Lower Estimates Research Articles

Prediction of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality using race and race-free estimated glomerular filtration rate in African Americans: the Jackson Heart Study

BackgroundNew Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equations without a race adjustment were developed to estimate the glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). We aimed to compare the performance of five CKD-EPI eGFR equations, with or without race, in predicting cardiovascular disease (CVD) events and all-cause mortality in Black Americans from the Jackson Heart Study.MethodsJHS is an ongoing population-based prospective cohort study of African Americans in the Jackson, Mississippi, metropolitan area. Five CKD-EPI equations were used to estimate GFR at baseline using serum creatinine (Cr) or cystatin C (cys), including 2009 eGFRcr(ASR [age, sex, race]), 2021 eGFRcr(AS [age and sex]), 2012 eGFRcr-cys(ASR), 2021 eGFRcr-cys(AS), 2012 eGFRcys(AS). Endpoints were incident CVD events and all-cause mortality. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess the associations between different eGFRs and outcomes adjusting for atherosclerotic risk factors. Harrell’s C-statistics and Net Reclassification Index (NRI) were used to assess the predictive utility.ResultsAmong 5,129 participants (average age 54.8 ± 12.8 yrs), 1898 were male (37.0%). eGFRcr(AS) provided lower estimates and resulting in a greater proportion of participants categorized as CKD than eGFRcr(ASR), eGFRcr-cys(ASR), eGFRcr-cys(AS) and eGFRcys(AS). A median follow-up of 13.7 and 14.3 years revealed 411 (9.3%) CVD incidents and 1,207 (23.5%) deaths. Lower eGFRs were associated with CVD incidents and all-cause mortality. eGFRcr-cys(ASR), eGFRcr-cys(AS) and eGFRcys(AS) were strongly associated with incident CVD events and all-cause mortality than eGFRcr(ASR) and eGFRcr(AS). A significant discrimination improvement was found in C-statistics for predicting incident CVD events and all-cause mortality after adding each eGFR measure to the basic model including atherosclerotic risk factors. Across a 7.5% 10-year risk threshold, eGFRcys(AS) improved net classification of all-cause mortality (NRI: 2.19, 95%CI: 0.08, 4.65%).ConclusioneGFR based on creatinine omit race has the lowest mean and detects more CKD patients in Black population. The eGFRs incorporating cystatin C strengthens the association between the eGFR and the risks of incident CVD and all-cause mortality. Cystatin C-based eGFR equations might be more appropriate for predicting CVD and mortality among Black population.

Estimation of function's supports under arithmetic constraints

AbstractThe well-known inequality $$\lvert {\rm supp}(f) \rvert \lvert {\rm supp}( \widehat f) \rvert \geq |G|$$ | supp ( f ) | | supp ( f ^ ) | ≥ | G | gives a lower estimation for each support. In this paper we consider the case where there exists a slowly increasing function $$F$$ F such that $$\lvert {\rm supp}(f) \rvert \leq F(\lvert {\rm supp}( \widehat f) \rvert )$$ | supp ( f ) | ≤ F ( | supp ( f ^ ) | ) . We will show that this can be done under some arithmetic constraint. The two links that help us come from additive combinatorics and theoretical computer science. The first is the additive energy which plays a central role in additive combinatorics. The second is the influence of Boolean functions. Our main tool is the spectral analysis of Boolean functions. We prove an uncertainty inequality in which the influence of a function and its Fourier spectrum play a role.

Multiparametric risk predictions for morbidity and mortality in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension: insights from a nation-wide registry

Abstract Background and aims In this retrospective analysis of a nation-wide registry on pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), group IV and V, we aimed to evaluate risk predictions for morbidity and mortality. Methods This study included 903 patients enrolled from 24 cardiology centers participating in the RegiStry on clInical outcoMe and sUrvival in pulmonaRy hypertension Groups (SIMURG II). ESC/ERS 2022 risk scoring, COMPERA 2.0 and REVEAL lite 2 models were used for baseline risk predictions, and COMPERA 2.0 model was used for risk evaluation at follow-up. Composite endpoint (CEP) definitions were adopted from the SERAPHIN and GRIPHON trials. Results Age (mean +SD) was 51.27 + 21.37 years, and 72 % of patients were female. Incident cases were noted in 65.9 % of overall study group. Idiopathic PAH (IPAH), PAH-associated with congenital heart diseases (CHD-PAH), PAH-associated with connective tissue diseases (CTD-PAH), porto-PAH, Group IV and V pulmonary hypertension (PH) were documented in 33 %, 33.5 %, 12 %, 1.6 %, 20 % and 1.7 % of overall patients, respectively. Background mono and dual targeted combinations, and sequential dual or triple combinations were noted in 17 %, 57 % and 26 % of patients, respectively. According to the ESC/ERS 2022 baseline risk scoring, low-, intermediate-, and high-risk were noted in 1.2 %, 14.1 %, and 84.7 %, respectively. Median follow-up time was 867 (412-1667) days. Overall rates of mortality and CEP were 26 % and 39%, respectively. Prevalent versus incident cases were associated signifinatly lower mortality and CEP ( p=0.028 and p=0.024, respectively). Mortality and CEP rates were 31 % and 44 % in IPAH, 20 % and 39 % in CHD-PAH, 31 % and 43 % in CTD-PAH, and 25 % and 30 % in group IV patients, respectively. Baseline high versus intermediate /low risk status were associated with a lower survival estimates for mortality and CEP in patients with PAH ( p=0.03 and p=0.003, respectively). Baseline COMPERA 2.0 risk status revealed significant differences in overall survival and CEP-free survival among risk groups ( p<0.0001 for both), but 1st year COMPERA 2.0 score did not (p=0.39 and p=0.06, respectively) . As compared to baseline, 1st year COMPERA 2.0 score decreased in 31 %, and remained unchanged in 34 % of patients. Baseline REVEAL lite 2.0 score was associated with mortality (hazard ratio (HR): 1.14;1.08-1.2, p<0.0001) and CEP (HR:1.17;1.1-1.25, p<0.0001) risks. Male sex (HR: 1.73; 1.2-2.51, p = 0.004), six-minute walk distance (p<0.001), functional class III/IV (HR: 2.52;1.47-4.32, p<0.001) and baseline low-risk status (HR:0.37;0.21-0.65, p<0.001) were independent predictors of mortality. Conclusions Our nation-wide data revealed current insights concerning the multiparametric risk predictions for morbidity and mortality in PAH.

Filtered Lie-Trotter splitting for the “good” Boussinesq equation: Low regularity error estimates

We investigate a filtered Lie-Trotter splitting scheme for the “good” Boussinesq equation and derive an error estimate for initial data with very low regularity. Through the use of discrete Bourgain spaces, our analysis extends to initial data in H s H^{s} for 0 > s ≤ 2 0>s\leq 2 , overcoming the constraint of s > 1 / 2 s>1/2 imposed by the bilinear estimate in smooth Sobolev spaces. We establish convergence rates of order τ s / 2 \tau ^{s/2} in L 2 L^2 for such levels of regularity. Our analytical findings are supported by numerical experiments.

Upper and lower estimates for rate of convergence in the Chernoff product formula for semigroups of operators

Upper and lower estimates for rate of convergence in the Chernoff product formula for semigroups of operators

Estimation of genetic parameters for reproductive traits in Korean dairy cattle.

In Korea, dairy cattle breeding programs have historically prioritized productive, conformation traits, leading to positive improvements, yet reproductive traits have lagged in development. This study was conducted to develop the breeding program of key reproductive traits in the Korean dairy cattle population. Utilizing data from 7,596 farms and over seven million observations, we conducted quality control to rectify manual entry errors and selected traits in line with international genetic evaluation standards. Traits analyzed included heifer conception rate (HCR), interval from calving to first insemination (CF), cow conception rate (CCR), interval from first to last insemination (FL), and days open (DO). Genetic parameters were estimated using a single trait animal model for HCR and a multiple lactation animal model for CF, CCR, FL, and DO, considering contemporary group of herd-insemination year, insemination month, and monthly age (MA) as fixed effects. Results showed low heritability estimates, ranging from 0.007 to 0.035 across different traits and lactations. Theoretical reliability appears to be low on average due to the influence of heritability, but it showed sufficiently high reliability in some sires (over 0.8). In terms of genetic and phenotypic trends, capacity for reproductive traits declined for a long time until around 2014. In recent individuals, improved trend can be found. This study addressed the critical need for enhancing reproductive efficiency to complement the existing breeding goals, thereby supporting sustained economic viability in the dairy industry. The results underscore the need for improved data quality and methodological adjustments for reproduction records to enhance the genetic evaluation of dairy cattle in Korea.

Socioeconomic status, smoking, and lung cancer: mediation and bias analysis in the SYNERGY study.

Increased lung-cancer risks for low socioeconomic status (SES) groups are only partially attributable to smoking habits. Little effort has been made to investigate the persistent risks related to low SES by quantification of potential biases. Based on 12 case-control studies, including 18 centers of the international SYNERGY project (16,550 cases, 20,147 controls), we estimated controlled direct effects (CDE) of SES on lung cancer via multiple logistic regression, adjusted for age, study center, and smoking habits, and stratified by sex. We conducted mediation analysis by inverse odds ratio weighting to estimate natural direct effects (NDE) and natural indirect effects via smoking habits. We considered misclassification of smoking status, selection bias, and unmeasured mediator-outcome confounding by genetic risk, both separately as well as by multiple quantitative bias analysis, using bootstrap to create 95% simulation intervals (SI). Mediation analysis of lung-cancer risks for SES estimated mean proportions of 43% in men and 33% in women attributable to smoking. Bias analyses decreased direct effects of SES on lung cancer, with selection bias showing the strongest reduction in lung-cancer risk in the multiple bias analysis. Lung-cancer risks remained increased for lower SES groups, with higher risks in men [4th versus 1st (highest) SES quartile: CDE 1.50 (SI 1.32-1.69)] than women [CDE 1.20 (SI 1.01-1.45)]. NDE were similar to CDE, particularly in men. Bias adjustment lowered direct lung-cancer risk estimates of lower SES groups. However, risks for low SES remained elevated, likely attributable to occupational hazards or other environmental exposures.

Understanding Power Gating Mechanism Based on Workload Classification of Modern Heterogeneous Many-Core Mobile Platform in the Dark Silicon Era

The rapid progress in mobile computing necessitates energy efficient solutions to support substantially diverse and complex workloads. Heterogeneous many core platforms are progressively being adopted in contemporary embedded implementations for high performance at low power cost estimations. These implementations experience diverse workloads that offer drastic opportunities to improve energy efficiency. In this paper, we propose a novel per core power gating (PCPG) approach based on workload classifications (WLC) for drastic energy cost minimization in the dark silicon era. Core of our paradigm is to use an integrated sleep mode management based on workloads classification indicated by the performance counters. A number of real applications benchmark (PARSEC) are adopted as a practical example of diverse workloads, including memory- and CPU-intensive ones. In this paper, these applications are exercised on Samsung Exynos 5422 heterogeneous many core system showing up to 37% to 110% energy efficient when compared with our most recent published work, and ondemand governor, respectively. Furthermore, we illustrate low-complexity and low-cost runtime per core power gating algorithm that consistently maximize IPS/Watt at all state space.

Modelling the spatial variability and uncertainty for under-vaccination and zero-dose children in fragile settings

Universal access to childhood vaccination is important to child health and sustainable development. Here we identify, at a fine spatial scale, under-immunized children and zero-dose children. Using Chad, as an example, the most recent nationally representative household survey that included recommended vaccine antigens was assembled. Age-disaggregated population (12–23 months) and vaccination coverage were modelled at a fine spatial resolution scale (1km × 1 km) using a Bayesian geostatistical framework adjusting for a set of parsimonious covariates. There was a variation at fine spatial scale in the population 12–23 months a national mean of 18.6% (CrI 15.8%–22.6%) with the highest proportion in the South-East district of Laremanaye 20.0% (14.8–25.0). Modelled coverage at birth was 49.0% (31.2%–75.3%) for BCG, 44.8% (27.1–74.3) for DTP1, 24.7% (12.5–46.3) for DTP3 and 47.0% (30.6–71.0) for measles (MCV1). Combining coverage estimates with the modelled population at a fine spatial scale yielded 312,723 (Lower estimate 156055–409266) zero-dose children based on DTP1. Improving routine immunization will require investment in the health system as part of enhancing primary health care. The uncertainties in our estimates highlight areas that require further investigation and higher quality data to gain a better understanding of vaccination coverage.

Timing of food pieces introduction and neurodevelopment: findings from a nationwide birth cohort

BackgroundWhile complementary feeding can be challenging, little emphasis has been placed on the introduction to food texture/pieces, especially in terms of neurodevelopmental outcomes. This study aims to determine the association between the timing of introduction to food pieces during infancy and neurodevelopment in early childhood. We hypothesized that late introduction to food texture/pieces relates to unfavorable neurodevelopmental outcomes.MethodsFamilies (n = 18329) were recruited from the general population during the nationwide ELFE (Étude Longitudinale Française depuis l’Enfance) birth cohort in France, and 8511 were selected for a complete case analysis. Age at introduction to food pieces was determined based on repeated assessments during the first year. A range of neurodevelopmental outcomes among children were assessed using validated instruments, i.e. composite scores at 1 and 3.5 years, and a score for language acquisition at 2 years. Risk for developmental delay at 3.5 years was defined based on a developmental quotient (DQ) below 90 according to the child’s chronological age and the respective composite score at this age. We used linear regression modelling to evaluate associations between age at introduction to food pieces and the standardised neurodevelopmental scores, while logistic regression models were used in the analyses according to the risk for developmental delay.ResultsOur findings highlight consistent associations between late introduction to food pieces (i.e., after 10 months, compared to early (before 8 months)) and lower estimates of standardised neurodevelopmental scores at ages 1, 2 and 3.5 years (-0.35 [-0.40; -0.30], -0.15 [-0.20; -0.10] and − 0.18 [-0.23; -0.13], respectively). Infants introduced to pieces late were also more likely to be at risk for developmental delay according to DQ < 90 (OR [95%CI] = 1.62 [1.36; 1.94]).ConclusionsThis study shows that late introduction to food pieces (> 10 months) is related to lower neurodevelopmental scores. Given the challenges that complementary feeding may pose, concerted efforts are required to enhance our understanding of the sensory aspects of early diets and to ultimately provide guidance.

Complex Generalized Stancu-Schurer Operators

Abstract In the present study, we determine a Schurer type of complex generalized Stancu operators and examine its some approximation properties. Firstly, we obtain upper quantitative estimates for the convergence and then we get lower estimates from a qualitative Voronovskaja-type result for these specified operators attached to the analytic functions in an open disk centered at the origin. Hence, we present the exact order of simultaneous approximation by using obtained upper and lower estimates.

Population dynamics of a desert riverine turtle, Pseudemys gorzugi, at the northern edge of its range

Estimating the key demographic parameters of animal populations can enhance our understanding of system dynamics and assist in developing and improving conservation decision–support models. The Rio Grande cooter Pseudemys gorzugi is a conservation reliant freshwater turtle native to lower Rio Grande River Basin (USA and Mexico), with limited knowledge regarding its natural history and population dynamics. In this study, we used seven years of capture–mark–recapture data from the northern edge of the species' range to estimate survival probabilities, changes in abundance, and the probability of transitioning between different size classes while explicitly accounting for the sampling process. We found relatively high survival probabilities across different strata, with large juveniles exhibiting the highest survival (0.98) and small juveniles the lowest (0.71). However, transition probabilities between strata were low, indicating slow somatic growth rates. Our pattern‐oriented modelling revealed a low overall mean estimate of egg survival (0.024), warranting further empirical confirmation. Our study provides the first comprehensive demographic analysis of P. gorzugi encompassing an array of size and sex classes. Overall, we consider the population of P. gorzugi in the Black River robust, highlighting the importance of this river system to the species' persistence in the northern extent of its range, where the population is isolated from its broader distribution. The demographic estimates and ecological insights provided by our study offer critical data for parameterizing decision‐support models to ensure that P. gorzugi conservation strategies are grounded in the best available science.

Optimization methodology combining Taguchi design and response surface method to maximize a compression ignition engine efficiency fueled with oxygenated synthetic fuel

This research examines the potential of a synthetic e-diesel and oxymethylene dimethyl ether blend in a heavy-duty single-cylinder engine. The main purpose is to find the optimal engine settings that maximize engine efficiency and minimize emissions. As the first step, a methodology was developed and applied to simplify the engine’s map into five characteristic points to be representative of the World Harmonized Transient Cycle, assigning weights to each load region. This simplification reported low error estimations for fuel consumption and NOx emissions over the cycle. After obtaining the five points, a drop-in analysis was assessed, where the fuel was evaluated with the same settings as diesel, revealing more advanced and shorter combustion with great reductions in soot emissions. Then, a group of three air management and three injection parameters was selected for optimization. A novel methodology combining Taguchi Design and Response Surface Methodology is developed and applied to find the best engine settings. By integrating these two methods, the research reduced the number of required experiments if only one method were used and maintained the goal of achieving higher thermal efficiencies with the new fuel blend compared to the diesel baseline. Significant statistical results were obtained in the Taguchi design, revealing the air management factors that most affected the responses; meanwhile, second-order models with high accuracy helped in finding the best injection parameters. Subsequently, the best settings were experimentally evaluated, and optimal conditions determined by the two methods were validated, confirming the effectiveness of the methodology. Optimization results revealed an improvement of around 2% higher efficiencies for the five tested points while achieving important average reductions of 28% less in NOx with additional decreases in CO, HC, and soot levels, all outperforming traditional diesel benchmarks. Finally, a well-to-wheel analysis using the simplified cycle confirmed a substantial reduction in carbon impact when replacing diesel with this alternative fuel. The successful application of this methodology to recalibrate an engine with an alternative fuel blend shows the potential of using these fuels in existing engines and offers a novel methodology that can be escalated and applied under the engine calibration context.

Deprivation and NHS General Ophthalmic Service sight testing activity in England in 2022-2023.

Socioeconomic deprivation is associated with an increased incidence of sight-loss. To inform potential developments in eyecare, General Ophthalmic Service (GOS) sight-testing activity was explored in relation to deprivation for GOS contractors submitting National Health Service (NHS) claims in England. Data on NHS sight-test claims for the financial year 2022-2023 were sought from NHS England (NHSE), including number of sight-tests by GOS contractors, their unique Organisation Data Service codes and postcodes and age-bands of patients accessing sight-testing. Deprivation scores were assigned to contractor practices using the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) and the average number of sight-tests for all contractors within each IMD decile calculated, allowing rate of sight-testing per 1000 population per decile of deprivation to be estimated using Office of National Statistics (ONS) Lower Layer Super Output Area mid-year population estimates. Inequality was examined using the Odds Ratio (OR) and slope and relative index of inequality measures (SSI and RII). Overall, 12.94 million NHS sight-tests were provided by 5622 GOS contractors in England in 2022-2023. Most affluent decile GOS contractors undertook an average ~2200 NHS sight-tests, while in the most deprived decile, average NHS sight-tests per contractor was ~1100. Rate of sight-testing per 1000 population in the most deprived decile was one quarter of that in the most affluent, with an OR of 5.29 (95% CI 5.27-5.30), indicating those in the most affluent areas were ~five times more likely to access NHS sight-tests. Overall, SII and RII were 333.5 (95% CI 333.52-333.53) and 6.4 (95% CI 6.39-6.40), respectively, findings reflective of substantial inequality in uptake. There remains substantial unwarranted variation in uptake of NHS sight-testing, with those in more affluent areas accessing sight-testing substantially more than those in more deprived areas. Strategies are required to facilitate primary care optometry to provide more equitable access to eyecare.

CNN for scalar-source distance estimation in grid-generated turbulence

Countermeasures against material leakage in industrial plants call for rapid leak source estimation techniques based on limited downstream information. Assuming that such scalar diffusion occurs in a turbulent environment, it is necessary to extract features from its instantaneous local concentration distribution and estimate the distance from the observation point to the source. To this end, we proposed an estimation method using a supervised deep learning of a convolutional neural network (CNN) and investigated its estimation performance in grid-generated turbulence fields. The grid turbulence fields were reproduced by direct numerical simulations at three Reynolds numbers (Re), and the CNN was trained using two-dimensional distribution images of passive scalars downstream. We confirmed that the images large enough to cover the spatial integral length scales of the scalar resulted in high estimation accuracy. For images with a coarsened brightness gradation, the small-scale feature of scalar fluctuations was lost, and the CNN attained a low estimation accuracy. By training the CNN with high-Re images, a high estimation accuracy was obtained, even for low-Re images. The opposite case (low-Re training and high-Re estimation) yielded low accuracy, where the CNN significantly underestimated the distance against the source. Based on these results, we discussed the generalizability and essential features to be learned by the CNN.

A-119 Lipemia Interference

Abstract Background Lipemic specimens is a common problem in clinical laboratories. Analytical results may be perturbed by lipemia, leading to misdiagnosis and unnecessary treatments for patients. Serum index testing is an important preanalytical test for assessing the potential effect of endogenous HIL interferents (hemoglobin (H), bilirubin (I) or lipids (L)) on test results. Automated HIL systems are not standardized and differ in their response. HIL induced interference should be verified by all clinical laboratories. Intralipid, a commercial lipid emulsion with particle size ranges from 200 to 600 nm is often used to verify the L index. However, intralipid lacks particles that mimic large VLDL, as well as the lower and upper ranges for chylomicrons size. In contrast, patient samples contain a complex mixture of macromolecular lipid and protein structures. Therefore, lipemia induced by Intralipid is not identical to lipemia in patient serum samples. The purpose of this study is to increase awareness of lipid interference and demonstrate the relationship of a lipid L Index to intralipid and triglyceride interference. Methods A set of 16 panels were prepared from a commercially available Triglyceride rich Lipoprotein material. These panels spanned a lipid concentration from 0 to 3000 mg/dL. Panels were tested on the Alinity c and ARCHITECT c8000 TRIG2 assays (04U0615 and 04T1016 respectively) on 2 reagent lots in a single run to determine the Triglyceride concentration. Then these samples were assessed for an HIL L score using the Abbott HIL saline protocol. Results The relationship between the Triglyceride rich Lipoprotein and the L Index was linear with a high correlation (r= 0.999) for Alinity and ARCHITECT respectively. The L Index underestimated the Triglyceride Rich Lipoprotein concentration. The reason for the lower estimate of Triglyceride rich lipoprotein specimens on an L Index is likely due to the differences in size of the lipid particles between the two artificial lipid materials, Intralipid and Triglyceride rich lipoprotein. In addition, while the triglyceride assay provides a quantitative measurement of the lipemic concentration, the L Index is designed to provide an estimated result. Conclusions Intralipid is an acceptable material used to verify spectrophotometric HIL systems. The L Index provides an estimate of sample turbidity, not the concentration of Triglyceride. Vendor purchased human derived Triglyceride rich lipoprotein, which contains a heterological mixture of lipid particles, may be regarded as a more appropriate material for assessing lipid interference. Thus, while recovery of the L Index correlates well to the Intralipid concentration, it can have a poorer correlation with vendor purchased samples containing Triglyceride due to the different vesicle sizes in these materials. This study demonstrates the Triglyceride rich material used to assess lipid interference in Sigma Strong assays provides a difference in response between the Triglyceride concentration of this material determined on a Triglyceride assay vs the L Index. The choice of lipemic material to use, (eg. artificial, native), can influence the results. Thus, care should be taken in comparing results for these materials.

The Bowen-Franks type theorems for multivalued maps and impulsive differential equations

The aim of the present paper is to extend the well known Bowen-Franks type theorems to interval and circle multivalued maps. In this way, a positive topological entropy, including its lower estimate, can be implied by the existence of periodic orbits whose orders differ from a power of 2, or provided the topological degree of given circle maps is absolutely greater than 1. Simple applications are also given to impulsive differential equations.

Accurate Drift-Invariant Single-Molecule Force Calibration Using the Hadamard Variance.

Single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) techniques play a pivotal role in unraveling the mechanics and conformational transitions of biological macromolecules under external forces. Among these techniques, multiplexed magnetic tweezers (MT) are particularly well suited to probe very small forces, ≤1 pN, critical for studying non-covalent interactions and regulatory conformational changes at the single-molecule level. However, to apply and measure such small forces, a reliable and accurate force calibration procedure is crucial. Here, we introduce a new approach to calibrate MT based on thermal motion using the Hadamard variance (HV). To test our method, we perform bead-tether Brownian dynamics simulations that mimic our experimental system and compare the performance of the HV method against two established techniques: power spectral density (PSD) and Allan variance (AV) analyses. Our analysis includes an assessment of each method's ability to mitigate common sources of additive noise, such as white and pink noise, as well as drift, which often complicate experimental data analysis. We find that the HV method exhibits overall similar or higher precision and accuracy, yielding lower force estimation errors across a wide range of signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) and drift speeds compared to the PSD and AV methods. Notably, the HV method remains robust against drift, maintaining consistent uncertainty levels across the entire studied SNR and drift speed spectrum. We also explore the HV method using experimental MT data, where we find overall smaller force estimation errors compared to PSD and AV approaches. Overall, the HV method offers a robust method for achieving sub-pN resolution and precision in multiplexed MT measurements. Its potential extends to other SMFS techniques, presenting exciting opportunities for advancing our understanding of mechano-sensitivity and force generation in biological systems. To make our methods widely accessible to the research community, we provide a well-documented Python implementation of the HV method as an extension to the Tweezepy package.

A generalized Fekete-Szegö functional and initial successive coefficients of univalent functions

The paper deals with sharp lower and upper estimations of the functional |c3(f)−λc2(f)2|−μ|c2(f)| in the class S, where λ∈C, μ∈R and cn(f) denotes the n-th coefficient of f. This functional can be regarded as a generalized Fekete-Szegö functional as it coincides with the classical one for μ:=0. The obtained results are applicable to estimate successive coefficients of holomorphic functions relative to univalent functions.

The Accelerating Loss of Resilience in Suburban Woodlands Can Largely Be Attributed to the Changes in Urban Precipitation Patterns.

Vegetation resilience holds significant importance for stabilizing ecosystem service functions in a changing climate. While global land surface vegetation resilience changes have been extensively studied, the impact of urbanization on the resilience of suburban woodlands remains inadequately understood. In this study, we utilized two critical slowing down (CSD) indicators, namely lag-one autocorrelation (LOA) and variance (VA), to assess the vegetation resilience, its long-term trends, and influencing factors in suburban woodlands across 1356 cities worldwide. The recovery rates estimated by LOA ( ) and VA ( ) showed close alignment in suburban woodlands with low suburban forest coverage (SFC) areas (correlation coefficient (r) = 0.95). However, a notable divergence was observed in areas with high SFC (r = 0.73). Suburban woodlands with high SFC typically exhibited lower recovery rate estimates, thus indicating greater vegetation resilience compared to areas with lower SFC. From 1986 to 2022, the recovery rates of suburban woodland areas in over 83% of the cities demonstrated a significant upward trend, with an average of 3.23 × 10-3 year-1 for both and , signifying a widespread decline in vegetation resilience. The accelerating pace of urbanization led to higher rising rates of and during 2010-2022 (5.11 × 10-3 year-1) compared to 1986-1999 (0.49 × 10-3 year-1). The notable decrease in resilience of forestland was primarily attributed to reduced precipitation in urban suburbs, which can be explained by urbanization-induced heat island and building barrier effects, causing a shift of precipitation center from urban suburbs to central cities. In summary, this study revealed that urbanization diminishes the vegetation resilience of urban suburban woodlands by altering urban precipitation patterns. These findings underscore the necessity of augmenting water availability in urban suburbs to restore resilience in these woodlands, thereby enhancing their ecosystem service value.