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The micro four-point probe (M4PP) technique has become a well-established method for characterizing the electrical properties of materials. However, extra attention must be paid when measuring the resistivity of thermoelectric materials due to the possibility of an additional Seebeck voltage. This issue vanishes when measuring at a sufficiently high frequency, but the threshold frequency is substantial due to the small separation between the pins of the probes. Typical M4PP measurements are far from reaching this frequency, and their accuracy on thermoelectric materials is severely compromised. In this work, we explain the experimental conditions needed to measure reliably the electrical conductivity of thermoelectric materials and present a new method for measuring this property that reduces the frequency requirements by two orders of magnitude. The method is proven using two skutterudites and bismuth telluride material. It is also found that the resistance overestimation in the bismuth telluride sample is larger than that in the skutterudites due to its superior thermoelectric properties; the overestimate reaching 35%. The advances reported here enable the M4PP technique to be used for the measurement of the electrical conductivity of thermoelectric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To culturally adapt and validate the Italian version of the Shoulder Instability—Return to Sport after Injury (SI-RSI-I) scale. Methods: The SI-RSI-I was developed by adapting the Anterior Cruciate Ligament—Return to Sport Index—Italian version and replacing the term "knee" with "shoulder." Subsequently, it underwent validation following COSMIN recommendations. The study involved athletic participants who experienced SI. They completed the SI-RSI-I together with other measurement instruments: Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index, Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic Score, EuroQol-5D-5L, and Numeric Pain Rating Scale. The following psychometric properties were investigated: structural validity, internal consistency, test–retest reliability, measurement error, and construct validity. Results: The study included 101 participants (age mean [SD] 28.5 [7.4] y; 83 males, 18 females). The SI-RSI-I showed a single-factor structure, excellent internal consistency (α =.935), and excellent test–retest reliability (ICC =.926; 95% CI,.853–.964). The standard error of measurement was 6.1 points, and the minimal detectable change was 17.0 points. Furthermore, SI-RSI-I demonstrated moderate to strong correlations with all reference scales, confirming 8 out of 9 (88.0%) hypotheses, thus establishing satisfactory construct validity. Conclusion: The SI-RSI-I has demonstrated robust internal consistency, reliability, validity, and feasibility as a valuable scale for assessing psychological readiness to return to sport in Italian athletes with SI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We estimate short-term dividend strip prices from 27 years of S&P 500 index options data (1996-2022). We use option-implied interest rates when estimating strip prices and longer holding period returns to mitigate measurement error. We find that Sharpe ratios for short-term strips are similar to or higher than Sharpe ratios for the market. Short-term strips also have a low market beta and a positive alpha. Over the business cycle, realized term premiums (ie, the difference between market and strip returns) and the term structure of Sharpe ratios move countercyclically, whereas the term structure of alphas moves procyclically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three third-order dielectric constants, 8 electrostrictive constants, 13 third-order piezoelectric constants, and 14 third-order elastic constants for lithium tantalate (LiTaO3) single crystals, which are mainly used in surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices, were determined as part of basic research to realize SAW devices with a low degree of nonlinearity. The third-order dielectric constants were determined by measuring the change in capacitance along selected directions when an alternating electric field was applied to the crystal. The electrostrictive constants were determined by measuring the change in capacitance when static stress was applied. Some of the piezoelectric constants were determined directly from the change in sound velocity due to the application of an alternating electric field, whereas others were obtained from the measured dielectric constants, electrostrictive constants, and the change in sound velocity due to an alternating electric field. In addition, the elastic constants (compliance) were determined using the three aforementioned determined nonlinear constants and the measured small-amplitude ultrasonic velocity change as a function of applied static stress. The measurements performed in the present study are more advanced than those reported for LiNbO3 single crystals in 1987 due to the adoption of the d-form nonlinear piezoelectric equation (instead of the e-form) and a higher degree of precision using dynamic measurement methods. The use of the d-form of the nonlinear piezoelectric equation allows many nonlinear constants to be determined independently from other nonlinear constants, eliminating measurement errors associated with these other constants. The d-form nonlinear constants obtained in the present study were converted to e-form constants to make them applicable to the analysis of nonlinear phenomena in piezoelectric devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examined the potential errors in plasma-density measurements using the cutoff probe method under various structural conditions, such as tip distance and length. Our studies indicate that under conditions of thin sheath thickness, the length or distance of the metal tips on the cutoff probe has a slight effect on the plasma transmission spectrum or cutoff frequency. However, under conditions with a notably thick sheath, the structure of the probe tip can cause an error of up to 2% between the measured cutoff frequency and actual plasma frequency. Consequently, for precise measurements of plasma density using the cutoff probe method, it is imperative to maintain a probe tip distance exceeding five times the sheath width and utilize a sufficiently long probe tip length. This finding is anticipated to provide essential guidelines for the design and fabrication of effective cutoff probes and enhance the accuracy of plasma-density measurements using a cutoff probe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The incidence and recurrence rate of hamstring strain injuries remain persistently high, with recurrent injuries leading to increased time lost during play and extended recovery periods compared with initial injury. Ultrasound imaging assesses important factors such as hamstring fascicle length (FL), pennation angle (PA), cross-sectional area (CSA), muscle thickness (MT), echo intensity (EI), and shear wave elastography (SWE), all impacting athletic performance. However, its reliability must be established before employing any measurement tool in research or clinical settings. Objectives: To determine the reliability and measurement error of ultrasound for assessing hamstring FL, PA, CSA, MT, EI, and SWE among healthy adults and athletes; to synthesize the information regarding the operationalization of ultrasound. Evidence Acquisition: A systematic literature search was done from January 1990 to February 5, 2023, to identify reliability and validity studies of hamstring ultrasound assessment published in peer-reviewed journals with identifiable methodology of outcome measures. Evidence Synthesis: Intraclass correlation coefficient measurement of 14 included studies reported moderate to excellent intrarater, interrater, and test–retest reliabilities of FL, PA, and MT regardless of the site of muscle testing, probe size, and setting, state of muscle, and use of different techniques in the extrapolation of FL. Good to excellent test–retest reliability rates for all hamstring anatomic CSA along midmuscle and different percentages of thigh length using panoramic imaging. Good intrarater reliability of EI regardless of gender and orientation of the probe but with excellent intrarater reliability in transverse scan using maximum region of interest. Good intrarater, interrater, and interday repeatability on SWE with the muscle in a stretched position. Conclusion: Evidence from studies with a predominantly low risk of bias shows that ultrasound is a reliable tool to measure hamstring FL, PA, CSA, MT, EI, and SWE in healthy adults and athletes under various experimental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Net Promotor Score (NPS) is ubiquitous, relying on a single-item question to capture consumers' word-of-mouth (WOM). The question asks consumers for their likelihood of recommending a brand to friends and colleagues. Despite its popularity and advantages over longer satisfaction surveys, NPS has potential weaknesses. Among them are that the NPS question (1) is double-barreled by asking in a single question for likelihood to recommend to friends and likelihood to recommend to colleagues, (2) focuses on recommendations, and thus, ignores consumers' likelihood to spread negative WOM, and (3) ignores online WOM, which often involves recommendations to strangers rather than friends or colleagues. This paper empirically tests these three potential weaknesses of the NPS measure on the WOM conclusions derived from NPS. Specifically, three experiments vary whether NPS assesses likelihood to recommend to a friend and colleague in a single question (how NPS is currently measured) or in two separate questions. In addition, NPS is compared to responses to an explicit negative WOM question (intent to warn others about the brand). Moreover, across studies, the NPS is reported for a recent positive experience and either a recent negative experience or a recent mixed experience. NPS is also compared to likelihood to engage in online WOM in terms of posting an online review and the intended online rating. By examining these issues, this research sheds light on consumers' interpretations of NPS, the factors that influence these interpretations, and how these factors affect NPS' ability to predict negative WOM, online WOM, as well as satisfaction, loyal behavior, and WOM in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-tier sustainable supply chain relationships (MSSCR) are complex with involvement of multiple organisations, practices, objectives, and interconnectivities. These complexities make it difficult to effectively study MSSCR using traditional empirical statistical correlative research. In MSSCR the relationship between the focal firm and sub-supplier may be affected by the relationship between the focal firm and direct-supplier, and the relationship between the direct-supplier and the sub-supplier. This paper introduces a research methodology, based on K-Means clustering, rough set theory, and cluster membership to investigate complex relationships across multi-tier sustainable supply chain triads. Collaborative advantage variables including knowledge-sharing routines, relation-specific investments, complementary capabilities, effective governance mechanisms, and long-term commitment are conceptually presented to evaluate relationships among MSSCR practices and sustainability performance. Insights for practitioners and researchers are provided. Research insights can be gained by analytically providing alternative explanatory and equifinality relationships amongst variables and multi-pair organisations. The methodology can mitigate the endogeneity problem, such as omitted factors (variables), measurement error, even in small sample data situations. Directions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geomagnetic navigation has become a hot spot in current research because of its characteristics of passiveness and good concealment. However, the magnetic interference from various ferromagnetic substances, electronic equipment, etc., of the carrier will be superimposed on the geomagnetic field, causing magnetometer measurement errors, thus affecting navigation accuracy. In practice, due to the limited maneuverability of the carrier, sufficient geomagnetic observation data cannot be obtained, resulting in the observation equation used for carrier magnetic interference compensation to be seriously pathological. To achieve the compensation of carrier magnetic interference, this paper proposes the total least squares method based on the ridge regression using the L curve to solve ridge parameters. This method can effectively suppress the measurement noise that exists on both sides of the observation equation, and is suitable for alleviating the pathological effects of carrier magnetic interference compensation. Experimental results show that the compensated magnetometer measurement error is reduced to 3% of the carrier magnetic interference by using the method proposed in this paper, which obtains more stable and accurate parameter estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previously, the multisolute osmotic virial equation with the combining rules of Elliott et al. has been shown to make accurate predictions for multisolute solutions with only single-solute osmotic virial coefficients as inputs. The original combining rules take the form of an arithmetic average for the second-order mixed coefficients and a geometric average for the third-order mixed coefficients. Recently, we derived generalized combining rules from a first principles solution theory, where all mixed coefficients could be expressed as arithmetic averages of suitable binary coefficients. In this work, we empirically extended the new model to account for electrolyte effects, including solute dissociation, and demonstrated its usefulness for calculating the properties of multielectrolyte solutions. First, the osmotic virial coefficients of 31 common salts in water were tabulated based on the available freezing point depression (FPD) data. This was achieved by polynomial fitting, where the degree of the polynomial was determined using a special criterion that accounts for the confidence intervals of the coefficients. Then, the multisolute model was used to predict the FPD of 11 ternary electrolyte solutions. Furthermore, models with the new combining rules and the original combining rules of Elliott et al. were compared using both mole fraction and molality as concentration units. We find that the mole-fraction-based model with the new combining rules performs the best and that the results agree well with independent experimental measurements with an all-system root-mean-square error of 0.24 osmoles/kg (0.45 °C) and close to zero mean bias for the entire dataset (371 data points). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) experiment is the next-generation neutrino experiment that aims at exploring the neutrino mass hierarchy problem. Located 700 m underground in Jiangmen, China, JUNO's central detector is an acrylic sphere filled with 20 kt of liquid scintillator with linear alkylbenzene (LAB) as solvent. To achieve the unprecedented energy resolution of σ E / E ⩽ 3 % , the LAB used in JUNO is required for excellent transparency at the wavelength around 430 nm. In cooperation with Jinling Petrochemical (Nanjing), the newly developed LAB shows an improved attenuation length. The resulting transparency of the LAB requires higher sensitivity in measurement. We have, therefore, upgraded the apparatus and the analysis method for higher precision. In this article, we present the upgraded apparatus and the analysis on improving the measurement error. Among the many new samples, the type NJ66 yields an attenuation length of approximately 30 m. The analysis has applied statistical methods with Monte Carlo simulations. A new model is proposed to account for the deviations between data and the Beer–Lambert model. The long attenuation length of LAB observed in this study suggests feasibility to reach the goal on energy resolution required by JUNO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: To assess the reliability of a remote 2D markerless motion tracking method (Kinovea) to quantify knee and hip angles during dynamic tasks. Methods: Fourteen healthy adults performed body weight squats and lateral lunges while video recording themselves at home. Knee and hip angles were quantified in the sagittal plane for the squats and in the frontal plane for the lateral lunges. Two students each performed the video analysis procedure twice, 2 weeks apart. Intraclass correlation coefficients were used to calculate the intrarater and interrater reliability for angles at maximum depth. The intrarater and interrater agreement over the joint angle-time signals were quantified using a validation metric; an acceptable agreement threshold was set at a validation metric of 0.803 or higher. Standard error of measurement (SEM) was also calculated. Results: Reliability was good to excellent (intraclass correlation coefficients = .80-.98) for all angle comparisons at maximum depth. The agreement over the entire joint angle-time signal was acceptable for all squat variables except for the interrater hip angle comparison (validation metric = 0.797). None of the lateral lunge variables met the threshold of acceptable agreement. The mean SEM across participants for all joint angle-time signal and for maximum depth was acceptable (<5°) for all measurements (SEM = 1.2°-4.9°). Conclusions: Overall, the reliability, agreement, and SEM quantified in this study support the integration of remote methods to quantify lower-extremity kinematics into research and clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurement errors of meteors can substantially affect the accuracy of meteoroid trajectory and orbit determinations, potentially leading to spurious meteoroid orbits. Here, we evaluate the measurement errors associated with the meteor and ionospheric irregularity observation system (MIOS) developed at low-latitude Ledong and Sanya, China, aimed at observing various meteors and their associated plasma density irregularity phenomena, and investigate how these errors affect the determination of meteor trajectories and orbits. The measurement error of meteor position is estimated to be |$\sim$| 2 pixels, corresponding to 0.04 |$^\circ$|⁠ , which is sufficient to detect true radiant dispersion and structural characteristics in younger meteor showers. By simulating meteoroids from the Draconid, Geminid, and Perseid meteor showers with the |$\sim$| 2 pixels measurement error and the Monte Carlo trajectory method, the precision of corresponding meteoroid trajectories is derived. The radiant accuracy is 1.09 |$^\circ$|⁠ , with right ascension and declination accuracies of 0.78 |$^\circ$| and 0.77 |$^\circ$|⁠ , respectively. The velocity accuracy is 0.64 km/s. The comparison of estimated and true radiant uncertainties shows that the estimated errors of the MIOS are generally consistent with the true meteor trajectory errors. Finally, we estimate the orbital measurement errors, which include an eccentricity of 0.05, a perihelion distance of 0.0086 au, an inclination of 1.4 |$^\circ$|⁠ , and an argument of the perihelion of 1.86 |$^\circ$|⁠. Based on observations of eight representative meteor showers during 2019–2023, the accuracy of the MIOS in detecting meteor trajectories and orbits is further validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider entanglement distillation with noisy operations in which quantum measurements that constitute a general quantum operation are particularly noisy. We present a protocol for purifying noisy measurements and show that imperfect local operations can distill entanglement. The protocol works for arbitrary noisy measurements in general and is cost-effective and resource-efficient with single additional qubit per party to resolve the distillation of entanglement. The purification protocol is feasible with currently available quantum technologies and readily applied to entanglement applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To cross-culturally adapt the Patient-Specific Functional Scale (PSFS) into Italian and study its classic psychometric properties in subjects with shoulder pain (SP). Materials and Methods: The PSFS was translated into Italian and administered to 109 SP subjects. Acceptability (time to administer, floor and ceiling effects), reliability (internal consistency [Cronbach's alpha], test-retest reliability [Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC)], and measurement error [Standard Error of Measurement (SEM), Minimal Detectable Change, (MDC)]), were assessed. Moreover, construct validity was investigated through a-priori hypothesis testing, comparing the PSFS with the Disability of the Shoulder, Arm and Hand (DASH) scale, 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and Numeric Pain Rating scale (NPRS). Results: The PSFS was successfully adapted into Italian, and its acceptability was satisfied. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach's alpha = 0.925), and test-retest reliability was good (ICC = 0.866, 95% CI = 0.749–0.931). A SEM of 0.7 points and an MDC of 1.9 points were obtained. We observed moderate evidence for construct validity, with 4/6 correlations between other measures being respected. Conclusion: This study provided reliability and validity of the PSFS in a sample of Italian SP subjects. Future studies should assess the responsiveness of using the PSFS as an outcome measure to capture clinical changes after treatment. IMPLICATION FOR REHABILITATION: The Patient-Specific Functional Scale is a reliable, and easy-to-use patient-reported outcome measure. The Patient-Specific Functional Scale was cross-cultural validated in the Italian language. The Patient-Specific Functional Scale has excellent internal consistency, high reliability, low measurement error, and moderate construct validity in subjects with shoulder pain. The Patient-Specific Functional Scale can be used in clinical practice by Italian physiotherapists to assess subjects with shoulder pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale-29 (MSIS-29) is a patient self-reported outcome (PRO) that measures patients' quality of life, and it is divided into two sub-scales for the physical (PHYS) and psychological (PSYCH) domains. This study aimed to translate the MSIS-29 into Arabic, cross-culturally adapt it, and examine its psychometric properties. Materials and Methods: One hundred fifty patients with MS completed the MSIS-29-Ar, the Functional Assessment of Multiple Sclerosis (FAMS), and the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). After one week, 60 participants were asked to complete the MSIS-29-Ar again to examine test-retest reliability. Results: The MSIS-29-Ar was clear and understandable among patients with MS in Saudi Arabia. The internal consistency for the MSIS-29-Ar-PHYS was excellent, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.955, and was good for the MSIS-29-Ar-PSYCH, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.891. The test-retest reliability for MSIS-29-Ar-PHYS was ICC2,1 = 0.97; 95% confidence interval (0.93, 0.99) and ICC2,1 = 0.95.; 95% confidence interval (0.897, 0.976) for MSIS-29-Ar-PSYCH domains. The minimal detectable change with 95% confidence (MDC95) was 10.28 and 13.37 for the MSIS-29-Ar-PHYS and MSIS-29-Ar-PSYCH, respectively. No floor and ceiling effects were observed. Convergent and divergent validity was supported by 75% of the predefined hypotheses and correlated with the other health-related quality-of-life measures, SF-36 and FAMS. Conclusion: The MSIS-29-Ar questionnaire is a valid and reliable outcome measure among Saudi patients with MS. IMPLICATION FOR REHABILITATION: Rehabilitation specialists can confidently interpret patient scores in the MSIS-29-Ar to measure physical and psychological factors impacting patients' quality of life with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Patients with unchanged clinical status will have similar scores in the MSIS-29-Ar with repeated scale administrations over time. The MSIS-29-Ar can be used in clinical practice and research studies to measure factors that impact the quality of life in Arabic-speaking patients with MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: There is a need for valid and reliable clinical assessment tools to assess cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) levels in adolescents with autism. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the concurrent validity and test-retest reliability of the Astrand-Rhyming Test (ART) in this population. Materials and methods: 45 adolescents with autism aged 12–18 years (n = 32 males, 14.47 ± 1.79 years) performed the ART twice (test-retest reliability) and completed a maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) (concurrent validity). Reliability parameters included Pearson correlations, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), standard error of measurements (SEM), minimal detectable changes (MDC), coefficients of variation, paired sample t-tests, linear regressions and Bland-Altman plots. The concurrent validity was evaluated with Pearson correlations, ICCs, paired sample t-tests, linear regressions and Bland-Altman plots. Results: Strong test-retest reliability (r = 0.84–0.85, ICC = 0.84–0.85) was found for the ART, but the wide limits of agreement intervals suggest the presence of substantial variability. The large SEM (4.73–5.08 mL/kg/min) and MDC (13.20-14.07 mL/kg/min) values suggest lower absolute reliability. Moderate to strong levels of association (r = 0.74–0.75) and agreement (ICC = 0.59–0.66) were found between estimated (ART1) and measured (CPET) VO2 max levels, but significant systematic differences (5.71–8.82 mL/kg/min) were observed. Conclusion: The ART is an accessible and promising method to monitor submaximal CRF levels over time but is less appropriate to estimate maximal CRF levels in this population. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Adolescents with autism are at increased risk of exhibiting low cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) levels and as a result, placing them at risk for poor physical and mental health outcomes. In clinical practice, the CRF levels of this population should be screened and monitored routinely to identify those at risk and most likely to benefit from a targeted intervention. A submaximal exercise test appears to be feasible in adolescents with autism. The Astrand-Rhyming Test shows good reliability to monitor submaximal CRF levels over time, but is less appropriate to estimate maximal CRF levels in adolescents with autism. The use of the age correction factor of the Astrand-Rhyming Test nomogram is not required to adequately estimate CRF levels in adolescents with autism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the direct feedthrough system where unknown input affects both process equation and measurement equation, an unscented recursive three-step filter based unbiased minimum-variance (URTSF-UMV) estimation algorithm is proposed. The algorithm is based on the unbiased minimum-variance (UMV) method and uses statistical linearisation technology to approximate the nonlinear system and the nonlinear measurement function to linear regression form. The estimation of unknown input is obtained from innovation through weighted least-squares (WLS) estimation. The approximate linear regression form allows us to process the nonlinear system with unknown input direct feedthrough by using the UMV state estimation framework, and derive the filter by minimising the trace of the state error covariance of the measurement update under the unbiased condition. The URTSF-UMV requires that the unknown input distribution matrix is full column rank. We use the full rank decomposition method to deal with the nonlinear system containing the unknown input rank-deficient distribution matrix. The effectiveness of the URTSF-UMV algorithm is demonstrated through an illustrative simulation example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The durability issue is the primary factor affecting the life and cost of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC). This paper presents a novel State of health (SOH) prognosis method for PEMFC in different conditions using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Gaussian Process Regression (GPR). Firstly, the robust locally weighted smoothing method is used to preprocess the recorded PEMFC operation data for filtering measurement errors. Then, PCA is applied to extract the principal components of the time series of original multi-dimensional input variables for PEMFC, eliminating the correlation between the original variables and reducing the dimensionality of input variables. Finally, the degradation prognosis and Remaining Useful Life (RUL) prognosis are made by GPR. Two degradation experiments for PEMFC verify the proposed method in different conditions. The test result shows that PCA can effectively reduce the dimensionality of PEMFC operating conditions. Compared with traditional methods, PCA-GPR has higher SOH prognosis accuracy. PCA-GPR provides a 462-h RUL prognosis on a life duration of 1150 h, which is sufficient for maintaining the PEMFC. • PEMFC operating variables are reconstructed by the principal component analysis. • PEMFC degradation prognosis model is established by Gaussian process regression. • The proposed method provides a higher degradation prognosis accuracy for PEMFC. • Proposed method makes a long remaining useful life prognosis for PEMFC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Measurement of repeatability and reproducibility (R&R) is necessary to realize the full potential of positron emission tomography (PET). Several studies have evaluated the reproducibility of PET using 18F-FDG, the most common PET tracer used in oncology, but similar studies using other PET tracers are scarce. Even fewer assess agreement and R&R with statistical methods designed explicitly for the task. 18F-(2S, 4R)-4-fluoro-glutamine (18F-Gln) is a PET tracer designed for imaging glutamine uptake and metabolism. This study illustrates high reproducibility and repeatability with 18F-Gln for in vivo research. Methods: Twenty mice bearing colorectal cancer cell line xenografts were injected with ~9 MBq of 18F-Gln and imaged in an Inveon microPET. Three individuals analyzed the tumor uptake of 18F-Gln using the same set of images, the same image analysis software, and the same analysis method. Scans were randomly re-ordered for a second repeatability measurement 6 months later. Statistical analyses were performed using the methods of Bland and Altman (B&A), Gauge Reproducibility and Repeatability (Gauge R&R), and Lin's Concordance Correlation Coefficient. A comprehensive equivalency test, designed to reject a null hypothesis of non-equivalence, was also conducted. Results: In a two-way random effects Gauge R&R model, variance among mice and their measurement variance were 0.5717 and 0.024. Reproducibility and repeatability accounted for 31% and 69% of the total measurement error, respectively. B&A repeatability coefficients for analysts 1, 2, and 3 were 0.16, 0.35, and 0.49. One-half B&A agreement limits between analysts 1 and 2, 1 and 3, and 2 and 3 were 0.27, 0.47, and 0.47, respectively. The mean square deviation and total deviation index were lowest for analysts 1 and 2, while coverage probabilities and coefficients of the individual agreement were highest. Finally, the definitive agreement inference hypothesis test for equivalency demonstrated that all three confidence intervals for the average difference of means from repeated measures lie within our a priori limits of equivalence (i.e. ± 0.5%ID/g). Conclusions: Our data indicate high individual analyst and laboratory-level reproducibility and repeatability. The assessment of R&R using the appropriate methods is critical and should be adopted by the broader imaging community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe stochastic processes are a natural choice for describing the randomness in degradation processes caused by inherent randomness and environmental factors. This article proposes a new modified skew-normal distribution to capture measurement uncertainty, and then establishes a stochastic process-based degradation modeling framework, in which both degradation increments and measurement errors do not follow the Gaussian distributions. Taking the IG process as an example, the basic reliability indicators and the alarm probabilities caused by measurement errors are derived. In addition, a multi-stage parameter estimation algorithm based on moderate particle sizes and comparative tolerances is developed for this stochastic process-based degradation model under dual non-Gaussian assumptions. Finally, the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed model along with the parameter estimation algorithm are demonstrated by a simulation study and a case application, and it is particularly pointed out that the relative size of measurement errors has a significant impact on the precision of degradation reliability assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract.In this article, we investigate the estimation of the Pearson correlation coefficient in the present of additive distortion measurement errors, which are influenced by a shared, observed confounding variable. We introduce two estimators for the Pearson correlation coefficient: the profile least squares estimator and the moment-based estimator. Notably, these estimators do not rely on the assumption of independence between the confounding variable and the underlying variables. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the proposed estimators are asymptotically efficient. To evaluate their performance, we conduct comparisons between our proposed estimators and existing methods found in the literature through simulation studies. Additionally, we apply these methodologies to analyze a real dataset as an illustrative example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the high positioning uncertainty and low stiffness of robots, significant geometrical deviations occur in robotic incremental sheet forming (ISF) which requires an optical in-process tool pose measurement. To achieve a measuring uncertainty of less than 50 μ m for the position components and less than 0.05 ∘ for the orientation components in the machining volume, a multi-sensor system based on shadow imaging sensors is proposed. To calculate the six-degree-of-freedom tool pose, the sensor system measures the positions of three LEDs attached to the tool. The LEDs emit light with different colors, and the associated shadows are separately detected by using color filters. In addition, each sensor consists of a shadow-casting mask and a monochrome camera. Experimental results show that the systematic error dominates the measurement uncertainty budget and needs to be calibrated, while the random error is one order of magnitude smaller than the required measuring uncertainty. Furthermore, the color filters reduce the cross-sensitivities between the signals to an acceptable level. Final experiments on a robot demonstrate plausible pose measurements indicating the feasibility to apply the multi-sensor system in robotic ISF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers often study dynamic processes of latent variables in everyday life, such as the interplay of positive and negative affect over time. An intuitive approach is to first estimate the measurement model of the latent variables, then compute factor scores, and finally use these factor scores as observed scores in vector autoregressive modeling. However, this approach neglects the uncertainty in the factor scores, leading to biased parameter estimates and threatening the validity of conclusions about the dynamic process. We propose Three-Step Latent Vector Autoregression that adheres to this stepwise procedure while correcting for the factor scores' uncertainty. Stepwise approaches offer various advantages, for example the ability to visualize and inspect the factor scores. A simulation study demonstrates that the method performs well in obtaining correct parameter estimates of a dynamic process. We also provide an empirical example and scripts for implementation in the open-source software R using the lavaan package. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The paper aims to accurately measure the key motion parameters, such as velocity, azimuth and pitch angle, of the small flying object with a non-uniform curve trajectory. It proposes a measurement method and its calculation model of non-uniform curve trajectory using a photoelectric sensor array. Design/methodology/approach: First, the basic composition of the measurement system and mechanism of photoelectric sensor array are described, respectively. Second, a non-uniform curve mathematical measurement model is constructed differently from the traditional linear trajectory, taking into account the influence of gravity and air resistance. Third, the measurement error of the system is analyzed through numerical simulation. Finally, the accuracy and feasibility of the approach are verified by live-ammunition experiments. Findings: The results show that the systematic error of the hitting point coordinates can be reduced by 9% compared to the traditional linear measurement model. Consequently, this method can meet the higher measurement requirement for the key motion parameters of the small flying object under the non-uniform curve trajectory. Research limitations/implications (if applicable)- although the approach itself is generalizable, the method is unable to detect the motion parameters of multiple small flying objects. Research limitations/implications: Although the approach itself is generalizable, the method is unable to detect the motion parameters of the multiple small flying objects. Practical implications: It is evident that the proposed non-uniform curve measurement model is more precise in quantifying the essential characteristics of the small flying object, particularly in consideration of the environmental conditions. Social implications: The precise measurement of the key motion parameters of the small flying object can facilitate the enhancement of the protective performance of protective materials. Originality/value: A novel approach to measurement is proposed, which differs from the conventional uniform trajectory model. To this end, the space construction of the photoelectric sensor array is optimized. The number of the sensors is revised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child labour in cocoa production remains a major concern. Yet, an overall assessment of the role of cocoa production in child labour, comparing with other household livelihood activities, as well as a more nuanced view on the work that is done by children, is lacking. Using data from the Ghana Living Standards Survey 2017, we model the probability of children's work based on cocoa production and a set of other variables at child, parental, household and community level. We specify children's work in different ways to better interpret employment conditions, compare effects across gender and age of the child, and address potential bias by controlling for measurement error and using an instrumental variable estimation and a coefficient stability approach. We find that cocoa production increases the probability of working on the own farm but not exceeding allowable work time or in harmful conditions. The effects are similar for boys and girls but are much larger for older children. Other farm-household activities, especially food crop production and livestock ownership, are much more strongly associated with children's work, often under more harmful conditions. This implies that solely targeting the cocoa sector might run the risk to transpose child labour to other activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop the Japanese version of the ABILHAND-Kids and to examine its psychometric properties for Japanese children with cerebral palsy (CP). Methods: The experimental version of 75 items was developed using forward-backward translation method. Parents of 137 children with CP answered it. Their responses were analyzed to successive items, and psychometric properties of the final version were investigated through the Rasch measurement model. Results: The Japanese version of the ABILHAND-Kids contained 22 items. It showed valid item-patient targeting, no significant floor and ceiling effects, and no differential item functioning for demographic and clinical subgroups. All items contributed to the definition of one-dimensional measure. For internal consistency, the person separation index was 0.94. For test-retest reliability, the intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.96 (95% CI: 0.92–0.98). The minimal detectable difference was calculated with a logit score of 0.79 and a total raw score of 4.50. The logit score showed a strong correlation with the Manual Ability Classification System level (ρ= −0.70) and the Gross Motor Function Classification System level (ρ= −0.62). Conclusions: The Japanese version of the ABILHAND-Kids was found to be valid and reliable. It appears to be a good tool for assessing manual abilities in daily activities in children with CP. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Impairment of upper limb function affects participation and quality of life in children with cerebral palsy, and adequate assessment tools are essential to appropriate planning and evaluation of interventions. The Japanese version of the ABILHAND-Kids is a valid and reliable measure of manual ability in children with cerebral palsy. The Japan-specific items and calibrations allows for evaluation that takes Japanese culture into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current sensors based on the tunneling magnetoresistive effect (TMR) are widely used for current measurement due to their high sensitivity, small size, and low power consumption. This paper proposes an effective error correction model to rectify the eccentricity of the transmission line, which can cause a significant measurement error in the ring‐array single‐axis TMR sensor. The model employs a convolutional neural network (CNN) to identify the relationship between the conductor eccentricity and the output of three sensors. The resulting correction factor is then fed back to eliminate the error associated with wire eccentricity. Concurrently, the Sparrow search algorithm (SSA) is employed to optimize the hyperparameters of the convolutional neural network (CNN) in order to enhance the model's performance. The experimental results demonstrate that the maximum error of the ring‐array single‐axis TMR current sensor, corrected by SSA‐CNN, is less than 0.42%, which markedly enhances the precision of the measurement. © 2024 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global, 24/7, and all-weather Synthetic Aperture Radars (SARs) are optimal platforms for Ground Moving Target Indication (GMTI) missions, and the tether constraint provides a stable mechanic connection for such configurations. To fulfill the requirements of such missions, the Space Tether System (STS) must be deployed to horizontal positions to form the necessary along-track interference baseline, which is unstable relative to traditional vertical positions and has not received adequate focus. To deal with this problem, this study focuses on the deployment control of the STS to the unstable horizontal positions. Firstly, the properties of the STS at the horizontal position are analyzed, and a synthetic criterion of measurement error is defined based on the observation principle of the GMTI mission. Secondly, two deployment control strategies are proposed, and corresponding desired trajectories are generated by considering two occasions respectively. In the end, considering the instability of horizontal positions, an adaptive closed-loop controller is designed utilizing the backstepping method to address gravitational moment and other disturbances. Simulations demonstrate that the system can successfully attain the desired horizontal positions under both deployment strategies, and the designed controller can quickly track trajectories under initial state errors and external disturbances. • Two along-track deployment strategies are proposed for unstable horizontal positions. • A synthetic criterion of measurement error is defined to evaluate deployment accuracy. • A back-stepping adaptive controller is designed to suppress unstable tether oscillations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurement error frequently distorts outcomes in real-world applications, affecting process results. This paper explores how measurement error affects the detection capabilities of a new adaptive control chart with variable sample size in identifying out-ofcontrol conditions. The analysis is based on a model incorporating linear covariates, focusing specifically on the variable sample size with the EWMA chart's ability to detect shifts in the mean. Our findings demonstrate that measurement error considerably influences the chart's performance concerning mean detection. Additionally, we show that the proposed variable sample size strategy outperforms traditional methods under these conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water utility operators prioritize timely repairs of leakages, an activity that refers to a challenging task by the spatial localization of multiple existing leakages within a water distribution network (WDN). In the literature, genetic algorithms (GAs) are applied to find the best combinations of leakages, typically in combination with a reduced number of candidate leakage nodes to reduce computational effort. To address this limitation, a graph-based GA is proposed in this work by considering the topological relationship between the leakage candidate nodes and sizes for the creation of the offspring. In greater detail, each gene in the graph-based GA consists of a leakage place and leakage size, and two random genes are selected based on the roulette wheel selection for the creation of the offspring. Afterward, possible offspring nodes are selected within the shortest path between these two leakage places or in spatial proximity connected to the shortest path, where the leakage size is set to a random value between the leakage sizes of the two genes. The developed approach was tested on part of a WDN with 100 different leakage scenarios and varying number of leakages, sizes, and locations. As the results showed, the graph-based GA significantly improved leakage localization compared with a classic GA and linear programming solver, with a median distance of 44 m between suspected and actual leakage locations given perfect conditions while also being computationally efficient. However, the achievable performance was strongly affected by measurement errors, model uncertainties, and partially unknown nodal demands and was more accurate for localizing leakage places near exactly measured locations and with larger leakage sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the test-retest reliabilities and minimal detectable change (MDC) of the Short Portable Mental State Questionnaire (SPMSQ) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in patients with stroke. Methods: 63 patients were recruited from 1 medical center. The SPMSQ and MoCA were administered twice, 2 weeks apart. Results: Both measures showed high intraclass correlation coefficients (SPMSQ: 0.87; MoCA: 0.89) and acceptable MDC%s (SPMSQ: 14.8%; MoCA: 19.6%). A small correlation (r = 0.30) was found between the absolute difference and average in each pair of assessments in the SPMSQ, which was close to the criterion of heteroscedasticity. A small practice effect was observed in the MoCA (Cohen's d = 0.30). Conclusion: The SPMSQ demonstrated smaller random measurement error and an absence of practice effect. When comparing the psychometric properties of the SPMSQ and MoCA as outcome measures for assessing cognitive function in patients with stroke, the SPMSQ appears to be a more suitable choice than the MoCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between brand value and firm value by using a two‐step approach. In the first step, we use the financial‐based brand valuation model (FBVEM) to obtain the brand value of firms that operated in the Turkish manufacturing industry during the period between 2014 and 2018. In the second step, we examine the effect of brand value on Tobin's Q. In doing so, we use a novel GMM, with a measurement errors model, which takes into account mismeasurements of the financial variables. We try to get an accurate estimation of the link between brand value and Tobin's Q in our analysis. The obtained findings show that the effect of brand value on firm value is positive in the Turkish manufacturing sector. Our results remain stable after robustness checks. This is the first well‐controlled study that considers the endogeneity problem and consequent measurement errors in the relationship between brand value and firm value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibre optic sensors are used to measure various physical quantities, including polarisation plane rotation. Existing solutions for measuring the rotation of the plane of polarisation in optical fibres are based on sensors using tilted fibre Bragg gratings (TFBGs). Articles describing the possibilities of measuring the rotation of the plane of polarisation are generally concepts that show the effect of the rotation of the plane of polarisation on quantities such as the change in optical power of the light transmitted through the TFBG, or the change in the position of the selected minimum of the light spectrum. The only method that allows the measurement of the rotation of the plane of polarisation bases on optical spectrum analysis and requires manual calibration by an experienced operator. The paper proposes a fully automatic method of sensor calibration and processing the signal from a TFBG to measure the light polarisation plane rotation. The method uses the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) to process the light spectrum. An automatic algorithm to choose optimal DWT coefficients to use has been developed. The presented method offers calibration of light polarisation plane rotation angle sensors avoiding the influence of manufacturing imperfections of the measurement system components. In addition, it allows the calibration process to be fully automated without operator involvement. The developed measurement method is also fully automated. It allows measurement of angles of rotation in the range of 0-180, making it possible to distinguish between 0-90 and 90-180 rotation angle ranges without any problems. The mean square error of measurement over the entire range is 0.37 degrees, which is better than that of competing methods. In addition, an independent measurement method operating in the 82-98 rotation angle range is proposed to increase measurement precision in this range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: An automatic method is presented for estimating 4D flow MRI velocity measurement uncertainty in each voxel. The velocity distance (VD) metric, a statistical distance between the measured velocity and local error distribution, is introduced as a novel measure of 4D flow MRI velocity measurement quality. Methods: The method uses mass conservation to assess the local velocity error variance and the standardized difference of means (SDM) velocity to estimate the velocity error correlations. VD is evaluated as the Mahalanobis distance between the local velocity measurement and the local error distribution. The uncertainty model is validated synthetically and tested in vitro under different flow resolutions and noise levels. The VD's application is demonstrated on two in vivo thoracic vasculature 4D flow datasets. Results: Synthetic results show the proposed uncertainty quantification method is sensitive to aliased regions across various velocity‐to‐noise ratios and assesses velocity error correlations in four‐ and six‐point acquisitions with correlation errors at or under 3.2%. In vitro results demonstrate the method's sensitivity to spatial resolution, venc settings, partial volume effects, and phase wrapping error sources. Applying VD to assess in vivo 4D flow MRI in the aorta demonstrates the expected increase in measured velocity quality with contrast administration and systolic flow. Conclusion: The proposed 4D flow MRI uncertainty quantification method assesses velocity measurement error owing to sources including noise, intravoxel phase dispersion, and velocity aliasing. This method enables rigorous comparison of 4D flow MRI datasets obtained in longitudinal studies, across patient populations, and with different MRI systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The objective of this study was to propose a novel preprocessing approach to simultaneously correct for the frequency and phase drifts in MRS data using cross‐correlation technique. Methods: The performance of the proposed method was first investigated at different SNR levels using simulation. Random frequency and phase offsets were added to a previously acquired STEAM human data at 7 T, simulating two different noise levels with and without baseline artifacts. Alongside the proposed spectral cross‐correlation (SC) method, three other simultaneous alignment approaches were evaluated. Validation was performed on human brain data at 3 T and mouse brain data at 16.4 T. Results: The results showed that the SC technique effectively corrects for both small and large frequency and phase drifts, even at low SNR levels. Furthermore, the mean square measurement error of the SC algorithm was comparable to the other three methods used, with much faster processing time. The efficacy of the proposed technique was successfully demonstrated in both human brain MRS data and in a noisy MRS dataset acquired from a small volume‐of‐interest in the mouse brain. Conclusion: The study demonstrated the availability of a fast and robust technique that accurately corrects for both small and large frequency and phase shifts in MRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonadiabatic holonomic quantum computers serve as the physical platform for nonadiabatic holonomic quantum computation. As quantum computation has entered the noisy intermediate-scale era, building accurate intermediate-scale nonadiabatic holonomic quantum computers is clearly necessary. Given that measurements are the sole means of extracting information, they play an indispensable role in nonadiabatic holonomic quantum computers. Accordingly, developing methods to reduce measurement errors in nonadiabatic holonomic quantum computers is of great importance. However, while much attention has been given to the research on nonadiabatic holonomic gates, the research on reducing measurement errors in nonadiabatic holonomic quantum computers is severely lacking. In this study, we propose a measurement error reduction method tailored for intermediate-scale nonadiabatic holonomic quantum computers. The reason we say this is because our method can not only reduce the measurement errors in the computer but also be useful in mitigating errors originating from nonadiabatic holonomic gates. Given these features, our method significantly advances the construction of accurate intermediate-scale nonadiabatic holonomic quantum computers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accelerated failure time models are appealing due to their intuitive interpretation. However, when covariates are subject to measurement errors, naive estimation becomes severely biased. To address this issue, the regression calibration (RC) approach is a widely applicable and effective method. Traditionally, the RC method requires a good predictor for the true covariate, which can be obtained through parametric distribution assumptions or validation datasets. Consequently, the performance of the estimator depends on the plausibility of these assumptions. In this work, we propose a novel method that utilizes error augmentation to duplicate covariates, facilitating nonparametric estimation. Our approach does not require a validation set or parametric distribution assumptions for the true covariate. Through simulation studies, we demonstrate that our approach is more robust and less impacted by heavy censoring rates compared to conventional analyses. Additionally, an analysis of a subset of a real dataset suggests that the conventional RC method may have a tendency to overcorrect the attenuation effect of measurement error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate temperature estimation models for lithium (Li)‐ion batteries are critical for timely identification of and response to thermal runaway effects to ensure battery safety. In this paper, a hybrid data‐driven approach incorporating thermoelectric equivalent model (TEM) is proposed to predict the temperature of Li‐ion batteries under different state of health (SOH) based on measured data. The proposed TEM model consists of an electrical equivalent circuit model (EECM) and a thermal equivalent circuit modeling (TECM). The electrical model is a second‐order RC equivalent circuit model, and the thermal model is a first‐order thermal model, which interacts with parameters such as state of charge (SOC) and internal resistance to improve the accuracy of the model. In order to solve the problem that the model part is susceptible to measurement errors, a data‐driven model using Kalman filter (KF) combined bidirectional gated recursive unit (BiGRU) and Transformer is proposed to ensure high accuracy in predicting the temperature. The output of the TEM is used as the input to the data‐driven part to obtain the implied relationship between the temperature and parameters. The experimental results confirm the high accuracy of the hybrid model in estimating the battery temperature. The maximum temperature prediction error of the Li‐ion battery was 0.3423°C with a predicted root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.1266 under different SOH conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Background Methods Results Conclusion To develop and assess the psychometrics of the Chronic Headache Self‐Efficacy Scale (CHASE).Existing scales assess self‐efficacy in coping strategies and management of symptoms and triggers but do not measure other important self‐efficacy domains, such as performing daily activities and socializing in patients with chronic daily headache (CDH).The study had two phases: (i) Development of the 14‐item CHASE, with items derived from patients with CDH and a multidisciplinary healthcare team; (ii) longitudinal observational study for psychometric evaluation. Participants with CDH (N = 79) completed the CHASE, Headache Management Self‐Efficacy Scale (HMSE), six‐item Headache Impact Test‐6 (HIT‐6), and 12‐item Short Form Health Survey (SF‐12) at baseline, 24–72 h after baseline, and 12 weeks after baseline. The Global Rating of Change (GROC) assessed perceived change in symptoms. We assessed internal consistency, day‐to‐day reliability, convergent and known group discriminant validity, dimensionality, and responsiveness via minimal clinical important difference (MCID).For day‐to‐day reliability, the CHASE intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.68 (95% confidence interval 0.49–0.81), with standard error of measurement and minimal detectable change of 10.3% and 24%, respectively. The CHASE had two independent factors (total R2 = 54.5%) that can be combined into a single score (Cronbach's alpha internal consistency 0.88). For convergent validity, the CHASE score was related to the HIT‐6, HMSE, and SF‐12 (R2: 0.17–0.29, all p < 0.001). For known group discriminant validity, individuals with an active headache had a lower CHASE score than those without (mean [standard deviation] 47.7 [17.3]% vs. 57.2 [19.8]%, p < 0.001). Classification and regression tree analysis showed the MCID for meaningful positive symptom change on the GROC was a CHASE change of >8% or CHASE change of 8% with baseline CHASE >67%.The CHASE is a reliable and valid questionnaire for assessing self‐efficacy in performing daily activities, socializing, managing headache symptoms and triggers, and guiding treatment plans for patients with CDH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Methods Results Conclusion To translate and cross‐culturally adapt the Headache Disability Inventory (HDI) into Italian and study its reliability and validity.A total of 132 participants with primary and secondary headaches were included. The translation was performed following international guidelines with forward and back translation procedures. Structural validity, internal consistency, test–retest reliability, measurement error, and construct validity were studied. Test–retest reliability and measurement error were tested on a subsample of 32 participants.The cross‐cultural adaptation into Italian was performed without issues. Confirmatory factor analysis supports the structural validity partially (comparative fit index = 0.963; Tucker–Lewis index = 0.959; root mean square error of approximation = 0.051; standardized root mean square residual = 0.084), showing a two‐factor structure (i.e., emotional and functional). Each subscale presented high internal consistency (α = 0.87 and 0.87 for the emotional and functional subscales, respectively), excellent and good test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.93 and 0.88 for the emotional and functional subscales, respectively), and acceptable measurement error (standard error of the measurement [SEM] = 3.6 points, minimal detectable change [MDC] = 10.0 points for the emotional subscale; SEM = 3.8 points, MDC = 10.7 points for the functional subscale). Construct validity was satisfactory for the emotional subscale and moderate for the functional subscale, as 85.7% (6/7) and 57.1% (4/7) of a priori hypotheses were met, respectively.The HDI was successfully translated into Italian and has acceptable psychometric properties. The Italian version of the HDI can be used in daily clinical practice and research to assess the functional and emotional impact of primary and secondary headaches. Further research should study other psychometric properties (i.e., content validity, responsiveness, and reliability in a larger sample). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the development of a real-time digital twin for predicting azimuthal thermoacoustic instabilities in hydrogen-based annular combustors. The study demonstrates the successful prediction of thermoacoustic dynamics, accurate estimation of model biases, and optimal inference of system parameters using a bias-regularized ensemble Kalman filter. Researchers have contributed to understanding flame dynamics, acoustic resonance, and instabilities in combustion chambers and gas turbine combustors to improve the understanding of complex combustion processes. [Extracted from the article]

The aim of this study is to investigate the test–retest reliability of the Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test (CKCUEST) and modified-CKCUEST in children aged 7–10 years and to compare the two test versions within the same group. The study was completed with fifty-three children. Average, normalized, and power scores were obtained from the maximum number of touches in 15 × 3 s in the tests. Tests were repeated seven days apart for test–retest reliability. Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC3,1), Standard Error of Measurement (SEM), Minimum Detectable Change (MDC) were tested total/by gender. Children’s opinions about the tests were questioned. The test–retest ICC3,1 values for CKCUEST were 0.96 for average score, 0.95 for normalized score, 0.97 for power score. For the modified-CKCUEST, test–retest reliabilities were 0.94, 0.92, 0.96, respectively. CKCUEST and modified-CKCUEST demonstrated excellent test–retest reliability for children aged 7–10 years. Participants stated that the modified-CKCUEST was more suitable as a test position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]