Relative Depth Research Articles

The Efficacy of Ozonated Water in One-stage Full-mouth Disinfection amongst Chronic Periodontitis Patients: A Randomised Control Trial

Abstract Introduction: Periodontal disease, causing tooth-supporting structure damage due to bacterial build-up, is linked to various risk factors. Traditional treatment involved scheduled scaling and root planing. Full-mouth disinfection (FMD), introduced in 1995, involves comprehensive cleaning and chlorhexidine (CHX) application within 24 h to prevent bacterial spread. CHX, a potent antimicrobial, is widely used in FMD, but concerns about emerging resistance have led to the exploration of alternatives like ozonated water, which has shown promising antimicrobial properties and the potential to improve periodontal health. Materials and Methods: This is a randomised controlled trial involving 40 participants with Stage II or III periodontitis who were randomly grouped into two groups. Group A was advised to use 0.2% CHX solution, and Group B used a 10 μg concentration of ozonated water. Both the groups cleaned their dorsum of the tongue, rinsed their mouth, had a pharyngeal spray and had periodontal pockets irrigated using the respective solutions. Plaque index, papillary bleeding index, gingival index, relative attachment level and probing depth were measured at baseline, 3 months and 6 months. Results: Significant differences were found at baseline, 3-month and 6-month values of periodontal index, papillary bleeding index, probing depth, gingival index and relative attachment level amongst Group A and B participants. Differences were noted in between Groups A and B in the periodontal index at 6 months between CHX and ozonated water and between 3 and 6 months for probing depth. Around 68%, 70%, 66%, 68% and 63% improvements were noted in the periodontal index, probing depth, gingival index, papillary bleeding index and relative attachment loss amongst Group B. Conclusion: Ozonated water represents a promising adjunctive therapy for chronic periodontitis, demonstrating significant clinical efficacy in one-stage FMD protocols.

Physical and mechanical depth relationships of rocks from the Rotokawa Geothermal Reservoir, Taupō Volcanic Zone, New Zealand

ABSTRACT The Rotokawa geothermal field is in the Taupō Volcanic Zone, New Zealand. It hosts two geothermal power plants, Rotokawa and Ngā Awa Pūrua, which together have a capacity over 170 MWe. The permeability of the rock mass comprising a geothermal field controls the volume of hot fluids that can be extracted for energy production. In this research we produce a stress model to estimate in-situ rock matrix permeability for a unique set of intact rock samples obtained from depths up to 2600 m in the Rotokawa geothermal field. We show that permeability generally decreases with sample depth, both intrinsically and in response to increasing confining pressure. We explore this confining pressure effect on other petrophysical and mechanical measurements, and highlight how rock texture and composition affect how the rocks respond to confining pressure. For example, we compare two altered andesite samples: a breccia with microfractures and infilled pores that tends to experience less compaction and porosity decrease than a lava with rounded, unfilled pores. We suggest that, when developing depth-models, measurements should be conducted at relevant in-situ conditions, if possible. Finally, we explore relationships between different physical parameters and provide estimating functions for those with the clearest correlations.

DISTRIBUSI SEDIMEN PADA WADUK JATIBARANG, KOTA SEMARANG

The main issue in the operation of reservoirs is sedimentation. This can lead to silting and affect the reservoir's storage capacity. The distribution of sediments needs to be understood in order to gain an overview of their spread, so that measures can be taken to address sediment-related issues in the Jatibarang Reservoir. The analysis was conducted using sediment data from previous studies, which reported a total sediment volume of 6.64 million m³ over a period of 50 years. Based on topographic data, it was found that the Jatibarang Reservoir is classified as Type III, with a "hill" classification. The analysis results showed that the dimensionless factor F is 0.22, with a relative depth p of 0.53. Based on the sediment distribution analysis of the Jatibarang Reservoir with Empirical Area Reduction Method, it was found that after 50 years of operation, the new zero elevation of the reservoir would be at an elevation of +126.82 m. In comparison with the low water surface elevation at the existing dead storage of the Jatibarang Reservoir, which is at +136 m, it can be concluded that the Jatibarang reservoir can operate according to the planned lifespan and can still function for more than 50 years

Initial Experimental Investigation of Hydraulic Characteristics at Right-Angle Diversion in a Combined Canal and Pipe Water Conveyance System

To enhance the efficiency of irrigation water utilisation, China is progressively converting irrigation ditches into pipelines. The water distribution outlets in irrigation zones are predominantly right-angled, and there are typically occurrences of erosion, sedimentation, and structural deterioration in the surrounding areas. This article employs a synthesis of indoor physical model experiments and theoretical analysis to examine the distribution of channel flow velocity and variations in water surface profile, pipeline flow rate, diversion ratio, circulation intensity, and turbulence energy across different relative water depths. The experimental results indicate that the water surface adjacent to the main canal wall demonstrates a pattern of initial decline, followed by an increase and subsequently another decline; furthermore, as the water level in the main channel rises, the magnitude of this fluctuation progressively diminishes. In some sections of the canal, the water surface elevation progressively increases, albeit with minimal amplitude. With a constant relative water depth, an increase in main channel flow results in a corresponding increase in pipeline flow; however, the diversion ratio is inversely related to the main channel flow. Conversely, when the main channel flow rate is constant, the diversion ratio increases as relative water depth rises. The vertical flow velocity near the water diversion outlet has a negative value, signifying the existence of a backflow zone, while the horizontal flow velocity varies considerably, facilitating the formation of circulation and resulting in localised deposition and erosion. The water flow near the pipe inlet downstream of the lower lip of 0.5 times the pipe diameter is impacted by the return zone, which has a higher turbulence energy and circulation strength and is more susceptible to siltation. The turbulence energy of the water flow is higher in the range of 0.5 times the pipe diameter upstream and downstream of the pipe inlet. This research is highly significant in facilitating the conversion of irrigation channels into pipelines.

Temperature-Dependent Pupation Depth in the Oriental Fruit Fly Bactrocera dorsalis and Its Implications for Biological Control

The oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a notable agricultural pest that undergoes pupation in the soil. Mortality risk from predation and parasitism decreases as the depth of the pupal location increases from the ground surface, with a one-centimetre increase in depth causing a significant change. Soil properties, such as moisture and hardness, influence pupation depth, but the effect of temperature has not been fully tested. This laboratory study examined whether a biologically important variation in pupation depth (e.g., one centimetre) is caused by naturally experienced temperature variations (20 to 35 °C) in B. dorsalis. The temperature–pupation depth relationship revealed a unimodal pattern, with the deepest pupation occurring at intermediate temperature levels and shallower pupation at the two extreme temperature ranges. Strong quantitative effects were observed, with the highest mean pupation depth of 40.8 mm at 27.5 °C and the lowest mean pupation depth of 15 mm at 35 °C. The observed quantitative effect suggests that temperature can strongly affect pupal mortality from predators and parasitoids by influencing pupation depth. Future studies that reveal the ability of biological control agents to forage underground for pupae at different temperatures are awaited, as this is key information for evaluating the effectiveness of these agents.

Gravitationally dominated instantons and instability of dS, AdS and Minkowski spaces

We study the decay of the false vacuum in the regime where the quantum field theory analysis is not valid, since gravitational effects become important. This happens when the height of the barrier separating the false and the true vacuum is large, and it has implications for the instability of de Sitter, Minkowski and anti-de Sitter vacua. We carry out the calculations for a scalar field with a potential coupled to gravity, and work within the thin-wall approximation, where the bubble wall is thin compared to the size of the bubble. We show that the false de Sitter vacuum is unstable, independently of the height of the potential and the relative depth of the true vacuum compared to the false vacuum. The false Minkowski and anti-de Sitter vacua can be stable despite the existence of a lower energy true vacuum. However, when the relative depth of the true and false vacua exceeds a critical value, which depends on the potential of the false vacuum and the height of the barrier, then the false Minkowski and anti-de Sitter vacua become unstable. We calculate the probability for the decay of the false de Sitter, Minkowski and anti-de Sitter vacua, as a function of the parameters characterizing the field potential.

Weighted Fusion Method of Marine Gravity Field Model Based on Water Depth Segmentation

Among the marine gravity field models derived from satellite altimetry, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) series and Denmark Technical University (DTU) series models are the most representative and are often used to integrate global gravity field models, which were inverted by the deflection of vertical method and sea surface height method, respectively. The fusion method based on the offshore distance used in the EGM2008 model is just model stitching, which cannot realize the true fusion of the two types of marine gravity field models. In the paper, a new fusion method based on water depth segmentation is proposed, which established the Precision–Depth relationship of each model in each water depth segment in the investigated area, then constructed the FUSION model by weighted fusion based on the precision predicted from the Precision–Depth relationship at each grid in the whole region. The application in the South China Sea shows that the FUSION model built by the new fusion method has better accuracy than SIO28 and DTU17, especially in shallow water and offshore areas. Within 20 km offshore, the RMS of the FUSION model is 5.10 mGal, which is 8% and 4% better than original models, respectively. Within 100 m of shallow water, the accuracy of the FUSION model is 4.01 mGal, which is 14% and 12% higher than the original models, respectively. A further analysis shows that the fusion model is in better agreement with the seabed topography than original models. The new fusion method can blend the effective information of original models to provide a higher-precision marine gravity field.

Ordinal information, but not metric information, matters in binding feature with depth location in three-dimensional contexts.

A basic function of human visual perception is the ability to recognize and locate objects in the environment. It has been shown that two-dimensional (2D) location can reliably bias judgments on object identity (spatial congruency bias; Golomb et al., 2014), suggesting that 2D location information is automatically bound with object features to induce such a bias. Although the binding problem of feature and location has been vigorously studied under various 2D settings, it remains unclear how depth location can be bound with object features in a three-dimensional (3D) setting. Here we conducted five experiments in various 3D contexts using the congruency bias paradigm, and found that changes of object's depth location could influence perceptual judgments on object features differently depending on whether its relative depth order with respect to others changed or not. Experiments 1 and 2 showed that the judgments on an object's color could be affected by changes in its ordinal depth, but not by changes in its absolute metric depth. Experiment 3 showed that the bias was asymmetric-changes in an object's color did bias the judgments on metric-depth location, but not if its depth order had changed. Experiments 4 and 5 investigated whether these findings could be generalized to a peripersonal near space and a large-scale far space, respectively, using more ecological virtual environments. Our findings suggest that ordinal depth plays a special role in feature-location binding: an object may be automatically bound with its relative depth relation, but not with its absolute metric-depth location. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Experimental study on hydrodynamic performance and structural forces of curved and vertical front face pile-supported permeable breakwaters

This paper presents an experimental study on the hydrodynamic characteristics and structural forces of pile-supported permeable breakwaters under regular wave conditions. The study evaluates three distinct configurations: one featuring a vertical superstructure, another with a permeable curved superstructure, and a third that combines a permeable curved superstructure incorporating a perforated diaphragm. Experiments were conducted under regulated wave conditions, focusing on pressures, forces, and hydrodynamic scattering coefficients associated with each structural form. Results from the experiments indicate that, under the conditions tested in this study, the curved permeable superstructure significantly reduces wave reflection coefficients and forces acting on critical elements. The curved permeable superstructure maintains reflection coefficients below 0.3 while ensuring low transmission coefficients. Moreover, the study explores dynamic water pressure on an inclined perforated plate and identifies an asymmetric double-peak phenomenon in the pressure time series, signifying the transition from regular waves to breaking waves. The critical wave steepness for the occurrence of double peaks was found to be lower than the breaking limit steepness. Filter analysis elucidates the generation mechanism and evolution pattern of this double-peak phenomenon, revealing the influence of relative water depth, with second-order harmonics dominating near the bottom and second- and third-order harmonics prevalent at the free water surface. This research contributes to the understanding of the hydrodynamic performance of pile-supported permeable breakwaters and underscores the benefits of the curved permeable superstructure design in reducing wave reflection and structural forces. The findings provide valuable insight for the further development and application of pile-supported breakwater structures.

Characterization of optical depth for laser produced plasma extreme ultraviolet source

This study investigates the emission mechanism of laser-produced plasma extreme ultraviolet source (LPP-EUV). In the experiment, the EUV radiation is generated by a 1064 nm laser interacting with slab Sn target. The EUV emission is characterized by EUV energy monitors and an EUV spectrometer. The dependency of CE on laser intensity and plasma relative optical depth is explored by a plasma emission-absorption layer model. The dependency is confirmed by an optical interferometry measurement of plasma electron density for the first time. Our work provides a method for characterizing and optimizing the optical depth of laser driven EUV source.

Detection of Crack Location and Crack Depth in Leaf Spring

The objective of this work is to find the crack location and crack depth in leaf spring of an army jeep. The spring is subjected to heavy jerks and vibration during the military operation. Therefore it is necessary to find the crack in a leaf spring. Crack in a leaf spring introduces local flexibility that would affect the vibration response of the leaf spring. Main problem is to detect existence of a crack together with its location and depth in the leaf spring .We used a natural frequency a basic criteria for crack detection. Analytical calculations are done to find out natural frequency of leaf spring by using Euler's beam theory. Ansys 16.0 is used to find out natural frequency along with experimentation on FFT analyzer. Now, We propose a method based on some set of fuzzy rules obtained from the information supplemented by Numerical Analysis. Fuzzy controller use comprises of three input variables (first, second and third natural frequency) and two output variables (relative crack length and relative crack depth) are generated with Triangular MF.

Digital Marketing Dalam Menghadapi Persaingan Bisnis di Era Digital: Kajian Konseptual

The development of digital technology has significantly changed the competitive landscape of businesses, forcing companies to adapt with more innovative and efficient strategies. Digital marketing emerges as one of the effective approaches in facing this challenge, enabling companies to expand market reach, improve interaction with consumers, and measure marketing performance in real-time. The implementation of digital marketing strategies is an effective solution in achieving this goal. This research examines how digital marketing can be used to strengthen consumer trust, form a strong corporate image, and increase customer loyalty. This research consists of several parts. First, the literature review focuses on digital marketing. Second, the research model and propositions developed in this study are based on the literature review of previous studies, and are discussed in depth in relation to trust, corporate image, and customer loyalty. The study results show that an integrated digital marketing strategy not only helps companies survive the competition, but also builds long-term relationships with customers, which ultimately increases trust and strengthens the company's image in the market. Proper implementation of these strategies is a key factor in business success in the digital age.

Experimental and numerical impact of pier arrangement using collars on scour depth

ABSTRACT This paper studied the scour around bridge piers by conducting laboratory experiments and numerical simulation using Sediment Simulation In Intakes with Multiblock option (SSIIM) program. Six pier models were investigated under different flow conditions in sandy soil for two cases: piers with and without a protective plate (collar). The models were arranged as follows: one pier, two piers side by side, two piers tandem, three piers triangular (1 × 2), three piers triangular (2 × 1), and four piers square (2 × 2). It was found that the relative scour depth (d s /y t ) where d s is the local scour depth and y t is water depth, increases as Froude number (F n ) increases for all models. Two Piers tandem model with a collar significantly reduced scour depth around the piers by over 80% compared to unprotected models. The collars effectively reduced the formation of vortices and minimized the detrimental impact on the sediment around the pier. The simulated results using the SIIM program are consistent with the experimental results, with an error of 10%. Scouring depth relationships were also deduced that are useful in bridge piers protection design in similar cases under the same conditions.

A tip of the iceberg: genome survey indicated a complex evolutionary history of Garuga Roxb. species

Background Garuga Roxb. is a genus endemic to southwest China and other tropical regions in Southeast Asia facing risk of extinction due to the loss of tropical forests and changes in land use. Conducting a genome survey of G. forrestii contribute to a deeper understanding and conservation of the genus.ResultsThis study utilized genome survey of G. forrestii generated approximately 54.56 GB of sequence data, with approximately 112 × coverage. K-mer analysis indicated a genome size of approximately 0.48 GB, smaller than 0.52GB estimated by flow cytometry. The heterozygosity is of about 0.54%, and a repeat rate of around 51.54%. All the shotgun data were assembled into 339,729 scaffolds, with an N50 of 17,344 bp. The average content of guanine and cytosine was approximately 35.16%. A total of 330,999 SSRs were detected, with mononucleotide repeats being the most abundant at 70.16%, followed by dinucleotide repeats at 20.40%. We conducted a preliminary ploidy assessment using Smudgeplot and observed a clear bimodal distribution in G. forrestii at 1/2 relative coverage depth and total coverage depth (2n), suggesting a potential diploid genome structure. A pseudo chromosome of G. forrestii and a gemone of Boswellia sacra were used as reference genome to perform a primer population resequencing analysis within three Garuga species. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated three distinct groups, but genome wide phylogenetics represented conflicting both between the dataset of different reference genomes and between maternal and nuclear genome.ConclusionIn summary, the genome of G. forrestii is small, and the phylogenetic relationships within the Garuga genus are complex. The genetic data presented in this study holds significant value for comprehensive whole-genome analyses, the evaluation of population genetic diversity, investigations into adaptive evolution, the advancement of artificial breeding efforts, and the support of species conservation and restoration initiatives. Ultimately, this research contributes to reinforcing the conservation and management of natural ecosystems, promoting biodiversity conservation, and advancing sustainable development.

Influence of outlet keys slope on downstream bed topography in trapezoidal piano key weirs: An experimental investigation

Assessing scour depth downstream of piano key weirs (PKWs) is crucial for maintaining their structural integrity. The slope of the outlet keys significantly influences flow velocity and the associated risk of downstream scouring. This study experimentally investigates the impact of various factors on scour downstream of trapezoidal PKWs, specifically focusing on weir outlet keys slope (So), particle Froude number, sediment size, bed levels, and relative drop height. The research identifies three distinct stages of scouring. Notably, changes in So significantly affect the hydraulic flow over both the inlet and outlet keys. Reducing So by 57 % led to increases of approximately 32 %, 34 %, 49 %, and 54 % in relative maximum scour depth, distance from the weir, length, and volume of the scour hole, respectively, while relative weir toe scour decreased by about 31 %. Additionally, a decrease in So shifted the locations of the maximum scour depth and sediment ridge downstream, enhancing the symmetry of the scour hole. Increasing the particle Froude number and relative drop height, along with decreasing tailwater depth and sediment size, further intensified the scour hole and sediment ridge characteristics. This study provides critical insights for mitigating downstream scouring in PKWs through a comprehensive analysis of varying So. The proposed optimal value for So, along with newly developed design equations, offers practical guidance for engineers and water resource managers in enhancing the stability of hydraulic structures.

A Depth Awareness and Learnable Feature Fusion Network for Enhanced Geometric Perception in Semantic Correspondence.

Deep learning is becoming the most widely used technology for multi-sensor data fusion. Semantic correspondence has recently emerged as a foundational task, enabling a range of downstream applications, such as style or appearance transfer, robot manipulation, and pose estimation, through its ability to provide robust correspondence in RGB images with semantic information. However, current representations generated by self-supervised learning and generative models are often limited in their ability to capture and understand the geometric structure of objects, which is significant for matching the correct details in applications of semantic correspondence. Furthermore, efficiently fusing these two types of features presents an interesting challenge. Achieving harmonious integration of these features is crucial for improving the expressive power of models in various tasks. To tackle these issues, our key idea is to integrate depth information from depth estimation or depth sensors into feature maps and leverage learnable weights for feature fusion. First, depth information is used to model pixel-wise depth distributions, assigning relative depth weights to feature maps for perceiving an object's structural information. Then, based on a contrastive learning optimization objective, a series of weights are optimized to leverage feature maps from self-supervised learning and generative models. Depth features are naturally embedded into feature maps, guiding the network to learn geometric structure information about objects and alleviating depth ambiguity issues. Experiments on the SPair-71K and AP-10K datasets show that the proposed method achieves scores of 81.8 and 83.3 on the percentage of correct keypoints (PCK) at the 0.1 level, respectively. Our approach not only demonstrates significant advantages in experimental results but also introduces the depth awareness module and a learnable feature fusion module, which enhances the understanding of object structures through depth information and fully utilizes features from various pre-trained models, offering new possibilities for the application of deep learning in RGB and depth data fusion technologies. We will also continue to focus on accelerating model inference and optimizing model lightweighting, enabling our model to operate at a faster speed.

The influence of toe geometry on toe armour stability for conventional rubble mound breakwaters

Rubble mound breakwaters have toe structures that provide support to the armour layer and prevent damage to the structure from scouring. In this way, toe failure may be regarded as one of the primary failure modes of rubble mound breakwaters. Several formulae have been proposed for toe stability with conflicting results owing to the neglect of factors such as storm duration and armour layer slope. In the present study, a statically stable rubble mound with rock armoured toe was tested under irregular waves. The effects of wave height, wave period, armour layer slope, water height in front of the structure, water height above the toe, and toe width on the hydraulic stability of a toe structure are investigated. Toe width was found to be ineffective on toe stability, while the relative depth was found as an effective parameter for the toe stability. Greater toe damage was observed by increasing wave height and storm duration. The results highlighted the necessity for a new stability number involving the type of wave breaker on the armour slope with a critical Iribarren value of 4.1. Based on the data from the present study and the findings of another study, new formulae have been developed for estimating toe damage in rubble mound breakwaters. Evaluating the proposed formula using other researchers’ data and formulae highlighted its strengths.

Advanced exploration of rare metal mineralization through integrated remote sensing and geophysical analysis of structurally-controlled hydrothermal alterations

Fusing multi-source (remote sensing and geophysical) data and diverse approaches validation in targeting hydrothermal alteration and structural anomalies enhances the potential for accurately detecting and characterizing mineralization zones. Sentinel 2 data and ASTER were processed for lithological and hydrothermal alteration mapping in the rare metal-rich Umm Naggat area (Egypt). Different image processing techniques were implemented, including false color composites, minimum noise fraction, band rationing, band math, mineral indices, relative absorption band depth, and constrained energy minimization. The rare metal-bearing Umm Naggat younger granite (NYG) pluton was lithologically discriminated and intra-differentiated to mafic-rich biotite granites, mafic-poor alkali feldspar granites, and albitized granites. Extensive hydrothermal alterations, such as albitization, ferrugination, propylitization, argillization, and phyllitization, overprint the NYG pluton. Normalized standard deviation, automatic lineament extractions, and trend analysis highlighted the key structural directions (NW, NNW, NNE, and NE) and distinguished the NYG pluton as a moderate to high structural density zone. The high structural density and intensive alteration zones are spatially associated and more localized within the NYG pluton than the surrounding rocks. Spatial overlay analysis confirmed that the hydrothermal alterations and fluid circulation systems are structurally-controlled. Furthermore, the hydrothermal alteration mapping and structural analysis outcomes were verified by combining fieldwork, slab polishing, petrographic investigations, and mineral chemistry through semi-quantitative scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and quantitative electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) analysis. As a result, the hydrothermal genesis of rare metal-bearing minerals (Nb-rutile, Nb-ilmenite, and columbite) close to or incorporated within alteration minerals (chlorite, muscovite, and hematite) is confirmed from the alteration zones (propylitic, phyllic, and ferruginated). In addition, biotite muscovitization and chloritization significantly contribute to the secondary rare metal enrichment. The current study emphasizes the extensive distribution of secondary rare metal-bearing minerals within the entire NYG pluton (not only limited to the northern albitized granite as depicted by previous studies), which might shed light on these hydrothermally-altered younger granites as a new potential source for Nb and Ta in Egypt.

Functional performance comparison of long cane and secondary electronic travel aids for mobility enhancement

This study investigated the impact of secondary electronic travel aids (ETAs) on the mobility performance of individuals with profound visual impairment, specifically focusing on object detection and obstacle avoidance tasks. Seven experienced long-cane users were recruited for the study. The ETAs tested as secondary aids to the long cane included the MiniGuide, utilizing ultrasonic echo location, and the vOICe (Vision-to-Auditory Sensory Substitution Device), which translates visual information into auditory signals. Two software modes of the vOICe were examined: the standard contrast mode and a novel algorithm utilizing relative depth information. Notably, 30 min of familiarization was provided before the trials. Results indicated that while the use of the secondary ETAs led to increased awareness of the surrounding environment, it also resulted in longer processing times and more hesitations, compared with using the long cane alone. Participants demonstrated improved object detection and larger detection and safety ranges during obstacle avoidance. The study also introduced the concept of margin of stability (MoS) as a novel metric for evaluating gait stability while using ETAs. Both MiniGuide and vOICe users exhibited consistent and stable movements, suggesting that these additional aids did not negatively impact overall gait stability. The findings highlight the trade-offs between efficiency and effectiveness when using secondary mobility aids, with longer training periods potentially mitigating these issues. In addition, the study emphasizes the need for ongoing research to optimize the design and training programmes for new ETAs. Future studies may explore the impact of extended training periods on mobility performance. Overall, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of how ETAs can enhance the mobility of individuals with visual impairments while also highlighting some of the challenges associated with their use. Optimizing ETA design and training programmes is crucial for maximizing benefits for individuals with impaired vision.

Micromechanical Characterization of AlCu Films for MEMS Using Instrumented Indentation Method.

The micromechanical properties (i.e., hardness, elastic modulus, and stress-strain curve) of AlCu films were determined by an instrumented indentation test in this work. For three AlCu films with different thicknesses (i.e., 1 µm, 1.5 µm, and 2 µm), the same critical ratio (hmax/t) of 0.15 and relative indentation depth range of 0.15-0.5 existed, within which the elastic modulus (i.e., 59 GPa) and nanoindentation hardness (i.e., 0.75 GPa, 0.64 GPa and 0.63 GPa for 1 µm, 1.5 µm and 2 µm films) without pile-up and substrate influence can be determined. The yield strength (i.e., 0.754 GPa, 0.549 GPa and 0.471 GPa for 1 µm, 1.5 µm and 2 µm films) and hardening exponent (i.e., 0.073, 0.131 and 0.150 for 1 µm, 1.5 µm and 2 µm films) of Al-(4 wt.%)Cu films for MEMS were successfully reported for the first time using a nanoindentation reverse method. In dimensional analysis, the ideal representative strain εr was determined to be 0.038. The errors of residual depth hr between the simulations and the nanoindentation experiments was less than 5% when the stress-strain curve obtained by the nanoindentation reverse method was used for simulation.