Height Width Research Articles

Knee Ligament Moment Arms Scale with Epicondylar Width and might Contribute to Ligament Injuries in Females.

Females are prone to knee ligament injuries compared to males. Moment arms describe the mechanical advantage of ligaments to stabilise the knee from injurious moments. Compared to males of the same stature, females have a smaller femoral epicondylar width, which we hypothesised would reduce their knee joint ligament moment arms in the frontal plane. To calculate varus-valgus ligament moment arms, we created 26 patient-specific finite element models (17F; 9 M) and simulated an axial load of half body weight. Tibial cartilage contact pressures were obtained and used to define the medial and lateral peak contact pressure, which were assumed to be the point of rotation in the frontal plane. The varus and valgus moment arms of the anterior cruciate (ACL) and the medial (MCL) and lateral collateral ligaments (LCL) were calculated as the perpendicular distance between the point of peak contact pressure and the centroid of each ligament. Multiple linear regression models with sex, height, and epicondylar width as independent variables were produced. Females had smaller varus-valgus ligament moment arms compared to males, with a mean difference of 7 to 9 mm observed by the MCL and LCL about the lateral and medial contact points, respectively (~12% smaller, p < 0.001). The female cohort exhibited ACL moment arms about the medial and lateral contact points that were ~ 4 mm less than the male cohort (p < 0.05). Correlations between varus-valgus ligament moment arm and epicondylar width were found for all three ligaments using either the medial or lateral points of peak contact pressure. These findings support our hypothesis that females have smaller varus-valgus ligament moment arms compared to males, which could contribute to the higher rate of female ligament injuries compared to males.

The Markers of Body Size and Shape of Bali Cattle and its Crosses with Exotic Bulls

One of the genetic improvement efforts to improve the performance of Bali cattle offspring production is crossbreeding Bali cattle with exotic bulls. This study aimed to identify markers of body size and shape of Bali cattle and its crosses with exotic bulls using principal component analysis. The materials used in this study were 91 heads of Bali, Simbal, Brahmbal, Limbal, and Pobal cattle, consisting of 34 males and 57 females. The variables observed were body measurements (morphometrics) consisting of shoulder height, body length, chest circumference, chest depth, chest width, hip height, and hip width. Data analysis used Principal Component Analysis in the Minitab Release 19 statistical application. The results showed that Bali, Simbal, Brahmbal, Limbal, and Pobal male cattle had the same body size markers, namely chest circumference. The body shape markers of male cattle are hip height for Bali cattle, chest length for Simbal and Pobal cattle, chest depth for Brahmbal cattle, and hip width for Limbal cattle. The body shape markers in female cattle are body length for Bali, Simbal, Brahmbal, and Pobal cattle, and hip height for Limbal cattle. These body size and shape markers have a strong correlation with the first principal component and the second principal component, so they can be used as selection criteria to improve the production performance of Bali and Bali crossbred cattle.

Chlorhexidine-loaded microneedles for treatment of oral diseases.

Chlorhexidine (CHX) is a gold standard therapeutic agent against clinical oral pathogens. However, its oral use is limited due to unpleasant taste, alteration in taste buds, staining of teeth and mucous membranes. Therefore, CHX-loaded PLGA microneedles (MNs) were fabricated for local and controlled release in the oral cavity, using a casting mold method. The MNs were well-formed with sharp MN tips and flat baseplates, showing quadrangular pyramidal shapes with average needle height and base width of about 500 and 200µm, respectively. CHX was successfully incorporated into the PLGA-based MNs, exhibiting high encapsulation efficiency. CHX-PLGA MNs were further characterized in terms of ATR-FTIR and DSC, indicating intermolecular interactions between CHX and PLGA. In vitro CHX release exhibited an initial burst release within the first 24h, accompanied by a slower release rate, reaching cumulative release of ca. 56% after 10days. The antibacterial effect of CHX-PLGA MNs on Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) was evaluated using different techniques. In agar diffusion assay, the MNs displayed sustained antimicrobial activity over 8days, while they significantly reduced the bacterial growth of S. mutans on the first 4days in a planktonic experimental setup. No antibacterial effect was recorded for the blank PLGA MNs that served as a control group. Interestingly, CHX-PLGA MNs eliminated biofilm formation and metabolic activity for 3days compared with biofilm formed in the presence of blank MNs. Then, a rebound effect was recorded. A weak antibiofilm effect and anti-metabolic activity was observed when MNs tested against pre-formed biofilm. Taken together, CHX-PLGA MNs hold promise as a viable delivery modality for localized and sustainedantimicrobial activity in the oral cavity. Further research is required to optimize the formulation and assess efficacy and safety in clinical settings.

A Deepfake Image Detection Method Based on a Multi-Graph Attention Network

Deep forgery detection plays a crucial role in addressing the challenges posed by the rapid spread of deeply generated content that significantly erodes public trust in online information and media. Deeply forged images typically present subtle but significant artifacts in multiple regions, such as in the background, lighting, and localized details. These artifacts manifest as unnatural visual distortions, inconsistent lighting, or irregularities in subtle features that break the natural coherence of the real image. To address these features of forged images, we propose a novel and efficient deep image forgery detection method that utilizes Multi-Graph Attention (MGA) techniques to extract global and local features and minimize accuracy loss. Specifically, our method introduces an interactive dual-channel encoder (DIRM), which aims to extract global and channel-specific features and facilitate complex interactions between these feature sets. In the decoding phase, one of the channels is processed as a block and combined with a Dynamic Graph Attention Network (PDGAN), which is capable of recognizing and amplifying forged traces in local information. To further enhance the model’s ability to capture global context, we propose a global Height–Width Graph Attention Module (HWGAN), which effectively extracts and associates global spatial features. Experimental results show that the classification accuracy of our method for forged images in the GenImage and CIFAKE datasets is comparable to that of the optimal benchmark method. Notably, our model achieves 97.89% accuracy on the CIFAKE dataset and has the lowest number of model parameters and lowest computational overhead. These results highlight the potential of our method for deep forgery image detection.

Analytical and numerical investigations of metal square origami foam-filled tube under axial compression

It is widely known that thin-walled structures are expected for numerous engineering devices, due to lightweight, high specific strength, and excellent energy absorption capacity. Thus, the new high-efficiency energy absorbing (EA) device is the eternal pursuit goal of designers. A novel high-efficiency energy-absorbing device of the metal square origami foam-filled tube (MSOFT) under axial compression is designed in this article, and axial crushing of the MSOFT is investigated analytically and numerically. An analytical model for axial crushing of MSOFT is established based on the conservation of energy and the hyper-folded unit theory, considering the energy absorbed by the deformation of metal origami tube, foam compression, and the interaction between foam and origami tube. Then, the finite element (FE) simulation of MSOFTs under axial compression are conducted by Abaqus/Explicit software, and found that theoretical results are in good consistency with the FE results. Then, the influences of yield strength, wall thickness, height and cross-section width of the tube, and foam strength of MSOFT under axial compression are discussed, and found that the force and energy increases when the above parameters increase. Finally, the mean crushing force (MCF) and the crushing force efficiency (CFE) among MSOFT, origami tube and square tube are compared. Compare with the origami tube and square tube, the MCF of MSOFT increases by 40.8–106.9% and 12.1–49.8%, and the CFE of MSOFT increases by 101.2–266.3% and 1.1–12.4%. It is indicated that for a wide range of geometric and material parameters the MSOFT exhibits predictable and stable collapse behavior.

Evaluation of the Effect of Unilateral Cleft Palate on Piriform Aperture Dimensions.

The aim of the present research was to assess and compare the piriform aperture dimensions of subjects with a unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) and those of a control group using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). CBCT data of 40 subjects with a complete UCLP (28 males and 12 females, with a mean age of 17.21 ± 5.75 years) and 40 CBCT images of age- and sex-matched subjects with no cleft, serving as the control group (28 males, 12 females; mean age, 17.25 ± 5.74 years) were included in the study. The maximal height and width of the piriform aperture as well as nasal bone height were measured and statistically compared between the groups. There were no significant differences in the age and sex distributions between the groups. The mean piriform aperture height was significantly lower in the UCLP group than in the control group, while the mean piriform aperture width was significantly higher in the UCLP group compared to the control group (P < .01). Furthermore, the mean bony nasal height was found to be significantly lower in the UCLP group than in the control group (P < .01). According to the present findings, UCLP is associated with changes in the piriform aperture dimensions due to lower height and higher width values. These structural alterations may contribute to the functional and aesthetic nasal challenges in patients with UCLP.

Prediction of coastal barren plant species richness and functional diversity by environmental variability across scales

AbstractQuestionsThe relationships between environmental heterogeneity and plant diversity may be negative or neutral at fine spatial scales but positive across broader areas. How do the relationships between spatial environmental variability and mean environmental conditions, plant species richness and functional diversity change across spatial scales?LocationCoastal barrens landscape in Nova Scotia, eastern Canada.MethodsWe sampled plant species composition and environmental variables in nested areas at three scales: 0.25 m2, 1 m2 and 50 m2. At each scale, subsamples of environmental variables (including elevation, soil moisture and depth) were used to calculate average and standard deviation; plant species richness was also determined for each sample. Plant traits at the species level were used to calculate functional dispersion for each of five traits (specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, leaf thickness, plant height and canopy width) and a combined index of total functional dispersion. Functional dispersion and species richness were predicted at each scale by environmental variables using linear mixed models.ResultsEnvironmental heterogeneity had low predictive power for plant diversity at the 0.25‐m2 scale but was unimodally related to species richness and functional‐diversity variables at the 1‐m2 scale. The shape of the unimodal relationships suggested a leveling off of diversity at higher levels of environmental variability rather than a decline in diversity (monotonic or asymptotic). There was a strong positive relationship between elevation (topographic) variability and species richness at the 50‐m2 scale. Functional dispersion was most strongly related to environmental variables at the 1‐m2 scale.ConclusionsPositive or non‐linear asymptotic relationships between environmental heterogeneity, richness and functional diversity at the 1‐m2 scale provide some support for niche‐based explanations of species coexistence in plant neighborhoods. At broader sampling extents, greater topographic heterogeneity may allow distinct plant communities to co‐occur within a sample, increasing richness but not functional diversity because functional diversity in leaf and canopy traits are already high within each plant community.

Development of Lettuce Growth Monitoring Model Based on Three-Dimensional Reconstruction Technology

Crop monitoring can promptly reflect the growth status of crops. However, conventional methods of growth monitoring, although simple and direct, have limitations such as destructive sampling, reliance on human experience, and slow detection speed. This study estimated the fresh weight of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) in a plant factory with artificial light based on three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction technology. Data from different growth stages of lettuce were collected as the training dataset, while data from different plant forms of lettuce were used as the validation dataset. The partial least squares regression (PLSR) method was utilized for modeling, and K-fold cross-validation was performed to evaluate the model. The testing dataset of this model achieved a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.9693, with root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) values of 3.3599 and 2.5232, respectively. Based on the performance of the validation set, an adaptation was made to develop a fresh weight estimation model for lettuce under far-red light conditions. To simplify the estimation model, reduce estimation costs, enhance estimation efficiency, and improve the lettuce growth monitoring method in plant factories, the plant height and canopy width data of lettuce were extracted to estimate the fresh weight of lettuce in addition. The testing dataset of the new model achieved an R2 value of 0.8970, with RMSE and MAE values of 3.1206 and 2.4576.

Retrieval of Chinese fir tree parameters under different understory conditions with the integration of handheld and airborne Lidar data

ABSTRACT Accurate extraction of tree parameters is vital for the calculation of high-quality forest volume or biomass. The Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar) technology with its ability to acquire three-dimensional forest stand structures is an important data source for extracting tree parameters. However, complex forest stand structures due to dense canopy and abundant understory vegetation can seriously affect the extraction performance of tree parameters. This study selected Chinese fir plantations to examine how different forest stand structure conditions affected tree parameter extraction based on the integration of handheld laser scanning (HLS) and airborne laser scanning (ALS) data. This study also explored the ability of developing models using extracted tree height and crown width, or directly using the calculated variables from point clouds to estimate the diameter at breast height (DBH) and stem volume. The methods mainly consisted of two parts: (1) Selecting appropriate height to identify seed points for tree segmentation, and subsequently extracting tree parameters; (2) Taking tree height, crown width, and tree-level point cloud metrics as independent variables to establish regression and random forest models for estimating tree DBHs and stem volumes. Results showed that (1) tree DBHs were accurately extracted with relative root mean square error (RMSEr) of 7.1%−10.5% and stem volume with an RMSEr of 12.3%−16.8% under different understory conditions; (2) As stand structure became complex, direct extraction of tree DBHs from HLS data became a challenging task. However, developing a DBH estimation model using tree height and crown width proved feasible; (3) In the complex-understory condition, the volume estimation model utilizing point cloud variables achieved good performance with RMSEr of 28.0%. This research provides new insights for extracting tree parameters using HLS and ALS data, offering a potential replacement for field measurements of tree DBH, height, and stem volume for Chinese fir plantations.

Identification and evaluation of high-performing advanced germplasm of rice through morphological and breeding value analysis

Principal component analysis (PCA) and breeding value analysis (BV) were used to discover genotypes with better features for future breeding efforts. This research included a thorough analysis of the 300 exceptional rice germplasms provided by the Bangladesh Rice Research In (BRRI) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). In the PCA scheme, the dendrogram generated using the UPGMA method identified Cluster II as the most favorable. This cluster comprised 125 genotypes distinguished by remarkable plant height, growth, and grain quality. Properties such as amylose content, chalkiness, and zinc concentration, which have a notable influence on crop productivity, were also taken into consideration. A biplot analysis, specifically examining principal components 1 and 2, revealed a favorable correlation between certain genotypes located in the top right quadrant and important agronomic factors like plant height, flowering, maturity dates, yield, and grain width. Genotypes 11, 31, 36, 48, 68, 78, 119, 126, 133, 195, 218, 220, 235, 241, 265, 266, 284, and 295 had favorable traits that suggested the possibility of higher rice production. The BV analysis revealed six genotypes 86, 142, 143, 239, 282, and 295 that showed promise for future breeding endeavors. Among the six, genotype 295 (IRRI 154) showed remarkable features. These studies provided a substantial contribution to the progress of rice breeding by opening up possibilities for developing rice varieties with improved yield and quality.

Optimizing Low-Efficiency Robinia pseudoacacia Forests on the Loess Plateau Based on an Evaluation of the Ecological Functions of Soil and Water Conservation

The vegetation for water and soil conservation on the Loess Plateau has resulted in the formation of large areas of low-quality and inefficient forests during its growth process, thereby hindering the high-quality development of such vegetation and compromising the sustainability of the ecological functions of soil and water conservation. This study focuses on Robinia pseudoacacia forests in the Caijiachuan watershed in the Loess region of western Shanxi. A comprehensive evaluation system for the ecological functions of soil and water conservation has been established to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the Robinia pseudoacacia forests. Additionally, the study identifies low-efficiency Robinia pseudoacacia forests and proposes reasonable regulation and control measures. The main research conclusions are as follows: (1) There are significant differences in the water and soil conservation functions among different Robinia pseudoacacia forests. The degree of inefficiency in these forests increases with forest density, and Robinia pseudoacacia forests with slopes between 35° and 40° are all low-efficiency forests. (2) The average density of high-efficiency Robinia pseudoacacia forests is 1655 trees per hectare, medium-efficiency forests average 1780 trees per hectare, and low-efficiency forests average 1927 trees per hectare. By substituting forest density, diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height, and crown width into the low-efficiency forest discrimination function, low-efficiency forests can be identified. The main influencing factors of low-efficiency forests are the Margalef richness index of shrubs, the total soil nitrogen content; and the nitrate nitrogen content. (3) Regulation measures for low-efficiency forests include controlling forest density to 1655 trees per hectare, increasing the richness of understory shrubs, and enhancing total soil nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen content by planting leguminous plants such as Lespedeza bicolor, Sophora davidii, and Vicia sepium. The research results can construct a comprehensive evaluation system for the ecological functions of Robinia pseudoacacia forests for water and soil conservation, identify low-efficiency forests, and provide precise regulation based on the causes of inefficiency, ensuring the sustainable function of Robinia pseudoacacia forests for water and soil conservation.

Sex Estimation Through Orbital Measurements: A Machine Learning Approach for Forensic Science.

Sex estimation has been extensively investigated due to its importance for forensic science. Several anatomical structures of the human body have been used for this process. The human skull has important landmarks that can serve as reliable sex estimation predictors. In this study, orbital measurements from 92 dried skulls, comprising 35 males and 57 females, were utilized to develop a machine-learning-based classifier for sex estimation with potential applications in forensic science. The parameters evaluated included optic foramen height (OFH), optic foramen width (OFW), optic canal height (OCH), optic canal width (OCW), intraorbital distance (IOD), extraorbital distance (EOD), orbit height (OH), and orbit width (OW). A Random Forest classifier was employed to analyze the data, achieving an overall test accuracy of 0.68. The model demonstrated a precision of 0.65, indicating a moderate level of false positives. The recall was 0.70, reflecting that 70% of the positive cases were correctly identified. The F1 score was calculated at 0.675, suggesting a balanced performance between precision and recall. The area under the curve (ROC AUC) score was also 0.72, indicating that the model can distinguish between classes. The most important features in the best subset were OW (0.2429), IOD (0.2059), EOD (0.1927), OFH (0.1798), and OFW (0.1787), highlighting their significant contributions to the model's predictions. These findings suggest that orbital measurements could potentially serve as reliable predictors for automated sex estimation, contributing to advancements in forensic identification techniques.

Impact of windows on the indoor thermal environment of Chinese Chuandou-style timber residential houses: Tests and simulations

Model tests and simulations were conducted to investigate the influence of windows on the thermal environment of Chinese Chuandou-style timber residential houses. Besides, the thermal comfort of the house was also analyzed. The test results indicated that the measured temperature curves have obvious five-stage characteristics. The air temperature in the attic during the daytime was higher than that in the room, especially when the windows were open. During the daytime, when the windows were closed, the indoor air temperature was higher than the outdoor air temperature, while when the windows were fully open, the opposite pattern was observed. Numerical simulations showed that increasing the window–wall ratio could lead to an increase in indoor air temperature during the daytime, and decreasing the window width–height ratio would slightly reduce the indoor air temperature. The window opening degree has a significant impact on the indoor thermal environment, the higher the window opening degree, the lower the indoor air temperature during the daytime. Further, reducing the window heat transfer coefficient could also lead to a slight increase in indoor air temperature. The thermal comfort of the house was poor during the daytime in summer, but it was slightly improved when the windows were open.

Physiological parameters and metal-accumulating capacity of the biofuel plant Miscanthus × giganteus cultivated on oil-contaminated podzol soil treated with humic preparations

Background. Physiological characteristics of the biofuel plant Miscanthus × giganteus J. M. Greef, Deuter ex Hodk. &amp; Renvoize are currently attracting much attention due to its phytoremediation potential. The aim of this work was to study the content of photosynthetic pigments in the leaves of M. giganteus, the accumulation of metals in the rhizosphere and aboveground organs, as well as the morphological parameters of plants cultivated on oil-contaminated soil and exposed to treatment with humic preparations. Materials and Methods. During field experiments, five experimental plots (PC and P1–P4) with an area of 1 m2 were laid out on podzol soil in the territory adjacent to the Starosambirske oil field. The PC plot was not subjected to any experimental treatment. The soil in plot P1 was planted with M. giganteus rhizomes; the soils in plots P2–P4 were contaminated with 10 L/m2 of crude oil and then planted with M. giganteus rhizomes. Before planting the rhizomes on plots P3 and P4, these were soaked in solutions of Fulvital® Plus Liquid and Humifield® Forte, respectively. During the growth period, the plants were sprayed twice with humic preparations. Shoot height and leaf width, a- and b-type chlorophyll (Chla and Chlb, respectively), total chlorophyll (Chla+b) and carotenoid concentrations were measured using standard methods. The content of metals (Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) in soil and plant samples was assessed by X-ray fluorescence analysis using an Elvax Light SDD Analyzer. Results. The cultivation of M. giganteus on oil-contaminated soil did not affect shoot height or leaf width of plants, but it reduced the content of Chla, Chlb, Chla+b and carote­noids in plant leaves. Treatment of plants with humic preparations led to an increase in pigment concentrations in the leaves at different growth periods. Oil-contaminated soil planted with M. giganteus showed elevated levels of Cr and Ni. The cultivation of M. giganteus treated with Fulvital® Plus Liquid resulted in increased Ca, Mn and Ni contents in rhizosphere soil of an oil-contaminated plot. Growing M. giganteus on oil-contaminated soil resulted in significant decreases in Ca, Cr, Fe, K, Mg, Ni and Zn concentrations in plant stems. Treatment with humic preparations increased the content of the mentioned metals in the stems and the concentration of Mg and Ni in the leaves of plants from oil-contaminated soil compared to those in untreated plants. According to the bioaccumulation factor (BF) values, M. giganteus leaves have a high accumulation potential for Ni and Ca (BF&gt;1), a medium accumulation potential for Mg, K and Cr (BF from 0.1 to 0.32) and a low accumulation potential for Fe and Zn (BF&lt;0.1). The BF values of metals in leaves and stems decreased when plants were grown on oil-contaminated soil. Conclusions. Humic preparation treatment has a positive effect on the physiological parameters of M. giganteus grown on oil-contaminated podzol soil. The ability of M. giganteus to extract Ni from soil may mediate the plant’s phytoremediation potential. In this regard, the cultivation of M. giganteus in combination with its treatment with humic preparations will be promising on lands contaminated with oil and petroleum products.

Influence of Various Concentrations of Iron on Growth and Corm Yield in Gladiolus cv Malaviya Kiran

The present investigation was carried out at Horticulture Research Farm, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India during 2022-2023. The experiment was laid out using Randomized Block Design (RBD) with 11 treatments and 4 replications. The different concentrations of FeSO4 treatments used in gladiolus plants were control (distilled water), FeSO4 0.1%, FeSO4 0.2%, FeSO4 0.3%, FeSO4 0.4%, FeSO4 0.5%, FeSO4 0.6%, FeSO4 0.7%, FeSO4 0.8%, FeSO4 0.9% and FeSO4 1.0%. Foliar application of iron was done at 3rd and 6th leaf stage. Growth characters observed the best results with application of FeSO4 0.3%. Number of plants/hill (2.19), number of leaves/hill (9.69), leaf length (55.88) and leaf width (2.52 cm) resulted maximum with the treatment of FeSO4 0.3%. Whereas, the longest plant height (59.21 cm) and widest scape width (2.59 cm) was recorded with FeSO4 0.2% and FeSO4 0.6%, respectively. Similarly, yield parameters such as number of corms/hill (2.23), weight of corms/hill (38.49 g) was recorded maximum with the treatment FeSO4 0.3%. While, the maximum number of cormels/hill, weight of cormels/hill and weight of cormels was noted with the treatment of FeSO4 0.2% (14.32 g, 5.87 g and 0.41 g, respectively).

PHYSICS PERSPECTIVES ON HUMAN LOCOMOTION: INVESTIGATING THE MECHANICS OF WALKING PATTERNS

This study investigated the gait metric differences between males and females aged 18 to 22. Our investigation revealed some significant changes in gait metrics between the two genders. Firstly, males exhibited greater leg and step lengths than females. Males exhibited wider strides, suggesting typical anthropometric variations. Except for BMI and cadence, males had more variation in practically every other gait metric, whereas females had more variability. There was a non-significant positive connection between BMI and gait metrics such as height, stride length, and step width, with BMI having a minor effect on those measures. Overall, both genders showed a distinct pattern of variability, revealing individual variances in gait analysis across the same genders. A direct correlation was observed between the Froude number and height, indicating that individuals with a higher Froude number exhibit a more dynamic and faster walking style. This phenomenon can be ascribed to the biomechanical superiority that taller individuals may possess, enabling them to generate longer strides and achieve higher speeds. A thorough study of walking speed and gait parameters revealed difficulty in finding the right balance between stability, efficiency, and speed in human movement. Understanding these connections will help people develop more efficient training programs, assistive technologies, and more efficient and safe walking in general.

Achieving desired characteristic impedances in customized coplanar waveguide transmission line design

Coplanar waveguide (CPW) transmission lines are valued for their planar design, low radiation, and minimized signal loss, but controlling their characteristic impedance remains a challenge. This study employs the Taguchi method, a statistical approach, to optimize the characteristic impedance by adjusting eight control factors: track width, track thickness, gap width, dielectric height, backplane thickness, conductor material conductivity, dielectric conductivity, and operational frequency. The analysis evaluates these factors across three levels to find optimal conditions, with dielectric height and track width identified as most influential. Additional assessments using main effect screening, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and multivariable linear regression validate the Taguchi method's effectiveness. The results of this effort encompass a distributed resistance of 133.69 Ω/m, a distributed inductance of 2.6676E-7H/m, a shunt conductance of 2.8880E-16 S/m, a capacitance of 7.4103E-11 F/m, a propagation constant of (1.1141 + 279.36i) m-1, and a characteristic impedance of (59.999 - 0.23928i) Ω. A CPW transmission line with a characteristic impedance of 60 Ω was successfully designed and simulated using COMSOL Multiphysics, showing promising results for efficient CPW designs tailored to specific applications. The paper describes•Applied the Taguchi method to assess control factors that affect the Characteristic Impedances of the coplanar waveguide Transmission Lines.•Conducted additional validations with ANOVA and regression analysis.•Simulated designs based on optimized parameters using COMSOL Multiphysics.

The wavelet transform assisted laser-induced fluorescence detector with high sensitivity

A wavelet transform assisted laser-induced fluorescence detector with high sensitivity was developed and evaluated. An unconventional microscope objective with a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.5 and a working distance (WD) of 4.0 mm was employed, which improved fluorescence collection efficiency, increasing SNR to about 5 times. An aspherical lens was used in the collection optical path to reduce the diameter of the fluorescence imaging size, increasing the SNR to about 1.3 times. The “inverted suction injection” method of flow injection analysis (FIA) was used for the first time in LIF evaluation to reduce contamination errors and improve the accuracy of ultra-trace analysis. The wavelet transform method was proposed for data processing of LIF signals, which can reduce noise from 0.009 mV to 0.002 mV without changing the peak height and peak width. The limit of detection (LOD, 3σ method) for sodium fluorescein was 9.7 × 10−14 M or 3.9 fluorescein molecules in 68 pL detection volume, which was the lowest level of LIFs evaluated by FIA mode. The LIF combined with capillary electrophoresis (CE) achieved an LOD of 4.9 × 10−15 M for fluorescein sodium, which is the best level that has been reported.

On the Effects of Substrate Temperature on Glass Internal Modification Using Femtosecond Laser Pulses

Abstract The effects of substrate temperature on laser focal position and tear-drop morphology in laser internal modification of glass are investigated. A model is derived to predict the shift of the tear-drop at high substrate temperature. Femtosecond laser pulses are scanned inside borosilicate glass at room temperature, 150 °C, and 200 °C using a pulse energy of 4.5–18 µJ, a scanning speed of 5–20 mm/s, and a distance between lens and glass of 9.56–10.76 mm. Temperature effects are characterized by defining a height (width) gain ratio as the ratio between the tear-drop height (width) measured at high temperature to that measured at room temperature. Thermal expansion is simulated using a profile temperature acquired by a thermal camera and image processing. Results show that substrate temperature has a significant effect on self-focusing, and modifications at 200 °C show a relaxed discoloration compared to 150 °C and room temperature. Analytical predictions match the measurements of focal position in the distance of 9.56–9.96 mm at 200 °C where self-focusing is not significant while underestimating the measurements for the distance of 10.76 mm and 10.36 mm by 30–50 µm. At 200 °C, the tear-drop's gain ratio is increased when the pulse energy is increased in the range of 4.5–18 µJ. Within this pulse energy range and at 200 °C, the maximum width gain is 10–100% higher compared to the maximum height gain.

Morphological characteristics of Porang (Amorphophallus muelleri Blume) in Timor-Leste and their correlation with the climatic conditions

Porang (Amorphophallus muelleri Blume) is native to the forests of Timor-Leste, with cultivation starting in 2017. This study examined the morphological characteristics and nutrient content of porang from six gardens across Timor-Leste, assessing relationships with climatic factors. Various morphological traits and climate variables, including elevation, were measured. Nutrient analysis of porang tubers utilized chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques, while principal component analysis helped identify links between morphology, nutrient content, and abiotic factors. Despite some qualitative similarities, such as colour and leaf patterns, significant differences were noted in measurable traits. Findings indicated that environmental conditions significantly influenced porang growth. For instance, higher air humidity in the Bobonaro District positively affected plant height and canopy width. In contrast, elevated temperatures and soil conductivity in the Liquiça District influenced leaf venation. The Aileu District exhibited the highest bulbil abundance, while larger tubers were found in the Ermera District, which is at a higher elevation. The Manufahi District had rich organic carbon content, and porang in Manatuto, with higher soil pH, produced more bulbils. However, drought conditions in Manatuto led to moisture loss and partial tuber decay. The highest glucomannan concentration was found in tubers from Bobonaro (10.25%), followed by Liquiça (9.87%) and Ermera (9.81%). Overall, environmental factors like elevation, soil temperature, and humidity significantly impacted porang characteristics and yield.