Variations In Positions Research Articles

Assessment of foot deformities in individuals with cerebral palsy using weight-bearing CT.

The aims of this study were to visualize and quantify relative bone positions in the feet of individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) with a foot deformity and compare bone positions with those of typically developed (TD) controls. Weight-bearing CT images of 14 individuals with CP scheduled for tendon transfer and/or bony surgery and of 20 TD controls were acquired on a Planmed Verity WBCT scanner. Centroids of the navicular and calcaneus with respect to the talus were used to quantify foot deformities. All taluses were aligned and the size and dimensions of the individuals' talus were scaled to correct for differences in bone sizes. In order to visualize and quantify variations in relative bone positions, 95% CI ellipsoids and standard deviations in its principle X-, Y-, and Z-directions were determined. In individuals with CP (age 11-17), a large variation in centroid positions was observed compared to data of TD controls. Radiuses of the ellipsoids, representing the standard deviations of the 95% CI in the principle X-, Y-, and Z-directions, were larger in individuals with CP compared to TD controls for both the calcaneus (3.16 vs 1.86mm, 4.26 vs 2.60mm, 9.19 vs 3.60mm) and navicular (4.63 vs 1.55mm, 5.18 vs 2.10mm, 16.07 vs 4.16mm). By determining centroids of the calcaneus and navicular with respect to the talus on WBCT images, normal and abnormal relative bone positions can be visualized and quantified in individuals with CP with various foot deformities.

Insight of terbium substitution on the structural, spectroscopic, and dielectric characteristics of the Ba–Mg–Fe–O system

BaMg2TbxFe16-xO27 (x = 0.00, 0.04, 0.08, 0.12 and 0.16) hexaferrites have been synthesized by sol-gel auto combustion method. The synthesized hexaferrites were characterized by structural, spectral, and dielectric properties. As the ionic radii of substituted element Tb3+(0.93 Å) is higher than Fe3+ (0.64 Å), the lattice parameter ‘a’ increase with substitution while the lattice parameter ‘c' decreases due to internal stresses and lattice distortion. Crystallite size of Tb3+ substituted W-type hexagonal ferrites are calculated and found in the range of 13.2–14.95 nm. FTIR patterns confirm the presence of Fe–O bands at octahedral and tetrahedral sites. The variations in the band positions were observed with substitutions of Tb3+ content. It is also observed that values of both force constants (Ko and Kt) increase with the inclusion of Tb3+ ions, showing the strong intermolecular bonding. The different parameters of dielectric characteristics were examined in the frequency range 1 GHz–6 GHz, and these showed variation with Tb3+ incorporation and frequency. Dielectric constant, dielectric loss factor, tan loss, and ac conductivity showed an increasing trend while Z′ and Z″ decreases with frequency because conductivity increased. Q value of these materials is low, which may be used in resonant frequency ferrites bead. The obtained results of all parameters including large value of dielectric parameters suggested that these prepared hexaferrites can be used in microwave frequency attenuating devices at GHz, recording, and storage media, and electrical components in mobile phones and refrigerator magnets.

Conserved structures of neural activity in sensorimotor cortex of freely moving rats allow cross-subject decoding

Our knowledge about neuronal activity in the sensorimotor cortex relies primarily on stereotyped movements that are strictly controlled in experimental settings. It remains unclear how results can be carried over to less constrained behavior like that of freely moving subjects. Toward this goal, we developed a self-paced behavioral paradigm that encouraged rats to engage in different movement types. We employed bilateral electrophysiological recordings across the entire sensorimotor cortex and simultaneous paw tracking. These techniques revealed behavioral coupling of neurons with lateralization and an anterior–posterior gradient from the premotor to the primary sensory cortex. The structure of population activity patterns was conserved across animals despite the severe under-sampling of the total number of neurons and variations in electrode positions across individuals. We demonstrated cross-subject and cross-session generalization in a decoding task through alignments of low-dimensional neural manifolds, providing evidence of a conserved neuronal code.

Combining diagnostics, modeling, and control systems for automated alignment of the TES beamline

X-ray beamlines are essential components of all synchrotron light sources. Practical operations involve frequent variation in beamline component positions and orientation, particularly when photon beam parameters shift due to experimental needs, or due to variations in the incoming photon beam. The alignment process can be time consuming and takes away from valuable beam time for experimental data collection. We describe progress in the automation of certain alignment tasks on the tender-energy X-ray spectroscopy (TES) beamline at the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II). The beamline is controlled using the BlueSky software in which high level experimental plans guide the beamline components during an experiment. Numerous software packages exist for beamline modeling, and they may be tied to the beamline control system using a package we are continuing to develop called Sirepo-Bluesky. The photon beam distribution may be measured with fluorescent screens, and a relation between beam and machine state can be found by varying the mirror and aperture settings over a multi-dimensional range. We describe the results of such parameter varying measurements and how we are combining Sirepo-Bluesky with machine learning methods and reduced models to automate mirror alignment on the TES beamline.

Unusual mitochondrial tRNA rearrangements in stingless bee Tetragonula pagdeni and phylogenetic analysis

ABSTRACTTetragonula pagdeni (Hymenoptera: Meliponini) is a widely distributed and economically important stingless bee. The taxonomic status and evolution of this species have not been fully understood. We sequenced the mitogenome of T. pagdeni and analyzed its characteristics including gene rearrangements in present work, which will provide help for better protection and utilization of this germplasm resource. The mitochondrial genome sequence was obtained by establishing library and high‐throughput sequencing. Using all protein coding sequences joined, the phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that T. pagdeni has the closest kinship with Lepidotrigona species, and then has a second closest kinship with the Melipona stingless bees. All the stingless bee species (Meliponini) analyzed formed a single clade, and among them the T. pagdeni mitogenome exhibited the highest gene rearrangement score, suggesting this species has an overactive evolutionary history. Especially, an unusual tRNA‐Gly translocation was observed in T. pagdeni mitogenome, which broke the super‐conserved atp8‐atp6‐cox3‐G block in Hymenoptera mitogenomes. The translocated tRNA‐Gly moved to a position next to the D‐loop control region, and whether this translocation has a functional effect to the widely distributed T. pagdeni need further exploration. The variations of gene positions in mitogenome could also provide useful information to clarify the phylogenetic relations in Meliponini.

Determination of skarn garnet compositions using Raman spectroscopy

AbstractGarnet is a key and defining mineral of skarns and associated metalliferous deposits. Variation in garnet composition, commonly expressed by the proportions of different end‐members, is widely used to determine the physical–chemical features of hydrothermal fluids. Skarn garnets from the Fujiashan W‐Cu‐Mo deposit, eastern China, were investigated by Raman spectroscopy and electron probe microanalysis to assess the quantitative correlation between Raman band positions and proportions of garnet end‐members. Compositions and Raman band positions of so‐called “grandite” garnet (Adr18–98Grs0–79), where Adr and Gr are the end‐members andradite and grossular, respectively, display a spatial zonation at Fujiashan that correlates with the distance from the contact between skarn and causative intrusion. Raman band positions determined in the ranges 234–246, 351–368, 369–375, 515–544, 814–826, and 873–882 cm−1 demonstrate moderate to very strong (R2 up to 0.99) linear correlations with mol% andradite and grossular components. This is attributed to homovalent substitution between Fe3+ and Al3+ in the octahedral site, which has an indirect effect on bond lengths and angles of Si‐O vibration, resulting in linear variation of Raman band positions. The band between 515 and 544 cm−1 is the most sensitive to compositional variation, and its position enables robust estimation of end‐member proportions within 10% of results calculated from electron probe microanalysis. This research highlights the potential of Raman spectroscopy as a rapid, powerful method to assess the composition of skarn garnet, enabling accelerated construction of spatial zonation models for skarns during skarn deposit exploration.

Experimental study on local bond-slip constitutive model between steel and steel fiber reinforced concrete structure of circular cross-section

The interface slip between shape steel and concrete is one of the biggest problems in numerical simulation of composite structures, this paper aims to investigate interfacial bond-slip behavior between steel and steel fiber reinforced concrete. For this purpose, a series of push-out tests on 15 circular section specimens which were designed and fabricated with different steel fiber ratio, interface embedded length and concrete cover thickness have been done. Experimental results show that average bond strength versus free end slip curves of each specimen is similar, and then a basic average bond strength-free end slip constitutive model was proposed in this paper. Meanwhile, considering the distribution regularities of steel strains, local bond strength and relative slip along the interface embedded length at different load levels were obtained through the mechanical derivation, the results show that the maximum local bond strength was located near the free end, and the local bond strength away from free end tended to be steady. Based on the basic average bond strength-free end slip constitutive model, two position functions were proposed to describe the local bond-slip constitutive model considering the variation of positions. Two position functions are of great significance for further research on SSFRC non-linear properties by FEM.

Pharmacogenomics driven decision support prototype with machine learning: A framework for improving patient care.

A growing number of healthcare providers make complex treatment decisions guided by electronic health record (EHR) software interfaces. Many interfaces integrate multiple sources of data (e.g., labs, pharmacy, diagnoses) successfully, though relatively few have incorporated genetic data. This study utilizes informatics methods with predictive modeling to create and validate algorithms to enable informed pharmacogenomic decision-making at the point of care in near real-time. The proposed framework integrates EHR and genetic data relevant to the patient's current medications including decision support mechanisms based on predictive modeling. We created a prototype with EHR and linked genetic data from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the largest integrated healthcare system in the US. The EHR data included diagnoses, medication fills, and outpatient clinic visits for 2,600 people with HIV and matched uninfected controls linked to prototypic genetic data (variations in single or multiple positions in the DNA sequence). We then mapped the medications that patients were prescribed to medications defined in the drug-gene interaction mapping of the Clinical Pharmacogenomics Implementation Consortium's (CPIC) level A (i.e., sufficient evidence for at least one prescribing action) guidelines that predict adverse events. CPIC is a National Institute of Health funded group of experts who develop evidence based pharmacogenomic guidelines. Preventable adverse events (PAE) can be defined as a harmful outcome from an intervention that could have been prevented. For this study, we focused on potential PAEs resulting from a medication-gene interaction. The final model showed AUC scores of 0.972 with an F1 score of 0.97 with genetic data as compared to 0.766 and 0.73 respectively, without genetic data integration. Over 98% of people in the cohort were on at least one medication with CPIC level a guideline in their lifetime. We compared predictive power of machine learning models to detect a PAE between five modeling methods: Random Forest, Support Vector Machine (SVM), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), K Nearest neighbors (KNN), and Decision Tree. We found that XGBoost performed best for the prototype when genetic data was added to the framework and improved prediction of PAE. We compared area under the curve (AUC) between the models in the testing dataset.

Mapping structure heterogeneities and visualizing moisture degradation of perovskite films with nano-focus WAXS

Extensive attention has focused on the structure optimization of perovskites, whereas rare research has mapped the structure heterogeneity within mixed hybrid perovskite films. Overlooked aspects include material and structure variations as a function of depth. These depth-dependent local structure heterogeneities dictate their long-term stabilities and efficiencies. Here, we use a nano-focused wide-angle X-ray scattering method for the mapping of film heterogeneities over several micrometers across lateral and vertical directions. The relative variations of characteristic perovskite peak positions show that the top film region bears the tensile strain. Through a texture orientation map of the perovskite (100) peak, we find that the perovskite grains deposited by sequential spray-coating grow along the vertical direction. Moreover, we investigate the moisture-induced degradation products in the perovskite film, and the underlying mechanism for its structure-dependent degradation. The moisture degradation along the lateral direction primarily initiates at the perovskite-air interface and grain boundaries. The tensile strain on the top surface has a profound influence on the moisture degradation.

Thermodynamic simulation and experimental validation of an oil-free twin-screw expander

The chamber model method is still a powerful tool for the thermodynamic simulation of screw machines and is widely used in the industry and in science. When choosing adequate submodels for the compressible flows through machine clearances and the machine ports high simulation accuracy can be reached with minimal computation resources. However, detailed modelling is required when the complex geometry of twin-screw machines is abstracted to a time-dependent zero-dimensional chamber model. In this paper a two-chamber model simulation tool is used for the thermodynamic simulation of an oil-free twin-screw expander operating with dry air as working fluid. Insights into the modelling process are presented and the importance of precise modelling of gap flows between adjacent capacities is discussed. The simulation results are finally validated against experimental data. Integral values obtained from the experiments, such as expander mass flow rate, indicated power, and effective power, are in good agreement with the numerical calculations. To gain a deeper understanding of the thermodynamics of the expander working cycle, additional investigations are carried out at zero speed. The mass flow rates measured for a variation of stationary rotor positions are compared to values calculated with the two-chamber model method.

Rab7 Investigation Insights into the Existence of White Spot Syndrome Virus in Crustaceans: An In Silico Approach.

In this study, previously published Rab7 sequences from National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) have been investigated from chordates, mollusks, annelids, cnidarians, amphibians, priapulids, brachiopods, and arthropods including decapods and other groups. Among decapod crustacean isolates, amino acid variations were found in 13 locations. Penaeid shrimps had variations in positions 13 (I ⟶ J), 22 (T ⟶ A), 124 (G ⟶ X), and 149 (V ⟶ X) while interestingly the freshwater prawn and mitten crab both had amino acid substitutions in positions 87 (V ⟶ C) and 95 (T ⟶ S) along with the other disagreements in amino acid positions 178 (S ⟶ N), 201 (D ⟶ E), 181 (E ⟶ D), 182 (L ⟶ I), 183 (Y ⟶ G), 184 (N ⟶ H), and 198 (A ⟶ T). Among 100 isolates of Rab7 from organisms of various phyla, mutations were observed in several positions. These mutations caused variations in hydrophobicity and isoelectric point which impact the ligand-protein binding affinity. Some common mutations were found in the organisms of the same phylum and among different phyla. Homology modeling of Rab7 proteins from different organisms was done using SWISS-MODEL and validated further by developing Ramachandran plots. Protein-protein docking showed that active residues were there in the binding interfaces of Rab7 from organisms of seven different phyla and VP28 of WSSV. Similarities were observed in the Rab7-VP28 complexes in those selected organisms which differed from the Rab7-VP28 complex in the case of Penaeid shrimp. The findings of this study suggest that WSSV may exist in different marine organisms that have Rab7 protein and transmit to crustaceans like shrimps and crabs which are of commercial importance.

Dynamic temperature field and drilling damage mechanism of plain woven carbon/glass hybrid composites

Hybrid structures are increasingly important in joints of composite components. For carbon, glass, and bilateral carbon/glass hybrid composites, a thermal-mechanical characterization experimental study was implemented to explore the hybrid effect on the drilling temperature evolutions and damage mechanism. Infrared thermography was applied to analyze the temperature distribution from the side and exit surface of the composites. The results indicate that the hybrid structure generated an abrupt change of thrust force during drilling the carbon/glass interfacial region and the maximum peak force was induced in 5C5G specimen. The temperature isothermal on the side surface of hybrid composites gradually evolved into a trapezoidal shape. The variations of hole positions on the plain fabric structure can affect the temperature generation and heat transfer. The carbon layer can prevent bending deformation and act as a support in drilling the last layer of 5G5C and showed better performance. Severe damage was induced for the less mechanical strength in the glass layer and low heat dissipation of exit material leading to concentrated heat. Accumulated high temperature reduced the bonding strength between the fiber and resin, and thus the debonding, matrix smearing and resin strips occurred.

Dyadic representation in parliamentary democracy in Japan

AbstractThis study evaluates dyadic representation, that is, the link between the policy preferences of the constituencies and their representatives in the Japanese Lower House (LH). More specifically, this study examines how the within-party variation in policy positions among party candidates corresponds with that across their districts. By examining a series of candidate surveys conducted between 2003 and 2012 as well as the local employment structure, this study maps the association between the policy preferences of constituencies and those of their district candidates for two major parties. Specifically, candidates were found to take more rural-oriented positions on economic policies when running in districts with rural employment structures, while there remained a clear difference between parties. Moreover, this study demonstrates that constituencies accord more votes to candidates who better represent their preferences, strengthening the link by electing those who fulfill the responsibility beyond their party label.

Effects of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Regulation on Plant Type, Population Ecology and Sheath Blight of Hybrid Rice.

(1) Background: Sheath blight is one of the most economically significant rice diseases worldwide. A study was conducted in order to find the relationship and impact of the amount of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) application on the hybrid rice population microclimate and the severity of sheath blight. (2) Methods: Four N and four P application levels were used to determine their impact on plant type, temperature, and humidity variation in different positions of population and the severity of sheath blight in the later stage. (3) Results: We found that N and P application levels could affect the plant type and change the population temperature and humidity by increasing the leaf length and leaf angle. (4) Conclusions: N application had a more significant (p < 0.05) impact on the plant type. High N application caused decreased temperature (hybrid rice population), while increased humidity (especially the population base layer at grain filling stage) resulted in severe sheath blight. High P application had similar impacts; however, P application increased material and nitrogen transport in plants and reduced the severity of sheath blight.

THE POSITION OF MODERN ARABIC POETRY FROM THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE BETWEEN 1875-1925

The last years of the Ottoman Empire were filled with turmoil, disagreements, and conflicts, and many internal and external endeavors. To exhaust it, and eliminate it, especially in the era of Sultan Abdul Hamid, who differed opinions about his policy of ruling. Some of them see in him the tyrannical sultan, the oppressor who sought to silence and stifle freedoms, and some of them see him as an example of the righteous ruler who sought reform and preserving the unity of the Islamic nation, but the plots were very big, and therefore he was unable to prevent him from doing that. His ruling was to isolate him and install someone else, for he is the Sultan who did not sell Palestine to the Jews, and did not order the army to clash with the forces that marched from Silanik to isolate him, so he kept the blood of Muslims from being looted and prevented fighting between brothers. Modern Arab poetry was neither oblivious nor far from these events, most of which were mirrored by many poets in their poetry, such as the poet Ahmad Shawqi, Hafiz Ibrahim, Muhammad Abdul Muttalib, Elijah Abi Madi, Muhammad al-Eid Al-Khalifa, and none of them were among them. The literature of the diaspora has had a share in depicting the events of this period with the variation in opinions and positions, especially that the winds of nationalism began to blow forcefully over the region through external movement, and it was more than an Arab region (state) such as Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, and Egypt emerged from the Ottoman rule and became the Ottoman Empire. western. Thus, Arabic poetry was a mirror that lived through reality, and reflected it. And these poems, especially those with a negative direction, had a great role in deepening the gap between the Turks and Arabs after the First World War until now. This study aims to clarify the position of modern Arabic poetry on the Ottoman state, whether negative or positive, based on the opinion of more than one Arab poet, a solution, a prominent figure who lived in that period and lived closely with it. The importance of the research is evident in its topic and its goal, especially in this difficult period in which the cunning work to drive the wedges of division between Arabs and Turks, as they did in the late Ottoman era. The study relies on methods of description and analysis, using history if needed, especially the notes of Sultan Abdul Hamid that he wrote with his own hand.

Capturing Driver Status Using Naturalistic Driving Study Data: Implications for Assessing Health and Safety

The design of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADASs) and driving monitoring systems can be improved with a better understanding of on-road driving behavior. Information on traffic environment, health, engagement in secondary tasks, and corresponding eye glance locations can provide important insights into driver’s in-vehicle movements and status. This study examines the in-vehicle head movement of the driver and the factors affecting it using data from a naturalistic driving study. Linear mixed models were used to examine head position at a given point in time, and hierarchical clustering with dynamic time warping (DTW) was used to explore the trajectories of the head position. The findings show that some health conditions (e.g., limited flexibility, cancer) were correlated to restrictive head position during driving, and vehicle acceleration and traffic environment factors contributed to the variation in head positions.

Terahertz spectral identification and low-frequency vibrational analysis of dinitrotoluene isomers

Identifying dinitrotoluene (DNT) isomers has always been a challenging problem. In this study, five DNT isomers were investigated using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS), which demonstrated significant spectral differences including variations in absorption positions and intensities. This suggests that THz-TDS is ideal for rapid identification of DNT isomers. We also employed density functional theory to further discuss the origin of these spectral differences. The results indicate that steric effects between substitute groups, rather than inter-molecular hydrogen bonding, lead to differences in low-frequency vibrations.

Identifying Interaction Forces Via EMG Under Changing Motion Dynamics.

Musculoskeletal injuries can severely inhibit performance of activities of daily living. In order to regain function, rehabilitation is often required. Assistive rehabilitation devices can be used to increase arm mobility by guiding therapeutic exercises or assisting with motion. Electromyography (EMG) may be able to provide an intuitive interface between the patient and the device if appropriate classification models allow smart systems to relate these signals to the desired device motion. Unfortunately, the accuracy of pattern recognition models classifying motion in constrained laboratory environments significantly drops when used for detecting dynamic unconstrained movements. The objectives of this study were to quantity how various motion factors affect arm muscle activations during dynamic motion, and to use these motion factors and EMG signals for detecting interaction forces between the person and the environment during motion. The results quantity how EMG features change significantly with variations in arm positions, interaction forces, and motion velocities. The results also show that pattern recognition models were able to detect intended characteristics of motion based solely on EMG signals. Prediction of force was improved from 73.77% correct to 79.17% accuracy during elbow flexion-extension by properly selecting the features, and providing measurable arm position and velocity information as additional inputs to a linear discriminant analysis model.

Variasi Posisi Kondilus Mandibula Pada Pasien Maloklusi Kelas I Angle Dilihat Dari Radiografi Panoramik

Introduction : Mandibular condyle is the temporomandibular joint component that is most active and mainly receives loads when the mandible is functioning. The load received by the condyle can cause Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD). One of the etiology of TMD is the non-harmonious occlusion, as can be seen in Class I Angle Malocclusion which can affect the change in the condyle position from the center of the mandibular fossa. Panoramic radiographs examination can aid in the diagnosis of the condyle and measure the position in the condylar space. The purpose of this study was to determine the symmetries and the variations in positions of the mandibular condyles in Malocclusion Class I Angle patients and to determine their causes. Methods : This type of research is a quantitative, observational descriptive method, with a purposive sampling method. Samples were taken using the purposive sampling method from secondary data from patients with malocclusion who visit independent practice orthodontists from August 2017 - March 2020. Results : In the patient with Class I Angle Malocclusion, there were 14 (70%) with an asymmetric mandibular condyle position, 16 patients (80%) with right condyles anterior to the central fossa, and 15 patient (75%) with left condyles anterior to central fossa. Conclusion : Pathological occlusion in Class I malocclusion could also affect the mandibular condyle.

Local atomic structure distortions in the Dion-Jacobson ferroelectric CsBiNb2O7

Despite recent interest in Bi-containing layered-perovskite ferroelectrics due to high ${T}_{c}$, their rational design is constrained by a poor understanding of local atomic structures. Here, we use neutron total scattering and first-principles theory to examine the local atomic structure in Dion-Jacobson layered-perovskite ferroelectric $\mathrm{CsBi}{\mathrm{Nb}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{7}$. We show that the instantaneous short-range atomic structure can be described by a Debye-Einstein model that accommodates atomic motions due to acoustic and low-energy optic phonon modes. We determine structural distortions due to localized atomic dynamics with extremely high resolution. These are in addition to ground-state relative ionic displacements. The magnitude of dynamic variations in ionic positions points toward strong electron-phonon coupling in this material.