Simple Fitting Research Articles

Medication Management Initiatives Using Wearable Devices: Scoping Review.

Wearable devices (WDs) have evolved beyond simple fitness trackers to sophisticated health monitors capable of measuring vital signs, such as heart rate and blood oxygen levels. Their application in health care, particularly medication management, is an emerging field poised to significantly enhance patient adherence to treatment regimens. Despite their widespread use and increasing incorporation into clinical trials, a comprehensive review of WDs in terms of medication adherence has not been conducted. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive scoping review to evaluate the impact of WDs on medication adherence across a variety of diseases, summarizing key research findings, outcomes, and challenges encountered. Adhering to PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines, a structured search was conducted across MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Embase databases, covering the literature from January 1, 2010, to September 30, 2022. The search strategy was based on terms related to WDs and medication adherence, specifically focusing on empirical studies to ensure the inclusion of original research findings. Studies were selected based on their relevance to medication adherence, usage of WDs in detecting medication-taking actions, and their role in integrated medication management systems. We screened 657 articles and identified 18 articles. The identified studies demonstrated the diverse applications of WDs in enhancing medication adherence across diseases such as Parkinson disease, diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions. The geographical distribution and publication years of these studies indicate a growing interest in this research area. The studies were divided into three types: (1) studies reporting a correlation between data from WDs or their usage and medication adherence or drug usage as outcomes, (2) studies using WDs to detect the act of medication-taking itself, and (3) studies proposing an integrated medication management system that uses WDs in managing medication. WDs are increasingly being recognized for their potential to enhance medication management and adherence. This review underscores the need for further empirical research to validate the effectiveness of WDs in real-life settings and explore their use in predicting adherence based on activity rhythms and activities. Despite technological advancements, challenges remain regarding the integration of WDs into routine clinical practice. Future research should focus on leveraging the comprehensive data provided by WDs to develop personalized medication management strategies that can improve patient outcomes.

Performance analysis of position sensorless control of antagonistic shape memory alloy actuators

Abstract This paper presents a comprehensive performance analysis of position sensorless control of antagonistic shape memory alloy actuators (ASMAA), focusing on enhancing the sensorless position sensing capabilities and servo performance. The mechanisms and influencing factors of ASMAA self-sensing characteristics are comprehensively analyzed. A self-sensing model framework based on the constitutive model of ASMAA is proposed, and a self-sensing model based on differential resistance feedback is developed. An experimental platform based on the ASMAA motion mechanism is established to test and analyze SMA wires of two different materials under various pretension force conditions. The experimental results show that the antagonistic configuration mitigates hysteresis and improves linearity. A simple polynomial fitting is employed to establish the resistance-displacement relationship, achieving good accuracy with minimal residuals. The system identification is employed to avoid the parameter complexity and time-varying in the constitutive model. Based on the identified transfer function, a traditional PID controller is designed for position sensorless servo control. However, the inherent nonlinear hysteresis of ASMAA is difficult to suppress using a linear PID controller. Furthermore, a compound control strategy based on the Duhem model and PID controller is proposed, which utilizes the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to identify the Duhem inverse model controller. Experimental results demonstrate that the compound controller significantly enhances position tracking accuracy and response speed compared to a standalone PID controller.

The future of wearable health technology: From monitoring to preventive healthcare

Wearable health technology has undergone rapid development, evolving from simple fitness trackers to sophisticated medical devices that provide real-time monitoring and data collection. As these technologies become increasingly integrated into healthcare systems, their potential to shift from reactive treatment to proactive preventive care is gaining attention. This review paper explores the current state of wearable health devices, including the key technologies that enable monitoring and data analysis, and discusses the latest advancements such as AI integration, smart fabrics, and implantable wearables. The paper also delves into the significant role these technologies play in preventive healthcare by enabling continuous monitoring, early disease detection, and personalized health interventions. Furthermore, it addresses the challenges facing wearables, including issues of data accuracy, privacy, and user compliance. Finally, the paper explores future directions and ethical considerations, emphasizing the potential for wearables to reshape healthcare by promoting more accessible, equitable, and preventive healthcare solutions.

Simple fits for the neutrino luminosities from protoneutron star cooling

Simple fits for the neutrino luminosities from protoneutron star cooling

Precipitation enhancement over tropical land through the lens of the moisture–precipitation relationship

AbstractTropical precipitation has been found to be related to column relative humidity by a simple relationship known as the moisture–precipitation relationship . Based on one decade of daily ERA5 reanalysis data, we test whether is able to reproduce the tropical land–ocean precipitation contrast measured by , the ratio between mean precipitation over land and ocean. We find that captures the mean seasonal cycle of as long as we account for the fact that is distinct over land and ocean, and that it varies seasonally. Typical values of above 0.86 imply that precipitation is enhanced over land, relative to the ocean. We therefore investigate next whether this enhancement is due to the differences in and/or in the humidity distribution between land and ocean. We show that, rather than enhancing precipitation, the presence of land modifies in such a way that precipitation over land is disfavored compared to over ocean. Precipitation enhancement over land is instead explained by the modified terrestrial humidity distribution that features a more pronounced tail towards high values compared to the one over ocean. All results rest on an accurate construction of from the underlying data. Simple fit models such as an exponential function that were proposed by previous studies are unable to capture the seasonal cycle of and fail to explain land–ocean differences in precipitation.

Study of the Bias Driven Threshold Voltage Drift of 1.2 kV SiC MOSFETs in Power Cycling and High Temperature Gate Bias Tests

Threshold voltage instability remains a challenging aspect for metal-oxide semiconductor-field-effect-transistors (MOSFETs) made from silicon carbide (SiC). SiC MOSFETs from two manufacturers, with planar and trench gate structure respectively, have been tested under different test procedures, including power cycling and high temperature gate bias tests. The standard power cycling test setup has been modified to enable an in situ threshold voltage read-out procedure with the hysteresis method. The recorded threshold voltage drift has been compared with results from high temperature gate bias tests applying a simple power law fit, with the intention to predict the drift in power cycling tests. For the group with trench MOSFETs comparable results between power cycling and gate stress tests have been achieved.

Atomic structure and Stark width calculation for Cl III ion

In this work, we calculated Stark broadening widths of several doubly-ionized chlorine Cl III spectral lines using the modified semi-empirical approach. The theoretical values of Stark widths are calculated using term energies and oscillator strengths of Cl III from the AUTOSTRUCTURE atomic structure code. We compared the calculated Stark widths with available data from the literature. If we need to interpolate these Stark widths at different temperatures for the studied transitions of Cl III, we use a simple and accurate fitting formula based on a least-squares fitting method.

Two-gap superconducting states of LaRu[formula omitted]Si[formula omitted]

We synthesize high-quality LaRu3Si2 (Tc= 7.5 K) polycrystalline sample and report the superconducting gap anisotropy relative to the temperature dependence of μ0Hc2 and Cel/γTc below Tc. The μ0Hc2 satisfies T-linear dependence until it approaches a low temperature region (T≤0.25Tc), and this behavior may not agree with the WHH theory. Based on T-linear fitting, the μ0Hc2(0) is estimated to be 10.2 T. The Cel/γTc below Tc cannot be expressed by a simple exponential fit. It is considered that although a larger gap (2Δ1/kBTc=3.63) opens at 3 K ≤T≤Tc, low-lying quasiparticle excitations at T≤ 3 K are dominated by a smaller gap (2Δ2/kBTc=2.62). Our experimental results indicate the feasibility of a two-gap superconducting state of LaRu3Si2.

Comparison of central corneal thickness measured in myopic eyes by Pentacam, Sirius and IOLMaster 700

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlations and consistency among the central corneal thickness (CCT) of healthy myopic patients measured with three different anterior segment analysis systems. DesignThis was a retrospective study. The study included myopia patients who had undergone preoperative examinations in the refractive surgery department of our hospital between January 2021 and December 2023. The CCT was measured separately using Pentacam, Sirius, and IOLMaster 700. MethodsStatistical analysis was conducted using SPSS software. Correlations among the three groups of measured values were assessed using the Pearson method, and a simple scatter plot and fitting line were drawn. Bland‒Altman scatter plots and 95 % limits of agreement (LoAs) were used to evaluate consistency in the data among the systems. ResultsA total of 269 patients participated in the study, including 134 males (49.8 %) and 135 females (50.2 %). The CCT measurements by Pentacam, Sirius, and IOLMaster 700 instruments were found to be 541.63 ± 31.67 μm, 541.74 ± 33.36 μm, and 548.90 ± 34.19 μm respectively; significant differences were observed among these measurements (p < 0.05). Significant differences were also observed in CCT between Pentacam and IOLMaster 700 as well as between Sirius and IOLMaster 700 (p < 0.05). The CCT measurements by all three devices showed high positive correlation with all p values less than 0.001: Pentacam and Sirius, r = 0.972; Pentacam and IOLMaster 700, r = 0.966; and Sirius and IOLMaster 700, r = 0.962. The respective 95 % LoAs were -0.18∼0.18; -1.51∼-1.11; and -1.52∼-1. ConclusionThe results indicate that there is a high correlation in measuring CCT for healthy myopic eyes using three different anterior segment analysis systems. However, the differences in the values measured by the three devices were statistically significant. Therefore, in actual clinical practice, it is suggested that the same device should be used to measure and evaluate the CCT across visits.

A Joint Experimental and Theoretical Study on the Structural and Spectroscopic Properties of the Piv-Pro-d-Ser-NHMe Peptide.

In this paper, we investigate the secondary structure of the Piv-Pro-d-Ser-NHMe peptide by means of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) experiments, in conjunction with theoretical simulations based on molecular dynamics and time-dependent density functional theory calculations including polarizable embedding to account for solvent effects. The various experimental and theoretical protocols are assessed and validated, and are shown to provide a consistent description of the turn structure adopted by this peptide in solution. In addition, a simple fitting procedure is proposed to make the simulated and experimental ECD almost perfectly match. This full methodology is finally tested on another small peptide, enlightening its efficiency and robustness.

Variation in the fitted filtration efficiency of disposable face masks by sex.

Disposable face masks are a primary protective measure against the adverse health effects of exposure to infectious and toxic aerosols such as airborne viruses and particulate air pollutants. While the fit of high efficiency respirators is regulated in occupational settings, relatively little is known about the fitted filtration efficiencies of ear loop style face masks worn by the public. We measured the variation in fitted filtration efficiency (FFE) of four commonly worn disposable face masks, in a cohort of healthy adult participants (N = 100, 50% female, 50% male, average age = 32.3 ± 9.2 years, average BMI = 25.5 ± 3.4) using the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration Quantitative Fit Test, for an N95 (respirator), KN95, surgical, and KF94 masks. The latter three ear loop style masks were additionally tested in a clip-modified condition, tightened using a plastic clip to centrally fasten loops in the back of the head. The findings show that sex is a major determinant of the FFE of KN95, surgical, and KF94 masks. On average, males had an 11% higher FFE relative to females, at baseline testing. We show that a simple modification using an ear loop clip, results in improvements in the average FFE for females but provides comparatively minor changes for males. On average, females had a 20% increased FFE when a clip was worn behind the head, relative to a 6% increase for males. The efficacy of a disposable face mask as protection against air contaminants depends on the efficiency of the mask materials and how well it fits the wearer. We report that the sex of the wearer is a major determinant of the baseline fitted filtration efficiency (FFE) of commonly available ear loop style face masks. In addition, we show that a simple fit modifier, an ear loop clip fastened behind the head, substantially improves baseline FFE for females but produces only minor changes for males. These findings have significant public health implications for the use of face masks as a protective intervention against inhalational exposure to airborne contaminants.

Caspase-Based Fusion Protein Technology: Substrate Cleavability Described by Computational Modeling and Simulation.

The Caspase-based fusion protein technology (CASPON) allows for universal cleavage of fusion tags from proteins of interest to reconstitute the native N-terminus. While the CASPON enzyme has been optimized to be promiscuous against a diversity of N-terminal peptides, the cleavage efficacy for larger proteins can be surprisingly low. We develop an efficient means to rationalize and predict the cleavage efficiency based on a structural representation of the intrinsically disordered N-terminal peptides and their putative interactions with the CASPON enzyme. The number of favorably interacting N-terminal conformations shows a very good agreement with the experimentally observed cleavage efficiency, in agreement with a conformational selection model. The method relies on computationally cheap molecular dynamics simulations to efficiently generate a diverse collection of N-terminal conformations, followed by a simple fitting procedure into the CASPON enzyme. It can be readily used to assess the CASPON cleavability a priori.

Reliability, validity, usefulness, and sensitivity of a submaximal test of performing burpees in 3 minutes, in assessing and detecting changes in aerobic fitness of athletes during future prolonged self-isolation in a confined environment.

During a prolonged quarantine, there is a need to monitor aerobic fitness levels of trained individuals who are isolated with a simple fitness test that can be performed in confined space of their own homes. This study examined the reliability, validity, usefulness and sensitivity of a novel 3-min submaximal heart rate burpees test (or Sub<inf>HR</inf>3-MBT) to assess and monitor changes in aerobic fitness, of trained athletes. In the Sub<inf>HR</inf>3-MBT, male and female athletes performed 48 and 39 burpees respectively, within 3 min by following a constant beeping pace. The performance criterion of the Sub<inf>HR</inf>3-MBT is the highest heart rate attained (or exercise HR<inf>peak</inf>) at the end of 3-min (wherein a lower exercise HR<inf>peak</inf> indicates a higher level of aerobic fitness). A total of 40 male and female national athletes from various sports volunteered for the study. For reliability (Part 1), the Sub<inf>HR</inf>3-MBT showed good relative and excellent reliability, with intraclass correlation coefficient 0.90 and coefficient of variation 2.6%, respectively. For validity (Part II), there was significant negative correlation between relative exercise HR<inf>peak</inf> with respiratory gas-measured VO<inf>2max</inf> (r=-0.51, large; P<0.001). The test's technical error of measurement of 2.3 is slightly greater than its smallest worthwhile change of 1.5. For sensitivity (Part III), the athletes were tested twice for their Sub<inf>HR</inf>3-MBT and VO<inf>2max</inf>, once at baseline and another at a followed-up test after >10 weeks. There was a significant correlation between the % change in relative exercise HR<inf>peak</inf> with the % change in VO<inf>2max</inf> (r=-0.66, large; P<0.001). The Sub<inf>HR</inf>3-MBT is a reliable, valid, marginally useful test and may be able to track changes in aerobic fitness in trained athletes with moderate levels of sensitivity, in case of future isolation due to pandemic occurrence.

A fatigue damage prediction model with multi-parameter correlation

A fatigue cumulative damage prediction model with multi-parameter correlation, which introduces eight parameters in the action coefficients, including adjacent stresses and their corresponding lifespans (counting to four parameters), previous level of fatigue cumulative damage, S-N logarithmic slope of the material, ultimate stress, and life of the fatigue limit, is proposed in this study. The new model is not a simple nonlinear fitting. It establishes the correlation between multiple parameters and the fatigue damage model. To comprehensively evaluate the proposed model, we conducted numerous experiments to compare the proposed model with a group of baseline models. By analyzing the verification data that compared the statistical value and distribution of the difference between the fatigue prediction damage and test damage of each model, we verified that the fatigue damage prediction effect of the proposed model is the best overall. Additionally, the proposed model preliminarily demonstrated that the evolution of fatigue damage accumulation during multistage stress loading is a complex process with multiple parameters that are highly correlated.

A population level study on smoking and radon induced adenocarcinoma and small-cell carcinoma among males and females in Canada

ObjectiveTo assess if there is a relationship between residential radon exposure and two lung cancer histological types, small-cell carcinoma (diagnosed in people with a smoking history) and adenocarcinoma (the most commonly diagnosed histologic type in people who have never smoked) among males and females in Canada. MethodsWith survey data of long-term radon measurements in residential homes, long-term averaged tobacco consumption rates in the units of cigarettes per day per person and long-term averaged age-standardized lung cancer incidence rates at provincial level, simple linear fitting (ANOVA linear regression) was applied in this study to determine the effect on lung cancer induction by smoking and exposure to indoor radon, and to assess if there is a relationship between residential radon exposure and lung cancer histological types. ResultsLung cancer incidence rates correlate very well with the tobacco consumption rates (P ​< ​0.05). However, females appear to be more likely than males to develop lung cancer at a given amount of cigarette consumption. For both small-cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, a statistically significant correlation between incidence rate and mean radon concentration was observed for females, the correlation was much stronger for adenocarcinoma (P ​= ​0.0057) than small-cell carcinoma (P ​= ​0.0483). However, there was no such correlation for males. ConclusionIt is possible that female non-smokers are more susceptible to radon-induced lung cancer, and the joint effect of radon exposure and tobacco smoking may be worse in female smokers compared to males, such that higher incidence rate of adenocarcinoma among females compared to males were observed in recent decades, even though females never smoked more than males.

Non-proportionality quantification of noisy stress-time signals using a new rainflow-based noise removal method for fatigue assessment

Non-proportional stresses near welded joints are well known to cause increased fatigue damages as compared to proportional stresses. In this paper, a new method to remove noise from stress-time signals is developed and implemented in a principal component analysis-based approach for non-proportionality quantification. The noise removal method makes it possible to remove noise from stress-time signals causing low stress ranges, while still keeping the overall shape of the signal. When the signal shape is kept it is possible to accurately predict the levels of non-proportionality. The noise removal method is based on the standard rainflow counting method. By choosing a lower stress range limit, the stress ranges assumed to be caused by noise can be excluded and the original signal shape is kept by utilizing simple polynomial fitting. This makes the approach easy to implement and easy to control as it requires only two inputs. The noise removal method and non-proportionality quantification approach are then validated against simulated signals with noise and a simple experiment with proportional loading. The results show that the newly developed method for noise reduction accurately removes noise while keeping the signal shape.

Development of a scale for the impact of emotion management on young athletes’ training efficiency

In this study, we developed a scale to evaluate emotion management and its benefits for young athletes in China, and to analyze the impact of emotion management on their training efficiency. Following an extensive literature review, we used AMOS structural equation model software to develop a scale for evaluating the effects and benefits of emotion management on young athletes' training efficiency. Results showed that young athletes' emotion management training and its benefits can be divided into five dimensions: benefit evaluation, emotional cognition, emotion influence, emotion control, and emotion regulation. The internal consistency reliability of the formal scale was 0.895, and the internal consistency reliability of each subscale was between 0.734 and 0.901. The split-half reliability was 0.769, and the split-half reliability of each subscale was between 0.623 and 0.864. The KMO value was 0.904, P = 0.00 (p < 0.05), and the cumulative interpretation rate was 61.782 % of the total variance. The lowest factor load of a scale item was 0.436, and the highest factor load was 0.846. The common degree of all items was between 0.402 and 0.762, indicating that the scale has good validity. A SEM model verified that the scale has good construct validity. Significant correlational differences were observed among the levels. The results of the SEM structural equation model analysis showed that the model's NC = 2.660 (1 < NC < 3 indicates that the model has a simple fit), PGFI = 0.722, PNFI = 0.699, IFI = 0.851, PRA = 0.927, RMR = 0.006, and RMSEA = 0.07, thus, these indexes reached the standard of excellent model fitting. The strongest correlation was found between emotional cognition and benefit evaluation (R = 0.690), and the weakest correlation was found between emotion influence and benefit evaluation (R = 0.079). These findings provide a basis for measuring the effect of emotion management on training efficiency in the training process of young athletes and offer a theoretical reference for their emotional development while in training.

Freezing density scaling of transport coefficients in the Weeks-Chandler-Andersen fluid.

It is shown that the transport coefficients (self-diffusion, shear viscosity, and thermal conductivity) of the Weeks-Chandler-Andersen (WCA) fluid along isotherms exhibit a freezing density scaling (FDS). The functional form of this FDS is essentially the same or closely related to those in the Lennard-Jones fluid, hard-sphere fluid, and some liquefied noble gases. This proves that this FDS represents a quasi-universal corresponding state principle for simple classical fluids with steep interactions. Some related aspects, such as a Stokes-Einstein relation without a hydrodynamic diameter and gas-to-liquid dynamical crossover, are briefly discussed. Simple fitting formulas for the transport coefficients of the dense WCA fluid are suggested.

When the Weibull model helps in deciphering bacterial resistance variability related to survival behaviour

Survival curves of bacterial vegetative cells or spores subjected to an inactivation process are often log-linear and then described by the d-value parameter. However, non log-linear, convex, shapes might be also observed particularly when mild inactivation treatments are applied. Our objective was to investigate whether the 3-parameters Weibull model (logN0, δ, p) could be used to go beyond a simple fitting of convex curve by providing information related to bacterial variability. First, survival curves were simulated to mimic the behaviour of a cocktail containing bacterial vegetative cells or spores undergoing an inactivation treatment, on which the Weibull model was fitted. Second, a mathematical model was developed to describe the link between the Weibull parameters p and delta with the d-values of sub-populations of bacterial vegetative cells or spores (considering as well the percentage of each sub-population). Based on this model, it was shown that the Weibull model can be used to go beyond a simple description of a convex curve. For instance, if p is estimated around 0.8, that means the presence of a resistant sub-population, but with a limited resistant variability (ratio of resistance from 1.5 to 4). In contrast, if p is estimated to 0.3–04 that means the presence of a resistant sub-population in a small proportion (less than 10 %) combined with a large resistant variability (ratio of 10 or more). This study shows that the Weibull model can be used in combination with the new model developed here to decipher vegetative cell or spore resistance variability, with application in food industry processes such as thermal or physical inactivation treatment as well as cleaning and disinfection verification procedure.

BOUNDED SUPPORT IN LINEAR RANDOM COEFFICIENT MODELS: IDENTIFICATION AND VARIABLE SELECTION

We consider linear random coefficient regression models, where the regressors are allowed to have a finite support. First, we investigate identification, and show that the means and the variances and covariances of the random coefficients are identified from the first two conditional moments of the response given the covariates if the support of the covariates, excluding the intercept, contains a Cartesian product with at least three points in each coordinate. We also discuss identification of higher-order mixed moments, as well as partial identification in the presence of a binary regressor. Next, we show the variable selection consistency of the adaptive LASSO for the variances and covariances of the random coefficients in finite and moderately high dimensions. This implies that the estimated covariance matrix will actually be positive semidefinite and hence a valid covariance matrix, in contrast to the estimate arising from a simple least squares fit. We illustrate the proposed method in a simulation study.