Variation In Patterns Research Articles

A machine learning-based approach for maximizing system profit in a power system by imbalance price curtailment

The integration of wind farms into the power grid is difficult due to unpredictable wind speed fluctuations. This variation has an impact on power generation profitability, demanding effective forecasting to lessen pricing risks. A novel optimization approach is proposed in this paper to expand social welfare and profitability while increasing revenue for power generators. This method is crucial for avoiding financial risks related to variable wind patterns. Narrowing the gap between anticipated and actual wind speeds (WSAN, WSAC) can lessen the negative impact of imbalanced prices on profitability. This reduction is necessary to enhance the economic performance of the power system. The paper endorses the use of machine learning (ML) techniques, specifically Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and Random Forest (RF) methods, to precisely anticipate wind speed. These models serve as analytical tools for enlightening decision-making and resource allocation in wind energy generation. According to the study, pricing imbalances have a major impression on profit calculations in deregulated systems. The empirical data show that effective forecasting can expand financial outcomes for energy companies, reducing risks and maximizing revenue. Finally, the empirical results highlight the significance of accurate wind speed forecasts and the use of advanced optimization approaches in growing the profitability and efficiency of renewable energy-dependent power systems. These findings offer a strong foundation for further research and use of machine learning techniques in the energy sector. The optimization model was accomplished with modified IEEE 14 bus test systems in this work.

Risk avoidance during dispersal: Temporal and behavioral shifts in selection by non-resident eastern wolves (Canis c.f. lycaon)

Dispersal is important for connectivity and persistence of small, disjunct wildlife populations. However, in human-altered landscapes dispersing animals are often more likely than residents to use anthropogenic features that increase mortality risk. As such, quantifying spatial and temporal responses of dispersing animals to anthropogenic features will improve our understanding of the potential for small, isolated populations to expand in human-altered landscapes. The distribution of eastern wolves (Canis c.f. lycaon; a threatened species in Canada) is limited to portions of eastern Canada within and adjacent to the population core in Algonquin Park. Recently, it was found that non-resident eastern wolves dispersing outside of Algonquin Park survive poorly, primarily due to high rates of human-caused mortality. We deployed Global Positioning System collars on 26 non-resident eastern wolves. We evaluated resource selection of dispersing individuals during different movement states to better understand their behavioral responses to anthropogenic landscape features during this critical, but risky period of their life history. Eastern wolves avoided areas with high building density during the day. However, during directed movements outside the winter period, eastern wolves selected areas closer to unpaved roads and areas with higher building densities at night. During winter, eastern wolves selected areas with high building densities at night while displaying tortuous movements. We demonstrate that harvested species may increase and relax avoidance of anthropogenic features at both daily and seasonal timescales. Failing to account for temporal and state-specific variation in resource selection patterns of dispersing animals may underestimate their ability to move through human-altered landscapes.

The Influence of Shifting Media Displays on Visitor Circulation Patterns and Acoustic Environment

Many exhibition spaces, such as museums, galleries, theme parks, and exhibitions, use audio-visual devices to enhance the presentation of their collections. These devices include display monitors and speakers that supplement the artifacts or content on display. The audio-visual devices can attract more visitors, but they also change visitor movement pattern and increase the ambient noise levels. How does this affect the design and experience of exhibition spaces with audio-visual elements compared to those without them? This research sought to examine the variations in visitor circulation patterns and acoustic environments across 16 museums and public exhibition spaces. The methodologies employed included photographic recording, sketches, and observational techniques for analyzing circulation patterns, alongside simple single-point acoustic measurements to assess background noise levels. The findings revealed that exhibition spaces incorporating audio-visual elements typically feature longer and more linear circulation paths to accommodate a greater number of visitors, as well as elevated background noise levels compared to spaces without such elements. This study offers valuable insights for the design of exhibition-type buildings, particularly those integrating audio-visual devices, which are anticipated to become increasingly prevalent in the future. Keywords: exhibition hall, audio-visual, circulation, background noise levels

Analysis of Forecasted Rainfall Across Blocks in Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh, India

This paper represents a block and district level analysis of agro meteorological forecasted rainfall of Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, during 2022-23. The forecasted rainfall data which was issued by IMD, Amaravathi, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh and the data was validated by employing both qualitative (success rate) and quantitative analysis (Ratio score, Hanssen and Kuipers Score and Probability of Detection). The quantitative analysis was performed by calculating ratio score analysis values ranged from 0.6 to 0.9 during the monsoons, indicating good forecast. Hansen and Kuipers score test results found to have good agreement during north east monsoon (0.5 to 0.8) with highest score values which indicates better forecast agreement, followed by monsoon period (0.3 to 0.5) and south west monsoon (0 to 0.3). Probability of Detection values found in the range of 0.7 to 1.0 indicated that better score values resulting in good forecast during the monsoon seasons. Whereas, the qualitative analysis was performed by deriving success rate for forecasted rainfall accuracy and the results reported that highest success rate was observed during north east monsoon followed by south west monsoon across different blocks and also in the entire Guntur district. The per cent deviation in the analysed data might be due to the spatio-temporal variations in the rainfall distribution pattern over the study area.

Deciphering Codon Usage Patterns in the Mitochondrial Genome of the Oryza Species

Rice (Oryza) is a genus in the Gramineae family, which has grown widely all over the world and is a staple food source for people’s survival. The genetic information of rice has garnered significant attention in recent years, prompting numerous researchers to conduct extensive investigations in this field. But rice mitochondrial codon usage patterns have received little attention. The present study systematically analyzed the codon usage patterns and sources of variance in the mitochondrial genome sequences of five rice species by the CodonW and R software programs. Our results revealed that the GC content of codons in rice mitochondrial genome genes was determined to be 43.60%. Notably, the individual codon positions exhibited distinct GC contents: 48.00% for position 1, 42.65% for position 2, and 40.16% for position 3. These findings suggest the preference of the rice mitochondrial genome for codons ending in A or U. A weak codon bias was observed, with the effective number of codons (ENC) varying between 40.02 and 61.00, with an average value of 54.34. Subsequently, we identified 25 identical high-frequency codons in five rice mitochondrial genomes, with 11 codons ending in A and 12 codons ending in U. The regression lines in the neutrality plot exhibited slopes of less than 0.5 in five rice species, indicating a predominant role of natural selection, while mutation pressure remained relatively insignificant. In the PR2-plot analysis, most of the genes were located in the right half of the plot, indicating that the third base of the synonymous codon was preferred to end in G than C. Additionally, the ENC plot and ENC ratio analysis unveiled that codon preferences in the rice mitochondrial genome were predominantly influenced by natural selection rather than mutational pressure. The analysis of correspondence revealed distinct variations in the codon usage pattern across five rice mitochondrial genomes. Based on the RSCU values of species, a cluster tree was inconsistent with the mitochondrial genetic data, indicating that RSCU data could not be used as a basis for classification at the species level in the Oryza genus. These results will help decide the specific types of natural selection pressures influencing codon usage and improve the expression of exogenous genes in rice mitochondrial genomes by optimizing their codons.

Interdecadal Variations in the Spatial Pattern of the Arctic Oscillation Arctic Center in Wintertime

AbstractArctic Oscillation (AO) is the dominant mode of atmospheric circulation in the extratropical Northern Hemisphere regions. The spatial pattern of the AO Arctic center affects the extent of polar cold air outbreaks southward. However, the underlying nature and causes of its interdecadal variation remain unclear. Utilizing ERA5 reanalysis data, this study identifies two distinct spatial patterns of the wintertime AO Arctic center through the K‐means clustering method, which alternate over different decade periods. The Double‐trough pattern generates a tripolar temperature pattern of “cold Arctic‐warm Eurasia‐cold Tibetan Plateau” through a Rossby wave train during 1960–1997/2013–2024. While the Single‐trough pattern leads to a dipolar temperature pattern in 1998–2012. Furthermore, interdecadal variations in North Atlantic sea surface temperature meridional gradient act as an influencing factor in shaping the spatial pattern of the AO Arctic center. This research aids the understanding and prediction of climate anomalies using AO signals within various decadal contexts.

Revealing How Human Activity and Native Plants Outshine Climate in Shaping New Invasive Alien Plant Elevational Patterns in Nature Reserves

ABSTRACTAimWe aim to investigate whether invasive alien plants introduced at different times exhibit variations in elevational distribution patterns and to explore the correlations of these patterns with climate, native plants and human activity.LocationGuangxi, China.MethodsWe recorded plant richness and cover across elevational gradients at 25–34 sites within each reserve, utilising 84–134 roadside plots per site. Using generalised linear mixed model (GLMM), we assessed the impacts of climate, native plants and human activity on the distributions of all, old and new invasive alien plants across the region and within the nature reserves.ResultsAt regional scales, the cover of all, new and old invasive alien plants decreased with increasing elevation, while only the richness of old invasive alien plants exhibited a similar pattern. Contrasting patterns were observed in Dayao Mountain, where the cover of old invasive alien plants decreased while the cover of new invasive alien plants increased. The richness patterns of all and new invasive alien plants were opposite between Dayao Mountain and Yachang Orchid. Moreover, native plant richness was negatively correlated with the richness of invasive alien plants, while interference intensity positively affected new invasive alien plants at both regional and reserve scales. At the regional scale, native plant richness accounted for 78.27%, 91.94% and 60.9% of all, old and new invasive alien plants respectively. Interference intensity accounted for 33.85% of the variation in new invasive alien plants. Annual mean temperature positively influenced the cover of all and old invasive alien plants at both regional and reserve scales, explaining 36.91% and 74.28% of their regional variation. Additionally, interference intensity and distance to human settlements positively impacted the cover of new invasive alien plants, contributing to 50.95% and 31.92% of their variation at regional scales.Main ConclusionThe distinct distribution patterns of old and new invasive alien plants highlight the significance of residence time in understanding their dynamics. Climate factors constrain the cover distribution of all and old invasive alien plants, whereas interference intensity and distance to settlements determine the distribution of new invasive alien plants. Notably, native plants play a vital role in preventing the establishment and spread of invasive alien plants within nature reserves, and their effectiveness increases with longer residence times. Our findings highlight the critical importance of minimising human interference and conserving native species for the effective management of invasive alien plants in nature reserves.

Variations of the ulnar nerve within the ulnar tunnel and palm in a select South African population

BackgroundUlnar tunnel syndrome (UTS) is a rare peripheral neuropathy associated with the entrapment of the distal portion of the ulnar nerve (UN) in its course through the fibro-osseous ulnar tunnel (eponymously known as Guyon's canal) at the wrist. The UN within the ulnar tunnel is prone to injury or compression resulting in an UTS. Therefore, it is of clinical importance to know the anatomical variations in the branching pattern of the UN within the ulnar tunnel. UTS is characterised by sensory deficits and muscular weakness, impaired sensation of the volar fingertips, and weakness in grasping with intrinsic hand muscles. This study aimed to examine the anatomical variations of the UN in the palm of the hand within a select South African cadaveric population. MethodsThe variations in the branching patterns of the UN were examined in 81 cadavers (n = 162) and described according to the classification system of Murata et al. (2004) [10]. Communicating branches were classified according to their description in previous literature. The length of the ulnar tunnel was measured from the level of the pisiform bone to the level of the hook of hamate. ResultsThe branching pattern was found as Type 1 (52.9 %), Type 2 (34 %), Type 3 (2.7), Type 4 (6.5 %), Type 5 (3.9 %). Berrettini, Riche-Cannieu and Kaplan anastomoses were found in 51.6 %, 2 % and 3.3 % of specimens, respectively. ConclusionIt is important for surgeons to be aware of these anatomical variations as they may lead to misdiagnosis and complications during surgical procedures during the treatment of UTS.

Explicit description of viral capsid subunit shapes by unfolding dihedrons

Viral capsid assembly and the design of capsid-based nanocontainers critically depend on understanding the shapes and interfaces of constituent protein subunits. However, a comprehensive framework for characterizing these features is still lacking. Here, we introduce a novel approach based on spherical tiling theory that explicitly describes the 2D shapes and interfaces of subunits in icosahedral capsids. Our method unfolds spherical dihedrons defined by icosahedral symmetry axes, enabling systematic characterization of all possible subunit geometries. Applying this framework to real T = 1 capsid structures reveals distinct interface groups within this single classification, with variations in interaction patterns around 3-fold and 5-fold symmetry axes. We validate our classification through molecular docking simulations, demonstrating its consistency with physical subunit interactions. This analysis suggests different assembly pathways for capsid nucleation. Our general framework is applicable to other triangular numbers, paving the way for broader studies in structural virology and nanomaterial design.

DYnamics of Contraception in Eswatini (DYCE): protocol for a high-frequency, longitudinal cell phone survey

IntroductionBy 2030, an estimated 42% of the world’s adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) will live in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where a quarter of AGYW pregnancies are undesired and AGYW...

Hybrid-DC: A Hybrid Framework Using ResNet-50 and Vision Transformer for Steel Surface Defect Classification in the Rolling Process

This study introduces Hybrid-DC, a hybrid deep-learning model integrating ResNet-50 and Vision Transformer (ViT) for high-accuracy steel surface defect classification. Hybrid-DC leverages ResNet-50 for efficient feature extraction at both low and high levels and utilizes ViT’s global context learning to enhance classification precision. A unique hybrid attention layer and an attention fusion mechanism enable Hybrid-DC to adapt to the complex, variable patterns typical of steel surface defects. Experimental evaluations demonstrate that Hybrid-DC achieves substantial accuracy improvements and significantly reduced loss compared to traditional models like MobileNetV2 and ResNet, with a validation accuracy reaching 0.9944. The results suggest that this model, characterized by rapid convergence and stable learning, can be applied for real-time quality control in steel manufacturing and other high-precision industries, enhancing automated defect detection efficiency.

Genotype and Organ-Specific Variability in Antioxidant Capacities as Well as Polyamine and Osmolyte Levels in Eleven Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum Raf.) Cultivars with Different Flowering Periods

Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum Raf. Shinn.) is a valued plant known for its diverse flower colors and long vase life. Despite considerable research on the physiological roles of osmolytes, polyamines, and phenolic compounds, there is a lack of understanding regarding their specific accumulation patterns across various lisianthus cultivars and organs. This study aims to compare eleven lisianthus cultivars with varying flowering periods according to their accumulation of osmolytes, polyamines, phenolic content, and antioxidant capacities and measure their resistance to abiotic stress factors. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescent detection was employed to quantify putrescine (PUT), spermidine (SPD), and spermine (SPM). In addition, proline (PRO), glycine betaine (GB), antioxidant capacities, phenolic content, and flavonoid contents were assessed spectrophotometrically. This comprehensive analysis allowed for a detailed understanding of the biochemical markers. The result indicates a significant genotype and organ-dependent variation in accumulation patterns of inspected metabolites and antioxidant activities. The petals of Rosita Green exhibited the highest levels of phenols and flavonoids, whereas the petals of Rosita Blue Picote demonstrated the highest concentrations of osmolytes. Polyamines were found to be more concentrated in the petals than in the leaves. The average values indicated high levels of polyamines in the Mariachi Carmine (PUT 186.72 nmol g−1 DW) and Mariachi Pink (SPD 227.4 nmol g−1 DW) cultivars. These findings underscore the significance of inspected compounds in stress tolerance among cultivars with different flowering periods, providing insights for optimizing cultivation strategies for lisianthus.

Pressure Pain Threshold, Depression and Anxiety in Women with Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Prospective Cohort Study

Background: Primary dysmenorrhea is one of the main chronic pain conditions in women and is often associated with various psychiatric disorders and some painful conditions. Women with dysmenorrhea report the presence of abdominal and lumbar allodynia at the end of the menstrual cycle, suggesting an association between menstrual pain and increased mechanical hypersensitivity in the abdominal and lumbar regions. Therefore, the general objective of this study was to measure pressure pain thresholds and depressive and anxiety symptoms in Mexican women with primary dysmenorrhea. Methods: This prospective cohort study used a cross-sectional design with female students; being older than 17 years of age, being available during menstruation, and having moderate-to-severe primary dysmenorrhea diagnosed by a physician were inclusion criteria. After providing informed consent, the women completed a questionnaire assessing demographic information, variations in menstrual patterns, and menstrual pain and its severity. Similarly, the Beck Depression Inventory and Anxiety Inventory were administered to the participants prior to obtaining pressure pain thresholds at specific abdominal and lumbar points. The data were entered into a computerized database. Exploratory analysis was performed via Student’s t test, Pearson’s chi-square test, or analysis of variance. Statistical significance was considered when p < 0.05. Results: A total of 69 women were included in the study. The mean ± standard deviation age of all participants was 20.9 ± 1.9 years. The main locations of menstrual pain were the lower abdomen (87.0%) and the lumbar region (10.1%). In terms of pain severity, 65.2% of the participants reported moderate pain, and 34.8% reported severe pain. With respect to the pain pressure threshold at the six evaluated points, the threshold in the abdominal region was significantly lower than the threshold in the lumbar region (p < 0.05). No relationship was found between the severity of dysmenorrhea pain and the level of depression or anxiety or with the pain pressure thresholds (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The severity of dysmenorrhea pain in the participating women was not associated with anxiolytic or depressive states. No significant relationship was found between the severity of dysmenorrhea and the sensitivity of the pressure pain threshold in the areas evaluated.

High Diagnostic Accuracy of Arterial Phase CT in Differentiating Pheochromocytoma in Good/Poor Washout Adrenal Masses

Abstract Introduction Differentiating pheochromocytomas from other adrenal masses based on CT characteristics remains challenging, particularly in lipid-poor lesions with variable washout patterns. This study evaluated CT features for distinguishing pheochromocytomas in good and poor washout sub-cohorts. Methods We prospectively analyzed 72 patients with unilateral lipid-poor adrenal masses. CT protocol included basal, bolus-tracked arterial, early venous (45 seconds post-arterial), and delayed (15 minutes post-arterial) phases. Masses were categorized into good and poor washout groups. Histopathology provided the final diagnosis. CT characteristics and calculated indices were compared between pheochromocytomas and other masses in each washout category. Results The cohort included pheochromocytomas (n=35), adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC, n=15), lipid-poor adenomas (n=13), and metastatic infiltration/infection (n=9). In the good washout group, pheochromocytomas (n=15) showed larger diameters (6.00 vs. 3.45 cm, p=0.001), higher necrosis frequency (73.3% vs. 30%, p=0.049), and greater arterial attenuation (173.2 vs. 74.5 HU, p<0.001) compared to adenomas (n=9). Arterial attenuation provided a high discriminatory value (AUC: 0.967), with 100% sensitivity at 87.6 HU and 100% specificity at 139.9 HU. In the poor washout group, pheochromocytomas (n=20) exhibited higher arterial attenuation (99.2 vs. 59.2 HU, p<0.001; AUC: 0.844) compared to ACC (n=14), metastatic infiltration (n=9), and adenomas (n=4), with 85% sensitivity and 78% specificity at 73.3 HU. Normetanephrine-secreting/non-secretory pheochromocytomas showed higher arterial enhancement than metanephrine-secreting ones (132.0 vs. 90.5 HU, p=0.020) within the poor washout group. Conclusion Arterial phase attenuation on CT has good diagnostic accuracy for differentiating pheochromocytomas from other adrenal masses in both good and poor washout categories, potentially guiding hormonal workup.

Rain-harvesting behavior in free-ranging prairie rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis)

Abstract Organisms inhabiting arid environments face challenges to obtain dietary water. To prevent desiccation, some organisms possess unique adaptations to harvest water from infrequent and unpredictable rainfall, including several squamates (snakes and lizards). While most squamates consume precipitation as it pools in the environment, a small number engage in behaviors to enhance water collection by capturing precipitation from their own skin, referred to as rain-harvesting behavior (RHB). Details of this behavior remain unclear, particularly the sequence of behaviors associated with RHB. We developed a method to simulate rainfall to observe RHB in prairie rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis) in situ and recorded 72 events in 94 snakes, the most robust sampling of RHB to date. Using video analysis, we describe the postures and kinematics of RHB and develop the first illustrated ethogram of this behavior for any vertebrate. Our results demonstrate that RHB contains fixed and variable patterns useful in cross-species comparisons and in exploring proximate causes of the behavior. Additionally, we describe novel features of RHB including suspended head drinking, body levering, and drinking from neighboring snakes. Our results reveal RHB to be an intricate suite of movements and actions, some of which allude to acute sensory abilities of these animals that warrant further study. Furthermore, observations of RHB at dens and rookeries suggest a potential, novel benefit of snake aggregation is the formation of large, communal surfaces for rain harvesting. We suggest that the extremely elongated body plan of snakes may be well-suited for a rapidly deployed, modular rain-harvesting system effective at capitalizing on fleeting rainstorms characteristic of arid ecosystems of the world.

Impact of accelerated aging on seed quality, seed coat physical structure and antioxidant enzyme activity of Maize (Zea mays L.).

Aging induces many deteriorative changes to seeds during storage like protein degradation, enzyme inactivation and loss of membrane integrity. In this study, we investigate the impact of accelerated aging on seed quality, seed coat physical structure and antioxidant enzyme activity of maize. Three genotypes African Tall, MAH 14-5 and a local landrace were selected and artificially aged for 96 and 120 h. The aging process led to a decrease in germination, vigour, and total dehydrogenase in seeds, while the electrical conductivity of seed leachates increased, indicating a decline in seed quality. Additionally, there was a variation in the microsculpture pattern of seed coats between genotypes. There was an accumulation of damage on the seed coat surface as the seeds aged and higher damage occurred in African Tall followed by MAH 14-5 and local landrace. Higher catalase, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activity were reported in the seed coat of Local landrace and MAH 14-5 that resisted aging and deterioration while, lower catalase, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activity was reported in African Tall seed coat that deteriorated during aging. Decrease antioxidant activity in aged seeds might be a possible cause of seed deterioration due to the accumulation of free radicals. Thus, these results clearly show the influence of seed coat structure and antioxidant activity on seed quality during aging.

General practice-related variation in oral anticoagulant treatment of atrial fibrillation: a nationwide cohort study.

Guideline-adherent oral anticoagulant treatment (OAC) in atrial fibrillation (AF) remains a challenge. In Denmark, most patients with AF are treated in general practice. Nevertheless, determinants of OAC prescription in primary care are poorly understood. To investigate variation in OAC adherence between general practice clinics and identify clinic characteristics associated with a lower propensity to prescribe OAC. Nationwide register-based cohort study including prevalent and incident patients with AF and CHA2DS2-VASc score≥2 (n=165,731) listed with Danish general practice clinics (n=1666) in 2021. The main outcome was OAC adherence assessed as proportion of days covered. We used clinic OAC propensity to evaluate variation. OAC propensity was quantified as ratios between observed and expected adherence. Expected adherence was estimated based on the composition of the clinic patient populations. Sampled reference populations were constructed to account for random variation. Linear regression models examined associations between OAC propensity and clinic characteristics. The proportion of days covered with OAC in the AF-population was 78%. OAC propensity in clinics in the 90th percentile was 20% higher compared to clinics in the 10th percentile, however this difference was reduced to 3% when accounting for random variation. Modest associations were observed between clinic characteristics and OAC propensity. The most significant difference was in the correlation between geographic location and OAC propensity, showing an 8% gap between top- and bottom-performing regions. The study suggests persistent underutilisation of OAC in AF patients and little variation in OAC prescription patterns across general practice clinics.

Fertility model evolution: A survey on mathematical models of age-specific fertility with application to Nepalese and Malaysian data

Fertility pattern analysis and modeling to smooth age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs) form a well-established research field that holds particular importance for Asian countries. In developed nations, ASFRs typically display a bimodal skewed fertility curve, whereas, in developing countries, they usually exhibit a unimodal skewed fertility curve that diverges from the normal one. For decades, demographic experts worldwide have been interested in creating models using deterministic and stochastic approaches to represent these fertility curves. In this regard, parametric and non-parametric models have been created, with the latter providing a better fit for ASFR data. This research investigates the evolution of fertility models aimed at smoothing ASFRs. It explores suitable alternative models for countries with fast-declining, unimodal, and skewed fertility curves of ASFRs, such as Nepal and Malaysia. Nepal’s fertility rate is transitioning from a high level toward the replacement rate (2.1) at the year 2021; meanwhile, Malaysia’s fertility rate (1.7) in the year 2021 has dropped below the replacement rate. Given the lack of a universally applicable model for ASFR pattern variation, this study proposes the Kumaraswamy log-logistic distribution as a promising model to represent the ASFRs of Nepal and Malaysia accurately. Various approaches, including the Akaike information criterion, and Bayesian information criterion, are employed to validate the fitting of the proposed model.

Gender evaluation in American English, 1875–1989

ABSTRACT This study examines the evaluation of males and females in the Corpus of Historical American English within three registers – Fiction, Newspapers, and Non-fiction – spanning the late-nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The aim is to fill a gap there remains in our understanding of how males and females are evaluated in American English across different communicative settings (registers) and historical periods. For this purpose, the study explores gender-specific personality traits, societal importance, physical appearance, appeal, and capacity via linguistic features such as male and female terms, pronoun usage, and adjectives. The results reveal significant differences in the frequency and nature of gender evaluation: while men are consistently evaluated more frequently than women, there are nuanced variations in gender evaluation patterns over time and across communicative settings. The increase in female evaluation towards the late twentieth century seems to correlate with societal changes such as the women’s rights movement and shifting gender norms during this period. The analysis also underscores the significance of linguistic registers in shaping gender evaluation, with, for instance, Fiction displaying less pronounced gender differences compared to Newspapers and Non-fiction. Overall, the findings underscore the complex interplay between language, registers, and sociocultural changes in shaping gender evaluation.

Associations between less knee kinematic variability and worse patient-reported outcomes following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

ABSTRACT Individuals with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) exhibit less knee kinematic variability while walking than uninjured controls, associated with deleterious changes in cartilage composition linked to an increased risk for early knee osteoarthritis (KOA). It is unknown whether less knee kinematic variability is also associated with worse knee-related patient-reported outcomes (PROs) consistent with KOA development. This study examined associations between kinematic variability during gait and PROs in individuals post-ACLR. Gait kinematics and the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) were collected from 45 participants 6-months post-ACLR (67% Females; 21.45 ± 4.56 years). Overground gait biomechanics using 3D motion capture were collected, and knee kinematics were extracted for post-processing. Sample entropy (SampEn) was used to calculate knee kinematic variability. Pearson’s product-moment correlations were conducted to determine the associations between SampEn and KOOS sub-scores. Additionally, independent samples t-tests were performed to evaluate potential differences in SampEn outcomes between individuals with and without clinically relevant symptoms (defined in the introduction). Less sagittal plane kinematic variability is associated with greater pain (r = 0.37, p = 0.01) and symptoms (r = 0.32, p = 0.03). Symptomatic participants demonstrated less sagittal plane knee kinematic variability compared to asymptomatic participants (p = 0.01). The findings suggest less variable gait patterns 6-months post-ACLR may be linked to KOA-related symptoms.