Total Length Research Articles

Demographic patterns of walleye (Sander vitreus) reproductive success in a Wisconsin population.

Harvest in walleye Sander vitreus fisheries is size-selective and could influence phenotypic traits of spawners; however, contributions of individual spawners to recruitment are unknown. We used parentage analyses using single nucleotide polymorphisms to test whether parental traits were related to the probability of offspring survival in Escanaba Lake, Wisconsin. From 2017 to 2020, 1339 adults and 1138 juveniles were genotyped and 66% of the offspring were assigned to at least one parent. Logistic regression indicated the probability of reproductive success (survival of age-0 to first fall) was positively (but weakly) related to total length and growth rate in females, but not age. No traits analyzed were related to reproductive success for males. Our analysis identified the model with the predictors' growth rate and year for females and the models with year and age and year for males as the most likely models to explain variation in reproductive success. Our findings indicate that interannual variation (i.e., environmental conditions) likely plays a key role in determining the probability of reproductive success in this population and provide limited support that female age, length, and growth rate influence recruitment.

Comparative evaluation of incidence of dentinal defects after root canal preparation using three different endodontic retreatment systems - An in vitro study.

Safe and efficient removal of all root filling materials from the root canal system without compromising radicular dentin structure is essential for optimal nonsurgical retreatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the incidence of dentinal defects caused during root canal filling removal using conventional, rotary, and reciprocating retreatment file systems. A detailed protocol explaining purpose and procedures of the study was submitted to the Institutional Ethics Committee and ethical clearance obtained. Sixty human maxillary permanent central incisors were collected and decoronated to 12-mm standardized length. The canals prepared up to a master apical file size F3 with Protaper hand files, obturated using AH plus sealer, examined under the stereomicroscope (×40 magnification): Group I: Control (n = 15), Group II: Conventional (n = 15), Group III: Protaper Universal Retreatment Files (n = 15), and Group IV: Reciproc Blue (n = 15). After instrumentation, teeth were sectioned at 3, 6, and 9 mm from the apex to evaluate the presence of dentinal defects under the stereomicroscope. Statistics were performed using the SPSS, version, 25 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Initially, normality test was done using the Shapiro-Wilk test and data were not normally distributed followed by Kruskal-Wallis test. P < 0.05 is considered statistically significant. Maximum percentage increase in dentinal defects was observed in Protaper Universal Retreatment Files followed by Conventional method and Reciproc Blue. Significantly Reciproc Blue reduced the incidence of dentinal defects after root canal preparation.

Length at life stages of the white shark Carcharodon carcharias in the western North Atlantic

Length at life stages of the white shark Carcharodon carcharias is not well known for most of the 9 populations of this species, including in the western North Atlantic (WNA). We analyzed length and maturity data by sex for 87 white sharks with sizes ranging 138-501 cm total length (TL), captured, studied, and released by OCEARCH during 2012-2022, off the US and Canadian Atlantic coasts. A binary logistic regression was used to estimate the length-at-maturity (L50) for the WNA white shark with a Bayesian statistical framework using a Markov chain Monte Carlo method for numerical integration. Different trials using noninformative and informative priors were tested. The posterior probability distribution for L50, steepness of the model (φ), and 95% credible intervals (CI) of the logistic model for females were L50 = 411.3 cm TL (CI: 390.8-432.6 cm TL) and φ = 10.5 (CI: 5.7-17.8) and for males were L50 = 334.9 cm TL (CI: 321.2-348.2 cm TL) and φ = 7.5 (CI: 4.2-12.4). These L50 values are somewhat smaller than previously reported sizes-at-maturity for both sexes of this species. An ordinal logistic regression allowed us to determine the probability of being in the various life stages (young-of-the-year, juvenile, and adult) at a particular size. Estimating the length at any life-history stage of white sharks along with age estimates is useful for determining the reproductive value of the population and ultimately for estimating the relative contribution (elasticity) of vital rates to population growth.

Length-Weight-Age Relationship of Schizothorax eurystomus Kessler, 1872 and Comparison to Other Snow Trout Species in Central Asia

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the length-weight relationship, condition factors, and age of Schizothorax eurystomus in the Shakhimardan River basin in Central Asia, along with a comparative perspective to other Schizothorax species in the region. The study found that S. eurystomus exhibits positive allometric growth, which is consistent with similar patterns observed in this species from the Syr Darya River basin. The two analyzed condition factors showed mean values within the normal range, indicating good feeding and environmental conditions. However, significant disparities between minimum and maximum values of these factors indicated varied growth conditions which may be influenced by anthropogenic factors. Age estimation using opercular bones showed variations in the total length among fish of the same age, and a clear age distribution pattern across different sites. Younger fish predominantly inhabited the shallower, warmer, and lower sections of the river, which is impacted by agricultural water diversion, while older specimens were found in areas with higher discharge and deeper pools. Overall, this research provides valuable insights into the life history traits of S. eurystomus, underlining the need for sustainable fishery management and conservation strategies in the Shakhimardan River basin. The findings also emphasize the importance of considering habitat quality and anthropogenic pressures regarding understanding both fish population dynamics and growth patterns.

Length-Weight and Length-Length Relationships of 39 Demersal Fish Species of an Estuarine-Coastal Ecosystem from the Northwestern of the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico

The length-weight (LW) and length-length (LL) relationships of 39 demersal fish species belonging to 19 families were calculated. Fish samples were collected monthly during the open (September–February) and close (March–August) shrimp fishing seasons from 2014 to 2022 by the artisanal fishery in the Bahía Magdalena-Almejas lagoon system (BMA), using small boats and a shrimp bottom trawl with 16–17 m top rope and 38 mm mesh opening. Total (TL) and standard (SL) lengths and total weight (TW) were measured for all fish specimens. The b parameter of the LW relationship ranged from the minimum of 2.483 for Cynoscion parvipinnis to 3.775 as the maximum for Bagre panamensis while, for the LL relationship, the parameter b ranged from 0.685 for Balistes polylepis to 0.994 for Orthopristis cantharinus. Both LW and LL relationships were highly correlated (r2&gt;0.95; P&lt;0.05. The parameter b of the LW relationship indicated that 59% of the fish species showed isometric and 41% allometric growth. Information on LW and LL relationships is updated for thirteen species, and four are reported for the first time: Citharichthys xanthostigma, Ophidion galeoides, Pleuronichthys guttulatus, and P. ritteri. This study will be useful to update the LW relationship parameters for data-poor fish species and contribute to the accuracy of fish stock assessment in the BMA fisheries.

Race, Ethnicity, and Intensive Care Utilization for Common Pediatric Diagnoses: U.S. Pediatric Health Information System 2019 Database Study.

Racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare delivery for acutely ill children are pervasive in the United States; it is unknown whether differential critical care utilization exists. Retrospective study of the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) database. Multicenter database of academic children's hospitals in the United States. Children discharged from a PHIS hospital in 2019 with one of the top ten medical conditions where PICU utilization was present in greater than or equal to 5% of hospitalizations. None. Race and ethnicity categories included Asian, Black, Hispanic, White, and other. Primary outcomes of interest were differences in rate of PICU admission, and for children requiring PICU care, total hospital length of stay (LOS). One-quarter (n = 44,200) of the 178,134 hospital discharges included a PICU admission. In adjusted models, Black children had greater adjusted odds ratio (aOR [95% CI]) of PICU admission in bronchiolitis (aOR, 1.08 [95% CI, 1.02-1.14]; p = 0.01), respiratory failure (aOR, 1.18 [95% CI, 1.10-1.28]; p < 0.001), seizure (aOR, 1.28 [95% CI, 1.08-1.51]; p = 0.004), and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) (aOR, 1.18 [95% CI, 1.05-1.32]; p = 0.006). Together, Hispanic, Asian, and other race children had greater aOR of PICU admission in five of the diagnostic categories, compared with White children. The geometric mean (± sd) hospital LOS ranged from 47.7 hours (± 2.1 hr) in croup to 206.6 hours (± 2.8 hr) in sepsis. After adjusting for demographics and illness severity, non-White children had longer LOS in respiratory failure, pneumonia, DKA, and sepsis. The need for critical care to treat acute illness in children may be inequitable. Additional studies are needed to understand and eradicate differences in PICU utilization based on race and ethnicity.

Path Planning for Autonomous Mobile Robots Using the RFO-GWO Optimization Algorithm

Path planning is a challenging navigation problem that can be handled using multi-objective methods. This paper, present a thre Path planning is a challenging navigation problem that can be handled using multi-objective methods. This paper presents a three-stage multi-objective path-planning method. The first stage is to locate the best or near-best solution path and avoid detected obstacles using a hybrid of the red fox–gray wolf optimizer (RFO–GWO), which finds a route from the start position to the target position. In the second step, a mutation operation using an evolutionary algorithm is utilized to enhance the length, integrity, and smoothness of the route generated by the RFO–GWO algorithm. The final step of the suggested method is refined further using a multiphase technique. By integrating the real sizes of the mobile robots and the size of the barriers and phrasing the issue as a traveling object in the available area, the suggested path-planning method resembles the actual world. The simulation results indicate that this strategy creates the most viable path even in complicated surroundings, overcoming the disadvantages of traditional approaches. Furthermore, when compared to prior path-planning methods, the simulation’s outcomes indicate that the suggested RFO–GWO method is effective in terms of the route, and the strategy is extremely competitive. The results showed a significant improvement, where the total percentage convergence time (in seconds) for RFO–GWO for the three maps was 15%, 12%, and 10%, respectively, whereas it was 35%, 41%, and 43% seconds in GWO and 34%, 35%, and 37% seconds in RFO. There was also a significant improvement in the number of nodes for RFO-GWO (2%, 3%, and 2%) compared to GWO nodes (64%, 65%, and 62%), and RFO nodes (32%, 30%, and 35%) for the same three maps. Subsequently, the smoothness of the path formed by the recommended approach was enhanced using the evolutionary algorithm (EA), where the total percentage length of the path in the worst scenario for GWO was 28% and for RFO was 26% in units, but after improvement with the RFO-GWO with EA, it became 22% in units. stages multi-objective path planning method: The first stage is to locate the best or near-best solution path and avoid the detected obstacles using a hybrid of the Red Fox-Grey Wolf optimizer (RFO-GWO) method, which finds a rout from the start position to the target position. In the second step, a mutation operation by evolutionary, are utilized to enhance the length, integrity, and smooth of the rout generated by the RFO-GWO method. the final step the suggested method is refined further by using the multiphase technique. By integrating both the real sizes of the mobile robots and the size of the barriers and phrasing the issue as a traveling object in the available area, the suggested path planning method resembles the actual world. The simulation results indicate that this strategy creates the best viable path even in complicated surroundings, overcoming the disadvantages of traditional approaches. Furthermore, when contrasted with prior path-planning methods, simulation outcomes indicate that the suggested RFO-GWO in terms of route effectivity, the strategy is extremely competitive.

Probabilistic Forecast of Multiphase Transport Under Viscous and Buoyancy Forces in Heterogeneous Porous Media

AbstractWe develop a probabilistic approach to map parametric uncertainty to output state uncertainty in first‐order hyperbolic conservation laws. We analyze this problem for nonlinear immiscible two‐phase transport in heterogeneous porous media in the presence of a stochastic velocity field. The uncertainty in the velocity field can arise from incomplete descriptions of either porosity field, injection flux, or both. This uncertainty leads to spatiotemporal uncertainty in the saturation field. Given information about spatial/temporal statistics of spatially correlated heterogeneity, we leverage the method of distributions to derive deterministic equations that govern the evolution of pointwise cumulative distribution functions (CDFs) of saturation for a vertical reservoir, while handling the manipulation of multiple shocks arising due to buoyancy forces. Unlike the Buckley‐Leverett equation, the equation describing the fine‐grained CDF is linear in space and time. Ensemble averaging of the fine‐grained CDF results in the CDF of saturation. Thus, we give routes to circumventing the computational cost of Monte Carlo simulations (MCS), while obtaining a pointwise description of the saturation field. We conduct a set of numerical experiments for one‐dimensional transport, and compare the obtained saturation CDFs, against those obtained using MCS as our reference solution, and the statistical moment equation method. This comparison demonstrates that the CDF equations remain accurate over a wide range of statistical properties, that is, standard deviation and correlation length of the underlying random fields, whereas the corresponding low‐order statistical moment equations significantly deviate from the MCS results, except for very small values of standard deviation and correlation length.

Designing an Optical Router Based on a Multimode-Interference Silicon-On-Insulator Coupler with Tunable Power Transmittance

The demand on fast and high-bandwidth data transmission is in continuous increase. These demands are highly dependent on optical signal manipulation, including switching, modulation, and routing. We demonstrate a two-port silicon optical router based on the multimode interferometer (MMI) configuration. The same MMI structure was used for both inward and backward waveguiding to reduce the total length of the device. A phase shifter consisting of two ring-like waveguides made of silicon p-n junctions was used to introduce the phase shift needed for optical routing upon voltage application. Two designs for the MMI optical router were studied: Firstly, a conventional MMI with a crosstalk ratio of 15.1 dB was investigated. Finally, an angled MMI reaching a crosstalk ratio of 18.2 dB at a wavelength of 1.55 μm was investigated.

High-resolution automated detection of headwater streambeds for large watersheds

Abstract. Headwater streams, which are small streams at the top of a watershed, account for the majority of the total length of streams, yet their exact locations are still not well known. For years, many algorithms were used to produce hydrographic networks that represent headwater streams with varying degrees of accuracy. Although digital elevation models derived from lidar have significantly improved headwater stream detection, the performance of the algorithms on landscapes with different geomorphologic characteristics remains unclear. Here, we address this issue by testing different combinations of algorithms using classification trees. Homogeneous hydrological processes were identified through Quaternary deposits. The results showed that in shallow soil that mainly consists of till deposits, the use of algorithms that simulate the surface runoff process provides the best explanation for the presence of a streambed. In contrast, streambeds in thick soil with high infiltration rates were primarily explained by a small-scale incision algorithm. Furthermore, the use of an iterative process that simulates water diffusion made it possible to detect streambeds more accurately than all other methods tested, regardless of the hydrological classification. The method developed in this paper shows the importance of considering hydrological processes when aiming to identify headwater streams.

Sensitive and rapid analysis of plasmid DNA topology isoforms by capillary gel electrophoresis with laser induced fluorescence in uncoated capillary.

The work describes the use of SYBR Gold to improve the detection sensitivity of plasmid DNA topoisomers by capillary gel electrophoresis with laser induced fluorescence in an uncoated capillary. The impact of different dyes, including ethidium bromide, SYBR Green and SYBR Gold, was compared based on detection and separation of DNA plasmid topoisomers. Use of SYBR Gold enabled improvement of detection sensitivity by 15-fold while maintaining good separation resolution of the different topoisomers. The baseline dropped with the use SYBR Gold but was overcome by the employment of a capillary with longer ineffective length (40 vs. 20cm). Separation resolution and reproducibility were impacted by the concentration of SYBR Gold and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. With the use of a short capillary (10cm effective length and 50cm total length), fast separations of supercoiled, linear, open circular, and other isoforms were accomplished within 8min. Appropriate capillary cleaning with 0.1M sodium hydroxide/0.1M hydrochloric acid and capillary storage with 0.1M hydrochloric acid ensured good separation reproducibility of 217 runs during an extended period of use.

The Devil Firefish Pterois miles (Bennett, 1828): Life History Traits of a Potential Fishing Resource in Rhodes (Eastern Mediterranean)

The devil firefish Pterois miles (Bennett 1828) is recognized as one of the 100 worst invasive alien species (IAS) in the Mediterranean Sea with significant socioeconomic and ecological implications. A total of 363 individuals were collected between April 2021 and March 2022 from the Levantine Sea (the Eastern Mediterranean), aiming to assess the current progression of the population. The male to female ratio (1:1.03) did not significantly depart from 1:1, with length–weight relationships exhibiting positive allometric growth. Five age groups were identified, with the third and fourth age groups being the predominant (74% of the population). The highest reproductive intensity was observed during summer followed by autumn. The onset of sexual maturity (L50) for the total population was estimated at 22.44 cm in total length (2.1 years). The asymptotic length was estimated at 45.35 cm for the total population, with males growing larger than females. Longevity was estimated at 14.4 years for the total population. The inflection point was estimated at 4.31 years for the total population. Length with a 50% probability of capture (LC50) was estimated at 23.03 cm, with the respective age (t50) of 2.2 years. The exploitation rate (E = 0.48) indicated that the population is underexploited. The optimum (Fopt) and target (Flim) fishing mortality were higher in comparison with the present fishing mortality (F = 0.41), indicating a potential for commercial exploitation of the species.

Length-weight relationships of 15 mesopelagic shrimp species caught during exploratory surveys off the Canary Islands (central eastern Atlantic)

Length-weight relationships (LWRs) were estimated for 15 mesopelagic shrimp species off the Canary Islands (central eastern Atlantic). Total length, cephalothorax length and total weight were taken for individuals collected during three research campaigns using a commercial semi-pelagic trawl net. The most represented families among the collected species were Sergestidae and Oplophoridae, with eight and three species, respectively. Overall, 60% of the species showed isometric growth, 33.3% negative allometry and 6.7% positive allometry. These 15 LWRs are the first contribution on mesopelagic shrimp species from the northwest Africa region, contributing to knowledge on the relative growth of these crustaceans.

Three-dimensional Analysis of Maxillary Morphology in Infants with Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate.

To three-dimensionally (3D) analyze the maxillary morphology of infants with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) and preliminarily classify the alveolar arch to assist in personalization of sequence therapy. Retrospective study. Patients with UCLP referred to outpatients' clinic. 84 nonsyndromic infants with complete UCLP were recruited (58 boys, 26 girls, mean age 29.48 days). Morphometric analysis was conducted on 3D maxillary models. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis were combined to classify maxillary phenotypes preliminarily. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank test and the Kruskal-Wallis test were used to compare differences between variables. A P value less than .05 was considered statistically significant. The maxilla was divided into three types: narrow, homogenous and broad, accounting for 9.52%, 23.81% and 66.67% respectively. The alveolar cleft site (median value) was located in 61% of the total length of the alveolar arch. In the comparison of anterior and total alveolar lengths, the non-cleft side had longer alveolar bone than the affected side, a difference of approximately 2 mm. Pairwise comparisons of variables describing alveolar symmetry revealed significant differences in all subjects; whereas type C had poorer arch symmetry than types A and B, mainly in terms of anterior and overall symmetry. In infants with UCLP, the maxillary alveolar arch was inherently asymmetrical with partially bone missing (about 2 mm). Significant differences in alveolar bone morphology and symmetry exist between different types of infants, with individuals with broad clefts (type C, the largest proportion) having the worst maxillary development.

Competency of Rural Roads Achieving Targets 3.6 and 11.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals in Bangladesh

Road Transportation is the major mode of transportation and is recognized as a significant contributor to the socio-economic development in many low-and-middle-income countries like in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, this transport system is now responsible for carrying about 70% of passengers and 60% of freights and increasing the share of modalities day by day with the development of road transport systems. The responsibility for the improvement and maintenance of the total road network of the country is assigned mainly to the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) and the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED). But the road network belongs to LGED termed as “Rural Road” which is about 94% of the total road length and in the meantime, more than 40% is improved by mainly flexible pavements. However, the state of road traffic safety on many improved rural roads is poor due to narrow carriageways and shoulders along with roadside hazards. On the other hand, the overall road traffic safety in Bangladesh is poor compared to the developed and motorized countries. However, according to the police report, about 4000 people die and another 5000 people become injured by road traffic crashes in each year in Bangladesh but the World Health Organization estimates the fatalities are more than 25,000. However, Bangladesh has committed to achieving the targets 3.6 and 11.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) assigned by the United Nations (UN) in 2015 concerning the improvement of road traffic safety by halving 50% of fatalities by 2030. Therefore, the achievement of the above two targets depends on the improvement of road traffic safety on highways as well as rural roads. This research highlights the barriers to improving the safety of rural roads to achieve the above two targets by 2030.

Characterizing complete mitochondrial genome of Aquilegia amurensis and its evolutionary implications

BackgroundAquilegia is a model system for studying the evolution of adaptive radiation. However, very few studies have been conducted on the Aquilegia mitochondrial genome. Since mitochondria play a key role in plant adaptation to abiotic stress, analyzing the mitochondrial genome may provide a new perspective for understanding adaptive evolution.ResultsThe Aquilegia amurensis mitochondrial genome was characterized by a circular chromosome and two linear chromosomes, with a total length of 538,736 bp; the genes included 33 protein-coding genes, 24 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes and 3 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. We subsequently conducted a phylogenetic analysis based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the mitochondrial genomes of 18 Aquilegia species, which were roughly divided into two clades: the European-Asian clade and the North American clade. Moreover, the genes mttB and rpl5 were shown to be positively selected in European-Asian species, and they may help European and Asian species adapt to environmental changes.ConclusionsIn this study, we assembled and annotated the first mitochondrial genome of the adaptive evolution model plant Aquilegia. The subsequent analysis provided us with a basis for further molecular studies on Aquilegia mitochondrial genomes and valuable information on adaptive evolution in Aquilegia.

Broadband sound absorption using acoustic black holes with micro-perforated panels

In order to achieve broadband sound absorption, we propose a composite structure combining acoustic black holes (ABHs) and micro-perforated panels (MPPs). Here, we adopt both simulant and experimental methods to describe the sound transmission mechanism of the proposed composite ABH. This mechanism allows the ABH to have a sound absorption coefficient of over 0.8 in the range of 400–3200[Formula: see text]Hz and above 0.7 between 250[Formula: see text]Hz and 400[Formula: see text]Hz. The total length of the proposed ABH is 155[Formula: see text]mm, in which the thickness of the MPPs is 0.5[Formula: see text]mm, the pore size is 0.3[Formula: see text]mm and the porosity is 0.1 and 0.16, overcoming the length size and bandwidth limit for sound wave suppression in current ABHs. This work can further progress in elucidating the acoustic characteristics of ABH and open new avenues in ultra-broad-band sound wave control.

A CASE OF SELF-HARM USING A DEVICE TO STUN FARM ANIMALS

There are several types of devices used to stun cattle before slaughter or stunner (captive bolt pistol, cattlegun, stunner). This device consists of a heavy impact rod made of corrosion-resistant alloys such as stainless steel. It is held inside the case with the help of rubber washers and does not protrude from it. The rod is actuated by the trigger and is advanced by compressed air, a spring mechanism, or a blank cartridge charge that is ignited by the firing pin. After a shallow but strong blow to the animal's forehead, the spring tension causes the rod to roll back into the housing. In forensic medical practice, such devices usually appear as instruments of death in cases of suicidal or accidental injuries. Moreover, when reviewing the Ukrainian-language literature, the authors did not come across reports of deaths caused by stunners for stunning animals. Such situations are described in English-language professional periodicals, but they are extremely rare. Killings are generally isolated, apparently due to the fact that fatal wounds when fired from these devices occur from a distance of less than 10 cm, which follows from the design, namely the length of the rod. That is why the authors decided to report on a case from their expert work.&#x0D; A 58-year-old man was found unconscious in a beam and was taken to the hospital with a severe open penetrating brain injury, a hole-multifragmentary fracture of the left temporal bone, where he died 10 hours later. No additional data was provided by the police&#x0D; According to the autopsy data, a wound of a slightly irregular, rounded shape, with a diameter of about 0.9 cm, with small scalloped edges, which were unevenly beveled due to the "minus-tissue" defect towards the center, was found. Around the wound, there was an irregular, rectangular-shaped, brown-brown, dried-up scab, which was more pronounced on the lower edge. On the bow of the right temporal bone there is a hole-fragmentary fracture with the formation of a bone defect in the central part. The defect had a rounded shape, its edges are finely serrated, beveled like a trapezoid in the direction of the skull cavity, around the defect there is a funnel-shaped depression of the bone, which is formed by three incomplete fragments of an irregular shape. The total length of the wound canal was about 9 cm, and there were small bone fragments in the brain detritus along its entire length. No striking elements of the projectile or the projectile itself were found within the wound channel.&#x0D; According to the medical criminalistics investigation, the following were found: intermittent overlays of small dust-like dull particles of dark gray and black color, similar to soot shot, within the sedimentation belt, on the walls of the hole, and on the area of an irregular oval shape, located below and to the right of the above-mentioned damage. A diphenylamine test with dust-like particles gave a positive result. Traces of compounds of iron (characteristic form), lead, nickel and copper were also detected by the contact-diffusion method.&#x0D; Conclusions:&#x0D; &#x0D; Unfortunately, police very often do not provide important, and sometimes critically important, information, especially before the examination, so it is necessary to request the provision of criminal proceedings materials in any case with undetermined or unspecified circumstances.&#x0D; Forensic medical experts must use all available verified sources of information, within the framework allowed by legislation of Ukraine.&#x0D; In this case, the injuries were caused by a device with a firearm mechanism of operation, therefore, in unclear cases, it is necessary to use the term "device" and not "weapon" in the results.&#x0D;

REA-FM: automated generation of natural-looking flow maps through river extraction algorithm

ABSTRACT A flow map is a type of thematic visualization that depicts the movement of objects across a geographical space using a tree layout resembling a natural river system. In this paper, we introduce an innovative and automated approach called REA-FM, which leverages the power of the maze-solving algorithm to extract rivers from digital elevation models (DEMs). This enables the creation of flow maps that originate from a single source and extend to multiple destinations. Initially, REA-FM represents the mapping space of a flow map using a DEM. Subsequently, a maze-solving algorithm is adapted to extract flow paths from the destinations to the origin within the DEM data, with constraints on search directions, direction weights, and search ranges based on quality criteria specific to flow maps. To obtain comprehensive flow maps, the maze-solving algorithm is employed iteratively, considering the importance of each flow path, as determined by their respective lengths. These obtained paths are finally rendered smoothly with varying widths using Bézier curves, thereby enhancing the visual aesthetics of the flow map. A comparative evaluation with existing approaches demonstrates that REA-FM can generate natural-looking flow maps with reduced total length and improved node distribution, eliminating node overlaps and edge crossings. Furthermore, the effectiveness of REA-FM is validated through three extension experiments involving heterogeneous mapping spaces and areas with obstacles. Parameter analysis confirms that REA-FM offers intuitive control over the layout of flow maps. Project website: https://github.com/TrentonWei/FlowMap

A SURVEY OF ENDO-PARASITE AND BLOOD PARASITE OF SYNODONTIS SCHALL (BLOCH &amp; SCHNEIDER, 1801) FROM OTUOGORI RIVER IN OGBIA, BAYELSA STATE, NIGERIA

Fishes are a source of protein to human and also provide a means of occupation for the people. Fish parasites are of public health importance, reducing fish population and thereby, resulting in loss of protein source and jobs. This study aimed to reveal the presence of various endo-parasites and blood parasites in fish samples collected from Otuogori River using standard techniques. A total of 40 live fish, purchased weekly from a fisherwoman during early morning hours, from December 2022 to January 2023, contingent on availability, were transported immediately to the laboratory for parasitological examination with the sex noted and the standard length measured. Aliquot from teased internal organs and blood sample collected from caudal circulation of each fish were respectively smeared on clean slides and viewed under the microscope. The parasites detected were identified using an identification key. The study revealed that out of 40 Synodontis schall examined, 4 were infected with an overall prevalence of 10%. Females 3(14.29%) were more infected than males 1(5.26%) (p&gt;0.05). Parasites recorded include Trypanosoma spp, Camallanus spp and Anisakid spp; with Trypanosoma spp. (50%) being the most prevalent. The study result also showed that those with body length range of 9.2cm-14.2cm were infected the most (25%) (p&gt;0.05). Fish samples weighing 55g-105g and those with body length range of 9.2cm-14.2cm had the highest mean intensity. Weight did not significantly affect the prevalence of infestation of the fishes (p&gt;0.05). Fish samples collected from Otuogori River should be properly cooked before eaten to avoid zoonotic infections.