Elevated Platform Research Articles

Fault domain separation networks: A cross-domain diagnostic method for variable operating conditions in the elevator guidance system

High-speed elevators play a critical role in vertical transportation. However, they may exhibit different working conditions under varying operating conditions, posing challenges for fault diagnosis. We propose a model named fault domain separation networks (FDSN) to tackle the cross-domain diagnostic problem of guidance system by leveraging transfer learning techniques. FDSN comprises three distinct modules that extract invariant fault features and variable operating condition features, and use orthogonal loss function for feature decoupling, achieving effective feature allocation, and mitigating the impact of variable operating conditions on fault diagnosis. To evaluate and demonstrate the efficacy of FDSN, a high-speed elevator platform is constructed, and fault vibration data under various working conditions are simulated to form a comprehensive dataset. The proposed FDSN achieved an average diagnostic accuracy of 92.7% in cross-domain diagnostic tasks, outperforming other comparative methods and demonstrating the remarkable superiority.

Dynamic changes of media prefrontal cortex astrocytic activity in response to negative stimuli in male mice

Astrocytes play significant roles in regulating the central stress response. Chronic stress impairs the structure and function of astrocytes in many brain regions such as media prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in multiple neuropsychiatric conditions, but the astrocytic dynamics on the timescale of behavior remains unclear. Here, we recorded mPFC astrocytic activity in freely behaving mice and found that astrocytes are activated immediately by different aversive stimuli. Astrocyte specific GCaMP6s calcium indicator were virally expressed in mPFC astrocytes and fiber photometry experiments revealed that astrocytes are activated by tail-restraint (TRT), foot shock (FS), open arm exploration, stressor of height, predator odor and social defeat (SD) stress. ΔF/F analyses demonstrated that an unpredictable stimulus such as elevated platform stress (EPS) at the initial encounter induced the most intense and rapid changes in astrocytic calcium activity, while a predictable 2,5-dihydro-2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline (TMT) stimulus resulted in the weakest response with a longer peak latency. In TRT, FS or SD test, a somatic stimulus led to higher average calcium activity level and faster average peak latency in repeated trails. Similar to TMT stimulus, astrocytic calcium activity in elevated plus maze (EPM) test exhibited a smaller average change in amplitude and the longest peak latency during open arm exploration. Moreover, astrocytic calcium activity exhibited different changes across behavioral states in SD tests. Our findings show that mPFC astrocytes exhibit distinct patterns of calcium activity in response to various negative stimuli, indicating that the dynamic activity of astrocytes may reflect the stress-related behavioral state under different stimulus conditions.

Standing on Elevated Platform Changes Postural Reactive Responses during Arm Movement.

Background/Objectives: This study investigated the behavior of postural adjustments throughout the entire action: from the preparatory phase (anticipatory postural adjustment, APA), the focal movement phase (online postural adjustments, OPA), to the compensatory phase (compensatory postural adjustment, CPA) while raising the arms in a standing position, both with eyes opened and closed. The goal was to analyze the effects of reduced sensorial information and different heights on postural muscle activity during these three phases. Methods: Eight young women performed rapid shoulder flexion while standing on the ground and on a 1-m elevated platform. The EMG activity of the trunk and lower limb muscles was recorded during all three phases. Results: Although average muscle activity was similar on the ground and the elevated platform, the pattern of postural muscle activation varied across the motor action. During OPA, all postural muscle activity was the highest, while it was the lowest during APA. On the elevated platform postural muscles have increased their activation during APA. In the most stable condition (standing on the ground with eyes opened), muscle activity showed a negative correlation between APA and OPA, but there was no correlation between OPA and CPA. Conclusions: Our results suggest postural control adapts to sensory, motor, and cognitive conditions. Therefore, the increased demand for postural control due to the height of the support base demands greater flexibility in postural synergies and alters muscle activity.

The elevated open platform stress suppresses excitatory synaptic transmissionin the layer V anterior cingulate cortex

There are various forms of stress including; physical, psychological and social stress. Exposure to physical stress can lead to physical sensations (e.g. hyperalgesia) and negative emotions including anxiety and depression in animals and humans. Recently, our studies in mice have shown that acute physical stress induced by the elevated open platform (EOP) can provoke long-lasting mechanical hypersensitivity. This effect appears to be related to activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) at the synaptic level. Indeed, EOP exposure induces synaptic plasticity in layer II/III pyramidal neurons from the ACC. However, it is still unclear whether or not EOP exposure alters intrinsic properties and synaptic transmission in layer V pyramidal neurons. This is essential because these neurons are known to be a primary output to subcortical structures which may ultimately impact the behavioral stress response.Here, we studied both intrinsic properties and excitatory/inhibitory synaptic transmission by using whole-cell patch-clamp method in brain slice preparations. The EOP exposure did not change intrinsic properties including resting membrane potentials and action potentials. In contrast, EOP exposure suppressed the frequency of miniature and spontaneous excitatory synaptic transmission with an alteration of kinetics of AMPA/GluK receptors. EOP exposure also reduced evoked synaptic transmission induced by electrical stimulation. Furthermore, we investigated projection-selective responses of the mediodorsal thalamus to the layer V ACC neurons. EOP exposure produced short-term depression in excitatory synaptic transmission on thalamo-ACC projections. These results suggest that the EOP stress provokes abnormal excitatory synaptic transmission in layer V pyramidal neurons of the ACC.

Acute Stress Affects the Relaxin/Insulin-Like Family Peptide Receptor 3 mRNA Expression in Brain of Pubertal Male Wistar Rats.

The current literature suggests that relaxin-3/relaxin/insulin-like family peptide receptor 3 (RLN-3/RXFP-3) system is involved in the pathophysiology of affective disorders because the results of anatomical and pharmacological studies have shown that the RLN-3 signaling pathway plays a role in modulating the stress response, anxiety, arousal, depression-like behavior, and neuroendocrine homeostasis. The risk of developing mental illnesses in adulthood is increased by exposure to stress in early periods of life. The available data indicate that puberty is especially characterized by the development of the neural system and emotionality and is a "stress-sensitive" period. The presented study assessed the short-term changes in the expression of RLN-3 and RXFP-3 mRNA in the stress-dependent brain regions in male pubertal Wistar rats that had been subjected to acute stress. Three stressors were applied from 42 to 44 postnatal days (first day: a single forced swim; second day: stress on an elevated platform that was repeated three times; third day: restraint stress three times). Anxiety (open field, elevated plus maze test) and anhedonic-like behavior (sucrose preference test) were estimated during these tests. The corticosterone (CORT) levels and blood morphology were estimated. We found that the RXFP-3 mRNA expression decreased in the brainstem, whereas it increased in the hypothalamus 72h after acute stress. These molecular changes were accompanied by the increased levels of CORT and anxiety-like behavior detected in the open field test that had been conducted earlier, that is, 24h after the stress procedure. These findings shed new light on the neurochemical changes that are involved in the compensatory response to adverse events in pubertal male rats and support other data that suggest a regulatory interplay between the RLN-3 pathway and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in the mechanisms of anxiety-like behavior.

Recovering the Worker in Meridel Le Sueur’s Worker Writers (1939/1982)

ABSTRACT While Meridel Le Sueur’s oeuvre has continued to receive increased scholarly attention since the late twentieth century, less attention has been paid to her creative writing manual Worker Writers, originally printed in 1939 for the Works Progress Administration in Minnesota when Le Sueur taught creative writing for the Workers Education Project of the New Deal. Although West End Press republished in 1982 a revised edition of Worker Writers, this edition made omissions that have limited readers’ engagement with Le Sueur’s vision. Removed are the nine worker stories curated by Le Sueur; also removed are references to these stories in the instructional language as well as references to Midwest regional developments. Recovering the 1939 text enables a fuller understanding of Le Sueur’s approach to proletarian writing. The 1939 manual shows Le Sueur’s vision of proletarian expression informed by her commitment to the writing workshop; her understanding of the literacies workers possess vis-à-vis more conventional literary technique and aesthetics; and her mobilization of regional Americanist discourses to create an elevated platform for worker writing, especially in the Midwest. The manual should also be studied in the context of Le Sueur’s efforts to develop a cultural “infrastructure” for worker writing in the Midwest.

Effect of an Enriched Elevated Platform Rearing System on the Welfare and Bone Quality of Fattening Pigs

An intensive breeding environment usually sacrifices the biological needs of pigs and will have a negative impact on the welfare and production efficiency of pigs. In this study, a bedding elevated platform rearing system was established and its effect on the welfare of fattening pigs was evaluated. A total of 456 fattening pigs were divided into the elevated platform rearing system group (EP) and control group (CON). The welfare of pigs during the rearing period (57–97 days of age) and the fattening periods (98–168 days of age) was assessed through behavioral observation, physiological indicators, growth performance, and bone quality. Pigs in the EP group showed less manipulating behavior and more playing behavior than pigs in the CON group during the first 48 h of the test. Moreover, EP pigs expressed more standing, play, and exploratory behaviors and less sitting, lying down, manipulating, and fighting behaviors than the CON pigs during the rearing period. More standing and playing behavior and less sitting, manipulating behavior, and fighting behavior were expressed in the EP group than the CON group during the fattening period. In both of the rearing and fattening periods, serum cortisol concentrations were lower in the EP group than the CON group; C-reactive protein concentrations were significantly higher in the EP group than CON group; TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IgA, IgG, and IgM levels were significantly higher in the EP group than the CON group, but IL-10 levels were significantly lower in the EP group than the CON group. The EP group had less skin lesions and a higher final body weight. Our study confirms that the enriched elevated platform rearing system promotes the expression of positive behaviors and reduced skin and limb lesions, which also improve the growth performance of pigs.

Early arc crust formation preserved in the Grenadines archipelago, southern Lesser Antilles arc.

Intra-arc diversity in volcanic activity and composition is ubiquitous, but its underlying causes remain largely unresolved in many settings. In this work, we examine such variability in the Grenadines archipelago, southern Lesser Antilles arc. Here, juxtaposed volcanic centres exhibit eruptive longevities and chemistries distinct from northern counterparts in the same arc. Our goal is to explain this deviation by investigating variations in magmatic processes using petrological data from erupted crustal xenoliths and lavas, and interpreting these findings within the context of the archipelago's tectonic history and geophysical structure. Textural analyses of xenoliths reveal crystallization over a wide range of pressure-temperature-melt composition conditions in the crust. Mineral phases display discrete compositional trends pointing towards significant inter-island variability in underlying plumbing systems. The geochemical variety of erupted magmas is reminiscent of the entire arc. We speculate that the Grenadines represents the early onset of subduction forming the modern-day Lesser Antilles arc. Extrusive volcanism initiated as submarine activity. Subsequent uplift eroded the original topography of these volcanic centres following the eventual cessation of volcanism in the Neogene. The positioning of the Grenadines on an elevated platform provides rare modern insight into early arc crust formation not commonly preserved in established active arcs.

Cytokine Response to Resistance Exercise in Children with Excess Fat and Prader-Willi Syndrome

Background: Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) is a proinflammatory cytokine that is secreted from adipose tissue and macrophages; interleukin-6 (IL-6), secreted from adipose tissue, macrophages and skeletal muscle, has both proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory properties. Previous research showed excess adiposity leads to an increased concentration of both cytokines at rest while there is limited research on resistance exercise. Purpose: To compare IL-6 and TNF-α responses to resistance exercise in children with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), a genetic cause for obesity, vs. children with normal fat mass (lean), or excess body fat (obesity) Methods: Nine children with PWS (11.4 ± 3.3 years, 45.6 ± 5.2% body fat), 11 lean children (9.2 ± 1.4 years, 18.6 ± 5.0% bodyfat), and 12 children with obesity (9.6 ± 1.3 years, 40.4 ± 5.4% body fat) participated. Children stepped onto an elevated platform wearing a weighted vest for 6 sets of 10 repetitions per leg (sets separated by 1 min of rest). Children with PWS, stepped to a platform height of 23.0 cm and wore a vest load that was computed as (20% of stature* 50% of lean body mass)/23.0 cm. For the controls, the platform height was 20% of the stature and the vest load was 50% of the lean body mass. Blood samples were obtained before (pre), immediately after (post), and during recovery from exercise (+15 and +60 min). Areas under the curve (AUC) were computed for IL-6 and TNF-α. Results: There was no group by time interaction for IL-6 ( p=0.378) but a group effect ( p=0.011) and a time effect ( p<0.001). Pairwise comparisons showed 60+ (1.065 ± 0.10 pg/mL) was higher than pre (0.660 ± 0.05 pg/mL), post (0.728 ± 0.06 pg/mL), and +15 (0.764 ± 0.066 pg/mL), p<0.001 for all. Children with PWS and children with obesity had higher IL-6 concentrations than lean children (0.943 ± 0.12 pg/mL and 0.951 ± 0.10 pg/mL vs. 0.519 ± 0.11 pg/mL, p≤0.038 for both). For TNF-α, there were no group by time interaction, time or group effects ( p≥0.420 for all). IL-6 AUC ( p=0.013) but not TNF-α AUC ( p=0.404) were different between groups. Children with PWS and children with obesity showed a higher IL-6 AUC than lean children (85.106 ± 41.81 pg/mL, 86.796 ± 33.60 pg/mL vs. 47.611 ± 21.00 pg/mL, p≤ 0.041 for both). Conclusion: There were no differences in IL-6 or TNF-α responses to exercise based on having PWS or having excess body fat in children. However, excess body fat was associated with higher IL-6 concentration and AUC. Peak concentrations for IL-6 were observed at 60 minutes after exercise similar to other studies. Potentially, IL-6 concentrations immediately post-exercise were not elevated because the exercise protocol was not of high intensity or long enough. Study funded by the US Army Medical Research and Material Command Contract W81XWH-08-1-0025 (DAR). This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Assisted Tea Leaf Picking: The Design and Simulation of a 6-DOF Stewart Parallel Lifting Platform

The 6-DOF Stewart parallel elevation platform serves as the platform for mounting the tea-picking robotic arm, significantly impacting the operational scope, velocity, and harvesting precision of the robotic arm. Utilizing the Stewart setup, a parallel elevation platform with automated lifting and leveling capabilities was devised, ensuring precise halts at designated elevations for seamless harvesting operations. The effectiveness of the platform parameter configuration and the reasonableness of the posture changes were verified. Firstly, the planting mode and growth characteristics of Yunnan large-leaf tea trees were analyzed to determine the preset path, posture changes, and mechanism stroke of the Stewart parallel lifting platform, thereby determining the basic design specifications of the platform. Secondly, a 3D model was established using SolidWorks, a robust adaptive PD control model was built using MATLAB for simulation, and dynamic calculations were carried out through data interaction in Simulink and ADAMS. Finally, the rationality of the lifting platform design requirements was determined based on simulation data, a 6-DOF Stewart parallel lifting platform was manufactured, and a motion control system was built for experimental verification according to the design specifications and simulation data. The results showed that the maximum deviation angle around the X, Y, and Z axes was 10°, the maximum lifting distance was 15 cm, the maximum load capacity was 60 kg, the platform response error was within ±0.1 mm, and the stable motion characteristics reached below the millimeter level, which can meet the requirements of automated operation of the auxiliary picking robotic arm.

Multi-assay approach shows species-associated personality patterns in two socially distinct gerbil species.

We aimed to investigate whether two closely related but socially distinct species of gerbils differ in personality patterns. Using a suit of multivariate repeated assays (docility test, dark-light emergence test, startle test, novel object test, elevated platform test, and stranger test), we assessed contextual and temporal consistency of docility, boldness, exploration, anxiety, and sociability in the solitary midday gerbil, Meriones meridianus, and social Mongolian gerbil, M. unguiculatus. We revealed contextually consistent and highly repeatable sex-independent but species-specific personality traits. Species differed in temporal repeatability of different behaviours, and contextual consistency was more pronounced in solitary M. meridianus than in social M. unguiculatus. This finding contradicts the social niche specialization hypothesis, which suggests that personality traits should be more consistent in more social species. Instead, we hypothesize that social complexity should favour more flexible and less consistent behavioural traits. The habituation effect indicative of learning abilities was weak in both species yet stronger in social M. unguiculatus, supporting the relationship between the sociality level and cognitive skills. In both species, only a few different behavioural traits covaried, and the sets of correlated behaviours were species-specific such that the two species did not share any pair of correlated traits. Between-species differences in personality traits, habituation, and behavioural syndromes may be linked to differences in sociality. The lack of prominent behavioural syndromes is consistent with the idea that context-specific individual behavioural traits might be favoured to allow more flexible and adequate responses to changing environments than syndromes of correlated functionally different behaviours.

Ankle and hindfoot motion of healthy adults during running revealed by dynamic biplane radiography: Side-to-side symmetry, sex-specific differences, and comparison with walking

This study aimed to characterize ankle and hindfoot kinematics of healthy men and women during overground running using biplane radiography, and to compare these data to those previously obtained in the same cohort during overground walking. Participants ran across an elevated platform at a self-selected pace while synchronized biplane radiographs of their ankle and hindfoot were acquired. Motion of the tibia, talus, and calcaneus was tracked using a validated volumetric model-based tracking process. Tibiotalar and subtalar 6DOF kinematics were obtained. Absolute side-to-side differences in ROM and kinematics waveforms were calculated. Side-to-side and sex-specific differences were evaluated at 10 % increments of stance phase with mixed model analysis. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to assess the relationship between stance-phase running and walking kinematics. 20 participants comprised the study cohort (10 men, mean age 30.8 ± 6.3 years, mean BMI 24.1 ± 3.1). Average absolute side-to-side differences in running kinematics waveforms were 5.6°/2.0 mm or less at the tibiotalar joint and 5.2°/3.2 mm or less at the subtalar joint. No differences in running kinematics waveforms between sides or between men and women were detected. Correlations were stronger at the tibiotalar joint (42/66 [64 %] of correlations were p < 0.05), than at the tibiotalar joint (38/66 [58 %] of correlations were p < 0.05). These results provide a normative reference for evaluating native ankle and hindfoot kinematics which may be informative in surgical or rehabilitation contexts. Sex-specific differences in ankle kinematics during overground running are likely not clinically or etiologically significant. Associations seen between walking and running kinematics suggest one could be used to predict the other.

A High-Voltage Cathode Material with Ultralong Cycle Performance for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Vanadium-based polyanionic materials are promising electrode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to their outstanding advantages such as high voltage, acceptable specific capacity, excellent structural reversibility, good thermal stability, etc. Polyanionic compounds, moreover, can exhibit excellent multiplicity performance as well as good cycling stability after well-designed carbon covering and bulk-phase doping and thus have attracted the attention of multiple researchers in recent years. In this paper, after the modification of carbon capping and bulk-phase nitrogen doping, compared to pristine Na3V2(PO4)3, the well optimized Na3V(PO3)3N/C possesses improved electromagnetic induction strength and structural stability, therefore exhibits exceptional cycling capability of 96.11% after 500 cycles at 2C (1C=80mAg-1) with an elevated voltage platform of 4V (vs Na+/Na). Meanwhile, the designed Na3V(PO3)3N/C possesses an exceptionally low volume change of ≈0.12% during cycling, demonstrating its quasi-zero strain property, ensuring an impressive capacity retention of 70.26% after 10,000 cycles at 2C. This work provides a facial and cost-effective synthesis method to obtain stable vanadium-based phosphate materials and highlights the enhanced electrochemical properties through the strategy of carbon rapping and bulk-phase nitrogen doping.

Effects of Inhaled Linalool on the Autonomic Nervous System in Awake Mice

Objective/background A previous study showed that geranium essential oil predominantly affects the parasympathetic nervous system. This article examined the effects on the autonomic nervous system of linalool, one of the main components of geranium essential oil. Methods Mice were placed on a narrow elevated open platform and pulse wave measurements were taken while they were awake, with behaviors restricted. Heart rate and heart rate variability were analyzed from the pulse waves obtained and the effects on the parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves were examined. Results The results showed that linalool (5 μL/L air, inhaled) resulted in parasympathetic dominance before and after administration. Conversely, a tendency toward sympathetic dominance was observed with fluoxetine (1 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) as the positive control in the elevated open-platform test. Conclusion These results suggest that linalool and essential oils containing linalool regulate the autonomic nervous system by promoting dominance of the parasympathetic nervous system.

Panicolytic-like effects of environment enrichment on male mice threatened by Bothrops jararaca lancehead pit vipers.

Environment enrichment (EE) is a well-known eustress model showing beneficial effects in different psychiatric diseases, but its positive properties in panic disorders are not yet established. The confrontation between prey and predator in complex arenas has been validated as a putative panic attack model. The principal aim of this work was to investigate the role of the EE on panic-like defensive responses elicited by mice threatened by venomous snakes. After 6 weeks of exposure either to an enriched or standard environments, 36 male mice were habituated in a complex polygonal arena for snakes containing an artificial burrow and elevated platforms for escape. The animals were confronted by Bothrops jararaca for 5 min, and the following antipredatory responses were recorded: defensive attention, stretched attend posture, flat back approach, prey versus predator interaction, oriented escape behavior, time spent in a safe place, and number of crossings. Mice threatened by snakes displayed several antipredatory reactions as compared to the exploratory behavior of those animals submitted to a nonthreatening situation (toy snake) in the same environment. Notably, EE causes anxiolytic- and panicolytic-like effects significantly decreasing the defensive attention and time spent in safe places and significantly increasing both prey versus predator interaction and exploratory behavior. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that EE can alter the processing of fear modulation regarding both anxiety- and panic-like responses in a dangerous condition, significantly modifying the decision-making defensive strategy.

Evaluating Performance and Satisfaction of Bus Raid Transit Using the Hybrid T2NN-APPRESAL Method

There are many factors that affect the environment in general, the most important of which is climate change as well as population growth. To preserve the environment, researchers seek to find the best ways and solutions to preserve the quality of the environment through the use of renewable energy to reduce emissions resulting from other energies as well as provide a good life for people in light of population density. The high One of these solutions is bus rapid transit (BRT). It's a public transportation system that uses dedicated lanes to provide fast, efficient bus service. BRT systems often feature stations with elevated platforms for easy boarding, prepayment systems to speed up boarding, and traffic signal priority to keep buses moving smoothly. BRT is designed to offer many of the benefits of light rail or subway systems at a lower cost and with more flexibility. It's commonly implemented in cities around the world as a way to improve public transportation and reduce congestion. The term "BRT" is mainly used in the Americas and China, while in India, it is called "BRTS," and in Europe, it is often referred to as a "busway" or "BHLS." This paper seeks to analyze the BRT system based on its features according to the user’s satisfaction using the Approach for Preference, Performance and Ranking Evaluation with SAtisfaction Level (APPRESAL) method to overcome the problems of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods that lack in dealing with user satisfaction as well as the influence of factors on the analysis under the type-2 neutrosophic numbers (T2NN) environment to overcome ambiguity and uncertainty resulting from the collected data.

Reinforced Soil Wall Construction with High Stiffness Geocomposite Reinforcement and Betoflor Segmental Block, Pengerang, Johor Darul Ta’zim

Pengerang is a municipality in Kota Tinggi district in Johor at the southern tip of the Peninsular Malaysia. It is home for the mega oil and gas hub Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex (PIPC) in Southern Johor state, which is one of the region’s largest hubs for oil and gas, petrochemical industries, oil storage and trading activities. The area is experiencing significant development, both residential and commercial in nature. In this development plan, the retaining wall system plays a crucial role in providing a larger development area, enhancing the aesthetic view, and achieving a higher elevation platform. The focus of this paper is on an internally stabilized reinforced soil wall system which involves reinforcing the soil with high stiffness geocomposite reinforcement and utilizing modular segmental blocks as facing elements. This combination creates a 1 vertical: 0.14 horizontal gradient (82°) wall that is implemented for a mixed development at Pengerang. The single-tier reinforced soil wall reaches a height of 13 m. In addition, the maximum 14 m high wall was designed as a two-tier wall and the maximum 19 m high wall was designed as a three-tier wall. The design of the reinforced soil wall includes the evaluation of various potential internal and external failure modes. This paper also discusses the construction sequences employed for the reinforced soil wall. Ultimately, the combination of the high stiffness geocomposite reinforcement with modular segmental blocks has proven successful, resulting in a constructed wall that satisfied the client requirements

The origin, age, and conservation, of an ‘elevated platform’, Yarwondutta Rock, north-western Eyre Peninsula, South Australia

Yarwondutta Rock is a dimpled platform that was shaped at ground level by soil moisture but subsequently elevated, not because of local tectonism, but by the erosional lowering of the surrounding pedimented plains. Concave or flared slopes fashioned in the erstwhile piedmont were revealed during this erosional phase which took place in the earlier Pleistocene. The elevated platform is now buttressed against dissection by the calcreted surrounding pediments.&#x0D; It is concluded that in technical terms, Yarwondutta Rock appropriately can be referred to as an ‘elevated platform’.&#x0D; ‘Criticism and testing are the essence of our work.’ Remark by Herman Bondi on the occasion of Karl Popper’s 90th birthday anniversary (But with a reminder that a ‘criticism’ is an assessment or evaluation, and is neither implicitly, nor of necessity, adverse. C.R.T.).

Spatial and hydrological analysis of the water supply system in as-Sila'/Sela (Tafila, Jordan) based on a 3D model

The research described below proposes a spatial analysis of the hydraulic infrastructure, and settlement remains, as well as a topographic analysis of the site of as-Sila'/Sela on the southern Transjordan plateau. The authors designed Sela's first photogrammetric model from aerial photographs provided by the "Aerial Photographic Archive for Archaeology in the Middle East (APAAME)" project. This modelling has enabled the research team to locate new hydraulic structures, settlement remains, marks on vertical facing, and elevated or levelling platforms hitherto unidentified by a pedestrian survey; it was also possible to obtain more detailed direct and indirect relationships between these features. The 3D model has provided a reference for locating the various elements and correlating their surface with the topographic coordinates recorded by the total station during fieldwork. Additionally, a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) was derived from the 3D model to depict the flow direction of run-off. Through our analysis, we identified spaces for accessing, managing, and utilising available water resources, including settlement density and flooding zones. The hydrological analysis revealed potential run-off and flood-prone areas, guiding the location of hydraulic structures to prevent water contamination. This study highlights the importance of Sela's water supply systems and the technical expertise of ancient communities in their construction and management. The applicability and feasibility of the applied methodology emphasise its use as a powerful and indispensable tool to obtain a complete overview of the site. The results yield a comprehensive site mapping with a broader scope than previous research and provide a basis for further research, as well as for understanding the site's water supply and settlement patterns. Thus, this study enhances the hydro-technological investigation of Sela's water management and culture and contributes to its holistic analysis. Future studies can use the data to propose effective water management strategies and shed light on the social structures involved in water supply practices.

Use of an elevated platform with perforated surface and manure belt by fast-growing broilers on commercial farms

Like other members of the species Gallus gallus, fast-growing broilers are motivated to perch. However, broilers in the European Union are kept in unstructured barns, with no opportunity to sit elevated and rest undisturbed. A possible solution to this problem is elevated platforms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of an elevated platform with perforated surface and manure belt by fast-growing broilers. On 2 commercial farms, an elevated platform was installed in 1 barn per farm. Approximately 35,000 Ross 308 broilers were housed in each barn for 3 fattening periods. On 1 d per wk, the number of broilers per m² on the platform and the ramp was determined every 30 min from video recordings. Besides, focal animals were observed to analyze their behavior on the platform at different ages and during light and dark periods. Broilers used the elevated platform and the ramp from the first week until the end of the fattening period (platform: 9.92 broilers per m², ramp: 6.47 broilers per m²), with a peak in the fourth week of life (platform: 13.00 broilers per m²). In wk 2, 4, and 5, platform use was higher during the light period than during the dark period. Broilers stayed longer on the platform in the dark period (dark: 01:54:23 [hh:mm:ss], light: 00:19:54 [hh:mm:ss]). In every phase of the fattening period, broilers on the platform were inactive to a high proportion (on average 80.60%). This indicates that broilers used the platform also for resting behavior. Thus, the elevated platform with perforated surface and manure belt is a suitable option to structure broiler barns. It allows the broilers to sit elevated and provides additional space. Factors such as a shallow ramp incline of 20°, wide ramps, and appropriate material used for the surface and ramps may have contributed to its high use by broilers of all ages. Further research is needed to evaluate the design of platforms that allow broilers to rest undisturbed.