Search

Abstract A Mueller matrix covers all the polarization information of the measured sample, however the combination of its 16 elements is sometimes not intuitive enough to describe and identify the key characteristics of polarization changes. Within the Poincaré sphere system, this study achieves a spatial representation of the Mueller matrix: the Global-Polarization Stokes Ellipsoid (GPSE). With the help of Monte Carlo simulations combined with anisotropic tissue models, three basic characteristic parameters of GPSE are proposed and explained, where the V parameter represents polarization maintenance ability, and the E and D † parameters represent the degree of anisotropy. Furthermore, based on GPSE system, a dynamic analysis of skeletal muscle dehydration process demonstrates the monitoring effect of GPSE from an application perspective, while confirming its robustness and accuracy.

This study investigated the role of mobile applications as aids in solving systems of linear equations with two variables through the graphical method. The use of mobile applications was examined in a group of primary and lower school students to evaluate their effectiveness in learning mathematics and improving their skills in solving systems of linear equations. The main goal of this scientific paper is to investigate and evaluate the role of mobile applications as aids in solving systems of linear equations, involving students in the research process. The research method included a mixed-methods design including quantitative analysis of mobile application results and qualitative analysis of students' experiences and opinions. Data collection was conducted through individual interviews and classroom observations. The results show that the use of these technological tools has a positive impact on the involvement of students, increasing the interest and efficiency of learning. The findings also highlight challenges and suggestions for improving the use of mobile applications in the mathematics teaching context. This study contributes to the understanding of the use of mobile technology for the development of mathematical skills at the lower secondary school level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Mueller matrix covers all the polarization information of the measured sample, however the combination of its 16 elements is sometimes not intuitive enough to describe and identify the key characteristics of polarization changes. Within the Poincaré sphere system, this study achieves a spatial representation of the Mueller matrix: the Global-Polarization Stokes Ellipsoid (GPSE). With the help of Monte Carlo simulations combined with anisotropic tissue models, three basic characteristic parameters of GPSE are proposed and explained, where the V parameter represents polarization maintenance ability, and the E and D † parameters represent the degree of anisotropy. Furthermore, based on GPSE system, a dynamic analysis of skeletal muscle dehydration process demonstrates the monitoring effect of GPSE from an application perspective, while confirming its robustness and accuracy., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

We describe a simple yet rigorous graphical method for eliminating bias in theory-based program evaluation. The method is an application to social and international development program evaluation of the graphical causal models used to test medical treatments. We implement a graphical causal model for the World Bank's well-known Bangladesh Integrated Nutrition Project. We show how to construct the graphical causal model to represent program theory in context in explicitly causal terms. We then show how to visually inspect the graphical causal model to distinguish causal from non-causal associations between variables in evaluation data. Finally, we show how to select a set of adjustment variables to neutralize non-causal associations, eliminating bias in all forms of causal inference—qualitative and quantitative, linear and non-linear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on robustly stabilizing stable and unstable fractional-order plants with one uncertain fractional-order term and interval uncertainties using fractional order $ PI^{\mu }D^{\lambda } $ PIμDλ controllers. Two necessary and sufficient conditions are provided to check the robust stability of the closed-loop control system. Moreover, the D-decomposition technique is utilized to determine the robust stability region of the system. Subsequently, evolutionary algorithms, such as the Genetic Algorithm (GA), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), and Differential Evolution (DE), can be utilized to discover a fractional-order controller within the region of robust stability. This work introduces three primary contributions, outlined as follows: (1) Utilizing a graphical approach, a set of stabilizing controller is obtained. (2) Rather than employing just a single stabilizing fractional-order controller, a collection of controllers is provided for the control system. (3) Employing evolutionary algorithms to find an optimal fractional-order controller. Finally, four numerical examples are presented to validate the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Sesame is one of the oldest crops and probably the oldest oilseed in the world. In most regions, the landrace and local masses of sesame are used. To increase production and yield, the production of modified cultivars for different agricultural climates is extremely important. Material and Methods: Seven genotypes included Isfahan, Sirjan, Fars, Oltan, Jiroft, Sabzevar, TS-3 and 21 hybrids that were obtained from them were studied in the research farm of the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Birjand under the drought stress conditions during 2015-2018. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications as a 7 × 7 one-way diallel. In this study, several traits were measured. These traits were including plant height, height to the first fruiting capsule, number of capsules per plant, number of sub-branches, number of leaves, leaf length, number of seeds per capsule, capsule length, capsule weight, capsule width, days to 50% and 90% flowering, days to physiological maturity, thousand seed weight, oil percentage, protein percentage, amount of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, biological yield, economic yield and harvest index. Results: The investigation of the adequacy of the additive-dominance model showed that the model was sufficient in the traits including plant height, capsule length, capsule weight, number of leaves, number of sub-branches, number of capsules per plant, economic yield, biological yield, days to 50 flowering, days to 90% flowering and days to physiological maturity, and therefore diallel analysis was done on these traits. Hayman's variance analysis showed that were significant component a (additive effects of genes) in all traits and component b (dominant effects of genes) in all traits except plant height. Also, were significant the component b1 (mean dominance effects) in most traits except plant height, number of auxiliary branches, number of capsules and seed yield, the component b2 (other dominance deviation due to the parents) in most traits except plant height, number of auxiliary branches and number of capsules, and the component b3 (residual dominance variation) in all traits except plant height. The investigation of genetic parameters showed significant additive genetic component (D) and dominanant genetic components (H1 and H2) in most traits. Also were significant the component F (average covariance of additive and dominance effects) and the component h2 (the overall dominance effect of heterozygous loci) in half of the traits. The average degree of dominance (√ (H1/D)) in different traits was observed as additive, incomplete, and over dominance. In all characteristics, except capsule weight, the ratio of genes with positive and negative effects (H2/(4H1)) was not equal to 0.25; therefore, in all traits, increasing and decreasing genes did not have symmetrical distribution among parents. The ratio of dominant and recessive genes in parents ((√(4DH1)+F)/(√(4DH1)-F)) was more than unity in most of the traits, so there was an uneven distribution of dominant and recessive genes in most of the traits. The number of dominant gene groups (h2/H2) was obtained from 0 to 2.04; therefore, all traits were controlled by one or two gene blocks. Broad sense (hb 2) and narrow sense (hn 2) heritability were high in all traits. Conclusion: In the traits studied, the type of action of genes controlling the traits, the ratio of dominant and recessive genes, the ratio of genes with increasing and decreasing effects, additive effects and dominance were variable and were different in most of the traits. Generally, most traits were controlled by genes with additive and dominant effects. The high heritability estimate indicates the promising news of the studied genetic materials in future studies. Therefore, among these materials, better genotypes can be selected for the climatic conditions of Birjand, so that it can be further investigated in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic lagoons remove organic matter in the absence of oxygen and must be designed considering facultative or aerated lagoons, to continue with the treatment and at the same time re-oxygenate the wastewater. The purpose of this document is to determine two graphs to calculate the elimination of fecal coliforms in anaerobic lagoons. An application example is included with the traditional method adopted by the Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua y la Comisión Nacional del Agua, later the graphs previously prepared are used. The results show the same values calculated with the traditional criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Based on the nonlinear algorithmic theory, the R-SVM water source discrimination model and prediction method were established by using the piper qualitatively to compare the differences between the ionic components and R-type factor approximation indicator input dimensions. Taking the mine water samples of Zhaogezhuang Coal Mine as an example, according to the chemical composition analysis of the water samples from different monitoring points, six indexes of Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl–, SO4 2– and HCO3 – were selected as the discrimination factors. According to the water characteristics of each aquifer and the actual needs of discrimination, the water inrush sources in the mining area were divided into four categories: The goaf water is class I, Ordovician carbonate is class II, Sandstone fracture water from the 13 coal system is class III, and Sandstone fracture water from the 12 coal system is class IV. Taking 56 typical water inrush samples as training samples, 11 groups for prediction samples, establish the input index as typical ion content, output as water source type, using SPSS statistics and MATLAB to realize the R-SVM water source discriminant analysis model, automatically establishing the mapping relationship between the water quality indexes and the evaluation standards, which can achieve the purpose of rapid and accurate discrimination of the water sample data. The results showed that the accuracy of the R-SVM model classification was 90.90% in the verification of the water source discrimination example of Zhaogezhuang mine and the coupled model has high accuracy, good applicability and discriminant ability, and has certain guiding significance for the prevention and control of water damage and the related field work.

Through data mining, this paper completes collecting and mining information in the database using artificial intelligence. Secondly, the graphical method is analyzed, image normalization calculation is carried out to complete the technical support for green concept packaging design, and a green concept product packaging design system based on artificial intelligence technology is constructed. Finally, the ease of use experiment and user satisfaction test confirmed it. The user satisfaction test showed a satisfaction rate of 95% for response time and 97% for material recycling. The fact that other test options are above 90% indicates that the green concept product packaging design based on artificial intelligence technology is feasible.

The powerful image analysis and statistical capabilities of computers can effectively solve problems such as insufficient precision in clastic rock particle size measurements and the heavy workload during the process. The MATLAB programming language was employed to process the samples of the Zhoutian Formation in the Upper Cretaceous of the Huichang Basin through techniques such as grayscale transformation, binarization, adaptive median filtering, and color annotation, accurately measuring their grain size parameters. The results indicate the following. The average grain size obtained using MATLAB,s direct calculation method and the graphical method are 4. 008φ and 3. 103φ, respectively. The standard deviations are 0. 8φ and 0. 803φ, the skewness values are - 0. 195φ and - 0. 041φ, and the kurtosis values are 0. 911φ and 0. 916φ. The standard deviation and kurtosis errors are small, allowing for mutual substitution between the two calculation methods, while the standard deviation and skewness errors are relatively large, making them unsuitable for mutual substitution. Both MATLAB,s direct calculation method and microscopic rock mineral identification indicate a relatively poor roundness of the Zhoutian Formation as a whole, with angular to sub-angular clastic particles. The sedimentary environment discrimination formula reflects the formation of the Zhoutian Formation in a fluvial depositional environment, consistent with the geological background and microscopic observation results. Through the MATLAB programming language, it is possible to accurately identify particle outlines and calculate various parameters in clastic rocks, providing great convenience for sediment grain size research, eliminating subjective interference, and improving work efficiency [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unit distributions, exhibiting inherent symmetrical properties, have been extensively studied across various fields. A significant challenge in these studies, particularly evident in parameter estimations, is the existence and uniqueness of estimators. Often, it is challenging to demonstrate the existence of a unique estimator. The major issue with maximum likelihood and other estimator-finding methods that use iterative methods is that they need an initial value to reach the solution. This dependency on initial values can lead to local extremes that fail to represent the global extremities, highlighting a lack of symmetry in solution robustness. This study applies a very simple, and unique, estimation method for unit Weibull and unit Burr XII distributions that both attain the global maximum value. Therefore, we can conclude that the findings from the obtained propositions demonstrate that both the maximum likelihood and graphical methods are symmetrically similar. In addition, three real-world data applications are made to show that the method works efficiently.

Stress and deformation analysis of a cavity in an infinite/finite medium is a fundamental applied mechanics problem of interest in multiple physics and engineering disciplines. This paper develops a complete semianalytical solution for the cylindrical cavity expansion in nonassociated Mohr–Coulomb materials, by using the graphical approach and Lagrangian formulation of the cavity boundary value problem (through tracing the responses of a single material point at the cavity wall). The novelty of the new solution framework lies not only in the relaxation of the stringent intermediacy assumption for the vertical stress as usually adopted in the previous analyses, but also in the comprehensive consideration of nonhydrostatic initial stress conditions via arbitrary values of K0 (the coefficient of earth pressure at rest defined as the ratio between the horizontal and vertical initial stresses). The essence of the so-called graphical method, i.e., the unique geometrical analysis and tracking of the deviatoric stress trajectory, is fulfilled by leveraging the deformation requirement that during cavity expansion the progressive development of the radial and tangential strains must maintain to be compressive and tensile, respectively. With the incorporation of the radial equilibrium condition, the problem is formulated to solve a single first-order differential equation for the internal cavity pressure with respect to a pivotal auxiliary variable, for all the distinct scenarios of K0 being covered. Some selected results are presented for the calculated cavity pressure-expansion curve and limit cavity pressure through an example analysis. The definitive semianalytical solution proposed will be not only substantially advancing the current state of knowledge on the fundamental cavity expansion theory, but also able to serve as a unique benchmark for truly verifying the correctness and capability of the classical cornered Mohr–Coulomb constitutive model built in commercial finite element programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design process for tall buildings involves three main steps: Estimating roughly the sizes of foundation and superstructure components, verifying the determined sizes with full consideration of the interactions between soil, piles, raft, and superstructure to ensure the bearing capacity and deformation of all elements, and optimizing the design with parametric analysis. However, the thickness of the rafts in existing buildings appears to be very thick and varies to the point of confusion. It is noticeable that some buildings have a considerable height but a relatively small raft thickness and vice versa. To address this issue, a simplified graphical method is proposed to determine the raft thickness for the initial design phase. As megatall skyscrapers become increasingly common, a more comprehensive study of rafts is necessary. This article explores the process of designing and constructing rafts for tall and megatall skyscrapers. The study aims to validate and extend the graphical method and establish a basis for the raft thickness optimization process. The research shows that the number of floors strongly affects the thickness of the rafts. However, the elastic modulus is significantly influenced when the ratio of the raft thickness to the number of floors is less than 5% and vice versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study predicted the fatigue life (N) of UHPC incorporated with different volume fractions (Vf = 0.0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5% and 2.0%) of steel fiber under flexural cyclic loading at various stress levels (S). The Weibull distribution, a twoparameter model, was utilized to estimate the distribution of fatigue life in UHPC. Subsequently, three methods were employed to calculate the parameters: the graphical method, the method of moments, and the method of maximum likelihood. The averaged values of these parameters were then obtained to enhance the accuracy of the estimation. The results are presented in the form of S-N diagrams, which depict the quantitative relationship between stress (S) and fatigue life (N). This relationship was determined using the Wohler equation, the modified Wohler equation, and the power equation. By employing these equations, the flexural fatigue strength of UHPC can be accurately predicted. Subsequently, the fatigue failure probability (Pf) was incorporated to enhance the reliability of the S-N quantitative relation. The fatigue testing results were presented in the form of S-N-Pf curves, which comprehensively reflect the relationship between stress, fatigue life, and failure probability. Furthermore, the mathematical relation of the S-N-Pf curves was derived to predict the fatigue life of UHPC with a given failure probability, providing a more comprehensive and accurate assessment of its fatigue behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the nonlinear algorithmic theory, the R-SVM water source discrimination model and prediction method were established by using the piper qualitatively to compare the differences between the ionic components and R-type factor approximation indicator input dimensions. Taking the mine water samples of Zhaogezhuang Coal Mine as an example, according to the chemical composition analysis of the water samples from different monitoring points, six indexes of Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl–, SO42– and HCO3– were selected as the discrimination factors. According to the water characteristics of each aquifer and the actual needs of discrimination, the water inrush sources in the mining area were divided into four categories: The goaf water is class I, Ordovician carbonate is class II, Sandstone fracture water from the 13 coal system is class III, and Sandstone fracture water from the 12 coal system is class IV. Taking 56 typical water inrush samples as training samples, 11 groups for prediction samples, establish the input index as typical ion content, output as water source type, using SPSS statistics and MATLAB to realize the R-SVM water source discriminant analysis model, automatically establishing the mapping relationship between the water quality indexes and the evaluation standards, which can achieve the purpose of rapid and accurate discrimination of the water sample data. The results showed that the accuracy of the R-SVM model classification was 90.90% in the verification of the water source discrimination example of Zhaogezhuang mine and the coupled model has high accuracy, good applicability and discriminant ability, and has certain guiding significance for the prevention and control of water damage and the related field work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a design for five conventional superconducting magnet structures to meet the high magnetic load demand of superconducting motors while reducing the superconducting tapes consumption. A 45° highest efficiency line is proposed based on the graphical method, and the magnet structure is optimized by combining finite element and PSO algorithms. Additionally, a correlation function is established using the vertical magnetic field to estimate the critical current, describing the nonlinear relationship between the two. The optimization method can maintain the airgap flux density waveform before and after optimization, reduce tapes consumption and perpendicular field on the tapes, refine the field distribution, and improve the safety margin of superconducting coils. The magnet design scheme can be selected with low tape consumption or high safety margin according to actual demand. This research can be used to optimize the electromagnetic design of superconducting electric motors, as well as other superconducting magnet applications, such as superconducting magnetic bearings, nuclear magnetic resonance, and large-scale scientific installations for high-energy physics. The aim is to achieve the exhaustive use of superconducting tapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Breast cancer related lymphedema (BCRL) may be assessed through objective measurement of limb swelling with common techniques including volumetric measurement using a tape measure or perometry, and measurement of extracellular water using bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS). This study aimed to evaluate the performance of a stand-on BIS device for detection of BCRL, introduce a novel graphical method to compare volumetric and BIS methods alongside traditional specificity and sensitivity analysis, and determine and compare BIS thresholds with those published previously. Materials and Methods: Female participants with indocyanine green lymphography confirmed unilateral arm lymphedema (n = 197) and healthy controls (n = 267) were assessed using a cross-sectional study design. BIS and volumetric measures were obtained in a single session. Results: The BIS lymphedema index (L-Dex) method had a significantly higher sensitivity than the excess volume approach (area under the curve = 0.832 vs. 0.649, p = 0.0001). A threshold of L-Dex 6.5 had a higher true positive rate (70.6%) than L-Dex 10 (68.5%) although false positive rate increased from 0.4% to 2.6%. A threshold of 5% excess volume improved the true positive rate (68.5%) compared with 10% excess volume (49.7%) however the false positive rate increased to an unacceptable 47%. The L-Dex ranges in this study were not significantly different from previously published ranges. Conclusion: BIS was superior for identifying BCRL compared with volume measurements, reaffirming the value of this technique. However, it is recommended that BIS be used in conjunction with comprehensive evaluation of symptoms and clinical presentation. The proposed graphical method provides a simple and easily interpretable approach to compare and define concordance between the two commonly used methods for BCRL assessment namely limb volume and BIS L-Dex indices. The existing BIS (L-Dex) thresholds for presence of BCRL were also validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: This article proposes a novel graphical approach for the the assessment of parallelism of biomarker tests that takes into consideration situations where parallelism is partially lacking. The new approach expands on earlier observations and criticism of the limitations of statistical methods included in the guidelines of regulatory authorities. Researchers in the field concur on emphasising the importance of ensuring the accuracy and reliability; a pertinent point which still remains to be addressed. To this purpose, two primary computational approaches are discussed: (a) statistical assessment and (b) visual assessment. Statistical methods, such as regression analysis and parallelism/non-parallelism indexes, offer precision and objectivity, making them suitable for large datasets and high accuracy requirements. They can detect subtle differences in parallelism that may be missed by visual assessment. However, they assume a linear relationship between analyte concentration and assay response, which may not always hold true. Visual assessment relies on interpreting graphs or charts depicting the biomarker–concentration–response relationship. It is intuitive and can quickly identify gross deviations from partial parallelism, making it useful for screening biomarker assays. Visual assessment may detect non-parallelism due to confounding factors that statistical methods might miss. The graphical method proposed here suggests using partial parallelism plots, which visually depict the relationship between biomarker concentration and assay response for each sample. These plots enable the identification of non-parallelism caused by analytical issues or confounding factors. They assist in determining the optimal range of dilutions for each sample and provide a language that is easily understood by researchers, regulatory authorities, and technicians. For regulatory authorities, this document provides valuable insights into the assessment of partial parallelism for biomarker tests. It highlights the need for both statistical and visual assessment methods to evaluate parallelism accurately. The proposed use of partial parallelism plots can aid in visualising and understanding the relationship between biomarker concentration and assay response. By considering these plots during the evaluation of biomarker assays, regulatory authorities can ensure the accuracy, reliability, and suitability of these tests as trial outcome measures and for clinical use. Demonstrating parallelism in quantitative laboratory tests is crucial to ensure accurate reporting of data and minimise risks to patients. Regulatory authorities make the demonstration of parallelism before clinical use approval mandate. However, achieving statistical parallelism can be arduous, especially when parallelism is limited to a subrange of the data. To address potential biases and confounds, I propose a simple graphical method, the Partial Parallelism Plot, to demonstrate partial parallelism. The proposed method offers ease of understanding, intuitiveness, and graphical simplicity. It enables the graphical assessment of quantitative data risk when parallelism is lacking within a defined range. As parallelism may not be consistent across the entire analytical range, the plots focus on partial parallelism. The method can readily be programmed into graphical applications for enhanced interactivity. By providing a clear graphical representation, the method allows researchers to ascertain the presence of parallelism in laboratory tests, thus aiding in the validation process for trials and clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prediction of roll separating force (RSF) is necessary to design new rolling mills, optimise the number of passes and for online control of dimensional accuracy. The intricacy of deformation and complex mixed boundary conditions of velocity and friction makes exact analytical prediction of RSF in a bar or shape rolling quite difficult. Hence, the formula for the prediction of RSF while bar rolling is developed in this research using sticking and slipping friction, assuming the process is equivalent to compression of the simple rectangular bar between two flat plates. The concept of the weak plane strain is also incorporated in the proposed formula. Sinel'nikove's formula derives the contact area between the roll and material. Considering the direct significance of the contact area on the value of RSF, the factors in the said formula are corrected based on a graphical method. Shida's formula is used to calculate the flow stress. The proposed formula is compared with more than fifty distinct experimental findings found in the literature. It is found that the formula is in good agreement with majority of the experimental data. The derived simplified analytical formula can be successfully applied to most types of passes in such industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a general and complete solution for the undrained cylindrical cavity expansion problem in nonassociated Mohr‐Coulomb soil under nonhydrostatic initial stress field (i.e., arbitrary K0${{K}_0}$ values of the earth pressure coefficient), by expanding a unique and efficient graphical solution procedure recently proposed by Chen and Wang in 2022 for the special in situ stress case with K0=1${K}_{0}=1$. It is interesting to find that the cavity expansion deviatoric stress path is always composed of a series of piecewise straight lines, for all different case scenarios of K0 being involved. When the cavity is sufficiently expanded, the stress path will eventually end, exclusively, in a major sextant with Lode angle θ in between 5π3$\frac{{5\pi }}{3}$ and 11π6$\frac{{11\pi }}{6}$ or on the specific line of θ=11π6$\theta = \frac{{11\pi }}{6}$. The salient advantage/feature of the present general graphical approach lies in that it can deduce the cavity expansion responses in full closed form, nevertheless being free of the limitation of the intermediacy assumption for the vertical stress and of the difficulty existing in the traditional zoning method that involves cumbersome, sequential determination of distinct Mohr–Coulomb plastic regions. Some typical results for the desired cavity expansion curves and the limit cavity pressure are presented, to investigate the impacts of soil plasticity parameters and the earth pressure coefficient on the cavity responses. The proposed graphical method/solution will be of great value for the interpretation of pressuremeter tests in cohesive‐frictional soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinicians often suspect that a treatment effect can vary across individuals. However, they usually lack "evidence-based" guidance regarding potential heterogeneity of treatment effects (HTE). Potentially actionable HTE is rarely discovered in clinical trials and is widely believed (or rationalized) by researchers to be rare. Conventional statistical methods to test for possible HTE are extremely conservative and tend to reinforce this belief. In truth, though, there is no realistic way to know whether a common, or average, effect estimated from a clinical trial is relevant for all, or even most, patients. This absence of evidence, misinterpreted as evidence of absence, may be resulting in sub-optimal treatment for many individuals. We first summarize the historical context in which current statistical methods for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were developed, focusing on the conceptual and technical limitations that shaped, and restricted, these methods. In particular, we explain how the common-effect assumption came to be virtually unchallenged. Second, we propose a simple graphical method for exploratory data analysis that can provide useful visual evidence of possible HTE. The basic approach is to display the complete distribution of outcome data rather than relying uncritically on simple summary statistics. Modern graphical methods, unavailable when statistical methods were initially formulated a century ago, now render fine-grained interrogation of the data feasible. We propose comparing observed treatment-group data to "pseudo data" engineered to mimic that which would be expected under a particular HTE model, such as the common-effect model. A clear discrepancy between the distributions of the common-effect pseudo data and the actual treatment-effect data provides prima facie evidence of HTE to motivate additional confirmatory investigation. Artificial data are used to illustrate implications of ignoring heterogeneity in practice and how the graphical method can be useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Shendong mining area,located in Northwestern China,is characterized by a dry climate and scarce water resources. A large amount of mine water is used for ecological irrigation in this mining area. This study investigated the suitability of mine water for irrigation through on-site sampling and hydrochemical testing of mine water in the mining area. We analyzed the spatial distribution patterns of water quality parameters and hydrochemical types. This study also evaluated and predicted the suitability of long-term irrigation using sodium ion adsorption ratio(SAR), soluble sodium percentage (KNa), Kelly ratio (KR),permeability index (PI),residual sodium carbonate (RSC), magnesium adsorption ratio (KMg) single indicator methods,as well as USSL and Wilcox graphical methods. Taking into account the groundwater level,we discussed soil texture types,climatic conditions of the mining area and the applicability of the evaluative indicators. The results show that the main ions in the mine water of Shendong mining area are sorted by mass concentration. The cations are Na+,Ca2+,Mg2+ and K+,and the anions are HCO-3,SO2- 4,Cl-and NO-3 . The mine water is weakly alkaline as a whole,and the concentrations of Cl-and NO-3 vary significantly with space. There was a significant positive correlation among Na+,Cl-,SO2- 4,total dissolved solid (TDS),electric conductivity (γ),Ca2+ and Mg2+,and a negative correlation between F-and Ca2+,Mg2+. The hydrochemical type of mine water in the mining area is primarily the NaHCO3 type. The chemical composition of mine water is mainly affected by ion exchange and evaporation. Na+,Cl-,SO2- 4,Ca2+,Mg2+ and F-in the mine water were abnormally enriched and the TDS and γ values exceeded the standard. The salt accumulation effect is not obvious under the combined influence of groundwater and surface water waterlogging in the mining area,and the soil compaction is not prominent. The PI method and the USSL graphic method are not suitable for evaluating irrigation water quality in this area. The evaluation results based on Wilcox graphical method show that the mine water of Halagou,Shigetai and Daliuta mines are suitable as irrigation water. The mine water from Bulianta,Shangwan,Buerta,Wulanmulun,and Huojitu mines should not be used for long-term direct irrigation. This study has theoretical and practical significance for the rational development and utilization of mine water resources in mining areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Natural Gas Geoscience is the property of Natural Gas Geoscience and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Machine Tool & Hydraulics is the property of Guangzhou Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (GMERI) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of this paper is to show that Tilman’s graphical method for the study of competition between two species for two resources can be advantageously used for the study of commensalism or syntrophy models, where a first species produces the substrate necessary for the growth of the second species. The growth functions of the species considered are general and include both inhibition by the other substrate and inhibition by the species’ limiting substrate, when it is at a high concentration. Because of their importance in microbial ecology, models of commensalism and syntrophy, with or without self-inhibition, have been the subject of numerous studies in the literature. We obtain a unified presentation of a large number of these results from the literature. The mathematical model considered is a differential system in four dimensions. We give a new result of local stability of the positive equilibrium, which has only been obtained in the literature in the case where the removal rates of the species are identical to the dilution rate and the study of stability can be reduced to that of a system in two dimensions. We describe the operating diagram of the system: this is the bifurcation diagram which gives the asymptotic behavior of the system when the operating parameters are varied, i.e., the dilution rate and the substrate inlet concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ingenius, Revista Ciencia y Tecnología is the property of Universidad Politecnica Salesiana and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We introduce a novel approach to compute Compton amplitudes involving a fermion pair inspired by Hopf algebra amplitude constructions. This approach features a recursive relation employing quasi-shuffle sets, directly verifiable by massive factorization properties. We derive results for minimal gauge invariant color-kinematic numerators with physical massive poles using this method. We have also deduced a graphical method for deriving numerators that simplifies the numerator generation and eliminates redundancies, thus providing several computational advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the praxeological aspect of the variability of proving domestic violence. The authors used a graphical method to visualize examples of variability in the combination of forms of violence, the use of sources of evidence, compliance with and violation of the non bis in idem principle, and the status of a child during domestic violence. It is concluded that domestic violence always consists of at least three episodes of violence, which may consist of physical, psychological, economic violence, or a combination of two or three of these forms at the same time. Based on the practice of the Supreme Court, it has been established that domestic violence is proved by various pieces of evidence. The preliminary facts of domestic violence may be reflected in various sources of evidence, including documents (administrative protocol, court order, restraining order, criminal proceedings, etc.) It is noted that the initiation of criminal proceedings on the fact of domestic violence under Article 126-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine does not have to be preceded by two cases of bringing a person to administrative liability under parts of Article 173-2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. In cases where there are no previous appeals to law enforcement agencies or courts, audio and video recordings, screenshots and other evidence may be used to prove the systematic nature of domestic violence, which must meet the requirements of the CPC of Ukraine for evidence. The authors emphasize that simultaneously bringing a person to administrative and criminal liability for the same episode of domestic violence is a violation of the non bis in idem principle. Therefore, a person may be held criminally liable under Art. 126-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine if there is one (the last) or more episodes of violence for which the person has not previously been held administratively liable. The commission by a person of criminal offenses provided for in parts of the articles (articles) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and domestic violence is not a violation of the non bis in idem principle. It is noted that a child who has witnessed domestic violence is always a victim of this offense. The draft law on harmonization of the provisions of the CPC of Ukraine with the Istanbul Convention on the involvement of a child as a victim from the moment of entering information into the URPTI was approved, as a child who witnessed domestic violence suffers moral damage. A child who witnessed domestic violence and is not related to the persons between whom the domestic violence occurred is not a victim of domestic violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the detection of corrosion under insulation (CUI) using pulsed eddy current testing (PECT) method, it is of great significance to reduce the footprint of the probe for improving the spatial resolution to local corrosion. This paper presents a novel method to reduce the probe footprint by modifying the excitation coil into multiple sub-coils and driving them with sequential pulses of different delay time. Finite element simulations are conducted to reveal the underlying mechanism. It is found that by using the sequential excitation scheme, the diffusion and decay of eddy currents in the test piece are regulated, and both the footprint reduction and signal enhancement can be achieved. Afterwards, the effects of the sequence and the delay amount of the applying pulses on the probe footprint are analyzed. Results show that the optimal excitation sequence is to apply pulses with increasing delay time to the sub-coils from outside to inside; the probe footprint decreases with the increase of the delay amount. Experimental work is finally performed to verify the simulation results. A graphical method for measuring the probe footprint is proposed by moving the probe on a step wedge plate and plotting the evaluated thickness against the probe position. Footprint measurement results of a conventional probe and the presented 4-subcoil probe are compared. The effectiveness of the proposed method are validated and the differences between experimental and simulation results are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motions of the various mechanism like acceleration, velocity, displacement and driven members involved the connection of rod and piston. The design of this rod and piston is known as kinematic analysis of the slider crank mechanism. This work used graphical method and analytical method of complex algebra method to analyse kinematic analysis of the engine. An experimental investigation was undertaken to study the variation of piston velocity with the crank angle of a slider crank mechanism, using the principle of instantaneous center approach. This phenomenon was also numerically modeled using the concepts of trigonometric and analytical geometry. But the numeric-calculation was sufficiently tedious, and prone to error, that led to developing a computer solution using Microsoft Excel Package. The three approaches generated piston velocity crank angle graph that were in good agreement with one another, from where it was observed that the variation resembles cosine curve rule, and that the maximum velocity of the slider occurs at a crank angle of 90° while the minimum occurs at 27°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]