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Microbial communities play a vital role in maintaining soil health. A multiphasic approach to assess the effect of pulp and paper mill effluent on both the structure and function of microbial soil communities is taken. Bacterial communities from agricultural soils irrigated with pulp and paper mill effluent were compared to communities form soils irrigated with well water. Samples were taken from fields in the state of Uttarakhand, India, where pulp and paper mill effluent has been used for irrigation for over 25 years. Comparisons of bacterial community structure were conducted using sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene from both isolates and clone libraries attained from the soil. Community-level physiological profiling was used to characterize the functional diversity and catabolic profile of the bacterial communities. The multiphasic approach using both physiological and molecular techniques proved to be a powerful tool in evaluating the soil bacterial community population and population differences therein. A significant and consistent difference in the population structure and function was found for the bacterial communities from soil irrigated with effluent in comparison to fields irrigated with well water. The diversity index parameters indicated that the microbial community in pulp and paper mill effluent irrigated fields were more diverse in both structure and function. This suggests that the pulp and paper mill effluent is not having a negative effect on the soil microbial community, but in fact may have a positive influence. In terms of soil health, this finding supports the continued use of pulp and paper mill effluent for irrigation. This is however only one aspect of soil health which was evaluated. Further studies on soil resistance and robustness could be undertaken to holistically evaluate soil health in this situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The essence of humanism in medicine and health care is relationships-caring relationships between clinicians and patients. While raising concerns regarding professional-patient boundaries has positively contributed to our understanding and prevention of potentially harmful boundary violations, there is controversy about which types of relationships, caring acts, and practices are acceptable versus cross boundary lines.Objective: To examine primary care physicians' practices and attitudes regarding acts that have been questioned as potentially "inappropriate" or "unethical" crossing of professional-patient boundaries.Design: Surveys conducted via in-person polling or electronic and mailed paper submissions from April 2016 to July 2017. We calculated descriptive statistics and examined associations with practices and attitudes using logistic regression.Participants: Random sample of all US primary care physicians who treat adult patients; convenience sample of attendees at medicine grand rounds presentations.Main Measures: Outcomes were self-reported practices and attitudes related to giving patients rides home, paying for patients' medication, helping patients find jobs, employing patients, going to dinner with patients, and providing care to personal friends.Key Results: Among 1563 total respondents, 34% had given a ride home, 34% had paid for medications, 15% helped patients find a job, 7% had employed a patient, 10% had dinner with patients, and 59% provided care to personal friends. A majority disapproved of dinner with a patient (75%) but approved of or were neutral on all other scenarios (61-90%).Conclusions: The medical profession is quite divided on questions related to drawing lines about appropriate boundaries. Contrary to official and widespread proscriptions against such practices (with exception of dinner dates), many have actually engaged in such practices and the majority found them acceptable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the realm of multiprocessor systems, the evaluation of interconnection network reliability holds utmost significance, both in terms of design and maintenance. The intricate nature of these systems calls for a systematic assessment of reliability metrics, among which, two metrics emerge as vital: connectivity and diagnosability. The R g -conditional connectivity is the minimum number of processors whose deletion will disconnect the multiprocessor system and every processor has at least g fault-free neighbors. The R g -conditional diagnosability is a novel generalized conditional diagnosability, which is the maximum number of faulty processors that can be identified under the condition that every processor has no less than g fault-free neighbors. In this paper, we first investigate the R g -conditional connectivity of generalized exchanged X-cubes G E X (s , t) and present the lower (upper) bounds of the R g -conditional diagnosability of G E X (s , t) under the PMC model. Applying our results, the R g -conditional connectivity and the lower (upper) bounds of R g -conditional diagnosability of generalized exchanged hypercubes, generalized exchanged crossed cubes, and locally generalized exchanged twisted cubes under the PMC model are determined. Our comparative analysis highlights the superiority of R g -conditional diagnosability, showcasing its effectiveness in guiding reliability studies across a diverse set of networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a wideband polarization conversion metasurface is designed. Additionally, coding and chessboard metasurfaces are specifically tailored for radar cross-section reduction (RCS). Initially, a compact unit cell demonstrating exceptional polarization conversion performance is introduced, achieving a polarization conversion ratio (PCR) exceeding 90 % across frequencies ranging from 7.9 to 22.7 GHz. The PCR remains effective even when oblique incidence angles of up to 30 ∘ are utilized across this frequency band. Roger RT5880, with a thickness of 0.254 mm, serves as the substrate. An airgap is introduced between the substrate and the ground plane to enhance the polarization conversion bandwidth. This unit cell serves as the fundamental building block for subsequent metasurface configurations. To assess the scalability and effectiveness, a 36 × 36 unit array is assembled, confirming efficient polarization conversion capabilities extending to larger structures. Moreover, a 1-bit coding unit "0" and "1" are formed by the Pancharatnam-Berry phase based on the same-sized meta-atom with 90 ∘ orientations. The robustness and practicality of the design are demonstrated by creating 12 × 12 lattices and evaluating their RCS reduction potential under two distinct scenarios: a chessboard pattern and a coding-based scheme. Notably, its results indicate substantial RCS reduction across a broad frequency spectrum (7.9 to 22.7 GHz) for both configurations. This study demonstrates the wide-ranging applicability of metasurface design, making it a valuable contribution to the fields of microwave engineering, polarization control, and radar stealth technology. Owing to its simplicity, bandwidth, and versatility, this approach offers innovative solutions for diverse real-world applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the challenge of deformation and failure on loess slopes, predominantly triggered by rainfall, by evaluating the efficacy of various slope protective measures. Recognizing the escalating preference for ecological protection techniques, this paper focuses on identifying optimal strategies that align with local rainfall patterns. A comprehensive analysis of loess slopes under diverse rainfall conditions was conducted, encompassing scenarios with prime soil, stabilized soil, and no protection. Utilizing the finite element software ABAQUS, a sophisticated rainfall infiltration slope model was developed and validated against experimental data. The investigation reveals that under low rainfall intensities, the choice of protective material—whether stabilized or prime soil—exerts limited influence on slope pore pressure. In contrast, at higher rainfall intensities, the impact of these protective materials on slope stability becomes significantly more pronounced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Handwriting-based technologies have progressed significantly over the years. Scientists have worked beyond just recognizing pieces of plain text from paper. With archaeological advancements, discovery of ancient documents has not been as scarce as it was in the past. However, such documents are discovered in perfect condition once in a blue-moon. They are often subjected to degradation due to the perils of time and understanding them requires skilled manpower which is not easy to find. Here, an automated system is proposed for this task. The proposed system uses a new CNN-based framework to analyze the macro and micro features of an image to recognize the text. Experiments are performed with over 250K historical images of numerals from a publicly available dataset and a highest accuracy of 99.68% is obtained. The data is further subjected to different type of noises and distortions. A novel technique is used to introduce synthesized degradation in the documents. The system performs steadily in all these experimental scenarios. Comparative analysis indicates that our results are higher than the reported works and other standard techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While the literature suggests a correlation between posterior tibial slope and sagittal stability of the knee, there is a lack of consensus relating to how to measure the slope, what a normal slope value would be, and which critical values should guide extra surgical treatment. We performed a systematic literature review looking at the posterior tibial slope and cruciate ligament surgery. Our aims were to define a gold standard measurement technique of posterior tibial slope, as well as determining its normal range and the important values for consideration of adjuncts during cruciate ligament surgery. Methods: Electronic searches of MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL, Cochrane, Embase, ScienceDirect, and NICE in June 2020 were completed. Inclusion criteria were original studies in peer-reviewed English language journals. A quality assessment of included studies was completed using the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies (MINORS) Criteria. Results: Two-hundred and twenty-one papers were identified; following exclusions 34 papers were included for data collection. The mean MINORS score was 13.8 for non-comparative studies and 20.4 for comparative studies, both indicating fair to good quality studies. A large variation in the posterior tibial slope measurement technique was identified, resulting in a wide range of values reported. A significant variation in slope value also existed between different races, ages and genders. Conclusion: Cautiously, the authors suggest a normal range of 6-12º, using the proximal tibial axis at 5 and 15 cms below the joint. We suggest 12º as a cut-off value for slope-reducing osteotomy as an adjunct to revision ligament reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to carry out a comparative engineering-geological study of four different waste landfills using the evaluation criteria for the geological subsoil as a natural sealing barrier. The study evaluates 4 localities (Velké Pavlovice, Kvítkovice, Prakšice and Horní Suchá) using three variants (based on two standards) which approach the geological barrier requirements as a combination of impermeability requirements based on a filtration coefficient limit value. and the required geometry represented by investigation depths. The research was carried out in landfills in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The study's motivation is to point at the differences in engineering-geological investigations of waste landfills (as for the requirements for impermeable geological subsoil as a natural sealing barrier) when compared with other engineering structures (where the main goal is to evaluate load-bearing capacity and settlement). The purpose of the geological barrier is to prevent the spread of contamination, and the paper shows this can be approached differently, as shown in two different methodologies investigated herein. The first model (Model 1) assumes there is a 3-m-thick subsoil below the landfill's footing bottom, which manifests impermeability characterized by the filtration coefficient Kf ≤ 1.0 * 10–9 m/s, or a 30-m-thick subsoil of Kf ≤ 1.0 * 10–8 m/s. The second model (Model 2) assumes a 1-m thick, impermeable subsoil massif of Kf ≤ 1.0 * 10–9 m/s. We found that none of the landfills in the four selected localities had an impermeable layer in the required depth (a filtration coefficient Kf from 1.8 * 10–9 to 3.9 * 10–9 m/s), and thus did not comply with the limiting conditions. As a result, an anthropogenic technical barrier had to be installed. An important goal of the study from an environmental point of view was to assess the existence of a suitable geological barrier under the proposed landfills. The most important criterion from this point of view is permeability. An additional technical objective of the project was also the assessment of the possible creation of a technical anthropogenic isolation barrier. In the event that the natural sealing barrier would not be sufficient. This was shown in all solved case studies of engineering geological investigations of waste landfills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The filtering characteristics of the output filter directly determine the grid-connected performance and cost and volume of the grid-connected converter. Based on a deep analysis of harmonic attenuation characteristics of LCL-type and LLCL-type filters, a unified circuit model of the output filter was proposed in this paper. According to this model, the possible structures of filters below the fifth order are deduced, summarized, and compared, and two new filters, LLCLC_A type and LLCLC_B type, are proposed. A comparative study of these filters in terms of filter characteristics, impedance characteristics, parameter design, and resonant spike damping was carried out. The results show that the LLCLC_A-type filter has advantages over the other three filters. The LLCLC_A-type filter is named the LLCLC-type filter. Finally, both simulation and experimental results verify the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed LLCLC-type filter. The research in this paper is a guide to the design of a grid-connected converter output filter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines Einstein's field equations in the context of general relativity, comparing five distinct methodologies: (a) vanishing complexity, (b) embedding class one or the Karmarkar condition, (c) conformally flat spacetime, (d) conformal killing symmetry, and (e) the Karmarkar scalar condition. The first four methods reveal a significant connection between two metric potentials, while the fifth method provides a coordinate-independent condition expressed in terms of structural scalars. The paper provides a comprehensive comparative analysis of a new exact solution derived by assuming a common metric function and solving the remaining metric functions through corresponding bridge equations to evaluate their effectiveness and validity. Critical parameters such as thermodynamic factors, causality conditions, stability, and mass function analysis are investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the performance of different continuous-time and discrete-time models of the electrical subsystem of induction machines and permanent-magnet synchronous machines as well as methods based on them for decoupling the direct and quadrature axis components of the stator current are investigated and compared. The focus here is on inverter-fed, pulse width modulated drives when operated with a relatively large product of stator frequency and sampling time, where significant differences between the models and decoupling methods used come to light. Recommendations for a discrete-time model to be used uniformly in the future are made, as well as statements on whether feedforward or feedback decoupling structures are better suited and whether state controllers improve decoupling measures for very steep speed ramps. Simulation studies and measurement results support the statements made above. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper provides a comprehensive and detailed description of design solutions of industrial rolling bearing vibration measurement systems used in quality control. The aim of the proposed article was to recognise what design solutions are used among such stands, to make a theoretical analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of each type of solution, as well as an attempt to identify such solutions, the application of which will allow high metrological properties to be achieved. The article is a starting point for the design of new equipment intended for the bearing industry. A theoretical analysis has been made of the most important components of the devices, such as the spindle assembly, drive assembly, clamp assembly, sensor assembly, and data transmission assembly. In the analysis, pictures showing the devices manufactured by various companies from all over the world were included. With the analysis carried out, further experimental work is possible. The analysis presented in the paper allows criteria to be established for the selection of test stands for comparative tests (tests of systems of different design, evaluation, and comparison of indications). It is also possible to relate the measurement result to the design of the device in use. The result of the analysis is the establishment of a design base, which will provide guidance for the construction of improved vibration measurement devices for the bearing industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The balancing of the disassembly line directly affects the productivity of the disassembly process. The disassembly line balancing (DLB) problem can be determined as assigning the tasks to serial workstations to optimize some performance measures like number of workstations, cycle time, removing hazardous parts earlier, etc. The aim of the paper is to develop an efficient heuristic algorithm to minimize the number of workstations under a pre-known cycle time. In this paper, a genetic algorithm (GA) and a constructive heuristic based on the Dijkstra algorithm is proposed to solve the DLB problem with stochastic task times that is caused by the nature of disassembly operation. The proposed algorithms are tested on benchmark problems and compared with the results of the piecewise-linear model (PLM) and simulated annealing (SA). The average relative percentage deviation is applied to transfer the obtained number of workstations. The results obtained by GA are clearly superior in all tests problem according to average relative percentage deviation. Moreover, the proposed constructive heuristic based on the Dijkstra algorithm is also superior to PLM and SA algorithm with respect to number of workstations and the computational times. The proposed approaches can be a very competitive and promising tool for further research in DLB literature and real cases in industries according to test results. Disassembly lines which need less time or number of workstations for balancing may be simply designed by the proposed techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with disabilities often require healthcare accommodations in order to access high-quality, equitable healthcare services. While attention has been paid to accommodation needs in specific disability populations, limited research to date has explored healthcare accommodations that cross-cut diverse disability populations.Objective: To identify a deeper understanding regarding accommodations in healthcare settings that could apply across disability populations and promote equitable healthcare.Design: We conducted qualitative focus groups with patients with disabilities and caregivers to understand their experiences and preferences for healthcare accommodations.Participants: We recruited patients and caregivers across all major disability categories to participate in focus groups. Participants were recruited through advocacy organizations and healthcare settings in Southeastern Minnesota.Approach: A total of eight focus groups were conducted with 56 participants. Participants described their healthcare experiences and desires for healthcare accommodations. The multidisciplinary research team recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded all focus groups. The team thematically coded transcripts using content analysis within and across focus groups to identify major themes.Key Results: Patients identified four challenges and corresponding steps healthcare team could take to promote equitable care: (1) consistent documentation of disabilities and needed accommodations in the medical record; (2) allowance for accommodations to the environment, including adapting physical space, physical structures, and scheduling and rooming processes; (3) provide accommodations for administrative tasks, such as completing paper or electronic forms; and (4) adapt communication during interactions, such as speaking slower or using terms that patients can easily understand.Conclusion: These identified themes represent specific opportunities for healthcare teams to effectively provide accessible care to patients with disabilities. Many of the accommodations require minimal financial investment, but did require behavioral changes by the healthcare team to ensure equitable healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses continuum models for simulating earthquake sequences on faults governed by rate-and-state dependent friction. Through detailed numerical analysis of a conventional strike-slip fault, new observations regarding the use of various continuum earthquake models are presented. We update a recently proposed plasticity-based model using a consistently linearized formulation, show its agreement with discrete fault models for fault thicknesses of hundreds of meters, and demonstrate mesh objectivity for slip-related variables. To obtain a fully regularized fault width description with an internal length scale, we study the performance and mesh convergence of a plasticity-based model complemented by a Kelvin viscosity term and the phase-field approach to cohesive fracture. The Kelvin viscoplasticity-based model can introduce an internal length scale and a mesh-objective response. However, on grid sizes down to meters, this only holds for very high Kelvin viscosities that inhibit seismic slip rates, which renders this approach impractical for simulating earthquake sequences. On the other hand, our phase-field implementation for earthquake sequences provides a numerically robust framework that agrees with a discrete reference solution, is mesh objective, and reaches seismic slip rates. The model, unsurprisingly, requires highly refined grids around the fault zones to reproduce results close to a discrete model. Following this line, the effect of an internal length scale parameter on the phase-field predictions and mesh convergence are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum secure metrology protocols harness quantum effects to probe remote systems with enhanced precision and security. Traditional QSM protocols require multi-partite entanglement, which limits its near-term implementation due to technological constraints. This paper proposes a QSM scheme that employs Bell pairs to provide unconditional security while offering precision scaling beyond the standard quantum limit. We provide a detailed comparative performance analysis of our proposal under multiple attacks. We found that the employed controlled encoding strategy is far better than the parallel encoding of multi-partite entangled states with regard to the secrecy of the parameter. We also identify and characterize an intrinsic trade-off relationship between the maximum achievable precision and security under the limited availability of resources. The dynamic scalability of the proposed protocol makes it suitable for large-scale network sensing scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In modern logistics, port transportation plays an important role in the development of the surrounding economy. However, to determine the level of port group competitiveness, regional ports must be classified. To realize this classification, this paper introduces a novel multiple criteria sorting method, ORESTE-SORT, together with its main characteristics and properties. This approach can help in handling three types of preference relationships among alternatives and profiles: preference, indifference, and incomparability. In addition, a novel sorting rule, the assignment rule driven by attitudes (ARDA), is introduced to allocate alternatives to predefined categories based on the generalization of two classical sorting rules: optimistic and pessimistic rules. We also perform a case study to illustrate the suitability of the proposed sorting method for sorting port group competitiveness. Finally, sensitivity analysis and comparative analysis are performed with the ELECTRE-SORT method to determine the effectiveness of ORESTE-SORT, following which the capability of this new sorting methodology is further discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variable selection is a well-studied problem in linear regression, but the existing works mostly deal with continuous responses. However, in many applications, we come across data with categorical responses. In the classical (frequentist) approach there exists penalized regression methods (e.g. logistic Lasso) which can be used for variable selection when we have a categorical response, and a large number of predictors. In this paper, we compare the performance of three alternative approaches for handling data with a single categorical response and multiple continuous (or count) predictors. In addition to the well-known logistic Lasso, we consider a model-based Bayesian approach, and a model-free approach for variable selection. We consider a binary response, and a response with three categories. Through extensive simulation studies we compare the performance of these three competing methods. We observe that the model-based methods can often accurately identify the important predictors, but sometimes fail to detect the unimportant ones. Also the model-based approaches are computationally expensive whereas the model-free approach is extremely fast. For misspecified models, the model-free method really outperforms in prediction. However, when the predictors are correlated (moderately or substantially) then the model-based methods perform better than the model-free method. We analyse the well-known Pima Indian Diabetes dataset for illustrating the effectiveness of three competing methods under consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kubernetes makes it easier to automate deployment and scale containerized applications to achieve a near-native performance. However, there is still a lack of systematic performance studies on how Spark applications perform on Kubernetes. In this paper, we first propose a model to capture the execution behavior of tasks, stages, and jobs, and present an implementation of a prototype system based on the model. The system is then used to collect and analyze various types of performance and system metrics, such as execution time and CPU utilization. Second, with the use of various Spark applications, we evaluate the performance of Spark on Kubernetes by comparing it with its baseline, i.e., Spark on bare metal. Based on the comparison and leveraging the system, we locate what stages suffer from the performance loss of these applications on Kubernetes, and then reveal the root causes of the loss by analyzing their work-flows, execution time and costs of system resources. Through extensive measurements, we find that Spark on Kubernetes falls behind its baseline in the range of - 2.9 % to 83.9%. There are several root causes of the performance loss and benefits of Spark on Kubernetes. First, data locality deterioration by pods is a crucial root cause of the loss. To address the problem, we propose an approach to schedule tasks by taking both data locality and the utilization of executors into account. Experiments show that this approach increases the performance of Spark on Kubernetes by up to 32.2%. Second, the lower CPU usages of executors are another root cause of the performance loss, even if they have an equivalent CPU configuration on both Kubernetes and bare metal. In contrast, with the same memory configuration, executors use more memory on Kubernetes than on bare metal, contributing to the performance benefit of Spark on Kubernetes in some stages. Our research efforts in this paper benefit developers and researchers when they make valuable decisions on deploying Spark applications on Kubernetes for a better performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Memory and computationally efficient CNNs for mobile and embedded applications have sparked a lot of interest recently. Depth-wise and point-wise convolutions are used in MobileNet. In this paper, a Vedic multiplier based on the Yavadunam sutra is used to reduce hardware resource utilization at all design stages in efficient computational kernels, data pruning, memory compression, and quantization to manage the huge computation and storage difficulties of DNNs. Using the teachings of Vedic math, this multiplier will yield a higher propagation speed, lower computational complexity, reduced propagation delay, and less power consumption than multipliers based on the principles of classical mathematics. A multiplier is a critical component in Digital Signal Processing DSP frameworks, which are key components in the majority of computationally advanced frameworks. As a result, the speed and power utilization of multipliers are two critical parameters. The Vedic multiplier presented in this paper is commonly used to find decimal number squares and cubes. By modifying the existing sutra for binary numbers with the bit reduction technique, the hardware design of the Yavadunam Vedic sutra is proposed. The proposed Vedic multiplier was written in VHDL, which stands for Very High Speed Integrated Circuits Hardware Description Language. On the Spartan FPGA board, the multiplier was implemented using the Xilinx Tool and the system generator instrument. The computational complexity and propagation delay of the Vedic multiplier were lower than those of a regular multiplier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disease risk prediction is a rising challenge in the medical domain. Researchers have widely used machine learning algorithms to solve this challenge. The k-nearest neighbour (KNN) algorithm is the most frequently used among the wide range of machine learning algorithms. This paper presents a study on different KNN variants (Classic one, Adaptive, Locally adaptive, k-means clustering, Fuzzy, Mutual, Ensemble, Hassanat and Generalised mean distance) and their performance comparison for disease prediction. This study analysed these variants in-depth through implementations and experimentations using eight machine learning benchmark datasets obtained from Kaggle, UCI Machine learning repository and OpenML. The datasets were related to different disease contexts. We considered the performance measures of accuracy, precision and recall for comparative analysis. The average accuracy values of these variants ranged from 64.22% to 83.62%. The Hassanaat KNN showed the highest average accuracy (83.62%), followed by the ensemble approach KNN (82.34%). A relative performance index is also proposed based on each performance measure to assess each variant and compare the results. This study identified Hassanat KNN as the best performing variant based on the accuracy-based version of this index, followed by the ensemble approach KNN. This study also provided a relative comparison among KNN variants based on precision and recall measures. Finally, this paper summarises which KNN variant is the most promising candidate to follow under the consideration of three performance measures (accuracy, precision and recall) for disease prediction. Healthcare researchers and stakeholders could use the findings of this study to select the appropriate KNN variant for predictive disease risk analytics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we consider the robust knapsack problem defined by the model of Bertsimas and Sim (Operations Research 52(1):35–53, 2004) where each item weight is uncertain and is defined with an interval. The problem is to choose a subset of items that is feasible for all of the cases in which up to a pre-specified number of items are allowed to take maximum weights simultaneously while maximizing the sum of profits of chosen items. Several integer optimization formulations for the problem have been proposed, however the strength of the upper bounds obtained from their LP-relaxations have not been theoretically analyzed and compared. In this paper, we establish a theoretical relationship among those formulations in terms of their LP-relaxations. Especially, we theoretically prove that previously proposed strong formulations (two extended formulations and a formulation using submodularity) yield the same LP-relaxation bound. In addition, through computational tests with benchmark instances, we analyze the trade-off between the strength of the lower bounds and the required computation time to solve the LP-relaxations. The results show that the formulation using submodularity shows competitive theoretical and computational performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capacities are a common tool in decision making. Each capacity determines a core, which is a polytope formed by additive measures. The problem of eliciting a single probability from the core is interesting in a number of fields: in coalitional game theory for selecting a fair way of splitting the wealth between the players, in the transferable belief model from evidence theory or for transforming a second order into a first order model. In this paper, we study this problem when the goal is to determine the centroid of the core of a capacity, and we compare four approaches: the Shapley value, the average of the extreme points, the incenter with respect to the total variation distance and the limit of a procedure of uniform contraction. We show that these four centroids do not coincide in general, we give some sufficient conditions for their equality, and we analyse their axiomatic properties. We also discuss how to define a notion of centrality measure indicating the degree of centrality of an additive measure in the core. Finally, we also analyse these four centroids in the more general context of imprecise probabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares the hydrothermal performance of two-layer microchannels with the divergent and convergent walls. The heat transfer coefficients, pumping power, and entropy production are investigated via the fluid-solid conjugate hydrothermal simulation. The results showed that in microchannels, the divergent walls reduce both the pumping power and average Nu number, while increase the thermal resistance and the solid base temperature. The convergent walls increase the pumping power and average Nu number and decline the thermal resistance and base temperatures. The microchannels with high TF values (more divergent) are not hydrothermally optimal as compared to those with low TF values (more convergent). For the Re number of 400, with changing TF from 1 to 0.5, the pumping power and the Nu number increase about 99% and 10%, respectively. However, by changing the TF from 1 to 2 (or 1 0.5 ), the pumping power and the Nu number decrease about 101% and 18%, respectively. On the other hand, in the same Re number, by changing the TF from 1 to 0.5, the thermal resistance decreases by 9%. However, by increasing the TF value from 1 to 2, thermal resistance rises by 16%. Finally, it can be found that the negative effect of divergence on thermal resistance is greater than the positive effect of convergence on thermal resistance. In general, the divergent microchannels generate lower frictional entropy and higher thermal entropy. Also, in the divergent microchannels, the production of thermal entropy is higher than the frictional one, while in the convergent microchannels the production of frictional entropy is greater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comparative analysis of the efficiency of organizational modes (information structures) for the interaction of economic agents in static and dynamic Cournot duopoly models. We compare the independent behavior of equal players, their cooperation, and the hierarchy formalized as Germeier games. The efficiency of individual players and the entire society is quantitatively assessed using the private and social relative efficiency indices. The ecological safety conditions of the system are investigated. An organizational and economic interpretation of the results is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the first study in the field regarding CB, this paper investigates the implications of interchanging between RDB and CB through manufacturing bends with various angles and investigates the difference between the two methods in form of springback, cross section compression and widening, cross section shape and wall thinning/thickening. The experiments conducted consists of aluminum alloy 6060-T4 round tubes of 60 mm diameter and 3 mm wall thickness, bent around 222 mm radius tooling with various bend angles. In this case, we have found that CB is capable of manufacturing bends with quality near those manufactured by RDB with less springback, however with a dimensional penalty regarding increased deformation of the cross section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pairing (or blocking) is a design technique that is widely used in comparative microbiome studies to efficiently control for the effects of potential confounders (e.g., genetic, environmental, or behavioral factors). Some typical paired (block) designs for human microbiome studies are repeated measures designs that profile each subject's microbiome twice (or more than twice) (1) for pre and post treatments to see the effects of a treatment on microbiome, or (2) for different organs of the body (e.g., gut, mouth, skin) to see the disparity in microbiome between (or across) body sites. Researchers have developed a sheer number of web-based tools for user-friendly microbiome data processing and analytics, though there is no web-based tool currently available for such paired microbiome studies. In this paper, we thus introduce an integrative web-based tool, named MiPair, for design-based comparative analysis with paired microbiome data. MiPair is a user-friendly web cloud service that is built with step-by-step data processing and analytic procedures for comparative analysis between (or across) groups or between baseline and other groups. MiPair employs parametric and non-parametric tests for complete or incomplete block designs to perform comparative analyses with respect to microbial ecology (alpha- and beta-diversity) and taxonomy (e.g., phylum, class, order, family, genus, species). We demonstrate its usage through an example clinical trial on the effects of antibiotics on gut microbiome. MiPair is an open-source software that can be run on our web server (http://mipair.micloud.kr) or on user's computer (https://github.com/yj7599/mipairgit). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic, genome sequencing is essential to monitor viral mutations over time and by territory. This need for complete genetic information is further reinforced by the rapid spread of variants of concern. In this paper, we assess the ability of the hybridization technique, Capture-Seq, to detect the SARS-CoV-2 genome, either partially or in its integrity on patients samples. We studied 20 patient nasal swab samples broken down into five series of four samples of equivalent viral load from CT25 to CT36+. For this, we tested 3 multi-virus panel as well as 2 SARS-CoV-2 only panels. The panels were chosen based on their specificity, global or specific, as well as their technological difference in the composition of the probes: ssRNA, ssDNA and dsDNA. The multi-virus panels are able to capture high-abundance targets but fail to capture the lowest-abundance targets, with a high percentage of off-target reads corresponding to the abundance of the host sequences. Both SARS-CoV-2-only panels were very effective, with high percentage of reads corresponding to the target. Overall, capture followed by sequencing is very effective for the study of SARS-CoV-2 in low-abundance patient samples and is suitable for samples with CT values up to 35. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthquakes, forest fires, mudslides and other natural disasters occur frequently in recent years. They usually occur in the mountainous and dense forests, where local communication facilities do not exist or have been destroyed by the disasters. Adverse geographical environment poses a huge challenge to emergency communications and rescue. This paper presents comparative studies on multi-carrier transmission schemes in the mountainous and dense forest environment. The comprehensive communication performance for various multi-carrier waveform schemes, has been extensively analyzed by using the Stanford University Interim channel model. Simulation results show that the pruned discrete Fourier transform spread filter bank multi-carrier scheme exhibits generally the best performance in terms of transmission rate and distance for most operation modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An image caption generator produces syntactically and semantically correct sentences to narrate the scene of a natural image. A neural image caption (NIC) generator is a popular deep learning model for automatically generating image captions in plain English. The NIC generator combines a convolutional neural network (CNN) encoder and a long short-term memory (LSTM) decoder. This paper investigates the performance of different CNN encoders and recurrent neural network decoders for finding the best NIC generator model for image captioning. Besides, we test the image caption generators with four image inject models and with decoding strategies such as greedy search and beam search. We conducted experiments on the Flickr8k dataset and analyzed the results qualitatively and quantitatively. Our results validate the automated image caption generator with ResNet-101 encoder, and the LSTM/gated recurrent units decoder outperforms the popular neural image caption NIC generator in the presence of par-inject concatenate conditioning and beam search. For quantitative assessment, we used R O U G E L , C I D E r D , and B L E U n scores to compare the different models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper considers the determination of the mass flow rate of a fluid in one working cycle of a positive displacement hybrid reciprocating power machine for three types of slot seals: smooth, stepped, and conic. Based on a theoretical study of the mass flows of fluid flowing from the pumping cavity to the compressor and back, with laminar fluid flow, a comparison of the efficiency of piston seals was carried out. It was found that the value of the ratio of fluid flow in the forward and reverse directions for a conic slot seal is significantly higher than that for smooth and stepped slot seals. This makes it possible to recommend a conic slot seal for use in positive displacement hybrid reciprocating power machines having a high discharge pressure in the compressor section and a low discharge pressure in the pumping section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mêdog and Nagqu are two typical regions of the Tibetan Plateau with different geographical locations and climate regimes. These differences may lead to discrepancies in the raindrop size distributions (DSDs) and precipitation microphysical processes between the two regions. This paper investigates discrepancies in the DSDs using disdrometer data obtained during the rainy season in Mêdog and Nagqu. The DSD characteristics are studied under five different rainfall rate categories and two precipitation types (stratiform and convective). For the total datasets, the number concentrations of drops with diameters D > 0.6 (D < 0.6) mm are higher (lower) in Nagqu than in Mêdog. The fitted normalized gamma distributions of the averaged DSDs for the five rainfall rate categories show that Nagqu has a larger (lower) mass-weighted mean diameter Dm (normalized intercept parameter, lgNw) than does Mêdog. The difference in Dm between Nagqu and Mêdog increases with the rainfall rate. Convective clusters in Nagqu could be identified as continental-like, while convective precipitation in Mêdog could be classified as maritime-like. The relationships between the shape factor μ and slope parameter Λ of the gamma distribution model, the radar reflectivity Z, and the rainfall rate R are also derived. Furthermore, the possible causative mechanism for the notable DSD variation between the two regions during the rainy season is illustrated using reanalysis data and automated weather station observations. Cold rain processes are mainly responsible for the lower concentrations of larger drops observed in Nagqu, whereas warm rain prevails in Mêdog, producing abundant small drops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Vortioxetine an anti-depressant FDA-drug recently reported showing better in vitro efficacy against SARS-CoV-2. Methods: In this study, we have synthesized ten new derivatives having alkenes, alkynes, benzyl, aryl, and mixed carbamate at the N-terminal of vortioxetine. Then the binding energy and interactions with the crucial amino acid residues in the binding pocket of main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2, of reported and ten newly synthesized vortioxetine derivatives (total thirty-one) in comparison with remdesivir are analyzed and presented in this paper. Results: Based on the docking scores predicted by ADV and AD, most vortioxetine derivatives showed better binding efficiency towards Mpro of SARS-CoV-2 in comparison with remdesivir (an EUA approved drug against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro) and vortioxetine. Conclusion: This study shows that some vortioxetine derivatives can be developed into promising drugs for COVID-19 treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aims to assess the rate at which screening colonoscopy is performed on patients younger or older than the age range specified in national guidelines, or at shorter intervals than recommended. Such non-indicated use of the procedure is considered low-value care, or overuse. This study is the first systematic review of the rate of non-indicated completed screening colonoscopy in the USA.Methods: PubMed and Embase were queried for relevant studies on overuse of screening colonoscopy published from January 1, 2002, until January 23, 2019. English-language studies that were conducted for screening colonoscopy after 2001 for average-risk patients were included. Studies must have followed national guidelines for detecting rates of overuse. We followed methods outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and the reporting recommendations of the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology group (MOOSE).Results: A total of 772 papers were reviewed for inclusion; 42 were reviewed in full text. Of those reviewed, six studies met eligibility criteria, including a total of 459,503 colonoscopies of which 242,756 were screening colonoscopies. The rate of overuse ranged credibly from 17 to 25.7%.Discussion: This study demonstrates that screening colonoscopy is regularly performed in the USA more often, and in populations older or younger, than recommended by national guidelines. Such overuse wastes resources and places patients at unnecessary risk of harm. Efforts to reduce non-indicated screening colonoscopy are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we focus on various compression and classification algorithms for three different paralinguistic signal classification tasks. These tasks are quite difficult for humans because the sound information from such signals is difficult to distinguish. Therefore, when machine learning techniques are applied to analyze paralinguistic signals, several different aspects of speech-related information, such as prosody, energy, and cepstral information, are usually considered for feature extraction. However, when the size of the training corpus is not sufficiently large, it is extremely difficult to directly apply machine learning to classify such signals due to their high feature dimensions; this problem is also known as the curse of dimensionality. This paper proposes to address this limitation by means of feature compression. First, we present experimental results obtained by using various compression algorithms to compress signals to eliminate redundancy of the signal features. We observe that compared with the original features, the compressed signal features still provide a comparable ability to distinguish the signals, especially when using a fully connected neural network classifier. Second, we calculate the output distribution of the F1-score for each emotion in the speech emotion recognition problem and show that the fully connected neural network classifier performs more stably than other classical methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to propose a comparative study between three advanced signal processing methods for the vibratory diagnosis of rotating machines working in industrial conditions. Cyclostationary analysis, empirical mode decomposition (EMD), and complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (CEEMDAN) are then applied for the detection of mechanical defects of a turbofan machine in the biggest fertilizer company in Algeria. These methods proved their efficiency for the diagnosis of specific defects, like rolling bearing and gear defects in laboratory test rigs, but their application in industrial field remains limited. The application of these methods on vibratory signals measured in low, medium, and high-frequency range allowed determining the efficiency of each method to diagnose the occurrence of different defects manifested in the three considered frequency ranges. The great advantage of the modulation intensity distribution (MID), and its integration (IMID), obtained from the cyclostationary analysis, is proven compared to the envelope spectra performed from the EMD or the CEEMDAN approaches, especially for defects inducing modulation phenomena. Finally, the main result of this paper is that the advanced signal processing tools can be easily applied on signals measured in industrial environment, and can be extended to detect mechanical defects in real running conditions, more real than those simulated on laboratory test rigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to an error during the production process, the incorrect handling editor was displayed in the original publication. The handling editor mentioned in the original paper works at the same department as some of the authors, and he concluded that this might constitute a conflict of interest. The paper was therefore handled by one of the associate editors in chief. The correct footnote is published here and should be treated as definitive: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lightweight aluminium alloys have been recognized as key actors in the aerospace industry due to their excellent strength-to-weight ratio. Appropriate formability estimators and deeper knowledge on the fracture behaviour would therefore benefit this preliminary production time. This paper aims to unprecedentedly complete comparative study of multiple promising fracture criteria on the 1.2-mm-thick AA2024-T3 sheet aluminium alloy through reliable practical forming processes to achieve the most faithful understanding of its fracture nature. Four fracture criteria–namely, Hill'48-R-MMC, Hill'48-S-MMC, Hill'48-R-Lou-Huh and Hill'48-S-Lou-Huh–in the form of fracture loci (FLs) are developed by means of numerical optimisation against the measured fracture strains at varying states. The strain data are extracted from the conventional fracture forming limit curve (FFLC), experimentally determined with the help of both standard Nakajima stretching and notched tensile tests. Two industrial forming parts like a classic square cup and an x-cross-shaped cup are employed to verify those four criteria. The criteria are put into service via the element-deletion feature in ABAQUS 2017, by which any element whose damage value reaches a certain limit is removed. In terms of final drawing depth, all four criteria produce satisfactory results; the best one from the Hill'48-R-Lou-Huh square cup has a slight error of 0.3%, whereas the two least acceptable ones from both Hill'48-S-based cross-die samples have an equal error of only 11%. In contrast, all Hill'48-S-based simulated cups have more matching crack appearances than Hill'48-R-based ones do. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multipliers are the most demanding component of any filter. They not only dominate most of the chip area but also contribute to most of the computational delay. An efficient realization of filter thus requires optimization of the multipliers. In this paper, a high performance block reconfigurable finite impulse response filter structure is presented. Block-based realization improves the overall throughput of the structure. A novel partial-product-based structure is proposed for Multiply and Accumulation operation, instead of traditional multipliers-based structure. Pipelining and parallelism in the structure improves the throughput of the design. The reuse of the partial products reduces the number of adders and increases the speed, thereby reducing the area-delay product (ADP) and energy-per output (EPO), in comparison with the earlier reported structures. The comparative analysis is done with the help of ASIC synthesis results and the results show that the proposed architecture for filter order 16 and block input 8requires 28.91% less ADP and 25.72% less EPO than the earlier reported architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The semantic segmentation of omnidirectional urban driving images is a research topic that has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers, because the use of such images in driving scenes is highly relevant. However, the case of motorized two-wheelers has not been treated yet. Since the dynamics of these vehicles are very different from those of cars, we focus our study on images acquired using a motorcycle. This paper provides a thorough comparative study to show how different deep learning approaches handle omnidirectional images with different representations, including perspective, equirectangular, spherical, and fisheye, and presents the best solution to segment road scene omnidirectional images. We use in this study real perspective images, and synthetic perspective, fisheye and equirectangular images, simulated fisheye images, as well as a test set of real fisheye images. By analyzing both qualitative and quantitative results, the conclusions of this study are multiple, as it helps understand how the networks learn to deal with omnidirectional distortions. Our main findings are that models with planar convolutions give better results than the ones with spherical convolutions, and that models trained on omnidirectional representations transfer better to standard perspective images than vice versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geomagnetism, similar to other areas of geophysics, is an observation-based science. Data agreement between comparative geomagnetic vector observations is one of the most important evaluation criteria for high-quality geomagnetic data. The main influencing factors affecting the agreement between comparative observational data are the attitude angle, scale factor, long-term time drift, and temperature. In this paper, we propose a method based on a genetic algorithm and linear regression to correct for these effects and use the distribution pattern of points in Bland–Altman plots with a 95% confidence interval length to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the agreement between the comparative observational data. In Bland–Altman plots with better agreement, that is, with the corrected data, more than 95% of the points are distributed within the 95% confidence interval and there is no obvious pattern in the distribution of the points. Meanwhile, the length of 95% confidence interval decreased significantly after the correction. The method presented here has positive effects on the vector instrumentation detection and would enhance the robustness of geomagnetic observatory by bringing the data quality of the backup variometer data in line with the primary variometer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its excellent specific mechanical properties, carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite is a widely used structural material in the aerospace industry. However, this material is difficult to cut, mainly due to its inhomogeneity and anisotropic features and because of the strong wear effects of its carbon fibres. In the scope of aerospace industrial uses of this material, thousands of holes have to be machined for purposes of assembly. Nevertheless, conventional drilling technology – even if special drilling tools are used – is only moderately able to manufacture good quality holes. Wobble milling is a novel advanced hole-making technology, which has been developed to minimize machining-induced geometrical defects like delamination or uncut fibres. The main objective of the present paper is to compare wobble milling, helical milling and conventional drilling technologies concerning unidirectional CFRPs. In addition, the kinematics of wobble milling technology is discussed in detail. In the scope of this paper, numerous machining experiments were conducted in unidirectional CFRPs: herein the impact of the type of cutting tool and of process parameters on the quality of machined holes are analysed and discussed (diameter of holes, circularity error and characteristics of uncut fibres). During these investigations, experimental data were evaluated with the help of digital image processing (DIP) and with the help of analysis of variance (ANOVA) techniques. Experimental results show that the amount of uncut fibres can significantly be minimized through the application of wobble milling technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the effect of speaking rate on frame classification accuracy. Different speaking rates may affect the performance of the automatic speech recognition system yielding poor recognition accuracy. A model trained on a normal speaking rate is better able to recognize speech at a normal pace but fails to achieve similar performance when tested on slow or fast speaking rates. Our recent study has shown that a drop of almost ten percentage points in the classification accuracy is observed when a deep feed-forward network is trained on the normal speaking rate and evaluated on slow and fast speaking rates. In this paper, we extend our work to convolutional neural networks (CNN) to see if this model can reduce the accuracy gap between different speaking rates. Filter bank energies (FBE) and Mel frequency cepstral coefficients are evaluated on multiple configurations of the CNN where the networks are trained on normal speaking rate and evaluated on slow and fast speaking rates. The results are compared to those obtained by a deep neural network. A breakdown of phoneme-level classification results and the confusion between vowels and consonants is also presented. The experiments show that the CNN architecture when used with FBE features performs better on both slow and fast speaking rates. An improvement of nearly 2% in case of fast and 3% in case of slow speaking rates is observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a junction-less charge plasma (CP) double-drift region (DDR) impact avalanche transit time (IMPATT) diode structure has been proposed for realizing a high-power and efficient terahertz (THz) source. A comprehensive two-dimensional (2-D) self-consistent quantum drift-diffusion (SCQDD) model has been developed by the author to study the static and THz performance of 4H-SiC based CP-DDR source designed to operate at 1.0 THz. Comparative studies on the DC and THz performance of the proposed device and conventionally doped vertical DDR IMPATT device reveal that the proposed CP-DDR can be the potential alternative of the conventional DDRs (C-DDRs), especially at the THz regime. The proposed THz CP-DDR source can be exclusively preferable over its conventional counterparts due to its easier and less complicated fabrication steps as well as equivalent performance capability with respect to the THz C-DDR sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toe cutting of hillslopes that are intended for the expansion of the transportation networks across the hilly regions need to follow an engineered basis to avert catastrophic failures. The commonly utilized deterministic Limit Equilibrium Method (LEM) does not incorporate the uncertainties in geotechnical properties and might exhibit inappropriate or erroneous consequences of toe excavation. In order to highlight the chances of toe-excavation induced slope failures, this paper reports the outcomes of the probabilistic stability analysis while considering one-dimensional spatial variability of soil shear strength parameters. The importance of such probabilistic analyses is established by finding that 79% of the toe-excavated slopes, which are judged safe from deterministic analysis, actually exhibit high probabilities of failure. Further, the influences of coefficient of variation (CoV) and the correlation between the shear strength parameters are also highlighted. The probability of failure of the cut slopes is found to be decreased by around 70% when the correlation coefficient of the shear strength parameters decreased from +0.5 to −0.5. The permissible width of toe excavation is found to be governed by the indicators of spatial variability. It is revealed that for a CoV value of 0.2 and 0.3, a maximum horizontal extent of 7 m and 5 m can be excavated without leading to slope failure for a dimensionless correlation length up to 0.2 and 0.1, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A detailed analysis of the recent developments on the realization of fractance device is presented. A fractance device which is used to exhibit fractional order impedance properties finds applications in many branches of science and engineering. Realization of fractance device is a challenging job for the people working in this area. A term fractional order element, constant phase element, fractor, fractance, fractional order differintegrator, fractional order differentiator can be used interchangeably. In general, a fractance device can be realized in two ways. One is using rational approximations and the other is using capacitor physical realization principle. In this paper, an attempt is made to summarize the recent developments on the realization of fractance device. The various mathematical approximations are studied and a comparative analysis is also performed using MATLAB. Fourth order approximation is selected for the realization. The passive and active networks synthesized are simulated using TINA software. Various physical realizations of fractance device, their advantages and disadvantages are mentioned. Experimental results coincide with simulated results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health care costs of migraine constitute a major issue in health economics. Several publications analyzed health care costs for adult migraine patients, based on questionnaires or secondary (health insurance) data. Although migraine often starts already in primary school age, data on migraine related costs in children is scarce. In this paper we aimed to assess the migraine-related health care costs in 6 to 11 year old children in Germany. Methods: Using claims data of a large German health insurer (BARMER), overall annual health care costs of 6 to 11 year old children with a diagnosis of migraine in 2017 (n = 2597) were compared to a control group of 6 to 11 year old children without a headache diagnosis between 2013 and 2017 (n = 306,926). The association of migraine and costs was modeled by generalized linear regression (Gamma regression) with adjustment for sex, age and comorbidities. Results: Children with migraine caused considerably higher annual per capita health care costs than children without a headache diagnosis (migraine group: € 1018, control group: € 618). Excess costs directly related to migraine amounted to € 115. The remaining excess costs were related to comorbidities, which were more frequent in the migraine group. Mental and behavioural disorders constituted the most expensive comorbidity, accounting for € 105 of the € 400 annual excess costs in the migraine group. Conclusion: 6 to 11 year old children with a migraine diagnosis cause significant direct and comorbidity related excess costs in the German health care system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple cracks would damage the strength and decrease the service life of structural components due to crack interaction compared with a single crack. This paper focused on the interaction of double cracks under cyclic fatigue loads. A combined investigation method involving tensile experiments, fatigue tests and numerical simulation was presented for exploring the crack interaction mechanism. The results indicated that the larger the aspect ratio was, the faster the crack growth rate became. Then, the interaction could increase the driving force of crack growth further to repress crack growth rate. It was also shown that the crack interaction effect could accelerate the growth rate along the depth direction as the fatigue process continued, leading to the transformation of maximum SIF value position, especially for the cracks with a large aspect ratio (c/a > 1). This suggested that the crack shape would experience a gradual transition from semi-elliptic to semi-circular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comparative computational analysis of the penetration of shaped charges with copper liners in the form of a cone of progressive thickness with a cone angle of 60°, a hemisphere of constant thickness, and a hemisphere and a semi-ellipsoid of degressive (decreasing from apex to base) thickness. The polar semi-axis of the semi-ellipsoidal liner slightly exceeded the equatorial semi-axis. The parameters of the generated shaped-charge jets were determined by numerical simulation within the framework of a two-dimensional axisymmetric problem of continuum mechanics, and the depth of their penetration into a steel target was determined using an engineering technique that takes into account the influence of the manufacturing precision of the charges. The parameters of the liners of degressive thickness were selected so that the tip velocity of the jets formed from them was close to the velocity provided by the conical liner. In this case, the penetration of the shaped charge with a hemispherical liner of degressive thickness was significantly lower than that of the charge with a conical liner, and the latter, in turn, was slightly inferior in the maximum depth of penetration to the charge with a semi-ellipsoidal liner. The physical reasons of the results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a cross-country and cross-disciplinary analysis of the development of open access publishing from 2000 to 2019. Through an analysis of seven world regions and nine scholarly fields, we found that, while the overall share of open access journals has increased significantly over the last two decades, there are important differences across both the analyzed world regions and disciplines. We also found that, with the exception of neuroscience, the proportion of open access journals is considerably lower among the journals ranked in the Q1 quartile of Scopus than in the general field. We also offer a model that explains the development of open access publishing trends on different disciplinary and geographical levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]