Gradual Adjustment Research Articles

Numb family proteins play roles in Desmin and Vimentin localization at the Z-disc.

Desmin and Vimentin are major intermediate filaments at the Z-disc and play significant roles in sarcomere architecture and signaling transduction. Abnormal expression of sarcomeric Desmin and Vimentin (SDV) results in severe dysfunctions of striated muscles. In this study, it was found that paired Numb family proteins (NFPs), including Numb and its homolog Numblike, determined the range for the recruitment of SDV to the primitive Z-disc. Notably, NFPs were identified as SDV associated proteins and bound to the head, rod, and tail domains of SDV in a splicing-variant-dependent manner. Last, the construction and consolidation of the Z-disc was completed through the gradual adjustment of the position of SDV by clockwise/anticlockwise rotation of paired NFPs to 90° in the same direction. Conditional knockout of NFPs altered the arrangement and accumulated the expression level of SDV. This study further enriches the functions of NFPs in sarcomere assembly and maintenance through cooperation with SDV.

The desire path: unleashing expectations, discussing apprehensions, and proposing a way forward for GAI use in higher education

Purpose The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the desire path of using GAI in higher education, including expectations, apprehensions, and the way forward. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study employs thematic analysis, scrutinizing 11 interviews with innovative higher education faculty. The methodology section details the utilization of GAI (Chat GPT) for conducting thematic analysis on interviews, showcasing academics' practical application of this technology for research purposes. Findings Stakeholders expect continuous improvement in technology, overdependence, advocate for gradual adjustment, and emphasize context-dependent technology utilization. Concerns encompass issues such as data reliability, ethical considerations, risks of undermining fundamental aspects, limitations in fully replacing human involvement, and worries about personal responsibility. Practical implications Recommendations include flexible regulations, data-driven decision-making, professional development, diverse stakeholder engagement, and promoting distributed responsibility. Originality/value This study offers valuable insights into the use of GAI in higher education, formulating policies that encourage innovation without hampering effectiveness.

Assessing the impacts of fertility and retirement policies on China’s carbon emissions

The gradual adjustment of fertility and retirement policies in China has social benefits in terms of coping with population aging. However, the environmental consequences of these policies remain ambiguous. Here we compile environmentally extended multiregional input–output tables to estimate household carbon footprints for different population age groups in China. Subsequently, we estimate the age-sex-specific population under different fertility policies up to 2060 and assess the impacts of fertility and retirement policies on household carbon footprints. We find that Chinese young people have relatively higher household carbon footprints than their older counterparts due to differences in income by age group. Relaxing fertility policies and delaying retirement age are associated with an increase in population (and labour supply) and thus increases in household carbon footprints, with the majority of these increases from the fertility side. These results may help policymakers understand interactions among those measures targeting population aging and climate action.

Breaking gender-segregated dormitories: constructing a sustainable development space

The establishment of an atmosphere characterized by gender equality and the provision of a safe and inclusive public space are fundamental objectives for advancing the sustainable coexistence of diverse gender groups. This study specifically examines the two primary challenges associated with transforming university dormitories in Taiwan, where most male and female students reside separately, into gender-inclusive housing (GIH). These challenges include assessing factors that influence students’ willingness to reside in GIH and exploring the compromises made by institutional managers during the spatial transformation process. Utilizing the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this research employs a questionnaire survey methodology to gather insights into students’ perspectives regarding implementing GIH. The findings indicate that factors such as transgender literacy, attitudes toward GIH, subjective norms related to GIH, and perceived behavioral control regarding GIH significantly influence students’ willingness to live in such accommodations. Notably, the willingness to accept GIH was found to be higher among male students compared to their female counterparts. The gradual adjustment of GIH construction is deemed feasible. This paper demonstrates that modifying the campus living environment can facilitate students’ ability to communicate normally across multiple genders, thereby enhancing the feasibility of gender-related discussions within these spaces.

Discretion and Obligation Across Volunteering and Caring: Shining Light on Non-Voluntary Carers in the Retiring Encore Segment

This paper seeks to understand pathways into volunteering in the encore life stage and contribute to policy interventions. There is a need for more clarity regarding the delineation of formal volunteering from informal volunteering and from adult kin-caring. A sample of 4,464 respondents from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey was analysed using a set of logistic regressions, to explore three frames of volunteering —substitution (of former work time), complementary focus (gradual adjustment to less paid work or other change in personal circumstance), and obligation (compulsion to provide care or unpaid labour). Results indicate that formal volunteering was largely discretionary and a result of substitution, that informal volunteering, particularly caring for children, was complementary and partly obligatory, and the area of greatest potential policy intervention, adult kin caring was found to be largely obligatory.

Gradient High-Q Dielectric Metasurfaces for Broadband Sensing and Control of Vibrational Light-Matter Coupling.

Surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRA) has emerged as a powerful technique for ultrasensitive chemical-specific analysis. SEIRA can be realized by employing metasurfaces that can enhance light-matter interactions in the spectral bands of molecular vibrations. Increasing sample complexity emphasizes the need for metasurfaces that can operate simultaneously at different spectral bands, both accessing rich spectral information over a broad band, and resolving subtle differences in the absorption fingerprints through narrow-band resonances. Here, a novel concept of resonance-gradient metasurfaces is introduced, where the required spectral selectivity is achieved via local high-quality-factor (high-Q) resonances, while the continuous coverage of a broad band is enabled by the gradual adjustment of the unit-cell dimensions along the planar structure. The highly tailorable design of the gradient metasurfaces provides flexibility for shaping the spectral sampling density to match the relevant bands of target analytes while keeping a compact device footprint. The versatility of the gradient metasurfaces is demonstrated through several sensing scenarios, including polymer mixture deconvolution, detecting a multistep bioassay, and identification of the onset of vibrational strong coupling regime. The proposed gradient-resonance platform significantly contributes to the rapidly evolving landscape of nonlocal metasurfaces, enabling applications in molecular detection and analysis of fundamental light-matter interaction phenomena.

New technology, psychiatry, and the law: Panic, prudence, possibility

Throughout human history, all new technology has been met with surprise, anxiety, panic, and – eventually – prudent adoption of certain aspects of specific technological advances. This pattern is evident in the histories of most technologies, ranging from steam power in the nineteenth century, to television in the twentieth century, and – now – ‘artificial intelligence’ (AI) in the twenty-first century. Each generation believes that the technological advances of its era are quantitatively and qualitatively different to those of previous generations, but the underlying phenomenon is the same: the shock of the new, followed by more gradual adjustment to (and of) new technology. These concerns are apparent today in relation to AI, which reflects interesting but incremental advances on existing technologies, rather than stand-alone developments. The usual concerns with all technologies (e.g., that they will replace certain aspects of human function) are, perhaps, more concerning in fields such as mental capacity law, which often applies to people with impaired decision-making capacity who might be especially vulnerable to technologies which appear capable of encroaching disproportionately on decision-making or other areas of core human function. This paper approaches this topic from an historical standpoint, noting both previous technological panics in the past and the possibilities offered by AI today, provided it is approached in a proportionate, prudent, and person-centered way, underpinned by appropriate ethical guidance and active ethical awareness in clinical and legal practice.

The Change of Public Health Emergency Policy in China: Course, Logic, and Prospect

With the frequent occurrence of various public health events, systematic analysis of public health emergency policies is urgently needed. Based on the historical institutional framework, it can be found that China's public health emergency policy has experienced four stages: slow start, rapid development, gradual adjustment and comprehensive improvement since the founding of the People's Republic of China. From the perspective of deep structure, economic level, social governance concept and scientific and technological development affect the evolution of public health emergency policy; From the perspective of path dependence, the policy is strengthened by increasing returns. From the perspective of dynamic mechanism, the interaction between key nodes and policy stakeholders promotes policy development. In the new era, the future development of China's public health emergency policy should grasp the key nodes of institutional change, enrich the policy system, improve the social participation mechanism, and encourage emergency technical innovation, and then realize the comprehensive improvement of China's public health emergency response capacity.

Glass eels at the continental edge of Europe: revisiting catchment recruitment at the international River Minho/Miño

The glass eel catch from the international River Minho, western Iberian Peninsula, forms the southernmost Atlantic series in the composite index outside the North Sea assessing European eel recruitment. Here, new experimental yield data from the lower estuary (1981–2022) and fishers´ daily records (1990–2022) were modelled to describe and compare seasonal and interannual trends. Seasonality matched river discharge climatology, possibly a more general feature in the southern range of the species distribution, with the difference between high and low season becoming less marked in recent periods of lower abundance. Glass eel yield showed a sharp decline during the 1980s, in line with the recruitment index outside the North Sea and with total Minho catch, but not with recent local estimates of catch per unit effort. This decline is corroborated by trends in fishers´ daily records, suggesting that the reduction in effort in the Minho was the consequence of a gradual adjustment to recruitment in the catchment mediated by progressively tighter local management measures. The inefficiency of fisheries regulatory measures to guarantee stock recovery alone calls for more comprehensive measures to reverse anthropogenic impacts on continental eel populations, but the task seems Herculean.

Reakcije ulagača na objave tromjesečne dobiti na Zagrebačkoj burzi

This study investigates the investors’ reactions to the publication ofquarterly earnings for companies at the Zagreb Stock Exchange. The empiricalresearch based on the event study and 409 firm-year observationsconfirms that investors react to the publication of quarterly earnings, whilethe Friedman test indicates that the reactions are most frequent for earningsannouncements from the second quarter (Q2). The occurrence of abnormalstandardized returns on announcement day suggests that the efficient markethypothesis in semi-strong form does not hold for the Croatian capital market.Moreover, there is evidence of gradual price adjustment after announcementday. Longitudinal analysis in the period 2010-2022 indicated that investors’reactions are stable and that there is no trend of growth or decline in standardizedabnormal returns. The estimated pool regression model revealedthat several firm characteristics influence the information content of quarterly earnings. The earnings surprise variable positively affects standardizedabnormal returns, while firm size and reporting of losses variables negativelyaffect standardized abnormal returns. The results of the study confirm tocapital market regulators the practical benefits of quarterly financial reporting,to firms that they can use quarterly financial reports to reduce informationasymmetry and to investors that after the quarterly earnings publicationthere is the possibility of achieving abnormal returns. The limitation of thisstudy is relatively small sample in comparison with similar studies. Findingsabout slow price adjustment after the day of earnings release might be challengedby the occurrence of other price-sensitive information. Some futureresearch might improve findings by use of additional independent variables,like management analysis and analyst forecast, which could shed new lighton the quarterly earnings information content at ZSE.

Gate recurrent unit network combines with Adaboost algorithm to classify fluid types by well logging parameters

Given the diverse range of fluid types in reservoirs, their frequent alternation, and complex composition, traditional methods exhibit low accuracy in identifying these types. To address this, we introduce machine learning techniques to predict fluid types by extracting logging data. However, a single Gate Recurrent Unit (GRU) network is insufficient to meet the demands of fluid type prediction. Therefore, we propose a method that combines the GRU network with the Adaboost algorithm, referred to as GRU-Adaboost. The GRU-Adaboost model effectively combines multiple weak classifiers into a more powerful classifier through iterative training and gradual adjustment of sample weights. By using a voting strategy to synthesize the predictions of individual classifiers, the impact of errors from each classifier can be reduced. Compared with traditional GRU networks and Long Short-Term Memory models, the proposed GRU-Adaboost model shows improved accuracy. To validate the feasibility of our method, we apply the proposed algorithm to three wells. Experimental results confirm that the prediction performance of GRU-Adaboost surpasses that of other models.

Croatian land acquisition rules after the expiry of the EU moratorium

The aim of this article is to present the harmonization of the Republic of Croatia in connection with its land acquisition rules. This paper presents the gradual adjustment of Croatian land acquisition rules to EU laws and the final results of the process upon the expiry of the EU moratorium on the acquisition of agricultural land. The paper aims to analyse how the accession to the EU has impacted the development of Croatian land acquisition rules, the development of legal transactions of real property, and the entire economic development of the country.

Effect of gradual adjustment of surgical position in prevention of complications of thyroid surgery

Effect of gradual adjustment of surgical position in prevention of complications of thyroid surgery

Nascent myoma as a cause of urinary retention.

We present the case of a 47-year-old woman with a bulky, nascent necrotic myoma, which at first glance appeared to be a malignant process in the cervix. It caused significant retention of urine due to compression of the bladder and ureters, hydronephrosis and deterioration of renal function. A fully developed picture of the "bulge syndrome" dominated - lymphedema of the lower limbs and lower abdomen, pain in the lower abdomen, constipation, secondary secondary urinary infection, and paradoxical ischuria. During a gynecological examination in a specula, a strong-smelling, necrotic tumour was visualized reaching half of the vagina, which was causing a bloody discharge, which brought the patient to the examination. A biopsy was taken from the tumour. A permanent urinary catheter was inserted into the urinary bladder with gradual adjustment of renal functions. Due to the difficulties and the benign histological findings from the biopsy, a simple abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingectomy from a lower midline incision was indicated. The operation was complicated by an extensive adhesive process and blood loss of 1,200 mL, with a decrease in hemoglobin in the blood count from 128 g/L to 79 g/L and the need for three blood transfusions. In the postoperative period, there is a prompt recovery of spontaneous micturition with normalization of bladder function, subsidence of lymphedema and subjective complaints of the patient.

Adjustment Speed of the Capital Structure in the Telecommunication Industry in Indonesia Year 2013-2018

In 2013, telecommunications companies in Indonesia relied significantly on debt loans as a source of funding, with an average capital structure of -11.51%. The highest increase was observed in 2015, reaching an impressive 99.20%. Given this fluctuation, it becomes imperative to conduct research focusing on the adjustment speed of the capital structure in telecommunications companies during the period from 2013 to 2018. The research findings indicate varying rates of adjustment in capital structure, particularly in terms of Debt Equity Ratio (DER). The fastest adjustment was seen in XL Axiata at -19.14% and Indosat at -1.62%, while Telkom Indonesia exhibited a slower adjustment rate at 36.72%, and Smartfren Telecom had the slowest adjustment at 51.96%. Similarly, when considering the Debt Asset Ratio (DAR), XL Axiata displayed the swiftest adjustment at -17.63%, followed by Telkom Indonesia at -9.05%, and Indosat at -3.11%. In contrast, Smartfren Telecom had the most gradual adjustment, with a notable value of 71.70%. These findings underscore the dynamic nature of capital structure in the Indonesian telecommunications sector during the specified period. The varying speeds of adjustment in debt ratios reflect the strategic financial decisions made by these companies in response to market conditions and internal factors. Further analysis is essential to comprehend the factors influencing these diverse adjustment rates and their implications for the industry's financial stability.

Energy shocks and bank efficiency in emerging economies

Geopolitical conflicts often result in commodity price increases and supply-chain disruptions to the global economy. A recent example of the Russia-Ukraine War caused a significant increase in energy prices, resulting in a prospect of recession in the European Union countries and slow economic growth worldwide. This paper examines how energy shocks affect banks, which are an important intermediary for financial stability and economic growth. We extend the existing literature, which used oil prices as the proxy for energy shocks. Given that oil accounts for decreasing share of global primary energy, we instead used energy prices, consisting of oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear energy, hydroelectricity, and renewables, as the proxy for energy shocks. We measure banks' operational and investment efficiency using data envelopment analysis (DEA) and applied fixed effect, random effect, dynamic OLS, fully modified OLS, and dynamic panel generalized method of moments (GMM) models. Based on the data of 48 banks in seven emerging economies from 2001 to 2020, we find that energy shocks decrease banks' operational and investment efficiency, even after controlling for macroeconomic factors. This paper provides evidence of the direct effect of energy shocks on bank efficiency, extending the previous knowledge that oil shocks affect bank performance only indirectly, making a theoretical contribution to our understanding of energy shocks and bank performance. The findings are also important for policymakers in emerging economies to achieve steady economic growth and financial stability. Countries can limit the impact of energy shocks on bank efficiency by using hedging and gradual adjustment of interest rates.

Evolution of the dynamics of Airdrop Glacier, western Axel Heiberg Island, over a seven-decade-long advance

Various remotely sensed data, including historical aerial photographs, declassified intelligence satellite photographs, optical satellite imagery, and synthetic aperture radar data, were used to undertake the first comprehensive reconstruction of the dynamics of Airdrop Glacier on Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut. Observations show a continuous terminus advance totalling ∼6 km since 1950 and notably less variability in its surface velocities in comparison to adjacent Iceberg Glacier. This advance is concurrent with relatively high flow rates over its entire surface, resulting in significant thickening near the terminus and thinning at higher elevations. Velocities have more than halved from the mid-2000s to 2021, but without any definitive evidence of previous flow instabilities, we cannot confirm whether Airdrop's behaviour is cyclic in nature and therefore characteristic of a surge. Instead, Airdrop Glacier could be experiencing a delayed response to the positive mass balance conditions of the Little Ice Age, which could also explain the advance of other nearby glaciers. Its recent slowdown could then be indicative of a gradual adjustment to recent climatic conditions. This study highlights the need for comprehensive studies of glacier dynamics in the Canadian Arctic to improve our understanding of the factors triggering dynamic instabilities and causing the observed variety of behaviours.

An orthotropic continuum model with substructure evolution for describing bone remodeling: an interpretation of the primary mechanism behind Wolff's law.

We propose a variational approach that employs a generalized principle of virtual work to estimate both the mechanical response and the changes in living bone tissue during the remodeling process. This approach provides an explanation for the adaptive regulation of the bone substructure in the context of orthotropic material symmetry. We specifically focus upon the crucial gradual adjustment of bone tissue as a structural material that adapts its mechanical features, such as materials stiffnesses and microstructure, in response to the evolving loading conditions. We postulate that the evolution process relies on a feedback mechanism involving multiple stimulus signals. The mechanical and remodeling behavior of bone tissue is clearly a complex process that is difficult to describe within the framework of classical continuum theories. For this reason, a generalized continuum elastic theory is employed as a proper mathematical context for an adequate description of the examined phenomenon. To simplify the investigation, we considered a two-dimensional problem. Numerical simulations have been performed to illustrate bone evolution in a few significant cases: the bending of a rectangular cantilever plate and a three-point flexure test. The results are encouraging because they can replicate the optimization process observed in bone remodeling. The proposed model provides a likely distribution of stiffnesses and accurately represents the arrangement of trabeculae macroscopically described by the orthotropic symmetry directions, as supported by experimental evidence from the trajectorial theory.

“A proof of life” through transition from hospital to home after a stroke in a Portuguese setting - a multi-perspective, longitudinal qualitative study

ABSTRACT Purpose The impact of a stroke is particularly evident during the transition home, with reported unmet needs. However, little is known about post-stroke adaptation in Portugal. This study aimed to understand how Portuguese people with stroke and their informal carers/family adapt over time, and how health professionals support their adaptation. Methods A multi-perspective, longitudinal qualitative study was conducted using in-depth semi-structured interviews one and six months after inpatient discharge. A purposive sample of 24 participants (8 triads) participated. Thematic and narrative analysis strategies were used. Results Three themes were identified: Managing change over time; Balancing support over time; Changing priorities. These suggest the importance of time and gradual adjustment of health professionals’ approach throughout the rehabilitation process tailored to people with stroke’ and carers’ needs. Both valued positive thoughts and support from others to adjust life goals and find a balance between a mutual/bidirectional support and time for themselves. Conclusions Findings show that the manner in which changes after a stroke are approached may be positively transformed to provide strength. As a result of the deeper understanding gained from this study, health professionals may be better placed to acknowledge the needs of people with stroke and carers and find effective ways of supporting them.

Method of measurement of partial capacitances for tested objects with three electrodes

The article is devoted to the development of a method of measuring partial capacitances between the electrically conductive structural elements of a capacitive tested object with three electrodes. The developed method involves the applying of resistive-capacitive grounding of the investigated insulation layer with subsequent gradual adjustment of the value of the auxiliary resistor, through which the investigated insulation layer is grounded, to the value at which the phase shift between the voltage on the investigated insulation layer and the auxiliary capacity will be equal to 0º. The results of the calculations showed that in this case the voltage between the electrodes depends only on the capacitive elements of the circuit, and does not depend on the electrical resistance caused by dielectric losses. After measuring the voltages on the elements of the substitution scheme followed by similar re-adjustment of the value of the auxiliary resistor, for a different value of the capacity of the auxiliary capacitor, it is possible to form a system of equations, the solution of which allows you to determine the unknown values of the partial capacities of the insulation layers. The developed method can be used to determine each partial capacitance of the object of control with three electrodes and does not require the use of 3-terminal immittance meters and the use of application-based cumulative measurement survey techniques