts in managing LBP.

The urban environmental system perspective on socio-environmental risks of urban flooding

In the context of urban socio-environmental issues, floods stand out due to the amplitude of their impacts on building spaces and populations' lives. This problem has become an object of study in several knowledge areas, particularly from an interdisciplinary perspective, for understanding and identifying risks and socio-environmental vulnerabilities associated with hydrological disasters. The occurrence of extreme precipitation events recorded in Brazilian cities has also drawn attention of both public managers and agents, since the floods of urban rivers have caused, each year, serious damage to the population and services located in risk areas. Overall, floods in large, medium-sized, and even small cities are related to land use and land cover, as well as to rainwater management in urban spaces. Driven by these issues, this study presents results regarding the socio-environmental risks of urban flooding in Francisco Beltrão, a town located in Paraná State-Southern Brazil. It is based on the Urban Environmental System (UES) methodology, which is applied to identify social and environmental factors that intervene in the production of risks and vulnerabilities related to hydrological disasters. In the social subsystem domain, material losses related to urban flooding in Francisco Beltrão evidence the vulnerabilities of the affected population and the economic and social damage. On the other hand, regarding the natural subsystem domain, there is an increased hazard of extreme hydrometeorological events, which might lead to river flooding. Considering the urban socio-environmental system of Francisco Beltrão, the population's exposure to the flood hazard and the environmental degradation of urban rivers points to the use and occupation of risk areas.

The fish weight at slaughter influences energy and environmental performance of fish farming: The case of Nile tilapia production in cages

The goal of this study was to evaluate the energy and environmental performance over the life cycle of Nile tilapia production for harvesting in different weight. The reference flow was 1 t (megagram – Mg) of fished Nile tilapia with the following weight: 0.6 kg, 0.9 kg, 1.2 kg, 1.5 kg, 1.8 kg and 2.0 kg. The inventory was defined for the stages of feed production and fish production with the processes for fingerlings, followed by rearing of juvenile and fattening of adult in cage. In addition, the inventory covered the supply of the remaining material and energy inputs, transport, infrastructure and waste management. The assessed categories were area occupation, water consumption, energy demand, global warming, acidification and eutrophication. Even though the smaller-sized fish demanded more fingerlings to produce 1 t of Nile tilapia than the larger ones, the feed conversion of the smaller-sized fish was more favorable compared to that of the larger-sized fish. The energy and environmental burden of Nile tilapia showed a tendency to increase with larger-sized fish. The largest contribution of area occupation, water consumption, energy demand and global warming was from feed production, while that of acidification and eutrophication was from the rearing and fattening processes of fish production. The choice of feed ingredient suppliers from more efficient and clean sources at feed production and the control of feed loss at fish production are key strategies to improve the energy and environmental performance of the fished Nile tilapia. Therefore, the sustainability of pisciculture must consider feed production from more eco-efficient ingredients, higher efficiency in feed conversion, control of feed loss, and the use of production effluent.

Exploring sub-threshold food addiction in adult patients with severe obesity: a cross-sectional analysis

Background Most studies on Food Addiction (FA) used the strict classical diagnosis approach without quantifying sub-threshold symptoms (i.e. uncontrolled/excessive food intake, negative affect, craving, tolerance, withdrawal, and continued use despite harm) nor indicating where they stand on the “three-stage addiction cycle” modeling the transition from substance use to addiction. Objectives (1) to estimate the proportion of clinically significant episodes of distress/impairment in severely obese patients without FA, and (2) to assess their associations with FA symptoms at the subthreshold level. Methods The modified Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (mYFAS 2.0) assesses 11 symptoms (diagnostic criteria) plus clinically significant impairment and distress (clinical significance criterion). We used this tool to diagnose FA (≥ 2 criteria plus clinical significance) in adult patients with severe obesity, but included only those below the threshold in the analyses. Demographics, clinical features, and obesity complications were collected. Results Only 18% of the 192 participants (women n = 148, 77.1%; mean age: 43.0 ± 13.2) reported a total absence of FA symptoms, while one in four reported recurrent episodes of clinically significant distress (24%) or impairment (25%) in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. The most common recurrent symptoms were first-stage symptoms (binge/intoxication), while second- (withdrawal/negative affect) and third-stage (preoccupation/anticipation) symptoms affected nearly one patient in five for tolerance and craving, and one in ten for withdrawal. In multivariate analysis, impairment was positively related to withdrawal and tolerance, while distress was positively related to failure in role obligations. Conclusion Many patients with severe obesity experience recurrent episodes of FA symptoms at the subthreshold level. Prospective studies will examine whether these symptoms may play a causal role in symptoms progression toward a full-blown FA and obesity outcomes.

Perceptions of Uncertainty in Medical Care Among Non-medical Professionals and Nurses in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Internet-Based Preliminary Survey.

Medical care is impacted by uncertainty caused by various factors. The uncertainty that exists in medical care can cause patient distrust and lead to conflict. This study compared the tolerance of uncertainty in medical care between non-medical professionals and nurses. We conducted a cross-sectional Internet-based survey. Participants included 2,100 individuals (600 nurses and 1,500 non-medical professionals; aged ≥ 20 years) from different parts of Japan. Of these, we excluded 70 participants who were classified as non-medical professionals but were registered nurses. Finally, we analyzed data from 2,030 participants (600 nurses and 1,430 non-medical professionals). Three registered nurses and nursing researchers developed an original questionnaire on tolerance of uncertainty in medical care. Data regarding participants' characteristics (age, sex, education level, marital status, having children, population size of the residential area, medical care usage, and occupation) were obtained. We performed a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare the data between non-medical professionals and nurses. Additionally, we employed a multiple regression model to investigate factors related to tolerance of uncertainty in medical care scores. A significant portion of participants (36.7%) were aged 40-50 years (n = 745). Most were women (n = 1,210, 59.6%), and a considerable percentage were medical care users (n = 1,309, 64.5%). Non-medical professionals were less tolerant of uncertainty than nurses, and uncertainty scores were associated with medical care usage, occupation, and population size of the residential area. Our findings revealed variations in perceptions of uncertainty in medical care between non-medical professionals and medical care providers. To mitigate conflicts related to medical issues, medical care providers should enhance non-medical professionals' education regarding perceptions of uncertainty in medical care.

Going Beyond Management and Maintenance: Occupational Therapy's Role in Primary Prevention for Adults at Risk of Obesity-Is the Elephant in the Room Still the Biggest Challenge?

In this response to the Schwartz & Proffitt (2024) letter to the editor, Muntefering et al. (2023) agree that the profession has a duty to support the occupational participation of diverse individuals, including diverse body types, but also affirm that health management is an area of occupation within the practice framework.

Anxiety associated painful temporomandibular disorders in Peruvian dental students during the major waves of COVID-19 infection: A cohort study

Abstract Aim: During the major waves of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, Peru had the highest case fatality rate in the world. This situation may have caused psychological conditions with somatic consequences in students who were susceptible to infection due to exposure to infected patients. The present study was designed to investigate the association between anxiety levels and painful temporomandibular disorders in dental students from two Peruvian provinces during the major waves of COVID-19 infection. Materials and Methods: The study conducted was both longitudinal and analytical. The total population consisted of 558 dental students from Peru, with 314 from Chimbote and 244 from Trujillo. No sample size calculation was necessary as the entire student population was invited to participate. Of the 366 students who initially joined the closed cohort, only 204 remained at the end of the study. During the first and second waves of COVID-19 infections, the Zung anxiety diagnostic test and the diagnostic criteria for painful temporomandibular disorder (DC/TMD) triage questionnaire were used to assess anxiety levels. The study also evaluated variables such as sex, age, marital status, academic year of study, area of residence, housing type, and occupation. The study employed statistical analysis to determine the relative risk (RR) of painful TMD incidence during the first and second waves of COVID-19 infections. A logit model was also used to determine the presence of painful TMD, with odds ratio (OR) as the measure. The statistical significance level was set at P < 0.05. Results: During the initial wave of COVID-19 infections, 50% (95% CI: 43.1–56.9%) of the 204 students experienced anxiety, while 26.5% (95% CI: 20.4–32.6%) reported TMD. Furthermore, those who exhibited anxiety were eight times more likely to develop TMD (OR = 8.88, 95% CI: 3.95 - 19.97). In the second wave, 62.3% (95% CI: 55.6–69.0%) of students reported anxiety, and 86.3% (95% CI: 81.6–91.0%) reported TMD. Additionally, individuals with anxiety were found to have a significantly higher likelihood of developing painful TMD, with a nine-fold increase in risk (OR = 9.87, 95% CI: 5.08–19.19). The cohort of students exposed and not exposed to anxiety during the first and second waves of COVID-19 infection showed a 4.58 times higher risk (95% CI: 2.61–8.03) of developing painful TMD due to anxiety. Conclusion: Between the first and second waves of COVID-19 infection, the prevalence of anxiety and painful temporomandibular disorder (TMD) increased among dental students. This establishes anxiety as a significant predisposing factor for the development of painful TMD over time.

Socioeconomic inequalities in risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 delta and omicron variants in the UK, 2020-22: analysis of the longitudinal COVID-19 Infection Survey

ObjectiveTo explore the risk of a positive test result for the delta or omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in different occupations and deprivation groups in the UK.DesignAnalysis of the...

On the distribution and habitat use of the sub-Antarctic fly Hyadesimyia clausa Bigot (Diptera, Tachinidae) according to citizen science.

Hyadesimyia clausa Bigot is a morphologically striking tachinid that inhabits the Sub-Antarctic Ecoregion of the Magallanes Region in Chile and Tierra del Fuego province in Argentina. Much of the distributional information about this species is restricted to the Cape Horn islands, which have extreme environmental conditions, but the species' natural history, range limits, and habitat use have never been described or confirmed. Our goals were to describe the distributional limits of this sub-Antarctic fly with the help of citizen science and use this information type to describe this tachinid's habitat use and potential biological interactions with nonvascular and vascular flora. We found that citizen science significantly increased our understanding of the extent of occurrence, expanding the known distributional range by 195 km to the north and 153 km to the west. On the contrary, the values for the area of occupancy were not significant, but the occupancy overlap between different records was very low. We confirmed that H. clausa's habitat uses peatlands and although we have not provided evidence of pollination or movement of spores, we hypothesized, that the walking activity of H. clausa could help move sperm from mosses and pollen from the flowers of vascular plants, so they could act as potential pollinators. Citizen science can reduce and eliminate some scientific knowledge shortfalls and propose new ecological questions that could increase our knowledge of extreme ecosystems.

Interstacked Transformer Quad-Core VCOs

This paper presents for the first time a quad-core oscillator based on a very compact interstacked transformer that tightly couples the four cores without oscillation mode ambiguity thanks to its strong magnetic coupling factor. As a proof of concept, a 19.125 GHz oscillator for a narrowband 77 GHz radar system was designed in 28 nm fully depleted silicon-on-insulator CMOS technology with a general purpose back-end-of-line. The soundness of the proposed quad-core oscillator topology is demonstrated by comparison with state-of-the-art quad-core solutions, highlighting a significant advantage in terms of area occupation and power consumption. The proposed topology can be profitably exploited in several RF/mm-wave applications, such as radar and wireless communication systems.

The gender representation of women and men in the occupational areas of STEM and care work in German textbooks

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) occupations and care work occupations are highly segregated by gender. School textbooks play an essential socializing role in determining which occupations are perceived as typically male or female. Existing research on the gender representation of STEM and care work occupations in textbooks is limited in scope. Therefore, we used quantitative text analyses in a large sample of 202 current German textbooks to examine the gender representation of STEM and care work occupations. We used collocation analysis to explore the nature of the occupational representations, focusing on agency and communion. Men were portrayed significantly more frequently than women in STEM and care work occupations. Adjectives of agency and communion occurred rarely in the collocations. Further research is required to test our findings in other cultures and to take a more differentiated look into the use of agency and communion in textbooks.