Areas Of Weakness Research Articles

Effects of Low Light after Heading on the Yield of Direct Seeding Rice and Its Physiological Response Mechanism.

As a photophilous plant, rice is susceptible to low-light stress during its growth. The Sichuan Basin is a typical low-light rice-producing area. In this study, eight rice varieties with different shade tolerances were studied from 2021 to 2022. The physiological adaptability and yield formation characteristics of rice were studied with respect to photosynthetic physiological characteristics and dry matter accumulation characteristics, and the response mechanism of rice to low light stress was revealed. The results showed that the shading treatment significantly increased the chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll contents in the leaves of direct-seeded rice after heading, and the total chlorophyll content increased by 1.68-29.70%. Nitrate reductase (NR) activity first increased and then decreased under each treatment, and the shading treatment reduced the NR activity of direct-seeded rice. Compared to the control treatment, the peroxidase (POD) activity of each variety increased from 7 to 24 d after the shading treatment. The transketolase (TK) activity in direct-seeded hybrid rice increased under low light stress. Compared with the control, shading treatment significantly reduced the aboveground dry matter, grain number per panicle, and seed setting rate of direct-seeded rice at the full heading stage and maturity stage, thus reducing the yield of direct-seeded rice by 26.10-34.11%. However, under the shading treatment, Zhenliangyou 2018 and Jingliangyou 534 maintained higher chlorophyll content and related enzyme activities, accumulated more photosynthetic products, and reduced yield. In general, Zhenliangyou 2018 and Jingliangyou 534 still had a yield of 7.06-8.33 t·hm-2 under low light. It indicated that Zhenliangyou 2018 and Jingliangyou 534 had better stability and stronger tolerance to weak light stress and had a higher yield potential in weak light areas such as Sichuan.

Validation of the shortened 24-item multidimensional assessment of interoceptive awareness, version 2 (Brief MAIA-2)

The Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA) was translated into many languages and frequently used in the last decade to assess self-reported interoceptive awareness. However, many studies demonstrated weaknesses regarding unstable factor structure and poor reliability of some scales. The 24-item Brief MAIA-2 questionnaire was developed, with only three items demonstrating the highest factor loadings in each of the eight scales of the MAIA-2. The cross-sectional online study used the 37-item MAIA-2 questionnaire in a non-clinical sample of 323 people aged between 16 and 75 (M = 26.17, SD = 9.12), including 177 women (54.80%). The sample comprised 156 athletes (48.30%) and 167 non-athletes (51.70%). The Confirmatory Factor Analysis showed adequate fit indices for a multidimensional model of the Brief MAIA-2, with the original eight scales: Noticing (awareness of subtle bodily sensations, such as the heartbeat, digestive sensations, or the breath), Not Distracting (ability to maintain attention to bodily sensations without being easily distracted by external stimuli), Not Worrying (tendency to not be overly concerned or anxious about bodily sensations or changes in the body), Attention Regulation (ability to regulate attention to bodily sensations and to shift attention between internal and external stimuli), Emotional Awareness (awareness and understanding of how emotions are associated with bodily sensations), Self Regulation (ability to regulate emotional responses and manage distress through an awareness of bodily sensations), Body Listening (tendency to listen to the body for insight and understanding), and Trusting (trust in bodily sensations as a source of information about one's feelings and needs). The hierarchical bi-factor (S·I – 1) model showed even better-fit indices. Therefore, the general factor of interoception was considered in further statistical tests. Confirmatory composite analysis showed high reliability and discriminant and convergent validity for most Brief MAIA-2 scales, except Noticing. Measurement invariance was confirmed across genders (Women, Men) and sports participation (Athletes, Non-athletes). However, group differences were also found for mean scores in particular scales of the Brief MAIA-2. Men scored significantly lower than women in Not Distracting but higher in Not Worrying, Attention Regulation, Self Regulation, Trusting, and the total score of interoceptive awareness. Gender discrepancies may be influenced by linguistic socialization, which tends to categorize shifts in internal states as either physiological or emotional. Athletes scored significantly lower than Non-athletes on the Not Distracting scale, but they showed higher scores in Noticing, Attention Regulation, Emotion Awareness, Self-Regulation, Body Listening, Trusting, and the global score, suggesting that physical training can improve most areas of interoception. Therefore, physical exercises and mindfulness training may be recommended to improve interoception, especially in women and people suffering from somatic and mental problems. The Brief MAIA-2 is a reliable and valid tool to measure multidimensional interoceptive sensibility in a non-clinical population. To improve well-being and athletic performance, Brief MAIA-2 can be used to assess the body's current perception of interoception and to detect its weak areas requiring improvement. However, the study has some limitations, such as a cross-sectional online self-report survey in a conventional non-clinical sample from Poland. Future cross-cultural studies should include representative samples for non-clinical and clinical populations from different countries and geographic regions to compare the Brief MAIA-2 with more objective psychophysiological methods of measuring interoception to reduce the limitations of these studies.

Interaction Strength of Hanger and Horizontal Steel Reinforcement of Dapped End Beams

The dapped end beam members have a special end with low depth at the support area, which results in a weak area against shear stresses. Classical structural analysis doesn’t capture the precise steel reinforcement interaction at the dapped zone area. The main objectives of this study are to investigate the strength of the dapped end area and to analyze stresses in the steel reinforcement to evaluate the shear failure mechanism at the re-entrant corner. The experimental tests conducted on RC beam samples, in addition to the numerical simulation of these samples by a finite element program, have been compared with a mathematical model. The experimental program highlighted the strains in the steel reinforcement in the dapped region to calculate the magnitude of the stresses in the steel reinforcement. In the experimental program, six dapped beams were fabricated with a length of 3 m, a width of 150 mm, and a depth of 300 mm. The notched end has a 150-mm depth and 150-mm height. These beams were loaded by a concentrated load near support to investigate the shear strength capacity. From the results for steel reinforcement strain, it is found that hanger and horizontal steel reinforcements interact to provide dapped end shear strength. The study proposes a new approach to computing shear strength capacity at the re-entrant corner by adding the contributions of the horizontal and hanger steel reinforcement using an appropriate proportion strain factor. This method revealed greater carrying capacity for the dapped end beam compared with other common structural methods. The results of the numerical analysis were done by the ABAQUS finite element program, showing the same behavior as the experimental work. This study proved the common contribution of hanger and horizontal re-entrant corner steel reinforcement and proposed a new formula to determine the updated nominal shear strength. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2023-09-12-015 Full Text: PDF

Study on the Seismic Optimization Scheme of Steel Bundled-Tube Structure with Vertical Setback

In order to improve the seismic performance of vertical setback steel bundled-tube structure and meet the dynamic multi-objective requirements of seismic performance-based design, the optimization effects under rare earthquakes on the zone of fortification intensity 7 and 8 in China are researched by improving members stiffness and adding dampers in the weak parts of structure, based on dynamic elastic-plastic analysis. The results show that: 1) Under rare earthquakes on the zone of fortification intensity 7, increasing the stiffness of weak skirt beam can improve the seismic performance of spiral and symmetrical setback structure; 2) For the spiral setback structure, under rare earthquakes on the zone of fortification intensity 7, the damper can only be arranged at the junction of the first layer of the setback frame unit and the frame unit without setback. However, under rare earthquakes on the zone of fortification intensity 8, it is not advisable to install dampers at the weak areas; 3) After incorporating dampers at the weak areas of symmetrical setback structure, the optimized members experienced a reduction in stress levels, significantly decreased the inter-layer displacement angles with a maximum reduction of 43%, and the optimization effect is significant.

Identification of critical ecological restoration and early warning regions in the five-lakes basin of central Yunnan

The scientific determination of crucial regions for ecological land restoration and reasonable early warnings for ecologically weak areas are vital for implementing land ecological restoration. Five major plateau lake basins in central Yunnan (China) are selected as the study area in this research. An ecological security pattern (ESP) is constructed using the source-resistance surface-corridor-pinch point framework to effectively identify crucial areas for ecological restoration. Finally, the land use/cover change (LUCC) in the study region in 2030 is simulated in terms of the natural development prospect (NDP), with priority given to urban development (PUD) and priority given to ecological protection (PEP) scenarios, and identify areas where future urban expansion poses a threat to current ecological source areas and corridors as early warning regions. The results indicate the following: (1) There are 15 ecological source regions in the Five Lakes Basin, mainly forestland and waters, with a total area of 787.54 km2. The ecological corridor spans 245.72 km, with a total area of 439.90 km2. (2) The key ecological restoration areas include 72.87 km2 of ecological pinch points, 70.46 km2 of barrier points of ecological, and 71 breakpoints. (3) The ecological land under the NDP scenario and the PUD scenario were damaged to varying degrees. The ecological land dominated by forestland and water area under the PEP scenario is effectively protected. (4) The seven ecological protection space early warning points are mainly distributed in the eastern part of Dianchi Lake and the northern part of Fuxian Lake, which have good economic development and better habitat quality. The comprehensive analysis identified key ecological restoration areas and identified future ecological stresses due to land use change in the Five-Lakes Basin. Restoration strategies are proposed based on current land use and future scenarios to enhance the ESP in central Yunnan's Five Lakes Basin.

Evaluation of sports tourism competitiveness of urban agglomerations in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

In the era of experience economy, sports tourism has been emerged as a new tourism form and consumption hot spot. Evaluation of the competitiveness of sports tourism is helpful to accurately grasp the key competitive factors of sports tourism development and enhance regional sports tourism resource development, market expansion and product upgrading. This study adopted entropy-weight TOPSIS model to construct the index system of sports tourism competitiveness of urban agglomerations and investigated the sports tourism competitiveness of 11 cities in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area from 2016 to 2020. The obtained results showed that sports tourism development in the Greater Bay Area was unbalanced and obviously different. Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong are competitive, Macao is average competitive and Dongguan, Jiangmen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Zhongshan, Huizhou and Zhaoqing are less competitive. Based on evolution trend, sports tourism competitiveness in Guangzhou has always been at the forefront of the Greater Bay Area, while those of Hong Kong and Macao have presented a declining trend. Also, sports tourism competitiveness in inland cities has been continuously enhanced and the development focus of sports tourism in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has gradually shifted to mainland. The 11 cities of the Greater Bay Area were classified as strong, average and weak areas on the basis of their sports tourism competitiveness scores. Finally, in terms of the overall situation of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and specific conditions of various cities, countermeasures and suggestions have been provided for sports tourism resource development, sports tourism service level, government functional departments, event brand building, enterprise integration, etc.

MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF THE REPARATIVE PROCESS IN THE PLASTIC SECTION OF THE MUSCLE-APONEUROTIC DEFECT IN THE EXPERIMENT USING STEM CELLS

Abstract. Anterior abdominal wall hernia repair is one of the most common procedures in general surgery. Very often, the parameters of the quality of life of operated patients with ventral hernias of the anterior abdominal wall during the fi rst year after the operation, according to a number of criteria, are signifi cantly better with alloplastic with polypropylene mesh, in contrast to the use of hernioplasty with the use of inert suture material. Hernias of the anterior abdominal wall (ventral hernias) most often occur after surgical intervention on the organs of the abdominal cavity and are considered postoperative complications arising in anatomically weak areas and under the infl uence of mechanical factors. The goal of the work. To experimentally investigate the eff ect of mesenchymal stem cells on the regeneration of muscle fi bers and their reparative properties in the area of postoperative wounds. When modeling a muscle- aponeurotic defect of the anterior abdominal wall with plasticity with own tissues and plasticity with an allograft in combination with injections of mesenchymal stem cells. The study was conducted on 38 white rats of both sexes, the initial weight of each animal was 215±12 g, the experimental animals were kept in the same conditions with full compliance with bioethical norms. All animals of groups 1 and 2 were experimentally modeled a muscle- aponeurotic defect of the anterior abdominal wall by an acute method up to 2.5 cm in diameter, followed by layer-by-layer suturing of this defect with a continuous wraparound single-row suture, «Vicryl» 3/0 with a barb was used as suture material with a needle In the 2nd group, plastic surgery was performed using the «on lay» technique with polypropylene mesh and suture material «Vicryl» 3/0 with a barbed needle, and mesenchymal stem cell injections were additionally performed. At the plastic site of the muscle- aponeurotic defect, the tissue of the anterior abdominal wall was taken in full layers for further histological examination. Histological examination of the wound tissues of animals of the control group 10 days after surgery showed that the wound defect was fi lled with granulation tissue at an early stage of maturation. After 30 days, the wound defect was fi lled with young loose connective tissue, in which there were sporadic islands of granulation tissue. In the area of the wound defect of 2 groups of experimental animals, after 10 days we detected maturing granulation tissue. Visually, the area of the lesion itself decreased. On the 30th day of the study, there was no granulation tissue, the wound defect was fi lled with fully matured newly formed and vascularized connective tissue. During the histological examination, it was found that as a result of the combined use of polypropylene mesh and stem cells, the regeneration of the wound defect is intensifi ed and its healing is accelerated.

Promoting Inclusivity in Physical Education and Health With the Theory of Multiple Intelligences

By integrating Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences (MI theory) into health and wellness education, we can honor student uniqueness, promote inclusivity in the learning space, and increase the adoption of positive health behaviors. The MI theory proposes that every individual possesses unique strengths and weaknesses for learning that are characterized within eight intelligences: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalistic. Wellness educators can center these intelligences and structure materials in a way that offers opportunities to engage more of the intelligences through student-centered practices. Doing so employs individual student strengths and fosters development in areas of weaknesses. Utilizing this theory in the planning of health and physical education content has an opportunity to increase understanding and enjoyment of lessons by establishing inclusive spaces for all students to engage in learning.

Enhancement Method of Weak Transmission Area for Omnidirectional Wireless Power Transfer System

Enhancement Method of Weak Transmission Area for Omnidirectional Wireless Power Transfer System

Study on the leakage morphology and temperature variations in the soil zone during large-scale buried CO2 pipeline leakage

In the CCUS technology chain, buried CO2 pipelines are inevitable under special terrain conditions. Due to the concealment and the complexity of the soil, they have a higher possibility of leakage. However, there is limited research on buried CO2 pipeline leakage processes. In this study, authors used existing industrial-scale pipelines as CO2 storage containers and constructed a large-scale buried CO2 pipeline experimental system. The leakage hole size and direction were considered to investigate the leakage morphology and temperature changes in the soil. The results showed that during the small-hole leakage, dry ice spheres were formed, which adhered to the pipeline. According to the change of temperature field, the dry ice spheres expanded towards weak areas in the soil, rather than strictly along the jet direction. The volume of dry ice spheres generated in the upward leakage process was the largest, while the volume was the smallest in the downward leakage process. Due to the soil resistance, the volume of dry ice spheres generated in the 3 mm leakage process was always greater than 9 times that of the 1 mm leakage process. The experimental results provide important references for optimizing leakage detection systems and conducting leakage risk assessments.

A structural equation model of CFIR inner and outer setting constructs, organization characteristics, and national DPP enrollment

BackgroundThe National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) has made great strides in increasing accessibility to its year-long, evidence-based lifestyle change program, with around 3000 organizations having delivered the program. This large dissemination effort offers a unique opportunity to identify organization-level factors associated with program implementation and reach (enrollment) across diverse settings. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively examine the relationships among Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) Inner Setting and Outer Setting constructs and the implementation outcome of reach.MethodsThis study analyzed data from a 2021 cross-sectional online survey with 586 National DPP Staff (lifestyle coaches, master trainers, program coordinators) with information about their organization, implementation outcomes, and responses to quantitative CFIR Inner Setting and Outer Setting construct items. Structural equation modeling was used to test a hypothesized path model with Inner and Outer Setting variables to explore direct and indirect pathways to enrollment.ResultsThe CFIR items had good internal consistency and indicated areas of implementation strength and weakness. Eight variables included as part of the CFIR structural characteristics and one organization characteristic variable had significant direct relationships with enrollment. The length of delivery, number of lifestyle coaches, number of full-time staff, large organization size, and organizations delivering in rural, suburban, and/or urban settings all had positive significant direct relationships with enrollment, while academic organizations and organizations with only non-White participants enrolled in their National DPP lifestyle change programs had a negative association with enrollment.ConclusionsParticipant reach is an important implementation outcome for the National DPP and vital to making population-level decreases in diabetes incidence in the USA. Our findings suggest that to facilitate enrollment, program implementers should focus on organizational structural characteristics such as staffing. Strengths of this study include the use of adapted and newly developed quantitative CFIR measures and structural equation modeling. Health prevention programs can use the methods and findings from this study to further understand and inform the impact of organization factors on implementation outcomes.

Developing a construct to measure contractor project manager performance competencies

PurposeConstruction organizations' investment in effective talent-development programs is a key strategy in attracting, developing and retaining staff. Such programs are especially important given the current challenges in the construction workforce, including labor shortages, an aging workforce, generational differences in the workforce, supply chain disruptions and the need to effectively train staff in the skills that are essential in a constrained labor environment. To address these challenges, this study proposes a performance measurement strategy that construction companies can use as input to design their talent development programs.Design/methodology/approachThe strategy intends to assess the performance of project managers and develop criteria that define categories of their performance, including the top performers' category. This enables construction organizations to provide each project manager with individualized training that addresses areas of weakness and in turn, develops the skills that correspond with being top performers. The proposed strategy was developed and tested by surveying the immediate supervisors of 187 project managers working for general and specialty contractors in the United States. Principal component analysis was used to develop a single performance construct from seven performance criteria.FindingsThis construct was used to organize the project managers into the categories of top, above-average and below-average performers. According to the findings, top-performing project managers have well-rounded skills in the areas of leadership, communication, technical proficiency and overall job knowledge.Practical implicationsThe outcomes of this study can help construction organizations focus their talent-development programs on the skills most associated with PMs being top performers.Originality/valueThis study provides construction organizations with a comprehensive performance-measuring construct to focus their talent-development programs on the skills most associated with top-performing project managers. Researchers can use this study as a foundation for further understanding how performance is related to various construction professions.

Investigating foreign students’ perceptions of their information literacy competencies

The present study investigated foreign students’ perceptions of their information literacy competencies in Iranian universities in order to identify the weaknesses and strengths so that libraries can meet the information needs of the students. A survey method using a questionnaire was deployed for assessing foreign students’ perceptions of information literacy competencies in Iranian universities. A total of 335 students participated in the study. The research community is all foreign students of Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah Branch, and Razi University who were studying in 2022. The findings showed that the actual average understanding of information needs, information seeking, information evaluation, information storage and retrieval, and communication and dissemination of information was lower than the theoretical average. The results of the present study reveal the areas of strength and weakness of information literacy skills among foreign students in Iranian universities. Thus, this study, gives libraries the knowledge of how to provide their services and helps them make decisions about how to develop the services for these students.

Cognitive Profile Discrepancies among Typical University Students and Those with Dyslexia and Mixed-Type Learning Disorder.

Previous studies have identified areas of cognitive weakness in children diagnosed with Specific Learning Disorder (SLD), in the areas of working memory and processing speed in particular. In adulthood, this literature is still scant, and no studies have compared the cognitive profile of university students with dyslexia (DD) with that of students with Mixed-type SLD. Thus, in this study, the WAIS-IV was used to examine the cognitive functioning of three groups of university students: students with DD, with Mixed-type SLD, and typical students. Statistical analyses were performed to examine differences in WAIS-IV FSIQ, main, and additional indexes and subtests. The results showed strengths in perceptual reasoning and good verbal comprehension abilities in both the DD and Mixed-type SLD group, with weaknesses in working memory and processing speed, leading to a pattern of a better General Ability Index (GAI) than Cognitive Proficiency Index (CPI) in both clinical groups. Thus, discrepancies between GAI and CPI, well documented in children with SLD, still manifest in adulthood in university students. Our findings also revealed worse cognitive performance in university students with mixed learning disorder relative to students with only a reading deficit. The cognitive features and distinctive subtest profiles that emerged should guide the assessment and the definitions of intervention programs, special educational needs, and strategies of compensation.

Exploring Role of Metacognitive Components and their Awareness in Mental Health Behavior among Students of Higher Educational Institutions

Objectives: Mental health is determined by the way students think, feel, behave and interact with peers socially and professionally. Metacognition guides students′ cognitive thinking strategies to achieve academic success as well as other cognitive health outcomes. It prevents any kind of psychological distress and regulate their emotive-cognition health behavior. The current research aimed to investigate the role of metacognitive components and awareness in relation to mental health conditions and identify potential areas of strengths and weaknesses of students enrolled at Al Ain University (AAU). Methods: A descriptive study design was employed, involving 512 participants and the data was collected using the Meta-Cognitive Awareness Inventory. Results: The results demonstrate a notable insufficiency in metacognitive thinking skills among AAU students, which highlights the necessity of incorporating metacognitive learning practices as effective health behavior among students. Conclusion: The research findings hold significant implications for optimizing educational practices and health behavior to enhance students′ metacognitive abilities. Educators and researchers can develop targeted health behavior and instructional strategies to promote metacognitive growth by identifying specific areas of strength and weakness. The results of this study contribute to the existing literature on metacognition and health behavior, providing valuable insights for fostering effective learning environments within higher education institutions (HEIs).

Seismic behavior of the brick masonry rural building strengthened with polypropylene grid cement mortar coating: Shaking table tests

Brick masonry structures are widely applied around the world, especially in Chinese rural areas, but their seismic performance is not satisfactory due to high brittleness of material and poor integrity of structure. Accordingly, a low-cost and highly efficient strengthening method for brick masonry structure is needed. This paper presents the shaking table tests for a 1/2-scale single-story brick masonry rural building strengthened with polypropylene grid cement mortar coating. The damage states of the test model under earthquake motions with different intensity were observed. The dynamic characteristics including natural frequency and damping ratio were discussed. The seismic response, such as acceleration, displacement, torsion angle, base shear and hysteretic energy dissipation, were analyzed. The results show that the weak areas of the test model were the corners of windows and door, the intersections between longitudinal wall and transverse wall and the top of longitudinal walls. With the input PGA of 1.0 g, the natural frequencies of the test model in the X and Y directions decreased to 93.1 % and 88.2 % of the initial values, respectively, the damping ratio in the X and Y directions increased to 2.56 and 1.61 times the initial values, respectively, and the maximum story drift and horizontal torsion angle were 1/122 and 0.0037 rad, respectively. The comparison between actual earthquake damage and test results showed that the use of polypropylene grid cement mortar coating to strengthen brick masonry rural building could result in good seismic behaviors.

Research on Rotor Loss and Rotor Structure Optimization of Rare Earth Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors in the Weak Field Area

The rotor loss of rare earth permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) affects the efficiency and reliability of the motor and is an important research direction of rare earth permanent magnet synchronous motors. In this paper, the influence of rotational speed on the loss of the rotor core and the permanent magnet is analyzed through the analysis of the motor magnetic field and rotor loss calculation. Specifically, with the increase in rotational speed, the weak magnetic current increases, the amplitude of flux density change in the rotor core decreases, and the loss of the rotor core also decreases. The greater the influence of the harmonic current magnetic field on the outside of the rotor, the greater the loss. The core loss on the rotor is mainly distributed on the outside of the rotor. For further engineering applications, this paper analyzes the loss composition of three kinds of motors with different rotor structures and judges the optimal scheme based on the minimum loss. Finally, the correctness of this research is verified by comparing the experimental and simulation results of two kinds of motors with different rotor structures. The research content of this paper can provide a reference for the loss analysis and optimization and rotor structure selection of rare earth permanent magnet synchronous motor rotor design.

Elucidating links between the mechanical performance of flax fibres and their structural defects

Single flax fibres develop morphological deformations, called kink-bands, which are considered to be areas of weakness. The correlation between the occurrence of kink-bands, fibre extraction method and fibre mechanical properties still needs to be clarified. To this end, an extensive multi-scale statistical study was conducted on 96 elementary fibres extracted from four distinct batches processed with different scutching and combing conditions. First, kink-bands were observed and quantified through polarized light microscopy (PLM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and synchrotron X-ray microtomography. PLM quantification demonstrated that uncombed fibres have more cortical residues and larger surface kink-bands with many small internal porosities. Then, the mechanical characteristics of each PLM-quantified single fibre were measured by tensile tests. A larger number of kink-bands was observed for the most intensively combed batch, 18.2 kink-bands/mm, as well as a surprisingly low average kink-band area, of the order of 158 µm² per kink-band. In addition, the same batch had a higher tensile strength and modulus than the other three batches with a negative Stearman correlation of − 0.64 and − 0.78 with the proportion of defects, respectively. Finally, 74% of the fibres in this intensively combed batch, had a ‘Type I’ linear elastic behaviour, highlighting a significant change of behaviour in comparison to the uncombed batch, attributed to local reorientation and pre-stretching. The results suggest that changes in kink-bands structure are principally responsible for these evolutions; due to both new distribution of pores in kink-bands regions and reduction in kink-band size possibly induced by local cellulose realignment.

Plausibility and Implications of Converter-Driven Oscillations Induced by Unstable Long-Term Dynamics

For decades, synchronous generators have dominated power system dynamics and have been the foundation for the comprehension of the physical phenomena involved in power system stability. This paradigm is rapidly changing; large synchronous generators that contribute to system strength are being replaced by inverter-based generators. Consequently, new kinds of instabilities are emerging. Slow-interaction converter-driven instability is one example in which undamped oscillations occur when inverter-based generators operate in weak areas. Transmission system operators have observed the phenomenon under the scope of short-term dynamics following a disturbance during a weak operating condition. This paper suggests that converter-driven oscillations can occur even in the case when the system's initial operating condition is strong. It concludes that the phenomenon can be triggered by long-term dynamics that slowly weaken the system in which small-signal and short-term simulations show an ample stability margin. The outcome is a combination of unstable long-term dynamics and undamped oscillations. Furthermore, this work suggests that classical emergency controllers that are effective against long-term instability may not be successful if undamped oscillations are also present. A method for instability detection and counteraction is proposed based on Prony analysis and time-domain simulations on the IEEE test system for voltage stability assessment.

92 Teleneuropsychological Evaluation of Bariatric Surgery Candidates: Cognitive Profiles and Recommendations for Future Practice

Objective:Vascular complications, including elevated body mass index (BMI), are known risk factors for cognitive impairment. Obtaining a cognitive baseline is commonplace in pre-surgical protocols, including for Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy. Currently, routine evaluations for bariatric surgery candidates do not include neuropsychological assessment. This setting provides a unique opportunity to identify cognitive profiles of younger individuals at risk for cognitive impairment. Here, we argue for the standard implementation of a brief, online cognitive battery via telemedicine, to enhance existing protocols of bariatric pre-surgical evaluations.Participants and Methods:Nineteen bariatric surgery candidates were referred to a private neuropsychological assessment practice for pre-surgical cognitive/psychological evaluation. Assessments were conducted by a neuropsychologist and a psychology graduate student, via remote video conferencing, between April 2020 and June 2022. Candidates completed a clinical interview, intake form, and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function for Adults (BRIEF-A), and were administered a battery of cognitive measures: Wechsler Test of Adult Reading (WTAR), Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R); and select subtests from the TestMyBrain Digital Neuropsychology Toolkit: Trail Making Tests A and B (TMT-A/B), Matrix Reasoning (MR), Digit Span Forward and Backward (DSF, DSB), Gradual Onset Continuous Performance Test (CPT), and Simple and Choice Reaction Time (SRT, CRT). Descriptive statistics were conducted to analyze sample demographics. Raw scores on cognitive measures were converted to z-scores and averaged across the sample.Results:The average age at evaluation was 38.2 (9.6) years and average pre-surgical BMI was 46.6k/m2 (9.3), indicating morbid obesity (BMI>40k/ m2). Ten (52.6%) candidates identified as female, 10 (52.6%) identified as White, 8 (42.1%) had 12 years of education or less, 4 (21.1%) were unemployed, and 9 (47.4%) had comorbid psychiatric diagnoses. BRIEF-A sub-scales were within the average range (T’s= 47.9 - 52.9, SD’s [10.1 - 12.8]). Estimated premorbid IQ was average at 102.7 (11.4). Neuropsychological data revealed group performance within the average range on DSF and DSB (z’s= 0.00), TMT-A (z= -0.16), MR (z= -0.53), CPT (z= -0.39), and HVLT-R False Positives (z= 0.05) and Recognition Discriminability (z= -0.44). SRT (z= -0.70), CRT Accuracy (z= -1.37), TMT-B (z= -0.79), HVLT-R Total Recall and Percent Retained (z’s= -0.88), and Delayed Recall and True Positives (z’s= -1.27) were low average.Conclusions:In this sample of pre-surgical bariatric candidates with average intelligence, baseline evaluations revealed mild deficits in reaction time accuracy, visual motoric set-shifting, and verbal learning/memory. These deficits may be the result of microvascular changes in the brain secondary to physical compromise. Results provide additional insight into potential early-onset executive dysfunction, psychomotor slowing, and verbal learning/memory difficulties. In addition to these relative areas of neuropsychological weakness, candidates demonstrated relative strengths in attention, working memory, and visuospatial functioning. These insights provide pre-surgical evaluators with additional information to tailor recommendations and treatment approaches that foster surgical success. With a remote, concise, easy-to-administer battery of tests, routine neuropsychological assessment for bariatric surgery candidates is both a feasible and a useful tool for identifying areas of cognitive strengths and weaknesses. Documenting a patients’ cognitive baseline can assist with monitoring long-term vascular risk-factors and potential cognitive impairment.