Range Of Intensities Research Articles

The Kangâmiut dykes in West Greenland: markers of the tectono-metamorphic evolution of the southern Nagssugtoqidian orogen and its foreland

The general extent and structural evolution of the southern Nagssugtoqidian orogen of West Greenland were first described by Hans Ramberg who based much of his paper on the deformation of the regional Kangâmiut dyke swarm. The southern boundary is marked by a transition from undeformed, discordant dykes in the south to highly deformed dykes and host rocks to the north. Our analysis of the southern Nagssugtoqidian orogen and its southern foreland uses a comprehensive compilation of available data and covers the area from Sisimiut in the north to Alanngua, south of Maniitsoq. This represents almost the entire c. 200 km latitudinal extent of the Kangâmiut dyke swarm and encompasses the complete range of Nagssugtoqidian overprint on these dykes and their country rocks. South of Itillip Ilua (Itilleq), the structural and metamorphic overprints on the dykes exhibit a considerable range in both intensity and P–T conditions between and even within outcrops. In contrast, north of Itillip Ilua, the rocks show more systematic gradual increases in the degree of structural overprints and metamorphic grade, culminating in the Ikertooq thrust zone where granulite facies rocks are brought southwards over amphibolite facies rocks. Currently, available age data from the Nagssugtoqidian orogen permits the identification of two metamorphic episodes at c. 1850–1800 Ma and c. 1780–1720 Ma. These groups of metamorphic ages are supported by recent 40Ar–39Ar ages from dykes in the same area, which cluster at c. 1860 Ma and c. 1740 Ma, respectively. Albeit geographically sporadic, both age intervals support a subdivision of the Nagssugtoqidian structural and metamorphic overprints across the southern Nagssugtoqidian orogen and its foreland into two distinguishable temporal phases. Further geochronological investigations may well, however, find these two phases to be part of a tectonic continuum. For now, it is thought that the older event records south-directed thrusting over the foreland and concomitant loading of this crust, at least as far south as Maniitsoq. This c. 1860–1800 Ma crustal shortening and thrusting likely also closed a depositional basin located at the current latitude of Ikertooq, which could have formed during an early-orogenic extensional event that enabled and accompanied the c. 2035 Ma emplacement of Kangâmiut dykes. Up to 50–100 Ma later, a younger (c. 1780–1720 Ma) phase of shearing and thrusting mainly affected the Itillip Ilua – Ikertooq area and likely overprinted elements of the former event. This local younger overprint generated a separate trend of distinctly northward-increasing deformation and metamorphism.

Two-photon imaging of excitatory and inhibitory neural response to infrared neural stimulation.

Pulsed infrared neural stimulation (INS, 1875nm) is an emerging neurostimulation technology that delivers focal pulsed heat to activate functionally specific mesoscale networks and holds promise for clinical application. However, little is known about its effect on excitatory and inhibitory cell types in cerebral cortex. Estimates of summed population neuronal response time courses provide a potential basis for neural and hemodynamic signals described in other studies. Using two-photon calcium imaging in mouse somatosensory cortex, we have examined the effect of INS pulse train application on hSyn neurons and mDlx neurons tagged with GCaMP6s. We find that, in anesthetized mice, each INS pulse train reliably induces robust response in hSyn neurons exhibiting positive going responses. Surprisingly, mDlx neurons exhibit negative going responses. Quantification using the index of correlation illustrates responses are reproducible, intensity-dependent, and focal. Also, a contralateral activation is observed when INS applied. In sum, the population of neurons stimulated by INS includes both hSyn and mDlx neurons; within a range of stimulation intensities, this leads to overall excitation in the stimulated population, leading to the previously observed activations at distant post-synaptic sites.

Understanding tightened muscle in knee osteoarthritis and the impacts of Fu's subcutaneous needling: A pilot trial with shear-wave elastography and near-infrared spectroscopy.

Given the scarce reports on the interplay between Fu's subcutaneous needling (FSN), tightened muscle, and therapeutic effects, we developed a clinical research protocol to synchronously collect data on clinical efficacy and muscle characteristics in patients with knee osteoarthritis, exploring the mechanism of FSN action. The primary aim was to assess the feasibility and safety of this protocol, guiding future trials and their sample size calculations. In this prospective, single-blind, self-controlled study, 19 patients with early to mid-stage unilateral knee osteoarthritis underwent FSN therapy on both knees over 1 week (4 sessions, every other day). We measured local elastic modulus, muscle thickness, blood flow volume, and oxygen consumption rate of bilateral vastus lateralis muscles using shear-wave elastography and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) before and after the first and fourth treatments. Additionally, real-time NIRS indicators (oxygenated hemoglobin [O2Hb], deoxyhemoglobin [HHb], total hemoglobin [THb], and tissue saturation index [TSI]) were recorded during these treatments. Pain intensity (visual analogue scale [VAS]), functional status (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index [WOMAC]), and active range of motion were evaluated before these treatments. All 19 participants completed the trial without serious adverse events. After 3 FSN treatments, significant changes were observed in VAS and WOMAC scores (VAS: P < .001; WOMAC: P < .001), and knee flexion (P < .001) and external rotation (P = .02), except for internal rotation. No meaningful significant differences were observed in muscle characteristics at baseline or between pre- and post-treatment periods. NIRS results during treatments indicated significant increases in local O2Hb and THb post-FSN therapy (First treatment: O2Hb: P = .005; THb: P = .006. Fourth treatment: O2Hb: P = .002; THb: P = .004); however, no significant increases were observed for HHb (First treatment: P = .06; Fourth treatment: P = .28). No linear correlation was found between therapeutic effects and changes in tightened muscle indices. FSN reduces pain and improves joint function in knee osteoarthritis, while also enhancing blood flow and oxygenation in the vastus lateralis muscle of the affected side. Further revisions of this protocol are warranted based on our insights.

The Relationship between Heart Rate Variability, Pain Intensity, Pain Catastrophizing, Disability, Quality of Life and Range of Cervical Motion in Patients with Chronic Non-Specific Neck Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The purpose of the present cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between heart rate variability (HRV) and the range of cervical motion, disability, pain intensity, pain catastrophizing, and quality of life in patients with chronic, non-specific neck pain. Thirty-five patients, aged 20-48 years, with chronic non-specific neck pain, completed validated questionnaires regarding neck pain intensity, pain-associated disability, catastrophic thoughts, and quality of life. The range of cervical motion was assessed using a digital goniometer. HRV indices were recorded in three positions (supine, sitting, and standing) through a smartphone application. Several significant correlations were observed between HRV indices and neck pain disability, the helplessness factor of catastrophizing, neck rotation, and quality of life. These correlations were only observed in the standing position. Pain catastrophizing was positively correlated with disability and pain intensity during active neck movement (Pearson r = 0.544, p < 0.01; Pearson r = 0.605, p < 0.01, respectively). Quality of life was negatively correlated with pain intensity during active movement (Pearson r = -0.347, p < 0.05). HRV indices were correlated with the psychological and physical domains of neck pain. These cardiac indices have been related to neck pain variables in some previous studies. Further research is needed to confirm this relationship in different daily conditions.

Physiological and Biomechanical Characteristics of Olympic and World-Class Rowers—Case Study

In this study, we quantified relevant biophysical characteristics of two elite rowers across a wide range of intensities. Two &lt;40-year-old male and female Olympic and World Championship finalists performed a 7 × 3 min protocol plus 1 min maximal effort on a rowing ergometer. The intensity increase resulted in maximum values of 79.4 ± 2.4 and 69.7 ± 1.5 mL/min/kg for oxygen uptake, 179.3 ± 5.7 and 152.5 ± 2.9 L/min for ventilation, 170 ± 1 and 173 ± 0 bpm for heart rate, 10.6 and 15.8 mmol/L for blood lactate concentration, and 38.1 ± 0.03 and 38.8 ± 0.03 °C for core temperature for the male and female rowers. The percentage of power corresponding to a previously conducted maximum 2000 m rowing ergometer test and the work at each step increased from 49 to 127 and 42 to 103% and from 226.8 to 398.9 J and 174.0 to 250.0 J, from low to extreme intensities, for the male and female. Concurrently, there was a decrease in cycle length and propulsive time, followed by an increase in maximal handle drive velocity, with the rise in rowing intensity. These world-class rowers seem capable of maintaining physiological and technical profiles (and a remarkable capacity to generate substantial power) at this phase of their careers possibly due to long-term engagement in elite-level training. Biophysical data provide valuable referential information for guiding rowers to improve their performance.

Scaling relations in laser-induced vaporization of thin free-flying liquid metal sheets

We experimentally study the vaporization of free-flying liquid tin sheets when exposed to a 100-ns laser pulse with an intensity between 0.2×107 and 4×107 W/cm2, a case inspired by current developments around “advanced target shaping” in industrial laser-produced plasma sources for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) nanolithography machines. Our findings reveal a gradual vaporization and a linear relationship between the average vaporization rate and laser pulse intensity (with a prefactor of 1.0(3)×10−7ms−1/Wcm−2), for various targets ranging from 20nmto200nm in thickness. We introduce a numerical one-dimensional heating and vaporization model based on Hertz-Knudsen evaporation and find excellent agreement between simulations and experimental data. We furthermore demonstrate that the amount of vaporization of liquid tin targets in the investigated laser intensity range is governed solely by the deposited fluence, and collapse all data onto a single nondimensional curve, enabling the accurate prediction of vaporization dynamics in applications in future development of EUV sources. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

A New Agricultural Drought Index to Characterize Agricultural Drought Using Data Mining Techniques

Drought monitoring is a critical task as its occurrence and extent vary according to many factors like drought type, risk, agricultural losses, and impact. Monitoring drought is important because the footprint of this hazard is larger than that of other natural hazards. Many drought indices are developed to monitor complex drought conditions. The intensity and severity of drought in a particular region and at a particular time can be tracked by the drought indicator. In this research, a new agricultural drought index, Yield-Evapotranspiration Drought Index (YEDI) is developed using crop yield, potential, and reference crop evapotranspiration. Data mining and Neural Network techniques have been used to model the drought index. The agricultural and climatic data used is selected from the year 1983 to 2015 (33 years) from the period of June to October (Kharif period) for Maharashtra state in India. The drought index generates the positive values which are further divided into a range of high, medium, and low intensities of drought. SPI and SPEI indices are used for validation against YEDI. Results show that there is a correlation between YEDI and SPEI whereas a low correlation is between YEDI and SPI. YEDI proves to be useful for agricultural drought monitoring.

Fabrication of surface nanoscale axial photonics structures with electric arc discharge

The fabrication of surface nanoscale axial photonics (SNAP) microresonators, utilizing the approach of electric arc discharge (EAD), is accomplished, achieving a precision at the angstrom level. This paper thoroughly investigates the effects that discharge intensity and discharge duration have on SNAP microresonators, respectively, through the manipulation of relevant discharge parameters. The results indicate that, within a specified range of discharge intensity, a linear relationship is observed between the effective radius variation (ERV) and the discharge intensity, characterized by a slope of 0.325 nm/intensity unit. As the discharge duration is extended, the ERV gradually increases, eventually reaching a saturation value, which is inherently determined by the discharge intensity. Additionally, as the discharge intensity (or time) continues to increase, a “convex–concave–convex” shape is observed on the fiber, providing a method for fabricating bat microresonators. These discoveries derived from our study contribute toward providing a strong foundation for the progressive enhancement and refinement of EAD-based SNAP fabrication techniques.

Green Synthesis of Highly Fluorescent NCQDs: A Comprehensive Study on Synthesis, Characterization, Photophysical Properties, pH Sensing, Heavy Metal Detection, and Solvatochromic Behavior through Hydrothermal Method.

Solvatochromic studies in conjunction with NCQDs and analysis of material at different pH levels provide valuable insights about the process of metal ion sensing. Metal ion sensing holds significant importance in various fields like environment monitoring, biomedical diagnostics and various industrial purpose. The detection of metal ions by mixing the nitrogen-doped quantum dots (NCQDs) in the solvent at different pH levels for the analysis of the photoluminescence spectra is the unique property to achieve selective metal ion detection.In present study, the synthesis of NCQDs was performed by the use of flowers of Tecoma stans. The synthesis of NCQDs to best of our knowledge using flowers of Tecoma stans as natural carbon source via hydrothermal process has been done for the first time. The NCQDs exhibit absorption bands ranging from 190 to 450nm, with the energy band gap varying from 3.55 to 5.42eV when mixed with different solvent such as, 1-4 dioxane, acetone, acetonitrile, ethyl- acetate, ethanol, methanol and toluene. The fluorescence spectra exhibited highly intense range from approximately 390 to 680nm across various solvents. XRD analysis further confirmed the crystalline nature of the particles with an average size of 6.96nm. Different peak positions of the FTIR spectra support functional groups having C-H stretching, C = O (carbonyl) stretching, and C = C stretching vibrations.In the study a notable solvatochromic shift was observed, indicating sensitivity to change in solvent polarity. Additionally, the investigation of the ratio of ground to excited state dipole moment based on solvatochromic shift yielded a value of 3.30. This provide valuable information about optical and electronic properties of NCQDs. Overall, our study sheds light on the unique properties of NCQDs synthesized from Tecoma stans flowers and their potential applications in metal ion sensing, pH probing, and solvent polarity studies.

Forest restoration in practice across Latin America

Forest restoration is a promising solution to counteract climate change, biodiversity loss, and meet a host of socioeconomic objectives. While international initiatives highlight potential contributions of forest restoration as a win-win for people and nature, we lack detailed information on how frontline restoration practitioners are addressing this challenge on the ground. Here, we present a systematic assessment of motivations, scale, and costs of forest restoration implemented by 166 practitioners across 14 countries in Latin America. We found that forest restoration is motivated by interlinked objectives and accordingly, most restoration practitioners concurrently used multiple interventions spanning a range of intensity of inputs matched to the scale of individual projects. Project scale influenced strategy, with low-intensity interventions like natural regeneration implemented when operating at larger scales (≥500 ha). However, active tree planting remains the most frequently used intervention (included in >92 % of programs). Costs of establishing planted areas vary most broadly at the project level ($4445/ha ± 4841 over first 3 years) with little evidence of efficiencies of scale and with additional financial support ($964/ha/yr) required ~10 years past establishment. Moreover, monitoring added substantial additional costs, and we identified widespread misalignment between indicators measured and the most frequently expressed objective of restoring biodiversity. Our results emphasize that, while a promising range of new forest restoration interventions are being implemented across Latin America, lower-cost interventions, accessible and practical monitoring strategies, and better alignment between funding cycles and actual time frames required to achieve restoration objectives are urgently needed to support successful outcomes.

DEVELOPMENT OF A NOVEL ALGORITHM FOR THE AUTOMATIC DETECTION OF MULTIDIRECTIONAL LOCOMOTION WITHIN TEAM SPORTS

INTRODUCTION &amp; AIMS Field-based sports are characterised by their intermittent nature requiring both, multidirectional locomotion and, sports-specific movements at a range of intensities. Traditionally, athlete-monitoring has focused on quantifying workload based on movement intensity with minimal regard to the direction of locomotion [1]. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate an algorithm to detect and classify multidirectional movement using signal characteristics from a microtechnology device. METHODS Rugby league referees (n=13) undertook a match-play simulation protocol (i.e., changes in movement speed and locomotion direction) [2], with microtechnology and video data collected across five-trials. Video data was reviewed to identify movement anomalies outside of the simulation protocol for exclusion. From the 100Hz microtechnology data, acceleration measures were used to classify the start and end point of each movement (i.e., backwards, forwards, sideways or other) or marked for exclusion from the algorithm development. The classified sensor data was processed in Python (v3.11), where data were split into training and testing datasets. A Recurrent Neural Network (Long Short-Term Memory) [3] was implemented to develop and validate an algorithm. Model performance was assessed via accuracy, sensitivity, precision and Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUC), using the testing dataset. RESULTS The accuracy of the model was 0.973 ± 0.010. Sensitivity and precision of the model varied between movement direction, but was &amp;gt;0.928 and &amp;gt;0.922, respectively. The AUC of the model was 0.988 ± 0.007. CONCLUSION The current study highlights the effectiveness of a microtechnology based algorithm for automatically classifying multidirectional locomotion of various velocities. Practically, such algorithm can be used to inform evidence-based training in relation to multidirectional locomotion. Whilst model performance was very-high, further research should examine the feasibility of applying the algorithm to match-play datasets to enhance athlete-monitoring processes.

Nonlinear scaling of fluctuation kinetic energy for shock–vorticity wave interaction

Turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) is a quantity of primary importance in shock–turbulence interaction (STI). Linear interaction analysis (LIA) serves as a theoretical method to predict the amplification of TKE in STI. LIA is constrained by low-amplitude fluctuations and neglects nonlinear effects. In this paper, we explore the nonlinear amplification of the kinetic energy of fluctuations in the interaction between a vorticity wave and a shock wave that serves as a building block flow for STI. A weakly nonlinear framework (WNLF) is introduced to analyze nonlinear effects in fluctuation kinetic energy (FKE) and identify the dominant physical mechanisms driving its amplification. The theoretical framework is validated through high-accuracy numerical simulations of shock–vorticity wave interactions. The simulation results are compared with the predictions derived from the WNLF for a range of intensities and inclinations of shock-upstream vorticity fluctuations at different Mach numbers, and WNLF is found to successfully scale the numerical data for FKE, thus confirming the validity and applicability of the framework. According to WNLF findings, at lower supersonic Mach numbers, the intermodal interaction between vorticity–vorticity modes is important, whereas the interaction between vorticity and acoustic modes becomes dominant at higher Mach numbers. Using the intermodal interactions, a model based on WNLF is proposed to predict TKE amplification in STI. In comparison to direct numerical simulation, the WNLF based model predicts the TKE amplification for moderate turbulent Mach number and lower supersonic flow Mach numbers. This is a significant improvement over the LIA results available in the literature.

Validation of implosion modeling through direct-drive shock timing experiments at the National Ignition Facility.

Precise modeling of shocks in inertial confinement fusion implosions is critical for obtaining the desired compression in experiments. Shock velocities and postshock conditions are determined by laser-energy deposition, heat conduction, and equationsof state. This paper describes experiments at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) [E. M. Campbell and W. J. Hogan, Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 41, B39 (1999)10.1088/0741-3335/41/12B/303] where multiple shocks are launched into a cone-in-shell target made of polystyrene, using laser-pulse shapes with two or three pickets and varying on-target intensities. Shocks are diagnosed using the velocity interferometric system for any reflector (VISAR) diagnostic [P.M. Celliers et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 75, 4916 (2004)0034-674810.1063/1.1807008]. Simulated and inferred shock velocities agree well for the range of intensities studied in this work. These directly-driven shock-timing experiments on the NIF provide a good measure of early-time laser-energy coupling. The validated models add to the credibility of direct-drive-ignition designs at the megajoule scale.

Effectiveness of Laser Acupuncture for Reducing Pain and Increasing Mouth Opening Range in Individuals with Temporomandibular Disorder: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Laser acupuncture (LA) demonstrates promising results in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. However, its effects on temporomandibular disorder (TMD) are not yet fully understood. Thus, the aim of this systematic review and network meta-analysis was to assess the effectiveness of LA on pain intensity and maximum mouth opening range (MMO) related to TMD. A search was carried out in 11 electronic databases and references of included studies to locate randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that evaluated LA as a primary treatment for TMD. The risk of bias was assessed using the RoB 2 tool. Network meta-analysis was conducted on the MetaInsight platform, considering the pain intensity and counseling (C) as the outcome of reference. The GRADE system was used to assess the certainty of the evidence. Five studies evaluated pain intensity, four with a high risk of bias and one with a low risk. Two studies evaluated pain intensity on palpation (one with high and one with low risk of bias), and one study with high risk of bias evaluated MMO. Laser parameters were: 690-810nm, 40-150 mW, and 7.5-112.5J/cm2. Occlusal splint (OS) [- 2.47; CI 95% - 3.64, - 1.30] and Physiotherapy (PT) [-2.64; CI 95% - 3.94, - 1.34] reduced pain intensity compared to C. The ranking of treatments in order of effectiveness was PT > OS > LA > C > CR (craniopuncture). The certainty of the evidence was very low or low. The data do not support the indication of LA for the treatment of TMDs and new placebo-controlled RCTs must be conducted to demonstrate its effectiveness more precisely.

Correlation of postural stability with pain, disability and quality of life among patients with sacroiliac joint dysfunction- A cross-sectional study

Context-Sacroiliac (SI) joint dysfunction accounts for altered postural stability which can cause a continuously intense pain level and range of disabilities. AimTo investigate the correlation of postural stability with pain, disability & QOL among sufferers of sacroiliac joint dysfunction. SettingThis cross-sectional research was undertaken at Rehabilitation Centre, Jamia Hamdard University. MethodA total of fifty participants were recruited using sample of convenience according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. After obtaining informed consent, three pain provocative tests and one motion palpation test were used to determine sacroiliac joint dysfunction. Humac balance master system (CSMi USB powered, Stoughton, USA), Visual analogue scale (VAS), modified Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) & WHO QOL-BREF (US version) were used to assess postural stability, pain, disability & Quality of life (QOL) respectively. Data analysis was done for correlation by SPSS version 24.0. ResultStrong positive correlations were found between reaction time, VAS (r = 0.791) and modified ODI score (r = 0.576) and weak positive correlations between eyes closed solid surface (ECSS) component of modified clinical test of sensory interaction & balance with VAS (r = 0.333) and with modified ODI score (r = 0.304) and eyes open foam surface (EOFS) component with environmental component of QOL (r = 0.287). There were negative correlations between reaction time, physical health (r = −0.413), psychological health (r = −0.375), social relations (r = −0.305), and environment (r = −0.379) parameters of QOL. ConclusionAccording to the findings of the study, there were positive correlations of reaction time with pain and disability and negative correlations with QOL. Awareness of clinicians regarding the altered postural stability can help in improvising the assessment and treatment protocols for patients of SI dysfunction.

Optimising fatigue crack growth predictions for small cracks under variable amplitude loading

The fatigue cracks in a fighter aircraft that pose the greatest threat to structural integrity and availability are usually less than 1 mm for most of their lives. However, it has long been recognised that small cracks can grow significantly faster than long cracks at the same stress intensity range (ΔK). This means predictions for small cracks growing under realistic spectrum loading can be significantly non-conservative when using linear elastic fracture mechanics and long crack-based empirical rate data. Previous work showed empirical rate data based on small cracks grown under constant amplitude (CA) loading could significantly improve predictions. However, such data still have limitations related to an inability to predict the spectrum history effects that influence small cracks. This paper presents a method to optimise a model to predict fatigue crack growth rates for cracks loaded with realistic spectra. This method is demonstrated for small cracks in Aluminium Alloy 7050-T7451 grown under fighter wing root spectrum loading. Numerical optimisation is used to select model parameters that minimise fatigue crack growth rate prediction errors for a training dataset. This purpose-built model consistently outperformed a generic model based on the growth of small cracks under CA loading.

Efficacy of Mulligan thoracic sustained natural apophyseal glides on sub-acromial pain in patients with sub-acromial impingement syndrome: a single-blinded randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT Purpose To investigate the effects of Mulligan thoracic sustained natural apophyseal glides (SNAGS) techniques and traditional exercises on pain, shoulder function, size of sub-acromial space, and shoulder joint range in patients with sub-acromial impingement syndrome. Methods Seventy-four patients with sub-acromial impingement syndrome (25 to 40 years) joined this research and were allocated randomly into two equal groups; experimental group A (Mulligan SNAGS and exercise) and control group B (exercise only). All patients were assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain intensity, Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) for shoulder function, plain x-ray for the size of sub-acromial space, and goniometer for shoulder range of motion (ROM). The measurements were performed at two intervals (baseline and after four weeks of intervention). Results After 4 weeks of intervention, there were statistically significant differences between groups, in favor of Mulligan SNAGS, on sub acromial space size, pain intensity, shoulder function, and shoulder joint range of motion (p < 0.05). In within-group analysis, there were also statistically significant differences between pre- and post-treatment in all measured variables (p < 0.05). Conclusion Mulligan thoracic spine (SNAGS) mobilization into extension and traditional exercises improve sub acromial space size, pain intensity, shoulder function, and shoulder joint range of motion in patients with sub acromial impingement syndrome. It is recommended to mobilize the thoracic spine by mulligan SNAGS in the treatment of sub-acromial impingement syndrome.

Impact of wind on solar-induced natural ventilation through double-skin facade

Although wind-buoyancy interactions have been widely explored, their mixing associated with semi-transparent facades are not yet clearly understood. This gap greatly restraints the implementation of naturally ventilated double-skin facades (NVDSFs). In this study, the impact of wind on the buoyancy flow in an NVDSF was investigated on a range of wind speeds, wind angles, and solar radiation intensities. The wind's realistic impinging associated with solar radiation's transportation between facades are revealed. Results present three aspects: the impact of wind on façade temperatures; the counteraction of wind on buoyant outflow; and defining and correlating the ‘critical wind velocity’ according to targeted natural ventilation rates. Results correlated the additional temperature drops on the outer glazing for wind speed 0.125–1.0 m/s, attack angles 5° ∼ 85° and solar radiation between 200–1000W/m2. The wind at 1 m/s and 5° can cause 10.5% reduction in façade temperature. By proposing a ‘wind inflow coefficient’, we established an empirical model to calculate the total ventilation rate under the mixed wind-buoyancy effect. Furthermore, an important concept – ‘critical wind velocity’, was introduced accordingly. It indicates the wind velocity under which the targeted natural ventilation can be met for an NVDSF for different solar conditions, e.g. the velocity at which the wind cancels out the buoyant outflow or below which the indoor ventilation can be satisfied. The novel correlations for the combination of mixed wind-buoyancy field with solar radiation and glazing materials can contribute significantly to NVDSFs under realistic environmental conditions.

A calibration methodology for the novel radioluminescence detector systems

Radioluminescence mapping using well-characterized and optimized optical systems is an effective method for localizing contamination with alpha-emitting radionuclides. To apply this novel approach to radiological emergency management, nuclear safeguards, nuclear decommissioning, and nuclear forensics, an established traceability chain is required. This work presents the development and implementation of a novel calibration methodology to provide valuable information about, and confidence in, the performance of radioluminescence detection systems. The proposed calibration methodology is based on two complementary approaches: (a) application of well-characterized activity standards to establish a traceable relationship between radioluminescence intensity and alpha activity, and (b) use of all optical radiation-based devices that, when calibrated against an alpha activity standard, simulate the radioluminescence induced in nitrogen (N2) and nitric oxide (NO) gases by alpha particles in specific spectral regions. A dedicated 210Po alpha activity standard with a narrow peak of less than 32keV FWHM at 5.3MeV has been developed and used to characterize a lens-based radioluminescence detection system in terms of its sensitivity to alpha-induced radioluminescence in different atmospheres (air, N2, N2 ＋ NO mixture) in the UV-A and UV-C (solar blind) spectral regions. The characterized lens system was then used as an intermediary transfer device to cross-calibrate two portable integrating sphere-based radiance standards designed to simulate radioluminescence in the UV-A and UV-C spectral regions. Both radiance standards can be used as transfer standards simulating up to 510MBq when used in the UV-A and up to 8.7GBq when used in the UV-C spectral regions. They substantially simplify routine quality control of radioluminescence detection systems by eliminating the need for open alpha sources, which are always associated with strict radiation safety precautions. Furthermore, since radiance standards can operate in a wide range of intensities, linearity and detection limits of radioluminescence detectors can be readily determined. The design, construction, radiometric characterization, and calibration of dedicated transfer standards, as well as the development of new calibration procedures for radiometric traceability of radioluminescence detection systems, will enable appropriate accident and post-accident radiation measurements that will lead to more effective countermeasures and better protection of people, wildlife, and the environment.

Flexible retinomorphic vision sensors with scotopic and photopic adaptation for a fully flexible neuromorphic machine vision system

AbstractBioinspired neuromorphic machine vision system (NMVS) that integrates retinomorphic sensing and neuromorphic computing into one monolithic system is regarded as the most promising architecture for visual perception. However, the large intensity range of natural lights and complex illumination conditions in actual scenarios always require the NMVS to dynamically adjust its sensitivity according to the environmental conditions, just like the visual adaptation function of the human retina. Although some opto‐sensors with scotopic or photopic adaption have been developed, NMVSs, especially fully flexible NMVSs, with both scotopic and photopic adaptation functions are rarely reported. Here we propose an ion‐modulation strategy to dynamically adjust the photosensitivity and time‐varying activation/inhibition characteristics depending on the illumination conditions, and develop a flexible ion‐modulated phototransistor array based on MoS2/graphdiyne heterostructure, which can execute both retinomorphic sensing and neuromorphic computing. By controlling the intercalated Li+ ions in graphdiyne, both scotopic and photopic adaptation functions are demonstrated successfully. A fully flexible NMVS consisting of front‐end retinomorphic vision sensors and a back‐end convolutional neural network is constructed based on the as‐fabricated 28 × 28 device array, demonstrating quite high recognition accuracies for both dim and bright images and robust flexibility. This effort for fully flexible and monolithic NMVS paves the way for its applications in wearable scenarios.