Variation In Sensitivity Research Articles

Strong aerosol cooling alone does not explain cold-biased mid-century temperatures in CMIP6 models

Abstract. The current generation of global climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) exhibits a surprisingly cold-biased ensemble-mean mid-20th century global-mean surface temperature anomaly, compared to the previous generation Phase 5 (CMIP5) and to the observed mid-century (1940–1970) temperature anomaly. Most CMIP6 models, 31 of 36 models in contrast to 17 of 27 CMIP5 models, are colder than the uncertainty range of the observed anomaly, indicating that the CMIP6 suppressed warming is not caused by a few cold models. However, no clear cause that sufficiently explains the tendency towards suppressed mid-20th century warming emerges. Whereas models that best match observations exclusively exhibit weaker aerosol forcing than that exhibited by colder models, there is not a clear relationship between mid-century temperatures and aerosol forcing. Likewise, no systematic differences emerge among other model aerosol representations, such as inclusion of aerosol–cloud interactions for ice clouds in the model or the type of aerosol model input data set used, nor variations in greenhouse gas forcing or climate sensitivity, that could explain the suppressed warming. This indicates the presence of another cause, or more likely a set of causes, of the suppressed warming in many CMIP6 models. Thus, the prospect of a strong constraint on present-day aerosol forcing based on the mid-century warming is weakened, even if it is encouraging that those models that do match the observed warming best all have relatively weak aerosol forcing.

High-Dimensional Mapping Entropy Method and Its Application in the Fault Diagnosis of Reciprocating Compressors

The effectiveness of feature extraction is a critical aspect of fault diagnosis for petrochemical machinery and equipment. Traditional entropy analysis methods are prone to disruption by noise, parameter sensitivity, and sudden entropy variations. This study establishes a high-dimensional mapping entropy (HDME) method characterized by robust noise resistance, addressing the issues of parameter sensitivity and inadequate noise suppression inherent in traditional feature extraction methodologies. A mapping theory of high-dimensional space based on kernel function pattern recognition is proposed, which reassembles the sample vector after phase space reconstruction of time series. The multi-scale high-dimensional mapping entropy (MHDME) and refined composite multi-scale high-dimensional mapping entropy (RCMHDME) algorithms are further studied based on the idea of refined composite multi-scale. Application to simulated signals shows that the suggested methods reduce parameter sensitivity and enhance entropy smoothness. The development of a methodology to identify faults through MHDME is proposed. This approach integrates signal preprocessing and intelligent preference techniques to achieve pattern recognition of reciprocating compressor bearings in various wear conditions. Moreover, the identification findings demonstrate that the suggested approach can effectively extract the characteristics of the signal and accurately distinguish the effects caused by different faults.

Characterization Technique for a Doppler Radar Occupancy Sensor

Occupancy sensors are electronic devices used to detect the presence of people in monitored areas, and the output of these sensors can be used to optimize lighting control, heating and ventilation control, and real-estate utilization. Testing methods already exist for certain types of occupancy sensors (e.g., passive infrared) to evaluate their relative performance, allowing manufacturers to report coverage patterns for different types of motion. However, the existing published techniques are mostly tailored for passive-infrared sensors and therefore limited to evaluation of large motions, such as walking and hand movement. Here we define a characterization technique for a Doppler radar occupancy sensor based on detecting a small motion representing human breathing, using a well-defined readily reproducible target. The presented technique specifically provides a robust testing method for a single-channel continuous wave Doppler-radar based occupancy sensor, which has variation in sensitivity within each wavelength of range. By comparison with test data taken from a human subject, we demonstrate that the mobile target provides a reproducible alternative for a human target that better accounts for the impact of sensor placement. This characterization technique enables generation of coverage patterns for breathing motion for single-channel continuous wave Doppler radar-based occupancy sensors.

Sensitivity of 240 Listeria monocytogenes isolates to common industrial biocides is more dependent on the presence of residual organic matter or biofilm than on genetic determinants

Listeria monocytogenes continues to be a problem in ready-to-eat foods. Tolerance and adaptation to biocides have been proposed to contribute to the persistence of L. monocytogenes in the food processing industry. This study aimed to determine if the sensitivity to common biocides varies among 240 L. monocytogenes isolates. The impact of residual organic matter (soils), biofilm, and ability to adapt to biocides was also evaluated. Food and food processing related isolates of L. monocytogenes (n = 240) were whole genome sequenced and assigned to sequence types (n = 53) and clonal complexes (n = 32). Isolates were screened for genetic elements associated with biocide tolerance and tested for their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) to benzalkonium chloride (BC), peracetic acid (PAA), sodium hypochlorite (SH) and ethanol (ET). Biocide tolerance under soiled conditions, in biofilm and in a broth suspension test (BST) was further tested for 19 representative isolates. Adaptation to sub-MICs of BC, PAA or SH (18 days, 15 °C) was tested for 15 isolates. MIC for PAA (62 mg/L) showed no variation, while for SH (47–94 mg/L) and ET (4.7–9.4% v/v) values differed 2 × among isolates. For BC, an 8 × difference (0.3–2.5 mg/L) was observed. Eighty-seven of 88 BC tolerant isolates (MIC of 2.5 mg/L) harbored known BC tolerance genes. Soiled conditions increased MIC-values 8–33 × for BC and 8 × for SH but not for PAA and ET. Biofilm increased minimum bactericidal concentrations 4–8 × for BC but not for PAA and SH. Survival of isolates with BC tolerance genes was not significantly (p > 0.05) improved in BSTs with PAA, SH or BC. Lineage I isolates (n = 7 of 19) showed significantly (p < 0.05) better survival than lineage II isolates (n = 12) when exposed to PAA (100 mg/L) in BSTs. Adaptation to BC (8 × MIC increase) occurred exclusively for originally sensitive isolates, while no adaptation to SH and PAA were observed. In conclusion, L. monocytogenes isolates showed limited variation in sensitivity to biocides in MIC assays. However, lineage I isolates were less sensitive to PAA than lineage II isolates in BSTs. The efficacy of SH and BC were affected by residual organic matter and/or biofilm, demonstrating the need for proper cleaning prior to biocide use with PAA being less perturbed.

Poster Session I: Diurnal variations in luminance and chromatic contrast sensitivity.

Sensory motor performance typically peaks in the evening, influenced by observer's diurnal arousal level. The arousal level is regulated by neurons in the brainstem, which form connections extending throughout the brain but the connection is highly heterogeneous. The dorsal visual pathway and superior colliculus receive a dense projections, while the ventral visual pathway and lateral geniculate nucleus receive fewer. The former primarily deal with stimuli determined by luminance contrast, while the latter handle chromatic information. How such heterogeneous projection in the brain impacts on human visual detection performance has yet to be understood. In this study, we measured the diurnal variation in human contrast sensitivity and investigated whether changes differed between luminance and chromatic stimuli. Result revealed that as the time of day progressed, sensitivity to luminance contrast improved, while sensitivity to color contrast deteriorated.

Concordance between APOE genotyping and proteotyping using the novel Lumipulse G Pan‐ApoE and Lumipulse G ApoE4 RUO assays

AbstractBackgroundThe APOE gene has three different alleles that encode for three different ApoE protein isoforms (APOE2, APOE3, and APOE4), resulting in 6 different phenotypes. Nucleic acid amplification test remains the gold standard for APOE genotyping, however quantification of the ApoE proteins using immunoassays could provide another piece of information, related to the expression levels of the proteins. In this regard, ApoE as a protein biomarker can be used in research to determine its value alone or as part of a panel of plasma biomarkers.MethodThe LUMIPULSE G System is a chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay platform enabling fully automated processing of samples using ready‐to‐use immunoreaction cartridges. Time to result in these single use test cartridges takes about 30 minutes. The analytical performance of the newly developed Lumipulse G Pan‐ApoE and Lumipulse G ApoE4 RUO assays was determined. Parameters analyzed were precision, sensitivity, linearity, prozone and potential impact of interfering substances. Proof of concept of these novel assays was verified with a set of 230 genotyped plasma samples.ResultThe total within‐lab variability of both assays was ≤8% CV confirming high precision of the LUMIPULSE G system. Using low ApoE concentrated plasma samples, the observed LoD and LoQ (@20% CV) was 0.072 µg/mL (Pan‐ApoE) and 0.152 µg/mL (ApoE4). Linearity was shown across the assay range (0 – 100 µg/mL) for both assays. Neither prozone effect nor significant impact (recovery within 100±10%) of commonly tested endogenous substances (bilirubin, haemoglobin, low and high Protein content, and human anti‐mouse antibodies (HAMA)) was observed. Potential interference was observed for triglycerides and rheumatoid factor (RF) with observed recovery within 100±20%. ApoE proteotyping based on the novel assays resulted in a 99.8% concordance with APOE genotyping (1 discordant result). Moreover, applying the ratio ApoE4/Pan‐ApoE with the measurement values of respective assays, classified correctly between hetero‐ and homozygous E4 carrier status.ConclusionThe analytical performance studies demonstrate low variability and high sensitivity enabling measurement of pan‐ApoE and ApoE4 in plasma. Pan‐apoE and apoE4 quantification can offer relevant insights into the assessment of subjects at risk for AD or adverse events following anti‐amyloid treatments and should be studied further.

The development of a 10.7-MHz fully balanced current-tunable bandpass filter with Caprio technique

Bandpass filters are integral in modern communication systems for selecting specific frequency ranges to ensure interference-free signal transmission and reception. This paper explores various bandpass filter designs, including those using active inductors, transmission-line unit-cells, microstrip open-loop resonators, and dual-port dual-frequency integration antennas. The focus is on the 10.7-MHz bandpass filter, widely used in FM radio and television systems. The study evaluates current-controlled and balanced designs, analyzing their performance, advantages, and drawbacks. Unique trade-offs in terms of linearity, distortion, temperature sensitivity, and component variations are discussed. Additionally, advancements in filter technology and diverse design options are presented. The paper introduces a novel current-balanced, frequency-adjusted bandpass filter to address odd-order noise issues. This filter aims to achieve high linearity, harmonic distortion attenuation, and the elimination of even-order harmonics. Through synthesis, analysis, simulation, and comparison with traditional filters, the proposed design enhances signal quality and efficiency. The fully-balanced current-tunable bandpass filter with the Caprio technique at 10.7 MHz is developed, exhibiting symmetrical characteristics with lower total harmonic distortion. The circuit’s structure is simple and adaptable for integration, validated through consistent simulation results. The study concludes by emphasizing the constant sensitivity of transistor differential amplifier circuits to the center frequency and the linear relationship between center frequency and adjustable bias current. The suggested transistor and capacitor selection criteria contribute to optimizing the circuit’s performance, aligning with the Caprio technique’s recommendations. Overall, this research presents a promising solution for achieving high-quality signal transmission in contemporary communication systems

Measuring directivity of half-inch measurement microphones

The directivity of a microphone is the relative sensitivity variation as a function of incidence angle. This is an important characteristic when every sound arriving at the microphone position is relevant. This paper presents the measuring directivity of half-inch measurement microphones. The microphone is placed in a free sound field and exposed to a sound pressure. The unloaded output voltage is measured. Then, the microphone is rotated in 30o steps, while both the acoustic centers of the microphone and the sound source remain in fixed positions in the sound field, and is exposed to the same sound pressure. The unloaded output voltage for each angle of incidence is measured and them the difference relative to 0 deg. of incidence is calculated as a function of frequency. The directivity of eight measurement microphones from the same manufacturer but of different types and frequency response characteristics (i.e. pressure field, random incidence or free-field) were measured. Results showed that the microphones object of this investigation have similar directivities in the frequency range from 16 Hz to 12.5 kHz regardless of their frequency response characteristics.

On the thermoluminescence characteristics of NaF and KCl

Thermoluminescence (TL) properties of NaF and KCl are investigated in order to assess their suitability as radiation dosemeters for retrospective dosimetry. TL measurements were made on samples irradiated to different doses (1–20 Gy) and heated at a rate ranging from 0.4 to 4 °C/s in a TL/OSL reader. The TL glow curves of NaF, readout at 1oCs−1, exhibited six apparent peaks around 38.7 ± 1.4, 63.5 ± 0.5, 105.5 ± 0.4, 237.5 ± 0.8, 299.0 ± 1.0 and 347.5 ± 0.7 °C with a shoulder around 168.0 ± 2.3 °C. Those of KCl have three clearly identifiable peaks around 44.0 ± 0.3, 95.3 ± 0.8 and 160.5 ± 0.7 °C. Glow curve deconvolution, however, revealed that the glow curves of NaF and KCl are best fitted with nine and five glow peaks respectively. In NaF, all the peaks exhibited linearity of dose-response in the entire dose range considered in this study. Only the peaks around 95.3 ± 0.8 and 160.5 ± 0.7 °C exhibited linear dose-response in the entire dose range for KCl. In NaF, there was thermal quenching of the TL responses of the peaks around 63.5 ± 0.5, 105.5 ± 0.4 and 237.5 ± 0.8 °C, and thermal enhancement of responses for peaks around 299.0 ± 1.0 and 347.5 ± 0.7 °C. With respect to KCl, the TL responses of all the peaks exhibited thermal enhancement as heating rate was increased. The activation energies associated with the thermal enhancement and quenching of the peaks’ TL responses are presented. The repeated use of an aliquot of NaF five times for dose measurements resulted in an acceptable variation in sensitivity, on the other hand the sensitivity of KCl decreased with increasing number of repeat use. The activation energy of the electron traps associated with the glow peaks in both crystals calculated in this study are comparable to previously published values. Both crystals can be used for retrospective dosimetry however change in sensitivity with repeat use of an aliquot will have to be accounted for in the case of KCl.

Highly Sensitive Chip-Based Digital PCR Platform for Quantitative Detection of BCR::ABL1 Transcripts throughout CML Treatment

Introduction: With various BCR::ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has become a manageable disease and current therapeutic goal is treatment-free remission (TFR). To achieve a successful TFR in more patients, a precise assessment of minimal residual disease (MRD) is one of the prerequisite requirements. Since undetectable BCR::ABL1 fusion transcripts by conventional Taqman™-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is not an indicator for complete eradication of the CML clone, it requires the development of more sensitive technologies. Currently, to overcome some limitations of conventional qPCR, such as rigorous standardization process and variations in sensitivity between laboratories, digital quantitative-PCR (dqPCR) methods have been developed for accurate and precise detection and its use in the routine clinical practice is gradually expanding. However, current dqPCR methods require the inclusion of one or more negative partitions to calculate the concentration using Poisson distribution. Consequently, this leads to a more than a 10-fold decrease in the maximum detectable concentration in a single test compared to conventional qPCR. Therefore, we have developed a novel technology, High Dynamic Range Digital Real-time PCR (so called HDR-drPCR) to achieve wider dynamic range, which allows more stable, accurate and sensitive monitoring of BCR::ABL1 in a timely manner. Methods: For linearity assessment, we used BCR::ABL1 positive (e14a2) K562 cell line diluted to 7 points by 10-fold serial dilutions from 25 to 2.5x10 -5 %IS with BCR::ABL1 negative HL60 cells. In HDR-drPCR, the GUSB gene was employed as a control gene to determine %IS values. For this purpose, the 1 st WHO international genetic reference panel was utilized to calculate the correction factor (CF). With the results from cell lines, we also evaluated equivalence between conventional qPCR and HDR-drPCR using 219 clinical specimens. Among them, 100 samples were determined as DMR (&amp;lt;0.01%IS) based on the qPCR test results In detail, conventional qPCR was performed using Transcriptor First Strand cDNA Synthesis Kit (Roche, USA) for cDNA synthesis and Real-Q BCR-ABL Quantification Kit (Biosewoom, South Korea) for qPCR. For HDR-drPCR (1-step reverse transcriptase PCR), 10 6 to 10 7 copies per reaction of GUSB gene were applied to disposable cartridges of Genotizer™ HDR BCR::ABL1 Major IS detection kit (Optolane Technologies, South Korea) with LOAA platform (Optolane Technologies, Korea). Based on the results, correlation analysis between qPCR and HDR-drPCR was performed using correlation graphs and Blend-Altman plots. Results: Linearity was assessed by the dilution of RNA of K562 with RNA of HL60 using 10-fold serial dilution of up to - 7 log. The result showed accurate linearity (R 2 = 0.9972) at the range of BCR::ABL1/GUSB ratio of 10 1 to 10 -5(%). Notably, HDR-drPCR technology allowed to detect the level of BCR::ABL1 transcript of MR 6.34 (0.00005 %IS) (Figure 1A). The correlation analysis for 209 clinical samples showed that measured values from both qPCR and HDR-drPCR were closely correlated with the R 2 of 0.973 1 (Figure 1B) . The Bland-Altman plot showed a mean bias of 0.159, and the limit of agreement at the 95% confidence interval (LOA95) was calculated as -0.387 to 0.705. Furthermore, the concordance rate between the two methods was 96.17%, as measured by the proportion of samples in which the difference between the two methods was within a factor of 5. This indicates a strong concordance between the two methods. HDR-drPCR reliably detected BCR::ABL1 transcripts in all 90 clinical specimens measured below 0.01%IS (DMR) using qPCR. Additionally, HDR-drPCR detected trace amounts of BCR::ABL1 transcripts in 6 out of 10 specimens that were not detected by qPCR, showcasing its improved sensitivity compared to the conventional qPCR method. Conclusion: Taken together, we believe our high dynamic range real-time digital PCR(HDR-drPCR) may minimize false positive results and maximize the analytical sensitivity of detecting BCR::ABL1 fusion transcripts and thus, would be useful for accurately assessing treatment in routine clinical practice and facilitating the application of treatment-free remission (TFR). We will include these results in further intensive studies focusing on DMR clinical specimens Study support: Funded by Korea Research Foundation

Fluorescence and Near-Infrared Light for Detection of Secondary Caries: A Systematic Review.

Early detection of secondary caries near dental restorations is essential to prevent further complications. This systematic review seeks to evaluate the sensitivity of fluorescence and near-infrared (NIR) imaging techniques for detecting secondary caries and to provide insight into their clinical utility. A comprehensive search strategy was used to select studies from seven databases, emphasizing diagnostic accuracy studies of secondary caries detection using fluorescence and NIR imaging techniques. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) instrument assessed bias risk and practicality. Two evaluators performed data extraction, screening, and quality assessment independently. From 3110 initial recordings, nine studies were selected for full-text analysis. Wide variations in sensitivity (SE) and specificity (SP) values were reported across the studies. These studies exhibited variable SE and SP values, and the findings highlighted the importance of method selection based on clinical context. This systematic review underlines the potential for fluorescence and NIR imaging to detect secondary caries. However, results from different studies vary, indicating the need to consider additional variables such as restoration materials. Although these technologies exhibit potential for detecting caries, our research underscores the complex procedure of identifying secondary caries lesions. It is a continuous necessity for progress in dental diagnostics to promptly identify secondary caries lesions, particularly those in proximity to tooth-colored ones.

Improved particle swarm optimisation tuned PID position control of voice coil semi-active electrohydraulic damper

Control on the variable damping coefficients in the semi-active damper enhances ride comfort and vehicle stability. The semi-active electrohydraulic damper (SEH) presented in this study incorporates voice coil-based robust valve control to modify the damping coefficients. However, the position tracking accuracy of the voice coil actuator (VCA) gets negatively influenced by the nonlinearities such as load variations due to external disturbances, back emf, and dynamic damper characteristics. Therefore, to achieve excellent position control, a restart particle swarm optimisation with the Gompertz function (PSO-RG) is presented to obtain optimal tuning control gain for the proportional integral derivative controller. The PSO-RG algorithm applies Gompertz function-based particle coefficients and restarting technique. These techniques allow the PSO-RG to overcome the limitations of standard PSO, such as premature convergence and particle entrapment in local minima. The algorithm is tested in five selected benchmark functions for 10, 30 and 50 dimensions. The test data conveys that PSO-RG outperforms the standard PSO in mean, standard deviation, the best solution, and convergence speed. The transient response on identified and validated model of VCA demonstrated a 75.21% reduction in integral absolute error value than conventional PSO. The obtained maximum sensitivity and total variation values proved the robustness and smoothness of PSO-RG tuned PID control. Furthermore, the experimental analysis on the quarter car model shows that PSO-RG tuned PID precisely tracked the reference position with a 21.66% decrease in root mean square error to conventional PSO tuned PID. The CarSim co-simulation test results in the large van model indicate the need for precise VCA position control in enhancing ride comfort and improving the roll stability of the vehicle.

Two duckweed species exhibit variable tolerance to microcystin-LR exposure across genotypic lineages

Cyanotoxins produced by harmful cyanobacteria blooms can damage freshwater ecosystems and threaten human health. Floating macrophytes may be used as a means of biocontrol by limiting light and resources available to cyanobacteria. However, genetic variation in macrophyte sensitivity to cyanotoxins could influence their suitability as biocontrol agents. We investigated the influence of such intraspecific variation on the response of two rapidly growing duckweed species, Lemna minor and Spirodela polyrhiza, often used in nutrient and metal bioremediation. We assessed two biomarkers related to productivity (biomass and chlorophyll A production) and two related to fitness measures (population size and growth rate). Fifteen genetic lineages of each species were grown in media containing common cyanotoxin microcystin-LR at ecologically relevant concentrations or control media for a period of twelve days. Genotype identity had a strong impact on all biomarker responses. Microcystin concentration slightly increased the final population sizes of both macrophyte species with a marginal effect on growth rate of L. minor and the chlorophyll A production of S. polyrhiza, but overall these species were very tolerant of microcystin. The strong tolerance supports the potential use of these plants as bioremediators of cyanobacterial blooms. However, differential impact of microcystin exposure discovered in single lineage models among genotypes indicates a potential for cyanotoxins to act as selective forces, necessitating attention to genotype selection for bioremediation.

The combined effects of phenanthrene and micro-/nanoplastics mixtures on the cellular stress responses of the thick-shell mussel Mytilus coruscus

Pollution with complex mixtures of contaminants including micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs) and organic pollutants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) poses a major threat to coastal marine ecosystems. Toxic mechanisms of contaminant mixtures are not well understood in marine organisms. We studied the effects of single and combined exposures to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon phenanthrene (Phe) and MNPs mixture with sizes of 70 nm, 5 μm and 100 μm on the immune health and oxidative stress parameters in the thick-shell mussel Mytilus coruscus. Immune cells (hemocytes) were more sensitive to the pollutant-induced oxidative stress than the gills. In hemocytes of co-exposed mussels, elevated mortality, lower lysosomal content, high production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decrease mitochondrial were found. Disparate responses of antioxidant enzymes in the hemolymph (e.g. increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity without a corresponding increase in catalase (CAT) in Phe exposures and an increase in CAT without a change in SOD in MNPs exposures) suggests misbalance of the antioxidant defense in the pollutant-exposed mussels. Gill lacked pronounced oxidative stress response showing a decline in ROS and antioxidant levels. Tissue-specific single and combined effects of Phe and MNPs suggest variation in bioavailability and/or different sensitivity to these pollutants in the studied tissues. Notably, the combined effects of MNPs and Phe were additive or antagonistic, showing that MNPs do not enhance and occasionally mitigate the toxic effects of Phe on the hemocytes and the gills of the mussels. Overall, our study sheds light on the impact of long-term exposure to MNPs and Phe mixtures on mussels, showing high sensitivity of the immune system and modulation of the Phe toxicity by MNPs co-exposure. These findings that may have implications for understanding the impacts of combined PAH and MNPs pollution on the health of mussel populations from polluted coastal habitats.

Real-time Interpretation of EEG Signals for Consciousness State Assessment

Assessing the level of consciousness is critical in clinical practice, especially for patients with traumatic brain injuriesor those in a coma or vegetative state. Traditional methods like the Glasgow Coma Scale have limitations, such asinter-observer variability and low sensitivity. In recent years, electroencephalography (EEG) has emerged as a promisingapproach for assessing consciousness, offering non-invasive, real-time monitoring of brain activity. In this study, we propose a real-time analysis system for assessing consciousness levels using a portable EEG device. Our system analyzes EEG signals and provides valuable insights into consciousness levels, enabling prompt clinical interventions. The real-time nature of our system allows for continuous monitoring and immediate assessment of consciousness levels. Compared to traditional methods, our system offers advantages in terms of real-time functionality, providing a comprehensive evaluation of consciousness. Through extensive experiments using real patient data, our systemdemonstrates its value as a valuable tool for assessing consciousness levels in clinical practice. It offers healthcare professionals an efficient and reliable method for evaluating consciousness.

Inconsistent shifts in warming and temperature variability are linked to reduced avian fitness

As the climate has warmed, many birds have advanced their breeding timing. However, as climate change also changes temperature distributions, breeding earlier might increase nestling exposure to either extreme heat or cold. Here, we combine >300,000 breeding records from 24 North American birds with historical temperature data to understand how exposure to extreme temperatures has changed. Average spring temperature increased since 1950 but change in timing of extremes was inconsistent in direction and magnitude; thus, populations could not track both average and extreme temperatures. Relative fitness was reduced following heatwaves and cold snaps in 11 and 16 of 24 species, respectively. Latitudinal variation in sensitivity in three widespread species suggests that vulnerability to extremes at range limits may contribute to range shifts. Our results add to evidence demonstrating that understanding individual sensitivity and its links to population level processes is critical for predicting vulnerability to changing climates.

Application of polyimide films as a nuclear track detector (1): A systematic study of track registration sensitivity

This paper reports the variation of track registration sensitivity as a function of the stopping power of heavy ions in UPILEX-S® films, which is known as the most radiation tolerant polyimide (PI). The detection thresholds in the stopping power for etch pit formation are determined as 4,000, 4,100, 4,800, and 5600 keV/μm for 40Ar, 84Kr, 132Xe and 238U ions, respectively. Furthermore, we investigate the latent track structure in two kinds of PI films (UPILEX-S® and Kapton) by means of FT-IR spectroscopy. At the similar stopping power value, the radiation chemical yields (G value) for heavier ions are lower than those of lighter ions. This is due to the difference of the radial dose distribution for low and high velocity ions.

Spatial variation in the sensitivity of freshwater macroinvertebrate assemblages to chemical stressors

Assessing spatial variation in the chemical sensitivity of natural assemblages will enhance ecological relevance and reduce uncertainty in ecological risk assessments and the derivation of environmental quality standards (EQSs). However, the majority of species in natural communities have not undergone toxicity testing for any chemical, which poses a major challenge when assessing their sensitivity. We investigated spatial variation and patterns in the sensitivity of 4084 freshwater macroinvertebrate assemblages across England to 5 general-acting chemicals (heavy metals) and 13 specifically acting chemicals (insecticides) using a novel hierarchical species sensitivity distribution method based on taxonomic relatedness. Furthermore, we explored how river typology relates to spatial variation in assemblage sensitivity to chemicals and the potential impacts of such variation on current EQSs. Our findings revealed that, whereas assemblages with similar taxonomic compositions exhibit comparable sensitivity distributions, assemblages with different taxonomic compositions could have very similar or very different sensitivity distributions. The variation in assemblage sensitivity was greater for specifically acting chemicals than for general-acting chemicals and exhibited spatial clustering patterns. These spatial clustering patterns varied depending on the chemical, and the regions where assemblages were most sensitive to metals were generally not the same as the regions where assemblages were most sensitive to insecticides. Spatial variation in assemblage sensitivity was related to river typology with sensitive assemblages being more common than expected in lowland calcareous (or mixed geology) rivers within very small to small catchments. Comparing spatial variation in assemblage-specific chemical sensitivity to EQSs, we found that the operational EQSs in England would protect most study assemblages (i.e., > 99.5 %), although a small proportion of assemblages may face potential risks associated with azinphos-methyl, copper, and malathion. In many cases the EQSs were very precautionary, potentially requiring expensive control measures or restricting beneficial chemical use with no additional environmental benefit. The development of spatially defined EQSs, possibly based on river types, could be developed to target areas that require the highest level of protection and thus strike a balance between the benefits of chemical use and environmental protection.

Temperature dependence of pressure sensitive flow in bulk metallic glass composites

The constraint factor, C, defined as hardness, H, to the yield strength, σy, ratio, is an indirect measure of the pressure sensitivity in materials. Previous investigations determined that while C is less than 3 for crystalline materials, and remains invariant with change in temperature, it is greater than 3 for bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) and increases with increasing temperature, below their glass transition temperature, Tg. In this study, the variations in C for two BMG composites (BMGCs), which have an amorphous matrix and in situ precipitated crystalline β-Ti dendrites, which in one case transforms under stress to α”-Ti and deforms by slip in the other, as a function of temperature are examined and compared with that of a BMG. For this purpose, instrumented indentation tests, with a Berkovich tip, and uniaxial compression tests were performed to measure the H and σy, respectively, on all alloys and their constituents at temperatures in the range of 0.48Tg and 0.75Tg. σy and H of the BMGC with transforming dendrites (BMGC-T) increase and remain invariant with increasing temperature, respectively. Alternately, in BMG and the BMGC with non-transforming dendrites (BMGCNT), the same properties decrease with increasing temperature. BMGC-T has the highest C of ∼4.93 whereas that of BMGCNT and BMG are ∼3.72 and ∼3.28, respectively, at 0.48Tg. With increasing temperature, C of the BMG and BMGCNT increases with temperature, but that of the BMGC-T decreases. The values of C and their variations as a function of temperature were explained by studying the variation of pressure sensitivity of the amorphous phase and concluding that the plastic flow in BMGCs under constrained conditions, such as indentation, is controlled by the flow resistance of the amorphous matrix whereas that in uniaxial compression, which is only partially constrained, is controlled by plasticity in both the dendrites and matrix.

Modelling variation in test sensitivity for monitoring leptospirosis in beef cattle

When Bayesian latent class analysis is used for diagnostic test data in the absence of a gold standard test, it is common to assume that any unknown test sensitivities and specificities are constant across different populations. Indeed this assumption is often necessary for model identifiability. However there are a number of practical situations, depending on the type of test and the nature of the disease, where this assumption may not be true. We present a case study of using a microscopic agglutination test to diagnose leptospiroris infection in beef cattle, which strongly suggests that sensitivity in particular varies among herds. We develop and fit an alternative model in which sensitivity is related to within-herd prevalence, and discuss the statistical and epidemiological implications.