Average Response Research Articles

Evaluation of Breast Cancer Gene Type 1 (BRCA1) Protein Levels in Cancer Tissue Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

Raman spectroscopy is a chemical process that utilizes the interaction between light and matter to get significant insights into the structure or characteristics of matter. Raman spectroscopy techniques, such as quantitative evaluation, early diagnostic capabilities, and elucidation of the spectral properties of tissues, are excellent candidates for use in research. In cancer, changes in genes and proteins expressed by related genes are associated with a poor prognosis and aggressive tumor characteristics. Due to modifications and regulatory steps in protein translation, the results of the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of genes may not correctly reflect the results of protein expression. For this reason, the mRNA and protein expressions of genes are studied in parallel in molecular studies on cancer. In our study, the breast cancer gene type 1 (BRCA1) gene, which is frequently studied in breast cancer and is relatively more difficult to measure by traditional methods due to its high molecular weight, was selected, and protein quantification was performed in tissue samples by Raman spectroscopy. With Raman spectroscopy, it is possible to obtain rapid and precise quantitative results even with a small amount of sample, so it is quite advantageous compared to traditional methods. In our study, we performed surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to analyze the quantitative protein amount. SERS is a highly sensitive method for detecting compounds at low concentrations. For this purpose, magnetic nanoparticles modified with protein antibodies were used, and the target protein was withdrawn from the complex environment and transferred to an appropriate buffer environment. The calibration curve for BRCA1, which plots Raman intensity against concentration, was derived by calculating the average response reading from duplicate assays conducted under identical conditions. The BRCA1 protein levels of cells were determined from the regression curve of the BRCA1 protein. The relation between the concentration of BRCA1 protein and SERS spectrum intensity was determined to be logarithmic in the range of 300 µg·mL-1 to 292 ng·mL-1 (R2 = 0.9928, limit of detection = 10.41 µg·mL-1, and limit of quantitation = 31.24 µg·mL-1).

Exploring Differences In-house Human Resource Versus Outsourced Human Resource Small Business Employee Samples in Perceived Organizational Support

No prior research has focused on comparing in-house human resource (HRI) versus outsourced human resource (HRO) small organization employee samples on perceived organizational support (POS). Using a survey methodology, the sample sizes of 101 HRI United States (US) employees and ninety-seven HRO US employees were equivalent in terms of company size, company age, gender, years of work experience, work schedule, average HR response time, and POS. Comparisons between HRI versus HRO samples for specific type of organizational support on POS showed that the HRI employee sample perceived higher POS for the Personalized and Collectivist than Monistic type. No differences were found for the HRO sample. In addition, a significant difference in correlations was found between HRI versus HRO employees’ average HR response time for resolving an issue to POS, with the relationship more negative for the HRI sample. Collectively these results suggest that HRI employees were more sensitive to the type of perceived organization support, and a slower HR response time negatively affected their POS. Study limitations and future research issues are discussed.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice among health care professionals in a tertiary hospital regarding handling COVID 19 deceased bodies – A questionnaire based study.

Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practice in handling Covid 19 deceased bodies among health care professionals. Methodology: A pre validated questionnaire consisting of questions to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice towards dead body care handlingand disposal of Covid 19 bodies was given in using google forms to the study participant which included the healthcare professionals working at present in a tertiary care hospital. The responses were categorized into two professional categories: nursing staff and medical doctors. The average positive responses for knowledge, attitude, and practice questions were calculated for each category. Results: The study was conducted among 140 participants (61 nurses and 79 doctors). It was found that on comparing their knowledge of handling COVID-19 deceased individuals, 73.31% of nursing staff and only 67.88% of medical doctors had accurate knowledge on the subject.When it comes to the attitude while handling COVID-19 deceased individuals, 45.07% of nursing staff and 44.3% of medical doctors exhibited a positive attitude.When it comes to practice of handling COVID-19 deceased individuals, 40.97% of nursing staff and only 34.17% of medical doctors exhibited proper practice. Conclusion: The findings reveal that nursing staff possess higher levels of accurate knowledge and a positive attitude, though the difference is not statistically significant. However, both groups demonstrate gaps in proper practices concerning the handling of COVID-19 deceased bodies. This study highlights the importance of ongoing training and awareness to improve safe handling procedures, thereby reducing the risk of infection transmission to healthcare professionals.

Ammonia and ethanol detection via an electronic nose utilizing a bionic chamber and a sparrow search algorithm-optimized backpropagation neural network.

Ammonia is widely acknowledged to be a stressor and one of the most detrimental gases in animal enclosures. In livestock- and poultry-breeding facilities, a precise, rapid, and affordable method for detecting ammonia concentrations is essential. We design and develop an electronic nose system containing a bionic chamber that imitates the nasal-cavity structure of humans and canines. The sensors are positioned based on fluid simulation results. Response data for ammonia and ethanol gases and the response/ recovery times of an ammonia sensor under three concentrations are collected using the electronic nose system. Response data are classified and regressed using a sparrow search algorithm (SSA)-optimized backpropagation neural network (BPNN). The results show that the sensor has a relative mean deviation of 1.45%. The ammonia sensor's output voltage is 1.3-2.05 V when the ammonia concentration ranges from 15 to 300 ppm. The ethanol gas sensor's output voltage is 1.89-3.15 V when the ethanol gas concentration ranges from 8 to 200 ppm. The average response time of the ammonia sensor in the chamber is 13 s slower than that of the sensor directly exposed to the gas being measured, while the average recovery time is 19 s faster. In tests comparing the performance of the SSA-BPNN, support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF) models, the SSA-BPNN achieves a 99.1% classification accuracy, better than the SVM and RF models. It also outperforms the other models at regression prediction, with smaller absolute, mean absolute, and root mean square errors. Its coefficient of determination (R2) is greater than 0.99, surpassing those of the SVM and RF models. The theoretical and experimental results both indicate that the proposed electronic nose system containing a bionic chamber, when used with the SSA-BPNN, offers a promising approach for detecting ammonia in livestock- and poultry-breeding facilities.

Pristine NiMOF Sandwiched between 1D and 3D Engineered Au Particles and Dendrites for Ultraswift Folic Acid Sensing in Cellular Microenvironment.

Catalytic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)-based sensor matrices can act synergistically with Au metallic nanostructures to generate amplified signal readouts by causing the electro-oxidation of the target analyte. Folic acid (FA), an essential water-soluble vitamin and a precursor for enzymes, requires timely and precise monitoring in the serum of individuals with varying clinical diagnoses. An attempt has been made in this direction through our work, where the rapid detection of FA through its oxidation at metal centers from hybrid nanomaterials is deployed for signal generation. A nonenzymatic, nonimmunometric approach involving a sandwich model, comprising NiMOF layered between gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and gold nanodendrites (AuNDs) incorporated within a sensor matrix, has been deployed for this purpose. The probe displayed great analytical performance with a linear dynamic range (LDR) from 1 × 10-11 M to 1 × 10-3 M and a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.43 × 10-11 M. The probe's average response time with respect to changes in FA concentration was recorded as less than 2.1 s, making it a rapid sensing platform for FA detection. The real-life applicability of the developed sensor was tested in serum, followed by analysis in a breast cancer cellular microenvironment, which yielded a current recovery between 95.11 and 98.17%. The in vitro analysis was further validated through live-cell imaging using the standard method of fluorescence. The shorter fabrication time of the developed sensor compared to existing ones makes it a facile and efficient sensing platform for FA detection in clinical settings. This study represents the first report on the conjunction of 1D, 2D, and 3D materials as a sensing matrix for molecular detection applications.

Evaluation of the clinical and economic value of sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (SOF/VEL) in patients with chronic hepatitis C in Spain during the last 5 years

ObjectiveDirect-acting antivirals for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) represented a paradigm shift. In 2017, sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (SOF/VEL-Epclusa®) was approved, which showed a high cure rate in all patient, contributing to HCV elimination. The analysis aimed to quantify the clinical and economic value of SOF/VEL in HCV chronic patients since its approval in Spain. MethodsAn economic evaluation was elaborated adapting a Markov model that simulated the lifetime disease progression in of all HCV chronic patients treated with SOF/VEL (30,488 patients) since its launch (5-years), compared to previous therapies. Patients entered the model and were distributed between the fibrosis states (F0-to-F4) in treated and untreated. All patients (100%) were treated with SOF/VEL regardless of their fibrosis, and 49% with previous therapies in ≥F2. The average sustained viral response (SVR) rates 98.9% SOF/VEL versus 61.0% previous therapies. All parameters for the analysis were obtained from real-life data and literature. Only direct healthcare costs associated with disease management were included. The SOF/VEL value was measured as the number of hepatic complications avoided and their associated cost, and hepatic mortality compared to previous therapies. National Health System perspective and a 3% discount rate was applied. ResultsSOF/VEL decreased the number of liver complications, avoiding 92% decompensated cirrhosis, 80% hepatocellular carcinomas, and 87% liver transplants, as well as 85% liver-related mortality. Their cost associated was reduced, amounting to savings of 197M€. ConclusionSOF/VEL adds relevant value to the HCV treatment, reducing the clinical and economic disease burden and contributing to HCV elimination in Spain.

Hybrid filter for lock-in amplifiers.

Lock-in amplifiers are instrumental in the precise measurement of extremely small AC signals within high-noise environments. Traditionally, noise reduction in these instruments relies on infinite impulse response (IIR) filters, which can necessitate prolonged settling times to ensure the acquisition of accurate, statistically independent data. While moving average filters offer faster settling times, their non-monotonic frequency response may not be optimal for noise reduction. Conversely, IIR filters frequently realized as N-pole RC filters exhibit a monotonic frequency response conducive to effective noise reduction. This study presents a hybrid filter architecture that combines a short IIR filter with a longer moving average finite impulse response filter. The objective is to enhance noise reduction as quantified by the filter's equivalent noise bandwidth (ENBW). Theoretical analysis is provided to derive the step response, settling time, frequency response, and ENBW of the hybrid filter configuration. Design methodologies are outlined for hybrid filters that either match the settling time of an N-pole RC filter while achieving a lower ENBW or maintain the ENBW of an N-pole RC filter but with significantly faster settling time. The performance of the hybrid filter is validated through noise measurements of low-value resistors and thermal noise of larger resistors, with results compared to theoretical predictions.

Trauma from cyberbullying: How it affects learning impairments

Investigating the effects of the traumatic experiences that adolescents with learning problems go through is the goal of our study. 160 high school students who were referred via a web-based evaluation form because of poor academic performance made up the sample for our study. In particular, the subscales for anxiety-depression and depression-withdrawal were employed in the ACHENBACH self-report questionnaire for children and teenagers. Calculations have been made for frequencies, response percentages, and means. Additionally, a one-way anova was used to conduct an analysis of variance to compare the average student responses to the variable "experiencing a traumatic event" between groups of students. The findings demonstrated that there are substantial variations in the means of students who claim having experienced a traumatic event and those who report not having, with a statistical significance threshold of p 0,01 between the two groups. Students' exposure to violence in schools and the loss of a loved one appear to be particularly significant traumatic experiences for their psyche. Additionally, a quick presentation of the application's cyberbullying-related capabilities is made.

Ethics Consultation in U.S. Pediatric Hospitals: Adherence to National Practice Standards

Background The American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH), a professional organization that certifies ethics consultants who pass the qualifying examination, published standards for the conduct of ethics consultations (EC). A national survey of adult hospital ethics consultants identified adherence to these standards, but no assessment of pediatric hospitals’ adherence has been done. Methods In this cross-sectional study, a national questionnaire was distributed electronically in 2022 to pediatric ethics consultants at children’s hospitals, collecting information about adherence to the ASBH standards. Hospital characteristics were extracted from the Children’s Hospital Association Annual Benchmark Report. Quantitative analysis included descriptive statistics to assess adherence and analyses of variance to investigate associations between hospital characteristics and the time taken to respond to consultations. Results Of the 181 eligible pediatric hospitals, we received 104 completed surveys (57%) from 45 states. Pediatric EC have similar adherence rates to ASBH standards as adult hospitals. High-adherence (>75%) areas included having an expert available for EC and permitting any staff member to request EC. Low-adherence areas included having comprehensive policies covering all aspects of EC activities, having a response plan for egregious violations, and the elicitation of formal feedback after EC. There is an increased average response time for ethics consultation services in smaller pediatric hospitals and church-operated hospitals. Conclusions Pediatric hospitals overall have moderate adherence to the ASBH EC standards, with the highest rates occurring for standards that are shared by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Additional research into the barriers to standard adherence and the effectiveness of standards is warranted with emphasis on the impact of adherence on consultation quality.

Setting the game plan: an international Delphi study on evaluating a population-wide youth sports financial incentive

BackgroundChildren and adolescents’ physical inactivity is a global problem. Financial incentives are increasingly utilised to support children’s participation in sport, with programs introduced in multiple jurisdictions globally, however few programs have comprehensive evaluations. This study used a Delphi methodology to develop evaluation recommendations for an existing population-wide financial incentive program based in South Australia.MethodsA three-round Delphi study was conducted from October 2022 to April 2023. A diverse range of stakeholders including end-users, government representatives, academics/researchers, and Non-Government Organisation representatives participated in the Delphi panel. Round 1 focussed on the perceived importance of various evaluation components, including reach, process, and effectiveness. Round 2 focussed on identifying evaluation approaches and tools, while Round 3 determined methodological priorities and timeframes. A consensus level of ≥ 70% was set a priori (rating 6 or 7 on 7-point scale). Round 3 results were used to formulate evaluation recommendations.ResultsSixty-seven stakeholders agreed to participate, with an average response rate of 76% (87%; 73% and 67% for each round, respectively). All evaluation components gained consensus in Round 1. In Round 2, consensus was gained on 14 evaluation measures, including measuring the cost of sport, awareness of the program amongst eligible families, and reasons for non-participation, with evaluation methods generated for each measure. Round 3 results determined participants’ preferred methods of evaluation and informed the development of evaluation recommendations. Recommended evaluation methods included mixed method approaches for provider and user process evaluations and measuring program awareness using an epidemiological survey.ConclusionThis Delphi study sought the views and opinions from diverse stakeholders to create evaluation recommendations for a population-wide sports voucher program. Results suggested that a comprehensive evaluation strategy is needed to understand the reach, effectiveness, and impact of the program. Additionally, there was a consensus on reallocating program funds for this evaluation.

Early assessment of responsive neurostimulation for drug-resistant epilepsy in China: A multicenter, self-controlled study.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the first cohort of people in China treated with a responsive neurostimulation system (EpilcureTM, GenLight MedTech, Hangzhou, China) for focal drug-resistant epilepsy in this study. This multicenter, before-and-after self-controlled study was conducted across 8 centers from March 2022 to June 2023, involving patients with drug-resistant epilepsy who were undergoing responsive neurostimulation (RNS). The study was based on an ongoing multi-center, single-blind, randomized controlled study. Efficacy was assessed through metrics including median seizure count, seizure frequency reduction (SFR), and response rate. Multivariate linear regression was conducted to explore the relationships of basic clinical factors and intracranial electrophysiological characteristics with SFR. The postoperative quality of life, cognitive function, depression, and anxiety were evaluated as well. The follow-up period for the 19 participants was 10.7±3.4months. Seizure counts decreased significantly 6months after device activation, with median SFR of 48% at the 6th month (M6) and 58% at M12 (P<0.05). The average response rate after 13months of treatment was 42%, with 21% (n=4) of the participants achieving seizure freedom. Patients who have previously undergone resective surgery appear to achieve better therapeutic outcomes at M11, M12 and M13 (β<0, P<0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed in patients' scores of quality of life, cognition, depression and anxiety following stimulation when compared to baseline measurements. No serious adverse events related to the devices were observed. The preliminary findings suggest that EpilcureTM exhibits promising therapeutic potential in reducing the frequency of epileptic seizures. However, to further validate its efficacy, larger-scale randomized controlled trials are required. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (No. ChiCTR2200055247).

Optimizing Compassion Training in Medical Trainees Using an Adjunct mHealth App: A Preliminary Single-Arm Feasibility and Acceptability Study.

While structured compassion training programs have shown promise for increasing compassion among medical trainees, a major challenge is applying the concepts and practices taught during the program into the complex, dynamic, time-pressured, and often hectic hospital workplace. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of Compassion Coach, a mobile health (mHealth) smartphone app designed to bolster a 6-week mindfulness and self-compassion training program for medical trainees. In Compassion Coach, notifications to remind, encourage, and measure the perceived impact of informal mindfulness and compassion practices taught during the program were delivered at 7 AM, 12 PM, and 7 PM, respectively, 3 times per week over the course of the training program. The app also contained a library of guided audio formal mindfulness and compassion practices to allow quick and easy access. In this pilot study, we collected data from 29 medical students and residents who downloaded Compassion Coach and completed surveys assessing perceived effectiveness and acceptability. Engagement with the Compassion Coach app was passively tracked through notification response rate and library resource access over time. The average response rate to notifications was 58% (SD 29%; range 12%-98%), with a significant decline over time (P=.009; odds ratio 0.98, 95% CI 0.96-0.99). Across all participants and occasions, the majority agreed the informal practices prompted by Compassion Coach helped them feel grounded and centered (110/150, 73%), improved compassion (29/41, 71%), reduced burnout (106/191, 56%), and improved their mood (133/191, 70%). In total, 16 (55%) of the 29 participants accessed guided audio recordings on average 3 (SD 3.4) times throughout the program. At the posttreatment time point, most participants (13/18, 72%) indicated that Compassion Coach helped them engage in compassion practices in daily life, and half (9/18, 50%) indicated that Compassion Coach helped improve interactions with patients. Overall, preliminary results of Compassion Coach are encouraging and suggest the integration of a smartphone app with an ongoing mindfulness and self-compassion training program may bolster the effects of the program on medical trainees. However, there was variability in engagement with Compassion Coach and perceived helpfulness. Additional research is indicated to optimize this novel mHealth approach and conduct a study powered to formally evaluate effects.

UAV Visual Object Tracking Based on Spatio-Temporal Context

To balance the real-time and robustness of UAV visual tracking on a single CPU, this paper proposes an object tracker based on spatio-temporal context (STCT). STCT integrates the correlation filter and Siamese network into a unified framework and introduces the target’s motion model, enabling the tracker to adapt to target scale variations and effectively address challenges posed by rapid target motion, etc. Furthermore, a spatio-temporal regularization term based on the dynamic attention mechanism is proposed, and it is introduced into the correlation filter to suppress the aberrance of the response map. The filter solution is provided through the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM). In addition, to ensure efficiency, this paper proposes the average maximum response value-related energy (AMRE) for adaptive tracking state evaluation, which considers the time context of the tracking process in STCT. Experimental results show that the proposed STCT tracker can achieve a favorable balance between tracking robustness and real-time performance for UAV object tracking while running at ∼38 frames/s on a low-cost CPU.

National Burden and Epidemiological Features of Mass Casualty Incidents in Spain, from 2014 to 2022.

Mass Casualty Incidents (MCIs) pose significant challenges to health care systems, especially regarding emergency preparedness and response. This study aims to analyze the epidemiological characteristics and burden of MCIs in Spain from 2014 to 2022, focusing on the type, frequency, and impact of these incidents on public health and emergency services. A population-based retrospective observational study examined MCIs in Spain between January 2014 and December 2022. Data were collected from various emergency services. Incidents involving 4 or more victims requiring medical assistance and ambulance mobilization were included. The study categorized MCIs into 5 types: road traffic accidents, fires and explosions, chemical poisonings, maritime accidents, and others. A total of 1618 MCIs resulting in 8556 victims were identified, averaging 15 (95% CI, 11-19) incidents per month, with 79% due to road traffic accidents and 13% to fires and explosions, which also had the highest average of 7.6 victims per incident. Despite maritime accidents comprising only 1.9% of incidents, they had the highest fatality rate. MCIs were more frequent on weekends, in January and July, and between 3:00 PM and 9:00 PM. The average response time was 38 minutes, with 35% of victims sustaining severe injuries. Despite a slight decrease in annual MCIs from 2014 to 2022 in Spain, the trend is not statistically significant. The study highlights the need for a national registry and standardized data collection to enhance emergency preparedness and response planning and facilitate the reduction of the MCI burden.

Development of Flipbook-Based PAI Teaching Modules for Class 1 SDN Tlontoraja 1 Pasean District, Pamekasan Regency

This research aims to find out 1) the process of developing flipbook-based teaching modules on the sub-theme of the story of the Prophet Adam as the first human on earth in class 1 SD/MI; 2) Effectiveness in applying flipbook-based teaching modules to the sub-theme of the Prophet Adam's story as the first human on earth in class 1 SD/MI. This type of research is design and product development (Design and Development) research with reference to the ADDIE model used to develop flipbook-based teaching modules, namely Fliphtml.com, user validity is measured using expert tests which include media experts, material experts and linguists. The data that has been collected is then converted using a likert scale. User responses were obtained from respondents, namely 1 teacher and 20 grade 1 students. The research results show that 1) validity tests are media experts, material experts and linguists. The overall average of validation was 90.56% which was at the interval 81%-100% which shows that it is in the very valid category. 2) the average response of teachers and students to teaching modules was 85.15% at the interval 81%-100% with the category being very practical. Based on these results, it was concluded that this study produced valid and practical teaching materials.

Implementation of a paraprofessional role across the public health sector in Manitoba: Impacts on system capacity.

Manitoba experiences sexually transmitted and blood-borne infection (STBBI) incidence rates above the national average and fundamental public health sector responses face human resource constraints. Manitoba implemented a paraprofessional role, the Communicable Disease Technician (CD Tech), to complete low-complexity STBBI investigations and support STBBI testing, care engagement initiatives, provider reporting, harm reduction supply distribution, and community engagement. Secondary roles included tuberculosis directly observed treatment (DOT) and virtual DOT, and flu and COVID immunization support. Twenty CD Tech positions were allocated to regional public health teams along with additional Public Health Nurse (PHN) positions to support the role. Mixed methods were used to evaluate the impact on public health system capacity. Follow-up of chlamydia and gonorrhea case investigations increased from 35% to 98%. Volume of contacts followed by public health increased for chlamydia (114%), gonorrhea (33%), and HIV (68%). Health care provider reporting for cases of STBBI and treatment more than doubled (116%). No significant differences in case investigation data quality were found between CD Techs and PHNs. Qualitative interviews by public health staff (n = 24) found CD Techs highly flexible and competent team members who can fill gaps and expand capacity in direct client service, outreach, administration, data entry, or community/partner engagement. Mentorship, ongoing supervision, role clarity, training, and clear practice standards are required to optimize the role. There is potential to expand this innovation and build surge capacity in other areas of public health practice, and other public health jurisdictions.

A post-occupancy performance evaluation study on user satisfaction with university student housing facilities

Purpose This study used post-occupancy evaluation (POE) to assess the performance and effectiveness of student housing by examining occupants’ satisfaction with the facility across three performance elements: technical, functional and behavioral. This study aims to address a significant gap in the existing research concerning the POE of university student housing facilities, particularly in understanding how well these facilities fulfill occupant needs across the aforementioned three elements. Design/methodology/approach This study assesses the existing literature, examines the dormitory’s physical parameters through walkthrough inspections and measures occupant satisfaction through surveys and focus group sessions. The study analyzed questionnaire responses using a four-point Likert scale, using Microsoft Excel software to determine the weighted average response for each performance element. Findings The analysis indicated that students were satisfied with most housing condition parameters. However, noise management, lighting control, air circulation, washroom facilities, cleanliness, power sockets for equipment and several study rooms and furnishings require improvement to enhance student well-being and performance. Originality/value This study provides significant information to aid in making informative decisions on building maintenance, retrofitting and facility upgrading. It also contributes to enhancing the field’s knowledge about POE in student housing facilities. It emphasizes the importance of using physical building attributes and user-centric features to fulfill students’ needs and expectations regarding facilities.

Nonlinear Vibrations of Low Pressure Turbine Bladed Disks: Tests and Simulations

One of the most effective methods to limit the mechanical vibrations of bladed disks is the use of friction damping at mechanical joint interfaces. Unfortunately, dedicated tests to assess the impact of mistuning and the effectiveness of friction dampers are uncommon. This paper presents an original design of an academic demonstrator to perform an experimental analysis of the dynamic response of a tip-free bladed disk with under-platform dampers (UPDs), including an identification of intrinsic and contact mistuning introduced by the UPDs. The 48-blade disk was tested in a vacuum spinning rig by using permanent magnets. Vibration measurements were performed with the Blade Tip-Timing system. Tests were simulated using the Policontact tool, which predicted the average experimental nonlinear response in the presence of UPD, confirming the tool’s ability to capture the general nonlinear dynamic behavior of the mistuned bladed disk. This study presents a novel approach combining experimental Blade Tip Timing (BTT) with numerical simulations using Policontact (ver. 3.0) software and a model update based on experimental evidence to validate nonlinear dynamic responses. It distinguishes between intrinsic and contact mistuning effects, providing new insights into their impact on bladed disk vibrations. Additionally, a comparison of aluminum and steel UPDs reveals that steel offers a 26% greater damping efficiency due to its higher density and preload, significantly improving vibration reduction.

Pupillometry reveals hyper-arousal in response to auditory stimuli in autistic children.

Atypical sensory responsivity is widely reported in autistic individuals and is related to elevated functional difficulties. Dynamically, altered initial responses and/or habituation rates could underlie their atypical averaged responses to repeated sensory stimuli. In this study we aimed to measure the arousal level in response to different types of auditory stimuli and the dynamic change of atypical arousal level using pupillometry in autistic children. In Experiment 1, 43 autistic children and 49 neurotypical (NT) children were asked to passively listen to a mild sound and an aversive sound repeatedly. In Experiment 2, 39 autistic children and 44 NT children who went through Experiment 1 listened to a gradually emerging non-startling sound and a suddenly emerging startling sound in a random order. We found that the autistic group showed hyper-arousal in response to the aversive sound and the startling sound as reflected by their larger change in pupil area. In comparison, these autistic children demonstrated normal arousal in response to the mild sound and the non-startling sound. Dynamically, the autistic group had a larger peak pupil area change than the NT group in the first trial and a normal habituation rate to the aversive sound. In summary, our results suggest hyper-arousal to aversive and startling stimuli and the role of larger initial responses in hyper-arousal in autism. Minimizing aversive and startling sensory stimuli or gradually increasing the volume of aversive auditory stimuli to allow autistic children to adapt using the principle of habituation is recommended to reduce the arousal level and problematic behaviors of autistic children.

The Impact of Afterpulsing Effects in Single-Photon Detectors on the Performance Metrics of Single-Photon Detection Systems

A single-photon detection system based on InGaAs SPADs is a high-precision optical measurement system capable of detecting quantum-level optical signals. However, the afterpulsing effect when using InGaAs SPADs severely limits their practical utility. The impact of afterpulsing effects on the performance of systems based on this type of detector can no longer be ignored. Therefore, this paper provides a detailed analysis of the measurement errors induced by afterpulsing effects and proposes a correction method based on a power-law model. This method analyzes the probability distribution of afterpulsing effects using the power-law model and improves the expressions for the system’s average count rate and signal-to-noise ratio by calculating the average number of afterpulses within the average response time. The influence of afterpulse probability and dead time on the system’s average count rate is also analyzed. This afterpulse correction method mitigates the measurement errors caused by afterpulsing effects, thereby enhancing the system’s measurement accuracy.