Physical Integrity Research Articles

Blood glucose level (BGL) prediction contributes to more effective management of diabetes. Physical activity (PA), which affects BGL, is a crucial factor in diabetes management. Due to the erratic nature of PA's impact on BGL inter- and intra-patients, deploying PA in BGL prediction is challenging. Hence, it is crucial to discover optimal approaches for utilising PA to improve the performance of BGL prediction. This work contributes to this gap by proposing several PA-informed BGL prediction models. Different approaches are developed to extract information from PA data and integrate this information with BGL data at signal, feature, and decision levels. For signal-level fusion, different automatically-recorded PA data are fused with BGL data. Also, three feature engineering approaches are developed for feature-level fusion: subjective assessments of PA, objective assessments of PA, and statistics of PA. Furthermore, in decision-level fusion, ensemble learning is used to combine predictions from models trained with different inputs. Then, a comparative investigation is performed between the developed PA-informed approaches and the no-fusion approach, as well as between themselves. The analyses are performed on the publicly available Ohio dataset with rigorous evaluation. The results show that among the developed approaches, fusing heart rate data at the signal-level and PA intensity categories at the feature-level with BGL data are effective ways of deploying PA in BGL prediction.

Heterojunction of titanate nanotubes enhanced by curcumin: synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent oncological diseases worldwide, with mastectomy often necessary for treatment. Post-mastectomy breast reconstruction is essential for restoring physical integrity and improving patients' quality of life, especially in high-risk individuals with advanced age, obesity, diabetes, smoking habits, or a history of radiotherapy. Traditional submuscular reconstruction techniques are effective but often associated with higher rates of complications in this patient population. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a novel video-assisted procedure (VAP) for submuscular breast reconstruction, focusing on its ability to reduce complications and enhance outcomes. A retrospective analysis compared 17 high-risk patients who underwent VAP with 127 patients treated using traditional non-video-assisted procedures (NVAP) between September 2022 and June 2024. Both groups were comparable in age, body mass index (BMI), and risk factors. Data on postoperative complications, including bleeding, wound dehiscence, and infections, were collected and analyzed. Statistical significance was determined using appropriate tests, with a P value <0.05 considered significant. The VAP group demonstrated significant reductions in complications compared to the NVAP group. No cases of postoperative bleeding were reported in the VAP group, while 8.66% of NVAP patients experienced bleeding. Wound dehiscence rates were also lower in the VAP group (5.88%) compared to the NVAP group (10.24%). The minimally invasive nature of VAP allowed for precise dissection and reduced tissue trauma without prolonging surgical times. The findings suggest that VAP is a safer and more effective alternative for high-risk patients requiring submuscular breast reconstruction. By minimizing complications and enhancing both functional and aesthetic outcomes, VAP offers a promising innovation in reconstructive surgery. Larger, randomized trials are necessary to validate these results and establish VAP as a standard of care in diverse clinical settings.

Objectives. The study set out to develop fundamental methodological principles for the logical integration of information systems (IS) in organizations and to quantitatively assess the topological significance of the IS integration process.Methods. Methods based on expert systems were used for the logical integration of information in conjunction with data-mining approaches based on various IS. In order to quantitatively assess the topological significance of the IS integration procedure, graph theory methods were used. Discrete topology methods were also employed for calculating the topological invariants of the IS interconnection topology.Results. Issues and challenges involved in the integration of IS in large organizations are considered in terms of integration methods based on physical and logical principles. While IS integration approaches based on logical principles offer distinct advantages over physical integration approaches, new problems arising in the context of logical integration approaches require innovative solutions. The proposed scheme for the logical integration of IS includes an algebraic method for quantitatively assessing the topological significance of integration, comprising an important numerical indicator in the logical integration of IS. Methods based on learning expert systems, which represent a fundamental solution for organizing the logical integration of IS for intelligent data analysis, are reviewed.Conclusions. When integrating IS in organizations, it is advisable to use a logical integration approach that preserves the logic of existing information systems. The application of logical integration enables intelligent data analysis using various IS. The use of expert systems in logical integration enables the creation of a new logical layer for providing decision support within the organization.

The emerging planar photonic crystal (PC) and effective medium (EM) waveguides are considered promising technical platforms for terahertz communications. Beyond short-scale connections and various signal processing functionalities, versatile terahertz on-chip systems could be achievable by their physical integration; however, the inefficient coupling poses challenges. In this work, we propose an interface design between planar PC and EM waveguides with minimal insertion loss. Stereolithography 3D printing was validated as a cost-effective alternative to the microfabrication technologies for the demonstration of these two waveguide designs. Experiments found that optimized PC and EM waveguides in photosensitive resin exhibited transmission losses of 3.4 dB/cm and 2.1 dB/cm at 140 GHz, respectively. Furthermore, by adjusting the radius and positioning of certain air holes adjacent to the waveguide core, we reduced the insertion loss associated with the waveguide interface to 0.4 dB; significantly lower compared with direct butt coupling without transitions. The ∼30% increase in power coupling efficiency enabled terahertz signal transmission with higher data rates and lower bit error rate for terahertz communications. We believe that the proposed terahertz planar waveguide fabrication routes and structural designs could hold huge potential to offer efficient rapid-prototyping and inter-waveguide integration solutions for multifunctional terahertz circuits.

Virulent microbes produce proteins that interact with host cell targets to promote pathogenesis. For example, virulent bacterial pathogens have proteins called effectors that are typically enzymes and are secreted into host cells. To detect and respond to the activities of effectors, diverse phyla of host organisms evolved effector-triggered immunity (ETI). In ETI, effectors are often sensed indirectly by detection of their virulence activities in host cells. ETI mechanisms can be complex and involve several classes of host proteins. Guards monitor the functional or physical integrity of another host protein, the guardee or decoy, and become activated to initiate an immune response when the guardee or decoy is modified or disrupted by an effector. A guardee typically has an intrinsic anti-pathogen function and is the intended target of an effector. A decoy structurally mimics a host protein that has intrinsic anti-pathogen activity and is unintentionally targeted by an effector. A decoy can be an individual protein, or a protein domain integrated into a guard. Here, we review the origins of ETI and focus on 5 mechanisms, in which the key steps of a pathway can include activation of a caspase by a RIPoptosome or inflammasome, formation of pores in the plasma membrane, release of cytokines and ending in cell death by pyroptosis. Survey of the 5 mechanisms, which have been shown to be host protective in mouse models of bacterial infection, reveal how distinct regulators of RIPoptosome or inflammasome pathways can act as guards or integrated decoys to trigger ETI. Common themes are highlighted and the limited mechanistic understanding of ETI bactericidal activity is discussed.

Waste, as anthropologist Myra Hird has put it, is the signifier of the Anthropocene, but it is not a univocal one. It operates simultaneously at symbolic and material levels, and its valences can be positive or negative. Waste is a key concept for thinking through what is at stake in the relationships that human beings foster with the more-than-human world and for considering the material limits on human attempts to dominate the environment. In this sense, literary fiction, with its ability to invigorate the imagination through its creative work with perspective and temporality, is a rich site of reflection on what waste means. A significant example is the Bolivian writer Liliana Colanzi’s You Glow in the Dark (2024), a short story collection in which waste of many kinds is omnipresent, from residues left behind by all organisms as they live and die to nuclear waste that threatens the physical integrity of those who come into contact with it. In this essay, I think alongside Colanzi’s stories, arguing that their use of waste as a prism through which to consider the passage of time, notions of creation and destruction, and the decentering of human perspective offers valuable lessons on how to live with the waste we create.

Abstract This paper aims to assess the relative importance of different shared mobility hub design elements. A standardised survey was developed and applied among users and residents in different areas, including a stated preference experiment, to examine trade-offs between integration dimensions and the willingness-to-pay for different attributes of hubs. The results underscore a disparity between the attributes most valued by respondents and their willingness-to-pay for them, which holds significance in the planning and functioning of mobility hubs. Although elements such as information and digital integration were indicated as being prerequisites for a successful shared mobility hub, respondents are not willing to pay for it, indicating that these would have to be arranged by the government and/or transport operators. Respondents are more willing to pay for shared mobility and public transport within walking distance from one another or for placemaking strategies (such as services or landscaping), which are more evident elements related to the physical integration (and design) of hubs.

The relevance of studying the eye as a complex optical system, combining principles of physics and physiology, lies in the need for a thorough understanding of image formation processes and the mechanisms of visual perception. This study aimed to identify the interrelations between the physical characteristics of the eye’s optical components and their physiological functions, which together ensure clear and accurate visual perception. The research employed methods of geometric optics to model the path of light rays through the eye’s optical media, physiological methods to assess accommodation and visual acuity, as well as a comparative analysis of data obtained from both healthy and pathological eye models. The optical properties of the cornea, crystalline lens and vitreous body were examined, with aberrations introduced by each component analysed, and the effect of accommodation on image formation on the retina established. It was also found that deviations in the optical parameters of the eye, such as changes in the curvature of the cornea or crystalline lens, lead to visual impairments (myopia, hypermetropia, astigmatism) that affect daily functioning. The findings may be of use to ophthalmologists and optometrists in the diagnosis and correction of visual disorders, as well as in the development of new optical devices

The Clean Water Act is the primary federal law regulating impacts to water resources and water quality in the United States. Congress asserted the focus of the Act in the first section: to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters. Federal jurisdiction to implement this focus for many of the Act’s water protection programs turns on whether a waterbody is classified as a “Water of the United States” (WOTUS). The definition of WOTUS has been contested since the ink dried on the Act, with proponents of greater water protections arguing for more expansive boundaries of federal jurisdiction. Most recently, the Supreme Court re-interpreted WOTUS in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency (2023), in which the Court held that wetlands 300 feet from Priest Lake would no longer be considered adjacent wetlands protected as WOTUS. Upending forty-five years of agency and judicial interpretation, the Court narrowed the definition of WOTUS to only those wetlands that have a continuous surface connection to a traditionally navigable body of water, such as a river or lake. This places many wetlands and ephemeral and intermittent streams outside of federal jurisdiction, and thus, the protections of the CWA. Yet, wetlands and nonperennial streams are vital to the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters. Wetlands filter pollutants from water, retain and absorb flood waters, and provide habitats for wildlife. Ephemeral and intermittent streams are ubiquitous and important pathways that drain water and pollutants into traditional navigable waters. Removing federal protections means these areas are vulnerable to ruin by human alterations, and it increases flood risks to downstream communities. Decreasing federal jurisdiction over the majority of wetlands and nonperennial streams across the U.S. places a greater emphasis on the role of states and tribes in water protection. Lacking a consistent federal approach results in a patchwork of protections for waters that are now considered nonfederal, even when those waters impact large regional shared waters, such as the Great Lakes, the Mississippi River, the Colorado River, and Rio Grande, to name a few. This Article starts with a grounding in the scientific literature to explore the importance and vital functions of the waters that have lost federal jurisdiction. Using that as a springboard, we explain the most important legal decisions defining WOTUS to place Sackett v. EPA in context. We then discuss the divergent responses to the loss of federal jurisdiction by surveying responses at federal, tribal, and state levels of government. We show that many tribes opposed reducing federal protections leading up to Sackett, and after the decision, at the federal and state level, the battle continues over removing versus restoring regulatory protections. We observe that even in states where reducing regulatory control is favored, agreements have been forged around non-regulatory programs that fund wetland protections. We conclude that tribes and states have the power to shape protections for these vital waters regardless of federal jurisdiction, but with no federal regulatory backstop, the integrity of the Nation’s waters is threatened by this piecemeal approach.

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) tend to disrupt the atmosphere and pedestrian experience in urban shared spaces, undermining the focus of these spaces on people and placemaking. We investigate how external human-machine interfaces (eHMIs) supporting AV-pedestrian interaction can be extended to consider the characteristics of an urban shared space. Inspired by urban HCI, we devised three place-based eHMI designs that (i) enhance a conventional intent eHMI and (ii) exhibit content and physical integration with the space. In an evaluation study, 25 participants experienced the eHMIs in an immersive simulation of the space via virtual reality and shared their impressions through think-aloud, interviews, and questionnaires. Results showed that the place-based eHMIs had a notable effect on influencing the perception of AV interaction, including aspects like visual aesthetics and sense of reassurance, and on fostering a sense of place, such as social interactivity and the intentionality to coexist. In measuring qualities of pedestrian experience, we found that perceived safety significantly correlated with user experience and affect, including the attractiveness of eHMIs and feelings of pleasantness. The paper opens the avenue for exploring how eHMIs may contribute to the placemaking goals of pedestrian-centric spaces and improve the experience of people encountering AVs within these environments.

Conceptual and legal problems arise as a result of the integration of a person with objects of the outside world through neuroprosthetics. Legal norms are differentiated into provisions defining the legal status of persons and the legal regime of objects. In the generally accepted understanding, the bodily boundary separates a person from objects of the outside world, and thus determines law enforcement. The development of neurotechnologies blurs the once clear line between an individual and the objects surrounding him, between the subject and the object of a legal relationship. As a result of the commission of an illegal harmful action against a neuroprosthesis, the question of whether the victim’s personality or property has been harmed is being actualized. The answer to it determines the nature and content of the rights belonging to the subject, as well as the measures of protection and liability that can be applied in case of violation. Damage to the neuroprosthesis, regardless of the degree of its physical integration with the patient, entails a disorder or loss of body function restored through the prosthetics system, in connection with which its qualification as harm to health is justified. A functional approach to understanding the boundaries of a subject of civil law is argued.

It is of great importance for food safety and consumer satisfaction that industrial food products are durable, hygienic, and flawless. Robust products protect the physical integrity of the product by preventing damage that may occur during the production and transportation processes, which meets the expectations of the consumer. Hygienic production conditions prevent foodborne diseases by minimizing the risk of microbial contamination and protect consumer health. Perfect products strengthen the brand image with their aesthetic and satisfactory features and increase consumer loyalty. In the study conducted in this context, the classification of defect and no defect conditions of biscuits in the food industry was examined using YOLOv8 models. A summary dataset consisting of 4990 biscuit images was created and the biscuits were initially divided into two categories: defect and no defect. Later, defect biscuits were classified into three subcategories: not complete, overcooked, and texture defect. As a result of experiments with YOLOv8 models, binary classification (defect, no defect), the highest accuracy rate was achieved in the YOLOv8-m, YOLOv8-l, and YOLOv8-x models with 96.78%, while the highest accuracy rate in the triple classification (not complete, overcooked, and texture defect) performance was achieved in the YOLOv8-m model with 96.99%.

Silicon-based anodes suffer from the loss of physical integrity due to large volume changes during alloying and de-alloying processes with electrolytes. By integrating electrochemically inert, physically strong, ductile nickel layers with a multi-layered thin-film silicon anode, the long-life cycling of the Si/Ni/Si/Ni anode was demonstrated. A capacity retention of 82% after 200 cycles was measured, surpassing the performance of conventional silicon thin-film anodes. This is attributed to the effective suppression of internal local stress induced by nonuniform volume expansion by the nickel layers. These findings offer a promising pathway towards the practical implementation of high-capacity silicon-based anodes in advanced lithium-ion batteries.

This study explored typologies among residents of South Korean public rental housing, focusing on their experiences of discrimination and social capital. Latent class analysis (LCA) was applied to data from 4683 individuals in the 2021 Seoul Public Rental Housing Panel Survey. Four distinct groups were identified: ‘Group Seeking Friendly Neighbor Relationships’, ‘Group Accepting Losses’, ‘Group with High Social Capital’, and ‘Group Indifferent to Neighbors’. The findings revealed that while discrimination was widespread, certain groups exhibited strong social capital. Notably, the ‘Group Accepting Losses’ showed the highest willingness to help neighbors despite facing significant discrimination, while the ‘Group with High Social Capital’ displayed high levels of neighbor trust and mutual support. These results challenge traditional views by showing that social capital can thrive even in the presence of discrimination. This study suggests that policies aimed at addressing discrimination in public rental housing should focus not only on physical integration but also on fostering social connections to enhance community cohesion and reduce mental health issues among residents.

In rural Cambodia, inland freshwater and rice field fisheries are key sources of income, animal protein, and important ecosystem services. As the flood pulse in the Tonlé Sap floodplain recedes post-monsoon, leaving rice fields and local water bodies dry, Community Fish Refuges (CFRs) offer a promising path to sustain dry season fish stocks, aquatic biodiversity, and secure water for agriculture and husbandry. Their sustained physical integrity and productivity as multiple-use systems hinge on communities’ ability to manage these systems collectively. To explore whether the studied communities have been able to respond to the challenge of collectively governing CFR, we investigate two CFR sites that were established in 2016 by local and international organizations alongside State authorities. Our aim is to investigate two key aspects: 1) the presence, extent, and efficacy of community-level collective action (CA) for managing CFRs; and 2) the factors that either facilitate or inhibit CA regarding CFRs. We conducted a qualitative case study between March and May 2023 at two sites in Kampong Thom Province. These were selected because while they have similar ecological features, they show different management results according to the implementing international organization WorldFish. This paper delves into a process guided by external agents seeking to reshape local behavior and existing institutional frameworks. Results show how centralized power structures and entrenched rural patronage politics in villages limit villagers’ participation and agency in CFRs management. Villagers encounter constraints hindering their capacity to instigate change, prompting a re-evaluation of the CFR Committee’s composition and operation to ensure broader legitimacy among actors. While emphasizing extended project funding and informed external intervention strategies, the study underscores doubts about short-term CA feasibility. It highlights the critical influence of contextual factors and policymakers’ assumptions in achieving effective collective governance. Structural factors and the deeply human process of pulling together a plurality of stakeholders pose challenges to establishing community-based projects prioritizing diverse voices.

This qualitative study was carried out with 30 high-risk pregnant women from a Brazilian referral service in women's health. The objective was to analyze the perception of participants regarding their condition, emphasizing their psychosocial needs, to deepen the understanding of subjective, relational, and sociocultural aspects associated with high-risk pregnancy. Data were collected through interviews and participant observation and then explored by thematic content analysis. The participants described pregnancy as planned or as unexpected and associated with greater social prestige and the need for changes, especially related to work and financial conditions. On the other hand, participants mentioned that the risk aspect of pregnancy condition was seen by their social group as something that could have been avoided. Because a high-risk pregnancy is a threat to the baby's physical integrity and life, it leads to the fear of death, which is reinforced by experiences of previous pregnancies. The psychosocial aspects elucidated in the study deal with emotional and labor factors, consistent with existing literature. Participants mentioned family members and health professionals as important support during their pregnancy, especially with regard to daily activities and health care, aimed at promoting favorable outcomes. Some participants reported a lack of support, relational difficulties, and social stigma due to mental illness or advanced age, which were related to experiences of guilt and accountability.

Aim. Creation of algorithms for calculating and controlling a dispersed flow with a streamlined body in application to the problems of heat and mass transfer control and drag reduction in heavy precipitation conditions.Methodology. Known physical laws, integration methods and analysis of studies by other authors are used.Results. In this paper, a method for calculating the parameters of interaction of a flow with a solid body, the properties of the coating of which affect the processes of its flow, is developed. Parametric studies are carried out, optimal shapes of bodies in two-phase media at large values of the Stokes number are shown.Research implications. The results can be used in designing the shapes of streamlined bodies moving in aerosol media, in particular when a flying vehicle move through clouds and media with precipitation

Purpose Organisations are looking for a concept that can solve traditional as well upgraded production problems with current resources and technology, and this can be addressed by integration of lean six sigma (LSS) with Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies. This reduces complexity in the manufacturing process through digital technologies. Cyber physical system (CPS) is considered as primary I4.0 technology with which all other technologies are associated to extend. CPS can integrate with other prevailing manufacturing approaches like lean, LSS and so on. LSS, on the other hand, is a team-focussed performance improvement strategy which is widely used by the industries to identify problems, eliminate waste to meet customer requirements. The study aims at analysis of challenges for LSS and CPS integration. Design/methodology/approach Integrating LSS and CPS will solve both traditional and modern manufacturing problems. To integrate these technologies, organisational requirements need to be assessed. These requirements are posed as challenges in this study. Their priority weights are analysed, and challenges are prioritised using fuzzy Combinative Distance-based Assessment (CODAS) method. Sensitivity analysis is employed to assess the robustness of the results. Findings The result of this study enables top management to integrate LSS and CPS. In this study, 20 challenges were identified, and they are assessed to compute their relative assessment score. Requirement of new tools and methods with 0.6 score ranks first followed by interplay with big data and requirement of new communication protocol. The result highlighted the need for integration of LSS and CPS, proper utilisation of information and communication technologies, and cyber security management as the main impediments that need to be addressed to implement CPS in an LSS environment. Originality/value The analysis of challenges of LSS and CPS integration using MCDM tool is the original contribution of the authors.

Background and Aims: At present, China's school physical education focuses on the teaching of sports knowledge and skills, ignoring the individual student's interest in sports activities and health education needs, in recent years, the national education department has required that schools should integrate health education into physical education teaching, but the effect is not obvious, resulting in part of the students' aversion to physical education learning and aversion to emotion, the relevant surveys show that teenagers' rates of myopia, obesity and other indicators are rising year by year The study shows that the myopia rate, obesity rate and other indicators of adolescents are increasing year by year, which seriously affects the physical and mental health of adolescents. From the interdisciplinary perspective of kinesiology and health education, this study aims to develop and implement a teaching program that integrates physical education and health education to improve the physical and mental health of fifth-grade elementary school students. The specific objectives were to improve students' physical skills and health knowledge and to promote their overall physical and mental health development through integrally designed program content. Methodology: This paper adopts the methods of literature, questionnaire survey, expert interview, and comparative experimental method, and analyzes the G*power software to determine the sample size, conducts questionnaires, physical fitness, psychological, and other pre-tests on the samples, and screens out 60 students aged between 10 and 11 years old in two fifth-grade classes of Jinzhou Elementary School to be the subjects of the experimental experiment: class 1 is the experimental group of 30 people, including 14 boys, girls 16 students; class 2 is the control group of 30 students, of which 13 are boys and 17 are girls. A before-and-after comparison experimental design was used to assess the effect of the new teaching program through tests such as the integrated physical education and health teaching program, students' physical fitness testing instruments, psychometric scales, mean, standard deviation, t-test statistics, and so on. Results: The experimental results showed that the teaching program integrating physical education and health education had a significant positive effect on improving the physical fitness and mental health of primary school students. This is manifested in the significant improvement of students' BMI, lung capacity, motor skills, and mental health indicators. Conclusion: The physical education and health integration teaching program proposed in this study not only effectively improves the physical and mental health of primary school students, but also provides new ideas and methods for the reform and development of elementary school education. The empirical results of this study provide a basis for future related research and have certain application value and academic contribution.