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Regional estimates of the effects of ozone pollution on forest growth depend on the availability of reliable injury functions that estimate a representative ecosystem response to ozone exposure. A number of such injury functions for forest tree species and forest functional types have recently been published and subsequently applied in terrestrial biosphere models to estimate regional or global effects of ozone on forest tree productivity and carbon storage in the living plant biomass. The resulting impacts estimated by these biosphere models show large uncertainty in the magnitude of ozone effects predicted. To understand the role that these injury functions play in determining the variability in estimated ozone impacts, we use the O-CN biosphere model to provide a standardised modelling framework. We test four published injury functions describing the leaf-level, photosynthetic response to ozone exposure (targeting the maximum carboxylation capacity of Rubisco (Vcmax) or net photosynthesis) in terms of their simulated whole-tree biomass responses against data from 23 ozone filtration/fumigation experiments conducted with young trees from European tree species at sites across Europe with a range of climatic conditions. Our results show that none of these previously published injury functions lead to simulated whole-tree biomass reductions in agreement with the observed dose–response relationships derived from these field experiments and instead lead to significant over- or underestimations of the ozone effect. By re-parameterising these photosynthetically based injury functions, we develop linear, plant-functional-type-specific dose–response relationships, which provide accurate simulations of the observed whole-tree biomass response across these 23 experiments.

This study investigates the effect of ozone (O3) deposition on ground level O3 concentrations and subsequent human health and ecosystem risk under hot summer "heat wave" type meteorological events. Under such conditions, extended drought can effectively "turn off" the O3 vegetation sink leading to a substantial increase in ground level O3 concentrations. Two models that have been used for human health (the CMAQ chemical transport model) and ecosystem (the DO3SE O3 deposition model) risk assessment are combined to provide a powerful policy tool capable of novel integrated assessments of O3 risk using methods endorsed by the UNECE Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution. This study investigates 2006, a particularly hot and dry year during which a heat wave occurred over the summer across much of the UK and Europe. To understand the influence of variable O3 dry deposition three different simulations were investigated during June and July: (i) actual conditions in 2006, (ii) conditions that assume a perfect vegetation sink for O3 deposition and (iii) conditions that assume an extended drought period that reduces the vegetation sink to a minimum. The risks of O3 to human health, assessed by estimating the number of days during which running 8 h mean O3 concentrations exceeded 100 μg m−3, show that on average across the UK, there is a difference of 16 days exceedance of the threshold between the perfect sink and drought conditions. These average results hide local variation with exceedances between these two scenarios reaching as high as 20 days in the East Midlands and eastern UK. Estimates of acute exposure effects show that O3 removed from the atmosphere through dry deposition during the June and July period would have been responsible for approximately 460 premature deaths. Conversely, reduced O3 dry deposition will decrease the amount of O3 taken up by vegetation and, according to flux-based assessments of vegetation damage, will lead to a reduction in the impact of O3 on vegetation across the UK. The new CMAQ-DO3SE model was evaluated by comparing observation vs. modelled estimates of various health related metrics with data from both urban and rural sites across the UK; although these comparisons showed reasonable agreement there were some biases in the model predictions with attributable deaths at urban sites being over predicted by a small margin, the converse was true for rural sites. The study emphasises the importance of accurate estimates of O3 deposition both for human health and ecosystem risk assessments. Extended periods of drought and heat wave type conditions are likely to occur with more frequency in coming decades, therefore understanding the importance of these effects will be crucial to inform the development of appropriate national and international policy to mitigate against the worst consequences of this air pollutant.

The DO3SE (Deposition of O3 for Stomatal Exchange) model is an established tool for estimating ozone (O3) deposition, stomatal flux and impacts to a variety of vegetation types across Europe. It has been embedded within the EMEP (European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme) photochemical model to provide a policy tool capable of relating the flux-based risk of vegetation damage to O3 precursor emission scenarios for use in policy formulation. A key limitation of regional flux-based risk assessments has been the assumption that soil water deficits are not limiting O3 flux due to the unavailability of evaluated methods for modelling soil water deficits and their influence on stomatal conductance (gsto), and subsequent O3 flux. This paper describes the development and evaluation of a method to estimate soil moisture status and its influence on gsto for a variety of forest tree species. This DO3SE soil moisture module uses the Penman-Monteith energy balance method to drive water cycling through the soil-plant-atmosphere system and empirical data describing gsto relationships with pre-dawn leaf water status to estimate the biological control of transpiration. We trial four different methods to estimate this biological control of the transpiration stream, which vary from simple methods that relate soil water content or potential directly to gsto, to more complex methods that incorporate hydraulic resistance and plant capacitance that control water flow through the plant system. These methods are evaluated against field data describing a variety of soil water variables, gsto and transpiration data for Norway spruce (Picea abies), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), birch (Betula pendula), aspen (Populus tremuloides), beech (Fagus sylvatica) and holm oak (Quercus ilex) collected from ten sites across Europe and North America. Modelled estimates of these variables show consistency with observed data when applying the simple empirical methods, with the timing and magnitude of soil drying events being captured well across all sites and reductions in transpiration with the onset of drought being predicted with reasonable accuracy. The more complex methods, which incorporate hydraulic resistance and plant capacitance, perform less well, with predicted drying cycles consistently underestimating the rate and magnitude of water loss from the soil. A sensitivity analysis showed that model performance was strongly dependent upon the local parameterisation of key model drivers such as the maximum gsto, soil texture, root depth and leaf area index. The results suggest that the simple modelling methods that relate gsto directly to soil water content and potential provide adequate estimates of soil moisture and influence on gsto such that they are suitable to be used to assess the potential risk posed by O3 to forest trees across Europe.

Der Beitrag beschreibt anhand identifizierter Anforderungen, erprobter Vorgehensweisen sowie gewonnener Erfahrungen im Rahmen der Verbundprojekte inklud.nrw und InDigO Implikationen für die Umsetzung einer neuen Lehr-/Lernkultur innerhalb der universitären Lehrkräftebildung. Die zeitlich aufeinanderfolgenden Projekte widmeten sich zum einen der Entwicklung inklusionsorientierter Open Educational Resources (OER) unter der Perspektive von Digitalisierung (inklud.nrw), zum anderen der Erprobung solcher offener Bildungsressourcen in Communities von Lehrenden der Bildungswissenschaften an verschiedenen Universitäten in Nordrhein-Westfalen (InDigO). Beide Projekte adressierten primär Lehrende als Protagonist:innen einer neuen Lehr-/Lernkultur und intendierten die systematische Gewinnung von Erfahrungen sowie von evaluationsbasierten Erkenntnissen hinsichtlich Bedarfe, Herausforderungen und Gelingensbedingungen im Kontext von OER und Open Educational Practice (OEP) in der Lehrkräftebildung. In der Gesamtschau auf beide Projekte zeigt sich eine kohärente Logik, die als Weg von OER zu OEP beschrieben werden kann. Dieser wird im Beitrag skizziert und diskutiert, um am konkreten Beispiel verallgemeinerbare, auf andere Vorhaben transferierbare Implikationen für die Umsetzung der avisierten neuen Lehr-/Lernkultur innerhalb der universitären Lehrkräftebildung aufzeigen zu können. Erkennbar ist, dass es, um den Kulturwandel zur «Kultur des Teilens» systematisch in den Lehrealltag zu implementieren, auch dauerhaft Learning Communities bedarf, die neben der individuellen oder kooperativen Arbeit mit den offenen Lehr-/Lernmaterialien auch den fachlichen Dialog hierüber ermöglichen. Der Austausch über den Gegenstand des gemeinsamen Interesses erweist sich als wichtige Gelingensbedingung, um für eine kollaborative Nutzung von OER in der Lehre zu motivieren und um die Qualität der Lehre durch Kollaboration zu verbessern. Darüber hinaus zeigt sich die Relevanz, zukünftig neben den Hochschullehrenden verstärkt die Studierenden in den Blick zu nehmen, da OER und OEP auf heterogene Gruppen abgestimmt werden können und Potenziale für die Verbesserung von Bildungsteilhabe bieten.

Yer kabuğunun kırılması veya kayması sonucu ortaya çıkan enerjinin dalgalar halinde yayılmasıyla oluşan depremler, can ve mal kaybına, yaralanmalara, yapı hasarına neden olabilmektedir. Deprem zararlarının analizinde, yapısal ve yapısal olmayan faktörler ayrımı yapılmaktadır. Binaların temel, kolon, kiriş, döşeme gibi temel yapısal elemanların depreme dayanıklılığının hayati önem taşıdığı bilinmektedir. Bununla birlikte yapısal elemanlar haricinde iç mekânlarda kullanılan her türlü hareketli ve hareketsiz donatının da deprem esnasında ve sonrasında en az yapısal elamanlar kadar önemli olabileceği gerçeği göz ardı edilmemelidir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, deprem sürecinde yapısal olmayan elemanların oluşturduğu risk ve tehlikeleri inceleyerek, deprem ve mobilya ilişkisini ortaya koymak, mobilyalarda depreme karşı güvenlik sağlama yöntemlerini örneklerle açıklamak ve elde edilen bulgular doğrultusunda deprem sırasında ve sonrasında güvenli bir sığınma alanı oluşturulacak bir mobilya tasarım önerisi geliştirmektir.

Aim: One of the foundations of a healthy life, the quality of the house and its arrangement accord-ing to the user is important for the older adult who are at risk for home accidents. In this study, it was aimed to examine the security situation of the interior space in the residence for the elderly and to present a table containing the interior space criteria necessary for home safety. Method: 287 older adults with a mean age of 71.80±6.28 years participated in the study. Demographic and descriptive information of the participants were recorded. Home security level was evaluated with the Elderly Home Safety Checklist in Residential Interiors prepared by the researchers. At the end of the study, the participants were trained by interior architects and physiotherapists for interior arrangements and prevention of falls. Results: The majority of the older adults have sufficient natural and artificial lighting (% 90.2), the lighting switches are accessible (% 94.8), the furniture is of appropriate size (% 88.9), and the layout in the interior of their dwellings allows them to move comfortably and safely (% 94.1) reported. However, 54.4% of the partici-pants stated that the furniture was not fixed, 52.3% stated that precautions were not taken on the sharp corners of the furniture and surfaces to prevent injury, 76% stated that there were slippery floors in the interior of the house and 72.8% stated that there were thresholds. Con-clusion: It is thought that home accidents and injuries can be prevented to a large extent by evaluating the homes of the older adults by professionals, taking the necessary regulations and precautions, and spreading information about home accidents, home safety and falls.

Quality assurance in research helps to ensure reliability and comparable results within a study. This includes reliable measurement equipment and data-processing. The Azure Kinect DK is a popular sensor used in studies with human subjects that tracks numerous joint positions with the Azure Kinect Body Tracking SDK. Prior experiments in literature indicate that light might influence the results of the body tracking. As similar light conditions are not always given in study protocols, the impact needs to be analyzed to ensure comparable results. We ran two experiments, one with four different light conditions and one with repeated measures of similar light conditions, and compared the results by calculating the random error of depth measurement, the mean distance error of the detected joint positions, and the distance between left and right ankle. The results showed that recordings with similar light conditions produce comparable results, with a maximum difference in the median value of mean distance error of 0.06 mm, while different light conditions result in inconsistent outcomes with a difference in the median value of mean distance error of up to 0.35 mm. Therefore, light might have an influence on the Azure Kinect and its body tracking. Especially additional infrared light appears to have a negative impact on the results. Therefore, we recommend recording various videos in a study under similar light conditions whenever possible, and avoiding additional sources of infrared light.

Determining whether an audio signal is single compressed (SC) or double compressed (DC) is a crucial task in audio forensics, as it is closely linked to the integrity of the recording. In this paper, we propose the utilization of phase spectrum-based features for detecting DC narrowband and wideband adaptive multi-rate (AMR-NB and AMR-WB) speech. To the best of our knowledge, phase spectrum features have not been previously explored for DC audio detection. In addition to introducing phase spectrum features, we propose a novel parallel LSTM system that simultaneously learns the most representative features from both the magnitude and phase spectrum of the speech signal and integrates both sets of information to further enhance its performance. Analyses demonstrate significant differences between the phase spectra of SC and DC speech signals, suggesting their potential as representative features for DC AMR speech detection. The proposed phase spectrum features are found to perform as well as magnitude spectrum features for the AMR-NB codec, while outperforming the magnitude spectrum in detecting AMR-WB speech. The proposed phase spectrum features yield 8% performance improvement in terms of true positive rate over the magnitude spectrogram features. The proposed parallel LSTM system further improves DC AMR-WB speech detection.

Global learning facilitators from civil society organizations (CSOs) design and enrich educational processes in formal and non-formal educational settings. They need to be empowered through adequate training opportunities in global learning (GL) contexts. The project Facilitating Global Learning--Key Competences from Members of European CSOs (FGL) answered the need for state-of-the-art training about the theory and practice of GL by developing a training curriculum for GL training contexts based on a jointly developed competency model for GL facilitators. This article describes crucial elements of GL facilitator training and the competency model for a training curriculum tested in three European countries (Germany, Portugal and Romania). Coming from, and having been created for, GL practice, the model is reflected on critically in the article, regarding its potential for further development in both academic and practical contexts.

Our paper introduces a simulation-based framework designed to interpret differential phase contrast (DPC) magnetic imaging within the transmission electron microscope (TEM). We investigate patterned magnetic membranes, particularly focusing on nano-patterned Co70Fe30 thin-film membranes fabricated via focused ion beam (FIB) milling. Our direct magnetic imaging reveals regular magnetic domain patterns in these carefully prepared systems. Notably, the observed magnetic structure aligns precisely with micromagnetic simulations based on the dimensions of the underlying nanostructures. This agreement emphasizes the usefulness of micromagnetic simulations, not only for the interpretation of DPC data, but also for the prediction of possible microstructures in magnetic sensor systems with nano-patterns.

Investments in training measures can only be considered effective if the transfer of the learned contents to practical situations is continuously successful. In this context the scientific and professional discourse regarding the effectiveness of further education, especially regarding training transfer, has intensified considerably. This analysis provides a systematic and comprehensive overview of the current state of international empirical research regarding major influencing factors of learning transfer in the context of formalized further vocational training. Our review of literature differentiates the most important influencing factors on the micro-level of the specific individual characteristics of the participants, the meso-level of measure-specific characteristics of the field of learning, as well as institutional characteristics of the work environment at the macro-level. Decades of transfer research brings forth a wealth of information regarding factors which influence the learning transfer. The current analysis systematizes these results and clarifies that the current state of research regarding the determinants of the process of learning transfer shows clear trends. But there are also some inconsistent findings. Thus the question of which factors positively influence the success of learning transfer is well-studied for the micro-level in particular. The article shows that there is still a research deficit concerning the major determinants of learning transfer at the meso- and macro-level. Finally, in this context this article identifies promising directions for future research.

In this study, an innovative indirect evaporative cooler is presented and experimentally analysed. A prototype was assembled for the experimental investigation of the system and tested in the laboratory environment under the conditions of constant air flow rate of 350 m3/h, circulating water temperatures of 15°C and 20°C, inlet air temperatures of 25°C and 30°C and lastly inlet air humidity of 9g/kg and 13g/kg, respectively. Based on the data obtained during the experiments, calculations were performed for the cooling capacity, cooling efficiency, energy efficiency and exergy efficiency of the system for each case. The findings showed that the highest wet bulb efficiency, dew point efficiency and EER of evaporative cooler were found to be 0.91, 0.62, and 0.77, respectively.

Two chemometric calibration methods, principal component regression (PCR) and partial least squares regression (PLS) were proposed for the simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of praziquantel (PRA) and ivermectin (IVE) in a marketed veterinary formulation without using preliminary separation step. UV spectra of calibration set and samples including PRA and IVE were recorded in the spectral region of 225-315 nm. PCR and PLS algorithms were applied to absorbance data matrix and concentration set including PRA and IVE in the linear concentration range of 20.0-160.0 µg/mL for PRA and 2.0-44.0 µg/mL for IVE. The capability of the PCR and PLS methods were validated by analyzing validation samples. Assay results showed that both PCR and PLS approaches provided an opportunity for quantifying PRA and IVE in veterinary tablet formulation.

The Azure Kinect DK is an RGB-D-camera popular in research and studies with humans. For good scientific practice, it is relevant that Azure Kinect yields consistent and reproducible results. We noticed the yielded results were inconsistent. Therefore, we examined 100 body tracking runs per processing mode provided by the Azure Kinect Body Tracking SDK on two different computers using a prerecorded video. We compared those runs with respect to spatiotemporal progression (spatial distribution of joint positions per processing mode and run), derived parameters (bone length), and differences between the computers. We found a previously undocumented converging behavior of joint positions at the start of the body tracking. Euclidean distances of joint positions varied clinically relevantly with up to 87 mm between runs for CUDA and TensorRT; CPU and DirectML had no differences on the same computer. Additionally, we found noticeable differences between two computers. Therefore, we recommend choosing the processing mode carefully, reporting the processing mode, and performing all analyses on the same computer to ensure reproducible results when using Azure Kinect and its body tracking in research. Consequently, results from previous studies with Azure Kinect should be reevaluated, and until then, their findings should be interpreted with caution.

Starting with the summer term of 2020, most higher education programmes in Germany could only be offered digitally due to the Corona pandemic. For some students, this situation can be problematic for various reasons such as technical problems or psychosocial challenges. So first-year students in particular need to be generally supported in coping with the challenges of HE and especially for the challenges of teaching online. Self-efficacy is an important personal resource that helps people to manage subjective stress and to deal with challenges that arise from a situation such as distance learning. In this context, the effectiveness of a social-cognitive intervention to increase self-efficacy in a distance setting was tested. The intervention is intended to influence the assessment process of challenging situations.

İzleyicinin keyifli vakit geçirmesi için üretilen sinema filmleri, televizyon dizi filmleri ve programları, sadece tüketicisinin değil, toplumların da yüzünü güldürecek refah ekonomisinin tam da merkezinde yer alabilir.Sinema ve televizyon endüstrisinin işgücü kaynağını oluşturan bireylerin, mesleki yeterlilik düzeyleri, iç pazarda kaliteyi yükseltirken, uluslararası rekabet koşullarında ekonomik başarıya erişim noktasında da son derece önem kazanmıştır. Ülkeler, yaratıcı endüstriler arasında yer alan sinema filmleri ve televizyon içeriklerinin uluslararası pazar içindeki payının artması sonucu elde edilecek ciro ve katma değerle, ulusal gelirlerini arttırırken, refah toplumu düzeylerini yükseltmektedirler.Bu çalışma kapsamında Türkiye’de ve başta İngiltere olmak üzere Avrupa ülkelerinde sinema - televizyon endüstrisinin güçlenmesi amacıyla biçimlendirilmiş ulusal politikaların ekonomik kalkınmaya yansımasına ilişkin veriler ve bulgular analiz edilmektedir. Türkiye’de bu alanda meslek eğitiminin sınırlılıkları ve istihdam edilmiş kadroların yetkinliklerinin, rekabete erişimde neden olduğu sınırlılıklara ilişkin veriler yer almaktadır. Ancak sorunları gidermeye dönük geliştirilen yeni ulusal politikaların henüz geliştirilmekte olduğu da görülmektedir. Birbirini tamamlayan bu zincirin bileşenlerine ilişkin veriler ışığında süreç yorumlanarak çözüm önerileri sunulmaktadır.

Climate change and air pollution can interact to amplify risks to human health and crop production. This has significant implications for our ability to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (e.g. SDGs 2, 3, 13, 15) and for the design of effective mitigation and adaptation policies and risk management. To be able to achieve the SDG targets, closer integration of climate change and air pollution both in terms of impact assessment for human health and agricultural productivity and respective policy development is needed. Currently, studies estimating the impacts of climate and air pollutants on human health and crops mostly treat these stressors separately, and the methods used by the health and agricultural science communities differ. Better insights into the methods applied in the different communities can help to improve existing and develop new methods to advance our knowledge about the combined impacts of climate change and air pollution on human health and crops. This topical review provides an overview of current methodologies applied in the two fields of human health and agricultural crop impact studies, ranging from empirical regression-based and experimental methods to more complex process-based models. The latter are reasonably well developed for estimating impacts on agricultural crops, but not for health impacts. We review available literature addressing the combined effects of climate and air pollution on human health or agricultural productivity to provide insights regarding state-of-the-art knowledge and currently available methods in the two fields. Challenges to assess the combined effect of climate and air pollution on human health and crops, and opportunities for both fields to learn from each other, are discussed.

This study aimed to compare the postoperative pain level changes resulting from using calcium silicate- (EndoSeal MTA) and calcium hydroxide–based (Sealapex) root canal sealers in mandibular first and second molar teeth with symptomatic apical periodontitis. A total of 60 patients with symptomatic apical periodontitis in their lower molar teeth were randomly allocated into 2 groups according to sealer type (n = 30). Demographic data, including gender, age, and smoking habit, and preoperative pain measures were recorded. Root canal treatments were performed in a single visit. Postoperative pain measurements and analgesic intake were measured at 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours and after 3, 5, and 7 days using the visual analog scale. The data were statistically analyzed using a chi-squared test (to compare gender, age, smoking habit, analgesic intake, and sealer extrusion), the Mann-Whitney U test (to compare pain levels), Friedman tests (for the evaluations of the reduction in pain levels over time), and Spearman's correlation test (to analyze the relationships of age, gender, smoking habit factors with postoperative pain) (P =.05). The statistical analysis showed no significant differences between the groups in postoperative pain and analgesic intake at any of the time intervals evaluated (P >.05). Patients treated with calcium silicate– and calcium hydroxide–based root canal sealers experienced similar postoperative pain and no statistically significant differences were observed in analgesic intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration debate in Germany is closely connected to the education debate. Both are related to recent societal changes. Discussions at the social and political level in the past couple of years have shown how highly emotionally charged attitudes towards migration and integration in this country truly are. This article aims to provide an overview of intercultural developments in German educational contexts, especially those related to primary schools, against the background of societal change. We trace the developments in Germany from foreigner pedagogy and intercultural pedagogy to a pedagogy incorporating antiracism elements and subsequently a pedagogical approach focused on diversity (diversity pedagogy). We conclude that though many gains have been made, there is presently a danger that we will lose sight of cultural heterogeneity as diversity pedagogy in Germany has expanded to incorporate social inclusion.

Objective: Foot and/or ankle (F/A) problems may be encountered in medial uni-compartmental knee (UKA) patients postoperatively due to the limb alignment changes and alterations in weight bearing of F/A. This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors and the incidence of foot and ankle (F/A) problems in (UKA) arthroplasty patients. Methods: Patients who underwent UKA between 2016 and 2019 in our clinic were evaluated and the presence of F/A problems was recorded. Radiologic evaluations included hip knee ankle angle (HKA), medial proximal tibial angle, posterior tibial slope angle, talar tilt angle, talar inclination, talar dome to mechanical axis (TDMA), and talocrural angle (TCA) measured on preoperative and follow-up long-leg standing radiographs. The range of motion, Q angles, and muscle strengths were measured. Visual analog scale, physical performance limitations, and patient-reported activity limitations were evaluated for all patients. Patients with reported F/A problems were additionally evaluated with Foot Functional Index. Results: Forty-four patients (38 female, 6 male; mean age 58.66±8.6 years; mean BMI 31.30±3.81, mean follow-up period 34.22±18.95 months) were included in the study. There were 13 patients (29.5%) with reported F/A problems. Postoperative comparison of patients with and without F/A problems showed statistically significant differences in only WOMAC and SF12 physical health sub-scores (p=0.002, p=0.003, respectively). There was no significant postoperative change in TDMA in patients with F/A problems (p > 0.05) in contrast to patients without F/A problems (p=0.006). There was no statistically significant difference in preoperative TCA measurements between groups (p=0.79). Comparison of knee and ankle radiologic measurements between groups demonstrated significant difference only in postoperative HKA measurements (-2.82±2.53 vs. -0.80 ±3.12, p=0.033). Conclusion: F/A problems adversely affecting the functional status were frequent in our cohort of UKA patients. Postoperative residual varus deformity may be a risk factor for this. Therefore, if slight varus alignment is aimed at UKA patients, preoperative F/A status should be evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is limited evidence in the literature regarding the effects of harmonic therapy on peripheral blood circulation. This pilot study aims to examine the immediate effect of passive and active assistive harmonic therapy on peripheral blood flow volume in healthy young males. Cross-over pilot study using quantitative data. This study was conducted in a university hospital. Three different interventions (passive range of motion exercise, active assistive harmonic therapy, and passive harmonic therapy) were applied to participants' dominant upper extremity shoulder joint. Interventions were performed only 1 session and 10 min at one-week intervals. Superficial palmar branch of the radial artery blood flow volume was evaluated with color Doppler ultrasound before and immediately after the intervention. Fifteen young males (mean age:22.13 ± 1.68 years, range:20–25) participated in the study. Blood flow volume significantly increased with active assistive harmonic therapy (p = 0.001, d = 1.10) and passive harmonic therapy (p < 0.001, d = 1.44)) interventions. There was no change in blood flow volume with passive range of motion intervention (p = 0.28, d = 0.29). Active assistive harmonic therapy and passive harmonic therapy intervention significantly increased blood flow volume compared to passive range of motion intervention (p = 0.001, η2 = 0.28). Both active assistive and passive harmonic therapy interventions produced an immediate increase in blood flow volume however, the clinical importance of these findings requires further investigation. • Harmonic therapy is a classical osteopathic manual technique which further developed by Lederman. • There is limited evidence in the literature regarding harmonic therapy. • Both active assistive and passive harmonic therapy can provide an immediate increase in blood flow volume. • Clinical significance of this increase warrant further investigation. • No complications were observed during and after harmonic therapy intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: To reduce the rate of spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey, distance education was initiated in all universities on 23 March 2020. Distance learning had not been experienced in physical therapy and rehabilitation education before the COVID-19 outbreak. This study aimed to (a) determine the acceptance and attitudes of Pamukkale University Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation undergraduate students towards distance learning during the COVID-19 outbreak and (b) compare the results among years. Methods: This study was conducted from May 2020 to June 2020 at the Pamukkale University School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation in Turkey. A total of 381 students (271 female, 110 male) participated. The Distance Learning Systems Acceptance Scale (ease of use, benefit), the Community Feeling Scale (affective and actional dimension), and the Distance Learning Attitude Scale (general acceptance, individual awareness, perceived usefulness, effective participation) were used to measure students’ acceptance and attitudes towards distance education. Results: Students had partly positive attitudes towards distance learning but were undecided about individual awareness, usefulness, and effective participation. The sense of community among students was moderate in the distance learning environment. Distance learning acceptance and attitude, and the sense of community levels, were highest in fourth-year students (last year of the school), followed by first-, third-, and then second-year students. The distance learning and sense of community scores of first- and fourth-year students were significantly higher than those of second- and third-year students (p≤0.01). Conclusion: Physical therapy and rehabilitation undergraduate students’ attitudes towards distance learning during the COVID-19 outbreak were positive. However, when comparing between years, students in the second and third academic years had less positive attitudes. This may be because most of their curricula consisted of practical courses and summer field internships, and there were no opportunities to practise on mannequins, peers, and patients in distance education. In this study, the sense of community among students in the distance learning environment was also moderate. This may be because students were not enthusiastic about attending course lectures online, and because they did not have to view the lectures at a set time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In clinical practice, resistance training, which includes concentric and eccentric dynamic muscle movements, is widely used by physiotherapists to strengthen the quadriceps muscle. However, although eccentric training is assumed to induce greater hypertrophy compared to concentric contractions, there are also studies reporting that similar increases in muscle thickness can be seen in both eccentric and concentric training. Objective: This study aims to assess the effect of the eccentric and concentric squat exercise on quadriceps thickness, and lower extremity performance during jumping and walking in healthy young sedentary males. Methods: Participants were randomly divided into three groups: concentric exercise group (CE; n = 19), eccentric exercise group (EE; n = 13) and control group (CG; n = 16). Both exercises were performed seven days a week, for eight weeks with a gradual strength increase. The CG was not given any exercise. Ultrasound assessment of quadriceps muscle thickness, performance in Six-Minute Walk Test and vertical jump was measured. Results: Thickness of dominant side of rectus femoris (p = .008) and vastus lateralis (p = .021) differed significantly among the three groups; post hoc analysis revealed the thickness of rectus femoris in CG was significantly lower than in the CE (p = .046) and EE (p = .006) and the thickness of vastus lateralis in the EE was significantly higher than in the CG (p = .018). Six-Minute Walk Test score in the EE was significantly higher than in the CG (p = .025) and the vertical jump score in the CG significantly lower than in the EE (p = .002) and CE (p < .001). Conclusions: Eccentric and concentric training both benefits muscle hypertrophy and lower extremity functional performance. However, eccentric training also appears to offer a small advantage over concentric training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the joint awareness and knee function after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for the management of isolated medial compartment osteoarthritis. Methods: Patients who underwent UKA or TKA at our institution for isolated medial compartment osteoarthritis from 2015 to 2020 with a minimum follow-up of 1 year were screened. 116 eligible patients were invited and 94 volunteer patients participated. All patients were evaluated with The Forgotten Joint Score-12 and Lysholm Knee Scale. Results: Average follow-up period was 29.13±15.48 months for UKA and 31.66±2.91 months for TKA groups (p =0.292). FJS-12 of the UKA group was significantly higher than that of the TKA group (79.74±15.06 and 63.25±19.86, respectively; p =0.024). The Lysholm Knee Scale score was also significantly higher in the UKA group compared with the TKA group (92.94±8.74 and 78.34±14.99, respectively; p = 0.002). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that patients who underwent UKA were less aware of their artificial joints and had better knee function compared to patients who underwent TKA for medial osteoarthritis of the knee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Weather and climate services (WCS) for farmers in India and Norway reveal similar governance challenges related to format, relevance, and tailoring of knowledge communicated. • A 'most different case study' comparison underscores that WCS remain supply-driven. • More deliberate approaches to institutional design is suggested to foster co-creation and improved engagement of farmers and extension agents in developing the services. • Active use of social media, such as crop-based WhatsApp groups, can facilitate integration between external science-based knowledge/models and local practice and learning. High-quality weather and climate services (WCS) can be critical for communicating knowledge about current and future weather and climate risks for adaptation and disaster risk management in the agricultural sector. This paper investigates the structure and performance of weather and climate services for farmers from a governance perspective. Empirically the paper compares the institutional design and operations of agro-meteorological services in Maharashtra/India and Norway through a 'most different case study' approach. The two cases were selected to represent great diversity in location, scale and institutional design. A governance approach based on semi-direct interviews and policy and institutional analysis was combined with local survey data of farmers' perceptions and use of the services. Despite the fact that the context for the two agromet advisory services was very different from a climate-weather, eco-agriculture and socio-institutional angle, the analysis reveals great similarities in the services structures and critical governance challenges. In both countries the agromet services communicated knowledge that was largely perceived not to be well tailored to farmers' needs for decisions in specific crops- and farm operations, spatially too coarse to address local issues, and, often unreliable or inaccurate in terms of the quality of data. Farmers did, however, respond positively to specific and locally relevant information on e.g., warnings about high rainfall and spread of pests. Observing such similarities across very diverse contexts enhances the generalization potential, precisely because they evolved under very different circumstances. Similar observations find support in the wider WCS literature. Based on the empirical findings, we propose a more deliberate approach to institutional design of WCS in order to enhance governance performance and co-creation of the services at local, district and national scales. It is suggested that greater participation of farmers and agricultural extension agents in the co-creation of these services is a necessary means of improving the services, supported by the WCS literature. However, we insist that greater participation is only likely to materialize if the deficiencies in institutional design and knowledge quality and relevance are addressed to greater extent than done today. The comparison between the two services shows that Norway can learn from India that a more ambitious scope and multiple forms of communication, including the use of social media/WhatsApp groups, can facilitate greater awareness and interest among farmers in multi-purpose agromet services for multi-way communication. India can learn from Norway that a more integrated and decentralized institutional design can strengthen the network attributes of the services, foster co-creation, and improve participation of both poor and large-scale farmers and extension agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ankle fractures are common fractures of the lower extremities that have an incidence rate of 101 fractures per 100.000 person-years. It is not clear which rehabilitation intervention should be performed after an ankle fracture. The aims of this study are to compare the effectiveness of a supervised exercise program with that of a home exercise program and to determine and compare the costs of these programs. A supervised exercise program and a home exercise program were performed for 8 weeks. The supervised exercise group consisted of 35 patients (mean age 39.23 years), and the home exercise group consisted of 73 patients (mean age 41.78 years). The average follow-up was 27.86 ± 9.88 months. Demographic information, injury details, type and classification of fracture, pain severity, and ankle range of motion were recorded. The clinical outcomes were determined by using the Pain Disability Index, the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot Score, and the Short-Form 36 Health Survey. Surgical and rehabilitation satisfaction was evaluated with the use of a numeric scale. American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot Scores were statistically significantly higher in the home exercise group (p =.036), and rehabilitation satisfaction of the supervised exercise group was statistically significantly better (p =.047). The total rehabilitation crude cost of a patient in the supervised exercise group is 1113.63 Turkish lira (310.25 U.S. dollars) versus 182.31 Turkish lira (50.79 U.S. dollars) in the home exercise group. Considering that the crude cost of the home exercise program is very low and clinical outcomes are satisfactory, we recommend that patients with surgically treated isolated ankle fractures be followed up with a postoperative home exercise program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone regeneration is a highly orchestrated process crucial for endogenous healing procedures after accidents, infections or tumor therapy. Changes in surface nanotopography are known to directly affect the formation of osteogenic cell types, although no direct linkage to the endogenous nanotopography of bone was described so far. Here we show the presence of pores of 31.93 ± 0.97 nm diameter on the surface of collagen type I fibers, the organic component of bone, and demonstrate these pores to be sufficient to induce osteogenic differentiation of adult human stem cells. We further applied SiO 2 nanoparticles thermally cross-linked to a nanocomposite to artificially biomimic 31.93 ± 0.97 nm pores, which likewise led to in vitro production of bone mineral by adult human stem cells. Our findings show an endogenous mechanism of directing osteogenic differentiation of adult stem cells by nanotopological cues and provide a direct application using SiO 2 nanocomposites with surface nanotopography biomimicking native bone architecture. Collagen fibers show a distinct nanotopography of pores with approximately 30 nm (31.93 ± 0.97 nm) diameter. Nanopores present on collagen fibers are sufficient to guide adult human stem cells into osteogenic differentiation, demonstrated by Alizarin Red S-positive calcium deposition. Successful biomimicking of collagen nanotopography using SiO 2 nanoparticles thermally cross-linked to a nanocomposite likewise induced osteogenic differentiation of adult human stem cells. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in the heavy-duty transport sector is a convenient and cost-effective step towards a sustainable future. However, there are questions regarding LNG fuel quality and destructive particles for engines. Basically nothing is known about particles in the commercial LNG being fueled today. The gravimetric and SEM-EDX results here demonstrates that there are precarious metal and silicon dioxide particles in fuel-grade LNG that can clog and erode engine parts. Considering these results further research in the direction of this study, including standardized method development, is highly motivated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Liquefied Biogas (LBG) utilization within the heavy duty transport sector is today a sustainable alternative to the use of oil. However, in spite of the high degree of insulation in the storage tank walls, it is impossible to fully avoid any net heat input from the surroundings. Due to some degree of vaporization this results in variation in gas composition during storage at refuelling stations, potentially leading to engine failures. Within this study, a vaporizer/sampler has been built and tested at a station delivering liquefied biomethane (LBG) and occasionally; such in this case, LNG to heavy and medium duty trucks. The vaporizer/sampler has then been used to study the variation of the LNG composition in the storage tank during a two weeks period. The results clearly underline a correlation between the gas phase and the liquid phase as the concentration changes follow the same trend in both phases. Two opposite effects are assumed to influence the concentration of methane, ethane and propane in the liquid and in the gas phase. On one hand, because of the probable presence of not fully mixed layers in the storage tank and due to vehicles being refuelled, both liquid and gas phases are enriched in methane at the expense of ethane and propane. On the other hand, due to boil-off effect towards the end of the storage period, both liquid and gas phases are enriched in ethane and propane at the expense of methane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was planned to translate and culturally adapt the Olerud-Molander Ankle Score (OMAS) and assess the validity and reliability of the Turkish translation of the OMAS in patients with surgically treated malleolar fracture. The OMAS was adapted for use in Turkish by first translating it and then back-translating it in accordance with published guidelines. The final Turkish version of the OMAS was administered to 91 patients participating in the present study. The OMAS questionnaire was repeated 7 days later to assess test–retest reliability. Spearman's rank correlation analysis was used for each question’s score and the total score, and the intraclass correlation coefficient was calculated for test–retest reliability. The internal consistency of the OMAS-TR was assessed using Cronbach's α. Concurrent validity was evaluated by comparing the OMAS with the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score and global self-rating function (GSRF). The GSRF has 5 options: very good, good, fair, poor, and very poor. These are assessed using a 5-point Likert scale. Before validity analysis, the GSRF score was reduced to 3 groups. In the test–retest reliability assessment, the OMAS showed high correlation ( r = 0.882). The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.942. Cronbach's α was 0.762 and 0.731 at days 1 and 7 (adequate internal consistency). The correlation coefficients versus the 5 subscales of the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score ranged from r = 0.753 to r = 0.809 ( p = .000) and versus the GSRF was r = −0.794 ( p = .000). According to results of the present study, the Turkish version of the OMAS demonstrated adequate test–retest reliability, excellent internal consistency, and evidence of validity for Turkish-speaking patients treated surgically for ankle fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]