Uniform Measure Research Articles

What Can Laboratory Animal Facility Managers Do to Improve the Welfare of Laboratory Animals and Laboratory Animal Facility Staff? A German Perspective.

Laboratory animal facility managers must ensure that animal experiments can be carried out under optimal scientific conditions, that all legal requirements are met, and that animal welfare is maximized. Animal experimentation is stressful not only for the animals involved but also for the people who maintain these animals or carry out the experiments. Many of those involved find themselves in a constant conflict between scientific necessity, care, and harm. Under the term Culture of Care, procedures have been developed to reduce the burden of animal experimentation on the animals and the staff involved. The focus here is on what laboratory animal facility managers can do to improve the welfare of laboratory animals and the people working with them. Exemplary measures are the improvement of the housing conditions of laboratory animals, the introduction of uniform handling measures, clear and transparent structures via a quality management system, implementation of a no-blame culture of error (e.g., via Critical Incident Reporting System in Laboratory Animal Science [CIRS-LAS]), and open and respectful communication with all parties involved in animal experimentation, including the public and representatives of the authorities (public webpage, open house policy). The 6 Rs must be considered at all times: replacement, reduction, refinement, respect, responsibility, and reproducibility. We are writing this article from the perspective of laboratory animal facility managers in Germany.

Abstract 4643: A novel epigenomic profiling assay reveals disease biology and therapeutic targets in gastro-esophageal cancer from 1 ml of plasma

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Gastro-esophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA) is an aggressive and heterogeneous disease with a poor prognosis. Targeted therapies have failed largely due to challenges associated with biopsy collection, tumor antigen heterogeneity, and accurately distinguishing transcriptionally distinct esophageal, GE junction or gastric tumor types. We developed a novel, multimodal liquid biopsy assay that profiles genome-wide transcriptional activation. Here, we deploy this assay to define clinically relevant insights in a cohort of GEA patients. METHODS: 1 ml of plasma from whole blood samples was used to assess genome-wide enhancer, promoter and DNA methylation loci in 11 GEA patients (Stage III: 1, Stage IV: 10) and 7 healthy volunteers. 6 patients were confirmed as HER2+ based on standard tissue IHC/ISH methods. ctDNA estimation was performed using the ichorCNA algorithm on low pass whole genome sequencing data. A multimodal HER2 classifier developed previously using genome-wide features including HER2 was used to predict HER2 status of the GEA samples. RESULTS: Epigenomic profiling and comparison of GEA and healthy volunteer plasma samples revealed distinct genome-wide transcriptional activation patterns associated with gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma, including (i) the characteristic upregulation of HER2, FGFR2 and VEGF (ii) SOX2, KLF4, GATA6 transcription factor circuitry, and (iii) DNA methylation at the CHFR and MGMT promoters. We then explored if epigenomic profiling of liquid biopsies could infer the activation status of antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targets currently under investigation in GEA cancers. Simultaneous examination of multiple target genes including HER2, HER3, TROP2, CLDN18, CEACAM5 and MET demonstrated patient-specific differences and dynamic range in transcriptional activation of a subset of these target genes. Finally, we investigated if HER2 status could be assigned accurately and quantitatively from a liquid biopsy using the multimodal HER2 classifier. HER2 positivity by IHC was predicted accurately in 8/11 samples corresponding to an area under the ROC curve (AUC) greater than 0.85. Discordance between plasma and tissue HER2 calls could be partially attributed to variability associated with tumor site/section used for tissue collection, IHC staining, and time between biopsy collection and blood draw. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate the feasibility of comprehensive epigenomic profiling from low input volume of 1ml of plasma to provide a snapshot of the tumor’s transcriptional state to derive clinically actionable insights. The HER2 classifier overcomes several of the challenges with IHC profiling by providing a uniform and quantitative measurement of HER2 activation. This non-invasive assay provides an accurate reflection of tumor transcriptional biology that can inform optimal patient selection strategies. Citation Format: Jonathan Beagan, Aparna Gorthi, Anthony D'Ippolito, Travis Clark, Michael Coyne, Tyrone Tamakloe, Amy Donahue, Baovy Tran, Hyun-Hwan Jeong, Kristian Cibulskis, Hathairat Sawaengsri, Corrie A. Painter, Juliann Chmielecki, J Carl Barrett, Mosammat Faria Afreen, Aditya Pandey, Ilexa Ashley Schechter, Martin S. Taylor, Matthew R. Strickland, Matthew Eaton, Samuel J. Klempner. A novel epigenomic profiling assay reveals disease biology and therapeutic targets in gastro-esophageal cancer from 1 ml of plasma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 4643.

Multi-criteria decision-making methods for optimal design of intermittent water distribution network

ABSTRACT Multi-objective optimization of water distribution networks (WDNs) is crucial for achieving a balance between cost, equity, and reliability. The present study conducts a comparative analysis, evaluating the effectiveness of four multi-objective optimization algorithms implemented within the EPANET framework for the optimal design of three distinct WDNs taken from the literature. The networks were optimized considering three objectives: maximizing network resilience, and uniformity coefficient (CU, a measure of uniformity), alongside minimizing the cost of the network. Further, multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) analysis is carried out, encompassing various MCDM techniques and weighting methods, to explore the sensitivity of solution rankings. In Network 1, non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm 2 (NSGA-II) produced suboptimal solutions with CU and In values below 0.4, while caRamel, multi-objective particle swarm optimization based on crowding distance (MOPSO-CD), and multi-objective evolutionary algorithm with decomposition (MOEA/D) showcased increasing CU and In values towards 1, paralleled by a rise in network cost. The performance of NSGA-II in Network 3 was unsatisfactory (CU < 0.32), while the other algorithms demonstrated satisfactory values (>0.98) for reliability and (>0.5) for CU. The findings offer valuable insights into cost-effective strategies for achieving equity in water supply without substantial impact on overall network cost. The findings of the study also underscore the sensitivity of ranking outcomes in MCDM analysis to the choice of technique and weighting method.

Disparities in Patient Portal Use Among Adults With Chronic Conditions

Disparities in patient access and use of health care portals have been documented. Limited research has evaluated disparities in portal use during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. To assess prevalence of health care portal use before, during, and after the most restrictive phase of the pandemic (2019-2022) among the COVID-19 & Chronic Conditions (C3) cohort and to investigate any disparities in use by sociodemographic factors. This cohort study uses data from the C3 study, an ongoing, longitudinal, telephone-based survey of participants with multiple chronic conditions. Participants were middle aged and older-adult primary care patients who had an active portal account, recruited from a single academic medical center in Chicago, Illinois, between 2019 and 2022. Data were analyzed between March and June 2022. Outcomes of portal use (ie, number of days of portal login by year) were recorded for all study participants by the electronic data warehouse. All parent studies had uniform sociodemographic data and measures of social support, self-efficacy, health literacy, and health activation. Of 536 participants (mean [SD] age, 66.7 [12.0] years; 336 [62.7%] female), 44 (8.2%) were Hispanic or Latinx, 142 (26.5%) were non-Hispanic Black, 322 (60.1%) were non-Hispanic White, and 20 individuals (3.7%) identified as other race, including Asian, Native American or Alaskan Native, and self-reported other race. In multivariable analyses, portal login activity was higher during the 3 years of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the 2019 baseline. Higher portal login activity was associated with adequate health literacy (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.51; 95% CI, 1.18-1.94) and multimorbidity (IRR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.17-1.64). Lower portal activity was associated with older age (≥70 years: IRR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.55-0.85) and female sex (IRR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.66-0.91). Compared with non-Hispanic White patients, lower portal activity was observed among Hispanic or Latinx patients (IRR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.49-0.89), non-Hispanic Black patients (IRR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.56-0.83), and patients who identified as other race (IRR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.28-0.64). This cohort study using data from the C3 study identified changes in portal use over time and highlighted populations that had lower access to health information. The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with an increase in portal use. Sociodemographic disparities by sex and age were reduced, although disparities by health literacy widened. A brief validated health literacy measure may serve as a useful digital literacy screening tool to identify patients who need further support.

A spectropolarimetric study of the radio galaxy Pictor A using MeerKAT

ABSTRACT We present the results of a polarimetric study from our new high-sensitivity L-band (0.8–1.7 GHz) observation of Pictor A using the MeerKAT radio telescope. We confirm the presence of the radio jet extending from the nucleus to the western hotspot of this source. Additionally, we show the radio emission expected to coincide with previously observed X-ray emission in the radio lobes, confirming that the emission mechanism is of inverse Compton origin, as suggested by a previous study. Our spectropolarimetric analysis using the rotation measure synthesis technique reveals a relatively uniform mean rotation measure distribution across the lobes of Pictor A, with most lines of sight exhibiting single-peaked Faraday spectra. However, a number of the lines of sight exhibit single peaked spectra with a wide base or multiple peaks, suggesting the presence of multiple Faraday components or a Faraday thick structure along Pictor A’s lines of sight. We also confirm the asymmetry in rotation measure variability and depolarization between the two lobes of this source, as reported in a previous study.

OCT Imaging in Murine Models of Alzheimer's Disease in a Systematic Review: Findings, Methodology and Future Perspectives.

The murine models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) have advanced our understanding of the pathophysiology. In vivo studies of the retina using optical coherence tomography (OCT) have complemented histological methods; however, the lack of standardisation in OCT methodologies for murine models of AD has led to significant variations in the results of different studies. A literature search in PubMed and Scopus has been performed to review the different methods used in these models using OCT and to analyse the methodological characteristics of each study. In addition, some recommendations are offered to overcome the challenges of using OCT in murine models. The results reveal a lack of consensus on OCT device use, retinal area analysed, segmentation techniques, and analysis software. Although some studies use the same OCT device, variations in other parameters make the direct comparison of results difficult. Standardisation of retinal analysis criteria in murine models of AD using OCT is crucial to ensure consistent and comparable results. This implies the application of uniform measurement and segmentation protocols. Despite the absence of standardisation, OCT has proven valuable in advancing our understanding of the pathophysiology of AD.

The Danish Nationwide Electrocardiogram (ECG) Cohort

The electrocardiogram (ECG) is a non-invasive diagnostic tool holding significant clinical importance in the diagnosis and risk stratification of cardiac disease. However, access to large-scale, population-based digital ECG data for research purposes remains limited and challenging. Consequently, we established the Danish Nationwide ECG Cohort to provide data from standard 12-lead digital ECGs in both pre- and in-hospital settings, which can be linked to comprehensive Danish nationwide administrative registers on health and social data with long-term follow-up. The Danish Nationwide ECG Cohort is an open real-world cohort including all patients with at least one digital pre- or in-hospital ECG in Denmark from January 01, 2000, to December 31, 2021. The cohort includes data on standardized and uniform ECG diagnostic statements and ECG measurements including global parameters as well as lead-specific measures of waveform amplitudes, durations, and intervals. Currently, the cohort comprises 2,485,987 unique patients with a median age at the first ECG of 57 years (25th–75th percentiles, 40–71 years; males, 48%), resulting in a total of 11,952,430 ECGs. In conclusion, the Danish Nationwide ECG Cohort represents a novel and extensive population-based digital ECG dataset for cardiovascular research, encompassing both pre- and in-hospital settings. The cohort contains ECG diagnostic statements and ECG measurements that can be linked to various nationwide health and social registers without loss to follow-up.

Management of Pediatric Volar Plate Avulsion Fractures of the Proximal Interphalangeal Joint: A Systematic Review.

Sudden, forced hyperextension injuries to the proximal interphalangeal joint leading to volar plate avulsion fractures are common hand injuries in children. Suboptimal management of these fractures can lead to the development of long-term complications such as stiffness and flexion contracture. MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus, Embase, Google Scholar, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases were systematically searched, and additional studies were found through reference of articles up to June 15, 2023. Identified articles were assessed using predetermined inclusion/exclusion criteria. Twenty-five articles were included, involving 268 patients with ages from 3 to 17 years. Fractures with less than 30% joint involvement, classified as Eaton type I or II, or designated as "Stable" in the Keifhaber-Stern classification, were treated through nonsurgical means. Surgical interventions, encompassing open reduction and internal fixation, were reserved for fractures with more than 30% joint involvement and/or meeting criteria such as Eaton type IIIa or IIIb and Keifhaber-Stern "Tenuous" or "Unstable." Positive outcomes were seen in 99.5% of patients receiving nonsurgical treatment, compared with 85.7% in the surgical cohort. The literature demonstrated positive outcomes for fractures presenting with less than 30% joint involvement that were managed nonsurgically. In fractures with more than 30% joint involvement, surgical interventions yielded positive results. To further substantiate these findings, larger prospective studies with uniform measures are needed to validate the results of this study.

Core outcome measurement set for research and clinical practice in post-COVID-19 condition (long COVID) in children and young people: an international Delphi consensus study "PC-COS Children".

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic substantially impacted different age groups, with children and young people not exempted. Many have experienced enduring health consequences. Presently, there is no consensus on the health outcomes to assess in children and young people with post-COVID-19 condition. Furthermore, it is unclear which measurement instruments are appropriate for use in research and clinical management of children and young people with post-COVID-19. To address these unmet needs, we conducted a consensus study, aiming to develop a core outcome set (COS) and an associated core outcome measurement set (COMS) for evaluating post-COVID-19 condition in children and young people. Our methodology comprised of two phases. In phase 1 (to create a COS), we performed an extensive literature review and categorisation of outcomes, and prioritised those outcomes in a two-round online modified Delphi process followed by a consensus meeting. In phase 2 (to create the COMS), we performed another modified Delphi consensus process to evaluate measurement instruments for previously defined core outcomes from phase 1, followed by an online consensus workshop to finalise recommendations regarding the most appropriate instruments for each core outcome. In phase 1, 214 participants from 37 countries participated, with 154 (72%) contributing to both Delphi rounds. The subsequent online consensus meeting resulted in a final COS which encompassed seven critical outcomes: fatigue; post-exertion symptoms; work/occupational and study changes; as well as functional changes, symptoms, and conditions relating to cardiovascular, neuro-cognitive, gastrointestinal and physical outcomes. In phase 2, 11 international experts were involved in a modified Delphi process, selecting measurement instruments for a subsequent online consensus workshop where 30 voting participants discussed and independently scored the selected instruments. As a result of this consensus process, four instruments met a priori consensus criteria for inclusion: PedsQL multidimensional fatigue scale for "fatigue"; PedsQL gastrointestinal symptom scales for "gastrointestinal"; PedsQL cognitive functioning scale for "neurocognitive" and EQ-5D for "physical functioning". Despite proposing outcome measurement instruments for the remaining three core outcomes ("cardiovascular", "post-exertional malaise", "work/occupational and study changes"), a consensus was not achieved. Our international, consensus-based initiative presents a robust framework for evaluating post-COVID-19 condition in children and young people in research and clinical practice via a rigorously defined COS and associated COMS. It will aid in the uniform measurement and reporting of relevant health outcomes worldwide.

A-Si/SiO2 nanolaminates for tuning the complex refractive index and band gap in optical interference coatings.

A-S i/S i O 2 nanolaminates are deposited by magnetron sputtering and show a decreasing absorption when the a-Si single-layer thickness is reduced from 2.4n m to 0.7n m. Moreover, an increase of the Tauc band gap by 0.18e V is measured. Experimental Tauc band gaps are compared to calculated effective band gaps, utilizing a numerical Schrödinger solver. Further, it is demonstrated that the refractive index can be controlled by adjusting the a-Si and S i O 2 single-layer thicknesses in the nanolaminates. The nanolaminates are optically characterized by spectroscopic ellipsometry, transmittance, and reflectance measurements. Additionally, TEM images reveal uniform, well-separated layers, and EDX measurements show the silicon and oxygen distribution in the nanolaminates.

Fuzzy measure on p-adic balls defined on a finite number set

The article explores an approach to constructing a fuzzy measure on p-adic balls that does not require the direct specification of the measure density. The relationships necessary for determining this measure for an arbitrary subset of a bounded numerical set, represented as a set of p-adic balls, are proven. Uniform and non-uniform fuzzy measures are considered. An algorithm for determining the fuzzy measure on p-adic balls is proposed. Examples of calculating this measure are provided.

A search for short-period Tausworthe generators over F b with application to Markov chain quasi-Monte Carlo

A one-dimensional sequence u 0 , u 1 , u 2 , … ∈ [ 0 , 1 ) is said to be completely uniformly distributed (CUD) if overlapping s-blocks ( u i , u i + 1 , … , u i + s − 1 ) , i = 0 , 1 , 2 , … , are uniformly distributed for every dimension s ≥ 1 . This concept naturally arises in Markov chain quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC). However, the definition of CUD sequences is not constructive, and thus there remains the problem of how to implement the Markov chain QMC algorithm in practice. Harase [A table of short-period Tausworthe generators for Markov chain quasi-Monte Carlo. J Comput Appl Math. 2021;384:Paper No. 113136, 12.] focussed on the t-value, which is a measure of uniformity widely used in the study of QMC, and implemented short-period Tausworthe generators (i.e. linear feedback shift register generators) over the two-element field F 2 that approximate CUD sequences by running for the entire period. In this paper, we generalize a search algorithm over F 2 to that over arbitrary finite fields F b with b elements and conduct a search for Tausworthe generators over F b with t-values zero (i.e. optimal) for dimension s = 3 and small for s ≥ 4 , especially in the case where b = 3, 4, and 5. We provide a parameter table of Tausworthe generators over F 4 , and report a comparison between our new generators over F 4 and existing generators over F 2 in numerical examples using Markov chain QMC.

Sequential Selection for Minimizing the Variance with Application to Crystallization Experiments

For many crystal-based products (e.g., pharmaceuticals, energy storage), the size uniformity is not only a key quality attribute, but sometimes also an indicator of other attributes such as solid purity. This article proposes a sequential selection approach to find a proper experimental setting that leads to high uniformity, or equivalently, small variance for crystal sizes, from the advanced slug flow reaction crystallization process of a model crystal, called manganese oxalate hydrate. The proposed sequential selection approach contains a Bayesian adaptive method to incorporate new uniformity measurements in each step and two design acquisition functions to improve the selection of the most promising experimental setting in terms of minimizing the variance. We study the performance of the proposed approach through multiple synthetic numerical studies, as well as a case study based on data from slug flow crystallization experiments. Throughout these studies, the proposed approach shows competitive performance in identifying the best experimental setting.

When Trees Are Not an Option: Perennial Vines as a Complementary Strategy for Mitigating the Summer Warming of an Urban Microclimate

This study evaluates the potential of Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) to reduce building surface temperature in a mid-latitude North American city center where vine use for this purpose is uncommon. Vegetation can regulate city summer temperatures by providing shade and evaporative cooling. While planting trees has been a focus for many urban municipalities, trees require space (above and below ground), access to water, costly planting and maintenance, and may only be desirable to some city residents. To explore viable vegetation alternatives with fewer growth constraints, we deployed temperature loggers on the exterior walls of buildings in the urban core of Toronto, Canada, a large mid-latitude city. Perennial vines shaded some walls, while others were bare. These devices systematically tracked exterior surface temperature fluctuations over six months, including the growing season, with full vine-leaf coverage. During peak solar access periods, average daily temperature differentials between vine-shaded and non-shaded building surfaces ranged from up to 6.5 °C on south-facing building exteriors to 7.0 °C on west-facing walls. Models were developed to estimate daily degree hour difference, a metric integrating the magnitude and duration of the temperature-moderating potential of vines. At ambient temperatures ≥ 23 °C, solar radiation intensity and ambient air temperature were positively correlated with vine effectiveness in mitigating the rise in built surface temperature; relative humidity was negatively associated. Installing vine cover on urban buildings in the form of green façades can complement tree planting as cities become hotter due to climate change, and space for growing trees diminishes with urban densification. Future research into the capacity of green façades to regulate outdoor temperature must establish uniform measurement protocols and undertake evaluations in diverse climatic scenarios.

Discrete logarithmic Sobolev inequalities in Banach spaces

AbstractLet be the discrete hypercube equipped with the uniform probability measure . We prove that if is a Banach space of finite cotype and , then every function satisfies the dimension‐free vector‐valued logarithmic Sobolev inequality The finite cotype assumption is necessary for the conclusion to hold. This estimate is the hypercube counterpart of a result of Ledoux (1988) in Gauss space and the optimal vector‐valued version of a deep inequality of Talagrand (1993). As an application, we use such vector‐valued logarithmic Sobolev inequalities to derive new lower bounds for the bi‐Lipschitz distortion of nonlinear quotients of the Hamming cube into Banach spaces with prescribed Rademacher type.

On an uncountable family of graphs whose spectrum is a Cantor set

For each p\geq 1 , the star automaton group \mathcal{G}_{S_p} is an automaton group which can be defined starting from a star graph on p+1 vertices. We study Schreier graphs associated with the action of the group \mathcal{G}_{S_p} on the regular rooted tree T_{p+1} of degree p+1 and on its boundary \partial T_{p+1} . With the transitive action on the n -th level of T_{p+1} is associated a finite Schreier graph \Gamma^{p}_{n} , whereas there exist uncountably many orbits of the action on the boundary, represented by infinite Schreier graphs which are obtained as the limits of the sequence \{\Gamma_{n}^{p}\}_{n\geq 1} in the Gromov–Hausdorff topology. We obtain an explicit description of the spectrum of the graphs \{\Gamma_{n}^{p}\}_{n\geq 1} . Then, by using amenability of \mathcal{G}_{S_p} , we prove that the spectrum of each infinite Schreier graph is the union of a Cantor set of zero Lebesgue measure, which is the Julia set of the quadratic map f_{p}(z) = z^{2}-2(p-1)z -2p , and a countable collection of isolated points supporting the Kesten–Neumann–Serre spectral measure. We also give a complete classification of the infinite Schreier graphs up to isomorphism of unrooted graphs, showing that they may have 1 , 2 or 2p ends, and that the case of 1 end is generic with respect to the uniform measure on \partial T_{p+1} .

Quantifying consistency of crop establishment using a lightweight U-Net deep learning architecture and image processing techniques

Consistency of crop establishment is a measure of uniformity of crop attributes, such as plant stand count, crop emergence rate, and plant spacing across the field. Quantifying consistency during the early crop growth stage is important for establishment decisions to use targeted nutrients and to facilitate timely replanting in inconsistent crop regions. Crop consistency can be analysed using two key parameters: plant stand count and spacing statistics since they provide insight into plant density and its emergence percentage. However, manual assessment of them is time-consuming, prone to errors, and labour-intensive in large fields. An alternative method is proposed to automate estimating these parameters using field imagery under uncontrolled settings. We use the YOLOv5-based object detection model for plant counting, which attains a mean average precision of 0.956 to detect Canola plants. A Lightweight U-Net model is proposed to segment rows, followed by Guo–Hall thinning and Probabilistic Hough Transform to determine inter-row and inter-plant spacing. Our proposed row segmentation model achieves a mean Intersection over Union (mIoU) of 0.8444 with class-wise IoU of 0.9925 and 0.6963 for background and crop using fewer parameters. The new architecture uses only 14M parameters and achieves performance comparable to the state-of-the-art U-Net (32.5M) and SegNet (29M).

Enhanced deep learning model enables accurate alignment measurement across diverse institutional imaging protocols

BackgroundAchieving consistent accuracy in radiographic measurements across different equipment and protocols is challenging. This study evaluates an advanced deep learning (DL) model, building upon a precursor, for its proficiency in generating uniform and precise alignment measurements in full-leg radiographs irrespective of institutional imaging differences.MethodsThe enhanced DL model was trained on over 10,000 radiographs. Utilizing a segmented approach, it separately identified and evaluated regions of interest (ROIs) for the hip, knee, and ankle, subsequently integrating these regions. For external validation, 300 datasets from three distinct institutes with varied imaging protocols and equipment were employed. The study measured seven radiologic parameters: hip-knee-ankle angle, lateral distal femoral angle, medial proximal tibial angle, joint line convergence angle, weight-bearing line ratio, joint line obliquity angle, and lateral distal tibial angle. Measurements by the model were compared with an orthopedic specialist's evaluations using inter-observer and intra-observer intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Additionally, the absolute error percentage in alignment measurements was assessed, and the processing duration for radiograph evaluation was recorded.ResultsThe DL model exhibited excellent performance, achieving an inter-observer ICC between 0.936 and 0.997, on par with an orthopedic specialist, and an intra-observer ICC of 1.000. The model's consistency was robust across different institutional imaging protocols. Its accuracy was particularly notable in measuring the hip-knee-ankle angle, with no instances of absolute error exceeding 1.5 degrees. The enhanced model significantly improved processing speed, reducing the time by 30-fold from an initial 10–11 s to 300 ms.ConclusionsThe enhanced DL model demonstrated its ability for accurate, rapid alignment measurements in full-leg radiographs, regardless of protocol variations, signifying its potential for broad clinical and research applicability.

Statistical process control in pulsed drip irrigation systems

Pulse drip application is a management option to prevent clogging and improve water-use efficiency. The measurement of distribution uniformity is opportune for pulse irrigation projects to ensure efficiency since the shorter the pulse time, the more negative influence the transition periods have. The objective of the present work was to monitor the quality of a drip irrigation system with different emitter models and different pulse times. The experiment was conducted under laboratory bench conditions, and 25 tests were performed for each pulse application (2, 3, 6 and 12 minutes) and emitter model (non-compensated and auto-compensated). Uniformity was determined using Christiansen's uniformity coefficient (CUC) and distribution uniformity coefficient (DUC) and monitored by Shewhart control charts and exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA). The decrease in pulse time caused a decrease in flow rate and uniformity only in drip irrigation systems with non auto-compensated emitters. However, this decrease is subtle, to the point that uniformity presented an excellent performance for all pulses tested. The use of the Shewhart and EWMA control charts were effective in monitoring the uniformity of the pulsed drip irrigation system. The Shewhart control chart was more robust in identifying isolated non-compensated uniformities, while the EWMA control chart was more sensitive in identifying unstable propensity. In the treatments with the non-compensated emitter, the statistical process control was able to identify that shorter pulse times resulted in greater application instability. As for the auto-compensated emitters, the statistical process control highlighted the concern with application uniformity after maintenance interference.
 Keywords: anti-drain emitter, high-frequency irrigation, irrigation interval, statistical quality control.

Defining an effective “plastics treaty” through national perspectives and visions during early negotiations

Abstract With increased international concern over the pervasive plastic pollution problem, early negotiations to develop a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution (“the Plastics Treaty”) were supported by 175 member countries toward a sustainable plastics future. Defining features of the plastics treaty by UNEP member countries began in Punta del Este, Uruguay in November 2022 during the first session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-1). However, INC-1 ended with many unanswered questions regarding the structure, scope, and targets of the treaty. Sixty-seven member countries, including members of the High Coalition Ambition, submitted their objectives, guiding principles, and expectations for the treaty before the INC-2 negotiations while also suggesting measures for its effective implementation. This paper compiles submissions of the 67 member countries and evidence-based policymaking approaches that have been described in peer-reviewed and gray literature following INC-1, but before the INC-2 negotiations in Paris, France in June 2023. Recommendations for developing an effective plastics treaty by most member countries include incorporating the complete life cycle of plastics, promotion of transparency in global trade through uniform labeling measures, capping virgin plastic production, incorporating extended producer responsibility to develop a circular economy, and addressing hazardous chemicals in plastics. Suggested implementation measures include building a multilateral fund, supporting smaller countries with technology transfer, improving local stakeholder engagement, developing subsidiary bodies, and regular national reporting. Encouragingly, many of these national plans were proposed in the Zero Draft document released in September 2023 before INC-3 in Nairobi, Kenya in November 2023 and further developed in the revised draft text which served as the provisional agenda at INC-4 in April 2024 in Ottawa, Canada.