Scaling Coefficients Research Articles

Image uncertainty components in video strain measurement of mortar destructive compression testing

This paper describes a video strain measurement solution developed for application in mortar destructive compression testing. Knowledge about the mechanical behavior of this type of construction material, namely up to its fracture, is still superficial due to the less common use of non-contact measurement methods. The performed research was focused on the determination of image coordinate accuracy, based on the experimental quantification of the identified main uncertainty components, using traceable reference patterns, and validated computational toolboxes dedicated to camera parameterization and digital image processing. The obtained results show the following uncertainty contributions: lens distortion - negligible; re-projection errors - 0.21 pixel; 0.10 pixel - spatial resolution; and digital image processing operations - 0.28 pixel. The combination of these uncertainty components resulted in an image coordinate standard uncertainty equal to 0.36 pixel, which was propagated (in addition to the scale coefficient measurement uncertainty) to the selected camera model – orthographic projection with uniform scaling – which supports the video strain measurement.

Domain wall fluctuations of the six-vertex model at the ice point

We report on Monte-Carlo simulations of the six-vertex model with domain wall boundary conditions. In thermal equilibrium such boundary conditions force a fluctuating line separating the disordered region from the perfectly ordered ones. Specifically we study the ice point at which all vertex weights are equal. With high precision the one-point fluctuations of the line are confirmed to be of order and governed by the Tracy–Widom distribution. Furthermore, the non-universal scaling coefficients are computed for a wide range of interaction strengths.

Global Time-Varying Path Planning Method Based on Tunable Bezier Curves

In this paper, a novel global time-varying path planning (GTVP) method is proposed. In the method, real-time paths can be generated based on tunable Bezier curves, which can realize obstacle avoidance of manipulators. First, finite feature points are extracted to represent the obstacle information according to the shape information and position information of the obstacle. Then, the feature points of the obstacle are converted into the feature points of the curve, according to the scale coefficient and the center point of amplification. Furthermore, a Bezier curve representing the motion path at this moment is generated to realize real-time adjustment of the path. In addition, the 5-degree Bezier curve planning method consider the start direction and the end direction is used in the path planning to avoid the situation of abrupt change with oscillation of the trajectory. Finally, the GTVP method is applied to multi-obstacle environment to realize global time-varying dynamic path planning. Through theoretical derivation and simulation, it can be proved that the path planned by the GTVP method can meet the performance requirements of global regulation, real-time change and multi-obstacle avoidance simultaneously.

Impact of Educational Background on Preoperative Disease Severity and Postoperative Outcomes Among Patients With Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy.

Retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database. Assess differences in preoperative status and postoperative outcomes among patients of different educational backgrounds undergoing surgical management of cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). Patient education level (EL) has been suggested to correlate with health literacy, disease perception, socioeconomic status (SES), and access to health care. The CSM data set of the Quality Outcomes Database (QOD) was queried for patients undergoing surgical management of CSM. EL was grouped as high school or below, graduate-level, and postgraduate level. The association of EL with baseline disease severity (per patient-reported outcome measures), symptoms >3 or ≤3 months, and 24-month patient-reported outcome measures were evaluated. Among 1141 patients with CSM, 509 (44.6%) had an EL of high school or below, 471 (41.3%) had a graduate degree, and 161 (14.1%) had obtained postgraduate education. Lower EL was statistically significantly associated with symptom duration of >3 months (odds ratio=1.68), higher arm pain numeric rating scale (NRS) (coefficient=0.5), and higher neck pain NRS (coefficient=0.79). Patients with postgraduate education had statistically significantly lower Neck Disability Index (NDI) scores (coefficient=-7.17), lower arm pain scores (coefficient=-1), and higher quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) scores (coefficient=0.06). Twenty-four months after surgery, patients of lower EL had higher NDI scores, higher pain NRS scores, and lower QALY scores ( P <0.05 in all analyses). Among patients undergoing surgical management for CSM, those reporting a lower educational level tended to present with longer symptom duration, more disease-inflicted disability and pain, and lower QALY scores. As such, patients of a lower EL are a potentially vulnerable subpopulation, and their health literacy and access to care should be prioritized.

Validity and reliability of the evaluation tool of TCM confidence in students with TCM learning experience

Abstract Objective This study aimed to design an evaluation scale of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) confidence and then evaluate its validity and reliability. Methods Three parallel samples with TCM learning experience were included in this current study. Randomly selected 500 nursing students were included factor analysis and reliability and validity analyses. After 4 weeks, 200 nursing students were recruited to retest the reliability. The evaluation tool of TCM confidence included 6 dimensions and 25 entries. Results Cronbach’s α coefficient of the evaluation scale was 0.95 and that of the 6 observed aspects were higher than 0.90, and split-half reliability was 0.81. For the retest reliability, Cronbach’s α coefficient of the evaluation scale was 0.93 and that of the 6 examined aspects was all over 0.80. The index of content validity Scale Content Validity Index (S-CVI) was 0.92 and Item Content Validity Index (I-CVI) was 0.83–1.00. Conclusions Observed results may indicate that the designed tool can be used to assess the TCM confidence level of students with TCM studied experience and also can evaluate results of TCM education during studying TCM lectures.

Measuring Faculty Engagement in Online Formative or Whole-Person Education

The COVID-19 pandemic reinforced the importance of supporting students’ comprehensive well-being when teaching online. One promising approach is formative or whole-person education, which emphasizes wholeness, purpose, and community. We created a scale using a polytomous Item Response Theory modeling approach, measuring the extent to which postsecondary teachers engage in formative education online. To our knowledge, this is the first scale designed to measure this construct. The scale was developed within an exploratory sequential mixed methods study on formative education online that also included semi-structured interviews with 37 faculty members. Results from the qualitative analysis were used to develop initial items. This data-informed process increased the construct validity of the scale. We refined the original item pool through a pilot test using a sample of 308 instructors. This article presents psychometric results for the final, 10-item scale using a sample of 245 instructors. Evaluation of item fit statistics, item trace lines, and the total information curve indicate that the graded response model was appropriate for this scale. The Cronbach’s alpha and marginal reliability coefficients for the final scale were .90 and .91, indicating good reliability. Future research can explore how this scale might be adapted for in-person learning environments and other contexts.

الانهماك الانفعالي وعلاقته بالاتكال المعرفي لدى طلبة الدراسات العليا

The aim of the research is to identify (emotional preoccupation and its relationship to cognitive dependence among graduate students among graduate students). The study method (2021-2022), and the descriptive research method was adopted, and the size of the basic sample was (400) male and female students from the master’s and doctoral students in the faculties of the University of Al-Qadisiyah were chosen randomly. The final exam consisted of (45) items, and the items were divided into five domains according to the theory (Deci &amp; Ryan: 1999), and the cognitive dependence scale, which in its final form consisted of (45) items, was divided into three domains according to the theory (1950, Cattell) and it has been verified From the apparent validity and construction validity of the two scales, and the discriminatory power of the two scales was calculated, as well as the value of the stability coefficient of the engagement scale was calculated using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient whose value amounted to (0.797) and the cognitive dependence stability coefficient (). The two research tools were applied, and the data was statistically analyzed and processed with the help of Microsoft Excel and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) program, and the following results were reached: Postgraduate students at the University of Al-Qadisiyah enjoy emotional involvement, and there are statistically significant differences in emotional involvement according to gender variables. (males-females) and in favor of females, while there are no statistically significant differences in the averages of emotional preoccupation among graduate students according to the variable of specialization (scientific, human), and the stage (Master’s Doctorate), that the study students have cognitive dependence within the middle limit, in favor of males While there are statistically significant differences in the cognitive dependence of graduate students according to the variables of sex (male-female) in favor of males, and there are no statistically significant differences in the cognitive dependence of graduate students according to the variables of specialization (scientific, human) and stage (Master’s – Ph.D.), while there is a positive, statistically significant correlation at the level of significance (0.05) between emotional preoccupation and cognitive dependence, in favor of males (scientific specialization), while There are no statistically significant differences in the relationship between emotional preoccupation and cognitive dependence among graduate students according to the variables of gender (male - female), specialization (scientific - human), and stage (Masters - PhD). Postgraduate studies at the University of Al-Qadisiyah with a percentage of (0.187), and based on the results that were reached, the researchers made a number of recommendations Keywords: emotional preoccupation, cognitive dependence, postgraduate students

Predicting dynamic compressive strength of frozen-thawed rocks by characteristic impedance and data-driven methods

In cold regions, the dynamic compressive strength (DCS) of rock damaged by freeze-thaw weathering significantly influences the stability of rock engineering. Nevertheless, testing the dynamic strength under freeze-thaw weathering conditions is often both time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, this study considers the effect of characteristic impedance on DCS and aims to quickly determine the DCS of frozen-thawed rocks through the application of machine-learning techniques. Initially, a database of DCS for frozen-thawed rocks, comprising 216 rock specimens, was compiled. Three external load parameters (freeze-thaw cycle number, confining pressure, and impact pressure) and two rock parameters (characteristic impedance and porosity) were selected as input variables, with DCS as the predicted target. This research optimized the kernel scale, penalty factor, and insensitive loss coefficient of the support vector regression (SVR) model using five swarm intelligent optimization algorithms, leading to the development of five hybrid models. In addition, a statistical DCS prediction equation using multiple linear regression techniques was developed. The performance of the prediction models was comprehensively evaluated using two error indexes and two trend indexes. A sensitivity analysis based on the cosine amplitude method has also been conducted. The results demonstrate that the proposed hybrid SVR-based models consistently provided accurate DCS predictions. Among these models, the SVR model optimized with the chameleon swarm algorithm exhibited the best performance, with metrics indicating its effectiveness, including root mean square error (RMSE) = 3.9675, mean absolute error (MAE) = 2.9673, coefficient of determination (R2) = 0.98631, and variance accounted for (VAF) = 98.634. This suggests that the chameleon swarm algorithm yielded the most optimal results for enhancing SVR models. Notably, impact pressure and characteristic impedance emerged as the two most influential parameters in DCS prediction. This research is anticipated to serve as a reliable reference for estimating the DCS of rocks subjected to freeze-thaw weathering.

Pharmacokinetics and Biodistribution of 16,16 dimethyl Prostaglandin E2 in Non-Irradiated and Irradiated Mice and Non-Irradiated Non-Human Primates.

Exposure to high-dose ionizing radiation can lead to life-threatening injuries and mortality. Bone marrow is the most sensitive organ to radiation damage, resulting in the hematopoietic acute radiation syndrome (H-ARS) with the potential sequelae of infection, hemorrhage, anemia, and death if untreated. The development of medical countermeasures (MCMs) to protect or mitigate radiation injury is a medical necessity. In our well-established murine model of H-ARS we have demonstrated that the prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) analog 16,16 dimethyl-PGE2 (dmPGE2) has survival efficacy as both a radioprotectant and radiomitigator. The purpose of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetics (PK) and biodistribution of dmPGE2 when used as a radioprotector in irradiated and non-irradiated inbred C57BL/6J mice, PK in irradiated and non-irradiated Jackson Diversity Outbred (JDO) mice, and the PK profile of dmPGE2 in non-irradiated non-human primates (NHPs). The C57BL/6J and JDO mice each received a single subcutaneous (SC) dose of 35 ug of dmPGE2 and were randomized to either receive radiation 30 min later or remain non-irradiated. Plasma and tissue PK profiles were established. The NHP were dosed with 0.1 mg/kg by SC administration and the PK profile in plasma was established. The concentration time profiles were analyzed by standard non-compartmental analysis and the metrics of AUC0-Inf, AUC60-480 (AUC from 60-480 min), Cmax, and t1/2 were evaluated. AUC60-480 represents the postirradiation time frame and was used to assess radiation effect. Overall, AUC0-Inf, Cmax, and t1/2 were numerically similar between strains (C57BL/6J and JDO) when combined, regardless of exposure status (AUC0-Inf: 112.50 ng·h/ml and 114.48 ng·h/ml, Cmax: 44.53 ng/ml and 63.96 ng/ml; t1/2: 1.8 h and 1.1 h, respectively). PK metrics were numerically lower in irradiated C57BL/6J mice than in non-irradiated mice [irradiation ratio: irradiated values/non-irradiated values = 0.71 for AUC60-480 (i.e., 29% lower), and 0.6 for t1/2]. In JDO mice, the radiation ratio was 0.53 for AUC60-480 (i.e., 47% lower), and 1.7 h for t1/2. The AUC0-Inf, Cmax, and t1/2 of the NHPs were 29.20 ng·h/ml, 7.68 ng/ml, and 3.26 h, respectively. Despite the numerical differences seen between irradiated and non-irradiated groups in PK parameters, the effect of radiation on PK can be considered minimal based on current data. The biodistribution in C57BL/6J mice showed that dmPGE2 per gram of tissue was highest in the lungs, regardless of exposure status. The radiation ratio for the different tissue AUC60-480 in C57BL/6J mice ranged between 0.5-1.1 (50% lower to 10% higher). Spleen, liver and bone marrow showed close to twice lower exposures after irradiation, whereas heart had a 10% higher exposure. Based on the clearance values from mice and NHP, the estimated allometric scaling coefficient was 0.81 (95% CI: 0.75, 0.86). While slightly higher than the current literature estimates of 0.75, this scaling coefficient can be considered a reasonable estimate and can be used to scale dmPGE2 dosing from animals to humans for future trials.

Establishment and Clinical Application of the General Comfort Scale for Postoperative Lung Cancer Patients.

Background and purpose The concept of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) not only reflects rapid perioperative recovery but also focuses on the comfort experience of inpatients. This study intends to establish a clinically applicable general comfort questionnaire (GCQ) for patients with lung cancer after surgery and verify its clinical application effect. Methods The comfort index items for postoperative lung cancer were formed by combining previous research and literature, clinically applied comfort scales, and expert interviews. The Delphi method was used to conduct two rounds of expert consultations to determine the final index and establish a postoperative comfort scale for lung cancer patients. This scale was used to conduct a questionnaire survey on 200 patients to test the reliability and validity of the scale. Results The comfort scale contains 3 dimensions and 10 items and is easy to operate and evaluate in clinical applications. The Cronbach's α coefficient of the comfort scale is 0.801, and the scale content validity index (SCVI/ave) is 0.97. The common factor 1 and 2 characteristic roots of scale structural validity evaluation are 3.257 and 1.352 respectively, both greater than 1, with cumulative variance contribution rates of 32.57% and 13.52%. Pain and getting out of bed are the main factors influencing patient comfort. Conclusion The postoperative comfort scale for lung cancer patients has high clinical application reliability and validity. This study identified pain and mobility (early ambulation or getting out of bed) as the primary factors influencing the postoperative comfort of lung cancer patients.

Self-care nursing assessment: cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Spanish version of the Self-care of chronic illness inventory

BackgroundSelf‐care is the primary means of caring for a chronic condition. Therefore, it is necessary to assess it by using a good validity and reliability instrument. The Self-Care of Chronic Illness Inventory (SC-CII) is a generic instrument developed to measure self-care processes behaviors using three separate scales in patients with chronic illness. The original cross-cultural assessment concluded the need for future studies sampling patients from different sites to increase the generalizability of the psychometric evaluation results. It was unclear whether this tool had sound psychometrics properties in the context of Spanish culture. The purpose of this study was to cross-culturally adapt the SC-CII, test its psychometric properties and validate its use among Spanish people with chronic diseases.MethodsA cross-cultural translation of the SC-CII was performed from English to Spanish. The psychometric evaluation was conducted in a sample of 350 patients with chronic conditions through a multicenter cross-sectional study based on the STROBE guideline. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews during 2022. Internal validity was assessed with Confirmatory Factor Analysis, internal consistency reliability with Cronbach alpha for unidimensional scales and McDonald's Omega reliability coefficient for multidimensional scales.ResultsMost (63.4%) participants were older adults aged 65 years or older with a mean age of 65.45 ± 14.97. The average number of chronic conditions reported was 2.81%; the most common conditions were hypertension (52.3%), musculoskeletal disorders (46.3%) and diabetes (38.9%). Patients reported adequate self-care behaviors in all three scales of the SC-CII. The Self-Care Maintenance and Management scales were multidimensional, and the Self-Care Monitoring scale was unidimensional. In Confirmatory Factor Analysis, the Self-Care Maintenance and Monitoring scales had satisfactory fit indices. The Self-care Management scale had acceptable fit indices. The Omega reliability coefficient for multidimensional scales was 0.75 (Self-Care Maintenance) and 0.72 (Self-Care Management). The Cronbach alpha coefficient of the Self-Care Monitoring scale was 0.85. Item-total correlations were all significant except one. Test–retest reliability showed an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.92.ConclusionsThe SC-CII has appropriate psychometrics characteristics and is a culturally suitable and reliable instrument for assessing to the self-care behaviors of patients with chronic disease in Spain. The scale provides a simple and rapid solution to assess the self-care process.

Sixth-order hybrid finite difference methods for elliptic interface problems with mixed boundary conditions

In this paper, we develop sixth-order hybrid finite difference methods (FDMs) for the elliptic interface problem −∇⋅(a∇u)=f in Ω﹨Γ, where Γ is a smooth interface inside Ω. The variable scalar coefficient a>0 and source f are possibly discontinuous across Γ. The hybrid FDMs utilize a 9-point compact stencil at any interior regular points of the grid and a 13-point stencil at irregular points near Γ. For interior regular points away from Γ, we obtain a sixth-order 9-point compact FDM satisfying the sign and sum conditions for ensuring the M-matrix property. We also derive sixth-order compact (4-point for corners and 6-point for edges) FDMs satisfying the sign and sum conditions for the M-matrix property at any boundary point subject to (mixed) Dirichlet/Neumann/Robin boundary conditions. Thus, for the elliptic problem without interface (i.e., Γ is empty), our compact FDM has the M-matrix property for any mesh size h>0 and consequently, satisfies the discrete maximum principle, which guarantees the theoretical sixth-order convergence. For irregular points near Γ, we propose fifth-order 13-point FDMs, whose stencil coefficients can be effectively calculated by recursively solving several small linear systems. Theoretically, the proposed high order FDMs use high order (partial) derivatives of the coefficient a, the source term f, the interface curve Γ, the two jump functions along Γ, and the functions on ∂Ω. Numerically, we always use function values to approximate all required high order (partial) derivatives in our hybrid FDMs without losing accuracy. Our proposed FDMs are independent of the choice representing Γ and are also applicable if the jump conditions on Γ only depend on the geometry (e.g., curvature) of the curve Γ. Our numerical experiments confirm the sixth-order convergence in the l∞ norm of the proposed hybrid FDMs for the elliptic interface problem.

Improved Description of Intra- and Intermolecular Interactions through Dispersion-Corrected Second-Order Møller-Plesset Perturbation Theory.

ConspectusThe quantum chemical modeling of organic crystals and other molecular condensed-phase problems requires computationally affordable electronic structure methods which can simultaneously describe intramolecular conformational energies and intermolecular interactions accurately. To achieve this, we have developed a spin-component-scaled, dispersion-corrected second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (SCS-MP2D) model. SCS-MP2D augments canonical MP2 with a dispersion correction which removes the uncoupled Hartree-Fock dispersion energy present in canonical MP2 and replaces it with a more reliable coupled Kohn-Sham treatment, all evaluated within the framework of Grimme's D3 dispersion model. The spin-component scaling is then used to improve the description of the residual (nondispersion) portion of the correlation energy.The SCS-MP2D model improves upon earlier corrected MP2 models in a few ways. Compared to the highly successful dispersion-corrected MP2C model, which is based solely on intermolecular perturbation theory, the SCS-MP2D dispersion correction improves the description of both inter- and intramolecular interactions. The dispersion correction can also be evaluated with trivial computational cost, and nuclear analytic gradients are computed readily to enable geometry optimizations. In contrast to earlier spin-component scaling MP2 models, the optimal spin-component scaling coefficients are only mildly sensitive to the choice of training data, and a single global parametrization of the model can describe both thermochemistry and noncovalent interactions.The resulting dispersion-corrected, spin-component-scaled MP2 (SCS-MP2D) model predicts conformational energies and intermolecular interactions with accuracy comparable to or better than those of many range-separated and double-hybrid density functionals, as is demonstrated on a variety of benchmark tests. Among the functionals considered here, only the revDSD-PBEP86-D3(BJ) functional gives consistently smaller errors in benchmark tests. The results presented also hint that further improvements of SCS-MP2D may be possible through a more robust fitting procedure for the seven empirical parameters.To demonstrate the performance of SCS-MP2D further, several applications to molecular crystal problems are presented. The three chosen examples all represent cases where density-driven delocalization error causes GGA or hybrid density functionals to artificially stabilize crystals exhibiting more extended π-conjugation. Our pragmatic strategy addresses the delocalization error by combining a periodic density functional theory (DFT) treatment of the infinite lattice with intramolecular/conformational energy corrections computed with SCS-MP2D. For the anticancer drug axitinib, applying the SCS-MP2D conformational energy correction produces crystal polymorph stabilities that are consistent with experiment, in contrast to earlier studies. For the crystal structure prediction of the ROY molecule, so named for its colorful red, orange, and yellow crystals, this approach leads to the first plausible crystal energy landscape, and it reveals that the lowest-energy polymorphs have already been found experimentally. Finally, in the context of photomechanical crystals, which transform light into mechanical work, these techniques are used to predict the structural transformations and extract design principles for maximizing the work performed.

Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Copenhagen Multi-Centre Psychosocial Infertility-Fertility Problem Stress Scales.

The aim of this study is to introduce the Copenhagen Multi-Centre Psychosocial Infertility (COMPI)-Fertility Problem Stress Scales (COMPI-FPSS) into China and test its applicability in Chinese infertile population. Infertility-related stress not only influences patients' psychological well-being but is also strongly associated with reduced pregnancy rates and poorer assisted conception outcomes, thus warranting focussed attention. The design used in this study is a cross-sectional survey. A total of 418 participants were recruited by convenience sampling from March to July 2022. The data were randomly divided into two parts: one for item analysis and exploratory factor analysis and the other for confirmatory factor analysis and reliability test. The critical ratio and homogeneity test were used to verify the differentiation and homogeneity of the COMPI-FPSS; the construct validity was determined by explanatory and confirmatory factor analyses; Cronbach's α coefficient and Spearman-Brown coefficient were used to assess the reliability; and criterion validity was expressed using correlation coefficients for the Perceived Stress Scale and the Negative Affect Scale as the validity criteria. The revised Chinese version of COMPI-FPSS has 11 items and 2 dimensions (i.e., personal stress domain and social stress domain). Exploratory factor analysis showed that the cumulative variance contribution rate of the two factors was 68.6%, and confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the model fitted well. The score of the COMPI-FPSS was significantly and positively associated with perceived stress and negative affect. The Cronbach's α coefficient of the total scale was 0.905, and the Spearman-Brown coefficient was 0.836, explaining excellent reliability. The revised Chinese version of COMPI-FPSS shows good reliability and validity, and it can be used to evaluate the infertility-related stress of infertile patients in China.

Structural features and antioxidant behavior of lignin polymers isolated from various woody plants

This article presents results of our study of the structural organization of macromolecules of natural lignins isolated from some coniferous and deciduous plants. The main feature of lignin as a polymer is the polyvariability at all levels of structural organization. The study showed that the studied samples were very individual and differed in the content of functional groups, elemental composition, and structural units of the guaiacyl, syringyl, and p-hydroxyphenyl types. Acacia lignin has the most interesting chemical structure, since p-hydroxyphenyl structures are absent in the macromolecule of this biopolymer. The molecular properties of the acacia and spruce lignins are investigated by the methods of high-speed sedimentation, translational diffusion and viscosimetry. It were determined the molecular weight of fractions, the scaling coefficients of the Mark-Kuhn-Houwink equation, fractal dimension df and the value of the Tsvetkov-Klenin hydrodynamic invariant. Based on the analysis of the hydrodynamic behavior and topological structure of macromolecules, it was concluded that acacia lignin was a star-shaped polymer, and spruce lignin was a randomly branched polymer. The studied lignins have interesting and promising biomedical properties. The main feature of lignins is their high antioxidant activity (AOA), which is comparable with the activity of well-known low molecular weight antioxidants. It was shown that lignins from acacia and walnut wood were characterized by the highest AOA. In addition, lignins have excellent sorption properties against the extremely toxic aflatoxin B1 produced by the so-called "yellow mold"(fungi of the genus Aspergillus flavus). The lignin from walnut wood with the index of irreversible adsorption of AF reaching 68.4% should be considered the most effective.

System-Level Analysis of Energy and Performance Trade-Offs in mmWave 5G NR Systems

Energy efficiency and service reliability are two critical requirements for 5G New Radio cellular access. To address the latter, 3GPP has proposed multiconnectivity operation allowing user equipment (UE) to maintain active links to more than a single base station. However, the use of this technique compromises the energy efficiency of UE. In this paper, we develop a mathematical model capturing key energy and performance indicators as a function of system and environmental conditions. Then, we apply it to investigate the trade-offs between user performance and energy efficiency as well as the effect of scaling of discontinuous reception (DRX) timers. For a considered set of system parameters, our results reveal that for low micromobility speed ≤ 0.1° /s and blockers density, ≤ 0.1 bl./m <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> two simultaneously supported links with minimal DRX timers lead to optimal performance. For higher blockers density more than two links are needed to optimize energy efficiency while for high micromobility speed multiconnectivity does not allow to improve energy efficiency at all. Thus, the optimal degree of multiconnectivity and DRX timer scaling coefficients depend on the environmental characteristics including both micromobility speed and density of blockers and need to be dynamically updated during UE operation.

The Reliability of Maslach Burnout Inventory in Arab Studies: Reliability Generalization Meta-Analyses Study

The current study aimed to identify the mean effect size of the alpha coefficient for the overall reliability of the MBI scale, and for the sub-dimensions; Emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal achievement through the analysis of (32) studies in which the inclusion criteria were met. The results of the research indicated that the mean alpha coefficient across the studies (n = 32) for overall reliability and dimensions; Emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal achievement were 0.83, 0.83, 0.78, and 0.77, respectively. It indicated that the mean alpha coefficient of the MBI scale varied significantly according to the participants in favor of school principals, and according to gender in favor of the mixed (male/female), and according to the country of application for studies conducted in North and East African countries, while it did not vary according to the sample size. It also showed that the mean alpha coefficient of the emotional exhaustion dimension varied according to the participants in favor of the teachers. The results also showed that there were no differences in the mean alpha coefficient of the dimension of emotional exhaustion according to the factors of sample size, gender, and country of application, and indicated that there were no significant differences in the mean alpha coefficient of the dimensions of depersonalization and lack of personal achievement according to the factors of sample size, participants, gender and country of application. Keywords: Maslach scale, Reliability, Emotional exhaustion, Depersonalization, Lack of personal achievement

Determiantion of Reading Anxiety of Primary School 4 th Grade Students

One of the factors that emotionally affect the education-learning process is anxiety. Considering students' anxiety in teaching how to read and write, anxiety will positively contribute to effective and productive learning. This study aimed to determine the "Reading Anxiety" of primary school students. A 29-item "Reading Anxiety Scale" was developed based on the 42- item draft scale that Çeliktürk and Yamaç (2015) used in her research titled "Developing a Reading Anxiety Scale for Primary and Secondary School Students: Validity and Reliability Analysis." Çeliktürk and Yamaç permitted using the developed "Reading Anxiety Scale" in this study titled "Determination of Reading Anxiety of Primary School 4th-grade Students". Descriptive survey model was used in the study. This study was conducted with the voluntary participation of 1049 students attending the 4th grade of primary school in the central districts of Eskisehir (Odunpazari and Tepebasi). Convenience sampling determined the schools, and the data obtained were tabulated and interpreted using the SPSS program in the computer environment. The reliability coefficient of the 29-item reading anxiety scale was 0.957 (95.7%). Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was applied, and the acceptable fit of 0.90 ≤ CFI ≤ 0.95 was checked. Standardized factor loads were higher than 0.3 and at an acceptable level of fit. No significant difference was found regarding the district of the school, gender, and father's working status. However, there were significant differences in reading anxiety according to age, parents' education level, and mother's working status within the 95% confidence interval. Accordingly, it was concluded that students' age, parents' education level, and mothers' working status affect students' reading anxiety. However, no significant difference was found regarding the district of the school, gender, and fathers' working status. No significant difference was found between the reading anxiety levels of the students according to the district where the school is located, their gender and the working status of their fathers. It was determined that as the education level of the students' parents increased, the level of reading anxiety decreased. It was determined that the working status of the mothers of the students caused a significant difference between the reading anxiety levels, while the working status of the fathers did not cause a significant difference.

The Role of Riverine Bed Roughness, Egg Pocket Location, and Egg Pocket Permeability on Salmonid Redd‐Induced Hyporheic Flows

AbstractSalmon spawning activities alter streambed morphology, forming a dune‐shaped egg nest called a redd. The spawning process increases redd sediment hydraulic conductivity, KD, by removing fines, creating an egg pocket with larger sediment grains such that egg pocket hydraulic conductivity, KEP, may be higher than KD. Salmon females may create one or more egg pockets within a single redd. Although the impact of redd shape and KD on redd‐induced hyporheic fluxes has been studied, the effects of streambed roughness, R, egg pocket permeability, and egg pocket location on egg pocket hyporheic fluxes, , (downwelling flows from the stoss side of the redd which may enter egg pockets) have not yet been quantified. This study investigates this knowledge gap with a set of numerical simulations supported by flume experiments. We simulated hyporheic flows for five egg pocket locations, five KEP values from 0.0025 to 0.02 m/s, and 12 rough streambed surfaces. Surface roughness was scaled from a measured streambed surface in two ways—only vertically (R1) and both vertically and horizontally (R2)—with scaling coefficients ranging from 0.5 to 3. The measured streambed surface had a median diameter, D50, of 1 cm and a standard deviation (σD) of 0.77 cm. The results indicate that the dimensionless flux into the egg pocket, increases noticeably with the downstream distance of egg pockets from the redd pit, and less strongly with . The near‐surface downwelling fluxes significantly increase with R1, but only negligibly with R2, and for deeper egg pockets, is minimally impacted by surface roughness. Our results suggest that the typical simplification of a smooth redd surface with a single redd hydraulic conductivity provides a good representation of the interstitial flow within the redd, and the effects of surface roughness and egg pocket hydraulic conductivity on fall within the uncertainty of the egg pocket location.

Application of the positive and negative affect scale in Chinese children with intellectual disability.

The purpose is to test the applicability of the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) to Chinese children with intellectual disabilities. The study was done by distributing the questionnaire to the parents through teachers online. Asked the parents to fill out the scale based on their observations of their children's daily life. The correlation coefficients between each item and the total score of the corresponding dimension ranged from 0.52 to 0.77. Factor analysis confirmed the establishment of the PA-NA two-factor structure of affect. A significant positive correlation existed between the NA and the challenging behavior. The Cronbach's α coefficient and split-half reliability of the PA scale were 0.87 and 0.85, and the Cronbach's α coefficient and split-half reliability of the NA scale were 0.85 and 0.83, respectively, higher than 0.80. It was concluded that PANAS has good applicability in Chinese children with intellectual disabilities.