Magnitude Scale Research Articles

Exploration of an effective method to determine the relative sweetness of natural alternative sweeteners: Comparison of two‐alternative forced‐choice test and generalized labeled magnitude scale

AbstractThe relative sweetness (RS) of natural alternative sweeteners is influenced by their distinct flavors and temporal profiles but also by the determination method. This study investigated the reported RS of natural alternative sweeteners using two methods—the two‐alternative forced‐choice (2‐AFC) test and generalized labeled magnitude scale (g‐LMS). The 2‐AFC test and g‐LMS were applied to determine the RS of rebaudioside A, luo han guo extract, and xylo‐oligosaccharide to 5% sucrose. The RS values were verified by comparison to those obtained from descriptive analysis (DA). The 2‐AFC test produced RS values more similar to those of the DA, whereas the g‐LMS yielded much higher RS values. The results suggest that the 2‐AFC test, which compares the integrated perception of samples directly to that of a reference, yields a more accurate RS value than the g‐LMS, which asks panelists to rate sweetness separately from other sensations that might influence perception.Practical applicationsReplacing sugar with alternative sweeteners is one sugar reduction strategy widely used in the food industry. It is important to accurately identify RS values because an accurate replacement ratio based on the RS is necessary for successful sugar replacement that does not change the original sensory profile. However, the unique sensory characteristics and temporal profiles of natural alternative sweeteners can make it difficult to determine RS values accurately. This study compared the performances of the 2‐AFC test and g‐LMS, which use different evaluation strategies, to provide researchers with insights on the efficacy of the methods. It is expected that the outcomes of this study will aid in the research and development of sugar replacement strategies in both academia and industry.

A Big Problem for Small Earthquakes: Benchmarking Routine Magnitudes and Conversion Relationships with Coda Envelope-Derived Mw in Southern Kansas and Northern Oklahoma

ABSTRACT Earthquake magnitudes are widely relied upon measures of earthquake size. Although moment magnitude (Mw) has become the established standard for moderate and large earthquakes, difficulty in reliably measuring seismic moments for small (generally Mw<4) earthquakes has meant that magnitudes for these events remain plagued by a patchwork of inconsistent measurement scales. Because of this, magnitudes of small earthquakes and statistics derived from them can be biased. Furthermore, because small earthquakes are much more numerous than large ones, many applications, such as seismic hazard modeling, depend critically on analysis of events characterized by magnitudes other than Mw. To assess this problem, we apply coda envelope analysis to reliably determine moment magnitudes for a case study of small earthquakes from northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas. Not surprisingly, we find significant differences among ML, mbLg, and Mw for M ∼2–4 earthquakes examined here. More troublingly, we find that relations designed to convert other magnitudes to Mw, which are relied upon for important applications such as seismic hazard analysis, often increase rather than decrease this bias for our dataset. In our case study, we find that converted magnitudes can result in a systematic bias sometimes exceeding 0.5 magnitude units, a difference that typically corresponds to a factor of ∼3 in seismicity rate. Moreover, we find a correspondingly large bias in Gutenberg–Richter b-values, controlled primarily by inaccurate magnitude scaling in the conversion relationships. Although this study focuses on a relatively small geographic area, we can expect that similar issues exist with varying severity in other regions. Therefore, magnitudes of small earthquakes and their associated statistics, including seismicity rates and b-values, should be treated with caution.

The influence of NaCl on the dynamic perception of the pungency sensation elicited by Sichuan pepper oleoresins

A cross-modal interaction may exist between the perception of saltiness and the pungency elicited by Sichuan pepper oleoresin (Spo). Thirty-one hypersensitive panelists were selected to participate in this study. Spo solutions dissolved in different NaCl concentrations, ranging from 1.25 g/L to 167.9 g/L, were used as the test samples. The rated difference from control, the generalized labeled magnitude scale (gLMS), and the time-intensity (TI) method were used to determine the detection threshold (DT), the recognition threshold (RT), the intensity, and the dynamic perception of pungent sensation. The results revealed that the pungency thresholds increased significantly (p < 0.01) in the solution with a high NaCl (167.9 g/L) concentration. Furthermore, high NaCl solutions suppressed the pungency intensity at all Spo concentrations except for 0.02 g Spo/L in water (p < 0.05). The TI and principal component analysis (PCA) results showed that an increase in the Spo concentration prolonged the duration of the pungency sensation. However, the maximum intensity, the time to reach maximum intensity, the decay time of perception, and the end time of perception of the Spo solutions ranging from 2.13 g/L to 4.69 g/L were significantly reduced at medium (42.95 g/L) and high NaCl concentrations. Since the salty and pungency sensations exhibited by NaCl and Spo are common flavor combinations in food products and dishes, studying the influence of saltiness on the dynamic perception of pungent sensation not only aids the development of oral cleaners during pungency evaluation but also presents significant theoretical and practical value in creating pungent food and cuisine based on consumer preferences.

The relationship between Scoville Units and the suprathreshold intensity of sweeteners and Sichuan pepper oleoresins

AbstractSweetness and pungency sensation are two of common flavors in snack foods and cuisines, and appropriate intake regulates physical and mental health. In this study, 20 panelists were used as the subjects; the rated difference from control method was used to determine the recognition threshold of five kinds of Sichuan pepper oleoresins and sweeteners, while the Taste Activity Value (TAV), Scoville Units (SU), and relative intensity (RI) of different stimuli were obtained using formula conversion. Meanwhile, generalized labeled magnitude scale (gLMS) was used to rate the suprathreshold intensity of the stimuli at five different concentrations. The results showed that the power exponents of the pungent stimuli were between 0.5801 and 0.8081, while the power exponents of the sweet stimuli were between 0.4709 and 0.9020. Moreover, the RI of five different Sichuan pepper oleoresins and sweeteners were calculated based on the power functions. Furthermore, the fitting models for pungency and sweetness were lnRI = 0.8580*lnSPU‐8.5528 (R2 = .5964, p &lt; .01) and lnRI = 0.8230*lnSSU‐4.1574 (R2 = .8998, p &lt; .01), respectively.Practical ApplicationsThe relative intensity (RI) and the Scoville Unit (SU) methods are typically used to evaluate the intensity of sweetness and pungency, respectively. However, previous studies confirmed that the SU of the stimuli was poorly correlated with its suprathreshold intensity. Furthermore, differences in psychophysical parameters, such as sensory quality and time persistence, limited the determination of the sweetener RI. Therefore, studying the relationship between the SU and RI of sweeteners and Sichuan pepper oleoresins would be useful for predicting suprathreshold intensity according to the SU of sweetness or pungent stimuli, providing a mutual reference for the RI and SU results, while promoting the sensory quality control of sweet and pungent foods.

Design of an Earthquake Intensity Estimation System for Early Warning

Indonesia is located at the junction of three tectonic plates and has many active faults. The consequence of this tectonic arrangement makes Indonesia prone to earthquakes. Therefore, earthquake mitigation efforts based on an early warning system need to be done. The design of an earthquake strength estimation system, based on python, for this early warning, analyzes the initial phase of the first three seconds since the arrival of the P wave, using parameters in the form of Pd (the maximum amplitude of the first three seconds of the arrival of the P wave). The resulting tools and systems consist of hardware in the form of Raspberry Pi3B + and ADXL345. The system will detect in real time and automatically trigger an earthquake using the STA / LTA method. When the Pd and Td parameters have been obtained, the system will calculate and issue earthquake strength information, in the form of magnitude and intensity scale of earthquake damage MMI (Modified Mercally Intensity), which will then be sent automatically via the telegram application. Testing of tools and systems was carried out in an earthquake simulator, using the Padang earthquake parameters on 30 September 2009, 17:16:09 WIB. The results of the test produce an intensity scale of VIII MMI, these results are close to the results of the BMKG for the earthquake, with an intensity scale of VIII MMI. From these results the designed tools and systems can be used to provide early warning in the event of an earthquake.

Comment on “Two Foreshock Sequences Post Gulia and Wiemer (2019)” by Kelian Dascher-Cousineau, Thorne Lay, and Emily E. Brodsky

Abstract Dascher-Cousineau et al. (2020) apply the so-called foreshock traffic-light system (FTLS) model proposed by Gulia and Wiemer (2019) to two earthquake sequences that occurred after the submission of the model: the 2019 Ridgecrest (Mw 7.1) and the 2020 Mw 6.4 Puerto Rico earthquakes. We show in this comment that the method applied by Kelian Dascher-Cousineau et al. (2020) deviates in at least six substantial and not well-documented aspects from the original FTLS method. As a consequence, they used for example in the Ridgecrest case only 1% of the data available to estimate b-values and from a small subvolume of the relevant mainshock fault. In the Puerto Rico case, we document here substantial issues with the homogeneity of the magnitude scale that in our assessment make a meaningful analysis of b-values impossible. We conclude that the evaluation by Dascher-Cousineau et al. (2020) is misrepresentative and a not a fair test of the FTLS hypothesis.

Landslide size matters: A new data-driven, spatial prototype

The standard definition of landslide hazard requires the estimation of where, when (or how frequently) and how large a given landslide event may be. The geoscientific community involved in statistical models has addressed the component pertaining to how large a landslide event may be by introducing the concept of landslide-event magnitude scale. This scale, which depends on the planimetric area of the given population of landslides, in analogy to the earthquake magnitude, has been expressed with a single value per landslide event. As a result, the geographic or spatially-distributed estimation of how large a population of landslide may be when considered at the slope scale, has been disregarded in statistically-based landslide hazard studies. Conversely, the estimation of the landslide extent has been commonly part of physically-based applications, though their implementation is often limited to very small regions.In this work, we initially present a review of methods developed for landslide hazard assessment since its first conception decades ago. Subsequently, we introduce for the first time a statistically-based model able to estimate the planimetric area of landslides aggregated per slope units. More specifically, we implemented a Bayesian version of a Generalized Additive Model where the maximum landslide size per slope unit and the sum of all landslide sizes per slope unit are predicted via a Log-Gaussian model. These “max” and “sum” models capture the spatial distribution of (aggregated) landslide sizes. We tested these models on a global dataset expressing the distribution of co-seismic landslides due to 24 earthquakes across the globe. The two models we present are both evaluated on a suite of performance diagnostics that suggest our models suitably predict the aggregated landslide extent per slope unit. In addition to a complex procedure involving variable selection and a spatial uncertainty estimation, we built our model over slopes where landslides triggered in response to seismic shaking, and simulated the expected failing surface over slopes where the landslides did not occur in the past.What we achieved is the first statistically-based model in the literature able to provide information about the extent of the failed surface across a given landscape. This information is vital in landslide hazard studies and should be combined with the estimation of landslide occurrence locations. This could ensure that governmental and territorial agencies have a complete probabilistic overview of how a population of landslides could behave in response to a specific trigger. The predictive models we present are currently valid only for the 25 cases we tested. Statistically estimating landslide extents is still at its infancy stage. Many more applications should be successfully validated before considering such models in an operational way. For instance, the validity of our models should still be verified at the regional or catchment scale, as much as it needs to be tested for different landslide types and triggers. However, we envision that this new spatial predictive paradigm could be a breakthrough in the literature and, in time, could even become part of official landslide risk assessment protocols.

Distance attenuation and local magnitude scale based on constant geometrical spreading in Northern Punjab, Pakistan

Distance attenuation and local magnitude scale based on constant geometrical spreading in Northern Punjab, Pakistan

Application of scripting cartographic methods to geophysical mapping and seismicity in Rwenzori mountains and Albertine Graben, Uganda

Uganda is traversed by the East African Rift System (EARS), which controls its topography and induces high seismicity in the southwestern and western parts of the country, around the Rwenzori Mountains and Albertine Graben. This paper explores the complexity of the geophysical, topographic and geomorphological settings of Uganda for linking the distribution and magnitude of earthquakes to the controlling factors: geomorphology, topography and geophysics. The methodological workflow for an automated plotting of the topographic, geophysical and seismic data includes the following important codes: 'gmt grdimage ug_relief.nc-Cgeo.cpt-R29/35/-1.5/4.3-JM6.5i-I+a15+ne0.75-t50-Xc-P-K > $ps' for topographic visualisation, 'gmt psxy-R-J quakes_UG.ngdc-Wfaint-i4,3,6,6s0.1-h3-Scc-Csteps.cpt-O-K >> $ps' for mapping earthquakes, 'gmt img2grd grav_27.1.img-R29/35.5/-1.5/4.3-Ggrav_UG.grd-T1-I1-E-S0.1-V' for mapping gravity. The steps of the scripting workflow using 'raster' and 'tmap' libraries of R and a variety of GMT modules includes the following most important codes: 'alt = getData(alt, country = Uganda, path = tempdir()); slope = terrain(alt, opt = slope); aspect = terrain(alt, opt = aspect); hill = hillShade(slope, aspect, angle = 40, direction = 270)'. The study uses high-resolution spatial datasets GEBCO, EGM-2008, IRIS, gravity grids and SRTM DEM aimed to undertake thematic mapping of Uganda. Nine new maps have been generated using shell scripts of GMT and R for environmental monitoring. Depth of the earthquakes ranges from 4 to 40 Km with frequency of seismic events near Rwenzori Mountains and Albertine Graben for destructive earthquake is less than about five decades. Earthquake magnitudes varied from 3.7 Richter Magnitude Scale (Lake Edward region) to 6.2 Richter local magnitude Makerere scale (M L) (Lake Albert region). Lake Kivu region has earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.8-5.3. The region of Lake Albert had the highest magnitudes and frequency of seismic events, compared to Lakes Kivu and Edward. Earthquakes around the Lake Albert reached the highest magnitude at 6.2 M L. Earthquakes around Lake Victoria reach the maximal level of earthquake magnitude at 5.0 M l , near Lake George-5.3 M L. Earthquakes were mostly recorded in the Albertine Graben of EARS in the Albert, Edward and George lakes and occasionally in Lake Victoria.

Taste perception and expression in stomach of bitter taste receptor tas2r38 in obese and lean subjects

Differences in taste perception have been related to eating behavior, nutritional status, and diseases. Recently, taste receptors have been identified in several extra-oral tissues, such as the gastrointestinal tract, where they seem to influence processes like digestion, sense of satiety as well as energy balance and intraluminal changes occurring in obesity.Our study aims to analyze differences in taste perception among 42 obese patients (OB) and 41 normal-weight subjects (LEAN). Polymorphisms in the gene codifying for the bitter taste receptor TAS2R38 and its expression on the surface of the gastric mucosa were tested and compared among OB and LEAN.Taste intensity of PROP (6-n-propylthiouracil), quinine, sucrose, citric acid and NaCl were measured on a labeled magnitude scale. DNA from peripheral whole blood was extracted and three polymorphisms in the TAS2R38 gene (rs713598, rs1726866, rs10246939) analyzed. Gastric biopsies were collected during bariatric surgery in OB and during endoscopy in LEAN. RNA was extracted and TAS2R38 gene expression assessed by RT-Real-Time qPCR. Anamnestic and anthropometric data were recorded in all participants during baseline visits.Logistic regression analysis showed that OB perceives sweet (sucrose) and bitter (PROP or 6-n-propylthiouracil) taste more intensely than LEAN (p-value = 0.02 and p-value = 0.005, respectively). While polymorphisms in TAS2R38 gene did not differ among OB and LEAN, we observed a significant increase of TAS2R38 mRNA levels in the stomach of OB compared to LEAN (p = 0.01).Our results provide new evidence of a link between obesity and altered taste perception as well as TAS2R38 expression in the stomach.

Modeled Three‐Dimensional Currents and Eddies on an Alongshore‐Variable Barred Beach

AbstractCirculation in the nearshore region, which is critical for material transport along the coast and between the surf zone and the inner shelf, includes strong vortical motions. The horizontal length scales and vertical structure associated with vortical motions are not well documented on alongshore‐variable beaches. Here, a three‐dimensional phase‐resolving numerical model, Simulating WAves till SHore (SWASH), is compared with surfzone waves and flows on a barred beach, and is used to investigate surfzone eddies. Model simulations with measured bathymetry reproduce trends in the mean surfzone circulation patterns, including alongshore currents and rip current circulation cells observed for offshore wave heights from 0.5 to 2.0 m and incident wave directions from 0 to 15° relative to shore normal. The length scales of simulated eddies, quantified using the alongshore wavenumber spectra of vertical vorticity, suggest that increasing wave directional spread intensifies small‐scale eddies ((10) m). Simulations with bathymetric variability ranging from alongshore uniform to highly alongshore variable indicate that large‐scale eddies ((100) m) may be enhanced by surfzone bathymetric variability, whereas small‐scale eddies ((10) m) are less dependent on bathymetric variability. The simulated vertical dependence of the magnitude and mean length scale (centroid) of the alongshore wavenumber spectra of vertical vorticity and very low‐frequency (f ≈ 0.005 Hz) currents is weak in the outer surf zone, and decreases toward the shoreline. The vertical dependence in the simulations may be affected by the vertical structure of turbulence, mean shear, and bottom boundary layer dynamics.

Validation of the labeled magnitude scale for the assessment of itch intensity in patients with chronic pruritus

Introduction: The visual analogue scale (VAS), the numerical rating scale (NRS), and the verbal rating scale (VRS) are routinely used to assess pruritus intensity. However, these scales have limitations, especially the ceiling effect of linear scales (VAS, NRS) and the reduced sensitivity to change of the VRS. In the labeled magnitude scale (LMS) consisting of a vertical line with verbal anchors distributed quasi-logarithmically, the ceiling effect is reduced, allowing a higher discriminative assessment at the higher end of the scale. Methods: A total of 172 patients completed the LMS twice within 30–60 minutes to assess the reliability of the scale, as well as the NRS and VAS for analyses of convergent validity. Sensitivity to change of the LMS was investigated by analyzing changes in scores after a twice-daily application of an emollient containing menthoxypropanediol for 14 days. Results: Test-retest reliability was excellent for the LMS assessing average (Cronbach α: 0.955) and worst (Cronbach α: 0.945) pruritus intensity in the last 24 hours, while strong to very strong correlations were observed between the LMS and NRS assessing the worst (r=0.783) and average (r=0.808) pruritus intensity, respectively. Treatment with an emollient lead to a significant decrease in LMS scores (P&lt;0.01). In patients with severe pruritus at baseline (VRS ≥3), we recorded a 30.2% improvement of average pruritus intensity using the LMS compared with a 25.0% improvement using the NRS and a 27.8% improvement of worst pruritus intensity using the LMS compared with an 11.1% improvement with the NRS. Most patients considered the LMS an appropriate instrument to assess pruritus intensity (89.6%) and would use it again (91.9%). Discussion: The LMS is an appropriate well-accepted instrument to assess CP. It is especially useful to detect variations in pruritus intensity in patients with severe CP.

Fruit and vegetable liking and intake among college students: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveThis study examined the liking of fruits and vegetables among college students and the relationship between skin carotenoid levels and liking of fruits and vegetables. Participants: Sixty-six undergraduate students enrolled at a university in the southeastern United States participated in this study beginning August 2019. Methods: Skin carotenoid levels were measured using the Veggie Meter® reflection spectroscopy device. Liking of individual fruits and vegetables was measured using a hedonic general Labeled Magnitude Scale. Results: There were significant differences in mean skin carotenoid levels by year of study and age group. Students had a very strong liking for potatoes and pineapple. Veggie Meter scores and overall liking for fruits and vegetables were positively correlated. Conclusions: In order to encourage the consumption of fruits and vegetables, preferences for specific fruits and vegetables as well as accessibility should be considered to better serve and accommodate college students.

Magnitude Scales for Marsquakes Calibrated from InSight Data

ABSTRACT In preparation for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Interior exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) Discovery Program mission, Böse et al. (2018) calibrated magnitude scales for marsquakes that incorporated prelaunch knowledge of Mars’ interior structure and the expected ambient and instrumental noise. Now, using data collected during the first two years after the successful deployment of the InSight very-broadband seismometer on the Martian surface, we revise these relations to account for the seismic and noise characteristics observed on Mars. The data collected so far (until 12 October 2020) include 485 seismic event detections and suggest that (1) marsquakes are characterized by energy between ∼0.1 and 10 Hz; (2) whereas first arriving P- and S-wave phases are regularly identified and assigned, both surface waves and secondary phase arrivals are extremely challenging to identify; (3) the majority of identified events include a strong excitation of an unexpected 2.4 Hz ground resonance; and (4) so-called high-frequency (HF) events exist that are visible mainly as guided Pg/Sg wave trains. In view of these observations, we update our scaling relations for the spectral and body-wave magnitudes, Mw,specMa, mbMa, and mbSMa, and introduce a new magnitude scale, M2.4Ma, for HF events. We use these scales to determine that the magnitudes of events in the current InSight version 5 catalog range between 1.1 and 3.7, with event-specific uncertainties σM ranging from 0.2 to 0.4. Because of the currently unclear interpretation of HF events, magnitude estimates for these events primarily serve as a relative comparison.

Dynamics and rheology of ring-linear blend semidilute solutions in extensional flow: Single molecule experiments

Ring polymers exhibit unique flow properties due to their closed chain topology. Despite recent progress, we have not yet achieved a full understanding of the nonequilibrium flow behavior of rings in nondilute solutions where intermolecular interactions greatly influence chain dynamics. In this work, we directly observe the dynamics of DNA rings in semidilute ring-linear polymer blends using single molecule techniques. We systematically investigate ring polymer relaxation dynamics from high extension and transient and steady-state stretching dynamics in a planar extensional flow for a series of ring-linear blends with varying ring fraction. Our results show multiple molecular subpopulations for ring relaxation in ring-linear blends, as well as large conformational fluctuations for rings in a steady extensional flow, even long after the initial transient stretching process has subsided. We further quantify the magnitude and characteristic time scales of ring conformational fluctuations as a function of blend composition. Interestingly, we find that the magnitude of ring conformational fluctuations follows a nonmonotonic response with increasing ring fraction, first increasing at low ring fraction and then substantially decreasing at large ring fraction in ring-linear blends. A unique set of ring polymer conformations are observed during the transient stretching process, which highlights the prevalence of molecular individualism and supports the notion of complex intermolecular interactions in ring-linear polymer blends. In particular, our results suggest that transient intermolecular structures form in ring-linear blends due to a combination of direct forces due to linear chains threading through open rings and indirect forces due to hydrodynamic interactions; these combined effects lead to large conformational fluctuations of rings over distributed time scales. Taken together, our results provide a new molecular understanding of ring polymer dynamics in ring-linear blends in the nonequilibrium flow.

An examination into the effect of genetic taste status and intensity of carbonation on swallowing and palatability in healthy young adults.

Dysphagia is a highly prevalent condition and affects a wide range of cohorts. A common compensatory strategy to manage dysphagia is diet modification. However, this technique is often associated with poor patient quality of life and adverse long-term effects. Carbonated liquids have shown promise as an alternative compensatory strategy for the management of dysphagia. To examine the effect of genetic taste status and intensity of carbonation on swallowing and palatability in a healthy young adult population. To examine the palatability of carbonated liquids over time. A total of 35 healthy young adults were recruited for this prospective, quantitative cohort study. They each drank 150 ml of still water (SW), lightly carbonated water (LCW) and highly carbonated water (HCW). Swallow function, palatability and genetic taste status were assessed using the timed water swallow test, the hedonic general labelled magnitude scale and participant ratings of the bitterness of propylthiouracil strips, respectively. Participants were divided into groups of supertasters, moderate tasters and non-tasters. A significant difference was found between SW and HCW on three tests of swallow function. Average time per swallow increased (p = 0.03), average swallow velocity decreased (p = 0.001) and average volume per swallow decreased (p = 0.017) on HCW compared with SW. HCW had a greater impact on swallow function than LCW. A significant mean difference in palatability ratings was found across intensity levels of carbonated fluids (p = 0.002), specifically between SW and HCW (p = 0.001). HCW was less palatable than SW. The palatability of carbonated liquids, investigated within a subgroup of five participants, did not decrease after a 24-h period during which participants only drank carbonated liquids (p = 0.102). A significant difference was found between supertasters' (n = 9) (mean = 13.33) and non-tasters' (n = 20) (mean = -24.5) palatability ratings of HCW (p = 0.03). Despite differences in swallow function between SW and HCW, no differences were detected between supertasters' and non-tasters' swallow function on SW, LCW or HCW. Carbonated liquids have the ability to alter swallow function in a healthy young adult population; however, liquids must be highly carbonated in order to have an effect. Additionally, highly carbonated liquids are less palatable than SW, but the palatability of carbonated liquids does not decrease over time. Furthermore, supertasters find HCW more palatable than non-tasters. These findings suggest that carbonated liquids alter swallowing in a healthy population. Further research in a clinical population is needed to better understand the potential role of sensory stimulation as a dysphagia intervention. What is already known on the subject Several studies have found that carbonated liquids have the ability to alter swallow function in both healthy and clinical populations. However, there is a lack of evidence around the optimum intensity of CO2 in carbonated liquids and the palatability of carbonated liquids as well as the palatability of carbonated fluids over time. What this paper adds to existing knowledge The findings from this study suggest that carbonated liquids can alter swallow function in a healthy young adult population, but liquids must be highly carbonated in order to have an effect. HCW is less palatable than SW, but the palatability of carbonated liquids does not decrease over time. Additionally, supertasters find HCW more palatable than non-supertasters (non-tasters). What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? The findings from this study suggest that carbonated liquids may be suitable for use as a sensory stimulation technique for people with dysphagia, as their palatability does not decrease over time; however, further research in a clinical population is needed in order to determine this. Additionally, intensity of stimulus is an important factor to consider during dysphagia evaluation to identify what intensity is required to optimize swallowing.

On the Relation between the Astronomical and Visual Photometric Systems in Specifying the Brightness of the Night Sky for Mesopically Adapted Observers

ABSTRACT Due to the typical ambient light levels in inhabited places and light pollution of the night sky, most naked-eye astronomical observations are performed nowadays under mesopic conditions. The luminance (cd/m2) associated with the brightness of the night sky specified in the astronomical logarithmic scale of magnitudes per square arcsecond (mag/arcsec2) is strongly dependent on the spectrum of the sky, because the spectral sensitivity of the human visual system is not coincident with the standard photometric bands used in astronomy. The conversion between these two families of photometric systems was previously analyzed for observers presumed to be either fully photopically or scotopically adapted. In this work, we deduce the transformation equations between the astronomical and visual photometric systems for specifying and reporting the sky brightness in the mesopic range, within the framework of the MES-2 system for visual performance-based mesopic photometry. It is shown that the dependence of the conversion factors on the correlated color temperature of the night sky reaches a minimum spread for adaptation luminances of 0.5–1.0 cd/m2. The sky luminances corresponding to 22.0 mag/arcsec2 in the Johnson-Cousins V band (the assumed brightness of a natural night sky devoid of light pollution) span, for 1.0 cd/m2 adaptation, a relatively small range of ~195–215 μcd/m2 in the absolute (AB) magnitude system and ~210–225 μcd/m2 in the Vega-referenced one.

A procedure to develop a backbone ground-motion model: A case study for its implementation

The backbone modeling in ground-motion characterization (GMC) is a useful methodology to describe the epistemic uncertainty in median ground-motion predictions. The approach uses a backbone ground-motion model (GMM) and populates the GMC logic tree with the scaled and/or adjusted versions of the backbone GMM to capture the epistemic uncertainty in median ground motions. The scaling and/or adjustment should represent the specific features and uncertainties involved in source, path, and site effects at the target site. The identification of the backbone model requires different considerations specific to the nature of the ground-motion hazard problem. In this article, we present a scaled backbone modeling approach that considers the magnitude- and distance-scaling predictors as well as their correlation to address the epistemic uncertainty in median ground-motion predictions. This approach results in a trivariate normal distribution to fully define a range of epistemic uncertainty in a model sample space. The simultaneous consideration of magnitude and distance scaling while defining the epistemic uncertainty and the methodology followed for the simplified representation of trivariate normal distribution in ground-motion logic tree are the two important features in our procedure. We first present the proposed approach that is followed by a case study for Central and Eastern North America (CENA) stable continental region. The case study discusses the underlying assumptions and limitations of the proposed approach.

UNESCO World Heritage properties in changing and dynamic environments: change detection methods using optical and radar satellite data

The article presents recent capabilities of active and passive earth observation sensors along with related processing image chains, for monitoring UNESCO World Heritage properties. Exceptional heritage sites and landscapes are found in dynamic environments, whereas both anthropogenic and natural changes are observed. The use of radar and optical satellite imageries can be used as a systematic observation tool for stakeholders, to map drastic or slowly driven landscape changes towards the better protection and management of these sites and their surrounding areas. The study presents the results from the analysis of the European Copernicus Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellite images over two broader areas in the Eastern Mediterranean basin that hold important UNESCO World Heritage properties. Initially, a recent strong earthquake of a 6.7 magnitude scale in the Aegean Sea is studied using radar Sentinel-1 images. These radar images were processed through the Hybrid Pluggable Processing Pipeline (HyP3) cloud platform for analyzing both significant changes of the VV (vertical transmit, vertical receive) and VH (vertical transmit, horizontal receive) backscattering signal as well as through an Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) analysis. Then, long-term changes in Cyprus during the last two decades are monitored by a Sentinel-2 image compared to the European Corine Land Use Land Cover data of 2000. These changes are mapped after a supervised classification process using the random forest (RF) classifier. The overall results demonstrate that the recent developments of the space sector in all its segments (resolution of the sensors, the capacity to storage in the cloud, processing advancements and open-access datasets and tools) can be beneficial for monitoring UNESCO World Heritage properties.

Накопление ошибки в методе сопряженных градиентов для вырожденных задач

In this paper, we consider the conjugate gradient method for solving the problem of minimizing a quadratic function with additive noise in the gradient. Three concepts of noise were considered: antagonistic noise in the linear term, stochastic noise in the linear term, and noise in the quadratic term, as well as combinations of the first and second with the last. It was experimentally obtained that error accumulation is absent for any of the considered concepts, which differs from the folklore opinion that, as in accelerated methods, error accumulation must take place. The paper gives motivation for why the error may not accumulate. The dependence of the solution error both on the magnitude (scale) of the noise and on the size of the solution using the conjugate gradient method was also experimentally investigated. Hypotheses about the dependence of the error in the solution on the noise scale and the size (2-norm) of the solution are proposed and tested for all the concepts considered. It turned out that the error in the solution (by function) linearly depends on the noise scale. The work contains graphs illustrating each individual study, as well as a detailed description of numerical experiments, which includes an account of the methods of the noise of both the vector and the matrix.