Source Level Research Articles

Asymmetry of Directed Brain Connectivity at Birth in Low-Risk Full-Term Newborns.

Functional connectivity hubs were previously identified at the source level in low-risk full-term newborns by high-density electroencephalography (HD-EEG). However, the directionality of information flow among hubs remains unclear. The aim of this study was to study the directionality of information flow among source level hubs in low-risk full-term newborns using HD-EEG. A retrospective analysis of HD-EEG collected from a prospective study. Subjects included 112 low-risk full-term (37-41 weeks' gestation) newborns born in a large delivery center and studied within 72 hours of life by HD-EEG. The directionality of information flow between hubs at the source level was quantified using the partial directed coherence in the delta frequency band. Descriptive statistics were used to identify the maximum and minimum information flow. Differences in information flow between cerebral hemispheres were assessed using Student t-test. There was higher information flow from the left hemisphere to the right hemisphere hubs (p < 0.05, t-statistic = 2). The brainstem had the highest information inflow and lowest outflow among all the hubs. The left putamen received the lowest information, and the right pallidum had the highest information outflow to other hubs. In low-risk full-term newborns, there is a significant information flow asymmetry already present, with left hemisphere dominance at birth. The relationship between these findings and the more prevalent left hemisphere dominance observed in full-term newborns, particularly in relation to language, warrants further study.

Assessing the impact of tillage practices and nutrient levels on the growth and productivity of Ethopian mustard (Brassica carinata L.) - soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) cropping system

BackgroundAn importance of tillage, inorganic and organic nutrient sources in the mustard - soybean cropping system lies in their ability to enhance soil fertility, improve nutrient availability, optimize crop growth and yield, and promote sustainable agricultural practices. Any cropping system’s sustainability could be increased by implementing better management techniques like zero and reduced tillage with residue retention and better nutrient sources.ResultsA field experiment was conducted for four consecutive seasons (Winter 2019 to Rainy 2021) to compare the two enhanced management practices, zero and reduced tillage to conventional tillage across four levels of nutrient sources: 75 and 100% recommended dose of nitrogen through FYM and 75 and 100% recommended dose of fertilizers through urea, single super phosphate and muriate of potash in a two years experiment. Experiment results were evaluated in terms of nutrient status, profitability and productivity of Mustard-Soybean cropping system. The results show a substantial improvement in yield, nutrient status, and overall yield performance of mustard and soybean when using the full recommended dose of fertilizers combined with reduced tillage and mulching, compared to other treatment methods. The implementation of reduced tillage practices recorded significantly higher yield of mustard and soybean over conventional and zero tillage.ConclusionSystem productivity and profitability i.e. mustard equivalent yield, productivity, gross returns, net returns, profitability and B: C (benefit: cost) was found to be improved with reduced tillage and 100% recommended dose of fertilizer under reduced tillage practices. To enhance cropping system productivity in various sub-humid regions worldwide, farmers can adopt reduced tillage techniques combined with the full recommended dose of fertilizers (100% RDF).

Acoustic Signal Reconstruction Across Water–Air Interface Through Millimeter-Wave Radar Micro-Vibration Detection

Water surface micro-amplitude waves (WSMWs) of identical frequency are elicited as acoustic waves propagating through water. This displacement can be translated into an intermediate frequency (IF) phase shift through transmitting a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) towards the water surface by a millimeter-wave radar, and information transmission across the water–air interface is achieved via the signal reconstruction method. In this paper, a novel mathematical model based on energy conversion from underwater acoustic to vibration (ECUAV) is presented. This method was able to obtain WSMW vibration information directly by measuring the sound source level (SL). An acoustic electromagnetic wave-based information transmission (AEIT) system was integrated within the water tank environment. The measured distribution of SL within the frequency range of 100 Hz to 300 Hz exhibited the same amplitude variation trend as predicted by the ECUAV model. Thus, the WSMW formation process at 135 Hz was simulated, and the phase information was extracted. The initial vibration information was retrieved through a combination of phase unwinding and Butterworth digital filtering. Fourier transform was applied to the vibrational data to accurately reproduce the acoustic frequency of underwater nodes. Finally, the dual-band binary frequency shift keying (BFSK) modulated underwater encoding acoustic signal was effectively recognized and reconstructed by the AEIT system.

Deep water characteristics of electrodynamic transducers based on distributed-parameter equivalent circuit of acoustic cavity

The source level of the electrodynamic transducer with a passive pressure compensation airbag in ultra-low frequencies (bands below 100 Hz) decreases sharply with the increase in working depth. A theoretical model with a distributed-parameter equivalent circuit of the acoustic cavity was proposed to explore the mechanism of this phenomenon and find a way to improve the ultra-low frequency source level in deep water (over 200 m). The results indicate that the decrease in acoustic compliance of the cavity in deep water leads to an increase in resonant frequency, resulting in a decrease in source level in the ultra-low frequency band. The resonance frequency in deep water shows differences based on distributed and lumped parameter models. The resonance frequency test results of the prototype show that the theoretical results based on a distributed-parameter model proposed in this study are more consistent with the test values. The effects of the acoustic cavity's structural size, the acoustic parameters of the gas in the cavity, and the active pressure compensation method on the source level at different depths were analyzed. Results reveal that the acoustic performance in ultra-low frequency bands at large depths can be markedly improved using the active pressure compensation method.

Multiple Upward Residual Gravity and Magnetic Maps to Estimate the Deep Crustal Layers and Moho Discontinuity in Eastern Iraq

The upward continuation technique was applied to the gravity and magnetic data to obtain the residual anomalies maps in eastern Iraq. A new processing method is introduced to calculate the crustal layers depending on the relation between the total range of the residual anomalies of gravity, magnetic data and the upward continuation, with multi-elevations. The significant relationship shows slope variations, which may reflect the maximum contrast in the physical properties (density and/or susceptibility) and the intersection point representing the depth of layer contacts. This method was applied to the eastern central part of Iraq, adjacent to the Iranian borders. It is found that the average depth range to the Jurassic formations, top basement rocks, transition layer (Curie point), and Moho discontinuity are 3.1- 4.8 km, 8-12.9 km, 20.9-22.4 km and 43.6 km, respectively. The Sedimentary cover in the study area ranges from 8 to 13 km. The maximum depth to the Moho discontinuity obtained by gravity data in the study area is 43.6 km. The radially average power spectrum technique was applied in the study area to calculate the gravity depth and magnetic sources' depth. Three depth levels of sources from gravity and magnetic data were obtained. These depths are shallow sources, average basement rock and deep sources (Moho) at 3km, 13.2-12.1 km, and 32.2-34km, respectively. The obtained results concerning the main layers in the crust were compared between the two methods, and the new method shows more reliable results. The detected depth levels refer to top Jurassic, basement rocks, and Moho discontinuity. The new method is believed to be used to detect the crustal layers depth with good results.

Knowledge and Practices Regarding Dietary Supplements Among Healthcare Professionals in Poland.

The growing popularity of dietary supplements in Poland raises the need to verify the knowledge and practices of healthcare workers who have a key role in recommending their use. Understanding these issues is important to ensure patient safety and the correct use of dietary supplements. Therefore, the aim of the study was to examine the level of knowledge, practices, and sources of information on dietary supplements among various professional groups of healthcare workers. The study conducted from September 2023 to June 2024 involved 743 healthcare professionals, including doctors, pharmacists, and nurses. Data were collected online using an original questionnaire. The questionnaire was placed in portals associated with target groups. A total of 73.49% of respondents declared knowledge of dietary supplements. The most common source of information was scientific articles (42.8%), and only 7.00% of respondents used official sources such as the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate. Advertisements had a smaller impact on doctors (p < 0.001), with 46.97% of respondents stating that they did not pay attention to them. In addition, 84.52% of respondents considered the composition of the dietary supplement to be a key factor in their recommendation. Knowledge of dietary supplements among healthcare professionals varies, particularly between different professional groups. The results indicate a need for further education and standardization of information to ensure safe and responsible recommendation of supplements to consumers.

PRE-CONCEPTION READINESS AMONG PROSPECTIVE BRIDES

Background: Preconception is the best preparation time for the First 1000 Days of Pregnancy. Prospective brides are a group that must receive attention and monitoring regarding health conditions, including nutritional status, to prepare for pregnancy and the birth of a healthy baby. This research aims to determine the preconception nutritional readiness of prospective brides. Method: This type of research was quantitative with a cross-sectional descriptive design. The population in the study was 30 prospective brides and was obtained using a consecutive sampling technique of 20 prospective brides. The variables studied were the bride and groom's sociodemographic data, including age, highest level of education, work status, and sources of nutrition and health information. Other variables studied were body mass index nutritional status, chronic lack of energy status, anemia status, energy, protein, iron, calcium, folic acid intake, ferro supplementation and folic acid supplementation, and preconception nutritional knowledge. The collected data will be entered and processed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS, then analyzed univariately using a descriptive frequency test. Results: The results of this study show that the sociodemographics of the majority of prospective brides are in the early adult age category (55%), have secondary education (75%), are not working (75%), and receive health and nutritional information from health workers (45%). Adequate energy intake level (75%), insufficient protein (55%), insufficient iron (85%), insufficient calcium (95%), insufficient folic acid (100%), no supplementation (85%), nutritional status of each -respectively normal and obese (35%), not CED (60%), not anemic (80%), lacking knowledge (70%), and lacking preconception nutritional readiness (85%). Conclusion: Most prospective brides cannot meet at least half of the preconception nutritional readiness indicators measured.

Optimizing Compressed Air Operations for Electrical Energy Savings: A Case Study in Pharmaceutical Packaging Manufacturing

This study in pharmaceutical packaging manufacturing focuses on improving compressed air efficiency through targeted strategies at both the source and user levels by establishing a baseline to analyze energy consumption patterns. Key measures, including minimizing air leaks, adjusting pressure, and optimizing compressor performance, aim to achieve a 20-50% increase in efficiency, thereby supporting environmental sustainability. The User Point and Source Point approaches are expected to lower Specific Power Consumption (SPC), with data collected from December 2020 to May 2022 providing insights into potential energy savings. Establishing this baseline, based on machine runtime and productivity, offers a solid foundation for evaluation. Results show a 23% reduction in compressor electricity usage and a 7-8% decrease in compressed air consumption. A structured improvement process and strong collaboration between engineering and management are essential for enhancing productivity and achieving sustainable energy efficiency in the industrial sector.

Effect of Castor Transplanting and Different Organic Manures on Nutrient Content, Uptake and Soil Fertility Status after Harvest of Castor (Ricinus communis L.) under North Gujarat Agro Climatic Conditions

An attempt was made to investigate the effect of castor transplanting and different organic manures on content, uptake and soil fertility status after harvest of castor (Ricinus communis L.) under North Gujarat agro climatic conditions. The field experiment comprised of four levels of age of seedling (A1: Two weeks old seedling, A2: Three weeks old seedling, A3: Four weeks old seedling and A4: Normal sowing) and four levels of source of manures (S1: No compost, S2: Vermicompost, S3: FYM and S4: Castor shell compost) laid out in randomized block design with factorial concept with three replication. Castor variety GCH 8 was used as a test crop. The result indicated that Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur content in castor seed did not differed significantly due to different age of seedling and different source of manures. But uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur were significantly higher under treatment A4 (Normal sowing) and S4 (Castor shell compost). The available nitrogen, phosphorus, potash and sulphur in soil were unaffected due to age of seedling and source of manures. However, organic carbon was found significantly higher (0.204%) with treatment S4 (Castor shell compost). Interaction effect of age of seedling and source of manures exhibited significant effect on content of sulphur and uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium as well as sulphur.

Early Hominin Paleoenvironments and Habitat Heterogeneity

Environmental changes are often cited as the main driver of hominin evolutionary events, including major adaptive events such as bipedalism. Thus, researchers are particularly interested in the paleoenvironment of early hominins. The previous prevailing idea that hominins originated in expanding savannas is contradicted by the association of the earliest hominins with more closed and mesic (i.e., moderately wet) habitats. The Pliocene homi-nins that followed lived in a variety of habitats characterized by high levels of heterogeneity and permanent sources of water. This article reviews what we know of Mio-Pliocene hominin paleoenvironments, discusses the nature of the observed habitat heterogeneity associated with early hominins and implications for hominin paleoecology, and considers the challenges we face in showing a causative relationship between environmental change and major evolutionary events.

Elevated total mercury (THg) levels in water sources under the influence of artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in Tanzania.

This study investigated the presence and distribution of mercury in water bodies under the influence of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASGM) activities in Tanzania, which continue to predominantly rely on mercury for gold extraction. Various water bodies available for domestic and animal use in mining communities were sampled from surface water sources in ASGM settlements during the rainy and dry seasons. Water samples were analysed using cold vapour atomic fluorescence spectrophotometer (CVAFS). The results indicate that most of water sources had THg levels above the WHO guideline of 1.0µg/L (1000ng/L) for safe drinking water. The levels were significantly higher during the wet season ranging from 3.4 to 96.3µg/L, whereas the range was from 0.84 to 2.12µg/L during the dry period. The higher THg values during the wet season are likely a result of increased lateral transport (e.g. via enhanced runoff) and physical properties of the waterways. Transportation and resuspension of matrix-bound mercury from surface soils and inflow of contaminated water from unprotected tailings were also observed to be potential means of lateral mercury transport. The lowest concentrations (0.846µg/L) were observed in water samples from the Mabubi River, upstream of a mining village. Downstream of the mining village in the same river, higher concentrations were observed in the Nungwe Bay region of Lake Victoria. In other surveyed mining settlements where there were no nearby rivers, pool water indicated high concentrations of THg, including levels above thresholds for safe human use. Immediate stringent measures are needed in order to ensure human and animal safety at ASGM mining settlements. Future investigation is suggested to focus on the distribution of mercury in different media, assessing the prevalence of different mercury species, and investigating the influence of weather and hydrological conditions on the impacts of mercury to organisms as part of the strategies to mitigate mercury pollution.

Conjugation of visual enhancers in lateral flow immunoassay for rapid forensic analysis: A critical review.

During crime scene investigations, numerous traces are secured and may be used as evidence for the evaluation of source and/or activity level propositions. The rapid chemical analysis of a biological trace enables the identification of body fluids and can provide significant donor profiling information, including age, sex, drug abuse, and lifestyle. Such information can be used to provide new leads, exclude from, or restrict the list of possible suspects during the investigative phase. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art labelling techniques to identify the most suitable visual enhancer to be implemented in a lateral flow immunoassay setup for the purpose of trace identification and/or donor profiling. Upon comparison, and with reference to the strengths and limitations of each label, the simplistic one-step analysis of noncompetitive lateral flow immunoassay (LFA) together with the implementation of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) as visual enhancers is proposed for a sensitive, accurate, and reproducible in situ trace analysis. This approach is versatile and stable over different environmental conditions and external stimuli. The findings of the present comparative analysis may have important implications for future forensic practice. The selection of an appropriate enhancer is crucial for a well-designed LFA that can be implemented at the crime scene for a time- and cost-efficient investigation.

Optimisation of underwater acoustic sensor networks

The oceans are the scene of intense economical and industrial activities. It is becoming even more competitive with recent military activities and the upcoming development of marine renewable energies. All of these activities have a significant impact on marine ecosystems and must be carefully evaluated for any maritime planning. The marine environment is also a very effective medium for the propagation of acoustic waves over long distances, depending on the frequency, the source level, the static (bathymetry) and the dynamic (hydrology) oceanographic conditions. Such conditions make acoustic sensors primary candidates for underwater investigations and the distribution of mixed sensors with various sensitivities, frequency bandwidths or positioning can be optimized for detection, localization or monitoring purposes. This contribution aims to present a methodology based on evolutionary algorithms which considers the overall physical state of the marine environment and determines the optimal configurations of mixed underwater acoustic networks. The relevance of various objectives, or metrics, can be discussed, as well as specific search operators for crossover and mutation based on preliminary results.

Recent investigation on VHF sound exposure sources around us

We have reported recent investigation of sound exposure sources in very-high frequency (VHF) region as the activities for research project of VHF sounds in Japan. Recently, the devices which utilize or generate VHF sounds as like rodent repelling devices, ultrasonic cleaning machines, IH cookers and corner sensors of automobile continue to increase in public space or our living environment. The VHF sounds in high level have physical or/and psychological effects for young people who can hear such sounds. So, in environment around us, we identified VHF sound sources using acoustic camera and measured the sound pressure level for such sources. In this paper, we introduce newly-discovered several VHF sounds: for example, ultrasounds from corner sensors of automobile car, VHF sounds from photovoltaic installation and VHF sounds of interior train, and so on. From both the results measured by acoustic camera and microphones show source positions and frequency characteristics of VHF sounds. However these play important role in our life environment, we need to note that these contain potential hazard for young people who can hear such VHF sounds.

A procedure for estimating mitigation effect of air injection on ship underwater radiated noise

Increasing evidence exists that underwater radiated noise (URN) from ships has a negative impact on marine ecosystems. This has led to numerous initiatives aimed at monitoring and mitigating ambient sound levels generated by shipping. Within the European Union, noise abatement is being addressed by a wide range of stakeholders, with activities focused on developing procedures and thresholds for evaluating noise impact as well as knowledge on the effectiveness of a range of mitigation measures. In the SATURN project, MARIN is studying air injection systems for mitigation of both propeller cavitation and machinery noise; the so-called "Prairie" and "Masker" systems. Model-scale tests have been performed in order to quantify performance in terms of sound level reductions for a range of test conditions. In this paper we elaborate a procedure for applying the processed measurement data to ship-scale URN predictions for assessing mitigation potential during the early design stage. Data reduction of the model test results is explained, leading to a model for estimating the mitigation effect and power requirement of the two systems. We subsequently apply the model to a number of test cases, covering both measured and calculated source levels. Limitations of the approach will also be discussed.

Underwater sound produced by operational floating wind turbines

Deployment of offshore wind turbines is growing rapidly. Conventional "fixed bottom" wind turbines are limited to water depths of ~60 m, so deployment of offshore turbines to greater water depths requires floating systems. Both fixed bottom and floating turbines produce operational noise that impacts the marine environment. While the operational noises from fixed bottom turbines are relatively well understood, floating turbines are comparatively novel technologies and there is uncertainty as to the noise they will produce and its impact on the marine environment. Results from acoustic surveys of two floating wind farms off the Scottish Coast are presented; Kincardine wind farm which uses semi-submersible floating systems; and Hywind which uses a floating spar structure. The acoustic signature of each consists of continuous tonal noise related to drivetrain vibration and transient broadband events related to the mooring systems. A machine learning algorithm was used to discriminate between drivetrain noise and mooring noise. Sound propagation modelling was used to determine the source levels for turbines at each wind farm allowing a comparison of the noise signature of different floating structures.

Speed dependence, sources, and directivity of small vessel underwater noise.

Small vessels (<10 m) radiate underwater noise in sensitive coastal environments, but there is insufficient knowledge of their noise radiation. Through detailed measurements of seven small boats and a jet ski in a shallow water environment on the Swedish west coast, this study presents results on the speed dependence of small vessel underwater noise, its sources, and its directivity. For vessels with planing hulls, broadband source levels increase with speed until planing is attained. When planing, source level dependence on speed is weak. A detailed noise source analysis of one vessel showed that at low speed, tonals from the engine dominate the noise radiation, whereas at higher speeds, propeller tonals and broadband noise dominate. Noise radiation into different horizontal angles shows little angle dependence, and noise levels relative to the closest point of approach show a similar pattern across all investigated vessels. Received noise levels at approximately 100 m range are not high enough to cause hearing impairment in marine animals, but fast-moving small vessels may cause behavioural reactions or stress responses across several marine animal groups.

Mass spectrometry-based proteomics for source-level attribution after DNA extraction

Biological traces recovered from crime scenes serve as vital evidence in forensic investigations. While DNA evidence is frequently used to address the sub-source level of the hierarchy of propositions, the biological source of the DNA can be highly probative at the source level. Current body fluid detection methods pose certain limitations, such as reports of false positive results from some of the presumptive and/or confirmatory tests in current use. These tests are also individual tests for the detection of one body fluid, meaning that if the sample is suspected to be a mixture of multiple body fluids, then different tests would need to be conducted to confirm the body fluid(s) present, which may exhaust small amounts of available biological trace. Proteomics applications for the identification of body fluids have been previously explored, and potential biomarkers indicative of body fluids discovered from liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methods have been reported. This work focuses on developing a mass spectrometry-based proteomics approach for the identification of body fluids by targeting discriminating peptide biomarkers from the non-DNA component left over after DNA extraction of samples. The non-DNA component is typically a waste product but with unappreciated evidential value. Our methodology for the purification of proteins from the post-DNA extraction waste includes an acetone precipitation and single-pot solid-phase-enhanced sample preparation (SP3) technique, microwave-assisted trypsin digestion, and LC-MS/MS analysis of the resultant peptides. Preliminary results from this proof-of-concept study include a list of potentially discriminating proteins and peptides for blood, saliva, and semen developed from the analysis of post-DNA extraction waste. Our method allows for multiple analytes to be targeted simultaneously from a DNA profiling waste stream and we anticipate that it could eventually be incorporated into standard forensic laboratory workflows.

Joint probabilistic modeling approach for harmonic and three-phase unbalanced disturbance sources

Harmonics and three-phase imbalance are two common disturbances in power systems that interact with and affect each other, leading to more complex impacts on power system performance. To comprehensively and accurately analyze the distribution and interaction mechanisms of harmonics and three-phase imbalance, this study investigated the joint emission level of harmonic and three-phase unbalanced disturbance sources (H-TU-DS). This paper proposes a joint probabilistic emission level modeling approach. The power, harmonic, and three-phase unbalanced data of H-TU-DS are multidimensional, and the feature dataset is filtered by calculating multiple correlation coefficients to achieve dimensionality reduction without losing data information. Considering the different operating characteristics of the H-TU-DS, an improved fuzzy C-means (FCM) algorithm is applied to classify operating conditions, enabling a comprehensive and accurate analysis of the joint emission level. Based on the nonparametric kernel density function, joint probability modeling of H-TU-DS is performed using an adaptive bandwidth improvement method, effectively enhancing the accuracy of the modeling process. Finally, the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed methods for feature dataset filtering, operating condition classification, and joint probability modeling are demonstrated through comparisons with both simulated and actual data. The proposed model facilitates the prediction and assessment of the impact of H-TU-DS on power quality after grid connection, enabling the effective prevention of power-quality problems through advanced treatment.

New phenanthridine-based multi-functional chemosensor for selective detection of Th4+ and Hg2+ ions in both aqueous and solid state

A new phenanthridine-based multifunctional chemosensor (L), was synthesised via a green synthetic route and characterised using FT-IR, NMR and HRMS analysis. The sensing application of L towards metal ions in both solution and solid-state was studied using UV–vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, which exhibits dual-sensing behaviour for Th4+ and Hg2+ ions with good recyclability. In aqueous acetonitrile, L showed rapid response for the detection of environmental toxic metal ions and has a very low analytical detection limit of 125.5 pM and 1.94 nM for Th4+ and Hg2+ions respectively, which is remarkably lower than the World Health Organization standard. The cation binding property of the L with Th4+ and Hg2+ions was investigated by Job plot, 1H NMR titration, HR-MS and DFT calculation. The in-situ formed ensemble L-Hg2+ was further applied in the naked-eye detection of Cys (Cystine) and His (Histidine) over other common amino acids. The utility of L for real-time detection of Hg2+ and Th4+ ions was explored in various sources of environmental water samples, test paper strips, fingerprint imaging, fluorescent ink and smartphone-assisted sensing techniques, demonstrating the promising on-site visualization of the probe in controlling the toxicity levels in wastewater sources without resorting to expensive instruments.