Absolute Value Of Difference Research Articles

In vitro evaluation of the impact of intraoral scanner, scanning aids, and the scanned arch on the scan accuracy of edentulous arches.

To assess the accuracy of complete maxillary and mandibular edentulous arch scans obtained using two different intraoral scanners (IOSs), with and without scanning aids, and to compare these results to those obtained using conventional impression methods. Two IOSs were used (TRIOS 4 [TRI] and Emerald S [EMR]) to scan maxillary and mandibular typodonts. The typodonts were scanned without scanning aids [TRI_WSA and EMR_WSA groups] (n = 10). The typodonts were then scanned under four scanning aid conditions (n = 10): composite markers [TRI_MRK and EMR_MRK groups], scanning spray [TRI_SPR and EMR_SPR groups], pressure indicating paste [TRI_PIP and EMR_PIP groups], and liquid-type scanning aid [TRI_LQD and EMR_LQD groups]. Conventional impressions of both arches were also made using irreversible hydrocolloids in stock trays [IHC] and using polyvinyl siloxane (PVS) impression material in custom trays (n = 10) which were digitized using a laboratory scanner. Using a metrology software program, all scans were compared to a reference scan in order to assess trueness and to each other to assess precision. Trueness and precision were expressed as the root mean square (RMS) of the absolute deviation values and the statistical analysis was modeled on a logarithmic scale using fixed-effects models to meet model assumptions (α = 0.05). The main effect of arch (p = 0.004), scanner (p < 0.001), scanning aid (p = 0.041), and the interaction between scanner and scanning aid (p = 0.027) had a significant effect on mean RMS values of trueness. The arch (p = 0.015) and scanner (p < 0.001) had a significant effect on the mean RMS values of precision. The maxillary arch had better accuracy compared to the mandible. The TRIOS 4 scanner had better accuracy than both the Emerald S scanner and conventional impressions. The Emerald S had better precision than conventional impressions. The scanning spray and liquid-type scanning aids produced the best trueness with the TRIOS 4 scanner, while the liquid-type scanning aid and composite markers produced the best trueness for the Emerald S scanner. The scanned arch and the type of scanner had a significant effect on the accuracy of digital scans of completely edentulous arches. The scanning aid had a significant effect on the trueness of digital scans of completely edentulous arches which varied depending on the scanner used.

Peran Ukuran Perusahaan dalam Memoderasi Hubungan Profitabilitas, Likuiditas dan Struktur Modal dengan Kualitas Laba

This research aims to determine and analyze the role of company size in moderating the relationship between profitability, liquidity capital structure, and earnings quality. The research object is a manufacturing company listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange for the 2017-2021 period. The sampling technique was carried out using purposive sampling and a sample of 72 companies was obtained. The data analysis method is multiple linear regression analysis and absolute difference value testing using the SPSS data processing application. The research results show that capital structure has a significant effect on earnings quality, but profitability and liquidity do not have a significant effect on earnings quality. The results of the moderation test show that company size is unable to moderate the relationship between profitability, liquidity capital structure, and earnings quality.

Accuracy of acetabular cup placement in total hip arthroplasty using an augmented reality navigation “pin-less” system: A pilot study

PurposeCurrently, there is limited information regarding the utilization of pin-less augmented reality (AR) assistance in total hip arthroplasty (THA). This preliminary study aimed to evaluate the precision of acetabular cup placement in THA utilizing the AR Navigation “Pin-less” System (Pin-less AR navigation, prototype). MethodsA total of 72 consecutive primary THAs in 58 patients were categorized into two groups: the Pin-less AR navigation group and the conventional group. All THAs were conducted via the direct anterior approach. First, the absolute value of difference between the intra-operative and post-operative angles (absolute difference) was calculated in the Pin-less AR navigation group. Second, the absolute value of error between the post-operative angles and the target angles (absolute target error) was assessed both in the Pin-less AR navigation group and the conventional group. ResultsThe absolute difference in inclination and anteversion angles was 2.2 ​± ​1.4° and 2.4 ​± ​1.5°, respectively. The absolute target error in the Pin-less AR navigation group versus the conventional group was 1.9 ​± ​1.5° versus 4.2 ​± ​2.7° in inclination (P ​< ​0.001) and 2.3 ​± ​1.5° versus 3.1 ​± ​2.1° in anteversion (P ​= ​0.092). The percentage of acetabular cups placed within ±5° from the target angles was significantly higher in the Pin-less AR navigation group (90.3%) compared with the conventional group (52.6%) (P ​< ​0.001). ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that Pin-less AR navigation yielded generally accurate acetabular cup positioning, surpassing the conventional method. Further research is warranted to thoroughly evaluate Pin-less AR navigation.

Attentional mechanisms of the date/delay effect in intertemporal choice: An eye-tracking study.

Temporal discounting refers to the tendency to discount future rewards as a function of time until receipt of rewards. The discount rate can be reduced by experimentally manipulating time framing, an example being the date/delay effect: Specifically, if time until receipt of the reward is presented as a date (e.g., August 21, 2022) rather than as a delay (e.g., 136 days), temporal discounting is reduced. While this effect has been replicated several times, its underlying cognitive mechanisms are not well understood. Therefore, we used eye tracking to examine the role of attention in the date/delay effect. Participants completed both a delay and date condition of the Monetary Choice Questionnaire, while eye movements were recorded (N = 54). Results revealed a successful replication of the date/delay effect (p < .001, gav = 0.48). Eye tracking showed that participants compared time attributes (relative to reward attributes) more and fixated them longer in the date compared to the delay condition. Moreover, the absolute difference in reward values of choice options was more predictive of choosing the delayed reward in the date compared to the delay condition. Finally, explorative correlations revealed a stronger date/delay effect in participants who paid more attention to time than reward attributes in the delay condition and who used a more integrative search strategy. Our findings suggest that the date manipulation causes participants to weight rewards more strongly in their decision process than in the delay condition, ultimately reducing temporal discounting. Computation of time intervals in the date condition could possibly reflect an adaptation lowering the date/delay effect. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The M-Estimator and S-Estimator in Robust Improved Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression for Modelling GRDP in West Java, Indonesia

The success of development in a region in Indonesia can be measured by economic growth, especially in the financial sector using the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) growth rate. The GRDP figure at the Regency and City level in West Java is one of Indonesia's highest and most diverse. This is due to various factors, including the geographical location of West Java, which is directly adjacent to DKI Jakarta, which is the center of the national economy. Although classified as high, the diversity of GRDP values between regions in West Java needs attention to equalize economic growth. The diversity of GRDP values can be modeled by the Improved Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression (I-GTWR) method by taking samples in 2018-2022. The I-GTWR modeling method considers the influence of spatial heterogeneity and spatial-temporal interaction, which has been proven to produce better results than the GTWR method in modeling GRDP in Central Java in 2011-2015. This study also adds M-estimators and S-estimators to improve the model's performance and make it robust to outliers. The explanatory variables we use are Regional Original Revenue, General Allocation Fund, Foreign Investment, Regional Minimum Wage, Domestic Investment, Poverty, Per-Capita Expenditure, and Number of Job Vacancies. The analysis shows that the Robust I-GTWR model, especially the M-estimator, produces better model performance than the I-GTWR model in modeling West Java GRDP. The coefficient of determination made by the Robust I-GTWR method using the M-estimator is 94.62% with a mean absolute deviation value of 0.1491 and an Akaike Information Criterion value of 110.4899.

Solubility of oxazepam in supercritical carbon dioxide: Experimental and modeling

This study thoroughly investigates the solubility of oxazepam in supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) at temperatures of 308, 318, 328, and 338 K and pressures ranging from 12 to 30 MPa. The solubility measurements revealed a mole fraction of oxazepam ranging from 2.50 × 10−6 to 7.13 × 10−5, with the highest solubility observed at 338 K and 30 MPa. The solubility data were effectively modeled using semi-empirical density-based models (Mendez-Santiago and Teja (MST), Chrastil, Bartle et al., Kumar and Johnston (K-J), and Alwi-Garlapati), two equations of state (Peng-Robinson and modified-Pazuki) and regular solution models. The K-J model emerged as the best fit for the experimental data, boasting the lowest Average Absolute Relative Deviation (AARD) value of 7.73 %. The Peng-Robinson equation of state outperformed the modified-Pazuki equation, with AARD values of 15.71 % and 18.15 %, respectively. The study's key finding is the low solubility of oxazepam in SC-CO2, which suggests that supercritical antisolvent techniques could be effectively employed for synthesizing nanoparticles of this pharmaceutical compound. These findings have practical implications as they provide valuable insights for optimizing drug formulation processes and demonstrate the potential of SC-CO2 in pharmaceutical applications.

Experimental study of hollow fiber membrane contactor process using aqueous amino acid salt-based absorbents for efficient CO2 capture

Gas–liquid membrane contactors are a promising alternative to packed columns that suffer from channeling, bubble formation, and flooding problems. In this study, potassium serinate + piperazine (PSZ) and potassium alaninate + piperazine (PAZ), which are amino acid salts with good CO2 absorption performances and high surface tensions, are investigated to determine the effects of the operating parameters on the CO2 removal efficiency, CO2 absorption flux, CO2 loading, and overall mass-transfer coefficient in the membrane contactor process. The experimental results demonstrate that the 2.5 M PSZ and 2.5 M PAZ absorbents outperform 2.5 M monoethanolamine (MEA) under various operating conditions, including the gas flow rate, liquid flow rate, CO2 concentration, and CO2-loaded absorbent. Based on these results, an expression for predicting the CO2 loading from the pH is proposed. The amount of cross-over confirmed that amino acids with high surface tension have better resistance to membrane wetting than 2.5 M MEA. In addition, empirical correlation expressions were established from the results of several operating parameters. The absolute average deviation (AAD) values were 6.50 %, 2.95 %, and 4.71 % for 2.5 M MEA, 2.5 M PSZ, and 2.5 M PAZ, respectively, suggesting good agreement between the theoretical and experimental results.

A closed-loop calibration method for serial robots based on position constraints and local area measurement

This paper presents a cost-effective and efficient closed-loop calibration method to enhance the absolute positioning accuracy of industrial robots. The method utilizes an economical and highly accurate set of simple measurement devices, including a device mounted on the robot's end effector and a spherical constraint device positioned within the robot's workspace. A novel local area measurement method is employed for the spherical constraint device, effectively converting position errors into the errors in the sphere center position of the constraint device. Furthermore, the error model considers both kinematic parameter deviations of the robot itself as well as those of the measurement device, along with non-kinematic errors caused by link self-weight. The closed-loop calibration model relies on position constraints, enabling identification and compensation of all error parameters using Levenberg Marquardt method after substituting measured data. The effectiveness of this proposed method is demonstrated through simulation and experimentation. In simulations, average position error reduces from 8.249 mm to 0.8384 mm, while absolute mean difference in sphere center positions obtained using our measurement equipment decreases from 1.206 mm to 0.1027 mm. Significant reductions in both position error and difference in sphere center position are indicated after calibration. This proves that the absolute mean value of the sphere center position difference can be used as the basis for judging the size of the robot's end position error. Experimental results show that absolute mean difference in sphere center position decreases from 0.4319 mm to 0.02869 mm, leading to substantial improvement in overall positioning accuracy.

Performance of Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Patients With Acute Respiratory Failure: A Prospective, Single-Center Observational Study

ObjectiveContinuous glucose monitoring (CGM) may have benefits in achieving glycemic control in critically ill patients. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of the Freestyle Libre H (professional version similar to the Libre Pro) in patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) in the intensive care unit (ICU). MethodsFifty-two adult patients with ARF were selected. The performance of CGM was evaluated using the arterial blood glucose (aBG) and point-of-care (POC) glucose levels as the reference values. Numerical accuracy was evaluated by the mean absolute relative difference, Bland-Altman analysis, %15/15 (the percentage of CGM values within 15 mg/dL or 15% of reference values <100 or >100 mg/dL, respectively), %20/20, and %30/30. Clinical accuracy was assessed using the Clarke error grid analysis. ResultsA total of 519 and 1504 pairs of aBG/CGM and POC/CGM glucose values were analyzed. The mean absolute relative difference values were 13.8% and 14.7%, respectively. The mean deviations of the Bland-Altman analysis were 0.82 mmol/L and 0.81 mmol/L. The proportions of CGM values within %15/15, %20/20, and %30/30 of the aBG values were 62.6%, 75.5%, and 92.4%, respectively; those within %15/15, %20/20, and %30/30 of the POC values were 57.1%, 72.9%, and 88.7%, respectively. The Clarke error grid analysis showed that 97.8% and 99.3% of the values were located in zone A + B. Additionally, the accuracy of CGM was not affected by general patient factors. ConclusionThis study demonstrated that the accuracy of CGM in patients with ARF is lower than that in most outpatients and it is not affected by general patient factors. Whether CGM is beneficial to glucose management in the intensive care unit needs further evaluation.

Does curve of Spee affect the precision of 3D-printed curvature-adaptive splints?

ObjectivesThis study aimed to propose a standardized protocol for the fabrication of three-dimensionally (3D)-printed curvature-adaptive splints (CASs) and assess the precision of CASs on dentitions with different depths of the curve of Spee (COS). Methods76 lower dental resin models, each exhibiting one of the four types of COS (0-, 2-, 4-, and 6-mm deep), were selected and digitally scanned. CASs were designed, 3D printed, and grouped into C0, C2, C4, and C6, corresponding to the four types of COS depths. To assess precision, the CASs occluded with the resin model were scanned as a whole and compared with the originally designed ones. ResultsIn terms of translational deviations observed in the CASs, the mean value of absolute sagittal deviation (0.136 mm) was significantly higher than those of vertical (0.091 mm) and transversal deviations (0.045 mm) (P < 0.01). Regarding rotational deviations of the CASs, the mean deviation in pitch (0.323°) was significantly higher than those in yaw (0.083°) and roll (0.110°) (P < 0.01). However, when comparing the accuracy of CASs across C0, C2, C4, and C6 groups, no statistically significant difference was found. Additionally, the translational deviations, rotational deviations, and RMSE of all groups were significantly lower than the clinically acceptable limits of 0.5 mm, 1°, and 0.25 mm, respectively (P < 0.01). ConclusionsThe depth of the COS has no significant impact on the precision of CASs, as evidenced by the absence of statistically significant differences in translational, rotational deviations, and RMSE among all groups (C0, C2, C4, and C6). Moreover, despite relatively high deviations in the sagittal dimension and pitch, all dimensional deviations and RMSE remained statistically significantly lower than the corresponding clinically acceptable limits (CALs) in all groups. Clinical SignificanceThis standardized protocol incorporating “curvature-adaptation” represents an optimized approach to fabricating diverse 3D-printed splints tailored to dentitions with different anatomical features in contemporary digital dentistry.

NOIRE-Net–a convolutional neural network for automatic classification and scaling of high-latitude ionograms

Millions of ionograms are acquired annually to monitor the ionosphere. The accumulated data contain untapped information from a range of locations, multiple solar cycles, and various geomagnetic conditions. In this study, we propose the application of deep convolutional neural networks to automatically classify and scale high-latitude ionograms. A supervised approach is implemented and the networks are trained and tested using manually analyzed oblique ionograms acquired at a receiver station located in Skibotn, Norway. The classification routine categorizes the observations based on the presence or absence of E− and F-region traces, while the scaling procedure automatically defines the E− and F-region virtual distances and maximum plasma frequencies. Overall, we conclude that deep convolutional neural networks are suitable for automatic processing of ionograms, even under auroral conditions. The networks achieve an average classification accuracy of 93% ± 4% for the E-region and 86% ± 7% for the F-region. In addition, the networks obtain scientifically useful scaling parameters with median absolute deviation values of 118 kHz ±27 kHz for the E-region maximum frequency and 105 kHz ±37 kHz for the F-region maximum O-mode frequency. Predictions of the virtual distance for the E− and F-region yield median distance deviation values of 6.1 km ± 1.7 km and 8.3 km ± 2.3 km, respectively. The developed networks may facilitate EISCAT 3D and other instruments in Fennoscandia by automatic cataloging and scaling of salient ionospheric features. This data can be used to study both long-term ionospheric trends and more transient ionospheric features, such as traveling ionospheric disturbances.

Interocular asymmetry of retinal change in Parkinson's disease

PurposeTo investigate interocular asymmetry (IA) of retinal structure and vessel density in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and normal controls (NC). MethodsSeventy-eight subjects including 40 PD patients and 38 NC had completed optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and neurological examinations for three rating scales (UPDRS-III, MMSE and MoCA). The IA was calculated by the absolute value of difference in right and left eyes. The IA of thickness in macular ganglion cell inner-plexiform layer (GCIPL), peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL), and vessel density of superficial capillary plexus (SCP), deep capillary plexus (DCP), radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) were obtained from OCTA. ResultsThe motor-symptom-onset side of eyes showed lower vessel density in parafovea of SCP (51.09 ± 3.46 vs 49.81 ± 4.16, P = 0.03) and superior hemi of perifovea DCP (49.55 ± 5.81 vs 47.33 ± 5.71, = 0.04). The PD patients showed larger IA in thickness of superior half of pRNFL (5.27 [2.67, 10.87] vs 3.08 [1.62, 5.61], P = 0.02) and parafovea GCIPL (2.40[1.25, 6.35] vs 1.40[0.50, 2.45], P = 0.02). No significant interocular asymmetry was found in vessel density between PD and NC. A higher UPDRS-III scale was associated with larger IA in GCIPL (β = 0.093, P = 0.001) and smaller IA in DCP (β = −0.065, P = 0.037). ConclusionThe motor-symptom-onset side of eyes showed more severe loss of macular vessel density than the other side of eyes. The PD patients showed asymmetrical structural change in GCIPL and pRNFL, which showed the potential as the diagnostic biomarker for PD.

Airflow collision characteristics of double square column attachment ventilation

In the square column attachment ventilation (S-CAV) mode, the introduction of multiple airflows attached to the column into the horizontal diffusion zone inevitably leads to various “airflow collision” phenomena. However, after the floor-attached airflow collides, the indoor air distribution may deviate from the design goal. In this paper, the layout of the axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric arrangement of double columns is summarized. The airflow collision mechanism and flow characteristics for different column layouts are analyzed via experiments and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, and a new partition form is proposed to more effectively control the indoor environment. A 1:2 scale model was employed for the velocity verification experiments and flow field visualization. The results indicated that the airflow collision area can be divided into impact, transition, and collision zones with axisymmetric double-column layouts. In the range of 1–3 m/s, any variation in the supply air velocity, irrespective of the occurrence of airflow collision, may be considered negligible with respect to its impact on the attenuation trend of the axial velocities. At the same absolute value of the air supply temperature difference, the cooling condition experiences a 3.1 times greater kinetic energy loss due to collision than does the heating condition. In a nonsymmetric arrangement of two columns, the curve formed by the stagnation point rotates, and the direction of rotation is biased toward the side of the column that is farther away. The findings provide a solid theoretical basis for the engineering application and optimal design of CAV modes.

Analysis and forecasting of syphilis trends in mainland China based on hybrid time series models.

Syphilis remains a serious public health problem in mainland China that requires attention, modelling to describe and predict its prevalence patterns can help the government to develop more scientific interventions. The seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) model, long short-term memory network (LSTM) model, hybrid SARIMA-LSTM model, and hybrid SARIMA-nonlinear auto-regressive models with exogenous inputs (SARIMA-NARX) model were used to simulate the time series data of the syphilis incidence from January 2004 to November 2023 respectively. Compared to the SARIMA, LSTM, and SARIMA-LSTM models, the median absolute deviation (MAD) value of the SARIMA-NARX model decreases by 352.69%, 4.98%, and 3.73%, respectively. The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) value decreases by 73.7%, 23.46%, and 13.06%, respectively. The root mean square error (RMSE) value decreases by 68.02%, 26.68%, and 23.78%, respectively. The mean absolute error (MAE) value decreases by 70.90%, 23.00%, and 21.80%, respectively. The hybrid SARIMA-NARX and SARIMA-LSTM methods predict syphilis cases more accurately than the basic SARIMA and LSTM methods, so that can be used for governments to develop long-term syphilis prevention and control programs. In addition, the predicted cases still maintain a fairly high level of incidence, so there is an urgent need to develop more comprehensive prevention strategies.

Influences of root fragments on soil thermal property measurements with heat pulse method

Heat pulse (HP) method has been widely applied for measuring thermal properties, heat fluxes, and soil–water evaporation for near-surface soil layers. In topsoil layers, the presence of roots violates the underlying assumption of HP method that the soil under test is homogeneous. In this study, numerical and laboratory experiments were conducted to test the influence of root fragments on soil thermal property measurement with HP sensors. Soybean root fragments, with a water content of about 0.74 m3 m−3 and diameters ranging from 0.5 to 4 mm, were carefully repacked into soil samples that were used for HP measurements. Results showed that the effects of roots on soil thermal property measurements depended on root size, root location and directions relative to the heater probe, and the thermal property differences between soil sample and root. Roots showed negligible influence on heat pulse data when the root fragments were positioned outside the HP measurement region (more than probe space away from heater probe), or root diameters (d) were less than 1 mm, or in oven-dried soil samples. On relatively wet soils (i.e., with water content of 0.05–0.25 m3 m−3), when root fragments were located in between the heater and sensing probes (parallel to the probe planes), (1) the heat capacity (C) and thermal conductivity (λ) differences between root-free soil and root-soil mixture increased proportionally with d increased from 1 mm to 4 mm; (2) the differences in absolute values of C and λ between the root-free soil and soil-root mixture were highly dependent on soil water content. The errors in soil C and λ estimates were larger when the root fragment was parallel with than perpendicular to or inclined 45 degrees to the probe plane, and the error overall decreased with a smaller ρb and sand fraction. When the root fragments were positioned within the HP measurement region, or d were larger than 1 mm, or in relatively wet soil samples, it is important to consider root effect when interpreting HP signals.

Novel 3D printed universal conical holder for eye plaque quality assurance

For the custom-built construction of eye plaques, the iodine (I-125) seeds of different source strengths are recycled in our eye plaque program. To return I-125 seeds to the correct lot, we developed a novel 3D-printed conical plaque QA holder for relative assay for eye plaques. A universal 3D-printed conical plaque holder was designed to accommodate six plaque sizes and fit reproducibly in a well-type dose calibrator. A reproducibility test was used to compare the plaque placement consistency in the holder versus without the holder. Plaque assays were performed for assembled plaques both before implant and after explant. The explant reading was compared with the implant reading adjusted for decay, and the relative error was calculated. The plaque response fraction (PRF) is defined as the fraction of well chamber implant reading over the total seed strength for a plaque. The PRF was aggregated for each individual plaque to confirm the seed lot before implant. The reproducibility test showed the chamber reading's relative standard deviation of 0.40% with the QA holder compared to 0.68% without it. The batch relative assay was performed for 251 plaques. The absolute value of measurement deviation between explant and decay-corrected implant readings is 0.89%±0.86% (mean±standard deviation). The PRFs for individual plaques range from 36.49% to 49.87%, with a maximum standard deviation of 2%. This novel 3D-printed QA holder provides reproducible setup for assaying assembled eye plaques in a well chamber. Batch relative assay can validate the seed batch used and plaque integrity during the implant without assaying individual seeds, saving valuable physicist time and radiation exposure from seed handling.

Multi-agent cooperative optimal scheduling strategy of integrated energy system in urban area under extreme events

Because the global climate change intensifies as well as the natural disasters frequently occur, extreme events have caused serious impacts on the energy system in urban areas, and at the same time, they have brought great challenges to the supply and scheduling of urban energy systems. Therefore, in order to better integrate and manage various energy resources in urban areas, a Deep Q-Leaning Network-Quasi Upper Confidence Bound model is innovatively constructed using deep reinforcement learning technology to learn the state and behavior mapping relationship of energy system. Use deep learning to fit complex nonlinear models to optimize the entire energy system. Compare and verify the experiment with the real energy system. The improved Deep reinforcement learning algorithm is compared with Q-learning model, PDWoLF PHC algorithm model, Quasi Upper Confidence Bound algorithm model and deep Q-Leaning Network algorithm model. The results show that the research algorithm has the smallest instantaneous error value and absolute value of frequency deviation for area control, and the average value of the research algorithm in the absolute value of the frequency deviation is reduced by 45%–73% compared to other algorithms; over time, the unit output power of the research algorithm is able to flexibly track the stochastic square wave loads. Therefore, the proposed system strategies can provide feasible solutions to meet the challenges of extreme events and promote the sustainable development and safe operation of urban energy systems.

Orbital-angular-momentum-dependent speckles for spatial mode sorting and demultiplexing

Characterizing the orbital-angular-momentum (OAM) modes is critically important for OAM-encoded data transfer. However, traditional characterizing approaches rely on either complex and precise experimental configurations or complicated prior information processing. In these scenarios, the correlation features of OAM-dependent speckles from the scattering effect have received little attention. Here, we investigate the cross-correlation characteristics of the OAM speckles resulting from a scattering medium and propose an appealing alternative for spatial mode sorting and demultiplexing based on the OAM-dependent speckles. We demonstrate theoretically and experimentally that the cross-correlation operation between two different OAM-dependent speckles can uniformly derive an annulus pattern, whose dimension is determined by the absolute topological charge difference value between the two corresponding OAM modes. Based on this mechanism, the original coherent OAM modes can be easily sorted by implementing the cross-correlation operation between incoherently measured OAM-dependent speckles. To fully capitalize on the orthogonal feature of the OAM-dependent speckles, we also construct OAM mode demultiplexing experiments using a ground glass diffuser, where both 8-bit grayscale and 24-bit RGB OAM-encoded data demultiplexing are successfully demonstrated with superior error rates. Results show that the OAM-dependent speckles, previously treated as a nuisance for practical applications, can be surprisingly utilized as a competitive candidate for OAM mode sorting and demultiplexing, thus opening new directions in optical communication and information processing.

Do all short stem types restore biomechanical parameters of the hip? Comparison according to femoral neck osteotomy levels.

There is no consensus on ideal short femoral stem design. A classification system proposed by Feyen and Shimmin divides short stems in two types according to femoral neck osteotomy levels: subcapital (IIIA) and standard (IIIB). The study aims to determine which design type is more successful in restoring native biomechanical parameters and whether stem type has an impact on clinical results. In this retrospective comparative study, patients that have undergone short stem hip arthroplasty were evaluated according to stem types: type IIIA (n = 52, 66.7%) (Mathys Optimys) and IIIB (n = 26, 33.3%) (Implantcast Aida and Smith & Nephew SMF). Pelvis X-rays were assessed in terms of femoral neck length, horizontal and vertical hip centres of rotation, horizontal and vertical femoral offsets, abductor lever arm lengths, leg lengths, and stem-shaft angles. Improvement in Harris hip scores, differences between post-operative and pre-operative measurements, and stem-shaft angles were evaluated and compared between two groups. Mean femoral neck resection (8.27 ± 6.68mm in IIIA and 15 ± 6.33mm in IIIB) was significantly different between both groups (p < 0.001). Harris hip scores were increased at post-operative six months in both groups with no difference (84.4 ± 6.4 and 84.6 ± 5.5, p = 0.4). The absolute values of differences between pre-operative and post-operative horizontal centres of rotation (p = 0.63), vertical centers of rotation (p = 0.75), horizontal femoral offsets (p = 0.78), vertical femoral offsets (p = 0.83), abductor lever arm distances (p = 0.63), and leg length (p = 0.21) measurements were not different between both groups. Stem positions were both varus with no statistically significant difference between groups (p = 0.14). We found no difference regarding restoration of biomechanical parameters between short stem designs with different levels of neck osteotomy. Additionally, short stem can mostly result in varus component positioning regardless of the level of neck osteotomy.

Optimization and validation of the DESIGNER preprocessing pipeline for clinical diffusion MRI in white matter aging

Abstract Various diffusion MRI (dMRI) preprocessing pipelines are currently available to yield more accurate diffusion parameters. Here, we evaluated accuracy and robustness of the optimized Diffusion parameter EStImation with Gibbs and NoisE Removal (DESIGNER) pipeline in a large clinical dMRI dataset and using ground-truth phantoms. DESIGNER, a preprocessing pipeline targeting various imaging artifacts in diffusion MRI data, has been modified to improve denoising and target Gibbs ringing for partial Fourier acquisitions. We compared the revised DESIGNER (Dv2) (including denoising, Gibbs removal, correction for motion, echo planar imaging (EPI) distortion, and eddy currents) against the original DESIGNER (Dv1) pipeline, minimal preprocessing (including correction for motion, EPI distortion, and eddy currents only), and no preprocessing on a large clinical dMRI dataset of 524 control subjects with ages between 25 and 75 years old. We evaluated the effect of specific processing steps on age correlations in white matter with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) metrics. We also evaluated the added effect of minimal Gaussian smoothing to deal with noise and to reduce outliers in parameter maps compared to DESIGNER-v2’s noise removal method. Moreover, Dv2’s updated noise and Gibbs removal methods were assessed using a ground truth dMRI phantom to evaluate accuracy. Results show age correlations of DTI and DKI metrics in white matter were affected by the preprocessing pipeline, causing systematic differences in absolute parameter values and loss or gain of statistical significance. Both in clinical dMRI and ground-truth phantoms, Dv2 pipeline resulted in the smallest number of outlier voxels and improved accuracy in DTI and DKI metrics as noise was reduced and Gibbs removal was improved. Thus, DESIGNER-v2 provides more accurate and robust DTI and DKI parameter maps by targeting common artifacts present in dMRI data acquired in clinical settings, as compared to no preprocessing or minimal preprocessing.