Different Methods Of Measurement Research Articles

Search for the Neutron Decay n→X+γ, Where X is a Dark Matter Particle.

Fornal and Grinstein recently proposed that the discrepancy between two different methods of neutron lifetime measurements, the beam and bottle methods, can be explained by a previously unobserved dark matter decay mode, n→X+γ. We perform a search for this decay mode over the allowed range of energies of the monoenergetic γ ray for X to be dark matter. A Compton-suppressed high-purity germanium detector is used to identify γ rays from neutron decay in a nickel-phosphorous-coated stainless-steel bottle. A combination of MonteCarlo and radioactive source calibrations is used to determine the absolute efficiency for detecting γ rays arising from the dark matter decay mode. We exclude the possibility of a sufficiently strong branch to explain the lifetime discrepancy with 97%confidence.

Predicting suspended sediment concentration from nephelometric turbidity in organic‐rich waters

AbstractNephelometric turbidity is an optical index for the side scattering of light caused by fine particles suspended in water. When a mixed composition of suspended inorganic and organic materials, including dissolved organic material, is present, turbidity measurements can be affected by the different optical properties of the organic and inorganic materials present, and different turbidimeters are more or less sensitive to these influences. Two different methods of nephelometric turbidity measurement were assessed (using instruments confirming to two different turbidity standard methods: EPA 180.1 and ISO 7027). We investigated the influence of particulate organic matter and coloured dissolved organic matter on relationships between turbidity and suspended sediment concentration for rivers in diverse Otago catchments, in the South Island of New Zealand. The presence of organic matter and dissolved colour affected turbidity measurement owing to light absorption; however, turbidity measurement following the ISO 7027 standard, which specifies near infrared radiation at wavelengths where organic absorption is very weak, was less affected by organics. As a result, rating equations between suspended sediment and turbidity may be significantly different with ISO 7027 compared with EPA 180.1 methods.

Methods matter: the relationship between strength and hypertrophy depends on methods of measurement and analysis.

PurposeThe relationship between changes in muscle size and strength may be affected by both measurement and statistical approaches, but their effects have not been fully considered or quantified. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to explore how different methods of measurement and analysis can affect inferences surrounding the relationship between hypertrophy and strength gain.MethodsData from a previous study—in which participants performed eight weeks of elbow flexor training, followed by an eight-week period of detraining—were reanalyzed using different statistical models, including standard between-subject correlations, analysis of covariance, and hierarchical linear modeling.ResultsThe associative relationship between strength and hypertrophy is highly dependent upon both method/site of measurement and analysis; large differences in variance accounted for (VAF) by the statistical models were observed (VAF = 0–24.1%). Different sites and measurements of muscle size showed a range of correlations coefficients with one another (r = 0.326–0.945). Finally, exploratory analyses revealed moderate-to-strong relationships between within-individual strength-hypertrophy relationships and strength gained over the training period (ρ = 0.36–0.55).ConclusionsMethods of measurement and analysis greatly influence the conclusions that may be drawn from a given dataset. Analyses that do not account for inter-individual differences may underestimate the relationship between hypertrophy and strength gain, and different methods of assessing muscle size will produce different results. It is suggested that robust experimental designs and analysis techniques, which control for different mechanistic sources of strength gain and inter-individual differences (e.g., muscle moment arms, muscle architecture, activation, and normalized muscle force), be employed in future investigations.

Phase Difference Measurement Method Based on Progressive Phase Shift

This paper proposes a method for phase difference measurement based on the principle of progressive phase shift (PPS). A phase difference measurement system based on PPS and implemented in the FPGA chip is proposed and tested. In the realized system, a fully programmable delay line (PDL) is constructed, which provides accurate and stable delay, benefitting from the feed-back structure of the control module. The control module calibrates the delay according to process, voltage and temperature (PVT) variations. Furthermore, a modified method based on double PPS is incorporated to improve the resolution. The obtained resolution is 25 ps. Moreover, to improve the resolution, the proposed method is implemented on the 20 nm Xilinx Kintex Ultrascale platform, and test results indicate that the obtained measurement error and clock synchronization error is within the range of ±5 ps.

Objectification of Public Bus Stop’s Pavement Surface Morphology

Abstract The article deals with the road pavement surface morphology objectification in term of the surface unevenness degradation during the life cycle of bus stop pavements. The article presents the results of long-term rut depth measurements performed during 25 years on selected bus stops which were intended to determine correlation dependences of pavement rut depth on a number of design axles. The article also presents different methods for rut depth measurements including the straightedge test, Profilograph GE, TRIMBLE CX, and dynamic Road Scanner.

Examining the possibility to observe neutron dark decay in nuclei

As proposed recently by Fornal and Grinstein, neutrons can undergo a dark matter decay mode which was not observed before. Such a decay could explain the existing discrepancy between two different methods of neutron lifetime measurements. If such neutron decay is possible, then it should occur also is nuclei with sufficiently low neutron binding energy. We examine a few nuclear candidates for the dark neutron decay and we consider possibilities of their experimental identification. In more detail we discuss the case of $^{11}$Be which appears as the most promising nucleus for the observation of the neutron dark decay.

Reference values of inspiratory spirometry for Finnish adults

Inspiratory spirometry is used in evaluation of upper airway disorders e.g. fixed or variable obstruction. There are, however, very few published data on normal values for inspiratory spirometry. The main aim of this study was to produce reference values for inspiratory spirometry for healthy Finnish adults.Inspiratory spirometry was preplanned to a sample of the Finnish spirometry reference values sample. Data was successfully retrieved from 368 healthy nonsmoking adults (132 males) between 19 and 83 years of age. Reference equations were produced for forced inspiratory vital capacity (FIVC), forced inspiratory volume in one second (FIV1), FIV1/FIVC, peak inspiratory flow (PIF) and the ratios of FIV1/forced expiratory volume in one second and PIF/peak expiratory flow. The present values were compared to PIF values from previously used Finnish study of Viljanen et al. (1982) reference values and Norwegian values for FIV1, FIVC and FIV1/FIVC presented by Gulsvik et al. (2001). The predicted values from the Gulsvik et al. (2001), provided a good fit for FIVC, but smaller values for FIV1 with mean 108.3 and 109.1% of predicted values for males and females, respectively. PIF values were 87.4 and 91.2% of Viljanen et al. (1982) predicted values in males and females, respectively. Differences in measurement methods and selection of results may contribute to the observed differences. Inspiratory spirometry is technically more demanding and needs repeatability criteria to improve validity. New reference values are suggested to clinical use in Finland when assessing inspiratory spirometry. Utility of inspiratory to expiratory values indices in assessment of airway collapse need further study.

Performance Measurement in Freight Transport Systems

Performance measurement plays a key role in developing appropriate strategies and evaluating the achievement of objectives in a Freight Transport System. This paper provides a critical and systematic review of the existing literature on this topic. The review is structured around different methods for performance measurement as well as different freight transport sub-domains, i.e., railway, inland waterway, port, and maritime. The study discusses the limitations of existing methods and applications, leading to several important knowledge and implementation gaps that require further research in the field.

Continuing education: online monitoring of haemodialysis dose.

Kt/Vurea reflects the efficacy of haemodialysis scaled to patient size (urea distribution volume). The guidelines recommend monthly Kt/V measurements based on blood samples. Modern haemodialysis machines are equipped with accessories monitoring the dose online at every session without extra costs, blood samples and computers. To describe the principles, devices, benefits and shortcomings of online monitoring of haemodialysis dose. A critical literature overview and discussion. UV absorbance methods measure Kt/V, ionic dialysance Kt (product of clearance and treatment time; cleared volume without scaling). Both are easy and useful methods, but comparison is difficult due to problems in scaling of the dialysis dose to the patient's size. The best dose estimation method is the one which predicts the quality of life and survival most accurately. There is some evidence on the predictive value of ionic dialysance Kt, but more documentation is required on the UV method. Online monitoring is a useful tool in everyday quality assurance, but blood samples are still required for more accurate kinetic modelling. After reading this article the reader should be able to: Understand the elements of the Kt/V equation for dialysis dose. Compare and contrast different methods of measurement of dialysis dose. Reflect on the importance of adequate dialysis dose for patient survival and life quality.

Relative reticulo-rumen pH indicators for subacute ruminal acidosis detection in dairy cows

Subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) is usually characterized by abnormal and intermittent drops in rumen pH. Nevertheless, high individual animal variability in rumen pH and the difference in measurement methods for pH data acquisition decrease the sensitivity and accuracy of pH indicators for detecting SARA in ruminants. The aim of this study was to refine rumen pH indicators in long-term SARA based on individual dairy cow reticulo-rumen pH kinetics. Animal performances and rumen parameters were studied weekly in order to validate SARA syndrome and rumen pH was continuously measured using reticulo-rumen sensors. In total, 11 primiparous dairy cows were consecutively fed two different diets for 12 successive weeks: a control diet as low-starch diet (LSD; 13% starch for 4 weeks in period 1), an acidotic diet as high-starch diet (HSD; 32% starch for 4 weeks in period 2), and again the LSD diet (3 weeks in period 3). There was a 1-week dietary transition between LSD and HSD. Commonly used absolute SARA pH indicators such as daily average, area under the curve (AUC) and time spent below pH<5.8 and pH<6 were processed from absolute (raw) daily kinetics. Then signal processing was applied to raw pH values in order to calculate relative pH indicators by filtering and normalizing data to remove inter-individual variability, sensor drift and sensor noise. Normalized AUC, times spent below NpH<−0.3 and NpH<−0.5, NpH range and NpH standard deviation were calculated. Those relative pH indicators were compared with commonly used pH indicators to assess their ability to detect SARA. This syndrome induced by HSD was confirmed by consistent expected changes in milk quality, dry matter intake and acetate : propionate ratio in the rumen, whereas the ruminal concentration of lipopolysaccharide was increased. Commonly used pH SARA indicators were not able to discriminate SARA syndrome due to high animal variability and sensor drift and noise, whereas relative pH indicators developed in this study appeared more relevant for SARA detection as assessed by receiver operating characteristic tests. This work shows that absolute pH kinetics should be corrected for drift, noise and animal variability to produce relative pH indicators that are more robust for SARA detection. These relative pH indicators could be more relevant for identifying affected animals in a herd and also for comparing SARA risk among studies.

Glycemic Control of Surgical Patients. What is Correct, What is Not

Perioperative hyperglycemia is very common among critically ill patients with or without diabetes mellitus (DM). Perioperative elevated levels of blood glucose (BG) have been linked with increases in morbidity, infections, anastomotic failure, autoimmune dysfunction, and raised mortality and prolongation of hospitalization. A variety of different approaches have been taken for the control of BG in the perioperative period, and different methods of measurement have been proposed, among which, point of care (POC) meters, arterial blood gas analysis and venous plasma analysis prevail. The aim of this literature review was to provide evidence-based answers as to how BG levels should be monitored. We conclude that more conservative glycemic control is preferable to “tight glycemic control” (TGC), in order to avoid complications associated with episodes of hypoglycemia.

PROTOCOL: Effects of preventive nutrition interventions among adolescents on health and nutritional status in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.

PROTOCOL: Effects of preventive nutrition interventions among adolescents on health and nutritional status in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.

PROTOCOL: Effects of lifestyle modification interventions to prevent and manage child and adolescent obesity: a systematic review.

PROTOCOL: Effects of lifestyle modification interventions to prevent and manage child and adolescent obesity: a systematic review.

Comparison of different methods of central temperature measurement during general anesthesia

Comparison of different methods of central temperature measurement during general anesthesia

Comparative in vitro study of two methods for gingival biotype assessment.

BackgroundThe gingival thickness seems to have an important role in different dental treatments. There are different methods of quantifying this thickness, but it is not known which of them can be the most effective. The objective to assess the accuracy of two different methods for gingival thickness measurement: the transgingival needle probing (TGNP) and the tension-free caliper (TFC) in an in vitro model, by comparing them with direct physical measurements (reference standard).Material and MethodsGingival thickness (GT) was evaluated in 27 female pigs with four implant sites 1, 2 and 3mm from the gingival margin with three different methods: 1) transgingival needle probing 2) tension-free caliper and 3) Direct visualization after making a incision in the mucosa and measuring GT with a periodontal probe. Wilcoxon test for paired samples were used with a confident level of 95%.ResultsA total of 324 points were measured, 59% of the sites presented a thin biotype with DV, it was correctly assessed with the TGNP in 84% of the times and in 86% with the TFC. 41% of the sample presented thick biotype, 76% was the percentage measured with the TGNP and 0% of the sites evaluated with TFC resulted in this biotype.ConclusionsTransgingival needle probing constitutes an accurate method when measuring GT at different levels. Tension free caliper is not a good tool for assessing the gingival biotype as long as it is unable to predict thick biotype. Key words:Periodontal Biotype, Gingival Thickness, Periodontal Tissue and Diagnosis.

Differences between sexes in the standard and advanced dimensioning of lateral meniscal allografts

BackgroundThere are many different methods of meniscal allograft measurements, which depend on individual tissue bank procedures. Due to the lack of a standardised method of dimensioning, measurement results may vary between individual cases. Consequently, allograft may be mismatched to the patient's knee anatomy. The purpose of this study was to measure four meniscal dimensions – two standard and two specific – and then compare them between sexes. MethodsFourteen cadaveric lateral menisci (seven male and seven female) were scanned using a microtomography scanner. The obtained three-dimensional (3-D) models of each meniscus were analysed, taking into account four dimensions: circumference, width, central meniscal concavity, and total meniscal volume. The computer researcher was not informed of the original data of the meniscal samples until the calculations were completed. ResultsNo statistical between-sex differences were found in the standard dimensions. The specific dimensions, in turn, presented statistically significant between-sex differences (P>0.05). The mean difference between male and female total volume of the meniscus was equal to 36.59%, and the mean difference between male and female central meniscal concavity surface was equal to 31.22%. ConclusionThis study found that sex should be taken into account as an important factor during a matching procedure performed by tissue bank staff.

Introducing the Alba® Primary Packaging Platform. Part 1: Particle Release Evaluation.

The sensitivity of drugs to one or more elements of the primary packaging is a serious concern for the pharmaceutical industry. Biologics in particular are highly sensitive, leading to a higher risk of incompatibility and stability test failures as worst-case scenarios. This potential incompatibility-and the consequent formulation instability due to the interactions between the drug and the primary container surface-may have multiple causes: the intrinsic nature of the container surface, leachables coming from the materials used, substances coming from the production process, silicone oil droplets, or other particles. The Alba primary packaging platform was designed in order to have the same interface between the drug and the glass container surface on the different primary packaging containers to minimize the emergence of instabilities at later stages during the formulation development. The Alba containers are internally treated with an innovative cross-linked coating based on silicone oil lubricant, and the additional rubber components have been selected to minimize the possible differences between the container typologies. This paper shows in deep detail the subvisible particle release reduction and the comparability of the performances of different containers, obtained using such technology. To demonstrate this improvement, different analytical methods for particle measurement were used on bulk containers, Alba-treated ones and containers from a standard production (spray-on siliconization). Considering that Alba containers are conform to the standard compendial testing and the amount of particles released from Alba-coated syringes was comparable to the bulk syringes for the first two mildly stressful methods, it was decided to develop and apply a more challenging method, such as an autoclave treatment for 1 h at 121°C, to better highlight the performances of this innovative technology. The data obtained, under the most stressful conditions, show a substantial reduction in the released particle concentrations compared to a spray-on siliconized container, with comparable performances for all the containers included in the Alba platform. The latter could heavily reduce drug formulation development timing, facilitating the transition from one container to another.LAY ABSTRACT: The sensitivity of drugs to one or more elements of the primary packaging is a serious concern for the pharmaceutical industry. Biologics in particular are highly sensitive, leading to a higher risk of incompatibility and stability test failures as worst-case scenarios. This potential incompatibility-and the consequent formulation instability due to the interactions between the drug and the primary container surface-may have multiple causes: the intrinsic nature of the container surface, leachables coming from the materials used, or substances coming from the production process, silicone oil droplets, or other particles. The Alba primary packaging platform was designed to solve these problems associated with the interaction between the drug and its primary packaging. This paper shows in deep detail and with robust data the subvisible particle release reduction obtained using such technology.

Impact of Xen and Virtual Box Virtualization Environments on Timing Precision under Stressful Conditions

Sharing physical resources among virtual instances introduces time overhead in comparison with direct access to hardware. Such lag is not significant for most of the everyday tasks however it can influence much more in dealing with time-critical applications and especially in case of reliable network services. The purpose of this paper is to compare time overhead on timing operations such as time acquisition and sleep introduced by different virtualization environments: Xen, VMWare ESXi, QEMU. The current research focus to establish possibility of using such platforms in real-time applications with high resource utilization. In terms of present work, there are several load types to be used to simulate real conditions. Measurement performance includes different methods of time measurements and waiting operations. Considering results, the certain recommendations about timing mechanisms using different virtualization environment have been offered.

Estimation of Crack Mouth Opening Displacement in Concrete Using Optical Fiber Sensors

Concrete is a multi-phase composite material and used widely in construction industry because of high compressive strength and low cost. Its limited tensile strength makes it prone to cracking. Important parameters like characteristic length, fracture energy Gf critical crack width WC are used to understand cracks in concrete. The crack width is estimated either as crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD/COD) or as crack tip opening displacement (CTOD). Several optical and non-optical methods can provide information about crack presence but do not provide information on crack opening and crack width which are important from considerations of durability. To this end we present our research results in three point bend tests on pre-notched concrete samples (M-20 composition) using (a) Intensity based plastic optic fiber (POF) using phase difference measurement method (b) Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) method. The CMOD estimation and relative sensitivity of these methods will be presented.

Comparison of different methods for dielectric properties measurements in liquid sample media

Nondestructive techniques to measure dielectric properties of aqueous samples have become a crucial research topic for their impact on emerging biomedical applications. Accurate modeling of the dielectric behavior of biological tissues is fundamental to properly assess biomedical microwave imaging techniques. But it is also highly demanded to enable more reliable pretreatment planning for therapeutic technologies using electromagnetic fields such as hyperthermia and thermal ablation. This paper compares 2 well-documented measuring methods based on open-ended coaxial probe with a broadly commercialized set-up and existing literature. Measurements were carried out across the frequency range 0.5-4.5 GHz at 20°C on deionized water, methanol, and 2-propanol samples. This selection of media under test is justified by their stability and existing literature on them. Moreover, their permittivity values well cover the variability range in biological tissues. This comparative study shows that the Stuchly and Stuchly method calibrated using deionized water, methanol, and open circuit conditions is a valid alternative to the commercial set-ups available.