Time Research Articles

Relationship between timing of coffee and tea consumption with mortality (total, cardiovascular disease and diabetes) in people with diabetes: the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2003–2014

BackgroundPrevious observational studies have suggested diabetic patients should synchronize their foods and nutrient intake with their biological rhythm; however, the optimal intake time of coffee and tea for reducing all-cause and disease-specific mortality in diabetes is still unknown. This study aims to examine by investigating the association of timing for coffee and tea consumption with long-term survival in people with diabetes.MethodsA total of 5378 people with diabetes who enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2003 to 2014 were recruited for this study. Coffee and tea intakes were measured by a 24-h dietary recall, which were divided by different time intervals across the day, including dawn to forenoon, forenoon to noon, noon to evening, and evening to dawn. Weighted cox proportional hazards regression models were developed to evaluate the survival-relationship of coffee and tea consumption with mortality of all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, and diabetes.ResultsDuring 47,361 person-year follow up, total 1639 death cases were documented, including 731 CVD deaths, 467 heart disease deaths, 99 stroke deaths, and 462 diabetes deaths. After adjustment for potential confounders, compared with participants without drinking coffee during dawn to forenoon, drinking coffee at this period was associated with increased mortality risk of all-cause (HR 1.25, 95% CI 1.05–1.50), CVD (HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.07–1.86), heart-disease (HR 1.47, 95% CI 1.05–2.07), and diabetes (HR 1.50, 95% CI 1.10–2.04). In contrast, drinking coffee during forenoon to noon had lower mortality risk of all-cause (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.69–0.92), CVD (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.63–0.99), and heart disease (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.52–0.94). Similarly, drinking tea during forenoon to noon had lower risk of CVD mortality (HR = 0.62, 95% CI 0.44–0.87).ConclusionsThis study suggests that drinking coffee in dawn to forenoon is linked to a higher risk of death, but having coffee and tea from forenoon to noon is linked to a lower risk of overall mortality, CVD, and heart disease in individuals with diabetes.Graphical

Crowd Flow Prediction: An Integrated Approach Using Dynamic Spatial–Temporal Adaptive Modeling for Pattern Flow Relationships

ABSTRACTPredicting crowd flows in smart cities poses a significant challenge for the intelligent transportation system (ITS). Traffic management and behavioral analysis are crucial and have garnered considerable attention from researchers. However, accurately and timely predicting crowd flow is difficult due to various complex factors, including dependencies on recent crowd flow and neighboring regions. Existing studies often focus on spatial–temporal dependencies but neglect to model the relationship between crowd flow in distant areas. In our study, we observe that the daily flow of each region remains relatively consistent, and certain regions, despite being far apart, exhibit similar flow patterns, indicating a strong correlation between them. In this paper, we proposed a novel Multiscale Adaptive Graph‐Gated Network (MSAGGN) model. The main components of MSAGGN can be divided into three major parts: (1) To capture the parallel periodic learning architecture through a layer‐wise gated mechanism, a layer‐wise functional approach is employed to modify gated mechanism, establishing parallel skip periodic connections to effectively manage temporal and external factor information at each time interval; (2) a graph convolutional‐based adaptive mechanism that effectively captures crowd flow traffic data by considering dynamic spatial–temporal correlations; and (3) we proposed a novel intelligent channel encoder (ICE). The task of this block is to capture citywide spatial–temporal correlation along external factors to preserve correlation for distant regions with external elements. To integrate spatio‐temporal flexibility, we introduce the adaptive transformation module. We assessed our model's performance by comparing it with previous state‐of‐the‐art models and conducting experiments using two real‐world datasets for evaluation.

Postobturation Pain of three Novel Calcium Silicate-based sealers with asymptomatic irreversible pulpitis or necrotic pulp with chronic apical periodontitis: prospective clinical trial

BackgroundBioceramic-based root canal sealers are increasingly important in root canal treatment because of their biocompatible properties. This study aimed to evaluate postobturation pain incidence and intensity after root canal obturation with NeoSealer Flo, MTA-Bioseal, and GuttaFlow bioseal calcium silicate-based sealers and AH Plus epoxy resin-based sealer in patients with asymptomatic irreversible pulpitis or necrotic pulp with chronic apical periodontitis.MethodsA total of 120 participants with single-rooted teeth were included and randomly divided into four groups according to the root canal sealer used (n = 30). The patients were subsequently categorised based on the pulp vitality (vital or nonvital) in each group (n = 15) and all teeth were obturated in a single-visit. The postobturation pain scores were recorded on a visual analogue scale (VAS) at 6 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 7 d and 30 d. Moreover, analgesic intake was also noted at 24 h and 48 h. The Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal‒Wallis H test, Friedman test, and Spearman’s correlation test were used, and a p value < 0.05 was considered significant.ResultsVAS scores were highest for the 6 h > 24 h > 48 h ≈ 72 h ≈ 7 d ≈ 30 d time intervals for both pulp status in each root canal sealer. A significant decrease in the VAS score was observed for all sealers from 6 h to 48 h (p 0.05). Nonvital cases had lower VAS scores at all time intervals. Analgesic intake was greater in the first 24 h (p < 0.05) in vital cases (p < 0.05) and also in females than males.ConclusionThe level of pain experienced after obturation was similar in patients with different pulp status for all the root canal sealers. Analgesic intake was greater in vital cases and females within 24 h.Trial registrationClinicalTrial.gov, NCT06515756, record date: 2024-07-17, retrospectively registered.

Outcomes for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy Following Implementation of the AO Spine International Guidelines: A Single-Centre Service Evaluation

Introduction Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is a syndrome of symptomatic cervical spinal cord compression due to degenerative spinal changes. Until recently there was no formal consensus on exactly which patients are suitable for surgical or conservative management. The AO Spine international guidelines were introduced to address this issue, based on the best available current evidence. However, their implementation into routine clinical practice has not yet been reported. The objective was to evaluate surgical outcomes following the implementation of the AO Spine guidelines at our spinal neurosurgical centre. Methods A service evaluation was conducted using data collected from electronic healthcare records for 259 patients, with outcomes of interest including change in mJOA score and complications. Data from 193 patients were included in the final analysis. Results There was a mean improvement of the mJOA score by 1.53 points, 1.44 point and 1.92 points at post-operative intervals of 3 months ( P &lt; .001), 6 months ( P &lt; .001) and 12 months ( P &lt; .001). The percentage (number) of patients whose increase in mJOA score was greater than or equal to the minimal clinically importance difference (MCID) was 41% (44/107), 34% (33/96) and 43% (49/114) at these respective time intervals. Intraoperative complications occurred in 28 patients (11.7%). No association was found between BMI and postoperative change in mJOA score. Conclusion Our results are comparable to those from best practice data and suggest adherence to international guidelines provides a service that promotes meaningful recovery for patients with DCM. Therefore, our results offer support for implementation of the AO Spine international guidelines in clinical practice.

EEG correlates of self-recognition in morphed faces: association with social anxiety

Recognizing one’s own face is important for self-identification and is considered an indicator of self-consciousness. Social anxiety is related to special attention to self. The aim was to investigate the oscillatory dynamics associated with self-recognition/non-self-recognition in morphed faces and the correlation with social anxiety in these processes. During EEG recordings with 128 electrodes, 48 volunteers (31 females) recognized themselves in morphed faces. During self-recognition, a greater increase in theta rhythm was revealed in the time interval from 800 to 1500 ms than in the non-self-recognition condition. Based on the data on the relationship of the theta rhythm with attention and memory, it could be assumed that the increase in theta rhythm may be related to memory and attention processes when perceiving details, mismatches, and misrepresentation of one’s own face. Social anxiety was positively related to the magnitude of theta rhythm during self-recognition, it could be related to the increased attention that socially anxious people focus on themselves and distortions of their own face.

A comparative neuro-study of solo or accompanied low and high boric acid doses with date molasses in adult male albino rats

Boric acid (BA) is a weak acid and the simplest compound resulting from the dissolution of boron in water. There is great competition to determine whether boron is an essential or nonessential nutrient. Date molasses is a potent type of sweetener with valuable components, such as flavonoids and phenolics, and has significant health benefits. This study investigated the neuro-essentiality and neurotoxicity of boric acid boron in adult male albino rat cortex and cerebellum brain areas and the impact of date molasses treatment. Animals were grouped into the following groups: control, low and high boric acid doses, 10 and 500 mg/kg, respectively, with or without 250 mg/kg date molasses. The results revealed the ability of BAs to cross the blood–brain barrier and accumulate in the cerebellum and cortex, revealing the ability of date molasses to decrease BA accumulation at different time intervals. Additionally, the results varied between a nonsignificant increase or decrease in calcium ion content, monoamines (norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin), glucose, adenosine triphosphate, malondialdehyde and glutathione, depending on the BA dose. Moreover, date molasses mitigated any unwanted BA results. In conclusion, boric acid, which is within a permissible limit, could be essential and have a neuroprotective effect, whereas at a sublethal level, it could have a neurotoxic effect. Additionally, Date molasses can have neuroprotective effects and antagonize the neurotoxic effects of boric acid through its antioxidant and scavenging effects.

Study on the Effect of Lignin Removal Rate on the Dielectric Properties of Delignified Materials

To investigate the relationship between the lignin removal rate change of wood and its dielectric properties, this study employed Mongolian Scotch Pine and Paulownia as the test materials. The acidic sodium chlorite method was used to delignify the treated material, and the lignin removal rate was determined at a specified reaction time interval to ascertain the dielectric constant and the tangent of the dielectric loss angle. The findings revealed that: As the delignification process progresses, the lignin content declines, accompanied by a reduction in the dielectric constant at elevated frequencies. This decline reaches a plateau near 10 MHz. The results demonstrated that the dielectric constant of the samples decreased with an increase in frequency and exhibited a stabilizing effect near 10 MHz. However, the dielectric constant of delignified wood was significantly higher than that of untreated wood. Additionally, the dielectric constant exhibited a linear relationship with the increase in lignin removal rate, while the tangent of the dielectric loss angle demonstrated a tendency to increase and then decrease. An investigation into the dielectric properties of delignified wood can yield valuable data and a theoretical foundation for the development of wood-based dielectric materials.

Association Between Finger Plethysmographic Features and Impedance-Based Thoracic Fluid Content Measurement in a Lower Body Negative Pressure Model of Hemorrhagic Shock

ABSTRACT Introduction Timely identification of the need for lifesaving intervention in battlefield conditions may be improved through automated monitoring of the injured warfighter. Technologies that combine maximal noninvasive insight with minimal equipment footprint give the greatest opportunity for deployment at scale with inexperienced providers in forward areas. Finger photoplethysmography (PPG) signatures are associated with impending hemorrhagic shock but may be insufficient alone. Transthoracic impedance (TTI) monitoring is a complementary modality to PPG and able to identify volume loss and estimate functional cardiovascular parameters. We sought to understand how PPG features correlate with volume loss estimation from TTI during lower body negative pressure (LBNP) challenge. We hypothesized that features of the PPG waveform would correlate with thoracic fluid content (TFC) as measured by TTI. Materials and Methods We obtained physiologic monitoring data from healthy adult subjects in LBNP hemorrhagic shock models after local Institutional Review Board and DoD Human Research Protection Office approval. Subjects were excluded for pregnancy, age &amp;gt;45 years, and conditions prohibitive of LBNP exposure. Subjects were instrumented with noninvasive sensors, including a finger PPG sensor and a TTI monitor. Subjects underwent a stepwise LBNP exposure program of −10 mmHg every 10 minutes and notified laboratory staff at first sign of near syncope, terminating the sequential program. TTI data were continuously streamed to a custom program written in MATLAB and time synchronized. To calculate PPG measures, we downsampled data to 250 Hz, screened, and parsed each beat. We featurized each beat to include a systolic, diastolic, and dicrotic notch peak, beat length and area under the curve (AUC), peak-to-peak systolic/diastolic interval, and leading/trailing slopes, all normalized to instantaneous heart rate. Thoracic fluid content was normalized to subjects’ pre-LBNP baselines. We summarized all PPG features and the TFC using means (SD) generated as a subject average for each step. We used generalized estimating equation models to examine the relationship between TFC and PPG features while controlling for LBNP stage and subject. Results Thirty-two subjects were enrolled; 4 participants were excluded because of sensor malfunction. Twenty-eight subjects had a mean (SD) age of 25.11 (6.66) years. A total of 35.7% of subjects were female. Photoplethysmography analysis demonstrated a decreased systolic-diastolic peak interval, diastolic peak height, and beat AUC with decreased LBNP pressure. End-stage baseline normalized TFC showed an average decrease of 14.68% (±4.98%) (range: 7.54% to 27.69%). The strongest average correlations between stage TFC and PPG occurred in beat length (0.68) and normalized AUC (0.69). In generalized estimating equation models incorporating all stages, beat length, normalized AUC, and the systolic-diastolic interval were all significantly associated with time as a function of LBNP level (P &amp;lt; .001). Thoracic fluid content began decreasing at 12.8 (4.7) minutes, the normalized AUC decreased at 20.7 (7.2) minutes, the beat length decreased at 20.9 (7.0) minutes, and the systolic-diastolic time interval decreased at 30.6 (16.7) minutes. Conclusions While both PPG features and impedance-based TFC trend congruently in the perishock state following LBNP exposure, peripheral pulse wave signals lag redistribution of thoracic fluid volume. Photoplethysmography features of beat length and normalized AUC may serve as a surrogate for TFC when direct thoracic sensing is not available.

Modeling demand responsive service for the elderly healthcare activities considering temporal and spatial variations

ABSTRACT This paper develops a cost-effective demand-responsive transportation (DRT) model aimed at enhancing the accessibility and convenience of clinical visits for the elderly by optimizing two NP-hard problems. First, a set of pick-up stops is optimized based on potential stop locations, spatial and temporal demand, and acceptable walking distance. Next, vehicle routing and scheduling are optimized, considering vehicle capacity, users’ desired arrival times, and travel companions, to minimize total costs. An elite genetic algorithm (EGA) is developed to effectively search for the optimal solution. In the case study, demands are generated from a survey on elderly clinical visits and population census data in Xi’an. The proposed EGA is applied to different clustered demands classified by time interval to identify optimal solutions. Sensitivity analysis is conducted to explore the relationships between model parameters and decision variables for the studied DRT system.

Pathological changes on the skin due to the combined effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and ultraviolet radiation

Introduction. In the National Healthcare Project, one of the key areas is the federal project "Fight against oncological diseases for 2019-2024". The influence of the nature of work activities of workers in contact with industrial carcinogens — polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) significantly increases the risk of skin neoplasms, as evidenced by differences in the frequency of their occurrence among representatives of different labor categories. The leading factor in the development of skin neoplasms is ultraviolet radiation (UV) of the A and B spectrum. There is literature evidence of a possible mutual enhancement of the combined effects of PAHs and UV in the occurrence of skin neoplasms and their malignancy. The study aims to evaluate the role of the combined effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and ultraviolet radiation (UV) in the occurrence of pigmented skin tumors in workers engaged in the construction of highways and highways and in housing and communal services. Materials and methods. During periodic medical examinations (PMEs) in 2022–2024, specialists have examined 140 people who formed 4 study groups. The researchers have conducted a physical examination of skin tumors; examination in the rays of a Wood lamp; dermatoscopy of skin tumors using a Heine Delta 20 dermatoscope. Hyperpigmentation was assessed according to the hyperpigmentation area and severity index (NASI). Results. During the clinical examination, the authors assessed the presence of pigmentation and skin neoplasms (lentigo, ephelides, seborrheic keratomas). The most frequent localizations of pigmentation and skin neoplasms were open areas of the body: face, hands, upper third of the back. At the same time, in asphalt concrete workers — group I, working under the influence of PAHs and solar insolation (spectrum A and B, in the range of 320–400 nm and 280–320 nm), specialists revealed pigmented neoplasms in a larger number of individuals compared with the population control for all skin localizations. The HASI index (in the surveyed groups) showed that the highest rates (24–48) of HASI were observed in a larger number of individuals — 57.1% — from group I (UV+PAHs), compared with groups of individuals (II, III, IV) who do not work under conditions of exposure to solar insolation (spectra A and B, in the range of 320–400 nm and 280–320 nm). The authors noted that the intensity of pigmentation is higher and the lesion area is larger when assessing the foci of hyperpigmentation in the rays of the Wood lamp compared with the clinical examination in all the examined groups. Limitations. The study is limited by the number of subjects examined, corresponding to the design of the study and the time interval of the study. Conclusion. To obtain objective results of the study of the role of the combined effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and ultraviolet irradiation (UV) in the occurrence of pigmented skin tumors, scientists used a method for determining the hyperpigmentation area index and severity index (HASI) in the rays of a Wood's lamp. When comparing the results obtained, experts revealed an increase in the area of hyperpigmentation and its intensity with localization in open areas of the body in workers engaged in the construction of highways and housing and communal services, in contact with the combined effects of carcinogens (PAHs) and ultraviolet irradiation (UV A and B). Further in-depth studies are needed to study the etiopathogenesis of photogenotoxicity depending on the dose-effect ratio. Ethics. The work was performed in accordance with the ethical standard set out in the Helsinki Declaration of the World Medical Association of 1964 (as amended and supplemented in 2013). The authors conducted all the studies after receiving informed consent and a decision of the Local Ethics Committee (extract from Protocol No. 7 dated 10/21/2020).

Lacustrine Wetlands Landscape Simulation and Multi-Scenario Prediction Based on the Patch-Generating Land-Use Simulation Model: A Case Study on Shengjin Lake Reserve, China

Landscape simulation and prediction are crucial for understanding the dynamic evolution and future trends of wetlands. However, only a few existing studies have focused on the applicability and limitations of commonly used land-use/cover change (LUCC) simulation models in lake wetland landscapes. Taking Shengjin Lake Reserve in China as the study area, we firstly analyzed landscape variations during 2010–2020 using multisource remote sensing images. Then, the patch-generating land-use simulation (PLUS) model was employed to simulate wetland landscapes in 2020, the accuracy and limitation of which in simulating lacustrine wetlands were also explored. Lastly, the changing trends of wetland landscapes in 2030 under different development scenarios were predicted. The results show that the landscape of Shengjin Lake Reserve has changed significantly during 2010–2020, with increases in mudflats, reservoirs/ponds, woodlands, and built-up land, and there has been decreases in lakes, grass beaches, and croplands. The PLUS model demonstrated an ideal simulation accuracy for Shengjin Lake Reserve, with the overall accuracy exceeding 80%, kappa coefficient greater than 0.75, and figure of merit (FOM) coefficient of 0.35, indicating that the model can capture the dynamic changes in wetland landscapes accurately. The simulation accuracy can be effectively improved with the adjacent initial year, shorter time interval, and the primary driver factors. Under the natural development scenario, the number of patches in the Shengjin Lake Reserve increased sharply, and landscape fragmentation intensified. Under the urban development scenario, the expansion of built-up land increased, and the average patch area increased. In the ecological protection scenario, the Shannon diversity index and Shannon evenness index of the landscape improved significantly, and the natural wetlands such as grass beaches and lakes can be protected effectively. Our study confirms the applicability of the PLUS model in simulating and predicting lacustrine wetlands landscapes, and the conclusions provide a scientific basis for formulating reasonable development strategies to realize wetland resource conservation and management.

Numerical study of the influence of temperature data error on the determination of frictional heat generation

Subject of research: determination of the friction torque and functions of the specific intensity of heat generation in system of sliding bearings. The purpose of the study: To develop a method for determining the friction torque in sliding bearings using temperature data. Based on computational experiments, study the influence of errors in temperature data on the solution of the inverse problem. Methods and object of research: A system of sliding bearings made of a polymer composite material on which a rotating shaft rests is considered. A mathematical model of the thermal process in the considered system of friction units is presented, taking into account the spatial distribution of temperature and its change over time. The temperature is measured at several points in each bearing. Frictional heat generation is determined by solving the inverse heat conduction problem from the condition that the measured and calculated temperatures are close. To ensure continuous data processing and determine the friction torque during long-term tests, the inverse problem of determining the friction torque from temperature data is solved at successive short time intervals. Then the resulting solutions are «glued together». The main results of the study: With such a restoration, the discrepancy between the specified and restored functions of the specific intensity of heat generation is 10–15 % with an error level in temperature data of 10 %. The developed algorithm for solving the inverse problem of thermal conductivity can be used to determine the friction torques in real systems of self-lubricating sliding bearings.

Comparative Evaluation of Dexmedetomidine and Clonidine on Propofol Consumption, Haemodynamics and Postoperative Recovery in Laparoscopic Surgeries: A Prospective, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomised Study

Background and Aims: Laparoscopic surgery is associated with significant haemodynamic changes due to pneumoperitoneum formation. Various studies have demonstrated that α2 adrenergic agonists, such as clonidine and dexmedetomidine, prevent the haemodynamic response due to pneumoperitoneum during laparoscopic surgery. Methods: A total of 104 female patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomies were divided into three groups at random. Group D patients were administered a loading dose of 1 μg/kg of dexmedetomidine prior to induction over a period of 15 minutes and a maintenance dose of 0.5 μg/kg/h during the surgical procedure. Group CL patients were given a loading dose of 2 μg/kg of clonidine before induction over a period of 15 minutes and a maintenance dose of 1 μg/kg/h during the surgery. Group C received same volume of normal saline over same duration and maintenance infusion throughout the surgery. The primary outcome was the haemodynamic changes at different time interval. The secondary outcome was the response to verbal commands, extubation time and orientation time. Results: There was no significant difference in heart rate and blood pressure values between group D and group CL during whole study period. Whereas in group C, there was a statistically significant increase in heart rate and blood pressure after intubation and during pneumoperitoneum period ( P &lt; 0.05). Extubation time and orientation time were significantly delayed in group D and group CL when compared with group C and D ( P &lt; 0.05). Conclusion: Clonidine or dexmedetomidine effectively attenuates the haemodynamic changes in patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomies compared to the control group.

The oviposition of cotton bollworms stimulates the defense against its eggs and larvae in tomato plants

AbstractBACKGROUNDHerbivorous insects sustain their populations by oviposition. To reduce the damage caused by herbivores, the host plant triggers a defensive response upon detection of egg deposition. However, the specific impact of the egg deposition time of the cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), on the tomato plant defense remains obscure.RESULTSThis study investigated the effects of tomato plant defenses on cotton bollworm eggs and larvae at different time intervals following egg deposition. The study revealed that tomato plant defense triggered by egg deposition did not directly affect the hatchability of the eggs. Nevertheless, it attracted Trichogramma chilonis 48 h after the egg deposition. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis of the oviposition‐induced plant volatiles (OIPVs) revealed a considerable increase in the amount of α‐pinene released by tomato plants 48 h after egg deposition. The olfactory results from Y‐tube experiments showed that α‐pinene exhibited a substantial attraction towards T. chilonis. In addition, it was found that the defense response induced by egg deposition for 24 and 48 h significantly inhibited the growth and development of the larvae. Metabolomics analysis revealed that the egg deposition of cotton bollworm altered the metabolite composition and caused significant modifications in the metabolic pathways of tomato plants.CONCLUSIONThese findings provide novel insights into pest management by using egg‐induced plant defenses to reduce egg hatching, and impede larval growth and development in herbivorous insects. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of chondroitin sulfate and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells on intervertebral disc degeneration treatment in rabbits

The present study evaluated the influence of bone marrow-derived stem cells (BM-SC) and chondroitin sulfate (CS) on histological changes in intervertebral disc (IVD). A randomized clinical trial was conducted, thirty-six healthy New Zealand rabbits were randomly distributed into four different groups (n=9): con-trol group (A), stem cell group (B), chondroitin sulfate group (C), and associa-tion of stem cells with chondroitin sulfate group (D). All animals underwent the experimental disc degeneration procedure. Group A received two intradiscal applications of DEM (Dulbecco’s modified eagle’s medium), one and two weeks after intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD), while group B received two intradiscal applications of 1.2 x 106 BM-SC at the same time interval as group A. After IVDD, group C received eight subcutaneous applications of CS at a dose of 5 mg/kg, one application every seven days. In contrast, group D received the association of the techniques used in groups B and C. Sixty days after the end of the interventions, all animals were euthanized, then the crani-ocaudal thickness of the IVD was measured, and IVDD was classified in scores according to the histological grading model. All groups that received CS had thicker IVDs, and all the treated groups presented better scores on several items and a better overall score. It was possible to conclude that in the species studied, the isolated use of CS or BM-SC was statistically significant in improv-ing the histopathological aspects of IVDD, however, the combination of treat-ments did not prove to be more efficient.

Significant shift of footprint patterns and pollutant source contributions: insights from observations at Shanghuang observatory, East China

Abstract As two of the most important products of the combustion process, carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) are commonly used as tracers for combustion source assignment. Their relationship will help to better understand the regional carbon cycle and assess climate forcing effects. In this study, mixing ratios of CO2 and CO were continuously measured using a Picarro gas concentration analyzer at the Atmospheric Boundary Layer Eco-Environmental Shanghuang Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ABLECAS) throughout 2022–2023. The variability of the mixing ratio of CO to CO2 (ΔCO/ΔCO2) in a 1 h time interval was calculated based on linear slope analysis after background values were determined and subtracted. The results showed that the mixing ratio of CO had a clear seasonal variability with a moderate increase in the spring (249.1 ± 59.6 part per billion (ppb)) and winter (257.8 ± 90.3 ppb), mostly due to more frequent transport from north of the Yangtze River. ΔCO/ΔCO2 at the ABLECAS varied with air mass origin, with a linear slope 0%–1% on a 1 h basis. Relatively high ΔCO/ΔCO2 values for an air mass from the north in the winter indicate that the emission sources had lower combustion efficiency. In summer, the ΔCO/ΔCO2 ratio mostly reflected the background conditions for air masses from marine areas. The potential source regions and contribution assignments were evaluatedat the ABLECAS according to source–receptor relationship analysis using the FLEXPART model with CO as a pollutant tracer from 2015 to 2023. We found that the footprint of an air mass had a clear transition period between 2018 and 2019, and a synoptic anomaly, related to Arctic Oscillation strength and west Pacific subtropical high position, plays a key role in influencing the pollutant transport patterns. This study provides a scientific basis for the formulation of air quality regulation policy, and helps to implement the national carbon neutralization strategy.

Interval Time Series Forecasting: An Innovative Approach Transforming Interval to Single Time Series

ABSTRACTInterval Time Series are present in everyday life. An example is the opening and closing value of some stock in a market for certain time intervals. The forecasting plays an essential role in many financial organisations. The development of new mathematical tools or improving the existing ones will lead to more accurate forecasting techniques. Interval Arithmetic is a mathematical field that uses intervals by nature and algorithms that use it are involved in the solution of Interval Time Series. Another classical algorithm is VAR models. In this paper, a method that comes from the insurance sector is used to forecast Brent Oil monthly values. The innovation of what we propose is that it converts the Interval Time Series system into a single time series and can propagate the results back to each time series of the system. This way the researcher works with only one time series instead of two (or more). The forecasting algorithm is a choice of the researcher, expediting the development of forecasting (even ARIMA can be applied). We demonstrate our methodology in forecasting the Brent Oil monthly prices by applying the ANFIS algorithm.

Comparative analysis of pregnancy outcomes in different time intervals following GnRH antagonist stimulation and modified natural frozen-thawed embryo transfers

To evaluate whether the interval between oocyte retrieval and frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) affects clinical outcomes using modified natural cycle (mNC) regimen following freeze-all GnRH antagonist stimulation. A total of 542 patients underwent first mNC-FET were divided into two groups: immediate (FET conducted in the first menstrual cycle after freeze-all) and delayed (FET performed in the second or subsequent menstrual cycle) groups. The immediate group was associated with a notably reduced duration between oocyte retrieval and transfer day (35.5 ± 5.8 vs. 88.7 ± 35.5 d, P < 0.001). Regarding pregnancy results, the immediate cycles resulted in comparable implantation rate (55.3% vs. 57.2%, P = 0.624), clinical pregnancy rate (66.9% vs. 72.2%, P = 0.236), abortion rate (16.1% vs. 12.7%, P = 0.402), ongoing pregnancy rate (59.0% vs. 65.0%, P = 0.204), and live birth rate (56.1% vs. 63.0%, P = 0.149) with the delayed cycles. After the multivariable logistic regression analysis, the difference in live birth outcome between the two regimens remained insignificant (immediate vs. delayed protocol: adjusted odds ratio = 0.87, 95% confidence interval= 0.56–1.33). Immediate mNC-FET following a freeze-all antagonist cycle displayed promising clinical outcomes and significantly shortened the time to conception compared to delayed FET.

Информационно-аналитическая система детектирования движения объектов на пешеходном переходе

To manage pedestrian and vehicle flows at intersections, systems are implemented that use adaptive traffic light models, adjusting time intervals based on the volume of pedestrians and vehicles. These systems include video cameras that monitor road user movements, enhancing real-time traffic control. This paper introduces an information and analytical system for managing transport and pedestrian flows using the YOLO neural model, which enables object recognition. The system performs several operations: converting the original image to gray scale, applying Gaussian blurring, detecting object boundaries through the Canny filter and fuzzy logic for edge detection, and contour processing, where each identified contour is assigned a unique number. The neural network then compares detected contours to the training sample data, determining whether the object is a person or a vehicle. The paper presents experimental results for these algorithms in object recognition. Modified software and images of intersections with pedestrian crossings captured from street video cameras in Kursk were used in the experiments. The recognition accuracy rate from the experiments was 72.4%.

The Method of Measuring the Occupancy of the Radio Frequency Spectrum, Varying According to the Daily Cycle

Relevance. Management of the use of the radio frequency spectrum requires taking into account the actual occupancy of radio channels and frequency bands. However, the patterns of occupancy change underlying the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-R) Radiocommunication Sector documents do not fully meet the needs of practice. Some of the ITU-R recommendations are focused on estimating local occupancy for short time intervals; other recommendations involve measurements in stationary radio channels, although only a small part of real radio channels can be counted on to have the constant occupancy throughout the time axis. At the same time, the activities of many organizations, and therefore the resources they use, are subject to a daily cycle of activity, which allows us to recommend for consideration a model of occupancy change in accordance with the daily cycle. The aim of the work is to develop a methodology for collecting information and forming an estimate of the daily occupancy change for the analyzed radio channels. Methods used. The development of recommendations for the collection of data for occupancy monitoring is based on the practical approaches of radio monitoring services and classical methods of statistical analysis. Novelty. In this paper, a new model for changing the occupancy of radio frequency channels in accordance with the daily cycle is proposed for use, as well as a statistically justified method for measuring occupancy.Result. The proposed methodology allows us to obtain a practically oriented assessment of occupancy changes, which does not require replacing the fleet of equipment traditionally used by radio monitoring services; the necessary changes can be implemented with relatively simple software modification. The paper provides preliminary recommendations for ensuring the accuracy and reliability of measurements, based on a traditionally used mathematical apparatus, which involves limiting the relative measurement error. This entails the need for very long measurements for the most important low-occupied radio channels. So, it is necessary to look for alternative measurement accuracy requirements that would meet the real needs of radio monitoring services.Practical significance. The acceptance of the developed methodology will eliminate the currently existing contradiction between the theoretical provisions underlying the ITU recommendations and the practice of conducting radio-controlled measurements.