Consecutive Stages Research Articles

M-Ary QAM Asynchronous-NOMA D2D Network With Cyclic Triangular-SIC Decoding Scheme

The complexity of successive interference cancellation at the receiver’s end is a challenging issue in conventional non-orthogonal multiple access assisted massive wireless networks. The computational complexity of decoding increases exponentially with the number of users. Further, under realistic channel conditions, a synchronous non-orthogonal multiple access scheme is impractical in the uplink device-to-device communications. In this paper, an asynchronous non-orthogonal multiple access-based cyclic triangular successive interference cancellation scheme is proposed for a massive device-to-device network. The proposed scheme reduces the decoding complexity, energy consumption, and bit error rate of a superimposed signal received in an outband device-to-device network. More specifically, the scheme follows three consecutive stages; optimization, decoding, and re- transmission. In the optimization stage, a dual Lagrangian objective function is defined to maximize the number of data symbols decoded at the receiver by determining an optimal interference cancellation triangle, under the co-channel interference and data rate constraints. In the decoding stage, the data in the optimal interference cancellation triangle is decoded using a conventional triangular successive interference cancellation technique. Next, the remaining users’ data are decoded in sequential iterations of the proposed scheme, using the retransmissions from such users. Utilizing the successive interference cancellation characteristics, the performance of the proposed device-to-device network is defined in terms of energy efficiency, bit error rate, computational complexity, and decoding delay metrics. Moreover, the performance of the proposed decoding scheme is compared with the conventional triangular successive interference cancellation decoding scheme to demonstrate the superiority of the proposed scheme.

Bandwidth Dependence of the Propagation Channel in Circular Metallic BAN Environments

In this paper, the bandwidth dependence of the propagation channel for Body Area Networks (BANs) in circular metallic environments is addressed and models are proposed to evaluate the appropriate short-term fading margins that should be considered as a function of the system bandwidth. The deployment of BANs in metallic indoor environments, such as ships, factories, warehouses and other similar environments, involves additional challenges compared to other indoor environments due to the specific propagation effects in this type of environments (i.e., with strong reflections). No studies of this kind and for this type of environment can be found in literature, giving the motivation for this work. Bandwidth dependent values of delay spread are also presented and discussed. It is observed that for a system bandwidth up to 100 MHz the fading depth is composed of three main stages, with the transitions between these stages being associated with the system ability to discriminate arriving rays at the receiver. Average values of fading depth are 16.4, 13.2 and 11.0 dB for stages 1, 2 and 3, respectively, the difference between consecutive stages ranging between 2.2 to 3.2 dB. For a system bandwidth larger than 100 MHz, the fading depth decreases with an increasing system bandwidth, with an average decay rate close to 3 dB per 100 MHz bandwidth, being about 2 dB for system bandwidths above 400 MHz.

Pedaling cadence does not affect aerobic performance during an incremental maximal test among male and female adult cyclists

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of pedaling at the energetically optimal cadence (EOC) on aerobic capacity and cycling efficiency in experienced male and female adult cyclists. Twenty-four experienced cyclists underwent a progressive, maximal metabolic exercise test on a cycling ergometer pedaling at their freely chosen cadence (FCC). EOC was determined by maintaining an output of 65% of peak power during seven consecutive 3-minute stages of cadences between 50 rpm to 110 rpm in 10 rpm increments in a randomized order. Cyclists were then randomized to either an FCC or EOC group and performed a second maximal exercise test. Oxygen consumption (VO2max), time to exhaustion (Tmax), ventilatory threshold (VO2VT) and time to ventilatory threshold (TVT) were compared between the FCC and EOC groups. Submaximal average oxygen consumption was significantly higher during FCC (85±11 rpm) than EOC (60±8 rpm; 38.2±6.64 ml/kg/min v. 35±7.7 ml/kg/min, p<0.001). There were no significant interactions between group and order of maximal exercise tests with respect to VO2max (b=1.59, p=0.38), Tmax (b=0.31, p=0.55), VO2VT (b=0.05, p=0.98) or TVT (b=0.18, p=0.82). FCC was significantly lower among female cyclists compared to male cyclists. We conclude that cycling at EOC at submaximal workloads demands less oxygen consumption than FCC, but does not significantly improve VO2max, and that there may be sex-specific differences with regards to FCC among experienced adult cyclists.

Reimbursement of combined antihypertensive medicenes in Ukraine: aspects of inclusion and external reference pricing

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), in particular arterial hypertension (AH), are the main causes of morbidity and mortality, Ukraine is on the 1st place in Europe for mortality from these diseases. Modern clinical guidelines emphasize the use of combined antihypertensive drugs, and improving the accessibility of these medicines for Ukrainian patients with hypertension is relevant. In Ukraine, at the end of 2022, there were no combined antihypertensive drugs in the List of reimbursed drugs. Therefore, there is a need to develop scientific and practical approaches to improve the «Affordable Medicines» reimbursement program in accordance with modern trends in the treatment of hypertension.
 The aim of the study is to formulate scientific and practical proposals for the inclusion of combined antihypertensive drugs in the state reimbursement program «Affordable Medicines» and to improve external reference pricing.
 Оbjects of the study were Orders of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, national and international clinical guidelines, WHO ATC/DDD methodology guidelines. The study used content analysis, methods of comparative and logical analysis.
 At the 1st stage of the study, it was found that the current legislation of Ukraine does not prohibit the inclusion of combined antihypertensive drugs in the National List of Essential Medicines, and it is not limited solely to WHO recommendations. In the second stage of the study, it is proposed to use the data of pharmacoepidemiological studies and data of studies of actual consumption of combinated antihypertensive drugs in Ukraine, for further state HTA assessment and inclusion in the National List of Essential Medicines and «Affordable Medicines» program. The third and fourth stages of the study showed that the mechanism of external reference pricing needs to be improved and an algorithm for conducting external reference pricing for combined antihypertensive drugs, consisting of five consecutive stages, was developed and proposed.
 The current regulatory framework of Ukraine provides the possibility of including combined antihypertensive drugs in the state program «Affordable Medicines», and the initiation of the inclusion of medicines is within the competence of the Ministry of Health and the NHSU. A scientific and practical approach to the use of pharmaco-epidemiological research data to identify the most used doses of combined antihypertensive drugs as potential candidates for inclusion in the «Affordable Medicines» program is proposed. A scientific and practical algorithm for external reference pricing for combinated antihypertensive drugs was developed, considering current regulatory and methodological aspects.

Effect of electrical erosion on composite insulator core rod under acidic environment

Silicone rubber housings crack under the combined internal and external factors and expose the core rod. The exposed core rod deteriorates or breaks under electric fields and electrical current. Based on the main characteristics and mechanism of the core rod corrosion, this paper performs an electrical erosion test in an acid-fog environment and analyzes the core rod's macroscopic results and physicochemical properties. The results indicate the following. First, the discharge on core rod during the electrical erosion process contains four consecutive stages. The electrical current, partial discharge, temperature increase, and macroscopic morphology show regular changes at different stages. The arc usually occurs in the carbonization channel, making the channel have the maximum heat. The area of the core rod heating constantly changes but mainly at the high-voltage side and presents as a regional temperature increase. Second, the fracture of glass fiber and ablation of epoxy resin matrix are related to the continuous action of nitric acid. The generation, expansion, and release of pyrolysis gas form bubbles and pores on the epoxy resin matrix. Erosion and pyrolysis cause the loss of the epoxy resin matrix. Third, the combined effect of electrical current, nitric acid, and heat damage the core rod axially and radially. The study provides support for the subsequent core rod deterioration and fracture mechanism.

Sustainable mold biomachining for the manufacturing of microfluidic devices

Biomachining has been investigated as a sustainable and effective alternative to conventional prototyping techniques for molding polymeric materials for their subsequent use as microfluidic devices. A novel and simple process based on the combination of a Pressure Sensitive Adhesive mask and a varnish has been proposed for preparing metal workpieces as an alternative to photolithography, with the latter being the most widely used technique for protecting workpieces. As far as the bioprocess is concerned, it has been applied in successive mold-etching and oxidant bio-regeneration stages. Metal solubilization has proven to be repeatable in several consecutive mold-etching stages when using the regenerated oxidant solution. As a result, the lifespan of the biomachining medium has been prolonged, contributing to process sustainability. An equation with two restrictions has been proposed to predict the time required to obtain a mold with a fixed height, as metal solubilization evolves differently between the first and subsequent hours. Finally, the bio-engraved copper pieces have acted as effective molds in the fabrication of self-powered polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic devices. This new biomachining application is therefore an effective and ecofriendly process for producing microfluidic devices.

Modern Approaches to Robotisation of Service Processes in Restaurant Industry Establishments

Topicality. Robotisation of all life spheres forces restaurant industry establishments to develop and implement innovative technologies. This process has only accelerated during the pandemic period. At the same time, blighty enterprises significantly lag behind in the pace of automation and robotisation technologies implementation in service processes.
 Research aim and methods. The purpose of the study is to research approaches to robotisation of the service process in restaurant industry establishments, as well as to determine the impact of robotisation on service quality, and develop a scheme for serving guests with robots in restaurants. In order to achieve this, a set of scientific methods and approaches have been used: systemic, functional, systemic and structural, analysis and synthesis, comparison, logical generalisation.
 Results. According to the analysis of robots practical use in serving guests, it is offered to classify their functions into three categories: reception of visitors, reception of orders and their delivery, automation of processes. It has been established that the robotisation implementation improves the quality of service provision in restaurant industry establishments. This can be explained by the increasing tendency in the degree of the guests’ satisfaction with their needs, and the originality of such an idea. The elaborated scheme of using robots for serving guests in restaurant industry establishments consists of four consecutive stages: meeting guests, choosing a table, transferring the order and the guests’ payments.
 Conclusions and discussion. Approaches to service process robotisation have been studied. It has been established that robotisation improves the quality of services in restaurant industry establishments. The spheres of robots use have been outlined. Additionally, SWOT analysis has been carried out, which shows positive and negative sides, as well as prospects and risks of using robots in restaurants. The scheme for serving guests using robots in restaurant industry establishments has been elaborated.

Tonic and phasic stimulations of ventral tegmental area have opposite effects on pentylenetetrazol kindled seizures in mice

Dopamine may be involved in the anticonvulsant action of deep brain stimulation (DBS). Therefore, ventral tegmental area (VTA), as a brain dopaminergic nucleus, may be a suitable target for DBS anticonvulsant action. This study investigated the effect of tonic and phasic stimulations of the VTA on seizure parameters. Seizures were induced in adult mice by sequential injections of a sub-convulsive dose of 35 mg/kg pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) every 48 h to develop the chemical kindling until the mice reached full kindled state (showing three consecutive seizure stages 4 or 5). Fully kindled mice received DBS once a day as tonic (square waves at 1 Hz; pulse duration: 200 μs; intensity: 300 μA; 600 pulses in 10 min) or phasic (square waves at 100 Hz; pulse duration: 200 μs; intensity: 300 μA; 8 trains of 10 pulses at 1 min interval; 800 pulses in 10 min) stimulations applied into their VTA for 4 days. A single dose of PTZ was injected after each DBS. Simultaneously electrocorticography and video recordings were performed during the seizure for accuracy in seizure severity parameters detection. Tonic but not phasic stimulation significantly decreased the epileptiform discharge duration and the seizure behavioral parameters such as maximum seizure stage, stage 5 duration, seizure duration. In addition, focal to generalized seizure latency increased following VTA tonic stimulation. These data suggest that tonic (but not phasic) stimulation of VTA before PTZ injection on 4 test days had anticonvulsant effects on PTZ-kindled seizures.

Adaptive management reporting system in inter-organizational relations of agricultural enterprises according to ESG principles

Due to the lack of clear regulation of management accounting at the state level in Russia, the authors conducted a study based on an analysis of information sources, an expert survey on their reliability, and a case method, which resulted in a reporting form compiled for the production process of an agro-industrial enterprise (grain products) as part of inter-organizational company cooperation. The developed management reporting system (composed of eight consecutive stages: standard reports, specialized reports, itemized query reports, notification reports, statistical reports, prognostic reports, modeling results reports, and process optimization reports), on one hand, allows solving a set of tasks to increase the competitiveness of Russian agro-industrial enterprises within the framework of inter-organizational management accounting. On the other hand, the introduction of ESG principles into the management reporting system (calculation of the environmental (E) index, which assesses the company’s impact on the natural ecosystem and covers emissions and efficient use of natural resources in the agricultural production process) increases the level of control and minimizes the risks of an unfair approach of individual partners to environmental issues.

Establishing Gender Categories and Hierarchies: The Evolution of Rabbinic Discourse on the Creation of Woman

This article examines the evolution of rabbinic interpretative discourse on the creation of woman, as depicted in the Hebrew Bible, addressing well-known rabbinic writings from the fifth to the tenth centuries. My feminist and genealogical discourse-analytic exploration illustrates the accumulation of gender-biased elements and the concomitant strengthening of an obvious, all-encompassing patriarchal ethos along this hermeneutical trajectory. I argue that the diachronic development of the rabbinic discourse on the creation of woman took place in three consecutive discursive stages representing self-dependent characteristics. The tradition corpus was first established in Genesis Rabbah and Leviticus Rabbah, then reinforced in the Babylonian Talmud, and finally it became embroidered with versatile elaborations, as demonstrated in passages from Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Avot de-Rabbi Nathan, Pirqe de-Rabbi Eliezer, and Alphabet of Ben Sira.

Effectiveness of the FHaCE Up! Program on School Violence, School Climate, Conflict Management Styles, and Socio-Emotional Skills on Secondary School Students

Communicative and socio-emotional skills are associated with conflict resolution and, thus, school violence prevention. However, without using a combination of techniques in peaceful conflict resolution, it is difficult to ensure such a relationship. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the FHaCE up! program, an intervention based on training in communication and socio-emotional skills, as well as conflict resolution, using a collaborative style and mediation skills to reduce school violence and improve the school climate. This training developed in two consecutive stages. The design of the study was quasi-experimental, in which 561 students (aged from 11 to 17 years) from two public secondary schools in Valencia, Spain, participated. Convenience sampling was assigned to the experimental group (N = 264) and the control group (N = 297). The results showed a significant improvement in school violence and school climate perception, as well as communication and socio-emotional skills, in the experimental group after the intervention implementation. It is concluded that the FHaCE up! program significantly positively affected teenagers’ perception of violence and school climate.

Near-Native Visualization of SARS-CoV-2 Induced Membrane Remodeling and Virion Morphogenesis.

Infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, leads to profound remodeling of cellular membranes, promoting viral replication and virion assembly. A full understanding of this drastic remodeling and the process of virion morphogenesis remains lacking. In this study, we applied room temperature transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) tomography to visualize the SARS-CoV-2 replication factory in Vero cells, and present our results in comparison with published cryo-EM studies. We obtained cryo-EM-like clarity of the ultrastructure by employing high-pressure freezing, freeze substitution (HPF-FS) and embedding, allowing room temperature visualization of double-membrane vesicles (DMVs) in a near-native state. In addition, our data illustrate the consecutive stages of virion morphogenesis and reveal that SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleoprotein assembly and membrane curvature occur simultaneously. Finally, we show the tethering of virions to the plasma membrane in 3D, and that accumulations of virus particles lacking spike protein in large vesicles are most likely not a result of defective virion assembly at their membrane. In conclusion, this study puts forward a room-temperature EM technique providing near-native ultrastructural information about SARS-CoV-2 replication, adding to our understanding of the interaction of this pandemic virus with its host cell.

Transcriptomic analysis reveals the dynamic changes of transcription factors during early development of chicken embryo

BackgroundThe transition from fertilized egg to embryo in chicken requires activation of hundreds of genes that were mostly inactivated before fertilization, which is accompanied with various biological processes. Undoubtedly, transcription factors (TFs) play important roles in regulating the changes in gene expression pattern observed at early development. However, the contribution of TFs during early embryo development of chicken still remains largely unknown that need to be investigated. Therefore, an understanding of the development of vertebrates would be greatly facilitated by study of the dynamic changes in transcription factors during early chicken embryo.ResultsIn the current study, we selected five early developmental stages in White Leghorn chicken, gallus gallus, for transcriptome analysis, cover 17,478 genes with about 807 million clean reads of RNA-sequencing. We have compared global gene expression patterns of consecutive stages and noted the differences. Comparative analysis of differentially expressed TFs (FDR < 0.05) profiles between neighboring developmental timepoints revealed significantly enriched biological categories associated with differentiation, development and morphogenesis. We also found that Zf-C2H2, Homeobox and bHLH were three dominant transcription factor families that appeared in early embryogenesis. More importantly, a TFs co-expression network was constructed and 16 critical TFs were identified.ConclusionOur findings provide a comprehensive regulatory framework of TFs in chicken early embryo, revealing new insights into alterations of chicken embryonic TF expression and broadening better understanding of TF function in chicken embryogenesis.

Risk of postpartum depressive symptoms is influenced by psychological burden related to the COVID-19 pandemic and dependent of individual stress coping.

There are different studies worldwide, which have shown a higher risk of mental disorders due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One aim of this study was to identify influencing factors of the psychological burden related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on the development of postpartum depression. Further, the role of individual stress and coping strategies was analyzed in this context. Between March and October 2020, 131 women in obstetric care at the LMU Clinic Munich completed a questionnaire at consecutive stages during their perinatal period. The times set for the questionnaire were before birth, 1month, 2months, and 6months after birth. The questionnaire was designed to evaluate the psychological burden related to the COVID-19 pandemic. For this a modified version of the Stress and coping inventory (SCI) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used. We could show that the psychological burden related to the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the EPDS score 1, 2 and 6months after birth. In addition, the prenatal stress and individual coping strategies affected the EPDS and the burden related to the COVID-19 pandemic before and after birth significantly. An association of the psychological burden related to the COVID-19 pandemic with the risk of developing postpartum depressive symptoms could be shown in this study. In this context, the separation of the partner and the family was recognized as an important factor. Furthermore, the SCI was identified as an effective screening instrument for identifying mothers with an increased risk of postpartum depression. Hereby allowing primary prevention by early intervention or secondary prevention by early diagnosis.

Peer effects and intentional entrepreneurial behaviour: A systematic literature review and research agenda

AbstractWhat role peers play in individuals’ decisions to become entrepreneurs and to what extent peer effects play a role in influencing behaviours at the various stages of business venturing are important questions for scholars and policymakers. This systematic review takes stock of the recent additions to the literature around the phenomenon of peer influence in entrepreneurship. The review identified 2894 documents which were then narrowed down through three consecutive filtering stages. We thematically analysed the final sample of 27 empirical studies that shed light on how individual peers influence the process and outcomes of these individuals’ entrepreneurial intentions and behaviour, allowing for critical analysis. We propose a conceptual schema of social influence that occurs in interactions among entrepreneurial individuals within business venturing and across the three stages of pre‐formation, formation and growth. Our framework reconciles the conceptual classification around discovering, evaluating and exploiting entrepreneurial opportunities with the mechanisms of social influence affecting entrepreneurial behaviours. Grounded in the findings of the literature review, this framework synthesizes peer influence in entrepreneurship with the tripartite distinction of the behavioural motives recognized in contemporary theories of social influence. We suggest promising directions for further research on how interactions with peers might affect individuals’ entrepreneurial behaviours.

Planning of the optimum route of movement of the pilotless flying machine by criterion of the minimum of the general expense of fuel

Given article is devoted features of the decision of a problem of planning of a route of a pilotless flying machine (UAV). The decision of a considered problem is offered to be carried out in two consecutive stages. At the first stage calculation of optimum closed route UAV is carried out. Thus as an efficiency indicator the fuel resource, and as criterion of an optimality of a route a minimum of the general expense of fuel is accepted. Efficiency of the received decision is estimated in relation to the known algorithm LinKernighan realised in application Concorde 1.1. At the second stage by means of the developed algorithm updating of found route UAV taking into account an available stock of fuel is carried out, i.e. The question on returning UAV or after replenishment of a stock of fuel in intermediate point of continuation of flight of the remained sites is solved.

GSCV-XGBoost based information reconstruction and fusion method for SINS/DVL integrated navigation system

An underwater navigation system has specific requirements for reliability. In the frequently used strapdown inertial navigation system/Doppler velocity log (SINS/DVL) integrated navigation system, the process of the DVL measuring velocity is always disturbed in a complex underwater environment. Thus the velocity measurements on acoustic beam directions are prone to get lost, which seriously affects system reliability. This paper proposes a novel information reconstruction and integration algorithm to solve this problem, based on the tree boosting model. The algorithm is mainly divided into two consecutive stages: training and reconstruction. When the DVL velocity in all beam directions is available, the GSCV-XGBoost (extreme gradient boosting based on the grid-search and cross-validation theory) method is used to train the mapping model between DVL velocity and SINS/DVL integrated navigation system velocity. When the DVL velocity is incompletely available, the mapping model, that has been trained in advance, is used to reconstruct the missing DVL velocity measurements and resume normal SINS/DVL integration conditions. Simulation and underwater vehicle-mounted experiments are applied to verify that the proposed algorithm reconstructs more accurate velocity information than traditional XGBoost, which shows great prospects for application and reliability in the SINS/DVL underwater integrated navigation system.

Parametric evaluation of dynamic multistage centrifugal humidifier

Evaporative cooling is a passive cooling technique, which is energy efficient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. The present work deals with the design and construction of a three-stage rotating centrifugal humidifier test rig equipped with a UV filter. Experiments are conducted varying the air velocity and the motor shaft speed. Overall cumulative performances such as DBT ratio, RH ratio, humidification effectiveness, coefficient of performance, and evaporation rate are determined with respect to Reynold’s number and stage wise. Measurements of CO 2 , Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOCs) and formaldehyde are performed at the exit air from the filter. Results showed maximum evaporation rate, humidification effectiveness, and coefficient of performance equal to 0.82 g s −1 , 88.74%, and 6.14, respectively. The cumulative performance improved for consecutive stages, but stagewise analysis indicated that the first stage gave a maximum performance. Exiting air quality after filtration is improved by 33%, which meets the most exigent standards in terms of the target pollutants. • Performance of a novel multistage centrifugal humidification test rig is studied. • Evaporative cooler consumes 42% less energy and saves 33% cost compared to AC unit. • Maximum humidification occurs in the first stage and reduces along stages. • Optimum values of motor speed and the Re is found to be 40 rpm and 28,949.

Potentially recursive structures emerge quickly when a new language community forms

Human languages can express an infinite number of thoughts despite having a finite set of words and rules. This is due, in part, to recursive structures, which allow us to embed one instance of a rule inside another. We investigated the origins of recursion by studying the development of Nicaraguan Sign Language (LSN), which emerged in the last 40 years and is not derived from any existing language. Before this, deaf individuals in Nicaragua lacked access to language models and each individual created their own gestural system, called homesign. We tested four groups: homesigners, who represent the point of origin, and the first three generations of LSN signers, who represent consecutive stages in the language's development. We used a task that was designed to elicit sentences with relative clauses, a device that allows for the recursive embedding of sentences inside of sentences (e.g., [the girl [who was drawing] removed the picture]). Signers in all three LSN cohorts consistently produced utterances that appeared to have embedded predicates (girl draw remove picture) which served the function of a relative clause (picking out the correct member of a set, based on previously mentioned information). Furthermore, in these utterances, the first verb was shorter than the second and shorter than the same verb in parallel unembedded structures. In contrast, homesigners produced similar utterances in embedded and unembedded contexts. They did not reintroduce previously mentioned information or produce reduced verb forms in the embedded context. These results demonstrate that syntactic embedding that is potentially recursive can emerge very early in a language. These embedded predicates, however, may not be widespread, or systematically marked, in homesign systems. This raises the possibility that the emergence of recursive linguistic structure is a consequence of interaction within a language community. These findings pave the way for future work which investigates the syntactic form of these embedded predicates and explores whether multiple levels of embedding are possible.

Adaptabilities of Water Production Function Models for Rice in Cold and Black Soil Region of China

Crop water production function models (WPFMs) are required methods to study the relationships between yield and water consumption under regulated deficit irrigation (RDI). In this study, a pot experiment was established to study the effect of water deficit during both individual growth stages and across two consecutive growth stages of rice on yield, water consumption, and water use efficiency (WUE) in 2017 and 2018. Light, medium, and severe water deficits were set as 80~90%, 70~80%, and 60~70% of saturated soil moisture content, respectively. The accuracies of five WPFMs were tested based on the experimental results. The results showed that yields and WUE of a light water deficit were higher than those of medium and severe water deficits at each growth stage. The yields and WUE of light drought stress treatments in the flowering and milky stages were higher than the saturated soil moisture control by 4~7.4% and 5.3~20.6%, respectively. Water consumption decreased with increasing water deficit across two consecutive growth stages. The Minhas model had the highest simulation accuracy of the five WPFMs, with relatively lower AE, RMSE, Cv, CRM, and higher R2, which were 0.0002, 0.0634, 6.9965, 0.0002, and 0.9951 in 2017 and 0.0110, 0.0760, 8.9882, 0.0131, and 0.9923 in 2018, respectively. The sensitivity indices for the Minhas model more accurately reflected the sensitivity of rice yield to water deficit at different growth stages in 2017 and 2018, compared with the Jensen model, Stewart model, Blank model, and Singh model. Rice yield was most sensitive to water deficit at the jointing and booting stage. The results indicate that the Minhas model is the most suitable WPFM for guiding rice irrigation practices in cold and black soil regions of China.