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Viscosity modifiers are inherent to many lubricating multigrade oils as they reduce the temperature dependence on the viscosity of the oil, thus increasing the viscosity index. However, direct evidence of physical mechanisms to which viscosity modifiers increase viscosity index is still lacking due to the lack of appropriate analysis tools. Here, we report a method using dynamic light scattering (DLS) to study the solution behavior and coil size change of ethylene-propylene copolymers as well as polyoctadecylmethacrylate at 1.0 wt. % in a polyalphaolefin oil. The usefulness and limitations of the DLS for monitoring polymer coil size and dynamic solution behavior in oil are discussed.

This paper analyses the effects of productivity and country size on the extent of trade structure diversification. Using a testable version of the Ricardian model, we show that relative export variety is an outcome of two forces: a relative productivity change (technological progress) and a relative country size change (labour force growth). The model predictions are validated empirically using product-level trade data for a sample of 132 countries (1988–2014), including 53 low-income countries. We find a robust positive relationship between export variety and the countries’ relative productivity, as well as a negative relationship between export variety and the expansion of foreign economies (i.e., the growth of the RoW). The effect of technology differences on export variety is driving diversification especially at the beginning of the development process. The results are robust to changes in the measurement of export variety (also in terms of economic complexity), in the set of control variables, or in the estimation methods.

By decomposing firm size into horizon-based components, the authors find that the changes in firm size in prior years, instead of its recent level, drive the size premium. Specifically, size five years ago explains 80% of the current firm size but has little predictive power for the size premium. In contrast, the change in size over the prior two to five years explains only 18% of the size but almost completely captures the size premium. Their decomposition indicates that not all small stocks earn a size premium. Only small stocks that had significant losses in market value in the prior two to five years earn a premium. This analysis also offers new insights into the disappearance of the size premium and the return behaviors of new entrants. TOPICS:Security analysis and valuation, analysis of individual factors/risk premia, quantitative methods, statistical methods, performance measurement Key Findings ▪ The authors decompose firm size into horizon-based components and find the size premium is driven by the size change during the prior two to five years. As such, a better strategy for investors who are interested in the size premium is to trade on the prior two- to five-year size change. ▪ Not all small stocks earn a size premium. Only small stocks that had significant losses in market value in the prior two to five years earn a premium. ▪ Although the size premium is documented to have disappeared between the early 1980s and early 2000s, the premium related to the prior two- to five-year size change remains strong during this period.

Performing the Critical Chain Scheduling (CCS) and Buffer Management (BM) in project management has recently risen as one of the most popular project management approaches. The critical Chain Scheduling (CCS) approach is replacing the traditional scheduling method to reduce the uncertainty associated with time schedules. The research highlights the importance of critical chain scheduling in project execution by investigating using buffers in the critical paths and the feeding baths in project management using a real case study. The case study was studied by analyzing the schedule provided and then implementing CCS and BM using four different methods. The methods are cut and paste (C&PM), the root square method (RSEM), the Adaptive procedure with resource tightness, and the Adaptive procedure with network density (APND). The buffer size obtained for each method was determined. From the result got, for project buffer in adaptive approach with network density method yields a larger buffer size compared to the adaptive procedure with resource tightness method. While for feeding buffer also show that APND resulted in a larger buffer size than APRT. Finally, the proposed buffer size was investigated and simulated using the What if approach.

Development of new principles and techniques at the single-cell level is significantly important since cells as basic units of living organisms always bear large heterogeneity. Herein, we demonstrate a new electrochemical principle for single-cell analysis based on an ion current blockage at the orifice of a nanopipette, defined as resistance cytometry. The amplitude and the frequency of ion current transients show strong dependence on the size and the concentration of cells, which could be used for in situ cell sizing and counting. This technique shows good ability to detect the size change of RBCs under stimulations of different pH and osmotic pressure values. More importantly, the as-presented resistance cytometry can distinguish lymphoma blood cells from normal blood cells for patient blood samples. The as-presented resistance cytometry is label-free, non-invasive, and non-destructive, which not only opens new opportunities for single-cell analysis but also provides a new platform for cell-related medical diagnostic technologies.

Some impediments, including insufficient drug release, poor tumor penetration, and lack of real-time imaging guidance, still limited the therapeutic efficiency of nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems. Here, light-responsive perfluoropentane (PFP) based nanodroplets as doxorubicin (DOX) nanocarriers that could achieve deep tumor delivery under multimodal imaging guidance were developed. Triggered by laser irradiation, the liquid PFP with low boiling point could go through small-to-big size change and liquid-to-gas phase transformation. At the same time, the accompanied cavitation effect led to not only the disruption of dense extracellular matrix for deep penetration but also the disruption of endo-/lysosome for nucleus delivery of released DOX. Furthermore, different from many imaging approaches which were always "on", only upon laser stimulation could the nanodroplets act as ultrasound/fluorescence probes due to the echogenic PFP bubbles and the recovered fluorescence of DOX itself after released from nanodroplets, which was highly desirable to indicate the DOX state in real time. Therefore, such PFP nanodroplets with phase/size tunable properties enable site-specific drug delivery efficiently and exhibit their potent in cancer theranostics.

Background and purpose In radiotherapy, treatment response is generally evaluated many weeks after end of the treatment course. If the treatment outcome could be predicted during radiotherapy better tumour control could be achieved through timely adaptation of the treatment strategy. In this study intra-treatment change based on the diffusion MRI outlined viable tumour volume (VTV) was assessed and compared to the standard GTV to study their outcome prediction capacity. Materials and methods Thirty-eight brain metastases from twenty-one cancer patients were analysed in this prospective trial. Diffusion and structural MRI was acquired on a 1 T machine before, during, and at follow-up 2–3 months after radiotherapy. The VTV was defined as a region with high cellularity using high b-value diffusion MRI scans. Further, the diffusivity of the VTV was derived as the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). Treatment outcome was determined using RECIST defined bounds in the T1W MRI follow-up scan. Longitudinal statistical analysis was performed using a linear mixed effect model. Results The GTV declined in both responding and non-responding (significantly) tumours with inseparable rates during radiotherapy. The VTV volume fraction reduced significantly in the responding tumours only. The ADC of the VTV increased significantly in responding metastases whereas it decreased in non-responding metastases. Furthermore, no association between baseline tumour size or primary disease and outcome was observed. Conclusion GTV size change during radiotherapy is not a reliable predictor of outcome in brain metastases. On the other hand, change in the volume fraction of VTV and diffusivity of VTV shows ability to stratify treatment outcome.

The present study aims to determine the probability of glacial lake outburst flooding (GLOF) in the Himalaya. Here, a total of 4198 glacial lakes with larger dimensions (>0.01 km2) were considered. A fusion between Object-based classification (OBC) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was applied for unbiased results, involving the fifteen most essential predictors. The previously studied threshold values of predictors were used in OBC to determine GLOF prone lakes. On the other hand, earthquake, lake freeboard, moraine dam steepness, avalanches, and lake size change rate were prioritized for the AHP method. Individually, OBC and AHP methods identified 107 and 224 critical lakes. However, as a fusion of the above techniques (GIS overlay analysis), our study identified 60 critical lakes, followed by 164 and 3974 glacial lakes with medium and lower probability of GLOF. 95% of the higher GLOF-probable lakes are concentrated in the Kosi (33), Pelkhu (7), and Tista (5) river basins; sub-regionally coincide with Sikkim, Everest, Bhutan and Langtang region.

Background Rathke cleft cysts (RCCs) are known sellar/suprasellar lesions that can grow and become symptomatic. For most asymptomatic lesions, stability is a typical outcome of surveillance; however, random relapse or cyst size fluctuation may also be observed. The conventional treatment for growing cysts is transsphenoidal removal. Methods A literature review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. For significance, all journals were screened. Only records of tissue diagnosed RCCs with changes in size were included. Age and sex at diagnosis, size of the lesion, symptoms (if any), pituitary dysfunction, follow-up period, and size reduction were included in the data items. Results A total of 4 articles where selected after the second exclusion method. Three articles where case series and one was a case report. Eight total patients where histologically proven to have Rathke cleft cysts which fluctuated in size without intervention. Conclusion This review shows that RCCs can decrease or fluctuate in size following a dynamic process that is not fully understood. In the absence of symptoms, a larger cyst or an absolute increase in a cyst size, which may traditionally provoke an early surgical intervention, should be assessed and managed carefully to avoid potentially unneeded surgical morbidity.

Equations estimating body mass were used to depict a near 5-million-year history of size change in pocket gophers and cotton rats from the Meade Basin of southwestern Kansas. Although phyletic size decrease was noted in Sigmodon minor and Geomys minor and size increase in Geomys quinni, no long-term intra-basin size trends were observed. Immediately following the Huckleberry Ridge ash-fall at 2.11 Ma, the small Pliocene cotton rat S. minor became extinct, a large cotton rat entered the basin, two gophers became extinct, and two new ones entered the basin. Assuming the same rodent contingent at the Short Haul locality as at the Aries A site, between deposition of the Borchers and Short Haul assemblages, minimally about 0.12 million years, 40% of the Meade Basin rodent fauna turned over and Microtus dispersed into North America across Beringia. Geochemical environmental proxy data did not identify significant climatic events in the Borchers Badlands Pleistocene sequence; consequently it is possible that a super-eruption from the Yellowstone caldera was at least partly responsible for size shifts in cotton rats and pocket gophers and significant modifications to the Meade Basin rodent community., This work was supported by the National Geographic Society [5963-97, 6547-99]; National Science Foundation [EAR 0307582, EAR 1338262].

Background The olfactory bulb (OB) and eyeball size change depending on age and puberty. There is a well-established trade-off between sensory structures of the brain such as the eye and the olfactory bulb that depend on environmental circumstances in the evolutionary history of animals. The aim of this study was to developmentally investigate the potential reciprocal changes between OB and eyeball volumes (EV) in girls with precocious puberty (PP). Methods A total of 148 girls aged between 5 and 8 years (63 PP, 85 healthy) were included in the study. Exclusion criteria: Cases of anosmia/hyposmia, neurodegenerative disorder, refractive errors and trauma. The pituitary height (PH), EV and OB volumes were measured on segmentation of a magnetic resonance image (MRI) slice using manual countering. The corrected measurements by body surface were used in all statistical analyses. Results In girls with PP, the means of the OB volume and PH were larger (71.11 ± 20.64 mL) and higher (4.62 ± 1.18 mm), respectively, while the mean of EVs was smaller (11.24 ± 2.62 cm3) (p = 0.000). Cut-off values were 62.27 mL, 10.7 cm3 and 4.71 mm for OB volume, EV and PH, respectively. While negative correlations were found between OB volume-EV and EV-PH (r63 = −0.224, p = 0.001 and r63 = −0.116, p = 0.001, respectively), OB volume was positively correlated with PH (r63 = 0.578, p = 0.001). Conclusions The present study demonstrates that girls with PP have significantly larger OB volume, but smaller EV, and there is negative correlation between the two structures. These results indicate that there is trade-off between anatomical dimensions of OB and eyeball in favor of OB in PP girls.

The study of patterns of electric fields intensity indicators and amagnetic induction in the Pushkin municipal area of Saint Petersburg has been executed. It is established that intensity of electric fields reaches significant sizes only near to air high-voltage transmission lines. Magnetic induction over admissible levels is not noted, but within city territory its size change largely that had been represented on the original map. The dependence of indicators of magnetic induction on the land use and building of territories in Pushkin is rather simple: the minimum values are registered in the parks, squares and boulevards, the averages are in the built-up territories, the raised are in anomalies. Magnitudes over hygienic standard are not noted. Magnitudes over the approximate safer limit 400nTl are observed in Pushkin area only in places of underground cables. As awhole, the Pushkin area is characterized by the indicators of magnetic induction lowered in comparison with another cities.

Despite widespread evidence that mating and intrasexual competition are costly, relatively little is known about how these costs dynamically change male and female phenotypes. Here, we test multiple hypotheses addressing this question in replicate flocks of red junglefowl (Gallus gallus). First, we test the interrelationships between social status, comb size (a fleshy ornament) and body mass at the onset of a mating trial. While comb size covaried positively with body mass across individuals of both sexes, comb size was positively related to social status in females but not in males. Second, we test for changes within individuals in body mass and comb size throughout the mating trial. Both body mass and comb size declined at the end of a trial in both sexes, suggesting that mating effort and exposure to the opposite sex are generally costly. Males lost more body mass if they (a) were socially subordinate, (b) were chased by other males or (c) mated frequently, indicating that subordinate status and mating are independently costly. Conversely, females lost more body mass if they were exposed to a higher frequency of coerced matings, suggesting costs associated with male sexual harassment and female resistance, although costs of mating per se could not be completely ruled out. Neither competitive nor mating interactions predicted comb size change in either sex. Collectively, these results support the notion that sex‐specific costs associated with social status and mating effort result in differential, sex‐specific dynamics of phenotypic change., We present empirical evidence that social status and mating behaviours are associated with sex‐specific dynamic changes in body mass, but not ornament expression, in replicate groups of polygynandrous red junglefowl (Gallus gallus). Photo by Dom Cram.

Metals are important industrial catalysts for activation and transformation of methane. Investigations on the reactivity evolution of metal particles along size change to determine the critical siz...

Nanotwinned cubic boron nitride (nt-cBN) with remarkable hardness, toughness, and stability has attracted widespread attention due to its distinct scientific and industrial importance. The key for nt-cBN synthesis is to adopt an onion-like BN (oBN) nano-precursor and induce phase transition under high pressure. Here, we found that the size change of oBN used greatly affected the mechanical performance of products. With the precursor size decreasing from ~320 to 90 nm, the Vickers hardness of nanostructured products improved from 61 to 108 GPa, due to the fact that large oBN nanoparticles possessed more flattened, orderly and graphite-like shell layers, in sharp contrast to the highly wrinkled and imperfect layers in small-diameter nanoparticles, thus resulting in the apparent reduction of ultrafine-twin substructure in the synthetic products. This study reveals that only small oBN precursor could produce complete ultrafine nt-cBN with outstanding performance. A practical route was proposed to further improve the performance of this important material.

Motivational Interviewing (MI) has been used as an approach to enhance readiness for change and behavior modification in a range of addiction and substance use disorders. Large meta-analyses comparing MI with non-MI interventions point to mixed conclusions about the short-term and long-term effectiveness of MI, with participant, outcome, and delivery factors being important moderators. The current study aimed to assess the immediate (1–2 weeks) and long-term (18 months) effectiveness of MI when delivered at the first point of client contact at a community gambling help counselling service and to investigate whether practitioners’ MI adherent and non-adherent behaviors were significant predictors of change in client outcomes. There were 146 individuals presenting for gambling help counselling at an Australian not-for-profit organization who participated in this research. From the overall sample, 55% completed the 18 months follow-up assessment. Multilevel modelling showed a significant reduction in participants’ problem gambling severity and psychological distress, which was a small effect size change in the short-term and large effect size change by the 18 months follow-up. While MI adherent practitioner behaviors were not found to be significant predictors of improvement in participants’ problem gambling severity and psychological distress, MI non-adherent practitioner behaviors were significant predictors of deterioration in participants’ problem gambling severity and psychological distress. This study highlights the importance of excluding MI non-adherent (confront and persuade) practitioner behaviors in order to prevent deterioration in client outcomes.

Urgency of the research. Measuring small displacements is an important task of engineering geodesy. Measurements with an error in the range 0.001 mm - 0.1 mm are called technical measurements. Special equipment and methods of working on it are developed to perform such measurements. Control lines and sample measures are used for metrological verification of equipment. The temperature has the greatest effect on the change in the size of the equipment. The development of methods for high-precision fixation of small displacements from temperature changes is an urgent task. Target setting. It is difficult to measure small displacement with high accuracy. Interferometers are used for this purpose. A new high-precision method for measuring small displacements is proposed. Investigate the possibility of using the proposed method to determine the linear extension of the control lines. Actual scientific researches and issues analysis. Open access publications on linear expansion of material, devices and methods of fixing small movements are considered. Uninvestigated parts of general matters defining. Use of clock-type indicators instead of interferometers. Research of change of the size of control lines at temperature change. Checking the formulas of thermal linear expansion for a specific test sample. The research objective. Investigate the change in length of control lines from temperature using clock-type indicators. The statement of basic materials. The use of clock-type indicators allows to track the change in the size of the control lines when the temperature changes, and in turn allows to check the formula of thermal linear expansion for a particular sample, and not just to fix the size. We also found that a rapid change in temperature, more than 1.50 to ten minutes, causes a nonlinear change in the length of the studied samples. This fact must be taken into account when measuring with control lines in the field at sharp temperature drops. The correlation coefficients of size change from temperature and size change over time under the influence of temperature are calculated. To control the obtained results, the change in the length of the control lines was determined using a laser interferometer. With a temperature change of 8.50 C, the control meter changed its size by 0.18 mm and 0.16 mm (respectively, laser interferometer and clock-type indicator). Conclusions. A method for determining small displacements using a clock-type indicator is proposed. The correlation coefficients of the change in time under the influence of temperature change are established. The coefficients of linear expansion for brass and steel are specified. The practical value of the research is that the proposed method allows for metrological verification (extraordinary, running) of standards of length without the use of classical standards such as laser interferometers., Актуальність теми дослідження. Вимірювання малих переміщень є важливим завданням інженерної геодезії. Виміри з похибкою діапазону 0,001–0,1 мм називають технічними. Для виконання таких вимірювань розробляють спеціальне обладнання та методики роботи на ньому. Контрольні лінійки та взірцеві міри використовують для метрологічної повірки обладнання. Найбільше на зміну розміру виробу впливає температура. Розробка методів для високоточної фіксації малих переміщень від зміни температури є актуальним завданням. Постановка проблеми. Виміряти мале переміщення з високою точністю дуже складно. Для цього використовують інтерферометри. Запропонувати новий високоточний метод вимірювання малих переміщень. Дослідити можливість використання пропонованого методу для визначення лінійного розширення контрольних лінійок. Аналіз останніх досліджень і публікацій. Розглянуто публікації у відкритому доступі щодо лінійного розширення матеріалу, приладів та методів фіксації малих переміщень. Виділення недосліджених частин загальної проблеми. Використання індикаторів годинникового типу замість інтерферометрів. Дослідження зміни розміру контрольних лінійок у разі зміни температури. Перевірка формул температурного лінійного розширення для конкретного досліджуваного взірця. Мета статті. Дослідити зміну довжини контрольних лінійок від температури з використанням індикаторів годинникового типу. Виклад основного матеріалу. Використання індикаторів годинникового типу дає змогу відслідковувати зміну розміру контрольних лінійок у разі зміни температури і, у свою чергу, дає можливість перевірки формули температурного лінійного розширення для конкретного досліджуваного взірця, а не тільки фіксувати розмір. Також нами встановлено, що швидка зміна температури, більше ніж на 1,50 до десяти хвилин, викликає нелінійну зміну довжини досліджуваних взірців. Цей факт необхідно враховувати під час вимірювань контрольними лінійками в польових умовах при різких перепадах температури. Обчислені коефіцієнти кореляції зміни розміру від температури та зміни розміру в часі під впливом температури. Для контролю одержаних результатів було визначено зміну довжини контрольних лінійок з використанням лазерного інтерферометра. Зі зміною температури у 8.50 С контрольний метр змінив свій розмір на 0,18 та 0,16 мм (відповідно лазерний інтерферометр і індикатор годинникового типу). Висновки відповідно до статті. Запропоновано методику визначення малих переміщень використовуючи індикатор годинникового типу. Встановлено коефіцієнти кореляції зміни величини в часі під впливом зміни температури. Уточнено коефіцієнти лінійного розширення для латуні та сталі. Практична цінність проведених досліджень у тому, що запропонована методика дозволяє проводити метрологічну перевірку (позачергову, біжучу) еталонів довжини без застосування класичних еталонів таких, як лазерні інтерферометри.

PURPOSE OF COMMENTARY: Acquiring knowledge on drug disposition and action in infant is challenging because of the problem of sparse and unbalanced data obtained for each individual infant due to the limited blood volume as well as the issue of extensive inter-subject and intra-subject variability in drug exposure and response due to the fast growth and dynamic maturation changes in infants. This commentary highlights the importance of using population-based pharmacometric models to improve knowledge on drug disposition and action in infants. RECENT FINDINGS: Pharmacometric modeling remains to be critical in clinical pharmacology research in infants. Many pediatric covariate models developed for scaling of drug clearance use a combination of allometric weight scaling to account for size change and a sigmoid function of antenatal development and postnatal maturation to characterize the age-related maturation. To expedite the development of safe and effective dosing regimens in infants, a number of strategies have been proposed recently, including the use of pediatric covariate model obtained from one drug for extrapolation to other drugs undergoing similar elimination pathways, as well as the combination of opportunistic clinical studies and population-based pharmacometrics models. SUMMARY: Population-based pharmacometric modeling plays a pivotal role in clinical pharmacology research in infants. Most of the covariate models reported so far focus on antibiotics undergoing renal elimination. Novel modeling strategies have been proposed recently to facilitate clinical pharmacology research and expedite the dose optimization process in infants.

With the large-scale mining of mineral resources, the change of resource endowments is one of the most important challenges in the mineral processing field, wherein the size distribution and size change of ores are one of new problems.

The present study examined the effects of small-sided and conditioned games (SSCGs) manipulating tactical rules (ball-possession [BP] vs goal-scoring with goalkeepers [GS]) and pitch size (square [SP] vs rectangular [RP]) on the running performance and technical skills of young soccer players. Ten male soccer players (chronological age: 12.45 ± 0.51 years; body mass: 41.99 ± 7.97 kg; height: 152.85 ± 10.03 cm) were monitored using GPS units during SSCG formats. The distance covered at different running intensities and number of technical actions were used in analyses. SSCG-induced changes in 30 m sprint and CMJ performances were also evaluated. Compared to BP, GS elicited significantly lower distances covered at low intensity running (p=0.003; d=-0.95), more sprints (p=0.050; d=0.67), and longer distances covered in terms of walking (p=0.035; d=2.60) and sprinting (p=0.029; d=0.75); (ii) number of passes (short [p=0.002; d=1.10] and long [p=0.013; d=0.82]) were more frequent during BP than GS games, while RP game format allowed for greater occurrence of long passes (p=0.036; d=0.64) than under the SP condition; (iii) jumping and sprinting performance did not change (p>0.05) using different SSCG formats. In conclusion, GS games demand more sprint running episodes in terms of number and distance covered than BP games. In addition, RP game formats can be used to increase the occurrence of longer passes in young soccer players aged 11-13 years. Resumo O estudo examinou os efeitos de diferentes jogos reduzidos e condicionados (JRC): manipulando as regras táticas (posse de bola (BP) vs. marcar gols com goleiro (GS)) e o formato do campo (quadrado vs. retangular) sobre o desempenho físico e técnico em jovens jogadores de futebol. Dez jogadores do sexo masculino (idade: 12,45 ± 0,51 anos; massa corporal: 41,99 ± 7,97 kg; altura: 152,85 ± 10,3 cm) foram monitorados através do sistema de posicionamento global e os JRC gravados em vídeo. A distância percorrida em diferentes intensidades e o número de ações técnicas para os 4 diferentes JRC foram usadas para análise. O efeito dos JRC sobre o desempenho no teste de sprints de 30 m e altura do salto vertical também foram analisadas. Os JRC para GS provocaram distâncias significativamente menores em corrida de baixa intensidade (p=0.003; d=-0.95) e mais sprints (p=0.050; d=0.67) e maiores distâncias caminhando (p=0.035; d=2.60) e em sprint (p=0.029; d=0.75) comparado ao BP; (ii) o número de passes (curtos [p=0.002; d=1.10] e longos [p=0.013; d=0.82]) é maior nos JRC de BP que GS. O formato retangular permite maior ocorrência de passes longos que o modelo quadrado (p=0.036; d=0.64); (iii) o desempenho de salto vertical e velocidade não mudou (p>0.05) após os JRC. Concluindo, ações envolvendo sprints em número e distância são maiores no JRC com GS comparado ao BP, enquanto que JRC de BP favorecem o desenvolvimento do passe. Por fim, o campo retangular com BP estimula a realização de passes mais longos em jovens jogadores.

Probing the dynamic evolution of material structures, in response to physical or chemical stimuli, is of great interest to material scientists for the purpose of studying and designing novel materials. Studies of the dynamic evolutions are enabled through analyzing a sequence of microscopic images taken at different times or different stages of the evolutions. The time-resolved imaging can be acquired using in situ material imaging techniques, reviewed in Sect. 2.1, or using ex situ material imaging when in situ imaging is not available. Here, ex situ imaging implies that a small quantity of sample material is taken for each intended measurement time and an offline imaging technique is subsequently applied. It provides an inexpensive and simpler alternative to in situ imaging, but in situ imaging does require a significant amount of time and efforts to manually take and prepare the samples for imaging. These in situ or ex situ images can be analyzed using different approaches, through either distribution tracking or object tracking. As explained in Chap. 7, distribution tracking is concerned with discerning how a population of material objects collectively change over time, while object tracking is interested in knowing how material objects evolve individually or through mutual interactions. Chapter 7 presents the distribution tracking methods but for size change only. This chapter extends the discussion of distribution tracking for modeling shape changes or for both size and shape changes. The content of this chapter is based on the mathematical concept of shapes introduced in Chap. 4, so reading this chapter requires a certain degree of understanding of Chap. 4.

Previous studies of secular change in cranial size among black South Africans have produced conflicting results.We re-examined cranial size change in this population during the 19th and 20th century by evaluating its relationship with individual year-of-birth, and the significance of trends among eight decennial cohorts.This study is based on 102 male and 89 female adults born between 1865 and 1959. Linear regressions were employed to evaluate possible relationships between year-of-birth and cranial dimensions; ANOVAs were used to evaluate the significance of long-term trends among decennial cohorts.No analysis revealed a secular change in cranial length in either sex; however, the ANOVA for cranial length in the combined sex sample was significant. There is no secular trend in female cranial breadth, but males display a negative trend in this dimension. This results in a secular trend for increased male dolichocephaly.The factors that underlie the negative secular trend in male cranial breadth and the absence of a secular trend in overall cranial size in this population are unclear. Nevertheless, these observations accord with findings related to stature and long bone strength in this population and are consistent with observations for other sub-Saharan African populations.

The objective of this study is to investigate the utility of gelatin hydrogel-fragmented fibers (GHFF) as a material to suppress the shrinkage of cell sheets, which often happens upon detaching from a culture plate. The GHFF were fabricated by cutting gelatin hydrogel nonwoven fabrics. MC3T3-E1 cells were simply mixed with different amounts of GHFF, followed by culturing to formulate the cell sheet homogeneously incorporating GHFF. When detached from the culture plate, the cell sheet formulated without GHFF shrunk while the area became about 23% of the original one before detachment. On the contrary, the cell sheet formulated with GHFF hardly shrunk. The lactate/glucose ratio of a metabolic activity was significantly lower and the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production was higher for the cell sheet formulated with the GHFF than that obtained without the GHFF. An osteogenic activity was high for the cell sheet formulated with the GHFF compared with that obtained without the GHFF. The GHFF addition was a simple and promising method to fabricate active cell sheets without size change. Impact Statement This study introduces the utility of gelatin hydrogel-fragmented fibers (GHFF) for cell sheet engineering. Upon detaching from the culture plate, the cell sheet formulated without GHFF shrunk, while the area became about 23% of the original one before detachment. On the contrary, the cell sheet formulated with GHFF hardly shrunk. The GHFF allowed cell sheets to enhance the metabolic and osteogenic activities. The GHFF addition was a simple and promising method to fabricate active cell sheets without size change.

A new method for controlling segregation delicately based on the centroid of independent segregation points in an alloy macrostructure is established using Voronoi polygon method. Voronoi polygon area is found to nearly obey the log-normal distribution, which shows that a polygon may reflect a new solidifying unit. The relationship between Voronoi polygon characteristics and carbon segregation extent (segregation ratio) is investigated at different locations. In a pure columnar grain zone, the segregation extent worsens as the Voronoi polygon size decreases; in an equiaxed grain zone, this extent worsens as the size increases. A near-equilibrium solidification model for polygons under different conditions is studied, and the results are consistent with the aforementioned finding of segregation ratio. Compared with a secondary arm spacing, the fractal dimension of the solidification structure may be a better method to describe the characteristics of the solidification structure and the size change of Voronoi polygons as to relevant segregation. Thus, this study proposes a new experimental method that depicts the macrostructure from a different perspective, i.e., the segregation point instead of the solidification structure. The formation of Voronoi polygons created by segregation points during solidifying should be divided into two stages, i.e., appearance of the segregation point and determination of the polygon's outline. The segregation extent can be controlled by altering the size of the relevant Voronoi polygon, which is a unique alternative strategy for improving the uniformity of element distribution rather than simultaneously considering nucleus formation, solidification structure growth, and liquid flow as to the complex process of segregation formation.

This study investigates the size changes of tropical cyclones (TCs) traversing the Philippines based on a 37-yr statistical analysis. TC size is defined by the radius of 30-kt (≈15.4 m s−1) wind speed (R30) from the best track data of the Japan Meteorological Agency. A total of 71 TCs passed the Philippines during 1979–2015. The numbers of size increase (SI; 36) and size decrease (SD; 34) cases are very similar; however, the last 15 years have seen more SI cases (17) than SD cases (11). SI and SD cases mostly occur along northerly and southerly paths, respectively, after TCs pass the Philippines. Before landfall, SI cases have small initial sizes and weak intensities, but SD cases have larger initial sizes and stronger intensities. After landfall, most SI cases are intensifying storms, and most SD cases are nonintensifying storms. Composite analyses of vertical wind shear, absolute angular momentum flux, relative humidity, and sea surface temperature between SI and SD cases are compared. All of these values are larger in SI cases than in SD cases. Furthermore, the interdecadal difference in the ratio of the numbers of SI to SD cases reveals an unusually high number of SI cases during 2001–15. The synoptic patterns between 1979–2000 and 2001–15 are analyzed. The high SI ratio in the latter period is related to strong southwesterly wind in the south of the South China Sea that raised relative humidity, warmed the sea surface, and increased import of angular momentum flux.