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There are many types of coal seams in China, and the mining of protective layers will cause different rates of stress reduction in protected coal seams at different intervals. Therefore, experiments were conducted at different unloading rates to explore the strength, deformation, and energy characteristics of coal. Research findings: the AE (acoustic emission) signal of the coal body before unloading has a small range of changes and similar characteristics. After unloading begins, because of the different development rates of internal crack in the coal body under different unloading states, the AE signal of the coal body varies at different unloading rates. The maximum stress increases exponentially with the increase of unloading rate. It was found that the higher the unloading rate, the easier and earlier the coal sample is to be damaged. And it was discovered that the dissipated energy of the coal sample in the elastic stage is extremely low, and a large amount of total energy is converted into elastic energy and stored inside the coal sample. The dissipation energy increases during the plastic stage, while the trend of increasing elastic energy slows down. After the peak stage, the dissipated energy rapidly increases and the elastic energy decreases.

This article is the second part of a series dealing with the description and visualization of mathematical functions used to describe a powder diffraction pattern for teaching and education purposes. The first part dealt with the instrumental and sample contributions to the profile of a Bragg peak [Dinnebier & Scardi (2021). J. Appl. Cryst.54, 1811–1831]. The second part, here, deals with the mathematics and physics of the intensity in X‐ray powder diffraction. Scholarly scripts are again provided using the Wolfram language in Mathematica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During and after the in-situ mining of anthracite coalbed methane, the influence of temperature on anthracite coal has become an important factor in judging whether a project can be implemented. In this paper, the stress-strain curves of anthracite at 10 MPa hydrostatic pressure and different temperatures, stress-strain curves at 300 ℃ and different hydrostatic pressures, the stress-strain curves of anthracite under different hydrostatic pressures under temperature rise of 500 ℃ and then slow cooling to 300 ℃, were studied by using the servo experiment device independently developed by the Key Laboratory of In-situ Modified Mining of Ministry of Education, Taiyuan University of Technology. The results show that during the process of heating up, anthracite exhibits different thermal expansion laws under different hydrostatic pressure conditions. The greater the hydrostatic pressure, the smaller the thermal deformation; as the temperature increases, the elastic modulus and peak strength of anthracite will decrease accordingly; the confining pressure will enhance the strength of anthracite, which is specifically expressed in that with the increase of hydrostatic pressure, the elastic modulus and peak strength of anthracite will increase; the weakening effect of high temperature on anthracite is irreversible. The performance is that when anthracite is directly heated to 300 °C, the cohesion and internal friction angle of the two are different from that of anthracite when the temperature is raised 500 °C and then lowered to 300 °C. This paper uses orthogonal experiments to fit the elastic modulus of anthracite within 15 MPa and 300 ℃ as a function of confining pressure and temperature.

The relationship between the axial structures of three-dimensional (3-D) targets and the signal of the remote-sensing techniques, such as the modulated echo waveform of the full-waveform light detection and ranging (FW-LiDAR), has been well established. However, the relationship between the lateral structures on modulated echo waveform has not been exploited in detail. For FW-LiDAR, the peak intensity, rather than the shape and width, of the echo waveform reflects lateral structural information. Using four typical two-dimensional shapes to approach the lateral structures, a mathematical formula bridging the peak intensity and the lateral structures is derived. Based upon the echo waveform simulated using the formula, modulations of the lateral structural information on the peak intensity are examined to establish a database of target properties, including shape, size and position. The physics regarding peak intensity dependence on target position is used for facile shape recognition. The modulation of the lateral shapes of ground and aerial targets on the FW-LiDAR can be assessed extensively following the procedure demonstrated in this paper. Owing to the conciseness, the peak intensity formula enables the retrieval of lateral structural information by inversion, promoting the applications of FW-LiDAR in domains including topological mapping, ecological monitoring and space debris detection and removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature sensors are widely used in important fields such as daily home, medical care, and aerospace as a commonly used device for measuring temperature. Traditional temperature sensors such as thermocouples, thermal resistances, and infrared sensors are technically mature; however, they have limitations in the application environment, temperature measurement range, and temperature measurement accuracy. An eye-resolvable surface plasmon-enhanced fluorescence temperature sensor based on dual-emission Ag@SiO2@CdS/ZnS composite nanoparticle film with multiple-parameter detectable signals and high response sensitivity was proposed in this work. The temperature sensor's x-chromaticity coordinate varied from 0.299 to 0.358 in the range of 77–297 K, while the y-chromaticity coordinate varied from 0.288 to 0.440, displaying eye-resolvable surface plasmon-enhanced fluorescence. The ratiometric response of two isolated photoluminescence (PL) peak-integrated areas located around 446 and 592 nm was found to be significantly temperature dependent, with a thermal sensitivity of 1.4% K−1, which can be used as an additional parameter to measure the precise temperature. Furthermore, the surface state emission peak intensity was linearly related to temperature, with a correlation index Adj. R-Square of 99.8%. Multiple independent temperature estimates can help with self-calibration and improve the measurement accuracy. Our findings show that the designed sensors can detect low temperatures while maintaining stability and reproducibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare the peak intensity of typical small-sided games (SSGs) with those of official matches in terms of running demands and mechanical work (MechW) over different rolling average durations and playing positions. Methods: Data were collected in 21 players (25 [5] y, 181 [7] cm, and 77 [7] kg) belonging to an elite French football team. SSG data were collected over 2 seasons during typical training sessions (249 files, 12 [4] per player) and official matches (n = 12). Players' locomotor activity was recorded using 5-Hz Global Positioning System. Total distance (m), high-speed distance (HS, distance above 14.4 km⋅h-1, m), andMechW (a.u.) were analyzed during different rolling average periods (1-15 min). The SSGs examined were 4v4+goalkeepers (GKs), 6v6+GKs, 8v8+GKs, and 10v10+GKs. Results: Peak total distance and HS during 4v4, 6v6, and 8v8 were likely-to-most likely lower than duringmatches (effect size: -0.59 [±0.38] to -7.36 [±1.20]). MechW during 4v4 was likely-to-most likely higher than during matches (1-4 min; 0.61 [±0.77] to 2.30 [±0.64]). Relative to their match demands, central defenders performed more HS than other positions (0.63 [±0.81] to 1.61 [±0.52]) during 6v6. Similarly, central midfielders performed less MechW than the other positions during 6v6 (0.68 [±0.72] to 1.34 [±0.99]) and 8v8 (0.73 [±0.50] to 1.39 [±0.32]). Conclusion: Peak locomotor intensity can bemodulated during SSGs of various formats and durations to either overload or underloadmatch demands, with 4v4 placing the greatest and the least emphasis on MechW and HS, respectively. Additionally, in relation to match demands central defenders and central midfielders tend to be the most and least overloaded during SSGs, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diagnostic tools for the early detection of renal injury caused by hyperuricemia are still lacking. Here, we investigated whether contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) could be used as a diagnostic tool for hyperuricemic nephropathy (HN). In the HN rat model, CEUS detected a significant decline in renal cortical perfusion compared with that in control rats. Peak intensity (PI) values correlated significantly with serum KIM-1 levels and fibrosis scores in HN rats. An early decline in PI values was also observed in chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 1 patients with HN compared with the controls (61.1±4.52 dB versus 65.80±7.10 dB) and correlated with renal function in the patients with HN. In contrast, an increase in time to reach PI values was detected in HN patients with stage 1 CKD (15.14±1.75 s versus 14.52±4.75 s) and was more pronounced in CKD stage 4 patients (67.32±3.29 s). CEUS was able to detect abnormal renal perfusion in early CKD with HN, which correlated with renal function decline, suggesting that CEUS could be used as a noninvasive tool for assessing renal function in patients with HN.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to compare the most demanding scenarios (MDS) of match-play across five different team sports of the same club (basketball, futsal, handball, rink hockey and soccer) during five different time epochs (30, 60, 120, 180 and 300 s). Material and methods: Sixty-five professional male players were monitored across 14 to 17 official matches via a local positioning system. Peak physical demands included total distance, distance, and actions >18 km·h−1 and distance and number of accelerations and decelerations >2 m·s−2. One-way analysis of variance and Tukey post-hoc tests were used to test statistical significance (p 18 km·h−1 during all the time epochs examined, basketball presented the highest peak values in number of accelerations and decelerations >2 m·s−2 during 30-s and 60-s time epochs. Conclusion: In conclusion, the MDS during competition are significantly different across team sports, which can be useful in determining the upper limit threshold for sport-specific training optimisation and return to play purposes.

Abstract Background The antitumor effect of a drug is considered to be associated with a decrease in tumor blood flow. Aims We investigated whether the efficacy of lenvatinib (LEN) could be accurately assessed by measuring blood flow in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) during early treatment stages. Methods and results Blood flow changes and treatment results of 19 patients who underwent contrast‐enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), before and after LEN administration, in Kurume University Hospital from July 2018 to June 2020 were examined. Blood flow was evaluated after the intravenous administration of perflubutane (0.015 ml/kg). The vascular phase was photographed and used as RAW data, and time‐intensity curve analysis was used to obtain the region of interest (ROI) on the entire tumor nodule and quantify tumor blood flow. The evaluation was performed before and 1 and 4 weeks after LEN administration. Mean ± standard deviation (SD) values of the brightness of blood flow in the background liver before and 1 and 4 weeks after LEN administration were 2.84 × 10−4 ± 2.94 × 10−4, 3.07 × 10−4 ± 3.79 × 10−4, and 10.0 × 10−4 ± 20.8 × 10−4 dB, respectively. Blood flow in the background liver did not significantly decrease at 1 and 4 weeks compared with that before treatment. Mean ± SD values of the brightness of blood flow in HCC before and 1 and 4 weeks after administration were 3.49 × 10−3 ± 4.58 × 10−3, 1.16 × 10−3 ± 1.57 × 10−3, and 6.39 × 10−3 ± 22.8 × 10−3 dB, respectively. Blood flow in HCC after 1 week was significantly lower than that before administration (p = .0192). The therapeutic effects were significantly higher in the group with ≥50% blood flow reduction in HCC at 1 week after administration (p = .0038) and the group with reduced blood flow in HCC at 4 weeks after administration (p = .0051) than those before administration. Conclusion Early blood flow evaluation by CEUS may be useful in predicting the therapeutic effect of LEN for unresectable advanced HCC.

Temperature sensors are widely used in important fields such as daily home, medical care, and aerospace as a commonly used device for measuring temperature. Traditional temperature sensors such as thermocouples, thermal resistances, and infrared sensors are technically mature; however, they have limitations in the application environment, temperature measurement range, and temperature measurement accuracy. An eye-resolvable surface plasmon-enhanced fluorescence temperature sensor based on dual-emission Ag@SiO2@CdS/ZnS composite nanoparticle film with multiple-parameter detectable signals and high response sensitivity was proposed in this work. The temperature sensor’s x-chromaticity coordinate varied from 0.299 to 0.358 in the range of 77–297 K, while the y-chromaticity coordinate varied from 0.288 to 0.440, displaying eye-resolvable surface plasmon-enhanced fluorescence. The ratiometric response of two isolated photoluminescence (PL) peak-integrated areas located around 446 and 592 nm was found to be significantly temperature dependent, with a thermal sensitivity of 1.4% K−1, which can be used as an additional parameter to measure the precise temperature. Furthermore, the surface state emission peak intensity was linearly related to temperature, with a correlation index Adj. R-Square of 99.8%. Multiple independent temperature estimates can help with self-calibration and improve the measurement accuracy. Our findings show that the designed sensors can detect low temperatures while maintaining stability and reproducibility.

Objective: To explore the application values of ultrasound contrast combined with ultrasound elastography quantitative analysis of tissue diffusion in the diagnosis of breast cancer. Methods: From January 2019 to May 2020, 148 cases of breast tumor patients were selected for diagnosis and treatment in our hospital. All patients were given ultrasound contrast combined with ultrasound elastography for quantitative analysis of tissue diffusion, and the imaging characteristics were recorded. Results: There were 32 cases were diagnosed as breast cancer by pathology (malignant group) and 116 cases were benign breast tumors (benign group) in the 148 cases. The benign group and malignant group compared were statistically significant differences in ultrasound lesion shape, margin, echo, microcalcification and other characteristics (P<0.05). The contrast enhancement mode and intensity of ultrasound contrast in the malignant group were significantly different from those in the benign group (P<0.05). The area under the curve (AUC), Peak intensity (PI), and wereh in slope (WIS) values of the malignant group were higher than those of the benign group, and the Time To Peak(TTP) values were lower than the benign group, and the contrast difference were statistically significant (P<0.05). The quantitative parameter of tissue diffusion in the malignant group were lower than the benign group in the blue area area ratio (% AREA), and the standard deviation (SD) and mean (MEAN) values were higher than the benign group(P<0.05). Conclusion: The application of ultrasound contrast combined with ultrasonic elastography quantitative analysis of tissue dispersion in the diagnosis of breast cancer is an economical, fast, non-invasive, and reproducible examination method that can quantitatively assess the imaging characteristics of breast cancer clinical treatment provides more valuable information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to explore the correlation between shear wave elastography (SWE) technical parameters and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) parameters of benign and malignant thyroid nodules, and the value of combined diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules by SWE and CEUS. Fifty-one patients with malignant thyroid nodules in our hospital were selected as the malignant group, and 63 patients with benign thyroid nodules were selected as the benign group. All of them underwent SWE and CEUS examinations. The diagnostic value was analyzed. The results of the study found that Emin, Emean, Emax and Peak was negatively correlated and positively correlated with Tp (P<0.05); the AUC value of the combined diagnosis of malignant thyroid nodules by SWE and CEUS was 0.952, which was greater than any single index diagnosis (P<0.05); Emin, Emean, Emax, Tp, MTT is positively correlated with clinical stage, nodule size, and calcification, and negatively correlated with the degree of differentiation. Peak is negatively correlated with clinical stage, nodule size, and calcification, and positively correlated with the degree of differentiation (P<0.05). These results can be It is confirmed that the combination of SWE technology and CEUS in the diagnosis of thyroid benign and malignant nodules is of high value, and plays an important role in guiding clinical development of treatment plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to compare average physical demands and the most demanding 60-s scenarios of basketball match-play between five different age groups. Sixty-four male basketball players from five different age groups were monitored across eight regular-season home games. Physical demands were examined using a local positioning system and included total distance covered, distance >18 km·h-1, the number of accelerations (≥2 m·s-2) and decelerations (≤-2 m·s-2). All four game performance variables increased significantly (58.4 - 639.2%) when calculated with rolling average techniques in comparison to average physical demand values. Furthermore, the current investigation found that while Under-12 presented the highest result in relative total distance covered (p < .001; effect size = 0.58-2.01), they also showed the lowest values in the most demanding scenarios of match play and small-tomoderate effect sizes compared with their older counterparts. Both average physical demands and the most demanding scenarios presented an increasing tendency with age when distance >18 km·h-1 in basketball players was assessed. More specifically, the Under-12 age group achieved the lowest values and showed significant differences with the other four teams in both game analysis techniques (p < .001; effect size = 0.53 - 1.32). In conclusion, average game demands are shown to remarkably underestimate the most demanding scenarios of basketball match-play, and there are multiple significant differences between particular age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the differences between halves in the most demanding passages of play in football players according to playing position and duration-specific activity. Global positioning system data were collected from twenty-three football players from a reserve squad of the Spanish La Liga. A total of 265 individual match half data were analysed across the competitive season. Players were categorised based on positional groups: full-back (FB), central defender (CD), midfielder (MF), offensive midfielder (OMF) and forwards (FW). The most demanding passage of match play was analysed using a rolling average method, where maximal values were calculated for five different time durations (1, 3, 5, 10 min and half completed) using distance (m•min -1 ), high metabolic load distance (HMLD; m•min -1 ) and average metabolic power (AMP; W•kg -1 ) as variables of interest. The differences between the first and second half increased as the rolling duration increased, reaching the greatest difference between halves in the complete half (45 min) in all the variables studied (ES = 0.54 ± 0.15, 0.75 ± 0.15 and 0.76 ± 0.15 in distance, HMLD and AMP). The CDs were the players that presented the greatest differences, and it was in the AMP variable where the greatest differences between the first and second half were found. Large decreases in AMP were found for CD (ES = -1.30 ± 0.36) and moderate decreases were found in AMP for FB (ES = -0.84 ± 0.30) and OMF (ES = -0.78 ± 0.37). These results provide insight into the most demanding passages of play to inform training practices for specific football playing positions.

The main aim was to determine the differences between four training games and competitive matches (CM) according to position and compared to the most demanding passages (MDP) of competitive match play. Global Positioning System data were obtained from 21 football players belonging to the reserve squad of a Spanish La Liga club during the 2015/16 season. The training games were small-sided games (SSGs) with 5 and 6 and large-sided games with 9 and 10 outfield players per team. The players were categorized based on positional groups: full back (FB), central defender (CD), midfielder (MF), offensive midfielder (OMF), and forward (FW). The variables recorded were the distance covered (DIS), DIS at high speed (HSR; >19.8 km•h-1), DIS at sprint (SPR; >25.2 km•h-1), high metabolic load distance (HMLD; >25.5 W•kg-1) all in m•min-1, average metabolic power (AMP; W•kg-1) and number of high-intensity accelerations (ACC; >3 m•s-2) and decelerations (DEC;

Two-photon fluorescence (TPF) of olive oils is discovered and observed experimentally for the first time. Variations of the single-photon fluorescence (SPF) and TPF with the excitation wavelength are investigated for four different olive oils. The results show that fluorescence of the cosmetic olive oils (COO) is very weak and exhibits only one spectral peak around 490 nm. While for the ordinary edible oils (OEO) whether they are during their shelf life or not, their fluorescence spectra may exhibit multiple peak structures. The short-term natural expiration only slightly weakens TPF of OEO. Moreover, the excitation wavelength affects the OEO spectra considerably in terms of the spectral peak number, the spectral peak position, and spectral shapes. When the excitation wavelength decreases from 700 nm, the whole TPF of the OEO also decreases. Relatively, however, the short wave band will decrease and disappear more quickly. While for the SPF, the long wave band will decrease and disappear first. The optimal excitation wavelengths to make the TPF strongest are around 700 nm and 640 nm for OEOs and COO, respectively. And effects of temperature on SPF and TPF of extra virgin olive oil are also explored. This work may be of significance for its potential applications in TPF detection and two-photon laser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

The measurement of cutting force is an effective method for machining condition monitoring in intelligent manufacturing. Titanium nitride films and silicon nitride films were prepared on 304 stainless steel substrates by DC-reactive magnetron sputtering and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The effects of substrate negative bias and nitrogen flow on the surface microstructures of TiN film were investigated. The smoothness of the film is optimal when the bias voltage is −60 V. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was performed on the samples with the optimal smoothness, and it was found that when the nitrogen flow rate was higher than 2 sccm, the titanium nitride film had a mixed phase of TiN(111) and (200). It is further revealed that the change of peak intensity of TiN(200) can be enhanced by nitrogen flow. Through atomic force microscopy (AFM), it is found that the stronger the intensity of the TiN (200) peak, the smoother the surface of the film is. Finally, the effect of different film thicknesses on the hardness and toughness of the TiN/Si3N4 film system was studied by nanoindentation experiments. The nanohardness (H) of the TiN/Si3N4 film can reach 39.2 GPa, the elastic modulus (E) is 480.4 GPa, the optimal toughness value (H3/E2) is 0.261 GPa, and the sample has good insulation performance. Linear fitting of the film’s toughness to nanohardness shows that TiN/Si3N4 films with higher hardness usually have a higher H3/E2 ratio.

In this paper, the coal rock is taken as the research object, and the saw-2000 rock servo test system is used to creep pre damage the coal sample, and the uniaxial compression failure test is carried out. The fracture surface of coal sample after uniaxial compression was observed by xpv-900e computer transmission and reflection polarizing microscope, and the meso images of the fracture surface under different magnification were collected. The meso images obtained were binary processed by ImageJ software and the fractal dimension was calculated. The test results show that: with the increase of creep pre damage degree, the damage degree of coal increases; the peak strength first increases and then decreases; the overall change trend of elastic modulus first increases and then decreases; the micro cracks of coal sample first close and then expand with the increase of creep pre damage degree; the fractal dimension value decreases with the increase of the multiple of mirrors, and then decreases with the increase of damage degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this study was to determine the physical demands of different small-sided ball possession games (SSBPGs) according to player field position and compare these demands in relation to the most demanding passages of play (MDP) in competitive matches. Global positioning system data were obtained from 25 football players (20.4 ± 2.1 yrs, 1.78 ± 0.66 m, 69.7 ± 6.1 kg) belonging to the reserve squad of a Spanish La Liga Club. Players were categorized according to positional groups; full back (FB), central defender (CD), midfielder (MF), wide midfielder (WMF) and forwards (FW). The variables analyzed were relativized to metres per minute (m⋅min-1): total distance covered (TD), TD at high speed (HSR; >19.8 k⋅mh-1), TD at sprint (SPR; >25.2 k⋅mh-1), the number of accelerations (ACC) and decelerations (DEC) at high intensity (> +/-3 m⋅s-2), the average metabolic power (AMP; W⋅kg-1) and the high metabolic load distance (HMLD; >25.5 W⋅kg-1). The MDP were analyzed using a rolling average method, where maximal values were calculated for 3 and 5 minutes to compare with SSBPGs using AMP as a criterion variable. The results were obtained from the SSBPGs relative to the MDP (expressed in %) for each player position. FB showed the greatest magnitude of overload in ACC/DEC according to the MDP in the two smaller SSBPGs formats (201-217%), whereas MF showed lower values (105140%). The load expressed in relation to the MDP can be different depending on the format of the SSBPGs and the characteristics of playing position. These factors should be considered by the coaches when planning training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the peak accelerometer-derived intensity of state-level netball matches and compare differences between positional groupings. Findings will provide guidance for sport science professionals on how to best replicate the most intense passages of play in training settings.Design: Longitudinal (one season).Method: Twenty-eight netball athletes across three teams from the same club wore an accelerometer (S5 Optimeye, Catapult sports) for all matches, in one season. Raw acceleration data were downloaded and converted into a vector magnitude (Player Load™) we then quantified the peak intensity over 30-s and one to ten-minute time periods. Positional groupings were created based on the number of thirds on a netball court that a particular position can enter, as this was deemed more appropriate for the current study than the traditional combinations based on tactical requirements. A linear mixed-model with fixed and random effects was utilised along with magnitude-based inferences to determine meaningful differences with 90 % confidence limits (CL).Results: Across all time periods post 30-s, only one comparison was not meaningfully different i.e. three-thirds v two-thirds at the one-minute timepoint (effect size: 0.27, CL -0.05 to 0.60).Conclusions: Findings justify that netball athletes, depending on positional group defined by this study, should train at different intensities dependent on a specified duration. Conditioning professionals and coaches should design training drills that best replicate the peak intensity of match play. This may improve an athlete's physical performance capacity during highly exertive periods of competition, which regularly occur at critical moments in play. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of differential abundance in proteomics data sets requires careful application of missing value imputation. Missing abundance values widely vary when performing comparisons across different sample treatments. For example, one would expect a consistent rate of “missing at random” (MAR) across batches of samples and varying rates of “missing not at random” (MNAR) depending on the inherent difference in sample treatments within the study. The missing value imputation strategy must thus be selected that best accounts for both MAR and MNAR simultaneously. Several important issues must be considered when deciding the appropriate missing value imputation strategy: (1) when it is appropriate to impute data; (2) how to choose a method that reflects the combinatorial manner of MAR and MNAR that occurs in an experiment. This paper provides an evaluation of missing value imputation strategies used in proteomics and presents a case for the use of hybrid left-censored missing value imputation approaches that can handle the MNAR problem common to proteomics data.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the differences between halves in the most demanding passages of play in football players according to playing position and duration-specific activity. Global positioning system data were collected from twenty-three football players from a reserve squad of the Spanish La Liga. A total of 265 individual match half data were analysed across the competitive season. Players were categorised based on positional groups: full-back (FB), central defender (CD), midfielder (MF), offensive midfielder (OMF) and forwards (FW). The most demanding passage of match play was analysed using a rolling average method, where maximal values were calculated for five different time durations (1, 3, 5, 10 min and half completed) using distance (m•min-1), high metabolic load distance (HMLD; m•min-1) and average metabolic power (AMP; W•kg-1) as variables of interest. The differences between the first and second half increased as the rolling duration increased, reaching the greatest difference between halves in the complete half (45 min) in all the variables studied (ES = 0.54 ± 0.15, 0.75 ± 0.15 and 0.76 ± 0.15 in distance, HMLD and AMP). The CDs were the players that presented the greatest differences, and it was in the AMP variable where the greatest differences between the first and second half were found. Large decreases in AMP were found for CD (ES = -1.30 ± 0.36) and moderate decreases were found in AMP for FB (ES = -0.84 ± 0.30) and OMF (ES = -0.78 ± 0.37). These results provide insight into the most demanding passages of play to inform training practices for specific football playing positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Abstract Given the growing interest in the application of Raman spectroscopy for quantitative purposes in solid pharmaceutical preparations, a revision of the effect of particle size on Raman spectra of compacted samples is presented. For this purpose, a set of tablets of potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHP) of different particle size were prepared. KHP was used because of its purity and stability, which allow to consider that samples will not be altered during measurements; but also because of its chemical structure (aromatic ring and carboxylic groups), that are present in many active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). The latter makes possible to consider KHP as a model pseudo-API. As KHP tablets only contain a pure compound, the mapping strategy that was considered for measuring our samples will not be affected by subsampling issues. The spectra variance can be attributed to the intrinsically reproducibility in recording the spectra (which mainly depends on the instrument set-up) and the site-to-site differences in elastic scattering properties. Two different instrumental optics have been studied: a macro-Raman system and a Raman microscope (500 μm and 50 μm laser spot size, respectively). The effect of the spectra preprocessing is also evaluated. The overall results demonstrate raw Raman intensity increases with particle size up to a value that depends on tablet width and that the applied spectral preprocessing (baseline correction and a unit vector normalization), reduces the differences in Raman intensities due to the particle size, but does not completely eliminate it for the lower particle sizes (< 20 μm). For tablets containing particles with predefined sizes, it corrects the mapping site-to-site differences in elastic scattering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract—The internal friction in polyethylenes of different grades is studied by the method of relaxation spectroscopy. The relationship between the characteristics of dissipative processes and physical and chemical properties of the studied materials is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this investigation was to determine the position and duration specific activity of the most demanding passages of play in football players. Global positioning system data were collected from twenty-three football players across a competitive season. A total of 605 individual match files were analysed. Players were categorised based on positional groups; full-back (FB), central defender (CD), midfielder (MF), wide midfielders (WMF) and forwards (FW). The most demanding passage of a match play was analysed using a rolling average method, where maximal values were calculated for four different time durations (1', 3', 5' and 10') using distance (m⋅min-1), high metabolic load distance (HMLD) and average metabolic power (AMP) as variables of interest. Using distance as the criterion variable, MF and WMF positions covered greater distance, and fewer sprinting meters (>7.0 m⋅s-1, m⋅min-1). With HMLD as the criterion variable, the values for WMF and MF positions were higher than the CD and FW positions. The MF and WMF positions performed more high-intensity accelerations and decelerations when the criterion variable was AMP. These results provide an understanding of the most demanding passages of play to inform training practices for specific football playing positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. The purpose of the study was to observe the features of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and the combination with Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) of conventional ultrasound for assessing small breast lesions. OBJECTIVES: The study was to explore the small breast lesions' features of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and the combination with Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) of conventional ultrasound, in order to improve the diagnostic accuracy of early breast cancer. METHODS: 105 lesions were subject to conventional US (ultrasound) and CEUS before operations or biopsies. Among 105 breast lesions, six patient diagnoses were established by thick core-needle biopsy, while the rest were all confirmed by surgery and pathology. RESULTS: Significant differences were found between benign and malignant lesions in qualitative and quantitative indexes (peak) of CEUS (P < 0.05). The qualitative features of malignant small breast lesions were as follows: (1) enhanced intensity within the lesion was not uniform (61/61,100%); (2) the speed of wash-in was earlier than the surrounding tissue (58/61, 95.1%); (3) lesion interior and the surrounding tissues had contrast vessel performance (61/61,100%). Peak of malignant lesions (35.77±11.45) was higher than that of benign lesions (31.96±10.76) (P < 0.05). The diagnostic performance of BI-RADS-US plus qualitative indexes (method one) in terms of area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) were the highest (i.e., AUROC = 0.817), in comparison with other combined diagnostic methods. The associated sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 78.69%, 84.09% and 80.95%, respectively. With method one, however, was similar with US-BI-RADS in specificity, 11 malignant breast lesions were regarded as a higher classification of BI-RADS and classified into malignant group, which were identified as benign on US-BI-RADS originally. CONCLUSIONS: CEUS was useful to differentiate benign from malignant small breast lesions, and the combination of CEUS and BI-RADS-US can improve the early diagnosis of breast cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the tumor angiogenesis in lung peripheral VX2 tumor model by contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and to determine the correlation between CEUS parameters and microvessel density (MVD) calculated via CD31 and CD34 expression.Material and Methods: VX2 pulmonary tumors were created in eight Japanese white rabbits by implanting a VX2 sarcoma into the lower portion of the right lung through ultrasound guidance. Tumors were allowed to grow for 14-21 days to achieve a diameter of 7-15 mm, and were examined by CEUS using a SonoVue contrast agent. The results were recorded as digital video images, and the time-intensity curves and hemodynamic parameters were analyzed. Pathological tumor specimens were immediately obtained after the ultrasound examinations. Tumor specimens were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and expressed as CD31 and CD34. The different endothelial cell markers were determined by immunohistochemical staining. MVD was calculated via CD 31 and CD34, and the relationship between CEUS parameters and MVD was analyzed.Results: Two distinct types of microvessels were identified in lung peripheral VX2 tumors: differentiated (CD34+) and undifferentiated (CD31+) vessels. A significant correlation was found between CEUS parameters and undifferentiated MVD (CD31+ vessels) in lung peripheral VX2 tumors (p<0.05). A reverse correlation was observed between different MVDs.Conclusions: Two different degrees of differentiation of vascular endothelial cells (CD31 and CD34) exist in the rabbit lung peripheral VX2 tumor model. CD31 MVD can more effectively evaluate tumor angiogenesis compared with CD34 MVD. CEUS, as a non-invasive imaging method, can effectively evaluate tumor angiogenesis in rabbit peripheral lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results of investigation of changing peak positions, half widths, and peak intensities of Q-branches of the ν2, 2 ν4, ν1, ν3, and 2 ν2 methane Raman bands are presented at pressures in the range 1-55 bar and а temperature of 298 K. The peak position of the ν2 band remains practically unchanged, and peak positions of all other bands, by analogy with the ν1 band, are shifted toward lower wavenumbers with pressure increase. It is demonstrated that the peak intensity ratio of any pair of the previously enumerated bands (except the pair of 2 ν4 and 2 ν2) is sensitive to pressure changes. When pressure increases, the decreased peak intensities of Q-branches of depolarized ν2 and ν3 bands are caused by broadening of their rotational-vibrational lines, and the increased peak intensities of Q-branches of the 2 ν4 and 2 ν2 bands are most likely caused by their increased interaction with the ν1 and ν3 bands. A set of data obtained will be useful for the Raman analysis of natural gas and can also be used for determination of the pressure of methane-containing media. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results of investigation of changing peak positions, half widths, and peak intensities of Q-branches of the ν2, 2 ν4, ν1, ν3, and 2 ν2 methane Raman bands are presented at pressures in the range 1-55 bar and а temperature of 298 K. The peak position of the ν2 band remains practically unchanged, and peak positions of all other bands, by analogy with the ν1 band, are shifted toward lower wavenumbers with pressure increase. It is demonstrated that the peak intensity ratio of any pair of the previously enumerated bands (except the pair of 2 ν4 and 2 ν2) is sensitive to pressure changes. When pressure increases, the decreased peak intensities of Q-branches of depolarized ν2 and ν3 bands are caused by broadening of their rotational-vibrational lines, and the increased peak intensities of Q-branches of the 2 ν4 and 2 ν2 bands are most likely caused by their increased interaction with the ν1 and ν3 bands. A set of data obtained will be useful for the Raman analysis of natural gas and can also be used for determination of the pressure of methane-containing media. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]