Exact Time Research Articles

Investigation of the 2010 rock avalanche onto the regenerated glacier Brenndalsbreen, Norway

Rock avalanches onto glaciers are rare in Norway. Here, we examine a rock avalanche that spread onto the regenerated Brenndalsbreen, an outlet glacier from Jostedalsbreen ice cap. The rock avalanche is intriguing in that limited information exists with respect to the exact time of failure, location of detachment area, and preparatory and triggering processes. Based on an analysis of ice stratigraphy and photographic documentation, we assess that the event happened between mid-March and June 4, 2010. A potential triggering factor could have been heavy snow and rainfall combined with above freezing air temperatures on March 18–19, 2010. We use digital terrain models to determine that the detachment area is at an almost vertical rock slope in a narrow gorge above Lower Brenndalsbreen. The deposit volume is estimated to 0.130 ± 0.065 Mm3, and the H/L ratio and fahrböschung are 0.45 and 24°, respectively. We apply a Voellmy flow model to confirm the detachment location and volume estimate by producing realistic runout lengths. Although glacial debuttressing may have been a likely preparatory process, the detachment area was exposed for 45–70 years before the rock avalanche occurred. The supraglacial rock avalanche debris was separated into two branches with a distinct melt-out line across the glacier. The debris reached the glacier front in 2019 and 2020, where it started being deposited proglacially while Lower Brenndalsbreen kept receding. The 2010 Brenndalsbreen rock avalanche may not be a unique event, as deposits constituting evidence of an old rock avalanche are currently melting out at the glacier front.

The Impact of Voluntary Assisted Dying on Grief and Bereavement for Family Members and Carers in the Australian State of Victoria: A Qualitative Study

Prior to its introduction in Australia, many people opposed euthanasia—or voluntary assisted dying as it is known—because of its potentially detrimental impact on grief and bereavement outcomes for family members and carers. We examine the novel experiences of grief and bereavement of VAD for family members and carers who were going through, had gone through, or were contemplating VAD, juxtaposing the international literature on grief and bereavement. As such, 42 semistructured interviews with family members and carers were undertaken in the state of Victoria, which was the first jurisdiction to legislate in favour of VAD. Interviews explored many themes around end-of-life decision-making in order to ascertain the ways in which VAD helped or hindered grief and bereavement processes. A thematic analysis of the interview data was undertaken using QSR NVivo software. Four key themes were identified: values and meaning-making, expression of a continuing bond, anticipatory grief, and the burden of care associated with supporting loved ones going through VAD. These themes were juxtaposed with the key literature on grief and bereavement to demonstrate how VAD presents novel challenges for carers. We argue that while VAD deaths share similar characteristics to other deaths; in some respects, grief and bereavement outcomes for family members and carers are unique. For family members and carers helping a loved one go through VAD, they were able to derive a sense of meaning from fulfilling their wishes and striving for them to have a “good death”; they were able to maintain a bond with them through advocacy of VAD and unique rituals; and they were able to plan and prepare effectively by knowing the exact time of death. Family members and carers also noted that VAD presents some significant challenges for grief and bereavement, especially in terms of the impact of VAD on familial relationships and burdens associated with moral predicaments. Nonetheless, VAD was generally viewed positively by family members and carers, who expressed gratitude for mitigating their loved one’s suffering.

Hotspots and photon rings in spherically symmetric space–times

ABSTRACT Future black hole (BH) imaging observations are expected to resolve finer features corresponding to higher order images of hotspots and of the horizon-scale accretion flow. In spherical space–times, the image order is determined by the number of half-loops executed by the photons that form it. Consecutive-order images arrive approximately after a delay time of ≈π times the BH shadow radius. The fractional diameters, widths, and flux-densities of consecutive-order images are exponentially demagnified by the lensing Lyapunov exponent, a characteristic of the space–time. The appearance of a simple point-sized hotspot when located at fixed spatial locations or in motion on circular orbits is investigated. The exact time delay between the appearance of its zeroth and first-order images agrees with our analytic estimate, which accounts for the observer inclination, with $\lesssim 20~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ error for hotspots located about ≲ 5M from a Schwarzschild BH of mass M. Since M87⋆ and Sgr A⋆ host geometrically thick accretion flows, we also explore the variation in the diameters and widths of their first-order images with disc scale-height. Using a simple ‘conical torus’ model, for realistic morphologies, we estimate the first-order image diameter to deviate from that of the shadow by $\lesssim 30~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ and its width to be ≲ 1.3M. Finally, the error in recovering the Schwarzschild lensing exponent (π), when using the diameters or the widths of the first and second-order images is estimated to be $\lesssim 20~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$. It will soon become possible to robustly learn more about the space–time geometry of astrophysical BHs from such measurements.

Proposal of a New Control System Making Use of AI Tools to Predict a Ship’s Behaviour When Approaching the Synchronism Phenomenon

In spite of the IMO’s efforts to improve the safety of intact stability on ships, synchronous rolling still causes large rolling angles, resulting in a very dangerous situation on board. The implementation of automatic tools to predict this undesirable situation has not been widely implemented. Furthermore, the safety of ship stability is not the only responsibility of people involved in the design process, so ship operators must have enough knowledge to predict and avoid these dangerous situations well in advance. Therefore, from a theoretical point of view, in the first part, this paper aims to present a valuable guiding tool for ship operators in order to predict synchronous rolling and avoid undesirable situations on board by making use of only empirical observations of the wave profile and moments. With this purpose, mathematical models are first proposed, with the ship sailing in the worst condition, i.e., with and without considering the damping factor, at zero speed and considering the influence of any pure beam and trochoidal waves. Relevant results shown provide the exact time and wave profile at which the maximum rolling angles are reached. In the second part of the paper, a new control system making use of AI tools is proposed in order to be used by ship operators on board, avoiding dangerous situations. Finally, the results are validated using a set of ship rolling simulations for the most common and representative ship loading conditions and wave periods.

#2122 Dynamics of peritoneal transport and peritoneal dialysis outcomes

Abstract Background and Aims Volume overload is one of the most important factors associated with cardiovascular disease in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. On the other hand, the dynamics of peritoneal transport predicts important changes in the peritoneal membrane associated with local and systemic inflammation, which may be important for the progression of cardiovascular disease. The changes in free water transport (FWT) over time can characterize the development of peritoneal fibrosis. In a prospective study with retrospective historical control, the influence of the initial status and dynamics of peritoneal FWT on the outcomes of peritoneal dialysis, hard and surrogate cardiovascular outcomes was evaluated. Method According ISPD Recommendations (2021) the function of peritoneal membrane solute transfer was evaluated in classical PET in the exchange of 2 liters of 2.5% glucose solution with the calculation of the creatinine D/P4 ratio, which was used in the analysis as a continuous value (peritoneal solute transfer rate - PSTR), as well as categorized into high, medium-high, medium-low and low (H, HA, LA, L, respectively) levels of peritoneal transport. The mass transfer coefficient (MTAC) was also calculated. The ultrafiltration function of the membrane and its dynamics were evaluated by measuring the transport of water through small pores and free water through ultrapores, in double mini-PET (in two one-hour exchanges with solutions of 4.25% and 1.5% glucose). FWT is the calculated value; the primary measured value is the degree of reduction of sodium in the dialysis solution one hour after the start of the exchange (dipNa) formed as a result of electrolyte-free water transport through ultrapores (aquaporins), which dilutes dialysate. Results Table 1 shows the average values of peritoneal transport indicators at the beginning of follow-up and the annual changes calculated over the entire period of prospective follow-up for each patient. Major adverse cardiovascular events (Table 2) were recorded with a relatively low frequency, but significantly differed by incidence between the subgroups with high (H) and high-average (HA) peritoneal transport, on the one hand, and low-average (LA) and low(L), on the other: 0.626 ± 0.049 vs. 0.320 ± 0.042 events per year; p<0.001, (49% fewer events). Similarly, there was a significant difference in the MACE incidence between patients with slow and rapid decrease in free water transport (divided by the median of the rate of in free water transport decrease): 0.414 ± 0.044 vs. 0.510 ± 0.051 events per year; p < 0.001, (19% fewer events). The same calculations for nonfatal cardiovascular events showed a fewer incidence of 47.2% and 17.1%, respectively. Thus, patients with a high transport status (according to the PET test) and patients with a rapid decrease in water transport through aquaporins (indicating an increase in fibrotic changes in the peritoneal mesothelium), accompanied also by an increase in peritoneal permeability to solutes, including glucose, are at greater risk of progression of cardiovascular disease. Conclusion In addition to confirming the link between the initial status of peritoneal transport and the subsequent incidence of cardiovascular events, it would be interesting to confirm the influence of cardiovascular disease (as a proinflammatory condition and as a factor of volume overload, forcing the wider use of concentrated solutions which damage the peritoneum) on the progression of peritoneal fibrosis, but according to available materials it was not possible due to the limited number of patients in the study (especially – patients with repeated assessments of peritoneal transport after the cardiovascular events) and low frequency of peritoneal transport monitoring, on the one hand, and uncertainty in identifying the exact time of development of heart failure and the need for revascularization. Continued prospective observation would clarify these links.

The Awareness and Knowledge of Retinopathy of Prematurity Among Pediatricians in Saudi Arabia.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) affects premature low birth-weight infantswith potentially blinding complications. Early diagnosis and treatment for indicated cases are essential to prevent unfavorable effects of the disease. To determine the awareness and the level of knowledgeof ROPamong pediatricians inall regions of Saudi Arabia who worked at neonatal intensive care units. This was a cross-sectional study. This study was undertaken in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A semi-self-structured online questionnaire was designed to study the awareness and knowledge of ROP. The questionnaire contained items related to demographic data, participants' level of understanding and knowledge of ROP, and items related to hospital facilities, the availability of a trained ophthalmologist, and the source of knowledge. The awareness and knowledge of ROP among pediatricians of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study included 145 pediatricians. Awareness of ROP was found in 138 participants (95.2%). Seven participants(4.8%) were not aware ofROP and were excluded from further analysis. Of the participants, 116 (84.0%), 127 (92.0%), and 130 (94.3%) had knowledge about the stages, treatment, and precautions of treatment of ROP, respectively. Of the participants, 77 (55.8%), 63 (45.7%), 113 (81.9%), and 56 (40.6%) gave the correct answer about the indications of fundus examination, exact time of the first fundus examination, place of fundus examination, and minimum number of screening fundus examination for ROP, respectively. The awareness and knowledge of ROP among pediatricians of Saudi Arabia is good, butknowledge about the indications and proper time of first referral to an ophthalmologist should be improved.

Is the change deforestation? Using time-series analysis of satellite data to disentangle deforestation from other forest degradation causes

Protecting natural ecosystems requires monitoring approaches that work as early warning systems to avoid degradation and protect biodiversity. However, separating forest disturbance causes in change-detection pipelines is challenging due to the complex interplay of multiple drivers affecting vegetation. This study aims to detect deforestation in highly heterogeneous ecosystems. We used Landsat NDVI time-series data for testing three unsupervised change detection methods: (1) the non-parametric phenological anomaly detection (npphen), (2) the continuous change detection and classification (CCDC), and (3) the pruned exact linear time (PELT) algorithms. We used visual interpretation of Google Earth Pro high-resolution data (<10 m) to depict deforestation, and natural-induced changes, like forest browning and fires, evaluating the performance of the unsupervised methods. Additionally, a Random Forest model trained with the outputs from detection algorithms together with elevation and radar vegetation index data were utilised to depict deforestation in a second step. While PELT slightly outperformed other methods for tracking general vegetation changes, with overall accuracies (OA) ranging from 0.78 to 0.99, depending on the vegetation type, it also showed the slowest deforestation tracking response. CCDC presented the fastest response and an OA between 0.78 and 0.95. Additionally, we observed a mean OA of only 0.47 when separating deforestation from other changes using only the unsupervised models. On the other hand, deforestation was accurately detected (OA = 0.93; kappa = 0.83) when using CCDC outputs within a secondary supervised classification, agreeing with selected citizen-based complaints from the Environmental Superintendence. The relatively fast response in deforestation tracking using CCDC makes it a viable alternative for near real-time monitoring. Commonly used unsupervised detection methods may be coupled with supervised techniques to depict vegetation change sources robustly. This application constitutes a step forward for managing and monitoring vegetation areas in highly complex and dynamic landscapes, like Mediterranean ecosystems.

Smart and Intelligent Prayer System for Elderly Muslim with IoT

An assistive and monitoring prayer system has been designed to help elderly Muslims in performing their daily prayers. However, the system has several limitations in the aspect of efficiency, cost, size, complexity, security and usability. In this paper, several enhancements have been proposed to improve the existing smart prayer system including a better approach to retrieve exact prayer times, efficient way to retrieve current date/time, two different sensors used to detect the physical movements, smaller microcontroller with a built-in Wi-Fi module and the fabrication of PCB board. On the monitoring system, this project offers a more user’s friendly mobile application with several enhanced features. Reminder and authentication features are added to the mobile application for increased security and usability. The mobile application only allowed authorized or registered users to use the mobile application to view prayer performance of the elderly and send a prayer reminder to the elderly. The proposed system implements Internet of Things (IoT) technology, with a microcontroller communicating with the database through Wi-Fi, and data is modified before being displayed via the mobile application. Experimental testing shows a high level of support for the system's commercialization due to its ability to assist and monitor the elderly with their daily prayers. This new smart prayer system offers a more reliable assistive and monitoring system for elderly Muslim.

A Partial Maximum Likelihood Method to Estimate Cox Model for Competing Risk Data with Application

Many Research and clinical studies have addressed the occurrence of failure (death). As a result of other (external) factors, which may introduce additional risks that compete with the event under study. The resulting data refers to the complete data on Competing risks, which are affected by time differences. The exact times of occurrence of these risks are known, meaning the times of failure are observed for all observations with certainty. The impact of these risks on the hazard function is estimated based on the Cox proportional hazards model, which is estimated using the partial maximum likelihood method and numerical algorithms for parameter estimation. This includes the effect of variables on the Cox hazard function and the nonparametric part, estimated by assessing the effect of time on the hazard function using the Kaplan-Meier formula and calculating competing risks through the cumulative hazard function. These methods were applied to experimental data through large-scale simulations of different sizes and parameters and for several arithmetic means and standard deviations models. Moreover, applied to real data from a sample of 80 individuals with breast cancer. Analyzing the simulation results and real data revealed that the Downhill algorithm outperforms the Newton-Raphson algorithm in terms of estimation accuracy and efficiency, based on the statistical criterion for comparison, the root mean square error. In addition, competitive risks explained the effect of common variables in increasing competitive risks beyond the hazard function of the Cox model of the Newton-Raphson estimator. While it is converging to the hazard function of the Cox model for the Downhill estimator . Paper type: Research paper

Closed-Form Propagator of the Calogero Model.

We present a generalization of the Mehler kernel, providing the exact analytic time evolution of the Calogero model that describes bosons or fermions propagating on the real line with inverse-square two-body interactions and harmonic confinement. The key to our result is a simple relation between the exact propagator of the Calogero model and a Baker-Akhiezer function, together with explicit combinatorial formulas for the latter function.

Peculiarities of conducting investigative (search) actions during the investigation of the enforced disappearance of a person

The article outlines the tactical principles of conducting such investigative (search) actions: inspection (last known whereabouts of the victim, her place of residence, probable place of the incident, vehicle owned or used by the person, things and documents); interrogation (of witnesses); search.&#x0D; On the basis of studied criminal proceedings, taking into account the specifics of committing illegal acts related to the enforced disappearance of a person, such investigative (search) actions are divided according to the territorial principle, in particular, when: a person disappeared on the territory controlled by Ukraine; the person disappeared in the territory not controlled by Ukraine. The peculiarities of the tactics of conducting investigative (search) actions - examination, questioning of the applicant and other eyewitnesses about the sources of the reported information and the known circumstances of the person’s disappearance are highlighted.&#x0D; It has been established that the purpose of conducting an inspection of the scene of the incident during the investigation of the enforced disappearance of a person is to: identify and record material evidence, traces, objects that are important for criminal proceedings; verification of testimony of witnesses about the circumstances of a criminal offense; clarification of the situation and circumstances of the criminal offense under investigation. Also, an important investigative (search) action during the investigation of crimes based on the fact of the enforced disappearance of a person is the questioning of a witness. First of all, we are talking about the questioning as a witness of the applicant who reported the disappearance of the person. During the interrogation of the witnesses, it is necessary to find out all the circumstances of the event known to them: time, place of the crime; circumstances preceding the commission of the crime; identity of the victim and possible kidnappers; if these persons are unknown to them - signs of their appearance, etc. The exact time the person left the last place of stay, the possible direction and route of movement, mobile phone number and IMEI of the subscriber, data on registration in social networks and e-mail inbox are subject to establishment. The specifics of the relationship between the applicant and the victim are clarified.

Studying the Internal Wave Generation Mechanism in the Northern South China Sea Using Numerical Simulation, Synthetic Aperture Radar, and In Situ Measurements

The internal waves in the South China Sea are highly correlated with the tidal currents in the Luzon Strait, which makes it possible to establish an internal wave prediction model based on internal wave kinematics. However, the kinematic model requires the input of the exact location and time of the initial internal wave for which the generation mechanism of internal waves in the northern South China Sea must be well understood. By analyzing the internal wave field in the northern South China Sea (SCS) simulated using the MIT General Circulation Model (MITgcm) and observations from satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and mooring temperature–salinity–depth (TSD) chains, the source regions and propagation initiation times of internal waves are identified for three typical tidal phases, i.e., the diurnal-tide-dominated phase (DTP), transition tide phase (TTP), and semidiurnal-tide-dominated phase (STP). The generation procedures of Type A and Type B internal waves are discussed in detail with those data. The present study reveals that Type A and Type B waves are generated at the eastern and western ridges, respectively, and both commence their westward propagation at the peak of the eastward tidal flow. The dynamics of lee waves and the resonance effect with double ridges constitute the generation mechanisms of internal waves in the northern SCS. Combined with varying configurations of tidal conditions, topography, and stratification, the generation procedures of Type A and Type B waves in the DTP, TTP, and STP are elucidated with the generation mechanism in a unified and self-consistent way. In short, during DTP, weaker A waves alternate with weaker B waves each day; during TTP, strong A waves and strong B waves appear alternately every day; and there are two weak A waves per day during the STP. The generation mechanism can help in developing future empirical models for generating internal waves using tidal currents, topography, and stratification without requiring complex fluid dynamics calculations.

A photon source model for alpha-emitter radionuclides

Objective. A Monte Carlo virtual source model named PHID (photon from Ion decay) that generates photons emitted in the complex decay chain process of alpha-emitter radionuclides is proposed, typically for use during the simulation of SPECT image acquisition. Approach. Given an alpha-emitter radionuclide, the PHID model extracts from Geant4 databases the photon emission lines from all decaying daughters for both isometric transition and atomic relaxation processes. According to a given time range, abundances and activities in the decay chain are considered thanks to the Bateman equations, taking into account the decay rates and the initial abundances. Main results. PHID is evaluated by comparison with analog Monte Carlo simulation. It generates photons with the correct energy and temporal distribution, avoiding the costly simulation of the complete decay chain thus decreasing the computation time. The exact time gain depends on the simulation setup. As an example, it is 30× faster for simulating 1 MBq of 225Ac in water for 1 section Moreover, for 225Ac, PHID was also compared to a simplified source model with the two main photon emission lines (218 and 440 keV). PHID shows that 2 times more particles are simulated and 60% more counts are detected in the images. Significance. PHID can simulate any alpha-emitter radionuclide available in the Geant4 database. As a limitation, photons emitted from Bremsstrahlung are ignored, but they represent only 0.7% of the photons above 30 keV and are not significant for SPECT imaging. PHID is open-source, available in GATE 10, and eases the investigation of imaging photon emission from alpha emitters.

The Floor Is Lava: Halving Natural Genomes with Viaducts, Piers, and Pontoons.

Whole Genome Duplications (WGDs) are events that double the content and structure of a genome. In some organisms, multiple WGD events have been observed while loss of genetic material is a typical occurrence following a WGD event. The requirement of classic rearrangement models that every genetic marker has to occur exactly two times in a given problem instance, therefore, poses a serious restriction in this context. The Double-Cut and Join (DCJ) model is a simple and powerful model for the analysis of large structural rearrangements. After being extended to the DCJ-Indel model, capable of handling gains and losses of genetic material, research has shifted in recent years toward enabling it to handle natural genomes, for which no assumption about the distribution of markers has to be made. The traditional theoretical framework for studying WGD events is the Genome Halving Problem (GHP). While the GHP is solved for the DCJ model for genomes without losses, there are currently no exact algorithms utilizing the DCJ-Indel model that are able to handle natural genomes. In this work, we present a general view on the DCJ-Indel model that we apply to derive an exact polynomial time and space solution for the GHP on genomes with at most two genes per family before generalizing the problem to an integer linear program solution for natural genomes.

Microscopic state of BHs and an exact one body method for binary dynamics in general relativity

In gravitational collapses, the horizon and singularity’s realisation in the finite future of the proper time used co-moving observer happens in the future of infinitely far away future of the normal time used outside probe. To the latter the horizon and singularity defined in the singularity theorem are physical realities only in the sense of uncertainty principle and ensemble interpretation. We provide two exact time dependent solution families to the Einstein equation and show that they form a pair of complementary description for the microscopic state of black holes by showing that the Bekenstein–Hawking entropy formula follows properly from their canonical wave function’s degeneracy. We also develop an eXact One Body method for general relativity two-body dynamics whose conservative part calls no post newtonian approximation as input and applies to the full three stages of black hole binary merger events. By this method, we analytically calculate the gravitational wave forms following from such merger processes. In the case black holes carry exact and apriori horizon and singularity our wave forms agree with those following from conventional effective one body method but exhibit more consistent late time behaviour. In the case black holes carry only asymptotic horizon and extended inner structure thus experiencing banana shape deformation as the merger occurs, our wave forms exhibit all features especially the late time quasi-normal mode type oscillation seen in real observations.

A Deterministic Chaos-Model-Based Gaussian Noise Generator

The abilities of quantitative description of noise are restricted due to its origin, and only statistical and spectral analysis methods can be applied, while an exact time evolution cannot be defined or predicted. This emphasizes the challenges faced in many applications, including communication systems, where noise can play, on the one hand, a vital role in impacting the signal-to-noise ratio, but possesses, on the other hand, unique properties such as an infinite entropy (infinite information capacity), an exponentially decaying correlation function, and so on. Despite the deterministic nature of chaotic systems, the predictability of chaotic signals is limited for a short time window, putting them close to random noise. In this article, we propose and experimentally verify an approach to achieve Gaussian-distributed chaotic signals by processing the outputs of chaotic systems. The mathematical criterion on which the main idea of this study is based on is the central limit theorem, which states that the sum of a large number of independent random variables with similar variances approaches a Gaussian distribution. This study involves more than 40 mostly three-dimensional continuous-time chaotic systems (Chua’s, Lorenz’s, Sprott’s, memristor-based, etc.), whose output signals are analyzed according to criteria that encompass the probability density functions of the chaotic signal itself, its envelope, and its phase and statistical and entropy-based metrics such as skewness, kurtosis, and entropy power. We found that two chaotic signals of Chua’s and Lorenz’s systems exhibited superior performance across the chosen metrics. Furthermore, our focus extended to determining the minimum number of independent chaotic signals necessary to yield a Gaussian-distributed combined signal. Thus, a statistical-characteristic-based algorithm, which includes a series of tests, was developed for a Gaussian-like signal assessment. Following the algorithm, the analytic and experimental results indicate that the sum of at least three non-Gaussian chaotic signals closely approximates a Gaussian distribution. This allows for the generation of reproducible Gaussian-distributed deterministic chaos by modeling simple chaotic systems.

A visceral organ function-focused therapeutic strategy using a 6-hour time window for patients with acute type a aortic dissection complicated by mesenteric malperfusion

BackgroundAcute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) complicated by mesenteric malperfusion is a critical and complicated condition. The optimal treatment strategy remains controversial, debate exists as to whether aortic dissection or mesenteric malperfusion should be addressed first, and the exact time window for mesenteric ischemia intervention is still unclear. To solve this problem, we developed a new concept based on the pathophysiological mechanism of mesenteric ischemia, using a 6-hour time window to divide newly admitted patients by the time from onset to admission, applying different treatment protocols to improve the clinical outcomes of patients with ATAAD complicated by mesenteric malperfusion.MethodsThis was a retrospective study that covered a five-year period. From July 2018 to December 2020(phase I), all patients underwent emergency open surgery. From January 2021 to June 2023(phase II), patients with an onset within 6 h all underwent open surgical repair, followed by immediately postoperative examination if the malperfusion is suspected, while the restoration of mesenteric perfusion and visceral organ function was performed first, followed by open repair, in patients with an onset beyond 6 h.ResultsThere were no significant differences in baseline and surgical data. In phase I, eleven patients with mesenteric malperfusion underwent open surgery, while in phase II, our novel strategy was applied, with sixteen patients with an onset greater than 6 h and eleven patients with an onset less than 6 h. During the waiting period, none died of aortic rupture, but four patients died of organ failure, twelve patients had organ function improvement and underwent surgery successfully survived. The overall mortality rate decreased with the use of this novel strategy (54.55% vs. 18.52%, p = 0.047). Furthermore, the surgical mortality rate between the two periods showed even stronger statistical significance (54.55% vs. 4.35%, p = 0.022). Moreover, the proportions of patients with sepsis and multiorgan failure also showed differences.ConclusionsOur novel strategy for patients with ATAAD complicated by mesenteric malperfusion not only improves the surgical success rate but also reduces the overall mortality rate.

China's vegetation restoration programs accelerated vegetation greening on the Loess Plateau

The vegetation greening on the Loess Plateau, China, over recent decades, has been primarily driven by a series of vegetation restoration programs (VRPs) and other natural environmental changes (including climate change, rising atmospheric CO2 concentration, and nitrogen deposition, etc.). However, accurate determination of the contributions of natural environmental change and the VRPs to this greening has been challenging due to the lack of the exact time of policy implementation in different areas. Herein, we extracted the starting time of greening (SOG) from different sources of remote sensing data and used it as the starting time of the VRPs. Then, we employed a difference-in-differences (DID) method to ascertain the relative contributions of the VRPs on the observed vegetation greening. Results showed that the contribution of the VRPs to vegetation greening on the Loess Plateau was 23.8–35.8 %, with a greater contribution potentially originating from natural environmental factors. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the complex relationships among vegetation restoration policies and climate change, and offer a platform to quantify the climate effects on vegetation greening.

Action initiation and action inhibition follow the same time course when compared under matched experimental conditions.

The ability to initiate an action quickly when needed and the ability to cancel an impending action are both fundamental to action control. It is often presumed that they are qualitatively distinct processes, yet they have largely been studied in isolation and little is known about how they relate to one another. Comparing previous experimental results shows a similar time course for response initiation and response inhibition. However, the exact time course varies widely depending on experimental conditions, including the frequency of different trial types and the urgency to respond. For example, in the stop-signal task, where both action initiation and action inhibition are involved and could be compared, action inhibition is typically found to be much faster. However, this apparent difference is likely due to there being much greater urgency to inhibit an action than to initiate one in order to avoid failing at the task. This asymmetry in the urgency between action initiation and action inhibition makes it impossible to compare their relative time courses in a single task. Here, we demonstrate that when action initiation and action inhibition are measured separately under conditions that are matched as closely as possible, their speeds are not distinguishable and are positively correlated across participants. Our results raise the possibility that action initiation and action inhibition may not necessarily be qualitatively distinct processes but may instead reflect complementary outcomes of a single decision process determining whether or not to act.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The time courses of initiating an action and canceling an action have largely been studied in isolation, and little is known about their relationship. Here, we show that when measured under comparable conditions the speeds of action initiation and action inhibition are the same. This finding raises the possibility that these two functions may be more closely related than previously assumed, with potentially important implications for their underlying neural basis.

Development of the Algorithm to Estimate the Accident Risk for Coastal Ferry by Analysis of Lashed Trailer Accelerations

Coastal ferry has the main purpose to transport cargo such as vehicles and trailers, as well as to transport passengers. For safe cargo transportation, the cargo securing safety of coastal ferry must be ensured to prevent the maritime accident. However, the standards for the cargo securing safety are not properly presented as the rules for coastal ferry in accordance with actual operations. Therefore, coastal ferry is exposed to the risk of accidents due to not sufficient standards for the cargo securing safety. In this study, the accident of coastal ferry that occurred in Korea and Japan are analyzed from the perspective of cargo securing safety. First, the wave conditions at the time of the accident were reproduced using a wave simulation model. The reproduced wave spectrum was applied to the ship motion models to estimate rolling and pitching of the coastal ferry. Finally, the acceleration of the trailer loaded on the ferry was calculated based on the ship motions. The simulated results were compared and evaluated with the standard value of IMO's Cargo Securing Manual. As a result, the exact accident time was predicted, and the wave height and ship motions were additionally presented as evaluation criteria for cargo securing safety. The results of this study are expected to improve the safety standards of coastal ferry and could reduce the maritime accident cause by the insufficient cargo securing.