Data Collection Program Research Articles

Examining community-level social vulnerability and emergency department use for people living with sickle cell disease in Michigan.

This study examined associations between emergency department (ED) visits and social vulnerability index (SVI) among Michigan's population with sickle cell disease (SCD) using data from the Michigan Sickle Cell Data Collection program (n=3658 in 2018). SVI was higher among census tracts where people with SCD resided (mean SVI=0.67; SD=0.27) compared to census tracts without SCD residents (mean SVI=0.39; SD=0.25; p<.001). For children with SCD, for every 0.1 increase in SVI score, the number of ED visits increased by 6% (IRR=1.061; SE=0.03; p=.038). Future research should investigate the association between SVI and ED use, at the community and household levels, to elucidate strategies to reduce ED use among children with SCD.

PENGARUH KEMAJUAN TEKNOLOGI (SOSIAL MEDIA), LITERASI KEUANGAN TERHADAP MINAT INVESTASI MAHASISWA FAKULTAS EKONOMI DAN BISNIS UNIVERSITAS MATARAM

Technology is a symbol of progress in the development of the era. Technology changes the pattern of activities in a person's daily life. Many people use and manage their finances online because of its convenience, starting from savings, buying and selling transactions, In the field of investment, there is a lot of fraud due to lack of knowledge and people who are easily tempted by the returns offered, these reasons underlie the need for each individual to understand financial literacy before taking investment action. The purpose of this study was to examine how Social Media and financial literacy affect investment interest of FEB UNRAM students. With 96 respondents, this study used an associative quantitative methodology using a questionnaire for data collection and SPSS program for data processing. The results showed that financial knowledge and technology (Social Media) have a positive and substantial influence on investment interest. Furthermore, technology and financial literacy factors have an influence of 35% of the total influence, while the rest is influenced by other variables.

Improving the Lives of People with Sickle Cell Disease: Community Organizations and Epidemiologists Working Together

Abstract: Background: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Sickle Cell Data Collection (SCDC) program comprises multidisciplinary teams, which include community-based organizations. Partnering with community-based organizations (CBOs) is a novel approach to ensure that SCDC data are actionable. Objective: To better understand areas for mutual capacity building, we explored the relationships and dynamics between CBO and data teams within the SCDC program in 10 states. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with CBO ( n = 13) and SCDC ( n = 10) participants and then categorized and compared text from each interview and across states. Six themes emerged. Lessons Learned: Transparency and trust are essential. Early CBO engagement and leadership are needed for trust and agreed upon priorities. Conclusions: Participants contextualized trust, the most prominent theme, within discussions of racism and health inequities. Relationships between the CBO and data teams bring hard data and human experience together for advocacy, education, improved care, and a platform for the SCD voice.

The Prevalence of Sickle Cell Disease in Colorado and Methodologies of the Colorado Sickle Cell Data Collection Program: Public Health Surveillance (Preprint)

The Prevalence of Sickle Cell Disease in Colorado and Methodologies of the Colorado Sickle Cell Data Collection Program: Public Health Surveillance (Preprint)

Prevalence, Mortality, and Access to Care for Chronic Kidney Disease in Medicaid-Enrolled Adults With Sickle Cell Disease in California: Retrospective Cohort Study.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant complication in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), leading to increased mortality. This study aims to investigate the burden of CKD in Medicaid-enrolled adults with SCD in California, examine differences in disease burden between male and female individuals, and assess mortality rates and access to specialized care. This retrospective cohort study used the California Sickle Cell Data Collection program to identify and monitor individuals with SCD. Medicaid claims, vital records, emergency department, and hospitalization data from 2011 to 2020 were analyzed. CKD prevalence was assessed based on ICD (International Classification of Diseases) codes, and mortality rates were calculated. Access to specialized care was examined through outpatient encounter rates with hematologists and nephrologists. Among the 2345 adults with SCD, 24.4% (n=572) met the case definition for CKD. The SCD-CKD group was older at the beginning of this study (average age 44, SD 14 vs 34, SD 12.6 years) than the group without CKD. CKD prevalence increased with age, revealing significant disparities by sex. While the youngest (18-29 years) and oldest (>65 years) groups showed similar CKD prevalences between sexes (female: 12/111, 10.8% and male: 12/101, 11.9%; female: 74/147, 50.3% and male: 34/66, 51.5%, respectively), male individuals in the aged 30-59 years bracket exhibited significantly higher rates than female individuals (30-39 years: 49/294, 16.7%, P=.01; 40-49 years: 52/182, 28.6%, P=.02; and 50-59 years: 76/157,48.4%, P<.001). During this study, of the 2345 adults, 435 (18.5%) deaths occurred, predominantly within the SCD-CKD cohort (226/435, 39.5%). The median age at death was 53 (IQR 61-44) years for the SCD-CKD group compared to 43 (IQR 33-56) years for the SCD group, with male individuals in the SCD-CKD group showing significantly higher mortality rates (111/242, 45.9%; P=.009) than female individuals (115/330, 34.9%). Access to specialist care was notably limited: approximately half (281/572, 49.1%) of the SCD-CKD cohort had no hematologist visits, and 61.9% (354/572) did not see a nephrologist during this study's period. This study provides robust estimates of CKD prevalence and mortality among Medicaid-enrolled adults with SCD in California. The findings highlight the need for improved access to specialized care for this population and increased awareness of the high mortality risk and progression associated with CKD.

Using social media image to identify threatened elasmobranch species caught by a small-scale fishery in a data-poor area.

Sharing fishing activity via social media attracts millions of views. The data from these shares includes key information for a fisheries database such as the species present in the catches and in many cases the number of specimens caught. Many countries in the Global South do not have official information about basic data on fishing activity, especially small-scale activity. In many of such countries like Brazil, overfishing poses a significant threat to numerous threatened species, including elasmobranchs, due to the frailty of fisheries management and law enforcement. The lack of a national (Brazil) data collection program makes sharing data on social media a potential source of fisheries related information. Hence, this study aimed to verify the potential of social media data to describe artisanal fishing and identify elasmobranch species caught by a small-scale fleet in a data-poor Equatorial Southwest Atlantic region. The identification of elasmobranch species was made based on 250 videos shared by local fishers publicly on social media (Youtube™). Among these, sharks and rays were observed in 19 (8%) and 42 (17%) videos, respectively. A total of 98 specimens were recorded, of which 80% could be identified to a species level. Most of the records comprised the stingrays Hypanus berthalutzae and Hypanus guttatus, while Ginglymostoma cirratum was the most recorded shark. More than half of the elasmobranch species recorded are listed at some level of threat according to the IUCN Red List. According to the Brazilian legislation, at least 20% of the species identified in these videos are considered Endangered (EN) or Critically Endangered (CR). Therefore, fishing activity shared via social media can be considered effective in identifying threatened elasmobranch species, as well as providing data on species occurrence, number of specimens, or rare sightings. It is suggested that fishing activity shared via social media be used in parallel with traditional methods (e.g. on-board data and landing observations) to obtain fisheries information and data about endangered species in data poor areas.

Utilization of the standard questionnaire in specific health checkups

Objectives Interviewing people about their health behaviour in specific health checkups (SHCs) is thought to promote awareness of and help improve such behaviour. The standard questionnaire (SQ) for SHCs consists of 22 items presented in the guidelines of the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare. However, using items other than those necessary for stratification for specific health guidance (SHG) is optional. We believe that clarifying the actual utilization of SQ items could contribute to improving the procedure used for the fourth SHCs and SHG, which will be initiated in 2024. This study seeks to clarify the actual utilization of the SQ for (1) conducting SHCs, (2) planning, implementing, and evaluating SHG and health programs aimed at preventing lifestyle-related diseases, and (3) planning, implementing, and evaluating the data health plan.Methods We enrolled 3,179 people from 1,741 departments in charge of national health insurance, 47 Japan Health Insurance Association branches, and 1,391 health insurance societies across all municipalities in Japan. One participant among the study participants was the main person in charge of SHCs and SHG at each facility. We conducted a self-reported survey on the implementation of SHCs and SHG in February 2022. This study was approved by the ethics review board of the institution to which the first author belongs.Results A total of 1,221 (38.4%) were received. The proportions of valid responses from national health insurance departments, Japan Health Insurance Association branches, and health insurance societies were 816 (46.9%), 47 (100%), and 358 (25.7%), respectively. Over 96% of responders used the group SHCs method, and over 93% of those adopting the individual SHCs method used each of the 22 SQ items. However, 187 (18.2%) responders found it difficult to use the item "If you had the opportunity to receive health guidance for lifestyle improvement, would you take it?" The reason was that the on-request SHG system was misunderstood. Additionally, only approximately 50% of respondents used the SQ to develop, implement, and evaluate their health program.Conclusion We believe there will be no problem in implementing the SQ even if using all its component items is required. However, the aforementioned item needs to be revised. Methods to encourage health insurers and their supporters to use the SQ for health-related data collection and health program planning should be devised.

Acute care utilization among individuals with sickle cell disease and related cardiopulmonary and renal complications.

Cardiopulmonary and renal end organ (CPR) complications are associated with early mortality among individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD). However, there is limited knowledge regarding acute care utilization for individuals with SCD and CPR complications. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of CPR complications in a state specific SCD population and compare acute care utilization among individuals with and without CPR complications. We leveraged 2017-2020 data for individuals with SCD identified by the Sickle Cell Data Collection program in Wisconsin. The prevalence of CPR complications is determined for distinct age groups. Generalized linear models adjusted for age compared the rate of acute care visits/person/year among individuals who had cardiopulmonary only, renal only, both cardiopulmonary and renal, or no CPR complications. There were 1378 individuals with SCD, 52% females, mean (SD) age 28.3 (18.5) years; 48% had at least one CPR complication during the study period. The prevalence of CPR complications was higher in adults (69%) compared to pediatric (15%) and transition (51%) groups. Individuals with SCD and cardiopulmonary complications had higher acute visit rates than those without CPR complications (5.4 (IQR 5.0-5.8) vs 2.4 (IQR 2.1-2.5), p <0.001)). Acute care visit rates were similar between individuals with SCD who had renal only complications and no CPR complications (2.7 (IQR 2.5-3.0) vs 2.4 (2.1-2.5), p = 0.24). The high acute care visit rates, especially for those with cardiopulmonary complications, warrant further investigation to understand risk factors for CPR complications, the underlying reasons and identify effective disease management strategies.

Assessing Patterns of Telehealth Use Among People with Sickle Cell Disease Enrolled in Medicaid During the Start of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Telehealth can be defined as using remote technologies to provide health care. It may increase access to care among people with sickle cell disease (SCD). This study examined (1) telehealth use, (2) characteristics of telehealth use, and (3) differences between telehealth users and nonusers among people with SCD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of Medicaid claims among four states [California (CA), Georgia (GA), Michigan (MI), Tennessee (TN)] participating in the Sickle Cell Data Collection program. Study participants were individuals ≥1 year old with SCD enrolled in Medicaid September 2019-December 2020. Telehealth encounters during the pandemic were characterized by provider specialty. Health care utilization was compared between those who did (users) and did not (nonusers) use telehealth, stratified by before and during the pandemic. Results: A total of 8,681 individuals with SCD (1,638 CA; 3,612 GA; 1,880 MI; and 1,551 TN) were included. The proportion of individuals with SCD that accessed telehealth during the pandemic varied across states from 29% in TN to 80% in CA. During the pandemic, there was a total of 21,632 telehealth encounters across 3,647 users. In two states (MI and GA), over a third of telehealth encounters were with behavioral health providers. Telehealth users had a higher average number of health care encounters during the pandemic: emergency department (pooled mean = 2.6 for users vs. 1.5 for nonusers), inpatient (1.2 for users vs. 0.6 for nonusers), and outpatient encounters (6.0 for users vs. 3.3 for nonusers). Conclusions: Telehealth was frequently used at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic by people with SCD. Future research should focus on the context, facilitators, and barriers of its implementation in this population.

Accrual Quality Improvement Program for clinical trials.

The Early Phase Cancer Prevention Clinical Trials Program (Consortia), led by the Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, supports and conducts trials assessing safety, tolerability, and cancer preventive potential of a variety of interventions. Accrual to cancer prevention trials includes the recruitment of unaffected populations, posing unique challenges related to minimizing participant burden and risk, given the less evident or measurable benefits to individual participants. The Accrual Quality Improvement Program was developed to address these challenges and better understand the multiple determinants of accrual activity throughout the life of the trial. Through continuous monitoring of accrual data, Accrual Quality Improvement Program identifies positive and negative factors in real-time to optimize enrollment rates for ongoing and future trials. The Accrual Quality Improvement Program provides a web-based centralized infrastructure for collecting, analyzing, visualizing, and storing qualitative and quantitative participant-, site-, and study-level data. The Accrual Quality Improvement Program approaches cancer prevention clinical trial accrual as multi-factorial, recognizing protocol design, potential participants' characteristics, and individual site as well as study-wide implementation issues. The Accrual Quality Improvement Program was used across 39 Consortia trials from 2014 to 2022 to collect comprehensive trial information. The Accrual Quality Improvement Program captures data at the participant level, including number of charts reviewed, potential participants contacted and reasons why participants were not eligible for contact or did not consent to the trial or start intervention. The Accrual Quality Improvement Program also captures site-level (e.g. staffing issues) and study-level (e.g. when protocol amendments are made) data at each step of the recruitment/enrollment process, from potential participant identification to contact, consent, intervention, and study completion using a Recruitment Journal. Accrual Quality Improvement Program's functionality also includes tracking and visualization of a trial's cumulative accrual rate compared to the projected accrual rate, including a zone-based performance rating with corresponding quality improvement intervention recommendations. The challenges associated with recruitment and timely completion of early phase cancer prevention clinical trials necessitate a data collection program capable of continuous collection and quality improvement. The Accrual Quality Improvement Program collects cumulative data across National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Prevention early phase clinical trials, providing the opportunity for real-time review of participant-, site-, and study-level data and thereby enables responsive recruitment strategy and protocol modifications for improved recruitment rates to ongoing trials. Of note, Accrual Quality Improvement Program data collected from ongoing trials will inform future trials to optimize protocol design and maximize accrual efficiency.

Pemaknaan Pesan Guru dengan Wali Murid pada Whatsapp Group Masa Pandemi Covid-19

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;One of the sectors impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic is education. Distance Learning encourages the learning process in the selected Network as a solution so that teaching and learning activities continue. Cikal Cendekia Islamic Elementary School (IES) is one of the education providers that implemented distance learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. Social media WhatsApp as a means of distance learning communication by IES Cikal Cendekia. Communication between teachers and students through intermediary guardians of students is carried out via WhatsApp class groups. The use of WhatsApp as a means of communication for distance learning encountered problems. Constraints occur because of differences in the meaning of teachers and guardians of students. This research examines the meaning of the messages of teachers and guardians of students in the WhatsApp group of IES Cikal Cendekia Class 3 Uwais Al-Qarni. Three topics as research analysis namely change in main group settings, Off-Network data collection programs, Parents Teacher interviews implementation programs. Qualitative descriptive research method. Message analysis uses Encoding-Decoding analysis. The reception of Stuart Hall's Message Theory to see the position of receiving messages. The results of the encoding-decoding analysis show that the communicant interprets the messages differently. There is a distortion of the message received by the communicant because it is by the teacher who is often ambiguous and the differences in the characteristics of the sources. The position of receiving teacher messages by parents of two messages by negotiation. One message is opposition, and no message is accepted dominantly.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Birth Prevalence of Sickle Cell Disease and County-Level Social Vulnerability - Sickle Cell Data Collection Program, 11 States, 2016-2020.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) remains a public health priority in the United States because of its association with complex health needs, reduced life expectancy, lifelong disabilities, and high cost of care. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted to calculate the crude and race-specific birth prevalence for SCD using state newborn screening program records during 2016-2020 from 11 Sickle Cell Data Collection program states. The percentage distribution of birth mother residence within Social Vulnerability Index quartiles was derived. Among 3,305 newborns with confirmed SCD (including 57% with homozygous hemoglobin S or sickle β-null thalassemia across 11 states, 90% of whom were Black or African American [Black], and 4% of whom were Hispanic or Latino), the crude SCD birth prevalence was 4.83 per 10,000 (one in every 2,070) live births and 28.54 per 10,000 (one in every 350) non-Hispanic Black newborns. Approximately two thirds (67%) of mothers of newborns with SCD lived in counties with high or very high levels of social vulnerability; most mothers lived in counties with high or very high levels of vulnerability for racial and ethnic minority status (89%) and housing type and transportation (64%) themes. These findings can guide public health, health care systems, and community program planning and implementation that address social determinants of health for infants with SCD. Implementation of tailored interventions, including increasing access to transportation, improving housing, and advancing equity in high vulnerability areas, could facilitate care and improve health outcomes for children with SCD.

INDEX KEPUASAN PELANGGAN EDUKITS BATAM CENTRE DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN ALGORITMA C45

The term customer satisfaction refers to a situation when customers realize their needs and desires are met or are not met as expected.. Customers are generally satisfied with their experiences. Customer satisfaction determines whether they continue to use the service, while customer dissatisfaction leads to them stopping using it. The result will be the loss of customers for business actors. Developing strategies to improve the satisfaction of customers is one of the most important tasks for business actors. Essentially, C4.5 is a decision tree algorithm that functions in the form of a structured data collection program coded in such a way that it can be used to collect data that has changed and to turn it into a decision tree that consists of a decision rule so that the results of the data can be used to help make a decision. Based on the findings of the research, it appears the factors that are influencing Edukits Batam Center customer satisfaction the most are price, the accessibility of the location, and the quality of the products.

National Quality Indicators in Pediatric Sickle Cell Anemia.

To assess nationally endorsed claims-based quality measures in pediatric sickle cell anemia (SCA). Using data from the Sickle Cell Data Collection programs in California and Georgia from 2010 to 2019, we evaluated 2 quality measures in individuals with hemoglobin S/S or S/β-zero thalassemia: (1) the proportion of patients aged 3 months to 5 years who were dispensed antibiotic prophylaxis for at least 300 days within each measurement year and (2) the proportion of patients aged 2 to 15 years who received at least 1 transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) within each measurement year. We then evaluated differences by year and tested whether performance on quality measures differed according to demographic and clinical factors. Only 22.2% of those in California and 15.5% in Georgia met or exceeded the quality measure for antibiotic prophylaxis, with increased odds associated with rural residence in Georgia (odds ratio 1.61; 95% confidence interval 1.21-2.14) compared with urban residence and a trend toward increased odds associated with a pediatric hematologist prescriber (odds ratio 1.28; 95% confidence interval 0.97, 1.69) compared with a general pediatrician. Approximately one-half of the sample received an annual assessment of stroke risk using TCD (47.4% in California and 52.7% in Georgia), with increased odds each additional year in both states and among younger children. The rates of receipt of recommended antibiotic prophylaxis and annual TCD were low in this sample of children with SCA. These evidence-based quality measures can be tracked over time to help identify policies and practices that maximize survival in SCA.

IMPLEMENTATION OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs) POLICY IN IMPROVING COMMUNITY WELFARE

Abstract: This research aims to find out how the Sustainable Development Goals policy is implemented in improving community welfare in Riam Kijang Village, Sungai Tebelian District, Sintang Regency. Using qualitative methods, which is research where the discovery process does not use statistical processes. The research results show that the implementation of the sustainable development goals policy in improving community welfare has been implemented in accordance with the circular letter from the Ministry of Villages regarding the implementation of the SDGs Program. Even though the sustainability of the SDGs program has not been implemented in its entirety, the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals policy has not yet been felt by the people of Riam Kijang Village, but its implementation has been carried out quite well. The implementation of the SDGs program to improve welfare in Riam Village is: Data collection program, Village Data Collection, the process of extracting, collecting, recording, verifying and validating Village SDGs data, which contains objective data on the Village's territory and citizenship in the form of assets and potential Village assets that can be utilized for achieving Village Development goals. Keywords: Implementation, Policy, Sustainable Development Goals, Community Welfare.

Monitoring Polar Ice Change in the Twilight Zone

Landsat’s new extended data collection program is mapping Arctic and Antarctic regions year-round, even in polar twilight.

Technology Focus: Well Testing (February 2024)

Standing alone as the shortest month of the year, February also features JPT’s Well Testing Technology Focus, reviewing the latest industry publications on the subject. Well testing has enjoyed a recent uptick in activity and interest as operators continually realize the value in understanding and monitoring the dynamic performance of their reservoirs. Whether it pertains to the deliverability of conventional oil and gas or the storage potential for carbon capture and storage, large-scale dynamic data remains one of the more coveted pieces to the subsurface puzzle. There is no silver bullet for reservoir characterization. Instead, proper characterization will always be the result of integrating static and dynamic data, collected at varying scales, with a macro geological understanding. Technology facilitates the collection of the aforementioned data. With the latest technologies pushing limits of what can be achieved, subsurface engineers must rigorously evaluate what reservoir characterization techniques and tools are suited for project objectives. Formation testing (FT) platforms provide many options for operators to get a first look at dynamic reservoir performance and nearly always precede a well test. After digesting the alphabet soup of acronyms, so many FT options exist that one may encounter what psychologists refer to as “choice overload.” FT objectives also may begin to overlap with objectives traditionally reserved for drillstem tests (DSTs), narrowing a long-standing technology gap. The current advances in FT tools are exciting, and using FT tools to perform a “mini-DST” makes for brilliant marketing. However, “mini” could mean up to 10,000 times less produced volume, which undoubtedly affects objectives thought to overlap. Subsurface complexity is mitigated by defining clear objectives and executing data-collection programs to reduce uncertainty. Caution should be taken in selecting how to dynamically test your reservoirs. Regardless of how advanced hardware becomes, achievable objectives always will be dependent on key factors such as rock and fluid properties, reservoir geometry, and local regulatory and environmental considerations. This month’s papers highlight ongoing developments from different segments of the well-testing discipline. Dive into valuable lessons learned from a frontier carbon capture, use, and storage project, backed by an impressively sized data set and an in‑depth review of multiphase effects. This case study covers differing saturations around the wellbore region and fluid types in operations and should have global applications. Learn about the limitations and potential pitfalls of nonisothermal effects in pressure transient analysis, which pose challenges in the reservoir characterization of geothermal wells. Sensitivities to thermal effects on reservoir rock properties provide intriguing insights. Completion efficiency also may be affected by thermal effects, resulting in additional pressure drop at sandface. Finally, catch up on one of the weapons most recently added to the well-testing arsenal with powerful new FT tools that feature industry improvements for greater flexibility and improved data reliability. Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org. OTC 32610 Multiphase Flowmeter Comparison in a Complex Field by Mohammed Alqahtani, Saudi Aramco, et al. IPTC 23050 Frequently Asked Questions in the Interval Pressure Transient Test and What Is Next With Deep Transient Test by Saifon Daungkaew, SLB, et al.

Creating and analyzing datasets using eBPF technology in container infrastructures

Containerized environments such as Docker provide isolation and deployment of distributed services and applications. However, anomalies and attacks can still occur within containers and within containerized networks. This paper proposes the creation of a dataset using eBPF-based traceback to monitor communication between containers in a Docker environment. In the process, a Docker environment with containers providing different services is created and eBPF-based data collection programs are configured to capture packet-level data. The collected dataset contains characteristics such as process IDs, container IDs, network events, and function arguments. A detailed analysis of these characteristics can provide valuable information about container network behavior, performance issues and vulnerabilities. As a proof of concept, the paper evaluates the applicability of classifiers such as Naive Bayes, KNN, SVM and Random Forest to detect anomalies in the dataset. The results show accuracy in the range of 0.42-0.67 and F-measure performance in the range of 0.54-0.65. Overall, the study demonstrates the potential of creating eBPF-based datasets for container security monitoring and anomaly detection by further optimizing data analysis techniques. The proposed approach can help in securing, troubleshooting, and optimizing container deploymet., mobile network, visibility graph, geometric graph, random walks, simulation.

ROBOTIC TECHNOLOGICAL CELLULTRASONIC FLAW DETECTION

Ultrasonic flaw detection is the most versatile non-destructive testing method for detecting defects in various materials. The aim of this work is to develop a robotic technological cell for ultrasonic flaw detection of welded products. To achieve this goal, we selected the necessary equipment, developed an algorithm for the control system, and wrote control and data collection programs. In addition to identifying the product defect, the PC-based control system also ensures safety during the diagnostic process.&#x0D; The technical support of the cell consists of an ultrasonic flaw detector "EPOCH 650" with a rectangular pulse generator and a digital receiver, an industrial robot Mitsubishi Electric MELFA RV-FR series, a work table for the required part orientation, inductive sensors for identifying the installation of the part, light barriers to ensure safe operation of the cell and a control system.&#x0D; The cell control system is implemented in the form of a chalkboard and includes a central processing device for cell control, a robot control processor for implementing the robot's trajectory and communication with the robot controller, a module for communication with peripheral equipment, and a data logging module for registration, recording and sharing of events in the control system, a digital input module for receiving digital signals of 0 or 24 V DC from contact type sensors, manual control buttons, status signals from alarm systems, positioning drives, etc.&#x0D; The cell software ensures the implementation of control algorithms and consists of a control program to control the robot's movements, an executive program to ensure the control system's analysis of signals from the flaw detector, a security system, and user interaction via the system interface, The interface system receives data from the PLC and is responsible for graphically displaying information about the control system.&#x0D; The paper presents the results of experimental research and simulation, which confirm the efficiency and effectiveness of the developed algorithms and control programs. By determining the optimal values of the speeds of movement and rotation of the robot links during their simultaneous movement, the speed and productivity of the cell are increased.

Growth and natural mortality of Maurolicus muelleri and Benthosema glaciale in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean

Mesopelagic fish are considered a possible future fisheries resource, but the biological sustainability of their potential exploitation has not yet been assessed. Sustainability should be evaluated at the population level, for which accurate stock-specific life-history parameters are required. Here, we use a length-based model to estimate life-history parameters related to growth and natural mortality, and their uncertainty, for the assessment of Northeast Atlantic populations of Maurolicus muelleri (Gmelin, 1789, Mueller’s Pearlside) and Benthosema glaciale (Reinhardt, 1837, glacier lantern fish). We compare three different approaches to estimate natural mortality rates and provide recommendations for future data collection and monitoring programs. For M. muelleri, we estimated an asymptotic length of 57.98 mm and a von Bertalanffy growth constant of 1.28 year−1, while for B. glaciale, we estimated an asymptotic length of 78.93 mm and a von Bertalanffy growth constant of 0.41 year−1. Estimates of natural mortality rates for M. muelleri were around 1.29 year−1 and 1.80 year−1 based on empirical formulae with the estimated growth parameters and maximum age, respectively, and around 1.51 year−1 with the length-converted catch curve method for B. glaciale estimates ranged between 0.5, 0.68, and 0.75 year−1, with the three respective methods. Due to limited data availability, the estimated uncertainty of the provided life-history parameters is large and should be considered in the evaluation of the sustainability of potential mesopelagic exploitation following the precautionary approach.