Degree Of Association Research Articles

Influence of drought conditions on yield attributing characters and yield of wheat genotypes

Drought stress remains a major environmental factor which decreases the yield and productivity of most cereals growing worldwide. The research was carried out to assess correlation and path coefficient among 20 bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes. The treatments under drought conditions affected all agronomic traits, and the genotypes showed a significant difference. However, the results from the ambient tunnel were satisfactory, and some interesting observations were made. The present experiment was undertaken to estimate the correlation coefficient between grain yield and different yield contributing characters. The experiment was laid-out with two replications using an alpha lattice design. The study aimed to determine the degree of association between yield and yield attributing characters of drought-tolerant wheat populations using correlation and path analyses. The experiment's results demonstrated a highly significant difference in all the attributes examined between the wheat varieties, and water restriction dramatically reduced those traits. Partitioning of correlation coefficients into direct and indirect effects revealed. strong positive direct effects of spike weight on grain yield under drought-stressed conditions. Spike weight expressed the highest positive correlation (0.696) with grain yield, whereas spikelet per spike showed the lowest positive correlation (0.2) with tiller/m2.

Competitiveness, sustainability, and development in tourism: a relationship analysis for the case of Spanish regions

ABSTRACT The growth and governance of tourism depend on the crucial aspects of competitiveness, sustainability, and development, which have garnered significant research interest. Traditionally studied separately, the interplay of these concepts is now explored collectively in an interesting debate on the ability to ensure the sustainability of an activity that is clearly expanding. This study seeks to explore the coherence or contradictions between these three elements, questioning whether sustainability could constrain competitiveness and tourism development. Focusing on Spanish regions, the findings suggest a general congruence between competitiveness, sustainability, and development, albeit with varying degrees of association between them.

Institutional heterogeneity in the education and earnings returns to postsecondary technical education: Evidence from Missouri

AbstractWe estimate the education and earnings returns to enrolling in technical 2‐year degree programs at community colleges in Missouri. A unique feature of the Missouri context is the presence of a highly regarded, nationally ranked technical college: State Technical College of Missouri (State Tech). We find that enrolling in a technical program in Missouri increases the likelihood of associate degree attainment and post‐enrollment earnings, but that the positive effects statewide are driven largely by students who attend State Tech. These findings demonstrate the potential for a high‐performing community college to change students' education and labor market trajectories. At the same time, they exemplify the potential for substantial institutional heterogeneity in the returns to postsecondary education.

Genetic predisposition to metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease

The literature review highlights the issue of genetic risk factors associated with the development of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease. Human genetic examinations revealed 132 genes among which 32 loci are strongly associated with the pathogenesis of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease. It has been found that the risk of developing metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease is carried by single-nucleotide variants of various genes whose products are involved in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, maintenance of the redox state, the development of inflammation and fibrosis of liver tissue, which are components of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease reactome. The authors presented a detailed list of genetic factors singling out those that influence the risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease and directly metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis and liver fibrosis. Also, they emphasized that it is the single-nucleotide variants of the genes of protein 3 containing a patatin-like phospholipase domain, transmembrane 6 superfamily member 2, and 17b-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 13 that are characte­rized by the highest degree of association with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (odds ratio > 1.6) compared to single-nucleotide variants of other genes identified by gene association studies. The combination of several polymorphisms increases the risk of development and severity of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease. The additive steatogenic effect of protein 3 single-nucleotide gene variants containing a patatin-like phospholipase domain and transmembrane 6 superfamily member 2 is probably due to an increased expression of genes involved in de novo lipogenesis. The authors emphasize the need for genetic risk assessment of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease, which should include molecular genetic testing at an early stage of examination.

Association of spontaneous coronary artery dissection with bradycardia - a novel observational study

Abstract Introduction Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a common cause of Myocardial infarction (MI) in women less than 50 years of age (1). SCAD has a high recurrent rate, and beta blockers are the only drug shown to reduce the recurrence of SCAD. However, in our clinical practice, we could not use beta-blockers in some of our patients due to sinus bradycardia of unclear cause. Therefore, we planned to study if SCAD could cause Bradycardia. Purpose To determine if Bradycardia is associated with SCAD. Methodology Utilising the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2016 to 2020, we performed a multivariable logistic regression analysis to determine if SCAD was independently associated with Bradycardia (ICD-10 code R0.01) among adults. SCAD was defined as coronary artery dissection (ICD-10 code I25.42) after excluding patients who had PCI. Results A- A total of 2,561,434 (95% CI 2,526,646-2,596,222) weighted hospitalisations with Bradycardia and 18,049 (95% CI 17,288-18,811) with SCAD was included. Bradycardia was present in 5.2% (95% CI 4.6-6) of patients with SCAD and 1.7% (95% 1.7-1.7) in patients without SCAD. After adjusting for relevant causes of Bradycardia, SCAD was highly associated with Bradycardia (OR 3.04, 95% CI 2.61-3.55). Among all the risk factors studied, SCAD showed the 2nd highest strength of association (Table 1). Discussion We report the first described association of SCAD with Bradycardia in literature. Although the prevalence of Bradycardia with SCAD in our study is only 5.2%, Bradycardia is frequently not coded, and we suspect the true frequency of Bradycardia in SCAD is much higher. The exact mechanism for this association is unclear. Although the frequency of beta-blocker use is not available in our study, several other conditions, such as ischemic heart disease and cardiomyopathy, which involve more frequent beta-blocker use, did not show a degree of association as strong as SCAD with bradycardia. Therefore, we hypothesize Bradycardia could be from SCAD itself, and the current ongoing BA-SCAD (Beta-blockers and Antiplatelet agents in patients with Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection) trial could shed light on this association (2).

Understanding adherence to continuous positive airway pressure in patients with obstructive sleep apnea post-stroke: A prospective study based on the Andersen model.

Adherence to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) post-stroke is often problematic, despite potential benefits. This study aimed to evaluate CPAP adherence in patients with OSA post-stroke based on the Andersen behavioral model of health services utilization. A total of 227 eligible participants were recruited from a Chinese hospital. After baseline assessment, participants were followed for 6 months to determine short-term CPAP adherence. Those with good short-term adherence were followed for an additional 6 months to explore long-term adherence and influencing factors. Short-term CPAP adherence rate was 33%. Being married or living with a partner, having an associate degree or baccalaureate degree or higher, and stronger health beliefs independently predicted short-term CPAP adherence. Only 25% of participants from the adherent group showed good long-term adherence. The factor associated with long-term CPAP adherence was participants not using alcohol. Adherence to CPAP is suboptimal among patients having OSA post-stroke. Addressing unfavorable predisposing factors and modifying health beliefs are suggested.

Overheating fault traceback of Regenerative thermal oxidizer in Multi-Source waste gas treatment system via dynamic cumulative correlation analysis

Regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTO) are commonly used in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries to treat emissions of volatile organic compounds but are prone to overheating risks stemming from variations in the flow and concentration of exhausted gases from diverse workshops. This paper proposes a dynamic analysis method based on correlation between various sensor-point data to determine the cause of the RTO overheating in such a multi-source waste gas treatment system. This method continuously adjusts the length of the data in the correlation analysis to comprehensively capture the dynamic changing characteristics of the data. And a strategy for the accumulation of association degrees is introduced to reveal long-standing potential causal relationships. The effectiveness of proposed method was validated in an industrial exhaust gas treatment system of a pharmaceutical company with over 1000 sensor points. The fault diagnosis results are consistent with those of the actual on-site investigation in 5 real cases. Our proposed method can provide relatively accurate results within 2–3 h, much faster than the manual investigation of the workers (2 days on average). Moreover, compared to traditional static correlation analysis methods, our method can narrow down the investigation scope by more than 5 times. This study provides a practical and effective method for tracing the source of anomalies in complex dynamic systems, and also contributes to the safe and stable operation of chemical engineering systems.

Gene interactions analysis of brain spatial transcriptome for Alzheimer's disease

Recent studies have explored the spatial transcriptomics patterns of Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain by spatial sequencing in mouse models, enabling the identification of unique genome-wide transcriptomic features associated with different spatial regions and pathological status. However, the dynamics of gene interactions that occur during amyloid-β accumulation remain largely unknown. In this study, we performed analyses on ligand-receptor communication, transcription factor regulatory network, and spot-specific network to reveal the dependence and the dynamics of gene associations/interactions on spatial regions and pathological status with mouse and human brains. We first used a spatial transcriptomics dataset of the AppNL-G-F knock-in AD and wild-type mouse model. We revealed 17 ligand-receptor pairs with opposite tendencies throughout the amyloid-β accumulation process and showed the specific ligand-receptor interactions across the hippocampus layers at different extents of pathological changes. We then identified nerve function related transcription factors in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex, as well as genes with different transcriptomic association degrees in AD versus wild-type mice. Finally, another independent spatial transcriptomics dataset from different AD mouse models and human single-nuclei RNA-seq data/AlzData database were used for validation. This is the first study to identify various gene associations throughout amyloid-β accumulation based on spatial transcriptomics, establishing the foundations to reveal advanced and in-depth AD etiology from a novel perspective based on the comprehensive analyses of gene interactions that are spatio-temporal dependent.

Part-set cuing effects in spatial memory: the role of interitem associations.

Part-set cuing facilitation and impairment effects are rarely found in spatial memory, which is a challenge to the theories of part-set cuing effects based on lexical stimulus. This study aims to investigate whether there part-set cuing facilitation and impairment effects are present in spatial memory by constructing two types of memory scenes with high and low degrees of interitem associations, achieved by manipulating the presentation of miniatures. This study examined the effects of different part-set cues on free recall, recognition, and reconstruction tasks. The results of two experiments revealed that matrix cues impaired the performance of three recall tasks in memory scenes with a high degree of interitem associations, and scene cues facilitated the reconstruction performance (Experiment 1). Conversely, in memory scenes with a low degree of interitem associations, the impairment effect of matrix cues was not observed in the three recall tasks, but scene cues still facilitated the reconstruction performance (Experiment 2). These findings supported the retrieval strategy disruption hypothesis, the two-mechanism and the multi-mechanism accounts, demonstrating the significance of interitem associations in spatial memory. Furthermore, the results provided direct evidence for the importance of the encoding-retrieval strategy matching principle in spatial memory tasks.

Mental Health Education and Utilization Among Patients with Vestibular Disorders.

To explore the receipt of mental health education, assessment, and referrals, and mental health service use among individuals with vestibular disorders. Patients with vestibular disorders living in the US, Australia, Canada, and the UK were surveyed through social media forums. Questionnaires assessed demographics, anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7), depression (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression-10), dizziness (Dizziness Handicap Inventory), and type of professional providing mental health education, assessment, referral, and treatment. The 226 participants were largely White (90%), educated (67% holding an associate's degree or higher) women (88%) with an average age of 45 who self-identified as having chronic vestibular symptoms (78%), as opposed to episodic ones (22%). Fifty-two percent reported never receiving verbal education, written education (69%), mental health assessment (54%), or referral (72%). Participants were more likely to receive mental health treatment in the past if they had received verbal resources and/or referrals from clinicians. The majority of patients with vestibular disorders report that medical professionals have not provided education, mental health assessment, or a mental health referral.

Effectiveness of the ALT/AST ratio for predicting insulin resistance in a Korean population: A large-scale, cross-sectional cohort study.

Insulin resistance is a common pathophysiology in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Thus, screening for the risk of insulin resistance is important to prevent disease progression. We evaluated the alanine aminotransferase/aspartate aminotransferase (ALT/AST) ratio to predict insulin resistance in the general population, regardless of comorbidities. Datasets from the 2015, 2019, and 2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys were used, and the following four indices were implemented to indicate insulin resistance: fasting serum glucose, insulin, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and β-cell function. We analyzed the degree of association between the liver enzyme profile and insulin resistance indices using Pearson's correlation coefficient and determined the associations using linear or logistic regression analysis. Accordingly, ALT levels in both sexes were positively and consistently correlated with the four aforementioned insulin resistance indices in stratification analyses based on diabetes, dyslipidemia, alcohol consumption, and obesity status. In multivariate linear regression, when comparing with ALT levels, the ALT/AST ratio exhibited superior predictive performance for fasting serum glucose and HOMA-β in Korean men and improved outcomes for all insulin resistance indices in Korean women. In this analysis that included a large community-based population, the ALT/AST ratio was a more useful predictive marker than the HOMA-IR. Regarding the predicted presence or absence of insulin resistance, the ALT/AST ratio could better predict HOMA-IR than the ALT level alone in Koreans. A simple, precise marker that represents the ALT/AST ratio could be a practical method to screen for insulin resistance in the general population, regardless of diabetes mellitus, alcohol intake, and sex.

Global intracranial arterial tortuosity is associated with intracranial atherosclerotic burden

The effect of arterial tortuosity on intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS) is not well understood. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of global intracranial arterial tortuosity on intracranial atherosclerotic burden in patients with ischemic stroke. We included patients with acute ischemic stroke who underwent magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and classified them into three groups according to the ICAS burden. Global tortuosity index (GTI) was defined as the standardized mean curvature of the entire intracranial arteries, measured by in-house vessel analysis software. Of the 516 patients included, 274 patients had no ICAS, 140 patients had a low ICAS burden, and 102 patients had a high ICAS burden. GTI increased with higher ICAS burden. After adjustment for age, sex, vascular risk factors, and standardized mean arterial area, GTI was independently associated with ICAS burden (adjusted odds ratio [adjusted OR] 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09–1.62). The degree of association increased when the arterial tortuosity was analyzed limited to the basal arteries (adjusted OR 1.48; 95% CI 1.22–1.81). We demonstrated that GTI is associated with ICAS burden in patients with ischemic stroke, suggesting a role for global arterial tortuosity in ICAS.

Age and schooling are associated with job loss in the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil

Brazil was one of the countries most affected by the social and economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to verify the association between job loss and region of the country, sex, age, educational status, marital status, and parenting in Brazilian workers during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional online study was performed with data from workers aged 18 years or older in any economic sector and different occupations. A sociodemographic and occupational questionnaire was applied. Data collection began on June 2020 and ended on September 2020. To estimate the degree of association between job loss and the region of the country and workers’ characteristics, binomial logistic regression analysis was performed to obtain the odds ratio (OR) and confidence intervals. The sample was composed of 1319 participants and of these, 108 (8.2%) lost their jobs in the initial months of the pandemic; 51.6% were female; 53.5% were married; 42.5% reported having children; 80.7% had a complete college education. The age and educational status were associated with job loss, with younger and less educated workers being more affected by unemployment. For women, age and educational status were associated with job loss, for men only educational status showed a significant association. Young workers, mainly women, and with less educational status were the most affected by unemployment at the beginning of the pandemic in Brazil. Thus, this group of workers proved to be more vulnerable and should be prioritized by public policies.

Effect of Season on the Scrotum, Seminal Characteristics, Spermatozoa Integrity and Sexual Behavior in Ganjam Buck

Background: Bucks raised for breeding purposes receive no special attention and are raised at random without following the correct selection process. Besides, the fertility of the male bucks is never addressed. Goat breeders have noted a sharp decline in the reproductive efficiency of Ganjam goats, associated with a lengthened kidding interval, fewer successful pregnancies and decreased twining frequency. The measurement of male fertility parameters is crucial for estimating the breeding performance of any species since males contribute 50% of the reproductive efficiency. Methods: A total of 120 Ganjam bucks of different age groups reared by the local farmers of Rambha, Khalikote and Chhatrapur areas of Ganjam district were used for the present study. A total of six healthier bucks of age 1.5(B1), 2(B2), 2.5(B3), 3.5(B4), 4(B5) and 4.5(B6) years were procured from the Farmers for the experimental purpose. For study on effect of season on the semen qualities, twelve ejaculates from each buck were collected, six ejaculates between the month of July to August (season 1) and six ejaculates during October to November (Season 2). Result: The scrotal length, scrotal width, scrotal circumference have highly significant positive degree of association with Flehmen’s reaction and Libido score and all the parameters exhibited highly significant negative degree of association with reaction time. Moreover, the scrotal length, scrotal width and scrotal circumference had significantly higher positive degree of association with colour, volume of the semen and negative degree of association with MBRT. Further, the sperm concentration revealed a highly significant degree of association with scrotal length, scrotal width, scrotal circumference, livability % and acrosome integrity and a significant degree of association with mass activity. Livability % of the semen samples of the six bucks revealed a highly significant degree of association with scrotal length, scrotal width, scrotal circumference, sperm concentration and acrosome integrity.

Human Motion Recognition Based on Integrate Interval Grey Association Degree With Pyroelectric Sensors Node

Human Motion Recognition Based on Integrate Interval Grey Association Degree With Pyroelectric Sensors Node

Phytosociological Studies of the Flora of Dhanamanjuri University Campus in Imphal West District (Manipur), India

Aims: To study the life forms and biological spectrum of the vegetation of Dhanamanjuri University Campus, Manipur to determine its phytoclimate and species diversity. Study Design: The vegetation of the whole university campus was studied and the site selection was made randomly. Place and Duration of Study: Dhanamanjuri University Campus is located at the intersection of 24.82ºN Latitude and 93.94ºE Longitude. The study was carried out from March to September, 2023. Methodology: Life forms were determined in the study area after detailed floristic studies. Vegetation classification on a physiognomic basis as per Raunkiaer’s system as modified by Ellenberg and Mueller-Dombois. Frequency, density, abundance and basal area were calculated for quantitative analysis. Both Shannon- Weiner Index and Simpson index were calculated for diversity studies. The degree of association between two randomly selected species was studied with a simple index of association IASM. Results: The biological spectrum of Dhanamanjuri University Campus consists of 183 plant species belonging to 163 genera distributed over 74 families. Due to predominance of Phanerophytes (54.1%) and Therophytes (22.4 %) over the other life-forms, the study site was assigned to the “Phanero-Therophytic” Phytoclimate. The values of the Shannon- Weiner Index and Simpson Index were found to be 1.5202 and 3.101 respectively. For the degree of association between two randomly selected species χ2 value was calculated to be 0.101 inferring that the two species are not associated with each other, rather they are independently distributed in the site. Conclusion: The current study has described the vegetation of the Dhanamanjuri University Campus, as per Raunkiaer’s terminology as “Phanero-Therophytic” phytoclimate. The study also shed light on various phytosociological attributes of plants growing on the campus, thus shedding more light on the diversity and distribution patterns of the plants growing there.

Analysis of social mission at associate degree nursing programs in the United States

Background“Social mission” is the contribution of a health profession's school in advancing health equity and addressing the health disparities of the society in which it exists. AimThis study aimed to understand the state of social mission in associate degree nursing (ADN) programs, and how performance varies across program types. MethodsAbout 533 programs that were members of the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing were invited to fill out an ADN-specific version of the previously developed Social Mission Metrics survey. Survey responses were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t-tests. ResultsForty-four programs completed the self-assessment. The majority reported having curricular content on the topics of social determinants of health, LGBTQ health, advocacy, and public health (72%-95%). Most programs had no holistic admission policy (63%) and did not require anti-bias training for admission committees (54%). Pathway programs were more common among public (76%) than private schools (33%). ConclusionsGreater focus should be placed on topics including admission policies, leadership diversity, and community involvement to enhance the social mission of ADN programs.

The role of perceived quality of care on outpatient visits to health centers in two rural districts of northeast Ethiopia: a community-based, cross-sectional study

BackgroundPatients who have had a negative experience with the health care delivery bypass primary healthcare facilities and instead seek care in hospitals. There is a dearth of evidence on the role of users’ perceptions of the quality of care on outpatient visits to primary care facilities. This study aimed to examine the relationship between perceived quality of care and the number of outpatient visits to nearby health centers.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in two rural districts of northeast Ethiopia among 1081 randomly selected rural households that had visited the outpatient units of a nearby health center at least once in the previous 12 months. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire via an electronic data collection platform. A multivariable analysis was performed using zero-truncated negative binomial regression model to determine the association between variables. The degree of association was assessed using the incidence rate ratio, and statistical significance was determined at a 95% confidence interval.ResultsA typical household makes roughly four outpatient visits to a nearby health center, with an annual per capita visit of 0.99. The mean perceived quality of care was 6.28 on a scale of 0–10 (SD = 1.05). The multivariable analysis revealed that perceived quality of care is strongly associated with the number of outpatient visits (IRR = 1.257; 95% CI: 1.094 to 1.374). In particular, a significant association was found for the dimensions of provider communication (IRR = 1.052; 95% CI: 1.012, 1.095), information provision (IRR = 1.088; 95% CI: 1.058, 1.120), and access to care (IRR = 1.058, 95% CI: 1.026, 1.091).ConclusionsService users’ perceptions of the quality of care promote outpatient visits to primary healthcare facilities. Effective provider communication, information provision, and access to care quality dimensions are especially important in this regard. Concerted efforts are required to improve the quality of care that relies on service users’ perceptions, with a special emphasis on improving health care providers’ communication skills and removing facility-level access barriers.

Identification of the new molecular subtypes related to inflammation in breast cancer.

Breast cancer is a prevalent ailment among women, and the inflammatory response plays a crucial role in the management and prediction of breast cancer (BRCA). However, the new subtypes based on inflammation in BRCA research are still undefined. The databases including The Cancer Genome Atlas and gene expression omnibus were utilized to gather clinical data and somatic mutation information for approximately 1069 BRCA patients. Through Consensus Clustering, novel subtypes linked to inflammation were identified. A comparative analysis was conducted on the prognosis, and immune cell infiltration, and somatic mutation of the new subtypes. Additionally, an investigation into drug therapy and immunotherapy was conducted to distinguish high-risk individuals from low-risk ones. The findings of this investigation proposed the categorization of BRCA into innovative subtypes predicated on the inflammatory response and 6 key genes were a meaningful approach. Specifically, the low-, medium-, and high-inflammation subtypes exhibited varying degrees of association with clinicopathological features, tumor microenvironment, and prognosis. Notably, the high-inflammation subtype was characterized by a strong correlation with immunosuppressive microenvironments and a higher frequency of somatic mutations, which was an indication of poorer health. This study revealed that a brand-new classification could throw new light on the effective prognosis. The integration of multiple key genes was a new characterization that could promote more immunotherapy strategies and contribute to predicting the efficacy of the chemotherapeutic drugs.

Interval-Valued Intuitionistic Fuzzy Cosine Similarity Measures for Real World Problem Solving

Similarity measures (SMs) are fundamental in various applications, including identifying patterns within medical data and aiding pattern recognition (PR) by quantifying the likeness between different patterns. Moreover, they play a crucial role in real-world problems such as Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM), where decision-makers assess and compare alternatives based on multiple criteria simultaneously. Moreover, Cosine similarity is a measurement that quantifies the similarity between two or more objects. This study presents a comprehensive exploration of Interval-Valued Intuitionistic Fuzzy Cosine Similarity Measures (IV IF CSMs) as a novel technique for assessing the degree of association between objects in realworld applications. By extending traditional cosine similarity measures (CSM) to interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IV IFS), the proposed IV IF CSMs offer an effective framework for handling uncertainty, ambiguity, and imprecision in decision-making processes. The research demonstrates the practical utility of IV IF CSMs in addressing complex issues in PR, medical diagnosis (MD), and MCDM. In contrast to established methods like Singh’s, Xu’s, and Luo’s measures, our approach consistently generates higher similarity values, encompassing both membership (MF) and non-membership (NMF) with interval values.