Laboratory-based Experiments Research Articles

Multi-cultural perception of impact sound -- An international online listening survey about the perceived annoyance due to impact sounds

To support the introduction of requirements for protection from impact noise in the National Building Code of Canada, the National Research Council of Canada implemented pilot subjective evaluations of impact sounds to evaluate the best metric to be used in the Code. As an alternative to the typical laboratory-based listening experiments, online-based listening tests were used. The ability to collect data with an online survey allows to reach the general public much more than with any laboratory-based experiment, and it was especially relevant in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced researchers to re-evaluate in-person procedures. This online listening survey was published for world-wide access, enabling data collection across a diverse target audience in many parts of the world. The survey and its preliminary results are presented and discussed in this paper. Data collected as part of the online survey, such as the person's country of residence and the type of dwelling they lived in, is used to explore the multicultural effects on the annoyance ratings.

Design and development of a continuous water quality monitoring buoy for health monitoring of river Ganga

Real-time monitoring of water quality in the river Ganga and other Indian rivers is crucial to determining its suitability for drinking and other usages across the seasons and round the clock. For this, a structurally strong and hydrostatically stable floating observation center is required to house all the sensors and related equipment. This paper explains the design process for such a buoy platform that can house an array of water quality sensors powered by hybrid energy harvesting systems. Sensors are connected to a wireless sensor network (WSN) system that transfers data to a web-based platform, where we can monitor and analyze our data for the purpose of hazard prediction. Computational analysis has been carried out for the observatory body to ascertain its structural integrity and hydrostatic stability at small and large angles of inclination. The buoy design is based on various requirements specific to Indian rivers at different locations from the mid-course to the confluence. It is important that the system be modular and portable for use in a constantly changing river/water environment. A full-scale functional prototype has been developed, and field testing has been carried out to bring out the efficacy of the proposed system. Also, the WSN system collected real-time water quality data that have been validated with laboratory-based experiments. The establishment of a network of low-cost river/water health monitoring system will further initiate the large-scale data collection and help create digital twins of the Indian rivers.

Seasonal iron fluxes and iron cycling in sandy bioirrigated sediments

Permeable sediments, which represent more than 50% of the continental shelves, have been largely neglected as a potential source of Fe in current global estimates of benthic dissolved iron (Fed) fluxes. There are open questions regarding the effects of a range of factors on Fed fluxes from these deposits, including seasonal dynamics and the role of bioirrigation. To address these gaps, we performed laboratory-based sediment incubation experiments with muddy sands during summer (21 °C) and winter (7 °C). We used bioirrigation mimics to inject overlying water into the permeable sediment with patterns resembling the bioirrigation activity of the prolific bioturbating polychaete, Clymenella torquata. Newly developed in-line Fe accumulators were used to estimate Fe fluxes with a recirculating set-up. We found high Fed fluxes from sandy sediments, especially in benthic chambers with simulated bioirrigation. In the winter fluxes reached >200 µmol Fed m-2 d-1 at the onset of irrigation and then decreased over the course of a 13-day experiment while in the summer fluxes from irrigated sediments reached >100 µmol Fed m-2 d-1 and remained high throughout a 7-day experiment. Despite different geochemical expressions of Fe-S cycling and resulting porewater Fed concentrations in winter and summer, large Fed fluxes were sustained during both seasons. Solid-phase and porewater concentration profiles showed that maximum concentrations of key constituents, including total solid-phase reactive Fe, and porewater Fed and ammonium, were located closer to the sediment water interface (SWI) in irrigated cores than in non-irrigated cores due to the upward advective transport of dissolved porewater constituents. This upward transport also facilitated Fed fluxes out of the sediments, especially during times of active pumping. Our study demonstrates the potential for large Fed fluxes from sandy sediments in both summer and winter, despite relatively low standing stocks of labile organic matter and porewater Fed. The primary driver of these high fluxes was advective porewater transport, in our study induced by the activity of infaunal organisms. These results suggest that permeable sediments, which dominate shelf regions, must be explicitly considered in global estimates of benthic Fed fluxes, and cannot be simply extrapolated from estimates based on muddy sediments.

Distress tolerance, coping motives, and alcohol craving and consumption: Two experiments testing momentary responses to a mood induction

BackgroundThe current studies examined the relationship between state and trait distress tolerance (DT), drinking-related variables (alcohol craving and consumption), and the moderating role of drinking to cope with negative affect (i.e., coping motives). MethodsStudy 1 was a laboratory-based experiment. Participants (n=71) completed measures of trait DT, craving, coping motives, and affect valence prior to a negative mood induction task. Post-mood induction, participants completed measures of affect valence, alcohol craving, and state DT. Next, participants completed an alcohol taste task, measuring alcohol consumption. Study 2 was completed online. Participants (n=592) completed the same pre- and post-mood induction measures as study 1, but were randomized to a mood condition (neutral, negative, or positive). Study 2 did not include alcohol consumption. ResultsNegative mood induction lowered reported affect in both studies. In study 1, higher coping motives predicted increased craving in response to negative mood induction but state and trait DT did not predict craving change alone. Contrary to our hypothesis, individuals with higher coping motives showed a positive relationship between trait DT and craving. Analyses predicting alcohol consumption were not significant. In study 2, lower trait DT predicted post-mood induction craving prior to inclusion of interactions in the model. Higher coping motives were the strongest and most consistent predictor of craving. Other predictors (state DT, mood condition) and interaction terms were not significant. ConclusionsFindings broadly align with previous research suggesting that coping motives are predictive of craving and indicate that trait DT may also impact craving.

THE EFFECT OF CHRONOLOGICAL AGE AND GENDER AND DIFFERENT SOURCE OF TISSUE ON THE IN VITRO PROPERTIES OF MESENCHYMAL STROMAL CELLS

AbstractObjectivesOsteoarthritis is a common articular cartilage disorder and causes a significant global disease burden. Articular cartilage has a limited capacity of repair and there is increasing interest in the use of cell-based therapies to facilitate repair including the use of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs). There is some evidence in the literature that suggests that advancing age and gender is associated with declining MSC function, including reduced proliferation and differentiation potential, and greater cellular apoptosis. In our study, we first performed a systematic review of the literature to determine the effects of chronological age and gender on the in vitro properties of MSCs, and then performed a laboratory study to investigate these properties.Methods and ResultsWe initially conducted a PRISMA systematic review of the literature to review the evidence base for the effects of chronological age and gender on the in vitro properties of MSCs including cell numbers, expansion, cell surface characterization and differentiation potential. This was followed by laboratory-based experiments to assess these properties. Compare the extent of the effect of age on MSC cell marker expression, proliferation and pathways. Tissue from patients undergoing total knee replacement surgery was used to isolate MSCs from the synovium, fat pad and bone fragments using a method developed in our laboratory. The growth kinetics was determined by calculating the population doublings per day. Following expansion in culture, MSCs at P2 were characterised for a panel of cell surface markers using flow cytometry. The cells were positive for CD73, CD90 and CD105, and negative for antibody cocktail (eg included CD34, CD45). The differentiation potential of the MSCs was assessed through tri-lineage differentiation assays. At P2 after extracting RNA, we investigate the gene analysis using Bulk seq. Clear differences between the younger and older patients and gender were indicated.ConclusionsChronological age and gender-related changes in MSC function have important implications on the use of these cells in clinical applications for an ageing population. The results from this study will be used to plan further work looking at the effects of chronological age and gender on cellular senescence and identify pathways that could be targeted to potentially reverse any age and gender-related changes.Declaration of Interest(b) declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research reported:I declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project.

Cascading effects of trace metals enrichment on phytoplankton communities of the River Ganga in South Asia

Globally freshwater ecosystems and associated biota including phytoplankton communities are at extreme risk from trace metal pollution originating from geogenic as well as from anthropogenic sources such as release of untreated industrial effluents. In the present study influence of iron- and arsenic-enrichments on structure and metabolism of phytoplankton communities of River Ganga, one of the largest rivers of South Asia, was assessed under laboratory-based microcosm experiments. Surface water samples were collected and subsequently enriched with higher than recommended concentrations of iron (10 mg/L) and arsenic (10 μg/L). The set-up comprised of nine containers of 25 L volume with three containers each for iron- and arsenic-enrichment and was maintained for 30 days. Trace metal enrichment rapidly changed the phytoplankton community structure and chemistry of nutrients uptake. Iron-enrichment prompted diatom blooms comprising of Thalassiosira, succeeded by green algae Coelastrum. Arsenic-enrichment maintained cyanobacteria for longer time-spans compared to the control and iron-enriched containers but significantly lesser abundance of diatoms. Variations in community composition was also reflected in nutrient uptake rates with silicate release in the arsenic-enriched containers at the end of the experiment. Changes in macronutrient dynamics also altered genus growth rates wherein both iron- and arsenic appeared to lower the death rate of Thalassosira but stimulated growth of other genera including Skeletonema and Pandorina. Iron appeared to influence lesser number of genera compared to arsenic which altered growth rates of both diatoms and green algae. This consequently influenced the gross primary productivity values which lowered both in the iron- and arsenic-enriched containers compared to the control owing to decrease in phytoplankton diversity. Iron appeared to drive phytoplankton communities toward a less general and more specialized composition with high abundance of selective species comprising of small diatoms such as Thalassiosira, whereas arsenic appears to select for green algal enrichment in freshwater ecosystems.

73 Changes in Sleep Negatively Impacts Next Day Inhibition Performance Among College Females

Objective:Sleep is a restorative function that supports various aspects of well-being, including cognitive function. College students, especially females, report getting less sleep than recommended and report more irregular sleep patterns than their male counterparts. Inadequate and irregular sleep are associated with neuropsychological deficits including more impulsive responding in lab-based tasks. Although many lab-based experiments ask participants to report their sleep patterns, few studies have analyzed how potential changes in sleep affect their findings. Utilizing data from a previously collected study, this study aims to investigate relations between sleep (i.e., sleep duration and changes in sleep duration) and performance-based measures of inhibition among female college students.Participants and Methods:Participants (n = 39) were majority first-year students (Mage =19.27) and Caucasian (51%). Participants were recruited to participate in a larger study exploring how food commercials affect inhibitory control. Participants were randomized to each study condition (watching a food or non-food commercial) over two visits to the lab (T1 and T2). During both visits, they completed questionnaires asking about their 1) sleep duration the night before and 2) their “typical” sleep duration to capture changes in sleep duration. They also completed a computer-based stop signal task (SST) which required them to correctly identify healthy food images (stop signal accuracy [SSA] healthy) and unhealthy food images (SSA unhealthy) while inhibiting their response during a stop signal delay (SSD) which became increasingly more difficult (or delayed) as they successfully progressed. Since the main aim of the study was to explore the impact of sleep, analyses controlled for study condition. Analyses involving changes in sleep also accounted for sleep duration the night before the study visit.Results:On average, students reported being under slept the night before the lab visit, reporting that they got 38 minutes less sleep than their “typical” sleep (7 hrs 3 min). Hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that sleep duration the night before the lab visit was not associated with inhibition (i.e., SSA unhealthy, SSA healthy, SSD). In contrast, a greater change in sleep, or getting less sleep than “typical,” was associated with worsened inhibition across inhibition variables (SSA healthy, SSA unhealthy, SSD) above and beyond sleep duration at T1. At T2, only one analysis remained significant, such that getting less sleep than “typical” was associated with lower accuracy of appropriately identifying unhealthy images (SSA unhealthy) whereas other analyses only approached statistical significance.Conclusions:These findings suggest that changes in sleep, or getting less sleep than typical, may impact inhibition performance measured in a lab, even when accounting for how much sleep they got the night before. Specifically, getting less sleep than typical was associated with reduced accuracy in selecting unhealthy images, a finding that was consistent across two visits to the lab. These preliminary findings offer opportunities for lab-based experiments to investigate the role of sleep when measuring inhibition performance. Further, clinicians conducting neuropsychological assessments in clinical settings may benefit from assessing sleep the night before the appointment and determine if this represents a change from their typical sleep pattern.

Sunglass tint does not impact the indoor catching performance of cricket fielders.

Sunglasses are worn by outdoor athletes such as cricketers for many reasons, including comfort and glare reduction, which may help to improve vision. Anecdotally they are purported to have performance-enhancing benefits, but there is a lack of evidence for this. Further, it appears that fielders are the only position in cricket who wear sunglasses. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the catching performance of fielders when wearing three different colour sunglasses tints during an indoor, laboratory-based experiment. Twenty-one male cricketers currently playing for a university or amateur provincial teams in Makhanda, South Africa, who were non-habitual sunglass wearers, were recruited for this study. An optometrist administered pre-screening tests. Players had four testing sessions during which they wore a different colour tint at each session indoors (clear, blue, G30 (rose), and red). Players were required to catch 18 balls projected from a bowling machine. The number of balls caught, as well as the quality of the catch, was recorded. At the final session, they were asked which tint they thought was best. Pre-screening tests showed that the red lens was best for contrast sensitivity and stereopsis. During data collection, sunglass tint did not affect catching performance. The players perceived the red lens as the worst and the G30 as the best. It can be concluded that catching performance indoors is not affected by tint colour.

M-Path: an easy-to-use and highly tailorable platform for ecological momentary assessment and intervention in behavioral research and clinical practice.

In this paper, we present m-Path (www.m-Path.io), an online platform that provides an easy-to-use and highly tailorable framework for implementing smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and intervention (EMI) in both research and clinical practice in the context of blended care. Because real-time monitoring and intervention in people's everyday lives have unparalleled benefits compared to traditional data collection techniques (e.g., retrospective surveys or lab-based experiments), EMA and EMI have become popular in recent years. Although a surge in the use of these methods has led to a myriad of EMA and EMI applications, many existing platforms only focus on a single aspect of daily life data collection (e.g., assessment vs. intervention, active self-report vs. passive mobile sensing, research-dedicated vs. clinically-oriented tools). With m-Path, we aim to integrate all of these facets into a single platform, as it is exactly this all-in-one approach that fosters the clinical utility of accumulated scientific knowledge. To this end, we offer a comprehensive platform to set up complex and highly adjustable EMA and EMI designs with advanced functionalities, using an intuitive point-and click web interface that is accessible for researchers and clinicians with limited programming skills. We discuss the strengths of daily life data collection and intervention in general and m-Path in particular. We describe the regular workflow to set up an EMA or EMI design within the m-Path framework, and summarize both the basic functionalities and more advanced features of our software.

Exploring the influence mechanism of chatbot-expressed humor on service satisfaction in online customer service

As chatbots gain widespread adoption in online customer service, optimizing their inherent value and enhancing customer satisfaction emerges as an indispensable concern necessitating attention. Therefore, this study focuses on the effect of chatbot-expressed humor on customer service satisfaction from the perspective of emotional expression and constructs three mediating pathways (cognitive, emotional, and social). The results of two online and one laboratory-based experiment show that chatbot-expressed humor can significantly enhance customer service satisfaction. The impact of humor on service satisfaction was mediated by competence, entertainment, and social presence. Moreover, identity disclosure exerts a negative moderating influence on the association between chatbot-expressed humor and both service satisfaction and competence. Through this study, we hope to provide ideas for online service providers to adopt AI strategies and for product designers to improve the design of chatbots.

Microbial pyrite formation: mineral morphology and precipitation kinetics

Pyrite (FeS2) is a mineral of wide interest due to its importance in the biogeochemical cycling of Fe and S, which is tied to those of carbon and other trace metals and nutrients. The mineral itself has potential applications as biosignatures, for environmental remediation and as semiconductors. Despite being a common authigenic mineral in sedimentary environments, most laboratory-based experiments have failed to form pyrite in microbial cultures at ambient temperatures. To fill this knowledge gap, we have employed cultivation-based approaches, using different combinations of microorganisms (Fe(III)- and S0-reducers; S0-disproportionaters) and initial Fe and S sources to identify the conditions that are optimal for pyrite formation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) demonstrate that pyrite is not formed within ~3 years at circumneutral pH when oxidants (e.g., Fe(III) minerals, elemental sulfur, S0) are exhausted. In contrast, pyrite is formed within months when S0 and Fe(III) minerals are both present. The precipitation timescale is consistent with those expected in sedimentary environments Mansor and Fantle 2019), albeit some natural pyrite framboids are expected to form even faster Rickard 2019). The pyrite crystals formed in our experiments are in the low micrometer range, with either a spherical or euhedral morphology depending on the initial crystallinity of the supplied Fe(III) minerals. Framboids are not formed in our system, perhaps due to the relatively slow precipitation kinetics. Time-based sampling indicates mackinawite (FeS) as the first product, with rare (and minor) detection of greigite (Fe3S4) and vivianite [Fe3(PO4)2.8H2O]. We hypothesize that pyrite formation and growth proceed mainly from transformation of precursor minerals, with potential contributions via dissolution-precipitation and/or particle attachment pathways. Our preliminary study is the first step in optimizing a system for microbial pyrite formation, with the intention of investigating the properties and the reactivity of the mineral with implications for biosignatures, environmental remediation and industrial applications.

Consensus Paper: Situated and Embodied Language Acquisition.

Theories of embodied cognition postulate that perceptual, sensorimotor, and affective properties of concepts support language learning and processing. In this paper, we argue that language acquisition, as well as processing, is situated in addition to being embodied. In particular, first, it is the situated nature of initial language development that affords for the developing system to become embodied. Second, the situated nature of language use changes across development and adulthood. We provide evidence from empirical studies for embodied effects of perception, action, and valence as they apply to both embodied cognition and situated cognition across developmental stages. Although the evidence is limited, we urge researchers to consider differentiating embodied cognition within situated context, in order to better understand how these separate mechanisms interact for learning to occur. This delineation also provides further clarity to the study of classroom-based applications and the role of embodied and situated cognition in the study of developmental disorders. We argue that theories of language acquisition need to address for the complex situated context of real-world learning by completing a "circular notion": observing experimental paradigms in real-world settings and taking these observations to later refine lab-based experiments.

Volatiles in the H2O and CO2 ices of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko

ABSTRACT European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft at comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko (67P) was the first mission that accompanied a comet over a substantial fraction of its orbit. On board was the Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis mass spectrometer suite to measure the local densities of the volatile species sublimating from the ices inside the comet’s nucleus. Understanding the nature of these ices was a key goal of Rosetta. We analysed the primary cometary molecules at 67P, namely H2O and CO2, together with a suite of minor species for almost the entire mission. Our investigation reveals that the local abundances of highly volatile species, such as CH4 and CO, are reproduced by a linear combination of both H2O and CO2 densities. These findings bear similarities to laboratory-based temperature-programmed desorption experiments of amorphous ices and imply that highly volatile species are trapped in H2O and CO2 ices. Our results do not show the presence of ices dominated by these highly volatile molecules. Most likely, they were lost due to thermal processing of 67P’s interior prior to its deflection to the inner solar system. Deviations in the proportions co-released with H2O and CO2 can only be observed before the inbound equinox, when the comet was still far from the sun and the abundance of highly volatile molecules associated with CO2 outgassing were lower. The corresponding CO2 is likely seasonal frost, which sublimated and lost its trapped highly volatile species before re-freezing during the previous apparition. CO, on the other hand, was elevated during the same time and requires further investigation.

Dynamic gravitational excitation of structural resonances in the hertz regime using two rotating bars

With the planning of new ambitious gravitational wave observatories, fully controlled laboratory experiments on dynamic gravitation become more and more important. Such experiments can provide new insights in potential dynamic effects such as gravitational shielding or energy flow and might contribute to bringing light into the mystery still surrounding gravity. Here we present a laboratory-based transmitter-detector experiment using two rotating bars as transmitter and a 42 Hz, high-Q bending beam resonator as detector. Using a precise phase control to synchronize the rotating bars, a dynamic gravitational field emerges that excites the bending motion with amplitudes up to 100 nm/s or 370 pm, which is a factor of 500 above the thermal noise. The two-bar design enables the investigation of different transmitter configurations. The detector movement is measured optically, using three commercial interferometers. Acoustical, mechanical, and electrical isolation, a temperature-stable environment, and lock-in detection are central elements of the setup. The moving load response of the detector is numerically calculated based on Newton’s law of gravitation via discrete volume integration, showing excellent agreement between measurement and theory both in amplitude and phase. The near field gravitational energy transfer is 1025 times larger than the one of the propagating gravitational wave component.

Use of multimodal sensory cues in predator avoidance by wild-caught zebrafish shoals

Abstract Fishes rely on a multimodal sensory system to assess cues from environmental factors, such as predation, vegetation cover, water flow and food availability. Here, we conducted laboratory-based experiments to examine the immediate response of wild-caught zebrafish (Danio rerio) shoals, comprising ten individuals, to one of the following treatments: (1) olfactory predator cue; (2) visual predator cue; (3) both cues simultaneously; and (4) control with no cue. Experiments were performed in a 75cm × 75cm arena, and test shoals were provided with olfactory cues from a predator and with a model predator as visual information on the presence of a predator. Using the idTracker software, we tracked and analysed shoal responses across these treatments. We found that in comparison to the control treatment, shoals receiving either visual or olfactory cues had significantly greater: (1) cohesion (inter-individual distance); (2) polarization (tendency of shoal members to orient in a common direction); and (3) velocity (directional speed). Interestingly, when the shoals received both visual and olfactory cues simultaneously, the cohesion, polarization and velocity decreased, and such shoals exhibited significantly more individual freezing events. Therefore, our study not only indicates that zebrafish rely comparably on vision and olfaction to escape predation but also shows that the anti-predator response elicited by zebrafish varies based on the number of cues provided.

An agent-based model of cardiac allograft vasculopathy: toward a better understanding of chronic rejection dynamics.

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is a coronary artery disease affecting 50% of heart transplant (HTx) recipients, and it is the major cause of graft loss. CAV is driven by the interplay of immunological and non-immunological factors, setting off a cascade of events promoting endothelial damage and vascular dysfunction. The etiology and evolution of tissue pathology are largely unknown, making disease management challenging. So far, in vivo models, mostly mouse-based, have been widely used to study CAV, but they are resource-consuming, pose many ethical issues, and allow limited investigation of time points and important biomechanical measurements. Recently, agent-based models (ABMs) proved to be valid computational tools for deciphering mechanobiological mechanisms driving vascular adaptation processes at the cell/tissue level, augmenting cost-effective in vivo lab-based experiments, at the same time guaranteeing richness in observation time points and low consumption of resources. We hypothesize that integrating ABMs with lab-based experiments can aid in vivo research by overcoming those limitations. Accordingly, this work proposes a bidimensional ABM of CAV in a mouse coronary artery cross-section, simulating the arterial wall response to two distinct stimuli: inflammation and hemodynamic disturbances, the latter considered in terms of low wall shear stress (WSS). These stimuli trigger i) inflammatory cell activation and ii) exacerbated vascular cell activities. Moreover, an extensive analysis was performed to investigate the ABM sensitivity to the driving parameters and inputs and gain insights into the ABM working mechanisms. The ABM was able to effectively replicate a 4-week CAV initiation and progression, characterized by lumen area decrease due to progressive intimal thickening in regions exposed to high inflammation and low WSS. Moreover, the parameter and input sensitivity analysis highlighted that the inflammatory-related events rather than the WSS predominantly drive CAV, corroborating the inflammatory nature of the vasculopathy. The proof-of-concept model proposed herein demonstrated its potential in deepening the pathology knowledge and supporting the in vivo analysis of CAV.

Microbial Spectrum of Complete Denture Wearer in Old Age People of Chitwan.

Human oral cavity contains many microorganisms, the habitat of which may be changed by complete denture among edentulous people. The complete dentures favor aggregation of microorganism. The aim of this study was to identify the microorganisms present in the complete dentures of old age people of Chitwan and assess the sensitivity pattern of the microorganisms to the common antibiotics. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Chitwan Medical College, Chitwan, Nepal among 45 old age people who have been wearing dentures above one year. The duration of the study was from 18th Nov 2021 to 12th May 2022. Swab was taken from the polished and tissue surfaces of both maxillary and mandibular dentures in the Department of Prosthodontics while the laboratory-based experiments were conducted in the Department of Microbiology. Antibiotic sensitivity was also done. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 16.0. Descriptive statistics were used. The data was presented in form of frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation. Streptococcus spp. was predominant microorganism followed by Coagulase-negative Staphylococci and Staphylococcus aureus. The highest sensitivity pattern was observed to Amikacin, Nalidixic acid and Ciprofloxacin while the most resistant antibiotics were Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and Cefixime. Escherichia coli was sensitive to all the tested antibiotics. In this study, Streptococcus spp. followed by Coagulase-negative Staphylococci and Staphylococcus aureus were the most frequently identified microorganisms from the dentures of old age people. Amikacin, Nalidixic acid and Ciprofloxacin were highly sensitive among the people of old age.

Multispectral LiDAR-based underwater ore classification using a tunable laser source

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology has been extensively used to collect precise geometric information. However, conventional LiDAR sensors are restricted to single-wavelength operation, limiting their ability to capture valuable spectral information. Multispectral LiDAR (MSL) systems, on the other hand, have emerged as a promising solution by facilitating the active acquisition of spatial and spectral data. These advanced systems exhibit tremendous potential in facilitating advanced analysis and classification of seafloor sediments. In this study, the first demonstration of an MSL system optimized for investigating the feasibility of underwater ore classification using a tunable laser source is described. The MSL prototype features a spectral resolution of 10 nm, and 11 spectral channels, covering the range from 460 to 560 nm. Laboratory-based experiments were conducted to evaluate the accuracy of range measurements and the classification performance of the system. The spectral profiles of eight distinct ore samples acquired by the MSL were utilized for classification using four classification methods: naive Bayes (NB), k Nearest Neighbor (KNN), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF). Furthermore, comparative analyses were conducted to investigate the classification enhancements realized by leveraging the MSL system with multiple spectral channels as opposed to single-wavelength and dual-wavelength systems.

Comparative environmental and economic life cycle assessment of phytoremediation of dredged sediment using Arundo Donax, integrated with biomass to bioenergy valorization chain

The economic and environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) was integrated into a laboratory-based experiment to evaluate the feasibility and sustainability of phytoremediation of chloride-rich marine dredged sediment, using perennial reed Arundo Donax along with biomass valorization. As a prerequisite for life cycle assessments, a baseline mathematical model was developed to estimate the yields of biomass to bioenergy valorization chain including the estimation of biomass yield per m3 sediment, bioenergy yields from valorization schemes, expected green electricity yield, and the phytoremediation time frame. This mathematical model was applied to develop a parametric life cycle inventory for two scenarios of sediment phytoremediation separately or integrated with biomass valorization, for LCA and further sensitivity and uncertainty analysis. Comparative LCA unveiled that the cost and environmental impacts of annual phytoremediation of 1m3 sediment alone or integrated with biomass valorization are much inferior to the corresponding sediment landfill as the inevitable alternative approach for sediment management. With the chloride bioaccumulation capacity of 9940 mg per kg dry biomass of A. donax, the phytoremediation of sediment with chloride concentration higher than 1650 mg/kg may not be achievable in a realistic time frame. Due to the importance of considering sediment depth and the effectiveness of the plant rooting system in estimating the performance of phytoremediation and the time frame, the volume of sediment (1m3) is a more appropriate functional unit than the surface area (ha) for LCA studies of phytoremediation. In addition, considering the volume of sediment as a functional unit retains comparability to other valorization scenarios such as sediment incorporation in cementitious matrices and management scenarios such as landfill, which are generally expressed on a volume or mass basis. Integrating biomass-derived bioenergy production into phytoremediation could offer local and global benefits in terms of economy and environment mainly due to carbon sequestration and avoiding fossil-based fuels.

Cognitive reflection and the disposition effect

This research investigates the connection between cognitive reflection and the disposition effect, a well-known bias in the behavioral finance literature. Utilizing the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) developed by Frederick (2005), we measured cognitive abilities in a laboratory-based experiment comprising 55 students. The main goal was to investigate the extent to which these cognitive resources might modulate the disposition effect. The study was conceptualized within the framework of the dichotomy between a deliberative long-term self and an impulsive short-term self, as detailed in Kahneman's 2011 two-systems theory. The findings indicate a significant negative correlation between cognitive abilities and the disposition effect, providing extra empirical support for Kahneman's theory. This study presents new empirical evidence of the association between cognitive reflection and behavioral biases associated with decision-making under conditions of risky, thus providing a basis for possible interventions to mitigate these biases. The implications of this study are not limited to academia, but may provide information for the development of future financial education programs to enhance the decision-making process of individuals, whether in public or private companies.